The packet is done

And at noon tomorrow I will turn in my application for the credital program. Now the real fun begins.

Tomorrow is a potluck with my student's parents. Thursday is movie night (I guess I should see "The Queen"). Friday is the teacher of the year. Saturday Birthday party. Sunday, study, study, study. So the college social life is back. Which is good because I want to enjoy the next few months as well as get the heck outta here.

Hotel rooms in the county are starting to fill up for Graduation weekend (there aren't that many up here.)

However, today's drama came from a professor who I asked to write me a letter or recommendation. What she wrote was...bad. It was heartbreaking because I have connected more with this professor then with any other. She has been depressed lately. I told her she didn't have to write me a letter but she insisted. What I got instead was a letter, that...well...I don't know if I should rewrite it. It's in a 16 font and is only one page long. The first sentence goes like this...


"Uncomfortable though this is for me, I must confess to a terrible block in my ability to write letters or recommendation for credital program candidates."

And it goes downhill from there, with the cherry on the sunday being she completely mispelled my name. *sigh*, I really wish then she just didn't write it. I guess she felt bound to, but I would've understood. I feel a bit bad. I will talk to her (I know I will bump into her tomorrow), but I can not use the letter she wrote for a recommendation. She meant well, and she was trying to be a friend. I guess Nuff' said then.

Paradox

When I look back at my life I think about my last year in living in Missouri. I was in high school getting ready to graduate, and while my peers were planning trips to Florida or Padre Island, Texas to celebrate I was going to Russia. I kind of remember the last party where all the high school kids were together. For some of us, who had known each other since we were five years old (and some even younger then that), it was the last time we'd see each other till the high school reunion, and even then half of us didn't show up.

As I begin to get to the end of college I begin to see similar signs happening. After I graduate I'm off to China. Probably the best friend I have made up here as been MW, her and her husband Mr.Z have been great people to know. MW and I are both ten years older then the average student so we could laugh about how silly these kids are and how they are going to learn things the hard way (since they didn't want to hear our advice...Of course, youth never listens to those who came before). MW just told me her and Mr.Z are moving to Sonora in a few months. I'm happy for them both, but I have to be a bit selfish and be sad for myself.

I wrote once about how you don't keep in touch with certain circle of friends once that circle is broken up. Southern California has been proving me right more and more everytime I visit it. I seem to keep two or three friends from my journey around the world. Which I guess is two or three more then the previous journey. So I guess I wouldn't change the direction of where this this new chapter of life has taken me since I suspect it is beginning to wrap up and the new chapter will begin when I come back from China.

Wait, I take that back. There is one thing I would change. But that is something I can't do alone.


"It's already written that today will be one to remember." ~S. Winwood

What was I going to write?

I hate it when I am driving in a car and I'm thinking to myself "Geez, that drives me crazy!" or "That's was so great!" and I want to write a blog about it, but then...I forget what I was thinking about!

Consider this blog. a bump till the next one. :)

Who's at Coachella?

If I was to have regrets it would be not seeing Nirvana when they came to the Bay Area (a few miles from where I lived) many years ago. Sadly, it was during a bland time in my life, and just before a very fun time in my life.

I'll never see the Beatles reunite, because half of them have moved on. I've seen Paul! (And he did all his great Beatles tunes! It was quite awesome!!) Groups like The Police or Talking Heads might be fun to see, but I don't think it would be the same.

However, it has come to my attention that Rage Against the Machine is coming back together! I would L-O-V-E to see these guys. I haven't before (for many lame reasons, my personal favorite having to do with the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles back in 2000, those "in the know" will know what I mean when I say Marti! And no more!) I think it's the first time I have wanted to "play hookey" in years! (Probably since I called in sick from "the agency", which is a story I will share later this year!)

I should see Rage, but A. I am going to China and would like to have lots of money for that and B. In March I am going to a very important Teacher's conference (which I really, really also want to attend!) in Sacarmento.

Ahh well. Maybe Rage can follow the Pixies lead and tour!

*Prays to the Rock gods to convince Rage Against the Machine to tour!*

Remember Evian is Naive spelled backwards!

I don't know if it's age or just social skills. But people would soon have their hand chopped off then be straight with you on something.

Remember a few months ago I was attempting to date a girl (I believe the subject header was used baseball termology) well I just realized why that fell by the wasteside. A person who I have thought of as one of my better friends up here would constantly bring up my age (since I am older then the average student). Now the girl I was attempting to date DID know my age, and at the time it didn't matter. I believe my "friend" and the date girl's roommate explained my age is well old (which isn't really that old, even from a 21 year old perceptive).

It didn't occur to me till early today when I was talking to a girl who reminded me of date girl. When we talked about me returning to school and how their are others much older then doing the same thing I thought "See. She doesn't care about age." And then I thought "Who really has had a problem with me?" Answer "My friend" is the only one who has made any mention of it.

I'm a bit disappointed about this, and I know this blog reads like "hear say", but I'm pretty sure about this. (*NOTE*, I have other facts to support this but I am too tired and really don't have time to write them all down.) I'm not going to follow through or anything anyway. I'm too close to getting done here to do this (and trust me, with the credital program, I will have NO social time! None!).

If I have to find a lesson here it's that people all have different opinions about who someone is. It's funny to be in your 30's and thinking about this stuff.

Alright, I'm done thinking about it. :)

The new semester!

Sadly, the new semester got off to a sad start. My neighbor, Kenny, who was a very nice kid, died on Christmas day. His little brother had gotten a remote control boat, but it broke in the middle of the lake. Kenny swam out to get it but ended up drowning. I never hung out with him, but we would talk if we bumped into each other. He had a great personality, even during finals (he never was dramatic about stress!). He was a good student and even was on the football team. He was a good guy who left us way too soon.

Meanwhile, my first week of school has been nutty. Since I had a CSET on Saturday I spent my nights studying for that. My new classes which include Children's Communications (with "DOC" one of my favorite Prof's! I had her this summer for Intercultural Studies. She is a great teacher.), Acting (It is sooooo easy that I am almost bored in that class, which usually means that I will probably start acting like a "ham", those "in the know" know what I mean, next class.) Parent/Child relations, which is really neat! I'm taking it for my job ($$$), but I like what I see, and I am a big Jonathan Kozol fan and we have to read a few of his books. The infamous "Capstone" class and observation (the final class on this journey to a degree!) Yee Haw!

And, coming this April, Surfing! Yes, Surfing. The #1 thing on my "Things I have to do in my life list." I've been telling myself that this was my last chance to learn to surf before the credital program so I am not about to blow it. I am really looking forward to it!!!!!

Overall, this is probably going to be my favorite semester since I have professors or subjects I really enjoy. Really, I find having a month off really is a bit too much. I notice a lot of my peers came back early so they can get ready to wrap up school as well. I agree, but it was still nice to have that time off.

Oh, and three days after I graduate this May I'm off to China! I got my graduation gift early! More on that later though.

The end of the Holidays

*sigh* I've been spoiled the last few years. For the last three I have had several weeks off, and before that at "the agency" we had two weeks off in a row. Well, those days come to an end on Monday.

The credital program starts two weeks before the semester, so the people in the program have already been in the program for two weeks. So next year I'll really only have a few days off (Christmas is on a Tuesday. So I'll have a week and two days.)

Really I look forward to. I think this year and last having a whole month off is too much. The last few days I have been nothing more then a sloth watching free movies on direct TV and hanging out at Powell's book store (Oh, and reading my CSET book from time to time since my test is a week from today, *gulp*!)

Portland

As I begin to wrap up my last Holiday break. (My last full month off till summer!) I must talk about the little city I have been hanging out in.

I remember eariler last summer in one of my Top Ten lists I listed Portland at #9 I believe. New York and San Fran have the #1 and #2 position. And rightfully so. If either city was a bit cheaper to live in I would jump at the chance. Chicago was #3, and I still stand by that, but Portland, for being such a small city, gives the Windy City a good run for its money.

I have never been to a city that is getting more ready for a population boom then Portland. They are building condo's up and down the riverside, but at the same time keeping its personality (as every city should try harder to do). The crime rate hardly exists. There is crime, but compared to the last few cities I've lived in it is really small (HELL! There is more crime in Eureka/Arcata where I go to school then in Portland, and the population of Portland is at least 20 times bigger.)

The great author Chuck Palahniuk wrote a great guide to Portland which adds even more the cities personality. My own tours of the city without the book has been fun. The most popular find (which I have told my friends twice now) is Powell's book store, the largest REAL bookstore I have ever been in (Leave your Border's card at home kids!) Good Irish and English pubs. Movie theaters that show old movies..and beer!...in the same theaters!!! And, of course, it wouldn't be me without finding a sugar crash site. Voo Doo Doughnuts: Which makes crazier doughnuts then anyplace I have ever been (Really! Oreo doughnuts, Coo Coo Puff doughnuts, Wedding Cake Doughnuts, etc.)

The center of Portland is much like Silver Lake/Echo Park in LA or Greenwich Village in New York. It gives Portland part of it's personality without any Starbucks or muck up your coffee needs.

Overall, I might put Portland in the running as a city to live in. But there are still many other cities I will be exploring the next few months as I think about where I might want to live when I am done with school.

R.I.P. "The O.C."..........bitch!

Happy New Year! Already four days and it's already been a whirlwind. I'm in Florida as I write this (family stuff, which I'll write about later). But a sad bit of news came over the internet this morning. Fox has cancelled the O.C.

Now I don't really watch too much television anymore, and really I haven't watch new O.C. episodes in over a year (season finale being the exception). But the show had a cheesey look at Southern Cali that you couldn't help but to laugh at. This was my "White Noise" show that was fun to watch so I could stop thinking about other things. Too bad. I'm only down to a few shows I watch and even those are no where near as good anymore ("LOST" being the grand example).

Anywho, celebrate Chrismukkah one last time.