i dont want a blog...

You know you miss magic when....

2005-09-25T01:38:00.000-05:00

1. you begin to shuffle your french flash cards

that's it.
But I do it, so i have problems... The prerelease was today, and I'm not there, majorly depressing. Jenny has assured me that my magic days are over and that I'm too old to play again... i love makin stuff up.

My Super Haiku -- it rhymes

Understand my plight
That I miss my one delight
Please put me in a flight

Elle est altruiste, amusante, sympathique, sociable et heureuse. Elle est belle. Je manque mon Jenny.

My vast college experiences

2005-09-23T01:10:00.000-05:00

It really is amazing how many things you can learn when you have been placed into a new environment like college life. I think that each and everyday can offer me something that I have never experienced before.
Today, for example, I had a wonderful chance to show central campus my ass, as I have left my belt at home. It really was wonderful to be in a massive crowd of my peers and know that I can either hold up my pants and look stupid, or leave them be and become a walking fruit of the loom advertisement. Unfortunately, neither could be managed with style.

You also have to love having your very own bathroom (no community for me!!!) and then running out of toilet paper. I mean c'mon... Who at home has ever had to attempt to steal toilet paper out of a public bathroom? Damn, they locked up the toilet paper (damn communists), but my roommate pulls through with some extra before we are forced to resort to paper towels. The whole bathroom thing really is nice though, except that we have to clean it ourselves. You wouldnt think that would be a big deal, except when your roommate comes home drunk off his ass and upchucks all over the floor. All I saw was him and one of our friends go into the bathroom and then he comes out like, "dude, keep an eye on him, I'm going home"..."sure" i say. I go in and find him in his underwear hugging the toilet with nasty orange goo all over his legs...Had to take a picture right? Anyway, I left him there and showered in the community bathroom in the morning. The bathroom floor was suspiciously sticky from then on though.

Like Michael, I understand the benefits of a positive girl to guy ratio, and I would like to detail the sheer number of women I have met here for a specific purpose. Jenny please see Appendix A. Mwahahaha.

I think it is a generally accepted fact that Michigan's dorm food sucks. Seriously, why is it that the food at my High School was like 8 times better than the stuff here? Purdue's food kicks ass...what the hell? Some colleges serve some of the same stuff everyday like pizza or cheesecake or something. Yeah, Michigan does that too but they serve daily noodles... like, just noodles. With marinara sauce if you so choose. The only redeeming quality is that I can get cottege cheese everyday along with a healthy soft serve ice cream cone (or 7) at each meal. The guy who serves the food is really nice though. He looks like a master chef and goes by his stage name "Sexy Grandpa", not kidding. Kinda makes you wonder...

On a side note, one of my Professor's names is Rod Johnson.

I have discovered that Easy-Mac is the greatest creation ever. With the combination of in-dorm convience and comparable crappiness of the cafe food, Easy Mac has become a staple in my life. Its preparation to goodness ratio is amazing, I mean it takes 5 minutes to make and the cafeteria takes hours to make the yellow paste they call noodles. Light Purple gatorade lemurs suck is also way sweet as is pretty much all good food that can be snacked on in between classes. Erin, enjoy thy last meals of the magnificent Mrs. Gilbert...if only she would sent me a care package.

Anyway, all in a day's life at Michigan... To all, À bientôt.

Alex

Appendix A:
Manessa, the girl I danced with at the frat party, Michelle, the girl who I sat next to on the bus for twenty minutes, Connie and Min-Ji, my across the hall neighbors, Marlene, my math teammate, Sarah, the really annoying girl who likes to get wasted and hit on guys, Random hot girl #1 who I just made up, Avani the girl who danced with me and then got drunk, Frances, the girl who I met through engineering classes and her friend Sarah, Kristine, a random person who befriended me on facebook, Monica, another math classmate, Kathleen, Marlene's roommate, Random hot girl #2 also just made up, Amy, the girl mirg danced with that one night in welcome week, Norah, one of Connie's friends, Michelle, also a friend of Connie's, and like 8 other random women who show up in my dorm room for reasons I don't yet know...I think they know Sachin. :)

I lack individualism, yes I do, and you can lack individualism, you can too!

2005-06-12T00:09:00.000-05:00

I'm going to take a leaf out of Michael's book and make some lists. Why? Because its a cool idea and I have no individualism. I lack leadership qualities and must choose a topic that I know will not be rejected by others. In choosing this thread, I ensure my own emotional security and acceptance. I do hope you enjoy this evidence of my inability to be my own person.

12 things that are cool

1. a brand new SCV
2. terran wraiths
3. marines
4. hydralisks
5. new born queens
6. zealots fighting
7. zerglings swarming
8. Archons burning
9. Battle Cruiser
10. Ultralisks
11. Science Vessels
12. Arbiters

11 childhood memories

1. getting a paper airplane stuck for 3 years in the light fixtures in 3rd grade
2. tag football with Joe at afterschool
3. my first stage role as "Wild Bill"
4. Christmas and Spring "Programs"
5. "Cotton eye Joe"
6. Getting sent to the Pricipals Office
7. A 1 at Regency Royale; I loved that apartment
8. my first real schism in friendships
9. dad reading to me before bed; one of many great things he did for me
10. two days of hanging out with Richey Fain, nonstop
11. Princess Way daycamp; too many memories to recount

10 best video games:

1. Final Fantasy 7
2. Starcraft
3. Super Mario World
4. Counter Strike
5. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
6. Diablo II
7. HALO
8. Lords of the Realm II
9. Pokemon (don't deny it because its childish, it rocks)
10. Tetris
most fun board(ish) games

9 things I want to do this summer:

1. Go kayaking/canoing; its deceptively fun
2. Go to a concert
3. Go camping
4. Scavenger Hunt!
5. Read "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince"-just read #5,
6. Road trip
7. Get in shape (who doesnt say that?)
8. Become an Advanced Open Water Diver
9. Earn many dollars

8 Most fun board(ish) games

1. Scattergories (easily the coolest game ever; when playing with fun people)
2. Monopoly
3. Risk
4. Scrabble
5. Pay Day
6. Parchisi
7. Sorry
8. Chess

7 Teachers I really liked

1. Mrs. R (3rd grade)
2. Mrs. Bauer (7th/8th grade)
3. Mr. Krucina
4. Mr. Largey
5. Mr. Vangoey
6. Ms. Coglianese
7. Mrs. Gunty

6 great TV shows

1. Friends
2. The Simpsons
3. Mork and Mindy
4. Survivor (the original)
5. E R
6. Dexter's Laboratory

5 cool songs

1. Where the River Flows, Collective Soul
2. Money for Nothing, Dire Straits
3. What's Its Like, Everlast
4. Bohemion Rhapsody, Queen
5. Born to be Wild, Steppen Wolf

4 tasty candy bars (kinda)

1. Butterfinger (bite size kick ass)
2. Skittles
3. Mentos
4. Jelly Bellies (especially the sour ones)

3 unassailable facts

1. 2+2=4
2. you will die, you will pay taxes
3. Andy is thinking/has thought of something to dispute the previous statement

2 sad answers to life's greatest questions

1. maybe later
2. ...sure

1 thing this list of lists would be incomplete without

1. Magic, The Gathering

Drama, Drama, Drama

2005-05-01T16:04:00.000-05:00

Wow, so today is Sunday; a day for relaxation and fun after a taxing week. I got up at about 2:30, took a shower, had some breakfast, considered mowing the lawn... how great life is. This past week has been crazy though. Play practice every night until around 8:30 for the whole week, then one performance on thursday, two on friday, and two on saturday.

Stop the presses...mom just called and apparently there is an NHS banquet tonight at 6:00 or something. G A Y

Anyway, the days just sort of all ran together with show after show (especially from friday morning to last night) and the final show was especially nuts. The moron freshman kept trying to "be creative" and come up with funny side jokes to do in the play, but they mostly just came out stupid. After the first Act, Dobb came in and told us to knock it off and the some of the cast got a little pissed. The thing that made me mad was that Dobb got a little upset with me because I was one of the cowboys, and it was most of the cowboys who were being stupid. Guilty by association sucks. Tommy actually put his foot down when one of them was going to substitute a machine gun with one of the traditional six guns that the play was supposed to have in it. He grabbed the gun, told him to let go, and glared at him until he did... I was thoroughly entertained. Anyway, the play finished well and afterward at the cast party I went undefeated (a total of nine games) in foosball with Kate (I never found out her last name) as my defense. We even took down the mighty Jayme O'Hara and Adam Gilbert team who went undefeated before us (at a score of 10-9). Kate actually scored like half our goals in that game even playing defense; she kicked ass.
Now that the play is over, im looking forward to having my normal life back, but at the same time I wish we could do a couple more shows. The play really was fun to do, and in between shows or scenes we would all hang out in the band room talking, playing piano/drums and singing. I met some really cool people i hadn't had the chance to know before, and I'm definitely glad I did it.

HAL

2005-04-11T01:10:00.000-05:00

You really gotta love HAL. He's right you know, its not a failure on the part of nature, it can only be attributable to human error. You may ask what failure I'm talking about, but the truth is, it really doesnt matter. Name a problem, we caused it; HAL didn't, we did. Andy will now spend the next period of time (minimum of 10 minutes, but more likely around 45) trying to come up with a case in which I am inexplicably wrong.

I think I might end up changing that midi file from time to time, so check in. It is invariably more fun than actually writing, unless of course I have something to write about.

EXCITING NEW ENTRY!!!

2005-04-09T22:37:00.000-05:00

So, since I'm bored and since Alex rarely updates his blog, I decided to do him a favor and make a new post for him.

It wasn't hard to guess his password and give myself administrator access (his password is the same as mine), so I figured why the hell not...?

Anyways, what topics to cover... hmmmm...... well, let's see here.... oh, I'm gonna get some music playing on this site... and OH... i'm gonna put the tagboard that's on MY blog on THIS blog too... that way the same tagboard will be on BOTH blogs with the same messages... how cool is that? Not really all that cool, but oh well.....

So, ehhh, how about the weather?.... Yeah, not bad, is it.... Oh... those Magic cards are pretty radical these days... that Kamigawa is one sweet block. Uhhh.... well... that's too bad Spring Break's almost over... but it was pretty fun while it lasted... can't wait for summer.

Okay so I can't think of much worth saying. But I had to fill in the space somehow. I await a response from the owner of this blog, when he sees what I have done to it, how I have sabotaged it.

Oh, here's a picture for everyone to look at.

FINE....... I SHALL POSTE

2005-03-22T18:57:00.000-05:00

YeSh so i gUess I hAd bettEr posT lest I fACe the hoLY Hand greNAde of AnTiocH. gEEz. ANy THouGhtS? no. AhH, thiS onE looks GOOd. I tinhk I'll tpye lkie tihs for alhiwe, jsut to add a bit of alulre to the txet. Nah, that's way hard. So the is weird capital thing. I would just like to point out that is what my writing looks like when threadless and forced.

How 'bout them Yankees?...Enough, time for real, meaningful, and intriguing thoughts.

....Wow, that was really amazing. I think my mind just expanded several fold in that long, long interval of thought. Isn't nice when you can connect with yourself?
(oh my, I have stumbled onto a tangible topic for discussion)

Peace and Quiet
I really enjoy alone time. I find that during school I tend to seek time away from people and sit and for once not utterly waste my time. Yesterday during 10th period we had a sub (and therefore a study hall) and I left saying "I would like to go talk with Mr Vangoey". I headed in his direction (he has 10th period class-less) and found Mrs. Hatfield talking with him so I snuck quickly and quietly away. I could find no shelter anywhere in the upstairs hallways until I realized that the chapel was empty. I headed in there (with all due reverence I assure you) and just sat enjoying my time. I thought about my current standpoint with God (I and came to a conclusion), about how I dislike the bureaucracy of Marian, and all kinds of things. Sometimes I leave lunch early and head to my next class (which is empty) and sit there enjoying the quiet. Sometimes VanGoey comes in and we just talk. He understands my appreciation of peace and we get along well. I think you would be surprised at how understanding the Marian staff can be if you just explain your point of view. For all Marian's pitfalls, I like it here.

1 google match

2005-01-11T22:21:00.000-05:00

I heard a while ago about some guy who makes a living off of searching for 1 match in the google search engine based on two keywords, like needle bug (299,000 matches). Well, its really a fun thing to try, so I went for it. After several rediculous attempts, I was spoken to by God and he said "frostfield jumper". Low and behold, one match. I was looking for some way to contact the guy and couldnt find one, so i figured whatever. Lol, maybe my post will make it two, and that would be cool.

Untitled

2004-10-22T01:57:00.000-05:00

I was thinking about problems, real problems. Like the kind we (as in us) don't really have. I heard of something today that made me think of how little I really have in my life that could fuck up. If I don't get into any more colleges because all my essays suck, big deal. If I blow up my car with lighter fluid, I will not have the problem of transportation, because I know my parents would find some way to back me up (after I was flayed). Basically, my security stems from my parents, and I know that even if I were to fail out of college and become ungodly lazy, my mom would be there to yell at me to get off my ass. I am however slighty concerned about how I will cope with being by myself. My stepmom has lived without her parents for many years, and I wonder what it is like to not have the comfort and security. It was very possible that if she never got off her ass, she and her kids would starve, and they would all be living on fixed income and poor as dirt.

I guess the whole point of this was to point out how little responsibility I actually have. My problems with some paper or project, or my conflicts at work are meaningless right now. Jeez.

My life on steriods

2004-09-26T23:30:00.000-05:00

It occured to me to think of what my life would be like if it was better. Here we go.

My current life:

My name is Alexander Paul Valencourt
I have two cats
I know and am friends to at least some degree with roughly 1/3 of my class
I work at Hacienda for 6.50 an hour + tips, or 6.75 an hour, depending on which department im in.
I have read every book in several series, and have read various books outside this series
I drive a '95 green subaru legacy with an installed CD player.
I snowboard occasionally during the winter, and can get down the hill
I have some talent in athletics in general but have developped it very minorly
I take Nexium for constant bladder control issues (just kidding)
I am an athiest
I play the guitar
I like the dairy, bread, and fruit food groups (some meat and veggies are ok, but i just prefer these)
I am weird enough to be fun, and normal enough to be accepted

My life just a wee bit better:

My name is Alexander The Great
I have two Lions, two Snow Leopards, and a lemur
I know most everyone, and have hypnotic powers over all of them
I work as a moderator between God and the people, presenting the people's wishes of eternal peace to God and God's wishes of eternal obedience to them.
I have read every book, except that one on Jesus
I dont drive, I teleport, but still own a '70 Plymouth Barracuda and a '01 Dodge Viper. They both have surround sound speakers, wicked bass, and 100 disc changers
I snowboard everyday on my way to work across the whole world
I snowboard, duh.
No more Nexium!!
I am an athiest, despite my daily personal dealings with God himself.
I build my own guitars and they play by themselves, but i still play.
I eat pure Carbon (Yes diamonds)
I dont care what people think of me, and am therefore not classified as normal or weird, I just exist.

Additional Improvements:
I am omnipotent
I am omniscient

I guess i have something to shoot for huh?

Self-Loathing

2004-09-25T23:38:00.000-05:00

I am ungrateful. I know this, and I hate it. I know because I do not have any desire to help my mother in anything, and when she asks, I feel annoyed. I know people who are ungrateful, and I see them as such. I view them with contempt, as if they do not understand what they have been given. I know what I have been given. I have been given parents who love me, a family who supports me, and the means to live the dream life of a teen. And yet I am ungrateful. My parents are throwing a graduation party for me, and I'm throwing a fit because I don't really want one (I dont like being the center of attention). My mother used up an entire week of vacation to fix up our kitchen, and everytime I think of how much effort she put into it, I am sickened that I could have gone out with my friends instead of helping her. I know I could have been a huge help, but I hate the fact that I never offered (except half-heartedly) to help. Even worse, I know I would do it again. How in the hell can I say that and not feel like shit? Well, I do whenever I think about it. I do not respect her, but she is the one who provides me with all the freedom I have. I see how my dad helps out my grandma at every turn and wonder if I am missing that gene. I actually know why I'm like this, but damn, why can I not overcome it?

I'm not going to say don't comment on this one, but as no one can really help me on this one, dont feel compelled to comment if you dont want to.

Belittling my manhood on the basis of some preordained existential requiem

2004-09-21T01:36:00.000-05:00

Doesn't that title completely rock? Can you even begin to comprend what it means? Amanda and I were talking and she basically told me that I "could leave", so I got all indignant and started typing things like "what, do you think you can get rid of me on a whim?" and "you discard me after you have used me up, as some sponge of exrement?". I had to come up with one more, so I typed: you "belittle my unmanity on the basis of some preordained exitential requiem?". I actually meant to type humanity, but manhood fit and after careful consideration, i realized that it is a reasonable thought. It is very symbolic and profound, but so much cooler for being so. Anyone got it yet? I'm not messing with you, it makes sense. Think of it in the context of our conversation.

Good times

2004-09-20T23:38:00.000-05:00

For a long time, I have tried to think of the best time in my life. For a very minimally less amount of time, I have come up with the answer "when I was 4". When I was 4 years old my parents had been divored for about 3 years, and I lived with joint custody between the two of them. My memories of this time are not extensive, and much of what I remember happened when I was with my mom. At this time, my mom lived in an apartment building in Regency Royale, which some people may know as being very near Putt-Putt. I can remember the layout of the place exactly, with the living room on your right and the kitchen, left, when you opened the door, and as your proceded straight into a hallway, you found my bedroom on the right, and bathroom across from it, and mom's room at the end. It wasn't large, but I have great memories there. I played junior monopoly on the floor with mom, I found my easter basket every year behind the couch (despite my mom's objections that she only hid it there once), I tried and didnt like jello, I discovered the beauty of peanut butter banana sandwiches, I road my bike in front of the building, I watched my mom on TV in her 1st commercial for the bank, and I got my first bar of soap for calling my mom a "bitch" (lol). I probably spent more time than just my 4th year here, but it seems like a great time to have been a kid. Me and mom had fun, and I didnt have any problems.
I now look back at that time with fond memories, but as of late, I think my life has improved. I have so many friends than I have ever had before (if I dont screw it up by not visiting them on their birthdays), school isnt too bad, I can go wherever the hell I want whenever I want, I can buy virtually anything I want (how much does a Barracuda cost again?), and I have a whole new experience at college ahead. It is possible that this, right here, is the best time in my life (like right now, whoa). I can even come reasonably close to playing the "money for nothing" intro on my guitar, sweet. I beat michael in magic while he was drawing seven cards each turn; that is a mtg miracle (j/k michael). There are so many cool things happening right now. The snow season is even quickly approaching, and snowboarding is the best in the world to do. Does anyone else see what we have here (I'm referring to the people of my generation, not the 50 year olds who want to reminisce)?

A Theology Thesis - This is a long one folks

2004-09-01T00:44:00.000-05:00

Tonight, I had a very interesting theological discussion. Throughout the discussion, held with my father and step-mother, I presented my view of God and Christ and such, and together we came to a general consensus. Basically, it is entirely possible that everything about the Catholic faith is made up. Possible - just a possibility here, dont start freakin' out. We talked about how Jesus could have just been this great guy, kind of like gandhi, and as word of him spread, his actions and feats became more and more exaggerated. Ever played telephone? By the time the story is told on the other end of the line, it could be COMPLETELY different. My point is that the story of Jesus was passed on by oral tradition for years before it was written down, and how many retellings would it have gone through? By the time the gospels and New Testament were written, Jesus' "great guy" status could well have been exaggerated to "God", and his actions turned into miracles.
I am not here to shake people's faith. I just have serious trouble with the whole "existence of God" thing. Does this make me an atheist? Probably. It has occured to me many times that people simply invented God to ease the idea that they cease to exist after death. What proof is there that an after-life exists? Why is the idea of Heaven/Hell anymore believable than Reincarnation? What makes Christianity anymore of a legitimate religion than Buddhism or Hinduism? Is it because Christ came and enlightened us? I still think that maybe Christ was just this great guy who went around teaching people to be moral and helping people. I looked in the Bible tonight after hearing that Adam and Eve had a third child, Seth. I searched for him, and boom, there is Seth. I had never heard of him, after 13 years of religious instruction. It turns out that Adam lived to be 930 years old, while Seth lived a scant 912 years. While it occured to me that these are exaggerations, if it were not intended to be viewed fundamentally there would be no 18 year difference. Why couldnt the Bible just say "and both Adam and Seth lived to be very very old"? This evokes the question inside of me: "Is the Bible a work of fiction, or possibly a great distortion of facts"? The Bible makes no reference to the Fountain of Youth, so maybe Adam just lived extra long? Maybe since Adam was so close to God, God gave an extra 800 plus years to Adam and his progeny? "BLASPHEMER!!" some are saying. It just seems a bit unrealistic to me.
I have no problem with Christianity. If I can find an argument that convinces me of everything the Church teaches, I am open to it. I cannot go to school and ask any of my religion teachers (except Fr. Dan, which I intend to do tomorrow) why there are so many problems with this faith of theirs. They would look at my arguments, and have a mid-life crisis. Seriously, some of my religion teachers would not only have no answer for me, but they would be converted to MY way of thinking. A certain one in particular crosses my mind, and she couldnt answer even the simplest of problems from the people in my religion class. All she could do was reiterate her point and hope it in some way burned the lesson into their brain (this certainly does not apply to all the religion teachers at my high school). If this should happen, and I were to see one of the faithful ones, broken by what I believe, my faith would truly be beyond repair. To see a devout Catholic, and one with a degree in theology, unable to explain why it is that their faith is illogical on occasion, would be to lose hope in the doctrine entirely. This is why I could only approach someone who could match my arguments. I need someone with an intelligence level high enough to see what I see, and then tell me what they see.
I dont want the holy rollers to come knocking at my door, pointing out that the Prophets said Jesus was coming, and how many prophecies he fulfilled. I don't want people to come quote me a line from the Bible that completely defeats my argument. My problem is so basic, it lies in the Bible itself along with the most core teachings of christ. These are dogmas I am disagreeing with.

I also figured out why my basic foundation in Catholicism is so rocky, and as I said before, it lies in the Catholic school system. What percentage of school masses seem like Pep Rallies before they begin? Do the students attending really feel the reverance so applicable to a meeting with God? They don't, and it is because they have been numbed to it. Every week at my Catholic grade school, the whole school attended mass twice. Every week at my Catholic grade school, the whole school groaned twice. Nobody wanted to go. It was not a meeting with God for them, it was the observance of the teacher's will over the students. At my first Reconciliation and Communion, I had no idea the meaning of what I was doing. I was SEVEN. At seven years old, I'm learning basic math, and the good Catholics decide I am capable of understanding a great spiritual concept such as God residing in bread? Existing as bread? At my confirmation, I took the name Michael after the archangel (I always did like stoic characters), and stood for two meaningless hours with my beaming family. I almost considered not being confirmed, but the pressure from my family and friends all seemed to say: "Just do it, it will satisfy them". Going into the ceremony I knew it meant nothing to me, but hey, now I'm a TRUE Catholic. Like so many other people I know today, I was the embodiment of a spiritual facade.
Pep rallies at my high school involve everyone congregating together to celebrate a sport, while masses involve everyone congregating together to celebrate God. Which one receives more enthusiasm from its audience?

What's a word for a group of people?

2004-08-29T02:55:00.000-05:00

This post is kind of an extension of the previous one (so read that one 1st), but I felt it deserved a new field because its on a different topic, and I dont want to scare anyone away with the length of one MASSIVE post. This post is about parties, or at least I think it is. I'm just gonna go wherever my mind takes me on this one.

I was invited to this huge party tonight. There were going to be two kegs along with margaritas, all for free. Everyone was going to get wasted and they all wanted to know if I was going. I told them all no, and the "why?"s came back to me. I didnt really have an answer, so I just told them I didnt want to. I think some people were offended but what was I supposed to say? One server pointed out how I didnt say I was tired, or sick, or going to go get some booty (her actual words), and I just responded with "but im not tired, and im not going to go get some booty". Why are these parties such an attraction? I have gone to two with people from work and they smoke and drink and talk, and it is completely boring. I played like 3 hands of euchre at one and listened to music at the other... amazing. Granted, I'm not gettin smashed like them, but why does anyone (or everyone) need alcohol to have fun? I had a blast tonight and I hadn't had a drop. Talk about lessened inhibitions all you want, but am I so different or easily amused that I can find each day humorous and fun without getting drunk? Its seems like these people who love so much to get drunk are always in a bad mood. Maybe life taken straight isnt as much fun as wasted life and I am too ignorant to know the difference? I'm sure however that the hangover and vomiting just plain suck. One of the other servers did agree with me though, and felt the same way about hang over/vomiting (she has had personal experience in that area). I like trying new things (when i have the courage) but this just seems too pointless. I did have some "Lemonade" at one of the parties to see what the hype was about, and it even tastes bad (yes, i knew it would). I'm told alcohol is an acquired taste, but im thinking the only thing i might like it in is a mixed drink or possibly wine (i might actually try to acquire a taste for wine - it is healthy to have a glass a day or something and it can be a hobby). I have a feeling I know a few people who might be able to explain the party phenomena to me, and possibly defend it, but I just don't think parties are all they are made out to be.

Winning the Lottery

2004-08-29T02:07:00.000-05:00

Wow, work rocked today so here's the story from the beginning. I didnt want to go to work today but got there, and my boss gave me hell for my pants being too long (mainly because they are frayed and look terrible, but cmon, they're pants). I was going through the motions of bussing, waiting for Hernan to get here and help me out in the dining room. Now for some background knowledge: Hernan is hispanic, and completely rocks at bussing. He could do the whole restaurant by himself during a rush with less complaints from the servers than i get in the dining room when we are kind of busy. I knew when he got there, my job would become infinitely less difficult. So he shows up and as usual, he is in top form. I somehow found it in the depths of myself (depths of my soul is too cliche) to keep up with demi-god and we just clicked into auto-pilot. I helped him, he helped me, and we worked together to do things much faster than one of us could do alone. It was incredible. The whole night, i didnt have a care in the world. Everything was covered, instantly. If a person left, their table was clean as soon as humanly possible. I didnt have to wonder whether or not a server was suddenly going to come tell me "i need you to get 2 of my tables". Because of the freedom of mind, my mood soared. I felt great, and even managed to find myself singing the whole night. I shit you not. Several servers were treated to excellent renditions of "Carry On My Wayward Son" and "Sweet Child O' Mine". One of the servers stared at me in awe as, after stating how she liked the song "Dust in the Wind" (Yes, I like Kansas), my vocal chords began projecting a number of notes and lyrics somewhat representing the song. She looked at me like i just won the lottery, or maybe more like i just threw away the winning lottery ticket... one of the two. I found this hilarious along with the various reactions i received, and I was untouchable. Nothing, even when the customers started throwing food at me, could move my "having fun" meter even the smallest of notches. Not even the fact that i cannot understand what Hernan says, not even the 1st trash run, or the 2nd one (both utterly disgusting by definition), or the fact that i only made 22 dollars in tips when on my cloud 9 (I made 27 last night), could phase my mood. Even now, i sit in my chair (no longer singing, but instead enjoying the musical ventures of others) a happy man. What a cool feeling. I think the next post will be rather immediate in coming...

Its been a hard day's night...

2004-08-08T05:14:00.000-05:00

I was going to write about the ups and downs of the Catholic School System, but i figured I would wait until the school year starts for that one. You know, so the wounds are fresh and not yet cauterized. Right now I will go into the excruciating details of work today. I worked DMO (basically a dishwasher) today and it was long. I swear two or three times i would look at the clock and then again 45 minutes later, and it said the same thing both times. I would pray that it was at least 9 or 9:30, but the clock read 8. Tonight, that clock made enemies with a certain Hacienda employee. I finally got out around 12:30 and smelled, you know, wonderful. All I want right now is a shower, but I think ill wait until tomorrow....before work. Yes that's right, I look forward to the same experience tomorrow. Same time, same place, what a joy.

No Passion Here

2004-08-07T07:42:00.000-05:00

After a post of such passion and direction, I find myself unable to pick a new topic to write about. There are no conflicts or troubling realizations at my mind's doorstep, and my creative writer's side desperately seeks a subject. The social problems that have been raging around me have subsided for now, and as I sit in this chair typing, I find a sense of peace has replaced the constant anxious limbo of who will end up with who. Minor problems have arisen (I have to wash dishes today and tomorrow at work, not pleasant, and my friends of the female persuasion are temporarily barred from spending the night at my house) but these will be dealt with and discarded, like most everything else. I still have not broken my habit of staying up late (its 7:30 am right now), which could prove to be yet another difficulty in the coming weeks with school ahead. Right now my school schedule looks like this:

Hour Semester Course
1 1 AP Calculus H
1 2 AP Calculus H

2 1 Study Hall
2 2 American Government

3 1 Honors Physics
3 2 Honors Physics

4-5 1 Drawing 1
4-5 2 Drawing 2

6 1 Lunch
6 2 Lunch

7-8 1 American Literature/English Language Composition AP
7-8 2 ....Same thing

9 1 Great Catholic Thinkers (...yay)
9 2 Catholic Church History

10 1 Honors Economics
10 2 Media Arts 1

Whew, lots o' typing. I guess there is somekind of schedule conflict because i should have Media Arts 1/2 over the course of the year, but for some reason it wouldnt fit. Drawing will be a blast, especially with the drawing teacher at Marian HS. Calc 1st hour will absolutely suck, and the religion classes are always a joy... they definitely need to make those electives. I guess i found something to write about next post huh? The trials and tribulations of the Catholic School System. Well, until I post again, adieu.

Just read the post

2004-08-05T03:58:00.000-05:00

The title of this blog has never been more true than it is right now. While I love reading up on my friends lives, I'm getting tired of how damn depressing everything is. Where are the fun and lively bunch I know? I read these blogs full of emotion and pain and think of how this is all relationship caused. They have problems I dont have, and they seem completely and utterly crushed by them. One of my friend's problems are so great that I mourn for him, because he once had love, but has now lost it. He looks for it again with others, but remembers the good times he had with "her" and tries to go back, regardless of how unforgivable her actions. I look forward to one day having someone to walk with, talk with, be with, even raise children with, but is this what relationships are really like? Would my life with someone be so riddled with fights and nasty comments? Pain? I look at my mother, who has no one except me. I see her relationships and what went wrong in them, how her faults as a person have presented problems. But how can a 17 year old, her own child, tell her what she is doing wrong? I see my dad, and the things about him that drove mom away. But then I see how he found someone to be with, and I look at the good aspects of their relationship. I want that laughter and banter someday with my wife. I look at how well my extended family gets along, but even my grandmother (who has more class, yes class, than anyone I know) had to put up with immense difficulties from my grandfather (may he rest in peace). So many problems, and all of them seem insurmountable. Then I read stories about the power of love. The love is perfect, and the problems are small and insignificant when compared with the ones of the real people I care about. How is love supposed to go? Can the faults of a person be fixed, like the man with a temper problem? Can the woman who is weak willed be made to be strong enough to stand on her own? Can the feeling of love between two people be so great as to counter all negative... everything, for time as great as a lifetime? What faults can love live with, and what is too wrong to be ignored? Now that is a question.

To any of my friends who I have attempted to give advice to:
I hope the first few lines of this post do not lead you to think this is a complaint about you "griping" to me about your problems. I enjoy lending help and whatever else people need, whenever they need it. I am glad you have trusted me with your private feelings so I could listen and try to ameliorate. I feel honored and thank you for thinking enough of me as a friend to bring your troubles to me.

School Must Not Come

2004-07-30T08:18:00.000-05:00

Well, Barb's last comment has dragged a post out of me, so here goes: My work takes up most of my days, but when I'm off I have been hanging out with Michael, Kevin, Amanda, Jenny, and Abby, but the group varies sometimes. I never really knew Kevin Pozzi before, but hanging out with him has been cool, and everyone else has accepted me pretty willingly into their activities. It's fun. Michael still has relationship issues which plague his social life (and a few of ours too) but he's doing well overall and everyone has a great time bowling, playing/listening to music, swimming, etc etc. As far as work goes, im getting to know the people their quite a bit better, and i went to a party with some of them and Nat, and we had a blast. 12 player HALO (video game barb) is kick ass. I got a 25 cent raise after about a month of working there and im told im doing well, so i guess work is good overall. This weekend (starting today actually) is my family campout in East Jordan MI for the weekend and that will be a blast. Im kinda bummed at how fast summer has gone by with work and hanging out with my friends. School starts i think the 20th (?) and I cant believe all this has to change. Kevin will go back to Wisconsin and homework will be back with a vengeance. Major bullshit. O well, live in the moment i guess. Thanks for reading, and ill make an attempt at least to post more often than i have been.

Holy Day

2004-06-23T23:41:00.000-05:00

W: Holy Day

Routine

2004-06-16T21:53:00.000-05:00

Summer has kind of set into a routine now. I have work about 4 days a week and am finishing up my training in the kitchen. It's really not new and exciting anymore. Today was the 3rd day of my pastel class and its fun; my great-grandfather is looking more like himself everyday. Who knew a little brown worked better for shading on a face than black? I didnt. Anyway, I'm seeing a little less of my friends now that i have a job, but its ok. I have an income which is not overrated. Still up late, though not quite as late b/c I dont want to be too tired for class tomorrow. Good Night, Afternoon, Morning, or w/e.

Day whatever of Blogness

2004-06-14T01:41:00.000-05:00

I have now worked a total of 4 days, and decided that work is not nearly as hard as i once believed. I dunno, bussing is much easier than cooking, that's for damn sure; better money with the tips too. Anyway, work is gettin more fun as i know more people and im enjoying it more. I'm sucking up all the hours i can too. Starting a portrait class tomorrow at 9:00 (today) and it should be fun; i wanna learn how to draw people. Playing the guitar still, always fun, and waiting for snowboarding season (long way off). Until then, i will chill, staying up late just because i can.

Post it Note

2004-06-10T02:13:00.000-05:00

Do you like the name of the header? I seemed appropriate for such a short post. Started work today. It was hard, so I must be soft or something. Anyway, I'm bushed. Goodnight.

Day 2 of Blogness

2004-06-09T04:28:00.000-05:00

Yeah, so i decided that at 4:30 in the morning, it would be fun to write a post. Why not right? Well, i just posted on barb's blog, the only other blog i know, and will pray for a comment. I think i will wait here in front of my computer until that time, refreshing every 5 minutes or so.
Actually i have senior pictures--well, today i guess--at 2:00. Better get to bed... its only 8 1/2 hours away....

right...

2004-06-06T18:48:00.000-05:00

Yeah, so i made this blog specifically for the purpose of posting a comment on barb's blog. I have no intention of making any more posts, unless i get really bored or find people to communicate with through this. Anyway, thanks for reading, you're probably the only one.