no, i haven't been drinking. but i wonder if my day was as the title suggests. i've been trying to be conscious of taking a sabbath every week - one day when i set aside any responsibilities and rest. so though i have a ton of grading to do, i decided to not do any of it. i wonder if that's more attributable to my laziness or my wanting to follow God's commands. perhaps a bit of both. it wasn't a completely wasted day - i spent a good deal of time getting my computer in shape, including finally deleting all the mp3s off my hard drive that are now on my portable drive. did a disk cleanup and a defrag. went out tonight, grabbed some dinner, picked up my redken water wax and looked for a car mount for my ipod. no such luck. the only one i found included a car charger, which, while nice, is not something i think i will need, especially at $53 dollars. so i'll wait. i also watched beauty and the beast tonight, something i probably should have done before rehearsals started. it's my favorite of the modern disney movies, with good reason.
and now i need to be heading to bed. gathering in the morning. meeting afterwards. rehearsal in the afternoon. and then time to grade. i don't think it will be too bad, but i have been wrong before. i'm sure my students are going crazy waiting for their grades. ok, so maybe only a couple. i just want to get it done so i can stop worrying about it.
i always think i'll have more to share when i come here, some deep thoughts of some sort or some clever observations on the world we live in and life in general. but then i get here and it turns out to be just the highlights of a mediocre day. of course, when you do little to nothing, it shouldn't be surprising that your writing isn't so exciting.
i need to take another class so i can write some more poetry. sad that it takes a deadline for the poetry inside me to come out.
off to bed.
Æ
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Now playing: Julian Cope - World Shut Your Mouth
via FoxyTunes
Saturday, March 01, 2008
Friday, February 29, 2008
it's the thought that counts
tonight one of the drama students, robyn, was presenting her capstone final - a production she directed starring some other students i have had. though it meant another 50-60 minutes in the car, i figured it would be a good way to show support and a good way to spend the evening. so i left around six, drove up to moe's, enjoyed dinner and then headed to the play - only to discover the show started at 7:00, not 7:30 like i thought. so it was over and done by the time i walked in late. felt bad i had missed it. but hey, at least i didn't spend friday night alone in my house, right?
first day of classes went well, even with the abbreviated prep time. not a lot of returning students this trimester. huge classes again, which always seems to happen third tri. so glad there are no major papers this tri - grading 120 papers is a bit overwhelming. speaking of which, guess what i'm doing this weekend. that's right, yet another pile of essays and research papers. i have until wednesday to post grades, but need to get these done so those students who failed can start saving up money for summer school. joy.
not sure if anyone out there is a connoisseur of frozen pizza, but if you've never tried jack's frozen pizzas, do not, under any circumstances. sauce is too sweet, not enough veggies on the supreme and like television during the summertime, it just kept on repeating. bleah. little sleep yet once more. had to break my lenten promise of no carbonated beverages to try and settle my stomach. that and sucking on a peppermint eventually helped, but miserable until then. as if i needed more proof that i'm getting old.
finally got online and figured out where i am registered to vote so i can do so on tuesday. not sure why it always comes down to ohio, but i guess it's better than feeling your vote is meaningless. would love to believe it will all come to an end tuesday, but somehow i see this stretching out for months more, even if obama wins texas or ohio. i wish i could believe hillary would step aside gracefully, but i don't think it's part of her personality.
started reading laughing gas by p.g. wodehouse, a book sarah loaned me last year at her wedding. enjoying it immensely. not sure why it's taken me so long to get around to it. when douglas adams declares someone the funniest writer, i should have listened. clever and vedy vedy british. not sure i'd say he's funnier than mr. adams, but definitely an enjoyable read.
ok, time to try and sleep again. feel like it might actually happen this weekend, unlike last friday when i was up until 5am. someday i'll fall into a normal sleep pattern. i hope.
Æ
----------------
Now playing: Rufus Wainwright - Across The Universe
via FoxyTunes
first day of classes went well, even with the abbreviated prep time. not a lot of returning students this trimester. huge classes again, which always seems to happen third tri. so glad there are no major papers this tri - grading 120 papers is a bit overwhelming. speaking of which, guess what i'm doing this weekend. that's right, yet another pile of essays and research papers. i have until wednesday to post grades, but need to get these done so those students who failed can start saving up money for summer school. joy.
not sure if anyone out there is a connoisseur of frozen pizza, but if you've never tried jack's frozen pizzas, do not, under any circumstances. sauce is too sweet, not enough veggies on the supreme and like television during the summertime, it just kept on repeating. bleah. little sleep yet once more. had to break my lenten promise of no carbonated beverages to try and settle my stomach. that and sucking on a peppermint eventually helped, but miserable until then. as if i needed more proof that i'm getting old.
finally got online and figured out where i am registered to vote so i can do so on tuesday. not sure why it always comes down to ohio, but i guess it's better than feeling your vote is meaningless. would love to believe it will all come to an end tuesday, but somehow i see this stretching out for months more, even if obama wins texas or ohio. i wish i could believe hillary would step aside gracefully, but i don't think it's part of her personality.
started reading laughing gas by p.g. wodehouse, a book sarah loaned me last year at her wedding. enjoying it immensely. not sure why it's taken me so long to get around to it. when douglas adams declares someone the funniest writer, i should have listened. clever and vedy vedy british. not sure i'd say he's funnier than mr. adams, but definitely an enjoyable read.
ok, time to try and sleep again. feel like it might actually happen this weekend, unlike last friday when i was up until 5am. someday i'll fall into a normal sleep pattern. i hope.
Æ
----------------
Now playing: Rufus Wainwright - Across The Universe
via FoxyTunes
Thursday, February 28, 2008
one thing without stain unspotted from the world
i believe we do not so much choose our passions as they choose us. something about them strikes a chord in our being, ringing through the years, until we cannot tell their booming tone from our own heartbeat. for some it's a hobby. for some it's a sports team. for some it's a religion.
for me, it's cyrano de bergerac.
where i first read the story is lost in the peeling facade of my history. i assume it came through an english class but what year i could not say. junior high? high school? all i know is at some point i was introduced to this tragic hero, cyrano-savinien-hercule de bergerac and ever since i've found myself shaped by this piece of beautiful fiction, so much more true than reality at times.
tonight i watched the jose ferrer version for the first time on the big screen. strangely enough, it was part of showcase cinema's "heartthrob thursdays." it certainly is a romantic story, but not like most of the other choices, like charade or when harry met sally. which probably explains why i was was one of two people in the entire theater. should have known when the theater didn't even know what movie i was talking about that it wouldn't be well attended.
as i sat there in the dark, watching these lines that have been woven into the very fibre of my being come to life, i realized how often some of these lines come up in my thoughts.
the strangest moment of the night came after the movie had ended and the lights came up. as i turned around to put my coat on, i glanced up and looked for the first time at the other member in the audience. there, four rows from the top, was an older gentleman, looking very much the literature professor type. and before he slipped his coat on, i noticed something: we were wearing similar shirts. and i had a strange, sci-fi moment, where i wondered if perhaps i was looking at myself from the future, doing much of what i do now - sneaking off to catch my favorite movie alone. a little eerie. a little scary. a little thought-provoking.
Æ
----------------
Now playing: U2 - I Fall Down
via FoxyTunes
for me, it's cyrano de bergerac.
where i first read the story is lost in the peeling facade of my history. i assume it came through an english class but what year i could not say. junior high? high school? all i know is at some point i was introduced to this tragic hero, cyrano-savinien-hercule de bergerac and ever since i've found myself shaped by this piece of beautiful fiction, so much more true than reality at times.
tonight i watched the jose ferrer version for the first time on the big screen. strangely enough, it was part of showcase cinema's "heartthrob thursdays." it certainly is a romantic story, but not like most of the other choices, like charade or when harry met sally. which probably explains why i was was one of two people in the entire theater. should have known when the theater didn't even know what movie i was talking about that it wouldn't be well attended.
as i sat there in the dark, watching these lines that have been woven into the very fibre of my being come to life, i realized how often some of these lines come up in my thoughts.
"i carry my adornments on my soul"and so many more. i cannot tell if i love this play because of who i am or if what i am is because i love this play. i wonder if i had read the play at a different time in my life - perhaps after i had become a little more cynical - if it would still hold the same resonance it does. there are perfect moments when you are exactly who you need to be to connect with something. that definitely happened with me and rostand's play.
"what a fool - but what a gesture"
"to make myself in all things admirable"
"i seemed to see over some flower a great snail crawling"
"my old friend - look at me and tell me how much hopes remains for me"
"she might laugh at me; and that is the one thing in this world i fear"
"BRING ME GIANTS"
"oh...i have done better since"
"to sing, to laugh, to dream"
"never to make a line i have not heard in my own heart"
"those pretty nothings that are everything"
"lady, o read my letter with your lips"
"night making all things dimly beautiful"
"what am i, what is any man, that he dare ask for you?"
"there comes one moment, once"
"love, i love beyond breath, beyond reason, beyond love's own power of loving"
"a secret whispered to listening lips apart"
"a moment made immortal"
"somehow that news fails to disquiet me"
"it is a little thing to die, but - not to see her, that is terrible"
" i did not wait for you to say i might"
"i have missed everything, even my death"
"i have had one friend not quite all a friend"
"ah you too vanity! i knew you would overthrow me in the end"
and of course...
"my white plume"
the strangest moment of the night came after the movie had ended and the lights came up. as i turned around to put my coat on, i glanced up and looked for the first time at the other member in the audience. there, four rows from the top, was an older gentleman, looking very much the literature professor type. and before he slipped his coat on, i noticed something: we were wearing similar shirts. and i had a strange, sci-fi moment, where i wondered if perhaps i was looking at myself from the future, doing much of what i do now - sneaking off to catch my favorite movie alone. a little eerie. a little scary. a little thought-provoking.
Æ
----------------
Now playing: U2 - I Fall Down
via FoxyTunes
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
unexpected package
when i returned home from school yesterday, i found a door hanger saying that i had missed a package from fed ex. this struck me as odd since i hadn't ordered anything. so i got online and looked up the door hanger code, which told me the package originated in memphis. this only deepened the mystery as i know no one in memphis and had no idea what it could be. i toyed with driving to the warehouse to pick it up but figured since i didn't know what it was i could wait one more day. so i signed the form and left it on the door so they would leave it for me this time.
when i got home today, i found a medium-sized box on my porch. i shook it and could hear something moving around inside. intrigued i ran my key along the seal and opened it up. inside was...a phone. from verizon. one of those fancy ones with a camera on one side and then a screen that opens up to a mini-keyboard. only, there was no battery with it. nothing i could actually use. not that i would have any way since, well, it's obviously not mine. looks like i'll be making a call to verizon to figure out what i should do with it. i'm guessing someone somewhere in cincinnati is not happy right now.
another long day. early rise to make sure my exams were ready for today. finally knocked out the persuasive essays. talked with christina about the start of the trimester friday. went to an inane meeting about proctoring the ogt where we were reminded once again that we could lose our job and/or our license if we screw it up. no pressure. then off to the academic team coaches' meeting. ray missed getting on first team all-conference by one point. but both he and ahmed made second team, so i guess that's something. mark and i had hoped we would resolve the challenging questions issue, but basically everyone decided to go by "home court advantage," meaning, each school could choose to do what they want. we're going to always go by the book as i think the majority of schools will. but i'm not convinced that will be true everywhere. as the sycamore coach pointed out, once you open it up to questioning, then you're going to have to be googling everything. not a good idea. anyway, i finally made it home around 5:15 - just enough time to watch the daily show before i headed out to grab a bite to eat on my way to another dance rehearsal. turned out the director didn't care for the choreography we worked three hours on monday night, so we had to mix it up a bit. wasn't too bad, except he came back in and wasn't completely happy with the changes. ah well. at least we're having a good time doing it.
today in my continuing quest to avoid being productive, i stopped by andy' s room and talk turned to politics. he said he could never vote for a democrat because of their stand on abortion and gay marriage. he then asked how i as a christian could justify voting for a democrat knowing their stand on these issues. i tried to articulate what i was thinking, but i don't think i did a good job. and i'm still not sure i could articulate it (which is one of the reasons i hate discussing politics - i always end up feeling like an idiot). when it comes to the presidency, i don't see them having much say in issues like that. not like anything changed under clinton in those areas. but then i look at the precedent set by the current administration and i fear the executive branch can now pretty much do whatever it wants, congress and judiciary be damned. so maybe those are valid concerns - if you think those are important issues in our society. me, i guess i have different priorities.
ok, it's almost midnight and i have to be sure to get up on time tomorrow so i can drive rachel to work - her car's been on the fritz all week. will probably try to at least get my classes loaded into my gradebook before sleep - one less thing i have to finish before friday that way. here's hoping sleep comes soon, though it doesn't feel like it right now...
Æ
----------------
Now playing: Billy Squier - All Night Long
via FoxyTunes
when i got home today, i found a medium-sized box on my porch. i shook it and could hear something moving around inside. intrigued i ran my key along the seal and opened it up. inside was...a phone. from verizon. one of those fancy ones with a camera on one side and then a screen that opens up to a mini-keyboard. only, there was no battery with it. nothing i could actually use. not that i would have any way since, well, it's obviously not mine. looks like i'll be making a call to verizon to figure out what i should do with it. i'm guessing someone somewhere in cincinnati is not happy right now.
another long day. early rise to make sure my exams were ready for today. finally knocked out the persuasive essays. talked with christina about the start of the trimester friday. went to an inane meeting about proctoring the ogt where we were reminded once again that we could lose our job and/or our license if we screw it up. no pressure. then off to the academic team coaches' meeting. ray missed getting on first team all-conference by one point. but both he and ahmed made second team, so i guess that's something. mark and i had hoped we would resolve the challenging questions issue, but basically everyone decided to go by "home court advantage," meaning, each school could choose to do what they want. we're going to always go by the book as i think the majority of schools will. but i'm not convinced that will be true everywhere. as the sycamore coach pointed out, once you open it up to questioning, then you're going to have to be googling everything. not a good idea. anyway, i finally made it home around 5:15 - just enough time to watch the daily show before i headed out to grab a bite to eat on my way to another dance rehearsal. turned out the director didn't care for the choreography we worked three hours on monday night, so we had to mix it up a bit. wasn't too bad, except he came back in and wasn't completely happy with the changes. ah well. at least we're having a good time doing it.
today in my continuing quest to avoid being productive, i stopped by andy' s room and talk turned to politics. he said he could never vote for a democrat because of their stand on abortion and gay marriage. he then asked how i as a christian could justify voting for a democrat knowing their stand on these issues. i tried to articulate what i was thinking, but i don't think i did a good job. and i'm still not sure i could articulate it (which is one of the reasons i hate discussing politics - i always end up feeling like an idiot). when it comes to the presidency, i don't see them having much say in issues like that. not like anything changed under clinton in those areas. but then i look at the precedent set by the current administration and i fear the executive branch can now pretty much do whatever it wants, congress and judiciary be damned. so maybe those are valid concerns - if you think those are important issues in our society. me, i guess i have different priorities.
ok, it's almost midnight and i have to be sure to get up on time tomorrow so i can drive rachel to work - her car's been on the fritz all week. will probably try to at least get my classes loaded into my gradebook before sleep - one less thing i have to finish before friday that way. here's hoping sleep comes soon, though it doesn't feel like it right now...
Æ
----------------
Now playing: Billy Squier - All Night Long
via FoxyTunes
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
i'm the baker
found out tonight. at least that's what i am in the opening "bonjour" number. others will be coming, i think. who knows. i get to be uninterested in belle's reading. fun.
been a bit absent this week. final week of the tri - two days of classes, two days of exams and then we start the new trimester on friday. usually we get a teacher work day, but no such luck this time because of the ohio student government convention being held at mason in april. we exchanged the day for one in april. when we don't need it. ah well. all that to say, my time has been severely crunched. between school and rehearsal, haven't had much time for sitting in front of the computer typing my thoughts out. and i'm afraid it's only going to get worse.
cannot stay long, but wanted to let you, my faithful readers, know that i haven't forgotten my lenten promise to write here. will share my initial thoughts on being in BatB soon. suffice it to say, i am enjoying myself immensely. lots of singing, lots of dancing, lots of new people to get to know.
must sleep so i can be awake enough to grade tomorrow morning first thing. so much to do, so little, little time.
Æ
----------------
Now playing: Phil Collins - Take Me Home
via FoxyTunes
been a bit absent this week. final week of the tri - two days of classes, two days of exams and then we start the new trimester on friday. usually we get a teacher work day, but no such luck this time because of the ohio student government convention being held at mason in april. we exchanged the day for one in april. when we don't need it. ah well. all that to say, my time has been severely crunched. between school and rehearsal, haven't had much time for sitting in front of the computer typing my thoughts out. and i'm afraid it's only going to get worse.
cannot stay long, but wanted to let you, my faithful readers, know that i haven't forgotten my lenten promise to write here. will share my initial thoughts on being in BatB soon. suffice it to say, i am enjoying myself immensely. lots of singing, lots of dancing, lots of new people to get to know.
must sleep so i can be awake enough to grade tomorrow morning first thing. so much to do, so little, little time.
Æ
----------------
Now playing: Phil Collins - Take Me Home
via FoxyTunes
Monday, February 25, 2008
oscar recap
so since i cannot seem to fall asleep again, i figured i'd jot down some initial impressions of tonight's oscars. i watched them at gina's. this, her 38th annual oscar party, was probably the most laid back, mostly because a month ago no one knew if they were happening or not. spent the evening with her and the havens and angela. good times.
thoughts....
this morning ended my run with the house of blue leaves. going to miss being with those people. such a great group to work with. strike was a bit sparse, which is why i prefer to do it right after the show - you don't lose nearly as many people. no time for post-production blues, though - beauty and the beast rehearsals started this afternoon. in fact, i drove right from strike to rehearsal. fun. found out they've already sold 60% of the run already. before we started rehearsals. wow. i'll post ticket info here soon as well as a way to avoid the nearly $5 in service charges. cast looks to be fun - i look forward to getting to know them over the coming weeks. dance rehearsal starts tomorrow. here's hoping i don't pull something. still no idea what "role" i'll be playing other than ensemble. hopefully that will become clear soon.
enough lollygagging here. pray sleep comes to me soon.
Æ
----------------
Now playing: Ben Folds Five - One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces
via FoxyTunes
thoughts....
- jon stewart rocked again as the host. i hope people are kinder to him this time than they were last time. my favorite moment: after the orchestra ushered off marketa before she could give her speech, jon brought her back out and let her speak. class.
- so glad "falling slowly" won. amazing. i wasn't impressed with the full orchestra version they did at the show - if that's your only exposure to the song, get thee to your favorite video store and rent once. the version in the movie beats the oscar version (and the soundtrack version) hands down. so happy for both of them.
- impressed by the number of non-american winners. at least it seemed that way. loved javier's words to his mother. great moment.
- the bit on failed montages was hysterious! seriously brilliant.
- made it to see there will be blood saturday afternoon. and i decided why i was so disappointed with the best picture nominees this year: lack of hope. other than juno, all of the best pictures were hopeless films. i suppose if movies are a reflection of our culture, then our culture is feeling rather hopeless right now. given the state of everything, it's not surprising. but i get enough hopeless with every day life - i don't need movies to remind me of it. i want them to give me something more. it's why once was my favorite film of the year and why i cannot rejoice of no country winning.
this morning ended my run with the house of blue leaves. going to miss being with those people. such a great group to work with. strike was a bit sparse, which is why i prefer to do it right after the show - you don't lose nearly as many people. no time for post-production blues, though - beauty and the beast rehearsals started this afternoon. in fact, i drove right from strike to rehearsal. fun. found out they've already sold 60% of the run already. before we started rehearsals. wow. i'll post ticket info here soon as well as a way to avoid the nearly $5 in service charges. cast looks to be fun - i look forward to getting to know them over the coming weeks. dance rehearsal starts tomorrow. here's hoping i don't pull something. still no idea what "role" i'll be playing other than ensemble. hopefully that will become clear soon.
enough lollygagging here. pray sleep comes to me soon.
Æ
----------------
Now playing: Ben Folds Five - One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces
via FoxyTunes
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