Bookstore: Done

My last day at the bookstore was today.

LAST!!!! Hear my scream!!

The Overlap

an update on a brief time period of transition, excitement, change, and some anxiety...

The overlap consists of finishing up school as I have known it, my time at the bookstore, and a new part-time job at JC Penney.

Mix in enjoying the seasonal cheer with Molly and Trista and Mr. T and I have been hopping.

First, a little breaking news from KC - my brother is now a father as of this past Saturday, Ellia, a beautiful little girl.

OK, for fun and to offer a little in the form of a recap - the week before Thanksgiving I began a job at JC Penney. As I approach the end of my Bookstore days, while Trista is still working towards her career situation, while student teaching takes off in Jan., and in these uncertain economic times - Trista and I thought it in our best interest that I take on some kind of part time job. Ugh!

Looking for a job was about the last thing I wanted to be doing. One night of searching and it dawned on me. I happen to know the store manager at the local JC Penney. I explained my situation and boom - job search over. The store manager has been more than accommodating, paying me a slightly higher hourly rate, and extreme flexibility. Part of the overlap has to do with the retail season (as unfortunate and ugly as a phrase as it is) and my timing. I knew I would have a better chance getting on prior to the holidays, - the consequence, of course: THE OVERLAP. Prior to Thanksgiving I had three consecutive nights of surprisingly intensive training. I became "certified." I work in the men's or young men's department. I worked Black Friday from 3:45 am until 1:00 PM. It sucked, but it is over. I have tried to be at the top of my game so as to stay on post holiday - that's my plan. It's an easy job and 12 hours a week, for the most part, should be a breeze. Some very cool people and some complete doorknobs - more on JCP specifics later.

Back to the overlap. Classes. Yikes - that pushed it for a while as I wrapped up classes and finals with a busy bookstore schedule and the start at JCP. Fortunately - with an amazing stroke of luck - my independent study professor allowed me to wrap up that class prior to Thanksgiving. So...last week, Wednesday to be precise....I took my last final as an undergrad. Boom! Done! And in additional good news, I received a rating in my education class that will exempt me from having to complete a tedious and long report covering my student teaching experience. That is a bullet I have been working to dodge this entire semester.

With school complete, the "trifold" nature of my overlap has been suddenly reduced to a "bifold" overlap. Two jobs. My last day at the bookstore will be December 27th and it cannot come any sooner. An example of one of the craziest overlap moments: Friday, Dec. 5th, the students threw a party for me (complete with a cake with a picture of me on it!)- I was up until 4:00 am, jello shots, rum-soaked cherries, gin and tonics, beer, coffee and home-made Kahlua in coffees. The next day, that same day (Sat. now), I had to do a resource fair for the bookstore at 8:00 am - that sucked. Later that day I had to work at JCP. Weird mix of fun and work and fatigue.

That was the big party, what is left is a smattering of lunches here and there and an after work gathering on my very last day. Monday, the 22nd, I am going to Greencastle for the last time to help the store manager there (whom I like) move some shelves and hang out - I am not counting this as one of my last days -because it will be mostly goofing off.

I have the 24th, 25th, and 26th completely off. I also have the week of the 29th off (we are going to try and slip in a trip to KC to see the new arrival). Then student teaching.

The anxiety concerns the change in income, but that in itself is also a good thing. Student teaching, at least for the first eight weeks is going to be fairly easy. I am familiar with the teacher (she is awesome), having worked with her in the past (she ended up requesting me) and I know what she is planning to do - she teaches literature. I am also in the unique position of not having to make up any snow days - so bring on the snow!!

Molly and Trista are well. Molly and I have started a fictional collection entitled: "A Catalogue of Caterpillars," in which we just draw made up caterpillars. We also just returned from her second Christmas program of the year. One more this Thursday.

Trista has an interview this Wednesday morning, for three hours. The staff psychologist position. Please send a good thought, prayer, or vibe our way. We'd definitely appreciate it.

In the meantime, I have been playing guitar again, which I have not done, I am sad to say, in a very long time. Look for "Old Freud" comments.

I have also read "The Tales of Beedle the Bard," started reading "Twelfth Night," and plan to read "Twilight" after that.

Cold here today -

YES!!!!! YESSSSSS!! WOW!!!!!!!!

I have not refreshed so much since keeping track of Utah Jazz scores in the late nineties. Back and forth, I was losing hope,and Trista came down and told me that O was ahead! What...and then....BLUE!!!!!! I could not believe how close it was...watching the counties, hoping for the best, watching huge swings within individual percentage increases...

Somehow I got my report done, but now I must sleep. Dream of the Blue Obamas tonight!

Coming Soon

As I have been fielding many questions regarding the recent visit with Mixdorf -

I wanted to say that it was an excellent and wonderful visit and to let you know that highly detailed accounts of the visit will be forthcoming - blog posts, photos, and maybe even more.

Keep checking.

Big Beautiful Nuts - the flipping squirrel

that time of year, mostly acorns and to a lesser degree - hickory and walnut

the squirrels have been enjoying a good crop so far this year and for some reason the nuts are bigger and more beautiful -


OK - the main reason for this post - JOY

breaking news, I was driving home from picking up some beer and apples when looking to the left during Dear Prudence - I saw a squirrel catching up a nut and doing a FLIP, mid-air - I cannot figure out if it was a backwards flip or not - but he shot into the air, flipping for joy at his find

we are not the only ones that can manage some fun in the fall

squirrels have it rough out there and I was glad to see exuberance, rather than fear, disorientation, and death

A New Semester

Has dawned. Hopefully my last of this sort. I am coming off 12 consecutive days of work. It sucked and it has got me down.

I am trying to tap into something good and trying really hard to realign my meridians. Something feels really off.

Anyway - still waiting for the results of my licensure test. In the meantime, my new schedule has begun.

This is what I got and my schedule.

Mondays and Wednesday I have my final education class. It meets at 8:30 AM Mondays and Wednesdays for an hour and a half. In October I will be in a high school for about two hours at a time Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. The good thing about this class is that there is no Friday class, the instructor is really good, the class is "supposed" to be really good, and it has a focus on high school. The bad thing is that it involves a great deal of group work and I am going to have to figure out a way to be gone from work two plus hours every M-W-F during October.

Shakespeare at 8:00 Tuesdays and Thursdays. Taught by the most animated and loudest professor I have ever had. He simply loves Shakespeare. He has told us that his class will always run long, but that we can leave when the time is up. If no one else is left - he said he likely will continue on anyway. He simply LOVES Shakespeare. He sounds exactly like Tom Hanks. Does not look like him, but sound just like him. Weird, especially at 8:00 in the morning. We are studying 9 plays.

And then I have an independent study. Literary Analysis - the one I thought I could get out of - could not, but at least was able to take it as an independent study with a cool professor. What is weird about this guy is that he sounds like Mr. Rogers. Does not look anything like him, but sounds an awful lot like him.

So I am trying to get charged up for one last semester. For some reason, at this particular time, I am not "up" for it yet, but nor am I dreading it - I am simply feeling indifferent towards the semester at hand.

I wish I could stop in at a service station and be realigned.

Speaking of service stations - the red car is gone, but that already seems like four sagas ago.

The Continuation of Our Ancient Planet of Knives or The Lot of the Pig

Holding the diminished being,
its form signaling defeat,
the rescuer, trapped by her circumstances,
was conflicted about what she should do,
bloodless and as a prop from a movie-set,
the tragically terminated creature was carried gently onward.

Ball and Bath

All Pro



Biblical Effort



Consciousness Regained

Cleanin' Time

Pool It

heading

hanging

leaping

pooling

Two Queens

“I want his head”

said the one queen

“I want his peace”

said the other queen

the one queen was the main queen

the other queen was the worse queen

a sort of balance—perhaps

but the main queen feared the other queen

and made things nearly intolerable

the one with the head and the peace used light

to lighten and enlighten the halls and caverns


the queens would dine and create multi-layered wounds

sent forth on the backs of slaves; delivered with recordings of their collective cackle

electric and blue with corrupted justice and sharpened inequities

the peace and the head were tortured in their battles

and singularly viewed as foolish as a sun in a meadow


“I want his head”

said the one queen

“I want his peace”

said the other queen

and so to the dungeon he was sent

deep and dark to sort it out

easy to keep the peace, but easy to lose a head

--------------------------------------------------

Looking through the backs of Dogwood flowers I saw the sun passing through

Looking through the backs of Dogwood flowers I saw the sun passing through.

There was no photosynthesis; no conversion of light into sugars – only beams penetrating petals.

The flower as part of the tree - pretty parts intended to attract insects and propagate the species.

But these pretty parts fade and wither away – blackened and finally gone from the earth like the dung of rats.

But the tree never dies. It lives on, growing a perpendicular root.

Fleeting flowers come and go; that is the way of ages, but the tree is magnificent.

Best News Story Ever - or at least in a long time . . .

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/07/01/netherlands.circus/index.html

Now - Act like a college student!

She loves coming to the bookstore with me - and so, occasionally I bring her along. In fact, we have played some amazing "hide and seek" after hours in the bookstore - really spooky, scary fun.

On her most recent visit, the bookstore had a sample dorm room on display.

E-Mail Alert

Hey all - I've discovered my e-mail is not working, and in fact backed up - there were 28 messages held up as of last night, many junk I am sure, but I wanted to let you know because I do check it nightly - just hasn't been working - feel free to call if you have been trying to contact me via my Road Runner account - or feel free to call anyway.

Reading and a few more movies

Still reading Moby - excellent, more than half way through

Bee Movie: ok
Semi-Pro: terrible
Keeping Mum: an excellent surprise (2005 Rowan Atkinson, Maggie Smith)
Jumper: decent enough entertainment

Happy Mondays to Yous

Soldiers of Spring

soldiers of spring

cannot be denied
their arrows will be sent
marks will be hit
spring’s merging
the soft violence
signaled by sun and rain

posts to spread
as all will attempt
“embrace the ground, little bed posts
hug it and keep it warm -
come forth with feeling”
through leaves and clutter, the unknown show

and despite the odds, mostly consistent

Recently Reading and Recently Watched Update

I thought I would make mention of my list of recent readings and viewings. I updated it and thought I would say a few words about them.

First, reading-wise. I am in Moby Dick and digging it. I've read about 22 chapters and still have over 100 to go. So far so very good.

Second, the movies. I haven't said much about them and still won't here, (to protect the innocent) but here are a few words about what I have seen since about March or so. I'd be more than happy to discuss further with any of you.

Prince Caspian - I went in pretty confident that I would like it based on my experience with the first and the fact that it was the same director and so on; however, I was stunned at how much I really enjoyed it.

Raiders of the Lost Ark - still great - though some stuff is pretty funny

Nacho Libre - I simply LOVE this movie

A League of Their Own - surprisingly good sports movie, I was on the edge of my seat - not knowing who would win, too much Rosie, but I guess there is usually too much Rosie

I Am Legend (2X) - Trista wanted to watch it so I watched it a second time, overall it was not as good the second time, but the stuff I love about the beginning of the movie I still loved - the lonely, seemingly only human left in the city kinda thing

Vacancy - OK

To Kill A Mockingbird - EXCELLENT

Macbeth - I ended up seeing the Polanski version about three times, becoming obsessed, also saw an animated version

Blood Diamond - pretty good

Beowulf - disappointing for the most part

Live Free or Die Hard - what you'd expect

The Simpson's Movie - better than I had hoped for

WHAT DO I FEEL LIKE WATCHING

I kinda want to mine some ole Gregory Peck movies - maybe I'll tire of him quickly, but that's what I'm feeling at the moment - oh and likely another viewing of FOTR, possibly

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOLLY!

My Little Girl is Nine

She has been a gift everyday. A continual reminder to me that fate, destiny, and a power from beyond are actively at work in my life. Had my life brought me to others whom I may have mated with and perhaps produced other children, I likely would even have loved such children.

But in no way can I imagine a life without the entrance by Molly.

The person she is and continues to become is so richly unique, how can my reaction to one of her expressions simply be a random function of our species, without some design, some wonderful, inventive design from a source of special goodness, seemingly without reason, but full of purpose?

That “it was meant to be,” is less an applicable statement and more a state of being. I love her from a place of joy, base, basic, up high, as I imagine birds love soaring around the clouds, and I love her profoundly from the depths of my heart, dissipated and pumping across a wide sea. And where these two meet, an endless sunrise.

Time passes cruelly by.

On the eve of the Indiana primaries we supped across the street from Obama’s Terre Haute headquarters. I thought about something we all have heard. “A future for our children.” It has been said for generations, dulling into an excuse, a lofty notion of “down the line” – some vague, but noble reference. Our parents. Us. And now our children. Not a “What future,” could Obama actually supply a “When” future or will the elevated speak fade even for him after the election. That is what I wonder. “The future of our children” is one of the most often used marketing techniques utilized by politicians. Its very vagueness assures the saving of face. Children’s children. Oh. Phone calls. Obama people at the door. I am very encouraged, but await a “when” with hopefully the “win.”

It’ll be tough here because of our popular senator’s support of Hilary.

Because of the way parents feel about their children, it becomes an area of exploitation. Work ‘em then. Get the vote. The future for our children really, is that. The future of children when they are of voting age – future voters to ensure and to continue to support particular political parties and families. Secure the vote. Not the future of children AS children. That is tomorrow. Unless there is a cyclone, a viral outbreak, or a car bomb.

So Molly is asleep now. Dreaming. I kissed her goodnight. She knows the name Obama, but not what it means for tomorrow. I deeply wish her happiness on Tuesday.

So Excited had to Blog

As of 2:33 AM this morning -

DONE

with the semester!!!

e-mailed my final paper "Subversive Weeds: The English Pull and the Irish Continuance"

done done done

On Top of the End

Almost done. Last Tuesday night I never went to bed. It was weird. Wednesday then, I turned in a 74 page unit plan covering Macbeth. What a night. I remember calling for owls at 2:30 AM outside in my backyard. I remember eating toast with grape jelly at 3:15 am. I remember printing a final sheet at 6:37 am, just in time to jump in the shower and go to work. In the shower I remember trying to wipe off the tiles while the shower was still on.

Anyway Wednesday went to work, my poetry reading was that afternoon then I went home- I crashed and slept very hard.

So, just now, I finished a draft of my final paper for my Irish Lit. class - which, interestingly ended the Tuesday of my all nighter. An Irish class wrapping up over a couple of Newcastle Brown Ales and the eating of calzones in an Italian restaurant.

I may have some revisions to make, but aside from that all I have left for this semester is a final this Tuesday afternoon.

Rocking in the Early Morning

Before six this morning I flew out of bed. Ran across the hall, Molly, in a fright, was already headed out. I grabbed her, told Trista to grab Mr. T and we rushed downstairs. It was as if a giant hand was holding onto our upper level roof, just shaking it to piss me off after another late night working with Macbeth. That, or as I falsely accused, "it is probably just Steve (our neighbor) pushing his recycling container up." To which Trista replied, "it is loud, but why would that shake our house unless he was on the roof."

It had to be a storm. Tornado. High winds. Falling branches. Once we were downstairs; however, everything was peaceful. OK - must be a large animal on the roof. I bravely ventured outside and examined the roof - nothing.

Earthquake! Pretty crazy. Molly wanted to know where the giant crack was and if there was lava.

Very brief. Only about a 5.2. But enough to really shake things up. No damage around here, but wow - one of the last acts of nature I would have predicted as I went to bed that night.

Our Fish has died

The betta from Kansas City. Given to us at my brother's wedding reception. It was one of two that was still alive, it being the furthest away, geographically. But not anymore. It got dropsy. A terrible, fatal disease that causes the scales to stick straight out, it bloats, and turns a little gray. We tried to change the water, but that was it. Some tears from Molly. She named it Sam. As I buried it, its scales folded back down and it seemed the color returned to a deep purple. It was a living thing that lived with us for a couple of years.

As people, is love for a creature dependent on the love we receive, or can receive, or perceive to receive? A dog compared to a fish. A fish is nearly alien, living apart from us in water - our very touch may be lethal. A dog is soft and needs attention. A cat can curl up with us and purr. We can love mammals. Destroy and torture them, yes, but we can LOVE mammals. They possess enough traits for us to relate to. Soft enough. Warm enough. The blood is red enough.

Maybe we as a race would be incapable of love for non-mammals. Maybe it would be best if aliens never came. I think it is difficult enough for us to have peace with mammals whom we are at least capable of love. But creatures that possess none of the mammalian qualities - I doubt peace would ever be possible. An existence of other beings, alien beings - not mammals, could be dismissed, as easily as it is for us to flush a fish.

If we cannot love something that we cannot perceive as having the potential to love us back, then peace is an impossibility. Sam sat in his bowl, water flowing over his gills as indifference passes through our minds. Dangerous, irreversible, indifference.

Sam died from a horrible disease. He was beta.

Second Place

I won an ISU Mary Reid McBeth Literary Award in poetry. On April 23rd, I will receive the prize at a reception where I am also invited to do a "reading."I submitted a collection of eight poems - including the following, which I'll share here:

The Problem with Coastal Liquor Markets

quiet reports of giant bivalves
meander through romantic conversations,
business transactions

monster clams, dark and seemingly dead
objects of distorted vision and thought
resting myths on the ocean floor

able to swallow divers whole
growing the missing persons report
young couples never able to divorce

the rum merchants and whiskey runners
with tipsy clients know all the good cliffs
an arrangement of good sense

“All toast the giant clam,
our fanciful legend goes especially well
with a bottle of our Spiced Oyster Rum!”

the possibility of existence is terribly exciting
the customers want to believe, but only in jollity
the flutes are coming in, the bongos will soon begin

sales and marketing reports litter the beach
empty bottles with colorful labels twinkle in the sun
from the deep an eruption of bubbles disturbs the surface

Break Your Back Mountain of Books

All these. And one more - TKAM (I forgot to add to the pile and so it is pictured by itself). The end is near and I am glad. I maintain that this semester was less taxing than last fall, but it isn't over yet. One major paper complete - two projects to go, one more paper and a unit plan.

I cannot remember looking more forward to a summer. 70 or so degrees here today and beautiful. Nice little bike ride with Molly to kick off our new season.

Back to the books. I can really see the light now. With the completion of this semester, I will only have one more semester of "regular" classes (and one of those will be another independent study) and then student teaching.

Knowing that I only have one more semester, like I've been having, is just what I will need in order to keep it up. That and not having a summer class should be great!

Anyway, just a little recap while I enter the final stretch for this semester.

just a little something

I maintain that this semester is less taxing than the last one; however, things have quickened. Between the hours of 10:00 PM and 4:30 AM I wrote an 8 page research paper. Work has been rough.

Just a little shout out.

Good News for the Neighborhood

no - not a new Applebees (that would be extraordinary news)

and no the Mormons aren't coming around again

Our neighborhood is initiating a recycling program that will hopefully spread throughout the city. Interestingly, this effort was managed by a couple of elderly ladies - we just had to sign something. A city this size with nothing bigger around for 60 or so miles hasn’t had to worry about running out of or filling up landfills – not an excuse not to recycle, but it has not applied that extra pressure for the city to do something.

There are a few places around town that accept items for recycling, but as you can imagine – many people do not. We were spoiled in Minneapolis. Here, we take items to the ISU recycling facility. It is pretty slick and has worked for us, but it will be nice to be able to take care of the recycling on a weekly basis.

Soon, a company called Republic will pick up our items and take them for sorting by the good folks at Goodwill. Everything except glass – which we will continue to drop off at ISU.

It’ll be great if this catches on and other neighborhoods join in. The fee is small, $5 a month, and if it does grow – glass may be added to the mix.

Something New

State Flower of Alabama

Super Tuesday was super boring - I am referring specifically to various "news" teams. CNN, Fox, Katie C. - it is treated like sports news teams - hec it might as well be Terry and Howie and Jimmie blabbing dogma and theories.

Romney was "hoping for a surge" that never happened in California. On one hand the masses (asses as we are) can be affected to an extent by what happened in another state, but give us (the human race) a little more credit. We just don't gallop to where the biggest pile of sugar is, do we?

Confession: I do not understand super delegate at all and sometimes I understand the whole system LESS than I did just a moment ago.

I really do not like the band Chicago. I tried to like Saturday in the Park for many years, and maybe I did for a couple of months. But that band, they should be dismissed from the realm of music.

The Suns freak out because of Gasol - and Shaq is back - for a two year 20 million buyout from the Heat and poor Hilary is digging into her own precious pockets for a mere five million to keep her ass afloat!? Shaq should be giving it up to H-Rod -

I am taking English Teaching Methods on MWF at 2:00 - great great class taught by an amazing man - and nearly making by so called education classes irrelevant. Our major project this semester is an entire Unit - the idea being that not only can we use this in our attempts at earning employment, but far more importantly we will actually be able to USE it as an actual unit in the classroom. I am doing my unit over Drama, so Dan - I may be asking you some questions from time to time.

Also - Grammar for English teachers on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 12:30 - very weird, flashbacks to middle school - it is amazing how very complicated it all can be - same professor as last semester's History of English, which ended up being my most difficult and taxing class so far at Indiana State.

And then my independent study, we meet once a week over coffee and discuss Irish Literature (before 1800) and the evolving idea of Ireland as a country, or culture, or state of mind, entity - whatever you might think it is. Great class - still early going, didn't really start until the third week of classes.

Molly is going to be in her first talent show with two other friends, I guess they are going to dress in jeans, white t-shirts and do a dance routine to "I Love Rock'n'Roll." Our little photo-journal project continues.

Trista is working on her licensure and digging her counseling at ISU.

I just stopped.

King New Year

as crowned by Molly

defeated and put away this guy:

Happy New Year Everybody!