i took a really bad test on thursday, where the questions weren't what was on the homework, and the time alotted wasn't nearly enough. but i think i'm dropping that class to focus on my other two. that's right, two classes now, and hopefully i can keep my head above water.
justin i was checking out a wonderful thing and it looks sweet, i wonder if i ever showed you my pictures from chicken bone? there's a couple good ones that will erase any bad memories you have of it. so maybe i'll get them to you somehow. i mean, i'm good for it. i sent justin baxter his wedding present last week; he was married in july. some things take time.
my sister-in-law kathleen was in town this week and my roommate adam cooked up a solid stir-fry for us all, it was wicked good and it was also good to seem a familiar face. and the funny thing is that kathleen has totally picked up some mannerisms from my brother jeff, who got a few of them from me, and so now its come full circle.
so in light of my school crappiness i'm dropping my activities, except for the worship band, until i get everything straight. grades in grad school are a funny thing, not haha funny but more eh funny.
tomorrow i'm taking the morning off to run, something i've not done in weeks it seems (run or take the morning off) so it'll be nice to relax, read the paper, and soak in the october fall.
and the biggest news for last: i was gonna try to come home this weekend (but i can't because of new assignments) to see my family, to see my friends, to see the falcons, and to see *jenna* who is actually back from haiti! her host family came back due to an illness, and so she came with them to continue homeschooling the kids in pennsylvania until december. so i talked to her on the phone from miami airport and then today from dayton, its a pretty incredible surprise. in case you were wondering, we've been keeping in contact pretty well over interweb but we'll see what happens now that she's in the states.
so give her an email, send her a postcard, because who doesn't appreciate emails or postcards (i promise i'll reply soon!)
so here's to more than 7 hours of sleep.
music: reggie, smack & katy
quote: squeeeeak goes the file cabinet drawer...shifty eyes... (i'm sorry but only robin will get this!)
glad to hear that a wonderful thing is about to start shooting. can't wait to see it, justin. and mike, i'm sure your soundtrack will be the best yet. not that your other stuff was bad, you just seem to keep increasing your capabilities and add direction.
you want to know what i've learned in school so far this year? as robin also knows, now i start my assignments the day they are assigned. not the day before they are due, two days before, or the weekend before. but the actual day, right after class. its the only way i might be able to survive. i might be able to survive. then again, i might not.
15 hours on campus today, little to show for it.
and the surprise i alluded to yesterday? probably not going to happen because of new assignments. what was it? i'll tell you tomorrow.
music: counting crows: recovering the satellites, angels of the silences and catapult
quote:
me: "i just tried using the mouse to point on this piece of paper."
robin & joe: "you've been in this office way too long."
yeah that northern illinois-bg game looks to be pretty good. both teams in the top 25, nice work MAC. is it at home? because that would be pretty sweet! i expect everyone to be out there on gameday!
i've heard of brand new, from jesse last spring, though i haven't picked anything up yet. i did however just purchase the jimmy live dvd (i can't remember if i mentioned that story) and hey mercedes disc and they're both rockin' awesome. i've heard that saves the day and the new relient k are both good, though i'd like to hear for myself in the latter case. a couple of friends saw switchfoot last week at the 9:30 club and said they were good as usual.
some exciting things may happen this week. best not to spill the beans just yet in case they fall though. but a return to ohio may be in order before the month is up!
music: jimmy live
quote: "yesss!!!!" - robin giving me a high five because our cfd program worked. and even before joe's and he's really smart and works at nasa.
i forgot to mention that after the marathon, i totally ate free egg & cheese burritos with some beer. and three gatorade bars, an apple, three more egg burritos, 4 cups of gatorade, two cups of water, and another egg burrito. that, plus my long-sleeve tshirt, nalgene bottle, and ben-gay disposable heating pads, i think i made out quite nicely on the free stuff.
ok, here's a picture of me before running my leg in the baltimore marathon yesterday. we left before 6am and it was ridiculously cold, but it warmed up by race time and my section was by the inner harbor near camden yards (and the ravens' stadium) so the scenery was great. i ran 19:30 for 3.3 miles, that's a 5:53/mile average which i'm pretty happy with.
so here's my take on nirvana: if they came on the radio, i'd turn the station. if dashboard did, i'd listen. nirvana may be very important as far as history of rock and bringing on the alternative scene and changing music videos and all that jazz, but i just cannot get into the music. i have bad memories of 'smells like teen spirit' at junior high dances and i wasn't into it. plus they're still overplayed, over publicized, and i really don't like courtney love. i'll still rock out to 'teen spirit' with the pinewood guys at practice but that's about it. the only reason i'd like them is because my friends did/do.
as for dashboard, i won't defend them because i'm not that emo. but further seems forever is solid and i really liked swiss army romance. i don't listen to their new stuff much, because girls ruin songs.
onto maryland college basketball: i went to midnight madness the other day (umd started it back in the 70s) where the basketball teams are shown in public for the first time. the 17000+ arena sold out. just for a scrimmage at midnight on friday! people here are crazy about basketball. gary williams, the coach rode into the arena on a harley and revved it up. freshman mike jones looks awesome, and darryl strawberry's son was also pretty quick. this looks to be an exciting year of hoops. maybe kathy or andrew can relate to attending a major university.
so that's my advocacy of attending large universities: i don't feel like 'just a number' but i do take advantage of the opportunities-major speakers (howard dean last month), major sports programs (running club, ultimate club too!), research money (because that's how i'm getting paid), and the fact that people actually know where you go to school (everyone from bg has heard of maryland, very few from maryland have heard of bg). plus taco bell in the union. school is an important topic to me, just ask tim how much advice i've given him! but it should be important to all college-age kids, so there you go.
i went to an awesome bonfire last night, it was my first time out of the city in my car since i've been here, there's something liberating about driving at ridiculous speeds on the beltway, music on the stereo, you know the feeling. we were far enough out of the city that we could see lots of stars, and there were friends, and apple cider, and it felt great.
that's enough opinion for the day, i'm sure there'll be a nice dose again in the future. but for now i've got to do some grading and change the laundry.
music: mxpx, life in general
quote: "we should send kids in ghana beta tapes for christmas.' - john, during church
i ran in baltimore this morning as part of a 4-man marathon relay team. we took lots of pictures but they're not up yet, so instead you can see my finish at the terp trot 5k two weeks ago here. i totally beat that guy, too.
i'd really like to write a long post on the merits of nirvana, maryland college basketball, the freedom of having a car, and a bonfire on a cool, starry october night, but i'm running on fumes as it is and i have to get up to play in the worship band tomorrow morning.
so i'll work on it tomorrow.
oh, and josh harris was mentioned in the sports illustrated-on campus magazine this week, along with ben rothes....from miami and turner from northern illinois. the mac is still making noise. go falcons.
