The Good Things

Anyone still out there?

2011-11-29T20:05:00.002-09:00

Don't think anyone still reads. so maybe i'll start this blog over from here.

i wrote this poem the other day. it's called "The Terrible Lens" tell me what you think?

I saw the potent minds of my generation
redesigned and rebooted
glowing rectangles and drawn faces
oozing the drool of opiate massive
salivating pavlov and involuntary
at the cloud of collective hopes
and lies of boys
and girls searching
for a do over
for a one up
for an extra life
a magic mushroom

and its all from

The Ground!

The Ground! is the variable
The Ground! is the place
The Ground! is where you feel your feet
The Ground! is where you rub your face
The Ground! is the real feeling
The Ground! is rough and slick

The Ground!

the exponential choices
the multitude of voices
the infinite combination
every class and every vacation
in one big precipitous and electrified cloud
imaginary and LOUD

the sky mind used to be so absolute
and now earthman mind
and sores of institute

The Ground!

The Ground! is where you try
The Ground! is from which you fly
The Ground! is a molten mine
The Ground! is sometime a grind
The Ground! is what we dig to find
The Ground! is where the rocks shine
The Ground! is where the rocks shine
The Ground! is where the rocks shine

AND THEY JUST KEEP SHININ" ON.

simple the calculation
simple the truth
simple all the same
simple in the ionized pursuits
simple in all the games
simple in your tribulations
simple in your name
simple all the excitement
simple the terrible lens of this generation

the way of the analog organic warriors
codes and judges and level
modern master soldiers
of a imaginary created universe

the power of love
is a curious thing
make one man weep
the other insane

curious curious curious

and damn the clarity
and damn the opaque
and damn the shadows
the tinted windows
the tinted halos
try your luck at that
and the queen of hearts don't give a shit

and she never did

you build it.

and you always did

Boogie Chillin

2011-02-07T19:21:00.003-09:00

San Francisco, what an amazing city. I hit the whopper on my trip the weather was sunny and 75 in February, it was a dream I didn't want to wake up from.

Seeing old friends always reminds me of good things that happened in my life, those kinds of people that remind you of good times, they should be who we spend the most time.

Now I'm back on the life train and its chuggin along pretty steady like.

Watched another amazing kid bite the dust today. She had too much life shit break down and couldn't get out of the loop. I swear being a teacher is a heavy load sometimes. Hold on Girl.

Life isn't all sad, its just so very chill. Winter is losing its grip on the days and I can't help but give my heart to summer already, especially after a San Fran dream like that. The lighter days make me want to look up more often.

I want to be like a wise old owl/billy goat hybrid personality this summer, a little ornery but always a kick in the pants and in the know. I have started to feel more relaxed towards getting older and realized it excites me to think about all the characters I will be able to play in the future.

Because, as I have increasingly felt lately, everyone, every single human, pretty much dishes out the same bullshit, we're all bullshitters. And that comforts me.

Don't make it on to this here new fangled machinery to write a blog as much as I ought to, but I hope you know I'm still here. I'm just waiting for a good time to strike.

Bring on The SUMMER 2011.

Still Alive

2011-02-03T19:46:00.002-09:00

Um... Life's scary good.

My new schedule:
1st period Science
2nd Period Science
3rd period Kale's Science elective focused on National Geographic
4th Period Build Community Garden Class

Thats right. I'm building a community garden with my kiddos!

Also, quit some bad habits, started working out, playing lots of music.

Festival line ups are popping up left and right. Northwest String Summit Looks INSANE this year, Sasquatch is revealing Line Up on Sunday, and I don't think I can really maintain my enthusiasm for what I suspect might be the best summer of my life.

Oh yeaaaaaaah, I'm flying to San Fran this weekend to visit a friend just cuz.

Basically my life is pretty good lately.

Except I'm sore, so sore, its sucks getting old and being a fat ass for two years.

Oh well got to get in Tattoo shape for this summer!

Anyone still out there?

Some Songs Lately

2010-12-06T18:20:00.003-09:00

There's a hole.
(for ukulele)

There's a hole in my fence
Where all the alley cats
they come and go.
There's a hole in my heart because of you
Don't ya know

There's a hole in my jeans
At least I put it there
myself
There's a hole in my heart
You bought yours off the shelf

There's a hole in my heart because of you
There's a hole in my heart because of all the things you do

There's a hole in my pocket
Where all the money
goes
There's a hole in my heart
My momma told me so

There's a hole in the sky
And no one seems
to mind
There's a hole in my heart
I can read all the signs

There's a hole in my heart because of you
There's a hole in my heart because of all you put me through

There's a hole in the bucket dear Liza
Going down the
drain
There's a hole in my heart
you could drive a train

There's a hole in my shoe
I can feel every stepping
stone
There's a hole in my heart
My heart alone

There's a hole in my heart because of you
There's a hole in my heart because of you

Family Birds
(for ukulele)

Hey there mama bird
sittin on my front picket fence
the summer sun
is fadin once again

Hey there mama bird
diggin in the dirt for worms
gotta feed the babies
gotta make them learn

to fly to fly to fly

hey there papa bird
headin north with the wind
don't ya know the winter
is settin in

hey there papa bird
don't leave us all behind
don't we matter to ya
do we cross your mind

when you fly when you fly

hey there baby bird
its a big world out there
got to be careful
of the hawks in the air

hey there baby bird
you're not a baby anymore
so open up those wings
and get ready to soar

away away away away

Till The Morning Comes
(for keyboard/drum machine electronic loop)

If you wanna get up and leave
you know I wouldn't blame you
If you're thinkin bout leaving town
I hope you won't go

I just want one more day
in the sun
I just want to get up dance
till the morning comes

If you wanna get up and go
well then go on
but if you wanna get up and move
then move on

I just want one more day
in the sun
I just wanna dance
till the morning comes

If you wanna get up and dance
I can help you
If you wanna shake shake
Let me shake you

I just want one more day
in the sun
I just wanna dance
till the morning comes

Limping across the finish line.

2010-11-16T18:34:00.002-09:00

Mayday Mayday I'm coming in hot, landing gear's busted and I got migs on my tail! Get out the fire trucks and fire up the cannons cuz its gonna be a fiery landing!

Me: plane about to crash
Migs: school
Landing Strip: winter break

Bleh.

But some good things too.

Psychedelic Dance Music has been the jam lately. I play it while cleaning, I play it while driving. I play in school with my kids and they like it.

Here's a list of bands that will make your life/classroom better immediately. Go get em.

MGMT
PHOENIX
EMPIRE OF THE SUN
DISCOVERY
CHROMEO
LCD SOUNDYSTEM

Also, on NETFLIX movies on demand you need to watch Beavers on IMAX, The Atheism Tapes, Countryman, Sweetgrass, David Cross Bigger and Blackerer, and Danielson: A family Movie.

Hal's coming home finally.

Subaru turned over 150,000 miles running strong.

Kyle and I are growing ever so close to being confident enough to take our improvisational electronic looping show to the next level and book a show. I also am working an idea for an entire night of entertainment called FOLK TO FUNK. It will be a 3-4 hour show starting in the early evening and ending at dance-o-clock whenever. The set will start with simple folk songs and start to blead slowly song by song by transition to a full fledged electro funk no tronic dance show with many synthed out pop and trippyness in between. The coolest thing is that each show can feature who ever fits in. Think about it, FOLK TO FUNK! And if that never pans out I've also been developing an fake Christian Electronic Band played by two Atheists. The band will be called LAZER JEZUS, you would be surprised at how easy it is to make songs up about god.

Also, really enjoying that the state standards for science require me to teach evolution in 7th grade. There is nothing sweeter than saying, "Well I could NOT teach your child evolution but they will be severley behind in their science learning as they take the state tests and progress to high school where its required knowledge for graduation..." Awesome.

You should clean your house, it feels good afterward. But I sometimes wonder if clean house would feel so good if you didn't also trash them. Is it experiencing the opposite of something that gives it so much delight upon reception? Would Thanksgiving and Christmas break be so needed if I hadn't slaved so much at school?

The sweet would not be so sweet without the bitter. Damn you bitter, damn you.

Hey Anyone still out there?

2010-09-30T17:31:00.002-08:00

Well I write to you in the midst of a new job/life/situation. I work now. WORK a lot. The new school I'm at is starting from scratch and so am I. Its good for me, I was getting my roots so deep in my summer that I almost forgot that people work. Now its seems to be all I do.

The problem isn't the job, or the people there, or the kids, they're all great. The problem is that I have no time for things like this lately. Blogs, email, facebook, part of me misses it but I just don't think of online community as much lately.

That out the open, I don't even really have time to write a sufficient blog now either. I do have time to give you a bulleted list...they're efficient I suppose.

- String Cheese Incident at Hornings Hideout was amazing, people more than the music.
- I caught the Biggest Bass of my life 14.5" in Conconully
- I played two sets at Big Bottom Festival and killed it pretty damn well.
- Flowmotion Summer Meltdown Festival was mind blowing.
- I'm making a lot of electronic music and have some opportunities for shows soon
- Played a show at the Mandolin, the sound guy was a doosher.
- My brother is working grape crush at a winery far away for two months i miss him
- I wear a collared shirt, slacks and a tie every day, I feel dapper
- I quit smoking
- The WSU Cougar football team still sucks big time but I love going to Pullman home games with my family
- My Grandma and Grandpa are having a really hard time in their 90's
- Weeds, The Big Bang Theory and Boardwalk Empire are the best television shows on earth.
- I don't talk to my friends enough, or at all anymore, I miss them.

I miss you too.

Summer in Full Bloom

2010-07-27T11:59:00.006-08:00

AH TEXAS!

What did I learn in Texas. Yes they have a lot of oil refineries. Yes there are a buttload of churches. Yes they do listen to a ton of Country music. Yes they line dance...a lot. Yes they have invented about a hundred ways to eat beef.

But did you know that the people in Texas are incredibly wonderful and heart warming and hospitable and kind. I had a great time with the Dengler family and friends in Texas. It was truly a wonderful experience flying to the Bayou Texas to have a big ol barn weddin. Congratulations Mason and Reese!

Did you know that chopping trees down is harder than it looks? My brother and I spent a whole week cutting down two 30 year old trees at my parents house and it was a work out.

And let me just say that PHOTOSYNTHESIS FESTIVAL 3.0 outside of Randle Washington was probably the best festival I'll go to all year. It was last minute, it was beautiful and it was all electronic music all day long. I danced my ass off!

Now on to String Cheese in two days, then camp Conconully, then Meltdown if I have energy, then Big Bottom Festival.

AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH my summer is freaking crazy!

Come and Get me.

2010-07-14T08:50:00.004-08:00

Well its been a while, as it tends to be in the summer. I'm just to busy livin life to make time for my blog in the summer. Since we last spoke about the amazing Squeak and Sqwuak Festival I feel like I've been really busy.

Problem is I don't have much time to tell all about what I did. Basically I had the best Fourth of July ever at my parents house with all my friends, games, fireworks and giant slip and slide.

My great friend Randy moved in with me for a month of relaxation and mental recouping. We went on the greatest road trip of a lifetime to a Pinot Noir Winery in Oregon, then to the redwoods and a secret town of Bolinas, then onto San Fran for a night out on the town and Haight Ashbury, then off to live a day as a beach bum in Santa Cruz and then back on home. Now He's off to climb mount Adams and then harvest grains in the palouse.

I went and chilled at a lake cabin and swam and fished in the great clear waters of Lake Phillips.

I ventured deep into the Columbia Basin to the Potholes Reservoir for an all male campout filled with cliff jumping, soccer and intense conversations late at night.

And after a short break I have taken up music with a new reckless abandon deciding to go back to a concept from long ago, my music will just be an extension of me that day, that time, and what instruments I can get my hands on. My band mate and I have decided to call it "Look At the Noises We Make."

Tomorrow I fly to Texas for Mason and Reese's Wedding in Beaumont in a Barn. I've never been to the Lone Star State and certainly never this close to the Gulf I'm excited!

After that I go to STRING CHEESE INCEDENT at Hornings Hideout! Never seen them before and feel luck to be able to go to one of the rarest festivals of the summer.

From there I will drive to Conconully Washington for a week of camping and fishing with mom and dad and hal and our cousin's family for a down home rooting tooting hick good time.

Haven't decided if I will show up at the Summer Meltdown to see flowmotion Saturday night or not...probably will though.

After that I have Big Bottom festival which I'm PLAYING at this year! Woot Woot

The next week my friend Kyle and Sean and I have a show at the world famous Bob's Java Jive

I feel so luck to have all these people in my life to share these amazing times with. Summer is crazy and when its all over and I start my new job in the fall I will do so knowing I rocked my brains out this summer.

I'm a busy man, and I am who I am. Are you who you are? Does that you that you are want to see me that is me? Then you have to come and find me. Come and join the team for a day a month a year a life time.

Love ya.

Squeak and Squawk

2010-06-15T09:12:00.003-08:00

I am all over the place. I just spent the last 5 evenings with a new (and old) group of people that made me so proud and so incredibly excited to live and exist in Tacoma. The Squeak and Squawk Music festival put on by the incredible Sean Alexander and his team of crack specialists wrapped up last night with great performances by amazing local talent that pimp slaps all the other towns indi music in the face.

During the 5 day local music blast a sort of vibrating began to occur finally building to an all out freak a thon Saturday night with a dance circus spectacular complete with face paint, glow sticks, fog machines, lazer beams and two great bands STRENGTH and REPORTER (both can be found on myspace I believe). Hipsters shed their well maintained hair and carefully chosen thrift store finds and got down and dirty with dance moves straight out of the depths of swampy funky techno marsh. Many many many other spot on performances took place during the weekend including Lake, Butts, and Grand Hallway ranking among this blog reporters favorite.

On top of great music the sense of community that this shindig brought together was staggering. The same amazing people kept coming night after night to solidify a sense of pride and that, yes, Tacoma is amazing and we do belong on the map of farking cool places in the Puget Sound. Everyone pitched in however they could and new connections, ideas and synapses started firing off.

I can't say that this report does this experience any justice but it does hopefully serve a record of time that Squeak and Squawk 2010 was a success, and people felt loved.

Maybe if we are all lucky enough this will lead on to other, bigger more incredible things from Sean and his team as well as from the arts community in Tacoma. Its time for a revolution.

Thankfully today is a half day and the last day of school, after this I will maybe get some rest as I have been dancing with my new best friends for 5 days straight.

Thanks Squeak and Squawk for flipping the switch.

The Big Things

2010-06-09T21:12:00.003-08:00

So I broke down and gave into the man. I trimmed my beard. I thought about it long and hard and I decided that this job interview was bigger than my need to be a bearded master. I know I shouldn't give in on this but school is a game. A big stupid game that gets in the way of the real issue, teaching kids how to figure shit out. If I have to trim my beard so that I can get one step closer to a permanent place in this crazy Tacoma world and a shot at a real career where I can help kids to my fullest capacity then I should do it.

Tomorrow I have an interview for a job that seems perfectly tailored to me. I have to be on point, I have to be sharp, and I have to let the confident part inside of me that reminds me I am a great teacher, come striding out. I have a nice shirt and pants and a dashing tie, my hair finally feels like me again after the big cut last year up in Alaska. All I have to do now is answer the interview questions with a glow and wisdom that I truly feel I have.

Its been a long journey in my short teaching career. Most of it has been documented on this blog. I started out as a student teacher at Tacoma School of the Arts and learned more about the sheer possibility of what school could actually grow into. School can be a place where kids like to come, it can be a place where people can come together and actually build up others. Art, science, self motivation and responsibility.

Then I made a whacky turn in the road of life and moved to a tiny Eskimo village in Alaska. The people, the culture, the elements all taught me one very simple thing, one very very valuable lesson. I can adapt, learn, analyze and flourish in any environment if I just follow the same morals I was raised on by my family: Work HARD, be a good person, and do your very best at everything you do.

Then I came home. At the time I had to. There wasn't any other option in my mind at the time. Looking back I could have easily stayed in the Kuskokwim Delta for a long time, hell I could have been a bush teaching nutbar with a fur hat and a total disconnect from reality. But I like reality too much. I wanted to be home. And I think I am.

While I was up there something happened though. I taught all subjects you see...ALL subjects. I served as principal a time or too. I helped with scheduling and budgets and staff management. I learned how to write IEP and went to the Alaska Statewide Special Education conference two years in a row and opened myself to the true heart of American education, you see everything we learn about teaching special needs students eventually gets adapted to every other student. I saw the idea of "school" and "education" from outer space, I saw the equator.

Once I got back home to make ends meet and support myself in my new home I took a job in the middle of an impoverished school in the heart of a drastic time of change in the Tacoma School District. Schools being closed, entire staffs being torn apart based on all sorts of factors basically boiling down to really poor test scores and national averages. I live in the "restructured" world now.

And I worked this new job. I didn't just work there, I worked it. I made myself a place at a school that really couldn't epitomize the national paradox of American school any more if it tried. I let people see who I was, what I was about, and then I listened to my kids, I figured out what was actually going on and I adapted. I helped them, guided them, and did my best to leave them better than I found them. I flipped a couple kids over to the good side along the way too.

All the while I tutored the spectrum of kids privately after school. I worked with a rich private school kid to help him find a deeper understanding of the quadratic equation. I tutored an unmotivated Native American kid and tried to help him understand the crazy white man's world. I helped a shy intelligent kid come out of his shell and learn how to take care of himself a little. And I helped a newly enrolled freshman in community college figure out an introductory biology class in about 4 days.

And tomorrow I have to go and some up all the things I've learned along the way. I have to some how get a panel of people that don't know me and my beard from a bum on the street to realize that when they hire me they are going to get way more than a science teacher. I am tapped in, I am here in the trenches, I get school, all the way, from every angle, and if I don't get the angle you can bet your ass I'll figure it out by the end of the day and own it.

Yeah I'll trim the beard, yeah I'll put on the tie, yeah I'll answer the questions, but if you really want to know what kind of teacher I am, see me in my element, see me in my classroom, see me in jeans and a t-shirt, with a long beard, seated next to a kid tapped in that just figured out he/she doesn't have to suck at life, and that school is a place he or she can make it.

You want to know what kind of teacher I am? Ask my kids.

I'd say wish me luck but I think you know I don't reaaaaally believe in that. I do believe in evidence though, and I got that on my side.

Also, listen to Band of Horses because I am pretty sure that you need to if you don't.

I'll keep ya posted on the outcome.

Dear Teacher Who Won't Teach Evolution in Science

2010-05-26T08:07:00.002-08:00

I subbed a science class yesterday that didn't have lesson plans, I designed a lesson using Blue Planet episode on "The Deep" ocean to teach students about how environmental conditions of the deep ocean and animal adaptations of the organisms living there interact. Today when I debriefed the teacher on what I did they saw the "Adaptations" notes on the white board and said, "Oh no, you didn't talk about evolution in my class did you? I don't want no law suit, I don't even touch on evolution or adaptation."

WHAT THE FUDGE! Are you kidding me? Science teachers not teaching Evolution or natural selection or adaptations? That's like teaching algebra but not teaching kids how to count to 10, its fundamental to biological understanding. Not only that our School District Curriculum and the Washington State Standards require it.

So I wrote this email, but never sent it, because even though I am a staunch Atheist and a firm believer that this type of bullshit needs to stop immediately, I am in the process of applying for jobs and don't want a mess on my hands. So here is the un-sent email.

Dear Teacher Who Won't Teach Evolution in Science,

You said something this morning that kind of perplexed me about not teaching evolution or adaptation. So I checked to see what our school district and state say about teaching evolution, natural selection, and adaptation.

Here's what I found. Not only is it ok, it is part of our district curriculum and the state science standards. So although the fear of a lawsuit from a parent is there, you have your school districts go ahead as well as the state requirement to cover the material. Legally you would be safe if you taught it, and you should.

Teaching evolution in school is really important regardless of people's religious affiliations, school is a secular institution and science and inquiry and biology and evolution are secular institutions continually moving toward teaching proven, evidence based, curriculum and theories.

Also, the evolutionary theory of adaptation by natural selection can and does explain how life has come into being the way it is on this planet and to deprive students of this understanding of the fundamental roots of life's functions and manifestations is irresponsible and unfair to them as well as a major hinderance to their future contributions to the human condition on this planet.

Please consider these standards when planning your curriculum next year.

Tacoma 6th Grade Science Curriculum
Fall 6th grade
Diversity of Life

Students observe and maintain protists, plants and animals in the classroom and study their characteristic features. The study progresses from macroscopic to microscopic observation to discover the fundamental unit of life, the cell. Students then investigate organism subsystems and behaviors, ****and consider their diversity of adaptive structures and strategies.****

Fall 7th Grade
Populations and Ecosystem

Students raise populations of organisms to discover population dynamics in a range of conditions. Reproduction, heredity and **** natural selection are explored as ways to understand both the similarity and the variation within and between organisms.****

State Standards

6-8 LS3A
++++The scientific theory of evolution underlies the study of biology and explains both the diversity of life on Earth and similarities of all organisms at the chemical, cellular, and molecular level. Evolution is supported by multiple forms of scientific evidence. Explain and provide evidence of how biological evolution accounts for the diversity of species on Earth today.++++

6-8 LS3E
++++Adaptations are physical or behavioral changes that are inherited and enhance the ability of an organism to survive and reproduce in a particular environment. Give an example of a plant or animal adaptation that would confer a survival and reproductive advantage during a given environmental change.++++

6-8 LS3F
Extinction occurs when the environment changes and the ++++adaptive characteristics of a species, including its behaviors, are insufficient to allow its survival.++++ Given an ecosystem, predict which organisms are most likely to disappear from that environment when the environment changes in specific ways.

6-8 LS3G
++++Evidence for evolution includes similarities among anatomical and cell structures, and patterns of development make it possible to infer degree of relatedness among organisms. Infer the degree of relatedness of two species, given diagrams of anatomical features of the two species (e.g., chicken wing, whale flipper, human hand, bee leg).++++

Laid Off and then Laid On

2010-05-18T15:02:00.003-08:00

After the Title 1 money ran out last week they informed me at X Middle School I would be getting laid off two weeks before school was out, leaving my little devil angel's to return back to from whence they came and me with two weeks of subbing at the end of the year. But magically, once the school and the schedulers realized what a disaster it would be to re-release my little kiddos into the population of regular classes what a catastrophe they would have one their hands. Then they magically "found" more funding and informed me that I could stay on till the end of the year. Yes I want to see my darling 8th graders off into the pre-high school sunset but also I realized what a challenging last two weeks it would be with apathy at an all time high at XMS.

Other than that things have been good. Hal and I have been working our asses off in the yard planting our first urban Garden. Right now we have manufactured garden space out of every nook and cranny of the yard and have managed to plant 30 sunflower plants, 8 beets, 6 cucumber hills, to pumpkin hills, two rows of carrots, two rows of spring onions, about 40 sweet onions, ten potatoes, 6 corn, 6 strawberries, two raspberries, grapes, blueberries, and have plans for peas and leafy greens soon to follow. The soul turned out to be just fine and with a little love and care we've got ourselves an impressive first garden effort. Urban gardening is awesome, it forces you to be resourceful, imaginitive and crafty with the difficult space you are given to work with. Pictures and updates on garden life to come.

We're all settling into a nice little life just in time for summer to come and blast the walls of routine.

SO much summer coming.

Sasquatch at the Gorge in two weeks with a gang full of crazy people in a RV.
Bu Crew Men's Campout at the Gorge with all the class of 2004 bro's friends
4th of July at the rents who's coming?.
Fly TO TEXAS FOR MASON AND REESE's WEDDING July 14th
String Cheese Incident at Horning's Hideout Oregon with the usual summer deviants
Camp Conco Family Campout in Eastern Washington with the fam and cousins
Possibly saturday night of Meltdown
Playing Big Bottom fest near Packwood in the white pass area
then the school starts up again!

Have a nice week y'all

Goodbye Whitman Co., Benjamins, Precious People, Too Many Things, Pot Bellies, Flipping Kids Over, ....Choice.

2010-05-03T20:56:00.005-08:00

I suppose after a long blog drought I would have something important to say. But alas I don't, thus the lack of blogging. I mean there are a lot of things going on to write about but I'm so busy living them and trying to keep up with life that writing it down seems impossible. Some pretty pretty pretty big things have been happening lately. I recently defeated a demon that has been clawing at my back for 5 years. The freedom of this beast is a little overwhelming and a bit scary because I forgot what it was like to live without always looking over your shoulder. I still do sometimes.

New people have been swirling in and out of my life, so fast they're like whispy whisps of whispers in the days and nights. I can make out the forms of all these new people but I don't ever seem to be able to grasp them as the float by. A few constants remain, family life is uneasy but positive, its seems like the peaceful moments in our family come from everyone knowing that everyone else is finally doing fine, if even for a day, but hopefully more. Those moments seem so difficult to grasp sometimes. So many things to balance. Family relationships, romantic relationships, friendship, career relationships, finances, leisure, soul searching, playing music, appreciating music, physical fitness, mental fitness and regulating external chemical intake.

Things that are a constant nag lately are worries of money. Stupid stupid money that makes the mice run the race. It buys many things, like concert tickets, and power bills, and new microphones, and things and more things and then some things. And whats worse I want these things. I want stuff now, how did that happen, I used to pride myself on only a few things, my ukulele Bertha, my woven yarn-billed hat from a friend in Australia, my Subaru Warrior, and a 1982 WSU hooded sweatshirt worn nearly through from love. Now I have many things, and want more. Is it possible that America has its hooks in me?

Also, I'm getting kinda fat. No long walks on the tundra and no teaching PE, and no snowmobile airport pick ups along with lower 48 restaurant food have made old Kale a little pot belly. Its like a sign of laziness. My daily reminder that I should be doing better to take care of myself, but monday comes and its back to the routine. Kale-self goes back on the burner for sheer convenience. So many other things to take care of besides the gut. I can only hope that the summer outdoors doing manual labor will get me back to bad ass I can be.

And work, oh work. Not teaching. Not school. Not learning. WORK. I've had successes. I've had shining moments in teaching. I'm making a difference. But the atmosphere at my school is pretty desperate and negative and it works its way into your bones by the end of the day. I can't wait for summer simply because I don't know how many more months of negativity I can stand.

I was telling my roomate Kyle about something I've realized at school. The truest teaching moments for me, the reason that keeps teachers going, isn't those shining glimmers of a lightbulb flashing in the brain of a young learner, but the lazer beams of light that come out of a kid when the kid FLIPS. And flip you say, what is flipping a kid?
Well, flipping a kid has become my passion and my art at work. Its a weird theory, but its worked many times for me and I'm hoping to continue to hone it forever. When you see a kid that has been shit on by life, and I mean elephant shit on, stuff you and I never had to go through, and they've dealt with in whatever way was most effective, they've lashed out like a snake in a corner and, or shut down like a rock, or got wasted to make it go away, and there is simply no granules of a hopeful life left in them, you simply have to infect them with what you got, real logical positivity towards the awesome.

Most kids in this situation have lost the ability to find the forest from the shit trees. This is where logic, planning and rational thought are the most amazing with kids. If you sit down day after day and help the kid plan on getting out of shit, then eventually one day the kid will pull back the last branch of the shit forest and gaze into the vast golden valley of realizing they can take care of themselves and even have a pretty ok life. It takes patience, careful character study, and thinking out loud for the kid so that they can start to see how a good decision would like in the situation they just fucked up.

I'll tell you what doesn't help these kids. Kicking them out of class for sagging their pants, chewing gum or drinking a gatorade. I'll tell you what doesn't help these kids, silent rooms of rows and paper. Sometimes the best lessons and classes are the ones that are spontaneous and family building. An, argument, a realization, you just stop the class and point out logically and realistically what happened or whats actually going on and every can all see and agree. If you can string together enough moments where your kids have all shared the same thought then they can truly know how similar we all are and let theirselves come out and relax.

When you see that dark hollow of a kids eye light up as they realize for the first time they're not a failure and that they actually want to and can get better, it is the moment they flip. A flipped student is like a person who wants to get sober for the first time. They might stumble and fall along the way, but their ship is righted and going in the correct direction. And to be clear, I don't mean that they're going in the Anglo-Saxon Religious Upstanding route, they're going on a route that at least they can choose. Choice and ultimate choices is the meaning of freedom (and the burden). But when you have no choices and no where to turn, there are no choices but simply mazes.

Am I making the right choices myself? Am I free finally? Sometimes it sure doesn't feel like it. Other times I truly fly.

Washington Educator Career Fair...

2010-04-15T07:31:00.002-08:00

The last time I went to this meet and greet market I was horrified by all the school districts only there to shake your hand and give you a website. Last time I went to the career fair I desperately needed a teaching job (my first one) and ended up moving to an Eskimo village in Alaska due directly in part to this exact career fair. Last time I went with a great great amazingly awesome wingwoman and freshly back from her adventures in Peru she will go with me again today (having met the Hawaii people last time).

This year I am not so doe eyed and freaked out. This year I have 3 years of teaching under my belt. This year I realized that all the school districts that are trying to hire you on the spot are probably doing so because they can't hold onto teachers fast enough. This year I will take more pens.

This year I will look for the right job. The thought of scraping by as a substitute for another year is rather dreadful, and yes I would really like health insurance, but there's no way I'm moving to east BumbleF**k for a job anytime soon. I have some definite prospects for right here in Tacoma next year and I owe it to myself, my family, my increasingly important friends to stick around and give life here in the Puge a real try.

Spring Break Wrap Up

2010-04-04T19:55:00.002-08:00

Holy Cow. What a break.

Started off a little slow. Then wednesday I went to Steven's Pass to ski with my friends and it was the best day ever. Sunny most of the time. No feet of powder but instead super nice groomer runs that we decided to totally bomb down. I've never got so many runs in for a day.

Then good times with friends thursday night at the house. Friday night I went to Olympia and saw two incredible bands that were new to me with my best buds Randy and Suzye. First was MARS RETRIEVAL UNIT. They were super good funky spacey jazzy tribally proggy rock that had me shakin my booty real hard. Then they were followed by THE SPECIAL PURPOSE, equally amazing and bad ass. Then last night I went and TAPWATER open for The Special Purpose in Ballard at the Nectar Lounge. Tapwater was insane good and spanned such a wide divide of genres from drum circle to Elton John to Funky Bluegrassy type stuff. So much fun and I got to see my Seattle friends which seems to be a much more regular thing!

Then today. The Iverson Clan celebrated the resurrection of the Lords only Begotton son by going to a semi seedy Lounge in the holy land of Fife for dinner followed by a spirited evening of gambling at the Emerald Queen Indian Casino. I got a super super sick easter bunny basket from my mom and dad. The "basket" was a kitchen compost bin thing and it was full of super good candy and TOOLS! I'm so so so so so so so grateful that I didn't have to spend my day in some stuffy church listening to an ancient story that may or may not of even happened. Instead I spent it with my parents and grandparents and had a blast (and won 80 bucks woot woot). Despite the fact that the only Easter I've ever known has been a commercial one (and will remain that way), I am thankful that these days exist because people worship magical sky people periodically throughout the year, it gives me and me heathen family yet another reason to be together and enjoy each others company.

Have a good week.

Idaho and Spring Break

2010-03-30T09:18:00.006-08:00

I drove to Idaho yesterday and some crazy things happened.

I would post it here but I want you to have the choice of whether or not to read it. But seriously its got some stuff a lot of people won't want to hear so tread lightly.

http://outoftheclosetatheist.blogspot.com/

In other news. Spring break is going along nicely.

I want to build a firepit, get the house ready for all the guests we'll be having soon.

We will be running a little boarding house here soon enough.

I was gonna get some yard work done but its crap outside.

Open Mic night tonight. Might play a new song Kyle and I wrote:

Its a Home

Grow your roots deep down
There's magic in the soil
Particles separate the water
You know more than you'll ever know
You Know more than you'll ever know

Its such a tiny thing
To plant the first seed
You'll know exactly what to bring
You'll know just what you need
Its a home, a home, a home.

Build this home brick by brick
Raise the roof by myself
Paint the walls marigold
And put your picture on the shelf

Its such a tiny thing
To plant the first seed
You'll know exactly what to bring
You'll know just what you need
Its a home, a home, a home.

Lucky Kale

2010-03-21T20:46:00.002-08:00

Just got home from taking grandma and grandpa to the Muckleshoot Indian Casino. We ate dinner and gambled a little. Gambling at Reno and Indian Casino's is a family pastime of ours on both sides of the family and being able to take my G and G out to get out of the house is a really good thing for them. They get to eat some big portions of food which is good because they're both underweight and they get to have a little fun.

Lately though I've been really lucky, and tonight was no different. I played slots with G and G for a while then broke off and hit the black jack table. I turned 20 bucks into 160! This has happened the last 3 times I've gone bringing my total for winning over the last month to nearly 400. Crazy.

Went and saw Repo Men with my friend Randy on Saturday. It was really gory and brought up some crazy social commentary on the price of good health. This in conjunction with the fact that the first stem cell grown organ was transplanted into a English boy recently makes me wonder if for a price we will achieve immortality someday.

Saturday was insane nice. I bought a lawnmower and mowed our lawn, played a full game of tennis with my room mate and now I can barely walk.

ONe more week till spring break. Thanks be to Allah.

Have a good week!

Drama Drama Drama

2010-03-18T22:26:00.002-08:00

This week has been all drama. Kids goin down left and right. Threats of semi gang like beat downs, pill popping and smokin dope in the bathroom not to mention sexual harrassment, IEP's and suspensions galore...and thats just the students. Then you got all the crazy backdoor teacher stuff going on and I can officially say that I have seen my fair share of drama behind the scenes at school this week all the while being not involved in any of it.

I realized today that my last two jobs might lend me more to a new profession someday. In Alaska I basically got a crash course in teaching every subject, fixing computers, writing IEP's, implementing special education, staffing issues and management, budget planning, scheduling and all sorts of counseling and curriculum.

Now in my bizarre Title 1 position in a mostly poor urban school I have got to see a whole new side of education. Lately my job has been a constant balance of relationships. Balancing the counselor's recommendations, with the principals oversights, with the over 15 teachers with whom I support and work with every day as well as the struggling students that I have to try and build back up to functional. I am truly behind the scenes of an entire school and it is daunting, fascinating and very very very frustrating.

And to think, I used to be just a biology teacher.

I don't know where I should steer the next steps of my career. I don't want to be a political pawn and micromanaging nightmare like principals have to be. I don't know if I can go back to just teaching science. I don't want to be a counselor or really a special ed teacher any more. I wonder if I could just be a teaching consultant and get hired privately to go into classes or schools and help them break down whats going on in their school. The outside perspective is really weird and sometimes extremely important.

Yes officially it is almost spring break too. I think they named it that because its finally spring and we are all about to break.

This weekend I'll be house sitting as my parents go to Peoria for Mariners spring training. I'm gonna go see a Peninsula High Baseball game after work tomorrow and after that I dunno.

I'm feeling disconnected from some of my friends lately. Hope to see them soon. This working full time thing is whack.

Love

Proud to be a Tacoman

2010-03-13T15:36:00.003-09:00

Lately I'm starting feel very happy and proud of my armpit of the world town Tacoma. I decided a few weeks ago that I don't care if anyone comes and visits here because they live in some fancy shmancy uber trendy metropolis like Seattle or Portland. It no longer offends me when countless offers for a place to stay are never taken up. I like that no one likes Tacoma. More for me. And when you say "Oh I live in Tacoma" and they say "Oh...thats nice," and back away as if Tacoma is infectious and they could catch it I say "Yeah back away baby, Tacoma is infectious and the people there, wells, we's likes it and we don't needs no stinkin more of your snobbery round these parts neithers."

The reason that I like Tacoma so much is that it feels like home now (it did once before but I left for some reason). And those big cities are like Disney Land. Fun, Exciting, Expensive and at the end of the day you're sick of the cotton candy and stupid mascots. I think a lot of people try to leave Tacoma and do, but they always come back, because its hard to escape. I know a lot of UPS people that went to school in Tacoma and think if they stay then they would be one of "thoooose" people that never left their college town. But I would say, the real Tacoma is not on UPS soil.

In one twenty four hour period I was in a high rise apartment in down town, a small local establishment in Ruston, rolling through the ghetto in a BMW and thrift store shopping in a Christian Retirement Home Shop.

Another reason that I'm starting to get pumped is that I think there is a void in Tacoma, a potential for greatness. People want to be unified under a single banner of funky goodness and ultimate joy. No one has stepped up and said WE ARE HERE AND WE WANT TO GET DOWN. We are making some good contacts with booking people for farmers markets and other venues and I think the summer might actually be a time for Bison Hunter to start making itself known. Exciting indeed.

Also, I don't want to get my hopes up toooo high but I feel like I'm super close to getting this job for next year. I really really really want it and think that I could be really great for the school. With

In other fun news, I'm finally making it to the star state. That's right, Texas baby. At the end of July I'm flying directly into the heart of George Bush International Airport to meet up with and attend my best friend from college's wedding to a really nice girl. I'm really excited to go and I can't wait to get stared at and gawked at with my long hair and beard.

And Last but not least. If you are a substitute teacher with no health insurance and need some cheap glasses I got just the place for you! Value Village has many many prescription glasses that will fit any budget. Of course the styles are a little out of date and may make you look like a guy who drives a sketchy van but hey there is no price for good eyesight. Just check out these tri-focals I picked up yesterday, they are my exact prescription!

Have a good day.

Everything Is Gay in Middle School These Days.

2010-03-04T18:55:00.004-09:00

My Name Is Kale
And I'm Here to say
Being a middle school teacher
is all about the word "gay"

You may be thinking
about the state of "gay"
in the vernacular
of middle schoolers today

So I've composed a list
for you to see
all the things that are
currently "gay" to a teen

Homework? Gay
Math Test? Gay
Cancer? Gay
Killer Whales? Way Gay

Earthquakes? Boring Gay
Olympics? Retarded Gay
2-Step Equations? Mostly 2 Steps of Gay
Proper Pronouns? Properly Gay

Hall Passes? Pass the Gay
Ben? Painfully BenGay
No Texting? No...Super Gay
Being Gay? Actually...Not that Gay

High School? Gay
Shop Class? Less Gay
Mr. Iverson? Gay Maybe?
Mr. Iverson's Beard? Very Very Very Gay.
Mr. Iverson's Green Crocs? Probably made from Gay crocodiles.

As you can plainly tell
As you can clearly see
Everything is Gay
To a homophobic, behavior problem, failing every class, using ignorant words like "gay" all the time because they read at a 3rd grade level middle school teen.

Basically this little poem was inspired by the fact that today I kept track and heard a student(s) call something Gay exactly 29 times over 6 periods, Down from 56 last week on the same day of the week.

Thursday is my "Gay Tally" Day.

So before I go I would like to say
I hope your week is totally GAY, all day, everyday (in the happy way..or in whatever way you prefer gay because I think both are fine with me).

I Hope you have the Gayest week ever, because how awesome would that be right?

New Attitudes and Government Crackdown

2010-03-02T19:52:00.003-09:00

Controversy is all over Tacoma School District. The word came down that 4 middle schools are performing in the bottom 5% of the State and that the federal government requires said schools to take one of four Reform measures including closure, staff turnover, and school restructuring. My middle school doesn't fall into these categories because somehow they have been increasing scores of the lowest performers for a couple years despite being title 1. Never the less restructuring will take place and the whole school staff is in uproar over the endless possibilities of possible ramifications. People are fearful of losing their jobs and the backdoor nepotism politics that plague schools nation wide. The school is also has a considerable degree of gossip and staff click groups with some significant trust issues.

And then there I sit, with an expiration date on my service date, I lose my job no matter what. Last week I had a break down because I was trying desperately to save every child no matter what. I will still try but a staff member made a very important point to me on Friday after participating in my class and seeing what I was up against. Basically the staff member said that I had in impossible group of kids that were simply dumped on my by teachers who really couldn't handle them. My job has no definition but to simply help kids, I do my best to find their missing work, get them organized, tutor and help them and reteach if necessary but if the kid simply doesn't or won't make the decision to work on fixing their situation its really not up to me to beg them. I look at a failing student (who doesn't try as opposed to one who is trying but failing) like a person addicted to drugs/alcohol. They have to hit rock bottom and realize that they can't do it (or not do it) on their own and that they need some help. Until they hit this point they are going to continue the same shit that got them there, all I can do is be there for them and help them if possible.

I also realized that no one is really checking up on me or watching me so why am I so paranoid I'm not doing job right? Thank Jesus of Christopolis I am a born hard worker, because if someone wanted to cut corners this would be the job for them. Fortunately I love kids and wanna help them so I work my ass off all day despite the fact that no one is watching (and I'll lose my job anyway).

So with this new, don't let it get to you, attitude this week is going a lot better. I'm picking my battles, investing my energy where it can do the most good. And, that has made all the difference.

Band Practice is going well, making some major strides in the areas of Improvisational Comfort Levels between me and Kyle, I learned how to make FAT reggae beats and melodies, and we are in the process of recording and writing all the possible lyrics so that while we are improvising live we can simple pick a set of lyrics and go from there instead of being tied to a specific song.

Lots of crazy nice weather up here, thank you global weirding I guess.

Peace

Oh How the Tides of Shit May Turn

2010-02-24T21:32:00.003-09:00

Oh how the tides of shit may turn and the winds of shit may blow. A once riding high and free and positive Kale with his new laptop, new full time job and big first Band Gig on the Horizon has been ever so defeated. Where to start?

Oh lets try the job. My job as Title 1 Math/Reading support teacher has degraded quickly into something unintelligible and dissatisfying and primarily impossible. Instead of teaching study skills, life lessons, math remediation and homework help, my daily job has turned into a moment to moment triage and adjacent battle with behavior problems, teacher difficulties, and systematic failure of a broken school/district educational effort. My job unfortunately never really had a definition and still doesn't. I originally thought that this freedom would be refreshing and exciting but have since changed my mind. When you have no real direction as to what it is you are exactly being asked to do you also don't know if you are meeting said undefined expectations. The thought of remaining in this position till the end of may is not only horrifying but also a little sickening. All I do all day is run around from over stretched classroom to over worked teacher to over sympathized student trying to put out behavior problems, collect missing work assignments and failing progress reports. I have lost 6 plus pounds from simply walking around all day and stress. I tell students not to call another student a "fag" or "gay" or "homo" or "retard" or last week "Homo-gay-fagtard" at least 20 times a day, get asked to go to the bathroom 50 times a day, provide penciless students with pencils more than I can count, and pick up endless shredded paper balls and eraser/pen parts. Furthermore my position and purpose was put together amidst three different agencies of school, administration, counselors, and teachers, making my overseeing authority a murky and undefined mass of faculty with little inter-department communication or set goal.

Then today I find out that my grandma has been sick and had to go to the hospital prompting fear of losing a loved one to rise up all day along with feelings of resentment that the idea of assisted living was even raised as an option. Hold in their Grandma I'm not ready for you to go yet.

On top of that, the booking manager of the bar my roomate and I are supposed to play on March 19th, called and left a message stating that they double booked our night and we are out. No big first gig after all. We have been practicing day and night to get ready I guess we can take a day off now.

I hate this part of the life frequency. Life can get so awesome so quickly and then dip back down into shitsville the next moment. The excitement of the new house has worn off a little and now chores and obligations are starting to mount. At least we finally got the racoons out of the attic...literally.

Tutoring has become a huge pain in my ass as well. Its not enough that I have to work my ass off all day getting kids to attempt to grasp the importance of being an 8th grader, but to then have to do it once again after school is just mind boggling exhausting.

Oh I blew my hip out last weekend during shenanigans at Sound Tribe Sector Nine in seattle (which was a shining star in a galaxy of poo-holes. I have been sleeping uncomfortably and limping around all week.

Even if my leg was healthy I never would have time to go skiing anyway because I work all the time.

Basically I sit here writing this listening to BoysIIMen sing "It's So Hard To Say Goodbye to Yesterday" on 92.5 Movin FM radio because I left my iPod at school thinking that this is a lame lame lame lame lame lame feeling, the feeling you get when nothing turned out like you planned (and a also feeling stupid for planning yet again despite plans never working out).

The only redeeming thing that happened to me all day was that I went to dinner with my mom and watched 12 horrible boys/mens American idol episode (realizing I love watching AI with mom and that the people on there aren't that good).

oh and this amazing puff daddy song that just came on the radio...yeah...blue ribbon day here in kale world, and a blue ribbon day deserves a blue ribbon...or two.

Whatever.

Return of the Mac, Return of the Mac, Oooooooo Yeaaaaaaah

2010-02-17T18:29:00.003-09:00

Well its been a long time coming but I finally had to do it. Last night whilst me be a watching True Blood my 5+ year old $500 dollar used computer was infected with a simple yet effective virus that shut the old beast down.

So I decided to put my new tax return to use. Ever since I left Alaska I have been without my MacBook and I friiiiiiggggin hate PC's. So I just went for it and bought a MacBook Pro instead of paying someone to operate on a Dinosaur (that should be left to Micheal Crichton novels anyway). So at this very moment I am on my wifi USB modem typing to you from an undisclosed location at last. Finally me and Mac are BACK!

Here's what a Mac is going to do for the blog.

Fast easy and more frequent blogging
More pictures of my beautiful face for you to see now that I have Photobooth as well as other graphically pleasing content.
New music recorded and uploaded to the site (I think we are all sick of the old songs)
New videos and content about Bison Hunter and the new house.

Basically Mac's are amazing. Very little virus problems, intuitive updating, and music/creative content friendly, and just plain cool, the initial set up even had a bangin soundtrack and graphics! Not to mention how nice it is not to have to use the down arrows or mouse to scroll up and down.

I'm SO HAPPY! No buyers remorse at all.

In other news...two days into my official new job and I can seriously say this job isn't going to be easy. The kids (and more so) teacher I work with are a never ending succession of bafflement and challenges. My room is getting cooler, my students are very difficult for the most part but progress is being made. More than anything I'm really excited that everyone seems to be really pleased and grateful of my efforts and presence.

well thats all for you little beans tonight.

peace
I don't want to spill the beans or say its 100% but I am almost certain that I nailed a job for next year too. This is incredibly relieving knowing that I just (once again it seems) need to survive another spendy summery of fun till I once again am a person with a salary, benefits and place in the world.

New Life

2010-02-15T12:09:00.002-09:00

Well many things to report. Let's just get it out of the way that my life is starting to come together a bit. The new house is getting comfy and starting to feel like home. My roomate/bandmate/friend is awesome and our new band is taking off. Taking off so much so that I got us a show in little over a month!

We will be playing O'Malley's on 6th Ave, Tacoma March 19th and I will do an hour set, Kyle will do an hour, then our band "Bison Hunter" will finish off for who knows how long. As for now its not a paying gig but they did say that the more people we bring the more they will pay us so I'm hoping that we can actually stir up some fans and rock the joint on a friday night!

The band is a weird one at that. I am on keyboard (a very very old keyboard) and vocals and drum and synthesizer machine that runs through a mixing board and then through a looping station. Kyle is on multiple effects pedals for his vocals and acoustic guitar and also running through looping stations. Together we build the music from scratch and try to create something exciting, funny, interesting and psychedelic. So far we have about 5 songs in 1 week. One song is an original I wrote called "Till the Morning Sun." Another original that Kyle sings is called "Part of the Whole." We then have two songs so far in which we make dance beats and quote Back to the Future and another on The Neverending Story. Our list of covers should include Tiffany's "I Think We're Alone Now," Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise," the Door's "People Are Strange," Van Morrison's "Baby Please Don't Go," Radioheads "Creep" and Bob Marley's "The Sun is Shining" and probably a few more as we don't actually play the whole songs just use parts of them. Basically like a good welterweight boxer we're trying to come at you from every angle possible.

I guess that moves me onto the job. Last week I spent most of my time in other teachers classrooms getting to know the kids and the problems that they seem to have with all aspects of school. Tomorrow I will continue supporting teachers and pulling kids out for small group help as well as teaching my own two classes each day. I went to target today and dropped about 75$ on school supplies for my room and have been lesson planning all afternoon which effectively wiped out my plans to go skiing. The staff already seems to be appreciating my efforts and I'm hopefully not being looked at like the enemy by the kids. Hopefully if I pull off my plan I can become a mentor for how they can avoid getting in trouble while in the meantime mentoring teachers on why they are pissing these kids off all the time. I know this job is only till the end of May but I feel like I'm part of the school and that is nice.

Yesterday my dad and I spent the afternoon turning the 23.5 pounds of berries I picked this summer into wine. The recipe included all natural organic sugar, Invasive Blackberries, Wild Mountain Black Berries, Salmon Berries, Salal Berries, Red Huckleberries, Regular Huckleberries, Blue Huckleberries, and a few Black Caps. We decided not to add any chemicals to the mix and are hoping that no wild yeast emerges so that we can keep the batch all natural. It was really cool learning how the process works and getting to spend time with my Dad.

So I guess thats it for now. I have a long week ahead and hopefully everything will go smoothly.

Alright Alright!

Sir Good of Things

2010-02-13T11:28:00.004-09:00

(trumpets sounding resiliently in the magnificent castle towers)

A green felt and gold embroidered Castle Scribe comes out onto the Kings balcony as 10,000 rose petals are released from the church belfry trickling down to the large mass of gatherers below in the castle courtyard.

(the trumpets blast their last crescendo triumphantly)

The scribe bellows, "HERE YE, HERE YE, The Great and Mighty Sir Good of Things has an announcement that I shall read unto ye henceforth..."

The crowd hushes, babies stop crying, birds stop chirping, lepers stop...um...lepping.

"After many moons of misfortune and great over all ma laze the Great and Mighty Sir Good of Things has contacted the great sky lords of all that is CLEAR WIRELESS INTERNET and through a small monthly sacrifice of has retained once again the services of WIFI-Home internet service."

The crowd erupts into a frenzy of cheering, leaping, old men and young women kiss, old women and young men kiss, neither have cabbage breath, children and babies are thrown high into the air and hopefully caught again, amputee victims regrow limbs and all the people with athletes foot find relief.

After long long long months of torturous disconnection from the sky gods circling the atmosphere that provide unlimited access to all the known knowledge of the collective human race (at least those with internet access) Sir Good of Things had returned and for his people and readers it would surely be...

A Good Thing.

Oh and my new job is awesome. But you'll have to wait for that nugget. Not long probably because if you can't decipher this story I got internet at home today, so lots and lots of content will once again visit this space.

Got A Job

2010-02-10T16:59:00.002-09:00

Sorry I've been busy because I'VE BEEN WORKING at my new job. I'm teaching Title 1 Remedial Math, Reading and Study/Behavior Skills at a Middle School and although working my ass off loving being back in a school staff making a difference already.

I'll fill y'all in more later about such topics as:

The new band "Bison Hunter"

The new full time position opportunity for next year.

Settling into the new house.

Hope all is well and once again sorry for the delay.

All moved In Finally (sort of)

2010-02-02T19:57:00.004-09:00

I just finished cleaning the bathroom at my old place. Last chore. So much fun. Then moments later I was at my new place hanging Chinese lanterns across the front porch. My new place is so BADASS. It is cute first, big second, huge yard full of gardening opportunity third, great roomate and soon to be new bandmate fourth (we've almost settled on "Bison Hunter" for a name), and within walking distance of everything fun fifth, and lastly but so not leastly, came with two matching fat bottom 70's cruiser bikes complete with child seats, baskets, and luggage racks (definitely gonna get used all summer).

My head is swimming with possibilities of my new life. If only I could land a real job I would be almost complete. In other news I'm fucking exhausted. I mean really tired. I got a sore throat and decided singing songs on the old ukulele with my new roomie last night would be a great idea leaving me sounding like an old jewish woman who smokes virginia slims all day or Bruce Valanche I can't make up my mind.

I subbed a half day today at ________ High School. This particular high school is the exact opposite of the _______ High School I subbed at earlier last week. It is in rich tacoma in a giant castle where "10 Things I Hate About You" may or may not have been filmed. The classroom was so well equipped, the students were so polite, well dressed, well spoken, on time, and grown up looking. I can't believe how diverse of an experience high school can be in Tacoma based on where you live. The next thing I'm going to say hopefully will not come off as racist, I say it only to point out how I'm not so sure segregation is really over in America. I sub all over the district and sometimes I simply can't figure out phonetically how to say a students name when I take attendance. This is a challenge that I love to tackle, I pride myself as a full time sub at pronouncing difficult names correctly. But today at richy rich academy for the light skinned and economically sound I had not one challenging name. In fact the day was so easy that I was bored and found the hours tolled by leaving me to one conclusion. I think, no I know, that I like to work in the rough part of town, the kids are so real and up front. While your day might be much harder it actually feels like an accomplishment when things go well and those kiddie lightbulbs start firing off. Today though, I felt a little over matched, as if they would and could learn in spite of whether or not I was any good. Weird to think I guess.

So this weekend approaches. A whopper if I do say so myself. Thursday night an Indi band that has been on hiatus for a while "Trip The Light Fantastic" is playing in Tacoma. I've always wanted to check them out for simply the reason that they have a bad ass name. How cool that its happening in my own town. Then Saturday night I get the great pleasure of attending ELTON JOHN VS. BILLY JOEL face to face piano death match at Key Arena with my mother and her friend. So even before I go to see BASSNECTAR best DJ ever with my friends I get to spend a solid evening with my mom and her friend and 30,000 screaming middle aged women drunk on merlot and chardonnay, could you plan a whackier evening if you tried?

Anywho, crazy good music coming up. Sound Tribe Sector Nine is playing two nights in seattle at the end of the month as well as A.L.O (Animal Liberation Orchestra) opening for Galactic! Jesus! And if my wallet or my gut can stand it Modeski Martin and Wood is playing the next night! Also I recently found out, one of my heroes, Devendra Banhart is coming to town next month. Awesome Awesome Awesome.

I'll leave you with these:

Good Thing of the Day: Thumbtacks. These little guys have many many many more uses than you would ever believe. Yes they hold things up on a wall but did you know they make a great tooth pick and fingernail cleaner (separate thumbtacks of course).

Good Thought of the Day: Being able to one day become great friends with an "ex" is something that is rare and good. Its sad that so many times break ups mean that you never speak again. Thank you goes out to my far away good friend.

Today's Good Quote: "As people become more intelligent they care less for preachers and more for teachers" - Robert G. Ingersoll

Cheers to all the teachers out there.

Today's Good Band: Blitzen Trapper. I don't know much about these radical dudes. They look awesome obviously but they are divers as their wigs with songs ranging from borderline hair metal to downtempo western balads and all sorts of in between. They have been on constant rotation during the move and if I ever figure out what they do to make their voices sound so cool I will steal it.

Alright folks and friends that's another good post in the books as I promised I'd try to do more often. How's life out there?

My heart goes out to all the people in Mekoryuk, Alaska and I'm sorry for your loss this week. Be strong and call me if you need a person to talk to.

The best almost Puked Moment Ever.

2010-01-26T18:33:00.005-09:00

So there I am about to throw up. I mean I am having vision problems, I can't breath, I'm sweating profusely and on the verge of complete body shut down. I vividly remember having experienced this exact feeling before when in two-a-days in football summer practice I almost won the iron man competition. Why do you ask was I in such a state today, the flu maybe, no more like a fever, ski fever!

I was feeling sick because I spent two straight hours destroying the upper part of Alpental this morning, I actually accomplished the feat of skiing myself sick. Basically, there was just a lot of new powder and I met a cool (albeit bad ass skier) guy on lift that decided to take me on a personal tour of his favorite secret spots of Alpental. With new snow, long skis and a belly full of coffee I skied until my body gave out. It was amazing, clear skies, most people think that Snoqualmie/Ski Acres/Alpental is lame, but today on the top around almost 6000 feet I realized that Alpental is the best kept secret in Washington. So much terrain, so much back country, so much fun! Enough Said.

Onto reflections from last post, thank you SerialStar for the suggestions. Good Thing/Good Thought/Good Quote of the Day or Week is a GOOD idea. I will try to work that in.

So...

Today's Good Thing: Blue Powerade. This is by far the most effective and comprehensive hang over cure as well as delicious electrolyte restorer known to man (orange original Gatorade coming in close second). Of course it has to be ice cold so that you can feel that icy smooth goodness save your soul as it goes down. Upon my return to the parking lot today from the hill I slammed a blue Powerade myself and it restored me to funtionality.

Today's Good Thought: A Good Summer takes Good Planning. Most people don't realize it but planning the most epic summer of your life starts now, so start getting those party funky crazy dancing ducks in a row right now.

Today's Good Quote: There are two types of people in the world those who finish what they start...

Today's Good Band: Hard to pick but its Definitely what I was rockin on the way up to the slopes, a sweet reggae band called GROUNDATION. With many many albums already they are one of the most "Bob Marley" like reggae acts I've heard in a while with lyrics like "Music is the Most Hiiiiiiigh." Oh yeah get your summer on early and check em out.

Anyways, be cool my babies

Read this, good old fashioned post.

2010-01-25T20:10:00.003-09:00

Ah, Monday. Today was spent at _______ High School teaching Algebra. The kids were good and it was my first time at this notorious school. Freshman and Sophomore's and Math sounds like it could be a horrible day right? No not really, for some reason I was just on fire today. I used my standard secret weapon, I tricked the kids into doing their homework by doing all the problems on the board. Most people would say that this is not really very honest, I disagree, most times I find that the students haven't actually completed a homework assignment in months. By going through each problem and working it out with them many of them respond by being more engaged and actually attempting problems that they never would have tried on their own or in the elusive (free work time). In the end they get a good grade in the grade book and the teacher gets kids with a good day of practice with the skills they want them to learn. I had 12 kids today say that this would be the first homework assignment they turned in all year. Enough said.

What else, hmmm...count down to move day is all that is on my mind. I can't seem to think of anything else. I just can't wait to get this new life started. Mostly because I haven't been playing music at all lately, I've taken a big break, and my new roomate Kyle is a playing machine which will force me into playing and expanding and trying new things. I don't want to be premature in saying this, but I think I will officially be starting a band! And maybe you guys will be able to listen to something different then the horrible old songs that bombard you every time you log on to this silly little blog.

Continuing on. No responses to the little previous dream blog. No bigs, probably not that interesting. I guess I'm trying to figure out just exactly what the hell to do with this space. Lately its been hanging by a thread due to little internet access and general disinterest with life. Where should this blog go, what is the point? I seem to just write about self servient shit that doesn't really mean anything, I mean honestly it has turned into an extended Facebook page. I need to remedy this. How though?

I know a lot of readers liked the weekly features such as "old person phrase of the week" and my suggestions for new music. I just feel like its not really like that any
more. My life has changed. I am in survival mode. In Alaska time, purpose, and money were plentiful. My mission and idea of life was clear. But now, everything is murky and full of uncertain paths. I can't portray a blog of such certain and frequent stability because, in fact, my life lacks those qualities. I think a lot lately about how much I can be an active factor in the change of my life versus the gentle lull of American life that seems to make all vision of real goal achieving seemingly impossible. In the foggy view I know there is something that I am supposed to do but lately I can't see it. Half of me wants to go out there and make a name for myself but the other half of me is getting a little discouraged that I haven't made it simply because I am fucking awesome and deserve a serious shot at showing it.

And then there is love. An additionally ridiculous enigma. Some sort of zen shit happened in Alaska that has been since lost. One of the positive qualities of spending extra ordinate amounts of time alone is that you are forced to become self happy and sufficient. But now that I am back in the civilized world of wonderful people of the opposite sex the age old question returns to my field. Do I need someone to be happy? Hmmmm. Well I don't know yet. I want to be on my own because I feel like there is no way that I can be everything for someone when I'm so lost in the woods, but also, who is to say that someone wouldn't bring me out of that confusion. Its all so muddy and ridiculous sometimes. Life brings clarity one minute and complete bafflement the next. I used to think that if I could imagine a life in which I still lived full and content alone then if that happened I would be able to look back and say at least I was prepared. But, unfortunately (or fortunately) I love people and in the end I meet people and get attached and for a moment (or an extended period) I believe that people carry the key to happiness. I don't fall into the trap of thinking that I'm entitled to happiness but it would be nice. I just don't really, after all the last few years have given me, really know how to go about that, that thing of being happy. Maybe it is what drives us.

So what this entire post is about really isn't clear but hopefully you the reader recognizes it as a return to honesty, which I think, we the blog addicts of the world can agree is the most endearing quality of a good blog post (which honestly this probably isn't). Honesty about your life so that others can read it and maybe figure out what the fuck is going on, or at least realize they aren't as crazy as they thought they were. As I typed that last sentence I had the overwhelming feeling of Doogie Howser M.D. at the end of another moral filled episode where he ex-sponges his realizations on a life lesson learned (que theme music).

Anyways, I just want you to know, yes you, that I'm gonna try harder to bring that daily honesty back to "Radiate Warmth" or now the stupider name "The Good Things" which may soon be called "Stupid Shit to Think About."

Hey, go kick some ass out there.

Flying Dreams, Middle School Dances,

2010-01-24T10:18:00.005-09:00

I'm sitting here with my best bro Randolph Lundgren at the Mandolin Cafe when I remembered a dream I had last night where through the use of a special flying squirrel wingsuit I learned the ability to catch wind updrafts from earth and take flight whenever I pleased, often opting to travel at high elevations to soar over the rocky mountains and ocean. Landing was easy once I got the hang of it and although I had to ride the wind this was the first time in my life I can ever remember a flying dream...

"If you are flying with ease and enjoying the scene and landscape below, then it suggests that you are on top of a situation. You have risen above something. It may also mean that you have gained a different perspective on things. Flying dreams and the ability to control your flight is representative of your own personal sense of power." ---Dream Moods.com

I don't know about that but I am pretty excited about moving! And I think the fact that Randy and I watch the Rocketeer might have had something to do with it.

I chaperoned a middle school dance on Friday...blech! I was overcome with several conflicting emotions and thoughts. First, why did dances feel so short when I was their age yet so very excruciatingly long when I chaperoned one. Secondly, I felt so sad for the little guys and girls with seemingly no friends and no one to dance with, let alone any foreseeable chances to dance with someone. Middle school is a cruel time in life.

Also, the DJ was a spiky haired, tight jean wearing, screen printed griffin t-shirt wearing douschbag that played the "Jerk" song over and over again which the kids danced the "jerk" over and over. Middle school Dances...epic fail.

hmmm...what else. Nah, nothin, big move this weekend hopefully and that will mean internet at home soon. I have so much shit to do hopefully I can get it done!

Hello Again....

2010-01-19T09:57:00.000-09:00

Ooooookay.

Sorry for the week long absence but life has been progressing on at light speeds. Things are happening, I'm movin and shaking and making some changes, mixin it up, doin the bull dance, feeling the flow.

Although I have sort of failed on many aspects of my new years resolutions, mostly in the daily yoga/working out, and spending less, I have been working a ton and rebuilding something resembling a routine. I don't feel like an epic fail of a person though. I forgot how important a routine can be.

The spearhead of this routine has been tutoring 4 nights a week. I am starting to get to know the kids better, and by having something to occupy my time till 6ish every night seems to make me want to be kind of a shut in after a long day of subbing. That's right, I'm a working man lately. I worked 12 hour days every day last week except for Friday. I worked 4 days at the same school and even began to almost maybe feel like a real teacher again. I really need to focus this week on getting my application information together, updated and out there but there is so much to do.

Why you ask?

Oh because I'm FINALLY MOVING BABY!!!!!! Oh yeah, put your hands up, swing them side to side and do the new house dance! I am so farking pumped to be moving into a real house (3 bed, 1 bath, full front porch, shed, fenced yard with nice grass, oh yeah its only 2 blocks from 6th Ave in T-Town baby), a great new roomate and friend (who will hopefully also be my new band mate when we get settled), we are moving in time to get all set up for summer, get starts going for a garden and get a real home with real life (and maybe a new roomate in a month or so?). I have been in a holding pattern for months now, waiting for a job, waiting for a house, waiting for life to seemingly feel real again not just a foggy dream in which I feel no real responsibility to do anything. With a new house, new chores, new rebuilding, decorating, planting, new music to make, new goals to set, and more importantly, a new (and thankfully much cheaper), home.

How am I supposed to work a twelve hour day, get my application stuff together, pack up all my shit, move, move in, all at the same time while also trying to get up to the mountain to ski? I don't know but with all this activity and excitement I know there won't be any time for sitting around on my ass eating junk food and getting lazy. I got shit to do! Finally! I have a life! Woooo hooo!

Additionally, new people have entered my life, new friends, new friends that not only get along with my current friends, but accent them, that accompany them, that enhance all of our experience. We have been kicking ass for a month and a half together. Halloween, New Years, and recently, our most successful venture yet, Danger Ross and BEATS ANTIQUE at Neumos and subsequent extended weekend of chilling (Sister Act is so good). We had so much fun and made incredible music videos that I hope to post here soon.

So lots of work, sweet new house/home, and amazing new friends (and still awesome old friends). Things could be better (but not much, just need that fulltime salary job and I'm set!). WIth the new house will come internet by the way, so after February 1st-ish you may just start to get that old daily posting on the GOOD THINGS that you're used to.

Thanks for continuing to check in and I hope you are out getting ready for spring/summer. It has been beautiful the last couple of days and I just got a waft of summer fever.

Quick Post

2010-01-12T17:19:00.002-09:00

Back on Track.

I'm officially subbing every day this week plus an average of 2 hours of tutoring a night. I'm kicking ass on the money earning this week.

Although I slacked on my workout last night I'm determined to do yoga after tutoring tonight. I'm gonna juice fruits and veggies for dinner since I've been snacking all day.

There might be some glimmer of hope that we could get our original house back as the owner texted me that they expect to close on their house on the 14th. This would be a life saver!

In fun and leisure news I will be going to some great shows this next couple of months.

Beats Antique this Friday at Neumos.
Possibly Prefuse 73 January 30th
Bassnectar February 6th For sure
Sound Tribe Sector Nine in Montana, Seattle Two nights, or Portland around the 20th of Feb
Galactic the 26th of feb
Modeski Martin and Wood the 27th of Feb
EOTO, Janover, and DJ James HO on March 12th in Portland.

MY god so much good music!

I do want to go on a rambling life discussion soon, but so busy!

Love and Peace amigos

Weekend Failures

2010-01-10T16:01:00.003-09:00

So I worked friday then I totally failed at my resolutions on Friday evening. Total Failure. Enough Said.

Saturday I got my life together and Sunday I started over. The most frustrating issue in my life right now is that I can't find a place to live. I looked, believe me I did, I made a map and charted out all the possibilities with prices, locations, rooms everything. Then I found out we lost a roomate. I had to start all over. Kyle and I started looking half assedly on Saturday only to realize that the only two bedroom houses available are for rich people, and the rest are in dooooshy apartment complexes. We are totally skrewed.

Oh well, keep looking, stay upbeat, hopefully something will come up or maybe we may even finally get to move into the original place we wanted.

I worked a lot last week and want to keep up the trend this week. I had some good subbing experiences and my attitude has improved a bit. I think this week I'm going to focus on job application stuff and maybe apply for food stamps. I don't want to put my student loans on deferment but that might be necessary soon as well.

Today I went skiing, by myself as usual, and as I drove up I saw the sun shining, the trees and the snow and I thought wow, today is gonna be great. Then I go to the hill and it was socked in with fog. Then I got on the snow and it was really just chopped up ice from the day before (freezing rain). Totally unenjoyable ski day.

Tonight I'm forcing my parents to go to AVATAR with me. I went alone and it was such a transformative experience I just have to share it with someone. I'm really excited to see it again.

Well, I believe Rocky said something to the effect of "Its not how hard you get knocked down, its how many times you can get knocked down and keep getting up."

Lets try this health week over.

Days Three and Four

2010-01-07T20:14:00.002-09:00

Yesterday:

Got up, no work out
Subbed all day,
tutored for two hours
researched new houses
came home ate salad dinner
starting to get cranky from lack
went to Avatar...diet soda

everything after that was a blur. I can't say how much this movie effected me. The message of human destruction of nature and native life, the 3-d effects, the love story, the action scenes. The whole thing sucked me in. I was blown away. This was the best movie experience I've had since I can remember.

Today:

got up had yogurt and granola for breakfast
Subbed a half day
Tutor cancelled so I cleaned and rearranged my house
learned that I have to now look for TWO bedroom house after losing a roomate
Went to mom and dads for the national championship game and dinner, Colt McCoy got hurt in the first series and the rest of the game sucked.

Tonight:
Home to watch some movies and hopefully workout/do yoga

Tomorrow:
wake up work out
sub M.S. art class all day
clean up and prepare for Lindsey/Suzye B-Day party.
Behave.

Saturday:
Morning Yoga
Research and check out houses with Kyle all day
Maybe go night skiing

Sunday:
???

After one week of trying to be healthy I'm doing pretty good. Eating better, being more active, working (or wanting to), and not using tobacco. I have to say I feel good, I've been productive, but still so much to do on the list and a big challenge as the weekend will be tough.

Peace.

Day 2: January 5th

2010-01-05T12:38:00.002-09:00

Last night
New tutor student is awesome had a good session last night
Great dinner and exciting Game at Mom and Dad's: Boise State pulled it out
Did bad ass Michael Franti's Power to the peaceful yoga last night at home with the heat turned way up...sore today.
Had trouble sleeping, watched 1.5 movies went to bed late.

Today
No sub jobs at all today! so annoying I need some money my paycheck was 300$
Checked Ski report, nothing but rain, activate alternate plan
Woke up earlier and actually worked out Push Ups, Sit Ups, Dips, Curls, Abwork
Bran Muffin and Oolong Tea for Lunch
Researched houses to rent all day lots of cheap options in the ghetto but need to mobilize roomies cuz I don't want to do this on my own
Researched and sent out inquiry emails to Evergreen Special Education Sequence office. Program seems fairly cheap but lengthy.

Later Today/Tonight:
Grocery shopping for veggies and fruit and bootch supplies
Tanning...yes tanning I need some vitamin D production and I'm sick of the rain
Rent new movies
Tutor another New Kid Later tonight at 6:30
Work on music or internet follow up
Laundry, Bootch Brewing, and Cleaning
Yoga
Movies
Sleep

I'm physically I'm doing well, no caffeine/sugar/tobacco withdrawls, and insomnia is normal for me. I'm still stressing about money a lot though, until I can get into a cheaper place I'm gonna continue to struggle.

What are your new years resolutions?

Responsibility January

2010-01-04T13:37:00.002-09:00

SO...

After a long summer of festivals and fun, and a long fall of unsteady, unsatisfying work, and then a very long and indulgent holiday season, I have decided to change my life for a while.

I'm gonna call it "Responsibility January"

Here are my goals for the month:

No fast food, or even restaurant food (too much money)
Push Ups/Sit Ups/Pull Ups every morning (gotta get ripped)
No coffee shop coffee (make my own)
No going out No tobacco
Yoga every night before bed
Substitute everyday if possible
Drink my Kamboucha every day
Drink homemade vegetable/fruit juice every day instead of lunch
Drink more water to stay full
Write new songs and Record an album to give to venues
Try to put together a show with friends
Find a new house to move into
Start rebuilding my teacher job profileand resume
Start applying for jobs in multiple school districts
Put up "manny" add on Craig's List
Look for jobs in Retirement Homes/Assisted living
Stay on top of my tutoring
Ski on weekends
Keep my house clean
Start getting ready to move
Use the internet at night and Blog more often

I'm gonna keep a journal and report how each day goes, hoping that if I use my blog to keep me on point it will work.

DAY ONE: January 4th:

No Sub jobs available today.
I slept in and didn't work out. Not a good start.
I paid my credit card bill on time. Fun.
Drank bottle of Bootch for lunch
Then I went to my mom and dad's to get on the internet and take care of bills and tutoring chores.
I burned a bunch of Dubsteb cd's that Ashley left in my car
I got a sub job for Friday.
I got a weeklong sub for next week.
I'm about to go tutor a new student
Watch the NCAA Mens Football game tonight with mom and dad.
Go grocery shopping for veggies and fruit
Then home for workout and yoga
Watch a movie/play music
Meditate go to sleep

Wish me luck on my new challenge!

A New Year, a new March

2010-01-04T13:17:00.003-09:00

New Years Eve was probably the best one I've ever had. Period. It started off rocky with a long rainy drive to Portland in which my knuckles were white the whole way. Then we got massively lost on our way to the restaurant we had reservations at.

Then we spent the countdown in line waiting to get into the Time2 Party to see Flying Lotus and March Forth Marching Band. Once inside I bumped into an old friend and went to see Flying Lotus with Randy, Suzye, Lindsey, Katie, Amy, Ashley and Marty. The DJ was incredible. This is now two incredible DJ/Dubstep experiences in a row in Portland for me. Then Katie and I went for a walk because the venue was so hot inside only to find out upon return that the fire marshals shut the show down and they weren't going to let us back in. (Panic) I told Katie not to panic and lets stay positive and sure as shit we are outside talking to the members of March Forth Marching Band about the situation. Then our other friends come out and we make a split decision to stick it out by the bus and see what happens.

Everyone goes on the tour bus and I stayed outside. Next thing I know I hear "We need a power supply" and "hand my my trumpet." The band hijacked a outlet and set up in the parking lot next to the entrance. The rain stopped. The dancers put on their stilts, the music began and in less than two minutes there was a gathering crowd of over 200 getting their funk down hard core, guerrilla style. With lyrics like "Oooooooooooh Yeaaaaaaaaaah Feeeeeling Aliiiiiive" and "Riiiiiiiiiiise Uuuuuup" We were totally feeling happy and free and even ushered the two cars of the fire marshals that shut the party down out of the parking lot we had taken over!

Check out the video by clicking HERE

We finished up at the place we were staying with friends an relaxation and made new deep connections with cool new friends. The evening ended very late/early with good feelings and no incidents.

------

My neglected readers

2009-12-30T19:35:00.002-09:00

I can't really tell if my recent leave of absence on The Good Things is being noticed but I do apologize for it.

I have been really busy and all over the place with the holidays and blogging kind of got put on the back burner. When my life became a constant triage the blog twas mearly a flesh wound.

Life is good...ish. I am really excited to go with my bestest friends down to Portland for March Forth Marching Band on New Years Eve. 20 freaks in High School Marching band uniforms playing dirty funk music while stilt walkers and synchronized circus acts dance around is my definition of a good effing time.

My mom had a really good birthday with me and my dad and grandma at the Muckleshoot Indian Casino. I lost fifty bucks.

My brother is now jet setted across the Atlantic Pond to Ireland in search of the meaning of life and a job. I miss him already.

Other than that I simply promise a lot of interesting shit to come on the blog in the new year 2010 (that sounds so futuristic)

Happy new year, be safe and have fun

Ups and Downs

2009-12-19T16:32:00.002-09:00

Downs:
My car needing 600 more dollars of repairs for the power steering pump
Not being to move into my house for another month at least
No work for 2 weeks which means no $$$ for two weeks

Ups:
My show at Beyond the Bridge Cafe went incredible. I was funny, people cheered loudly and I had fun. So good!
Christmas Gifts are almost done
No Work for two weeks which means no little shits to babysit

I feel like I'm neglecting you blog followers. I just don't have the internet access I used to.

Peace

Birthday

2009-12-14T15:39:00.003-09:00

Saturday was my birthday. It was amazing. I got to see so many good friends and family. It sure made a part of my year that normally depresses me so much more enjoyable.

I would write more and post pictures I just don't have the time at the moment. I plan on doing a better update this week so until then enjoy the crunch of the holidays and I'll talk to you all soon.

Sub-hater, Mega-Tutor, Old Bones, Rock Star, Crafty Man,

2009-12-10T13:40:00.004-09:00

No regular internet is frustrating because I can't update as often as I like.

I used to hate subbing. Now I just don't care. It is incredibly hard to motivate myself to get up and go to work knowing that no one really cares if I do or not. And no one is forcing me.

I don't matter. To anyone.

I did start tutoring though. And I just picked up 4 more clients bringing me to 5 total. I will be a very busy boy in the evenings very soon. If it all works out it should be about 200 plus extra dollars a week as well as providing me with a teaching experience where the students will actually remember who I am. Two of the students are from the Puyallup Indian tribe which I'm excited about.

In other news my birthday is this weekend. I will be at the Unicorn on Saturday at 8pm with who ever wants to come, we will have a merry old time I suppose. I am an old man.

Oh yes an old man, its freaking cold out, and my bones actually hurt today. Now I know that 22 degrees Farenheit isn't that cold in Alaskan perspective, but its also not as wet up there. This cold wet puget sound freezing streak is taking its toll on me. I want to stay inside more, eat soup at all hours of the day, and watch movies. I'm so lazy lately. Grrrrr.

Got to start stepping up the Practicing my music too. My show is next Friday and I need to make sure I'm amazing because if I could land some opening gigs from contacts at the show that would be so bad ass. I have some new songs that need cementing and I need to pick my old ones/covers wisely. And don't even get me started on wardrobe and make up...just joking.

Christmas presents are almost complete. I have a lot of work to do on my brothers gift, my mom's is almost done, my dad's is almost finished, and then there are my friends, but I have some ideas for them. Its a lot more work than I thought to make gifts for everyone but I really hope that they will enjoy them more.

Did I mention I hate subbing? Yesterday the person I was subbing for put the request in wrong and showed up after lunch. I thought I was working a full day, but nope, halfy. $60 down the tubes because a lady can't punch the right number. At least she showed up to watch half of a period of her worst kids completely engaged and learning about insect body structure. The kids then went out of control as soon as she took over the class. Sigh.

You might say to yourself, if Kale hates subbing so much why doesn't he do something about it? Well, its my party and I'll cry if I want to. In fact the mere thought of subbing actually sucks my life essence out making it impossible to do anything about anything. I just keep hoping that some principal or some teacher will see what an amazing teacher I am help me get on the inside for some job. I rule, when will they see! Grrr. This school district (and most I imagine) is very nepotistic, and it seems like the only way to get a job is to know someone. And apparently not even that is enough sometimes.

Well off to a dinner party in Olympia with my bestest friends. To think we haven't all gotten together like this in a while, since summer in fact. I'm not working tomorrow either. Because I don't have to. Nor do I want to. (The one and only good thing about subbing).

2009-12-02T20:55:00.001-09:00

Also, I love you guys.

First Frost, New Hobbies to come.

2009-12-02T20:15:00.003-09:00

I guess the fact that the first frost fell in Ruston in the beginning stages of December is a final deathblow to the Puget Sound mushroom foraging season. In only a few short weeks I will start my next passion skiing. Although my future roommate and skiing companion has a bum knee I am determined to ski, even if alone.

Now I'm an avid skier. I started when I was just a we lad and have continued and followed through the years. I took lessons every year at Cascade Ski School (mom and dad chaperoning the ski bus) until I no longer really fit into any of the classes at 14. That's when I started Cadet Teaching (My first experience in teaching by the way). The next year I started teaching for real and getting the measly 30 dollars a day plus the real gold, a season's ticket. I did that for a couple years (had my first car wreck on black ice) and got my Professional Ski Instructor of America Level 1 Certification at the tender age of 17. My brother eventually joined me at the ski school and we had some fun times skiing late into the night just goofing off and being brothers.

I loved skiing so much that one time in high school I pretended to be in Young Life for a month just so I could trick them into letting me go to Whistler/Blackomb Ski Retreat. I was chastised by my cabin counselor for not coming back for cabin prayer time...shouldn't have held it while the mountain was still open idiots. I went until the last lift.

Our family periodically took ski trips to "Silver Mountain" in Kellogg, Idaho, a sleepy little failure of a mining town with a very secret and special mountain growing up. I have always preferred it to the illustrious "Schweitser" in Sandpoint, Idaho because the locals are cooler, it has a sweet gondola ride up to the mountain and no one gives a shit who you are, and it was closer to WSU and cheaper too. Now that I've been seeing adds for the new condos and indoor water park they just opened I wonder if it will still be the same, Californians ruined one of the last nice places we had to ski up here, oh well I still want to check it out.

In college I tried out for the WSU race team (it was more like the WSU drinking team that occasionally races around poles on skis). Race camp was held at Mount Fernie in BC Canada. I didn't make the team but I did have an awesome time and still ski with the helmet, I will never go back to no helmet skiing. I got fat skis that year too. 2002 K2 Axis Pros. They are a little big for me to this day which means I have to ski them fast with large turn radius'. That fits me fine because nothing feels better then fully laying out and carving some butter on some burning Giant Slalom turns.

My home mountain...embarrassingly...will always be Snoqualmie Mountain. They, those being the dicks that bought it and jacked the ticket prices up to 60 bucks a ticket, changed all the names of Hyak, Ski Acres, Snoqualmie and Alpental to Summit East, Central, and West respectively. I guess if you change the name you can change the ticket price, the mountain still sucks, but like home I know every nook and crannie.

I've skiied Mount Baker and it is amazing. I've been to Stevens Pass once and had a great time. I've even skiied in the Adirondack Mountains in Upstate New York. I skiied at Alyeska in Girdwood, Alaska last winter for my only trip and although on rental equipment it was bad ass.

I can snowboard too. I just haven't done it for a while. Maybe if I try more snowboarding this year I can go up to the mountain with people that usually tooslow for me to enjoy my natural skiing pace.

Basically, calling one, calling all, its ski and snowboard season. So get your gear and lets get up there.

Think Snow

Lights or the World

2009-11-30T20:56:00.003-09:00

Street lights
Shining down on the pavement
Channeling everything
From far away

The World is falling
So am I
Got no raincoat
For these gray skies

Boat Lights
In the Puget Sound
Birds are Migrating
Down South

The World is stalling
So am I
Got no ignition
In these old eyes

Porch Lights
Showing my front door
Inside my home
It is nice and warm

The World is calling
So am I
Got no microphone
In these sighs

see post below for a life update on your favorite bearded person beside Santa

Complications of Leisure

2009-11-30T17:49:00.002-09:00

I'm so sorry I haven't been able to post for a while. I still don't have regular internet access and life has been, well, complicated lately. Analysis below.

Long long ago I posted something about orbitals, basically how when you attract people into your life and as they orbit around you and you around them you have to give up part of your energy to maintain the relationship. The more people around your life the more your energy is divided. I'm feeling divided. Lately, I've been struggling to make time for everyone in my life. This boggles my mind because I think back to how many people/friends/family/coworkers/colleagues and acquaintances I had before I left for Alaska and how exhausted I was trying to keep up with them then. Now that I've returned it once again becoming difficult to satisfy all the people who are requiring time from me despite the fact that I have less orbitals nearby than ever before.

One thing that is becoming a thorn in my side as well is that I'm slowly becoming more sick of substitute teaching. Actually I kind of hate it all of a sudden. Once I realized that I have to work 4 or 5 days a week to break even for the month and that I can't just skip through life being a part time sub it kind of pissed me off. I've seriously enjoyed all the free time that subbing provides and now that I have to start subbing more and tutoring after school to make ends meet its only going to cut more time out of my time with people. Leisure time is difficult.

Then adding to that is the holidays. Mine were fantastic and more good times to come over Christmas. I got to see a lot of family, have two thanksgiving dinners and enjoy my first family turkey day in two years. Along with all of that catching up is the repeated question that relatives ask, "So Kale, what are you doing with your life these days?" That's when I get to explain that I'm a substitute teacher looking for work. Except I'm not. Basically I'm just a substitute teacher with no clue of how the hell I'm going to get a job. Each day that passes is another trip to another classroom of another school that I really don't want to work in. What to do...

One of the precedents I set this summer was that I was paying for lots of stuff (freely without wanting return) so that the group I was with could have a better time having fun and including everyone. I can no longer provide that service as the fat Alaskan paychecks have stopped coming months ago. Also I drove everywhere to see other people. With gas prices, my expensive car repairs of late and more upcoming I can't do that anymore either. Then it dawned on me. Why don't people come to me more often? By making myself so flexible and considerate I also made myself poor. Also, everyone thinks Tacoma is lame, but its not, its great. I wonder what would happen if I stopped visiting people. Who will come see me?

With the holidays coming I've decided to try an make the month of December one of moderation. More meals at home, less going out. More quiet time, exercise hopefully, arts and crafts, ukulele practice. You see I can't go all out because while all the salary teachers are off work on the holidays I'm simply not getting paid for two weeks. Then it dawned on me, what will I do this summer with no income...ah summer job yay.

I'm not necessarily bummed about my life, but I was on an awesome high and ass kicking crest of life for a couple months and now I feel like I'm coming down again. Hopefully my friends and family will help pick me up as sometimes I don't always do it for myself.

Also, my birthday is coming up and I don't know why turning 27 feels so old, but it does. I know its not but I traditionally don't really like my birthday because getting older really annoys me and depresses me the same way sundays do. Add to the fact that I'm stuck in my expensive small house till January 1st thus squashing chances of birthday, housewarming, and New Years Eve parties I realized its going to be a weird month that didn't live up to lots of expectations.

I will end with the good things though.

1.) My homemade christmas gifts are coming along splendidly.
2.) Ski Season is coming (next expensive habit I don't have time for)
3.) I will have some kind of birthday party and it will probably be really fun.
4.) I have a show coming up on the 18th and it should be really big with lots of opportunities to meet potential people to open for in the future.
5.) Flowmotion at the JET on friday was a fucking dance extravaganza and I got to see some good friends and get my booty shake on, just what I needed.
6.) Cougar football is over, no more weekly disappointment and embarrassment
7.) Being single still rocks.

I can't say I'll post again soon, just like my email, I only seem to get spam comments anymore and my motivation is dwindling. Maybe a little reader pick me up could help...wink wink.

Peace.

Bummers and Booyas and New Songs For Yous Guys

2009-11-16T16:10:00.004-09:00

BUMMERS:

Getting the word that I have to wait till January 1st to move into my new house with my new roommates. This means one more month of expensive rent.

Waking up to a flat tire on Sunday morning last week.

Cape Disappointment Park Ranger A-holes.

People Canceling requests for tutors.

SPAM Blog comments...grrr. I get so excited when I see "15 comments" only to realize no one actually commented they are all just medicine adds. What the Fudge?

The Cougars attempting to play football this weekend against UCLA but instead deciding to hold a large little girl's tea party on the field instead of actually trying to resemble a collegiate football team.

6 hour car rides (actually kind of fun this time).

BOOYAS!!!!

The new issue of SPIN magazine featuring a great interview with Devendra Banhart and some amazing journalism on Wayne Coyne and behind the scenes with THE FLAMING LIPS.

Purchasing the new Richard Dawkin's Book "THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH." Can't wait to learn even more about evolution in action.

New albums coming out by Devendra Banhart, Flaming Lips, Tegan and Sara, Flowmotion and Massive Attack and Jay Farrar/Ben Gibbard (inspired by a Jack Kerouac book BIG SUR.

Writing Yet another effing song! I'm a machine right now.

Being Single. So nice.

Snails. They're radula. (did anyone get that joke?)

Metropolitan Market's $7.99 thanksgiving dinner box, addicted.

An upcoming show at the Beyond The Bridge Cafe again and knowing that I have at least 20 more minutes of previously unperformed material.

AND NOW FOR WHAT YOU ALL REALLY WANT! Some more song lyrics........probably not.

"AMONGST THE PEARLS"

I like a hard bar stool
Beneath my back
I feel the weight of the world
I am a slow train
On a run away track
I am an oyster
Amongst the Pearls

(CHORUS)
And this feeling in my belly
It won't go away
And this shit they are selling
Is more than I'm willing to pay
All we really own
Are our memories of yesterday
And if I tell the truth
Even those are slipping away

I like the grip of the wheel
In my hands
I can feel
The river tame
I am the engineer
Of my plans
I am the player
Of the game

(Chorus)

and one more for ya.

"PERILOUS NAVIGATION"

A part of me went missing
On a permanent trip
But most of me is wishing
For the sinking of the ship

(CHORUS)
Perilous Navigation
Lighthouse of the mind
Just have to be patient
And we will see what we will find

A lot of us keep on thinking
Just what really is the point
But the seagulls they are singing
Wings breaking at the joint

(CHORUS)

If you were left wanting
For something big and true
The mermaids are flaunting
In the surf and in the stew

HAVE A GREAT WEEK OUT THERE.

"p.s. (what the part of the alphabet would sound like if q and r were removed.)"

Fall Music For Suggestion

2009-11-09T14:07:00.006-09:00

I have been lucky to have access to some good fall music lately. Some of the people I would like to suggest to you as the final leaves of fall trickle to the ground are artists that seem to signify quiet reflection with acoustic guitars and lyrics from the soul.

First and foremost I am still rocking Joe Pug from last post. Except now I'm a little more obsessed. His awkward earthen delivery just begs for fall drives and quiet sunday morning house cleaning.

Secondly, Mason Jennings , on the Jack Johnson Brushfire records label, sings from a mid 30's father/husband perspective. His albums aren't over produced, his singing/talking style has a Lou Reed quality to it, and his subject content inspires reflection, light as well as heavy hearted thoughts and an over all sense of relaxation. I suggest the album "Use Your Voice" on headphones, darjeeling tea and sketchpad for this guy.

Third, no fall soulful contemplative list would be complete without Mr. Ray Lamontagne . The gravelly, soulful romantic singer songwriter is an essential of the fall mix. His newer album "Gossip in the Grain" is a great album but if you really want the kind of fall feel I'm going for "Trouble" really hits the spot. Lots and lots of this album are perfect for falling asleep in a cozy bed with the wind howling outside and someone to hold.

Even though I've mentioned it before, Bon Iver (who I discovered from Miss Larbage herself) is still on constant October/November rotation. This guy if you remember moved up into the woods alone and emerged with this little gem. Most of the lyrics are confusing and often unintelligible but the emotion and gritty naturalness shines through

I certainly could add more on these artist and suggest many others but I think that this is a short and sweet start, some other's I might toss on the list would be Joanna Newsom "The Sprout and the Bean," or Fleet Foxes, Jim Croce, Bob Dylan Bootleg Volume 1, and Woody Guthrie.

As for me my car got a flat on sunday, which I had to take off today to fix. My back is sore from raking leaves at Mom and Dad's homestead yesterday. And my wallet is recovering from two straight weeks of car trouble. At least I finally got paid my meager sub wages and also received my Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend to lessen the blow a little.

I'll leave you with yet more song lyrics from my last new song of late:

I don't believe in God,
Cuz its never been that real to me
Go on all you children
Believe your Stories
When I look around
Do you know what I see?

(Chorus)
I see the birds and the bees
and the flowers in the trees
in Evo-lution
I see the fishes in the seas
and all the manatees
in Evo-Lution
I see you lookin at me
with those eyes green
in Evo-lution
natures revolution

Your skin might be black as night
Your hair might be snow white
We all depend on beams of light
and that's ok that's alright
cuz when I look around
do you know what I see?

(chorus)

We are just trying to get by
Like the birds in the sky
You are trying to survive
With your one and only life
When I look around
Do you know what I see?

(Chorus)

Peace.

The Stars Say

2009-11-07T09:58:00.004-09:00

Keep reading to understand the post title.

Sometimes I just write things because they fit my mood. Its finally the kind of fall in the puget sound we're used to, cold-ish, raining constantly, and dark as hell. Oh yes, this is the gloomy Washington you hear Californians talking about. I met a guy from South Carolina last night and he was like, "I can see my breath this isn't cool." But it is. If we didn't have this period of weather every Tom, Dick and Harry would move to Washington.

In other news the Freedom From Religion Foundation conference is in Seattle this weekend through Sunday. It sold out faster than any other city in the United States indicating that the Northwest is possibly one stronghold for freethinking people in America. I wish I could attend but matters are such that I can't. I do want to see some of the banners and billboards that they put up in town though. I'm especially humored by the "REASONS GREETINGS" one. I'm gonna use that. I also wish that I could go and support free thought and be among other people who aren't afraid to stand up for atheism in America.

I got my car back after a $2900 bill. Its running great with the new clutch and mostly overhauled engine, speedy, and strong like when I first bought it. Now we just need some snow so I can put the Sarge to its most prized use, destroying snow on the way to the mountain to go skiing. I love that I have a reason to love the rain seeing as how it brings yummy mushrooms to go and find but I'm starting to get that good old winter itch to hit the slopes. C'mon snow! I better go watch a Warren Miller Movie to quench my thirst.

What else? Hmmm. Well my friend Katie hooked me up with a bunch of music for my iPod last week. I've been inspired by some new artists that I haven't really listened to that much before. This guy Joe Pug has a really cool sound, sort of early Bob Dylan ish with a distinctly unique tremble voice. He kind of looks like a dork but then again so do I so who am I to judge. Check out the song "Hymn #101" there's a really good line in the song about the "Timber of my heart."

Also, in an attempt to prove that I actually have been writing new music and getting ready for my next gig at the end of the month I will close with some song lyrics from a new song called:

"The Stars Say"

I don't know what the moon says
about growing old
I don't know what the trees say
about what happens to your soul
All I know is that its hard enough
so don't bring me down, don't bring me down

(Chorus)
Sometimes I get lost along the way
Sometimes I don't know just what to say
Sometimes I can make sense of the situation...yes I do
When I know that there's no explanation for people like you

I don't know what the stars say
about the loss of youth
I don't know what the wind says
about the cold truth
all i know is that it feels real
so don't let me down, don't let me down

(Chorus)

I don't know what the snow says
about falling down
I don't know what the grass says
about being rooted to the ground
All I know is that I can love life
and you know I will, you know I will

(Chorus)

And thats that for today, sorry no big insights or waves created but Its been a long hard week, time for some cougar football, family and friends.

PDX, Dubstep, The Toothfairy and a Sick Subaru...yet still I've got good things.

2009-11-03T12:13:00.006-09:00

Where to begin. Today was a frantic frustrating and expensive mess. But I'll get to that later. Now I want to talk all about Atheism...just kidding.

This weekend I again hung out with the power crew, Suzye, Lindsey, and Randy. (Last week we went up to Steven's Pass to an abandoned train tunnel to see a DJ called Novatron and to Spalunk and get Crunk). For All Hallow's Eve weekend we adventured to Portland for festivities and fun. I already love Portland but after this weekend I would consider moving there someday more seriously than I have before. Friday night we went and saw an amazing DJ called CASPA. He played a kind of electronic music that I had previously only heard about on the periphery of my musical tastings, a musical genre called DubStep. Now I can't explain it as well as wikipedia can but I can say that I danced till I fell over and the low syncopated two step bass sounds mixed with the scary and dark elements accompanied by analog and 8-bit synths was incredible. We all could agree it was a night to remember.

The following night we skipped around town visiting the Marriot Hotel, a small DJ show at a lounge and a very very large gathering at a house party where each floor was a different theme, hell, purgatory, and heaven (probably the only time I'll be in these imaginary places). This was all fine and good except that I was dressed up as the tooth fairy for Halloween and it was 35 degrees out. I had white tights, a tutu, a shirt with a superman/tooth on it, a white boa, fairy wings, a crown, glitter make-up, glitter tattoo's, a fairy wand, and pliers. Needless to say it as a rather frightening, funny, and freezing costume. Regardless of my constant chill we had a great time and made it back safely sunday night.

Monday I substituted at my favorite little middle school Baker out on 84th. The kids were kinda wild and the H1N1 had finally hit the teacher population so I officially won't be going to that school for a little while. Too bad too because I really like the down to earth-ness of this mostly underpriveleged school.

And then there is today. Oh today. I got up at 4:15am to take my friend Katie to the airport and about halfway down Ruston Way the temperature gauge on my Subaru started to climb. After pulling over, getting Katie a new ride, limping back to my house and then to the Bruce Titus Subaru in South Tacoma I sat for 5 hours waiting for a diagnosis on my sick subaru (lovingly named the Sarge). The final word was that the head gaskets blew and needed to be resealed and since its a whole engine removal job they are going to fix a whole lot of other stuff that either wise isn't usually fixed with out a lot of labor. All said and done, the repairs will be in the ballpark of $3000! I had to cancel my two day job at Wilson High School which will cost me money. I just couldn't let my Sarge ant Subaru die yet, when my old 92 Legacy finally died a few years ago, I wasn't ready to let her go either. I decided to invest in all these repairs because theoretically they should basically set this car up for another 100,000 miles of kicking ass. I hate to spend the money though, especially with Christmas coming, a big move in a month, and a job that pays shit.

Basically, I had what most people would call a shitty day. A really shitty day. The $3000 dollar shitty day. But somehow, even though I just lost a bungload of money, I am still not that upset. I think that when things like this happen during good times like I've been having a lot of people will let it get them down. I am not though, my life is on the up and up no matter what, I'm healthy again, I went jogging 5-mile drive yesterday (so sore), I'm working, I'm loving my family and my amazing friends, I'm writing new music finally (three songs last week!), I've started a new blog to help start a discussion about the need for freedom from religion, and I'm really starting to settle in and enjoy being single again and comfortable spending time alone at times. I have a show coming up in a few weeks at Beyond The Bridge Cafe again. I have a big move to a new place with good people.

I have a lot to be thankful for. I have a lot of good things around and going on. Tonight I'm going to play the Antique Sandwich Company open Mic Night for the second week in a row. (for Puget Sound Locals its from 7-10 on 90.9fm and I usually go on around 8-9).

I guess the only thing to do is leave you with some new song lyrics. I hope this blog post puts a truce bandage on all the Atheism/Religion wounds and restores a sort of equilibrium to this little online space. Have a great week!

a new song I wrote called "It Means What It Means."

I don't want to break you
I just want you to know
That I want everything
The best for us both

(chorus)
If it means that everything will change
If it means that we both get brand new names
If it means that things will stay the same
Well then it means what it means
Today, Today, Anyway

I don't know what to say
It never mattered much anyway
Go walk out the door
Like ya done one million times before

(chorus)
If it means that everything will change
If it means that we both get brand new names
If it means that things will stay the same
Well then it means what it means
Today, Today, Anyway

You can have the last word
Since you always do
I won't wait here forever
And neither should you

(Chorus)...

I Started A New Blog ...

2009-10-29T11:21:00.003-08:00

Since this ATHEISM/god debate (discussion more like) subject seems to be upsetting some of you I will move it to my new blog that I just started because of this. Its called:

Out Of The Closet Atheist

you may click HERE or go to http://outoftheclosetatheist.blogspot.com

For future reference all topics of this nature will be posted over there so as not to broadside you readers with something heavy on a normally powderpuff blog.

Now I can get back to writing about less spiritually confronting things like substitute teaching and how nice it is to live in the Puget Sound. I hope this clears up any confusion as I was under the impression I could write about whatever I wanted on my own blog. But apparently I have to start another blog to do that.

I do apologize to many of my blog readers for causing you extra mouse clicks to read more of my content.

Response to Anonymous comment.

2009-10-28T10:42:00.004-08:00

I tried to reply in the comment box but it was too long. Here is a response to another anonymous comment. For the sake of the blog can you please email me with your ideas so we can move on.

kaleiverson@hotmail.com

"As someone who is on the fence about religion, I believe that we should all admit that we are open to doubt." -anonymous

Anonymous you are on an important fence, one that if a strong gust of wind blew you off of might land you on the side of reason and science, or the will of GOD might push you onto the side of faith.

"Religion is one way of making meaning in this life." --Anonymous

Well faith is a funny thing. You need it for biological survival as a child, which is where you learn faith. If an elder or grown up says don't jump of that cliff you believe them on faith because believing your elders will increase your fitness and survival and the children who don't listen may die. As a child you have no way of knowing how to distinguish truth in things like not jumping off of cliff comments and if you sacrifice a goat it will bring more rain comments (or santa clause which I was very faithful to as a child). Only education, reasoning, and evidence later as a developing person can dispel what you were told as a child. So I may sound cruel to people of faith but it is only because they haven't reasoned out which faiths that they were given as children are false or true, and if your child faith tells you fly into a building for allah because you will get thousands of virgins in the after life I hope someone will help you dispel that false belief with science and reasoning.

The need to believe in what other people say is hardwired into our brains as a survival response as children. One that sadly persists well into adulthood. Imagine what your life would be like if you were raised by someone who did not tell you or force you to accept large quantities of non factual information such as religion. You would be a rational thinker in a world of faith based people (a nightmare really), and still a person who could have a meaningful life of love and kindness. I still enjoy fairy tales although I know they aren't true.

"There are rational, intelligent, open-minded individuals who practice a wide variety of religions. Insisting that they are misguided and ridiculous because they seek a larger truth behind this life? Well that just makes you seem sort of childish." --anonymous

Essentially I can't sound nearly as childish as someone who arrogantly defies basic reasoning and continues to hold on to childish faith and indoctrination. Faith is a childish adaptation reasoning is and adult skill.

"Can't we all--atheists and religious folks alike--just agree that none of us has it all figured out?"
--- anonymous

Actually anonymous, many people can't admit that we don't have it figured all out, especially faith based religious nuts. The beauty of science and reason is that "figuring it out" is a process open to discussion and experimentation and re-examination. Not knowing is what drives science, Faith based religions are the word of god and not up for debate because they apparently "know." at least not to the lay person or many organized sects. Now reason and science does not have it all figured out this is true. But it has been able to eliminate many things as NOT being true. The earth is not flat, or the center of the universe, nor is it only 6000 years old, dinosaurs did exist, evolution by natural selection is a simple and exact process by which all living things came to be so perfectly suited to their environments, Jesus could not have been born from a virgin. If you speak to god or he speaks to you in your brain, the synapses in your brain are firing off the same synapses as a person with delusions, schizophrenia and psychosis. The human need to believe in "things" arises from an evolutionary adaptation for survival of children believing older humans. While science has not figured out everything that is, it certainly figured out many many many things that are NOT, many things that people still take on faith.

"I don't think anyone's prayers will convert you, but belittling an act of faith is simply unkind." ---anonymous

You know what is also unkind, belittling my intelligence on my own blog. Why is it that whenever anyone (especially Atheists) question or criticize religion everyone gets "seriously offended" and personally hurt by it but religious people (and anyone) can say whatever they want about reason and science and no one gets hurt. You know why? Because we have evidence to support what we have figured out. If you say "Dinosaurs don't exist!" or better yet, "That study on the yellow bellied warbler's feeding behavior is inaccurate." I don't feel like my belief system is under attack. If fact I would welcome an evidence based argument to prove that indeed dinosaurs do not exist or that the statistics of the yellow bellied warbler were calculated wrong.

My guess is that people get offended by questioning their faith because deep down inside they know that there is a whole lot of shit that doesn't add up and doesn't make sense and doesn't compute in their reasoning adult brain. They cover it up with faith, the cure all for reason, and when someone questions that or challenges it, it scares them because it might deconstruct the faith based world that they live inside their minds. And additionally, fear tends to breed anger and hostility.

"I also don't think your spiel on atheism will change anyone's mind or destroy their faith. Surely a mutual respect isn't too much to ask?" ---anonymous

I'm not trying to destroy anyone's faith. If someone voluntarily comes on my blog and reads something that makes logical sense to them then I can't stop them. Maybe it was their "GOD" guiding them to read the blog so that they can either find another sinner to save....

Or maybe their "GOD" is so busy worrying and controlling and manipulating the billion trillion trillion gazillion megamillion particles in the universe he apparently created and simultaneously tending to the million million million bazillion prayers and requests and actions of every person on earth that he sent this person to my blog to spark the beginning of them thinking rationally to simply take one minuscule load of one person off the GOD's back of incomprehensibly complex duties.

Mutual respect huh? I invite you to search the internet for disrespectful Atheists comments and organizations. Then I invite to search the internet for disrespectful faith based people and organizations. I think you will find that the disrespect is significantly weighted on the latter.
You never hear about crazy Atheist bombers or nutty Atheist evangelists telling people to hang folks for being black or blow up abortion clinics. Disrespect?

I can't quote it exactly but Gore Vidal once said something to the effect of:
"We must respect one man's religious beliefs just as we respect his belief that his wife is beautiful and his children are smart."

So I'm sorry for disrespecting your beliefs religious people. I don't mean to upset your unshakable faith which apparently I couldn't even if I wanted to according to Anonymous. The human drive to believe the unbelievable is a pretty damn strong biological adaptation, far stronger than a simple little blog post.

But I'm equally if not more so sorry that I even have to apologize at all for simply pointing out some of these things on my own space where people voluntarily attend.

If you've come this far I suggest you go a little farther anonymous. You can voluntarily read the first chapter from SEVERAL Richard Dawkin's books at RICHARDDAWKINS.net. I suggest THE GOD DELUSION.

Many of the points I raised today can be further understood through reading a far more eloquent writer and scientist as he.

2009-10-27T17:14:00.002-08:00

The last post drew no request for my omitted Atheist declaration (which is fine). So I imagine no one cares or wants to hear about it. But it did draw one person's interest enough to comment this prayer:

"Someday you will see the light and God will fill your heart with his Awesome love....Until then I will pray for you :)" ---anonymous

hmmm...how to field this last comment. obviously it was well intentioned (or a joke from one of my Atheist friends) so thank you for thinking of me and hoping that I will someday think like you do and believe what you believe...

I don't want to sound rude or mean here but please please please don't pray for me...anyone. The only way that the light of god will fill my heart is if he is a real human man or woman named "God Albert Smith or God Judy Johnson" that opens my chest with some sort of surgical device and shines a flash light in there. That is a real event that could really happen someday and for my sake lets hope no one needs to peek in there.

If the light of god is really a light then I'd be more interested in it, I'm interested in light, wavelengths, visual spectrums, laser beams and what not, but, the reference here is almost certainly a "feeling" or a "belief" in which case the word should be used as so:

You should have said, "Someday I pray that you believe in god as others do." And then specify which one you want me to believe in.

Is it one of the million hindu gods in practice today, or an outdatd one like zeus, athena, aphrodite, or how about the sun god Ra from egyptian times, either way most of us can admit we don't believe in many Gods that have long since been proven "untrue" by social standards no longer suitable for belief. I simply take it one or two gods further. I don't believe in "ANY" god but especially the Abrahamic gods such as jesus/god and mohammed/allah .

I've heard many ways to respond to people when they say they will pray for you and the one I usually resort to is "I forgive you for that." Because essentially someone just told you they would think an unrealistic thought for you. Now I wonder how this person would react if I read there deeply religious blog and anonymously commented:

"Some day I hope you will learn the logical, rational thinking of reason and problem solving based on observations and evidence so that you can solve your own problems in life realistically. I will plan to sit down and problem solve with you soon."

That would probably not go over too well.

In this case this comment/declaration of prayer is someone who reads this blog and that I want to continue reading, and if they read the blog they probably know me and I love people regardless of what supernatural story they believe, so I guess I will say that you are free to do whatever you want to make yourself feel better about life and how you understand it (like praying), you just can't expect me to be overly thankful for an anonymous person saying that they will do something that has no scientific basis for having any effect on anything past a synaptical impulse of your brain and self satisfaction .

Most of what I omitted from the last post has to do with the overly apologetic practice of religious respect anyways so its probably good that this comment came in because it gives me a clear reason to say that you are reading an Atheist blog right now, an Atheist that loves his family and friends, tries to teach others about good things, tries to live a good life, and decides to be a good person knowing full well that this is the only life he has and that no one is watching or keeping score in the sky.

I'll do my best to write about something else next post but every so often a very crucial moment comes along where I have to define just exactly what you are reading.

...besides all this discussion, ENJOY the fall and have a great week (if you need help figuring out how to do that just get ahold of me we can brainstorm some ideas!)

Kale

Atheism Omitted (mostly) post about nothing.

2009-10-23T12:19:00.004-08:00

I feel an overwhelming need to write but don't know what to write about. I started a post earlier but scrapped it because it was all about teaching and really boring (kind of like how this one is going). This frustrates me because I've generally been feeling really awesome lately. I would even go so far as to say that life is kicking ass. I'm really enjoying this fall freedom. I love the fact that the leaves are flying around outside, the cold is out, I'm tramping around woods and fields in search of fungus in my free time. Most people tend to shut in and hermit up as the fall/winter approaches but I would say with work, foraging and friends I'm busier than ever. I'm even enjoying me time.

I was at a local establishment last night continuing my reading of Richard Dawkin's the God Delusion. Around me there were people laughing and flirting and competing and enjoying themselves like the little big brained organisms they are and for the first time in a while I was just happy to be alone for a bit. Me and my book, in my little place, on my little stool doing my own little thing. Now I can already see how the fact that I get personal peace and satisfaction from reading an Atheist book alone might sound sad or depressing, but its not. I've been more proud, happy, satisfied and outspoken lately about my Atheism than ever before in my life and sometimes it makes people uncomfortable ....

(omitted lengthy discussion about my feelings on Atheism in America)

...so uncomfortable that I have decided not to post the gigantic post I wrote after the sentence above. If you would like to read it I will email its entirety to you personally just shoot me an email request at kaleiveson@hotmail.com Even though I feel its 100% within my rights to write about whatever I want here, I don't wish to make this a debate forum at the moment (not that I think there is even anything to debate) or to hurt/scare anybody.

Despite that little (big actually) blog post omission, life remains amazing, there are little hiccups here and there be I'm taking them in stride. I'm starting to freak out about being able to follow through on our first ever "Handmade Gifts" only Iverson Family christmas giftgiving pact. (Yes I participate in the yearly commercial holiday loosely if not really at all tied to a completely fictitious birthdate of a long passed religious figure from a culture 2000 years disconnected from our own). This year in the Iverson clan we are trying to unplug from the matrix by making gifts for each other instead of buying them. This has proved to provide similar levels of stress as the ones caused by endlessly searching the malls for commercial goods to express your love for your family and friends (and essentially the reason for switching to handmade gifts). Its just so much easier to buy a gift than to make one. But I am determined. My ideas are good, I just need time, supplies and motivation!

This afternoon brings foraging in Point Defiance with my brother and Lindsey. Tonight brings seeing my close friend Kyle Dufault play his music at a show at a local Tacoma iconic venue in a building shaped like a tea kettle. After that who knows what the possibilities could be. Saturday college football with the family, Tomorrow night there are talks of going up to Steven's Pass area to watch some dj's play in a giant tunnel. Life, More amazement everyday. I'm so pumped for whats next.

What's Next:

The pinnacle of mushroom season is fast approaching!
The start of tutoring soon hopefully
A possible long term sub position at Baker Middle School 8th Grade Science
A big move into a new place with kyle and who knows who else
Ski Season

Have a great weekend and week!

New Job, Getting Hillstomped and Shaggy Ink Caps Galore

2009-10-19T08:09:00.008-08:00

Some great successes lately. First and foremost, my amazing friend Lindsey got me a job tutoring for a company that pays pretty good. I will be working with a male junior in high school on mostly math but other subjects if needed. This should be about 10 hours a week and means an extra $200 bucks a week hopefully. Mostly I'm excited because I'll get to work one on one with a student in a non traditional school setting much like how I excelled at teaching this way Alaska. If it goes well their may be more opportunities to tutor other students.

Secondly, Friday night found fun and old friends enjoying an amazing Duo band called HILLSTOMP. These two crazed bad asses play hard driving backwoods awesomeness and the drummer's drumset is composed mostly of carfully selected garbage like barbeque tops and buckets. We danced real hard and had a blast.

And Finally, Last night, giant success in the form of Coprinopsis comatusor the Shaggy Ink Cap. Another great friend and fungal mentor took me to one of her tried and true secret Shaggy Ink Cap spots here in the northwest and the results were overwhelming! We were able to pick almost two grocery bags full of these delicious little friends whilst leaving many babies for future finders.

Now the Shaggy is a fickle little guy to cook. First of all you only have about four hours to cook them up because they are so delicate. Also, they are incredibly difficult to clean for this reason. As they mature the inky part of the bell starts to creep up and isn't very good for you. So making sure to get all the dirt off and remove the inky parts is a crucial step.

Our cooking method was to saute them in butter with garlic, celery, basil, rosemary and sage from my garden and then serve it over rice with a little sriracha sauce on the side. It turned out so good. Their flavor was delicate and the texture was very pleasing. My friend also said that when added to soup this species also can be quite amazing for eating.

This was my first official successful mushroom hunt that actually produced food that I was able to eat. I can't tell you how dorkily excited this made me. Its like going fishing and catching a big fish or coming home with buckets of berries that you picked yourself. Now for the rest of my life I will now the date, time, location, and conditions for finding these amazing mushroom friends to share with my friends and family. HOW COOL!

So this morning as I sit in my favorite coffee shop waiting for my half day sub to start because the full day I had scheduled cancelled, I continue to think about what a great week I had. I'm a little sick still, but my attitude definitely is not bad. I am thouroughly pumped about life all of a sudden. I started thinking about my current lifestyle in a postive way. I get to choose everyday if I want to work or not, who gets to do that? Although subbing isn't a career, its starting to fit my life more and more. I get to continue learning through my own avenues. Learning how to mushroom forage is a lifelong skill and passion that I love learning about. I love being able to pursue my music. I love that I get to blog about life. I love the fact that I can spend time making connections with people whenever I want. Yes I wish I had a steadier teaching job...but do I really? Only time will tell and who knows what will pop up in my lap in the future.

So this week, there is more foraging to be done, hopefully the start of tutoring, some substituting, my first paycheck in two months on Friday, and maybe if I'm lucky, Umphrey's McGee at the showbox on Thursday!

I'll keep you updated and have a great week!

Got my mojo back!

2009-10-17T16:11:00.001-08:00

Its official, this week and last night confirmed it. I officially got my mojo back. Thats all. More to come.

Talking Heads Saved my life, Vicci Martinez rules, and fungus season is amongus

2009-10-13T15:08:00.005-08:00

Something happened this week. Not immediately, but gradually. Through some good conversations and a little proactive decisions about my life as well as decisions about my attitude on life I think its possible that I might actually be coming out of my funk. By funk I mean having a crap job that I don't like, living alone, being alone. and having no real plan for changing it in the future.

On last Friday my iPod took a huge shit and lost over 40 gigs of music. I was able to recover all my purchases (about 25%) through I tunes. But all the cd's I uploaded in Alaska as well as music I got from my friends is gone. If you read this blog then you know how important my music is to me. I was devastated. But, in the recovery process there came a few new albums that I got from my family and a new chance to start rebuilding my musical library.

Last night, as I hung out with myself like most of the time, I put on Talking Heads "Remain in Light" and something happened. I started dancing around my house. Dancing around and cleaning like I used to do in Alaska. There was an explosion of funk in my body. I was bobbing and wiping and organizing and inside of me the funk was healing me. Talking Heads steady, manic, 80's booty funk rebuilding all the things that I seem to have lost lately. Talking Heads gave me a small chunk back last night.

I will work 3 days this week, yes at a lame job, but its better than nothing. I have some good prospects for part time work at a natural food store. I'm moving at the end of november into a cheap place with friends. Ski season is coming. I'm still playing music with some new opportunities to expand. I can do anything if I just figure out what it is I want to do. I was telling a friend that maybe I'm depressed so much lately because I keep telling everyone that I'm depressed. It sounds stupid but its true. So I'm telling you that I'm happy today. Maybe if I keep saying it I can get my mojo back. I don't know exactly who stole it or where I lost it, but I want it back now.

Maybe tomorrow night Vicci Martinez will get me some of my lost mojo back when she rocks the Swiss. I saw her last week in a singer in the round style show and plan on seeing her again this week with drums! Some friends from Seattle might actually visit me (for once! its awesome to have people come to hang with me instead of me going to them) in Tacoma and experience some real T-Town local badass music.

Lastly, with rains and cold temperatures mushroom season is officially here. I can't wait to go foraging again to share more photo's with you. There are plans in the works for a early morning adventure to the coast on Thursday as well as possibly a trip up to Seattle to see a great band called Hillstomp.

Basically, I'm trying to come out of my funk. I think I've wallowed long enough. Time to buck up and work on being positive again.

Fungi Hunting, Sub-Life, Chestcold, Old Friends, and Why I Hate Christian Homo-Bashers.

2009-10-06T11:31:00.013-08:00

So sunday and monday I went edible mushroom hunting. Although mostly unsuccessful I learned a lot and had a great time being out in the woods.

Sunday I went with my friend mark to some trails at tiger mountain summit. We were on the hunt for chantrells but found mostly inedible russula (cascadensis). We did stumble upon some really good oyster mushrooms on a log and mark took one for sample. I also got to identify many poisonous fungi and learn about a lot of really cool identifying practices, as well as seeing some 10 plus year old polyspores.

So yesterday, when I again didn't get called for work I decided to go on a Point Defiance hunting adventure. I found a lot of really cool stuff. I again found some impressive polyspore shelves hanging off old trees. I found my own batch of late season oyster mushrooms. There were so many of them I could have picked bags. But instead i decided to let them be as I was alone and needed a second opinion.

I found some and identified the fishy smelling russula very abundent and yellow right now in rotting cedar logs.

I also was able to locate quite a variety of boletas and some other unidentifiable specimens. Either way I had a really good time and my eye for finding my fungi friends is getting better quickly. More research and hunting trips should help. Maybe by next year I'll even be ready to start keeping some for delicious gourmet dinners!

The only reason that I got to go on this little trip is because there just aren't that many substitue jobs out there or I just don't know the tricks to landing them. I haven't been working much at all. Instead lazily pursuing my own interests and relationships. I admit its not the most ambitious lifestyle, but it affords me a lot of time to do what I want.

Substituting is a lame lifestyle, kind of feel like a prostitute. I have my little sub number, people can call and request me, or I can go out on the corner and hustle a job. Either way, I don't have health insurance, income assurance, or any real teaching opportunities, just 50 minute babysitting blocks. In all honesty, I'm becoming less and less interested in teaching at all. But what would I do instead?

Maybe its just the fact that I subbed for a really sick lady on thursday and friday last week, and must have picked up what she had from her computer (as I searched feebly for more subbing jobs) because today I woke up coughing and phlegming and hurting deep in my chest. Luckily there are no sub jobs so I was able to lay in bed all day and watch Freaks and Geeks. I hate being sick, as if I needed a reason to be even lazier.

But, some great things, I got to hang out with an old friend last night that I haven't seen in a long time and never thought I'd get to talk to again. It was really nice catching up and it felt good to be around someone so passionate and positive.

Tonight hopefully I'll get a chance to hang out with another friend I haven't seen in a long time (my high school best friend since 7th grade). When you get to see these people who used to be so central to your life and catch up, it kind of helps you see where you're at in life. Are you lost too, are you on track, are you just as skrewed up as me, are you also totally confused, or broke, or depressed or anxious or did you crack the code and finally become one of those "happy" people we hear so much about?
So Lastly, I'm sitting in Old Town Tacoma at my favorite internet/mate' latte spot writing this little blog and this group of christian blowhards is just sitting right next to me going on and on about how they can no longer allow homosexual couples to attend their church as a "couple" but will permit it if the couples come as "friends." I want to scream at them. Its frightening that three different races of people are in this ridiculous group, I didn't know that people who come from discriminated cultures could discriminate another so badly. What a bunch of wacko's. I mean they are sitting here next to me talking about how embarrassed members of the church are to admit to their business associates that homosexuals frequent their church and that they are plotting a serious plan to remove them from their church.

First and foremost, I don't know why anyone who has taken so much guts as to come out to the world and proclaim who they are would ever want to go to a bunch of judgemental delusionists church and bend to their ridiculous backtalkling opinions, and rules. Secondly, this same group of nutbars is sitting here going on and on praising the barista for how amazing the coffee drinks he made are, the very openly GAY barista! So a homosexual can make a great cup of coffee but not attend your church. And Thirdly, apparently homosexuality is only allowed in the church if its secretive and between a preacher and alter boy. What a world. I'm pretty sure this is not what Hayzeus intended.

I don't mean to go all activist on you all, but I simply can't stand by and take this anymore when its sitting right next to me drinking a pumpkin spice latte and ruining my perfectly pleasant tuesday coffee shop time with pointless drivel.

My name is Kale. I'm an athiest. And I if gay people or gay couples want to come to my woods and walk around enjoying them on sunday or any other day, they are more than welcome.

Peace.

The Sweet Aroma of Tacoma

2009-09-29T12:00:00.007-08:00

It was recently brought to my attention by a long time reader that one of the more interesting aspects of my former blog Radiate Warmth was talking about day to day life in Alaska. Although I don't live there anymore, the place I live now is pretty amazing too. Just different. So in order to do more of that you should get to know the new place I habitate

Tacoma Washington. Oh you beautiful stain of the world. To most northwesterners Tacoma is just the smelley pit stop on the I-5 corridor between two infamously "Cool" towns, Seattle and Portland. The phrase "Aroma of Tacoma" is due to the fact that a very stinky paper mill used to sit right next to the freeway giving everyone who drove through a nice sulfer surprise. In this blog post I will argue that the aroma of Tacoma is much sweeter that most people will ever know. (and the paper mill is gone).

Now lets get one thing straight. Tacoma is not Seattle. And just because the airport is called Seatac (Because Tacsea would be confusing) doesn't mean they have anything in common really. Yes they both rest on the shores of the Puget Sound. Yes they both have humans living in them. But thats about it. Seattle is the Jewel of Northwest metropolis-hood. Big Business, sports teams, commerce, suburbs, universities, art, music, you name it they got it done big. They also have the University of Washington which is a breeding ground for the exact type of Seattle mentality I despise. Yuppie Scum. Enough Said.

Tacoma has a rich yuppie district, the north end. But its small and limited. The majority of the city is working class blue collar people of all races and backgrounds. Real people just trying to make it. Tacoma as a community mentality is a "Take me as I am" or buzz off. In tacoma you don't have to worry about what kind of car you drive, or your job, or what you look like. You can be yourself. Ghetto people hang with art kids and rich UPS students as well as regular people and hippies, older folks and business workers.

On top of that Tacoma has great and distinct districts/areas. Downtown is on the upswing with new shops and galleries and museums and a great farmers market. The light rail and new schools are recent additions there and its instilling a sense of pride in the community. The ghetto is still the ghetto next to the Hospital but it too is improving as Martin Luther King Avenue grows and improves with more community programs than I've seen there before. The sixth avenue district is exploding with nightclubs and restaurants providing more music opportunities and nightlife activities. You have the proctor district which is a small unique community with good grocery stores and shops. Also there is Ruston way, a long strip of parks and restaurants like west seattle but cheaper. Right off of that is Old Town Tacoma/North End with a cool little intersection of the Puget Sound and the Upperclass. The Stadium district/North Town district has little pockets of establishments and amazing old houses to rent and own.

Finally there is the Antique Ruston town that I live in. Its fighting annexation into tacoma and barely holding on to its roots. It has the famous Salmon Beach Hippie community, the antique shops downtown, the Vashon Ferry terminal and marina, and most importantly the largest urban inclosed natural habitat west of the mississippi, Point Defiance Park, Zoo and Acquarium, and 5 mile drive providing endless woodland activities.

Tacoma allows you to drive around much easier than seattle and still experience the feel of many different neighborhoods with personalities and mini cultures. The housing is cheap and affordable. The views are breathtaking, you are much closer to Olympia and the Olympic Peninsula and never more that a ten minute drive from the water.

People have "I Heart T-Town" sticker's on their cars. And they wear shirt's that say "Tacoma, 400,000 alcoholics can't be wrong." And although many people leave this little city they often come back because it feels like home.

My favorite thing about tacoma is that it is part of one of the themes of my life: "Picking the Underdog." I went to the poor other side of school town Peninsula who battled the yuppies of Gig Harbor High School. It was a school where everyone could get along rich or poor. I then went to Washington State the poor farming redneck school in eastern washington. We battled the yuppies of the University of Washington and everyone got along, building a distinct family pride in being a COUG because we all lived in the middle of nowhere and had to! Now I live in Tacoma the stinky little city with a bad reputation, where everyone can and does get along and just can be who they are.

Seattle is great, if you're a seattle person. I love to visit don't get me wrong. But me, I'm all tacoma.

So as I sit in a coffee shop in Old Town Tacoma writing this, I think about if I want to run on Ruston Way or around Point Defiance. Or maybe I'll go up to the Vegan Jamaican restaraunt on Hill Top for dinner. Or maybe just maybe I'll go play open mic at the Antique Sandwhich Company in Ruston.

Its not alaska, but its my new home. More to come...

Beyond the Bridge Cafe Success.

2009-09-28T09:01:00.003-08:00

The show was a great success.

The Beyond The Bridge Cafe was a relaxing and hip place to play and crowd was a wide range of people from high school to some my parents age. The bands were fantastic and although I was nervous and started out shaky I quickly settled in and kicked some ass.

My friend Kyle came and recorded the whole set on digital recorder and is going to help me with a live cd.

Needless to say I had fun and think that it went really well because I got asked back next month.

Now I gotta work on some new songs.

Hopefully the Sub office will get my account figured out soon so I can get some work.

2009-09-25T09:28:00.002-08:00

THAAAAAAATS RIGHT!!!! My Gig Is Finally Here.

The Venue:
Beyond The Bridge Cafe
13624 Valley Ave E Sumner Washington.

If You Google It On Maps it can give you directions!

The Line UP!
Fox 45
Sarah Palin's Backyard
Kale Iverson
Karina Thorpe
The Black Sails

You can also Find them on Facebook and MySpace

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sumner-WA/Beyond-the-Bridge-Cafe/89050351579

http://www.myspace.com/beyondthebridgecafe

My Setlist for tonight.

Down the Road
Clean Fresh Brand New Start
My Little Life ==>Such A Good Feeling (Mr. Rogers Cover)==>My Little Life
Eutaw (Old Crow Medicine Show Cover)
Long Way To Go
Love Over Grown
The Otherside ==>With A Little Help From My friends.

I know may of you can't make it but I'll be playing for you too!

WISH ME LUCK I'M SCARED SH*TLESS

2009-09-15T11:34:00.001-08:00

Hmmm...No real reason to write.

2009-09-11T12:44:00.002-08:00

Yeah, I don't really know what to write about. But some of my best posts have started this way. I guess I have a need to exercise my brain right now.

I don't know what words can really describe how I've been feeling lately. There is a healthy dose of exhaustion from an entire summer on the road doing crazy fun adventures. There is a heaping cupful of boredom as I still have to wait two weeks to get to work. There are a few teaspoons of anxiety and nervousness about finding a cool place to live and a real job. And there is a small constant sprinkle of regret and sorrow for leaving Alaska, I hear about my kids and friends and feel sad. Maybe if things worked out like I had planned it would all be gravy. But down to a letter the plans almost certainly did not get followed.

I left Alaska mostly because I was tired of being alone and of being alone all the time. And now, I seem to find myself alone almost as much. I get to visit people a lot which is definitely an improvement. Visiting is different though. I need a COMPANION. Someone on my wavelength thats around more that just once a week. That's the kind of lonely I'm talking about. It could be a girl but I would also take a best friend. Everybody is doing their own thing. I want to be doing OUR thing. Is that so weird to just want to have a companion? To have someone that wants to be around me as much as I want to be around them plutonic or romantic, where I can say "Lets go" and they jump in and finish the sentence with "rent a movie and make Indian Food!"

Things will settle I guess. I have lots of awesome people in my life. One of them is going to step up I just know it. Its just hard right now, everyone around me seems to be in survival mode, I think we all are, everyone is moving, or starting school, or looking for jobs, or god knows what, that is why I welcome the bone numbing cold of fall and winter, its slows people down.

I am very slow today. I am so sore from running the other day that I can feel every strained muscle in my body. Thats when it dawned on me. I'm turning 27 this year. How the hell did that happen? I'm old. Old and dorky. I need to get my shit together. I was feeling very young and strong just last week till I realized this fact. I gotta get that back. I'm young still, its all in the head.

Dammit, this post isn't really going anywhere, and I'm not even talking about Good Things I'm talking about Life Things. Life just keeps on going on around me and I seem to be in some sort of vortex of not mattering much. And I'm not even throwing a pitty party for myself, I'm fine, if I learned anything in Alaska its that I can endure a lot of shit and abuse and make it through. The confounding thing is how do you deal with life when you seemingly have everything anyone would ever want and you're still not happy. I feel like a whiney baby. Probably because I am a worker bee, I like to have a purpose and a project and after three months of goofing off (which was more work that you can imagine) I'm exhausted.

HEY UNIVERSE GIVE ME A JOB I WILL KICK ASS.

oh and ...

HEY UNIVERSE GIVE ME A COUGAR WIN THIS WEEKEND.

Sorry for the mega personal probably should save this one in drafts post but GOOD THINGS wouldn't be so good if there wasn't CRAP THINGS. I just keep scratching my head at this summer and thinking about what kind of life lesson I was supposed to learn from this one. I mean I can look back on lots of things that didn't go so well in my life and extract the wisdom from it. But what will I look back and get from this humdinger of a year. Jesus 2009 I'm frightened to see what else you got in store.

Is it just me that thinks this is a weird year?

Ok, the sun is shining, my roof is calling me for a yoga session...alone...so I will go for now.

Have a great weekend with someone you love.

Fall Is Here and Life Moves On

2009-09-09T17:29:00.003-08:00

The air is getting crisper around the Puget Sound these days. That means the legs are gonna burn a little hotter when running Five Mile Drive around Point Defiance (something I did for the first time today with out stopping go ME!) I was able to keep up with my strong little brother the whole way and once I recover I will do it again. With all the free time I've had lately I've been making a lot of time for practicing music, working out, and trying to meet new friends.

This weekend at Dave Matthews Band at the Gorge was really actually very pleasurable. Yonder Mountain String Band got skrewed and had to go on first and only played about 45 minutes which I thought was pretty lame. G. Love and the Special was very good especially during their Saturday Night set where the played to the backdrop of a double rainbow and sunset after 8 hours of rain all day. Dave Matthews was pushing his new album so he repeated like 5 songs all three nights which I thought was kind of cheap and commercial. But to his credit he let MY NEW HERO Danny Barnes from the Bad Livers and also Yonder Mountain String Band play two of his own original songs from his album "Pizza Box." The songs "Side of the Road" and "Cave Man Song" had sorority girls, fratboys and younglifers who were attendance confused and pissed which was not only comedic to me and my bluegrass friends but also very satisfying knowing that on sunday those same Danny Barnes haters left the show singing the hooks from the same songs. GO DANNY BARNES!!! DMB more like DBMB (Danny Barnes-Matthews Band).

I got to go with my friends Mark and Kelsey and we had a blast all weekend long. I made some very very cool new friends and also got to play late night ukulele for a crowd of about 25 singing my popular party hits like "I like Big Butts," "Ice Ice Baby," "Regulators," "This is How we do it," "A Little Help From My Friends," and the ever popular "Cane Toad Melody," a song that I haven't played in 2 years.

OH OH OH!!! I forgot to tell you. I got my first real gig! I'm going to be playing a bar on the 25th of September with a few other people. I don't have the details yet but as soon as I do I will let you all know about it. I know most of you won't be able to make it but its pretty cool right?

I finally got some semblence of a job today too. I got hired as a substitute teacher for Tacoma Public School District. I have orientation in a couple weeks. Its a start right? A little cashflow never hurt anybody. I am a great sub too. I know that it will lead to a job if I don't get hired for something else.

Hal got a job at Harbor Greens a local produce place and is interviewing for an elementary PE position on Monday which basically means that I have job, he has at least one job, and my friend Kyle has a job. WHICH MEANS we can start looking for a seriously awesome three bedroom place in tacoma. Our goal is to get a place with a place to set up a band practice space and recording studio and really go for it with the music.

And Cougar football has begun. Cougs lost (duh...). But get to see my first Coug game in two years this saturday at Quest field in Seattle. I'm so freaking excited!!!! Everyone's gonna be there!

So, summer festivals are over, getting in shape, substitute teacher, new place on the horizon, cougar football, and sweet sweet northwest fall.

Good things!

...summer wind down.

2009-08-25T09:17:00.002-08:00

I'll try to write about meltdown and weddings some other time. Now that summer is winding down I'm feeling a little down. Mostly because it started off so amazing and has been such continual high of great things, reunitions, love, family, music, nature and possibility. And if I know anything, as a Washingtonian this level of activity and joy can't (meteorologically, romantically, logistically) last forever.

While there is still many sun filled summer days to enjoy, fall is coming, and my heart has been a little bit heavier than it has been in a long time. Luckily for you blog readers (if any are still out there) crappy weather, solitude, and a melancholy heart seem to make this blog jump to life. So I apologize for the constant bragging about my awesome summer, just know that behind all those infinite smiles of GOOD THINGS I portray sits too, a mortal man with feelings and challenges and problems.

I do have some very GOOD THINGS to look forward too though. Here they are

TONIGHT: Playing my first open Mic Night at the Antique Sandwich Company in Ruston, WA since returning to the area. This was something I had planned on doing weekly but never seem to find the time for.

THURSDAY: Flying to Reno, Nevada with my family to sit by the pool at the Sands Hotel and to eat at the mighty buffets, and to try to strike it rich like so many before, and to soak up +90 degree weather, should be fun!

Next SATURDAY: Good things! Dave Matthews, Yonder Mountain String Band and G. Love and the Special Sauce at the GORGE! I'm going with my favorite human being and allstar of the summer, my brother Hal. Without him I think I would be a pretty sad person.

EVERY SATURDAY: Can you smell it? Can you? Thats right its College Football season and that means Cougar Football is on the way. My family (mom) has acquired tickets to every home game this year and a downtown motel room in pullman. That means pullman hear comes the Iversons!

And some promising job opportunities on the way.

SO although I've been better in some departments of life, I can feel that things are going to be ok. And ok is fine by me.

Enjoy the last of summer out there. Here are some lyrics to one of the songs I'm playing tonight.

If you need a little bit of attention,
then all you need to do is mention
that all you got is nothing but time
and I'll be right there, I'll be right there, waiting, waiting in line

But right now I am mending,
and the summer's ending,
and depending on weather or not you're coming back soon
or sometime after that, maybe in the afternoon
or maybe that in fact you don't really know
so for then I'm gonna move on down the road.

You and me we'll wait and see what our lives will turn out to be
If you need a little bit of space, I'll keep walking let me pick up my pace
don't you come chasin after me, I won't go chasin after you
we'll get through this eventually
and a hell, a well you always gonna do what you gotta do

But right now I am mending,
and the summer's ending,
and depending on weather or not you're coming back soon
or sometime after that, maybe in the afternoon
or maybe that in fact you don't really know
so for then I'm gonna move on down the road.

Good Things #6: Big Bottom, Phish at the Gorge

2009-08-17T09:17:00.007-08:00

Boy oh boy I have been a busy summer lover this month.

Three weeks ago I went to Big Bottom Festival up near Packwood. I forgot my camera but spent 3 and a half days with a great group of about 250 people gathered on private property to camp, eat, play and watch Olympic Sound Collective funk our brains out with their amazing horn section on a really cool stage that overlooked the Cowlitz River. It was hot, and beautiful and I'm glad I ran into my Big Bottom Festival Friends.

Two weeks ago I went to see Phish at the Gorge. Not only was the weather amazing so was Phish. I had never seen them before and was actually really skeptical. Fortunately they were unbelievably good. I can see why people follow them around for years and years, they are that good! Friday night was good and many veteran Phish fans liked it better than Saturday night. I however thought Saturday was amazing and funky. I am all about the funk these days. I just want dirty, filthy funky base lines and funky guitar riffs, and the more horns the better.

Another cool thing about the Phish show was that I got to see my very first "Shakedown Street." This is where a bunch of illegal vendors create a sort of mainstreet for selling their products, wares, and bootleg merchandise. You can get food, stickers, music, clothes, art, and even see the second "Further" Bus driven by Ken Kesey and the Mary Pranksters. I got to meet and shake hands with Zane Kesey his son and that was pretty damn cool.

I spent the whole weekend with my brother and never left his side, we had a total blast. I got to meet up with my best friend from Australia (from NY living in San Fran) Jeff and his buddies Chauncy and Ames, as well as hang out with a bunch of revolving festival friends from summers past. I felt so at home! We went with Sam and Sharon, Met Mark and Kelsey, and saw Stephie and Liam. It was a great weekend.

Except for the new owners of the Gorge "Live Nation" they absolutely have turned the place into a corporate disasters and they staff were kind of jerks. Oh well their crappy management can deny the beauty of the venue.

Up Next: Good Things #7: Flowmotion Summer Meltdown, Weddings, Lake Cabins, Dave Matthews/YMSB/G. Love

I did make some progress on jobs, they HR Department from Tacoma School District called to check on references and found who they were looking for. My former principals gave me good recomendations and the HR guy said to make sure I check for new jobs implying that maybe they were interested in me.

I am definitely ready for work to start back up. All this summer fun has been great but I'm starting to feel a little restless about it all. I got my last paycheck from LKSD this weekend. I'm doing fine in the money department I just wish I had something to do. At least a substitute postition would be something.

Today I'm at a coffee shop all alone, writing blogs, checking emails, paying bills, job searching and later I'm going to buy some wedding/interview clothes. I'm feeling a little melancholy and a little lonely after 5 weeks in a row surrounded by so many friends and family and love. I guess you could call it a Lonely-Hangover.

Anyone still out there reading this? Enjoy the end of your summer!

Good Thing #5: Family Camp Conconully 2009

2009-08-06T21:20:00.003-08:00

I could write a blog post about this amazing weekend camping with my family but my mom already did and it is a great blog post.

Click HERE to see it!

Anyways, off to see Phish at the Gorge tomorrow with the whole crew, Sam, Sharon, Stephie, my bro, and even my best friend from my Australian adventures Jeff is coming up from San Fran. My first Phish show!!!! WHoooooopeeeeeee!

Next week is Flowmotion Summer Meltdown with Hal, Sydney, Leslie, Kali and lots of other awesome friends. What a summer!

Still no job...

Good Things #4: Northwest String Summit

2009-07-22T10:03:00.010-08:00

Its official, festival season has begun! SO HAPPY!

Good Thing: Yonder Mountain String Band's 8th Annual Northwest String Summit was a great success this year. Randy, Suzye, Sydney and my brother Hal and I ventured down to Bob and Martha Horning's Property to see some truly amazing hippie bluegrass awesome extravaganza goodness.

Here Is a List of good things at NWSS:
-Stephie and Matt put together a truly incredible camp and I can't thank them enough for all their hard work, the food, shade structures, music and lights were the best in the whole venue!

-The line up was not as big as last year but still great. Highlights included the Infamous Stringdusters and Del McCoury.

-Yonder's Friday night set was, in my opinion, the best and totally set the weekend off for a hell of a time.

-Strings For Industry's Late Night set on Saturday night was totally deadly good. The played funk, swampgrass, and a girl led cover of "Layla" that almost burnt the trees down.

-The SPACE STATION! Thats right, on saturday night in the middle of Yonder's set the Space Station flew over clearly visible to the naked eye. The best part is that the whole show stopped and looked right at it in silence, thousands of people just staring at the sky in silence, the band started screaming, "CAN YOU SEE IT? CAN YOU SEE IT?!!!" and then when right back into the song, holy shit!

-Me and Sydney Got rings! They are pretty cool and they match and everything. They have two bands for the two of us!

-My brother's Blog Post on String Summit. He almost got hit by a tree!!! Check it out by clicking HERE

-Best Of All, I Was truly happy!

Good Things #3: West Seattle Street Fair, Thunderstorms, and Record Players

2009-07-12T09:49:00.007-08:00

Since this blog is no longer a diatribe about my narcissistic life, I will spare all of you with some of the more frustrating details and challenges I am facing as culture shock has finally set in. Its probably better to settle on the good things anyways.

Good Thing: The West Seattle Street Fair. Not only have I never really been to west seattle/alki much, but I also didn't know that they have a thriving and beautiful community of great people there. And once a year they throw a big street fair with vendors, food, bands, and lots and lots of fun. I have to say, getting to spend time in West Seattle with Sydney has completely changed my perspective of seattle in general. I never knew this little pocket of very cool Washingtonian life existed. Next year put it on you list of fun things to do !

Good Thing: Right now we are having a massive thunderstorm in Gig Harbor. Not only is this rare for NW washington, it is even rarer in the Puget Sound area. I absolutely love it when mother earth rears her head and lets everyone know how tiny and puny they are. Hopefully I'll see some lightening today (hopefully not to close).

GREAT Thing: The record player. My parents got my brother a record player for his graduation, a vintage original turntable, receiver, and speakers from back in the day when my dad was young. Its sound quality is so old and authentic, the real sound of the 70's. Our family has actually been bonding a lot around the old record player as we stay up late listening to old records and discovering lost gems of musical history's past. We've even thought about starting a family blog all about music reviews of old rediscovered albums. What do you think?

Well thats it for now, internet connection is a little spotty right now so I apologize for the sporadic posting, hopefully you're still out there friends.

This weekend is the Northwest String Summit. I'm so excited to join Randy, Suzye, Hal, and my baby Sydney in their very first (and hopefully not last) NWSS. We will be camping with Stephie and the old String Summit Family so I totally can't wait.

Hopefully I can get pictures up as well as get up some Europe photos soon.

Happy thoughts to you and yours and get out and enjoy that sun!

Kale

Good Things #2: Oysters, Wild Berries, 4th of July

2009-07-02T22:35:00.006-08:00

Ah. Summer. Good Things A Plenty. Here are a few I've discovered lately.

Good Thing: Oysters. Period. Syd and I went to Anthony's and had the oyster sampler before our meal and it was deadly good. Most people would probably gag at the thought of slurping a plate full of barnacle encrusted shellfish off a dirty looking shell but they were so good. They are also supposed to be an aphrodisiac despite the fact that oyster breath is a major turn off. Regardless, I love oysters and especially with tabasco sauce on the half shell. YUM!

Good THING: Wild Berries. Here in the Northwest the Salmon Berries are just finishing their run. I picked about a gallon this year at my parents house! The red huckleberries are coming in full and ripe right about now and the wild mountain blackberries will be about 2 weeks away. After that we have to wait about a month till the full blackberry season and the finally finish with the regular huckleberry finishing out the berry season in the fall. If I'm lucky I'll be able to find the rare black cap berries and of course there will be salal berries everywhere. My dad will be making a 6 or 7 berry all northwest wild berry wine this fall from my pickings and I am so pumped to see how it turns out.

Good Thing: The Fourth Of July. I think that it is kind of great that once a year Americans let their hair down and just allow themselves to be American without the guilt associated to be a wasteful, ignorant, global idiot. Americans grill food on the BBQ, get inappropriately inebriated, get sunburned and light off explosives all the while sliding down slip and slides, playing Bruce Springstein and swearing a lot all around a campfire. Hell yes America. Go get you some.

Summer is in full swing...Things are happening, my new place is almost all moved in, I'm settling in finally, festivals are around the bend and I am still completely in love with Sydney.

GOOD FREAKING THINGS!

Good Things #1: Garden Plants, Taste of Tacoma, Vicci Martinez

2009-06-29T08:21:00.005-08:00

So in the last few days I've experienced some very very good things here in the wonderful northwest.

Good Thing: Garden Plants! Even though I got back to late to start my own I was able to go to a local market and get some vegetables for my new place. I have three types of cabbage, 7 tomato plants, green onions, cauliflower, rosemary, mint, basil, sage, parsely and then Sydney brought down her Kale plants and Tomatillos. What was once a boring tar garage roof is now a jungle of life! I guess this means a harvest party in the fall?

Good Thing: The TASTE OF TACOMA! I forgot how much fun it is to go to Point Defiance for this annual shindig. 45 food vendors and a bunch of homemade crafts mixed with the middle class diversity of Tacoma and amazing coverbands (excuse me tribute bands) to the likes of Fleetwood Mac, Heart, Neil Diamond and more. Sitting with the fam on Friday and then again cruising with Sydney on Saturday I really got to enjoy the Taste of Tacoma. Put it on your calendar next year!

Good Thing: Vicci Martinez! This tiny rocker kicked so much ass at the Taste. She has come a long way in the last year and her band is fantastic, her stage presence is infectious and her positive quirky attitude is fun and very enjoyable. She just put out her newest and most professional album yet and I think you all would enjoy this Tacoma born and bred gem of a talent.

More good things to come, Northwest sunshine, fourth of july, and dare I say it...its almost festival time!!!!

What good things you all got going on out there?

The Good Things

2009-06-23T16:34:00.002-08:00

So I don't have a lot of time to really dive deep into the end of the trip. Sardegna (Sardinia) was very relaxed and the beaches were beautiful.

Barcelona was a highlight of the trip. Anca from Romania met us there and we absolutely had a blast being tourists around the city. The Ramblas was incredible, the Gaudi architecture mind boggling and inspiring and the, the gothic/barceloneta vast and intense with every step. I loved Barcelona.

Then a night in the airport, a day flight back, and in a couple short hours I was back in the airport with flowers waiting for Sydney to get back from hawaii. I got to meet her family briefly and spend time with her mom and grandma over lunch today. We spent all afternoon lying in the sun and just finally being together after all the time apart and waiting.

I am so happy right now I can't even describe it!

Tomorrow I'm going to take all my belongings to our new house (me and my brother hal). There we will work on making a new home. I really can't wait just to just spend time building a little Tacoma nest, doing chores, running errands and being a normal person for a while, no backpacks, no international cell phones, just a little life enjoying the good things

And that is what I'm going to call this blog from now on. I know its a big change, and I don't want you to be scared, but its time for a change and change is good.

This blog will be dedicated to sharing the good things in life, like long kisses, and live music, and places to visit and things to do and people who make it all worth while.

People like you.

So I'm back. And that is a good thing.

Sicily Is Magical

2009-06-14T01:10:00.003-08:00

Just a short check in, After a frustrating and hard camping-car coastal excursion we finally made it somewhere that ruled so hard! Sicily baby, what a place, the people are extremely hospitable the beaches and towns are incredibly beautiful, and the food, oh the food! Pasta with seafood, mussels, clams, shrimp, squid I was in heaven.

On top of that we met some of the greatest souls and people along the way and decided to keep the FAMILY together. Jordan, Allison and Harmony. We laughed so hard, had so much fun, and really made friendships that will last a lifetime.

So in the end, after some time being pretty frustrated and unimpressed with Italy, Sicily changed everything. I am so glad we were flexible enough to change our trip to come here. Sardinia next after a 10 hour long ferry ride tonight.

8 days till home.

AND thank you SOOOOOO MUCH to all my students for continuing to read the blog and stay in touch, I wont ever forget you the rest of my life and when I get back to America I will get back in touch much better!

Alright, gotta go.

Oh Italy...

2009-06-09T02:29:00.002-08:00

As not to offend, I am an ignorant non italian speaking american so my opinions are not really important.

Here are some things I have noticed about italy.

Restaurant equals pizzeria, they are interchangable
Italian road signs are place at the spot of the turn with no warning whatsoever
Italians drive in both lanes as if they were there own
Bar means that they simply serve beer not that you could go in or do anything but that they just serve alcohol
Pinstripes and pastels, big sunglasses and hair gel...and velco all seem to be the standard issue wear
Italians apparently do not use the internet because finding an internet stop is impossible and when we do its run by Indian people.
Yay bicycling teams on dangerous roads
There are police everywhere all over the place but they actually do not do anything at all ever.
Mopeds can carry two fat men with groceries and a baby if needed.
You can wear sunglasses indoors and at night in italy
the term Supermarket and Minimarket are more a general opinion of the owner and not really reflective of the amount of goods they may sell
But they are never open, the italian work days starts at 10 goes till 1pm then everything closes till 8 when it opens again till whenever.
Graffiti is freaking bad here, really bad.
Its okay to litter in italy, everyone does...
And when you say that you have CAMPING available that really means you will sell us a 10 by 10 plot of barren rock-dirt-shit for 20 euros, cold showers and not toilet paper.

But alas! there is Sicily. After 4 days slumming it in the tent eating nutella sandwiches and food from the supermarket we are living it up in Catania on the island in a 100 a night hotel with a jacuzzi. Major improvement. Its our last splurge before we go back to backpacks and tent slumming.

Thoughts of home always, italy is growing on me, palermo next, then sardinia. good times are being had by all.

Miss you red hot fire mama.

peace

Romania and Roma yee ha

2009-06-02T10:46:00.004-08:00

Ah Romania Motsu Mesc for the Suica, Gogosh, Piazzas and mamaleega! Where do I start? I cant really, its a mysterious newly post communist nation full of conflicting and emerging identity deeply rooted in history. The young people we met spoke great English, the food we ate was incredible and bus rides we took put the fear of death into us.

Romania was a hard week. Many trains, planes, buses, maxi taxis, hitchhiking, and cabs. It took a great host in Brett to show us around Vama Veche, Sibiu and Abrud. Brett continues to amaze me as a great friend and wonderful life long learner. I hope he knows that despite the bad weather in Sibiu which wasnt that bad our trip couldnt have been any more incredible. Never in my life did I think I would experience something like that and probably never will again.

Also thank you to the hosting ladies of the trip. Maria put us up for multiple days and shared her boyfriend Brett with us. She was sweet and smart and very patient. Also thank you to Anca and Catalina for the Monday nightfood and place to stay, mamaleega mama cook so good! We are forever in debt to all our hosts for the hospitality. More on this later.

(one day later) We did Rome efficiently today. Saw almost all the sights except the Sistene Chapel. I was blown away by how many different ruling societies had destroyed, rebuilt, destroyed again, and rebuilt again different monuments and buildings and churches in town. A down and out South African illegal tourguide gave us a cheap personal and amazing tour of some free unknown places including a underground excavation of a pre christ burial place under a church, he showed us the most amazing fruit roll pastery thing in the Jewish Ghetto, and got us super cheap coffee all the while giving some heartfelt and knowledgable history on the city.

Tomorrow we go to Pompeii where we might camp for next to no euros. The day after that we travel to Salerno to rent our midget mobile and drive the Amalfi Coast safely as possible and avoiding the feared city of Naples which everyone has told us not to drive through.

My opinion of Rome changed from annoyance and disgust for the garbage and graffiti which is unbelievably sad for a city with such a rich history, to an opinion of respect and understanding for a city that has been in constant change for over 2000 years. Tonight hopefully some good food and some nightlife and then a travel day tomorrow with a little pompeii thrown in.

I just cant wait to get to the coast, open road with my brother, and some italian opera blasting the speakers.

Hope all is well back home, miss you mom and dad, miss you randy and suzye and all the homies, and mostly I miss you my sydney baby!

Next update might be from ???????

Romania

2009-05-29T00:50:00.002-08:00

In Romania, safe and sound and finally with shower and internet, Brett is great, things are swell, hopefully I'll get more time to update later but we are off on another adventure, missing home a bit but doing well.

More to come soon.

Goodbye London, Hello Romania

2009-05-24T15:34:00.002-08:00

Well landmark number one complete, London was fine indeed. Here are my overall impressions:

1: Super Expensive...sheesh, American dollar is shit here.
2: Very very diverse, I've never seen so many people from different races and nationalities all in one place. French, Australians, Indians, Germans, Italians and so many more. We met some great people in this city and really enjoyed their company. Liam from England and Alessandra from Italy proved to be great walking buddies for exploring the city.
3: Walk, Walk, Walk, you can walk for miles and all day and never see it all, what a massive city.
4: There are free museums that rival our most expensive ones in America...educating the people and giving them free health care...what a noble idea?
5: Camden still was my favorite part of London, gotta love that hippy influence...now I have to check out the Kooks they sounded great.
6: Hostels creat either a great appreciation for the nationalities of fellow travellers...or great disdane. 30 french teens make you question the french, a idiotic finnish person makes you wonder about them, and so on.
7: Food tastes much better at 4 in the morning.
8: I am very happy I came to London, I don't know that if I had the chance to spend a buttload of money I would pick this country to spend it in.
9: Way better to travel with Obama in office than Bush, people don't hate Americans nearly as much as they used to...but I kind of do, many of the Americans we've met are dooshes.

Well its like the London equivalent of a Memorial Day here so we have to get a cab and simultaneously raped on the price to go to the airport tomorrow so we better get on that.

Peace for now!

...ps I love you baby.

London mates

2009-05-21T12:16:00.002-08:00

In London safe and sound. Everything went off with out a hitch, saw Windsor Castle, Bath, and Stonehenge today, very good, taking it easy, having fun with Hal, missing home too.

Pictures and updates to come sometime hope all is well, I'm happy and doing fine.

Peace from London.

Made IT!

2009-05-15T22:09:00.002-08:00

Just wanted to let you know I'm home safe and sound.

So happy right now! Saying goodbye in Mekoryuk was heartbreaking. But seeing my mom and dad made it all worth it.

Can't wait to see my friends and baby girl tomorrow! I wanna go to sleep so that its tomorrow already!

Goodbye Mekoryuk

2009-05-14T15:55:00.002-08:00

Come on! Let's go! Lets get outta here! Let's get a move on!

The classroom is clean, the posters are down, the electronics are covered, the shelves covered and organized, the drawers emptied, the students are all but gone, there isn't any reason on earth for me to come to work tomorrow, I should just get on the flight tonight. Union contract be damned!

Oh wait...I haven't cleaned the toilet, or the bathroom sink or the floors, in my apartment. I still have a we bit of packing to do yet, and my ticket isn't till tomorrow . But now that my tv, and cable box are gone, xbox packed, knitting materials given away, I am totally freaking stuck and bored. What will I do?

Hopefully Gary will let me hang out with him one last night. I'm going to miss a lot people here too.

Gary, my awesome principal, neighbor, and best Alaska friend. We watch boxing together, talk about America and the state of the world, and live the bachelor life eating junk food and drinking soda pop (even though he's married and I am in love both our ladies are far away...alas...bachelors.) I'm going to miss Gary and his wife Pam a lot, they became my family.

Annie and Ralph. Annie is a fiery red headed Irish Catholic woman from New York State and married Ralph our ex Navy Maintainence Man. Annie lived next to me last year before moving in with her husband and I lovingly call them "Mom and Dad." Ralph shows me how to fix stuff, start engines, and takes me fishing. Annie worries about me and lets me vent to her. I will miss them too hopefully a little one on the way soon.

Alice the school secretary has become like a close aunt/mother to me. She has had 13 different principals work over her at the Nuniwarmiut School and she is the one who really holds the power. She sends me funny emails, laughs at my jokes, and flips me shit in a good way. She is always on my side and looks out for me. She is an amazing grandmother to on of my students Dawn.

Carol is the mother of my College bound student Hazel and the HS Cup'ig teacher. She has filled a very important role in my life. In a world where everyone I meet is either a student or a coworker I have been forced to go weeks with out the human contact of a simple hug. Carol is my hugging mom. She gives me a hug at least once a day (more now that I'm leaving). She is a very good mom to Hazel and a caring teacher. I will miss her so much!

Edith the lunch lady has been a very interesting lady. She works hard to turn the overprocessed low quality food the government sends us into something delicious and edible. She makes a mean mac'n'cheese and awesome pudding. I try to speak Cup'ig to her and she always complies. She is like an aunt too, not so warm and loving on the surface, but underneath that lunch lady bravado is a very nice warm loving wonderful woman.

Jack the Army Reserve janitor is a good family man trying to raise a big family, serving time in Iraq and coming to work and doing his job religiously and well too. He's a rock of a man and our school is lucky to have him.

Lydia is the Postlady. She has consistently helped me with my conversational Cup'ig speaking as well as put up with me relentlessly asking for two years if I have any packages. I gave her a hug yesterday when I turned in PO box key...single tear.

Chance is the cashier at his father's convenience store across the street. I buy candy bars, pop, and illegal movie rentals from him (probably over 1000 dollars in business over the years). He is really quiet, works long hours, and plays a lot of flight simulator. He found a picture of Forest Gump during his running stage with a beard and long hair and showed it to everyone saying it was me, that was a good one.

Sarah is the anime loving graduated older sister of one of my graduates this year. She works at the store, wears lots of black gothic clothes and has interesting hair do's and loves anime cartoons. She is incredibly smart and hard working. She always reminds me how hard it is to be alternative out here.

The Barnett's have only been here this year but they have been good friends to me, let me rent a cable box, had me over for pizza and real latte's, and Kevin and I picked berries and fished a lot. They let me watch their dog foster and he kept me company despite his shenanigans.

Nathan is the pastor of the church and former teacher at our school. He and his awesome Cup'ig wife Sandra (LEP teacher at school) run the Covenant church and are great Christians and people. They don't judge, they treat everyone with generosity and kindness, and they have me over for dinner a lot to eat strange and unique traditional food and their two children are growing up fast, they have showed me a lot of love and hospitality and I appreciate all they have done for me. Nathan loves the underdog in boxing and Oklahoma State Football both of which I will root for the rest of my life.

There are so many other characters I am going to miss from my two years here. Local's around town, students, drop outs, graduates, parents, I'm going to miss this little slice of history in many ways. But the time has come to go, and go I must, goodbye Mekoryuk, goodbye Alaska,
HELLO WASHINGTON!

Puirci Quayana

Hey Fog You Yoga Man...or...I'd Rather Have a Foggy Mind Than Foggy Beliefs

2009-05-13T13:10:00.003-08:00

Oh don't you just love how the weather is amazing except for the days right before you leave? The last two days we've been fogged in, pea soup surrounds the island. I'm super freaked out and paranoid that I will get stuck. Think good thoughts think good thoughts think good thoughts.

I have so much riding on getting back on time. Not only do I need to get my new house key, say hello to a couple prospective employers, gather up some travel supplies, see my family and love my baby girl, I need to simply be home...um...now please.

School has come to a slow crawl, many student absences, many student mental absences, lots of last finishing up chores.

Last night I got a good chunk of the cleaning done in my apartment, the kitchen, stove, sink, cupboards, refrigerator and countertops are all done. Now all thats left is the bathroom sink, toilet, shower once more, and all the linoleum floor needs to get mopped, and the carpet vacuumed.

Additionally I need to return a cable box and transfer ownership of a tv I sold. I also have a lot of berries and trout to give away as well.

And then there is the final pack up. To get my whole life home I had to mail three $45 dollar boxes home and I'll be taking a green army duffel, a backpacker pack, and a blue storage tub for checked bags as well as a backpack with my instruments for a carry on.

Jeez....La...weeze.

In other news I've been working on really getting my Reverbnation Page up and running. It doesn't hold as many songs as my IAC (Independent Artist Company Website) Page but it seems to have a better layout for promoting, scheduling, and sharing your work and music. If you would like to become an official Kale Iverson fan and receive fan news you can put your email in above. If I know your email I might even put it in myself (you know you love me).

What else? Hmmm...Oh yeah, even though we haven't done yoga in over a month and a half I've heard that "Yoga" is under the Christian magnifying glass of some Mekoryuk believers. Other Enjoyable activities that have been deemed unfit/sinful for a good Christian to participate in are the cultural practice of Native Dancing, and Fiddle Dances (to a Live Band).

So, no dancing, no live music, no yoga...NO SOUL! It kind of reminds me of John Lithgow's rules as pastor of the town in "Footloose" with Kevin Bacon. I wonder if their are any rambunctious teens dancing in secret, playing instruments in hide outs, and doing yoga DVD's in abandoned warehouses. What kind of world would it be without dancing, music, and healthy exercise?

But you know what you can do as a good Christian in Mekoryuk that no one seems to bat and eyelash over? You can own and illegal gambling haven that rents DVD's illegally (You know that FBI warning at the beginning of movies?). And you can gamble at the Game Room illegally (but only if you're 18) Thats right. You have to legally be 18 to illegally gamble at the game room (right in front of Children). The town of Mekoryuk still hasn't seemed to be able to crack down on the raging marijuana dealing out openly in the streets, or the several creeps and sexual abusers roaming around, but Yoga, there is a dangerous thing right there, so sinful and hideous the way they get together in fellowship to breath and stretch and keep their bodies healthy, how dare they, Jesus certainly wouldn't approve thats for god damn sure.

Intolerance and Hypocrisy, not too Christian if you ask me. Another thing that I heard on Real Time with Bill Maher. Do you believe in evolution? "NO NO NO I DON'T" Fundamentalists would say. Well do you believe the swine flu exists? "Yes, yes I do." Okay, if you believe in the swine flu then you recognize that a virus was able to genetically change from mutations and jump across the species barrier of swine to human thus a product of evolution itself, in real time that we ourselves can witness, so then, if you don't accept Evolution then you should also not accept all the medicine they'll give you when you get the swine flu. Luckily you have prayers to clear that chest congestion though.

You can't have your cake and eat it too.

Fortunately for the residents of Mekoryuk, the big evil, devil worshiping Kale Iverson with his horrible, despicable, nasty, dirty, sinful, heretic practice of (in deep voice) EVIL DEATH SATAN YOGA will be leaving on Friday. They better pray the weather clears otherwise I'm gonna do yoga down mainstreet as everyone is going to friday night church...just kidding.

Oh well, I'd like to think that besides the very damaging and mind warping experience of practicing YOGA a couple of times, I did a lot of good for these kids and this community. In time they will remember that hopefully.

Either way 2 days and BA BA BA BOOOOOOOOO YAAAAAAAAKASHAAAAAA~! I'm out.

New Song "Wrong"

2009-05-11T10:29:00.002-08:00

After a month plus long lay off from song writing and recording I had a flash of creativity and energy and I wrote and recorded my new song "Wrong" over two days this weekend.

The Song is Available in many ways.

First of all, the 6th song on the Reverbnation player to the right will play it for you right now.

You can also go and download it for free at http://www.reverbnation.com/kaleiverson

You can stream it from my IAC artist page at http://iacmusic.com/artist.aspx?id=100852

You can also go directly to the song page at http://iacmusic.com/songs.aspx?SongID=74014&ArtistID=100852

And here is the lyrics Below:

Wrong
by Kale Iverson

The kids play outside,
In the center of the road,
And you and I
Watch from our windows.
People on their way to work,
Shining Lights and coffee holders,
How can it hurt so bad
To watch yourself get a little bit older?

And There's something going on
In this crystal shell we are not alone
And the land that we're livin on
And the lives we buy and sell
Its all Wrong
Wrong, Wrong, Wrong

Snakes with their poison
Trees with their dying leaves
Paths we have travelled on
And dreams that've gone to seed
Babies crying after midnight
With their father's fast asleep
Lighting strikes on the skyline
And the darkness we'll never see

And There's something going on
In this crystal shell we are not alone
And the land that we're livin on
And the lives we buy and sell
Its all Wrong
Wrong, Wrong, Wrong

Weekend Update: Mother's Day Edition

2009-05-10T11:43:00.004-08:00

My Brother already wrote a beautiful post about my Mom. And my Mom already wrote an amazing post about my grandmas and great grandmas.

What can I do? I can do a whole weekend update for the mom's out there (specifically you mom).

Mom's Musical Artist's of the Week: I consider myself deeply rooted musically in the music of my childhood. The Doors, Jimmy Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, War, Janis Joplin, CCR, Moody Blues etc. But I never ever admit to a softer side of my musical experience of life.

SO THIS Weeks musical artists are ones that my mom showed me.

First and foremost is Elton John, I dramatically complain about having to listen to him every time she plays him now but I secretly don't want to, and in all reality, now that I've gone back to things like Supertramp, I have been checking out a lot of Elton John on itunes, I am ready and willing to learn about his early stuff. Like the Beatles I just get annoyed with the overplayed sound, but recently I have been really interested in Elton John's beginning.

Secondly, I will stick up for, nay proclaim awesomeness for Carol King. I used to belt these songs out in the car as a kid and I didn't care what it was, I still get really excited when her album "Tapestry" finds its way onto the Subaru speakers on one of our ill fated Iverson Family Adventures.

Thirdly, The Carpenters, I remember these little heartfelt brother/sister ditties from time to time. I can't say that I hated it though, I just don't remember it a lot until I actually hear the songs and then bam a bunch of memories come rushing back. So serene, so peaceful, so blissfully the 70's.

Fourthly, Simon and Garfunkel. Definitely still think that this is a great album, I think that Paul Simon was the genus, but we listened to this one a lot growing up and and I still think about it whenever the fall comes around and its time to listen to a rustling leaves sort of album.

Lastly, an album I still love and enjoy today is Loretta Lynn's "Coal Miner's Daughter." I still know all the songs, I still love this kind of music, and little did I know that this would be my first exposure to country/bluegrass sound. (Plus check out her new-ish album with Jack White from the White Stripes its the bomb).

Now I never give credit to these influences on my musical choices and preferences (out of embarassment). But, listening to this softer, poppier side of music has made me who I am today. Take my special bond with Xavier Rudd the Australian Didjeridoo guitar master, heavily influenced by Paul Simon. Take Grace Potter and the Nocturnal's a new favorite of mine, totally ripping off Carol King Tapestry, and take Band's like Bon Iver, Kings of Convenience, and Fleet Foxes and other softy McSoftersteins that wouldn't have a chance if Paul Simon and Garfunkel whatever his name-is hadn't paved the way.

So thank you mom, for your corny, popular music, despite how much I complain I appreciate it.
(Even the Jefferson Starship...but lets keep that a secret).

Old Mom Phrase of the Week: To talk like my mom you have to always be really positive. Especially during the holidays or when looking forward to something family related, "It will all work out." or "Just do your best." or "You worry too much everything will be just fine" "Don't you just love decorating the christmas tree." "I just love Christmas don't you?" You also need to have a lot of happy sighs and back patting and hugs. The effect of talking like this mom, whether you know it or not, is that without it we would live dismal, cynical, depressing lives full of fear and sadness. So thank you for being the positive rock we break ourselves upon!

Weather In Washington: Right now spring is sprunging which will soon find my mom placed in her favorite after work spot sipping a tasty beverage on the lounge chairs at the bottom of the yard in Gig Harbor, Washington where she can lay out and catch the last fleeting rays of sun. In my life I have never met someone who loves to lay out in the sun more than you mom. Luckily you have that native skin that doesn't freckle up and burn like me and dad, you just look like a Blackfoot Indian (Hal too, but he's blonde). So I got the beard, but Hal got the tan, fair trade !

Mom's Art Update: Despite making an art out of Christmas decorations and tree design. She used to love to sing in her church choir, and also with her guitar. I'm hoping she will pick this back up soon because I can't imagine my life with out an instrument and I think it is an amazing outlet for any person to reconnect with themself.

My Mom's Blog My mom has an awesome blog, "Queen of the Beach." Not only is it written really well, it has a lot of important history of my life and childhood that I really am thankful for. Just when I forget who I am, she reminds me of exactly what world I came from. I am so happy that through all this adventuring my brother and I have done to Alaska and Europe that the three of us have been able to stay intimately involved in each other's lives through this blogging form of communication. Its easy to get disconnected from the ones you love, but blogging allows you to read about what they are going through even if you can't seem to find the time to call them on the phone. (Now we just got to get dad on board!)

Lastly But Not Leastly: After reading my brother's mother day post, and my mom's mother's day post it made me think about the one thing that I've always thought of that separates my mom from other moms. My mom loves life. Not just christmas, not just Elton John, not just her son's, but life. She is enthusiastic, positive and pure.

But above all else, my mom loves baseball. Don't believe me? Well my mom was my t-ball team coach (she had a huge screaming match with a male coach over a rule dispute and won because she was right), and the team after that too (go blue jays!), and on top of that she stepped up and became the assistant coach of my little league team (thank goodness ol' bill was an alcoholic), and then after that she was the Head Coach of my little brother's little league team, and she was the first female coach in the league (with a bunch of male bastard yuppie asswads), and she was so good at kicking some man coach ass on that little field that they voted her as the Head Coach of the entire league's All-Star team, another first, and better yet, she did it with a huge smile and a lot of love. She didn't become the all-star coach as a novelty, it wasn't just because she was a woman, it was because she is a great coach, an amazing baseball thinker and strategist, and a great nurturer of fundamentals and the love of the game.

Someday I will be a baseball coach too, (hopefully she'll keep my books because I still can't, I was too busy playing to learn)...

I will be so many things because of you mom. When the forces of negative and positive battled it out inside my heart and mind growing up, you were always there to remind me of the good side. And you won mom, you won, I am a positive person, with a big heart and lots of extra love to give because you filled me up so good.

Happy mother's day...I'll call you later tonight!

Emotional Graduation

2009-05-09T10:28:00.002-08:00

Last night was the Graduation Ceremony of the Nuniwarmiut School Class of 2009. After 3 days of hard work and preparation the ceremony went off without any major hitches and was very very humbling.

Each of the three graduating seniors gave their own speech. I was to go on after our pastor and school board member gave his. I was nervous to be the commencement speaker and each of the students had a personal heartfelt thank you specifically for me.

Hazel the valedictorian, spoke eloquently about how it takes an entire community to raise a child, and shared a few personal stories that touched everyone. She thanked me for keeping her organized and motivated and said that I helped with her college application and filling out her first scholarship application (that she got).

Poor Juanita got a horrible chest flu and lost her voice hours earlier that day, but she pressed on anyway and gave a very humbling speech thanking each staff member of the school including janitors, cooks, and maintenance workers, then she thanked me for sticking with her through her tough times and helping her finish school.

And Harvey ended by telling a real tear jerker about how he had many great teachers and how much his father sacrificed to raise his family, and then he got me good by turning from the podium, looking me in the eye, and saying I was the best teacher he ever had.

By this point I was overwhelmed with emotions. I had already welled up tears a couple of times and hadn't even given my speech yet.

It has only been 8 years since I graduated high school. I can’t even remember it really, which is weird because its supposed to be one of the most important days of your life. I just remember what it felt like

I was really excited to leave home and FINALLY be on my own. I was sick of my hometown. Just like most of the teenagers here, my friends and I used to say:

“This place is so boring, there is nothing to do, I can’t wait till I get outta here man.” (LOTS OF LAUGHING)

But then one day I did leave home. A couple friends came with me, but most of them stayed behind.

And As soon as my parents dropped me off in that dorm room in college on the other side of the state I knew things had changed for good.

I moved away to college, I went to Australia and Fiji, graduated college, moved close to home, got a normal job at the power company, quit, went Chile and Peru, went back to school to become a teacher, and got a job on a tiny Eskimo village in Alaska where I have lived and taught here for two years (LOTS AND LOTS OF CLAPPING), and now in one week I’ll be going home again.

I have gone all over the world in search of something I don’t know if I’d ever find. All the while it was right at home.

I say this to you now because is whether you are going to college in Anchorage, going to Bethel to work, or whether you are staying right here in Mekoryuk you have to know that your home will always be here on this island, and this island is special. You can go off and do great things all over the world but part of your heart will be right here.

Whether you’re graduating, or you will soon, or whether you never did, or whether you already have, I want to share somethings I’ve learned from my adventures with you.

As my last effort as your teacher, friend, fellow human being and honored graduation guest, here is Mr. Kale Iverson’s top 10 tips for kicking butt at life and being an all around awesome person (MASSIVE CHEERING) Are you ready?

Number 1: Most important of all! Stay positive. My grandfather had a famous saying that I try to live by, “When you wake up in the morning each day you have only one decision to make: “Will I have a good day or will I have a bad day.” If you make that right decision the rest will fall in line. So have a good day ok?

Number 2: Listen to your heart and do what’s right. Inside every one of you is a feeling you get when you know what you’re doing is wrong or right. When you get that feeling listen to it because everything balances out in life and know that how you treat others will come back around some day, good or bad.

Number 3: Learn from the past, plan for the future, but be here now living in the moment. Don’t dwell on the past because you can’t change it, move on, fix mistakes with your actions in the now. And don’t trip on the future and worry because it won’t ever be exactly how you planned. But the moment that we’re in right now, you can do that perfectly.

Number 4: Every person you meet has a special message for you or you have a special message for them. No matter who they are, nice, mean, old, young, helpful, evil, caring, boring, male, female, gay, straight, deformed, ugly, beautiful, old, young, black, white, green, purple or red, you can learn something from everyone around you and maybe they can learn from you. So listen to what people have to say and try to see things from their point of view.

Number 5: Always Work Hard and Do It Right. An old baseball coach I once had told me that “if you aren’t playing in today’s game its because you’re not good enough.” As mean as that sounds its also true. If you work hard enough, practice enough, and try hard enough you can get anything you want in life, but don’t do things halfway or Bitchadoon and then complain about not getting what you want. Do things the RIGHT WAY the FIRST TIME.

Number 6: Be yourself. Guess what? You are a DORK! Get over it. To be yourself you have to get to know yourself which will take your whole life. Trying to be someone else or what someone else wants you to be will only leave you feeling empty and confused. Be proud of who you are and all your weirdness, and dorkyness, and coolness. People will be attracted to your individuality and be more comfortable around you.

Number 7: Be the Change You want to see in the world. (Ghandi) If you don’t like the way things are in your life or the world around you, start by making the change in yourself and setting the example. Bossing people around and complaining about things won’t change anything and neither will violence, anger, or hatred. Only a positive example of a better solution will ever make people change.

Number 8: Life is short, have fun…but don’t hurt yourself or others. Its important to have a good time in life, and almost anything you will ever have to do can be fun if your try. Just remember you have to do some things in life you don’t want to so that you can earn the freedom to do whatever you want. And that freedom is what we live for. Its ok to have fun, just make sure its not hurting yourself and others.

Number 9: Your Best is All You Can Do. If you do your best job on everything, then you can rest easy knowing that you did your part in any part of this world and that you did all you could do. But if you don’t then you will have regrets in life. Don’t be afraid to succeed and do your best, at least then you can look back on your life and be proud.

Number 10: Be Creative in life. Paint. Draw. Play and instrument. Make clothing, make art, make music, make poetry, make songs, make people laugh, make movies, take pictures, make gifts for people, creating beautiful and wonderful and thought provoking and useful things in life is one way you can leave your mark on the world. Be the creator of beauty in your life, a giver of happiness, a producer of joy.

So all together here they are: Stay Positive, Listen to your heart and do what’s right, live in the moment, Remember that everyone has a message, work hard and do things right, always be yourself, be the change you want to see in the world, its ok to have fun but don’t’hurt anybody, do you best always, and be creative in life.

I’m positive that if you do those ten things no matter where you live, no matter what you do, no matter who you are, you will be happy and successful.

Thank you for letting me get to know each and everyone of you. You have each given me a message that I will never regret. I came here Kale Iverson and Leave here Massuucikili. (WILD CHEERING).

Now I have one last message for each graduate.

Hazel please promise me that you will use all your powers for something amazing in life, you can do anything you want, all you have to do is try and keep working hard like you do and you will come out on top…I promise! Don’t settle for anything or anyone. (STARTING TO WELL UP BAD).

Harvey please promise me that you will take a breath and think before you act sometimes. Always continue to be that amazing caring and loving big brother I know you are. (CHOKING UP AND A TEAR FALLS ON MY SPEECH PAGE) You are strong and tough on the outside but inside you have a big caring heart, don’t forget that and let it guide your way. (WIPING TEARS AWAY FROM MY FACE AT THIS POINT).

And Juanita please promise me that you will always remember to smile. (SNIFFLING AND WIPING TEARS) It is a very simple request. Inside of you lives a happy girl and when you smile and relax you are so amazing. Remember you can always stop at any moment and start your day all over with a deep breath and a smile. (FLAT OUT CRYING).

Qauyana to everyone in Mekoryuk for your love, and hospitality, and support over the last two years. I am sad in my heart to leave this place for now. Hopefully we will all meet again soon.

Congratulations to Juanita, Harvey and Hazel on a great achievement and congratulations to the parents, school staff, and community on your new 2009 Nuniwarmiut School High School Graduates.

Thank you, and make Mekoryuk Proud Class of 2009.

Peace.

After the speeches and the processional off the stage, the three seniors gathered for pictures, handshakes and hugs.

I must say that this year has been hard on me. This year I have stepped up, taken more responsibility at school, done seemingly much more than I though I was responsible for, and for the most part felt under-appreciated most of the time by almost everyone, but hearing those speeches and seeing the gigantic proud and heartfelt smiles on the faces of the students, parents and family, I felt like my whole life, and and my whole experience here was validated.

Last night I knew for the first time that being a teacher is exactly what I am supposed to do. Three kids graduated last night. I didn't know if they were going to make it when I first met them. I felt so sentimental last night, I was so proud, I felt like they were my own kids, and after all they were my first graduates. I don't think its something I'll ever forget.

one week

2009-05-07T16:18:00.002-08:00

Now that expectations have been eliminated from school learning, its actually pretty fun. We had a lot of good laughs today, worked as a whole school to get ready for the graduation ceremony tomorrow.

Tomorrow marks a week till I'm home, a moment I never thought would come, but finally its here! Its so hard to keep my exploding emotions under my hat. I just don't know how to say what I'm feeling without being super gushy and emotional and extry gooey so I'll spare you all.

This weekend will be filled with final apartment cleaning, final packing, and final everything.

On that note I've decided to blow of the Alaska Ed Department on applying for my professional certification, they want me to get all my forms from all over creation that I've already sent them and turn them in AGAIN, besides I already sent all this stuff when I first came up here, and I have to pay them more money/fees, and do a whole bunch of other stupid crap to stay certified in a state I won't even be working in. I figure if I ever come back I'll just re apply since I have all the necessary requirements. No use in battling this notoriously bad department office frantically in the next week and adding more heaping spoonfuls of stress in my life.

I'm getting awful sentimental about my village friends and students. There are a lot more hugs, more reminiscing conversations, and more "I'm gonna miss you's." Its getting beautiful outside and speak of the devil I gotta give a friend a ride to the airport in the old Dodge.

Congratulations Class of 2009.

Top Five Albums That Matter

2009-05-06T15:48:00.003-08:00

Dammit, I finally gave in, I bought the Bon Iver album "For Emma, Forever Ago." I've been listening a lot to NPR's All Songs Considered from last years podcasts and they finally convinced me to get it, I'm glad I did, its really good, and like cell phones and iPods, I'm very late to get on this bus too, better late than never I guess. This album makes me want to crawl into my bed with a blanket and never get up, or walk around on a cold morning sunrise. What a dork I am...

Although the morons on All Songs Considered gave shitty reviews to the My Morning Jacket "Evil Urges" album which I think is in my sacred top 5 albums that matter list and makes me question their taste in music I got it anyway. This leads me to think about what really are my other 4 top 5 albums that matter as of today (a constantly evolving list). And what I mean is as a complete package these albums are the most complete and amazing efforts I've ever heard.

My Top Five Serious Albums that Matter are:

1.) Radiohead "Kid A"

2.) Modest Mouse "The Moon and Antarctica"

3.) The Flaming Lips "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots"

4.) My Morning Jacket "Evil Urges"

5.) Is A threeway tie: Arcade Fire "Funeral" vs. Wilco "Sky Blue Sky" vs. Dr. Dog "Fate"

There are a lot of albums that got chopped from this list, but if I had to take 5 albums to the county fair to be judged for a blue ribbon, these would be them.

What did I leave out? I didn't put any older albums on because those are all "givens." Also there weren't any real jam bands on there because they are usually way better live than their albums show. Don't get all up in my grill because I left your fave off, if you present a good case I will consider changing my list. I'm open to debate here, except for Radiohead Kid A, you are gonna have to be pretty damn convincing to get me to remove that one.

9 days!

Slow ing t o a gr i n d in g h a l t

2009-05-05T16:13:00.002-08:00

Today was slightly better. My kids are not evil, they are just tired, probably of me.

Sorry if yesterday offended you or changed your opinion of me.

I am just stretched a little thin these days.

Even though my students drive me nuts, I'm still going to miss the heck out of these little knuckle heads. They have been the closest things to friends that I've had up here and I think there will be a big hole in my heart when I go.

Graduation is Friday (three this year woo hoo!) and along with our regular absences (about two a day) and two students going to bethel for testing all next week we might be down to about 7 students next week in the High School which is probably contributing to the overall attitudes of apathy and melancholy.

Once again, I'm sorry if I offended you, please forgive me.

I got my plane ticket, now I'm battling the Alaska Certification office and trying to wrap up other important things before I go.

Needless to say I am just generally stressed out. My dreams have always mirrored my level of stress. Last night I had violent dreams of post apocalyptic revolution (some of it in German which I somehow understood) and had to literally slice people in half with a samurai sword and defend a princess. I woke this morning by punching my pillow and sweating.

I am trying to keep myself sane by listening to lots of Polyphonic Spree and drinking good coffee.

Its not working.

WORST DAY EVER

2009-05-04T15:25:00.002-08:00

What do you get when you mix a major personal life screw up with 14 of the most apathetic and whiney baby students in the world? THE WORST DAY EVER.

So it all began 1st period when my normally perky and pleasant 7th and 8th grade Girls Science class was totally tired and cranky, it took me a whole period to cheer them up, get them laughing and learning and off they went. The rest of the day however was a complete waste of time. The students can smell the overwhelming stench of bloody summer in the water and are circling in for the kill (which oddly enough is a metaphor for smoking more pot, staying up later, and doing even less work than they usually don't do, not exactly a perfect match of a metaphor I know).

But then just when my day was hurdling towards the city limits of Shittytown, USA. I had this creepy uneasy feeling come over me. It was that I hadn't gotten a flight reminder email from Alaska Airlines. Thats when I realized over about 15 frantic minutes of internet and phone searching that I, in fact, hadn't bought my plane ticket home to Washington. What a fucking idiot I am. Not only is this very uncharacteristic of me to pull boners like this one, but it is also very costly. On top of that the flight that I usually take home is sold out. So now I have to take the red eye putting me back in seattle at 5:47 am on Saturday morning. All this for the low low price of $567 dollars after tax. What a moron. Now I'm going to be totally spent and beat up for my half day with my parents before I go and see my girlfriend for the first time in 5 months and on top of that I get one day after that pretty much to get ready for Europe. All of this still completely rests on the fact that A.) I'll be able to get to the airport past the flooding, and B.) The weather is good enough for a plane to land and C.) That the lazy bastards at the bush plane services get here on time to pick me up and get me to Bethel before last check in at Alaska Airlines where D.) those assholes purposefully over book every flight out of Bethel just to screw with people.

I could just leave on Thursday night right? Friday is only a half day anyway no big woop...WRONG...big woop indeed. The union contract says you can't take vacation or sick days on the last days of schools or breaks (even if you're not coming back...EVER! What if I had Swine Flu?) So I can't leave or I'll be in a breach of contract.

So basically. I am gonna do my best to get off the island on the midday flight Friday, try to go standby for the 2:16pm out of bethel (75 dollar seat change fee) and try to go stand by for an earlier flight in anchorage (another 75 dollar flight change fee) so that I don't have to spend the night in the airport. EITHER WAY THIS WHOLE THING FRIGGING SUCKS.

It would be a whole lot different if the kids were better, but they're not, they are awful right now, this year is different than last year. Last year the kids were stressed because of all the work they needed to finish, this year our kids have literally given a giant middle finger to the phases, their teachers, and their classes and there isn't anything I or anyone else can do about it.

Quite frankly I think we should just have half days the rest of the year and let the kids who need/want to finish work stay after lunch if they want to. Because forcing me to try and teach these sloth-esque creatures is completely insane and idiotic and I, quite quite quite faaaaaaaaraaaaaaaankly am done here.

I was going to work on my graduation speech tonight, but now I don't think I'm in the right mood. Unless I want it to sound like this...

"Congratulations You graduated High School, hopefully your life won't suck. Peace I'm OUT."

Hopefully your day didn't suck major horses ass like mine did. Good day.

Weekend Update

2009-05-03T11:20:00.003-08:00

Twelve Days from now I will be in Washington.

Musical Artist of the Week: I always kind of overlooked this band. I used to hear their songs on JamOn on Sirius satellite radio and never was really impressed all that much. But I just got an itch to check em out and so I bought their late night set from Bonaroo last year. THE DISCO BISCUITS are a crazy marriage of seemingly plain rock and roll music that quickly disintegrates into an all out space synth jam disco dance party extravaganza spectaculare. Its hard to describe how quickly they transition from a traditional sounding song into a 19 minute long disco prog synth jam that (if we're lucky) will bleed into an off the wall cover like "Safety Dance." They are kind of like a mixture between Umphrey's McGee and The New Deal.

Old Person Phrase of the Week: I told someone that I was going to use this a while ago and then didn't. The weeks phrase is "Negative Nancy." I wonder who the original Nancy was that was so negative that she got coined this moniker .

Weather on Nunivak: The sunsets around 11pm have been beautiful, the weather is warm, the puddles are bountiful and slush, the giant mounds of snow just keep melting, the exposed tundra has almost eclipsed the snow on top. And the road to the airport is finally open. Thank goodness...except now the road is flooding. Hopefully I won't have to enlist a boat to get the airport to get home.

Art Update: Not much goin on in my art, I got some new cover songs to work on but thats about it.

Blog Changes: As you can see, this blog has already started molting its alaskan exoskeleton, expect more changes to come, but definitely more hippie references, more pictures, more sunshine, more music, more fun, and more goofiness hopefully.

Lastly But Not Leastly: I'm still feeling very sad for the poor Ricky Hatton who got his brain mushified by Manny Pacquio last night on HBO payperview fights. I really thought he had a chance to beat the Pac Man if he could survive the initial onslaught of speed and fury. Unfortunately he was destroyed. Hopefully he makes a comeback, because he is a great guy.

The dance was C+. The little kids made it hard for the big kids to take it seriously. There weren't enough teen agers to really do the slowdance thing, and I eventually was forced to play songs from their list of horrible, awful, extremely terrible music so that they would get up and dance. Over all it was fun though and we did a good job of transforming the gym into something a little bit cooler than previous efforts with the projection of a sound visualizer on the wall/ceiling. No drama to speak of and generally it was well received.

I'm still stumped as what to say at the graduation speech. Hopefully something will come to me.

The apartment is almost packed up, I sent one final box home yesterday with my parka and a comforter.

My awesome friends in Bethel: Sadie, Angie, and Erin sent me possibly the most pleasing gift I've gotten in a while. They sent a package returning a shirt I left at there house but they also included a union suit. If you don't know what that is, its a full body long underwear suit that has a button up buttflap, and buttons down the front to the crotch. It is bright red and it is hilarious, I've been wearing it non stop with shorts and t-shirt. Thanks ladies!

I'm trying to figure out some ways to take pictures out on the tundra in my union suit...

Thats about it. Just counting down the days. Days are slow to go by but time is going fast.

Have a good week

Wicka Wicka DJ Iverson in da House

2009-05-01T09:15:00.002-08:00

That's right, I've received an honor (I'm more proud of this than speaking at graduation for some reason) to DJ the high school dance tonight. Students can expect lots of Daft Punk, lots of random funky boogies from James Brown and Jamiroquai, Michael Franti, Outcast, and lots and lots of secret favorites from my extensive hippie arsenal.

They will probably hate it because they wanna listen to the dam fangled rap music all about getting your booty low and grinding all up on your junk in the trunk and keepin it real, gettin it poppin, icing that blang, crackulating, off the chains and hooks, and doin that thang, and sippin on some scissors, and whats up in the low down, or down low, no doubt, gettin krunk and keepin it twizzled and fizzled triple double nizzled while the bacon sizzled and the weather drizzled. Y' knaw whad-I mean, ya huuuuuurd me? Tru Dat. Flaaaaaavor Flaaaaave.

Oh yeah, I speak their language, I'm cizzool. I'm two legit to quit.

The problem is that I really am just so much cooler than they are. There musical taste has improved so much over the last two years though, they have been good pupils. When I first met them they were listening to Avenge Sevenfold and Creed and Young Jeezy and Linkin Park and all sorts of heinous auditory garbage. After two years of intense music remediation and intervention they now enjoy a wide range of genre's music and artists. Jack Johnson, Bob Marley, Matt Costa, Tegan and Sara, Bassnectar, Daft Punk, Yonder Mountain String, Umphrey's McGee, Sigur Ros, Air, Ray LaMontagne, Les Claypool, John Butler Trio, Xavier Rudd, ALO, the list goes on. It is further evidence that almost anyone can make the transition from mindless top 40 idiot to something more.

If I sound like an asshole right now its because I am, on this topic, an elitist asshole, I listen to good music, if you don't agree, then you don't know anything.

I have a feeling that people won't come and also won't dance, hopefully not, and hopefully no ghetto drama goes down, and hopefully people don't spike the punch.

Happy Friday!

Guest of Honor

2009-04-29T16:00:00.002-08:00

I was asked today by the seniors if I will be the guest of honor for their graduation. I kind of thought that they might ask, and I guess I'm happy to do it, but its a lot of pressure to get up and stand at the front of the auditorium in front of the whole town and say a speech about "Graduation." What do you say? I'm being serious, I've been trying to write a speech all day and it all just sounds annoying and cliche. I have a couple ideas:

Mr. Kale Iverson's top 10 ways to kick butt at life and be an awesome person

A bunch of quotes from Ghandi, Xavier Rudd, Michael Franti, Bob Marley and Buddha with reflecting remarks afterwards

A serious discussion of the changing world the young people of today are inheriting

Or a mixture of all of these in one

Or some of your ideas!!! I'm struggling bad here. PLEASE HELP!

Hope you like the new blog format.

I Refuse to Die from Swine Flu

2009-04-28T17:24:00.002-08:00

I have too much to live for.

SO even though I am going to fly from Anchorage to Seattle and the From Seattle to London to Bucharest Bucharest to Rome, Italy to Barcelona, Barcelona to Seattle and breath in a deep cornucopia of international lung vapors on airplanes. I refuse to believe that I will die from a version of the influenza virus.

And even though Unfortunately it is kicking healthy people's asses over the elderly/young because their immune system responds with tons of anti inflammatories clogging up the lungs, I refuse to die because I'm young, healthy and a traveler. This is getting ridiculous.

The regular influenza strain has already killed thousands of people this year since January anyways. But no action news center special on that.

You know who is really killing right now? The media, they're making a killing off of this supposed emerging pandemic. Reporting it, replaying it, dramatizing it, advertising during it, talking about it, showing you the growing death toll and most recent news over and over again with plastic smiles and 30 second commercial breaks.

I wonder if we turned off our tv's if it would go away. My students without tv's didn't even know what I was talking about when I told them about it today. They could have gone about their day completely fine without knowing about this emerging disaster.

So we'll see how it plays out. I have 3 weeks till I'm supposed to be on a plane bound for international parts unknown. Hopefully the apocalypse hasn't come (its 3 years early I still have so much to do!)

But if I hear the words SWINE FLU one more time I'm gonna snap. Could the universe have picked a more seemingly disgusting mammal for us to transmit a virus from? How about Mole Rat Flu? How about Albino Vampire Bat Flu? How about Bill O'Reilly Flu?

Two angry posts in a roll...grrr.

Mondays are stupid.

2009-04-27T16:46:00.002-08:00

Mondays are a stupid day full of stupid unbelievably stupid stuff stupidly being stupid.

My stupid monday started off by stupidly waking up from a stupid nightmare at 3:58 am, which if you ask me is a stupid time of day to wake up. I was definitely not accomplishing whatever horrible stupid mission was trying to be played out in my stupid subconscious state and when I woke up I was covered in sweat and physically exhuasted.

Nothing like a freakishly horrifying nightmare to indicate how stressed out you are in life. Then I couldn't fall back asleep, so I laid on the couch and drank tea and watched Mr. Baseball with Tom Seleck playing a flailing MLB baseball star who goes to the Japanese league to save his career, shananigans ensue, waste of a good hour of sleep, stupid movie, took a shower and came into work early and and bewildered by my morning stupidity.

Today was an inservice day (the stupid is include in the phrase "inservice day"). We were supposed to work on our staff check out list. Somehow I found myself having to clean up my stupid room and have it all ready for next years teacher (not stupid). I spent all day sorting through mountains of stupid outdated science materials with no modern application or use trying to decide what to do with them. I wish I could steal them and mail them to third world countries, except I realized that I am basically in a third world country and they can't use them either.

Since we have no recycling I ended up having to throw away about 8 years of paperwork and old curriculum and testing materials, two whole trashbags, friggin stupid, it is now officialy time to go paperless, after participating in my very own tree massacre today, I was embarrassed to be a teacher. All this paper, from trees, for no reason, for nothing, all the dead trees had nothing to do with whether or not anyone got any smarter. What the hell are we doing, this is getting...well...stupid.

Finally I got most of my crap done in my classroom today (beautiful out today by the way). The day wasn't completely stupid. I went to the post office and got a really funny/romantic postcard from syd that cheered me up. I conjugated the "Goodbye" verb in Cup'ig to accomodate two people in the room and Lydia was very impressed at the Post Office.

But Then on my way back I fell through the melting snow twisting my knee. Melting snow is stupid. Almost as stupid as this entire stupid post about this stupid day. Knee's are stupid too, thank goodness no one is in charge up there designing the universe because if they designed the knee they, the all mighty and wisdomatic cosmic knee inventor, is themself a stupid stupidface that has no common sense. I mean the knee people. It tears, it rips, it gets strained, it has a gross jiggly cap, it gets skinned, the back of it gets sunburned, and hurts when it gets bumped and basically is just a stupid pain in the ass.

I am off to go get toilet paper now, for my stupid ass.

Weekend Update the "I haven't done a big one in a while" Edition

2009-04-26T11:16:00.004-08:00

Only two more weekend updates left...tear sniffle tear...

MUSICAL ARTIST OF THE WEEK: This week I'm going to suggest something that may put my musical credibility in the crapper. But I've thought about it for a long time and its time I come clean and tell you the truth about this. Don't judge me. You see, when I ripped all that free music at Grant Aviation's upstairs oasis of culture the coffee shop a while ago, I came to a point where I had gotten all I thought I needed from the cd rack. And I skipped right over this week's artist, I even laughed at the thought of getting it.

Then the coffee shop girl started quizzing me on what I had burned. She was impressed with my selections , that is she was impressed until I said and awkward "no way" when she recommended the band "SUPERTRAMP."

Suddenly she purposefully, defensively, came out from behind the counter grabbed the glittery and gold album "Breakfast in America" with a picture of a waitress on the front, and marched over to me and slapped the hard plastic case down next to me and said, "You don't know what your missing."

Then she walked away playfully disgusted with me.

Needless to say I was a little taken back by the force of this musical suggestion, out of fear mostly, I inserted the disc and burned it. But now that the Supertramp virus was in my computer, it was only sitting dormant, waiting for the moment it would capitalize on a vulnerable moment in its host, me.

Finally out of sheer boredom before school getting ready I decided to put it on. I gingerly skipped through the album, realizing I knew many of the songs like "The Logical Song," "Breakfast in America," and "Take the Long Way Home." I almost dismissed it as a cheesy 80's rock album never to be listened to again, except it was a hard week, and I was tired, and lonely, a hard working man just trying to make it in this crazy world and then this song hit found its hole in my defense, it hit me like a bag of marbles to the back of my early, foggy morning mind.

Goodbye Stranger

"It was an early morning yesterday
I was up before the dawn
And I really have enjoyed my stay
But I must be moving on

Like a king without a castle
Like a queen without a throne
I'm an early morning lover
And I must be moving on"

HOLY SHIT! I mean really, could you have resisted falling madly in love with a song like that if you were me? Those lyrics are made fore me and my situation.
A rush of feelings came over me, Supertramp suddenly sounded catchy like the BeeGee's but without that quintessential annoying element, they sounded like Styx but not so pompous ass over the top scifi feel, there were glimpses of Jackson Browne's "Runnin on Empty" sprinkled in, and for some reason the electric piano that normally annoys me about poorly produced eighties music sounded fresh and original (the album is in fact very carefully done), I could hear Elton John's "Rocket Man"-esque moments and even Steve Miller Band like Jams would come out of nowhere and bleed into Steely Dan's "Peg" chorus.

Needless to say. Thank you sarcastic eccentric Grant Aviation Coffee shop girl, you saved my life this week. You saved my life with Supertramp. Well done. Now I pass this cherished gift on to you all. I have stepped way out of my comfort level, hell, after this I don't know where I'll go next, but before I move on, I think I'm gonna listen to Breakfast in America one more time.

WEATHER ON NUNIVAK ISLAND: Spring Spring and more Spring. Although a constant 20mph plus wind seems to be blowing, we are above freezing most of the time now. A extra shloppy snow machine drive to take some colleagues to the airport yesterday provided the last piece of evidence to prove to me that winter is in fact over. The tundra, and snow banks, the icicles and world around me is melting, and there are puddles everywhere.

ART UPDATE: To try and spark my song writer's blog on the ukulele I downloaded the lyrics and chords of some songs that I want to learn.

I got the lyrics to Daft Punk's "Digital Love" and "Better Harder Faster Stronger" which I've practiced a couple of times and is really cool.
Citzen Cope's "Son's Gonna Rise" chords and lyrics, hard beat to play but all uked out sounds ok I think.
The Brazilian Girls lyrics to "Pussy" yeah...this one will be for the late night crowd.
O.A.R. (of a revolution)'s lyrics and chords for "Missing Piece" can't seem to get this one right yet.
Michael Franti's "Yes I Will" chords and lyrics really really fun to play and good message!

and then I downloaded all the lyrics to "If I Only Had A Brain," "If I Only Had the Nerve," and "If I Only Had a Heart" from The Wizard of Oz. I took my favorite verses out and then made up my own to go along with it, turned out pretty good.

I would recycle every bottle
Let of the gas and the throttle
Ride my bike in the rain

I'd unplug every TV
Plant a couples seedlings
If I only had a brain

I'd stand up to politicians
Until they fin'ly listened
Or got what they deserved

I'd protect every tree
And every Manitee
If I only had the nerve

I would give to the needy
Be a little less greedy
Just for a start

I'd teach all the children
The love that I've been given
If I only had a heart

What do you think?

SUMMER TRAVEL UPDATE: No new news yet...eep! Just 19 days till I'm home.

My To Do List:
Final Apartment Clean
Obtain and send transcripts to Alaska EED for certification
Contact Life Insurance and Retirement people about my accounts
End of the year grades and phase folders blech!
Transfer phone service to Gary (they'll probably stick me)
Forwarding Address to the PO (hope they follow through with it)
Activate new credit card. (timing is critical)
Finish Sydney's gift. (8 out of 30 days completed)
Double check plane reservations (just to make sure)
Give computer back to District Office (piece of crap)

My Completed Items of my To Do list:
Finished Alaska Alive EDU59500 class yesterday in just under 3 hours...booya! Easy as pie A.
Sold 186 dollars worth of my un-needed shit yesterday. Booyaka sha!
Paid my student loans...boooooo no ya no yaka sha
Suspended my netflix till July.
Transferred computer files to my external hard drive 87 gigs of life

LASTLY BUT NOT LEASTLY: Talking to my parents on the phone on Friday I realized that this blog is going to go through some major changes. It is a reflection of my life, and my life is about to change a lot, so logically this blog will also. The whole Radiate Warmth meditation really has a deep connection to the fact that I've been living in a cold inhospitable place and that has been my credo and self defense mechanism for the struggles of living out here in isolation. I don't know what the new motto will be when I have my new life in Tacoma.

But you all need to know that it might change a lot, as 19 days remain for me in Alaska, 19 days remain for the regular daily blog posting from the Radiate Warmth Perspective.

The reality is I don't know how much posting I'll be able to do from Europe. Then when I get back to Washington it will be a while till I get regular internet, I will be traveling a lot and summer's aren't high blogging time for me anyways, Free Kale doesn't like to be inside much.

I think I'll just do my best to stay in touch this summer and let life come up with a new theme. Then in the fall when I'm all settled in Ruston (hopefully with a job, fingers crossed) I will reveal the new Radiate Warmth/(Insert New Name Here). It will kind of be like starting over again like I did when I started the blog in the first place...hopefully you will all come along for the ride.

I love you guys, don't go! I have a surprise for you coming though, so be ready.

Overalls Friday

2009-04-24T12:49:00.002-08:00

Hmm...its Friday, despite the girl fights, dodgeball massacres, pencil stabbing threats (don't worry not that serious), and principalship duties, its been a very slow paced and boring week in teachertude. When 4 of your 12 high school students are gone it makes for a slower pace then you originally had planned out for the week in your lesson plans. The kids, almost like bats with echo location, can sense the authority/expectations shifting in the air when the principal leaves and half the students are gone. No matter how you fight it, with three weeks till the end of the year, two till the seniors graduate, the kids officially have us by the proverbial balls when it comes to telling them what to do. Can you blame them?

I have been following into a very boring after school ritual. Come home, pace around my lifeless, emotionless, decorationless apartment and try to decide what to do to try and occupy my time till my amazing girlfriend calls me at approximately 9:08pm. I could play ukulele and sing my songs, try to make a new one, record one. I could play videogames, try to win the English Cups on Fifa soccer 2009, or take the Cougs to the Rosebowl on NCAA football 2009, I could listen to music and knit hats, or I could watch TV, I could make dinner for myself (I have been plain forgetting to eat lately that's how mind numbing it has become), I could work on my gift for Sydney, I could do lots of things...COULD do these things if I wanted to. But its all just filler, time filler, waiting, the unimpressive opening act to a super band called "SUMMER."

Now that some of Europe plans are cemented, I have my own place all lined up in Ruston, and other summer plans are forming left and right, I just can't seem to keep my mind focused in the now. I am perpetually being thrown forward into a month from now, three months from now, a year from now, and when you constantly take mini vacays to the future it makes the present go SO SLOWLY. I know I should be enjoying my last moments of solitude here on my peaceful little Eskimo Jesus Island in the Bering Sea but the weather is horrible outside and I don't really have that many people that I can call my friends (lots of friendly people though) to hang out with. So even though it stays blazingly light outside till well after 11pm, and I have tons of shit I could and should be doing I find it more comforting to find the most mind numbing activity possible and to steadfastly stick to it so that maybe time will go by faster. The last time I felt like this was when I was supposed to be writing my Masters Thesis and could not stop myself from skimboarding and rockbombing with Randy, Brett, and Germany, the time before that when I was supposed to be studying for Finals but decided to bowl at the Cub in Wazzu instead.

So in the spirit of sharing, here are two websites that are great for killing time:

This guy is really harsh and nasty but amazingly funny. http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net

The Fail Blog is a new favorite of mine.
http://failblog.org

and Facebook...yes I'll admit it, facebook. I'm hooked.

Anyways, tonight Junior Middleweight Championship boxing on Showtime: Spinks vs. Latimore...if only I had someone to watch it with.

Tomorrow Super middleweight Championship fight Carl Froch vs. Jermain Taylor on Showtime and Juan Manuel Lopes vs. Jerry Penalosa on HBO. Gary should be home for that.

I guess I like watching boxing because the guys act like they hate each other, beat the crap out of each other, get paid for it to support their families, and end up hugging and become friends afterwards. It seems very un Radiate Warmth on the surface, but for some reason I LOVE BOXING. My mom said that my grandpa used to watch it all the time and I guess maybe it runs in my blood. Plus I never have, and never will be in a real fight (football doesn't count), so it fullfills that uber stupid masculine part of my brain maybe.

Either way, there are only 20 days till the last day of school. There are only 14 days left in class. 3 weekends. 19 nights of boredom and melancholy then...

KABLAMO!!!! Life explosion. See you there.

Dodgeball

2009-04-22T15:57:00.002-08:00

A rush of euphoria and satisfaction came over me today as I let go of the volley ball. I had done a full crow hop and had completely put everything I had into the throw, a perfect hurl. The ball left my hand like a rocket out of a cannon and flew across the gym at about three and half feet above the ground, a perfectly flat line of flight, backspin giving it a slight upwards tailing action. It was headed straight for a student who had been particularly lazy and whiny today. As the ball drilled into their hip and the look of instant defeat flushed their face I almost smiled...almost. I would have enjoyed the bliss that is destroying a student with a dodgeball longer, but there was still vermin to exterminate on the court.

One after another, students fell to the relentless onslaught of 65MPH plus dodgeballs being hurled at them from every imaginable angle and approach, without regard for their age discrepancy. I was a ninja. I was an assassin. When it comes to dodgeball, the heart of a venom filled poison half snake half lion beats inside of me (a snion?). Plainly put, I'm a stone cold killer on the dodgeball court.

BEWARE ALL WHO DEFY ME! You will have the "Wilson" sports company volley ball logo implanted on your puny, soft, teenage exoskeleton, and you probably deserve it.

Don't walk children...run...hide...I'm coming for you with a white missile with your name on it.

Girl Fights and White Outs

2009-04-21T17:26:00.004-08:00

Today in Mekoryuk...

I broke up a really wicked fight between two girls. Hair pulling, closed fist punches, broken glasses, Mr. Iverson right in the middle. Everything turned out ok in the end though.

I also drove people out to the airport in a complete white out. The sky and snow were the same color and I have to admit, if it weren't for those occasional powerlines I would have had no way of figuring out how to get back to town. I had to make two trips and it was crazy how flat the light was. I couldn't even find my own tracks on my return trip the wind had already covered them up.

I'm soaking wet, frozen and going home, just wanted to tell you what a crazy day it truly was.

I'm principal for the rest of the week, hopefully no more fighting otherwise I'll have to suspend someone...dun dun dun.

A big big big big hugely big and gigantic thank you to KOOP for all the amazing shit in his care package which I received today. Chocolate galore, Daily Evergreen Newspapers, Fruits, Avocados, and a friggin coconut. How awesome is that. Thanks buddy.

Just another monday? No...its 420.

2009-04-20T15:34:00.004-08:00

Just think of this on this seemingly unimportant monday...

Out there somewhere in the world there are people doing the following activities:

Some sick bastards are celebrating Hitler's birthday.

Some poor families are mourning the loss of their loved ones at the Columbine Shootings.

Some people are taking off work, skipping class, and getting stoned/baked/fried all day but especially at 4:20 in the afternoon, for no apparent reason other than the simple fact that the date is 4/20.

Today is Four Twenty, four dubs, four twamp, four twizzle, 420. Arising out of many urban myths about its origin, it has risen to be the only and sole premiere counter culture holiday for generally getting especially messed up.

To see last years analysis of this holiday click HERE

All I'm asking is for everyong to be safe, have fun, be good to each other.

For some interesting reading by NPR on the topic of legalization please read THIS

Peace

Weekend Update

2009-04-19T10:40:00.003-08:00

Its another Sunday. I'm now faced with planning out a whole week of lovely learning for my little Junior High and High School minds...what would you want to sit through with 15 hours of sunshine blazing outside...

Musical Artist of the Week: I was going to do an analysis of the qualities of a group or music that, in fact, make it "Psychedelic" music. But I think I'll save that for another day. Needless to say this week's artist is a psychedelic maestro: RANDOM RAB from his newish album "aRose." This dj/noise/beat maker mixes together plodding basslines, heavily modulated voices, cool samples and heady heady heady delays and reverberations that would melt any melon. At times he has a sedated Bassnectar feel, at time he has a Massive Attack esque tracerish sound, and his voice is succinctly his own. As soon as I heard of it I thought of the late night boogie tents at festivals like High Sierra and Meltdown. Man, so good. His other albums are great to Try "The Elucidation of Sorrow" To listen to a bunch for free click HERE

Old Person Phrase of the Week: Gary and I were using this one when describing a couple of sissy boxers on showtime that refused to hit each other. The term is "Namby Pamby" and it means being a total wuss. Namby Pamby actually comes from some old english poem but it was such a good burn that it stuck around (I'm sure the very english and very proper Anonymous Commenter will have something to say about this considering their affinity for un-importantly clarifying the correct use of words.) I happen to really like throwing in "Patty Caking" right after Namby Pamby to really sell the verbal exchange on how much of a wussy situation it is.
"Quite being a namby pamby and patty cakin around, just do it!"

Weather On Nunivak: Spring is, like totally, trying to get all up in winter's grill, but like, OMG, winter is like "oh no you didn't" and totally like totally texted spring and told spring that they were like no longer BFF's. So now all the rest of us are stuck with winter, like totally lame like totally right? SSSSSSSSERiously ready for some sunshine and above freezing temperatures already.

Art Update: Not much new art, just practicing the ukulele a lot, getting ready for the big summer push. I just realized I'll be with out Bertha (my second ukulele) for one month in Europe. I'd take it with me but I'm trying to stick to one carry on bag. I did realize when exchanging poetry with Sydney that I probably have over 100 poems to my credit. I don't think they're particularly amazing but maybe taken as a complete set from the age of 21-present would make a pretty impressive collection. One of my summer goals will be to type them all up from the napkins and menus and scratch papers/envelopes/blog posts/ they're written on into a complete set. Would you readers like to read some old poems ?

Festival Possibilities: I'm having a really hard time not going to both of these festivals. They fit into my schedule, they are amazing line ups, and they are both in California which is a state I love to visit but never do enough. I was thinking about this when I was listening to "Californication" by RHCP and I realized that California is the farthest westward super metropolis expansion of Western culture (Australia and New Zealand being the East). Interesting...

The first is San Francisco's Outside Lands Music Festival taking place in late August in Golden Gate Park. I have great friends who live there and would get to see them as well as some great music and night life. I really really really want to go. Click HERE to see more. And talk me into it!

The Second is the High Sierra Music Festival in Quincy California (up in the hills by Sacremento). The line up is unique and strong this year and it would be so much fun. I just don't know if I can be away from home for the 4th of July. Click HERE to see more. What do you think should I go?

Europe Travel Updates: So here's where we're at. My brother and I will meet in London, have a few days there exploring what ever he thinks up (maybe we could stay with Anonymous Commenter...or not). Then we are flying to Bucharest to meet Brett where we'll go to Vama Veche, hike Mt. Sinai and see the Carpathian Mountains, and then Back to Bucharest, then we'll go from Bucharest and fly to Rome. From Rome we're gonna work the Italian coast to Cinque Terra and from the coast Ferry to Sardinia for some camping on the beach and exploring. From their we're gonna fly to Barcelona to meet up with Lilli and Marvik possibly. Now that the trip is starting to shape up I am suuuuuper excited.

Anonymous Commenter Update: This person keeps commenting on the blog as if their opinion matters (or if its their right), its been such a positive space for so long its really weird having some negative english person who's life is so boring that they have to read, and refute everything some person they don't even know says all the way in Alaska. I am nervous that they know my brother who is teaching in the UK and I'll meet them when I travel there, maybe they'll spit in my coffee, excuse me tea, and maybe they'll do other dastardly deeds when I'm not looking like put a tack on my seat or who knows what the english mischief makers do. I guess when that happens I'll have learned my lesson not to call people's misguided thoughts "Turd Nuggets" openly in a blog forum otherwise face the wrath of semi-continuous anonymous comments and possible future skulduggery, tomfoolery, ballyhoo, shenanigans and whatever else they do. See Radiate Warmth readers, I played into AC's negative Nancy attitude, and look where it got me? Don't give in to negative english nancies out there! Oh AC I love you. I mean I don't actually, but I wish you'd go away but I love you for what you represent.

Lastly But Not Leastly: This blog has been BOOOOOORING lately. I'm sorry for that, I wish something exciting would happen to give you all something to really read about. The truth is I'm just passing the time, doing my job, trying to get my mind and body right for all the big changes soon to come in my life. In fact my life is a little boring right now, boring just the way I like it. I can't believe that in 26 days I'll be in the boooooooooooossom of my family, my friends and my most awesomest baby girl. Got to love that. Go TIME go TIME go!

This week I will be Principal for half of it...muhaha

Have a Fan Farkin Tastic Week out there friends (and non friends too AC you have a good week too buddy...I mean chap...or geezer if you will).

School, Travel, Life, House, Job, Music, Love, Soul

2009-04-16T16:35:00.006-08:00

Consider this a impromptu update...

School: I have been totally checked out this week, state testing left a bad effing taste in my mouth as did the anonymous commenter's remarks which I have denied two comments of theirs now for stupidity and rudeness since. I'm teaching some really good lessons and the Health class is totally into the Sex Education Unit. As uncomfortable as this topic usually is we are having a really positive discussion every day. Go SEX ED! Also, our brand newly cleaned fish tank has somehow improved the over all morale of the whole class, they are so proud of 8 gold fish...go...er...um...goldfish!

Travel: After a long grueling communication triangulation between myself on an island in the Bering Sea, My brother on a Department of Defense Base outside of London (and travelling germany), and Brett in a smaller town of unknown name in Romania (and also travelling germany) I finally pulled the trigger and bought two tickets from London to Bucharest and then two more from Bucharest to Rome a week later. This part of the Europe month is set and a big load off the chest of us all.

So far Hal and I are thinking London a couple days, Romania with Brett for a week, Italian coast, (maybe croatia if time) for few, Sardinia for camping on the beach for another few, and Barcelona for a couple possibly with Marvik (sorry Corinna Greece might have gotten cut this time through we are having a hard time fitting it). Lots of bumming in between all destinations I'm sure...haven't gotten the travel butterflies yet...I'll let you know when I do though...they always come.

Life: I have slipped into a very unhealthy cycle of staying up late (far past my phone time with sydney baby) This morning when I woke up I had two totally red eyes, it was frightening, I just cant make the decision to fall asleep. I don't know what is going on, too much on the old mind. I'm also trying live off what meager food rations I have left without ordering anymore food till I leave...should be interesting.

House: My apartment is a wreck, I'm gonna send off the rest of my unnecessary objects this weekend following the first batch (90$ worth of shipping). My former Tacoma landlords Ken and Julie (and readers of this here blog hi guys!) have a one bedroom house pop up in Ruston/Ruby area in Tacoma by Point Defiance blocks away from the water, the Unicorn, and the antique sandwich company. Its an amazing location, a good price, but I'm trying to figure out if Hal and I can squeeze in there...it wouldn't have to be forever I guess. I'm still thinking...

Job: Still communicating with those in the driver seat for a job at the Tacoma School of the Arts/Science and Math Institute, I also put in two applications to Tacoma School Districts for pooled science positions. We'll see what happens. I'm optimistic and not desperate, after all I have to remind my self that I am a kick ass teacher that anyone would be lucky to have not a desperate one.

Music: I haven't been making any lately. Practicing a bit, but listening more. I'm obsessed with two bands currently, The Polyphonic Spree, and Random Rab. More on them for the weekend update...but look forward to an analysis on what makes something "Psychedelic" music.

Love: 30 days from today till I will be in the arms of my baby girl. Time can't go fast enough, all the letters and phone calls, and skypes and email are amazing but I want to be home already! I'm coming baby, one month! We can do it!

Soul: I'm in ok shape, I tend to get super stressed during these paradigm shifts in my life. I've had a lot of total switches in the last decade: High School to College, College to Australia, Australia back to College, College to Working Life, Working Life to Masters Program, Masters Program to Alaska, Alaska to ....? Each time the uncertainty of what lay ahead just leaves me future tripping and worrying. I just want to fast forward to the part where I'm settled in. Its sooo stressful trying to line up a new life all over again. I am definitely ready to settle in for a while (not forever, but I wanna be home for while)...so my soul is doing ok, to much soda pop, too little sleep, some good exercise, not enough to eat, lots of hope and visions, lots of love, over all I'm doing ok, just a little stressed about the future but at 26 I think thats gotta be normal right?

How are you all doing out there on these categories?

Love Love Love,

Kalepants

The Kid Is Coming Home

2009-04-14T08:56:00.005-08:00

Spring is definitely not here in Mekoryuk. At 12 degrees Fahrenheit we are approaching our warmest day in weeks. The world out there stays lit all the time as we are continuing to pick almost 5 and half minutes more of daylight daily. After spending an entire day indoors, going outside is almost to bright to comprehend, and if sunglasses aren't warn large purple spot stay burned into your retina clouding your field of vision. At night I have to create artificial night in my apartment or risk staying up all night due to the light.

I've packaged about 5 boxes for mail today. It cost me about 250 dollars to move all my crap up here and will cost me more to send it back. Hopefully I'll be able so sell some of my shit that I won't be needing. A tv, a radio, rubber boots, and various other things that I don't care to bring back. I wish I could say I'm sad to pack it up and go but sad isn't really the word. I do feel sentimental at times, but currently I just want to go home, I want all my shit outta here, I want my baby in my arms, I want my family and friends and I am just ready to be done here, I love these people up here too, but lets get the show on the road. I know I will miss it here but time is dragging on so slowly.

Then I get 3 days of sweet release, 3 puny days of home, and only one and a half with sydney, and one night with randy and suzye and the gang, then its off to Europe to see my brother and go on a seriously strenuous and vigorous and ambitious trek across god knows where Europe. Planning this adventure has been really stressful on my little brother (I have been no help) and I feel bad that I haven't really contributed anything but money. I'll find a way to make it up to him, I think that I'll be a really big help in locating a teaching job, a place to live, and taking care of other things like that when we return. I'll make it right brother!

As much as I'm looking forward to Europe, what I'm really daydreaming about mostly is finally having a real home again. Putting it together right this time, good pots and pans, my own internet, maybe even a new couch, sound recording equipment, hell I don't know, but no more shit, the good stuff this time. Fresh vegetables, good coffee, fine cheeses, you get the idea. I have starved myself of all things appreciable for two years and I just can't wait to be in middle class America again. I can't believe I complained so much about it when I lived there, and I can't believe I left.

SO laugh if you will at my need for domestic life, I'm sure I will get the itch to go extreme again someday, but I just want to be a homebody for a while, set up shop, homebase, settle in, make a life, hell I might even follow the Mariners this year, Ken Griffey Jr. isn't the ONLY "kid" returning home.

I have a feeling I'm gonna hit a homerun on opening day too.

Missing home, missing love, missing washington so bad today.

Lyrics to "Section 17: Suitcase Calling" by THE POLYPHONIC SPREE
Entirely for you. Soon you will see that there's more there to me I will show.
The days went softly, suitcase calling me to the needs of our fond memories.
The days went softly, suitcase calling me to the needs of our fond memories of our love. In the moment, a sparkled sky. It's amazing we all know. It's the coolest waterslide. It's amazing we will show. What would you do to keep yourself holding on?
And what would you say to keep yourself holding on too?
When the light comes today I'll show my face. It's the seasons that keep me hanging on. It's the reason it keeps me strong. It keeps me hanging on and on and on.
When the mood gets me so far, then you go.
The places, you take me. It seems like it's always better until my heart starts to show. The places, you take me. It seems like it's always better until my heart starts to grow. It's the feel good time of day. You gotta go.
Too late to stay.
It's the seasons that keep me on and on and on.
You got no place to play.
It's the reasons that keep me strong. They keep me hanging on and on and on. When the mood gets me so far, then you go.
Time to feel the softest blow. Waited for days for this night to get colder.
Time to feel the softest blow. Waited for days for this night, for this day to grow.
For this day to grow.