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.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Lucky Kale
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!
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!
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Drama Drama Drama
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
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
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Proud to be a Tacoman
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.
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.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
New Attitudes and Government Crackdown
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
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
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Oh How the Tides of Shit May Turn
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.
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.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Return of the Mac, Return of the Mac, Oooooooo Yeaaaaaaah
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.
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.
Monday, February 15, 2010
New Life
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!
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!
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Sir Good of Things
(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.
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.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Got A Job
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.
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.
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