Song writing is never something that came easy to me. That being said, I often find myself in love with my friend's music more so than any other... but I don't think its just because I see them play, or know their story, or hear the song in person or while in creation that makes it special... for I have found many other songs very special having never even seen the artist in person. I think its the idea that comes to me subconsciously when i listen to something beautiful written by a friend, that the beauty seems so much bigger and more universal and beautiful than any friend of mine, not that my friends arent beautiful... but that in this single act of creation they have shed light in volume to show why it is that I so easily love them. And its not because they are human, a beautiful quality in itself, something I often cherish in conversation, in tears, in hugs, etc... but rather proof truly that god has dabbled ever so gently, pushing a bit of heaven into their voice or instrument at just the right time, to connect all creatures, lift your heads life and listen.

And then I feel sorry for crediting the universe with "their" creation, but come on...

There was a worm in the tequila, that transformed into a small fly, then a cicada, a small mouse, a rat, a bunny, a hare, a camel?

The tequila was transferred from one container to another, but as the liquid left the genie took more and more space.

The strange creation somehow turned around in the small vessel though it seemed less and less possible, its camel like nose somehow reaching with teeth drawn, then tongue stretching to reach for air or that vile liquid. We warned him not to get too close, but didn't know what to say to the ancient spirit. Does one rub or break the bottle? And how does a spirit like that get caught in a bottle of Jose it couldn't possibly have been in there for more than a few months.

Spring break seems a little overrated so far... mostly because i have barely left my house.
Not much goin on i guess... gonna return some videos I rented. Maybe do some homework.

played like 5 hours of civ today... what an accomplishment.

I half-dreamed slept about killing people for about an hour, thats not normal is it? Wasnt anyone in particular, i just don't think i should let myself get bored if thats the kind of thinking that will occur.

Not that I think addictions and things are a joking matter, but I think when Im bored like this, overindulgence seems like a friendly option, and that saddens me... mostly because I assume many of my friends have this thought every day.

I was trying to find something cool to put on here... but I havent been painting or drawing lately... Basically I havent been doing much of anything. My room is a mess... im in the long process of cleaning it. I bought a suit today. Its fancy.

9 days left of student teaching. Currently its spring break. One more thing teaching has over other professions.

Still dont know where Im living when i head back to morris.

Have you heard of e-prime? I think it would be really hard to talk that way, but maybe one day I will try.

Im still pretty sick. I feel sicker today than the past few days... but thats cool. Just a cold afterall.
My room cant really get that clean.. I dont have a dresser so I use the book shelves, but then I dont have space for all the books, or cds or movies or art supplies... I pretty much need an apartment.
Becky moved into these art apartments... they are pretty awesome... If she wasnt living there, I would think about it.

I use to write poetry
listening to this song,
the rain had only moved me in so many directions once or twice.
and the piano notes tugged each neural paths away.
while Craig spoke in nostalgics, I reminisced about blankets and longing
but if words alone never could save us,
then maybe its time to seek salvation in something higher,
stop longing for the girls of America,
flirting with soft eyes,
spitting my white noise.

Steadily coming to the realization like Charlemagne and Holly.
that these lovely dreams -
were just the first night(?)

One more glorious night in Morris... fun and frolic...
not a whole lot of worry, cept my own shit.

Today has been driving, sleeping, Chinese food with family, deodorant from target, thinking about all the ways I could die, homework, I have at least two lesson plans to prepare for tomorrow... Im guessing I will stealing a powerpoint from the online community on Africa... and playing a game with the kids in Econ.

I have all the modern global homework grades after several hours of exhausting page turning... up next econ... and oh there is a hell of a stack.

"Its too late for liquor but we could get some 3.2."

bout to head off to Morris with 1/3 of my grading done...
that means a lot to do when I get back.

I didnt write any journals on moodle this week... I should probably do that.
I have the topics picked out... just didnt write them.

Me and becky got in a fight last night in about 3 minutes... it was sort of ridiculous... its been a while but it felt the same, except now I feel a lot more wise, confident and comfortable with myself and my positions.
still... having not heard from her yet, and leaving on a bad note. Makes me feel pretty uneasy.

Its hard when something challenges my notions of how reality is... but I spose thats good for me.

I'm sort of only going to Morris because I promised people. I don't really care about the concert anymore.
Oh well.... I must seem a bore, you enjoy yourself and know that I am.

teaching is kind of awful.... the moment you get caught up with one thing, a whole new unit or wave of work comes up.
I might be more ok with that if i had things prepared a month or two ahead of time... or if i wasnt doing homework for school too, but as it is... im about 2-3 weeks behind in lesson plans... I am barely getting through each day... and the grading is piling up constantly.
I brought home about 50 notebooks to grade tonight... plus 30 quizzes... and that meant leaving 30 5 sheet packets, and 30 other packets for a later date.

I have two classes taking tests tomorrow, but since neither test will take more than 20-30 minutes I need to plan for an hour of class time... and I am supposed to have individual conference time with each student... but who knows if that will happen.
I want to sneak at least 1 day of history of the Americas in... and I think that will be tomorrow... but I cant very well have them read and do worksheets for an hour... there will be chaos.
So...
part of the problem is that when I leave them alone, they don't seem to get it... or they don't care and they start getting all fussy....

When i put a lot of effort into something it sometimes works out, but most of the time doesn't seem to matter... so why bother right?

argh... fuck it... i gotta go back to doing work.

Me and beckrila saw a movie last night that was very amusing but painted a portrait of teenagers being pretty dumb even though the point of the movie was also to promote teenagers and how capable they are... i felt like whoever wrote it was very removed and only used stereotypes of the culture. I also felt like maybe they were so far removed (or the screenplay was written so long ago) that they were often entirely inaccurate... which annoyed me. Still it was a cute movie.

The theater creeped me out a little. But I think Im on edge.

Yeah i must have really low blood sugar or something... im just not in the mood to be happy.
One of those days i guess.



My step brother is in the hospital after a surgery, my mom has asked me to go check in on him... i feel like it would be a really fake gesture... im 10 years older than the kid, we have never talked for more than 10 minutes... im not saying im opposed to having a relationship, but i think its a really fakey thing to do to show up at the hospital as your first brotherly action...
I feel very much like holden caulfield or whatever his name is.



I had a dream about giant intelligent two walking lizards that were trying to take over the planet.... they were fast and smart and evil... but you had to give them some credit for being so on top of things.

(from mike's school journal's)

Economics

So after staying up late to grade papers in which most of the students end up getting better scores than they deserve (because it takes too long to actually grade every little thing), and noticing that the failure rate on tests, or the low grade rate is pretty high (though our last test was pretty good, very few C’s lots of B’s and D’s). After having two very hectic history periods (everything accomplished, but stressfully).

And noticing that none of the students had bothered to do the reading, and didn’t understand the concepts very well…

I was a little fed up. So when they went off to lunch, I passed out 5 worksheets and 2 quizzes on each desk.

When they returned they were shocked to find all these colorful sheets of paper on their desks, and began complaining.

When everyone returned I asked how many students felt stressed- Many raised their hands. Then I asked them a series of questions about their age and preparedness, and how much time they were putting into school. After which I reminded them that they were all 17-18, were eligible for military service and could easily be killed in a conflict they don’t understand in a country they can’t find on a map, would be tried as adults for any crimes they committed, could easily fall into debt, could fail out of school etc… and then told them the truth about why we teach… We don’t want these things to happen, without them knowing the consequences beforehand. We want them to understand the things that are going on in their lives, and want them to be on top of the circumstances that seem to push them around. (I was more articulate then I am right now).

Basically I said these things and explained why I was frustrated and then gave them the sort of peace offering… I am here to help… etc… but I am also new to this and need their help, their commitment etc. And then I said they could use their notes for the quizzes, and that the worksheets would be due on Monday but that they could get extra points for having them all done, and that the real reason they were due Monday was because the test was on Tuesday and I didn’t want them to have extra work that night.

I’m not sure if I got through to them, but they paid attention the rest of the hour, and when they had time to work, several of the students who struggle in the class came up and asked questions…

I like to think of it as a temporary victory at least.

Well maybe i was just waiting for krystin to post...
actually I dont really know what to put on here anymore, right now at least.

I left for work at 6 this morning and got home at 5:45 and that is how my days will go for the next few weeks.
I just took over my third class, so now i am totally unprepared and behind all the time, instead of treading water... its a nice tipping point to say "ha, you thought you were screwed before? well we can really screw you now."

I also had my first phone conference with a parent today.
It went well.


I was thinking about posting some pictures from morris this last weekend, but many of you have seen boring morris pictures, same people, same locations...

I was thinking maybe i could post a picture of my overloaded backpack every night... each day it seems to get bigger... and technically is.
but you wouldnt be interested in that.

I cant post paintings or drawings or poetry, because I haven't had time to write, draw, paint in weeks... I can't tell you about friends or other thoughts because well.... i havent really done anything other than school... I spose i went to morris... and it was fairly awesome and just what i needed... not to mention other people were stressed with homework so i actually got work done there while having an intellectual and social refresher... and dons and china...
-yeah that was all pretty kick ass..

but the life is busy.... and not so exciting...
I think im fairly stressed but doing aight...
I did swear at the radio in my car today, but only because jason lewis is such a fucking asshole...

this very conservative motherfucker was going on and on about how the mn legislature was trying to raise taxes during a recession time, which is unheard of according to him... but what he failed to mention was that the taxes were going to reimburse all the budget cuts that pawlenty and other repub assholes have forced the state to cut... such as environment/park up keep, and road/bridge upkeep... of course jason lewis is the guy who champions the tax cut coalition, which opposes all taxes out of principle and thus even when the tax is for something important like a fucking bridge, he hates the idea.... he also called pawlenty a moderate... which scared the bejesus out of me... cuz if pawlenty is a moderate what the fuck is a conservative?

and on the other hand.... you have the "I could have lied" argument...

"There must be something in the way I feel that she don't want me to feel, the stares she bares cut me, I don't care, you see so what if I bleed? I could never change just what I feel, my face will never show what is not real."

My students quizzes tests and reviews are all tallied up and the average (mean) is around a B on tests, F-C depending on the class for the map quiz and A-B on the review... this is ok, I mean the range is pretty dramatic in some cases... but on average I would like to see B's at least.

____________________________________________________________________

On a personal note.


Today I was wondering what I would tell a young person if they ever asked (because they wouldnt)
"Do things matter less when you get older?" or something to that extent... I remember freaking out about every little thing when I was younger, and I was a guy described as calm... so i imagine everyone else felt the same... as if the tiniest drama meant the world, and furthermore things like the way you would rank your favorite bands, or knowing about them, or seeming cool/smart etc...

Does it change?

Does it matter less?

No not really, but you feel it less intensively.

You are more aware that it is not the end of the world. You are more ok with gray areas... you expect them, and you learn to expect down times, failure and rejection to some extent. This can make you bitter, numb, less energetic, less passionate... it can make you want to mosh or dance less at a concert. It can make conversations that would have swept you off your feet before - be reduced down to a nice warm feeling and a smile. But does it still matter? yeah it does, we just don't admit it as much -perhaps because we have learned it makes us seem young.

and thats not cool anymore...


-a nice quality of morris and college was the ability to admit and be these things when ever one felt like it... this is something i don't think you can get at larger schools... where you express these feelings in cups of how many beers you can drink, and girls you can sleep with.
Morris is nice that way.
but its pretty much over... and now another transition to learning new ways to dumb down our energy so we can seem "cooler."

Mike being an idiot:


I don't really have any time right now. I'm barely getting my work done, I never see my family, and I have seen some of my best friends only a few times in the last few months. I do hang out with Becky a lot, and we sort of comfort each other, but its very clearly going nowhere "further".... meaning she will not be in a relationship other than friendship with me.
We have been through that, its not something she sees working.
Thats hard for me to understand, but its very easy to see that that is the way she views it.

I don't know where to meet people since school is basically done. I see a lot of people at the highschool, and it seems like a lot of them are married or in relationships. The other guy my age in my department is constantly given crap/help from the rest of the staff for not finding anyone.

I'm just having one of those days/weeks where it seems like you wont ever find anyone.... fucking valentines day...
makes me think of far too many possibilities, and far too many happy past experiences and nothing to look forward to.



+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


Krystin said I should talk about caucuses, since I made her do it.

we had about 175 people vote, a small room, full of white people -which weirded me out. I got two resolutions passed. they voted obama overwhelmingly... I dont know who i support yet.
it was really fun, im a delegate to the next round... march 8th for us. I really need to go on from there though because that way I can help my brother.

Speaking of that.
It was my brother's birthday two days ago...he is now 26 (im 23 months younger)... we were sitting at dinner, with his girlfriend who everyone loves... shes gonna be a lawyer... the two other people were both campaign workers... one worked for keith ellison, the other amy klobuchar... I was sitting next to three major manager types for major players in the democrats... (franken being an up and coming) it was weird to see how nerdy and normal they all were... no egos... because they dedicate their lives to someone else... but if the person you hang out with every day... your boss, not your boss's boss... but you know what i mean... someone you give advice to is on the news everyday.... thats gotta be interesting... and i had three of them next to me... and they were not more fascinating than the average bear. (good people, just not crazy)

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

School....
Im grading tests and quizzes and review packets... they are all fairly substantial parts of the grade.... Im not sure what I need to be doing to make it easier on these kids... they are struggling though. I cant imagine what it must be like to be in a school where the students dont even have text books... i mean not reading them is one thing, not having them is another.

*************************************************************************************

Im a be ok...

I had a dream last night in which i was at a train station in germany, with money in my pocket and nothing to do for 2.5 months... i had no plan. I asked how much to amsterdam? Copenhagen? I was surprised how clear the map of europe came through in my head, I wanted to go north, then east, to the places I hadn't been... and it seemed simple enough, a day or two of planning and I was off.

but these are the dreams I have when I'm disappointed.

###################################################################


I didnt make it to morris this weekend, part of it was because I was scared of bad weather, part because I was scared of being exhausted. Part was because I was lazy.

I missed the play, I missed things I should have been there for, and miss people.

I got to celebrate with my brother instead... that was at least nice.

Some sort of mold, fungus or chemical has been eating away at my brain cells for a few days... i dont really know how to make it stop. I tried to clean, it didnt seem to help. My rents are coming home today, I really hope they know some magical way to make it go away...
in other news I will be caucasing in about half an hour. I am trying to become a delegate at the mn DFL convention so that I can help my brother out.

I checked out the other dfl candidate today and honestly... he seems pretty good too... Im not sure who I would vote for if I didn't already have the special interest (family).

The main things that impress me about franken are his stage persona (IE he comes off as likable, funny, honest, fairly warm) He seems passionate. He seems to want to really talk to people about the issues and convince them why its important to be a strong liberal.

the main things that impress me about ciresi are his debating ability, his fairly clear message (although they are very close to the same) and his record of standing up against big corporations.

I think ciresi seems to be the more politician-like of the two... however I loved that Al took on the right wing in his books... I loved the political SNL stuff, I love that he did Air America and went around the state discussing issues with people... i love that he visited morris a few times...
I don't think I have a problem backing Al for these reasons... but his heart centered message is only half the debate -> ciresi has done and said the right things as well....

anywho...

either way norm coleman is a douchebagasshole

Well I wrote a couple of journals about the school stuff.... but didnt think yall would be so interested...

What am I doing?

Well today my goal is to finish off a powerpoint covering a chapter in the history book... and write about 5-6 lesson plans so that when my supervisor pops in... I will be ready enough.

This week I will be teaching 2 of the 85 minute classes full time.
The other class I will be teaching some of... mostly activities (part of the hour)..


I been watching some movies... I saw this movie called Amazing Grace which was about ending the slave trade in Britain, a subject I know little about,but it was a pretty good movie...

Um but mostly I been sitting around playing a lot of solitaire and hearts....

Becky has been visiting over here and its been really nice... but she and I see things quite differently which is hard for me.

my room is a mess...
my kitchen smells like mold and is making me sick... but I dont know what to do about it... because I have already sprayed everything down... and I think its either in the sinkdrain... or in the laundry shoot (which runs through the kitchen). Im gonna wait till my mom gets home on tuesday.

Does anyone know if I can caucus on tuesday in st. paul if my license says im a morris resident?

At this point I guess its franken and whichever democrat seems to be winning... Im impressed by Hillary's experience and Obama's ambition... but I worry about both of them.

ann coultier even says she would vote for hillary over mccain... which is weird.



hmmm yeah i dont write anything down in here anymore because i dont have anything going on.

Being afraid of the dark, and being in a big house all by myself is not really my favorite thing. The wind makes this old house creak. The little dark areas...
I see things, I make up things, I hear shit.
I spend hours in bed each night thinking of every horror movie or reasonably scary scenario I can think of.
I get very little sleep because I tend to take a nap after work... and then im up till 3... and then im awake at 5:30 to do it again.
I would not say my days are unfulfilling. Im actually really enjoying being in the school and at this point I imagine I will really enjoy being a teacher.

There are many people that I feel a great need to be in contact with, but I am so undependable... I dont want them to get their hopes up and then me let them down.

tonight more homework... presenting at least one or two things tomorrow...

???tomorrow???

http://www.alfranken.com/content/videos_caucus

you should check this out for sure!

My days are very slow when Im not working. During the week it seems very fast, troubled to cram everything into the few waking hours I have left. But today and yesterday I have spent most of my time sitting around playing hearts and solitaire, listening to the blend... which is a great band....
Tomorrow is a work day but no students... its time for grading and preparing.
-makes it hard to get excited about doing work tonight, if im gonna be working all day tomorrow on it.

Me and beckrila saw cloverfield last night... im not gonna say anything bout it.

apparently i get to watch live free or die hard tonight... the movie is based on my life... lets see how much of it they got right.

"A dove is a glove
That I wear in my heart
And though I like to dress smart
It doesn't have any part of the world of fashion
And you're there to put me down
And I'm sick off the frowns that follow me around
I would like the sky but there's no reason why
She'd say to this world with the nose of a girl
Turned up so loud that it rings
sings the cloud
I've never been here and though you're physically here
You're pushing me away
to decay like the day that I loved
There is a girl, blabbing nothing outside my window
What do I have to show
To a world that the only way to destroy
Is to die like a baby boy
I could be happy in infinity
Of the space of my eyelid
But I know I'm somewhere else
Where the words on this page
Are better than the scribling nonsense they are,
And it would be real,
And I eat my last meal
Wish that I could feel
But now I don't even know
if I'm real"

a little john frusciante on drugs.

school report # 3

Small Successes
Well the plan was originally to observe for two weeks and sort of help out where needed. This meant a lot of down time, running errands and eyeing the students whenever they got off task. It was fun, but not quite engaging. It also meant that I have had to do a lot of planning for the weeks to come but that will probably be my other journal entry.

Two teaching moments:
A)These were not set out lessons so I haven’t written lesson plans, in reality it was more like a moment where something needed to fill in the space and help students who were not relating to the material.
In Modern Global (world history) we have been discussing genocide, a topic I am rather familiar with as a student of history and anthropology. During the unit the students were asked to read 1 of 4 packets concerning a specific genocide and then fill out a table with relevant information concerning the topic. They were then asked to jigsaw with students from the other groups. As I walked around during the first hour, I noticed that the students were doing the bare minimum so that when I asked them questions about the reading they wouldn’t be able to answer. There were also several students who were attempting to lighten up the mood by making jokes about the topic (which I assume is because of their ignorance to the situation rather than actual disrespect of those who were hurt). I continued to walk around asking simple questions of the students, “Who was the leader?” “What groups were involved?” “Was it a conflict between ethnic, religious or political groups?” the students did not respond well. Towards the end of the hour I put up extra instructions on the board, asking them to make sure to discuss these issues while sharing the information with their peers. Overall it was a frustrating period. During the time in-between classes I decided that it would be necessary to give further instructions at the beginning of the next class period. I wrote additional questions on the board, gave specific instructions to read the entire packet rather than just find the answers, and reminded the students that they needed to be sensitive and respectful about the topic. This second class responded much more positively and I believe a large part of their response had to do with simply laying out the expectations for them.

B) Having had a lot of experience traveling and studying conflict in the world, I decided that much of what these students were missing from the exercise was some way to relate to it. I decided that it would be beneficial to bring in pictures (I took) from various locations, which I presented along with a spoken word recording from a popular band, and some stories about my time traveling to these places. I believe this description reminded the students that these were real places, with McDonalds and normal people like them. Many of the students responded very well to this demonstration though I had put little effort (due to time) in putting it together. There were no fancy transitions or videos, just slide show pictures a normal person would take with a camera… this realism reminded them that many of these events happened during their lifetimes, and that many of the people affected by these tragic events are still living (and suffering) today.
-Had I had more time or prepared for this unit, I might have made this into a power point presentation, but I was surprised how little extra effort it took to impress the students.

I ended up presenting it two both my history classes and another teacher's class... all the students now say hi to me in the halls... smile at me more etc.

Its cute how being real and honest leads to good responses... this is the kind of teacher I want to be. Not afraid to discuss the serious things, willing to relate, willing to give and open up, -willing and understanding enough to push students to do the same.

School report #4
Sorry these are long, I think I get a little carried away on different topics.
I found out today that one of the teachers at the highschool is actually younger than me, but has been working there for 2-3 years. They all seem so much older but I really enjoy the friendly dynamic between the social studies department members. They aren’t always the most professional, but it makes department meetings more interesting when someone is joking around.

That was a side note.

I have been spending most of my time preparing for the next term which starts Tuesday. The plan was to follow Ms _______ the first week (of the next term) as she lead with the first class and I lead/co-taught the second class, but I have already begun jumping in with the class that finished today. I even had several students say they would miss me though I have done very little in the classroom. It seems easy to connect with them when the age differences are so vast between me and my cooperating teachers, I guess the students feel naturally more connected to me because we can talk about the same music, and have shared (relatively) the same time period growing up. I think they also perceive me as being more patient with them, but I get nervous that I will vent my frustration with them more when I am under more pressure to perform. (So far I have felt very little nervousness in front of the students).
Anyway, what I meant is that I think Ms ____ approach is different than mine and though I appreciate her suggestions on tightening up on the students, I actually feel that so far my methods of patiently explaining why they need to be quiet etc, have been more effective. Of course I know that much of the reason she occasionally snaps at students (She sometimes gives little warning before sending a student out of the room) is because she has already explained her expectations and feels that they are purposefully seeking attention and that they ought to know better.

Well I guess that explains where I am at with discipline so far. I have a hard time following let alone enforcing rules that I don’t necessarily agree with. I think this will also become a problem as the students will most assuredly test me more when I am in a higher position of power.
I will most likely update that situation as the time goes on.

Preparing a curriculum:
It is difficult working with two teachers; I often don’t have time to discuss things with both of them though this situation is improving. I have been invited to use whatever materials they have and because they are both seasoned teachers they have a tremendous amount of worksheets, quizzes and tests. I am hoping to find some more 1 day projects to keep things active, but in general I am feeling very comfortable with the fact that if I don’t find/create something new, there is a prepared standard to fall back on. With the modern global classes I will begin teaching the second week (I believe “week 4 by our calendar) and continue on from there possibly till the last week or two. This is mostly because the units flow into each other, or because I worry about breaking up a unit to switch teachers in the middle of things, but I feel fairly confident that if I approach Ms ____ for help she will be there to either aid, or take over for a day here or there. (I don’t think this will be a problem) Already I am thinking up small items like music, videos, pictures, art, stories and primary sources to add to the curriculum, I also am hoping to bring in some projects but much of this will rely on the students’ ability to keep up with the fast paced curriculum and assigned readings. (I have been warned that they will not do the homework)

I have had my doubts about opening up the established curriculum to more world influence, because much of the time that will be lost would have had to do with important European/Western ideas, events and history. This is worrisome because the students don’t seem to have a very good understanding of history, at the same time they seem to be more intrigued by the exotic, so a day here or there to open them up to the world doesn’t seem inappropriate. It also gives me a chance to challenge the notion that Europeans and the West are the center/most important players in history which is something that is important to address in our country –to acknowledge the wealth of experience, culture, achievement of other nations at a time when it is very easy to become America-centric.

ECONOMICS
I have been researching the subject matter I will be teaching and feel more confident with taking it on. I have yet to really work out the exact order of what I will do during my 3-4 weeks of full time teaching, but in general Mr. ------ and I seem to be on the same page and his easy going nature and fairly light standards in the classroom give me a lot of confidence that I won’t be neglecting the students education if I have an off moment in the class. Still, already I have stepped up a few times to discuss the nature of a term or concept which seemed to help them understand.
When I say light standards, part of what I mean is that I am becoming more aware of the failure/grading standards of teachers in the school. Mr. ------was happy to see that several of his students had increased their efforts to get some work in before the final test, but had told me earlier that anywhere from 6-12 students were in danger of failing in just the one class. The remaining students were ranged mostly in the C and D range. This really bothered me because I felt like there must be some disconnect between the Teacher’s efforts and the student’s efforts. Today I talked to several other teachers who told me they tend to fail anywhere from 3-15 students per term (between their three classes). This still bothers me, but the fact that it is more widespread reminds me that in many of these cases it is not the teacher’s neglect but a student’s lack of effort OR inability to maintain the grade (usually due to out of school events).

During this past term (ended today) between Mr. ---- and Ms ____ in the 3 classes I have observed about 5-10 kids failed and there seemed to be about 3-5 students who dropped out as well.
these are required classes so they end up taking them again or getting GEDs.

dont you hate when you get a ton of sleep.... but still feel sleepy?


my room is a mess. I think I need an apartment just so that I have space for all my shit.

I told one of the teachers im working with that I'm glad she swears sometimes (thought she doesnt do it in front of the students) because i swear a lot.

Block Schedules
This is my first opportunity to observe and work with block scheduling in a school. The students recently registered for their classes next year, and I have heard from my cooperating teachers that once the students have chosen their classes they have very little input on how the block are laid out. Still the block schedule seems to offer some advantages in longer class periods, more electives and fewer classes to prep and take for teachers and students. At a recent teacher meeting I heard that many of the teachers were looking forward to returning to a 6-7 period school day. This struck me as odd, and the teachers mainly highlighted the idea of content retention as the main problem with the block schedule. I think it is rather interesting that the teachers see the longer day and shorter term as being less in depth when teachers on 6-7 period days constantly complain about having too little time to handle anything in depth.

I have not yet taught with a block schedule, although I have seen both of my cooperating teachers give students significant amounts of time to work on their worksheets, readings, etc. I also noticed one of my teacher watching the clock while going on 25 minute tirade that was essentially inspired by the topic at hand but not helpful to the students… this time could easily have been spent going into more depth on any subject rather than rushing through it and then relying on the students to do worksheets (which they tend to copy from each other-little to no learning taking place. I have watched the students fill out these forms in-between their personal conversations (which I don’t see as the problem, though the teachers do) I see the worksheets and review questions themselves as the problem. They students are wonderful at picking out the one to two sentences they need, the key word or random tidbit of information and moving on. They don’t read the book, they simply answer the questions. They don’t understand the topics; they can’t reflect on them, they are just regurgitating facts, which they will quickly forget the moment the test is over. This is why the students have no content retention, not because the block schedules (at least in my subject matter, math and languages may be different, however students are not really tested in social studies by state or national standards).

My first observation of the effects of the block schedule on students was that it helped them be a lot less stressed. At first I thought this was a great affect of having less classes and subject matter to be worried about. The students will naturally be able to handle organizing fewer topics, and should be able to focus on the content they are studying (similar to college). At 6-7 period schools the student constantly seemed stressed, anxious about time (teachers too), impatient, distracted, -symptoms I assumed had to do with so much going on, and not enough time to process. At ________ the students seem to have much less stress, they are much more patient in the class (they wait for 5-1o minutes while the teacher does attendance) the transition time between activities is usually slower paced. The students seem to have far less homework and other in-school concerns… but they seem to have developed bad habits, like expecting that transition time to take 5 minutes, talking when they aren’t supposed to be, having a relaxed attitude about discipline, insubordination, joking around, cell phones and most importantly their studies! They get impatient with the workload (small as it is) because it isn’t challenging and most seem to be able to spend that 20-30 minutes in class to get it done, and what they don’t get done they copy off their friends. They don’t read. They don’t study outside of class. They don’t seem to bring much to the class (observations, questions, comments, etc). In short, they are irresponsible because they have the time to be. Personally I don’t think it is the block scheduling that makes them lazy and disengaged; I think it is the fact that they don’t see what they are getting out of school. Learning 50 facts about a country they will never visit has little to no interest to them, and they are well aware that should they ever need the information they can look to the internet for their answers, just as they look to their peers for the answers to # 6-10… Somehow we need to make this information relevant to them, or change the whole system and start looking at how we can encourage students to utilize those resources they are aware of to increase their general knowledge of what is around them, of what is affecting their lives.

-alternatively we could look to Western Europe and Scandinavia where students are asked to choose their field of interest much younger and progress into lines of work that are much more focused on a project/business/ field etc at hand. The students who at 17 are still drifting through the school system uninspired and barely participating might be better off in a trade school at 14 where they can focus their energy (if not on something they enjoy, than at least on something that will secure their living, so that they can do what they enjoy in their spare time).

Hello my lovelies I am sorry to ignore you I have been student teaching... it takes up all of my time... and well.... its a full time job without pay.

I will try to keep you updated on my progress in school without being too boring... but you must be patient because i spend all my day thinking of teaching so of course I am gonna be blogging about it... and some will just be rants.
I will try to post some of my journaling stuff (an example of which may be coming up) but I dont want to leave too big of a paper trail in case somebody sees this, so I wont say a whole lot about the specific people I am working with or anything.
What I can say is...

* It was my birthday, so I'm now 24 an old man who feels quite young and inexperienced even though I recently found out that several of my colleagues are only a few years older... (i feel very new around them).

*um I have been getting on average about 6 hours of sleep a night because I have to wake up at
5:30 (6 would be ok, but then i cant stop anywhere for food -meaning no breakfast and no lunch...and no way to keep the energy up) but maybe when i start grocery shopping i can sleep in a few more minutes.

* UH i am broke... i will soon be cashing some bonds and paying for some shit... but currently im at like 500 credit card debt...

* I will soon be teaching 2 world history classes and 1 econ class. I am not too worried about the history except that it is a lot of planning to do it well... and the econ... well I suck at econ... when my cooperating teacher gives a lecture I listen along at the same level as the students because i just dont understand math... so maybe I will be recruiting some help. But I will only have to teach like 3 chapters of econ, and fill in on a few sections of other chapters... where as in history i think I will end up covering about 10-15 chapters...
^ 3-4 weeks full time teaching all three 85 minute classes.
^ most of it will have to be before spring break which is in late mid-late march.
^ along with at school work, I have to journal/reflect twice a week, video tape and reflect on a few lessons, do an analysis of student learning for a unit, do a few technology lessons -incorporating technology, write out lessons plans (they take 10-30 minutes) for every lesson I teach, write out a unit plan (probably 4-6 hours to do it well), keep ahead of the class in every way by probably a day or two, put together a portfolio for my own use, and some other shit.
^ I am expected to maintain normal teacher hours 7:15-2:55 plus meetings for 11 weeks without pay, and pay for 10 credits worth of tuition as well as fees for placement and criminal background checks. Plus normal supplies.
^ the drive is about 35 minutes each way, it is fucking cold.

HMMMM

This weekend I hope to:
-watch a few movies
-hang with a few friends
-read all of my econ stuff -so that I am well aware of what is going to happen.
-start developing a plan for my first few units greece, rome, india that I will be teaching in two and a half weeks... to the point where I can write up lesson plans by sometime next week.
-clean my room
-organize all my stuff
-celebrate christmas with my dad.
-start a research list for econ stuff.
-finalize a basic plan for the curriculum for next term in history
-sleep!!!!!
-probably procrastinate and not do any of this.

I guess u can call it depression... but when it seems like it is a short period of time that doesnt really count right?
I was looking in my phone and I could easily call like 15-20 people right now to hang out... but i dont really want to.
There are two bands I love playing tonight (different locations) but I dont really want to go.
I havent eaten since 9:00 AM today and I am hungry, but Im too lazy to make myself something or go get something...
I have some computer games at my feet, but i dont want to install them and then lose interest... so better wait until im really desperate right?
I just got some movies in the mail... but i dont know that I want to do that.
I dont want to paint, or draw... or read a book. I want to curl up in bed....

but i dont really think its depression... I think its hybernation... I dont want to move, exert energy, put effort in to anything because -what if its not worth it? well then im tired and cold and worse off than now right?

wrong... but still.

Not that I have been the best at posting lately... but I think the most recent reason would be that life has actually slowed down a great deal. Spending hours in your room doesnt really count as exciting material to blog about.

This morning I went to breakfast with my dad.
I didnt sleep much so around 2:30-3:00 I crashed... I just woke up... the time inbetween breakfast and sleep was mostly spent doing laundry and listening to idiots debate... and catching up on the news and things.
My room is full and there is plenty of stuff that doesnt have a place... the inevitable stacks...

I dont even have a dresser, so my clothes will be stacked on the book shelf... well what fits.

Monday I start student teaching, though i have not replied to either of the teachers' e mails... I guess they put me at ease enough that I wasn't worried about going in early or complicating matters... so it begins real fucking early monday.

I finally got my Praxis scores... they are very nice.

The Nanny Diaries turned out to be a good movie, as did 10 items of less... which is a random pick I bought from blockbuster a few months ago... i think it was probably the best random pick ever... one of the characters is like a shallower version of what I want to be in life... he is an actor who goes around and randomly pays attention to people, observes their behaviors and points out how special they are. after he makes a comment to one guy about his amazing ability to look at folders every 2 seconds... the guy responds "you just made me want to be a woman" and despite the sort of heterosexism in that response, I thought it was fairly revealing and sort of cool.... hard to explain.

hmmm.... probably time to eat or something...
There are two events tonight and im not sure I want to go to either... even though I was excited for them... just seems like a lot of work.

these are just different lightings.... one is blurrier.

I screwed up changing my sleep schedule and slept till like 3:30.... i couldnt get back to sleep... it sucked... but I did finish this painting.

After the panic shocks -me scaring you - you leaving bruises on my arm,
I was careful to not mention the reflection in the “empty” van window in front of us that looked too much like a face.
Certain
that it wasn’t “really” a zombie.

I'm really not sure what kind of mood im in... i've been awake for roughly three hours... Im sort of hungry and sort of tired... but not able to sleep and not hungry enough to make anything or run to burger king...

The idea was to stay asleep and start a new sleep pattern... wake early... go to sleep before 5-6 am... but im not sure that will happen.


Im not entirely sure how to update as to what I have been doing... I'm not sure if its blog worthy or what. I mean I am fairly satisified with life lately... though right now Im sort of feeling screamable... but mostly I have been hanging with good friends... and annoying them.


I was writing some stuff... and doing some drawing.. but not a whole lot of painting... havent looked into jobs... havent heard from my cooperating teachers... (little worried about that)

I got in to a big argument/discussion with my mom last night, and now she thinks im crazy. Really I just didnt tell her some things for a while... because what i did tell her she didnt respond to... so then it sort of built up... it was a really frustrating conversation with both of us pretending to be adults... both of us counseling... when we should have been relating.

Im not sure what it means... but i have been hanging with becky a lot. Same old thoughts, same feelings, same results. meaning... most of the time I feel really wonderful around her... and wonder why we cant date eachother... and then I remember why we cant... and I think... wow thats really sad. at the same time... i sort of figure we have been really enjoying eachother's company... so though i give her looks a lot... we dont ever really bring it up... we dont bring up our differences... we know them... there isnt any point in the argument... there isnt any point in the leap... we have taken it and fell... and fell... but still Its nice to be around her.

Ex girlfriends are a weird thing.
I think when things are going ok with one... i start to think about the other more often... wishing i could have that with them. I spose its sad that it seems like such a split path.... but being with one, helps me understand what i did wrong with the other... helps me appreciate that i love life, and love the people I have met...
that was always a problem when I was with alexis.... she made me so happy sometimes... i couldnt help but feel overwhelmed with just how much i enjoyed life... just how thankful I was for the people in my life... and thus felt like connecting to them... which caused her to be jealous... I always told her she had nothing to be jealous of... and meant it. but to her... how fucked up was it that everytime things were going well I ran to another?
(if only to share good news... ) but unable to explain that...
When I was with becky... i spent countless nights away from her talking, exploring, having conversations and games and fun with others... and then returning to her... and she would get jealous and wonder why i didnt spend my excitement with her...

Incredibly awkward conversation with gabi today.... i was trying to say "gabi, even strong people have troubles... just watch yourself.." and she was right to say "mike i have dealt with stuff before and I will again..." and it wasnt that... that i was doubting, I was doubting whether anyone can go unscathed.
and then later when i rush into theories... and turn away my closest supporters who are put off by my idealism... and worry im creating walls for myself... and she drives away trying to reassure me that she still cares... and I feel ashamed and guilty for putting her in any kind of place where she would feel she did something wrong by standing up to me.,,,

I cant keep my mouth shut.


Tomorrow we (3b kids) are to hang together.... lets see what happens...
fun perhaps?
Sometimes i worry these things are just to keep up the idea that we had something once... I think i enjoy all of them... but im not sure they have a good time with eachother.

I guess.... ryan's?



I updated some links and stuff.... took out a lot of the music...

these are pictures from the reunion... in the actual order..

the highlights of the night were
A) allison busting herself out at perkins...
B) seeing cats and being reminded that its all good
and
C) the moment I saw elizabeth... even if she was a little excitable and probably will never call me. There arent many times in my life that upon seeing someone... i want to grab them and run away... but when I do have that feeling - I like to remember it.

Well.... I have several half finished poems from the last few days... mostly positive little tidbits nothing too fascinating... I think I have now found the time to relax I was craving... been running around town looking for fun shit to do... so yesterday becky and I played tourist... and were shuttled on the light rail up and down the minneapple to the mall where I got pretzels... and back to the car where i got dropped off.

I recently realized that though my schedule is full to bursting with homies... i dont really have much going on till student teaching... i spose i gotta get gifts for the other x mas... but thats to come...
plans for new years still in the works... maybe a movie that will possible take us through the hour of our demise?
wouldnt that be a funny way to end it all? chillin watching a movie.

goals for the next stretch
Im hoping to keep my friendships alive, do some painting, and perhaps spend some time editing... oh and student teaching and applying to jobs and shit... that too i spose.

I still havent put together my art desk thing...
my rents are fluish.
i better leave the house or i will be overcome.

tonight its yuppying.
what about you?

I’m a total jerk lately. I don’t mean to be, I just have an increasingly hard time of holding back my frustration when I haven’t had time to sit alone and reflect. Or perhaps it’s the lack of people to confide in, or the ability to, but knowing they aren’t the right person. Maybe its impending doom, or impending change. Maybe it’s the fact that I don’t know my place here, or don’t have a place here… anymore.
My friends come home for the holidays, and spend their time at sports bars, but there is only so much bowling and darts one can take without a real conversation. And what is a real conversation when time and place and direction are all different. Are we playing friends, or are we friends estranged? Movies and coffee shops, and dinners and lunches… pretending it’s like the old times, but we don’t have a dorm lounge to lounge in, and we don’t have Pete’s basement. I spend my time wanting to escape into the arms of someone familiar, someone comfortable, but I don’t have one of those relationships right now.
Each night I plan to watch a movie, paint or draw, read a book, play some computer games… whatever it takes to get this weight off my shoulders that makes me hunch, that are forever crunched together… but I cant seem to relax, and I fall asleep from exhaustion and worry about the next day… perhaps momentarily comfortable… but knowing a big day will come tomorrow…
And each day I wake as stressed as I had been, because I wake worried I had missed something, or someone… because I wake too early, or too late… and sleep isn’t my friend right now… it’s too hard, too jagged to keep me longing for my bed, and yet… I’m so exhausted.
My mom says I’m an introvert, and I tell her its cuz I haven’t been alone in 6 days… and the foreseeable future doesn’t include real relaxation for at least a week… and Steve bursts into my room, asking me to go shopping with him “It’s just an hour, you got nothing better to do.” And I say “Steve, No.”

I need my own place… but I need it to be in a building where all my friends are the neighbors.
College kids… enjoy your time.

Those are some kids I hang with....
fucking freaks. hehehe
It’s really hard to do busy work when u have already finished your finals and shit...

tomorrow is painting day... and drinking day I think-the last drinking day.... I hope I don’t throw up.


my room is half packed and half waiting to be packed = fucking mess


Kellogg’s corn pops have done me real good this last week.


I obviously don’t have anything real to say... just sort of scrambling for substance to avoid the homeworks...

******and now i will devolve into a 14 year old shallow obsessive son of a monkey******

Lately I have been feeling really bad about the way I look... and contemplating bad things. I know a lot of this has to do with shaving.... I think it makes my face look fatter when I don’t have facial hair to elongate it (spelling?) Makes me wish I had had braces to fix my overbite to fix my jaw, so that my jaw line is more defined...
but I also know I was complaining about this before I shaved... so maybe I’m just being very critical lately...

It really bothers me how I have such different standards for myself than others.... for instance I tend to be more worried about skinny girls than attracted to them... and skinny boys are equally sort of offturning... but somehow when i was very young I got it into my head that that’s what I should look like.... so when I look at people like Jared and huck (second picture) who are both above 6 feet and weigh less than me... I tend to be very self conscious... I don’t think most people notice... even wearing t shirts...ughhh I get to complain about this because it’s my blog by the way... so u can’t complain.

I usually don’t even notice the features that I criticize in myself in others... I realized that a few days ago... I don’t look at them and see the things I see in the mirror... so I imagine they don’t see me that way.... but it saddens me greatly to think that any of them would feel like I do about myself...because I’m constantly sort of adoring them..(one of like three reasons for all the pictures)...
now one could say these things do not matter and I do... I constantly say they do not matter... but I was thinking that I wouldn’t "dress up" for interviews and do the whole suit and tie thing... but then I saw all the boys I would be up against, dresses sharp in their fancy black suits and thought about how I would look in comparison... and well.... I don’t know if I will get these jobs without a suit, a haircut, a workout routine.
and that depresses me greatly.

Oh world... you sure do have a way of beating down those who dig you.
****
on a happy sad note....
tonight it hit me that I wouldn’t be here much longer, and I was overwhelmed with that sense of loss... and I’m glad because that’s important, and I really loved college, at least the social aspect.


****
On a sidenote the person I was thinking of the other day wrote me... and that made me happy... I dont know if she read this and knew... but either way that sort of made my day.

BFF's tape song.... is maybe the best song on the album.... i love them, but im not sure this cd captures their energy the way a lot of the myspace stuff does.

Its frustrating to miss people who you dont feel like you can just randomly say hi to.
Wondering about their lives, wanting to reminisce. And wondering if they will ever say "hi I will be in town, can we get coffee, can we not have it be awkward, can we smile again, and say im glad you are happy?" and if it were said I would say i would do everything in my power and my heart would feel just the slightest bit better, and on certain nights I could be even more nostalgic than i am now... and the cycle would continue... only it would be sort of nice.

and maybe we would get together, and forgive eachother, but move on realizing that maybe we werent the people we knew then... but I'm guessing even if that happened, I'd be smiling just to hear a joke or a song or a story, cuz some people are just really good at entertaining.

On a final note, before I start my standard writing...

Last Call Desperation is certainly a beautiful phenomenon

People love drunk and sensing momentary lost, suddenly overwhelmed, proclaim all feelings unpronounced, or announced but not enough… not to explain this eruption in our hearts, this pounding in our heads, and all “seemingly exaggerated” when sobered up by “reality” or “rationalized” thought, but for that moment… unadulterated flooding, and I feel like maybe the heaven we speak of might feel like that… constant sense of the exhilaration of loving (minus the anxiety of not knowing whether they will always be there).


_______________________________________________________________

I say “seemingly exaggerated” and “reality” and “rationalized”
Because one could mistake these feelings as being untrue… but I don’t think they are… I think they are the purest… the ones we won’t let out any other time then at the moment of desperation… and yes that seems silly, and it is… but its human… and I think our most human side comes out there… vulnerable and loving. The rest is when we are trying to protect our human side… because we constantly tell ourselves it’s not ok to always be drunk on beauty –at least not in puritan America… how would we get anything done?

On changing things you have always been....

Someone wrote something about whether they should try changing the way they have always been.... I’m not always sure it’s possible, though I constantly try to push certain friends in that direction...
and I?
Well some have tried... I think the majority of my little personality traits come from when I was young, exceptions being things like personal space... but the food/germs thing is old... the wanting to help people is old, the talking so much is old...

The secrets are the big thing... those are the ones I struggle with... because I feel so guilty about them. Becky confronted me pretty recently trying to tell me that I am more liked than I admit and things, but I keep a pretty strong distinction between those I think would still love me and those who I would never tell.
Which (right or wrong) often leaves me feeling like I really don’t have as many people to rely on as others might assume I do.

When confronted by those people who love me, have accepted (for better or worse that I am the way I am).... and they asked why I don’t change... I always pointed to it being a lifelong thing... and it always has been... so I'm not really sure what the alternative is... or who I would be...?

and in the meantime I learn to love the positives, of always feeling different... or always being weird, whether I act on it or not, hide or thrive in it, I am him (whoever he is) and the connections -oh for love of life... connections in weirdness, connections in humility, connections in fear and vulnerability, connections in loving love, connections in creating, caring, worrying.

And on that note:

I was thinking in the shower, that I should thank Morris for the wealth of connections... thank the women of Morris in particular... who offer up such beautiful variety that one is rarely left not thinking of someone. Probably on average a new friend every other week... a new smile, a new background, personality, set of reasons to be excited....
if I am a vampire, I have fed well... if I am human I have seen the presence of God so often I feel as if some angel has given me their wings...
And I understand the pain of that devil... for who could ever want to be disconnected/replaced from this heaven,
Who could not want to protect that goodness?

And in my heart I know it’s not a place, or group of people, but people themselves...
But still can’t I be a little happy to have found a nice place?
If I walk away overwhelmed with loving feelings... cant I try to piece together some awfully ridiculous thank you?

Thank you
-to everyone I have met here (those still and those departed)
you have made it wonderful.

A poem for class. (this will be on the poetry page too)

This poem is about a character from the book No-No Boy, which is about a number of Japanese people who lived through WWII and struggled with their identities, values, culture etc and the aftermath of the war, internment, etc.

This is not about the main character, I wrote a poem thats even worse than this one to include him... but this is about one of the more positive characters in the book....a friend named Kenji who became a soldier and was hurt... he ends up dying in the book, but tries to help the main character choose a more healthy/hopeful life...

anyway...

Kenji

-In Germany I served to make a better world for us all.
Killed a man and earned a car.
Lost a leg, and earned a star.
Still I’m forced to look around and wonder where we are…
-Taught by American Teachers, pool halls, radios and drinking
-Years interned in the desert, left us wondering what they were thinking.
And so we signed up, marched to war to prove that we were worthy-
Of the freedoms guaranteed to us
-but stolen undeservedly.

-My Father worked to pay the bills, struggled raising a large family.
-And when at last they let us go, he started over smiling candidly.
I lost my soul that day that man fell bleeding from the roof top.
And hope that one day we see people as people so that eventually the hate stops.
And though dying, I dreamily envision
that America could be a place where people melt together.
But until then I say do what you can-
And if they steal another inch in hopes to stop the rotting…

Smile for another day - and pedal to the metal
Keep on hopping.

I received a really nice letter in the mail today. I tried to explain what it meant to me, but couldnt find the right words. I know the person reads this, but thats not why I'm writing. Im writing because what it meant to me, was justification for all the times I smiled and felt all warm, felt connection, felt appreciated, felt wonderful.
Im not sure what I can do about that, what I could change, or make better. And those things will always sadden me, but positive justification for a thousand small moments and memories is a super awesome gift when someone isnt expecting it.
and thats something I want to write down and remember.

Me and Steve spent the night listening to the chili peppers while we should have been working...
scattered AIM conversation, comments, videos, descriptions of the best songs..
good times

would rather be doing anything than writing standards right now.... so want to fail out... and be a starving artist... i dont care if i suck... someone will buy something... and i use cheap paint.

did i mention im having a hard time doing my homework... its 1:20 am i have till noon.... and then i drive home... i hope to get some sleep.

My room seems really messy though I have been cleaning for a half an hour... Packing away my life here to make the move home a little easier. Weird to pack up your life again... again, because i did this once... i dont remember it being so hard.

I keep finding singles on my desk... and assuming that I havent been taking drugs blacking out and living some sort of double life as a stripper and student... i guess i just forget that i throw money on my desk a lot... the thing is... when i see money on my desk the normal first thought should be something like "oh i forgot i put that there." but my first thought is "i wonder if someone is sneaking in to my room leaving me money...." followed by... "does someone owe me money?"
and since i have no idea...
i pocket the cash and assume that the next time i need it, my magical dollar making desk will provide.

listening to a random mason jennings song... and I hate that i secretly love him. And I hate that I wouldnt ever buy a mason jennings cd... but if someone let me copy them oh i would oh i would... there is so much music i want right now...

charlie parr that man is amazing

"I’m falling in love with beautiful facesTastes, of relationshipsDimples when cheeks raise,-Crazed, with the possibilities"


I gotta stop doing this when im running away... but i crave...
im a user... its good they want nothing but the friendship...

fortune smiles my way:

* Time is the wisest counselor.
* Your relationship could be under stress, sit back and wait.
* Put your mind into planning today. Look into the future.
* Friend long absent are coming back to you.
* Your emotional nature is strong and sensitive.
* Now is a great time to broaden your scope of influence.
* Your talents will be recognized and suitable rewarded.
* The mysterious side of your nature makes on most alluring.
* Good news will come to you from far away.
* Life to you is a dashing and bold adventure.
* Your charm had not gone unnoticed by the angel.
* Luck is coming your way.
* Today, taking a supportive role might benefit the group dynamic.
* You are very expressive and positive in words, ct and feeling.
* Good health will be yours for a long time.
* You have the ability to sense and know higher truth.
* No one is standing in your way anymore, it is time to move forward.
* What’s vice today may be virtue tomorrow.
*You have a deep appreciation of music and arts.
* You have an ambitious nature and may make a name for yourself.
*Simplicity and clarity should be your theme in dress.
*The star of riches is shining upon you.
*You will always have good luck in your personal affairs.
*An angry man opens his mouth and shuts his eyes.
*You will make change for the better.
*Travels from nesting space will take you to a broader cultural horizon.
*Your dearest wish will come true.
*A financial investment will yield returns beyond your hopes.
*You will always get what you want through your charm and personality.
*Executive ability is prominent in your make up.
*Keep your feet on the ground even though friends flatter you.
*Good health will be yours for a long time.
*There is a prospect for a thrilling time ahead for you.
*Your present plans are going to succeed.
*Beauty in its various forms appeals to you.
*Good beginning is half done.
*You will be showered with good luck.

me in the art shots
Ina and her foot
Jenna went all crazy on us
Laurel and gigantic food pictures
Jared was a ghost

Bokonism
me and ina
ina working studiously a long time ago
laurel is a fashion model
ahhhhhhh

happy family
laurel all alone
the bigger picture
how happy!!
Ina cracking up

You cant see this very well because of the flash, but it is a poster for disability awareness month... I just thought it was cool looking.

Been doing a lot of painting myself... this week we have had a pink elephant, some little blue men fighting a monster, a woman and child, a bunch of peace signs, a crazy one, and maybe a couple others... or maybe that was last week.

We went to perkins... pictures will be next...
not of perkins... but yesterday.

Just havent known what to write. Lately my days consist of maybe having classes and doing homework and playing scrabulous... my nights socializing and painting, and maybe doing homework... not much in between... last week I found out a friend of mine was pregnant.
um but not much.

I dont feel like a student in college anymore with all this free time.
It also just recently hit me again what laurel had said a week or two ago about all these kids, and how its only their sophmore or freshmen year.... and where they are at, and where we are at... im like a big brother type, and it is not ok that i am so desperate for attention right now... they need the support and energy.

"small my table, sits just two
got so crowded I cant make room
oh where did they come from
stormed my room
and you dare say it belongs to you,
this is not for you!"

I dont have any pictures that would capture the insanity of last night. It wasnt the drunkenness... (i was sober) it was the crazy company... and the obsession with shaking things out.
I have videos of Ina drunkenly singing songs... missed out on Huck's beautiful performances... i do have about 60 pictures of cass cuz we were having a photo war...
um i dunno what to say. its a snow storm today... to white out the land and give you a fresh start despite your past.