Keeping Busy

So far, this week has been vastly different from previous weeks here at U of O. Mostly I think this is because I have been a lot busier. Project 365 as it has come to be known has been taking up a lot more of my time and I love it. I had two rehearsals today. One at 4:00pm and one at 8:00pm. They were both so much fun. Though I may not admit it sometimes, I think I really like keeping busy. Always having something to do or work on is a good feeling. When I have large gaps of time with nothing scheduled like I have in the past weeks I tend to spend a lot of time alone with my own thoughts which can often lead to worrying about stuff for no reason. Plus, I am keeping busy with what I love to do. I am working with people who share my passion for theatre arts and I am slowly becoming better at it. I called my mom today. It was very nice to talk to her. I also talked to my girlfriend today making me even more excited to come home this weekend.

Jubilant Again

Today was a really good day. I really feel like I killed my Theatre History midterm. Then I had a really good Acting class. After that I had my first rehearsal for 365 plays which was a whole lot of fun. I am so excited for the rest of the process. More detail about the rehearsal can be found on my other blog. After that I had dinner at Hamilton with some of my favorite people from my dorm and then I met up with Tessa and we headed over to my friend Liz's new apartment. She was originally living in the dorms but it wasn't working out so now she has this awesome apartment slightly off campus. Got some good studying done there. Walking from the car back to my dorm when we got back I slipped in the mud. So I decided to change into my pajama pants. I am now sitting here at my desk and I am quite comfy. I kind of feel like going to bed early tonight but this hall really doesn't sleep until like 2:00 on any given night so that may not be possible. It is already nearly 10:30 and I feel lame for being in pajamas. I have been feeling a lot happier lately. My optimism and jubilance seem to be returning. This is wonderful. Also, I am headed back to Portland this weekend and that has me extremely excited. I miss my family, girlfriend and hometown. Reconnecting with them is going to be amazing.

Cramtacular

So its close to 2:30 in the morning now and I have been studying all night with members of my FIG. We have our History of Theatre midterm tomorrow. Actually, scratch that. Today. We have been drilling flash cards, drinking coffee, and researching our asses off since around 3:00pm yesterday. Theres something kind of fun about this. It is really fun to have so many people living in my dorm who are in my classes. When we team up for study sessions we really get a lot done and we have fun doing it. I really hope the coffee wears off soon so I can get some sleep. This has literally been my whole day. Studying studying studying. Intense.

Ashland

The Ashland trip with my FIG was wonderful. We got up at the crack of dawn (that being about 8AM for us college students) and hopped in a couple vans bound for Southern Oregon. There is some really beautiful scenery between Eugene and Ashland and lots and lots of sheep. I was the only guy in my van and I was totally cool with that haha. The girls I got to travel with are wonderful and hilarious.We talked and sang to show-tunes and just generally had an awesome time. We made it to Ashland by about noon and we had a little bit of time to wonder around before the matinee began. I ate lunch with my friend Vicky and we fed the ducks at a pond in lithia park. Then we goofed around in the gift shop momentarily before it was time to watch Hamlet. This was the second time I had seen the show down there but it was equally stunning the second time. I will be the first to admit that Shakespeare can drag a bit and in fact during the first act I may have been dozing slightly but the lighting and sound effects they are able to pull off down there are truly incredible. The acting of course is also spectacular. After the show we went and got some sandwiches and ice cream before having a thoroughly enjoyable ride back. It was ironic to me how vulgar and immature we all were being in a van driven by a professor of English. I couldn't tell whether she disapproved or found us amusing. Still, twas lovely.

Some Thoughts

I've realized recently that college has been the biggest transition I have experienced in my whole life. That is probably why it has been so strange. Its been just about a month since I moved into the dorms here at U of O and I still feel kind of unsettled and off. It just doesn't quite feel like home yet. I still long for my room at home where I found solace. Having a roommate eliminates the possibility of a sanctuary where I can be alone with my thoughts. But then there are the times that I don't want to be alone. For example, Saturday I got really depressed. A bunch of my friends here had gone home for the weekend and I felt incredibly alone. Theoretically I probably could have found a party but at that point I only felt like laying there in my room. When my mood plummets there is this bad thought snowball effect that occurs so all of my worries surface at once. Currently I'm doing pretty good though. I got cast in an acting project called 356 days 365 plays and Acting class has maintained its level of awesomeness. Tomorrow my FIG (Freshman Interest Group) is going on a field trip to Ashland and its going to be loads of fun. We are seeing Hamlet which I have already seen in Ashland but I am excited to see it again. Also it is going to be fun to spend some time with the other people in my FIG who are pretty damn cool. Monday we have our midterm in History of Theatre though which is a class we are taking together in my FIG. Its going to suck but at least we can all study together. Next weekend I am headed home to Portland. I honestly cannot wait. I think I am more home sick than I realized.

Friends and Detergent

So I am sitting here in the laundry room/lounge in the basement of Bean (my dorm). I'm hanging out with my artist friend. She wasn't doing to good and then we talked for a while and now she seems to be doing a little better and smiling a little more. I think this is what I thrive on. Listening to people's problems, giving advice and trying to make them feel better. I find myself doing it all the time. The best is when I know I have friends who will listen to my shit as well and have the same effect. My artist friend is becoming one of those wonderful people. Well, she already is a wonderful person but she is really becoming a good friend. I also have met a girl from Ashland who is an actress and very similar to me in many ways. I already feel as though I can talk to her and she can come to me with her troubles. I am lucky to be acquiring friends like these. I think that one of the main reasons I like counseling people is that it allows me to gain more empathy. I learned recently in my Acting I class that Stanislovski's method for acting (the most widely used method for acting worldwide) can be summed up in that one word. Empathy. The ability to feel what others feel. The more I listen to the trials and tribulations my friends are having the more I am able to walk in their shoes. The greater the variety of people I can understand the wider my range as an actor. Conversely, the more of an actor I become the more empathetic I become. This kind of makes it harder for me to have contempt for anyone, much less hate anyone which can be difficult when I really want to be mad. But then the empathetic part of me kicks in and I start trying to see the situation from the other person's point to view which diffuses the anger almost every time. I guess thats why I'm such a pacifist. Well, my laundry is done.

College Life

I've been here in Eugene for two and a half weeks now. Everything is so new. The transition has been jarring. It seems like everyday I have met one hundred new people and learned one hundred new things about living in Eugene and going to school at the University of Oregon. The shift is difficult but exciting at the same time. This new level of independence leaves me open to do as I please whenever I want and where ever I want. It forces me to create my own structure which is sometimes nerve wracking. Not knowing what I am going to be doing or who I am going to be hanging out with at any given time is strange. But it does allow me to be pretty spontaneous which is fun. I am a Theatre Arts major so I am focusing on what I truly love at an extremely elevated level. I have History of Theatre, Shakespeare and Acting. All of which are very intriguing. Acting class actually is keeping me sane. It is so much fun. My GTF (Graduate Teaching Fellow) for that class is incredible. The first week of school wore me out to the point of being sick for the last four days. I think I am getting better but I am still feeling pretty exhausted. I am hoping to become accustomed to this lifestyle soon. I cannot deal with being this tired all the time. It really takes a toll. Aside from all this complaining, college has been really fun and new so far!!

The Show Must Go On

So today I hosted a going away party for me and a couple of my other college bound friends. The party was going great and so many people whom I adore were there. I stepped into my room to be alone for a moment and then I felt the world stop turning, my past glowing like beautiful street lamps behind me. Familiar, comforting. My future like the vegas strip ahead of me. Exciting, colorful. It all hit me in an instant nearly overwhelming me. This is the biggest transition of my life. So I took a deep breath, turned towards the street lamps seeing they were fading then turned towards the neon signs and billboards. Ready or not, here I come I thought to myself. I can't wait to start this new chapter of my life but I will never forget all of the people who got me here. I love you all.

Inception Trailer A Capella Re-Dub

Okay, this made me laugh my ass off. Check it out.

Heart Carved Tree Trunk

When our lives finally met it was like two cogs or gears finally clicking into alignment. They were always meant to run adjacent to one another so it was no surprise how smoothly they adjusted. Soon they were spinning faster and more vibrantly then ever before. It would seem they have spun too fast because as soon as we were united time sped up. This past month has flashed before our eyes like so many beautiful photographs. Pictures of smiles, sun drenched walks, your hand in mine and a certain heart carved tree trunk. Love is what we have found. Of this I am certain. You make me smile. You are devine. You are more than that but words cannot really describe. What we have is special and rare. The knowledge of my impending departure jabs at me like hot poker. I cannot stand the thought of being away from you. I hope I am strong enough. Perhaps it is the anticipation of my leaving that is the worst. Once I have school to focus on I may relaxe into the distance. This is what I am hoping for. Cause for now babe, its looking like the worst thing ever. I keep hearing the last verse of Yankee Bayonet in my head. "Oh my love though our bodies may be parted though our skin may not touch skin, look for me with the sun bright sparrow I will come on the breath of the wind"

In My Room

I love my room. It has taken years to get it just how I like it and soon I will have to leave it to live in a dorm in Eugene. Don't get me wrong, I am very excited for college. But the idea of not being able to live, sleep and study in my room anymore is somewhat troubling. As I sit here on my bed I take a look at everything I love about this room:

1. It is my creation. In middle school, when I still shared a room with my brother, I began to beg my parents for my own room. Finally my dad caved and moved all of his stuff out of his den down the hall from me and my brother's room. When it was all cleared out it was a white box with two windows looking out onto our driveway and the street, a large metal desk, three white shelves (empty) and a closet (also empty). Over the four or so years since I moved in I have made it my own.

2. My bed is ridiculously comfortable. It is a plush top full with all of my favorite blankets on it. It is tucked into the corner of the room with no bed frame and is quite easy to crash on after a long day.

3. My walls are plastered completely with posters from shows I have been in or seen, a magnetic dartboard, posters of yin yangs and peace signs and pretty much anything else I could find to make it harder to see that the walls are all insane asylum white. I have my walls just how I want them now and it has taken a full four years to get them that way.

4. My shelves are crammed with stuff now to the point where they look like a paused game of Tetris. I happen to love this. I know where everything is and exactly how to move things so that they don't all come crashing down. Shelf number one has two parts. The first is lined with scripts from all the plays I have been in since sixth grade and pictures from most of them. These start with "Mystery in the Wings" and end with "Handprint Alley". The second part of shelf one has my book collection and my year books. They started in a nice row but I ran out of room and now they are half hazardly wedged together. Shelf number two has my stuffed animal collection. I have far too many stuffed animals for my age but I really don't care. I also have a couple model airplanes on this shelf. Shelf number three is all board games and a couple more stuffed animals.

5. My instruments are all kept in my room. I have a keyboard, two guitars and a ukelele. All of them bring me great joy. Guitar is the only instrument I have been playing for a considerable amount of time. Ten years to be exact. I enjoy playing it while singing and occasionally posting a song on Youtube. Also, when inspiration strikes, I have all the necessary tools to write songs in my room. I haven't written that many songs, but the ones I have written I am proud of.

6. The latest addition to my room is the glow in the dark stars on my ceiling. I love these. before I got sleep every night I look up at them and smile. Stargazing may be my favorite activity outside of acting and singing. That explains the blog title and url in case that was fuzzy ;)

Although I am leaving my room, I know I will be able to come back to it and it will be the same. Warm, comforting, and full of the things that I love.

Portland Rain

The pitter patter of Portland rain

rinses clean all of the pain

that clings to the fibers of your soul

keeping you from being whole.

Let it drench your heart and mind.

Soon you will be inclined

to smile and know within your soul

life is brilliant, life is gold

Splash pitter patter pitter patter splash!!

Dance and sing, jump dive and dash.

Don't linger in sadness, fear or doubt.

They're not what life is all about.

The pitter patter of Portland rain

reminds you what you have to gain.

Anything you want and more

The pitter patter of Portland rain.

That is what I adore

Catharsis

So I finally sorted my life out. I got rid of something that was very unhealthy for me and traded it for something that is the best thing for me ever. I am thoroughly enamored with Kenzie. She is my new girlfriend and we just seem to be made for each other. Love is grand and it makes life amazing. I really am worried about her (the old girl) though. She is spiraling down a strange and frightening path. I really do wish her luck. Maybe she will one day find happiness. In other news, I am happier, more sane, and less stressed out now. No more constant worrying of fighting. Just pure bliss. As long as she doesn't murder Kenzie we are good :)

In to the Woods

Everybody should, when they get the chance, just drop everything and run towards the nearest wooded area and stay there for at least a day. Something about being surrounded by nature just makes you feel happy and one with the earth. That may sound pretentious but I don't care. Find some friends or go by yourself but just get away from the city. Get some dirt in your hair and in between your toes. Find bugs and animals, new plants, smell the air and the trees and just GO!!! You will be so much better for the experience. Its healthy as can be.

Time to Turn the Page

In life, sometimes you just know when its time to take the next step. I like using a book as a metaphor for my existence. Every time I turn another page of my life I come closer to where I should be in the end. I love rereading past chapters of this book in my head and I appreciate that every page is necessary to complete the novel. But, as I said, sometimes you just know when a certain chapter or section is over and you just really want to find out what happens next! Life is a real page turner that way. Transitions are not always smooth, but without moving forward we become stuck in neutral or even slip into reverse. That is honestly no way to read.

Summertime Ramblings

Okay so I haven't posted anything in a while but I have truly been very busy. Just got back from a beautiful trip to Maui with the family (see FB for the pics) and besides that I have been lifeguarding and also trying to enjoy my summer. Of course I've still been spending as much time with her as possible. I'm not sure where I left off in talking about her but really not much has changed. We still hang out and really enjoy each-other's company. We have had countless ups and downs but enough ups to make the downs seem trivial and meaningless. I have learned a lot this summer. I have also listened to a ton of music. I feel like these two things are related because I can sum up a lot of the things I have learned this summer in song lyrics. I realize that is corny as hell but its still true. For instance, from Billy Joel's "Vienna", I have honestly learned that "when the truth is told, you can get what you want or you can just get old". The amount of worrying I have done so far in my life is unhealthy and useless. Doing what makes you happy is the only way to live, not wrapped up in so much worry over what will make others happy or what is "right" that you tear yourself apart. Of course, logic and reasoning must still come into play as well as SOME restraint haha. But yeah, thats one of many things I have learned so far this summer.

Cat Stevens - Oh Very Young

In Life We Have Some Trouble, When You Worry You Make It Double

Summer has been going to beautifully. I feel inspired and just truly content with life. I want to write songs and I am going to. The only issue with Summer is the pesky sunlight glaring through my windows at 6 AM cause my shades suck. Seriously sun? Couldn't you wait at least a couple of hours? Gawwwwd!!!! Anyway, in terms of the love life, she is still around but we are friends for now. I am fine with this I think...but then again I just want to grab her and kiss her sometimes and the whole friendship thing makes that difficult. But we still enjoy each others' company and we are on very good terms so I suppose it will all work out. Just like that song "Somehow I know it will all turn out, you'll make me work so we can work to work it out, and I promise you kid I'll give so much more than I get, than I get than I get than I get!!!!" haha freaking love that song. I may post the link if I'm not to lazy.

Totally Immature I Know

http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/chat-conversation/238-names-vaginas-197006.html Go here, read them all and laugh your ass off.

jon stewart on crossfire

Jon Stewart you are a god

The Gypsy Rover

james taylor - Steamroller Blues - Live

I'm a Steamroller Baby

I have been having such a wonderful week. Metroarts Camp is the best thing I've done all summer. You really can't beat helping cute little kids learn how to do things that you love (acting and making music mainly). I am eternally grateful to her for turning me on to it. The only difficulty has been trying to cram lifeguarding (my paying job) and Metroarts into the same week. Its exhausting but totally worth it. Pounding the pavement in Downtown Portland is giving me shin splints but I really don't care. Thats easily remedied with Advil. My caffeine addiction has reared its ugly head again, but I think its only to make up for lack of sleep. I get to hang out with all the coolest drama people in Portland at camp, well almost all. Its so much fun!!! And I can feel my inspiration returning. The artistic juices are flowing in my brain again after a long draught. It is such a great feeling. Its liberating. I can express myself again. I'm gonna milk this inspiration for all its worth so expect to see some songs, poems, or scripts very soon :)

Trouble

Its amazing how a tiny little detail can darken what was originally a fantastic evening. I went over to her house yesterday and we talked and watched movies and ate pie and laughed our asses off and stuff on my computer. Also, and forgive me if you totally don't approve of this, we had one beer each. This was the mistake. Or rather leaving the caps behind for her mother to find was the mistake. Finding out this morning that she had gotten in trouble threw a huge wrench into the spokes of last night's wonderfulness. I mean, I still know we had a wonderful time and really we didn't do anything all that bad. But still, I hate getting people in trouble with their parents. I guess I should know better cause I'm all old and shit but in reality I guess I'm still just a dumb kid sometimes. At least neither of my parents are mad at me at present. In fact, my mom may read this or I might tell her and still I won't be in "trouble". I don't think I have been in "trouble" with my parents since I was like ten or eleven. We just kind of reached an understanding and I never really did anything all that terrible. I was just honest with my mom about stuff and that worked out fine. Now that I'm an ""adult"" (double quotes, I really don't feel like one) she really doesn't care what stupid shit I do because its really all on my head now.

Mantastic Evening

Today after working six hours I met up with my buds Nathan and Noah. We worked out for a while, attempted to play basketball (never felt whiter in my life, I was wearing boat shoes), then went back to Nathan's to watch Jarhead. This is a very good film depicting the gulf war in brutal honesty. Nathan is one of the manliest dudes I know. He has a full on punching bag in his room that is ridiculously fun to hit. I actually want one now, thats how cool it is. Overall it was a mantastic evening and I didn't get in until around Midnight. I am very ready to sleep at this point. Not all that much more to say. I think I will make this post dark green in keeping with the manliness of the evening.

Raspberry Ride

This afternoon I decided to get some exercise. My brilliant plan was to ride my bike to the library in Hillsdale and check out some books. Unfortunately the best road to use, Multnomah Boulevard was under heavy construction so I decided to ride in the opposite direction to Burgerville! There I helped myself to a fresh raspberry milkshake which was WONDERFUL!! Totally defeated the purpose of the exercise but I regret nothing! Haha I'd do it again to! Afternoon well spent I'd say. Now I'm kicking back and watching the Big Lebowski. Also I am quite excited because next week I will be helping out at the same camp she works at downtown. Its called MetroArts kids camp and tons of people I know work there. I am thoroughly thrilled to be able to do some artsy stuff next week. I have no idea what to expect but I've only heard good things! The director of the whole camp is Clara Hillier who has directed and costumed Wilson shows in the past. I texted her and asked if she needed anymore help with camp and she does!! YAY!!

Acoustic Cover of "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Miserable

I Dreamed a Dream

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

My rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Miserables. I found an acoustic version of the music online so I sight read it and recorded. Don't judge, I didn't have much practice :) That is if anyone ever reads this blog lol.

Emergency

For the most part lifeguarding is a fairly boring task. You stare at the pool, drink a ton of water and tell kids what to do. However, there is a reason they prepare us for emergency situations. They do happen. All of us guards working the one to six shift yesterday learned this first hand. It was just like any other day. We got through open swim from one to three forty five just fine and moved into lessons. Guarding during lessons is usually quite easy. You watch the instructors teach their kids so its like there are two levels of protection on the children. I was guarding the leisure pool when I heard the long whistle behind me (behind me is the lap pool which my friend Dana is guarding). I turned around and saw it. There was a kid having a seizure in a swim instructors arms. Dana had jumped in (this is what a long whistle communicates, guard entering the water) and taken control of the convulsing child. He sounded a second long whistle to indicate a major emergency and within seconds another guard rushed out to get a backboard in the water (the preferred method for getting guests out of the water quickly) and they slid the kid straight out of the water. He stopped convulsing once they got him out of the water and thankfully he was conscious. They gave him oxygen and waited for the paramedics which showed up quite swiftly. Thankfully the only part of this situation that affected me is that I had to keep watching the same pool with no rotation for almost 2 hours. This only sucked cause I had to pee. But really I have no right to complain because I am not Dana or Emma (the swim instructor who's kid it was). They were both thoroughly freaked out and had to finish their shifts early. They both acted truly heroically though and I'd really like to congratulate them.

Good Vibrations

Today has been a rather good day so far. Woke up, showered, had a Quesadilla and watched the Simpsons (a show that never fails to make me laugh). Last night went well, we watched a movie and had a lot of fun. Today she is at camp again and I am left to find stuff to do around the house. This is totally fine because I have plenty of stuff to do but I really wish that I was also helping with this camp. Its and arts camp!!! I freaking love the arts and I'm pretty good with kids. I texted the director of the camp to see if there is any chance that I can help out in any way before the camp is over. If she says yes then I may have a very fun non-paying activity to go along with the paying job I already have (Lifeguarding). I definitely need some artsy stuff in my life right now. I've been trying to fill the void by reading and seeing plays (currently reading Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand) but it doesn't seem to be quite enough haha. Hopefully this camp thing works out. If not I will just have to compensate by spending my whole summer budget on live theatre and used copies of plays. Of course, I do have a complete works of Shakespeare that I could start chipping away at. Well no matter what happens, I am sure to have a wonderful summer. You know why? Cause I said so!

Every 10 Seconds

I feel like I am at a crossroads in my summer/life. At this point I may have completely ruined things with her but I am not sure. Things can go one of two ways now, either we get back on good terms, continue dating and go back to being happy or we continue to fight until we get fed up with each other and split. I certainly hope it is the former, because I really do like her. I just have a habit of saying stupid things. I heard somewhere once that every 10 seconds a man says something stupid that a woman punishes him for. I think this is very true and I am probably part of the reason this occurrence is so common on planet earth (and probably other planets). The filter between my brain and my mouth needs some maintenance I think haha. Any who, I am trying to see her tonight. Will tonight hold the moment in which I finally know which road I am destined to go down? That is yet to be determined.

New Day

I am feeling much better today. I got up early for a lifeguard inservice from 7 to 9 and I have an actual shift later from 1 to 6. I feel a lot healthier today mentally and physically. I am a little tired cause I only got five or six hours of sleep last night but other than that I am good! I haven't yet heard from her yet today which leads me to believe she is probably busy with the camp she works at. I really hope I get to see her today after work. That would be most lovely. Feeling quite hopeful today. A quote that keeps coming to mind that I rather enjoy is "Yesterday is history and tomorrow is a mystery but today is a gift and thats why they call it the present". Its very true even if sometimes I forget that. She does a very good job of reminding me of this fact. I'll probably go downstairs soon and have a relaxing lunch before I hop in the shower and try to wake up a bit before my shift starts. Lifeguarding is not a terrible job even if sometimes it can be nerve-racking and monotonous. Money is money and I am in dire need of it for school and for life. However, my goal in life is not to be wealthy. It is simply to be happy :)

Apathetic

Today the only word that can describe how I have been feeling is apathy. Nothing has seemed all that interesting or exciting to me and I've just kind of been loafing around in a funk since I finished The Importance of Being Earnest. The problem with being in a funk is other people people try to blame themselves for your sour mood. That only makes matters worse honestly. I really wish there was a way I could have just put up a big DO NOT DISTURB sign on my forehead that would make sure no one did. Unfortunately that is purely impossible without hurt feelings. Good lord today just needs to end.

I Love Oscar Wilde

Just finished reading "The Importance of Being Earnest" by Oscar Wilde. Also, I have decided that I love Oscar Wilde. His writing has such a wonderful wit to it that is very rare in modern comedy. There are some seriously great quotes in this play.

Examples:

-"The only way to behave to a woman is to make love to her if she is pretty and to someone else if she is plain" (Act I, p. 51)

-"Ignorance is like a delicate exotic fruit; touch it and the bloom is gone" (Act I, p.45)

-"The truth is rarely pure and never simple" (Act I)

Probably what I enjoyed most about reading this play is that it made me think. There were many lines that I had to reread in order to decipher the incredibly sophisticated comedy within. This is definitely one of my favorite plays.

Morning

Just woke up with a pounding headache, possibly caused by all the chirping birds and bright lights that accompany waking up nearly half way through the day or maybe all the garbage trucks clunking around on account of its garbage day. Also, there is the possibility that my own brain is just pissed at itself and thus feels it needs to play stop hitting yourself with an invisible hammer. I had a fight with that girl I have been talking about last night. We made up but I still feel shitty about it. I can't even for the life of me remember why we were fighting, only that it was terrible. I really don't feel like doing anything today. I have to pick my brother up from summer school in about 15 minutes but other than that I think I'm just going to stay in my house and either read or melt my brain with television. I guess it just depends where my intellectual lethargy stands in relation to my physical lethargy. *Sigh* well I guess its time to go face the day, or whats left of it. I really hope this headache goes away.

Algebra Tutor

Today I am helping my brother with his summer school math homework. Its pretty basic algebra but I have found that explaining things that seem simple to me to my younger brother can be quite challenging. I really want him to do well...plus my mom is paying me to tutor him $$$$. This in addition to my lifeguard money is gonna be sweet. Although most of it is going towards college I am still excited about it. Went to a family gathering this morning for my Aunt Wendy's birthday. Well technically she is not really my aunt. She is my dad's cousin's sister (its much simpler to refer to her as my "aunt"). Aunt Wendy recently had a stroke and hasn't been in very good condition. It was wonderful to see her chatting with people and being sociable. She seems to be on the mend. This is wonderful news to our whole family. I also got to see my grandparents and my 2nd cousin Haley who is pretty awesome. There were many other wonderful family members there and the whole occasion was quite delightful. There was also a pretty good potluck buffet. Now we are back at home and grinding away at Alex's math. He is doing pretty good and I have a ton of faith in him.

Scary Scary Bitch

Sarah Palin you scare the living shit out of me. The fact that you have the support you do is mind boggling. How can someone with so few brain cells have supporters? Oh yeah, because there are so many freaking stupid people in this country. How very depressing. I really hope Obama gets some shit done in the next couple of years to turn the country around or it is going to be Republican USA again and we will go back to terrible decisions and idiocracy (great movie btw). Rich people, ignorant people, and rich ignorant people are the reason the conservatives thrive. Its a major problem.

First Post

This is my first blog post. I decided to start a blog for a couple of reasons: its summer and I'm bored, I need another outlet to express myself, and facebook is becoming quite old and stale. Hopefully some wise words will come of this blog, hopefully some creative ones as well. I suppose that we shall see. I guess there are some things you should know about me. My name is Karl, I enjoy the arts (specifically theatre but many others as well), and I enjoy looking at stars. I love the sky. At night it is quite romantic and during the day it can still be quite beautiful. I just graduated high school in Portland, OR and this fall I am headed off to Eugene to start college at the University of Oregon. Thats all for now :)