Date Night In Moscow

I'm trudging home, almost to the top of my hill when my pocket vibrates. It is my phone and a number I don't recognize. That isn't a surprise as I was expecting calls back from some sources for stories I was working on. Instead, it was a woman from my poetry class. We had been chatting and I gave her my phone number.
I answered, breathing heavily. (I'm still not back to my fighting weight, but I will be soon.) She asked me if I was ok, and I explained the hill. And then she asked me if I wanted to go to a movie.
Do you know how long it has been since I've been asked out? High school and that was almost ten years ago. I didn't know if her intentions were of the date type or the friendly-let's-go-hang-out type. Either way, it was being asked to go out.
I said yes.
We went to a movie (The old fashioned part of me took over and I paid even though I only had $20. Tickets were five a piece and large drinks were $2.50. We got the dollar bag of popcorn for free. I really liked this theater and will be going there more often.) We laughed at the show (a chick flick based on a chick lit book. It was what she wanted to see, so shut up.)
Even though we both had proclaimed that the shadow of homework lurked over us, neither of us felt like going home. We went to a coffee bar with live music. She had a beer and I had a hot chocolate. (I don't like beer or coffee so there wasn't much to choose from.) The three person group was pretty good, but we sat back in a corner and chatted. I found out she is older than me. That's cool. It means I'm not the oldest person in my poetry class. Besides, she looks at least five years younger than she said she is.
And eventually we left. I walked her back to her car, where we gabbed some more before she finally drove off. I walked home. It was nearly eleven by now. The movie started at seven.
I had a good time. It was a no-pressure situation. I'm sure we will hang out more. I make no predictions on anything else.
Total cost of date (combined spending): $20.55. She paid for the drinks at the cafe.

Yes, I am cheap. But I'm not easy.

It just may be a Loooooonatic you're looking for!

I've had this Billy Joel song stuck in my head for over a week. It is one that really makes a guy like me think.

Yes, I am still single, depsite numerous attempts. I've not attempting any such thing yet here in Moscow. I'm still getting a feel for the playing field. And, let's face it, I'm way too busy an dway too broke. Maybe I'll luck out and the girl looking for a guy like me will ask me out. Then she can pay. Right?

Friday night I crashed your party, Saturday I said I'm sorry, Sunday came, we did it all again....

There is one thing I won't be doing again, at least not this semester. I had to withdraw from the Chinese class. The transport, while not an issue today, just can't be relied on 100%. I switched it with another writing class. So now, like I always wanted, my entire day is devoted to writing in one way or another. Reading is related to writing, so that counts. I'm keeping the Chinese books and CDs, though. Maybe I can learn a little on my own.
The class I replaced it with is great. It i staught by the same instructor of my creative non-fiction class. According to him, most of the stuff done in the new class is the same stuff I did in the other class. Hooray! I'm not behind. Plus, I already own one of the books and another book for the class is by David Sedaris, a writer i really like, many times over the past year, I had contemplated purchasing the particular book. What would have been funny is if I had bought it but left it in storage.

So that is all for today. I have some reading to do and some writing. Catch you on the flipside.

Oh, Wendy, why hast thou forsaken me?

About three hours ago, I ate my first fastfood hamburger in over three months. I had managed to avoid the burger joints but I gave in. And now, I am paying for it.
Imagine if you had quit smoking. You were completely over the physical symptoms but every once in awhile, that little monkey in your head starts scratching, telling you you want a cigarette. And let's say you give in. You buy a pack (or even better just bum one from a friend) and light up. And suck in. And get sick.
This is roughly equivalent to my fastfood experience today. I didn't get sick right away. In fact, it tasted great. Soon after, however, my stomach began clenching and I had to run for the restroom. I don't have the best digestive system in the world (due in part to the fastfood I am now condemning) but this was a new record and a new low. I won't go into exact details. Suffice it to say that it was not pleasant.
What does all this mean for me? Well, it means I will be eating more salad and more single slices of pizza from campus dining.
Just imagine if my craving had forced me into a McDonald's instead of a Wendy's. The horror...The horror...

Burning Man Blues

I was there a few years ago. Seems so much longer ago than it really was. I want to go back. I think I would have more fun than I did that first time. I didn't know what was going on and, honestly, was a little afraid to join in. Many of those fears (like talking to strange people I don't know) have been overcome in the days since then. I'm a better writer than I was then, too. I'm more complete-- although not entirley complete-- as an artist and participant in life.
Burning Man is going on right now. In fact, The Man should be close to frying. I know a couple people out there. I know they are having fun. They, too, are wiser and more experienced than they were the year I was there with them. I wonder if they still have just as much fun? I'll have to ask.
In a strange coincidence, I was in a bookstore today and one of the random books that caught my eye was about Burning Man. I would have bought if I'd had any money. Maybe later. I don't think anyone else is swooping down to purchase it.
I'd rather be there than sit and read about it. That is a big step for me.

Then again, maybe I wouldn't. Even now, in a town with a healthy art scene, I'm sitting home on a Saturday night. I did go to a gallery today, after the bookstore. It is only 9:15. Maybe I should go out anyway.
I'd have to put on pants, though. If I were at Burning Man, no such requirement would exist.

What a rush!!!!

Busy guy. Between th ewritingjobs, the writing classes, and trying to earn Chinese, i am doing a good job of filling up my time. Then there is the hanging out at open mic nights, the gettingto know people, and the sleep. Yes, I still find time to sleep. And i'm doing this all with a still broken car.
I can fix it. I know what to do. The auto parts guy didn't quite understand what I needed even though I showed him exactly what I needed. The wire is just fine and the car would be running. It's just that, after listening to the parts guy and doing how he told me, the wire is too short.
AAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!
On the other hand, it only takes me less than 20 minutes to walk to campus from my house. Other good news is that there is a free (yes, free) bus that goes between UI and WSU. I can take that bus Tuesdays and Thursdays when that is the only class I have. Mondays, I only hav eclass at UI. WHich leaves Wednesdays and Fridays as the only days I need to drive. And that will save me gas. I like saving. (I like gas, the naughty voice in my head says.)
ANyway, Brit Lit is coming up soon. We are reading Beowulf, which I've read before. But the instructor speaks Old English and reads the epic in the language. It is very cool. I wish there was an old English class here. I'd rather take that than chinese.

TEEJ OUT!

Boston Red Sox

Warning: Explicit language ahead.


If the Boston Red Sox can't beat the fucking Seattle MAriners this year, then the team doesn't deserve to be in the playoffs. How can a team expect to win the big games if they can't beat a team that lost 11 in a row and 20 in a row to its own division?

Yes, I am pissed off. If Boston is going to keep playing like this then the fucking Evil Empire (aka the New York Yankees) have every right to win the American League East this year. And as long as somebody beats them in the playoffs then I'll be ok.

Right now, a Detroit Tigers-New York Mets World Series is shaping up. While I do not despise the Mets as much as I do the Yankees, I'd rather not have them in the Series. Give me the Dodgers or the Reds. Yeah, Cincinnati and Detroit, a real old school World Series.

Hills and Stairs

By the end of this semester I will have lost a significant amount of weight. Have I started a workout plan with time and the gym and cardiovascular aerobic excersise? Stationary bikes, treadmills and powerbars?
Hell no!!!! What kind of person do you think I am? The gym is not a place I want to see or be seen. So how will I lose all this weight, you ask? Three words: hills and stairs.
The closest parking lot to the building my class at WSU is held is at the bottom of a very steep, rather long hill. Today was teh first time I parked there. On the parking map, they only show you roads and lots and buildings. They do not indicate whether the road is a hill or not. So I gasped and trundled up this hill then up another hill (not so steep and not as far) to the building. The classroom, naturally, is on the tird floor.
That is not my only hills and stairs area. This whole place is hills and stairs. I only have one ground floor classroom. I could take the elevator (and I'm sure I sometimes will) but I'm not as lazy as I look. Even with the brief respite from stairs, I still have to face the hills.
If I knew it wouldn't ruin the beauty of this area they call the "Palouse" (that is an "oo" sound, not an "ow") I would petition for outdoor escalators.

"I'm against picketing but I don't know how to show it." Mitch Hedberg

The Writing-est Fool Around!

This is a quicky post to say how my first classes went and some other news.

Classes are great. I have poetry again in 20 minutes. today is one of the busy days when I have to go from UI to WSU and back in the same day. Should be fine. i got lost at WSu yesterday so I won't get lost today.

In other news...I have TWO writing jobs. One is with mmarketing Director of the Theatre and Film Department writng the department newsletter. Cool, eh? Second is writing reviews (except not of school plays, now) of books, movies, music, and such. Cool, cool, cool. Right now, I am a pretty happy camper.

Tomorrow....

Ok, so tomorrow is the real beginning of this show. The first day of class. I'm all moved in and all set to go tomorrow. First class of the day is poetry. I don't really like poetry as I think I've mentioned previously. I'll survive. After that is British Literature, with a focus on reading Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe. After that is Non-fiction writing, with the book This Boy's Life by Tobias Wolff as a supplement. Both are great books and I look forward to getting into some deep conversation over them. After single semesters each of Spanish and Japanese, this time I am taking on the challenge of Chinese. Am I asking for it or what?

Tonight I have a meeting with the newspaper staff to see what I can write for them. It will be different working for a paper instead of being in charge but I think I'll do fine. Also, I have a work-study assignment as an office assistant in the Theater and Film Department. Only a few hours a week so it won't be too bad. I will let y'all know tomorrow how tomorrow goes.

(Pick up The Muppet Show: Season and find the song about going to Morrow tonight. It's a hoot.)

Cars (part two)

After some smoke and nearly electrocuting myself, the car started going again. What a pain! For a while I was sure I had only made the problem worse. GRRR! Taken care of for now. WHo knows when the next day of trouble will be. The good news is that it isn't sucking down gas like I thought it would.

In other news, my lease is signed. I have a place to live. Of course, I can't move in until tomorrow when the flooring is finished. It is that cool "hardwood" laminate flooring (just like is now in the house I used to live at). They couldn't start putting down the floor until the paint dried. Yes, until the paint dried. New floor, new paint. And I'm still balking at the price: $335 a month! hard to top that. The closest was a studio for $385 with only water/sewer/gas paid. This place, that price is a flat rate AND includes electricity and internet. Phone service will be voted on by the housemembers once all rooms are filled. Most people have cell phones. Which means I might have to go get a cell phone. (Anyone want to lend me a few bucks to get one? Especially anyone who wants to talk to me on the phone.)

So, I move in tomorrow. I have all my books; I know where all my classes are. All I need now is a night of sleep somewhere other than the back of my van and a shower. i'm starting to smell.

Cars suck

Ok, one of the other reasons I avoided driving for so long was the responsibility of owning a car. The car I drove to Idaho did get me here but there was a catch.
Sunday, after gassing up in Boise, the beast would not start. I tried all the tricks until finally the battery just gave out. Problem solved the next morning: bought a new battery and things continued on their merry way.
Until today.
I woke up, got the car started and headed to a gas station to wash off a bunch of bird crap from my windshield. Made it to the station without a hitch. And then that power problem recurred. I turn the key, the gas gauge goes up and that is all. NO whirring of the engine, no clicking. Nothing. And so there it sits, at a gas station mere blocks away from where it spent the night.
Can you say frustration? I knew you could.

A room in a house!

Today I found a place to live. I will actually be living in a house. A real house. Of course, it is split into a duplex (upstairs/downstairs) but the whole house is under the auspices of one person. I have a large corner downstairs room. There is a path to a separate downstairs entrance, which means I never have to go upstairs for anything. I mean anything. Downstairs has its own kitchen, living room, bathroom and washer and dryer. All the utilities (including phone and internet) are included in the rent. Now, how much do you think one would pay for this? Keep guessing because it gets better.
The house is hard to find. It sits on a hill that overlooks the valley in which Moscow sits from the back patio and from the front is an incredible view of another valley. Across the street, on the top of this hill, is a small park. All this located less than a two-minute drive away from campus. How much did you say you would pay?
How does $335 a month sound? Not too shabby, eh? And the best part is that they were looking for quiet, non-partying people. Well, hello? That is me. I have writing to do, after all. And studying and sleeping and all that fun stuff.
For those of you who need it, I will be shortly letting you know the address and phone number. For those of you who do not need it, post any and all comments here.

Stay groovy.

Moscow!!!

Here is a short snippet of my journey to Moscow:

Yes, I have a driver's license now, acquired on AUgust 10th. Today is August 15th. In that five days I have driven over 800 miles. Am I crazy? you know, I just might be. The freeway is a scary place full of maniacs. There is nothing one can do but go with the flow, keep a watch on multiple angles and pray for the best. I made it. Contrary to what many others might think, 75 miles per hour IS TOO FAST!!! Especially when 90% of the drivers exceed that limit.

As for the vehicle, well, it got tired at a gas station in Boise and didn't want to go anymore. After a rest, the remainder of the journey went smoothly. I arrived in Moscow around 2:30 PM and, after getting lost, found the campus and the right building to get my student ID/debit card. Then I went and bought my books. I lucked out and only needed relatively cheap books. Not getting that employee discount after so long really bites. Such is life.

After spending the nigth parked in a grocery store parking lot (WinCo, for those in the know) I continued taking care of business. I had planned to park at the Wal-Mart, but I seem to have found the last Wal-Mart in the world that closes at 10 PM. Anyway, I went to sleep and woke up early. I drove myself over to the Parking Office and bought a Parking Permit. I used the same card I used to get my books, so I didn't use any out of pocket funds. It cost $125, which sucks, but the good news is that it is good for an entire year (as opposed to just the semester) and also allows me to park in various lots at Washington State University, where I have one co-op class. I was worried about having to pay an additional fee to park there, but I don't have to. Hooray!

Ok, tomorrow will be a day when I just sortof wander around campus and not do much else. thursday I find out what my work study job will be. Once I know that, I can get a better idea of how much time I'll have to take over the newspaper here. :)

I'm going to go take a nap now.

Catch you on the flipside.

I'm BAAACKKK!!!!!

Ok, so my internet access this summer has sucked the big one. It still isn't the best. Next week, however, it will be better. I will be back in school, in Idaho, with real internet access again!

A lot has happened since my last post. Once I make it to Moscow, I will fill everyone in on the summer. (Some of you who know me are wondering exactly how I am going to get there. That is all part of the adventure.)

So, for now, hello, goodbye, see you later. If I don't post by the 17th, that means I did not make it to Moscow.

CHeers.

Leaving Las Vegas

Well, that is it. I've done all that I was here to do. Today, I spent one last day working for the bookstore. I went to the library and turned in the last set of books I checked out. Now, all that is left is to pack. I have a few get-togethers to participate in but that is all. Nothing else to do.

It will still be a week until I actually leave Las Vegas but in my heart and head I'm gone already. Have been for a while. Yes, I'll miss a few tings but it is time to move on. Here I go...

I R Gradu8

The good news is that the speakers kept it short and simple. The bad news is that I had to stand and wait for about two hours before the procession. I ended up in the second row, so my bit went quick. The other good news is that not everyone who graduated showed up for the walk. Otherwise we would have been there forever. My CCSN graduating class was 1805. In two weeks, my little brother will graduate high school with a class of...10 (it might be twelve, I can't remember).

But it is done, that is what matters. All done. I didn't take the actual ceremony as serious as some people because that isn't my style. I put my cap on over a baseball hat and I didn't zip up my gown. Some of my fellow grads kept asking me if I was going out like that and I said yes. For some reason they thought there would be someone enforcing a dress code who would stop me. Didn't happen. Dress codes suck anyway.

Walking the Line

Well, Monday is the day. I'll be taking my first ever graduation walk. For those of you who may not know, I dropped out of high school. I've never done the grad thing before.
When I stopped to think about it, this is the first long-term project I will have successfully completed. Ok, I wrote a novel (that sucks, it was practice) and an ok book of essays (finished but unsuccewsful because I haven't managed to publish it yet). There have been a few other projects that I've done but none of them required sustained efforts longer than a few months. Even the newspaper, from the day I signed the contract until the day that contract runs out spanned less than five months.
The newspaper gig is only the second time I've had a job that I didn't quit. The first was a magazine gig that ended when the operation wentout of business. Every other job I've had I've quit. The last good job I had, the bookstore thing, I left to do the paper.
The positive side is that I've never been fired. I'm just a quitter (I even managed to quit smoking). Call me a quitter or someone who just gives up and you are probably right. I've rationalized it by telling myself I didn't need to be doing what ever it was I was doing any longer.

But not this. I stuck it out. Yes, I made some changes to the original goals but I crossed off every goal on my list. It must be time to make a new list. We'll see how long it takes to finish it.
I just have to keep plugging away.

Catch you on the flipside.

Third and Final

I knew it would happen someday, I just didn't think it would be this soon. My third and final issue of the newspaper is now available on the web and should be arrivng in print any minute now.

Wow. To paraphrase, what a short strange trip it has been. I got to do a lot of cool stuff (most of it for free) and meet a lot of cool people. Right now, I'm torn between being glad it is done and wishing it would never end.

The good news is that now I will have the time to finish a novel (should be done before I head up to Idaho.)

The TEEJ news will continue to be posted here. It isn't like I'm going away. Don't cry. It isn't that bad. There will be other papers, other magazines, other books. It might take some time before I get to be in charge again but I'll be ready when it happens.

No, I don't want any candy.

Do I have a lot to talk about? You bet I do.

A week ago tonight I saw this movie called Hard CAndy. Look it up because I'm not going to tel you what it is about. No, wait. I have to tell you because it relates to the next thing.
Hard Candy is about a 14-year-old girl who gets picked up by a 30-year-old guy through an internet chatroom. They go back to his house but before he can get pervy, the girl drugs him and proceeds to torture him, both physically and psychologically. It was a very well-made film but a little too creepy. I'm still feeling weird about it. Because it is well-made, from the acting, direction, editing, and otherwise, I want to tell people to go see it. Due to the subject matter, finding the right people to tell is more difficult.

Strangely, this does relate to something that just happened to me.
I'm in this writing class (read past posts for more on that). There is this girl in class who indicated that she enjoyed reading very violent and twisted stories. Guess what? I love to write violent and twisted stories. She mentioned enjoying the work I'd shared in class and I was very interested in reading some her writing.
Here's the deal. She is a very good looking girl. But I'm shallow. I had to read her story before deciding whether or not to ask her out. Her story (a serial killer bit that, with some work and practice could turn out very good) was very twisted and I loved it. So, yes, I asked her out. Not on a "real date" because I'm not comfortable with that yet. I asked her if she'd like to have a root beer float with me at the A&W a block away from the school. Not only does that maintain my comfort level, it is also cheaper than a real meal (still broke) it is in public, and it is still close enough to campus (and in broad daylight) that if things don't go well, either one of us can walk away.
How does this connect with the movie? If you think about it I think you'll know. I thought she was 19. Turns out she is only 16. She graduated early and I think is planning on being anurse or something like that. That is the dangerous part. More than looks, I'm attracted to smarts. Her liking my stories is a major bonus too.
Looks like I'll just make a new friend. And that is ok, too. It is better than nothing. Given my track record with trying to date, I should have expected something to get in the way.

Oh, The Places I'll Go...

Finally, it is graduation time. One more class to go to and I am outta here. I turned in my final issue of the paper to the printer Friday night. I have only a few more office things to do and then I am gone. Sure has been fun. It hasn't always been fun but een those moments have contributed to the overall experience of the thing. I'm glad I decided to take this gig.

And now, I shall go do other things. I have a new book I began two weeks ago that I want to finish. I have to get myself ready for the new adventure that will be University of Idaho. I have to pack up all my stuff before I hit the road.

But I don't have to do most of the things I've been doing the last few months. Sounds good.

Who wants to buy me dinner?