Busy body

So I haven't written anything here lately because I've been busy. Sue me. With new responsibilities at the paper and classes starting up for the semester, time for this has not been there. I'm going to keep trying to get things on here.
There is news, though.
I've gone digital which means I may have photos to post on the blog. Naturally, not very many of them will be of me because I will be behind the fancy new camera. We shall see what we shall see.
As always, if you want to see something on here, or just want to jibber jabber, you know what to do.
And if you want to read how busy I am, check out the Argonaut at:
http://www.argonaut.uidaho.edu/
Cheers.

And so begins a New Year

Just a basic update. Had a good break. Still trying to sort some things out in my head that went on over the couple weeks I was back in Nevada. I'll let you all in on them once I figure it out.
Spring classes start on Wednesday. I will be taking my first ever journalism class. yes, that's right, my FIRST EVER JOURNALISM CLASS. And it isn't a 101, either.

Anyway, I'm hungry and have some other things to do. i'm excited to get back into the mix of another semester. Catch you on the flipside.

T.J.'s As-Promised Year In Review 2006!

Everybody does this, don't they? Look back at the year they had and wonder where all that time went? Since I am cooler than everyone else (unless I've previously told you that you are cooler than me) my YIR will be much cooler than all those others.
At least, I think so. Amazingly, 2006 was a year of semi-bridled positivity for me. No major tragedies or anything really to look back and say, "Wow, that sucked so much I never want to talk about it again." Anyway, on with the show.
Best Movie: Stranger Than Fiction. The only movie I saw twice in one week this entire year. Honorable mentions go to Slither, Feast, and Tenacious D and the Pick of Destiny.

Best Book: Cell by Stephen King. This came out in January and no other book that came out this year impressed me as much. Honorable mentions to Anasazi Boys by Neil Gaiman and A Thousand Good Prayers by Yiyun Li.

Best Music: Halestorm. Halestorm. Halestorm. If the world goes right you will all hear more about them next year when their first full length album comes out. Honorable mentions: Educated Horses by Rob Zombie, Rockstar Supernova (even though they picked the WRONG vocalist), and We Are Pilots by Shiny Toy Guns.

Best TV: Rockstar Supernova. Dilana should have won and Storm is still my favorite. I haven't actually watched TV for real for most of the last third of this year, so maybe I missed out on somethings, but I'm not too worried about it.

Ok, that is the "best of" list. Now for more personal reviewing.

This year, I went on more dates than I have in....um....well....a really long time. Thank you to all the girls that went out with me, even though none of those dates turned into relationships. I'm okay with that, too. The more dates i go on, the more likely I am to find the one of you out there meant to be with me.

2006 was also my most productive writing year EVER! thanks to multiple writing classes and work on two separate newspapers, I have more decent work to show people than ever before. granted, not all of it is great, but there is definitely something to having to produce adequate work multiple times a week that can make any writer better. Now, if only I could finish my damn novel. (It's coming, really. I might start posting chapters here for those of you who have been waiting for a taste.)

The other two big accomplishments of 2006 were getting my Associates degree from CCSN and (finally) getting my driver's license. Now I know that a lot of people have these things before they are 20, 25 at the latest. I just do things differently. You should all know that by now. It is done, that is what counts. I'm well on my way to the Bachelor's degree and driving regularly (when the Hell-Bitch wants to go, that is.)

If this were the Oscars or my novel, I would have a list of people to thank. It isn't but I'm going to thank a few people anyway. Here goes (and in no real order, so don't get pissed if you are toward the bottom of the list. Just think of all the people who didn't make the list):
Mom and Pop, for putting up with me over the summer and helping me along when I've needed help. Dad for calling me even if I don't answer. Karen Laing for calling me from Vegas just to talk. The Gibson family for three great years: I miss you guys! Dr. Campo for deciding I should be in charge of Coyote Press: it was a wild semester and put me on a path that I'm still on now. John, Joel and Leslie, three of the best professors ever who don't seem to mind that I call them by their first names now. Gina (Joel's wife) for building my confidence and sharing her own stories with me. My fellow students in ENG 205 (Las Vegas), 291, 293, and 309 (Moscow) for understanding that sometimes I just have to talk and not getting too pissed off about me never raising my hand. Sasha for knowing I named a character after a Misfit. All my staff at Coyote Press, we rocked! Harley and Pam, two women who will never meet each other but were both honest enough with me so that I didn't get crazy. Pam and Mark for being there and for picking me up at the airport tomorrow. Amy, still my best friend who I don't talk to enough, but that I vow never to lose contact with. Brianna, my rocker, for enjoying some good ol' rock and roll with me, and letting me feel important. Mark and Leslie, for hanging out in Portland with me in March and letting me hang out in Eugene for Thanksgiving, and all that other stuff, too.

There area bunch more people I should thank but it is starting to get mushy and that isn't my style. One last thank you and this year in review (shorter than I thought it would be) is done.

To everyone who has followed this blog and encouraged me to do what I want to do: THANK YOU! With out all of you, I'd probably consider getting a "real job" again. If things work out, I'll never have a "real job" again.

Coming Soon....T.J's Year in Review!

What that says.

:)

CLassical Headbanging

If you can watch this video and not love both Clasical music and heavy metal, then you suck. Bad.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rw0TikGmVz4


(I tried to post the video but it wouldn't let me. Stew Pidazho.)

While this now under the label "Gods of Rock" Apocalyptica is more like a demi-God.

Like a I need a hole in my head

For some of you who've known me for a while, this would be pre-Vegas, I used to have my right eyebrow pierced. Well today I went and got it done again.

Funny thing i sthat it didn't hurt as much nor did it bleed as much as it did the first time. Of course, i didn't have a super hot woman doing the piercing, so I guess it's a toss up.

I like it. Reminds me of my rebellios and anarchic ideals.

Yes, I know that having a piercing is no longer as rebellios as it once was. When I had my original piercing, I never saw anyone else with a pierced brow. Now, they are everywhere.

I don't care. I'm not trendy. I do what I want. If a lot of other eople just happen to want to do the same thing, good for them.

Snowblind

It keeps snowing. Every morning there is more snow on the ground than when I went to sleep. Sure, I kind of expected it and I'm not really complaining. I'm just wondering when enough is enough?

This morning on my way to class, I almost died three times. Stepped right on ice patches that nearly caused me to tumble downhill. I don't want to die in the cold. (I don't want to die in the heat, either, but I survived that. I guess I can survive this, too.)

All I'm asking for is one day without added accumulation. Please.

Beverage of your choice

So I didn't get that job I wanted but I should have ample opportunity to expound my joyful, sarcastic commentary on life and all I see. Which is the only reason I wanted that particular position anyway. Things have a strange way of working out.

Thansgiving was fun. I drove through a snowstorm on my way home. And when I say "I drove" I mean I was driving, not the passive passenger, hiding from whatever wrecks may or may not happen. I didn't kill anyone and no one screamed. Which is good.

Also, I made my best batch of Cow Slobbers ever! Used Wild Strawberry flavor. Not only did I think they were good, but so did my sister and a few people who'd never had the pleasure of Slobbers before. So I can make Cow Slobbers and Taco Salad. Hell, That's almost an entire meal right there. I can buy soda/milk/water/other beverage of your choice, so I'm doing pretty good.

"Hey, baby, want to come over to my place for some taco salad, cow slobbers and a beverage of your choice?"

Semester is almost over, too, which means the year is almost over. I started this blog in February. Minus the months I was in the middle of nowhere, that's almost a year of intermitten posting. For my constant readers, feel free to comment on what the highlights of this blog's first year have been for you. Coming soon will be my Year In Review. I'm going to make it as positive as I can, too.

Still undecided about what I shall do over the break, though. Don't be surprised if I show up at YOUR house.

The Wait...and wait

I'm a rather patient guy. I can sit and wait for things for a very long time. Like buses and mail and such. What I hate waiting for is news. When someone tells you they will "let you know by tonight" I want to know NOW!
Right now I'm waiting to fins out if I get promoted from Arts&Culture grunt to Opinion Editor. I really want the job. The other person being considered is equally qualified. We would each bring a wealth of experience to the position. We would do things differently, I'm sure, but either way, it is a win-win for the paper.
That is what I should focus on and probably what those deciding are focusing on. "What is best for the paper?"
It is a good question. Would it better to have someone who is an excellent news writer and probably knows more about the local area than I do? Or me, who will never back down when someone needs to be made fun of?
That is what I bring to the table: If someone needs to be kicked in the nuts, I shall do the kicking. Humor is at a premium in many newspapers these days. We all seem to take ourselves too seriously. Not me. The best part is that I'm likely to make fun of myself before I make fun of any one else.
Chicks dig self-deprecating humor. Or so I'm told.

While I wait, I'm watching all the Strong Bad Emails I can. Good times, yo.

Just an update...

Thanksgiving break is coming up as is the end of my first semester here at the University of Idaho. Made some friends, had some good days and some bad days.
Made some headway with my work, although still not finished with the novel. I have been very productive otherwise. Done some pretty good newspaper work, some damn good nonfiction works and some interesting poetry. Next semester, I will get back on track with my fiction work.
You can see I am in a comtemplative mood. Usually this is bad. Usually when I get like this I start thinking of mistakes and how things could be different. Today, I'm thinking of the things I did right.
It is a longer list than I thought it would be.
I'm waiting for New Year's Eve, then I will go back and give you the whole list of things I did right this year.

Beat Days...Beat Nights...And Everything In Between

Transcript Cluster Fuck

So, transferring schools is a pain in the ass, as I was reminded again today. First of all, my finall transcript from Las vegas took forever to get here. Once it arrived, I went right to my academic advising and then registered for next semester. After signin gup for some classes, I got an email about the remainder of my transcript being evaluated and adjustments made.
those adjustments include my not having had to take a class that I am in now and not having to take one of the classes I had added mere minutes before.
The shitty part is that I'm required to have a certain number of upper-division classes here in order to graduate. Almost all of the Lit. classes I took in Vegas at 200 level transferred over at 300 level. Basically, I don't have that many more English classes to take, I just have to take a bunch of shit to meet the credit requirements.
And also foreign language, but that is another issue and one I don't feel like talking about right now.

Coincidental Scarring

I do not believe in coincidences. While I may not always be able to explain why certain things line up like they do, I do believe their is a bigger scheme at work.

Right now, I am about halfway through the new Stephen King book Lisey's Story. I had to check it out at the library but I'm okay with that. A recurring setting is a place called the Shipman Library. On the second day of my possession of this novel, I wrote an article about a 1920s era female filmmaker named Nell Shipman. So, not a huge coincidence but it caught me funny.

Yesterday, walking around town, I was sing the Johnny Cash song "Walk the Line." While singing, a truck pulled up next to me playing that exact song at the exact point I was at in my singing. Getting a bit freaking now, eh?

There's more.

For the British Literature class I am taking, we are reading Shakespeare's King Lear. One recurring theme of Lear is the so-called "duty of love." In the Stephen King book, that precise phrase is used in a similar context. Now, it isn't unusual for an author to reference previous works (King does this through out the current book) but it isn't everyday that I'm reading something one of those major references comes from.

How about this.

One major concern of the Stephen King book is self-mutilation. You know, cutting yourself because you are a bit nuts. I used to do this and have the scars to prove it. I haven't done it in a very long time but I have been thinking about WHY I used to do it. One particular incident left me with a scar about two and a half inches about my left nipple. Heart area, basically. The scar is a name. The name has to do with the novel I am nearing completion of. While this is more of a stretch than the other coincidences, it is still there.

I was going to write this last night. I didn't and now I have another bit to add. I fell asleep last night singing the song "Last Kiss" as originally recorded by J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers and covered a couple years ago by Pearl Jam.
While here in Moscow, I've been listening to the oldies station more than the newer rock stations, so I've been expecting to hear that song any day now.
today I heard it while eating a burrito at Taco Bell. It was the Pearl Jam version because they weren't listening to the oldies station.

Yes, I'm starting to weird myself out. And I'm wondering just what all this is supposed to mean.

Help low-income kids get books!

By clicking that little link, you will help my school compete to win $1000 worth of books to distribute to low-income kids. if youknow me, you know I don't support charities lightly. But this is about books and kids who need them.

DO THIS!

Halloween

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

The following is an account of my weekend. An abridged version appears in today's Argonaut under the headline "The Longest Halloween Ever"

The Long Halloween by T.J. Tranchell
Argonaut
This weekend was a lot like that Ministry song “Everyday is Halloween.” With the actual holiday being on Tuesday, much of the activity around town happened Friday and Saturday. That is the bad news. The good news is that there are still a few things to do today.
This Halloween began on Oct. 20 by driving the 13.5 miles to see the Haunted Palouse. It is a rare wonder to see a cornfield on Main Street in any town. Those who want to make the drive are in luck because Haunted Palouse will be open Halloween night. With a few nights under their belts, the attractions should be better than opening night. The museum section is fabulous and puts the Old Fire House and Corn Maze sections to shame. I’m hoping they got better, anyway. Otherwise, what good am I at Halloween consulting?
Good enough to help out with a local “home haunt.”
I only planned to pass along a few tips to Eric Conte, a food science major and pirate paraphernalia collector. His enthusiasm for his “Moscow Massacre” was infectious. I signed on a week before the gig.
Between Sunday and Friday, lots of time was spent costume shopping. The most popular costume this year is the Pirate, which means Conte is ahead of the game. Specifically popular is anything related to “Pirates of the Caribbean.” Pirate costumes flew off the racks at Wal-Mart. One poor mother had to convince her son to be Superman when all the good pirate costumes were gone.
Sun Rentals did a brisk business in pirate gear, too. When the previous “Superman” movies were released Superman was one of the best costumes. If it wasn’t for Johnny Depp we would be seeing more red capes around today.
I made a stop at Hot Topic, too, just to see if they were sick of the people who only shop their once a year. It was rather busy so I didn’t hear any complaining.
Thursday night brought me to the Sigma Tau Delta Halloween Poetry reading. We had some good Poe readings highlighted by faculty advisor Walter Hesford’s rendition of “City by the Sea.”
All six people there, including myself, hoped for a bigger turn out. Then again, if more people had shown up, I might not have won the pumpkin full of candy for my own original poems.
Friday marked the first night of the “Moscow Massacre” and the first round of major partying. We couldn’t get a chainsaw so I had to improvise.
Let me tell you about chainsaws. They are crude and lack subtlety. Chainsaws should be the last resort, not the first. And if you see someone carrying a chainsaw and wearing a hockey mask, you have my permission to mock them and tell them to watch a “Friday the 13th” movie to see how often Jason Voorhees wields a chainsaw. Answer: NEVER!
Isn’t it scarier to have someone chasing you while scraping knives together? I thought so and that is what I did. It worked. One woman ended up in the bushes and more ran screaming back inside the house.
If you came to the house and we made you scream, good. If you didn’t scream or weren’t scared at all, it only cost you a dollar so quit complaining.
Maybe we helped teach a few people to watch behind them. The screaming isn’t over until I say it.
“Moscow Massacre” should be back next year, just in case you missed it.
Friday and Saturday were great nights for parties. The Knightmare on Lambda Street on Friday, the Moscow Social Club’s Costume Party Saturday night, and the Garden Lounge’s Twilight Zone where just a few.
The Twilight Zone accentuated another feature of the weekend: the fall back to standard time from daylight savings. An extra hour to drink! Or an extra hour to sleep, if you aren’t the partying type. It is like a tax return. Here is this hour we took from you earlier in the year. You can have it back now. We don’t it.
Until March, that is.
There were trick-or-treaters out Friday and Saturday, too. Many went to the “Tower of Terror” at Theophilus Tower. I wonder how many of them know that the second floor is supposedly haunted. (Argonaut Oct. 13, 2000.)
I don’t have a problem with going to an event. I do have a problem with door-to-door trick-or-treating on days other than Halloween.
As essayist David Sedaris said, “Asking for candy on Halloween is called trick-or-treating; asking for candy on November first is begging.”
I’m also bothered by “trunk-or-treating,” also. Have you seen this? A bunch of people take over a parking lot and decorate their trunks. The trunks are supposedly filled with candy. What kind of fun is this? Getting into costume and walking around for less than a block? Candy should be a reward for a child’s hard work in costuming and trudging their parents around throughout the neighborhood.
Call me a Halloween purist, but if you don’t knock on my door on Oct. 31 don’t expect anything from me.
I did notice a good crowd for the showing of “Poltergeist” Saturday night at the Kenworthy. I love seeing who screams the most during the clown attack. I’m not afraid of clowns, but I know a lot of people who are. Even something that looks like a clown scares them.
I saved my movie money to watch “Saw III.” I suggest going to see it, if you don’t mind blood. A little torture never hurt anyone.
Sunday and Monday might seem like they should be days off (party recovery days for many of us) but even then Halloween still occupied the time of a few brave souls.
Pumpkin carving, which many people still do, is one of the oddest traditions. You know your pumpkin is going to be smashed by someone. Yet we still put forth the effort. Every year I say my pumpkin will be better than last year. It never is.
As such, I stayed out the pumpkin carving contest held on the Commons Plaza Lawn Sunday and Monday.
I painted a pumpkin instead. Less mess and harder to smash. That and I didn’t have to endure the momentary hail storm Sunday afternoon.
With that activity over the weekend, don’t forget when the real holiday is. Trick-or-treating should not be limited by age. If you go out, in costume, you should be rewarded.
Don’t come to my house, though. I will be busy celebrating another aspect of Halloween: my birthday. Partying will be done and joy will be had.
If you need somewhere to go, try Tubaween, 7:00 p.m. at the Recital Hall. Go in costume.
Have a Happy Halloween, Moscow. I know I will. And if you see me waiting for the Great Pumpkin, stop by and say hi.

Weekend stuff

Two nights of chasing people with knives. What a blast. Due to myingenuity, we didn't need a chainsaw. And I'm glad. Chainsaws are too much trouble, cost too much, and are too loud. How much better is it to be able to sneak up on people and start scarping knives together? Had a good time. We pretty much doubled my expectations, getting close toa hundred visitors over two nights versus the sixty I tought might come.
All proceeds go toward partying my ass off Tuesday night.

Sure Signs of Weight Loss

I have this shirt that I love. Okay, I have a lot of shirts that I love. This one in particular is a black button up with different pictures from Frankenstein movies on it. I got it off a clearance rack at Hot Topic almost five years ago.
Over the summer, I discovered that if I poked my belly out just a little more than it poked out on its own, I could pop the buttons. Sure, it's funny, but man, what a shock. I've made fat jokes about myself for years but this was ridiculous.
I wore this shirt yesterday. All day long I waited for the buttons to come undone. They never did. I must have lost some weight.
Hooray for me!

With apologies....

One curse of starting college late is being surrounded by younger people. NOw there are those people who are obviously older and not part of the same social atmosphere as the average university student. I'm not that old. Yes, I'm closer to 30 than I am to 20, but most people don't know it unless I tell them.

If I come off as a creepy old guy, I'm sorry. I'm not old enough to be a "dirty old man," thank goodness, but I guess it might be a little weird.

So if I walked you home today, and it made you uncomfortable to be around an older guy, I'm sorry. (This isn't my sarcastic sorry, either. This is the real deal.) Maybe I am too old to ask out sophomores. 25 is not the end of one's life. many writer's don't get published until their 30s and many don't reach their peak until their late 40s and 50s. Hell, if you are Walt WHitman, you didn't hit your peak until your 60s!

27, though. Jimi, Janis, Kurt, Tupac, Jim...I'm not going to see you anytime soon. I won't be the candle that gets snuffed out too soon. I plan on fading away and not for a very long time. And if I have someone to share that time with, all the better.

I realize that in my thumbnail profile, it says that I will explain why I am single. Perhaps the time is coming when that explanation is due. It is a long story, with no one knowing the whole thing. Some know more than others and an argument could be made that I don't even know all the reasons why. These are not the things to be brooding about so close to one's birthday.

I'm going to shut up now.

Se7en Days....

Yes, one week until Halloween. With the date being on a Tuesday, most of the good stuff is happening over the weekend. I've supplanted myself into a local "home haunt" which should be a lot of fun. The organizer is an energetic guy with some great ideas. I just stepped in and offered my help and advice. Things should go well. And if anyone who comes through doesn't like it, it is only a dollar so who cares?

In other Halloween/birthday news...The new Stephen King book came out today. I'm broke-ass (as usual) and can't buy it for myself. So if anyone was thinking of a birthday present to get me...That would be it.

The good news is that I should have a few people to hang out with on my birthday so I won't be alone.

The further adventures of T.J. and the Hell-bitch

Just in case you wondered, Hell-bitch is the cute pet name I use for the van. I borrowed it from "Lonesome Dove" in which Hellbitch (see how I slightly changed the spelling?) is the name of a horse only one man can ride and tends to bite and kick anyone else.

I haven't ridden-- excuse me-- driven the van in close to two months. School is a ten minute walk as is most everything else. And I didn't feel like spending the money required to fix it. I bought food instead. Because there were some things I wanted to do this weekend that obligated more than a brief jaunt on foot, I spent the money to finish the minor repairs. After some finnicking (it IS a word if I say it is) I was on the road. After doing what I wanted to do, the van started right back up and I was headed home. Instead of coming right home like a good boy, I stopped at the grocery store to pick up a few items. I could buy more at once because I was driving and wouldn't have to walk home with my purchases.

And that is when the bitch reared its head.

It wouldn't start. I leave for nearly an hour and it cranks right up. I leave it for twenty minutes (in a parking lot less than ten blocks away from home) and it won't do anything. No engines noises that say, "I want to start I just need help." Just a click. I check everything, all the battery connections (root of the original problem anyway) and everything is as snug as I can make it. Stil won't go. Finally I am saved and given a jump and the Hell-bitch growled its growl and the engine fired up.

Fucking bitch. Wonder how long it will be before I drive it anywhere else?