Trivia and Star Sighting

I went to Stanford. They say about that school (and probably all of the Ivy League schools) that sometime during that first week as a freshman, the other students living next to you will somehow inform you of their SAT score. They’re just waiting for the right moment in a conversation when they can slip it in there without seeming prideful or boastful, which is, of course, just what they are feeling. It’s totally true! I remember doing it…although I probably should have kept my mouth shut because I heard a lot of people throwing out number that began with “15” and “16” shortly thereafter (They were all full of shit). Everyone there is so competitive throughout grade school and beyond and I’m no exception. So I invite you to click on the new link I posted — FunTrivia.com! It’s for people who like answering trivia questions and who like competing against strangers and keeping stats. I must add that I have entered two weeklong trivia tournaments in the past two weeks and I won them both; yes, I am taking FunTrivia by storm! Anyway, click and join so that I can get some more poi– I mean, so you can enjoy this wonderful website!

Speaking for Stanford, I went over there to play basketball on Saturday. My ID card is NOT current; it says 1999 on it. And I’m definitely not allowed in the gym (especially after that Azia Kim thing), but sometimes I can catch the card swiper person while he/she reads a book and I’m able to get in. Anyway, I did this on Saturday and I’m glad I did because current NBA “star” Josh Childress was in there playing along with Chris Hernandez. They’re a couple of former Stanford players, if you didn’t know. What’s Childress? 6’8″?? He didn’t seem that big to me. I only watched him play one game because they both split afterward but it wasn’t one of those “there’s no way I can play against this guy” feelings, even if that was the reality; he seemed to be able to get to the rim very easily…like EVERY POSSESSION. It was cool to watch. The only thing cooler would have been to see that other former Stanford player at the gym…

 

Anticipation

I’m writing this in a notebook while sitting in the Stanford bar on a Sunday afternoon.  I’m drinking Guinness.  The Last Samurai is on the big screen TV.  I remember a few years back sitting in the theatre and the trailer for this movie showed and people started jeering and cracking up over the idea of Tom Cruise traipsing around Japan on a horse; a short white guy as the last samurai.

Anyway, it’s exciting that summer school ends in five days.  August in gonna be a month with lots of change.  Find a new job, a new place to live and maybe even a trip or two to help define my summer.  Tahoe?  SeaTac?  L.A.?  Who knows??  I’m gonna commit myself to the personals thing, too.  I’ve been dancing around it because the ladies from whom I’ve gotten responses aren’t, uh…quite who I had in mind.  But I shouldn’t be such an asshole; best to just go out, enjoy myself and judge from the experience rather than from the limited profile information…and photos.

God, this movie is ridiculous.  This dude learned the way of the samurai in like, 3 months.  I remember liking it, though.  I’m conflicted.

Anyway, back to work.  I’ve got to remind myself just as I’m sure to remind the students.  School ain’t over yet.  Gotta work before you can play.

 

Stagnant Summertime

Somehow I’ve been blogging less frequently even though it’s summertime. I don’t know what it is. I’m working fewer hours but I’m still hanging on by the skin of my teeth. Truly free time is still so elusive because of these twice-weekly professional development workshops and two more classes for the teacher credential plus the demands of running my injured mother around plus my Dad asking me to help him with stuff. I really feel like the summer hasn’t even begun, which is completely shitty because I can already see the end coming.

And maybe I have nothing to complain about, but this summer seems so uneventful and worthless. Perhaps I’m not blogging because I haven’t done anything to find inspiration? Or maybe I’m just being lazy and stagnant. At the very least, I’ve been jogging so that I’ll be primed for action whenever I get myself motivated.

 

Because You Wanted To Know

It’s been hot down here this summer and often times my crotch would be itching from all of the dirt and sweat accumulated over the course of the day.  I’m still teaching summer school, so I normally can’t wear shorts during the day.  Finally, I got sick of it and I bought some Gold Bond Medicated Powder to drop down my shorts.  I just used it 5 minutes ago and it was the inspiration for this blogger post.  It’s STILL burning!  It’s like feeding a York Peppermint Patty to my junk.  Wow!  Just thought I’d share.

 

Computer Class Blogging

Welcome to my first ever blogger post from class!

This computer class I’m taking in the credential program is very aggravating.  I swear I’m no computer whiz, but the things we’re learning about are so, so basic — prefixes like kilo-/mega-/giga-, how to animate a PowerPoint presentation, how to capture images from the web.  That stuff doesn’t seem like the kind of thing that should addressed in a graduate-level course.  And of prof. brought in a motherboard and was showing us the different parts.  That’s fine.  But he did it last week and this week, too.  And I guarantee that none of the teachers in this room are going to utilize the information in the classroom, so what the fuck??!

Anyway, I’m taking this time to blog because I’m hella bored and I haven’t made a post in quite some time.  It’s curious how quickly the words are coming out…I suppose I don’t want to be noticed.  It helps to be sitting in the next-to-last row.

I watched Harry Potter 5 last night with Eric, Louise and MK3.  Harry Potter is entertaining, no doubt, but these kids are the most pensive, burdened, heavy 15-year olds I have ever seen.  I know we’re supposed to be less refined here in the U.S., but those kids act like they’re 40, I swear.  I had forgotten how many famous British actors were in those movies: Rickman and Coltrane and Maggie Smith and Imelda Staunton and more!  Fucking Helena Bonham Carter acts the same in every movie.  Is she considered a good actress?  I feel like she’s probably a nut in real life, but if she’s actually a regular person then I guess she’s a damned good actress.

Sooo, one of my summer resolutions that I’m totally working on right now is to go on an Internet date Is someone looking over my shoulder?).  I got the motivation from talking to my sister’s friend who has gone on more than 70 of the things and, when I really think about it, at worst they would be entertaining and at best they could be quite…rewarding.  My punctuation sucked that last sentence.  I’m finding myself to be incredibly picky, though.  Of course, the photos and little comments aren’t nearly enough to judge a woman by so I need to just let the emails fly.  We’ll see what happens!

Anything else to say??  Guess not.  I wonder if I can sneak out through the back door…

 

Lost and Found?

I’m a little bit concerned because I can’t find my Adidas tracksuit. My room is a pigsty right now and I’m sure it will surface as I try cleaning up, but it’s unclear why it was ever out of the closet in the first place. The tracksuits…you know I don’t wear them too often; I should be able to recall them each time. It was the black Puma polyester one when I had dinner with my sister a couple of weeks ago. And Vegas, that it. I took the Adidas one to Vegas but I never wore it because it was crazy hot (but apparently not as hot as it is now). Have I still not put it away from that trip?? Damn, I really do need to straighten up.

 

Basketball Jones

Sebnem Kimyacioglu, where are you??

I found your website and it says it was updated in 2007 but, otherwise, I can’t read it!  How is your team doing?  What are your personal statistics…if you know what I mean?  Is Like A Prayer really an appropriate song selection for a professional basketball player?  Might I suggest She’s a Bad Mamma Jamma instead?  Or perhaps that’s simply the music that plays in my head whenever I imagine you slashing, dishing and shooting that jimmyjack from long range.  Although, I must admit that since I haven’t seen you play in several years I’ve forgotten the strengths of your game.  But, you’re a professional…no doubt your game has evolved to meet and surpass that of your improved competition.  Yet, regardless of how dominant you’ve become and how little you probably need it you can always count on an assist from WhatUpThen.

 

July 4th Roundup

Like I’ve said before, the part of teaching I dislike the most isn’t the classroom management–it’s the preparation and lesson planning.  I used to think that I had it tougher as a biology teacher than teachers of other subjects do, but after participating in the summer school literacy workshop I witnessed the amount of legwork English and Language Arts teachers need to do in advance of their classes.  Math teachers still have it easy, though.  I bring this up because I’ve had 4 wonderful days off (6 if you count the weekend) from school, yet I’m scrambling and lesson planning for tomorrow writing a late-night blog as usual.

It’s worth it, though.  I’ll get the work done and I had a pretty nice holiday over at Cassandra’s BBQ.  I’ve got to think of a nickname for her.  She kinda reminds me of the wife in 300.  Good food, good friends, basketball, a swimming pool, some Playstation 2 and some of the most head-turning conversations about oral sex that I’ve certainly ever heard.  For a variety of reasons, it’s nice to know men and women who are unabashed and frank (unabashedly frank?) about their sex lives.  I mean, it’s riveting and informational and it keeps the shyest of us from having to ‘fess up.

 

Cut Man and Girlie

Passing by the Abercrombie & Fitch store at the Florida Mall this past weekend and they had live models standing like hip little statues in front. The woman was perfectly cute but I couldn’t even tell you what she was wearing because my eyes were almost immediately drawn to the UNREAL-looking male model beside her. Dude was Black. Dude was bald. Dude was fucking ripped. It was strange enough finding a person of color beyond the threshold of an Abercrombie store, but it was doubled by his striking appearance.

The photo of Tyrese is just to illustrate what I’m writing about, but this guy was even more cut. It was jaw-dropping. I don’t know much about modeling but I know that guy should be doing more than standing in front of A&F; he should be national. Maybe he is and I’m just not aware. You know, ’cause I don’t know anything about male models nor do I have aspirations of becoming one. Honest.

I was Florida for a family reunion-slash-ninetieth birthday party for the woman on the right. Her name is Corina, but everyone calls her Girlie. Not even sure how she and I are related, but she bears a striking resemblance to my grandfather; I think they were cousins. Anyway, Girlie is incredible. No glasses, no cane, no nothing. She is sharp and energetic and she addressed the crowd during a banquet for her and she danced and everything. Girlie is what people dream of being when they are 90 years old. Before a couple weeks ago, I had never even heard of her, but she was so pleasant and inspiring that I already feel so much love even seeing her for a few short hours.