Pretty Much the Best Blog Ever

First Term Over...Here Comes B.C.!

2005-12-07T23:21:00.000-08:00

My first term ended today, with our last History of American Higher Education course today.

But what is even more exciting is my new tacky Christmas sweater that I picked up at Goodwill today for a party up in Vancouver. Not just any party, but a whole party dedicated to those large print christmas sweaters worn by the likes of Bill Cosby and old women. Mine though, is made for probably an 8-year-old boy. The large teddy bear flanked by presents, is made better by the fact that it is about 6 sizes too small for me. But the girls said go for it. And it is Canada after all, I never have to see any of these people again. Oh, I can't forget the contrasting red turtleneck, with the delicate embroidery of a holly leaf.

Pictures are bound to follow early next week.

We leave Friday and will be going to Ikea Friday night and staying with friends. Then Saturday, it's the Zags game at 1pm, followed by the trek across the border. Once in Vancouver, we'll be staying at the University of British Columbia campus, about 5 minutes from the party, which is being hosted in a bar. Apparently the Canadians are ecstatic that their annual party this year will be an International Event. I've been told to expect a lot of free drinks and banners welcoming Americans. I've also been told to be prepared to be made fun of (not for the sweater) because of my American accent.

We'll see. I've got plenty of fodder to make fun of Canadians as well. Can anyone say ketchup (catsup) chips?

I'm also excited because Columbia Brewery has decided to sell their Kokanee Gold Beer, previously only purchasable at the brewerey in Creston, BC, in Vancouver. I'll be loading up.

Way off

2005-12-06T22:57:00.000-08:00

Okay....so Gonzaga lost by four and Seattle won by a lot more than 7 points. The Godlewski's did get eliminated though. Gonzaga will also be playing WSU this Thursday at 6pm. Should be an easy game...GU 84-72.

I'll be at the GU v. Ok. State game this weekend, I'm thinking probably something like GU 86-83. Depends on if Raivio is back.

I'm Still Alive

2005-12-01T20:20:00.000-08:00

While it has been some time since my last post, my lack of attendance has not been a symptom of laziness. It seems as though this graduate school stuff is serious work. I have been swamped with papers and projects and powerpoints and presentations. But I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. With only four more assignments to go and about 4 days to complete them, the term is nearing an end.

And it couldn't have come at a better time. It seems as though next week will be a pivotal moment in televison. And it all starts on Sunday.

Gonzaga will be taking on the University of Washington, both top 25 teams, in Seattle. What makes it even more exciting? The University of Washington has the longest home game winning streak in NCAA basketball. Who is number 2? Gonzaga. My prediction: GU 76-UW 69. Low scoring game with a lot of scrapping.

Monday night will be the Seattle Seahawks and Philadelphia Eagles game on Monday Night Football. My prediction: SEA 24-PHI 17.

Tuesday night will be one of the last episodes of The Amazing Race. And my team, the Weaver family, looks like they might pull it off. My prediction: Bransens: 1st, Weavers: 2nd, Linzs: 3rd, Godlewskis: Eliminated (the to be continued of this week was probably a result of them getting too far behind and are going to be told they can't go on sometime during next week's episode).

Wednesday night will be the last episode of America's Next Top Model. My prediction: Nik: 1st place, Nicole: 2nd place, Bre: 3rd place. Nicole is just too dumb and Bre needs to work on some people skills.

Thursday night we will see Survivor. With only 5 people left, it's starting to get interesting. Has Danni been able to crack into an alliance with someone? If Cindy or Rafe make it to the final two, it will be difficult to win against them, so the contestants need to start thinking about getting those two out. Prediction: Danni gets voted out next week. Rafe and Lydia make it to the final two.

Rip City?

2005-10-27T21:22:00.000-07:00

Who knew Portland was sometimes referred to as Rip City? I never knew it. Maybe it was just a basketball thing. Last weekend I went to a Portland Trailblazers game, courtesy of my old roommate Cara's employer. When she called me up last week and told me about the free tickets, I jumped on the opportunity.

The game wasn't very good, Portland ended up losing by about 25 points to the Sacramento Kings. We did get to make fun of some people though. The $6 beer and $3 pretzel was hardly worth it though. Isn't it weird how a free ticket actually ends up costing you about $40 (parking, food, gas, etc.)? But I did learn a new nickname for the city of bridges.

History of UI

2005-10-19T22:52:00.000-07:00

Today for my History of Higher Education course, we had to prepare a brief history on our undergraduate institution. I thought I'd share a few quick things.

In the 1860's, Lewiston was the capital of the state. In the late 1860's, Boise stole the claim of capital. This really pissed off the residents of North Idaho. How pissed were they? Well, they were going to leave the state. A bill to separate North Idaho from Southern Idaho and become part of Washington had made its way all the way through both houses of congress. Although President Grover Cleveland decided to pocket veto it, the two north and south were still mad at each other. In 1889, when the territorial legislature decided to establish a state institution, they decided on Moscow to "appease" the angered residents of Northern Idaho.

Also, the first women's athletic team at the University of Idaho, was the rifle team.

Touristica

2005-10-17T16:52:00.000-07:00

This weekend I went back to Moscow for a wedding. I went over with one of my old roommates from Idaho, Cara. On our way back yesterday we decided to do a few stops that usually only tourists make. For Cara, it was her first time visiting many of the places and she has been living in Portland for about 2 years now.

Our first stop was the Bridge of the Gods in Cascade Locks. Nothing too special, just a bridge over a river. But it is a pretty high bridge. I had been over it once before, but it had been awhile. I didn't remember having to pay to cross, but it is now a toll bridge. For a dollar each way though, it wasn't too much of an investment.

Our second stop was Multnomah Falls. We only walked up to the first viewing area. But if you are so inclined, there is a trail which will lead you to the top. But seeing how the falls was over 600 feet tall, we didn't really feel like a hike. While at Multnomah Falls, we picked up a little of the Disneyland Vibe. At the base is a gift shop, snack cart and full restaurant.

Pick up your Feet!

2005-10-12T21:22:00.000-07:00

One of the things that I've noticed in the past few days, is how much people who don't pick up their feet when they walk annoys me. It's just this constant, rhythmic shuffle which annoys me. I wish people would take the effort to pick up their feet maybe a little more than a 1/4 inch more when they walk. It's really not that hard.

I don't know why this has recently made me so mad, but it has. So please do everyone a favor and don't shuffle your feet. It's annoying, it's a sign of laziness, and it's not hard to remedy.

Public Busses = Some Interesting People

2005-10-06T21:18:00.000-07:00

This week was free ride week on the Corvallis Transit System. This means everyone from the woodwork comes out to ride the bus. Sometimes these people are the people who were too cheap to ride the bus before it was free. And the bus is not expensive at all. And for OSU students it's free. That's why I chose to ride it. It's free, it doesn't require a parking permit, and you have no problem driving around trying to find a parking spot once you're on campus.

One of the first days I rode the bus, there was this guy at the stop with me and he farted. Not only did he fart, but he tried to cover up the fart by coughing about 4 seconds after the fart so that I would think the fart was actually just a cough in his series of coughs. I obviously knew better and he caught on. He said "Sorry man." I said "It's alright." And apparently by me saying it was alright, he took it to mean that I was also experiencing the same gastro-intestinal refluxes because his next words were..."Are you farting too?" I simply said "No" and pulled out my cell phone and started playing with the touch pad so I looked busy. These are the types of people that ride the bus. Also there is a posting of the Corvallis Transit System rules inside the bus. My favorite rule..."No unnecessary conversation with the bus driver." But I don't think many people follow this one.

History and History

2005-10-05T19:42:00.000-07:00

Today was History of American Higher Education. And notably, it is located in one of the most historical buildings at OSU, Weatherford Hall.

The building was designed from the outside in, which resulted in a lot of little rooms and odd passageways to get the most space out of it. It is used as a classroom and residence halls for Honors students. And as you can see, I'm getting more use to the camera.

Amazing?...Eh, I'm not sure

2005-10-05T09:18:00.000-07:00

Amazing Race might be starting to grow on me. My team, The Weaver Family, finished last night's leg first. The Rogers Family was eliminated last night after an honest mistake. They were delayed after heading on 30 East instead of 30 West. A mistake I may have made because if I was going from PA to Washington, DC I would think I'd need to head East, not West. And the move of the night came from the Linz Family who took back roads around a traffic jam and leaped from last place to second place. They may be my new favorite, they're at least my second favorite.

New Camera

2005-10-03T18:34:00.000-07:00

So I got a digital camera today. Hopefully I'll be able to post a picture now with every post. Today though, it's raining and I have a bunch of work to do. So I just took a picture of my apartment. Sorry about image quality. It was dark and raining outside.

Oh, this weekend I went to Moscow too for homecoming. I had a good time, wish I had my camera then. Some people's roommates need to learn to hold their liqour better. Sleeves, get on that.

Not Impressed

2005-09-27T23:31:00.000-07:00

So tonight, was the kickoff for this season's Amazing Race. And I wasn't impressed. It doesn't seem like there is as much bickering between the contestants. If I had to travel with just one person, I wouldn't be able to vent to others. The four people format, makes it easier to just avoid one person in the group if you're not getting a long with them. Granted, it is harder to travel in a larger group, but I think I prefer the 2-person format better. And tonight's episode wasn't all that intriguing, I found myself doing other things during the show. Maybe it will get better. $20,000 to the first place team in the first episode was quite the extra bonus. I think at this point, my favorite family is the widow and her kids. Also the four siblings, who finished in 9th place, weren't so bad. Not a fan of the little boy and girl family which finished in 2nd place.

First Day of Classes

2005-09-26T19:27:00.000-07:00

Today I officially became a grad student. We had our first class of the program this afternoon. Grad school isn't so tough, at least not yet. Today was mostly small group discussions and a little bit of artwork. We got into groups to study a particular sub-culture of college students. My group will be working with Student Leaders to learn more about their demographic. I had to persuade my group to go that route, but I think it will be better than online students (what their choice was originally). We had some articles we needed to read for the first day. I read them early last week though, so while everyone else around me was studying, I got to take a nap. It's good to be an over achiever.

Welp, that game sucked

2005-09-25T10:52:00.000-07:00

We went to the football game yesterday and we left the football game yesterday. We left at halftime, because we were being routed by the ASU Sun Devils and we had more important places to be. We went over to a fellow classmates house because they were having a DDR party. As you may recall I wrote an entry about when the Rec Center got DDR. Well now it seems as this piece of equipment is making it into households. I'd like to just get it out there, that I did not DDR. The canadian and I sat on the couch and watched as others attempted to match their dance steps with the arrows on the TV Screen. We probably won't be doing that any more.

Today it is off to the Union to watch sorority recruitment. I suspect there will be a lot of screaming, followed by crying, followed by snapping, followed by more crying. But it should be entertaining. And then we'll be catching up on some reading for our first day of class tomorrow.

Napoleon Returns

2005-09-24T09:03:00.000-07:00

For those of you out there needing your Napoleon Dynamite fix, two new commercials have surfaced featuring your favorite Idaho duet--Napoleon and Pedro. In Utah's brilliance for this year's theme "All your Wildest Dreams will come True," they have been able to capture true Napoleon. Click above to watch the videos, the link is on the left side of the page.

Word of the Day: Dinking

2005-09-23T15:25:00.000-07:00

What do you think dinking means? Well, to spell it out for you, dinking means: being lazy, but doing stuff, although the tasks you are doing have no significance.

At the University of Idaho, there was a lot of dinking around done by our interns, one really sticks out, as well as some of our staff members. Dinking around is not a bad thing, although some people may think dinking around has a negative connotation.

I challenge you to dink around. You probably already do, but at least now you'll have a name for it.

Beaver Game Day

2005-09-23T13:27:00.000-07:00

If you aren't a fan of Orange, do not visit Corvallis. Everything in this town is centered around the univerisity, especially on game days. You will find countless cars streaming the incoming highways, topped with flags attached to their windows. The streets turn to a river of orange and black and keg cups. While the Beavs were routed last weekend in Louisville, they put up an impressive win over Boise State University. This weekend, the Beavs will take up challenger Arizona State University. Another nationally ranked team and one the Beavs hope to pull a convincing upset on. Reser Stadium will be packed. Student tickets and regular tickets are already sold out. For a stadium that holds 42,000+ people, that's a big deal. Be sure to catch the game on FSN.

Back on the Blog

2005-09-23T13:18:00.000-07:00

So...after a hiatus of about a month, I'm back on the Blog. I was in California for a while and didn't get a chance to add anything. And then I was in the moving stage for about a week or so and didn't feel like adding any new posts. But now, I have settled in Corvalls, (sort of) and things are getting back to a routine.

I have started my 2 year program in CSSA (College Student Services Administration). Actually classes won't start until Monday, but my assistantship is underway with Oregon State University's ECampus.

Visitor's are welcome to visit. Although they will have to sleep on the floor, as I am couchless at the moment. Football tickets can be garnered for any visitor, with enough warning at least. And a tour of Corvallis comes free of charge.

Last Day At Work

2005-08-05T13:31:00.000-07:00

Today is my last day working for the University of Idaho as the Volunteer Programs Coordinator. So this week has been rather busy. It started out with an award application for our office being dropped on my lap on about Tuesday/Wednesday. The deadline for the application is on August 31st and I am pretty much the only one who is knowledgable enough on the material to complete it. It is Governor Kempthorne's Brightest Stars Award. Not only am I nominating our office, but a couple of individuals as well. This means filling out about 3 applications. No way was this going to be done in a matter of days, so I will be spending some time in the next few weeks working on these applications. I believe our office has a great shot at receiving the grand prize of $5,000 as well as a couple of individuals receiving that amount of money, so I feel it's important I proceed with the application process.

Today we organized service projects for the RA's in training and went a long with them to the different service sites. It was a busy morning and now I'm just tired and want to go home, but because it is my last day, I feel as though I should stick around until 4:30 and try to make the transition easier for my replacement.

It's been a fun yeah, and now I look forward to graduate school at Oregon State University.

Best Drink Prices on the Palouse

2005-08-03T16:14:00.000-07:00

Last night, a couple of friends took me out because it was my last week in Moscow. We didn't go to the Club and instead ended up later on in the night at a little known gem on the Palouse. Walking through the door I saw a sign that said 75 cent wells and $1 pints.

I thought that was pretty good prices for happy hour specials. As it turns out, these are the prices at all hours. And the $1 pints aren't just for PBR. They include Pyramid Hefeweizen and other select microbrews.

So where is this place? These great prices were no were else but at the Denny's Restaurant. That's right. Denny's. And our waitress was so kind as to extend the breakfast specials for us and we received a lot of food for a little price.

The best part of the night came when we realized that the beer glasses we were drinking out of would make a great addition to my collection.

And this is where ingenuity paid off.

If you ask to just have something for free, the answer will probably be "No." However, if you ask how much would it cost to have something, the other person will more than likely respond with "Oh, I don't know, you could probably just take it."

This was the result we had last night with the glasses. I am now the proud owner of a Coors Light glass with a map of the Colorado Ski Resorts (why Denny's in Pullman had this glass, I don't know) on the back.

Moral of the story. Good deals are found in the most unlikely of places. And that if you want good drink prices, go to Denny's.

Last Week in Moscow

2005-08-01T09:47:00.000-07:00

This week will be my last week in Moscow, ID. This rural town in Idaho has been my home for the past 4 years. I have had friends come and go who haven't been able to leave with out doing things that are traditionally "Moscow". So this week, I get to do everything that makes Moscow, Moscow. Some things I have done because I accompanied my friends on their departing visits, so I'll get to skip out on those.

This is what my schedule looks like:

Monday
You can't get any more Moscow, than by going to the Garden's "Blue Monday". $2.50 Drink specials all night long. I'm sure that the fact that it's summer time, will greatly inhibit the fun factor, but it will be a good time anyway.

Tuesday
There isn't really anything special about Tuesday nights in Moscow. So I will take this day to use the two drink tokens I've had for 2 years for my least favorite bar, The Corner Club. This will be a quick trip.

Wednesday
One of my favorite nights because of what happens in the town of Palouse. Taco Night. Taco Night started out as 3 tacos and a beer for $3. It has turned into an all you can eat taco and potato bar for $8. But what really makes this place fun is the locals and the free beer. Stacy, the bartender, may not be working anymore because she had her baby, but memories of the 6'3 200lb woman will come back to us for sure.

Thursday
Plant Night. Never was a fan of The Plantation, but I feel as though I should go there. Kind of the same situation as the Club. With no students around though, it may be more fun.

Friday
This will be my last night in town and will undoubtedly lead me out to the tiny town of Troy, ID. Troy, ID has 3 bars, all of which are within 50 feet of eachother and all of which have karaokee on Friday nights. The $1.25 pints of beer aren't bad either and are the coldest I have ever had. The regular karaokee crowd will be there and once again, we'll probably monopolize the machine.

Kind of odd that everything "Moscow" has to do with drinking and the bars. But I'm sure I'll find some other things I'll have to do too. I just can't think of them right now.

Chief Joseph Days

2005-07-31T15:38:00.000-07:00

Friday afternoon I headed over to Joseph, OR to take in the Chief Joseph Days Rodeo. It's one of the stops on the PRCA circuit, but with Cheyenne being the same weekend, Joseph draws mainly local riders and is not nearly as big.

I drove over on Highway 12, passing through Lewiston, Pomeroy and Dayton, as well as other small towns. I arrived in Weston, OR to meet up with my friend Dan at about 4:00pm. It would be another 90 minutes before we arrived in Joseph. We had free tickets as well as free drink tokens because Dan was related to one of the rodeo boards' members. We also had a free dinner before the rodeo in the VIP Hospitality Room.

After dinner, we headed to our seats; the rodeo was to begin. First thing I missed was the Indian falling off his horse during the opening ceremonies. I was off burning up a free drink token, but I could tell something had happened from the commotion coming from in the arena. Dang me.

First event of the night was the tie-down. Nothing too exciting. In fact, nothing real exciting came until the Wild Cow Milking. Apparently this is a PRCA sanctioned event, which I did not know. Wild Cow Milking is when a cow that needs to be milked is let loose into the arena. A mounted cowboy has to rope it and then his partner (on the ground) wrestles it to keep it still. This often leads to him being drug around the arena for a good 200 feet. Once still, the cowboy dismounts his horse and has to milk the cow and run to a judge with a bottle with milk from the cow in it. This event was mostly good for a few laughs and to get the audience into the rodeo.

The bull riding was the only other thing worth watching. Because so many cowboys were in Cheyenne and not Joseph, they only had one section of bull riding. The cowboys were nothing special, but the bulls were big and rank. Growney Bros. produced top quality stock in this competition. One of their bulls was ridden for the first time this night. The top ride of the night was an 86 and was well worth the score.

The next day we walked around the town of Joseph, which is much like Sisters, OR if you have ever been there. Except Joseph sits on the shores of Wallowa Lake and is nestled at the feet of the Eagle Cap Mountains. We also watched the Chief Joseph Days Parade, which lasted about 2 hours and probably had around 350 horses. But we did meet the Rodeo Queen's grandmother, who in turn introduced us to the Rodeo Queen. Although she wasn't anything special.

All in all, Joseph was a good time and I got back to Moscow at about 5pm on Saturday.

Man they can Eat

2005-07-29T09:36:00.000-07:00

Last night, ESPN televised the fastest growing sport in the country. What is this sport? Maybe poker, maybe badmittion? Nope. Competitive Eating.

And these people can eat. With nicknames ranging from the lighthearted (although not light weighted) "Cookie" Jarvis to the dreadful "Black Widow", these people flexed their jaws and hands do consume some extraordinary foods in unfathomable times.

First up was the Nathan's Hot Dog eating contest. And where else could you hold a hot dog eating contest, but the sunny shores of Coney Island on the Fourth of July. Competitors had 12 minutes to match mandibles and garble down as many hot dogs as possible. The favorite of the competition was 5 time reigning champion, Takeru Kobayashi. While small in frame, this guy can eat. And he's stacked too. It seems as though most of the successful eaters, were built, resulting in a metabolism like no other and the ability to consume mass plates of food at once. Kobayashi took first place in this competition eating almost 50 hot dogs in 12 minutes with no "reversal" disqualifications.

Next up on the Competitive Eating night on ESPN was the Alka-Seltzer US Open. I kid you not. This time we switched time zones and heated to heat-riddled Las Vegas and the ESPNZone for some top notch eating action. This 5 round single elimination tournament is the pinnacle of a competitive eater's career. Round One: Cheese Fries. Competitors were heads-up against each other to see who could eat the most cheese fries in 5 minutes. And while the field of 32 melted away to 16, the top eater, Kobayashi ate a whopping 5 pounds of cheese fries. That's right folks, a pound a minute.

I can't wait for Round Two to be aired. The competition is fierce. And Kobayashi may not have such an easy ride to the medal stand. This year, American Sonya Thomas, one of only two women competing, is biting at Kobayashi's heels. She took second place at the Nathan's Hot Dog eating competition and is seeded number two in the US Open. With a deceiving frame of only 105 pounds, this lightweight holds twenty-two eating records. And the best thing guys...she's single. Watch out Japan, America is going to eat you under the table.

Other Eaters to watch:

Carlene LeFevre and her husband Paul LeFevre

Joey Chestnut the reigning asparagus eating champion

And the direct descendent of Daniel Boone, Dale Boone

My Run-in with the Credit Company

2005-07-28T08:49:00.000-07:00

Are people allowed to have more than one social security number? That should have been the first clue.

The other day I got a copy of my credit report through a service offered by my credit card company. On this report I found that there were accounts open and delinquent that I have never seen before in my life. Apparently there was a mix-up and some other Joshua Dean had stuff on my credit report. There were two different social security numbers on my report, which should have been the first tip to the credit reporting agency. Apparently there is a Joshua O Dean that works at Dixie Line Lumber in San Diego, CA who goes to San Diego State University and has very poor credit.

The mix-up has been cleared, but it is pretty scary to think of how easy it is for the credit agency to mess up your credit report. It might be a good idea to get a copy of your free credit report. You can get one a year.

To clear up the mess was a whole other process. It took weeks to finally be able to talk to someone on the phone, because I didn't have a report number on my report so I couldn't just talk to someone right away. I had to mail in some documentation and then they sent me a report with a number on it and then I could call them.

Moral of the story: Don't use credit, pay with cash.

Last Night was a Pretty Big Night

2005-07-27T09:57:00.000-07:00

Last night was a pretty big night. I watched two episodes of Situation: Comedy, a new show on Bravo. And then after that I watched the new Real World. Nothing spells trouble like 7 strangers in Austin, TX.

Best Excuses for Missing Work

2005-07-26T08:56:00.000-07:00

Every day I come to work there are probably at least 3 emails in my inbox from fellow workers explaining why they won't be at work. I've decided to list some of them here, in hopes that you will never use any of them one day.

1.) I’m going to take the day to finish a garage cleaning project I started yesterday. Thanks.
What ever works for you I guess. That garage is pretty important.
2.) I'm still not feeling at all well.
Sounds like he shouldn't have even gotten up to write the email.
3.) Allergies.
If people didn't have to come to work when they had allergies, I think I would miss at least 2 days a week in the spring.
4.) I have to take my son to the doctor this afternoon and will be staying home with him after that. I will be checking my email frequently. Thanks.*Editor's Note* His son is 16 years old.
This just keeps getting better. Read on.
5.) Bob had another bad night last night. *Editor's Note* Same 16 year old son.
The name was changed for protection, but this was just for the flu. I think he can probably take care of himself.
6.) Bob will not be able to go back to school tomorrow and I will need to stay home one more day (Wednesday) with him. *Editor's Note* Still 16 years old.
He's lucky to have a dad that will never leave him alone. The kid probably begged his dad to leave.
7.) I will be at home working on my yard, so I can be reached if necessary. Have a great weekend!
He seems happy to be doing yard work. And not a very good excuse to not come to work.

My guess is that some of these people won't be employed much longer. At least they shouldn't be. Although there are many people that just don't send emails saying they'll be out and have much worse excuses.

Two Nets

2005-07-26T08:53:00.000-07:00

Last night the IPPBS had two nets set up on one court. I'm telling you, badmitton is really going to take off. Just you wait! One day I hope to get in on one of their matches, but until that day, I will anxiously wait on the sideline visualizing the movement of the birdie and planning my attack.

I have a Place to Live

2005-07-25T15:30:00.000-07:00

So I believe I figured out my housing arrangement for next year. I am going to move into Briar Ridge Apartments for a brief time, with the hope of transferring to their sister complex Oak Park(which is closer to campus and cheaper) soon into the school year. So if anyone ever wants to visit me in Corvallis, I will be at Briar Ridge, building number 2634 apartment #1. It's a big one bedroom apartment with lots of room on a couch, that I one day hope to own.

If you would like to make contributions to my furniture fund, please let me know.

Daytime Fun

2005-07-25T08:58:00.000-07:00

I have a friend who use to say that I was only daytime fun and not nighttime fun. Day time fun means that during the day I would partake in afternoon delights (having picnics and drinking 40's), but once nighttime came, I would want to go home, watch TV and go to sleep.

This is my friend who hates the color teal. But for some reason is oddly attracted to it. On our trip to Canada she would point out everything that was teal and would say that the national color of Canada was teal, because of their over abundance of objects painted this color. She owns teal pants and wears them pretty much everyday.

Well this weekend, this friend became a grown up. How do I know this? She called and told me. She told me that she bought a car and a couch set and a kitchen table. All things that signify that you are now a grown up. She was pretty proud of herself and thought that I would be too because she was now a grown up, like I had been for about a year.

This friend is working for Teach For America in Charlotte on the east coast and has yet to come accustom to being a teacher. Here are some things she has done that may not be classified as what to do as a teacher:

1.) Flash gang signs at the students
2.) Tell a student that if he doesn't stop polishing his shoes and work on his homework, that he'll be polishing shoes for the rest of his life
3.) Use the Inside Joke voice all the time (say everything with the tone that it is an inside joke to freak other people out and they'll think you're talking about them)

These are just a few, there are many more. And maybe later I'll update you on some more things she does that wouldn't be considered "Teacher Material".

I Hate Apartment Hunting

2005-07-25T08:49:00.000-07:00

This weekend I had the chore of searching for an apartment in Corvallis for next year. What did I find? Nothing really.

I have to call everday to a place called Oak Park because they don't have a waiting list for apartments. This in the end, may be better though because the more diligent one is in calling everyday to annoy the office manager and ask if anything has come available, the greater the chances of a place coming open. I wish apartment searching was more fun. Even talking about it makes me exhausted so I'm not going to say anything else except that my search is continuing, but I've got a fall back plan.

Now Relax!

2005-07-20T08:33:00.000-07:00

Yoga class last night was pretty funny. There were a group of Asians in the class that weren't relaxing enough according to our instructor. So she was yelling at them pretty much the whole time to just close their eyes and pay attention to their bodies. Instead they were looking around at other people and not breathing right.

Come to find out after class when she pulled them all aside to talk to them, they don't understand english so they didn't know what our instructor was saying and were trying to figure out the stretches by looking at other people.

Needless to say, the instructor felt like a jerk and said she would come around and help them individually next class period.

The Alehouse Waitress and Why She Sucked

2005-07-19T08:55:00.000-07:00

If you're going to have a job in food service, at least be a nice person. Unless you're working at an upscale restaurant where you can pay your tuition with money from your tips, or you own your own restaurant, we know your job sucks. To hide the harsh feelings you have for your job, be overly nice.

This was a skill our server at The Alehouse last night did not possess. After coming into the restaurant for some dessert and drinks after seeing Mr. and Mrs. Smith, we were forewarned by others in our party that they had a groucy server when they were in earlier. I could not have been prepared for what I was to see. Here are some tips to help her improve her tips and to just be a better waitress.

1.) Wipe off the table after the previous people have left.
There was a pile of crumbs and some liquid matter in the middle of our table. Not once did she offer to wipe it off and we were not going to press our luck with this lady.

2.) When somebody orders a dessert item and you ask what would you like on top of it, and he replys with "what are my options?" don't snap back with, "well what does it say?"
First of all the cheesecake said it comes with raspberry and chocolate sauce, therefor implying that there are no options, you just get raspberry and chocolate. I explained this to her and she said, we can do both.

3.) After somebody asks about more options, don't say, "well we can put a cherry on top for you."
Not only does this demean your customer, but it incenuates that you are probably not well versed in your menu. And it deeply cuts into your tip.

4.) Maybe come back one time after delivering the dessert to see how it is.
Pretty self-explanatory.

5.) When people's water and soda drinks are almost gone, don't say, "Are you guys done?"
I think the best phrase in this situation would be, "Could I get you anything else?" or "Would you like a refill?"

These are some of the reasons why you only got a 47 cent tip. Next time, bring your "A" game to work and maybe you won't be so miserable.

It should be in their jeans

2005-07-18T14:16:00.000-07:00

"You're not wearing jeans to the wedding are you?"

These were the words out of my mother's mouth this weekend when I was up in Sandpoint for a friend's wedding.

"We're in North Idaho, nobody is going to care," was my reply.

And I was right. While there were people in ties and khakis, there was also the fair share of us sporting the denim. I then got into a discussion with a friend about this. And why is denim looked down upon. We couldn't figure it out. There are a lot of jeans out there that look a 100 times better than a pair of slacks you would pick up at a local Wal-Mart. So why should those cheapo khakis be allowed and nice jeans not? The discrimination against jeans needs to be lifted.
So for all of you required to wear anything but jeans, take this Wednesday to strap on your favorite pair of denim bottoms and stroll into work like you own the place. It will be a victory for this underlooked, underrepsected fabric of the masses.

Bruschetta is betta

2005-07-15T09:19:00.000-07:00

So the bruschetta I passed off last night as my dinner, wasn't too bad. While picking up the French bread I walked pass the bean and lentil chutes, and decided I would try to make some hummus to top some of them with. Let's just say that I don't have a food processor, and my roommates blender has seen better days. So my hummus was rather "chunky". I tried to tell myself that it was just a different texture and that it was better this way, but I knew better. I mashed and blended the beans together with roasted red peppers and basil. Which when I topped the bruschetta with this "hummus" and some asiago cheese, it tasted pretty damn good. Half of the bruschettas I did this way and the other half were just basil and asiago cheese. The tomato that I thought I had at home was pretty soft so I decided to skimp on it. Overall it turned out pretty good. Definitely left me wanting more, but after eating almost the entire french bread loaf, I decided that probably wasn't a good idea.

What's Happening in Moscow?

2005-07-15T08:37:00.000-07:00

Moscow, Idaho is a small town in the heartland of Idaho. Flanked by wheat fields and mountains, it is hardly a mecca of what I would consider a good representation of what America is. Therefore I pose this question.

Why do so many asians come to the University of Idaho on exchange programs?

While this phenomenon has been slowly building over the past few weeks, it became overwhelmingly apparent last night at the Rec Center. The Rec Center was overflowing with asians. The badmitton net was up, the foosball table was hopping, and the climbing wall was speckled with our friends from the East. And then last night when I received a phone call from a friend inquiring as to why I wasn't at Yogalates, he informed me he went to the Boot Camp class instead because the Yogalates class was too full with mostly asians.

So why, when picking a place to experience American Culture, would you choose Moscow, Idaho? For me, places like New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago come to mind. Maybe I'm missing something. Maybe they come from large cities and want to experience small town America. But this was not true. I remember my ESL Conversation Partner from Japan saying two years ago that she grew up in a small town and just picked Idaho "because." She also said most of her friends here chose Idaho for the same reason. Maybe there was something lost in translation.

Whatever the reason was, I welcome all to the University of Idaho. Enjoy your stay, experience America and remember the best way to get around Moscow is AOB.

The Rec Center and Recent additions

2005-07-14T10:49:00.000-07:00

Recently, the Rec Center has taken on a few items that are somewhat "out of the norm." I always get a kick out of working out because of the people that go there and with the recent additions, there will be a whole new crowd entering through those stainless turnstiles.

Addition #1: The Foosball table at the top of the stairs
I like my table sports just as much as the next guy, but foosball? And a table that is always set up? And at the top of the stairs? Just a little odd. So now if you're in the mood to kick a little ball, come to the rec center for a strenous workout of blue v. red.

Addition #2: Dance Dance Revolution
When I walked in the other day and saw Butch and he told me that they finally got DDR (his abbreviation, not mine) I thought he was joking around. But no. Come to find out, they did just get Dance Dance Revolution. You can check it out from the front desk and they will set it up on the big screen next to Cliff's. Napoleon Dynamite wannabes will swarm. I'm already having visions of wild friday nights spent at the rec center dancing away to Salt n' Pepa til the wee hours of the night. I hope this one becomes an intramural sport.

What will come next? I can only wait in exalted anticipation. And will the International Ping-Pong/Badmitton Society, as they have become known monopolize these new features as well.

The Beauty of the Phrase: "pretty much"

2005-07-14T10:36:00.000-07:00

Over the past few months, this phrase has become my best friend and my worst enemy.

"Pretty Much"

"Pretty much" can pretty much mean anything. It can mean "all" or "completely" as well as "not at all" or "just vaguely". To illustrate let me use some examples.

I pretty much just ate an entire cow.
In this case, "pretty much" means I ate a steak, but a steak is part of a cow, so i almost ate an entire cow. This use of "pretty much" is usually used to make yourself sound cooler or more important than you really are. Editors Note: By no means is being able to eat an entire cow a way to become cool.

I pretty much kicked that test's ass.
You will see that in this example, pretty much is used legitimately. "Pretty much" is used in a way that when you speak it, is filled with elation and a sense of victory. When you use "pretty much" in this manner, you are, to use the words of the ominous voice over in Anchorman "the balls."

"Pretty much" can mean a variety of things. And over the next few days you will notice that a lot of people use this phrase. But stay steadfast in your critiques of its meaning. It is a sly phrase that can make the most feeble of personas appear to be the kings of their domain. Watch out and don't be fooled. And use this phrase as much as you can. It's the new "um".

Cooking Poor

2005-07-14T10:28:00.000-07:00

Anyone who has been around me for the past few weeks can tell you that I've been on a pretty big cooking kick lately. The same person could also tell you that I have been rather poor in the last week (payday was today, so I've been lifted from poverty...at least for today). My misfortune of having the desire to cook savory dishes 3 times a day and the bankroll to support top ramen about once a day have lead me to be rather creative in the kitchen. One word: Pasta. Pasta is fairly inexpensive and it seems like I thought we were heading for a pasta shortage a while ago, so our kitchen is well stocked with this versatile staple of Italian cuisine. So in the past week I have had a lot of spaghetti, a lot of casseroles and a lot of disgusting pasta salad with nothing but bowtie pasta and Italian salad dressing.

The other day I did break down however and I went to the grocery store for a shopping spree. "What did I buy?", you're probably asking yourself with the enthusiasm of a 3 year old. Bread, eggs and milk. I felt like a peasant going to the local market. However in my case my local market was Safeway and I was going at 11:30 at night, as to avoid the embarassment of looking like a person who just found 5 dollars in cushion of their couch.

And after visiting my parent's house last weekend and deciding that they had way too much bacon in their house and that they would probably want me to take some of it, I had a repertoire of items I could finally work with. Well kind of.

Dish number 1=Scrambled eggs, bacon and toast
Dish number 2=Egg salad sandwich
Dish number 3=2 hard boiled eggs
Dish number 4=Egg salad sandwich
Dish number 5=Toast
Dish number 6=I went back to the pasta

I haven't felt like being too creative this week with my cooking. But now that I have some cash, I think I'm going to make something good tonight. The Moscow Co-ophas been teasing me the last week or so. I can taste their fresh vegetables when I sleep at night and I can smell their homemade bread cooking when I'm daydreaming at work. So I'm going there. I feel as though I should ween myself off of the Italian fare I've been marathon eating in the past week and a half so as to not enter into a tastebud shock. There's been this little guy in my tummy the past few days saying "bruschetta, bruschetta." Tonight he gets his wish. Alton Brown hammered the final nail in the coffin last night with his segment on bruschetta. And although he (and his authorities on the matter) insists the simpler the bruschetta, the more authentic it is, I'm going all out. My toppings will be extravagant, I mean hell, I still have a lot of eggs, bacon and pasta to use up.