Another Run-In

Teaching kids to line dance went over quite well, except for the students who are like I would have been at that age. They'd rather not look foolish, and in avoiding looking foolish by dancing, look even more foolish by not dancing. Ahhh, the flawless logic of my youth. Today I've been playing along with the kids in their band practices as I brought my trumpet with me. I've also played a short solo for them, just for fun.

Last night, I added to the total I've already lost count of for run-ins with the law. The run-in was not for a negative, or potentially problem causing, reason this time, however. We were just playing Cosmic Wimpout in Squire's Castle and had a park ranger drive up the path and then walk into the castle, presumably on a routine check of the area. He stayed for a while and managed to watch one of us cluck like a chicken, and another one yell "train wreck, clear the tracks!" He then asked us what the object of the game was and chuckled at the silly rules and game-play. We probably made his night.

This evening, my family is going to a Captains' game and tomorrow evening will be packed with fun...now if I can just sneak a round of disc golf in, the weekend should be perfect.

Time to head over to the other school...

Crazy Basketball Skills

As a few of my readers may recall, some of us had activity days here and there back at VU and one of the activities would be playing horse or some other silly basketball related games. The past few weeks, I've made a return to the basketball court and have been shooting with my nephew here and there. It feels good to be shooting the ball alright again after coming out the first day and having no feel for whether the shots I released would even be close. We play horse fairly often and some of the silly hsots are even falling occasionally like my classic off the backboard, rebound, and shoot before hitting the ground shot from the old days. I'm also working on a fade out of bounds jumper from about 15 feet. Yesterday, after awhile out in nature with a friend, a crew meeting at which we got McDonald's Cavs hats that we can wear to work any day we want!!, my nephew and I made a trip over to the school to shoot some hoops. A few punk little kids asked us if we would play against them, so we agreed so as to not be mean and took them on two on three. The only challenging thing about playing kids who are a foot shorter than you is trying not to hurt them if you drive to the basket or position yourself for a rebound. I'm really hoping they aren't over there very often because playing with kids who spend the whole time yelling and being obnoxious really cuts back on the fun for us.

Today, with no bells this evening, I'm hoping for the opportunity to do something outside, perhaps even up at the lake. Maybe grilling in the backyard for dinner too. It looks beautiful outside and I can't wait to get out into it. Teaching the kids a few dance steps in the meantime though...all that line dancing practice a few weekends ago is paying off. Tomorrow, I think I'm going to bring my trumpet in and play with the bands as I'm done with my requirements and will be heading to CSU for the other course after tomorrow.

A number from California has called me 5 times in the past two days, not leaving a voicemail. I think it is from some Digicom company out there and it seems as though I'm no the only person to have this problem. Kristin found a website on which quite a few other people have complained about getting pestered by this number...some of them even answered and no one was on the other end. My theory, since I watch NUMB3RS too much, is that I need to set up a mathematical probability equation to determine why the other numbers it calls and I are being pestered and see if I'm a planned target for a random killing spree. Since I have a Math genious as a reader, perhaps she'll start drawing up said equation for me. Right? Good, sounds like a plan then.

Back to work...

Unplanned Day Off

Yesterday was a very odd day. I found out on Monday morning that my cooperating teacher's mother had died over the weekend and that he would need a day to go to the funeral and everything. This left me with Monday afternoon and all of yesterday off from my teaching obligations, yet I still had to work last night at the big "M". I woke up yesterday morning with a stiff neck and stiff shoulders. I was also never able to feel like I completely woke up all day, despite getting 9+hrs of sleep. I got some shopping done for both my brother and my niece who have birthdays coming up toward the end of May. I also played some pool with my parents and by doing so, found what will probably become a new activity for me as it only cost $3.50 to get a table for an hour and that is just about the cheapest form of entertainment around.

Work consisted of me washing dishes for the better part of my 5 1/2 hour shift. I managed to drench myself as several of the items which require washing at the end of the day do not even fit into the big sinks and when you spray them off you should really have a dish apron on, but our store's apron went missing a long time ago. After working, I caught the end of the Cavs game, which was enough to see LeBron shoot a left handed free throw because he has done something screwy to his right elbow which won't show up on an MRI. Here's hoping that is not enough to stop him from making an honest attempt at bringing the franchise, and the city of Cleveland a much needed Championship. The man is not as amazing as people around here think he is, but the athlete and basketball player certainly is. I really hope he signs here this summer and that we can bring in another superstar with the money which will free up with Shaq's expiring contract.

I have to determine whether or not I'm making a Cedar Point trip in May now that I've discovered I'm going for sure in June with Lincoln Electric's company picnic day because my brother-in-law always scores a few extra tickets. I'm going to make that determination this evening as well as inquiring about guests during my parents' trip to Germany in two weeks. I'm quite jealous that they get to go overseas, and yet I've come to enjoy having a house to myself. I definitely need one of these applications I've been filling out and sending in to result in an interview and ultimately a job because it is time to answer only to myself and my Fiancee.

Nightmare on Elm Street remake comes out Friday! I'd totally go that day, but apparently I'm already locked into attending a Lake County Captains game (my county's Single A ball team) with my family. So, looks like Saturday! I'm sure the pinochle group at my church can do without me for one month. An increasing desire to play miniature golf is creeping up on me as well. The weekend promises to be a good one for sure. Now, if only it would arrive faster...

LCO Concert

Our handbell choir played particularly badly in first service yesterday. Second service went alright, but not great. First service was just....bad. We were not lining up vertically at all. I suspect this was because we never get together before worship to run through the music one time, so people don't have a chance to remember exactly what they are doing prior to performing. Mix that with some anxiety and a fairly difficult piece for an unpolished ensemble and you get...bad. That being said, I feel it is important to point out that I have no intentions of showing up prior to early service to try and run through the piece once, so I don't think there is a remedy for the problem which is feasible. Second service will just always sound better because of the early service run through and our players being more awake.

The LCO concert went really well. I thought the ensemble played even better than we did on the last concert and Beethoven's 1st and March Slave were more interesting than the music on the last concert too. We did, however, get rained on, on stage during the performance. Several nasty thunderstorms blew through the area yesterday afternoon and apparently it was more than the roof of the community college auditorium could handle. Our ex-marine oboe player gracefully scaled a fence back stage barefoot to grab some buckets for us while chatting with me about her days as a marine and how she was going to play for some major military event overseas in a few months and couldn't wait to act like a marine again. So throughout the performance, I was greeted with some dripping directly next to me in a bucket.

Well, now it is time to run off and grab some lunch with a few of the teachers around here in my last week student teaching so...there's a possibility of a second blog in one day because I sort of feel I am cutting my stories from the weekend short...

Rain

Managing to be outside while it is raining without getting wet is a great feeling. I love the freshness and scent in the air as rain is falling. It gives you the feeling of spring and of life. I spent a few hours outside, but inside...aka in an abandoned gatehouse to a castle that was never finished in the Lake Metro Park System. The windows and part of the roof were either never finished or just no longer exist. So you are definitely outside, but can be under a part of the roof which does exist and therefore not be getting wet. We played cosmic wimpout and took silly photos for a while to enjoy the outdoor air. Nothing about this week was tremendously bad, and yet I was extremely relieved for today to come. Tomorrow I play handbells in church for both services in the morning and then a concert with the local orchestra at 4pm. It should be fun and musical.

As for now, even though I often stay up this late talking to my Fiancee, I think that bedtime has arrived.

Off to bed...

Good Idea?

I don't want my tax dollars going to students being given a phone at school on which to take notes and browse the internet. And as a teacher, I fear that would not be useful, however, that appears to be a pilot program in some school. Wouldn't it be more advantageous to give the kids a notebook? More expensive, yes, but how good and helpful is it to have a phone? Texting in classes is a pretty huge problem and kids are sending thousands and thousands of texts in a month, but giving the students a phone isn't really going to stop them from wanting to text. Texting is about staying in touch with their friends, not the fun of technology. Just my opinion...here's the video about it. Is this really a Good Idea?

Hundreds of Cleveland teachers are losing their jobs this year as the school district is projected to run at a 50 million dollar deficit for next year alone. Cutting these teachers will save 20 million of that leaving 30 million to be picked up by Federal money. Why even have the schools if you don't have enough teachers to instruct the students and why did you have that many teachers in the first place if they aren't needed? Looks like competition for jobs in Ohio is only going to get stiffer...yay.

On a positive note, more and more wedding plans for the wedding which unfortunately still doesn't have a date set are being agreed upon such as a recessional and some more prelude/postlude music. It is truly fun to think about this stuff when distance is too big of an obstacle to finalize anything. Haha, I know it is wishful thinking to believe the wedding will plan itself, but most of the difficult decisions have already been agreed on and what will be left is finding ways to carry them out that fit whatever budget constraints we find ourselves under at the time. Next summer is looking really good...just saying.

Back to work...

Who Does That?

The other youth leaders and I were planning on taking our youth group to a servant weekend at Camp Pioneer in Angola, NY, which is along the coast of Lake Erie, again this year. Everyone was gearing up. I, for one, was quite excited about taking the trip in mid-May. Unfortunately, they have decided to double the price since the last time we went...two or three years ago. Who does that? Other than covering their cost for feeding us for the week, what more can you charge for people to volunteer to do your dirty work for you? This weekend is always used to prepare the camp for another season. Cleaning, cutting grass, raking leaves, tearing down old buildings, moving equipment, mattresses, and anything else is too much work for the camp owners to do. 45 dollars a youth as well as charging the counselors 25 dollars to come is extremely steep after the cost had always been 25 a youth and counselors free. Disappointment is running through the youth and us counselors, but hopefully we'll salvage some fun by having a lock-in and a more local and shorter time-period servant event that same weekend. Paying the cost would be annoying, but manageable if it weren't the year in which the youth group is asking members to support fundraisers so that our high school students can attend the LCMS National Youth Gathering in New Orleans. Plane tickets, hotel for 4 or so nights, and registration fees for that means using money, or asking parents for more money so that youth can go do a servant event is ludicrous.

On a less frustrating note, I had another rehearsal with the orchestra last night and had a lot of fun wearing down my chops on Tchaikovsky's March Slave, a very brass heavy piece and Beethoven's 1st Symphony. The concert should actually be a very good one on Sunday at 4pm if you are one of my readers living in this area.

My basketball shot is beginning to come back after the long winter off from shooting hoops with my nephew. He and I have been over to the school playground 3-4 times a week for the past 2 weeks and HORSE is going well for me. Taking ridiculous shots and chasing the ball vigorously after we air ball on running shots or turn-arounds amounts to decent exercise too.

As I began this post later in my break than usual, you don't have to read as much boring material as usual. Back to work...

Business as Usual

As is the norm in NE Ohio, the weather is great on a Monday, and probably will be all week after a bad weather weekend. Rain, wind, and cold plagued my weekend and today, while it is a bit chilly, it is sunny and warmER than the weekend was. That being said, I wouldn't have really had a partner for disc golf yesterday anyway so the opportunity to learn cribbage (that game everyone has a copy of in their parents' home, but doesn't actually know how to play) as well as send off a few more applications was pleasant enough. I'd be alright with a job in Ohio, I suppose. Cribbage isn't tremendously exciting, but I'm happy to have it in my repertoire of games anyway. It provided entertainment for an hour or so once I discovered that with some Hoyle Card Games book reminders, my dad recalled how to play from his youth. His help was much needed as my mom and I completely failed at interpreting the bare bones directions on the inside of the box we have.

I'm beginning to relinquish control of a few of my classes so that my cooperating teacher can take over once again when my requirements are complete in a short while. This is sort of a sad day because I would like to see this through to the end of the semester and some upcoming concerts and a musical. My journal entries are nearly finished and my editing of papers for the portfolio assignment is progressing at an acceptable pace, so hopefully I won't find myself very stressed out over the next few weeks with anything except finding a position for next year.

I'm looking forward to rehearsing with the orchestra tonight as last week I could not, what with a meeting and all and the week before was the day after Easter and therefore rehearsal was not scheduled. A concert approaches in just two short weeks and this should be fun. I've taken up practicing more regularly the last couple of weeks and I think it is helping with my sanity. Beginning to listen to music all the time once more is also helping. I have no idea why I ever allowed myself to go through days at a time without having music in the background while I worked or ate dinner or lounged.

I suppose that is enough for one blog post so I will refrain from continuing my stream of consciousness writing for now. Back to work...

Western Night

Our congregation had a western themed night last night to raise money for the youth going to the National Gathering in New Orleans in a few months. I believe nearly 400 dollars was raised from the 7 dollar admission and some donations. The people who planned the event did a really good job. We had silly games w/prizes, good decorations, sloppy joes/hot dogs with chips etc and sweet tea, and a DJ/line dancing instructor named...drumroll...Bubba! Those few times I denied Kristin the enjoyment of watching me attempt line dancing for the first time, and then I tried it last night and enjoyed it...who knew country music was dance-able. Electric slide at Emily's wedding reception this July, here I come! Since one of my readers in particular will laugh at me for enjoying some line dancing last night, I'd like to take this moment to defend myself by saying: First, I was only out on the floor for about a 5th of the time. Second, I only attempted to learn one dance. And Lastly, I have good rhythm and both a right foot and a left, not two lefts, so it was worth a shot.

I also got in a game of Twister and competed with a thin and presumably flexible high school girl until bowing out (no fall, no touch) so that she could use the restroom after complaining about it for literally about 5 minutes of our never-ending game. Then, I knocked off two more rooms in the Cosmic Wimpout Challenge (attempting to play it in every room of our large Parish Hall).

This morning, I've already played hand bells at the end of early service, don't fit into any of the Bible Studies and am therefore blogging now, and will have to return in about half an hour to play hand bells for the second service and then attend since I didn't get up for all of early. Later today, I hope that the temperature and general meteorogical conditions will permit a game of Disc Golf and a BBQ dinner.

That is all (I'm impressed I managed to blog on a weekend)...

Job Search Begins

Resume complete...check.
First application filled out and sent...check.

It feels good to finally be starting the official job search. Though, with the economy and my past being what it is and was respectively, I fear I may wind up taking a part-time position to get experience to hopefully be hired down the road. Trying to keep a positive outlook on it dictates that I approach this whole thing from the standpoint of...I know that I will be a good teacher, and there are honestly no doubts in my mind or those close to me that this is true, so if I can just get an interview...I think I can impress. It is amazing to finally be to this stage in my career as a student and as jobs are opening up, I'm definitely noting them and applying as quickly as I can.

Next few steps...
Tons more applications filled out and sent in.
Application for License (have it, just need to do it).
Pray that if I am offered a position it is near where the Fiancee gets one because another year far a part would perhaps be a deal-breaker for accepting, would have to consider the options first for sure.
Enjoy the little things along the way (have a best friend getting married this summer, I'm playing in an ensemble finally, friends from around here, spending time with family while I'm still here on a more permanent basis).

I've found a few things to satisfy my desires from a previous blog in the musical realm. Dream Theater is so technically and musically impressive that I think I may be finding a new band in them to add to the favorites list. A few guys getting together while attending at frickin' Berklee and forming a band that has now been around for 20 years pusing the envelope of what is possible technically, musically, and inspirationally is pretty phenomenal. Funkadelic is very satisfying, as mentioned before. And on the classical end of things...I have hours worth of one symphony by Anton Bruckner to listen to.

As is typical of NE Ohio...much like Valpo...the weather was pretty awesome the past few days but as i look out the window here on my break it seems to be preparing for a cold weekend...rain and wind are ruling the day.

That is all...

New Style for Consideration

As a follow up to my last post, last night I downloaded Funkadelic's One Nation Under a Groove. I was very satisfied with this as my new listening style. I'll have to find some more albums off of this website to download at a later date. Nothing like a little funk....inspired by my recent re-watching of Undercover Brother. It would not have satisfied my needs from the other night completely, but it's a step in the right direction...I've not listened to nearly enough funk, and I always enjoy it when I hear it in a movie or at a jazz concert.

Last night I washed dishes for nearly 3 hours and was sent home early upon completing them so that was just about all I did on my short shift. I had washed breakfast dishes before, but that didn't require cleaning out old ranch dressing, ketchup, mustard, and beef grease. The task is disgusting and if I had been feeling even moderately queasy to begin with, I definitely would have lost it. That being said, it is a very low key and relaxing way to spend several hours because no one bothers you and you aren't making food for impatient customers. I'd take it over most jobs in the store...as long as my stomach cooperates.

I'm sensing a strong need for another photography adventure. Someone needs to go with me (you know who you are)! If money weren't a hindrance any longer, after putting money aside to pay back my loans, buy a new car that will last me awhile, setting some money aside for a rainy day, setting money aside for a future house (nothing huge or fancy, but nice and homely with a big yard), and buying a piccolo trumpet, flugelhorn, and cornet, I WOULD TOTALLY BUY A FANCIER CAMERA, because as I know I've rambled about before, I've discovered that taking photos while out on a beautiful day could very easily become a hobby of mine if I had the proper equipment.

And...as that is already too long of a post for my poor readers to put up with or remain interested in...back to the kiddies...

New Listening Desires

I'm not exactly certain what I am looking for. All I know is that I am looking and haven't found what I seek just yet. I have a strong desire to find some new music, not just another band that plays the same music with different lyrics and different musicians...I want something with a whole new feel and vibe. A couple months ago I stumbled upon Buckethead, but he could only fill this void for so long and now it has crept back up again. My musical tastes are shifting a bit over the past year or so as I'm not around Valparaiso people anymore. I've started to enjoy listening to more music without lyrics at all, such as Buckethead's solo albums, or Victor Wooten playing bass. Of course, this does not mean I've stopped listening to my other music all-together, in fact, it is rare that I listen to these new things. Some situations, such as talking to the Fiancee and a few other people late at night on instant messenger, just call for a different vibe than I can get from my usual stuff (i.e. Classical Music, Mainstream Rock/Metal/I really don't understand genres...but Mainstream stuff). If anyone has something I've never heard of before which isn't rap or boy-band-ish, I'm all ears.

Back to classes...

Meetings are Useless

I hate the formality of having meetings where students are given information they already know. That, however, was what I had to sit through for an hour and a half last night. That led to hanging out with a few friends and having a drink at the Winking Lizard. I also made sure to get outside and shoot a few hoops just for a bit of exercise and refreshing air.

I understand that yet another teacher in this area has been accused of having sex with a minor. First off, one must mention that this is completely disgusting, it is one thing to see a kid and think that they were your type when you were back in middle school or high school...it's another thing entirely to actually be attracted to them. Secondly, I have to ask, what comes over you that you would A. Have sex with a minor (particularly 13-14yr old kids) or B. Risk your livelihood and your freedom over an affair with a child? At most schools there are at least a few attractive adults, why not target them, instead of forcing a minor into it or getting their consent, which you know isn't legal and will come out in the future for money or whatever other reasons.

The Indians lost yet another Home opener yesterday, and so it continues...big offense (2 whole runs) and a record of 2 and 5 to start the season. The Cavs are tail-spinning into the playoffs because they've decided to rest all their starters for the last few games to keep them fresh for the playoffs. This strategy will almost certainly backfire on them when they meet their opponents and have to, first, shake off the rust of not competing at the high level of actual NBA games for over a week. The Browns, last I heard, are considering drafting Jimmy Clausen...our last major QB drafted was also from the University of Notre Dame and we all know how well that worked out for us. So, in summary, the state of Cleveland sports is set to remain the same for another year.

Time to eat some lunch before returning to teaching...

Good Night's Rest

Last night was definitely a good night of sleep. That being said, I wasn't very ready to start school again after a week's break from dealing with the little punks. They've been surprisingly good today taking into consideration the candy and good weather of the past week. Any tips on teaching syncopation to the munchkins?

Looking out the window as they day goes on is not helping me maintain a focus on the tasks at hand and I just found out I'm going to have to miss an orchestra rehearsal in favor of a meeting...not fun :-(.

What should I eat for dinner since I won't make it home before the meeting? Hmm...I'm going to have to go with food court bourbon chicken.

Back to class...

Sneakery

This week, I was off of school and yet managed to remain busy. No planning periods meant no blog posts, and for that I apologize, but I did talk to one of you readers for the first time in quite a while (way too long by the way) just the other night, so perhaps that made up for it a bit.

Tonight's activities are worth posting about, though. We have finally secured cones for cone golf. This was a necessary task for quite some time and the cones sort of fell to our grasp tonight. After finding them, I was sitting sitting on a playground after dark, which may or may not be completely legal, because some communities, Valpo included, allow you there until after 10, but others close at dark. No signs are posted, so if questioned, I would just apologize, say I didn't know and leave. A police officer pulled into a parking lot adjacent to the playground to use radar on cars passing on the busy road nearby, and failed to notice us. We managed to just stand up and casually walk away. As I describe the night's events, they are not as exciting as they felt in progress.

As you can see in this poorly put together post, I'm strongly considering returning to my stream of consciousness blogging...it is easier, didn't receive complaints, got more feedback, and can probably be posted more regularly as there isn't a need for content.

Friday night, I rode with the family up to Ann Arbor to see my niece perform with Concordia University's Wind Ensemble. The concert was fun to see, being crammed in a mini-van back seat with two other nearly full-grown people was perhaps not worth it, but it was fun. I also bumped into an old friend who happened to be playing trumpet with them because she knows the director. She and I played in CCB and Jazz Band together as well as talking in the VUCA fairly often over my years at Valpo. This made me wish I saw her more often, or kept in better touch at least as she was a lot of fun.

I also got out disc golfing, put some hours in at work, grilled for the first time this season, ate at TGIF's, and played pinochle with some members of our congregation this week. I think that is all that happened that is note-worthy for a blog post...time for bed before the routine sets in again.