The Great Shono: In the mindless work of putting apples on tables, I have to occupy my brain or go braindead, so I've ocupied it with you all day.




:-)

Ok, here I am. Day before Christmas Eve, and I'm bored out of my mind. What it is is restlessness, really - haven't really worked out (aside from mall-walking) at all since last Jujutsu class, whenever that was. I miss it. I miss the physical workout, the mental workout, and the whatever-it-is you get from sparring with another real person. I'm wishing there was a way I could make it up there for practices.....maybe after the holidays.

So, saw Return of the King twice already - first day out last Wednesday with Candice, and again last Friday with Shawn. Things with Shawn are going nicely. It's good that we live within decent driving distance from each other (about 20 mins). But still, that whole 'restless' thing sometimes carries over a little into it....I suppose going from stressed out of my mind to an almost dead stop accounts for that. Not that I have NOTHING to do....there was shopping, there's some forms to fill out, people to see, cookies to eat....but then that's another problem. I'm not within walking distance from all the places I have to go anymore. But, the cookies are. And I don't always have a car available to get me away from them. But when I can, I do - I notice I'm usually much more content when I'm out.

Michael graduated, by the way. The odd thing was, he still hadn't gotten his final grade in his class by the time commencement day rolled around (a couple Sundays ago). That was also the day I was coming home for winter break, and the day of a nasty-onset snowstorm. So the family came up, and we loaded the car, and went to a couple dining halls, looking for one that was open so we could have lunch. Mike, in the meantime, went to Jorgenson. We eventually landed at the Student Union eating Subway, which apparently was the only place open on campus. I went to the co-op and got miserable prices for some of my books (including $9 for a Calculus book worth at least $100), and ran through the snow to meet my family at Jorgenson, where we strained to see the speakers from our back balcony seats. We found out a couple days later that Michael had indeed passed, but the weirdness associated with that day hasn't dissipated. I guess it'll always be there.....the "tentative" graduation.

Shawn has a nice upper respiratory infection, which meant heavy coughing fits in the last week of school as well as a slight fever and being generally mopey. He still has it, but the coughs are much less frequent. The only real tell is his voice, which resemble that of a sixty year-old two-pack-a-day smoker. He's still cute though.

The shopping is done, the wrapping is done, now it's all wait and get-ready until Mass at St. Francis (Waterbury) tomorrow, then Christmas Eve at Grandma's, then again at my mom's cousin's. The last time we were at that church was for Grammie's funeral last month. I sang "Amazing Grace." Usually at the mass we go to on Christmas Eve an old lady sings, or rather butchers, "O Holy Night." Ah, I shouldn't have written that....the songs are there to be sung, not to be used to ridicule people who show their love and appreciation for them through their performance.....no matter what the performance entails. What I'm saying is, she has a right to sing it, but I have a right to not like it. There.

Feeling a little lonely....more and more out of place at this house with my family. Don't get me wrong, I love my family, but it's getting to be time to spread my wings, etc. A job, a car, an apartment, in that order...someday soon.

Reading a lot. Fiction.

Yeah, I know, I haven't posted in awhile. So here you go. Maybe I'll write more tomorrow. Haha!!

I'm sleepy. To that end, I'll go to bed. Soon. G'night!

The Great Shono: hello, i'm caligula







What??

Happy Saturday!

It's snowing, but not as much as they said it would. At least, not yet. I neglected to go to Jujutsu today, mostly because I figure there's not going to be much for me to do, what with the advanced people testing and all. So maybe I'll catch up with those losers when they get out around 4:30, maybe not.

Last night was the Temptations and 4 Tops concert that Jess, Julie, Steph and I have had tickets to since September. I remember the day we went to get them - we hung around outside enjoying the weather for a long time, and on our way back to Buckley we met up with Candice and Amy (2 of my friends from home) who were up at UConn for what I think was a branchfer meeting....we all hung out and got Wings. That was a good day. Anyway, sitting at that concert (originally it was going to be a girls' night, but then Alejandro and Nick ended up coming) up in the balcony, in the seats that WEREN'T bad (actually pretty good)...I don't know how I'm going to end that sentence - maybe "was fun?" Too general. By weird coincidence, we were sitting only 2 rows back from a group of friends I haven't seen in awhile - Anne and her boyfriend Steve, Saurav, and Brendan. Hadn't seen Brendan for awhile, so that was cool. Except he and Saurav teamed up against me and stole my shoes. Jerks. (They gave them back.)

That was an excellent concert. I want The 4 Tops Orchestra to play theme music for me, everywhere I go. Listening to those men pour their souls out onstage, singing about love so intense that it makes you want to scream....I don't cry often, but I couldn't help but get sucked in. It was amazing. And, the more dancariffic motown songs were awesomely fun.

After the concert, we ran around in the snow, pelted each other with snowballs, piled into Alejandro's car, and went to Buckley with plans of sledding at Horsebarn Hill (this is 11:30pm). Once here, people whose names start with J realized they were quite tired, and after awhile I too felt as if I had been hit by the exhausted truck. So we didn't go sledding, but we did get Wings (again) and watched Spaceballs. Have you ever seen the video of the guy beating Super Mario Brothers 3 in 11 minutes? It's amazing. It's online - watch it. Got to bed 3ish, woke up 12ish, decided against Jujutsu, did sweet nothing for a little while, took a shower. Steph still asleep. Me still in bathrobe. This is where we stand now. Shawn's IMing me, so time to go - til later, blog-readers.

Oh, I forgot, I made orange belt, AND I got kicked in the face! Go me!!!!

Sooooooooo tired, but everything is done. Well, not well, and not everything, but the economics stuff due tomorrow is done. Kind of. Not well. Oh well.


Gooooooooodnight!!!!!!!!!

Away message check:

Nick:
brazilian ju jutsu sucks
brazilian ju jutsu sucks
brazilian ju jutsu sucks!!!


Jo:
i want to go back to sleep and see if i can continue that dream...


Julie:
drama final till 3:15.

P.S. Jessica Kukielka's life is a porno


Jess:
you haven't heard the last of me, julie-son...


Kevin:
Handel's Messiah: a masterpiece of biblical proportions! Two out of three parts of the Holy Trinity agree. God: "They really nailed that whole salvation thing." Jesus: "It's like the second coming of me, but put to music. It's a crowning achievement in performance art." Holy Ghost: This thing sucked. It's like a cross between Bruce Almighty and Jerry Springer. Simon says 'If you wan to see a resurection, stay home and watch 'Two and 1/2 Men', as Charlie Sheen attempts to bring his career back from the dead.'

Yay! Speech is done!! It's still amazingly friggin cold outside. I'm gonna guess 17 degrees. Let's see what weather.com says...25, wind chill 14. Sweet.

So, I had a brain fart during the speech. I actually stopped and went, "ummmmmmmm, hang on, ummmmmm, I'm sorry, brain fart, ummmmmmm........." and then the instructor wrote something down in our evaluation sheet. Damn. Ah well....shoulda used the water bottle, but I had placed it juuuust too far away to remind myself. So, whatever. It's done now.

Next semester's UCTV board is going to be interesting. I'm actually looking forward to this, provided certain people get certain seats. Now, all I have to do is learn how to handle the finance side of a college television station. I went to a leadership dinner thing with my boss (Eric) yesterday. A lot of the UConn big shots were there, including the Dean of Students. I was a little intimidated, but once the discussion got going, I realized what a colossal waste of time it all was. Just another meeting, another committee, another group activity, an opportunity to advertise your title and "network" with people who think they're just as important as you think you are. Or maybe they were just playing along for the sake of appearances. Or, what's most likely, they think there's something being accomplished by sitting around dressed nicely, eating good food, talking about a situation that had already been handled months ago. I think it's all bullshit. But, I can play the game. The best part of the night was when I left and met up with Julie and Nick to run in the freezing cold to the armory, where we put on gis and proceeded to practice beating people up. THAT'S a group activity right there.

Speaking of Jujutsu, we didn't actually get to test as we should've. Sensai realized we wouldn't have enough time to stick to the schedule AND test everyone thoroughly (as we had been preparing for) so we each got a brief verbal assessment of our progress thus far, plus a projection of what our grades would be. Mine was A-. I still think I have a shot at orange belt, but I'll know better on Thursday.

Gonna get some food, tea (got hooked on apple-cinnamon tea over break - thank you Shawn's mom), then class, then off to work. Hopefully Dave won't make me do anything and I'll be able to start my econ papers.

It's cold outside.

Hi. Yeah, it's been awhile. Let's see, Thanksgiving break....food, family, and lots of coughing. Turns out I had (have) bronchitis. The week wasn't too bad though, went out with Shawn a couple times, saw plenty of family, there was pie in plentiful amounts.

Now I'm back here, on antibiotics and prescription cough syrup, trying to not let myself get rundown and sickly again, but I think it's inevitable. Today I already went to all 3 classes (gasp), and met with the girl I'm doing a speech with tomorrow, and now I'm about to clean my room and get ready for this leadership dinner thing with Eric. Leaving early from there to go to Jujutsu, where I continue testing for orange belt, then College Republicans, then RUNNING back here cuz it's so goshdarn friggin amazingly freezing outside, then hopefully coming back to peace and quiet so I can finish doing my speech stuff for tomorrow. Oh, and calling home.

Then getting up early on a Wednesday (I hate doing that), NOT having lunch with Shawn (which is unusual for a Wednesday), going to Public Speaking an hour early to get this thing ready, then speeching. Then more class, and work, and writing a couple papers for econ. Friday will be sweet. After finals will be even sweeter.

byeeeeee