Some Questions

I've got some questions I need answered. And maybe you people can help me.

• Question the first: What is the point of building a bathroom with a window? At what point will this window's shade be opened? Never! Unless the house belongs to an exhibitionist. It just seems like a waste of a window to me.
• Sub-question: Why is it that in the Chicago area many of these bathroom windows are in the shower? Seriously! Talk about impractical. The worst part about this is that the window frame (usually made of wood) tends to get gross and warped and... gross. If I ever get to move back to Chi-town, I refuse to live in an apartment where the shower has a window (though I've already lived in an apartment where the shower was in a closet).
• Pregunta dos: Why do people not make full use of their scarves? All too often I see someone wearing a scarf which practically touches the ground and yet they don't even have it wrapped once around their neck. If you're inside, that's one thing - this can look cool and trendy. But if you're outside and it is cold, don't be an idiot! I suppose it could just be Virginians who, as I've previously discussed, have difficulty dressing themselves.
• Sub-pregunta: People do this with hoods on sweaters and coats too. I like hoodies, but I feel too many people never make use of the hood itself. Why is this?
• Three: What on earth is the deal with all the interest in Judy Winslow? (or rather, Jaimee Foxworth) Of all the google searches leading people to my blog, the vast majority of them have to do with people wondering what happened to the forgotten Winslow child. (If you missed it, I've tackled this subject previously.) I'm starting to consider whether or not I should re-title my blog "The Judy Winslow Fan Club". Anyway, since this post will undoubtedly draw more curious googlers, here's a picture we can all smile and shake our heads at as we silently contemplate Judy's fate.

• 3b: Why did a google search for "licking feet videos" lead someone to my site? Ok well admitedly it was cause of my second Randy Beaman post, but still! I suppose the real question is - what on earth was this pervert hoping to find with such a search?

Maybe there are some things we're just not supposed to know the answers to.

Video Bonanza (episode 1)

I promised it, and here it is... My first ever YouTube Video Bonanza!

I'd like to begin with a presentation of Casablanca as performed by the 30-Second Bunnies Theatre. For those of you who have not heard of this troupe, well, it's pretty self explanatory really. Movies performed in 30 seconds... by bunnies.



Now I'd like to move on to a beautiful cover of Hey Ya as performed by a big folk singer who has a beard of which I am envious. It's amazing how his interpretation gives new meaning and depth to the lyrics. Anyway, I still think the phrase "Shake it like a Polaroid picture" is sheer genius.



Mixing it up a little, here is a video from the days of yore. Well, my days of yore anyway. This is a clip of Boomshaka playing basketball at a playground in Florida over Spring break 2004. Also, yours truly is the cameraman and narrator.



Finally, most of you know of my love for barbershop music. If you've known me long enough, I've likely forced you to listen to mp3s of quartets I once sang with. So here now is a performance by my favorite quartet and arguably one of the greatest quartets ever: The Gas House Gang. I promise you won't be disappointed.

One time, OK, see, one time (part 2)

One time, OK, see, one time Randy Beaman's aunt was sitting on the, on the front porch and she, and she was in her bare feet, and she felt a lick and she thought it was her dog licking her feet but it wasn't; it was this crazy guy that did that a lot.

'K, bye.

Mace and Space

Can I just tell you that this has been a totally crazy week? Now, I'm not a terribly big fan of just blogging "today I did this" and "tomorrow I'm going to do that", but some of these stories are entertaining or at least unique - so I share them now. Side note: Keep your eye on the blog for a YouTube video clip bonanza....coming soon!

So the other day, a buddy of mine got sprayed in the face with mace. Seriously. And he wasn't even attacking anyone! Actually it was a dude who sprayed him. The way he tells it, he pulled out onto the road just as someone was making a right hand turn at a nearby red light. The person should have stopped and then proceeded, but rather just went ahead and turned as though the light were green. This led them to think my friend had cut them off. In his rear-view mirror, my friend sees the driver shouting and flailing about. At the next light, she pulls up next to him. So he rolls down his window thinking they're going to exchange words. But before anything is said, the driver's boyfriend shakes up a can of mace and blasts my friend in the eyes!! Do you believe that?! Who does that? Even if he had cut them off - is this an appropriate response? Good lord!

In other news, I've finally been blowing things up this week at work. Like, for real blowing things up. Not just modeling the blowing up of things with "columns of numbers" (as Quantum is fond of saying). I spent some time this week learning the experimental procedure for the work that hopefully will validate my models. It included firing a laser at a paper (burning tiny holes in said paper) and then firing the laser at tiny carbon particles until they blew up. We got to watch it all on a high speed camera. The best part is, firing the laser is done by pressing a giant red button which then emits a terrifically satisfying beeping noise. I must say, I almost felt like an actual, honest-to-god engineer. Of course the real fun has yet to come. Some time in the next few months, we'll be taking the rig to NASA Houston to fly it on the Vomit Comet so we can blow particles up in microgravity! I'm quite looking forward to experiencing zero-g and believe you me I'll blog plenty about it (hopefully with pictures included).

Unfortunately though these flights have basically ruined my performance opportunities. The flights were originally scheduled for this month, but we have been postponed until March - likely preventing me from accepting the role in Company as well as preventing an escape to Chicago. I'll admit I'm disappointed, but I suppose when God closes a door he opens a window.

Finally, I had my audition today for the radio-style-play gig I mentioned. It went decent I suppose but I don't expect to get the part. The crazy thing is that the woman I read with had driven all the way from Baltimore for the audition! That's nearly three hours! Yee-ikes is all I gots to say.

So....uh....enjoy the weekend!

I think I can, I think I can

Why is it that some days (like today) are days in which I have no motivation and can't figure out what to do with myself while other days (yesterday) are so full of big decisions that I verge on a breakdown? Yesterday was very stressful - though I suppose in a good way. I've had several different performance opportunities fall into my lap at the same moment and it's been a bit overwhelming. First I should set the context in that this semester I will likely be taking two classes and TA-ing in addition to my normal research load. On top of this, I usually am involved with a choral group and jazz ensemble on campus. Meanwhile I have bible study, worship team practice, GCF, and Awanas which take up time each week. Oh...and a girlfriend. Hopefully you can see why any decisions regarding my schedule are complicated.

Sunday afternoon a friend convinced me to audition for Company up at the Four County Players. It's a show I've liked ever since seeing a David Schwimmer look-alike play the role of Robert at NU my freshman year. I've been offered the role of Larry. The major drawback to involvement is the playhouse is a 25 minute drive which means lots of commute time (and gas money). So I have yet to accept the role (though who am I kidding, I probably will).

Meanwhile, I've been trying harder to work out a scenario in which I could spend a few weeks in Chicago helping out with Be The Groove. They have some performances in March/April that I'd like to be a part of. After a long discussion with some of those folks, it's unfortunately looking less possible to make happen, primarily because of my TA responsibilities. Have I mentioned lately that I hate grad school?

Finally, I received a call yesterday about an audition for some sort of radio-style play which is to be broadcast via cell phones. I didn't really understand, but what I did understand is that it's a paying gig! So...looks like I'll be auditioning for that as well.

Life is funny like that I guess. When it rains, it often indeed pours. I just wish I had longer to make some of the decisions. I'm not great at snap decisions especially when they're all interrelated... unless the questions are "Would you like to watch a movie?" and "Would you like to eat cinnamon rolls?" I will always answer yes and can do them simultaneously.

Comptroll this

I think I'd like to be a comptroller some day. That has to be one of the best jobs ever. Mainly because I don't know a single person who knows what a comptroller actually does. Go ahead, just try telling me the definition without Wikipedia or Webster's. You can't can you? I figure if I was a comptroller, I could have a fancy sounding title but be able to slack off all the time. Sure I'd have to suffer the occasional comptroller-related jokes... like... uh... "How was your day comptrollin' for booty, Dr. Church?" (sorry, it's the best I could do)... but it would be worth it cause I'd be paid a lot for doing nothing.

I am not original

Upon Googling the word "blogatus" it turns out I did not in fact invent this word. I guess it's my fault for being so late to join the blog game. Ah well. Maybe next time.

Guess who's back?

And it's not Slim Shady.

I arrived back in C'Ville just before midnight last night after a nearly 12 hour drive from StL. It was quite a day let me tell you. The highlight was probably the first four hours, during which TinRoof and I listened to A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction as read by the cast of the Daily Show. It was entertaining. Also, a guy in West Virginia offered to give us a free tank of gas if we took this stray dog with us that had shown up at the gas station that day.

Now I'm back in my windowless "office" and wondering how many days (hours?) it will take before I return to the less relaxed and happy version of myself. But since I'm sure you're all dying to know what I was up to during my blogatus (sweet, I totally just invented a word), let's see if this helps...

Top 5 Meals I ate over the Holidays

1. The Melting Pot. As previously mentioned, this was a present to the family from my brother. The meal was pretty much orgasmic. Plus it was a good time with the family.
2. White Castle. I know it must seem odd for this to be placed so closely to a meal at the Melting Pot, but I really love whiteys (way better than Krystal) and I don't ever get them on this stupid "east coast".
3. Christmas morning breakfast. My family eats the same thing every Christmas morning/day. Homemade breakfast burritos (my dad and some friends invented these many years ago in Texas...then McDonald's stole the idea), cinnamon rolls, orange rolls, and fresh fruit salad. Deeeeliciousness.
4. A tie between the broccoli chicken braid my mom made Tuesday night (one of my favorite dishes she makes) and New Years Day lunch at my grandmother's place which consisted of the Midwestern/German tradition of pork and sauerkraut. I really don't care much for either of those things, but the corn and mashed potatoes and bread and whatnot were all fantastic. Really the pork was fine, but I didn't touch the sauerkraut. TinRoof earned HUGE bonus points with my family for trying the following: pork, sauerkraut, mashed potatoes, corn, and ketchup...mixed together. They claim that's the only way to eat it.
   
5. 3 beers and some homemade chips. This was essentially my dinner one night with my friend Voce99. We spent one evening at our favorite pub in Belleville (an Irish one) catching up over beers and the most enormous plate of chips we had ever attempted to eat.