I woke up today feeling mildly productive, opened the curtains, and saw snow on the first day of spring. This perturbed me a little bit. It is Spring after all! I went about clearing my magazine rack for donations to the vet Art Project who is doing some collage work and needs materials. I put together the pull-up bar I finally bought so that I can ( Read more... )

Lesson plans are the bane of my existence

That is all for now.

My built in shelving is almost done. They just have to cover up the drywall holes, and bet some support under the extended desk/shelf part of the project. I bought myself the mesh two drawer file cart I have been eyeballing for about three months now. It fits splendidly below my new desk area in the area where I envisioned it. Of course, now I want ( Read more... )

Shelves are turning out nicely. My brother is an artist when it comes to making my design become reality. I think I might have to hold off on the black lacquer paint for the shelves... we'll see. I did end up going with a "Joy" kanji inspired design for the shelves. It is the design that best accommodates my copious books, and the Buddha head ( Read more... )

I have a few days where I will not be doing anything heavily productive work-wise, so I have initiated a project which I was inspired to seek maybe a few months ago. My closet is weird because it has a space that overlaps with the coat closet by the main entrance to the house. I have this very unwieldy, awkward space which I have to contort and ( Read more... )

I had an art show of my student's work at the elementary school I teach an after school art program. My students have collectively made many beautiful, if controversial, art works. I think I have a minor issue with how the art works are controversial. Apparently, images of Lil' Wayne or people smoking is taboo at an elementary level. I say it is ( Read more... )

So 5 years ago, at around 8 am, I got a call telling me I was going to Baghdad....
That was on today's date, 5 years ago.
It's really been 5 years....

Back in December my friend mercuric9 told me about the research of Dr. Izumi Tabata into high intensity interval training, and the benefits of a workout which he tailored. Now known as a Tabata workout, I have been fine tuning what started as just a 5 day a week push up and sit up set to a six day rotation between upper body, lower body, and abdominal/core ( Read more... )

Writing lesson plans has become the bane of my existence... or at least my weekends. I have take possibly one of the worst habits form college and projected it into my work life. Procrastination has made it nearly impossible for me to enjoy writing lesson plans done in a timely manner. Unless timely is 5 in the morning the day they are due. However ( Read more... )

I miss the army reserves, but am too principled to go back in the closet in order to re-enlist. In spite of all the shit they put me through, it was an environment I felt like I had accomplished something at the end of the day.