The less I blog, the more I have confusing/interesting/odd thoughts daily that make me think,
HEY I SHOULD BE BLOGGING THIS!

So, what did I do over Memorial Day weekend? I crammed myself into my closet (not to experience the "homosexual closet," mind you) in order to really TRULY clean it. And about 5+ garbage bags of clothes later (as well as a $7 in white hangers and a $5 light fixture), it is a closet I can FIND THINGS IN. Amazing. I realized I was using my dressers in my actual room for the underwear arena (which worked) and t-shirts/tops (which didn't). So I rearranged. Only underwear and pjs/workout clothing are outside of the closet now. I put away my fall/school pants and huge sweaters in see-through bins out of my reach in the closet. I color-coded my tops and vests and tank-tops and dresses. I folded my jeans and categorized them (need-to-be-skinny-to-wear-this-pile, not my favorites pile, etc). I even filtered my t-shirts (patterened/designed, words on them, plain, and stripes/pok-a-dots). Plus, I listened to my sisters's idea (yea, don't tell her that) to use white hangers; this allows one to see their clothing better. All in all, it may be a disaster area once again by summer's end, but for now, it's my mini-fashion-church. Oh, I even lined up my shoes (put away my "winter" ones, again, in see-through bins) on the floor for easier access; previously, I had them in a pile and would spend many minutes trying to find a freaking match while hustling my butt out the door.

What else have I thought about? Right now, nothing comes flying at me, but I have had conversations with people that have lead me to believe that a) I can see old situations that happened with old friends happeneing with new ones (yikes - don't repeat history!), b) my perceptions of people are often different than others' perceptions (thinking of a reality show here), and c) I am who I am and while I try to be a better person, there are certain things that need to be said. The line, "Be nice," works only to a certain extent because not everyone has earned my nice-ness. And sometimes, I think that we have to be the 2x4s that smack others upside the head, in a gentle way, of course. Otherwise, they will continue to do uncool things to many people.

Man, I have missed blogging. It feels to even type thoughts since I've spent the last few days using my arm muscles and legs and stomach to lift and bend and push and move items. I didn't take the new bike out yet because of the weather and also because I've been sore from spending 5+ hours sorting and rearranging that dang closet.

And... now for some Chuck Klosterman (courtesy of the folded pages in my library book): "What exactly is reality?": "How do we know what we know?" ... "Most people consider forgetting stuff to be a normal part of living. However, I see it as a huge problem; in a way, there's nothing more I fear." = BLOG! "I think this is what motivates people to have children. [...] The import of you existence can be validated by whoever you bring into the world." So, hopefully, the Bush twins will make their pa look good? "All the academics give props to older academics no one else has ever heard of." Yep. Been to those conferences. (About reading a newspaper ->) "HOWEVER, the one thing nobody wants is sentences, and they certainly don't want paragraphs. People despise paragraphs. Focus groups have proven this." A great starter to a conversation in any English class. And if I assign this book in English 120, you can bet this essay, "All I Know is What I Read in the Papers," will be first.

So, good ol' Chuck will go back to the library today. A few of my Amazon books have arrived, so I'll jump into those as a very exciting weekend approaches: my sister turns 28 AND the Sex and the City movie will be showing! As for today, I hope to double-check the online course that starts up next Tuesday (will use Monday to do this too if need be) and then take the Trek for its first official spin in Wahpeton. Tomorrow may be more of the same (course prep, bike rides, reading, and maybe an attempt to use the sewing machine to fix a few items); Thursday has me heading to Fargo for the weekend's festivities.

Been away from internet for awhile. It's been sorta nice.
Best news of the week: I PURCHASED A TREK. Yup. And a helmet. Here comes a summer filled with biking!
Other good news: I finished Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs! And I have a lot to say about the rest, but I'll get to a huge analysis of the last chapters later. One thing is for sure - Chuck, according to one chapter, has way more close friends than I do. I think. He has 43. Or, at least, he had 43. Doesn't that seem like a lot? He categorized "close friend" as someone he'd call if he got lung cancer. I still highly doubt I have that many friends. Do family members count? Huh. Hmmm.

Spoooooky.
I think I may have just done 50% of the work necessary for my online summer course to get rocking & rolling. I updated the syllabus (I've started calling 'em "cheat sheets": the first page is the basic schedule/chart on the right side of the landscaped page with my info and strict rules on the left, then the next 2-3 landscaped pages that follow are the "boring things" that students rarely read but that need to be in a syllabus; it works out so that essentially, they only really need that first page, the cheat sheet) and put that on there (no more making syllabi in Publisher and then trying to transfer it all over to Word or PDF). Then, I created a mini-PPT about what to expect in the class. The main projects are listed, the theme is too, and some of the routine activities/assignments. It's a small introduction, but it's done in less than a minute with some creative custom animation. If the audio would work (and I may see if it will with the Articulate program), it'd be even better.

I may only have to change the dates in the specific units. I want to add more YouTube videos and insightful PPTs, but if I can't get around to placing those in the summer class, they will go into the fall one for sure.

Oh, and in regards to my reading of Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs, I read the chapter last night that looks into the Pam Anderson versus Marilyn Monroe comparison. Is Pam the same sort of icon for us that Marilyn was to a previous generation? I think Chuck essentially says 'no' to that, as do I, yet he brings up a lot of evidence for either side of that argument (who each one has dated, why they are sexual icons, etc.). Sometimes I walk away from his writing confused and smarter all at once, if that is possible.

I also wrapped up the chapter I stopped in the middle of where he's on the road with a Guns-n-Roses tribute band (Paradise City). It was the type of Literary/Creative Journalism I was hoping to get my Creative Writing students to look at WHEN we were in the middle of the Creative Nonfiction unit. Ooopsie. Anyhow, this Chuck guy can do it all, or write it all I suppose. He writes sports-based stuff for ESPN's Page 2, he wrote for the Fargo Forum (again, if I am remembering correctly), and he's written a lot about music. Plus, chuck (hee hee) in some popular culture essays and this guy has multiple-personality-disorderly-writing skills. Practically. It's like me being able to write about Buddhism, blogging, Beck, and biking... which I may be able to do someday.

It is really bugging me to read a library book. I like to highlight and write all over my books.
Ugh.
Anyhow, the second chapter of Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs, he states that "nobody truly know how they act" (background - he tried out playing The Sims game)... that "most extroverts think they're introverts" and vice versa for introverts who think they're extroverts. "Maybe that's why extroverts won't shut up (because they always fear they're not talking enough) while introverts just sit on the couch and do nothing (because they assume everybody is waiting for them to be quiet)." Would an introvert BE a teacher? Can the oldest in a family BE introverted? [Said like Chandler Bing.]

He then jumps on those who consider themselves "cynical" and even those of us who consider ourselves "creative." "If you define your personality as creative, it only means you understand what is perceived to be creative by the world at large, so you're really just following a rote creative template. That's the opposite of creativity." I feel torn by these statements. Of course I think I am creative. I like to think that I create stuff that's different than what's been created previously. But maybe he's onto something. To be honest, my head hurts trying to decide whether I agree or not.

"Everybody is wrong about everything, just about all the time." What a beautiful generalization, Chuck. Whoa. I mean, I'm the first to claim that I don't know everything. But, again, I'd like to think I was right at least 25% of the time.

A few paragraphs later, he mentions that his niece had The Sims game at her house in "rural ND." Now, at first I was thrilled he mentioned his homeland. Then I thought, "Why do we always gotta prove that we're 'civilized'? That we have roads and cars? And technology." Did he mention ND because for that reason at all? I wonder...

"What The Sims suggests is that buying things makes people happy because it takes their mind off of being alive. I would think this would actually make them feel worse, but every woman I've ever dated seems to disagree." Now, Chuck. I shop to get away from the daily stresses of everything (students asking me questions, family needed me to this or that, etc.) just like guys have to go hunting from time to time, or fishing. I don't necessarily need to buy anything to have a "good day of shopping." Plus, isn't there something innate in us that wants to gather & hunt things? And, it's exercise. I'd rather shop than sit on my butt at home and watch Reality TV.

It looks like the next chapter is actually about Reality TV. Specifically, The Real World. Before I read it, I'd like to note that I haven't watched a season of that show in a long time. I'd argue that it's because the show has changed, not me. Remember when it was about racism and love and life? Yea. Now it's about watching attractive, spoiled kids get drunk and fight.

I am lovin' Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs by Chuck Klosterman.
[A native of this area. A possible book for the spring of '09, I do believe...]
... Are we all screwed up into thinking that the love we see on tv & in the movies can happen in real life? Do we have those notions, or even small parts of them, in our melons somewhere? Are we all in love with fake love?
> That's what Chuck asks (and answers on his own behalf) in the first chapter. I find him amusing, whether I agree or not. It's intriguing. His first paragrah states that no woman will ever satisfy him & he'll never satisfy a woman either. Once one gets over that (fully appreciates/understands it), I suppose, love & relationships aren't all that complicated. Who is ever really going to know me for me? Um, only me. It becomes more about enjoying each other's company, and less about, say, trying to be the "perfect ___"? I forsee some problems with this idea; however, I like it's perspective on love/relationships.
- There's more to that chapter I have roaming around in my head, but I am rather pooped out. {Tune in tomorrow when I try to blog something as equally odd and exciting. Until then, buckle up and eat an apple.}