Greetings Citizens. With the New Year fast approaching, I figured I'd wish everyone the Best in the New Year!

As for me, I talked with Leah this morning. She's got a friend coming in from the Midwest today. So her evening is planned. Mark N. may be going to see Pink Martini if they can get tickets. I think I'm going to Trevor & Cynthia's place. Cynthia owes me a piece of art for her half of an art trade we made a year ago. It should be a fairly mellow evening. I think Jen and Aaron will be there. Outside of that, I won't know anybody but who cares? I'll eat fondue and watch everyone kiss at midnight. Then I'll leave. Not much different from the last dozen or two New Years previous!

Greetings Citizens. It is raining like crazy here. The Willamette River is way up and people are becoming concerned. It rained over 2 inches in the last 24 hours! And there's another front sitting off the coast.

I stayed in and worked on a couple of images. And did some cyber chatting.

Greetings Citizens. Today I went up to Portland to see the apartment I will soon be inhabiting. It is definitely smaller than the one I am in now but it is plenty big enough to survive in. I visited on of my former students and we went and looked at another student's work that is up in a coffee house on Burnside Street. Afterwards we went and watched the Oregon Ducks embarrass the Pac-10 Conference by losing to Oklahoma.

Greetings Citizens. A lackluster day for yours truly. Cleaned house, took some photos of the 356B for the insurance agency. Drank copious amounts of coffee.
Tried calling Leah. She wasn't home. Watched the Family Guy on DVD and ate Japanese curry. Thrillsville, man.

Okay more Wm. Blake:

THE TYGER

Tyger, tyger, burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand dare seize the fire?

And what shoulder and what art
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And, when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand and what dread feet?

What the hammer? what the chain?
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? what dread grasp
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?

When the stars threw down their spears,
And watered heaven with their tears,
Did He smile His work to see?
Did He who made the lamb make thee?

Tyger, tyger, burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

Greetings Citizens. Tonight I watched Dead Man.

Here are the Proverbs of Hell:

William Blake
from "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell"

1. In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy.

2. Drive your cart and your plow over the bones of the dead.

3. The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom.

4. Prudence is a rich ugly old maid courted by Incapacity.

5. He who desires but acts not, breeds pestilence.

6. The cut worm forgives the plow.

7. Dip him in the river who loves water.

8. A fool sees not the same tree that a wise man sees.

9. He whose face gives no light, shall never become a star.

10. Eternity is in love with the productions of time.

11. The busy bee has no time for sorrow.

12. The hours of folly are measur'd by the clock, but of wisdom: no clock can measure.

13. All wholsom food is caught without a net or a trap.

14. Bring out number weight & measure in a year of dearth.

15. No bird soars too high, if he soars with his own wings.

16. A dead body, revenges not injuries.

17. The most sublime act is to set another before you.

18. If the fool would persist in his folly he would become wise.

19. Folly is the cloke of knavery.

20. Shame is Prides cloke.

21. Prisons are built with stones of Law, Brothels with bricks of Religion.

22. The pride of the peacock is the glory of God.

23. The lust of the goat is the bounty of God.

24. The wrath of the lion is the wisdom of God.

25. The nakedness of woman is the work of God.

26. Excess of sorrow laughs. Excess of joy weeps.

27. The roaring of lions, the howling of wolves, the raging of the storymy sea, and the destructive sword, are portions of eternity too great for the eye of man.

28. The fox condemns the trap, not himself.

29. Joyes impregnate. Sorrows bring forth.

30. Let man wear the fell of the lion, woman the fleece of the sheep.

31. The bird a nest, the spider a web, man friendship.

32. The selfish smiling fool, & the sullen frowning fool, shall be both thought wise, that they may be a rod.

33. What is now proved was once, only imagin'd.

34. The rat, the mouse, the fox, the rabbit: watch the roots; the lion, the tyger, the horse, the elephant, watch the fruits.

35. The cistern contains; the fountain overflows.

36. One thought, fills immensity.

37. Always be ready to speak your mind, and a base man will avoid you.

38. Every thing possible to be believ'd is an image of truth.

39. The eagle never lost so much time, as when he submitted to learn of the crow.

40. The fox provides for himself, but God provides for the lion.

41. Think in the morning. Act in the noon. Eat in the evening. Sleep in the night.

42. He who has suffer'd you to impose on him knows you.

43. As the plow follows words, so God rewards prayers.

44. The tygers of wrath are wiser than the horses of instruction.

45. Expect poison from the standing water.

46. You never know what is enough unless you know what is more than enough.

47. Listen to the fools reproach! it is a kingly title!

48. The eyes of fire, the nostrils of air, the mouth of water, the beard of earth.

49. The weak in courage is strong in cunning.

50. The apple tree never asks the beech how he shall grow, nor the lion, the horse, how he shall take his prey.

51. The thankful reciever bears a plentiful harvest.

52. If others had not been foolish, we should be so.

53. The soul of sweet delight, can never be defil'd.

54. When thou seest an Eagle, thou seest a portion of Genius, lift up thy head!

55. As the catterpiller chooses the fairest leaves to lay her eggs on, so the priest lays his curse on the fairest joys.

56. To create a little flower is the labour of ages.

57. Damn, braces: Bless relaxes.

58. The best wine is the oldest, the best water the newest.

59. Prayers plow not! Praises reap not!

60. Joys laugh not! Sorrows weep not!

61. The head Sublime, the heart Pathos, the genitals Beauty, the hands & feet Proportion.

62. As the air to a bird of the sea to a fish, so is contempt to the contemptible.

63. The crow wish'd every thing was black, the owl, that every thing was white.

64. Exuberance is Beauty.

65. If the lion was advised by the fox, he would be cunning.

66. Improvement makes strait roads, but the crooked roads without Improvement, are roads of Genius.

67. Sooner murder an infant in its cradle than nurse unacted desires.

68. Where man is not nature is barren.

69. Truth can never be told so as to be understood, and not be believ'd.

It was an engrossing film and Neil Young's soundtrack doesn't hurt the film none either.

Speaking of Hell....I give you this:

you can hide behind your syllabus mark, but you and i both know that
reality is quite different and i will always feel that you betrayed me.
you have lost my possible friendship and respect.
i will make sure that many students know what kind of teacher you are.
b.

[pinholeman] wrote:


>B,
>
>You were a long way away from either an A or B. As for the losing one
>grade for missing the final, read your syllabus. And read the syllabus
>to see what was expected of you and your final project.
>
>There are avenues for you to pursue if you feel you got an inferior
>grade to the one you deserved. I stand by what you received.
>
>Like I said before, you have talent but because of your leaving early,
>you were unable to put the time in that was necessary to receive the
>grade you expected.
>
>[pinholeman]
>
>
>B wrote:
>
>
>>
>>still, you did not tell me that i would lose a letter grade for missing
>>the final critique. when i met with you to discuss my leaving early,
>>that was the time you should have told me what i was up against. to be
>>perfectly honest, i did not take your suggestions for withdrawing early
>>seriously because you seemed to be joking.
>>you never fully explained to me what you expected from me and led me to
>>believe that i was doing ok. i even asked you how my grade was at one
>>point and i believe you said i was doing "pretty good," and i asked if
>>i had a B and you didn't dispute it.
>>you kept the truth to yourself and did not give me a fair idea of what
>>i had to do. what you did tell me to do, i turned in. contractually i
>>should get an A, or at least the B you led me to believe i was getting.
>>b.
>>
>>[pinholeman] wrote:
>>
>>
>>>B,
>>>
>>>If I recall correctly, I did seriously suggest that you withdraw from
>>>the class due to the abundant amount of work you needed to turn in for
>>>a good grade. At the time you were already two or three assignments
>>>behind. You insisted though that you could complete the work. While you
>>>did turn in most things, none of the work was adequately spotted and
>>>most of the work you turned in was very poorly printed. The last
>>>assignment was late and you were unable to attend the critique which
>>>affected your participation. You also missed a lot of class time prior
>>>to your leaving early. Also, one rule I never waiver on is that if you
>>>do not attend the final critique, you lose a letter grade.
>>>
>>>In reality, I think you have a lot of talent as a photographer. Your
>>>vision is excellent but you need to have good craftsmanship to
>>>highlight that vision. Which means you have to put in your time in the
>>>lab.
>>>
>>>I thought I was very upfront in telling you that the hurdles you were
>>>choosing to tackle were large. You received very low scores on the
>>>depth-of-field assignment, the portrait assignment, and the visual poem
>>>assignment.
>>>
>>>Don't think for a minute that I don't feel bad having to give out
>>>grades like the one you received. I do. I liked you as a person and, as
>>>I mentioned earlier, you have a lot of talent as a photographer. But
>>>remember this too: it was your choice to leave two weeks early. There
>>>was a considerable amount of time you were not present to be guided on
>>>how to make your prints more successful and to complete your
>>>assignments more thoroughly.
>>>
>>>For you to blame me for your grade on me is unfair. I evaluate your
>>>performance, your attendance, your test scores and your participation
>>>in the class. If you feel you were shortchanged, I am sorry. But in my
>>>mind and looking at all of your work and scores, you got the grade you
>>>deserved.
>>>
>>>[pinholeman]
>>>
>>>
>>>B wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>i cannot believe the grade you gave me mark. i feel very stabbed in
>>>>the back. i took your course very seriously and did the best i could
>>>>do under the circumstances i was under. i may not be the best artist
>>>>in the world, but i am a student and i turned in all of my completed
>>>>assignments two weeks early.
>>>>please reconsider the grade you gave me.
>>>>i don't know why you gave me a "D" but i think it is both unfair and
>>>>unprofessional; if you had been up front about the situation, i may
>>>>have reconsidered going on my trip.
>>>>what may have just been a bad day for you will affect my financial aid
>>>>in such a way that i may have to drop out of school.
>>>>you may not care, but for a poor kid like me you're taking away my only
>>>>chance.
>>>>i totally thought different of you.
>>>>b.

Lovely,huh? That's all for tonight.

Greetings Citizens. It's good to be back home. Christmas was fine; no family fights. Mom and I went shopping for my great-nephew. Got him a toy car that he's scared of. It's a police car.

My Dad was working the Seahawks game so my Mom and I went and had Chinese food for dinner Christmas Eve. She loves egg foo young so we found a place and had some. Dad joined us later for tea.

So I got home today to get another email from a disgruntled student. She left two weeks early to join the circus. Turned in mediocre work and expected a better grade than she deserved. And, for the second time this quarter, it is my fault. Again, I had strongly suggested withdrawing.... but no! she's have none of it. Now I am a big disappointment to her. I could say the same.

Greetings Citizens. I'll be gone a few days to celebrate Christmas. Have a Happy one and don't fear.... I'll be back soon enough.

Greetings Citizens.

Bliss!

Greetings Citizens. Tomorrow is the BIG NIGHT for your humble protagonist. If all goes well tomorrow, at this time (2236 PST), I'll be swapping spit with the most beautiful woman I know. (Terribly romantic.... I know! That's because I am a Pisces, silly readers).

No word from my student's daddy. I'm sure the challenge is still coming. Maybe he doesn't want to spoil his Christmas either. Can't say I blame him. It's going to be crash & burn time for his son. I dread it really. Those of you who know me know I am a proponent of the "warm & fuzzy" critique. He ain't gettin' one, yo. Guts will be left on the floor. It won't be pretty. And they won't be mine.

My days of driving for M.O.W. in Salem are numbered. But I've contacted Loaves and Fishes in Portland and they have put me in touch with the Lake Oswego branch of Meals on Wheels. It sounds like they might be able to use me right from the get-go.

Okay, my shoes are shined, my hair is cut, my undies are clean.... I'm ready.

Greetings Citizens. Very little to report today. My class at PCC was cancelled due to weather. (Though the snow and ice had been replaced by rain). And since the campus was closed, I heard nothing from the Dean concerning the student who wishes to challenge his grade. I suppose I'll be hearing something tomorrow. But with the holiday so close, I don't see any action taking place until the new year. I mean, I've got something to do on Wednesday and Thursday I am leaving town to spend time at home for Christmas. My non-credit class begins the first week in January and PCC starts the following week. I need to prepare a new syllabus for my intermediate students and add some minor changes to the basic class syllabus. I'll be ready for the grade challenge in February. I'm certain it will happen before then though.

I went and got my great-nephew a present today. He's two and easy to please... thank God. Everybody else is getting a rock.

Greetings Citizens. It snowed today in the Willamette Valley. Things here in the capital were relatively light compared to Portland. There were numerous wrecks and road closures due to ice, wind and snow. It was a good day to stay home and do nothing. Which is pretty much what I did. I did do some laundry and cooked up a fried chicken dinner. I also managed to work on a couple of images and watch some football on TV.

Tomorrow i am supposed to take a class on using the intranet at PCC. I am beginning to think that they will cancel it. The weather isn't supposed to get better until Thursday... the day I am supposed to head north to Mom & Dad's house.

Greetings Citizens. When I woke up this morning, I felt comfortable with my ability to grade... and my ability to teach. As the day went on I became more and more sure of myself.

I worked on my own Photography for a while today and watched some football on TV.

I talked to Amy W. in Hope, Maine, and her son, Nigel, who knows me as the "Motorcycle Madman." They sent me the Three Wise Monkeys for my Christmas present. We talked about life, Photography and motorcycles... and drums. Nigel has been beating on his Daddy's drum set lately and was eager to tell me how much fun it was.

After the evening news where I learned, once again, what an idiot our president is, I went downtown to buy Leah's boys a small gift. I got each of them a copy of Aesop's fables. I got Leah a book of e.e. cummings's poetry.

Greetings Citizens. This morning in my email box I found a message from the mother of one of my students wondering why her child had received such a low grade. (He is a high school student taking college courses and received a D in my class). I told her the reasons why and that I had suggested to him that withdrawing might have been a reasonable option since he had missed a week and a half of school because of illness. Within a half hour I received another message... this time from the father, saying he had spoken to the Dean of Visual Arts (my boss) and they were going to challenge the grade and how could his son have received a D. And did I know that having given him this grade, that I had jeopardized his son's future academic career. Within five minutes of receiving the message I got a call from the Dean. I told him I had answered the mom's message but not the dad's since his was more hostile. The Dean informed me that I wasn't to give information to the parents because the student is over eighteen and is the only one who can ask about grades and other personal information. (I think it is important to add here that the student has been conspicuously absent from all that has been happening). The Dean then asked if I was comfortable with the grade... if my grade book was in order. I said it was. The Dean called back later to say that the parents had contacted the Dean of Academic Services and a challenge was being issued in regard to the grade and would I be comfortable meeting the parents to address the challenge. I told him I felt like I was being ganged up on by people with no direct responsibility in the matter. He agreed and asked if I would be willing to do it anyway. I said I was... I have no problem with the grade I gave him. In fact, I thought a D was a generous grade. I asked if there would be anyone in the department to back me up since I was making concessions to the family. The Dean said that the department head would be there for me. So now I wait to see what happens next.

I will be extremely disappointed if this student (or should I say his parents) ends up wrecking my teaching at PCC before it even has a chance to get started. I pride myself on being extremely fair and honest with my students. And quite honestly, I 'd venture to bet that the student knows that the grade he received was appropriate for the quality and amount of work he did. This totally blows! I am so nervous about what is going to happen next, I can't think of anything else. I went with a friend to the Sonic vs Blazers game tonight and I could hardly relax enough to enjoy the Sonics victory. Now I am stuck here at home thinking the worst will happen.

Greetings Citizens. I think the hardest part of teaching is handing out the grades. Especially when you like the kids in spite of the absence of work. But fair is fair and I have to do the hard stuff. The grades went like this: 7-A's, 3-C's, 2-D's & 3-F's. The ones that got the F's won't be surprised. One of the D students had mono and missed two weeks. I suggested he withdraw because there wasn't enough time. He didn't. The other D student left two weeks early and joined the circus. She attempted to do 10 weeks of work in 16 hours. She got it done but it was all half-assed and shoddy. The C students didn't try and the A students did.. simple as that!

It was a melancholy ride home. I listened to Miles Davis and wondered what I could have done differently. But when I think of the fine things the A students made, I can't really hold myself too much to blame.

When I got home I met Amber for a coffee. She's Meg's secretary at Chemeketa. I showed her some prints and we chatted. And here's something for you... my horoscope for the day:

Someone at your place of work could suddenly find you very attractive, dear Pisces, and make no secret of it today. How you respond, of course, depends on you, but if you don't reciprocate this person's feelings, don't respond positively simply because you're flattered. This could cause trouble for you down the line, particularly if this person holds a position of authority. Remember, you're a romantic. Hold out for the right person!

Can you guess what happened? Too weird! I don't normally pay much attention to such silly things. I'm sure it was only a coincidence but still....

When I returned safely to my confines at the Parkview Apartments, I proceeded to call Leah. (She's the right person)! We talked for a while. I told her that Big Mike might be able to get us backstage when the Nutcracker finished. That made her day. Hearing her laugh made mine.

After I hung up, I watched Secondhand Lions. It was stupid but that didn't stop me from crying!
Sometimes I feel like such a sap!

Greetings Citizens. Well, it's all over but the grading. Yep, the finals are final. Some did better than I expected and others did worse. What surprised me was how few images some of the students made given the time they were allowed. It is going to be very difficult to grade the work this term. There are so many borderline students and there are no +/- grades. I like the kids.... that's what always makes it tough when you have to pass down the bad grade. Ultimately, it's their own doing but as a teacher I can't help but wonder if there was some way I could have intervened to help them be more successful.

Greetings Citizens. Took my suit to the Men's Warehouse to be let out a bit. Apparently it has shrunk from lack of use. Same with the pants! Go figure. Sent some Christmas cards out to my family and a few friends.

Talked with Leah again for about an hour. Gawd! I'm smitten! Then Donna called a little later. I think my ear is going to fall off. (In a pleasant way)!

Tomorrow, er today!, is the Class Final! The pizzas are ordered, the work is done and all we have left is the group hug and grades!

Greetings Citizens. It was a laid-back and quite day at PCC today. The kids are all pretty much finished. Some of the students were printing things for the fun of it while others were finishing up their projects by mounting and spotting their prints. I think most people are expecting average grades. Some of them are going to be pleasantly surprised, I think. I signed over a check for Big Mike to pick up the pizzas from the Lucky Labrador Public House on Wednesday. It should be happy times for most everyone. Three people are flunking for sure. They know who they are and there isn't going to be any surprise when they see their grade. About six people are probably getting A's and the rest are probably getting C's. They would have got A's too but they didn't do the redos.

While the weather was very cold, the motorcycle ride up and back was enjoyable. The traffic was a little thick getting out of Portland but it opened up after crossing over the Willamette River at Wilsonville.

Greetings Citizens. The ol' well was running dry, so I went out today and shot some more images at the steel fabrication place. I think I made a 133 snaps! I hope that somewhere around 20 turned out well enough to post. I got home in time to watch the Seahawks football game and drink a couple of cups of coffee. After the game I went and got some bacon and had breakfast for dinner. I cooked the bacon and made a German pancake. It was yummy!

I just finished talking on the phone with Leah. I spent some time trying to figure out where we can eat dinner when we go see the Nutcracker on the 22nd. I think we're going to have Middle Eastern food at Nicholas'. We chatted for awhile until her cell phone started ringing. So I told her good night and left her to her other call.

Greetings Citizens. This one is for you Mark N.! Look familiar? I, too, noticed an odoriferous scent towards the rear of the building. Coincidence? Perhaps.

Went into PCC today to help my little kiddies. (Today was their last chance to use the open lab). There were five kids there. A little less than I expected. And who were they? Except for one of them, they're all getting "A"s. Go figure.

After I left the lab, I went to the sixth Street Gallery. Leah runs the place and they were celebrating being open for one year. That's no small feat for an art gallery in the 'Couv. One of my old students from Clark College was there. She's now taking classes at Oregon College of Art & Craft. She's doing some nice pinhole work.

Leah was looking fine. She walked me out when I went to leave. We were able to have a couple of moments together.... alone. We tried to figure out where to take the kids for dinner when we go to see the Nutcracker on the 22nd. (Big Mike, one of my students, got me some comps through his girlfriend, who is a principal dancer for the ballet company). We're getting all dressed to the nines and making a night of it. I need to get me some new britches! All that I have are these crappy looking Dockers (yuk!!!!). And I suppose I'll have to get my [Interview] shirt and tie pressed too. But who cares? I'm as giddy as a schoolgirl!

Greetings Citizens. Today was the faculty and staff Christmas party at Chemeketa CC. It was pretty fun... nothing too exciting but we had some good laughs. Afterwards, I rode my motorcycle around for awhile. The sun was out and the temperature was brisk.

When I got home I read some stuff on the internet then watched some of the high school football finals. The 1A and 2A games were today the 3A and 4A games are tomorrow afternoon.

I exchanges some emails with Sami K.. She was in Maine when I was and, like me, she was a lush. She's been sober for 5 years and tells me I was her inspiration to quit. The world works in mysterious ways. We always had this love/hate relationship but since we've both been clean and sober we have become great long-distance friends. She told me she is going to school to become an occupational therapist. She wants to work with returning war veterans. The way things are going there should be plenty of people for her to aid when she graduates in thee years. She's still going to continue to make books and portfolios as her artistic release.

Greetings Citizens. A rather late posting tonight. I went to make this posting at around 9:30-10 o'clock but Leah called and we've just hung up 10 minutes ago! Very nice.

Anyway, today M-O-W had its Christmas open house. On top of that I was substituting for someone so I had to be there. There was a raffle and I won this big basket filled with God-knows-what. Well, hell, I didn't want the damned thing so I gave it to the cook. She's a nice lady who pretty much just goes about her business. She was so happy. That's the kind of stuff I like about Christmas. I figured if she can make those tasty cinnamon rolls day after day for the drivers, giving her a basket of stuff I didn't need wasn't too much to ask for in return.

When i finished my route, i hopped on Heidi and went up to Chemeketa to buy raffle tickets for their raffle (with proceeds going to a local charity) and a meal ticket for a faculty and staff party tomorrow. I wasn't going to go but I found out that they are serving crab cakes and gawd! I love those things. So I'll ride up there tomorrow for lunch. I plan on sitting next to Meg (my boss) and Amber (her trusty assistant).

Okay, trying to be witty on the phone for the last two hours has wore me out! I'm off to dreamy-land!

Greetings Citizens. O! Sweet ecstasy! What a great evening I had tonight. I met Leah at her home at 7:30. I gave her long overdue house warming gift... an image that goes well with the color of her walls. The great thing was that I had promised the image long ago but she still held the space for my work. Flattery of flatteries! Then we were off in the ol' 356B to Le Happy for crepes and laughs. I haven't had such a wonderful evening with a person of the opposite persuasion for so long I can't even remember the last time. The service is slow and the room is lit by candles and a disco ball. Ideal for soft and light conversation. We talked about everything from her kids to urban anthropology. Everything ended well... no stress or strain and I'm looking forward to our next encounter.

The kids did a good job today too! Most were there and were working hard. Some of them are coming into their own just at the right time. I love that... when the lightbulb clicks for them and there work has purpose and is pleasing to the eye. Especially when they see it too!

Oh Icarus, since you like the blue stuff, I thought I'd dig into the well and pull up this image especially for you. Enjoy.

Greetings Citizens. Did you miss me yesterday, gentle readers? Well, I was exhausted after a long day of teaching. The motorcycle ride home was cold and intense. I was ready to settle in and watch MNF and call it good. Afterwards, when I should have posted , I went to bed instead.

So tomorrow after class I am meeting Leah. She and I will hit the big city for laughs and crepes. Yes crepes! La Happy has the best crepes for dinner and dessert. It's dimly lit and small and quiet. Perfect.

Drove the Porsche up to Steve's BMW shop today. Him and Chris were working hard. I like to stop in every once and awhile. They crack me up. There's alway a cup of coffee and a stale donut there to be had. So the trip to Dundee is always worth it.

Tomorrow is the last class before finals. I am curious to see how things go. More than a couple of students have been conspicuously absent lately. It's odd to see how community college students differ from four-year kids. They don't have the same work ethic it seems. Most of them anyway. A few of my kids are putting together some nice little pieces of work though. So i remain cautiously optimistic that they will all come through with flying colors.

Greetings Citizens. Little to report today. My kitchen sink is clogged. That's the big news in my life. I called Jessalyn today to ease her worried mind. I found out she was in an accident yesterday. She was okay... unhurt, which is a relief. I told her some day... when she's my age... she'll look back and have a funny story to tell.

Greetings Citizens. Following up on Thursday's bowling theme, I present this image. Apparently, according to Mark N., this bowling alley is being renovated in all of its former glory. I'm glad. Portland is so retro chic.

So on Wednesday, I asked the kids if they wanted me to show this weekend to help them with their printing. Of course they wanted me there. So this weekend, over the span of eight hours, I see five people. On Monday, I am sure they are going to want me to stay late after class but the Seahawks are on Monday Night Football and I think I am going to go home and watch it. I'll just tell them I had a previous engagement and can't get out of it. I'll get a U-Bake pizza from Geno's and settle down to a good game. That's the plan right now anyway.

So I got up early so I could get the Jen's ceramic sale. I got a coffee mug. And wouldn't you know it, I broke it! It was on my rain coat and when I went to grab it, it rolled out of the car onto the ground... where is smashed to bits! GOSH!

Greetings Citizens. Pardon my pathetic lamenting in last night's blog. I swear sometimes I don't know what comes over me. I went to PCC today to do some grading and help the kiddies out. There were only three of them there. Of course it was three students that I don't have to worry about. One of them, Jessalyn, had a melt-down before I arrived though. It appears that she didn't load her camera properly and her images for her final project weren't recorded onto the film. I guess she left in tears. Don't worry though. She'll be okay... I'd bet on it. And stronger for the experience too. Tomorrow I plan on being at the lab most of the day. First, though, I'll stop by Jen and Aaron's house. Jen is having a ceramic sale and I told her I'd stop by before I went up to the school. Lates.

Greetings Citizens. Another melancholy night for your humble protagonist. On Shasta's suggestion I watched the Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind. It is a fine movie. But, like many others I am sure, it dug up a past that reminds me of what a fool I've been in my life. It particularly reminded me of my relationship with Karen R.. (The "R" is now a "G"). She was the best thing to happen to me in my life and somehow I let her slip away. It was so many years ago, gentle readers, but I have never forgotten how happy I was then. I remember our days together like it was yesterday. I should... I've replayed them in my mind so many times (to paraphrase Bob Dylan) I know every scene by heart. Now as I am writing this I am listening to sappy songs... getting all misty-eyed. And the first song I hear is Doctor Wu which is from the time we were together. It knocks me down like a bowling pin.