Somehow I managed to get a nasty case of pink eye in both of my eyes . . . stay away!

I did the Relay for Life this weekend. I think there could have been more done to memorialize people who've passed, as this was the reason I signed up in the first place; there was a walk around the track for this, but people were prone to messing around and talking about nonsense, so it kind of took away from the effect. Whatevah, I did it and took away what I could from it.

In two weeks, I'll be graduated! I start job training tomorrow. I've got a training the night before my 100 mile bike ride, but I've trained too hard to bail out now.

Dre and I went to see "33 Swoons" on Friday. I should read more Checkhov . . .

My uncle died in December 2006 of prostate cancer, and my grandma showed signs of breast cancer when she passed in March 2006. On April 28th, I'm doing an all night relay for the American Cancer Society at the rec center . . . I think it will be a good release.

Life right now is nothing short of great . . . I'm starting a job soon, in which I'll support people with developmental disabilities, Andres is amazing, I'm graduating, and I just feel . . . lucky to be where I am.

So another woman has begun to complain about the "jokes" and comments against women that a particular pal of my roommates makes. Go figure. Maybe they'll come to the conclusion that I'm not just a bitch out to nitpick, and what he says is actually rude sometimes?

I'm out of here in less than a month. It hasn't been the easiest of living situations, so I don't think I'll shed any tears. I've washed my hands clean of all the ridiculousness and drama. I'll just take my personal lessons about power dynamics and the value of emotional intelligence, and call it a day.

We're playing basketball with the Germans again today. Andres and I went to Red Lobster yesterday and indulged our cravings . . . ahhh, yes.

Max Ehrmann - "Desiderata"

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

I only have one big project this whole semester, which is due tomorrow, and I save it for right now. Furthermore, I am taking a brief hiatus by writing this and letting the thoughts flow and goofing around with different color schemes. It don't make no sense.

No doubt you've heard about the shootings at Virginia Tech; my heart goes out to the victims and their families. I can't imagine being in that situation; we had a practice lockdown at my school today, and even though it wasn't for real, you could feel the tension in the room. I can't imagine what that would feel like in reality, and it breaks my heart in a million ways to think that for some people, it hasn't been just a drill.

I think we can expect there to be talk about gun accessibility and control at some point in the near future. Putting that aside for a moment, I can't help but think about what was beneath the surface of the shooter, identified as student Cho Seung-Hui. A professor and classmate recall that he had a lot of anger, and his writings for a class were "very graphic" and "extremely disturbing" (http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/04/18/vtech.shooting/index.html).

I don't want to exhaust the subject, but where did this anger come from? What were his reasons for writing plays filled with violence? When did shooting a classroom of students become a solution? When bad things happen, I can't help but ask "why, why, why."

We might never have answers, but I think it's important to consider how we treat each other and treat ourselves. Anger comes from a lot of experiences, be it alienation, humiliation, or a gamut of other happenings.

In any case, I need to get back to work. I just had to get that out.

So one of my friends lives in an apartment neighbored by four German guys. We hung out with them last night, and I've got to say, I think it might seriously help me improve my German if I talk with native speakers now and then. We're going to play basketball with them on Sunday . . . come along if you feel like it.

I've got the 100 mile bike ride in Buena Vista coming up in about a month, on May 19th. My dad and I are doing it together, so I've been trying to work out enough to prepare. He rides our stationary bike at home for 99 minutes everyday, he told me. He is a man consumed, but it's a good example for me to follow.


I ordered graduation announcements. I looked it up, and I think I should be magna cum laude, as my GPA is listed at 3.778. The letter said cum laude, though . . . I guess it doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things.

1. 5 everyday favorites
2. 4 mood-lifters
3. 3 reasons to get out of bed
4. 2 people you love
5. 1 thing you love about yourself

1. Feeling like I'm learning and maturing at my internship, spending time with Andres, five more minutes in bed in the morning, peanut butter on toast, working out

2. Exercise, chocolate, pouring my heart out, trust

3. My internship starts at 8:00 am, I'm one day closer to graduating, and every day brings some new thing to keep me interested

4. My mom and dad have given me the world

5. I work very hard at keeping an open mind and learning all that I can.

"The End of Suburbia" is going to be playing on Sunday in the LSC theater for $5:

http://baltimorechronicle.com/080304ThomasWheeler.shtml

By the end of the year, my roommates and I might have an actual, full conversation; however, I might be "nosy" again if I initiate anything resembling care for how their lives are going, so I'm not going to hold my breath. They save any tiny bit of conversation for the secondary alpha males who come over, as I am not able to attain their supreme level of sophistication and intelligence. Oh well, I chose my path.

I graduate a month from tomorrow, and the name of the game thereafter is going to be getting experience and creating a cache of cash. I'm going to a teacher job fair today in about 20 minutes, and I should get word on a job in the next week.

The times they are a-changin'

From the BBC:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6524251.stm

And Bush's actions are "sufficient?"

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/04/washington/04climate.html?ref=us

My goal is to own one of these (or something similar) in the next 1.5 years:

http://world.honda.com/news/1999/4990906c.html

If I work my ass off, I might be able to afford one within the next year (I know Sven isn't going to last forever). I think there's a tax credit for these vehicles too. In any case, the next car I spend money on will be something technologically innovative.

Andres is back from Texas! and it makes me sooo happy.

I found out that I'm graduating cum laude, which isn't summa cum laude, but I can deal.

Interning is going well. I signed a lease for a one bedroom apartment, and I'm interviewing for a PT (with FT possibilities) job tomorrow. The money I save before my lease starts in June I'm going to put towards furniture, etc.

I went home for my sister's 19th birthday this past weekend. I bought her Amazing Grace by Jonathan Kozol. The good thing about buying books for relatives is that you get to read them when they're finished.

I'm feeling really good about my future plans right now. I like the idea of just taking it all in for a while.