College Night...

First let me preface this with a disclaimer:

I am not really the bar hopping, trolling for girls type. I never really have been but always wind up doing such things with friends.

As many of you know, I am a middle school teacher. Let me tell you, there is nothing more unattractive than a male middle school teacher. Many of you are now thinking, "But Brandon you are an attractive interesting guy. What's not to like?" Yes. I am an attractive interesting guy but I am also a middle school teacher. Let's think about this practically...

You, an attractive female, are out at the bar with a friend. Two guys, one of them being my doppelganger, approach you and your friend and ask if you would like to dance. Slightly flattered by the offer, you and your friend say yes. There is that awkward moment where no one is sure who is going to dance with who, then finally someone makes the move and you and the other pair walk out on the dance floor and begin dancing. Now inevitably, unless you are really uninterested (you've taken one for the team...), there is a discussion that happens. Names are exchanged.

"Where are you from?"
"Austin. You?"

The discussion continues. You know small talk stuff. And it seems to be going well.

"What do you do?"
"I'm a student at UT."
"What are you studying?"
"Pre-Law. Philosophy."
"Cool."
"What do you do?"
"I'm a teacher."
"Oh cool. Where do you teach?"
"A middle school in Kyle."

Then the record scratches, the music stops and the rest of the dance is painfully silent. Now this actually happened to me. Not that I was trying to pick her up but seriously did it have to be that I was a middle school teacher? I have to assume that this was it because she was all sorts of talkative before I mentioned the word "middle." Many of you (all four of you) are saying "Brandon, seriously, maybe she just ran out of things to say." Maybe, but this is not the first time I've gotten this reaction. Now this got me thinking. Why?

It takes a special kind of person to teach. Not everyone can do it. Hell, sometimes I don't feel like I can. Every where I go, when people ask me what I do and I tell them that I teach middle school they shake my hand or pat me on the back saying things like, "You must be a saint..." or "I could never teach, I'm so glad you can..." or my personal favorite, "God bless you!" I hear the platitudes of the profession all of the time. I agree. Teachers are extremely important. Education is extremely important. But dammit it is horrible to be a single male teacher.

-I will have to work for 20+ years to make more than $50,000
-On any given day I could be at school from 7:30AM to 7:30PM
-Everyone has their preconceived notions about what a teacher is supposed to be so after the girl hears "teacher" she's got you pegged and there is nothing more to talk about.
-All teachers everywhere are settled down (Married). At least it sometimes feels that way. All of the male teachers are anyway.
-Really, though, do teachers want to date teachers... There's no time!
-Teaching is a female dominated profession. I'm supposed to do things like business, NASCAR racing, or contracting.

I occasionally get bonus points in the above discussion because I teach theater but those bonus points usually don't even bring me up to passing (see I even use teacher metaphors).

From here on out when people ask me what I do, I am going to say "Teaching Artist." Maybe that will make me interesting enough to dance with twice. Maybe.

The paradox of the Prison system

I don't hold myself in such high regard to think that I am the first to have ever written these thoughts down. I just thought them. So here they are.

The prison system in this country has two functions, to hold criminals to protect the greater good of society and to rehabilitate criminals so that they can return to society. There is the punishment element. Commit a crime, deal with the consequence. And there is the education element. Commit a crime, learn why it was a crime and resolve to not commit a crime again.

One of my new favorite shows is Life on NBC. The show is about Detective Charles Crews. Crews, at the beginning of the first season, has just been released from a life sentence due to new evidence in a murder case. After wrongfully serving twelve years in prison part of his settlement is $50 million and he is reinstated as a detective in the LAPD. The most recent episode, called A Prison Education references the Stanford Prison Experiment, which studied the effects of being a prisoner or being a prison guard. Twenty four male students were chosen to participate, told they would be part of a mock prison. Twelve as guards and twelve as prisoners. The experiment went totally awry. It ended after 6 days, not the intended 14, due to the effects of the students being in those scenarios.

Even though each participant was told it was a "mock" prison, one third of the guards exhibited "genuine sadistic tendencies." Keep in mind these are under graduate students at Stanford University.

I believe in the intrinsic dignity of all human beings, even those who commit heinous acts against society. I also believe that no matter how low someone goes, it is my responsibility never to let myself fall to that level. Just simply as an American following the ideals that the Framers of the Constitution held, we are to hold ourselves to a higher standard. This is why the CIA torture news is such an issue. If we drop our morality to the level of those against which we are fighting then what are we fighting for? Aren't we just two sides of the same coin?

When I read about things like the Stanford Prison Experiment, or even things like the Civil War and the issue of slavery, I try to put myself into that situation and based on the time period, where I am at personally, what side of the issue would I have been on? I can be honest with myself. I honestly don't know, based on the fact that most of my formative years were in Louisiana, if I would have been an abolitionist had I been born in 1850. Of course, we know slavery in all forms is wrong. But still we see racism. I still see it in my own family on occasion and it is just as ugly as the first time I was exposed to it. If I were a guard in the Stanford Prison Experiment, would I have been violent? Would I have let that side of my human nature show itself? Or would I have, feeling as deeply as I do about the dignity of ALL humans, been able to stand up to those who were abusing their power?

To be a prison guard you have to hold that position with two faces. On one side you have to believe that the prisoners are human beings and that no matter what they have done, simply because they are human beings, there is some good in them. On the other side you have to maintain a level of control over the prisoners. To maintain a level of control over anyone is to believe them less than you, less than human, almost an animal. How then can one believe that the prisoners on their roll are human but maintain the kind of control needed to keep peace? This is the problem.

"Absolute power corrupts absolutely." When anyone is in a position of power the temptation to abuse that power is there. The greater the power the greater the temptation. What the Stanford Prison experiment shows us is that even in a situation where all the participants are aware of the pretend nature of the game, the power can be exploited and abused, even if only for the sake of the game. It is not my intention to paint prison guards in a bad light. Not all prison guards abuse their power. I would even go as far to say that no prison guards abuse their power. But the profession of guarding (notice that guard is a synonym of protect) prisoners is a difficult job. And to do that job for any length of time will cause your mind set about the people that hang around that profession to change.

I apologize for blowing up your reader...

But you got to see this video.

Give me 20 minutes of your life...

I like this guy. He has a book called Out of Our Minds: Learning to be Creative. It is probably number 11 on my book suggestion list.

I run.

So I know that some of you, maybe all four of you, are sick of this being a dumping ground for my running stuff. Oh well. It's my blog and I'll run if I want to.

I have to say this nike+ thing, while initially I was concerned that it was over priced, is an awesome motivator. This blog entry ultimately sold me on it. I bought it on thursday and then sprained my ankle at the last summer season soccer game. That benched me for running soccer ...everything. Now that I can run, I love nike+. I don't have the cool nike+ shoes so I had to doctor my shoe a little by cutting a hole into the insole but it works great. I can set short term goals like this ...



Or I can set long term goals for the month like this ...



My current "Resolution" is

If I don't run 100 miles by the end of '08 I will give up beer until July 1st.

This is completely do able since thats about 30 miles a month. Plus I am part of a few individual challenges where I am competing against other people for the "most miles in October" or "First to 50 miles." I think I like the Nike+ because I am a stat person. I like to see all of the nifty graphs but I don't want to have to do all of the math or the programming in excel. I do wish there was a little more flexibility on the website. I wish I could change the x and y axis on the graphs. I would like to see more as far as profiles go. Right now it is just a small icon type picture and the stats of your last run. All in all though I do recommend this to those who need a kick in the ass to get out and run. Posting here just keeps me honest. It makes me feel like I'm not running when I don't run...sort of an accountability thing.

On other phys ed fronts. I am taking the 100 pushup challenge care of 100pushups. I was going to be corny and put up monthly pictures of me getting RIPPED!!!! But I decided against that. I just finished the first week. I think I might need to do the first week again though the 2nd day and the third day I crapped out on the last set of pushups. When I did the test I did 22 pushups so that put me in the third column. I don't think I am that strong. Really more than 50 pushups in about 5 minutes??? So week 1 again for me. I'll get there.

So theres all that.

Cirriculum Vitae

So I'm constantly looking online for things I can do in my classroom. I was googling "Designing a curriculum" and all of these curriculum vitae cites came up. It made me think about where I am at right now. What is my curriculum vitae? What would go on it? I haven't the foggiest.

-Graduated from IUP with a 3.2
-Taught theater arts 2 years
-will hopefully be completing a MS in Educational Media Design and Technology

Right...um... I suppose that's okay. I am only 24.

On a slightly different note...I really enjoy teaching. I was hesitant to allow myself to like it. It was "the necessary diversion from acting and directing to pay the bills." But I really think this is what I am supposed to be doing. It's nice to have that kind of peace. I'm pretty sure that I would like to leave middle school for a high school program, but I really enjoy what I'm doing.

I was planning some kind of political tirade here but meh... I'm pretty sure Obama is going to win. The McCain camp has gotten me down. They just keep making dumb decisions. Both parties keep talking about each other instead of issues. These are the two best that America can hope for... seriously ... seriously? I am disappointed America. I expected better.

YAY for running!

I think a real entry is in order...this weekend.

Hell Yeah!!!

I think I will always be a beginner at running...

Yay improvement!

And after not running all that time...my ankle is finally almost better!

For the record...

I just made myself the best dinner I've had in a long time. It was so good I should've taken a picture of it. You'll just have to imagine it.

I made twice baked potatoes, the leftovers of which will make a great snack/lunch over the next couple of days, pan fried chicken breasts marinated in some vinagrette, and some steamed brussel sprouts.

If you don't think that is a fantastic meal, then understand that I am a 24 year old single male. I don't get much home cookin'. Usually my meals come out of a box, so, yeah. MMMMMMmmmmmmmmm. I should cook more often.

A message to Politicians and Media

John McCain, please stop talking about change.

Barak Obama, please stop talking about pigs and lipstick

TALK ABOUT THE ISSUES!

Dear Media,
Stop covering the stupid bickering comments that the candidates make. Only show me the candidates talking about the issues. Help this country pick the right president, not the one who can insult the best.

Things to consider:

Experience means piddly. Palin has 2 years state executive experience. Obama has four years senate experience. My grandfather has 0 years government experience. He stocked shelves for 15 years, worked in a factory for 30. I think he would make a better president than anyone who makes the ballot this year. You can't prepare for being president. You know someone in your life that would make a better president than anyone else. Experience means piddly.

Race and gender mean piddly. We like to think that we here in America are very progressive, but yet we fit into these categories, these little boxes, and we refuse to leave them. Vote the issues. Race and gender mean piddly.

No president in the last 232 years has ever had a 100% approval rating. Don't vote the person. Vote issues. Don't vote the party. Vote the issues. Don't vote for change. Vote for education reform, the flat tax, withdraw from Iraq in 36 hours, I don't care what your issues are VOTE 'EM!

RNC DNC lets get real...

Seriously!? These little festivals are nothing more than preaching to the choir. When CNN talks to people on the other side of the aisle, we don't get actual commentary from the Dems on the RNC or from the Pubs on the DNC. What we get is people spewing party line against the speeches from the night before.

Don't let the party decide for you! Think for yourself! They are all rich old men!!!! Vote for my grandfather! Vote for your grandfather! Vote for someone who has all the experience they need, being an American citizen for the past 60 years.

So jaded, this guy is so jaded.

Another really bad run...

My take on the current political landscape...Part 1

Now that both campaigns are full up, VP's and all, I feel like I can write about my own personal torment.

Realistically, I am one in 305 million people in the country (Population Clock, Censes bureau). About a two thirds of the country is legally eligible to vote and approximately 150 million will vote this year. Here in Texas I am one in about 13 million. When you look at it like that, its daunting. I'm just a drop in the bucket, a drop in Lake Travis.

"When you vote, you are exercising political authority. You're using force. And force my friend is violence, the supreme authority from which all other authority is derived."
---Starship Troopers

While I do not share such an extreme opinion with Robert A. Heinlein, voting is the one control I have over my, our, government without being directly involved in policy making, enforcing, or justifying. When we vote for a particular candidate, we express not support for the ideas that they might espouse on the campaign trail, but faith in that person, that when pressed to make a decision about the direction of our country, they will lead us to something good. They will lead us to something, to somewhere better than we are now. This is where our current situation gives me pause.

On the one hand we have Barak Obama. A fantastic orator, charasmatic, talks big. He is inspiring in a way I have never seen in politics. He talks about change like Willy Wonka talks about chocolate. But he has only been on the national political scene for 4 years.

On the other hand we have John McCain, a moderate conservative, who stirred up some controversy in his party for reaching so whole heartedly across the aisle on the failed Illegal Immigration reform bill. He's a decorated vietnam veteran and has twenty plus years in the senate. But he is on the old side and he is in the same political party as G W (which is almost automatically a strike for anyone).

As I was thinking about writing this post, I thought of the Michael Douglas movie The American President. Why can't it be that simple? We have a some what clean guy trying to run a clean campaign. He's running against a jerk pulling up mud from every possible hole and slinging it. The clean president doesn't respond to the accusations because he wants to rise above, but then at the end of the third act he responds to all the criticisms at once in a blazing speech that causes every american to vote for him in the end. Unfortunately, this election isn't that simple.

We've heard a barrage of comments about why either candidate is unfit to lead this country. Barak Obama is inexperienced, playing on his celebrity rather than his policy and issues. McCain is nothing more than a third term for Bush. Both of these comments are somewhat founded in reality, then distorted for the purposes of our sound-bite culture.

I find myself in a tough spot because neither of these senators has won my vote, not yet. I am not taken in by Obama's celebrity. I became wary of him when I first heard murmur of Barak as the future of the democratic party two weeks after he was sworn in as a senator. Sorry, that is not enough time to know that. McCain is old. He has a tendancy to be misguided on economic issues (I still don't believe in the trickle down theory).

I was hoping the VP selection would help guide me a little more. But alas it did not. Barak, the candidate for change, chose Biden, a part of the machine that needs changing. Biden does give him a little more credibility as far as experience but I would truly feel more comfortable with the democratic ticket if it were reversed. McCain, who announced this afternoon, chose Sarah Palin, first term governor of Alaska. She helps him appeal more to the conservative right while also hopefully picking up some of the disenfranchised Hillary supporters. But she's only got two years experience as a Governor. I have to ask, would she be ready to take over in the event that McCain is incapacitated? I don't know.

The VP selection didn't get me any closer to a choice. Next time I talk issues.

Peace,
B

P.S. Sorry for the lack of conclusion. I'm tired.

How's this for a bad 5k

Life is cyclical.

I got to get out on my bike again today. I went to the Veloway. I had read that there was a path that ran from the back of Bowie High school to the Veloway. So I went down to Bowie and road around looking for this path. Bowie is surrounded by fence. So I went back into the neighborhood back behind Bowie, hoping to find the real entrance. It is a neighborhood of fricken' cul de sacs.

Eventually, I made my way back to the school and took one more loop around. I saw a little dirt path. I'm riding on a road bike, the kind with the really skinny tires. I'm wearing my cycling shoes with the cleat that sticks out of the bottom. So I hop off and start walking back behind a couple of the portables. There is a section of fence that is cut out, about two feet wide and three and a half feet tall. Once I get back there I have to walk through a little forest down a really steep cement path. I don't know if any of you have ever tried to walk in cycling shoes...its no fun. My cleats are extremely hard plastic and like to slide on concrete, plus the awkwardness of the half inch lump underneath the ball of your foot, no fun at all.

Finally, I make it to the Veloway. I love it! It is great. No cars to almost hit me or force me into the curb. Its pretty much flat except for the one real hill. It goes up 12 feet in about 12 feet. Just me and the road. I saw a deer eating greenery as I rode by. It stopped eating and looked at me as I passed, made note, and went right back to eating!

It felt good to get out. Since I sprained my ankle in the last game of the summer season of soccer I haven't been able to get out and run. It hurt a little after the ride, but nothing ice and ibuprofen didn't fix. I should be back on a running schedule in two weeks. I still want to train for a tri but I don't know anything about how to train for one. Where can you swim laps in Austin? I don't want to pay $65 for a gym membership just for the lap pool.

BTW - The title of this blog is dedicated to Justin Golbabai

School is starting up! YAY!
B

Grey's anatomy

I am always amazed at how things end up. The timeliness of things, like when you are listening to a song, and things around you seem to hit on the beat. Maybe this has never happened to you, but it happens to me.

I just recently watched Grey's anatomy two part episode, "six days." This is the episode in which George's father has surgery for cancer and then dies. I remember watching it when it aired and going to work the next day and discussing it with Sarah in the CIS office. She asked me what it was like to watch that episode going through what was going on in my own life. Now that I have revisited the episode it still maintains its relevance, maybe it even gains some. What shocked me was that I looked up when the episode aired, January 18, 2007. My father passed away January 25, 2007. I watched that episode the week before my dad died. It was like cosmic training for the situation I was going to live the following week. To be fair, there were striking differences between George's situation and my own, but the key points are there.

This is part of an entry from my pen and paper journal:

"Jan. 19, 2007 4:00pm

I have survived the worst Christmas break ever. I probably would've gone crazy had it not been for Marisa.

List of things that sucked over X-mas break:
-Dad has cancer and is really close to death
-Girl from high school part of murder/suicide
-Saddam Hussein hanged
-Broke up with Natalia

Dad has not gotten any better. It seems we take two or three steps back, then stand still for a couple of weeks, then take three more steps backward. As of two weeks ago he had lost more than 50 lbs. in two months. About once a month the hospice nurse tells me she doesn't know how much longer he has. It seems that every time I get [mentally] prepared for him to die he lives and every time I get used to the idea of my dad being alive the nurse tells me he could die any day. Its a freakin' yo-yo."

The rest of the entry goes on to talk about the rest of the stuff on that list. Most of which I don't feel comfortable posting here.

Ever since my father's death I have been far more sensitive to death in the news, in movies, or on television. Like just recently, Bernie Mac, Isaac Hays, what's that about? Not to mention the war in Iraq. The state of Texas just executed an illegal immigrant. These are the things I hear louder than everything else. The man who taught me sound design in college was just diagnosed with cancer.

You know what they say about life...no one gets out alive. Now that I have thoroughly depressed you here is a funny video.




Hope that helps!

Was it the 20th or the 25th

Either way, I have been single for(or almost) a year. Which means my sabbatical from the dating scene is over. This is ironic because a year ago I was concentrating on who was the next girl. That's ultimately what led me to this quest. Now that the self subscribed journey is over, I have no one in mind. Its actually kind of nice, not having to worry about the stresses that lead up to and into a relationship, or being stressed out about what to wear. All of that is crap. Of course, I'm sure all of these "yay for me being single and okay with it" will slowly fade and that pang will hit me and I'll start looking for real again. But until then...

I'm a failure.

I am a failure to the blogging community. Its not my fault. Its not like the bloggers of the world welcomed me with open arms. I received cold shoulders. What kind of inspiration is that supposed to drum up? I didn't come from the school of hard knocks where someone kicks you down and you get back up to spit in their face. I'm more the 'cry into the puddle you were kicked into' kind of guy. Is it too hard to ask for some feedback every now and again? Jeez. The silence from my avid readers is deafening. I could take that as a sign that I have no avid readers but I'm turning over a new leaf. Consider this the saliva rocket in your eye community of self important bloggers. My ideas are big and my life is important. You WILL read. Oh, you'll read because I'll force you to read. If I have to sneak into your apartment and make my blog your homepage, then by golly, that's exactly what I'll do. And you'll leave comments or I'll eat your last string cheese. What's that? You don't have string cheese? Then I'll find in your fridge what you only have one of and I'll eat it hoping that you'll notice and think to yourself "That blog guy at the last of (insert singular food here). I should go see if he blogged about it." And then when you click your internet explorer icon and you see that I haven't blogged about you and your food, you'll realize that your chance at fame vicariously through me was thwarted by my need for comments. You'll leave your little comment about your meaningless food and I'll have won. And victory will taste sweet.



You have been warned.

another run...

So I got lazy last week and didn't run at all. At first I thought I was coming down with something but it turns out I was just lazy.

So I got back on it today and knocked out a fantastic run. I know the numbers still aren't impressive at all but I'm okay with that. The run felt awesome. I ran my usual three mile route around the neighborhood.

Time: 31'28"
AHR: 176

Getting closer to the goal.


I would just like to thank you for teaching me how to run.

Thank you.

Running...

3 Miles - 32'36" - 177 BPM

1st Mile - 10'07" - 175 BPM
2nd Mile - 11'49" - 175 BPM
3rd Mile - 10'39" - 181 BPM

Trying to do a pacing work out. I wanted to stay at a 10 min/mile pace. I wasn't too successful But when I look at my HR I was pretty good for a pacing workout(I reached the highest BPM ever during that last mile 200). For my second workout in my second week of my base, I feel damn good.

I have this problem though where I feel like I've always been in pretty good shape. So I push myself and then wind up walking to soon. I've never had a weight problem but my smoking has killed my cardiovascular system. A word to the wise, if you want to quit smoking take up a running habit. Trust me. But don't just run a mile...choose a race distance register for a race and do a beginners training program. The goal setting and the constant failure at training will, or at least it did for me, keep you from smoking.

Someday I will be able to run an 8 minute mile at a 135 BPM heart rate.

Peace

Hey! Hey! Its Earth DAY!!! YAY!

It is also my cat's birthday. Happy Birthday Albee!

So in honor of earth day, I will muse about global warming

(((insert zooming in and out effect on capitalized letters spelling global warming)))

I am not really a green person. I mean I think about it when I have to and I drive a fuel efficient car. I drive that car because it is good on gas mileage so it was really an economic thing more so than it was an effort to reduce my personal carbon footprint.

The real reason I decided to write about this is because I was perusing Time.com as I do everyday at least twice, and it had an article about the Top Fifteen Green Websites.

I would like to consider myself a realist. Do I think that the polar ice caps are going to melt, turning the world into a sauna in 10 years? No. Do I think that if all 6.2 billion people in the world try to reduce a fraction of their emissions over the next 20 years it will have an impact on whether or not the earth goes into cosmic reboot someday? Sure.

It is impossible to think that the amount of plastic that we have used in the past 30 years is honky dory for the earth. Plastic takes thousands of years to biodegrade. Thousands! Not to mention we are finding small minute plastic particles in the gill structures of our fish. Seriously, look it up. Those little plastic micro-scrubbers in your exfoliating scrub are removing dead skin cells and then traveling through the sewage into the eco system at some point (unless you are using St. Ives Apricot Scrub, which is the only scrub I know for a fact that uses pumas stone). It would be silly to think that humans while changing the face of the earth by deforestation and concretization doesn't affect the planet and its atmosphere in some negative way.

So this got me thinking...

I already got the hot fuel efficient car, what else can I do? I've recently been looking at composting but I don't have a garden and I live in a third floor apartment so it isn't very feasible. I don't really recycle. But my apartment complex doesn't recycle plastic which is most of what my recyclables are. I will look into where the closest recycle place is located and if it is within 15 miles of my place of business or home I will go to it. I wish I could plant some trees or something. I've already decided that this summer unless i have to go more than twenty miles and do it very quickly, that I am going to ride my bike everywhere. Stupid gas prices. I would hate to be driving anything bigger than my car this summer. I suppose that is something but its so far away, six weeks away. I live in Texas so keeping the a/c off isn't an option. Those of you in PA that roll your eyes, really. We have "PA August" from late May until October. But I do pledge to keep my a/c at 80 degrees. Maybe 82 if I can fall asleep like that.

On an unrelated note, I woke up yesterday at 5:00 AM and wrote yesterdays entry. Today I did the same. I like this trend and hope it continues.

Peace
B

Catholic 20 Somethings Crawfish Boil

I promise this isn't just a training blog

but... I did go running today. I ran the 3.3 loop again. I felt like I ran, as opposed to walking, more today but I ran almost two minutes slower. My average heart rate was 165. I run with a heart rate monitor. It is supposed to be a great training tool. I understand how I am supposed to use it. I'm supposed to calculate my Max which using the cheap and easy 220-my age is 196. Then this is supposed to give me the ability to calculate zones, like easy, aerobic, hard, speed. At this point with me building my base I am supposed to run in the easy or aerobic zone and eventually I'll be able to run farther and longer in this zone without walk breaks.

Here is the rub.

When I run my heart rate shoots up to 185, even at an "easy" pace. And when I walk I can't get my HR up over 135. The in between of walking and running is quite possibly the most annoying thing ever. So I just run "easy" until i need to walk then I walk. Some day I will run and use the zones appropriately. But not today.

After having completed some form of physical activity for longer than a half an hour four days this week (plus I'm a teacher but lets not go into that), I decided that health and physical fitness is a choice. It is also a commitment. It takes time. This is where I launch into a physical fitness and spiritual fitness parallel but I smell funny.

Shower time!

Peace

Continuing previous entry

SO I did go running and I ran approx 3.3 miles in about 33 minutes. My Average heart rate was 166. Again it was a run/walk scenario, so I couldn't honestly call it running. It felt good though. Definitely an improvement from last run(which was the same loop). I realized on the run previous to this that I am a runner (though I can't call myself a runner yet) who annoys a lot of people on the runner's world forums. I was reading the forums and there was one thread that was called "Annoying Runners." A good number of the people in the forum talked about the runners who show up at the races and run all out for about five minutes and then walk and then run, so on and so forth. I am one of those runners. Now keep in mind I hope by this time next year I am not one of those runners. But I am.

Tomorrow is the District theater festival. I probably shouldn't show my face since I withdrew my entry. But I will. I only withdrew because the kids didn't seem to take me serious. Two months, five days a week, one hour a day, and these kids(seventh and eighth graders) couldn't get off book for a twenty nine page ensemble piece. Give me a break. Meh. It saddens me but I will survive. next year will be awesome. This year provided so much to learn from. I suppose that is true in all cases.

Well I am going to go read.
Peace

I took two days off. But on tuesday I ran(really ran/walked) for forty minutes. With a Average heart rate of 167. It sucked on my legs so hard. I'm about to go running so I will come back and report again.

peace

Forgive me avid readers...

This will also become a training log for me.

As such:


I just rode my bike for 54 minutes and 49 seconds with an average heart rate of 157 which is 80% of my max heart rate. Which qualifies this work out as awesome. Tomorrow I run three miles!

Peace

Reflection

I got a chance to sit around and think for a little while. You know, really just think.

I think I'm doing alright.

Its weird because I don't really think I've been able to say that for a couple of years. I mean really "alright". I have been extremely blessed. Outside of my father I haven't had any real adversity. And I'm beginning to get into stride so to speak. I have a stable job, one that I had no intention of having(ever!) but is fun and fulfilling. My base of friends is growing here in Austin. My apartment is still a mess but I never said I was done growing as a person. There are plenty of things I need to work on but for now, as I look back at where I was and where I am...I am happy.

I learned how to two step yesterday!

Peace!
Brandon

That's right!

After almost 60 days off, here are two entries in the same week.

There is really nothing new to report. I am excited about the possibilities of this summer. I suppose that's new. The light at the end of the first year tunnel is just visible.

I still have to take my Pedagogy and Personal Responsibilities test to get my official certificate. I'm not too worried about that though (could be my downfall).

I joined an organization called the Catholic 20 somethings. I suppose there is no real official joining, aside from being put on their mailing list. But I joined a small group. It is twelve people getting together weekly and discussing matters of faith and such. It has been great. It's nice to have a place to get together with people my age and discuss religion. Anyway, I'm going to co-lead the group next session.

I am directing a musical and a one act play at school. The musical is Bugsy Malone and the one act play is called AfterMath. I'm really just trying to prove to myself that I can do two plays at once.

This is the most random entry ever.

I will write again tomorrow.

This one goes out to Styles

Leave it to Chris to call me out on my lack of bloggness(not a word... I don't care). This will be a short one, while I brew my Mate, before I'm off to play music with my brother.

I've been meaning to blog about this for a couple of weeks but never got to it for various reasons. I cook probably once a week. I mean really cook. So on the days where I'm not experimenting with different spices and marinades, I like to use the microwave. Usually I buy the Lean Cuisine Pannini sandwiches, not because I am trying to control my weight just because they taste good. This time Hot Pockets happened to be on sale for 2 for $4. This is a deal because I can eat hot pockets for ever. I love meatballs and mozzarella. So I get a whole load of hot pockets and head for the check out. Keep in mind hot pockets was not the only thing I bought that day. I also bought milk and bread and such, you know the usual staples. I'm standing in line and I'm thinking about the whole "you can tell a lot about a person by...(insert random thing here like movie collection or library or underwear drawer, what ever)" So I'm sizing up the people around me. Then I look at the cashier and wonder if she judges people by the things they buy. There are certainly indicators about a person. So I'm checking out and she starts scanning my stuff.

"Paper or Plastic?"
"Plastic is fine." For all of you greenies out there I reuse them so lay off.

... She begins to scan my mound of Hot Pockets.

"This will soak up a lot of alcohol."

Stupid judger.