Nothing Final

So, just to keep my options open, I've signed up at Roommates.com and am looking at rooms in Arizona. More specifically, the area around Arizona State University. That would be the Tempe/Pheonix area. And that really isn't worthy of a post, but I will include this:

I signed up with my available date being April 1st, 2006. And within a day I had two emails from people in the area looking for a roommate. But, I don't know what either one of them says. In order to read emails you have to pay a fee. I don't want to pay a monthly fee for 2 emails people have sent me that are probably telling me about rooms available now. I don't need a room now, tell me in 3 months. By that time I will have payed the one month fee to read and send emails to people in anticipation of my move to Arizona (or I will have set a new area of the country to look for apartments as I have changed my mind on where to live on another whim). And then I will finally be able to read those emails that I received now. I really hope they don't absolutely need a roommate right now. That would be too bad.


Also, on a completely different topic, something has me wondering. If someone, on an internet message board system, had posted this to you: 'hey, that's what I was thinking. GMTA I guess' (with GMTA being an abbreviation for Great Minds Think Alike) and you had to look it up, does that then make the your Great Mind null and void? If you had a great mind you wouldn't need to look it up.

And yes, this did happen to me. I guess my mind isn't as great as he thought it was. Hmph.

Than You, Red Cross, Than You.

Ok, so I shouldn't be making fun of something that was made in the utmost of gratitude, but c'mon, what I'm about to tell you is funny. It made me laugh.

Ok, so this actually goes back to my time in Mississippi but I did not remember about it until now. But it brought a smile to my face.

So as Red Cross Disaster Relief volunteers I served food to people along a set route. Didn't matter who they were or what they were doing, I fed them. People cleaning out thier house with piles of debris in the front yard? Yep, fed them. Workers getting paid $40 an hour to clean out the casinos in the area? Yep, fed them too. Didn't matter, we fed them. Until we got the higher ups to change our routes we fed everyone there. But apparently it was not enough. For all the kids were in school and they were getting fed by FEMA. FEMA, however, was apparently not paying for food for the teachers. Make sense? Only the kids, not the teachers. Didn't matter if the teachers did not have any appliances to make any food, they still had to find their own food. Sure, they had a lunch break they could go out to get some food, unless they were in a school on continous lockdown throughout the day. Then they couldn't go out to get something to eat. But FEMA still didn't pay for their food. So the teachers called us and got us to deliver meals to them at the school. We actually fed two schools, Bayou View Middle School and Bayou View Elementary School. 50 meals and 70 meals, respectively. After a few days of feeding those schools we were told they did not need our services anymore. So, on the last day the principal of both schools came out and handed us cards from the teachers and the students. It was a nice gesture, really it was. Instead of learning they were making us cards. Great. So we hung up the cards throughout the ERV. Kind of like a refrigerator. And it was fun because whenever I needed to laugh I would take a look at the cards. Little kids are always funny.

"Thank you for giving us up to $18,000 a piece..."
(Hmm, can we say fraud?)

"Biloxi, MS thanks you a million times, thank you."
(Wouldn't that be a million and one?)

"To Whom it May Concern"
(And that was by a teacher. Wouldn't you put 'To the Red Cross'?)

And, by far, the funniest (and the one we put on the window to share with the residents we fed):

"Than You Red Cross."
(And the funniest thing about it was the student spelled it 'Thank You' on the inside.)

In fact, our little ERV would use that as if it was a bad word. With deep conviction and holding up our fist we would yell out "Than you [Insert someone's name here]." Of course they would get that quizzical look as if they weren't sure what it meant when we said that. I would always laugh after saying that, so I don't think they would take offense to it, but just that moment of uncertainty was what I was going for.

But that was our own little inside joke. And now I'm sharing it with you. So if I say to you 'than you,' it is nothing derogatory. In fact, I don't know what it means. It just brings humor to the day.

I Think It Needs to be Revived....

..however, I am missing a vital part.

Operation: Intrigued needs to come back. Pleasey.

Just a Little Nervous

Ok, so now I have to watch what I wrote. Before, not so much, actually. Sure my mom was reading whatever I wrote, but I didn't write anything too incriminating. I think. And even if I did I don't think it should count because she would have gotten the information illegaly anyway. She didn't read me my Miranda Rights. But I don't usually write anything in here that could get me in trouble.

But now I have a professional writer watching over my shoulder. Yes, in a crazy chain of events my grandmother has now found my blog. Sure, that doesn't bother me, I'll still write as normally would. But come on. She's a professional writer. She has books published for crying out loud. How can I compete with that? I can't, and that's why I stick to Blogger. It's that simple.

But still, in the back of my mind it's still there that she is reading it and she is a more experienced writer than I am. And I know there are some spelling mistakes in this blog. I'm not perfect. And I probably overuse the comma. And maybe I shouldn't be using the contractions. And I wouldn't think of stuff like that normally. (Ok, that's not true. I have been told I use waaaay too many commas. That I need to stop. Shhh.) But with a professional writer reading this? That's too much pressure. I don't know if I can deal with it.

Ah, who am I kidding. I don't care. She can read everything and anything she wants, that's why this is here. For everyone to know how I'm doing and that I'm still alive. Now about those pictures...

On Second Thought...

Arizona is pretty far away. Not saying that I wouldn't want to go, just saying I don't think I have enough money to move right now. In a few months that may be a different story.

But, I was thinking about this the other day. Westminster is a college town. Not much to do in town though. Especially where the college is located. It is in a mostly residential area. And it isn't a good residential area either. Think of Johns Hopkins, but with less murders. And more average intelligence.

You know what would look good there? A place for the students to hang out. A coffee house/deli/ice cream bar. I'm thinking old fashioned counter with soda taps and many different flavored syrups. If someone wants they could come and sit at the bar. Especially good if they are underage. And then, if they don't want to sit at the bar they could go to the common area. An area made to look like a living room. There would be some couches, a chair or too and a couple of small coffee tables (it is a coffee house). There would be interaction and socialization there. Friends could come from the school and unwind there before getting back to their studies. And if they were really hungry they could order some sandwiches or something like that and eat it on the outdoor patio or in a small eating section with tables and such in one corner. That would be the more traditional eating area, and overflow from the 'living room.'

And, perhaps, there is a second floor with a couple of couches and with a more subdued atmosphere. This could be an area where students come to study while taking in a drink or ice cream. They could do that downstairs, but that would get noisy if there were a lot of people. So instead there would be the second floor for studying.

And that's my idea. I like it, I think it has potential. Now I just need some investors to make this dream a reality. Any takers?

So, I've Been Thinking...

...Arizona sounds like a good place to live.

Hey! Thick Ankled Person

And no, I am not talking about Ellen.

My ankles are abnormally large right now (to go with my elbows. Did you know I had large elbows? I didn't, that is until Stacy from North Dakota told me. And you know what, she's right.) because of the football playing on the parking lot of the hotel in Jacksonville. Instead of tailgating we played some football on the parking lot waiting for everyone to get down so we could head over to the stadium. Now let me admit right now, I haven't run in a long time. I also haven't run on pavement on a long time. I also haven't run on pavement while cutting in a long time. And my lower body is making me feel it right now.

But I had fun, that is all that matters.

Also, there was a photographer for the Raven's staying at the hotel (as was the owner of the Baltimore Ravens, but I never saw him so I can't confirm that) and he took pictures of us as we were playing. So, I could be featured in the Raven's program at a later date or on the website with my circa 1998 Raven's jersey. I will also probably not be there because of the fact I have the circa 1998 jersey and it has logos that are no longer in use. So, maybe, maybe not. But there is the chance.

Oh, and the game sucked after the first drive by the Ravens. Pitiful. Billick is fired and the Ravens should just try and go for the worst record in the NFL. Seems there is a pretty good quarterback graduating and preparing for the draft. The Ravens need it.

A Milestone.

This, late in the first year of inception, has to be a milestone. I have received my first real comment. Please let that sink in, all of you. I have only one freaking comment of all the posts, um, posted. (85, not including the 2 that are hidden, because, well, I'm a baby and don't want them to be seen. But, I have reviewed them and have noticed a more recent story relating to those that I may share soon.)

And yes, I have received comments, only they were advertising something else. Like another blog. Or Russian Brides. (Bob, listening?) I had to delete those because they did not bring anything to the table. They were useless. I did, however, get a comment regarding my previous post. And it made me feel all warm inside. In fact, I had to go post on that person's blog (and not because they posted on mine, but because they posted on mine and they had some interesting things to say).

So, when I am this close to making it to the one year mark, I get my first comment.

Now, where is the frame, I need to hang that on the wall.

Those People You Meet in Mississippi

Screw the book The Five People You Meet In Heaven, what about those people you meet on earth? Is there a book about that? (Maybe that's what I should have written about for my now wasted time as an author.) And my apologizes to Mitch Albom, I have not read that book yet. Eh.

But anyway, of all the things I did in Mississippi, the thing I will take away from it the most would have to be the people. Not physically taking them away, you know what I mean. And it doesn't just mean the residents (or as we, um, politely called them, 'clients'), but also those donning the Red Cross aprons and doing all the volunteer work.

I met people from all different backgrounds who were there for all different reasons. I could drive across the country and have a free nightly stay over at many different people's houses. From Prince Edward Island, Canada to San Diego, California and many places in between. Hell, I finally realized North Dakota existed because I met two nursing students from there who had come down to administer aid. (For anyone interested, they have the same accent as Canadians, how about that, eh?)

I met someone who was in the middle of a planned semi-retirement and this was their second deployment. He had come down and waited for Katrina to hit, then went into New Orleans (well, as far as the police would let him. Even they wouldn't go into certain areas, that's how bad New Orleans was during the first couple of days after the hurricane hit.) Sure, he had a wife and kids back in Bucks County, but that didn't stop him from coming down. And he took a crapload of pictures. He was fun to work with.

And there was another person from New York, she was down there to give the man in her life a time to find himself, to figure out who the hell he was, and what he was doing in her life. Well, that's how she put it. From the story she told, I wouldn't be surprised if she was down there just to get the heck out of dodge and away from him. That's what I would have done.

And there were two guys, my age, who had come down from Michigan. They were because, like me, they heard the coverage and wanted to come down. The one and I had many things in common about our life, too bad he's in Michigan. And not returning my emails (seriously, is that something about me, that I repel people away? I mean, I know I just stop some people from talking to me because I hate them, but what about him, this one I'm clueless about). But they were always together, but fun. They were hard workers, but great to party with at night. I know we gave many a waitresses a hard time in the many times we went out late at night.

And then there were the others, the ones that were not with the Red Cross, but those that came with the North Carolina Baptist Men to work in the kitchen that gave us the food we used to serve the community. They were only there for four days, with two other days spent traveling, so I got to see many of them. Most of them were older and retired (and many of them were women and not men, contrary to what the group is called) and still worked 14 hours a day like it was no problem. A good cause will do that to someone I guess. But there was this one family, a mom and three daughters that came down to help out during their fall break. One was 11, one was 14 and the other was 17. And they came down for fun. It was exciting for them, I take it. But they came down and worked just as hard as anyone else that was there. They got yelled at by the older women working there, but hey, that's what younger people have to deal with. (And an aside, if anyone reading this is from West Jefferson, NC let me know. Or, even better, if you are from there and are named Lindsey, please, come forward. Thanks.)

And then there were the residents. The residents had lost everything they could think of. Said one woman "We lost everything [in our house with gorgoues, unobstructed, views of the beach and water]. There was beautiful marble flooring and granite countertops all on the first floor, that's all gone. This was our home, we have nothing left [except all that money in our bank accounts]. [And sure, there are restaurants and grocery stores open but] we'll take a couple of meals. Thanks." (And yes, this is mean, but they had the means to a) get a new (registered in Alabama) SUV already and b)get a new house in Alabama and only have to be in Gulfport on the weekends. Besides, anyone that has a 4 foot high brick wall around thier house should be made fun of, it's one of my life's rules.)

But in all seriousness, the area was very poor. Many of the jobs were in the casinos. There were no casinos anymore. So there were no jobs. But have no fear, residents, FEMA, Red Cross and the Salvation Army are here to hand out checks. Many church groups have supplies and some of those groups will come out and clear your house for you. Free. So, there are lots of options there for people that go those routes. But, they did just lose everything, so I guess they should get a little something in return. And yes, I am going to hell. But there were residents who were there that were looking out for their neighbors. They wouldn't want the food, but they would go check on the neighbor and make sure they were taken care of. They might have needed something and couldn't get to the door quick enough, so that was nice of them. And I'm sure there were other nice deeds by residents that I am not aware of, just ask my mom. She was in Texas at a couple of shelters. She tells of one man who had just been on a school bus filled with people for 50 hours looking for a place to give them shelter. As soon as they piled out he rolled up his sleeves and came over looking for something to do. She got to see all the selfless acts by residents and evacuees, I got to see the selfless acts by those from across the country.

So, if you want to see what humanity is like, don't read the book, instead volunteer. You'll learn a lot and you'll get to see people you can meet here, on Earth, instead of in heaven. And isn't that more rewarding.


(I'm going to Hell anyway, I won't meet anyone in heaven.)

Timchula, You're Flagged

Yep, I flagged myself. I have decided to throw in the towel, I have stopped writing my novel. I have 5000 of 50000 words done, and I've decided to stop. For one I was gone the whole weekend and got no writing done. That ruined my train of thought, and two, the story was just really depressing. I mean, I'm depressed right now, but that was making me very depressed. Didn't make for a good story, that's for sure. So I have stopped. I know, I'm a failure, but a lovable failure. So this means I should be around more, in case you were wondering.

But I'm still a failure.

If I Disappear, You'll Know Why

Yeah, I know I have a ton of things to say about my trip down south with Red Cross, and I'm sure you are allllll just on the edge of your seats waiting for me to write about them. But they will have to come later. Right now I'm working on another project (actually two other projects, but the one is secret because if it escapes then you'll all know how big a nerd I am). I have taken the NaNoWriMo challenge. I will write a novel in 30 days and the novel will be over 50,000 words. If not, then you all can laugh at me and call me a failure. But I will get this thing written. Right now I have over 4000 words down. Sure it sounds bad now, but we're going for quantity, not quality. So, if I get cranky, well then it's because I haven't gotten a lot of sleep because I was writing too much.

Oh, and this is not a public novel, it's mine, and mine alone. So take that.

Is it Really That Time of the Year?

Of course it is. It's November. That means it's NaNoWriMo. Or, in seperate words: National Novel Writing Month. This is the month where one tries to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. Think you're game? Give it a try. What can it hurt, you just start writing and when you think you're done send it to them, they count the words, and if you're over the limit you get a little something. Or nothing, I'm not sure. But it's an interesting experience, and you can say you wrote a novel. I'll be trying it, if just to show I failed miserably.

Take a look here.