thanks

at this time of year, of course we think of what we're thankful for.  i mean, it was thanksgiving yesterday.  so, i started thinking about what i am thankful for, from trivial to actually important.

1. family - here and abroad. i'm thankful for heather and all that she has to put up on a daily basis with me as her husband.  my mom has been enduring some change in life that i don't know i would go through as gracefully.  although it's at a distance, it's great watching my brother and sister raise their kids via facebook.  and, up close we get to see heather's brother & sister in law raise their twins.  good stuff.

2. friends - again, near and afar, it's good to see you all growing and changing as a part of our lives.  some settle down, others don't, and it's all good because it allows us to be different things at different times. and, we're excited to meet an addition or two to the friend group family.

3. pub quiz - dang right. every wednesday i have a blast as a part of the team doing pub quiz. some weeks it's stressful, or we get annoyed with people, and some weeks we really bone it on a question or three, but it's still a good time.  i would have never imagined when we started that we would average 100 people a week.

4. soccer on the television - the US men's and women's teams gave us plenty of good watching in the last calendar year.  arenal gives me fits, but i love tuning in, and the galaxy had the best record this season and won the mls cup.  good stuff.  and, it was great watching all these games with friends.

5. home - as i type this, i watch leaves falling from our tree onto the lawn i raked this morning. dang it! but, others don't have this luxury.  we enjoy our place, and are actually trying to get stuff done around the house.

6. work - i choose to work a few different jobs because the one or two i would really like aren't full time options.  but i'm glad to have freedom to teach subjects i really enjoy, and to coach students.  like any teacher, i have my share of complaints, but it's generally good, and steady, work.

7. art - dang it, i am such a rare painter that i wouldn't call myself an artist right now.  but, i still have a mural looming off in the distance, and when that gets going it'll really push me to do more and to make a bigger impact.

so, there are some things that i'm thankful for off of the top of my head.  what are one or two (or more) things that you're thankful for?

update on life

it's been a good run these last few days.

the fair was fun.

i sold a painting (check my seldom updated art blog). and, it's not just one of those, i want to buy that painting, which i've actually had a few times on this particular painting without actually finishing the deal. i've got a down payment, and am supposed to get the rest next week.

i subbed an extra class today and earned some more $.

die hard is on tv. sadly, it's only the tbs version, but of course i'm watching it.

monday monday

as some of you know, i'm on a semi-vacation right now. it's been pretty fun, and makes me wish i could do this a little more often. anyway, i ran some errands today, including giving blood and getting the car washed.

my blood pressure was 126/74, with a pulse of 64. i was pretty happy with that. it took me about 8 minutes to pump out my blood. at some points, i've had rather high blood pressure, and it runs in the family so i'm always a little bit concerned about it. of course, not really all that concerned that i make radical lifestyle changes to work on it, but still.

as usual, i'm sitting in my monday night class where i'm a t.a. this instructor actually intends to use us a little more than the previous ones, so that's cool. i won't just be sitting here. but right now i am.

the u.s. is playing canada in the gold cup semi's on thursday. if i read the schedule right, the game is @ 6. anyone interested in watching it with me in spanish?

also, the galaxy are signing players left and right. by the time beckham arrives (about a month - congrats on that spanish title becks), the galaxy will have a very interesting international roster. i wonder if i can sneak down to carson for a match?

got my contracts for next semester @ the university. two weekend courses and one 6 week course on tuesdays in sept. this will be good, although one of the weekend course screwed up an initial plan for a vegas trip. it just pushed it back a week now. i'm meeting up w/tim in vegas for his 30th b-day, and it looks like it'll be the 2nd weekend in sept, if you're interested in coming.

still have another week off before i start again @ the junior college. teaching english. and next week heather is off work. so, i'm really wanting to day trip during the week up to sf to go see picasso. damn, just checked the moma website. the picasso exhibit ended on may 28. damn. damn. we were in sf and we going there, i could literally see the museum and got lazy, decided i didn't feel like going then, and we walked back to the hotel. and now i missed it. well, maybe i'll go and see the matisse exhibit they have now. shoot.

enough for now.

make a left at albuquerque

so, it's been about a year. a year since what you say? well, since i graduated from seminary. i went to seminary to really figure out what i wanted to do next in life. i also needed space to really weigh options while i furthered my education.

so, did i figure out what i want to do? sure. am i convinced that this is what i'll be doing for any substantial point in my life? not at all.

now, i don't feel like i'm on a road to nowhere. i've definitely got irons in the fire (speaking of irons, today is a golf tourney i usually play in. but not this year. it's been so long since i've had the clubs out. dang. need to at least get to a driving range or something. back to the story.) see, i'm teaching this weekend. which is a great thing. in fact, it's what i really want to do, teach @ the university level. throw in working with track athletes and it's pretty much where i hoped to be.

i guess i get the point where i feel like i'm spinning my wheels is that both of those previous two things are very part time. then, you mix in another part time teaching job. so, i'm busy doing things, as illustrated by recent posts. but it doesn't feel like i'm moving towards a goal. i don't have graduation or adulthood to look forward to, although i'm not sure i've ever really reached that latter one.

when i look @ it, i think i am moving forward. i have my foot in the door like i hoped, and am still hoping it leads to further opportunities to teach, and work. but, the whole part time nature still leaves you up in the air, thinking, "i hope i'm working next term." there are no guarantees, and looking @ my next term @ the j.c. level, no classes. that's only five weeks off, and i know that i will be subbing a 40 hour week in there, so it's really only four weeks of potentially not working. but, i won't know for another month or three if i've got any classes @ the university.

then, mix in working with a church. now, i'm not in any sort of vocational position or opportunity right now. but, i have had a chance recently to speak more, be more involved in the things we're doing right now, to give some more leadership. and you, it feels good. it feels right at points. but it's not anywhere close to a job, and i'm pretty sure that it shouldn't be.

i don't know where i'm going with all this. i know that it's saturday morning @ 7:45 a.m., and i've got to finish getting ready for my class today. 8:30 start. looks like we'll do a working lunch, and stuff never quite goes as long as it should, so i hope to be done by 4 at the latest (if not maybe 3:30!). this class is interesting for many reasons, and one is that i'm team teaching it with the dean of my department. no pressure like working with the guy that controls your job.

anyhow, thanks for letting me throw this all out there. wait a minute, why am i thanking you? this is my blog. shoot, you should thank me for giving you all insight into what i'm thinking.


wink wink

what's up with me

a little update on what's keeping me busy

currently, i am:
-working on 3 paintings. it looks like my next show will be january. group show. hopefully by that show, i will have 6 new pieces.
-i am waiting on word on whether or not i will be an artist in the rogue festival. they should have let me know by now, but i hear that they're behind schedule on stuff.
-finishing up my current teaching assignment. term ends next wednesday.
-working on my application for a full time faculty position (where i want to be).

i am getting ready to:
-teach english. not sure how, but i'm qualified (various class credits). i will be teaching english in the next five week term. starts monday after thanksgiving. sadly, this screws my new year plans for seattle. it looks like we have a break around the Xmas holiday, but start back jan 1. wha?
- watch michigan vs ohio state on saturday. hey, 1 vs 2. huge game. may disappoint. i always like watching a key matchup in season.

what's in the distance:
-ps3. yeah, it comes out this week. but, i'm not one for standing in line overnight. if they happen to still have them in stock on saturday, i might get one. if not, i can wait. i've waited this long.
-motorcycle training course - at some point i'm taking this weekend course. then i'll have my motorcycle license. that, plus more $ making = motorcycle. then, i get to crash, lose my leg, marry paul mccartney, get divorced, and be set for the rest of life. (i know, i know, that's crass.)