Rose Royce

I’ve been working to get my MA completed this semester, so I’ve fallen behind on the posting. I’ll make sure to get a special Halloween post up next week. Until then, enjoy this epic slow jam:

Squirrels

The temperature seems to have finally dropped in North Carolina, and fall is upon us. The sun goes down a little earlier. I smelled leaves burning just the other day. And of course, there’s the sound of fall: frantic, metallic scratching behind the kitchen cabinets.

Downpour

Internet down yesterday, so I’m posting this a day late:

It rained today. Not too hard or anything, but it hadn’t rained in a while, so it was nice. It was the kind of gray morning where I didn’t want to get out of bed. I opened my windows to air the apartment out a little bit. I took the bus to school, but the on-again-off-again drizzle meant I only needed my umbrella about half the time I was out and about on campus. I could have gone without an umbrella for most of the day, but I was glad to have it on my return home when the rain started to come down more heavily. I know I’m growing up because I had my umbrella with me all day. There was a time not too long ago when I wouldn’t stand for such an inconvenience. I also wouldn’t think that far in advance.

Jellyman Kelly

As you’re probably aware by now, Katy Perry made an attempt to appear on Sesame Street. The producers of the show put the clip on-line, people complained her outfit was too revealing, and now it won’t go on the air. Here’s the clip:

In watching it, I had a few thoughts. To begin: Katy Perry’s outfit isn’t revealing enough. Of course, that’s just my gut reaction. After considering this is for a children’s program, I guess it’s a bit revealing.

Roller Derby

I went to watch roller derby with my buddy Eric the other week. The Carolina Roller Girls were playing at Dorton Arena, and we decided to catch them and grab some beers afterward. My prior experience with roller derby: I haven’t seen Whip It yet, but I did watch the occasional episode of Rollergirls on A&E back in 2006. Also, I met a real life derby girl at a party last year. It was a semi-formal affair, and she wore a tiara and a bright pink boa.

Boston Song

Flying to Boston in the morning for a long weekend visiting Jennifer. Started thinking about a theme song for the trip up. First idea: Boston’s epic “More Than a Feeling.” But then I actually listened to the lyrics and realized the song features a girl leaving the singer. Next thought: James Taylor’s North Carolina to Boston roadtrip song, “Sweet Baby James.” There’s a really great version of it that appeared on CMT’s Crossroads with the Dixie Chicks. But, it was over 90 degrees outside today, and I’m in no mood to hear about how the first of December was covered with snow. The winner: “I’m Shipping Up to Boston” by the Dropkick Murphys. Massachusetts band, Irishness, hooligans. A winning combination. Also, I just found out that Woody “This Land is Your Land” Guthrie wrote the lyrics–about a sailor who lost his wooden leg. Enjoy.

Buses

I rode my bike to school today. Not a big accomplishment since that’s how I’ve been getting to school for the past two years, but I hadn’t done it in a couple weeks. When I took my bike out two weeks ago, I discovered my rear wheel was flat. I didn’t have time to fix it at that moment, so I just took the bus to school. A busy week got busier, and I figured I would fix my flat tire at the end of the week. So a week ago, I took out the leaking inner tube and replaced it. Problem solved. But the next morning, it was flat again. Fast forward to last night, and I fixed the tire again. This morning, the tire was still full. This is a good thing, because I was getting tired of taking the bus.

Amazing Amazing Race Clip

Probably bad of me, but I can’t stop laughing at this:

Drew Andrew

I’m leading a recitation section as a TA this fall. It’s going really well. I have a theory that my unbridled enthusiasm will force knowledge into my students’ heads. It seems to be going well so far. Unsurprisingly, I had to introduce myself to my students on the first day of class. Surprisingly, I introduced myself as “Drew.”

Stomach Ache

I was in San Francisco last week visiting my friend Ryder. It was pretty awesome. We ate. We drank. We were merry. But school’s started now. I know this because I’ve had an upset stomach the past couple days. I also know this because I’ve been to some classes. But the upset stomach is a much clearer sign to me.