ITEM ONE
Today, I blog from the campus of OU, mooching off their many convenient internet access ports. Since I have a day and a half off of work, I decided to spend some time with E as she begins the new phase of her life as a grad student for the second time. She's really digging her new apartment. It's a nice little space, near campus. It's pretty much set up the way I'd set it up.
Perhaps I've never mentioned (on here) one of the coolest things about this new relationship. It's having found someone who really does have the same outlook on life and how to live it. The ways we've chosen or desired to pattern our lifestyles is eerily similar. We have values and chosen vocations with an eye toward making the world a better place using our individual styles of being. We share similar temperments (good and bad, unfortunately). But, we also enjoy, more or less, similar "little things."
We both enjoy good cups of coffee in good coffee shops. We can listen to NPR during the day and vege out to Logan's Run at night. No Glengarry Glen Ross reference goes unrecognized. We both get excited about martial arts. I can make a Star Trek joke/reference, and it's met with the appropriate response in direct proportion to it's humor, rather than an indirect proportion of retching and eye-rolling. We both get excited about the energy and vibes surrounding college towns.
Such things are important to me. I've spent a good 4 or 5 years of having that importance driven out of me by well-meaning family, friends, a church, and a significant other in the hopes that I'd "grow up." But now, I have in my hands a literal dream come true. This time, I'll be growing up the way I always wanted to. Now, in the eyes of some (particularly those I'm close to in the church I attend -- who will always be my friends), maybe that means I do share the "deficient" values of a bourgeois bohemian. Maybe I do fancy myself to be a member of the community of the creative class.
The implications that has for my spirituality will have to be explored on here another time.
Damn, I've gotten rather deep on this weblog o' mine, huh? Anyway...
ITEM TWO
Somewhere, out of nowhere, people have been popping up out of the woodwork requesting trumpet lessons. One has been interested for awhile. Another showed up last week, and a third I heard about just today. Holy Extra Cash, Batman. But, how much to charge? I want to charge what's fair, considering that I've never taught trumpet lessons. Plus, all my training is generally from playing -- I wouldn't know what constitutes "proper trumpet pedagogy." Well, we'll see how it all works out.
ITEM THREE
Another recent sign of maturity is an increased ability to face, head-on, all of my financial difficulties. I'm learning not to shun bank statements and letters that say things I don't necessarily want to hear. I know that I'm doing the best I can and some months, especially with the way big National City type financial institutions can really screw you over if you allow them to by not being careful...
ITEM FOUR
...and yet the fact remains that I'm $26 in the f**king hole!
Today, I blog from the campus of OU, mooching off their many convenient internet access ports. Since I have a day and a half off of work, I decided to spend some time with E as she begins the new phase of her life as a grad student for the second time. She's really digging her new apartment. It's a nice little space, near campus. It's pretty much set up the way I'd set it up.
Perhaps I've never mentioned (on here) one of the coolest things about this new relationship. It's having found someone who really does have the same outlook on life and how to live it. The ways we've chosen or desired to pattern our lifestyles is eerily similar. We have values and chosen vocations with an eye toward making the world a better place using our individual styles of being. We share similar temperments (good and bad, unfortunately). But, we also enjoy, more or less, similar "little things."
We both enjoy good cups of coffee in good coffee shops. We can listen to NPR during the day and vege out to Logan's Run at night. No Glengarry Glen Ross reference goes unrecognized. We both get excited about martial arts. I can make a Star Trek joke/reference, and it's met with the appropriate response in direct proportion to it's humor, rather than an indirect proportion of retching and eye-rolling. We both get excited about the energy and vibes surrounding college towns.
Such things are important to me. I've spent a good 4 or 5 years of having that importance driven out of me by well-meaning family, friends, a church, and a significant other in the hopes that I'd "grow up." But now, I have in my hands a literal dream come true. This time, I'll be growing up the way I always wanted to. Now, in the eyes of some (particularly those I'm close to in the church I attend -- who will always be my friends), maybe that means I do share the "deficient" values of a bourgeois bohemian. Maybe I do fancy myself to be a member of the community of the creative class.
The implications that has for my spirituality will have to be explored on here another time.
Damn, I've gotten rather deep on this weblog o' mine, huh? Anyway...
ITEM TWO
Somewhere, out of nowhere, people have been popping up out of the woodwork requesting trumpet lessons. One has been interested for awhile. Another showed up last week, and a third I heard about just today. Holy Extra Cash, Batman. But, how much to charge? I want to charge what's fair, considering that I've never taught trumpet lessons. Plus, all my training is generally from playing -- I wouldn't know what constitutes "proper trumpet pedagogy." Well, we'll see how it all works out.
ITEM THREE
Another recent sign of maturity is an increased ability to face, head-on, all of my financial difficulties. I'm learning not to shun bank statements and letters that say things I don't necessarily want to hear. I know that I'm doing the best I can and some months, especially with the way big National City type financial institutions can really screw you over if you allow them to by not being careful...
ITEM FOUR
...and yet the fact remains that I'm $26 in the f**king hole!
