Friday, November 6, 2009
The One Where We Go Over Some Things
So, here I am, sitting in my house in West Hills on a Friday night.
Correction.
It is now Saturday morning.
Anyway, so here I am, setting in my house in West Hills on a Saturday morning all alone, and I have absolutely no idea what I should do. Naturally, this perturbs me. I'm a very social person, and even though living off campus means that I can't just walk to another dorm to meet someone, I'm fine with that. Because most of my friends were smart enough to move off of campus too. Plus, there's more to do off of campus. It's also nice to exist outside of the bubble that is the area of land between the Strip, the Hill, the train tracks, and Alcoa Highway. Or, as I call it, "Real Life".
The fact that the only thing I can think to do right now is get caught up on The Office and go to bed is mildly depressing; luckily, Michael Scott and his awkwardness more than counteracts any and all negative thoughts that I may currently be having. But still...
In my lack of sociability I am left here telling myself that I will do some homework but knowing that, in all honesty, that's just a lie. And earlier, by the time I was able to throw the blanket off of me and get off of the couch (which, by the way, is extremely comfortable....it's like laying on a freaking panda) I realized it was 11:00 p.m.. And as time has been drifting by and all I've done is set here, suddenly it's now 1:45, and I'm starting to grasp that I really need to go to sleep. I'm driving home at like 8, and rest is typically a key ingredient to making a 4 hour trek across three states and up the rugged hills of Appalachia.
So then, for my sake and yours, I'll get to the point. This is not an elegant, witty, lengthy, or impressive piece by any means, but I feel guilty for not having been to post any so far this week. And I know that if I go too long without posting, then I get sent straight to the guillotine. And that's not a metaphor. UT has an actual guillotine. It's in in the tower of Ayers. (Why do you think there's so much construction going on? The head count got too great and the blade was getting rusted. They had to clean the place out and spiff it all up.) I write for a public university now; these people don't play. And I don't want to lose my life. I value my head. I use it most of the time, and it seems to have come in handy once or twice.
But the great thing about being able to write about my experiences as a student at Tennessee is the fact that, even if I post something dinky, awkward, and/or completely random (case in point...this will more than likely describe all of what I post) that it's ok. Because that's life in college. Freakin'...that's life in general.
Up and down.
Fast and slow.
In and out.
Black and white.
Hot and cold.
Peanut Butter and Jelly.
Whatever.
And so, without rambling any more, I present to you just a few things that I feel are important to know. I don't want to call them "ground rules" because, well, they're not rules. They're just observations and facts. So here are some Ground Observations and Facts, all of which I just thought of within the last two hours.
*I came to realize earlier that a convient way to title these things would be to call them what they were at face value, which would be "The One About _______". Not only does this make for fun conversations (for example, say I write about Football. Here would be an exchange.....
"I like the One About Football"
"Oh, ok, what's it called?"
"It's the One About Football."
"Yeah, I know, but what's it called?"
"It's the One About Football!"
"I KNOW! What's it called?!?"
.....
you get the picture. It's all very Who's On First-ish, and I love that. It makes life better.
*---> I also know that this is how the show Friends titled their episodes. And maybe part of me stole this from them. Actually, all of me did. But it's ok, because I like Friends, the show is forever in reruns, and it's not like any of them care. They're too busy trying to salvage the rest of their careers (except Jennifer Aniston...she's just good).
*You have to understand that I'm in ARCHITECTURE. So if there's ever a period of two weeks or so in which my longest post is this: {.......ugh.....} then you know why. Once you go into that building, it fights to let you go. Especially around finals. And it blocks you from all of the rest of your life for what seems like years at a time. And you sometimes lose all hope. It's like the freaking Berlin Wall. Only it's all around us. It's the freaking Berlin Box.
*I have a lot to say, and no time to write it all down, so please just bear with me when I ramble. It helps, I assure you.
----
That's really all I can think of for now. I need rest for my drive back home....today...and my bed is calling. I really want to go to the Memphis game, because night games at Neyland are unbeatable. But at least we have a new flatscreen T.V. at home. It rocks. Plus, our kitchen just got redone.
Go Mom and Andy.
Way to be productive. =]
Correction.
It is now Saturday morning.
Anyway, so here I am, setting in my house in West Hills on a Saturday morning all alone, and I have absolutely no idea what I should do. Naturally, this perturbs me. I'm a very social person, and even though living off campus means that I can't just walk to another dorm to meet someone, I'm fine with that. Because most of my friends were smart enough to move off of campus too. Plus, there's more to do off of campus. It's also nice to exist outside of the bubble that is the area of land between the Strip, the Hill, the train tracks, and Alcoa Highway. Or, as I call it, "Real Life".
The fact that the only thing I can think to do right now is get caught up on The Office and go to bed is mildly depressing; luckily, Michael Scott and his awkwardness more than counteracts any and all negative thoughts that I may currently be having. But still...
In my lack of sociability I am left here telling myself that I will do some homework but knowing that, in all honesty, that's just a lie. And earlier, by the time I was able to throw the blanket off of me and get off of the couch (which, by the way, is extremely comfortable....it's like laying on a freaking panda) I realized it was 11:00 p.m.. And as time has been drifting by and all I've done is set here, suddenly it's now 1:45, and I'm starting to grasp that I really need to go to sleep. I'm driving home at like 8, and rest is typically a key ingredient to making a 4 hour trek across three states and up the rugged hills of Appalachia.
So then, for my sake and yours, I'll get to the point. This is not an elegant, witty, lengthy, or impressive piece by any means, but I feel guilty for not having been to post any so far this week. And I know that if I go too long without posting, then I get sent straight to the guillotine. And that's not a metaphor. UT has an actual guillotine. It's in in the tower of Ayers. (Why do you think there's so much construction going on? The head count got too great and the blade was getting rusted. They had to clean the place out and spiff it all up.) I write for a public university now; these people don't play. And I don't want to lose my life. I value my head. I use it most of the time, and it seems to have come in handy once or twice.
But the great thing about being able to write about my experiences as a student at Tennessee is the fact that, even if I post something dinky, awkward, and/or completely random (case in point...this will more than likely describe all of what I post) that it's ok. Because that's life in college. Freakin'...that's life in general.
Up and down.
Fast and slow.
In and out.
Black and white.
Hot and cold.
Peanut Butter and Jelly.
Whatever.
And so, without rambling any more, I present to you just a few things that I feel are important to know. I don't want to call them "ground rules" because, well, they're not rules. They're just observations and facts. So here are some Ground Observations and Facts, all of which I just thought of within the last two hours.
*I came to realize earlier that a convient way to title these things would be to call them what they were at face value, which would be "The One About _______". Not only does this make for fun conversations (for example, say I write about Football. Here would be an exchange.....
"I like the One About Football"
"Oh, ok, what's it called?"
"It's the One About Football."
"Yeah, I know, but what's it called?"
"It's the One About Football!"
"I KNOW! What's it called?!?"
.....
you get the picture. It's all very Who's On First-ish, and I love that. It makes life better.
*---> I also know that this is how the show Friends titled their episodes. And maybe part of me stole this from them. Actually, all of me did. But it's ok, because I like Friends, the show is forever in reruns, and it's not like any of them care. They're too busy trying to salvage the rest of their careers (except Jennifer Aniston...she's just good).
*You have to understand that I'm in ARCHITECTURE. So if there's ever a period of two weeks or so in which my longest post is this: {.......ugh.....} then you know why. Once you go into that building, it fights to let you go. Especially around finals. And it blocks you from all of the rest of your life for what seems like years at a time. And you sometimes lose all hope. It's like the freaking Berlin Wall. Only it's all around us. It's the freaking Berlin Box.
*I have a lot to say, and no time to write it all down, so please just bear with me when I ramble. It helps, I assure you.
----
That's really all I can think of for now. I need rest for my drive back home....today...and my bed is calling. I really want to go to the Memphis game, because night games at Neyland are unbeatable. But at least we have a new flatscreen T.V. at home. It rocks. Plus, our kitchen just got redone.
Go Mom and Andy.
Way to be productive. =]
• • •
Sunday, October 25, 2009
The One with the Awkward Introductions
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm......
Well.....................
yup...............
............
That about sums it up, now doesn't it?
----
I always struggle with how to start a conversation; how to come at people in introducing myself for who I am without immediately scaring them away (because I assure you that somewhere along the line, if it hasn't happened already, it more than likely will). Because I hate awkward silence. Well, I do and I don't. Like just now, when you read the opening sentences....imagine if that had been me meeting you in person.
Oh god, that would've been fun, wouldn't it though? With sweaty palms and a dry throat, I try to shake your hand, only to have you give me that look that I have become accustomed to, you know, that one with raised eyebrows, a blank stare and a squinted forehead that allows me to see that your thoughts are clearly along the lines of, "Wow, this is weird. What a strange individual he is..." (Obviously those are the toned-down versions of what your thoughts would be, but none-the-less, you get it).
And so, due to my keen attempts to avoid the awkward moments in life (despite them sometimes being the most hilarious) I have come to love this form of communication. Because for as much as I fumble over words and such in face-to-face encounters, this has yet to let me down. At least, I like to think so. I mean, I don't think that this could possibly make you feel awkward (I know my conscious is clean). And so, if you feel strange reading this, I can honestly say that I am currently laughing at you. Because if you are that socially off-kilter, that this makes you go, "ohhhhh maannnn....I don't know about that...." then I welcome you to the next chapter of your progression in life. College is sink-or swim, socially speaking, but I can assure you that even the most backward of my friends have come out of their shells. It will happen. And you will like it. You'll learn to open up to others and rely on the support of friends. And if you have that already, great. You'll learn to do it even more.
And now that I've made this even more strange by writing three lengthy paragraphs without even uttering anything useful about myself (name, birth date, social-security, list of who I would have enjoyed being in a former life, etc) allow me to do exactly that.....
-------
Hello!
My name is Dustin _____ (The blank being that I can't really tell you my last name, nor would I want to if I had the option....for all I know, you could be one of Charles Manson's few remaining followers). I'm currently enjoying my last year of being a "teenager" while trying to slowly progress closer and closer to being a "real man" (this is , to my current awareness, unlike Pinocchio becoming a "real boy", because I don't think that any of my being will transform into another form...this isn't District 9). I am in my second year at the College of Architecture & Design, which, not to shamelessly plug it, but I will, is one of the greatest programs for such a degree in the entire country, and especially east of the Mississippi and south of the Virginia state line (I can't say the Mason-Dixon Line, because statistically, Virginia Tech is better, but shhhhh).
I got through my first year down here by the Grace of GOD and the delicious flavor and extra kick of Starbucks coffee, of which was a new discovery to me. Everything that I thought college would be, was...and it wasn't. It was challenging and fun and stressful and amazing and rough and awkward and....everything. But apparently there was something down here that was just enough for me to be overall pleased with my experience, because I'm back. And even though recently I've had to go through one of the roughest things I've ever experienced, and it's still extremely hard for me, this place beckoned me. I could hear "Rocky Top" wafting over the mountain-tops of my West Virginia home, and Knoxville is truly my second home now. It grows on you, trust me. (And "Rocky Top" does eventually become more of a thing of pride and fun than that of shrill annoyance. Whether this is because it sinks into your soul and you learn to love it, or it numbs your hatred of it because you hear it so freaking much, it'll grow on you).
And there are so many more things that I could ramble on about forever (that was said like the kid in the Sandlot, by the way) but I don't want to put you through any more pain than is necessary (and yes, some is necessary...you getting to know a little about me is like getting a flu shot...it hurts now, but it'll be worth it in the end, I promise). So, here are some random facts about me, for now, and then I must go...
* As I mentioned above, I am a full-blooded West "By
GOD" Virginian, and I love my home-state with everything in me. The culture back home is just so different than anywhere else I've ever seen (ever heard of a pepperoni roll? Thought not...), and I'm proud of who I am and how I was raised. Along with that, I got enough crap from my friends last year to last me a lifetime. So go ahead and get it out now, your jokes about our lack of electricity and shoes and how we date our sisters (of which, I can not be a part of, because I have no sister, so ha!) and so on and so forth, because I've heard them all, and honestly, you guys (as in, every non-West Virginian) are just not that creative anymore. You're just coming up with variations of the same-ole, same-ole.
* I enjoy the simple things in life, and I act like a kid all the time. There is a time to be mature, and a time to just throw your inhibitions completely away, and act goofy for the sake of it all. Life is good, and I'm not going to let anything change my opinion of it as such.
* I hate tea. Any and every type. I also mildly dislike most of country music. Why on earth I came to the University of Tennessee, I'm not really sure. (Also, southern-style barbeque is nice, but I'll take my northern-style barbecue any day of the week).
* I drive a charcoal gray 2005 Ford Five Hundred. That thing could fit like three bodies in the trunk, I swear. My friends used to call it a grandma car, but apparently I've gained some respect because now it's a grandpa car. But I love it. It's comfy, but it's a long as a dang van.
* I'm blessed to be a part of the campus ministry VFC, and the church that helps it, Cornerstone, and every Thursday at 7 (in Alumni 210!) I never leave without being encouraged and detoxed from whatever I'm stressing over. My friends (heck, even those I don't know) there are some of the most genuine people I've ever been allowed to encounter. I look up to them more than they'll ever realize. =]
(This is Cornerstone. I think it looks like a plantation, or maybe a ritzy hotel.
My family thinks it resembles a funeral home...to each their own, I guess....)
* I love my family. My Mom and younger brother, Andy mean the world to me. I can't help but smile if I just see a picture of them. They straight-up rock. =]
*My favorite "fancy" restaurant is Red Lobster. I love me some seafood!
*I feel that the sculpture on the pedestrian walkway is equivalent to my nightmares. 'Nough said.
(This guy knows about the Pedestrian Walkway Sculpture...)
*Some of my favorite bands/musicians (whether for a long time or a new discovery) are:
-Coldplay
-Muse
-Flogging Molly
-Radiohead
-John Mayer
-Death Cab for Cutie
-the Trans-Siberian Orchestra
-Breaking Benjamin
-Relient K
-Queen
-Michael Jackson
-John Denver
-Hillsong United
-Jars of Clay
-David Crowder Band
-Dave Matthews Band
-CCR
Ahhhhhh......yup. That's enough for now, I think. Anyway, I have homework that seems to be blocking me from enjoying my Sunday (much like Bama blocked our game-winning field goal yesterday...*sighs and weeps inside*) so I feel I should attend to that. I mean, this place isn't getting my tuition money for nothing, right? So here I go, attempting to be studious yet again! Wish me luck! And I hope that you feel that you know enough of me now that should you see me on the street, and I should approach you and try to bum money for lunch, you would give it to me.....
No?
Oh well, at least I tried.
Well.....................
yup...............
............
That about sums it up, now doesn't it?
----
I always struggle with how to start a conversation; how to come at people in introducing myself for who I am without immediately scaring them away (because I assure you that somewhere along the line, if it hasn't happened already, it more than likely will). Because I hate awkward silence. Well, I do and I don't. Like just now, when you read the opening sentences....imagine if that had been me meeting you in person.
Oh god, that would've been fun, wouldn't it though? With sweaty palms and a dry throat, I try to shake your hand, only to have you give me that look that I have become accustomed to, you know, that one with raised eyebrows, a blank stare and a squinted forehead that allows me to see that your thoughts are clearly along the lines of, "Wow, this is weird. What a strange individual he is..." (Obviously those are the toned-down versions of what your thoughts would be, but none-the-less, you get it).
And so, due to my keen attempts to avoid the awkward moments in life (despite them sometimes being the most hilarious) I have come to love this form of communication. Because for as much as I fumble over words and such in face-to-face encounters, this has yet to let me down. At least, I like to think so. I mean, I don't think that this could possibly make you feel awkward (I know my conscious is clean). And so, if you feel strange reading this, I can honestly say that I am currently laughing at you. Because if you are that socially off-kilter, that this makes you go, "ohhhhh maannnn....I don't know about that...." then I welcome you to the next chapter of your progression in life. College is sink-or swim, socially speaking, but I can assure you that even the most backward of my friends have come out of their shells. It will happen. And you will like it. You'll learn to open up to others and rely on the support of friends. And if you have that already, great. You'll learn to do it even more.
And now that I've made this even more strange by writing three lengthy paragraphs without even uttering anything useful about myself (name, birth date, social-security, list of who I would have enjoyed being in a former life, etc) allow me to do exactly that.....
-------
Hello!
My name is Dustin _____ (The blank being that I can't really tell you my last name, nor would I want to if I had the option....for all I know, you could be one of Charles Manson's few remaining followers). I'm currently enjoying my last year of being a "teenager" while trying to slowly progress closer and closer to being a "real man" (this is , to my current awareness, unlike Pinocchio becoming a "real boy", because I don't think that any of my being will transform into another form...this isn't District 9). I am in my second year at the College of Architecture & Design, which, not to shamelessly plug it, but I will, is one of the greatest programs for such a degree in the entire country, and especially east of the Mississippi and south of the Virginia state line (I can't say the Mason-Dixon Line, because statistically, Virginia Tech is better, but shhhhh).
I got through my first year down here by the Grace of GOD and the delicious flavor and extra kick of Starbucks coffee, of which was a new discovery to me. Everything that I thought college would be, was...and it wasn't. It was challenging and fun and stressful and amazing and rough and awkward and....everything. But apparently there was something down here that was just enough for me to be overall pleased with my experience, because I'm back. And even though recently I've had to go through one of the roughest things I've ever experienced, and it's still extremely hard for me, this place beckoned me. I could hear "Rocky Top" wafting over the mountain-tops of my West Virginia home, and Knoxville is truly my second home now. It grows on you, trust me. (And "Rocky Top" does eventually become more of a thing of pride and fun than that of shrill annoyance. Whether this is because it sinks into your soul and you learn to love it, or it numbs your hatred of it because you hear it so freaking much, it'll grow on you).
And there are so many more things that I could ramble on about forever (that was said like the kid in the Sandlot, by the way) but I don't want to put you through any more pain than is necessary (and yes, some is necessary...you getting to know a little about me is like getting a flu shot...it hurts now, but it'll be worth it in the end, I promise). So, here are some random facts about me, for now, and then I must go...
* As I mentioned above, I am a full-blooded West "By
GOD" Virginian, and I love my home-state with everything in me. The culture back home is just so different than anywhere else I've ever seen (ever heard of a pepperoni roll? Thought not...), and I'm proud of who I am and how I was raised. Along with that, I got enough crap from my friends last year to last me a lifetime. So go ahead and get it out now, your jokes about our lack of electricity and shoes and how we date our sisters (of which, I can not be a part of, because I have no sister, so ha!) and so on and so forth, because I've heard them all, and honestly, you guys (as in, every non-West Virginian) are just not that creative anymore. You're just coming up with variations of the same-ole, same-ole.* I enjoy the simple things in life, and I act like a kid all the time. There is a time to be mature, and a time to just throw your inhibitions completely away, and act goofy for the sake of it all. Life is good, and I'm not going to let anything change my opinion of it as such.
* I hate tea. Any and every type. I also mildly dislike most of country music. Why on earth I came to the University of Tennessee, I'm not really sure. (Also, southern-style barbeque is nice, but I'll take my northern-style barbecue any day of the week).
* I drive a charcoal gray 2005 Ford Five Hundred. That thing could fit like three bodies in the trunk, I swear. My friends used to call it a grandma car, but apparently I've gained some respect because now it's a grandpa car. But I love it. It's comfy, but it's a long as a dang van.
* I'm blessed to be a part of the campus ministry VFC, and the church that helps it, Cornerstone, and every Thursday at 7 (in Alumni 210!) I never leave without being encouraged and detoxed from whatever I'm stressing over. My friends (heck, even those I don't know) there are some of the most genuine people I've ever been allowed to encounter. I look up to them more than they'll ever realize. =]
(This is Cornerstone. I think it looks like a plantation, or maybe a ritzy hotel.My family thinks it resembles a funeral home...to each their own, I guess....)
* I love my family. My Mom and younger brother, Andy mean the world to me. I can't help but smile if I just see a picture of them. They straight-up rock. =]
*My favorite "fancy" restaurant is Red Lobster. I love me some seafood!
*I feel that the sculpture on the pedestrian walkway is equivalent to my nightmares. 'Nough said.
(This guy knows about the Pedestrian Walkway Sculpture...)*Some of my favorite bands/musicians (whether for a long time or a new discovery) are:
-Coldplay
-Muse
-Flogging Molly
-Radiohead
-John Mayer
-Death Cab for Cutie
-the Trans-Siberian Orchestra
-Breaking Benjamin
-Relient K
-Queen
-Michael Jackson
-John Denver
-Hillsong United
-Jars of Clay
-David Crowder Band
-Dave Matthews Band
-CCR
Ahhhhhh......yup. That's enough for now, I think. Anyway, I have homework that seems to be blocking me from enjoying my Sunday (much like Bama blocked our game-winning field goal yesterday...*sighs and weeps inside*) so I feel I should attend to that. I mean, this place isn't getting my tuition money for nothing, right? So here I go, attempting to be studious yet again! Wish me luck! And I hope that you feel that you know enough of me now that should you see me on the street, and I should approach you and try to bum money for lunch, you would give it to me.....
No?
Oh well, at least I tried.
• • •