So 2009 is now all come and passed
both the good and bad never quite last
and so this poem is written right here
to commemorate this long $#(7′n year

I got a class at VC in the spring
to teach some students some literate things
You can take this one thing all the way to the bank
that most of ‘em left with minds almost blank

All the while I was hanging out
never once did I suffer the gout
I did enjoy California’s clime
and this stanza was made just for the rhyme

Easter came with a visit from the ‘rents
my patience with the diss was almost all spent
but then came easter and after that day
except for edits I was done, hip hip hooray

Along came summer that glorious season
where things were warm and for no real good reason
I decided to roadtrip to see all my peeps
in my trusty ford, not being one for jeeps.

So while visiting all friends nationwide
about two weeks in I hit my stride
and there was a big, huge, celebration
to put up wood for Grandmother’s winter conflagrations

During that time, a pretty girl hit my fancy
and I thought I’d try take my chance-y
and on return to my California’d lair
we both went to see the Ventura County Fair

Then came the fall and more students to teach
I wept for the fact that I’d never reach
most of them as they sat at me staring
with vacant eyes and Ipods blaring

Alas was my lot in this teacherly life
and yet they were the least of my horrible strife
for then from the grad school’s ivory auspices
came hassles galore from the dissertation offices

and forth and back the arguments went
and my anger tinged e’vry word that I sent
a date was decided then cancelled and such
this problem quite nearly made me a lush!

At last on the fourteenth of november
A day that I will always remember
I defended against folks of academic station
and became a doctor amidst much acclamation

Then alas my girlfriend and me
broke up quite tragically
for I was destined to go back to the cold
and she was not on that idea quite sold.

The semester at VC ended quite well
I sent a few to repeat scholarly hell
but also a few of them I did impress
I must have got through to them, or so I’d guess

And then came three days of increasingly cold
in my good ford the Milly had rode
to bring us back home in plenty of time
for Christmas bells to joyously chime

which brings me ponder on this new year’s eve
as I sit in the house preparing to leave
for a walk in my boots and mittens in snow
wherever did all of last year really go?

So yesterday the truck with all my stuff came, and my Dad and my friends Dave Hanson and his wife helped unload. It took about 20 minutes or so, we took stuff off the truck and stacked it in my grandmother’s garage, it went REALLY slick.

Now the next step: find some place to live. I noticed a two bedroom apt was open in Pine Ridge Apartments by the mall, but I think I’m going to hold out for a bit and see what else opens up. I’m going to attempt to avoid moving into an apartment.

So, yeah, good times. I knew I was truly in Minnesota yesterday when my breath froze in my moustache/beard.

I do know I’ve got to join a gym, are there any good ones? That, or buying a pair of snow shoes to tramp about the farm out here.

I am watching the year without a santa clause on TV right now, and the songs in it reminded me of the animated Hobbit and Return of the King.

I could really go for some badly adapted animated Tolkien soon.

After an all day grading session, I’m finally caught up with Kaplan. It’s going to be a nice and easy 2 weeks off now.

Moving upset my rhythm of grading a unit at a time. Ah well, it’s fixed now. w00t.

I now have my desktop computer set up here at the ‘rents place. Prior to this I was working on my netbook.

It’s nice to be able to stretch over two screens and have a full space to work with.

Please note: I love my netbook. Its portability is fantastic, and wireless here at the ‘rents place is now set up, and I wouldn’t trade the netbook for much as far as computers go. But it’s nice to have a full size keyboard, mouse, and monitor setup.

It’s been a busy week. I left California last wednesday and drove non-stop to arrive in MN on Friday night. After a busy weekend hanging with family and seeing them off yesterday, I went to trivia last night.

Today, the web design studio had a Christmas Party that they invited me along with. We drove over to fertile and had a team building exercise outside, where there were a couple of 2×4’s with straps on each.

The point was to work as a team to move around on the trails. It was kind of difficult what with the uneven snow and leaves on the ground. Overall though, it was a blast. Afterwards, the bosses took everyone out to eat in Grand Forks, and got everyone back at 4:30.

Got back in time to get in to office hours for Kaplan, and now it’s pretty much time to crash.

This constant running is completely exhausting me. Tomorrow, I do a seminar for kaplan and grade a bunch of papers. HOPEFULLY I will get to take a nap.

Good times.

The first to Ventura County Community College District for not paying us on the last day of the semester, and instead holding our pay until the 23rd.

The second to bank of douchemerica for taking so damn long to process my checking statements that I am now $55 in the hole, with 7 charges over the limit (which I’ll probably be hit with an overdraft fee for each one). Fan-f’ing-tastic.

Twitchy Cat.

This is my parent’s cat. All I have to do is look at it and raise my hand, and its right eye starts twitching. I have that effect on people and animals.

I set up a twitter account, hooked it up to my cell phone…I am going to get a blog API up in the sidebar eventually (as well as completely redesign the blog) within the week here.

That’s right, I’m back to Bemidji and have a lot of time on my hands at the moment.

Follow me here.

I am now at my parent’s house. This is a short term solution while I become settled in town again working at a couple part time jobs.

Christmas has been celebrated now with everyone, the coolest gift I received was a yoda bobble head doll.

I got a couple of cool books that no one else would enjoy reading. But I am looking forward to it.

Yesterday was pretty horrible, time wise. I no longer have the patience to survive 15 hours in the car…yesterday will be the last time I do so in quite a while.

Today though, only 8 hours and I’m back in bemidji.

I was up at 4:30 this morning (sleeping on the floor right before a big day is never any good, I should have drugged myself last night) and got the house to “good enough” status. She showed up right on time, and I got the counters more or less cleaned by the time she was done with the first room. I haven’t seen her in a while so I can only assume that we’re being docked cash as it time ticks on.

Another 2 hours and I go to Verizon to drop off the internet stuff, stop by the house to pick up el Milly de los Muertos, and then hit the road for 8 or so hours of driving. I should hit the hotel by 9 my time, or 10 their time. Then I’ll crash and get some good sleep (tonight I’m knocking myself out with the Nyquil de los Muertos) and drive a good 12-14 hours tomorrow, giving me a relatively easy 9 hour drive on Friday.

Good times.

when my limit for cleaning has been hit. That happened yesterday at 5pm.

I still need to clean the baseboards in my bathroom, wipe down the kitchen counters, and sweep the garage. That’ll be taken care of by the time of the final walkthrough today at 9am.

I am hiring a moving company to pack up and move everything. The last few days have been kind of hellish.

Moving is the only time when you notice how much worthless crap that you have.