Cutter's Log - Stardate 0102.02.30
A middle school teacher of mine, and a football coach of mine, Bob Totten passed away on Tuesday.
Mr. Totten taught government and civics at Challand. He was also a recess and detention supervisor, and was the first face we saw when we arrived at Challand each morning. To many he was a very strict man, and we all knew never to irritate him. One of my favorite classes at Challand was his, though.
He was our seventh grade civics teacher. The assignments, study guides, tests, quizzes, and even answer forms (yes, there were answer forms) for the tests and quizzes, were pretty much recycled every year -- it was the first time we really saw this kind of thing, and it was weird to us students. What was also weird to us is that he passed around green markers to correct the tests and quizzes. He wanted them in green marker.
When you're young, you don't quite understand why the things were the way they were. But when you get older you start to get it. Recycling does save a lot of money and time. I don't really know what the green markers were supposed to mean, but I think it reminded me later on to have an understanding for others wanting things the way they want them.
My favorite quiz game that he used was called "Around the Class" - similar to what my fourth grade teacher did for math studying. Around the Class was a game where we would compete against other classmates one-on-one deskside and answer class-related questions. The game would either end at the end of class, or when one has made it around the entire class. I loved the game, my classmates probably hated it because of me.
Some of us eighth graders were still being watched by Mr. Totten, as he was an assistant freshman football coach at the high school. I was a manager, so I didn't really interact with him often, but he was always good to me in that capacity. Mr. Totten retired from teaching and coaching when my class graduated high school in 2005.
Being a before-school recess supervisor is simply an extra duty to the teaching profession. Bob Totten fit that job well in addition to his other teaching and coaching duties. He was the first face we saw that ended our transition from innocent grade school kids to young men and women. He didn't treat us like our grade school teachers did, but rather as adults.
It was a sudden a change when we were first given a talking to by him for doing something wrong. In a way, it helped give us discipline that we needed for the life ahead of us. We continued to talk when we met on occasion after high school. One time while he was filling up his van at the Shell station, the pump didn't shut off automatically. So here he comes into the store, and treats me as if I was a sixth grader at recess.
His lessons of discipline, his teaching, and his professionalism. That's what I'll miss most about Bob Totten.
Rest in peace.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Planning the week again
Cutter's Log - Stardate 0102.61.30
Current Song - Together Again (Janet Jackson)
Money is going to be bare, as I mentioned in the previous entry. I can't spend much. I can't get my hair cut, and it's the longest it's been for a while. If it gets any longer, it'll break the record set by my mullet when I was five. Yes, I had a mullet. I have to hold off on getting more minutes for my cell phone. I'm going to have to leave a voice message telling everyone to call my home phone.
Since there's no money to go around, I'm not going to do much until the 25th. Even my tank is running low. This means I'll have to break out the bicycle - if it even works. I'm down 35 pounds from my highest weight in the summer, so the bike riding should be just a little bit easier. I may end up riding it to work one night. I may force off a few.
There's not much to do today (Tuesday). I have class on Wednesday morning, then I'm studying for a test in speech, then I'm taking the test in speech. Thursday will be spent piecing together the Friday 5 before going to work. Friday morning will be spent at class for quite a while. I have Saturday off because I thought I was going to be back in Peoria. Then again, I don't have the money for it. Working on Sunday and Monday, and off Tuesday. More class on Monday morning.
I'm going to try to find a nearby baseball, softball or soccer game on Friday or Saturday. Sterling, Rock Falls and Newman can be reached by bicycle.
Current Song - Together Again (Janet Jackson)
Money is going to be bare, as I mentioned in the previous entry. I can't spend much. I can't get my hair cut, and it's the longest it's been for a while. If it gets any longer, it'll break the record set by my mullet when I was five. Yes, I had a mullet. I have to hold off on getting more minutes for my cell phone. I'm going to have to leave a voice message telling everyone to call my home phone.
Since there's no money to go around, I'm not going to do much until the 25th. Even my tank is running low. This means I'll have to break out the bicycle - if it even works. I'm down 35 pounds from my highest weight in the summer, so the bike riding should be just a little bit easier. I may end up riding it to work one night. I may force off a few.
There's not much to do today (Tuesday). I have class on Wednesday morning, then I'm studying for a test in speech, then I'm taking the test in speech. Thursday will be spent piecing together the Friday 5 before going to work. Friday morning will be spent at class for quite a while. I have Saturday off because I thought I was going to be back in Peoria. Then again, I don't have the money for it. Working on Sunday and Monday, and off Tuesday. More class on Monday morning.
I'm going to try to find a nearby baseball, softball or soccer game on Friday or Saturday. Sterling, Rock Falls and Newman can be reached by bicycle.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Stretch
Cutter's Log - Stardate 0102.51.30
Current Song - My City Was Gone (The Pretenders)
I'm entering the home stretch in my college career. I have a long way to go in the Graphic Design class. However, I did get one assignment re-done today, and will work on the last step in the T-shirt project on Wednesday.
I also got paid my vacation money earlier than I thought. So I'm using that toward my final college payment. Unfortunately, I only have $50 to stretch until March 24. About the only other way I can make more up until then is to sell customers big winners, and hope for a tip. I've got nothing to sell, except those baseball cards. Even at the end of the month I won't make a whole lot, as the car insurance payment will be due.
Current Song - My City Was Gone (The Pretenders)
I'm entering the home stretch in my college career. I have a long way to go in the Graphic Design class. However, I did get one assignment re-done today, and will work on the last step in the T-shirt project on Wednesday.
I also got paid my vacation money earlier than I thought. So I'm using that toward my final college payment. Unfortunately, I only have $50 to stretch until March 24. About the only other way I can make more up until then is to sell customers big winners, and hope for a tip. I've got nothing to sell, except those baseball cards. Even at the end of the month I won't make a whole lot, as the car insurance payment will be due.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
THE VACATION
Cutter's Log - Stardate 0102.41.30
Current Song - New York, New York (Frank Sinatra)
During my time off, I wrote down what happened during the vacation to the Baseball and Football halls of fame. I didn't have a computer near me, so I wrote it all down on pen and paper. The daily account was written toward bedtime each night, so it kind of feels rushed. The vacation started on March 8. Here goes:
Day 1
Middlebury Heights, Ohio - I just completed day 1 of my five-day northeast adventure. I left home around 10:15 this morning and filled my tank in Dixon before leaving.
I was surprised as I left because neither mom or dad gave me a hug. Well, I'm not that surprised, but I'm that old now. They did when I left for Tucson last year. So yeah, I'm old now.
It was drizzling during most of my Illinois ride. Once I got into Indiana, I was doing 80 in the 55 on the far left lane when someone tried to move in on me. It shook me up a little, and I stopped in Gary for a quick break.
After leaving Gary, it felt like forever to get to Toledo. I stopped for lunch in South Bend - had a triple whopper with cheese, this to be explained later - and only then realized that the College Football Hall of Fame was there. Shoot! Maybe I'll make it on my way back.
The fuel lasted until near Sandusky (actually, the 80-90 is 20 miles south). Gas was only $2.72 there, and was $2.69 back home. My tolls were all paid for with my I-PASS, even in Indiana and Ohio.
I'm staying at a Motel 6 in a suburb of Cleveland, Middlebury Heights. $35.99 a room; I only require so little right now. This hotel's an outdoor one - where I park my car in front of my door. Only a couple of things: the water didn't look clear for drinking, and there's no alarm clock. That's a bummer, because I need to wake up at 8:00 a.m. and leave at 10:00 for Cooperstown.
The budget is holding up well, I'm using the $50 for gambling at Par-a-dice for emergency money instead.
All I really need to do is get a light dinner and go to bed.
Another long day tomorrow - but at least it's somewhere I've never been to. I went to Cleveland once already.
Day 2
Middlebury Heights - Had some trouble sleeping last night, but found myself awake at 6:00 a.m.
I got some McDonalds [last night] and watched a movie with Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. I didn't catch the name of the movie [Bad Boys II], but it was good except for the abrupt ending. Really wanted to see more.
No fast food tax in Ohio. I bought milk to go with my dinner - one for dinner and one for breakfast. The breakfast one didn't last. There's no fridge in the room, nor an ice machine. So I thought it was wise to fill the ice bucket (yeah, an ice bucket, but not ice machine) with cold water. By the time my throat was dry around 3:30 a.m. the milk wasn't all that cold - so I drank it all. Now I have to buy another one.
Five bucks for breakfast before going on the road - an early start. I was going to be out by 10, but maybe now by 9. I'll drive in the heart of Cleveland before heading out toward Pennsylvania. I also have to make one business call and call my grandparents today.
The drive was just as long, but not as boring. A lot of mountains and snowy ground. The Alleghenys and the Catskills are in southern NY. Drive through Cleveland and Erie this morning. I blew past the "Welcome to Pennsylvania" sign, but stopped before the "Welcome th New York" sign and took a pic of it.
A very, very senic drive all of the way through NY. Once I got there and saw "Binghamton 263" I thought it would have been closer than that. I stopped at the first rest stop in NY and picked up some more brochures for mom and dad. One of them was for the Lucy-Desi Museum in Jamestown (the birthplace of Lucille Ball). I had to stop and at least go to the gift shop.
Had lunch at a Wendy's in Olean. I sat next to a guy who overheard my phone call to one of my freelancers. I said "I'm all the way in New York" [on the phone] and we ended up talking for a bit. He told me about the Revolutionary War battlefields I would pass, as well as the mountains. He also asked where I was from. I said "Northern Illinois" and he told me about his trucking trips through it. I eventually told him I lived in Sterling - and he told me about how the Mill made steel for Progresso Soup cans. I knew a Sterling link would appear somewhere.
Leaving Olean, I drove [through] the Seneca Nation. You could tell not just by the welcoming sign, but the feeling of the road. I'm sure somewhere Chief Iapoppayatire was wishing me "safe travel."
Gassed up again and Chemung. The Sandusky fillup didn't quite make it to Cooperstown. Gas was $2.93 there, twenty cents more than Sandusky.
I arrived in Cooperstown a little before 6:00 p.m. I needed to get a phone card, so I tried to find a pharmacy. Found a CVS in downtown. Real wonderful! Better than Galena. The country is better than Jo Daviess County (and I said once I wanted to retire there). I'll see more tomorrow. Gotta see the pics!
I also bought my dinner there. Cambpells Chunky Beef was on sale. I also got some newspapers. One story on the front mentioned a place I passed - yet ANOTHER Hall of Fame. Sadly, the National Soccer Hall of Fame is closing down.
Watching college basketball and filling out post cards now. More tomorrow.
Day 3
Cooperstown - Made some changes to the plans. I was going to go through central Pennsylvania and eat at a particular restaurant. The restaurant was Denny's Beer Barrel Pub - home of the biggest burgers. After figuring out my fuel budget, I made the cut. My Pair-A-Dice money is now in the fuel budget.
The Hall of Fame was the first place I stopped at. Parking is scarse, and I had to park in a city street a block away. The townhomes are almost right next to the street - there's no front yard.
The Hall of Fame isn't as crowded as I thought it would be. I think it's busier on the weekends. The post office is across the street, so I dropped off my post cards and walked to the front. It was like finally ending that trek to a pilgrimage. At 23, I was at the Baseball Hall of Fame.
It was pretty empty when I got there, but it had only been open for 30 minutes. Okay, I was all alone until about 1/4 of my whole time in. I was kind of surprised - it was no Field Museum, or Milwaukee Art Museum, or Old Tucson. Pretty empty of people. Exhibits, on the other hand, were plentiful.
I walked to the second floor and unknowingly started my adventure at the exit. The first area was artifacts from the recent day. So I thought the end would be artifacts from the early days. Today's items are in an area that looks like a clubhouse locker room. Each locker had the hat or bat or ball or glove used for an important feat of each team in baseball history. There's too much there to remember everything. The McGwire and Bonds homerun bats and balls are there. Tony La Russa's jacket from his 2,000th managerial win is there. Alex Rodriguez's 500th homerun helmet, Geoff Blum's 14th inning single bat, Jeff Bagwell's World Series jersey, just a ton of items! It may want me to go back again.
That's just one area. There's more.
A timeline of baseball artifacts takes up the whole second floor. Rickey Henderson's cleats from his record-setting swipe are among what's there. A lot of jerseys, hats, balls and gloves. There are some other side exhibits during the walking timeline. One of them is an area on Latin American baseball, another on women inb baseball, and an area on the Negro Leagues.
The timeline is where I shot the most pics. The things I really wanted to see were things related to four Hall of Famers: Jim Bottomley, Joe McGinnity, Red Ruffing and Al Spalding. These four were born in Northern Illinois. There's a Ruffing pair of shoes and an award. Bottomley's bat in which he belted seven homeruns in five games is there. There wasn't any McGinnity or Spalding artifacts there, but there was a McGinnity trading card there.
Northern Illinois's other link to the Baseball Hall of Fame was in the women's exhibit. A Rockford Peaches jersey (from A League of their Own) was there, along with a bat from one of the Peaches finest hitters, Dottie Kamenshek.
The last stop of the floor was items from the way-past. The first ball from the first game in which admission was charged was there, as well as old catchers helmets. There was also a whole exhibit dedicated to Babe Ruth - with the No. 60 ball and bat, and the "Called Shot" bat.
Off to the third floor, where most of it was dedicated to the ballparks. A noteable piece is the cornerstone of Ebbets Field, as well as one of the exploding scoreboard pinwheels of old Comiskey Park. A Hank Aaron exhibit followed, with history and artifacts from his career, including the uniform he wore when he hit No. 755. The records exhibit followed, with a wall-to-wall list of all-time records and their Top 10 retired and active stats. A wall of almost every no-hit ball since 1940 was next. The floor's features ended with a brief history of baseball cards and the replaying of Abbott and Costello's "Who's on First" routine on a television.
I made my way down to the first floor, where there was an art exhibit of baseball-related work. Then there was the Holy Grail of the museum - each plaque of each Hall of Famer. I shot the first class, as well as the four area Hall of Famers.
The last thing I saw was artifacts from the media perspective. I learned that the box score was invented by Henry Chadwick - the "first sportswriter" in our nation's history.
The time at the Hall of Fame was capped off by my picture being taken in the Hall gallery, and shopping at the gift shop. Four hours of fun and interesting history was waiting to be discovered.
After putting my gifts in the car, I made my way back to downtown. There are five or six card shops there. I stopped at a couple of them and bought cards. One store had a "quarter box" with cards for a quarter. If there's one thing I love about collecting cards, it's raiding these boxes for good deals. My general rule is 90% off. I know the prices in my head - it doesn't take a whole lot to memorize a Beckett. One shop had autographed 8x10 pics on sale. A lot of current players I've never heard of before. The one football pics in there became mine - one of Marcus Allen. It probably would be more expensive in Canton.
The day in Cooperstown ended with "Lupper" at T.J.s Grill. It was a restaurant on one side and a gift shop on the other. I bought a bacon cheeseburger platter. Even though I got a 10% discount with my HoJo key, the food is pretty expensive - that, and a large coke was around $18!
Doubleday field was the final stop. After snapping the entrance, my camera showed low battery. Time to save it.
I'm back at the hotel. Going to do laundry and check the computer. My day will start very early tomorrow - as I have to work on posting Supersectional stories from tonight.
Day 4
North Canton, Ohio - I didn't expect Wednesday to be much trouble. I was hoping the Supersectional articles would be posted this morning. However, only one was sent. The other had to be waited until later.
We figured I needed to find a computer somewhere between Cooperstown and Canton. [redundant written info omitted]. I either had to find another Hotel with Internet, or find a library. I eventually found one at the Euclid Public Library. They don't require a library card. Cool! I got a hold of the other Supersectional story.
However, I had a huge blow to the day. Someone e-mailed me regarding a comment I made in the Decade Retrospective. It turns out a lawsuit I said was done was not done. Big error. I wrote a statement of retraction.
That is enough to make me pre-write my "State of the Site Address," and try to come up with a Doctrine regarding content.
I'll think of that now, and tomorrow will bring another interesting trip. The Pro Football Hall of Fame is nearby, and will be the final stop before going home. I plan on getting there when they open at 9:00 a.m. I won't spend a whole lot of time there, and plan on leaving by noon. A real light lunch will follow on the way home. I'll have dinner at home.
I'll spend Thursday night home before traveling to Peoria for Eastland-Salt Fork in the morning.
Day 5
North Canton - Almost time to go home.
Sterling - Everything went to plan, and I even gothome early. I visited the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton. It's just as interesting as the Baseball Hall of Fame. A lot of old artifacts - what I like best. This was just a minor stop, as opposed to the main reason why I'm on the trip anyway.
The Football HOF begins with a history of the building before going up a spiral staircase to the timeline of football. This is the stuff I like. I like learning about history, and how it shaped what's going on today.
After the timeline, the actual gallery was next. There were a lot of people in it, and pro football is about 50 years younger than pro baseball[, and 25 years younger than prep football]. The room was dark and shiny with a lot of busts.
I then sat down to hear a presentation about oddball stuff there. I got to touch a pair of shoes used in a George Clooney football movie. We saw the first nose protector and knee pad, a piece of the Pontiac Silverdome, the panel from Art Rooney's private office-to-lockeroom elevator, and electrical wire used to heat the field for the Ice Bowl game (the wire didn't work).
There's an exhibit on secondary leagues (AFL, USFL, etc.) and one on today's game (similar to baseball). A Super Bowl history exhibit followed, and I sat in a theatre to see the Steeler-Cardinal Super Bowl game in a theatre-like screen.
I was the only one in the theatre. Like the Baseball Hall of Fame experience, there weren't too many people in it. I went on a good day.
After leaving Canton, I began my trek home. Wasn't much to see - and I stayed in the left lane the entire time. I hit rain in Indiana, and heavy rain in the Southland. I got home around 7:45 p.m.
The end.
It was a really fun trip! I enjoyed the drive to and from. I enjoyed the places I went to. If given the opportunity to do it again, I'd do it. I earn two weeks vacation in July. I'll be done with college too - so it may make the vacation a bit more fun. I found myself worrying about schoolwork at times.
Absolutely fun!
Pictures are on my MySpace photo album.
Current Song - New York, New York (Frank Sinatra)
During my time off, I wrote down what happened during the vacation to the Baseball and Football halls of fame. I didn't have a computer near me, so I wrote it all down on pen and paper. The daily account was written toward bedtime each night, so it kind of feels rushed. The vacation started on March 8. Here goes:
Day 1
Middlebury Heights, Ohio - I just completed day 1 of my five-day northeast adventure. I left home around 10:15 this morning and filled my tank in Dixon before leaving.
I was surprised as I left because neither mom or dad gave me a hug. Well, I'm not that surprised, but I'm that old now. They did when I left for Tucson last year. So yeah, I'm old now.
It was drizzling during most of my Illinois ride. Once I got into Indiana, I was doing 80 in the 55 on the far left lane when someone tried to move in on me. It shook me up a little, and I stopped in Gary for a quick break.
After leaving Gary, it felt like forever to get to Toledo. I stopped for lunch in South Bend - had a triple whopper with cheese, this to be explained later - and only then realized that the College Football Hall of Fame was there. Shoot! Maybe I'll make it on my way back.
The fuel lasted until near Sandusky (actually, the 80-90 is 20 miles south). Gas was only $2.72 there, and was $2.69 back home. My tolls were all paid for with my I-PASS, even in Indiana and Ohio.
I'm staying at a Motel 6 in a suburb of Cleveland, Middlebury Heights. $35.99 a room; I only require so little right now. This hotel's an outdoor one - where I park my car in front of my door. Only a couple of things: the water didn't look clear for drinking, and there's no alarm clock. That's a bummer, because I need to wake up at 8:00 a.m. and leave at 10:00 for Cooperstown.
The budget is holding up well, I'm using the $50 for gambling at Par-a-dice for emergency money instead.
All I really need to do is get a light dinner and go to bed.
Another long day tomorrow - but at least it's somewhere I've never been to. I went to Cleveland once already.
Day 2
Middlebury Heights - Had some trouble sleeping last night, but found myself awake at 6:00 a.m.
I got some McDonalds [last night] and watched a movie with Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. I didn't catch the name of the movie [Bad Boys II], but it was good except for the abrupt ending. Really wanted to see more.
No fast food tax in Ohio. I bought milk to go with my dinner - one for dinner and one for breakfast. The breakfast one didn't last. There's no fridge in the room, nor an ice machine. So I thought it was wise to fill the ice bucket (yeah, an ice bucket, but not ice machine) with cold water. By the time my throat was dry around 3:30 a.m. the milk wasn't all that cold - so I drank it all. Now I have to buy another one.
Five bucks for breakfast before going on the road - an early start. I was going to be out by 10, but maybe now by 9. I'll drive in the heart of Cleveland before heading out toward Pennsylvania. I also have to make one business call and call my grandparents today.
Cooperstown, N.Y. - I'm at the HoJo in Cooperstown. Not a whole lot of people are here.
The drive was just as long, but not as boring. A lot of mountains and snowy ground. The Alleghenys and the Catskills are in southern NY. Drive through Cleveland and Erie this morning. I blew past the "Welcome to Pennsylvania" sign, but stopped before the "Welcome th New York" sign and took a pic of it.
A very, very senic drive all of the way through NY. Once I got there and saw "Binghamton 263" I thought it would have been closer than that. I stopped at the first rest stop in NY and picked up some more brochures for mom and dad. One of them was for the Lucy-Desi Museum in Jamestown (the birthplace of Lucille Ball). I had to stop and at least go to the gift shop.
Had lunch at a Wendy's in Olean. I sat next to a guy who overheard my phone call to one of my freelancers. I said "I'm all the way in New York" [on the phone] and we ended up talking for a bit. He told me about the Revolutionary War battlefields I would pass, as well as the mountains. He also asked where I was from. I said "Northern Illinois" and he told me about his trucking trips through it. I eventually told him I lived in Sterling - and he told me about how the Mill made steel for Progresso Soup cans. I knew a Sterling link would appear somewhere.
Leaving Olean, I drove [through] the Seneca Nation. You could tell not just by the welcoming sign, but the feeling of the road. I'm sure somewhere Chief Iapoppayatire was wishing me "safe travel."
Gassed up again and Chemung. The Sandusky fillup didn't quite make it to Cooperstown. Gas was $2.93 there, twenty cents more than Sandusky.
I arrived in Cooperstown a little before 6:00 p.m. I needed to get a phone card, so I tried to find a pharmacy. Found a CVS in downtown. Real wonderful! Better than Galena. The country is better than Jo Daviess County (and I said once I wanted to retire there). I'll see more tomorrow. Gotta see the pics!
I also bought my dinner there. Cambpells Chunky Beef was on sale. I also got some newspapers. One story on the front mentioned a place I passed - yet ANOTHER Hall of Fame. Sadly, the National Soccer Hall of Fame is closing down.
Watching college basketball and filling out post cards now. More tomorrow.
Day 3
Cooperstown - Made some changes to the plans. I was going to go through central Pennsylvania and eat at a particular restaurant. The restaurant was Denny's Beer Barrel Pub - home of the biggest burgers. After figuring out my fuel budget, I made the cut. My Pair-A-Dice money is now in the fuel budget.
The Hall of Fame was the first place I stopped at. Parking is scarse, and I had to park in a city street a block away. The townhomes are almost right next to the street - there's no front yard.
The Hall of Fame isn't as crowded as I thought it would be. I think it's busier on the weekends. The post office is across the street, so I dropped off my post cards and walked to the front. It was like finally ending that trek to a pilgrimage. At 23, I was at the Baseball Hall of Fame.
It was pretty empty when I got there, but it had only been open for 30 minutes. Okay, I was all alone until about 1/4 of my whole time in. I was kind of surprised - it was no Field Museum, or Milwaukee Art Museum, or Old Tucson. Pretty empty of people. Exhibits, on the other hand, were plentiful.
I walked to the second floor and unknowingly started my adventure at the exit. The first area was artifacts from the recent day. So I thought the end would be artifacts from the early days. Today's items are in an area that looks like a clubhouse locker room. Each locker had the hat or bat or ball or glove used for an important feat of each team in baseball history. There's too much there to remember everything. The McGwire and Bonds homerun bats and balls are there. Tony La Russa's jacket from his 2,000th managerial win is there. Alex Rodriguez's 500th homerun helmet, Geoff Blum's 14th inning single bat, Jeff Bagwell's World Series jersey, just a ton of items! It may want me to go back again.
That's just one area. There's more.
A timeline of baseball artifacts takes up the whole second floor. Rickey Henderson's cleats from his record-setting swipe are among what's there. A lot of jerseys, hats, balls and gloves. There are some other side exhibits during the walking timeline. One of them is an area on Latin American baseball, another on women inb baseball, and an area on the Negro Leagues.
The timeline is where I shot the most pics. The things I really wanted to see were things related to four Hall of Famers: Jim Bottomley, Joe McGinnity, Red Ruffing and Al Spalding. These four were born in Northern Illinois. There's a Ruffing pair of shoes and an award. Bottomley's bat in which he belted seven homeruns in five games is there. There wasn't any McGinnity or Spalding artifacts there, but there was a McGinnity trading card there.
Northern Illinois's other link to the Baseball Hall of Fame was in the women's exhibit. A Rockford Peaches jersey (from A League of their Own) was there, along with a bat from one of the Peaches finest hitters, Dottie Kamenshek.
The last stop of the floor was items from the way-past. The first ball from the first game in which admission was charged was there, as well as old catchers helmets. There was also a whole exhibit dedicated to Babe Ruth - with the No. 60 ball and bat, and the "Called Shot" bat.
Off to the third floor, where most of it was dedicated to the ballparks. A noteable piece is the cornerstone of Ebbets Field, as well as one of the exploding scoreboard pinwheels of old Comiskey Park. A Hank Aaron exhibit followed, with history and artifacts from his career, including the uniform he wore when he hit No. 755. The records exhibit followed, with a wall-to-wall list of all-time records and their Top 10 retired and active stats. A wall of almost every no-hit ball since 1940 was next. The floor's features ended with a brief history of baseball cards and the replaying of Abbott and Costello's "Who's on First" routine on a television.
I made my way down to the first floor, where there was an art exhibit of baseball-related work. Then there was the Holy Grail of the museum - each plaque of each Hall of Famer. I shot the first class, as well as the four area Hall of Famers.
The last thing I saw was artifacts from the media perspective. I learned that the box score was invented by Henry Chadwick - the "first sportswriter" in our nation's history.
The time at the Hall of Fame was capped off by my picture being taken in the Hall gallery, and shopping at the gift shop. Four hours of fun and interesting history was waiting to be discovered.
After putting my gifts in the car, I made my way back to downtown. There are five or six card shops there. I stopped at a couple of them and bought cards. One store had a "quarter box" with cards for a quarter. If there's one thing I love about collecting cards, it's raiding these boxes for good deals. My general rule is 90% off. I know the prices in my head - it doesn't take a whole lot to memorize a Beckett. One shop had autographed 8x10 pics on sale. A lot of current players I've never heard of before. The one football pics in there became mine - one of Marcus Allen. It probably would be more expensive in Canton.
The day in Cooperstown ended with "Lupper" at T.J.s Grill. It was a restaurant on one side and a gift shop on the other. I bought a bacon cheeseburger platter. Even though I got a 10% discount with my HoJo key, the food is pretty expensive - that, and a large coke was around $18!
Doubleday field was the final stop. After snapping the entrance, my camera showed low battery. Time to save it.
I'm back at the hotel. Going to do laundry and check the computer. My day will start very early tomorrow - as I have to work on posting Supersectional stories from tonight.
Day 4
North Canton, Ohio - I didn't expect Wednesday to be much trouble. I was hoping the Supersectional articles would be posted this morning. However, only one was sent. The other had to be waited until later.
We figured I needed to find a computer somewhere between Cooperstown and Canton. [redundant written info omitted]. I either had to find another Hotel with Internet, or find a library. I eventually found one at the Euclid Public Library. They don't require a library card. Cool! I got a hold of the other Supersectional story.
However, I had a huge blow to the day. Someone e-mailed me regarding a comment I made in the Decade Retrospective. It turns out a lawsuit I said was done was not done. Big error. I wrote a statement of retraction.
That is enough to make me pre-write my "State of the Site Address," and try to come up with a Doctrine regarding content.
I'll think of that now, and tomorrow will bring another interesting trip. The Pro Football Hall of Fame is nearby, and will be the final stop before going home. I plan on getting there when they open at 9:00 a.m. I won't spend a whole lot of time there, and plan on leaving by noon. A real light lunch will follow on the way home. I'll have dinner at home.
I'll spend Thursday night home before traveling to Peoria for Eastland-Salt Fork in the morning.
Day 5
North Canton - Almost time to go home.
Sterling - Everything went to plan, and I even gothome early. I visited the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton. It's just as interesting as the Baseball Hall of Fame. A lot of old artifacts - what I like best. This was just a minor stop, as opposed to the main reason why I'm on the trip anyway.
The Football HOF begins with a history of the building before going up a spiral staircase to the timeline of football. This is the stuff I like. I like learning about history, and how it shaped what's going on today.
After the timeline, the actual gallery was next. There were a lot of people in it, and pro football is about 50 years younger than pro baseball[, and 25 years younger than prep football]. The room was dark and shiny with a lot of busts.
I then sat down to hear a presentation about oddball stuff there. I got to touch a pair of shoes used in a George Clooney football movie. We saw the first nose protector and knee pad, a piece of the Pontiac Silverdome, the panel from Art Rooney's private office-to-lockeroom elevator, and electrical wire used to heat the field for the Ice Bowl game (the wire didn't work).
There's an exhibit on secondary leagues (AFL, USFL, etc.) and one on today's game (similar to baseball). A Super Bowl history exhibit followed, and I sat in a theatre to see the Steeler-Cardinal Super Bowl game in a theatre-like screen.
I was the only one in the theatre. Like the Baseball Hall of Fame experience, there weren't too many people in it. I went on a good day.
After leaving Canton, I began my trek home. Wasn't much to see - and I stayed in the left lane the entire time. I hit rain in Indiana, and heavy rain in the Southland. I got home around 7:45 p.m.
The end.
It was a really fun trip! I enjoyed the drive to and from. I enjoyed the places I went to. If given the opportunity to do it again, I'd do it. I earn two weeks vacation in July. I'll be done with college too - so it may make the vacation a bit more fun. I found myself worrying about schoolwork at times.
Absolutely fun!
Pictures are on my MySpace photo album.
Friday, March 5, 2010
2 more days
Cutter's Log - Stardate 0102.50.30
Current Song - American Boy (Estelle/Kanye West)
Did I really put a Kanye West song as the song that's stuck in my head right now?
Two more days until takeoff for vacation. The plans have changed a bit. I'm leaving on Sunday morning and driving to Cleveland, where I'm staying overnight. I'll take off for Cooperstown that morning. I'm leaving Wednesday morning for Canton. The Pro Football Hall of Fame is there. So I'll be visiting that, too.
I'm pulling another all-nighter, and for good reason. I'll be in the TZ this morning, and plan on staying until this project of mine is done. This is all I plan on doing Friday. Hopefully I can survive this. As far as the class goes, usually I make a goal for all of my classes to be passed with a "C" - however, I will be satisfied with a "D" because I can afford it to graduate.
---
I am also considering making a Facebook fan page for NISB. This is just so that there can be fans, and people can say they're fans of it. I can post all of the NISB updates that I usually post under my own personal profile with it, so those friends who don't really give a hoot about what I post don't have to read all through it. This will probaly never be accomplished.
Current Song - American Boy (Estelle/Kanye West)
Did I really put a Kanye West song as the song that's stuck in my head right now?
Two more days until takeoff for vacation. The plans have changed a bit. I'm leaving on Sunday morning and driving to Cleveland, where I'm staying overnight. I'll take off for Cooperstown that morning. I'm leaving Wednesday morning for Canton. The Pro Football Hall of Fame is there. So I'll be visiting that, too.
I'm pulling another all-nighter, and for good reason. I'll be in the TZ this morning, and plan on staying until this project of mine is done. This is all I plan on doing Friday. Hopefully I can survive this. As far as the class goes, usually I make a goal for all of my classes to be passed with a "C" - however, I will be satisfied with a "D" because I can afford it to graduate.
---
I am also considering making a Facebook fan page for NISB. This is just so that there can be fans, and people can say they're fans of it. I can post all of the NISB updates that I usually post under my own personal profile with it, so those friends who don't really give a hoot about what I post don't have to read all through it. This will probaly never be accomplished.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Allergic to Romance
Cutter's Log - Stardate 0102.20.30
Current Song - Just The Way You Are (Billy Joel)
Eh, Eh, Ehhh CHOO!!!!!
I have never really had any allergies. Sometimes I find myself sneezing when I look into the sunlight. However, it seems as if any time I daydream of something romantic I begin to sneeze. This has only begun to occur within the past year or so. I can't tell if this is the higher beings telling me to stay away from it or what.
I think about love, and I sneeze. If it's the real thing, I'm going to have a severe cold - and no one wants that.
So I can't have this? Why?
Revealing this is kind of hard to do, because people can go many different directions in assuming things. However, if I keep it in my head too long I'm never going to understand why. I've never had much luck in being in relationships with girls (well they're women now), and to this day I always try.
I've found out through the years that you need to have an actual reason. I think I was doing this willy-nilly and thats why it would never work. Everyone keeps telling me that I will find true love one day, those same people have found true love many times to this date.
When will this one day be? What will happen? How will this come about? I think someone has to just walk on by one day and something will click in my head. I'm still waiting for that moment.
It has to filter through many tests, and quite often it doesn't reach the top. I can detect turn-offs in many ways - mainly one's mannerisms.
I guess the emphasis on the turn-offs would help the sneezing problem. It would also make the search for true love somewhat more difficult.
So when I have a cold, it's probably ...
Current Song - Just The Way You Are (Billy Joel)
Eh, Eh, Ehhh CHOO!!!!!
I have never really had any allergies. Sometimes I find myself sneezing when I look into the sunlight. However, it seems as if any time I daydream of something romantic I begin to sneeze. This has only begun to occur within the past year or so. I can't tell if this is the higher beings telling me to stay away from it or what.
I think about love, and I sneeze. If it's the real thing, I'm going to have a severe cold - and no one wants that.
So I can't have this? Why?
Revealing this is kind of hard to do, because people can go many different directions in assuming things. However, if I keep it in my head too long I'm never going to understand why. I've never had much luck in being in relationships with girls (well they're women now), and to this day I always try.
I've found out through the years that you need to have an actual reason. I think I was doing this willy-nilly and thats why it would never work. Everyone keeps telling me that I will find true love one day, those same people have found true love many times to this date.
When will this one day be? What will happen? How will this come about? I think someone has to just walk on by one day and something will click in my head. I'm still waiting for that moment.
It has to filter through many tests, and quite often it doesn't reach the top. I can detect turn-offs in many ways - mainly one's mannerisms.
I guess the emphasis on the turn-offs would help the sneezing problem. It would also make the search for true love somewhat more difficult.
So when I have a cold, it's probably ...
Monday, March 1, 2010
Content Sharing
Cutter's Log - Stardate 0102.10.30
Current Song - Take a Bow (Madonna)
In an effort to cut travel costs, many newspapers are making deals with opposing teams' newspapers to cover their "road" games. One reporter is at the game, instead of the home reporter and visitor reporter.
Two ways in doing this can be done: That one reporter may write a version of the article in the home view, and then edit the piece to make it look like one in the visitor's view. The other way has to do with schools that have more than one paper covering them; one writer will write the same article for both papers.
It's a step in the right direction for the newspapers. What used to be capsules are now actually written by someone. No company is more active in this than Shaw, and the Small Group realizes this: pieces seen in the Dispatch/Argus and Ottawa Times are being seen in Shaw papers and vice versa. Another plus on the Shaw side will be the formation of the Northern Illinois Big 12, which has three Shaw connections (SV/Morris/DeKalb).
The biggest complaint that will rise from all of this will be the "bias" or "slant" toward the reporter's primary team. They'll say, "why didn't the paper send a reporter to this game?" Hopefully they now know of this important cost-cutting measure in order to keep the good sports sections still looking good.
Current Song - Take a Bow (Madonna)
In an effort to cut travel costs, many newspapers are making deals with opposing teams' newspapers to cover their "road" games. One reporter is at the game, instead of the home reporter and visitor reporter.
Two ways in doing this can be done: That one reporter may write a version of the article in the home view, and then edit the piece to make it look like one in the visitor's view. The other way has to do with schools that have more than one paper covering them; one writer will write the same article for both papers.
It's a step in the right direction for the newspapers. What used to be capsules are now actually written by someone. No company is more active in this than Shaw, and the Small Group realizes this: pieces seen in the Dispatch/Argus and Ottawa Times are being seen in Shaw papers and vice versa. Another plus on the Shaw side will be the formation of the Northern Illinois Big 12, which has three Shaw connections (SV/Morris/DeKalb).
The biggest complaint that will rise from all of this will be the "bias" or "slant" toward the reporter's primary team. They'll say, "why didn't the paper send a reporter to this game?" Hopefully they now know of this important cost-cutting measure in order to keep the good sports sections still looking good.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Bored Again
Cutter's Log - Stardate 0102.22.20
Current Song - 1234 (Feist)
It's just past 3:45 p.m. and I have an hour left to kill before I go to work. Class went okay today, I started on an assignment and got halfway done. The T-shirt assignment is falling through quickly, it just got to the point where he just wanted me to turn it in and get it over with. After this assignment I'm working on now, there's another one that involves the T-shirt. Sigh.
I'm trying to find a informative speech topic. I have to write something up, and then present it on Wendesday. Two-to-Four sources. Five-to-seven minutes. I think I have something going on a little bit of local history involving alternate reality. To be worked on Tuesday morning, maybe even after I get done with work tonight.
Current Song - 1234 (Feist)
It's just past 3:45 p.m. and I have an hour left to kill before I go to work. Class went okay today, I started on an assignment and got halfway done. The T-shirt assignment is falling through quickly, it just got to the point where he just wanted me to turn it in and get it over with. After this assignment I'm working on now, there's another one that involves the T-shirt. Sigh.
I'm trying to find a informative speech topic. I have to write something up, and then present it on Wendesday. Two-to-Four sources. Five-to-seven minutes. I think I have something going on a little bit of local history involving alternate reality. To be worked on Tuesday morning, maybe even after I get done with work tonight.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Even More Plans
Cutter's Log - Stardate 0102.02.20
Current Song - Peg (Steely Dan)
I'm beginning to prepare for my little adventures within the next month. I found me a Super 8 with a business center in Washington, which is a few miles from Peoria. $40/night for next weekend, and $57/night for the small school boys State Final weekend. I'll be doing the ol' drive down-drive up for the large school boys. I'll make my reservations tonight or tomorrow.
It won't be my first alone-at-a-hotel experience. I earned a free room at the Isle of Capri in Bettendorf a couple of years back. It'll just be my first experience with my credit card.
I also found a hotel for my Cooperstown trip. I'm taking 2/3 of my remaining savings for the vacation. Hopefully I don't spend it all.
Over the next couple of weeks, I'll be making lists of what to take, etc. I'm just as elaborate in planning everything like my Mom is.
Current Song - Peg (Steely Dan)
I'm beginning to prepare for my little adventures within the next month. I found me a Super 8 with a business center in Washington, which is a few miles from Peoria. $40/night for next weekend, and $57/night for the small school boys State Final weekend. I'll be doing the ol' drive down-drive up for the large school boys. I'll make my reservations tonight or tomorrow.
It won't be my first alone-at-a-hotel experience. I earned a free room at the Isle of Capri in Bettendorf a couple of years back. It'll just be my first experience with my credit card.
I also found a hotel for my Cooperstown trip. I'm taking 2/3 of my remaining savings for the vacation. Hopefully I don't spend it all.
Over the next couple of weeks, I'll be making lists of what to take, etc. I'm just as elaborate in planning everything like my Mom is.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
$$$ to be a bit tight
Cutter's Log - Stardate 0102.81.20
Current Song - Deacon Blues (Steely Dan)
This week will be a tough one as far as money is concerned. My second Sauk tuition payment is this week, plus my website fee is due within the week. Plus I'm paying for a freelance opp as well.
On top of that, there are things I can't find. My IHSA General Media Pass, my checks, and a couple of envelopes with last year's tax information. I'm beginning to think I keep too many things.
Current Song - Deacon Blues (Steely Dan)
This week will be a tough one as far as money is concerned. My second Sauk tuition payment is this week, plus my website fee is due within the week. Plus I'm paying for a freelance opp as well.
On top of that, there are things I can't find. My IHSA General Media Pass, my checks, and a couple of envelopes with last year's tax information. I'm beginning to think I keep too many things.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
V-Day Post
Cutter's Log - Stardate 0102.41.20
Current Song - Just The Way You Are (Billy Joel)
I never really posted anything special on Valentine's Day. It's just something that I outgrew during high school. Not that I outgrew it, but its significance meant less and less to me since I never could quite take advantage of the day.
The last think I did for Valentines Day was give the whole girls basketball team roses, back when I was a manager for them.
Every Valentines day I take a moment and remember all things "love" in my life. There's family, as always, but it doesn't have much empahasis as the girls I've met. I think about my family every day. I haven't really had strong feelings for a girl since my senior year of high school.
All I could do was look back and cherish what was what back then. Out of all of these, there is still someone who resonates in my heart. Everyone else left, except her. I still see her once in a while, and every time I do it's as if everything back then is coming back to me.
I still love her.
Why exactly do I love her? I wasn't really able to answer that question when I was in school, but I can kind of answer it now. She's really the only one of them who has some sort of understanding for who I am. She'll still talk to me, and is still glad to see me.
Now if I could just do something about it - to try to put the right words together.
Current Song - Just The Way You Are (Billy Joel)
I never really posted anything special on Valentine's Day. It's just something that I outgrew during high school. Not that I outgrew it, but its significance meant less and less to me since I never could quite take advantage of the day.
The last think I did for Valentines Day was give the whole girls basketball team roses, back when I was a manager for them.
Every Valentines day I take a moment and remember all things "love" in my life. There's family, as always, but it doesn't have much empahasis as the girls I've met. I think about my family every day. I haven't really had strong feelings for a girl since my senior year of high school.
All I could do was look back and cherish what was what back then. Out of all of these, there is still someone who resonates in my heart. Everyone else left, except her. I still see her once in a while, and every time I do it's as if everything back then is coming back to me.
I still love her.
Why exactly do I love her? I wasn't really able to answer that question when I was in school, but I can kind of answer it now. She's really the only one of them who has some sort of understanding for who I am. She'll still talk to me, and is still glad to see me.
Now if I could just do something about it - to try to put the right words together.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Getting a schedule together
Cutter's Log - Stardate 0102.21.20
Current Song - Virtual Insanity (Jamiroquai)
I had planned to go to the Riverdale girls basketball regional final yesterday, but had a bunch of things to do at home. I had to think of a speech topic, think about what I'm doing for classes, etc. It's stuff that's more important to me than going to a basketball game. When I'm done with school, it'll be the reverse: the game will be more important.
I'm going to try to make it to the Sterling wrestling sectionals. They start at 3:00 p.m. and I need to leave at 4:45 for work. Since I know I'm going to not cover the duration, I hope I can get some pictures in. I think I'll have 2/3s of the meet shot before I have to leave.
My Tuesday plans have changed. Marquette girls beat Newark for their regional final. I was hoping Newark would make it. A Newark-HBR girls game is worth more than the price of admission. Since that's not going to happen, I'm not going to cover it. Instead, there's a good boys game pitting West Carroll and Forreston that night. Friday night will be spent up in Dakota for the third of four Dakota-South Beloit games. Saturday will either be spent at the Rock Island swimming sectional (out by 3:30) or at home worrying about whatever schoolwork I need to do.
Wrestling will be my focus for the following week. I know my wrestling friends have kind of looked down on my for a lack of coverage. You can blame it partially on the class system, team schedules, and everything being on a Saturday. Saturdays are bad for me since I'm needed at work. They will continue to be bad as long as I keep working at the Shell station. I pretty much have to make the website a full concenration before I get better.
I'm not a fan of the new team Sectional format, but only from a media coverage standpoint. I didn't know where I was going to go, but it was going to be either Oregon, Geneseo or Fremd. The Oregon sectional has two matches going on at the same time, so that's going to be hell to cover. But I simply can't do two at once. The Geneseo Sectional has Sterling and Sycamore against each other. Seen both. The Fremd Sectional has Hononegah against Barrington. Really leaning on heading all the way to Palatine, where Fremd is, on Tuesday.
After that, I'll know what to do that weekend.
Current Song - Virtual Insanity (Jamiroquai)
I had planned to go to the Riverdale girls basketball regional final yesterday, but had a bunch of things to do at home. I had to think of a speech topic, think about what I'm doing for classes, etc. It's stuff that's more important to me than going to a basketball game. When I'm done with school, it'll be the reverse: the game will be more important.
I'm going to try to make it to the Sterling wrestling sectionals. They start at 3:00 p.m. and I need to leave at 4:45 for work. Since I know I'm going to not cover the duration, I hope I can get some pictures in. I think I'll have 2/3s of the meet shot before I have to leave.
My Tuesday plans have changed. Marquette girls beat Newark for their regional final. I was hoping Newark would make it. A Newark-HBR girls game is worth more than the price of admission. Since that's not going to happen, I'm not going to cover it. Instead, there's a good boys game pitting West Carroll and Forreston that night. Friday night will be spent up in Dakota for the third of four Dakota-South Beloit games. Saturday will either be spent at the Rock Island swimming sectional (out by 3:30) or at home worrying about whatever schoolwork I need to do.
Wrestling will be my focus for the following week. I know my wrestling friends have kind of looked down on my for a lack of coverage. You can blame it partially on the class system, team schedules, and everything being on a Saturday. Saturdays are bad for me since I'm needed at work. They will continue to be bad as long as I keep working at the Shell station. I pretty much have to make the website a full concenration before I get better.
I'm not a fan of the new team Sectional format, but only from a media coverage standpoint. I didn't know where I was going to go, but it was going to be either Oregon, Geneseo or Fremd. The Oregon sectional has two matches going on at the same time, so that's going to be hell to cover. But I simply can't do two at once. The Geneseo Sectional has Sterling and Sycamore against each other. Seen both. The Fremd Sectional has Hononegah against Barrington. Really leaning on heading all the way to Palatine, where Fremd is, on Tuesday.
After that, I'll know what to do that weekend.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
WSN
Cutter's Log - Stardate 0102.11.20
Current Song - Let's Groove (Earth, Wind and Fire)
It's time we revisit an old condensed version of what I type on here. Work, School, NISB - or WSN for short.
Work: The hours are pretty much staying in place, with 33. Depending if I'm bored today, it may be 34. It doesn't look as if there'll be any more than that. Everything's pretty tight with school and NISB stuff. Things are going okay, but I feel somewhat uncomfortable with some of the changes.
Ever since I started working at gas stations, I've tried to find a way to do things at a pace and a schedule that workes best for me. It's worked, and if it didn't, I don't think I'd be in the business. I go at a very informal pace. I don't like to act like a robot when I do my work, as I see in many other stations. I try to be colorful when I can. I'm not "gas station clerk," I'm "Cody." There's a reason for our name tags.
The system I've used for more than a year and a half is different than everyone else's. That's the reason why Mary wouldn't let me train new employees. Heck, even Wende let me train someone when I was in Dixon. I feel there's a danger to the system I've built over that time. The typical repsonse to something like this is just to change things. Now I'm not going to be stubborn and not budge. I'm always trying to find ways to tweak how I work, and trying to keep people happy at the same time.
Maybe its a gender thing.
School: The speech class is going great. That's odd. I conducted my first speech last night about me being a high school sports writer. Speech is not my thing, as many people know. I get lost a lot. Everyone else that performed knew what they were going to say. The constant stumbling I figured would cost me a lot, considering the other speeches had some flaws in them too.
I got a B+ in my first speech????
I tried to find a straight half-circle in there somewhere to make it look like a "D" but it was indeed a "B." One less sidetrack from possibly getting an "A"? I think what made it good was the introduction. Everyone else began with a question. I spoke how I would write. The ledes I write in my stories are supposed to grab attention. The one peer comment that was constant was about how good my intro was. Another one was how the subject matter was interesting.
One thing I tried to avoid in my speech is the uttering of "I'm going to tell you about". To me, it seems real generic, and cut and paste. I didn't say it, but on my evaluation sheet it was pointed out that I didn't state the main points in the introduction. I'm pretty sure I did. However, it wasn't interpreted to the audience as main points. If I would have emphasized it with a louder voice it probably would have made more sense.
Wednesday's Tech Zone class was bi-polar. I had been at a moot point in my drawing for quite some time. It so happened that the instructor came upon my work. At first, it was a question about knowing how to do certain things. He sat at my computer. The two of us, and another instructor, pretty much dissected not only my drawing, but my computer's settings and program management. I could only sit there and doze off.
In the end, it was determined that I had to start the drawing all over again, and do it the "correct" way. I thought I was doing it the correct way. Apparently not. So that plummeted me a lot. When I finally did it the "correct" way it seemed much easier. I can't wait to go back and work on it again. Did I just type that??
NISB: Everything's going okay right now. I've got my three freelancers lined up and have determined what's going to be covered. The content side of things should be okay.
The boards have me worrying a bit. The decline of the Illinois Hoops board led to many people jumping to my board. Their banter is somewhat different than what my board had been. I have a feeling it's turned away many long-time message board posters. Because I opened the floodgates and let them in? Some of it is childish. Some of it is good. However the childish ones overshadow the new wave of analysis.
I'd appreciate any feedback on this matter.
Current Song - Let's Groove (Earth, Wind and Fire)
It's time we revisit an old condensed version of what I type on here. Work, School, NISB - or WSN for short.
Work: The hours are pretty much staying in place, with 33. Depending if I'm bored today, it may be 34. It doesn't look as if there'll be any more than that. Everything's pretty tight with school and NISB stuff. Things are going okay, but I feel somewhat uncomfortable with some of the changes.
Ever since I started working at gas stations, I've tried to find a way to do things at a pace and a schedule that workes best for me. It's worked, and if it didn't, I don't think I'd be in the business. I go at a very informal pace. I don't like to act like a robot when I do my work, as I see in many other stations. I try to be colorful when I can. I'm not "gas station clerk," I'm "Cody." There's a reason for our name tags.
The system I've used for more than a year and a half is different than everyone else's. That's the reason why Mary wouldn't let me train new employees. Heck, even Wende let me train someone when I was in Dixon. I feel there's a danger to the system I've built over that time. The typical repsonse to something like this is just to change things. Now I'm not going to be stubborn and not budge. I'm always trying to find ways to tweak how I work, and trying to keep people happy at the same time.
Maybe its a gender thing.
School: The speech class is going great. That's odd. I conducted my first speech last night about me being a high school sports writer. Speech is not my thing, as many people know. I get lost a lot. Everyone else that performed knew what they were going to say. The constant stumbling I figured would cost me a lot, considering the other speeches had some flaws in them too.
I got a B+ in my first speech????
I tried to find a straight half-circle in there somewhere to make it look like a "D" but it was indeed a "B." One less sidetrack from possibly getting an "A"? I think what made it good was the introduction. Everyone else began with a question. I spoke how I would write. The ledes I write in my stories are supposed to grab attention. The one peer comment that was constant was about how good my intro was. Another one was how the subject matter was interesting.
One thing I tried to avoid in my speech is the uttering of "I'm going to tell you about". To me, it seems real generic, and cut and paste. I didn't say it, but on my evaluation sheet it was pointed out that I didn't state the main points in the introduction. I'm pretty sure I did. However, it wasn't interpreted to the audience as main points. If I would have emphasized it with a louder voice it probably would have made more sense.
Wednesday's Tech Zone class was bi-polar. I had been at a moot point in my drawing for quite some time. It so happened that the instructor came upon my work. At first, it was a question about knowing how to do certain things. He sat at my computer. The two of us, and another instructor, pretty much dissected not only my drawing, but my computer's settings and program management. I could only sit there and doze off.
In the end, it was determined that I had to start the drawing all over again, and do it the "correct" way. I thought I was doing it the correct way. Apparently not. So that plummeted me a lot. When I finally did it the "correct" way it seemed much easier. I can't wait to go back and work on it again. Did I just type that??
NISB: Everything's going okay right now. I've got my three freelancers lined up and have determined what's going to be covered. The content side of things should be okay.
The boards have me worrying a bit. The decline of the Illinois Hoops board led to many people jumping to my board. Their banter is somewhat different than what my board had been. I have a feeling it's turned away many long-time message board posters. Because I opened the floodgates and let them in? Some of it is childish. Some of it is good. However the childish ones overshadow the new wave of analysis.
I'd appreciate any feedback on this matter.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Things from back then
Cutter's Log - Stardate 0102.01.20
Current Song - ...
Just got done experiencing a revisit of the first time I got hooked on Jazz Music and Casinos.
The Nick bumper looks something like French cinema, something I got kind of hooked onto after watching Band of Outsiders in film class.
The casino music isn't all that great. Plug your ears.
Nickiseverydaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyy.......
Current Song - ...
Just got done experiencing a revisit of the first time I got hooked on Jazz Music and Casinos.
The Nick bumper looks something like French cinema, something I got kind of hooked onto after watching Band of Outsiders in film class.
The casino music isn't all that great. Plug your ears.
Nickiseverydaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyy.......
Sunday, February 7, 2010
It's official ... It's THAT bad
Cutter's Log - Stardate 9002.70.20
Current Song - Boomin' Bump (John Baker)
The Graphic Design class I am taking is now the worst class I have ever taken at the college level. It surpasses a Sociology class, one I actually withdrew from.
If only I could explain how BAD the help is with the class. A substitute for asking the teacher for help are the "Help Files," which don't provide real "help" at all. If you can't understand half of the things on the "help file" then there's a problem. I've hit an impasse in the class, stuck dead in the water. An assignment that has step-by-step instructions is missing MANY steps.
I have the t-shirt design traced on Illustrator, and need to fill in the colors. Now what? Illustrator is another problem. Now, if I drew the thing on Microsoft Paint, I think I could do it. Paint is like your simple tool set: hammer, flathead, phillips, pliers, wrench, tape measure, etc. Illustrator contains hexes, a 157/259s wrench, 55 different kinds of hammers, a punch, and other stuff that just isn't needed. There's no paint bucket tool. It's eraser tool - get this - doesn't erase, instead it forms a black eye on the drawing.
My t-shirt will be blue and orange. Not dark blue, light blue, transparent blue, whatever pantone number it is blue. Buh-looo.
You find out what these classes are like by reading a description about them in the college catalog. Only after you sign up, pay the money, etc you get to find out what the class is really like. That's for the people who'll say "well YOU signed up for it."
Pass this and I graduate. This makes my SPEECH CLASS look easy.
There's no light. Too many layers.
Current Song - Boomin' Bump (John Baker)
The Graphic Design class I am taking is now the worst class I have ever taken at the college level. It surpasses a Sociology class, one I actually withdrew from.
If only I could explain how BAD the help is with the class. A substitute for asking the teacher for help are the "Help Files," which don't provide real "help" at all. If you can't understand half of the things on the "help file" then there's a problem. I've hit an impasse in the class, stuck dead in the water. An assignment that has step-by-step instructions is missing MANY steps.
I have the t-shirt design traced on Illustrator, and need to fill in the colors. Now what? Illustrator is another problem. Now, if I drew the thing on Microsoft Paint, I think I could do it. Paint is like your simple tool set: hammer, flathead, phillips, pliers, wrench, tape measure, etc. Illustrator contains hexes, a 157/259s wrench, 55 different kinds of hammers, a punch, and other stuff that just isn't needed. There's no paint bucket tool. It's eraser tool - get this - doesn't erase, instead it forms a black eye on the drawing.
My t-shirt will be blue and orange. Not dark blue, light blue, transparent blue, whatever pantone number it is blue. Buh-looo.
You find out what these classes are like by reading a description about them in the college catalog. Only after you sign up, pay the money, etc you get to find out what the class is really like. That's for the people who'll say "well YOU signed up for it."
Pass this and I graduate. This makes my SPEECH CLASS look easy.
There's no light. Too many layers.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Bored
Cutter's Log - Stardate 0102.50.20
Current Song - West End Girls (Pet Shop Boys)
I slept from 11:00 p.m. Wednesday night until 2:45 p.m. Thursday afternoon. Nearly 16 hours of sleep, interrupted by a brief awakening at 7:45 a.m. It wasn't good.
It's about 5:15 in the morning right now. I have an 8:00 a.m. class, and I'm only planning on staying for the full 50 minutes. I'm behind in this class. A lot of it is because I've struggled to become familiar with the settings. Then there are days like these.
I worked last night. I don't get home until around 1:15 in the morning. Then I check the boards, e-mail, etc. which usually takes until 3:00. Four hours of sleep? It usually takes me four hours TO sleep! Right now is this boredom time that I go through until the start of class. I'll be out the door in two hours.
When I get off of class, I'll be heading to the bank. If I have enough energy, I'm going on another day trip.
No game tonight. I have a freelancer doing something tonight.
I'm kicking the lottery habit, too. Since the publication that contains my lucky numbers isn't publishing anymore, I have no numbers to go by. I have one draw left on my first Powerball ticket. I got back $6 on a 13-draw Lotto ticket. I'm keeping the $6.
As far as the "other" habit, I hit a two-year low in the weight department yesterday. I'm down 36 from my high.
I may take pics tomorrow at the Newman Wrestling Regional. That is, if I get up early enough. If I do, that'll make the day a "normal" one. A "normal" day is waking up in the morning, and going to bed at night. I don't do this a whole lot.
I had my first speech in speech class on Wednesday. The peer results were okay. I had a great introduction. I didn't do as well in the delivery part of it. I was suggested to study the speech more and put more in the outline. A lot of pauses and being lost. I won't really know exactly how much my autism will impact my grade.
Geez I'm rambling.
What came first: the chicken or the egg? The egg. Chickens come from eggs. Eggs come from more than just chickens. A penguin egg could have hatched and a really deformed penguin (one that looks like a chicken) could have come out.
Mr. Johnson isn't as bad as people percieve him to be. The managers are the ones spreading the word about their disagreements with him to their morning crowds.
Current Song - West End Girls (Pet Shop Boys)
I slept from 11:00 p.m. Wednesday night until 2:45 p.m. Thursday afternoon. Nearly 16 hours of sleep, interrupted by a brief awakening at 7:45 a.m. It wasn't good.
It's about 5:15 in the morning right now. I have an 8:00 a.m. class, and I'm only planning on staying for the full 50 minutes. I'm behind in this class. A lot of it is because I've struggled to become familiar with the settings. Then there are days like these.
I worked last night. I don't get home until around 1:15 in the morning. Then I check the boards, e-mail, etc. which usually takes until 3:00. Four hours of sleep? It usually takes me four hours TO sleep! Right now is this boredom time that I go through until the start of class. I'll be out the door in two hours.
When I get off of class, I'll be heading to the bank. If I have enough energy, I'm going on another day trip.
No game tonight. I have a freelancer doing something tonight.
I'm kicking the lottery habit, too. Since the publication that contains my lucky numbers isn't publishing anymore, I have no numbers to go by. I have one draw left on my first Powerball ticket. I got back $6 on a 13-draw Lotto ticket. I'm keeping the $6.
As far as the "other" habit, I hit a two-year low in the weight department yesterday. I'm down 36 from my high.
I may take pics tomorrow at the Newman Wrestling Regional. That is, if I get up early enough. If I do, that'll make the day a "normal" one. A "normal" day is waking up in the morning, and going to bed at night. I don't do this a whole lot.
I had my first speech in speech class on Wednesday. The peer results were okay. I had a great introduction. I didn't do as well in the delivery part of it. I was suggested to study the speech more and put more in the outline. A lot of pauses and being lost. I won't really know exactly how much my autism will impact my grade.
Geez I'm rambling.
What came first: the chicken or the egg? The egg. Chickens come from eggs. Eggs come from more than just chickens. A penguin egg could have hatched and a really deformed penguin (one that looks like a chicken) could have come out.
Mr. Johnson isn't as bad as people percieve him to be. The managers are the ones spreading the word about their disagreements with him to their morning crowds.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
This Year's Spring Break goes to ...
Cutter's Log - Stardate 0102.30.20
Current Song - California Love (Tupac and Dr. Dre)
No it's not California.
Last year's Spring Break was spent with my grandparents in Tucson. It was farther than anywhere I've ever gone before.
My SVCC Spring Break is from March 6-14. I made my vacation from work from the 8th to the 14th. The week works well with the state basketball tournament, which is being held on the 12th and 13th. I plan on attending both days of the tournament.
This leaves a whole four days to myself with not much to do. Tuesday night is the NIU Super-Sectional, but I'm planning on having my freelancers do it.
So where can I go in four days? I thought about for a while. It is going to be somewhere farther than the longest family vacation: Cleveland/Rock and Roll HOF was travelled to in 10 hours by car. That's including being stuck in Gary traffic, sitting down to eat lunch, and resting at a rest stop. I don't really require all of this.
The 8th would be spent driving to the location. The 9th and 10th would be spent vacationing. The 11th would be spent driving back home.
I thought long and hard about a place I wanted to go to. It was difficult, because to be honest, there's not a lot of places I want to see. I can see Mount Rushmore on the Internet. I know what it looks like.
Here were some of the options, with some comments:
Montreal - I've never been to a major Canadian city before, and this one has more of an old-style feeling than Toronto. Ends up being too far, and I don't want to get into much difficulty with Customs.
Riverside, Iowa - Not for the gambling, but there's a monument dedicated to James T. Kirk. It's the Future Birthplace of James T. Kirk (of Star Trek fame). Back when I used to watch The Next Generation, and the later movie "Generations" I wanted to visit this place. I grew out of the Star Trek thing a while ago.
New York - Ends up being a trip to be planned out years in advance. Once I establish myself as having a life, then I can safely visit it.
Boston - I have a bit of liking to that colonial feeling.
Philadelphia - see above
Graceland - I've always wanted to visit it, but my mother wants to visit it more than I do. It just doesn't seem right to have a view of it before she does.
Then it hit me ...
Cooperstown, NY
The Baseball Hall of Fame. Always wanted to go there, but never thought much about it until looking at a map. The HOF would be a wonderful place to visit, and there's some more things in Cooperstown too. May as well get a whiff of Niagra Falls while I'm driving there.
Drive up on the ninth. Art museum and Farmer's museum on the tenth. HOF on the eleventh. Drive back on the twelfth.
Now for a hotel with Internet access for a three-night stay. I'm going alone. I'm looking at maybe $300 for the duration. Light lunches and good dinners. $30.50 for the three places' admission. Budget $150 for fuel. $100 for buying things. $100 for odds and ends. $200 in reserve cash. A good $900 to be budgeted for the trip.
Should be a good one.
Current Song - California Love (Tupac and Dr. Dre)
No it's not California.
Last year's Spring Break was spent with my grandparents in Tucson. It was farther than anywhere I've ever gone before.
My SVCC Spring Break is from March 6-14. I made my vacation from work from the 8th to the 14th. The week works well with the state basketball tournament, which is being held on the 12th and 13th. I plan on attending both days of the tournament.
This leaves a whole four days to myself with not much to do. Tuesday night is the NIU Super-Sectional, but I'm planning on having my freelancers do it.
So where can I go in four days? I thought about for a while. It is going to be somewhere farther than the longest family vacation: Cleveland/Rock and Roll HOF was travelled to in 10 hours by car. That's including being stuck in Gary traffic, sitting down to eat lunch, and resting at a rest stop. I don't really require all of this.
The 8th would be spent driving to the location. The 9th and 10th would be spent vacationing. The 11th would be spent driving back home.
I thought long and hard about a place I wanted to go to. It was difficult, because to be honest, there's not a lot of places I want to see. I can see Mount Rushmore on the Internet. I know what it looks like.
Here were some of the options, with some comments:
Montreal - I've never been to a major Canadian city before, and this one has more of an old-style feeling than Toronto. Ends up being too far, and I don't want to get into much difficulty with Customs.
Riverside, Iowa - Not for the gambling, but there's a monument dedicated to James T. Kirk. It's the Future Birthplace of James T. Kirk (of Star Trek fame). Back when I used to watch The Next Generation, and the later movie "Generations" I wanted to visit this place. I grew out of the Star Trek thing a while ago.
New York - Ends up being a trip to be planned out years in advance. Once I establish myself as having a life, then I can safely visit it.
Boston - I have a bit of liking to that colonial feeling.
Philadelphia - see above
Graceland - I've always wanted to visit it, but my mother wants to visit it more than I do. It just doesn't seem right to have a view of it before she does.
Then it hit me ...
Cooperstown, NY
The Baseball Hall of Fame. Always wanted to go there, but never thought much about it until looking at a map. The HOF would be a wonderful place to visit, and there's some more things in Cooperstown too. May as well get a whiff of Niagra Falls while I'm driving there.
Drive up on the ninth. Art museum and Farmer's museum on the tenth. HOF on the eleventh. Drive back on the twelfth.
Now for a hotel with Internet access for a three-night stay. I'm going alone. I'm looking at maybe $300 for the duration. Light lunches and good dinners. $30.50 for the three places' admission. Budget $150 for fuel. $100 for buying things. $100 for odds and ends. $200 in reserve cash. A good $900 to be budgeted for the trip.
Should be a good one.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
More Car Trouble
Cutter's Log - Supplemental
I have trouble with my sense of smell. I can't smell anything in my car. I can't even smell the fresh strawberry air freshener "tree" in my car.
I wasn't able to smell the coolant leak in my car until my dad drove it one day and noticed it. He said he could smell it, but I can't. I'm calling my repairman tomorrow morning to see if he can work on it.
Luckilly I don't have to go anywhere for the rest of the week. I'm going to have freelancers cover a couple of things. I don't plan on covering anything until 2/12 @ Riverdale. I'm also planning on having a basketball game covered that day, so if I miss this regional, it'll be okay. But 2/16 I'm dead set on going to the Mooseheart Sectional semifinal.
I have trouble with my sense of smell. I can't smell anything in my car. I can't even smell the fresh strawberry air freshener "tree" in my car.
I wasn't able to smell the coolant leak in my car until my dad drove it one day and noticed it. He said he could smell it, but I can't. I'm calling my repairman tomorrow morning to see if he can work on it.
Luckilly I don't have to go anywhere for the rest of the week. I'm going to have freelancers cover a couple of things. I don't plan on covering anything until 2/12 @ Riverdale. I'm also planning on having a basketball game covered that day, so if I miss this regional, it'll be okay. But 2/16 I'm dead set on going to the Mooseheart Sectional semifinal.
The Thought Process
Cutter's Log - Stardate 0102.20.20
Current Song - Walkin' On The Sun (Smashmouth)
I have a unique thought process.
I was born with it. It often irritates people. It involves finding flaws with people's arguments. If I find the flaw, I'll say it. This makes people mad, and they scramble to find some way (some hurried, incorrect way) to counter the argument. It doesn't do them any good. So don't try to fool me, I'll know. Many people have tried to take advantage of the fact that I have a social weakness, and am willing to accept anything. What they don't know is that I think things way too deep. When I think of things too deep, I eventually find the flaw with the situation.
Take, for instance, a friend of mine in middle school. My friend was probably more shyer than I was. He was looking for a girl's phone number. The girl gave him a phone number. It was another boy's phone number. He didn't know it, but I did (this is what happens you when you study the student directories). I told my friend about this. I took the note with the # to the girl, and ripped it in front of her face.
"Condemn, and be condemned."
It's one thing to have fun, another to have fun at the expense at others. It's another to have fun at the expense of others who won't be able to recover from things like this. Okay, we all did this at one time or another. So did I. I knew the person I did something like this to would eventually recover from it.
I think what made me kind of an outcast among my classmates in school was the fact that I knew they were lying to me. The old "let's fool Cody" gag would always fail. Boy, were they angry that they backfired. It fooled them so bad, they didn't want to even try telling me things again.
What's the "let's fool Cody" gag?
Most of the popular kids in middle school knew I was trying to establish a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship with pretty much any girl I had a crush on at that time. Once they knew I kind of liked someone, they would say something to me.
"Hey Cody, ____ likes you," with a smile on their face.
I'd say something like, "how do you know?"
"She told me."
At this point, I make a determination. Do I risk talking to her and falling flat on my face? Do I tell him he's wrong? How do I tell him I know?
I keep asking more questions. If it gets to the point where he is irritated, then I know he's lying. If he's really trying to help me, he'd continue to convince me without any knowledge of time.
They couldn't convince me. So they tried making the girls tell me. A girl would tell me so-and-so likes me, under the assumption that I would be willing to trust any girl who talks to me.
Then I get to thinking:
"Why are the girls now telling me? Maybe they're trying to fool me. The boys haven't done anything like this in a while. Certainly they would. If she really likes me, why isn't she doing something about it? Surely she is more outgoing than I am. She can't possibly be more shyer than me."
The closest time I was ever bluffed came with a girl I really liked, and the bluff came from someone (a girl) that I would NEVER expect to hear it from. The confrontation was just the two of us at a schoolground. I was going one way, and she was going another. We met at the schoolground. We talked for a while, and started pulling the gag. It came out of nowhere. Two, how did she know I liked this girl? She even re-enacted the dialogue from the girl; something about how "I like Cody Cutter." I believed it for a split second. I think I responded, "we'll see."
It gets REAL bad when the gag is pulled by the very girl I like. It's like a slap in the face. That just reads "I'm lying" all over it.
Bottom line: Dont' EVER bluff me.
It turns out every time this came up, it WAS a lie. If I was vulnerable to this abuse, I don't think I'd be the same person I am today. I'd be much worse.
I like the way I think.
Current Song - Walkin' On The Sun (Smashmouth)
I have a unique thought process.
I was born with it. It often irritates people. It involves finding flaws with people's arguments. If I find the flaw, I'll say it. This makes people mad, and they scramble to find some way (some hurried, incorrect way) to counter the argument. It doesn't do them any good. So don't try to fool me, I'll know. Many people have tried to take advantage of the fact that I have a social weakness, and am willing to accept anything. What they don't know is that I think things way too deep. When I think of things too deep, I eventually find the flaw with the situation.
Take, for instance, a friend of mine in middle school. My friend was probably more shyer than I was. He was looking for a girl's phone number. The girl gave him a phone number. It was another boy's phone number. He didn't know it, but I did (this is what happens you when you study the student directories). I told my friend about this. I took the note with the # to the girl, and ripped it in front of her face.
"Condemn, and be condemned."
It's one thing to have fun, another to have fun at the expense at others. It's another to have fun at the expense of others who won't be able to recover from things like this. Okay, we all did this at one time or another. So did I. I knew the person I did something like this to would eventually recover from it.
I think what made me kind of an outcast among my classmates in school was the fact that I knew they were lying to me. The old "let's fool Cody" gag would always fail. Boy, were they angry that they backfired. It fooled them so bad, they didn't want to even try telling me things again.
What's the "let's fool Cody" gag?
Most of the popular kids in middle school knew I was trying to establish a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship with pretty much any girl I had a crush on at that time. Once they knew I kind of liked someone, they would say something to me.
"Hey Cody, ____ likes you," with a smile on their face.
I'd say something like, "how do you know?"
"She told me."
At this point, I make a determination. Do I risk talking to her and falling flat on my face? Do I tell him he's wrong? How do I tell him I know?
I keep asking more questions. If it gets to the point where he is irritated, then I know he's lying. If he's really trying to help me, he'd continue to convince me without any knowledge of time.
They couldn't convince me. So they tried making the girls tell me. A girl would tell me so-and-so likes me, under the assumption that I would be willing to trust any girl who talks to me.
Then I get to thinking:
"Why are the girls now telling me? Maybe they're trying to fool me. The boys haven't done anything like this in a while. Certainly they would. If she really likes me, why isn't she doing something about it? Surely she is more outgoing than I am. She can't possibly be more shyer than me."
The closest time I was ever bluffed came with a girl I really liked, and the bluff came from someone (a girl) that I would NEVER expect to hear it from. The confrontation was just the two of us at a schoolground. I was going one way, and she was going another. We met at the schoolground. We talked for a while, and started pulling the gag. It came out of nowhere. Two, how did she know I liked this girl? She even re-enacted the dialogue from the girl; something about how "I like Cody Cutter." I believed it for a split second. I think I responded, "we'll see."
It gets REAL bad when the gag is pulled by the very girl I like. It's like a slap in the face. That just reads "I'm lying" all over it.
Bottom line: Dont' EVER bluff me.
It turns out every time this came up, it WAS a lie. If I was vulnerable to this abuse, I don't think I'd be the same person I am today. I'd be much worse.
I like the way I think.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Planning the Month (?)
Cutter's Log - Supplemental
My work schedule will once again be Monday night, Thursday night, and both weekend nights. I have school on Wednesday night. This leaves Tuesdays and Fridays open. I'm going on the assumption that this is the normal schedule for now on.
I'm going to try to figure out what's available on these days.
My work schedule will once again be Monday night, Thursday night, and both weekend nights. I have school on Wednesday night. This leaves Tuesdays and Fridays open. I'm going on the assumption that this is the normal schedule for now on.
I'm going to try to figure out what's available on these days.
I Write Checks
Cutter's Log - Supplemental
Everyone has their habit, whether it be drinking, smoking, gambling, biting nails, etc. I have a habit of my own that is just as lethal as drinking and smoking. That's the habit of eating fast food.
I had a debit card and/or cash with me a lot. That's enough for a meal from the drive thru window. I thought I could kick the habit by buying everything with checks. Because I'm only carrying checks, I can't go to the drive thru. It's worth it to me to pull the ID out of my wallet every time and have the wait. The person behind me can't say that. Thus I try to go to a less-distracting line.
However, there are times I do need cash. Little do I know that until it's too late.
I had to drive to Cambridge to pay a fine. The ticket says checks are okay. The Clerk says they're not. So I'm scrambling around beautiful downtown Cambridge for a money order. The post office doesn't accept checks, but a debit card. The bank was no help, either. I didn't bring cash or debit with me because I would wind up in a drive thru.
I'm going back down there on Tuesday, with cash.
Everyone has their habit, whether it be drinking, smoking, gambling, biting nails, etc. I have a habit of my own that is just as lethal as drinking and smoking. That's the habit of eating fast food.
I had a debit card and/or cash with me a lot. That's enough for a meal from the drive thru window. I thought I could kick the habit by buying everything with checks. Because I'm only carrying checks, I can't go to the drive thru. It's worth it to me to pull the ID out of my wallet every time and have the wait. The person behind me can't say that. Thus I try to go to a less-distracting line.
However, there are times I do need cash. Little do I know that until it's too late.
I had to drive to Cambridge to pay a fine. The ticket says checks are okay. The Clerk says they're not. So I'm scrambling around beautiful downtown Cambridge for a money order. The post office doesn't accept checks, but a debit card. The bank was no help, either. I didn't bring cash or debit with me because I would wind up in a drive thru.
I'm going back down there on Tuesday, with cash.
You're Better off Shooting a Lion
Cutter's Log - Stardate 9002.03.10
Current Song - Benny Hill Theme
When I'm not writing articles for NISB, I'm taking pictures. I'm not the best photographer, but I try to be. As a staff of one, I sometimes have to pull double-duty to get both and article and a picture of what's going on. That's not an easy thing to do during basketball games. I did this during the Little 10 Girls Basketball Tournament championship night. The end result, I thought, didn't turn out good.
Early in my career with PSO, I was treated more as a photographer than I was a writer. It's one thing to have a D60 with you, and another to have a Canon Powershot. You can probably guess which one I have now. The photography still lingers in me.
There was an event today that I wasn't able to stay for the duration of, but could get some pictures of. I'll begin the story by saying this: It's been a while since I've been to a bowling meet.
Maybe it's just me, but I don't take a few hours out of my day to shoot sub-par pictures. I shoot pictures in an effort to make it the best shot I can get. That's what the newspaper photographers do, especially those who have to run to 2-3 games a night. In order to get that best shot, the flash really helps.
The pic I shot for a wrestling story I did a couple of weeks back was shot from in front of the scorer's table. I shot quite a bit of photographs at that angle. No complaints. For a little bit I wondered if my flash was distracting, but since I didn't hear anything from anyone, I kept it on.
I came to this bowling meet like I did any other event I'm shooting. I get to a balcony, "click!" Next thing I notice, there's people looking at me like an angry mob. Only then did I realize the problem.
Needless to say, I was embarassed and left the event. I drove back trying to figure out what the problem was. I mean, I shoot wrestling pics, volleyball pics, basketball pics, and I don't get dirty looks. What was the problem here? I didn't understand. I started to think that I now know why bowling isn't covered by the papers as much.
I get home and ask my dad why this is. He told me that it distracts the bowlers' concentration. I told him that every pic I shoot distracts concentration in some way. He told me that bowlers put forth more concentration in what they do than what other athletes do. I'll take his word for it: he bowled in a Friday night league for years.
I'll admit for a second this scared me from ever covering a bowling meet. But I learned something about bowling out of all of this. Bowling is often disrespected by the media, and doesn't get covered except for big meets and profile stories. Like my dad said, bowlers put in a lot of concentration. Does this make bowling a much tougher sport than, say, wrestling?
With that being said, I think I've developed a whole new respect for high school bowling.
Current Song - Benny Hill Theme
When I'm not writing articles for NISB, I'm taking pictures. I'm not the best photographer, but I try to be. As a staff of one, I sometimes have to pull double-duty to get both and article and a picture of what's going on. That's not an easy thing to do during basketball games. I did this during the Little 10 Girls Basketball Tournament championship night. The end result, I thought, didn't turn out good.
Early in my career with PSO, I was treated more as a photographer than I was a writer. It's one thing to have a D60 with you, and another to have a Canon Powershot. You can probably guess which one I have now. The photography still lingers in me.
There was an event today that I wasn't able to stay for the duration of, but could get some pictures of. I'll begin the story by saying this: It's been a while since I've been to a bowling meet.
Maybe it's just me, but I don't take a few hours out of my day to shoot sub-par pictures. I shoot pictures in an effort to make it the best shot I can get. That's what the newspaper photographers do, especially those who have to run to 2-3 games a night. In order to get that best shot, the flash really helps.
The pic I shot for a wrestling story I did a couple of weeks back was shot from in front of the scorer's table. I shot quite a bit of photographs at that angle. No complaints. For a little bit I wondered if my flash was distracting, but since I didn't hear anything from anyone, I kept it on.
I came to this bowling meet like I did any other event I'm shooting. I get to a balcony, "click!" Next thing I notice, there's people looking at me like an angry mob. Only then did I realize the problem.
Needless to say, I was embarassed and left the event. I drove back trying to figure out what the problem was. I mean, I shoot wrestling pics, volleyball pics, basketball pics, and I don't get dirty looks. What was the problem here? I didn't understand. I started to think that I now know why bowling isn't covered by the papers as much.
I get home and ask my dad why this is. He told me that it distracts the bowlers' concentration. I told him that every pic I shoot distracts concentration in some way. He told me that bowlers put forth more concentration in what they do than what other athletes do. I'll take his word for it: he bowled in a Friday night league for years.
I'll admit for a second this scared me from ever covering a bowling meet. But I learned something about bowling out of all of this. Bowling is often disrespected by the media, and doesn't get covered except for big meets and profile stories. Like my dad said, bowlers put in a lot of concentration. Does this make bowling a much tougher sport than, say, wrestling?
With that being said, I think I've developed a whole new respect for high school bowling.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
A pretty Blah week
Cutter's Log - Stardate 0102.42.10
Current Song - Welcome Back (John Sebastian)
This is going to be a very boring week. There's not much as far as good games coming up this Friday. This past weekend pretty much took the magic away from the upcoming games. Upset after upset after upset, from Moline to Rock Falls to Princeton to Rochelle. Ugh! This Friday, the top tiers of the conferences will pretty much feast on the bottom, from the Big 6 to the NIC-10.
I have to make a stop in Cambridge on Friday anyway, and I was thinking about Rocky-UT. But UT's been struggling a bit as of late and Rocky's at the top of the conference. Their lone conference loss was to UT. Princeton-RF pretty much cancelled each other out this past weekend. Rochelle-Kaneland is another kind of close one. That's it. Even Danny doesn't have a game on Friday (Sterling). Hope for upsets in the I-8 or Tri-County tournaments? Geez. I may as well just work. If I was still covering Galesburg (I stopped last year), I'd travel down to Quincy.
I'm going to have a first-time freelance writer cover Princeton/Byron on Tuesday. I had already decided to take Tuesday off of covering games to focus on getting my schoolwork in order. May as well just take Friday off as well.
Speaking of schoolwork ...
I'm still stuck on that first project for Graphic Design. I've got a design made out for a t-shirt, now it's just a matter of hoping I go forth with the project correctly. It's a tough class. I'm expected to remember my way around from 4 1/2 years ago when I took a class in the Tech Zone. Ugh!
My speech class was cancelled last week due to the ice storm. I have no idea what we're doing in the class.
This week I work Monday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday nights. It's one more night than what I had been doing. So Saturday morning could shine a light. Dixon has a bowling invitational that morning, but I don't know whether or not to cover it, or just take pictures.
Okay, so not as blah as once thought.
Current Song - Welcome Back (John Sebastian)
This is going to be a very boring week. There's not much as far as good games coming up this Friday. This past weekend pretty much took the magic away from the upcoming games. Upset after upset after upset, from Moline to Rock Falls to Princeton to Rochelle. Ugh! This Friday, the top tiers of the conferences will pretty much feast on the bottom, from the Big 6 to the NIC-10.
I have to make a stop in Cambridge on Friday anyway, and I was thinking about Rocky-UT. But UT's been struggling a bit as of late and Rocky's at the top of the conference. Their lone conference loss was to UT. Princeton-RF pretty much cancelled each other out this past weekend. Rochelle-Kaneland is another kind of close one. That's it. Even Danny doesn't have a game on Friday (Sterling). Hope for upsets in the I-8 or Tri-County tournaments? Geez. I may as well just work. If I was still covering Galesburg (I stopped last year), I'd travel down to Quincy.
I'm going to have a first-time freelance writer cover Princeton/Byron on Tuesday. I had already decided to take Tuesday off of covering games to focus on getting my schoolwork in order. May as well just take Friday off as well.
Speaking of schoolwork ...
I'm still stuck on that first project for Graphic Design. I've got a design made out for a t-shirt, now it's just a matter of hoping I go forth with the project correctly. It's a tough class. I'm expected to remember my way around from 4 1/2 years ago when I took a class in the Tech Zone. Ugh!
My speech class was cancelled last week due to the ice storm. I have no idea what we're doing in the class.
This week I work Monday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday nights. It's one more night than what I had been doing. So Saturday morning could shine a light. Dixon has a bowling invitational that morning, but I don't know whether or not to cover it, or just take pictures.
Okay, so not as blah as once thought.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Apparently you have to bend down and ...
Cutter's Log - Supplemental
While trying to sleep this morning (after I got done typing my last entry), a thought came to me. I want to get by in the journalism world. In order for me to do that, apparently I have to sacrifice some things that I believe in. I have to, to put it in simple terms, bend down and kiss butt. My apologies to family members who read this.
I don't feel good about falling in line with the system. At times I've felt that I won't get anything out of it. I'd just be making someone else rich, and I'm nothing but a pawn for someone's success. I wasn't going anywhere with PSO, but the company was (at the time). It was there that I was labled a "loose cannon" at age 16. Since then I've had disagreements with the newspaper, and was passed over for leadership at two gas stations.
If someone tells me to do something, I have to wonder if they're making me do this for their own personal success. Or if they are really making use of what I can do best in aiding the workplace. If I can't find some sort of benefit from what I'm being asked of, I don't see why I should do it - and it's just a matter of me beind used.
While trying to sleep this morning (after I got done typing my last entry), a thought came to me. I want to get by in the journalism world. In order for me to do that, apparently I have to sacrifice some things that I believe in. I have to, to put it in simple terms, bend down and kiss butt. My apologies to family members who read this.
I don't feel good about falling in line with the system. At times I've felt that I won't get anything out of it. I'd just be making someone else rich, and I'm nothing but a pawn for someone's success. I wasn't going anywhere with PSO, but the company was (at the time). It was there that I was labled a "loose cannon" at age 16. Since then I've had disagreements with the newspaper, and was passed over for leadership at two gas stations.
If someone tells me to do something, I have to wonder if they're making me do this for their own personal success. Or if they are really making use of what I can do best in aiding the workplace. If I can't find some sort of benefit from what I'm being asked of, I don't see why I should do it - and it's just a matter of me beind used.
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