Axis' Blog - January, 2004

		Wednesday, 1-28-04. Overcast and cool.
		I finally was able to get into the classes I wanted today. Let the homework ensue. The other day I was thinking that this last trip I made to Oregon was (barring not being able to hang with Cherz much) probably the coolest trip I've made up there in the 4 years since I moved. And now for some wonderously entertaining propagandized propaganda. German word of the day: Unschätzbar - Invaluable
		Friday, 1-23-04. Overcast and cool.
		I finally was able to scrounge up enough will, time, and energy to vacuum my entire apartment for the first time in a while. In the process of vacuuming, I peacefully expelled 4 spider friends that have been living in my bathroom for the last couple of months without paying rent or catching any bugs. I also finally put away my laundry, which has been existing perpetually in a large pile on my couch for several generations of loads. This evening I hung out with Justin, another co-worker. We played 4 rather expensive games of pool, talked philosophy for a while, and headed to a coffee shop to hear a folksy-bluegrass band finish their set. It's been a busy day. German word of the day: Zorn (m) - Rage
		Wednesday, 1-21-04. Perpetually sunny and warm.
		As part of my ongoing favor to my co-worker Chris (not to be confused with Cherz), I recorded a rearranged version of Metallica's 'Fade To Black' with his makeshift 'band' after work today. He plans on having the school's concert band play backing parts, and we probably won't do vocals. It should be interesting, to say the least... I've been on a bit of a cooking frenzy lately, and I can't say that's a bad thing by any means. For dinner tonight I made teriyaki chicken, jasmine rice, and broccoli. Later on I made a loaf of banana nut bread. The recipe's been in my family for 4 generations, and is quite tasty. Epic rocks. German word of the day: Banane (f) - Banana
		Monday, 1-19-04. Partly cloudy and cool.
		You're stumbling along as bland and foggy as you ever were, then suddenly you come across one of the most beautiful flowers you've ever seen. You are ecstatic with joy, letting the feel of being human rush back into your veins again. Then, in your blindly enthusiastic celebration, in your bounds of joyous fervor, your boot comes down square on top of the flower, crushing it hopelessly. What do you do then? You let the flower grow again. You do all you can do to make sure it's ok, and, as painful as it is, start walking. Now, to even out the mood of today's bullsh*t, Fu*k the Nazis! German word of the day: Vogel (m) - Bird
		Saturday, 1-17-04. Overcast and cool.
		My apartment has become rather messy in recent weeks. My to-do list grows larger by the day, but I have so many things diverting my attention right now that I can hardly think about getting even a single task done. I did, however, make myself a really good sandwich for lunch today. My folks have once again roped me in to do some furniture work for them. This time, they bought a solid pine TV cabinet that needs to be finished. With luck, I'll be able to get it done in a week and a half. Just what I need, more sh*t to do... and I'm doing it as a favor too. Trazan? German word of the day: Infizieren - To catch a disease
		Monday, 1-12-04. Partly cloudy and cool.
		I finally decided today that I'm going to continue going to college so I can be a history teacher, rather than go into computers as I had intended many years ago. I wouldn't mind teaching high school for a while, but I'd like to eventually teach it at a college level. One thing at a time though... I've had a strange craving for food from KFC for the last day or so, and, for dinner tonight, I satisfied that craving. I can only imagine the hell that will ensue in my intestines tonight... In December I ordered a reprint of an old classical music sampler CD that my mom bought when I was a kid. I have fond memories of playing many old-school computer games (Wolfenstein 3D, in particular) with that CD playing in the background. On my Oregon trip over winter 2002-2003, however, I discovered the original CD had somehow gained massive scratches, and would only play a few tracks. When I finally got around to ordering a new one as a favor to my folks, it took the shipper their sweet time getting it to me, as it finally arrived today. I can understand the Christmas shopping season being somewhat of a speed bump, but come on guys... 2-7 days does not mean 40, especially since half of those days were after Christmas. Give me a break. German word of the day: Stein (m) - Stone
		Sunday, 1-11-04. Overcast and cool.
		A man doesn't have too many days like today. After helping my dad assemble the final pieces to my folks' new massive office furniture beast, I went with them to see the third Lord of The Rings movie... which was, in my opinion, very good cinema. Following the movie, I was lucky enough to chat with a beautiful girl into the wee hours of the morning. Apparently my involvement in the excellent conversation was all-encompassing, as I forgot to eat dinner. So, around 3 am, I found a great recipe for fish and chips in my new cookbook, and hit up the only 24-hour Safeway in town for ingredients. After a bit of on-the-job self-training and a few light grease fires, they came out surprisingly good. Next time though, I think I'll probably be cutting the proportions in half, if not more. I will also use a larger pot to fry in, as the medium-sized pot I used made a rather extensive mess on my stove and elsewhere. German word of the day: Weisheit (f) - Wisdom
		Thursday, 1-8-04. Overcast and cool.
		I woke up feeling pretty good today. My cold has been quick and mild, compared to most... though I still had to knock back a few shots of Day/NyQuil to get through the last few days. I've been spending a bit too much time playing Simcity 4 lately. I've found that it's far more complex than previous versions, though more 'realistic' in most respects. The fact that the game runs about as fast as a snail in molasses on my home machine doesn't help things either, as I end up spending twice as much time on the game simply waiting for my actions to occur within the program. It's a good game, though I'm not much of a fan of the vague land/water barrier, or the in-game terraforming controls. German word of the day: Verführen - To seduce
		Monday, 1-5-04. Overcast and cool.
		Once again, I'm back from my semi-annual trip to my homeland. This installment was particularly endearing, as I was left with some great memories, a greater understanding of close friends, a free stereo reciever, and, less positively, this season's third cold. Some of the more memorable events included: Making the drive in record time (550 miles in 8 hours and 4 minutes); Making the van my bedroom; skiing at the pass with Cherz, Mike, and Scott; taking this photo with Cherz and watching idiot drivers fly off the interstate during snowstorm #1; the high-pitched 'cat alarm'; actually seeing Scott and Anne for once; going bar-hopping on new years; snowstorm #2; the flood downstairs and the cleanup that ensued; buying Simcity 4; hanging out and having nice long chats with folks; and having excellent food the whole trip. German word of the day: Saustallwetter (n) - Lousy weather
		Thursday, 1-1-04. Snowing, hard.
		I'm actually making this entry posthumously. Deal with it. Being that it's 2004 now, (in step with last year) I thought I'd mention a few of the pros and cons of our dearly departed 365 days, the year otherwise known as 2003. Let the nostalgia be unleashed: Pros Good friends Getting an A in Math 150B Getting my own place again Finding my job at the high school Friends getting married Family doing well Cons The Iraq War Bike #2 stolen Europe trip postponed Not being able to make Beachside Job at the college ending Living off dwindling savings for 3 months Yeesh. Good riddance, 2003. German word of the day: Nordamerikanischer Elch (m) - Moose

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