It was YOU!!!!

"Everybody outta my way! Commuting student coming through!"

That's my mentality, well, sort of. Okay, not really. I'm a nice driver. In fact, today I went out of my way to let somebody into my lane, knowing that he would have wanted to hop over by the time I would have been side by side with him. I don't like those situations. So instead, I slowed up and let him in, no doubt irritating the drivers behind me. But something happened today that had me up in arms. However, the outcome proved to not be in my favor.

I was driving along the road that runs between the townhouses and the outdoor basketball courts when I noticed 2 students walking toward campus. One of them was walking right next to the curb; the other, far enough into the road that I could not pass.

The two students had a good thirty feet to go until the stop sign, which is close enough so that, even if I did go way out of my way to pass, I wouldn't have enough time to get back into my lane. I don't doubt for a second that they heard my car approaching from behind. So I slowed up, expecting the one in the road to, oh I dunno, get the heck out of the way. But no. She didn't. They kept walking at a snail's pace to the stop sign. Once I got to the sign, a car across the intersection also pulled up. The other car thought they stopped first, when clearly it was me. So I started to go, and at the same time, the other car moved, too. At this point, the two girls turned around and looked at me as though I was an idiot, smiled and laughed.

I lost it. I was going to go park my car, track them down, and dress them down for walking in the middle of the road and being rude. They were walking slow enough that I saw they entered UHB. Fair enough--I was heading there, too. When I entered the building, I saw they hopped onto the elevator... possibly heading to the third or fourth floors. Crap.

As I topped the stairs to the second level while heading towards my first class - there they were, heading the same direction as me.

Do I say something to them right now? No... I wait. See where they go. Of course, they entered the same classroom I was heading to. Crap (again). So I chose not to dress them down as I had planned and instead let it go. I noticed that whenever I looked over at them with disappointing eyes, they immediately looked away. Maybe that's enough. I just didn't want to start any classroom drama.

So that's how my Wednesday started. I wasn't too pleased. College kids need to realize that they're actually adults need to start acting their age.

~N.

That’s It, Mother Nature – I Give Up

One of the reasons why my wife and I decided it best to move back to Illinois was to experience four definitive seasons. I absolutely LOVE the ridiculously hot and humid weather. I’m not being sarcastic in the slightest – hot weather is good weather! Winter, however, has quickly become another story altogether.

Winter…where do I begin, here? So far, 2008 has been pretty freakin’ crappy! I’ve had emergency surgery done and I was one of the millions of people who got the flu. While my temperature is back to normal, I now have this lingering cough which absolutely refuses to go away. It’s maddening at times! I feel sorry for my classmates and professors who have to hear me hack at least 15 times per class. That said, I blame the flu which was caused by WINTER!!!!

Another thing - to experience four seasons is great, especially when the seasons stick to their time period. While spring doesn’t technically start until mid-March, in my mind, winter is December through February. March should be warm and in the 50’s. The snowstorm we had last week was just plain ridiculous. I shoveled snow for a good two hours yesterday when I should’ve been studying for my mid-terms! Okay, so that’s my excuse should I be proven to have done poorly on them. But… seriously, it snowed from 9am until 7pm yesterday. And it made me think of something really mean, too! While I love her, Mother Nature is most certainly a witch-with-a-‘b’!

Here’s hoping that spring comes soon!

Stupid Punxsutawney Phil, too! He SUCKS! Here I am wishing that Phil Connors really had killed that stupid groundhog!

Ugh. That’s it. I’m done and am now off my soapbox! I am curious – what do you guys think about experiencing all four seasons? Pros? Cons? Let me know! Until next time…

~ N.

2 Years Down, 48 To Go

*raises his arms in triumph*
We did it!

As of about 4:45 yesterday afternoon, my wife and I have been married for 2 years.

Looking back, it really doesn’t feel like it has been that long. In fact, it’s a blur. During this time frame, we’ve done a lot: We got our first apartment together, hiked to Lake Serene [affectionately dubbed by yours truly as “Lake Poopene”], went on a couple of road trips (Leavenworth [WA], Big Fork [MT], the big one to Carlinville [IL]), played on a softball team (Go Bombers!), survived WFV (Walden Family Vacation) 2007, rode mopeds on the beach along the ocean… it’s been a blast so far!

So I approached my third class professor who has a very casual, laid back, funny method of teaching. When he introduced himself to the class, he had stated that he'd been married for 5 years. After class yesterday, I approached and informed him that it was my 2 year anniversary with my wife. I expected something funny... along the lines of, "Welcome to the dog pound! It's all downhill from there..." kind of persepective.

Nada.

Rather, he completely lightened up and in a warm, caring manner said, "Congratulations..." He talked about how his wife and he typically take vacations on their anniversaries... I didn't have the guts to tell him I was expecting something funny. That's alright, though. The class is gonna be fun!

Back to the story...

To celebrate, we were going to go to the same very nice restaurant in Springfield that we went to during our first anniversary, but my wife’s vision was bugging her and I didn’t want her to drive at night and suffer just to go to a restaurant. SO! Instead of that, I drove back home to Carlinville, picked her up and we went to an awesome Chinese restaurant in Litchfield. We swapped our gifts, ate till we got absolutely stuffed and headed home. Nice and simple, nothing extravagant.

I’ll save the extravagant anniversaries for the fives (5, 10, 15, etc.).

Lori, if you read this, I love you with all I have! *raises Mt. Dew* Here’s to us, and the upcoming year!

Spring 2008 Classes! :)

Spring 2008 Classes!

So a new friend recently asked me which classes I’m currently in… so here’s the breakdown of my schedule:

First off, all of the following classes on are Mondays and Wednesdays.

Class 1 is Speech (COM 112) with a professor who is seemingly very giddy and happy. I tell people that if anyone had a pessimistic view of life and had her as a professor, they’d probably think, “Oh, GAG me!” Personally, I enjoy her bubbly personality. Not to mention it’s always better to have a happy, nice teacher than a witch. (edited for content)

Class 2 is English Comp. 102 with a professor I had last semester. I enjoyed his teachings so much, I wanted to continue to learn. When I asked which section of English Comp. he was going to teach, he told me which section, but then was quick to say, “…but I’m tough!” I was very quick to reply, “Yeah, but you’re good!” Indeed, he is probably the best English teacher I’ve ever had. Most traditional freshmen straight out of high school may find his humor to be slightly boring at times. He is a very eloquent speaker; however, he is a phenomenal English teacher should you wish to learn. That’s why I’m here (at UIS).

Class 3 is Class, Race and Gender in Criminal Justice with the most casual professor I’ve ever met. However, he is quick to warn students not to undermine his casual attitude. The class readings thus far seem to be rather long, but then again, it is a 300 level class. I guess as long as I stay on top of the coursework, I should be fine.

Class 4... *happy sigh* Japanese 152 with the one and only Maeda Sensei. Lovin’ this class nearly as much as last semester. I say “nearly” out of love for the two classmates who couldn’t stay in the same section this semester. Kelsey and Emily, we still got love for ya! ;)

And then…

I’m also taking an online class called Jazz in American Culture. Glancing at the syllabus led to me be rather overwhelmed by everything that was required throughout the course. This coupled with the first week reading of nearly 50 pages was a turn-off. However, one of the books we’re reading is an AWESOME read! And after taking everything into consideration (having to attend a jazz concert, conduct a book review, etc.), I’ve come to a consensus with myself (not to fear--it’s an inside joke) that this class will be a TON of fun.

I’ll keep you guys posted!

So that’s my story--what’s yours? What classes are you guys taking? Do you enjoy ALL of them? Let me know… I’d love to hear!

Until next time…

~ Nick

Help me find a good camera... please?

(read: Jeremy... HELP!)

Okay, this may seem silly to blog about... but it's necessary.

After this semester, my wife's family and I will be going to Europe for 2 weeks! I'm looking immensely forward to it, but I have a problem: my camera.

I currently have a very good Nikon, which is a 35mm camera. Truth be told, I'm sick of buying film. ALSO, it's cheaper to get digital prints than a roll of film developed.

That said, I'm in the market for a digital camera!

I do LOVE taking pictures, but I don't think it will amount to anything more than an occasional hobby. So while I was looking at a digital SLR for a little while, the bulkiness of the camera would end up irritating the crap out of me. Not to mention the fact that having a big ol' camera around my neck would just SCREAM out, "HEY! LOOK AT ME! I'M A TOURIST!!!" Not cool.

So I have a couple of options, but I don't know which to go for. Here's where you come in, friends...

First off... brand: is there a brand out there that I should completely avoid? Is there a brand that I absolutely should get?

Megapixel quality: A friend told me back in the day that anything over 3 or 4 is pretty much overkill unless you're looking to edit the photo. Is there truth to this?

Here are my current options:

~ Canon - PowerShot 7.1MP Digital ELPH Camera - Silver
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8266191&type=product&id=1170290185723
$249.99

Super slim, but only has a 3x optical zoom.

~ Canon - PowerShot 8.0MP Digital Camera - Black
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8510989&type=product&id=1186005750966
$299.99

Has a 10x optical zoom, which ain't bad.

~ Canon - PowerShot 8.0MP Digital Camera - Black
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8297513&type=product&id=1172881524725
$399.99

Note the 12x optical, which is really good. Downside on this one is that it's still a little bulky.

~ Sony - Cyber-shot 8.1MP Digital Camera - Black
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8266574&type=product&id=1170290214776
$429.99

Definitely at the top of my price range. Possibly too expensive, but has a heck of a lot of features! Downside is that it's probably the biggest camera of this lot.

~ Sony - Cyber-shot 8.1MP Digital Camera - Black
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8440234&type=product&id=1183160354020
$399.99

~ Note the 5x optical. This is also probably the slimmest camera I've ever seen.

Right. So. Anyone out there have any advice? HELP! :D

Until next time...

~ Nick

New Year Resolutions... where did they go?

So a friend *wink* asked me recently what my resolutions were. Rather than responding to her directly, I felt inspired enough to blog about it. So here I am.

I had several resolutions in mind...

ALL of them I've already failed on.

Admitted, some of them were pretty stupid: I was going to briefly write what I did on what day and then rate it on a scale of 1-10 so that, come the end up '08, I could tally everything up and see what the average daily "score" was. Lame. Failed.

I also wanted to write what I ate every day for a year to see how much soda I drank, amongst other foods (i.e. JUNK) I ate throughout the year. Lame. Failed.

Ooh! I know... I'll get a pedometer and see how many steps I take in a year. BUZZZZ!!! Never purchased one.

Aha! I'll see how much I drive this year... nope! Already skipped one log entry on that.

So, you know what? Heck with New Year Resolutions!! I 'spose if I really wanted to do something, I'd just do it. So here's my newly thought of resolution: Blog more! Achieved! :)

I also want to volunteer at a primary school in town which has a program that helps kids learn to read. I like that idea a lot! Hopefully I'll be doing that soon, I'll let you guys know.

Anyone else out there wanna share their New Year Resolutions? Anyone else in the same boat with me? Let me know. :) Until next time...

~ Nick

Winter Break 2007

Wow... how do I begin?

I may be called a "nerd" for this, but so be it:

I admit it, I missed school somethin' fierce! For 4 months, the schedule was set. We attended classes and we learned a lot. We met new friends and experienced a lot in that time. Eventually came finals, and then... poof! For an entire month, school didn't exist.

Now I don't know how any of you out there feel about this, and I'm curious to know, but I feel that 1 month is entirely too long. How about... 2 weeks? I'm just sayin'... I was in a rhythm and enjoying the heck out of it and it's like I'm a computer and somebody pressed "reboot" right in the middle of a game.

Then again, a part of me thinks that it's kinda cool to have that long of break, so that when you return, it's like you're starting out all over again. It doesn't feel like this is my second semester... it feels like my first. The only difference is, I know some people now.

Maybe we can compromise and meet in the middle: a 3 week break sounds perfect!

Anyhow, it's good to return to school and catch up with those we haven't seen in a month. I'll keep you posted on my new classes.

Until next time...

~ Nick

Thank God for student health insurance!

First and foremost, I apologize if there are any spelling errors in this blog as I am a little loopy. Here's why:

It was Tuesday night and I was watching the end of The Andy Griffith Show and my stomach started to hurt. I told my father-in-law that I ate too much, too quickly for dinner and was thinking that maybe a piece of bread (i.e. bagel) would sop up any yucky stomach acid I may have had.

After eating the bagel, the pain then moved into my intestines. I'd get a sharp pain in the "upper left" portion of the intestines followed by a "squishy" sound that would relieve the pain... for about 5 seconds. This continued over the next hour and a half, where it was then replaced by severe pain throughout my instestines and an occasional sharp pain.

This new pain would go on for the next 2 hours and I was praying it would pass. No dice. So here I was, in the most excruciating pain I've experienced since I've been born. I couldn't stand, couldn't sit, couldn't lay down - nothing. I was crawling around the house because that's all I could do.

Around 2am, I found myself reflecting on a visit to my pediatrician. I must've been about 8 years old or so. My doc told me that most kids would be screaming in agony if they had the ear infection I had. My mother has also told me time and time again that my tolerance for pain was exceptionally high. Being it that I was crawling on the floor for darn near 4 hours and I wasn't getting any better, I told my wife that we had better go to the E.R.

I won't go into detail about the tests they ran on me, but the short story version is that I was born 3 months premature and my intestines weren't fully developed. So they cut me open, fixed the intestines and went on my merry way. Well, 28 years later, the scarring from that operation became enough to block my intestines and nothing was goin' down. The doc said that the blocked portion of the small intestine was the diameter of a bratwurst. That, my friends, is no good.

The doc then performed a type of surgery using a camera vice slicing me open again. I asked if he would just cut open the big horizontal scar from birth, perform the surgery and then stitch it up to look nicer. He declined and now I have 3 new scars. Joy of joys!

There's a lot more to the story than what I've shared here. I'm just incredibly grateful that UIS has student insurance. If this had happened prior to school starting this past fall, my wife and I would be financially screwed. Admitted, we haven't seen the bill yet, but regardless of what it will be, we'll make it through.

Anyhow, if any of you out there have any interesting surgery stories, I'd love to hear them.

At this point, I have to return home and take some more pain killers.

Hope everyone's '08 is going well! Until next time...

~ Nick

Merry Commercialized Christmas!

I've been thinking about the whole idea behind gift giving on Christmas for the past several days and am now fed up with the idea. Here's why:

What is Christmas all about? Originally it was the birth of Christ... but now, with the existence of Santa and his "naughty or nice" list, kids get presents on Christmas. Right.

But we're adults now...

Okay, someone wants something for Christmas, right? I figure, if they want it, they should just go out and get it themselves!

If you want to give a gift, give to those who can't afford to live the lives we have. Give to those less fortunate!

That said, I'm quite tempted to tell my family next year not to get me anything and if they REALLY want to get something for me, help out at a homeless shelter or a food bank.

I know this blog isn't very well constructed and for that, I do apologize. However, I'm must ask: what do you guys think about this? Is it something you'd consider? I'm interested to hear your thoughts.

That said, Happy Holidays to all of you out there and a Happy New Year, too!

Take Care,
Nick

Semester 1 = History

Wow.

That's it?

Finals showed up and before I knew it, they were over. And now I have a break. A 1 month break.

So how does this feel? Honestly, it's completely throwing me off. I miss school. On Monday, I felt really bad that I wasn't in class continuing to learn about things. It feels weird.

On Tuesday, the day of my last final, I stayed up until darn near 4AM playing video games and searching the Internet because I knew I had nothing to do the following day. That was my "party" day. Yay for parties.

So what am I to do? I have a full month of nothing. The job market in my town SUCKS, so that pretty much rules out finding a job. I do volunteer at the Carlinville Chamber of Commerce, helping out with odds and ends, which is good.

And then there's Christmas, which is another blog altogether.

For those of us first time freshmen, there's only 7 more semesters to go and we're DONE! I have a feeling it's going to go by faster than we think. Take your time and try to enjoy college. It'll be over before you know it.

I'm gonna go continue writing my screenplay. Or maybe I'll design another floorplan. Or maybe I'll...

1 Week Off, Followed By FINALS?!

Hey guys,

I'm just going to ramble here a little bit about what's on my mind. It's been said that when you just spill everything out, you'll feel better. Here's praying...

I find it rather... not good... to have a full week off for Thanksgiving. Reason being is you come back and finals are staring you in the face. Of course people can say, "Well, just study over your break!" I will tell you that I studied off and on throughout the vacation, for about an hour here, and hour there... that sort of thing. But let's be real, I am in the minority, right? I wonder... how many college kids out there actually sit for more than an hour at a time, several times over their break? Please do feel free to comment and let me know...

So now that my sleep schedule is completely out of whack and I'm sitting in my empty Intro. to Lit. classroom, I find myself extremely tired and not really motivated to do anything but get through the day so that, come tomorrow, I can fully get back into the swing of things. So much so that maybe I'll forget about the vacation.

So... sleep. I'm wondering... has anyone else out there found themself lying in bed completely unable to shut their "thinker" off? I'll tell you, I'm a dreamer. A BIG dreamer.

There was a day back in Inglemoor... I recall listening to my Bruce Springsteen Greatest Hits CD on the bus. It was my new CD I got for Easter. I was listening to a song called "Thunder Road". Immediately, I found myself picturing a house so detailed and so memorable, I went home that day and drew out the floorplan. That, my friends, is my dream house. It still is, darn it all.

But at night, whenever my wife and I hit the sheets, I find myself thinking about that house. The gravel driveway leading to the concrete pad in front of the garage. The steps leading up to the wraparound porch. The front door open, but the screen door closed. Lori making her famous iced tea in the kitchen. Everything. It's so real, I can feel it. Every. Night.

Of course that leads to my other dream. The one where I win $315 million. Okay, so this one's completely unrealistic. But it's fun. What kind of Mercedes do I want? The dream house is then embellished some. Sure, tack on another 5 acres to the backyard. Turn the 2 car garage into a 6 car garage. Build a second, much smaller, house on the side of the driveway for friends and family.

Then, BAM! I'm confronted by reality. Finals. Crap.

Do we have a test in Japanese? Do I even remember any Japanese? My mind struggles to make sentences. It's difficult. My vocabulary. Crap! Where did it go? Intro. to Lit. - did we have anything to read? English Comp. - paper due November 30th. Two CTL sessions this week. Tuesday, 2 P.M., Dr. Leonard. Wednesday, 6 P.M., Thomas Webb. English Comp. - paper due November 30th. Analytical paper for English Lit. due December 5th. Is my topic good enough? Am I confident enough to go through with that topic? Japanese... oral interview. Did Maeda sensei e-mail me back?

*sigh* The dream house. Reality. Eventually I fall asleep, but by this time it's nearly 3 A.M.

More thoughts.

5 hours of sleep. I won't make it. I'll be too tired. Maybe I won't go to school tomorrow. No, don't be silly. You've pulled less sleep in the Navy, you can do it! Yeah, but I don't want to do it.

Eventually I fall asleep.

Spring Break I think I'll be fine, as there will be a good 2 months to go after it to get back into it all. Thankgiving.

The turkey was good. The break, not so much. *sigh*

I gotta go. I still have a good 15 minutes I can use to type some more into the two papers that are due soon.

However, I'm curious as to what you guys have to say about this. Does anyone else out there feel the same way?

God, I miss home.

Take care, you guys.

~ N.

Prayers Answered! :)

Hey All,

As it turned out, the "race for classes" went well!

I'm signed up for: (Monday & Wednesday)

Oral Com. from 10-11:40
English Comp. 2 from 12-1:40*
Criminal Justice 347 from 2-3:40
HOPEFULLY Japanese from 4-5:40

I'm also taking Jazz in American Culture, which is online.

Furthermore, I'm "waitlisted" for Art Appreciation, which is also online.

So depending on the outcome of my Japanese 151 grade, hopefully I'll get into the section I want. If not, I'll be forced to drop the Criminal Justice class and end up going home sooner. Also, I'll probably end up dropping the Art Appreciation and save that for a rainy semester.

I'm glad I'm definitely going to be a full-time student again next semester at UIS and look forward to the challenges that lay ahead.

You may have noticed there's an asterisk next to my English Comp. 2 class. I'm especially glad I'm taking this particular section which is to be taught be Dr. Jackson (I'm currently taking Intro. to Literature, which is being taught by him). This man is a phenomenal professor!

I asked him what section of English Comp. 102 he'd be teaching and he said, "It's the one on Mondays and Wednesdays starting at noon... but I'm tough!" To which I replied, "But you're good!" After much thought, I've found that I'd be willing to risk a lower grade being taught by a strict professor. I figure you'll get more out of the class, which is what I'm here for. To learn... right?

So what do you guys think? Would you be willing to risk a lower grade being taught by a strict professor? Or would you prefer getting a better grade in an easier professor's class?

Take care you guys, and have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!

I'm sure I'll write again soon! Until then...

~N.

Hands Down, The MOST Frustrating Aspect of College!

Holy CRAP! It HAS to be signing up for classes.

Why is this? Well, it's a race to get the classes you want to get before others snatch 'em up.

So here I am, 9:45 at night jotting down potential schedules that I'd like to have, and then back-ups to those in case any of those classes are already taken!

It's a huge non-benefit to be a commuting student driving 45 minutes/ 45 miles each way My '01 Nissan Maxima lovingly named "Nessie" guzzles at least 2 gallons of gas... again, each way. *sigh*

Thankfully, my first semester has been wonderful. I've been a full time student attending 4 classes on only Mondays and Wednesdays. Still, I've spent over $300 on gas since my college career began, and we still have over a month to go for this semester.

It's NUTS!

So if you would, please say a prayer and cross your fingers for me that I'll get the classes I want!

And maybe also, that a brand new Toyota Prius would appear on my driveway. That'd be nice, too.

Thanks.

~ N.

Where Were the Midterms?!

October was a huge month for me, to say the least!

Not only was it my 28th birthday, I also got to celebrate my first college midterms!!

I'll be real, those suckers came and went faster than I realized. I found that if you just stay on top of your game throughout the semester, you shouldn't have any problems. Simply put: study.

Also! If you complete all of your homework in a timely and efficient manner, you'll have a lot more free time on your hands.

I remember feeling anxious and nervous about midterms. Like I'd spend every minute in each of my classes filling out a 500 question test. This is totally not the case. I can only assume that finals will be the same. Here's prayin'...

Japanese Students Unite... again!

So it's finally started - Japanese Table.

I missed the first one because it was on a day when I guess a lot of students couldn't make it, myself included.

So I went to the new time chosen - Wednesday at noon (well, actually it was 1:15 for me 'cause I have class)... but it starts at noon.

It was totally not what I expected it to be - a bunch of students studying Japanese at lunch. Quite the contrary, we do anything but study. It's a time for students who are learning the language to bond in an on campus setting. There are a couple of Japanese students studying at UIS, so it's also a chance to meet them and, if desired, ask questions about cultural differences or what have you.

It's a lot of fun. Last Wednesday we played a game of Boggle along with a card game whose name escapes me.

That said, if there are any students out there who are interested in Japan or Japanese but feel 'intimidated' about learning 'such a difficult language' and fear the class - join us on Wednesdays at noon and talk to us about it! We'd be more than happy to meet you and tell you all about it.

Until then...

~ Nick

1 Month Down, 47 To Go...

So it's been a full month since classes started up.

Midterms are right around the corner as classes are pumping through their respective curriculums.

So how do I feel?

It's going very well so far! I'm thankful that my classes get more fun as the day rolls on. I've found that time management is by FAR the biggest factor that comes into play as a college student. Thankfully due to the life experience I have prior to attending college, I've come well equipped to face any circumstance.

The teachers I have are good! One is quirky, one is very intellectual, one is fun and one is strict. I guess I can go on and say that everyone has their faults - especially me! Of course teachers do to, so you just gotta roll with it and adapt to any change that may come your way.

If school's going this well so far, the next 47 months ought to rock!

And the beat goes on...

Japanese Students, UNITE!

Minasan konbanwa!

I have a confession to make: I love Japan.

I love the people and the culture, but most of all, I love the language!

I got into the language thanks to my best friend Josh. Initially I took it in high school so that Josh and I could speak "in code" and talk about people behind their backs where the chances of them knowing what we were saying were slim to nil. So while my intentions weren't the best at first, they took a rapid change the first day of class.

I enjoyed the challenge of writing something other than Roman letters. And what’s more – there are THREE different alphabets. The first two two years of high school were a lot fun thanks in part to this course!

Fast forward to 2007

I was surprised to see that UIS offered Japanese and jumped all over the chance to take it like white on rice and a glass of milk on a paper plate in the middle of a snowstorm! It got better from there. Class size: 7. I KNEW this class was going to rock!

And it did! Maeda Sensei is an extremely fun and effective professor. During the second week of class, he announced he was going to hold a Japanese student dinner for the exchange students from Ashikaga and all students currently taking Japanese.

The legendary, awesome, ALL Supreme Maeda Sensei (L)... and another professor.

It was held at New Buffet City for the low price of 5 dollars. Hey, for a college student, you take what you can get! The back room was packed with host families and their exchange students and those taking the language course and their friends as well. I ate so much, I got sick. But it was worth it!

Chowin' down at New Buffet City with new friends.

Classmates Mat and Emily are on the right - they RULE!

The dinner provided an opportunity to mingle with current friends and make some new ones. It was a LOT of fun and hope there will be more events like these in the near future!

Rob P. rocks... my face off!!

I remember it as if it were yesterday. I logged onto Youtube.com and was just about to search for a video on Counterstrike: Source when it caught my eye: A 'Featured Video' called Pachelbel Rant.

Undoubtedly it had to be about Pachelbel's most famous work, Canon in D. I loved that piece and knew a host of others who did as well, so I was curious as to why someone would want to rant about such a lovely tune!

I haven't laughed that hard in MONTHS. This dude was hilarious! He was a cellist in high school who had the unfortunate experience of playing this piece. You'll have to watch the video to find out why it was called such. By the end of the video, all I had was a name that I could barely read through my tears: Rob Paravonian.

Over the course of the next year, I'd occasionally look up this hilarious comedian to see if he had any new videos posted. Every video I saw, I was crying. This guy RULED! So one day, I thought I'd actually check his website to see what all was new. I Checked his schedule and I saw it:

Sept. 6 - University of Illinois at Springfield

Price: Free (?!?!?!?!)

Oh yeah, the legend was coming to MY campus and it wasn't going to cost me a dime!! Unfortunately it wasn't publicized well, as I surely expected a comedian of this magnitude to pack the Brookens Auditorium on campus.

So there he was at about 9:30 standing up on the stage, dishing out jokes from the ridiculousness of strobe lights on school buses to Justin Timberlake's "manly" voice. Later, he busted out his guitar and played us several hilarious songs about being politically correct during a breakup, the stupidity of lyrics in famous songs and without fail... the Pachelbel Rant.

I laughed incredibly hard over the next hour and a half, but I think others laughed MUCH harder.

Rob playin' a funny tune.

It was a time I'll never forget. My first college experience NOT having to do with classes.

Me with the legend himself!

Thanks for coming out, Rob! Do come back soon - I'll make sure more people will be there! :D