Tuesday, April 27, 2004

The amenities of staying in a hotel room alone and their corresponding value:

Leaving the bathroom door open		3 points
Walking around naked		22 points
Building a little bed fort		43 points
Showtime		18 points
Showtime at 2:30AM		35 points
Taking a bath		71 points
Breck Shampoo with Nettle		1 point
Drying with seven towels		55 points
Putting the eighth in my luggage		31 points
Four pillows		80 points
Free soap		8 points
Free toothpaste		12 points
Free shower curtain		19 points
Morning newspaper		5 points
Complimentary apples		4 hundred thousand points
Unlimited hot cocoa		95 points
No friends		minus a million points

  Thursday, April 22, 2004

I just found $2 in the field walking to school today. This is my first net increase in value since I found 76¢ in Brandt's couch. I think maybe I'll get myself a nice juicy pear.

  Monday, April 19, 2004

How does it go:

Nobody likes it when you're 23
And you still act like you're in Freshman year
What the hell is wrong with me?
My friends say I should act my age
What's my age again?

For my birthday this year I would like some toothpaste, socks, and some canned pineapple.

No one should take themselves so seriously
With many years ahead to fall in line
Why would you wish that on me?
I never want to act my age
What's my age again?

And a hot young coed would be nice too.

  Sunday, April 18, 2004

Easter marks the beginning of what I like to call 'Candy Season.' This normally spans the period between crappy spring and good spring and is bountiful with the pleasures of malted milk balls, Cadbury Creme Eggs, and chocolate bunnies.

Many cultures celebrate this season by microwaving Marshmallow Peeps. Although I participate in these activities, I'm satisfied as long as I can enjoy making myself sick on jelly beans.

Over the last two months my diet has consisted primarily of potatoes and egg noodles, a drastic change from my fruit regimented lifestyle back home. It's a good thing I believe myself to be immune to most diseases and ailments or else I would be flirting with scurvy. I am truly gracious for having the candy around, but this sugar spike on a starch baseline has reeked havoc on my system. This dramatic change may just be my Kryptonite.

I almost chucked one in the commons on Tuesday, and sleeping has been difficult to say the least. When I do sleep I have very odd reality based hallucinations, which have included me programming HTML and watching Chappelle's Show (which by the way, was even more hilarious then the legitimate episodes).

The lure of goodies is strong though, and I would continue to eat sugar for two meals a day, at times I felt quite disgusting. It's a good thing the season is over now that there is only solid chocolate left. Soon I'll receive a visit from the Angel of spring. I'll tell her to get me some bananas.

Had a nice little heart to heart with the outdoors last night. Then the Sun came up: told me to get a job... maybe buy some new pants.

  Thursday, April 15, 2004

I was raised to grow up and support my family. This was the only world I knew, and one in which I am reluctant to contribute. I believe that reluctance is due to the idea that I don't want to work. I'd like to think that this isn't a laziness on my part, my fear is that work is just that, it's 'work.' I see friends that have loved life and are now miserable because of their jobs. I don't want that. I need to do something where I can make a difference, and I never bothered looking for it outside of the box that has me driving to and from my job everyday.

There's a whole nother world out there. Mr. and Mrs. Lang, Vyvoda's sort of parents, first mentioned that I may be really well suited for the Aspen Achievement Academy. The idea excites me: I get dropped off in the desert for weeks at time and lead groups of drug abusing teens on quests to find themselves. Then there's always the Peace Corps. I was always reluctant to consider them, but after discovering that I could serve in a role that makes use of my education, I felt better about the idea.

This is what I want to do now. I don't want to go to work, I want to go to an adventure. Sometimes I wish I didn't screw it up by going to engineering school for four years; now I've locked myself into finding a traditional job. I can't accept a counselor position at this camp because I have to wait to see how some of the leads I made at yesterday's career fair pan out. Now is not the time for me to follow this impulsive path, I have bills to pay.

I want to pay off my debt and tie up my loose ends. Years from now when I do start my adventure career or my opportunity business I want to be able to do so knowing that I have no other obligations or commitments. So for now, I'm going to be an engineer, and a good one at that. No matter what I do, I'm not going to be a drone; I'm going to do what it is that I do, and that is affect people. I'm sure there may be some of you who say that if I find traditional work, then I will compromise my ideals until that is my life. Don't fear, cause there is one reason why we all know that I will never be satisfied with that. I'm Rory.

  Sunday, April 11, 2004

It was Easter about seven years ago; I was living at home with my mom, sister, and her two kids. I walked to the kitchen that morning and noticed three baskets of candy on the table, and a note to my niece and nephew. The note ended with something like this:

One of these baskets is for your uncle Rory, I hear he still believes in me.

Love,
The Easter Bunny

I wiped away the tears before my niece came down and noticed. It still saddens me to think about it. I don't know why this hits as hard as it does, but it's a great memory. I love my family to death, and I know they love me, but displays of that love are few and far between.

It's more common in my family to use guilt to solicit love. I get mad at them for that, and sometimes I feel like blaming them for the situation I'm in. It doesn't take me long to realize how stupid that idea is. I'm me because of them, and not only will I credit them for that, but I will also credit them for all my future successes. I know you guys don't read this, but to my family, I love you and I miss you. Happy Easter.

  Monday, April 05, 2004

Ha! I have proof! You're a chode Baldauff.