Stuff to do
So I finally found some stuff to do in the great city of Bellingham besides sit in my apartment and read or sit at school and read or sit on the bus and read. I joined DIRT (the men's Ultimate team)!@#!!$ We had our first practice today on a slightly wet field--it was slightly raining and I was slightly sliding. It was different to play competitively and actually try to set up plays as opposed to the random chaos that guides the Lake Stevens games. (No offense to the L-town crew, but these guys are serious. They wear cleats! I must get some for myself.) DIRT practices Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 3-5:30 so I will be running a lot more than I have in a long time. *gasp* Maybe I'll finally be able to beat Alan at the mile.
Oh wait, there's more. Katrina also convinced me to join the Fencing club, which meets on Tuesday nights. We went to the info meeting yesterday and watched a few bouts. I've always wanted to sword fight--just ask my mom what happened to everything in the house that looked similar to a sword--and now I finally get to leard how! The best part about all of this new stuff to do is that they are the cheapest club sports to join: $50 each. Men's Hockey is paying $400 and Lacrosse is paying $200 and I'm only paying $100 for TWO (2) sports clubs. Do I know how to pick 'em or what?!?
I other news, I ordered the Seattle Tim es to be delivered to my house for the quarter because I felt news deprived without TV or internet. (That's right. No TV. No Internet. Just radio and newspaper at my place. Oy.) It's been great being able to still read the paper while eating breakfast and f eel connected to the rest of the world. Until yesterday.
Yesterday my dealer (that's what the call them now, no joke) delivered the Seattle PI rather than the Times. Now, anyone else may not have noticed or even cared, but this is me we're talking about. I'm a journalism junkie. I care where I get my news. (NPR, National Geographic, 60 Minutes when I had TV, and the Seattle Times) So I tried to read that Hearst-owned rag but it hurt deep down inside. It felt like reading USA Today, which in my opinion is barely above reading Weekly World News.
It happened again this morning. I about lost my appetite when I saw the PI sitting on my front patio. (But I love eating and the feeling faded quickly.) Needless to say I tried to look for the good aspects of the PI this time but they still don't outway to bad aspects. So this afternoon I called the only phone number given to me at the time of my order and left a message about how much the PI ruined my life and that if I didn't get the Times back I might slip into a conservative funk and start reading George and listening to Michael Medved. I hope that scares them. Sidenote: is it possible to brainwash yourself?
For the sake of the awesome tortellini I made for dinner on Sunday and am still enjoying, I hope those beauraucrats can get me my paper fix by Sunday in time for Leonard Pitts Jr.'s editorial.
Please read. It makes the whole world better.
Isaac
School started...
And just like that, school started. I had my first class this morning: Journalism 190 Intro to Mass Media. It's my only class on Wednesdays. Tomorrow I'll be going to ESCI 310 Environmental Disturbances (10-11am) and also Statistics 240 (2-3pm). Woah boy; quite the busy guy. Soooooo much to do. [sarcasm]
Thankfully I know a good number of people on campus who are in the same situation as me: looking for something to do. One such person is Katrina, a friend of mine from Cascade Crags. We spent Monday together doing all the 'prep for classes' stuff like buying books and supplies and paying tuition. And since there was no pending schedule on Tuesday, we had lunch again. And since we really wanted to see what the climbing wall was like here at WWU we went climbing this morning after my Media class. It's always good to have someone who likes to do stuff...
In other news, my room now feels like MY ROOM. I have my clothes all stuffed in the closet, my Rocky poster and World Map are on the wall, my computer is set up, etc. However, this apartment is going to take some getting used to. I don't have internet [I use it at school], I get one channel of TV and it's fuzzy, and I rarely see Travis (my roommate) since he works. So my place can be kinda boring at night. I just need to talk some people into coming across town to visit me. Or I need a really long novel.
I've heard rumor that the Seattle Times delivers all the way up here. I NEED TO READ A NEWSPAPER! I feel just as un-informed as our President. I think I shall track down some print later today and satisfy my inner journalism junky.
If you want it, come and get it, for crying out loud,
Isaac
God be praised!
I have a place to live....in Bellingham! Sunday evening I'll be moving into the first apartment I looked at on G Street and Irving. I can't wait!
Ike
Get Pumped!
Quick note for my Australian readers: I am not trying to insult you with the title of this post. It's an American thing. If you are not Australian and are confused, go tell all your Australian friends to 'Get Pumped!' and see what their response is.
Moving on, I'm pumped! I finally feel like this whole 'going to a real college' thing is going to work out. I went up to Western on Monday for their transfer student day and got a lot done. I was a man with a mission--no, not like GW, his mission is to wreck as much havoc as possible (and he's doing a great job!). I talked with department advisors, I registered for classes, and I even found a place to live. My Stats class required that I take the Math Placement test so I put on my Math Hat (to paraphrase Tally) and passed with flying colors (mostly lead stains).
Wait, go back to that 'I even found a place to live' part. OK. After the placement test I went over to the Housing Office and said: "Word, can I live on campus?" And the dude behind the desk was like: "We're out of male spaces, but blah blah blah....." So I started browsing all the roommate wanted sings and grabbing phone numbers and calling. The first guy I called has a room in an apartment in the residential district of BHam for only $270/mo. So I drive over and check it out--after calling another guy and leaving a message--and it's a sweet place. He's a nice guy who likes mtn biking, ultimate frisbee, good food, and playing guitar = good roommate for me. So I'm in the process of applying to the landlady. Moron this later, hopefully when I move up there.
Back to local news. I went climbing with Will yesterday. We made the grueling hike up to 3 o'clock rock in Darrington because Will has never done a multi-pitch climb. We only did one multi-pitch and didn't stay for very long, but we still had fun. He's leaving for Eastern on Thursday (9/16) so it was good to see him before he's gone.
Check it: I finished my first knitting project last night. I successfully hand-crafted a brown and tan wool scarf that is as long as I am tall. Next project: a beanie. Future project: guitar strap.
We're moving yeah we're moving, we're moving out TONIGHT!
Isaac
Summer in two weeks
LOCAL NEWS
Well it doesn't look like I'll be taking a GRAND SUMMER ADVENTURE this summer. I wanted to go over to the Olympics--since I've never been over there to see the world reknown Temperate Rainforest--but time, money, and companions are in short supply. Oh well. I should save my money for food anyway.
SPORTS
I did, however, accomplish two summer goals so far: Will and I summitted Mt. Pilchuck in just under an hour (3 miles + 2400 vertical feet in 60 minutes = not reccommended for the faint of heart) and I also learned to knit. Cue and Frog inspired me at camp this summer so I finally learned how to cast on, knit, and purl. I going to try and make myself a hat before Christmas break. And a few of you may get a poorly made scarf from "Santa" if you're lucky.
CLASSIFIEDS
Wanted: place to stay in Bellingham. Apartment close to WWU campus preferred. Must have room for bike, climbing gear, and futon. Will pay up to $350/mo. Meatetarian preferred.
Wanted: Mtn Biking partner. Know your way around Galbraith? Cuz I don't. Show me the mud and I'll splash it all over.
Wanted: song ideas
For sale: All the crap that is being stored in my room at home right now. Looks like two end tables; a large, green, comfy chair; a piano; a double dresser; random odds and ends.
Wanted: Lots of snow on Mt. Baker and the means to get there.
Wanted: Holding out for the perfect roommate? Here I am just waiting for a place to live! Send me telepathic messages and tofu at brain:Ike:LTown:Washingto n.
The classifieds are always boring. Especially when there's no free stuff. Maybe next issue.
To be continued...
Ike
There and back again
What a week. I am now COMPLETELY done with camp--that ended last Saturday with a bit a cleaning, a disappointing paycheck, some gluttony at Country Burger, a quick trip home to unpack, a nice meal at Romio's, and then The Brothers Grimm. A rather drawn out goodbye by my standards but a good way to spend some 'normal' time with camp people.
So then I had two days to tie up all the loose ends I left for Western. I had to fax my heath form, let them know that I will be attending a make-up advising thing for transfer students, and most importantly, figure out where I'm going to live. I've been waiting all summer to hear from the university about housing. So in digging through all my WWU-related papers, guess what I found. My housing application. Sealed in the envelope. I forgot to send it. [Stupid] So I decided to feel stupid about for about 5 minutes and then move on.
Luckily, a friend from Cascade Crags (Jeff) is up there in an apartment with a possible opening. It just happened that Kira was going up to see him that day. Summary: I love Bellingham, Jeff doesn't have a room for me, I still love Bellingham, I applied for housing online. Cross your fingers, pray, cross yourself, light candles, and hope that i get a closet to live in. Or even a dorm.
Moving on. Tuesday afternoon, my family loaded up the Mazda and took off for Boise to see my Grandma. I only get to see her once a year--if that--and she hasn't been feeling up to par lately. So I slept on her leaning couch for three nights, heard the same stories over and over, watched John Wayne movies, and listened to old Country records (also know as GOOD country music). I'm still humming 'Ring of Fire.'
So after much night driving, a new world record for Lake Stevens to Boise without a ticket (just under 9 hours), much practice with my new sand footbag, a fading memory of camp, a growing Newfoundland puppy named Freddie, an ambition to leave for Bellingham, a list of environmental/politcal books I want to read, a knack for long, drawn out lists that could almost be considered run-ons, and a healthy fear of Diet Pepsi...I have made it to September. And if you still want to see some photos from the summer--which I would like to make public--please tell me what else I can use besides Photobucket. I think Photobucket is run by Castro and he is trying to censor me.
Fight the power,
Ike