California Baby!

I've spent my day visiting a friend, picking up another from the airport, hanging out in Seaport Village drinking rootbeer and feeling the sun against me, listening to sea lions grumble and rumble, eat nice Mexican food, and finally chill next to a bon fire on a secluded beach. I'm content.

Merry Christmas

Some random thoughts about today on Christmas:

• I bought Christmas gifts for my family at 3:30 am this morning.

• Call of Duty is incredibly addicting and thank goodness I don't own a TV and a Playstation in Canada.

• I slept in until 11:00

• My cat Chloe was waiting outside my door today. Something she hasn't done in years...well, I haven't been around in years but that's beside the point.

• Merry Christmas everyone.

I am American

Wednesday I became an American citizen. I've been waiting my whole life for this entitlement. It's a crazy thing living your whole life in a country that you cannot claim as your own; yet I've felt deeply devoted to America and her ideals. Coming back to the States, especially on a plane always leaves me feeling so secure that I'm home. Really home, even though I'm just visiting.

This whole thing has been quite ironic. I apply for citizenship back in June. I move to Canada in August. I fly in for an interview for citizenship in November, worried sick that I may not qualify being a resident of Canada. I have a miracle take place with my miracle worker interviewer. She understood my situation and said everything short of "You're a shoo-in."

Then in December I fly in to become a citizen of the United States of America:

Emotional and all, this is what I had to say to the 206 new Americans, guests and officials:


My parents who made America possible for me

My friends who came out who are my example

The miracle worker who interviewed me
I'm beyond grateful that I'm now truly a part of America. I know there's irony with me living in Canada now that I'm a citizen of the States, but mark my words, in due time I'll be back to serve the States.

Cold?

My friend Kai is a meterologist in San Francisco. He sent me this today. You see that dark blue with the -40 in it? I live by there, but I don't even remember it being that cold. I guess I'm getting used to it. Oh well.

DVNO

Sometime around February this year, my friend Austin Craig called me over to his computer and showed me this:

I was blown away. My brain was in visual and auditory overload; it was a flood of dozens of 10 second childhood TV memories infused with color and sound in a nostalgic 80's orgy of audio-visual candy. I ran home, went onto iTunes and downloaded the whole album Cross by Justice. My very first iTunes purchase by the way. The album was on repeat in my iPod for months. My latest play count for DVNO on iTunes is 147. Obsessed? Definitely.

But being introduced to DVNO was only the start. It kindled a fire for dance music. Ultimately I hosted a Porchapalooza where Kid Theodore played on my balcony and a dance party ensued in my room and on my porch this past summer, with DVNO as the final song.
It continues on. As I've moved up here to Canada, the dancing opportunities are few and far between. But I do what I can. There are cool people up here in Canada that can dance to a beat and have the same fun. Heather is one of them, and she keeps things cool and has memorialized this song for me with a wicked Christmas gift.
Thanks Austin, Heather and everyone else in between.

The Great 2008; Summer of Sam

I've been thinking a lot about this past year and all the adventures I've had. I'm going to be reminiscing a lot on here to wrap up this year of years.

Seriously

Is anyone else suffering from this? Or is it just me?

You make me touch your hands for stupid reasons

One of the things I can celebrate on the 25th is my one year mark. I think it would've been satisfying if it ended like this.

Thanks Kenji

Another commentary on being a teacher...

Some people have mixed reactions when I tell them I'm a teacher. Take today for example:

Girl: He's a teacher at a high school.
Other girl: He's a teacher???
Me: Yeah, I teach kids....can you believe that??? They entrust ME with kids! (as I'm putting on nail polish and taking in the fumes. No wonder why girls polish their nails.)

Girl: I can tell you teach grade school. When you hang around them all day you act certain ways.
Me: What??? How?
Girl: I dunno, just in the way you talk.
Me: Huh??? (as I have a facial mask on while cleaning up after the cookies someone made)

This is it for me

I walked in my office from lunch today and found a note sitting on my computer. It was a heart-felt thank you note from a student. They say that teaching is a thankless job, that the rewards are imbedded deep within the profession and don't come from without. Whatever they say, I have found it for me. I love being a teacher.