The Day I Saw The Naked And Famous

Enough time goes by, I forget how to write in a blog. I forget what the purpose was. I forget what happened the past couple days and I freak out because if I didn't write it down, it might as well have never happened. Enough time goes by, I wonder if I've lost the drive to keep it going. Hell, enough time goes by and when I finally find time to sit and write, Blogger has a brand new (and sexy) layout and I'm posting this entry from a MacBook Air. Who knew? 

I suppose the purpose of this blog was to document big life changes, both for me and for my friends. In that case, it should be mentioned that I started the TESOL Masters International program at Sacramento State on Monday. I've got four classes and six textbooks. I take the bus because it's free for students and obnoxiously convenient. The campus is surprisingly beautiful, much nicer than SSU ever attempted to be. I haven't had the time or energy to really just wander around and admire it all, though I've got two semesters and plenty of time to soak it all in. There are dozens of students visible at any given moment (something SSU lacked) and so it always feels like there's something going on. Saw the library today. The school is big, but not so big that you won't see classmates around campus. I'm one of six TESOL students, so my teachers know me pretty well already--at least on paper--and that makes me feel special. This doesn't mean my classes will be any easier, but I feel like I've got Peace Corps karma on my side. Surely they don't want to send some illiterate asshole overseas to represent Sac State, but I'm not an illiterate asshole. I just need to make sure I buckle down and give this program all the attention it deserves. The good news is that I want to. I want to get A's and learn and better myself and actually become the sort of kick-ass teacher I think this world needs more of. So that's good. It's going well. I've got "How To Teach English" and "Grammar" and "Writing In The Social Sciences" and "Linguistics" on my plate. Nice that they all sort of work together. When this semester ends, I'll be diagramming sentences like a mofo. 

In the meantime, Jenny's 19 days from South Korea. 

We're holding on tighter and tighter as the day approaches, though unfortunately having school start when it did means I need to spend some of that time in books and homework. We squeeze in as much time together as we can. We fill each other's ears with sweet things and hug and touch and savor every second. The nights are tough because they signal the end of another day, the opposite excitement you get from counting down the days to Christmas. I could list a million things I still want to do with Jenny before she goes, but life is life and we'll do as many of them as we can and save the rest for the future. In March, maybe. Or next summer. Or three years from now. 

Tonight we're going to see The Naked And Famous at Harlow's. 

As a recap of recent events, for the sake of not forgetting, I should mention that Lance sold me his MacBook Air for 600 bucks. I love it. Jenny and I threw a successful impromptu barbecue on Sunday. Work at Old Soul is the same, though they've got Landon (from Weatherstone) working nights to cover scheduling conflicts until the owners figure out who to fire. I met a guy on the bus today and we shook hands and said "My name's Chris" at the same time, which was weird. We're new best friends. Iven and Andy and I are still looking for a house to rent. Still reading "Trainspotting." Still working on my book, though Iven gave me some great feedback that I want to take advantage of (should be adding a whole new layer to the plot). It's officially called "Shepherd's Ark." Found out through the grapevine that Shaun is no longer in a long-distance relationship with Chelsea. Jenny got the last of her official documents and is now totally prepped for her new adventure, packed suitcase and all. Paul started writing in his blog again. I want to start making videos now that I have a computer that can handle such a hobby. My financial aid dwindled to half its original size rather quickly but it was all necessary, mostly. I'm a little stressed about getting my dental work finished. Otherwise, there's really nothing to worry about besides homework and a heart-wrenching trip to the airport.

Update: The Naked And Famous put on a great show. Jenny and I met Andy at my place for some pre-partying and a listen to the new Modest Mouse album I bought minutes earlier. We negotiated with Kelly to have her switch her will-call name to mine so Andy could have her ticket. Next, we met Rob and Chris and Lacey, then the N & F played, rocked the house, and most of us went over to Ink for a delicious late-night dinner. It was surprisingly refreshing to hear the N & F play live. I hadn't really thought much about them for a few months and here they were, a real live band, playing theses songs I somehow knew so well.

- Left to Fry