Abandon all hope ye who enter here.

Subject:	Almost there.
Time:	3:52 am.
Mood:	Ready to go home.
Music:	Never Turn Back - Crush 40.

Quote of the Day:

"Wrigley Field's a great park to play at, with the fans, the history, the bleachers, the ivory growing on the outfield wall..."
- Chicago Cubs CF Juan Pierre (fear not, though, it has been confirmed recently he does know it's ivy)

Almost there.

Greetings, true believers! I realize it's been a while since my last entry. So as I was sitting here, early on this Friday morning, my brain burned out and smoking slightly from studying, I said to myself, "Self, this would be a great time for a LiveJournal entry." And so here we are. Since my last update on what goes on in the super-secret life of Randall (yes, so super-secret I put it online), I've gone home again, come back again, done stuff and things, and most recently, faced a new breed of darkness, the likes of which I've encountered but the magnitude of which I've never imagined.

For the last week, Finals have haunted the existence of all involved. Honestly, my first three weren't that bad, with my English final being an out-of-class assignment, and my next 2 being only a pair of 40-question scantrons for my Economics and Journalism classes. It's what comes after that where the hard part begins. My Anthropology final (taken on Thursday) and my History final (to be taken later today) consist of 20 short answers (Anthropology)/5 ID questions (History) and a pair of essays each. That ain't easy by hand. I could barely move my hand after finishing my Anthro exam earlier. But as I type, the only thing standing between me and home are 5 IDs and 2 essays. History exam? Yer goin' down.

It'll be real nice to get home. Every time I've gone home so far, I've looked up after 4-5 days and realized I didn't see half the people/do half the things I wanted to. But with 4 and a half weeks to work with this time, I'm hoping that won't be an issue. GBS Visit on Monday. Seems to have become a monthly thing for me, but that's ok. I'm not living in the past, I'm just saying hello to it as often as I can. I've got my counselor job at the Weinger JCC to keep me busy for some of the days. I told someone recently that "Camp starts on Tuesday." It felt odd. Anyway, that will hopefully total enough money for a new camera. Alas, poor Kodak, I knew ye well. Plus I think there will be enough days where I can take one or two to legitimately do nothing and not worry it's a wasted day, which happens when you're only home for 4-5 days. And then, enough days where you can pull a group together and do something in the upper tier of fun, like go downtown or something else day-long. And even then, enough days just to find random stuff to do for entertainment.

It's funny to think of how a year's time changes how you prepare for winter break. On the last day before break last year, I was using a flatbed cart to haul 20 bottles of drinks into Mr. Jenewein's classroom for Christmas Around The Room and making sure all the gifts I had for people were distributed properly before the end of the day. This year, all my gifts (for my friends here at KU, at least; the real fun starts once I get back to my proven Glenview resources at home) are already distributed 'cuz everyone leaves on different days. I have a 2 and a half page checklist to ensure I remember to pack everything I need for the break and do everything I need to before I leave on Saturday morning. And before you ask, it's either make a checklist or panic for about 2 hours before I leave worrying whether I forgot anything.

And so just about ends this first semester of mine at this crazy stage of life called "college." Hopefully I didn't fail any classes. It had its ups, and its downs, and, yes, a few times where just when I thought it couldn't get any wackier, it did (see: Fluffy the Vent Gremlin). There were a few times where I just had to shake my head in regards to some of the people I encountered. But all in all, it balanced itself out pretty well. Second semesters are always both easier and harder than first semesters, so we'll see what the future brings. But for now? I'm ready to get that last exam out of the way and hop that plane back to Chicago (which, I do not care what anyone tries to say, is a Chicago Cubs town, and if you believe otherwise, go shave your mullet and we'll talk).

A new day brings new adventure. But for now... rest easy, heroes.
Or at least, all y'all rest easy. I still got one more exam.

Catch you on the flip side.

Guy #1: "Hey! Hey everyone! Didja hear we made our comic debut? Didja didja didja?"
Guy #2: "Quiet. We're not supposed to talk about that."
Guy #1: "Aw phooey, why not?"
Guy #2: "'Cuz we're gonna get ourselves kneecapped if we do. Or worse."
Guy #1: "You're no fun."

Later.
Randall

Comments: Add Your Own.

Subject:	What makes home home?
Time:	2:17 am.
Mood:	nostalgic.
Music:	100 Years - Five for Fighting.

Quote of the Day:

"I'd never get struck by lightning. The storm would try, but I'm too fast. It'd be like *ZAP*-hiyah!-*ZAP!*-hiyah! The storm would get bored eventually."
- Sheida

What makes home home?

As I tried to settle back into my palatial residence in Glenview after arriving home on Wednesday evening, I was asking myself that. After all, isn't home where you sleep, eat, live? And by that definition, isn't home for me is Naismith Hall #905 in Lawrence?. This didn't feel like home, it just felt like an awkward vacation spot. That said, I immediately re-learned to appreciate a soft couch and a kitchen that's open 24/7.

Thursday was Yom Kippur, which means, yes, temple. I was still asking myself that question, though. Being at temple gave me a little bit of insight. After all, I had spent 10+ years worth of Jewish education there (Granted, how much of that time I actually enjoyed is up for significant debate :p). It's a familiar place. Does that have anything to do with home? I visited my grandparents that night, and goodness knows I've spent enough time there in 18+ years for it to be a familiar place. What does that mean as far as home goes?

I was still asking myself as I went to sleep that night, and as I woke up and ran some errands Friday morning. And even as I walked through the doors of Glenbrook South that afternoon, it was still in the back of my mind. My answer came, though.

As you might expect, I headed straight for the broadcasting wing, that one place in the school that had actually felt like a home to me as recently as earlier in the spring. My first stop was TV, and I picked the right day to come, because this year's ATV class was hard at work preparing for Friday Night Live 2005. As I walked through that door, familiarity washed over me. The energy. The energy of ATV preparing for a production. Ferg keeping a very watchful eye over it all. Over 4 months since I graduated GBS and I have yet to find something else that rivals the electric atmosphere of ATV at work. Of course, all the photos I took of the class last year, and last year's production documents, were off the bulletin boards (as well they should be; no complaints, the time of myself and my Class of 2005 contemporaries is past), but the ATV logo I designed last year remained. It served as a tangible reminder that I too had once been in the class, that I had once helped fuel that atmosphere, and reveled in it. Not that ATV is a class easily forgotten.

My next stop was Radio. Where TV struck me with an atmosphere of pure electricity, Radio's air was cooled by the quiet calm I remember. A few people mulling about. Someone working on the computer. People in the back studios doing production work, and a show being broadcast from Studio K. And of course Doc seeing me enter the room and shouting "RRRRANDALL!" >_> I chatted with Doc, and those personnel whom I remembered from my time at the station. Then I walked through the studios. Studio C, where I frantically labored to finish my final production ever for the station. Studio B, where I recorded the Variety Show MP3s. And Studio K, where I spent countless hours on air, playing the music I wanted to, talking about what I wanted to. My name was written on the wall in Sharpie, where my Advanced Radio class inscribed our names last year as Doc's first Advanced class at GBS. This was where the Randall that's writing this got his start.

I stayed most of the afternoon at GBS, walking between Radio and TV. I was able to see Rachel during the day when she came in to visit Doc, Carol when she stopped by after school and Kim during the evening when she got in from Iowa. I returned to school in the evening as an interviewee with Robyn and Christina as "Television Alumni" for Friday Night Live. Because of the closed studio and numerous lights and equipment all running at once, it was pretty warm in the studio. But I knew this atmosphere. The incredibly talented ATV students running the show didn't feel the heat. The only thing they felt was the show, and the desire to do it and do it well. I miss that atmosphere. I really do.

After that, I drove to Evanston to give Sheida a ride home from NU. I got there eventually, despite a wrong turn... or two. I hate Evanston, especially at night. Who the hell's idea was it to give, like, 4 different streets the same name? Honestly. Anyway, I got there and we drove back to Glenview. And by Glenview, I mean the Glen. And by the Glen, I mean Tea Leaf. Rachel met us there, and by complete coincidence, Katie happened to walk in a few minutes after that.

I missed Glenview.

This morning we convened along Glenview Road for the Homecoming parade. The weather today was unfairly beautiful. Cool and sunny the entire today. Horsecrap. Homecoming Day's supposed to be overcast and freezing. Rain optional. Not fair it's this nice the year after we graduate. And as I'm standing there, trying to watch the parade with Char and Rachel and Sheida and Kay, WGBK's parade representation, a pickup truck filled with radio personnel, happens to stop. Station staff members proceed to jump out and throw me into the back of the truck like a bale of hay, effectively kidnapping me. So much for actually watching a parade for a change. Went to the Varsity football game. Sat in the student section. Does it count as an identity crisis to be at GBS, sitting in the student section, wearing a KU windshirt, cheering on the Titans? Dinner at Bennigan's with people. They don't have a Bennigan's in Lawrence. My burgers come off the grill in the Rock Chalk Cafe.

I enjoyed this weekend too much. It had everything I missed in it. My friends. Fall in Glenview. GBS. Homecoming. I worry tomorrow's going to be like saying goodbye all over again. It was bloody damn hard enough the first time. This was like the extended goodbye I didn't have time to say to everything the first time around. Fall in Glenview has a specific set of colors to it. The navy and gold of GBS Homecoming. The crystal blue of the sky. The orange and red of the leaves. I missed those colors, all together in one place.

Don't misunderstand me. I'm not suddenly wishing I was still a Senior at GBS. The University of Kansas is where I go to school now, and I do not wish to change that at all. But I've realized now what makes home home. Home is where you're from. It's where your past is, where all your good memories take place. Even when I'm 600 miles from Glenview, I'm still a Glenview boy at heart. You say "ice cream", I say "Dairy Bar." You say "activity", I say "Movies, food, or bowling, there ain't much else." You say "The park", I say "Flick, Roosevelt, or the little one near Sheida's house?" Home is where I had the time of my life working hard in ATV and at WGBK and being with friends.

But KU is home now too. It's where I live and go to school now. It's where my future is, and where countless good memories of the future will undoubtedly take place. Even when I'm 600 miles away from Lawrence, I've still got some L-town in me. You hungry at 1 AM? I say "the Jimmy John's on West 23rd delivers until 3. Number's on the fridge." You say "Party", I say "Anything 7th floor or lower is nonstop on the weekend. Watch the beer puddles in the elevator." KU is where I know the next time of my life working hard and being with new friends is yet to be had, and it's coming.

I have two homes now. One of the past and occasionally the present (next time: Thanksgiving), and one of the rest of the present and the future. One in Glenview, one in Lawrence. They both have pros and cons, and they both have things the other doesn't. They both have different parts of me, mind, body, and soul. And as we all know, a little bit of Randall makes all the difference...

Guy #1: "If both places have different parts of Randall, does that mean he left, say, a finger or 2 or a foot in one place or the other?"
Guy #2: "No, but it does mean you left a couple million imaginary brain cells god only knows where. Good night everybody!"

Later.
Randall

Comments: Read 1 or Add Your Own.

Subject:	Shut off that damn car alarm!
Time:	3:59 am.
Mood:	content.
Music:	Jerk It Out - The Caesars.

Quote of the Day:

"I love thunderstorms... You'll see me on the news some day; '6'4" boy struck by lightning.'"
- Joey

Shut off that damn car alarm!

Sorry about that. As I was writing this someone set off another bloody car alarm in the parking lot. I guess the drunk people who hang out down there think it's funny or something.

Well then. When we last left our hero (that's me, yo), the weather was warm and sticky, the hill was still tall and daunting, and his new home didn't quite feel like home yet. And now? The weather has finally become blissfully fall-like, the hill's still tall but not as daunting, and my "new" home? Further proof there's really no problem a few thumbtacks can't fix.

After enduring 90 degree temperatures and tropical humidity for about 2 months, finally the weather has caught up with the calender. It was officially 46 degrees when I walked to my first class this morning. It's cold enough at night for me to breathe out the window and see my breath. Of course, this is a college dorm, so smoke coming out of the windows probably isn't that unique. Classes have started to pick up. I've already had some papers and tests, and I have an Economics midterm (!!) on Tuesday. Getting to classes isn't quite the chore it once was, though, 'cuz the burning sensation in my legs only lasts 10 minutes now instead of the 20 it did at one point.

As for the room? I decided my area needed a little more me. Some "Randall-izing", if you will. So, some thumbtacks to hang my hats (Cubs, KU, and more) on, some photo prints, and a few more thumbtacks later, and the Wall of Randall is born. The only wall in the room that shouts "Randall lives here!" Although the wall with the Wrigley Field poster speaks it in a pleasant, room-level voice. Plus we finally got bookshelves, so my DVDs can live somewhere other than in shoeboxes under my desk, where they were constantly starting fights with my feet. It's starting to feel like home, physically if not quite yet 100% emotionally. I do think it'll get there, though. That said, there are still some things I can't see myself adjusting to fully. Like the beer puddles in the elevators on Friday nights. The drunken neighbors crashing in at 3 AM. The average weekend activity being drinking 'til you can't feel feelings. I mean, I realize A. I sound like a little old Sunday school teacher (I am me; deal with it) and B. This is college, which is as different a beast from high school as you'll find, but it's still ok to be yourself in college, even if what you think isn't the norm, right?

At any rate... speaking of home, I'm close to making my grand return to the land of my birth. Barring any unforseen circumstances, I'll be home by Wednesday evening. Thursday is Yom Kippur, and Friday is my triumphant return to the land where my name is still legend, Glenbrook South. I do think it'll be nice to see the old stomping grounds again and see what's changed at Radio and TV. Plus it's Homecoming week, so not only will the place be at it's hoppingest, but it means other people'll be back too! Woohoo! Although a friend of mine put it best when she said "We have to pack suitcases to go home now," which about sums it up. Home, or at least Glenview-Home, is no longer my base location. It's a place to which I travel to for a short amount of time now. That's... weird.

On the topic of weird, it's odd to think about Homecoming from this perspective. It's weird, but I almost miss it. I miss the annual photo assignment that's had my name on it for the last 3 years, sure, and I miss all the festivities-- aside from yelling at Anime Club slackers to come out and help paint the freaking banner; that I don't miss. But I almost miss the challenge that came with it each year. The hope springing anew, regardless of what happened the year before. Even if it did kick my ass the first 2 years and battle me to a standstill the 3rd year before I finally beat the son of a bitch on my last try. I miss it as a warrior misses the thrill of battle, I suppose.

Speaking of missing, our Chicago Cubs missed the playoffs... again. They sucked this year. It hurts, but they did. Derrek Lee had himself a bloody monster of a season, finishing the season batting .335 with 46 HRs and 107 RBIs, becoming the first Cubs player to win a batting title in 25 (his player number, incidentally... can I get some Twilight Zone music here?) years. That said, this was a painful season to watch. At times, it seemed as if getting men on base decreased our chances of scoring runs! Add to that the constant overuse of manager Dusty Baker's favored "veterans", which means "useless utilitymen" in any other language (Jose Macias, I'm looking in your direction. And then I'm regretting doing so because you are an ugly gremlin), in crucial lineup spots such as the leadoff spot and the 2-hole down the stretch, and the Cubs practically handed the Astros the NL Wild Card, when they had it well in their power to at least send the Astros to a one-game playoff against Philadelphia, and you have an ending to the season that just wasn't fun to watch. And to add insult to crappyness, the White Sox somehow managed to get hot again right at the end of the season and overachieve just enough to keep Cleveland out of the playoffs. One sweep of the Red Sox in the ALDS later, and Cubs fans are collectively holding their breath and hoping they will not have to answer the apocalyptic question to end all apocalyptic questions: Who do you root for in a Cardinals/White Sox World Series?

*thunder*
*lightning*

Popular opinion at the moment is just to convince one's self that there was no World Series this year if necessary.

What, you didn't hear about the strike?

I don't hate the White Sox on principle. I mean, they have talent. Podsednik can run. Konerko can hit. Rowand can field. Buehrle/Garland/Garcia/Contreras can pitch (when Buehrle isn't complaining that the other team's hitting his stuff because of a light system in center field tipping them off) . And Ozzie can unintelligibly remind us of all of this. It's that, if the White Sox do win, the gloating and inferiority complexes will not end. Ever. For those of you who think I'm overrreacting, you weren't around to hear the Sox "fans" cheer in 2003 when the Cubs fell 5 outs short of a pennant.

177 days 'til Opening Day 2006 @ Cincinatti. Go Cubs Go.

That will about wrap things up for this go-around. 'Til next time.

Guy #1: "So if he's going home for this weekend, and this weekend is GBS Homecoming, does that make it--"
Guy #2: "Don't do it..."
Guy #1: "--A homecoming--"
Guy #2: "Don't. Do it."
Guy #1: "--during Homecoming!"
Guy #2: "Groan."

Later.
Randall

Comments: Add Your Own.

Subject:	Insert cliché involving "new beginnings" here.
Time:	11:48 pm.
Mood:	homesick.
Music:	Leaving Town - Dexter Freebish.

Quote of the Day:

"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end..."
- Semisonic, "Closing Time"

Insert cliché involving "new beginnings" here.

It seems like just yesterday I was enjoying Prom, doing my last radio show, cleaning up at Honors and Awards, graduating, going to 3 graduation parties a week, and looking forward to one last summer in Glenview.

Originally, I intended to write this early last Sunday morning, scant hours before my departure. However, given my last minute packing and elevated emotional state, that didn't quite materialize. So here it is, a week after getting here.

For those of you who've been hiding under a rock and don't know where "here" is, it's Lawrence, Kansas, home to the University of Kansas, the next stop for me on this magical mystery tour we call life. At about 4 AM on the morning of Sunday, August 14, 2005, I departed my palatial residence in Glenview and left everything and everyone I've ever known to make my 8-hour journey here. If it sounds hard, that's because it was. To my friends of my age and older, I'm sure you have a good idea of what I'm talking about, and to my younger friends, well... enjoy the time you have left in familiar surroundings, and be ready to look ahead when it ends. Long since have my tenures as a Lyon School Lion, a Pleasant Ridge Eagle, and a Springman Wildcat ended. It seems like mere minutes ago that my time as a proud Glenbrook South Titan came to a close. And now, my journey continues as I begin my time as a Kansas Jayhawk.

My last week in Glenview had a lot of different things in it. For the weekend that started it, I was up with the sun both days in order to serve as Script Supervisor on Joey Burgess' latest film production. As a chance to work one last time with all the amazing people from ATV, I'd have taken it regardless of when it happened, but as my last full weekend in town, I couldn't have placed it any better. A good start.

Thursday night we had one last group assembly at Rachel's house. It did't occur to me then, but that was the last time I saw/will see some people for, well, who knows how long.

Then came the last day of camp. That's always a little emotional no matter what comes next, but as you can imagine, this one just seemed harder. Maybe because the span from the end of camp to my departure was a mere 36 hours. But it went as it usually does; all the counselors come in their Staff 200_ t-shirts, and the kids shower the counselors with gifts as a precursor to everyone having to say goodbye. Honestly, you're ok up to the last 5-10 minutes of camp. Then you hug all your fellow counselors goodbye, and hug your kids goodbye and tell them to all have great school years, and trod to your bus hoping nothing sets you off emotionally.

Then came Saturday. I defied one of my top personal principles by willingly awakening before the sun and transporting myself, Sheida, and Tim (and meeting Joey there) to Gilson Beach to watch my 3rd sunrise in a week's time. Unfortunately, Mother Nature decided to spit in my eye and cloud things over. Fortunately, she didn't send over a cloud in the shape of a middle finger. Once the clock struck a more reasonable hour, I had one last Egg Harbor Café breakfast with the crew, and said some goodbyes-- er, "see ya laters". That's when it started sinking in. The rest of the day was spent packing and buying some last minute essentials (TV, DVD player). One last dinner with the family, and then one last hurrah with Kara at, where else? The Dairy Bar (to Christina and Kim: I glanced over at Viccino's and thought "Haven't I seen this movie?")

The rest of the night was spent... being frantic, honestly. Packing one last suitcase of odds and ends. I felt like a deity lording over a dying civiliation, deciding what lives and dies, I felt like the Claw, deciding who will go and who will stay. It wasn't easy. I was shoving items into the bag literally up until leaving. And if I write any more about leaving, I'm going to get emotional, and no one wants that.

And so I arrived in Lawrence, Kansas a little over 8 hours later, and made my way to my home for at least the next year, Naismith Hall, KU's only semi-private dorm. And it really is a nice place. Suite-style rooms, with 1 bathroom per 2-person room, which was a major selling point, becaue the prospect of sharing a bathroom with 4 people beats the snot out of sharing it with an entire floor. The food here's also pretty good. As for classes, I'm definitely a fan of having 2-4 classes a day instead of the high school 6. Of course now, instead of 5 minutes to get across school, it's 10 to get across campus, so no Freshman 15 for me.

And much to my deep, deep delight, Lawrence cable receives WGN's national Superstation feed, allowing me to keep a little piece of home and keep watching the Cubs. And like Rachel said, "You'd probably be at home anywhere you could watch the Cubs." Which brings me to my next point.

It still doesn't feel like home.

Sure, it has most of my personal affects from home; my Cubs hats, my senior yearbook, my reindeer bells from Halloween, my graduation tassle, the desk gargoyle Anna gave me for my birthday 2 years ago, the photo album Christina gave me last year, and of course, my thousands of photos contained within my laptop. Sure, it has most of my DVDs, including V-Show. Sure I can sit and watch Cubs games while chatting with my friends just like I can do at home. But it's not home yet. There are still songs I can't listen to, memories I can't go near, pictures I can't look at, just because they have too much behind them. Katie's coming to visit KU Labor Day weekend, and I'm going home for the first time in October (during GBS' Homecoming week, coincidentally), and knowing that helps, but this is still hard, that home is now one room in a 10-floor dorm building instead of my house at 1577 Winnetka Road. I used to love fall in Glenview. The bite to the air. Hearing the leaves skitter around in the night air on the street outside my window. The seemingly endless beautiful, clear, days and nights. It was in the low 70's back home today, going as low as 57 in the early morning hours. It was 86 and humid seemingly all day here. This past weekend, I thought "I wonder if we're doing anything tonight", and then remembered the "we" I was thinking of was scattered across the eastern half of the country at this point. That's a humbling feeling.

Honestly, I can think of about 100 different analogies for leaving home, ranging from baseball, to video games, to comic books. But none of them quite seem to fit. Probably because I've never quite done anything like this before. I've been away from home before, of course, but it's always been temporary, never more than a few days, and sometimes I've even had my friends with me. But not this time. There are only 2 other people here from GBS, neither of whom I'm that close to. A couple people from North, one of whom I actually get along with pretty well. But no one from that select group, those people who I've spent some great past few years with. It feels like it was years ago that I was saying good-- er, see ya later to my friends in Glenview, even though it's only been a week.

I know it'll get better. No one can stay unadjusted forever. But for now, it's still difficult.

Guy #1: "Wait a second, Randall's stuff is all here, but where's all of our stuff? Didn't you pack it all?
Guy #2: "I thought we decided you were going to pack..."

Later.
Randall

Comments: Read 3 or Add Your Own.

Subject:	Life, at best, is bittersweet
Time:	3:54 am.
Mood:	thoughtful.
Music:	Magic Carpet Ride - Steppenwolf.

Quote of the Day:
"Ooooooooh little children. When God was punishing Eve with the pain of childbirth for sinning - he forgot to tell her that part of her punishment would also be that he was not giving children an "off" switch."
- Rachel

Life, at best, is bittersweet.

Yeah yeah, I haven't written in two months. I know. Shaddup. Fair warning, this one's gonna be long. Go grab a snack and an attention span before reading. Yes, I realize most of this is at least a month out of date by now, but if anyone tells you that, just plug your ears and go "La la la la can't hear you" until they go away.

When last I wrote, baseball season had just started, Prom was a headache on the horizon, and school was still a pain. How have things changed since?

The Cubs' season so far, as much as it pains me to admit it, has seemed like a season of inconsistency and mediocrity with flashes of excellence and brillaince embedded in. Kerry Wood was average before his stint on the DL, and just as Prior was getting on a roll and returning to the Prior of '03, a Brad Hawpe line drive fractured his elbow and landed him on the DL as well, however both of their recent returns, are nothing short of encouraging. Despite some good stretches, the only consistently good thing has been the god that has miraculously emerged from the right side of the diamond, currently leading the major leagues in batting average, in the top 2 in NL home runs and RBIs, playing a Gold Glove-caliber first base for the Cubs, and if the 11th-hour surge in fan voting is any indicator, the starting First Baseman for the National League in the 2005 All-Star Game, No. 25 Derrek Lee. Save yourself the trouble and just bow before him now.

So Prom turned out not to be a headache. Tons o' fun with Alison and the rest of the group. We had a sweet luxury (that's pronounced "luuuuuuuuuuxsury"; haha Sheida) bus as our transportation to the Prom dance Friday night. Think a short bus, without the rows of bench seating, and with padded leather limo seating along both sides, with little colored twinkly lights on the ceiling. Like I said, sweet. Saturday was also interesting, when it wasn't fun. Remember, kids, always avoid deaf and mute drivers when passing the Chicago Skyway McDonalds, and whatever you do, do not announce out loud how much you've always wanted to visit said McDonalds in the vicinity of said deaf and mute drivers. Just trust me on these. Sunday was also fun, with bowling downtown while watching Mark Prior finish off a complete game job against the White Sox at Wrigley on said bowling alley's giant video wall. That's how you watch a Cubs game. Then Navy Pier, complete with ferris wheel, chain swingie ridey thingie, and the 20-minute endurance race from Navy Pier to Union Station to make the train back home. That's what I call a fun weekend.

Monday, May 23 - My last ever radio show. Last ever. Final. No more. At least not on WGBK 88.5 FM Glenview. That was the first of the lasts, such as they were. More or less 4 years on the same day and time isn't a bad run, eh? No matter what else I had going on, good or bad, rain or shine, I always had a show to do. It was consistency in the form of a microphone and an audio board. I'll miss it.

Tuesday, May 24 - Great America! What's better than a school trip to Great America? A school trip to Great America without any work, of course. I took J's Challenge this go-around, a challenge issued by Mr. Jenewein to all his students. The task? Consume a footlong chili cheese dog, cheese fries, and a large lemonade, run to the Viper, ride it, and run back within a set amount of time. I passed. It was a little rough for a bit, but there were no... um... unwanted revisitations afterward, fortunately.

Wednesday, May 25 - Yearbook Day! Yearbooks are good. Senior yearbooks are better. Not that my last 3 weren't valuable keepsakes, but this is Senior year with pages and a binding. I'm saving this sucker, 'cuz even now some of the things people wrote in there make me a tad misty; I can only imagine what they'll do to me in a year/10 years/20 years.

Thursday, May 26 - Honors and Awards. I brought home the hardware for the 2nd time in my high school career, receiving an award for Outstanding Achievement in Radio Production and an Excellence in Television Award. That's certainly great, but what was later that day was the real defining point of that day. I've always said that my first love was Radio, and that I was better at radio than I was at TV, but between some serious issues with some of this year's radio personnel, and the closer-knit weave of the ATV class, I enjoyed TV a little more than I did Radio this year. That was put to one last quantification on Thursday. A few hours after Honors and Awards, all of the ATV class gathered in the studio. The lights were turned low. Every departing senior got a framed certificate from Ferg listing their cumulative positions and accomplishments over the years. Alongside said certificates, every departing senior got to sit and listen to everyone share stories, memories, and compliments about them, for however long it took for each person. You take the opportunity to let the people you've worked alongside know how much of an honor and a pleasure it was to do so, for however long you did. People with whom you arrived at school at 4:30 AM with, and stayed until past midnight with. And, yeah, you take a little enjoyment from sitting and listening to people say nice things about you. That right there is an experience.

Friday, May 27 - Nothing special. What? Not every day can be a lifelong memory. Geez. You expect way too much.

Saw Madagascar somewhere in there. Singing lemurs are very addictive. Sheida's grad/birthday party was on Memorial Day, the first of many.

Tuesday, May 31 - Senior breakfast. Don't trust mass-produced scrambled eggs. Or bacon. Bagels are ok, though. You can trust me. Grad rehearsal. Meh.

Wednesday-Thursday, June 1-2 - Senior finals. A.k.a. my last 2 days of high school. How did I finish off the last day? The same way any sane person would, of course - Sitting and talking about everything and nothing in the editing suite. When the day ended, I walked out to the hallway and watched the rush hour traffic go through the hallways, and it occurred to me that never again would I be walking through that traffic, in those hallways. Needless to say, it took some time, and one last walk around the entire school before I finally hiked up my backpack and walked out the door.

Friday-Saturday, June 3-4 - Days off. In there somewhere were Kara and Ronan's grad parties, which were, of course, fun.

Sunday, June 5, 2005 - My high school graduation. Set in the spacious caverns of the Rosemont Theatre, the Glenbrook South Class of 2005 gathered, clad in cap and gown, to complete the magic carpet ride that was high school. Eh. Speeches ran a little long. I had to go to the bathroom ever since the D's, and I couldn't listen to the Cubs game during the ceremony. Eh. (The Cubs won that day, for the record, after Henry Blanco threatened to slap Carlos Zambrano if he didn't stop walking people. I love baseball).

Sunday, June 5 into Monday, June 6 - GRAD NIGHT. Yeeeeeeeeeeah! Odyssey Fun World lived up to its name, containing and occupying 600 seniors as they celebrated graduation. Laser tag, video games, bumper cars, more video games, it was all good. As was the 5:00 AM bus ride back to GBS. I haven't seen that many sunrises in my time, given that I'm hopefully either fast asleep, or just going to bed as the sun usually comes up, and on the rare occasion where I'm actually just starting my day at sunrise, chances are I'm not awake enough to enjoy it. This go-around, I was awake, alert, and looking out the bus window at a bright orange sunrise, with my friends in the seats around me either sleeping or shivering from the cold wind through the bus. It was an environment of odd yet fitting serenity. 'Course I completely forgot about it once I went home and slept half the day (what? You try running around having fun all night long), but it was nice while it was there.

Monday-Tuesday, June 6-7 - Freedom, bitches. GBS isn't school anymore. Now it's our alma mater. 2 days with nothing to do but nothing itself. I don't really remember what I did, but I'm pretty sure I enjoyed it.

Wednesday, June 8 - Freedom ends. Apachi counselor orientation begins. Not that it wasn't enjoyable on some level, 'cuz it is always nice to start seeing people that you haven't seen for a year again, but in the end, it does come to down to sitting for 6 hours a day and listening to stuff you've heard 2 times already. Plus Katie's birthday party. Also fun.

June 8-19 - A smattering of camp stuff and grad parties for Alison and Char. Saw Star Wars and Batman Begins, 2 of my 3 big summer movies. (Fantastic Four is the next and final one) In general, just enjoyed summer.

Last two weeks - Present day. Present time. HAHAHAHA. (A cookie if you get the reference) Camp starts. This year, I co-counselor Explorer 3, Group 8, the Titans... What? Don't look at me like that. It was either the Titans or the Jayhawks. Haha. Last week I was in Lawrence for 2 days for KU orientation. While I recognize the importance of such things, that doesn't change the fact that the first day was essentially nothing but sitting and listening to people talk (and talk... and talk...) for 8 hours. While running on 3 hours sleep. Blegh. Day 2 actually accomplished stuff, though. I got my KU ID and enrolled in my classes. Facebook me if you want to glance at my schedule. Grad parties for Joey, Kay, and Rachel. Good fun. Also in there, I finally bought a laptop, a Hewlett-Packard DV4030US, and a 4GB iPod Mini. The laptop, which has been officially dubbed Ryoku-One, shall become my new base of electronic operations, once I can load it up with the 10GB worth of personal files and archives I've accumulated on this computer over the last 5 years.

That about brings us up to date. Went down to the Taste of Chicago on Wednesday with the usual suspects, which was good. You usually can't go wrong with food in large quantities. 4th o' July on Monday.

It doesn't feel like high school's over. I guess it just hasn't sunk in yet, but I still feel like I'm just going back to GBS in the fall. I've been back to GBS twice since graduation, once for Attea's graduation and once to see a show. Both times, I've walked down into the Broadcasting hallway, and both times it's felt so... I dunno, natural, doing so. The placement of the posters on one of the drama doors, the way the light casts shadows on certain parts of the hallway. I spent so much time in that hallway this past year it just feels immeasurably odd to think it won't be my home away from home anymore.

Another thing I think about is how I rose in the activities I chose to involve myself in at GBS. I started Radio as an intern/newsreader, and I finished as a veteran DJ with a prime time slot, and helping to run the station at the administrative level. I got into newspaper as a scrub photographer just trying to find his place in things, and I finished as an ace of the photographer staff and as an assistant editor having worked in 3 different sections, partially responsible for seeing that paper was put out on time and in a professional manner. I can't remember whether I intended to stay and rise in the organizations when I first joined, but that's what I did.

Then there are the memories. There are big memories from big events, of course, like Homecoming, Turnabout, Prom, things like that. And then there are smaller memories, from smaller things. Moments, single seconds, instants that are freeze-frames of a time that is now over. I will remember walking around school at 1 AM during the 48-athon. I will remember a camera in my hand and thousands of pictures and hours of video worth of life in front of me. I will remember the two sportscasters trying out slam dunk calls on the control room crew. I will remember "What the hell are you doing here?" at 4:30 AM. I will remember singing along to Barenaked Ladies and the Beatles during Oracle layouts. I will remember sitting in Sheida's basement with everyone laughing about something immeasurably random. I will remember my Game Boy. I will remember sitting in the Skyway McDonalds watching the Cubs. I will remember sitting in the control room at midnight still hard at work on Video Yearbook, right alongside everyone else hard at work on the same goal. I will remember firing jokes so bad they'd make your toes curl back and forth with Mr. Jenewein. I will remember sitting in the TV studio, lights low and dull golden, seeing respect and admiration made almost tangible. I will remember signing off my final radio show and promising my listeners "I'll see you, along the way..." I will remember a shining sunrise on a quiet bus in a cool breeze somewhere on a highway. There are too many to name. Just typing this, another hundred immediately come to mind. An infinite number of frozen seconds, photos in a frame, to be remembered many times.

But most of all, I will remember 4 years of growth, 4 years of shifting and changing, 4 years of becoming who I am, an hourglass whose final sands are in the process of falling, a good thing that I don't want to see end.

That's what I will remember.

Guy #1: "There are no words."
Guy #2: "Except for yours. Way to ruin the moment, ass."

Later.
Randall

Comments: Read 3 or Add Your Own.

Subject:	Stand by at the yard.
Time:	9:13 pm.
Mood:	satisfied.
Music:	Vertigo - U2.

Quote of the Day:

"Persons attempting to find a motive in this narrative will be prosecuted; persons attempting to find a moral in it will be banished; persons attempting to find a plot in it will be shot."
- Mark Twain

Stand by at the yard.

Believe it or not, I've been trying to write this entry for a week now, but I've been either too tired or too busy. But today's extra-inning Cubs win has me so juiced (good-juiced, not Giambi-juiced) that I feel like writing, so here it is.

Obviously, Spring Break is over and we're into 4th quarter now. I'm beyond the status of 2nd Semester Senior; I'm down to 4th Quarter Senior now. That's officially as down to the wire as you can be without actually having graduated. And as of this writing, there are less than 2 months remaining until that actually happens. Scary. Most of my friends know where they're going to college, and the ones who don't are only deciding between 2 or so schools. Also scary. On a related note, I found out a few days ago that camp will end on a Friday in late August... and assuming we have the schedule right, I will depart for my new residence in Lawrence, Kansas not 24 hours later. So much for a slow, gradual separation, eh? Dunno how well that's gonna go...

But that's later. For now, there's still time to enjoy things. Now that I'm locked in for KU, there's no more worrying about college. The rest is basically trudging through what remains of school academically, and enjoying what remains extracurricularly and socially. Radio and TV only get more fun as the year winds down, and Oracle... sort of us does, I guess, not because sitting in the little Oracle office doing layouts on a beautiful, warm Friday evening in May is all that fun, but because Seniors aren't responsible for the final layout :p Elsewhere, there's all sorts of fun as the result of you and all your friends very quickly losing interest in being in school. Hopefully we can make the most out of the two giveaway days at the end of this month; the half-day with 15-minute classes that starts at 12:40 PM, and the subsequent complete day off that follows. Then there's that-which-cannot-be-named-(yet) because Rachel and Sheida are authorized to smack me if I do name it, and all the other festivities that come with approaching graduation. Things aren't going to start slowing down as the year draws to a close. They're just going to go faster.

It's a little overwhelming, even; to think that in 2 months I'll be done with grades K-12, and in about 4 months I'll be on my way out of Glenview, my home for 16 of my 18 years, to a new state, a new area, new people, new... everything? It's just scary.

With the warming sun of spring comes the one thing that keeps any relatively sane human being going through the dead of winter, and that, my friends is BASEBALL. The Cubs began their 2005 season with a record-setting offensive performance against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Phoenix, winning 16-6 and banging out an Opening Day record 23 hits, chasing Diamondbacks starter Javier Vasquez after only 1.2 innings. Then they proceeded to lose the next 3 games, 2 more to the D'backs and 1 more in the home opener against the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday.

Ohhhh yes it's definitely baseball season again.

Speaking of the home opener (and of days off from school >:D), I took Friday off completely and headed downtown with the guys from Radio to the aforementioned Cubs game, for my first home opener and my first Standing Room Only game. Standing Room Only, for the uninformed, are tickets sold the day of the game for a paltry $12, allowing the holders of said tickets to stake out space along the railing on the very back of the lower deck. There's really no way to sit, and unfortunately, the SRO space is the only place in the park where smoking is allowed, but those are minor quibbles; for only $12, you're granted what is actually an excellent view of the entire field laterally, and up to just below the bleacher scoreboard vertically. Pick your location right, and you can also find yourself centrally located between bathrooms and the food stands (not necessarily listed in order of importance). We hit the train station by 7 AM, and were downtown and had our tickets by 9. After a quality french toast breakfast at the Salt and Pepper Diner, I stopped to pick up a Mark Prior shirt and a Corey Patterson shirt for the two ladies who requested them. As we were waiting for the park to open, we passed by WGN 720's radio broadcast trailer set up across the street from Wrigley, and who should be guesting on the show being broadcast from there at the time but the one and only Pat Hughes. And while Mr. Hughes was stepping down from the trailer, he happened to pass by where I was standing on the sidewalk. He then proceeded to shake my hand and tell me to have a good time at the game.

Shaking hands with Pat Hughes. Now THAT'S Old Style.

For Friday's home opener, Ryne Sandberg, Billy Williams, and Ernie Banks were all in attendance to sing the 7th Inning Stretch with Ron Santo. Ryne Sandberg walked above our SRO location (the private boxes were right above us) 6 times, and was greeted with the appropriate number (6) of ovations from the entire section every time he did so. Other sightings on the day including seeing an attendant park what we believe was Todd Walker's Hummer in the player/broadcaster/employee parking lot, seeing Bob Brenly in the lot before the game, and seeing Cubs legend Ron Santo signing autographs from the lot after the game. I was mistaken for 21 or older twice during the day, once when I was given a Cubs Magnet Schedule, given to the first 30,000 fans ages 21 or older, at the game, and again when a rowdy fan nearby nearly hit me with an errant balled-up hamburger wrapper, and proceeded to offer to pay for my next beer. For the record, I partook of no beer; just 2 hot dogs, 1 hamburger, 1 chicken sandwich, 1 chocolate malt cup, and 1 frozen lemonade cup. I love Wrigley Field.

Yesterday I was at school most of the day, producing the radio broadcast of Game 1 of the Titan Men's Varsity Baseball doubleheader, and engineering Game 2. In the 4 hours I was out at our makeshift broadcast box in the bleachers, I managed to get a little extra crispy around the edges. My first sunburn of the season, I guess. Hopefully this'll be the first step to me announcing a game later in the season. Just call me "Ran Santo" :p

On that note, I'll cut things here. Check back here in the coming days for more baseball jibberjabber and more end-of-the-year angst in the coming weeks, 'cuz, let's be honest, that's what most of the rest of my entries will entail until school ends :p

Guy #1: "Two paragraphs about the end of high school... and FOUR about baseball?"
Guy #2: "A man's got to have his priorities straight."

Later.
Randall

Comments: Read 2 or Add Your Own.

Subject:	The hard thing about being a thinking man...
Time:	12:47 am.
Mood:	cynical.
Music:	Inner Universe - Yoko Kanno.

Quote of the Day:

"I made a promise to a particular catcher that if I got a particular number that I'd be seriously considering coming back."
- Nomar Garciaparra

The hard thing about being a thinking man is that you can never seem to stop thinking.

I've been avoiding writing this up until now because given the mood I've been prone to lapsing into recently, I sorta knew how it'd turn out if I tried to write it. But hopefully, yesterday's unseasonably but pleasantly warm weather, and today's day off and concurrent Cubbie win will give me enough of a window to keep that from happening.

I look at the last entry I did, and as one might assume, given that it was written 4 months ago, quite a bit's changed. I'll try and keep this brief... well, actually, that's a lie, no I won't. :p No apologies when this one ends up being 4 pages long; just warning you now.

More recent stuff is at the bottom, so if you don't have the attention span to read a few additional paragraphs (you know who you are), scroll down.

NOVEMBER
Thanksgiving. Food. Snow. Not much to see here. SS Nomar Garciaparra, 2B Todd Walker, and C Henry Blanco all signed with the Cubs. I spent 3 days in Atlanta on an Oracle field trip, which, I would say, I enjoyed. The hotel we stayed at was nice, and it was big, affording anyone willing to travel out to the balcony (I enjoyed the balcony) a view of the city. Such as it is. I was given some warnings about traveling through Atlanta on foot at night prior to the trip, and while those warnings never directly came to pass, I can easily see why they were given. Atlanta's just not a city that feels safe at night. For that matter, it's not a city that feels like... much. We visited the Coca-Cola Factory, and the CNN Center, but aside from that, well, it just didn't seem like there was much to do there. The attraction that seemed most purposeful was about 30 minutes outside the city itself, at Georgia's Stone Mountain Park. A Mount Rushmore-esque statue of... um... some guys on horses, carved into the mountain itself. The view from the top was spectacular, prompting me to pull out my cell phone to try and reach people back in Glenview who would be reachable at such a time to inform them that while they were in school, I was on top of a mountain. Ironically, I was too high to get reception. Alas. Back to the topic of the hotel, the interior, being essentially a very tall atrium ringed by each floor's interior balcony all the way up, it reminded me, at times, of nothing so much as a large insect hive... especially on the last night where, around 9 or so, I heard commotion coming from outside. Upon investigating, I discovered each floor was filled with people glancing over the side, cheering for... something. That something happened to be a man in a... chicken suit, being chased around the ground floor. Wow. Even after the chicken man's departure, the cheering teenagers took quite some time to disperse. I was amused. Other attractions included trying to find the least crappiest programming on TV after each day's festivities were over (thank you Mythbusters/Monster House), and watching from the exterior balcony as the other drunken teenagers played live Frogger (i.e. running across the street trying to beat moving vehicles) on the streets outside. My overall take on Atlanta? If you're already passing through, stop and see it for a bit. Otherwise? Don't bother.

DECEMBER
Slightly more to see here. The early part of the month brought something I had heard much about, but never experienced, in GBS-TV's annual field trip to WTTW Channel 11 Studios, where we got to answer the phones for the day's WTTW telethon. Remember when you used to watch Sesame Street and every so often, the delight of seeing Elmo dance and sing would be interrupted by some woman telling you to get your parents so they could call and give the station money (the oft-mentioned "Financial support from viewers like you")? Remember all those people in the background answering phones? That was us... if you were watching on December 9th. Winter break would be December's other moneymaker. Senior Year's Winter Break has an odd ring to it. Most years, as soon as school ends on that Friday, I bolt like there's no tomorrow. Such, however, was not the case this year. I, along with the rest of the Senior staff of WGBK 88.5 FM Radio, remained at the station (i.e. school) and on the air for 48 hours straight, from Friday to Sunday. Aside from the fact that half the people expected to be there came and went as they pleased (-_-), I'd say it went well. Aside from the station smelling of the free Chipotle burritos and fried chicken we received as support from local establishments. The rest of winter break... I don't remember much of, to be honest. Ehehe... I do remember eating pie at Baker's Square a few days after Christmas, and then proceeding to Tim's house and playing a trivia game (good fun), being at Tim's house with Tim (duh), Sheida, and Pat on New Year's Eve (also good fun, especially considering I WASN'T sitting in this bloody computer chair on New Year's this year), and our "Don't let Winter Break end!" day, cleverly codenamed "Operation Speakeasy" (haha Char) on the Saturday before the end of break, which consisted of a movie, food, and chillaxing. That I remember. A good way to celebrate before heading back for the final half of our final year.

Wait... final year?

JANUARY
Hmm... we're getting close to being relevant here. I remember it was cold. I think I turned 18 somewhere in there (voting, cigarettes and porn, here I come...). And... oh yeah.

Sammy Sosa was traded to the Baltimore Orioles.

It really bothered me when I'd heard it went through. I learned in a most unceremonious way, from a voicemail left on my cell by a fellow Cubs fan. I had assumed, and hoped that with Spring Training so close at that point, Sammy would be with us for another year, and if he wasn't, we could at least get the pieces of the puzzle we needed in exchange for him, i.e. a closer and/or the left fielder we needed, but alas, one won't be happening, and the other didn't quite happen. Instead, we received INF Jerry Hairston, Jr. and a pair of minor league prospects in exchange for him. I was bummed. We had traded away a future first-ballot Hall of Famer, the all-time leader in home runs as a Cub, and 1 of only 3 Cubs to ever be called my favorite (Dawson, Sandberg, and Sosa)... for a utilityman and 2 minor leaguers? It didn't seem right. Just like seeing Sammy take the podium at his press conference in Baltimore and don his legendary No. 21 in Oriole orange didn't seem right. And I still feel that we basically gave away a legend just to get rid of him, but in watching Hairston play a bit in spring training, I do feel better that we at least got a solid player, for what he is, in exchange. However, my Sammy Sosa No. 21 Men's Replica Cubs Jersey (complete with authentic blue ink stains from the rainy Cubs game I went to where the marker ink on my "ZAMBRANO'S THE MAN-O" sign ran in the moisture) and SOSA 21 Cubs Player Name and Number t-shirt have both, sadly, been retired to my retired jersey drawer, along with my black JORDAN 23 Bulls jersey and, although I can't quite remember why I owned this, my Damon Stoudamire Toronto Raptors jersey. Did I forget anything from January?

FEBRUARY/MARCH
OK, now we're relevant. Late January into all of February was basically one giant mass of V-Show, V-Show, V-Show. Advanced Television puts a buttload of work into the show, as I found out for myself. Aside from producing the narrative video that's played during the show -- which I was in, I might add (watch for it! "My Game Boy!" Nehehehe...), TV also controls the show's projector-screen graphics (my job; w00t for Graphics) and, more importantly, operates a 5-camera shoot with 1 house camera, 2 cage cameras, and 2 stage cameras to record it for reproduction purposes. Although my job was probably one of the easier control room positions, everyone still puts in some pretty heavy hours in prepping for the show. But I don't care. Even if the average school-leaving time ranged from 8 PM to 11 PM, even if by the time all was said and done, my streak of consecutive days with one or more hours spent at school was up to 21 days, I loved every minute of it. That's why I got into TV; for huge stuff like this. Every second of it was fun. And it was fun, taken seriously. The final night of the show, Saturday, it's apparently tradition for the TV crew to dress up. No, seriously. The two directors were in their Turnabout dresses. People took it seriously. Prior to the show, two bottles of champagne-- what? Non-alcoholic sparkling grape champagne. What do you think this is, North? anyway, two bottles were poured, and we toasted to a great crew and an even better show. And for the briefest of moments, it had the feel of a later time, and an ending of even greater significance...

The rest of February, into March, didn't have a whole lot else. A Late Arrival breakfast at Egg Harbor Café with the usual suspects, which was fun. If you happen in there, check their photo case; we're the Polaroid labeled "Glenbrook South Late Arrival 2/1/2005" The first Cubs Spring Training broadcast was last week, and I took the greatest of delight in hearing Cubs baseball on the radio again, and in Pat Hughes' first home run call of 2005 (a two-run shot by Aramis Ramirez deep to left field). Baseball is back, and not a moment too soon. I filmed and "edited" (if you can call figuring out what order to imprecisely record the scenes onto VHS from my camcorder "editing") a short, humorous video utilized by Sheida and Katie to ask their respective significant others to Turnabout. And ask they did. Ever blindfolded and kidnapped someone before? :p Despite the time it took to shoot (the project was presented to me on that Late Arrival day at the beginning of February, yet somehow V-Show and a number of other factors conspired to have us not even begin filming until the week after the show), it was a fun project. It's always interesting to apply my extracurricular skills to outside things and see how it turns out. Ignoring that elephant in the corner, the remaining remainder (?) of February and March isn't much else. Cubs' home opener is in less than a month; hopefully I'll be there. Played baseball with some radio guys on Sunday. I played 1st Base and went 2-for-5 with a double and a 3-run single. After effects include a tender left upper arm from where I was nailed with a throw, and the general soreness that accompanies one in a shape such as mine attempting to compete in an athletic contest.

That's about where things stand now. The college letters are starting to come in. I'm 1-1 so far, with Kansas saying yes, and Indiana saying no. I'm sorely tempted to end the hassle now and just commit to Kansas, because I have no problem going there, but I think I'm going to wait and see what the other schools I applied to say first.

The old Superman-colored layout was getting a little hard on the eyes, so to complement the season, I'm now sporting a new Cubs-colored layout. If I could find a way to pinstripe the background, I would. And for those of you wondering, yes, that's genuine Cubbie blue in the layout. Extracted from a photo of 2005 NL Cy Young Award winner Carlos Zambrano in his signature Alternate jersey, converted to a hex value, and plugged into the Journal's code. Go Cubs.

If I missed anything, let me know. I'll try to make the next entry a little sooner than 4 months from now.

Guy #1: "Wait... I see it... could it be...? DAYLIGHT! We're out!"
Guy #2: "Where do imaginary creations go when they aren't used?"
Guy #1: "I don't know, but stall! The sooner we finish, the sooner we have to go back into... Oh no! It's coming! NO!--"

Later.
Randall

Comments: Read 2 or Add Your Own.

Subject:	Autumn leaves.
Time:	11:30 pm.
Mood:	exhausted.
Music:	My Tomorrow - AiM.

Quote of the Day:

"I never do anything I'd regret, and I never regret anything I do."
- Kathy

Autumn leaves.

Well. I'd say that's rather difficult to argue with, wouldn't you? You win. Here's your update. Quite a bit's transpired since the last time I was compelled to update, so if this seems a little out of order, it's just me remembering things in whatever order they come to mind.

First things first. Rachel, Sheida, and I think even Tim (does he still have that Xanga? Or better, perhaps, does he ever actually update it?) have all written about this by now, but at the risk of flogging a horse that is already in severe jeopardy of expiration, Homecoming was indeed a blast. Tim and Sheida, Joey and Katie, myself and Gina, Red and Rachel, Stephanie and Scott, and Carley and Bowen. Pictures, however lengthy, are a necessity, and in the end, beneficial, part of any such function, and even if they weren't, I wouldn't have it otherwise, 'cuz I like having organized pictures like that. Dinner was at Maggiano's; what's to say? Can't go wrong with Italian. The dance (and make no mistake, we were there for the whoooole thing :p) was also fun, and Whirlyball... Yikes. Ever wanted to play lacrosse in bumper cars? No? Well, we got to anyway. And it was good. Although not in the opinion of anything lower than my ribs, because those bumper cars were not comfortable. No matter, though, because it was really fun. Even if we did lose >_> Prior to Homecoming, I was on crew for my first, and unfortunately only Friday Night Live. To anyone who watched it on GBS-TV that weekend, that was me behind Camera 2. Uh huh. You know you love it. Ultimately, I probably accomplished more behind the camera than I would have out at the street dance... not dancing. :p Have no fear, I was at the pep rally, though, screaming "FRESHMEN SUCK!" with the best of them. While I made my usual HC Week rounds with the camera this year, as I've done since Sophomore year, the influx of additional stuffses to do from TV and Radio kept me from reaching my usual numbers. And so, like this town's other great slugger, my numbers were down this year, with 100 taken and about 65 submitted. 500, it's not, but what can I say? 'Long as no one's screaming for me to be traded over it.

But Homecoming's long over now.

Amidst a gaggle of work between Radio, TV, and the Oracle, the 1st Annual GBS-TV vs. GBS-Radio softball game was held on Friday, October 29th. We at Radio being so much cooler than we... they... um...

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Quote of the Day:

"I never do anything I'd regret, and I never regret anything I do."
- Kathy

Autumn leaves.

Well. I'd say that's rather difficult to argue with, wouldn't you? You win. Here's your update. Quite a bit's transpired since the last time I was compelled to update, so if this seems a little out of order, it's just me remembering things in whatever order they come to mind.

First things first. Rachel, Sheida, and I think even Tim (does he still have that Xanga? Or better, perhaps, does he ever actually update it?) have all written about this by now, but at the risk of flogging a horse that is already in severe jeopardy of expiration, Homecoming was indeed a blast. Tim and Sheida, Joey and Katie, myself and Gina, Red and Rachel, Stephanie and Scott, and Carley and Bowen. Pictures, however lengthy, are a necessity, and in the end, beneficial, part of any such function, and even if they weren't, I wouldn't have it otherwise, 'cuz I like having organized pictures like that. Dinner was at Maggiano's; what's to say? Can't go wrong with Italian. The dance (and make no mistake, we were there for the whoooole thing :p) was also fun, and Whirlyball... Yikes. Ever wanted to play lacrosse in bumper cars? No? Well, we got to anyway. And it was good. Although not in the opinion of anything lower than my ribs, because those bumper cars were not comfortable. No matter, though, because it was really fun. Even if we did lose >_> Prior to Homecoming, I was on crew for my first, and unfortunately only Friday Night Live. To anyone who watched it on GBS-TV that weekend, that was me behind Camera 2. Uh huh. You know you love it. Ultimately, I probably accomplished more behind the camera than I would have out at the street dance... not dancing. :p Have no fear, I was at the pep rally, though, screaming "FRESHMEN SUCK!" with the best of them. While I made my usual HC Week rounds with the camera this year, as I've done since Sophomore year, the influx of additional stuffses to do from TV and Radio kept me from reaching my usual numbers. And so, like this town's other great slugger, my numbers were down this year, with 100 taken and about 65 submitted. 500, it's not, but what can I say? 'Long as no one's screaming for me to be traded over it.

But Homecoming's long over now.

Amidst a gaggle of work between Radio, TV, and the Oracle, the 1st Annual GBS-TV vs. GBS-Radio softball game was held on Friday, October 29th. We at Radio being so much cooler than we... they... um... <_< (I'm in both, really...) at TV, we had baseball shirts made, name and number. Me? I proudly wore Sanders, over the number 22, and started the game at 3rd base. I was only given the opportunity to record 1 out the entire 7 innings, but I went 3-for-5 (in softball terms) at the plate, with a hit, a walk, and reaching on error, and had I been permitted to stay in the game, instead of replaced with a ringer for the 7th, the 3 unearned runs might not have scored. But no matter. We won 17-4, including a 13-run 2nd inning, topped off with a 3-run inside the park home run by our first baseman. I think TV had more fun than us, though. >_>

Following that came that favorite holiday of druid monks everywhere, All Hallow's Eve. Or Halloween. Whatever you like to call it. As usual, I was unable to come up with a decent costume design. So I made the faux paus of letting Sheida and Char and Alison pick my costume. Three bells, a pair of plush antlers, a red clown nose, and a brown shirt later, and hello Randall the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

No I will not post pictures.

Halloween was fun, though. We went trick-or-treating, and I got my workout for the week by pulling Sheida and Char in the "sleigh". Those reindeer must be pretty damn healthy if they've gotta pull Santa and all those presents. Good times. And we all learned a valuable lesson; Tim fires off a murderous stare just a liiiiiittle too well.

Last Friday we all decided to put our heads together and plan somewhere to go out. So we did. An hour later, we had nothing. Some arguing, a little bickering, and oh yeah, a little bit of planning later :p we (we being myself, Tim, Rachel, Sheida, and Char) were all packed into the Randallmobile and on our way to Evanston for some of Buff Jo's famous wings. They were good... not famous-good, but good. I'll have to try the spicy next time.

And now? We have Thursday off, thank God, because I'm just burned out. Next week, I embark on a 4-day trip to Atlanta with the Oracle, for the National High School Journalism Convention. Two 3-day weeks in a row = score :p Then there's Thanksgiving and all that. Then the long, cold road to Winter Break starts.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

I do that, don't I?

Well, no matter. That's about it for now. 'Til next time.

Guy #1: "Only 8 school days until Thanksgiving Break. It'll be here before you know it."
Guy #2: "Sure. Keep telling yourself that."

Later.
Randall

Comments: Read 2 or Add Your Own.

Subject:	The Fall Classic.
Time:	2:40 am.
Mood:	busy.
Music:	In The End - Linkin Park.

Quote of the Day:

"THEYRE LIKE PSYCHO PACMEN! AHHHHHH!"
- Sheida

The Fall Classic.

Two definitions. Two different outcomes.

On one hand, it's the World Series of Baseball. The champion of Major League Baseball's National League plays the New York Yankees (in theory, it's the champion of the American League, but in practice, it's usually those damn Yankees) in a best-of-7 series. And may the team who wants it more win. And sadly, the champion of the National League won't be the Chicago Cubs. As the song goes, they did indeed try so hard, and at least as far as the regular season goes, got so far, but in the end, it doesn't even matter.

Last year, I transcribed with the greatest of pleasure how the Cubs won the Central Division on the penultimate day of the season. This year, on the penultimate day of this season, such is not my pleasure. Despite the fact that the Cubs had the easiest schedule down the stretch of all the Wild Card contenders, facing just the Pirates, the Mets and the Reds where it mattered most. I had a long ramble detailing their sad collapse, typed out and ready to go, but, eh, what's the use? Any of my readers who would actually take the time to read such a ramble already know what happened, and the rest would lose interest after the first 2 sentences or so and stray elsewhere to something involving a duckie or a monkey or a cookie or something. So if anyone really wants to read it, I'll e-mail it to you.

And on the other hand, it's ("it" being the Fall Classic; haha, remember that?) Homecoming. For one week out of the fall, leading up to the all-important Homecoming Dance, Glenbrook South hues itself in navy and gold, dresses up, shouts out, and otherwise celebrates the fact that... the occasion of... wait, what does Homecoming celebrate...?

Well, no matter. Last year, I transcribed with pretty darn close to the greatest of pleasure how I swallowed my fear and [almost] went to Homecoming. And at the onset of the penultimate week before Homecoming, such is not my pleasure.

At least, not quite.

For this year, the storm was howling, potential was everywhere (even up there in my avatar) just waiting to be harnessed.

And I am not [almost] going...

...I'm full out going.

*applause*

For the last hurrah, I attend (as friends, for the record) with Gina, whom I'm most certain I'll have a great time with. :) I had a paragraph detailing how I asked her typed and ready to go, but any-- well, actually all of my readers already know how I did it :p If anyone wants to read it, I'll e-mail it to you.

So, this is it. After 2 attempts in 3 years, with one unsuccessful and one half-successful (we'll call that "0 for 1 with a strikeout and a walk" :p), I finally do what I wanted to do. I came into this year with this being a definite goal for me, and straight up, I've accomplished it. I'm going. And I'm going with a good friend in Gina who I'm undoubtedly going to have a great time with. It's nice to be writing about success in such a matter, rather than half-success or failure. Let the good times roll, and let these two weeks fly on by. Woohah.

Amusingly enough, with the addition of TV to my schedule, both daily and extracurricularly, and with Radio's complete revamping, aside from doing my usual photo coverage for the Oracle, I'll also be assisting in Radio's Street Dance/Pep Rally coverage and Parade presence, and crewing TV's Friday Night Live broadcast. So I've gone from not going (not for lack of effort) Freshman year and shunning Homecoming like vampires shun the light, to being involved in it from three different angles AND going, here in Senior year. Does that count as growth during high school?

Well, as you can see, I've run a pretty decent gamut of emotions over the last week or two. School, unfortunately, hasn't, and certainly isn't going to, roll over and lay down just because Homecoming's on the way, and there's still buttloads of work to get done. That, and my HC group's done zero planning so far. >_>;; Anyway, I have work in the morning, so my perrogative at this time is to sleep. Adios, todos. Let's get this party started.

Guy #1: "He speaks of the Cubs' collapse and Homecoming, two loaded topics, all in one entry. He's a man on a mission."
Guy #2: "And he even did it without a reference to 'the storm'."
Guy #1: "Paragraph 4, Sentence 5."
Guy #2: *rasgfrasmfragm*
Later.

Randall

Comments: Read 1 or Add Your Own.

Subject:	The storm rages on.
Time:	2:49 am.
Mood:	anxious.
Music:	Hero - Nickelback.

Quote of the Day:

"We're gonna have a moment of silence now... Ok, that moment's over."
- Ron Santo

The storm rages on.

With every gust of wind, there are new possibilities. With every rumble of thunder, new intensity to future hopes. And with every strike of lightning, new potential for the year ahead. And as the challenge is to harness the storm, this challenge is to harness this abundance of potential. In all forms. Soon, very soon, the breeze shall begin to bite, green will turn to gentle flame, and the first test will begin. Time will begin to move... and we will see for real if I am able to utilize this potential.

So, Senior year has begun. I dunno if it's me, or just the hype swirling around this year, but I'm having some serious difficulty getting back into the swing of things. But as any patron of Glenview's municipal natatoriums can tell you, the pool's always coldest right after you jump in. Maybe I'm just not used to having a schedule quite of this nature.

1-2 Adventure Ed
Another verse, same as the first. Class hasn't changed any. 2 friends in the class to last year's 3. Par for the course, I guess.

3-4 Advanced Radio Production
Woohah. Back in the saddle. And at no small time, either. With Mrs. Kennedy's retirement following last year, the program is now run by a former student of hers, one Dr. Oswald, and under him, the program is growing like a bodybuilder on steroids. He's placing great emphasis on the station as a student-run organization, with everyone in the class holding a position on the board. Mine happens to be Director of Public Relations, for the record. With new equipment and new significance within the school, he's not only advancing the radio station, but he's also turning us into the school's audio production facility, to the TV department's video production facility. For example, when the school needs a video project done, they go to Mr. Ferguson and the TV department (which I'm now a part of; more on that later). To that end, Dr. Oswald wants the school to be able to come to us if they require an audio project of any sort. And with new equipment including a positively sick nonlinear digital editing board, mobile studio equipment, and more, we're well on our way. And as an added bonus? We all get our own keys to storage cabinets for both personal and positional purposes. :D

5-6 Engineering Physics
One of my three (yes, 3) academic classes, EP seems the least like one, because for our first trick, we're playing with Legos for a week or two. Granted, they are specially-academically-packaged Lego MindStorms sets, and it's not going to stay this easy for long, but Legos are Legos, and the fact remains that right now, I'm getting credit for doing what I did to entertain myself for many years as a little Randall. And even better, I have the class with Tim, Sheida, Char, and Ahmed, which is the highest friend count I've had in any class, any year at GBS. That's a tailor-made Senior year class right there.

7-8 Lunch
My best class. They've reintroduced the fresh sandwich line this year. Not much else.

9-10 PreCalc Stats
Academic class numero dos. Mind-numbing subject matter and no friends, in what is traditionally my worst period of the day. That's math class for you.

11 Lunch
A brief interlude in my day. 25 minutes of free time is always nice, right?

12-14 Advanced TV Production
Here's my other selling point for the year. Taking Beginning TV last year instead of Radio allows me to take a full year of ATV this year, and I think ultimately, it's going to be a good decision. It'll be difficult, because the video production work done in the class is a lot more involved and complex than radio productions, but it's a good class, and Ferg's teaching it, so I think I'll get the hang of it in time. Until then, though, I'm still a little short on experience, to the extent where I actually got up, of my own accord, at 8 today to be at school at 9 and assist with a video shoot and see what I can learn. Which, as those of you who know how I love my sleep know, is no mean feat. But I think, in time, it'll become to me what Radio and Oracle are, and that's a main extracurricular sticking point, which are good to have for any number of reasons.

15-16 English
3rd and final academic course. Standard Senior English, I guess. No friends, depressingly high amount of toolbags, and the only thing between me and finishing my day. Standard English, alright. And we have this really half-assed poem due on Tuesday, about the characteristics and interests of an assigned partner. I got some social-elite with absolutely nothing nonstandard about him. Did I mention we have to read these to the class?

Shortcomings aside, that is not a bad schedule. Right now, I'm at 2 periods out of 8 where I'm genuinely not enjoying myself. The rest I'm either ok with (Adventure Ed, Engineering Physics), doing what I do best (Radio, TV), or just not doing a whole lot of anything (Lunches), which is just kosher with me. A better-than-average chance at this one going down as the best of 7 different schedules (1 per semester for the first 3 years and 1 for all of this year) I'll have had at GBS by the time this year...

...ends

That's a wacky thought, isn't it? That was my last first day and week of school at GBS. The last time I'll come in the day before to locate my locker and give myself a little time to reacquaint myself with the school. Craziness. Craziness indeed. And speaking of craziness, you know them, you love them, you skip over their italicized antics every time, it's Guy #1 and Guy #2.

Guy #1: "Oy, is this 'storm' stuff going to last all year?"
Guy #2: "Wouldn't surprise me. This year being a 'storm of potential' and all."
Guy #1: "Bloody poetic license."

Later.

Randall

Comments: Read 1 or Add Your Own.

Subject:	On the threshold of tomorrow.
Time:	2:42 am.
Mood:	intimidated.
Music:	Finally Next Year - Ides of March.

Quote of the Day:

"Your hair and skin tones have too much of a red in them. You put an orange shirt on you, and you're just gonna look like a big freaking carrot."
- Rachel

On the threshold of tomorrow.

Threshold.
noun. def:
1. An entrance or a doorway.
2. The place or point of beginning; the outset.

Tomorrow.
noun. def:
1. The future.

Now that's silly. From that topic, one might get the impression that Senior year is about to start or someth--

Oh.

Well. No point in denying it further, 'cuz pretending it's not true won't make it go away (contrary to popular belief :p). Since it is technically Tuesday now, school starts tomorrow. The last year, our last year of high school starts tomorrow. And there's no stopping it.

So summer is over. I do have to say, this was a good summer. I don't think one week went by where I wasn't out doing something with my great friends at least once, and not too many went by where I wasn't out multiple times in one week. Heck, I was out more in the first week than I was all of last summer. Granted, a sizeable portion of those evenings were spent aimlessly in the Glen (often messing around with my camera :p), but you know what? That's ok. I have no regrets. That's why the Glen's there, and as long as you're with good people, it's all good. And there was plenty of other stuff too. Glow-in-the-dark minigolfing. Oklahoma. Cubs games. BBQs. Movies. That's the kind of summer you should have before Senior year. Thanks guys. :)

Camp was great too. 2nd year as a counselor, you go in with less uncertainty for what it'll actually be like, and more geared up for what you know will be. Even when my kids were a bit over the top, they were still my kids, and although technically, the counselors are there to make the kids' summers better, it works both ways just as well. And this year, I actually enjoyed spending time with my fellow counselors. Not that I didn't last year, I guess, but last year, I went to 1, count it, 1, counselor outing that wasn't camp-sponsored. This year? 4. And on those late overnighter nights (mornings?) where it's just a bunch of counselors sitting on the surface of the basketball courts at 3 AM, talking about nothing and everything? I didn't retreat to my sleeping bag. I didn't keep to myself in a corner and find something to busy myself with. I stayed. I spoke. I listened. I laughed. Because I was enjoying it. I dunno if that's just the difference of working with most of these people for a 2nd year, or just the difference in me for a 2nd year, but it was good.

I added a new camera to my equipment. The Cubs added a new shortstop to the lineup. Greg Maddux added his 300th win to his career. I added nearly 150 new pictures to my files, all of them freezing in time one moment of this summer, all of them to be saved and remembered.

A lot happened this summer.

But summer is gone. Within a few days, it will be but a fleeting whisper on the growing wind, existing only in flashes of immaterial memory found in the shock of cold desk tops against once-sun-warmed arms, found only in the thoughts, deeds, and emotions that the summer leaves behind, and will last for as long as the minds in which they are ensconsed remain virile. For there comes a storm. A storm of many things. A storm not of tempest's fury, but a storm of intensity, a storm of possibilities. A storm of limitless potential. Comes the storm, to shape the face of tomorrow, and with it, the difference between ascension and downfall.

The storm to which I refer, of course, is Senior year. And while I am uncertain of a great many things, I am certain of one: I will ride this storm. All of this storm's potential, all of this storm's possibilities, will be utilized to their fullest. I can make no promises of the future, only intentions, intentions to make Senior year the best year of my life. No regrets. Nothing left behind. Nothing forgotten. No matter what obstacles rise in my path, I will overcome them. That I will make every moment remaining with those around me count.

I only get one Senior year of high school in my life. There are no do-overs. No replays. Just one big chance. Will I play it safe, and play for the tie, or will I throw caution to the wind, swing for the fences and play for a win? Only time will tell. But the path is there, and it is mine to walk if so I choose. The game is on, and I intend to play my pieces to their fullest.

So ends this all-too-brief intermission called Summer, and so begins the final chapter. So begins the final stage of the game at this level, for the final time. So begins, as difficult as it is to believe, my 13th year of school in Glenview. So begins my final year of school in Glenview. And when it ends and the dust settles... we shall see.

So begins the end.

Guy #1: "Might I inquire as to why you're holding an umbrella?"
Guy #2: "You heard him. A storm is coming."
Guy #1: "...Not what he meant..."

Later.

Randall

Comments: Read 2 or Add Your Own.

Subject:	You want a subject? The subject is there is no subject. Deal with it.
Time:	1:30 am.
Mood:	drained.
Music:	No music.

Quote of the Day:

"Sheida, this is a bit of an awkward request, but could you reach into my pocket and pull the napkins out?"
- Tim

Today's Quote of the Day was brought to you by the comedic duo of Tim and Sheida. Keep 'em comin', guys.

So, apparently my last entry was July 11, I think. 4 weeks of camp, 3 field trips, 2 rainy days, one musical, a new camera, and a smoking blockbuster trade for the Cubs later, here I am. Here's the rundown.

So I'm just about to start Week 8 of camp. That's right, sportsfans, the summer's come and gone in the blink of an eye. 2 months ago, I was re-introduced to my fellow counselors, introduced to to the 12 3rd graders in my charge, and let loose upon the world. Now, it's only 5 days away from ending. Funny how that works. Since my last entry, we've had field trips to:

Week 4: Kiddieland - Tries to be Great America, but most decidedly is not. The kids liked it, though, so I guess it was a decent trip. Except for one of my boys being unable to hold his Goldfish after one particularly spinny ride. But rest assured, he was fine afterwards.

Week 5: Rink Side Sports. Now this is a field trip. Arcade games, laser tag, ice skating. Worth the hour's drive to Gurnee Mills. Big enough for the kids to stretch their legs, small enough to keep track of them all.

Week 7: Rainbow Falls. #1 water park in the area. Wicked toilet slide. Only trouble is keeping track of everyone 'cuz it's so damn big.

Had another overnighter too. Despite the whole "30 hours at camp" thing, this one wasn't as bad as they can get. The weather was unseasonably cool, which means decent sleeping. All the kids decided to fall asleep within a reasonable amount of time after lights out. Heck, I might even have gotten a decent amount of sleep myself had I not stayed up until 3:30 sitting and talking on the b-ball court with some of the other counselors. Guess I'm just a sucker for stuff like that. Nothing like being awoken by kids jumping on the backs of your knees, though, regardless of how much you slept.

On to non-camp stuff.

I got a new camera. Yes, a new camera. In addition to my old, big, and reliable Kodak DC290, I have now added a small, sleek, shiny silver Sony Cybershot P100 to my repertoire. Smaller and faster in both activation and picture taking than the Kodak, my intention is for it to go everywhere the Kodak can't; anywhere where storage space is an issue, anywhere where I can't keep my giant black Kodak case slung over my shoulder, anywhere that calls for the taking of a quick picture and then moving on. So far it's been in my pocket on our field trip to Rink Side Sports and every time I've gone out since buying it, and I fully intend to have it with me every day and every event during school this year. I'm going to finish Senior year with more pictures than I know what to do with.

And with a new camera comes plenty of new opportunities to use it. Glow-in-the-dark minigolfing was the first. Then came the Glen. What about the Glen, you ask? The fact that in a period of two workweeks (i.e. two periods of Monday-Friday), I spent roughly 6 evenings in there, getting dessert, walking around, in the end, not accomplishing a whole lot, but that's ok, 'cuz it's fun. Fun like sitting at the fountain with Rachel and Sheida watching them both laugh so hard they nearly fall in. No sploosh, but it came pretty close :p See also: Taking pictures with statues, setting the camera on auto-timer and sitting on the edge of the grass taking funny pictures. It's summer, and for a nice change, my schedule is acting like it. It's nice to get out and do stuff like that as often as possible, because before you know it, you can't anymore.

Remember that musical I mentioned at the beginning? No, you didn't misread that, but rather myself, Tim, Sheida, Char, and Katie ventured beyond our usual suburban boundaries to go see Oklahoma downtown. I've little in the way of commentary on the show itself, but it was a fun outing, except for the 12:25 train back, complete with grumpy old man yelling at us for speaking too loud. Assbag.

And that smoking blockbuster trade? Vote Cubs general manager Jim Hendry for mayor, folks. He orchestrated a 4-way trade between our Chicago Cubs, the Minnesota Twins, the Boston Red Sox, and the Montreal Expos that sent Minnesota Twins first baseman Bill Mienkiewicz and Montreal Expos shortstop Orlando Cabrera to the Red Sox, our light-hitting shortstop Alex Gonzalez, Triple-A relief pitcher Francis Beltran, and Triple-A infielder Brendan Harris to the Montreal Expos, and Single-A pitcher Justin Jones to the Twins, and in exchange, the Red Sox sent our Cubbie team a present, to the tune of 2-time AL batting champion and 5-time All-Star shortstop Nomar Garciaparra, and we even got an extra minor league outfielder by the name of Matt Murton in the deal. Bottom line, we took just about everything but Boston's rum and women, and gave up next to nothing in the deal. "Wicked haad-core, y'all." Nomar received standing ovations in every appearance he made in his first game at Wrigley, from stretching on the field, to his 4th at-bat where he singled into left field and got his first RBI as a Cub. And he's been a huge boost to the team, with the Cubs going 5-2, complete with a 3-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies in Denver, since Nomar joined the team.

Greg Maddux, not to be overshadowed (he tried as hard as he could, though), won his 300th career win Saturday, against the San Francisco Giants, becoming just the 22nd pitcher in MLB history to do so, and the first National League pitcher to do it since 1983. Maddux, ever the unassuming, quiet, nice guy, even after winning his 300th win, didn't return to the field at the end of the game for a curtain call, feeling it inappropriate to hold a celebration in another team's ballpark. Reportedly, it took a shower of champagne in the clubhouse before he finally cracked a smile and took a swig. The chances of him not getting into the Hall of Fame after he retires are judged to be about the same as the chances of a Montreal Expos/Kansas City Royals World Series in 2004.

So, what's left? 1 week of camp, and then it's just a week and a half until school starts. A week and a half complete with registration/book sale, Senior portraits (hey, hey, since when the hell are we Seniors?!), and for some odd reason, an Oracle meeting the day before school starts. But with a little luck, I'll get out a little more in that week and a half than I did last year. Hell, I went out more in the first week of summer than I did all of last summer.

And at this point, this entry's becoming more and more like bad toothpaste, i.e. I have to keep squeezing it out. So I'll cut it here. No Guy #1 and Guy #2 this time. Bye.

Later.

Randall

Comments: Read 1 or Add Your Own.

Subject:	Jarring and unsettling spontaneity.
Time:	3:37 am.
Mood:	contemplative.
Music:	Kryptonite - Three Doors Down.

Quote of the Day:

"Look at Randall's beard... can you imagine a little kangaroo hopping out of it?"
- Kara

Jarring and unsettling spontaneity.

Ehehe... hey, I have a LiveJournal, don't I? Woo, so I do. Well, since my "emergency test" apparently wasn't too well received by my readership (which seems to have quintupled from 1 to 5 lately), guess I should do a real entry this time before they hogtie me to my computer chair and threaten me with bodily harm. And make no mistake, they'd do that.

So when we last left our hero (that's me), school had just ended, and our hero (me again) was looking forward to 2 and a half months of no more pencils, no more books and no more teacher's dirty looks. Since then, I've gone out more in 4 weeks than I did in an entire summer last year, including 2 Cubs games, one of which at the Milwaukee Brewers' less-than-impressive Miller Park. Went to Alison's 5th of July (crazy Glenview) barbeque. Consumed 2 unnaturally huge hamburgers, 2 pieces of chicken, one sausage-kabob, and 2 plates of dessert, because eating the flesh of lesser beasts makes me strong. When one is enjoying a beautiful summer evening having fun with one's friends, going to midnight movie showings, and just basically cavorting around to no end, one gets the feeling that this is what they should be doing, that this is natural. Anyway, since then, camp has also started. After the mandatory week of "orientation", during which we counselors are essentially big campers for a week, the 2004 camp summer was underway. I co-counselor Explorer 3 (3rd grade), Group 8, the Sun Devils. Only 12 kids this year, down from 21 last year, so it's a little less difficult to keep 'em all in line. Now my bus route is a different story, but I'll leave that for another time.

So this week was our first overnighter. If you remember my entries from last summer, overnighters are a bit of a difficult proposition, adding up to an eventual 30 hours straight at camp from Thursday morning to Friday afternoon. Kids and counselors alike arrive at camp on Thursday morning, sleeping bags and overnight bags in arm. The camp day proceeds normally until the point at which the day would normally end, at which time a second schedule of late afternoon/evening activities takes over, consisting of extra swimming time, more group time, dinner (disturbingly greasy pizza, but unfortunately, good to the point where you've had several pieces before you realize it, something that has a tendency to come back and haunt you for several hours to come), and then 2 hours of stuff, usually an hour with a DJ and one hour of some other activity. All in all, one's Thursday actively continues a good 6 hours past normal ending time. Psychologically, it's very difficult, because you're still at camp and with your kids at a time long past the point where your mind says you should be done and home. Anyway, finally, the kids are relegated to their sleeping bags, and after an hour of telling them that No, the girls are NOT trying to look into the room and No, you cannot go outside and run around the camp at midnight, they start dropping off, one by one, until eventually, silence becomes the rule. It's after that that things usually get interesting.

As I also explained in last summer's entries, once all the kids are suitably asleep, the counselors are permitted and encouraged to hang out in the camp's gymnastics room, which we all did. Despite one very jarring, unsettling, and moderately depressing moment (some other time...), it was an amusing evening. The counselors all gathered outdoors on the camp playground, lowered their maturity levels by a few years, and played 10 Fingers. For those of you unfamiliar with this exercise in mature immaturity, everyone holds out 10 fingers, and then those involved go around the circle and start with "I have never..." and then name some sexual deviance or other decidedly uninnocent act that they've never committed, everything from "I have never drank" (that'd be me) to "I have never done it in a car/park/pool/with more than one person/you get the idea" (crazyass college students), at which point those in the circle who have done such things put a finger down, and you're out once all 10 of your fingers are down. Astoundingly, I somehow managed to be the only one with all 10 fingers remaining. Another counselor said she thought it was "really cool" that all 10 of my proverbial fingers are still up, but let's just say that some of those fingers are up by choice, and some sure as hell are not. But anyway, after that, my co-counselor and I went frog-hunting around the boating pond. We found plenty, but were only able to secure one. We made a habitat for him out of a cardboard box, lined with a garbage bag, and a little water, showed him to the boys (who were up and jumping around at 5 AM!... crazy kids) in the morning, released the little bugger back into the pond, and all went home happy. Well, they didn't actually go home; there was still all of Friday to contend with. Yaaaawn. Needless to say, 7 hours of camp (1 of them spent inside, making our 4th rainy day in 14 days of camp) and one bus route later, I was home and just about dead, and the 4th Cubbie loss in a row didn't help any. After I'd rested for a few hours and recharged a little, though, Rachel and I grabbed some late-night food at Steak & Shake and visited Kara, so I guess I wasn't quite as tired as I thought.

After all that, though, and a few recent commentaries of me, I'm really starting to wonder... This edict against risks and leaps of faith I adhere to. Preparing. Planning. Mapping out. Keeping my behavior and actions reserved. Learning and knowing things that others don't bother to or don't find important. These are the things I do. My way, the Randall way.

But is it the right way?

It seems like every week now that Rachel or Sheida or someone is telling me to "be 17", to be more spontaneous. I haven't given it much thought until now, but once you realize how many of your fingers are still up, you start to think. I've always thought that life is a very bumpy and very winding road, so what's wrong with having a map of that road? Now I'm not so sure. I guess that no-risk philosophy bonded pretty tightly with the rest of my mindset. I mean, I surprise people, when they learn of the things I've done, or rather the complete lack thereof. Literally surprise people. I've met and known a good number of people in my time. Some of them, I'd hear tales of them and from them, of things they do for fun, experiences they've had. Nothing bad, nothing illegal, nothing wrong (a few things that might make a devout clergyman or a naive parent flinch, but that's hardly criteria for judging right and wrong :p), but things that struck odd chords with me, and made me think, "How they act and think is different from how I do... does that make me wrong?" The differences were just too much to wrap my head around, and I could never find a satisfactory answer.

I've always liked to think that if I stayed true to myself and my own ideals and morals, it would all work out eventually. But eventually hasn't come yet, and, at least in this stage of my life, it's starting to get late early. Time's passing, but it seems like no matter how I change, it's not enough. Is this "way" of mine just a rapidly faltering attempt to keep my world safe, contained and familiar? You might think it an odd place for a philosophical epiphany, but as we were all playing that game of 10 Fingers, I began to think to myself, what would I do if I found myself in a situation that was proverbial "unfamiliar territory", with the option to either forge ahead or turn back? Would I stay safe and dry on the beach, or would I jump in and swim for the sake of seeing what's in all that water out there? Is the fact that I simply haven't allowed myself to let go of the solid wall I've latched on to and, as Rachel once put it, get out there and dance, the reason that there are... some things I haven't accomplished yet? I won't go into specifics, because you've got better things to do than sit here and read me griping about that for the umpty millionth time, but you can probably guess what those things are. Bottom line, is my way the wrong way? And if it is, have I realized it too late to find the right way?

Gah. I don't know.

Guy #1: "Just reading all that makes me tired."
Guy #2: "No, your material's been tired for ages."
Guy #1: "Ba-zing."

Later.

Randall

Comments: Read 2 or Add Your Own.

Subject:	Endgame.
Time:	10:31 pm.
Mood:	satisfied.
Music:	Live and Learn - Crush 40.

Quote of the Day:

"GBS had the Illinois bid for the parade last time, but then they yanked it from us for the Jesse White Tumblers instead. You just can't beat litle black boys doing gymnastics."
- Rachel

Endgame.

And so, after much toil, Junior year has come to an end. Finals have made their mark, and long since passed on. And the revered time known as Summer has arrived. This year's end is unlike any other, however. I ended Freshman year in apathy. I ended Sophomore year in relief. This year, Junior year, however, I end in amazement and anticipation. Amazement for what was... Anticipation for what will be. Pack your attention spans, ladies (you know who you are) and gentlemen, this one could get long...

A lot happened over the course of this school year. The Cubs nearly made it to the World Series. I nearly went to Homecoming. I started in TV. I went to Turnabout. I made Assistant News Editor of the Oracle. I went to Prom, of all things. That's quite a bit to happen in one school year. And I never saw any of it coming. I wasn't expecting much from this year, or at least not this much, but the thing about having cynical expectations is that sometimes you end up proven blissfully wrong. Before I go further... Sheena, on two occasions you made this year memorable like I would never have guessed. So here's an end-of-the-year thank you. :)

So, school's over now and freedom rings. For a few days, at least. So far this week I've gone to a surprise 16th birthday party for Katie, gotten eaten alive by mosquitoes at said party (but it was worth it; Happy Birthday Katie! :D), gone to my first Cubs game in 4 years, and hopefully my 1st of this year, watched the Cubs win said game 12-3 including 3 home runs and the tying of a club record with 11 hits in one inning, and eaten at Cheeburger 3 times. Not bad considering school's only been out for 3 and a half days.

I'm stuck in New Jersey for the weekend... some family thing or something. It would have to be on the first weekend of summer, but what can you do. Counselor Orientation starts on Monday, so camp's right around the corner.

You know, if you think about it, this is the last normal summer we'll have, because we all know what happens next year. It's the same reason I avoid the Senior Memories in the Yearbook, the same reason I watch the Senior Memories video with unease... because I know that'll be me, that'll be us in there and up there next year... But I don't wanna think about that now. >_>

I'm just about done for this one, but before I sign off, here's to all the great guys and gals who've been my friends so far, who were my friends this year, and hopefully, will be my friends next year and beyond. Y'all rock.

The end.
(Huh... guess that didn't go long after all. Oh well)

Guy #1: "Well, there goes another year... Hard to believe we're done with 3 already."
Guy #2: "Oh please, this is a LiveJournal entry, not a Yearbook."
Guy #1: "Sorry. Force of habit."

Later.

Randall

Comments: Read 5 or Add Your Own.

Subject:	Surprise, surprise.
Time:	10:49 pm.
Mood:	content.
Music:	One Day, One Dream - Tacky & Tsubasa.

Quote of the Day:

"Randall, I want an LJ by Monday, or else..."
- Alison (yeesh, don't you people have other things to do? :p)

Surprise, surprise.

Yeah, I know, I know. I haven't written an entry in a month. What can I say? Sometimes life just goes on too much and too fast to write it all down on a weekly basis.

Such as recently. But we'll get to that. Honestly, a lot's happened this year, much of which was so unexpected, I couldn't have seen it coming even if I could look every direction at once. Among these'd be me, of all people, getting a "Science Award", i.e. a certificate with my name on it for getting 3 quarters worth of A's in a science class. Now, don't get me wrong, this is cool and all, but I'm in Conceptual Physics. Physics for dummies (and if you saw the class I was in, you'd see why I call it that >_>). I wouldn't even be in it in the first place if I hadn't failed Chemistry last year. So, basically, it's like I got an award for taking the low road, for being the smartest of the stupid kids. But whatever. I'm sure it'll look good on paper somewhere along the way.

Speaking of unexpected... let's talk about that big spring event of high schools everywhere, Prom. So now I've probably got you wondering why I'm talking about Prom. Well... only so many reasons I'd be talking about it. Go on, guess. Ready? Go! Guess. Anything yet? No? Alright, alright, I'll tell you, calm down. I'm talking about Prom... because I went to Prom. :D Well, a Prom. Glenbrook North's Prom, to be precise. Who did I go with? Oh come now. How many people do I know at North? :p Yes, I went with Sheena, as friends. She called me up last Thursday and extended the invitation to me. Not my average Thursday evening, but I sure as hell ain't complaining.

Does all that qualify as unexpected? :p

So I got the hard stuff (tuxedo rental, corsage order) accomplished last weekend... showing that I did in one weekend what took me about 2 weeks to do in preparation for Turnabout. Haha. Only had to wait one week in anticipation this time around. Sheena and I saw Troy Friday night (good movie, but waaaaaaaay too much Brad Pitt ass), and Saturday night was Prom. Ceee-ripes, this ain't no Turnabout dance in the cafeteria. Arriving in a limo at the Chicago Hilton sure beats parking at GBS in my Oldsmoblie. And damn, a dance in a giant ballroom sure beats the cafeteria. So... we're at, what? Prom 2, Turnabout 0? Anyway, a professional photographer taking portrait-y photos... Dinner... A dance floor... ok, I think Prom wins this one. In appearances, at least... Turnabout had better music, and more people dancing. Prom just kinda had people... standing there. But whatever. It was still an amazing experience. If you had told me 2 weeks ago that I would be going to a Prom, I'd have probably asked what you were smoking. But such is how it went, smoking or no smoking. I had a lot of fun at a lot of things this year. Much of which was due in part to one girl, so, Sheena, if you're reading this... I can't possibly thank you enough for making this a memorable year for me, but here's me trying. Thank you :)

Having gone to Turnabout and a Prom this year, it reaffirms my decision that my 3 remaining opportunities for events such as this cannot afford to be missed. I can't afford to think in terms of "If", anymore. "When" is the goal, now. Homecoming, Turnabout, and Prom remain. 3 opportunities. 3 chances. None of them can afford to be wasted. Let's see if I can hold to that in the year ahead.

But before a year ahead comes the important part: SUMMER!... but it's not here yet. :'( There's still 15 days of school remaining... among with are next Tuesday's Physics trip to Great America (w00t!), next Wednesday's Yearbook distribution (w00t x2!!), and next Thursday's Honors & Awards Assembly (er... semi-w00t, I guess?). Then there's Finals, and then finally, it's summer. Summer? GET HERE SOONER, dammit! I wanna party like there's no school tomorrow... which can't be done if there is school tomorrow... so... yeah, I don't really know where I'm going with this. Since certain people (you know who you are) are yelling at me to get this done, I guess I'll cut it here. I'll try to make my next entry a little sooner than a month from now :p

Guy #1: "Yikes, Randall gets a Science Award and goes to Prom?"
Guy #2: "You are now entering... The Twilight Zone."
Guy #1: "Wow, that was original..."
Guy #2: "Shut it, I'm under pressure here."

Later.

Randall

Comments: Read 2 or Add Your Own.

Subject:	Whoosh.
Time:	2:59 am.
Mood:	tired.
Music:	Little Busters - The Pillows.

Quote of the Day:

"AH! Abuse of the tired individual!"
- Sheida

Whoosh.

No particular reason for that. I just felt like it.

Anyway, what's new? Nothing much, you say? Yeah, well, that's how it goes. Not a lot popping right now, which is why I didn't bother with an entry last week; I'd either have spent the entire length rambling meaninglessly about how there was nothing going on, or I'd have eventually digressed into an entry about being single. And Lord knows there doesn't need to be more of those. We're in the doldrums of spring right now, I guess, the time period in between Good Friday and Memorial Day where there are no official days off of school, when 4th Quarter work and projects start ramping up and attacking, when the weather starts warming up, and when summer still seems like a looooooong way off, even if it is less than 2 months away. And when I say warming up, I entirely mean warming up. We've hit the low 80s twice so far, and it looks like we'll get one more before it cools down again. One both loves and hates this weather, because hey, warm weather after a winter like we had is nice, but then it just reminds you of what summer feels like, which in turn reminds you that you ain't there yet, pal.

So, anyway, not that a whole lot went down this week, but at 3 AM when I'm too lazy to haul my butt upstairs to bed, it's either do an LJ entry, or start working on the 184 pictures I took at Rachel's church fundraiser tonight. A somewhat counterproductive move, perhaps, given that there are 184 to be done, but despite my desire to 1. Go through all of them and see how my shots came out, and 2. Get them done and back to Rachel in a timely manner, I couldn't bring myself to jump in headfirst with only a prayer and an MP3 playlist to keep me company, because I'd probably be snoring at the keyboard after 20 pictures or so. Tomorrow, after I've rested.

So, last week, 4 days because of Good Friday. The shorter the better, I suppose. This week... 3.75 days, you could call it. Late Arrival on Thursday, complete with McDonalds and Starbucks with everyone before school. Nothing like a Bacon, Egg, and Cheese McGriddle to start your late arrival day off right. I managed to get Friday "off" again, though, attending the NISPA (Northern Illinois School Press Associa-- no, do not look at that duckie, Sheida and Charlene... eyes back here, come on, you can make it... The words weren't that long... cripes) conference. What's that? Remember that spiffy award I got for the picture last year of the cupcake-spewing Senior? That was a NISPA award. Yeah. So, that was an all-day field trip on Friday. No awards this year, but oh well. I've missed days of school for worse reasons before :p After school yesterday was, of all things, a salsa dancing class sponsored by the HOLA club at school. I, of course, was coerced into going. I managed... most of the instruction. I danced a little, but no cutting rugs this time. The food was good, though.

Then I met Kara and Sheida at the dairy bar. No ice cream was purchased however, due to the line being to the curb. So we went and cavorted around in a park near Sheida's. Of course, by that point it was completely dark, and the park had no lights. After they decided to hide and I found them once, they ran away. Then Alison showed up, and we spent the next 10 minutes trying to figure out where they'd gone. We gave up eventually and they came back. Then we had to keep hiding from cars coming around the corner because technically you're not supposed to be at the parks after dark. But it was all good fun, though. Other misadventures included the three of them hijacking the Randallmobile and convincing me to drive to Coldstone for ice cream... and Steak & Shake for more ice cream-ish products. You think by now I'd learn how bloody dangerous that is, but no. Good times. Tonight, as I said, I lent my world-class photographic skills to Rachel's church fundraiser. Free spaghetti, unlimited dessert, and two changes of AA batteries for the Kodak in exchange for my mad skillz sounds like a fair trade to me. :D

Upon the end of said event, I find a voicemail on my cell from, of all people, Tim. Yeah, that guy who's too busy every other Friday and Saturday night to come out and do stuff with us. They were all minigolfing in Libertyville. Despite the message having been left nearly 2 hours previously, they hadn't yet started golfing. Not that I'm complaining, mind you: I was lending my transfinite talent to a good cause, and they couldn't pick where they wanted to golf, I think I won that round :p Given they were in Libertyville, I figured my night was done. But my mother got wind of this, and offered to drive me (because I don't trust my non-existant sense of direction to get me there, in the dark). Yes, it's being driven by my mom to a group outing, but sometimes you gotta take the chances where they come. So I got there, putted half the course, and then we all came back in Tim's car. Good thing Charlene's small, otherwise we'd have had to tie someone to the roof. A late night snack at Steak & Shake followed. Then I went home. Haha. You really do gotta love these spontaneous Saturday nights. Really, you do. A car, some money, some good company, and the world is your oyster. Well, the world within Cook and surrounding counties, at least.

In other news, it's CUBS season! Which means, in addition to the shouting of "GO CUBS!" down the hallways of GBS, the proverbial biting of nails on a daily basis as I watch or listen each pitch be thrown and each bat be swung, in hopes that all will go as it needs to for a Cubbie win. Baseball's a stressful sport to follow. And this is just the first few weeks of the season.

Surprising as it may seem, I think I've run out of stuff to speak of to you, my esteemed reader(s?). So, yeah, I'm done. I'm sure I lost some of you at "NISPA", but I like to think that's more indicative of your attention span than my writing. Yes, that's what I like to think.

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Quote of the Day:

"AH! Abuse of the tired individual!"
- Sheida

Whoosh.

No particular reason for that. I just felt like it.

Anyway, what's new? Nothing much, you say? Yeah, well, that's how it goes. Not a lot popping right now, which is why I didn't bother with an entry last week; I'd either have spent the entire length rambling meaninglessly about how there was nothing going on, or I'd have eventually digressed into an entry about being single. And Lord knows there doesn't need to be more of those. We're in the doldrums of spring right now, I guess, the time period in between Good Friday and Memorial Day where there are no official days off of school, when 4th Quarter work and projects start ramping up and attacking, when the weather starts warming up, and when summer still seems like a looooooong way off, even if it is less than 2 months away. And when I say warming up, I entirely mean warming up. We've hit the low 80s twice so far, and it looks like we'll get one more before it cools down again. One both loves and hates this weather, because hey, warm weather after a winter like we had is nice, but then it just reminds you of what summer feels like, which in turn reminds you that you ain't there yet, pal.

So, anyway, not that a whole lot went down this week, but at 3 AM when I'm too lazy to haul my butt upstairs to bed, it's either do an LJ entry, or start working on the 184 pictures I took at Rachel's church fundraiser tonight. A somewhat counterproductive move, perhaps, given that there are 184 to be done, but despite my desire to 1. Go through all of them and see how my shots came out, and 2. Get them done and back to Rachel in a timely manner, I couldn't bring myself to jump in headfirst with only a prayer and an MP3 playlist to keep me company, because I'd probably be snoring at the keyboard after 20 pictures or so. Tomorrow, after I've rested.

So, last week, 4 days because of Good Friday. The shorter the better, I suppose. This week... 3.75 days, you could call it. Late Arrival on Thursday, complete with McDonalds and Starbucks with everyone before school. Nothing like a Bacon, Egg, and Cheese McGriddle to start your late arrival day off right. I managed to get Friday "off" again, though, attending the NISPA (Northern Illinois School Press Associa-- no, do not look at that duckie, Sheida and Charlene... eyes back here, come on, you can make it... The words weren't that long... cripes) conference. What's that? Remember that spiffy award I got for the picture last year of the cupcake-spewing Senior? That was a NISPA award. Yeah. So, that was an all-day field trip on Friday. No awards this year, but oh well. I've missed days of school for worse reasons before :p After school yesterday was, of all things, a salsa dancing class sponsored by the HOLA club at school. I, of course, was coerced into going. I managed... most of the instruction. I danced a little, but no cutting rugs this time. The food was good, though.

Then I met Kara and Sheida at the dairy bar. No ice cream was purchased however, due to the line being to the curb. So we went and cavorted around in a park near Sheida's. Of course, by that point it was completely dark, and the park had no lights. After they decided to hide and I found them once, they ran away. Then Alison showed up, and we spent the next 10 minutes trying to figure out where they'd gone. We gave up eventually and they came back. Then we had to keep hiding from cars coming around the corner because technically you're not supposed to be at the parks after dark. But it was all good fun, though. Other misadventures included the three of them hijacking the Randallmobile and convincing me to drive to Coldstone for ice cream... and Steak & Shake for more ice cream-ish products. You think by now I'd learn how bloody dangerous that is, but no. Good times. Tonight, as I said, I lent my world-class photographic skills to Rachel's church fundraiser. Free spaghetti, unlimited dessert, and two changes of AA batteries for the Kodak in exchange for my mad skillz sounds like a fair trade to me. :D

Upon the end of said event, I find a voicemail on my cell from, of all people, Tim. Yeah, that guy who's too busy every other Friday and Saturday night to come out and do stuff with us. They were all minigolfing in Libertyville. Despite the message having been left nearly 2 hours previously, they hadn't yet started golfing. Not that I'm complaining, mind you: I was lending my transfinite talent to a good cause, and they couldn't pick where they wanted to golf, I think I won that round :p Given they were in Libertyville, I figured my night was done. But my mother got wind of this, and offered to drive me (because I don't trust my non-existant sense of direction to get me there, in the dark). Yes, it's being driven by my mom to a group outing, but sometimes you gotta take the chances where they come. So I got there, putted half the course, and then we all came back in Tim's car. Good thing Charlene's small, otherwise we'd have had to tie someone to the roof. A late night snack at Steak & Shake followed. Then I went home. Haha. You really do gotta love these spontaneous Saturday nights. Really, you do. A car, some money, some good company, and the world is your oyster. Well, the world within Cook and surrounding counties, at least.

In other news, it's CUBS season! Which means, in addition to the shouting of "GO CUBS!" down the hallways of GBS, the proverbial biting of nails on a daily basis as I watch or listen each pitch be thrown and each bat be swung, in hopes that all will go as it needs to for a Cubbie win. Baseball's a stressful sport to follow. And this is just the first few weeks of the season.

Surprising as it may seem, I think I've run out of stuff to speak of to you, my esteemed reader(s?). So, yeah, I'm done. I'm sure I lost some of you at "NISPA", but I like to think that's more indicative of your attention span than my writing. Yes, that's what I like to think. <_< >_>

Guy #1: "That was kinda like a BS'd English paper, I think... lots of words said, but ultimately, nothing accomplished."
Guy #2: "Oh burn. G'night everyone."

Later.

Randall

Comments: Add Your Own.

Subject:	Time no longer has any meaning.
Time:	10:42 pm.
Mood:	bored.
Music:	Team Chaotix - Gunnar Nelson.

Quote of the Day:

"Stop this madness!... lol..."
- Katie

Time no longer has any meaning.

No, really. Think about it. By any standard measurement of time, a week ago, it was still technically Spring Break. If the laws of time were still in effect, it would FEEL like a week, not like a frigging month. Furthermore, there are 9 weeks of school remaining. You really think those 9 weeks are going to take "9 weeks" to finish? Of course not. They're going to take another 6 months. So, yeah. Time no longer has any meaning, and is now simply an ethereal myth that has no effect on the real world. Kinda like the school's "No smoking" rules. *Ba-zing...*

The first week back, and the last week of 3rd Quarter, was pretty uneventful... Everyone comes back from Cancun or Florida or Hawaii with deep, crispy-baked tans (unless you went to Boston and/or DC, then you just kinda come back as you left :p). Tan lines are covered up (those that there are, least... >_>), pictures are exchanged, t-shirts and souvenirs are displayed, stories are told of long plane rides, lost luggage, new activities and astonishingly attractive members of the opposite sex... I'm sure you've seen it all plenty of times.

Or at least it was uneventful until the next big District 225 news story broke out. Another hazing incident. Whatta surprise. Varsity boys lacrosse this time. No cat piss or pig intestines involved this time, but unfortunately alcohol was, and hazing is hazing, and suspensions, and possibly even expulsions, because the district isn't taking any shit the 2nd time around, are being doled out. You could really almost liken it to the differences between the Gulf War, and the War in Iraq... the Gulf War had few opponents, and was generally a goodwill surge for the then-current administration, whereas the War in Iraq has the country pretty split between whether we should have or shouldn't have (and still, whether we should be, or shouldn't be). Similarly, no one was contesting the suspensions, expulsions, and other punishements that resulted from the North hazing incident, but now, as a result of the actions being less severe (however still hazing, regardless of what kind of spin anyone tries to put on it) and lack of serious injury to those involved, much of the student body is split on whether the expulsions, if carried out, are deserved by the perpetrators. Me, I think that if you're stupid enough to pull shit like this, in this district, after last year, you're begging to get your ass kicked out. But that's just me, and the issue can easily be argued either way. But Paul Kim walking around the halls with a sign that says "The punishment was fit... FOR ME TO POOP ON!" and encouraging a student walk-out, that, ultimately, only he participated in, doesn't exactly build credibility...

As a result of there being, fortunately, no video to go with this incident, the media blitz has been anything but, and has been limited to some brief reports on Thursday on the local news stations, and a well-executed press conference by the district that was marred by the vulturic reporters baying for video or blood or something else to blow this story wide open. In this case, many of the stations are trying to make another CNN/BBC-caliber scandal where, admittedly, there really isn't one. Reports are that they've resorted to staking out popular lunch destinations for GBS students to try and ambush students for interviews. Police already have to keep reporters away from the school. So, in summary, it appears that this fire's limited to a brief flare-up and is in the process of being snuffed. The cynic in me says that this won't die that easily, but let's hope I'm wrong...

But enough about that.

Other than that, things have been kinda quiet lately, for better or for worse. Friday night was celebrated with dinner at Bennigan's, which ended up being just me and 4 ladies... yeah, that's a big ol' ::shakefist:: at Tim and Joey... Bums. Shiiiyikes... if there's anything nuttier than Sheida and Charlene in the same car, it's Sheida, Kara, Alison and Rachel at the same dinner table. I think there was more time spent giggling uncontrollably than there was eating. That's how you spell "nutty", boys and girls :p

In other news, many of my readers responded to last week's entry saying that they skipped the college stuff entirely because it was too depressing. Well, too depressing, and too long, but let's focus on the implications for our futures that such criticism elicits rather than the general lazyness of some of my readers :p That, coupled with the fact that we're now 3/4 of the way to being effectively 3/4 done with high school completely, gets the gears moving, and with Sheida informing us that "we're not going anywhere and we're staying right here in Glenview", it does tend to get one thinking...

What will happen to us all when high school ends? :(

Guy #1: "Dammit, I hate it when he ends the entry with a question like that."
Guy #2: "You hate it? Just imagine how that girl with the Duckie's gonna respond!"

Later.

Randall

Comments: Read 3 or Add Your Own.

Subject:	The system is down.
Time:	3:07 am.
Mood:	tired.
Music:	Every Heart - BoA.

Quote of the Day:

"Where's the box? Where's the box? I had it earlier... "
- Tim

The system is down.

So, I'm back from my journeys, such as they were. I officially visited and toured 5 colleges and universities this week (and one unofficial visit to Georgetown), and got a sense of their campuses, programs, dorms, and other such things. So, for your reading pleasure, I present those 5 in profile format, based on Location, Campus, Dorms and Facilities, and Programs, in chronological order of visit. It is noteworthy that all the schools I visited shared some characteristics, such as basic security installments in all dorm buildings and the libraries that require the recognition by both an electronic system and a security guard (on duty 24/7/365) of a valid student picture ID that will completely deny access if not satisfied; an extensive network of emergency call boxes throughout the campus to summon the campus police in less than a minute's time if necessary; a monetary debit system implemented through the student ID cards, redeemable in the purchase of food, or books and apparel; and dorm standards of 1 bed, 1 desk, 1 dresser, and most importantly, 1 Ethernet connection per occupant of each room, with cable television and phone hookups optional.

EMERSON COLLEGE
Boston, Massachusetts

Location: Downtown Boston, directly across from the Boston Commons park area.
Campus: Not much of a campus. 3-4 buildings consolidated among 1-2 city blocks. Anything campus-esque is entirely interior.
Dorms and Facilities: Dorms appear nice. Appropriately small, but clean and either in good repair or of recent construction. Dining halls are large but clean, and vary extensively in menu, with convenient operating hours. Library is also appropriately large and extensive, both in print and electronically. Studios and labs are numerous and all complete with high-end equipment as befits such facilities. The "campus" itself has a standard bookstore/gift shop and a fitness center, but no additional eating establishments. However, it is in close proximity to a number of such places, and also very close to a Green Line T stop, making a number of other locations accessible by the T system.
Programs: Emerson is a small liberal arts college devoted entirely to the study of communications, in such forms as broadcast and print journalism and radio and television production. And oh man, for a guy who's built his high school extracurricular career on such things, it's quite a place to see. All of their media studios are filled to the brim with top-of-the-line equipment for the respective media, and are truly a sight to behold. A very fascinating school.

BOSTON UNIVERSITY
Boston, Massachusetts

Location: Downtown Boston.
Campus: Large and very spread out urban campus, roughly two miles long and roughly 4 blocks wide in either direction. Fortunately, Boston's T system of above-ground trolleys runs the length of the campus. It feels little like a campus, and more like just a large number of buildings that form the university. There's only one outdoor commonground, a small patch of grass inbetween buildings referred to as "the Beach" by the locals.
Dorms and Facilities: A few of the dorm buildings are older buildings, however still in decent repair. Others are larger apartment-style dorms, with additional services such as in-building laundry facilities. In addition, the university owns and maintains a number of brownstone houses a few blocks back from the main thoroughfare street that runs the length of the campus. These brownstones are used partially for housing, however limited to 40 or so students per house, and partially for specialized academics and other uses, such as the Admissions Visitor's Center. The library is huge, and also contains a number of documents and personal affects donated by historical figures over the decades, which can actually be used as resources if one goes through the proper channels within the library. In addition to dining halls within some of the dorms, the student union building has food court-style dining with the usual food court chains, and the apartment-style dorm building houses a convenience store on the ground floor. The Green Line of the T also runs the length of the campus and beyond, for access to faraway destinations on campus and beyond.
Programs: Like most universities, BU is composed of a number of smaller colleges devoted to particular fields of study. Of particular interest to me is the School of Communication, housing both an AM and an FM station, both of which are highly regarded within the city and nationally, in addition to facilities for television production and print and broadcast journalism. On a slight tangent, one of the student clubs at Boston University is the "People-Watching Club" where, as the name might suggest, people gather to sit. And watch other people. On one occasion, the club received funding from the school to take a field trip to Canada. Where they sat. And watched Canadians.

I am not making this up.

NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY
Boston, Massachusetts

Location: Downtown Boston (noticing a slight pattern here?)
Campus: Now this is a little more like it. Northeastern University's campus is actually a complete campus, with buildings centered around a main quad and other smaller gathering areas, however, the campus is actually within the city itself. Step off the street and through the gate, and you'll actually feel like you're "on campus". Anything on campus is no more than a short walk away, and although we were not permitted to see it on the tour, many of the buildings are connected by a network of underground tunnels for getting from place to place in incliment weather. The school's network of emergency call boxes extend to these tunnels as well. In addition to having its own Green Line T stop right outside the campus gates, the campus has its own on-campus T station of the Red and Orange lines.
Dorms and Facilities: Dorms are clean, nice, and quite modern-looking, both inside and outside. Same standards as the other places. Most of the dorm buildings have a game room and a TV lounge, and a number of the upperclassmen apartment-style dorms have such services as in-building laundry facilities, garbage service, cleaning service, and others. The school, like the others, has a very extensive library. The student union building houses the bookstore, as well the office of student activities and meeting space for most of the student clubs, in addition to food court-style dining and open gathering areas.
Programs: Northeastern, like Boston U, is made up of a number of smaller colleges devoted to specific studies. However, it is the only school so far to have a 5-year co-op program, with graduation after 5 years of study, and within those 5 years, up to a year and a half (3 6-month periods) of co-op study, in which you're placed in a paid internship at a job befitting your major, which, for the School of Communications, can range from CBS in Boston to Walt Disney World. During a co-op period, you are not in class or doing classwork. Job placement after graduation, with the co-op program, is upwards of 70%. Overall, one of my favorites from this trip.

GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
Washington, D.C.

Location: Within urban Washington, D.C., in the immediate vicinity of the Foggy Bottom Metro stop.
Campus: GWU's Foggy Bottom campus is an urban campus similar to BU's, but if BU's campus is an elongated rectangle, then GWU's campus is definitely closer to a square and more condensed. GWU also feels more like a campus, with more gathering squares and quads than BU posesses. Everything is accessible by walking, with the exception of the school's Mount Vernon campus, housing the majority of the school's athletic facilities. The Foggy Bottom Metro stop is nearly in the center of the Foggy Bottom campus, providing easy access via the nation's cleanest and safest subway system to the rest of Washington, D.C. and surrounding vicinities.
Dorms and Facilities: The dorms are pleasant, if not slightly cramped in the hallways of the floors. The student building, in addition to housing the bookstore, club meetings, and a diverse food court, also houses the "Hippodrome", the campus recreation center, complete with the only private bowling alley in D.C.. Other facilities include a small, mall-style retail center owned and operated by the school, and one of the nation's only Schools of Media and Public Affairs, where CNN's live political debate program, Crossfire, is taped weekdaily.
Programs: Like BU and Northeastern, GWU is composed of a number of smaller colleges. Being in the heart of Washington, D.C., the school's various political and international studies are extensive and well-respected. The school is also noted for excellence in media communications and forensics, making it a good possibility for a broadcasting hopeful such as myself.

AMERICAN UNIVERSITY
Northwest Washington, D.C.

Location: In the portion of the District of Columbia known as Northwest Washington, D.C., which, despite being officially part of the District, isn't fooling anyone, because it's a quiet, residental, and for all intents and purposes, suburban, area, similar to Glenview in some ways.
Campus: AU's campus is a complete and sprawling campus located in this quiet, residental, quasi-suburban area, and is my favorite campus of all 5 schools I visited this week, rife with open areas. Despite the size, everything is quite walkable from any part of the campus. Something I noticed in regard to that, is that, no doubt helped by the beautiful weather we had on the day we toured, there were actually people using these open areas to congregate, talk, sun, or just relax outdoors, which is something I didn't see at other schools except for at GWU to a certain degree, however that could most likely be attributed to Emerson's and BU's lack of outdoor campus to congregate on (all congregating was done indoors there :p), and the frigid temperatures I encountered during my visit to Northeastern. The campus is a short distance away from the Tenleytown/AU Metro stop, a distance shortened by the shuttle the university runs between the campus and the Metro station.
Dorms and Facilities: The dorms were large, clean, modern buildings spread around campus, and rooms ranged from 2 to 6 occupants, with the appropriate number of fixtures for the number of occupants in the room. The 6-person rooms were interesting, I must say. Aside from just dorms, AU had what appeared to be the most extensive student facilities, including a full fitness center, not 1, but 2 food courts, chains such as McDonald's, Subway, and of course Starbucks, and possibly most important, a large bookstore with a limited but sufficiently diverse graphic novel selection.
Programs: AU's colleges run the full gamut of studies, including of course a School of Communications, which contains studies of print journalism, broadcast journalism, television production, radio production, and other branches of communications, and from the class catalogue, it has the courses to back all those up. The school also has a strong intern program that begins Sophomore year. Overall, AU was my other favorite school of the 5 I visited this week.

So there you have it. It's fortunate Tim was with, because I can honestly say that despite these fascinating college visits, I'd have gone violently insane this week otherwise. Further proof you should just bring a friend with you when at all possible. I have to say, though... college searching puts things in perspective. I have just over a year of high school left, and far less than that before I start applying to these schools I'm visiting. This is the first look into the next stage of my life after high school, one that has ramifications for my future even moreso than my time at GBS. It makes one think about where one is going... and what one will leave behind when they do go. But those last couple are depressing thoughts for now and Lord knows I don't need anymore of those than I already have.

So since I've been back, I've gotten some much-needed sleep, watched "Duckie!" replace "Cookie!" as Sheida's mantra, gone bowling (and failed to break 60 for both games. Again. Wow do I suck at bowling...), been forced to watch The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre (which was ultimately more bizarre than it was scary) and most of The Ring back-to-back, and started getting ready to return to the daily grind, which sadly happens on Monday. That's what I don't like about Spring Break as compared to Winter Break; when Winter Break starts, and you say "next weekend", you'll still be on break then. When Spring Break starts and you say "next weekend,", Break will have no more than 2 days left in it by that point. In short, it's too damn short. It's technically Sunday now, meaning I have a day left. And so the drifting begins...

I guess I've said enough for now. Good night.

Guy #1: "Wow. College. Whatever happened to that little Freshman who was writing about just dealing with high school?"
Guy #2: "I dunno. Some say he grew up... Learned to define himself a little better... fell in with a sometimes nutty but always great group of friends... and still walks among us today. I, personally, think he moved to Vegas and became an Elvis impersonator, but that's just me."

Later.

Randall

Comments: Read 4 or Add Your Own.

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