Today I had off for Labor Day for the first time in five years. I was stoked. A few of my friends and I decided that we would hit up a museum, and decided on the Holocaust. I knew it would be a depressing experience, but I had not idea of the graphic material that awaited me inside.
Upon exiting the elevator, the mood was immediately set. A wall portrait of victims being shoveled in ditches was the first thing I saw. Horror struck me. I knew that while I had to experience this, it was not going to be fun. The whole museum was really informative, but as the self-guided tour progressed, the messages, pictures, videos, and displays got stronger.
One of the first things that hit me hard was America's role in the whole ordeal. They had opportunities to save thousands of Jews, but wouldn't. Nearly 1000 came to Cuba on the St. Louis, but the Nazi's had forbidden them to land in Cuba. The United States would NOT all the boat to dock, despite pleas from the captain. The coasts were being patrolled to make sure no one tried to jump and swim to their freedom. Instead the St. Louis was forced to turn around and many of the passengers were eventually captured and taken to concentration camps. Later, the United States decided that they would only allow distinguished Jews to come to the States. Didn't see that in the history books growing up...I was shocked and ashamed at the same time.
As the tour continued, horrific pictures lined the walls. I had to walk through a roughly 20 by 10 box car that would transport as many as 100 prisoners at a time to death or concentration camps. These conditions were catastrophic. There was a room that played audio from survivors and their experiences, I mean just an absolute morbid feeling came over me. Then I walked past a display of shoes. The odor that exuded them was enough to make me gag on the spot and I'm sure it didn't even account for 1/20th of the shoes from tortured victims. The smell of leather mixed with spoiled eggs on a hot day with no ventilation is about as well as I can describe the pungency of the hallway. Just typing this now, and reliving those past three hours is emotionally wearing me down. The medical experiments, I can't even begin to describe. What kind of sick, deranged humans would do such a thing?
I'm going to wrap this up. At the end of the tour was the Remembrance Room with candles everywhere and soil from each of the death and concentration camps. As soon as I walked in, chills ran through my body. Goosebumps covered me from head to toe. I paused in reverence and said a prayer for all of the souls who lost their lives way to soon in this most horrific event in our worlds history. If somehow you don't believe that the Holocaust actually happened, talk to me, or better yet, come to D.C. and take the tour yourself. You will then believe.
I left the museum emotionally stunned and very disturbed. Fitting enough, it started to rain on my bus ride home, and I thought to myself, these raindrops resembled the amount of tears shed by those who lived through or were somehow affected by this event. I knew I would leave the museum deeply saddened and depressed, and I did, but I will never regret taking that tour.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Long Days= Hard to Keep Up
Sorry my posts have become few and far between. The days are just brutally long, and when I get home and make dinner, it's pretty much get ready for bed and do it all again the next day. I'm gonna get you all caught up without making it as wordy as possible.
We got assigned to our classes on Thursday and I got the 7th grade class I had hoped for. The first day with the kids for a full day was interesting to say the least. The kids aren't afraid to tell it like it is, and cuss and derogatory remarks are not out of the norm. Some of the kids have a very short attention span as per one student who midway through class just decided to start crawling between desks. When he sat back down, class had wrapped up and the kids were waiting to go to the next class, when a girl grabbed the same kids bookbag and started to suffocate him. At first I thought they were just playing because again, violence is somewhat normal and accepted in their environment. However, I knew this was real when the girl took the straps and pulled them around his head. I stepped in and broke that up immediately. As I talked to the teacher about the situation, I asked what can be done. Discipline wise, not a whole lot. He told me that yelling at them was not an option. This is because most of the kids have a home life in which all that goes on is yelling, so by me yelling at them, they revert back to home and immediately see me as a bad person because I raised my voice.
On Friday, along with the Civic Engagement and Stanton Elementary teams, we prepped Winston for this Friday's service day. We primed rooms, walls, and gyms as we will be painting murals all throughout the school. It doesn't sound hard, but we busted our asses that day. One of the longest days for sure, but it'll be worth it in the end. I guess my Sher Willy (Sherwin-Williams for you unhip people) experience really is going to pay off.
Friday night and Saturday night I went out, had fun. Sunday was a cleaning and laundry day, and today I went to the Holocaust Museum. That will be another post here shortly.
We got assigned to our classes on Thursday and I got the 7th grade class I had hoped for. The first day with the kids for a full day was interesting to say the least. The kids aren't afraid to tell it like it is, and cuss and derogatory remarks are not out of the norm. Some of the kids have a very short attention span as per one student who midway through class just decided to start crawling between desks. When he sat back down, class had wrapped up and the kids were waiting to go to the next class, when a girl grabbed the same kids bookbag and started to suffocate him. At first I thought they were just playing because again, violence is somewhat normal and accepted in their environment. However, I knew this was real when the girl took the straps and pulled them around his head. I stepped in and broke that up immediately. As I talked to the teacher about the situation, I asked what can be done. Discipline wise, not a whole lot. He told me that yelling at them was not an option. This is because most of the kids have a home life in which all that goes on is yelling, so by me yelling at them, they revert back to home and immediately see me as a bad person because I raised my voice.
On Friday, along with the Civic Engagement and Stanton Elementary teams, we prepped Winston for this Friday's service day. We primed rooms, walls, and gyms as we will be painting murals all throughout the school. It doesn't sound hard, but we busted our asses that day. One of the longest days for sure, but it'll be worth it in the end. I guess my Sher Willy (Sherwin-Williams for you unhip people) experience really is going to pay off.
Friday night and Saturday night I went out, had fun. Sunday was a cleaning and laundry day, and today I went to the Holocaust Museum. That will be another post here shortly.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
We In Our Reds!!!
Gigantic ups to my Winston crew for earning our uniforms today! This is a huge accomplishment in the City Year process, and we rocked it. Our chant to "All of the Lights" was killer, so much so that I think there is a good chance that we'll get to perform it on Opening Day, which would be fantastic. We got our Tims, red vest, and dress pants and shirts. We are still waiting for more pieces to arrive, including the backpack (which I'm really excited for) and our bombers. But still, we put in hours of work and it showed. I couldn't be more proud of Matt, Cara, Emilia, Rashad, Kim, Robbie, Trey, Sydney, Sheri, and Paiyal!
Earlier today we shadowed more classes which is starting to get beat. I think everyone has a pretty good idea of which class the want/would be most successful in, so now it's a little drag. I was in 4th grade, and those little kids are rowdy. I had one kid talk back to me for half an hour after I stopped acknowledging him before he finally picked up pencil shavings that he spilled and then right after lunch, this little dude speared another kid. I was like "dude, really!?" I told him if that happens again, he'll have to deal with me. Oh and I'm in charge of the discipline for my team as well. I like intimidating kids who have never been stood up to before.
Yesterday was a throw away day. The school was closed due to the hurricane. (I walked through the wind and rain on Saturday night, always a good time!)
Tomorrow I have interviews for two Ambassador Programs and I'll let you know more about them once I receive a decision on them, but apparently I have a good chance at both that I'm applying for.
Hope all is well in Pittsburgh, Marietta, and wherever else you may be reading this from. Know that I'm having a great time here and couldn't be happier with my decision!
Earlier today we shadowed more classes which is starting to get beat. I think everyone has a pretty good idea of which class the want/would be most successful in, so now it's a little drag. I was in 4th grade, and those little kids are rowdy. I had one kid talk back to me for half an hour after I stopped acknowledging him before he finally picked up pencil shavings that he spilled and then right after lunch, this little dude speared another kid. I was like "dude, really!?" I told him if that happens again, he'll have to deal with me. Oh and I'm in charge of the discipline for my team as well. I like intimidating kids who have never been stood up to before.
Yesterday was a throw away day. The school was closed due to the hurricane. (I walked through the wind and rain on Saturday night, always a good time!)
Tomorrow I have interviews for two Ambassador Programs and I'll let you know more about them once I receive a decision on them, but apparently I have a good chance at both that I'm applying for.
Hope all is well in Pittsburgh, Marietta, and wherever else you may be reading this from. Know that I'm having a great time here and couldn't be happier with my decision!
Thursday, August 25, 2011
I Have Justin Bieber Hair?
I was in another class today, sixth grade, and it pains me to say, but the ability of some of these students are very sad. I was working with a student and she asked for some help, so I explained to her that she had to read a section and pick out two main ideas. That's when she informed me that she couldn't read. No big deal, I'll help her. I was very proud that she put forth a serious effort and was eventually able to sound out the word "tectonic", but later in the day found out that she couldn't pronounce the names "Phil" and "Ann". That one hurt.
Speaking of hurting, and I hate to say this, but some of the teachers are very apathetic towards their students. In one case she was the opposite and was absolutely grilling this student. I felt bad but didn't want to overstep my boundaries. That student asked me to help her with her homework and I did and get this, she is BRILLIANT! One of the smartest students I've been around in that school. I asked her if she liked school and she said yes, and told me that she has plans on going to college, which she will because of her intellect, but the teacher has it out. We were talking and she got in trouble for raising her hand to as a relevant question. I told her, whether or not I'm her City Year, she could come to me to release the frustrations. She has so much potential, and I told her sometimes you just have to bite your tongue even when you know you didn't do anything wrong. I talked to the teacher about it and how smart she was, and the teacher didn't really care, rather she was more concerned with the discipline issue.
I ate lunch with some of the students and they asked me to shake my hair, so I did and they go, Oh my gosh Mr. Mike, you have Justin Bieber hair! I was like, "excuse me?"
I went on to tell them how in high school I grew my hair really long and put them in twisties one day and told them that if they do their work and do well, that I might bring it out again later in the year.
After school, my team put in mad hours practicing to earn our uniforms. We have most everything memorized including this wicked awesome chant which is a remix to Kanye West's "All of the Lights."
Speaking of hurting, and I hate to say this, but some of the teachers are very apathetic towards their students. In one case she was the opposite and was absolutely grilling this student. I felt bad but didn't want to overstep my boundaries. That student asked me to help her with her homework and I did and get this, she is BRILLIANT! One of the smartest students I've been around in that school. I asked her if she liked school and she said yes, and told me that she has plans on going to college, which she will because of her intellect, but the teacher has it out. We were talking and she got in trouble for raising her hand to as a relevant question. I told her, whether or not I'm her City Year, she could come to me to release the frustrations. She has so much potential, and I told her sometimes you just have to bite your tongue even when you know you didn't do anything wrong. I talked to the teacher about it and how smart she was, and the teacher didn't really care, rather she was more concerned with the discipline issue.
I ate lunch with some of the students and they asked me to shake my hair, so I did and they go, Oh my gosh Mr. Mike, you have Justin Bieber hair! I was like, "excuse me?"
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| My hair |
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| Bieber's hair (I can't believe I put his photo on my blog...) |
I went on to tell them how in high school I grew my hair really long and put them in twisties one day and told them that if they do their work and do well, that I might bring it out again later in the year.
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| stud |
After school, my team put in mad hours practicing to earn our uniforms. We have most everything memorized including this wicked awesome chant which is a remix to Kanye West's "All of the Lights."
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Tremor-endous Day
Today I was back in the 7th grade and all ready the kids are feeling comfortable around me. I'm able to assist them and make sure they stay focused on their work. I'm also able to relate to them as well. For instance this once kid didn't do his homework because he played basketball after school. So today I asked him what he was going to do and he told me ball. I said thats fine, but if you don't do your homework, that really wont matter. I told him I don't care if he drops 20 and 10 dimes (assists), if that homework isn't done, I could care less. He promised me he'd get it done. We'll see tomorrow. The kids find it fun to bust on my shoes, which is all good. I mean I do lack a certain fashion sense.
In math, I was helping this one girl who was really struggling with decimals and determining which ones are bigger than the others. By the end of the lesson, she was able to understand and could explain to me why that was the case. It was great to see progress being made immediately. After class was over, another girl approached me and asked if I would help her with her multiplication tables, the 9's and 12's specifically. Of course I said yes and taught her the finger trick for the 9 times tables. The bad part is tomorrow I will observe another class so I won't see these kids for a couple days.
I ate lunch with a group of them and we discussed music and instruments they play. They were really excited to tell me about playing the viola, the piccolo and the guitar. I told them how I play the piano, trumpet and euphonium, which they needed an explanation for lol. I really hope to be able to continue teaching that 7th grade class when I get my final assignment.
In the afternoon I was heading back to the office with my team for more training. When we stepped off the Metro, people were lining the streets. My group was like "what the..." So I asked a lady and she said there was an earthquake. I figured it was people blowing things out of proportion and panicking but there was a legit earthquake in D.C. People felt it and in the City Year building, it was easily felt. City Year decided to give us the rest of the day off, so that mean early Happy Hour!!!
The metro's sucked on the way home as they were only able to run at a max speed of 15 mph and they got crazy crowded. Tomorrow I apply for food stamps and am uber excited cause I miss cooking. I hope you all survived the earthquake and we're to rattled.
P.S. Happy Birthday to my roommate Sean Eagan...Happy 22nd, hope you don't get the shakes tonight...hahaha see what I did there I made a joke about drinking and earthquakes...
In math, I was helping this one girl who was really struggling with decimals and determining which ones are bigger than the others. By the end of the lesson, she was able to understand and could explain to me why that was the case. It was great to see progress being made immediately. After class was over, another girl approached me and asked if I would help her with her multiplication tables, the 9's and 12's specifically. Of course I said yes and taught her the finger trick for the 9 times tables. The bad part is tomorrow I will observe another class so I won't see these kids for a couple days.
I ate lunch with a group of them and we discussed music and instruments they play. They were really excited to tell me about playing the viola, the piccolo and the guitar. I told them how I play the piano, trumpet and euphonium, which they needed an explanation for lol. I really hope to be able to continue teaching that 7th grade class when I get my final assignment.
In the afternoon I was heading back to the office with my team for more training. When we stepped off the Metro, people were lining the streets. My group was like "what the..." So I asked a lady and she said there was an earthquake. I figured it was people blowing things out of proportion and panicking but there was a legit earthquake in D.C. People felt it and in the City Year building, it was easily felt. City Year decided to give us the rest of the day off, so that mean early Happy Hour!!!
The metro's sucked on the way home as they were only able to run at a max speed of 15 mph and they got crazy crowded. Tomorrow I apply for food stamps and am uber excited cause I miss cooking. I hope you all survived the earthquake and we're to rattled.
P.S. Happy Birthday to my roommate Sean Eagan...Happy 22nd, hope you don't get the shakes tonight...hahaha see what I did there I made a joke about drinking and earthquakes...
Monday, August 22, 2011
First Day of School
So I missed a week of posts. I was kinda sick and went to bed early every night. Good. Now that we're all caught up, today was my first day of school!
I was observing 7th grade classes and it was a great experience. My time at Perry helped out a lot and the teacher that I was observing noticed that I was intimidated at all. The first class was ancient history. The teacher did a great job of keeping the students engaged the whole time. However, he didn't teach out of a book. Instead he taught them photo analysis, which will continue throughout the entire year. This was a great method of teaching because 1. I'm sure the kids have never been exposed to that before 2. It was different than reading text out of a book and 3. It was fun and interactive. Hell it was fun for me!
The next class I observed was math. Some of the kids were a little shaky in this area. I had to go back and work out the problems myself before helping them out because, let's be real, it has been years since I did that kind of work. But like riding a bike, it quickly came back and I was able to assist a group of girls with some problems. At lunch, I got to talk to a few kids, one who claimed I stole his name (he was named Mike too). He wanted me to call him Big Mike, and I said alright that's cool, but since I'm bigger than you, I'm Bigger Mike. He was diggin it, but in the classroom he still agreed to call me Mr. Mike. Yeah, authoritative figure. Right here. I met the mayor of D.C. during lunch and then my flagship team worked on earning our uniforms. We got a good deal accomplished and the day went by fairly quickly.
One of the negatives, I live 3 miles from my school. It took me about an hour to get to and from school on public transportation. Ugh. I'm considering driving. Oh and my lunch meat sucks. I can't wait to get food stamps!
I was observing 7th grade classes and it was a great experience. My time at Perry helped out a lot and the teacher that I was observing noticed that I was intimidated at all. The first class was ancient history. The teacher did a great job of keeping the students engaged the whole time. However, he didn't teach out of a book. Instead he taught them photo analysis, which will continue throughout the entire year. This was a great method of teaching because 1. I'm sure the kids have never been exposed to that before 2. It was different than reading text out of a book and 3. It was fun and interactive. Hell it was fun for me!
The next class I observed was math. Some of the kids were a little shaky in this area. I had to go back and work out the problems myself before helping them out because, let's be real, it has been years since I did that kind of work. But like riding a bike, it quickly came back and I was able to assist a group of girls with some problems. At lunch, I got to talk to a few kids, one who claimed I stole his name (he was named Mike too). He wanted me to call him Big Mike, and I said alright that's cool, but since I'm bigger than you, I'm Bigger Mike. He was diggin it, but in the classroom he still agreed to call me Mr. Mike. Yeah, authoritative figure. Right here. I met the mayor of D.C. during lunch and then my flagship team worked on earning our uniforms. We got a good deal accomplished and the day went by fairly quickly.
One of the negatives, I live 3 miles from my school. It took me about an hour to get to and from school on public transportation. Ugh. I'm considering driving. Oh and my lunch meat sucks. I can't wait to get food stamps!
P.S. Throwing out a big happy birthday to one of my best friends, Zack Myers. Happy 23rd bud. And a big up to my sister Anna for completing her last first day of classes at Penn St.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Weekend Capper
I capped off my lazy weekend today. I guess I wasn't completely lazy today, but I didn't overexert myself in any capacity, except during a late lunch. I went to bed relatively early last night, shortly after midnight and halfway through "Good Will Hunting." It's just something about movies that makes it hard for me to stay awake.
I woke up early and researched and found a Catholic church to attend. Mass was at noon so I had plenty of time to get there, and for once I didn't get lost during the trip! St. Patricks was a smaller church, but nice on the inside.
The priest was really captivating and I was thinking, sweet! I could totally listen to this guy every Sunday. Turns out, he accepted another position and this was his last weekend at the church. Go figure.
After church, I was going to head to the zoo, but the skies looked ominous, and I really didn't want to get stuck in another rain storm. It would've been my fourth one I believe since I moved to D.C. and that's all because umbrella's are for the birds. Well not really, but that's my story and I'm stickin to it.
I was going to check out the Spy Museum, but of course that cost money, which is something that is at a premium for me right now, but I do get paid on Friday! Holla Holla! Instead I went tot he National Portrait Gallery. I immediately found the presidential section which housed all of the painting portraits of the presidents.(Try saying that five times fast) It's interesting to see the progression and depending on the time the portrait was done (in terms of the presidents stay in office) there were distinct differences in the faces from the amount of stress each president endured.
There were some really nice paintings of early America before it became industrialized, monopolized, and urbanized and let me tell you, it was quite the picturesque terrain. I was never big on art museums for a couple of reasons. The first being that, to put it bluntly, I suck at art. I can't color, can't draw, can't paint, sculpt, you name it, I am not artistically gifted. It gets frustrating at times. The other reason is that each artist usually has an underlying message to the piece and I'm not able to pick up what he or she is trying to convey. Maybe it's because I haven't been formally trained, I'm not sure. I like to take things at face value and not over analyze them. Maybe the artist just wanted to paint a picture of the woods, but usually it entails greater meaning.
Despite this fact, it was still really impressive work, again something I could never do, and neat to look at for an afternoon. After, I was texting a friend and asked where a good place to eat was and she hooked me up with Fuddruckers. This burger place is legit. They have crazy awesome burgers and you could've gotten specialty ones like buffalo, boar, and elk, but I decided to go with simply a half pound with bleu cheese, grilled onions and mushrooms, and all the fixins( yes, even another tomato). It was so juicy and the bun slightly grilled and so warm! Ugh, delicious! I stayed an extra 10 minutes after I was done because I was so full I had to let the food digest.
I then walked around Chinatown for a little to burn off some of the calories I just inhaled and I really enjoyed that walk because I was one of the tallest people on the street. Ego booster. Like I need it right!?
Good day, easy and relaxing weekend, and tomorrow starts week three of training at City Year. Can't wait!
I woke up early and researched and found a Catholic church to attend. Mass was at noon so I had plenty of time to get there, and for once I didn't get lost during the trip! St. Patricks was a smaller church, but nice on the inside.
The priest was really captivating and I was thinking, sweet! I could totally listen to this guy every Sunday. Turns out, he accepted another position and this was his last weekend at the church. Go figure.
After church, I was going to head to the zoo, but the skies looked ominous, and I really didn't want to get stuck in another rain storm. It would've been my fourth one I believe since I moved to D.C. and that's all because umbrella's are for the birds. Well not really, but that's my story and I'm stickin to it.
I was going to check out the Spy Museum, but of course that cost money, which is something that is at a premium for me right now, but I do get paid on Friday! Holla Holla! Instead I went tot he National Portrait Gallery. I immediately found the presidential section which housed all of the painting portraits of the presidents.(Try saying that five times fast) It's interesting to see the progression and depending on the time the portrait was done (in terms of the presidents stay in office) there were distinct differences in the faces from the amount of stress each president endured.
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| Credit to the National Portrait Gallery website |
There were some really nice paintings of early America before it became industrialized, monopolized, and urbanized and let me tell you, it was quite the picturesque terrain. I was never big on art museums for a couple of reasons. The first being that, to put it bluntly, I suck at art. I can't color, can't draw, can't paint, sculpt, you name it, I am not artistically gifted. It gets frustrating at times. The other reason is that each artist usually has an underlying message to the piece and I'm not able to pick up what he or she is trying to convey. Maybe it's because I haven't been formally trained, I'm not sure. I like to take things at face value and not over analyze them. Maybe the artist just wanted to paint a picture of the woods, but usually it entails greater meaning.
Despite this fact, it was still really impressive work, again something I could never do, and neat to look at for an afternoon. After, I was texting a friend and asked where a good place to eat was and she hooked me up with Fuddruckers. This burger place is legit. They have crazy awesome burgers and you could've gotten specialty ones like buffalo, boar, and elk, but I decided to go with simply a half pound with bleu cheese, grilled onions and mushrooms, and all the fixins( yes, even another tomato). It was so juicy and the bun slightly grilled and so warm! Ugh, delicious! I stayed an extra 10 minutes after I was done because I was so full I had to let the food digest.
I then walked around Chinatown for a little to burn off some of the calories I just inhaled and I really enjoyed that walk because I was one of the tallest people on the street. Ego booster. Like I need it right!?
Good day, easy and relaxing weekend, and tomorrow starts week three of training at City Year. Can't wait!
New Poll: What is your favorite college in D.C.
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| A. American University |
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| B. George Washington |
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| C. Howard University |
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| D. Georgetown |
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Why I Serve
On Thursday we had to think write about why we serve. The reasoning will adapt throughout my service year, but as of right now, this is my ditty...
I serve for the kids who don't know anything about the world other than the hood they rep or the city they're from.
I serve to show that just because you go to an inner city school it doesn't mean you can't be somebody.
I serve because it is my civic duty.
I serve to develop a new generation of leaders.
I serve to continue to make this land what our forefathers envisioned over 200 years ago.
I serve because I will provide hope to the hopeless.
I serve because you can't put a dollar amount on these students' success.
I serve because it is my passion and because I can.
I serve for the kids who don't know anything about the world other than the hood they rep or the city they're from.
I serve to show that just because you go to an inner city school it doesn't mean you can't be somebody.
I serve because it is my civic duty.
I serve to develop a new generation of leaders.
I serve to continue to make this land what our forefathers envisioned over 200 years ago.
I serve because I will provide hope to the hopeless.
I serve because you can't put a dollar amount on these students' success.
I serve because it is my passion and because I can.
Time to Make Like Usher and Get "Caught Up"
Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday I had BTA (basic training academy?) and my days were filled. I was so busy that as the week progressed the dismissal time got later and the arrival time earlier so when I got home it was off to bed.
On Wednesday, well honestly I don't remember much about Wednesday. I know at the end of the day we had a picnic at this really nice park. One of the main reasons I went was for a free dinner. Crushed a few burgers, enjoyed the time outside and that was that.
On Thursday, I got to tour the National Museum of the American Indian. That was awesome! It's a museum that I probably wouldn't have gone to, but I was required to and learned so much. I toured it with about five or six of my friends and we weren't afraid to bring out our inner nerds in the conversations we had. We discussed everything from the earliest forms of biological warfare to how in earlier times gold wasn't looked at as a form of currency. There are so many gilded artifacts in just one display that if the United States melted them down (and by no means am I suggesting they do this) it would probably make decent impact in lowering the national debt.
Later on Thursday we did this taxing exercise called a privilege line. The leaders would read off a sentence and if it pertained to you, you would take either a step forward or backward depending on the instructions. We held hands with the people next to us and you didn't want to let go. You would endure more pain than normal in your shoulder because letting go was a significant moment. I was able to hold hands with one friend for the entire game. As for my place, I ended up in the middle, not overly privileged but not disprivileged either. I'm proud of who I am and my family and how I got to where I am today, but some of the calls were difficult. I put things in the back of my mind and didn't think about the roadblocks that I had to overcome. Even though my parents aren't together, they both love me and are not afraid to tell me that. They both played an integral part in my education and it sucked to see that for some, it wasn't the case. In that sense, yes I am privileged and if I'm lucky enough to reproduce one day, you know damn well that my child(ren) will know that I love them and that education is the most important thing growing up.
After we debriefed that exercise, we had pizza for dinner. Yeah free meal number two of the week!!! Following that was a talent show and my City Year peers can rock it. I didn't perform anything but given the opportunity again, I would've done the acoustic version of Waka Flocka Flame's, "No Hands".
On Friday we had guest speakers all day. It was a longish day but parts were fun. After work, (love saying that) a bunch of us got together and headed out on the town. Dancing was had, swingers were creepin', and I'm still an idiot when it comes to getting on the right metro at crucial moments of the night/early morning. I got home at 3:45 a.m.
Today will give me some much needed R&R and allow me to fill out my application for food stamps before probably headin out again tonight.
On Wednesday, well honestly I don't remember much about Wednesday. I know at the end of the day we had a picnic at this really nice park. One of the main reasons I went was for a free dinner. Crushed a few burgers, enjoyed the time outside and that was that.
On Thursday, I got to tour the National Museum of the American Indian. That was awesome! It's a museum that I probably wouldn't have gone to, but I was required to and learned so much. I toured it with about five or six of my friends and we weren't afraid to bring out our inner nerds in the conversations we had. We discussed everything from the earliest forms of biological warfare to how in earlier times gold wasn't looked at as a form of currency. There are so many gilded artifacts in just one display that if the United States melted them down (and by no means am I suggesting they do this) it would probably make decent impact in lowering the national debt.
Later on Thursday we did this taxing exercise called a privilege line. The leaders would read off a sentence and if it pertained to you, you would take either a step forward or backward depending on the instructions. We held hands with the people next to us and you didn't want to let go. You would endure more pain than normal in your shoulder because letting go was a significant moment. I was able to hold hands with one friend for the entire game. As for my place, I ended up in the middle, not overly privileged but not disprivileged either. I'm proud of who I am and my family and how I got to where I am today, but some of the calls were difficult. I put things in the back of my mind and didn't think about the roadblocks that I had to overcome. Even though my parents aren't together, they both love me and are not afraid to tell me that. They both played an integral part in my education and it sucked to see that for some, it wasn't the case. In that sense, yes I am privileged and if I'm lucky enough to reproduce one day, you know damn well that my child(ren) will know that I love them and that education is the most important thing growing up.
After we debriefed that exercise, we had pizza for dinner. Yeah free meal number two of the week!!! Following that was a talent show and my City Year peers can rock it. I didn't perform anything but given the opportunity again, I would've done the acoustic version of Waka Flocka Flame's, "No Hands".
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| No explanation really needed here |
On Friday we had guest speakers all day. It was a longish day but parts were fun. After work, (love saying that) a bunch of us got together and headed out on the town. Dancing was had, swingers were creepin', and I'm still an idiot when it comes to getting on the right metro at crucial moments of the night/early morning. I got home at 3:45 a.m.
Today will give me some much needed R&R and allow me to fill out my application for food stamps before probably headin out again tonight.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Sean Burned the Pasta!!!
Today had more lectures and for the first time in a long time, I almost fell asleep during them. Not that they were boring, but the ambiance of the room, the dim lights, the air conditioner blasting, lack of breaks and the fact that it was just after lunch and we were sitting on clouds as opposed to our morning chairs made for a rough afternoon for me. I mean, there are times when I have trouble paying attention, but today I legit almost fell asleep.
After lectures, six of us went to this Mexican restaurant. I had only planned on staying for about 20 minutes or so. Turns out I stayed for the or so part. And in case you were wondering, or so means 2.5 hours. Yeah, so I didn't get home until about 9:30, but the margaritas were great. Embarrassing stories were shared which proved for great laughs.
When I got home, Sean was playing the guitar and forgot that he was making pasta, to the point that he burned it! Full on burned the meal. The smoke alarm was going off, a nice cloud of smoke is now filling the kitchen and I had to retreat to my room for the night because the smoke was bothering my eyes. I've made the smoke alarm go off for some random things, just ask Kevin and Cribbins, but I don't think ever for pasta.
Good new for tomorrow. We get to have a dress down day as well as a BBQ!!! Tomorrow shall bring another good day in my life in D.C. Peace easy!!!
After lectures, six of us went to this Mexican restaurant. I had only planned on staying for about 20 minutes or so. Turns out I stayed for the or so part. And in case you were wondering, or so means 2.5 hours. Yeah, so I didn't get home until about 9:30, but the margaritas were great. Embarrassing stories were shared which proved for great laughs.
When I got home, Sean was playing the guitar and forgot that he was making pasta, to the point that he burned it! Full on burned the meal. The smoke alarm was going off, a nice cloud of smoke is now filling the kitchen and I had to retreat to my room for the night because the smoke was bothering my eyes. I've made the smoke alarm go off for some random things, just ask Kevin and Cribbins, but I don't think ever for pasta.
Good new for tomorrow. We get to have a dress down day as well as a BBQ!!! Tomorrow shall bring another good day in my life in D.C. Peace easy!!!
Monday, August 8, 2011
Giving Credit Where Credit is Due
Before I break down today (it's gonna be short and I'll explain why later), I must say that my journalistic integrity was called out and rightfully so. In a playful way Ciri asked about copyright laws. Immediately I knew. All the pictures from the weekend were taken by Ciri, and I was debating whether or not I should accredit them to her, and I eventually thought nah, no one will notice. Well here's mad props to her for one calling me out on it, and two actually taking the pictures. See, she has a cool phone that takes good pictures and can upload them to Facebook. Unlike my phone that doesn't do a whole lot of anything. She's kinda like my resident photographer. Big ups Ciri!
On to today. We found out early that we would be notified of our flagship teams at the end of the day. My brain basically shut off there. I didn't retain any information and the day dragged on as I was to excited to find out who was one my team. I was put at Winston Education Campus which services kids in PS-8. I know a few members of my group but not well and I'm not sure the actual grade I'll be teaching, but I'm rather stoked.
After work my crew rolled down to the Mighty Pint to celebrate our placement in our flagship teams. These pictures too were taken by, yep you guessed it, Ciri!!!
On to today. We found out early that we would be notified of our flagship teams at the end of the day. My brain basically shut off there. I didn't retain any information and the day dragged on as I was to excited to find out who was one my team. I was put at Winston Education Campus which services kids in PS-8. I know a few members of my group but not well and I'm not sure the actual grade I'll be teaching, but I'm rather stoked.
After work my crew rolled down to the Mighty Pint to celebrate our placement in our flagship teams. These pictures too were taken by, yep you guessed it, Ciri!!!
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| Got her! |
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| Andrew messed it up, we were supposed to both get Steph |
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| Group shot (L-R: Will, Hao, Caroline, Ciri, Katie Wuuuuu, Richard,Kate, Me, Steph, Andrew, Hunter, Jessica) |
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| 3 tries for a normal pic for me, Steph, and Andrew |
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Weekend Recap
On Friday we had PT (Physical Training) where we learned some steps and cheers and exercises that we will do on multiple occasions. The latter part of the day we learned about the Civic Engagement team and what that all would entail. Best part of the day, we got let out about an hour and a half early!!! Weekend...annnnnnnnnnnnd GO!!!!
Friday night proved to scare me more than any other experience I've ever had. I was taking two buses instead of the metro to get to Andrew's house. It was supposed to save me 20 minutes. I got to all of my locations on time, but when I was about to get on the last bus, I was way out of my element. I walked off the bus in an Abercrombie and Fitch t-shirt and nice jeans. I'm the only white boy again on the block, this time at night, and I'm alone. My butt hole has never been tighter. Long story short, the bus was late, so I had to get out of that area, caught a different bus back to Anacostia where I felt so much more safe (never thought I'd say that) and on the drive back, saw five cop cars and an ambulance a block up from where I originally got off the bus.
I met up with Brittany. Her brother was in town and there were a few deaf parties going on, so I told her I'd kick it with her before going to Andrews. They were definitely different, but not in a bad way. It was a unique experience and I learned how to say "beer" and "vodka" in sign language. After a little while I leave to meet up with other friends.
Now I'm at Andrew's and along with about eight other people, we're enjoying the evening. We decided to go to a few of the local watering holes on H St. The first place we went to was the Country Club, where we added to our group with more CY kids. It was beat after a while so we peaced for the Sticky Rice. Our crew made the way to the back, and staked claim to a table where a few of us, including me, decided to dance on the benches. It was the place with the most room. The night ended with a nice walk and talk back to the metro then to the pad to crash at 4:00 a.m.
On Saturday, I was woken up around noon with a call from my Dad. Since I was then up, I decided to make a chicken stir fry for lunch, then went down to DuPont Circle to meet up with Andrew and Ciri and her friend, who became our friend, Caroline. I got stuck in a torrential downpour, soaking my clothes because in my opinion, its just water and umbrellas are for the birds. The four of us went to the Public Bar. It was a really cool sports bar and like always, more CY kids showed up. After a while we went back to Andrews (he lives the closest) and picked up where we left off last night.
This time we started at the Sticky Rice, but it was so crowded it became hard to dance, and so we bolted for the Country Club.
The night was winding down when my jam, "Teach Me How to Dougie" came on. I started breaking it down like only this white boy can. This other dude saw me and thus began the ultimate dance off. Well, it really wasn't that ultimate, but still fun non the less. I represented for City Year, and held my own. I even had a few people tell me I won! Great night.
On Sunday, Brittany, Hunter, Kate and I went to the Eastern Market. It was very cool. Picture it as a mixture between a farmers market and a crafts show. The had the freshest, juiciest peaches I've ever eaten!!! They were so succulent, my mouth is salivating just thinking about the goodness that was those peaches! So delicious. During the whole day, Brittany was teaching me sign language. I started to pick up on it a little as well. This was the first time where our conversations didn't include a notepad or cell phones for texting. Sure I struggled, and at times, it had to have been frustrating for her, because I wasn't able to have a substantial conversation, but I tried and am getting pretty good at finger spelling. The four of us walked to Union Station where we all parted ways.
As I type up this post, I must say the weekends are much more fun when you're "working" for them. It feels like you have a right to just go out and let loose and forget about the stress and the tiresome days Monday through Friday. D.C. is awesome and I'm having such a great time! I couldn't have made a better decision for both the kids I will be helping and for me personally.
Friday night proved to scare me more than any other experience I've ever had. I was taking two buses instead of the metro to get to Andrew's house. It was supposed to save me 20 minutes. I got to all of my locations on time, but when I was about to get on the last bus, I was way out of my element. I walked off the bus in an Abercrombie and Fitch t-shirt and nice jeans. I'm the only white boy again on the block, this time at night, and I'm alone. My butt hole has never been tighter. Long story short, the bus was late, so I had to get out of that area, caught a different bus back to Anacostia where I felt so much more safe (never thought I'd say that) and on the drive back, saw five cop cars and an ambulance a block up from where I originally got off the bus.
I met up with Brittany. Her brother was in town and there were a few deaf parties going on, so I told her I'd kick it with her before going to Andrews. They were definitely different, but not in a bad way. It was a unique experience and I learned how to say "beer" and "vodka" in sign language. After a little while I leave to meet up with other friends.
Now I'm at Andrew's and along with about eight other people, we're enjoying the evening. We decided to go to a few of the local watering holes on H St. The first place we went to was the Country Club, where we added to our group with more CY kids. It was beat after a while so we peaced for the Sticky Rice. Our crew made the way to the back, and staked claim to a table where a few of us, including me, decided to dance on the benches. It was the place with the most room. The night ended with a nice walk and talk back to the metro then to the pad to crash at 4:00 a.m.
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| Liane and Me at the Sticky Rice |
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| Me on the floor at the Public Bar after Andrew "got me" |
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| Me and part of my crew (L-R: Mike, Caroline, Ciri. Shay, Cathy) |
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| Why don't I ever get piggyback rides home? |
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| Breakin it down on booths |
The night was winding down when my jam, "Teach Me How to Dougie" came on. I started breaking it down like only this white boy can. This other dude saw me and thus began the ultimate dance off. Well, it really wasn't that ultimate, but still fun non the less. I represented for City Year, and held my own. I even had a few people tell me I won! Great night.
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| Me during my epic Dougie dance off |
On Sunday, Brittany, Hunter, Kate and I went to the Eastern Market. It was very cool. Picture it as a mixture between a farmers market and a crafts show. The had the freshest, juiciest peaches I've ever eaten!!! They were so succulent, my mouth is salivating just thinking about the goodness that was those peaches! So delicious. During the whole day, Brittany was teaching me sign language. I started to pick up on it a little as well. This was the first time where our conversations didn't include a notepad or cell phones for texting. Sure I struggled, and at times, it had to have been frustrating for her, because I wasn't able to have a substantial conversation, but I tried and am getting pretty good at finger spelling. The four of us walked to Union Station where we all parted ways.
As I type up this post, I must say the weekends are much more fun when you're "working" for them. It feels like you have a right to just go out and let loose and forget about the stress and the tiresome days Monday through Friday. D.C. is awesome and I'm having such a great time! I couldn't have made a better decision for both the kids I will be helping and for me personally.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
New Poll
What's you're favorite D.C. sports team?
A. Nationals B. Capitals
A. Nationals B. Capitals
C. Redskins D. D.C. United
Scavenger Hunt
On Thursday, City Year took all of us corp members on a scavenger hunt around the city. We were able to check out places that are staples in the community, but the average visitor wouldn't think to check out. One of the places was Ben's Chili Bowl. Apparently it has some of the best chili in town, and with my love for that hearty goodness, I will be taking multiple trips there to clog my arteries.
We walked for I'd say a good four hours, but it wasn't really that bad. It provided me with another opportunity to meet more of my corp members and engaged in some good conversation. Some of the most fun of the afternoon was walking through town doing chants and callbacks. For me, that's normal. I'll do that anytime, but its a solo effort. When that's the case, people tend to look at you like there is something wrong. When you're doing it in a group of 20+, people still look at you, but not with as much of a "check out this kid" type attitude. Then at the end of the hunt, the entire corp met on the National Mall. We broke it down one time for everyone with the signature "Mac and Cheese" dance.
Now sure in that case we were calling attention to ourselves, but to be in it was righteous. It really felt like I was apart of something bigger than me. A movement if you will. After experiencing that, I can't wait for us to do it all again, in uniform. That will certainly be a sight to behold.
After, a small group of us found a happy hour and we got happy. After staying there for a few hours, 7 of us went and chilled on the National Mall again. Cartwheels were tried and muscles were pulled as a result, but still an enjoyable night. Oh and the Washington Monument and the Capital Building, quite the sights to see at night!
We walked for I'd say a good four hours, but it wasn't really that bad. It provided me with another opportunity to meet more of my corp members and engaged in some good conversation. Some of the most fun of the afternoon was walking through town doing chants and callbacks. For me, that's normal. I'll do that anytime, but its a solo effort. When that's the case, people tend to look at you like there is something wrong. When you're doing it in a group of 20+, people still look at you, but not with as much of a "check out this kid" type attitude. Then at the end of the hunt, the entire corp met on the National Mall. We broke it down one time for everyone with the signature "Mac and Cheese" dance.
Now sure in that case we were calling attention to ourselves, but to be in it was righteous. It really felt like I was apart of something bigger than me. A movement if you will. After experiencing that, I can't wait for us to do it all again, in uniform. That will certainly be a sight to behold.
After, a small group of us found a happy hour and we got happy. After staying there for a few hours, 7 of us went and chilled on the National Mall again. Cartwheels were tried and muscles were pulled as a result, but still an enjoyable night. Oh and the Washington Monument and the Capital Building, quite the sights to see at night!
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Team Rip-ple
We broke of into teams at the start of the week. My team was entitled team Ripple. I took my team spirit to a whole other level today. During the scavenger hunt, I was getting ready to climb a giant chair. While squatting down to loosen up, my boxers ripped. Big time. So, I got to walk around D.C. all day with a nice big hole in my drawers.
I'm really tired tonight, so I'm going to peace for the evening. I'll recap the excursion tomorrow or over the weekend. Sleep well!
I'm really tired tonight, so I'm going to peace for the evening. I'll recap the excursion tomorrow or over the weekend. Sleep well!
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
My Escape
Today was more of the same, although it didn't get off on it's best foot. I arrived about 10 minutes after report time. Oops. Not a big deal though. My team leader just asked that I text if going to be late. I explained it was because of the bus and still getting used to when it runs, so tomorrow I'm waking up earlier and getting to the school early as well.
This week has basically been about teaching us the ropes. A bunch of fun activities, but not really to read or write about. Trust me though, I'm having a great time, even though getting towards the end of a ten hour day gets a little taxing.
Come cool stuff we did today included coming up with handshakes for two people outside of our group. Mine, along with another girl was voted as the best. I mean I can dap it up with the best of 'em. We combined groups because tomorrow City Year is sending us on a scavenger hunt on the National Mall...pretty cool huh?
Aside from that, we wrote a movie trailer about Civic Capabilities. I'm going to make a more elaborate post on that probably tomorrow or over the weekend. It's not a timely piece but one involving comparisons to super heroes so I know at least Brendan George will be excited. Oh, it was uber cool too because I got to put my creative writing and my radio voice to work. I mean it has to be pretty good. I'm a two time award winning sports broadcaster!
We also learned that City Year can take an emotional toll on us and the senior corp members and the staff recommended that we find time to escape from the program. We played four corners and you went to what ever corner corresponded with how you relax. One corner was music, another sports, the third, writing, and the last one was art. I was in a pickle between music and writing. With music, that has been my way of relaxing for the past five years. Going to symphonic wind ensemble at Marietta College every Monday and Wednesday was the best way to alleviate stress. But here, I don't have that. While I still listen to music, with some of it Classical, the best way for me now a days is to write. My group decided to write a haiku about our time at City Year...
This week has basically been about teaching us the ropes. A bunch of fun activities, but not really to read or write about. Trust me though, I'm having a great time, even though getting towards the end of a ten hour day gets a little taxing.
Come cool stuff we did today included coming up with handshakes for two people outside of our group. Mine, along with another girl was voted as the best. I mean I can dap it up with the best of 'em. We combined groups because tomorrow City Year is sending us on a scavenger hunt on the National Mall...pretty cool huh?
Aside from that, we wrote a movie trailer about Civic Capabilities. I'm going to make a more elaborate post on that probably tomorrow or over the weekend. It's not a timely piece but one involving comparisons to super heroes so I know at least Brendan George will be excited. Oh, it was uber cool too because I got to put my creative writing and my radio voice to work. I mean it has to be pretty good. I'm a two time award winning sports broadcaster!
We also learned that City Year can take an emotional toll on us and the senior corp members and the staff recommended that we find time to escape from the program. We played four corners and you went to what ever corner corresponded with how you relax. One corner was music, another sports, the third, writing, and the last one was art. I was in a pickle between music and writing. With music, that has been my way of relaxing for the past five years. Going to symphonic wind ensemble at Marietta College every Monday and Wednesday was the best way to alleviate stress. But here, I don't have that. While I still listen to music, with some of it Classical, the best way for me now a days is to write. My group decided to write a haiku about our time at City Year...
We came as strangers
We grew through diversity
We WILL change the world
Let me pose this question to you. How do you escape the pressures of everyday life? Is it through reading, writing, running, art, music, or something different? While you think about that, try to set side time once a day as "me" time. Time where you can collect your thoughts and let all of the troubles of the world slip off of your shoulders. Writing is doing that for me. Find your writing and make it happen everyday, even if it's just for eight minutes (the amount of time it took me to write this post).
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Two in a Row!
I'm two for two in successful days with City Year. Today again was a lot of team building, learning cheers, the ins and outs, and the can-do's and can don'ts of the program. Sadly, we learned about more staggering statistics surrounding inner city schools and obviously, specifically in D.C.
Early warning signs are as follows
One more set of numbers before I get on with the rest of my day. If there was just a 10% point increase in graduation rates, it would reduce murder and assault rates by 20%. That means there would be 3,400 LESS murders and 170,000 FEWER aggravated assault cases a year! Let that sink in for a second.
I STRONGLY (hence the capital letters) URGE YOU TO TAKE TWO MINUTES TO WATCH THIS VIDEO. YOU WILL BE SHOCKED.
Well, back to my experiences. I love baseball. There's no hiding that. Tonight, I got to add another ballpark to the list of venues I've attended. Me and about nine other friends decided to take the Metro straight from work and get $5.00 seats. Sure they were upper deck, but we really didn't care. The Nationals played a great game, belting three home runs including a grand slam. But the highlight of the night was talking to and getting to know my friends better. I had an 18 page conversation with my deaf friend Brittany, and along with my other friend Kate, they taught me a few new things while signing.
On the bus ride home, this young girl noticed my conversation in the notebook I had with Brittany. My roommate Hunter was explaining to her why it was written, and she seemed interested, so I asked for her name, and taught her how to sign her name. It was really a cool experience. These are the type of things that I will be doing with the children for the next 10 months. This whole City Year program couldn't have gotten off to a better start...Well I guess it could've. I could have a real bed and not wake up with a sore neck, but hey, that's just a small roadblock in the road to success.
P.S. I promise pictures from the game as soon as my friends get them up...the whole no camera thing...ugh
- The average student who graduates high school are at 8th grade reading levels
- D.C. ranks the 5th highest among U.S. cities in dropout rates
- The United States spends more money per pupil on elementary and high school education than most developed nations. Yet it is behind most of them in math and science abilities of the children.
Early warning signs are as follows
- Attendance is less than 80%
- Behavior is "unsatisfactory" in one class
- Course Performance- if a student receives a "F" in Math or English
One more set of numbers before I get on with the rest of my day. If there was just a 10% point increase in graduation rates, it would reduce murder and assault rates by 20%. That means there would be 3,400 LESS murders and 170,000 FEWER aggravated assault cases a year! Let that sink in for a second.
I STRONGLY (hence the capital letters) URGE YOU TO TAKE TWO MINUTES TO WATCH THIS VIDEO. YOU WILL BE SHOCKED.
Well, back to my experiences. I love baseball. There's no hiding that. Tonight, I got to add another ballpark to the list of venues I've attended. Me and about nine other friends decided to take the Metro straight from work and get $5.00 seats. Sure they were upper deck, but we really didn't care. The Nationals played a great game, belting three home runs including a grand slam. But the highlight of the night was talking to and getting to know my friends better. I had an 18 page conversation with my deaf friend Brittany, and along with my other friend Kate, they taught me a few new things while signing.
On the bus ride home, this young girl noticed my conversation in the notebook I had with Brittany. My roommate Hunter was explaining to her why it was written, and she seemed interested, so I asked for her name, and taught her how to sign her name. It was really a cool experience. These are the type of things that I will be doing with the children for the next 10 months. This whole City Year program couldn't have gotten off to a better start...Well I guess it could've. I could have a real bed and not wake up with a sore neck, but hey, that's just a small roadblock in the road to success.
P.S. I promise pictures from the game as soon as my friends get them up...the whole no camera thing...ugh
Monday, August 1, 2011
Back in the Working Class
Today it finally arrived. The much anticipated first day for City Year was a huge success. There were so many great people, ideals, and fun times had, that it really didn't feel like work. But don't you worry, the challenge ahead for the 170 some odd number of us members is going to be arduous.
The day started off with a welcoming ceremony and general introductions. We were then split off into individual teams. I was placed in team Ripples **Boooooo Yeaowowowowowowowo** We met our group leaders and my group has the pleasure of being led by Gavin and Janae. Tons of fun with lots of laughs. We did some ice breakers and team building exercises to get to know each other better before we broke for lunch.
After lunch we watched this documentary called Waiting for Superman. It talked about the crisis that is the public school systems and how poor of an education inner city kids really recieve. You want to hear some sad news? Well neither did I, but here is the harsh reality that a majority of kids go through. (Yes my inner journalist came out and I took notes during the flick)
(The green arrow is Perry, the red A is Oliver...that's how close I was to a dropout factory)
I realize how lucky I was that Jim was able to get lotteried into Perry. It basically saved my education.
Money, laws and passing reforms have been tried to bridge the gap in education, however you can't have a great school without great teachers. Plain and simple.
After the movie, we had a lively discussion about the issues and how we were going to deal with them during our time in City Year. The day ended with more team building games and of course **trumpet call** the handing out of the bus and metro passes!!! Holla holla!
After work (boy does it feel good saying that!), about 25 of us went to Lucky's bar for 50 cent tacos and the company of new friends. All in all again it was a great day. Oh and let me tell you, I wore a button down shirt and dress shoes to work, and it feels great! I felt a lot more pronounced and accomplished wearing those threads than I did when working at the radio station and being able to go in wearing what I slept in and my slippers.
Busy day again tomorrow...Peace out girl scouts!
The day started off with a welcoming ceremony and general introductions. We were then split off into individual teams. I was placed in team Ripples **Boooooo Yeaowowowowowowowo** We met our group leaders and my group has the pleasure of being led by Gavin and Janae. Tons of fun with lots of laughs. We did some ice breakers and team building exercises to get to know each other better before we broke for lunch.
I packed a ham and bologna sandwich with a banana and pretzel sticks. Look Ma! I'm a big boy lol.
After lunch we watched this documentary called Waiting for Superman. It talked about the crisis that is the public school systems and how poor of an education inner city kids really recieve. You want to hear some sad news? Well neither did I, but here is the harsh reality that a majority of kids go through. (Yes my inner journalist came out and I took notes during the flick)
- 12 percent of 8th graders are proficient in reading in Washington D.C.
- Bad teachers cover maybe 50% of the curriculum but that isn't grounds for firing them because of tenure...no offense to any of my friends who are teachers, but the teachers union kinda screwed the pooch on this one...(my opinion anyway)
- Only 1 in 2,500 bad teachers get fired every year.
- Dropout factories are school where 40% of the students don't graduate on time and there are over 2,000 across the country. Want one for proximity? How about Oliver High School. It was specifically mentioned in the movie. Yeah the same Oliver that is just down the street from Perry, where I went to school.
I realize how lucky I was that Jim was able to get lotteried into Perry. It basically saved my education.
Money, laws and passing reforms have been tried to bridge the gap in education, however you can't have a great school without great teachers. Plain and simple.
After the movie, we had a lively discussion about the issues and how we were going to deal with them during our time in City Year. The day ended with more team building games and of course **trumpet call** the handing out of the bus and metro passes!!! Holla holla!
After work (boy does it feel good saying that!), about 25 of us went to Lucky's bar for 50 cent tacos and the company of new friends. All in all again it was a great day. Oh and let me tell you, I wore a button down shirt and dress shoes to work, and it feels great! I felt a lot more pronounced and accomplished wearing those threads than I did when working at the radio station and being able to go in wearing what I slept in and my slippers.
Busy day again tomorrow...Peace out girl scouts!
Saturday, July 30, 2011
And the Votes are in...
Seeing how every four years, the watchful eyes of the nation fall to D.C. as a president is elected. Since voting is the process in which it is done, I figured that a little voting might be a good thing. Every five to six days (or whenever I feel like it really) I will post a new poll question. It can be found to the immediate right, above the "About Me" section. You all need to take part int the voting because it's fun and it will answer some of the most pressing questions I have to ask.
First poll question is: What do you like the most about D.C.?
A. The Museums C. The White House
B. The Monuments D. The Metro
First poll question is: What do you like the most about D.C.?
A. The Museums C. The White House
B. The Monuments D. The Metro
Last Free Weekend
It's official. On Monday at 9:00 a.m. my City Year experience will officially commence. With that being said, today was used so far to clean up the apartment. In what is another hot day in D.C., I've decided to keep on coolin' while I still can. I may go into the city a little later, but for now, I'm diggin the rest because come Monday, rest will be few and far between.
One must expect me to go rangin tonight though. It is again, my last free weekend. So in about five hours I'll start hittin people up, and get a crew to come rock it. While I sit and listen to Sean wail on the guitar, I'm thinking of ways to improve the blog. Obviously pictures would be good, but the lack of camera is prohibiting that, so I was thinking maybe some polls, or a Mike's Favorties sidebar. It would serve as a way for you the reader to get to know me better. You will see something pop up on here shortly.
Oh and if you're in D.C. and wanna paint the town with me tonight, just hit me up. If you don't have my digits, get at me on facebook. If we're not friends on facebook, there is a great chance you're not reading my blog.
I'll holla back in a few.
One must expect me to go rangin tonight though. It is again, my last free weekend. So in about five hours I'll start hittin people up, and get a crew to come rock it. While I sit and listen to Sean wail on the guitar, I'm thinking of ways to improve the blog. Obviously pictures would be good, but the lack of camera is prohibiting that, so I was thinking maybe some polls, or a Mike's Favorties sidebar. It would serve as a way for you the reader to get to know me better. You will see something pop up on here shortly.
Oh and if you're in D.C. and wanna paint the town with me tonight, just hit me up. If you don't have my digits, get at me on facebook. If we're not friends on facebook, there is a great chance you're not reading my blog.
I'll holla back in a few.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Ladies and Gentlemen, Welcome Me Back to the 21st Century
Today, I rejoined society in being one of the millions of people to have Internet access readily available in their residence. It's a great feeling let me tell you that! Its like eating the freshest donut and having it melt in your mouth good.
With that burden off of my shoulders, today is a chill day. Last night me and my friends went HAM in DuPont Circle. Dollar beers at the Madhatter? Uh yes please! Flipper night at The Mighty Pint getting me a free draft? Absolutely. Taking a shot with a guy from Cleveland and deeming it acceptable because football season doesn't start for another month? Why not! And party rockin' all night long? Is there really any other way? When it was all said and done, last night was a blast. No fancy synonyms. No crazy phrases. It was simply a blast.
With that burden off of my shoulders, today is a chill day. Last night me and my friends went HAM in DuPont Circle. Dollar beers at the Madhatter? Uh yes please! Flipper night at The Mighty Pint getting me a free draft? Absolutely. Taking a shot with a guy from Cleveland and deeming it acceptable because football season doesn't start for another month? Why not! And party rockin' all night long? Is there really any other way? When it was all said and done, last night was a blast. No fancy synonyms. No crazy phrases. It was simply a blast.
This was at the Madhatter with my friend Andrew(who is the nephew of Ben Howland(UCLA's Men's basketball coach)) Picture courtesy of Ciri.
Today, I'm gonna make like Bruno Mars and not do anything.
Tomorrow, I'll probably get back to my city adventures, but until then, I'm gone!
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
The Most Indescribable Feeling Ever
It is in moment's like these that lugging my laptop around D.C. in the heat all day is totally worth the shoulder pain.
I just stepped out of the most historic room in America. The Rotunda, in the National Achieves Museum is by far, the most breathtaking place in these United States. In this room, are three of the most important documents stating the ideals and beliefs in which this country was founded.
The Declaration of Independence. Easily one of the most recognizable documents if not in the worlds history, at least American history. On the 4th day in July, 1776, 13 colonies announced their separation from Great Britain. The Revolutionary War was fought over these highest ideals: liberty, equality, and the right to self-determination. Today, this document is still the basis for our society. People come to America for liberty, an opportunity they wouldn't necessarily get in their native land. We don't pledge our allegiance to a king or ruler of some sort, nor do we pledge it to a territory, rather a piece of parchment, animal skin, written on by a quail pen. The actual document is sadly fading, yet the words are as iron penned as ever. The famous signature by John Hancock is one of the few still easily discernible. Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, where he quotes the declaration in that "All men are created equal" has really brought that document to the forefront in recent times.
The Constitution of the United States probably has gained more significance as the years have progressed. We the People. Not the President and it's citizens. Not the King and his peasants. We. The. People. That is who wrote the Constitution and that is who the Constitution protects. Just reading those words that were transcribed over 200 years ago...absolutely marvelous. People don't speak or write with the same passion and eloquence that our founding fathers once did. Slang has become such a part of everyday life and it is rather sad. The beauty of words and the power of the pen is being lost in this Era.
*Fun Constitution fact: There are only 12 states on the Constitution. Rhode Island didn't approve of it, therefore the didn't send any delegates to sign the Constitution. Remember that they only needed a 75% vote to get it ratified, meaning 9 of 13 had to sign. Also Pennsylvania is spelled Pensylania on the Constitution. Not until the 19th century did the second 'n' get added.
The Bill of Rights were added to the Constitution as the first 10 amendments, most notably freedom of speech, press, religion, and assembly. I'm not as familiar with the Bill of Rights as I am with the other two documents, but it didn't take away for the "awe" value.
The ambience of the Rotunda is very hard to describe. People examining the documents were very revered. The feelings that overwhelmed me while I experienced the greatest part of D.C. are impossible to describe. It's a mixture of national pride, adoration, and stupor all combined into one. I had goosebumps the entire time, and the Rotunda completely took my breath away. Chills were felt throughout. The physical beauty of the documents may not be in pristine condition, but that's it does not diminish the indelible meaning of the documents. The legacy left, and to see how a nation has flourished in a mere 200 years after the script is one of the most beautiful things I've ever laid my eyes on.
Many of you know that early American history is a huge fascination of mine and that room was the Mecca. I hope everyone of you gets to experience the feeling that I felt today whether in the same historic sense or in another faction of life.
We may struggle in life to find what we want to do or where we want to be. But because of the brave Patriots and incredible scholars, we are able to live in a land where nothing is impossible. Make your own breaks. Be what you want to be. And don't let anyone stop you. The colonists didn't let the British. Find whatever is holding you back, and make that your Britain. And if you have to call on some friends for help (aka the French) they'll come too and help you win that fight.
May God Bless you, and God Bless America.
I just stepped out of the most historic room in America. The Rotunda, in the National Achieves Museum is by far, the most breathtaking place in these United States. In this room, are three of the most important documents stating the ideals and beliefs in which this country was founded.
The Declaration of Independence. Easily one of the most recognizable documents if not in the worlds history, at least American history. On the 4th day in July, 1776, 13 colonies announced their separation from Great Britain. The Revolutionary War was fought over these highest ideals: liberty, equality, and the right to self-determination. Today, this document is still the basis for our society. People come to America for liberty, an opportunity they wouldn't necessarily get in their native land. We don't pledge our allegiance to a king or ruler of some sort, nor do we pledge it to a territory, rather a piece of parchment, animal skin, written on by a quail pen. The actual document is sadly fading, yet the words are as iron penned as ever. The famous signature by John Hancock is one of the few still easily discernible. Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, where he quotes the declaration in that "All men are created equal" has really brought that document to the forefront in recent times.
The Constitution of the United States probably has gained more significance as the years have progressed. We the People. Not the President and it's citizens. Not the King and his peasants. We. The. People. That is who wrote the Constitution and that is who the Constitution protects. Just reading those words that were transcribed over 200 years ago...absolutely marvelous. People don't speak or write with the same passion and eloquence that our founding fathers once did. Slang has become such a part of everyday life and it is rather sad. The beauty of words and the power of the pen is being lost in this Era.
*Fun Constitution fact: There are only 12 states on the Constitution. Rhode Island didn't approve of it, therefore the didn't send any delegates to sign the Constitution. Remember that they only needed a 75% vote to get it ratified, meaning 9 of 13 had to sign. Also Pennsylvania is spelled Pensylania on the Constitution. Not until the 19th century did the second 'n' get added.
The Bill of Rights were added to the Constitution as the first 10 amendments, most notably freedom of speech, press, religion, and assembly. I'm not as familiar with the Bill of Rights as I am with the other two documents, but it didn't take away for the "awe" value.
The ambience of the Rotunda is very hard to describe. People examining the documents were very revered. The feelings that overwhelmed me while I experienced the greatest part of D.C. are impossible to describe. It's a mixture of national pride, adoration, and stupor all combined into one. I had goosebumps the entire time, and the Rotunda completely took my breath away. Chills were felt throughout. The physical beauty of the documents may not be in pristine condition, but that's it does not diminish the indelible meaning of the documents. The legacy left, and to see how a nation has flourished in a mere 200 years after the script is one of the most beautiful things I've ever laid my eyes on.
Many of you know that early American history is a huge fascination of mine and that room was the Mecca. I hope everyone of you gets to experience the feeling that I felt today whether in the same historic sense or in another faction of life.
We may struggle in life to find what we want to do or where we want to be. But because of the brave Patriots and incredible scholars, we are able to live in a land where nothing is impossible. Make your own breaks. Be what you want to be. And don't let anyone stop you. The colonists didn't let the British. Find whatever is holding you back, and make that your Britain. And if you have to call on some friends for help (aka the French) they'll come too and help you win that fight.
May God Bless you, and God Bless America.
This Lack of Internet Thing is Kinda Beat
As I type this latest post, again from the Library of Congress, I realize that this lack of Internet thing is kinda beat (Note the title). The last time before right now that I had access to it was 48 hours ago. Now yeah, that may not seem like much, but for me it feels like light years!!! Check it, there are people (not how I'm not gonna say older people...oops...)who are less technologically sound than I, yet they are able to access the Internet all willy nilly. I have to plan when I'm going to be able to blog, read local newspapers, check emails, etc...Verizon has been blowing me off, so I'm going to try Comcast today.
Yesterday was pretty sweet. We had registration at the City Year office and believe it or not, I got lost again. By a show of hands, who here is surprised? However, I was able to find it in time and got to talking with some people before it started. I met this dude, Derek, who went to the College of Wooster and knows Matt Barnes(childhood friend). Talk about a small world. City Year broke us down into smaller groups at four stations. The first station was about, the bus and metro passes, the financial award given at the completion of the program, and my personal favorite, food stamps. Living will become much easier once all of these kick in.
The second station was where we went over the contract...word for word...fifteen pages...35 minutes...It was a good thing, however, as I now know that I have to put a disclaimer in this blog that everything I write is solely my views and opinions and does not necessarily reflect the same views and opinions as City Year, Inc. Legal mumbo jumbo, but hey that's what good ole Marietta College prepared me for!
The third station we tried on some of the uniform and played this ice breaker game called Zoom. It's kinda like "never have I ever" but without the alcohol. When it was all said and done, I met some pretty awesome people including this chick, Brittany, who is deaf. I've picked up a little sign language from hanging out with Jane, but now I really wish that I knew more so I could've engaged in conversation with her. That's now one of my new goals. Learn ASL. I'm sure her story is very interesting and I'm going to find it out.
A few of us went out for dinner at Buffalo Billiards, this pool bar. Decent food, eh atmosphere. So we ducked out and found this dive Steelers bar that had $2.00, 22 oz. Miller Lights. I met the owner, we chatted it up, cause well you know, I'm a Steelers kinda guy. Their specials all week are awesome. I think I'll be frequenting that bar, now if only I could remember the name of it...ah yes, The Mighty Pint(thanks Google...btw D.C. has sweet names for bars and restaurants...)
Anyway, yesterday was good. I'm now free until Monday when orientation actually starts. I'm going to find a bank and open an account today and hopefully check out some museums. I'd love to say that posts will occur daily, but as of right now, that's just not possible. You all will know when I do get Internet though, but until then, the beat goes on...duh duh dun da dun dun. (Eminem reference...people who are less technologically sound, I'll give you the link :) )
Yesterday was pretty sweet. We had registration at the City Year office and believe it or not, I got lost again. By a show of hands, who here is surprised? However, I was able to find it in time and got to talking with some people before it started. I met this dude, Derek, who went to the College of Wooster and knows Matt Barnes(childhood friend). Talk about a small world. City Year broke us down into smaller groups at four stations. The first station was about, the bus and metro passes, the financial award given at the completion of the program, and my personal favorite, food stamps. Living will become much easier once all of these kick in.
The second station was where we went over the contract...word for word...fifteen pages...35 minutes...It was a good thing, however, as I now know that I have to put a disclaimer in this blog that everything I write is solely my views and opinions and does not necessarily reflect the same views and opinions as City Year, Inc. Legal mumbo jumbo, but hey that's what good ole Marietta College prepared me for!
The third station we tried on some of the uniform and played this ice breaker game called Zoom. It's kinda like "never have I ever" but without the alcohol. When it was all said and done, I met some pretty awesome people including this chick, Brittany, who is deaf. I've picked up a little sign language from hanging out with Jane, but now I really wish that I knew more so I could've engaged in conversation with her. That's now one of my new goals. Learn ASL. I'm sure her story is very interesting and I'm going to find it out.
A few of us went out for dinner at Buffalo Billiards, this pool bar. Decent food, eh atmosphere. So we ducked out and found this dive Steelers bar that had $2.00, 22 oz. Miller Lights. I met the owner, we chatted it up, cause well you know, I'm a Steelers kinda guy. Their specials all week are awesome. I think I'll be frequenting that bar, now if only I could remember the name of it...ah yes, The Mighty Pint(thanks Google...btw D.C. has sweet names for bars and restaurants...)
Anyway, yesterday was good. I'm now free until Monday when orientation actually starts. I'm going to find a bank and open an account today and hopefully check out some museums. I'd love to say that posts will occur daily, but as of right now, that's just not possible. You all will know when I do get Internet though, but until then, the beat goes on...duh duh dun da dun dun. (Eminem reference...people who are less technologically sound, I'll give you the link :) )
Book Em Dano!!!
Today(Monday) I actually did something related to City Year! Holla holla!!! Six days after I arrived in D.C., I went and met about 25 other corp members for a background check. The whole process took about two hours, but time went much quicker.
Sean and I arrived at the destination and immediately started making conversation with people around us. Learning about new people, why they joined City Year, and their future plans is righteous. Everyone is so driven, but that seems essential for this program.
One chick, Carly, went to Miami and studied architecture, and seeing how Jim is an architect, it gave us a talking point. Another kid, Jared, is working to become a Marine and another dude, Matt, is from Gettysburg and does paranormal research. I told him about my paranormal experience while staying at my Mom's. It's kinda freaky, but here's how it went.
One night while watching my Grandpap at night, I was awoken around 4:00 a.m. to someone banging in the kitchen. I sounded like a mortar and pestle (Science reference, if you don't know what it is, look it up!) As I opened my eyes, I saw a green ball of light by the doorway and suddenly the orb disappeared, so immediately I thought to myself, aw hell no and tried to go back to sleep. As soon as I closed my eyes, I saw a ghostly figure and woke back up and turned on the t.v. until I fell back asleep with the light on. When I told my Mom and Grandpap about it the next day, my Grandpap didn't dispute it and actually said he thinks Anna, his wife (my grandma), is roaming around. Kinda nuts huh?
Back to D.C. After the fingerprints, Sean and I met up with Hunter and our friend Kate at Lucky's. We've been there before, but tonight it was for happy hour. Best deal ever. Tacos for 50 CENTS!!! They were mini tacos, but still, nine mini tacos for $4.50!? Uh yes please!!!
The only bad part of the day was when I messed up a SmartTrip transaction yesterday. I "put" $10 on my card, only forgetting (or not knowing because it was my first time reloading my card) to retap the scanner. It looked like the money was on my card so I wasn't worried, until I go to get on the Metro today and it didn't go through. I'm going to try to get it back, because it really was a honest, learning, new kid in the new town mistake.
Tomorrow I'll meet more people at registration. It's always a good day when I meet more people. Oh and I beat the computer at Chess today. So that's one thing that Jim and my computer have in common...I've beaten each of them once! #Winning
Sean and I arrived at the destination and immediately started making conversation with people around us. Learning about new people, why they joined City Year, and their future plans is righteous. Everyone is so driven, but that seems essential for this program.
One chick, Carly, went to Miami and studied architecture, and seeing how Jim is an architect, it gave us a talking point. Another kid, Jared, is working to become a Marine and another dude, Matt, is from Gettysburg and does paranormal research. I told him about my paranormal experience while staying at my Mom's. It's kinda freaky, but here's how it went.
One night while watching my Grandpap at night, I was awoken around 4:00 a.m. to someone banging in the kitchen. I sounded like a mortar and pestle (Science reference, if you don't know what it is, look it up!) As I opened my eyes, I saw a green ball of light by the doorway and suddenly the orb disappeared, so immediately I thought to myself, aw hell no and tried to go back to sleep. As soon as I closed my eyes, I saw a ghostly figure and woke back up and turned on the t.v. until I fell back asleep with the light on. When I told my Mom and Grandpap about it the next day, my Grandpap didn't dispute it and actually said he thinks Anna, his wife (my grandma), is roaming around. Kinda nuts huh?
Back to D.C. After the fingerprints, Sean and I met up with Hunter and our friend Kate at Lucky's. We've been there before, but tonight it was for happy hour. Best deal ever. Tacos for 50 CENTS!!! They were mini tacos, but still, nine mini tacos for $4.50!? Uh yes please!!!
The only bad part of the day was when I messed up a SmartTrip transaction yesterday. I "put" $10 on my card, only forgetting (or not knowing because it was my first time reloading my card) to retap the scanner. It looked like the money was on my card so I wasn't worried, until I go to get on the Metro today and it didn't go through. I'm going to try to get it back, because it really was a honest, learning, new kid in the new town mistake.
Tomorrow I'll meet more people at registration. It's always a good day when I meet more people. Oh and I beat the computer at Chess today. So that's one thing that Jim and my computer have in common...I've beaten each of them once! #Winning
Monday, July 25, 2011
These Shoes Were Made for Walking...
Ever since I moved back to Marietta in February of 2010, I have really taken a liking to walking when I need to get to places. Sure, there are times when that's just not feasible, but if there is extra time, walking for a few hours to get to a place is fine by me. One, it kills time, two it's a great form of exercise, three it's better for the environment and four it saves money.
On Saturday, after spending the afternoon in the Library of Congress taking care of some essentials, I decided that I would walk to Adams Morgan, which should've taken about an hour to an hour and a half. Two and a half hours later, dripping in sweat, I arrived at my destination.
Side note: People in D.C. are very friendly! Being new, I'm not afraid to ask for directions and the locals are always willing to help out. A few guys busted out IPhones for directions. One fellow asked if I had one, and I thought but didn't say, "Now if I had one, I wouldn't be lost now would I..." I'm so far behind in the technological game, but it's all gravy.
Bolton had some of his friends over, so we played some video games and let me tell you, I am not good at them anymore. Oh well, it's just something I grew out of supposedly.
The night was enjoyable as I met knew people and enjoyed the libations of the evening. I crashed there for the night and decided to walk back this morning. Beautiful morning for a walk. Nowhere near as hot as it's been the past few days and even a slight breeze allowed me to get to DuPont Circle quickly.
While waiting for the bus, I enjoyed a good conversation with Jim, who was on his way back from Indiana with Tammy. They went to a wedding. Very envious about that. After I got back home and blew up my air mattress again, it was decided that today will be a day for coolin'.
I'm writing this post with a little sadness as I pulled an Anna today and seemed to have lost my camera. The day after I finally get to take some snapshots of this picturesque town, it quite possibly got jacked. Hopefully it shows up so I can show you what I get to walk around daily.
I do have to give mad props to Anna however, for undertaking the Cinnamon Challenge. You try to eat a spoonful of cinnamon essentially. It's not fun and it actually hurts a little. Because she tried it however, her boyfriend, Kevin, took her to the mall and agreed to buy her whatever she wanted. ::Rolls eyes::
Well as I sit on my ever deflating mattress, I think I will lay down and listen to O.A.R.
What have I learned recently? It's alright to ask for help when you don't know. If I didn't ask for help, I'd still be walking around D.C. trying to find Bolton's apartment.
On Saturday, after spending the afternoon in the Library of Congress taking care of some essentials, I decided that I would walk to Adams Morgan, which should've taken about an hour to an hour and a half. Two and a half hours later, dripping in sweat, I arrived at my destination.
Side note: People in D.C. are very friendly! Being new, I'm not afraid to ask for directions and the locals are always willing to help out. A few guys busted out IPhones for directions. One fellow asked if I had one, and I thought but didn't say, "Now if I had one, I wouldn't be lost now would I..." I'm so far behind in the technological game, but it's all gravy.
Bolton had some of his friends over, so we played some video games and let me tell you, I am not good at them anymore. Oh well, it's just something I grew out of supposedly.
The night was enjoyable as I met knew people and enjoyed the libations of the evening. I crashed there for the night and decided to walk back this morning. Beautiful morning for a walk. Nowhere near as hot as it's been the past few days and even a slight breeze allowed me to get to DuPont Circle quickly.
While waiting for the bus, I enjoyed a good conversation with Jim, who was on his way back from Indiana with Tammy. They went to a wedding. Very envious about that. After I got back home and blew up my air mattress again, it was decided that today will be a day for coolin'.
I'm writing this post with a little sadness as I pulled an Anna today and seemed to have lost my camera. The day after I finally get to take some snapshots of this picturesque town, it quite possibly got jacked. Hopefully it shows up so I can show you what I get to walk around daily.
I do have to give mad props to Anna however, for undertaking the Cinnamon Challenge. You try to eat a spoonful of cinnamon essentially. It's not fun and it actually hurts a little. Because she tried it however, her boyfriend, Kevin, took her to the mall and agreed to buy her whatever she wanted. ::Rolls eyes::
Well as I sit on my ever deflating mattress, I think I will lay down and listen to O.A.R.
What have I learned recently? It's alright to ask for help when you don't know. If I didn't ask for help, I'd still be walking around D.C. trying to find Bolton's apartment.
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