Happy 9 Days After Valentines

Hope everyone is having a good time in the internet today. As I'm taking a poetry class and because the internet is a marvelous place, I wanted to share one of the best love poems I've ever read.

When I was losing a year of my education in beautiful Western Virginia's Southern Virginia College-pretend-University, I took a creative writing class. One of the classmates, who turned out to become one of my best friends ever, wrote this poem about a boy's love for his favorite little arthropod. Tho Valentine's Day is over, everyone reach out to your favorite little segmented friend, maybe give them a leaf, dead fly or sugar cube, and read this with the lights turned down low:

I've Got a Mantis in My Pantis
by JMV

Green and quite extravagantis,
How I love you, little Mantis.
Your abdomen has a slantis,
Precious, pretty little mantis.
Exoskeleton abundantis,
You are insect celebrantis.
You get big when you pregnantis,
You have genes dominantis,
You not need a heart transplantis!
Yes, you are quite importantis
Even though I seem tyrantis.
When I run I huff and pantis--
Get in shape for you, my Mantis.
You not from Gamma Quadrantis,
I think you are friend pleasantis!
Won't trade you for a pheasantis,
Or a dog, or elephantis:
You can go in restaurantis,
You not need use a hydrantis,
I know you have no implantis!
At first I was reluctantis,
You ate leaves off my egg-plantis...
Now, heart has one occupantis:
You, my cherised tiny Mantis.
My life no longer stagnantis,
Now I'm feeling flamboyantis!
Go from Goofus to Gallantis--
All because of you, sweet Mantis.
Would you like Oatmeal Instantis?
I have heard it's quite enchantis.
Our attraction clairvoyantis,
Love between me and my Mantis.
Even though you're flatulantis
and make toxic fumes fragrantis,
All that is irrelevantis;
I adore you, little Mantis.

Journaling & On & On

Tracie's blog is inspiring me to post something from MY journal in high school. I don't have it with me, so I'll just paraphrase.

Blah blah blah blah why don't the girls I like like me back/like me as much as I like them? Blah blah blah cancer sucks blah blah gotta have faith blah blah blabbity blah I'm going to be famous someday blah blah blah cancer blah blah art and poetry blah blahblarg blah girls blah blah blah blah blah video games.

That's pretty accurate actually, laugh if you must. I think to an extent everyone could similarly sum up the majority of their diaries/journals in high school (and before and after). However, I do think journaling is very important, yet I haven't done it in years. I'm not going to say I don't have time for journaling, because I do. The problem is I'm not making time for journaling, for reasons such as: 1) I sort of "journal" in writing to my missionary brother-in-law/from-another-mother every week as well as other friends I'm trying to keep in correspondence with. I'm mostly as open with them as I'd be with myself, so I don't see much of a need for it. I think journals are valuable, and I think it's sad that the art of journaling is sort of lost along with the art of letter writing, when the great minds of our lifespans are published, it won't be the Letters of Neil Gaiman, it will be the emails of Neil Gaiman, the blog of Stephen King, etc. etc. While cool, it's somewhat sad. Writing isn't meant to be written on a keyboard and viewed on a screen. And yes I do see the irony/hypocrisy in where I'm saying this. I don't want to muse too much about what is lost vs. what is gained with the internet, I'm a couple years too late and think it's mostly amazing, I just hope it doesn't mean an end to writing as a craft done by hand with pen & paper.

My blog is a journal, but all I've been using it for is to post about school and to post design updates I'm working on. And to lament the fact that that's what I now use my blog for.

Instead of posting what I've done, I'd like to journal for just a bit on what I'm looking forward to: Going on a Valentine's getaway with my Valentine, going to see "Noises Off" with her in Provo, (she's never seen it. :)) in March. Seeing the Hush Sound come to Utah, (they're one of my favorite contemporary bands who had broken up a couple years ago, then got back together likely because they realized they made a lot more money that way, I mean because of the FANS! ;)) But the thing I'm looking forward to most is GRADUATING in APRIL and LOOKING for a new JOB, likely ONE as a GRAPHIC DESIGNER!!!! I'll likely let you know how that goes. I've been interviewing for additional internship opportunities, one has met with me and called me back, the others haven't responded at all except one I applied for about 3 months ago randomly contacted me. Anyhoo, that's all I got for now, Peace, but not literally.

100 Quotes - 22-31

Updated Bucket List

About three years ago I wrote a Life Checklist. After some time to reflect, and instead of a top 100, I'm gonna go for a top 10. The impetus was because I had seen this fax that Michael Crichton sent to Chip Kidd about the Jurassic Park cover done by Kidd, and I thought "I want something like that." And because I decided that I really want to read a certain book before I die, and from what I've heard, it's kind of long.

I'm going to refrain from writing things like "be a good father & husband" or "be a good/happy person," because, while those of extreme importance to me, there's no real event or time you can check off "good father" in the checklist, it's a continual process, and this is just about things I want to do that I can check off. I'm also not going to include other things that are extremely important to me (see my work published, perform for a full house, become a father) but have already happened.

Some are recycled, most are new, in no particular order:

1. Receive a fax like this re: a book cover I designed, from a best-selling author. I'd be ok with an email.

2. Read all of Remembrance of Things Past by Marcel Proust.

3. Kiss the Blarney Stone.

4. Have a secret passageway in or around my home.

5. Hold all my grandchildren at once.

6. Create a masterpiece.

7. Meet Neil Gaiman.

8. Keep a secret.

9. Make peace with God.

10. Save a life.

_

100 Quotes - 12-21

Improv with an E

It's the end of my second week of my last semester. On Wednesday, practically on a whim, I attended UVU's Improv group. 

Some of you may know or at least have guessed that I love Improv. I think it's more fun than theater as well as more useful to the performers. However, I'm not sure I want to continue doing it, and I'm hoping in writing about the experience will lead me closer to a decision.

PRO: I had a blast. I thought I'd be rustier at it, but had tons of fun pretty much the whole time, with one brutal exception that will be discussed later.

CON: Most practically and therefore most boringly, it's Wednesday night from about 7-9. With driving time and walking slow due to metal leg in the snow, it's about 2 1/2-3 hours of a commitment. I enjoy it, but I enjoy time with my family too.

PRO: I liked a lot of the people there. It seemed really diverse and the group was really cool for the most part.

CON: The brutal exception to the fun: after every game, they critiqued. I feel like a total Improv Snob (it almost rhymes!) but I think critiquing and Improv should not go together. If one wants to argue "but how do you get better without a critique?" my answer is: do more improv. But critiquing an improvisation is to me to take a lot of the fun, importance and essence out of what makes improv so great. I could argue the case further if you're interested, but it is sufficient to me to say critiquing improv is a big con, especially when to me it's a bigger critique on the critiquer than the performer.

PRO: I think practicing improv can lead to a lot of better skills like teamwork, fast-thinking, problem solving, commitment, etc etc.

CON: While it was UVU and not BYU, I got in trouble for being to "adult," (we were acting as characters in the dating game, and I guess my innuendo was too in their endo) I don't think I was being crude or offensive, and don't like the idea of not being myself. True it's Utah, but it's also NOT Comedy Sportz (which I love, don't get me wrong) and IMHO they should embrace that rather than attempt to mimic it.

PRO & CON: Improv is great. But do I need to do it now, my last semester of college, when I'm already busy with creative writing, poetry, art history, learning flash animation, tech support, design internship, husbanding, fathering, personal projects, advertising for the school literary journal, redesigning my portfolio in attempt to get a job in graphic design, etc. etc. etc.

The bottom line I have to ask myself is "will I regret it if I don't go, or if I do?" Unfortunately it's about 50/50. Not that I'm going to make my decision on what you have to say, but I welcome any thoughts or suggestions. (as always)

100 Quotes - 1-11

you can also follow my progress on pinterest, you lucky people you: 

http://pinterest.com/austindm/100-quotes/