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If you've landed here...

2005-08-07T03:44:00.000-05:00

you're in the wrong spot. Go here for my current blog.

Graduation Day

2005-05-02T09:47:00.000-05:00

Saturday, April 30th was the "big day." Finally.

The graduate counseling department had a "hooding ceremony" which was really more important/special than the actual graduation. It was a time for us to thank those important to us, and for the professors to say nice things about us.

The commencement ceremony was nice, a little bit less subdued than normal. If you've ever been to an IWU graduation, you expect a quiet, respectful ceremony. This was not so much the case. Those graduates that proceeded across the stage and did NOT receive raucous applause, cheering, shouting, etc were the minority. It was a little unnerving.

Anyway, I figure this blog needs to be retired since it was all about being a burned out student...I AM THAT NO LONGER.
I will create a new blog at http://timhorsman.blogspot.com for further blogging...maybe that will be my Hawaii blog.

Great article on "The Simpsons"

2005-04-28T09:42:00.000-05:00

CNN.com

So, "jumped the shark" has it...I beg to differ. And picked up through the end of next season, though the actors are signed on to the end of season 19. Nice

Ever blogged "on" procrastination?

2005-04-26T09:11:00.000-05:00

Have you ever noticed how procrastination makes everything else more interesting?

Right now I could be knocking out another page (ok, first page) of this paper, and instead I'm writing about how procrastination is like a drug.

I remember those guys in high school who thought everything was better high. "Dude do you like big macs?" Yeah. "Have you ever had a big mac...on weed?"

That is procrastination. "Have you ever thumbed through a magazine you've read before." Yeah. "Dude, have you ever thumbed through a magazine you've read before...on procrastination?"

The vivid colors, the gripping insights you've missed so many times before, it's all so...not this paper.

final paper

2005-04-26T09:01:00.000-05:00

Ok, I graduate on Saturday and I already have a job lined up for after graduation (see previous post), and yet I have absolutely no motivation to complete my 10-12 page research paper that is due tomorrow morning.

I say complete, but the more accurate phrasing here would be START...

I have less than 23 hours to turn a title page and reference page into 12 pages of gripping, page-turning action on the topic of career counseling in schools.

All semester long (I've known about this assignment for 3 and a half months) I've been waiting for that surge of adrenaline (you know the one that happens when you think, "Oh Shit! That assignment is due...) but it still has not happened.

I worry that my 8am Wed morning deadline will have come and gone long before the "Oh Shit!" moment occurs.

I should get back to not writing this paper.

New Job

2005-04-25T09:05:00.000-05:00

It is official. I am the new school counselor at Iroquois Point Elementary in Ewa (e-va) Beach, Hawaii on the island of Oahu.

It is across Pearl Harbor from Honolulu, and Iroquois Point is directly across from Waikiki Beach.

Everyone is invited to make a vacation out of a visit. The school runs on quarters, so I will have Sept 26-Oct 7, Dec 19-Jan 6, March 20-31, and June 6-July 15 off.

Come to Hawaii!

more free stuff.

2005-04-13T11:53:00.000-05:00

I have some new information on getting free stuff including free PSPs
Here are the links:
Free PSP: http://www.psps4free.com/default.aspx?r=317363
Free PSP: http://www.FreePSPs.com/?r=17146723
Choice of Ipod: http://www.mp3players4free.com/default.aspx?r=160760

How I hate Indiana

2005-04-07T10:13:00.000-05:00

Ok, so if you have been reading my blog, you will see that I received a ticket on March 8th. Yesterday, April 6th, I recieved another...I was followed on the interstate (or rather above) by the Indiana State Police helicopter, clocking my speed at a whopping 79mph. Grrr.
Ticket two. Another $100+. See if I ever donate to the fraternal order of police. Nope.

Hawaii: Phase 2

2005-04-07T09:59:00.000-05:00

Just to update everyone, the second phase of my scheme to move my family to Hawaii is in motion. I had a successful interview with the lovely Naomi Takamori on Monday in Chicago. She is a representative/recuiter from the Hawaii Department of Education, and currently she is in the process of "finding a position" for me.

Action plan on this phase includes checking in via email with my three Hawaiian contacts, and sitting back, waiting/hoping for a job offer.

If this phase is successful, "the Horsman's are going to Hawaii!" We would likely leave at the end of July to get settled in before the late August start of the school year.

"SPRING BREAK!!!" Where did you go wrong?

2005-03-29T10:26:00.000-05:00

I hear a jock, shirtless, tanned, and standing with a warm beer in his hand, crying somewhere. He's crying because this Tuesday he awoke realizing that Spring Break is over (actually it has been over for more than a week now, but he missed that week somewhere). This sad moment of realization makes me ask the question, "Spring break, where did you go wrong?"

Spring Break has become a week of excess. Watch MTV (if you can bear it) and see drunk college kids do stuff (I hope) they will regret when they watch the tape in five years.

I remember spring break, or march break for all fellow native Canucks, as a peaceful week, a calm week of reflection on weeks past. But even more importantly a time to refocus on the remaining half of semester; a moment to prepare for the finale to another academic year.

Maybe I don't remember that at all...

Poker 3/19/05

2005-03-15T11:18:00.000-05:00

The second in our monthly poker game is this Saturday, the 19th. Come one, come all. Bring $5 +$2 for snacks and we're ready to go. We need 4 to play, the more the merrier. (that word looks like terrier)

email me at timhorsman1@gmail.com if you are coming.

Disc Golf Daily

2005-03-15T10:38:00.000-05:00

I want to play disc golf everyday...is it too late to consider a career change? Considering that I haven't actually started a career, I guess not.

Oh No! March.

2005-03-08T08:36:00.000-05:00

While driving to school today I'm blinded by the sun...better than not being able to see through snow, I guess, but it was frustrating nonetheless. I pull on to SR 28, and get up to speed...or I think that I do because I can't see my speedometer. Thankfully, the cop was kind enough to inform me just how fast I was going. He didn't seem to be bothered by the sun...like he was impervious, some kind of sunglassed superhero. It's funny though. I couldn't pick him out of a lineup of cops, I would be looking for the blue-ish figure shrouded in yellow majesty.

Another thing. Though I am thankful this ticket didn't take an hour to get...it was almost as though he had the ticket written previous to our encounter. Like the person he just pulled over talked his/her way out of the ticket and he was just driving around until he found someone just brushing up against 70mph that he could give a ticket to.

I think I feel better. At least until I get home and tell JoAnna that her ticket from last week now has a twin. It's definitely time for a new car or a new city.

Springtime Frisbee Fun.

2005-03-07T08:39:00.000-05:00

Finally. A warm day.
It was the first spring-ish weather to my knowledge this year. I have been inside so much I'm not completely sure I'm correct here.

Anyway, it was finally warm enough to attempt Frisbee golf for the first time this year. Magee, Brandon, and I went to Brookside Park in Indy for our first round.

The wind was definitely a factor. We saw discs sort of hover in the air, like they were trying to decide which way to get blown. Several times, our discs traveled negative distances.

Magee dropped a putt in from about 15 feet; definitely the shot of the day...Though heavily aided by the wind. That shot sort of overshadowed a lackluster performance (such as missing a couple of 3 Ft putts).

I managed to not stretch or warm up in any fashion, which certainly aided me pulling a muscle in my abs on the 3rd hole.

All in all it was nice to be outside getting fresh air and exercise all while taunting some close friends about how they hit more trees than chains.

Poker on me.

2005-02-28T09:52:00.000-05:00

So I'm competetive. So what. I just happen to like to win, that's all. It's not like I get all upset and pout when I lose...Oh wait, I do.

This Saturday there was a small Hold Em "Tournament" at my house. It so happened that I didn't win...not only did I not win, but I didn't come close. Looking back, I made a few mistakes over-playing some mediocre cards, but all in all, I didn' t have much to work with.

At the end...and how un-magnificent could it be. Dealt 2-4 off suit, meeting the big blind put me all in. The board didn't look great, but I made my 4's. The other two players remaining in reveal their cards..."Queen High," says Brandon. "Pair of Threes," says Magee. I jump in -- "Oh baby, pair of fours!" While magee is correcting his error, "I mean pair of Tens." This means I lose the hand, and my stack, even though he mis-spoke. There wasn't enough in the pot to do me much good, I would have still been clinging to life...I may have had four hands left to wait.

But OH, did I pout. I sat there fuming while the others played. I became the designated dealer, piping in random comments about how much it sucks to lose.

But I got over it, I always do.

So what's to be done? Can I really change this side of myself? We have all had friends who get really upset about nothing in particular and punch walls, throw controllers, but my affliction wasn't much like that. I just get really mean. That's just as stupid.

I guess I'll just have to win from now on.

~OR~

Maybe not allowing pride to enter the situation in the first place would be a better idea. With poker, I think I should win, because that is what I've always done. Until recently, I hadn't lost consistently at poker, ever. Now I'm just average. I either need to improve my game, or expect to lose every now and again...and enjoy the ride.

Saturday night was one of the more interesting I've had this year...being so busy with school/work/parenting I've had little time for fun. This was fun. I had "the boys" over, we laughed, talked, and did something which I enjoy. So it should be remembered that way. And so it is.

And it was good.

2005-02-25T09:01:00.000-05:00

So ends my first week as a blogger. One down and several thousand to go.

Parenting gone to the dogs.

2005-02-22T10:54:00.000-05:00

Now that I have posted my obsession (things 4 free), my passion (writing really good fiction, ok so it's not that good), and my firstborn (he loved that cake), I'm left with few ideas.

Plus I just read Sam's blog (http://samuelbills.blogspot.com), and somehow, somewhere deep inside I know that my life will never be as compelling as his. Maybe that is a former Canadian turned trapped MidWesterner doing what both Canadians and MidWesterners do best, longing for something bigger, better. "Wouldn't that be awesome to live in (insert favorite exotic locale here)... we would have so much fun." When in reality I might live in Seattle right now instead of Muncie, I never go out anyway.

It's funny how boring parenting makes you. JoAnna and I always talked about when we were (just) dog owners that we were boring because we became "those" dog owners that only tell their friends about all the funny things that the dogs did. Even though we promised we never would.

Now we have a son. Things get worse.

The dog is still there...good ole' Max. But it's a surprise to him if he gets more attention than Lucas (the son) laughing at him.

Now we've moved on from telling our friends about the funny things the dog did...and move into telling each other the funny/cute things the son did today. We eliminated the middle man and report directly to each other.

So, true to form. Here's the cute/funny things the kid does.

When we give him a bottle of milk, he opens and closes his hand in a mock udder sqeezing manner (sign language for milk, I guess), which he picked up in about 30 seconds. When a train goes by our house, and I do mean by our house, he hears the horn/whistle and goes, "hoo-hoo." Boy, did our house sound like a looney bin trying to teach him that for a week. He now waves, and says "Hi" with brain-drippingly cute inflection. I get to see him wave bye more often though...It's all wrist twisting, no fingers...hilarious.

Some Fiction

2005-02-19T22:05:00.000-05:00

I figured this would be a good place to place some of the fiction I've been working on. It will give me, hopefully, some feedback, but also motivate me to keep writing. For those of you who have read this (both of you) and think I'm not giving you anything new...you're right. But keep in mind that I lost at least two chapters due to faulty Pocket PC batteries.

~
So now I’m driving. My car, like any good Midwesterners’ car, intuitively heads west. The darkness of a country road envelops me like a warm blanket. Yellow lines and dots are my only scenery this night. Occasionally two piercingly bright lights break through my stream of consciousness, shocking me back to reality, keeping me alert for the next few moments.

The silence is killing me; I need some noise, some human interaction. On a normal night, some Dylan, some Beatles, even some Elton John (the old stuff) would be appropriate, but this is no normal night. In the middle of the deep blue-black Kansas night, I feel so alone. Nothing for miles. Just outlines of black hills rolling over black hills. I reach for the radio, and my ears are filled with AC/DC’s Brian Johnson wailing, “Yeahh, you, SHOOOK ME ALLL NNIGHT LONG.” I never thought I would be this happy to hear music this bad. There is something so Kansas about that song; it just works here.

Anyway, this isn’t about me heading west through Kansas in the middle of the night, it’s about why I’m heading west through Kansas in the middle of the night. And the reason is that I’m going to visit her. Maggie is the reason that I’ve been getting up in the mornings for the last year and a half. You know, “working a job you hate so you can buy shit you don’t need” – it’s all for her. They say that a ring should cost two months salary, but when you make $6.50 an hour that’s just not going to cut it.

The great thing about working retail is that you get to see the state of humanity so clearly. It gives perspective to the rest of life. This happens more than an office where it’s all stuffed shirts and posturing. Everything is real in retail. The customers, the product, the fake employees and their pasted on smiles: “Have a good day”…yup, it’s all real.

Retail is where the stuffed shirts come after they’ve had a “helluva” bad day.

These guys, these stuffed shirts, these “men” come through my section looking at me like…well they just seem to have this sense of entitlement – like they deserve something from me. Like I should be grateful that they showed up tonight. You really see this when something doesn’t go their way: slow service, something is out of stock, “high prices”, or some other minor inconvenience causes these shirts, these men, these CONSUMERS to get riled up, like I owe them something. Like they are better than this.
Listen, I don’t even know you, don’t call me “buddy.”

2005-02-19T13:20:00.000-05:00

First Cake

things 4 free

2005-02-18T09:45:00.000-05:00

So I am completely consumed by the idea of getting stuff for free. I would fall into the category of technophile, though I don't have the resources to back that up. I can't get my wife to put our money where my techno-dreams are.

There is a new wave of e-companies that are basically advertising whores. They get a list of companies that make money from subscriptions (BMG, Columbia House, etc), and say, "Ok, for every new subscription we bring you, you give us X amount of dollars." They in turn pass this amount (say 1/10 X) on to us the subscriber in the form of a bulk purchased electronic item...after we have forced Y amount of friends (where y = 1/10X) to join on our behalf.

This setup is a dream/nightmare for someone like me. The possibility of being able to scheme a way of getting a new piece of electronic equipment (read "crack" or "highly addictive drug") with minimal effort and a little coercion of those close to me. Dream come true. Nightmare because it is all consuming, like a drug habit. (Think Pedro the Lion's "Fix")

I end up frantically checking for progress on these sites, hoping against hope. Oh well, it keeps me from running to the corner to score an ipod where my local Best Buy (read "drug dealer") would sell me a fix...and say, "I'll see you here tomorrow."

With that in mind...here are the referral links to those awful sites.
20 GB Ipod - http://www.mp3players4free.com/default.aspx?r=160760
40 GB Photo Ipod - http://www.freephotoiPods.com/?r=15177668
1GB Ipod Shuffle - http://www.FreeiPodShuffle.com/?r=15052642
14" IBook - http://www.notebooks4free.com/default.aspx?r=208026
Another 20 GB Ipod - http://www.freeiPods.com/?r=13579460