Well friends its been a while since I posted a blog--a couple of Twitter Tweeps said I needed to update the blog as to what's up so here's an update:
Professional/Financial
1. I'm in the middle of giving a final at LSC right now. When the students turn them in, I'm grading them and inputting the grades. Gas is so expensive I want to turn all the stuff in ASAP and not have to drive back out to CyFair if it isn't absolutely necessary (25 mile one way drive from my house).
2. Having to sell a few items and juggle the books a bit since UoP didnt' come through with a class. I've got summer classes coming up but there's a Gap between May 21st and June 21st where the only $$$ coming in is money from private tutoring clients and UoP, where I'm only teaching Math Labs at present. I hope I get a couple of sub calls in for Spring Minimester at HCC/LSC and UoP between now and May 30th. Otherwise I am on to the next plan:
3. Gathered together most sellable items from coin collection and the Leica Camera Bodies and Lenses my dad left me. Will take time to head out to Camera Exchange and the Coin Shop to see what I can get for them.
4. Placed Craigslist Ad for tutoring, but got only spam responses. However did talk with my daughter's Kumon Director who said she'd continue to refer people calling for tutoring help for their high school kids to me. Hope I get a few calls over the next 2.5 weeks of HS kids needing extra help at $25.00 to $50.00/hour.
5. I am interviewing for a Full Time Professor position at one of the Colleges where I'm adjuncting. I can't say where. I've got my sample lesson put together and my suit all dry cleaned, etc. and am going to do my best to get it. It's a bit of a drive, but no more than I'm already doing. Having the regular paycheck and no gaps will make a big difference, plus benefits. I'm going in there and will show them that I'm the person for the job. If I don't get it, this will be good practice for the next FT interview position that will come my way--this is my 3rd such interview for a FT instructor position, so maybe this is the charm, eh?
Personal/Love
Due to the money stresses and just general rotten luck, I've had to put Love/finding a serious lady largely on the backburner. While there have been some long distance interests that have been VERY EXCITING for me, I am not in a position to visit soon or accomodate a guest due to what's going on financially and with other family issues. Two ladies in particular really had a lot in common with me and one really captivated me. They've also been good friends and let me vent to them online, and that has been the best part about them. However, until I get my professional and financial act together, I am as one of them said "not boyfriend material" and I've come to accept that. As a result I am just doing my best to make friends and keep friends, be a good dad and just be happy with anything good that comes my way in this area.
Although there have been a couple of ladies at the gym recently who've been very conversational with me: one is an unemployed but very fit CPA whom I'll call "S" who is going through job struggles so we comiserate about that. I don't get the vibe that she likes me for more than a friend, so I'm just keeping it friendly. The other is a slightly older lady who owns a restaurant in my neighborhood but works out every day at the same gym I'm at 3-4 times a week. She is divorced, has a daughter who's in her teens and is very busy. She sends me mixed signals, so the safe thing is to keep it friendly and not take any chances at this point.
One funny event that happened: one time I'd been chatting LD with one of my Tweeps who tweeted some things that... aroused me. I thought about it while I was working out and hoped that it wasn't noticable (I wear long, loose shorts and boxer-breifs to keep things controlled). When I was done a lady who was about 60 (too old for me though she was a good looking 60) came up to me and whispered "I can take care of that if you want!" I was like "What the?!?!?" and she just giggled and walked away. Ho-kay! If I were in my mid to late 50s, I would consider going there, but I'm too young for her and that just... while it's nice that I was appreciated, she's not my target demographic, okay? Yeesh!!!
I also had a couple of female students who are about 22 (too young and never appropriate) scent their term papers with perfume from the Body Shop. WTF?!?!? That's clearly a ploy to get a better grade. I know better than to fall for that. I know that those gals, though "of the age of consent" are young enough that I could have fathered them in college if I'd decided to have kids young or had an "oops!" Plus, it seems that EVERY YEAR now they are making all employees at the colleges where I teach go through training on sexual harassment and what kind of dating/behavior is not appropriate for faculty and employees. This tells me that every year some instructor or staff member is getting into an inappropriate relationship with a student and likely has been fired, so the colleges are covering their asses to make sure that everyone knows the rules. I have 2 kids to take care of and bills to pay and no tempting young lady is worth losing my job, my reputation and being unable to take care of my repsonsibilities. Also I don't want my daughter to be approached by some teacher or professor when she's older and harassed or put in an compromising situation with them or an inappropriate relationship, so I just flat out REFUSE to go there.
For me, my appropriate age range is no younger than 28, no older than 48. Ideally I'd prefer a woman who's 32-45. Old enough to be experienced, know better and be age-appropriate for me to date. Anyhoo...
Family
My son is finally able to ride his bike, though he still is wobbly on the turns. We've worked on it every evening after school for the past 2 weeks and it's worked out well.'
My daughter will be passed to 4th grade, though she is still struggling with working memory issues.
My kids mom and grandparents are taking all of us on a family vacation to San Francisco between end of kids school year and start of my teaching summer school. This will be fun but will also be close quarters and I will need to be at my most diplomatic and careful during that time.
Wrap-Up
That's it for now. I'll do a bunch of updates and hopefully post videos of my restaurant reviews that I did last year but didnt' have time to edit during the past semester. I've got several in the camera I need to work on. I hope all you Peeps and Tweeps are doing well and I'll catch you further on down the trail!
Take 'er easy...
Lee Hawkins
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Monday, January 3, 2011
Holding Myself Accountable: Resolutions for 2011
As it is that time of the year, here is my list of resolutions for 2011.
2011R1: finish the weight loss started in 2010.
In other words, I lost 30 lbs in 2010, so lose the last 20 in 2011. Already worked out twice this year, and have already established a 4 workouts per week schedule. I've noted what has worked and what has not, and have decided to shake things up a bit in order to get my weight loss back on track. More specifically I'm upping the intensity of resistance on the elliptocardio, I've added Zumba Dance software to my xBox360 to give me more variety and am going to start going a little heavier in my weights on lift days. I've been lax as of late on doing one workout of just cardio pushing it to over 1000 calories, once per week, on top of the 3 lift/cardio mixed days. I've done that again on January 1st and will make a deliberate point to keep doing this ongoing as the first quarter progresses.
2011R2: Eat more fresh fruits & veggies in all my & the kids meals. We're already on track here, though Jason is resisting.
2011R3: Get emotional equilibrium back
Specifically find a way to be happy within myself & my kids regardless of if I've got a special lady or not. I just recently met a another special lady via... well... I'm not jumping to any conclusions. But my whole goal is whether I date or not, whether I'm sexually active or doing without, I want to be happy with myself and love myself first this year.
2012R5: Reduce my overall debt load by 35% or more. I'm going to be more frugal in going out, I'm going to get back on the ball with my savings and no trips this year that can't be paid 80% plus with airmiles or travel credits.
2011R6: do more reading for pleasure
I've already picked up The Gunslinger by Steven King--the first of the Dark Tower Series. It is my aim to read at least 4 of the 7 books in that series this year.
2011R7: Start taking Mandarin Classes again.
This is going to be harder as it eats up a Sunday Afternoon. However, since Jason has art class while this class is in session, I may be able to work it back in.
Well, that's it for now. I'll blog later on my weight loss. And unlike my name, THAT IS REAL!!!
2011R1: finish the weight loss started in 2010.
In other words, I lost 30 lbs in 2010, so lose the last 20 in 2011. Already worked out twice this year, and have already established a 4 workouts per week schedule. I've noted what has worked and what has not, and have decided to shake things up a bit in order to get my weight loss back on track. More specifically I'm upping the intensity of resistance on the elliptocardio, I've added Zumba Dance software to my xBox360 to give me more variety and am going to start going a little heavier in my weights on lift days. I've been lax as of late on doing one workout of just cardio pushing it to over 1000 calories, once per week, on top of the 3 lift/cardio mixed days. I've done that again on January 1st and will make a deliberate point to keep doing this ongoing as the first quarter progresses.
2011R2: Eat more fresh fruits & veggies in all my & the kids meals. We're already on track here, though Jason is resisting.
2011R3: Get emotional equilibrium back
Specifically find a way to be happy within myself & my kids regardless of if I've got a special lady or not. I just recently met a another special lady via... well... I'm not jumping to any conclusions. But my whole goal is whether I date or not, whether I'm sexually active or doing without, I want to be happy with myself and love myself first this year.
2011R4: advance my career at the colleges where I teach--specifically get on FT at HCC or LSC. There is at least one FullTimer at SW who is retiring. I'm on the inside track for that. There is a longshot at LSC Tomball as well, but I've applied anyway. I figure if I keep on showing up in the final batch that
2012R5: Reduce my overall debt load by 35% or more. I'm going to be more frugal in going out, I'm going to get back on the ball with my savings and no trips this year that can't be paid 80% plus with airmiles or travel credits.
2011R6: do more reading for pleasure
I've already picked up The Gunslinger by Steven King--the first of the Dark Tower Series. It is my aim to read at least 4 of the 7 books in that series this year.
2011R7: Start taking Mandarin Classes again.
This is going to be harder as it eats up a Sunday Afternoon. However, since Jason has art class while this class is in session, I may be able to work it back in.
Well, that's it for now. I'll blog later on my weight loss. And unlike my name, THAT IS REAL!!!
Friday, December 31, 2010
Best of 2010--Call it the 713-604 Awards
Hey Everyone! 2010 is almost over and good riddance! It has been a very rough year for me in the romance and relationship category, but it has not been all bad either. The best events of the year for me were
1. A trip to Vancouver, BC in January where I met a woman face to face that I was dating LD and had met through Match.com. We spent 4 dys together and overall it was very romantic, fun, sexy and like a dream. Too bad I had to wake up from it.
2. Losing 30 lbs due to A LOT of hard work and exercise. Although it was originally motivated by the woman from Burnaby (see above) she was done with me before Valentine's Day, but I kept on going and dropped weight from 230 lbs to 200 lbs over several months.
3. My daughter's performance in school improved tremendously after A LOT of hard work with Kumon and Language therapy. It's still a struggle to keep her on grade level, but we are gaining momentum.
4. My son has performed well above grade level in school academically and socially. He's been voted Class Cutie by all the girls and all the boys like him because he's funny. He's not even close to peaking yet, but I am elated at how well he has done.
Rather than dwell on the Worst of 2010--I've gone on ad nauseum in this blog on this after all. I want to end the year on positive note and set the stage for a MUCH BETTER 2011. With that, here are my Best of 2010 Awards in several categories that I have chosen myself, for what it is worth:
Best New Burgers I've Eaten in 2010
For those who've seen my YouTube Reviews, I've been searching out the Best Burger in Houston. I've tried A LOT of great Burgers. I can't pick just one but here are my big 3:
The Sonoma Burger at The Burger Guys (http://theburgerguys.com/):
Applewood-smoked bacon, cheddar, avocado, Arugula, aioli. I get mine Shepherdized (with a fried egg on top)
The Napa Valley Burger at The Burger Palace (http://www.burgerpalacehouston.com/)
White cheddar, applewood smoked bacon, avocado, napa slaw and house made aoili
The Surf-n-Turf Burger at The YardHouse (http://www.yardhouse.com/)
swiss cheese, grilled asparagus, maine lobster sautéed in garlic butter, tomato béarnaise
Best Movies of 2010
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
http://www.scottpilgrimthemovie.com/
Inception
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1375666/
The Warrior's Way
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1032751/
Tron: Legacy
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1104001/
Best New TV Shows of 2010
$#!+ My Dad Says
http://www.cbs.com/primetime/my_dad_says/
Nikita
http://www.cwtv.com/shows/nikita
Hiccups
http://www.hiccups.tv/
Dan For Mayor
http://www.danformayor.ca/
Best New Word of 2010
VAGENDA--A fusion of "vagina" (the female sexual body part) and "agenda" (a schedule or strategy); First used on Fringe (http://www.fox.com/fringe/) by actor John Noble, playing semi-Mad Scientist Dr. Walter Bishop!
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=vagenda
"That temptress! She tricked my son with her.... carnal manipulations and he fell right into her VAGENDA!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZT-ZDZl-sPg''
Example: I would love a beautiful, attractive, Asian, Latin or Caucasian woman in Houston or Vancouver to put me on her VAGENDA, or in it as the case may be!
Best Sporting Events of 2010
Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics
Vancouver Canucks blanking the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Arena Friday, Dec 3, 2010.
Best New Tweeps of 2010
Please note, there are actually WAYYYY t0o many to fully list. These are the new tweeps I've made on Twitter from 2010. If you followed me in 2009, you're not on this list but you're still AWESOME! Here are the ones from 2010 that stand out:
http://twitter.com/#!/Emalyth
http://twitter.com/#!/DianneChow
http://twitter.com/#!/LilyJang
http://twitter.com/#!/ShawnAcosta
http://twitter.com/#!/naddycat
http://twitter.com/#!/FrancesHui
http://twitter.com/#!/dezchen
http://twitter.com/#!/HauteonMyHeels
http://twitter.com/#!/_kmk_
http://twitter.com/#!/xboxbride
http://twitter.com/#!/happymmm
http://twitter.com/#!/mellifluous_
http://twitter.com/#!/KoKoNutso
http://twitter.com/#!/_TeeLee_
http://twitter.com/#!/tee_ello
Best TV Series Departing the Airwaves in 2010
Smallville, bar none. Lost would have won were it not for the ending that broke a bunch of promises JJ Abrams made.
Best Songs of 2010
Title/Artist
"Saviour"/Lights
"Need you now"/Lady Antebellum
"F**k you!"/Cee Lo Green
"Alejandro"/Lady GaGa
"Hey, Soul Sister"/Train
"Ridin' Solo"/Jason De Rulo
"Breakeven"/The Script
"Uprising"/Muse
"I Gotta Feeling"/Blackeyed Peas
"Haven't Met You Yet"/Michael Bublé
End Notes:
I may add some more categories later as the day wears on, but this works pretty well for now!
Happy New Year Everyone! And that is REAL and THE TRUTH!!!
1. A trip to Vancouver, BC in January where I met a woman face to face that I was dating LD and had met through Match.com. We spent 4 dys together and overall it was very romantic, fun, sexy and like a dream. Too bad I had to wake up from it.
2. Losing 30 lbs due to A LOT of hard work and exercise. Although it was originally motivated by the woman from Burnaby (see above) she was done with me before Valentine's Day, but I kept on going and dropped weight from 230 lbs to 200 lbs over several months.
3. My daughter's performance in school improved tremendously after A LOT of hard work with Kumon and Language therapy. It's still a struggle to keep her on grade level, but we are gaining momentum.
4. My son has performed well above grade level in school academically and socially. He's been voted Class Cutie by all the girls and all the boys like him because he's funny. He's not even close to peaking yet, but I am elated at how well he has done.
Rather than dwell on the Worst of 2010--I've gone on ad nauseum in this blog on this after all. I want to end the year on positive note and set the stage for a MUCH BETTER 2011. With that, here are my Best of 2010 Awards in several categories that I have chosen myself, for what it is worth:
Best New Burgers I've Eaten in 2010
For those who've seen my YouTube Reviews, I've been searching out the Best Burger in Houston. I've tried A LOT of great Burgers. I can't pick just one but here are my big 3:
The Sonoma Burger at The Burger Guys (http://theburgerguys.com/):
Applewood-smoked bacon, cheddar, avocado, Arugula, aioli. I get mine Shepherdized (with a fried egg on top)
The Napa Valley Burger at The Burger Palace (http://www.burgerpalacehouston.com/)
White cheddar, applewood smoked bacon, avocado, napa slaw and house made aoili
The Surf-n-Turf Burger at The YardHouse (http://www.yardhouse.com/)
swiss cheese, grilled asparagus, maine lobster sautéed in garlic butter, tomato béarnaise
Best Movies of 2010
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
http://www.scottpilgrimthemovie.com/
Inception
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1375666/
The Warrior's Way
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1032751/
Tron: Legacy
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1104001/
Best New TV Shows of 2010
$#!+ My Dad Says
http://www.cbs.com/primetime/my_dad_says/
Nikita
http://www.cwtv.com/shows/nikita
Hiccups
http://www.hiccups.tv/
Dan For Mayor
http://www.danformayor.ca/
Best New Word of 2010
VAGENDA--A fusion of "vagina" (the female sexual body part) and "agenda" (a schedule or strategy); First used on Fringe (http://www.fox.com/fringe/) by actor John Noble, playing semi-Mad Scientist Dr. Walter Bishop!
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=vagenda
"That temptress! She tricked my son with her.... carnal manipulations and he fell right into her VAGENDA!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZT-ZDZl-sPg''
Example: I would love a beautiful, attractive, Asian, Latin or Caucasian woman in Houston or Vancouver to put me on her VAGENDA, or in it as the case may be!
Best Sporting Events of 2010
Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics
Vancouver Canucks blanking the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Arena Friday, Dec 3, 2010.
Best New Tweeps of 2010
Please note, there are actually WAYYYY t0o many to fully list. These are the new tweeps I've made on Twitter from 2010. If you followed me in 2009, you're not on this list but you're still AWESOME! Here are the ones from 2010 that stand out:
http://twitter.com/#!/Emalyth
http://twitter.com/#!/DianneChow
http://twitter.com/#!/LilyJang
http://twitter.com/#!/ShawnAcosta
http://twitter.com/#!/naddycat
http://twitter.com/#!/FrancesHui
http://twitter.com/#!/dezchen
http://twitter.com/#!/HauteonMyHeels
http://twitter.com/#!/_kmk_
http://twitter.com/#!/xboxbride
http://twitter.com/#!/happymmm
http://twitter.com/#!/mellifluous_
http://twitter.com/#!/KoKoNutso
http://twitter.com/#!/_TeeLee_
http://twitter.com/#!/tee_ello
Best TV Series Departing the Airwaves in 2010
Smallville, bar none. Lost would have won were it not for the ending that broke a bunch of promises JJ Abrams made.
Best Songs of 2010
Title/Artist
"Saviour"/Lights
"Need you now"/Lady Antebellum
"F**k you!"/Cee Lo Green
"Alejandro"/Lady GaGa
"Hey, Soul Sister"/Train
"Ridin' Solo"/Jason De Rulo
"Breakeven"/The Script
"Uprising"/Muse
"I Gotta Feeling"/Blackeyed Peas
"Haven't Met You Yet"/Michael Bublé
End Notes:
I may add some more categories later as the day wears on, but this works pretty well for now!
Happy New Year Everyone! And that is REAL and THE TRUTH!!!
Monday, December 13, 2010
While the Students take a Final the Professor Will Blog
Taking a few minutes to further flesh out the dialogue/monologue I've been having about dating issues this year. During the past couple of months, I'm just more frustrated than I was before because it seems that since the summertime, I'm having a hard time just getting a date. I'm able to meet women, I'm able get phone numbers, but getting a date beyond EMails, chatting and phone calls is hard. I know that some of it is due to the Holiday season--people are busy with all the minutiae of what that entails and that leads to frustration. I've pretty much decided to table asking any woman out on a date until after MLK day in the US just to allow Holidays to end and to get the pressure off my back. I'm also not going out for Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve or any other such Holiday activities other than with Family to save myself the pressure to feel coupled.
The woman from the gym texted me Sunday she'd like to go have coffee with me after the holidays, so maybe there may still be some kind of a chance there. At this point, I'll see what happens, but pretty much I expect nothing to come from this. I don't like being strung along by a woman, so I'll take her at her word--and we'll go dutch to make sure that there's no issues or hard feelings over it.
As for other things that have come up, I want to let y'all know that I have been doing some soul searching as to some of my methods and approaches. I'm not just blaming society or women today, though some of it is probably coming from the attitude of some women. As I said below in my reply to another comment, I know that when I am on Twitter, I lay it on a little thick--but I'm not making sexual innuendos at Tweeps who don't already know me somewhat (and with them, it's an inside joke as we're not involved but just being silly).
Telling a woman that (based upon her profile picture) she is beautiful is not the same thing as saying "Hey Baby! You're hot and have a nice rack and ass! Wanna f**k?" Now that would be just plain rude! I would hope that any of my Women Tweeps that I have said this to did not find my saying sounwelcome. And if they did, they would tell me so privately via Email or DM so I could make it up to them. But in the online realm of Social Media, it's hard to get through to some people. One person's compliment is another's inappropriate advance--but this is not an office or a school in the Social Media Realm, so the rules are not always clear. In real life, a man can approach a woman he doesn't know and say she's beautiful, and she can respond accordingly, and he can read her response via facial gestures and other stuff. Usually it's not the first thing he says to her though, I realize that as well.
Maybe my approach on Twitter should be more like in real life. Say hello. Make a remark about something they said that's interesting or that we have in common. Ask about something they mentioned. Then say that they're beautiful based upon their profile pic. Meh... we'll see...
The woman from the gym texted me Sunday she'd like to go have coffee with me after the holidays, so maybe there may still be some kind of a chance there. At this point, I'll see what happens, but pretty much I expect nothing to come from this. I don't like being strung along by a woman, so I'll take her at her word--and we'll go dutch to make sure that there's no issues or hard feelings over it.
As for other things that have come up, I want to let y'all know that I have been doing some soul searching as to some of my methods and approaches. I'm not just blaming society or women today, though some of it is probably coming from the attitude of some women. As I said below in my reply to another comment, I know that when I am on Twitter, I lay it on a little thick--but I'm not making sexual innuendos at Tweeps who don't already know me somewhat (and with them, it's an inside joke as we're not involved but just being silly).
Telling a woman that (based upon her profile picture) she is beautiful is not the same thing as saying "Hey Baby! You're hot and have a nice rack and ass! Wanna f**k?" Now that would be just plain rude! I would hope that any of my Women Tweeps that I have said this to did not find my saying sounwelcome. And if they did, they would tell me so privately via Email or DM so I could make it up to them. But in the online realm of Social Media, it's hard to get through to some people. One person's compliment is another's inappropriate advance--but this is not an office or a school in the Social Media Realm, so the rules are not always clear. In real life, a man can approach a woman he doesn't know and say she's beautiful, and she can respond accordingly, and he can read her response via facial gestures and other stuff. Usually it's not the first thing he says to her though, I realize that as well.
Maybe my approach on Twitter should be more like in real life. Say hello. Make a remark about something they said that's interesting or that we have in common. Ask about something they mentioned. Then say that they're beautiful based upon their profile pic. Meh... we'll see...
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Finals Week--As Stressful for Professors as it is for Students
Well, the Eagle and the LoneStar College are in Final Exams mode now. I am wading through three stacks of Term Papers and Homeworks and gearing up for a new class to start at the FireBird U this Thursday. On top of that, Winter Mini-term at the Eagle College begins on the 20th and I'm teaching one day class there. I'm done with the first class' HW and Term Papers, now moving on to the 2nd as I am writing this blog. But I want to let any of my Tweeps that are Uni Students know this: the act of grading one class's worth of papers takes as much time and is as stressful to the faculty as it is for you to write one and turn it it. And no, we won't make it easier on you by just not assigning them or not grading them thoroughly as we would lose our jobs and they'd hire someone else who would.
Managing Disappointment
I got word on Tuesday that I was not selected for the FT position at the Eagle College Central. I can only guess that I was equal to the other finalist but he or she either had a PhD or was the one they were going to hire anyway and I was just passed through to make sure that all qualified applicants were considered and interviewed. My boss at the Eagle Collge SW told me that one of the FT faculty may retire in Jan due to health issues, so that might mean I'll get hired on FT month to month and he'd let me know ASAP. If I were to get into that position month to month, it'd be a much stronger case for the department to award it to me full time and make me the inside favourite rather than the outsider. Meh! I've got 5 classes between 3 schools for the Spring semester so I will just be grateful for that in the meantime.
Managing Disappointment 2
One of the women I was talking too online did not reply to my last Email, so I am presuming that she's backing off due to not wanting to lead me on, though I made it clear I was happy with friendship and didn't want to date her. Another woman I'd met (the one at the gym) has said she wants to be friends due to going through an ugly divorce and an ugly post divorce dating relationship, so she's skittish on that. However, she also mentioned she had several single/divorced friends I might like and wants to arrange a meet up with a couple of them. We'll see... I really like the woman from the gym though... And another woman I found both infuriating, attractive and exciting turned out to be a Lesbian. UGH!!! That's three strikeouts in a row. WTF?!?!?!?
[Note: I'm removing the rant as that was written when I was really angry about stuff that happened this past week beyond the issues with those women. While I realize that I flirt and lay it on a bit thick via Twitter, in real life I'm not as agressive. I show interest, but I don't lay it on too thick face to face. I guess my online personality is more bold and agressive.]
To my Tweeps, I am sorry that I was so rude in the last paragraph but I feel like the Female of the Species is taking a dump on me as of late and I'm really angry at the world over that, not getting the full time job that I know I deserved and am dealing with the usual seasonal sadness that hits a lot of us in Wintertime. I am not mad at those women that are in relationships who rejected me for that reason--I wish you all well and most of you are in great relationships with great men. I don't try to steal another man's girlfriend or wife and I don't try to date women in committed relationships.
For those women that are Lesbians, there is no hate here for your sexual orientation that is wired inside of you and just take it as a compliment that I found you attractive.
For those that don't want a Long-Distance Relationship, I can certainly understand WHY it's less than appealing--travel costs, not being able to go to eachothers' place and spend the night, not being able to go to dinner every week, et. al. And although cheap long distance phone calls and free internet video chat have made maintaining this A LOT easier than it was before when we just had snail mail and expensive long distance calls, it still is not as good as being local. However, I also know some that have worked for a while, provided there was a timetable that one person or the other would move to the same area and be face to face. I am willing to relocate, kids and all, if it's the right person. I am just disappointed that the women I am most interested in have, as of late, not even been willing to give it a try.
The thing that makes me the angriest is I feel that several women i have been very interested in have dismissed me out of hand without giving me a fair chance. I consider this to be a form of injustice, especially given these are women with whom I've had good conversation and things have progressed in a seemingly normal fashion with them, more or less. This kind of crap really makes me mad because the mating game does not usually have women have to express interest in a man and ask him out. Despite all the talk of women's lib--and make no mistake, men and women are equal under the law, both equally capable of great things and equally capable of horrible things and grand stupidity--I have very rarely seen a woman ever ask any man out. Men are forced to risk rejection and women just get to pick and choose, which to me is the ultimate unfairness in our relationship between the genders. I think this is part of the reason why many men just hook up when they can and don't give as much as they used to in relationships as they did before--it's their way of payback for how women take such things for granted (i.e. they want all the benefits of a committed relationship but don't want to pay any of the costs). I know this is not all women, but it seems that way as of late.
Managing Disappointment
I got word on Tuesday that I was not selected for the FT position at the Eagle College Central. I can only guess that I was equal to the other finalist but he or she either had a PhD or was the one they were going to hire anyway and I was just passed through to make sure that all qualified applicants were considered and interviewed. My boss at the Eagle Collge SW told me that one of the FT faculty may retire in Jan due to health issues, so that might mean I'll get hired on FT month to month and he'd let me know ASAP. If I were to get into that position month to month, it'd be a much stronger case for the department to award it to me full time and make me the inside favourite rather than the outsider. Meh! I've got 5 classes between 3 schools for the Spring semester so I will just be grateful for that in the meantime.
Managing Disappointment 2
One of the women I was talking too online did not reply to my last Email, so I am presuming that she's backing off due to not wanting to lead me on, though I made it clear I was happy with friendship and didn't want to date her. Another woman I'd met (the one at the gym) has said she wants to be friends due to going through an ugly divorce and an ugly post divorce dating relationship, so she's skittish on that. However, she also mentioned she had several single/divorced friends I might like and wants to arrange a meet up with a couple of them. We'll see... I really like the woman from the gym though... And another woman I found both infuriating, attractive and exciting turned out to be a Lesbian. UGH!!! That's three strikeouts in a row. WTF?!?!?!?
[Note: I'm removing the rant as that was written when I was really angry about stuff that happened this past week beyond the issues with those women. While I realize that I flirt and lay it on a bit thick via Twitter, in real life I'm not as agressive. I show interest, but I don't lay it on too thick face to face. I guess my online personality is more bold and agressive.]
To my Tweeps, I am sorry that I was so rude in the last paragraph but I feel like the Female of the Species is taking a dump on me as of late and I'm really angry at the world over that, not getting the full time job that I know I deserved and am dealing with the usual seasonal sadness that hits a lot of us in Wintertime. I am not mad at those women that are in relationships who rejected me for that reason--I wish you all well and most of you are in great relationships with great men. I don't try to steal another man's girlfriend or wife and I don't try to date women in committed relationships.
For those women that are Lesbians, there is no hate here for your sexual orientation that is wired inside of you and just take it as a compliment that I found you attractive.
For those that don't want a Long-Distance Relationship, I can certainly understand WHY it's less than appealing--travel costs, not being able to go to eachothers' place and spend the night, not being able to go to dinner every week, et. al. And although cheap long distance phone calls and free internet video chat have made maintaining this A LOT easier than it was before when we just had snail mail and expensive long distance calls, it still is not as good as being local. However, I also know some that have worked for a while, provided there was a timetable that one person or the other would move to the same area and be face to face. I am willing to relocate, kids and all, if it's the right person. I am just disappointed that the women I am most interested in have, as of late, not even been willing to give it a try.
The thing that makes me the angriest is I feel that several women i have been very interested in have dismissed me out of hand without giving me a fair chance. I consider this to be a form of injustice, especially given these are women with whom I've had good conversation and things have progressed in a seemingly normal fashion with them, more or less. This kind of crap really makes me mad because the mating game does not usually have women have to express interest in a man and ask him out. Despite all the talk of women's lib--and make no mistake, men and women are equal under the law, both equally capable of great things and equally capable of horrible things and grand stupidity--I have very rarely seen a woman ever ask any man out. Men are forced to risk rejection and women just get to pick and choose, which to me is the ultimate unfairness in our relationship between the genders. I think this is part of the reason why many men just hook up when they can and don't give as much as they used to in relationships as they did before--it's their way of payback for how women take such things for granted (i.e. they want all the benefits of a committed relationship but don't want to pay any of the costs). I know this is not all women, but it seems that way as of late.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Another week down...
Well this has been a busy week for the Professor here. I had two tutoring labs to teach at Firebird U that were swamped--10 students 1 day, 6 the other. No complaints for the most part--double time for 10 student day and time and a hlf for 6 student day. Need the moolah, for sure!
Had a concern with one student that showed up at both labs!
A young woman came in wearing low rise jeans and a tank top on a freezing night. Her bum and her boobs were nearly hanging out of them and I was averting my eyes. As bad as that was, the worse thing was she was Tweaking. She was shaking, her eyes were twitching and she had trouble focusing. It was like she was on crack or something. On the first night I saw no evidence of it, but on the 2nd night I saw a can of Red Bull sitting next to her gear in the lab. At one point I said to her "You're acting like you drank too much coffee or Red Bull or something." and she said "I don't drink Red Bull" with the can right in front of her. I saw two other students present look at eachother with a "What the F**K?!?!?!" look. After she left, the students present informed me she's been in that condition at every math lab or class she's attended--shaking so bad she makes the table shake, etc. I contacted student services to report her out of concern for her--I wonder if she's got some other issues beyond it, but regardless she needs help.
Weighty Matters
My weight creeped up 4 lbs from 198 to 202 during US Thanksgiving. This week I hit the gym HARD--4 days in a row, burned over 700 Calories each cardio session, plus weights, got my weight back down to 200. I am now back to pushing to get my weight dropping (heading in the right direction). The goal is 180 lbs by January 19th. I don't think I'm going to make it, but if I can hit 190 by that date, it'll be a 40 lb loss for the year.
My ultimate goal is 180 lbs. And when I get it, I will adjust my workout towards maintaining it. I have no illusions about ripped abs. I ripped an ab and had hernia surgery earlier this year and don't want to go through THAT again. However, I do know that I can get my belly down to a reasonable level and get my muscles well toned so my clothes fit well and I look good enough to feel happy with myself and so that most women think I'm in good enough shape for my height/frame.
Social Matters
I've chatted up a new woman at the gym recently, who's a little older, but very nice. Just friends only though. I got her phone number and we're going to have coffee sometime in the next few weeks. I see her every Tuesday and Thursday at the gym location I go on those days. She's a nice lady, an aesthetician (does skin/facial treatments) and has two kids that are college age (She married young).
I've also chatted up a very nice lady on Twitter and we've swapped some Emails. She's LD though and doesn't want an LD relationship, which is understandable. I like her though--she's beautiful, has an interesting career and is intelligent. She is someone that I would date, or want a relationship with IF she were interested in me that way.
In either case, I figure just be friends, maybe it leads to something, maybe it doesn't. Maybe they have some attractive friends that are looking for someone to date and they can give me a good recommendation. Or maybe after they are my friend for a while, they decide they're interested and want to date me. I would date either of these women if they were interested, but if they're not liking me that way but want to be friends, I'm okay with that too. No unreasonable expectations of them though. No expectations = no disappointments.
Holidays Coming Up--Had to Help my older Sister with an Issue
I really wish that some of my fellow Christians had a better education in our faith. I don't doubt their sincerity or their love of God, or their love of Jesus. However, due to the fact that some of my fellow Christians feel that Christmas is being pushed out of the public conscience by overzelous Secularists or those of other faiths, they are a bit resentful and over sensitive to things that they really shouldn't be upset about.
Example: Happy Hollidays/Seasons Greetings.
When I was growing up, this a perfectly acceptible saying in Christendom to those whose faith is not known. You wouldn't say "Merry Christmas" to someone whom you know is a Jew or a Muslim, as they don't celebrate the Holiday. Though most non-Christians would understand you mean a blessing and not an insult, they would accept it without being upset. However, some would feel an affront and so those were considered safe, universal greetings in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.
Fast forward to late 21st Century, some Christians have taken this as an affront to their faith, much like the PC nuts took the phrase "a chink in his armor" to be a slur against Asians when in fact that term is of Germanic origin and means a DENT. As a result, a bunch of them have been jumping on any retailer that has its employees use those phrases in lieu of Merry Christmas. My response to them is GET A GRIP! Those that say that expression are NOT INSULTING OUR FAITH!!! They are trying to use a universal greeting of blessing that would apply to anyone and they DO NOT KNOW WHAT YOUR FAITH IS!!! No insult is implied or intended, so there is no reason to get so upset.
The issue that my sister ran into was the use of the shorthand phrase "XMas" for "Christmas" on decorations she made for her cubicle at work. My sister spent a lot of time cutting out green, red and white construction paper and making a lovely poster that featured the Jolly Green Giant, Sprout, The Incrdible Hulk and the Grinch, all wearing red and white Santa Claus hats. She did not have enough room up top to put the full phrase and so she put "Merry XMas" instead. Two older coworkers who are very zealous in their faith, but also very ignorant of things like the Greek used to write the word "Christ" (Χριστ). The "X" at the beginning is the FIRST GREEK LETTER (Chi) in the word "Christ" which is itself a GREEK WORD. Xmas uses a Greek abbreviation for Christ rather than a C or K in Latin letters.
However, these older coworkers were ignorant of this (clearly they weren't raised Episcopal, Anglican, Methodist, Lutheran or United Church of Canada) and they were hassling her about "X-ing out Christ" and "not loving Jesus." This really cheesed off my sister as she definitely loves God, loves Jesus and is a Christian, but she's not self-righteous, not a zealot and like me has a "live and let live" attitude about others' beliefs or lack thereof. My sister did not know about the "X" being a "Chi" and was just fuming at what those coworkers said, especially given how much time and trouble she put into making this display.
She mentioned it to me in the phone call and I explained what it meant. I also had to explain to her the reason why some people react that way to the a Latin "X" as opposed to a Greek "Chi". There are some rituations where pieces of paper are put in a bucket. All are blank except one with an "X" on it. The one who draws the "X" is killed, kicked out of a club, has to so something humiliating, etc. Sometimes people "X" out someone's name on a roster as showing they're not present, or kicked out of something. It's a way of negating someone. It's also used in grading papers to mark something wrong. Due to this CULTURAL perception of the Latin "X" in a negative sense and due to the fact that many Christians that DO NOT KNOW about the Greek word (Χριστ), this is WHY some Christians find "Xmas" offensive. However, once a Christian learns about this, it's a different story.
She was contemplating filing a complaint with Human Resources, but she also realized if she did, then NOBODY would be allowed to do ANY Holiday decorating of their cubicles at all in order to avoid anyone being offended. She told another coworker who looked it up on the internet and talked with her pastor and confirmed it. That coworker got documentation of this and they went to the women who hasseled them and showed them the proof. The hasseling stopped after that.
Upcoming Weeks
The next couple of weeks I'll be busy grading papers and winding up the courses. Christmas is coming up and my kids have made out their wish lists. We're keeping it simple--one gift from each parent for each kid. We're putting together some money and buying needs and gifts for a family on our Church's Giving Tree. We're not rich, but we're doing okay, my kids have plenty of toys and clothes and games, and they don't really want for anything. I want to use this as a way to teach them charity and to help them appreciate what we have.
As my Great Aunt Julia once said "Those who are not grateful for what they have, shall not get any more." True words to live by, in my opinion!
Had a concern with one student that showed up at both labs!
A young woman came in wearing low rise jeans and a tank top on a freezing night. Her bum and her boobs were nearly hanging out of them and I was averting my eyes. As bad as that was, the worse thing was she was Tweaking. She was shaking, her eyes were twitching and she had trouble focusing. It was like she was on crack or something. On the first night I saw no evidence of it, but on the 2nd night I saw a can of Red Bull sitting next to her gear in the lab. At one point I said to her "You're acting like you drank too much coffee or Red Bull or something." and she said "I don't drink Red Bull" with the can right in front of her. I saw two other students present look at eachother with a "What the F**K?!?!?!" look. After she left, the students present informed me she's been in that condition at every math lab or class she's attended--shaking so bad she makes the table shake, etc. I contacted student services to report her out of concern for her--I wonder if she's got some other issues beyond it, but regardless she needs help.
Weighty Matters
My weight creeped up 4 lbs from 198 to 202 during US Thanksgiving. This week I hit the gym HARD--4 days in a row, burned over 700 Calories each cardio session, plus weights, got my weight back down to 200. I am now back to pushing to get my weight dropping (heading in the right direction). The goal is 180 lbs by January 19th. I don't think I'm going to make it, but if I can hit 190 by that date, it'll be a 40 lb loss for the year.
My ultimate goal is 180 lbs. And when I get it, I will adjust my workout towards maintaining it. I have no illusions about ripped abs. I ripped an ab and had hernia surgery earlier this year and don't want to go through THAT again. However, I do know that I can get my belly down to a reasonable level and get my muscles well toned so my clothes fit well and I look good enough to feel happy with myself and so that most women think I'm in good enough shape for my height/frame.
Social Matters
I've chatted up a new woman at the gym recently, who's a little older, but very nice. Just friends only though. I got her phone number and we're going to have coffee sometime in the next few weeks. I see her every Tuesday and Thursday at the gym location I go on those days. She's a nice lady, an aesthetician (does skin/facial treatments) and has two kids that are college age (She married young).
I've also chatted up a very nice lady on Twitter and we've swapped some Emails. She's LD though and doesn't want an LD relationship, which is understandable. I like her though--she's beautiful, has an interesting career and is intelligent. She is someone that I would date, or want a relationship with IF she were interested in me that way.
In either case, I figure just be friends, maybe it leads to something, maybe it doesn't. Maybe they have some attractive friends that are looking for someone to date and they can give me a good recommendation. Or maybe after they are my friend for a while, they decide they're interested and want to date me. I would date either of these women if they were interested, but if they're not liking me that way but want to be friends, I'm okay with that too. No unreasonable expectations of them though. No expectations = no disappointments.
Holidays Coming Up--Had to Help my older Sister with an Issue
I really wish that some of my fellow Christians had a better education in our faith. I don't doubt their sincerity or their love of God, or their love of Jesus. However, due to the fact that some of my fellow Christians feel that Christmas is being pushed out of the public conscience by overzelous Secularists or those of other faiths, they are a bit resentful and over sensitive to things that they really shouldn't be upset about.
Example: Happy Hollidays/Seasons Greetings.
When I was growing up, this a perfectly acceptible saying in Christendom to those whose faith is not known. You wouldn't say "Merry Christmas" to someone whom you know is a Jew or a Muslim, as they don't celebrate the Holiday. Though most non-Christians would understand you mean a blessing and not an insult, they would accept it without being upset. However, some would feel an affront and so those were considered safe, universal greetings in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.
Fast forward to late 21st Century, some Christians have taken this as an affront to their faith, much like the PC nuts took the phrase "a chink in his armor" to be a slur against Asians when in fact that term is of Germanic origin and means a DENT. As a result, a bunch of them have been jumping on any retailer that has its employees use those phrases in lieu of Merry Christmas. My response to them is GET A GRIP! Those that say that expression are NOT INSULTING OUR FAITH!!! They are trying to use a universal greeting of blessing that would apply to anyone and they DO NOT KNOW WHAT YOUR FAITH IS!!! No insult is implied or intended, so there is no reason to get so upset.
The issue that my sister ran into was the use of the shorthand phrase "XMas" for "Christmas" on decorations she made for her cubicle at work. My sister spent a lot of time cutting out green, red and white construction paper and making a lovely poster that featured the Jolly Green Giant, Sprout, The Incrdible Hulk and the Grinch, all wearing red and white Santa Claus hats. She did not have enough room up top to put the full phrase and so she put "Merry XMas" instead. Two older coworkers who are very zealous in their faith, but also very ignorant of things like the Greek used to write the word "Christ" (Χριστ). The "X" at the beginning is the FIRST GREEK LETTER (Chi) in the word "Christ" which is itself a GREEK WORD. Xmas uses a Greek abbreviation for Christ rather than a C or K in Latin letters.
However, these older coworkers were ignorant of this (clearly they weren't raised Episcopal, Anglican, Methodist, Lutheran or United Church of Canada) and they were hassling her about "X-ing out Christ" and "not loving Jesus." This really cheesed off my sister as she definitely loves God, loves Jesus and is a Christian, but she's not self-righteous, not a zealot and like me has a "live and let live" attitude about others' beliefs or lack thereof. My sister did not know about the "X" being a "Chi" and was just fuming at what those coworkers said, especially given how much time and trouble she put into making this display.
She mentioned it to me in the phone call and I explained what it meant. I also had to explain to her the reason why some people react that way to the a Latin "X" as opposed to a Greek "Chi". There are some rituations where pieces of paper are put in a bucket. All are blank except one with an "X" on it. The one who draws the "X" is killed, kicked out of a club, has to so something humiliating, etc. Sometimes people "X" out someone's name on a roster as showing they're not present, or kicked out of something. It's a way of negating someone. It's also used in grading papers to mark something wrong. Due to this CULTURAL perception of the Latin "X" in a negative sense and due to the fact that many Christians that DO NOT KNOW about the Greek word (Χριστ), this is WHY some Christians find "Xmas" offensive. However, once a Christian learns about this, it's a different story.
She was contemplating filing a complaint with Human Resources, but she also realized if she did, then NOBODY would be allowed to do ANY Holiday decorating of their cubicles at all in order to avoid anyone being offended. She told another coworker who looked it up on the internet and talked with her pastor and confirmed it. That coworker got documentation of this and they went to the women who hasseled them and showed them the proof. The hasseling stopped after that.
Upcoming Weeks
The next couple of weeks I'll be busy grading papers and winding up the courses. Christmas is coming up and my kids have made out their wish lists. We're keeping it simple--one gift from each parent for each kid. We're putting together some money and buying needs and gifts for a family on our Church's Giving Tree. We're not rich, but we're doing okay, my kids have plenty of toys and clothes and games, and they don't really want for anything. I want to use this as a way to teach them charity and to help them appreciate what we have.
As my Great Aunt Julia once said "Those who are not grateful for what they have, shall not get any more." True words to live by, in my opinion!
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Updated Profile to Make it More Honest
Due to appearing sketchy to someone I met on Twitter, I realized that certain phrases I used on this blog made me apper bad and I did not like that. As a result I am explaining some of what's going on. I want to blog and social network, but I don't want privacy violations. I suffered from that before and as a result I was burnedin order to prevent this I use the alias and the vague terms to avoid being trackable by those who'd want to do me harm. Call it like the Witness Protection Program.
Anyone that gets to know me and I feel I can trust gets the real details but not in a public forum. I hope that clears things up.
This post is 100% True. Period.
Anyone that gets to know me and I feel I can trust gets the real details but not in a public forum. I hope that clears things up.
This post is 100% True. Period.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)