Entries this day: Recently Youth_Sunday z_Japan

Recently

9:44am CST Sunday 24 February 2002

1. Today is Wende's birthday. I sang her a happy birthday song on her answering machine.

2. Went to Jason's restaurant (yes, Jason Freaky from YRUU) in Wimberly on Friday (Bannister's Creek View Grill). I pretty much got lost on the way and incorrectly backtracked some but finally got there and we thrilled to find that Shawn Tuthill and friends had written me a song in honor of my driving in from Houston to eat at Bannister's! So completely unexpected and great. I felt so honored!

   I met John who helped set up the restaurant and thanked him for creating a project big enough for Jason.

   My mom, Jon (her husband) and my brotha Fred came to eat as well. We all loved the food, which was very yummy and carefully presented by the chefs and waitstaff.

   After dinner Ma and Jon cruised, while Fred and I stayed to chat with Jason and watch them close the accounting for the day. After not so long, Fred and I decided once and for all, "mental note to self: do not buy a restaurant." "ps: do not buy a restaurant." "oh, and don't forget, never buy a restaurant."

   Hung out at the house where Jason is living 6 hours per day (otherwise he is at the restaurant) and it's quite nice.

   I'm quite taken by how completely different his life is now than it was one year ago.

3. After Jason's, I spent the night at Fred's apt in Austin. Next morning we chilled with his roommate Bill and scavenged a bit in the kitchen. I stir fried an egg and a frozen fish fillet with some cheddar cheese on top. Note to self: thaw the fish first, otherwise it won't be done before the egg is done. ps: don't offer this at a restaurant.

4. Talked to Maggie on the way home and even stopped by her house to offer support. She and John are getting a divorce. Contact her for details.

5. Alexis wrote me a postcard from Japan and I'm now writing her a letter including the amazing news that I can likely come see her next year!

6. Then KTRU, which was quite fun, and I recorded the show. I was listening to it today on the way to and from church; I really like the tape. :-) I think I would like to burn my KTRU tapes onto CD or mp3 format, although I'm pretty sure it would be quite illegal to distribute them without a lot of credit given to the artists, etc. But just for my purposes to have and hold and cherish.

7. After KTRU I drove Camella to her house; she had been at the station doing whatever she was doing (probably planning for The Outdoor Show), and asked if I could give her a ride.

8. Ultimate after KTRU = fun and cold and muddy muddy muddy. More like sloshy standing water on the field in front of each endzone. I couldn't run through the mud because of the shells that would easily slice my feet open. So I played a lot along the sides of the field.

   The first game, my team lost 8 to 6 or 9 to 7. They had 6 players; we had 5. On the second game, however, (with new teams), my team lost 15 to 13 (have to win by 2 points). My team again was a player short. We did not play a third game.

   Tony ragged on Kat a lot it seemed. "You gotta do this in that situation," or "Kat, throw this type of throw," or "bend your knee more for that type of throw." I told Tony, "give her hugs and love; you'll be with her a long time." They are affianced.

9. Barely remembered that today is Youth Sunday! I would have been sad sad sad to have missed it.

Youth Sunday

4:20pm CST Sunday 24 February 2002

I got to church in plenty of time for the youth-led service. There was very little traffic.

Their theme was Respect, and each youth spoke some on different aspects of respect. All the speeches were excellent and considerate of many issues. Everyone loved them.

I took notes on the funny things that they said:

Meg:
I developed a cold in the last five minutes.
If you want to leave [during my speech] don't please, because there will be others speeches that are better.
The media says girls have to play with domestic toys, and that boys have to play with non-domestic toys... like dump trucks.

Trevor:
My beliefs are very dynamic on this issue. When I wrote something down, five seconds later I wouldn't agree with what I had just written. This made it difficult to write a speech.
Principals only care about great TAAS scores and making sure the school doesn't blow up.

Katy:
Intelligent 'n' articulate human beings. (*)

Amy:
I wanted to join YRUU when I was 12, but the age limits are 14 to 19. So they let me join anyway.

Peter:
...give everybody a Bob Marley CD and some.. uh, well nevermind.
I like showing my boxers!

(*) 'n' = and but she said it so it sounded like inarticulate...

- - - -

After the service, we ate at Wendy's and listened to Amy's dance remix of Walk Like An Egyptian. It wasn't really a dance remix, but the CD player or tape adapter was making it static rythmically and it sounded like an extra layer of beats.

Then chilled outside and I told them of my intention to go to Japan next year. We had a discussion about rules at rallies and then went to the park and swing/swang/swung on the swings. Matt showed me how to fly like Superman on the swings, but I was pretty front heavy and almost bonked my head in the dirt. I barely ripped my shorts doing some crazy twist manuever in the swings.

Then home. Actually to work to write these recent entries.

z Japan

1:22am CST Monday 25 February 2002

I slept this pm so I could be awake for midnight KTRU croquet, but the game didn't coalesce and the croquet equipment was locked up in the station.

I walked around a bit looking for anyone who knew anything and finally came across Ben, who was just returning from the Pinback show on campus. We talked and I mentioned that I'm going to teach English in Japan, and he was all, "me too."

What???

Turns out that he has been in touch with Alexis (who trained me at KTRU) who is teaching English in Japan now. She has been there for 2 years and will be there for one more year! So I was totally ready to get hooked up in that same program with Ben and Alexis, but he said the deadline has passed (for this particular program), plus the startup date is in August, which I am choosing not to go that soon due to other responsibilities, etc. But(!) that since he will be pretty well established by then, I can just come over and crash in his pad until I get some freelance English tutoring job or some shit like that!

How completely totally pimp! I'm thrilled beyond recognition and look forward to making this happen. Awww yeah.