Posting on the Down-Lo

So, it's saturday morning and i'm at work.

That's right, despite my return to grad school, i've become a soul-less, corporate, sell-out. I come in a couple days a week and play office-guy. They seem to enjoy it & they occasionally give me money in exchange for my time.

So now i'm the kind of guy who wakes up on Saturday mornings and goes in to the office after (for instance) a lively English Department party at the Department Chair's house (which somehow we & the v.cool 'Angy' ended up being the very last people at. One moment the house is swarming with smarmy English majors & professors, the next moment we're in the foyer sipping chardonnay and realizing the homeowners are quietly chatting with close friends in the kitchen and no one else is anywhere to be seen - we slipped out and took our drinks to the street.)

Some Saturdays have been harder to get going than others, but overall it seems to be an ok arrangement. For now, i'll carry on working hard at not working, yet getting paid for it, whilst i simultaneously working hard, not working and not getting paid to go to school and also avoiding work for which i am paid, but don't really have time to do teaching freshmen 'how to write', yet actually not telling them anything.

Get that?

Tonight: Tonight. Men's Club

Yeah, a good times...


Men's Club was a good time, extending itself into the evening. New folks, old folks (well, no actual old folks).

The event expanded to a game night. Who knew that Turner Classic Movies Edition of Scene It
only requires you to know like 3 movies (Ben Hur, Citizen Kane, & __________ {i'll leave some mystery to the middling game})

The tradition carries on...

Schedule for the Week

Tomorrow begin my classes. Strictly speaking classes started today, but evidently Tuesday will be my Mahler day, my day off. The first day of English 101 is pretty much scripted out, so i haven't really much to do. I will walk in, briefly perform, and give an in-class writing assignment that lasts the rest of the class. After class i've got another class, this one where i'll be a student. 'Introduction to the Modern' or some such (i've just snuck in, barely). Currently i'm registered for three different classes, though i'm told i only ought to take two (two, i can't imagine what i'll do with myself taking just two classes, the U of C schedule has set me up for a strong feeling of underachieving no matter how much work i'm doing). I'll likely end up dropping my German Lit after 1963 course, which won't be such a loss as i don't think i can take die neuen Leiden des jungen Werthers again. Friday, i'll be looking forward to (after teaching again) another installment of Men's Club. All are welcome to Milwaukee's local chapter, and it should prove to be an interesting crowd. With a crowd ranging from fashion design majors to English PhD candidates with folks scattered in between. In other news, Roman Numeral J is sponsoring another reader contest (that's right another, check the archives). As some of you may know, brooke and i recently came into a Wii. Our collection of Miis is as yet underdeveloped. And so, a joel trivia question (the winner will have an honorary Mii created {a Mii, for you uninitiated, is a cartoonish version of a person that plays various games on the Wii} of them) The question is: What is the most recent alcoholic beverage purchased by joel? For the purposes of this quiz, "purchase can be purchased for me by someone else, but the most recent beverage, whether it be at a bar, liquor store, or guy in a parking lot. The answer will change and will be checked based on time i check answers. As a bonus, if you can also name the brand you will gain an extra Mii (you can choose anyone you like, as long as i know what they look like or you can provide a picture). Ok, good luck, and good luck. Enjoy the coming week, and get your Men's Clubs planned now. Remember, all you need to do is have a few cocktails between the hours of 5 & 7 pm CST (i decree that times move back a bit to accommodate working-ness) and wear a tie (preferably bad).

Ah, finally. The new school year is fast approaching (I’m so glad I can be fully thinking in school year terms again), yet I haven’t done a damn thing about it really. I’ve been temping steadily for the last couple weeks, except for the break I took for Dave & Carolyn’s Wedding Weekend up in Fairibault (congrats, kids, again, this time a bit late).

So, loyal readers, I’m sure you’re all wondering what’s new in the world of Roman Numeral J. I’m most of the way through Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows (don’ttellmehowitends) working at a strange little company, and getting acclimated to Milwaukee (mostly by drinking at different times and in different places)

I am also mourning the temporary loss of my laptop. As my service warranty was fast running out at CompUSA (which itself, also seems to be fast running out), I brought it in for some repair and optimizing. Because the laptop’s interior parts are so teeny tiny, they send it in for repair, so it’s gone for a spell.

In other news, Brigette, live-in sister-in-law extraordinaire is moving on to bigger (or at least better) things. She’s found herself a place to live in Wauwatosa – ("Tosa" to Wauwatosians) – and is moving in this weekend. She will be surely missed, in particular by Rex Grossman, who has had trouble enough adjusting to an empty house during the day due to our vigorous work schedules. He’s taking it poorly… and acting out because of it. Running off through the neighborhood, eating newspapers, eating arms…

Well, this is the sad, little update for today… Stay tuned for more updates, i'm sure they're imminent.

Bicycle Races are coming to town

Today was a lovely day in Milwaukee. The 4th annual Shorewood Criterium rode by our front lawn this evening. We fired up the new grill, cooked up some sweet corn that was picked this morning (West Allis Farmer's Market, i love you) & portabella sandwiches. We weren't entirely sure what a Criterium involved, but evidently it's several stages around the area, but each one is its own separate race... which i don't fully understand.

So, we sat around outside (alternately with & without Phil Tillotson as well as alternately with and without Rex Grossman) for around 4 hours and watched all the folks go by. We especially enjoyed rider #78, who for the first 2/3rds of the race just rode at the tail end of the line smiling and waving at everybody (at one point he pointed at Rex G and yelled "I love that dog!"), then at the end pulled ahead of the latter pack of cyclists (then fell a bit behind some people right at the end). Anyway..., Well done, you, #78.

I do declare -

The 1st monthly International Men's Club meeting.

...because i can, evidently. Some months ago i was in a discussion with Dave Kruse and we decided that we needed to re-instate the men's club tradition, wherever we may be in the world. Ideally this event will be held simultaneously around the world, but to start with only Roman Numeral J readers and those who i get a hold of will likely participate. I trust that Luther College's Larsen 3rd floor is still carrying on the tradition, but i propose a monthly remote party be declared.

The first Friday of every month International Men's Club will be held from 4:30 - 6:30. The only stipulation is that everyone wears a tie.
And so...

Men's Club Returns
FRIDAY
6 July 2007
4:30 - 6:30 CST (if you're outside of central time you'll have to adjust your schedule - according to the 'it's 5 o'clock somewhere rule')

...on this date in history...

i was cynical and sad