A pretty damn good weekend!

Things never go the way you plan it. This weekend was suppose to be my time away from it all, the annoying parents, neglectful ex-girlfriend, and a change of scenery. It was suppose to be my "out of town" weekend but at the last min things changed and plans had to be canceled.  S0 there I was home alone on a Friday night, that was until I got a text from a fellow Lit classmate. As we texted about how "whack" our day was going she invited me to come over to blow off some steam and have a few drinks with her family and friends. 

Now, I'm not going to lie I've been around Italian my whole life, from little league baseball to having my first beer, so I figured I would go and have a good time. As my friend pulled we were greeted with smiles and friendly smoke offering. After grabbing a bunch of junk food we sat on the stoop and began to speak and laugh about our literature class discussions, our high school days, and what we both seem to do best get drunk.

While having my crouch being constantly sniffed by her mammoth sized pouch, my Friday turned out to be a pretty good night thanks to my Lit class and a new friend.

I should of been a Jarhead!. . 2 of 3

OK, so I am almost done with the first half of the book "Jarhead" by Anthony Swofford, and it is not as bad as I thought it would be. When I herd military history I began to cringe, and think another "in my day" novel of hardships, war, and a good old fashion whippin'. I mean come on, read one read em' all, but not so with this one it was raw, to the point, a true depiction of what happens when real men are sent away endure heat, hunger, and sexless nights to fight for a country that has given them oh so much.

Swofford starts off beautifully allowing the reading to almost hear the sand fall to the ground from the old map of Kuwait found in his ruck. We can almost smell the liquor on his breath as he goes through his old military equipment remembering each man one by one and the events of the gulf war. As I continued reading it gave me a new view on America, the land of the "free", a term that shouldn't of been used so freely when it came to the Jarheads. Swofford goes on to tell his readers the truth behind the TV interviews and what these men of war were really thinking.

Jarhead is starting to grow on me, not only for the raw speech and vivd war discriptions, but more because of who it is written by, someone I could relate to, an average fuck up!

1 of 3. . . Not A Bad Monday

So we're asked to write three blogs a week and I have no clue what to write. I was never very big on writing, it was something I had to do as a student but never really enjoyed. I often needed a interesting subject to grab me and give me that "kick" to start a paper or article. It wasn't until I met professor Quinn, I guess he was that professor that people talk about. The one that makes a "huge impact" on your college life. He took me out of my element and forced me to do something I have not done in a while, think. The feeling of being in a class that challenged helped me to understand the purpose of college.

After Prof. Quinn' writing class I felt it was the first and last class I would enjoy at St. Francis, til that Wednesday in 21st century literature. There we were sitting in groups of two, getting ready to read parts from the play "The Mercy Seat". Thoughts ran through my head none of which good! I began to think, "why am I here?, I don't act!, what the hell is this, drama club?!" thoughts that quickly changed after the first group' performance. After each group we would have a class discussion  of who was right, the oh so goodie goodie Abby, or the heartless son of a bitch, Ben. Then it happened, I found my next big class. As the students began to point out their points of who was ultimately the better person, arguments began to break out. Always being a fan of debating I stop looking at my watch and began to pay attention waiting to get my chance to get my point across.

Now on this Monday night I'm here with my copy of Jarhead, which sadly, I just received today, ready for the next classroom debate.

Another Day at Work

I don't know why I even bother to think that today will be different. My life has sadly become a routine, even as a busy Dj there hasn't been anything that grabbed me as "amazing" during the summer. I guess it wasn't such a bad thing, this summer gave the the drive to go back to school and complete my year and a half, if not two year stay a St. Francis.

I would wake up every morning drag my self to the shower, get dressed, pack my self into a jam packed subway cart and go to work. Get to work do deposit after deposit, eat lunch, do more deposits go home and stuff my face yet again. My life of a champ turned into that of a chump. I started to make more money that I did at my other jobs, but after gaining 20 lbs I also saw a change in who I was. I was no longer the happy and upbeat a person I use to be, I lived to work. After a while I began to notice young business men, some of which, a couple years older than me depositing six-figure checks into their personal account. My initial reaction was anger and jealousy, I found myself asking "why do they have it so easy? why do they have more than I do?". It wasn't until my pain in the ass assistant manger borough it all to the light. Being the perfect example those who got under my skin. This no personality, untalented female doing a job I should be doing. Now, don't get me wrong ladies the reason that she is female has nothing to do with my dislike for her, rather that she is a lazy, rude undermining manger. She received her position through a program offered to "College Graduates", no grades needed just apply. I was tired of doing something I hated and not getting paid for my hard work. It was then I set my focus to, not only go to school but finish.

As I entered class the first thing we started to get into was the events on Sept. 11 2001, fucking great here we go again, a cloud of anger came over me all I could think of was being ridiculed for something I had nothing to do with and hearing the ignorant voices of these ass hole as I was being jumped after school. It was then I remembered, that day changed my life. As a Stag I started to hang with the people that protected me, going to an all boy school isn't as easy as some may think. If you don't come in strong you sure as hell will leave a lot stronger.

Class is about to start . . .til next topic fokes!

Finally. . . time in the hot seat!

"The Mercy Seat", gave me a whole new look on the events that took place on 9/11. It was almost comical how the couple used the tragic events to escape their everyday life and be with one another. It was a perfect example of what us as, Americans do through out history, use a disaster to build something new and exciting, gain access to"bigger" and/or, what we feel to be, better things. To a point the play reminded me of the movie "Titanic", the 1997 blockbuster which captivated the rise and fall of what at the time was the biggest ship in the world. The enormous ship had hundreds of stories but we focused on one, the love between two individuals (Jack and Rose) both of different classes.

The play is a raw reminder that through tragedy, human behavior does not change. As the towers fell and countless individuals perished Abby's mind is stuck on Ben, her married office fling, and the obsession of his favorite sexual position when it comes to being with her. Neil LaBute was brutally honest during their conversations poking fun at the planes being flown into the two towers. So far the play has me hooked. Sure, LaBute's use of strong language and raw sexual play is what initially, of couse, grabbed me. Reading further along I have an idea of what he wanted to convey to his readers, that human beings, while good-natured, are generally concerned with themselves and their desires.