My initial post mentioned that my purpose in blogging was simply to blog. My goodness, I am being self-referential, so much for my not being egocentric. Sven Golly, the month of January has ended. As the title of this post suggests, everything changed for me in January, 2010.
The Roving Imp Coffee House opened Monday, January 4, 2010; this resulted in my drinking coffee on a semi-regular basis. I am now obligated to link to the Roving Imp Coffee House in all my posts relating to the Roving Imp Theater on Facebook.
At 11:40 p.m. on Friday, January 8, the fuel pump on my car failed. If the circumstances had been just a little different, then the failure would have been truly catastrophic. The failure happened on eastbound K-32 before Papa Bob's barbecue. I was driving in the far lane and was able to bring the car to a safe stop. My father and I worked for more than six hours to replace the fuel pump.
At work my schedule was restored to twenty-nine hours per week, I had previously been reduced to twenty-six hours. Factually speaking, after all deductions, I net ten dollars an hour. This increase in hours results in an increase of thirty dollars per week or one hundred twenty dollars a month.
Wednesday, January 13, one of my coworkers revealed that he was taking classes in Choral Music at the University of Kansas. In order to accommodate his new class schedule, his work schedule had to change, thus my work schedule has changed. I now work mornings on weekdays. My weekends are now the standard days of Saturday and Sunday.
Now I am able to attend workshop on Saturday afternoons at the Roving Imp Training Center. Unfortunately I have decided to discontinue my attendance of Monday evening workshops.
I completed my classes at ITT Technical Institute in November, 2009, and received my 1098-T on Saturday, January 30. I decided to have my taxes filed that day at H&R Block, and learned that I qualified for a fully refundable tax credit, so I received $1000 more than I was expecting. I have considered possibly joining the trip to the Chicago Improv Festival this spring.
As January changes into February and taking stock of the changes the previous month has brought, I strangely find myself watching Smokey and the Bandit, Part 3 on HBO Family, like your girlfriend.
Although the world does not in truth revolve around me, the world perhaps should.
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Sunday, January 31, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
Botch-fest 000
Okay, I will concede that the title of this blog entry is vague, even cryptic to those in my immediate family, even those who have been privileged to have been shown my comic stories. I will begin by saying that I have found yet another purpose for my maintaining a blog, a place to complain.
Botch-fest is a kinder, gentler way of saying that I am having a complaint party here! At least in the binary world, a count generally starts with zero, so I am likewise beginning this series of posts, although not necessarily contiguous, with Botch-fest 000. Let the griping commence!
Yesterday I was trying to leave work at the Regnier Center and a woman in a white, late-model Toyota Sienna minivan was parked in front of my car! Blocked in! Without any flamboyant flourishes, like raising my arms in the air, I slowly approached the driver's side (left-hand side in North America), and motioned for her to roll down her window.
"I am parked right there," pointing to my car. A green, early-model Ford Escape was pulling up behind her van.
She answered, referring to the woman in the passenger seat, "I was just leaving her off."
"Okay," I responded and walked around the front of the van and around the back of my car.
Seated, I waited for her van to park beside me in the driving lane on the other side of the lamp pole and for the Escape to drive around her van. After that a dark red Mitsubishi Outlander came from the opposite direction and stopped, waiting for me to leave!
I had parked with the front of my car facing out of the space. After checking for anything coming from the other direction, I pulled out. I accelerated to twenty miles per hour before reaching the stop sign at the end of the lot, briefly stopped, and turned in front of a white, early 1990s' Toyota RAV-4.
Sheesh, lady, couldn't you have left her off in the circle drive in front of CLB, like any other normal person?! What an idiot!
Driving down 75th Street to my Bank of America branch on Quivira Road, a red, late-model Pontiac Grand Prix sedan changed lanes, swerving in front of me without signaling!
Later just past the Jimmy John's, a black Lincoln Mark LT pickup truck could not find the signal either, and whipped in front of me. This idiot was more stellar at the light at Quivira, not signaling when pulling into the inner left-turn lane. Then this idiot pulls into the left-turn lane at 77th Street, as I had already signaled. Finally the idiot finds the turn signal on the side street when desiring to turn left to the Phillips 66 station.
Fortunately my experience at Bank of America made up for these idiots. The teller was kind, friendly, respectful, and communicated well. My car loan payment was made quickly and easily.
The statement showing how much last year I spent on classes at ITT Technical Institute has still not yet arrived from ITT Educational Services. I need that statement for all of the money I paid in federal income tax to be returned to me! My car needs a new timing chain, like your girlfriend!
Botch-fest is a kinder, gentler way of saying that I am having a complaint party here! At least in the binary world, a count generally starts with zero, so I am likewise beginning this series of posts, although not necessarily contiguous, with Botch-fest 000. Let the griping commence!
Yesterday I was trying to leave work at the Regnier Center and a woman in a white, late-model Toyota Sienna minivan was parked in front of my car! Blocked in! Without any flamboyant flourishes, like raising my arms in the air, I slowly approached the driver's side (left-hand side in North America), and motioned for her to roll down her window.
"I am parked right there," pointing to my car. A green, early-model Ford Escape was pulling up behind her van.
She answered, referring to the woman in the passenger seat, "I was just leaving her off."
"Okay," I responded and walked around the front of the van and around the back of my car.
Seated, I waited for her van to park beside me in the driving lane on the other side of the lamp pole and for the Escape to drive around her van. After that a dark red Mitsubishi Outlander came from the opposite direction and stopped, waiting for me to leave!
I had parked with the front of my car facing out of the space. After checking for anything coming from the other direction, I pulled out. I accelerated to twenty miles per hour before reaching the stop sign at the end of the lot, briefly stopped, and turned in front of a white, early 1990s' Toyota RAV-4.
Sheesh, lady, couldn't you have left her off in the circle drive in front of CLB, like any other normal person?! What an idiot!
Driving down 75th Street to my Bank of America branch on Quivira Road, a red, late-model Pontiac Grand Prix sedan changed lanes, swerving in front of me without signaling!
Later just past the Jimmy John's, a black Lincoln Mark LT pickup truck could not find the signal either, and whipped in front of me. This idiot was more stellar at the light at Quivira, not signaling when pulling into the inner left-turn lane. Then this idiot pulls into the left-turn lane at 77th Street, as I had already signaled. Finally the idiot finds the turn signal on the side street when desiring to turn left to the Phillips 66 station.
Fortunately my experience at Bank of America made up for these idiots. The teller was kind, friendly, respectful, and communicated well. My car loan payment was made quickly and easily.
The statement showing how much last year I spent on classes at ITT Technical Institute has still not yet arrived from ITT Educational Services. I need that statement for all of the money I paid in federal income tax to be returned to me! My car needs a new timing chain, like your girlfriend!
Monday, January 25, 2010
Keeping up the habit
I am averaging a new blog post every five days, yet I can only say that because I have two blog posts that were two days apart. Enough math. Anyway I figured in order to continue to keep up the habit of blogging, this blogging should be done at regular intervals. Last week I pondered updating on either Saturday or Sunday, but I was ultimately too tired to do much outside of my improv workshops at the Roving Imp Theater or with Project Improv.
The most difficult part in maintaining a blog, for me anyway, is finding about what to write. A cruel thing to say, I have believed that I am just not all that interesting. The longevity of any live discussion with me is usually limited as well, whether I am just shy, or more likely have reached the end of my knowledge on a subject, or have reached the end of the knowledge on subject which I am able to recall at that moment.
For many years I have striven to live as an uncomplicated life as possible. My feeling as a result is that I may actually be quite dull, like your girlfriend.
The most difficult part in maintaining a blog, for me anyway, is finding about what to write. A cruel thing to say, I have believed that I am just not all that interesting. The longevity of any live discussion with me is usually limited as well, whether I am just shy, or more likely have reached the end of my knowledge on a subject, or have reached the end of the knowledge on subject which I am able to recall at that moment.
For many years I have striven to live as an uncomplicated life as possible. My feeling as a result is that I may actually be quite dull, like your girlfriend.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Listening in Improv
First I must mention that improv is short for improvised, as in improvised theater or improvised comedy. Discussion of my history in improv may be discussed in a later post. Another purpose of this blog, to keep an improv journal, was suggested to me by my artistic director and primary instructor at the Roving Imp Training Center, John Robinson.
The Roving Imp Theater, has a Facebook group, and is located in Bonner Springs, Kansas, and is set to takeover the world, expanding with the recently-opened Roving Imp Coffee House, which has a Facebook fan page.
Listening to one's scene partner or partners is an important part of improv. Details are important, but the most interesting or the most unusual details in particular are the most important to move along the scene and make the scene entertaining. To describe the how one should listen in a scene, all of my present improv instructors use the analogy of listening to your scene partner as if you have a crush. If the previous paragraph had been spoken by my scene partner, I would have listened very intently for anything.
The most interesting or most usual detail would be that the Roving Imp Theater is set to take over the world, specifically by expanding with a coffee shop. Other details like the name of the theater, the location of the theater, and the references to a Facebook presence are important, but most of all the globe-dominating intentions.
Assuming that a scene already has an emotional connection, a good relationship, and setting established, listening can also help one find the game in a scene; however, this point is largely immaterial if either scene partner earlier missed any of those pieces of information.
Besides doing the technical work for some shows, attending classes and shows at the Roving Imp Theater, I am also part of Project Improv at Johnson County Community College. For the moment my goal for my improv is to listen more, like your girlfriend. What's that you say?
The Roving Imp Theater, has a Facebook group, and is located in Bonner Springs, Kansas, and is set to takeover the world, expanding with the recently-opened Roving Imp Coffee House, which has a Facebook fan page.
Listening to one's scene partner or partners is an important part of improv. Details are important, but the most interesting or the most unusual details in particular are the most important to move along the scene and make the scene entertaining. To describe the how one should listen in a scene, all of my present improv instructors use the analogy of listening to your scene partner as if you have a crush. If the previous paragraph had been spoken by my scene partner, I would have listened very intently for anything.
The most interesting or most usual detail would be that the Roving Imp Theater is set to take over the world, specifically by expanding with a coffee shop. Other details like the name of the theater, the location of the theater, and the references to a Facebook presence are important, but most of all the globe-dominating intentions.
Assuming that a scene already has an emotional connection, a good relationship, and setting established, listening can also help one find the game in a scene; however, this point is largely immaterial if either scene partner earlier missed any of those pieces of information.
Besides doing the technical work for some shows, attending classes and shows at the Roving Imp Theater, I am also part of Project Improv at Johnson County Community College. For the moment my goal for my improv is to listen more, like your girlfriend. What's that you say?
Friday, January 15, 2010
And so it begins
The idea of starting a web log, or blog, was first suggested to me in 2002. I find that she still has a blog to be comforting, although her blog has not been updated for some time. Later I may try to reconnect with her.
Since joining Twitter last April, I have followed many people who link to tips for blogging, and by sending updates I have been micro-blogging. Specificity and purpose are necessities for a blog. As has been shown thus far, I am usually more articulate and coherent when expressing my ideas in written, rather than verbal, form.
My original purpose for joining the Facebook community was to simply become a member of the group for Shanin and Parks, an afternoon talk show on News Radio 980 KMBZ in Kansas City, Missouri. While commuting to complete coursework for an Associate's degree at ITT Technical Institute, I would listen to Shanin and Parks for the frequent traffic updates. The hosts say they are conservative, but I strangely found myself enraged about Dennis Moore when listening one day, and I decided to stop listening to the program soon thereafter.
Instead of radio, I listen to a mix CD with seventeen tracks mostly consisting of music from the anime series Initial D, Lucky Star, and The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. I do listen to radio when I am passenger in someone else's car, or if I have a passenger in my car.
My purpose in creating this blog is simply for the purpose of blogging. Yeah, I know that that is slightly like tautology. I will say it again, like your girlfriend.
Since joining Twitter last April, I have followed many people who link to tips for blogging, and by sending updates I have been micro-blogging. Specificity and purpose are necessities for a blog. As has been shown thus far, I am usually more articulate and coherent when expressing my ideas in written, rather than verbal, form.
My original purpose for joining the Facebook community was to simply become a member of the group for Shanin and Parks, an afternoon talk show on News Radio 980 KMBZ in Kansas City, Missouri. While commuting to complete coursework for an Associate's degree at ITT Technical Institute, I would listen to Shanin and Parks for the frequent traffic updates. The hosts say they are conservative, but I strangely found myself enraged about Dennis Moore when listening one day, and I decided to stop listening to the program soon thereafter.
Instead of radio, I listen to a mix CD with seventeen tracks mostly consisting of music from the anime series Initial D, Lucky Star, and The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. I do listen to radio when I am passenger in someone else's car, or if I have a passenger in my car.
My purpose in creating this blog is simply for the purpose of blogging. Yeah, I know that that is slightly like tautology. I will say it again, like your girlfriend.