Mid-Week Thoughts
Good Morning all!
It’s a bright, sunny March Wednesday out, so far, and I thought I’d drop a few notes about some stuff that’s been rattling around in my noggin these past few days.
On Monday, Nate and I had a chance to meet up with a fellow blogger and resident of the North End. His name is Brian. You can find out more about him at:
We had a lovely time, meeting up for coffee and wandering around our neighborhood. Brian led us through a side of the North End we don’t normally visit – the area between Christopher Columbus Park and North Square, for those who are familiar with the ‘hood – and we discovered a lovely little market down there which Nate and I will be going to more often. It was really, really nice to meet a fellow member of the Tribe that lives in this uber-macho neck of Boston, and to have him turn out to be also level-headed, easy to talk to, and just all-around good natured and good humored was a pleasant surprise. We will certainly be seeing him again!
Yesterday was a trip to Nate’s grandmother’s for another AWESOME home-cooked Italian dinner with his family. I got to spend time with his aunt Carol, and the new niece of the family, Tracey, which is always a good time (I’m a sucker for babies), and actually found myself connecting a little with his other niece, Jade. I don’t know why, but maybe it’s because she’s now the oldest sibling that I understand some of her behaviors better. I was the oldest of two – we’re not sure how many baby Browns that Jade will preside over – but, as those of you who are also eldest siblings know – there is a certain level of responsibility, of expectation, and effort that goes into being the eldest one. In any case, I got to teach Jade to say please AND bat her lovely eyelashes whenever she needed something from me. It works like a champ every time!
On another note, I’m in the process of making plans to attend Boston’s St. Patrick’s Day parade on Sunday, in South Boston. I have put out the word to those who follow me on Twitter (ukthom) or Facebook, and have got a few people on board. I did, however, get one response from a fellow Twitter follower that made me do a little thinking, and I will talk a little bit more about that later. There’ s a certain level of history regarding this specific parade in terms of being a member of the GLBT family, and my time has run too short this morning to talk about it. Maybe I’ll post about it tonight, or tomorrow.
The school app is being sent off tonight, as well. Here’s to being nervous about that!
I also have managed to secure an appointment for my travel shots at Beth Israel Deaconess’ Travel Clinic here in Boston. I’ll be all shot up with the interesting vaccines one must take when traveling to certain countries next week, so that ought to be interesting as well. I’m SO excited to have finally started putting the ball into motion regarding this trip, and I’m really looking forward to it. I’ve had a few rough ideas about how to best present the trip, and everything about it, to you all, so stay tuned for happenings with the blog. I’m thinking I might try to implement WordPress MU, if that’s a hint…
Anyway, time IS short, and I must fly to work. Have a wonderful rest of your week, and I’ll post again soon!
XX
Thom
Support My Mom!
So, those of you who grew up in a very rural area of the country will have an appreciation for the bicycle. As a kid in a small town in rural Maine, my bike was my ticket out of the house, and the means to go exploring, visit friends, and simply get around without relying on anyone else but yourself, at least until you got your license. I have many, MANY fond memories of bike rides that would last from early in the morning until the sun went down. My mom shared this passion with us as kids, not only making sure we knew how to ride a bike at an early age, but also supplying my brother and I with new bikes as often as she and my dad could afford to do so. We learned how to maintain them, and would ride the hell out of them, especially on the trails and dirt roads that surrounded our house.
It’s in this spirit, and with this in mind, that my Mom has taken bike riding to a new level.
My mother has decided that she’s going to do something she’s never done before, and as a proud son, I wanted to do my part. In the sidebar on the right, you’ll see a little ad for the Trek Across Maine, a fundraising event for the American Lung Association. This event is best described from their website:
The Trek is a three-day bicycle ride held annually on Father’s Day weekend in June. The ride is approximately 180 miles across Maine, from the mountains of Sunday River Ski Resort in Bethel to the coastline in Belfast, Maine. We have overnight stops at the University of Maine in Farmington and Colby College in Waterville.
That’s right: 180 MILES of bike riding!
Though I’m not able to take part in the event myself, along side her, I wanted to do my bit to show her a little love. She’s trying to raise $500 as her pledge. I know we can all help her a little bit, so if you click on the button to the right, you will be taken directly to her pledge page, where you can give as much as you can to help her reach her goal.
I am so proud of her for doing this!
Breakthrough…a beginning
This morning, I stared down the question on the application for school that has me detailing my plan of study for the next two years. The program I’m applying to is self-directed, so as part of my acceptance into the program, I need to demonstrate that what I want to do, and how I intend on achieving a Masters in Fine Arts, is up to snuff. I need to demonstrate that I can plan, I have a goal, and that there’s some semblance of direction with my course of study.
I have spent a large portion of time locked in this sort of freeze-up in my head. Each time I sat down to plan, I felt like I was staring down the barrel of a gun, and if I strayed from what is considered acceptable, my application would be tossed into the bin, and I’d be passed over for a better candidate, a better student, someone with more focus and vision. I have been in utter terror of that happening, and in fact, that’s been the entirety of the application process for this program. With each question on the application, I’m faced with the fear of being judged, of being tossed aside. This morning, though, I had a little bit of a psyche-up with myself, and broke through that fear, at least a little bit.
I got angry with myself for being scared, and then set about detailing the stuff I want to do while I go back to school to earn my MFA in Creative Writing. No, it may not be the most polished plan, and I still have a couple of semesters to fill in, but it’s something. I don’t want to get into too much detail here, yet, but suffice to say, what I want to get out of further education, and how I intend on using my time at the school I’m applying to (if I stick to what I’ve written so far), will be some of the most amazing, creative work I’ve every taken on. I’m putting my heart and soul into this opportunity, and I would love nothing more than the opportunity to see where this path leads me.
I guess, in the end, I could do what I want to do on the plan I’ve created without attending school, but as an educator in search of a higher degree, if I can incorporate earning a better pay rate, and another credential on my resume, with a deep-seeded passion of mine (writing), then it’s all for the better.
Again, and as always, more details to come as all this unfolds.
-Thom
Oh the Weather Outside is Frightful…
From the National Weather Service:
Issued by The National Weather Service
Boston, MA
4:41 am EST, Sat., Dec. 19, 2009… WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO NOON EST SUNDAY…
A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO NOON EST SUNDAY.
THIS WINTER STORM WARNING INCLUDES MUCH OF SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND EXCEPT THE NORTHWESTERN INTERIOR.
A CLASSIC WINTERTIME NOREASTER WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP OFF THE MID ATLANTIC COAST TODAY. IT WILL MOVE NORTHEAST TONIGHT AND LIKELY BE SITUATED JUST SOUTHEAST OF NANTUCKET EARLY SUNDAY MORNING. SNOW WILL SPREAD NORTHWARD IN ADVANCE OF THIS LOW AND WILL REACH THE WARNING AREA BY THIS EVENING. THE SNOW WILL BECOME HEAVY AT TIMES OVERNIGHT AND CONTINUE SUNDAY MORNING. THE LOW WILL PULL AWAY DURING THE DAY SUNDAY WHICH WILL ALLOW THE SNOW TO TAPER OFF AND END SUNDAY AFTERNOON.
STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE 7 TO 15 INCHES… WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE. IN ADDITION… AS THE LOW APPROACHES TONIGHT… NORTH WINDS WILL INCREASE SIGNIFICANTLY… ESPECIALLY ACROSS EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS AND RHODE ISLAND. THIS COMBINED WITH HEAVY SNOW WILL CAUSE VISIBILITIES TO BE REDUCED TO UNDER A QUARTER MILE AT TIMES. SIGNIFICANT BLOWING AND DRIFTING OF THE SNOW IS ALSO POSSIBLE. IF WINDS LOOK TO INCREASE MORE THAN FORECAST ACROSS RHODE ISLAND AND EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS… MAINLY NEAR AND EAST OF THE I-95 CORRIDOR… AND UPGRADE TO BLIZZARD WARNING WOULD BE POSSIBLE LATER TODAY. TRAVEL IS NOT RECOMMENDED TONIGHT AND SUNDAY AS IT WILL BECOME DIFFICULT.
A WINTER STORM WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN AN AVERAGE OF 6 OR MORE INCHES OF SNOW IS EXPECTED IN A 12 HOUR PERIOD… OR FOR 8 OR MORE INCHES IN A 24 HOUR PERIOD. TRAVEL WILL BE SLOW AT BEST ON WELL TREATED SURFACES… AND QUITE DIFFICULT ON ANY UNPLOWED OR UNTREATED SURFACES.
Looks like things are going to get VERY interesting in Boston over the next 24-36 hours! I’m expecting a train-load of family in from Maine on Sunday too. I’ve put the e-mail out to my mom, and will let her decide, but if they come, I hope they bring storm gear and extra blankets. There’s not much room here at the inn!
-Thom
This Writing Thing
I wanted to do a quick post, and reflect a little on this project I’ve taken on for the month of November. As you may recall, and can see from my Weekly Twitter Updates, I’ve been attempting to complete the NaNoWriMo competition by writing 50k words by the end of November. Basically, it’s a chance to finally attempt the task I’ve been meaning to do for quite some time now – get down the words to a story. I’ve been struggling with this task for years, probably ever since I could put two sentences together. I’ve always enjoyed telling stories, and reading them, and I’ve always been meaning to try and write some of them down. This month, and for the past two months now, I’ve finally begun that task. I’m doing the easy part now, according to my friend Shawn (an avid writer and fan of the written word), and just getting down the words. The hard part of editing will come later. I know I’ll be chucking out most of what I’ve written thus far, but that’s not what this post is about. Today, it’s all about the writing.
Currently, I’m up to about 13000 words. That’s just this month. If you also count the words I wrote last month, I’ve topped over 20k words since getting back from Provincetown with Nate for my birthday. Just over 30 days ago, I started earnestly putting pen to paper (well, typing, but you get my point), and look how far I’ve come? I’ve actually got over 20k words!
If I think about it, and let it sink in, honestly, I feel so proud of myself. I know, I know, I shouldn’t gloat and it sounds kind of tacky to wax poetically about this, but truth be told, I’m in a spot where I need something like this in my life. Each day is a measurable step towards something greater, perhaps, and without putting too much pressure on myself, or on the story, I’m really hoping to make this act of writing a life-time thing.
Does that mean I’m writing exquisite prose at every turn? Hell no! Like I said, this is just about getting down the words. Yes, someday I’d love to see my book in print, my words wrapped in a glossy cover, facing outward on a shelf in a bookstore. The truth is, that may or may not ever become a reality, but I’m much closer to achieving that now than I’ve ever been. For now, that feels great.
I actually feel like a writer.
-Thom
Roller Skating Pics
We had a fabulous time celebrating my co-worker Ginevra’s 25th birthday…on ROLLER SKATES no less! Here’s the pictures to prove it 
Enjoy!
Click the Pic for More!
Plans for a Saturday
Good Morning all!
After a brief shift this morning at the Shoe Store (where I’ve been told I’ll be tagging high-ticket items in the basement rather than working with customers today), Nate and I are helping a coworker of mine celebrate her birthday. I’ll give you a clue as to what we’ll be doing later:
So Sweet is the Feeling of Anticipation
Yesterday, as the day dragged ON FOREVER at work (it was too nice outside to be tied to my desk), I got a phone call on my cell phone. As is normal protocol, I don’t answer the cell while at my desk – it’s not allowed, and frankly, unless I know who it is, I don’t pick up. This one I didn’t know, but shortly after the ringing stopped, there was a follow-up buzz that whomever it was left me a voice mail. I was curious, but not too intrigued to interrupt my day. I resumed drooling with boredom into my keyboard, doing the data entry project I’ve been struggling to finish for a bit now.
Eventually, I had to get up to go to the bathroom, so I grabbed my phone, and prior to going to the loo, I checked the voicemail to see who it was that had called me. Well, I nearly burst – it was a call back from a school I had applied to!!!
I don’t want to jinx it too much, but basically, I had applied via SchoolSpring back in April. There were strict instructions not to follow up with a direct call to the School department’s office, so like a good duckie, I follwed the rules – but never heard anything back, other than that my application was under review. I submitted my application, having just taken the MTEL, but not having my results back – so at first my thoughts were “at least I can try.” I was pleased to be able to follow up and say I had actually passed the test, but that was about a month ago…still no word.
That is, until yesterday.
The message told me to call back today, Saturday, between 8am and 1pm. Well, as you might imagine, I was up at 5:15, all nerves, and anticipating the phone call. I got up, had coffee, went for a short run (40 minutes, for those of you who are tracking – about 4.5 miles) and showered, just to deal with my nerves. By the time I was feeling more relaxed, it was time to make the phone call, and the butterflies started fluttering again in my belly.
The phone call was pleasant enough. The woman with whom I spoke was curious about a few things on my resume – my adventure in England, my post-high school experience (which I called non-traditional in my resume and had to explain), and what my biggest weakness. I had actually learned that about myself in my last few months at Springwood – I struggle when challenged by ultra-bright kids – those who probably know more than I do – which is something I need to work on. She then explained that I was one of over 200 applicants, and she had narrowed down the field to 20, and then had to filter again to present them to her faculty members. From there, the top 6-8 would be asked to come in for an interview.
I’m impressed I was chosen out of 200 people – but I’m nervous about being chosen out of about 16-18 people, let alone 6-8 people! Still, it was a call – it got me thinking about being a teacher again – and that was worth getting up so early for.
Of course, I’ll keep you all posted!
-TEACHER Thom
Today’s Run
This is today’s run. Honestly, I didn’t run ALL of it, but a good 90% of it was spent at a jog pace. I was out for about 2 hrs total, with some time in there for stretching a couple of times, and some spates of walking, just to make sure I didn’t hurt myself. It felt pretty good, and its a good thing I did this today – the in-laws are coming over tonight to take Nate and I out for a meal I know there will be some overeating involved!
View
Run 9 May 2009 in a larger map
Unbelievable!
It has happened! Today, my home state of Maine has wowed the pants off me. As of today, my marriage to Nathaniel is LEGAL in Maine!!!
Now, this means that New Hampshire and Rhode Island remain as the only two states in New England who don’t officially have gay marriage on the books, but New Hampshire isn’t far away from it. Absolutely unbelievable…
Mind you, I have often referred to Maine as the Alaska of the north east. People there are very conservative, there is a large Republican contingency there, but given the numbers that voted in the Maine congress, clearly there are those who can get past the idealogue and rhetoric, see the truth for what it is, and know an injustice when they see it. And for that, I am so happy!
I hope this momentum keeps up, and there comes a day when I don’t need to worry about my rights being taken away, and gay marriage doesn’t make any more news headlines apart from the marriage notices.
I wonder if the Lewiston Sun-Journal will run wedding announcements of same-sex couples now???
In any regard, well done Maine!!!
Thom
It’s Here!
So, yesterday, as the temperatures in Boston broke 90F, Nate and I took off in a rental car to Portland, ME to finally pick up the computer our friends Shawn and Jen were selling to us. We met up with them at Flatbread’s, a sort-of pizza restaurant that specializes in making flatbread pizza, as well as salad and other scrumptious food. It was SO nice to catch up with them, as we hadn’t seen them since, well, before I left for England back in 2006!
They have the CUTEST daughter, Honora (pronounced Huh-nor-ahh), who is nearly 2 years old, and so full of adorable-ness. She played shy, flirted with both me and Nate, was the center of attention, and clearly enjoyed herself in the restaurant. Jen and Shawn looked great, and were clearly proud parents, and we had a chance to chat about food, exercise, and a whole host of other things. It was lovely, and I can’t wait to see them again!
We ended up leaving around 7:30 or so – far later than we had expected – so we extended our rental time, and made it back here around 10-ish. Traffic wasn’t bad coming back, but what amazed me was the change in temperature. When we left Portland, it was about 56F. By the time we got back to the city, it was still over 80F here! Today’s shooting to be just as hot, so as you can imagine, I won’t be spending too much time in the house – apart from doing a little writing, and eating some food. I’m still feeling like I overate last night, but hopefully a good walk today will work that feeling out of me.
I did manage to get out yesterday and take some pictures, which you can see on PhotoJournal, or here (though I would love to get some feedback on the PhotoJournal site).
Also, today there is an opportunity to go sailing on Boston harbor for free, offered by one of the sailing schools here in the North End. I might try and see if I can do that later today.
Hope all is well where you are, and though I might not be able to record a podcast today, you can rest assured that something will definitely be on air this week!
-Thom
***REALLY BIG NEWS***
I PASSED MY MTELs!!!
This means, for all of you reading this, that I am a LICENSED TEACHER IN THE STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS!
Have I overstated it? Can you tell how I feel!
YAHOOO!!!!!
Of course, this means I need to keep my eyes open for potential future positions, but for now, I’m pleasantly pleased, chock full of myself, and very proud to be me.
The Eeyore in me says “this too shall pass” but for now, I’m grinning!
Happy Easter All!
-Thom
The Doctor’s Appointment
I wanted to post a quick update before I head to bed tonight.
You are officially reading the blog of a Healthy Male Specimen of the Human Species. Well, apart from the sore foot that needs Physical Therapy, and the smokes, which will be dealt with with the patch.
Blood pressure – perfect. Pulse and Blood O2 level – just fine. The doctor was pretty pleased to meet me, and said, as I was getting ready to leave, that I was in very good health, and had been doing lots things right, including my diet and exercise level, and really being aware of the measures I need to take to keep myself healthy.
Honestly, I kinda knew I was doing okay. Physically, I feel fine, and I’m not suffering from a lack of stamina or energy, but still, it’s so nice, and reassuring to hear that I’m a healthy person from the guy who’s job it is to find out what’s wrong with me.
I also got my booster tetanus, and started the Hepatitis round of shots, and gave them 4 vials of blood to test for diabetes, cholesterol, and to run a CBC on. I will also be having an HIV test, just because I feel it’s something EVERYONE should do, regardless of your demographic or age.
I’m also going to make an appointment to see a physical therapist about my left foot, which appears, according to my doctor, to have a tendon issue. This is most likely caused by how I run, and potentially the shoes I wear. For now, I’m going to have to hold off on the running – doctor recommended taking up swimming or joining a gym to use the elliptical machine – at least until I meet with a PT.
Hopefully, in the very near future, I will be smoke-free, pain free, and well on my way to keeping up a good health docket that will hold up for many years to come.
-Thom
What a Day…
So, this week has been just plain weird. There’s no two ways about it. Yesterday, I woke up with the terrifying feeling that leeches were sucking all of the blood out of me (YUCK) and today, for some strange reason, I’ve been on total screech mode. All damned day!
I can’t for the life of me figure it out…but I might have a few ideas…
First, tomorrow morning, I’m missing a half-day of work to get to the doctors. I have decent enough health care that I can actually afford to see a doctor and not break the bank (small that it may be, it’s still valuable to us). So, for 15 bucks, I’m going to have myself poked and prodded and talked to about stuff at a doctor’s office tomorrow morning. It’s a new doctor for me, so I’m hoping he’s not too scary. I’m going to be talking about my bum leg, my smoking addiction, and my overall health. Oh, and probably going to be giving over a pint and half of blood to be tested for loads of things I haven’t been tested for in a while (diabetes, cholesterol, iron level) as well as probably needing to get booster shots for my vaccines…which I will need.
So, that’s worry #1. Not a big worry, but just a worry.
#2, and #3, all happen on Friday.
As you might recall, Friday is the day I get my results back from the MTELs I took in early March. They’re the unofficial ones, but basically, they’ll tell me if I can bother pursuing a teaching career, or if I’m relegated to customer service jobs for the rest of my days in Massachusetts. My nerves have been running high about these for a while now, so it’s no big thing at this point – I’m just looking forward to not having to worry about them.
Friday is also the day I have a job interview. No, not for a teaching job, but for a second, part-time, evening/weekend job at a shoe store in Downtown Crossing. It’s after work on Friday, which means I’ll have to wait till I get home to check on my test results, but that’s no big thing, like I said. I need to take a second job because, basically, student loans have been taking all of our extra money that would be going into savings, and we don’t have a cushion to fall back on if something happens. Besides, it’s at a shoe store, and Nate has a really big shoe addiction I’d love to feed Not to mention my own…
So yeah, my last reason for feeling a bit wound up is this:
Full Moon, April 9, 2009.
The Untimely Post
So, I’ve been trying to post a whole bunch of pictures I took this weekend because it was probably the best weekend I’ve had in such a long time! I’ve got well over 300 pics to share with you all – some are already posted from Saturday (check the drop down menu in the top right of your screen), but today, Sunday, it was nigh on 60F outside, and I took an extended walk to a part of town I haven’t been to in ages, with my camera in tote.
I will get these additional pictures up soon, and will do a proper post about the events of the weekend, but suffice to say, I hope I have many more weekends like we just had…pillow fights, Canada Geese, car trips to the Cape, and more!
It’s after 11pm, however, and like all good things, this weekend must come to an end, but fear not. I’ll be posting again soon – and maybe do some more audio stuff too.
Take care!
-Thom
SoundByte 18 – The Settling In Show
[podcast format="video"]http://teachingthomas.net/SoundBytes/SoundByte 18 Settling In Show.m4a[/podcast]
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
An Historic Day – on Two Levels
Today was amazing.
Simply, completely, amazing.
I started my day, as I always do, by getting my booty on a train into the city. I listened to a couple of podcasts, one being NPR’s Talk of the Nation, which was their Martin Luther King special broadcast, complete with the entire “I Have A Dream” speech. As I rounded the corner to the office, my eyes were misty, Dr. King’s voice echoing in my ears. The grand design that brought today’s inauguration of the first African-American president and the echoes of Dr. King into the same space of time truly took my breath away.
The day at work was broken up by the inauguration ceremony. The president of my company thought it was good for us to listen to it as a group. We tried to watch it, however, we could only do so via the Internet, and as many of you probably experience, every news site was full, the bandwidth was eaten up, and we saw a very stilted, skippy version of what was going on. That gave me the opportunity to close my eyes, and really listen, really feel what was happening. For me, with my vivid imagination, I was moved, yet again, to tears. It truly was a momentous occurrence in our nation’s story.
The day ended with Nate and I going to an appointment with a Real Estate agency in the North End of Boston. We had just experienced a terrible thing last Friday (see the Suprise Show SoundByte), so it was probably in our best interest to get back up on the horse that threw us, and resume our search for a home. We weren’t sure what we were going to see, but it was better than being gloomy about the whole house hunt.
We meandered into the North End, with it’s Italian flavor and narrow winding streets, and found our destination with relative ease, thanks to the maps on our phones (reason #452 why I love my iPhone), and were quickly and warmly greeted by a bunch of 30-somethings with loads of energy and a positive vibe about them. We discussed what we were looking for, and Jennifer grabbed her Blackberry and some keys, and we were off into the evening to look at a couple of places, more to get a feeling for what our budget would get us in that neighborhood, but also to at least get our feet wet with the apartment viewing.
The first place we saw was…well…gross. It reeked of stale beer and weed. The tenant was clearly moving out, and had a love of all things Apple, which was cool, but the apartment was very dingy. It needed a desperate gutting and updating, and though I liked the quiet location, well off the beaten path, but not too removed from reality, it didn’t give me that “feeling.” Those of you who have done the apartment/house hunt know that feeling – the “Welcome Home” that comes from entering a place that’s just right. So, with another set of keys and a new destination, we headed to apartment number two.
This place was less open, with smaller rooms, but it was clean, and bright, and warm. The appliances were made within the last ten years, which is always a good thing, and the air was clean, as was every surface and crevice in the place. As Nate and Jennifer poked around in the bedroom and the closets, I stood there, and took a deep breath. I stood in the center of the living room, and it hit me. That Feeling. That Oh-So Good Feeling of finally Coming Home.
So, rather than waste a perfectly good moment, we decided to take it.
After signing a few papers and enjoying the company of a really relaxed, really effervescent crew of realtors around us, we took out a lease on our little home in the city.
Finally…on a day that is already so memorable to me, and to us, we’ve got a home in Boston, Massachusetts.
I can’t wait to move in!
-Thom
For those of you who demand pictures, here’s a National Geographic slide show of some images. I will be taking SO MANY MORE when we move in, so not to worry
Today
Better Than Christmas
Relaxing…finally
So, as many, if not all of you, know, this week was an amazing, crazy, fraught-with-emotion, week. Finally, though, we’ve made it to the other side, and now it’s some down-time at the house, alone, to relax. Well, when I say relax, as you all can guess, that just means Nate shifts gears, but you understand I will be doing a show tomorrow, but I wanted to do a pre-release again, and say a HUGE thank you to EVERYONE who was in touch with us on Facebook and Twitter, as well as for the lovely cards, and presents we’ve received. This “simple” wedding really made the unexpected little details all that more meaningful to us, and we really, really did have a good time.
Sure, most of the Northeast was pelted with ice and rain and wind on Thursday, but it wouldn’t be our wedding without a little shake up in the world!
I’ve got tons of pictures to sort through and get up on here for you all to see, so that’s one project for tomorrow. I’m also going to be making a SoundByte, and hopefully will be getting to the Thank You’s that we’ve got to write. I also want to catch up with my Gram, and possibly my aunt, who returned from quite the excursion to see my Aunt Out West and her grandkids and all that, so tomorrow’s going to be a “busy” down-day.
Talk to you soon!
-Thom
Big Week Pre-Recording Post
So I want to apologize profusely for being off the ball this past week, and doing zero postings! It’s been a crazy, crazy week, with loads to talk about in this week’s show. I do, however, have a little treat for you all – that’s if I can get it to work. Those of you with an Apple computer know all about this piece of software, but I haven’t had the time to actually play around with it – that is until today. iMovie 08 is what I’m talking about, and the following is a video short I made last Thursday as Nate and I joined quite a few people in Boston’s Common to see the annual Official Tree Lighting. Enjoy!
(video is kinda slow to load…technical difficulties…please stay tuned!)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
A Little Something to Make It Better
So, last night, Nate wanted to get out of the house, like most nights after dinner. He wanted to go to the South Shore Plaza, the classic American mall/shopper’s Mecca, located in Braintree, MA. There are loads of shops in there, and being a Saturday night, there’s also usually a wide swath of society in there, from the grandparents enjoying a coffee from Gloria Jean’s, to the emo kids shopping at Hot Topic, to the Banana Republic/Gap/Hollister/A&F crowd, and everyone else in between. We often make the short trek down the highway simply to wander around and look in the windows. There’s also an Apple Store there, which always makes us happy to visit. In fact, I had applied and was accepted for a job at that Apple Store, but because it’s inaccessible from where we live via public transit, I had to pass…hindsight says that was a good decision, but I digress.
Anyway, we went there, and wandered around. Eventually, we ended up at the Apple Store, and like a moth to a lamp, I was drawn to the massive display and setup for the Mac Pro with the gigantic 30″ Cinema display, and began playing around with Final Cut Pro and Motion 3D. I stood there, clicking and editing and trying out the various programs (and dreaming a LOT about missing my calling as a digitially creative designer or advertising person), while Nate drifted around the store, slipping out of my peripheral vision. About twenty minutes went by, when he approached me, and had that look on his face – and an Apple Store bag in his hand – that said he’d procured whatever it is that he wanted, and was ready to leave.
“Did you get yourself a new iPod?” I began.
“No…mine works just fine…”
“Um, no it doesn’t….okay, so what did you get?” I inquired.
He didn’t tell me. In fact, all he said was to walk in front of him, and to give him a few minutes at home, alone, with the Mac to do whatever it is with whatever it was he bought.
I had NO idea what was going on, but I did have the sense he had bought us something we can use for the computer. That, though, was about it. Oh, and another side note: Nate’s iPod is not working that great…he’s constantly swearing at it, as it freezes up and takes forever to change songs from time to time, so my guess at him getting himself another iPod wasn’t that far-fetched.
Well, after arriving at home, he scurried away to the back room where the iMac is, and I sat in the livingroom with the mom-in-law, and started watching a movie with her. Twenty minutes later, he came out, and told me to come see what he bought. In classic Nate style, though, he had me cover my eyes, as he led me in, and sat me down in front of the computer. Not to be a stinker and cheat him out of the chance to surprise me, I complied, and wobbled my way into the chair at the computer desk.
Well, when I opened my eyes, I found this!
(waiting for you to return)
Needless to say, the next SoundByte will NOT have the mic-fade in and out as the iSight mic that I have to hold in my hand is no more. Of course, this also means I need to do many more SoundBytes
Perhaps later today I’ll give it a test, and post it up here for you all to judge the quality!
The Demonstration Against Prop 8
Yesterday, at Government Center in Boston, there was a demonstration to protest Proposition 8 from California, which banned same-sex marriage. As part of a nation-wide protest that took place in a lot of cities from coast to coast, it was a time for both same-sex and opposite-sex couples, supporters, friends, pets, kids, and anyone else who wants to see rights granted and protected to all people, to come together, and just energize themselves to the developing future challenges.
Nate and I weren’t sure if we’d make it, as I had stuff I needed to do at home, and he was at work till later in the afternoon. I texted him around 11 in the morning, to see how he was, and to let him know when the demonstration was. Because it lasted until 4, I thought we might be able to make it to the end bit of it. He replied, saying he had managed to figure out how to get out a bit early, and told me he wanted to go. So, in a mad rush, I got my stuff together, and was on the noon train into Boston.
We met up around 1:30, and went over to Government Center to join in the festivities. When we got there, there were a few hundred people. In a matter of about an hour, though, there was a surge of people, even in the rain and wind. People kept pouring out of the subway stop at Govt. Center, and streaming in from all parts of the city. Eventually, there seemed to be about 1500 people, maybe more. What really made me grin, though, was the amount of straight couples, with kids, and pets, who were there to show their support for equal rights. It really made me happy to see such an upswell of good people who recognize that marriage is more than just a document that offers protections under law. It is also a public display of a couple’s commitment to each other. It’s a way of saying to the wider world that you are, in fact, capable of loving on a deep, highly meaningful level, and you’re not ashamed to share that with the rest of society.
Standing there, listening to the speakers, the chanting, taking tons of pictures, I was very, very proud to be a married-man-to-be to Nate. Though we have but a small formality to make it fully legal (a J.O.P.’s signature), we are nearly there, and once that is done, at least in Massachusetts, we’re protected under law, just like our heterosexual counterparts. It sounds so simple, yet for so many, these simple rights and protections are somehow reserved for only a select group of people. For me, it just doesn’t seem fair.
Again, I’m not asking for anyone to agree with me. I’m not saying that you must be supportive, you need to agree with everything I say and do. You don’t even need to like me. But, the only thing I ask of you, and it is something you ask of me, too, is to respect. Respect me and my life. Don’t legislate against me. Don’t make laws that take away my rights just because your religion tells you to. Just respect me, and I will do the same for you. It seems pretty simple to me.
Enjoy the pictures, and look for a SoundByte to come out later today!
-Thom
Pictures from the Prop 8 Demonstration here and here, as well as from the drop-down menu to the upper right of this screen.
Day One – With Audio
Hey all!
So, I survived my first day back to work. It was actually pretty cool. I work with a great bunch of people, met the other new guy who started on Monday, and am training with him on the product knowledge side of stuff for a little of this week. It’s a job not unsimilar to the one I had a Geiger (data entry), however, there’s going to be A LOT more interaction with customers and other members of the team – a rather small team, I might add – that will make the day fly by, and help me to learn a lot more about the publishing world. In short, I’m very pleased, I’m looking forward to tomorrow, and it just feels pretty darn good to be back to work. Finally!
Here’s to Day One, and to Many, Many More!
[podcast format="video"]http://teachingthomas.net/SoundBytes/SoundByte 6.m4a[/podcast]
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Recording Awkwardness, Plus Tomorrow
So, I wanted to record a show yesterday, but because I wasn’t home alone, I found it was totally weird to do so. Today, after I got back from sub-teaching, I figured I was going to be home before anyone else, so I would have the house to myself, and then I’d record a show.
No.
So, in the face of recording challenges, I will post what’s been going on here!
Basically, last week was quite amazing for me. A new president, a new job, plenty of work to be found around me in a very short time, and a damn HUGE pile of leaves were just some of the highlights. Tomorrow, I start the next phase of things here, at my new position in Boston. I’m a bit nervous, but mostly just want to make sure I make a good impression on the first day. I plan on dressing somewhat sharply, brining my game face, complete with charm, and grace, and spending the day asking questions and doing a whole lot of listening to get started on settling in. Of course, I will probably post how things go, if I have time, tomorrow night.
Or, maybe I’ll have a chance to actually record a show…
One can hope, can’t one?
-Thom
