AZ

Things I love about winter break in Tempe:

1. Wearing shorts, sandals and a T-shirt all day (that is, what's left of the day by the time I finally change out of my new Christmas pajamas).

2. Perfect tennis weather every afternoon.

3. The Arizona sunset:

And much more... but I mainly just wanted to post this picture. My tiny cell phone camera made me proud with this semi-decent quality snapshot.

Christmas Makeover

Christmas 2009 will hold a unique place in my memory for several reasons. Aside from it being my first Christmas home since my mission and the only Christmas I've spent as the oldest kid home, this year's Christmas will be remembered as the year I got nothing I necessarily wanted but everything I needed.

I didn't get a hippopotamus for Christmas. I also didn't get the official Red Ryder, carbine action, two-hundred shot range model air rifle I've been dreaming about. I didn't even get my two front teeth. I only got one.

That's right, I got a new front tooth. I finally had a permanent crown made for the tooth I smashed in a bike crash in fifth grade. But that was only part of my Christmas makeover. I also had years of imperfect eyesight transformed into 21st century high-def vision after a trip to the optometrist that ended with me ordering glasses. To top it all off, I was given a bunch of new underwear and a package of soap. I'm not sure if there was some subliminal messaging there... but regardless, I appreciate my enhanced cleanliness since Christmas.

Although I may not have been given anything super exciting like a nice television, a new car, or a small island in the pacific, I was given exactly what I needed to be given. In other words, I never could have afforded a crown or a nice pair of glasses or a new set of under garments on my own. Well, maybe the underwear wouldn't be out of my price range if I saved my pennies... but I digress...

So now, after my Christmas makeover, I can wear clean underwear, see clearly, and bite things better than ever before. Each of these things is a great Christmas miracle in its own respect. But the greatest Christmas miracle of all is the fact that my mom was always by my side to foot the bill as I acquired major dental, optical, and wardrobe-related expenses.

Maybe this time next year I'll take her with me to a car dealership. Until then, I'll just have to be content with her annual addition to my Hotwheels collection.

The End of the Beginning

“I want everyone to take out a sheet of paper and respond to the following question:

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“How do you feel about writing?”

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-Shayne Clarke, MCom 320, day 1

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At the beginning of the semester, I didn’t know quite how to answer such a vague question. I didn’t know what my professor was looking for or how I could respond in order to earn full points. After all, I needed an A in the class if I wanted to apply to the accounting program.

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I believe I have learned a valuable lesson since then. Writing is like a falcon. When caged in by grading rubrics and point values, all it really does is sit there and look pretty. When the irksome leash of GPA requirements holds back writing from its natural habitat of creativity, awesome potential sits dormant.

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But if the falcon flies off into the sunset and never comes back, what do I turn in to my teacher? I still need enough points to get my A.

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So I guess this is one of those, “there’s a fine line between…” scenarios. Can I really fly free in my writing? Or do I have to stay true to rigid form? Can I write my next formal business report in rhyming couplets with metaphoric subtleties? Or do I have to use OABC, HATS, CARBS, and simple words? If I’m assigned to write about writing, can I write about falcons instead?

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Conclusion: Yes.

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It’s my writing. I can do whatever I want. If I want to compose the most perfected business report, employing every tip and trick in Baker’s book, that’s what I’ll do. If I simply want to whittle with words or tell you that baby falcons are named eyasses, that’s what I’ll do. However, I will never name my babies anything ending in those five letters.

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Coming into MCom 320, I was excited to be done with writing. But now that my GE requirement is finally complete, my writing is far from it. This entry represents the end of my blogging assignment, but this semester has really been just the beginning. I learned to love writing for writing’s sake. I realized how fulfilling it is to dig up just the right word and nestle it in just the right place. Is it being graded? I’m glad I don’t have to care any more, but it wouldn’t make much difference. I’ll keep on writing.

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So four months late, I feel I can finally complete my day-one MCom assignment. I love writing. I love writing because it’s mine. I love writing because it can get right down to business when an evaluation report is suddenly due during finals week. And I love writing because it can soar free on a crisp December evening, long after the testing center doors have closed on a hectic semester. Diving, tumbling, in hot pursuit, or effortlessly floating into the sunset on the current of imagination.

Professor Powell

I woke up this morning as an unemployed member of society. That was nothing out of the ordinary - I haven't had a real job in nearly three years. The crazy thing is, I'm about to go to bed officially hired for not one, but two jobs. Despite much searching, numerous applications, and several interviews at various places since getting home from my mission nearly 9 months ago, I never managed to land a job. With zero income and a rapidly depleting savings account, I've been living on cold cereal and PB&J's, and avoiding nearly everything that costs anything.

Now that I have two jobs, I'll still be living on cold cereal and PB&J's and avoiding nearly everything that costs anything. But at least my bank account wont run out as fast. That will be nice.

The first job I got has a pretty random story to it. Actually the random story is more about how I didn't get hired a month ago when I applied, even though I was told in my interview that they would hire me the next day. But I don't feel like writing that random story at the moment. If you're dying to know what happened, ask me sometime.

The second job I got is awesome. Since I'm apparently not in the mood to write out long explanations right now, I decided to spare myself (and all you loyal readers) a thousand words by including the following picture:

(click the image for larger detailed view)

I guess you can call me Professor Powell now. Let me know if you want to add my class!