I need a good name for our new Rat Terrier

Xtina and I have decided that our lives will be complete if and only if we get our own rat terrier puppy. I want you to take a good look at the picture provided and tell me that you don't want one too. Teddy Roosevelt had one! And many say 'nipper,' the dog on the RCA logo, is a rat terrier. Oh, how I love rat terriers.



Working in student affairs has been fine. I have enough time between clerical projects to perform important endeavors, such as researching rat terriers as well as political parties in dutch parliament, or the "tweede kamer." When I was in holland for the '03 election I loved learning about all the parties and the process. They just had another election last week which resulted in a huge win for the socialist party. Metal and I met a young socialist party member in Middleburg who gave Metal his party membership card because "it's important not to have any identification on you 'in case something happens.'"

Thanksgiving was good, we drove to Madison (which is a longer drive than we thought) to have a vegetarian feast with my sister, brother in law and his parents.

Last night we saw 'the devil and daniel johnston' which was great, the night prior we finally watched 'an inconvenient truth' which was also great, but for different reasons.

I'm back at work, I'm not sure when I'll get my interview, and I've decided not to spend time worrying about it. Instead I'll watch 'a charlie brown christmas' tonight on TV.

Two Years of Excellence, or uh, blogging

While I don't have any time to update today and there isn't much new to say anyway, I'm pointing out that today is the two year anniversary of my blog. While I once saw this as a chore, I now enjoy being able to access a day-to-day account of all my adventures in the past two years. I'll try to update soon.

kevdek

sitting, thinking about driving - I mean really driving

I'm at northwestern and I'm just sitting around. I'm not sure why they want me to be here but both of my colleagues don't have much for me (or themselves) to do. That is, unless spending an hour looking at my horoscope is something to do.

At least I'm 'working;' is what I say.

I decided this past weekend to venture out of my apartment and my myself socially vulnerable again. Friday Xtina and I went to a party with friends (haven't done that in years) and Saturday I went to 'Kenny's Art Gallery Cabaret' with Becky.

Xtina is working more hours this week than either of us ever have and I have Thursday and Friday off. She'll get out of work at 2:30 on Thursday and we'll drive to Madison to have Thanksgiving lentil loaf with my sister. My mother likes to call it 'tofurkey.' She thinks it's the funniest word she's ever heard. I recall having a conversation last weekend regarding wheather Madison is 'the portland of the midwest' or 'the ann arbor west of the lake.'

I'm actually really excited to drive there. It doesn't occur often that I drive somewhere I've never been. I miss driving. In fact, I've been thinking lately about all the great times I've had driving in my past. Somehow with every defining moment in my life since age sixteen I have a very distinct driving association. Vacations, concerts, funerals, etc... I've done a lot of good thinking in my time behind the wheel. Chicago isn't good for driving. You rarely get over 25mph and the whole experience makes me more angry than anything. Frequently I want to drive out of the city until I can look around and see no one, just for the experience of being alone again. It seems everyone here has a love/hate relationship with the city. Everyone has their own "F*** this city" moment.

returning to the grind, another lame dream

Last weekend was wonderful. We came back to grand rapids and stayed with our good friends and gratious hosts, Nick and Brooke, who saw that we had a comfortable stay in their beautiful eastown apartment. We went to mulligans, saw friends, and drank like I haven't since I moved. And while I feel homesick for grand rapids and the quality of life it delivers, I'm determined to make it work here despite our insuing depression.

This past weekend was good too, I reconnected with becky and andrew and learned how to play ping-pong to a respectable degree. Saturday morning I woke up and purchased two tickets to see Ryan Adams at the house of blues. And while it isn't typical of me to spend money I don't exactly have, I rationalized the purchase the night before with the incoherent slurs of 'Ryan Adams is on the top of my list of acts to see that I haven't yet, you know, of the ones I can still see, you know that aren't dead yet.' Regardless, I have my tickets (which sold out the minute after I made the purchase) and can't wait until January 18 to see him. I hate it when tickets go on sale months before the show, or maybe january just seems far away.

I'm not working again today, but my staffing agency says I'm in their 'top 3 employees,' whatever that means, and I'm waiting to hear back on a temp job at northwestern in which they have me applied. I'm tired of not working. I'm making good use of my time, applying to jobs on days I'm not working, but I still haven't received anything in return.

Last night I had another lame dream (I have blogged at length on the prevalence of lame dreams in my psyche). I dreamt I was on a swedish geological expedition and on my way back to north africa everyone on the plane had to be searched by soviet authorities. Nervousness and tension abounds.

I understand this is entirely implausible.
And I don't even like that type of movie.

kevdek