Danger!

Surprise, surprise, look who comes crawling back. I find the best time to write my posts is during my human development class which is a snoooOOOOOoozer (in terms of content not presentation). It just doesn't catch my imagination. So let's get you caught up.

Cougars are 0 and 3... bummer. Still hunting for my first win in indoor soccer (not counting PSU's team). We are so close at times but seeing as this is or first session we tend to let the wheels come off. The rest of our schedule leans toward the bottom end of our league so it bodes well for our chances this week.

Totally stoked for the upcoming session of Kid's Play because we are opening a lot more classes this session. Means I will be officially a night student which come the end of the term I may come to regret. But like I was telling Brynn, this is my first (and maybe only shot) at a directing a youth program so I want to do it right. Already I have overcome any doubts about teaching that floated around my head after the termination of my relationship with Portland Indoor because fate intervened and I was able to find a home in Soccerplex. I only want to make this place better.

Newlywed lesson, part XIX... Worst part of the morning is after you wake up and you know you have to leave the warm comfort of the bed with your beautiful wife at your side. I want to say that my morning wake up routine now at least takes ten minutes longer but I don't want to leave the best part of my life.

One day we will get that stupid red car out of the parking lot... someday...

What's happening

Methinks it's time for us to go back to posting maybe two or three times a week. Just a time and energy kind of thing.
Working more and more in hopes of getting the Kid's Play program off the ground before this fall no matter what may happen. I think the potential for it's success is bright and I hope to be able to add that shining jewel to my resume. Just entails a lot of work and i'm definitely putting in the hours at the coal mine which has led to some discussion of balance at home. Which is the eternal plight of the poor college students and to think I wouldn't say that we waste it on random things but rather will be paying the incoming debt (school loan, saving to buy a new car) it unfortunately means working to live. These next few months will be critical as we look to downsize to a one bedroom (we are paying about $100 for an extra room that we use as a storage closet) which means moving, apply for the FASFA for the next fall, and all the while try to squirrel away money little by little but in the end we are so fortunate to be blessed with so much.
Went and saw "Sherlock Holmes" for date night which led to another "Star Trek" where I found Brynn quietly nestled on my arm enjoying the movies they show in dreamland. As for the movie itself... it was ok. Enjoyable but one that you wait for the cheap theaters to pick it up which leads me to some sad news. For the time being the Joy Theater is out of commission which is a shame because the world is in need of more cheap theaters. It's hard to justify why going to the movie should cost $10 aside from the fact that theater owners need some dough to pay for their extravagant buildings. Now granted I dig the stadium seating and reclining seats but when given the choice I think I can bear the terror of sitting in an old padded seat to save seven bucks, sorry Regal. On the way into Cinemagic we ran into Katie coming out which was nice, funny how the city seems to stretch when your life runs out of time to do things. So Katie, you're so grown up now with your teaching job yet you will always be an old woman to me. IDWTTA.
The Cougars are 0-2 after a valiant performance that saw us give it away at the end 3-4 against Chaos Coed, the top team in our division. I believe it was a matter of our motors running out of gas. Luckily this week we get another shot at Umlauts who I think we can hang with and reclaim some Beaverton Stake pride.

Hands on Portland

One of my classes this semester is Leadership for Change. Its been a pretty good class so far... the teacher involves us a ton which is good and I'm never wishing class was over because the discussions are usually pretty interesting. We are required to do 6-8 hours of community service this term. The one I signed up for was scheduled today in Hillsboro at the Hillsboro Family Resource Center. They help low income families in the area. They get donations of clothing and food and then they allow families to come once a month and get the clothing and some food that they need. Its a really cool place that helps those who are really in need. Our job was to sort through the donations that they receive. I will admit it was a little boring and I had a red neck middle aged man next to me making fun of The Shins (they were playing 94.7 which I was really grateful for). I love The Shins! How dare he! But, I am happy I could help and I am grateful for wonderful organizations like this one whose only purpose is to help and make people's lives better. It makes me feel good that there are still good individuals out there who want to help people and not just gain riches and status *cough* verizon *cough*.....  

---Brynn---

As an aside it's funny how people eat. This is something that has limited our diet and the food we prepare on a nightly basis. I come from a 2% milk home though I was never inclined to down the white stuff. But when I get in the mood for cereal I can down a whole bag for myself but it has to be just right, chocolate and lot's of it, with milk filled to the brim. Brynn is just a little bit different... rice milk just covering the bottom and she's down with anything, funny how things work.

---Clifford---

Count it...

Well it's going down and Conan is really getting after NBC and Jay Leno. They deserve it Coco is my guy. I hope they get the message.

Brynn and I are taking a measure of time to veg out instead of doing actual important things. Oh well, worth it now though we'll regret it in the morning.

A few of us from the Maplewood ward have gotten together in order to form a Coed indoor soccer team that plays on Saturdays but we are still looking for some women to fill out roster, any takers?

Save Conan

For those of you who are enlightened you know that there is a problem in the universe (or for the truly enlightened there is a great disturbance in the force). NBC wants to bump our beloved Conan O'Brien to the nebulous universe that is the 12:05 am time slot. All because they want to give Jay "Doesn't have a clue he's not funny" Leno a half hour of prime time show biz real estate. It's this kind of clueless shenanigans that kills shows. I hope NBC suffers and Conan gets the respect he deserves. Head over to the Consumerist to spring into action or delve into Gizmodo's coverage of the late night holy war.

School and and increased workload has vaporized my available free time (aka plop on the couch and vegetate) into a million pieces and has called for dramatic force of will to stay on task and forge on ahead. What's more is that i've lost Brynn to the school bug as we sit next to each other, she huddled under a blanket sleeping as I bang away at the keyboard. Our schedule has made us into busy bees with the only guaranteed time that we will ever see each other is our evening prayers (I peek sometimes, do you?) because goodness knows that we will only stay in bed to sleep for so long (I was up at four last Saturday in order to get ready for work). Life has become a balancing act and we will have to manage our the precious moments that we are together wisely as they will be rare to find in these next few months (years...? Yikes!). I question sometimes whether it is worth all the effort, why can't I just call it a day and move onto other things but as I see our lives already changing for the better and our situation, maturity, and experience developing I envision a world where this time and effort we put in now paying off it's dividends. I also and take time to ponder on what this will mean for our children and how this reflects on our individual upbringing. What I do is a measure of which my parents' labor of love, a love which runs swiftly through my veins and lives deep within my soul. In time as we bring children into the world they will up to me and hopefully down upon us as they stand upon our shoulders. And all I want to do is give them the best view that they can get.

Things I like: Kettle Chips, best kind: Salt and Pepper (with Salt and Vinegar running a close second).

It's upon us

School starts tomorrow the great monolith of monotony but it has to get done. Hopefully when it picks up I will have some interesting classes. ASL should be more challenging as we progress to the 200 level and it will really neat to see everyone develop and start to grasp the conversational aspects of sign. This begins the final run down towards the application process to the ITP program. This is what i've been aiming for about three years. In the end I don't know if I will end up sticking as an interpreter, maybe just as long to pay some bills down and save enough to go back to school. This term will bring a lot of changes to our home with Brynn going back to school I don't how much we will see of each other with work and school we will be in and out a lot. I can only imagine that the house will feel a lot emptier at times but we gotsta get our edumacation. For all of those going back good luck and those unlucky to be out, haha!

Stretch Armstrong

It seems like forever since i've visited the site but nary a week has passed before I doth putteth letters upon this page. A few winners and losers of the past week.

Dorks in a goofy looking hats scored a big win in WINTER STORM '09! You may laugh but as I stood at the bus stop for over an hour and a half my ears were completely toasty? How about yours? Oh... you were inside... dang you. Unfortunaltely for Brynn, Jack Frost forgot to inform her of his plans and she ended up freezing throughout a hellacious four attempt to leave downtown Portland and get home to the warm, warm, heater that I had turned on for her. I believe she got off at 5:00 and caught the 4:15 Sherwood Express which deposited her safely at the transit center around 10:00 pm. At least she wasn't the lady look forlorn when she learned that her bus was due at 6:00... AM! To paraphrase Brynn when the snow blows into Portland all bets are off as people turn into crazy aborigines, stabbing everyone looking to just get ahead.

Your tax dollars lost a big one this year as Portland proved that it is consistent in one thing... year in year out they are woefully unprepared for the frozen miracle from the sky. Let your votes do the talking.

What is it about money and losers. Unitus Credit Union who I allowed to protected by my banner of "they can do no wrong" screwed us over majorly as they told us we would not qualify for a loan or a credit card (no history) to pay for Brynn's education. If that wasn't bad, they were the same people who gave us the advice to wait until we really needed it to apply for said loan before leaving us scrambling on how to finance the term. Tom, the same guy who signed us up and called month after month reminding us that we could sign up for an unsecured credit card broke the news so this one's for you...
Finally we end on a positive note. Christmas. Always a winner was made even sweeter by spending time with two families this year. I wish there was enough time in the world to visit with each one of you during Christmas and New Years but suffice to say we love you all and may the new year bring many great treasures.

Just about finished

One more final to go and what an awesome feeling. Life is peachy and all I have to do is work and sit back and relax until next term. Each of the finals went pretty well all that is left is my ASL final which should be good. Too bad it is conflicting with my sister's graduation from her CNA program. I wish her the best and I am very proud of her. It showed great resolve to do what it takes to get an education and do right by herself and for Michael. Now if only she would get an interpreter...
Been itching somewhat as I have started teaching on a weekly basis and had special circumstance to go down to Salem and get a few classes in. I want to move up. I have been teaching for about eight years now and I think I have what it would take to manage a program. What's exciting about SoccerPlex is that there isn't one but rather a smattering of classes. With what I learned down in Salem (thank you James, Jimmy, and Vern) I think I have the chops to do well. I won't lie in saying the motivation also dwells on money which has been on my mind a lot recently, mainly how we plan on paying for school for Brynn. Next fall it won't be much of problem because goodness knows we will be filling out the FASFA come the turn of the year but that still leaves two terms that we will have to take a loan out. Thankfully Brynn is a much more committed student that I and a loan for her is a good hands and will go over much better than my previous experience.
I love OPB music. One of the discoveries I have made aside from their fantastic Saturday evening programming is their in studio sessions that they post on the web. What is wonderful is that they include lots of local Portland bands that often bring the noise appearing in the Willamette Weekly and Portland Mercury but that I never get the chance to vet for because either I am too busy, too poor, or a combination of both.
Tree day is almost here. We had a little setback as the Boy Scout troop that was supposed to be selling trees at SoccerPlex never materialized on Saturday so we continue to be treeless to Brynn's chagrin. We have just about everything else ready to go including our first stand and I think Brynn has set her heart on a spot right by the couches just as you come in (displacing my stalwart drum set and guitars). I think tomorrow we will end up venturing to Swan Island but I was able to pick up a farm guide so we will see.
Cheap deal going on next Saturday the 19th, we are having a X-Treme Hot Chocolate Party at our house. We have some Stephen's and because of the recommendation of Britt and Brett we will pick up some more delicious drinks in addition to our wonderful flavor enhancers of hazelnut syrup, candy canes, and marshmallows. Feel free to come and to bring your favorites, we are going to have games and of course what would it be without a Christmas movie.

From the first day of ASL 103

I find it odd that the fourth row down, out of only six is where the first guy sits. Only a handful are here in a room dwarfed by a sea of women but my choice to si the furthest up necessitates the question as to the feeling of my brethren. I wish I had a private way to post, to keep record of what's inside. going into a higher class (ASL 103) I have many misgiving of what is expected of me. As a CODA I fear that my ill treatment of a language that I was given will lead to may different hardships brought on by my neglect. Through a lack of use and the circumstances I have been in I no longer have the confidence that my hand will be able to overcome the bad habits they have learned, the lethargic nature which lulls them to sleep, that the fluidity of sign will be foreign, a stranger in their eyes.

Deaf for a Day

I can’t say that in my wildest dreams I could have imagined what the loss of sound would mean to me. In some degree I have always had contact with the Deaf community ever since I was born because my father grew up Deaf. I’ve met many of his closest friends, been to potlucks, watch movies in closed captioning (and subsequently got in trouble for turning the off). My dad is my hero, someone I admire very much and not because he had to overcome very difficult challenges but because when it comes down to it, he is the best dad a son could ask for. In reality I never saw Deafness as a barrier between communicating with him though it provided many experiences unique to growing up as a child of a deaf adult (coda). There were times where I was able to enjoy the music as loud as I wanted, sneak up on him, and wonder what magical powers he possessed in order to catch me doing something I wasn’t supposed to (still in awe today). But from the perspective I gained in a short twenty four hours I can see what one might not have the opportunity to share in and at times it makes me sad. Not because one is limited in the ability to enjoy life even if they are Deaf but because there is so much I would want to share with them, to make them understand precious things that I value in my life. I don’t why it is that some people are called upon in this life to be Deaf or hearing, rich or poor, Caucasian or black but it the grand scheme of things it’s what we personally make of our lives that matters. Who we are and what we mean to others that will be remembered. It is up to each of us to make our mark upon this earth with the time we have upon this mortal plane. With that I would like to share a few of the observations I made while spending my day Deaf.

First and foremost one of the things I lost was the ability to easily communicate. This is the desire I think of every sentient being, to commune with others of a like mind, to share in thought and feeling the challenges that life present. A while back I was sharing with my dad a few of the things I had been learning in my Deaf Studies class when I asked him about his thoughts about his Deafness. One of the things he mentioned was that in his life he had not had much of a desire to hear things but that hearing would allow him to do some things better and that communicating was the most prominent thing that he wanted. Speech plays a big part of my daily life and in the lives of those around me. As soon as I wasn’t able to hear what my wife said I began to realize that I in fact had lost one of the tools that I needed to access the support of those around me. It became readily apparent in the car when again and again we couldn’t because of the barrier of Deafness share simple things. Because we haven’t had much time together my wife, Brynn, doesn’t know much American Sign Language (ASL), so as she dropped me off at school we were limited to a brief exchange of culminating in one of the few signs she has down (both in signing it and reading it), “I love you”. This would be one that we frequently came back to as we spent the many hours together trying to make sense of what one another’s gestures and body language. I could not bear it. I had chosen this particular day for many reasons and among them was that it would afford me time to spend at home with my wife and that we could share in the experience of being Deaf. This is something that my dad, along with millions of others have to deal with on a daily basis, it is their reality. Yet the strain of out not being able to bear our souls to one another was weighing down upon us and grew increasing frustrating and though we couldn’t talk, I could see. One exchange during dinner was particularly disheartening because we weren’t able to simply recount our days, something that has become a habit whenever we sit down to eat dinner. Now granted, being able to bless the food in ASL was really special because it reminded me of the very sacred experiences where I was called upon to interpret at church and being able to show that to Brynn was very special. As dinner progressed and I tried everything; finger spelling, sign, writing, gesturing, what would have taken maybe a minute or two progressed to a seemingly all night affair, through dinner and games communication crawled at a snails pace as we searched for the best way to bond. Ultimately we gave in and watched a favorite TV program of ours, “Flight of the Conchords”, because even though we subscribe to Netflix and are able to stream thousands of movies through our television very few of the movies are subtitled (typically foreign movies). In fact a while back when in ASL class, we had been shown the website for the National Association of the Deaf (NAD), I noted that one of the posts linked to a letter that the NAD had sent the company in hopes of calling them out on the lack of captioning and options that are currently being offered for Deaf people to receive the full value of their Netflix subscriptions. This is something that I personally have encountered in the past when showing my dad how great Netflix was and the things that could be done the deal breaker was the fact that the site does not caption the movies that it streams, and that is a shame in this day and age. Because of this we watched our DVD of “Flight of the Conchords” because our present options were limited. Even then from my past experience with the show what I viewed was only a shell of what I had known. Flight of the Conchords is a band as well as a show and most of the humor is in fact derived from the music that the duo creates. There are subtle nuances to how the music interplays with the acting and music that really make the show dynamic and as we watched (because I had asked Brynn watch an episode with no sound) a lot of the humor was lost in translation. After only two episodes I had grown somewhat weary of missing out on whole lot of what was being voiced and played through the speakers.

I felt one of the objectives of this project and paper was to help us to visualize what the daily interactions of a Deaf person with the world at large. For me personally that includes using the phone, riding the bus, and going to class most days of the week. It means spending time with people who are not as patient or loving as my wife and who may not have the time to slow down and communicate with me. This is why I made sure that the time I spent Deaf would be one that included a necessary excursion into the outside world. I do have to admit that I choose to go to my Deaf Studies class on this day because I wanted to be able to have to rely upon the use of Sign Language as my main mode of communication and because there are interpreters who use ASL and my teacher is Deaf I knew that I would able to successfully accomplish this endeavor. Luckily I had a guide in how to act Deaf in the classroom, Chewy. I had observed him at time throughout this term and had gleaned some ideas of the things that a Deaf person would need in order to set themselves up to be successful in the class. Above all else would be the need to receive information both from the teacher and the students. I had observed that Chewy always sat in spot near the front where he could see both the teacher and the interpreters who communicated the students and teachers remarks to one another. He also was very attentive moving back and forth between interpreter and teacher, which I cannot say that I am. In my experience I often doodle between taking down notes and sharing in class because it helps me to concentrate on the speaker while occupying some truant part of my mind. In doing so I rely upon the one thing that I would not have in being Deaf and that is the ability to hear speech. I made a few mistakes though the course of the night including being one of the last ones there because when I arrived there were few seats available and the ones that were open towards the front did not provide the best view of my teacher as he signed. Often he found his way towards the computer and behind the monitor when he presented a new slide and that would obscure his signs. I don’t think I will pay a dear price for it in the long run but if this was the situation that occurred week after week I am not sure how I would be able to keep my grades up and receive the information that I needed to succeed. I also suffered at the hands of my greatest weakness when it comes to knowing ASL and that is reception of signs. Growing up I never was able to fine-tune that because my dad is able to speak. That is one of the reasons that I have chosen to take this class is because I feel in order to overcome this weakness I need to expose myself to as much sign as possible and a variety of people who sign. Because as I have found out in a short twenty-four hours, communication is everything, it is how we interact with one another and the world and if I can help facilitate communication between the hearing world and the Deaf world I think the world will be that much better. We will have access to one another’s souls and be able to share what is special about each one of us.

Woooo weee

Finally finished the week per se and I couldn't be happier.

I went into this first week of school pretty sure of myself and feeling I had picked the right balance of classes, a mix of doing what I need to do (ASL, Spanish) with what I want to do (Graphic Design.) Well a few kinks (like not being able to continue in the GD program this winter unless I took and passed another two courses) and nights spent worrying as I lived life on the wait list. But after quite a bit of finagling I think I ended up in the right spot (though with an armload of more books.... goodbye financial aid) and on course to enter the ITP program by next fall (crossing my fingers).

A few highlights... my Deaf studies class is taught by Champ from Anchorman and one of the interpreters is Alec Baldwin.



It's a great class and one thing that I have been very impressed with is that all my ASL teachers have been Deaf which will help give me added insight into what is expected of me as I hope to be successful in working within the Deaf community. Still havemy reservations. Of those in my classes I would say about 80 percent raised their hands to respond to the question of who wanted to be a interpreter. The thing is that entrance into the ITP program you have to demonstrate the skills necessary to be only one of twenty five admitted into the program per year. Odds are slim... yikes!