Yeah, I know I’ve been lazy with this bog since the new year started, despite my “it’s gonna be part of my daily routine” spiel. Oh well, here’s my latest attempt at getting back on track. I present to you, oh wondrous blogosphere, my February 2010 12 of 12.
This morning, I finally got around to cutting my hair, just in time for my excursion to the Lone Star State. With the buzz, I like to cut it, at the very least, once every two weeks. Every week is ideal, but I get lazy (surprise). This time, I’ve gone over a month between cuts, which is the longest I’ve gone since I buzzed my head almost five years ago. It hasn’t been a big deal, though. The way I see it, I’ve had no where to go and no one to impress. Here are some pics.
The NCAA rejected FSU’s appeal regarding the decision to strip Bobby Bowden of 14 wins because of a cheating scandal. I realize I’m biased because of my fan loyalty to THE Florida State University, but this is NOT right. Bowden was the head football coach, so yes he is responsible for his players’ actions…to a point. There was no evidence that Bowden, or any of the coaching staff for that matter, had anything to do with some players cheating on a test. So, I don’t see why the NCAA is penalizing Bowden. The University already punished those students and TA’s involved, and the NCAA revoked some scholarships as well. FSU even took the high road and reported the incident to the NCAA itself before it leaked out through the media. The way I see it, this is the NCAA trying to make a statement, using one of the game’s legendary figures as an example of what NOT to do.
Psssst…Hey, NCAA…I’ve got a dirty little secret for you:
CHEATING EXISTS EVERYWHERE, especially with major sports programs. Duh. Now, understand that I do NOT, in any way, condone academic dishonesty. But, let’s be honest and get real for just a second here. FSU is not the first school at which athletes have cheated, nor will it be the last. I appreciate the NCAA taking a firm stand to curb it, if not prevent it. But punishing the coach for something he had no part of is wrong. The NCAA was wrong about the whole “Seminole” mascot thing and it’s wrong about this. Wake up, NCAA, and smell the Icy Hot. Of course, I shouldn’t really expect anything different. After all, this is the same organization that is contemplating paying student athletes and determines its national football championship using a computer.
…skiing, that is.
I went skiing for the first time today. Xan and I visited her aunt in New Hampshire, and we strapped on some skis and went gliding around a golf course for a couple of hours. I’ve wanted to ski for a while now but didn’t really have the opportunity living in Texas, Illinois, and Florida. A little cross country jaunt, I think, was the perfect introduction to getting around on skis: no danger of falling a few hundred (or thousand, even) feet and minimal risk of injury. Plus, it was fun! And I was pretty good at it, especially considering it was my very first time on skis. Here are a couple of pics:
There’s a lot more balance involved in skiing than I previously thought. I can’t even begin to imagine what it’s like zig-zagging down a mountain at 65 mph.
On a slightly related note, Xan’s family is awesome. It really makes me wish I had a bigger family circle closer to me. Don’t get me wrong: I love going to the Philippines to see my cousins, but the way I see it, I would enjoy it that much more if we could see each other more than once every five years. I’ve always wanted a (relatively) big family, or at least a large extended family who would gather at holidays and celebrate birthdays and have little traditions and lots of inside jokes. I feel blessed and thankful that Xan’s family has accepted me into their tight-knit circle. And I feel confident that my family back in the motherland will do the same for her.
Be they long blurbs about my latest philosophical enlightenment, diatribes defending the boys from Dublin, or simply short blurbs about my day, one of my goals in 2010 is post more entries. The way I see it, this blog can be a part of a daily routine that will help to help me manage my time better and keep me more organized.
To that end, this first one’s going to be short and sweet. It’s late and I’m tired, but I kicked off the new year nicely. It was a low-key affair. Xan and I took our time getting out of bed, but got ourselves presentable and had a couple of her college friends over to hang out and relax. We talked, ate, and drank as the Seminoles of THE Florida State University send off Bobby Bowden in style with a convincing 33-21 win over West Virginia in the Gator Bowl. A little Wii bowling was up next (after shaking off A LOT of rust), capped off by finishing season 3 of one of my new favorite shows, Entourage. Not bad way to ring in the new year.
To a happy, successful, memorable 2010!
The semester’s been crazy, so I haven’t updated in a very long time. Nonetheless, here’s my December 2009 12 of 12.
My car passed a milestone today. Happy 70th, Jeannie. 70,000th mile, that is!
And for this momentous occasion, I got you some bad weather.
Yup, you guessed it: that’s snow. In the middle of October. What…the…f***?!? Not cool, Mother Nature.. Not cool at all.
The way I see it, it’s the perfect end to a pretty crap-ass week.
In all its glory, my October 2009 12 of 12, with pics taken using just my iPhone. It’s good to be back.
The first day of school always makes me a little nervous. It’s a good nervousness, though, the kind that’s mixed with the excitement of possibility. In less than an hour, I’ll be in front of the first class of the new school year–class of freshmen, nonetheless–so the nerves for that class are extra jittery. I’m not quite as nervous as I was last year, probably because it’s not the first day of my first year as a professor. But I liken this nervousness to the feeling one gets right before going on stage to perform or before going out onto the field to play a big game. I get these nerves just about every day that I teach, but it’s especially pronounced on the first day of school. The slate is clean (on both sides of the desk), there’s new blood in the building, and the school year is rife with opportunity and untapped potential. I know that once classes get rolling the nerves will fade away. But I enjoy being nervous before school. The way I see it, it means that I care. Here’s to hoping I always have first-day jitters.
Christopher Endrinal 