i have decided to re-name the state in which i currently reside. its new name: mew nexico. not only does this name refer to our feline friends of the world (which we all know that i am so fond of), but it also reflects the slightly paradoxical nature of the state. while driving to white sands last weekend, we passed a few military "missile testing areas," something that a native oregonian (such as myself) does not see everyday, or anyday for that matter. we were fortunate, however, in that we found no need to activate the "missile dodging" feature of casey's thoroughly equipped vehicle. (casey, as neal mentioned earlier, was our host for the trip. his vehicle can be seen in the first picture of neal's latest post. not only is his ride pretty awesome, but he's a pretty swell guy too). we also passed the trinity site, which is where the first nuclear bomb was tested on july 16, 1945.

while the radioactivity is most likely nil at this point, one cannot help but imagine the impact it had on its surroundings at one point in time. and whose to say that there isn't a small amount of radioactivity leftover, even now, a few weeks from its 60-year anniversary? to sum up my point, i blame my desire to re-name this state on: 1- the possibility that i was exposed to whatever level of radioactivity that remains at the trinity site (it could have happened!); 2- the banter of neal and casey (not only does it make me laugh, but it inspires me in many many unmentionable ways); 3- a growing sense of boredom on weekdays; and 4- a lack of feline friends in my life (this point, while possibly true, was mostly mentioned for fun. the "mew" relationship to our furry friends is merely a coincidence. but such strong coincidences cannot be ignored). to further explain point number 3, in my day-to-day existence, i am trying to find the balance between "vacation" and "self-growth." sometimes it feels good to turn off your brain for awhile. but with too much down time, one's brain can slip into a crevice from which recovery is nearly impossible. conversely, one's brain can also erupt from over-stimulation...leaving only a quivering gray mass from which nothing but incoherent ramblings are possible. finding the balance between these two extremes is the sought-after goal. (i can only hope that it's not too late). and now, at this point, i can't help but feel that i am rambling a bit, hopefully not to incoherently, but possibly leaving you slighty bored, slighlty confused, or at best, slightly entertained. overall, i just felt that i owed it to you, as well as to myself, to spout out a few of the thoughts floating inside of my quivering mass. i hope you've either thoroughly enjoyed or entirely hated these thoughts. and i'm not particular on which you felt, just as long as something in your own quivering mass was stimulated. and please don't forget... stealing the sand is a crime.

it is, as they say, official. hollye and i have attained the oft coveted title of desert explorers extrodinaire. the trip was terse and at times, meandering. but, to be honest, due to the fact that it was there, it must have been done. and done it was. the players were somewhat, but not entirely predictable. hollye, neal, and casey (new crazy guy from OSU but now, temporarily, of albuquerque) set out for the stark and unforgiving white dunes at 8am and returned no earlier than 8pm. what filled the seconds, minutes, and hours inbetween is the stuff of legends...

...three days and counting...watch out world, here i come. i'm calling it: the life drivetastic, with alex volpe...more later..

well folks... i have good news and bad news.... which do you want first? the bad news? ok...

indocilis was down for awhile. and during the down time we lost a couple (2-3) comments.

the good news, its back up and on a new fast and "better" server! yay!

so... read and post away you little munchkins!

we have made it safely to albuquerque, and we have a home! a furnished studio apartment... but we have access to a pool! sweet cheese! alas, we are in the process of deciding if we'll get internet at the pad. mucho dinero! so please, we beg for your forgiveness!

There are some experiences in life that are common to every man. How one reacts to these types of experiences is often based on lessons learned from the prudent men who have come before him. “If I can see further than other men, it is because I stand on the shoulders of giants,” is very applicable quote for this post.

 So. The next time you’re walking down the streets of downtown Corvallis at 3am with far too much alcohol in you’re bloodstream, and you pass a Burger King with an enormous inflatable Darth Vader on the roof, and the huge Darth Vader shouts out to you and says “HEY, YOU THERE. WOULDN’T I LOOK GREAT IN YOUR LIVING ROOM?” You should respond, “Yes!” and climb onto the roof, remove him from his perch, and carry him home.

May the force be with you.

as you all should be aware of by now, i am...without doubt....a sex educator. unfortunately, due to sleep deprivation and a mild case of delerium...yesterday, not three minutes from the end of my last class of the day, i informed a group of eighth graders that i believed that virtually all of them were going to have sex that day. woops. what i MEANT to say, was that i believed that they would all become sexually active at some point in their life. that one might get me in some trouble. and since i don't really get to talk to you guys much...here are a few other memorable moments:

1) i was asked what my second job was (?) and then asked if it was at abercrombie and fitch

2) i was told 'that shirt is HOT' by an eighth grader (eeeee)

3) i was asked if i had 'ever been on that show 'room raiders' because you totally look like this one guy that was on it!'

the others aren't printable on a family site like this. bye for now. congrats to all you school type people who are almost going to be normal. you should have stayed in school though...i'm just saying...

here i am, working away on a project that is nothing more than academic. recentely i have had two thoughts that i would like to share with our vast reading audience.

1. i talk too much.
2. sometimes i think that i would like to be a journalist who writes about social and political issues in a variety of locations.

they are both fairly recent thoughts, and im not sure that i have fully sussed out the ins and outs of the two of them... i can say, however, with a nose-bleedingly high degree of accuarcy, that they are, in deed, thoughts i have, or have not, had.

and now, for putting up with all of the very little and annoyingly phrased words... you get a picture!

those were the days

i see the end, and it is near! it will be sooooooooooo nice to be done with school. expect more posts from me in about a week and a half!