September 21, 2009
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Emmies Schmemmies!!!
The Daily News
1 Fun weekend. Niners AND Raiders made a lot of us smile; the Giants continue to confuse us, but are still loveable, the Sharks look…worrisome, and the San Jose Giants took the crown!
2 Cal’s got the Best guy in town, and is making people look. Stanford beat SJ State, and we have to worry about THEM.
3 Even the A’s have been doing it.
4 Even though I’m a HUGE Niner fan, I found myself screaming for the Raiders, just because of all THEIR fans have been through the past few years. It wasn’t pretty, but it was a “W” against a classic rival.
5 I think my favorite personal thing about the 49ers win was that this is the first game my Dad has been to since my Mom became paralyzed in 2002. He’s had season tix since just about the 49ers were invented, so he went up to Candlestick to tailgate with his best friends, some of whom I’ve known my entire life. It’s called Candlestick again, and when Gore did his first run, all I could think of was how AWESOME it was that he was back in the game.
6 My Dad, not Gore.
7 But yeah, Gore.
Frank Gore is about to run over 75 yards for a TD
in Sunday’s game.8 Moving on: I’m amazingly disinterested in the Emmy Awards each year, or any Awards show for that matter. I really don’t watch much television, to be honest. I use the teevee as a sort of loud, brash lamp that constanly blares in the background, but I just don’t get out much when it comes to teevee, or even movies.
9 This year’s Emmy’s broke the mold for bad taste. I now remember why I avoid them altogether.
10 Like it that way. I’m spending time planning classes, and writing songs these days.
11 I’ve no intention of recording, performing, or anythinging with the songs, just enjoying the challenge. Up to a month ago, I had written one song ever.
12 In the past three weeks, I’ve written four songs and have six that actually have melody, chords, and a fun rhythm. I just need to get lyrics for them.
13 Fun hobby, to be sure. I’m reading a book called All You Need is Ears by the Beatles’ producer George Martin. REALLY fun ideas by one of the best in the business.
14 So the songs sound a bit like a cross between the Beatles and America, although I’ve written a beach song too!
15 SO fun. I do it during my prep period, which bucks up against lunch, giving me around an hour and a half each day to work. The room is air-conditioned, comfortable, and quiet, so it is really ideal.
16 Moving on: Fear not; I haven’t been wasting the taxpayers’ money. I spent all day Sunday doing prep work for my classes, and in the next three weeks I’ll be reading LOTS of papers and doing grading into the night. I just like having a nice break during the morning. Keeps me fresh and lively during my lessons.
17 A fun assignment I gave last week was for the students to tell me how they got their names. Always fun, and always entertaining. I’ll share with y’all when I get them tomorrow.
18 To get them started, I told them how my own name came into being.
19 Hope this isn’t boring, but here goes:
20 I was named after my Dad’s brother, who went missing in action in WWII, the Big One.
21 It was during the Memphis Belle raids, and his plane allegedly went down in the Irish Sea.
22 A few years ago, my Aunt and my cousin traveled to Ireland, where they were told that probably he had perished in that piece of history.
23 They came back, and the family held a ceremony up at Golden Gate National Cemetary, the one you see as you look off 280 on the way up to San Francisco. It’s in San Bruno.
24 I don’t remember too much about that day except that it was partially cloudy, with a light breeze. An American flag waved, giving it a great amount of dignity.
25 They had a gravestone placed in order to honor him.
26 I remember glancing up and seeing the stone.
27 It had my full name on it.
28 Very strange.
29 At the time I thought of taking a picture of it and using it for my rock album cover.
30 When the students inevitably ask what my first name is, I usually answer, “Mr. I was named after Saint Mister.” This keeps them from calling me by my first name.
31 “What IS your first name, Mr. H?”
32 I don’t lie. “It’s Bud. You can imagine the comments I’ve gotten over the years: ‘Were you named after a beer?’ “
33 Ah, and other things.
34 My answer?
35 “I was named after a rose.”
36 Go ahead, you can smile. It’s allowed. = ) <——–cute little sideways smiley dude
37 The other day, I said that, and some guy said, “You were named after a sleigh…?”
38 ”A sled,” I responded, and we BOTH got the allusion. He smiled, and it was a great end to a Friday.
39 And now, it’s a great beginning to a Monday.
40 Live life, love life.
41 Fly low; it’s Monday.
42 Peace.
~H~
