Being Noticed

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t is a New Year and time to count my lucky stars. I've been lucky enough to be noticed on the pages of RBJ, again...Thanks to Grace for giving me a heads up.. Carlos at the Rice Bowl Journal dos a great job of keeping people interested in his and one of the ways he does this is by visiting places and putting up quotes that he feels could be of interest to other RBJers. He began this with a section call Consider Yourself Quoted, for which I've been quoted *ahem* three times.

Recently, he seems to want to get more people involved so he started another section called You've Been Noticed. The quotes are shorter in length and stay up for shorter periods of times, but he is able to give more people attention this way. I'm lucky enough to be "noticed" for the first time, recently.

I attribute this, of course, to the successful end of the Bruin football season. Now I can put away my angst for another year--actually, it's more like seven months until fall practice begins--and focus on what I do best: Make fun of myself.

I'm not sure, but there is something beneficial to being self-deprecating. It usually comes off better than being boastful, as so many people are when they think they are being anonymous. But being self-deprecating also projects a good image, one of a blogger who can laugh at himself and make fun of himself, which conversely indicates a sense of self-confidence. I mean, who would ridicule himself if he didn't have any confidence, didn't feel comfortable in his own skin? Of course, being anonymous makes this easier, too.

Be that as it may, I have recently had a spate of new subscribers, and I welcome them with open arms to the O-man's world.

But enter at your own risk.

Resolution 2006

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very year, I resolve to accomplish something that ultimately I cannot fulfill to my own satisfaction, such as: lose weight, exercise more, save money, et cetera, et cetera. Maybe I have too maybe I have to many resolutions. Take last year for example. I had four resolutions--exercise more, make M happy, publish, make an honest effort to write my own story. Unfortuately, I only fulfilled one with any success and another with only a modicum of success. Two, I failed at miserably. So what whoudl I do?

Well, last Sunday on Meet the Press, William Saffire--the conservative columnist for he times--said that his resolution was to be optimistic. And it kind of struck a chord with me. Simple, uncomplicated. I've been so negative this past year--indeed, the past few years--that I sometimes cannot even stand myself. Of course, the various events in my life--such as the death of both parents, M's immigation situation, heavy teaching load, little pay--likely play a significant role in this.

But maybe, just maybe, the situation starts with me. I can let the various circumstances take over my life, or I can wrest control of my life back. And the first step is to manifest a sense of optimism. I just have to deal with the various situations in life with a sense of optimism. That is when I do my best work, so I gotta get control back and view life with a much brighter outlook.

Yup, that's the ticket.

This year's resolution is to be optimistic. Do not let anything drag me down. Always look for that siver lining, and things should... SHOULD take care of themselves.

Here's to a great 2006, guys!

Resolution Score Card

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ast year, I made some resolutions and thought that it might be good to grade myself, as this does happen to be my field of expertise (grading, not psycho-analyzing). By evaluating myself, I run the risk of self-flagellation, but it may also compel me to work harder to realize these resolutions--all made with the best of intentions, mind you. If nothing else, it might lead me to conjure up realistic, more viable resolutions, thereby giving me a fighting chance to actually fulfill them. Anyway, the following is the list of four resolutions an their corresponding grades.

1. Make M happy: B I did well, if not perfect, I think. I tried not to take work home--except during finals when I have a ton to grade--and for the most part, I succeeded. When I was at home, I spent more much time with family than with work. I also cut back time on Xanga. I'm not sure how obvious this was, but if you look back through the archives, you will notice that I averaged fewer entries per month than previously. I doubt anyone would actually check me on this, so just take my word.
2. Publish: A- I finally got a paper out and it will appear as a chapter in a book later this year. If you're interested, it is a book on the poet Basho, and I suggested a new approach to analyzing renga--linked verse--as the traditional method is anachronistic, in my view. I gave myself a "minus" because it was only one article and not a book... But it's a start.
3. Write my story: C I wrote about myself and various portions of my life on Xanga, but this something I normally do anyway. The issue is that I have not organized it or produced anything that might even resemble anything close to an extended, coherent story.
4. Exercise more: D This is where I really messed up. There was a time when I prided myself in my love to exercise, but with work and other responsibilities, time is really at a premium. The "D" may sound like a harsh grade, but the net result of my lack of exercise manifested itself last November when I found myself worried that I might be having a heart attack. I avoided an "F" because in the summer, I did manage to lose about 10 pounds exercising, although I have regained about half of it back, thanks to the rich foods over the holidays.

So I guess that leaves me with a GPA of 2.425. Pretty pathetic by the standards I like to think I hold, but maybe just above average in the greater scheme of things.

In case you're wondering, I'm still pondering resolutions for this year. Sometime this week, I'm sure...

To my Sis

And today is my sister's B-day. She is younger than me, but not by much. She is just about wrapping up her first half century, just as I did last year. She doesn't really read my site--she did once for about a week, but stopped because it stressed her out too much--How can you expose yourself in public?!? This suggests that she is a very private person, but it should also let you know that I really do reveal a great portion of myself honestly and openly on these pages... although, this may not necessarily be a good thing.

Anyway, if you're reading this, Happy Birthday Sis!

Starting 2006

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t's already the 3rd and I haven't blogged once yet. So I guess this is my first official entry for the new year. I hope everyone started the new year on the right foot. Mine has been rather subdued, after a rather tipsy New Year's Eve. Oh yeah, before I forget, I FINISHED GRADING. Thanks to those of you who asked. It's nice to know people actually care.

So anyway, I finished grading on New Years Eve, late in the afternoon, then M and I went out to do some shopping for New Year's Day. After shopping at Lotte, the local Corean store, we went to Blockbuster to get some videos--I just love watching movies, y'know? But as we headed home, we veered towards a place called Artie's, an American grill that serves pretty decent food out here in Fairfax, VA. Of course, we weren't there for the food.

Two pints, please.

The bar was decked out in streamers and balloons. Kinda corny but very New Year's Eve-ish. We suck on three glasses, a group of four stroll in and ask if we might not move down a couple of bar stools. We oblige and the guy offers to buy us a beer. I decline, of course--I can't be accepting drinks for being normal, i.e. considerate and neighborly--but he tells us to pull of couple of draughts for us anyway, and we raise our glasses to a great 2006. We are on our fifth drink when we decide that it might be prudent to leave while I'm still relatively sober--it's still only 8:30 PM. But as we drive, as carefully as I can, and then decide to go to the local dive, Glory Days.

Now, we haven't been there for quite awhile. Almost four months, actually. The last time we were there, M and I had a brief spat. When I think about it now, we were an annoyance to those around us, especially since we are arguing in Japanese. We know the bartenders so they didn't want to kick us out, I guess, but I felt like we got the bum's rush, which irked me the following day. I would have much rather that they just tell us to cool it, but they decided that it would be better if we were not there. So I decided to oblige them and I haven't been there since. No harm, actually, I've been saving some money by drinking at home instead. This is not a bad thing. But on New Year's Eve, we decided to drop by to wish whoever was bartending a Happy New Year, because I figure I won't be seeing them anytime soon. The main guy, Blair, was quitting to go home to Arizona, I learned, so I was glad that I went to say goodbye to him. And since I was there, I picked up about 9 stuffed animals from the crane game, just for good measure.

Good bye, Glory Days.

Well, we got home about 10 PM and were planning to celebrate the New Year, but we ended up crashing, M in bed with all her clothes on; me on the sofa. I woke up around 4 AM with a huge hangover. Ugh. Throbbing head, dry mouth, just awful. I took two aspirins and went back to sleep. I bolted upright at 11 AM.

HH was coming...

That's right, we had guests coming on January 1st and we had not prepared the night before as we had planned to. So for two very furious hours, we cooked like mad. Actually, this was good for the hangover. As M always says, moving the body (exercise) will cure a hangover. By the time HH, a colleague from work, dropped by, we were ready to go. HH is from Japan via UT in Austin. He is here in DC to teach part time, and I thought it would be a nice gesture to invite him and his family over for New Year's. We had a nice visit. We are not especially rich, but we had plenty of mochi (rice cakes) and sashimi to eat. Their baby is pretty young, so they left early, which actually proved to be beneficial for our recovered yet still exhausted bodies...

Since then we have seen three DVDs and are still in the midst of a Monopoly game--I currently own everything from Oriental to New York, except for the Electric Company, and the green lot, Pacific, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. It is only a matter of time before I win. Of course, M and Chip have the competitive spirit of gnats, so winning is perhaps not so satisfying. *sigh*

As you can see, my New Year has been rather uneventful. How has yours been?

Happy New Year

A great and productive year for everyone,
from the
O-man