December First-ness And I-talians

So I was walking home one night after work, down Center Street where a number of bars and restaurants are located, when I passed by eight or nine people speaking Italian. They were quite loud and fairly drunk and nearly obnoxious and exactly what downtown Rutland needs at night (i.e., life). As I passed by however, without thinking, I murmured "Scusi" and kept walking. My question is:

Do I subconsciously know Italian, and if so, does it only present itself in situations where I am around the language and try not to think about knowing said language, and if so, how awesome is that?

And now, further slightly racist photos.

Random Summer-ness Miscellany

Some random photos from over the summer. Clearing them out before winter arrives. (Which is basically last week.)


The inside of the Club on the weekend. Very dark. Very quiet.


Basically why I stopped going to church. Well, this and Harry Potter. It's kind of a long story.


Outside my apartment. Third floor. The luggage carrier is mine. Or more accurately, mine parent's.


Another view of the third floor foyer, from the luggage carrier's POV. Note the stairs that ascend into nothingness.


My kitchen on a clean summer's day. See you next June, I guess.

Deep Thoughts Before Sleepy Time

I'll try to post some miscellaneous pics this weekend, but until then, here is literally the funniest thing ever written:

To me, it's always a good idea to always carry two sacks of something when you walk around. That way, if anybody says, "Hey, can you give me a hand?," you can say, "Sorry, got these sacks.

-Jack Handey

Nacht of the Living Dead

O Halloween! O Night of Nights! O saints be praised! O dead be walking! O crazies be crazed!

This week was Halloween week at the Club, which meant I got to be in the parade again! On Tuesday we had our Halloween party, then on Wednesday we marched in the Rutland Halloween Parade. (Complete with its own Wikipedia entry!) Unlike last year, however, we had an actual float this time. Unfortunately, the camera ran out of batteries before the parade began. Here are some sweet pics.


Our lovely kitchen.


Our lovely lion.


Our lovely werewolf.


A lovely game of Pass the Pumpkin.


Our lovely photographer.


Actual Halloween night, right before the parade, right before the camera ran out of batteries. In all, we had a Ninja Turtle, a Spider-Man, a witch, a vampire geisha, a vampire ninja, a fairy goth, a half-angel/half-devil, a full angel, some kind of skeleton being, Michael Myers, a medieval goth, a werewolf, and myself -- yet another vampire hybrid -- the vampire cowboy. We basically rock your face off.

(The paper took some parade pictures, though I don't think we're in them. Feel free to peruse, regardless.)

Further Celebratory Arm Gestures

Yes, that means high fives for everyone. This week's newsy-news for me and myself is good stuff. I'm taking a new position at the Club, moving from our Tech Center to a new Boys & Girls Club across town, where I'll be the Unit Director. That's right folks, I'm the boss of the world a brand new satellite Club! We'll share a Board and Executive Director with the main Club (where I've been since Oct 06), but the new digs are mine to administer. It's all very exciting and soon-to-be overwhelming. I even get an assistant! And, if we can swing it, hopefully an AmeriCorps volunteer, too.

Anyone want to check out Vermont?

Welcome to the New Xanga

Because the old one wasn't Xangtastic enough.

Hubbardton Battlefield & Mt Zion

Yesterday I went hiking near Hubbardton, Vermont, visiting the battlefield for a second time (now armed with a camera), and hiking to the top of Mt Zion, which is more impressive than it sounds. It's really barely a mountain. Plus, you have to drive half-way up just to get to the trails. So it's only a 45 minute trip to the top.


Here's a view of the Taconics from Hubbartdton battlefield, the place of the only Revolutionary War battle fought on Vermont soil.


More viewy views, this time with grassy grass.


Taconics to the west, which aren't nearly as tall.


The hilly parts of Mt. Zion, in partial fall foliage glory.


More Taconic action, with Lord Actin.


Sky business!


Mt. Zion. Note the rocky rocks. I will be there soon.


And here I am, on those same rocky rocks. Call me Mr. Outback.



Finally, a foolish video I made. With Lord Acton, DP.

Friday Morning Leaf Erikson

Taken on my way to work this morning. Our warm September has delayed leaf-peeping season by a week or two. "Too much green!" the old folks cry, their tour buses zooming through our sleepy town, leaving diesel fumes and Fixident in their wake.


A church! The Presbyterian one I think.


A red tree! Surrounded by others who refuse to cooperate.


That's from my back porch, by the way. I am sooo suave.


Side street by my house. Yes, you read it right. Nickwackett.


The tree above my car. I shouldn't park there, knowing how often trees tumble down around my house. But it's a nice space.


Go yellowy, go!


Too much green. The old folks were right.

Tinmouth and Clarendon Gorge

Electric line gap. Looking down on Clarendon? I'm no good at geography.


Dobson the car, looking snug in the mountains.


Some hill. Somewhere.


Down the road from some hill. Somewhere.


The road. Hill not pictured.


Opposite of road. Another frakkin' hill.


The sleepy town of Clarendon Springs. Yes, that's really a town.


Tinmouth Mountain....Maybe.


More (possible) Tinmouth.


These I know. Danby Hill in the foreground. Mounts Dorset and Woodlawn in the back.


Beautiful Clarendon Gorge, which looked like another mountain from Google Maps. I had printouts to hike it and everything! But what I really needed was a canoe.

Very Emergency

Tonight at Club two sixth graders got into an argument over whether "emo" meant you cut your wrists.

What would the Promise Ring say about this?

My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy and Panic! At The Disco will pay at the Great White Thrown Judgment for their impertinence!

Let's review:


The Good Guys (aka, the funnest band of 1998)


The Bad Guys (aka, we're all very constipated)

Where's the Beef?

It's still very green around here. And warm. I figured we'd be a couple of weeks ahead of the Midwest as far as fall goes, but unseasonably warm temps have put my deductive skills to shame. Shame!


Getting there. But still a ways to go.


Some red. Some sun.


A sea of green. (Or more accurately, a small pond.)