The hotel is nice. Located blocks away from a shopping mall and within walking distance of several restaurants, it is something we look forward to coming back to at night.
The one thing the team hasn't been extremely fond of is the bathroom, or more specifically, the bathroom doors. Each bathroom has a pair of walk-in closet type doors, which meet at the middle, and do not lock. you don't even have to turn a handle to get into the bathroom, simply push the two doors open, and you're there. It makes taking care of bathroom-related business less-than comfortable, knowing someone could walk in on you at any moment.
As I took my first shower of the trip, I decided to fix this. I brought my swimsuit in with me, and using the drawstring, tied the handles together on the inside to create a lock, of sorts. Proud of myself, I showered without interruptions, dried off, and began to untie my self-made lock.
One little thing I forgot: when strings like that are exposed to heat and water, they tend to expand. So there I was, no longer feeling smart, but quite stupid, trying to unlock myself from the new self-made prison.
Three minutes of panicked embarrassment and the use of my keys later, I managed to wedge the knot undone, without any teammates noticing the problem. I'll probably take some heat now that I've written about it, but I figured you all deserved a story you'd enjoy.
By the way, the Auggies swept today in our first day of action. a 2-0 start to the trip, not too shabby.
Showing posts with label failure. Show all posts
Showing posts with label failure. Show all posts
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Repeat to yourself: Three more days...
I've had my radio alarm set to Air1 since about November, when the radio dial somehow rolled down from 102.9 Christmas music to 102.5 Christian music... I have to be honest, it's been a great start to my days, putting me in a right frame of mind right off the bat, but it's also held drawbacks.
The biggest downfall to the soothingly familiar music waking me up is, I don't mind laying in bed for a longer time, listening to the music and morning show. And also drift in and out of sleep.
This was one of the problems I faced this morning, as I didn't actually get out of bed until I realized I was less than minutes away from class time, with at least five-minute drive ahead of me. The importance of the class period, since we didn't actually have a lecture, was to sign up for a good day for presentations. Jumping out of bed, I threw on the closest clothes I had to me, and raced out to my car. As always, Augsburg parking was ridiculous, with no spots available, so I nestled into a pay meter, dug into the change in my car, and threw in 30 cents. Yes, 30 cents. The first coin I put into the meter was a nickel, which I didn't realize until it was down. You don't get credit for nickels, by the way...
The biggest downfall to the soothingly familiar music waking me up is, I don't mind laying in bed for a longer time, listening to the music and morning show. And also drift in and out of sleep.
This was one of the problems I faced this morning, as I didn't actually get out of bed until I realized I was less than minutes away from class time, with at least five-minute drive ahead of me. The importance of the class period, since we didn't actually have a lecture, was to sign up for a good day for presentations. Jumping out of bed, I threw on the closest clothes I had to me, and raced out to my car. As always, Augsburg parking was ridiculous, with no spots available, so I nestled into a pay meter, dug into the change in my car, and threw in 30 cents. Yes, 30 cents. The first coin I put into the meter was a nickel, which I didn't realize until it was down. You don't get credit for nickels, by the way...
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Another Awkward Professor Encounter
What is the appropriate way to tell your professor that you never had any intention of doing an assignment he/she had given and subsequently collected from the rest of the class a week ago?
I get this all the time, (well not ALL the time, I do SOME work)... But it happens quite a bit at Augsburg. Today, it happened again.
I breezed through my Spanish test, mostly because we go slower in Augsburg Spanish than we did in high school Spanish... (what does that tell you?), only to have the professor stop me as I was leaving.
"Mark, I can't seem to find (this five point) assignment from you."
And... I'm trapped. What I'd like to say is the truth...
I get this all the time, (well not ALL the time, I do SOME work)... But it happens quite a bit at Augsburg. Today, it happened again.
I breezed through my Spanish test, mostly because we go slower in Augsburg Spanish than we did in high school Spanish... (what does that tell you?), only to have the professor stop me as I was leaving.
"Mark, I can't seem to find (this five point) assignment from you."
And... I'm trapped. What I'd like to say is the truth...
Sunday, February 22, 2009
The Couch Potato
I've been sleeping on the futon each night for about a week now, and today I really never got off of it. Why didn’t I leave the couch today? Well, first of all, I've been physically active all week and I'm tired. Secondly, for the first time since early December, I finally have cable again, not to mention a TV larger than 13 inches.
That’s right, this weekend, we finally re-acquired my roommate’s TV from the girl who had been using it, and the best news: it fits perfectly within the hole in my entertainment center.
But this came at a cost.
That’s right, this weekend, we finally re-acquired my roommate’s TV from the girl who had been using it, and the best news: it fits perfectly within the hole in my entertainment center.
But this came at a cost.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
the lonely attendant
I have A.D.D., and it just cost me dearly. As I was writing out day four's note, I noticed a status I wanted to comment on, and clicked on the person. I quickly realized what I had done, but it was too late, all of my work was gone. So hopefully I can recreate it for you.
Today, unfortunately for you, was actually somewhat normal. I accomplished plenty today, including half of a crossword puzzle, and I figured out the answer to the question that has been plaguing me since I first arrived at this campus: Why is cafeteria food, prepared by professional cooks, SO BAD?! My friends and/or enemies and/or acquaintances, allow me to explain.
Unlike what you may assume, these people aren't necessarily the flunkies of the Le Cordon Blu college you see commercials for on television. But like each of us, these people have strengths and weaknesses. They may be good at cooking one type of food, but struggle with another. Beyond this, they are working with a tight budget and mass-producing for people who have already paid for a year's worth of food, so they just don't care.
Today, one of the servers used the phrase "suck it up" to me. Allow me to back-track.
I was browsing through each line, looking for something to eat when one of the "professional" (quotations because her behavior was less than professional) service ladies from behind one of the displays asked me bluntly what I wanted. I asked, "Does buffalo chicken mean it's spicy?"
She said, "yes."
"Oh, ok... thank you." And I moved to the next station.
She actually followed me. "You're going to let that stop you from having some?"
I looked down at my tray, already fairly full with ham, scalloped potatoes, Pizza, buns, two brownies and a ham sandwich, and replied, "Yeah sorry, I'm not a big fan of spicy food."
"Oh, suck it up," she said with a disgusted look on her face. And with that, she waddled back over to her station. I considered asking what stops HER from having some of anything, but decided that a fat joke to a likely-underpaid, overworked food service provider would only add a little of her homemade backwash to my beverages for the rest of the semester.
In my evenings spent on campus recently, I've spent a lot of time down in this little space with a ping pong table and a pool table with a couple of fellow baseball players. I've learned a valuable lesson. I don't get any better or worse at pool based on how often I play. I'm always just mediocre.
There was a new attendant tonight however, and he gave me some enjoyment. We were clearly the only three people in the room, so the equipment was ours to use. But unlike the previous two night's attendants, this one felt the need to inform us EVERY half hour for about two and a half hours that our time on the table was up, and asked us if we would like to start a new half hour.
Maybe he was lonely and this was his only chance to talk to someone? I'm not sure. But regardless of the reason, he'd break from the South Park marathon he was watching to ask us this unbelievably stupid question. Augsburg, I just want you to know you're a really Special place...
Last item of real consequence: Molly Feuling sent me a picture of a cat via text, with the message "Just wanted to say hello..." This is the second time in about a month or so that I've received something like this from her, and for this reason, I believe she is mass texting this message, much like people would a Christmas card. If you have received a text of this nature from the said Ms. Feuling, please let me know. We may be entering a new era in texting.
Also, Brett Favre is retired. So is Michael Jordan. I expect both to make comebacks in the near future.
I'm sorry to disappoint, but I think that's all I've got for today, some days are just better than others I guess! I'm considering picking a certain topic for each day and using it as a theme. I have a few topics on my mind at the present moment, but I am not sure this is the best time to bring some of them up... so we'll see what happens.
From "Life's Little Instruction Book:" Ask someone you'd like to know better to list five people he or she would most like to meet. It will tell you a lot about them.
If that suggestion got you thinking, feel free to comment with YOUR top five :-)
Enjoy.
Today, unfortunately for you, was actually somewhat normal. I accomplished plenty today, including half of a crossword puzzle, and I figured out the answer to the question that has been plaguing me since I first arrived at this campus: Why is cafeteria food, prepared by professional cooks, SO BAD?! My friends and/or enemies and/or acquaintances, allow me to explain.
Unlike what you may assume, these people aren't necessarily the flunkies of the Le Cordon Blu college you see commercials for on television. But like each of us, these people have strengths and weaknesses. They may be good at cooking one type of food, but struggle with another. Beyond this, they are working with a tight budget and mass-producing for people who have already paid for a year's worth of food, so they just don't care.
Today, one of the servers used the phrase "suck it up" to me. Allow me to back-track.
I was browsing through each line, looking for something to eat when one of the "professional" (quotations because her behavior was less than professional) service ladies from behind one of the displays asked me bluntly what I wanted. I asked, "Does buffalo chicken mean it's spicy?"
She said, "yes."
"Oh, ok... thank you." And I moved to the next station.
She actually followed me. "You're going to let that stop you from having some?"
I looked down at my tray, already fairly full with ham, scalloped potatoes, Pizza, buns, two brownies and a ham sandwich, and replied, "Yeah sorry, I'm not a big fan of spicy food."
"Oh, suck it up," she said with a disgusted look on her face. And with that, she waddled back over to her station. I considered asking what stops HER from having some of anything, but decided that a fat joke to a likely-underpaid, overworked food service provider would only add a little of her homemade backwash to my beverages for the rest of the semester.
In my evenings spent on campus recently, I've spent a lot of time down in this little space with a ping pong table and a pool table with a couple of fellow baseball players. I've learned a valuable lesson. I don't get any better or worse at pool based on how often I play. I'm always just mediocre.
There was a new attendant tonight however, and he gave me some enjoyment. We were clearly the only three people in the room, so the equipment was ours to use. But unlike the previous two night's attendants, this one felt the need to inform us EVERY half hour for about two and a half hours that our time on the table was up, and asked us if we would like to start a new half hour.
Maybe he was lonely and this was his only chance to talk to someone? I'm not sure. But regardless of the reason, he'd break from the South Park marathon he was watching to ask us this unbelievably stupid question. Augsburg, I just want you to know you're a really Special place...
Last item of real consequence: Molly Feuling sent me a picture of a cat via text, with the message "Just wanted to say hello..." This is the second time in about a month or so that I've received something like this from her, and for this reason, I believe she is mass texting this message, much like people would a Christmas card. If you have received a text of this nature from the said Ms. Feuling, please let me know. We may be entering a new era in texting.
Also, Brett Favre is retired. So is Michael Jordan. I expect both to make comebacks in the near future.
I'm sorry to disappoint, but I think that's all I've got for today, some days are just better than others I guess! I'm considering picking a certain topic for each day and using it as a theme. I have a few topics on my mind at the present moment, but I am not sure this is the best time to bring some of them up... so we'll see what happens.
From "Life's Little Instruction Book:" Ask someone you'd like to know better to list five people he or she would most like to meet. It will tell you a lot about them.
If that suggestion got you thinking, feel free to comment with YOUR top five :-)
Enjoy.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Grocery shopping with Foreigners
I’m beginning to think that my foreign roommate is having a negative affect on my dreams. Last night I was driving home from a basketball game at Mora between Indiana and Notre Dame, with Lucas and a kid on my baseball team nicknamed “Glass.” I have no clue why they were in the car. Anyway I went the wrong way and ended up in the mountains of Brazil (does Brazil even have mountains?) Realizing we had to turn around, we began crawling down the path which had somehow shrunk to an edge with a severe drop-off. (Recall, I’m afraid of heights…)
Then, when Lucas stopped near an eagle’s nest with baby eagles in it, and I couldn’t get around him, I flew, (just like the car disappearing, now I was a bluebird?) and ended up getting eaten by a seagull. Terrifying, but also sad that it took me until this morning to realize that I had driven up the “mountain” as a human… and should have been able to just drive back down, worst-case scenario. By 10 AM, I was already feeling retarded for the day.
The feeling continued as I went on a FIELD TRIP with my journalism class... yes that's right, we're back in Kindergarten. We headed to a public radio station about 4 blocks from campus and crammed ourselves into a very small room for the "tour." After about 5 minutes, I was sweating. After 30 minutes I noticed a thermostat on the wall... 78 degrees, no lie. And the director of operations droned on and on as if nothing was wrong with the situation, and kids continued to ask meaningless questions “So what’s YOUR favorite broadcast from this station?” “Who picks the songs?” “Do the volunteers get paid?” Finally I’d had enough.
As the hippie standing behind me edged in front following his frustration in not having had a chance to have HIS question answered, I quickly slid to his old position and headed out the door. It wasn’t until I had reached the bottom of the stairs that I realized I had a follower. I offered a nod as if to say, “good choice,” and we went our separate ways.
I'm telling my dad I made a friend. That's close enough, right? He'll be proud.
It was about lunch time, so I feel that it's only fair to add a break for you as well, and offer today's Words of Wisdom: For the sake of your kitchen, bottles with pop-up tops are best to be shaken while closed. If you hypothetically didn't close the bottle while trying to mix hypothetical orange kool-aid in that type of bottle, you might have a good 5-minute cleanup period ahead of you.
I felt bad about hating on my roommate simply for forcing me to have a strange and horrible dream, so I took him grocery shopping following some random cleaning of the kitchen. Try shopping with foreigners, it's actually kind of fun. They act like it's some big treat to go to the store, since they have no car, and then spend time examining different foods and reading the backs of each item before carefully selecting their FIVE items. It took about 30 minutes for him to pick out five items, doing so with a big smile on his face. I also had a smile on mine, but for different reasons.
And for those who are going to ask whether I intend to bring him along with me the next time I go grocery shopping, the answer is yes. I may tire of the careful search eventually, but I really hate grocery shopping by myself. I'm always worried the weirdos in the store might start talking to me.
After a one-hour session on mental toughness and confidence building, we headed to practice to work on backing up bases on doubles. What that entails for a pitcher is heading to the mound, pretending to throw a pitch, and watching the pitching machine launch a ball about 300 feet over your head. Talk about confidence boosters. If I ever get hit as hard as this machine "hit" me today, I'll probably commit suicide, which all pitchers almost did in our fairly tough running regiment today. I guess it was just not a good day for pitchers.
After climbing out of the cellar earlier in the year, I managed to reclaim my spot as "worst foos ball player on the team", losing two of three to who is now the first runner up. I know after winning one I should have walked away, but having a table in the locker room is just too tempting.
Well there's your basic Tuesday I guess... oh, and the shower situation hasn't resolved itself yet for those who are clearly concerned.
Tonight's excerpt from "Life's Little Instruction Book:" Before buying a house or renting an apartment, check the water pressure by turning on the faucets and the shower and then flushing the toilet.
Enjoy.
Then, when Lucas stopped near an eagle’s nest with baby eagles in it, and I couldn’t get around him, I flew, (just like the car disappearing, now I was a bluebird?) and ended up getting eaten by a seagull. Terrifying, but also sad that it took me until this morning to realize that I had driven up the “mountain” as a human… and should have been able to just drive back down, worst-case scenario. By 10 AM, I was already feeling retarded for the day.
The feeling continued as I went on a FIELD TRIP with my journalism class... yes that's right, we're back in Kindergarten. We headed to a public radio station about 4 blocks from campus and crammed ourselves into a very small room for the "tour." After about 5 minutes, I was sweating. After 30 minutes I noticed a thermostat on the wall... 78 degrees, no lie. And the director of operations droned on and on as if nothing was wrong with the situation, and kids continued to ask meaningless questions “So what’s YOUR favorite broadcast from this station?” “Who picks the songs?” “Do the volunteers get paid?” Finally I’d had enough.
As the hippie standing behind me edged in front following his frustration in not having had a chance to have HIS question answered, I quickly slid to his old position and headed out the door. It wasn’t until I had reached the bottom of the stairs that I realized I had a follower. I offered a nod as if to say, “good choice,” and we went our separate ways.
I'm telling my dad I made a friend. That's close enough, right? He'll be proud.
It was about lunch time, so I feel that it's only fair to add a break for you as well, and offer today's Words of Wisdom: For the sake of your kitchen, bottles with pop-up tops are best to be shaken while closed. If you hypothetically didn't close the bottle while trying to mix hypothetical orange kool-aid in that type of bottle, you might have a good 5-minute cleanup period ahead of you.
I felt bad about hating on my roommate simply for forcing me to have a strange and horrible dream, so I took him grocery shopping following some random cleaning of the kitchen. Try shopping with foreigners, it's actually kind of fun. They act like it's some big treat to go to the store, since they have no car, and then spend time examining different foods and reading the backs of each item before carefully selecting their FIVE items. It took about 30 minutes for him to pick out five items, doing so with a big smile on his face. I also had a smile on mine, but for different reasons.
And for those who are going to ask whether I intend to bring him along with me the next time I go grocery shopping, the answer is yes. I may tire of the careful search eventually, but I really hate grocery shopping by myself. I'm always worried the weirdos in the store might start talking to me.
After a one-hour session on mental toughness and confidence building, we headed to practice to work on backing up bases on doubles. What that entails for a pitcher is heading to the mound, pretending to throw a pitch, and watching the pitching machine launch a ball about 300 feet over your head. Talk about confidence boosters. If I ever get hit as hard as this machine "hit" me today, I'll probably commit suicide, which all pitchers almost did in our fairly tough running regiment today. I guess it was just not a good day for pitchers.
After climbing out of the cellar earlier in the year, I managed to reclaim my spot as "worst foos ball player on the team", losing two of three to who is now the first runner up. I know after winning one I should have walked away, but having a table in the locker room is just too tempting.
Well there's your basic Tuesday I guess... oh, and the shower situation hasn't resolved itself yet for those who are clearly concerned.
Tonight's excerpt from "Life's Little Instruction Book:" Before buying a house or renting an apartment, check the water pressure by turning on the faucets and the shower and then flushing the toilet.
Enjoy.
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