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Ah, nothing better than being able to try out your Christmas gifts with your friends. We play cards tonight on my new poker table cover and it worked wonders. Also, Orion and I split the money for the second time in a row. It's kinda nice to win a few games in a row. Hopefully I can keep this magic alive.

Well, that's all for me today. I need to get some sleep because I am about to pass out in front of the computer. Have a good one!

Year in Review Award Show

Most blog posts have been a reflection of what happened to a person during a certain amount of time. Most times, this time period is a an hour, a day, or if they are really lazy a whole month. With this in mind, I've decided to have my own year in review.

This year, in retrospect, has been a good year. I've gotten to do some amazing things and met some very interesting people so I've created some categories for my 2005 Year in Review Award Show.

Most Memorable Moment: I've had so many great times this year. The winner of this award has to be meeting Senator John Kerry in Washington DC. The greatest thing was that I was able to get a picture with him that I have on display in my office.

Best activity to pass the time: With this category there is a tie. The best activity to pass the time is playing cards with the IUK crew at Starbucks and going to the Rock Bottom Brewery with my DC buddies. Thanks for being great friends guys!

Drink of the Year: My drink of choice has since become Miller Lite but the winner of this award is the Martini in honor of my buddy Shawn. Thank you for introducing me to the wonderful world of alcohol. I'll never forget my best bud from Cincinnati.

Political Moment of the Year: There is a tie with this award as well. The first winner of the political moment of the year is my friend Nick becoming Student Body Vice President over 60% of the vote in a three candidate race. Congrats Nick! The second winner of the political moment of they year is the handshake between myself and my good friend (and favorite Democrat) Cade in front of the White House. Cade you are the best thing to happen to Georgia since Jimmy Carter! Keep fighting the good fight!

Phrase of the Year: In honor of a great man and great friend, the phrase of the year is "Hot Garbage" in honor of Mike. Nothing brings such fear into the heart of men than what comes after this evil phrase is said by this man. You have been warned!

Well, that's it for the 2005 Year in Review Award Show. If you have an award you think is important, mention it in the comments section of this post. Thanks for a great year. Good Luck to all in 2006! Good night!

Relatives Suck

Well, another Christmas has come and gone. Overall, it was a pretty good one. I really don't know what to blog about except that I was very glad to have received Green Day's "Bullet in a Bible" DVD/CD as one of my gifts. I recommend it to anyone especially if you love to play music full blast.

Maybe it's the music but as I was talking to a couple of DC friends this evening, I realized that in the minds of many young people, "Relatives Suck!" Christmas is a time for family togetherness but some of us aren't so lucky. Many of us have relatives who have neglected us, don't know that we exist, or even care as to what we are doing. Perhaps, you have been a victim of Relatives not caring for you or disowning you.

This isn't a post to complain about relatives or to ask for pity but I do understand where people are coming from when they can't stand their relatives. Like them, I don't have a very good relationship with a good deal of my relatives. I think it's made me appreciate my family much more. I also know that if I am ever lucky enough to have nephews, nieces, and grandchildren I won't leave them out in the cold like so many of mine have done to my brother and me.

Have a Merry Christmas!

A Different Christmas Eve

Two days in a row! Now that is more like it! Today, was a bum day for me. I practically sleep all day and really didn't do too much. It's Christmas Eve and I still don't have any of my gifts wrapped. Like normal, my folks already have theirs finished.

What is different from most years is that Christmas Eve is a little different this year. In years past, there has been this big buildup to this day and much anticipation. Now, don't think that this is one of those "Christmas is not what is used to be" posts but I have noticed that the Christmas season has had some differences from my perspective.

One of the first things I've noticed is that I haven't had to ask my folks for a single penny this Christmas in buying gifts for others. Nice to be at least a little independent even though I still live under their roof.

I haven't even caught the Holiday Blues either for one reason or another. The past few years, like some people, this bug has jumped in and out of my life and bummed me out for a few days. I think this year has been different because I really haven't needed a special someone since I've made some great Christmas memories with my friends this year.

One last thing, and maybe I'm alone on this, but what happened to all of the Christmas specials on televison. The Rudolph special was over 2 weeks ago! Are the television networks really buying into the Christmas/Holiday debate by not showing our time honored classics? Granted, we have the great technology of DVDs now but why get up from the couch and put it in the DVD player when you can watch it on CBS for free. It makes total sense to me.

Oh well! Well, I must get some sleep. Tonight, I will be at my great aunts house to celebrate Christmas as I have done for the past 20 years. Some things may change but at least I can count on those little things.

Vacation at Red Lobster

I've been on vacation for the past week so I took a couple days just to relax and not do anything. I am, however, impressed that I've heard from some of my readers about doing a better job of updating this blog. I want to take this opportunity to thank all three of you. Nice to know that I have the same amount of people supporting me as does President Bush.

Wow! What a week in politics! No I'm not going to make this whole post about politics and government but a little bit never hurt anyone. I mean it's only your tax dollars. The President getting in trouble for wiretapping and the Republicans taking a little bit of a blow on the Patriot Act. Some in the Senate are even beginning the process of looking into impeachment. Crazy!

Now for a little update on my life. I have been an absolute bum for the past week. My average wake up time this week has been around 3 in the afternoon. Amazingly, I haven't cared one bit. I'm on vacation and I'm gonna relax!

It's been a good vacation so far. I've gotten to hang out with my friends a few times which included John devouring a 32 ounce steak at Texas Road House. I am proud to say that I had faith in John all along. That is the kind of spirit that needs to be taking over for me next year.

Anyway, tonight was good too because a bunch of my relatives went out to eat at Red Lobster with my folks tonight. Haven't been to Red Lobster in a long time but was it good. Seafood rocks! Well, that's it for me. Have a Merry Christmas!

No Pressure

It's been a few days since my last post and I've kinda been at a loss for words. I think most of all I'm just glad to be on vacation from the headaches of school. So, to celebrate my newly started vacation I went to school.

I spent most of the day in the office just getting ready for next semester. Not bad for a day's work. The weather worked out pretty well so it was nice being able to look out my window. Campus is basically a ghost town now.

I was also updated on some information about next semester. There is an important luncheon the first week that classes begin again in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and I am the featured speaker. As if that is enough, all faculty & staff, area high school students, area residents, and the mayor will be present. No pressure!

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

Man, am I glad that all of my classroom exams are over. I cannot begin to tell you how glad I am to be on vacation. This is a pretty late post but I believe that a man's best thoughts come to him at night (or on the toilet for some).

So, with my crazed insomniac thoughts racing, I decided to watch a classic guy movie: Major League. It is definitely in my top ten favorites especially since it features my favorite team: the New York Yankees.

Anyway, the movie tonight got me thinking that baseball season is way too short. After watching the movie, I started to think about all of the fun times I've had going to Chicago Cubs and Indianapolis Indians games with my friends and relatives. Even though I'm a Yankees fan who has never been to Yankee Stadium, I am convinced that Wrigley Field is one of the best places to watch a game.

Nothing is better than entering the gates of a baseball stadium when it is mid June and the sun doesn't set until around 9 o'clock. You walk into the stadium and the smell of peanuts hits your nose with such a strong scent that it causes your mouth to water.

After finding your seat, a great sensation overcomes you when you take that first big bite out of your hot dog and "wash it down with a tall, cool Budweiser." Even now, I can still remember watching the Nationals play this summer at RFK Stadium and hearing the hat vendors yelling "Nats Hats! Nats Hats here! Twenty dollas!"

Well, that is all for me. Have a good night!

Not My MTV

My seventh day in a row with a blog post. I'm pretty proud of myself. Everyone is out of the house this evening and I am enjoying it. I even took two hours out of my day to watch two hours of MTV. It's a lot different than the MTV I used to watch in the early 1990s.

I guess the first thing that I noticed is that the only time a music video was played was during in between shows. What ever happened to the music that was Music Television?

The dating shows are still there but the people on them have gone from college students to high school posers. Does anyone else miss Jenny McCarthy and Singled Out? I know I do. About the only reason for watching these shows is to see the women fight with each other for the guy. I guess Chris Rock was right when he said, "Women hate women!"

The last thing I watched was this show called Making the Band 3. Where did they find the people on this show? The corner of 58th and Grant Street of any town in America? For those who don't know, this season is full of ten women trying to become a girls singing group. I had no problem with any of them until one of the girls said, "We are the real deal." Are you kidding me? Half of your body is plastic, you don't play your own music, and you are the real deal?

It's just not the MTV I remember watching as a kid. Oh well! And now a quote about MTV by Green Day drummer Tre Cool: "I don't see anything on it, all I see is shows. There is never anything on it. Just MTV talking about how cool MTV is."

Random Ramblings

I've been sitting at my computer for about 20 minutes trying to come up with something to blog about but I just can't find a distinct direction to go. So, this post will be full of a bunch of random thoughts simply because of my conundrum.

I'm trying to get a job in the university bookstore for next year so I began filling out the application yesterday. The last time I filled out one of these things was my freshman year of college for Target and it felt pretty cool being able to list a Congressman and former Governor as references.

School is pretty much overwith for the semester and I can't find the words to describe how I feel. My last exam will be on Monday afternoon and my take home exams aren't due until Wednesday. Is it me or does it feel weird to get a take home exam in college?

I think that I've fully recovered from my recent calamity but there will always be a little chip on my shoulder about it. The ironic thing is that the same thing happened to me this summer. It's almost funny. Oh well, in the words of my wise buddy Shawn: "Hang in there buddy and pour me a cold one!" I miss the DC crew! Hope you guys are all doing well! Cheers!

Capitol Hill Memories

I finally got a good night of sleep last night. It was such a good feeling going home yesterday. Mom's meatloaf with macaroni and cheese! If nothing else, I am glad that I am home just for that simple reason.

I would have finished this blog sooner but unfortunately life got in the way. At least I've got more material to work with than I did before.

The weather was just crazy today. It was pretty cool to see the snow flakes falling as well as my friends in the snow who were having a snowball fight. School was cancelled and the terrible thing was that the pizzas for the pizza giveaway were already made. The fun thing about it was that all of the students who were at the school at the time got extra pizza. Merry Christmas IUK!

With all of the stuff happening on Capitol Hill these days with tax cuts and the War in Iraq, I got to thinking about some old Capitol Hill memories. Walking around IUK is great but there is nothing better than getting to see the Capitol Building every morning. I also wish I could get to walk on the House Floor one more time too. That was the coolest. Oh well, just save my money and get elected one day. Ha ha! Have a good one and stay warm everyone!

End of the Road

How sweet it is! I was able to finish all of my work that was due in my Senior seminar class today. This included a research paper, book review, presentation paper, and three essays. A special thanks goes out to the guys at Starbucks for making addictive substances that help me stay awake at night.

It was kind of a bittersweet class this afternoon. On one hand, I was glad to be finished with the tough class. But on the other hand, it meant that this would also be the final class period with one my favorite professors who has truly been an inspiration. Congratulations on your retirement Dr. Kofas! Thanks for everything!

The end of the road is in site and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Right now, my head feels as if it is going to explode. I don't think I've gotten more than 5 hours sleep the past two evenings combined. I have a final tomorrow but for some reason I am not that worried about it. I guess that that is bound to happen when you just about kill yourself with all those papers the night before.

I will be glad when vacation is here though. Sure I'll miss seeing my friends as much as I usually do but I'll be able to do something that I haven't done in a few months: Relax. Well, I am off to do just that. Take care!

Napping Does the Body Good

I woke up this morning with an abundance of energy. I only slept four hours last night but for whatever reason there might be I woke up in a great mood. The only problem is that the four hours of sleep are starting to catch up with me.

I went to my Student Government meeting this morning. Last one for the semester! Heck yah! From there I went back to my office to work on some last reports and revisions. Things are going very well with my research paper. I only needed seven more pages to add to it and I already have a good start on that.

The only thing that I am not looking forward to is my essay questions for my senior seminar. Basically, we have to pick three out of four essays to write and when we turn them in the professor will pick only one to grade. I understand the reasoning behind this but to a stressed out college student it can feel a little redundant putting so much time into two essays that aren't even going to count.

The fun thing about exam time (as if there is anything fun) is listening to my colleagues in class openly express their troubles with the class. I have no problem with voicing your opinion but do they realize that everyone else is just as stressed as they are?

Oh well, live and learn. No matter where I go or what I do I will always run into these kind of people. The one's who mean well but for some reason they tend to irritate you a little bit.

I think I will take a short little cat nap this afternoon. I'm in a Garfield kind of mood today. Good times! Napping does the body good! I highly suggest that if you are stressed you should do the same as well. Good luck!

Memory Lane

I've always wondered and thought about how I have changed since I graduated from high school. I was sitting in my International Terrorism class today and I could not help but think about the old days of high school.

First of all, I absolutely hate my high school nickname now! For those of you who do not know, I went by the name "Furby" for three years. Many people might wonder why I would go by this kind of a name for the amount of time. I, myself, am asking the same questions but at the time I thought it was the coolest. I loved it for three reasons:

1. Girls thought it was cute.
2. I felt accepted at my new school.
3. It helped me get into the yearbook: "Best Nickname of 2002"

Speaking of girls, I wasn't exactly getting dates every weekend but I think I did okay. Probably my senior year was the best as far as my dating life is concerned. For 11 months, I dated someone who was a special person in my eyes and ended up being one of the finalists for her high school Homecoming Queen. Granted, I believe these contests are depressing and sad but for the loser that I was in high school (maybe even now) it was a pretty big deal.

Of course, this brought me to thinking about my past proms as well (all 4 of them). Isn't that pathetic how I actually brag about the number I went to. I guess it's because my mother on the night of my senior prom said to me, "It's amazing Kyle. Your father and I didn't even think you'd go to one." Gotta love the mom comments.

Oh well, this is it for my little trip down memory lane today. I hope you enjoyed it. High School was a fun time for me. Not the greatest of my life for some people but I wouldn't exactly say that I had a terrible time either. High School is like Disney World: It's a great place to visit but I will never want to go back.

We love our Colts

I had a pretty good time last night at the Student Government Christmas Party. My dirt pudding was a hit! Good times! My favorite moment of the evening had to be the gift exchange. I got a Wal-Mart gift card. Nothing better than contributing to the evil empire. Special note for Nick: Make sure you put that buttpaste to good use!

It's also really nice to see snow on the ground. The family CHRISTMAS tree is up and we have Red and White lights on it. It's about time too. I've been getting sick and tired of seeing all of my brother's Purdue stuff around the house.

What a great day! The Indianapolis Colts are 12-0! It is almost impossible to imagine a weekend without watching football. Second only to going to church, watching Colts football on Sunday is a time honored tradition in the Hoosier state. It seems as if everything in my hometown shuts down after kickoff anymore.

When I was campaigning door-to-door for former Governor Kernan last year, I never missed very much of the Colts games either. This was because every house I went to had the game on and we hit at least 3 neighborhoods every Sunday. It was an amazing thing to see.

Before he retired, I was a huge Dan Marino fan. I even have his autographed picture in my room. But, it is impossible to live in Indiana and not like Peyton Manning and the Colts. Every sunday is a fun experience even though I sacrifice studying for a couple of hours to watch these guys play.

WE CARE

You just have to love the holidays. As if you had any choice right? The great thing about the holiday season is that every person and family has certain traditions that must take place in order for him or her to see their Christmas cup half-full.

Like many people, I’m not the exception when it comes to having certain things that I “have to” do every Christmas. They range from going to my Great Aunts’ house on Christmas Eve to waiting to the last minute to do my shopping. My favorite thing to do is decorate the family Christmas (not Holiday) tree. BTW, can you believe the Christmas/Holiday tree debate? That has to be the dumbest thing I have ever heard.

Just like me, my parents have their own traditions and holiday shows to watch. Their favorite began tonight: We Care. Ah, how they love We Care. For as long as I can remember, my parents have watched this program with much delight and anticipation.

It is a great cause so if you are in the Kokomo area and near a television check it out this weekend and bid. What amazes me is that despite all of the interesting items on the program my parents have not bid on an item since 1998. Go figure!

Christmas Time

It is the first day of December and with that came a lot of snow. I woke up (late again), looked out my window, and I could not believe it when my backyard was covered in snow.

This year, for the first time in a while, I am really looking forward to vacation and Christmas. I’ve been lucky enough to watch a few of my holiday movie favorites also.

Last night before the IU game (we freaking lost!); I watched probably my favorite holiday movie: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. My favorite part has to be Burl Ives singing “Holly Jolly Christmas” towards the end of the show. There show I’ve been able to watch recently has been A Charlie Brown Christmas. I’m also looking forward to the 24-hour marathon of A Christmas Story but that won’t be for a few weeks.

I just wish that school would cooperate a little more. I am pretty much done with everything but I feel as if I have no energy left in the tank. I've been praying for all of my friends too because I know that they are feeling the exact same way as me. Hang in there guys! Good Luck on your finals!

When it comes to tests and finals, I wish I could be like my friend Mike. This guy is always the first done with a test and only takes on average 20-30 minutes to finish any big exam. Even the professor can’t understand how this guy is able to take tests so quickly.

Either way, it is 50-cent Boneless Wing Night at BW’s according to my friend Kayla and I think that I am going to take advantage of it.