It is time for a change

This has been brewing for a while. Recently DB suggested that I need to look at my belief system and see if I need changes.

In 2003 my mother died. In a quick move, I went to BYU-Idaho. I was an Elementary Education major. After 2 months of school, I dropped out of that major, as I was not handling the idea of Special education while dealing with the death of my mother. In Fall 2004, I dropped out of school and took a 6-month vacation from school (and life). The diagnosis of three counselors was “delayed grieving.” The only reason I went back to school was because BYU-Idaho said I wasn’t going to be allowed back in if I didn’t come back in summer of 2005.

Since July 2004, I’ve had 7 official majors with a total of 14 majors (I got to the point that I didn’t ask, I’d just change majors). I was never happy in a major. I found several majors I wasn’t happy with…and I found myself constantly leaning back to one aspect of my life. There was always one topic that kept my interest. There is one topic that I have always scored well in.

California, Utah and a few other major states have created Autistic Only schools. I was happiest in my life when I was teaching. I have continued to work with people with disabilities and I have found a great joy in that type of lifestyle.

This desire to teach has led me on a quest. BYU-I has a K-3 special ed program that is pretty exclusive to Idaho. So I looked elsewhere. University of Idaho in Moscow has a K-12 program. Utah State University also has a K-12 program. Cal State Hayward (I mean East Bay) does as well. All of those K-12 programs are universal, meaning I could teach anywhere in the continental United States. There is a special education Teacher shortage through out the US, as well. And this is something I’m good at. There is a saying "Autism has its own language." I have learned I speak Autism. I additionally work well with people that are mentally and physically disabled.

In my research I have found a few qualifiers. Most Special Ed programs are 60 credit degrees (some are 48). Pell Grants and Stafford Loans run out at 180 credits. I will have in December 119 credits (Total from Ohlone College, LMC, DVC, and BYUI).

Additionally I have found out that Stafford and Pell Grants are only for your first Bachelors. According to the Financial Aid people, there is a possibility of a 12-month loan after petition and a good GPA (which I don’t have) for a second bachelor, but they are not as likely.

I found out that there are loan forgiveness programs available to those that become Special Education Teachers. Up to $17,000. It won’t cover it all, but it will cover some.

I think that I’ve done my homework effectively and done enough. Now comes the big decision. Should I change course? Should I leave BYU-I? Should I do it without a degree (My options at this point are a degree in University Studies which is practically worthless, though not entirely)? Should I stay? Are there things I haven’t considered? Is my father going to kill me if I do this?

It's officially Winter

Winter has finally come to Rexburg. It started snowing this morning at about 7:30 and it has been snowing ever since. The teacher closed the blinds in class today because so many of us were distracted watching the now fall. It's peaceful, beautiful and tranquil. It, of course, sucks to drive in, walk in, and sleep in, but it is so nice to play in and watch. (I'm trying to go figure out how to go sledding with a healing wrist.)

And for those of you that know about my feelings toward October - My October ended this morning at 7:30.

Career and Internship Fair

Thursday was kind of a depressing day. It was the career and Internship fair at BYU-Idaho. The first two things that were depressing:

1.Connect PR wasn't there. I blame BYU-Idaho for this.

2. There wasn't one single school district represented. The US is facing a huge teacher shortage. Contary to one readers comments, we can't all home school our kids. We need qualified teachers - yet there wasn't a single school district there begging for teachers. I blame BYU-Idaho for this one too.

Lastly, it was depressing for me. There were between 50 and 60 companies and none of them interested me. None of them were places that were innovating wheelchairs; or advocating for people with disabilities; or having ways to create simpler situations for people with disabilities. We've got a Baby Bommer Generation that is in the process of graduating. As this generation of a million children grows old - their bodies will deter and need better inovations to deal with those disabilties. Additionally, thanks to this man, we are creating a generation of younger disabled people as they come home from a civil war. There were a lot of businesses and paper pushing jobs. There were a few nursing and border patrol jobs. There were even the normal guys. But there was nothing I wanted to do.

This is a family trait I guess. My father hasn't worked in 4 1/2 years because he can't find a job that suits him. Brother has three degrees (2 BA's and 1 Juris Doctorate) and isn't happy with his occupation.
No wonder I am not trapped in by those normal jobs...

Happy Birthday Dad

60 Years ago today in Chicago, Illinois My Daddy was born. Also this year we see that brother is half as old as Daddy. I remember when I was 25 and H was 50. I had so much fun that year.

Happy Birthday Dad!

Why not...If Katie can do this - so can I

A - Available: Yes, because making out with LC lacked substances and got boring.
A - Age: 27
A - Annoyance: right now - my cold; in general - people who walk on the grass & don't cross streets and railroads at designated crossings; Ooh and North Korea.

B - Best Feature: ummmm...according to others it's my eyes, but I think it's my passions
B - Beer: Budweiser - I don't drink it, but I must admit they have a better plant tour than Miller
B - Birthday: Dec 27

C - Crush: nyquil
C - Car: Cars are for family people - I drive a truck
C - Candy: Though I'm not supposed to have them - Reeses Peanut Butter Cups

D - Day or night: night
D - Dream Car: Toyota Tundra
D - Dogs or Cats: Dogs & cats are evil little things - give me some rats and I'm happy.

E - Egg nog: You know I hate throwing up - why even ask.

F - Favorite color(s): black or blue
F - Favorite Band: Queen, Yo yo Ma, Hilary Hahn, the Garden State Soundtrack, Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwo'ole - Oh, you wanted only one

G-Gummy Bears or Worms: No body likes me, everyone hates me, I guess I'll go eat...
G - Giver or taker: I'm more of a giver.

H - Hair Color: Dark brown
H - Height: 6'00"
H - Happy: I'm better now than I was 2 years ago but I'm still growing - trying to find out who sean is.

I - Ice Cream: Cookie Dough, though I recently had Ben & Jerry's Strawberry Cheese Cake and that was good
I - Instrument:The Kazoo, though i want to learn Banjo & Cello
I - Idols: Prophets

J - Jewelry: I wear my medica chains and the CTR ring my mom gave me
J - Job: Student, friend, Adaptive Services
J - Jail: Never been, though I have been to prison several times.

K - Kids: None that I know of, but I've dated women with kids a few times and so I could have kids and just not know it yet.
K - Kindergarten teacher: Oh crap! I don't know. Who ever wasn't KT's kindergarten teacher.

L - Longest Car Ride: There's a tie: Rexburg, ID to Oakland, CA & Miles City, MT to Madison WI- Both were 16 hours.
L - Lamest Inside Joke: All my inside jokes are way cool!

M - Meat: Dead cow or Dead chicken. I'm not a big fish fan though I will eat if it is made for me and is Salmon. I eat turkey twice a year.
M - Most missed person: my mom, though KNJ is a very close second
M - Movie Last Watched: Batman Begins (On a date last night)

N - Number of Siblings: 1
N - Number of Tattoos: 0...so far
N - Name: Sean

O - One wish: To be in love and to know where I'm going with life

P - Perfectionist?: at times

Q - Quick or Slow?: depends on what you're talking about
Q - Quiet?: When I'm around people I don't know very well, I'm very quiet. If we're good friends, I'm extremely loud and quite obnoxious at times.

R - Reason to smile: Dad, Brother, Sister and O
R - Reality TV Show: World Series of Poker, beyond that...I don't really watch reality TV.

S - Song Last Heard: "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" by Iz
S - Season: Summer
S - Shoes you're wearing: none. I'm trying to convince my self to go to bed

T - Time you woke up: The first time? I've been sick since about 10pm last night and coughed through the night.
T - Time you went to bed: 1AM
T - Time Now: 11:47 PM

U - Unpredictable: sometimes
U - Underwear: Yup

V - Vegetable you hate: asparagus
V - Vegetable you love: broccoli, corn; are 'shrooms a vegatable
V - Vacation spot: I haven't been to Disneyland in 9 years, but I still prefer CA, AZ, or WI any day.

W - Worst habit: changing majors
W - Where are you going to travel next: I'm not sure, Maybe Provo, maybe somewhere from the blog listed below.
W - Weather: We're expecting Snow this week...and I'm going camping in it. Grr.

X - X-tra special someone: John, my dad, my family in WI, Grandma, Papabear/Wawa...
X - X-rays: All over. I'd say well over 30. I'm surprised I don't glow in the dark.

Y - Year it is now: 2006
Y - Yellow: Not a great color
Z - Zoo Animal: Hippos, elephants, and polar bears (because all other bears are evil.)
Z - Zodiac Sign: I thought the Zodiac was a killer. He had signs too?

Thank's KT

What do we do with Sean?

The school over accepted 1200 students. Additionally, my GPA is sitting at 2.709. To get on Fast Grad I would need to be at 2.8 and not be competing with 1200 extra students. Therefore I have nothing to do from December 20, 2006 to April 16, 2007. I'm trying to figure out what to do with myself. I have lived continuously in Rexburg for 18 months (It will be 20 by December). I no longer can be labled a gypsy (Thanks Sis). My advisor and I both think it would do me some good to get out of Rexburg, but I'm struck with: Where should I go? My advisor suggested Reno, AZ (return to the area of my mission), Texas and North Carolina. I'm pretty opento those, as long as I can find work and a place to stay.

I open this up to the rest of you, though. I do have qualifiers:

No Oregon
No South Carolina
Nothing north of Chicago and still in Illinois (Imagine a square box with Chicago on the east, Beloit, WI on the north/top end of the box, LaMoille, IL on the south/bottom end of the box and Clinton, IA on the west side of the box - nothing in the box until July 2008)

The last qualifier is I don't want to be a burden on my father and John. (I grow best when I don't live with my father. I could live 10 minutes away, just not with him. John has no way of housing his truck and mine.)

Can any one think of anywhere I could go to get life experiences, get out of mormonville, and find housing and a job?

Depressed Deer

After alerting America to the great threat that consumes our country with Jack Rabbit Terrorists, I feel it's important to mention that the various deer that scatter our nation's country side are not terrorists. Instead, they are depressed suicidal deer bent on ending their existence of constantly being compared to Bambi.

It's a hard life for a deer since the corruption of the Disney Empire and their sadistic cartoonist have produced that magical movie. Did the cartoonist really have to make Bambi so cute? No, but they did just to screw with every normal deer nation wide.

Do you realize how old it gets hearing yourself constantly compared to a fictional character? For the same reason most women oppose porn, deer oppose Bambi and his perfectness. Bambi is not real yet people are constantly looking at deer and saying "Aww! Isn't he cute? He looks just like Bambi." or worse "Aww! Isn't he cute. He's almost as cute as Bambi." No one can be as perfect as an unrealistic creature. It's just impossible.

But the true depression comes during hunting season. when shouts of acclamations chorus through the forest "Yup, I shot him right between the eyes. I shot Bambi's daddy." Ted the deer and Steve the deer are screaming at the top of their lungs, "That's not Bambi's dad. He was my father." Not even in the murdering and slaughtering of their own parents can they find ownership. Their own fathers are seen as "Bambi Dads." Not even in death can they escape Bambi.

It is these reasons that lead deer to commit suicide daily. Living in a world where Bambi has been is just too much for these dear poor deer to handle and they just get to a breaking point that a moving automobile is a better outlet than a llife being compared to Bambi.

Depressed Dear

After alerting America to the great threat that consumes our country with Jack Rabbit Terrorists, I feel it's important to mention that the various deer that scatter our nation's country side are not terrorists. Instead, they are depressed suicidal deer bent on ending their existence of constantly being compared to Bambi.

It's a hard life for a deer since the corruption of the Disney Empire and their sadistic cartoonist have produced that magical movie. Did the cartoonist really have to make Bambi so cute? No, but they did just to screw with every normal deer nation wide.

Do you realize how old it gets hearing yourself constantly compared to a fictional character? For the same reason most women oppose porn, deer oppose Bambi and his perfectness. Bambi is not real yet people are constantly looking at deer and saying "Aww! Isn't he cute? He looks just like Bambi." or worse "Aww! Isn't he cute. He's almost as cute as Bambi." No one can be as perfect as an unrealistic creature. It's just impossible.

But the true depression comes during hunting season. when shouts of acclamations chorus through the forest "Yup, I shot him right between the eyes. I shot Bambi's daddy." Ted the deer and Steve the deer are screaming at the top of their lungs, "That's not Bambi's dad. He was my father." Not even in the murdering and slaughtering of their own parents can they find ownership. Their own fathers are seen as "Bambi Dads." Not even in death can they escape Bambi.

It is these reasons that lead deer to commit suicide daily. Living in a world where Bambi has been is just too much for these dear poor deer to handle and they just get to a breaking point that a moving automobile is a better outlet than a life being compared to Bambi.

so what do you do now?

My cast came off on Wednesday. What would a responsible person do? He would probably not go country and swing dancing, but when have I ever been responsible?

As a promise to BSR & AM (why are there so many AM's in my life?), if the cast came off, I'd go dancing. Little did I know that even when you're "healed" you still need time to rebuild strength. I'm in a splint now. I can remove the splint to shower and excercise my wrist.

But I went anyway. There is an interesting problem at the country and swing dances. Swing has 1.5 girls for every guy. Country has 3 girls for every guy! Girls there are so happy to dance they will even take on a gimp with no dancing skills (I used to dance before I met KNJ, but she hated going to dances - so we never went. I no longer have those "skills," though I still have numchuck skills.).

I really thought once I got the cast off, my milking days were over, but atlas no! With the splint, and trying my best to look pathetic, I can still milk these girls for a little more time in their arms. God Bless America and modern science. (In the old days they would have just shot me like they shoot lame horses. They shoot horses don't they?)

Some thoughts on Homeschooling

I know some people are going to be upset about this, but I will try to be fair.

I have recently met several people who have claimed that homeschooling is best for a child. They claim that public education is failing their children. Some thoughts:

Of course public school is failing our children:

• Society doesn't pay its teachers enough, so you have really stressed teachers trying to figure out how to pay a morgage when they should be focussed on teaching children.
• You throw 20 to 30 kids in to a cramped classroom. Imagine the US army using 1 soldier to fight 20 or 30 soldiers. Do you think that the US soldier could get to each of those other soldiers. Even if s/he was a really good soldier, s/he isn't going to be able to take out all of the enemy. Some are going to get away or fall through the cracks. The same goes for teaching. The teacher has to try his or her darndest to teach all of the kids, but some are going to fall through the cracks.
• No Child Left Behind has encouraged more and more teachers to leave the business or retire earlier than they had planned on. So instead of older teachers mentoring younger teachers, you have fresh out of college teachers who don't know everything.
• Teachers (in Eled) see the student for 6 hours a day. Teachers of High school see that student for less than 6 hours a WEEK.
  

After seeing all of these negatives, dumb parents pull their kids out to home school them. Why is this a dumb idea?

• Professional teachers go to school for 4-6 years to become teachers. There they are trained to be the best America has to offer to our students. Most parents don't have an education degree. (In fact a lot of mommies don't have anything beyond a degree in general studies.)
• Whether you want your child to learn about America Idol at a young age or not, it is important for your child to be social. Unless that student plans on living in a vacuum for the rest of his life, he is going to need to know a little bit about pop culture. "The Water Cooler" effect is an important part of the industrial and business world. Students need to learn to socialize about non-work related items. Students being home schooled don't get propper socialization and are not trained up on how to deal effectively with others in a social setting.
• It spoils your child. Children that are home schooled get used to one on one attention. The real world does not provide one on one attention. Students that are home schooled do not learn that in order to succeed they need to pick up things the first time because the professor is not going to repeat it. Bosses get annoyed by an employee coming to them all the time asking for stuff.
  
• It creates an enviroment where student don't learn to work in groups. Business today is all about working in groups. Homeschooled children do not typically have group assignments. Therefore, they don't learn how to effectively work in a group to solve problems or complete tasks for a company.
• Sex ed should not be taught with your sister in the room.

My father strongly likes the idea of school vouchers. My sister really likes the idea of private schools. I am more in agreement with them than I am with parents that choose to homeschool their children. While homeschooling has some benefits, I'm not sure it should be supported.

A football, A Brick Oven, A Peak and how I got back on for a ride

Life has been busy complicated lately. I'm kind of seeing a girl right now. Nothing official - just a lot of making out and talking. She's more like LK than KNj so I'm trying to figure out if I'm going to keep her around. She actually has lower standards than me...if you can imagine that.

School has been busy as well. I added two classes pretty late into the semester and am playing catch up in those two classes and trying to stay up in all my other classes, and leave my apartment and the Library every now and then.

My cast comes off on Wednesday and I'm praying I'm all better. I'm tired of being in a cast and going to class.

But even with the cast...I've been having adventures.

The weekend of September 22 I had three adventures. I don't know if DUN & ~Gu~ think consiously of ways to bring adventures into my life or are they just naturally cool and thus adventures spring from them. But I was in Provo this weekend to see a play (which sucked) on the Friday night. On Saturday, Dun took me to see BYU play USU in football. This was my second college football game. Brother took me to a bowl game back in the 199o's. The Mizzou tigers were playing in a bowl game for the first time since the civil war. The game with my brother was nice, but it involved drunken fans and seats where I couldn't see a lot of the game. DUN bought tickets that were high up in the bleachers on the west side of the stadium (right above the BYU marching band - that weren't half bad as long as they were sitting. The formation of the Tuba players on the field needs some work though). I was able to see the whole game from our spot. And for once I got to feel school spirit. By going to a school without a football team I don't feel any unity with my classmates. We don't have a common foe. I talk to J.Splatt (page 2 of link) recently and we were talking about BYU-I football. On Thursday night there were three games. BYU-I won and lost all three games. How annoying! I really loved being at BYU Provo's game. This was truly a great adventure DUN.

On Saturday night, Gu insisted we go to this resteraunt called "The Brick Oven." Words cannot describe how fat I would be if I lived in Provo. The resteraunt was superb. They had really really good (low carbonated) rootbear and the best pasta I had had in a long time. It was heaven. Gu always cooks these magnisifant means when I'm in Provo, that the Brick Oven can't compare, but oh was it sooo good.

On Saturday night I had my third Provo adventure. DUN recently discovered this little exit off the road about a mile into Provo Canyon. If you take it you go up this windy road filled with fall colored trees. It was pictuestque (I can hardly wait until I have money to buy an SLR camera, I dished out almost $400 this past Friday for truck repairs, and I'm not done yet, so the camera will have to wait). At the end of this road is a place called Squaw Peak. It is so beautiful up there. You can see all the way to the Nevada border. It was just awesome.

My last adventure was on Friday. I'm in the process of gathering information for a paved path cycling blog I'm working on. So on Friday, BSR and I went on a bike ride to Rigby lake. It is a mile long trail that circles the lake. I took out the Scarab initially. I took two laps on that before trading bikes with BSR. Then I took out the Freedom Ryder. I managed to not flip it and I didn't break my other wrist. Instead, I got a sense of recovery. I felt empowered to be back on the bike again after 5 weeks off of it. I wouldn't say I was scared of riding again, but I was aprehensious (spellin?). It felt so good to be back onthe bike. I think I'm going on another ride this coming Friday in Blackfoot. I'm excited again.

***
In Unrelated news - KNJ got her mission call, as did my cousin EJC. Both enter the MTC on the same day in November. Weird.