Ground Zero

I bought a new phone. If you want me to be able to reach you, please send me your number:
trumanbradley@earthlink.net
AIM: SkidooTru

Letter to a Professor

Some dialogue my professor and I are having. FYI, he is on a forced sabbatical because the class before mine raised hell about their grades. Going into the final I had a very high A.

Professor ______,

I would very much like to see how my final compares to one of A quality. I cannot in good conscience accept a 62.5% on a final that I felt absolutely great about without at least seeing my exam, the standard by which it was measured, and your comments. I know that in the grand scheme of things, there isn't that much difference between an overall grade of A versus an A- but for me this is about taking pride in my work.

I understand that you are on sabbatical. I'm guessing this means you don't want to be plagued with issues like this one. I have 180 days to officially contest this grade, 1/3 of which has already elapsed. What do you suggest?

Off-season

I hate to say this but the Broncos should begin the offseason by trading Champ Bailey while he still has a few miles left. A good cornerback is all but useless when a D-line can't generate pressure. The Broncos need to build the foundation of their defense before they worry about a luxury like cornerback. The ideal situation would be to trade Champ for a badass edge rusher like Patrick Kerney or John Abraham but I'm not sure anyone would make that kind of trade. The Broncos could however get draft picks; I'm guessing a second and a fifth or perhaps even a second and a fourth.

Who needs a cornerback? The Bears, Packers, Rams, and Falcons.

Broncos newly appointed head coach Josh McDaniel is from New England. He needs to ask himself one question: What would Bill Belichick do?

Climb on a winter's day?

Although I have climbed a few peaks in November, most notably Pikes Peak, I have never really done a winter ascent before. I'm hoping to change that on Saturday. Looking at possibly doing either Elbert, Quandary, Massive, or Sherman. I will be picking up an ice axe before I go.

I am nervous and excited.

I went for a walk on a winter's day.

photo: Kezza McDezza

Yesterday I went for a short hike instead of doing my microeconomics homework (Micro? Seriously?). I don't regret this decision.

A night alone

Walker and Jess are gone from the house tonight. I don't have (night) school, a DVR'd football game, dancing, a bar engagement, or any other commitments. I had a few invites, for which I'm very grateful (b/c I almost never initiate contact). I briefly discussed the possibility of a night hike with GNightMoon but when that didn't materialize, I decided I'd really enjoy spending a night alone.

Of course I'm never truly alone. There's a little bass coming from the apartment upstairs and my cat Roxy is never far from my ears. Also, since I live facing a busy street, if I want to see or be seen I just have to raise the blinds in my kitchen. But aside from those few distractions, tonight I'm inside alone.

Last night I discussed Myers Briggs personality types with Willowjp4. I told her I think I'm an ENTJ, otherwise known as The Executive. Why do I bring this up? Because it explains my behavior and my lack of nights off. I constantly find myself working, studying in groups, or frantically trying to maintain social connections (of varying degrees of actual importance to me). I probably make a good roommate because although I insist on a level of cleanliness from others that I can barely maintain myself, I am rarely around.

Since school began, I've felt extremely busy. I have cut out volleyball, TV, social dancing, and Netflix, and my personal hygeine often falls to alarming lows. Yet I still blow my friends off on a regular basis (although I try to distribute the no's equally) and turn in homework that was frantically completed an hour before class. Recently I've been questioning my lifestyle choices. Why do I feel a drive to be successful in work and school yet find myself dragging my feet? If I'm not going to be the best at something must I compete so hard for second best? Why do I often pour myself into activities solely because I think I should, even if they don't make me particularly happy?

As you can probably tell, spending nights alone is actually something I generally avoid. It's a bit dangerous. Too often, I find myself gravitating toward a state of melancholia. But tonight was a much needed respite from the busy lifestyle I constantly construct (and am seriously questioning). Although it's late and I'm sharing the evening with Fiona Apple and a tumbler of Buffalo Trace, I'm in no way blue. If I did this every night, I'd probably kill myself but every now and then, being alone feels very very good.

Missed Connections

Craigslist Missed Connections. It's what makes America great. Ok I guess they actually have CL worldwide. Point is, there aren't that many places where a person can declare their love, lust, or admiration. True, many of them are way too bland to have a chance:

I want you - W4M
I SO want you too. I think we are just not communicating in the right way. We both just need to get over our ego's and go for it. I'm game if you are.

Some of them are actually quite funny:

Shocked by my cucumber - W4M
Look. English cucumbers go for $1.50 each at the Midvale Harmon's on 7th East. That's right. Each.

So while you were standing next to me gawking as I tried to find the biggest, individually, shrink-wrapped English cucumber, I thought I would just politely explain why I was being so picky. It struck me afterwards why you might have been a bit traumatized, Mr. Three Cans of Rock Star energy drink, 4 donuts, and one tub of potato salad, after I told you that "size really does matter, you know..."

$1.50 each! That means I pay the same for a short, stubby one. A crooked, bumpy one. A long, firm one. A soft, mushy one. An average-lengthed, chubby one... So yes, if I pay the same no matter what, I wanted a long, chubby, firm English cucumber for the money, thankyouverymuch.

But if you aren't too traumatized from our interaction, I'm single (and I'm guessing you are too, Mr. Three Cans of Rock Star, 4 donuts, and one tub of potato salad). Come on over and I'll feed you. Care for a salad? I can omit the cucumber...

At it's best though, the Craigslist missed connections constitute a hopelessly small slice of romance in a very large digital world. The odds of making that connection are incredibly improbable. Here's what has to happen:

1. The right person has to actually read the post
2. They have to realize it's about them
3. Then most improbable yet: They have to feel the same way.

But it does happen.

Ok so before you think I've lost it, I don't actually read these very often. I never read them sober and I'm never looking for people looking for me. It's entertainment people.

But then again... How could you be certain unless you actually read them?

Welcome

Hi!

Although I'm leaving a beautiful community of LiveJournalers, I've decided to make the switch to a relevant platform. Simply put, LJ is annoying. I can never remember the address of my own blog. Also there are a few annoying LJ features like a time consuming spellcheck, inability to embed media, etc. Finally and most importantly, as I'm sure you've noticed, LJ has more ads than MySpace. I am in the process of transferring my archived posts over but since I'm probably the only one who actually rereads posts, I'm sure you won't mind.

This is the new 81trucolors. Please bookmark accordingly. Also stay tuned for...... Craigslist Missed Connections!