Weekend Visit and Prom Again?

Hey Again!

Thought I should update you all about my weekend. I went home with one of the good friends that I've made in college - Ryan. He's an engineer as well, and from a town not too far north of where I live. In fact, I usually ride with him whenever I visit my family.

Anyway, he has a friend who was looking for a prom date and lamented to him who in turn passed the message to me. In an explanation to the larger "Why?" of why I went to visit Ryan, he introduced me via text message to his friend Elaine and this was the weekend we were actually supposed to meet. So we arranged a couple of things, got some friends together and got some plans, so when he and I went up to hang out for the weekend, there was already an entourage and a fun evening waiting on us.

The whole company - some fluctuating half  dozen or so of us - went out bowling on Friday night, then went out to eat at Red Robin, a restaurant I am clearly too 'sheltered' (cough cough) to have never eat at before. I'll admit that the food was good though! We went walking about together afterward, talked and went on until it was time for us to go home.
After we left, Ryan took me and his girlfriend back to his place to watch Gran Torino, a film I've been meaning to see for a long time. The language was coarse, but appropriate, and the story was riveting. One of the best movies I've gotten to see in quite a while. Ryan and his girlfriend also enjoyed it, and enjoyed their time together next to their un-phased third wheel. After the movie, Ryan took her home and we got ready for bed.

I like Ryan's place. Like most of friend's homes, it has that delightful sort of disorderly hospitality where you know the guest bed will be big enough to support three people and among the comfiest and warmest things you've been subject to in the past few months, and you know that you will be the most exciting thing that has happened in their pets' lives ever. I admit that I sort of wonder if I still smell like his dogs or not, but am not worried.

Photos of Bridge Street

Sorry, not my original work this time! But still a good photo representation

So, Bridge Street is a delightful, new, European-styled town centre that came to the area a few years back. It's essentially a kind of outdoor shopping mall, and they've built a lake around it with bridges in the Venetian style and cobbled the streets. It's on the new money end of town, I admit, which I have always liked for its great sense of light and fun. On Bridge Street, there are all kinds of fancy to simple restaurants, a yogurt bar, a chocolate shop, clothing stores, a couple vanity shops, some fun interest and peculiarity shops, an Apple Store, an outfitter, and a Barnes and Noble, as well as three different fountains, all kinds of trees and plants and flowers, a huge Westin hotel, and a handful of gondolas imported from Venice, Italy herself (as well as genuine Venetian gondoliers, rumor has it) (because frankly, I don't believe the State of Italy would acquiesce to anyone else guiding these boats) (and I can admit to knowing at least a thing or two about Italians XD).

It's really quite impressive, has it's own nice little ambiance to it that I kind of like, and it's consequentially the best sort of place for a nice friendly outing, which I took Elaine on Saturday.

I won't bore you with too many details, but we chatted and had lunch before going there, then spent the day about checking out stores and the little world of Bridge Street. We daringly invaded the Westin hotel in our day clothes and checked out all its finer points, then had frozen yogurt at the Peach Tree. We listened to the street performers play songs we knew and just talked, finishing off by heading over to stick our noses in books for a few hours at Barnes and Noble and then met my family at the dollar cinema that we like. We saw the new Muppets movie (rather adorable film, by the way - I recommend it for anyone) and then parted ways. I went back to my house with my family and spent the rest of the weekend there.

I had a really enjoyable time and Elaine said that she did as well. After talking to Ryan, he assured me that I'm going to have to be the one to ask her to her prom if I do finally decide that I would be available and able to be her date. Considering the fact that it's not my prom, it is one of the few times when I feel as though it's not exactly my right to ask her (even though I generally always have the opinion that it is better for the guy to ask), but according to him, she'll be too shy otherwise. I think I'll wait until tomorrow, so that she can get into the swing of things again. Whatever happens, I hope that she has a really good prom.

That's all for now, I suppose. Stay tuned this week for more exciting adventures of my life!

PS: I know it's a little late, but I'm starting tonight to read the Bible in a year. I did it once when I was younger and couldn't appreciate the finer points, so I want to do it again and study into it better this time. I'll have to double up to catch up, but it shouldn't be too much of an issue =] I love reading God's Word anyway

I'm Jonathon, and this is my life.





Photos: http://www.spacecamp.com/vacationplanner/node/54
http://cathylwood.wordpress.com/2009/05/23/shopping-3/bridge-street-004/
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A Brief History of Most of It

Hello everyone!

Well so I am doubly behind this week I admit. First, I didn't update on that little to which I am up. And second I have two more campus building adventures to report. Oh well - I was actually waiting on the update in hopes of getting pictures from this past weekend, but it looks like it'll be a long wait on those (not my fault!) so I may as well go ahead...

The Reduced Shakespeare Company is a group of three guys who have been doing hilarious abridged versions of the works of William Shakespeare for a long time. It does a zany and wild interpretation of the story with only three actors, and their fame and success exploded. They've been doing other shows in more recent original works, including The Complete History of America Abridged. It is a hilarious presentation of all of the history of the country and land we call the USA and the engineering theater group that I am now apparently president of (College of Engineering does Amateur Radical Theater) performed the show last weekend.

As a group of engineers doing theater, it's very low key and mostly for fun, so we pride ourselves on being able to do silly productions like this. However, no one in our audiences could predict just how wild it would be!

With everything from colonist rap to drag to internet memes to flying spaghetti, we had the audiences eating out of the palms of our hands by the final show. I played Adam, for those of you familiar with the Company, and had a blast with my part! Over the course of the play, I represented as many as Sophia Vespucci (Amerigo's wife), a town crier, Paul Revere, a Minoote Man, James Madison, a WWI soldier, President Obama, George Bush, Lucy Ricardo, Vietnam, and of course myself.

Personally, I had a blast and I think the crowd and other actors did as well. It was a terribly fun play.

Anyway, so my little sisters - who are Girl Scouts - sent my a blank order form for GS cookies a few weeks ago and asked if I could sell some cookies to all my college friends. I think to myself, "What? College kids and Girl Scout cookies? YES." My predictions were correct. Much to the joy of my little siblings, I single-handedly sold 111 boxes of GS cookies over the matter of a week or so. People have been so excited to get them!

Of course, it kind of turned my room into a distribution center for a while, which was actually fairly amusing. My doorbell has been warmer this week than it has since I put it up.

All I'm saying is that I think I should get a badge!


Other news? Well, not much, I admit. Today, we had a breakfast and video games party/throw down/what have you. I made bacon and eggs and helped a friend make French toast. We also had people make loaded scrambled eggs, baked cinnamon toast, candied bacon, and tea. We used my projector on one of the walls and had a nice little get together. It was an idea inspired by the baconous desires of one of our dear dorm friends and it turned into a nice little party. The most exciting part was cooking and preparation and the best part was hanging out together.

I had a really good day today, and especially enjoyed when Maddie, my twelve year old (going on 13!) sister called me just in time to catch me before an astronomy seminar, just to say hey. "I just wanted to hear your voice and see how you were doing," she said. Thank you, Maddie, that made my day =]

Going home with a friend this weekend and going to hang out with some of his buddies in Huntsville. Think I'm going to enjoy it!

That's it for now - hopefully I'll get to post some new, good stuff soon!
Love to all.

I'm Jonathon and this is my life.






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The Forward Progress

Hello All!

Not much news I'd have to say over the past week, but I'd say that all is well. I had two quarter-term exams that both went spectacularly and spent the past weekend getting a lot of fun things in the mail. In fact, the latest things that came through circulation particularly made my day on Tuesday. The first was a care package from my family with a great Valentine's Day theme, complete with heart-shaped suckers and cards and all sorts of goodies. The second is a projector that I have been anticipating. Christmas present to myself with an Amazon gift card from my family in Connecticut (love you guys!).

Yeah that's right: my dorm room is now officially a multi-media stereo theater event!

Watched my first movie on a screen larger than some of the people who live on my hall: Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Felt that it was classic and most appropriate! Bueller never conned the world more epically in my life than he did on my roommate's wall at HD quality projection.

Can I get an "AAAAAAAAAAWWWWWW YEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAH"?

Hahahaha ^^
Anyway, the weather here is finally moving onto what we can 'pretty darn nippy.' Below freezing temps are rare where I live and rarer where I go to college, so it's been a welcome cha...
...well, it's been a change at any rate!
Keeping warm for my part, and trying to keep others warm as well, for all it's worth.

I joined the registry a short while ago for bone marrow donations. Yes, I know, painful process, your cousin's sister's husband's donation horror story, whatever. I am actually kind of excited. They said four to six weeks are absolutely the earliest I would hear if I were to be somebody's match, but it's not uncommon to not hear for years. I kind of personally hope that I get matched with somebody. I'll just see how it goes. They suggested telling family members and friends about your decision to register, in the event that you might get called. Guess it's for moral support and stuff, but regardless.

Tomorrow I have an interview for the option of living in the German House on campus. No, I don't speak German, but this time two years ago, I didn't speak Italian either. The rest of that story is history. I have also taken guitar back up, but I'm getting bored talking about myself, so I'll move on to other things:

like the very important fact that my theater troupe - College of Engineering does Amateur Radical Theater - is putting on Reduced Shakespeare Company's The Complete History of America Ambridged. It is moderately hysterical, if rather crass, and the play in showing this coming Friday and Saturday. I am really excited about it and am glad to be getting back into theater. It should be a sort of level of rather excellent, and tonight we did the first run-through attempt with costumes. I cannot even begin to tell you how pumped I am!

This has been the news, thanks for tuning in,
I'm Jonathon and this is my life.




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Reese Phifer Hall

The first in my little campus exploration adventure series, I think. I went out when I had an extra hour and just walked into the building. I kept my eyes and ears open and my phone ready for taking notes and photos...

Reese Phifer Hall - College of Communications and Information Services

Reese Phifer Hall was built in 1929 and dedicated in 1930 as the Alabama Memorial Union building (supposedly as a war memorial to students who had served) and didn't become the Communications Building until some 40 years later. In 1991, it was renamed after one J. Reese Phifer, a local benefactor to the university.
In its early days, it was home to the university's only campus-wide telephone as well as the only cafeteria and the University Supply Store. It also held to the University Post Office and the University Barbershop!
Downstairs are studios for Alabama Public Radio as well as the on-campus radio and television stations and has been the home to the school's radio broadcasting since it was built. In the west wing is the William E. Winter Reading Room, which is filled with newspapers and other periodicals and a Mac lab.

I had been told about Reese Phifer by a friend of mine who has been considering a journalism major, and it seemed to me like a nice interesting place to start. Why? Two reasons: First, it has a dome. Second, it is a rumored labyrinth. I was not disappointed in either. The various winding and turning staircase patterns reminded me of works of Escher, and I found it nearly impossible to follow basic building pattern intuition. I got gloriously lost immediately.

I actually stumbled upon the Reading Room I mentioned earlier and ran into Anne Borne, the - er - librarian. She is a delightful lady and when I told her I was visiting to see the place (and expressed some interest in journalism) she showed me all over, including under the tarps and into the in-progress renovations for the room. I found the newspaper for my hometown on the resource rack and she told me about her work and some of the stuff they had - undigitized journals, periodicals, research, all sorts of things.

Anne Borne in the William E. Winter Reading Room

When asked about the building further, she referred me to Dr. Jim Oakley, 26 year veteran to the College of Communications.

the breezeway connecting the east and west wings

In Dr. Oakley's office, I found a good humored, swell old fellow who knew just about everything there was to know. We shared more than one good joke and some good conversation.
I was shown what had once been the student lounge and told how the building's already grandiose entrance used to be even bigger. He told me that Reese Phifer is actually two buildings put together, which is something that I found out while I was still browsing around.

He also told me a story about an old ex-student named Charles Adams who used to work and live in the building back when it was called the Alabama Union and had a tiny little apartment complex inside. He made a copy of the memoir he wrote about his time in the hall and gave it to me. I immensely enjoyed reading it. It told all about the old building back in its early days: the constantly leaking roof, the strict matron Mrs. Sanders, how they used to censor some of the magazines with a pair of scissors, and 'step sitting' on the enormous, gorgeous front steps. I have to leave out most of the stuff for want of space.

above this entrance are the spaces where the windows from Adam's apartment used to be

the view from the bedroom window, which isn't there anymore

However, I do need to let you all in on one little secret of Reese Phifer: the local ghost.

Some years ago, one Dr. Caison was said to have commited suicide in one of the rooms on the third floor on the east wing. Adams wrote that the superstitious custodians refused to go in to clean it. There have been stories from students and faculty alike who have reported seeing Dr. Caison walking about the halls, and after a little bit of searching, I was able to find the infamous room for myself. It is now an occupied office - room 402B. However, be sure to ask reception if it's okay first, and the likely answer will be a 'no'.

The spot where Dr. Caison committed suicide.

the window outside, which I initially used to help me find the room ("the room's window is
the first one from the portico on the third floor east" - Adams)

Finally, last on my agenda was to go up into the rotunda on top, so I sheepishly asked to go see the dome and Dr. Oakley gladly got his keys and took me right up. As I walked around the enormous empty space, he told me about how the university band used to practice there, back when it was MUCH smaller - the band that is! There's not much up there now - just some paper scraps from decorations and almost 100 years of echoes, but it had a cool quality to it. And besides, it's a dome at the top of a building! Gotta check those out.

After coming back downstairs and talking a little more, I said good bye to Dr. Oakley and headed off to Cal II, thoroughly pleased.

Stats:
Cools - great ambiance, fun to commute, lots of classrooms, newly renovated, beautiful terraces
Not So's - difficult to navigate in any way, on corner of two busy roads
Close to - quad, sorority housing, stadium, the Strip
Far From - Honors housing, Rec Center, Ferguson Center
Beauty - 7.5
Temperature - Neutral
Overall - 8.2


I'm Jonathon, and this is my life.

Sources:
http://tour.ua.edu/tourstops/reese.html
"Reflections on the Alabama Union, AKA Reese Phifer Hall" by Mr. Charles E. Adams
local faculty
my own investigations

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The Loft is Built

Hey All!

For those of you who haven't already heard, I'm back in school for the semester and am back to being as busy as ever. =] All things considered, I'm enjoying this semester immensely already and have high hopes for its continuation!

I think that the most exciting order of business is that I finally finished the loft that I've been constructing for the larger part of my winter break and some of the first weeks of the semester. Here I've included pictures of me working on it and assembling it in the dorm.

working at home in the garage

first steps of assembly in room

almost done...

Booyah!

As you can see, I chose a half A-frame style. I wanted to be able to do hanging sit-ups from the front of the frame (yeah, working on that physique...hahahaha) and because it provides incredible forward stability. I added elbow braces in the back to keep it from rocking and the design is sturdier than the trees it was built out of.

I love sleeping on it, and am slowly proving the only one who can get into it on my own (it's incredibly high - although I can't stand up underneath it, 99% of the people I know can). I can still sit up straight on it, which is a success in my mind. In short, I kind of love it. Future plans? Hammock strung underneath and a digital projector to turn the adjacent wall into a movie theatre.

Sorry for the orientation, but tada!

As for everything else, I'm doing really well. I'm way into the swing of things and am for the most part just living every day as it comes. I need to get to sleep for now, but as my adventures progress, I'll do better about getting you all posted.

I'm Jonathon, and this is my life.




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When My Feet Hit the Ground

Hey All!

Well, I have returned at last to the university after quite an excellent break. I write from my freshly cleared off desk, but I confess that I am still surrounded by nothing short of a mess as I try to sort out myself and all of my belongings. Thankfully, however, I'm going to make another quick pit stop at the house to drop off the unnecessaries. I have to admit - I didn't want to go to college in state, but am enjoying at least the convenience.

Classes this semester are looking spectacular so far! I already have a much lighter and more fun load (same number of credit hours as well! Bonus!) and I'm going easier on the extracurricular activities. I also have finally begun the much-desired physics and astronomy courses!
 I have deliberately stopped myself from filling my schedule, even though that leaves me lots of free time (I am normally allergic to free time), so that I have opportunity to actually pursue a personal life! I could use some more experimentation, art, project, and God time.

Don't know what else to say really.
The weather has started to get particularly cold here, but we're bright and sunny enough to make up for it =] A lot of my friends are merely overjoyed to see one another again. So far, all have loved the small Christmas presents I gave them, so I hope that the rest (which are still works in progress) are also satisfactory.
Yup, still as behind as ever =]

Among other goals for this semester like all A+'s and ascertaining myself about my feelings on astrophysics, I have it in mind to visit every building on campus at least once. I'd like to do a scavenger hunt thing, and learn a little about the history of each building as well, and treat it almost like a tour. That might be quite fun =]

I need to go now, if I hope to get some sleep tonight. I wish you all the best wherever you are, and I love you all. Take care!

I'm Jonathon, and this is my life.






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Tanti Auguri

Happy New Year =]

Love,
Jonathon

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