Blank Verse for English 3440

Pride

by Jack Garcia

 

I look upon the tree which proudly stands

with orange lace and bright maroon cravats,

bedazzled, dressed in jewels of autumn; gold

upon his fingers stretching out to me.

I wonder where the sycamore retreats

as winter’s snow invades his closet there

and throws his precious costumes out the door:

a crimson handkerchief, a hat, a glove.

Invading spaces that were never hers,

the winter wind has stripped the tree of pride.

Work-Inspired Tanka for English 3440

 

Ramblings on My First Week of School

Are you aware that we are about halfway through the month of January?  Did you know this?  I just now realized this and I'm thinking to myself, "Damn, Jack.  You haven't written a single blog post this month... heck, even this year!"  I better get on that.

School has started.  Much too quickly, I might add.  I barely had time to breathe after the rush that is Christmas and New Year's before plunging headfirst into another school semester.  I'm taking four classes this year--a full load--and I'm a little worried that I'll kill myself before the semester ends.  Full-time school and full-time work can be challenging.  Although, one of my new classmates was bragging about taking 7 classes last semester all while working full-time as well, so maybe I'm just a baby. 

Or maybe she's just a bragging b****.

Brian hates when I put asterisks in place of swear words.  He's a b**** too.

Anyway, I'm taking a Steinbeck class and I'm pretty excited for it because I've never read him before.  Yes, you heard me right.  I'm an English major who's never even read The Grapes of Wrath.  Somehow I skipped over that in high school, although I do remember falling asleep on my desk while watching the movie.  I had a string of drool connecting my chin to my trapper keeper.  Very embarrassing.  But I'm taking the class now and I'm on the brink of discovering one of America's most celebrated authors, despite what certain literary critics might say.  My classroom smells like an auto body shop though, considering it's in the Sparks Automotive building.  Perhaps it will help me to connect to Steinbeck's down-and-out, working class characters.  Or the fumes might get me high.

I'm also taking a poetry class.  Poetry's not my strong-suit, but we'll see.  The teacher seems interesting, but unfortunately one of the annoying kids in my American Literature class last semester has waddled his way into this poetry class as well.  That's mean of me, isn't it?  Waddled.  Not nice, but he is a bit hefty and penguin-like.  He gets under my skin because he has diarrhea of the mouth and a strong need to be the teacher's pet.  He literally serenades the professor.  Literally.  He sang a whole Gregorian chant for us in class on Thursday and I honestly have no idea why.  It was very strange.  In all honesty though, what bugs me most about him is his confidence.  Because no matter how socially awkward he might be, I'm jealous that he seems to live his life without fear of what others might think.  It's a trait I lack.  You couldn't pay me enough to sing in class, yet here he was, just singing his heart out.

My lack of self-confidence and worry over the opinion of my peers (or my "pride" as Brian calls it) gives me anxiety whenever I'm asked to openly participate in class, and my Rhetoric professor has made it her life-long goal to get students talking about themselves.  I hate talking about myself in class.  Or sharing my opinion.  I don't mind that sort of stuff here, on my blog, where I can't see anybody... but in real life with people I don't know, I'm pretty closed-off.  So that class is going to be an interesting one.  As is my fourth class, Spanish, where I'll not only be required to talk a lot but I'll be asked to talk in my second language.  Woohoo.  Or as they say in Spanish:  el woohoo.

Interesting fun fact about my Spanish class.  It's on Saturday mornings and it apparently started last Saturday and not today.  Oops.  I'm already a week behind!

An Ode to 2012

Looking back at our calendar,

2012 was full of fun.

Let’s take a little look

at all the things that we have done

In January we started fresh

and made our resolutions.

We started hanging out with Brett

who’s full of contributions.

We found a new apartment

and in February moved in.

“Happy Valentine’s Day to us,”

we said, and then we lived in sin.

In March we had some visitors

and got a little loud.

We threw so big a party

the Great Gatsby would be proud!

Michelle and I went travelling

in April, yes indeed,

to Manti and to Logan

to see our friends in need.

May had Cinco de Mayo

for which we threw a fiesta,

and then we celebrated mothers

by taking a little siesta.

In June we went to Salt Lake City

and celebrated Gay Pride.

Brett and Wes accompanied

—we had so much fun we cried!

At Stadium of Fire

we celebrated July 4^th,

then off to a family reunion

and Yellowstone up north.

In August we went to Colorado

for my sister’s wedding day,

then celebrated my birthday

with lots of PB&J!

September found us busy

with school again in session.

We went to a dog’s birthday party,

which is a strange confession…

Brian’s birthday is in October

as well as Halloween.

We also had a Bachelor’s Party

which was just a tad obscene.

November was the greatest month

with a trip to New York City.

Brian and I were married there

and our reception was oh so pretty!

In December we gave gifts

to our family and friends

and ate so many feasts,

we fattened our rear ends!

And now the year is over,

so we sing that famous song.

We’ll take a cup of kindness…

and thank God the Mayans were wrong!

HAPPY NEW YEAR’S!

Christmas Gifts, Part Two

My family mailed all their Christmas gifts and I opened them a little early.  Then we spent Christmas Eve and Day with Brian's family, waking up in the morning and opening presents just like we were little kids.  So fun!

A.  I managed to snag the game Yahtzee at the Kesler Family Christmas Party.  I was pretty pleased with myself.  Brian's cousin Emeli brought it... so, thanks Emeli!

B.  My mom and stepdad sent us a murder mystery party game called Pasta, Passion and Pistols!  They had me at pasta!  Ha ha... And I've never actually hosted (or been to) a murder mystery party so I'm really excited to throw one.  It should be a lot of fun!

C.  Continuing with the game theme, Brian's mom got us Chinese Checkers.  How did she know I was Chinese?

D.  My mom got me Backgammon, which I've never played before in my life.  I'm sure it can't be that hard... (see E)

E.  My mom also got me Backgammon for Dummies.  I stand corrected.  Apparently it's pretty complicated if you need a whole book to explain how to play!  But I look forward to the challenge.

F.  Brian's mom got us a new blue soap pump and toothbrush holder for our bathroom.  I'm hoping this new toothbrush holder gets less gunky than the last one... yuck!

G.  She also got us a new bathmat in brown.  (Both F and G came from our wedding registry... she's smart).

H.  New socks!  Most of ours are all holey and dingy... so I'm happy to Brian's mom got us some new ones.

I.  Brian's mom always gets us all pajama pants for Christmas and we open them on Christmas Eve.  This year she opted for athletic pants.  I think she's hinting that I'm fat and need to work out more.  She'd be correct.

J.  Brian's mom got me a really cool new shirt!  Gray and blue: my favorite color scheme!

K.  Brian's mom also got me a new tie.  Pretty snazzy.  Maybe I should start wearing ties to work more often.  Sometimes I'm too lazy and go to work looking like a hobo...

L.  My dad and stepmom got us a food scale (also from the registry).  Brian's really thrilled about it.  Like REALLY thrilled.  He's gotten so skinny from all his dieting that he needs a tiny little food scale to weigh himself!

M.  Jenny (my sister-in-law) got me the first season of I Love Lucy, just like Brian did.  Oops!  We're going to exchange it for the third season though, so no worries.

N.  Brian's mom filled a stocking for Brian and I to share... all I wanted were the peanut butter Santas!  Luckily Brian hates peanut butter, so he didn't even put up a fight when I claimed them all for myself.

O.  Brian's grandma gave us a book Cooking for Two, a homemade loaf of bread and a jar of cookie butter.  Kinda like the Santas (M), I claimed the cookie butter for myself!  I couldn't resist.  My two weaknesses--cookies and butter--all wrapped into one delicious, spreadable delight!

P.  Renee and Jaylon (my sister and brother-in-law) got us Mancala.  Games were a pretty popular gift this year!  Looks like we'll be hosting some game nights really soon!

Q.  Brian's mom got me a new votive holder.  It's long and wavy, and I think it'll go on top of the entertainment center once the Christmas stuff gets put away.

R.  Brian's mom also got me a candle warmer and lots of different scented cubes to melt.  Our house is going to smell delicious... like Grandma's Sugar Cookies or Apple Spice.

Not pictured, a gift card to The Cheesecake Factory from Daniel and Sofia (my brother and his girlfriend).  It came in the mail a few days ago and I forgot about it when piling gifts together for the photo... but that doesn't mean I'm not grateful!  Because let's face it, any gift involving food is one I'm going to enjoy!

Traditions

Christmas 2012 is my fifth Christmas spent with Brian, the fourth spent with the Kesler family and our first one as a married couple.  So far it's been a pretty fantastic holiday season.  We didn't see the lights at Temple Square or make gingerbread houses like we've done in past years, but other Kesler family traditions have held true.  We all attended the Kesler Family Christmas Party on the 22nd, which included the traditional gift exchange (where Brian scored ten bucks and I got the game of Yahtzee) and a new tradition of having the grandparents talk about some of their fondest family memories.  It was a fun and interesting night.

As for Christmas Eve, we watched How The Grinch Stole Christmas, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and The Muppet Christmas Carol like we've done every year since I've known them.  We watch them in the basement family room while gorging ourselves on a spread of holiday treats.  Once all the secular fun is out of the way, we head upstairs to light the candles on the German nativity set and read about Christ's birth.  In the candlelight we sing "Silent Night" in both English and German (only Courtney and Mama Kesler know all the words in German) and then write down our "gifts to baby Jesus" on little slips of paper and then tuck them into Jesus' stocking.  Our gifts include things we are going to do for him, like be more generous or use our talents.  We work on them throughout the next year.

Before heading to bed, the siblings all exchange their gifts to one another (we always draw names) and then we open our new pajamas and one other gift from the parents.

There's something comforting about traditions.  In a world that is chaotic and ever-changing, both for good and for bad, it's nice to have things that are familiar.  Things that bring us together and remind us what life's really about.  It's about family, it's about friends, it's about love...

It's about giving.  A new tradition was added today that I really enjoyed.  We brought gifts to a family in need.  A recently divorced mother without a job wrote to her Stake President for help and the Keslers volunteered.  We all pitched in for gifts for the four children and delivered them today.  To add to the Christmas spirit we sang them carols and the mother had tears in her eyes as she hugged Brian's mom and thanked her for what we had done.  It felt good to help out.

I also personally paid for a customer's ring sizing today at work.  They're a couple that I've grown fond of and I knew their holidays would be a little brighter without the extra expense.  I didn't tell them the person that paid for their sizing was me... but they figured it out.  You should have seen the look on their faces!

So my new tradition--and not just at Christmas time--is giving more of myself to others.  I'm blessed with so much, it would be a shame not to share it.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Christmas Gifts, Part One

Brian, Michelle, Wes, Brett and I got together on the 21st to exchange Christmas gifts.  Here's my impressive haul!

A.  Brian got me a new printer!  My old printer lasted a good four years or so... but it finally died out on me.  Printing at the UVU library got old really quickly, and it will be nice to print photos and stuff again (especially now with all the wedding pics).  And this new one is wireless!  So fancy schmancy!

B.  Michelle got me Horrible Bosses, which is a hilarious movie.  Luckily I now have a super awesome boss so I won't have to murder her any time soon.

C.  Friends With Benefits, another fun movie from Michelle, features my Justin Timberlake.  He's my other husband that Brian doesn't know about.  Well, one of them.  I have a lot of celebrity husbands.

D.  Ink for my new printer (A).  Brian had me open the ink first and I said, "But honey, our printer is dead..." and that's when he said, "Your new printer is hiding in the trunk of my car!"  I was so happy!

E.  Aveda shampoo and conditioner from Michelle.  It smells of rosemary/mint and should help my scalp while strengthening my hair.

F.  Aveda exfoliating cleanser, also from Michelle.  Hopefully my face won't be as ugly anymore.

G.  Michelle continued to pamper me with Aveda Lip Saver.  My lips really love that stuff!

H.  One last Aveda product from Michelle (who is a very recent Aveda graduate, can you tell?): grooming clay!  It keeps my hair lookin' all sexy.

I.  Brian got me the first season of New Girl!  I love that show and even Brian likes it... and he pretty much hates television.  We both just laugh and laugh while watching the current season.  "Puppy in a cup!"  Sorry, only those who watch it will get that reference.

J.  Even though he's not a fan of Home Alone, Brian knows that it's one of my favorite Christmas movies so he got it for me.  Isn't he a sweetie?

K.  Brian got me the second season of Glee (I already had the first) and now I can gleek out whenever I want.  Well, I can gleek out whenever he's not home at least.  Or within listening distance.

L.  Michelle gave me a new gray tie from Old Navy to wear to work.  I really like it!

M.  Michelle also got me a baby blue Stafford dress shirt to wear with my tie (L) and I look pretty dang sexy in them both.  Minus my love handles...

N.  Michelle got Brian and I tickets to an upcoming production of Spring Awakening at the University of Utah!  I'm so excited to go because I love that musical so much; I sing songs from it in the shower all the time.  I hope U of U does a good job staging it.  Of course, nothing can compare to my shower performances, but hey, they can try.

O.  Brett got me an awesome blue hoodie from Express!  He was spot on with the color choice, because I love it!  It's also super comfy (and I'm sure expensive).  Thanks, Brett!

P.  Brian got me seasons one and two of the classic TV series I Love Lucy.  We both love that show a ton, so it's really a gift for himself as well.  I can't wait to start re-watching them!

Q.  Brian also got me an iTunes gift card.  I could use some new tunes, so I'll definitely be using that!

R.  Wes got me a Best Picture collection of movies on DVD.  It came with Braveheart, Forrest Gump, American Beauty, Gladiator, Titanic, The Godfather and Terms of Endearment.  So many great movies!

S.  Brian got me the Barnes and Noble edition of Neil Gaiman's American Gods and Anansi Boys.  He was quick to capitalize on my new-found love for Gaiman's writing, and I haven't yet read Anansi Boys so I'm excited for that.