MKNonline Blog

Last semester of school!

I travel to D.C. on BU’s expense and take pictures of monuments.

Being in the weird fraternity that I am, I take a little brother that is neither little nor a dude.

Well, it’s almost 2008. I’m home again on New Year’s Eve, a tradition that although seems a bit depressing to you readers, is entirely thrilling for me, who rarely gets an evening of privacy in this house. I look forward to celebrating the next New Year’s out on the town if I’m moved out by then. For now, it’s me and Kailey enjoying the final moments of 2007.

What a year, I thought I’d reflect on my whirlwind and pick out the highlights for prosperity’s sake using my Flickr images.

I can’t even begin to tell you how frustrating this week has been. I guess you’re all wondering how 22 turned out for me? Well, so far, not so great.

About two weeks ago, I came down with what I thought was the flu. I can swear it was the flu because WebMD assured me so. It still might have been.

What kind of lingered though was a sore throat that was at worst, just a mere annoyance. It didn’t hinder me much greatly until this week. I think it crossed the threshold on Tuesday, the day before my birthday. It was becoming increasingly painful/difficult to swallow when I tried to eat. I went out with some friends from work, and remembering to start to really complain about it. I wrote that last statement to punctuate the fact that the one margarita I had that night was the ONLY alcoholic drink I’ve had and will have for the next few weeks.

Illnesses for me always intensify when I get home. I tend to fight any suggestion of weakness in a public setting, but at home, with nothing to do but think about why you can’t swallow, that’s when viruses get me.

I think it was 3AM Wednesday morning when I woke up from bed for the 5th time, covered in drool, unable to swallow, that I realized something went horribly awry.

So birthday morning and I’m incapable of swallowing at this point. No food, no drinks, spitting everywhere, barely able to talk, and my throat in severe pain. I called the doctor’s immediately. The morning of my birthday was spent in a doctor’s office getting the news that I had either Strep or Mono. I had to get blood drawn (I HATE shots), my throat got swabbed (try gagging on a Q-tip when your throat is swollen), and for good measure, my doctor finally flushed out my right ear that had accumulated massive earwax buildup (he forgot to do it last time). Apparently, earwax, if left not removed for a period of time, can suction onto the eardrum, causing massive amounts of pain and room spinning when the squirt gun of death finally releases the suction. Parts of my brain and blood are still coming out of my right ear and it concerns me. Ironically, I do hear a little better.

Anyways, I left the doctor’s office feeling worst than I did before. And since tests needed to be processed, all the doc could provide me was liquid tylenol prescription, which did nothing to help my throat.

Yesterday, I got the great news that I officially had mono.* My medicine was waiting at the CVS, but was unfortunately, also waiting was a tremendous snowstorm that wreaked havoc on the state. My superhero dad somehow managed to pick up my meds in the midst of bad weather, road conditions, traffic accidents, and finally, things started to turn for the better.

So now it’s Friday, I’ve at least had the luxury of working from home and avoid the traffic snarls and bad weather of the past few days. Kailey Buttons has been supportive throughout my ordeal. And the ‘roids the doctor prescribed to me to help with the throat has worked amazingly. I should be back to 100% by Monday hopefully…just in time for everyone to forget my birthday and to celebrate my brother’s and Jesus’ birthday instead. Sigh…

Tomorrow will be extremely depressing. I’ll be sitting at home like I have been the past three days, looking out to what should be a Nor’Easter coming our way, wondering why Mother Nature and my shotty immune system had to come and ruin my Mohegan Sun Big Pimpin’ Birthday Party I had planned.

*Further Addendums:

I may be diagnosed with mono, but besides the severely fucked up throat, I exhibit no other symptoms of typical mono sufferers. Mainly, my energy has been pretty normal throughout this. It was bad during the flu spell a few weeks ago, maybe that was the beginning?

No, I haven’t kissed anyone in the past few weeks. I don’t know how I got it, but it wasn’t from making out with a beautiful girl with a secret illness. I’m trying not to think about the alternatives.

Okay, I know…How did I miss this dance? I’m practically a year behind this craze, which is a damn shame. The Cupid Shuffle apparently bypassed the Northeast or something (or I just haven’t gone to the clubs in a while). This song and dance has been embedded in brain and soul for the past two weeks.

I get it, I should be learning the Soulja Boy dance, but you know me, I’m always a few steps behind the macarana train. I’ll get to it. I’ll get it down before my BIRTHDAY ON WEDNESDAY!

22 is really no age to celebrate, especially when I still look no older than 12, but I’ll do it up. I’m optimistic that 22 will be a great year. Looking forward to moving out and moving rotations in April, make more money, spend more money, and generally be the balla’ that I was born to be. Takin’ more classes, maybe if I still have leftover time and motivation on my hands, start my own business. If I manage to get a great deal on an apartment, maybe take a nice vacation somewhere. The possibilities are endless. 21 was a pretty special year. I got 8 more years to make my 20-somethings something spectacular.

And it all starts with the Cupid Shuffle…Down down do yo’ dance…

Link to Cupid’s Myspace.
Besides the Cupid Shuffle, “369″ is another song that I can’t stop listening to.

The music video

The instructional video

Gotta represent.

What this marching show lacks in “BU scatter”, it makes up for in Pokemon and a sweet finale.

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/gaming/the-cal-marching-bands-amazing-16%20bit-video-game-halftime-show-322662.php?autoplay=true

I can’t imagine how hard it is to make some of those formations. The precision required is kind of hard to pull off. I always fucked up the ambiguous amoebas my band made. I could never be trusted with making a Tetris shape.

I’m sure everyone got that “WTF” present as a kid during the holidays from some crazy great-aunt or elder family friend who clearly was not in touch with the wants and needs of the younger generation. That was my whole family.

Someone once gave my brother the movie “Billy Elliot” as a Christmas present when we were younger. I think he was 8 or 9. A Barbie doll would’ve made more sense as a present to give a nine year-old boy. If either of us had watched that movie (and for the record, neither of us has), I imagine this would be a scene from the sequel.

I’m sitting at Panera Bread with the sounds of light jazz music in the air, a bunch of suburban parents reprimanding their out of control kids, and a Panera bread staff just barely controlling the lunch hour crowds. Oh, and I have delicious iced green tea. A good Saturday indeed spoiled by the fact that I should be doing my schoolwork than blogging. My adoring readers are always so demanding.

The only reason I’m in Panera instead of the comforts of my room is because internet has been down since Tuesday…and is still out. Stupid SBC/Yahoo. To make matters worse, my dad just got home from a business trip (today is his birthday), so there was no way for me to fix it anyways. And, it also meant I had to sit at home (with no internet access) and watch Kailey Buttons, the dog with enough expendable energy to power New England for 15 years. And there was a dead mouse in our front yard. Oh, and a family friend was diagnosed with cancer. All in all, a great week.

There were some highlights worth sharing. Monday I took a day off to volunteer at an amazingly fancy golf tournament in the TPC in Cromwell. Nothing says vacation to me than a lawn chair, The World is Flat, and a beautiful slightly breezy day on Hole 17. I’ve never felt so relaxed in my life. To make things better, executives gave me money as I sat there (I was money collecting). Seriously, you’re jealous.

Wednesday night, I left my dog home alone for what would be an entire day and evening (moms are no use when they’re not home) to go to the Connecticut Forum. Topic was on today’s Technology. Speakers on the panel included Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist and Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia. For a geek, I was pretty star-struck. I got free tickets from work which included free cocktails and a fancy three-course meal with the panelists beforehand.

Sometimes, working has its benefits. I felt like such an elitist, I contemplated spitting at the street trumpet player on my way into the theater.

Some fun facts from the Forum:

• I was shocked to learn how humanitarian both Jimbo and Craig are. You don’t realize how much Craigslist and Wikipedia are used to really HELP humanity until you hear it from the founders’ mouths. Jimmy Wales brought up a very insightful thought concerning the struggle of having advertisements on Wikipedia. Poor guy has to balance making very little money in order to appease the tiny fancies and adoration of Wiki users with the fact that the 30 million dollars worth of revenue a small Google ad could generate could be used to build schools and infrastructure in Africa. Out of all the dialects and languages of Africa, only two are represented in Wikipedia, and those communities are still very small and underdeveloped, much like reality.
• Craig Newmark has such a dry hilarious delivery, everything he says is short and hilarious.
• Jimmy carries a Sidekick 2 and a regular cell phone. Craig carries a Blackberry and a very small but fully functional chunky computer in his pocket. UMPC’s, I think they’re called.
• Craig is also customer service representative of Craigslist. He spends most of his day answering complaint calls and emails because he felt he was better at that than management.

In other news, I’m thinking of jetting off to Europe, by myself, for five days on my birthday. “By myself” being the key words. Is that weird of me? I’ve been craving independence and solitude ever since I moved back home. Go figure…

One of my favorite video podcasts, Cute With Chris, happens to shout out to one of my favorite blogs, Crunk + Disorderly. The internet is a small world after all.

If only I get shout out’ed every once in a while. In order to favor the Karma Chameleon, here are other favorite blogs of mine:

Self improvement:
Lifehacker
Lifehack

Self bitch-and-moan:
Violent Acres
Best Page in The Universe

Saving money:
Get Rich Slowly
I Will Teach You to be Rich
The Simple Dollar

Spending money:
Uncrate
The Bargainist

Dudeness:
The Bachelor Guy
The Bar

Girlness:
JustJared
Rickey

Geekiness:
Diggnation
Gizmodo
Engadget

Ghettoness:
XXLMag

I happened upon this preview for Rock Band and it kind of now aches my soul. I SUCCCKKK at Guitar Hero, but then again I don’t really own it. However, when I do play at my friends’ residences, even I can appreciate the sheer awesomeness of the game. Well, now take Guitar Hero and multiply it by 4 (drum kit, two guitars, and a mic). Men should be crying the day it’s released. Bet on it.

I had to post this, because it really cut to my heart. I love me some Slam Poetry, and this guy is awesome. His name is Taylor Mali and I think I saw him perform this on Def Jam Poetry a long time back. Refound it again on Youtube today, and this performance is even more powerful. This poem made me realize how much thanks I never gave to the teachers that steered my life. The ending theme and message, honestly, could be translated across any profession. The passion to which Mali pours his heart out in this performance is truly inspiring.

Mali has some amazing other poems, check them out on his website if you’re interested.