How long does it take to fall in love, and then out?

I'm just wondering.

A strange occurrence of related events happened two nights ago that took my mind back to a situation I was in almost two years ago--with this guy I was starting to see and like for about two weeks. For one reason or another, I discovered, just this Sunday night, that he has tried on more than one occasion tried contacting me by phone, and these attempts went completely unnoticed by me. Without going into all the complicated details, let me just say that there's an uncomfortably large amount of information on the internet about each and every one of us...stuff that we can all access if we try hard enough. I was able to put two and two together with some information that I came across, and like I said earlier, came to the shocking realization that he had tried, more than once, to contact me.

So...I started thinking...if I realized XX had been calling, would I have answered? what would I have said? what would I have felt? what do I feel now? what would he have said? how would I have reacted?

Is it ridiculous that I really don't know the answers to any of these questions. I hate to say this, you don't know how much I do, but I think in this case, I'm not totally over him. There are some people that you meet, date, stop dating, and move on with no residual feelings.

And then there are others...

This is what happens when ABC airs re-runs...

I get mad, stomp my feet, call friend Jackie-ASU, and bitch and moan about working hard all day and not getting the reward of enjoying new episodes of my favorite shows. Waaa!

But instead of deciding to watch something else, I figured I haven't said much on the blog about school this quarter. So lucky for you (or not, depending on how you actually feel about my blogging) I'm going to get a bit more into the school aspect of D-rock. If that stuff bores you, then this entry is just not for you.

This quarter so far is going SOOOOO well. The classes I have this quarter are much more up the alley of what I want and see myself doing professionally. Not that last quarter was informative and significant, it was. Really, it's as if last quarter laid down the framework so that I could really ENJOY what I am learning now.

My two favorite classes are Neuroanatomy/Neurophysiology and Voice Disorders. I'm toying around the idea of asking my Voice Disorders professor if she'll be my mentor for a master's thesis. Even when the studying is really challenging, or there are concepts that are just not sinking in as fast as I'd like, I kind of sit back and laugh, "even though this is kicking my ass, I'm loving every minute of it". The professor for Neuroanatomy has had the career that I would DIE for. He got his master's, worked for a little while and then went back for his PhD, and instead of following the academic route at a University, he worked as a researcher in hospitals, until he got to the point where he wanted to come back to school and teach. Not that I'm not interested in research, but his was more hands on and in the actual field, whereas sometimes in a university you get wrapped up in the "Ivory Tower", and even in your research.

Anyway...it's been a great quarter, and whereas last quarter I was eagerly looking forward for it to end, this quarter is going way too fast, and I'd really wish it would slow down so I can take more of it in.

I've also been working with kids in various developmentally delayed preschool classrooms up in a town called Mukilteo. I spend about four hours every Monday working with little kiddos with Austism, Cerebral Palsy, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, and others, who need speech and language treatment. They are really adorable 3-5 year olds, most of them functioning at much lower levels than their typically developing peers. Some of them have great speech but inappropriate use (they are lacking knowledge of how to use language appropriately in social situations), whereas some of the others are completely non-verbal and we are just working on either some articulation (like making sounds), or working with picture cards/boards/computers that help them communicate their ideas and needs. I didn't think I would enjoy working with this population as much as I have so far.

Anyway...that's just a little wrap up of my school life. As you may or may not have noticed from my blog entry from last week, I went out for drinks with a guy last weekend which went HORRIBLY. We were SOOO wrong for each other. Oh well, back to the drawing board.

Pic from Christmas in Salt Lake

Hess, Jed and Derek....I love me my Cortez Street roomies!

You know you need to do laundry when...

The only thing you can find in your closet that resembles underwear is a speedo...and you wear it.

Jedathon

Happy Birthday Hed~

Pancakes

In an effort to really use all of the food in my cupboards before I make my way up to Safeway to get sprayed once again by the produce section, I have been eating EVERYTHING that is preparable. Yep...even those boxes of Krusteaz Buttermilk pancake mix that I've had for way too long (don't worry, no spoiling or foreign bodies growing there). I forgot how easy and quick a few pancakes with jam in the morning can be! Yum yum.

What not to talk about on a date

If you insist on talking about how much money you make a year, how expensive your cars are, that you have the best taste in the world for clothing, how much you spent on your trip to St. Tropez, and how much you love tossing money around because you have so much of it....sorry, it's just not going to happen.

A bit more about me

True story...happens at least once a month for me.

As many other twenty-somethings out there, I have had my fair share of apartments and dwelling spaces I have called home. In fact, since the time I turned 20 I have managed to live in 13 different homes/apartments. Again, this isn't an abnormal for most people my age...talking to most of my friends here in Seattle, my numbers are pretty on par with the norm. About 99.9% of the time I have no problem remembering where in the world I am living, where I live, and what I'm doing living there. But during the other .1% of the time, usually in the morning when my body and mind wake up but I haven't opened my eyes yet, I kind of laugh and realize that I'm not exactly sure where I am. Don't get me wrong, I don't feel lost or out of place, it's just that I honestly can't remember if I'm still serving in Albania, or waking up in my tatami room in Japan. It's sort of a weird game I play with myself...will I wake-up upstairs with my other 11 other roommates at the Fort Douglas, or will I be licked to death by Bogart at the Swallows. Am I still on study abroad living on Thompson Lane, or am I home in the basement on Princeton Ave? Will I open my eyes only to see Jed's and my very long bodies sharing a small double bed on Cortez Street, or is it 2002 and I'm living in the pool house on 2nd Ave? Just yesterday, I had to remind myself that I moved to Seattle, was in grad school... and if I waited any longer, would probably be late for ProSem that morning. ;)

Sign for future degeneration? Maybe. But, if things go that way for me later on in life, at least I'll have the comfort of knowing that I'll just be lost in a lifetime of wonderful memories.

Why?

Not sure.

When Hessica comes to play...

My darling Hess came up to keep me company in Seattle over the MLK Jr. long weekend. I was just getting over my cold, and was getting a little stir crazy only spending time at school or in my bed, so the timing couldn't have been more perfect. We had a fun dinner with some of my school friends, and ventured over to Kate's Pub in Wallingford. The next day, Seattle showed its cold ugly face, so we kept on the down low, and ended up seeing Notes on a Scandal, for which I would like to say..."SCANDALOUS--go see it now!"

Sunday Hess and I met up with Brie and another Jessica (from my program) and headed to the Experience Music Project in the Seattle Center. Although the museum is really nice inside and I learned a lot, it was a bit more expensive than I would regularly go for, and I'm not sure if I'd actually recommend it to anyone. I don't imagine I'd go again, unless there was a really cool traveling exhibit showcased there. After the museum, the four of us walked over to a cute coffee house for a cup of joe and to chat all things boys and men. Yes, I know, I can never really get away from being "Derek and the girls"...what's a gay man to do. In my defense, when I was living up on Cortez Street, I was definitely in the majority as most of my friends were (gay) men.

That night, Hess took me out to Ray's Boathouse on the Puget Sound where we wined and dined. Delicious. The next day, we took the Washington State Ferry out to Bainbridge Island, had breakfast, and then got to know the area a bit. Before I knew it, the entire weekend had rushed by, and I was taking Hess back to SeaTac.

THANKS FOR COMING, HESS! I HAD SUCH A GREAT WEEKEND!

Dinner with peeps from school at the Indo Cafe
Derek, Jessica, Liz, Chad (some of my fellow Med-SLP students)
Derek and Hess

Hess and Derek freezing our asses off getting this pic with Mt. Ranier as our lovely backdrop
You know it's a good song when you both are closing your eyes







Derek on ferry to Bainbridge Island

My nose, my nose, in the dark it glows!

I had really great intentions to get back to Seattle and start up with the blogging again, but my plans were thwarted by a pretty cruel cold that has been going around UW. Suffice it to say, I'm taking everything as far as medicine is concerned to get me through this one. I've blown my nose raw about a million times this morning, and it's definitely become lower-respiratory because I have the cough from hell.

Truly a joy to be around, I'm sure.

D-rock recommends...

BORAT
Totally irreverent, totally ridiculous, totally hilarious. Not for the faint of heart. Loved it.

THE QUEEN
Run, do not walk, and see this film.
My favorite from last year.

BLOOD DIAMOND
I don't know if I'll ever look at precious gems the same way.

DREAMGIRLS
The most fun I've had at the movies in a long time.
Amazing.
L-O-V-E-D it.