Unwanted Vacation

My leg was x-rayed today. I have a stress fracture. So, I'm out for at least a week, most likely a month once they get the full results from my bone scan next tuesday. Looks like it's lots of swimming and biking for me. Oh, and I have to diet so I don't get fat while I'm not running. I'm thinking I'll do the Sub-Connection diet (sorry, USI's ghetto... we don't have a Subway). That's all for now because I'm extremely pissed. ~ Rich

"It's just a minor thing and I'm a minor king..."

Last night I ran at IU. I sucked, again. Although I ran a second faster than last week (crossed the line in 4:41) I still was not satisfied. I should be a good 4-5 seconds under my high school PR right now. There's a possibility that I'm just adjusting to racing differently. My half-mile split (2:10) was only 1 or 2 seconds slower than my old 800 PR. Whatever the case, I'd like to thank Mike and Jeff for walking all the way across the frigid IU campus to watch me. That was really cool guys.

Moving on, USI is facing Kentucky Wesleyan today. From what I am told, this game is like a DII version of the Duke/North Carolina rivalry, so it should be good. After that, who knows, maybe I can finally relax for the first time in probably 2 weeks. ~ Rich

Fritz looks like Schlitz

Good afternoon! It's a sunny day on the USI campus, making the cold a little more tolerable. There really hasn't been much to update since my last post. I believe this is due in part to a lack of anything even close to being comparable of MLK weekend. We did have a track meet on Saturday, I sucked... 4:42 was the time in which I crossed the finish line for the mile. True, it is my 3rd fastest time ever. But I should be running 4:30 right now and I'll leave it at that.

Last night we attempted to get the RA's to come up here by having a fake party. Although Nick the dick (the RA who got me into my previous mess) was somewhat suspicious of Gwood, Morrison, and myself nothing actually happened. This truly was sad. We had bought a shitload of Fritz root beer in bottles. They looked just like a cheap beer bottles (i.e. Schlitz, PBR, Milwaukee's Worst). The clanking of bottles in the room didn't attract any suspicion to the room, neither did yelling "Beer!" down the hallway. Very disappointing. Better luck next time, I guess.

Time to get goin' folks. I have practice in 15 minutes and I'm not looking forward to it because my left leg hurts like hell. Later~ Rich

SoCo rocks! / Frusciante Strikes Again!

Last night was a total blast. G-wood, Howski, Schulzey, C-Stock, Roy, and I went to see Something Corporate live in St. Louis. What was really cool was that we were only 10 feet away from the stage! I caught a few good pictures of SoCo on my camera phone. One of the bands that opened for them, The Academy Is, had an excellent performance which was really cool because we didn't know anyone else was opening except for Straylight Run who, by the way, sucked ass.

Highlights of the Show:

• Andrew from Something Corporate going totally apeshit on the piano (and making it sound good) at the end of If You See Jordan.
• Before the show, Schulzey told me that I look like Brian Ireland, the drummer for Something Corporate. After the show when I was getting my The Academy Is poster signed by their bassist he casually remarked, "Hey, you look like Brian Ireland."
• Cracking comments with Garwood about how much Straylight Run sucked while being surrounded by people singing along to "Existentialism on Prom Night."
• Dancing with Rebecca, a freshman chem major at U of SL during a number of the slower numbers during SoCo's set.
• Getting my TAI cd and free posters signed by their singer and bassist (who looked like Robert Plant).
• Talking to TAI's singer, Vinny, and finding out that his girlfriend lives in Valpo... it's a small world.

Moving on...

I really didn't get very much sleep this morning, but it didn't really matter to me. Classes were fairly easy today, but track practice wasn't. Today I learned that doing a workout after having slept for a mere 3 hours is not very easy. However, after practice coach told us what events we're running at Rose-Hulman on Saturday. I'm running the mile! The mile is by far my favorite event because it's a distance event that you actually feel like you're running fast.

The most recent Frusciante CD is really, interesting? On this album, he splits the credit for the album's creation with Josh Klinghoffer; Klinghoffer's impression is clearly obvious from the beginning. For those of you that know a little about Frusciante's first major album release, Shadows Collide With People, you will recall that there were 2 electronica tracks; those were engineered by Klinghoffer. Much of the new album, A Sphere in the Heart of Silence, is like the 10th track of Shadows only better sounding. Add Frusciante's vocals to the pulsing electronica mixed with two guitars and two, yes two, basses and you have something very different. Something very cool, in my opinion. Track #2, Afterglow, has a bassline that would make for a damn good backing line to a BMW commercial. Watch out Moby, Frusciante and Klinghoffer might be stealing some marketshare.

On a final note, I have decided to add an occasional section that will simply be known as "Garwoodisms." Garwoodisms are quotes inspired by none other than Robert Garwood, affectionately known to many on the track team as simply "G-wood." They come in a variety of different shapes and sizes, cover many different topics, and are sure to offend uptight people.

This week's Garwoodism:

"Life will always try to kick you in the nuts, so be prepared: wear a cup."

I've got Geology in half an hour, so it looks like I'll be making this short. The concert last night was simply awesome!!! Something Corporate sounds spectacular live and so does the The Academy Is (one of the opening acts... check them out). Straylight Run has to be one of the worst bands I've ever heard. Anyway, I've gotta go. I'll post more later.~ Rich

In the year 2005....

As all of you (hopefully) know, we have moved into 2005. What will happen this year? No one can be quite sure. So that's why I'm going to make some predictions. If they are right, then I will probably very cocky. If they are wrong, I'll probably tell you I was just playin' around. Either way it'll make for a good laugh.

1.) The deficit will start to shrink..... and it won't be reported by the "reliable media".

2.) I will turn 19.

3.) Michael Moore will produce a "documentary" dealing with how El Presidente Bush stole yet another election, this time in Ohio.

4.) Hillary Clinton will run announce her run for the presidency in 2008. Theresa Heinz Kerry will soon follow in her footsteps.

5.) Audioslave will release a new album; I will like it.

6.) The USI track & field team will strike fear into the hearts of mediocre running talent across the Midwest. *muahahaha*

7.) Koffi Annan will have be forced to resign despite all of the wonderful things he has done for impoverished people of the world.

8.) The genocide in Darfur will continue to be ignored by the rest of the world because there is nothing to capitalize on by ending the tragedy. Though other nations could help bring an end to the situation, the US will solely be held accountable for the lack of action.

9.) John Frusciante will continue to remain unknown while ass-clowns such as Hoho and Ashlee Simpson clog the airwaves with shitty music.

10.) Something Corporate will play an amazing show on January 22nd in St. Louis and I will witness it firsthand.

There you have it, my predictions. Will they all happen? Hell no! But it's a worth a shot. ~ Rich

Gooooooooood morning Evansville!!! Well this day has started out very well. I only got 4 hours of sleep last night, but I'm wired like no other right now thanks to a cup of coffee and a can of Mountain Dew. Psychology proved to be quite interesting today. Perhaps the best word to describe my prof would be eclectic?

In other news, I received a letter from Residence Life last night which stated that I was guilty for "a violation of the campus alcohol policy." Well, that's just peachy. They are trying to fine me $50 and make me write a paper that "must cover a reflection of my involvement in the incident." I guess I'm really screwed because, problem is, I had no frickin' involvement in the incident!!! I'm pretty pissed about the fact that I'm being found guilty for something I didn't do. Even more frustrating is the "evidence," or should I say lack thereof, in the case against me. My name is mentioned twice in the report for being seen with the guy who was found guilty of having alcohol. After I left his room with him, they apparently searched it and found nothing in his room. They failed to search my room, give me a breathalizer, or inform me of their suspicion that I had involvment in the incident. So how can I prove my innocence, and how can they prove me guilty? Basically, there is no hard evidence in their case against me, and yet they still, out of sheer stupidity, found me guilty. Seriously folks, this is supposed to be an institution of higher learning, so why don't we try to apply what we have learned? If they don't overturn the ruling after I appeal I'm afraid that this school's judicial system is a total failure. ~ Rich


"That the innocent, though they may have some connexion or dependency upon the guilty (which, perhaps, they themselves cannot help), should not, upon that account, suffer or be punished for the guilty, is one of the plainest and most obvious rules of justice." ~ Adam Smith

I'm finally back in E-ville and I'm loving it. My roommates got back earlier than expected which was pretty cool. Last night I hung out with Nick and a handful of other people at the TKE house. When we got back Boston was crashed out on his bed and we were like, "What the hell is he doing here?" Okay, guess you had to be there to get it, anyway... I had run a workout on campus earlier with G-wood. We started outside, but after the first mile repeat we went inside because the wind was blowing directly at us. If there was ever an unglamourous way to run it would have to be running a workout on a treadmill. Our mile repeats workout turned into 6 minute intervals at full speed on the treadmill. It felt pretty easy, but I feel like a hamster when I run on those damn things. We went to the basketball game after the workout. USI beat NKU in a very close (and good) game, so I was happy.

In other news I have class tomorrow morning at 9, a real bummer considering last semester I was still asleep at that time. Fortunately, I stole my parent's coffee maker and bought 2lbs of Dunkin Donut's French Vanilla Roast. Yum. Ferber out. ~ Rich

Another day of Frusciante....

Today was uneventful. I tried to wake up at 6'ish but I ended up pulling the plug out of the wall on my alarm clock, literally; that's gotta be a first. Headed up to Merrillville and did a little window shopping followed by a stop at Dunkin Donuts to get some damn good coffee for the coffee maker I'm stealing from my parents. Yes folks, DD's French Vanilla Roast, only the best cup of joe will do at 8 a.m.

So I'm leaving for E-ville again on Wednesday morning. I'm pretty happy about that. There isn't much to do in Hebron, especially if you're not in high school. I was able to drag myself to one of the games over break, but overall it just feels so weird when I go back to watch basketball games. I don't mind the xc meets so much though. Track sectionals should be fun to watch as well. Unless there are is some spontaneous weekend trek back up to the Region I will not be back until May. Am I sad? Not particularly. I'm going to New Hamsphire in about 2 months and I'm going to a Something Corporate show in 2 weeks. There's also a chance that I'll be trekking over to L-ville for a Chase Dabney show as well. In addition, I have track meets on almost every weekend so I should be quite busy. Good bye H-town. The past two weeks have been fun, but college has been better. ~ Rich