To be accurate, it was more of a realization than a jump-start. I realized that I had amassed a great deal of creative literary ideas over the summer from all the magazine meetings I’ve had with the guys, and only now will I have enough time to really work on them. But it always becomes the habit that, when I have time, I use that time for other things no matter how much I want to write.

I put my foot down, sir!

Tomorrow I’ll have a chunk of the day to myself since this week is technically my “vacation” (if you can call it that, since I still have several tutoring sessions). After tonight’s magazine meeting, I’m reading to get my head back into my story.

Current Location: Brewed Awakening

I’ve come upon a nice lump of cash in light of the summer program’s end. I’m tempted to spend it! In fact, I’ve already spent a good amount of money on a new iriver Spinn (which is working wonderfully, I should add). I’m a big fan of iriver’s unique style and phenomenal sound, so this was a real treat. Now I’m contemplating whether or not I really need a new laptop.

I love my current lappy: the HP dv1000. It took a spill from about 3 feet this summer and was behaving a bit weirdly for a while - scratchy feedback from the speakers, unidentifiable DVD drive, constant overheating - but it seems to be doing better now. I bought it the last year the model was being sold by HP in 2006, but I still love the way it looks, the way it feel and the way it performs.

For the past month or so, I’ve been meaning to replace it because I thought there’d been some permanent damage, but it seems to be running smoothly now. If I do replace it, it would be with the Pavilion dv3t. That little thing’s got a crazy 8-hour battery life. The problem is, I don’t like the way the new Pavilions look, and the glossy metallic touch pads feel weird and uncomfortable.

Before making a new 3-year commitment with a new laptop, I think I’ll see how things turn out with my current lappy. In the meantime, I hope HP puts out some designs I’m more into.

I’ve been largely inactive online because this summer, as did last summer, kicked my butt. Don’t get me wrong, though. It was great fun! Just, tiring at the same time.

The learning center’s summer program began around June 22 and ended just last week on Aug 28. It was non-stop craziness through that block of time… the kind of craziness that you don’t see anywhere else. Still, there are lasting memories that I feel blessed to have. Yet another chapter of my life that’s closed. Don’t worry, the second act is still only beginning.

I feel that whenever a parent tells tells me that I’ve done a good job teaching, I shouldn’t believe it. I can always do better, and they don’t know that.

I’m back to my old part-time schedule (thank God), and I have about a week off until I start my graduate studies in Education back at Kean U. In fact, I’m heading down there tomorrow to hand in my immunization records and buy my obscenely expensive books. I’ve driven down there a couple of times over the summer to straighten out paperwork and whatever else needed to be done, and man have they changed that place. Gigantic new dorms, classrooms converted into glass-walled study lounges, new food areas with on-site chefs. I like :D Of course I’ve yet to experience any of that.

I’ll be going in for an orientation sometime this week too. Can’t wait!

And with this end comes a beginning.

At work, we have those metal bars that roll down in front of the main entrance for security. Even though it cost $1000 to install, I don’t think we’ve ever used them. My manager says that was put in for the shoe store that used to be there - have to protect that merchandise! Well, since it’s been there for so long without anyone using it, birds have been nesting in its housing unit every year. This year, things have gotten kind of hairy.

Almost every day I would see a bird fly up there above the entrance, trying to fit into the slim slit that leads into the spacious inside. When it comes out, I would sometimes see it get stuck by its foot and start fluttering wildly above the glass door entrance. I was afraid it would injure itself because it looked pretty dangerous. Then, during one Saturday program, a blue egg fell from up there and squished to the ground. Eventually, a really bad stench started coming from the housing.

While I’m a big fan of not disturbing animals, even I knew something had to be done because the smell was getting overwhelming, and there were feathers everywhere from the birds that would get stuck. Earlier today, the property owner and his son (a friend of mine) cleared the housing out. They found five dead birds and a squirrel nest…

How they ever learned to live together up there, I’ll never know. Maybe the squirrels had something to do with the deaths, or maybe the birds didn’t get enouth to eat because the parents couldn’t get up there often enough.

I came just as they were putting up some chicken wire to block up the opening to the thing, and while the friend of mine filled me in on what they found, two squirrels came running up the stairs to where we were. One of them wasn’t afraid of us at all - walked right past our feet, looked at us with its big black eyes, and put its paw on the glass door of our entrance. It then jumped up on the railing below the housing despite the property owner there on a ladder, sealing it up. It wouldn’t leave until he banged on the railing a few times - then the squirrel went flying to the ground and scurried away across the street. Poor little guy. I hope it finds a new home.