It's late, he thought to himself. Really late. Getting up for work in the morning is going to be miserable. He did a quick self-inventory: his body was weary, his back was sore, and he had to use the bathroom. He turned his attention back to the person sitting in front of him. The conversation carried on, and he forgot his aches, pains, and discomfort. By the time he left, the movie had been over for hours. Where had all that time gone? It had simply vanished like the water in her thrice-filled mug.
Have you ever become lost in your memories? It can happen when you try to walk through one particular moment in the past. As your mind chews over the memory, it starts to spew out tons of other related memories. Soon, you lose yourself in the ebb and flow of past happenings. Maybe it's just me. As I delved deeper into the recesses of my mind, I realized that the above memory is not wholly intact. My mind pieced several different memories together and it took some serious dredging on my part to put all the pieces together the right way. It is like a Sudoku board. You can have one section in order only to move to the next one and discover that a number that fit in the first section belongs in another part of the board entirely. The conversation that I had in mind came after placing an ice cream cake in the freezer. The conversation linked to the movie happened on the porch. Regardless, while moments like are few, they are greatly cherished. One of my favorite pastimes is having late-night conversations with pretty girls...who are also good friends. :)
~The Piebald Penguin
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Get a Room!
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| So, apparently making out is one word now? (I checked dictionary.com and it is definitely two words...) |
~Piebald
Sunday, April 17, 2011
A History of The Piebald Penguin's School Formals
The high school that I attended held three dances each year. There was the homecoming banquet and dance in the fall, the Sadie Hawkins (girls ask the guys) dance in the late winter, and the much-anticipated prom near the end of the year. Once I got into college, there were two events that were held by the institution: one in the fall and one in the spring. The one in the fall had a different theme every year that the attendees were expected to dress in accordance to, also it was a Sadie Hawkins thing. The event in the spring, on the other hand, was simply a semi-formal thing. I say thing because the college events were, ironically, a downgrade of what I experienced in high school. There was no dancing, and practically no food (other than appetizers). So, what follows below is a description of my memories of these events with a few accompanying pictures.
Freshman-Junior year of high school:
The Piebald Penguin was lame and did not attend any of the events during these years. 9 chances to dance with a girl were thrown out the window...what was I thinking??!?!
Senior year of high school:
This would be the first year that I would attend my school's dances. Homecoming was first. I went with a couple of my buddies because, while I was ambitious and actually asked a girl, she rejected me outright to go with one of her female friends. Which was dumb.
I also went to the Sadie Hawkins dance in winter. While the girls are supposed to ask the guys, I pretty much told the girl that she should go with me...and it worked! I can't find any pictures although I know there were some floating around somewhere...
Senior year I was on a roll. After the first two dances, I decided that I would continue my new-found boldness and go to prom too. I asked the girl I liked, at the time. She said yes and we had a blast. And went to the after party...and then stayed up until 4 talking in her driveway...ah, good memories.
Freshman year of college:
Guess what? I was lame again this year. Back in the shell I went. There was to be no event-going for The Piebald Penguin this year...
Sophomore year of college:
The first half of the semester was much like the previous year. I didn't attend the fall event. For the spring event though, there was quite a bit of drama involved (on my part) that eventually landed me a date. I haz no pikturez.
Junior year of college:
Ok, so in my defense the fall event at my college is REALLY lame. Think of a really boring thing, then add lots of awkward people...and no food or dancing. That's what the fall event is like....yeah... But wait! I did go to the spring event again that year. I went with my girlfriend, at the time. It was at an old hotel or something. Pretty fun. Outside was the place to be though because inside was hot and cramped.
She dumped me over summer. And hopefully doesn't read my blog so I can say all kinds of mean things about her...maybe later...
Senior year of college:
This year I really did branch out, I went to both the fall event and the spring semi-formal. Also, it was the first year that I was asked to a school event by a girl. If you're keeping count, it's the 8th year that I have been at a school that has had a Sadie Hawkins event. In academics, 1/8 means you've failed. But anyways...the fall event was fun. No pictures of that. The spring event (the thing I've been talking about for the last couple of days) was last night. I'm still digesting all that took place. But I do have pictures...hopefully it's ok to post them on my blog.
And that wraps everything up. I'm done with school parties/banquets/dances/events. When all was said and done, I can say that it was definitely better to go to the events than to miss out. Oh, and it was a lot better to go with a girl than a group of guys...even if they are your oldest friends. For those of you who will still be around school events, I encourage you to brave the melodrama and the awkwardness and go with a person of the opposite gender. There's a lot of potential for good memories. : )
~The Piebald Penguin
Freshman-Junior year of high school:
The Piebald Penguin was lame and did not attend any of the events during these years. 9 chances to dance with a girl were thrown out the window...what was I thinking??!?!
 |
| : ( |
Senior year of high school:
This would be the first year that I would attend my school's dances. Homecoming was first. I went with a couple of my buddies because, while I was ambitious and actually asked a girl, she rejected me outright to go with one of her female friends. Which was dumb.
 |
| These are the guys, although this was a couple months before homecoming...I think |
I also went to the Sadie Hawkins dance in winter. While the girls are supposed to ask the guys, I pretty much told the girl that she should go with me...and it worked! I can't find any pictures although I know there were some floating around somewhere...
Senior year I was on a roll. After the first two dances, I decided that I would continue my new-found boldness and go to prom too. I asked the girl I liked, at the time. She said yes and we had a blast. And went to the after party...and then stayed up until 4 talking in her driveway...ah, good memories.
 |
| We didn't win prom king and queen...but who cares? We looked fabulous. |
Freshman year of college:
Guess what? I was lame again this year. Back in the shell I went. There was to be no event-going for The Piebald Penguin this year...
Sophomore year of college:
The first half of the semester was much like the previous year. I didn't attend the fall event. For the spring event though, there was quite a bit of drama involved (on my part) that eventually landed me a date. I haz no pikturez.
Junior year of college:
Ok, so in my defense the fall event at my college is REALLY lame. Think of a really boring thing, then add lots of awkward people...and no food or dancing. That's what the fall event is like....yeah... But wait! I did go to the spring event again that year. I went with my girlfriend, at the time. It was at an old hotel or something. Pretty fun. Outside was the place to be though because inside was hot and cramped.
 |
| See? See?!? We had TONS of fun. haha |
Senior year of college:
This year I really did branch out, I went to both the fall event and the spring semi-formal. Also, it was the first year that I was asked to a school event by a girl. If you're keeping count, it's the 8th year that I have been at a school that has had a Sadie Hawkins event. In academics, 1/8 means you've failed. But anyways...the fall event was fun. No pictures of that. The spring event (the thing I've been talking about for the last couple of days) was last night. I'm still digesting all that took place. But I do have pictures...hopefully it's ok to post them on my blog.
 | ||
| yeah, it's a green dress...but she is beautiful |
~The Piebald Penguin
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Wednesday's Weekly Words Which Water Waste With Wicked Wonder
This week's frustrations are thankfully not about Kant. However, they are still equally frustrating. Let me sum them up for you. Girls make hearts beat too fast, while boys refuse to be men.
Essentially, I find it frustrating that, whenever I talk to a girl I like, my heart rate increases and adrenaline starts pumping into my blood stream. Those of you familiar with anatomy know that adrenaline is good...if you are moving. It gives you energy and acts as one of the best painkillers on the planet (if not the best). Not moving or using your muscles in some way means that the your muscles will start to shake with all the excess energy that's just begging to be released. It's annoying. I've been a bit busy the past couple of nights, so I haven't made it to the gym. But I had to go tonight because I had no other way to release that energy. I ran hard and then worked out and I still felt like I had enough energy to run home. Rather than run again though, I just decided that I would spend the rest of my energy cleaning my room. And girls think that guys annoy them for no reason. It's payback.
Also, guys really need to know how to tie a tie by the time they are in college. If their fathers don't teach them, then they need to be like me and just teach themselves. It's simple. Look, I'll even provide a picture...
P.S. If you are a guy and the girl you are going to the event with knows how to tie a tie, please please please stop embarrassing yourself and take advantage of this opportunity to teach yourself. Oh, and if you don't own a tie, JC Penny usually has ties on clearance for a few bucks (I checked today and there were some for $5). GO BUY ONE. Thank you.
~The Piebald Penguin
Essentially, I find it frustrating that, whenever I talk to a girl I like, my heart rate increases and adrenaline starts pumping into my blood stream. Those of you familiar with anatomy know that adrenaline is good...if you are moving. It gives you energy and acts as one of the best painkillers on the planet (if not the best). Not moving or using your muscles in some way means that the your muscles will start to shake with all the excess energy that's just begging to be released. It's annoying. I've been a bit busy the past couple of nights, so I haven't made it to the gym. But I had to go tonight because I had no other way to release that energy. I ran hard and then worked out and I still felt like I had enough energy to run home. Rather than run again though, I just decided that I would spend the rest of my energy cleaning my room. And girls think that guys annoy them for no reason. It's payback.
Also, guys really need to know how to tie a tie by the time they are in college. If their fathers don't teach them, then they need to be like me and just teach themselves. It's simple. Look, I'll even provide a picture...
~The Piebald Penguin
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
You Did What?!?!
Disclaimer: If you are going to Spring Party with the Piebald Penguin, and you somehow stumble upon my blog, please don't read this until after Spring Party. Thank you.
So, I really probably should just wait until Saturday to post this, but that would just be boring. Plus, this way you (my faithful readers...all 4 of you...) get a chance to laugh twice on Tuesday (see previous post).
I want to start this off by saying that I am a hopeless romantic. Both in regards to philosophical viewpoints (Romanticism...I'll get around to talking about that at some point) and in terms of romantic occasions. I was raised with a very traditional view of dating/going on dates. You know, the guy pays, drives, gets flowers, so on. Anywho, so like I've mentioned in a previous post, my college is having a "Spring Party" which is basically a semi-formal banquet. (think suits and nice dresses, as opposed to formal attire which is tuxedos and evening gowns...yes ladies, I know the difference...and I know how to tie a tie...and I'm single. I'm just saying...) So, in terms of hype, it's usually more casual than a high school prom. Guys still ask girls, but it's usually a simple invitation (I was one of those lame guys.) Dinner is usually eaten beforehand (I know. I said banquet, but it's really more of an event. There are usually desserts and drinks (of the non-alcoholic kind) but no real food. So, it's not a banquet. It's one of those cases where my expectations don't meet up with reality...it happens a lot...) So, we all find places to grab dinner that are not the school cafeteria...seriously guys, if you are thinking of offering to take your date to the cafeteria beforehand, DON'T. Get out. Please. Even if you don't think you have the money. Beg, plead, borrow from your parents. Do what you have to to get off campus. Everyone will enjoy the event more and you will get some extremely good life experience. I say, there are so many guys here who don't know how to take a girl out on a date. Sheesh. Anyways. Back to what I really want to talk about. The event isn't super formal. In fact, it ends up being as casual as possible. It's So-Cal. Most guys can't even tie a tie, and a lot of them don't own dress slacks, much less a suit.
Fortunately for my date, I am not like those So-Cal guys. I came from a city that puts a lot of stock in being formal and fancy (rich people tend to dress nicer than not rich people). So guess what I did today? I went shopping for a corsage (oh yeah. I know what those are too). I have a confession to make. I love the smell of florist shops. It's true. I love all the fragrances of fresh flowers mixed together. It's amazing. I spent half an hour just browsing the corsage catalog looking for a good design. Ok, really it was probably about an hour...but that's only because I went to two different shops. I'm serious about my flowers. Now this is where the romantic part of me really shines. I enjoy shopping for little gifts like corsages. Included in this category are stuffed animals, cards, and oh yeah bouquets. Women deserve to be pampered. So, I ordered the corsage, and I will be picking it up in a couple days. Unfortunately, I had to take a leap of faith on the colors, being that my date is female (aka she told me that she is wearing a navy blue dress, but she admitted that she might very well change her mind before Friday). I'm hoping that, in the event that she changes dresses, the corsage is neutral enough to still go. Now comes the sad and the funny part. She's probably going to be the only girl at the event with a corsage. She's going to stick out. I win. (Although I'm not sure what I win, but we're both graduating in May, so I feel like it's appropriate to stick out a little.)
~The Piebald Penguin
So, I really probably should just wait until Saturday to post this, but that would just be boring. Plus, this way you (my faithful readers...all 4 of you...) get a chance to laugh twice on Tuesday (see previous post).
I want to start this off by saying that I am a hopeless romantic. Both in regards to philosophical viewpoints (Romanticism...I'll get around to talking about that at some point) and in terms of romantic occasions. I was raised with a very traditional view of dating/going on dates. You know, the guy pays, drives, gets flowers, so on. Anywho, so like I've mentioned in a previous post, my college is having a "Spring Party" which is basically a semi-formal banquet. (think suits and nice dresses, as opposed to formal attire which is tuxedos and evening gowns...yes ladies, I know the difference...and I know how to tie a tie...and I'm single. I'm just saying...) So, in terms of hype, it's usually more casual than a high school prom. Guys still ask girls, but it's usually a simple invitation (I was one of those lame guys.) Dinner is usually eaten beforehand (I know. I said banquet, but it's really more of an event. There are usually desserts and drinks (of the non-alcoholic kind) but no real food. So, it's not a banquet. It's one of those cases where my expectations don't meet up with reality...it happens a lot...) So, we all find places to grab dinner that are not the school cafeteria...seriously guys, if you are thinking of offering to take your date to the cafeteria beforehand, DON'T. Get out. Please. Even if you don't think you have the money. Beg, plead, borrow from your parents. Do what you have to to get off campus. Everyone will enjoy the event more and you will get some extremely good life experience. I say, there are so many guys here who don't know how to take a girl out on a date. Sheesh. Anyways. Back to what I really want to talk about. The event isn't super formal. In fact, it ends up being as casual as possible. It's So-Cal. Most guys can't even tie a tie, and a lot of them don't own dress slacks, much less a suit.
 |
| The one I ordered will probably resemble the corsage on the right. It will just have navy blue ribbon |
Fortunately for my date, I am not like those So-Cal guys. I came from a city that puts a lot of stock in being formal and fancy (rich people tend to dress nicer than not rich people). So guess what I did today? I went shopping for a corsage (oh yeah. I know what those are too). I have a confession to make. I love the smell of florist shops. It's true. I love all the fragrances of fresh flowers mixed together. It's amazing. I spent half an hour just browsing the corsage catalog looking for a good design. Ok, really it was probably about an hour...but that's only because I went to two different shops. I'm serious about my flowers. Now this is where the romantic part of me really shines. I enjoy shopping for little gifts like corsages. Included in this category are stuffed animals, cards, and oh yeah bouquets. Women deserve to be pampered. So, I ordered the corsage, and I will be picking it up in a couple days. Unfortunately, I had to take a leap of faith on the colors, being that my date is female (aka she told me that she is wearing a navy blue dress, but she admitted that she might very well change her mind before Friday). I'm hoping that, in the event that she changes dresses, the corsage is neutral enough to still go. Now comes the sad and the funny part. She's probably going to be the only girl at the event with a corsage. She's going to stick out. I win. (Although I'm not sure what I win, but we're both graduating in May, so I feel like it's appropriate to stick out a little.)
~The Piebald Penguin
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Fiction Time
Footsteps echoed on polished stone tiles. The steady click click grew louder as the person, most likely her mother, came closer. Kathrine continued playing her violin. There certainly wasn't any reason to stop. The woman who had given birth to Kathrine and her two siblings was not a woman to trifled with, which was exactly the reason for Kathrine's reluctance to acknowledge her mother's approaching presence. Both their tempers were legendary, known far and wide across her father's kingdom. The clicking stopped. Kathrine played on, her back to the doorway. There was a soft noise behind her. It sounded like crying. Kathrine wondered why it sounded like that. She turned to face the person and let out a gasp of surprise. The violin fell from her hands and shattered on the hard tile, unnoticed by either person. Regaining her poise, Kathrine turned a critical eye towards the young woman standing before her. It was one of her mother's handmaidens. Kathrine almost didn't recognize her. Her face was red and puffy, one eye was swollen shut. Blood liberally coated her dress, hands, and face.
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