kurtin's World

A Year Later...

2010-05-16T13:37:00.003-05:00

It has been a year since I posted on this place last. There isn't a whole lot to say as of right now over how the last year has been, so I suppose I'll just jump into current events. The Platteville Schools Family Fun Run 5K was this weekend, and without any training I was able to do better than last year. I haven't had any time lately to do a lot of the running that I usually do, but in the summer there should be a lot more time. 23 minutes and 10 seconds isn't a terrible time for me. In doing the math, that's a 7 minute 25 second per mile pace, so I think that was pretty good.

Disc golfing so far this year has been nice, I saw Iron Man 2 yesterday, and my place is a mess, so I'm going to clean it up now. That is all. When some interesting things happen I'll let you know.

The Opening

2009-04-06T18:49:00.004-05:00

Good evening to you hardworking souls, I have some outstanding news to share with you all... Even though it is still chilly around Wisconsin these days and the Spring is just waiting to creep its way in (what are we waiting for?!), there is one thing that can certainly get us in the mood. That's right friends, baseball season is upon us. Anyone who knows me understands my deep support for that most amazing of teams, (Championship Underdogs) the Chicago Cubs.

Let's kick off this season right guys and fly to the World Series victory after 101 years of agony and defeat. No more curse!!

Another Release Notice!

2009-04-05T12:40:00.003-05:00

I don't know how long this has been out on the web, but I was looking for it a little more than a week ago and couldn't get any information. Now, it is in the open, and I'm very excited for an announced release of John Hodgman's audiobook version of More Information Than You Require.

This will be released on October 26th, 2009, at least on Amazon. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this book, it is from a series of almanac style books of made up "true-facts" and lies. The books are funny, and the audiobook format of the first installment was a riot.

Hodgman has a creative mind and clever humor that makes the book one-of-a-kind. I'm truly looking forward to this release and hoping that it is possible to be even better than the first.

Time for Camp

2009-04-04T16:29:00.000-05:00

I am excited to the max for the lastest cKy album to be coming out mid-May this year. I posted a comment on Twitter when I was excited this afternoon, but I thought I would go into a little more detail for those who read my blog. The album art was released about a month ago, and let me just say that from the cover this already has the "look" of a great CD.

The album is said to have an "Infiltrate. Destroy. Rebuild." feel to it, which is what I'm really looking forward to. That isn't to say that I wasn't a fan of "An Answer Can Be Found", but I just liked the whole feel of "Infiltrate..." more. The release date has been established as May 19th, 2009. Hopefully, time will start flying by so I can finally snag some new, exciting music that I've been waiting for. You should certainly consider making this purchase when it comes out or giving a listen to some of their other CDs that I linked. They are a very accomplished band with a unique sound!

kurtin Is On Twitter

2009-04-01T23:15:00.000-05:00

Twitter has grown in the ranks this evening as I, for some reason, decided to add a profile. Do not ask why I did it. Maybe this was some attempt to network in the new town that I will probably not take much advantage of (Facebook would probably be better for that anyway). In any case, there I am. You can find and follow me there.

It has been a short school week since our quarter is ending tomorrow. That means only one more on the year! Things have gone by fast this year, and I'm already thinking about how to improve next year and what to change with my curriculum. I was offered a position as the starter for the track meets this season since I will not be a coach (there is only room for the one locked position). We'll see how that goes.

Almost time to head back to Rapids for the holiday. We are thinking ahead and getting some things in motion. If someone does manage to get to this from my Facebook (possible) or Twitter (highly unlikely), just send me a message.

iTunes Challenge

2009-03-23T22:17:00.000-05:00

Well, this isn't really much of a challenge, it is more of a neat observation that can describe much about a person by the songs that pop up. Normally, I have seen this done by choosing a certain number of songs (in this case we will choose 10 songs) and putting your music playing program on shuffle. Now, when I say shuffle I mean legitimate 'shuffle', not these new playlist makers and iTunes Genius generator. These songs will hopefully come at a complete random chance from your song library, and you have to be honest about what you would put down in your own posts or as a reply to this one. The only reason I'm doing this is because I'm bored this evening, and I'm saving a more in-depth post for a couple of days. Here we go!

Place For My Head - Linkin Park
Shanty For The Arethusa - The Decemberists
Up & Go - The Starting Line
Super 16 - Neu! (Kill Bill, Vol. 1 Soundtrack)
Make It Happen - The Early November
Walking After You - Foo Fighters
Reflection - Tool
Petrified - Fort Minor
Handle This - Sum 41
Stranded - Alien Ant Farm

Wow, those were boring! To spice this post up, I'm going to share a couple of my favorite songs in various genres...

Rap/Hip-Hop:

Press Rewind - Del Tha Funky Homosapien

The Rooster - OutKast

Rock:

Take The Power Back - Rage Against The Machine

Streamline - System Of A Down

Pop:

Konstantine - Something Corporate

Horrorscope (whole album) - Eve 6

Keep in mind that these are just some, I love lots of music. I just cruised through my library and picked some good ones I've liked over the years. Now go think about your musical future!

Back In

2009-03-22T20:33:00.000-05:00

After encountering a few unfortunate souls who didn't quite get a spring break, I've felt very lucky to have had one this last week. Alas, the time has been all used up and it's back to the daily grind come tomorrow. Here I sit, taking some time out of preparations to just think about how my break went. Overall, it was very relaxing, but not as exciting as I had hoped. I knew I couldn't expect much, since I was headed back to the hometown after all. Still, I just wished it would have lasted a bit longer. I always think that when I'm trying to divide between personal time for movies and video games and the social time that I want to spend with friends and family. I would actually say that I had a nice mix though, so that was nicer than other breaks I have taken in the past years.

In other news, I've gone and changed the header for this blog again. When I changed the customized background display, I did nothing with the previous header that was on there from before. I think this one works nicely with the theme and only took about a minute to make. Happy days are here!

Once I'm finished with this small update, I'm going to think of a movie to put in while I do some last minute cleaning and preparations for the school week. I really should spend more time than I have been preparing over this break, but then again, it wouldn't be much of a break if I spent most of the time working. In any event, my movie choices are as follows:

Jackie Brown
Aladdin
The Darjeeling Limited

Jackie Brown is one of the few Tarantino pictures that I own, Aladdin is probably my favorite Disney animated classic, and if you were to see my room filled with the Wes Anderson movies posters you would understand why The Darjeeling Limited is on the list. This is my dilemma. Take a guess, and when I check back, the result will be provided.

All Play and No Work

2009-03-16T21:27:00.000-05:00

Here we are, the week of break has officially started being that it is Monday and all. I spent some time with friends here for the opening weekend so-to-speak, and I will be heading back home for some fun and play tomorrow at some point. In the meantime, today was spent with a little bit of outdoor activity but mostly video games. I've been in the Final Fantasy mode the past couple of weeks. I whipped out the old FFX game, picked back up on the slightly improved FF: Tactics game for the PSP, and even purchased my new one that I'd mentioned on the previous post, FF Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon, for the Wii. Today was mainly a Wii and PSP day, but it certainly isn't over yet. Although I must say, I didn't completely geek out today if that's what you were worried about...

I took some time out of my video games to go explore the disc golf course on the campus here. It was quite interesting, and I could see how it would be much more difficult were there any leaves on the trees to get in my way. I'm looking forward for spring to come in quickly. With the warm weather we have had the past two days, I would say it isn't very far away from hitting us. Yesterday, I also went to the local skatepark. It was interesting trying that stuff out after I'd say about 5 years or more without any practice. Luckily it doesn't seem like too many people go there, or at least for this early part of the season.

I'm debating whether or not I should bring my computer with me on my trip back home. It would certainly help if I want to get some work done on an off day or something. In any case, I think I'll bring just a small amount of work and maybe the Wii and PSP for some entertainment. Who knows for sure though, just some stuff I'm going to be considering this evening and tomorrow.

This is my first time including images in my blog here, so I really hope this works out. If you're reading this, let me know if there's something I could do better with the inclusion. It seems rather limited with options on how to position photos, although if I knew a little more about HMTL there are probably many ways to change things around.

Until next time...

Spring Break

2009-03-12T18:47:00.000-05:00

Things have been frustrating lately, to say the least. Work has been getting harder and harder each day this week, and I believe it is safe to say that everyone could use a little R&R. With all of the hype around spring break and the lack of a break since months ago, people have been becoming anxious at a frightening rate. I just need some time to catch up on needed sleep is what this really comes down to, in a nutshell. Spring break, for me, will consist of some relaxing time here at the apartment, then a traveling, multi-day trip to visit some family and friends.

In other news, I finally got my haircut yesterday. I'm pretty sure that it was the longest I had ever grown it out in my life until this trim. I'm so happy too, because I cannot stand it when I have that long hair feeling. I like it short and easily manageable, so that I don't have much to do with it. Limiting options can be rewarding in select ways. I will be changing up my profile photo to match the hair change. Although you won't be able to tell, I've been grown quite sick of the red-eyed photo. Either way I think I'm keeping it interesting.

Well, Matt, since you're one of the few if all who reads these posts, I have to say that I am thoroughly enjoying that Final Fantasy game. I have hit a slight snag in Chapter 3 where I'm stumbling across monsters that are far too powerful for me to go up against, but I'm sure a bit of leveling and some new abilities will correct that situation in no time. I'm still looking for that Dragoon job class that you mentioned. It will probably come along shortly. However, I also tried to snag that Thief job class from behind the dungeon shop, and that has ended badly with each attempt, unfortunately. I'll keep trying it out and see whether persistence pays off.

Continuation of the Cold

2009-03-03T23:17:00.000-06:00

This monster illness that I referred to back in mid-February has not dissipated! I'm becoming severely agitated, and it is beginning to affect my demeanor at work in a small way. The frustrations of not being able to have a relaxing, healthy evening after a long day of work is wearing me down to the core. The cough accompanied the bug since the get-go, but I believe this has maintained due to a situation of bronchitis. Now, I'm no doctor, and I'll probably go to have things checked out if I'm not improving by tomorrow. Any medicine to relieve some stress or congestion would be quite welcomed at this stage. It has been MORE than two weeks after all!

In other news, March is here...obviously, unless you're living under a rock. That means that Spring Break will soon be upon us. The time to relax and enjoy some much needed time away visiting friends and family can't come soon enough. I think the students are already looking forward to things, because this week has already becoming quite rowdy. I can't imagine what the end of next week is going to seem like. I suppose I can actually, having student taught last year. This time the class is all mine though, so we'll have to see how I handle misbehavior and insubordination.

As usual, I've also been playing video games, watching my television shows, and catching the occasional new movie as they come to me. It's quite late at the moment, and I have some much needed rest to claim, so I'll continue describing the electronic, media adventures at a later date.

Commitments

2009-02-18T19:45:00.000-06:00

I've been thinking about what it's going to take for me to become more committed to my job and my own personal well-being. Lately, things haven't been as smooth as they used to be. The years fly by and each one is seeming rockier the previous. It will certainly take much solid organization in order to keep things moving along the way I would like them too, but I think the biggest hurdle that I'm going to have to leap over is improving my level of responsibility. There are plenty of things to be responsible for, but I'm just speaking in a general sense. I've been leaving small items to be done on a later date out of complete laziness.

Now, to be fair to myself, this job has been stressing me out quite a bit, but I think that if I could assume greater responsibility, over time the level of stress will decrease. Who knows, that might be wishful thinking, and it could just push me right over the edge, but I plan on taking small steps to reach a goal and see how I'm proceeding in increments.

In lighter news, we are about halfway through the 3rd quarter and things are moving right along. I'm hoping that the exam I'm giving at the end of this week seems easy to most students, because my end goal is to have them properly prepared for next year. Most of us probably remember how easy it is to forget math over the summer, but at least all will have taken a thorough look at the material and tried hard to achieve.

If you're wandering through my blog, you might want to use some of your time and computer resources to download Google Earth (the latest version), because it is easy to obsess over, educational, and somewhat entertaining. You can observe not only our planet (some areas in 3D now) but also our know view of the stars and a detailed look at the surface of Mars. I'm a space geek, so anything having to do with the stars, planets, galaxies, etc. and I'm jumping for the opportunity to observe and learn. Maybe take the time, you will definitely see something you like!

Procrastinating Cold

2009-02-11T19:30:00.000-06:00

What started out seemingly as an allergy attack from a weekend day of heavy apartment cleaning has transformed into an annoying quasi-cold. I wouldn't categorize this monster as the common cold, because this maniac seems to be working on a completely separate wavelength. I am able to breathe quite regularly out of my nose, contrary to most cold symptoms, and I also still feel quite alert and focused. The problem exists in the constant bother of a running nose, watery eyes, and occasional scratchy throat; it isn't ending! It has affected my teaching and the quality of work I can get accomplished thus far in the week, and this illness hasn't shown any signs of letting up in the least. As a matter of fact, today it even seemed to increase in magnitude by a level (whatever a level is with my sickness measurement standard).

In any case, I'm hoping the worst is over and this beast can work its way out after a good night of solid sleep. Only a little bit has been accomplished over the course of this week because of my current situation even though I'm trying to fight through it. I've never been one to keep working like normal through a cold. I would much rather take a day off, but just knowing that I'd have to make it up and throw off my schedule for a day, I'm leaning against that move.

Now, to end on a lighter note, moving away from viruses. I watched Million Dollar Baby this past weekend for the first time. It was a nice experience for me, because not only was it a great show, but I also came into it not really knowing anything about the plot. Most films I see, I have a general expectation from either previews, reviews, or trailers. Even after that movie won 4 oscars a while back, I kept myself out of the loop (unintentionally) as to the contents and plot. The only things that I knew for sure going in were the following three items:

Hillary Swank played a female boxer
Clint Eastwood played her coach/trainer
The film was centralized around the sport of boxing

C'mon people!! That isn't like me to have such a small amount of research complete before sticking that video in the player! I didn't even know that Morgan Freeman was in the movie!!! The movie was excellent. It was deep, profound, and quite entertaining. I must admit, after seeing it I turned to a boxing fix, because I watched Rocky IV the other day too.

Just Checking In...

2009-01-20T19:15:00.000-06:00

Let's update the world! It has been ages since the last post I created here at blogger, and it just might be the time to start up. Things have been quite hectic the last couple of months. With a holiday break that seemed to fly by, we have been back to school for a few weeks now. I was not prepared for the shortened break as a professional in comparison to the break earned by a college student. I felt a tad cheated.

In any case, we are back and ready to roll. As part of the new year, I purchased my brand new computer. The old laptop just wasn't doing it anymore, so I needed a massive upgrade. Introducing the first blog produced via my brand new iMac. This baby is 24" of wide screen, high definition, speediest in production greatness. I'm loving every inch of this machine and getting a lot of quality work accomplished. Although now much of my icon/object dock skinning over at WinCustomize will be very limited or none at all in the future, I will still be able to keep up the hobby using the CS4 software I purchased.

I will be using the software, not only for my school purposes, but also for starting up the new website that a friend and I are working at. We are still in design and planning phases, but ideas are coming together smoothly, and hopefully we can make something work out of the idea. In either case, it should be another fun hobby to expand on. As we slowly plan out the details of that adventure, I've been experimenting with the CS4 by editing my class webpage. All is rolling along smoothly, and I plan to have that up and available to students by the end of this quarter without problems. Thanks for tuning in, and hopefully everyone has a fantastic 2009!

A Math Story

2008-10-23T19:11:00.000-05:00

This should be interesting for some of those out there who care to read and know me a little bit. As a math teacher, I like to stress to my students the importance of math in our daily lives to make decisions constantly. I had to tip the scales in my own mathematical conundrum this afternoon. Hopefully my story is a pleasant 'welcome back' tale for most of you since I have been away from the blog scene for quite some time. Anyway, now is the tale of how the math teacher got shortchanged. *Dun dun dun*

It all began as I hurried out of the entrance to school near my classroom to my car. I only get 30 minutes for a lunch that I did not pack prior. I knew I also needed to purchase some chocolates for an after school meeting, so my hands were pretty much tied as to my decisions for food. Hastily, I drove over to the nearby gas station and purchased some quick goodies to eat and that could be easily prepared in my microwave at home (i.e. ramen). I snagged some juice, a pastry, a sandwich, and that ramen and headed for the register where I planned to pay with card like I always do. I realized that I forgot the candies, so I quick ran to grab some and noticed that the total amounted to $13 and some change.

By this time, 8 minutes of my break had already run out, and if I wanted to cook that ramen and enjoy I needed to bolt out of there fast. I had $15 in my pocket from an earlier withdrawal and decided to pay with cash so my escape from the register could happen sooner than if I used my card. She slowly opened the register and counted up the coins. I, already looking out the door and grabbing my bag prepared to leave, reached out to get the change and move. As the coins tumbled into my hand, I felt the mysterious vacancy where a single paper dollar was supposed to be resting. Curious, I turned to see if the woman at the register had noticed her mistake, but she seemed to not have a clue. Perhaps she intended to see if she could slip one by me?

In any case, she did slip one by me, because I decided that enjoying my ramen over my lunch break was worth losing the dollar for instead of complaining and missing the delicious, quick noodles. Since time=money, I'd say in today's market, the value of $1 is about 20 minutes worth of a lunch break :) And that is how the math teacher allowed himself to get shortchanged via cost-benefit analysis.

Reflectage: I

2008-09-26T22:48:00.000-05:00

Yes, I made up a word! At a time of much needed rest, I find myself inundated in the midst of an important Presidential debate, an extremely messy living space, and a lack of direction for the next week of classes. While all of the personal situations can be corrected, I still stare blankly at the clock with flashes of panic creeping into my thoughts. Time management has regretfully become an issue since I'm one to try and enjoy my weekends away from the day to day job. I recognize that as a teacher, I have a huge responsibility to maintain a high level of preparedness and devotion, but as a 'new' teacher I suppose there is still some hesitation in tipping the scale more toward professional responsibility. I have high hopes that the ways of the champion educators will soon be realized in my own life and brought to my practice.

On to the subject of blogging: I've started writing more not only as a release of tension and anxiety of the day to day struggles, but also as a beneficial outlet and reflective practice. For those deeply personal and educating struggles, I will keep issues of that nature strictly to my own notebooks to protect confidentiality, but I am not about to sustain from sharing the positive or negative experiences in generalities. Case in point...

I teach a young group of students. To my amazement, and this is not positive news, I was hearing comments about the hilarity and content of the movie Superbad before class. While I think the movie is a non-stop laugh fest, the issue raised a concern. I was commenting back and forth on another blog site recently about our societal standards regarding sexual activity, and the fact that some students have seen and react so specifically to this movie is a sign that something might be completely wrong in our culture. It is deeply regretful that these students have not had the proper supervision or even that they have had the means to watch that movie. I was seeing R-rated movies at that age, but only when there was a valid educational purpose or a unique moral/ethical standard addressed. Is this a sign of the true dumbing down of our culture? Is this a sign of a growing lack of concern for the positive development of our youth? Is this simply a trend in society that can neither be stopped nor be questioned? These are questions I ask you, reader. I'm interested in hearing thoughts. I personally was shocked and feel as if my job is even more important (more with these conditions than I had initially expected) to be a positive, wholesome role-model.

Cue Entertainment: Del

2008-09-25T16:55:00.000-05:00

Let's try something new with this blogging situation of mine, a monthly (maybe weekly?) review of sorts. Each month, I will try and deliver my perspective and little bit of history into specific forms of entertainment through music artists/albums, films, literature, comedy, or television. I believe this is a great way to get my own opinions out on the web and to hopefully inspire some positive connections through these aspects of entertainment. This first installment features the hip-hop artist with outstanding linguistics and five solo albums under his belt spanning from the 1990s. I speak, of course, of Del tha Funkee Homosapien.

Del delivers vocal performances that will shock and amaze those with an expansive enough vocabulary to process it all! One of his points of emphasis with the battle-styling raps is that skill which he and other members of his crew have in the ability to spit rhymes of a higher intellect and thereby expand the realm of the genre. Del is the cousin of the famous rapper/actor Ice Cube and hails from Oakland, California. He is a part of the Hieroglyphics Imperium record label, although his latest studio album Eleventh Hour was released through Definitive Jux. You might also recognize him as an artist behind the pen and lyrics of the Gorillaz tracks Clint Eastwood and Rock the House off their debut album. I also recognize the beat from the song Re-hash as an older Del beat, but I haven't been able to confirm or deny that speculation. In my opinion, Del is one of the best rappers of all-time, because everything he does is so fluid, and he places so much emphasis on the music and the words. For those interested in his works, I'll provide a discography as follows:

I Wish My Brother George Was Here (1991)

No Need for Alarm (1993)

Future Development (1998)

Both Sides of the Brain (2000)

Deltron 3030 (2000)*

Eleventh Hour (2008)

*Del was a part of this collaborative, concept album with Dan the Automater (among others) and there is rumored to be a sequel release out before the end of this year!

My favorite album he has put down, by far, is Both Sides of the Brain. All of the songs are top-notch, although I would like to place emphasis on some of my favorites, Jaw Gymnastics, Press Rewind, Signature Slogans, and Proto Culture. In Jaw Gymnastics, where he teams up with Casual, the hardcore battle style leaves no room for retaliation as the two bust out lyrics in rapid succession to show exactly what rap is made of. Press Rewind just has the funky beat with rhymes to match, and I just personally love the way it was all pieced together. Signature Slogans has even more of an awkward beat, but as the song progresses, you'll see how it all works and you'd better be able to keep up with that brain of yours (or you might just miss the artistry in it all). Lastly, well it's Proto Culture, the rap about old-school video games and the progression over the years. It's a must love song for any avid players out there, especially if you can relate to some of the older consoles and specific games they hype. He varies so much on this album to make it such a hip-hop classic via his mode of delivery, lyrical styles, topical content, beats...everything is flawless. Check this and his other albums out (hint: Deltron 3030), even if you don't like rap or hip-hop! He might just change your mind about the genre.

The Hectic Introductions

2008-09-22T22:59:00.000-05:00

Physically and mentally drained are the best means to describing kurtin at this fine hour. I awoke to grade the remainder of my exams and prepare for the lessons of the week, when I realized that today was going to be one of those "sluggish" days during which the minutes just crawl by like a turtle shot with a tranquilizer dart!

I made it through the early morning with some hunger pangs that brutalized my stomach by early afternoon. Next thing, I rushed home to snag some quick grub and ran back into school to prepare my decimals lesson. I wasn't able to get through everything I wanted to today, but that was alright since tomorrow is a freebie (district testing, baby!). Unfortunately the final bell did not sound for the end of my day at school. Next came the first "parent night" for our school team. I discovered that many minor adjustments needed to be made to brochures and other printed handouts at the last minute, so I frantically was making copies, folding papers, making corrections, and somehow trying to sneak a small dinner in. Luckily my skills with a computer allowed me to keep pace for the changes I needed to make, and I was able to down some Spaghetti-O's and an apple before getting ready for 2.5 hours of non-stop lecturing to parents about my class.

I finally got back home to take a load off at around 9PM for some relaxation time. This unfortunate timing provided the ability to miss Heroes, Prisonbreak, and most of Monday Night Football. I need a TiVo... :*(

Level-5 Announcement!

2008-09-20T16:48:00.000-05:00

I was excited to discover that Level-5, the game franchise, will be holding a press conference and announcing something big on the 26th of September. My hopes are that this big news has something to do with the anticipation of a release of Dark Cloud 3. I've loved each installment of the classic Dark Cloud RPGs, so a third one has been on my wish list for a long time now. It will give me a major reason to purchase a PS3 system. However, I don't really want to jump to conclusions or certainties out of fear of being let down severely, but I just can't help but think that the game has been a long time coming.

For those who don't know about Dark Cloud, you fight monsters and wander through randomly designed levels in real-time while picking up pieces of a shattered past or a destroyed town that you inevitably have to rebuild as you see fit. The unique options in your design of the towns and the creative gameplay make for interesting entertainment value and provide a fair level of excitement even in replay. The stories in the two previous installments have been second-to-none even though at some points it can get a bit silly. Usually there has been a wonderful balance of fantasy, humor, and drama to captivate all audiences. Pick up one of the games sometime if you have access to a PS2 or PS3, and I guarantee you'll get hooked if you're a fan of the genre or not.

Anyway, I'll keep my fingers crossed until the announcement date is upon us. I can't wait!

Introducing...

2008-09-19T23:33:00.000-05:00

Welcome to kurtin's World! This is the newest blog endeavor I'm undertaking. I've decided to start up something here at Blogger, just because it seems to be more of a standard place to talk about anything and everything. Just so you are aware, if you are tuning into this blog, I'll be posting on occasion with various topics in mind. I am not one to limit my writing nor do I only speak about a single issue at great length. You'll get to read about my opinions on movies or games, political issues, moral issues, life stories, or creative outlets for myself to invest some time in when the daily life gets a little too hectic.

Onto the subject of kurtin... If you decide to mention my name or make comments, please do not capitalize the "k" at the beginning of the nickname. I don't know why I decided to always refer to myself by that name once it was acquired, but it's of my own personal taste to leave that letter uncapitalized.

I'm currently employed as a teacher living in the great state of Wisconsin. I've loved almost everything about growing up here, and although I would love to travel around and see new places, this will always be home. Family is also a huge part of my life, so I would like to stay close by with the majority of them for that connectedness. I love to play games, watch films, enjoy sports, and do anything and everything that I consider creative. I explore designing my own websites for school (I'm learning more and more each day), and I skin icons or docks from time to time over at WinCustomize.com. There are many great programs there to customize a windows interface to make it unique and more manageable.

I don't want to ramble and explain everything about my life in a single shot, so there will probably be more additions to the introduction in future posts. For now, I'll allow you to absorb this much, and as always... stay tuned.