Let's do this already!

Let's take care of one thing right off the bat, this is not going to be some cheery little blog about how great life is. Don't let the name mislead you. It is more of a pun than anything. If you are looking for that "chicken soup for the soul" excrement, keep looking. It is also not going to be an angry rant about how ignorant/greedy/mean people are, how much life sucks, and how much better things can be. I like to think that I (along with the vast majority of human beings) reside somewhere in the middle of things. Instead, I am coming at you with everyday stuff from an everyday perspective. Wait! Before you get completely turned off by what sounds like the most potentially boring, drab, and self-serving blog in a long time (which is really saying something), give me a chance. You may be pleasantly surprised.

As I sat with my friend Nick Shattuck this evening bouncing ideas off of each other, I realized how many hilarious and interesting experiences I have had over the past year that were never chronicled and will eventually fade into the fog of memory. Potentially entertaining/meaningful/horrifying things happen every day, if only I could slow down enough to record them. Maybe I will revisit some of the events of my past. They run the gamut from crazy things my students say (just like on the old Cosby program) to aiding in the creation of local businesses to world travel to rather embarrassing things that happen while I am under the influence (just a couple include: chipping teeth after getting kicked out of the VFW and losing consciousness in a gas station bathroom, not in the same evening of course, that would be out of control).

Maybe I should take a moment to introduce myself (I am operating under the assumption that my audience does not consist solely of my friends who take pity upon my pursuits. Instead, I imagine that my appeal is so wide-spread that you may actually require the handy built-in language translator to follow my exploits). My name is Rich, hence the blog handle. I am a 30-year old, nearly penniless grad student (I am not complaining, just saying. It gives you some perspective on me and me some perspective on life.). I currently reside in the quaint little city of La Crosse, Wisconsin. For better or worse, I am pursuing a career in education (yes! I may one day educate your children). It is great, but it is definitely not all I am about. It has been a long and meandering road to get to where I am now. I like to think it gives me a unique point of view. I envision this blog to be similar to the one that the frumpy Amy Adams had in that movie Julie and Julia, except I won't be writing about the sumptuous things I cook, and ultimately eat (how interesting are canned varieties of fish and buttered pasta anyway?). Maybe I don't really know what exactly this will all be about. I guess it will be a slice of my life. It will be brutally honest (usually at my own expense). I try to appreciate the little things. Hopefully I find humor and meaning in them. Life is an all too short son of a bitch sometimes, I am just trying to enjoy as much of it as I can.