The Weekend Grab-Bag: The Deja Vu Deja Vu Version

Ever feel like you've been somewhere before? Ever have strong memories of an event that is supposedly brand new? Have you, dear reader of A RAMBLER'S RAMBLING, ever gone through a series of events that you swore you have lived before and yet know that that's not possible but still believe so strongly that you know how it's all gonna end?

Yeah, me neither. . .

Well, actually, that's just a tease because of course I've had deja vu. Actually, I have it quite often. I'm kinda having it now as I sit here and type about it. . . But either way, this past weekend (including Friday and Monday and Tuesday) was vaguely reminiscent of past times that I've had. I swear I've been in those shoes before. Well, physically speaking, I have. But you know what I mean. . . SO, with this nonsense out of the way, let me proceed with another installment of THE WEEKEND GRAB-BAG, and as always, faithful and beautiful readers (don't you like that I constantly complement you? . .), the following will be out of order in relation to when it all happened (the world will know that as non-chronological - I just wanted some variety. . . Just trying to avoid that awful vu feeling. . .):

- School, yes dreaded dreaded school, began this week. Unlike past semesters I've had at AVC, I have classes on four days of the week this semester (in prior semesters, I only went on Tuesday and Thursday - o, a quick tangent: I find it extremely funny that Thursday is abbreviated with an R in our, and I spose others, college catalog. I understand that T is kinda taken by Tuesday, but it's just kinda funny that R means Thursday. . . Am I the only one that finds this odd?). On Monday I have. . . ya know what? I'm gonna kick it old school and pull out that Deja Vu feeling once more. Here, young people, is my first review of my Sophomore year at AVC in the same fashion as my first review of my Freshman year, one year ago (with one added feature - People I Already Know - or PIAK - you'll figure it out):

BIOLOGY 101 - The first class of my week begins at 1230 on Monday afternoon. Yeah, it's later than I would like too, but it's the only offered Honors Bio class. I need it. O well. So, my teacher's name is Debra Feickert, and at first glance, I found her to look like a family friend (Debbie Axley for those who know her) and act like my Aunt Nancy (especially one early action that I swear was my Aunt bit for bit). THEN, something happened and crazy lady came out!!! Let me assure you, this is not crazy-bad. She is just plain bonkers!!! I swear she went off the deep end and all I wanted to yell was "Come back!" I can't explain it in words. I'll try though. She just. . . well. . . no I was right. I can't explain it. O well. She gets a 6/10 on the scale (yep, brought it back!) because it does appear that she's very thorough, and I need that since I pretty much suck at the sciences. Small class. Three guys/Fifteenish girls. Interesting ratio. . . We actually lectured til the end of the period (not a good sign for the rest of my classes - usually the first day is barely an hour and you get out hella early) so I was kinda bummed about starting so early. Dangit. It begins again. PIAK - Danielle Lincors, a girl who graduated with me from DCMS

BIOLOGY 101 (LAB) - Three hours. Need I say more? (I kinda do, actually) My teacher's name is Nikki Riley. She's a younger (later twenties we assumed) black woman who is (obviously) very passionate about Biology. Mr. Cy Serrano, by the workings of yours truly, is in this lab with me (thank God, too - I couldn't do this class without him) so the time went by much quicker with him sitting next to me. We did a lot of introductory-type stuff and then jumped into a beginning lab (it was just a microscope trial thingy lab - not bad). This teacher, though, caused the best laughs of the week from Cy and me (yeah, that's proper English folks). She said "Are you with me?" probably 300 times throughout the three hour course. No joke. Plus, she sounds like the Debra Winger impersonation of Oprah (for those who have ever seen the skit on MAD TV or seen SCARY MOVIE 4). It's high comedy. A 6.5/10 for Nikki (she asked us to call her by her first name - weird) since she provides more laughs than others. . . even though it's unintentional! PIAK - Cy and Danielle Lincors again

COMMUNICATIONS 121 - Before I go into deeper detail about this class, let me just say the following: if, in the infintesimal chance, I make it "big" in life and someday get to write my memoirs out in a book, three things will be written in it. 1) My heroes have been, remain, and will always be my dad, Andrew Gott, his dad, William Gott, and my basketball coach from high school, Devin Thomas. 2) The MY GIRL post from late July on this here site. I love my "us" story! 3) This COMM class (also known as Journalism 121) was the reason that I reached the plateau I achieved. That, my friends, is the potential this class brings me. Professor Gary M. Carter will most likely go down as the second greatest teacher I've ever had up until now (D. Ro cannot be topped DCSers) and I am looking forward to what he is able to get out of me. His first words to us were "Welcome to class. And let me also welcome you to the staff of THE EXAMINER". I about lost my mind at that point. Yes, the Examiner is the AVC newspaper. Yes, I will be published (officially) many times by semester's end. Yes, I'm stoked out of my skull!!! I will be a reporter (I assume) and you will hear much, much more about this class as the semester continues. My only gripe is that it's not more than two days (or more than an hour twenty on those days). In a first for the ratings system, Prof. Carter gets a perfect 10/10. PIAK - Not a soul

HISTORY 118 - Another Jaffe class! This one is History of the Old West. Could be fun. Either way, it's Jaffe. Plus, Cy is in the class with me (again). Can't get much better than that. Being back in the room again is kinda trippy. Almost deja vuey. . . PIAK - Cy and one guy named Shaun who had Jaffe last semester too

PSYCHOLOGY 101 - Another online class. I had a short (well, over an hour) orientation on campus today, and I'm just pretty much "Meh" about this one. I'm taking it to later (next semester) take a Psych class I need to transfer and to take one I want (the ever-popular Human Sexuality course). So I gotta do what I gotta do. Mr. Payam Heidary (he's Jewish) is ok - kinda goofy. I'm kinda goofy I guess. O well. (5/10) PIAK - My twin from TWELFTH NIGHT (Drama my Sophomore year in HS) Miss Trena Buus

HONORS ENGLISH 102 - Don't know yet. It's tomorrow. Three hours. Yipee! (Sarcasm city right there folks) PIAK - Check back later

- Wow that was a lot.

- Well I started work at United Medical Endoscopy Center (or UMEC, as it most assuredly will be called from now on) on Friday. I worked 7 hours (mostly hardcore training from Cy) there and then left there and pretty much went straight to JC to work for another 7 hours. The UMEC stuff is a lot like my AVSC (Antelope Valley Surgery Center, my job before JC - I worked there for about 8 months after my Junior year and into my Senior year before being laid off) stuff that I did, except this is more computer work and different filing stuff. However, I'm still in a medical center. I am still filing (and sorting people's charts!). I am still occasionally seeing pictures of people's colons (not always the prettiest thing - actually, it never is even remotely appealing to the eye). And I am still finding fun names and laughing my head off at them (note to Tom: today I found our best one! It was so cool to see it again! . . the rest of you wanna know, huh? Maybe later . . .). All that to say, I'm very gracious to my other other Mama for giving me another job. Very gracious, indeed.

- JC is crazy right now. I don't wanna talk about it. It pisses me off just thinking about that place. Well, I will say that I turned down the offer to do Salads. It just wasn't gonna be my cup o' tea per se. Thanks anyway Jenn.

- Sunday night went from being a potentially great night to being a bust to being a really great night. Wanna read on, don't ya? Well I had been attempting to work out a Poker game at my house for that night. Of course, it did not work. I was bummed out, to say the least. Well, Manny ended up coming over anyway (he had been the only one who wanted to play as bad as I did) and we ended up chatting/playing cards/watching ROUNDERS (again) until 0130 Monday morning (which was bad because we both had to get up around 0700). We had a lot of fun, though. I feel like I've known the guy for years, but really it's only been a month or so. Funny how things work out. . . Well he even asked me to fill in as one of his groomsmen, since the one he had planned on having is currently MIA. I said it'd be an honor and a pleasure (since I know and am friends with both him and his fiance', Jenn - who is Justin's sister). I'm excited. Ok, real quick; I have to tell you how I lost our game. Here's the scenario: We're about even in chips (he's got a bit more than me) after almost two hours of playing. We both put in half our chips before the flop (I had an A-5 of spades). The flop comes out 2-3-4 with two spades. Not only did I flop the wheel (the straight that goes from Ace to Five) and the nut flush (the best possible flush) draw, but I also had a straight flush draw, only needing the 3 of spades to get the second best possible hand in Hold-Em. I bet a little to draw a call or a raise. He raised me all-in and I called before he could count out the chips. I had it. Well, not quite. He flips over a 7-3 off-suit (terrible starting hand - actually the second worst I think) meaning he only had a pair of 3's. The turn (fourth card) was a 7. Now he had two pair. The only possible way for him to win was to hit an impossible 7 or 3 (of which only one would help him since the 3 of spades would give me the straight flush) on the river. I burned a card (as always) and left the river face down, asking him to flip it. He took it, looked at it himself and began laughing, saying "You better turn away". He spins the card on the table, showing me the 3 of clubs, giving him a full house, which of course was better than my straight. I was so mad I could only laugh (which we did; for about five minutes). O well. Good story to tell of my bad beat. DAMMIT MANNY!!!

- Well, I should retire for the night. It's now 0030 and I gotta get up early again to work at UMEC before my BIO class at 1230. That's twelve hours from now. Ew. . .

O, and the name is SHIRLEY A. MANN - - read the middle initial too. It's what makes it so grand!

Goodnight all! See ya soon (we'll see)!

- - - "My computer is my wife and the college is my home"
- - - Mr. Heidary, my Psych teacher, at the orientation today. Could be misconstrued. . .

Sophomore Justin