Today marks the first day of production of the 2006-07 Jason Thompson Direct Art Series. I am premiering this news in the Annual Fund blog- I'm not sure if the blog's server will be able to handle the traffic that this news will generate to the site- but you, the loyal readers, are the first to know. Feel free to tell your friends.

The target mailing date for this mailing is August 21, meaning that the piece needs to be completed and to the printer by August 7. About five minutes ago I realized that August 7 is only 12 working days away. This means with all of the meetings, other work, and this blog, combined with my propensity for procrastination, I have about a day and a half to get the mailing done. This year, my goal is to get the mailings to the printer ON TIME, which would be a major accomplishment for me.

I better start generating some ideas. I am NOT going to use the Bishop on the fall mailing- I've already promised myself that. I need to branch out; last year was my Bishop Phase (much like Picassos's Absinthe Phase). Spread your wings and fly, little bird!

But do not fret, Direct Art mail collectors, for I will have the piece done and into your hands. Then you can frame the piece and put it on the wall next to pictures of your dog and family, which is where it deserves to be. Talent likes this only comes so often; Van Gogh, Monet, da Vinci, Thompson.

Yet Another Rant(s)
It's time for a needless rant, and what a better place for me to air out my personal life than on a public blog for the Ohio Wesleyan Annual Fund to a bunch of unknown readers? None that I can think of, so here we go:

Rant #1: Last night, in my financial accounting class, we had our first test. I studied my arse off the past couple of weeks in preparation for said test, cancelling plans and putting off everything in my life. I was feeling extremely confident about my chances of doing well; that is, until the professor handed out the test. I swear to you that it could have been written completely in the long lost language used by the Aztecs and that would have made more sense to me.

Grad school is hard.

Rant #2: Prior to my test, when I was packing up to leave OWU and head to class to take the Test-From-Hades, I realized that I had absolutely no idea where my car keys were. I was tearing my office apart looking for them and getting a little perturbed (if by "perturbed" you mean cursing loudly and often) when I recognized that I had probably locked them in my car.

I car pool to work with the Annual Fund Director Donna Burtch '79 (who demands that we call her "Director Burtch" or "Captain Annual Fund." This has nothing to do with this story, just a side-note) and had driven to her home to meet her in the morning. She called her kids, who reported that I had indeed locked my keys in the car. Donna (or Captain Annual Fund), being the thoughtful individual she is, said I could borrow her van to drive down to take my test. I was/am grateful for her generosity, as I would have missed the Test Created From Pure Evil.

After class (which ends at 9:48 p.m.), I was walking out of class with a group of people, which included an attractive woman, talking about the test. As we were walking through the parking lot, the group dissipated as people went to their cars. Soon, it was just me and the attractive woman, with whom I had never spoken prior to that moment, when we came upon a light green Toyota Siena that I was driving. It was a horrifying moment, one that will stay with me the rest of my life.

While I was in no way flirting with this woman, I felt defensive and I instantly started telling the story about locking the keys in my car, etc., etc.- probably in a very fast, very high-pitched voice. I realized that a 26-year-old guy driving a light green Toyota Siena is probably not what women are looking for these days. She kind of looked at me sideways with an awkward laugh and walked away.

I'm sure she was thinking something like the following.

I don't really feel like I "carpe diem-ed" the moment. In fact, I really just gave up, went home, sat on the couch and played a game of "Destroy All Humans" on Playstation while I wallowed in self-pity.