David Osborne ozzie@talesfromoz.com
I'm typing this on my laptop at a Boy Scout Camporee - an odd place to relax after a hard week. When this campout was put on the calendar, I guess I wasn't thinking too clearly about the timing and committed myself to going. Fortunately, it rained Friday night. Not hard enough for wet tents or soggy sleeping bags, but hard enough to send my son and his fellow scouts into their tents by 11 p.m. It was the earliest I've been to bed in a couple of weeks. Thankfully, there are no pinecones here.
This last week was brutal. Like most students, it was crunch time as I tried to put the finishing touches on final projects and papers and get everything turned in. By the end of the week, my brain was pretty much mush. It didn't help any when I found myself fighting a computer in the photojournalism lab two hours before deadline. It kept giving me an odd message that someone else was using the program I needed to use. In the end, I surrendered and moved to another computer. If you can't beat them, abandon them.
I did find enough images to complete my portfolio and photo story for photojournalism. I'm still in mourning for my camera; it hasn't magically reappeared. I still have my old white pick up, though, and the city and my wife will be happy to know I plan to sell it here pretty quick. I will use the proceeds to replace the camera and a couple of lens'. Yes, that old truck still runs, and should sell pretty quickly. It'll be priced to move.
This column also ends my run at the Daily Egyptian. I won't be back in the fall; I should be done with SIUC. Time to head back out into the real world. Been there, done that, hate the thought. For those who are graduating, standby for high winds and heavy seas - it gets rough from here. That 8 a.m. class you hated (and skipped) will seem like heaven compared to what lies ahead.
That also means this space will be open next fall. If you are returning to classes in September and have some writing ability, apply soon. The spots tend to fill up fast. For those who make it, though, the rewards are great. I've gotten my share of fan mail (and a little of the other kind) and I've been recognized on the street, in the bank and the grocery store. The low-level celebrity status has been heady stuff; I highly recommend it.
For those who have been reading me more or less faithfully, many thanks. I hope I brightened your Monday and made you think on occasion. It has been a lot of fun sharing thoughts and the little tidbits about my eclectic family with you. For those who read my recipe column and thought my adobo recipe was missing something, it ain't. I use a Filipino recipe.
Apparently, there are also Mexican, Spanish and Puerto Rican varieties of pork adobo. For those who may miss my ramblings, as I look for a new home for Tales from Oz, check out my website. It's been behind lately, but my webmistress promises to get it updated and keep it that way. Otherwise, I'll quit cooking and she'll be making her own adobo. I will try to post a new column every Monday. When (and if) I find a new home for Tales from Oz in a newspaper, I'll post it there.
Editors: one column with a loyal following available starting today. E-mail me; we'll do lunch.
Tales From Oz appears on Monday. David is a senior in journalism. His views do not necessarily reflect those of the Daily Egyptian. To read more of David's work, go to http://www.talesfromoz.com.
Published on 11/17/05; 12:24:44 PM
