Monte

I’m sorry. What can I say? I had homework. That’s pretty much my only excuse for not writing for an entire two months: homework.

Yes, school is very busy as usual. Go figure. I think back on my freshman year of high school and recall fond memories of innocence and a zest for learning. Now my enthusiasm for school has turned to a mere: fuck this. I’m not proud of my diminishing interest in school. I don’t want to become one of the kids at my school who’s goal is to only make passing grades. I don’t want to be one of those kids whose happy with his grades just as long as they allow him or her to keep playing football or attending cheerleading practice. Please believe me when I say that I really do want to exceed in school. I want to make the awesome grades and have the scholarships and be academically honored. But the problem is this: school doesn’t motivate me anymore. I think I’m ready to move on past high school. It’s my junior year; one more year left to go. I’m ready for it to be over with.

My mom has been at a conference in New York City this past week which means I’ve been spending a good deal of time with my father. Now before you go expecting some smart-ass remark from me about how much I can’t put up with my father for an entire week, the truth is, I’ve really enjoyed his company. Last night we went out to dinner together and had a very enjoyable time…

We had decided to go to a restaurant we had never been to before. It was called Carabba’s Italian Grill. And yes, I know exactly what you’re thinking: with as many times as I make fun of the Olive Garden, why the hell would I want to eat at an “Italian Grill” in Grapevine, Texas? Well, for starters, if you haven’t heard my little spill about Italian cuisine in Texas, let me enlighten you: there is no such thing as Italian food in Texas. It doesn’t exist. Get over it people. I know you’d like to believe that when “you’re at the Olive Garden, you’re family,” but the truth is that the only way you’re ever going to get real, authentic Italian food is by going to New York or preferably Italy. I repeat: the Olive Garden is not Italian. Those people in the Olive Garden commercials aren’t Italian either. They’re just handsome, middle-aged guys with bushy eyebrows. That’s all. Get over it people. All of you Texans out there are just going to have to stick to your episodes of The Sopranos, because that’s about as “Italian” as you’re going to get.

And now that all of you are fully aware of that, you’re probably asking yourselves why the hell would I want to go to Carabba’s Italian Grill, right? Well, it’s a small chain that’s operated by an Italian chef who has his own cooking show on Public Television. It turned out that the food was indeed Italian and very delicious. In fact it was probably the best meal I’d ever eaten in Texas. It was quite groundbreaking: an actual Italian restaurant in Texas!

Anyways, you may have noticed that my site has changed slightly. Actually, the entire structure is different. My entire site now fits completely inside the letterbox style framing, which now centers in the browser window instead of staying centered at the top. Also, navigation has been cleaned up, especially in the archives page which now features a scrolling timeline. I’ve made a few other small changes here and there, but I think the one thing I’m most proud of is my finished portfolio. The link, if you haven’t already noticed, is in the bottom bar of the site. My portfolio is just a basic showplace for the sites I’ve designed and the skills I’ve acquired.

If you just so happen to visit my portfolio anytime soon, you might notice a little site called Summer Summits. Summer Summits is a non-profit organization that takes groups of people on hiking expeditions throughout Colorado. My art teacher is on the board of the organization and was the one who presented me with the task of creating the Summer Summits site. — Go ahead and check it out at my portfolio. Take a look at it. It’s the site with the yellow and light blue color scheme. What do you think? Is it nice? Is it professional? Is it appealing to the eye? … So, you like it? Well, I’m glad you do, because the damn president of the organization didn’t. Yep, that’s right. He didn’t like it. My art teacher described his reaction when she showed him the site: She said that he kinda’ just stared at it with his lip furled up. “It’s not that he didn’t like it,” she said. “I mean, he appreciates the work you did; he just doesn’t understand it. It wasn’t what he was expecting.” … [sigh] Apparently the president of the organization was wanting something more “traditional.” My design was a bit too modern for him and he didn’t quite grasp the concept. But you know what? I understand. I understand that no matter how hard you try or how much effort you put into something, you’re never guaranteed that everybody will like it. And that’s just the way business is. If the client doesn’t like it, the client doesn’t like it. If it’s not what the client was looking for, then it’s not what the client was looking for. I mean, there’s nothing you can really do about it. You give it what you’ve got, do it to the best of your ability, and if the client doesn’t like it than it’s not your fault. You tried your hardest and that’s all that could be done about it. Eventually you learn how to read the customer and anticipate his or her needs.

Anyways, it’s late, and I’m tired. I realize that this wasn’t the best of journal entries, but hey, at least now you know I’m still alive.