We're taking bets that ABC's are easy...

A - Age you got your first kiss: 16
B - Band listening to right now: Raining Jane
C - Crush: Scarlett Johansson
D - Dad's name: Ronald
E - Easiest person[s] to talk to: Ian/Niamh
F - Favorite bands at the moment: Better Than Ezra, Papa Roach, Raining Jane, Switchfoot
G - Gummy bears or gummy worms: Gummy Bears
H - Hometown: South Windsor, CT
I - Instruments: Pan Flute or Nothing I am not sure, but since I have never tried to play the pan flute I might be a master at it.
K - Kids: Unknown - Hopefully none.
L - Longest car ride ever: Lowell, MA to Miami Beach, FL
M - Mom's name: Joan
N - Nicknames: GMad, Shadow, Dog
O - One wish: A smile on my face every day.
P - Phobia[s]: Death - I really am petrified to die.
Q - Quote: A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.
R - Reason to smile: Working with Students
S - Song you sang last: A Lifetime by Better Than Ezra
T - Time you woke up [today]: 5AM
U - Unknown fact[s] about me: I am afraid to get older.
V - Vegetable you hate: Beets
W - Worst habit(s): Thinking I am always right.
X - X-rays you've had: Jaw, Head
Y - Yummy food: Sushi
Z - zodic sign: Virgo

Thanks to Vic for this blog idea.

We're taking bets that riding in a truck bed in 30 degree weather sucks...

I am outraged. I was on my way to my parents from Springfield when I saw a woman driving a Ford F-250. It looked brand new and I was checking it out as it passed me going at least 75 on the highway. Then I noticed in the truck bed a dog(looked like a German Shepard) sitting in the back huddled against the back window.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME? That is pure animal cruelty. It was extremely windy and had to be below freezing yesterday. It made me want to stop the car on the highway and take the dog away from her. Is the interior of your car that important to you? Some people have zero common sense. That lady deserved to be forced to walk 5 miles in a blinding snowstorm with no coat on. Thank you for listening to my venting. Please be nice to animals. At the very least keep them in your car if it is cold out and you need take them somewhere.

We're taking bets that jokes are funny...

We're taking bets you need to hear this band...

Fortunately tonight I was stranded in Western Mass due to the massive amounts of snow we got here. I say fortunately because I visited my best friend at WNEC and they had a band called Raining Jane playing which wasn't being cancelled.

They are four women from California that are fantastic musicians. (And each of them were hot in their own way.) They played and sang some unbelievable music. They use a cello and a cajon
which everyone needs to see being played. The drummer, Mona was great and she also was hilarious.

It was mostly their own, but they did a fantastic cover of Ani Difranco's "Both Hands" and a great job at covering the Beatles "Something". Their own music was wonderful. They did a song called "Big Girl" that had to do with no matter what a girl looks like she can feel like a big girl sometimes. They also do a great song that deals with internet love. (It is very funny.)

Everyone should take a listen to their music. I think that I know at least two people who would really like them in Shannon Seidel and Sara Strauhal. (I know you both like music & figured you guys should get a named heads up in this blog. Assuming you read this.) Hopefully this blog will enrich everyone out their musically. :)

WTBT Volume Five...

We're taking bets that...

* circus would be a kind way to describe the Michael Jackson trial.
* Ohio State showed why college basketball is the most exciting sport by beating #1 Illinois with a three point buzzer beater.
* the Colorado University President should have resigned a lot earlier than this.
* Kurt Warner is going to do very well with the Arizona Cardinals and their young speedy receivers.
* Salem State better figure out how to fix this quick.
* it was nice seeing the Red Sox turn a triple play with ex-Lowell Spinner Hanley Rameriz starting it off.
* you can say what you want about UMass Lowell, but UMass Amherst has more violence like the stabbing that happened last weekend.
* the Big East is going to be better off without BC in it.
* all this controversy with Syria has you worried that the US problems with the Middle East may never get better.
* only Bill Simmons could compare U2 and Sports.
* US mens tennis keeps falling further and further off the radar screens of the everyday sports fan especially after losing to Croatia.
* just reading this story will make you cringe.
* Tiger Woods is back and the rest of the golf world should be worried.
* this is a bad idea. Someone is going to get killed. NYC is going to try to count their homeless with 2,000 volunteers going to every dark corner of the 5 boroughs tracking people.
* Sylvester Stallone's "The Contender" is going to be griping drama.
* you never thought that The Pacifier would ever be number one at the box office.
* North Carolina put on an impressive final two minutes against Duke. I HATE DUKE.
* Martha "Bad Ass" Stewart is ready to bring da funk to home decorating.
* Drew Bledsoe is going to look good with a Star on his helmet.
* Anna Nicole Smith and her breasts have done it again.
* you cannot wait for St. Patrick's Day and a little bit of Guiness. :)

We're taking bets that Hottie of the Week...

WTBT Hottie of the Week Katherine Heigl

She is one of the stars of ABC's new Grey's Anatomy. She will definitely be one of the big reasons to watch. Many of you may remember her from the WB's Roswell. She definitely is making a movie into superstardom.

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We're taking bets that PETA will be mad...

Bubba the lobster died yesterday. It is a crying shame. He wasn't going to be eaten but rather transferred to the Ripley's Believe it or Not museum. The People for Eating Tasty Animals(PETA) had put a bid in to buy the animal to eat it. They were denied and now they must be pissed. Though I think that would have required a ton of butter and a pot bigger than a normal lobster pot.

I wonder what would happen if the two PETA groups got into a fight. I think that would be an interesting Celebrity Deathmatch. Just a thought.

WTBT Music Lyrics Quiz...

Answer these in the comments section. Guess the artist and song title. I will post the answers on Sunday.

1. Hey baby You gotta remember
2. Sometimes you tell the day by the bottle that you drink
3. A fool could see just how much I adore you I get down on my knees I'd do anything for you
4. We chased our pleasures here dug our treasures there But can you still recall the time we cried
5. And you can trust me not to think and not to sleep around If you don’t expect too much from me you might not be let down
6. The party's just begun, we'll let you in You drive us wild, we'll drive you crazy
7. You were the sweetest thing that I ever knew but I don't care for sugar honey if I can't have you
8. Rockin my peers and puttin suckas in fear Makin the tears rain down like a MON-soon Listen to the bass go BOOM
9. You shouldn't have to sell your soul in black and white
10. Clearly I remember pickin' on the boy Seemed a harmless little fuck but we unleashed a lion

Good Luck - Try not to cheat. :)

WTBT Volume 4...

We're taking bets that...

* you can't believe that February is already over.
* I caught a fish this BIG!
* although Curt Schilling wasn't happy it was great to see him throw a few pitches in Spring Training.
* the Witchita police need a huge round of applause for catching BTK.
* UML Hockey will make it to the Hockey East Finals.
* you hate that sweeps are over and all your favorite shows have reruns during March.
* you are psyched if you are a 24 fan and you have new shows until the end of the season.
* it just was not UMass Lowell Men's Basketball's year. They are going to miss James Whyte.
* even if you didn't watch it regularly you should checkout the Series Finale of NYPD BLUE. Hopefully we won't see any of Sipowicz's ass.
* the best basketball movie ever, Hoosiers is being released on Special Edition DVD and Dan McLaughlin is going to run out and get it first thing tomorrow. He probably watch it five times this week.
* if you don't know anything about the movie you should check out ESPN's Page 2 about it.
* Temple Coach John Chaney may have done a bad thing, but he is a real stand-up guy and he is making up for his mistake.
* this is not change the fact that he probably still is a virgin.
*************
OSCAR WTBT
* Chris Rock did an excellent Monologue.
* it was real weird that award winners received their awards in the audience.
* you didn't realize that Cate Blanchett had such a big nose.
* Robin Williams should be the next host though it will never happen.
* Salma Hayek's English got worse speaking next to Penelope Cruz.
* you have no idea why Beyonce sang three songs, but she did a pretty good job.
* a lot of people in Hollywood are afraid of Clint Eastwood especially the Oscar band director.
* you were happy Morgan Freeman finally won an Oscar especially after he should have won one for Driving Miss Daisy and Shawshank Redemption.
* the creepiest people are the tech people and they give the weirdest speeches.
* you thought Al Pacino was drunk again.
* there is something creepy about Hilary Swank and it probaby is The Next Karate Kid.
* TIVO is the best way to watch the Oscars. You start an hour late and you fast forward through all the commercials and stupid speeches and finish at the same time.
* they should stop letting Barbra Streisand give out awards, because she is just weird.
*************
* the Michael Jackson trial will reveal some things that we never ever wanted to know.
* the Kings are going to be better now that they traded Chris Webber.
* Martha Stewart is getting out soon and is going to be pissed. The people on the new Apprentice better watch out.
* you can't wait for NCAA March Madness.
* Mother Nature is not going to let this winter end without a big bang.
* it is nice seeing Antoine Walker back in Celtic green.
* the Quentin Tarantino directed season finale of CSI is going to be a must see.
* you can't count out the defending National Champion UCONN Huskies in the Tournament this year.
* you haven't lived until you have heard a 60+ year old woman say "I might be mistaken for an old hooker in that neighborhood."

We're taking bets that black lung will get them first...

According to just about every statistic that you can find smoking cigarettes is on the decline. Secondhand smoke has proven to cause lung cancer in numerous studies. Connecticut and Massachusetts along with numerous other states have recently banned cigarettes in the work place. This means no more smoking bars or restaurants. Non smokers rejoice; while smokers are angry about their rights. Especially this group in Connecticut.

They are complaining that they shouldn't have to go outside to smoke. What does a non-smoker do to a smoker? Nothing unless they have really bad breath and they are breathing all over the non-smoker. Smoke can bother a non-smoker even if it is in a special section. It is tough enough when you have to walk through it when the smokers are outside. The funniest thing is if you saw the report on TV the lead person talked like she was one step away from having one of those voiceboxes.

I am terribly sorry that people get addicted to cigarettes. The nicotine is killing you and I know that quitting is hard. It can be done though. My father quit a two pack a day habit cold turkey in the 70's and that is when the tobacco tougher on your body. Most of the smokers that I have known have been very accommodating to non-smokers. I even knew one that put a glove on her smoking hand so that her hand wouldn't smell. We didn't have the heart to tell her that the rest of her smelled though. If all you have to do is go outside at least you will get some fresh air.

We're taking bets that Hottie of the Week...

Oh Yeah Winnie Cooper!!! (Actually Danica McKellar) Thankfully she is making a big comeback after getting her degree in Mathematics. I think that she should join ER and make that a better show. I think we are going to be seeing a lot of her. (She's only 30 and she still looks 22.)


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We're taking bets that cellphone commercials are creepy...

Because I have been travelling a lot I have heard a lot of commercials on the radio. I know most of you are saying to yourselves that Greg doesn't really have the patience to listen to commercials on the radio. I actually do. There are numerous ones that are very unique, but the worst ones are the cell phone commercials. They are downright creepy.

I heard a commercial today for Cingular where a guy is complaining because he only talks to his mother twice a day now that she can talk to 48 million people for free. Excuse me what?!? Twice a day to his mother. I know I don't have a conventional relationship with my mother, but if I was talking to her twice a day on the phone I might kill myself. This guy has some serious womb-in issues and needs some help.

There is also the a commercial with the Sprint guy. The teenagers are telling each other that they will IM each other when they get home. The Sprint guy tells them that they don't need to go home to IM with their friends they can do it from their phone. So either way they will be IMing is there really a need for that? By the way what the heck is up with that guy's bus? I think it was better when he was going into a person's house and clearing up confusion even though no one asked him for help.

Then there Verizon commercial on TV where the daughter keeps talking to her hand because her parents haven't gotten her a cell phone yet. She is in her own house... Do they not have a regular phone? This girl even Does this mean that all of our teenagers need to have cell phones so that they can IM each other or interrupt their teachers and learn less than they are getting? My parents would have put me through a wall if I was begging for a cell phone. Heck I got in trouble for yelling out my window to someone.

It has gotten out of hand. This is why I am going to stay in the stone age and not get a cell phone. Although thousands of people keep pushing me to get one, (Even my mother) I am going to hold out. At least until someone invents a commercial as funny as the VW Jon Victorine commercial . :) It is called "Cornering" and I think Vic could be that guy.

We're taking bets that $100 just isn't worth it...

So the University of Michigan is offering $100 to students that can keep their rooms clean and presentable. Do they think that $100 is really enough for most students? I think that there are probably 10% of the students that do that already so I guess it is a bonus for them.

The "normal" resident student (especially males - yes it is a stereotype, but almost 100% accurate) does not keep their room that clean. Sometimes women are even more disgusting than men. Which really grosses me out when a women is dirtier than a guy. You could give most people $1,000 and they might clean their rooms for the University, but they probably would forget and be drunk when they knocked on their door to show prospective students.

This just leads to colleges and universities to being more and more like parents. It is really crazy. Colleges are where people are supposed to grow and mature, but we keep babying them at every step. I am very disappointed in the University of Michigan, because they have now become a rich parent who has to bribe their children to do things they want.

We're taking bets that blinkers are for your safety...

Why do people insist on not using their blinkers when turning? It has become one of the most annoying things in the world to me. USE A FUCKING BLINKER!!!! That way I won't ram into the back of you with my SUV. Of course it will be my fault and you will be able to afford that pimped out Honda Accord with the insurance money.

I went to Manchester today and counted 21 times that the car in front of me should have used a blinker and did not. I was only out for about an hour. Now I know that some people might have just forgotten, but 21 times. Why has this become such a hassle for people? Are we really that lazy of a society that hitting the blinker is that hard. I would venture to say that 10,000 accidents a year a because of improper signalling. (No I do not have the exact data.) They are put on your car for a reason. Please use them I beg you!!!

WTBT Volume Three...

We're taking bets that...

* No one really thought the NHL was going to play hockey this year.
* Ray Charles swept the Grammy's and RAY will sweep the Oscars.
* the Daytona 500 was actually exciting this year.
* Kevin Federline is truly the new spokesmen for White Trash of America.
* now that David Wells is a Red Sox you have to like him.
* lesbian kiss on the OC... 90210 would be proud.
* Lindsay Lohan's Dad is awesome at getting himself arrested.
* Alex Rodriguez is a punk and he will always be a punk.
* we are going to get a least one more huge snowstorm this year.
* you wished Lebron had played in the NBA DUNK CONTEST.
* this guy didn't know about Altoids. Thankfully.
* this isn't Duke's year, but it is definitely Illinois'.
* you are not sure if my punctuation in the above sentence is right. Neither am I.
* you were not shocked to hear that GWB tried marijuana.
* Jose Canseco might be completely right about all of his allegations, but no one will believe him.
* if you were this lucky you would play POWERBALL every week.
* you can't wait until Opening Day.
* this is a crazy story and the baby did not just crawl out of bed.
* at least these guys made you like hockey a little bit.
* Vin Diesel should not make a comedy. Except it is funny every time that duck bites his ear in the commercial.
* UML Riverhawks surprised the hockey world this weekend by sweeping the BC Eagles.

We're taking bets that education should not cost this much...

Holy Crap. It does not seem possible that Trinity College in Hartford, CT should cost $40,000 year. On top of that the school still has over a $10 million deficit. This is why colleges are getting out of reach for the average person.

Colleges are being run like professional sports teams. Colleges keep raising tuition just like teams raise salaries. Students keep demanding more NEEDS, which the college gives them when they are really just WANTS. (Cable is a paid privilege not a right. DSL isn't a right either.) They let the students/parents run the school like the players do instead of working collaboratively together to keep costs down. I understand that the students are the customers, but students are graduating college having been babied for 4 to 5 years that they have a tough time out on their own. Now so many people end up living with there parents after graduation. (Yes I realize the irony.) It wasn't that way even 10 years ago.

It is scary that higher education is becoming something that only the elite can afford. Thank God for community colleges. In 3 years we will have a string of years with less college aged people than we have in over 20 years. Colleges are going to start shutting down. No one reduces costs. Bradford College shut down a few years ago to not much fan fare, but I believe that the NHL actually could happen to Higher Education. Sadly, I blame the players about the NHL and I think I may blame the students/parents if it happens to colleges and universities too.

We're taking bets that Fox became a Family... YEAR FIVE - THE RA's & the Rest

I am sure I am going to forget a lot of things that happened. I will probably not talk about everyone of my RAs because it was hard to have stories about everyone and some people know that they avoided me or had reasons not to see me very often. I will try not to make any mistakes. Please post stories in the comments section.

My Staff: ARDs - Jon Victorine & Amy Rival RAs - Kunal Sampat, Angie Charneski, Aleks Ward, Matteo Forgione, Russell Willingham, Laura Bennett, Adam Page, Mohit Gidwani, James Finlay, Matt Davidge, Lindsay Averbook, Erik Read, Greg Pellitier, Alesha Lecesse, Jason Brothers, Ryan Donaher, Karina Cole, Krystina Foelker, Abdul Bezrati, Amy Poirier, Mark Stern, Tim Cheney, Amy Kosterman Office Workers: Tess Buck, Jenna Gadbois, Laura Forrest, Ashley Edson, Abby Beutel, Gene Ellis.

I knew this was going to be an incredible challenge. Fox had a lot of issues the previous year. Hot water being one of them. There was a ton of those "Got Water" t-shirts in the office and the grossest fish tank I have ever seen. I did a ton of rearranging and cleaning. YES I DID SOME CLEANING!!! Now there was the task of figuring out the staff. I had to hire 4 RAs. Moh was the easiest because he was off of the Eligible List. He constantly badgered me over the phone but it was a good thing and he was hired. I interviewed Mark Stern in the lobby of the CRC. I asked him to make sure that he was ready before I hired him. Thankfully he decided he was. I kind of stole Greg Pelletier from Jess in Leitch. We interviewed in the Bourgeois Bear's Den and I was late. Sorry, but he was a great hire for Fox. Then we had the last spot to fill in 1313 and along came Amanda Day. It was a very hard hire because we had two qualified candidates, but she won out. Now our staff was filled time for the rest.

The existing staff was very interesting. First we had the ARDs. Everyone said that they would be a lot of work. I knew that working with Vic would be a lot of fun. Although we had never worked together I had a feeling we would get along. I never thought that he was ever given a chance. Although in his early Res. Life years didn't help him, but I knew he had grown and he would get to work with women. That is a positive for any male. :) Amy I had know since her involvement in RA scandals from her freshmen year. She will always remind me of Barbara because of her hair. She also had a reputation of being difficult, but I know that she usually means well. Plus I love a challenge and believe that I can work with just about anyone.

They were both incredible. Vic became more than an ARD, but he also became a friend. It meant a lot to me that he was able to be one of the first people I talked to about leaving and that he was supportive. He has an incredible work ethic and I think that the entire staff looked up to him probably more than they did me. He definitely knows that building better than anyone I have ever met and could handle anything thrown at him.

Amy was the cheerleader of the staff. Although she did not always get along with everyone I think she made huge strides last semester. She also had a rough semester personally and did excellent keeping it out of the job with the staff. She had her bumps and I don't think she always agreed with the way I did things, but she went with the flow.

Then we had the Office Worker staff. I actually only hired Tess, Abby and Laura personally and the rest were hired for me by other RDs. Gene was my favorite because he took all of the girls shit(Especially Jenna) and still came back. That was a tough thing to do. He and Abby worked Monday night security and did there best although they didn't know until November that they needed to turn on the radio. Jenna was a ton of fun because she always had stories and made the office very lively. I miss all of her complaining about the office snacks and having to go to the gym. I am so glad that she was hired. Laura and Ashley were my creative people. They made some great fliers and banners for Fox. Abby was the one who gave me the hardest time which was a great change of pace because not a lot of people try to banter back and forth with me. She also was the take down the flyer and turn on the hot water girl. I tried to make them as much part of the staff as I could. I hope they liked my smiley faces on the To-Do Lists. Finally there was Tess who had way too much on her plate and worked because I asked her to. She was a great office worker and someone that I trusted completely to get things done. Although I never knew if she was coming in if she was scheduled I knew that she would do what ever she could to make up the hours.

So then the year started with Training. As I stated previouslytraining was not that wonderful. We did have some fun as the Fox Hall Staff. We had Team days with our T-shirts that I am sure the staff probably hated, but it brought us together. On the last day of new RA training I brought the entire new Fox Staff to the roof as a congrats for finishing the training. It was fun. Probably one of my favorite places in the world to go to. It was always very tranquil. JBro had kidney stones and missed a ton of training. I think that pissed off a lot of people. It was only the beginning. I also had to mediate a small book buying debacle. Once the new staff came we had a real fun time. Matt did a great job of cooking for us with his Baked Ziti.

Opening went as well as it could of. We set up outside and it made the process so much better. Ryan held down the fort in front of the elevators and Mark directed traffic in the front. It made life so much easier. Adam page led a crew that took out all of the trash. We all had a good time except for the fact that JBro didn't show up. It was the beginning of my head shaking with him all semester. At least he was a trooper and pulled trash with Laura Bennett later that week. I went running up and down the stairs to as many of the floor meetings as I could. It was tiring, but fun. We set the tone as the Fox Family throughout the building. The 9th floor was by far the funniest as I put Ryan in his place for making fun of Laura.

Aleks did a great job keeping her patience with the 8th floor girls. Although I thought she was going to kill them at times. As the semester went along she did a better job with them and even did a great program called "Shut-up Kareoke". We had a small ID scandal that the RA's did a fantastic job of handling. The police on the other hand made a couple of mistakes, but we got through it. Thanks to the RAs that were involved. Remember NJ fakes are the ones most likely to be taken away. We tried to have staff meeting in 601. Not one of my best ideas, so we moved them back. We had one of our many birthday cakes that night although Ice Cream cake is not the best idea for 27 people. I also had one of my best birthdays because I was able to not tell the entire staff. It is hard to get past that many people. :)

We also had two pretty big floods on the tenth floor. The one on Moh's side was real bad. Everyone worked very hard to keep it contained although I thought I was going to end up in the Connector vacuuming up water. The one on the other side was not so bad, because the residents and the staff worked very quickly. We got the water shut off and everyone made barricades to their rooms. Thankfully we had the 7th floor apartment as a back up for people to stay.

The Red Sox were the big news in October and we had fire alarms almost every night they won during the Series with the Yankees and St. Louis. We had fun times watching the riot squads come down Pawtucket Street. Luckily we did not have a ton of vandalism and only a few people were arrested. The staff did a great job of keeping everyone calm. I still can't believe they actually won. I will always remember that I was at UMass Lowell when it happened.

We had a ton of security issues with the girl that came in and assaulted Webster to the due that avoided the police and got into the building through the back entrance. Of course we locked down the back doors as the residents needed to use them to go to the 6th floor and study for finals. Erik, Amy P. and I had a interesting night, but we got through it. Lindsay had a lot of craziness on the 12th floor. Those girls were very nice to each other's faces, but not behind their backs. I miss seeing Lindsay almost every day stop by a say hello while I was in the office.

We had a number of incidents that happened in the building where the residents left in the middle of it. We definitely had some learning to do with handling things, but overall we kept the building running pretty well. We did not have too many water issues. Vic kicked the outside boiler a couple of times and got things working. I tried to give as much information as much as we possibly give to all of the residents and it seemed to keep people happy.

We went on retreat and Jimi grossed everyone out. "Tea bagging" just really isn't funny. We had a fun time and I don't think we really noticed that someone was missing. The staff had a good time playing in abandoned rail cars and exploring along with the hot tub and the pool. It was probably one of my favorite staff meetings that I have ever had. I ended the semester with an alcohol bust with Vic and a yelling at JBro. (I never intended it to be public, but my office wall is very thin.)

I know that I have forgotten a ton of things, but I keep typing trying to remember stuff and my memory is failing me. This was a very hard blog to do and I am sorry it took so long. I miss everyone. So many of you did not get enough time in this blog that I wanted to... Angie, Mark, Matteo, Aleks, Laura, Russ, Matt, Erik , Alesha, Abdul, Krystina, Ryan, Amy P. , Moh, and the rest made it an unbelievable time. Fox Hall Staff was my family at UML and you still are. :)

HAPPY VALENTINE's DAY EVERYONE

We're taking bets that apologizes...

I am terribly sorry, but this was an extremely long weekend and I have not finished the last semester blog. I will be dedicated to finish it tomorrow.

PS. If you don't like my blog I beg you not to read it. Then you don't have to get angry. Thanks.

We're taking bets that I wonder...

I think this is unintentional porn on the www.goriverhawks.com website. The goalie seems a little too happy to have the other guy behind him. :)

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We're taking bets that IM can make a story very dramatic...

IM is a great medium to communicate with people. It makes phone calls sometimes unneccesary. It also makes it hard to communicate a dramatic story or a story about someone getting hurt. People just don't know when to include the breaks or they type too slow. Here is an IM conversation I had with my brother tonight to prove my point.

Brother: we park my car and i go with him to walk back to his car......as we are walking to his car on that road, this car comes flying around the corner (on hickory) past us and flies into a fence and a light pole
Brother: hard
Brother: really hard
Brother: it was a low profile like acura prelude.....early 90's
Brother: if this car had air bags it would have gone off
20 second pause
Me: and?
ANOTHER 25 second pause
Brother: we went over to the kid and he was alright......

He is going to say that it was faster than that, but I have a witness and I was making fun of him that he was so slow. Basically IM makes everyone sound like they are Ross Geller on Friends. That's why the best medium for stories is still in person. To all the people waiting for Year 5 part 2 it will be posted Sunday night late. It takes a while to get it right. Sorry.

We're taking bets that you want a dream VCR...

Ijust finished reading a book by Chuck Klosterman called Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs*. It is extremely funny. In it he poses some questions and I would like to ask one of them to anyone who may read this and hear your responses in the comment section.

At long last, someone invents "the dream VCR." This machine allows you to tape an entire evening's worth of your own dreams, which you can then watch at your leisure. However, the inventor of the dream VCR will only allow you to use this device if you agree to a strange caveat: When you watch your dreams, you must do so with your family and your closest friends in the same room. They get to watch your dreams along with you. And if you don't agree to this, you can't use the dream VCR. Would you still do this?

We're taking bets that I could use a lucky charm...

Now I know that I am not truly unlucky. People in the Tsunami or 9/11 disasters were truly unlucky, but I have definitely hit a bad stretch. I left my job, which I believe is a very positive thing. I miss it terribly and all of my students, but I am finally moving forward with my life. My car is another proposition.

Last Saturday my car broke down. I had to walk a mile to a phone(no this didn't inspire me to get a cell phone) and it took 5 hours to get a tow truck. Overall it was a 7 hour ordeal by the time I got home. It was the fuel pump that needed to be replaced which cost me $800 to get fixed. (Remember me without a job.) They also fixed the back brakes at my request. So I figured that I was done with any car issues. NOPE!!!

Today I went to the bank to cash a check and grab a bite to eat at Quiznos. As I was driving out of the parking lot to go home (five minutes to seven minutes) the car did the same thing it did the previous Saturday. In the span of ten days my car has completely shut down twice. :( It got towed to another shop and I am anxiously awaiting how much it will cost this time. I feel like there is a little storm cloud just hovering over my head. So I am vigorously working on a job search. I hope others are doing well. Those of you that read this and do not like me I hope you are smiling. (There is nothing like the sight of an old enemy down on his LUCK. - Euripides)
The rest of you (estimate 10 people) I hope you are smiling too and doing great. I will leave you with this quote hoping that it is true.

The only sure thing about LUCK is that it will change. - Bret Harte

We're taking bets that predicts...

Patriots 38 Eagles 27

Super Bowl MVP: Tom Brady
Best Moment: Broken Leg Terrell Owens

We're taking bets that it can happen to anyone...

I may go way too far in this post, but I have to share. I am sure that my brother will be most upset, but it is damn funny.

My parents are pretty normal. They do things that most couples there age do. (59 if you are wondering) They like to cross country ski and go to plays. Well my Mom likes to go to plays and my Dad likes to make her happy. They also like to try new things. One of those things happened last night. They went to a wine tasting at the Mill on the River. They went with another couple whom they have been friends with for years.

Now my parents are not what you would call drinkers. My Dad likes to have a beer every now and then while watching a sporting event or having pizza. Some of my fondest memories as a kid are getting pizza and my Dad drinking beer out of a big green mug. My sister and I would get the cap to the beer which had a riddle in it. My Mother is more of a wine drinker at Thanksgiving/Christmas and other types of special dinners. So this was definitely going to be something new for them.

They left at 6:15 pm and came home at about 10:30 pm. So it was four hours of drinking. Now for the bevy of college aged readers that I have that is a drop in the bucket. I think that for Russ and Matt that would be an early night. :) My Mother comes in the house and I should have realized something was wrong. She was still wearing her shoes. If you have met my Mother you would know that this is a biblical sin because you will track dirt into the house.

She then announces to me that, "Your father committed us to go to Germany for two weeks this fall." I was a little weirded out by that and then she plopped down on the sacred living room couch. My Dad comes in and we start talking about their evening. My Dad then says to my mother, "Are you all right?" She had that look that Res. Lifers recognize as going to puke soon. I tell her to get to the bathroom, but she says she is fine. I then get her a bag, because I know what is going to happen next. She spits a little bit into the bag and then starts to wipe her mouth with the bag. I know this is going to get worse so I get her paper towels. I then hear my Dad yelp and say that it is too late. My Mother vomited through the handle of the bag all over the couch and herself.

She then starts giggling. We send her to the bathroom where she declares that now she feels better and she is fine. She is still laughing hysterically at what I believe is her hand. She keeps repeating that she is going to get her shirt dry cleaned. I almost throw up trying to clean up the vomit while my Dad starts joking that my Mother should have chewed her food before swallowing. My mother almost falls up the stairs. She gets to bed fully clothed and we figured she was going to pass out.

My Dad are laughing at the situation, when I figure I should go check on my Mom. I go upstairs and she is in the bathroom vomiting again. I ask her if she is okay and she says that is the last wine tasting she will ever go to. She vomited at least one more time and my Dad came down and said he thinks she is going to sleep in the bathroom.

Now many of you have experienced this either personally or with friends. I never thought I would see this happen to my Mother. I thought I had left Res. Life, but now I know it is all Res. Life. (I told you Laura Bennett) I am going to laugh about this for weeks and I hope I made you chuckle. :)

PS. Anyone who wants to get a couple of drinks Sat. night after the hockey game I will be at the Brewery getting a drink on. I figure this is as good a time as any to make this announcement. 21+ please :)

We're taking bets that you didn't know people still played Kick the Can...

Now this was very reckless and I do not suggest you do it. A kid in Norway set off the terror alert because he kept pulling down his hat over his face. That was not the crazy part of the story.

The kid said that he has the hat for when he plays "Kick the Can". Now I did not know that kids today still played that game. To be honest I have never once played the game. I didn't even know the rules. So I decided to Google it and it came up with over 10 million websites regarding "Kick the Can".

There is even a Japanese Gang called the Kick the Can Gang. I guess with all of our advances "Kick the Can" is still a great game in Norway. So I suggest that you get the Street Rules and play a game. Just to see if it is as fun as it seems. I would also love to know if anyone in the last two generations have even played this game.

We're taking bets that Fox became a Family... YEAR FIVE - PART ONE - RDs & Stuff

Here is Year Five. Sorry this is taking a while, but there is a lot to say. Especially because people get mad if you forget stuff. I know i will still forget things. If you remember any stories and want to include them please post in the comments section.

Building: Fox Hall
Dean of Student Life: Larry Siegel
Dir. of Res. Life: Annie Ciaraldi
Dir. of Res. Operations: Greg Wilder
Asst. Dir. of Res. Life: Derek Costa

RDs - B: Bonnie Maitland - C: Beth Willis - D: Erin Crouse E: Barbara Gray - L: Annie Ruvolo Sh: Sara Strahaul - Sm: Nick Piscitello

We got three new RDs and I moved to the Tower... Fox Hall. I had no hot water for at least two weeks in Fox. Which was a lot of fun. We had three new RD's moving in. Each of them are extremely qualified, which was something we haven't had here in quite a while.

Bonnie and I began our path to an actual friendship. :) Bonnie had a rough couple of weeks before Opening, but she pulled out doing better than ever. Beth and Barbara came back with Nick added to the mix. I think he was a little frustrated being in Smith, but it was the right place for him and he did a great job.

Annie is the boisterous young one of the new RDs, who has a ton of Jersey/NY attitude. She doesn't seem to ever be at a loss for words and is willing to battle when she needs to. She is also has a story for everything and it is sometimes fun to go toe to toe to see if you can top her. She usually wins, but that is alright because it definitely interesting to here her stories. Too bad she is a Yankees Fan. Erin is the quiet one of the group. She probably has the best demeanor of anyone that I have ever met. Probably comes from being from Vermont. She is the marathoner who showed more courage than I have ever seen this fall by running a marathon with a stress fracture. It is great to know that Donahue was going to be in a great place. Sara is the leader of the group. She has perhaps the most talented of all three. She made South a 1,000 times better just by bring stability and to be good at her job made it 1,000,000 times better. She has a ton of strength and taught us all about the evils of breast cancer. Support her this summer. All three definitely made UML Res. Life better than we ever thought it could be. They stick together very well and helped to make a ton of changes. I know they will continue.

Our first week of training we did a lot of playing in our Sark book. It was kind of goofy. We also learned that we could not have an alcoholic beverage with a 21 yr. old or older student in our apartment anymore. I am not sure how much of a problem this was before. To be honest I thought this was the Greg Madrid rule. Everyone has always been afraid about how close I get to my students or my going out and drinking. It never really happened that much and I did an excellent job being professional. I don't think I ever got out of hand. I did have one odd night talking to Matan when I got drunk the Thursday before Thankgiving 2002 and told him that I would leave Lowell some day. He thought I meant at the end of the semester and told that to Derek. So even when I was leaving and watched the game with a bunch of my staff I could pop open a beer and have a drink. Even having a drink with a student RD would be the wrong thing to do. Kind of sad and a stupid rule if you ask me.

We also could not date our RAs or students. This is a very interesting policy since the rest of the University does not have to follow this policy. It is also interesting because there is a lot fo married couple from UML Res. Life including an RD and ARD. Though it seems to make sense especially considering all of the drama following one of my last posts. Many times love just happens whether you are the boss or not. If you are always honest about it you should not have any problems in your job. I guess we got to the point where we needed to make a rule about love. :(

GW moved in to Fox for a brief time with the family until his new house was ready. It was cool getting to spend time with Eliza. She is perhaps the best behaved baby I have ever met. Boy is she tall. It was also great to hang with GW on a more than work basis. He is definitely the person my age that I admire most.

Training kind of sucked overall for the staff. We just weren't on our game like we had been in the past. We did do a lot of great things, but we also had a ton of problems. There just wasn't the organization that we needed. The RAs could tell, but I think they got everything they needed. Plus a bunch of them got to experience the height of Fox. :)

To be continued soon...

We're taking bets that if you blink you will miss it...

Last night I went to the UMass Lowell - UNH varsity Hockey Game. The crowd was incredible as it was UML Night(Isn't every hockey game at UML... UML Night?) for the faculty and staff. This means that tons of people went because it was a special night and not to support the University. They also gave away a ton of free tickets to students.

One of the things about going to a College or University in New England is that there isn't always a ton of school spirit. BC and UCONN may have it but not too many other places. One of the things that people look back on is there connection to their college. Having school spirit strengthens that connection. It doesn't have to come in the form of sports, but that is the easiest way to do it. They are your peers competing for you and your University. I know that some athletes can be assholes and that makes you hate supporting them, but a majority of them are well meaning people who will not play the sport competitively after graduation.

College can be some of the best memories you will have. Looking back at your college experience what did you do or are you doing to make the school a fond memory and not just the people. Go support College Athletics, Student Activities programs, Ensembles and Plays. It will make a huge difference on how you look at things years from now. Especially at UML where the hockey team kicked UNH's ass 7-0 and have one of those special teams that you only see once in a while. Support them and maybe they will support you. :)

We're taking bets that I have a question...

I am reading a book by Chuck Klosterman called Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs*. It is extremely funny. He talks about everything important from Saved by the Bell and Soccer Moms. In it he poses some questions and I would like to ask one of them to anyone who may read this and hear your responses in the comment section.

Imagine you could go back to the age of five and relive the rest of your life, knowing everything you know now. You will reexperience your entire adolescence with both the congnitive ability of an adult and the memories of everything you've learned from having lived your life previously. Would you lose your virginity earlier or later than you did the first time around (and by how many years)?

We're taking bets that all guys want to be Hunter...

First off I will be finishing Year Five on Sunday. There was a lot of controversy with Year Four and I want to make sure that I don't piss off everyone with this one. Or maybe I do want to piss off everyone. We will see.

Recently I have had to drive a lot in the snow. The roads overall have been pretty good considering that the DOT has had to do so much work. Though I think that Connecticut has missed the boat with its 7 part sand/2 part salt mixture as Massachusetts roads have been much better. Although they are probably killing the environment I feel much safer.

The most fun part about driving on the roads has been losing control of my car for a second or two at a time. Usually it involves fishtailing around a corner or in one case a 360 degree spin out on Route 5 with no one around. (Don't tell my mother or she will kill me. I am not sure if I can be grounded yet. :)) Each time I got quick control of the car and completely enjoyed myself while I was dealing with it. I contribute this enjoyment to the TV shows Hunter and The Dukes of Hazzard.

In every episode Hunter would do a 180 degree turn in the middle of a busy LA street. He had a shitty green car, but it would always perform that turn flawlessly. The General Lee was one of the coolest cars ever and it could jump anything or come out of any fishtail fine. It was amazing.

I think that most males would love to be able to do that on a regular basis. (Jon Victorine was even in a car that did that on the highway once.) If you missed your turn you could just tell your passengers that you were pulling a "Hunter" and everyone would brace for the turn. Now, I am not suggesting that everyone tries to do this, but you must admit it is fun when you go into that fishtail. You imagine that you are Jason Bourne trying to ellude the Russian Mob or you are trying to out run Cleatus to get home to your cousin Daisy Duke. (Gross I know, but it was the South in the early 80s.) So the next time it snows find a huge parking lot and do some fishtailing and 360's. It beats shovelling. :)

We're taking bets that the winner is...

It is Oscar time. I have started a pick the winners group on Oscars.com. Join my group and see if you can pick the winners. No prizes. Just for fun. The groups is called Movie Buffs. Oscar Predictions

We're taking bets that you can be my Bodyguard...

So "The Bodyguard" was on this weekend and I am still confused. I have been confused about this for over 12 years. I cannot figure out whether Kevin Costner ended up with Whitney Houston or not.

I mean, conventional wisdom says that it never could have worked. He was stuffy and she was fun. He was old and she was young. He was in politics and she was in entertainment. He was white and she was black. (Actually, they still are.) He ended up in Iowa and she was in LA. There were a lot of things against the two of them.

But then I think about the kiss at the end. She stopped the plane and ran to him. She was singing their song. People can travel. Opposites do attract. It could be possible.

I would like to know other people's opinions on this subject. Because I am the hopeless romantic and believe in the happy ending I think they got together. Tell me what you think.

WTBT Volume 2

We're taking bets that...

* this Blizzard has been the hardest to predict for meteorologists.
* Big Ben has to play the game of his life this weekend to win.
* you need to read Ashlee Simpson's response to her awful performance at the Orange Bowl in US Magazine.
* it was a very sad day at Eastern Connecticut State yesterday. Sad. :(
* they could have come up with better name than "Cat".
* Villanova pulled off another great upset against Kansas this weekend.
* Lost is one of the most addicting shows on television.
* there is nothing like sitting by a fire with friends during a blizzard.
* ESPN's College GameDay for Basketball is pretty cool.
* Paris Hilton should spend a night in jail for petty theft. I don't care if it was her video or not.
* Spitting is gross. Especially in tennis.
* you have to like the new Apprentice 3 concept of Street vs. Books.
* A-Rod should shut his mouth because he is going to receive the beating not Schilling.
* Bill Cosby has got to do a better job of keeping his Fat Albert in his pants.
* the heads of NHL Hockey have met and no one still cares.
* Betty White is doing a great job even in her 80's.
* if it comes down to kicking you are pretty happy with Adam Viniateri being on the Patriots side.
* the dirty bomb scare in Boston scared you a little.
* you can't believe it has been 14 years since Magic Johnson announced he had HIV.
* Tara Reid is about a year to late to have a wardrobe malfunction.
* the Falcons are poised to make the big upset.
* GWB's daughter Jenna Bush is hot.
* you are happy if you don't have to shovel and you should give props to the people that do. Shout outs to Bob, Mike and all of the UML Res. Life Housekeepers.

We're taking bets that we are being attacked by gay cartoons..

I am a proud Catholic. Despite all of the problems we have had lately with priests and closing churches I like being a Catholic. I also believe that with religion you do not have to agree with everything that your particular religion subscribes to. I think it is ridiculous priests can't be married or women for example.

So when I read that Christian Conservatives are "coming out" against a video about diversity and tolerance because the underlying theme is that it is okay to be gay it mad me upset to be a Catholic. Now I know that it isn't only Catholics, but they are definitely a part of this. Why does everything need scrutiny like this. It has "pro-gay subtest"? What the hell does that mean? Maybe I am too liberal or being from Massachusetts has clouded my judgment, but I think this is absolutely ridiculous. I think that the Christian Conservatives should be concerned about the sexual connotations in SpongeBob Squarepants, but not that he has gay subtest. (Though I Googled "SpongeBob Squarepants Gay" and got 175,000 hits.)

This has gotten out of hand. There have been gay cartoon characters for years. I mean Heckle and Jeckle, Chip and Dale, Snagglepuss and Big Bird? The whole idea of this cartoon is to promote tolerance and diversity. If that means that children will be more tolerate of the gay population then I say let them watch it everyday if we have to. The Christian Conservatives have the right to believe what they do, but I think in this case they need to get a life and go "fear monger" somewhere else.

We're taking bets that this is overblown...

In no way is this an apology, but rather a clarification. I am sorry that people have been offended. At the same time everything here is fact. The situation was a fiasco not the relationship. I am completely supportive of their current relationship, but at the time they should have been honest. Everyone needs to get over themselves and realize that this is my account of the past. Just like everyone who has ever done a biography it can be interpreted in different ways by different people.

If you don't like what I write then do not read it. I have kept the truly private stuff private and will continue to do so unless someone wants to start a fight. I don't fight fair and don't really care about you if you want to start a fight on these pages. I hope that everything can stay peaceful. I love ya all and will be over this in the next few hours. :) Why hold a grudge?

Greg

We're taking bets that it was a special time... YEAR FOUR

Here is Year Four. If you remember any stories and want to include them please post in the comments section.

Building: Donahue Hall
Dean of Student Life: Larry Siegel
Dir. of Res. Life: Annie Ciaraldi
Dir. of Res. Operations: Greg Wilder
Asst. Dir. of Res. Life: Derek Costa

RDs - B: Bonnie Maitland - C: Beth Willis - E: Barbara Gray - F: Lynn Kimball - L: Andy Lapp & Nick Piscitello Sh: Michael Puglisi - Sm: Michael Kerver

Well we added Lynn and Mike. You may have loved or hated Lynn, but I will tell you that she took crazy to a level I had not seen before. Within two hours of working with her she told us that she had major personal issues and loved to drink while she was at LSU. I then sat her down and told her that it was okay to go to bars/clubs in the area because we were adults and if there happened to be 21 & over students there it was okay. I was then deemed unprofessional for sharing this open and honest information. She never wanted any help and wasn't all that personable to the rest of the RDs. Thankfully she left mid year. Mike was an enthusiastic guy who wasn't quite ready for the RD job at Lowell. He did his best and he needs props for that. He started dating a RA within the first two weeks of school and came to me for advice. I directed him to GW and told him that honesty was the best policy. He decided against that and another UML fiasco ensued. Senior Staff didn't want him to date her, but the University Policy does not discourage it. We found out that Mike looked ugly in a dress and thankfully he lasted the whole year. He really did try and just wasn't cut out for the job.

Barbara and Kerver were great in Smith and Eames. Barbara was her usually quiet self, but loved by all. Mike was definitely military, but he was a great leader. Mike & Andy had a hate/hate relationship which made for numerous awkward staff meeting moments. Beth finally was in charge of Concordia and did a fantastic job. She also had a dating fiasco that would have gone a lot better if she had been honest with the bosses. Some basic advice for everyone... BE HONEST WITH EVERYONE BECAUSE THEY WILL ALWAYS FIND OUT!!!

Andy, Bonnie & I were the holdovers. We all had odd trust issues with each other, but we survived. Dane Cook opened up the year with a great show. He yelled at me as I was trying to give him directions. Everything worked out, but I thought I had offended someone that I actually idolized. BACHA was a blast at UML. The staff worked so hard and we got a ton of praise from other Universities. UML riots ensued during the Red Sox/Yankees series. They were pretty tame and I watched game 5 of the Oakland series with my upstairs neighbors because I thought my roof was going to cave in.

I found out that I was a problem all semester, but no one said anything to me. I still am not sure what I really did wrong, but Larry SCREAMING at me in a meeting changed how I worked second semester. Andy went to Fox to fill Lynn's spot and Nick took over in Leitch. Andy had a rough semester as did the rest of Fox with hot water issues. It was pretty awful. Nick did a great job considering he had no judicial experience. We had a great Spring Carnival kick off in front of Donahue with Tracy Morgan being as awful as he could be afterwards. Overall it was a pretty good year.

My Staff: ARD - Angela Kungulus RAs - Katrina Thompson, Chris Obara, Tricia Ryan, Paola Tarantino, Shannon Seidel, Mike Bonosaro, Corinne Mancevice, Jim Dineen, Jason Iovanna, Joey Martinez, Kendra Godzyk, Dianna Crowell, Mariel Tejada Office Worker: Tess Buck

This was a pretty kick ass staff. Tricia, Dianna, Kendra, Jason, Mike & Mari came back from last year's great staff. Mari held up the fort on the 5th floor. She did a great job considering how many freshmen she had up there. Tricia took on the challenge of being a better RA, which she did an excellent job at. Mike returned from NJ and was a great RA. Probably better than the rest of his time combined. Dianna concentrated on getting a job which she did. Kendra and Jason were around for first semester, but circumstances led them to leave for different things. Jason became a DK brother. Still not sure if that was the best thing for him, but he seems to be doing alright.

Katrina did a fantastic job although she thought I was a horrible RD. No big deal there. She kept the party atmosphere up and was always involved in something. Chris was almost killed many times by the women on staff. I think that he benefitted most from being an RA. He definitely had his faults (paperwork, inserting his foot in mouth), but he did a pretty good job and we had some great supervisories about life. Paola was our already has a degree, but I am trying to be a nurse RA. She struggled but did much better second semester on the 4th floor. Shannon was the happiest person that I have ever met. She always made the staff smile. She was amazing considering how much she had to do with Track, RA and school. Joey became like a younger brother who I loved to pick on. He brought his "player" attitude to the staff even though he wasn't really a player. More of a pretty guy who liked to wax his eyebrows. Corinne was a pleasant surprise especially since we got off on the wrong foot the previous January. She was the most unique member of the staff and got a branding on her left arm. We talked through a ton of stuff and had a lot of fun together. Jim was the music/jock who grossed out the staff a lot. Change your underwear man. :) Then there was Tess our extra staff person who made our building better by putting up flyers and signs. I think she was in the office more than everyone combined.

Angela was one of the best parts of being in Donahue last year. No one really saw what I saw in her. She is absolutely amazing. She has a tough exterior and a heart of gold. We became excellent friends and she proved anyone who doubted her wrong. She is still just "SPECIAL" to me.

We had a great time in Da Hue whether it was having the least amount of damage in the history of Donahue to dealing with "Riots" in Lowell. Plenty of nights out at the Olde Court and tons of fun at staff meetings. Donahue was the place to be.

We're taking bets that it hit too close to home...

I am taking a break from writing my Year by Year reviews. It is taking quite an emotional toll and I will finish them over the next two nights.

I went to see In Good Company tonight. This movie was phenomenal and no it is not because I think Scarlett Johansson is hot. She is very hot; but that isn't the reason. It really said a lot to me about my recent decisions. It told me that everything was going to be okay. The last few days have been pretty hard because I am going to miss so many people and feel I have let a lot of my students down. I know I need to make this decision for myself, but I am not that great at being selfish. Then this movie came along and kicked my ass into moving forward.

Everyone should see this movie. It will make you smile, laugh and potentially cry. The soundtrack was excellent and the acting superb.

We're taking bets that Da Hue was born... YEAR THREE

Here is Year Three. If you remember any stories and want to include them please post in the comments section.
Building: Donahue Hall
Dean of Student Life: Larry Siegel
Dir. of Res. Life: Annie Ciaraldi
Dir. of Res. Operations: Greg Wilder
RDs - B: Bonnie Maitland - C: Danielle Cochrane - E: Ramya Kumar - F: Derek Costa - L: Kim "Wicked Crazy" McFerran & Andy Lapp Sh: Kishshana Palmer - Sm: Andy Lapp & Hassan Borhot

Kishshana didn't show up for her first two days of work and Kim showed us that she was completely crazy. Kim had more stories than anyone I had ever met. She took crazy to a level that I could not even comprehend. At NACA she made me so uncomfortable that I slept in my car at a McDonald's instead of in my room. Thankfully she went out drinking with staff the night before Winter Opening and was promptly fired. Plus she really had a bad smell to her. :( Bonnie & I rescued the building. We got the mess ready for Andy who did an excellent job getting Leitch to a good place. Kishshana on the other hand didn't care about UML one bit. She thought this was going to be a blow off job. Thankfully she left at the end of May too. Though she screwed Bonnie by not paying her the money she owed her.

Bonnie and I continued our not really trusting each other work relationship. It didn't do any harm, but it definitely did help either of us. Danielle did a pretty good job over in Concordia though she was wicked burnt out by the end. Hassan filled in pretty well over in Smith and Ramya did a great job in Eames that led to jobs at Michigan State and now Arizona State.Derek had perhaps the worst year an RD could ever had. First semester they had four fires that were caused by an arsonist. Everyone's lives in Fox were disrupted for a solid month. Finally they did a big article and The Connector and it stopped for the rest of first semester. Second semester came and they didn't have any other major problems until Larry & Annie went on vacation for Spring Carnival week. A student died from unknown(to me) causes. There were lots of rumors of drug usage and alcohol. Who knows, but Derek was one of the first people on the scene and that has to have an affect on him every day. The next night they had another fire set by an arsonist and they caught him. Unfortunately it was caused by one of the Fox RAs Brendan Pollard. I hope he has gotten a ton of help because he was crazy. How the fuck can you put 500+ lives in jeopardy like that. He is one of the charter members of people that creep Greg out and will never get a second chance in my book. There is only two other members if you are wondering. Miraculously the Fox Hall Staff pulled through and I think that Derek did a better job than the year before when he got the RD of the year.

My Staff: ARD - Niamh Brady RAs - John Harrison, Mariel Tejada, Tricia Ryan, Bryan Wint, Rosie Lankowski, Kendra Godzyk, Josh Loiselle, Diana Crowell, Kristen Czarnecki, Mike Bonosaro, Jason Iovanna, Colleen Brady, Sylvia Aguilar & Daniel Callahan

Everyone on this staff was so incredible in their own unique way. John Harrison was the Student Senate President and everyone thought he was going to be a major problem. He learned to love Res. Life and the Donahue Staff became his family. He did a freakish cry/laugh thing and told a great story about a pooping raccoon. I was glad that I got to work with him as he taught me a ton. Colleen Brady was well Colleen Brady. She started "Shit Surprise" for the staff. It became our staff motto. Sylvia was our youngest looking older person. She is one of the nicest people you will ever meet. She had such a cute accent. Mike left mid year for Afghanistan which turned out to be a lost semester in New Jersey. Thankfully. Diana had a rough exterior that we slowly chipped through and she was a great office worker. Josh was our computer guy who was loved by each and everyone of his residents. Daniel took over for Sylvia mid semester and continued his quest to be the funniest guy on the planet. He did so many off the wall things that it was hard to keep up. Breaking the security booth chair was probably the worst of it. Kristen (Ciznerski) did a great job as an RA. It was weird working with someone who I had put on probation during her first year in Leitch. She and I had many long conversations about family, religion, boys and other fun life events.

Tricia was the person no one thought I would hire. I saw something special in her and learned that I was right. She had one of the most negative attitudes ever. We fought through that and she actually got to know her residents. She still can get attitudy, but we worked it out pretty well. The greatest thing about Tricia she was always available for a hug. :)

Biggy & Rosie were a lot different. Biggy became the best RA I have ever seen at confronting situations. There isn't a situation he couldn't handle and he worked very hard to get rid of his late bulletin board reputation. Rosie hated working for me this time and didn't think I put enough time into her. She may have been right, but there were other people I needed to work with and I knew she had a good handle on things. It was good for her to become the Sheehy ARD, even if it meant working for Kishshana.

Kendra took over for Rosie. She was excellent and we had a connection that even to this day I cannot quite explain. Either way she makes me smile. Jason took over for Mike. He was a great part of staff and we worked on a lot of issues. He is another person I would call a little brother.

Then came Mari and Niamh. Mari walked into the Main Office one day looking for a job and I convinced her to be an RA. Although she said she would never be one. We became fast friends and I am so glad that she came into my life. Niamh worked for me all summer and I think we spoke 50 words to each other. She didn't like me all that much and thought I was mean. Then we threw Skittles and Starbursts around the office during Opening and a friendship was born. We had numerous late night talks and she ended up being one of my closest friends. There are probably thousands of more words to say about the two of them, but they already know how much they mean to me and I will continue to show they for the rest of my life.

We had a lot of fun in Donahue. The staff gave me a big "Shit Surprise". We dealt with the Women's Soccer Team and Field Hockey team. 104 was always having a good time. We eliminated a ton of damage in the building and made it the best place to live on campus.

We're taking bets that it just got better... Year Two

Here is Year Two. If you remember any stories and want to include them please post in the comments section.

Building: Leitch Hall
Dean of Students: Ellen Duggan aka THE NUN
Dir. of Res. Life: Larry Siegel
Asst. Dir. of Res. Life: Annie Ciaraldi & Greg Wilder

RDs - B: Bonnie Maitland - C: Emily Neal - D: Renee Gately - E: Diana Rita - F: Derek Costa - Sh: Barbara Nardone - Sm: Andy Lapp

Costaface got the big promotion and Bonnie came into our lives. Diana Rita was a huge waste of time. She was a nursing major who did Peace Corp stuff and had no clue about what to do. Thankfully Eames was in a good place. Barbara had moved to Sheehy and we started our second year together. I bet Larry that Derek would make some major mistakes in Fox (Which he did), but he did an unbelievable job overall and won the RD of the Year. Thankfully we moved Drewpac to Smith and he did a pretty good job there although he worked 50 hours a week at Hannaford and was taking classes. We had three scandals. Two firings of an RA in Donahue. One person people liked and the other people didn't. Then we had the Sheehy fiasco that Barbara took so much shit for. She supported her staff so much, but in the end she supported Res. Life because it was her job. I don't think some people ever forgave her and for that they should be ashamed. I also had a knock down drag-out fight with Dean Duggan. I told her she treated RDs like shit and should be respectful of them. It got so bad that Larry had to come in because he thought she was going to kill me. It made things better for every RD, but me. Thankfully she decided to retire. :)

Bonnie was quite a talker and never ever seemed to get upset. It was a big difference for us all. We didn't really get along all that well as we ran our buildings very differently. We've had our ups and downs, but we have put it all past us now.

My Staff: ARD - Danielle Cochrane RAs - Bryan Wint, Christopher Geen, Tim Kahlert, Sebastian (Wesley) Benjamin, Nick Piscitello, Dan Chandonnet, Michael Griffin, Bob Bailey, Dave Silen, Nick Parisi, Ryan Donaher, Jose Mercado, Shaunna Vargas, & Rosie Lankowski

We had an absolutely kick ass staff. My first one I hired here at Lowell. There was a ton of drama just a few days into the semester. We "broke into" the Bourgeois Office and planted hundreds of balloons. Some of them had baby powder in them. Tim the Ninja was born. We then had the mysterious car break-ins as a retaliation. To this day not many people really know what happened with that.

We truly became a staff during that crisis. It helped us when 9/11 happened and everything changed in all of our lives. Parents wanted Fox evacuated because it was an obvious target of terrorism. My first phone call was to Barbara. Once I found out she was okay and her family was alright I could breath again. We caught kids smoking pot because it had stressed them out. We had candlelight vigils and watching the news became a part of college students lives.

My brother and sister came to visit for the one and only time together. We bowled and my brother and Rosie hit it off. Too bad she still had a boyfriend. We had a very special student in Olivia who caused us a great deal of stress and is probably one of our biggest success stories four years later. I will always be proud of how Danielle, Rosie & Shaunna handled her issues.

Nick continued to be an awesome RA and he built the BINGO machine. I owe him a lot for that and I don't think he will ever know how much. He is one of those people with a great smile and just make you feel lucky you got to know him. Bob Bailey was a unique individual and had the best pants. Sebastian kept the staff chill with his great sense of humor and his wonderful poetry.

I also got the privilege of working with two awesome people in Michael Griffin "GRIFF" and Bryan Wint "BIGGY". They both were excellent in their own unique ways. Griff was like my little brother. He still is to this day. Biggy became one of my instant favorites because he loved to challenge me and we had so much in common. He has my utmost respect to this day and will always be someone I consider to be a great friend.

As the semester went along we had a lot of fun until an incident happened in late November. I unfortunately had to fire Jose. That may have been the hardest day I have ever had as an RD. It still brings tears to my eyes when I think about the sadness we both endured. Thankfully he did not hold any grudges and is still a friend today. We got to hire Geen who brought smiles to all of our faces.

Second semester we hired Ryan, Nick and Dave. Dave was my biggest mistake ever and led me never to trust hiring an RA I did not interview. He almost single handedly took the building down. We put up with so much shit especially from Kunal. He is one of the few people that I would mind still strangling. :) Ryan was another story. He did a great job and found his soulmate in Shaunna. They got engaged recently and I couldn't be happier for them. He also found a great friend in Biggy. Nick came to us from Smith Hall. He was a freaky dancer and gave weird massages, but we loved him none the less. No one knew then that he would overcome any obstacle and be successful in UML Res. Life.

It was our first ever try at Training in the Tsongas. No one got hurt bad that time. There also was a naked guy running through the 4th floor. We also had the shooting during Spring Training Right on the corner of University Ave & Pawtucket Street. I walked home from the banquet. (Which was at Lenzi's) That day marked the beginning of the end. :( The nice thing was that other than my staff no one really knew I was gone. I learned I was going to move to Donahue and another chapter would begin.

We're taking bets that Lowell didn't know what hit it... Year One

I thought it would be fun for people to read the recap of the last 4 1/2 years at UMass Lowell. It may be long & it should be fun. I will be doing this each of the next five days. If you remember any stories and want to include them please post in the comments section.

Building: Leitch Hall
Dean of Students: Ellen Duggan aka THE NUN
Dir. of Res. Life: Larry Siegle
Asst. Dir. of Res. Life: Annie Ciaraldi & Greg Wilder

RDs - B: Barbara Nardone - C: Emily Neal - D: Renee Gately - E: Kristin Lamond(now Costa) - F: Alana Greene(Or as we used to meanly joke "That's Alotta Greene") - Sh: Karen Humphrey-Johnson & Andy Lapp - Sm: Derek Costa

Lowell was not quite ready for the "newbies" Renee & myself. I was very arrogant and thought I knew everything. Renee was graduate coming back. We became fast friends and stuck together through everything. I even convinced her that Kelly was going to beat Richard in Survivor. Her husband Kevin & I bonded by talking baseball. She has always been one of my favorite people and still is today. Costaface was born as GW and I did a great job of teasing Derek. He did love the cake so much. :) Karen left mid year to go to admissions and we brought Andy to Lowell. He had a rough time over in Sheehy, but he was fun to hang with. We dealt with a "Slappy Says" scandal in The Connector, but we did a good job of putting that behind us and firing him. We had a real Casino night that was actually kind of boring. We did nothing for our Opening Week and I knew that had to change. Everyone seemed to deal with my arrogance; although Larry and I got into a bunch of battles. I also started a great relationship with Athletics. Also Mary Connelly, Brenda Evans and THE NUN did not like me. It is tough being on the bad side of a nun. :)

I met the one person who changed how I looked at life in Barbara. She was amazing. I was so sad when I found out she was dating someone. So I innocently helped to break her and her boyfriend up. ;) Breaking her toe helped. We started dating in late September and it was a great time in my life. Remember that being clumsy can work for you especially when you spill a whole glass of wine on you during your first date. We were a pretty good couple and despite our rough ending we had a great beginning. I look back now and it really makes me smile.

My Staff: ARDs - XXXXXX XXXXX & Brianne Standbridge (now Crook) RAs - Dan Brenn, Pat Martin, Nick Parisi, Jose Mercado, Rob Allen, Paul Grande, Billy Olsen, Pha Chhoeun, Erin Conlin, Danielle Cochrane, Shaunna Vargas, Tim Kahlert, Dan Chandonnet

I was taught about the RA toolkit with an island adventure video during RA training and Leitch Love was developed. We had the most fun office on campus with video games, VCR and just about anything you needed. We had a Hall Council that wanted to do midget tossing and mud wrestling as programs. We had so much fun with Rob taking "Fat Pat" under his wing and Pat dropping every class but one and driving the National Escort Van from the Brewery Lot. We had movies outside, pool tournaments inside and Mike Dalli raising hell as our ISO. There was talk of infidelity by certain staff members and we were the center of the O-Pi World. We lost parking in the Big Fox Lot for the Construction of the Rec Center. Miss Charisma taught us all about the wonderful world of drag. It was such a special first semester.

Unfortunately I had to let go XXXXXX and hire Brianne. XXXXXX and I never recovered our friendship after that. (Yes XXXXXX deserved to be let go.) It was one of the worst firings I had until about 11 months later. I will always regret how we were never able to get over it. Brianne did an alright job, but the staff was mad I didn't hire Nick. We got through it though. Paul left mid semester. We lost some of our attitude when he left. :) I then had to counsel EMT Billy out of the job and hired Tim. I loved Billy. He always made me laugh and I still have that giggle doll he got me for Christmas. I hope he and Michelle are very happy. I had to fire Erin for an alcohol infraction. Thankfully it brought one of the greatest people that I have ever met into my life, Shaunna. It was amazing to have seen her grow from a timid freshman to an unbelievable woman. We continued to have fun with people walking on cars and a huge snowstorm. I had to speak to Tim numerous times about his "mouth", but we found out we had a lot in common. Pat and I broke the office window with Jose watching. I found out how much I hate End of the Year Banquets at Jimmy's IV when Rob peed himself and what seemed like everyone on staff got drunk. I think that I learned as much in that year as I ever had before. What a year. What would happen next.

Leitch Love FOREVER!!!

We're taking bets that the news was weird today...

Does it really matter to anyone that a mammal may have eaten a dinosaur once? How important is it if Shakespeare had syphilis? Maybe to a few of these crazy scientists. My life will not change one bit with this groundbreaking information.

Now this information could change everyone lives, because it has kept me up at night for years. I have been so concerned about those two and now that they aren't at the in the spotlight I am glad that they can be friends again.

I think that these kids had a great idea, but tater tots are just too tempting to throw. I mean that and cubed jello. The funniest part was the quote by the kid sitting with the foreign exchange students. Like they have never been part of a food fight.

Lastly the stupid guy of the week. I think that men shouldn't be allow to play with fire. Though the thought of roasted pig does sound exciting.

WTBT 2005 Volume One

We're taking bets that...

* sometimes the toughest decisions are the right ones to make.
* the Phoenix Suns may win 70 games this year.
* if you live near the Chelmsford Walmart you are happy that the district manager changed his picture and is a lot less creepy.
* the Indianapolis Colts are in for their biggest challenge of the year this weekend.
* Wade Boggs does deserve to be in the Hall of Fame, but I am not sure he is what I would call a Red Sox Hall of Famer. If didn't ride that damn horse in Yankee Stadium.
* you are pulling for Jennifer and Brad to make a comeback.
* some kickers should keep their feet out of their mouths. Just ask Mike VanderJERK!(used courtesy of Rodney Harrison)
* the difference between is as easy as seeing Joe Simpson and Zhang Tong.
* it has been a rough year for UCONN Husky Basketball, but I still think they both will make some noise in the Big Dance in March.
* Mr Blackwell did a good job naming Nicolette Sheridan his worst dressed.
* you actually want to say Nicorette instead of Nicolette. :)
* it would be refreshing if Matt Leinart stayed at USC.
* you are a little bothered by all these natural disasters.
* Randy Johnson is in big trouble in NY if he has already pushed one cameraman.
* no matter what some critics say Committed is a great new comedy on NBC and everyone should watch it.
* Jennie Finch is making me want to get a man purse.
* WTBT CLASSIC (Still true) being in the right place at the right time is the key to getting a good backrub.
* you are not too sure about Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor, but you will watch the new Superman movie when it comes out anyway.
* that if I didn't love the Patriots I would be rooting for Ben Rothlisberger and the Steelers to win the Super Bowl.
* MC Hammer would not be my choice for officiating a marriage, but Vince Neil liked him.
* if you were a failure in Olympic Basketball you are having a pretty good NBA year.
* no matter how cold it gets in the United States you can't complain compare to these people.
* the Mets paid way too much for Carlos Beltran.
* this would have been a good fight to see. Meow!!!
* I appreciate all of my family, friends, staff and colleagues for the support they have given me. It will never be forgotten. :)

We're taking bets that this makes you love your parents more...

There isn't much to say about the Simpson family debacles. No I am not talking about OJ, but rather Ashlee, Jessica and patriarch Joe. It is very creepy.

You can read and listen all about it.

Daddy Dearest

Cover Your Ears

We're taking bets that all hope is gone...

This is pretty tough for me to even say... People make decisions and it is sometimes for the best, but do they understand who they are hurting. Why O WHY HAVE Jennifer and Brad split up?!?

It just doesn't seem right. They were the golden couple of Hollywood. Everytime you saw them together it just looked like they fit. To me they were the Tom and Jerry of movies. If they cannot make it in this crazy world what hope do others have? I mean will Jennifer Garner break Ben's heart again. Can Britney Spears keep Kevin in line? Will Freddie be able to keep his prints on Sarah? Will J.Lo "Get Real" and dump Marc Anthony?

Thankfully it isn't craziness like there was in old Hollywood where Rock Hudson almost married everyone of his co-stars even though he was really gay. (Not sure what "really gay" is, but it sounds good.) Or when Elizabeth Taylor married everyone even as she got uglier and uglier. I say we need to follow the wonderful example set by Brigit Nielsen and Flavor Flav. Why get married when you can fool around and have others as well? :)

We're taking bets that this is funny...

Here are five funny news stories from the last few days. They mad me laugh and I hope you do to. :)

1. Best place to go if you are afraid of poisonous animals.
2. GWB may be the smartest Bush. :)
3. Here comes the judge.
4. "Can't we all just get along?" said the high pitched pig.
5. Hide your watermelons everyone!!!

I will have a real post later today or tonight. Enjoy!!!

We're taking bets that something will come along...

Thanks to everyone who wished me well while I was sleeping the last 48 hours. I do appreciate it very much.

It is always friends that help you make decisions. Not by telling you what to do, but by making sure you have perspective. My best friend, Ian, always does that for me. He knows me very well and understands that I will make my own decisions. His advice and information is very valuable to me. It has helped a great deal. The other thing that I know is when I make my inevitably bad decision he won't look down on me, but rather support me in any way he can. He won't judge me even if he disagrees. It is what a true friend does. I believe I have a couple of those and I am very thankful for that. Hopefully they will be there for me when I make the rest of my life decisions. :)

We're taking bets that this is parenting today...

I am very proud of these parents. They actually are taking responsiblility for their child's tardiness. I do wonder about the school bus system here in Pearland, Texas. Maybe she should take the bus since her parents do not seem reliable. :)

We're taking bets that the fat lady has sung, but she can't...

I think we have final confirmation. Ashlee Simpson CAN'T SING!!! Over 70,000 people booed her at the Orange Bowl halftime show last night. She sounded like a humpback whale sending a mating call. Not that I have heard that, but I imagine that is what it would be like.

It all started when she couldn't sing on her own TV show and then snowballed to SNL this fall. Sadly it has moved from humorous to down right sad. I understand she has lived in her sister's "Shadow", but maybe she should have just stuck to acting. She actually is pretty good on 7th Heaven. So I have heard, I actually have only watched one or two shows and she was on for a total of 4 minutes.

This is a case of her Dad trying to push her too far. He is her manager and he knows she cannot sing, but he's still pushing her. It is absolutely crazy. Someone close to her has to say something. Who the heck is booking her for these gigs anyway? Is she paying them to sing? At least she wasn't the worst Simpson there. OJ was in the crowd supporting his Trojans. No not the condoms, but the USC Trojans. Maybe they should do a duet. I bet it would sell and she dyed her hair brunette so she will be safe. :)

We're taking bets that 2005 will get better - Part 2...

I have been thinking a lot about my New Year's Day Post. I think that it was pretty honest and open for a shy and closed off person like myself. It is hard to sometimes be as honest as you want to without the fear of getting hurt. In the last few days I stumbled across something that sums up my "nice guy" feelings. Nice Guy Rant Not a bad little rant. I couldn't have written it better myself.

The problem is there are so many freaking dirtbags out there. Women don't trust these men, but they like that they are assertive. When I work my bouncer job at the Brewery in Lowell I see some many guys just being creepy. Standing on the outside of the dance floor just gawking at the women. Then there are the creeps who dance, but are just trying to cop a feel on the dance floor by gyrating up against any woman they can find. It really is kind of gross. These guys give men such a bad rap that I have a tough time believing that anyone gets into a relationship.

So to all the nice guys out there you have to realize that the deck is stacked against you. You might be attractive, wonderful and it won't help one single bit. We just need to keep trying and maybe the creepy angle works. :)

We're taking bets that this story is great...

Thanks to everyone who has responded so far to yesterday's blog. Read it if you want... Comment too. I will e-mail you soon Mike. I have a follow up that I will finish some time tomorrow.

I just wanted everyone to read this story as it is funny and has awful irony. Remember Religious Groups need to follow the rules too. God does not protect rule breakers. :)

Satan's Sled

We're taking bets 2005 will get better...

Before anyone starts reading this is not an attempt for anyone to feel sorry for me. It is merely just me getting some words out so that I can start 2005 on a good note. So here it goes...

I spent New Years Eve with all of my friends tonight. Alright I spent it by myself working at the Brewery celebrating with hundreds of people that I didn't know. I shook more hands and was told Happy New Years more than ever before. I realize that I have put myself into a strange hole in my life and I am not sure if there is any way that I will get out.

I work a job that I love at UMass Lowell, but many of the people are either my colleagues or students and not my friends. (There are some exceptions.) I spend hours avoiding a "real job" and getting my degree because I am afraid I won't enjoy something else. People just don't understand what it is to be the "RD". Every "RD" has a different experience and even we have a tough time relating to each other. We do way too much and never really ask for thank yous. We give even when we think we have no more to give. It's okay though, because it is the job we chose and I really love it.

This job has ruined some of my best relationships. From Kathi(ex-fiancee though it never would have worked. Thankfully she saw that.) to Barbara(shoulda been fiancee, but I screwed up way too many times to ever be trusted again. Plus we fought way too much) to tons of friends (Renee, Brian, Kelly, Diane, etc). The job may leave me single for a long long time. (Adding 40 pounds this semester doesn't help. Ever notice that no one tells you that you look awful even though you know you do? Not even a "Is something wrong Greg?") I do know that I actually am an average looking guy when you can't see my enormous second chin and large belly. Remember being a "nice guy" only counts for so much. Though I have decided that this year I am going to stop fucking around with my weight, because I am not ready to die yet and that will come soon if I don't stop.

Life just seems to be passing me by. It doesn't help that I realize that I may have missed my chance to be with my soulmate. Who that is I am not quite sure, but I keep getting that feeling that I either blew it or didn't realize that she was there and moved on to someone else. I keep getting older and I don't see the Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da for me. It is sad when I take so much joy in another's child especially GW & Melody's Eliza. Though I probably could listen to little kid stories all day and be happy.

I keep alienating my friends and family. If my sister didn't know what I looked like we probably would never talk. I speak to my best friend once a month if we are lucky. I have been a jerk to some of my other friends. Especially Dan, but I never know what to say so I just do nothing and don't call. Spending time alone has actually become more of the norm than it should be, but I don't reach out. It is sad how confusing I actually am and I am not sure about myself. Insomnia and over thinking are a real bad combination.

Enough of the PITY PARTY for Greg!!! 2005 is going to be a good year for me. Why? Because I fucking say it is going to be and I determine that better than anyone. I hope everyone is sleeping well and wakes up tomorrow with a smile on their face. I do feel a ton better.

HAVE A GREAT 2005 EVERYONE!!! I LOVE YA ALL!!!