Almost Famous Friends In Famous Places...And I'm Lost In Translation

SPOILER WARNING: If you're not interested in reading a piece on my loathing of the past week or so, head for the hills.

We'll to spoil the spoiler, this piece isn't entirely gloom and doom, just mostly. This summer has been uneventful and stressful, thus far. Business affairs such as finishing college, looking for a job, and finding arrangements take top priority. Who am I to be talking about stress and uncertainty? I'm finishing five years of tuition free college. I can't complain much, but every ones gotta do their belly-achin once in a while. Nobody said trying to play grown up would be easy, fun, or angst free... But damn this monster named adulthood is creeping up on me quick and its breath smells terrible.

I officially have one month to vacate the place where I've called home the past five years. On May 15th I moved into Hennepin Hall, a dormitory built for Sophomores to study for biology exams and smuggle booze into on Friday nights. We'll I'm 23 and find Hennepin a terrible study environment, and at 23 if I were to smuggle booze into anywhere I would probaly be committing a crime. It's safe to say I've started to wear out my welcome here at Siena. Familar faces that used to greet me with a smile and a pat on the back now greet me with questions of my future. What they really mean to say is: "When the hell is this guy skipping town?"

Ok, Ok, enough gloom and doom. I'm down to one class- American Sign Language 2 at Hudson Valley Community College. Back to gloom and doom, I'm head and shoulders above anyone at being the absolute worst signer in the class (Who the hell said being a English Major required a upper level foreign language?). I thought I gave up caring about what other people thought of me until this class started, but having 20 sets of eyes burning a whole through you as you try you're best is no fun for anyone. There is also a no talking policy, and our teacher is deaf, so that leaves me... Well I'm lost in Translation.

I ventured to the great town of well, lets just call it "the great town", today to check out a one bedroom apartment that I found on the all mighty Craigs list at a price range that LeBron would use as tissue. My appointment was at 11:30 A.M. Despite running low on gas and self esteem, I was excited to check something new out. Before today "the great town" was just a road sign on the highway. On this morning it became toned down version of the television show The Wire. Now I'm a low maintenance guy, but the building where my "room to be" was just didn't cut it. Rust oozed from all angles and heat seemed to radiate off the building (Cory and heat don't mix, we know this). People were out enjoying the sun, many in the middle of the road, smoking cigarettes and taking in the heat of July. Anyways I never got the courage to walk into the building... Call me a coward, but this is coming from a guy who reads everything Stephen King has ever published...That could have been half the problem...


Most of my Siena basketball friends have gone home or are on the road recruiting. That leaves me alone here taking a four hour class two nights a week with a bank account that looked sexy three weeks ago, but now looks like Shelly Duvall from The Shinning. But as the title indicates, I have some almost famous friends doing some awesome things in famous places. Kenny Hasbrouck killed it for the Miami Heats summer league team the other night scoring 24 points and looking like the most comfortable guy on the floor. Ryan Rossiter and I watched Kenny do hi thing like two kids on Christmas in the only air conditioned room in Hennepin That guy simply preserves through everything that stands in his way, something I should take a note or two from. The big three in Miami would be lucky to have a teammate like Kenny around.

The pride and joy of Siena baseball, Dan Paolini, par-took in the inaugural College Home Run Derby. Pao was one of 8 guys who swung for the fences for the last time at the famous Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha Nebraska (New Stadium being built). Pao only hit one, but was forced to swing first (Damn mid major discrimination if you ask me), and had some hefty winds coming in at him. Plus some other poor sap got shut out. There could be worst things in life then hanging out with Frank Thomas and Mike Schmidt for an afternoon.

Friends from alternative rock band The Polar Bear Club have gone from obscurity to taking over the punk rock world as there touring on Vans Warped Tour. I can finally go into a music store and claim I know people in a band.

Lets hope the next few weeks outshine the couple. Otherwise I may be forced to leave Albany and then you all know what it is for me....I know what you were thinking, and no it's not a career as a Chip In Dales Dancer in Vegas... I already applied. Apparently they frown on out of shape men with no dancing rhythm. If you made it this far I commend and thank you, because for this particular moment, I have nobody else to talk to. You may now return to you're regular scheduled lives.

Suggestion: I got nothing, I'll be watching Rescue Me tonight in the heat, join me... Seriously, join me. Next week I'll put on my smile.