Giant Flightless Birds...

Another e-mail to my mother:

Hello Beautiful. You are probably the most beautiful woman I have ever met in my entire 18 and a half years of existence. Scratch that probably... definetely the most beautiful woman I've ever met. Not even a month and I'll be 19... weird I know.  Anyways, I've been looking up cassowary photos for my drawing final.  Along with pictures of ostriches and emus. Clarification: Cassowaries are these huge flightless birds from Australia with Black feathers and a head with bright neon blue skin and a fire engine red gobbler.  They are pretty cool if I do say so myself.  Google image search them, you won't be let down.  Anyways... my drawing final. I have to do a life sice (or bigger) self portrait of myself and some animal(s).  Naturally, because I have a death wish and a sweet tooth for stress I have decided to do mine bigger. And add not one species of animal... but three.  Granted they are all relatively similar in species/build, but still.  My idea is to have these three different types of birds charging right at the viewer.  I'll connect the brown craft paper I've been so stealthfully collecting over the past couple weeks by tape and sewing.  Sarah Dixon's going to help me sew parts of it.  There is going to be a large amount of dust being kicked about due to the birds' large talons.  These dust clouds shall be partially outlined in more sewing.  Oh and I forgot to mention... I will most likely be riding one of these said beasts.  Why you may ask, because I have decided that if I could have any type of super power it would be to fly. Why these birds in particular? Well, because as a matter of fact, they can't fly, their size prevents them from making it off the ground and I find that incredibly ironic.  Males in all three species also play a main role in raising the young, which I think is also relatively fitting. Seeing as how I would like to have children some day, hopefully, and be as involved as dad was/is for Mike, Laur, and me.  So what do you think? Stupid? Genius? Your my mom, I know I know, you have to like it, comes with the job.  Honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way. Oh--Side note! Talk to Laur about coming out to visit the weekend of the 24th-26th.  Caitlin's brother is coming out too, and Mrs. Weigel said it would be nice if they could ride the train together... and I quite agree! LoveLoveLove. Tell everyone I said hello and I miss them. Your forever Son -James Aaron 

Picture of my mother, sister, and I at a park. Yes--Yes that would be moss on my mother's head.

(I'll upload a better picture when I get home, and can scan it...)

E-mail To my mother...

For Christmas I got my mom and dad a glass cutting board made from one of the glass blowing majors here at Tyler. She loved it, as did my dad.  But she asked for one more thing... that I e-mail her every so often about what's going on in my life while I'm away.  She and I talk a lot. Almost to the point where it is scary.  And she's really gotten into texting in recent months... Anyways, she likes to wake up and check her e-mail.  Tomorrow morning she'll wake up to find this:

To the most beautiful-est mother in the whole entire world- 

Here you are my dear. An e-mail as you requested.  I'll be home in two days. Well... 1 1/2 now.  As usual I'm awake. I don't sleep anymore. That's a lie. You and I both know that.  I sleep a lot... just not at night. I like the quiet.  My roommate and his girlfriend are asleep across the room.  All 5 feet away. Walked in on... well, I don't really know what it is I walked in on today. My guess is as good as yours... It smells gross in my room. I had to open the window. I like listening to Broad Street. And all the sounds.... I miss you guys. I'm overflowing with work... but surprisingly I think college is starting to change my personality.  I still get stressed out, but now it's in short bursts. Sometimes not even at all.  And when I do get stressed out, once I get it out of my system-- It's gone. I don't dwell on it like I used to. I have my occasional slip now and again, but baby steps right? I can't believe I only have a month left of school.  Freshman year seems like a blur.  It's ridiculous how fast time goes by sometimes.  Only three more years and hypothetically I'm suppose to be out there. Out into the real world. Out doing what I do. Out doing what I will most likely be doing for a greater portion of my life.  That to me is a lot of things. Scary for one. Exciting. Nerve racking. Inspiring.  I'm scared out of my mind... but it's weird. I already feel like I'm ready.  College has taught me a lot of things.  Yeah academically, but I think the main thing college teaches you is basic life skills. Well, college and you.  I find myself turning into you and dad a lot recently.  Whether it be in giving advice like you... hearing both sides of the story... or just going with the flow like dad.  Taking everything in stride and only letting a select few know when somethings really bothering me.  Classwork is beginning to pile on.  All my professors are cramming everything they can into the last few weeks... In a way I think people become college professors because they've never really grasped the concept of time management and as such need an occupation in which they set the time limits and make the rules.  What better job than being in charge of a group of young adults who typically have a more liberal worldview and have no other choice than listening to their teacher because, let's face it... they control our grades. And as such, our future.  College is an interesting place... I have met a lot of interesting people. And been a lot of interesting places.  And it's only the first year.  Just think-- what's gonna happen in the three or four years to come...  Love you more than a fat kid loves cake: Jimbo