So I now work in an elementary school.

I'm so excited! It's amazing being around all these students and at the same time it feels like there's just not enough time (fairly common from what I understand) or me to go around. I enjoy helping these students so much and it feels like I'm just taking this huge plunge into my future career field. So far (first day) so good! I watched a music class in the morning, then worked with ESL students, transitioned to helping reading with 3rd graders, back to ESL students, and then recess duty. After I had my own lunch, I worked with some 4th graders with ESL/SPED difficulties and found that I can really work well with the children. The downside is that I'm using "no" and "wrong" a little bit too much in my opinion. I think these kids really like more positive forms of encouragement even if they're wrong, and I'm starting to adapt, but I fear that the Marine NCO in me will start to come out on them.

By the way, I don't know if I mentioned this, but I'm now a Sergeant in the Marine Corps. That's pretty funny to me :P

Following through, I really look forward to doing this three days a week but I believe I'm going to let my other job go after Christmas. I don't feel a need to continue working at the grocery store if this is what I'll be doing until I graduate (insha-Allah / fingers crossed.) At the sametime, I realize that I have somewhat of an informal responsibility to stay with my Hy-Vee job through the holidays to see it through and through. The downside of all this responsibility is that it might severely hamper my free time to do projects (building killing machines) and spending time with my girl (my personal killing machine.) I think I'll just have to cowboy the fuck up and take it for now, holding out for the next two months but I'm also worried about school. I've scored consistent B's in my math class and that shit is just unsatisfactory for a person of my depth (excuse the lack of modesty.) I think I've failed enough bullshit to start getting consistent A's these days but it seems like that idea is evaporating like the summer in a Nebraska October. Time to pick it up I guess and refocus.

The kids today, working with them specifically, was really rewarding. I felt like we truly connected on a level where they understood that I am their tutelary, a guide for them not only in education but life as well. They looked up at me and I could see them (especially the boys) really wanting to develop into something that resembles success. Granted, this could all be washed away in a moments notice, but for those fleeting moments I could really sense a firm bond that they felt between us. For that, I realize my "job" is much more like a life choice... one that has dire consequences upon failure in my mind. It's all been a real gust of cold air in my face but I think I'm ready to meet these new, undiscovered challenges head on.

That's it for now!

<3

nolan

btw, I learned how to play "Dani California" on Acoustic Guitar -- not going to lie, I sound pretty good

So here's the idea:

The Thanksgiving "30th & Lake" AK-47.

I bought two front end Yugoslavian AKM / M70AB-1 front ends. The reason they are called front ends is because when they are imported here, they cut off the receiver into 4 separate sections in order to import them (as it is illegal to import machine guns.) This makes them essentially useless to anybody as a pick-up and go rob a bank scenario will not happen. Fortunately, for those mechanically inclined (I include myself in this) you can rebuild them. The process that normal occurs here is that you buy the FULL kit and weld all the pieces together making a beautiful weapon, ready for usage on the minority of your choosing! (That's a joke.) Unfortunately, I am not skilled enough with a welder so a second idea and school of thought comes into mind. At the expense of purists, you buy a cheap front end (90$ish) and then buy a flat, which is later bent into a receiver, and build the rest from there. The process is a lot of grinding and fitting but fortunately for me, my father was in the auto industry so I have an excess of tools capable of this job.

I plan on welding these stamped, bent, receivers to the front ends after grinding them down to adequately fit the receiver. From there, I will utilize only US compliant parts as to not piss off the ATF (though, if they did attempt to breach my house it might make the 1997 N. Hollywood shooting seem like a cakewalk) and assemble a fully functional AK-47. Right now, I have two as it stands allowing me a "mess up" and a "good one" if the worst of circumstances do occur.

The idea behind the name is two things. First off, I want to have it assembled and test fired before the Thanksgiving holiday. This is funny to me because I'll give thanks to the Yugoslavian civil war of the 1990's for providing me with the equipment to make my "Nolanistani" AK build possible. Secondly, I call it the 30th and Lake AK build because thats where most of the shootings in this town occur (it's the ghetto.) Better yet, this build will be scoffed at by gun and AK purists alike, but in the hands of your average ghetto gangster home-boy beatbox machine it will be an instrument of death!

So I'm excited. Build parts come on Monday. I will update with photo's when I can.

Till that day,

<3

nolan

WTF? How do you give the Nobel Peace Prize to a guy who ordered a shitload of troops to a foreign country to fight a war? It just doesn't make any sense. Talk about the complete devaluation of the award... I have a feeling that the President is going to be the most hated man in America; most loved in the world.

In other news, saw the movie Zombieland and it is a MUST SEE!! But to include a funny story, here is an excerpt from my not-so-familiar-with-English girlfriend's conversation with me shortly before the movie.

me: "... well I have nightmares sometimes about zombies! what if you woke up and there were zombies everywhere?! you'd feel great because I'm armed to the TEETH!"
her: "zombie? what is a zombie?"
me: "OMG you don' tknow what a zombie is?? it's the reason why I have all these guns! what are you insane? what if you woke up and the zombies were standing in the yard !"
her: "ohhh... does zombies mean MEXICANS?"
me: "ROFL!"

The movie was hilarious. It reminds me a lot of hitchhikers guide to the galaxy because of the extremely funny narration and rules. I'd recommend it to anybody! A definite buy for the DVD. In related news, I recently received my chest carriers for my AK74 set up. I really want to purchase another one and will in one month! There's a deal on them for $499 and I'll need another one I think. I'm going to buy another case of ammunition as well, totaling my round count around 3K ammunition. Gotta stay prepared!

<3

nolan