#7 (Mom)

I'm not big on cards. Birthday cards, get well cards, Christmas cards....I just never send them. I am becoming very good about sending thank you cards. I believe those are the most important. I've sent out several lately for all the money and gifts I received for graduation. Well today, I received another kind of card from my mom. This is what the front of the card said:

It seems like only yesterday
that you were the little boy
who loved to learn new things -
the curious child who
captured so much of my attention.
You needed me so much then...
and you grew so close to my heart.
But as time went on, you grew more
independent and more confident -
and I watched with mixed feelings
of pride in your accomplishments
and uncertainty of how the future
would change our relationship.
How could I have known
that as you grew older,
I would grow to know you in a new way -
to learn new things from you,
and to see in you a man
that brings more pride to me
than words could ever say.
No matter how much time passes, son,
I want you to know
you will always be close to my heart.
- Sharon Valleau



For those of you that know me and my mom, these words couldn't be more true. I cried when I got this. I love her very much. That is all I can say about that.

Peace, Love, & Equality,

Jon Rohner

#6 (Me Time, a Wedding, and a Good Morning)

So I'm still in a very good mood. It has now lasted a week, so I think its here to stay for a while. Even though I have not had a lot of social contact lately, I've enjoyed the time alone. If I have missed phone calls or not returned them, I'm sorry. I've needed some "me-time." It has given me the opportunity to think, de-stress, and be productive on things that are left behind during the busy school year.

In other news, my best friend Amy Dunivan is getting married on June 6th. I'm so very excited about this wedding. Amy and I have been best friends since high school. She is marrying my big bro in Phi Mu Alpha, Ben Wainscott. I couldn't be happier for the two of them. Because gas is so expensive, I had to plan my only trip home this summer around the wedding. I'll be back in Jonesboro, Arkansas on Thursday, June 5th, and have to come back to Louisville on Monday, June 9th. I know its not a lot of time, but its all I can afford this summer. And sorry to a lot of my friends, but I will be spending the majority of my time with family.

I love random, positive occurances. This morning, as I stepped out of my aparment on my way to the store, my good friend Alisson just happened to be walking by. Alisson is one of those peopel that instantly put a smile on your face, no matter what mood you are in. We gave each other a big hug, then I gave her a ride to work. Not a big deal, but it really brightened my day. And then, when I went to the post office, there was a check from the Commonwealth of Kentucky for $50 to reimburse by Teacher Certification fee. I didn't even know that was gonna get refunded! So two good things just happend unexpectedly. Who knows what else the day may hold??

And today's picture has nothing to do with the blog, but now I get to punch everyone who read this!

Peace, Love, & Equality...

Jon Rohner

#5 (Optimism)

So things are starting to happen, just like I thought they would. I got a phone call from a local band director telling me that a certain job is officially open now. It is being advertised in the district first, then will be opened for outside applicants. This director went so far as to email someone in human resourses to tell them I was interested. This looks promising!

I also receieved an email from another school thanking me for my application and saying I should hear from them soon.

In similar new, my friend Ryan Riley got a job as the band director at Pocahontas High School in Pocahontas, AR. Congrats Ryan! Now if only the rest of us could find jobs as well.

So there is a quick update, off to the gym and then seeing Indiana Jones tonight at midnight!

Peace, Love, & Equality....

Jon

#4 (To-Do List)

I have now lived in the great city of Louisville, Kentucky for 2 years. While I have enjoyed every minute I've spent here, the vast majority of my time has been spent on school. I realized this past week there are many things in this city that I want to do and see before I start a job that could take me away. So I've made the decision to experience Louisville this summer. Here are the things I want to see and do (in no particular order):

1. Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory

2. JB Speed Art Museum

3. Watertower Art Museum

4. Kentucky Derby Museum

5. Cherokee Park

6. Glassworks

7. Louisville Bats Minor Leauge Baseball Game

8. See a show at Actors' Theatre of Louisville

9. Six Flags

10. Falls of the Ohio

11. Louisville Zoo

12. Huber Winery

13. Louisville Ghost Tour

And that is all I have thought of so far. Who wants to come along for the adventure of finally discovering the city that means so much to me?

Peace, Love, & Equality...

Jon

#3 (Cold Medicine and Lost)

I'm sick. Sneezy, runny nose, body achingly sick. Blah. Thankfully, I have nothing go on right now that this is keeping me from doing. I have time to rest and get over it, so that's something positive.

The cause of this illness is my mom and aunt. When they came up for graduation last weekend, they were both very very sick. Needless to say, they were a lot of fun to hang out with. Just kidding, mom. I was so thankful they made the 8 hour drive to see me graduate, even though they were bothing coughing so much they couldn't sleep.

So I guess my graduation gift was a cold. haha.


In other news, I got my computer back from the repair man. I spilled an entire glass of OJ on my laptop earlier this week. (I'm clumsy). So now the computer works fine, thankfully, but the keyboard is driving me crazy. Some of the keys are moving slow and lots of them are clicking against each other now. I'm not sure if they put it back together ok. I'm pretty sure I could pop the keys out and clean it. Maybe I should check with a computer savvy friend first. Expect a call Jason.


And Lost is the best television show ever! This season is amazing. And since I'm sick, I've spent all day on the couch rewatching Season 1. I need to go buy Season 2 so I can watch it tomorrow.

Peace, Love, & Equality...

Jon

#2 (Orange Juice and lost post)

I just typed an entire post about how I spilled OJ on my laptop. Blogspot deleted it.

boo.

#1 (Introductions)

Ancora Imparo: Italian for "I am still learning."

With all the free time I now have, I decided to start a blog. So here it is. Impressed yet? I am. If you know me, I am not the most technologically savvy person, so the fact that I created this without imploding my laptop is an accomplishment.

So what am I going to talk about here? Just my life. What I do. Things that happen. Thoughts I have. I'm hoping it turns out to be fairly interesting for anyone who reads it. But more importantly, I want to keep a good record of where I am in my life right now. So in the future, I can look back and see the progress I've made, lessons I've learned, and mistakes that won't happen again. So this is just as much for me as it is for anyone reading this, if there even are any.

Now that the introduction is out of the way, here I go with my life right now.

I graduated on May 10th with my Masters in Music (Wind Conducting) from the University of Louisville. Since that chapter in my life is now over, I am looking for a job. I hate using the word "unemployed," but it fits at the moment. I'm looking for a job as a high school band director in the Louisville, Kentucy area.

So far, I've sent out nearly 10 job applications and resumes, but haven't had any interviews yet. Thankfully, I'm optimistic and patient.....for now. Everyone keeps telling me, "Don't worry. You'll find a job. It's still early." I appreciate the comforting words from everyone, I really do. However, I starting to wonder how many times people can say that before they stop believing it. There has to be a point when the optimistic sentiments must die off, and people start wondering what I'm doing wrong since I don't have a job. Huh, guess I don't sound like much of an optimist after all. Oh well.

Besides the frustrating job search, I have begun another important journey in my life. I joined Urban Active gym, hired a personal trainer, and am gonna finally get in the shape I want to be in. This blog is gonna serve as a good tool to keep me on track and accountable for everything I should be doing. So in each post, I will include a summary of my days workout, and measurements when they are taken.

In my first personal training session last week, we took all my body measurements. This was not fun. Let me repeat...no fun was had. So here ya go, everyone share in my out-of-shapeness:

Body Fat % = 22%
BMI = 26.2
Weight = 199 lbs.
Waist (around navel) = 41 in.
Chest = 41 in.
Bicep = 11 in.
Calf = 15 in
Thigh = 22 in.

So there ya go everyone. I'm now holding myself accountable in front of the entire online world. This, plus the money I'm spending, will hopefully give me that extra boost to actually get healthy this time.

And if anyone is looking for a gym, I recommend Urban Active. It is AMAZING!


Peace, Love, and Equality....

Jon