Santa with an H&K MP5

Santa is one scary dude!

It lives!

My computer is back up and running! Horay!

What's up with my e-mail?

Because it's not working. My boss emailed me my sechdule for work which starts tomorrow, and I can't access my email to see when I'm working.

Maybe it caught the flu like someone else I know who is sick. The bothersome part of someone else being sick is not being worried about getting sick yourself, but having to watch that person you love suffering with their sickness and not being able to do a thing about it.

My computer isn't cooperating

And neither is my car. That broke down on the way up here. So I'm using my parents car for the two weeks before I go home for Christmas break. At which time I'm going to send my computer to Guantanamo Bay and find out why it's not working for me right now (not really-the service people will come and fix it. But if it doesn't work then...).

So, I wanted to cook food yesterday for the Christmas Ball. Until I realized that I may have food to cook, but I have no means by which to cook it. Nothing. Not a pot, ladel, can opener, NOTHING! (Thanks to Lou for letting me borrow the aforementioned items).

I just got back from work. And it's Christmas time. You can tell by all of the cheery people shopping in Target. (I'd hate to have their Christmas spirit).

I'm going to the library tonight to get a book to entertain myself for the next week. I've taken all of my exams, save for two; one Monday and one Thursday, with nothing in between. Hopefully, I'll be able to get through all 700 pages or so before I leave. :-)

Something messed up

This has not been the best weekend ever.

First of all, Thursday night, my computer decided it wanted to stop working. Great. So I'm now forced to use the lab computers to do all my work. I've decided to wait and call tech support when I get home (in like 4 days).

Then, on Friday, I find out that my report, due the Monday after Thanksgiving, rather that Wednesday.

And, today, my shoelace snapped.

That, and a bunch of little things all added up for a not-so-good past several days. Minor aggrevations+minor aggrevations+minor aggrevations+very minor aggrevations+miniscule aggrevations=want to go to bed and sleep until Thanksgiving break

AGH!!! Homework!

After an hour or so of sleep, I woke up and realized that I have a reading evaluation due later today.

Crap! Now it's almost 3:00a, and I'm up doing homework. 15 pages of reading and two evals to write. AGH!! I'm wasn't thinking. I cleaned the bathtub, then promptly forgot to do the evals. Nuts!

Oh well--to the Batcave. And I need to remember to print this up later this morning before I go to class.

Ya know, time has become more a continum to me. Like, once it hits midnight, I refer to the day as the next one. For example, the phrase "later this morning" because it is already Wednesday. I don't know what this means, though, other than I'm kinda strange. ;-)

Don't wake me, I plan on sleeping in

I think my lack of sleep has finally caught up with me. I've fallen asleep multiple times today. In my bed between classes. On a couch in the lobby. On the Horseshoe. On a couch in Lou's apartment.

I'm going to bed now.

All the days

Today was one of the best the days I've had in a while.

Though I only got 2 hours of sleep last night (or rather, this morning), I wasn't tired at all the entire day.

I got up at 8 this morning and immeadiately downed two cups of coffee. I then took a my morning power shower and got dressed. Coming downstairs, I expected the cafeteria to be open, but they don't open until 11AM on Sundays. So, I went to church this morning, then had breakfast. Ya know, around 12:45p. Anyway, church was good. In Sunday school, the leader talked about Matthew 6:13, and how this can be a comfort to believers. Then we broke off into group discussion, which was another cool thing. Then was the main service, and the preacher talked about Colossians 3. As a complete sidenote, this older gentleman walked up to me after the service. He told me I looked a lot like James Dean, which is the first time I've ever heard anyone tell me I looked like a movie star. It wasn't uncomfortable, just...different. Definately wasn't as wierd as the old grandma-like woman who came into Target on Wednesday and told me I was very attractive and that I should take up a career in modeling. There's some scary people that come into my store.

Anyway, church this morning was good. Afterwards, like I said, I had brunchfast (brunch you eat really really quickly), then changed into more comfortable clothes. (I don't know what it is, but I'm so much more comforatble in a pair of jeans than I am all dressed up). And Michele and I were told to make Plan B for this evening, so we drove down to the grocery and picked up stuff for spaghetti, which we then took to Wendy's apartment (who was so kind to let us use her kitchen). Michele cooked the food, while I washed dirty dishes. I was--the Master Dish Washer.

I then ran down to help set up the equipment for reunion tonight. Ryan, Matt, Wes, and I got it all set up, after which I ran back to Wendy's and drove the food down to set it up at the shack. And the rest of the night was really cool. Just being able to hang out and talk to a bunch of people I haven't talked to in a while. It was really great. But alas, the fun cannot continue forever, it is now time for me to go to bed and get ready for 8AMers tomorrow morning.

Veteran's Day

Today is a memorial to the veterans of America's armed forces. Be thankful for them and what they've done for you and what they're still doing

Isn't that random?

My little sister turned 8 years old today. Being away from home, I had called to wish her a happy birthday and also ask her what she wanted for her birthday that she hadn't recieved. "Well, I'd like a LEGO set," she told me. Ok, fair enough. I asked her if she wanted a girly-type doll house-kind of LEGO set. "Well, I'd like a fire engine or airplane thing." She's really my third brother :-)

I don't think I can stay away from Target. Today, I had the day off of work. I still rode my bike 3 miles down the road to the nearest Target to buy my sister's birthday present. I just can't seem to stay away from that store.

Maybe there's something wrong with me. I tend to wake during my sleep most nights, but then fall back to sleep easily. Monday morning, having 8AM'ers, I tend to wake up around 7. However, I woke up without any external stimulous at 4AM, incapable of getting back to sleep. So I got up at 4AM. I thinking about going running, but, for some reason I can't remember, I didn't.

So, I got to my first class, only to discover that my class has been cancelled. I now have roughly another 2 hours, until my 10:10a class, with nothing to do. I caught up on homework, and read from my personal reading book, something I haven't done in a while (personal reading, that is).

Then, the next night (Tuesday night), I slept extremely soundly, more so than I have in a while. It felt really good. And, for the first time in a while, I was able to take an uninterurppted or hastely halted nap. That felt really good as well. And, while I'm on the good/looking forward to list, I'll be able to go to the Shack this Sunday night.

The USPS

I've heard it said that the United States Postal Service delievers mail in the rain, snow, sleet, etc.

My question is this: will they deliever the mail in perfectly good weather like it is today?

Ya know, it's kinda funny that I'll have all of these ideas of ideas that I could post or write about, and, when I get back to my computer, or get a chance to pull it out, I'll log onto Blogger and stare at the "create post" screen for 15 minutes, completely blank, both in my mind and on screen.

There are 66 steps up the capital

I discovered this just 15 minutes ago.

Remember, this is only the front side of the South Carolina Statehouse. I didn't run up and down the backside.

This is interesting

I have a cut on my forehead. The thing is, I have no idea how it got there. I don't remember injuring myself this weekend, but I noticed it in the rear-view mirorr yesterday. It's not huge; I ust have no recollection of how it got there.

And my network connection in my room is down. That really stinks.

Something people should do

I think people should be more responsible. If everyone were a little more responsible and acted more mature about things, then less illresponsible things would occur.

I don't know, maybe I just think too radically.

Refurbish [ness] [ing] [ed]

Considering I just spent like an hour re-doing my blog and the html code and whathaveya, I thought I should post something new.

Yes, I'm kinda dumb. I took out the rubber keypad from a broken cordless phone and double-sided taped it to my door above my lock. Now my door looks like it has a keypad lock on it. Though it does look fake under close inspection, when just walking past the door, it can fool someone not paying attention. That made me smile.

Yes, it's the little, sometimes stupid things in life that make me happy. Oh, sorta like a good, hot cup of coffee on a cold morning with a warm doughnut (with not too much glaze on it--it has to be just the right amount). Or waking up after a good night's sleep.

Another first...

Tonight, a train interrupted church. It's the first time that's ever happened for me. I've had church interrupted before for a bear, but never a train.

Morning class

As strange as it may sound, I actually am beginning to enjoy my 8:00 AM classes.

Though I do like to sleep in, once I get up in the morning, it's really hard for me to go to sleep. So, after attending my only class in the morning, I have the entire day ahead of me to do whatever I want. It's even better when it's like today, and I don't have to go to work later this afternoon.

In other parts of the world, Hurricane Wilma made landfall in southern Florida at approximately 5:00 AM (EDT) this morning with winds steady at 125 mph and gusting to 150 mph. Though news reports have yet to come in from Florida, Hurricane Wilma devastated the Yuctan when it passed through. Though it's winds have weakend significantly, moving north-west at 25 mph only adds to the force of it's winds on the leading edge of the storm, which means the Miami-Dade area is recieving the brunt of the winds in this storm (25+125=150mph steady winds).

Free washing machine! *NOTE[dryers not included]*

Today, on the way to class, I noticed an ad on the bulletin board by the elevator. Just glancing at it before getting on the elevator, I noticed it said "Free laundry day-tomorrow, 20 October!" Cool. I'm going to do like 14,000 loads in one day I think to myself as I walk to class.

As I'm sitting in class however, still thinking about the ad (that's how captivating class was-I was thinking about laundry), I wonder if it's just free wash, or if it's free wash and dry. What a great marketing gimmick, have free washing machine cycles, but not free dryer cycles.

Just a few minutes ago, I checked my email, and found another ad for the free laundry day. And at the bottom, a disclaimer said "*NOTE: All washing machine use is free. You will still be charged for use a dryer."

Fall break

This past week was fall break, and since I had off work from Monday onward, I was able to have my own mini-vacation.

I left school at 3:15 PM on Wednesday, and, after hitting warp speed, arrived home 2.5 hours later.

Then the mayhem began. I conducted extensive preemptive attacks on fortified sibling positions, to which attempts were made to foil or disperse the attacks, but failed.

After that, I had a huge home cooked meal of my mom's split-pea soup. The first real food I've had in a while. It was so good. Considering the only thing I get at school is some GMP crap or fast food at Taco Bell, home-cooked food is near-perfect food. Not that it isn't, Mom. ;-) Then my mom and little sister went off to AWANA, while I unpacked my stuff.

"Unpacked" is somewhat of a misnomer. It was more like "unpacked-the-warm-weather-clothes-and-then-washed-all-of-my-clothes-and-then-repacked-the-cold-weather-clothes." Yeah, that was closer to what happened. I got to bed around 12:30 AM that night. I slept until 12:30 PM the next day. Well, I woke up when my brothers did for school at 6:30 AM, then went directly back to bed.

My Thursday at home consisted of playing video games and ignoring the fact I have a paper due in a week. After wasting several hours in front of a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube-a TV screen), I went to repair my bicycle. My bicycle, which I had brought to school last year, had fallen into disrepair. Both tires were flat, and someone had bent both of the rims. There was rust on all of the frame joints, the seat had several tears and gashes in it, the tread was worn off of the tires, and the sprockets and chain needed some lubrication. $70 and five hours later, my bike actually looked more like a new bike than it did last year. I replaced both tires and inner tubes, straightened the rims, repainted the frame (after grinding and brushing all of the rust off), and bought a new seat for it. That night, I took my little sister out for ice cream by riding my "new" bike with her down to the store.

Friday, because of my brother's soccer game, I had a chance to test my bike out: I rode the 10.5 miles to my alma mater. Yes, there was a sidewalk or bike path the entire way there, so I wasn't on the road. Then I came home and slept another 12 hours.

Saturday consisted of much the same. Sleep, video games, oh, and I did wash my car and change the oil (making sure to tighten the oil pan drain bolt this time). Sunday, I went to church in the morning, followed closely by a huge Sunday lunch, which I drove back to school on (bringing my "new" bike back).

Aside the fact that I had no major accomplishments (well, besides my bike-I'm kind of proud of myself for that one), I had a most excellent fall break. But alas, today: back to the grind stone.

Thank you for driving carefully through the village

Sleep

Yesterday, I drove back to my dorm. The catch was that I left my parent's at 4 AM. I got back to school at 7:30, and my first class was at 8 AM. The way I see it, the options were getting to bed early and getting up early, or getting to bed late and getting up early. (That is, staying the extra night at my parent's and driving in the morning, or driving that night and still having to get up early the next morning for class). I decieded that the former option sounded better. So, after 4 hours of sleep, I proceded to drive 138 miles in the early hours of the morning.

So, after remaining awake for 20 hours, I decided to go to bed at 12 AM. I then slept until 12:30 PM this morning.

I finally feel rested.

T'weekend

At first, I thought I only came home this weekend for my mom's cooking.

But then my brother's started their comic routine.

Well, yeah, I did miss my family. And my brothers impromptu comedy act. Listening to them quote Monty Python.

I got off of work at 10:30PM, and left for home at 11:15PM. I drove for a good hour, then, unexplainably, the road, which had been empty, came to a stop with bumper-to-bumper traffic. As everyone slowly moves forward, I begin thinking there's an accident up ahead, seeing multiple flashing blue lights.

Moving forward, I see three state troopers standing in the left lane, which has been shut down. Then I see the "Sheriff's Checkpoint" sign in front of them. Obviously, the guy behind me in traffic didn't want to talk to the troopers. The vehicle behind me quickly pulled a u-turn across the grass median, closely followed by a South Carolina state trooper and two Sumter County Sheriff's Deputies.

After showing the trooper my information and him inspecting my vehicle, we were back on the road, and got home around 2 AM.

I was able to go to the beach this weekend, too, which was cool.

Then there was the BBQ at a friend's house. I think between the BBQ and mom's cooking, I ate enough to sustain me for a month of fasting.

Cool picture

This photo, though it's been photoshopped, is really cool looking.

$3.00+/gallon of gasoline...those were the good ole days

That's right. If Hurricane Rita does all the damage it could when it strikes Texas, gas could easily shoot up to $5.00+/gallon. Just look at all the refineries located in Rita's strike path. This could get a little messy.

Oil jumps

After seeing this, I can't really wonder why the oil prices jumped up today from Hurricane Rita in the Gulf of Mexico.

This is a floating oil rig that got torn from it's moorings in the Gulf of Mexico during Hurrican Katrina. It then got blown almost 60 miles north into Moblie Bay, and became wedged under this bridge.

Hurricane

Today, I arose early for my history section. And it was canceled. So I had a bunch of time on my hands, and, for the first time in a while, I wasn't rushed on a week day. That was cool.

But the TA is not the best teacher. I keep getting (or rather, picking) the worst TA. None of the TA's I've had can teach. THis guy will assign homework, telling the section to read some part of the book. Then, when in class, he'll discuss the portion of the book that we read. And discuss it to the point where I could have skipped the reading and, because of his explinations, still understand the reading.

It's not as bad as my first TA last year. Just as an example, he used the word 'theoretical' when describing the minimum length for a research paper. He was also very happy to give quizzes. One day he came to class and announced, "Today, since we missed a quiz last week, we're going to have two quizes." (To which a classmate muttered, "and the crowd goes wild," under his breath). Maybe God's trying to show me something through the TA's.

And a new hurricane is presenting itself. Hurricane Phillipe is now in the Mid Atlantic. Supposedly, according to the most recent computer model, it'll go up into the north Atlantic, but who knows how long that'll hold true. And that's in addition to Tropical Storm Rita that's now cruising in the Gulf of Mexico, which is predicted to hit Houston on Saturday.

My day

Yesterday was a tiring day.

I got up at 5:45 AM, cleaned my room, took a shower, finished my homework, and did several other miscellaneous tasks, then went to class at 10 AM. Then I went to work around 1. I got back at 6, got cleaned up, then had dinner with my girlfriend. Then we went to the theater and saw Lord of the Rings:Return of the King. That was about four hours there by itself. So, after walking her home around midnight, I finally got back at 1:30 or so (oh yeah, I had to go find a legal parking space). I was so tired, I just crashed in my bed and even forgot to turn my computer off.

Then, this morning around 11:30 or so, Lou IMed me. The only reason I know is because I had left my computer on and it made a noise that woke me up. After talking to her, I finally got up after about 10 hours of sleep (the most I've had in 2 weeks) and headed across the street to have breakfast.

But they had run out of waffle batter on the person in front of me in line! Oh well, I still got to have my doughnuts and coffee. MMMMM. Now I'm sitting here eating my breakfast, bloging and emailing.

One thing I was thinking about this morning was the heat. I'm not going to complain about it like some people do (these same people will complain when it gets too cold in the winter. I mean, come on, this is SC, it's not like the Artic or anything!). I don't mind it. I do like the feeling of going from the got and humid outside to the air conditioned indoors (or the inverse in the winter).

So far, today was very satisfing. I can't wait for the rest of the day!

You might be from a small town if...

You might be from a small town if...
1. You know what 4-H is.
2. You can name everyone you graduated with.
3. You ever went to a party that was held about 20 miles down a deserted dirt road.
4. You used to cruise the "main."
5. You said the 'F' word and your parents knew within an hour.
6. You schedule parties around the schedule of different police officers since you know which ones would bust you.
7. You ever went or thought about going cow-tipping.
8. School gets canceled for a sports team going to State.
9. You could never buy cigarettes cause all the store clerks knew how old you were.
10. When you did find someone old enough to buy smokes for you, you had to drive down country backroads to smoke them.
11. You never missed a Homecoming parade.
12. You still go home for Homecoming.
13. It was cool to date someone from a neighboring town.
14. You had a senior skip day.
15. The whole school went to the same party after graduation.
16. There's only 1 bar and it's a cafe by day.
17. The town next to you is considered "trashy" or "snotty" when it is just like your town.
18. Weekend excitement involves a trip to Wal-Mart.
19. Even the ugly people enter beauty contests.
20. You decide to walk for exercise and 5 people pull over and ask you if you need a ride.
21. Your teachers call you by your older sibling's name.
22. The closest "cool stores" are at least 45 miles away.
23. Whenever someone asks you where you're from and you tell them, they always respond with "huh?"
24. Your town does not exist on maps

ONE WAY

Our [not so] illustrious football team

Riding on the bus today, I was sitting next to one of the football players for our team. He was loudly proclaiming to the rest of the bus how he was "going to get really tore up tonight" and "be worthless until Friday night around 6."

Great example. No wonder our football players are in jail more then they're on the field.

Breakfast

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day (besides dessert). Think about it. Waffles. Pancakes. French Toast. Then Think about all of the sugar products that are legal to eat for breakfast. Syurp. Cinnimon toast. Whipped cream (on the waffle). Fruit syurps.

And COFFEE!!

Mmmmm....

TGIF...I think

Something's not right here. It's Friday night, the one night the rest of the world uses to go out with friends. Whether to dinner, or to a movie, normal people use this night to go out and have fun on.

But, remember, I'm not normal. So what does my Friday night consist of? Getting off of work around 10:30 PM, driving home, crashing on the bed for five minutes, then getting up, changing into something comfortable, going over to my girlfriends, then finding out she's already left ans out with her friends, then going back to my room, and crashing in the bed again, and then rolling into my comfy chair.

So I am definately not normal. Even my sleep patterns aren't normal (but that's another story). I have to have money to survive, but that requires working when I'm not in class, which requires working nights and weekends. [sigh] Oh well, off to another fun filled shift tomorrow night!

I think I need to watch a movie or something. Something brainless.

War of the Worlds

I was reading today in the news how a military helicopter was fired upon as it flew over the Superdome in New Orleans, LA. In another incident, a large group of people, some armed with firearms, crowded a helicopter landing pad as the pilot hovered to land. The pilot then climbed and flew away from the pad, for fear of being shot at or the helicopter being climbed on and overloaded.

I imagine some image in my mind like a scene from the recent movie War of the Worlds. The scene that comes to my mind is the part where Ray and his two children are driving in the van, which then gets mobbed as people try to climb in the van. Ray then pulls out his gun, only to be held at gunpoint himself and the keys of the van taken from him. The camera then follows Ray and his children inside a resturaunt of sorts. However, in the background, the audiance sees the mob pulling guns on each other, all trying to commandeer the van, various people getting shot and killed over a material possession.

This is what I imagine, to some extent, to be happeing in the areas affected by Hurricane Katrina. To me, it not only is terribly sad, it just demonstrates the depravity of a person, rather than the "everyone's-bascially-a-good-person-down-deep" philosophy that's prevelent today

Gas at Circle K=$2.99/gallon! Plus five car line!

Coffee=good

According to major news sources, coffee provides more antioxidents than any other source, including tea and fruits and vegetables.

The weekend-seperate from the rest of the week

This weekend was really fun. I went with a bunch of people to Lake Murray for a 24 hour period of awkward games, good conversation, excellent s'mores, good food, and fun in the lake.

Saturday afternoon we left (sidenote: 40 minutes behind schedule, but no big deal) and drove to lake Murray. The drive up was interesting, trying not to lose people, and Shea even made a wrong turn just to make us fell liek we were "lost." Ya know, the vacation feel. You have to get lost at least once, or else it's not vacation, right? Anyway, we got to the campsite about an hour later (campsite is an understatement-two very nice lakehouses). After some "icebreakers" and conversation, we sat around and watched the Weather channel and ate some lasagna. Then we went outside and and had s'mores over a fire. And then some of us laid out on the dock and watched the stars. Because of the low light level and the clarity of the atmosphere, the sky was beautiful! A huge amount of stars were in the sky. It's been in a while since I've seen that many stars in the sky.

Today was great too. Wakeboarding and boats (ummm...duh!). That was fun. I promise, I really did put sunscreen on my face, even though it probably doesn't look like it. And church was good tonight.

But now it's bed time

Surprise! A new roommate!

Well, I hate to sound callous, but that is sorta what happened.

About a week ago, my first roommate wanted to live in a corner room witha friend of his. He said that he wanted the small amount of extra space the corner rooms provide, as well as a private bathroom that the corner rooms have. He also told me that he was thinking about it and not sure if he was going to change rooms.

Well, the next day, I come in from work, and his side of the room is completely bare. Everything had been moved out. Well, I guess he moved out, I said to myself. I thought that you had to get something signed by the roommate who was staying, and I haven't signed anything, but I guess not.

So, a week goes by and nothing else happens with it (other than my RA saying that I didn't have to get the roommate contract signed). Then, last night, I'm walking in my room from dinner. The door's unlocked. Uh oh. This isn't good. I'm walking in expecting to find a burgular in my room. I open the door all the way and walk in. There's a some guy I've never seen before sitting at my old roommate's desk. He tells me he's my new roommate. I'm thinking, ummm...housing never told me anything.

And not that he's a bad roommate. He's really cool, and easy to get along with. That was just a little surprising finding someone new in my room and no notice whatsoever

Stormy weather

Today it rained again.

Now, I do like rain (refer to old post). My only problem was that I wasin my work uniform, and I only have one with me, and it's soaked right now. So I now have a jury-rigged laundry line across my dorm room with my uniform dripping on the floor.

But it is a lot cooler outside now than it was earlier today. And less humdity.

The registrar

My adventure for the day: dealing with finanial aid and the registrar's office.

When I looked online today, my financial aid was $0.00. And that's not such a good thing. I had both the SC LIFE scholarships and a Federally subsidzed loan. And somehow they disappeared. Not good.

So I had the run-around-campus to get that sorted out. As of this post, it's still not all sorted out. [Sigh]

Heat index

It's freaking hot outside today.

Especially because my car has no air conditioner. I wish I had a working A/C pump like all the other lucky people I see driving around.

Well, the heater works great, I know. Now I just have to wait for a cold snap.

Updating

Today was my last day of work (at least for the Myrtle Beach store). On Monday, I get my orientation for the Columbia store.

Let's see, I move in on Saturday. Great! That means I don't pack until Saturday. If I have a downfall, I think that would be it. But is it a downfall? I get what I need and nothing extra into my bag. My mom thinks that I'm too much like my dad.

That's another thing that scares me. I'm turing into my dad. That's not a bad thing. My dad is a very godly man and I want to be like him. But I'm starting to use his phrase-ology and colloquilisms. It's...[shivers]...I don't know. Kindy creepy. ;-)

Time of the year

Yes. It's that time of the year again. August always puts me in a nostalgic mood. Think of all the memories. Every year this time, you started a new year at school, not sure of what to expect, not knowing who was going to be there. Did someone new move into the area? Did someone else move away? Your entire life was being shaped before your eyes without you knowing it.

It all really started for me when I was 7 years old. My family moved from Buena Park (a suberb of LA) to SC. Some people say that they moved as a kid, but nothing rocked my world like that trip. My family basically picked up and moved 3,000 miles from one coast to the other.

Up until that point, I had been home schooled. My mom was my teacher, and I enjoyed school like that. Wake up at 9, do your lessons at your own pace, and normally you were finished by 2. You could go on field trips during the entire day and not worry about any homework. I would see my friends whenever our parents would get together, and we'd have a blast.

Then all of that changed in October of 1993. My dad, who had worked at the Long Beach Naval Shipyard, was informed that by the end of the year, he wouldn't have a job (part of Clinton's rash of military base closings). He finally found another job here in SC, so, in October of '93, our family packed all of our belongings in a moving van, and shipped them to my grandparent's house outside of Myrtle Beach. Then we got in our VW van and drove across the country. It wasn't a terrible trip. As I said, I was homeschooled, so my mom made the trip a sort of extended distance learning expireience.

But when we arrived in SC, I realized that my entire life had really changed. My parents, doing their best to provide for me, enrolled me in a Christian school. So, in August 0f 1994, I started 3rd grade at my first ever school-type evironment. It definately was a change for me.

Rain, rain, don't go away

I personally do not understand why people don't like the rain.

It rained on and off here today. But with the climate here like it is, it's sunny when it's not raining, and then clouds up in 5 minutes and pours, then becomes sunny again.

And for some reason, it scares people. Like they're fragile. Or going to melt like that Wicked Witch of the West.
Person: "Careful, your clothes might get wet."
Me: "So?? They'll dry."
Most people these days are too high-maintance. It's starting to worry me.

To set the record straight, I like the rain. It provides a change of scenery for me for the places I'm used to seeing everday. It washed away the silt and dirt and garbage that's gathered on the ground. It's very refreshing (both for the ground, and for me-when I'm out in it [knowing grin]).

One Week

At work today, our HR guy, Rob, had this Mexican resturant cater in food for all of the employees for a meal. Bu when I ate dinner at around 7PM, there was still an abudance of food. As I was finishing up my dinner (more like a minute snack compared to what I was about to eat), Rob walked up to me and asked me if that's all I was eating for dinner. I told him I'd help out with the Mexican food as soon as I finished my dinner. "That's right," he said, "you need to eat more." After that comment, I was given free range to any of the catered food in the break room.

20 min later, I had eaten several helpings of food. (Several is used in the broadest sense of the word). I think I ate enough to go without food until Tuesday afternoon.

In other news, a week left 'till I move in.

Well, not by this clock on my computer. A week in my head, yes.

Oh, I found this cool link for people who like Calvin and Hobbes. "http://www.motionpersonified.net/calvin_hobbes/" Check it out!

I just got this spam mail today, one that was...interesting. "FREE GAS!! Just click on the link below!" That's one I've never seen before.

Bed time. If I get to bed before the sun rises, it's still yesterday, right?

Sunny Days (1900 and counting)

"Sunny days, keeping the clouds away,
I think we're coming to a clearing and a brighter day.
So far away, still I think they say,
The wait will make the heart grow stronger,
Or fonder, I can't remember anyway..."
(Jars of Clay :: Sunny Days)

Jars are playing on my new toy. My 'toy', is my iPod. I like it. It's kinda amazing (maybe not to some, but at least to me) to be able to carry my entire music library around in something a third the size of my CD player.

Trying to earn credit hours for next semester involves taking a summer math class. Taking a summer math class to earn credit hours for next semester involves taking exams. Taking the exams for the summer math class to earn credit hours next semester involves not going on the Shack roadtrip. I was looking forward to that. It was going to be my vacational-type expierience for the summer. But I have an exam on one of the days we were planning to be gone, which cancels the trip out of my book. Rats.

I mowed the lawn today. I think I also watered the lawn with all of the sweat that was dripping off of me. Well, that's efffcient-this way, I don't have to water the lawn now ;-)

AHHH! Time alert! I need to be in bed.

4th of July

Yes, I worked today. But I got to hear fireworks, if that counts...

I mowed the lawn today, and finished right before it started to rain. Then I decided it'd be a good idea to trim the bushes. Oh, and the driveway needed to be power-sprayed. I ended up wet, sweaty, and dirty. Though I do love tropical-type weather.

“If ignorance is bliss, won’t You save me from myself?”
(Jars of Clay :: Fade to Gray)

The Incredibles and the not so talented

I just saw one of the best Disney movies since Toy Story tonight. The Incredibles! It was a really good movie. (I was about to say it was incredible, but that would be a really bad pun). I really enjoyed it. A well written plot, good characters. It came close to matching Toy Story (which is the best animated movie ever).

Class is finished...well, for the week at least. We have off for Independance Holidays. Unfortunately, I'll be working for it.

Today was kinda funny though. I was sitting in the camera office with another co-worker, watching a two guys who looked like they were getting ready to shoplift. One of the guys was wearing a baggy white shrit and baggy grayish-bluish shorts. As this guy is standing in the mens department, we watch (through CCTV) him lift up the edge of his shirt and slip a CD into his very loose waistband. He then lowers the shirt, and we see the CD slide down his leg and fall out the bottom of his shorts onto the floor. This freaks him out completely and he quickly walks away from the CD and leaves the store. Not the brightest theif out there. (How come we have the incompetent criminals? It was funny though, and we were laughing over it for a while).

"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered." -Gilbert K. Chesterton

My holiday

Someone asked me today if I'm doing something special for the upcoming holiday. Mmmm...not really. I'm going to sleep in, then I'm going to eat, do some random tasks, and then I'm going to go to work. I'm going to work night shift, then I'm going to come home and go back to bed so I can get up early the next day and work morning shift.

Not that I'm not thankful for any of our military personnel, or their service to our country. I am. It's just that I've got to work my self.

Speaking of bed, I should be heading that way.

Tomorrow is Sunday: church! Then work! Then church again! Fun times!

The beginning of the end

Cool fact: At midnight tonight (0000 hrs on 2 July 2005), 182.5 days will have passed in 2005, and 182.5 days are left. This is the midpoint of the year!

Ummm...my computer's battery is about to die. This is it for now.

Done for the day

I worked for 18 hours today.

I think it's bedtime.

Church is tomorrow morning. Time to get some rest before 9AM.

hmm...

A week ago, I replaced my battery. Yesterday, I replaced my alternator. Today, I'm replacing a duct between my air filter and my carburator.

True, it won't look like it on the outside, but I'm going to have a new car by the time I'm finished...

...zzz...

I did absolutely nothing this weekend.

Maybe I should qualify that. There have been the occasional Saturday or Sunday where I just relaxed for most of the day. This was different.

I moved from the bed to the couch to the back porch and back and forth several times, but I did nothing except drift in and out of conciousness.

I needed that.

Math or something like it

I'm sitting in class listening to the professor speak, and a thought hits me: this can't be a math class. I actually understand this. I've never understood any math-related information in my life.

Yes, I'm taking a summer class. Yes, it's a math class. I'm taking "Probability and Statistics" at the local tech campus. The funny thing is that it makes sense. Math has never made any sense to me. Maybe it's the way the professor explains the material. Or, maybe it's the fact that I haven't bought the book for the class yet, and therefore have not looked ahead to confuse myself.

In other news, I get to go to Charleston this weekend!

Rude people

"A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger." Proverbs 15:1

I realized yesterday how much a rude attitude can provoke an incident.

I also realized that the modern day human is very pushy and extremely self-centered.

Out of gas

This has not been my week.

Today, I ran out of gas on the highway. Fortunately, there was a gas station near where I ran out so I only had to push the car a short ways.

Oh yeah, and a SHEP (State Highway Emergency Program) vehicle pulled up behind me while I was waiting for traffic to subside to push the car off the road. That's two incidents with the Department of Transportation this week for the car not running.

I sure hope next week is better...

Stall

I was driving the Jeep today to pick my brothers up from school. At a traffic light, not more than a half of a mile from the school, I shifted out of gear to wait until the light turned green. Right then, before I had a chance to rev the engine again, the Jeep stalled on me. So there I sat, through three cycles of the light, waiting with my four-way flashers on. Finally, a biker gave me some room (by this time everyone was passing me on the right) and I was able to push the car off the roadway. As I was sitting there, trying to start the car, a highway patrolman came up behind me, making sure everything was alright. Just then, the car started, and I replied that I was fine. The trooper drove off, and I was able to pick my brother up.

Maybe the magic words are, "Please start."

NCI

Yes!

I finally completed the training academy for work today. That's a load off of my back.

CCTV, Loronix, Non-violent Crisis Intervention. All done. Which means I'm finished with the Assests Protection Academy.

Accomplishments

I've done a lot over the past week. Here's my major accomplishments (mostly in order):

1. I finished school
2. I got home
3. I unpacked my stuff
4. I ran 3 miles in 17 minutes
5. I woke up before 1PM without an alarm
6. I ate real food
7. I ran errands
8. I drank 5 smoothies in 3 minutes
9. I went swimming in the ocean
10. I paid $42 for a tank of gas

My brother provided me with a quote for today:

"It's a game! Duh! You're supposed to win!" -David Glendinning, after being told that UNO was just a game.

Leaving!

I'm leaving today!

Well, I guess I should start packing sometimes before my mother arrives here. Nah, I like my stuff all over the floor. That way I can find everything easier.

I'm tired

Ok, so I haven't updated my blog in a while. No biggy.

Anyway, it is finals week after all. I can't be expected to keep a blog updated and study at the same time. (Or can I? Hmmm...I will have to ponder this one deep into the night. NO! I...must...study!)

But I'm tired. Only 5 of the past 36 hours have been used to sleep. Not good.

But I did help Charles and Tiffany move out of their apartment today. That was interesting. Moving a large number of heavy pieces of furniture into a U-Haul (almost reminds me of the adventure with Mimi's house, but on a smaller scale). This is why I will never own a lot of things. Well, I don't know. I like to lead a simple life. I don't like to bring a lot of crap with me places. Like vacations, for example. The fewer things I have to bring, the better. I can go home for an entire week on one bag (backpack sized bag). I don't like being burdoned (spelling?) down with things. So, today was another reinforcement today of why it is benefical for me to own very few things.

Then I helped move all of the equipment over to the room for Reunion. Then I went back to my room, ate breakfast/lunch/dinner combo, studied, showered, and took a short nap.

We had the last Reunion of the semester tonight. It was bitter-sweet. Many people are leaving. That's not exactly enthralling. In fact, it's downright sad. Well, I am thankful for the time that I've been able to spend with the people here and the ones that are leaving.

(Apologies for the non-cohesiveness of this entry. I'm tired)

Quote of the...whatever. Here's something funny that I heard in the past...(counts on his fingers)...whatever. Here it is:

"I perfer my rootbeer on tap." -Erick Bousman, after learning that the resturant only serves IBC rootbeer.

Click It or Ticket Month

Todos esta bien

[Big sigh of relief]

That's good. I passed my spanish oral and comprhension exams with flying colors. Now all I have to do is pass the writing section and I can say "goodbye" to the unversity's forgien language department.

Today was a nice day. Well, up until now. Now, it started raining. The thunder even woke me up from my nap (I went right back to sleep, so it's no big deal). But, before this, it was nice and sunny outisde. And it was humid a little today (maybe a warning of the impending rain). But it was still nice.

Last names

There was this teller today who was really rude to me.

Most people can't say or spell my last name on the first try. For this reason, I try to get other people's last names correct on the first try. Mispronouncing/spelling mine is not a big deal, and it's never been a big deal with me, but when people purposefully butcher my last name on purpose after being corrected, trying to be funny, it's really, REALLY annoying (if not just plain tacky). I don't want to be rude back, but I think I should just start speaking spanish or something when people do that to me.

Time for something (I think)

[Long sigh] Today has been a long week. And it's only wednesday. I think the professors all team up to make certain weeks espcially hard. I have a oral exam I have to study (and practice speaking) for, two papers and a bunch of reading to do. Well, really I don't mind the reading. It's the pointless papers I hate. They teach you nothing (except how to BS your way through a class). Well, I guess that's life. Two weeks left. (Of school, that is; not life).

I need something. Like some...ice cream...or coffee...or ice cream...or a home cooked meal (none of this GMP crap)...or a hot 45 mintue shower. I'm too tired to go run. (That, and the weather isn't too good). I think I'll go lie down for a little bit and read.

Catch me if you can

In case some of you don't know, I like to run. Long distances at high rates of speed.

But I've been thinking lately about why I like to run. Is it just the knowledge that I can run really far, really fast? Does it matter that I can run 6 miles at the drop of a hat? Does it matter that I can run for an hour and a half? What difference does it make that I can run for half a mile flat out before my hands start shaking?

So I ran 7 miles today, completely intending to go a full 8 or 9. But, I tripped in front of Yesterday's and skinned my knee up pretty good (it also got bruised-a nasty mess). It started hurting when I started to run again, and I made the decision to not run any further. So I walked back from there. Injury aside, I had a great run. (Oh!, And I was able to pop a blister when I got back from my run-that was interesting).

Well, I got back ok, except now it's not ok-I have a short writing assignment in english due tomorrow. It's not long, just annoying. A page on how a poem makes me feel. I liked it better last semester when I was writing proposals on topics I chose. That was interesting. This is just stupid.

And in other news, I'm procrastinating (big surprise). I think I'll do the reading and research tonight, get to bed early(ier) than normal and write it before class. Yeah, that's the better option.

Yes, today was a good day.

Ummm...still-what happened?

Here's the school's official position on the power outage:

Dear Residents,

At approximately 3:05am on the morning of Friday, April 8, 2005 the power went out in your dorm. The power was restored at approximately 5:20am on the morning of Friday, April 8, 2005.

The cause of the outage is unknown at present. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at aekautz@gwm.sc.edu or 777-7483.

Thanks for your understanding. I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

Amy Kautz

Ummm...what happened here?

All of a sudden, the guys on my hall start yelling like something happened. This jarded me out of my 3AM sleep. I looked at my alarm clock to see what time it was. The alarm clock was off (and by off, I mean completely without power).

The power had gone out to my dorm.

No esta bien. Espcially since I have spanish class at 9:05 in the morning. I'll never be able to get up, and my cellphone alarm will never be able to wake me up. So I get up, and decide to wait out the return of the power. It was ok-I was able to answer a couple early morning emails.

Anyway, about 3:30, I realize that with all of the light switches in the on position, I'll wake up anyway, so it'll be ok. I can go back to sleep.

Well, my plan worked.

Some mintues ago, the power came back on. Cool, I can set my alarm now and get back to sleep. Great, now I've been interrupted twice tonight (or rather, this morning). It's cool. I feel more rested now than I've felt all week. I should go running right now. Nah, I really should get back to sleep.

But I still don't know what happened. Someone just randomly decide to throw a breaker to my dorm? Ok, don't worry about it, Danny. Back to sleep.

Getting run over (almost)

I went running today. (No big surprise) I ran 11.0 km (or, for you [insert adjective here] people, 6.8 miles). That was a lot of fun. And I almost got run over (again) by a girl driving too fast while talking on a cell phone. If there's one thing that agaitates me, it's inattention while controlling a +2 ton automobile. Grrr!!!! She almost killed me, and it really didn't seem to bother her. Her phone call was more important than my life.

Then I saw John Stossel tonight in the Koger Center. He talked about capitalism in a democracy. And about small government Which is a pretty good idea.

Today was an awesome day.

Windy day(s)...crazy day(s)

WOW!!! It's really windy today!

I was walking down Main Street, stepped out from behind a building, and literally was blown backwards the wind. Wunderground.com reports gusts of up to 43 mph/68 km/hr. I repeat, WOW. It really hinders those who are trying to walk down the street. You can lean forward at an angle so obscene that you would fall over on a normal day, but you remain standing (not upright, but side-right). The NWS (National Weather Service): Expect west winds of 30 to 35 mph... with gusts up to 45 mph... to continue into early this evening. Then... winds will gradually diminish to 20 to 25 mph tonight. Expect winds on Sunday 20 to 25 mph... with gusts to near 30 mph. These winds may cause property damage... including some downed trees and power lines. Persons outdoors... motorists... and boaters should use caution. (Couldn't they have just said "everyone use caution"? I mean, if you're not a person outdoors, motorist, or boater, what are you?)

In other news, a group of Shackers (myself included) went to help Mimi move her stuff out of her house yesterday. Backing up a bit, Cabbil and I had packed up a 'Big Red Box' storage container on Wednesday. Now, when we were moving stuff out of the attic, wew just put it in the box, not really planning at all. We got all of the stuff in there and finished the job.

Then the 7 of us helped pack another 'Big Red Box' last night. And it was quite different. For the one thing, Baker was there. And he sorta became the "packing director," instructing us on where to put things. It was different than with Wednesday; Baker planned out how stuff would be placed in the box, where as Cabbil and I figured it out as we went.

Then there was dinner. I don't know what was in the pizza we ate. Between the grunting, laughing, strange voices, and comments that were made, an outsider stepping in would've have thought we were all nuts and commited us to a mental institution. This along other things that happened during the night. Taping our hands to boxes. Trying to pack Cabbil into a box.

And one thing that requires explanation. During the time we were there, I would tape the folded boxes together. Someone would say, "Danny, I need a box." And I would coonstruct a box for them. Then, as we're packing the container outside, Baker calls out, and I quote, "I need like two or three boxes." I immeadately go over to the pile of folded boxes and construct four of them, just to be on the safe side. I take them to him, and I'm told that he needed two or three full boxes, not empty ones. Oooops. Oh well, here's some extra boxes. I guess I was a little quick on the trigger. But it was still fun.

Ahhhh...I don't think I've laughed like that in a while. At least, not here at school. Fun times.

Stories from D-block

These are just a few pictures from my dorm.

I came back last night, and the hall has been toilet papered.

I come back tonight, and someone has put shaving creme all over the place and trashed it completely.

Hmmm, interesting.

And then I'm using the bathroom today, and someone starts shouting through the halls: "Anyone have any weed or beer?" Similarly, a week ago or so, someone shouted off one of the balconies: "Yell if you live in the Towers and you're smoking weed on your porch!" I then hear several voices yell out. Ya know, I just love our "dry and drug free" university and dorms.

Normalcy (the lack thereof)

Running is fun. Not only does it keep you in shape, but it allows you to get your frustrations out without hurting yourself or anyone else, and it's just plain fun.

But if someone runs 4.5 miles in the rain (on a day that a new rainfall record is set), does that make that person crazy? If it does, then I'm a total lunatic. I traveresed three cities (Columbia, West Columbia, and Cayce) and two counties (Lexington and Richland) in 35 minutes or so. In pouring rain. For no apparant reason. I was sitting in my room at the computer thinking, "You know, this would be a great time to go running." So I did. It was great. I got soaked. People driving down the road looked at me like I was out of my mind (I'll admit, I probably was). I drip-dryed in the elevator and created a huge puddle. My running shoes got soaked, as did everything I was wearing. Running by the capitol, I had to try to get water out of my ear so I could hear my headphones evenly. I thought, "Normal people never have to worry about getting water in their ears when they run." It's so much fun not being normal!

But wait! Is that rain I hear outside?

Too much caffine (is there such a thing?) because I think I foun the limits of my body

So I got up late this morning. So I didn't get a shower. So I was half-asleep this morning walking down the stairs out of the dorm. So sue me. I needed caffine. I've got, 55, no, 60 cents in my pocket. (Great thing I don't clean my pockets out at night). Just enough for a soda. I'm late to class, so it calls for a CODE RED Mountain Dew. I guzzle it down before I walk outside 21 feet away. I get to Spanish on time and am wide awake for the entire class period.

Then I head out to pysc. But I'm feeling a little sleepy again. Oh well, nothing a grande mocha can't fix. I grab one (ya just have to love the USC meal plan) and guzzle that down. (I comsume edibles rather quickly. Whether it's a burrito, or a coke, or a couple slices of pizzia, it's gone before most people have even started). So, I'm sitting in psyc, thinking that I can feel my heart beating through my chest. Hmmm, this is kinda wierd. I feel like I could run much farther than I normally do. I check my pulse and it's 140. Which is really high for a guy with a resting pulse of 70. (I don't even want to know what my BP was-normally 95/55).

So, that was an expirience. Lesson learned: do not have more than one caffinated beverage in an class period.

Katie Inman!?!?

I never really thought [thefacebook] was worth anything until today. Let me explain.

I was sitting in English class, and we were told to read a story. Well, I finished it and had about 5 minutes left before the end of class. So I sat back and started thinking. About nothing in particular. (To give most people fair warning-my thoughts are very jumbled and dis-combobulated. So if this doesn't connect very well, you've been pre-warned). I started thinking about getting a job (no time period in particular). Where at? Michigan would be nice. And New York state. And Pennsylvainia. And Texas. And New Mexico. And Colorado. And California. Well, that might be hard to work out. Cal is expensive to live in. Hmmmm...I liked living on the West Coast. And old friends. Yeah, those were good days. I wonder how they're doing. Oh, wait, I remember the Inman's sent us something about Katie's graduation. OSU, I think. Gasp! [thefacebook] might come in handy. (I really do love technology, despite the inconveniences at times).

So, I logged onto [thefacebook] when I got out of class and type Katie's name into the search field. And up poped her picture. I was thinking, "Whoa, dude! This thing is totally awesome!" (Read in a Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure voice). My next thought was, "Wait a sec, I wonder if she remembers me? Oh well, here goes nothing." So I clicked on 'add Katie as a friend' and then ran off to 211.

I get back around an hour and a half later, and log on again. "Mr. Glendinning," it says, "you have one message awaiting your immediate attention." Well, it didn't really say that (only "you have one unread message), but that's what I wish it said. Anyway, I click on it and it's from my old friend Katie. The subject line reads: OH MY GOODNESS!!! (My thoughts exactly). We were able to get each others screen names and we talked online for several hours. Catching up with someone you haven't talked to in 13 something years is increíble.

Now, Michael is laughing at me. I was someone who thought that [thefacebook] was stupid. Then, this afternoon, I did an about-face (no pun intended). Now, I think [thefacebook] is totally awesome. And so is catching up with old friends.

Distinctly politcally un-correct

In this day and age, you can't make a judgement about someone without being called a "self-righteous bigot." This is pure stupidity. Whether it was a clerk who got an attitude with you or another driver who cut you off in traffic this morning, you will make a judgement about that person.

Out generation today is plagued by incredible amounts of tolerance. "Everyone has their own opinion; respect them," we're told. Yes, that is true (besides, opinions are like noses-everyone's got one). However, not everyone's opinion is correct. Like a test, some answers are right, and some are wrong. Accepting everything that is presented to you means you believe and hold to nothing. Is that where you want to be remembered for? Sitting on the fence because you never wanted to offend anyone? It will show people that 1) you have no backbone, and 2) that you don't care about anything. Face it. Some things are just stupid.

Don't follow the crowd. Be different. Make a difference. Take a side. Know who you are and what you believe.

You were meant to live large
Come on take charge
Let's go light the world up
Let's not wait until the end
To be the things we wish we'd been

More Than Useless

I feel like
I would like
To be somewhere else doing something that matters
And I’ll admit here
While I sit here
My mind wastes away and my doubts start to gather
What’s the purpose?
It feels worthless
So unwanted like I’ve lost all my value
I can’t find it
Not in the least bit
And I’m just scared, so scared that I’ll fail you

And sometimes I think that I’m not any good at all
And sometimes I wonder why, why I’m even here at all
But then You assure me

I’m a little more than useless
And when I think that I can’t do this
You promise me that I’ll get through this
And do something right
Do something right for once

So I say if I can’t
Do something significant
I’ll opt to leave most opportunities wasted
And nothing trivial
That life could give me will
Measure up to what might have replaced it
Too late look
My date book
Is packed full of days that were empty and now gone
And I bet
That regret
Will prove to get me to improve in the long run

And sometimes I think that I’m not any good at all
And sometimes I wonder why, why I’m even here at all
But then You assure me

I’m a little more than useless
And when I think that I can’t do this
You promise me that I’ll get through this
And do something right
Do something right for once
I’m a little more than useless
And I never knew I knew this
Was gonna be the day
Gonna be the day
That I would do something right
Do something right for once

I noticed
I know this
Week is a symbol of how I use my time
Resent it
I spent it
Convincing myself the world’s doing just fine
Without me
Doing anything of any consequence
Without me
Showing any sign of ever making sense
Of my time
It’s my life
And my right
To use it like I should
Like He would
For the good
Of everything that I would ever know

I’m a little more than useless
And when I think that I can’t do this
You promise me that I’ll get through this
And do something right
Do something right for once
I’m a little more than useless
And I never knew I knew this
Was gonna be the day
Gonna be the day
That I would do something right
Do something right for once

Relient K :: More Than Useless

I [insert key word here] expectations

I hate expectations. Yes, I do. They create false expectations. So, when I don't meet them, I feel like I've failed, even if I've done an excellent job at whatever task I set out to accomplish.

No, wait. I didn't mean that. I love expectations. They help me finish my goals on time. Without expectations, basically everything in my life would go out the window.

No. Wait a sec. I think I've got it now. I hate the expectations that other people put on me. "Oh, you could do so much more with your life." "Come on, you don't want to do that." "You need to pick a profession where you could make more money." Yada yada yada. This is just a sample of what I hear sometimes. I truely don't know all of the things people say, mainly because as soon as they start, I tend to tune them out completely.

I guess it all boils down to not wanting to be put in someone else's box. A constriciton that keeps me from being me. God has such a wonderful plan for my life that I don't want anyone to limit it for me by putting atifical restricitons on me by making me believe that I'm "expected" to do something, or be someone.

I'm rested now, but still not feeling good

Ah, spring break. I got so much rest over the time. I also was able to do other things, such as: see an old friend from California, find a job for the summer, and destroy a porch.

Oh, and the porch destruction was fun. I was never previouly aware that a porch was an animate object, but now I'm not so sure. I'm almost positive that I saw the thing throw the crowbar at my chest, smash my finger, and kick my shin. Well, one thing's for sure, the porch wasn't going down without a fight. And I've got the scarss to prove it.

But, after all of the rest I got over sprong break, I'm still not feeling good. I obviously caught some sort of virus or something, because now I've got a sore throat and a headache, which doesn't make the rest of me that the porch attacked feel any better. I just feel, uggggg. No esta bien.

I Believe

Give me something that I can believe
And then I'll share it with the world for everyone to see
Take away the darkness, all the pain and sadness
I know it's you that put this light inside of me

I believe in a faith that's strong
I believe in a hope that carries on
I believe in these things and more
Most of all, most of allI believe in love

If I had the strength to move a mountain
Would you be amazed by all of my abilities
I guess it would not mean much if I didn't have love
And this is what I really want you all to see

Third Day :: I Believe

Running on empty...and caffine

Wow. I just can't seem to "get in gear" for this past week and half.

Ever since about the 20th or so, I've been just kinda down. Like out of fuel. I don't know, maybe normal people expierience this often, but I'm far from normal. Normally, I would be ready to do anything at anytime, but I've just felt like, "Oh well, that's great. I don't want to do anything." It's wierd, because normally I don't feel this way.

Maybe it's because I haven't had much sleep in the past several weeks. Maybe it's because I've been cramming for mid-term. Well, whatever it is, I hope I can get some rest soon and get replenished. Hopefully, that's what I'll be able to do over spring break (oh, and a road trip! That'll be fun!).

The condition of sleepiness (or sleeplessness)

Sleep. It's one of those things that people have to have. But at the same time, you almost feel like you're wasting time while your getting it.

I like to sleep. No, wait, I don't like to sleep. Well, I mean both of those statements. I like to get sleep. When the weekend rolls around, I don't mind sleeping in till 2 in the afternoon. I have nothing of much importance that needs to get done. But during the week, I feel like I have so many other important things I can be doing besides getting sleep. I get up in the morining for class, and when I'm walking back to my dorm, I'll be thinking of how nice my bed will feel when I get back. But as soon as I step through my door, I 'm struck by all of the things that "need" to do before I can get sleep. Do laundry. Finish papers. Study for mid-terms. Read my school books and reading assignments. Clean up my room (which is a continuous, never ending process). I can't seem to get the rest I need when I get back to the place I need to be to rest.

I can't wait for Spring Break. I need the rest. I just need a time where I can go to bed without anything on my mind. I won't be a sluggard (Proverbs 6:9-11), but I will be sleeping a good bit. Ahhhh, sleep. One of God's blessings to the human race. Some people dislike it, some people love it; some people get too little, some people get too much; but the miracle of sleep is that one can only appriciate it when they're tired.

What reasoning did I use to start this thing?

Ok, I have no idea why I just started this blog (maybe just so I could have a "website"). So I did the whole [thefacebook] thing just to stay trendy. So sue me. But I think the whole idea of a blog is just stupid (I still do...sort of.). I mean, I can't keep a journal in real life, so what makes me think I'll be able to keep one online? It's just a personal deal, I guess. I'm not one much for listing out every little thing in my head, and personally, I don't want to. Also, I'm not much of a techno-geek and I'm not a person who enjoys sitting in front of a computer screen for the entire day. You miss too much of the wonderful world God created.

So, hopefully, I will keep this updated.

(Just so you know, this is the continuation from my first-ever blog on xenga. I do think this gives me more options though).