done.

• SOCY (class #1) paper
• SOCY (class #1) take home essays
• SOCY (class #2) final exam
• FILM analysis paper
• FILM final exam
  
• ENGL final exam
• ENGL 10-page paper

That about says it.

dreams be dreams

Dreams are funny things. Some you forget; some have no bearing to you whatsoever. But some are really vivid. Some stick with you through the day.

I normally don't dream much. At least, I don't tend to remember my dreams past me waking up. However, last night was different. I dreamt I lived in Austin, Texas. I dreamt I was a police officer there. It stuck with me throughout most of the day.

It's one of those things that makes you wonder what it is.

• SOCY (class #1) paper
• SOCY (class #1) take home essays
• SOCY (class #2) final exam
• FILM analysis paper
• FILM final exam
  
• ENGL final exam
• ENGL 10-page paper

11 days

the sun always shines after the rain

I think that it's finally hit. It's done with. No more.

For four years, these eyes have seen and been witness to people circling those leaving the company of their friends; the ones who will stay surround those who are graduating or leaving the city. Tonight, I was in the middle of that circle. Four years ago, I thought that tonight was so far away. This night, I realize just how close and how far four years ago really was. I see myself and I see all the change that's occurred in four years. Four long, stretching, trying years. Four blessed years.

I just like the rain that was falling today. Falling through a sunny sky. There's really no other way to do it justice. Now, if I can just pull through this last week.

12 days.

mandtory british accent day (MBAD)

Stupid 2500 word paper. Though, seeing Citizen Kane again for the first time in a while was nice. Such great filming for such an old movie. AFI agrees.

I've been listening to music from summer of 2004. So many memories. It seems that almost every song I listen to brings up another facet of that period in time. It's so funny the songs that trigger some of these memories. There are these occasions that make me like taking a trip down memory lane.

Bed time. It's late. I need the rest. Goodnight blogger.

cookies. for breakfast.

It's 12:32 AM. There is a train passing by my house right now. The waves of sound penetrating the paper thin walls of my house are keeping me awake. The cool night air reminds me that I really should be in my bed. I am not, though I can feel it calling for me. I want to be, but the sound of that stupid horn telling the drunk kids coming back from Five Points that a train is coming though is keeping me up. Though it may be just me, I think the trains have been getting much more obnoxious lately.

These are my standings in the score for the coming two weeks. This list will be update further as time passes.

• SOCY (class #1) paper
• SOCY (class #1) take home essays
• SOCY (class #2) final exam
• FILM analysis paper
• FILM final exam
  
• ENGL final exam
• ENGL 10-page paper
  

fight for your right

I defined the difference in my attitude tonight. I was told by so many people that "senioritis" would hit at some point this semester, that everything would just go away, and I'd spend my last semester just wasting away on being lazy.

That never happened. I've been working my butt off this semseter and last. By that definition, I had junioritis.

This year is different. I think it's much more apathy to things than laziness; there is a difference. Laziness is sitting around and doing nothing because you don't have to--me last year. Apathy is having things to do and instead playing Rainbow Six for three hours.

A few weeks ago, I installed an old copy of Sim City 3000 on my computer just to play games. I quickly got addicted to the game. Addicted to the point of coming home only to play the game. Addicted to the point of making time where there originally was none to go home to play it. It scared me so much that I stopped in my tracks thirty-six hours into the addiction and deleted the game. It's frightening to know that something can do that to me; to spend that much time on something that has no bearing whatsoever on anything.

There are times I worry about things too much.

Today, as I was typing up my application for hug-a-thug, I got the phone call I was waiting for. Just knowing that there was some activity in my application file made me extremely excited; I hopefully schedule my physical agility test tomorrow.

And that brings up the next point of business on my mind: if you know of any cheap apartments/rentals and/or semi-cool people who are looking for a roommate, let me know.

I should probably get some sleep.

I'm ready. Ready to not have anything hanging over my head. Last summer, when I had a "real" job, it was amazing; I came home, and nothing was needed to be done to prepare for the next day except go to bed.

I'm ready for that again.

"fun" week

Within the next week, these assignments are due:

• SOCY paper
• ENGL rough draft
• ENGL final exam
• FILM analysis paper

That's in addition to the presentation and discussion that was due yesterday. And many more on the way for the final finals week.

Just a little bit further. I think that light is from the end of the tunnel.

not the schuylkill, but just as nice

Columbia Police have changed their police chief. This makes me _____. I need to do some more research. I really, really, really didn't want to put in an application there after all the talks with the officers over the past years, but now, with a new chief, I just may check them out. 19 new officer openings, adjusted salaries, and city work. Doesn't sound like too bad of a deal.

The river today was a nice change after months of not going down there. I love the park. The river, the walk, the bike trails, everything. I fell in love with that place sophomore year and haven't stopped going since.

flying discs and warm weather

Class was not canceled tonight. As we walk into class the professor tells us about a conference that he had to go to. I really, really, really wish these people would tell us about these things before hand. Blackboard, email, something. Something so I don't waste my time going down to class only to find out that it was canceled.

I played frisbee yesterday. Something I haven't done in a long time. I remember freshmen year when I would play every Tuesday night on the Horseshoe. Running around, barefoot, playing ultimate is about the best ending to any day you can think of. Thinking back on them, I miss those nights. It was refreshing to play once again, somewhere I haven't played it in a long time.

As people, there are time we push ourselves to an extreme point. The point that you can barely reach. The limit of your endurance. We do this to build ourselves, to strengthen ourselves, to empower ourselves.

This is done to us, too. God bends us; He stretches us. The times He does so are hard, and we whine and complain and worry and get distraught, but He brings us out stronger than we were coming into them. They're never fun, and then again, neither is working out, but we become stronger people because of it.

so much for breakfast

Sleep. Something that hasn't happened too much this past weekend. I planned to get up early this morning and do so many things. That didn't happen. I slept so well last night. So well. Too much. I didn't get up until thirty minutes before work. I felt so good to sleep that much once again.

I'm watching Michael pace back and forth while he talks on the phone. It's rather entertaining.

Class was canceled tonight. That made me so happy. Even though it's my favorite class to go to, there are just nights that sitting in any class will become boring. Tonight was one of those nights. My bike being semi-fixed is great. Not having to drive to get around town is pretty cool (i.e. getting to class in two minutes is spectacular).

I need to stop trying to plan things out. I've done this for so long, it's so hard to stop.

the past days in paragraph format

The trend these past couple weekends continued this weekend; that is, there is much more sleep during the week than there is on the weekend.

I don't think I've seen it rain as hard as it did this past Friday night. The torrential downpour as the thickest I've ever seen rain. And I think it's the first time since the West Indies that I've used the word 'thickest' to describe rain fall.

This weekend, I trimmed the fat away from twenty-six pounds of meat. Then I helped stuff it in a bag with a marinade that looked like barf. Then, I stuck it in a fridge. The best way we decided to describe it was an organ waiting for transplant.

I liked Seder.

not right now

This window was opened to write something profound, but nothing that running through my head right now is.

I normally don't write well in this thing past midnight.

It is past midnight. Maybe I'll try later.

You know the snowball effect? That happened in my head tonight.

Get up, get out, get away from these liars

And if it were over something important or worth worrying about, it would be [sorta] ok. But it's not. So many times I don't worry about big things, but this time, it seems like a lot of little things that I just don't normally think about have just climbed into the back of my mind and whittled away at the supporting trunk until what I thought was there was gone. They shouldn't be listened to; but, unprotected, their voices seem to have greater power than they should.

ordination song

I am a selfish individual. I realize more and more every day what Paul was talking about. Yet these things that should not be done seem to come so easily. But, as was said this morning, it's a sacrifice; one that I've vowed to make everyday. And it's required every day.

i have an idea
placed in your mind
to be a better man

I thought after living here for four years, I would be used to the midnight express by now. Last night, that hypothesis was proven wrong. Awaking in the middle of the night for a stupid train coming through town is irritating.

Being tired is never good. I got up early this morning in hopes of being able to sit and be quiet. But that turned into more of a nap than anything else. I loved today. It was the perfect temperature--not too warm, but not cold either. I think I ate more today than I did in the past week. Breakfast needs to be that exorbitant every morning (it also requires that many selections of coffee cake). And while today and today's activities were amazing, the lesson from this weekend will not go unheeded: I need to watch my mouth. Especially when I'm tired.

rest in My arms
sleep in My bed
there's a design
to what I did and said

nothing to hang over

Today was nice. Nice in the fact that, although long and busy, I had nothing I had to prepare for tomorrow. With only work and one class (which is still presentation time), there is nothing I have to do. I really (emphasis on really) like this fact.

At house church, we realized that although we see the end of the stories in the Bible, we don't see the end to our own. Taking this perspective, we see how tough it is for the "heroes" we have always read about. Nothing but God got them through. What are we counting on to carry us through the end we cannot see?

the edge of what?

The realization occurred today at work. I mean, I knew it all along, but for some reason the thought just seemed to resound especially hard today:

This was my last spring break. Ever. It's weird that the reality of it all just hit today. Regardless, today was beautiful. Just cool enough; just warm enough.

And I had my first presentation today. My second one is tomorrow. My summary is due in class in the morning. There's a pile of clothes on my bed. Why are Tuesdays so busy? It's not even Tuesdays; it's the process leading up to them.

In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat—for He grants sleep to those He loves. (Psalm 127). I'm going to use my gift now.

the past week, abbreviated

Bank of America and I are currently not speaking.

I haven't been on blogger in such a long time that it wasn't even in my recent site list. Wow.

Spring break...yeah. That was fun. I spent three hours in a coffee shop just doing work, and for the most part by myself, and realized how nice it is to do that.

Friday was PSP day. After the Turnpike and Schuylkill Expressway got shut down due to wrecks in the morning, I was guided into Philly via what was described to me over the phone as a "you might want to lock your doors" type of neighborhood. Whatever it was, I got to St. Joe's at 7:20am. Just in time to have ten minutes to stand around before getting yelled at. "THE LAST WORD OUT OF YOUR MOUTH DURING TODAY IS GOING TO BE 'SIR' OR 'MA'AM.' DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?" That's what pretty much started my Friday. And aside from filling out a booklet with every bad thing I've ever done in my life (and I mean every bad thing), I found out that I'm in better shape than I was in high school. Week lessons: preparation. wholeheartedness. perseverance. grace. strength. And the fact that both of my auto-injectors are expired.

Wedding's do funny things to me. I loved the one tonight; it was awesome. But on the ride home, the thoughts filled my head. Things, thoughts; thoughts, too many to sort properly. In some convoluted way, they made sense in my head at the time. Now, I'm not so sure. Regardless, it's bedtime, something that I haven't had too much of in the past several days. It should help the mess in my head that needs to be filed.

I have two presentations to give. Tomorrow and Tuesday. Fun fun. I think I'm ready for both of them. I just wish they would be over already. too much waiting. Especially over a break.

And when all's been said and done
It's the things that are given, not won
Are the things that you want

exhausted

Huckabee withdrew from the presidential race. Mmm...I really don't have anything to say about it.

You know that taste you get in the back of your throat like your sick but you only have it because you haven't slept in a long while. Yeah, I've got that.

I'm going to bed. Hopefully to get 8+ hours of sleep.

and it goes fast

On 02 November 2007, I was told that In January 2008, I would be taking a physical fitness exam in the winter in Pennsylvania. I began training for it. I ran in shorts and a long-sleeve shirt every night the temperature dropped below 40 degrees. I tried my hardest to gain eskimoid properties for the entire month of November. Then the letter came. And I decided that running in the winter for no reason at all was probably not a good idea.

Then comes last Friday. I've picked up running in the cold again.

My shoes hug my feet as I run up Greene Street. The cold air brushes past my legs, neck, face and ears. I pound out the steps at the Capital and continue my way through downtown. Though movements keeps me warm, I realize just how much I haven't done this.

But I'm ready for next week.

This is the first time that I'm completely fine with not pursuing what I want. There was once that I wanted only what I wanted, but now I see the folly in pursuing only what I wanted. And while I don't think my motives are completely selfish for wanting to go there, I am, for the first time, willing to succeed my interests.

the "no-class" day

I certainly completed the $16 exercsie plan at the Registrar's office today. I really wish everything was on one floor and I didn't have to run all over two levels to get two transcripts printed out. I finished one of my applications today. And I got my test date changed from the middle of the week. So...good news all around. Though, the lady at the post office today must have thought I was a moron. I asked for my packet to be weighed and to buy the envelope and the stamps, but she got hung up on the part where I was going to mail it later on and not right there when I bought the necessary components. "You know, the papers go inside and you need to put an address on it to mail it," she said to me. "I know," I replied.

Apparently, these are the places that I should consider living (according to...?). If this actually comes to pass is yet to be determined. It is an interesting list, though, I will admit.

• Carlisle, Pennsylvania
• Knoxville, Tennessee
• Albany, New York
• Seattle, Washington
• Cincinnati, Ohio
• Tacoma, Washington
• Roanoke, Virginia
• Johnson City-Kingsport, Tennessee
• Jacksonville, Florida
• Houston, Texas
• Gainesville, Florida
• Chattanooga, Tennessee
• Olympia, Washington
• Kent, Washington
• Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
• Cleveland, Ohio
• Tallahassee, Florida
• Norfolk, Virginia
• Spokane, Washington
• Ogden, Utah
• Hartford, Connecticut
• Billings, Montana
• Bloomington, Indiana
• Loveland, Colorado