I want to go somewhere

I have a hankering to travel right now. I've been starring at Google Earth for the past hour or so and I've planned out all sorts of trips! Unfortunately, none of these trips will probably come to implementation. But they all would be really, really, really, ridiculously cool trips.

In U.S headlines, California has done what needs to be done: they've put second hand smoke (tobacco fumes) on the same list of toxins as diesel exhaust, benzene, and arsenic. Linked to breast cancer, asthma, premature births, and heart disease, along with other health effects in children, the state's Air Resource Board unanimously voted to place it alongside the other toxins on its dangerous substances list. San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department has even banned employees from smoking, on or off the job. Another point for McGruff.

Moral of the story: stay far, far away from tobacco fumes.

How to unintentionally hit your head on a tree

In 3 easy steps!!

1. Play dics before church. Try to find a place that is reletively flat and bordered by trees. This way, you'll be lulled into not thinking about trees.
2. Start running around and trying to catch the disc. This way, you're thinking about catching the disc and not the trees.
3. Miss catching the disc and run after. The trick here is to not look in front of you, or at least looking upwards at the flying disc, for several steps while running forward at full tilt.

By following these direction exactly, and with the lack of a little luck, you too will be able to hurt yourself on a tree.

This was the major accomplishment of my day. The game today was fun, before and after, but it was kinda painful.

Another accomplishment: I ate two, large meals today, up from one, meager sized meal yesterday! And, I'm snacking on a bag of cookies and chips and salsa right now. I don't know what it is, I'm just not too hungry at work, and when I get home, I go to bed (insert movie before bed, sometimes).

Last night, I watched Saving Provate Ryan (it's like the 6th time I've watched the movie-but I still like it). The part that really hits me hardest is in the end where Ryan's family is standing in the background watching Ryan looking at Captain Miller's gravestone. The clueless looks on the family members' faces just show how little they understand of what these men gave to preserve someone else's freedom.

And on a different note, my laundry is done now. I need to go change it around.

A late-to-class excuse

I was almost late today because of the elevator. Seriously. I got in the elevator, and somewhere between my floor and the ground, the elevator decided to stop. right between floors. The girl at the button panel pushed "1" again, and the elevator started moving again, and we arrived safely at the bottom of the building a couple seconds later.

I got to go running with Ben today. It was really enjoyable. I haven't had anyone want to run with me in a long time. We only went about 1.5 to 2 miles, but we were able to talk while we were running, which was really great. I haven't had a conversation on a run for a while (except with the voices in my head).

Then, when I went to my criminal courts class, my professor only wanted to talk about the lack of on-campus parking. It was neat to hear someone complain about parking that wasn't a student. My only complaint is that the main student lot is packed during the games and that the city police won't let me in to park because they're busy getting cars out. Then, after I park around midnight, I have to walk the 2 miles back to my room. Anyway, those are my beefs.

And tonight at Campus Crusade, I wore my name tag upside down. It was sorta like, "What's your name?" "Oh, let me check..." as I look down at my name tag that's upright to me.

I got to have ice cream tonight! That makes me happy. :-)

And now for the car...

I finally drove my car today after a week and half period of non-driving. And all the problems that I had with the car during Christmas break are fixed! Though I fized them over Christmas break, I wasn't sure if they were gone or just temporarily non-existent. After taking a short hop down to Target and around town just now, I can safely say that all problems are no more. Well, at least for now. Gimme a break; the car's 18 years old, and it's gone through 3 generations in my family (my grandpa, my dad, and me). So that it's still running is a big accomplishment.

My chilly room

My room was really cold this morning. It was very windy outside today and my window sill has several crack in it that Ive never seen before today. I did my best to fix it up, as you can see. But lacking the proper materials (duck tape), I haven't sealed it fully. The scotch tape and paper towels will hold up fine for now, though.

I got to go to a lecture on Chinese textiles and the industry today for my East Asian history class. It sorta boiled down to my professors and the lecturer arguing over foreign policy. Which was really kinda entertaining.

Falling in frozen lakes and bombing hills

The ski trip this weekend was great. There are really no words to describe what fun (and in some ways, pain) it was. Starting on Friday afternoon, I packed my bag. I actually packed early, like 3 hours before we left. Gathering together before we left, I was feeling some apprehension about the ride up to West Virginia. With a big storm coming in, and icy conditions predicted for the weekend, the driving condition were going to be less than great. But God was looking out for us. The storm, though covering much of I-77 driving northward, abated by the time our convoy reached the mountains of Virginia and WV. We only hit ice once on Sunday driving up to the slopes, and Stephanie handled it with ease. I must have told her ten times how well she drove. I was stuck in the back seat, but with my iPod to keep me company, having my knees jammed into the seat in front of my was very bearable, and, after a couple hours, sleep inducing.

That night, we settled into our cabins, with Ryan and Jeremy sharing the two-bed room, Chris, Josh, and I sleeping on cots and a couch in the family room and kitchen, and Matt R getting the double bed to himself (don't ask how he worked that one). The next morning was a sitting around day, but not really. A few of the group went afternoon and night skiing, but the rest of us stayed back and slept, caught up on homework, and did other things. Stephanie, Michele, and I walked a trail around a small section of the park. Tony and I practiced ice skating on the front walk of the cabin. Lou proceeded to step in a freezing river, and I must have been secretly jelous, because later I placed my foot in a freezing lake, ignoring the sign on the side of the lake. My quote right before that was, "Tony, listen. You can hear the ice creaking," as I placed more weight on the ice right before my foot and ankle went in. Walking the 1.5 miles back the cabin, my pants leg froze, the air was so cold. We get back, and Neil tells me of how he stood on the lake earlier in the day. I must have done something wrong with my lake-walking/standing-on-technique.

Skiing the next day was a blast. It was cold enough and the snow dry enough that no artificial snow was being blown. Ryan informed me that it wasn't as good as Alaskan snow, but I figure it was the best that I'd be able to find this side of the Mason-Dixon. Lunch was great, sandwiches, which were set out buffet-style on a bench, with many people walking by and lookin at us like we were strange. Well, I'll admit, we were. At the end of the day, we came back wet, cold, tired, and sore, but extactic about the great day of skiing we had just had.

The next day, while going back to the cabin, Josh rode on the outside of Chris' Explorer. He had the rest of us riding inside wanting to ride on the back next.

The drive back was where sleep deprivation caught up with me; that, and the huge breakfast for lunch we ate at Cracker Barrel on the way home. I was out of it for a huge portion of the ride. We got back and ended a spectacular trip around 7 PM. It was a great way to cap off a terrible first week of classes.

Stay tuned, maybe

Maybe I'll write about ski trip fun.

But not right now. I have a pass-fail Chinese geography test tomorrow that I'm studying for.

Ugly Americans

I don't like Americans.

Let me qualify that. I don't like many American attitudes. "I deserve this because..." It really bugs me.

Now don't get me wrong; I can definitely be an ugly American at times, andI am thankful for this country and the freedom we have and the unity that some people exhibit. I guess it's just the selfish attitudes in general that bother me.

That and the fact the most Americans can't read signs right in front of their faces.

Thank You, Lord

God answered a prayer today in such a cool way.

I was walking to the post office, and as I got there, the place that sells envelopes just closed as I walked up to it. And not wanting to walk the mile or so back to my room, I asked God to help me find or figure out how to make an envelope.

Well, I go over to check my mailbox, and inside is an old letter from the university. They sent it to me before I paid my fees. But it's one of those letter that comes with a detachable envelope to send it back to the sender. In any other circumstance, I would have no need for it, except right then, I did.

It's really neat to watch God work.



Oh, and in case anyone was wondering, I haven't died (at least, not yet). My internet connection is really very skechy at home, and blogging is not something I always have time for. Nonetheless, now that I'm at school, regular updates will commence.

Santa with an H&K MP5

Santa is one scary dude!