Ever and Neverlasting...

So it seems that the emergence of Facebook has taken control of my social time on the computer. It seems like a college/high school site, i know, but it's easier than blogger. Sorry for those of you who enjoyed my pointless ramblings. They were few and far between and I think that as time goes on they will become fewer and farther between. I'm not giving up though.. I'm still "waiting for inspiration"...

House is not done yet...

February 1?

Farewell Old Friend...

When I was just ten years old, he was the pick of the litter. He was the biggest one and the most active. He was a fighter. That was proven by how long he lived. Sixteen years.

Today we laid to rest my first and only childhood pet, OPE. Otis (my favorite mountain in Colorado at the time) Patrick (we got him on St. Patrick's Day) England was a good dog. Through years of Michigan winters and the neglect of a busy family, he stuck around-- always waiting for just a pat on the head... He would follow us around when we mowed the lawn, He would sit by us when we sat by the pool. He would even join us on the trampoline. He knew one trick. He could give a high five... and he still did it for me last week.

This may seem like a comical post if you had met OPE. We all knew this day was coming soon. He was sooo old. But as detatched I thought I was from him, today was surprisingly extremely sad. I really don't remember life without him.

So goodbye my good friend, man's "best friend"... A little pain for me is worth the relief of yours. Rest in peace.

Lost and Found

So blogger doesn't have one of those little reminders for usernames. Only passwords. But alas, I have finally figured it out. Turns out my Student ID number was it once again. I know those 7 digits better than my own phone number.

But yeah, I forgot my username and couldn't update for months. Actually that only accounts for about six minutes of this three month span. Give me a couple more months and I will consider updating more frequently. I'm busy with work, coaching, and home improvement from 7:30am-9 or 10pm every night. No my house isn't livable yet. Yes it has taken forever. The place was a hole. I may have taken 10 years off my life but it will be nice when I'm done.

Yep. I'm done already. Maybe I'll give a holiday greeting. Could be a few holidays though.

Bye.

Go Tigers.

Fire, Water, Burn?

My posting frequency seems to be on an exponential decline, for which I apologize. For those who are curious, the house is going slow but well. Pictures to be posted when completion is near. Yeah, I created a ridiuclous amount of work for myself, so I will probably end up posting a few more times before it is complete. Yes, even at this rate.

It was a 7-day weekend fun in the sun. I guess at some point it stops being a weekend. Anyway - Jenny and I left last Thursday for Mark and Allison's wedding in Akron, had good times with good people (you know who you are), then we drove back Saturday after Bob Evans. We drove right to the hospital to see my first nephew, Luke. He was a big baby. Then we both went home for a refreshing ten minutes to pack up our things to go camping with some friends (you also know who you are) an hour and a half north. After a humid, mosquito-filled night in the tent, we looked for the restaurant we have been waiting a whole year to go to - the Bitchen Kitchen. Turns out it was a shop, not an actual kitchen. It's a good thing Pentwater, MI had more to offer than meets the eye. I'm a Holland pier-jumper. Swimming amongst the boats in the channel is a big "no-no." You get to pay money when you get caught in Holland. But Pentwater is the place dreams are made of. Swimming to the other pier is encouraged. As I was crossing my proverbial Red Sea, boats all around, the danger that encompassed me was a mere afterthought. How glorious it was. Then I got sunburned. After a day of rest, I was back in the game. This independence day found me in the same place as my ancestors - on a boat. While I was not crossing the ocean, I was in search of freedom. A fleet of five undersized inflatable rafts dropped in the Black River, looking for the great Lake Macatawa. It was no Potomac, for the Black River is stagnant and putrid. It changes direction with the wind. Through our journey we found two brdiges to jump off of, along with some very tired arms. Well worth the journey. I got sunburned again.

I did not intend to tell you about my weekend. It was merely a precursor to another theory I have. I was recently in the shower fighting off the hot water because of my sunburn. Then I stopped and asked myself... "Does this actually hurt?" Answer: I don't think so. Next time you stand under hot water after over-exposure - bite your lip until you feel a strange, cool sensation. Scream if you have to. But it's all in your head.

Ten by ten...

I live.

Many of you have expressed concerns that I truly did not make it through the trauma of the worst day of the year. Clearly I have conquered my inner self and I make my return as a frequent blogger. Yeah, that's not true either. Due to my recent sub-6-figure purchase and the work that will go along with it, my free time will be unavailable for blogging purposes. Then, once I occupy my purchase I fear I will not be able to afford the luxuries I now enjoy. We all knew this blog thing wouldn't work anyway.

And now I'm sick of typing already so I'm going to take a walk with my girlfirend. It's actually above 50 degrees. Wow.

Look for an update in another 10 weeks. I love you all.

Go Pistons.

A cause for celebration...

Evidently, yesterday was the worst day of the year. Some British psychologist has proven that January 24 is the worst day of the year. It was definitely the worst day of my year so far, so I'm going to go ahead and support this. For other people I know, it's not been so great either... My co-worker's wife and 5 month old daughter were hit by a drunk driver yesterday (they are ok, but still...) and a good friend's brother died last year on that day.

I guess there are 7 variables used in some ridiculous equation. Here is a link...http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6847012/

So, cheers. The worst is over.

Twisted Equilibrium...

Wow, it's been 2,007 years since we decided to start having years Anno Domini (I counted zero, stupid)... I am glad I have only roamed the earth 1.26% of that time. Anyway...

So I have a theory. I believe the seasons are slowly shifting before our eyes. It is a little known fact that our years are all actually 365 1/4 days. How do we have 1/4 days? Not sure. But that's why we have leap year every four years. This is an attempt to keep the seasons reasonably on track. However... the years are not 365.25 days. They are 365.2425 days, according to the Gregorian Calendar. What does this mean? We are 11 minutes off every year. The calendar has tried to account for this error. Every year that is divisble by 100, but not 400, is NOT a leap year. So 1800, 1900, 2100, 2200, and 2300 are not leap years. But 2000 and 2400 ARE leap years.

My theory? Whoever figured this out got really annoyed because they couldn't account for the few seconds of error left over... so they just called it good. We're going to be really messed up in a few million years. We are going to have to switch sides of the world with the Aussies and all those other people down there to make our seasons right..

Get all you can...

'Tis not better to give than to receive anymore. At least not when you try to go to the mall on the double eve of Christmas. It was too busy to shop. I spent more time trying to get out of the parking lot than I did inside the mall. Receiving is much better. You don't have to go through the pains of malls and waiting lines, and you don't have to pay for what you get. Receiving also brings true fulfillment. You know the old Biblical truth.."Ye ask not because ye have a lot."

This time of year is a reminder of a gift already received (by some)-- the gift we should be re-receiving every day. If we remember that part of Christmas.

Merry Christmas to all. May your last minute shopping be as painful as mine was.

Imagine...

Imagine you were 56 days old hearing of John Lennon's death on that fateful Monday night in Manhattan. I cried that night. My dad probably did too. Except I cried because I was hungry and I knew no other way to get food.

It seems our generation knows no equivalent. Bono may be the closest, but U2 will never be the Beatles. After a full day of Beatles songs (no repeats), I was reminded of their greatness. I'm not a superfan, just appreciative of great music. Long live their legend. Could I have such a long-lasting impact on just one person? Let it be.

A girl, a billy goat, and a spider-monkey...

We surprised the bird by flying, so why not take a shot at the billy goat with its suction-cup hooves. Went climbing Saturday... Fingers, forearms, and toes are sore. Great feeling.


World, meet Jennifer. I entrusted my life to her and a figure-eight knot. She is light as a feather. When I fell, she was catapulted into the sky. I actually hit the ground before she did. Humorous? Yes. Did I spider-monkey after that? Yes. Also humorous.

They say you can't buy love...

Saw the motion picture Rent last night. It reminded me of a lot of things. Go ahead and throw your festive ribbons and pilgrim hats because believe it or not, it made me thankful. It made me thankful for love and for the great friends I have. It made me thankful that I am straight. Very thankful. It made me thankful that I have a decent job and a roof to cover my head. It made me thankful for simple things. But I think most of all it made me thankful for great music and for the appreciation I have for it. If you can look past a little perversion, go see the movie or at least "rent" the soundtrack from the library. If you are one of those people who feel they need to separate themselves from everything worldly, more power to you-- but you are missing out. I personally find it hard to reach a world I am not in, or at least do not have a taste of. I like to see the good in things. And the music is definitely good. Go take my twisted philosophies, have yourself a beer, and think it over. Happy Thanksgiving too. I'm going to go brave the snowstorm to see a friend.

Another Man's Treasure...

I could not figure out how to move the dumb thing. I thought I would need an enclosed truck with a lift, 6 guys, and a prayer. I was getting worried. Finally, with one day to spare, I brought it home. Three guys, one dolly, and little Chevy S-10. I guess it was for a good cause. After all, it's not just a normal thrift store. Their name reads "Bibles for Mexico Thrift Center." Can I spend money there and count it towards my tithe? Doubtfully. I guess it's a matter of the heart. Anyway- yesterday I brought home my very first piano. It is an antique upright-- you know, the tall, top-heavy kind that make small trucks sway heavily at 40 MPH. It even has the little window that slides open so you can better hear the masterful melodies pouring out from the wonderfully tuned strings. So it's a little out of tune. It might even be a lot out of tune. Look, the beast obviously needs a little TLC... seeing as though I paid a mere $30. I'm going to fix her up and make her beautiful. Love makes things beautiful. That either means I love my piano, or I am in essence "Love". I feel I have reached a new low. I guess I'm trying to say that it's true. One man's trash truly is another man's treasure.

Deciduousless Pity...

Oh yes I did. I declared a pity party for those who live in states with a lack of deciduous trees. Big deal you say. Yes it is a big deal. In fact, I don't even know how we breathe up here in the winter. The photosynthesis process is on hiatus, so where do we get our oxygen? Maybe that's why I like October so much. I get a little high from the lack of oxygen. Wow, that was not where I was going with this. I pity you all because you cannot enjoy the vast colors a sugar maple can produce. You don't get to see the rainbows of leaves displayed as trees enter their state of dormancy. The dead brown branches on your evergreens don't count so don't try. But I don't know how you can even call Fall "Fall" with out corn mazes, pumpkins, and leaf-covered lawns. Ok, so maybe you have pumpkins but you get the point. Fabulous time of year in these parts.

Boo.

It's scary to think that kids walk around in the dark with costumes of death and go door to door demanding a sugary substance to masticate. Even worse, we give it to them. It's raining here. Boo hoo.

Dolphins and Winged Clocks...

Time flieth far and fast. 'Tas already been a week since the previous post and I feel like I just finished typing it (Thought I would try to abbreviate and make a new word.. or is it already one? That's what great about English... I bet you knew what I meant). Anyway...

So, in recent days, I have turned the ripe age of 25. Yada, yada - 1/4 century, mid-life crisis, silver birthday - I've heard them all. It really doesn't mean much to me. Yeah, car insurance goes down and I don't have to pay the extra $35 to rent a car. Petty bonuses.

BUT.... by rumor from word-of-mouth or other sources I've seem to have forgotten in my old age, I may now insert myself into the USCG through a mere two weeks of training. Now I, feeling better than ever (despite my sawdust intake and recent smoking habits... j/k mom), should be able to pass such physical and mental challenges with flying rainbows of color encompassing me. But the question remains... Do I guard the coasts of our beautiful nation from drug-smuggling dolphins? Or do I endure the final 12 months of my selective service availability? I believe the former clearly trumps the latter. Much thought required.

Piece.

If I had to learn English again, and I were extremely flexible - I would kick myself in the face. The language of my own people is bloody confusing. Yeah, I'm pretty good at it, but I'm thinking of the more challenged people. How are people supposed to spell? Don't worry Dave and Roth I won't mention names. But seriously, do patients have patience? Or do patience have patients? It's the former. Realistically, neither wood bee true butt bare with me sew eye can make my point. Then we get all lazy and "contract" words and call them contractions. Is it that much easier to write "isn't" rather than "is not?" I'd say it isn't. Then we have contractions that we claim are not words, yet we throw them in the dictionary anyway. I ain't complaining. But mothers should. Why? Because contractions to them are extremely painful. At least that's what I read. Wait, is it the "read" that sounds like "reed"? Or the "read" that sounds like "red"? I guess yule never no.

So we have words that sound the same and are spelled differently. And we have words that are spelled the same and have unrelated meanings. Words in different tenses are spelled the same. We shorten words. We make them up. There's so much more but if people see that I wrote too much they won't read it. Actually I just can't stand to sit here for another minute. Anyway - my point: I was watching the sports ticker on ESPNews and I saw that Mel Stottlemyre was resigning. I thought "Wow, he's sticking around? That's weird, I thought they were saying he was done." Did he resign or did he resign? Not that you or I care about the Yankees' pitching coach. But why do we have two frickin words that are spelled exactly the same and mean the exact opposite? Yeah, they sound a little different but how am I supposed to know when I am reading? Ok, I'm over it.

Sign Language should be the universal language. But then we would have to look at each other all of the time. That'd be weird. Thinking of college, someone could drop their shampoo and it could roll into the adjacent shower unbeknownst to the adjacent showerer. That conversation may not go well. Music would be like CU Women's Choir 24/7.... "My Lips Will Praise You." Whoa, let's stick with what we've got. Later people.

Oh, for the record, Mel is resigning. Hard "s". He's quitting. He's done.

Piece out.

I got nothing.

There are times when you feel like you should do something that's not really important. You don't want to let down the faithful billions who count on you for next to nothing. Sorry people, I got nothing to post. Just thought I would confirm my continued existence on this earth. It's 10:30 -- I'm too tired to think. Sleep is no longer a crutch. It's a prosthesis.

My twisted gridiron...

Things have been strange in this magical mitten ever since Michigan lost (to Notre Dame of all teams) and the Lions won in the same weekend. That has to be more rare than a blue moon. I, for one, haven't been the same since. But hey, after a couple days off work, some expired Ibuprofin, and an over-the-phone prescription (getting drugs is easier than i thought?), I'm back in the game for now. Unless I have mononucleosis - which is possible. But my spleen feels ok so I'm hoping for the best.

Through all of this, I have learned something. If you are on Jeopardy and you beep in accidentally and you don't know the answer, just guess "Lake Titicaca." Oh, and go for the 64,000- even if you are out of life-lines. But the survey says that only 4 people out of 100 actually watch the gameshow network's re-runs anyway, so some kind of loss is inevitable.

Go Lions.

Freedom.

The day of labor brings a lack thereof. Why is that? We don't burn flags on Flag Day. We don't boycott gratitude on Thanksgiving. We don't cut down trees on Arbor Day. We don't even celebrate our hatred for love on Valentines Day. Ok, so that's not totally true for everyone. Lest you think I am crazy, I am far from complaining. Labor Day is a great holiday. The working man needs a day to sit back and say "Yeah, I'm pretty sweet."

Labor Day is the third indication of summer's end (1 - End of July, 2 - Start of school), even though there is officially 2-3 weeks of summer left. By the time the Autumnal Equinox actually rolls around, nobody even cares anymore because they already feel like summer ended a bunch of times. I don't know. I guess I feel like I never even had a summer. The increase in heat just made work more miserable anyway.

Cooler air and earthtones. No more white shoes, ladies. It's finally arrived.

I find freedom in this much needed 3-day weekend.

I'm losing money!

It is true. It has happened. In the course of a day, the price of regular unleaded gasoline has risen a whole dollar to $3.49 9/10. In fact, a year ago I think it was a mere $1.49 (Correct me if I am wrong). This does not affect me and my Civic as much as it does others. It cost me about 17-18 dollars to fill up last year. Now it costs me around 36-37 dollars. I guess when you look at it that way it is pretty bad. Every 10 cent jump adds about a dollar to my tab. I'll never own a pick-up.

I guess it doesn't help that Michigan gets most of its oil from the New Orleans area. Or that's what they're saying anyway. Either way, Katrina sucks - which brings me to the point of my post. Truth be told, I would rather pay $5.00/gallon for the rest of my life than go through what those people are going through down there. If you haven't sat down and watched CNN for a half hour.. do it. Shame on self-pity. I'm sure anyone in NO or the surrounding areas would pay an extra $20 a week (even $100 for you truck drivers) if it meant they could have everything back. Peace be upon them.