Friday, December 30, 2005

lost and found

music is making a big comeback in my life...because I got some for Christmas, and I'm trying to organize things on my iPod again. I started to back in the summer when I got it, but a bunch of stuff is still out of whack, like song titles, album names, and extra stuff I really dont want on there.

So here's the big story of the day...aside from the great coat I got for Christmas. I have been missing 4 CDs for about 6 months, maybe more...and I finally found ALL of them. Yes, all of them. About two weeks ago I was sitting there looking through all my CD cases again, just to make sure I didnt misplace them, and Steve (my roommate) asks me what I'm doing. Turns out...he had two of my CDs the whole time...so I got back my Neil Diamond and United Hillsong CDs. He didnt know I was looking for them...I didnt know he had them. Gotta love communication.

So, the other two....I remember having Joni Mitchell in my Grand Am...then it vanished. I've looked under the seats a million times since then...and yesterday I decided to try ONE more time. I looked under the passenger seat, and UP under, almost inside the seat was a CD case with Joni Mitchell and Juliana Theory in it. Wow....it really was in there, so I wasnt crazy. I dont know how it got jammed up there, but I'm pretty happy.

I promise..new pictures this weekend. New and old. Throwback and recent holiday photos.

I figure all my questions on here should just be rhetorical because not many people respond anyway....but what are you doing for New Years? (or if thats boring...what did you get for Christmas?)

Thursday, December 29, 2005

its a competition

just to let you know, my lack of posting is directly related to my increase in productivity at work. Seriously. If I'm posting....I'm not getting my work done. Except for later today when I'll be posting some fun photos from home. I have to scan them first. I got a better digital camera for Christmas, so more of those fun photos should end up here. Its used, but good. Those 4 megapixel jobbies really take large photos. I'm gonna have to increase the compression or something....so I can actually keep the photos without having to compress them all more. That would take too long.

Music stuck in my head today: Thrice from the new album Vheissu (I dont know what that means)

I was trying to decide if I need the new Death Cab for Cutie CD. I got it for my sister for Christmas....and I like it, but I wasnt sure, because it sounds a lot like the one before. This morning one of their new songs was the first song I heard on the radio. Thats enough for me to know. Back to Best Buy with my gift cards.

Three of my cousins got better ipods than me for Christmas. They have video, and a bigger screen. When I bought mine back in like, June I guess, Mine was the biggest, and the best. Oh well. It works fine. I love it.

I love rambling. Just for the record, Ska is not dead. (it just likes to reincarnate itself :-))

Friday, December 16, 2005

Game show

congratulations...you've won the chance to access free ebooks for life, in addition to being amused by the most ridiculous, completely fake online encyclopedia. Enjoy!

Project Gutenberg:
http://www.gutenberg.org/

Uncyclopedia:
http://uncyclopedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

moving along

Ach, thats my word for the day...sort of a half surprise, half something else, definitely not so good sort of word. Almost was in a huge accident today on the beltway, this guy blew a tire and was spinning in circles right in front of our van. We missed him by about 6 inches. Ask me for details, it would take too long to type, but we're okay, and I dont think anybody else hit him either.

I fixed my link to photos...for some reason, my previous photo album simply vanished. I dont know why, but its gone. Alas, that is sad. I had that site since 2001, so a lot of time had gone into it. The new one is great, of course, but just not the same. It will take a while to build up my archive in there.

band of the day: Radiohead
you may have noticed I havent talked about music as much recently...yeah, thats because I havent been listening to it as much, or investigating it. Its a bit sad, but I expect to get more into it soon....I really need to find out whats out there, but I dont always have time.

book of the day: Treasure Island
gotta love that book. I found it on the project gutenberg website. I dont have the exact link, but I should put it up. I also have a fun link to a site like wikipedia, but its not exactly, its all made up stuff. pretty funny.

Ach! back to work

Monday, December 05, 2005

regaining unconsciousness

my office moved 20 feet up the hall, so the end of last week was Chaos here. Yes I capitalized that on purpose, because Chaos definitely deserves to be personified. (always has a bad temper too). Atleast I'm snugly down the hall now, my code is in a space 1/3 the size of the last one, and our other room looks like a disaster zone. Not my problem, or is it? Nobody really knows what we're supposed to do with all the stuff we couldnt fit in here.

Anyway, I'm munching on an amazing cookie that Jenn and I made. First time either of us has made cookies from scratch. Seriously. It was quite pleasant yesterday, Christmas music playing, Mario on the Super Nintendo (old school), a newly decorated tree looking bold in the whatever room (the main one I havent named yet). Then the fresh cookies. Cliche yes, but thats what it was all about, and we had a great time. I even did some raking yesterday before finishing up with the tree. yesterday was a full but very nice day. I need to get another cookie....

Monday, November 28, 2005

giving thanks and stuff like that

I find it harder and harder to update this. now my updates also include my latest struggles with that, apparently. I think part of it is because I hesitate posting something that I have no pictures to go with...I'm a really visual person, and I know how cool accompanying photos are. So...I wait...until I have something with a photo. But....thats not always possible....I think its also hard when I dont really know if people are reading it, you know, the people that I would want to. The ones that I dont see every day so it would be cool if they wondered what I was up to and checked it out every now and then. So...motivation is hard to gather sometimes I guess. But, I will trod on. When I began I had no followers at all, so I'm surely better than I was at that point.

So, what am I most thankful for? certainly my job, my house, my food, etc. But, I really am most thankful for the people in my life, my family who gave me everything I needed to get to this point. all the other stuff I listed above can be traced back to them in some way. And of course Jenn. The two most important things in life are God and relationships. So.....I look at all the people, and I thank God for them. of course I thank God for lots of other thigns too...like nature, colors, sound, seasons, and his salvation. So.....anything you are thankful for, that maybe you just recently figured out? Shoot me something new, something about your life RIGHT NOW that you are thankful for...that would be cool.

Did you have a good thanksgiving? We went around my family's table and all shared what we were thankful for, after eating lots of food, then we spent a lot of time with cousins, grandparents, and widescreen TVs with football on them. Here's what I love about my sister. Its about 9pm, and shes starting to get hungry. She wants more Turkey, more stuffing. So....she gets it. Stuffing is delivered to her shortly from the vast stash in the fridge. Relatives LOVE to feed you, of course. half an hour later shes moaning and rolling around in the car next to me complaining about how STUFFED she is. Stuffed........stuffing.....hmmm, I wonder if she made the connection....

Monday, November 14, 2005

Adventures

So, heres what's been happening...let's see, last weekend I went sailing with a friend from school, Greg, on his boat down at Solomons. We were in a race, had a pretty good time but didnt finish in the top 3. Oh well, it was quite a day, very relaxing. I've always loved sailing.

This past weekend I've eaten Indian food, and then a random guy from Poland, Macek, came into town, and he's stayed at my place the last two nights. I hadn't met him before, but he needed a spot to crash, so it was cool. He's a very interesting guy. You could talk to him for hours....he's got a lot on his mind, that's for sure.

Oh, forgot that on my day off on friday I went to Ellicott city with Jenn, apparently the whole place is pretty much haunted (well, some of it), there are website and all about the places that are haunted. Here's the website. Its very quaint, lots of antique shops. We went to a Tea place, called Tea on the Tiber. The Tiber is a creek that flows down underneath half of the houses there, its pretty cool how they've built the houses over top of them, and I guess they did that more than 100 years ago when they built the city. Its been flooded pretty bad in the past though.

http://www.ellicottcity.net/

update!

I have a feeling my reader numbers are dwindling since I havent been updating as much. I guess I left high expectations on myself back when I posted more often, but I dont know, I guess there hasnt been as much to tell you or something like that. nothing that you might not already know. I'll tell you in a few minutes about what I've been doing recently, but for the moment....just know that this website will always be here, dependable, and stuff like that. At the very least its got some cool links, eh?

Thursday, October 27, 2005

Smell my feet

So, its thursday, almost Halloween. Tell me, what was your best costume ever....? Some of my favorites (YES, in order of preference):

Best
1. Skeleton
2. tomato
3. Cowboy
4. Vampire
5. King

Worst:
1. tennis player
2. mountain climber

Friday, October 21, 2005

The Hokie Powerhouse Flexes its Muscles


yeah, it was a bit sloppy, but it was a grinding in your face 28-9 victory right in the teeth of an improving MD team...and they went down alright. V Tech is now 7-0, still #3. The sloppy play should give us enough motivation to show BC what's up next thursday night when they come to town.

Friday, October 14, 2005

These noodles are older than dirt

Well, I've had a hard time updating this thing I guess. I really don't do it unless I come across something that I absolutely must share with the world. Much of what I'm dealing with these days is pretty common knowledge to you all out there that know me. Well...except for the 4,000 year old noodles that they discovered in China! thats pretty cool. Not that I have anything to do with noodles, I just happen to probably be the first person all day to actually read that article on MSN. Everybody else is probably still asleep. Anyway, you should check it out:
NOODLES

It's a friday, and I'm awake, so that's positive. I just found out that I can't get tickets to watch my beloved Hokies play against Maryland just a mere 20 minutes from my house. That's tragic. I WILL see them play next year! You can hold me to that. I may have to drive 4.5 hrs down to Blacksburg for that, but hey, I need to put in more quality Blacksburg time anyway. I'll be heading down there in about two weeks probably. Thats gonna be so refreshing. I need some of that fresh mountain air, especially in the fall.

So, that's right, its fall now! What do you like about fall? I dont always do so well with my online surveys here, but do me a favor and help us enjoy fall by sharing what you like best about it. A lot of memories come to mind of hiking on brisk days with a blue sky and yellow leaves blowing in the stiff wind.....the smell of chimneys....and pumpkins and stuff. Last year I had a pumpkin sitting on my porch. I remembered noticing one morning that "hah, somebodys pumpkin got squashed" as I passed some orange goo in the street. Took me about two days to realize, my pumpkin was missing...hmm...and then it hit me in a funny way that it bothered me a lot less that I lost my pumpkin, than the fact that some mischievious person was on my front porch in the middle of the night. Yeah, I just got TP'd the other night....they did a really bad job too. My sister thinks they got spooked because they left a whole roll on the ground. It really is a pain to clean up though, because its all wet outside, and the stuff just totally disintegrates the second you try to pick it up. I figure.....if I pick it up a bit every day it won't be so bad.......

Monday, October 03, 2005

HokieNation wants a blocked kick...


And they got it! In case you weren't paying attengion, on Sept 24 Jeff King blocked a field goal against Georgia Tech that we ran back for a Hokie Touchdown. Thats what VT is made of. Yeah, its the real deal....Tech is now 5-0 and ranked No. 3 in the nation. Theres a lot of football left, but things are looking good. Don't miss out on the excitement...you can always ask me who theyre playing next, and when. I'll fill you in.

Wednesday, September 21, 2005

open water

So what's on my mind this morning?? Sailing....

Friday, September 16, 2005

creative cats


for the benefit of you all who didnt check out John's wonderfully uplifting fetish for cat photos in his recent comments, here's a bonus. this should be called, "lime cat" and "don't touch me". the 2nd one actually came with instructions next to it on how to clean a toilet: open lid, insert pet shampoo, insert cat, close lid, flush toilet, wait a minute, open lid, dodge cat as it rockets out of the toilet.

[this story was inspired by actual live cats. no people were harmed in the creation of this post]

Monday, September 12, 2005

what works for you?

I know not a whole lot of people read this, but I'll throw a question out there...what really lifts you up when you're down, blah, not centered? Hopefully by now you've figured a few things out....maybe we can encourage each other like that....with interesting ideas.....I'll share mine...but not yet.

Here's a little bonus while you're thinking about it. A picture of a cat found in Mississippi after the hurricane. Its nice to see life surviving and moving on. We need to see that.

Friday, September 09, 2005

and I'm back


it's been forever since I've updated this stuff.....in the meantime, I've been to Seattle and stuff. Jenn's cousin got married out there, so I went out to join them, and had a great time. I ate lots of Chinese food...some highlights: jellyfish, sharkfin soup. I didnt eat some of the stuff, but it was okay, I had plenty of shrimp, lobster, fish, rice, crab.....whatever else. This was at a "chinese banquet", something like 13 course meal, in Chinatown there in Seattle. After the actual wedding, which was the next day, I was just itching to see the town, so Jenn and I went up into the Space Needle, ate at the revolving restaurant up there........wow, that was an experience. Almost euphoric, watching the city revolving around, having a great conversation, good food, all that. Some pix are up here, as you can tell, so enjoy.

The next day we went to this place called Squonamie falls, pretty amazing sight, but it was less water than usual. Still, a nice walk, and very relaxing. Hmm, I forgot to mention that the wedding had to be the perfect setup, with the weather, right on the water, very calm...very peaceful. You can get a glimpse of that behind in the picture of us.

I'm going to see the Juliana Theory next tuesday, you should check out their new album. Its coming out tuesday too. I think I'll be a bit better about updating this now....I've got more pix up on my photobucket site...if you know where it is. If you don't, just ask.

Thursday, August 18, 2005

IM translator

ok...so hilarious, you gotta check this out, if you hope to communicate with anybody 12 or younger...looks like thats the direction our language is heading...

http://ssshotaru.homestead.com/files/aolertranslator.html

laptop madness

check out this story I swiped from Johns blog...its quite bizarre. people really wanted these used laptops...

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/08/16/computer.frenzy.ap/index.html

its quite bizarre, but at the same time it strikes me....Henrico county...yeah, that nice place down in Richmond...they actually get laptops as freshman in high school? They not only put P. G. County to shame, but they make us look like we havent even invented the wheel yet. When I was in high school I took a data processing class (1997), and the computers we used didnt even have a MOUSE. Bowie was a special school though...with all the riotous activity that went on...the walk-outs, threats, actual explosive devices found, pep rally riots, and excessive fire-alarm pulling (sometimes 4-5 per day, no joke). so we had our ID tags (with "breakaway" chains, specially designed so an administrator could swipe it as you fled the scene of your crime), and our pat-downs at the front door, and all that. Ask me how many things got stolen from me during the 4 years I was in high school....sorry, didnt mean to ramble. What was life like at High Point, or Laurel...? I wonder....

Wednesday, August 17, 2005

gift errors

if you ever go to MSN then you've probably seen these...its on the main site today. Here are some of the worst wedding presents (I picked my favorites):

"A 3-D painting of horses"
"A really ugly art piece involving a cow tooth"
"A ceramic fish statue"
"A hand-painted lucky horseshoe"
"A picture of a wine cork"
"A friend gave us a framed invitation to her own wedding, which happened about five months before"
"A cinnamon-scented stuffed dog"
"A re-gifted tray (with the original card to the re-gifter included with the present)"
"A $15 garage rack (we don't even have a garage!)"
"A bottle of vinegar vegetables"
"A mop"
"Dollar-store picture frame with price tag still attached"
"Febreze air freshener"
"Gift card that was empty"
"Mounted can opener with the UPC code removed (so the giver could get the rebate and we couldn't return it)"
"An IOU"
"Nothing"

Makes me think of listing all those presents Ive got for birthdays, christmas, whatever that share a similar spot in my heart (the recycle bin part)...but that probably wouldnt be a good idea. I do think Ive been okay with the wedding presents Ive given.....since Ive pretty much stuck to people's registries...thats usually safe.

Some words to go away with...."It's the thought that counts" (even if it seems they weren't thinking)

Friday, August 12, 2005

quote of the day

here' s my deep thought of the day...I borrowed this from Jenn, so its not really mine. This baby is worthy of a fortune cookie:

"coincidences are cool....especially when you know there's no such thing ;-)"

yeah so....in some random way this one reminds me of Mr. T and an Orioles/Red Sox baseball game I went to last year......not really a story I'll share. Just wanted you to notice that its SO EASY for my mind to get side-tracked....

Monday, August 08, 2005

The Sweetness


they say that good things come to those who wait....well I waited a while to decide if an iPod was right for me. Here she is...my beloved has been treating me very well.

Tuesday, August 02, 2005

Monday, August 01, 2005

God is huge

or I could say God is everything. Here are some verses that have really struck me today...starting with one that really speaks of how God is right here with us, all the time.

Jeremiah 23:23-24
"Am I a God near at hand," says the Lord
"And not a God afar off? Can anyone
hide himself in secret places, so I
shall not see him?" says the Lord;
"Do I not fill heaven and earth?" says the Lord

I was also listening to a song by David Crowder Band about stars...and some of these other verses come to mind when I sit under His stars:

Psalm 19:1-2
The heavens declare the glory of God;
The skies proclaim the work of His hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
Night after night they display knowledge.

Psalm 16:7-8
I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;
Even at night my heart instructs me. I have
set the Lord always before me. Because He
Is at my right hand I will not be shaken.

Thursday, July 28, 2005

Wicked Storm

I've been getting complaints about not updating enough here, so I guess I should make more of an effort? No cool pictures today, but soon enough there will be....when I get my film developed.

Last night I experienced what was probably the worst storm of the summer so far....I was in Annapolis, on West street. One second it was getting darker because it was dusk, then the next second the sky is black, then the next second its black and blowing and starting to rain. This sucker came up FAST. So I'm there with Jenn at a car dealership looking at stuff, and as it starts to rain there is water pouring into the showroom. That stuff came under the door and in like 10 feet. Waiting to test drive a car, we wait a while watching the water pour across the parking lot. signs get knocked over, etc. For some reason there was a fake owl hanging from the powerlines, and he was blowing totally sideways most of the time.

So we finally test drove it in the river that used to be the road...yeah some parts we had to go onto the wrong side to not swamp the car. Then after the whole thing, I notice the signs knocked over, a large cigarette disposal thingy that looks to have been blown into a brand new car and opened itself up (fun). Then I get to MINE, and theres a stinkin sign up against IT (it actually fell ON it). I havent really checked much to see if it left marks, but I sure wasnt happy. (these are metal signs that say like "customer parking" and junk like that. I guess they move them around to trick people or something....so they arent permanent?)

Then theres the power that went out, forgot about that one. Anyway, when I get to work today, I'm seeing that the whole DC area had issues, as I hear about it on the radio, then just outside my building I'm noticing large potted plants that were knocked over, then rolled around...a bird's nest that was definitely not in the tree that used to hold it. A real fun time. I'm told the left 2 lanes of part of the beltway were under 2 feet of water...I've only seen that once before, at the same spot near River Road (the name fits, eh?). Not so good for driving.

Monday, July 25, 2005

thought of the day

honestly, not much goin on in my head today that I feel like sharing. BUT, I do know that I really like listening to Mae. That band is stinkin awesome! and stuff like that.

Sunday, July 17, 2005

Cruise &Crabs


Wow...what a great weekend. its not even over yet, and Im already saying that. friday night got to hang out with some fun people, and then saturday was like the longest day....our small group leaders all got together and we went out on a cruise up the Severn River, and it was all stormy, but that was cool. After that we went down to Hillsmere Beach and had a crab and corn feast right by the water....had some fun playing volleyball, even in the thunderstorms (smart? probably not...you only live once though, and it felt so good). So after all that activity I was a bit tired...jammed finger, a bit of sunburn, sand in unknown places....but I headed to Annapolis with Jenn and some of her friends, a pretty relaxing evening, nice way to wrap it up.

So....can you find me in this picture? Hint, I'm not the one wearing the shades....

Friday, July 15, 2005

Collision Ahead












Pre-Order the New Album Here!!!
We're Giving Away A Brand New
Tom Anderson "Atom" Electric Guitar!


-enter site-

Tuesday, July 12, 2005

Backyard Beauties



I have to admit...the best smelling flower has to be the Stargazer Lily, thats the pink one here. Not sure what the other one is, specifically, but the expert transplanter John helped me get it growing happily. By the way, I have an iPod now. she's quite beautiful to me too. (yup, I caved in to the hype. in a sense its a very sweet defeat)

sunrise and summertime


Hey there...the sunrise these past two day has been sweet, nice wispy pink action all over the deep blue morning sky. Very nice. This picture here is actually at Bethany beach (in march I think). That was such an amazing sight. Make sure you check out the links on the right, I added JRs blog, he's the pastor of Kairos out in LA where a lot of my friends went into the ministry after school. Hes a real interesting guy, a lot like Brian Hopper. Very artistic I would say...here's a great link I found on his page. Can't wait until Chronicles of Narnia is in the theaters?

Click here for a preview

some recent thoughts...

Standing on the Edge of Summer
What is this that drips of cherries and smooth summer nights?
Although I know what holds me back, I sure enjoy the flight
What seemed to be so random is exactly that and more
As I slip into the water and find more than there was before
I glide through then swim deep to see what's below
Its a tantalizing journey as I learn to take it slow
As if in reverse I can prevent my lungs from bitter pain
I try to slow the process down, at best attempt to refrain
So them I'm floating at mid-depth, and neither way is clear
Up or down is that the choice I'm dealing with here?
But up seems down and all around when senses fill the soul
I've got myself, and here I am I'll gladly take the role.
Life is fresh, and always new and living is what is real
So gaze into that crystal ball and whatever it may reveal

Thursday, July 07, 2005

todays pet peeve

Have you ever been listening to the traffic report on the radio, and heard them say that because of the jam, or of impending weather, that you should "allow extra time" for your drive? They might say "give yourself more time". I think they should really say something like "too bad, nothing you can do about it now, you're gonna sit".

I mean, how on earth can we give ourselves more time? You get up in the morning at a certain time, listen to the radio or check it out on TV, and you're pretty much done for if the traffic is already bad. You're gonna be late for work. Its not like you can go back in time and "give yourself more time" for that specific morning. Okay, so you hear about it at work. Today they told me that since this afternoon is going to be terrible weather, I should give myself more time for my drive home. Ridiculous. Unless that means I can leave from work early, can they do that for me?

I really think that theyre saying with the bad weather, it's a "be careful", kind of thing. Like, dont drive so stinkin crazy all the time. My favorite was when Bob Malburg on WTOP was talking about one rainy afternoon. He said something like "for all of you out there that think you own the road, you'll find out soon enough and end up flipped upside down by the end of rush hour". He was sick and tired of the people driving like the laws of physics dont really exist...

Tuesday, July 05, 2005

time for the audience to vote

raise your hand if you think I should get an iPod. If yes...what should I get specially engraved on the back? (that part is free)

Monday, July 04, 2005

random

I'm keeping count....in the last three days, atleast once a day somebody has paused in mid conversation to tell me how RANDOM I am. Seriously. They tell me its good. Anyway, heres my random thought of the day: bug zappers. What is the point anyway? so they may rid your casual evening atmosphere of those annoying buzzing, biting pests, but is it really all that great of a scenerio if theres a big blue light not too far away that goes "KAZITCH" "SHAZAM" "BUZUUZZZZUCK!!" every few seconds? (that last one was a bigun). And what about the people that just leave them on, all the time? do they have a right to just murder thousands of bugs for no apparent reason? Who is out there supposedly benefiting from such bug eradication? Oh well......

I have trouble motivating myself to update this thing, because the more I post, I know that my pictures will be bumped to the next page eventually...and that saddens me. I like seeing them on that page. guess I cant have everything. You can go back and browse through them atleast, if you want. I started a 2nd photo page, by the way, much more of a professional portfolio. Perhaps you would like to comment and tell me if some of the pix dont rate professional status, and should be DELETED. Let me know if you want to see the site. Its only for people I can trust.....since the photos are actually of a good quality.

also on the photo front, I cant find my recharger for my digital camera batteries. thats not so good....please pray I can find it. Yeah, I generally won't post deep prayer requests here.....I like sharing those more personally....

Thursday, June 30, 2005

A Fishing Net?


I wasnt going to put anything up here for a few days, but hey, I love this picture I found at Foxsports. Particularly because I was at a Nationals game last friday, which was a whole lot more fun than I expected. Great crowd and atmosphere, lots of foul balls in my direction. But alas....none quite close enough. I saw a girl get clocked with one after it hit the upper deck and fell down on her. Then there were the famous people that sat near me, not that I'm particularly fond of them, but James Carville and Tim Russert are big names around DC (www.carville.info and MSNBC Meet The Press).

so the ball comes screaming toward us...and we all of course put our hands up and shriek (if youre a girl), or just put your hands up if your a guy...some people lose their popcorn...but then everybody wants to know who got the ball. not real sure why we all pay so close attention to this, considering we have no connection to them whatsoever, but then somebody lofts the ball up and the crowd cheers....maybe its more from the fact that we know theyre still alive and the ball didnt plant itself into their forehead permanently. Thats it.

so this picture....the guy opts not to go with the ball glove, and brings a fishing net? (for fun fishing net stories visit my friend Johns blog) I love the reactions...dudes are freakin out all around, one guy turns his back....so that if it randomly headed in his direction all that meat back there would soften the blow I suppose. The kid nearby is in the middle of raising his hand for protection....one would only hope he was fast enough if it really counted...

Wednesday, June 29, 2005

Juliana Theory



these guys rock out hard....one of the best live shows I've seen. (I didnt take these)

Tuesday, June 28, 2005

Hi Grandma

I just discovered that my Grandma reads this page...I didnt even know she knew about it. Well, enjoy! I wrote this last December:

How Can I Be Sure That I'm Alive?

It's the rain on the side of my face
With a slight chill, the glossy landscape surrounding me
The silence of snow, as it hypnotizes with its frozen dance
The complete pureness that it brings, leaving nothing exposed
It's the sun as it warms, as it guides and colors the sky
The paintings that it delivers, morning and evening
It's the stars, silent as well, though in seeming so restrained,
appear so powerful and vibrant, a force untouched, and so constant
The breeze, as it whips across the plain, over a dune,
through the trough of a wave
As it stirs the trees, the life that it brings, that it takes
If not these things then what else, to unwrap the essense of a soul
To unchain a spirit, to allow the sensation of life to enter freely
to be infused with it
I know that despite being alive, when I turn to such chances
For a glimmer of light, a touch of coolness, a blanket of warmth,
I'm not simply alive, but I'm truly living

Monday, June 27, 2005

Secret Message

7:30 Act like you know

Tuesday, June 21, 2005

The Wind and I

I have no words at this moment in time
The wind that stole my breath has brought me this rhyme
The dipping scape of vast hues and tones
Makes me stop and feel the sunset as it warms my bones
The wind that takes my breath from me
Gives it back to shrub and tree
a whistling song I'm granted then
From bending twig and creaking stem
Leaves join in and lend their clap
And then it's gone from whence it came
The trees then sit as if bland and plain
Their secret is safe, atleast for a while
Before the next gust comes and stirs up their style

Friday, June 17, 2005

London Calling

loose in Europe with a Camera...what could be better...

Wednesday, June 15, 2005

life by the numbers

thursday (6/9): 216 pictures developed (from Poland)
friday (6/10): 100+ emails to sort through (at work)
sunday (6/12): 18 mosquito bites (from the backyard)
monday (6/13): 4 granola bars (all I ate until 6 pm)
tuesday (6/14): 2 days in a row (that I went for a run. wow)

interesting pattern....dont ask what happened on saturday, I just couldnt do the math

Monday, June 13, 2005

a new leaf

looks like this page will take a bit of a different twist for a while...after being prodded by Amy to put my poetry up here, I'll do that....and more. I think I'll take some of my favorite poems and put them here too. I mostly like Robert Frost, Emily Dickenson, and Longfellow. I'll even put more of my poems too, why not. So here's my fresh new one...from just the other day.

Through The Doors

when given a choice, we sometimes relent
to a voice we know not to be heaven sent
but to know the difference is key for sure
in finding the path you might have ignored
the doors may be before you, open or closed
you may stand in confusion as the turmoil grows
studying the panels or looking through the crack
won't get you any further than a turtle on its back

If you turn the handle and take the step
you'll splash into an ocean you'll never regret
the water runs deep and refreshes the soul
it fills in the cracks and covers the hole
its movement is constant as the current grabs on
and takes you to places you thought were gone

So let it take you, and move you, and mold you, and make you

Friday, June 10, 2005

day 2





so, back here in Maryland again, day 2. I'm feeling a bit philosophical, as some friends of mine have been feeling that way too. Its good to reflect on life....but only so much that you dont actually miss it. Life is meant to be lived. (random thoughts I guess....) My photos should be up on the photo website soon, maybe by late tonight.

I'm pretty excited because I got some money for my birthday....and I never used it, so now I'm going to get some CDs I've had on my mind: The Killers, MxPx, and of course the new Coldplay. Its been a while since I have bought new music. Finally I get to use it. hmmm....I feel I might have a poetic spell coming on too. Usually new music helps me out with that (and of course...moving experiences). I'll stick anything good that I write up here for your viewing enjoyment.

Thursday, June 09, 2005

Tak!



Okay...back from Poland. Wow. what a trip. It will take some time for all of my thoughts to leak out. I met some amazing people, and really saw God work in the lives of everybody involved. I have some mad pictures to get developed, and maybe will have to start up a new site just to make them available. I helped with the fotografia workshop, so atleast we have some cool shots from that I can put up sooner.

My first real thought is how it is so different to live in an area with a lot of different languages very close together. Living in Maryland Mexico is so far off, but in Europe you dont have to go far to get into another language area. Reminds me of how God spread people out from the Tower of Babel, and why He did that. Think of how things went in Europe whenever rulers attempted to unify everybody in language and culture!? The diversity and uniqueness to each European nation should be celebrated as its own. I'm excited to be able to learn about Poland and become a part of its culture in some way. I'll have some good stories along the way, but for the big picture scoop, click on Hop's blog to the right.

Friday, May 27, 2005

off again

before disappearing to Poland for the next 10 days, I thought I'd leave you with a wonderful little piece of California:

.

Wednesday, May 25, 2005

camera

I've been on a photo-taking hiatus...for unknown reasons....but no more. My camera will be busted out in force the moment I get home this afternoon. too much of life is being missed....not being captured in its color, its richness. (new/old Lu'au pix are on the photo site now)

Tuesday, May 24, 2005

Food

I love lists. Ever see High Fidelity? (gotta love John Cusack) I'm always thinking about my next mix CD, and I have lists of music I want, music I love, music I have to make my friends hear, music I want to hear, etc. I think people like us (John Cusack and I) carry lists over into other parts of life....like...Here it is, my favorite restaurants (In no specific order). The food is definitely good here (atmosphere and who you're with helps too....)

-Pizza Nova, Harbor Drive, San Diego CA
-Huck's Waterside Cafe, Pascagoula MS
-Busara (Thai), Tysons Corner VA
-Yama (Japanese), Chain Bridge Rd, Vienna VA
-Grace's Fortune, Bowie MD
-Rivermill, Draper St, Blacksburg VA
-The Homeplace, Catawba VA
-Steamers, Chincoteague VA
-Squatters Seafood, Indian Beach NC
-Old Town Mexican Cafe, San Diego CA
-El Guadalupe's, Blacksburg VA
-Anthony's, Harbor Drive, San Diego CA
-Pot Belly's, Harbor Center, Annapolis MD (also in Crystal City VA)
-Burrito Brothers, Rte 7, Mclean VA
-Bottoms Up Pizza, Richmond VA

I'm sure I left something out.....but oh well. Ever wish instead of typing you could just plug the computer into your brain, and download it all? It would be so easy...I always have too many thoughts to make sense of, so it always gets so filtered down. I cant deal with more filtering this morning....

Monday, May 23, 2005

state update

In May: VA, MS, AL, NC, WV, CA, NV, DC and of course MD. I'll be honest, it feels weird to be home. SoCal stories on the way....

Sunday, May 22, 2005

blah

I like the word blah. it can really describe a whole lot, really fast. Anyway, I feel like being mysterious tonight, so I'm going to describe my recent thoughts with single words.....they could be sentences, but the one word pretty much covers it.........displaced, awed, concerned, unprepared, confused, denial, awake, scattered, concerned, resolve. Understand? eh....maybe. Dont you hate it when you dont really know what I'm trying to say? Well, enjoy life when it doesnt throw you curve balls.

time zones suck. time travel would rock. I want to quit my life and just drive..........and drive.......of course I'll be back in time for work. Because I'm dependable like that.

Tuesday, May 17, 2005

third eye

I wasnt going to put anything up today....but here's a swing dancing story from a friend's site...that I thought was hilarious. enjoy:

**Spooky dance of the night:**This little chinese guy asked me to dance...As soon as we started dancing he said, "so your name is Amy"...I hadn't even told him. He proceeded to tell me he knew my name because his "third eye" told him. He said everyone has a third eye on their forehead that allows them to see deep within a person. As soon as he said it I put on my "spiritual armour" and he could not guess anything else about me. He seemed nice...but felt a little spiritual funkiness when he started talking 'bout the 3rd eye... He kept telling me he was incredibly rich...and he had 4 different jobs as his "main" job (meaning I think he was full of poo). He eventually asked me for my #... Didn't want to let him down, so I gave him A number...not my number....but A number.

Monday, May 16, 2005

I've got all my teeth

just went to my sisters graduation from West Virginia University...and from all the speakers I've come back with the following basic points:

1. West Virginia jokes arent funny anymore
2. West Virginia football beat Virginia Tech twice in the last 4 years (they cant let it go. Who won the ACC this year...I wonder?)
3. The West Virginia economy is going to knock the socks off the rest of the country in the next 2 years.
4. Everybody that's anybody was raised in a small coal-mining town.

I'm not kidding. This is what we were told....many times....

Thursday, May 12, 2005

Where were you...?

Okay, now that my brain has settled....think about how there are some things so ingrained in our memory, even if they didnt happen directly to us, we knew what we were doing at the very minute that they happened. It seems that every generation has one or two of those instances, where you can ask the question "where were you?" of anybody you come across, and they'll know exactly what they were doing. Here are some of the things that come to mind, spanning the last 60 years:

-Pearl Harbor is Attacked
-Cuban missle crisis (granted, it lasted longer, but unforgettable)
-Kennedy is shot
-The Challenger explodes
-9-11 Terrorist attacks
-Beltway sniper attacks

Notice they all have to do with tragic loss. The iron curtain fell in Europe, a good thing, but I'm a bit more fuzzy on what I was doing then. perhaps some people remember the Lunar Landing in the same light, but we certainly dont speak of the repercussions the same way. Totally different vibes are created. I know what I was doing when I learned of every single attack from the DC Sniper. I remember vividly. I remember the fear. the fear that had to be similar (though probably less intense) than that of the Cuban Missle Crisis. This last one on my list I grant is not as far reaching, and well known, but around DC it is.

The two that most influenced me would have to the be the Sniper and 9-11. In both cases we're confronted with a dark piece of information that something has gone drastically wrong, in a place dangerously close to our loved ones. The pentagon is attacked, federal buildings are evacuated, the city is a mess, another plane is coming in. Where is my father? Is he okay? Where will he be when this other plane comes in? Suddenly the fact that he works in FBI Headquarters isnt so exciting. Another shooting. This time in early morning at a PG county school while busses are unloading. Which school? Was it a teacher? Are they okay? Okay, so its not a teacher. So my mom is safe. But then I find the school is in my hometown. 3 hours before he struck I had driven past the very spot where the sniper supposedly made a "nest". According to the cops he was there then. waiting. creepy. very creepy.

Its amazing the imprint on our lives these evil people can make....

Bama

hmm...no massive cool pix today, I'm sifting through the debris floating in my head, figuring out whats good to talk about. traveling and then staying out late can cause a bit of a train wreck in your head if you're not careful (in case you didnt know). Anyway...just got back from a trip for work, and this trip has in so many ways re-ignited my desire to do well in my job. I wouldnt call it a passion (its not the same as the real passions I have), but more of a drive to do well. So for this month, here's the state list so far (I'm in VA almost every week anyway, so I dont know if that counts. Is DC a state yet?). States besides Maryland:

-Virginia
-West Virginia
-North Carolina
-Alabama
-Mississippi

I was only in Charlotte, NC during a layover, but that counts, right?. wow, I am tired. I double punctuated that last sentence on purpose. So of course I have lots of thoughts from sitting in a plane and stuff, but I'll save those for later. For now, check out this ship that I hung out around for a bit in Mobile. Its very impressive....wow, the things man has built...I mean this thing shot shells that weighed the same as VW beetles, and they had a range of 21 miles! It had devices that solved all sorts of algorithms....but not with computers....with little gears and dials and stuff. Mind-boggling craftsmanship.

www.ussalabama.com

Friday, May 06, 2005

schmooze

hey whats up? not much going on. I went with a friend to a DCBIA (District of Columbia Building Industry Association) awards dinner last night downtown. That was pretty cool, alot more fun than I expected. Mayor Tony Williams was there, and even Marion Barry. Cool food. Very elegant atmosphere, perfect for schmoozing and networking......

(yes, I have connections.....I hope I can get into more of these)

Tuesday, May 03, 2005

Hasselhoff

BREAKING NEWS: David Hasselhoff has been named "International Star of the Year" in India. No Joke. Guess it just took a while for them to see how cool Knight Rider really is.

Even more amusing, awards were handed out at the Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, NJ.

Fulfill your craving: http://www.davidhasselhoffonline.com/

Friday, April 29, 2005

mysteries

thoughts from this week (pondering life's mysteries):

-whats the deal with english muffins...? when you buy them theyre not really cooked, but sort of....
-If you could live on this earth forever, would you want to?
-you're on a game show. Do you go with whats behind door #3, or take the only slightly exciting lifetime supply of lightbulbs thats guaranteed if you choose it?
-the devil uses our busy chaotic lives to distract us from quality time with God....but....aren't idle hands the "devil's workshop"?
-how is it possible to release a "Greatest Hits" album for a band, if they've only got two albums out anyway? It happens all the time (See Lit, All Star United, etc.)




speaking of mysteries, more publicity for the exploding frogs in Hamburg:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7654561/?GT1=6428

Thursday, April 28, 2005

resolve

I found an interesting article about frogs unexplainably exploding in a pond in Germany....but I promised myself no more animal posts for a while....so I'm stickin to my guns. Honestly, its a bit disgusting anyway.....

Today's fortune cookie wisdom: "Be direct, you'll accomplish more that way".
I honestly kept this one in my wallet for a good two years. I stuck it there back when I was quite a bit more shy, and I guess self-consious. It really helped me be more open to people, and more determined to be real. To be what I wanted to be. I had a great time meeting random people the summer I spent at school (try going up to somebody you dont know, have never seen before, and spend 30 minutes over lunch with them)....but I think an interesting point was that I got to a level where I almost went too far with my directness. I tend to "wear my heart on my sleeve" much of the time, very straight-forward, extremely blunt. I've learned that sometimes I need to be a bit more tactful, and always season my words with love....interesting to think about my progress in that way. Finding the balance is key.

band of the day: The Ramones

Wednesday, April 27, 2005

Bovine Intervention

you gotta check out this site, its hilarous (it has to be Chick Fil-a.....I bet....)

www.bovineunite.com

And as a follow up (actually, read this first)

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/04/26/roaming.buffalo.ap/index.html

goose whisperer

Well, what on earth do I talk about today? My brain is never empty, but I dont know if theres much there to really talk about. (no real nuggets of wisdom)

There was the helicopter thing...theyre the weirdest pieces of machinery. I saw 4 fly by this morning, all in a row. They always remind me of the cat that I grew up with. Random, I know, but whenever I was at home and a helicopter would fly over, he would be the first to know it was coming....and get this crazy look on his face. Then he would run to a window and look out, then run around the room a few times being really paranoid, then as it flew away he would find another window and try to watch it leave. Then he would just sit there and stare at me...typical of Abel. A nice siamese cat.

anyway, I think of him, and I think of traffic. Not a good sign when you're approaching the highway and theres a chopper or two hovering above it. Either means a police chase ended right there, or theres something awfully interesting (and bad) going on with the traffic.

so these are the deepest thoughts of my day so far. By the way my pasta lunch is money. I found some pasta shaped like dollar signs....

almost forgot, if you like geese, check out this site:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/04/25/AR2005042501386.html

my roommate and I both work at places that sometimes appear to be overrun by geese....so its a bit more amusing to us....

Monday, April 25, 2005

..........

this is the post we will not speak of

Thursday, April 21, 2005

Tuesday, April 19, 2005

a different faith...


pope benedict Posted by Hello

finally something real to talk about...So the new pope was elected, his embodiment of St. Peter being passed along by the conclave of catholic cardinals (do I smell a tongue twister?). The guy seems genuine, but instantly it seems like a repetitive human honoring thing. From MSN:

“Dear brothers and sisters, after the great Pope John Paul II, the cardinals have elected me — a simple, humble worker in the vineyard of the Lord,” he said. “I entrust myself to your prayers,” the pope said.

“The fact that the Lord can work and act even with insufficient means consoles me, and above all I entrust myself to your prayers,” the new pope said. “I entrust myself to your prayers.”

The crowd responded by chanting “Benedict! Benedict!”


I went to a partially catholic wedding for the first time this past weekend...half of us didnt know what to do. Definitely more pre-planned responses and protocol than I expected. Seems thats what they do. I find it interesting to see it even in the Pope's proclamation to the people. Even more interesting, and disconcerting was their response: shouting his name again and again. Who is the pope? At the most an instrument of the most Holy God. I cry out to my God, I give glory to Him. What was this event, a birthday party?! I might shout out my buddy's name in that case, or even my Pastors, but this was an event dedicating the rest of this mans life to serving God. If they worship him, do they also worship God? Let's hope so.

You may provide a rebuttal saying they were merely trying to encourage him in his new role, not worship him. Very true...but the praise and glory should be first given to Him who it is due. We tread dangerous ground when we hold back this necessary acknowledgement of who created us, and instead lift up our own flesh.

Rabbit Stew


the water's warm... Posted by Hello

Continuing with the Rabbit theme...
I can't believe it. this site is wild, it was even on the news. these guys are threatening to eat this rabbit if they dont get 50,000 dollars by June 30. They even have a Paypal account set up! As of today people have given atleast $24K. I dont know how long the site will be up...people are protesting everywhere. They have pictures of Toby, and even an internet store. I havent seen a site like this since Bonsai Kitten (a search is not recommended).

www.savetoby.com

on food and travel

WOW, it is so insanely nice outside! I'm thinking about quitting my life...running across the road into the national park, and just living there forever, foraging for nuts and berries. If the Geese can find em, I'm sure I can. Honestly, its tempting. Then I would probably be the next Goat-man (go ahead, ask I'd be glad to explain).

Well I was just on my way to grab an afternoon pick-up when I was reveling in the nature. Snacks are nice....anyway, had to decide between Twix and Snickers. Both 70 cents....tough decision. Twix today.

So, pretty good chance that during the month of May I'll have been on atleast 10 different planes and set foot in...oh..I guess 5 states. Travel insanity. I'm scheduled to be in the following places in May: Richmond,VA; Pascagoula,MS; Morgantown,WV; San Diego,CA; Somewhere, England; and Poznan, Poland! Wow, say goodbye to normal life for a while. I'll need a break after all that.

entree of the day: the most excellent Rockfish Annapolitan (can be found at Pusser's Landing)

Monday, April 18, 2005

beltway blues

well, you know something is off when you stare at the back of the same car for about 45 minutes straight and only 30 minutes after you get off the highway you can't even remember what kind of car it was. I know there was a Toyota following me....Maybe I cant remember it because I have good vision and foresight and I'm always looking 3-4 cars ahead so I can predict whats happening next: are we going to brake again, stop suddenly, gun it, break, roll, roll, stop, roll, stop, stop, roll, etc. I only had to deal with this 1 hr and 15 minutes of commute because I forgot to set my alarm clock last night.....and slept in. blah.

I guess it could be worse, a buddy of mine got a speeding ticket this morning. 75 in a 55. Oddly enough, I was probably going faster than him for atleast 20 min of my trip, but looking at the time and everything, I averaged about 28 mph. Lovely.

There was no accident, no roadwork. This was normal. Sometimes its easier to just take the day off if you sleep in for too long. Its just not worth it. (thanks for letting me mope a bit....)

Friday, April 15, 2005

random double shot

deep thought of the day: no man is qualified to speak who has not first listened
(see I gotta be serious sometimes....)

stupidest vending machine snack name: Mrs. Freshley's Frosted Donuts
believe it or not, if you leave em in there long enough, they may not be fresh...

Bonus: www.mrsfreshleys.com. a website for snack cakes? wow....somebody is seriously committed to selling sugar. I bet I'm the only one that has actually been to that site. Actually a quite thrilling site is www.frusion.com where they have an awesome Breakfast Brawl, almost identical to the original Nintendo Mike Tyson's Punchout. Seriously, they cloned that game! Its just that now you're fighting to knockout bad breakfast choices....give it a whirl. That website actually gets my award for "most likely to be influenced by Monty Python". Where else can you Contact an Elk?. You have to check it out to see what I mean.

Wednesday, April 13, 2005

iWanna iPod

Okay, so now I officially want an iPod. The only thing is I can't play it in my car. I put iTunes on my computer, and just organizing all the songs is a task. They dont all have the right filenames, etc. So getting them into the right albums might take a few months itself. In order to see the songs on the iPod its worth getting that fixed, so I might just have some time to save up money for the most expensive of all the little listening devices.

This would be a big shift for me. It almost feels like switching completely from film to digital photography. You may have guessed I havent completely sold out on that yet. (although I did take a nice digital self portait while in the woods the other day. I could use that as my profile pic perhaps)

Band of the day: Copeland http://www.thecopelandsite.com/

Tuesday, April 05, 2005

that rabbit's dynamite!


evil rabbit Posted by Hello

so the weekend before last my friend Deb was driving home and flipped her car while trying to avoid a rabbit in the road. Just a bit ironic since it was Easter weekend. Maybe if she had a rabbit-trained trunk money things would have gone a lot smoother. Or maybe just a lynx (see above). The Jeep landed on its wheels again, but the roof was quite busted up. Oh, and one of the tires exploded.

After the hospital let her go, she was okay except for small bits of glass she kept finding in random spots. She couldnt get in touch with anyone to get her home (her new cell phone didnt have many #s in it. I was out of town and got the message 3 days later). So she calls her roommates to see if they could help her get home, and the first says shes not feeling up to it, but maybe the 2nd would help out, once she gets home. Then 15 minutes later she she calls back. The response: "Nope, shes too tired too. You'll have to figure out some other way to get home". At this point in the story I get a bit agitated. What kind of roommates are these? Can't pick up your roommate from a hospital 20 minutes away after a traumatic event such as this? I've heard of roommate injustice before, but this beats it all. She took a cab back home for $25.

breakfast: part II

cookie of the day: chocolate dipped raspberry shortbread

Friday, April 01, 2005

a little advertising

band of the day: Mae
why they rock: because they do
most recent band description:Offering an alternately tranquil/raging cross between emo and post-grunge, Mae plays delicate, positive music without sounding like total wimps. Even at their mellowest, however, the band avoids overly dramatic pitfalls; big, super-singable choruses are never far behind.

Tuesday, March 29, 2005

I fought the good fight

Well, on my mind this morning is the wondrous piece of machinery called the iPod. I dont have one, no, that would go against what I've been trying to stand up against for the past however long its been since they came out: they're ridiculously expensive. But all my friends love them, and yesterday after breaking out some old punk music I remembered how nice it would be to have all of my music "at my fingertips", so I dont have to overlook old stuff. Old meaning it hasnt had much rotation in my CD player since I have newer stuff that I've been rocking out to. Not old in quality or value, no. This music I have to keep is timeless of course.

So now that I've got a nice tax refund and some roommates to help with monthly bills, I'm actually thinking about getting a picture iPod. I have 17 GB of music on my computer, but if I put all the discs on there it would probably be 40. I'm sorting through all the chaff trying to figure out if online reviewers actually know what theyre talking about while either despising or praising Apple for their iPod. I'll keep you posted.........

band of the day: Rolling Stones

Monday, March 28, 2005

the element of literary defiance

well, here is my first post ever. not sure what I expect from this "blog", but maybe it will help me capture my own thoughts a bit better. I would expect a lot of improvement, and increased coolness with time, so be patient. I dont rant and rave a whole lot so it should be pretty simple.....