fear

thought of the day....

Its okay to fall, its not okay to stay down, to not rise back up. When we fail or fall, we learn how to succeed. We learn through failure, mostly about ourselves. Failures destroy illusions. Don't fear failure. Use it to your advantage.

Tuna

My thoughts recently have reverted to those of practicality (in times of great stress or struggle, we tend to dwell on methods of survival). So, for your benefit, and my own future reference, please consider the following:

Rule #1: Do not prepare tuna while wearing newly cleaned pants
Rule #2: Do not prepare tuna while wearing a tie
Rule #3: Do not prepare tuna before 6 in the morning
Rule #4: Failing to bring the proper utensil for lunch can be horribly frustrating

This last rule is not from my own experience, but I'm thinking clearly enough now to be smart about it:
Rule #5: Do not ever attempt to eat tuna with your hands

Eqyptian Discovery

sorry if the spiders overwhelmed you....I know after a while they started to bother me. Anyway, moving on. I used to love reading about Eqypt while growing up, I still do, theres just lots of other stuff going on too. I have a nice big picture book with historic places in Egypt in it...very cool. Even cooler is that they recently discovered another tomb in the Valley of the Kings, very close to where Tut was buried. Its named KV63 (Kings Valley, 63rd tomb discovered). Theyre even having a special on the Discovery channel soon. This is big stuff, like the biggest discovery over there since Howard Carter discovered Tut in 1922.

I also found a really cool mapping site that lets you see aerial shots of Egyptian ruins. It works best on faster computers, with fast internet connections.

Follow these cool links to check it out:

http://www.kv-63.com/

http://www.thebanmappingproject.com/

more spider pix

yep, he was a big one. I guess leaving a dirty sink is one way to find these guys (this is the actual spider in my sink)

Disposal of the Biggest

I dont know why, but I am repeatedly called on to clash with nature head on around 5am a lot these days. This time....a wolf spider in the sink. Seriously, this boy was 3 inches wide. No joke (about the size of the one in the pic above, see the scale). Somebody left a pot with water that perhaps it enjoyed drinking from..I dont know. It was there, next to the pot in the sink. It was dark, you see, then I turned on the light and there it is. That will really wake you up.

I took a picture and a short video clip that would probably remind you of the Blair Witch Project (I was scared), and then I approached it armed with a pitcher of water, and I flushed it. I was not sure what it would do, but I overturned the pot on it, and then added my pitcher water to the mix, and down the drain it went. Then I turned on the disposal and hopefully took care of the problem. I dont know. I repeated this about 3 times with more water and more disposal action. I think its pretty nasty, but I didnt know what else to do.

restaurants

I posted this a year ago, but after a discussion of favorite restaurants last night, I need to again. the two that I told last night arent on the list...its hard to capture them all...should I update the list with new favorites?

-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

Eventful weekend

We had a good weekend. Saturday Jenn and I wandered over into Virginia for a meal tasting at the place our wedding reception will be held...very good, we're happy. Now we can decide what food options there will be. We also talked to a flower person.

The interesting part was that we collided with both ends of the funeral that was held at McLean Bible Church for the cop that was killed last week in Fairfax. The story isnt online anymore, I dont think, but she was gunned down in the police station parking lot. Anyway, about 4,000 people attended the funeral, and we came across the procession as it was heading to the first part, in the morning. There was a line of cop cars all with lights on, that was miles long, and as 270 and 495 came together, they were all there, and all of us poor cars that werent told what was going on were left to figure out how to get to our proper exits and what not. It was a bit confusing. Jenn guessed it was a funeral. They all got off the first exit on the toll road.

Then, as we began to make our way back home at around 1:30 or so, route 28 was real backed up just past the toll road, and we hop on the toll road, to find that there are TONS of cars on the other side of the road pulled over, with people out just watching the road, even with cameras ready. As we continue every overpass contains a firetruck, ladders up, with firemen lined up standing in salute on top of their vehicles, and there are helicopters every mile. Seriously. We really didnt connect the mornings events to this, but then we started seeing policemen lining the side of the road as well, then we see people on our side of the road pulling over. Then we guess it must be the same thing. We turn the radio on for information. Then we came across the procession, 100's of motorcycle cops, and then cop cars, then the bulk of the funeral procession. The radio confirms what is going on, and I found out later that they were actually heading out to Warrenton, VA to lay her to rest.

It was almost like being in a scene from Independance day, or War of the Worlds, where everybody is stopping to get out of their cars to look at something, and you have no idea what it is, and you feel dumb because you dont know, but traffic is getting all weird and stuff. People were waiting for a while out there...and the procession was phenomenal.

Then, we got home and had a cook-out. I'll let Jenn tell you about that.

oh deer

yesterday was interesting, it had its ups, downs, and corkscrews, yeah, it was pretty much like a roller coaster. The highlight was my Bible study that was sort of a little party for me since I'm stepping down from being a leader. So, that was very nice, very encouraging.

Earlier in the day (very early, like 5am), I had a run in with a deer in Davidsonville. Its hard to say who won, but I'm still alive, so I guess you could say I did. Really, it wasnt a bad "accident", but the damage to the car looks to be more than the car is worth. I was driving my reliable Grand Am, so I'm glad it wasnt my Mazda.

So, a few plans were changed, and now we're dealing with what to do with the car. It may turn out to be perfect timing, since I just pulled my good radio out of the car to give to my dad (two weeks ago), and there really are a number of things wrong with the car. Well, its not that they're wrong, its just that they arent right. Heating, A/C, defrost, they just dont work. Turn signals are finicky, not always working. Exhaust is rusting out, very loud (kinda cool). Sometimes it leaks when it rains, and I have to perform emergency towel action (I had like 2 inches of water in the floor of the car once). The interior light doesnt work, the electric door locks dont work (but the auto lock which isnt supposed to engage until the car is moving, it sometimes locks me out). There's a 2.5 foot crack in the windshield. It performs very well though, and its been faithful to me for 8 years.

I'll probably take the money if the insurance company decides that its totaled. Believe me though, I will be a little emotional. I'll keep you updated....

verse of the day

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer"
-Romans 12:12

(3(5+1))+((20/5)+5)

Thanks to everybody who made my birthday special :-) I got to see most of the important people on my actual birthday: My sister, my Grandparents, my parents, and Jenn. The trip to NY was a success....I'll put some pictures up when theyre ready (might be a while).

Owl Update

Wow! I cant really fit everything in here, or it would take too much. Well, just wanted to say that I never imagined it would happen the way it did, but I actually saw the owls! Yeah, there's atleast 2 of them. Jenn and I were walking through the woods behind my house around dusk last night and noticing that lots of birds were making noise in the trees (more than usual), then we heard the owl. We stopped, and then I realized that 10 feet away just a few feet above eye level another owl was sitting in a small tree looking at us. So close!!! It wasnt making noise though, its friend up in the trees was making noise. When Jenn saw it there was only a few seconds more before the close owl decided to get some distance, but it only flew a little further away, we watched it, and saw the larger (probably male) owl up in the trees moving around. We watched them fly back and forth and make noise for a bit. They would sit up there and just yell. Not sure if its because we were there, or because of the birds, or they were hunting.....but it was so cool. Face to face with an owl. I love nature, can you tell? (and yes, it was definitely a Barred Owl)

sleep deprivation

I've had trouble sleeping recently, and in the process have been enjoying the company of one of my wild friends, a Barred Owl (strix varia) thats been prowling around the woods near my house, and even the tree outside my window. We got a glimpse of it yesterday evening before dusk actually, though Steve saw more of it than I did. I actually saw it in the darkness later on as it flew past my neighbors white house. Pretty cool, it's a big bird and made absolutely NO sound at all as it flew. Listen to the "typical call" found on the following web page (thats what I heard for about an hour and half straight last night)

http://www.owlpages.com/owls.php?genus=Strix&species=varia

I cant tell if I'm staying awake because of him, but he's certainly been noisy.

April 20

Happy Birthday Jenn!

....

ever have one of those days where you just can't get ANYTHING done? Not because of laziness...but because it seems like the whole world is conspiring against you (or they all seem like they're out to lunch).

Wake up!

It's time for a healthy breakfast!

Darkness

Matthew 27:1-2
When morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put Him to death. And when they had bound Him, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor.

22-26
Pilate said to them "What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?"
They all said to him, "Let Him be crucified!"
Then the governor said, "Why what evil has He done?"
But they cried out all the more, saying, "Let Him be crucified!"
When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it"
And all the people answered and said, "His blood be on us and on our children."
Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.

Mark 15:33-34; 37; 39
Now when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus crited out with a loud voice, saying "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" which is translated "My God, My God, why have You Forsaken Me?"
And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last.
So when the centurion, who stood opposite Him, saw that He cried out like this and breathed His last, he said, "Truly this Man was the Son of God!"

Prayer

Mark 14:32-36
Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, "Sit here while I pray." And He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and he began to be troubled and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch."

He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. And he said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will."

Judas

Mark 14:10-11
Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Him to them. And when the heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. So he sought how he might conveniently betray Him.

The Greatest Commandment

Mark 12:29
Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God will all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength' This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."

The Temple

Isaiah 56:7
"Even them I will bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on My altar; For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations."

Jeremiah 7:11
"Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of thieves in your eyes? Behold, I, even I, have seen it." says the Lord

Mark 15-17
So they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changes and the seats of those who sold doves. And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple. Then he taught, saying to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have made it a 'den of thieves'"

the times they are a changin

my last few weeks have been quite a ride....back and forth, up and down....let me see if I can explain.

-the weather just wont make up its mind....its cold, then hot, cold....back and forth (weather can definitely mess with your head sometimes)
-I've been to two different hospitals and two other clinics helping Jenn solve the great mystery of her appendix-like pain (shes "okay" right now). I've taken more than 5 days of sick leave in the last two weeks. It always gets worse on wednesdays, so I havent been able to connect with my smallgroup for a while.
-despite the setbacks of hospital visits we've managed to get out to Virginia over the weekends for wedding stuff. We have been over in Virginia each of the last 3 weekends for appointments in Reston, Ashburn, Herndon, Fairfax, Vienna, and Springfield. The comforting part is that we're actually getting things done.
-I have a constant list of people I need to get in touch with. As the more important things happen, I dont always call who I need to....I'm missing some of my friends that I don't see all the time. Buddies from college, or from just last year....that's just weighing on me hard right now.

What I've learned: Jenn is always there, no matter how crazy things are...she's always there to support me (its funny how she helps me support her too). We've learned we can really make a kickin breakfast together...that's always fun.

If I were a cat....

I would totally want to be treated to a nice stroll outside in one of these. You can pick one up at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. I guess this is covered under the "Beyond".

Guerilla Gardening

Apparently its been around since the 70's. I had no idea:

http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=1751324&page=1&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312

keep praying for Jenn...back to the doctor either today or tomorrow.

thanks for praying

Jenn is out of the hospital and did not have surgury. Thanks for all of you that have been praying. Continue to pray that she will not have surgury and that when she goes back for more tests in two weeks they can pinpoint what the deal was, or tell her shes 100% ok. In case you didnt know...they told her she had appendicitis....then we found out (upon further review) that they weren't sure. The last word from the doctor is that he's pretty sure its not the appendix. I'll let you know when we find out what the deal is.

the vastness

God created a world for us that is just SO HUGE, and so full of different things...its hard for me to know how to fit it all in. Its a good thing that its so big and variable, because obviously we are all different, and have different tastes. I guess you could say that he's allowed our different tastes to turn the world into what it is today..with so many resources available for us to use, or so many ways to apply our knowledge or interests. Here's a short list of what I really enjoy learning about, or doing. Its difficult to fit it all in though...(there is no order to this)

- learning about plants and gardening
- learning history (reading, watching documentaries, visiting places)
- Learning my own family heritage (part of history, for sure)
- capturing the world on film (photography)
- Learning how to Love more
- Learning about God more
- Spending time with those that I love
- Spending time with those that NEED love
- Discovering new music (new to me atleast)
- Seeing great music performed
- learning more about my job (how to build ships, what theyre made of)
- Reading for pleasure...more than just history
- Keeping in shape (in different ways)
- enjoying nature (hiking, camping...)
- Finding exciting restaurants I didnt know existed
- visiting exciting restaurants that arent too expensive
- Seeing the world I live in (traveling)
- keep in touch with important people that have been a big part of my life
- making Mix CDs for people...with my favorite music
- learn how to apply my money wisely
- learn how to be tactful in conversation (part of the love....)
- learn more about nature..(weather too)
- Learn how to cook more things, and better
- in the midst of all this...learning how to live a simple life with good balance

So......I probably missed something...but these are all desires that I have.....

awakening

Quiz: How painful is it for you to get up on an average weekday morning? (on a scale of 0-10, using the handy guide below)

0. Waking up turns me on. I have trouble falling asleep just knowing that I get to wake up the next morning
1. I don't even think about it, I just get up.
2. It's not my favorite thing to do, but its better than going to the dentist.
3. Its not so painful, but it would definitely feel better to keep sleeping
4. I'm generally unhappy that I have to get out of bed
5. Yeah, it definitely hurts
6. I'd rather go to the dentist
7. I feel like I've been hit by a Mack truck
8. The pain that courses through my veins as I try to wake up causes me to fight and often lose great moral and emotional battles in the 10 minutes that it normally takes me to decide whether to take a sick day or just get up.
9. I'm pretty sure that brain cells are dying the first hour or two that I am awake in the morning.
10. This must be what a migraine feels like. to infinity. Anything but sleep is evil
11. I feel mostly dead. That life sucking machine from the Princess Bride must have felt good compared to this.

Note that 9-11 also usually include the battles spoken of in 8. And...7-11 are all very similar in degree, I'll grant that. A mack truck just may leave you mostly dead. (yeah, and don't get me wrong, I love my dentist. I just know that I'm one of the few that do...)

re-entry

I think by tomorrow I might be used to the fact that I have to get up so early for work...it always comes as a shock after the weekend. The problem is that by Thursday the tiredness of the week starts to set in, and it becomes more difficult to get up again. I think wednesday is the easiest weekday to get out of bed. I'm pretty sure.

This past weekend was filled with nice relaxingness. John came up and we had some fun...acted like true 80's weirdos at an 80's party. We did some exploring near massive radio towers, caught a fish, and did lots of chatting and so forth...exchanging of gifts, etc. I don't see John enough.

Anyway, I want a fish. Any helpful anecdotes on owning a fish?

anti-freeze

right now my car is thirsty for anti-freeze...but apparently people like it too. I heard about this a while ago...check it out:

http://www.slate.com/id/2103821/

the truth

ok, I admit it, I have blog-envy. It seems that quite often other people have more interesting posts than I do, or they actually express my very thoughts, before I can. Oh well.

winter

I'm hearing it already...people are sick of winter. You don't often hear that before Christmas...I guess people are looking for the next big thing (as usual), and sometimes change can be fun, or maybe theyre just plain cold. I for some reason never get tired of winter, I mean, I enjoy being able to put clothes on, layering (I have more options), and bundling up under my covers. Its about this time of year that I actually consistently remember to put my coat on, or my gloves, and I actually remember to make time to scrape the ice from my car in the morning. I'm also one that for some reason or another, doesnt always take change as easily as i could. I love mixing certain things up, but others are harder for me to deal with. Its sort of odd. So, I'm used to winter now, comfortable with it.

For the record Spring and Fall are my favorite times of the year. I dont generally get down in the winter though. I love snow, I dont mind the overcast days. I stare at winter's big pointy teeth and laugh. I should show you pictures of when I went to the top of a mountain in 20 degree weather and there was ice all over the trees. I didnt warm up for about 8 hours even after getting back in the heat. But...I loved it. I loved sleeping in a tent on the side of the road in West Virginia (about 20 yards off the road, so not so sketchy), and waking up with frost on my pillow. Seriously. Just make the most with whats in front of you, thats all. Ever notice how the night sky is clearer in the winter? Its either that or the stars are just better....I dont know. Anyway...enjoy it while it lasts, spring is soon.

pix

new pix up on my site (link is to the right)...and more soon

Jenn and I

I love this picture! more pictures soon...

thoughts on PNG

Papua New Guinea is quite an interesting place...after going there two years ago I'll probably always be interested in going back. Here are some quick facts about the country:

the word "Papua" is derived from a Malay word describing the frizzy Melanesian hair, and "New Guinea" (Nueva Guinea) was the name coined by the Spanish explorer Yñigo Ortiz de Retez, who in 1545 noted the resemblance of the people to those he had earlier seen along the Guinea coast of Africa.

The Per Capita income compared to the United States:
Papua New Guinea: $556 (164th)
United states:$39,496 (3rd highest)

Wow, thats average income per year, per person. So.....they make a lot less money over there. I guess they probably spend a lot less too. They're money is called Kina, and each coin has a hole in it.

As with many South Pacific islands, the Japanese occupied portions of it during WWII, and left a number of unexploded bombs. They were buried in time, and each year many accidents occur as a result. I heard one story of somebody simply starting a fire on plain dirt, not knowing what was right under the ground there. It was bad. I've actually read a pretty good book on that sort of thing..the remnants of war. It was very good. Called Aftermath. I'll post some pictures from my experiences.

Napkin Skills

yes, yes, you all are asking, you all want to know...how do I end up with so many napkins? It's an art my friend. Let me pass on the knowledge of my ancient art. Basically, whenever you are anywhere that napkins are present, grab a bunch. You'll use a few probably, but then, ah, there are some left at the end. Fold them up, put them in your bag, in your pocket, in your purse, in your glove compartment, anywhere. The key is this: take them with you. Then, later on can have two ways to enjoy your napkins. 1. you can store them up in a depository at home where your diverse array of napkin colors and styles will impress guests to no end. 2. Napkins will be coming out of the woodwork throughout your day, because you'll keep finding where you hid them. Who has ever had too many napkins? I dont see any hands...

So, cherish your napkins, protect them. Ensure them a long life, and that will ensure you that you will never, ever actually have to buy a napkin. Now, you must keep in mind. These places are giving their napkins away. They seriously are. They actually plan for people coming in and taking them. SO...we are given full authority to take them. This is in no way a questionable moral area, because I'm not saying take like a massive stack, just a bunch. Its give and take just like any well-balanced relationship: I give them business, they give me napkins.

Also amusing...I was at a Carl's Jr. in Saltillo, Mexico back in high school...and they had a huge sign on the wall inside the place that said "Free Napkins". I guess maybe there was a shortage at one point or something. Napkin rations must have been imposed. "Sorry ma'am you're only allowed half a napkin. Nope, you're just going to have to live with that mustard right there"

Is the milk still good?

In other news...the case about the guy who was killed by the flying shrimp (as his attorney describes it) was finally determined...the shrimp was not at fault. Seriously, do you remember that? It must have been a few years ago the whole thing started because the guy wrenched his neck dodging a shrimp at a Japanese steakhouse. Not sure how long the link will work, but check it out:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11245302/

Oh, back to my first thought. I dont think I'm very good at applying the sniff test to my milk. How long is too long? Historically I would drink milk that was questionable and be okay. If it says Tuesday, is Thursday okay? I dont think I have the right senses to be able to determine if its still good. I was going to eat a bowl of cereal this morning, then I poured it out in fear, because...well, I'm not sure if I can handle it like I used to. I mean it didnt smell bad, but it did taste a little different. Not BAD though. I'm afraid because i know that if I drink lots and lots of milk (2 glasses or so), that doesnt work out too well for me. So, I'm scared that drinking what John calls "funny milk" or even slightly funny milk....may result in the same misfortune.

I mean seriously this Gouda cheese I'm munching on tastes more questionable than the milk. Cheese is like that though...with its sharpness. You know? I guess thats why its Cheese, and not milk. I do know one thing. When you have cheese in your milk jug, its time to throw it away.

By the way, the Gouda is fine. I dont eat bad cheese. I think right now Pepperjack may be my favorite though.

a glorious day

Just to let you know...Valentine's Day goes way back, before Hallmark existed. I'm a bit surprised at how many people are becoming skeptical about the day itself. It's true that some people think its over-hyped and over-important. I wonder why so many people take it so personally that lots of people actually enjoy that day. I think it should be respected as a great day to celebrate love. I remember always looking forward to it, through elementary school. I loved the little bag that we decorated, and waiting for it to be filled with little candies and notes from other classmates. My mom used to give me little bears for valentines day (really small) and I always thought they were special.

So the day itself. It became more popular in the 1700's but the history that brought it about goes further back than that. Read about it on this website:

http://www.historychannel.com/exhibits/valentine/?page=history

I'm not necessarily absolutely nuts about the day, I just think it should be given more respect. I think people are just upset that they have to wait a whole year until Christmas rolls around again.

satellite

the pressure is overwhelming to tell you about something controversial, or something shocking...but...I usually just end up with a quick snippet of what amuses me. Theres apparently a space suit floating in space as the newest satellite...they launched it from the International Space Station (ISS) on purpose....to monitor the conditions it endures around the earth...you could get to it through the spaceweather site on the right, or just use this link.

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2006/26jan_suitsat.htm

definitely a different idea

Aloha It's You

yup...most of the Lu'au pictures are up on my website now. Some I didnt actually take, and I have yet to add the ones from the Lu'au cams that were circling around. Enjoy....

being a pilot

a pilot once told me that his job was best described as "hours of boredom followed by moments of stark terror".

Did you know that when they used to send up those U-2 planes the guys would be up there in them for like 8-12 hours at a time? Thats literally sitting in the same spot the whole time. the logistics of that can be troubling, but engineers always have a solution....

another fun fact, the U-2 aircraft doesn't have any landing gear in its wings, they're along the fuselage. It's got two wheels kind of like a bicycle. When it lands the plane actually comes to rest with one of the wings touching the ground (they're reinforced with titanium skids). Then they manually install "pogos" under each wing that have wheels to support the wings.

pictures

I'm going to put lots of pictures up on my picture website soon...probably this weekend. Some from the Lu'au, some from the smallgroup, some from whenever. So....once I finish with all the work I have to do this week, I can actually start to think about doing that.....

Music to Check out

I can't think of an original thought...so, here's a list of music I want to check out. I just know most of these groups have new discs out there and I want to see what they sound like...give em a chance, if you know what I mean. Some are just older CDs that I never got, and I'm curious about them. I dont know the name of the discs though. I'm going to use my free month of Rhapsody (online music) to see what they sound like.

Finch
Franz Ferdinand
Bethany Dillon
Coheed and Cambria
Cool Hand Luke
Mogwai
Ida
Interpol
P.O.D.
Surfjan Stevens
The Darkness

Happy Thoughts

It's a beautiful day!!

an old poem

I love poetry...I haven't posted any for a while. This one may be a bit "meloncholy", if I understand the word right, perhaps not. Its from back in my days when my life was sort of skewed and I was trying to find my footing. Probably about 2 years ago or so. I post it because poetry is beautiful, but also....because I like to see how my thoughts have changed, and I have much more of a grasp on God's solid foundation now.

I was going to change the title, but....true to art, I have to include it as originally penned:

Can I Cry now?
A roadblock, or emptiness, which can it be?
Too many or too few of these feelings within me
The weight can be heavy and hard to grasp
I often feel like a warrior strapped to the mast
What more can be done, and what more said?
I've exhausted my thoughts on my prayer worn bed.
The emotions swirl but point me nowhere
Not too long ago I thought something was there
But where is there, if not some middle domain
Where minds just wander as people sort through the pain
It might be there, but not yet chosen
Not selected, or decided if it should be unfrozen
Perhaps left to stay unchanged, unneeded, unattached
Is where some see the spark best matched


There's definitely a lot in there....a lot reflecting some thoughts I was having about life in general....some of my more imaginative, figurative thoughts

Name That Caption

This was in BWI airport, after arriving back from Papua New Guinea in 2003. I can only think to call it "oops", but I'm not sure why. What would you caption these photos with? By the way, I have no idea who that other guy is. I'm not really sure what my mom is doing with the ice in this picture below....things get strange around the holidays.

Old Times

So, in response to Johns lovely flashback picture, I've got a few to throw out there...apparently I was putting on a show of my own. I'll title the second one...the creature awakes.

Chuck Norris

Chuck Norris Facts (thought you might enjoy these. If you're a guy you'll understand)

1. Chuck Norris does not sleep. He waits.

2. Chuck Norris is currently suing NBC, claiming Law and Order are trademarked names for his left and right legs.

3. The chief export of Chuck Norris is pain.

4. If you can see Chuck Norris, he can see you. If you can’t see Chuck Norris, you may be only seconds away from death.

5. Chuck Norris has counted to infinity. Twice.

6. Chuck Norris does not hunt because the word hunting infers
the probability of failure. Chuck Norris goes killing.

7. Chuck Norris doesn’t wash his clothes, he disembowels them.

8. In fine print on the last page of the Guinness Book of World Records it notes that all world records are held by Chuck Norris, and those listed in the book are simply the closest anyone else has ever gotten.

9. There is no chin behind Chuck Norris’ beard. There is only another fist.

10. The Great Wall of China was originally created to keep Chuck Norris out. It failed misserably.

11. If you ask Chuck Norris what time it is, he always says, “Two seconds ’til.” After you ask, “Two seconds ’til what?” he roundhouse kicks you in the face.

12. Chuck Norris doesn’t churn butter. He roundhouse kicks the cows and the butter comes straight out

13. The quickest way to a man’s heart is with Chuck Norris’ fist.

14. Nagasaki never had a bomb dropped on it. Chuck Norris jumped out of a plane and punched the ground.

15. When Chuck Norris sends in his taxes, he sends blank forms and includes only a picture of himself, crouched and ready to attack. Chuck Norris has not had to pay taxes ever.

16. Time waits for no man. Unless that man is Chuck Norris

17. In an average living room there are 1,242 objects Chuck Norris could use to kill you, including the room itself.

18. Chuck Norris can touch MC Hammer.

19. Chuck Norris doesn’t read books. He stares them down until he gets the information he wants.

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?)

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 :-))

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

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....

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....

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?

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

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.

this is amusing...

adopt your own virtual pet!

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.......

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.

open water

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

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]

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.

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.

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....

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)

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....

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.

new music

The Juliana Theory

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.

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.

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.

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....

Collision Ahead

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

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

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...

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)

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....

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...

Juliana Theory

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

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

Secret Message

7:30 Act like you know

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

London Calling

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

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

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

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.

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.

off again

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

.

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)

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....

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....

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.

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.

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....

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

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)

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/