Co-op update

time: 9:10 post meridian

i'm sleepy. co-op's busy. i don't know why i have a blog. i don't write on it. i don't really even read other people's blogs, either. i kinda don't do much internet stuff, except play minesweeper flags with my roomie from louisville and keep up with my email and order books off half.com.

so, co-ops busy. i got to go to bed.

long days and pleasant nights.

co-op II

Start: co-op term II
Location: Princeton, IN
Time: 10:19 pm

I've moved in today. Back to the small town. Not quite home. Smaller than Louisville. Tomorrow I start my co-op with the best automotive comany in the world: Toyota. I really like my job, working in the environmental department. Everyone knows I'm in over my head, over my head...

I will be here until the end of the year. Making money. Lots of reading. Lots of writing. Lots of stuff. I really don't know why I have a blog. Maybe cause it's the cool thing to do. Maybe cause I really like writing. Maybe I like experimenting. Maybe, maybe she says somethin' I'm so, I'm so tired...

Cause, you see, Brick is to high school as Gotham City is to New York. 'Twas a good movie. About drugs being ran in high school and people getting caught. Strange. I think maybe I have fleas. Or maybe there's only eight seconds left in overtime, she's on your mind, on your mind...

I gotta go. Long days. Pleasant nights.

getting married

i'm getting married next year. just thought that it should appear on my blog. should be derby day, maybe a week earlier or later, pending on circumstance. but, one things a fact, and that's that i'm getting married next year. God truly has blessed me beyond measure and words. summer is very busy and not a time for computers, especially blogs. perchance i'll update when i get back into a regular semester. perchance i'll be too busy to update very often (as i've been). narytheless, next year, aye, i'm getting married.

long days and pleasant nights

Lucky! Lick the Downtrodden!

God has been good to me. Merciful. Gracious. Forgiving.
He has been good to the ones I love. Kind. Comforting. Strong.
Yet it seems, no matter what, people are conflicted. I've said before that drama does not really happen to me, but to the ones I love. Many of my friends and relatives have been beset by problems that lead to a deep sadness, and though no great tragedy has happened to me, I feel like I am to be a help. And so I try. I remind that God is always there and that He knows what is going on. He is in charge, after all.
But the downtrodden are given a choice: stay down or rise. Bravo to those who rise, and prayers to those who do not. Perserverance is vital for this life. As is God. He is a loving God and an omnipresent God. He does not forsake. He will never forsake. Prayer and a Bible are essential tools to press on.
And, of course, being around friends and just people in general usually makes bad feelings (loneliness, for example) go away. We are somewhat like leeches, feeding off the khef of others. And if people don't work, dogs usually always do. Go up to a dog (make it a friendly one) and cry around it; I would almost bet a limb that it will lick you and make you feel better. My fiance felt down the other day, and I wanted her to feel better, so I summoned the dog to lick the downtrodden. I think it worked. At least it got her sticky.

Radiator Problemo

So two days ago I was driving back to my apartment with my roomate in the car. We pulled in and got out and immediately noticed the acrid smell and pouring steam/smoke rolling from under my hood. Which is where things technically started going wrong.
The radiator had a crack that some epoxy somewhat fixed. But then there came the gash in the radiator hose, hence the smell/steam. So, after letting the stuff cool down, we cut off the part where the hole was and reclamped the tube down. Which worked fine for two days. And then tonight, I'm going to my friend's uncles and I notice that the temperature begins to rise very, very quickly. By the time I pull in it looked like my hood was on fire beneath, and the smell was terrible. So we poured water into the radiator. Which, I thought, would be a good idea. When I left and came back to my apartment, the same problem again.
The predicament: I'm leaving the Big Town tomorrow for a while to return home. I'm longing for home. For peace. For less stress here and for my fiancee (I think it's with the ee). However, it looks like I'm gonna have to be concerned about making it home in one piece for the 120 mile trek, as well as getting it fixed. And all this with little money. But I know that God will provide for me. He always has, and He always will.
Knowing little about automobiles, I hope that there is nothing too wrong. Or too expensive. I hope that by buying a new hose that my problem will be fixed. Hopefully. I'd like to be home. Once the car's there I won't let it bother me. But until then, I'll just depend on Jesus to get me through, and my car.

If I never post again, mayhap my car blew up.

Long Days and Pleasant Nights, amigos...

Exodus & finality

All my bags are packed (mostly), I'm ready to go,
And my belly's aching of buffalo,
cause spicy garlic and hot wings make me sick.

so i ate at bw3's.
and i probly shouldn't have.
but when i've only got two nights left in the big town i can afford a lil extravagance.
see, i'll be leaving for home saturday, not to return to louisville (potentially) until january of 2007. that means i'll be on co-op again. which means that i'll be making money again. which means that i'll still be farther away from my fiancee. argh.

and so the title become applicable. sorta. i'll be taking an exodus (hopefully spiritually) when i leave here. i plan on using my co-op as time to get closer to God and His Will. i read His Word daily, but i don't really read it. i'll be in a foreign land (i.e. Indiana), and across a river (the Ohio). and when i come back to the big town there may not look to be an outward change, but inward there will be. and of that i am certain. God has provided for me always, and He always will. for that I am most thankful.

and who knows, my plans for marriage may be more developed. and mayhap my tennis skills will have increased. and i might start working out more. but, for certain, I will be closer to my Father and Savior. i will persevere. and with that, i retire.

Long Days and Pleasant Nights, amigos...

3:13 a.m.

This late/early the mind seems to be thinking much clearer than usual. It is finals week. I am finished, yet here in town for another few days. Primarily I've been cleaning and organizing (mostly music on my computer). Finals were actually pretty easy. Wolves of the Calla is pretty good so far. I've not had too much time to spend reading here of late. However, I have been practicing my piano and guitar e'en more. Which, there is a song called "Boston" by Augustana. Me gusta mucho.
Which reminds me. Augustana opened for a concert I went to last week. The Counting Crows (best band ever to have lived) and the Goo Goo Dolls. The concert was in Cincinatti and was awesome. First time I e'er saw the Crows or the Dolls, and both were great. Plus, my favourite song was the second one that the Crows sang ("Mrs. Potters Lullaby"). I'm not really sure whether or not it can top the Nickel Creek concert I went to last fall, though, in Louisville. 'Twas amazing, especially since tickets landed us on the third row.
It's now 3:16. I should go to sleep. But I imagine that I'll lay awake and pray. Or think. I like doing both. Until...

Long Days and Pleasant Nights, amigos....

Wizard and Glass

There is that feeling when you finish a long book. It's the one that's saying There should be more, I just know it, but... Argh. So, I finished Wizard and Glass just a little bit ago. Of course it was good, and it's technically not over (because of the three sequels) but the book was good. Maybe it's not the There should be more feeling. Maybe it's Huh, I'm through. Now what to do?

Obviously the answer is to pick up the sequel--Wolves of the Calla--and start right away. But, I have STAR WARS books to read, and Frankenstein, and Absalom! Absalom!, and a William Golding. There are definitely way, way too many books out there to choose from. Way too many. Perhaps someday I'll have read e'erything that I wanted to e'er read, but I doubt that. That'll only happen if books become banned. And that's certainly not e'er gonna happen. Unless we live in a Farenheit 431 world.

Long days and pleasant nights, amigos...

wild eyed beast

and so the man sometimes finds himself subject to askant, glaring views.
his back hurts from hauling in hay.
his mind is still sleepy, so why's he staring at the screen?
there's the test thursday to study for,
e'en though environmental seems eccentric.
argh. pirates comes out this weekend, and i still gotta finish reading the Wizard and the Glass.
sometimes being a rodeo clown is almost too much.
but, through all the depression of the clown business,
the frowns and ridicule,
omnipresent is Jesus, to offer His love and grace,
His forgiveness for failure,
and His salvation for sin,
all free of charge to us, but His life was the price.
Jesus is truly the answer to everything,
with 42 following at a very distant second.

Long Days and Pleasant Nights, amigos...

Tea & Probability

So I've been sittin' here doin' my probability & statistics for the past while and I'm not really sure how many cups of tea I've consumed. Currently a Counting Crows song blares on my roomates computer. My mind also runs so that while I'm trying to study and do my homework, I find myself thinking about other things. Camping this weekend should be fun, with all the fireworks and swimming and all. Mountain Dew will most likely be the substitute for tea this weekend.

O but only if I could get a few problems done I would be a li'l happier with myself. I mean, who really cares about the T distribution and the Chi-squared distribution? Is there some sort of application to my life? "How much tea would you have to drink in order to see the true colors of the American flag?" I mean, c'mon, c'mon, have you seen me lately? I just read all the time. That's pretty much it. Whether its the Bible or the Dark Tower, STAR WARS, or maybe T. S. Eliot, life goes on. Oh yeah, long after the thrill of living is gone...

Know the difference between mean and x-bar? I think x-bar is equivalent to average, which is slightly different from mean. And so I stare absently at my P & S textbook, thankfully that the homeworks not technically due for a week or so, but actually due the day after tomorrow. Red Hot Chili Peppers now. Come to think of it, my tea's nearly empty. I guess I should buckle down and hammer to it. Just a few problems. Or I could go read or take a shower or play my guitar or practice piano or do anything but this blasted probability. Argh. It's time...

Long days and pleasant nights, amigo...

The Dark Tower

Recently I began reading Stephen King's Dark Tower series. I had heard of the books, but I'm not much into King. However, after reading book one, The Gunslinger, I was enthralled. King creates a world of magic and terror and gunslingers and magicians and doors and riddles and enough coincidence/fate to keep me page turning. The books are quite amazing, to say the least.

King says that he loved The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, as well as The Lord of the Rings, and this book is kind of a twisted story containing both. The gunslinger, Roland, is on a quest for the Dark Tower, and after book one, the reader still knows very little at all. Book two, The Drawing of the Three, is much better than The Gunslinger. I highly recommend this series for everyone who loves fantasy, sci-fi, etc. Beware, though, there is some vulgarity and profanity along the way to the Tower, but pay it no heed.

Lost: I

This is a new series on Lost.
I realize that my last series over answers to general questions was short lived, and this one could be, too, quite possibly, but I shall try nontheless.

I will not take the time to explain in detail the scenario. If you watch the show, then you know it. If not, I'll be brief. An airplane, Oceanic Flight 815, crashed for unknown reasons on an unknown island. There are many survivors, including a doctor, a con artist, a rock star, a fugitive (not Harrison Ford), a mobster, a multi-millionaire lottery winner, a walking cripple, and many others. Ah, yes, there are the Others. The Others are the ones that were already on the island. They are the ones that everybody is trying to get to to find out exactly what is going on. The Others may hold the secrets of the island. Or maybe they hold the answers.

Many of these characters are interwoven through their past, yet few of the survivors realize this. And that presents the purpose of this post.

Problem: What harm would it bring if the survivors told their personal stories to the rest of the survivors on the island? What if they shared their past instead of harboring it inside?

Answer: Granted people are not going to be comfortable talking about their past. Let's take Sawyer for example. Sawyer is a con man. In his life he killed at least one person we know of, he stole large amounts of money, and he lived outside and above the law. Generally people do not share this kind of information and they want their secrets to remain buried. But, why?
The old life is over. There is no hope of rescue. Most likely the survivors will remain on the island for most of, if not all, their lives. The island presents the survivors with a chance at renewal. The island also presents the survivors with many questions and mysteries, and these could best be solved by combining their backgrounds and learning. The characters should step outside of their comfort zones and open up. Ultimately they'll win back the trust of the masses.
Trust? How much can one trust the other? Who on the island hasn't killed a person?

Easter time has gone

It was Easter just the other day. While many were celebrating the bunny and such, there were many that were at church, as well. Sadly, many of those people only go to church on Easter and Christmas. I don't know why that is. I had an interesting Easter weekend, as I did get a new guitar and found out some of my uncles were in jail. The guitar does not relate.
the weekend before i volunteered to be the easter bunny at the company that i work at's picnic. and the sevens just kept wylin. some kids were terrified of the six foot tall bunny. others embraced me and said "i love you, easter bunny." and one guy wanted me to set on his lap. and a couple of grown ladies sat on mine. 'twas strange, indeed. but in the end, it was fun. the kids made for a great afternoon snack. mmmmm....chocolatte covered youngsters....mmmmm....hansel and grettel...
And so my guitar is pretty nice. Alvarez. Acoustic electric. Sweet sound. Me gusta mucho.
Adios for now.

long time comin'

It's definitely been a while since I posted. Sorry about that. Not that anyone's really reading this anyway. But just in case there is someone, I apologize. What have I been doing?
Since January 5 I have been employed by Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana, and because of my job, I've not actually had too much time to devote to the internet. Unless you count facebook and a dual challenge of minesweeper/backgammon against the harlequin. At TMMI I work in the Environmental department, but other than that, I've not done too much.
I have bought a few cd's and movies. And I still watch Lost. And I still love Star Wars. But mostly I just read. Which is practically what I do when I get home from work. I read. And I've read quite a bit. Quite could be a drastic understatement. All the time. I dunno how many books I've been through since I've started working. I do know that my backgammon skills have increased. And so has my communication with other skills. And I've started writing again. Not just the blog thing. This is somewhat stupid. Though the idea behind a blog is amazing, it just seems ridikulus. But I am writing on a new story, with a real outline and ideas and everything. And I've been writing songs, too. And I've been to a NickelCreek concert, as well as a John Mellencamp comcert. Sevens are still wylin out at the waterfront.

Christmas time is here

First and foremost, merry CHRISTmas. Secondly, merry CHRISTmas.

So it's been a while since my last post (primarily because I only have limited internet access when I come home from college, i.e. public library) and life really hasn't had much excitement. Indeed there was finals, which went quite well. And Christmas approaches, so there was the creation of gifts and purchase of others. Also went quite well. And then there was King Kong and the Chronicles of Narnia, both of which went, well, quite well.

But alas I must now weave the events that have recently been made aware to me. I shall not reveal how I became aware of this knowledge, but it is my responsibility to tell it to all. Hang on. I shall start at the beginning, proceed through the middle, possibly reach a climax, and resolve with a resolution.

It all began with the boy. He knew things he shouldn't. No one at age eight could possibly comprehend, but somehow he knew. And it was the knowledge he held that held the world in a delicate balance. Should he tell the world, there would be havoc and chaos. Should he keep it to himself there would be inner strife. But Christmas was approaching. And with Christmas comes gifts. So the boy, somehow, knew what he would do.

It was time for the evening news and his parents were sitting in their normal living room watching their normal news broadcast and assuming normally that their "normal" son was upstairs, playing with normal toys like normal kids do. Of course, he wasn't. Actually at that very instant he was finishing praying. He had decided. And the world must know. The news anchors told introduced their guest as a prodigy who had an explosive secret to tell. And with that the parents leaned a little closer to the tv, like the rest of the world watching. And closer still they leaned when they saw that the prodigy was their son. And still closer they leaned when he began to speak.

"My name does not matter. Only the information I have in my head is all that concerns you all. And so I shall tell it and leave. I'm sorry." This was the only way for freedom. And afterall, it was Christmas time. "Apparently since I am not allowed to say CHRISTmas on tv, I first want to wish you all a very merry CHRISTmas. But my concern does not depend on that. My concern involves most people in this world. And my secret is enough to send an entire continent to maddness. Why am I telling this? I don't really know, but I believe everyone should know.

"And so I give you the option now. You have about ten seconds to turn off the tv and live comfortably in ignorance. I shall pause and wait." And the parents along with the rest of the world all leaned in terribly closer. Still closer as time dropped closer and closer to zero. And simultaneously everyone pushed one button on their remotes. Power.

And so the secret has not been heard by anyone except the camera man, who happened to be a little loose in the noggin. He told it to me. And as for the boy, I cannot say. But the secret I now know, if I am to belive the mad man. And so I disagree with the aforemention of not revealing my source, but I believe that unimportant. I must go now. Namaste. Merry Christmas.

Finals Week

And so finals week, which actually is composed of two days and four exams, has begun. Day One consisted of a destructive DE test and a devastating Dynamics final. Both exams sucked, naturally, but there was some sort of solace during the day. I knew that I would be home soon. And King Kong would be out, too. And Christmas. And co-op. And there are still two exams left for tomorrow......

So, that leads me to wondering what sort of humor can one find during the most stressful times for college students? I know some people who have found the ultimate in stress relief. Explosives. Yep. I e'en witnessed one or two. Simply put a few ounces of water into a 20 oz. bottle, screw top on to create pressure, and place into microwave. Soon open the door to the microwave and voila. Stress relief. (I understand that this may not be too safe, but it's really only harmful to the microwave. So, in conclusion, who is Mike Jones? Who? Don't really know.) Clean up afterwards. And only do sparingly. Excessive laughter causes side-splitting pain.

And with that, I must return to my studies and talk to my beautiful gypsy friend who lives across the way. I think I cut my finger earlier on a Christmas tree...

Why no snow?

As little kids often remind us, snow is simply amazing and beautiful. They (the kids) flock around windows just to gaze out the window and watch the white specks fall to the ground. And of course the teacher gets mad and makes them all sit down to listen to her lecture. This same phenomenon occurs in the adult life as well. We watch the dark grey clouds cover the sky and soon we are fascinated at the flakes descending groundward.

An email from little Leslie Johnson in Blizzard, FL contained a simple question she would like for me to answer. "Sir, we don't get snowfall here in Florida, and I wanna know why. Mommy and Daddy can't tell me, and you're next in line. Thanks, Little Leslie Johnson."

Well, Little Leslie, the answer is really pretty simple. Snow comes from the clouds when it's really cold outside and the water cycle has gathered enough moisture in the air. When the humidity is right, along with various other things that are far too complicated for your little mind, snow comes out. But not in Florida. Here's your answer.

In 1865, during the Civil War, there was another battle going on. The clouds were meeting above deciding what to do about the fate of the lands. You see, the payroll was pretty slim for clouds and especially in Florida. The clouds down there barely made enough to support their families, and finally something had to be done. The clouds decided to strike. (Who, or what, or e'en how remains a mystery.) Of course the entity in charge didn't care and so the clouds never quite managed to come back the same to Florida. A different breed moved in, along with terrible winds and rain. Snow left the bleak countryside and was replaced with beautiful sands and water and shells and waves and warm weather. What a drag. And as you could have guessed, the clouds probably won't ever be returning, what with global warming and tourism at an all time high.

I hope that answers your question, Little Leslie. And if you have another please send it. Namaste.

Why?

"Why?" is a great question to ask. Not only is the word simple enough to spell and easy enough to pronounce, but it is also applicable to any statement ever made. For starters look at the little kids. Whilst growing up they are inclined to think about the world and what makes things work. They see something and need to find out more about it. Being young, they also need a word that's easy to say, and what other word could that be than "Why?" (I guess it could be eggplant, but that would make no sense.) Yet their knowledge behind what they ask is only shallow. A simple answer is enough to satisfy their curiosity and they usually continue on their way.

Then merge adolescence into man. The "Why?" becomes a much more complex and prominent question. "Why are girls so weird?" "Why is the price of gas so high?" "Why am I not given everything I want?" And a crapload approaching infinity more questions to ask. Of course, there is not always an answer to these questions. However, in this blog I will attempt to answer some of the more common questions that people always ask "Why?" Let's begin.

I. "Why do my feet stink after walking around all day?"

This may come as a surprise to some people, but the feet are the sweatiest things on the body. They are used in nearly every activity and therefore they perspire. The stink, however, comes not from the sweat but actually a small Gnome-like creature that lives in socks called the Perspiratorgus. It's a pretty lazy creature, and when disturbed enough he reacts (similar to a skunk's spray) and releases fumes from his own feet that smell terrible. This smell clings to the socks' cloth and the result is smelly feet.


This starts the series of "Why....?" for me. I shall keep the answers rolling, just keep the question coming. Namaste.

Darth Vader

There comes a time in every young man's life that he finally realizes what he wants to be when he grows up. There are multiple dreams and ambitions, but there is always one definite epiphany. At least there was for me. An epiphany that rattles to the bone marrow.
I wanted to become Darth Vader. If wielding the ultimate powers of the Dark Side wasn't enough to tempt me, there was the numerous other traits of Lord Vader that were certainly admirable. He, like Johnny Cash, was a man in black. His suit was constructed to fit him perfectly, casting that ominous shadow everywhere he went. He had a lightsaber for cryin' out loud. What kind of person doesn't want to own a lightsaber? Vader also was the second most powerful person in the galaxy (at least in order of command by the Empire) and had the authority to demolish entire planets. Logically it can be determined that Darth Vader could do whatever he pleased.

But then comes the dilemma. Darth Vader, a Dark Lord of the Sith, had too many problems. Being Darth Vader comes with the burden of loss and anguish. To take on the mask means taking on his pain. He believed that Padme would die and he wanted to save her. Satan, I mean,Chancellor Palpatine twisted Vader's mind to where he didn't know what to believe. He only thought that he had to trust Palpatine to help him save Padme. Foolish, aye, but out of love. A deep love for Padme. And there was also the sorrow of having killed numerous (practically all) Jedi. He not only failed in the Order, but he failed himself.

So being Darth Vader is a tricky business. Indeed the powers and shiny black suit would be mine, but as would the heartache. I believe I must pass on it. Though the Dark Side tempts me, I shall not give in. I shall remain myself, loyal to the true Force. The Light Side is too strong to leave. And Vader finally comes back over to it, so why should I want to be him anyway? I'm sure he'd forsake all that's Dark.....

Alpha

And so this is the beginning. My first blog. I am intrigued by the possibilities for some odd reason. And because this is my first I shall post a preview of what to expect. Mostly it will probably be random thoughts going through me, similar to a journal. Perhaps I shall write on current events. Mebbe religious thoughts. Mebbe STAR WARS. Definitely STAR WARS.

Nevertheless, or Foreverthemore, this blog shall certainly be entertaining, insightful, trying, and prosperous (at least I hope). Until a later post, I remain random. Kinda like the alpacas.