Huckleberry

2011-12-13T12:10:00.001-08:00

I think I'm gonna stop washing my hair. I'll let you know how it goes.

The New Empires

2011-11-30T21:23:00.001-08:00

<a href="http://thenewempires.bandcamp.com/track/apocalypse">Apocalypse by The New Empires</a>

This is the opening track to their new album. Check it out. Definitely worth ten bucks.

Childish Gambino

2011-11-22T11:13:00.000-08:00

Read this article by Aaron Belz about Childish Gambino. After reading I have been listening to his stuff all day. Its really good.

The Blue Ridge Parkway (cont.)

2011-08-20T19:04:00.000-07:00

We both woke up a few times throughout the night to the sound of torrential rain on our tarp. Peter woke me up at one point and we both just listened...smiling at the satisfaction that comes only from sleeping dry in the rain.
Saturday morning. We have to be back at camp by 9:00 PM. Peter and I walked about a mile down to one of the Blue Ridge Visitor's centers and talked to one of the rangers for a bit. She told us about Mt. Mitchell which was only ten to fifteen miles north on the parkway. Mt. Mitchell is the highest point in the Eastern United States and has a handicapped accesible ramp to the top (perfect when you've been walking for two days). We headed north on the parkway and in about fifteen minutes got picked up by none other than our ranger lady on her way to lunch. She drove us about ten minutes up the road and dropped us at the overlook she typically eats at. We walked from there and walked uphill for about an hour and a half. About this time Peter and I decided that we needed to turn around in order to avoid the wrath of Wallace. Right then a truck with three late twenty somethings pulled into a turnaround. We told them we were trying to get to Mt. Mitchell ut we were about to turn around. The guy in the back seat said "Well we aren't going that way, but we're going to f*** around in the woods if you want to come. (aside) It's cool if they come right?" The guy in the passenger seat asked "You guys like kryonite?" Peter and I exchanged suspicious looks, remembering our recent offer of marijuana. "Yeah we're not doing much, just f***ing around in the woods, you guys are totally welcome to come. Just a little Gem mining." Ahhhh. Gem mining. Those are words we understood. "Yeah I guess we'll come. Why not?"

We hopped in the back of the pickup and they grabbed the tools and put them in the cab with them. As we drove around a bend in the road, the guy in the back seat through the shovels out the window in to the weeds on the side of the road. "I guess that's what they mean by f*** around in the woods" I said to Peter.

We pulled into the same overlook that our ranger lady had stopped to eat at and we hopped out of the back. Peter jovially asks "So.... gem mining huh?" "SHHHHHHHH. Yeah but we kinda gotta keep it down. Some people don't really like it."
After giving us some chips and some tuna to take with us on our trip we started walking down the road with the three guys one of whose names we learned was Chip. Walking down the hill another guy was coming up and said "I don't know if its been ya'll diggin down there, but there's a forestry services guy down there. I wouldn't go down." We turned around and went back to the overlook. "Yeah, some people have been digging big holes down there and not filling 'em in. I'm not sayin' its you or anything." "No, definitely, we always fill in our holes, plus we don't dig very deep. We basically just skim off the top. I mean I've grown up in these mountains. If I take out a blue rock I'll bring a white one back you know? I mean, come on. It's not like if I take a little rock my kids are gonna be missing something when they come here you know? And I mean, we always fill in our holes. You dig a hole, you fill that shit in, it's just common f***in' courtesy. Come on."

About this time Peter and I decided that we needed to be moving on. "Thanks so much guys, we gotta get back to camp so we're gonna get goin." "Yeah no problem, sorry it didn't work out. If we see you we'll pick you guys up and give ya a ride."

The guy who tipped us off about the ranger picked us up and took us a couple of miles. We were walking when a car with two middle aged women pulled over. The passenger rolled down the window and said "If you're carrying any guns or knives we'll kick your ass!" "No ma'am. We aren't." "Hahaha, just kidding, climb in!"
The ladies were up on the parkway because their friend (who was turning 50 that weekend) was riding her bike to train for a triathlon. They were really fun, and interested in hearing all about our lives. They dropped us at the Folk Art Center where they were gonna be stopped for a while.

After looking around for a bit, we got back on the road. We were picked up by a guy who happened to have been an elder in a Presbyterian church. He was currently working for the Billy Graham foundation in Asheville, but he likes to get away to the mountains on the weekends. He drove us all the way to 215 where we got off the parkway.

Our first ride on 215 was a very old, crusty guy driving a big flatbed truck. The first thing we noticed when we opened the door was the can of Coors between his legs and the unopened on on the seat. "Oh well" we thought. "He doesn't look drunk or anything." Peter hopped on the bed and I got the privilege of trying to understand everything our main man said for the next thirty minutes. Throughout our entire conversation, the key points I was able to discern where that he was a retired Christmas tree farmer who still worked in that business (retired?). He had some kids, and some grandkids. While Charles (I'm pretty sure that was his name) was definitely not drunk, he would lose track of the road for a few seconds every time he took a drink. You would think that while driving one would carefully sip from a drink, careful to keep one's eyes on the road. But thats not the christmas tree farming way apparently. Charles would throw back his head and drink for about five seconds before looking at the road again when he would violently swerve to get back on it.

Charles dropped us a gas station which conveniently had an apple tree. We ate apples and got back on the road. We got one more ride which took us to 64. We walked for about two hours and we were about a mile or so away from camp when we got our final ride from a couple guys from The Wilds (the Baptist camp down the road). They took us up to camp and invited us over to The Wilds to play games. After getting cleaned up we and another buddy from camp went over and we played four-on-a-couch.

The end. (of that adventure)

The Beginning of the Best August Ever

2011-08-02T22:05:00.000-07:00

Camp ended on Saturday. This summer has been an incredible experience and I learned and grew a lot. But I was so ready for camp to be over. Sunday morning I flew out of Chattanooga. I spent the next twelve hours in the Chicago airport trying to get on any flight that would take me anywhere in California. It wasn't until 9:40 Sunday night that I got a seat on a plane to LA. It was the most glorious feeling that I almost cried with joy.
On Monday we drove down the Pacific Coast Hwy a bit and went to The Hidden House, a really cool coffee shop in San Juan Capistrano where my cousin works. The rest of the day we spent lounging around the pool at the house where we're staying.
This morning we went to Corona Del Mar (a beach) and spent the day building a sand castle. The weather was absolutely perfect, but the water was 66 degrees (freaking cold). I only spent about thirty minutes in the water in all because it was so dang cold.
Tomorrow we go to Joshua Tree national park as a family. I'm pretty excited. Matt wants to get "Joshua Tree" by U2 and listen to it on the way out.
On Thursday I'm meeting up with the Bradshaws and hanging out with their family for a couple of days. Then we're backpacking in the Sierra Nevadas for a week. I will tell you about those adventures once I have them. I also just ordered a camera so I will include some pictures as well.

The Blue Ridge Parkway

2011-07-25T21:29:00.000-07:00

Peter Bradshaw and I were talking about our weekend and we decided to go camping up at Black Balsam on the Blue Ridge Parkway. We were talking to other people to find out what some other weekend activities were and we discovered that all the girls who work at camp were camping as well. So we went camping…twenty girls and Peter and I.

The weather up at Black Balsam was the worst it had been for a while. Wet, and cloudy. It was also the first time that a lot of those girls had ever gone camping. In the middle of the night, we were woken up by the girls telling us that it was storming and raining. We moved our sleeping bags and tarp closer so we could cover them up with our extra tarp if we needed to. For the next ten minutes we tried to decide if it was raining hard enough to wake them all up and get them to get under a tarp. We woke them up and some of them were very cranky and angry at us until we had them feel their sleeping bags and discovered that they were soaking wet.

The next morning we walked down the trail and made a fire and breakfast in a pine forest on the hill. One of the girls had twisted her ankle the night before so we had to give her a piggy-back ride all the way down (probably about two miles). After breakfast, the girls packed up and left in the vans, and Peter and I began walking up the parkway.

We stopped at Graveyard Fields where there are some really cool waterfalls and swimming holes. We got picked up by Whitney who had been out of school for a couple years. She had studied theatre, but she had recently lost her theatre job and was pursuing sailing (in ships) full time. The very first thing she said to us when she picked us up was “I’ve never picked up hitch hikers before, but you guys looked nice.” She dropped us off at the Grove Arcade in downtown Asheville where we met up with some friends from camp.

Later that night, our friend drove us back to the parkway and we were picked up within a minute of being dropped off. When the car pulled up, both the driver and the passenger were smoking. The drivers name was Nate and he was a mechanic in Asheville. His girlfriend was with him and they were on the Blue Ridge because they loved driving up there while its cloudy. Nate asked us if we smoked, and thinking he was only going to offer us a cigarette or ask if he could smoke, I answered “yes.” So Nate’s girlfriend proceeds to pull out a bowl, fill it with weed, take a hit, pass it to Nate, and then pass it back to me. I had absolutely no idea what to do. I looked at Peter and his face was just screaming “NO ROBBIE, DON’T DO IT!” I held it for a few seconds and passed it back and said “We’re good, thanks.”

They dropped us off and it was getting dark, and it was incredibly wet and hard to see because of all the clouds. We found a trail off one of the thousands of pull-offs and went up it a ways to find a place to make camp. We set up a couple tarps and got a fire going (which took us forty-five minutes with all that wet wood). We had brought an apple pie along with us from camp, so we heated it up on the fire and ate an entire apple pie for dinner. It was one of the most incredible experiences in my life.

To be continued…

Summer Adventures Coming Soon

2011-07-24T21:16:00.001-07:00

I will be sitting down to type out a bunch of my summer adventures soon. There have been some pretty crazy stories and I can't wait to share them.

If this doesn't make your heart sing...

2011-07-05T16:43:00.000-07:00

Casey + Brandon from Fancy Rhino on Vimeo.

Traveling by Rail (Spring Break)

2011-04-26T23:01:00.001-07:00

For nineteen hours they sat behind a grain
Hopper, not knowing where the train would take them.
There were no lights as on an interstate.
The boys were huddled close to fight the cold.

The train moved slow and stopped for hours on end.
An open flame would betray their hidden nook.
As coals were pushed into the hole, they bounced
And flared, and showered the sparks onto the tracks.

Small puffs of smoke lingered from pipes between
Stiff hands. The embers glowed on drowsy eyes
That did not want to fall asleep, but shone
In the dark with joy, and looks of wanderlust.

A New Year, blah blah blah

2011-01-09T14:47:00.000-08:00

Naturally, with the new year come new resolutions, and with new resolutions come new blog posts and an effort to regularly update the ol' blogger account.
I don't think I'm going to say that I will regularly post.

As far as resolutions go however, I have a few. My mom told me this idea which she has been using for resolutions for a couple years now. I thought it was a brilliant idea.

Luke 2:52 "And Jesus increased in wisdom, stature, and favor with God and man."

This passage shows us that Jesus grew in four ways. In the four different aspects of life as a human, physical, mental, spiritual, and relational. My mom's idea was to come up with four resolutions, one for each area in which we should be growing. A simple idea, but I had never thought of it or heard of it before.

So, my resolutions.

Wisdom- I would like to focus and do well in my classes, and I would like to read at least one good book every month (or two months) of this year.

Stature- I resolve to hit the gym regularly (2-3 times a week), run/jog three times a week, and make a reasonable effort to complete the soccer off season workout plan.

Favor with God- I make the same resolution every year, "I want to read my Bible every day." While I do want to do that, history has proven to me that its not as easy as I think it is or I want it to be. So I think I will make it a bit simpler and say that I would like to spend time each day reading and or meditating on some aspect of Gods word, even if that means reading the same passage every day. I also resolve to Memorize 1 Corinthians 13. That passage is so choc full of good things, and I have memorized each section of it at some time or another, so it shouldn't be too hard.

Favor with Men- I really want to learn a few things relationally this semester and this year. I want to begin a lifestyle of true accountability with the people I love. Holding them accountable, and taking advice and rebuke when necessary with humility.

Papers are the best

2010-11-21T17:40:00.000-08:00

I'm so restless. I want to go. I want to go somewhere. I want to do something without a plan! Everything is scheduled and structured.

I think I'm just frustrated at this paper I'm supposed to be writing. I can't focus.

If you have any great ideas for ways to calm my restless soul, let me know.

Hitchhiking

2010-11-20T07:58:00.000-08:00

ADVENTURE! I long for it. I long for the west before it was tame and before it was safe. I want to be in the Pony Express!!!! Of all of the things that ever happened in history, I think the Pony Express is my favorite.

I mean seriously, look at this poster!

So, there is no Pony Express, and there is no wild west. I have settled on hitchhiking. Setting out on the open road without a plan. So, if you have any hitchhiking stories or tips, or good ideas, let me know!

Resolutions

2010-10-20T22:28:00.000-07:00

Why are so many blogposts about resolutions and how we plan on blogging regularly?

In other news, I am dating Miss Hannah Vanbiber. I'm pretty ridiculously excited about that fact.

I also have some resolutions for my post fall break semester, but I'm not going to mention them here. And blogging regularly wasn't one of them. I will work on it though.

It's hot

2010-06-28T14:51:00.000-07:00

I ran seven miles.

Thats all.

Writers Block

2010-06-25T21:54:00.000-07:00

When you have nothing to write about, or can't think of what to write, it is called writers block.
So what is it called when you have everything to write about, and so many important things happened to you that you could write an entire book on those things? I don't know, but it is as inhibiting as writers block.

My sister got married. Thats the biggest thing. Lots of other important things have happened, but I am choosing to tell you about some of the less important things.

A couple of weeks ago I decided that I really like my sperry's. The are unique in that they do not have soles on them. After normal wear and tear, they began to fall apart, and during one very vigorous game of CRAPS, I ripped one of the soles off completely. I then intentionally removed the other one to make them even. I wore them about in that manner for some time and wore a hole through the leather bottom. I decided that if I wanted to continue wearing them for a good while longer, I was going to have to do something to strengthen the sole.
So I went out and bought some raw hide and cut out the shape of my foot. Then, I glued those pieces to the bottom of my sperry's. My shoes were given new life and I wear them almost every day again.

A week or so later, I was sitting in my living room and I was remember some cool things I had as a child. One of those things was a leather water bottle that we must have gotten at some National Battlefield (we went to a lot of those when I was younger) as a souvenir from the gift shop. I remembered how cool it was and I decided to make a new one. I did some interwebsearching, and found some plans to make a leather bottle. I got the leather, sewed it up, and put it in a bucket of water to soak over night. Then I filled the bag with sand to stretch the leather and let it hang in my backyard for four days. When it was dry and stretched, I removed the sand and coated the outside with melted beeswax. I then lined the inside with a beeswax/pine tar mixture to make the thing water proof.

It worked. I now have a leather water bottle that holds water (I know thats the point, but i am pretty proud of the fact that it actually accomplishes its purpose). Maybe I will upload a picture sometime.

I just finished reading the book "The Lost City of Z" by David Grann. He came and spoke at Covenant last semester, but I didn't get to hear him speak. I was busy doing something. I can't remember what it was. Anyhoo ;) I read the book and it was fantastic. A comment on the front cover says it reads with the excitement and pace of a movie thriller, and it wasn't an exaggeration at all. You all should read it. If you like adventure, and the jungle, and explorers, and journalists, and Indians, and maggots, and piranhas, and really scary animals and insects, and really disgusting diseases and infestations, you should definitely read it. There were multiple times that I would reread what I had just finished so that I could read it outloud for whoever was near by. It was often disgusting or awesome.

On the subject of Books, I have a book list. Though I am typically vehemently against lists because I believe they only provide disappointment, I make an exception for reading lists.
I am actually not going to reveal my booklist at this time. Mostly because I don't feel like running downstairs to get it, but I will tell you the things I have accomplished.

The Picture of Dorian Gray
The Invisible Man
The Time Machine
The Trumpet of the Swan
The Lost City of Z
One Half of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

The first three I accomplished while I was stil at school, but I count them because I started my list before I read them.

Here are some things that I am going to be doing next week. I would like to tell you that I will tell you more about them later, but chances are, I wont. I'm kinda bad at finding time to blog.
Tuesday June 29- I work from 12:30 to 9:00
Wednesday June 30- I turn nineteen. Also, Eclipse comes out. I might go see it. Maybe I'll go with Paul.
Thursday July 1- Go to Baltimore with Stephen. Hang out with Paul. See Sleigh Bells in Concert!
Friday July 2- Go to Cambridge Maryland. Hang out with Annie and Fammie.
Saturday July 3- Go to the beach with lots of very close friends.

I'm pretty excited. Ill talk to you later!

Team Taylor

2010-06-01T22:39:00.000-07:00

So, in the last week and a half, I have listened through Taylor Swift's album "Fearless" at least six times. Not a joke. I have gotten to the point where I do not want to skip any of the songs when I listen through it because I like them all so much.

Remember this song? Yeah, I think its my favorite on the album, and I can say that since I know all of the songs on the album almost by heart.

I am going to have a contest to see which of my friends is the coolest. To win, you must buy me one of these.

The Huckleberry Summer

2010-05-14T19:11:00.000-07:00

2010 is the 125th anniversary of Mark Twain's "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." To celebrate I plan on reading the book, and modeling my life after that rascally youngster.

To begin, I spent a great deal of my last few weeks on Covenant's campus swimming, walking barefoot through the woods, and having fires behind Jackson Pond. Sleeping outside and swimming under the stars is one of the best things in the world.
Our last night on campus, we wrangled up a grade A crew of kids, and headed on down to Jackson Pond to celebrate and enjoy each other one final time before summer. By the roaring fire, we talked, laughed, listened to various guitar players, dropped our jaws in awe of Scott Ritchie's harmonica skills, jumped from fifteen foot trees, swam amidst layers of pollen, gazed at multitudes of stars, talked to girls about important things :), whooped and hollered at the moon (though he didn't give us much light), and drank root bear at varying temperatures.

Saturday was Graduation, and we were greeted by that familiar feeling of excitement and sadness. Our friends are moving on from a time of life I have only just entered. Those who I will miss greatly: Scott Schindler, Sam Belz, James Harrison, Dave Barr, Bryce Wilkins, various others.

Saturday did not mark the end of the festivities however. After checking out of our rooms, we assembled at the Kauffman's for a final (sorta) celebration. There we had more fire, more food, more drinks, and great friends and family. The entire Belz family/Asheville clan is a group of people I am blessed to be acquainted with. Singing "When I'm 64" in celebration of Mrs. Kauffman's 64th birthday is a memory that will stick with me for many moons.

The party continued (this one was the FINAL celebration) at the Red House, where with the help of some drinks, some very smart English majors taught us about Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson. I said my goodbyes, and went back to Matt's house.

I got home Sunday afternoon and I was greeted by the coldest lamest weather ever. The next few days were spent pulling weeds, transplanting various plants, and creating new flower beds in the yard. I just started at Goods again, and though I am thankful for a job (especially one as convenient as Goods)I do not want to work there more than one more summer. I want to do something where I use my hands. I want to come home from work and be sweaty, dirty, and exhausted.

I will try to be more faithful with my blogging.
Last piece of news. I got a D- in my math class. I'm just glad I am done with math.
And thanks to Annie's Flickr for those great pictures.

Third Lobby and The Smiths

2010-04-09T06:45:00.001-07:00

Girlfriend in a Coma - Third Lobby from Tim Cofield on Vimeo.

I'm afraid to work hard

2010-04-07T20:44:00.000-07:00

The other day I was going to go for a run. As I was thinking about running I wanted to be in shape immediately. But, since I couldn't just go run a half marathon (my sister did), I didn't go running at all.
The other day (a different day) I was inspired to read poetry. As I was looking at the Norton Anthology on the shelf, and The Wasteland in my hand, I realized I couldn't read it all in one sitting...so I didn't read any.
Just about every day I am convicted of my failure to spend time in the Word. But since I couldn't sit down and read a whole book, let alone the whole Bible, I didn't read any at all.

I want results. I want to be in great shape but I can't get myself to go for a short jog. I want to be well read in poetry, and literature, but I can't get myself to read one book because I am too busy thinking about reading them all.

My fear is that I won't be able to love like Christ, so I will give up loving all together. Christ calls us to surrender ourselves to him, to allow him to work in us, molding and shaping us into what he wants us to be. But because that molding is a process, and that process takes time and work, I push him away, until the timing is more convenient.

Tin Whistle Awakens Sleeping Dryads on Campus

2010-03-29T23:46:00.000-07:00

You may have seen the great god Pan on campus lately. Often disguised beneath a trench coat and leather hat, Pan has been working with his trusty satyrs who have taken the appearance of the grounds crew to usher in Spring in record time. While his fellow workers weed and spread mulch, you may find him gamboling about playing spritely upon his tin whistle awakening dryads left and right. The daffodils brighten as he passes, and the trees reach down to run their branches through his flowing hair. He has been faced with much opposition in the Great Hall from grumpy curmudgeons who wish to wallow in the depths of their icy depression for six more weeks of winter. Because he does not receive the gratitude he deserves, he often limits himself to the confines of a dormitory, playing sad and mellow tunes from movies no one has ever seen, resulting in rainy days for all of us. Please, if you happen to see him prancing about over the next few days please remember to thank him for his hard work (you think the Last of the Mohicans theme is easy to play?).

Spring? Is that you?

2010-03-26T23:05:00.001-07:00

Spring has been tempting us up here atop Lookout Mountain. We have had seventy degree weather, snow, and thunder storms all in the space of one week. Thats just ridiculous.

Here is a little reminder that spring is close at hand.

I Am A Stone from Third Lobby on Vimeo.

Thats My City

2010-03-16T13:33:00.001-07:00

It has been about a month since I have posted anything. I am sorry Collette.
A lot has happened since my fingers have last tapped along the keyboard.

A couple of weeks ago we got about six inches of snow. School was canceled. We built a fort.

Between musical practice and math homework, my stress levels were reaching 212 degrees. Spring Break came just in time. After classes on Friday, Adrienne, Anna, Ruth, Stephen and I went down the mountain to Mellow Mushroom to get pizza. It was an outing reminiscent of first semester. There were only a few of us, and we were all in a jovial mood and ready to eat really good pizza. The next day Stephen and I slept until about 11:30. It was pretty awesome. We knew that we didn't have any pressing engagements and we just enjoyed being able to sleep in. When I finally got out of bed, I spent my time cleaning up the room, doing laundry, reading, and doing random things on the interwebs.
My brother came up the mountain around 2:00 and picked us up. We headed over to where Drew was filming for Third Lobby's first music video. We helped Charlie Green (playing "The Stone" in "I Am a Stone") climb around on some giant boulders which seemed like mountains in comparison to Charlie (I think he is roughly three feet tall...maybe). The night progressed until we all arrived at Bachman community center on Signal Mountain with five pizzas and about ten boxes of girl scout cookies (Samoas are my favorite). There we filmed the scenes with the band as the pit orchestra, and on stage dressed in some silly garb.
The filming went great. This video is going to be absolutely stunning. The plan is to have it finished in time for the Broad Street Film Festival.

Peter returned from his Philosophy Conference (said with a really sophisticated voice) and we packed the car and headed to Pennsylvania at about six in the morning.

I arrived home to a house full of girls. Related, but not directly correlated to the presence of the girls was the fact that almost all of the major furniture was moved around. My bed was in the girls room. I thought to myself, "This is gonna cause some complications." The futon was where my bed was, there was a new couch in the living room, my sister's old bed was in the basement (apparently thats where I was supposed to sleep), and there was a new bed in my sisters room.

It was a great week because I absolutely love having lots of people in my house. The house continued to fill up as Annie Huntington, Adrienne Belz, and Anna Harrison came up from Cambridge Maryland to visit.
We showed them around our city, and did things that even us veteran Lancaster visitors have never done before. Rachel's Creperie, Zap & Co., a decently new Book store. Though every one of those things had a great story, my little eyelids keep falling over, so I am gonna let them take a rest. You can read about our adventure at Rachel's Creperie here.

Living on Lookout Mountain can be a real bummer

2010-02-20T12:07:00.000-08:00

But not today. The weather has finally taken a turn for the better and we have actually seen the sun and felt its warmth for two days in a row. That is a record.

Last night was Project Boaz which went really well. I believe the final tally of money raised for Haiti was in the one thousand and something department. The musicians were really great as well. Stephen Paul and I sang Lean On Me, as well as an original by Stephen. Later in the evening, Matt, Stephen and I played some of Matt's songs. We also played 1901 by Phoenix which was a lot of fun.

This morning I had to wake up at 7:45 so that I could be dressed and eat breakfast before musical practice at 8:30. Though I was completely dreading being at practice for four hours, it went well. It was decently fun and we got a lot done. We were able to see what it would be like with the orchestra which was really what we needed.

After practice, I realized it was so nice outside that naturally I went inside and played Age of Empires for two hours. I am not sure what I was thinking, but I just quit out of the game a few minutes ago and realized that I need to be outside reading or doing homework or something.

The bummer about this kind of weather is that I know it is going to get cold again. It is inevitable. Whenever the weather becomes awesome this early it is just a taste of spring and it simply teases us out of our long sleeves so that it can hit us with another wave of cold while we aren't expecting it. Regardless, I am going to go outside and enjoy it. I'll try not to be too disappointed next week when it gets cold again.

Error

2010-02-18T20:46:00.001-08:00

The last post was supposed to say....

I saw two girls less than or equal to the age of ten.
Apparently the way I wrote it messed up the html script or something because it completely changed what I wrote.

Just a few observations

2010-02-18T20:43:00.000-08:00

Today it was warm.

While I was working out, I discovered that I absolutely love the smell of metal.

I saw two girls < or =" to">

Founders is the best.

She's ours until she's married.

2010-02-16T19:49:00.000-08:00

Tonight we celebrated Valentine's day. I know it is a couple of days late, but that just meant the flowers weren't as expensive (I'm not actually sure if that is true). Matt and I took our lovely sister Annie out to Alleia's.

The best part about being related to her, is that even once she is off limits, we can still take her on a date. Until she is officially married, she is still ours.

We showed up in Andreas lobby looking dapper as ever, toting two bouquets of flowers. She came down the stairs and was utterly excited at getting flowers from her brothers. I was pretty proud of Matt, it was his idea. We got in the car and headed to Alleia's which is the most incredible Italian restaurant I have ever been to. The food rivaled the food I ate while I was in Italy.

We got out of the car and walked a few yards up the sidewalk and turned down an alley. We came to a dead end with a big wooden wall. Then Matt grabbed a giant metal ring (which I had just noticed) and pulled open the ten foot wooden door which gave me the impression we were entering a castle. We were ushered to the waiting area while our table was cleared, and we noticed all the incredible artistic features of the building. Most of the walls were rugged brick, like the outside of old city buildings. There was a secluded section which had flickering gas lanterns hanging from big chains. There was a common table running up the center of one of the rooms, where anyone could sit down and have dinner, not knowing who they would be sitting next to. Above the table were hanging four large baskets which gave off a glow from the christmas lights within.

We were shown to our table, and from our seats, we could see in the kitchen which was in plain sight. Annie observed that they did not appear to be hiding anything. We could see the big brick oven where a cook would periodically pull a pizza out with a long metal spatula thing. The oven was heated by wood. It was awesome. To store the wood, they had constructed a wall of brackets which separated the bar from the sitting area. Annie remarked "Wow, that was brilliant whoever thought of making a wall of logs. Oh, I guess they thought of that a long time ago."

The Waiter was incredibly helpful, suggesting options but never coming across as trying to make decisions for us. I ordered the Wood Fired Pork Shoulder, which came dressed in a vinaigrette barbecue sauce and covered in apple slices. My brother got a pasta with duck, and Annie got a pasta with veal. They were all some of the most delicious dishes I have ever had. We topped off our meals with traditional Italian dessert, Gelato. Annie and I split three scoops... Pistachio, Hazelnut, and Peach, while Matt let us try some of his Huckleberry Mousse.

The portions of food were small enough that I was hungry for dessert, but as I walked out of the restaurant, I realized that I was very satisfied. The food, the environment, the waiters all lent to the incredible experience. I would recommend the place to anyone who is looking for a very nice place to go, and is not afraid to spend a little more than they would at The Olive Garden. The best part however was that it was the last time that we would be able to take Annie out for Valentine's day. From hence forth that job will be taken by Phil (Captain Awesome), her soon to be husband.

Happy belated Valentine's Day

Four and a half hour trip... we did it in eight.

2010-02-12T21:52:00.000-08:00

This morning at approximately 10:17 A.M. we loaded our bags and various instruments into the rented (and very hip looking) mini van. We hit the road at about 10:34 and proceeded to have a great time, listening to Vampire Weekend, talking about girls and all the stuff guys talk about. We stopped for lunch at Zaxby's where we all ate too much.

When we came out of Zaxby's there were cute little flakes of snow falling from the sky. It was kind of nice. The snow continued to fall. And it never stopped. About an hour from Zaxby's we entered the Nantahala National Forest. It is a very beautiful, very windy, very treacherous road. Conveniently there was about an inch of snow on the ground already and the road was ridiculously slick. We had a few close shaves with the guard rail and a couple cars. We came upon a black SUV with a license plate that had a picture of a pretty little orange.

"Dang.... tourists" The SUV was parked awkwardly in the middle of the road half way up a hill with its hazards on. We got out to help and realized there was really nothing we could do. However, about 100 feet behind us was a tow truck who was kind enough to pull the poor little SUV to safety.

We continued on our way and providentially found ourselves behind a plow truck who was plowing and salting a path through the ice. We came upon quite a few more delays on the road including a ditch where we were stopped for at least twenty minutes waiting for people to get themselves out of their various predicaments.

You may ask, "Why have I not heard about them having any problems?" The answer... Pamela. Our Dodge Caravan which successfully plowed through the inclement weather under the command of Mr. David Henry (a quite accomplished snow driver).

We arrived at YoWAW eight hours later.

The first session was very good. A message from Dr. K (who is close to the hearts of most Covenant students) which he prepared in a jiffy upon the discovery that the other speaker is stranded in Connecticut. We lead worship and it went very well. Almost anything that is organized under the supervision of my brother turns out very well, and this was no exception.

It was very good to see my sisters and my dad, and everyone of my friends from youth group back home. This weekend is going to be incredible.

Yeah Chuck

2010-02-11T21:58:00.000-08:00

http://www.imdb.com/media/rm2276167424/nm0471036I didn't think they could find someone more attractive than Sarah.

Your Typical Bucket of Molasses

2010-02-11T16:05:00.000-08:00

Its seventeen degrees outside. Math class is your typical bucket of molasses. I sit in the front row so that I don't fall asleep because I really need to pay attention or I will get a bad grade. The problem is when you do fall asleep it's even worse because the teacher sees you right away. Needless to say, math class today wasn't the greatest.

From Yesterday.

Untimely Inspiration

2010-02-11T08:07:00.001-08:00

I think of the most interesting things when I have no time to pursue them. When I am hard at work typing out a paper that is due within twelve hours, my mind is swimming with thoughts, ideas, and words I would like to research. However, as soon as a slice of free time is placed on my plate, the sites that I thought were so interesting, or the concepts which I couldn't grasp, are all of a sudden vacant from my mind.

I find the inspiration to read great books when I have a text book sitting in front of me.

The average person takes seven minutes to fall asleep, or so I heard from a Trivial Pursuit card...but it took me about an hour and a half. As I lay in bed two nights ago, my mind was flooded with ideas. Ideas for stories, for experiments, and just motivation to do interesting things. Unfortunately it was 1:30

Tuesday

2010-02-09T23:17:00.000-08:00

I got out of bed at 6:30. This is where I would like to say that I got right back in...but that is not the case. I joined my fellow Blackwatchers and headed on over to Rock City for the Day of Prayer sunrise service. If the sun rose this morning, we didn't know. It was gloomy and rainy, and really really cold. The good part is that we got to be inside rather than having to stand out in the rain and try to sing songs and have a good attitude. After a short time of singing and prayer, I ate more doughnuts than I should have, and we headed back to campus. We picked up a few straggling hall mates and drove down to Cracker Barrel where we enjoyed some good ol' fashion cookin'.

When I got back to my room, I plopped down on my bed and stayed there for three hours. When I finally awoke, I joined some of the other guys from the musical at the chapel where we worked on putting up the sets for the musical. It was a lot of work. I am sore. But the sets look awesome. I was working on sets for a total of four hours. I ate dinner and sat down to work on my paper for CHOW II.

This paper has caused me a great deal of stress these past few days. I am glad to say that I am now done with it. It is sad to say that though the requirements clearly state it is to be a minimum of four and a half pages, mine is three and a half.

I am now incredibly tired and sitting in Carter Lobby. I have an accounting test tomorrow for which I have studied no more than three minutes.

I'm sorry that this post was rather boring and matter-of-fact. I wouldn't have written it except that I determined at the beginning of this week to post everyday about what happened. Just a little exercise in daily writing.

Seeing as my accounting test is tomorrow, my post tomorrow evening will probably contain a much more exciting description of my mood when I leave the accounting room.

Oh, yeah... the weather today. It was freaking cold. Absolutely ridiculously cold. I would tell you how cold it actually was, but I really have no idea. The wind outside my window sounded like a pack of wolves.

Goodnight.

Monday

2010-02-08T12:15:00.000-08:00

The day began when the neon green numbers reminded me that my alarm had already gone off. I hopped out of my top bunk and was rather surprised how unhindered I was in getting ready for the day. Stephen and I spent a good hour cleaning our room yesterday, and it is uncommonly clean. My five foot drop is usually greeted by a pair of shoes, my keys, a couple books, and when things are really bad, a stray guitar.

I was able to grab breakfast before I clocked in for word at eight. Chartwells is pretty terrible at plenty of things, but they sure can whip up some world class scones.

Math. I was more tired than usual. Math is possibly the worst thing.

As I left the chapel I was greeted by a few white flakes falling from the sky. Snow is always welcome when it means the day will remain mostly sunny rather than being rainy and gloomy. It didn't stick around, but it was beautiful as it fell.

I discovered that Professor Tate had gone home early. There could not have been a better day for class to be canceled. My paper on Whitman's "Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking" was about four pages short of being finished, and I was not looking forward to telling Tate that I had simply failed to finish it.

This week is power packed with tests and stress. Accounting on Wednesday, New Testament on Thursday. The upside is Day of Prayer on Tuesday which provides the time to study for Acc. and to finish my paper for CHOW. Also, this weekend is YoWAW. My brother is the official worship leader for the PCA youth retreat at Ridge Haven in Brevard North Carolina, and he recruited the assistance of Stephen and myself. I am looking forward to seeing everyone from my church and playing music for the whole camp.

I recently borrowed a book of selected writings by E. B. White from Annie and it has been quite enjoyable. I pulled it off my shelf last night when I discovered that I couldn't sleep. Advice: don't read an interesting book when you can't sleep. Your problem will persist.

I finally put it down and fell asleep sometime between 2:30 and 3:00.

I should probably be working on my paper, or at least studying for one of my two tests. Maybe I'll just read some more E. B.

Magazines

2010-02-04T21:17:00.000-08:00

Today Annie and I were talking about magazine subscriptions. Sure nothing is better than looking in your mail box and seeing a real letter, but getting a new magazine may come pretty close.

I was trying to think what magazine I like enough to justify paying the subscription fee. Paste, Wired, and Time were the only ones that came to mind.

Annie said she wants to get National Geographic and The New Yorker.

Any suggestions?

The Real Article (Annie and Jacob's recent article for the bagpipe was edited to death. Here is the original version.)

2010-02-03T19:25:00.000-08:00

White Witch Wages Winter War!

Or, Concerning Ice Storms

Friday’s snowstorm, which shut down both campus and bad moods, brought with it an excitement akin to what Lucy must have felt as she elbowed through a forest of coats and emerged into a world so unlike her own.

Chaplain Messner’s nonchalantly triumphant announcement at the end of chapel—just a few simple words delivered with a knowing smirk—sent the student body into an uproar. School was closed. Classes were cancelled. The room emptied in record time—with nowhere to go, students were eager to get going.

For half an hour we waited in suspense. There wasn’t a flake in sight. Some were skeptical, as Joe Pearce’s Facebook album, “day at the beach,” clearly implies. Chattanooga’s promises of snow usually turn out to be nothing more than cold rain. But oh, dear readers, was the wait worthwhile. “The snow started fallin’,” attested a Facebook album uploaded by Corey Snipes on Saturday.

When all was said and done, ankles disappeared into 15.24 centimeters of pristine powder.

The campus grounds were quickly strewn with bundled students engaging in arctic antics. Wintry-titled online photo collections, including, but not limited to, “Ice, Ice, Baby,” “Snow like Saudi Arabia,” “Mobile Uploads,” and “Snow :)” soon abounded, attesting to our investigative journalistic prowess.

Students wasted no time in carpe-ing that diem, leaving sled tracks in their wake. All was right in the world until Friday night, when freezing rain transformed the winter wonderland into a slightly more dangerous winter wonderland. “I think it’s funny that our first instinct when we see things covered in ice is to take the ice…and lick it. I got a stomachache Saturday from all the ice I ate. It was irresponsible,” said freshman Molly Turner, an ice enthusiast. Those who didn’t partake in the winter revelry can live vicariously through Lydia Daugaard’s Facebook album, “When We Could Hear the Soft Tintinnabulation of Icicles.” Freshman sledder Austin Doctor said, “Everybody got what they needed. I got to be an idiot in the snow. My roommate stayed inside for three days straight.”

Sorry, Austin, but not everybody got what they needed. The arboreal death toll this weekend was staggering. Trees around campus paid a heavy price for their icy beauty. Literally. Swaddled in weighty cocoons of frozen water, previously noble branches littered the campus like feeble twigs. One of the sorest losses was the Chinese Elm between Mac and Andreas. “We had to cut off a lot of its branches. Its full grandeur will live on only as a memory,” said grounds manager Robert Heiskell’s work-study student, Stephen Bates.

The damage was not limited to our campus. Numerous accidents, including a train derailment near Cummings Highway, kept local authorities busy. If Jacob Snuggs had a Facebook, he would probably have an album entitled “My Car’s Messed Up,” or perhaps simply: Snow :(

Some crazy things happened here atop this mountain!

2010-01-29T14:05:00.001-08:00

2010-01-25T20:26:00.001-08:00

Monday morning work study is one of the most boring things I've ever experienced. So I do what I got to do to get through the day. Today that meant making hardware armies. Demarius and I faced off and my army was obviously bigger, better, and better looking.

There was no explanation...

2010-01-20T13:34:00.001-08:00

As I walked out of Mills, I noticed two similar cars parked next to each other in front of the chapel. Both drivers were wearing racing helmets, and both cars were running. The obvious explanation was that they were about to race. However, it was one of the busiest times on campus, and they had about three hundred feet in front of them before they came to a set of stairs. I would really like to know what they were doing.

AT&T ?

2010-01-20T13:30:00.000-08:00

Crafting: at least 4 hours

2010-01-12T15:32:00.000-08:00

What started as an organized crafting adventure, soon turned into a crafting mess. It was glorious.

The Best Rendition of a Childhood Favorite

2010-01-10T10:02:00.000-08:00

Now go watch community. And watch Chuck which starts tonight at nine o'clock with a two hour special.

long as there are stars above you

2010-01-06T22:15:00.000-08:00

I may not always love you
But long as there are stars above you
You never need to doubt it
I'll make you so sure about it
God only knows what I'd be without you

If you should ever leave me
Though life would still go on, believe me
The world could show nothing to me
So what good would livin' do me
God only knows what I'd be without you

God only knows what I'd be without you

If you should ever leave me
Though life would still go on, believe me
The world could show nothing to me
So what good would livin' do me
God only knows what I'd be without you

God only knows what I'd be without you

If you should ever leave me
Though life would still go on, believe me
The world could show nothing to me
So what good would livin' do me

Delightfully Out Of Season

2010-01-06T22:14:00.000-08:00

Ice cream is not typically the snack of choice when it has been below freezing outside for the past two weeks. However, I had some. I had two scoops of deliciously creamy strawberry ice cream, the best flavor there is. I think my favorite ice cream snack is a Klondike bar, and I typically purchase one at every gas station we stop at on any road trip. They are even better when it is cold outside because they don't melt all over your hands as quickly.

2010-01-05T22:05:00.000-08:00

A view of my backyard from my kitchen window. This was a couple of days after all the snow from the big Christmas storm melted. I woke up to a fresh dusting. My mother also baked monkey bread that morning. It was one of the best all break.

Random note: I learned two new words today....
Elegy-dirge, lament, or sad poem.
Elucidate-to clarify, or make clear

There was a strange occurence that happened to me today. As I was driving out of the city, I looked to my left, and there I saw a girl--probably in her twenties-- smoking outside of a bar. I merely glanced because I noticed her standing there. But then she started dancing in a less than wholesome manner. I could only assume she was drunk, so I returned my gaze to the red traffic light as I informed Stephen of what I just saw. He looked over and started laughing. As we drove away, he said "just look, you'll never see her again." So I looked as I drove on, and she was smoking her cigarette and pacing the sidewalk in a humorous manner. It was rather awkward, but it made us laugh, and that was the point. I hope.

Quote:
"You guys should talk at separate times!" ~ Adalie Plain

Post Christmas Depression

2010-01-03T23:05:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it's cold enough

2010-01-03T11:24:00.000-08:00

Cell Phone Diaries

2010-01-03T07:49:00.000-08:00

I recently discovered an amazing skill. I can text pictures from my phone to my email address. You may say "He didn't know how to do that?" or "I've been doing that for years" but don't say them...its not nice.

This discovery was particular exciting to me for a couple of reasons.

First. I take a lot of pictures on my cell phone. Things I think are funny, things I want to remember, things I want to share with others.

Second. My memory card gets full pretty quick. I have only had my cell phone about two months and it is already full. I had to delete pictures the other night just so I could take a picture of my brand new haircut.

Third. I've always loved the idea of a photo blog, but have never had the equipment or the talent to take good pictures. Thats why I like phone pictures. They suck. And no body is going to say that picture sucks. Because they all suck, and it's great.

The moral of this story is that you will probably be seeing more pictures on my blog from henceforth. But if the picture is a little blurry, or you wonder why the heck I took a picture of a table full of coffee mugs and pieces of paper, get over it.

I guess I will end this post by saying this is my New Years resolution. The only other one I had was that I wanted to write more frequently using purple ink. So far I have been successful in both. Phone journaling, and purple ink writing.

I will leave you with a quote. I really enjoyed it.

And thus it is that this day the rustling trees
Induce in me such yearnings. In the midday heat
The lazy indifferent wind plays listlessly
With dry leaves.

~Rabindranath Tagore

A Gift

2010-01-02T23:31:00.000-08:00

Christmas Van

2010-01-02T23:27:00.000-08:00

The Most Incredible Piece of Choreography Ive Ever Seen

2009-11-27T19:32:00.000-08:00

Give Thanks

2009-11-18T08:42:00.000-08:00

Give thanks for He is worthy and He is good.

I have been recently reminded of His goodness, and it never fails to amaze and confuse me.

Bible Assignment

2009-11-16T13:29:00.000-08:00

Four to six pages on Ezekial 37. Not too bad. Then, a ten minute presentation to the class describing what it is about and the common interpretations. Also, not to bad.
"Split into groups of four to do this assignment."

Expletives.

I have discovered many things this short semester of my life at Covenant College. But one of the most recent discoveries, is how much i detest group projects.

There are a couple situations group projects put you in. Either, you are one of the quiet kids who got in a group with a dominating work-a-holic and you don't really have to do that much. "Just do some research and email it to me, I'll put it together." That is sometimes what I hear from the one who plans on doing all the work. Or, whats worse, there is no dominating character in your group, and everyone seems completely apathetic about the project, so you step up in order to save your own grade. The other possible situation, is everyone gets an equal part of the project to work on. Though this may seem like a great idea, it has proven to be the most difficult paper I have worked on yet this semester.

I was given one topic on which to write twoish pages on. The problem is, I have to write that paper with the group in mind, knowing that it has to flow with the other papers. Do I dumb down my writing to match it with that one kid? Do I write the best that I can to impress everyone in the group and prove that I'm the best writer?

This may seem like a very trivial problem to have, but it has caused me much grief, and many strings of expletives.
Group projects do not help me learn all the material. They simply make me mad.

I guess I just need to get over it.

2009-10-18T22:44:00.000-07:00

Third Lobby's New Ep

2009-08-05T21:46:00.000-07:00

Amazon.com: third lobby: MP3 Downloads

Source: www.amazon.com

: A list by T. CarlsenDoctor Who - Third Doctor (Pertwee Seasons 7-11): A list by Black Omne "dhodgen" Create a Listmania! list

$4.95.... With that you could get like a candy bar and a soda. But how long will that last you, a couple of minutes.
However, for that same low price, you can enjoy endless bliss with Third Lobby's new EP "Subtlety" available on Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_dmusic?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-music&field-keywords=third+lobby&x=0&y=0

Please Note...

2009-07-10T20:48:00.000-07:00

August First, Third Lobby is releasing a new album entitled "Subtlety."
Basically its fantastic.

I Want One...

2009-06-26T20:59:00.000-07:00

Switchfoot Love

2009-06-22T20:31:00.001-07:00

Last night Stephen, Gabe, Justin, Mr. Bates, and the rest of the Arrells and I went to the Switchfoot concert in Lancaster.

It was brilliant and they played three songs off of their upcoming album Hello Hurricane.

Hello Hurricane http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3y6uISx_kc

Mess of Me http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-bt5gAr12k

Bullet Soul http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFZ36yQzKZg

After the show we got to go back stage and talk to the band because we are a part of the fan club "Friends of the Foot". It was great to see them again.

When we got back Jon was like, "You guys, Yeah, you were awesome out there."

It was brilliant because our ridiculous and copious amounts of jumping, screaming, singing, and hand waving did some good as he noticed us from stage as being the coolest and most awesome fans out there.

Basically it rocked.

Birthday Gift

2009-06-19T20:35:00.000-07:00

Rachel Besancon just gave me my birthday gift the other day, and it was awesome. Let me tell you a little bit about it.

It is a book entitle, "Wreck this Journal"

Each page contains an instruction on how to wreck the journal. Some examples include, "burn this page", "collect fruit stickers here", "make a picture using only glue and your hair", "tie the journal to a piece of string and drag it as you take a walk."

This journal (which is more of an activity book than a journal) is spectacular because it makes the book look like everybody wants their journal to look like, Incredible worn. And its really really fun.

The author Keri Smith has a website and has published some other books. I really like her illustrating style and appreciate here sense of fun and art.

Only a few more days.

2009-06-13T14:33:00.000-07:00

Sick!

2009-05-28T08:20:00.000-07:00

More Paris

2009-05-26T15:49:00.000-07:00

Paris

2009-05-26T00:33:00.000-07:00

Im writing from Paris. Matt and Annie and i caught a train from Rome to Milan and from Milan to Paris yesterday. We met up with Peter and some other covenant students and ate lunch on the Seine. We all walked to La Sacre Coeur where there is a brilliant view of the city and the Eiffel tower. When our covenant friends all left, we headed over to the tower to check it out for ourselves. It was awesome, and closed. We got a bunch of pictures but will probably check it out again tonight so we can actually go in. The agenda for today is.... the Louvre. I think thats all we really have planned and we are just gonna wing it from there.
Stay tuned for pictures and videos when i get back to the states.

I love you america.

Fasting for Darfur!

2009-05-11T20:20:00.000-07:00

Jon Foreman - Switchfoot - Darfur Fast for Life from fastdarfur on Vimeo.

Incredible

2009-05-06T20:43:00.001-07:00

You are strong, and you love me!

2009-05-02T22:03:00.000-07:00

I find comfort in God's Providence. I do not see it as God limiting our free will, nor do I see humans as puppets attached to strings.

I dont hide behind God's providence as I live a life of sin.

God's complete sovereignty lifts me up when I think, how the crap could this situation get any worse. I know, that it cant, without it being within God's plan.

God is sovereign, and God is good. These two facts give me peace in my times of anxiety.

The Enharmonics

2009-05-01T22:29:00.000-07:00

The Enharmonics have been in existence since last year sometime. Stephen and I started the band while in music class. The lesson subject was sharps and flats, and when Mrs. Cawood told us about enharmonics, we both looked at eachother and said "Band name."
This happens all the time, however, this one stuck around.
The problem is, there are other bands out there with the same name. No one big or famous, but still, it lacks the originality that we desire and strive for.
Any suggestions as too a spectaculour band name would be appreciated.

Like Lemonade on a Hot Day

2009-04-24T22:00:00.000-07:00

In the last three days, I saw two movies that made me say wow. Marley and Me, and Seventeen Again. I wasnt saying wow because of the quality of the movie, or because of how awesome the actors were, even though they were all great, but because of the clear theme of the traditional family.

Marley and Me was a great story about a dog, but the real story was about the relationship between Owen Wilson and Jennifer Anniston (I dont remember their names in the movie). They start off as the happiest couple that could be, but as the babies begin to arrive, their relationship gets pretty tense. However, throughout the whole thing, the idea of separating never once becomes an option. The depiction of a family that worked out their problems, had legitimate and very real arguments and disputes and were able to push through them was incredibly refreshing.

Seventeen Again was awesome. First, Zac Efron is so cool. Second, again, the message of traditional morality was very evident. Mike O'Donnel has had a pretty lame life, and his wife is divorcing him. Though he loves his kids, they cant stand being around him and just want to tune him out with their music or other distractions.

When Mike gets the opportunity to go back to highschool, he discovers the lives his kids are really living, and discovers that he really loves them and cares for them, and that he really loves his wife and can not stand the thought of being seperated from her.

All in all, I thought it was a great depiction of a typical relationship that had gone down hill, however, it was very abnormal to have the relationship healed.

There was one scene which was particularly good. In health class the teacher is passing out condoms and Mike (Zac) stands up and says that everyone should should be abstinate until they find someone they really love. At first I thought great, as long as you love them then it is ok to have sex with them, but he continued to say, and that should be after you are married.

Again it was a very refreshing movie especially because of the big name actors that were in it.

We just dont get movies with these kinds of themes anymore. When we do, we need to do what we can to support them and encourage more of the same.

This makes my heart soar!

2009-04-23T13:31:00.000-07:00

Traumatized.

2009-04-03T20:31:00.000-07:00

Today, I was leaving the school store when I looked down and noticed that there was a mouse caught in the glue trap right by the entrance. So I picked up the trap and was going to throw it away. However, the mouse wriggled. I was filled with pity for the creature and there was just no way that I could throw it away or kill it.

Its fur was all over the glue trap and its skin was stretched out in a postition that he could barely move anything other than his little pink feet which were sticking up.

So I took it outside and proceeded to very carefully rip the cardboard apart and try to remove the mouse. Those freakin traps are not made to remove the creature once he has been caught.

But I succeeded, and by peeling the poor guy's skin from the glue, I was able to set him free. He was trembling so bad that he defecated while I was still removing him.

It made me so sad that I was literally on the verge of tears. I set him on the sidewalk and he scurried halfheartedly to the weeds where he stopped and didnt move. Hopefully he was able to get somewhere safe where he wont eat our school store food.

In conclusion, I was about ten minutes late for Economics class and Mr. Felizzi didnt even ask me why I was late. It was pretty awesome but I still felt sad. I thought it would be awesome if I went outside and the mouse was there waiting for me and he became my friend.

No such luck.

Just in case I forget my ABC's

2009-03-12T17:30:00.000-07:00

Glorious Shoes!

2009-03-11T19:38:00.000-07:00

School....Blagh!

2009-02-24T21:11:00.000-08:00

I can not believe how ready i am to move onto the next step in my schooling. Highschool has become so bland and is now just a source of aggravation. I know there is still plenty for me to learn, I am just ready for a new setting.

Some Awesome Quotes

2009-02-09T09:24:00.000-08:00

These past few days i have heard some awesome quotes. I am going to share them with you.

At an ice cream shop the other day the man behind the counter held out some spoons with samples on them, when my one friend said he didnt really want any, the man replied,

"Whats the matter, dont you like things that are delicious?"

In accounting this morning, Mr. Sykes was reprimanding us on our test that we didnt do awesome on, he said,

"Some of you made the same mistake twice. Thats really dumb."

After we watched one of the videos from the truth project today, our art teacher Mr. Mellinger was talking about creative people and how they can do awesome things in the world when he said,

"Creative people can... and does... and is probably more than that.... have an influence in this world."

If anyone can figure out what he was trying to say, let me know.

The Adventures of the Brothers and their Butter

2009-02-07T20:15:00.000-08:00

In the small town of Lokston, there lived a family of a very modest estate. This family lived off the very minimal amount of money that was brought home from the mill each night by Mr. Wood who was the head of this household. Mr. Wood had two sons, the first was 17 and was named Jack, and the second was twelve and was named Oliver. Mrs. Wood had died in town when the crowd gathered who had gathered to hear the Kings speech became riotous, and grew so loud that they were unable to hear the screams of the woman being trampled beneath their feet.

From the time that Mrs. Wood had died, Mr. Wood raised his boys as well as he could, often being required to leave them at home as he strove to put bread on the table. Because Mr. Wood had to leave the house so often, the boys had an abundance of time….together. Jack, at seventeen was beginning to take on more and more responsibility and was getting ready for an interview at the castle for the position of royal jester. Suddenly, a wild Puma jumped through their thatched roof and pounced onto to their table and stole all of their oranges and butter. Jack saw what was happening and grabbed his bucket of gasoline which he was going to use for his interview at the castle and drenched the growling cat. The cat who had never heard of gasoline before was very confused, and became lightheaded from the fumes. In an act of desperation, the Puma ate all the butter and oranges peels and all in one large gulp.

Having been awakened by the commotion, Oliver came rushing down the stairs with his hammer to see what was going on. He saw the gasoline drenched cat, and his brother poised with a fork and his juggling balls and quickly put the situation together. “NOOOOOOOO” Oliver yelled as he ran to the cat’s side. Oliver jumped on the Puma and picked it up. “What are you doing” cried Jack. “This animal is beautiful ” screamed Oliver, “And I won’t let you kill it.” Oliver took off running with the cat in his arms. Jack sprinted after him trying to reason with him to stop. Oliver, however, was unreasonable, and ridiculously fast despite the two hundred and thirty-seven pound cat he was carrying. Oliver quickly escaped and set the Puma free in the woods.

Later that evening, Oliver finally returned home fearing the wrath of his brother. Jack was waiting at the table when Oliver entered, and he just glared at his younger brother. “What were you thinking Oliver”, seethed Jack. “He ate all of our food for the next two weeks while dad is away.” Oliver began to take in the magnitude of his actions, and started to feel guilty for what he had done. “We could have sold that Puma to the circus for four hundred stalla, and we could have bought a new house and lots of oranges.” Oliver sulked past his brother and headed up the stairs to his bed where he would spend the night crying.

The next morning, the boys had finally forgiven each other and they were friends again. However, they were very hungry, and had nothing to eat. “Well, we should probably find some food” said Oliver. “Where do you want to go?” asked Jack. “Hmmmmmmmmmmmm.”

The boys picked up their packs, and set out on the road heading into the forest. They were filled with excitement as they began to reach the outer border of their small hometown, their father had taken them away before, but this was different, they were on their own, they were dependent only on their skills and on each other.

The boy’s first plan of action was to try to find the track of the Puma that had stolen their food. They thought that if they could catch up with it, they could trap it, both satisfying their need for revenge, and providing them with more money than they had ever seen.

After three days of looking through the forest on their hands and knees, searching for a track, or hair, or the scent of gasoline, they decided it was a lost cause. “Oh well” said Jack, “I didn’t really expect we would be able to find it anyway. But it was really fun to be out here in the woods doing some awesome stuff with you Oliver.” Oliver was taken aback. Though he loved his older brother, he had always felt it was one sided. Jack never showed that he loved or even cared about Oliver. “The truth is, Oliver, I have always loved you, and I have always tried to protect you, but I never wanted you to know because I was selfish. I needed you to see me as the big brother who could beat you up if you said the wrong word because I had ego issues. Oliver, from now on I will be the best big brother that anyone has ever had.”

At that moment, the Puma walked into the clearing, and the boys scrambled to find some weapons. But before they could do anything to hurt it, the cat unzipped his suit, and their father stepped out with a big grin on his face. “My boys, I’m proud of you. Having a brother is something that not everyone is blessed with and I am truly pleased that you have come to realize the gift that it is. Don’t fret about the oranges and the butter, I ditched them and bought some bread and tea. Let’s go home and have a party.”

The End.

College, Snow, then School......

2009-01-29T07:59:00.000-08:00

Last week I went down to Covenant College on Wednesday for Scholarships weekend. It was awesome. I got a taste of what college life is like, in the fun times that is, and i am so ready to get out of highschool. The first thing i did when i got there was we saw the Poetloriet (i have no idea how to spell that), Billy Collins read some of his poems to the student body. It was fantastic, somehwat awkward, and very amusing. The guy walked on stage and had this droopy, tired, looking face which reminded me of a bloodhound. His voice was very lazy and monotone which added to the humor of his poems. It was funny because he said something about the fact that whenever you listen to poetry you want to write your own poetry, usually drawing on the subjects of the writer you were listening to. This mad me laugh becuase it was what i had been thinking about since he began reading.

During the weekend i also had some interviews and a fishbowl thing which was pretty cool. I feel like i did well, and i showed my leadership capabilities without being obnoxious or pushy. My first interview went very well and i felt very comfortable but the second one was not as awesome. I felt like i was squirmining in my seat trying to find an answer to the questions they were giving me. Oh well.

Then, i got home monday and i worked that evening. It snowed overnight and Solanco had the day off but Dayspring didnt. Haha, i didnt have to go to school even though they were still having it. It was awesome. Then on wednesday we had another day off except this time Dayspring had off too.

Now i am in school fretting about all the homework i have to make up because i wasnt here for, and getting angry because i dont understand my grades in certian classes.

Thats pretty much everything exciting that happened to me in the last week.

Good Worship...

2009-01-15T22:27:00.000-08:00

I am cynical. I am skeptical. I am critical. Especially when it comes to Christian music. WJTL annoys the bongos out of me. But, i often find that i am in the mood to listen to good, meaningful worship music. My first choice would be Rich Mullens, but if you are looking for a modern worship artist who's lyrics present scripture and solid worship, check out Andrew Peterson.

Crazy...

2009-01-08T07:29:00.000-08:00

Senior Thesis is the worst. Even though I like my topic I find it so hard to focus when i sit down to work on it. Im not going to dwell on the thesis because it is making me sad.

Since I haven't written in a while, I will catch you up on my life.

I was not accepted into the Coast Guard because of my asthma, but thats ok. I really wanted to go to Covenant and now my decision is a lot easier to make. In regards to Covenant, I was accepted and recently was invited to attend the Scholarship weekend as a Maclellan finalist, and a Business finalist. Im pretty excited and I really hope I get a big enough scholarship that I can afford to go.

The other day when I was at work, there was a guy who had a seisure right next to me. It was pretty scary and it was the first time I have ever called 911.

School is lame like always.

Band of Brothers

2008-12-16T20:36:00.001-08:00

I just want to say, this is probably my favorite movie of all time. It is incredible. It shows the European Theatre of WWII from the perspective of Easy Company of the 101st, an American airborne battalion. The reason i like this the most is because of the character development. By the end of the series, you feel as though you know each character personally, as if you could carry on a conversation with them. Because it is a ten disc series, they have plenty of time to focus on individual characters, and each episode usually follows one person.

On top of the the character development, the movie has some intense action sequences. It has some of the best and most accurately portrayed scenes of fighting during WWII.

Basically, you should watch it, because its amazing.

P.S. There is alot of swearing, because it is the army, but it is still awesome.

2008-12-15T20:11:00.000-08:00

My fault, here is the link to TOMS

2008-12-15T11:44:00.000-08:00

This is a fantastic organization that is striving to do great things for kids all over the world. You should go to their website and check them out.

Meet Tom

2008-12-15T06:35:00.000-08:00

This is Tom. I found him at my bus stop and rescued him from the weather. He was covered in water and looked like he was getting sick.

2008-12-11T19:40:00.000-08:00

So everyone has started a blog, and here mine is sitting with no posts. I will now try my best to update mine more regularly. Hopefully i can learn how to add pictures soon. Wait, i think i just saw an icon that shows me how. Yup, i did. What you see at the top of this post is a ridiculous image of myself dressed in a weird fur coat i found back stage at school. It was pretty sweet. Stephen and i were dancing and one of my friends got it on film. Crazy.

Life

2008-11-20T19:46:00.000-08:00

Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.