R.I.P.

The endeth approacheth.

2010-03-21T12:01:00.001-06:00

The blogeth will sooneth be no more-eth.

long time, long time, long time gone

2010-02-27T10:11:00.002-06:00

Phew. Where to start? I'll start by saying it has been awhile since I've blogged. Even longer since I've blogged consistently. I forgot a cable for my phone at home so I can't upload pics. Shoot! Work's been going well. I work a lot. Seems this isn't flowing like I thought it would. So I'm out. I'll be back again next week. Cheers!

...

2009-12-25T19:52:00.002-06:00

There are no words in any human language to describe how awful this is.

...

2009-12-24T00:49:00.003-06:00

Out to lunch.

2009-12-01T13:17:00.008-06:00

Leave a message.

Out to lunch.

2009-11-30T13:35:00.005-06:00

Leave a message.

I've been feeling like this pretty often for a while.

2009-11-23T16:00:00.003-06:00

This is Far Away Boys by Flogging Molly.

Out to lunch.

2009-11-23T15:24:00.003-06:00

Leave a message.

Out to lunch.

2009-11-22T13:32:00.003-06:00

Leave a message.

Out to lunch.

2009-11-11T13:17:00.004-06:00

Leave a message.

w00t!

2009-01-16T12:36:00.002-06:00

I have been away an awful long time. I'd thought to post another update. Things are going well. I hop in bed each night very tired. 18 credit hours and 30 - 40 hours of work each week will do that to you. With all the time constraints, I try and find time to see friends, which sadly (and I do apologize) I've not been too good at lately. Sarah has begun student teaching and we get to see each other on the weekends. I really look forward to the weekends. ;)

Back to the books. Cheers!

some more of that amazing sidewalk chalk art

2008-12-03T10:52:00.003-06:00

i posted some pics of this guy and his artwork a ways back. i don't remember when though. if you're interested in seeing some of his other work, just search the blog and you should be able to find it. here are the latest pics. just amazing!

cheers!

estoy frustrado

2008-11-12T16:20:00.004-06:00

boy! there's a lot going on. first, my car seems to be doing some funny things. recently, the engine started running really hot. without the heater on 3/4 to full blast, the engine will overheat. this is the same thing that was happening with my last car before it conked out.

it has me worried.

second, i don't have money to take it in and have it looked at. i'm frustrated because i can't afford to fix it and i know driving it around is only going to make the problem worse and cause even more problems. i don't know what to do.

third, i would like to be working more and earning more money. it's very hard with school though and i already feel like i'm working too much this semester. plus, my job entails driving my car. so the more i drive it, the more the problem worsens. sheesh!

please pray for me and the situation. i'm really concerned about the car pooping out, finishing the semester strong, paying off debt, avoiding going further into debt, saving, planning for the future, and having time and freedom to live and have fun. there's a lot going on and i want to be doing the right thing(s) and making wise decisions too. and i know i need help with it.

cheers!

adding another to the list

2008-11-10T14:34:00.003-06:00

i have a running list titled "there are two kinds of people in the world". i won't put the entire list in this post but an example of one is:

"there are two kinds of people in this world, those who wear dress shoes to work, and those who wear work boots to work".

the most recent addition to the list springs from a conversation with sarah during the car ride home from an out of town visit. sarah has grown up in the biggest city in nebraska - omaha (mainly ralston). i grew up in a small town in nebraska. i prefer small towns to big towns and country to city. this led to a conversation about our mutual concern over the issue. it also led the brain i carry around in my head to come up with another entry on the list. here it is:

"there are two kinds of people in the world: those who think the country is a place you travel to/visit , and those who think the city is a place you travel to/visit."

cheers!

halloween 2008

2008-11-01T14:42:00.004-06:00

this halloween i took off work and was planning to carve a special pumpkin for sarah (with i love you on it. i also wanted to get some flowers and a nice fall-ish scented candle to display with the pumpkin. all this was going to be placed on her porch so she'd she it when she came home from work at night. i thought it would be a nice way to surprise her. i was also going to show up in omaha early and have dinner with her parents.

the way the past two days have worked out, however, was nowhere near conducive for such a plan to be enacted. i won't go into detail but one of the wrenches in the gears was the conking out of my laptop. i did not make it to omaha last night but halloween turned out just fine. josh and i hung out together. it was really fun. we bought a pumpkin each for carving. i made some grilled sandwiches for dinner and then we started carving. we didn't finish until after midnight, technically not halloween any more. but who cares? we were excited to put them on the front porch. josh had to be at a medical study early in the morning at 5 so he and i stayed up the entire night. mostly, we watched videos on youtube. it was fun and we laughed so much.

cheers!

unattending

2008-10-17T13:16:00.002-06:00

boy! it's been a LONG time since i've blogged. the days are just too full now and on top of that, i really don't like to sit in front of the computer all that long.

life's been good. i'm getting A's and B's in school. work has been going really well but recently it has been just a bit slow. the softball season has ended and that allows me to work on tuesday nights. it's six more hours a week and though it takes away free time, i am thankful to work more and thus to save more. on wednesdays and sundays, sarah and i get to see each other. i look forward to these days a lot.

i am thinking about a new job. delivering pizzas puts too many miles on my car, i'm always greasy and i smell like pizza when i leave. i am happy to have a well paying job though. i'd just like to find something outside of the food industry i guess.

that's the news for now. catch ya later.

cheers!

a little tidbit

2008-09-15T13:19:00.003-06:00

it's been a while. here's a very short and compact update.

school is in full swing. it's still going well. work is still going good. and i'm still in love with the most wonderful girl.

cheers!

15sep08 today's quote

2008-09-15T13:18:00.000-06:00

the worst of a modern stylish mansion is that it has no place for ghosts.

-oliver wendell holmes-

there's gonna be some changes up ahead

2008-08-28T20:33:00.002-06:00

i won't be updating the blog every day for some time. this fall is a very busy one and daily blogging just can't be a priority. i'll still be blogging though, just not each day.

cheers!

28aug08 today's quote

2008-08-28T20:32:00.000-06:00

poverty sits by the cradle of all our great men and rocks all of them to manhood.

-heinrich heine-

27aug08 today's quote

2008-08-27T09:48:00.000-06:00

home is a name, a word, it is a strong one; stronger than magician ever spoke, or spirit ever answered to, in the strongest conjuration.

-charles dickens-

a little less than before

2008-08-26T14:47:00.002-06:00

this fall is very busy for me. with all the business, i will unfortunately not be blogging as often as i'd like. i'm still going to try and put up a quote and a pic each day but no promises on other things.

cheers!

26aug08 today's quote

2008-08-26T14:46:00.001-06:00

education is not filling a pail but the lighting of a fire.

-william butler yeats-

25aug08 today's quote

2008-08-25T20:30:00.001-06:00

one piece of log creates a small fire, adequate to warm you up, add just a few more pieces to blast an immense bonfire, large enough to warm up your entire circle of friends; needless to say that individuality counts but team work dynamites.

-jin kwon-

24aug08 today's quote

2008-08-25T20:26:00.001-06:00

the simplest schoolboy is now familiar with truths for which archimedes would have given his life.

-ernest renan- 1885

speaking of back...

2008-08-23T17:16:00.002-06:00

i've gone and hurt my back. i am not sure how it happened but it happened some time this morning while practicing for softball. on a scale from minor injury to major injury, i'd rate it just above minor. oh but it's uncomfortable! :( the muscles are sore right below my ribs and the soreness wraps around to my front but only for a short distance. currently, it's not easy to twist at the hips.

grrrr! i don't like being injured. i don't like being unable to give 100%, being held back and having to take it easy. i don't like being on the DL. okay. i'm going to stop complaining now. pray for healing!

cheers!

i'm back!

2008-08-23T11:07:00.002-06:00

i've been back from camp for about a week now. most of this past week has been spent wishing my sore throat and my cough would find somewhere else to reside. it has been a restful week though and that has been wonderful. my cold has sapped energy from me but nothing like the summer at camp has. i am still not 100% but i know i am getting close. can't wait to be back in the saddle in tip top shape!

cheers!

23aug08 today's quote

2008-08-23T11:06:00.000-06:00

do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.

-ralph waldo emerson-

29may08 today's quote

2008-05-29T09:39:00.000-06:00

success isn't a result of spontaneous combustion. you must set yourself on fire.

-arnold h glasow-

28may08 today's quote

2008-05-29T09:37:00.000-06:00

shoot for the moon. even if you miss, you'll land among the stars.

-les brown-

at it again

2008-05-27T09:24:00.003-06:00

here i am again blogging about how great things are and how great i am feeling. there seems to be a tendency to do so after a stint of not blogging at all. it is said that bad things come in threes. well, too bad for the bad things, only coming in threes and all. for the good things come one at a time, in twos, threes, fours, fives, tens, twenties, and so on. and when i think about it, the good things will never end.

the past week has been great and this weekend was fantastic... awesome... amazing... and every synonymous word for them you can think of. i hung out with sarah a lot. she is absolutely wonderful and i like her immensely. i'd like to see her a great deal before i leave for camp in a week.

hope everyone's memorial day weekend was good and that you remembered the soldiers.

cheers!

27may08 today's quote

2008-05-27T09:23:00.002-06:00

a sound mind in a sound body is a short but full description of a happy state in this world.

-john locke-

26may08 today's quote

2008-05-26T16:10:00.000-06:00

we dare not trust our wit for making our house pleasant to our friend, so we buy ice cream.

-ralph waldo emerson-

25may08 today's quote

2008-05-26T16:02:00.000-06:00

genius is more often found in a cracked pot than in a whole one.

-e b white-

24may08 today's quote

2008-05-26T16:00:00.001-06:00

appreciation is a wonderful thing. it makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.

-voltaire-

23may08 today's quote

2008-05-26T15:59:00.000-06:00

feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.

-william arthur ward-

22may08 today's quote

2008-05-22T00:16:00.003-06:00

in a relationship, you learn about another person. but it's amazing what you learn about yourself too.

-me-

21may08 today's quote

2008-05-21T13:43:00.000-06:00

people who don't cherish their elderly have forgotten whence they came and whither they go.

-ramsey clark-

20may08 today's quote

2008-05-20T08:31:00.002-06:00

hope, like the gleaming taper's light,
adorns and cheers our way,
and still, as darker grows the night,
emits a brighter ray.

-oliver goldsmith-

little blogging

2008-05-19T15:11:00.003-06:00

i haven't blogged much as of late. i feel i want to put down everything that's happening. that wouldn't be possible though. it would take way too long. i'm not sure many would want to attempt reading it all. things have been really good. this past week was amazing! i've been so happy. but i find myself feeling rushed as the departure for camp nears. additionally, my heart is sad for i won't be able to spend time with sarah. i have been praying for preparations to be made before i leave, time off to come back to visit, and god's eyes, ears, heart, and mind for learning, understanding, and growth while he has me at camp. please pray for me too. thanks. have a good day everyone.

cheers!

19may08 today's quote

2008-05-19T15:08:00.001-06:00

the fire is the main comfort of the camp, whether in summer or winter, and is about as ample at one season as at another. it is as well for cheerfulness as for warmth and dryness.

-henry david thoreau-

18may08 today's quote

2008-05-19T15:07:00.000-06:00

the most pleasant and useful persons are those who leave some of the problems of the universe for god to worry about.

-don marquis-

17may08 today's quote

2008-05-17T12:02:00.003-06:00

i speak truth, not so much as i would, but as much as i dare; and i dare a little the more, as i grow older.

-michel de montaigne-

16may08 today's quote

2008-05-17T12:02:00.001-06:00

gratitude is the memory of the heart.

-jean baptiste massieu-

remember this one?

2008-05-15T09:04:00.001-06:00

Beatbox Fame Game
Uploaded by loranger

i love this guy!

cheers!

15may08 today's quote

2008-05-15T08:58:00.000-06:00

fall seven times, stand up eight.

-japanese proverb-

14may08 today's quote

2008-05-14T13:24:00.002-06:00

the real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.

-marcel proust-

13may08 today's quote

2008-05-13T08:50:00.002-06:00

a discovery is said to be an accident meeting a prepared mind.

-albert szent gyorgyi-

is the glass half full or half empty?

2008-05-12T19:21:00.003-06:00

ah yes, the age old question. i once had a roomie who thought about the question differently than most. he answered it this way. "the glass is twice as big as it needs to be." interesting...

cheers!

12may08 today's quote

2008-05-12T19:19:00.000-06:00

i've got a theory that if you give 100 percent all of the time, somehow things will work out in the end.

-larry bird-

11may08 today's quote

2008-05-12T19:18:00.000-06:00

you cannot plough a field by turning it over in your mind.

10may08 today's quote

2008-05-10T09:12:00.000-06:00

life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon.

-doug larson-

09may08 today's quote

2008-05-09T08:57:00.001-06:00

experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterwards.

-vernon sanders law-

08may08 today's quote

2008-05-08T07:30:00.001-06:00

adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which, in prosperous circumstances, would have lain dormant.

-horace-

07may08 today's quote

2008-05-07T08:25:00.000-06:00

god's gifts put man's best dreams to shame.

-elizabeth barrett browning-

06may08 today's quote

2008-05-06T08:10:00.001-06:00

how many observe christ's birthday! how few his precepts!
o! 'tis easier to keep holidays than commandments.

-benjamin franklin-

straight from a, to z.

2008-05-05T15:43:00.005-06:00

i treat people like i've known them for twenty years. someone beside me on the bus, a customer on a delivery, people at parties - you name it, there's no difference in how i treat them. today, i was thinking about the "twenty year comfort level" and how it affects the interactions i have with people. i see that i easily get to this level. it's natural to me. but i'm also seeing that i don't move from 1 to 2 to 3 (and so on) as effortlessly.

just something i'm thinking about.

cheers!

05may08 today's quote

2008-05-05T15:42:00.003-06:00

sweet childish days, that were as long
as twenty days are now.

-william wordsworth-

04may08 today's quote

2008-05-05T15:42:00.001-06:00

don't always think you're on the right road just because it’s a well-beaten path.

03may08 today's quote

2008-05-05T15:40:00.002-06:00

there is a garden in every childhood, an enchanted place where colors are brighter, the air softer, and the morning more fragrant than ever again.

-elizabeth lawrence-

02may08 today's quote

2008-05-02T13:53:00.001-06:00

the ultimate result from shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill the world with fools.

-herbert spencer-

happy may day!!!

2008-05-01T19:03:00.003-06:00

i hope everyone's may day was fantastic. i spent most of the day in omaha. i had made a special may day basket for sarah and wanted to deliver it (i also wanted to see her :)). while in omaha, i purchased a sleeping bag for camp, hung out with ryan (which was so great to catch up), and played tennis for the first time (i did okay, but could've done beter). jonathan and i had scheduled dinner tonight so upon arriving back in lincoln and changing, i hopped on my bike and rode downtown. we ate at noodles and co. it was so good to hang out and chat like we used to. the air was getting a little brisk as the sun steadily was sinking closer towards the horizon. i was sure to ride hard on the way home to keep warm as i was only in shorts and a t-shirt. so now i sit here with amelia atop me as i blog. i told josh i'd hang out with him tonight. and becca is wanting to hang out after she gets off work. looks like tonight will be a long night!

cheers!

01may08 today's quote

2008-05-01T19:01:00.002-06:00

i thank thee first because i was never robbed before; second, because although they took my purse they did not take my life; third, because although they took my all, it was not much; and fourth because it was i who was robbed, and not i who robbed.

-matthew henry-

30apr08 today's quote

2008-04-30T08:43:00.000-06:00

one looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our human feelings. the curriculum is so much necessary raw material, but warmth is the vital element for the growing plant and for the soul of the child.

-carl jung-

29apr08 today's quote

2008-04-29T14:55:00.000-06:00

everyone is the age of their heart.

-guatemalan proverb-

in many ways, i'd compare things to an amusement park

2008-04-28T12:36:00.003-06:00

this year is so full of new and challenging things. i'm a mix of being excited, hopeful, impatient, wonderment, and joyful all rolled into one.

cheers!

28apr08 today's quote

2008-04-28T12:32:00.001-06:00

the butterfly is a flying flower...

-ponce denis ecouchard lebrun-

27apr08 today's quote

2008-04-28T12:31:00.002-06:00

i love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in.

-george washington carver-

a crazy day!

2008-04-26T08:03:00.010-06:00

yesterday was going along smoothly until the first suprise came at about 2:30. my brother benjamin called to say he was in lincoln. he sounded shaken up and soon he told me he was just in an accident by the super saver on 27th and cornhusker. i asked him if he was okay and he said he was. i told him i would be there as fast as i could (i was at the super target on 40th and yankee hill - the opposite end of town). benjamin had said he rear ended a truck. i caught nearly every green light and was there to see the damage in no time. the truck was unscathed. benjamin's car was not as fortunate however. the front end was smashed with the hood bent up in the middle. i noticed the airbag had not gone off. i assumed this was because the truck sat higher off the ground than benjamin's more sportier car. his car had gone under the back end of the pick up somewhat. if he would have hit another car though, there would have been more damage... to both vehicles.

i sat in my car and waited as benjamin sat in the police car and filled out the necessary paperwork and received a ticket. the policewoman suggested we have the car towed. but the car was still driveable, not leaking anything, and the fan (as she suggested) wasn't actually smashed into the radiator. i think benjamin was still a little shaken so i took him for a drive in my car and we chatted about what went on. when we had gotten back to super saver, he seemed unwilling to drive his car and requested that i drive it and he drive mine. i acknowledged and followed him to my place. i asked if he was hungry and he said he was. so i cooked up some food. i was hungry too. eating was quick. i wanted to stay and be around him and just be there for him, but i had to be to work. :( so i left him to himself. my roomie was coming home shortly though, and my parents were coming to town later in the evening.

the first run of deliveries i went on were delayed by the people in the kitchen making the food. they were running behind and this caused me to be ten minutes late to each of the three deliveries. needless to say, tips weren't too hot on that first run. one customer was annoyed and ended up calling back to the restaurant to complain. this was the same customer to whom i forgot to bring the plastic forks which she requested. it can be difficult for a delivery driver because he or she is the last contact the customer has with the restaurant. the driver gets the full brunt from the customer if the kitchen is slow in making the food, if the food quality was poor last time, if the prices seem too high, etc. even in doing the best delivery job possible (efficient, timely, courteous), the driver often is the receiver of the customer's angst, which is unfair. but it goes to show that everyone at the restaurant is on the same team, from taking the order, to preparing the food, all the way to the delivery. everyone is dependant on each other.

i also had to take a delivery to a strip club. i absolutely HATE strip clubs. before entering, i pull my hat down lower. trying my best to lose my peripheral vision, i wander to the back to the bar. i ask for the girl whom ordered. while waiting, a stripper comes to the bar and stands right next to me. she's topless and showing them off to me. "no i do not want to look at them." a few people look at me like i'm weird. finally, the girl comes over to pay. no tip. it bothers me only for a second as leaving the strip club is compensation enough for me. argh! i can't stand going there. it's cheap, it's gross, it's sad.

later, there was a mix up on an order and food that had already been made was nowhere to be found. after some short franticness from the kitchen staff, the food was discovered. on another order, i forgot cookies that went with a customer's order. luckily the manager called me and i turned and went back before i arrived at the customer's home. and luckily too, the delivery wasn't late. w00t! i was quite ready to leave work at closing time. it had been a frustrating day and i hadn't gotten a break or eaten much. tips were decent though, and i was thankful for the money i earned. i let the day's woes slip away and left humbled and cheerful. it was late and i was tired so it didn't take long to fall asleep when my head hit the pillow.

i awoke this morning and went to bible study. i had breakfast there and joined in the discussion. now i am at home blogging and have the entire day ahead of me. benjamin and i had planned to play paintball today, but with the accident, the plans have changed. with this new free time, i plan to make some phone calls, go shopping, and go thrifting too. i hope everyone has a swell saturday!

cheers!

26apr08 today's quote

2008-04-26T07:57:00.002-06:00

i think i should have no other mortal wants, if i could always have plenty of music. it seems to infuse strength into my limbs and ideas into my brain. life seems to go on without effort, when i am filled with music.

-george eliot-

25apr08 today's quote

2008-04-25T10:11:00.000-06:00

you can live for years next door to a big pine tree, honored to have so venerable a neighbor, even when it sheds needles all over your flowers or wakes you, dropping big cones onto your deck at still of night.

-denise levertov-

a little bump. hopefully not too costly.

2008-04-24T13:46:00.004-06:00

on my way to omaha to catch the nebraska vs creighton baseball game, i bumped the car ahead of me. bumped, not hit. bumped. traffic was bumper to bumper and everyone was stopping and going and stopping and going. i stopped just a little too late and *ting* bumped the car before me. "ugh!" i thought. there was not even a scratch on the other car. no scuffed paint, either. just a hexagon-shaped hole from a screw which holds on my liscense plate.

i thought to myself tw things. one, "well there's hardly any damage at all. just fill in that hole, paint over it, and it's good to go." and two, "if they replace the entire bumper for this trivial little blemish, i may as well had took out the entire back end." i exchanged information with the driver of the car. he seemed pretty okay with things. his insurance card was outdated but he did say he had current insurance. though, he did ask if i would be willing to consider settling it mono y mono. i'd just like the quickest, easiest, cheapest way through this. i would really not like to have my insurance rates go up either.

i don't get in accidents and i am unsure of what to do. hopefully, things work out okay. any advice is surely appreciated though! here's some pics of the hole:

and i was only a block away from the stadium too!

cheers!

24apr08 today's quote

2008-04-24T08:43:00.001-06:00

if a man empties his purse into his head, no man can take it away from him. an investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.

-benjamin franklin-

23apr08 today's quote

2008-04-23T13:38:00.002-06:00

the first duty of a leader is to make himself be loved without courting love. to be loved without "playing up" to anyone - even himself.

-andre malraux-

22apr08 today's quote

2008-04-22T09:05:00.000-06:00

if i set for myself a task, be it so trifling, i shall see it through. how else shall i have confidence in myself to do important things?

-george clason-

this weekend...

2008-04-21T14:25:00.003-06:00

here's a rundown of how the weekend went:

while working friday night, i was pulled over by a policeman and given a ticket for having expired plates (by a month and a half). i was completely unaware as to when my plates were do to be re-registered as i've not received the little card that comes in the mail each year. ben said he's not seen it in the mail either. i was upset at having been given a ticket for the offense. grrr... it was a late night and i arrived home a little before 1am. i went straight to bed.

saturday, i awoke with a ton of things i was anxious to do, but was having difficulty at choosing which things to do, and consequently, which things i wouldn't get to do. grace chapel was having a pancacke feed as a part of the missions conference they were holding. i was not going to miss pancakes. a few people spoke about the missions trips they'd either been on or were planning, a video was shown, and there was a raffle. tickets to the nebraska football spring game were prizes, and there was a nebraska t-shirt to be won, and even a mystery envelope. turns out the mystery envelope had a dollar bill in it. lol! i won the t-shirt and was really excited as i was eyeing it more than the other prizes.
tanya, pastor mike's wife, approached me and asked if i would drive her, mike, and the kids to the spring game as they had tickets and really wanted to go. i was stoked to be able to help them out. so i dropped them off and awaited their call to return for the pick up. meanwhile, jake was unexpectedly in town and i hung out with him because i'd neither seen him nor hung out with him for awhile. so i took detailing the car off the list of things i'd be doing that day. jake and i explored some drainage tunnels around town. it was a blast! we also followed a creek in town and enjoyed the nice weather. jake was looking for fish and crawdads. i was very happy just taking everything in and exploring. there were minnows in the water, but no bigger fish. we did see some ducks. they flew off before i was able to take a photo of them. a little past where the ducks were, i discovered an old, beat up bicycle stuck in the bank. i had to further investigate. someone had taken a lot of time to beat up this bike. wow! it was mangled - too mangled to be salvaged. i loosened it from the bank and gave it a proper burial at sea. jake and i then headed back. we had some ice cream at dairy queen and each remarked how boring the inside of that dairy queen was. the ice cream was amazing as dairy queen's always is. it was a nice treat. when we finished, we made our way back to grace chapel where jake's car was. on the way, mike hsu called and said the fam was awaiting pick up.

here are some pics of the creek.

after saying goodbye to jake, getting the hsu family, and returning to my home, i played a game of chess online and got slaughtered. becca then called and was on her way over. we were going to grill out. we went to the store and picked up supplies ie: buns, salad makings, cheese, etc. our meal consisted of morningstar burgers, baked beans, potato salad (yuck!), cole slaw, and spinach salad. we were then pretty stuffed and we watched a few episodes of arrested developement. as we finished them up, ben, josh, micah, josh, lisa, elijah, loren, and jay showed up. i was not expecting such a crowd. they all came over to play poker. someone who had gotten out in poker had turned on the playstation and there began somewhat of a street fighter II tournament. i grew up playing that game as a kid and so, went undefeated for a good stretch of time. i took myself away from the crowd and called sarah. we chatted for a bit. people were then beginning to leave. and it turns out becca won at the poker game.

i worked on sunday. the weather was so nice! tips were really good and i was thankful for them. i was able to leave early too. i arrived home and changed clothes and ate a little bit. then it was off to kopeli's for game night. we were playing phase 10. since we got started late, i had to leave before the game ended to meet up with some people at 80's night. lots of my friends were there and it was a good time. but it was really hot and everyone was sweating. becca came over to 80's night which was unexpected. her and i left a little early and headed over to jimmy john's. she ordered a sandwhich and her and i talked a bit. then i left to go home. i checked my mobile and saw that my manager had called. she was also at 80's night. i called her back and discovered she needed a ride home. upon reaching where she was, i discovered that two of her friends also needed rides home. it was no trouble at all and i happily played taxi. i arrived home tired and slept really well.

oh, and i discovered this weekend that amelia likes paper grocery bags too.

cheers!

21apr08 today's quote

2008-04-21T14:00:00.001-06:00

pride does not wish to owe and vanity does not wish to pay.

-françois de la rochefoucauld-

20apr08 today's quote

2008-04-20T09:38:00.000-06:00

mighty proud i am that i am able to have a spare bed for my friends.

-samuel pepys-

recognition

2008-04-19T09:06:00.002-06:00

as i was looking over my paystub yesterday, i noticed my hourly wage had went up one dollar.

weeeeeeee!
yay!
w00t!

it feels good knowing that i do a good job at work and my managers have seen this, and given me a raise. i went to jeff, the head manager, and thanked him. he said many good things about me. they made me feel good and motivated me to keep working hard. i'm very thankful for the additional income as it allows me to save even more for school. well i'm on cloud nine. hope everyone's saturday is amazing!

cheers!

19apr08 today's quote

2008-04-19T09:03:00.002-06:00

that which is striking and beautiful is not always good, but that which is good is always beautiful.

-ninon de l'enclos-

fuel costs

2008-04-18T10:23:00.004-06:00

mike and i were discussing fuel costs yesterday while having coffee and playing chess. we, like most, were perturbed by how high gasoline prices are. a little less than seven years ago, gasoline was just under a dollar per gallon. i heard on news recently that national gas prices are $3.39/gallon. here in nebraska, gas is projected to go up $.30 or more this summer. it will be hard to breathe, looking at premium gas prices then, which will be at or above $4.00/gallon.

mike and i were rattling off all the things in the grocery store that have gone up in price too - milk, eggs, bread, etc. higher gas prices have an effect on everything you buy at the supermarket. the cost of basic foods is too high. gasoline prices keep going up. this, in turn, causes your grocery bill to go up. and who says we're not dependant on foreign oil? mike also pointed out that prices will go up even more when minimum wage is raised. ugh!

fuel costs are rising. fuel inefficient trucks and suv's account for the majority of the vehicles on the road today. and i don't see a decline in traffic. why aren't people driving less? why don't i see more people riding bicycles? why is public transportation here in lincoln so crummy? why are there only a small number of people actively paying attention to this? i hear people talk about the rising costs. it seems they only complain about it though, and speak of how they personally are affected by it.

all i'm saying is that something is awry. i don't have a solution, as the problem is a big one, and i'm just little ole me and don't know how to fix it. but i do know how to combat it, counter it, fight it, and ease the burdens it places on people. there are so many ways to do these things. i think the best way is to ask yourself... "what can i do?"

cheers!

18apr08 today's quote

2008-04-18T10:21:00.001-06:00

big shots are only little shots who keep shooting.

-christopher morley-

who would get more wet?

2008-04-17T08:07:00.003-06:00

someone once posed this question to me: which way would one get more wet? by walking a set distance in the rain? or by running the same distance in the rain? or would they both get you equally as wet?

cheers!

17apr08 today's quote

2008-04-17T08:05:00.001-06:00

an optimist is the human personification of spring.

-susan j bissonette-

16apr08 today's quote

2008-04-16T09:36:00.001-06:00

people who fly into a rage always make a bad landing.

-will rogers-

15apr08 today's quote

2008-04-15T13:05:00.002-06:00

confidence comes not from always being right but from not fearing to be wrong.

-peter t mcintyre-

what wonderful weather

2008-04-14T13:44:00.003-06:00

the weather for the past couple of days has been wonderful. there has been a good amount of sunshine and warmth. it has been a little breezy though, and that's given me just a slight chill. nothing a light jacket couldn't remedy however. i was so happy to see people bustling to and fro, to see animals and birds milling about, and to see flowers beginning to bloom. springtime puts a smile on my face and gives me a happy heart. it's so optimistic!

i stopped after a delivery to take a quick snapshot of these daffodils which were outside the apartment building i went to. downtown lincoln will soon be booming with daffodils as they are planted on just about every street corner. i can't wait.

cheers!

14apr08 today's quote

2008-04-14T13:39:00.001-06:00

if you ride you know those moments when you have fed yourself into the traffic, felt the hashed-up asphalt rattle in the handlebars, held a lungful of air in a cloud of exhaust. up ahead there are two parallel buses. with cat's whiskers, you measure the clearance down a doubtful alley. you swing wide, outflank that flower truck. the cross-street yellow light is turning red. you burst off the green like a surfer on a wave of metal. you have a hundred empty yards of Broadway to yourself.

-chip brown-

13apr08 today's quote

2008-04-13T10:30:00.000-06:00

a flower's appeal is in its contradictions - so delicate in form yet strong in fragrance, so small in size yet big in beauty, so short in life yet long on effect.

-adabella radici-

12apr08 today's quote

2008-04-12T08:10:00.001-06:00

whenever it is possible, a boy should choose some occupation which he should do even if he did not need the money.

-william lyon phelps-

11apr08 today's quote

2008-04-11T14:02:00.002-06:00

make all you can, save all you can, give all you can.

-john wesley-

after work and a trip to the bike shop, here's how my day went.

2008-04-10T00:10:00.004-06:00

riding my bike yesterday was so much fun! after i installed the new seatpost and put the seat on, i walked the bike to a nearby gas station to fill the tires. this trip was necessary as josh has my air compressor. once the tires were filled to 50psi each, i was off to the races. once home again, i put my laptop in my backpack and headed for the coffee shop. i was going to blog and when josh arrived, we were going to catch up and play a few games of chess.

by the time i reached jone's, i had worked up a mild hunger so i purchased a strawberry muffin. it wasn't very strawberry-y. as i was eating it, my friend danny passed by. he was on his way to davinci's and was passing by the coffee shop. he stopped and and said hi. we chatted for a short while and then he left. i noticed there were two other people playing chess as well. i did not know them, and wanting to meet them, i went over and introduced myself. the first guy spoke quite softly and i couldn't make out his name. but the other fellow's name was matt. i asked if i could play in the next game. they were quite welcoming and accepting my self imposition. however, as they were playing their game, becca called and notified me she was on her way.

she wanted to show off her new shoes. she had bought some new clothes too, and was anxious to model them as well. she was also getting hungry and suggested we go to her parents' house (where there was already food prepared) and eat. i was quite ready for supper and was excited to go because her father was there and i've not met him before. he's in the air force and consistantly not home. so we left and i took a raincheck on the chess game with matt and soft-spoken man.

becca's father was caught up in filling out financial aid forms for one of becca's sisters so he was unable to hang out. we did get introduced though. after eating, becca, two of her sisters, and i went to a different coffee shop. they were all going to do homework. i felt left out and got really excited for homework when school starts in the fall. yeah, i know. that sounds silly, getting excited for homework. i'm just weird i guess. we weren't there for very long and i spent the time rewriting a poem i was working on. since it was getting late, becca's sisters went home and becca gave me a ride to my place. she came in for a bit to work on her homework, and i lounged and chatted with ben for a bit before he retired to bed.

and now with everyone gone, i am blogging and recounting the day's events as well as looking forward to tomorrow. i plan to visit the paintball shop, pick up a few things, and then get my gear ready for the season. i have lots so it'll keep me busy until i have to be at work. speaking of work, i have only one closing shift this week! w00t! and speaking of changing the subject, here's the pics of my new seat post:

this pic makes the seat look really tall! i hadn't adjusted it to where it needed to be yet. but after the adjustment, it only lowered slightly. lol! pleasant dreams all. goodnight!

cheers!

10apr08 today's quote

2008-04-10T00:01:00.001-06:00

a bicycle does get you there and more.... and there is always the thin edge of danger to keep you alert and comfortably apprehensive. dogs become dogs again and snap at your raincoat; potholes become personal. and getting there is all the fun.

-bill emerson-

back in the saddle again

2008-04-09T14:04:00.005-06:00

after work today, i stopped in the bike shop and picked up the seatpost i had ordered for my bike. i also got a new seat, too. i was sooooo excited to get home and bring my bike back to a rideable state again. i'll let you all in on why i was without a seatpost and seat. last fall, someone stole the seatpost, with seat, off my bike. i was very upset at having something of mine stolen, not being able to ride my bike, and because that seatpost was hard to find and expensive. as a rather tall person, a special seatpost is needed for me - one which is very long and strong enough to withstand the extra forces put on it. the stolen seatpost also had an inch and a half set back on it. this meant the seat could set further back. this was wonderful for me since it allowed for a more comfortable body position on the bike and thus, a nicer ride. the seatpost retailed for $120 and was hard to come by, from a great parts manufacturer out of canada. luckily, i was working at a bike shop at the time so it only cost me $60. unluckily though, they no longer manufacture that seatpost. grrr... so i purchased a thomson. it cost $75 and another $15 for a seat. i'll post pics tomorrow.

since my bicylce is whole again (and me as well!) and with nicer weather having arrived, it will be harder to find me at home, or at work, or even catch me on the phone. instead, i will be cruising the streets and trails around town. ah! the wind in my face! the freedom! he he. i've got a BIG smile right now.

cheers!

09apr08 today's quote

2008-04-09T09:20:00.000-06:00

i love fishing. you put that line in the water and you don't know what's on the other end. your imagination is under there.

-robert altman-

notice the liscense plate?

2008-04-08T13:13:00.003-06:00

i took this picture as i was on my way to the husker baseball game last saturday. it's great to see husker fans all the way from pennslyvania.

cheers!

08apr08 today's quote

2008-04-08T09:38:00.001-06:00

because golf exposes the flaws of the human swing – a basically simple manoeuvre – it causes more self-torture than any game short of russian roulette. the quicker the average golfer can forget the shot he has dubbed or knocked off line – and concentrate on the next shot – the sooner he begins to improve and enjoy golf.

-grantland rice-

a much needed visit to the eye doctor

2008-04-07T10:07:00.002-06:00

i haven't had an eye exam in nearly three years. my current (outdated) prescription works, but i know i need a new one. i need a new stash of contacts and i'd like a new pair of specs, too, as my current pair is out of warrany and i'd hate for them to break. when i worked at eyecare specialties, i received free eye exams and great discounts on contacts and eyewear. with no discount now, the cost will be much higher. i honestly don't want to spend as much money as it costs to go through the process of an eye exam and new eyewear. but i need to do it and i can't wait for clearer vision!

cheers!

07apr08 today's quote

2008-04-07T10:05:00.001-06:00

the cure for anything is salt water - sweat, tears, or the sea.

-isak dinesen-

06apr08 today's quote

2008-04-06T17:26:00.000-06:00

in giving advice seek to help, not to please, your friend.

-solon-