The Word Loom

"Veritas"

2009-09-17T18:57:00.001-07:00

VERSE 1
I walked away
Looked in your eyes
Shot you down as you begged me to stay.
Now you
Are gagged and bound
No, I won't let you spread all your life taking lies all around.

CHORUS
Veritas Vos Liberabit
An introspective view reveals the key.
Veritas Vos Liberabit
With my own lips I can break the chains that bind me.

Verse 2
I was your slave
Followed your every command
Almost into the grave.
But not
The table turns
And I'm gonna watch what you build
As it crashes and burns.

Chorus

Bridge
Lies cost more
Than you bargained for
or can pay.
Words cause war
And restore
the Broken.

Chorus

Copyright©2008 by Justin Randall Brown

Remember how I love lists?

2009-07-31T16:27:00.000-07:00

Currently

Things I love:
Customizing and riding my bicycle
Reading
Smoked Turkey and Munster Sandwiches
Bringing my lunch to work
Writing new music

Things I hate:
My job
My fruitless job search
The hot weather

Vacation and the return to real life

2009-07-20T17:28:00.000-07:00

Well, I had an amazing vacation in beautiful Lake Tahoe. It was so good to have time away from everything stressful. Normally I lay around and get pretty lazy when I have time away from work, but not this time. My trip to Tahoe was full of activities ranging from a 13 mile kayak expedition, a 4 hour hike with a 1200ft elevation change ( from 7600-8800ft), a very cool and education cruise tour around the lake, a concert featuring REO Speedwagon and Styx, and lots of other great things. An added bonus of the trip is that spending so much time being active has sparked in me the desire to stay that active and to appreciate the natural beauty in my home town. I am currently mapping out and planning several hiking treks in Georgetown. They range in difficulty and length from the very flat zero elevation change San Gabriel Trail at only 1 mile in length to the grade 4 incredibly rocky Good Water trail at a daunting 16.5 miles around Lake Georgetown. I am saving the long one for October or November when it is much cooler and there aren't as many snakes and mosquitoes. Joey Halbert-you will need to join me for this hike. Also, I want people to come on alot of hikes with me. So let me know if you want to come.

The bad part of being on vacation is coming home. I am still not making progress in finding a new job and some days it just seems hopeless. One thing that became very real to me today as I felt another possible job slip through my fingers was this: I can wait for a job to change my life, or I can change my life and wait for a job. I need to stay focused on accomplishing the latter of the two. Prepare to witness change...but please keep praying for a job.

In parting I want to leave you with this very personal fact...so we can all feel connected:
High altitude gives me gas and constipation.

Enjoy!

Three days

2009-07-09T08:33:00.000-07:00

I have three days of work left until I leave for Lake Tahoe with my beautiful wife. I sincerely need this time away from work.

My friend Joseph and I are collaborating and planning to build a tiny house or cabin. Not tiny like a doll house, but tiny like only the space you need. It's gonna be sweet.

I don't have anything else I want to say right now.

"I went to the woods..."

2009-07-06T12:05:00.000-07:00

So, I really want to get a small plot of land and build a little cabin like Henry David Thoreau did. I know it would be hot in the summer and cold in the winter, but I would love to have someplace to go and get out in nature and just be away from all modern things. Just get my head clear. Also I like to build stuff.

If anybody has some land somewhere in Texas and you would like to have a cabin like this on your land...I have a deal for you. I will purchase the materials and build the cabin on your land in exchange for frequent unannounced use of the cabin. Good deal, eh?

Next week I am going to be in Lake Tahoe and I am excited.

HEAT SUCKS!

2009-06-29T10:07:00.001-07:00

Seriously?! 10 straight days of triple digits? Not fun. Oh well...it will make my beautiful autumn feel all the better.

This weekend my wife and I super cleaned our abode and having a clean house helps you keep a clear mind...at least for me it does.

We scored this sweet vintage wall mounted liqueur cabinet with stained glass in it and put it in our kitchen. Needless to say, it's awesome.

I am very hopeful that I will get a call back from Charles Schwab this week. Maybe you can all be hoping for that as well.

I got my car washed at this cool place where it's all done by hand and it looks awesome. For some reason I think that getting in a car accident right after you got your car washed would be worse than any other time. Accept maybe if you had just got your car washed and you were rushing home because you were about to have an ass-plosion and then you got in a wreck. That would be worse.

I have another 6 day work week and I am not excited about it. I need help staying positive and grateful right now. Maybe it's just because it's Monday.

I am sorry for my absence

2009-06-26T11:45:00.000-07:00

Over the past month one of our three member management team left. Consequently I have been working six days a week and have had very little time to update. I am STILL grateful to be employed.

Yesterday, my little brother and I put up ceiling fans in my house to surprise my wife and it was awesome. First of all, J and I knocked out the installing of both of the fans in less than an hour and a half combined. Secondly, Kim was very surprised and it was great to see her reaction. I love working on my home and my yard...it has really helped to keep my appreciating what God has given me.

I am off on Sunday and I plan to go to church, have a great home-made lunch with my wife, and do a little yard work. It will be wonderful.

I am also very excited to be spending the 4th of July with my wife and my family in my parents new house. It's always fun to spend holidays with family...especially my family.

Keep me in your prayers.

What I tell You Three times in True

2009-05-29T10:19:00.000-07:00

Yet again I write a blog to say that things are not going so well, but I am trying to stay hopeful. I am still with out a new career path, but I am grateful for the job that I have. More than that, I am grateful for the life I have.

In the course of two days I had three very close friends tell me they felt that I should return to the church and try to connect. I am definitely going to start searching for a good church for my wife and I, but I am a bit conflicted. I don't think that it is OK to go to church so that you get a new job, but if I am very honest...I am hoping that this return to practicing a faith based ritual will in some way help me in my search. I do believe God understands and does not condemn this back burner thought.

I gotta keep on keepin' on.

LOVE.LOVE.LOVE.

Update

2009-05-24T19:09:00.000-07:00

I am spoke with a career counselor who told me to join facebook to help me find a new job. I did so and instead of a job offer I received countless "friend requests" from people I knew way back when. In an effort to broaden my network, I have only declined friendship to about a dozen people. I am trying to join launch[ad job club but I can't seem to sign up and I sent them an e-mail explaining this and received no further instruction. Frustrating.

Saturday I sat and talked with some people I hadn't seen in a quite some time and our conversation was encouraging. Nobody told me"Everything will be alright" or "I'm sure you'll get a great job real soon", but I was told by people who have known me since I was very young that they are proud of how I am handling this situation. That was and still is encouraging. God is allowing me a little bit of instant gratification by making it clear that this time in my life is teaching me alot of very valuable lessons. I am also really happy and excited for the great direction and possible new career my wife has found. I know this will sound really WBish, but seeing my wife happy makes it alot easier for me to deal with a crappy career.

I got to play pool football with my dad and brothers today. We probably hadn't done that in 3 years. It was alot of fun and left me a in a very satisfying state of tired" Does anybody else know what I mean by that? It's a good tired. I sleep well type of exhausted.

I have a great family.

Swinging for the fences

2009-05-18T09:31:00.000-07:00

As you all new I am desperately searching for a new career. Things at my current job took a terrible turn about a month ago and have gotten steadily worse since then. I have been looking for jobs and networking, but nothing has come of it. Now, it is time I start swinging for the fences. If you have ever seen a baseball player strike out swinging,there are two ways it goes down. The first way is seen by the guy trying to get one base. He doesn't want to swing to hard because he's worried about pulling it foul, or missing all together and then not only would he not be on base, but he might look desperate or stupid. The other way it happens is when I guy steps up to the plate already determined to swing as hard as he can at the pitches coming his way. He may miss three good pitches, but even when he strikes out the people on his team and those watching will say things like "Man, if he had made contact that thing would have been outta here!" He will strike out looking desperate and maybe even exhausted. But no one will be able to say he didn't give those three swings every thing he had. I am that guy. I have been taking timid swings at a new career, but now the pine tar is on and I am ready to dislocate a shoulder swinging for the fences. If you are parked directly beyond the center field wall...I apologize for what is going to happen to your windshield.

As always I ask for your continued prayers and encouragement and if any of you have any solid jobs leads I would be most grateful to hear of them.

LOVE.LOVE.LOVE.

Be anxious for nothing

2009-04-24T08:13:00.000-07:00

I feel relatively confident that every single person who reads this blog is either family or close enough to be considered family. For that reason I don't feel the need to explain in great detail that I am a man of faith, but I am not overtly spiritual. That being said, this past week God has shown me a great lesson I have heard my whole life in a brand new light. My last post explained how things at work had gone from bad to worse...and then to terrible. I felt the need ,not only as a man with a job to do, but as a husband who needs to working on being in control of his emotions regardless of circumstance to do my very best to see the good in this situation...or at least be grateful that I am employed. This turned out better than I ever could have imagined. Not only did I feel much better about my situation and truly start to be thankful for what God has provided, but I was able to change the downhearted feeling in my work environment to one of hope and opportunity. By far the greatest thing to come from truly trusting God ( a very difficult task at times) is that my wife and I have grown incredibly closer through this. She saw how hard I was trying to stay positive and she in turn has been incredibly supportive. I guess the whole point of posting this is just to say that I am extremely thankful for the way things have worked out thus far and I am excited, not scared, to see where they go from here. I hate hearing things about how hard times build character and all that crap because nobody wants to hear that when they are royaly pissed off, but the fact of the matter is that God can use all things to his glory and I am learning that in a way I never would have thought.

On a related note I have applied for a position with Texas Parks and Wildlife and I would greatly appreciate your prayers on that front.

I am thinking about starting a weekly or monthly game night at Kimberly and I's home. I think it's very important to stay close to friends and family, especially when times are tough...so if you'd be down with game night...let me know. Perhaps yard bowling would be fun.

Update

2009-04-19T13:30:00.001-07:00

Things at work have taken a turn for the worse. My boss was fired and it would seem that corporate is on a witch hunt. Consequently I have started an all hands on deck job search. By this I mean that I am asking very sincerely that all of my friends and family keep an eye and an ear out for a possible job opening for me. I am praying that God shows me exactly what to do in this situation, because in all honesty...I am out of patience for this crap and getting through this will only happen with God's help. So please be praying for me. If you want to know some specific things to pray for I have a short list:
Patience
Faith
The ability to see God as my provider
The ability to give my stress to God (I developed an involuntary eye twitch this past week)
A GREAT NEW JOB VERY VERY SOON!

Your prayers would be greatly appreciated.

I hit the hot-tub with my family last night. Good times. I think it's very important to have a great family support system during times of great stress. I am very blessed to have that.

I am going to go try not to be stressed out now.

The Summer of Greatness

2009-04-06T16:43:00.000-07:00

In previous posts I have alluded to my premonition that this will be greatest summer of my life to date. Today, I want to take the opportunity to tell you all some of the things I have planned for this summer and why they will make this the greatest summer I have experienced thus far. After I have told you about my plans I want to open the floor to comments, questions, and suggestions about what else I might do this summer. However, before we get into my presentation, I want to give you an abbreviated back story on the history of myself and summers.

When I was a very young boy I loved summer. My brothers and I would spend all day playing outside with friends and doing things like running through the sprinklers, building forts, catching bugs and small animals, and so on and so forth. My love for the hottest season of the year started to wain as I started high school. As a young man with the desire to be involved in activities that cost money, I spent my summers working. Oh sure I had ALOT of free time even when I was working, but to a young teen being, every moment not spent in school should be spent doing whatever he pleases. And so, this disdain for the months between May and September grew stronger as I entered college and began attending both school AND work year round. Then, summer was just like the rest of the year...only much MUCH hotter!
I have since graduated college, taken a wife, and we have purchased a home. Not only do I have all of these things to celebrate year round, but I have an abundance of friends and family with whom I wish to spend my time...even in the summer. Additionally, summer happens to be my wife's favorite season of them all ( I suppose opposites DO attract) and so because I love her I love what she loves. Summer Included. And that brings us to why this summer will be the best ever. I give you the list of activities that will make up "The Summer of Greatness"

May
1 year wedding anniversary
My brother Joseph's wedding in Montana
My wife's birthday
My brother Jeremy's high school graduation

June
My sister Bethany's wedding in Texas
My cousin Ryan's wedding in North Dakota

July
4th of July Bar-B-Q (tentative)
Vacation in Nevada with my wife

Miscellanies Summer Fun
Round Rock Express Baseball Games
Building our backyard deck
Family and friend backyard parties
Swimming at our neighborhood pool
Trips to the lakehouse in Conroe
Trips to the Boat House in Belton
Trips to the coast
Fishing
Being tan
Playing Frisbee
Helping my family love into thier new home
Teaching Rovy to swim (the backstroke)
Running at San Gabriel Park
Kayaking
Camping
AND SO MUCH MORE!

I want to let you know that if you are reading this, I want to spend time with you this summer. We can do lots of activities on this list or anything else you can think up.

Now, I want t turn it over to you all and hear what you think of my plans for "The Summer of Greatness". Will you be joining me for this all season long celebration? Do you have more ideas of how to make this the best summer ever? I would love to hear what you have to say.

I'm really excited!

Artists

2009-04-02T12:20:00.000-07:00

If you are an artists you can not stop being an artist. Whether you create visual art, music, poetry, prose, food, or any other of the mediums of art, you can not decide that you will no longer create your art. I know in my own life I have had a time or two when it seemed as though my artistic pursuit had runs it's course, but what I failed to realize is that my creating is not entirely up to me. If I never set foot on a stage again I am still a musician and a song writer. I NEED to write music. It's good for my soul to hear emotion, my emotion, expressed through melody. Maybe this all sounds a bit out there, but I know too many people who create art in one fashion or another who are extremely creative and still, like myself, have shied away from making their art. So, to myself and to all of you I say LIVE FULLY, BREATH DEEP, AND CREATE!

I will never get this

2009-03-28T17:37:00.000-07:00

Texas weather consistently confounds me. A few days ago I was with my little brother sitting on my back porch sipping some awesome sweet tea and enjoying the mid 8o degree temperatures. We decided to throw the football. After approximately 3.1 throws it started to rain very lightly. Over the next 45 minutes it poured rain and hail. once the rain had subsided we went outside to find that it was in the low 50's. RIDICULOUS!

Anyway, after tonight I am off for three days and I am very excited. My wife and I will get to work on the back yard and get it ready for so many summer shindigs. We will also get to go jogging at the very beautiful San Gabriel park ( a new favorite pass time) and actually prepare a meal together, sit down at the table and eat together, and then she'll clean up the mess I make while eating. No seriously...I'll help too...kinda...I mean I'll provide entertainment while she cleans up.

We have finally entered the last stage of our great kitchen hutch build and will be installing it tomorrow. I really love building things with my hands and also working together with Kimberly...so this project has been great fun for me. It's almost a shame to complete it.Oh well...we need to put our dishes some where.

I know soda is bad for you...I know this. I also know that I am an addict and there are alot worse things to be addicted to. I am trying to ween myself off of soda by switching to caffeine free. I still just can't bring myself to drink diet. It tastes like rat poison smells.

Just to update you all on the job hunt situation, I have a seemingly good situation in which a company got my resume through a friend who works there and liked what they saw enough that they are trying to create a position for me. The work I would be doing is in my degree and badly needed in the company, but creating a position can take some time. To follow the wisdom "don't put all your eggs in one basket" I am continuing the search for a better career. Keep me in your prayers.

I am getting very excited about the traveling my wife and I will be doing this summer. My little brothers wedding in May is in Montana, where I have never been. Less than a month later we will head to South Dakota for Kimberly's cousin's wedding. I have also never been there, but I have a great interest in that area and it's people.

So, this summer will be the greatest summer ever and I am very optimistic about what it holds. Opportunity abounds!

LONG weekend recap

2009-03-24T14:06:00.000-07:00

The weekend was long...not the recap. Here's some of what I did:

Played my madden Season (currently 16-0 heading into play offs with an injured QB)
Hunt out with my beautiful wife
Purchased and set up a new patio set. SWEET!
Played at my friends back yard driving range...I suck at golf.
Watched me some March Madness
Started painting a piece of furniture for our kitchen
Job searched
Read "Lake Woebegone Days" by Garrison Keillor
Hung out in my back yard with Rovy

I know what your thinking. "Justin" you'll say. "You didn't go anywhere or do anything really exciting." Then I'll shoot you a slight grin and say..."Exactly." I loved just hanging out. It was good for my soul.

Also, even though I was on vacation I did a good job not blowing my diet and I am proud to say I am still on target for the whole looking good thing.

I have a very interesting prospect for a new career and I am praying that it comes through. I feel pretty strongly that this job would be really great for me and that the company I would be working for really needs me. That's a good feeling. The problem is that they have to create the position for me to fill and that can take some time. Oh well. It's out of my hands.

I have another long weekend this weekend...only this one is 3 days instead of five. Nice.

What have you been up to? Let me know

T minus 5 and a half hours!

2009-03-18T13:55:00.000-07:00

That's how long I have until my vacation starts and I am super jacked about it! There will be kayaking, grilling,disk golfing, playing of madden '05 n PS2, hopefully getting to see some friends I haven't seen in a while, yard work, and general fun.

My wife and I went running this morning...yeah...in the morning. I hate early morning, but after you get your athletic attire on and get out the door...you will be so glad you did! First of all, when we got home is was almost 9am and we were full of energy and had a ton of time to do what we wanted. Secondly, research shows that if you exercise first thing in the morning you will lose more weight, have more energy, and retain information better for the whole day. That's a pretty sweet side affect.

I started playing Madden in Franchise Mode after a discussion with my brother about the possibility of making to the super bowl. I am in week 6 and with one of those weeks being a bye...I currently stand 5-0 and lead the conference. I know this may sound lame, but I need some sort of football to get me through to the start of the NFL pre-season.

So, um...nobody offered to give me an iPod yet. Selfish, yeah? That's alright. For your next birthday I am going to buy you an iPod...except it will be for me and I won't actually give you anything.That's what!

5 Days

2009-03-17T13:55:00.000-07:00

That is how long I have away from work starting Thursday. I am extremely excited about this and plan do accomplish quite a bit during this time. One thing I hope to accomplish is relaxation. Yeah...maybe get a massage...finally. I also want to work around the house, spend a ton of time outside, get together with friends, make great meals for my wife and I, exercise, play some music, and maybe get a tan. That sounds like a sweet week to me.

I went running yesterday and I had a feeling afterwards I would like to share with you. I am sore. I hurt in muscles I had almost forgotten. In addition to the pain is an urge to do it again. I am feeling good about my fitness plan.

On a related topic, I am trying to eat right and make better food choices. So far the hardest thing to deal with is the desire to snack alot. I love having something to munch on and what I didn't realize the insane amount of calories I was putting into my body between meals. Terrible. I'm workin on it though. Give me 6 weeks and I will look different.

Similar Stupidity Part 2

2009-03-14T15:11:00.000-07:00

Today's installment is about parenting or the lack there of among cultures. All of these styles have been witness numerous times by myself while trying to do my job in a place of business. I submit the following:

White people are an interesting group to watch with their kids. I understand that there are a million different parenting style, but one that belongs almost exclusively to white parents is the "Put a cute little leash on your children" technique. Ironically, the parents that leash their children like animals are usually the same parents who think they can "negotiate" with a screaming 2 year old who is pissed off at the world because their mommy and daddy didn't buy them that Hanna Montana inflatable singing cereal bowl/doll stage. Talk about sending mixed signals.

Black parents tend to be more old school in their approach to child rearing. I am a HUGE believer in spanking, but there is a time and a place...and time is not right now while you are shopping in my store. Do you know how awkward it is to be reaching out to take some one's credit card only to have that hand swiftly redirected to the a$$ of a child standing less than two feet away?! And it only gets better when they hand you the card that was just used as an instrument of punishment. "Alright ma'am, here's your receipt and your tool of infant gluteus destruction. Have a great day."

The last category of parenting has been observed in every culture, but seems to run rampant in Asians, middle eastern families, and Mexican nationals. I am speaking of the hands off approach. You've all seen these people. There kid is tearing a store to shreds or just as often peeing in a fitting room, and the parents act as though they are no more responsible for the child than they are the weather. My favorite part is when I have repeatedly asked the kids to stop whatever socially unacceptable behavior they are engaged in numerous times (my max is 3) and after seeing no change in actions or attempts to reign in unruly youngsters by the parents...I kick them out of my store. The parents always look shocked and incredibly offended that I would be so brazen as to ask their child to please not defecate on the jeans. How rude of me.

I want to make sure not to leave out a parenting group that also spans all races and genders...the one's that actually do a good job. I saved them for last because they aren't very funny and also...they're pretty rare these days. I go out of my way to tell kids what a great job they did shopping and compliment the parents as well when I encounter the rarest of all beasts...a well behaved child.

Well that's it for this episode, but stay tuned for the next installment of Similar Stupidity.

Just an Update

2009-03-13T18:03:00.000-07:00

I feel like I am doing a good job of keeping this updated lately. Today I have no particular topic to discuss other than some things I have been thinking and working on.

Fitness - I have talked a little bit about how I want to get back into good shape and be a good steward of the body God gave me. So, this morning my wife and I went out and purchased some clothing and shoes more appropriate for the pursuit of physical fitness. When I was a kid I loved to wear shorts and cowboy boots, but some how that look doesn't translate when you are in your mid to late twenties. I have written down my goals in easily measurable metrics and I am optimistic about meeting those goals.

Music - I have been playing some new songs with my younger brother and liking what we have created. Our combined efforts always seem to take us a mellow and somewhat understated direction that is foreign to me. It's very cool.

Massages - I freakin' love massages and would get one every day of my life if I could. Anyway, I have recently become completely addicted to watching massage training videos on youtube. I know it sounds weird, but just watching them is insanely relaxing. Be careful when you are searching for these videos...there are some not so family friendly ones out there. I suggest any of the technique videos posted by "massagenerd". Pretty much anything with nerd in the title is safe.

iPods - I don't own one, and I am starting to see how incredibly convenient they are. I have a large collection of music, most of which is in CD format and it is very annoying to have try to switch CD's while I'm driving...not to mention dangerous. I also don't like the idea of keeping multiple volumes of CD books in my car...that's just asking for trouble. So, I want to get an iPod, but before I go crazy and buy whatever $200 version is popular right now, I thought I'd see if anybody wanted to sell me their older version. I assume they all work in basically the same fashion, so a used one would be a good test run. Let me know if you or any one that you know wants to sell ( or give ) me their old iPod.

Summer - I have not been a fan of summer for most of my life. However, I have decided that this summer will be amazing! I want to take weekend trips with my wife and friends and family. Try new things and see new places. It will be great.

I leave you with a joke:
A guy with amnesia walks up to a woman in a bar and says "So...do I come here often?"

Similar Stupidity

2009-03-11T11:57:00.000-07:00

I am not the type of person who believes that all cultures are really just the same. However, there are areas in which we are very similar. Today I want to focus on one those similarities that are hilariously ridiculous.I feel like this may end up being a series...so stay tuned. ON WITH THE SHOW!

Clothing - so many people dress in such ridiculous fashion that we are all forced to take note and there seems to be similarities in all of them. Alot of white guys walk around wearing "vintage" stuff that their dad probably wore 30 years ago. In a similar way, alot of black guys walk around wearing t-shirts that are so large it makes them look like a toddler wearing their daddy's undershirt. Similarly stupid. American youth, at least for a time, was very interested in Asian culture and specifically their style or writing. People bought shirts that had Chinese characters on them with captions that said things like "strength" or "power" when all the while no one in this country knew for certain what those symbols actually meant. Now the craze of wearing American words and phrases has hit Asia. Yes, on every street corner and in every teenage hot spot in China you can find a young man or woman wearing a shirt that proudly proclaims in GIANT bold letters "HAMMER THONG FISH BERRY" and a corresponding caption that undoubtedly says something brilliant or rebellious, but was at least coherent.

If there's one thing we can learn from this let it be that no matter how cool you think you look right now, chances are, in a few years you will realize how ridiculous you actually looking.

A bunch of stuff

2009-03-10T11:34:00.000-07:00

So, I really love craigslist. It's awesome to have an outlet through which you can sell crap you don't want anymore, to people who think it's worth something. Very cool.

Lately I have been feeling a strong need to get a massage. Some people are not OK with the idea of a stranger rubbing them down, but I think having a friend that was a masseuse would be way more awkward. Think of the countless scenarios in which something gets weird during the massage forcing you to make up a reason that you can never see your massaging friend again! Perhaps you get so relaxed that while said friend is rubbing you down you release the built up gas caused from digesting Taco Cabana (why did you eat Mexican food before a massage?!), or perhaps your friend says something weird like "Have you ever thought of getting this removed?" (while poking at a mole on the inside of your upper thigh), or maybe the friend walks in and very slowly and professionally removes the sheet covering you naked body. SEE?! It's way less weird to get a massage from a perfect stranger. I win.

I have this idea for a recipe. So, I am gonna take a Tilapia fillet,bread it in crunched up tortilla chips, oven bake it, and the cover it in queso! Does that sound awesome or what?! Yes!

Dancing with the stars is maybe the worst show I've ever seen. They get all these D-list celebrities to get up and dance and then judge them. Look, the only reason they are one the show is because they suck so much at acting, their profession, that they can't get real gigs...so if they suck that bad at their job it's a pretty safe bet they are going to suck at something they are trying for the first time.

Daylight savings time is stupid. People say it's for the farmers, but I have news for you...a farmer is up when the sun comes up. It doesn't matter if the clock says 3pm or 4am, if the sun is up than so is the farmer. Let's just leave time alone and be normal. Like Arizona who does not recognize daylight savings.

I got a sweet beach cruiser type bike to ride around and try to get some exercise, but for some reason the bike pump I have won't fill the tires. I tried blowing the tires up with my mouth so I could get out. By the time I got it rideable and woke up on the garage floor, I figured I probably did enough of a work out just blowing the thing up. So I sold the bike and kept the tire. Now I just sit around and inflate the tire with my mouth.

CAUTION If you are easily offended or lame...do not read this post!

2009-03-03T10:11:00.000-08:00

I want to talk about how America has been ruined. It is insane what the government pawns off as progress. Today I am going to list a couple of things that are completely messed up about the United States of America. I love my country, and it is for that reason that I want to point out it's mistakes and help rectify them. Here we go.

Things that are ruining America:
Political Correctness - this is a ridiculous attempt to make every body stop "calling names". I am sick and tired of checking the "Caucasian" box on applications. I'm white! It's perfectly fine to call me white, and I think it's perfectly fine to call somebody black instead of African American. Guess what?! Most the black people in this country have never seen Africa! And if you are saying they are African American because that's where their ancestors came from then why don't you call white people Scottish Americans, English Americans, German Americans and so on?! BECAUSE IT WOULD BE STUPID! Being PC bothers me on alot of levels, but the most important is that it goes directly against our first amendment. Aren't we, as citizens of these great united states, afforded the freedom of speech by our founding documents? I guess I misunderstood our founding fathers.

Affirmative Action - why do you have to hire a certain number of certain people groups? This, again, is stealing our freedoms. I don't like the idea that people would not hire somebody because they are a certain race, religion, or gender, but more than that I hate the idea they those people can be FORCED to hire people they don't want to. I have also been told by a friend of mine who has been hired under affirmative action, that it sucks to never be sure if you got the job because you are good at what you do or just because you're a minority. Also, being a white middle class male, I am now much less likely to get a job if a minority or a woman with the same qualifications applies for the job. Not because the other candidate does better work, but because they employer is scared they will get sued if they hire the white guy instead of the minority. Awesome.

Abortion - That's right! I'm going there. If you read our nations founding documents you will find that one of the very first rights listed in the Declaration of Independence is LIFE. As in "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness". How have we forgotten this right? The first right a person is given? Tying into my other two complaints about the government, how is it politically correct to refer to a human life as "an accident" that can simply be taken away. And secondly, how is it possible that we live in a day and age where the government will tell you who you can and cannot hire, but they won't stand up and say "You can't kill your unborn children!". I can make no since of this.

Another week

2009-02-28T13:41:00.000-08:00

Well, I survived another week and I am moving on to enjoy a weekend with friends and family. I am very excited about some job prospects but I am also trying not to get my hopes up. I have applied for close to 30 positions in the past few months and most of those positions start reviewing applicants the first week of March. I am optimistic about my chances of having a new career my the time April shows up.

I had a great after noon cleaning my home with my beautiful wife. That and grocery shopping are probably my favorite chores. Especially when they can be completely while sharing the company of my wife.

I am excited to be attending a wedding this weekend. I have been so blessed in my marriage to Kim and I get really happy when I believe my friends and family will find the same joy I have found. Good stuff.

I guess that's all for today. I have some shopping to do with the wife. Today is a GOOD day.

My Most sincere appologies...

2009-02-23T15:44:00.000-08:00

It has been far too long since I last updated, and for that I am sorry. During the past few weeks my life took a turn for the crazy side of town. It was a whirlwind of stressful conspiracy theories at work, traveling to and from a family funeral, job searching, and finally...just trying to relax and catch my breath. Mission accomplished. I am now back to feeling like myself, save a few a small changes. Let me tell you somethings that I have learned or thought about in the past few weeks.

Death: it is very sad, and no matter how it comes, those left in it's wake will need time and support to over come the natural course of grief. I have also learned that while I would appreciate it if it wasn't spread over three days, I appreciate the way in which Catholics celebrate the life of the dearly departed. I would like something that resembles a wake when I fly away.

Snow: I just love that stuff! I know that like anything else too much of a good thing...but I don't see it enough to get tired of it.

Work: is what I do...not who I am. I am very unhappy in my current job, but thankful to be employed. I pray that in the VERY near future I am able to take a position that better suits my needs and one that allows me to feel appreciated.

Bloody Marries: are great every now and then, but be forewarned...if you purchase one at the O'Hare Bar and grill in Chicago...they are $13 a piece. Take it easy.

The Library: I love this place. I have spent a lot of time there over the past few weeks and have felt better because of it. I finally finished "After All", the biography of Mary Tyler Moore and loved it. She had a fairly tragic life and pulled through. Whoda thunk it. I have now purchased and started reading "Lake Woebegone Days" by Mr. Garrison Keillor. I love his work on NPR's A Prairie Home Companion and his comedy is intelligent. I think I'll like this book.

I have a lot of other stuff going on right now, but I'll just sum that up real quick.
I'm Painting again.
I am determined to reach my weight goal
I am making plans to outfit my backyard for great Summer Parties...you are invited.

I love you all. Seriously.

The Career Change (Part 4)

2009-02-06T09:01:00.000-08:00

Well...after close to three weeks of silence and un-returned phone calls and e-mails, my career advisor called last night...and I missed the call! He was trying to get our schedules together so that we can have a constructive conference call and discuss my immediate options and long-term growth goals. It is encouraging that progress is being made, even if it is at the pace of an autistic snail with a broken shell and a slime deficiency. Progress none the less! My goal is to be in a new career by April. I think I may have previously said March, but the lack of communication lead to an unforeseen delay in the plans.

This weekend my brother and his wife will be in town and I always love seeing them. My brother and I and one of our friends are going to spend tomorrow morning and afternoon playing disc-golf and maybe having a little lunch. It'll be sweet.

In general I am not a fan of cinema. I feel like spending two hours of my life watching the story of some one's fictional life is a waste. I also feel like there are very few original ideas out there right now. It seems like every major blockbuster I have seen advertised lately is either book adapted to screen play, based on a comic book or super hero, a remake of an old movie, or some other old story attempting to be made new. To me, I have always loved the idea of creative writing and I just don't see much of it anymore.

I guess that's all I have to say today.

Things you should know about

2009-02-05T06:34:00.000-08:00

So I am not exactly a trend setter or anything, but sometimes I stumble across something awesome I think people should know about. Today, I give to you a list of things I think you should know about. I hope you enjoy and appreciate.

Music:
Brett Dennen - I saw him at a music festival a few years ago and I instantly loved his super laid back, but very intelligent style. Great lyrics and a vibe that just puts me in a great mood. Check out his myspace and listen to my favorite track "Ain't No Reason". Amazing.

Amy Ivey - She is a local Austin artist who has a cool jazz style to her. She is real low key but she has this real classy style to her voice. I dig it. Oh yeah, she is also the voice on the Reid's Cleaners Commercial.

Movies:
Standing Silent Nation - this is a documentary I have been telling people about for a few years now. It shows the current tragedy going on in North Dakota to the Lakota Sioux Nation. You will see how our government is misrepresenting us and breaking their own treaties with a sovereign nation. Not cool!

Comedy:
Steven Wright - this guy has been around for ages, but he is still hilarious. He is relatively clean in his humor as well. A very dry but witty delivery that leaves me needing a change of pants.

Brian Guttman - I went to college with this guy and then he went on to win awards like "Funniest Person in Austin" and some Comedy Central awards. His stuff is observational, but not boring like Seinfeld's stuff. It's actually funny.

Outdoors:
Disc Golf - I always thought this was kind of a lame sport...until I tried it. I love Frisbee and I love competitive sports. BAM! Disc Golf! It is a ton of fun and after you buy the discs...it's pretty much free to play...so that's awesome. Also, according to a website I found that tells you how many calories you burn in all sorts of activities...it's really good for you,too.

Hiking - If you live in Texas you have at your disposal one of the most extensive parks services out there. Lake Georgetown has tons of really great trails and it is really nice to get outside and away from all the noises of traffic and the city. Very calming...and also good for you. I like things that are good for me.

I guess that's all for this installment. Join me next time as we work towards making you life less lame!

Don't sweat the small stuff - edited

2009-02-02T13:53:00.000-08:00

I just wrote a giant blog about how so many Christians push people away from God by pretending that every hard time that comes along is God's will or that it is to build character, but I decided not to rant on and on about it. I will sum it up with this state:

I believe that God wants us to trust him in hard time. That does not mean we have to pretend everything is ok and that it doesn't totally suck right now. And we as believers need to remember that when we are trying to comfort our friends and family as they go through hard times. Crappy days are crappy days whether you have faith or not.

Moving right along. Are all women space heaters? It is amazing to me how so many of the women I know seem always to be cold, but if you sit to close to them they radiate such July on the surface of the sun type heat that you will either have to move, or soak through your clothes. So my serious question is this: Is this something that all women have and why? Is there science behind this? It's crazy!

Two comments about the super bowl. Santonio Holmes displaying excessive celebration after the final touchdown of the game. By using the football as a prop he broke the rule and a 15 yard penalty should have been added on to the kick off on the final drive of the game. I am not sure how this got missed. It was blatant and obvious to anybody watching the game. Also, James Harrison should have been ejected from the game in the early part of the 4th quarter. He blocked a player to the ground and once the player was on the ground he held him there by his head and shoulders. Once the player got up, he pushed him to the ground again and then punched him in the side. How did he not got ejected?!

Stuff

2009-01-29T06:33:00.000-08:00

Here's some thing I've been doing lately

-laying Madden '05 on PS2. ( I have learned that the game stops keeping score once you hit 255 in a game )
-Reading "After All" The Biography of Mary Tyler Moore. Sweet.
-Trying to eat right...which means eating breakfast. It's a good thing I work alone in the morning because for some reason slimfast shakes make me terribly gassy.
-Job searching and trying to stay positive/hopeful.

-Listening to In Rainbows by Radiohead. There are so many layers to this album.
-Watching This Old House. Yes. I really like that show.
-Trying to watch LOST. An apt title since that is exactly how I feel trying to catch up after having never watched the show. I think I'd like it if I could start from the beginning.

I guess that's all.

The Career Change ( Part 3 )

2009-01-28T09:07:00.000-08:00

I am starting to get very frustrated* with the amount of time it is taking for my career advisor to get back with me. At this stage in the game it has drawn out to about a week from the time I e-mail or call him to the time I get a reply. Much like some of my siblings...I do NOT appreciate waiting.

Yesterday I applied for two positions. Both have appropriate schedules,benefits and the like and they also had the added bonus of allowing me to work for a good cause. One was with the YMCA of Greater Williamson County and the other was with The Caring Place. I feel like I should be hearing back from these companies very soon...but I have been wrong before. Once.

It was icy like a mother when I got up to go to work this morning. I knew it must be really cold because my dog Rovy got UNDER the covers on the bed. Not really...but it was cold.

SUPER BOWL! This year's Super Bowl is going to be awesome for two reasons: It was completely unexpected and Arizona is in it for the first time EVER. There are also some really great back stories this year. If you haven't read about Kurt Warner history in football...you should check it out. Try wikipedia. A lesser known play is Sean McHugh. In early September he was cut from the Detroit Lions. Yes. You read correctly. The worst team in the history of football Detroit Lions actually cut come one. Not just any one either. Sean got cut shortly after finding out that his lovely wife and he were to expect another child. They had also just purchased a house. And no he was unemployed, but only for about a day. The following day he was picked up by a little football team out of Pittsburgh. Yes sir! This cat goes from getting cut by the worst ever team in football to playing for a Super Bowl ring. Good story. True story.

I keep having dreams where I end up with alot of money. I am not sure if it is subconscious hoping or just weird dreams...but it sure would be nice if any of those dreams came true. Yes it would.

* I absolutely hate when people pronounce it "fustrated" or "flustrated". Terrible!

Unrealistic goals in a very real world

2009-01-27T10:11:00.000-08:00

Today I returned to work after 3 days off. I enjoyed those three days, but I absolutely hated what I found at work when I got back. stacks of papers reprimanding our store for our short comings. What short coming you might ask. Let me tell you. Last week my store went "over hours". We used 189 hours for the week. There are three managers that each require 40 hours a week to maintain their position. That's 120 hours. There is also a policies that states that no employee is to be in the store by themselves for any reason. So how is it that we are suppose to follow the rules and not go "over hours"?!?!?! If it happens again ( and it will ) the entire management team will be written up...basically given a strike. I also found that I received a personally reprimand for not accepting a return because the item was marked down to $19.99 from it's original price of $44.00 and our policy is all items discounted 50% or more from the original price are not able to be returned or exchanged. So I refused the return only to get an -email ( a very rude one ) stating that "It's obviously not off of the ORIGINAL price, but the last price it was listed at in your store." Funny thing though...the sign says original price. When am I going to learn that in the corporate world nobody ever says what they mean and I must become psychic or risk my job. Awesome.

I just read that paragraph and it may be really lame to alot of people...but I am leaving it for the simple fact that I needed to vent.

The Super Bowl is this weekend and I am very excited.

I am praying really hard for a new job SOON!

The Career Change ( Part 2 )

2009-01-22T09:36:00.001-08:00

Today I received the results of my career assessment. This simple personal inventory tells you what jobs you will most likely enjoy and thrive in. I really like taking personal inventory tests. Is that a job? Can I just do that? No? Ok. It was worth a shot. Anyway, some of the careers suggested didn't shock me at all and others I laughed at due to how outrageous they were. One particular suggestions really got me thinking...until the end. While looking at the list of possible career paths I found Speech Pathologist. Wow. That sounds important. So I read a bit about it and it sounded like really amazing work. In fact, I had a speech problem when I was younger ( it still shows up when I am very tired ) and went to speech therapy for a while. Maybe I would be awesome at this! So I continue to read. Great pay, regular schedule, little to no travel required, and all I have to do is get a PHD in Speech Pathology! Awesome! Needless to say I moved on to the next item of interest. I have a conference call with my career advisor next week at which time he will further explain this jumble of results I have before me and help me sort out the best and most realistic options listed.

In other news, I have the weekend off and I am very excited about this. I don't have any specific plans, but I am sure I will occupy my time in an awesome way.

This just in! Ping Pong is awesome. More to come as we receive details of just how awesome it is.

The Career Change ( Part 1 )

2009-01-21T14:20:00.000-08:00

As you may have read, I am searching for a career in which I can utilize my education and experience more fully. I have been working with a career counselor to tidy up my resume and give it the attention I am hoping to gain from prospective employers. After I completely resume boot camp and came out strong and ready for the job field, I updated my old resume on numerous job posting sights. Almost immediately I started to receive e-mails informing me that a company had seen my resume and thought I might like to apply for a position they had opening. Usually they are pretty boring jobs and have one or two things that makes them a no go for me. For example:
Sales Manager for a Fortune 500 Company - great job in the long run but the payment is based 75% on commission and since I have a mortgage I am not down with that.
Health and Safety Trainer for the State of Texas - sounds easy enough, but requires you to be traveling 50% of the year. No dice.
I get a lot of job offers like these, but very rarely does one catch my eye ( for good OR bad reasons ) like an offer I got e-mailed yesterday. This particular offer was from the State of Texas Health and Human Services department. The job fit so much of my criteria, too! Great pay, a great set schedule, incredible benefits, and little to no travel. You may be asking your self "Geeze oh Lou! Why did he take the job?!" Well my friend, the positions I was encouraged to apply for was Progress Auditor for Sexually Violent Criminals. Now, I know most of you haven't seen my resume, but there is absolutely NOTHING on it that would make me a good candidate for this job! What must they be looking for?! I think perhaps the only criteria for this job is that you ,yourself, can not be a Sexually Violent Criminal.

As of now I have declined the offer to apply for this position, but I was gracious about it. When I receive job offers like this one it reminds me...maybe selling jeans isn't so bad.

Cheers!

The President

2009-01-20T14:20:00.000-08:00

Yes, today is inauguration day. This past week has been the most coverage that a presidential inauguration has ever received. Hours upon hours of celebrity news casters explaining just why Obama is going to be the so great and why it is that his presidency is So important. All of this talk and hype about this man has been very off-putting and confusing to me. I was raised in a home race was never an issue. Racism was a sin like lying, stealing, cheating, or anything else. I feel as though a lot of what I am hearing and seeing in this excitement about our new president is racism. Only yesterday did we celebrate the life of man that worked so hard to help push our society to a point at which we would all have learned "not to judge a man by the color of his skin but rather the content of his character" and yet so many people wanted so badly to have "a black president". Is that not a judgement based on the color of his skin? His character should be put to question until it is proven as should and has been the true heart of all past presidents. America wants to give it's self a big pat on the back and say "Look! Equality! A black man is our president!" But until we pay no mind what race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation a person is we have not experienced true equality. To me, this is a hollow victory. A surface win.

I want to be very clear that I feel a duty to pray for the president no matter who they are. Also, let us be clear that I do not have anything against Mr. President. I am simply dismayed that our country STILL doesn't understand what it means for racism to be abolished.

In other news, I have been playing alot of disc golf lately and loving it. It's so great to be outside and not sitting in front of a TV or Computer. It's nice not to be a loser. Yep...I totally said that. If you spend all your free time playing video games and watching TV or movies and not going out and experiencing what is outside of your home...I think you are losing out...there by making you a loser. Logic!

If you want to come play disc golf or do anything else outside* drop me a line and let me know. I am down!

*all activities must be legal and not involve nudity or ferocious animals.

Change

2009-01-19T06:43:00.000-08:00

No matter your age, your race, your income level, or any other variable, every one must drink the bitter sweet concoction of change. Right now it seems like every one I know is going through a major change in their life. Job changes, church changes, locations changes, relationship changes are all happening right now. For most of us change brings on a dose of stress or worry. I struggle to keep in mind that 99% of the time worrying and feeling stress over a situation will not affect the outcome of said situation. So, for myself and any one else who reads this I would like to share with you something I once read. "Be anxious for nothing, but with prayer and supplication make your requests known to God." I am not a great Bible scholar and I can't tell you where that verse can be found, but for me...the address makes no different. If you will excuse my rough paraphrase, I feel as though this is good saying "Look, you can do absolutely nothing about this situation, so settle down and trust me. I got this." I'm workin on it.

I still really want a boat. My little brother and I have talked about goin halves on one, but nothing has fit the bill thus far.

Today marks the first day of my diet and exercise plan. While I don't think it's ok to complain about the things you can't change, it is simply unforgivable to whine about those that you can. Ergo...I will change what I don't like. Dig it?

Both of the teams I was routing for in the AFC and NFC championships made it to the super bowl. I would now like to make a big point about a controversial subject. To those of you who claim that NCAA football needs to go to a play off system because that way the best teams would play each other for the championship...take a second look! The Arizona Cardinals will be playing the Pittsburgh Stealers for the National Championship. Still think a play off system allows for the best to play the best in the championship? Nope.

Tomorrow, the 44 president of the United States will take office. God bless him and God bless America.

I don't get it

2009-01-16T06:45:00.000-08:00

I am 26 years old and I have been told countless times that you can't judge a book by it's cover and other things along that line, but somehow I always end up being shocked and offended when I find out some one I thought was a good person is involved in some terrible activity! ( That was a run on sentence)

My job search is gaining steam. I have now perfected my resume and cover letter and started a contacts list. This list was built primarily by the career counselor at my Alma Mater and most of the employers are Alumni. That seems like a step in the right direction. Not only do I feel that I have the skills to be a valuable member of a business team, but know that I can go into the interview already understanding that my interviewer and I have something in common will give me extra confidence. Nice.

Maybe that's all I have to say right now.

Yep.

Things going on with me

2009-01-14T09:08:00.000-08:00

Loving my new home and really enjoying spending time getting everything "just so" and truly making it home.

Taking big steps toward getting into a career that will use my degree.

Working to meet my physical fitness and weight goals.

Playing Madden '05 on PS2 with my little brother. This is the best year of Madden for PS2 because it marks the introduction of "the hit stick" there by making it possible to completely ruin somebody while playing defense.

Playing disc golf. I am still very new to the sport, but I am starting to get it down.

Finding out from the optometrist that I do not have an infection, but that I am actually allergic to the saline solution I have been using. What a lame thing to be allergic to.

Helping a friend of mine work on a property he just purchased. We have decided we could have our own DIY show where we can instruct you on how to put up a new panel of sheet rock in a house with NOT a single level surface! Yeah...it would have to be edited.

Reading "After All" the autobiography of Mary Tyler Moore. She has always intrigued me and the book has not let me down thus far.

Scheming with my younger brother about how we might be able to get ourselves a John boat and spend every weekend chillin' on lake Georgetown. Sweet!

I guess that pretty much sums it up.

What's going on with you?

Prospects and great hope

2009-01-05T14:19:00.000-08:00

I want every one to know that since the early part of 2003 I have been happy with my life. Alot of things have happened that made me upset or sad for a short time, but all in all I truly love my life. I have been very blessed. Lately, however, I have felt what I am called "a divine nudge" to take a step of faith and pursue a new career. Don't get me wrong, I am excited about the idea of a set schedule, weekends off, good money, and utilizing the degree I went to school to earn, but I am a man who hates uncertainty. I have worked in retail for 10 years. There is no aspect of this business I do not know, and at the risk of sounding cocky, very few areas of retail in which I am not superior to most. The problem is, I am learning that God demands that we live up to our potential. That looks different for different people, but for me...it looks like pursuing a new career when I am already comfortable where I am. I honestly believe that this is what God wants, and in many ways it what I want, but I am still a bit nervous.

This weekend I get to demo some walls in a friends house and then install new dry wall. I am seriously looking forward to this!

Also, I got a sheet sander this weekend and it is awesome. I sanded down this old trunk and painted it blue and we are going to use it for extra seating and storage in our new back yard. HECK YES!

Very excited.

Lists

2009-01-02T08:00:00.000-08:00

So, I really like lists of things. Top 5 lists are probably my favorite lists because they are challenging. It's either tough to come up with five items, or difficult to limit the list to five...either way it's a fun challenge. Here are a couple of my top five lists.

Top 5 Favorite Books
Me Talk Pretty Someday - David Sedaris
The Picture of Dorian Grey - Oscar Wilde
The Giver - Lois Lowry
Heart Breaking Work of a Staggering Genius - Dave Eggers
To Kill A Mocking Bird - Harper Lee

Top 5 Favorite Movies
High Fidelity
Snatch
Saving Private Ryan
The Bourne Identity
Shawshank Redemption

Top 5 Favorite Memories of 2008
My wedding day
Headlining Stubb's on Saturday Night
My Brothers wedding
Closing on our new home
Christmas Eve with the family

Top 5 Places I'd like to go on Vacation
New Mexico
Ireland
Colorado
England
Maine

So, those are some of my lists. Enjoy them and then write your own and posts them as a comment.

Looking on to the new year

2008-12-29T15:06:00.000-08:00

As I take stock of the past year and what has transpired, I can only say that I am grateful beyond words. 2008 will forever stay in my memory as one of the greatest years of my life. I feel like I have accomplished more this year, grown more this year, and been blessed more this year than in any other time in my life. Since January I have gotten married, purchased a new car, purchased my wife and I's first home, and taken some major steps towards becoming debt free and changing careers so that I can utilize my degree. It's been a great year and one that I am very grateful for.

This year could have gone in the opposite direction quite easily. The car I was driving kept breaking down on me and costing me more money and time and frustration than it was worth. One day after a LONG day at work I was driving home and it quit on me. I called my family for help and they came. The car started up again and I continued my drive home. Three or four blocks later it broke down again...in the middle of an intersection, through which my younger brother and I had to push it into a near by gas station. I consider what happened next to be a defining moment in my life that helped shape my perception of situations we encounter in life. Red faced, drenched in sweat, panting, and holding back swear words...I did not speak. I refused to let a bad situation make a fool out of me. Previously in my life I would have thought that having to push a card made me look foolish, but now I understand that it's only letting the fact that you had to push a car ruin your day and losing control of your emotions that makes you look foolish. After a few minutes and a Gatorade I looked at my mom, who is ever the pillar of support, and said "Mom, I am done with this car." Note that there were no expletives in that sentence...a milestone for me in that moment. The house situation was similar. A short while after my new bride and I had set up the house we were renting and gotten everything just so, we noticed cracks in the walls. It came to light that the landlord had not taken care of a leaky pipe and house was in danger of falling in. We were forced to move out one month into a new year long lease. God used that opportunity and our faith in a bad situation to reward us with a great new house and place that we can call our own. It's pretty great.

Feeling old and young all at once

2008-12-20T16:03:00.001-08:00

This week has been crazy! My beautiful wife and I moved into our new home and thus took another big step towards being adults. I am so grateful for the support system of family and friends that Kimberly and I have who have helped us in the past few months and then helped us again this week with all of the moving chaos.Thank you all sincerely! I can not wait to get our new home all set up and decorated the way we want it and have our family over for the Holidays. It's gonna be great.

On the other side of the "feeling grown up" coin is the "I really am still that young at heart" side. I saw the weather forecast for Christmas and Christmas Eve today and almost cried. It is suppose to be in the mid to high 70's and that makes me sick! So, I am praying as hard as I can that something crazy will happen and we'll get an arctic burst or something and drop the temps down into at least the 30's. I am trying to have that child like faith that anything can happen. I know it sounds like a small thing, but it really takes a lot away from the holidays for it to be warm outside...at least it does for me.

Soon I will put up pictures of our new home.

P.S. Jesus, If you are reading this...I would seriously appreciate it if you could make it COLD for the next week or two. Thanks

A funny thing happened....

2008-12-10T13:52:00.000-08:00

So, Monday I wrote a blog about how much I hated the hot weather in December and then very next day a miracle happened. It snowed in Austin,Texas! I am seriously starting to think I have magic powers. I made it snow it Dubuque, Chicago, and now Austin. I should really start thinking on a bigger scale and wish for something like winning the lottery or striking oil...or world peace or whatever.

My wife and I walked through our new home today and picked out everything we wanted them to fix or change. It was fun. "No no no! This paint is suppose to be Satin, not semi-gloss. I swear, if this isn't taken care of the deal is off!" yes yes...much fun. Now I start the longest week of my life...waiting to close and move in.

I am thinking about auditing a course or two at a local university. I have realized that I really like learning, and if it were something like Texas History or physics or something cool like that I could totally flex my knowledge on people at parties and such. By the way...do other states teach state history? I mean obviously no other state is as awesome as Texas...it seems like other state's history would be lame. Can you imagine having to sit through a semester on South Dakota history? Yikes.

Christmas is in 15 days. That is soon and I am happy. The whole family over and Kimberly and I's house for Christmas Eve is one of my favorite new traditions.

Warm Weather Sucks!

2008-12-08T14:28:00.000-08:00

It's freaking December and it's 75 degrees outside! This really pisses me off.

The Cowboys blew it in the fourth quarter yesterday. I can't believe these guys. They have huge amounts of talent on that team and still manage to screw up a season they should have had all locked up.Lame.

I am reading, for the very first time, Anne Frank The Diary of a Young Girl. I really love reading books that aren't in your standard 30 page chapter layout. I find that I can stay much more interested if there are smaller sections to read at a time. Diary form is pretty cool thus far.

Everyday I work I am reminded that working for a huge corporation sucks. They can never make their minds up about anything and by the time and changes get down to the our level, it's time to change them again. I can't wait until I have a big person job. It's definitely sounding more and more appealing.

Here's a poem.

90 years have come and gone.
I have lost count along the way.
Children,grandchildren, and greats have I met.
Seems like only yesterday.
I have lived and I have loved
longer than I care to tell.
Now looking back on the life I've lead
I have done my best to live it well.
I have done the job God gave to me.
My children are all grown.
I found my peace and happiness.
Rest my soul.
I'm going home.

Confidance

2008-12-07T12:55:00.000-08:00

I understand that all people struggle with confidence. It is a rare occasion to find a person who has found that perfect amount that puts your right in the middle of self-conscious and arrogant. It's a place I hope to find someday. And when I find it, brother I am settin' up camp. I have struggled my whole life with being on one side or the other of confidence...sometimes both sides at the same time. I am very self-conscious about somethings and there are others that I am too prideful about. It is my hope that through time and practice I will be the type of man who knows his worth, but doesn't feel the need to convince others to see it.

He wears, in his smile,
A quiet confidence,
An assurance that is echoed
In his eyes.
No use for self-consciousness
or arrogance,
He smiles certain
with humility and pride.

So, that's just a little poem about who I want to be someday. It's a goal.

10 days till we move in! JACKED!

Bad News Never had Good Timing

2008-12-05T16:58:00.000-08:00

Have you ever noticed that you always seem to get bad news when you are ill? The last time I was seriously ill I got a phone call and against my better judgement I answered the phone. The person on the other end informed me that my best friend in high school had been killed in a motorcycle accident. Today I learned that some one has been attempting to open credit cards with my personal information. Not fun.

I can't help but notice that I have not a single follower for my blog. That depressing.

So, speaking of depressing...I have been brushing up on my Haiku skills lately. If you are not sure what I Haiku is, I suggest looking it up on wikipedia. They explain it better than I can. Anyway, I wrote this poem in Haiku form.

Footstool and a noose
Winter heart-ache takes it's toll
Spring will never come

Personally I prefer poems that aren't as strict with they're guidelines, but Haiku is a beautiful form and a great practice in writing in thrift. I also have a hard time writing in this form about anything that is not completely depressing. Subconscious perception of the Japanese life?

I have noticed that I, being a long haired bearded man, get very strange and concerned looks when I walk around with a copy of "Catcher in the Rye". I suppose I should have expected this.

I am not sure what I will read next. I have never read "The Great Gatsby" but I have heard very good things. I also haven't read "Oliver Twist". Both good options.

Less than two weeks until we move into our new home.

The sickness wears on

2008-12-04T16:38:00.000-08:00

I am still feeling very ill, so I don't have the patience or energy to write much today. I do want to share a poem I wrote last night. Very rarely have I written poems that I felt said what I wanted them to. I am proud of this one.

I gaze up at a perfect night sky
Your hand in mine
The stars display infinity in the form of light
And I am amazed at the beauty of our fingers intertwined

Estoy Enfermo

2008-12-03T07:06:00.000-08:00

There are things in life I am good at and things I am notoriously bad at. Being sick is one of the things I do poorly. I am sure this is just a cold, but I am not at all productive when I am sick. Oh well, this should blow over soon.

I have alot of art projects I hope to start working on towards the end of the month and the first part of the new year. One in particular that I am very excited about is going to be very interesting photographic collage that will be called "E Pluribus Unum". It's a multifaceted title. I have already contacted a few of the people I want to make the subject of this series and so far everybody is on board.

There is a photography project I want to do with my wife that I am very happy about as well. I will be taking a series of photographs where Kimberly will be standing in a crowd. The entire crowd will be facing away from the camera with the exception of Kim, who will be dressed in a wedding dress. I plan to develop the images in a sepia tone except for Kimberly who will be in color. It a visual representation of how I see her. Take from that what you will.

It's interesting that I have been working with photography because that is not usually my medium of choice. Although, I guess when inspiration strikes you follow where it leads.

My Travels

2008-12-01T15:58:00.000-08:00

This past weekend I went with my wife and her family to a wedding in Iowa. We flew into Chicago Friday afternoon and drove the rest of the way to Dubuque. It was an amazing trip and one I will remember for ever...Unless, of course, I forget.

I saw alot of beautiful things and learned about a culture that seems almost completely different from the one I have grown up in. I loved finding the differences between the way people live in the northern part of the country in comparison to my dear beautiful Texas. I am very proud to be a Texan and could never actually move away, but there were aspects of the north that I really loved.The weather was the first thing I loved about being up north. They actually have FOUR seasons. It gets cold there, and I love the cold weather. In three days I saw more snow than I have seen in my entire life in Texas...cummulatively.The food in the south is WAY better.

I will probably post some pictures from the trip soon. You'll be jealous.

It's just about two weeks until I move into my new home. This excites me.

I am watching a movie called "The 9th Gate". It's about a book written by the devil and Johhny Depp is trying to find it. I am halfway through ( I had to go to work) and so far it is awesome. I have really been into the idea of collected books lately. Not specifically rare or antiquin books, but books I like. Maybe if I SUPER like a book I will try to get an early copy or something. That'd be cool.

I think I want to get a cocker spaniel like I had when I was a kid. That'd be sweet!

The Pain of Love

2008-11-24T17:01:00.000-08:00

When you love somebody you must learn to overcome the knee jerk reaction to be annoyed by each others quarks. What's more, you must overcome the same for each others families. I was raised to believe that your family is one of the greatest gifts God ever gave us and should be treated accordingly. Likewise, the people you love were given a great gift in their family, and like any other gift you should try your hardest to enjoy it with them and be excited for what they have. My parents endured gifts I received (some they brought upon themselves) such as drums, guitars, guns, CD's and Movie's they did not personally love, but they enjoyed them with me. I guess what I am trying to say is this: You may think that your significant others families could use some work and you may HATE the movie "Weekend At Bernie's 2", but the person you love loves their family and you should try to do the same. As far as the movie selection goes...if they love "Weekend at Bernie's 2"...get out now!

Today they laid carpet and tile in our new home and I am VERY excited!

I got a really sweet Variable Speed Jig Saw for my birthday. Things will be created and also destroyed!

I am thinking about taking my gauges out and letting the holes in my ears close up. I loved the since of freedom I got from getting them, but they no longer represent freedom to me...I suppose because I don't have anything I wish to be free from. It's a nice place to be. We'll see if I actually take them out or not.

At this time on Friday I will be either in Chicago or Dubuque. Either way it's gonna be cold and I am extremely happy about that.

If you like sitting by a fire and talking and laughing over drinks...we should be friends, because I like that as well.

Brown-Chicken-Brown-Brown!

26 Days and Counting

2008-11-21T17:56:00.000-08:00

Until Kimberly and I move into our new home! I can not express in words the joy I feel when I think about having a place to share with my wife that we can call our own! Amazing.

Tomorrow I will go to Dallas to be with Kimberly extended family and celebrate Thanksgiving with them. I am glad we get to spend time with her family. I have never stayed over night at her grandmother's house and I am a little weirded out by the idea. I am sure it will be fine, but I am not a huge fan of old people with all their strange smells,abundance of medication,mindless ramblings about the way things used to be, and all that.

I feel a little bit guilty about this, but I am really hoping that OU beats Texas Tech this weekend.

I finally got my contacts. I can once again look like my normal self.

Stuff I am thinking about right now

2008-11-19T09:44:00.000-08:00

I have a beard. It's not spectacular, but it's a beard. I haven't been able to trim it in a while because my beard trimmer is packed and yesterday I plucked a hair from my facial fro and measured it. Just under 2 inches. I picked one of the longest ones I could find.

As I get older time seems to to speed up. I can't believe Christmas is next month. I think I like time moving fast right now.

I lost 6 pounds. 14 more to go until I make my goal. Billy Blanks is a mad man and his 8 minute cardio is brutal. I love him for that.

I asked a friend of mine who is a great artist to draw a charcoal image of my dog Rovy. It will be properly matted, framed, and hung in a place of honor in our new home...unless it sucks.

Eating right doesn't taste very good. It's also more expensive. If you made a pros and cons list for eating...I have a feeling there would be more cons. I have to be illogical in order to stay focused with my eating habits. That's weird.

I really want to go fishing soon. Also, if you saying fishing really fast it makes the noise of a pirate or a musketeer pulling his sword our REALLY fast. Also...isn't it weird that the Musketeers used swords? I would have for sure guessed muskets.

The TV shows being made when my parents where kids are way better than what is being made now. There are a few exceptions, but in general I find the previous statement to be true.

Do you ever wish you could be a little kid again? You really shouldn't. It's a waste of time and now that you're an adult...you don't really have time to waste on stuff like that.

I really would like to have original art from all of my artistic friends. Photos, paintings, drawings, sculptures, writings, and anything else you can think of. If you are my friend...you will give me art.

I could win on Jeopardy. Maybe not, but I do well playing along at home.

insert clever title here

2008-11-18T11:20:00.000-08:00

I am going to Iowa next week for a wedding and I keep checking the weather online to see what it will be like there. I have never seen snow that stuck to the ground and really looked like winter or anything and I have been very pleased to see that we can expect to see snow falling when we arrive. I'll be flying into Chicago and then driving down to Iowa. I am excited to have the opportunity to see a type of winter I have never experienced.

I have been working alot lately and it has been physically taxing. My back hurts like never before. I am thinking about getting those orthodics or whatever they are called. I have heard they work miracles, but I don't personally know any one who has used them. Have you? Tell me about your experience if you have. I need to be able to make an educated decision on whether or not to purchase these things.

Technology is hilarious. I can't help but take pity on all the people who buy the latest gadget to come out only to have to purchase a newer BETTER gadget 6 weeks later. Smart move! I wish that we, as a people, could understand that materialism is an addiction and can do just as much damage as drugs or alcohol...accept it usually strikes your bank account and credit rating first. Wanting things is not bad...blurring the lines between want and need is very dangerous.

I will finally be getting contacts this Friday and I am very happy! I don't mind wearing glasses now and then, but I got contacts for a reason and having gone nearly a month with out them has reminded me that I still very much need to wear contacts. I knock my glasses off of my face approximately 7.31 times a day at work and with glasses I can't wear sunglasses...so my morning commute becomes considerably more dangerous. I am not exactly Mr. Sunshine in the morning to start with, but mix in a 20 minute commute through 4 school zones being blinded by the sun and I am not the first guy you want to deal with.

My wife and I will move into our new home December 17th and I just soiled myself because of the sheer excitement. Be happy for me. Also, hope that I can convince every one that I run into that I spilled something all over myself. I am gonna say it was Gatorade. I'd buy that.

Hardback books and Hard decisions

2008-11-14T15:38:00.000-08:00

I love to read. That may not seem like anything special, accept that I was held back a grade in large part due to my very poor reading skills. I am the type of person that thinks in a circular pattern...and today...this way of thinking brought me around to appreciate, yet again, a lesson I have been taught my entire life. Sometimes you have to make hard decisions in life. That is to say, that it is God's will that you go through hard times so that you can really more on him and less on your own understanding. What hard decision did I have to make in repeating the second grade? None. It was my parents who made the tough choice to do the right thing and force me to repeat a grade. I was embarrassed and ashamed at first, and begged them not to make me go back to second grade, but my parents lead by example and made the taught decision. Today I realized that had my parents taken the easy way out...my life could be entirely different. For one thing I doubt that I would have learned the self-confidence that I have. It is unlikely that I would have gone to the college I went to if I had gone to college at all. Which leads me to this conclusion: Had my parents not made the tough choice of sending me back to repeat second grade, I would never have met my beautiful wife.Reading really is good for...and so is making the taught choices in life. I am grateful that my parents have raised me to do both.I am blessed because of their obedience to God.

That being said, I really like the idea of owning my favorite books. I have started my collection, but here is a list of books I would really like to have in hardback:
To Kill a Mockingbird
The Giver - Harper Lee
A clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess
The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe - C.S.Lewis
The Pearl - John Steinbeck
Me Talk Pretty One Day - David Sedaris
A People's History of the United States - Howard Zinn
A Brief History of Time - Stephen Hawking
A Heartbreaking Work of a Staggering Genius - Dave Eggers
The Color of Water - James McBride
High Fidelity - Nick Hornby
1984 - George Orwell

I am sure there are a ton of others, but that's all I'll list now. Tell me what books you love and which ones you wish you owned.

Birthdays and such

2008-11-14T08:28:00.000-08:00

Well...I am now 26 years of age. Yes, Monday was my birthday and I have to say it goes in the books as one of my favorite birthdays ever. It was very laid back and relaxed. I didn't do anything crazy or hugely exciting...I just had a good day.Thanks to everybody who helped make it the day that it was.

I had a wonderful time last night walking around Home Depot with my wife. Yep. That's what we did with our evening off. It was a lot of fun to look at things we hope to add to our new home and talk about our little projects and stuff. I know that this is the age of technology and all that crap, but I for one still really love working with my hands and can't wait to start adding things and upgrading our house.

Ever wonder what it would be like to be the opposite sex? I don't.

I realized this last week that as much as I have grown in self confidence and not trying to impress people...I still want to look good and feel out of sorts when I am not looking my best. I don't really think it's a bad thing to want to look your best, but I was a little disappointed in myself for letting physical things affect my view of myself. I'll work on that. We all should.

I am reading, for the very first time, Catcher in the Rye. So far it is really interesting, but doesn't make we want to be crazy or anything. It is written very conversationally, which makes it easier for me to read. I appreciate when people write like they speak. I also have an appreciation for well worded literature. I am easy to please as far as reading is concerned.

Holidays are coming. I am happy.

The Constitution

2008-10-28T08:54:00.000-07:00

Our Nation was founded on certain principals and after spending several hours this past week reading over the constitution again, I have never felt more inspired by our founding fathers. I encourage you to take a moment and read about the morals,standards, and principals upon which our nation was built. If you believe in the constitution and what it stands for I also strongly recommend that you read about the Constitution Party. Help us do away with two party politics.

www.constitutionparty.com

We have rights, as citizens of the United States of America, that are being violated by the Government of these United States. Let's take back or government and put it in it's rightful place.

Take 5 minutes to help save the Nation

2008-10-25T16:39:00.000-07:00

Every four years in November we have the opportunity to exercise our right and our privilege to help shape the nation. I sincerely hope that all of us have used our God-given wisdom to study and analyze the candidates that will potentially represent and lead our country. Your time has come. Take a short drive or walk and cast your vote. Not because a candidate speaks eloquently. Not because a candidate has is "no nonsense". Not because your parents,friends,mentors,or significant other likes a certain candidate. I am urging each and every one of you to PLEASE,take the time to educate yourselves on the candidates and what they believe and how they have manifested those beliefs and cast you vote based on that. Can you align yourself with this candidate? Do they share your faith and your concerns? I am ashamed of my generation for the way they follow like rats to the sweet piped tunes of Hollywood and the media. Celebrity support for a candidate causes great rises and falls in support for said candidate and that is simply unacceptable! Vote your conscience and your vote will not be wasted...no matter who's name you list.

"Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost." -- John Quincy Adams

God Bless America!

The Happiness to Come

2008-10-17T17:21:00.000-07:00

So many great things are happening right now! Here they are in no particular order:
Our house is being built in record speed! They have now framed and put up the siding and windows. Simply amazing!
My family is preparing to have the greatest holiday season ever. Why is it the greatest holiday season ever? Because this year we will be celebrating with two new members of the family, namely my wife Kimberly and Jon's wife Emily. I am very excited!
The Dallas Cowboys acquired former University of Texas Longhorn Roy Williams as, yet another, amazing wide receiver! Also, Tony Romo claims that after a call from his hero, Brett Favre, he has decided that if he gets the O.K. from the training staff he will continue to play with his injured hand. HOW 'BOUT THEM COWBOYS!

I got the treat of having lunch with my mom and my sister, Bethany, today. In my last post I wrote about how I am appreciating my family dynamic more and more, and today was just another reminder of that.

I am the luckiest man alive and I am head over heals in love with my wife. If you know me well, you will know that I have a tendency to be a bit "out of it" in the morning. As my wonderful wife was leaving for work this morning she told me about a giant spider she had killed and asked me if I would dispose of it when I got up. Although I don't have much of a memory of the event I am told that I asked what I was suppose to clean it up with and then told her I would take care of it if I remember. To this,my wife in her grace and understanding, said to me "I'll take care of it babe. You go back to sleep." Is she not amazing?!?! I have to admit that upon hearing the story I was a bit ashamed that I had responded that way, but again, I was half asleep.

I am about to finish the book I have been reading and I need ideas for other great books to read. My problem is that I am within 30 days of a gift giving opportunity, and therefore, I am not allowed to buy any books (or anything else for that matter) for my self. So if you can recommend a book that I can borrow from you...that would be even better.

For Christmas I want it to be so cold that I can see my breath. Alright?

Are you serious?!

2008-10-13T18:24:00.000-07:00

COME ON DALLAS! What the crap. This team is ridiculously inconsistent and it is very frustrating. Lucky for me it's just a game and I would be pretty silly to let it upset me. Alright then. Glad we had this little talk.

This weekend I am going to the Aggie football game with my wife's family and it should be a good time. We always have fun when we go to college station with her fam...and seeing as I love watching football...it's two great things.

Remember when you were a kid and you wanted to seek out and learn about things you didn't understand? Those things that were foreign were seen as another exciting opportunity to explore. Why is it that we seem to lose that thirst for discovery and understanding when it comes to another person's beliefs or politics? I am glad we live in a country that is run by democracy, but I am often saddened to see our freedom of choice being used as such a stark dividing line.

On some what of the same topic, this will be my second presidential race to vote it. There is a since of pride that comes with this exercising of right and responsibility. I say that even now. Knowing full well that the vote I cast will NOT get my candidate of choice in office. God bless the write in vote. And God BLESS (and help) America.

One thing I have been appreciating lately is how aging has helped me and my family become closer. Sure, it may be that hormones are more in line now and I don't fly off the handle so frequently over little things. But I would like to think that has to do with each of us growing into more complete people and part of that is understanding that you and your friends and family aren't perfect. I also love that the difference in age has become a mut point. One of my closest friends is my younger brother Jeremy, who will be turning 18 three months after I turn 26. Granted, he's no ordinary 18 year old, but it has become one of the simple pleasures I love so much, to realize how close I have become with my family. My dad and I talk every Sunday about the football game, and then usually recap on Monday. We talk about alot of others things as well, but it's these little "friendly" conversations I am appreciating more and more. You can't take these things for granted.

I have a Dallas Cowboys Victory dance that I was excited to break out yesterday, but they blew and ruined it for everybody. Maybe next week, America.

Fall in the air

2008-10-11T15:08:00.000-07:00

Normally, if I don't have to work in the morning I like to sleep in. However, lately the morning temperatures have been around 50 degrees, and I can't just lay in bed and waste the beautiful weather. I have been getting up every morning and playing with the dogs and watching hunting shows with all the doors and windows open. Oh yeah...I watch hunting shows now. My favorite stars a Baptist pastor from Lubbock and his two sons. They go white-tail hunting and in pretty much every show you can find them sitting in a deer blind together whispering some deep philosophical or heart felt conversation, which is inevitably interrupted by one pointing out a "Big 'Un" that just walked into the clearing and proceeding to shoot said "Big 'Un" and celebrating with phrases as varied as "I nailed that sucker" to "Praise You ,Lord Jesus, for sending me this beautiful creature". I love this show and make no apologies for watching it.

Today the UT Longhorns upset #1 OU sooners. This game was,perhaps, the most poorly officiated game I have ever witnessed. I am not suggesting that it favored one team more than the other, as the bad calls where definitely going in both directions. I have never played sports on a collegiate level and I have never been a part of a rivalry like that one held at the Red River Shoot Out, but it seems to me that in such a bitter rivalry, you would want to make sure that no one could blame a win or a loss on the refs. Maybe it's just me.

Here are some more things you can add to my gift list. For whatever reason you may want to purchase me a gift...here are some more ideas.
Birkenstock clogs
Planet Earth DVD
Nag Champa
A new Nalgine
10ft Aluminum John Boat with trailer
Subscription to Texas Parks and Wildlife
DVD's of old TV shows i.e. Mary Tyler-Moore,Dick Van Dyke, The Cosby Show

Those are good things. Get 'em for yourself too. Much love to anybody reading this.

A good day

2008-09-30T10:18:00.000-07:00

Well, even though my Boys lost Sunday, it was one of the best days I have had in a long time. I woke up and played with my dogs for a while. Cleaned up the house a little bit and then headed out for the day. I planned on spending the day at my parents house to eat lunch and watch the Cowboys game, but I needed to pick up a few things first. I recently realized that I had no idea where my football went, so I got a new one, and a 6 pack of beer ( non-alcoholic since dad doesn't drink) and headed to the house. There was something supremely relaxing about getting together with my family for Sunday lunch. It reminded me a lot of high school. Then my little brother and I threw the football and had a chat until he left for evening church. Dad and I spent the afternoon cheering on our team and had a great time just hanging out. One thing that cool about growing up with a dad you look up to, is that as you get older you replace the concept of your father being a super hero with the respect of understanding that he is a hero in a more practical way. I am nearly 26 and I completely understand that my dad can't fly, stop bullets with his mind, or run as fast as a train. However, I have learned through a lot of priceless conversations and observation that my dad can boost the spirits of his wife and kids, work day in and day out at a job that doesn't appreciate his value to the company just to ensure that his family is taken care of, and after working four 12 hour days consecutively, get up Sunday morning and lead his family to church. My dad is also the kind of hero that will spend an entire Sunday afternoon, watching a football team loose because he knows his son needs a break from the stress. It may not be as flashy as stopping bullets or flying, but I will take my practical hero dad over Superman any day of the week. Also, my dad doesn't wear super gay tights like superheros. That's good.

I hope everybody else had a good weekend. This weekend I will be in Conroe with my wife and a bunch of our friends hanging out at the lake. Much love to you all.

Cowboys and the coming of cool weather

2008-09-27T15:30:00.000-07:00

2 of my absolute favorite things! I am excited to say that tomorrow I have the day off and I will get to watch Dallas play the Washington Redskins...and beat them. I know I know! The Cowboys have a history of not being able to handle Moss, but get what...it's the Boy's time to shine, and shine they will. I pretty excited, and even if they lose, I love watching the game and hanging out with friends and/or family. And also, throwing the football during halftime and eating good food.

Speaking of throwing the football, I thought I would start listing things that people could purchase me for my birthday or Christmas or house warming or Tuesdays or whatever occasion they may choose. So, with out further delay...here's the start of the wish list.
-Official NFL Pigskin Football
-Enamelled Cast iron Dutch Oven
-Books that you have enjoyed
-Dallas Cowboys tickets
-A trip to see Paleduro Canyon
-42inch Vizio Plasma TV
-Art work that you created (sculptures,paintings,drawings,short stories,etc.)
-12 Gauge shotgun
-New fishing rod and reel
-Disk golf Set
-New Cellphone
-Stained Glass for the new house

There's a alot of other things, but I thought I'd just list a few to getcha thinkin. Anyway, no one commented on my last post...so I don't like that...I want lots of comments. Got it?

the new one

2008-09-14T12:44:00.000-07:00

so a lot has been changing in my life lately and I wanted to write about it so people could read it and keep up, but xanga is dead and myspace is lame...so...here I am.

I am just gonna like list all the things that have changed for me lately. I got married in May and I absolutely love being married. My wife and I were given three weeks notice to get out of the house we were renting because it has a faulty foundation and is slowing falling apart. We searching like crazy people for a place to live and ended up having a house built. In the mean time we had to move all of our belongings from our house to both of our families houses for the few months it will take for our new home to be built. Additionally, we are living at Kim's parents' house until we can move into our house. I am taking some time away from performing with Color and Light to re-evaluate how committed I can be to the band. That in and of itself is a huge change for me. Work is crazy busy and full of drama and I am currently looking for a new job. I would love to work in construction or home remodeling, but we'll see what happens. I am the best man in my brothers wedding, which is next Sunday and I am trying to do everything I can to make that go as smoothly as possible.

Man, that's kinda stressful just to read, but I have a great life and I am not gonna whine when things get crazy for a while.

I am extremely excited about some things that are going on, or will soon be going on. First of all, I am about as happy as a person can be that it is football season and the Dallas Cowboys are an amazing team. With the addition of Felix Jones to their ground attack and the fact that the current coach seems to be able to work with T.O. in a way that inspires him to play to the best of his ability. I am also beyond ready for it to be fall and drop below 90 degrees for a change. I HATE hot weather, but I still love Texas.

I guess that's all I have to say this time. I really hope people comment on this blog, because when there are no comments...I usually abandon the blog. Sorry Xanga...we had a good run.

The Word Loom

"Veritas"

Remember how I love lists?

Vacation and the return to real life

Three days

"I went to the woods..."

HEAT SUCKS!

I am sorry for my absence

What I tell You Three times in True

Update

Swinging for the fences

Be anxious for nothing

Update

The Summer of Greatness

Artists

I will never get this

LONG weekend recap

T minus 5 and a half hours!

5 Days

Similar Stupidity Part 2

Just an Update

Similar Stupidity

A bunch of stuff

*CAUTION* If you are easily offended or lame...do not read this post!

Another week

My Most sincere appologies...

The Career Change (Part 4)

Things you should know about

Don't sweat the small stuff - edited

Stuff

The Career Change ( Part 3 )

Unrealistic goals in a very real world

The Career Change ( Part 2 )

The Career Change ( Part 1 )

The President

Change

I don't get it

Things going on with me

Prospects and great hope

Lists

Looking on to the new year

Feeling old and young all at once

A funny thing happened....

Warm Weather Sucks!

Confidance

Bad News Never had Good Timing

The sickness wears on

Estoy Enfermo

My Travels

The Pain of Love

26 Days and Counting

Stuff I am thinking about right now

*insert clever title here*

Hardback books and Hard decisions

Birthdays and such

The Constitution

Take 5 minutes to help save the Nation

The Happiness to Come

Are you serious?!

Fall in the air

A good day

Cowboys and the coming of cool weather

the new one

CAUTION If you are easily offended or lame...do not read this post!

insert clever title here