Messiah:

@ Messiah for the weekend. See ya'll later.

300:

Honestly, I'm trying to race my way to 400 posts. Not gonna lie.

Today I was watching the special features disc of 300 and was wondering whether any of the stunt men were scared. Of course, the fight scenes were choreographed and against the blue screen the motions look sluggish compared to what you see in the movie. But then again... there would be a large guy whose been working out 4 hours a day for 6 weeks straight charging at you with a stick. Sucks to be that guy.

On a different note, I'd like to mention my guilty pleasure #2: fantasy novels... of the knights and magic type stuff. I've started book three, the final book, of this series and once I finish it I might give a review of my thoughts. 'Might' because I still am embarrassed to show how much I take to these novels.

Choked:

As I was considering what to write here, I realized that I have not had any moments of nostalgia in a really long time. Perhaps I haven't had any due to the fact that I've become more worried about the future- trying to see where I'll be a few years ahead instead of subconsciously overlaying the past with the present.

Lately I've been immersed in conversation concerning money... and rightly so considering the drastic changes that will be happening in my life. I realize that I cannot/should not maintain the level of luxuries I've been able to enjoy this past week. Movies at the theater, eating out at expensive places, bars... parts will have to be cut out. While I won't have to worry about certain things that other people have to save for (ie. engagement rings, buying property and house for the family, wedding costs, etc.), I will have to make sure that I put aside enough so I can buy a nice European sports car aka chick-magnet. It's the only reasonable thing to do. A sports car and 24 inches of gold chain. Yeah that should do the trick.

Movies:

I want to buy 300 on blu-ray, but I haven't got a blu-ray player to watch it on.

Yesterday I went to a sushi buffet place that was really quite good for the price. The variety was very good and they didn't skimp on the good ingredients. Afterwards I watched the Bourne Ultimatum which was very fun to watch, despite being overly similar to the second movie. Before seeing it, I would recommend reviewing the very end of Supremacy.

That's all I've got for now.

Forward:

Things have indeed moved forward. By the end of this week I'll be receiving an offer from Pepco and they want me to make a decision and sign off on it by Tuesday. That doesn't give me a ton of time to think about it, but that's understandable since they don't want to wait for my other options to develop. Right now, the offer looks very attractive and I've had a positive feeling about it... thinking that there's a 94% chance that I'll probably take the offer and be working by August 20th.

I haven't fully weighted out what living and working would look like. I mean, there's the commute, work environment, post-work activities, financials all to consider with this new phase of life approaching. I haven't even talked to my parents about living in Baltimore yet. The whole thing seems daunting... exciting also, but still there is fear in me.

Anyway, there's still much I need to think through (is this the third time I've mentioned this?) so I'll keep ya'll posted on any developments.

Back:

Well, I'm back from the beach and life resumes. Thus far every single person I've come in contact with has commented on how tan I am and has pointed out that I will probably get skin cancer. Noobs.

New Jersey was a blast and relaxing. It was neat to live and spend time with people who make me laugh. For some reason, though, the whole trip felt like the end of an era- as if things are now meant to be different. Nothing is different around here. My circumstances have not changed at all. Perhaps that feeling is the motivation for me to move on, move forward. It sounds good in theory, but in reality I remain apprehensive. Recently, for every step forward I've taken two back. Progress has never been my forte and in the past it has always been easier for me to just let things lie where they lay instead of dealing with the issues at hand.

As of late I have been thinking about and tempted by the concept of a new slate. What would it be like if I found a job out in California? I could run away from all the good and bad things in my life and start over... meet new people, present myself however I cared to, discuss only choice parts of my past. Again, sounds great in theory but I know the reality of it can be very hard. Running away is, in most cases, the easier and less correct option. Anyway, there are many things here that I would not trade... even for a new start. While I've given up on many a dream here, I still have a few to chase.

Interviews:

Today everything sort of developed. I was running around doing laundry and trying to get some cash so that I could metro down to DC for my Pepco interview. However, around 10 am this guy calls me from the PTO to see if I want to do a 20 minute phone interview. I went ahead and answered his questions and found it to be good "practice" for later in the day. The phone interview was short and succinct, and the end of the conversation sounded positive. But, I was put a few minutes behind schedule so my decision making processes were rushed. I decided to not take my suit jacket. I got on the metro and everything was fine until the Bethesda stop when a couple of suits boarded the train. I immediately regretted not having a suit jacket. What if one of those guys was going to interview for the same position I was trying for? I would automatically be at a disadvantage. It took me a few minutes to rationalize things out. They had individually scheduled out an interviewing time for me so it was highly unlikely that they would be bringing in another candidate that day or even that week. Also, it turned out that I was not out-dressed by the interviewing panel which meant my attire was sufficient. But I've learned my lesson- always err on the side of fashionable... even when it is hot as butt outside.

Also I got an e-mail from booz today for an interviewing night next week, but I'll be out of town so I'm waiting to hear back from them on whether I can schedule something else.

The library books have all come in so I'll go pick them up tomorrow morning (Mason aka dreamboat).

The button on my shorts broke. Does anyone know how to sew a button on? Also, does anyone have a button they could lend me?

Schedule:

This week should be pretty cool since I've got things to do lined up. Here's what I'm doing, give me a call if you want in:

Tuesday- College Park for some, hang out with Schuch, birthday dinner at Cheesecake Factory
Wednesday- interview in DC, climbing at ET Rockville
Thursday- Harry Potter at night in DC
Friday- College Park, visit 1501 Lombard

and then away to the beach the next week!

Beer:

I want to go to one of those A&W restaurants. You know why? Because they got root beer on tap. Yeah buddy... root beer's the stuff.

Mozart:

Dear people who dislike classical music, this will probably be boring for you.

The other day I watched "Amadeus" which is a movie that portrays the rise and fall of Mozart the composer. You can IMDB it... I'm too lazy to put up the link for you. Anyway, I've seen this movie several times and I never get tired of it. The music, all composed by the man himself, is fantastic... pure genius. But what I love most about the movie is that it takes the music apart and analyzes it so that you can appreciate the beauty of the whole. Example- towards the end of the movie Mozart is dictating his composition to another man. He spells out each individual part separately (bass vocal, tenor, trumpet, strings, etc.) and you can hear the instrumental sound that he's imagining. Then all the parts are played in unison and the whole piece comes together in magnificent form.

Okay, I'm a nerd. I grew up on Mozart. The first play I ever saw was a take on the Magic Flute. His concertos are among my favorite. And the Requiem... man, don't mess with the Requiem. But see the movie if you think you can keep from being overly bored by it.

Update:

Hello friends. It has been quite some time since I've updated, but only because I haven't had much to post about. But here we go.

I was away on vacation last week on a cruise to Halifax, Nova Scotia. That's in Canada, by the way. It was fairly boring in terms as vacations go- with 3500 cruisers on board I would guess that 93% of them wore diapers and the average age was 68. I hope that I will not make it to the age of being crusty. On the plus side of the whole shebang, the food was pretty good.

In other news, my car was recovered. It was a pain getting it out of the impound, with the process of going to the police station and the MVA taking most of the day. Then there was the whole problem of it only going a few hundred yards before completely shutting down. As it turns out, there was a problem with the battery and the security system inhibiting the ignition. As of right now, the car has been fixed to working order and should be driving like new within the next week or so. Everything except for my backpack and my computer was left in the car, so now I can go climbing again with all my gear.

That's enough for now. I'll write more when my life isn't so boring.

Limbo:

Oh hey...

I almost forgot about this junks.

I don't take pictures, and I don't have any saved pictures since I don't have my own computer at the moment.

I am trying to focus on putting together interesting things to fill the time.

Facebook is probably the best way to find stuff out about what I'm doing.

Late:

The late night does funny things to your mind. Some say it plays tricks on you; others say it is a time of pure clairvoyance. It's current effects on me - I cannot discern right now.

Motives:

In high school literature classes, my teachers always emphasized the 'why'. They said to focus on why the author chose to write in certain rhythms or why the use of illustrative language or why the theme on liminality. I remember sometime this one teacher would just write in red pen 'why?' at the end of my papers.

I wonder why I do certain things. What are my motives? Before I can evaluate whether my motives are right and pure, I have to figure out what they are. Sometimes I feel like I have such built up, complex networks of emotion and doubts that I can't truly identify the reason behind my actions. Say something as simple as a laugh or giggle at something amusing makes me wonder why I thought it was so funny, or why I reacted with more animation instead of just smiling. Or for example why I would do someone a favor. Am I expecting something in return? Isn't it human and natural to expect something in return whether it is physical, spiritual, or emotional? Should I feel guilty if I want something back? Why am I helping or giving? I don't know. There are simple answers that make a lot of sense. You know, because I care, because I'm supposed to, because it is what Jesus desires of me, because it is good. There are also many simple answers that don't sound as good... because I want them to like me, because it gets me attention, because in the end I'll come out on top.
I've seem to stumble upon the fact that the question of why brings up so many 'because's and hence, makes the whole motives thing so complex. The added dimension of sorting these 'because's creates another layer of complexity. I hope to figure this motives thing out a little more in my head, and work hard to straigten out why I act as I do.

Strengths:

At any given job interview, they always ask what are your strengths and weaknesses. I always make something up... something that sounds good and fancy. Really, I'm not very good at a lot of things. But now that I think about it, I am pretty good at least a couple of things:

1. Sneaking. Because I am really light my footsteps don't make very much noise. I try my best to make use of shadows and if the person is walking I synchronize my step pattern with theirs. Plus I have a small frame so I can slip through small places like staircase guards or parking garage fences. I would make a decent spy, except I am relatively not non-descript and I also would probably get really nervous of being discovered.

2. Senses. I think my five senses are in pretty good shape. I have a good, musical ear which I haven't damaged since I haven't been to too many rock concerts (nor do I own an iPod to blast music with). I'm beginning to understand food better, which has allowed me to develop a stronger awareness of taste. I've always been fairly sensitive to touch, just in general. I think my smelling is about normal and my vision is slightly below normal. Not too bad all around.

I wonder how the interviewer would respond if I answered with these.

Shows:

To procrastinate from studying and as requested by Seye, I present to you- another post.

While poking around on YouTube, I came across this little nugget:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqMOEcCAj2o

Man, seeing this brings back so many fond memories.

Hey, why don't you leave a comment with a memory from one of these childhood TV shows and I'll see if I share it with you:
Mr. Rogers
Power Rangers
The Magic School Bus
Barney
Bill Nye

Psalmer:

To be honest, I either skim or skip whatever is posted if I know it's not just the author writing. You know- song lyrics, book excerpts, news articles, and Bible verses... they're so cliche. But I don't really care because my blogging medium has never been very entertaining in the first place so I have no standard to uphold.

David writes:
O Lord, I call to you;
come quickly to me.
Hear my voice when I call to you.
May my prayer be set before you like incense;
may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.
Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD;
keep watch over the door of my lips.
Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil,
to take part in wicked deeds
with men who are evildoers;
let me not eat of their delicacies.
Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness;
let him rebuke me—it is oil on my head.
My head will not refuse it.

And his words are fantastic... they reach into my soul.

Psalm:

David writes:

O God, you are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you,
my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land
where there is no water.

I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.
Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you.
I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.
My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods;
with singing lips my mouth will praise you.
On my bed I remember you;
I think of you through the watches of the night.
Because you are my help,
I sing in the shadow of your wings.
My soul clings to you;
your right hand upholds me.

That, my friends, is gorgeous and is the prayer of my heart. I hope it can be of encouragement to you if you are experiencing some dryness.

Injustice:

This is absolutely ridiculous:
http://smallthingswithgreatlove.com/

Check it out and sign the petition.

I've typed a dozen different sentences here and keep erasing... I'm not sure how to spill these thoughts on respecting other cultures, yet standing up for the oppressed.

Shoes:

I used to only own a single pair of shoes. Sometime around junior or senior year of high school I purchased a pair of New Balance tennis shoes to be worn for almost all occasions. For dress shoes I would borrow a pair from my dad. However, now I might own more shoes than I have owned cumulatively throughout my life. Let's take a look.

First, I couldn't find a picture of my old NB shoes since they're ultra old. I tore half of the sole off playing racquetball last week so a replacement was in order.


I picked these babies up from Costco to be my running/ all-purpose athletic shoes. If you see me at any given moment I'll probably be wearing these (I don't expect the white to keep very long with how much use I think they'll be getting).


These were bought yesterday. They're quite beautiful and very stylish if I may say so myself. My dad got sick of me stealing his shoes so he took me out to get a pair of my own. After three different shoe shops we found a style I liked at a reasonable price. The soles are made of really hard leather so they don't really bend when I step. Hey, they only hurt a little when I walk... a price to pay for looking good.

These slip on loafers are for when I'm wearing khakis. Really, nothing else I have is business casual.

These were really cheap at REI... I couldn't help myself. I'll probably wear these whenever I go out on the town.

Also really cheap at REI. I field tested these on a short hike the other day and they were very comfortable and allowed me spectacular control on even sharp, slipery inclines. I can't wait to go camping and do some serious trails with these on.

I need sandals, obviously, if I'm going to be doing summer activities. I got these in Hawaii because I had a pair that hurt my feet. As an added feature they have a bottle opener on the sole for IBC cream soda beverages and the such.

On to climbing shoes. These are my pride and joy. I haven't fully broken them in yet, but I know that my performance has increased significantly when climbing with the Anasazis. They are a top notch, aggresive climbing shoe so I can no longer blame my performance on my lack of gear. Rock shoes just don't get better than these. I picked these up at full price since I couldn't do some of the more technical moves with the old junks I was sporting.

My first set of climbing shoes and a definite pair of workhorses. They're like the ones pictured except green and an older model. They are a great beginners shoe to comfortably learn foot placement with some edging and some toe grip. Unfortunately, they are flat bottomed so there's only so much pull you can get with them. Also, I started to tear a hole in the rubber so I've started to retire them.

Ryan picked these up for me because they were cheap, but they are just the tiniest bit too small. As a matter of fact, my left foot fits but the right just doesn't squeeze in. They are ultra aggressive and sweet looking, but I'll probably just put them up on ebay... unless anyone thinks they have smaller feet than me, then they can just take them.

And finally, I found a pair of these... used and smelly for only two dollars. They don't fit me at all, but if someone has slightly larger feet than me, they can have these.

That's all of the footwear I own. Too many pairs of shoes? I think so. I'm really just used to having no choices and wearing one pair all the time. Hopefully these last me a long time and I don't make anymore purchases for a while.