while i was out running some assorted errands yesterday afternoon, i ended up hopping onto the highway on my way home in order to avoid some of the rush hour traffic in portland. it's only a sixty cent toll to get on the interstate, and for once i actually had money with me: the minuteman was locked and loaded with change. so usually in that situation i'll just dump coins into the coin basket until the light turns green, and then off i go. but as i drove up to the toll booth, i noticed that the "coins-only" lane was closed due to construction. uh-oh. this means that i actually had to count out 60 cents and hand it to the toll collector... and all i seemed to have was pennies. i'd used up all my quarters, all my nickels and almost all my dimes (i did end up finding one truman-embossed piece of silver), so i was forced to sit there and count out 50 cents worth of pennies to a very unamused and grumpy toll collector
it took an eternity
his disparaging glare was causing me no small amount of discomfort, and i ended up dropping and fumbling and re-counting my coins until i managed to finally hand over the required amount. he didn't bother to count them... didn't even say a word. just took the coins and gave me a parting look of death. i couldn't tell, but i'm pretty sure the drivers occupying the long line of vehicles backed up behind me weren't very genial either
(it probably didn't help that i was trying to hold back laughter the whole time)
i remember once while i was driving home from college, i had about four dollars worth of pennies with me that i was going to use to pay the tolls. this large amount of change in my possesion was mostly due to the fact that when we had the occasional poker game at the apartment, pennies and other small denomination coins were the currency of choice. i had made out like a bandit (mostly thanks to jesse) the night before, and took the opportunity to put my winnings to good use. no better place to dispose of a surplus of pennies than at the tolls, right?
so i get to the toll in new york, pull up to the booth, and hand the lady there a small plastic bag with a dollars worth of pennies in it (i even wrote "one dollar" on the outside, so there'd be no question). she looks at it, and says "i can't take this." you've got to be kidding me! so i stare back at her and reply, "it's U.S. legal tender. you have to take it," and then drove off before she could try and make some other feeble argument. i felt like i was sticking it to new york in a small way, which made it all the sweeter
i'm such a rebel.
i hesitate to say this, knowing that it will only cause the level of flak i receive to increase... but there should be a fairly concrete analysis of my current and future plans and itinerary coming soon (tomorrow?). so stay tuned. or not. or whatever.
18 DAYS until pitchers and catcher report at spring training for the red sox. woot. this should be yet another banner year to be a red sox fan, and needless to say i'm pumped for the season to start. in honor of the fast-approaching baseball season, here's a video that contains two of the better flavors of life: conan o'brien and baseball. enjoy
Monday, January 30, 2006
a case of the monday's
today was actually a pretty good day, mostly due to the following:
-i recharged my reading supply with a trip down to the library. just finished a book by jose canseco, and have some stuff by dostoevsky and robert frost waiting in the wings. and that is probably the only time that all three of those writers have been mentioned in the same sentence. ever.
-went down to higgins beach for a little while this afternoon. i love the ocean... even if it's too cold to actually be in the water, there's something about being there by it that's simultaneously refreshing and invigorating. it's just one of those things
-i found this amazing cd, thanks to the wonderful power of iTunes. i just finished re-reading fearless faith by john fischer, and in it he mentions a composition by gavin bryars that he found to be amazingly powerful. bryars was a british composer who happened to come across a random recording of a homeless man singing a simple little hymn to himself back in the early 1970's. he (bryars) was so fascinated with it that he looped the recording so that it repeated itself over and over and over (more than 150 times!), and gradually added layer upon layer of orchestral and vocal accompaniment to it. it's really profoundly moving... i just finished listening to it all the way through (all 74 minutes), and you'd think that the same lyrics looped endlessly would get to be tiresome after only a few minutes, no matter how ornate the musical embellishment was. but it doesn't. and it's because the lyrics are so profound that they can never get wearisome:
Jesus' blood never failed me yet, never failed me yet Jesus' blood never failed me yet This one thing I know For He loves me so
and that's all there is to the song. 150 times. jars of clay was so moved by the recording that they put out their own version of the song, which is powerful in it's own right... but the original is in a class all by it's own. you can read a brief story about how it's composer, gavin bryar, wrote the piece here. the most amazing thing to me was that bryar wasn't a Christian himself, but he couldn't help but be moved by the simple faith expressed by a random homeless man. so yeah. it's pretty cool
-i mopped the kitched floor, so now not only does it look nice but it even smells nice. i think i should come out with my own line of colognes for men, all based on household items. murphys oil soap would be a great scent, but so would WD-40, grilled steak, and bleach. well, maybe not bleach... i happen to like it, but most people don't. actually the whole idea is bad, so nevermind.
-i was on my own for supper, so i had breakfast instead of a more traditional evening meal. a three-egg omelet, couple pieces of toast, some bacon, and a cup of coffee were quickly designed and devoured. i made the omelet in the "cheese slug" style that jesse made famous back in college... can't beat it. and then i had some ice cream for dessert; a classic brupper meal if there ever was one
and that's it. i didn't really have a case of the monday's, so i guess the title was a bit of a lie. sorry
when you're unemployed, terms such as "weekend" and "day off" and "TGIF" become irrelevant. i mean, really... every day is a day off. it's not like the 'weekend' is terribly different from my average weekday, at this point. this isn't necessarily a good thing, but neither is it as horrible as it might seem
anyways, this past "weekend" was pretty good. went to my sister's recital class on friday, so that was cool to see her play. and then today i got to go to the recital she had for her students, which was way cool. in some ways, i enjoy beginner-level music more than i do the classics. maybe it's because i never got very good at piano so i can appreciate the effort that it takes to play even a seemingly simple song... but i think it's really just because i like the names of the songs better. take the following two samples of song names:
Group A: The Three Musketeers, Pow-Wow, Peanut Butter, Penguin Blues, Skateboard Boogie Group B: Op. 10 No. 5 in G flat major, Tocatta and Fugue in D Minor, Clarinet Quintet in A Major
if i have to choose, i'm taking Group A every time. it's not even a contest; you just can't go wrong with names like that. whenever i form my own band and start pumping out gold albums, i'll write songs with names like Throwing Rocks, A Skydiving Sonata, Ramen Noodles Ragtime, The A-Team, Ode to O'Brien, and the hit single Riding a Rocket through Redwoods. coming (not very) soon to a music store near you
i bought some new socks on saturday. actually, "procured" is a better term for it, because i didn't have to pay anything for them. the good ol' five-finger discount works every time... i mean... coupons. yeah. coupons. i get them from l.l. bean every now and then for using my ll bean visa card. woo-hoo. i had twenty bucks worth burning a hole in my pocket, so i bought two new pairs of smartwool socks and also a splashguard for a nalgene bottle. in case you didn't know, smartwool makes the best.socks.ever. no kidding. if you don't have a pair... you should. really. so anyways, i got some socks and a splashguard, and it made me happy. the socks are great... aside from a shower this morning, i've been wearing them non-stop since i got them. and i've stopped pouring water all over my shirt whenever i try to drink from a water bottle. actually that's a lie... i've stopped pouring lots of water on me. i still get wet on a regular basis whenever i try to drink out of a bottle
i'm in the middle of an all-album switchfoot marathon set on random right now. if you can name the album and song i'm listening to right now as i'm typing this, i'll give/mail you a dollar.
(notice i said "dollar," not "loonie." just in case anyone had any doubt... which there shouldn't be)
i think it's time for some ramen. liz unloaded a few packs on me yesterday, and i haven't had any in forever so i'm feverishly trying to restore my depleted levels of sodium and artificial chicken flavor in my bloodstream. i'm feeling like a new man
ever feel like you're standing on the edge of something really big, but you're not even sure what it is? yeah.... me too
first off, i recommend you read this article from slate.com. actually, you can probably just head straight over there and skip the rest of this entry, because it's a much-better written piece (obviously)
the big question is, are you racist? i doubt that many people would answer "yes" to that question. i know i for sure wouldn't. but are you biased in your judgements of people based on their skin color? again, most people would give a decisive "no" when asked that question... but according to a test developed by several psychologists in 2003, you most likely are. the results of the test show that "88 percent of the white subjects who take [the] test show some bias against blacks." eighty-eight percent. that's alot. i was slightly skeptical... until i took the test.
the results were pretty sobering
i recommend you take the test yourself and see how you do. (suggestion: start off with the "Skin-Tone IAT" test). you might be surprised
so what does it mean if you're biased towards people with white skin or against people with darker skin? i'm not sure. it's not something to read too much into... but it is there. and it's hard to ignore.
taxes are pretty much the worst thing ever. even if you get money back
pirates, however, always make me smile....
Question of the day: If you're a pirate, should you have to pay taxes and fill out those silly income-tax retuns? And if so, how do you declare "plunder" and "booty?" And is it ethical to raid and pillage in order to pay your taxes?
they don't address any of those issues in the tax code. trust me, i looked.
ok, this is the lamest post ever. but the 1040A and 1040S-ME have tag-teamed me to bleed what little creative genius i may posess right out of my system.
Unfavorable Exchange Rate Costs Kobe Bryant Spot in History
LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Foreign exchange rates are usually just that to the average NBA player: foreign. But following his 81-point outburst versus the Toronto Raptors on Sunday night at the Staples Center, Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers was told by the NBA's Office for Statistical Conversions (O.S.C.) that his virtuoso scoring performance would have to be devalued slightly, owing to the current U.S.-Canadian exchange rate.
If his 81 points were allowed to stand unadjusted, Bryant would hold claim to the second-highest point total ever in an NBA game, behind only the 100 points that Wilt Chamberlain posted on March 2, 1962 against the New York Knicks. But because Bryant was playing against the Toronto Raptors, a team that hails from Canada, the O.S.C. decided that his point total should be adjusted to reflect the current U.S.-Canadian exchange rate, which as of the January 22nd game against the Raptors valued the Canadian dollar at 86.7% of the American dollar.
Once the exchange rate is applied to his scoring total, Bryant's night takes on a slightly less epic resonance. His points for the night drop from 81 to a still-impressive tally of 70, which puts him in a tie with Chamberlain for the ninth-best total in a single game ever. Only four people have surpassed Bryant's Adjusted Point Total (A.P.T.) of 70: Chamberlain, David Thompson, Elgin Baylor, and David Robinson. Rarified air to be sure, but not quite so exclusive a spot as Bryant was originally thought to have held.
When told by the O.S.C. that his 81 points had been reduced to an A.P.T. of "only" 70, Bryant responded by saying "You know, that doesn't really surprise me. I mean, it did seem ridiculously easy at times out there, even for me. You would have thought that they'd have at least tried some double-teams, maybe some half court traps, but the Raptors insisted on playing me straight-up. But hey, 70 points... I'll still take it."
Mike James of the Toronto Raptors replied to Bryant's comments by saying that "[Bryant] doesn't know how hard it is to be an NBA player in Canada. I mean, we only have Molson to drink during the games, instead of Gatorade like everyone else. Plus last week I got paid in something called "loonies." What the heck? And our coach keeps preaching a "non-agressive" approach to the game, whatever that's supposed to mean. The language barrier makes it a little hard to communicate sometimes."
A member of the Raptor's front office, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that "we may have lost the game, but at least we held Kobe [Bryant] to less than a hundred. So we consider that a moral victory. Now if you'll excuse me, the Maple Leafs are about to play..."
The win was a crucial one for the Lakers, who are vying for a playoff spot after not making it into postseason play last year. Phil Jackson, the zen-master coach of the Lakers, knew how important this game was both to the Lakers as well as to the rest of the U.S. After the game, Jackson told reporters that "we were glad to come out with a win tonight. We were down by quite a bit at halftime, but I told the team that if they didn't beat these incompetent canucks, they'd be forced to all wear that panty-hose legwear that Kobe models during our next game. They responded pretty well to that threat, especially Kobe who didn't want anyone to steal his look. Plus, I said this was a chance to strike fear into the heart of Canada by defeating their basketball team based in their capital city... what? Toronto's not the capital of Canada? Huh. Who ever knew?"
Bryant was optimistic of his legacy living on despite the devaluation of his point total. "Yeah they were Canadians," he said, "but 81 points is still alot. That should count for something." Upon being informed that it did, in fact, count for 70 points, Bryant muttered something that sounded like "well even Jordan never scored 70" as he walked off the platform."
it snowed out today. only a few inches, but even so it's much better than what we had before, which was nothing. so anything we get is a definite improvement on our previous weather patterns
still looking for work. i'm realistically hopefully about this week, but we'll see. all i know is i'm really tired of notworking, so hopefully that'll change. soon.
there's also some developing news about the government's apparent involvement in relocating someone to ohio. you can read about it here. it's a developing and fluid situation, so stay tuned
when i saw this headline last week i almost flipped: ****************************************************** Orioles get Benson from Mets for Julio, Maine
BALTIMORE (AP) — The Orioles acquired right-hander Kris Benson from the New York Mets on Saturday in exchange for right-handers Jorge Julio and John Maine. ******************************************************* at first, all i saw was the fact that the orioles somehow included MY STATE in a trade with the mets, which would mean that i was now living in new york city. needless to say, this would have been entirely unacceptable on multiple levels. who does baltimore think they are to just assume they have the rights to trade an entire state which they have absolutely no ties to? i was outraged, frustrated, and also saddened at this turn of events, as well as being perturbed by the fact that my tax rate would increase. then i saw that it's for a player named, of all things, "Maine." nice surname, i must admit, but i think they should have included his first name in the headline so as to avoid possible confusion and animosity
in real life, the Red Sox are on the verge of trading for a guy by the name of "Coco Crisp." i'm ecstatic. this year is shaping up to be a stellar one for the sox, not only because of the caliber of the players who we'll be putting on the field every day but also because of the characters. consider the following:
coco crisp is pretty much the best.name.ever. and he's a good player, too
julian tavarez, a recently acquired relief pitcher, not only tried to deliver a jump-kick to a guys face during a game once, but i know someone who knew someone who knew a girl he dated back in high school (probably married to her now for all i know). talk about a personal connection. plus, he's just a crazy sort of character. you never know what julian is going to do next
josh beckett is a yankee-killer. plus, i saw him pitch once in his minor league days, so i feel like i have a personal connection to him
gosh do i love baseball... opening day can't come too soon.
i mentioned in passing a couple weeks ago that mannikins really creep me out. not in a "run away screaming from the store" sort of way, but more of a "shudder or jump whenever i see one" kind of reaction. mabe i'm the only person in the world who suffers from this malady, but i doubt it. i scrolled through a list of phobias, and i didn't see any that were labeled "fear of mannikins." maybe it's a new category?
anyways, that's beside the point. the reason i mention is it that i was pondering my irrational hatred for mannikins earlier today while doing the dishes, and trying to pinpoint just what it is that i really don't like about them. and then it struck me:
they look almost-human, but they're not. close but not quite.
i remember reading an article in wired magazine about robots a while back (couldn't re-locate the article, sorry). one of the points of discussion was that there's this imaginary line between robotic and human or lifelike. people are very accepting of robots as robots right up until this threshold (which varies from person to person), but once a robot becomes too lifelike or human or just plain "real" for them, they freak out. it's not just in isolated cases that this happens either, as it seems to be a pretty basic reaction amongst most people. again, the threshold for everyone is different, but the principle is the same: things that look "real," but aren't, make people cringe. robots that look, talk, and move like real humans cross the line for most people. mannikins are enough to do it for me
but the more i thought about it, the more i realized that i'm a mannakin myself. i'm supposed to be alive, or "real" in Christ. and from the outside i can do a pretty good job of giving that impression... you know how it works. but when it comes right down to it, i'm more of a mannikin than a real person:
standing around. not doing anything. not talking. trying to look like i belong without acting like i do scared to move, scared to speak, lest people find out that the "real" me is much uglier than the finely-dressed mannikin standing in the shop window
yikes.
i really resonated with what my friend luke f. was talking about in a recent blog entry. the big question is, as he put it, "what is it that causes the transformation from believing in your head to believing in your heart?"
it's one thing to have the head knowledge... but how do you transfer that to heart feelings?
so how do i be more real? how do i make a lasting impact in this world, instead of just standing around like a mannikin? i mean, ANYONE can just stand there. if God wanted me to stay in one spot and never say anything, go anywhere, do anything, to never cry or love, he'd have made me in the following fashion:
no legs. no hands. no eyes. no heart.
last i checked, i have all of those. (lemme check again... yup. all there). so obviously, i have no legitimate excuses.
mannikin recruiting, or as it's more commonly called, "lifestyle evangelism," is all fine and good if you want to convert all your friends and family into a giant army of mannikins (now there's a creepy thought), but totally worthless if it's your only way of communicating with the world. don't get me wrong... i'm totally on-board with the idea that if we live our lives for Christ, then people will be drawn to us because they see Him manifested in us. but am i living a life that would draw people to anything? it's like having a sign-up list for a friday night: "who want's to stand around and do nothing?" um, nobody. hello.
is it any wonder that one of the single biggest knocks on christianity is christians themselves? how am i ever supposed to convince someone that a life in Christ is so wonderful when they don't see me doing anything? even the military has this figured out... they use recruiting phrases like "see the world. get training. help save lives. be an army of one. make a difference. blow stuff up." you get the idea. what are we offering people? anything? people can't follow someone who's standing still. if they do, they end up just standing around and not moving either
so... now what? how do i go from being fake to being real?
what's the difference between a real person and being a mannakin? simple. one's alive; one isn't. one looks like a person; one doesn't. so if i want to be really alive, then i need to...
do. go. serve. hurt. cry. feel. love. live.
be Real.
"Little Rabbit," she said, "don't you know who I am?"
The Rabbit looked up at her, and it seemed to him that he had seen her face before, but he couldn't think where.
"I am the nursery magic Fairy," she said. "I take care of all the playthings that the children have loved. When they are old and worn out and the children don't need them any more, then I come and take them away with me and turn them into Real."
"Wasn't I Real before?" asked the little Rabbit.
"You were Real to the Boy," the Fairy said, "because he loved you. Now you shall be Real to every one." And she held the little Rabbit close in her arms and flew with him into the wood.
It was light now, for the moon had risen. All the forest was beautiful, and the fronds of the bracken shone like frosted silver. In the open glade between the tree-trunks the wild rabbits danced with their shadows on the velvet grass, but when they saw the Fairy they all stopped dancing and stood round in a ring to stare at her.
"I've brought you a new playfellow," the Fairy said. "You must be very kind to him and teach him all he needs to know in Rabbit-land, for he is going to live with you for ever and ever!"
And she kissed the little Rabbit again and put him down on the grass.
"Run and play, little Rabbit!" she said.
But the little Rabbit sat quite still for a moment and never moved. For when he saw all the wild rabbits dancing around him he suddenly remembered about his hind legs, and he didn't want them to see that he was made all in one piece. He did not know that when the Fairy kissed him that last time she had changed him altogether. And he might have sat there a long time, too shy to move, if just then something hadn't tickled his nose, and before he thought what he was doing he lifted his hind toe to scratch it.
And he found that he actually had hind legs! Instead of dingy velveteen he had brown fur, soft and shiny, his ears twitched by themselves, and his whiskers were so long that they brushed the grass. He gave one leap and the joy of using those hind legs was so great that he went springing about the turf on them, jumping sideways and whirling round as the others did, and he grew so excited that when at last he did stop to look for the Fairy she had gone.
He was a Real Rabbit at last, at home with the other rabbits. (excerpt taken from the velveteen rabbit)
God knows i'm real. i know i'm real. but do i look it? am i moving, living, loving?
no more standing around.
(because creepy mannikins just ain't cool)
-noonan-
p.s. i highly recommend reading flashbang by mark steele for a much clearer, poignant, and funnier take on the whole idea of living a worthwhile life. excellent book. you can even read the first chapter online if you want
This news makes me happy. Especially because of this quote: "[one day] he slipped out of Fenway Park wearing a borrowed gorilla costume to avoid the media." Priceless. At any rate, Theo "the boy genius" Epstein is back with the Sox, and that's good news all around. Plus, he sold the gorilla suit to benefit charity. How classy is that? Believe me, if I had a gorilla suit, you wouldn't see me parting ways with it anytime soon
Dad and I are having a "men's-only" weekend. Mom is heading off to be a camp nurse for friday/saturday, so we'll have the place to ourselves. Yikes. He has to drive up north tomorrow for some work-related stuff, so I'm going to kick off the weekend early by tagging along. Should be fun. Hopefully we'll remember to do things like bathe ourselves and not burn the house down. No guarantees, though
I'm not a huge fan of most household chores (after all, that's what the women are for, right???..... oops. can i say that out loud? i'd better not. could cause too much trouble), but I like to cook. Notice I didn't say "I like to bake," because that would have been a lie. Baking takes too long, dirties too many dishes, and there is always the off chance of cataclysmic failure. Cooking, however, usually involves in preparing a main dish, two or three side dishes, and maybe a salad. That I can handle. So tonight we had the following for supper:
Steak. Cooked on the grill, of course... it's the only real way to cook steak. But since it gets dark really early and we don't have a light on our back porch where the grill is, I had to resort to using my trusty headlamp to illuminate my outdoors kitchen. Worked just fine. And I dashed some chipotle sauce on the steak it for a slightly spicy and smokey flavor that ended up being pretty outstanding
Mashed potatoes. But not just any mashed potatoes... that would be too easy. Nope, I sauteed up some onions, and then mixed those in with the potatoes for a tasty blend
Corn and green beans... mixed together. OOOOoooooooooooo.
Salad. Every good meal needs a salad
That was my cullinary adventure for the day. I'm still full... but not so full that I'm not going to go grab a bowl of ice cream. Right now. Plus it's almost time for the one tv show I actually watch every week.... and I actually have to get up at a decent hour tomorrow to head upcountry with Dad
Q. "Who do you think was the dumbest guy in the Bible and why?" (Sherry) A: There's just too many good answers to this question. Really. It's like asking, "what's the best-tasting ice cream?" You could say any flavor you want and nobody would really disagree too vehemently with you. That being said, I'd probably have to go with solomon. I know what you're thinking: "He's supposed to be the smartest man who ever lived!!" Yes. Key phrase in there is "supposed to be." Let me introduce you to a fundemental equation of life:
women = trouble
Solomon, the "wisest man who ever lived," somehow managed to surround himself with close to a thousand wives/concubines. one.thousand.women. Using the handy little formula above, I think you all can do the math easy enough. Solomon should have been able to as well, if he was as smart as he was supposed to be. Was he wise? Yes. Was he smart? No.
Q. "If there were a paid internship available in Ohio, and also other employment opportunities, and living was CHEAP (financially) and RICH (in all other ways), would you strongly consider moving?" (Ben) A: Would I "strongly" consider moving? No. Would i consider it? Yes. I'm pretty committed to staying in the area at least through the end of the year, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't at least consider other options/opportunities that might arise. (especially if it meant weekly raids on lawlor were back on the menu)
Q: "All things equal, who would win in a fight to the death, battle royale style and why? An astronaut, William Wallace, Mel Gibson as William Wallace, or Dan King, aka Uncle Buck. (Zenith) A: Astronauts are good at doing math, making repairs out of duct tape, and flying rockets (that's what i learned from watching Apollo 13). Needless to say, I don't see their skills translating well onto the battlefield. William Wallace, however, would do quite well for himself, in spite of (or perhaps, because of) the fact that he would be wearing a kilt. Mel Gibson would be an easy target, because he'd stop to make some grand speech just before he charged into battle, at which point the astronaut could come over and dispatch of him with his slide rule. Uncle Buck, however, armed with his chaps and chainsaw, would be nigh impossible to beat. I see it coming down to him and William Wallace left on the field, but with Buck inevitably leaving with the victory due to both his superior weaponry and also his warrior spirit within.
Q: "Do you still have that pigs game where you throw the pigs and which ever way they land you get points??" (Andrew) A: Yes. It's a classic... how could I ever part ways with it? You can actually play online now, I recently discovered. Or you can break out the traditional version and play wherever you want to. Great game.
I hope that helps.
news flash: january is breakup month. little did i know. it's not a national-awareness sort of occasion, like your "heart disease awareness month" or anything like that. it's more of a statistical anomaly than anything, i'd guess. but the reason i mention it is to segue neatly into this story. please take the extra minute or two to follow the link and read the story, because it's simply hilarious. some especially humorous lines from the article:
-“Ziggy was one in a million; he was a loyal friend, and I have no doubt he was looking out for me,” Mr Taylor said. -“I’m surprised to hear he’s got rid of that bloody bird; he spent more time talking to it than he did to me. I couldn’t stand Ziggy, and it looks now the feeling was mutual.”
too funny. Ziggy, wherever you are, i hope you never forget to "put on your red shoes and dance the blues."
in other news... it was windy today. wicked windy, even. gusts up to 60 mph. and as a result of that, we lost power for about five hours. a minor inconvenience, true, but it added a flair of adventure to an otherwise bland and rainy day. i heated up some tea for mom with my PocketRocket, which was a welcome chance to let it's 8,200 BTU's of raw cooking power show what it could do. fortunately it was pretty warm out today (50's), so it didn't get very cold while the power was off. i still vividly remember the ice storm we had back in '98, and not having power for four days in the middle of the winter. definitely not fun
oh, and i slept fine on monday night. my sleeping bag kept me comfortably warm the whole night through. woot
-noonan-
(edit- i've quickly become completely and thoroughly addicted to that online pass the pigs game i mentioned earlier. and i want to make the following fact perfectly clear: the computer is a filthy cheater. no shame whatsoever. if you try and play it on "expert" level, you'll soon see what i mean)
i lost my cell phone this morning. actually, i lost it sometime on sunday, but i didn't notice it until i started looking for it this morning and only then realized that that i hadn't used/seen it since sunday morning. i was more than a little but disturbed by the fact that i had couldn't find it for several reasons:
i already lost a different phone two months ago
it cost too much money to replace
even though i insured this phone against loss/theft/etc, i don't have the cash to spare to pay the deductible
i use it to shave in the morning
i hate it when i can't find something
in fact, it drives me absolutely bonkers when something's missing. despite my seemingly unorganized and untidy living arrangements, i can usually locate anything i need within a short amount of time. i have a pretty good organizational system in place, but i keep my methods top secret so that nobody else could ever find anything of mine. i call it "creating a valuable commodity out of myself." mom calls it "living in a pigpen." touche
anyhow, the cell phone is still missing. i know what you're thinking: "why didn't you call the phone from your home line, and then listen for the ring?" brilliant idea! which is why it took me exactly .04 seconds to think of it myself. so i called the phone, and voila... it goes straight to my voicemail
d'oh.
this either means that i left the phone on top of the van in north carolina and it's now smashed to a trillion pieces somewhere on the side of the highway; or, the battery is dead. i'm hoping that it's just the battery. i've had some extensive experience with the first scenario, and i'm not a big fan
so since plan A (listening for the ring) was a dismal failure, it's obviously time for plan B, so i hide. (this is actually a very funny inside joke amongst a small and exclusive group. but it's not worth explaining, so if you don't get it, tough luck. trust me though, it's funny) i soon realize that plan B isn't going to work, so i skip right over plan C and move straight to plan D(iscovery). this basically involves looking for it in the usual hiding places: couch cushions, desks, piles of paper, pants pockets, laundry basket, etc.
(an hour and a half later)....
there's a point when you're looking for something when it ceases to be all about finding the lost object. in this case, it became a battle: me vs. the house. i knew the house was hiding my phone. this was established by the fact that i placed it's last known sighting as being in my pants pocket at church on sunday morning. i know it couldn't have snuck out of my pants at church, because i tested the pocket with a similar sized object placed in it. and unless i had been shaken upside down for thirty seconds (something which i think i'd remember), then there was no way the phone would have fallen out of my pants. ok then. so since i drove straight home after church and didn't go anywhere yesterday, i must have taken it out of my pocket while in the house and set it down somewhere... where it is probably still currently residing. so after checking out the usual suspects, i move to the unusual ones: under my bed. inside the microwave. the silverware drawer. light fixtures.
you get the picture.
after my first hour of dismal failure, the house was winning. anybody who's ever been to vegas knows that the house always wins. play long enough, you never change the stakes. the house takes you. unless, when that perfect hand comes along, you bet big, then you take the house
(i've been waiting to use that line forever)
so insetad of "betting big," i developed a systematic approach. since i knew that the phone was in the house, i would go through the entire house room-by-room, examining every single spot where a phone could possibly fit or be placed, until i found it. brilliant idea. except... i didn't find it
d'oh.
our house isn't very large. there are only so many places a phone can hide. and i looked through every single one of them, of that i am thoroughly convinced. i did find eighty-three cents in change, so it wasn't a total loss. but still, no phone. i decide to pin the blame squarely on the shoulders of a covert team of canadian gremlins, operating undercover behind enemy lines. figures.
i had at this point worked up a sweat due to my feverish scrutiny of the entire house. so, i decided to take a shower. and as soon as i got in there, and reached for the shampoo, what did i see staring back at me from the shelf?
conditioner. big help that is. who washes out all the grease from their hair, only to put some right back into it? jeepers.
but as i cleared out the cobwebs from my head (literally and figuratively; there are some dark and dusty recesses in most houses that are best left to the spiders), i began to ponder the problem anew. and since i was now sure that it was not in the house, i started to think just where else it might be. maybe i had taken it out of my pocket while driving home from church and left it in the car? unlikely, but definitely a better possiblity than it still being in the house. so as soon as i was done showering, i threw on some clothes and ran out to the car, and there, sitting right between the seat and the door, was
my cell phone.
woot.
i did a little victory dance in the driveway, and almost slipped on the ice and died. at the very least, i provided some amusement for the otherwise forlorn-looking man walking slowly up the street. i think i heard a chuckle eminate from his general direction
and thus my saga ends. i felt triumphant and idiotic at the same time, if that's possible. but mostly glad to have found the phone. i win
there's probably some big lesson or moral that i should draw or illustrate or highlight from this story... but that's not my job.
for a lack of anything intelligent to say (nothing new there), i figured i'd do something different instead. so here it is:
ask me a question. anything you want
answers 100% guaranteed, or double your money back. really. all you have to do is actually leave a comment with a question, and sometime in the near future i'll answer it. so go ahead... try it
big plans for tonight: since the weather has finally gotten to be a little more winter-like, i'm planning on spending the night out on the back porch to see if my new sleeping bag performs as well as it's supposed to.
sleeping bag rating: good to 0 degrees weather forecast: overnight low of 12, with 20-30 mph winds
"We put these bags through the most rigorous field and lab testing there is – from military special forces in Alaska to the country's premier university testing labs. The outcome was clear: these bags offer unmatched performance in this price range. Top-quality insulation, state-of-the-art construction techniques and attention to even the smallest details ensure a good night's sleep – in any weather conditions."
urgent message for the snow gods: "hello, this is Maine. we only have an inch of snow, and it's supposed to be winter. could you maybe send us some more sometime soon? otherwise, we'll have to start importing it from overseas, like we do with pretty much every other product here in the states. and i'm sort of leery about chinese snow... it'll probably me made of cheap plastic. so if you could send us some real snow real soon, that'd be great. thanks."
i know that "funny warning labels" are a terribly cliched subject, but my dad passed along the link to this hilarious picture that just begged to be shared. classic
i actually saw the warning "caution: this product contains peanuts" on (get this) ajar of peanuts last week when i was in target. yikes "no... really? there's peanuts in here? dangit, where's my epipen?" but that made me think: what if you were allergic to peanuts and also blind? you wouldn't be able to read all of the "caution: this product may contain peanuts" warning labels, so you might accidentally eat a pbj sandwich or something like that. maybe they need to start putting warning labels on everything in braille, too. i mean, they have braille on the keypads of drive-up ATMs, so they should be able to put braille on product warning labels too, right?
Q. Why don't blind people go bungee jumping? A. Because it scares the heck out of the dogs
after a brief weekend hiatus, i resume the job hunt in earnest tomorrow. i have high hopes for this week. as in, "i really hope i get a job soon." it's not that i enjoy working that much more than i do notworking, but i miss things like (a) earning money, (b) being a productive member of society, and (c) not being an unemployed bum. although i must admit, (c) is sort of a constant... it just differs in degree from time to time
without work, here's usually what my day consist of:
sleeping
waking up
reading
playing loud music while taking a shower and singing
eating
thinking
looking for work
exercising
pretending to do important stuff on the computer
making lists of what i do when i'm not working
usually (1) will be followe by a prolonged attempt at (2). i really don't like (2). sometimes i'll be (4) and (5) right after i get out of bed in order to get an early start at (7), but more often than not i'll lead off the day with some (3) and then transition seamlessly into (5). if i'm going to be (4), i need to make sure i'm done with my voal harmonizing before mom gets home from work. otherwise it's just a little awkward. then i usually move on to a lengthy session of (6) about (7), often times while (9). this is usually frustrating, and i'll invariably end up (5) or, if it's nice out and i'm feeling spunky, (8). even if i'm not (5), i'm usually (6) about (5) most of the day. hence the need for some occasional (8). the day usually ends with me (3), while i can occasionally be found (10). then it's time for some more (1), so that i have enough energy to repeat the whole cycle the next day
it's a hard life, believe me.
dear peyton manning and mike vanderjagt, i hope this helps. (coupon for "one free heimlich procedure" included) it looked like you both needed it after your loss today. hope you have another great extended offseason. it's looking like we'll be able to join you for that 9 am tee time on february fifth after all. i know we've been unavailable for three of the past four years, but we're looking forward to being able to play some golf this time of year for a change. just don't miss the turn to the golf course... you're supposed to go straight ahead when you're only about 46 yards away from the clubhouse, but every now and then some idiot bears right at the intersection. go figure.
yes, patriots fans have been spoiled by success (three championships in four years will do that to you) yes, i have no right to complain. for once fate didn't go our way yes, it still hurts to lose
although i must admit... the broncos were the better team. best of luck to them
(just make sure indy doesn't win it all)
in case you didn't notice... i gave the page an overhaul. which is why it looks slightly different. thoughts? opinions?
i didn't even realize that it was friday the 13th until about an hour ago. blissfully oblivious... such is how i try and lead my life
i had an interview on thursday. it wasn't for an actual job, but i did get offered a very awesome (paid!) internship. so i'm pretty pumped about that. now i'm in the process of trying to figure out when exactly i can start my internship while still getting the credits that i need (now? summer? fall? who knows) as cheaply as possible. and, i still need to find some real work in the meantime. but nonetheless, it's nice to have that ever-elusive diploma seemingly within reach. at least for now.... until the s.p.c. realizes that they've been slipping as of late
andrew's answer to one of the questions i recently posed: "yes the lobster would eat you, because you ooze lobster stank from the lobsters you have eaten in the past." i never even considered the revenge factor. it's obvious now that lobsters could pose a serious threat to me whenever i venture into the ocean (unless i always arm myself with a stick of butter). and the phrase "you ooze lobster stank" made me laugh for about a half-hour straight. instant classic
i just had another realization: it's friday night, and i have nothing planned except doing some (more) reading. one of the benefits of being unemployed is that you have lots of free time. oh sure, i check for job postings online and in the papers, send out the occasional resume, and stuff like that. but i'm still left with vast quantities of free time. thus, i've been trying to get as much reading done as possible, not knowing how long this golden opportunity will last, or when it will arise again. even so, my life has dwindled down to a seemingly pathetic level of existence. i fit the stereotype of "unemployed 20-something still living at home" to perfection. it's disturbing at times... but then i just eat some more ice cream and pick up another book at the library
big game tomorrow night. and if you have to ask "what is it?", then don't bother asking
can a squirrel run faster than a human? they seem to be able to scamper around pretty fast. i was out for a run this afternoon, and i saw one cross the road in front of me at a pretty good rate of speed. and i got to wondering, if a squirrel (or squirrels) started chasing me, would i be able to outrun them? i hope so, but i'm not sure
if it's 50 degrees out and there's no snow on the ground in the middle of january, is it still winter? one definition i found described winter as this: "A period of time characterized by coldness, misery, barrenness, or death." let's see... coldness? no. misery? only when i try running after eating a double quarter pounder with cheese. barrenness? not so much. death? i saw some road kill, but i'm not sure that counts. so was it winter today? i'm not sure. it didn't seem like it... especially for the middle of january in maine, for crying out loud
is there such a thing as the boogie man?
who would win in a fight: batman or spider-man? i think spider-man would, because he actually has some superpowers... but i think that batman would give him a better run for his money than, say, the green goblin did
can you ride a giraffe?
if i had a million dollars, would i be a much different person than i am now?
if you're swimming in the ocean and you see a 40-lb lobster (the world record is 44 lbs), would it try to eat you? i know lobster's will eat fish and occasionally each other... but would one that big try and take on a human? i'd be more worried about one of those beasts coming after me than a shark
if llamas took up the bad habit of chewing tobacco, would they spit even more?
You thought the iPod was cool? Check out these new products
SAN FRANCISCO, California. Apple Computer (AAPL) has gone from has-been to must-have in the last few years, with their iPod becoming the King Kong of mp3 players,crushing it's competition at every turn. However, CEO Steve Jobs has never been one to be content with standing pat. Apple has become almost synonymous with innovation in the last five years, and this new release of products shows no signs of scaling down the company's grand ambitions.
Jobs annouced two new product lines in his keynote address at the annual Macworld conference in San Francisco earlier today: the iCar and the iHouse. Because of the company's famously tight-lipped approach towards revealing new products and upgrades, this latest slew of Apple technological advances took the convention by storm, and sent shock waves throughout the entire industry.
Here is a transcript of the last part of Steve Jobs speech at the Macworld convention, as he introduced Apple's latest innovative products:
Steve Jobs: "Thanks, thanks again. It's really great to come out here every year and see all of you. But it's even greater to be able to show to you for the first time our new products, because our engineers and developers have never been as excited about anything as they are about two new products I'm about to introduce to you. Let me introduce you to our first new innovation, Apple's first foray into the automobile industry, please feast your eyes on the all-new iCar!"
(iCar is driven onto stage. stunned silence from the audience, quickly followed by thunderous applause)
SJ: "My feelings exactly." (laughter) "We've sat by the side of the road for too long and watched other companies manufacture inferior products, when we knew in our hearts here at Apple that we could create a car for the people that would blow away the competition. So, we did." (standing ovation) "Let me tell you a little bit about this new vehicle we've crafted. It's four times as fast as any other car you can buy at a dealership. We believe that it's the fastest car ever created, with a top speed of over 500 mph." (gasps of shock and awe) "You're asking yourself, how can a car like this be safe? Won't it cause major accidents and deaths all across the highways of the world? Well I'm here to assure you that won't be the case. Thanks to the pre-loaded software installed in the car's navigation system, it's actually much less likely to crash than any car currently on the road today!"
(one person laughs out loud, followed by several seconds of silence. the audience realizes that he's not kidding, at which point they jump up and down and cheer so loudly that Pete Townshend, laying down some tracks at a studio in England, takes off his headphones and asks "What's that noise?")
SJ: "You won't even notice the fact that there aren't even any windows on this car, because your travel time will be cut down dramatically. The car does all the driving for you: all you do is start it up, tell it where to go, and next thing you know you're pulling into the driveway at work, the shopping center, your friend's house, you name it. And of course it is completely compatible with your iPod... assuming you have an iPod... Good lord, please tell me you all have iPods!"
(audience doesn't hear him at first, as they almost all have familiar white cords snaking from their ears to their pockets. but when he starts jumping around and screaming in his market-saturated delusional state, the audience responds in like manner)
SJ: "Whew. Got a little worried there for a second. Anyways, you can of course plug your iPod into your iCar, and listen to your favorite songs during your dramatically reduced travel time. We synced our iVideo and iCinema software with an in-car projector, so you can also watch movies during the drive. Although, quite frankly, you'd have to be going somewhere pretty far in order to be able to watch an entire movie. Which brings me to my next point: Because of our new battery-driven electric motor, you can drive the iCar from coast to coast across America, and never have to fill up once!"
(raucous cheering and stamping of feet)
SJ: "That's right, our newest battery design has a longer life than any of our other devices. Your iPod's battery will one day wear out (hopefully after it's warranty expires), but due to our new diamond-plated hydrogenized iPower system, your car's battery will probably outlast you! But we're working on that. (smiles) And our new scratch-resistant exterior will make sure that your iCar looks as good as the day you bought it for as long as you own it.
(half the audience applauds violently, the other half begins downloading the video feed of the speech onto their video iPods so they can figure out what everyone else is cheering about)
SJ: "I'm sure you all have hundreds of questions, but we'll have to wait and address those at the press conference directly following this speech. Because there's still one more product that we're waiting to unveil! I am extremely proud to be the first to introduce to you... the iHouse!"
(awkward silence as people look around for a house... then realize that he's holding it in his outstretched hand. the entire audience simultaneously explodes in thunderous applause, coming dangerously close to spontaneous combustion)
SJ: "Yes, it's hard to see at first, I know. When my engineers first brought this idea to the table, I thought they were crazy. But here, in my hand, lies the answer to the world's overpopulation and corresponding housing shortage. This iHouse, despite it's small size, is capable of comfortable housing 1,000 people." (shouts of "liar" and "i couldn't even fit my iPod Nano into that thing!" are heard in the crowd) "I know it seems implausible... but thanks to our new proprietary lossless compression system, we've essentially enabled the household to become as small and functional as your music player. Just don't forget to take it out of your back pcket before you sit down. (laughs to himself. a couple of broken Nano's are thrown onto the stage) I'm kidding, I'm kidding. But seriously, think of the potential. You don't need tons of land anymore: just a place to park your iCar, and a postage-sized parcel of land to build your house on. And you won't even have to build it, because all of our iHouses are completely assembled, right out of the box. All you do is order it, firmly secure it to your foundation, and you're good to go. It comes in three standard colors: black, white, and pink; and we're planning on producing a special-edition, commemorative U2 edition, with a stunning black and red combination!
(at mention of U2, crowd begins to warm to the idea. just then, Bono and the Edge walk out of the iHouse and materialize, in full form, on the stage. the crowd goes absolutely crazy. people pass out in the aisles. some fall to their knees and begin bowing and chanting. complete and utter pandemonium ensues when the Edge grabs a guitar out of the iCar still sitting on the stage and begins strumming the opening chords to "Beautiful Day.")
SJ: "Yes, it is a beautiful day. Not only for Apple, but also for the world. With the 1,000-person house selling for just $199,000, and the 2,000-person model retailing at just $299,000, you're looking at the ability to house thousands of people in a small space for less than $250 per person. So the time is swiftly approaching when people will have to choose between buying an iPod and buying living space in an iHouse. Except for the fact that they won't have to choose, because everyone in the world already has an iPod. Isn't that right, Bono?"
Bono (stops in the middle of singing and turns and looks at Steve Jobs): "No, Steve, that isn't right. In fact, right now, because of unfair trade practices, there are millions of children starving in Africa and across the globe. Half of the world's population lives on less than two dollars a day. The average child in Sierra Leone can expect to die before the age of 26 because of AIDS, war, or a host of other diseases or social injustices. In fact, I'm starting up a new organization called APPLE to help third-world countries in Africa and around the world. It stands for Awareness, Peace, Prosperity, and Life for Everyone. And Bill and Melinda Gates have already agreed to donate..."
(Bono is abruptly cut off, as he is accidentally run over by the computer-controlled iCar. an iAmbulance immediately drives onto the stage, and quickly loads him onto a stretcher and back off the stage. the Edge looks around for a few seconds, bewildered, but suddenly realizes that he doesn't have to listen to Bono's constant political chatter anymore. he celebrates by playing a few iPower chords, which causes the previously stunned-silent crowd to erupt once again into cheers)
Steve Jobs: "Let's give U2 a big round of applause, everyone." (big round of applause). "And I want to thank you all once again for coming out here to our annual convention. With our our fervent and rabidly loyal fans and supporters, Apple would have gone under long ago and would never have been able to develop the iPod." (audience gasps at the thought of having to listen to cd's or, heaven forbid, tapes, instead of their precious mp3's). "So it's because of all of you sitting in that audience that I have been able to stand here today and unveil these two new entries into our line of innovative Apple products. Thank you, and good afternoon."
(Steve exits the stage to thunderous applause. people immediately get out their laptops and utilize Google's free wifi service in san francisco to e-mail everyone they know about what they just saw. unfortunately, Google's services can only be accesed by using their own newly-developed web-browser, GoogleUniverse, which as luck would have it is incompatible with the 5% of the population who use Macintosh's software. the audience spontaneously chucks their iBooks into the bay, where they are all swept onto Angel Island. Clint Eastwood happens to find one on the beach and, having plenty of time on his hands, manages to load GoogleUniverse onto it. he promptly starts his own blog, titled "how to escape from alcatraz (and live)." )
1 random quote: "differentiating characteristics between llamas and alpacas are that llamas are larger and have more elongated heads." (wikipedia.com)
2 random pictures:
a lobster trap at sunset. no lobsters in it... i checked
2006 CUAPC Champion. yes, i'm immensely proud.
3 cd's on my ipod/in my car:
Apathetic EP, Relient K
The Everglow, Mae
Gimme Fiction, Spoon
4 things i would pay a hundred dollars for:
plane ticket to australia
a motorcycle
my own bookstore
an alpaca
5 weird quirks/facts about me:
mannikins really creep me out. whenever i'm in a department store, i always feel jumpy because i never know when i'm going to find one staring at me. the ones without heads aren't too bad, but those creepy mannikin faces... ugh. i did recently find out, though, that a mannaquin is a female model, and a manakin is a male one. intriguing. and there's probably five different spellings, all perfectly acceptable variations. those are today's random manikin facts
i count things. like stairs, letters, syllables, car headlights, all sorts of stuff. windows, light fixtures and ceiling tiles are prime candidates too. for some reason i always look for factors of four. it's weird and obsessive-compulsive, i know.
i used to be allergic to dish soap. really. nobody believed me for a while, but it'd make me break out and itch like crazy whenever i did the dishes. so, for a while, i was on medical leave from dishwashing duties at the house. i seem to have grown out of that particular malady in recent years though, which i guess is a good thing
i've watched muppets from space close to 20 times. and yes, that is sad.
my second toe is longer than my big toe. i don't know whether this is some weird genetic defect or if it's fairly common... but nevertheless it's true
in the economy of mercy, i am a poor and begging man in the currency of grace is where my song begins in the colors of your goodness, in the scars that mark your skin, in the currency of Grace is where my song begins...
cooked supper. we had chicken, rice, broccoli, and a nice salad. martha stewart would have been proud
watched the fantastic four. it was pretty lame, actually, but i figured it would be. entertaining at times, but it was made up of mostly predictable and overworked themes. still, i remember having a thermos with them on it back in the day, as well as a couple of coloring books with various superheros in them, including the fantastic four
listened to all these things that i've done by the killers about a dozen times. literally. it's an amazing song by an amazing group, and it's wicked awesome. i probably should just buy the whole album, but instead i keep stumbling on singles of theirs that i find myself becoming infatuated with. like this one
finished up my resume. it's not a bad idea to have one when you're looking for a job, especially when you tell someone "i'd be happy to send you my resume if you're interested," and they say "ok, go ahead." nothing like a little pressure to make sure it gets finished. under the "skills" section of it, i was so tempted to put "proficient in using numchuks as well as bow hunting. also an accomplished computer hacker," but i thought better of it. even those are some pretty sweet skills. after all, girls only want boyfriends who have great skills
ate popcorn and went to bed. that's what i'm going to do right now
this is pretty much the most gorgeous picture ever...
i wish i could say that i took it, but i didn't. i found it in a collection of lighthouse photos at mainetoday.com. but nevertheless, i've been to that lighthouse (bass harbor light, on mt. desert island) a couple of times so that has to count for something.
i just realized that it's 2006. whoa. i was doing something at the bank and writing down the date and i had to stop and think for a second about what year it was. so yeah... 2006. the last half of 2005 was so amazingly stellar (and the first part of this one even more so) that the rest of the year will have it's work cut out to live up to expectations.
still no job, although things are looking slightly more promising in that general theme. more on that later.
i'm not the sort of person to make all sorts of crazy new year's resolutions for several reasons: (a) i most likely won't live up to any of them, (b) i probably would forget all about them within a week or two (in fact, maybe i did make some resolutions but have forgotten them already. a distinct possibility), and (c) i like to think on broad scales... which is why i have my master list of 50 things i want to do before i die. i've been trying to target a few items for special attention every year. last year was a banner year, as i crossed off two items (skydiving and whitewater rafting), came closer to completing a few others (like visiting all fifty states... now only have kansas, iowa, nebraska, and hawaii left to go), and realized that some items are going to be alot harder to complete than i originally thought. but that's ok... i enjoy a challenge.
i also realized that it was pretty limiting to keep the list at just 50, so instead of trying to replace items on it with more worthwhile entries, i've decided to allow the list to expand. it's currently standing at 54, with the recent addition of a few items.
anyways, here's a few i'm going to target for this year. i'm not putting this up here to try and pump myself up, or make myself look good for having lofty intentions... rather i know that i'm likely to wimp out and not get anything done, so i figure a little bit of pressure and accountability can't hurt. so here's my short list of things i plan on at least attempting to accomplish this year:
graduate from college
fly a kite
give blood
go to a red sox game at fenway park
own a motorcycle
some other miscellaneous personal/character type goals which will remain mysterious and unidentified to the public, but are no less important
you're probably thinking, what sort of guy is this who hasn't graduated/ flown a kite/ gave blood/ gone to a red sox game? i dunno. the important thing to me isn't that i haven't done them yet... but that i will. eventually, anyways. hopefully sooner rather than later (especially the college one)
so there. i'm at 6 out of 54 right now (11%), and if i manage to knock off one or two every year i should be good to go. i guess i better get started... but not right now. time to watch some college football first
i don't know. it's hard to describe. you'd have had to be there to understand why it was what it was. anyways, a brief recap:
Friday: picked mark up from the manchester airport sometime around 11. drove back, showed him around southern maine a little bit (old orchard beach, portland head light, etc) then trekked back home. ate supper, then went up to ll bean, where i finally got my sleeping bag that my folks had given me some christmas money for. so i was pretty pumped about that. mark picked up a nice fleece blanket that was bright yellow (of course). and it was morning and evening, the first day.
Saturday: woke up a little after 7. most of the morning was spent cleaning up the house, getting things organized and generally ready for the massive influx of people. went over to the church sometime after noon to get stuff set up over there, and then everybody showed up at the house sometime right around 2. i forget exactly when, because the whole weekend sort of got blurred together. anyhow, some people dropped their stuff at the house, while others were slated to stay at a nearby motel. their was a slight snafu at the motel when they (a) said they only had reservations for one room, (b) were trying to charge much more than the rooms had been reserved for, and (c) were generally unhelpful in resolving the situation. so since it was past lunch time, we got everybody over to the church for the grand feast that my mom had prepared for everyone, and then ben and i went back over to the motel to try and get things straightened out (which eventually did happen, but not without further drama).
meanwhile, back at the church, there was probably 20+ people hanging out and eating. 14 total drove out from ohio/pennsylvania/new york/connecticutt/michigan + plus a few friends from the portland area + me and my family = big time fun. food was awesome, but it was even greater to see everybody. i was making a timeline of who i hadn't seen in the longest... and it ranged from mark and ben (year and a half at least, maybe more) to matt and liz (just about a year exactly) to dave, luke, anna, kim, and kristin (1-2 months). anyways it'd been way too long for everyone, and it was superb to have the whole gang back together, with some other additions (mostly friends of ben's from various places).
after supper most people crashed for a nap... the majority of the gang had left ohio at around midnight on friday, so they'd been on the go for awhile. i wasn't really tired so i stayed up, hung out and played some games with whoever happened to be awake throughout the evening, shuttled people back and forth between the motel and the house, and got stuff ready to go for the hike.
new year's was actually pretty bland. we sat around in the living room and counted down to the new year, but most everyone was so tired that it sounded hilariously pathetic. you had to be there
Sunday: it was snowing. which probably should have tipped us off that the weather wouldn't be favorable for a sunrise, but ben is not the kind of guy to be deterred by something as simple (and possibly wrong) as a weather report. so we packed up and rocked out by around 1 AM. luke and matt stayed back at the motel... they were both still pretty beat from the drive out, and didn't relish the idea of going through the long drive and hike in the cold just to not see a sunrise, when they could not see a sunrise while sleeping. can't say as i blame them all that much.
we made it out to bar harbor without any trouble, and got started on the hike a little before 5 AM. it was still pretty overcast, but at that point we weren't going to back away from the challenge. so we hiked. and it was cold, and everyone was tired, and it was a long hike for that early in the morning (five miles one way), but everyone made it (alive, even). and we had hot chocolate and blankets to stave off the cold, which helped but not enough. especially since we were pretty much in a cloud... visibility was probably less than five hundred feet.
so, technically, we didn't see the sun rise. but, the sun did rise, and we were at the first spot in the U.S. that would be able to see it, so that counts for something. plus it was a pretty crazy-fun adventure. and everyone (13 hikers total... a lucky number) made it up and back safely. which was a blessing, for sure.
got back to the house for lunch... mom had tons of stuff for sandwiches, as well as some chili and leftovers from the day before. so it was a pretty superb spread. i was pretty much eating off and on the entire afternoon and evening, since i hadn't really eaten since around 4 on saturday. most everyone crashed for some hard-core naps after lunch, except for luke and matt who were fairly well rested. so they hung out at the house and we conducted our second annual cedarville university alumni poker championship (the CUAPC). luke was trying to defend his title and retain the t-shirt he had won the previous year, but he was unable to overcome my generally solid play, as both he and then matt eventually bowed out, leaving me as the 2006 champion. i think the home-court factor may have helped a bit, but who knows. at any rate, it was wicked good to just be sitting around, playing games, and having a grand time in general. felt just like the old days back at college
sunday evening everyone left, right around 10 PM. well, everyone except for mark, who didn't fly out until the next day. then on monday i dropped him back off at manchester, and it was back to square one. i finally got some sleep sunday night... after pulling a 40-hour marathon without any (7am saturday - 11pm sunday). but surprisingly, i never felt very tired at all... which i felt was a real blessing, as it let me take advantage of what little time i had to see everyone
i was more than a little sad on the drive back from the airport monday afternoon... i mean, it was such an amazing weekend, but it was so short. and it's always hard to say goodbye to the people you care the most about, because you never know how long or when you'll be able to see them again. and i have the absolute best friends in the world, who are also insane enough to drive all the way out to maine for less than a 36-hour stay in the state.
miss you guys.
but i was thinking about the weekend while driving back home, and i guess it sort of dawned on me that it was a sort of bittersweet taste of heaven. bitter because it was short, and everyone eventually had to leave and go their seperate ways without knowing when we'd see each other again. sweet because it was just so great to see everyone, and to just start up again like nothing had changed since our days back at cedarville. and i guess that's one of the things about heaven that i can identify with to some extent with while here on earth: the chance to see old friends, make new ones, relive our past memories and make new ones, and to feel the blessing of God on us the entire time. it was just a taste of what's to come, but a very poignant one. so it was short, and it was sad to see everyone go...
but we made the most of the time we had. and in the end, you can't ask for anything better than that. and it was the best.new years.ever.
i'm still in sleep recovery mode (went 40 straight hours without sleep at one point)... so i think i'm going to go get some more shut-eye in the near future. like, pretty much right now
thanks to ben liz luke anna kristin grace dave kim matt mark matthew lisa edmund neil for making the trek out to maine. you all rock and you made my entire year.
