Wednesday, November 30, 2011

My Friend Patrick Williams is a Scientist

While most of the world is trying to figure out which brand of teletubbies they love the most my friend was hard at work completing his degree in Chemistry to fulfill his lifelong dream of dissecting plants to see if we could find any real sources of fuel in them.  Even though he is failing miserably and nuclear is still by far the best; he persists at his work and I've decided to take some time and tell you how awesome he is because every once and a while humility is a good thing to experience.

Have you ever tried to write down why you think someone is amazing. It usually goes something like...they are smart and funny and have patience with me and are so good looking. They always know what to say yada yada yada. I'd like to focus my energy instead today describing one simple aspect of my friend Patrick that makes him more amazing and that one simple thing is responsibility. Now whether you're wearing depends on not, we can all appreciate people who are responsible. Patrick graduate with honors in a difficult major, married the girl he loved for a long time, has a steady job, and goes to it everyday without fail.

There's a lot about Patrick that I love. He's a fanatic for sports and his team, the St. Louis Cardinals, the best baseball team to ever play baseball, just won the World Series of Poker last month. (Not the world series of Poker sorry...but the one that came after the World Series of Poker) He also enjoys discussing politics, which is important if you're going to tolerate me for any of five minutes. Patrick also is on time when he goes places and is a man of his word.

This blog isn't to tell you something that you didn't already know because you probably don't know or care about Patrick. This blog is to tell you that being extraordinary sometimes is really just about being responsible. Because these days being responsible is very extra ordinary.  love. war.

Things to think about:
-Is it greedy to want more money.
-Is there any unbiased information.
-Can you talk about issues without having a doctorate.
-Do people silence you because they don't like your opinions.
-Tim Tebow/John Jones
-You could be amazing too

Things to watch:
Take a ride x-country
Idiots exist

Thinks to look at:
Your team sucks
Free to die

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Gluten Gluttons Parish in Time for Challenge

The gluten challenge is over and as you expected I lost nine pounds four ounces. This comes to no surprise to most people who know that Jesus is the bread of life and since Jesus compared himself to bread it must be a pretty important part of our digestive system; as shown by my one month nine pound four ounce weight loss. (not to be confused with Will Smith's Seven Pounds, a documentary where Smith loses seven pounds by not eating anything supersized at McDonalds)

There was a minor slip up with some gluten-full soy sauce and while I am to blame I'd like to put the real blame, as all good friends like to do, on my best friend Ryan, whom at no fault of his own, suggested we partake in eating at this sushi place close to where he goes to school. I indulged my appetite and stabbed my wallet for a split-second and find myself in Amber's apartment cleaning everything from shoe board to popcorn ceiling. This was because I lost a bet with her on who would eat gluten first. I did, accidentally, but I fessed up and got to cleaning. And because I wish not to make this blog not apply to just the handful of important people that I call my friends I'll highlight the pros and cons of this thing Celiacs have learned to call home....

THE GLUTEN FREE DIET.

Yes yes it was rather difficult deciding what I could eat and what I couldn't. I spent the first 6 or 7 days learning what contained gluten and what didn't. I was very hungry these first 6 or 7 days. But I didn't let hunger get the best of me. The hardest part about not eating gluten is that things have gluten in them that you wouldn't expect...like french fries...hello potato...welcome to the Celiac diarrhea list. Other things on the celiac hit list are lots of chips, tortillas (said in spanish accent), and almost everything...save meat and fruits and vegetables...but who eats those. GIVE ME WHOLE WHEAT BABY.

So here are the pros and cons.

Pros:
-lose weight
-can justify eating a bad of Doritos in one sitting

Cons:
-can't eat wheat
-can't eat anything good

While there are lots of more serious pros and cons I can add to this list I'd like to simply say that if you don't have Celiacs disease there is absolutely no reason why you shouldn't eat wheat products. All month I wanted a sandwhich. All that being said the gluten free diet isn't that hard. There's imitations of almost everything out there now. There was gluten free pancakes, chips, and really nasty macaroni and cheese brought to you by



"Annie's Homegrown Totally Natural Nasty Crap." Despite the name I gave it a try and to my delight they weren't wrong.

The point of the challenge was to see if I could do it. I did it...piece of cake (no you can't eat cake)...now on to the next challenge: get your heart rate up for at least 30 minutes a day. Goodbye fried rice, hello weight gain. Love. War.




Things to think about:
-being a part of the challenge
-heaven and hell
-Herman Cain being at the top
-Being truly honest with people
-Thinking "and I'm a Mormon is very stupid."

Things to watch:
-Crazy crap about hell

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

You said BFF...WTF

You've had a friend in the past. They were a pretty good friend. They liked you and you liked them. You felt that you could tell them important personal information about you and the feeling was mutual. Over time you started to grow apart and started to not talk to each other as much. You're not sure if it's your fault or theirs but you just know it happened.

There are a couple things I'd like to talk about for just long enough for you to read them all. The first one is friendship; what it means to me, what it should mean, and why most people suck at it. The second is loyalty; to your friends, and their loyalty to you.

The friends I've made in the past I care about...a lot.  Like a song I loved in middle school. I still love the song but it's in a different way. I don't listen to Five Hundred Miles on repeat anymore but I still love the song. Without my friends I'd be miserable and probably dead.

I have lots of friends. I have older friends, younger friends, liberal friends, Christian friends. Friends that act like retards and ones that act smart. One great thing about friendship is that you're not married to the person...you can quit the friendship at any time. Sometimes it's necessary but rarely do I feel this.

The main reason I believe that most people suck at friendship is because first...they are selfish. You want a friend if it is good and convenient for you. As soon as it's not good for you you don't care about the person anymore.  The second is that they feel that the other person doesn't want to be friends with them...doesn't care...and has moved on.  If you're the friend that has moved on, shame on you. If you're the other friend I'm sorry that people suck.

My father tells me that no matter how close you are with your friends, how many blood brothers you've initiated, and how many times you've cried in front of each other, that you'll grow apart. I can see this in many an adults life. How many older people do you know don't have any friends? Is that a joke...

Chances are that you've had friends in the past that you really care about and now you don't talk to them anymore. This is LAME. What every happened to loyalty. People grow apart it's true...and it's okay...what's not okay is leaving someone in the dust. You know if you've done it. It's time to correct it. Having loyalty is doing what it takes to ensure the person your friends with knows you've got their back. Ride or Die. Pick a side and be committed.

Take some time and catch up with an old friend. Not having enough time is not an excuse. Do some soul searching and get deep with them.

Spending time with your significant other is important but second to spending time with God.

The third relationship, in ranking order, is a close race between your enemies and your friends. Love is the key. Stop being selfish and reach out to someone you used to love. Chances are they'll reach back...if they don't direct them to this blog...or you can give me a call...I'll do my best to give you some advice.

Lastly, stop being afraid of being hurt. Take some chances and get your heart broke. At least you were being a good friend. Isn't being a good friend more important than self preservation?


Clark: Yeah, but I will have a degree, and you'll be serving my kids fries at a drive-thru on our way to a skiing trip.
Will[smiles] Yeah, maybe. But at least I won't be unoriginal.



 love. war.


Things to think about:
-We spend too much time debating. Howard Roark for president
-People say there's no reason to ever hit a woman. Is that true?
-Checking your credit.
-Getting out of debt sucks.
-Crossing the line

Things to watch:
Grinding the Crack
The music video
Wilfred

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

The Best Clothing Company in the World...and Not a Slight Bit Slutty


When I was thirteen years old I started a clothing company. It was your average clothing company started by a thirteen year old. But the company really started when I was nine and in the 4th grade. I started to doodle the name of my future company on my binders and notebooks. My friend Kyle was big into drawing so I had him design me a pair of Yonks shoes that I was going to make someday. The extent of my clothing company knowledge was a little less than what the average person knows about supply-side economics.

My dad knew a guy who printed on some tees so I made a design, took it to him, pulled together $200 from my KFC work money, and launched the greatest clothing company in the world. My goal...to be on the backs of 1 in every three people...in the world. I know I know I should of set my goals higher. The first design was nothing amazing but yet people started to buy the stupid white shirts with red letters. The front said Yonks clothing co with my logo and the back had my logo even bigger and underneath said Sknoy...which if you haven't figured it out by now is Yonks backwards. I was pretty creative when I was thirteen. I instantly became, "that tee-shirt guy."

After I sold all those I came out with another shirt. This time geared more towards ladies, the real clothing shoppers, and then another and another and another. By the time I was a senior in high school I had two investors, one salesman, a handful of articles in the school newspaper written about me, a legit website, and girls from every grade rocking my tees...and, of course, a crap load of people who knew me as "that tee-shirt guy."

Into college I continued running my company taking off a semester of college every year to run Yonks full-time. My friend Bryan started helping me design the clothes and by this time I was only making woman's clothing and I had some real awesome crap. As you can see from the intro pic. Black sleeveless hoody with two-tone lime green lines.  I lived, breathed, and ate Yonks Clothing. I had a photographer, a model, a web designer, a graphic designer, a salesman, and brought my brother on to handle the money side of the business...all working for me for free. (all of whom I owe a great debt of gratitude) I eventually was in five stores in three different states, girls everywhere rocking my gear. "This is my friend Page, he owns Yonks clothing." "Oh you're that tee-shirt guy. I've heard of you." I'd look at them and say...I do make tee-shirts.

Nine years had passed...and I gave it all up...never to be "that tee-shirt guy again."

For nine years of my life people knew me as a tee-shirt guy. I never saw myself as that.  I saw myself as Page: the fun loving, spontaneous, good friend, let's find ways to break the rules, kid. I always wondered if a tee-shirt guy really encapsulated me. As if to say oh John you're that retard. I'm not a retard, I'm just a person who happens to be retarded. But that doesn't define me. "Oh you're that orphan Sam." "Oh you're that crazy girl Sarah" "Oh you're that slut Jenny." I know all about you.

As if the one thing we've done defines everything that we are. 

Having been out of the tee-shirt game for three years now I look back at Yonks as a very interesting time in my life. It was with me the majority of my adulthood. Even though that's true Yonks isn't who I am. This is who I am...
A man looking to spread the love of Jesus to the four corners of the Earth.

and if you don't understand that maybe you have some soul searching to do. love. war.

Things to think about:
-Who is a wedding reception for: the guests, or the married?
-Should a woman break up with a man over video game playage?
-What can't you live without?
-Bryan Costello is an awesome graphic designer.
-Contra dancing.

Things to watch:

Friday, July 15, 2011

You Said, "I Do" Forever...Now How Do You Get Out of It?

Recently I've been making these faces to my friends. You know the squinty-eyed eyebrows come down and your mouth curls are you serious face. And this face is followed by the begging question: Are these people serious?

I've recently connected with a couple of friends that I was friends with a long time ago and I wanted to share something blazingly obvious and peculiarly annoying. The brilliantly obvious is that people don't change. I've heard it before from thousands of boring, thoughtless people and I agree with the premise but disagree with the conclusion. People don't change...but people can change. The parculiarly annoying thing is that people do change but sometimes it's not for the better. It's peculiar because I just assumed everyone's changing for the better. And it's annoying because they think they are.

This road of life we're ask to find ourselves. Someone somewhere along the line has asked us to ask ourselves who we really are; what our likes and dislikes are, how we think, why we think the way we do, and a whole lot of other useless garbage in the middle. My uncle told me once you shouldn't get married till 30 because you don't know yourself till then. I love my uncle but I disagree with him. (Though I speak from ignorance I feel it's reasoned and semi-educated ignorance (the best kind)) Getting married isn't about knowing who you are but rather knowing who you'd die for. Once you know that you'd give up every thing to be with someone it doesn't matter that you like vanilla ice cream and despise watermelon chocolate ice cream. You just eat the watermelon chocolate because you love.  And loving is the most important.

I'm reminded of the When Harry Met Sally quote: "I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible." 

And while I wasn't intending this blog to be a marriage blog I guess it's just turned into one. Marriage is hard as hell and as rewarding as the spoils of war. Raising children is equal to it. But how we should act in our marriage, men, is how Christ acted in life. He died for the thing he loved. us. If you're thinking about divorce, there was a time in your marriage you were willing to for them.

I'd like to be the someone along your road of life that doesn't ask you to find yourself because once you find yourself you'll realize you were looking for the wrong thing. What it is about is finding other people. Other people are there, I swear they are and they need you.

So we come back to my friends and the change thing. My friends are great. They love but there's this sense of "who I am" that is frustrating them. Finding your identity does matter, don't get me wrong, but finding your identity isn't done by looking for it. Because when you look for your identity in the world you end up divorcing your spouse. Can you make the connection on your own or do I have to draw it for you?

I'll leave you with this simple conversation I had with a very simple girl today. She's 5.

Page: Mackenzie, it's not good to be selfish.
Mackenzie:  I want to watch yo gabba.
Page: Do you know what being selfish is?
Mackenzie: No.
Page: It's when we only think about ourselves.
Mackenzie: (laughing) That's a good thing.

When we try to find who we are we're being selfish like 5-year-old Mackenzie. It took me years of looking for myself to realize this. Love God and Love your neighbor as yourself. All that matters fall on these two commandments. All the rest is your insecurities that should just go away. love. war.

Things to think about:
-google+
-You can always find a better wife
-Being broke. literally without money. what do you do?
-Ron Paul
-What finger you should wear a ring on? (The pointer finger is the worst)
-natural blondes vs red heads

Things to watch/listen to:
-Listened to non-stop for 3 days
-It's Dancy Dance time

Thursday, June 9, 2011

The Smell of Past Lovers Tortures the Heart

The problem with love is giving yourself over to it and in return being burned by the butt you were smoking yourself. A pathetic excuse for not partaking in drunken indulgence of love to come. One might say they're looking for love in all the wrong places but one's love looks in any place it knows best and sometimes it's best happens to be wrong. But more frequently I've found that one's best is usually a great place to start when the quest isn't quenched from what has been found in the past. I've loved a lot and the unspeakable words to past lovers never do justice the feelings in ones heart...because the lovers have found other goblets to drink; goblets much larger and golden than mine.

Come back to me intoxicating aroma of the past. The perfume teases with vanity. If but one more kiss could remind you of the laughter we once showed to crippled vagabonds in the streets. Homeless drifters in search of the story they once heard. As if their next fix could come through a simple pacifist memory. Love they shout from their juxtapose angle with the sidewalk. War I yell back begging them not to remind me of their gay memories. It isn't hate but a desire for the warm touch that swells through and through. And then I breath. You can't drown your sorrows in anything if there's nothing in the cabinet. And so this melon collie drifts on and on into eternal sorrow, begging to be picked up by the boots and forced back to labor. I'll pick myself up when I'm good and ready. But for now self-loathing is doing the trick that liquor could never. Never does the Bible talk about forgiving yourself but sometimes we have to do things that the Bible doesn't talk about in order to move on. love. war. 

Things to think about:
If this isn't real than death shouldn't hurt

Things to watch:
Californication

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Pursuing Jesus and Other Important Shit

I have a bike. It's a sweet little number; a Trek 500 worth about five hundred smackers. I've been commuting to work, back and forth like a metronome. The ride to work is fast and strenuous with my back soaked with loads of my Godly, smelly sweat. The ride home is a glorious, post midnight, trek with myself and the drunks. It's a calm, slow and steady peddled four mile journey to Weather Ridge road; clear light blinking in the front warning others of the immediate danger, red lights blinking in the back giving the drunks a one in three shot of taking out their target.

It's these twenty minute rides that help bring some perspective to my feeble, vaporesque life. I find myself asking questions like: what's the point? What's the point of reading countless articles about the Obama administration's lack of understanding international politics? What's the point of love?

Tomorrow is my last day at Hams and everyone is asking me what I'm going to do now. What's my future look like? Why am I balding? Why's there a hole in your shirt?

When you're riding a bike you can put your head down between your arms and hear the sweet sound of the chain connecting with 20 mile per hour efficiency; a slow hum that reminds you why you're doing what you're doing. It's a sound that you could only understand the emotions behind if heard. It brings my head back to Earth. Simplicity.

I don't bike to work to save the Earth; the Earth doesn't need saving and I'm incapable of doing any saving of something so big, something that God controls. I bike to work to hear that sound; a sound that is only beaten by the whisper of a loved one in the ear.

I haven't read the Bible in a couple months...but I did quote it in an interview I had yesterday. I quote the Bible in every interview I have with every important hiring manager thinking about hiring me. Yesterday I quoted my favorite scripture from Proverbs. It's mad legit and never ceases to amaze me. He asked me what my favorite animal is and I said the Lion...because...

"There are three things that are stately in their stride, four that move with stately bearing: a lion, mighty among beasts, who retreats before nothing; a strutting rooster, a he-goat, and a king with his army around him."

Who retreats before nothing. What are you retreating from right now? What is it that you're afraid of? Goodness. To be in such a place emotionally where you retreat from nothing. Not out of pride per say but rather out of a conviction that what you're pursuing is right...and just.



So...what is right and just? Get on my bike for a minute and I'll show you. love. war.




Things to think about:
-A six pack of Yuengling and a pack of camel 99's.
-Your best friend and the reasons you love them.
-The 2012 presidential race.
-"God damn" isn't as bad as people think it is.
-I didn't brush me teeth at all today.

Things to watch:
I pray my daughter is this awesome
They should still be able to advertise
Wish he was still alive

Monday, April 4, 2011

Brilliance Wreaked Havoc on the Few; Ignornace on the Masses


I'm not brilliant.

I've been wanting to be the type of person that can make a list. Best this or most that. A list like this. You'll never make the list. This should disappoint you considerably as it does me. I've taken some time of considerable thought to figure out why it is that I desire to make such a list.

When I see men, influential men, who people look up to, who people respect, I have this feeling that I want to be those men. They drive cars that have heat and good sound systems, wear suits that cost more than $15, and know what they're doing in life. Men who have good wives and whose kids play soccer.  Who laugh.


I have this thought that if I make such a list God will look at me differently; as a important person. 

Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts.  But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”


She put in everything she had. All she had to live on. Does this bother you?

Most of the men that are on the above linked list are brilliant men. I'm not brilliant. But in the place of brilliance I substitute curiosity and discontentment which has brought me to where I am now; curious and discontent.

I've come to realize that the men that I look up to aren't necessarily the people that God looks up to. And I look up to a lot of really great men. I've come to realize that the meek will inherit the earth. That blessed are the poor in spirit.  A good deal of the way I look at people comes from this worldly belief that God cares about power and success.  How are you looking at people? I'll lite up a cigarette while you think. love. war.

Things to think about:
-Menthol vs non
-Ben and Jerry's $1 singles in the grocery.
-Wanting more out of life than you ever thought. 
-Rules. Which ones you can break without guilt.
-Picking up people that need rides.
-Being up front with the lover that you love.
-What you are giving the people around you. 


Things to read:
The sermon on the mount


Things to listen to:
The still quiet voice.

Friday, March 25, 2011

I Kissed a Girl...Well Actually She Kissed Me

Sixty kids all running around. "Spin me Page, spin me." I pick them up by the hands and twirl them around till I can't walk straight, regaining my composer and doing it again. I go as fast as I can and them laughing the whole time. My friend Haley once said, "I just want to love them and so I hold them for hours at a time because maybe they haven't ever had anyone hold them." Haley's better at loving kids than I am but I've applied her attitude to spinning kids.

I walk in the gym and she runs up to me, "Page, Page, I missed you." Her long, wild black hair unbrushed for days. I pick her up, "Hey Marissa. I missed you too." Her little body fitting perfectly in my arms, never wanted to let her down. "Now go back and sit with all the other kids like you're suppose to." During direction time I scout the kids looking for a couple that I love more than the rest, making sure they're there.

David, who's dad is an alcoholic, shooting a basketball with one hand because he's too short and too weak to do it with one. Quiet and unassuming but gets that little smile in the corner of his mouth when you tell him the hearts that he's drawing are awesome. Leslie, the self assured 10 year old who tells it like it is; attitude and all. Josh, my main man, rambunctious with the Mohawk, who just likes to kick balls with his friends as long as he can. His little legs carrying him slower than I was at his age, with the biggest grin on his face. I look at Marissa, my favorite, and ask God to bless her life.

Lord protect this child from men wanting to abuse her body. 
Lord watch over this child like you watch over the ones you love and lead her to understand your ways. 
Lord help her not to give herself over to the first man that wants a piece of her. 
Lord help her parents love her at home and not abuse her. 
Show me how to communicate my love towards her. 

"Page can we play sharks and minnows today?" She looks up at me with her brown eyes holding on to my legs. I rub her head and tell her I'd love to. I dominate in sharks and minnows, the reason I want to play. I'm faster than all the kids.

She doesn't follow the rules; when being tagged by a shark, she continues to be a minnow. I tell her to follow the rules but she says...I want to be a minnow. She's wild. She does what she wants and I'm protective as hell towards her. It's a hard thing to do to be impartial but I look at Marissa like my own daughter and I'll spin her till I vomit if she feels the love I have towards her.

People spend time doing things that I think are a waste of time: video games by yourself, reality TV till your eyes bleed, endless facebooking, sleeping. In a effort to make my time valuable I go to hang out with these kids from 3-6 on my days off. An after-school program unlike any other...allowing children to be children and not drug addicts.

I bent down and looked Marissa in the eyes and told her to listen to the people that tell her what to do. She looks at me and smiles and kisses me. I feel warmth and love and fear. "Marissa, don't kiss me anymore okay." The affection of a child is the purest most amazing thing. Safe. I just desire for her and all the other kids to be safe. I volunteer because they are safe at this program. Safe to laugh, get spun, and kiss a leader now and again to show their appreciation.

The days that I go to the after-school program are long. Three hours can wear any energetic 25 year old out but I look forward to them every time I leave. But I praise God for the opportunity to serve him and these children in this way. It's one thing to waste your time but it's another to waste your time when there's kids out there to love...right here in our backyard. love. war.

Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe to stumble, it would be better for him if, with a heavy millstone hung around his neck, he had been cast into the sea. - Jesus

Things to think about:
-taste, touch, sight, smell, hear...which is the best?
-Going camping with me for my birthday.
-2012 Presidential election
-Duke and the ACC vs UConn and the Big East.
-Wisconsin's public workers debate.

Things to read
A piece of land to give up Social Security
Nation of Dropouts

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Before he was Chuck Norris...he was WALKER, Texas Ranger!


I'm contemplating settling the Lone Star state. And, while I know that the great state of Texas has already been settled, it still lacks a certain man that goes by my name. This wouldn't be that big of a move for me  being that I just got back from Seoul and before that Prague...but that's not the point. My happenings around the world don't interest me much and should, therefore, equally not interest you. Been there, blogged that.  The point isn't whether this is a big move or not but is this a move that should be made?


I've been to Texas once before. It was on a road trip that I took with Luke Logan. The one man that is the craziest man I know. At the time we were not adolescences but not men either. It was the summer of my sophomore year at App State and Luke had family in Petaluma  that he wanted to spend time with during the summer. I, a worthy road mate, decided that taking a cross country road trip was something long past due in my tenure as a human and so we set out. Eating one Oreo a piece for every state we crossed, we finally arrived in Texas. Skipping loads of amazing, blog worthy stories, I take you to Marshall. Now Marshall wasn't your average hitch hiker and it's safe to say that he wasn't safe. But not picking him up wasn't an option.


Luke: Okay I don't have many goals for this road trip other than three things.
Page: All right let's hear them.
Luke: I want to get to Petaluma.
Page: All right.
Luke: I want to do lots of things we've never done before.
Page: Good.
Luke: And I want to pick up a hitch hiker.
Page: Awesome.


Hours outside of Fort Worth, after spending a couple days with my lover’s wife and family, we see the thumb, the clothes, and the face of Marshall Hitch Hiker, not to be confused with Herschel Walker,



Or Walker Texas Ranger,



or Stranger Danger. Which I wasn't aware of.


Marshall didn't speak much. And when I say he didn't speak much I mean he spoke maybe 5 words the entire ride to El Paso. From the backseat of the car I could see Marshall in the side view mirror and his face went from steady to smiling to almost a laugh and back again to straight every minute for the next 2 hours we drove. By the time we got to El Paso it was dark and we decided to look around the town. I explained to Marshall what we were doing and he seemed to understand. He followed us 50 ft behind everywhere we explored. I was assuming Marshall would sleep with us now that we were like the Three Amigos, traveling the open frontier. Luke told me, as Marshall trailed, he didn't think it would be smart for Marshall to spend the night with us...in our tents...in the middle of nowhere. I told Luke that God would protect us and giving this guy some hospitality might be what he needed...Luke disagreed. Not wanting to get in an argument with my dear friend, I politely explained to our tear-drop-tattoo-faced friend that we weren't going any further and he couldn't sleep with us. He got his bag and walked away without a word. I'll always love that crazy man. And while it's obvious that Luke read the book Stranger Danger and I hadn't at that point I always wonder what would have happened had Marshall shared the tent with us that night. I'd probably not be writing you now. But...


This story doesn't help me try to decide whether or not I should move to Austin but it seemed unbelievably relevant to explain to you the type of people that I've met in Texas before you're able to make an accurate decision and give me sound wisdom with irreproachable objectivism.  Of course much of my decision is based on whether I can convince someone to employ me with this $50,000 degree that everyone told me I should get. If I'm able to do that it's safe to say I'll be in the Texas militia in no time. Love. War.


Things to think about:
-Chuck Norris can sit while standing
-If Chuck Norris ever roundhouse kicked you in the face, you could never turn the other cheek because you'd be dead.
-When Chuck Norris is thirsty he drinks a pint of peanut butter.

Things to watch:

Things to read:

Things I'm reading:

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

You Call it Being a Waiter...I Call it Loving People Who Love Food

I'm back...Steven Tyler screams out of the 30 some odd melodious sound wave pushers screwed into the ceiling. I sweep the carpet at the end of the night with aching in my feet, 65 bucks in my smelly, light blue jeans, and a song thumping it's way into annoying repetitive overdrive. I'm back...My head contemplates a few things: why we use a broom to sweep carpet, how I got to be where I am today, and why didn't I make more money tonight.

I was in Korea one month ago; teaching little Korean kids the reason why Addie had a bad day. One third of them understanding something was wrong, half of them realizing it was because she got her hair cut and maybe one of them being able to explain it in complete sentences. Now I'm explaining to people why we're out of crayons for the kids menus, and why we no longer serve mashed potatoes (in perfectly English of course. I not stupid. But I very disappoint)

I bum a cig, hop in my non-heated olds, put on my down,  and traverse the 5 miles at 45 mph putting me home in roughly 7 minutes, give or take a couple minutes. I walk up to the house, lights off and the doors locked, my father ready for an ambush. I still haven't gotten a spare key because the thought of actually getting a key means I'm going to be here for awhile and well...that's just not acceptable yet. I check my email, my facebook, drudgereport, tell my cousin how much I made tonight as he plays black opps , try not to wake my step mom, and hop in the shower to wash off this stench that I can only attribute to good old fashion restaurant. I put on some fresh undies and pray to my God to help me to understand life.

I lie in bed thinking this is my life. God knows and so do I. Some of my friends are single parents, some are married. Some live in big houses and some don't live in houses at all. A lot of people I've seen don't have a job and don't have food. I've played with orphans and seen a woman cry in pain from malaria. I've seen human beings root through my garbage looking for food right after I've had a full filling meal. I've seen a woman 50 lbs dying of AIDS. I know I'm not 100% satisfied where I am right now but I know that I'm blessed beyond reason and God's too good to not give him all the glory. Praise you Yahweh. I'm back...in America. love. war.

"I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances." -Paul

Things to think about:
-Men are funnier than women
-Love and thinking about love
-Indie films
-Fireplaces verse wood burning stoves
-your past verse your future

Things to watch:
S-bomb

Things to read:
Can our nation be saved?

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Imagine the Things We Could Get Done If You Weren't so Lazy

I'm back in America. And while it snows in Seoul it also snowed last night. It actually iced last night. The wind blew and the dogs barked but I didn't stir from my 3 x 6 foot pull out. I woke up this morning exactly the way that I've woken up the past 10 nights; at 0645. This drastic change in my daily routine of sleeping in till 10, 11, or even 12 was due to a simple prayer that I said exactly 5 nights ago. The prayer was this. "Lord I want to wake up early. Can you wake me up when you want me to wake up?" I set the alarm clock for 0700 in case the Lord wasn't listening or didn't care about this particular prayer and went to sleep around 2400.


Waking up early, I'm convinced, is the key to being more productive.

-You could use it as an opportunity to go through people's things when they're asleep.
-You could wake everyone up early because you think waking up early is a good thing to do.
-You could also walk around naked not being afraid anyone will see you.

Or you could use the time to sit, be quiet, pray, and reflect. I strive for not just production but for quality. A quality life that I can get to the end of and be happy that I was disciplined enough to accomplish goals, avoid sin, and obey God through it all. I love Thomas Jeffereson's quote:

"The sun has not caught me in bed in fifty years." 


I wonder what time TJ went to bed. Although I haven't been able to say this for a long time I've  been able to say it the past 10 days...and now I'm going to be able to say it in fifty years just like our founding father, unless I stay out too late partying. love. war.

"Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man." ~Solomon

Things to think about:
-Political rhetoric
-Absolute truth
-Why you read blogs
-Raleigh's skyline at sunrise

Things to watch:
Wish she was my daughter