And now for something completely different...

Dad's count has been up and down, hit a high for the last few days today so he went for a walk around the ward for the first time and made a phone call. He was in good spirits, and his sister Sue flew down from NY to Raleigh and drove in with his brother Paul. They all had a good visit. i saw my childhood friend Amy tonight for dinner (my best friend Jason's younger sister who is my age). We got to catch up. It's now officially my little sister's b-day, the 27th, and she's 20, so officially not a teenager any more. That is weird. Random thought: i badly need a hair chop.

Updating to keep busy

dad's hemoglobin was back down last night when they checked it, so he feels lousy again, and this morning he's already had 2 units of blood, so i think he's in for today and christmas for sure

Only 2 days?

Well, it has apparently only been 2 days, but much has happened. Had to take my dad to the doctor tuesday afternoon, he was flu-like as well as being run down like when he was suddenly anemic the other week. Wednesday, he rested a lot, but began turning yellow and being really fatigued and all sorts of symptoms. On thursday, i went in to substitute librarianize, and my mom took him to the doc and he was straight into the hospital. i saw him that night and mom and i went home. She went back friday morning and when he was en route to the restroom, he passed out and fell and was immediately put in intensive care. His numbers for hemoglobin dropped rapidly over two days, to less than half what they should be and didn't go up until they transfused him yesterday. He went down again this morning and they are transfusing again at a faster rate. He will not likely be home for Christmas Eve or Christmas, and they still don't know what is causing any of it, just what is happening. His brother and his wife are going to arrive any minute and i have to get back to the hospital. The phone rings off the hook with family and church folks, but it's nice to know so many people are pulling for him.

Subbing in

Dad had to go to the doc for more tests today, mom had to take him, i Subbed for her in the Library at Clear Creek Elementary. i got to read the night before Christmas to a few classes and help them color stockings and ginger bread houses. The Library Assistant had all the kids go around and say their name, then around again for favorite color, and then around again for favorite weather. i was near the beginning and i said Carolina Blue. This illicited an answer of "Carolina Blue from all 7 of the remaining kindergarden boys. For weather, i said "Carolina football weather," and two of the boys tried to say that, with very little success (yes, they're just kindygartners). Then i visited with Rob, my youth minister and we discussed OT and grades and such. Finally got my paycheck from the Y, and finished my Christmas shopping with Kelley. i'm afraid to add up how much i've had to spend these past few weeks on stuff, gas, food.
Party last night was great. About 15 or 16 former ARPC youth made it. Gag gifts and tons of food. Nap time.

Finalsly

i am finally done with dreaded finals, OT's weeping and gnashing of teeth, etc. First chance i have had to write. Found out one of my friends here, Susan Deitrich is the sister-in-law of my college friend, Cheryl, random. What a small little Presbyterian world.
My trip back with Melanie was more than interesting. Let it be stated from the start that i do not blame, nor am i angry with Melanie MacFarland. She did have the sun in her eyes and she did have very little sleep and one should not underestimate the distracting impact of my left profile. Driving south to Charlotte and/or Atlanta from Richmond is pretty straight forward. One takes I-95 for about 20 or 30 miles south to Petersburg, where it joins I-85 and takes I-85 south all the way to Charlotte... or Atlanta. We were about 100 miles south of Petersburg, just crossing the North Carolina border when Melanie asks, "Shouldn't we be on 85 by now?" Ohhhh dear. So i pull out the map and see that we can fix this little one hour detour by taking Route 185 through Macon, Podunk, Norlina, and finally... Warrenton! Warrenton, the biggest of these little bordertown settlements is maybe the size of Concord Mills shopping mall. The roads suddenly don't match our map because they have different names and so we stop at a hardware store (safe bet we guess) for directions. As in Gilmore Girls, this isn't actually a hardware store any more, but the Hardware Cafe. We ask for directions (which are semi-correct) and buy matching t-shirts that say "i got hammered at the hardware cafe." We got pictures a little down the road with the Sherwood Forest sign and stopped again (this time for correction on the directions from the woman at Hardware) to ask a auto body guy how to get to 85. We make it to 85, go to Biscuitville (Mel was a biscuitville virgin) and finally made it back to Concord.
i hung out with Ben for a bit and saw the other Gibsons and then worked for my dad today doing clerical work in suit and tie and being polite to clients. Lucky me, migraine boy, we were at a metal stamping factory all day, where the machine pound holes in metal sheets. Yay. (note the enthusiasm) But hey, it pays and it's not OT. This blog is too long, so peace out.

The only thing more exciting than covalent bonds...

MALE BONDING!!! That's right. Something i don't get much of, so i am making a list of male bonding activities to engage in before i die (note: some are already accomplished)

Italicized are accomplished, in alphabetical order:

Bar Fight
Camping
Drinking and darts
Fishing
Hide a body
Hunting
Ice fishing
Karaoke (specifically "You've lost that lovin' feelin'" in a bar)
Late night Frozen pizza topped with own copious loads of red meat and Asian hot sauce
Peeing in the same toilet
Peeing while walking outside
Pro-Baseball game
Pro-football game
Road Trip
Tailgating
Watching Super bowl

Any i'm missing?

Change

what's the deal with college students these days? instead of "down with the man" or "down with the gov" or "save the planet" or "anti Vietnam" they line up for democratic and republican parties and support either republican presidential candidates who kill the environment or democratic presidential candidates who fought in the Vietnam war and claimed to have "committed atrocities" there. i'm so confused, why are there so few green party and libertarians? why do college students continue to protest and rally, when that strategy hasn't wrought political change in over 2 decades, and yet believe that a government they protest every other weekend will some day provide all the answers? if young people today had one iota of the faith in God or even each other that they have for a government they hate, where would be now? and what are we doing about it this minute?

A yittle of this, a yittle of YAV

Finally got my pastoral care done Monday night by meeting two of my YoCo kids for pizza. They are both applying to UNC (among 5 or 6 other choices) and we had a good time. My verbatim went pretty well, especially since it was read with Tom playing one teenage girl, and Charles, the other. Gene played me, which was fantastic. Made me look great. I was up to 3:30 putting final touches on it, and then up by 8:30 to do my first phone interview with the YAV office about taking next year for mission service. After a lot of questions, she wanted to reiterate that i may not get Northern Ireland and to consider other options. i promised to remain open, but it is unlikely i will take the year off for any other program. We'll see. Then there was a beautiful chapel service with bells and music. I have tons more reading yet to do for OT and Theology to be ready for next week, as well as a Theology paper due tomorrow on a reading i have yet to do. Luckily, i am now done with anything related to Pastoral Care and Spiritual Formation. Holidays bearing down...

Merry Christmakah to Jew and Gentile alike...

We had a BALL!!!

Saturday night was Calvin Ball and pretty much everyone did a little dance and got down that night (i'm not even gonna guess at anything else). An open wine and champagne bar got everyone in the holiday spirit and people cut loose like i have never seen. The women were gorgeous, and i'm not sure i knew most of these men could clean up so well. Nor did i know everyone could dance... er, that anyone could move in such ways. Fairly sure i downed more than eight sodas, six of which were mountain dew, so i couldn't sleep till about 3 or 4am. It's nice also to see the professors come out too and bring spouses and dance. A good time was had by all.

Infamous

i had my interview last night at St Andrew's United Methodist for the Director of Youth Ministry position. It went really well, but they have 2 other candidates to look at. They have 20 or so in their 6-12th grade group, much like my Baptist group a few years ago. They're apparently really smart and involved and would be a great challenge. We'll see.
Our grafitti wall i did the Hebrew for is featured in a local art magazine available all over town, and the online excerpt can be found here: http://www.styleweekly.com/article.asp?idarticle=13446

The hurtful 4 words

i once read that the three most beautiful words in the english language are "I love you." However, the four most hurtful words in the english language are "I love you but..." i'v mulled this over for years, and most recently i've been trying even harder to say nothing even close to this. Too many people i am closest to in my life use if not these words, this mindset. My father is not the only one at all, but i know he doesn't read this. Besides, anything he has a tendency to do is likely something i need to work on myself. He has a great propensity for cutting down others, others' opinions, views, likes, dislikes, etc, and become incredulous when anyone asks that his own likes, opinions, etc not be thrust upon them. Most of us can deal with others disliking our favorite dessert (more for us), but when someone whom we love or admire hates what is dear to us, it chips a small part of us away. i refuse to tell anyone that they can't have a dream. Personally, i need to work on not being my father, and today that means i will humbly have to let people love what they love. No, it's not big of me, but it is decent. Why are things like that so hard? i miss having weekly goals like tying my shoe.

Yay b-day

i got a great surprise on my b-day last year at midnight, and this year i was pleasantly surprised with a birthday dinner out. Jen drove me around with a blindfold for awhile and stumbled me into the restaraunt. i got in and realized that Marc, Christina, Elizabeth Howell and Smith, Noell, Lindsey, Jessi, and Chuck were there. Not everyone was back in town and some people were working, but it was a huge turn out and a total surprise. Apparently though, there are pictures of me stumbling through the parking lot blindfolded. Thanks J-Bu

On the Road Again

Well, i finally hit the road again tomorrow at 8am with Elizabeth to head back home to Richmond. Very ready. Had my fill of indoor family closeness 3 days ago, and now i've had enough triptophan to incapacitate a kindergarden class. While it was good to see a few familiar faces and receive several nice meals and birthday cards, i believe my parents are slowly going around the bend. i'd like to pretend it's early alzheimers or dimensia, because if it's not, they're just damn nuts and a pain in the rear. i think my mother means well, but it's too stressful to be around. i've gotta find more laid back people to enjoy holidays with. At least NY trips included my easy-going aunts and uncles and cousins, with the cost of 16 hours in a 6 passenger vehicle with my parents and barry mantilow/rush limbaugh/judy garland. My sister gave me the Leggo story book version of the Ten Commandments!!! And i also got a great DVD of Norah Jones live at the House of Blues, and a couple great t-shirts. i got some sleep, but built up some stress, so i'm glad to be headed back to a mostly empty dorm to do research and sleep some more. i don't see me being a professor of Old Testament any day soon. Happy Thanksgiving.

Old Dog

You can't teach an old dog... anyways, got in my yearly phone call to Phillip to wish him a happy birthday first. i'm sitting here with my cat sound asleep in my lap. Since i've been home, she's slept with me every night. i'm apparently the warmest body in the house. i also sleep on the floor, so i'm easy to get to. i got off work tomorrow, so i don't have to work on my day. i'm prolly gonna tag along with little sis tomorrow for Christmas shopping and maybe go see the Bond movie tomorrow night. Jen called from Houston at 1am just now to wish me an official happy birthday since it's now the 22nd in Texas. This just in: Cats twitch in their sleep...

What break?

i really don't like to just complain on here, but i feel i am not really getting a Thanksgiving break, more like a day. i'm in Concord for a week, but working almost every day, and working on my Exegesis paper in my "free time." i'm even scheduled to work on my birthday, for which again, i have no plans except probably a few birthday cards with my parents and maybe a pie or cake with them too. They, by the way, are driving me bonkers. i don't like the person i am around my parents. They bring out my old middle/high school tendencies to fight and bicker and snip and brood. i miss my Union peeps. There's almost no one i know in town at all. Well, cheers.

Decent solution

i've decided the only way to fix seminary and the government is to take all the morally corrupt politicians and put them in church pews and take all the seminary students who believe in government more than the church and put them in congress

and the middle of the road libertarian faithful dance around happily, scoffing at the vast evangelical moral majority right wing conspiracy and the left wing left field government worshipping bunny hugging hippies

Teenagers said i was cool

Yeah, so 2 things can put me on top of the world: 1- my lil sis wanting to hang out; 2- teenagers thinking/saying i'm cool. i got to hang out with some of the coolest high schoolers ever this weekend, my YoCo kids. Last retreat i got to hang out with them. This retreat, we got to bond. i did alot of A/V work for the retreat, but i got to play and eat and joke and dance and campfire and swim and talk and laugh and mostly cut up with these rock stars. Quality time was had. i got back my first exegesis paper when i got back from the retreat and i'm glad i waited till then to get it. It wasn't great, but not terrible, pretty average, but any question that brings to why i am here is answered beyond any shadow of a doubt when i have a good, mediocre, even a bad weekend with youth. They affirm my call. i love these kids very very much. They are insane and they make tons of mistakes, many of the same ones i made, but they are God's children, and they're my kids and there's nothing i'd rather do. i think my professor, Carson, says it well, "i believe in the promise of who you are." On a side note, it's been 16 hours since my second cup of coffee this morning, and i'm still going strong. Yikes.

Celebrating the temporary

So in Charlie Brown's pastoral care class, we covered "celebrating the temporary" for about 2 minutes, but that's all i remember this week. It really stuck. Lately, and i mean over the last 3 years, i've discovered more and more that most of the people i know are very very temporary. i've always been aware of the situations i've been in as being temporary, the places, the jobs, the locales, the dynamics, but i've always believed in having the sort of friends that are able not only to just pick up right where we left off, but actively try to do that "picking up" without heoric effort. It's easy when you get thinking that way to be bitter about people that let you down or disappoint you, but this week the people that came to my mind where the tremendously loyal, while few, people in my life that truly inspire me and carry me through. Knowing most of them don't have a chance to read this, i can brag on them. Jason Short is nothing short of my best friend on earth and continues to amaze me by what it means to be a loyal, life-long friend. Ben Gibson does the same. Both drive me to be better than i am. Matthew Brown has stuck by me no matter what, and we've done some stupid stupid things. My sister is totally my hero, and my other lil sis. Melissa, Sallie, Jen Kling, Jessica Anderson, Ashley Newt, and several others. Maybe not many of them, but they are damn fine people. And while life is a string of temporary, they don't really fit that. i love that about them. And to the rest of the people i have known and will know, my door will always be open, even if i'm not banging down everyone else's.
i wish it would stop raining

Gettin' it done

Got alot of paper pushin' done this weekend. All of my forms and references for YAV are sent out. Now it's the waiting game. Who knows where i'll be next year. (taking bets, get in early)
We did score some Zorba's this weekend, and some sleep-in time, the first in oh so long. I made breakfast for dinner too.
We got over to Peggy's (Peggy is who also looks for little green men when she's not studying Hebrew here) church, the MCC. Still can't remember what that stands for. Part of it means Metropolitan, and part is Community. It was a pretty good service all and all. The pastor guy, who talked exactly like Bob Dunham in Chapel Hill, and had pretty cool dangly earings, preached on the lesbians. You know, Ruth and Naomi. Eh. i thought it was quite a stretch. It goes into my last blog of having a responsibility if you're in a position of authority or power to tell people what that could read as being there, and what is personal preference. Oh well, i can't seem to convince anyone but Tom of the deep need for this. Ohblahdee, ohbladye.

There's a 30% chance of actual scholarship in the forcast...

Thoughts from Theology class the other day...

Take these statements:
"And these two accounts in Genesis are definitely by two different authors."
"It will rain tomorrow"

Then consider the following:
A) Principles of science (laws of pressure, temperature, evaporation, etc)
B) Litterary principles (tendencies, styles, penmanship, word choice, etc)

Which of those two focus on constants, unchanging, predictable and repeatable? Which is more certain? (tell me you made it through 7th grade science and said A)

Now consider this...
If the results of measurable constants like pressure and temperature lead to eratic outcomes... like, i dunno, weather? How much more unpredictable are theories of penmanship and editing and how much less likely to be correct are those conclusions?

Maybe there were different authors and editors of Genesis. Maybe the two chapters our professor reffered to casually were indeed by different sources. i do not doubt this is possible, but when well informed and knowledgable scholars talk about theories on a regular basis as scientific and verifiable fact, there's a problem (hope you're listening NIB).

Besides... maybe it will rain tomorrow, but do you always trust the weatherman?

Mental Health Day

i took a mental health day friday and skipped my OT section. No big deal, first thing i've skipped here. i actually drew Tom and i a Labyrinth on our shower wall with a dry erase marker. It'll stay for awhile. Watched an animated episode of Ghostbusters from back in the day. Went and talked to Deb and to check on Lindsey to see if she was feelin' well. Jen and Tom and Chuckie and Jessi and watched the first 2 episodes of Carnivale, the HBO series, last night. Amazingly good, with lots of familiar actors. Then we Karoke-ed (is that a word? is now) for a good long while and came back to play cards till we crashed. It all got my mind off things and i heard good things from people who were in hospitols, so it was okay. Sun came out today so it may be good day for all the festivities.

Talk Nerdy to Me

Yes, i have indeed reached the height of Geekdom. While i did figure out last year that i could not only watch TV at work by leaving my webcam on in my room, but i could use it to watch Star Trek, one must continually search for ways to surpass him or herself. i have two laptops. One is my useless, about to explode UNC thinkpad, and the other is my brand new Dell. Tom gave me a monitor, so i can split screen and multi-task on my Dell. But now, 24 hours a day, more or less, my old thinkpad sifts through mountains of Berkley data for the SETI project. That's right, while i multi-task nerd around, my old computer is dedicated to the search for little rgeen men in the cosmos. Thought you'd be proud. The question is now... will ET look more like Worf, Clark Kent, Lenir, or Chewbacca. i'm hoping she'll look more like Starbuck, but hey, that's me. Peace out homies. And if the NSA is reading this... you must be so bored...

Wedding Canoes are a Must

Fall break... Friday: laziness, movies, food.
Saturday: So me and Noell and Jessi took off early yesterday morning for Westminster, MD to attend the wedding of Jen Mueller and Greg Stiles. It was held behind her uncle's house on this gradually sloping hill in this beautiful grassy meadow surrounded by fall-changing leaves. They had a podium, a cross, and a few folding chairs. It was about 55 degrees and the sun never stopped shining. It was beautiful. They had gospel hymns playing (blue grass style) and the ceremony was lovely. Jen and Greg had gone to a Ghanaian (from Ghana) church when they lived in Baltimore, and the pastor and most of the readers were all from it. They had beautiful accents. The sermon was lovely (except for the very out of place altar call), but it all went well. It was followed by all of us taking our chairs with us up to this tent further up the hill for amazing food and something we noticed when we first arrived... This couple, that met in the Sierra Club, had their first date outdoors, and got engaged while hiking (not to mention their camping involved on this honeymoon) had a canoe beside the reception tent. Yup, a canoe. And as i approached, my one thought was "man, i hope this is full of booze, that would be hilarious." Right when we got to it, a man said, yup, 300 lbs of ice... and beer. Lots of ale, beer, soda, and wine, wow. So we kicked back for a few hours with food and cheese and Blue Grass and we danced a bit (mostly just me and Noell). The bride and groom took a few pics and came back to us, the bride now in cow girl boots and her dress (which her mother made), another collective wow. We finally left to go see Jessi's friend for some Outback mid-afternoon mashed potatoes, wings, and dessert (we're so classy). We got back here last night and played pool and back scratched and ordered pizza. i finished off making another prayer necklace. i've gotta find a hippy bead store. Cary St just has an artsy fartsy one. This is way too long for a blog. It's raining. Peace out...

It's October 18th

Marc Party

So, what has become known as the "Marc Party" travels to different locales now. Tonight it was at Dabney on the porch. i went over and as i attempted to sit on the swing as it was in motion, was nearly knocked off my feet, spilled most of Tom's whiskey, and nearly took off someone's head. As everyone laughs at our collective clumsiness, Texas Chad slips in his usual wisdom... "You know what's wrong with that picture?" "He's got a ginger ale" Oh lord, thank you Chad, that's precisely what i'm doin' wrong.

Fishy

accodring to Noell's fortune-telling fish i am jealous, passionate, and in love. God i'm tired. i'm going to bed.

Eye of the huricane

So the last few days have been a whirlwind. Lots of school work and then headin for North Cackalackey. i tried to get out of Saturday morning's meeting here in Charlotte to no avail, so a last minute trip down was organized. i grabbed the train Thursday around lunch. Old Man Boswell dropped me off. The train was supposed to arrive in Richmond at 1 and depart at 1:10 to arrive in Durham at 5:25. The clever Amtrak people didn't bother to say the train was running late until 1:02. Every train said "on time" on the board. Unlike airplane terminals run by efficient private industry, the modern passenger Amtrak train doesn't care how late it is. They seem surprised it was late when it didn't show up until 1:35 or so. Wow. Guess they are still using telegraph. i ended up sitting with this girl who was going home to Cary from college in American, so we ended up having alot to talk about. The cutest kid ever was wandering up and down the isle with his mom who was wearing a t-shirt with the Geneis 12:3 phrase i had to translate for that day's OT class. Lauren Dunbar picked me up from the staion when we arrived (nearly an hour late by now) because she happened to be in Durham testing water one street over from the station. i got to go to PCM and hang out with great folks and see people i got in trouble for not spending time with the last few times i was on the Hill. Went to a bar after with some of them, including Frank the Tank who happened to be in town. Huge day of coincidences. i also ran into Paul Seales on the way to the bar and we did "You've lost that lovin' feelin'" for Karoke. i hung out with Jess smeeks for a bit and then crashed at Matt Browns for a 4 hour nap before Kelley and i drove to Concord. Managed lunch after seeing Roy talk in the pit. i really never miss being around Charlotte or Concord at all these days. i used to some when Kelley lived here or some old High School friends or significant others, but these days there's not much here to bring me back but work. i doubt i'll ever come back here. i love Chapel Hill, but i doubt that would bring me back ever. i love the campus, but not so much the town. Richmond i love, but i'm itching to get moving to other places. If YAV works out, i guess i'll get that chance. Alright, have alot of studying to do for this week and a long train ride tomorrow after a long drive.

Elmo Sighting!!!

i did in fact see Elmo for the first time!!! Not the puppet. Union-PSCE for years and years had played host to an albino squirel and his/her descendants. Today, i saw him behind Lingle.

Much Needed Release

What a fun few days. Much needed after this week. Friday began with suckage as I totally botched my Hebrew reading in class and Professor Sam Balentine scares the crap out of me. But I spent the afternoon hunting for costume stores and Jedi robes with Lindsey and that was good. Everybody back here in Richmond dorm got to partying early and the merriment and refreshments continued for a good 9 hours or so after dinner. Lots of card playing, music, pool, movies, and food followed. My pizza got eaten before I knew what was happening, so we went on a 2AM Taco Bell/ Waffle House run, high school style. Six of us in Tom’s Honda (he was asleep, didn’t know we took it), 2 in front, 4 in the back. Don’t worry, I drove. Hit Taco Bell first for drive-thru, and then Waffle House. Waffle house only allows 5 to a table, not 6, so we left (was pretty sketchy that night too). We went back to Taco Bell and were the last customers through at 2:58AM. After staying up till 4, most of us slept in past lunch time today. I got a lamp and finished up my light saber. We all went to the Byrd tonight to see Superman Returns (even better the second time). Church tomorrow and meetin’ Old Man Boswell’s parents.

Minds Like Concrete

You know what they say: "Some people's minds are like concrete... all mixed up and permanently set." Well, while it may not be as bad as all that, i've had another one of those evenings where being open-minded and middle of the road means being the stand out and completely unacceptable. To be honest, when i argue with arch conservative back woods podunk folk (not worried any of them are online reading this, no) i know they don't care if i think they're close-minded, they are proud to be. i can almost respect that, seriously. But damnit, liberal people go around self-labeling as open-minded, and some how cannot mannage to accept all sorts of alternative ideas. Tonight, i didn't even argue for my own ideas, just that there are possible alternatives to the ones that were being posited by the group. i wasn't just shot down. For saying not that i believed in an idea, but was open to that possibility and they should at least not completely discount it, i was told by not one, but two or three people i was studying at the wrong place. Wow. Not really sure what to do with that. Frankly i think it's my fault for doing what i swore i would not do earlier this week after Charlie Brown's lecture... ever talk to drunk people. While these people were not drunk, it was unwise for me to posit any serious idea, let alone defend a minority unrepresented viewpoint. God forbid the Bible might actually depict events that may/might have actually happened. God forbid my faith be grounded in the basis that some or many of the Biblical accounts are true. i feel like not arguing for any particular theory, but the possibility of a theory should be acceptable. Where am i?

My belt, my only belt for the last 5 years or more, the belt my Grandfather and Jen Kling both endeavored to fix with more holes when i lost weight, the belt i have not been able to equal in 5 years of looking for another, the belt that seemed to be very sturdy and doin fine, not looking old at all... broke. It is seriously, permanently dead.

Mac Attack

Went to Mac's again to study and read with Linz. i get so much more read there at the bar than anywhere else. Thought tonight: Who gets to keep the memories you associate with music? We all do it, we associate certain songs or lyrics or tunes with different parts of our life, or with people. i'll always associate "Brick" with riding to basketball practice in high school with Justin and his dad. Problem is, most people don't have just one song with a significant other, they have many, especially if it's long term. When people break up, someone gets the house, someone gets the dog, pictures get split, thrown out, kept in a box under the couch. What do you do with music? It's the picture you wanna take down but is glued to the community fridge or something. Everyone else still enjoys it, you like it too, but some how it's just a pain in the ass to look at. What happens when one of the people in that picture sorta glues a picture of someone else on top of you? Sorta feeling like i'm covered in super glue tonight. It'll pass, always does. As Luke Danes says, "i feel like i'm wearing someone else's socks." Godnight world, i'm not wearing socks these days... (note to self: never blog at 2:30AM)

Moruv Zorba

So, more on Richmond fine dining. Next to Dot's is our favorite lil pizza place to order/pick up from. They have amazing toppings. Whether veg or meat lovers, you cannot go wrong. Our vegeterians here rave over that one, so it must be good. As for the meat lovers, we're talkin' peperoni, sausage (real, not processed), bacon (fresh), and whole slices of salami (4 inches in diameter). They load these pizzas down and cover them in cheese. AMAZING. Do it.

The Face that Launched a Thousand Insults

"Bri, You make the worst faces!" Thanks Noell
"Usually when they're a foot long, they're skinny!!!" -Jessi

This is what happens when one mixes memosas with waffles and silly girls and a Saturday afternoon. Yikes.

Tom's ER Card

My suitemate met a really cute Doctor in the ER when he was having severe bowl problems last week. Because we're all oh so sensative to his needs, we've had direah of the mind and constipation of the self-restraint. Here is the card he sent her this week...

(picture removed for content reasons and the sanity of fellow students, available upon request)

Boarding

So, while we didn't get 13 inches of snow like Colorado yesterday (thanks for calling Jen!!!!), i did buy a snowboard...er... sorta. i went school supply shopping with Noe Noe and got a whiteboard. Well, it's not white. In fact, it's red... and the shape of a snowboard... and... the size of a snowboard. Gnarly!!! Yeah, and it's magnetic too. i'm pretty much the envy of the whole dorm. i also took my first trip to Dot's tonight with Noell, Chuckie, and Melanie. Had an AMAZING burger. Will be the first of many trips. That's all... peace out.

Eddie Izzard would be proud

"No smoking in bars in California now. Yeah. Pretty soon no drinking and no talking!!! You'll be like 'Hey, me and some friends are goin to the library tonight, wanna hang?'" Yeah, so while Melanie headed for the library tonight, Lindsey dragged me off to Mack's, a bar in downtown Richmond. Happens to be a great place to study on dead nights like Mon-Wed. She knows the owner (Mack, of course) and all the barkeeps so she knows half the folks there on dead nights. Got a decent amount of reading done. Been since probably halloween since i last smelled reefer, so that was fun. Annnnnnyways. My sister called me again. Third time in a few days, totally makes my week. Had a great talk with Christina and Chuckie about feminism. Checked up on the cousins' collective blogs. Time for some shut eye. With no class till 1pm on Mon-Wed, i end up staying up late, as i always do anyways. i actually saw Noell off to work this morning at 4:45, and she sent me to bed. Weird. 2:30AM, guess i'll hit the rack...

Wallyworld Madness

So we all went out to dinner Tuesday night at B-Dub's and then to Wallyworld. We were there far too long. We were in search for Pirate costumes for tonight's party. Our search for shirts and belts took us all over the store. As a joke, i went over and tried on a brown corduroy jacket, something i would never wear and came back. However, they all raved over it and insisted i buy it, in addition to a Superman hat. It all goes with my khaki's and Vans. Apparently most of my clothing already and my best look is the "pot head" look. Oh well, i like all my pot head friends. However, this is solidifying the incident in Elwood Thomson's where the old guy assumed Noell and i were pot heads. YAY!!! i can die happy now.

This Blog: Rated "Arg" (for Pirate and Adult Advisory)

So the retreat this weekend was awesome. We had 20 or so high-enthusiasm, high-octane youth this weekend at what they call YoCo (Youth Council, instead of the PYC title found elsewheres). The youth were brilliant and hyper-creative, adrenaline pumping high school kids who took this weekend to bond and get to know eachother and us "adult" leaders while begining the brainstorming and planning of the retreats and rally day for this year. The theme was "Pirates of the Lake: Dead Man Risen" and included alot of Pirates of the Carribean (and Harry Potter) theme elements including a pirate sorting hat for assigning committees. The YoCo Coordinator is Adam, and he is a 4th yr in the dual degree MDiv/MACE program at Union; Liz was here for a yr before going to VCU as she is a dual degree MACE/M of Soc Work; and then there's Erin, Lindsey, Tiny, and myself also here at Union. So yes, Union is running the adult side of YoCo in the Presbytery of the James. The kids ran me ragged with treasure hunting, obstacle course stuff, swimming, running, dancing, music, skits, and the most hardcore game of Ultimate Frisbee i have ever been involved in (that's saying something). i'm excited about how this will go this year and for the kids. Please shoot them a prayer if you get the time. They're really good kids. They also knew Emily Riehl, so we got to have fun catching up on that.
Last night a bunch of us went to our burger joint we like before a worship service. While we were eating out on the patio area, this cute lil asian girl was whirling around dancing and i was watching her, until she fell and scraped her knee on the gravel. She seemed okay until i asked her if she was and she looked at her knee. In true little kid fashion, she then burst out into tears. She came over a few minutes later and looked at me and said "i have a boo boo on my knee." So i gave her a little sympathy and told her i saw her dancing. She pointed to her mother and her mother's friends ans said "i was giving them a movie (whatever that means)." i nodded and she said "i was showing my... i only have a mommy (smile)." We all tried to keep from giggling at how cute she was, and "mommy" came and got her as their group left: "haha, now that you know all that, you can enjoy your dinner," mommy said embarassingly. So we all waved out goodbyes. This made all of our womb's ache (not just Noell's).

And the rains came down, and the internet came up

So it's been raining all day, good indoor snuggling weather we've all decided, but few of us here have snugglers or time to snuggle with all there is to do. On the up side, internet is finally back. i had no class today, so afte ri got reading done last night, i wasted tons of my time on making a belt and continuing the electrical projects necessary to build my halloween side arm... a light saber. (take a moment to laugh, giggle, roar, snicker, jeer, etc) i have also just been recruited to being an Adult leader for the PYC here in Richmond. i'm very excited. More to follow on that later.... Okay, so as i finished that sentence, the internet went back down. i cannot begin to tell you how lousy it's been since we got back. ERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRG!!!

Patriotism

So i thought a convo i had with Noell deserved some thought. i'm a patriot. i'm really tired of Liberals and Conservatives telling me (or eachother) that they can't be one. This all springs from today's Chapel Service that i didn't attend because i knew it was going to be one of those flavors of anti-patriotism. It seems to most far left folks, you can't be a Patriot because it means you hate the rest of the world. Yes, i'm generalizing. Bite me. And then to most folks on the right, you can't be a Patriot unless you hate the rest of the world. AHHHHHNNNNN!!!! Wrong! You can be a Patriot without thinking the rest of the world is horrible or not worthy of God's attention. Being an ardent Texas Rangers fan may mean liking your team the most, but you have to have a base appreciation for baseball in general first, besides a respect for the skill of other players in the league to appreciate the skill of your own players. You don't have to hate every other country or system of government, or the people opressed by dictatorships just to love the United States and the freedoms it stands for. Likewise, you aren't disqualified from being called a Patriot simply because you think that communism is a nice theory if you recognize it doesn't work in real life, much less with a country this size. You are no more un-patriotic if you believe Christ calls us to live a higher standard of living than our laws or system of government dictate. Patriotism is defined by a deep love for a country that gives you freedoms to express these ideas and work hard, peacefully, to see them realized, and in appreciating the men and women who fight to protect that dream and to see it realized for God's children in other places who yearn for it. THAT is Patriotism, and that is what my relatives and friends have fought and bled for. They don't serve because they think our country is infalible, nor do they hold it against anyone for not taking up arms beside them. But i'll tell you what... i am a Patriot because i love this country and all it has the potential to do, the freedom to do, the choice to do. i refuse to let anyone tell me Patriotism means hating others, or not hating others means i can't claim the title of Patriot. i'm gonna march right down the center of that because i believe this country is scrwed up, but it's the best one there is, and i support anyone whose dream is to just plain do their best to fight for freedom and defend their neighbor's right to the same...

And on the eighth day, God created the World of Presbyterians because it was small and doable

Small world... i was up last night after watching Snatch with Jessi and Christina. We got discussing how Christina went to Davidson and just graduated. i thought immediately that she might know Page Mowery, but no (Still don't understand that). She did however know Elizabeth Ann, which was great. She didn't know she'd been writing for the paper all summer. Fun stuff. But then Jessi asked if Christina knew a Kristen Nickel, a girl Jessi was in Hungary with for YAV. She did. More importantly to this story, so did i. (i even still had her business card in my wallet from 4 years prior) How? My summer between high school and college, i was at Montreat with my church group and was hanging out with... Page Mowery. She introduces me to this girl her age at Davidson and we hung out for a few hours at the Huck eating ice cream (yes, that's how long it takes me to eat an ice cream cone). Well, she mentions that she's leaving for Budapest in a few days and was trying to figure out what to do with her car, etc and the troubles of getting to the airport, as she is orriginally from Michigan, with no family nearby, and it's summer. i offer to take her and a few days after we're back, i do. So i became the connection between Christina knowing her at Davidson and Jessi meeting her in Hungary, 4 years before the three of us all met. That is the small world of Presbyterians.

Also, 1st day of class was good. Gonna be reading alot and hands on work for Pastoral Care.
If you're reading this, take some time to remember where you were 5 years ago this time, and ask yourself what you've done to encourage peace in your corner of the world, or another, or what you can do, and remember why that's important.

Luke reports that as Jesus approached Jerusalem he wept over the city, saying "if you only recognized on this day the things that make for peace" (Lk: 19:42).-Doug Baker (Site Co-ordinator for YAV- N. Ireland)
http://www.unc.edu/~daoust/9-11%20Cartoon%20Tribute.htm

Typing on stereotypes tonight

So i realized that while i may not fit into any categories of typical "male" or typical "geek" or "slacker" or "prep" or "youth minister" or "presbyterian" or any number of things, i managed to be a typical "guy" in one arena... FOOD. Not just in eating or in not gaining weight no matter how often or how much i eat at my age, but in food purchasing. Last night... me and tom and noell and chuck go to Ukrops because noell wants to grab items for making something and i need some items for the cookout. We get to the checkout and noell is getting like 500 kinds of veggies and roots and seeds and sprouts and greenhouse odds and ends. What do i have? Ritz ranch chips, Habanero Doritos, Double-stuffed Oreos, and 2 six packs of glass bottled Coke. Then today, noell and i scope out the new grocery market after she teaches me to drive stick. She buys safron and kala-lillies. i had peanut butter and a gallon of milk. Even the check out girl commented on it. On the upside, a lil girl in Ukrops made my week. She was spinning in circles and we she stopped she looked up at me in my Hawiian shirt and went "woooooooah." Tom and noell never let up about it. PS: saw Cars at the Byrd... AWESEOME!!!

It's really been too late for a long time...

Today was fun. i slept in and got up way late. We had lunch for the first time in the dining hall. It was okay, but nothing to write home about. Not like Lenoir or anything. Spent the afternoon playing Ping Pong with Erin and watching Star Wars with folks. Someone's way cute kid was showing off on the piano for me. He liked having an enthusiastic one person audience. i miss watching cute kids and thinking really hopeful future thoughts. Maybe some day. i did dinner by myself and it was great. Spent the evening with some new folks watching the Devil's Own. Then i found Noell, Tom, Chuckie, and Jess hold up in Tom's room with lots of refreshments and loud music and joined in on a very college dorm room party thing for a few hours. It had to move to my room when his neighbor complained about the noise. i'm now drifting off into dreams and memories with Ben fold's... "It's too late..."

Inundated with Incredible Interlopers

Alot of new folks here now. We got a few from Texas and a couple from NC and other places. All wonderful people and our dorm is now about twice as full, making the kitchen and meal times that much more interesting. We all crowded in tonight and Noell made Potato soup and we all watched Take the Lead. i was the only one who had seen it. i think we're all going for Tango lessons tomorrow night, which will be fun.

Brian, the Superglue Emergency Contact

i made it up to Chapel Hill and got to spend Saturday at the football game seeing tons of PCMers and whatnot. Terrible game. Our defense sucks and the officiating was terrible. Was great to see people. Our typical Carolina fans streamed out of the stadium when the fat lady sang. We have a group of "hardcore fans" known as "Fever" and they were all lined up way before the game was over to sign the attendence sheet as they were leaving. Wow. i'm always majorly disappointed when i see students of UNC, who i know have a wardrobe half in Carolina Blue and come to the game in a gray tee. White, is in fact, one of our school colors, and semi-acceptable if you manage to scrounge up a hat or some face paint or pom pom. Grey... no, not actually one of our school colors. Wow. Well, Kelley and i hung out with Andrew Otey for the night, got pizza, and discussed everything from numbers being imaginary and the universe being infinite to mating practices of slugs and such. We went to church at UPC on Sunday and then hit up Rams Head for lunch. We picked up Brice at State and headed for Richmond. We got Brice over to his sister's and Kelley and i watched Chichago with some of the gang. Brice stayed at his sister's. We picked him up and had lunch there and i did some grocery shopping. Poor Noell called me today with a superglue emergency. She needed some for her shattered frames for her glasses. i now have some on my finger tips and i can't feel them as i type. Such is life.

Strolling down the sidewalk on Memory Lane

So last night and tonight, i spent some time strolling down that ill-lit street. i feel like my memory lane wanders through the countryside, only to occasionally dart down dark alleys. i was searching for things to take from my parents house up to Richmond and came across a few treasures. i first found an AP lab manual i borrowed from Brian Pridgen 5 years ago and could not find to return, a source of pretend feuding between my family and that of my sister's bf. i also found a picture from 9th grade church basketball days. Back when i was taller than matt brown and eric templeton, or almost; back before steven johnson had a kid; back before mr johnson got parkinsons; before erik blackwelder was engaged; back when elliot was still with us. i also found my overstuffed PYC notebook from highschool days. It was crammed with retreat info, notes on meetings, old lists of my Rules of Life, and dozens of handwritten and typed phone lists from youth group, PYC, and triennium. People's names were circled and starred. Many of those people are in other jobs, off to college, or getting married and having kids. Each name and list and goofy doodle or sign or nametag had some weird inside joke attached. Missing alot of folks just now. But mostly, i just wanna get back to Richmond. i am really excited about prolly seeing UNC football tomorrow, but home feels mostly like Richmond for now. It's definitely where i'm most welcome and at home and feeling fulfilled right now. That's a good feeling. i have alot more organizing and packing left before i can sleep. More on adventures in Richmond soon.

If weasels were easles

Thoughts on weasels...

Ashley Newton:

Ashley: don't worry! we are not underwater
me: good, lots of rain?
me: been pourin here
Ashley: oh yes
me: no thunder though
Ashley: weasels and weasels of rain
me: hahahaha
me: been rainin cats and dogs and weasels?
Ashley: i think life would be more interesting if 'weasels' was a unit of measurement'
Ashley: it's much more exciting than ounces, or inches


Also...

Eagles may fly, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines

Tales from Concord

So last night, after work, i headed to the Gibsons' and Ben and i shot some pool. My first game was very good, and i beateded him. Yup. We watched Jay play japanese anime. Then we decided that since the library was prolly closed after 10, we'd go see how late Harris Teeter was open. We spent 10 minutes in the PopTart isle comparing favorites and brand choice before moving on to sodas, where we found glass-bottled Cokes... YUM!!! So we purchased them and with no further ado (remind me to pontificate later on how dumb an english spelling that is for a word pronounced that way) continued on to Hollywood Video. We looked at every single new release and almost every oldie, and settled on All the President's Men. Did you know Reverend Camden was in it? HA! That's what i thought. Well he is. On the way back from getting it, we drive through the neighborhood between Hwy 29 and Weddington. We turn a corner and find ourselves stuck behind a 1950's Ford in the middle of the road (mind you, it's not all that narrow, and had he been in his lane [no, it's a neighborhood, so no painted lines and it was kinda late]) we coulda gotten around. Alas, no, he was dead center of the road, filling his gas tank from an old gas can. The poor old man, as we moments later ascertained when he pulled in his driveway, was only 100 yards from home when he ran out. The more amusing thing though, was not even that this man, as old as he was, was out so late, or mid-road, or out of gas, or happened to have extra in his truck. What was most amusing was that when he turned to look at us, he was smoking... as he filled his tank. Yay Concord. That reminds me...
Two fish are in a tank. One turns to the other and says "you man the guns... i'll drive"

What is it that binds us to this place...

Quick update on the last few days... So i've been working for days upon days at the dreaded indoor pool. It's been a blast, as usual. i made it up to Chapel Hill Sunday night to see important peeps. Saw my sisters and (in alphabetical order): Alex, Amy, Anna, Brian, Caroline, Caroline, Devin, Duckworth, Heather & Molly, Kincaid, Leigh Ann, Matthew, Megan & Lisa, Mike, Rachel, Sam, Sarah, Seth, Steber, The Pot head Couple, and Wes. Was a grand visit, albeit brief. i totally miss CH. i just got back from Invincible with Ben and his pal, Robert, who tried out for American Idol (he might be on TV, so stay tuned). Anyways, i highly recomend it. Great movie, great football, great music, and hey, the Dallas Cowgirls get some screen time (more than the Cowboys). You must have time to go see it if you're reading this. And if you never saw V for Vendetta or Inside Man... why didn't you? Seriously.
PS: photo was not taken on most recent visit
Pee.Pee.S. (for you Nono and Patrick): the prank call on the radio talk show this morning was to a girl who was DD for her other 35-yr old gf's the other night. One of the drunkies peed on the wall of a gas station as it was late and it was closed. So, another one of the drunkies called the station today and told them to prank the driver. They told her she and her car were caught on serveillance, and really had her going about a court date. That girl stood her ground though and wouldn't rat out her friend. A fellow DD i can stand by. You go girl!!

To Pee, or not to pee...

So i spent the first 4 or 5 hours at my mothers school today, splicing and cutting and connecting coaxial cable. i also got to discover a new fruit and have a 6 year old throw up all over his tray beside me in the cafeteria. Twice. i then left for the Y to work 3-9pm. Well, as i arrived, i went to the bathroom, because i really really had to go. i'm only there 15 minutes when my boss, Lisa, informs me that she thought i was never coming back and fired me. She really needs me this week though and was delighted i was back and all she needed me to do was fill out those bloody W-2's and to go take a drug test immediately. Yay. So i drive over to the place by NE Medical center to give them a Urine sample. Wohoo. Unfortunately, having JUST gone to the bathroom, i knew it was not gonna be easy, so i'm in the waiting room guzzling water like i'm trying to leave none for Free Willy. They call me back and i go in and no matter how much i think about niagra or sing Row Row Row your boat, i can't pee. That's when the lady tells me, "hey, hurry it up, we close in 5 minutes, it's friday." Grrrrrrrreat. So they had to send me over to Urgent Care by the ER and explain to them why i was there. Even more fun. So i sit in their waiting room for 45 minutes, guzzling more water. When they call me back, i nearly peed the cup right out of the nurses hand. Oh, that felt good. i'm really glad it came out that way because, to be honest, i was gonna throw up if i didn't pee. i get back to the Y and i had had so much water, i immediately had to go again. Ain't life grand? Then i have one of these "man, i'm old moments." A kid i had when he was a Cub Scout in Day camp, and i was his counselor, comes strolling out of the Y. Mind you, i had him when i only had my driver's permit. He hops in his Honda, and drives off. YIKES!!! Life is weird. Well, like Billy says...

The grass is always greener
When you water with your weiner
Outside

Peace and long life, and may the force be with you

If you haven't ever visited your Hebrew Professor in Jedi garb, you really don't know what you're missing (let alone the local post office... in august). That's all i'll say. Coincidentally, it is also another important day because it is Gene Rodenberry's b-day. i know, most of you only think of Caroline Craig on August 21st, but that indeed would be leaving out his great achievments, which could easily be overshaddowed by Caroline Craig. God bless ya both. i wrote the one that is alive and well, while watching Star Trek (derek hakokav): Generations and studying Hebrew... Sorry for the long pause (like you would know). Great guy here from Montreat college, taking Greek this summer, just got dumped by his GF of 3 years. Poor guy, pray for him, he's a good man.

Shabbat Shalom

So another Sunday... Yes, i did indeed make it to church today with a slightly reasonable bed time and Noell getting me up. i had a major migraine though from before the service untill well after lunch time. i had to leave after the sermon was over and stand outside. i took a few Aleve (which did no good), got in a great Bruch with the gang at some little bar/brunch place. Our waitress looked like Mary Martin/Peter Pan. i took some Excedrin Migraine and crashed for a couple hours. Then it was study time before we did the birthday thing for Tiny. More vocab to study. There are chapters where i know all but 3 words, and chapters when i only know 3 words. It's very scary. Pray i pass my final...

Got Dar Williams stuck in my head...

Toolin' Around

Well, i stayed up late watching Stir of Echoes with Tom. The girls were too scared to watch it at 1am. Oh well. We had fun, got up way late today. Took the Old Man's car and got over to Ukrop's for some food and made Chicken Dijon, Different Rice, and vegetables. It went over well. Then took the Old Man's car again to get me and Noell and Jess over to Cary St for ice cream. Then Vocab study and later we'll either watch something or go see Princess Bride at the Byrd on Cary. i rolly have not described it yet on here, so i shall. The Byrd is an old-style movie house from the old days of the first silent movies and has never been anything but a movie house. It's huge and ornate, seating at least twice as many as a typical theatre. It has fake side alcoves like opera house boxes and chandaleres on the ceiling. They play one movie, which changes every week or so. However, on Saturday nights, they play the movie 3 times during the afternoon and evening, and then throw on some throw-back at midnight (it's been Ferris Beuler's day off, and tonight after Davinci Code, will be Princess Bride). When we went to see X-men a few weekends ago, we discovered that on Saturday nights, they also have a man to play the huge organ in front of the screen before the movie. It rises out of the pit in fromt of the screen and the man plays Phantom of the Opera-type tunes for awhile before the show. Wow. The atmosphere is amazing. And what might an impovrished seminarian pay for this incredible evening of enrapturing music, cinema, atmosphere, and nestalgia? Two dollars. Aren't you jealous that you don't live here (excluding those of you in Chapel Hill or Texas)?

Also, came across an old link, if you have a weak stomach or you're a girl, don't click. If you're a guy or you have a sense of humor about how the world turns... http://www.glumbert.com/media/lovestory.html

If you throw a cat out the window while driving down the highway... is that kitty litter?

"The need of the other is the presence of God in your life"
Carson, our Hebrew guide, teacher, rabi, and friend is the only reason any of us will make it through this intensive 7 week course. He's also one of the most insightful men i have ever known. Had i been keeping up this blog all summer, each entry would have started with one of his quotes. But i won't recap all of his ideas. You'll just have to hear them in my sermons ;-)
Fun trip to Wal-mart and the animal shelter today to help Loren pick out a kitty cat. We're gonna go pick up the lil tyke on tuesday. He was the most admirably persistant one who wanted to be taken home, all tiny and tan and white and stripey. Tonight, we have another cookout, so like a fat kid in dodge ball... i'm out!

Summer Richmond Recap

Well, several of you have asked me how the summer is going, how Richmond is, and what life at Seminary is like. i'll try to answer as much of that as i can to summarize the last 6 weeks, going on 7.

LIFE IN RICHMOND: Let me start by describing my new life here outside of class, as that is more interesting to most of you. i am living in a 3 story dormitory. The first floor is offices and a sort of "Student Union" lounge area with a big screen and pool table and ping pong and food tables and the mailboxes for all of campus. Yes, i know, i couldn't get away from the Student Union at UNC, and now i live in one. While the outer doors to this building are locked (fortunate, as we are located between the 2 worst neighborhoods in Richmond), no one shuts or locks their mailboxes, and few people here shut or lock their doors unless they go away for the weekend. Those of you who were kind enough to come in, turn off my TV, my light, and shut my door for years in college, know that this suits my open door lifestyle nicely. i sometimes close it when i go to class, but it surprises anyone when they find it closed.

The dorm has room for about 25 or so, mostly set up in two-room suite style. i have my own sink, but share a shower and john with my suitemate Tom. Tom (aka: Hazakane- the old man) is a second-career student in his late 30's from Conn. He's a great musician and great guy to pal around with. He's also the most hard working anal-retentive student in the class, along with Noell (aka: Nono), my other best friend and self-dubbed big sis. They're both a good influence... in the classroom.

Noell, 26, is from East Texas, and therefore automatically a kindred spirit and besides being a coffee junky, Starbucks employee and caffeine pusher, is a conversation junkie who eats up all of my late hours :-D

Also in our study/get into trouble group is Charles (aka [in descending order of use]: Eesh Gadol- Big Man, Chuck, Chuckie), the 6'4" is also mid 20's, from Ohio, and most recently was teaching special Ed in New Mexico. He's one of the nicest, most easy going folks i've ever met, and totally reminds me in looks and personality of Jeff Goldbloom.

Jessi (she hates nicknames and terms of endearment, forget Cool Kid, Saint, or anything else, even though she is) is mid 20's and from SC, where she went to PC. She's here for ministry and Social Work. She's just a big kid with a heart of gold and borrows my movies more than anyone for background study noise.
Alex (Animal- think muppets) and Pete (Tiny- think ironic) also live on the hall in a suite where Berry French currently lives, but is prolly leaving. Alex is a kiddy shrink of sorts in his late 20's and a little too into Star Wars, but this we can't really fault him for. Pete played baseball for Montreat College with Aaron, my shift leader at the YMCA this summer (small world).

We have a great kitchen (smile x 10000) on our hall with several fridges, stoves, etc, where we all spend time cooking and studying for hours upon hours each day after class each morning. We prolly study off and on (more on than off) from after lunch/nap time until at least 1am most nights. We party a little and crash weekends. Every Friday night is a cookout. (Also ironic is the fact that i don't drink, but my mini-fridge is generally stocked with all the beer from my hallmates and occasionally, my OJ)

WEEKENDS:
Mostly we rest, watch tons of movies, and study some more.
We managed a weekend down to Raleigh at one point very very briefly to see Tom's folks and ride around in his father's restored antique Model-T and 1915 Buick. WOW
We (Me, Noell, Jessi, Tom) also drove up on our long weekend to Conn to help Tom with yardwork to sell his fabulous house and to drive back his other car to sell. We took in a Broadway Show (Sweeney Todd) and saw my cousin Katrina in NYC. On the way back, we scouted out Princeton some and saw Jessica Anderson (Patchett).

The Class:
i have now taken classes in Latin, German, French, and Spanish, a little of Italian, and picked up enough Thai to get by, count, etc. Hebrew... is... HARD!!! imagine yourself on a journey beyond sight and sound... you have now entered... the Hebrew zone... duh duh duh (cue creepy bongo drums and the guy in black and white).

Recipe for Baby Hebrew:
Take a 2 semester course of BIBLICAL Hebrew that might be taught in college/gradschool (entirely new eastern alphabet and grammar system)
Read right to left
Intensify by stressing cultural and historical significance
Stir in theology
Bring to a boil with a test every day
Season with a professor who has taught it for 16 years and lived in the land of milk and honey
Squeeze entire contents of these 2 semesters into a pan roughly 7 weeks long and too wide to cross
Let cool for about 2 weeks so that one may forget it all, and then add Old Testament class

Yum.

Ok, so now you're caught up. If you read this far, you must really have a boring job, or you're procrastinating, or you love me. We could do a pie chart of those possibilities, but i think it would be humble pie and very depressing. God Bless you all. More to come...

To masticate or procrastinate...

So in an attempt to procrastinate before stuffing more Hebrew into my head today, i Googled my own name. i learned a few fascinating things...

1) There are 3 Brian Daoust's in the world: 1 is me; 1 is some dude in Canada, of no importance except the surviving relative of a recently deceased Daoust up there (i'm sure he has a cat or a dog or hamster or wife who love him dearly); 1 is the guy i knew about, a few years older, Amherst Alum with all sorts of good records in Baseball/Basketball or something (makes up 99% of the internet entries on my name)

2) i was quoted in the Salisbury paper 6 years ago when i spoke at Josh Day's memorial service

3) Hayley White wrote a blog entry about me that i never read or knew about, months ago when i "rearranged her Pokie and Gumby figurines" and "ruined her childhood." Oh well, after reading her blog from then to now and realizing how much i miss Hayley and all the gang from UNC, not so much CO or those "filler states" ;-) i made a blog...

First Entry: Stardate (blah blah blah)

Yeah, so i dunno if i will keep this updated much, but i feel like since i don't talk to many of you not here in Richmond, then i should give you the option of knowing how things are going. Those of you, however, with Facebook would prolly be more amused by the constantly updated photo version, especially those of you who went to State (it's like the dick and jane picture book version). Just kidding, i love all you State folk too. There's even some State fans here at Union, although, not any students... hmmm. i thought i'd start with a stardate, as i was the amazingly cool kid who kept his first journal in stardates, yup.