Emo-tional

Not a lot in the news i felt like reporting on, but i just came across a youtube video worth pointing out. It's a satirical, although mostly accurate explanation of exactly "what emo is." It is about 20 minutes long and it does have some language in a couple spots, but it's worth a look if you've ever tried to explain this to anyone, or yourself.

Don't forget, Smallville Season Finale tonight.

Mother Earth, the neglected mother of the Week

Yes, Sunday was Mother's Day, and how many of you thought about Mother Earth? i know, i know, there are those of you offended by the use of that name or term (can it for the moment because i am defending the Earth and therefore, God's creation, so keep your semantics to yourself).
How big is your own ecological footprint? Do you know? It's a term used a lot now, and it's highly important. There's all sorts of easy ways to reduce it, so let's try it together, shall we?

Things i do well already (if i can do it, you totally can):
Recycle all papers you clear out when cleaning up (including newsletters, newspaper, etc)
Recycle all cardboard (cereal boxes, pasta boxes, etc)
Instead of throwing out or hording greeting cards for years, recycle them, PLEASE!
Wash out and recycle cans and bottles
*if you really feel your tap water is not sufficient, buy a Britta filter or jug and reuse bottles you can wash yourself. Stop buying bottles water by the case every week. That's extra packaging you are less likely to recycle and the delivery cost in resources and money is a huge factor in your ecological footprint
Buy fewer hair, cosmetic, and cleaning products and when possible, buy the refills
*ps: you can recycle your toilet paper tube, i know, more steps to the bin than to the trash beside you, suck it up
Carpool as much as possible

Things i don't do so well (let's all try):
Turn off lights when you leave a room
Turn off computer monitors when you aren't using them
On cool nights, open a window and turn off your A/C
Take the stairs more often
ONLY PUT AS MUCH FOOD ON YOUR PLATE AS YOU WILL EAT, you can always go back for more. Seriously, wasting food is a huge contributing factor. More food must be grown, shipped and disposed of when you waste or don't eat what you take.

Go to green.yahoo.com to learn what else you can do and make your own plan for how to make your life greener.

Wanna help stop hunger? Do you go to the grocery store once a week or more? Have 30 or 40 cents extra in your budget? Really think about that before you answer, it's yes, i promise) Buy an extra can or two of vegetables, pasta, etc, every time you hit the grocery store. Keep them on another shelf at home and take them to church with you on Sunday or the food bank once every month or so. If half the members of your average church (20 families or more) did that, they would take in 320 cans per month at the very least, or more than 36,000 per year. There are more than 100 Presbyterian churches alone in the Charlotte area. That would be 3,600,000 cans per year from only the Presbyterian churches in Charlotte. Are we getting the idea?

Merrily we Roll Along

i think my new practice is going to be to write fairly often and just add news stories and thoughts as they come to me to the same entry if they occur on the same day so i don't forget what i was gonna jot down. So if entries change all day long, don't be surprised (as if you check).

So to start with, today my favorite song is I No Longer Hate California, which you can find on CD Baby and listen to about half of it. It's a rockin' fun tune, so jump on it.


As a result of the questions i just read in Contemplative Youth Ministry, i'm making an indirectly related resolution. The book focuses on how to be truly present with youth in ministry. These questions focus on how you as an adult have changed as you've grown:

Where in your life did you stop singing?
Where in your life did you stop dancing?
Where in your life did you stop telling stories?
Where in your life did you stop listening to silence?
-Angeles Arrien

I'm painfully aware of my addiction to TV and the stories and comedy from them that apply to real life. When working with youth, these can be most relevant, but my resolution is to rely more heavily on stories from my own life, especially with those my own age. This effort is to help in the lost art of story telling, as well as an effort to truly listen more.


13:48- Just found out Jerry Falwell was found dead in his office at Liberty.

CONGRATS!!!

Yes, first off, congrats to the graduating class of 2007 of the University of NC at Chapel Hill. i really am proud. Some of you are even all grown up now ;-)

My mom and sister came through on Thursday afternoon to say hello and go to dinner. They got to see my office and meet my boss and Carson and some of my hippie friends.

i found out that my friend Susan and her husband Dan were headed down for the graduation because Dan's sister was a college buddy of mine graduating this year. So i hitched a ride down to the hill to see Ashley folks for a day or so. Got to the Law Graduation to see Ashley's mother's husband graduate and it was very nice, as well as see her mother on mothers day. i called my mother in NY and then all my other mothers here and there and everywhere.

Also made it back to Chapel Hill Bible Church for the first time in maybe 5 years. Was a very nice service. The music was all led by a dude who looks just like, and acted much like, Eddie Izzard (non-drag) and was very good. Ashley's former pastor gave the message and it was very good as well. It's worth mentioning because i've had friends recently, more than a few struggling with an issue he touched on. He talked about how many of us wait for God to love us or God to use us or God to really move in our lives in some big obvious way, and then when God uses us or God loves us through other people we figure "well, that's God's Plan B." And he's right, it's not plan B, that's God's plan A, and it's a good plan! Thought i should bring it up.


So i've rethought being shot into space after what happened to poor Scotty...

Graced with His presents

So, i had an interesting conversation with one of my best friends today and she asked me, 'what is grace?' Well, i've given this quite a bit of thought during many long dry Presbyterian services. The conclusion i've arrived at requires defining 3 terms together...

Justice is getting what you deserve
Mercy is not getting what you deserve
and Grace is getting what you don't deserve (as is injustice on the flipside, but stay with me)

Have you read or seen some version of Les Miserables? If not, please take this moment to go here because frankly, you need to know something about it now and the next time it comes up in conversation or you need to impress a girl (if you watched Star Trek: DS9, you'd know all about it).


Justice would be throwing the main character (Jean Valjean) back into prison for stealing candlesticks from the priest.
Mercy would be letting him off with a week's worth of community service at the abbey.
Grace, the whole point of the story (same as the Bible), is giving those candlesticks to Jean. It's a gift he does not expect or deserve. He actually deserves punishment. But that gift is the price paid to save and redeem him. It's a gift given to give him a new life, which is all the priest wants for him, a life he didn't know he could have.

Planet Watch

That's right, i'm keeping tabs on our exploration of and colonization of the New Earth planet (Gleise 581c). If Steve Colbert is right, it'll be the US populating it soon.

Article on BIGFib.com Pay special attention to the Daedalus
















Books to read this summer:
Death by Black Hole
The Black Swan

I'm a hard workin' dog

Yes, started work for PBB yesterday. Love my new office. i'm diggin' bein' next door to all the big wig intellects and my spacious work place. Joy, my supervisor, has me doing all the leg work for applications and teacher packets and going through applications of the kids who will come in July to write cover letters that summarize what they say about themselves, and what their recommendations had to say about them as well. i love working. Seriously stoked about the summer and about Triennium.
Ashley is continuing to search for places here in Richmond while job hunting. We had a great weekend after her interviews at Carmax. Ashley, Kyle, and i went down to VA Beach Friday night and crashed with their friend Jason who is in the Navy. We spent the next day at the beach and boardwalk, where there was a massively awesome car show on the boardwalk itself. i saw a '56 Chevy and got to talk to the owner who said i "got the prize" for asking and knowing that the gas cap was hidden behind the driver's-side tail light.



























Saturday night, Ashley and i made it to Spiderman 3. Gotta say it was good, but too long. More of it should have ended up on the cutting room floor. Some scenes were entirely superfluous and it ran too long. Special effects and story were top notch for a superhero flick.









Oh, best preview by far... The Bourne Ultimatum
Second Best was Harry Potter, looks rockin'

Street Cred

Great episode of the Daily Show (something rare these days post Steve Colbert and most of their finest reporters leaving)....

A recent 60 Minutes interview with a leading rap artist (who, is hardly important) featured him saying he wouldn't "snitch" on a guy next door on his street even if he knew he was a serial killer. Yikes. So this is what one of the new anchors on the Daily Show had to say on this phenomenon...

You get street cred for not snitchin'
You write rap songs about it
You can trade that street cred... for real cred
You use that cred and move away... from that street
'cause if it's the kinda street you get cred by not talkin' to the cops... that's a scary street



In other news, scientists did find a planet that could support life! Kind of exciting. It's in this sorta "Cinderella zone" of distance from its own sun that means it could have water in a liquid state. Unfortunately, it would take our current fastest ships 400,000 years to get there. Even at the speed of light, it would take 20 years.

Layman's Fun Article

Worth Your Time, a Penny for My Thoughts

My girlfriend located a news article i felt was worth passing along. It's not just the intrinsic entertainment value or the "aww" factor that is worth noting. i actually found the responses to be the really thought-provoking portion.

Kitties v. Puppies




















The gist is that a CA school has created freeware to defeat spam. You know those sites where you log in and it asks you to identify the weird twisted letters and numbers to prove you're a human and not spam? Well, that's not good enough these days. So this software displays a series of photos and asks you to say if it's a cat or a dog. Get them all right? You are a human! So what's the big deal? Will this be helpful? What will this lead to? Well, these comments were what caught my eye...

"I think it is pretty cool, but how long will it take for hackers to come up with cat-recognition software?"

"Maybe this type of security 'arms race' will leads to fundamental advances in artificial intelligence. Visual recognition of objects is a big problem in that field."



ALSO: Going to TRIENNIUM!!!!

Just for Fun

So this blog is entirely too serious for its own good. Here's some humor for those of you who visit. So take a break...

This commercial will have you laughing so hard you'll wet your pants...
bathroom etiquette

G Dubyah impersonator for those of you who don't know...
Steve Bridges

i'll add some Political Speeches from youtube later as the ones by almost every candidate are hilarious. Does anyone take them seriously? Geez. i dunno which is scarier: Hillary Clinton speaking or Hillary Clinton in her youtube video faking womanly and sweet and nice. Yikes!

hillary


Ok, seriously, go be good citizens and pick a better candidate than Kerry or Bush or Edwards or God forbid, Hillary. Where or where is C Powell? Are there any non-scary thirds or moderates to be found?

my women's lib theology youtube of the day...
7up

Go YoCo

Amazingly good retreat with my Youth Council kids this weekend. Was a rough week after the VT shootings for everyone, but the Keynoter, Todd, the youth director from Salisbury Pres, did a great weekend on popularity and Christian sensitivity with the middle schoolers. Trip was there with Ginger to lead a Barn Dance and the kids all had fun. i love those kids and i'm sorry to see the seniors all leaving, but happy that they're all going to good schools. i'm probably going to apply for the co-ordinator position next year to help the Exec Council and do all the major leg work. Will be a big commitment, but i am super committed to these kids.
Also, Sunday night, did my lesson i planned weeks ago for the Sr High youth at Three Chopt Pres (TCPC). i was exhausted, but it went well. It was far more relevant than i realized it would be after this past week. We discussed stereotypes and jokes and how we respond to ignorance and hate as Christians in a way that prevents people from feeling as isolated as many did this past week. i look forward to going back there.
i also got my forms turned in for my directed study this summer with Project Burning Bush (PBB) and got my office for the summer. i'm trying not to get a big head, but i'm next door to Paul Galbreth (legend in homiletics of any denom) and Katie Canon (legendary in African American studies, Women and Liberation Theology, and ethics).
Huge sidenote: may be getting to go to Triennium (PYT) on the the PBB dime in July! Wow!

Discerned

After much prayer and discernment and deeply meaningful conversations with my closest friends, confidants, family, spiritual advisers and loved ones, i have decided not to accept the offered position to N Ireland. i will be staying in school and finishing my degree and doing mission work at a later date. If you wanna ask me more about it, feel free. i mailed in the letter officially this afternoon at 3:15pm EST. Thank you all for your prayers and support.

Traveling Update

It's been awhile, so read the parts that interest you...

Easter Weekend
i got some sleep and we had not only a great worship service at church, but 20 of us still here at school shared a wonderful ham and chicken dinner hosted by my campus mommy, Deb. We all pitched in with sides and dyed eggs.
2 days later
i came down with what i must assume was food poisoning from Wendy's and was ill for a few days and missed some class. i had a fever and all sorts of symptoms i will not share.

YAV Discernment weekend
Without being fully well, Tom took me to the airport Thursday morning for what was supposed to be an 11am flight out of Richmond, bound for a layover in Cincinnati and on to Louisville. Well, with the weather all through the Midwest and NE, all was delayed. i left finally at noon and we didn't make it half way when we had "engine trouble" (nothing to worry about said the captain as our engines sputtered and we dropped a few feet) so we headed back to Richmond to take the next flight. That flight finally left at 2:10pm. i did, however, meet fun people. i met a 1951 UNC alumni who is a published author and Historian, Rodney Taylor, on Jamestown. He had amazing stories to tell. i also met a English Prof from Bill and Mary and a nice woman headed to Maine. The woman headed to Maine was married to a man who usually flies her there himself since they own this tiny prop plane, and she knew a lot about our aircraft and flying. i arrived later than i expected in Louisville, but had a nice welcome from the YAV girls, one of whom i already recognized from her blog pictures of N Ireland, which was fortunate because they had no idea what i looked like.
The retreat was amazing. Everyone was great and i had incredible conversations about mission and family and friends and church and relationships and seminary. i got almost no sleep, but the worship services and small group devotional time was well worth it. i interviewed with Kenya and N Ireland. Both went well and i decided i definitely wasn't interested in Kenya because i wanted to definitely work with youth.
i got to see a few people i didn't expect to, and several i already knew or had spoken to before. Craig Hay, a former PCMer was there, and so was Sam Sale, a current PCMer and good friend from UNC.






























Also was a girl who had been to our WTI a few weekends ago who will be going to N Ireland for sure. My roomie was a funky Canadian kid who had grown up in Philly and we had some good convos too.




i was offered a placement for N Ireland and i have a few days to think about it and i'll let you all know when i decide, but school is going well and as is my current relationship. With a great summer job coming up and the possibility to work with Youth Council again and overseas youth work still my strong passion for post graduation... even if i don't go now, i likely will in the near future.

i was delayed getting back from the trip, but not terribly so. i had a 4.5 hour layover in Cincinatti as it turned out from 4pm to 8:30pm. Having apparently overdrafted my account this past week, and only a dollar in the wallet and a quarter in my pocket (i took all my change out to avoid metal detector hassles), i made my way to McDonald's. i saw that a medium fry was 1.80 and inquired about the small fry... $1.22... SUCCESS! So i ate and waited on the plane. Met more cool people there and on the plane, and had a turbulent ride back to Richmond. Tom picked me up and Jen stuck my pizza in the oven before i returned. They both get mad extra credit for that.


Today in Richmond and in life
The wind has been blowing since yesterday at upwards of 40 to 50 mph. It has done it's damage beyond tree limbs. Seminary Ave that is right out my dorm window is lined with 100 foot oak trees. The wind took one down, tearing up the sidewalk with the root ball, and blocking the entire road and into the next yard across the street. Until they clear it, there will be no through traffic.














Also, this is the day of the VA Tech shootings. As of the last time i saw the news, 32 are dead and dozens wounded. They keep playing the tape of the student who videoed it. You can't see much, but you can hear the gunfire. It's surreal. i know i have a few friends in grad school there maybe and at least one former youth kid there. i'm afraid to check on them and deeply saddened for the families and friends.

Wastin Time

In wasting time this week between activities, or in realizing how much of my time is wasted by others or activities i don't wanna do, i started another song list. As with all of my others, this will become a CD or playlist for the MP3 player, so i'd love YOUR help. Send me suggestions to add...

Time (songs about time)

Ben Folds- It's Been Too Late
Long long long long time
Hootie- Time
Stones- Time is on my side
Righteous Bros- Unchained Melody



Hard out Here for a Musician

Jackson Brown- The Load Out
Billy Joel- The Entertainer
Ben Folds- One Down
Bob Seger- Turn the Page
Willie Nelson- I Always Go the Other Way
Foreigner- Faithfully

Social Commentary

This morning, i had a very irate woman call the library to protest her extremely large fine (largest i've ever heard of). Now, it's not new for me to field horribly angry or confused people. i'm used to it. However, these are typically neighborhood folks, and not those seeking divinity degrees. She was upset because this huge fine was going to keep her from graduating. Now, i did want to tell her that she wouldn't have a fine over one hundred dollars (the largest fine i'd ever previously seen was 34) if she knew how to return books. But even more so, i wanted to stop being polite and helpful and tell her that assholes shouldn't get divinity degrees even if they are paid up at the library. In my book, a pastor who can't be kind to minimum wage employees or anyone bending over backwards to help such a pain is in the wrong field of work.
Then a little while later, a woman comes in talking loudly on her cell phone. First off, this is a library. EVERYone knows you don't get to be loud in a library, period. Second, she passed our big no cell phone signs. Okay, no common sense, no reading skills. Why is she in our library? Poor Rachel, our meek little library assistant went over to ask her to just step out in the atrium and she blew up and actually gave her the "talk to the hand." Good grief, the woman was late 30's. Rachel, our poor missionary child, was shocked.
Turns out, this was the same woman from the phone. She proceeded to yell at Rachel about her fees and how it wasn't gonna stop her from graduating and that some "dude with an African name" had checked all her books in and just because they were late doesn't mean she didn't pay all her fines, blah blah blah. It was horrible. I hope her mother is sorely embarassed by this horrendous human being this woman has become. i was embarassed to be a divinity student. i was embarassed to be a Christian. i was embarassed for her and everyone else. I deeply hope that no one ever has her as a pastor. Most of all, i hope that i personally never give such a bad name to my own school and my profession, let alone my faith and calling. That's my prayer and thought for the day. Lord willing, i'll make it.

Overdue Ooopdate

Tues night- got massive uncontrollable cold chills and a constant excruciating stabbing pain in my right ear and side of my head that radiated down the whole right side of my body every few minutes.
We morning- still going on, called around, and Loren Tate got me to the doc. He diagnosed me with some sort of ear infection and gave me two perscrips. He didn't explain either. i called our family friend Doctor Jimmy in Charlotte and he walked me through it.
The pain and chills went away, but both meds gave me horrible side effects. One was simply a decongestant, so when Doc Jim (no relation to Dr Jimmy) from my Theo class stopped by, he told me to stop taking it and stick with the anti-biotic. My sister Kelley gave me all her nursing/vomiting dietary advice, and a few of my hall friends took care of me for a few days. Jen ran to the store for Gatorade and bananas and such. Tom made me some rice, etc. With my raging high metabolism, i was laid low by lack of any food for a few days and losing much of it, so i did not make it to class or work for 2 or 3 days and laid in bed sleeping for 3-4 stretches, dearly wishing that i could.
Ashley got in Friday night after a terrible ordeal transporting a mama doggie and her 6 puppies from CH to Richmond with no leashes. FUN! She took care of me and got me to the grocery store and a few restaurants to start me back to real food like mashed potatoes and scrambled eggs and biscuits. A later blog on her failed April Fool's prank... gotta love the attempt.
Current status: able to hold down a spoon full of queso on saltines after a pot pie. Might be lookin up...

WTI?

We had our Weekend to Inquire this weekend and all of the prospective students came. Saw one of my buds from state that was my small group leader a few years ago at a PCM retreat and she's looking at seminary. There was a kid here from College Station, TX too who is applying to YAV and wants to go to N Ireland. Speaking of which, i have news.
Anyways. The David Bailey concert was great. i got to hear him warm up and help set up. Saw him do his set list. He sits on the floor with his coffee and makes a pile of "no" songs, "maybe" songs, and "yes" songs. He was sorting and he put one of my favs in the "maybe" pile and i said "oh, i love that one." He just smiled, and moved it to the "yes" pile and went on. He seemd exhausted and in declining health, but still put on a good show. i manned his CD table after so he could sign CD's and talk to folk and he cam over afterwards. He asked what i didn't have and i said we sold out of his double live album. He said, "no, what don't you have?" And i said i didn't have any of the ones left and he picked up his new CD and handed it to me. He had some great stories and it was a fun time.














The news... i do have my travel itinerary for heading to Louisville on April 12-15 for interviews for YAV.

Unoriginal Me

So for a few weeks i've been mulling over song lyrics. i love really good lyrics that strike a chord with the soul or the funny bone and some simultaneously. i've been thinking i'd like to arrange, not write, a song with nothing but the really good lines from songs i love. i've slowly been collecting some and i plan to put them together in such a way that they rhyme and form a coherent, even if only silly, song. Will hear from Louisville soon about travel out for interviews.

Spring Flinging About

i left immediately after class on friday and headed to CH. i got into town and helped Kelley load up the car. She dropped me at PCM, where Ashley picked me up shortly after. We did dinner at the Rat and then went to her friend Gary's guitar coffee house gig in Durham. Saturday, we left for Concord and had dinner with my folks and my sis. She got the full Concord tour and on Sunday got to meet the glorious members of ARPC. Most of my congregation was fascinated by my blue mohawk, but not so much surprised. My parents pretty much hated it and were throughly embarrassed. We left Sunday after the UNC victory and spent Sunday night, Mon, and Tues in CH because Ashley had to work. i got some reading done, got her tires mounted on her car, and grabbed lunch with Megan. i also got to see where Ashley works and meet some of her co-workers. All nice folks. After running dozens of errands, we left Wed afternoon for Ocean Isle and spent the next few days at her family's condo with her mother and brother and dogs. We did some beach walking and lots of NCAA basketball watching and much cooking. Ashley Newton dropped by for a brief, but wonderful visit on Thursday. We left Fri afternoon and drove the 6 hours up to Richmond. We spent St Patty's day watching Irish movies and then a brief visit to the lame excuse for a festival downtown. Then we watched the UNC victory over MSU here with Kyle after going to Sticky Rice. Church tomorrow and Youth. At some point i still have a Theo paper to write.

And now for something completely different

Yes, in fact, i am rarely gushy or mushy on my away messages or blog or anything, so feel free to stop reading. i have a lot of weird zaney and just plain disturbingly odd friends whom i dearly love, and allot me to be fairly odd. Last week i told one of these zaney friends how much i really wanted to have _____ years later. Now, it's highly unimportant what it was, but they just gave me a weird look and said, um, ok, sure. Well my wonderful girlfriend, of her own accord, suggested that very thing today. And on a day when i was feeling rather unappreciated by some local "friends," it was a wonderfully nice surprise. So my thought for today is that every once in awhile, some part of you can be totally illuminated when you friends or those whom you love step in and don't just let you be yourself or unique, but appreciate that fully. Good on that.

The St Patty Shuffle

Yeah, so the usual St Patty Shuffle is going on. Two years ago, the plan (in Bangkok) was that our group was gonna go out and find a decent enough bar/pub and celebrate Irish/American style. The group mostly bailed and went for a club. Last year, several fun people in the group de usual suspects bailed rather hardcore for their own beach/fencing plans. Wohoo for seniors! So Barnes and i made the best of it. This year, the tentative plan over several months with "adults" was even shakier due to the nature of spring break mixing with people, couples, house sales, etc. Fate/ oddball friends conspire again! Foiled! So this year, if no one is in fact in Richmond, i think i'll be going for one of the American Holy Grails of St Patty's/ Ashley and i may head on to Boston for the day if no one is here. Take that, oh fate of doom!

Hill Thrill

i left late thursday night for Chapel Hill and took a mental health day for friday. Got to see Ashley, sleep a bit, eat some good food and watch movies. She also completed my hair process. It is in fact a Carolina Blue Mohawk. Yes, it's fading rapidly to greenish, but that's ok. St Patty's Day is fast approaching and i will be shaving it the day after. Will post pics on the proper days soon, since my Dell is running ok. (it took removing the bad memory card, so it runs slower, but it runs)





























PS- it fades quickly from blue to green after multiple washes, which is alright if it's this close to St Patty's day

The "Buzz"

Yes, got the mohawk last night after blonde dye-ing. Yeah, the water is weird here, so instead of full blonde like last time (same brand), it's blondish brown with some natural red. Gotta bleach again today before the Carolina Blue gets added. Check here and facebook for pics as they become available.

Chapel Thrill

On friday, i had a meeting with Edna about a directed study this summer and it went quite well. Looks like i will very likely be doing PBB this summer. i went to OT section and then Chuckie took me to the train station.
i was working on a project while i waited on the hour-late train to CH, and using my Bible. When i boarded the train, one guy my age asked me about it and we talked for a minute. Then a professor leaned over the seat and asked to borrow it. Turns out, he is a prof at Greensboro College, on sabbatical, and working as a Fellow at the Holocaust museum in DC. He used my Bible to add a few lines to the book he's working on (so basically i've co-authored published work, so look for our book this fall) on Antisemitism. We had a great talk on religion and theology for a few hours and then a guy, a couple years younger than i, joined us and we talked about mostly music and guitars. The professor jammed on his guitar for a bit, all BB King-style. All of this was much appreciated, as the train left an hour late from the station and got me into CH nearly 3 hours overdue. Ashley picked me up and we had dinner with Kelley and Brice.

Ashley and i went to Greensboro on Saturday to pick up some dogs for animal rescue and delivered them to Durham for the first leg of their very long journey north. Then we had lunch with her mother and brother and his girl friend. Ashley worked on her online finals and i crashed for a few hours. We did mom's amazing chocolate milkshakes and watched some movies.
Today was the last church service for Ashley's church and so we attended. It was a great service, but as to be expected, everyone was quite emotional. They were all incredibly friendly and welcoming and i have a lot of faith that they will all go do amazing things. i drove back here in my car and worked on my project. i've got a good caffeine high going tonight. i'll be exhausted tomorrow, but no regrets. Another GREAT weekend.

Also: Carolina Blue Hair Dye has arrived

Whatsa happenin'

My Dell has decided it cannot be booted up for more than 5 minutes without going all "blue screen of doom" so i shall be back on the IBM for awhile. i'll have to call the Dell folks. My YAV phone interview didn't feel great on saturday, but we shall see. Ashley and i had a great day. The 3 Chopt youth did a GREAT job for youth Sunday. We then went to Avenue 805 for brunch with Aunt Judy and Uncle Paul, which was a really fun time. We ended up going over to Murray's and hangin out with some really cool kids from his neighborhood. One girl cornrowed my hair (pictures to come soon) and we had a drum circle goin. We did Zorba's for dinner and she left around 9. All in all, a perfect, but not terribly productive weekend.

Bzzzz

So i've been a busy bee all week with school and projects and work, so no chance to write. So here's the buzz... Still working in the library here on campus. My pastoral care prof couldn't sign on to work with me this summer for a directed study, so i am likely working with Edna, our dean of students and my spiritual formation prof. She's fantastic. i'm throwing around the idea of calling my directed study something along the lines of: Leadership in Youth Vocational Exploration... or something like that. Basically, i would be spending the summer helping these youth discern what "call" means for them and what vocation or what life goals this is guiding them towards. Ashley is here to visit me and to see her best friend here in Richmond this weekend, so we got to spend the day together around Union and then over to McCarthur to hit up Dott's for burgers and tuna melts. We also stopped by Carytown Books and Once Upon a Vine before heading to Cary Street, where we hit the yarn shop, the indy music store, the costume shop, the vintage clothing store, and the surprise... the Chocolate shop. We met her friend Kyle for dinner at Sticky Rice for Thai and did ice cream by the Byrd and shot pool and watched Little Miss Sunshine. Today she'll be seeing more of Richmond with her bud Kyle and we'll all watch the UNC game tonight. We're going to go to 3 Chopt Pres in the morning for youth Sunday and then Ashley and i will be having lunch with my aunt Judy and uncle Paul who will be in town. Keeping in mind time constraints, she and i may go to Murray's house to play drums with the inner city kids and get my hair corn rowed.

Long time

Yeah, so i haven't blogged in days. Things are great. School is keeping me much too busy, and the semester is only beginning. It's going to get much worse. The new Norah Jones CD is amazingly good, but i also recommend Rock Swing, the CD of big Rock N Roll hits done big band swing style. It's been an interesting week. Heard from a few old friends and a few old flames. But life just keeps moving, and things are good in both areas for now. Doing a little house cleaning in the wallet and in the heart. Need a haircut fairly badly. It's long enough to lay flat on its own and naturally part, so not even a fro. i'm babbling. It's late. Goodnight folks.

Stooperbowl

Yeah, so the rain made a very uninteresting match up a lot of fun. Great food, and i got to play with the baby Ethan and hangman with little Becka. i love how kids plan what they wanna be. She wants to be a fashion designer and make shoes and clothes with diamonds and quarters on them. Wow. Either that or she wants to e principal... or a baby sitter... or an artist. COOL KID! i miss being that open and excited. Kids rock.

Spontinaity is the spice of life...

So, it's friday night, maybe 2am, and i'm on the phone with Ashley. Tom looks at me and says, "what are you doing here? Go to Chapel Hill." So i says, "ok, takin your keys, see ya saturday night." i got CH around 5:30am (checked on the PCM kitchen) and Ashley and i hung out till lunch and hit up Franklin Street Pizza and Pasta, which i had missed dearly. Also saw Katie Cole!!! We then took advantage of the nice weather and meandered the campus of our alma mater (yes, that's what it is now) and took tons of pictures. Also wandered the arboretum. i then crashed for two hours because i hadn't slept at all friday night and Ashley finished up her paper and actually did half my laundry. Yay for people with their own washers and dryers! We did dinner (she makes one mean pasta alfredo and basil dish) and then i took off back to Union. Pretty much the best day ever. Wish i had gotten to see a few folks on the Hill, but it was entirely too spontaneous and my phone died about 5 minutes after i hit the road for NC, so i wasn't really able to hit anyone up. Maybe next trip. Sleep time!

This amazing day brought to you almost entirely by Tom Harley, my personal hero.

There's no business like snow business

Yeah, it only snows when i am working. i keep getting to see it snowing outside, but it almost only happens when i am at work or sometimes in class. i never get to go out in it, just see it. i've been in a good mood all week, but i haven't had my head on straight. i blame angel fairies. i've gone to the wrong classroom for class, missed my usual Battlestar episode, and misplaced a whole pizza. Oh well. i'm excited about my classes and i love my YoCo's i get to work with. So yes, ending, on a happy note today.