Newness

I'm going to just jump right back in here like nothing ever happened. Like I never neglected this online journal.

A lot has happened since I last posted. I've cleaned up my blog layout (I'm sure you've all noticed), I've welcomed a new darling niece into my life,

I've earned my degree (at long last), I now wear a modest trimmed beard,

I'm in the best shape I've ever been in, and have been living in a room in my parents' basement as I continue searching for a dream job.

Now, here's the part where I just throw out all the thoughts I've got to write.

I think people should make a habit of getting outside. There are days when it's not a great idea, but on the days that are pleasant or even bearable, we should be out and about more often than we are. We should use our porches and patios. We should get a little sun and air. We should slow down enough to appreciate the simple beauties in what's right in our backyard. Not only do I think it's a healthy idea, but I would venture to say God is much nearer when we get outside of our lives and take a grateful glance at His creations.

While I'm on the "sage advice" kick, let's throw these gems in:

(I heard these quotes and have really seen the wisdom in them lately.)

"What other people think of you is none of your business."

"Short visits make long friends."

I could explicate some on those, but I think they're best left as they are. Thanks goes to my aunt Cat for that first one. My aunts are the source of a lot of sound advice for life.

That should do it for now. I've got a few other ideas of things that I'll be posting soon, so watch for them.

It's good to be back.

I'm Back

I'm in desperation. My blog has been dormant these past few months.
I'll tell you what I've decided. We are going to have a revival, y'all.
I found a list of topics that I'll be following to get me going again. It's not my usual method, but as I said: I'm desperate here.

Today's topic: 5 ways to win my heart.
Ok, so this list is a little girly, I admit. But this should make things all the more fun and interesting!

Way 1: confidence. There's faked confidence, there's cockiness, I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about a healthy, solid self-confidence that says I know my strengths and I'm a valuable individual.

Way 2: humor. Wit and the ability to laugh at dumb things are hugely attractive.

Way 3: practicality. Someone doesn't have to be brilliant to dazzle me; practicality and common sense are impressive. I guess beyond this, but somewhat related is level-headedness. I think the term some might use is "even-keeled".

Way 4: activity. I like active people. There's something very unattractive about a person who relishes opportunities to be lazy. There's a call for the occasional relaxation and unwinding. But your leisure time should be focused on developing yourself and living life, not catching your favorite TV shows every night.

Way 5: tenderness. I love it if you still have a tender side like you did when you were a kid, and it's still there, only coming out at special times, in sweet lovable emotion.

So there you have it. My heart is yours if you've got them five. At least for a first date.

Products That I Love

I've wanted to share this for a while. I guess I need to get it written so I can move onto actually meaningful thoughts and leave this alone.

When I find something good, I can't help but blab about it. I try not to be overbearing, but for some reason I feel compelled to share the goodness.

First, WoodWick candles. My good friend Jay bought me my first at a Cracker Barrel gift shop. They come in many awesome scents, last much longer than a typical candle, and gently crackle as they burn. You just have to try one to appreciate it.

Next, the Clif bar.

Looking back, I don't know how I made it through a morning of back-to-back-to-back classes without one. You have to find which ones you prefer: I love the Blueberry Crisp. It is amazing. Other good ones are the oatmeal raisin, cherry almond, black cherry almond, and white chocolate macadamia nut.
Why am I raving? Well, a Clif bar is not just a sissy granola bar. It will actually tide you over and stave off pangs of starvation so you can comfortably be bored during a lecture rather than zoning out on account of hunger. Pack it in your backpack, your purse, your satchel, your day-pack. They are a great way to have food on the go when you don't have time/means/desire to prepare something more substantial. Read the story of how they were developed on the package. They are an all-around win. And you can get them 6 for $5 at the cheap big W store.

Next, Neutrogena Skin Clearing Shave Cream.

I only discovered this product in December. This one is a game-changer. It's not a foam or a gel, and it turns even a half-dull razor into a smooth-sailing grooming machine. I am completely sold and will likely stay true to this product forever unless something better is developed.

Next, a really vain thing. Confession: I hate being pasty-white.
My friend Kendall introduced me to the Walmart brand "Equate Healthy Glow Daily Firming Moisturizer". Lotion is good for your skin anyhow, and this helps create a subtle shade that takes you from brilliant-white to robust and colorful in a matter of days. It also smells really good.

And last, and probably one of the best (I saved it for last), my friend Brad clued me in on the amazingness.
Walgreen's carries an impostor fragrance that smells like Abercrombie's "Fierce". Do you know how amazing Abercrombie fragrances are? And do you know how stupidly expensive they are?
Brad was right. This impostor fragrance is spot-on and it LASTS. I had to experience to believe it. For $4, it's not a huge gamble. I have had more compliments on this fragrance than anything else I've worn. So until they stop making it, I'm with them for my fragrance needs.

It's called "Raw Power". And I think you'll love it.

Okay, now you know a few of my favorite things. Now let's move on to blogging about something more meaningful.

Where Have I Been?

Let the silence be broken. Or, for you Nacho fans, let the Silencio bruise his bunions.
Either way, I haven't posted this year at ALL! SHOOT!

You'd think I had a New Year's resolution to neglect blogging or something, but you are wrong. I'm still alive. I've just had a lot of work-y opportunities lately.

I've also occupied some of my "leisure time" (that was a joke) with Pinterest (a given), YouTube (a universal constant in my life), and a new iPhone app called "Draw Something".

All that, and add facebook, and my young modern self is completely ensnared in a cyber-spatial labarynth from which few, if any, escape. Is it any wonder I haven't been blogging?

Well, I'm posting this now to share with you some of my favorite guilty pleasures. I would post links, but for some reason (and don't think I haven't tried and tried and tried to make it work), I can't embed links in my posts on blogger. It doesn't work.

So, to share the goodness with you, I'm posting screen shots. Any time you're bored or need a laugh, or need to eliminate some "leisure time" (anyone living in Joseph City should be laughing at all 3 of those suggestions), take my suggestions for the best YouTube videos ever. Rewatch them if it's been awhile. I'm sure not all of them will be appreciated as much by you as they are by me, but I practically live by the humor I find in these things. It brings a smile to my face even during the most trying days.

Here they are:

And two of my absolute favorites, Harvard Sailing Team and Julian Smith (watch the Harvard Sailing Team videos in the order I have them arranged).

I have to add, if you haven't seen Glozelle on YouTube, check her videos while you're at it. May I suggest her "cinnamon challenge" video for starters.
Join me next time (hopefully not months away) for a post about "My Favorite Things".

Home for the Holidays (at last)

I never quite thought I'd make it to this point: I'm home. The fact is still settling in, and ever so slowly the cares of last semester diminish as I spend time amidst the people and scenes I find so dear.

I guess I have a lot to say. I've experienced quite a range of moods, from reflective to melancholy (I love pronouncing that differently ever since I watched Megamind), to nostalgic. So let me spill the thoughts.

I surpassed my weight goal. At the start of my training sessions with my awesome trainer, Ian,I set a weight goal for what I wanted to weigh when I finished training. I started weighing 214. My goal was 195. I'm thrilled to be able to say that last week I weighed in at 193. At the end of my training, I sent Ian a text:

"Yeah seriously it's been a life-altering experience for me in a lot of ways. It's affected the way I feel, my mood, my confidence, and of course how I look. It carries over into every other aspect of my life. It's way cool to experience that change."

The next week I came into the gym, and that very text was quoted word for word on the white-board they use to promote training. I had to smile. I am their anonymous poster-child, kind of, I guess.

Another accomplishment: I decided to make my bed every day for the last two semesters. My friend Becky once told me that if you just make your bed, your whole room will look cleaner. It's true. So I tried it. I'm proud to say that I made my bed every single morning. And the success continues. It's a habit now. At the end of the day, no matter how cruddy life feels, it always seems a little brighter when you see that you have a neatly made bed to end it in.

Coming home for the holidays, I never quite know what my sleeping arrangement will be. This year, Julianne is off to serve the Lord (hiking, play volleyball...) so her room was vacant. It is now serving as a guest room for this man.
The funny thing is, this was my room all through high school. And the bed is in roughly the same spot. So much similarity in setting as my high school days, that I was instantly led to reflect on all that's transpired since I last resided in this place. That's the cause for the nostalgia.

There are certain things that I always look forward to at Christmas. If they don't happen every year, the world and life still go on, but some rituals have memories attached to them and the memories are renewed as the ritual plays out. The first is my Mother's orange rolls each Christmas morning. The smell is absolutely entrancing, the taste, enamoring. I savor that memory even now.
Another ritual is holiday carriage rides. Not too many people around have access to a carriage, let alone a good horse and horseman. Our family has all that (and more!). It's hard to put into words the feeling of a Christmas day carriage ride. In the very instant, you're given a taste of older days, a flavor of what the Currier and Ives scenes depict, a feel of timeless thrill that you can get no other way. I love this ritual and love that my dad is just the man for the job.

My younger brother asked me what I wanted for Christmas this year. It's come to this: my real gift is being with the people I love in the place I love most. That is what I want most. And every year I get that, all other gifts seem like trivialities. Not that I mind the trivial fun things, but my heart is on the true lasting joy of making memories with my family.

This year, I engaged the old man's enthusiasm for the season (his inner-child really shines through at this time of year) and got him excited about putting up some lights. Our house sure looks sad without any exterior glow.
I'll interject and confess that the lights are my favorite part of Christmas decoration. Can you imagine this holiday without the lights? Do you feel the excitement I do when you see a great light display? I love it. It makes everything that much more festive. (May your days be merry and bright)
So dad bought some lights. And I think I'll be stringing them up tomorrow.

To all my dear friends and my lovely family, Merry Christmas! I love this holiday almost as much as I love making memories with you all.

The Triple Ten

I've meant to write this post ever since the 8th. It's one of those reflective posts.

The year 30 is something of a mile-post age. I mean there's no inherent magic in a number, it's just another digit. But it does provide the opportunity to look back on things and see how things have changed.

I look in the mirror, and here's what I see:

-White hairs. They aren't that prevalent, so fairly inconspicuous (to anyone but me). I confess, every now and then I grab the tweezers and pull a few of them. I can't help but think I should wear them proudly, but my vanity still wins out over my aged wisdom.

-The healthiest version of me I've seen in decades. I seriously have more muscle and less fat than I can ever recall having in my life. I think that's almost the inverse of what one might expect from another single American dude of my age.

-Youth. I'm constantly reminded by the youngsters on this campus that 30 is the age of decrepit geezer-hood. I think that is a very relative judgment. I know that almost anyone else would look at the age 30 and would love to be that young. The truth is, I don't feel old. I feel young, vibrant, and energetic. I usually let the number be untold and let my youth speak for itself. Maybe I should also point out that my actions denote a less-than-mature individual. But I can't help that.

I thought for sure that I'd be graduated and moved onto the next stage of my life by this age. I almost made it, and that's close enough for me to be content.

Another measurement is my single status.
I helped lead a field trip to the Grand Canyon last weekend, and all the students assumed that I was married. That came as quite a surprise to me, and it shocked them all to hear that I was indeed unmarried and (gasp) single. I know that this may evident the need for reprimand, but I'm going to say it anyway: I love my life. I'm really glad I'm still single and have the freedom to do things that married folks only think of doing "someday". I don't care if people call me a "menace". I'll smile, not able to subdue the thought that they're at least a bit jealous. It's not that I would shun the amazing opportunity of a blissful companionship. But it hasn't happened and life is still awesome.

I'm not a conventional person. While I know that convention is formed on the basis of hard-earned wisdom, I can't help but question it all along the way. Humanity is composed of the widest spectrum, and we're supposed to all fit into one societal norm of convention? Sorry, but I like to think of convention as more like guidelines. Life is far too dynamic to restrict it to the rigid expectations that have been laid down by society. That's not to excuse behavior that is out of line, it's just reality, and I find it fascinating. It brings color to life.

I'm also aware that I'm not as conservative in my views now. Life experience has taught me that I should be more objective in my approach to life.

That's how I view myself at this stage. It would be fun to know what other people see. Not their modified opinion that would be suitable for sharing, but their honest view. Not that it would necessarily (I spelled that right on the first try!) change my view, but gosh people are interesting.

Thanks to all of you who have helped me survive to this ripe old age and helped to shape me into the guy I see in the mirror.

News

I know I've had a lot of back-and-forth talk of graduating and the possibility of one more semester. I'm sorry the story changes so frequently. The truth be told, I want a simple solid answer too.

But here's the real situation, and I'm really just swallowing all sense of pride to disclose it to you:
I'm not going to be able to graduate in December.
Before you say "Oh NO!!!" just keep in mind that I'm not freaking out over it, so you shouldn't either. Let me explain. No, too much. Let me sum up.

I spread myself too thin this semester. I hate to admit that, but current grades and my stress levels are firm evidence that can't be overlooked.

I have very good instructors, and I feel I've learned the concepts in class well, but as far as keeping deadlines for homework submission, I have failed across the spectrum. My exam scores are high, but that's not enough to counter the point deficit indicated by my grades. That's one thing I really hate about school: when busy work takes precedent over learning. The learning is happening, it shows in my exam scores. But the busy work dominates my agenda, forces me to rush, and utterly decimates any chance of long-term retention of any of the concepts I'm learning.

Long story short (too late!), I am (and this is final) coming back for one more semester. Here is the silver lining in that dismal blotch of water vapor:
I already have financial aid awarded for one more semester that would be forfeit if I were to graduate this semester.
And I have a break from January to April before I'm scheduled to come back to school.

So my GPA has suffered, my pride is laid out on the table for everyone to mourn prior to its graveside service, and I continue on: learning as much as I can from my classes and not giving a hoot in Hell of a damn about busy work.

The plan for my off-semester? Arizona, Flagstaff, living with my best friend Jay, working, and enjoying time near enough my family and friends to visit often.
Oh, and by the way, thanks for those of you who made an effort to make me feel loved on my birthday. I had a great day!