a treasure

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First thing I must say... blogger is totally uninspiring. Gotta make the switch to wordpress. (How many times have I said that?!)

So I went to the beach this weekend. I totally and completely needed a break from work.

beach + mom.dad.bro + grandparents + uncle.sam/aunt.lucy = just what I needed.

Here's what I did/learned:

1. I learned that I love the beach (I used to really not like it... for whatever reason I'm not sure).
2. "People don't lift weights because of an anticipation/fear of someone on the street throwing a bar bell on their chest." This is one of the best explanations of why you should go to school and learn math, science, history, etc. You learn to think, solve problems, and make educated decisions... not to know the Pythagorean Theory, or the dates of the Battle of Gettysburg. I've understood this concept, but the analogy really makes sense.
   
3. My uncle, my brother, and I went people watching at Barefoot Landing. I haven't gone out with that intent in a while. That was really fun.
4. Dad inspires me so much. He spent a few hours researching solar chimneys and how they might solve the problem of unaffordable AC in third world countries. They would basically be free and run themselves. It sounds quite genius.
5. My parents had their 28th wedding anniversary!!! woooooo!
6. I got an HDMI cable so we could play PS3 on the beautiful HD TV at the condo... so now, naturally, I need (waaant) to get an HD TV to go with my HDMI cable. hahaha.

Now I'm in the process of packing and moving into my new house. I got really sad / choked up about not living with Tom and Harry anymore on the drive back to the mountains. It just hit me how this is happening. right. now. We're out of the house on Friday. I'm not ready. physically. mentally. emotionally. But it's happening anyways, isn't it? I'm going to miss them so much.
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That literally meant the world to me.

.Three of my very favorites.

Welp. I went to the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games today. I wish it was awesome. But it was not. hahah. Too many kilts. Not enough Games. But free tickets were nice. Now I just know that I'll never buy them myself (or go by myself again! eeek).

However, RH's cabin was umpteen times funnier than I could have ever imagined. Those Hardy Boys are just a friggin hoot. And Jeff Watson from Spruce Pine, NC. Never have I ever EVER seen so much energy in one human being. for. real. He was dancing, hard, from when I got there (and no one else was dancing) till when I left... and everyone had stopped long before.

Personal work habit update: I've been doing a lot better job of actually finishing projects. It feels amazing. My next project to finish is Austin's photo slide show for his photo website. Then Chad's fern logo is next on the list. And then (a new one) T-shirt designs for Called To Arms. They're recording a new album right now. I hear its gonna melt more faces than a panini press tanning bed.

Really pumped about:
*Called To Arms' new album.
*Possibly getting CS4 for my laptop.
*New Atomic-Controlled Projection Clock that I got for my birthday!!!
*Brand new set of white socks my brother is getting me for my birthday (I'm throwing away all of my old ones... just like What Not To Wear!)

Oh man! Have I said nothing about my birthday yet?! IT WAS AWESOME!!!! Forman, Ian, Karis, Alicia, Bernie, Tom and Laura took me out to lunch. Wonderful!!! Then Jenks, Bernie, Laura, Alicia, and a whole bunch of other people threw me a surprise party that night! So many people were there. And there was pizza and soda and beer and pie and presents and games. That literally meant the world to me.
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one is better than none

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my new favorite workstation (at least for writing)

4 things to spend your time on when you have no roommates for a week:

1. 1 hr on freelance design work
2. 1 hr on personal website
3. 1 hr reading
4. 10 min working out

Day 1: Success!!!

This 'to-do' list of sorts is working out great for me.
#superpumped
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let's call this "overdue"

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Five burdens lay heavy on my to do list. You thought I was going to say "heart" or "mind." Nope... my to do list is not getting done. I'll share it with you:

• Tom & Laura's wedding invitations (more than 2 weeks overdue)
• Austin's (not mine) homepage flash gallery (more than 3 weeks overdue)
• Mom's photo website (more than 6 months overdue)
• Chad's Fern logo (less than a week overdue)
• My personal portfolio site (a year overdue??)

over-freaking-due

Possible reasons:

• I work 40+ hours a week as a graphic designer... therefore I'm "designed out" at 5pm.
• I play softball twice a week (although that's done now... lossingest team in the worst league in town.... hahaha.)
• I have a social life (ie friends)
• I have a slow-ass mac at home (although I did just clean up an IBM ThinkPad... and might get cs4 for soon)
• I get too distracted by twitter and woot-offs.

Time to kick it in gear. Next time you see me... ask me why the heck I'm not working on my to do list! Then punch me in the mouth (like becca always threatens to do... to anyone and anything) if I have a lame excuse.
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Off to work I goooooo!!!!

For some reason the only time I have to blog is when I actually wake up in the morning. Now that's not totally true. I just don't think about it till it's too late (ie. 7:26... when I need to leave for work at 7:36... and I still have to brush my teeth.) Boooo forgetting to blog. Someday. Maybe. I'll really write something worth reading (or remembering years from now when I look back on this blog to remind myself of how far I've come and how dumb I used to be). Welp! Off to work I goooooo!!!!

TRANSFORMER FORCED TO WORK AT WAFFLE HOUSE

BREAKING NEWS: Transformer Working at Waffle House

I've been so busy doin stuff, I haven't had time to write about it. So between strawberry shredded wheat and shaving, I'll take a min to lay out somethings I need to write about:

• TRANSFORMERS
  
• NYC
• OHIO
• MTN BIKING
• SOCCER
• VOLLEY BALL
• BLISTERS

All these topics and more should be coming soon... as long as nothing else out of the ordinary pops up and takes me away to some other state.

Brought To Tears

Skating tonight was like...
...playing in the championship game. The game against the best team in the league. The team that hasn't lost a game in years. They are all over 6'5" / 200 lbs / all gonna play in college. You know you don't have a chance. Despite all odds though, you stay with 'em for a while. It's 27 - 21 in the first quarter. You've got a chance. You can take 'em if you play right, play smart. But that was a while ago. Not tonight. Tonight, it's the end of the game. The last quarter. The last minute. You look up at the score board. Out of nowhere, it's 43 to what might as well be a million. You don't know how they got so far ahead. It really doesn't matter what you do now. They have already won. But everything in you keeps going. You put more into this part of the game than you've ever put into any part. of any game. ever. But all that comes out is Frustration. Anger. Sadness. Remorse. You Run. Kick. Push. Fight. all for nothing. You cannot win. It's over. Yet you continue. Your vision gets blurry. You get sloppy. But you will not go out with a whimper. There will be nothing left of you when the buzzer rings. All of you is left on the court. That's the only way you'll have it. But it's all over now. They beat you. Defeat. Pain.Tears.
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In the end, you had a good season. great teammates. a great coach. a fun time together. But this is your last season and you lost the championship game. There are tears shed. You're uncertain of what the future will be like. But one thing you know is you're going to miss what you had.
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I am dismayed at the closing of Boone's skatepark. Tonight was probably the last time I'll ever skate that place by myself. It's even likely that was the last time I'll ever skate it. That park was the biggest, and probably the best thing that happened for the kids(young and old) in this town. Shoot. I shouldn't even try to make it about "the kids." I'm talking about myself. It was the best thing for me. But I know everybody who spent every spare moment out there would agree with me. That was my favorite place in this town.
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Again, I'm brought to tears to see it go.