just around the corner

jack of all trades turns 1!

That's right in just a couple of weeks the blog that began with a simple whine has turned into something ... else. [dryly] I don't know about you, but I can hardly contain myself.

good news

Something to look forward to.

I received a call from my good friend ben stewart last night. He works for a kind of touring ministry [Inlightened Ministries] based out of Nashville, TN. There are a couple of conferences that they are gearing up for coming up in December and January. They've offered to have come in as their "lighting guy". I just can't wait! It's the best of so many worlds... i get to work with my friend, use my skills for worship, and i get to travel! One of the events is in North Carolina (i believe) and the other is in Gatlinburg, TN. I'm super psyched about it. I just hope I have work until then. :S

return of the ... me

I am now back in Richmond. Hooray. I guess. I seem to have a slight feeling of emptiness. I'm glad to see some familiar faces again... especially that of my best friend. But something about this place suddenly feels.... unfullfilling.

I don't really feel like I have too much to look forward to right now. My room in the apartment is a mess - as is the living room from where one of my good friends moved out during the summer. No, the living room isn't a mess, it's just un-inviting and cold-feeling.

I ran around paying bills and making appointments today to see get myself on track here. Maybe when stuff starts happening, I'll feel better.

I really look forward to visiting some friends in New York, right now, though.

... do I belong here?

another foot in the digital era

I finally took the next step into the digital era, I ordered an iPod! I can't wait to start using it... of course, my computer is still out of commission... so I'm not too sure HOW I'll get songs onto it.

another day ... another post

It's been a couple weeks since my last post. I've had my ups and downs, but mostly I've had some good times. The tour - "Schoolhouse Rock Live, Too" is going great. We had our third performance today and it went really well. In case you don't know what's going on... I'm on a school tour with this show. We travel around to elementary and middle schools performing this show usually twice a day. On some days we'll have a question and answer session with the kids.

The people I'm touring with are super talented and extremely fun and nice to be around.

I've been given notice that a couple of my friends are going to get to come see the tour when we make it around to my hometown.

On another note... I've been given a proposition of sorts... and it's one that I'm pretty excited about - at least after more thought. There is a posibility that I could be making the journey to the Big Apple for an extended stay. That's right... it's a possibility that I'm going to try to make it in New York. A friend of mine (not sure if I'm supposed to say anything right now that's why the name has been withheld) asked me if I wanted to go. I realized that after this summer, I'm going to have a lot of friends that live in the city... some that I've met this summer, some that I've met previous years, and some that I've known for a while and are making the move themselves.

Other than that, life is well - minus a girlfriend, still, but I'm moderately okay with that for now.

God bless.

winding down and gearing up

Winding Down.

Well - the summer here at JWT is beginning to wind down. We only have a week and a half of shows left.

Mixed Feelings.

On one side I'll be very happy to be getting back to all my friends and my church and having access to the little things in my life that make going through the daily grind bareable.

On the other - I'll miss the nice paycheck and working in the field that I plan on basing my life/career on.

Gearing Up.

On the upside - I have the opportunity to work onstage again at the end of the summer like I did at the end of last summer. I'll be performing in "School House Rock Live Too". It's a small touring show that performs for schools around the area. There's a possibility that we'll even make it as far as Lexington for a couple of performances. I'm fairly excited about this show. We begin music rehearsals for it next week.

For now - signing off...

400th post!!!!

Today is a day of celebration! Today marks my 400th Post. It also marks the end of the build at Jenny Wiley Theatre! All of our shows are up and running. We opened Legend of Jenny Wiley last night to a huge house. And it was very well received. My first paid lighting design looks amazing... even I'm impressed with myself, and people have been fairly encouraging. One person commented that it is the best the show has ever looked. I'm very proud of that design.

Well, it's not much of a post... but it's the 400th... isn't that swell?

Keep checkin' in... who knows... maybe there'll be 400 more.

updates and opinions

1) it sucks when people you care for just don't seem to "get" you

2) loneliness is more bitter when it's not shared

3) all work and no play really does suck

4) blowing stuff up is cool and exciting

5) i'm doomed to a single life

on a lighter side... Into The Woods opens tomorrow night and then I switch roles from Master Electrician to Lighting Designer and my job becomes ten times easier - ten times harder - and I get paid more for it.

Man - I hope I don't F#@$ it up.

pyro

Probably THE coolest thing that I've done so far [at Jenny Wiley] is to create flash pots and other pyro effect delivery devices, and design and build the firing mechanisms for said devices.

More on this later... if you're lucky.

soundtrack to my life - issue 1

Summer Nights - from Grease!Key Lyrics:
Summer loving had me a blast
Summer loving happened so fast
...
Summer dreams ripped a the seams
But oh those summer nights

The Luckiest - Ben FoldsKey Lyrics:
And where was I before the day
That I first saw your lovely face?
Now I see it everyday
And I know

That I am
I am
I am
The luckiest

getting high

Another quick post from JWT...

Today I helped rig up the flying track and mechanism to make Peter Pan and company fly for our production of Peter Pan. It's another great resume builder experience. When we were finished the "Fly Guy" - the man from whom we're renting the gear and who's teaching the flymen and actors how to do everything thing - asked me if I wanted to fly. Of course I said yes, and I flew like Peter Pan, Wendy, John and Michael. It was really cool and a lot of fun, I was basically the guinea pig for the guys learning the ropes before the actors came in. I guess I'm more expendable than the actors are or something ;). Anyway, I'm having a blast when I can... my part of putting up the shows is almost over (at least the tough part). A lot of late nights are happening right now, but in the end, it'll be worth it.

Love to all!

not dead

To those of you that want to know. I'm not dead. :)

Sorry to those of you who wish I was... looks like luck's on my side today!

working... hold please

I've been in Prestonsburg a little over a week, now. I'm getting all buff and tan and sweaty. We're doing a lot of great things and everyone's working really hard. Here's a quick run-down of some of the highlights:

- arrived and it felt like a family reunion (the good kind)
- cleaned 150 lighting instruments and uncoiled over 5000 feet of cable
- hung a pipe grid and created a makeshift truss
- played basketball
- played ultimate frisbee
- ate lots of good food (5 meals a day)
- had lots of laughs with new and old friends

That pretty much sums it up for the moment, folks, except for some specific stories that I don't have the time to go into right now. I hope everyone that reads this is enjoying their summer to some extent. I know I am... I mean what's better than doing something you absolutely love - AND getting paid for it!?

over and out

congratulations

Congratulations to my Big Brother - Kelly (Bub) Cox, and his BRAND NEW WIFE - Jamie!!!

I wish you two all the best!

seeing the light

I'm beginning to see the side of those people who oppose the smoking bans in certain cities around the country. I don't think the government should have ANY control over business owners. They shouldn't have to worry about making a building safe for people to enter the premises. After all, it's their choice if they want to step inside a condemned building. I definitely think that health inspectors should stay OUT of kitchens in restaurants. Who cares if there are a couple of rats running around the kitchen... it doesn't bother me if an employee doesn't wash his/her hands after using the bathroom and then handling my food. What's a couple of hairs in food between total strangers, right?

The government regulates all kinds of things, things that we take for granted every day, things that we wouldn't think of changing... all for public health and safety.

If you're a smoker. That's fine, I'm not telling you not to smoke, just don't smoke around me. An hour in a restaurant WON'T kill you to be without a cigarette.

Second-to-Last thought: I think an exception to the ban should have been made in the fact that if someone wanted to open an establishment especially for smokers (aka - a smoking bar or a cigar bar) that should be allowed.

Last thought: Being a person who has been VERY affected by the horrors of cancer and other diseases due to smoking, I totally agree with the ban. NOT going through with the ban is like sentencing everyone to a slow and ugly death. If you disagree with me, feel free to take it up with my father - wait, you can't - he died from lung cancer caused by smoking almost 13 years ago.

procrastination

I hate packing. Therefore I'm not doing it. I leave tomorrow and I'm only about 1/4 packed. Packing is the worst part of taking a trip or moving... I mean, UNpacking is even better than packing. It's more fun. Almost seems like a treasure that you've just discovered!

Anyway. I'm procrastinating. I guess I should go make another attempt to pack SOMEthing at least.

never before

I'm very overwhelmed by the people from my church. As many of you know, I'm leaving on Wednesday for Jenny Wiley Theatre to work for the summer. Now, I've worked there for four years, now, and each time I've left, I have just had a friend or two say goodbye to or to "see me off". Tonight people are actually getting together to have kind of a send off get-together for me. Never has anyone ever done that for me, and it just really makes me feel like part of a really awesome family. I'm really going to miss a lot of the people from my church, and especially people from my small group. I suppose I've gotten by before, but I'm just a little bit sader to leave this year, even though I know I'll have a good time in Prestonsburg.

On another note, Blogger just launched it's new site and they've got a blue zillion new templates, so I figured I'd try one out. They've also got a whole slew of new features to try out. Too bad I won't have a lot of time to actually play around with them before I leave. Oh well.

Thanks to all my friends and "family" for your presence in my life.

another update

Since april 19th I've been having issues with my computer. I call Dell Tech Support and they fix one problem, and then another pops up. I have wanted to change my template for a while now, and prior to the unfortunate state of my laptop, I was working on one. Now, I've switched back to one of the lame template presets that you can get from blogger (they're nice and all, but I'm just not content with them anymore) until I can upload my new page. I just got tired of looking at the other one, really.

On another note, I leave for Prestonsburg, KY, in 5 days. Podunkville, USA, as I affectionately call it sometimes. It's a really beautiful place, but I miss everything about a larger city when I'm gone. The blog will probably be put on haitus (sp?) for a couple months since I may not have access to the internet. I know all three of you who read my blog will be distraught and heart-broken (yeah, right) but it can't be avoided.

Please pray for patience, sanity, health, and safety for me while I'm away. Thanks. :)

fritz update

After an hour on the phone with DELL, the determination was that my hard drive has errors on it. They're sending me a new one and it'll arrive in two days. Until then, thanks to my roommate (Dustin) for the use of his computer.

And now a moment of silence for all the programs lost due to my fallen hard drive.

Oh yeah... and let's not foget all the porn. (j/k)

tip(s) of the day

I know a few people who have the very popular iPod made by Apple. I also plan on purchasing one in the next couple months. I recently read an article that gave some tips to maximize the life of your battery for not only the iPod but any other device that uses Li-Ion (lithium ion) batteries for power such as laptop computers.

Tip #1: Leave some gas in the tank.
Letting a Li-Ion batter run all the way down is a bad idea. It reduces the overall life of the battery and can trigger a protective cut-off circuit that may prevent the battery from being recharged at all. It is ideal to discharge 80% of the battery's capacity before re-charging and to recharge frequently.

Tip #2: Store at 40%.
Never store fully charged Li-Ion batteries for any length of time. The self-discharge of lithium-ion is about 5% per month. Once the charge level, cut-off circuitry kicks in, and the batter goes to sleep and quite often cannot be woken up unless you have special equipment.
For Notebook computers - it's recommended that the user removes the battery from the system anytime the machine draws power from the wall socket, other wise the battery stays in a less-than-ideal 100% charged condition at all times. Only top off the batter before you go on trips, when you know you'll need the extra juice.

Tip #3: Keep your cool.
Hot temperatures can significantly reduce the lifespan of a Li-Ion battery, and exceedingly hot temperatures can cause the battery to leak or even explode. Keep your battery packs or iPods in a cool place (59' F or lower) when ever possible. [note from Scott: so don't leave them in your car on a hot day, after all they're made to be extremely small and portable, and chances are that your pocket or purse will be much cooler than inside your car] For products with removable batteries, take the battery out whenever possible when using them on AC power to avoid heat and over-charging issues that can reduce the lifespan of the batteries.

Tip #4: Beware of old age.
Because of their chemical makeup, Li-Ion batteries deteriorate as time passes, and there is nothing that can be done to prevent this process. Over a period of 18 months to three years, the capacity of the battery slowly diminishes until finally it won't accept a charge, at which point there is no way to resuscitate it.

Tip #5: A couple of solutions.
- 1) If still under warranty AppleCare only charges $29.95 for shipping and handling. Out of warranty: Apple's Battery Service costs $99 plus a $6.95 S&H (total of $105.95).

- 2) iPod ResQ - cost $79. Service: ship a padded box to customer via overnight with prepaid overnight shipping back to the company, technicians switch out the battery that day and box it and send it back to the customer via overnight.

- 3) Two others to check out: PDA Smart.com and iPod Battery.com.

The Article Recommends: Use Apple or iPodResQ


Websites to check out for further research and information:
iPod's Dirty Secret
CE Tips.com
Cadex Electronics
Battery University

Hope this is useful to everyone. Send feedback!

update

I'm home from NY, but my computer is still on the fritz... so you'll just have to wait for the whole story. Sorry.

A bite out of The Apple - Update

Yeah, I haven't had the chance to do an update everyday. I've been going and going and going, and then I get "home" and I crash... hard.

When I return home, I'll make sure I post a bunch of pictures for your enjoyment. Until then, I post pics in my PhotoBlog in the sidebar, and you can click on the images to see larger images, so go there until I return!

Exploring a new place is tough work.

A bite out of The Apple - Day 1

Okay, so I've had my first official day in New York. What a beautiful city! Today, I visited Rockefeller Center, Central Park, and saw CBS and NBC Studios. Pretty cool. I don't really feel like writing too heavily in the blog for the next few days or so, but I will be taking pictures and posting them to my PhotoBlog, so make sure you check it out to see what I'm up to on kind of a day-to-day basis while I'm away. And look forward to a really big post when I get back with better photos of my time in New York.

Miss you all... well, not really.

... end transmission.

great stories

I have some really great stories and pictures to share with everyone from this past weekend... unfortunately, my computer doesn't like me right now, and I can't do anything with it. I'm on my roommate's computer right now, just so I can check my e-mail and give this quick update. By the time I have my computer back in working order, I'll hopefully have even more great tales to retell. Here's some things to look forward to:

- Hiking/Rock Climbing Trip to Red River Gorge
- Holocaust Remberance Day (this one's a bit tricky)
- Trip to NY for a Wedding and Site-seeing

Hopefully DELL will be able to help me get up and running quickly.

insomnia and early mornings

Yep. It's 3:30am. I'm up, and awake... unfortunately. All attempts at sleep have failed at this point. Normally, I wouldn't mind AS much, except my small group is going hiking/climbing tomorrow... or correction - today. I have to be awake in three hours in order to make it to church by 8:00am. I just wish my body would work with me here. I've been getting up fairly early to try to impede the progressively later and later nights. I've stopped drinking a lot of caffine, and I exercise during the day. I just don't understand.

inside the matrix?

Josh Wilhoit... Then - actor/singer/musician. Now - Agent Smith.

This kind of thing almost makes you wonder if we really are inside the matrix or not. And if Josh actually is an agent or not. Could that explain some things?

video

I found this link on Dave Barry's blog... check it out, it's a japanese commercial.

I sure would love to know what they're advertising... any guesses?

show me the funny

10 seconds of awkwardness... with Mr. T.

...

...

... Genius.

tequila sunrise - sans card night

As some of you may know, pretty much every Wednesday night, my roommates and I have a few friends over to play cards, hang out, watch a movie, or whatever else makes us happy. Yesterday was a good friend of mine's last card night. Alas, she (Rose) and her husband (Josh) are moving to L.A. in about a week. There were very few of us there last night (in fact, just me, one (out of two) of my roommates and our friend. So we decide to make it a tequila night. Now I realize that this may be a side of me most people don't know about... but I actually like the taste of tequila. It's definitely my liquor of choice (on the occassion that I drink). So we have a couple of shots of some crappy tequila to finish that bottle off, and then decide to walk to the liquor store right down the road from my apartment to get (duh duh duuuuh) the good stuff, Jose Cuervo.

A few more shots later and her husband was finally able to come over, and we watched this REALLY weird Anime movie called Wicked City. Now, I like anime, I'm not hardcore into it or anything, but I've seen my fair share. Vampire Hunter D, Akira, and most of the series that's been played on Cartoon Network's [adult swim]. I don't know if it was just that I was tipsy or what, but that movie was one of the wierdest movies i've ever watched... it was also difficult to follow since I probably zonked out once or twice.

I'm going to miss them. Rose is a good tequila drinkin' buddy.

cursed computer

I just realized what time it is. I kind of got sidetracked experimenting with some CSS... working on making a webpage totally out of it, and I kind of lost track of time. I'm going to bed now...

I must sleep.

skipthehero

Hey gang. I just wanted to give everyone a quick heads up. I've got an almost completed webpage up and running that runs alongside this blog and this blog has been integrated into. Feel free to check it out - there are navigation links to it at the bottom of the blog posts. Feel free to send me some feedback on the pages and all that jazz.

Enjoy! - [ skipthehero.com ]

link of the day

if you do nothing else today - goto: www.homestarrunner.com.

It's a website made entirely with Flash and Flash Animation and it gets updated pretty regularly, usually once a week. I suggest you start out by clicking on the button that says "First Time Here" and then go directly to the Strong Bad E-mails. Some of the best to start out with are the ones titled: sibbie; dragon; guitar; lures & jigs; i love you; and trevor the vampire.

Make sure you have sound on the computer you're viewing it - otherwise it looks kinda silly... y'know... like little characters just kinda bouncing around on the screen... and stuff.

So.. Check it out. I mean... y'know, I like it.

the onion statshot

A Look at the trends that shape your world.


image from theonion.com

there are worse things

As I see it at this moment; the only thing worse than coming home and seeing everyone all happy and cuddled up with someone - is coming home to an empty apartment ... on a Saturday night ... at 7:30pm.

This blows.

no fools

Well, April 1st has come and gone - alas this year I did not pull any pranks. The only ones I kept coming up were really mean, and could be quite a bit distasteful. So instead, I watched the 14 hour marathon of MXC on Spike TV. A couple of the "pranks" I thought about were:

- calling someone and telling them their refrigerator was running, then hang up.

- call someone and tell them I was from the clinic and that their test came back positive... then later when they were getting worried, double check what their name was - when I found out - I would apologize and tell them to have a nice day.

- call someone I know - have a normal conversation with them (while sitting in my car). Then at one point I would yell out something like, "Oh My God", or "Oh Shit"... fumble the phone around a second and then hang up like I was in an accident.

There were others, but I'm not up to writing them down right now, and plus, they really just got meaner from there.

from the ground up - a jack of all trades

Question: What do you get when you cross two parts insomnia, one part thirst for knowledge of CSS/HTML, a dash of experimentation with Adobe Photoshop Elements, and basted in boredom?

Answer: You get the newly designed (from the ground up) blog.

No more blogger templates for me. No sir. Thanks to some sleepless nights, the fact that I have no girlfriend, my friend Ben Stewart, and my insatiable thirst to be better at something than I already am, I've made a variation on a theme, the basic layout and the information is all still here, it's all just formatted differently.

This is actually the first step in creating a whole website. Phase one - initiate new design into blog! I'm still working on the actual website, and you'll hear it here, first when it's launched!

Anyway, kick back, grab a cold one (whatever that may be) and let your eyes feast on some candy.

I say "Thank Gawd" for the SPIKE network and all those japanese contestants on Takashi's Castle (or whatever it's actually called in Japan) for giving us the glorious gift of mXc - Most eXtreme elemination Challenge. I have seen some of those episodes at least five times, and I cannot help but laugh at the pain and suffering of those people as they attempt some really crazy obstacle course like games and contests. It always seems to brighten my Thursday night.

So once again, I say Thank Gawd!

Inspired Quote

We've all heard the saying "What doesn't kill us, only makes us stronger", right? Well, if you haven't... you have now. The others of you, perhaps you use it as a daily reminder that nothing too tough can happen. Or maybe you've heard it, but just think it's a big joke.

This is one of my favorite sayings. I just received an e-mail from a friend of mine, and I came up with another use for this quote - in friendships. I'm pretty sure that most of us at one time or another has been involved in a friendship that you thought was really great, but sometimes you had really bad fights or arguments... but you came out of those arguments even better friends than before, because you learned something from those arguments. Or perhaps you've just lost touch with a friend over time or distance and got the chance to reconnect with them.

Well, that's my new use for that phrase - "what doesn't kill a friendship can only make it stronger". Sometimes it just seems that no matter what you do, a friendship is destined to be. Sometimes friendships take some work, on both sides, but if it's meant to be - you will always be able to work through whatever problem(s) or issue(s) you have. Or you will always find a way to reconnect to that "long lost friend". And I'd say that nine times out of ten, that long lost person and you will have a stronger friendship for it down the road.

Challenge: Call someone you haven't talked to in a while. Someone you may have lost touch with. Or just call a friend and let them know that you haven't forgotten them. Or call a current friend and remind them that you care.

A Life More Contented

After doing some thinking about my life and when I've been happy and when I've been sad or depressed... I realize that there are three things in my life that whenever at least one of them is around, I am truly happy. Number One - God. And when I say God, I mean Him and the church and everyone I've met through there, everyone tries to help build each and every person up and help them to realize the greatness that, with your help, they can do. Number Two - my best friend, Stephanie. She is the most amazing person I've ever met. She is funny, warm, intellegent, kind, and has one of the biggest hearts one person would ever hope to have. Number Three - the theatre. I always feel at home in a theatre.

Thank you theatre. For giving me a creative outlet and letting me get paid for something I actually enjoy! Thanks for shoving me down into the deepest dark pit of my soul so I realized I couldn't live without God. And thanks for introducing me to the greatest friend I've ever known.

Thank you Stephanie. For all your encouragement - in our friendship; in my faith and journey; and in that crazy theatre world.

Thank You God for those three things. It's thanks to You that I'm alive. Thank You that through You my friendship with Stephanie grows stronger everyday, and thank You for my creative gifts and for allowing me the ability to share them with You and the world.


[Disclaimer - this is the second time I've written this out. The first time - blogger messed up on me and it didn't post and I lost the whole thing. Sorry if this doesn't sound very eloquent or flow very well, I tried to reconstruct it the best I could. All the sentiments are there, I just hope all the heart is still there, too.]

Complicated Lives

Life can be really complicated sometimes. One day everything is going great - the next, you feel like you've been crapped on. And on those wonderful occassions, you get both those wonderful feelings wrapped up into the great package of one day. Those are the days when you don't know if you'll make it out alive. Y'know the days I'm talking about - they're the ones where you wake up feeling great, you look outside and it's an absolutely beautiful day outside. Then you get a phone call, or an e-mail, or a letter (or you DON'T get that phone call, or that email, or that letter)... and your heart sinks. Then maybe later, you hear your favorite song on the radio, or you get a phone call from a close friend, or an e-mail from someone you haven't spoken with in a while. Then later that day, something again, may cause the sun to not look-so-shiney, the sky to look not-so-blue, and the day to look not-so-great. Life is full of disappointments, of sorrows... but it's also full of joys, excitements, and wonder. I think sometimes it's all who we look to for support... when we look inward or to the wrong people, we stumble, fall, and fail. When we look up to the heavens and embrace the One, the Almighty, the Creator, the Father... we realize that nothing matters but how we treat people around us, and that we live our lives to the fullest, without regret, without anger, without bitterness... with compassion, kindness, caring, friendship, and love.

... it's amazing how the word of God will change everything in a heart-beat.

I've realize that I have slightly more interesting posts if I don't try to post just for posting's sake. Then I don't post: "I scratched my big toe today, because it itched." I know you will all be saddened by not being able to keep up on every single detail of my little life... but you'll get over it. :)

:::: Warning: This post is about disappointment, so some of you out there might find it depressing or a "downer". Sorry, if you don't like it, don't read it. At least it's something meaningful. ::::


On the way home from a botched attempt at celebrating St. Patrick's Day, I did some thinking.

I've decided that my energy doesn't work well with planning things, or work well on it's own. My excitement needs to feed off of someone else's in order for it to be effective. I can be excited about something on my own, but eventually I run out of juice if no one else is excited with me. Such was tonight. Plus the fact that the plans slowly were falling apart around me. The original plan was to go with about 7 or 8 people, and one-by-one they petered out or changed their mind at the last minute or had made other plans or had conflicts. It's kind of a shot to the old self esteem. I keep telling myself, "this one's going to work out!" and then it doesn't. I would just love to plan something and it be fun, and everyone have a great time (or at the very least - show up).

I think that's another reason why my friend Stephanie is so important to me... we can feed off of each other's excitement (and sometimes she can jump-start mine when there isn't much there to begin with).

Oh well - such is life. Just a string of disappointments until you get lucky and something works out for you.

I can't wait for it to finally work out for me.

PS - I'll get over it, don't worry about me. I'd just like something like this to go well for me for once.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

"Well, it's all for me grog, me jolly, jolly grog...
It's all for me beer and tobacco...
For I spent all o' me tin, with the ladies drinkin' gin...
and across the western ocean I must wander."

That song is off a Traditional Irish group's CD called MOLLY'S REVENGE. I bought that CD two years ago on Saint Patrick's day out in California while visiting Stephanie on my spring break. Since then we've kept up the tradition by going to an Irish Pub on St. Patty's day. Sadly, this year may be different as she may not get to go.

One a lighter note - I got to see a really awesome Irish Band out of Canada called Slainte Mhath (pronounced Slawncha Va) yesterday on campus. Check out the photoblog on the sidebar to see 'em. They blend traditional Irish music with modern beats and songs. The actually played, "That's the way I like it" yesterday... it was too cool. And of course, there's a girl in the band, and she was HOT. She plays the fiddle and this traditional Irish-type drum - it kind of looks like an oversized tamborine without the little cymbals all around it.

I think I'm destined to be with someone who - on the lowest level - really enjoys music a lot, or - to the hightest level - plays an instrument, sings like an angel, or totally gets wrapped up in the emotion of a song and sees the things in music that I do. Instruments and voices for girls just really turns me on, I guess.

Past Weeks :: Part 3 - A New View of the World - (pt II)

So, I was diagnosed with an eye infection and given some antibiotic drops to put in my eye four times a day for the next week. What a pain in the butt. This was also the day I decided to get my eye glass prescription updated. I went down to eye glass world... BUY ONE GET ONE FREE!!!

Awesome!

The only thing is that I've never bought new frames without having someone there to help me and look and tell me if they looked good/bad on me or not. Well, I didn't have that this time. I was left to the mercy of one of the sales associates, I tried on about 15 different pairs of frames, but I couldn't really tell how I looked in them because I didn't have contacts in, and the frames just had clear glass in them. I was totally at his mercy. He helped me pick out two sets of frames, and I decided to make one of them a pair of sunglasses. They'd be ready for pickup the next day. (fortunately and unfortunately - I would be in Nashville the next two days).

As the time to pick up my glasses drew nearer, I became very nervous about how they would actually look on me. One friend said I was being silly. Which I probably sounded like... but it was a lot of money gone down the drain if I didn't like them... and since I hadn't ACTUALLY seen what they looked like on me, it was a big worry.

When I got back in town, I went and picked up my glasses. I put the sunglass pair on first... BAM! I could see amazingly well... I looked in the small mirror on the counter and was amazed at how great the frames looked on me! I set that pair down and went for the regular ones, BAM! once again I could see perfectly! I looked in the mirror and thought WOW! I look AWESOME! Now, anyone that knows me, knows that I'm pretty modest when it comes to my looks, and my own self image isn't always the best either, so when I say that I look TOO sexy in these glasses, you'd know what a big deal that is. With these glasses added to my cool hair cut (thanks again, Stephanie), I'm one step closer to being a babe magnet.

I've always been told that I'd make a great boyfriend and that I have an awesome personality, I just need to hook someone with the "look factor" so they have the chance to see the charming, chivilrous, loyal, I'd do anything for you, senstive, loving, with a hard-candy shell - me. That and I need advertising! Help guys!

Past Weeks :: Part 3 - A New View of the World - (pt I)

Sunday Night (March 7, 2004), I was hanging out at my friend Steph's house... the usual - watching TV, talking, writing angry e-mails, y'know... what we do every time we're hanging out (well, everything but that last bit). She has a two cats and I normally play with and pet them. I used to be severely allergic to cats, just being around them would make my eyes water and begin to swell, and my nose would run like a faucet. As I grew up, I grew out of it to an extent... I could pet them, just as long as I didn't rub my eyes with my hands afterwards, and I had no problem being around them... but sometimes I get absent minded and do something stupid. SO while I was writing an e-mail, my eyes began to water and itch a little bit. I figured it was probably my allergies and just suffered through it. When I got home I looked in the mirror and realized that it may be more than allergies when my entire right eye was blood red. Taking my contact out was a bit scary as the fear of a detached retina came screaming through my head. I went to sleep that night and woke up with my eye glued shut from eye-boogers (or eye crispies). My eye watered a bit when I woke up and they disolved enough for me to open my eye and clear off the rest from my lashes. I went to the eye doctor (after donning my old glasses) to see what was up.

(to be continued)

Well, life must be back to normal for me - I can't sleep.

Check out some of the graphics I've created for the page. Tell me what you think about them.

(por ejemplo: the title banner and the post it note) - more will be coming soon. I just don't want to add graphics just to add graphics.. i want them to blend in and compliment the blog.

Past Weeks :: Part 2 - Road Trip to Nashville

Well, as you may have read, my Spring Break didn't start off too well. It just so happened that I chatted with friend of mine the next day and we both decided I should go down and hang out with him in Nashville for a couple days. So my Spring Break wasn't going to be a total lack of some sort of adventure, after all. Anyway, he moved to Nashville several months ago and began working with a traveling youth ministry called Inlightened Ministries. I know he runs sound for them and that he handles a lot of their web site and graphics and technical aspect of their ministry, I'm sure he helps out in other ways, too - he's a pretty handy guy - but I haven't learned what else that is, yet.

Anyway, I jaunted down to Nash-Vegas (as Ben calls it... oh by the way, his name is Ben Stewart - he's far right in the photo above), which is a solid four hour drive. I listened to Butterfly Boucher (whose CD I had bought at the Barenaked Ladies Concert) twice going both ways plus some other CDs of mine. Anyway, I get down there and we hang out and do some sight-seeing. Unfortunately if you're not too into Country music, there's not a whole lot of sight-seeing to do. We ate at a couple of cool places, hung out at a Starbucks for a while, drove around downtown, and just chewed the fat and enjoyed each others company. Oh, and thanks to him and my best friend Stephanie, I'm totally craving Sushi about 3 or 4 days of the week.

While I was down there we ate at two kind of unconventional buffet restaurants. The first was a sushi buffet. We stuffed ourselves SO much. The buffet only cost us $10, and we had two full plates of sushi each, some clear onion soup, a salad, drinks, and some hibachi chicken. WHAT A DEAL! So sushi buffet? Okay, yeah, I can see that... not much different that a Chinese buffet, right? Okay. So the second buffet, I was a little leary about... it's REALLY not the kind of thing you would really think about going through a buffet line for... MEXICAN. Like burritos and chimichangas and quesadillas. It was some of the best Mexican food I've ever eaten.

And like I said, we drove around downtown a little bit, and I grabbed a bite to eat and a T-shirt (and one for a friend) from the Hard Rock Cafe there.

Later the next afternoon, after hanging out and just talking for a while, I hit the road to come home, where I had a meeting to get to and then a bed to attend to.

Hey everybody! (Hi Doctor Nick!)

Okay, now that we're done with that, I just wanted to say I did a couple of quick edits to the page so that it will look basically the same no matter who views it. The proportions will all be the same for anybody. People with higher screen resolutions will just see more blue to the right side of the sidebar than others. Hope you enjoy reading every now and then, keep coming back, you make it all worthwhile.

I'll get more Past Weeks events posted soon.

Past Weeks :: Part 1 - Barenaked Ladies

On March 5, 2004 - five (plus two makes seven) people journeyed to the far reaches of Lexington, KY, to Rupp Arena. There they saw an amazing, live, upbeat performance by some of the greatest musicians around... Barenaked Ladies!

This concert was incredible. It started off with this girl (Butterfly Boucher) playing guitar and singing... she was awesome, and she had an accent. Talking with one of my friends, I said that the fact that she's holding a guitar, and has an accent makes her 50 times more attractive than most girls.

Up next was Howie Day... he was pretty good too. I remember liking his music, but I can't - for the life of me - remember any of the songs he played or what kind of sound he had... I guess I was still thinking about Butterfly Boucher, or maybe I was distracted by other goings-on... who knows.

And then the creme de la creme, the band we were waiting for arrived onstage. Those guys are so energetic, lively, and quick-wits abound. A couple of my favorite moments from the concert were (moment 1:) when they did an adlib song about Lexington, KY, and Steve talked about how KFC was changing it's name to Kitchen Fresh Chicken (which is dumb)... and that apparently we now lived in Lexington, Kitchen. And then to begin his adlib, Ed busted out "You lost the chicken, but you still got the bourbon." Moment 2: They have a song called Shopping, which talks about... gasp.... shopping. They did some shopping-cart-ography for this song and the screens switched to an overhead camera view and the guys were doing faux synchronized swimming... it was awesome! Moment 3: The guys did an acoustic set which included the hit song One Week, and a song called Roadrunner (which IS about THE famous roadrunner and coyote).

And I wouldn't be a very good person if I didn't mention that the LIGHTING for the concert was incredible! Everything fit with the songs, and it really added to the experience.

Not one disappointing moment for me from this concert... well, I can think of one, but it wasn't about the bands.

But one of the best parts of the whole event is who I got to share it with. And I'll never trade these memories for anything.

A lot of stuff has happened over the past week, and I've been WAY too busy to jot it down as I went... and I'm crashing now, so look for updates coming up this week.

Another late night up, and another let down.

What I wouldn't do to take away her burden.

Copy cat? - Yeah, maybe, but who cares... it's cool.

Check out the new stuff on my sidebar - I figured out how to send photos to the internet and display them on my blog... cool, huh?

Conversation revisited...

[03-27-03]
Oh Happy Day!!!!
(Oh Happy Daaayy!!)
When Jesus washed...
(When Jesus washed...)
He washed my sins away...
Oh Happy Day!!

I hope you had a good day at class.
I don't like you always having rehearsal every night.
I liked hanging out with you all the time

Sing with me now....
Oh Happy Day...

starting off right

Had my last classes before Spring Break today. Came home, chatted to a couple people, made a couple phone calls, went to work for about an hour, came home and have done jack-squat since. Kinda depressing way to start of my Spring Break.

A friendly smile

I get a tip-of-the-day kind of thing in my e-mail. Here's what I got today:

"In a recent study, people who had at least one close friend appeared to have as much as a 30 percent lower risk of periodontitis, a dental disorder that can lead to tooth loss. Researchers speculate that the connection may be due to the stress-reduction benefits that friends offer; stress is associated with poor oral hygiene."

Thanks friend, for doing things neither of us realized. :)

Response to comment on last post:

No real details. Just through my life, that's the way it's been. Even if I've asked a girl out, it's been the same story, just a different line. But somehow girls that I don't have ANY desire to get to know any better are the ones that seem to "throw themselves" at me. Maybe it's a matter of the amount of energy you put into someone. But I look at other relationships, and that seems to work on some girls but not on others. I've tried different things. And not to get down on myself, but the only thing I see differently between me and the guys that girls seem to go for is the looks. I guess I just don't have "it"... whatever the heck "it" is.

Why do I seem to attract all the girls I DON'T want, am not interested in, or would not be good for me, but don't attract the girls I DO want, am interested in, or would be good for me?

I'm having some long-time internal struggles... God, please give me a sign. I give it up to you.

Love, your servant,
Scott

Cycles

I believe that everyone goes through cycles, some people's are more pronounced than others. Women go through a very noticable cycle every 28 days for much of their life. Men go through cycles, too... just maybe not as noticable. Through my life, I've gone through cycles. My emotions are definitely on a cycle, not necessarily on a monthly cycle, but they are on one at any rate. Early on in life the ups and downs were about even, I had just as many "down" days as "up" days. They were mixed in together pretty well and they changed gradually. As life went on, the "up" days out numbered the "down" days. Sometimes I would hit a down day and flop right back up the next day, others would take me a day or two. Now in my life, I'm noticing that the down days are feeling even fewer and farther between. There are certain issues that I still struggle with, but I'm not down in general. I've also noticed that it's gotten easier for me to come out of down times. Sometimes I make myself, some times someone else will snap me out of it, other times it just happens.

Well, it "just happened" today. About two and a half hours ago, actually. I just found myself laughing and smiling and cutting up like normal, and I just felt GREAT! It happened where it usually happens... at church. I can't tell you how great of a feeling it was to just feel like I snapped out of it.

In retrospect, I think a lot of my down days are because I try too often to put on an air of happiness even when I'm not... so suddenly I'm unable to keep it up any more and my mood just breaks down. Sometimes we need a down day or two for no reason... and sometimes they help us to really appreciate things better.

All I can say is that I really needed tonight.

Versus

Is it worse to have to censor yourself or have someone else censor you?

For those of you who watch what you eat. Here's the final word on nutrition and health. It's a relief to know the truth after all those conflicting medical studies.

1. The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than the Americans.

2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than the Americans.

3. The Japanese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than the Americans.

4. The Italians drink excessive amounts of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than the Americans.

5. The Germans drink a lot of beers and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than the Americans.

CONCLUSION: Eat and drink what you like.

Speaking English is apparently what kills you.

Have you ever just felt incredibly grateful for knowing someone? I have... and I do.

I made my first attempt at making a new dish tonight. Chili. I kept it pretty simple so that I had some basis to go off of for next time I make it... so it wasn't too hot... just hot enough. It actually could've been a little bit spicier. But it tasted great, and it turns out that it can be made pretty quickly, too. (took me about 45 minutes, but that's because I didn't exactly know what I was doing, plus I made cornbread and waited for that to be done). I actually made it with ground turkey instead of ground beef, and it was great. I can't wait to make some again sometime!

I would like to thank the following people for introducing me to - and encouraging my love for - chili...

Jon Adams
Erin Adams
Amber Henry

That is all. Thank you.

Last night a friend of mine was baptised. I'm extremely proud of her. After that service, she and a bunch of our friends went out to eat. Now, I haven't been eating out or doing a lot of stuff because money is REALLY tight for me right now. I went to eat with everyone but I was just going to have water and just go and hang out. My friend and her new roommate conspired and bought me food without my knowledge. Now, it was actually the roommate (who I barely know) that I later found out actually bought my meal. I had tried to keep it low key so as not to attract any special attention or anything... I didn't want (and I didn't want anyone else) to make a big deal out of it. I thanked her greatly. On the way home, my eyes actually watered up a little bit. No one has ever shown me that brand of kindness and caring before. I barely knew her, and she paid for my dinner without a thought. I guess what I've been brought up thinking really is true... God will provide. She was just an instrument.

Thanks God, and thanks to my friend and her roommate. Bless you both.

Small fish in a small pond... etc. [UPDATE] --- (the update has been updated) --

I feel a LOT better after today's services, I got a lot of compliments. Lisa Moss, the head of the lighting team, came up to the booth after the first service this morning and told me that I did an excellent job and that I did some really neat things for the service and during the songs. She praised me pretty highly, and I must say that I was extremely pleased with the end product. I was able to fix a couple things this morning before the services and it made life so much easier.

I had a great day, except that one person who I really would've like to have been there... wasn't.

I understand that I'm not the center of this person's world, and understand that they have a life, though... and I'm not mad, and my day wasn't ruined. It just would've been nicer for that person to have been there.

Small fish in a small pond to small fish in a BIG pond...

Setup and Ran lights for the first time for what had been called by some "big church", in other words, the regular weekend services (when TheWell was still around). The setup seemed a lot better or more organized, or maybe there were just more people there to help... but after the setup, I felt very helpless and very nervous. I feel like it was the worst job I've ever done running a light board, and yet, I still got compliments... I don't know what I was doing. I wasn't even this nervous when I ran lights the first time for TheWell. I guess for TheWell, I had a lot more free reign. There are more constraints on what you can, can't, should, and shouldn't do for the regular services... maybe that got me all flustered, who knows. Hopefully tomorrow morning will go better. Please, God.

What happened to the friends who were ready to do anything at just a whim? Where are you guys? Am I the only one left?

Irrational Fears

Most of you who read my blog know what kind of business I'm in, but in case you don't, here goes:

I'm a Lighting Technician/Designer for stage productions. I've worked professionally for three summers at Jenny Wiley Theatre; worked for money, credit, and for the pleasure of it at EKU Theatre; worked at Studio Players for the experience (free); worked for minimum wage and free food at the Center for Rural and Economic development in Somerset, KY; and give back to the One who has given me these wonderful gifts, talents, and tools by giving my time to Crossroads Christian Church. I've had to work in different conditions and environments. I've dangled by a harness from over 35 feet in the air, I've kept myself from falling from such heights as well with just the use of one hand. I have NEVER been afraid of the heights I have worked in. Growing up, I was fairly phobic of high places, but overcame that through working in theatres.

This semester, I've been working in the theatre department as part of a work study program (financial aid). I was working today, and I had to go up to an area of the theatre called the grid. It's usually the highest point of the theatre, directly above the stage where all the pipes (batons) are hanging from. All the lights were out on the grid, and I had to grab some cable from up there. I climbed over 90 feet to the grid, and when I got up there, my heart started pounding wildly, my pulse raced, my mouth became dry, and I felt a little light-headed (which isn't good at heights). I made my way back down to the ground and just laughed at myself... fear is so irrational. There was no point to my fear. I was perfectly safe, there was very little chance of my falling over 90 feet to the stage floor. The steel slats were spaced apart just wide enough that your foot WON'T fit through it. There are a couple of larger spaces that only someone half as skinny as myself would fit through, and even then, it'd be VERY difficult to fall through them. Nonetheless, I was frightened. I told my boss/professor about it, and he went up, and y'know... everything looks different when you put in working light bulbs and everything is lit up.

I was able to go back up and complete my job without any anxiety. Proving to myself that it was a VERY irrational fear. And I remain undaunted.

I shouldn't be allowed around people.

Before and After

I haven't had a haircut in almost three months (a lot longer than I usually wait) and my hair was getting a bit long. Here I am [on the left] before the hair cut (photo is right after a shower)... and yes, I am completely naked at time of photo.

And thanks to my good friend, Stephanie, I was introduced to Johnny at Studio V in Lexington. I resisted the new hairstyle at first, but eventually I got used to it, and eventually even really liked it. I went back to Johnny on Tuesday, and got another great hair cut, and he's a pretty cool guy to talk with too. So here's the "now" shot [on the right]:

It's hard not to feel happy when you see a peaceful, bubbling fountain.

It's hard not to pee, too.

Actually, it's hard not to feel happy when you pee.



Feel happy. Pee.

To do the useful thing, to say the courageous thing, to contemplate the beautiful thing: that is enough for one man's life.
- T.S. Eliot

"What the hell is wrong with me?
Don't fit in with anybody
How did this happend to me?
Wide awake I'm bored and
I can't fall asleep
and every night is
the worst night ever

"I'm just a kid and life is
a nightmare
I'm just a kid I know
that it's not fair
Nobody cares 'cuz
I'm alone and the world is
having more fun than me
tonight."

"I'm Just a Kid" by Simple Plan

Today, I want to put my foot through the TV. But since I don't have the money to replace it... I'll just turn it off instead.

"All You Need is Love" - The Beatles

Well... that's all I'm asking for. I want love. I want intamacy. I want closeness. I want love.

Move over Karaoke... here comes Movieoke.

To alcohol... The cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems. -- Homer Simpson

Friday night blues

It's been a while since I've been home on a friday night... even longer since I've been alone on one. Now before I get the "it's okay to be home" and "it's okay to spend time by yourself", I do that during the week plenty, it's not about being alone for only 5 minutes with nothing but my thoughts to keep me company. At any rate Friday nights alone suck. Maybe it's just this one, since Valentine's day is tomorrow, and I hate even the thought of that holiday... of love, of people being sweet to each other, of couples looking into their partner's eyes and knowing they are safe.

So it's just me, the TV, Doc Otis, and an empty apartment... except for me.

Here's to friday night's alone.

Some days I just shouldn't get out of bed.

Feeling kind of down today. Not sure why. Just in a "blah" mood, I guess.

I know this may sound very "guru" or "spiritualistic". But I feel like I've been filled with a lot of positive energy in the recent months of my life. And today I was able to "feel" or observe what kind of negative engery I had been filled with until that point.

I met with a good friend of mine whom I hadn't seen in a couple months, our schedules just never seemed to work out. She was meeting with some people for a few mintues (some I knew and some I didn't) and invited me along. When I got there and was sitting in their company, I felt really rediculous and out of place. I could feel somehow that these energies (mine and theirs) were not in cooperation with each other. Have I grown that much? I don't feel like it. But I do feel that I've changed to a degree that I'm very happy about... and these people that used to be "friends" of mine, well, I don't miss them (except the one I wanted to see in the first place).

I don't know. Parts of me sometimes think back to the "good old days" and miss them... but the more I think about it... my memories only fill in certain people in them any more.

Do I need to fill in the blanks? No. Do I want to? Nah.

Thank God for the positive and faithful people and friends in my life.

Just when everything's going well, some kid throws a stick into the spokes of the bicycle of life.

Some things never change...

Many of you may know (and just about as many of you may not care) that from August to December, I took a semester off from college. A very healthy one, in fact.

A quick run down of the past few years of my life [until this point] would look like a lot of depression, hate, anger, hope, more depression, funks, crashes, loss, gain, more loss, and some good moments. Starting in October of 2003, I became really involved with Crossroads Christian Church. There I re-learned what friendships and grace and compassion were, and that they do exist in more than just two people. Thanks to a lot of people that I met there, I've learned a lot about myself, been given a lot of good advice, and am able to make it through my day without feeling like there's some impending doom around the corner just waiting for me to walk by so it can beat the crap out of me. Stephanie, my ever-faithful, beautiful, and loving friend has seen it all, and helped me through most of it. Some of the folks from Crossroads that took me in or taught me some well needed lessons about life were some of the same people that I know read this blog. For one, Patrick. Thanks man, and sorry for the crap I pulled... I am an ass. Aside from those two... Dave, Jon, Matt, Eric, and Ira have all been really awesome and helpful along the way.

Back to the story... EKU Theatre was a big part of all this crap... not the department, or the professors, or the classes, but the students. Negative, negative, mean, bitter people. I started working this past week at the theatre for financial aid... federal work study. It's great, I get paid for doing what I enjoy doing. I haven't talked with many people around the theatre except the technical professor (my "boss"). I get a unique view of things going on in the actual theatre space while people are working because I'm 35 (or more) feet in the air above their heads on the catwalks working on the lights. Nothing has changed... no body has any degree of a work ethic... people just goof off and flirt (I'm all about flirting, but if it keeps the job from getting done or people being ANY amount of productive, it's too much. It makes me laugh SO much to think that I used to really care what a lot of those people thought about me. I'm very glad I'm not in rehearsals with them, or in classes with them. I'm very excited at how my life has changed, how much I feel I've grown. I love my friends. I love my life. I love my God. Because through my friends and through me, he has made everything possible.

And there's a piece of me that anytime I see some of the people there, I think... I've done this "out there", I know I can make it, will you ever make it? And a small part of me hopes not... a bigger part of me feels sad knowing that most of them won't.

There are two things in the previous post that are NOT true. Which do YOU think they are?

Things I've done for money

I figure enough time has passed since the last time many of you have seen a post like this, so I'd give it a try.

• acted like a fool in front of a bunch of girls
• worked backstage for a show
• designed lights for a show
• watched naked women running around
• worked in a pharmacy
• acted like a fool onstage
• designed a webpage
• stage managed a show
• sold myself
• got good grades
• did yard work
• worked in a "pharmacy"
• drank water from a storm gutter
• designed and built props for a show
• cleaned bathrooms
• sold my soul
• bagged groceries
• pushed shopping carts
• designed business cards and letterhead for people/businesses
• laid down in the middle of a street for 15 seconds
• sold my possessions
• hung by my pants from 40 feet in the air
• been burned
• been shocked
• took shots

Weekend in Review

Ah. The weekend was awesome. That free-time-stealing-not-getting-paid-for-my-hard-work show is over, and this weekend was my first real taste of the freedom. Friday night was fun. I got to spend some time with a great person, and I went rock climbing for the first time at The Stadium. I had been hiking before, but nothing with real vertical walls, and the possibility of really falling. The Gorge had a few scary possibilities, but I wasn't worried about it. Saturday was a fun day. The first part was mostly lazy, and I burned a lot of CD's for someone who - for the first time, I feel - is taking a little bit of my musical taste with them. My friends have always kind of rubbed off on me with some of their tastes in music. But very few people have I ever musically infulenced before, so I'm helping her out a bit. The rest of my Saturday afternoon involved visiting the "fabulous" Richmond Mall and hitting Wal-Mart. That night, I went over to a great friend's house and hung out, watched TV, watched a movie, and watched SNL. Too much fun. I had one of the best times I'd had in a while. Sunday was another fun-filled day. Woke up and headed out to church. After church, I stayed for a class in the basics of sound and running sound. Very educational, and I'm really into gadgets and electronics, so I loved it. After that, I went to help a friend move some stuff into her new house. Then that evening I drove to Georgetown to visit with three of my good friends. I love my friends, but that's a rough drive! I'm always glad I go, but the drive back always is WAY too long (about 40-45 minutes!). I came home to find one roommate asleep and the other not home (probably at his girlfriend's). I made myself some left-over Arby's sandwhiches and talked one of my friend's home from Georgetown. I fell asleep watching the movie UNDERWORLD.

Today is a new day, and I can't wait to start hating school again! The weekend can't arrive too soon.

Watching Saturday Night Live tonight, I have discovered that Megan Mullally is a genius. I knew she was talented, and I'm not talking about her role on the Sit Com "Will and Grace". She has some great comedic moments on the show (W&G), but I'm more impressed with her talent on the stage... the legitimate theatre. I grow more impressed with her the more I see. (minds out of the gutters, pervs)
I hadn't seen SNL for a while, for some reason or the other... and it was good to come home. I still miss the good ole cast of the days of yore, but... every once in a while the combination of host, musical guest, and sketches just all seems to come together to put on a really great show.

It also helps that I shared it with good company. :)

Two Words.

Huggies Thong.

Dallas Nelson Glascock. My father. Died on this day in 1991.

I feel like I barely knew him. I wish all my friends could have known him. What little I can remember of him was the "running tabs" he kept for my friends when they came over for dinner or spent the night. He would alwyas tease them about paying their bills before they left. He was a fun man, I think I got a lot of my humor from him. I look a lot like him through most of my photos. When I look at photos I can definitly see a lot of him in me. My favorite images of him in my head are all of him smiling or laughing... he had a huge smile, and probably as big of a laugh... maybe that's where I got mine from. He was a great dad, played with me, tickled me, loved me, laughed with me, made fun of my mom and I for crying at a happy or sad movie. He was an amazing man from all accounts that I've heard. I don't think anyone who met him didn't like him. I mean who wouldn't?

He was my dad.

I remember why I chose not to worry a whole lot about girls and dating in High School, and the first few years in college... it's because relationships can really cloud up your judgement on so many things. I also withnessed so many failed relationships or unhealthy relationships or relationships that took my friends away from me that I didn't want to get involved in that. I think I've had more "second hand" pain from relationships that most people have had first hand. It's kind of like second hand smoke... you're not smoking but you're still reaping the unhealthy consequences. With relationships, you get to see all the aftermath of the heart-ache, bad-blood, break-ups, fights, etc, without any of the good stuff. I hate seeing people hurting from something someone else has done. It's even worse when it's something I've done. I feel like atlas some days being able to bear the weight of the world on my shoulders, and some days I feel like I'm nothing but this thin clay shell that will break if the slightest pressure is applied to it. Sometimes I can't take the pressure and just want to leave everything alone and not watch, because I can't bear the pain of seeing someone hurting. And other times I feel like there's never enough I can do, because I want to help bear someone's pain and hurting.

I feel so very selfish.

Some days you just wake up feeling like crap. Well, yesterday and today have been those days for me. Today, I just feel like laying in bed all day... but I know that's bad... so maybe I'll just lay in bed half the day. Company and phone calls seem to cheer me up and make me feel better... or at least it takes my mind off of it.

Kind of a bad night for card night, I guess. It was still nice for a bit. A couple people had to work, and one participant was sick so she didn't stay too long. My roommate made me nervous most of the night by having needles and his medkit out (he's a medic in the National Guard). One person was a brave soul and let him practice giving an IV. I couldn't watch. I have a sensitivity when it comes to needles and blood. Mostly, Card Night went well, but it was a bit of a let-down. I wish a couple more people would've been there or something. Oh well. Next week will be better, hopefully.

Couldn't be the lack of alcohol.... could it?

Hooray for Card night tonight!!!!

Superbowl Slip-up

Okay, I just want to take a small poll. Those of you who read this blog, encourage readers of your own blogs to vote on this poll.

I'm sure most of you are aware of the stunt where Justin Timberlake exposed one of Janet Jackson's breasts. So...

Do you think that:
A) It was truly an accident thanks to too little or no rehearsal of a movement that was to take place during a performance.
or
B) It was a publicity stunt to get their names into the press.

Short and sweet or long and drawn out... leave your comments and votes.... NOW!

Kindness and coutesy will only take you so far... eventually you have to kick ass and ask questions later.

Aftermath

Well, the show at Studio Players is finally over. The weekend nights are mine to do with as I please, again! Ahhh... the feeling is... amazing!

Lord, please protect my heart.

Not being able to sleep really blows.

New Packaging... Same Great Taste!

Hello everyone, in case you hadn't notice (and it would be really difficult not to), my blog has changed looks. It was about time for an overhaul, and I'm kind of restless tonight, so I decide to undertake it. I mean, if you can't sleep, find something constructive to do, right?

Well, enjoy the new look and layout of my blog. I'll try to keep it interesting for you. Any and all feed back is appreciated.