too much of a good thing?

other considered blog titles...
Hey Universal, 2001 called and it wants it's movie back!

Paul Walker, he's so hot right now.

Really?

Seriously?

Again?

Guess who has two thumbs and doesn't need to be in another car movie? Vin Diesel

Opening night!


Care to add your own?


(confession: as much as i give this movie a hard time, i'm going to see it. probably in the theaters. something about high speed car chases & simplistic plots... gets me every time!).

Adventures in Farsightedness

This evening, I had an eye appointment. During said appointment, my optometrist decided to dilate my eyes to check for glaucoma and maybe another serious optic disease.

Im free and clear, thanks for asking.

He assured me that not only would I be able to wear my contacts and drive home safely, but that I would only experience slight farsightedness lasting for a couple of hours.


And now a play-by-play of those couple of hours...

In an attempt to give my eyes time to see better, I decided to run over to Barnes & Noble to pick up some things Ive been needing. One small problem... books have small print & I couldn't focus on anything between a range of 2" and 3'. My solution was, of course, to hold the books up to my nose while reading the price, back cover, title, you get the idea. Shockingly, I couldn't find the C.S. Lewis biography I was in search of, BUT I did manage to score 2 journals and a map... we'll see what they look like tomorrow.

Still not being able to focus between 2" and 3', I drove home. To Lawrence. From Overland Park. Speed was a guesstimate as I couldn't exactly see the speedometer, but hey, I made it home OK.

Upon arrival to Lawrence, I rushed over to Dillons to pick up some veggies. Still couldn't see up close. Got to the self-checkout and couldn't read the code for the salad bar. I utilize the salad bar multiple times a week (don't judge... it's convenient and healthy), so I figured I would kinesthetically remember the code: closing my eyes, my fingers would magically remember. They didn't. At least not correctly. 5 minutes later and an embarrassing explanation later, I made it home.

As I got to my apartment, my neighbor, Nikki, was just leaving for a run. She's training for the Chicago half-marathon and today was a 5-miler. In a moment of genius, I decided to join her. Really, it wasn't bad, expect having to look 20 feet down the path rather than 5. I survived.

When I got home, I rushed to take a shower so that I could watch Obama's speech at the DNC (nice job B!), but not before calling Tyler to tell him where we were watching. Tyler is speed-dial 9... Luke is speed-dial 8... I don't know why Luke picked up Tyler's phone, but he politely declined coming to the Africa house to watch the speech.

first timin

Tonight was a night of firsts. Well, two firsts. But at age 25 two firsts seems like a big deal. Or at least worthy of a blog post.


First #1... the Cellar Rat. I've heard about it for months. I've considered joining their wine club (2 or 3 bottles of wine a month from up & coming vineyards for $30... hello!). Super close to work. But, I've never made it in. A free Sake tasting, amazing aesthetics and great deals has pretty well sold me. All I have to do now is drink wine...


First #2... and this is embarrassing... Costco. How have I not been in? Uh, I don't know... I've never needed a vat of olive oil and 15 pounds of fried rice? Again, Im sold. I got the biggest container of hummus I could find & my weight in pita crisps. Who needs ghetto Dillons?

hope & hopelessness

I woke up Tuesday morning with Waterdeep's Good, Good End on my mind... or in my heart... or near whatever part of you brings forth a song you haven't heard in awhile.

Hope has been a theme of late. No conversations have named it specifically, but I see it everywhere. Hope in the midst of endeavors. Hope in brokenness. Hope in trial. There is something deeply good and deeply human about hope. As we see possibilities despite overwhelming impossibilities, we take a better grasp of Life within. Hope somehow propels us to live more deeply and fully and intentionally than circumstances might typically lend.

And just as evident has been the presence of hopelessness. Hopelessness that snuffs out the candle when the flame has barely been lit. Hopelessness which covers a situation like a thick fog, cutting off all clarity and illumination. Just as hope is an expression of humanity, so appears to be hopelessness (as much as I hate to accept this). Hopelessness draws us to need and to receive; it opens us in a raw way to others and to God.

I don't really know how this works, but it seems like being human is both deep belief in self, others and the future, and deep need in others and the Divine. Life is the dance between those two realities.

I should mention... I usually like to post a link to a song when I reference it, but I couldn't find Good, Good End anywhere.

Youtube.com...
"Waterdeep" nope.
"Waterdeep, Good, Good End" nope.
"Waterdeep, End" nope.
"Waterdeep, Good" nope.
"Waterdeep, Good, Good" nope.
"Waterdeep, Heart Attack Time Machine" nope.

It got so bad that I stooped to a new low and went to Godtube.com... surely the Christians will have posted a video. Nah. The one time I rely on mainstream evangelical christianity for pop culture... failed!

BUT... I did see this gem of an advertisement on the site...

www.christianmingle.com

"Meet they Neighbor"

confession: i am lame

Last night, I rode a bike for the first time in, ohhhhh, 5 years. Who doesn't ride a bike in 5 years? Apparently me. I must confess, I was a little bit nervous before my big ride (and by "big ride," I mean less than a mile to a friend's house and back!); what if I've lost the skill?

Never fear, I haven't. I'm as mediocre at bike riding as I was when I stopped.


So, Im proud to have taken one more step to Lawrence assimilation. Next up: Fall Ultimate Frisbee league. Straight up.


And if you're in Lawrence, or a surrounding area, and want to bike somewhere... Im down. Because Im tight like that.

Im so tight that my bike is purple. What does that say? Pure bad ass!

in case you decide to have a mid-week dance party...

i vote you add this one to the mix




or at least laugh at my eccentric music taste.

it brings me back old school to my Urban days. i think my hip peaked at 24.

Hill to Lewis

i read this quote...

What a different story men would have to tell if only they would adopt a definitive purpose, and stand by that purpose until it had time to become an all-consuming obsession.

~ Napoleon Hill

and it reminded me of this quote...

Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child, who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.

~ Clive Staples Lewis

Comeon Now... I aint that old!

At house church yesterday, it came to my attention that the vast majority of our group hadn't* heard the Verve Pipe's song, the Freshman.

I recognize that I have a good half a decade on many of our constituents, but really? This is a classic 90's song. I remember singing along to this and a Long December back when 105.9 was actually good.

And so, in case you too missed out on this one-hit wonder...

* I intentionally use the past tense, hadn't, because frankly they have now... a special thanks to youtube.com and Tyler's ability to picking up a song pretty quick on the guitar

refreshment

I worked 11.5 hours on Friday. 8a to 7:30p. Ate lunch at my desk. A few random breaks here and there, but we have a few Monday am deadlines, so primarily I... just... kept... working...

I was planning on going to the gym at some point during the day, but I just kept pushing it back. Lunch turned into mid-afternoon turned into after work turned into screw that, I'm going home. (and by "going home" I mean have a delicious salad at the Mixx and then watch Tropic Thunder with Luke. Best night in awhile, thanks man!)


The highlight of my day came around 9:30a when I started to gather some background information for one of our upcoming construction sites. I was attempting to locate the existing utilities, so I was calling multiple municipalities and companies to find their individual lines.

I ended up calling one elderly gentleman who frankly I shouldn't have called. Wrong company. Wrong city. Wrong state.

As soon as he answered the phone, I quickly told him who I was, who I was with and what I needed. His response simultaneously completely threw me off and utterly rejuvenated me. He greeted me with such familiarity and welcome that I swore we were old friends. His voice dripped with warmth and care, as he asked me how I was. He then gently laughed at my mistake and completely reconciled it by telling me not only the company I should call, but also the specific person.

Our 5 minute conversation was so refreshing, I'm tempted to make a habit of "accidentally" calling him.

a $20K hookup

Emily, a friend, KU student and member of our Lawrence community, applied for a tea scholarship. Apparently such things exist AND the payout is $20K. She wrote an original song and made a music video. Part of the judging is internet viewings and comments.

So, watch the video.

maybe
a
couple
of
times

But all through my blog, so my google analytics goes crazy and I feel really popular...


Thus, a win - win - win situation.

LOST Season 1

finished.


some quick thoughts...

- Sawyer is starting to redeem himself, yet still a jackass.
- Hurley says "dude" way too much, but I still like him.
- Charlie was stupid for taking the heroin. Moron.
- Locke is crazy and is probably going to both get people killed and save some lives. He's got that duplicity within him.
- Jack... Leader, Passionate, Bullheaded, Tattooed. Everything I want to be.
- Sayid is a badass.
- Boone's a hero.
- Michael's learning to be a good father.
- I still want to marry Kate.

Season 2 will commence shortly

productive.

This weekend was one of those great, productive weekends.

Helped celebrate Steph and wish her well in OK.
Hung with Rustin & the Vox Dei Community at Theology Pub.
Reorganized my kitchen to my liking... it needed it.
Cleaned my house a bit... it really needed it.
Did my laundry.
First Yoga (via DVD... I dont have the gall to drop into a studio)
Had delicious Thai with the parents.
Almost finished Season 1 of LOST (I've got 25 minutes left... who knew the season finale was 85 minutes...!)

And, topped it off with Step Up 2: the Streets

Im fairly certain Im a street hip hop dancer reincarnated.