I was scanning an old hard drive of mine and found an archive of old movies I had made. It brought back a lot of good college memories. The following movie is of one event -- one of a thousand fun memories (this one just so happened to be better documented than most). YouTube will only allow movies that are 15 minutes or less, so I'll have to post more of my videos in pieces but this is a good place to start. Makes me realize I need to get in touch with these guys again...college was the best!
Thursday, July 21, 2011
The Dog Days of Summer (and super powers)
It is always hot these days in south Texas...always…
I've have learned however, that it is important to do your jogging in the mornings or evenings otherwise this is what ends up happening...not pretty...
On a totally different note, sometimes I wish I had a super power (apparently I watch too many movies). If I could choose a super power it might be strength or memory...or perhaps flight. These guys are about as close having a super power as anyone I can think of...TOTALLY AWESOME!
The heat got my brain to wondering about what the phrase "The Dog Days of Summer" means, because I'm pretty sure that is what we are experiencing down here (my perception of this is almost certainly contributed to by the fact my car's air conditioning has not worked since January). According to "The Oracle" (my name for Wikipedia) and at least one other random web site, the phrase goes back to Roman days. Apparently it means "the hottest and muggiest part of the season". It makes reference to the "dog star" Sirius which is the brightest star in the sky (excluding the Sun, of course). It is bright enough that the Romans believed that earth received heat from it.
In the summer, Sirius rises and sets with the sun. During late July Sirius is in conjunction with the sun, and the ancients believed that its heat added to the heat of the sun, creating a stretch of hot and sultry weather. They named this period of time, from 20 days before the conjunction to 20 days after, “dog days” after the dog star.
Interesting, no?
As uncomfortable as long afternoon rides in my car can be, that does not mean I do not enjoy certain parts of this heat. For example, I can air dry my clothes faster (and cheaper) than by using my clothes dryer. I can BBQ at any time of the morning, afternoon or evening and it doesn't feel weird (see my delicious lunch from the other afternoon).
I've have learned however, that it is important to do your jogging in the mornings or evenings otherwise this is what ends up happening...not pretty...
On a totally different note, sometimes I wish I had a super power (apparently I watch too many movies). If I could choose a super power it might be strength or memory...or perhaps flight. These guys are about as close having a super power as anyone I can think of...TOTALLY AWESOME!
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
(Singing?) In The Rain
It is raining outside. Down here in San Antonio that is rare enough that I feel justified in blogging about it.
I love rain. I'm not talking about the kind of rain that washes the road dust off your car. I'm talking about the rain that puts your paint job in jeopardy. Not rain that will mess up your carefully crafted hair gel but the kind that can strip fingerprints. I've never lived in a place that really rains on a regular basis, so maybe I'd start feeling differently if I had to live with it daily, but from my perspective there are few things as theraputic for the soul as a good stiff rainstorm!
It makes me think about truly memorable storms I've experienced...
I remember a storm while on my mission. I was tracting with Elder Gough in Wagga Wagga (yes, that is really the town's name). It hit fast. We went from sunny to downpoar in probably about 45 minutes. A lady who had no interest in listening to a discussion nevertheless took pitty on us and let us stand on her porch for 30 minutes because the street, sidewalk, lawn and just about everywhere else was ankle deep. It was actually a little awkward because both of us had been missionaries for over a year and had very little to talk about besides the message and the lady stood there with us for those 30 minutes until finally Gough and I just decided it was time to move on. Our leather shoes were never quite the same afterwards, but the memory was totally worth it!
I also remember the "Great Utah Tornado" of 1999. I was groundskeeping at the golf course. I was trimming the sand traps near the green on hole 3 pretty much working on my tan when the sky darkened and then exploded. As I'm sure there would be at any golf course there were a few old stalwarts who tried to play through but for most of us the day was over. After about 45 minutes my boss gave us the rest of the day off. It wasn't until the car ride home that I heard Salt Lake had been hit by a tornado.
There was a few memorable storms the summer I was in Atlanta and one I remember in Milwaukee. Most recently I was on vacation in West Virginia with my parents and brother. We were biking a trail when a storm came up. What made this storm memorable was not so much the wet rain, but the frozen kind. At first the hail stones were small and I figured my bike helmet would protect me. After a few minutes the stones had progressed to pea-sized and then...well, they eventually got to be about ping-pong ball sized. This picture shows some of them but I think they got even slightly bigger than this.
I love rain. I'm not talking about the kind of rain that washes the road dust off your car. I'm talking about the rain that puts your paint job in jeopardy. Not rain that will mess up your carefully crafted hair gel but the kind that can strip fingerprints. I've never lived in a place that really rains on a regular basis, so maybe I'd start feeling differently if I had to live with it daily, but from my perspective there are few things as theraputic for the soul as a good stiff rainstorm!
It makes me think about truly memorable storms I've experienced...
I remember a storm while on my mission. I was tracting with Elder Gough in Wagga Wagga (yes, that is really the town's name). It hit fast. We went from sunny to downpoar in probably about 45 minutes. A lady who had no interest in listening to a discussion nevertheless took pitty on us and let us stand on her porch for 30 minutes because the street, sidewalk, lawn and just about everywhere else was ankle deep. It was actually a little awkward because both of us had been missionaries for over a year and had very little to talk about besides the message and the lady stood there with us for those 30 minutes until finally Gough and I just decided it was time to move on. Our leather shoes were never quite the same afterwards, but the memory was totally worth it!
I also remember the "Great Utah Tornado" of 1999. I was groundskeeping at the golf course. I was trimming the sand traps near the green on hole 3 pretty much working on my tan when the sky darkened and then exploded. As I'm sure there would be at any golf course there were a few old stalwarts who tried to play through but for most of us the day was over. After about 45 minutes my boss gave us the rest of the day off. It wasn't until the car ride home that I heard Salt Lake had been hit by a tornado.
There was a few memorable storms the summer I was in Atlanta and one I remember in Milwaukee. Most recently I was on vacation in West Virginia with my parents and brother. We were biking a trail when a storm came up. What made this storm memorable was not so much the wet rain, but the frozen kind. At first the hail stones were small and I figured my bike helmet would protect me. After a few minutes the stones had progressed to pea-sized and then...well, they eventually got to be about ping-pong ball sized. This picture shows some of them but I think they got even slightly bigger than this.
As much as these stung my knuckles when they hit; as is so often the case it was a storm that turned this event from something fun into something legendary. And you know, maybe I shouldn't be surprised...sometimes it is the "storms" that make turn something ordinary into something just a little more memorable!
Monday, July 18, 2011
What a difference a year can make...
T.S. Eliot is famous for declairing that "April is the crulest month". As a medical resident however, no one argues about the fact that July, not April, is the crulest of the months. This is because July is when new interns start. "July 1st" is often whispered around the hospital in tones that make you feel like you are in 1962 Florida during the Cuban Missile Crisis. I'm pretty sure that most seasoned hospital employees would rather have a vacation week in early July than they would over the Christmas holiday.
Just about one year ago I was among the throng of deer-in-the-headlights residents starting their new patient care responsibilities. All things considered, I actually think I had it pretty easy. I started on Neurosurgery. On the surface, this may seem like a bad way to kick things off, but the service I was on did mostly scheduled spinal surgeries. The trauma and other really really bad stuff mostly went to a different team.
I did have one bad night however. I had been a resident for 3 days and I was taking overnight call. I got paged around 1:30 in the morning from the ER, telling me that a guy who had had a spinal surgery a few days ago was now back with what looked like an infected surgical site. Surgical site infections are never a good thing, but they are particularly bad when they are that close to the spinal cord. In addition, this guy was starting to show signs of septic shock. I rushed in to see the guy. I fumbled my way through admission orders (I didn't have a very good idea of how to use the electronic medical record yet), started antibiotics, forgot to take blood and wound cultures and just prayed that he would make it until morning. Fortunaly for everyone he did great. His blood pressure stabilized on the antibiotics and we took him to the OR the next morning to clean things out. He did well after this and I am happy to say he went home in good shape. It was however, a long night...
Because of the huge volume of knowlege we are expected to know in medicine, it gets very easy sometimes to feel like you are not learning anything. Because you are perpetually feeling like you don't know enough, it is easy to overlook the things that you have learned. I think it is helpful, if nothing else, to have a yearly reminder (July 1st) of just how much I have changed. That, of course, does not excuse me from needing to learn more and there is SO MUCH that I still need to learn, but it is kind of fun to look back at July 2010 Eric and see what a differeance a year can make....
Just about one year ago I was among the throng of deer-in-the-headlights residents starting their new patient care responsibilities. All things considered, I actually think I had it pretty easy. I started on Neurosurgery. On the surface, this may seem like a bad way to kick things off, but the service I was on did mostly scheduled spinal surgeries. The trauma and other really really bad stuff mostly went to a different team.
I did have one bad night however. I had been a resident for 3 days and I was taking overnight call. I got paged around 1:30 in the morning from the ER, telling me that a guy who had had a spinal surgery a few days ago was now back with what looked like an infected surgical site. Surgical site infections are never a good thing, but they are particularly bad when they are that close to the spinal cord. In addition, this guy was starting to show signs of septic shock. I rushed in to see the guy. I fumbled my way through admission orders (I didn't have a very good idea of how to use the electronic medical record yet), started antibiotics, forgot to take blood and wound cultures and just prayed that he would make it until morning. Fortunaly for everyone he did great. His blood pressure stabilized on the antibiotics and we took him to the OR the next morning to clean things out. He did well after this and I am happy to say he went home in good shape. It was however, a long night...
Because of the huge volume of knowlege we are expected to know in medicine, it gets very easy sometimes to feel like you are not learning anything. Because you are perpetually feeling like you don't know enough, it is easy to overlook the things that you have learned. I think it is helpful, if nothing else, to have a yearly reminder (July 1st) of just how much I have changed. That, of course, does not excuse me from needing to learn more and there is SO MUCH that I still need to learn, but it is kind of fun to look back at July 2010 Eric and see what a differeance a year can make....
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Favorite
Seeing that it is Sunday, I figured I'd try to keep this more Sunday-focused.
I've found as I get older that I'm now caring about things I used to scorn. For example, I now care about decorating. When I was in high school, mission and college my idea of decorating was sweeping the floor and keeping the dirty dishes in the sink to ones dirtied within only the last week. Somewhere in medical school I started to find myself changing. My roommate hung some framed pictures on the wall and I found myself liking it. Another roommate would occasionally have flower arrangements on the entertainment center to spruce the place up (and for anyone inclined to snicker, I'll defend the manliness of flower arrangements to the bitter end).
When I moved to Texas I started a slow (budget has to be considered) process of decorating my place. Anyone who cares to visit will still be able to tell that a bachelor lives here (I'm still working on the clean dishes thing) but I do have curtains, matching couch pillows, and a few dried flower arrangements. A few months ago I sprung for the centerpiece of my collection...
I've had my eye on this painting for a long time now. I first saw it in an Ensign article published while I was on my mission (around 2000 I think it was). I've seen it a few times since. I it is, barr-none, my favorite painting. I'll delve into why I love it so much in just a minute but suffice to say, it is my favorite.
I wanted a large, custom-framed, centerpiece-worthy painting. Something that I would pack up and move with me when that time comes. Something that will hang over my mantle for years to come. For those who have priced such items, they do not come cheap. I was floored by how much the framing alone costs (PS. Michael's perpetual 50% off sale is a total sham). I finally saved enough pennies to buy the print and the frame and it now hangs above my mantle. I love it. Totally worth it.
Why do I love it so much? There are lots of good paintings which would look great above my mantle. Why this one? You may notice the small black book in the bottom left corner of the picture above (the one being propped up by the candle). I keep this book next to the painting as an explanation and a reminder to myself of why I love this paining. In it I have printed some of the quotes and talks that deal with this particular Bible story. For whatever reason, this particular story seems to hold a lot of meaning for my life. I don't know why so much of it feels personal and applicable but it does. Among the many talks that have mentioned this particular Biblical event, Elder Holland gave one of my favorites. I think I sign off today by quoting the applicable passage.
I've found as I get older that I'm now caring about things I used to scorn. For example, I now care about decorating. When I was in high school, mission and college my idea of decorating was sweeping the floor and keeping the dirty dishes in the sink to ones dirtied within only the last week. Somewhere in medical school I started to find myself changing. My roommate hung some framed pictures on the wall and I found myself liking it. Another roommate would occasionally have flower arrangements on the entertainment center to spruce the place up (and for anyone inclined to snicker, I'll defend the manliness of flower arrangements to the bitter end).
When I moved to Texas I started a slow (budget has to be considered) process of decorating my place. Anyone who cares to visit will still be able to tell that a bachelor lives here (I'm still working on the clean dishes thing) but I do have curtains, matching couch pillows, and a few dried flower arrangements. A few months ago I sprung for the centerpiece of my collection...
I've had my eye on this painting for a long time now. I first saw it in an Ensign article published while I was on my mission (around 2000 I think it was). I've seen it a few times since. I it is, barr-none, my favorite painting. I'll delve into why I love it so much in just a minute but suffice to say, it is my favorite.
I wanted a large, custom-framed, centerpiece-worthy painting. Something that I would pack up and move with me when that time comes. Something that will hang over my mantle for years to come. For those who have priced such items, they do not come cheap. I was floored by how much the framing alone costs (PS. Michael's perpetual 50% off sale is a total sham). I finally saved enough pennies to buy the print and the frame and it now hangs above my mantle. I love it. Totally worth it.
Why do I love it so much? There are lots of good paintings which would look great above my mantle. Why this one? You may notice the small black book in the bottom left corner of the picture above (the one being propped up by the candle). I keep this book next to the painting as an explanation and a reminder to myself of why I love this paining. In it I have printed some of the quotes and talks that deal with this particular Bible story. For whatever reason, this particular story seems to hold a lot of meaning for my life. I don't know why so much of it feels personal and applicable but it does. Among the many talks that have mentioned this particular Biblical event, Elder Holland gave one of my favorites. I think I sign off today by quoting the applicable passage.
One last piece of counsel regarding coming to Christ; it comes from an unusual incident in the life of the Savior that holds a lesson for us all. It was after Jesus had performed the miracle of feeding the 5,000 from five loaves of bread and two fishes. (By the way, let me pause here to say, Don’t worry about Christ running out of ability to help you. His grace is sufficient. That is the spiritual, eternal lesson of the feeding of the 5,000.) After Jesus had fed the multitude, he sent them away and put his disciples into a fishing boat to cross over to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. He then “went up into a mountain apart to pray” (Matt. 14:23).
We aren’t told all of the circumstances of the disciples as they set out in their boat, but it was toward evening, and certainly it was a stormy night. The winds must have been ferocious from the start. Because of the winds, these men probably never even raised the sails but labored only with the oars—and labor it would have been. We know this because by the time of “the fourth watch of the night” (Matt. 14:25)—that is somewhere between three and six in the morning—they had gone only a few miles. By then the ship was caught up in a truly violent storm, a storm like those that can still sweep down on the Sea of Galilee to this day.
But, as always, Christ was watching over them. He always does, remember? Seeing their difficulty, the Savior simply took the most direct approach to their boat, striding out across the waves to help them, walking on the water as surely as he had walked upon the land. In their moment of great extremity, the disciples looked and saw in the darkness this wonder in a fluttering robe coming toward them on the ridges of the sea. They cried out in terror at the sight, thinking that it was a phantom upon the waves. Then, through the storm and darkness—when the ocean seems so great and little boats seem so small—there came the ultimate and reassuring voice of peace from their Master. “It is I,” he said; “be not afraid” (Matt. 14:27).
This scriptural account reminds us that the first step in coming to Christ, or in his coming to us, may fill us with something very much like sheer terror. It shouldn’t, but it sometimes does. One of the grand ironies of the gospel is that the very source of help and safety being offered us is the thing from which we may, in our mortal shortsightedness, flee. For whatever the reason, I have seen investigators run from baptism, I have seen elders run from a mission call, I have seen sweethearts run from marriage, and I have seen members run from challenging callings. Too often too many of us run from the very things that will bless us and save us and soothe us. Too often we see gospel commitments and commandments as something to be feared and forsaken.
Let me quote the marvelous Elder James E. Talmage of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on this matter: “Into every adult human life come experiences like unto the battling of the storm-tossed voyagers with contrary winds and threatening seas; ofttimes the night of struggle and danger is far advanced before succor appears; and then, too frequently the saving aid is mistaken for a greater terror. [But,] as came unto [these disciples] in the midst of the turbulent waters, so comes to all who toil in faith, the voice of the Deliverer—’It is I; be not afraid’” (Jesus the Christ [1916], 337).
Elder Talmage used the word succor. Do you know its meaning? It is used often in the scriptures to describe Christ’s care for and attention to us. It means literally “to run to.” What a magnificent way to describe the Savior’s urgent effort in our behalf! Even as he calls us to come to him and follow him, he is unfailingly running to help us.
Finally recognizing the Master that night, Peter exclaimed, “Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water” (Matt. 14:28).
And Christ’s answer to him was as it always is to all of us: “Come,” he said.
Instantly, as was his nature, Peter sprang over the vessel’s side and into the troubled waves. While his eyes were fixed upon the Lord, the wind could toss his hair and the spray could drench his robes, but all was well—he was coming to Christ. Only when his faith and his focus wavered, only when he removed his glance from the Master to see the furious waves and the black gulf beneath him, only then did he begin to sink. In fear he cried out, “Lord, save me” (Matt. 14:28–30).
In some disappointment the “Master of ocean and earth and skies” (“Master, the Tempest Is Raging,” Hymns, no. 105) stretched out his hand and grasped the drowning disciple with the gentle rebuke “O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?” (Matt. 14:31; see also Frederic W. Farrar, The Life of Christ [1994], 310–13).
Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. This is his true and living Church. He wishes us to come unto him, to follow him, to be comforted by him. Then he wishes us to give comfort to others. However halting our steps are toward him—though they shouldn’t be halting at all—his steps are never halting toward us. May we have enough faith to accept the goodness of God and the mercy of his Only Begotten Son. May we come unto him and his gospel and be healed. And may we do more to heal others in the process. When the storms of life make this difficult, may we still follow his bidding to “come,” keeping our eye fixed on him forever and single to his glory. In doing so we too will walk triumphantly over the swelling waves of life’s difficulties and remain unterrified amid any rising winds of despair.
Jeffrey R. Holland
"Come Unto Me"
BYU CES Fireside, 1997
"Come Unto Me"
BYU CES Fireside, 1997
Saturday, July 16, 2011
All Good Things....
In attempting to start blogging regularly I realize that I run the risk of becoming "that person" (described so eloquently by the hilarious comedian Mike Birbiglia...if I can get this to work anyway)
(If the fancy embeded MP3 player above fails to work, you can find the clip I'm referring to at : https://brimhall.opendrive.com/files?34560747_HvBcU)
There are books that I would pay good good money to be able to read again for the first time. The James Herriott books come to mind. So does Ender's Game and a few other super nerdy books I will not embarrass myself by naming. At the top of this list, of course, lies the Harry Potter series. Through the miracle of modern technology and the good fortune of having this weekend off from work, I used my smart-phone while at work the other day to purchase a ticket for the last Harry Potter movie. I'm having bitter-sweet feelings because I'm confident I will love this movie, but at the same time it will be over. Yes, I know how it ends. I've read the series an embarrassing number of times and this ending is less bitter sweet than the one I experienced when the last book came out, but as the movie posters keep reminding me, "It All Ends Here"...
It makes me think back on the first time I read each of the books:
Book 1-3: When I got home from Australia in 2001 the first 4 books has already been published. I had never heard of them until returning home but I'm pretty sure it was the night of my arrival back in the USA when my aunt told me about them and got my curiosity peaked. I borrowed the first 3 books and (since I had not found a job yet) I went on a reading marathon. Book 1, done in one day. Book 2, done the next day. Book 3, done sometime around 2:30 the next morning (I barely slept that night. The sure sign of a good book).
Book 4: I went and did something "responsible" at this point (some might call it foolish) - I got a job - so Book 4 took me about 4 or 5 days to get through, though I did pull more than one 2:30am nights. Totally worth it.
At this point I had to join the rest of the world and wait for each book to be published before moving on...painful...
Book 5 came out the summer I was selling pest control in Dallas. I bought the book the next day and spent the bulk of the weekend reading instead of working real hard. I'm glad I got through it quick though because until I finished it, there was no way I was going to be a good salesman and make any money.
Book 6 happened the summer I was living in Logan, working as a CNA on the graveyard shift and taking a summer course in advanced calculus during the days (not sure when I slept). I took my "lunch break" (around midnight) and drove to Walmart to buy the book. I then slept even less for the next few days and totally neglected my calculus until I had finished. So worth it.
Now of all the memories from the previous 6 books, Book 7 holds a special place in my heart as one of the truly best days I can ever remember, and I'm not ashamed to admit that. I was in medical school in Milwaukee and I joined the crowds in line at Walmart for the midnight sale. As soon as 12:01 hit we all rushed forward like a stampede of cattle to get our "cud". I got home a little after 1:00 and had to read chapter 1 before I could go to bed. I woke up at 6am to start again and thus began a day where I did nothing but eat, read, answer the call of nature and (at the end of the day when I knew I would have time to finish before going back to bed) watch an action movie with my bros. I remember one moment when I sat on the couch reading and a friend came in and was trying to convince us to go to "Irish Festival" with her (I really do miss all the ethnic festivals in Milwaukee) but I was in such a zone that I'm not sure I even looked up. I grunted something about how maybe Jonny would like to go, so ask him, and I just kept on reading. Not my finest moment ever but I can't promise I wouldn't do the same thing if Book 7 was coming out again for the first time...
That brings us to today. I guess all good things must come to an end at some point....really though, has anyone invented a machine that will help me forget the fact I've read the books 6 or 7 times and let me read them again for the first time? I'll pay good money!
(If the fancy embeded MP3 player above fails to work, you can find the clip I'm referring to at : https://brimhall.opendrive.com/files?34560747_HvBcU)
There are books that I would pay good good money to be able to read again for the first time. The James Herriott books come to mind. So does Ender's Game and a few other super nerdy books I will not embarrass myself by naming. At the top of this list, of course, lies the Harry Potter series. Through the miracle of modern technology and the good fortune of having this weekend off from work, I used my smart-phone while at work the other day to purchase a ticket for the last Harry Potter movie. I'm having bitter-sweet feelings because I'm confident I will love this movie, but at the same time it will be over. Yes, I know how it ends. I've read the series an embarrassing number of times and this ending is less bitter sweet than the one I experienced when the last book came out, but as the movie posters keep reminding me, "It All Ends Here"...
It makes me think back on the first time I read each of the books:
Book 1-3: When I got home from Australia in 2001 the first 4 books has already been published. I had never heard of them until returning home but I'm pretty sure it was the night of my arrival back in the USA when my aunt told me about them and got my curiosity peaked. I borrowed the first 3 books and (since I had not found a job yet) I went on a reading marathon. Book 1, done in one day. Book 2, done the next day. Book 3, done sometime around 2:30 the next morning (I barely slept that night. The sure sign of a good book).
Book 4: I went and did something "responsible" at this point (some might call it foolish) - I got a job - so Book 4 took me about 4 or 5 days to get through, though I did pull more than one 2:30am nights. Totally worth it.
At this point I had to join the rest of the world and wait for each book to be published before moving on...painful...
Book 5 came out the summer I was selling pest control in Dallas. I bought the book the next day and spent the bulk of the weekend reading instead of working real hard. I'm glad I got through it quick though because until I finished it, there was no way I was going to be a good salesman and make any money.
Book 6 happened the summer I was living in Logan, working as a CNA on the graveyard shift and taking a summer course in advanced calculus during the days (not sure when I slept). I took my "lunch break" (around midnight) and drove to Walmart to buy the book. I then slept even less for the next few days and totally neglected my calculus until I had finished. So worth it.
Now of all the memories from the previous 6 books, Book 7 holds a special place in my heart as one of the truly best days I can ever remember, and I'm not ashamed to admit that. I was in medical school in Milwaukee and I joined the crowds in line at Walmart for the midnight sale. As soon as 12:01 hit we all rushed forward like a stampede of cattle to get our "cud". I got home a little after 1:00 and had to read chapter 1 before I could go to bed. I woke up at 6am to start again and thus began a day where I did nothing but eat, read, answer the call of nature and (at the end of the day when I knew I would have time to finish before going back to bed) watch an action movie with my bros. I remember one moment when I sat on the couch reading and a friend came in and was trying to convince us to go to "Irish Festival" with her (I really do miss all the ethnic festivals in Milwaukee) but I was in such a zone that I'm not sure I even looked up. I grunted something about how maybe Jonny would like to go, so ask him, and I just kept on reading. Not my finest moment ever but I can't promise I wouldn't do the same thing if Book 7 was coming out again for the first time...
That brings us to today. I guess all good things must come to an end at some point....really though, has anyone invented a machine that will help me forget the fact I've read the books 6 or 7 times and let me read them again for the first time? I'll pay good money!
Friday, July 15, 2011
Revertigo
I think part of the problem I have in regularly posting a blog is that I have strayed from the original intent of blogs. I have used this as a soapbox from which to pontificate and wax lyrical. Doing so takes so much time and energy that I rarely feel like I'm up to tackling another post and the next thing I know, 7 months has passed since my last post. Recently I have found myself following a few blogs who's authors have a simplified philosophy of blogging. They post 1 or 2 thoughts on a regular basis. Perhaps it is deep, personal and thoughtful (which is great) but usually it is more "salt of the earth"… I find myself checking these blogs daily and regularly being rewarded with a paragraph or two on some event or thought that is part of that person's life right now, and I'm not ashamed to admit that I love it. So, in a similar spirit, I hope to start posting shorter, more frequent blurbs.
It was probably back in September or so last year when my grandma (who up until this moment I would not have guessed knew how to check blogs) told me that she really enjoyed reading what I wrote and would I please post more about what I fill my days with. Clearly I have not done well at this, and at this point catching up is a bigger task than I can tackle, but perhaps I can catch a few highlights through the use of captioned pictures. I figure this might be a good way to jump back into the blogging world (since pictures/videos are my favorite part of other people's blogs).
This is something I totally stumbled across on a bike ride the other day. Kind of seems like a big event I've never heard of, all of which occurred near my home in a place that is now a totally quiet non-descript little road. Kinda' cool what you will come across if you as me!
This was a photo from a little vacation I took out east with my parents and brother. This was one night after a long day of seeing sights and we were just trying to watch the NBA playoff game. Cable TV was out of order in the hotel and so we reverted to watching the game on my dad's smart phone. Yes, that is right. We were watching a major sporting event on that TINY TINY little screen you see off to the left hand side of the picture! :) Totally awesome of us despite one of the most gigantic confusion to satisfaction ratios ever!
This is me on call last night. I'm on call a lot and spend a lot of nights in the hospital. This is the 5-star accommodations I enjoy when on call (actually, in all seriousness, these are pretty good call rooms compared to some I've seen)
In an attempt to get fitter, grow my list of hobbies, save on gas, go green, see a little more of Texas, flirt with a cute girl I know who also enjoys biking and have something cooler than work to talk about with people (seriously, when all you do is work, your dinner conversation skills start to suffer); I bought a nice new road bike. I've been really enjoying it (though I'm yet to flirt more or get better at dinner conversation)! I've found a few rides around the San Antonio area that I really like. This is a picture I snapped mid-ride along my favorite trail. I'm sweaty and gross, but please notice the scenery. Definitely the best I've found in south Texas.
So, as I type all this, I'm listening to an album that my good friend introduced me to. I'm pretty sure that if I could find a girl who I loved as much as I love this album, then I'd make my mother a very proud grandmother. Here is a link to one of my favorite songs off this album (PS. This whole album is amazing. This is just one small sample).
In the spirit of sharing what has first been shared with me, here are a few more songs that others have shared with me that are pure gold!
(If I could marry her voice I would do it!)
Here is one my brother shared. Good stuff.
It was probably back in September or so last year when my grandma (who up until this moment I would not have guessed knew how to check blogs) told me that she really enjoyed reading what I wrote and would I please post more about what I fill my days with. Clearly I have not done well at this, and at this point catching up is a bigger task than I can tackle, but perhaps I can catch a few highlights through the use of captioned pictures. I figure this might be a good way to jump back into the blogging world (since pictures/videos are my favorite part of other people's blogs).
This is something I totally stumbled across on a bike ride the other day. Kind of seems like a big event I've never heard of, all of which occurred near my home in a place that is now a totally quiet non-descript little road. Kinda' cool what you will come across if you as me!
This was a photo from a little vacation I took out east with my parents and brother. This was one night after a long day of seeing sights and we were just trying to watch the NBA playoff game. Cable TV was out of order in the hotel and so we reverted to watching the game on my dad's smart phone. Yes, that is right. We were watching a major sporting event on that TINY TINY little screen you see off to the left hand side of the picture! :) Totally awesome of us despite one of the most gigantic confusion to satisfaction ratios ever!
This is me on call last night. I'm on call a lot and spend a lot of nights in the hospital. This is the 5-star accommodations I enjoy when on call (actually, in all seriousness, these are pretty good call rooms compared to some I've seen)
In an attempt to get fitter, grow my list of hobbies, save on gas, go green, see a little more of Texas, flirt with a cute girl I know who also enjoys biking and have something cooler than work to talk about with people (seriously, when all you do is work, your dinner conversation skills start to suffer); I bought a nice new road bike. I've been really enjoying it (though I'm yet to flirt more or get better at dinner conversation)! I've found a few rides around the San Antonio area that I really like. This is a picture I snapped mid-ride along my favorite trail. I'm sweaty and gross, but please notice the scenery. Definitely the best I've found in south Texas.
So, as I type all this, I'm listening to an album that my good friend introduced me to. I'm pretty sure that if I could find a girl who I loved as much as I love this album, then I'd make my mother a very proud grandmother. Here is a link to one of my favorite songs off this album (PS. This whole album is amazing. This is just one small sample).
In the spirit of sharing what has first been shared with me, here are a few more songs that others have shared with me that are pure gold!
(If I could marry her voice I would do it!)
Here is one my brother shared. Good stuff.
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