Time marches on, taking us all prisoners.

I am not quite sure if I am just behind the times, or what, but I feel like everyone I grew up with is growing up faster then me. I am starting to feel like the only person from my group of friends who isn't engaged, married, or has kids (or any combination of the above). I don't know what to think about that. On one hand I am like, "When's it going to be *my* turn?" BUT on the other hand I want to point and laugh and say "Haha! I still know the taste of freedom and it tastes GOOOOD!" (all while doing a victory dance of epic proportions).

Updates (as I know) of my friends growing up:

Bound (and gagged):
Jeny Rendt-Scott: Married, no kids.
Heather Wilson: Married, no kids.
Rachel Emmer: Getting hitched this weekend, no kids.
Melanie Evans: Married, two kids.
April Richards: Married, one kid, kid on the way.
Ciji Wilson: Married, three kids.
Rachel Coffman: Married, one kid.
Carla Clinton: Married, two kids, kid on the way.
Tim Greer: Married, kid on the way.
Richard Denherder: One kid.
Ryan Revis: Married, no kids.
Michael Pedrin: Engaged, no kids.

Freedom Fighters:
Cameron Boyce, active military
Neil Richmond, doing his own thing in Bako
Natalie Lewis, dating a guy, working in the bay area

MIA:
Rose Cartwright

I'll update this more as I find out.

words and pixels

I am entirely getting addicted to video games again. I guess a boozeless life is left with a gaping hole in the entertainment area that needs to be filled with something. Some people pick God, some people pick love, I "picked" delving into the digital world. I used to be completely put off by the whole idea of console gaming, having been an avid PC gamer (Lineage 2 woo!), but after playing a few games I think I'm a convert. Here's a rundown:

Last night, after a St. Paddy's day dinner at a friend's house, we played this crazy game on the Wii system called Rayman Raving Rabbids and it was freakin hilarious! It is a collection of several mini games that pit you against your friends (who are all crazy looking bunny avatars). One of these games has you mimicking the dance moves shown on screen (think DDR but includes disco moves and slapping your own ass). When you are winning, your avatar does even more hilarious dance moves. You also get to race your friends and throw stuff at them, fight off zombie bunnies with plungers, and fight with bouncy balls. It is entirely random, fraught full of hilarity.

After playing a full round of about ten games, I headed home in order to find some parking somewhat near my house... and to get in another half hour or so of Assassin's Crack 2 (I mean Creed, whoops). After having to re-do the first race a million times, I am getting quite good at the controls... for a novice. I really like the graphics and the story (so far) as well as the different types of tasks/challenges they provide. And it's just damn fun to run around on rooftops.

Playing these games makes me miss the heyday of Lineage. I wish more of my friends still played to provide me with some incentive to play more... as is, I am thinking about de-activating my account indefinitely. Ah the ebbs and flows of online gaming...

Anyway. To summarize: me + games - booze = good times. That's all you really need to take away from this experience.

March Madness

I used to update my blog pretty regularly, back when I had a Live Journal. Now that I've switched blogs (and grown up a bit), I find that I don't know what to share anymore. I've made some changes in my life recently. I've embraced my single-ness. I've vied to lose the weight I gained in the micro depression preceding the single-ness embracement. I've jumped head first onto the wagon. I've even committed myself to buying and successful completing a 2000 piece jigsaw puzzle (huzzah!). I've even hiked every weekend since I decided to get into better shape. I have been feeling very accomplished...but I still feel like something is missing in my life.


I am really looking forward to baseball season starting up.
I am really looking forward to the Bad Religion and Alkaline Trio concerts that are coming up.
I am really looking forward to a trip to Europe this winter, despite how cold it will most likely be.
I am really looking forward to getting my credit cards paid off so that I can start saving money instead of spending it.
I am really looking forward to the chance to read more of my book.
I am really looking forward to the sunshine returning!
I am really looking forward to the next puzzle I will put together. It should be A Starry Night and yes, I like puzzles that much.
I am really looking forward to mastering my XBox skills on Assassin's Creed 2 over the next few months.
I am really looking forward to tomorrow's origami page on my one-a-day desk calendar. I think it's going to be a snake (today was a piano).


Its the little things in life that make it spectacular, right?

The Grinch Stole Thanksgiving?

Normally, I am not Ms. Holly Jolly Christmas-Chanukkah-Kwanzaa-Holiday Spirit, nor am I Ms. Grinchy-Bah-Humbug, mainly because I am not really into those sorts of Holidays on a religious basis. I do get joy in watching people enjoying themselves during such familial times. I do like singing along to some holiday tunes at times. BUT seriously!? Holiday music before Halloween is even past? I expect it after Thanksgiving during the Black Friday rushes and the inevitable countdown as the big X-day approaches...but pre-turkey day is a bit much for me. Especially ALL DAY, EVERYDAY. Maybe that's the reason I got sick this week and had to spend two whole days incapacitated: too much holiday spirit, too soon. My poor immune system couldn't handle the overload of cheer and good tidings.

=)

Ah, the ever controversial topic of abortion, how I have missed thee...

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/10/27/abortion.war/index.html

In this article, the Pro-Life guy asks the reporter "What part of wanting to save a baby's life is so bad that it makes people hate me?"

I think it might have something to do about him wanting to take away a woman's choice. Or that he puts the "rights" of an unborn child over those of an established human being. Or that his supporters go to fanatical extremes, sometimes even as far as to murder those that oppose their ideas (hello hypocrisy!).

This just got me riled up a little.

There is nothing more aggravating to me than bad drivers... Not just those "Sunday drivers" or "LA drivers" (yes they are bad drivers too) but those that really do not pay attention to anything around them. Those that drive like they are the only ones on the road... are the only ones on the road that MATTER. Ugh.

Some of the worst:

I hate when I am trying to merge onto a freeway in an exit only lane and the guy behind me (or the guy behind him) decides he is in too much of a hurry to wait his turn and moves into the lane I am trying to merge into only to match my speed right next to me so that I cannot move over, ignoring the blinker I have had on for the past 2 minutes.

Or.

When the guy in the turn only lane previously mentioned is trying to get into my lane by speeding up to squeeze in the little space that exists between me and the semi in front of me, causing me to have to hit the brakes, instead of staying at his current speed or slowing down a bit to go behind me (where it's entirely empty).

Or.

When the guy next to me decides to change lanes all of a sudden because he fancies being in my lane in front of me but is doing 15 miles an hour less.

Or.

The lady sitting in the right hand turn lane who will not, for the life of her, make a right hand turn until the green light says she can go... even though there is NO OTHER TRAFFIC blocking her way (and no signs forbidding it).

Or.

Those bastards who, upon arriving at someone's house to pick them up, honks their horn repeatedly instead of either getting out and knocking on the door or using their cell phone to alert their friend of their arrival.

Yep.

Or.

Nineteen Thirty Three?

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/07/22/wisconsin.book.row/index.html?iref=newssearch

There is something fundamentally wrong with people who feel the need to burn books just because they contain ideas or creeds that differ from their own. In this particular case, there are no half-crazed mobs hell bent on destroying works of literature, but rather God-fearing Christians petitioning a library system to corral and label works of literature they categorize as "unfit for the minds of youth". They propose that works with explicit content (i.e. vulgar sexual acts, homosexuality, rape, or brutality) be moved to the adult section, have the same type of Parental Advisory "explicit content" label as CDs, but still be available for check out by anyone. Its only a few radicals in this group that want to go to the extreme of death by fire for such books.

I feel the petitioning group has a very fair request. It appeals to both sides of the debate: it allows parents of those children to monitor their exposure to such materials, while still allowing access to any other reader who doesn't have such scruples. Its fair, but it won't work.

By labeling and corralling these pieces of literature into their own section, this group would be creating an expressway for their kids to obtain them. It would be the equivalent of putting up a flashing neon arrow that screams "Pay attention to me!" or "Free Candy". There would still be nothing stopping these kids from checking these books out (or reading them in the library), but instead an increase in the childrens' desires to see what the fuss is all about.

Ever hear of the forbidden fruit? How did that story pan out?


Kudos to all of those who believe in Jesus and God and the Bible and live your lives along that righteous path. That is your choice (and ultimately, you may be right!). It is your right to resist against all of those that you feel oppose your beliefs and any attempts to lure you away from your path. It is not your right to impose your beliefs on others. Afterall, isn't that what your Lord and Saviour preached?

Luke 6:31 "Do to others as you would have them do to you."

Romans 13:8 "Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law."

Galations 5:14 "For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' "

Leviticus 19:18: "You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD."

Corinthians 10:31-32 "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God"

Matthew 22:21 "They said to Him, 'Caesar's.' Then He said to them, 'Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's; and to God the things that are God's.'"

Philippians 4:5 "Let your forbearance be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand."

It's called hypocrisy, and its an ugly, ugly monster.