Having an introverted nature comes at the most inconvenient times, I've found.
I had the most amazing day today. I went to the art museum in Milwaukee with a friend, and we walked all around the city.
We had some great conversation about God, relationships, and life in general. I then headed to church and talked with a great friend for about an hour about God, the church, and our role in culture. I then headed to my weekly college/career aged night at church, and had all sorts of energy at the beginning of the night.
We then headed out as usual afterwords, and I swear, it was like hitting a brick wall. Suddenly, I had no desire or ability in me to be social. My ability to create conversation, to participate in what was going on around me vanished. This is something I have dealt with before, but not really picked up on it until after the fact. Tonight, when it hit me, I looked at my friend and said, "Man, I am having a major introverted moment."
I know that we do not have to let our personality, how we're wired up, dictate how we act...But sometimes those are hard things to jump over. Wondering if anyone has any of the same experiences, or if I'm alone in the introverted battle...
Most of my friends are extroverts...How weird is that. Sounds like it could be a good book title...I'll have to ponder that one a bit. But for now, I must sleep.
8.31.2004
THX 1138
A friend of mine was reading Wired magazine and posted on his website about a movied called "THX 1138" - the first film by George Lucas in 1971. Supposedly it's going to be re-released sometime in September. You can read the Wired article here:
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/12.09/play.html?pg=2
Or, if you want, I think you can watch the trailer for it at http://www.ultimatedvd.org.
I watched the trailer and read the article and am greatly intrigued. It definitely looks like it was ahead of it's time.
Check it out, and let me know what you think!
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/12.09/play.html?pg=2
Or, if you want, I think you can watch the trailer for it at http://www.ultimatedvd.org.
I watched the trailer and read the article and am greatly intrigued. It definitely looks like it was ahead of it's time.
Check it out, and let me know what you think!
8.29.2004
C2
Hey one and all...
I saw this commercial before I saw the movie "The Village" as well as before I saw the movie "Donnie Darko". It's for Coke's new low carb C2 drink. I was really impressed with the commercial, and thought it was really creative. The song has made quite a buzz about as well...I posted a link in the title of this entry, or you can check out the commercial at the address listed below. It's pretty pixelated, and may be kind of pokey depending on the speed of your computer. But check it out:
http://www.cokec2.com/pages/commercials.shtml
In a time where you have to weed through millions of bad commercials, it's cool to see some good ones emerging. It's rather unfortunate that it's for such a crappy product.
I saw this commercial before I saw the movie "The Village" as well as before I saw the movie "Donnie Darko". It's for Coke's new low carb C2 drink. I was really impressed with the commercial, and thought it was really creative. The song has made quite a buzz about as well...I posted a link in the title of this entry, or you can check out the commercial at the address listed below. It's pretty pixelated, and may be kind of pokey depending on the speed of your computer. But check it out:
http://www.cokec2.com/pages/commercials.shtml
In a time where you have to weed through millions of bad commercials, it's cool to see some good ones emerging. It's rather unfortunate that it's for such a crappy product.
8.27.2004
beauty in breakdown
I was emailing a friend of mine today. I was explaining to him some of the things that have been going through my brain lately. I have really been struggling in my journey with God, and I shared with him a few things that I've been struggling with. One of the main things is that I feel is that the church has taken things so fundamental to me - so basic & core to my relationship with God, and have perverted it, trampled on it, and turned it into something not even recognizable anymore.
I have lost my connection to these things...They feel so rigid. So structured. It doesn't seem beautiful.
I began to throw a lot of questions out. I then came to the realization that it is in this period of questioning that I believe God draws us closer. When we come to him unveiled and honest, it is then that we can have an awesome sense of community with Him. Not that God can't take a hold of us through the barriers we ourselves put up, but it makes it that much sweeter when we come to him in an honest fashion.
There is a song from Garden State called "Let Go" by Frou Frou. There is a line in the song that says, "It's alright because there's beauty in breakdown." I was thinking about that, and how it can kind of relate to God. I think there is beauty when we are broken before Him. I think it's a beautiful thing when someone can be so brutally honest with God, and expect honesty in return. I began to think about how honest I've been with Him, and I have a ways to go. But it's something that I've decided is important to me. Looking for beauty in my journey with God has become such a huge desire...Even if it's beauty in breakdown.
I have lost my connection to these things...They feel so rigid. So structured. It doesn't seem beautiful.
I began to throw a lot of questions out. I then came to the realization that it is in this period of questioning that I believe God draws us closer. When we come to him unveiled and honest, it is then that we can have an awesome sense of community with Him. Not that God can't take a hold of us through the barriers we ourselves put up, but it makes it that much sweeter when we come to him in an honest fashion.
There is a song from Garden State called "Let Go" by Frou Frou. There is a line in the song that says, "It's alright because there's beauty in breakdown." I was thinking about that, and how it can kind of relate to God. I think there is beauty when we are broken before Him. I think it's a beautiful thing when someone can be so brutally honest with God, and expect honesty in return. I began to think about how honest I've been with Him, and I have a ways to go. But it's something that I've decided is important to me. Looking for beauty in my journey with God has become such a huge desire...Even if it's beauty in breakdown.
8.24.2004
random tidbits
I'm kind of in a random mood today...I don't know why. I've been listening to really random music, I've been watching really random things, and have been really random yearnings. I declare today Random Day.
Here are a few random tidbits you may not know about me, that I thought to incorporate. Today's entry was inspired by Troy Hatfield, who on his blog, likes to include weird and random things people may not know about him. So thanks Troy...You are inspirational (doesn't that sound like a bunch of crap? Well, it's not).
Random Tidbits:
1. I'm somewhat oc about pen color. If I start a notebook, checkbook, journal, whatever in one color of ink, it must remain in that ink color..
2. I do not like revolving doors. There are only a few things in this world that make me uncomfortable. Clowns and revolving doors are two of them.
3. I like to collect books. I don't necessarily read them (though I enjoy reading), but I have a LOT of books that I own and have never read. One in particular, I catch a lot of flack for. I have an amazing illustrated British edition of 1984, and have yet to read it.
4. I have a slight fettish for paper. When I was little and would have birthday parties, I would always ask my parents or friends for paper for my birthday. No one really believed me until I got older. Bless Sue DeLong for getting me a ream of paper for my 22 birthday. She rules.
5. I firmly believe you're never too old to play with toys. I still own plenty of Legos.
6. I used to be extrememly gullable. Ok, most of you know that. Ok, it's still true.
7. I once was the co-owner of a newspaper. Sure, it was called something like, "The Buddy News" and it was entirely made up, and not one person bought a subscription, but hey, how many of you can put that on your resume?
8. I'm a terrible board game player. I LOVE to play games, but I'm not very good at them and I get ULTRA competitive. One of the worst ones is Scrabble. It's my favorite game, but I've been known to get a little bent out of shape... :)
9. My knowledge of history and geography are TERRIBLE. Anyone want to help me? Please?!
10. I like to make lists about random information, as well as learn about other people's randomness.
YAY FOR RANDOM DAY.
Here are a few random tidbits you may not know about me, that I thought to incorporate. Today's entry was inspired by Troy Hatfield, who on his blog, likes to include weird and random things people may not know about him. So thanks Troy...You are inspirational (doesn't that sound like a bunch of crap? Well, it's not).
Random Tidbits:
1. I'm somewhat oc about pen color. If I start a notebook, checkbook, journal, whatever in one color of ink, it must remain in that ink color..
2. I do not like revolving doors. There are only a few things in this world that make me uncomfortable. Clowns and revolving doors are two of them.
3. I like to collect books. I don't necessarily read them (though I enjoy reading), but I have a LOT of books that I own and have never read. One in particular, I catch a lot of flack for. I have an amazing illustrated British edition of 1984, and have yet to read it.
4. I have a slight fettish for paper. When I was little and would have birthday parties, I would always ask my parents or friends for paper for my birthday. No one really believed me until I got older. Bless Sue DeLong for getting me a ream of paper for my 22 birthday. She rules.
5. I firmly believe you're never too old to play with toys. I still own plenty of Legos.
6. I used to be extrememly gullable. Ok, most of you know that. Ok, it's still true.
7. I once was the co-owner of a newspaper. Sure, it was called something like, "The Buddy News" and it was entirely made up, and not one person bought a subscription, but hey, how many of you can put that on your resume?
8. I'm a terrible board game player. I LOVE to play games, but I'm not very good at them and I get ULTRA competitive. One of the worst ones is Scrabble. It's my favorite game, but I've been known to get a little bent out of shape... :)
9. My knowledge of history and geography are TERRIBLE. Anyone want to help me? Please?!
10. I like to make lists about random information, as well as learn about other people's randomness.
YAY FOR RANDOM DAY.
garden state, pt. 2
I was finally able to see Garden State. I'm not really sure how to tell the world how much I loved this movie. There were parts I could have done without, but overall, it was such an amazing movie. It covered such an array of emotions. I fell in love with Zach Braff's character as well as Natalie Portman's character ("Do you know what I do when I need to feel unique?") I think that is is a movie that a good part of our generation can relate too...We may not have been involved in the same things that the characters are, however, I think the emotions experienced are altogether too familiar. Zach Braff...what an amazing talent. He wrote, directed and acted in it - it was his baby - and it took off.
I would love to suggest this movie to everyone I possible can, however, it is a bit gritty. There are a few scenes that are a little uncomfortable and the language is a little rough. However, if you're a film nut, this is a must see. The camera work is amazing, the storyline is great...Praise all around.
I laughed very hard (all I have to say is the flaming arrow scene just about made me pee my pants). I cried more than once. And it made me want to find a quarry, wear a garbage bag and yell at the rain...
Let me know if any of you see it, and what your thoughts are.
I would love to suggest this movie to everyone I possible can, however, it is a bit gritty. There are a few scenes that are a little uncomfortable and the language is a little rough. However, if you're a film nut, this is a must see. The camera work is amazing, the storyline is great...Praise all around.
I laughed very hard (all I have to say is the flaming arrow scene just about made me pee my pants). I cried more than once. And it made me want to find a quarry, wear a garbage bag and yell at the rain...
Let me know if any of you see it, and what your thoughts are.
8.18.2004
happy times
As one who is extremely addicted to the Olympics, moreso than in years past, these are happy times when a competitor from Waukesha, Wisconsin takes the gold in the all around mens gymnastics. ROCK ON FOR THAT! I have been watching all different events - swimming, volleyball, tennis, weight lifting, even skeet shooting...I missed the men taking the silver the other night, but I couldn't miss the all arounds tonight. And what a show it was. After being in first, dropping down to 12th, and then back up to 4th, only to take the gold - couldn't have been any more exciting. Congratulations Paul Hamm!
The Olympics...what a great invention. More to come...More fun times.
The Olympics...what a great invention. More to come...More fun times.
8.17.2004
garden state
I have yet to see this movie. I just found a listing on Zach Braff's blog that says it will be coming to Milwaukee on the 27th of August. I can't wait.
If you're a fan of the movie Garden State - whether you've seen it or not - you should check out Zach Braff's blog. It's pretty cool. It's a bit vulgar, so for those of you who do not wish to stumble upon that, I'll warn you ahead of time. It's kind of fun though to read the thoughts of Zach Braff, so if you so desire, check it out.
You can click on the title of my blog entry to get to Zach's blog, or you can go to this address:
http://gardenstate.typepad.com
Other movie reviews:
Napoleon Dynamite - I was a HUGE advocate of this movie, as it looked HILARIOUS to me. I was hugely disappointed however, as the laughs were minimal. In retrospect, there are some great quotes that came from it, but it's defintely a "wait until DVD" type movie.
Riding Giants - for all you documentary fans or surfing fans, this is a fun little documentary on big wave riding. It's not like this ultra creative, super artsy film or anything - but it's just a fun look at big wave riding history. Check it out. It rocks.
The Village - I have heard that SOOOOO many people hate this movie - literally ripping it to shreds. I have my complaints about it (biggest one being Adrien Broody), but I actually kind of enjoyed it. I like movies that don't have the best resolutions - that leave you a little upset. I also like movies that mess with you, like the movie "The Game", where you think you know what's going on, and then you're like "What the crap?!"
That's all I've seen in the theaters recently. I did see Triplets of Bellville on DVD though, and thought it was great. The animation was really exaggerated and funky, and there's no dialogue in the film, but it's really kind of a clever little movie.
You should check it out!
Ok, that's all for now. Have a pleasant evening one and all.
If you're a fan of the movie Garden State - whether you've seen it or not - you should check out Zach Braff's blog. It's pretty cool. It's a bit vulgar, so for those of you who do not wish to stumble upon that, I'll warn you ahead of time. It's kind of fun though to read the thoughts of Zach Braff, so if you so desire, check it out.
You can click on the title of my blog entry to get to Zach's blog, or you can go to this address:
http://gardenstate.typepad.com
Other movie reviews:
Napoleon Dynamite - I was a HUGE advocate of this movie, as it looked HILARIOUS to me. I was hugely disappointed however, as the laughs were minimal. In retrospect, there are some great quotes that came from it, but it's defintely a "wait until DVD" type movie.
Riding Giants - for all you documentary fans or surfing fans, this is a fun little documentary on big wave riding. It's not like this ultra creative, super artsy film or anything - but it's just a fun look at big wave riding history. Check it out. It rocks.
The Village - I have heard that SOOOOO many people hate this movie - literally ripping it to shreds. I have my complaints about it (biggest one being Adrien Broody), but I actually kind of enjoyed it. I like movies that don't have the best resolutions - that leave you a little upset. I also like movies that mess with you, like the movie "The Game", where you think you know what's going on, and then you're like "What the crap?!"
That's all I've seen in the theaters recently. I did see Triplets of Bellville on DVD though, and thought it was great. The animation was really exaggerated and funky, and there's no dialogue in the film, but it's really kind of a clever little movie.
You should check it out!
Ok, that's all for now. Have a pleasant evening one and all.
8.16.2004
new found addictions
I'm back home. Back to life. Back to reality. Does that make anyone else want to break out in a really bad 80's song?
I was thinking about this a lot yesterday, and after having read my brother's blog this morning, thought I too shall post about it. I have a few new TV addictions - one being the Olympics. My mom and I sit there stressing out with quite a few events, but especially gymnastics. We often wonder why we watch them when we get so nervous and upset for them! So we have been watching quite a bit of the Olympics in our house. Mostly gymnastics and swimming. However, this morning my dad and I seemed to catch a bit of skeet shooting. How exciting.
Another new found addiction would be celebrity poker. I have no idea why I got addicted to this show, but I can't get enough of it. I was watching it for quite some time yesterday, and I just enjoy the fact that I like to see actors doing what they do best (acting, not poker) and winning money for charities. The banter back and forth is pretty funny. My favorite person is Lauren (I don't remember her last name). She plays the mom on The Gilmore Girls.
And finally, another show I rather enjoy watching is "Overhauled". This comes from some odd fascination I have with watching car shows. I was huge into Orange County Choppers for a while, and now it's the show Overhauled. It's kind of like the MTV show "Pimp My Ride" only better. They take someone's piece of junk car, and play some sort of prank on them so they have no clue why their car is missing. Friends and family are usually in on it, and these guys restore the car to look pretty slick! I love watching the reactions when they see their newly remodeled car. I was even really close to tears yesterday watching it because they guy who had his car restored started to cry when he saw his wife, and then he started to cry again when he saw his dad (who he had gotten the car from). How lame am I that I'm crying at a car show?
Not to mention my addiction to the "I Love the whatever-the-decade". I never used to be that addicted to TV. I'd watch it every now and then. What am I going to do come fall when the new season of 24 comes out, as well as the new show Lost? I'm going to be a TV addict! YOWZA!
Anyone else have any TV addictions?
I was thinking about this a lot yesterday, and after having read my brother's blog this morning, thought I too shall post about it. I have a few new TV addictions - one being the Olympics. My mom and I sit there stressing out with quite a few events, but especially gymnastics. We often wonder why we watch them when we get so nervous and upset for them! So we have been watching quite a bit of the Olympics in our house. Mostly gymnastics and swimming. However, this morning my dad and I seemed to catch a bit of skeet shooting. How exciting.
Another new found addiction would be celebrity poker. I have no idea why I got addicted to this show, but I can't get enough of it. I was watching it for quite some time yesterday, and I just enjoy the fact that I like to see actors doing what they do best (acting, not poker) and winning money for charities. The banter back and forth is pretty funny. My favorite person is Lauren (I don't remember her last name). She plays the mom on The Gilmore Girls.
And finally, another show I rather enjoy watching is "Overhauled". This comes from some odd fascination I have with watching car shows. I was huge into Orange County Choppers for a while, and now it's the show Overhauled. It's kind of like the MTV show "Pimp My Ride" only better. They take someone's piece of junk car, and play some sort of prank on them so they have no clue why their car is missing. Friends and family are usually in on it, and these guys restore the car to look pretty slick! I love watching the reactions when they see their newly remodeled car. I was even really close to tears yesterday watching it because they guy who had his car restored started to cry when he saw his wife, and then he started to cry again when he saw his dad (who he had gotten the car from). How lame am I that I'm crying at a car show?
Not to mention my addiction to the "I Love the whatever-the-decade". I never used to be that addicted to TV. I'd watch it every now and then. What am I going to do come fall when the new season of 24 comes out, as well as the new show Lost? I'm going to be a TV addict! YOWZA!
Anyone else have any TV addictions?
8.13.2004
mountian driving
So, I've determined that I'm not a huge fan of driving through the mountains at night. Dusk is pretty cool, because you can still see where you're going. However, last night as I was on my way to Boulder, I ended up feeling like it was in the middle of nowhere, driving right through the middle of the Rocky mountains on some little windy road. SCARY!
Well, I will be home tomorrow. One more night stay in exciting Kearney Nebraska! WHOO HOO!
Today's entry will be kind of short as my brain is on overload right now. I've had WAY too much thinking time while driving. Now, I can't turn it off! hehehe...
I'm anxious to be home and to see you all.
The trip was fun, but there's definitely a comfort in being home.
See you soon.
Well, I will be home tomorrow. One more night stay in exciting Kearney Nebraska! WHOO HOO!
Today's entry will be kind of short as my brain is on overload right now. I've had WAY too much thinking time while driving. Now, I can't turn it off! hehehe...
I'm anxious to be home and to see you all.
The trip was fun, but there's definitely a comfort in being home.
See you soon.
8.10.2004
thoughts
I'm sitting at a Starbucks in Hawthorne, CA close to where I'm staying, and thought I'd post about some of the things I was thinking about - both serious and non-serious things alike...
Fisrt off - surfing. I went to see "Riding Giants" which is a surfing documentary about big wave riding. It was really good, but also kind of frightening some of the things these men attempted. Then, I went to the surfing competition in Huntington Beach. It was so awesome to watch, but at one point, Kelly Slater's foot slipped on the wax on his board, he fell, smacking his head on his board. He gave the thumbs up afteward to let everyone know he was ok, but it looked quite painful. So, last night was my first opportunity to go surfing while out here. Granted, the main reason why I decided against it was because I was TOTALLY wiped out. I was so tired yesterday - I zonked out about 10. So the thought of all the energy that goes into surfing didn't really appeal to me. Plus, I'd only be able to do it once, and then have to go home. That's no fun. So I opted not to do it. However, I have to say that part of me got scared to do it. Weird, eh? I usually get really stubborn when it comes to fear like that, and push through it and just do it. But yeah, kinda weird because I think after watching "Riding Giants" and seeing Kelly go down and stuff, I got a little freaked out.
Political unrest...I've thought a lot about politics since I've been here. Maybe it's because I've seen SO many advocates at store fronts trying to get people to register to vote. However, I was discussing with a friend yesterday that I can't remember a time where there has been such a battle over the presidential position. I was pretty young for the "controversial" presidents, and last year's election had it's typical battles, but nothing like this. I can't remember a time where there was such hatred on both sides for the other candidate. I know there's been a lot that's happened in our country within the past few years that have caused people to want to get involved, but are they really? How much do these people really know? I mean, I can't really talk as I do not know everything either. But I hear people talking about why they like Kerry so much, and part of me wonders, "Do they really think he'll implement his plans?" Same thing with Bush. Sometimes I think people get so swept away with what they want to hear, that they don't think about the reality of what might really happen. I was listening to some of Kerry's "plans" and thought to myself, "Is that really possible in his time?" He has these plans that will be carried out through the year 2020. What happens if his successor doesn't like his plan, and that was that? Dunno...I'm not saying we can't try to bring about change, but sometimes I think we get carried away with the romantic ideas that are presented. I myself hope to find out more, as I am currently undecided in my vote. I don't want to NOT vote just because I don't know who to vote for, you know?
Movies vs Music...Kind of funny. While on my trip out here, I've had the opportunity to meet a girl who works for Revolution Studios. She gets to help out on films (she actually worked on the Lord of the Rings Two Towers Extended Edition DVD). While talking to her, I realized how much I really want to work on movies. Even though I'm on the fence about how much I want to move out here, I really want to work on films. However, music has crept back in. It's always been there I suppose. It's weird because I probably know a bit more about music than I do about movies. I LOVE it when people want to learn about music and what I'm listening to. I could talk about it for hours. However, I could talk about movies for hours as well I suppose.
School...I've become satisfied with the route that I'm taking in school. It's one of those things where I desire to do so many things, but I think having an English degree (hopefully creating really strong writing skills - which I lack a bit right now) with a bunch of crazy film knowledge will be helpful if I decide to go into film, but also helpful for writing in whatever capacity. People are always looking for good writers, right? I was thinking a lot about what I wanted to do in school, and have decided that I'm going to continue with the same path that I'm doing...Which is good! I can't really afford to change again.
Well, these are some of my thoughts. They were more for me than anyone else. They were also kind of a stream of consciousness as I sit here having NOT had a cup of coffee yet! It's too hot to drink - darn it! Anyway, I'm about to head to Huntington Beach. I didn't get a chance to check out the surf museum when we were at the surf competition, so I'm headed back down there to check it out. Last day here today...Kinda sad about that, but I'm also anxious to get home. So yeah, Huntington Beach this morning, checking out a record store called Amoeba Records this afternoon, and then I'm going to a punk concert at a place called "The Gig" tonight - a friend of a friend of a friend (hehehehe) is in the band. Should be kinda fun.
I'm out.
Later.
Fisrt off - surfing. I went to see "Riding Giants" which is a surfing documentary about big wave riding. It was really good, but also kind of frightening some of the things these men attempted. Then, I went to the surfing competition in Huntington Beach. It was so awesome to watch, but at one point, Kelly Slater's foot slipped on the wax on his board, he fell, smacking his head on his board. He gave the thumbs up afteward to let everyone know he was ok, but it looked quite painful. So, last night was my first opportunity to go surfing while out here. Granted, the main reason why I decided against it was because I was TOTALLY wiped out. I was so tired yesterday - I zonked out about 10. So the thought of all the energy that goes into surfing didn't really appeal to me. Plus, I'd only be able to do it once, and then have to go home. That's no fun. So I opted not to do it. However, I have to say that part of me got scared to do it. Weird, eh? I usually get really stubborn when it comes to fear like that, and push through it and just do it. But yeah, kinda weird because I think after watching "Riding Giants" and seeing Kelly go down and stuff, I got a little freaked out.
Political unrest...I've thought a lot about politics since I've been here. Maybe it's because I've seen SO many advocates at store fronts trying to get people to register to vote. However, I was discussing with a friend yesterday that I can't remember a time where there has been such a battle over the presidential position. I was pretty young for the "controversial" presidents, and last year's election had it's typical battles, but nothing like this. I can't remember a time where there was such hatred on both sides for the other candidate. I know there's been a lot that's happened in our country within the past few years that have caused people to want to get involved, but are they really? How much do these people really know? I mean, I can't really talk as I do not know everything either. But I hear people talking about why they like Kerry so much, and part of me wonders, "Do they really think he'll implement his plans?" Same thing with Bush. Sometimes I think people get so swept away with what they want to hear, that they don't think about the reality of what might really happen. I was listening to some of Kerry's "plans" and thought to myself, "Is that really possible in his time?" He has these plans that will be carried out through the year 2020. What happens if his successor doesn't like his plan, and that was that? Dunno...I'm not saying we can't try to bring about change, but sometimes I think we get carried away with the romantic ideas that are presented. I myself hope to find out more, as I am currently undecided in my vote. I don't want to NOT vote just because I don't know who to vote for, you know?
Movies vs Music...Kind of funny. While on my trip out here, I've had the opportunity to meet a girl who works for Revolution Studios. She gets to help out on films (she actually worked on the Lord of the Rings Two Towers Extended Edition DVD). While talking to her, I realized how much I really want to work on movies. Even though I'm on the fence about how much I want to move out here, I really want to work on films. However, music has crept back in. It's always been there I suppose. It's weird because I probably know a bit more about music than I do about movies. I LOVE it when people want to learn about music and what I'm listening to. I could talk about it for hours. However, I could talk about movies for hours as well I suppose.
School...I've become satisfied with the route that I'm taking in school. It's one of those things where I desire to do so many things, but I think having an English degree (hopefully creating really strong writing skills - which I lack a bit right now) with a bunch of crazy film knowledge will be helpful if I decide to go into film, but also helpful for writing in whatever capacity. People are always looking for good writers, right? I was thinking a lot about what I wanted to do in school, and have decided that I'm going to continue with the same path that I'm doing...Which is good! I can't really afford to change again.
Well, these are some of my thoughts. They were more for me than anyone else. They were also kind of a stream of consciousness as I sit here having NOT had a cup of coffee yet! It's too hot to drink - darn it! Anyway, I'm about to head to Huntington Beach. I didn't get a chance to check out the surf museum when we were at the surf competition, so I'm headed back down there to check it out. Last day here today...Kinda sad about that, but I'm also anxious to get home. So yeah, Huntington Beach this morning, checking out a record store called Amoeba Records this afternoon, and then I'm going to a punk concert at a place called "The Gig" tonight - a friend of a friend of a friend (hehehehe) is in the band. Should be kinda fun.
I'm out.
Later.
8.09.2004
getty & slater
Went to a place called "The Getty" on Friday in Santa Monica - one of the coolest places I've seen recently. It was awesome. It is a free museum, with the most BEAUTIFUL gardens! We didn't even go into the museum...We just checked out the gardens. It was gorgeous and I could totally see myself spending LOTS of time there! Check out my pictures at www.photobucket.com - type in TJD as the album.
east side takes west side...
On Saturday, I watched the battle of east coast surfers vs west coast surfers on Saturday. We stood along the shore and watched as the surfers got creative with the little waves they had. Both X Games experiences were by far the coolest things I've gotten to be a part of. The surf competition was killer. I got burnt to a crisp after sitting in the sun for about 5 hours, but it was well worth it. I stood about 30 feet away from Kelly Slater - a legend in the game of surfing, a 6 time world champion. HOW COOL IS THAT? I got a bit star struck, and couldn't stop talking about it. But it was so fun to watch, and we eventually made it down to the water, and stood in the water to watch the competition. We were front row. Doesn't get much better than that. So, that was definitely a most memorable experience.
We then headed to San Diego. That was quite the adventure...Not one I'm sure I'd like to relive. It took us about 3 hours to get there from Huntington, when it should have taken about an hour (gotta love CA traffic), and when we got there, no vacancy in almost every hotel we tried. After many attempts, we ended up at a most luxurious Motel 6 (note sarcasm here). That hotel was the most expensive of all my hotels on this trip - how crazy is that? Oh well... We had an awesome dinner after that however - can't remember the name - but this really cute little place. We then walked around down by the marina, and just enjoyed the beautiful weather of San Diego. The next morning, we headed home and decided to meet up with some fo Sara's friends. Ate lunch at In and Out - a must if one is in California. We went to a bookstore that I had wanted to run to - Book Soup (it's on Sunset Strip) and that was really cool. Sara's friend and I both bought a couple books we had been seeking, and we ran into Leelee Sobieski who was shopping for Flannery O'Conner. That's the only famous person I've seen outside of the X Games. So that was kind of cool. Then we drove up past the Hollywood sign, and enjoyed the view from up there. We then headed to this little cafe called The Borgeois Pig (if you check out my pictures online, you can see the cafe there...). It was SUPER cute - really dimly light and very artsy. Very cute. I also had the best chai I've ever had. Definitely worth the trip.
Today I'm in Pasedena - that's where I'm writing this from. My brother has a friend who lives here, and so I met up with him for lunch which ended up just being smoothies. We tried two different places for lunch - the first one had moved, and the second place wasn't open on Mondays. How random! It was a good little walk around Pasedena though, so I enjoyed it. We had good conversation. I then headed here to post on my blog and update my pictures.
We are headed to Manhattan beach tonight for my first attempt at surfing. Due to the schedule I kept while I was here, this is the first chance I've had. So that should be fun. Tomorrow is some last minute shopping, possibly trying to catch the movie "Garden State" and then a concert at The Gig on Melrose tomorrow night. Still more fun to come. Hopefully I'll get another blog in here before I leave, but we'll see. I've been thinking a LOT about the political unrest in our country (maybe it was because of the guy standing on a street corner in San Diego yelling "Bush is a coward!" that made me keep thinking about it). I'd like to post some thoughts I've had on that as well. But these are turning into novels - with updates and all that jazz. So this will be all for the night.
Hope you are all doing well. Miss you guys - see ya soon!
east side takes west side...
On Saturday, I watched the battle of east coast surfers vs west coast surfers on Saturday. We stood along the shore and watched as the surfers got creative with the little waves they had. Both X Games experiences were by far the coolest things I've gotten to be a part of. The surf competition was killer. I got burnt to a crisp after sitting in the sun for about 5 hours, but it was well worth it. I stood about 30 feet away from Kelly Slater - a legend in the game of surfing, a 6 time world champion. HOW COOL IS THAT? I got a bit star struck, and couldn't stop talking about it. But it was so fun to watch, and we eventually made it down to the water, and stood in the water to watch the competition. We were front row. Doesn't get much better than that. So, that was definitely a most memorable experience.
We then headed to San Diego. That was quite the adventure...Not one I'm sure I'd like to relive. It took us about 3 hours to get there from Huntington, when it should have taken about an hour (gotta love CA traffic), and when we got there, no vacancy in almost every hotel we tried. After many attempts, we ended up at a most luxurious Motel 6 (note sarcasm here). That hotel was the most expensive of all my hotels on this trip - how crazy is that? Oh well... We had an awesome dinner after that however - can't remember the name - but this really cute little place. We then walked around down by the marina, and just enjoyed the beautiful weather of San Diego. The next morning, we headed home and decided to meet up with some fo Sara's friends. Ate lunch at In and Out - a must if one is in California. We went to a bookstore that I had wanted to run to - Book Soup (it's on Sunset Strip) and that was really cool. Sara's friend and I both bought a couple books we had been seeking, and we ran into Leelee Sobieski who was shopping for Flannery O'Conner. That's the only famous person I've seen outside of the X Games. So that was kind of cool. Then we drove up past the Hollywood sign, and enjoyed the view from up there. We then headed to this little cafe called The Borgeois Pig (if you check out my pictures online, you can see the cafe there...). It was SUPER cute - really dimly light and very artsy. Very cute. I also had the best chai I've ever had. Definitely worth the trip.
Today I'm in Pasedena - that's where I'm writing this from. My brother has a friend who lives here, and so I met up with him for lunch which ended up just being smoothies. We tried two different places for lunch - the first one had moved, and the second place wasn't open on Mondays. How random! It was a good little walk around Pasedena though, so I enjoyed it. We had good conversation. I then headed here to post on my blog and update my pictures.
We are headed to Manhattan beach tonight for my first attempt at surfing. Due to the schedule I kept while I was here, this is the first chance I've had. So that should be fun. Tomorrow is some last minute shopping, possibly trying to catch the movie "Garden State" and then a concert at The Gig on Melrose tomorrow night. Still more fun to come. Hopefully I'll get another blog in here before I leave, but we'll see. I've been thinking a LOT about the political unrest in our country (maybe it was because of the guy standing on a street corner in San Diego yelling "Bush is a coward!" that made me keep thinking about it). I'd like to post some thoughts I've had on that as well. But these are turning into novels - with updates and all that jazz. So this will be all for the night.
Hope you are all doing well. Miss you guys - see ya soon!
8.06.2004
bucky takes the cake
last night was worth it all.
4:55pm. Staples center ahead of us. No clue what lay inside. As Sara and I made our way through multiple gate checks, we headed into what was one of the coolest nights I've had in a LONG time. I went to the X Games.
August 5th was the begining of the X Games in Los Angeles. It was something I had put on my list of things I wanted to see at least once in my life, and last night I made it. Last night's events were the skateboard vert finals and moto X best trick finals. The vert finals were first. We made our way to our seats. Unbelievable seats - couldn't ask for better - if we were there to see Moto X. However, we could see absolutely NOTHING of the half pipe. Quite disappointed. I looked at Sara and said, "There's no way we're staying here." So, we made our way up to the general admission area, which we expected to be the nosebleed seats. They ended up being really good seats. We could see right into the halfpipe - a good aerial view. So, we sat up there and watched. I heard the first name - Shaun White. Oh my word - I got to watch Shaun White skate live in person. How cool. The next few names, I didn't know. Then they said Andy Macdonald - rock on. Bob Burnquist - ROCK ON! And then, best of all - my favorite - Bucky Lasek. I was so excited - I was getting to watch these four guys skate! Not to mention some other really good skaters, including Pierre Luc Gagnon and Sandro Dios. As the night progressed, it looked as though Pierre Luc was going to take the gold. He had skated 3 really good runs. Shaun White did very poorly, but he had just come back from a really bad injury and hadn't been in the pipe for about 4 months. Bob Burnquist took two runs with injury. On the first run it looked as though he hurt his hamstring or something...The second run it looked as though he hurt his ankle. But he was a crowd pleaser all the same. Then, Bucky Lasek. His first two runs weren't the best (they were taking the best of three runs). After Sandro Dios - the only skater other than Tony Hawk to do a 900 - attempted after his time had ended to do a 900 to please the crowd (which unfortunately he was unable to pull off - that would have been amazing to see) - Bucky got in the pipe, and gave a most amazing run, taking the gold! The crowd went nuts! It was awesome! My digital camera didn't take very good shots for some reason, but my friend Sara got amazing shots! You can check them out at my online photo album. The website is www.photobucket.com, and where it says "Album:" type in TJD and my pictures will come up. I'll warn you ahead of time - they're HUGE right now. I have to resize them...But you can at least see them for right now, if you want. Here are the final standings of the skate competition:
1. Bucky Lasek—95
2. Pierre Luc Gagnon—93.66
3. Rune Glifberg—92.33
4. Andy Macdonald—92
5. Bob Burnquist—88
6. Chris Gentry—84.33
7. Mathias Ringstrom—83.66
8. Jake Brown—79
9. Sandro Dias—77.66
10. Shaun White—66.66
You can also check out more fun stuff at www.expn.com
Next up, Moto X. Sara and I had arrived there kind of late, and didn't get to see any of the tents that were out in front. So, we thought to ourselves, "The riders will probably save the better, more complex tricks for the end." and we decided to miss the first few riders so we could check out the tents outside. Big mistake we found out later. Chuck Carothers, one of the first riders up, attempted a trick he had been unable to land previously, and each time he had tried, had hurt himself seriously. I'm not sure what the trick is called, but supposedly he let go of the bike, rotated himself fully around the seat of the bike, and came down and landed it. While we were outside, we heard the crowd go nuts. It made the news the next morning as one of the biggest events, and here, we had missed it. Ah well...Can't catch everything right? We stayed for most of it, but it was a somewhat slow moving event, and we weren't too entirely into it, so we left.
Over all, and AMAZING night. Most definitely memorable.
Tomorrow I'm headed to the surf competition in Huntington, and the rest of the day and evening in San Diego. I think we're going to hit the zoo. I was able to hang out with Ryan Zaar in Santa Monica yesterday which was cool - we hung out on third street and down at the Pier which are both kind of touristy, but fun to see. We played on the swings which was a lot of fun, and just walked around. I'm headed back there today to check out some stuff I missed seeing yesterday. So, more fun ahead. Lots more to see and do. I'll keep you guys posted. Hopefully I'll get some time to take some more artistic shots rather than just snapshots...I feel like such a tourist though, and I chicken out to take pictures.
Anyway, I'm so enjoying myself, but I miss you all a lot.
I will continue to share my journeys as they happen.
Much love to you all.
4:55pm. Staples center ahead of us. No clue what lay inside. As Sara and I made our way through multiple gate checks, we headed into what was one of the coolest nights I've had in a LONG time. I went to the X Games.
August 5th was the begining of the X Games in Los Angeles. It was something I had put on my list of things I wanted to see at least once in my life, and last night I made it. Last night's events were the skateboard vert finals and moto X best trick finals. The vert finals were first. We made our way to our seats. Unbelievable seats - couldn't ask for better - if we were there to see Moto X. However, we could see absolutely NOTHING of the half pipe. Quite disappointed. I looked at Sara and said, "There's no way we're staying here." So, we made our way up to the general admission area, which we expected to be the nosebleed seats. They ended up being really good seats. We could see right into the halfpipe - a good aerial view. So, we sat up there and watched. I heard the first name - Shaun White. Oh my word - I got to watch Shaun White skate live in person. How cool. The next few names, I didn't know. Then they said Andy Macdonald - rock on. Bob Burnquist - ROCK ON! And then, best of all - my favorite - Bucky Lasek. I was so excited - I was getting to watch these four guys skate! Not to mention some other really good skaters, including Pierre Luc Gagnon and Sandro Dios. As the night progressed, it looked as though Pierre Luc was going to take the gold. He had skated 3 really good runs. Shaun White did very poorly, but he had just come back from a really bad injury and hadn't been in the pipe for about 4 months. Bob Burnquist took two runs with injury. On the first run it looked as though he hurt his hamstring or something...The second run it looked as though he hurt his ankle. But he was a crowd pleaser all the same. Then, Bucky Lasek. His first two runs weren't the best (they were taking the best of three runs). After Sandro Dios - the only skater other than Tony Hawk to do a 900 - attempted after his time had ended to do a 900 to please the crowd (which unfortunately he was unable to pull off - that would have been amazing to see) - Bucky got in the pipe, and gave a most amazing run, taking the gold! The crowd went nuts! It was awesome! My digital camera didn't take very good shots for some reason, but my friend Sara got amazing shots! You can check them out at my online photo album. The website is www.photobucket.com, and where it says "Album:" type in TJD and my pictures will come up. I'll warn you ahead of time - they're HUGE right now. I have to resize them...But you can at least see them for right now, if you want. Here are the final standings of the skate competition:
1. Bucky Lasek—95
2. Pierre Luc Gagnon—93.66
3. Rune Glifberg—92.33
4. Andy Macdonald—92
5. Bob Burnquist—88
6. Chris Gentry—84.33
7. Mathias Ringstrom—83.66
8. Jake Brown—79
9. Sandro Dias—77.66
10. Shaun White—66.66
You can also check out more fun stuff at www.expn.com
Next up, Moto X. Sara and I had arrived there kind of late, and didn't get to see any of the tents that were out in front. So, we thought to ourselves, "The riders will probably save the better, more complex tricks for the end." and we decided to miss the first few riders so we could check out the tents outside. Big mistake we found out later. Chuck Carothers, one of the first riders up, attempted a trick he had been unable to land previously, and each time he had tried, had hurt himself seriously. I'm not sure what the trick is called, but supposedly he let go of the bike, rotated himself fully around the seat of the bike, and came down and landed it. While we were outside, we heard the crowd go nuts. It made the news the next morning as one of the biggest events, and here, we had missed it. Ah well...Can't catch everything right? We stayed for most of it, but it was a somewhat slow moving event, and we weren't too entirely into it, so we left.
Over all, and AMAZING night. Most definitely memorable.
Tomorrow I'm headed to the surf competition in Huntington, and the rest of the day and evening in San Diego. I think we're going to hit the zoo. I was able to hang out with Ryan Zaar in Santa Monica yesterday which was cool - we hung out on third street and down at the Pier which are both kind of touristy, but fun to see. We played on the swings which was a lot of fun, and just walked around. I'm headed back there today to check out some stuff I missed seeing yesterday. So, more fun ahead. Lots more to see and do. I'll keep you guys posted. Hopefully I'll get some time to take some more artistic shots rather than just snapshots...I feel like such a tourist though, and I chicken out to take pictures.
Anyway, I'm so enjoying myself, but I miss you all a lot.
I will continue to share my journeys as they happen.
Much love to you all.
8.04.2004
all here, all good
hello one and all...
I'm finally up and running. I attempted to get on while in Colorado, and after spending 45 min on the phone with Tmobile tech support, no luck. I tried again in my hotel in Las Vegas, and for some reason, the Stratosphere did not like my choice of credit card. So, after having a dream last night about a successful attempt, I made my way to a Starbucks on the corner of Rosecrans and Ocean Gate in Hawthorne California, and a most helpful gentleman at Tmobile figured out why I couldn't connect, and I was good to go!
So, here I am.
Crazy. Where do I start? First of all, I made it safely. No problems along the way. It was actually quite a pleasant drive. I threw in "August and Everything After" by Counting Crows, and was on my way. I have to say, I sported the K-Do wristband the whole way out - just for you Kel. For those of you who don't know what that is, don't worry about it - it's a long story, and it's not a big deal. But I thought it'd be a funny, somewhat symbolic thing to do. Love ya Kel! I drove behind a TON of "English" semitrucks too - it was INSANE! But it was kind of funny because it made me laugh...a guy I know named Mark told me he was recently at a rodeo with an Englishman, so it made me envision that as I rode behind these trucks. The drive was rather long (the first day I was in my car for about 15 or 16 hours). I stayed in a hidden Extended Stay (it was EXTREMELY hard to find - my drive might have actually only been about 14 hours if I had found it initially) in Westminster, CO. I woke up the next morning, spent some time at a Starbucks near my hotel, and then hit the road again for a 12 hour drive to Las Vegas. I purchased "The Da Vinci Code" on CD before I left home, and listened to that most of the way. I must say, I'm TOTALLY enjoying it. I have one disc left though, so I'll let you know what I think come the end of the story. I must say, the mountains of Colorado were amazing! The first two hours I drove in silence as I drove down I-70, and took in the landscape before me. God is so cool...What an amazing creation! Las Vegas...I was somewhat overwhelmed when I arrived at Las Vegas at 10pm, as it was really big and REALLY bright! I was also suprised as to how large my hotel was. I had NO CLUE it was going to be that big. I've never stayed in a hotel that was that large. Being as late as it was, I headed up to the 20th floor and found my room and crashed. I slept in the next morning until the last possible minute, checked out and headed to LA. That was the quickest drive - took it in one shot. I got to LA kind of early, so I found the house where I'm staying, and then drove around to become familiar with the area. I found an Old Navy, a stop that I had intended to make before I left on my trip but didn't get to. So, I wasted some time there, and eventually met up with my friend for dinner, and thus began my adventure in California.
Went to Chipotle for dinner, headed to Manhattan Beach and walked around (the sound of the waves...could there be anything sweeter?), and then to Starbucks for after dinner coffee! I seriously should document how many different Starbucks I can visit. It's sick really - I think it's a disease! I work there for heaven's sake - you'd think I'd be sick of the place. But there's something so comforting, when you're away from home, to have something so familiar. I just chose Starbucks.
I'm not really sure what's ahead...Today is kinda laid back. I'm meeting up with my friend for lunch, and she is giving me a tour of where she works. I don't know what our plans for the evening are yet. Something fun I'm sure. She's kind of a crazy girl- but that's what I love about her! We might actually hit the beach - not sure. Tomorrow I'm meeting up with a friend of mine who's out here on business (Ryan Zaar) and we're headed to Santa Monica for the day. Tomorrow night is the beginning of the X-Games (skateboard vert finals). Rock on for that...I'm so stoked.
Anyway, I'll probably come here daily to check email and (hopefully) blog. I have a TON to write about to be honest. I had a lot of thinking time on the way out, thought about a lot, and so I have a lot to write about. But I thought I'd at least give a generic update for the first one. So for those of you who actually read this, I'm in California, it's beautiful, and the fun's about to begin.
Love to you all.
tj
I'm finally up and running. I attempted to get on while in Colorado, and after spending 45 min on the phone with Tmobile tech support, no luck. I tried again in my hotel in Las Vegas, and for some reason, the Stratosphere did not like my choice of credit card. So, after having a dream last night about a successful attempt, I made my way to a Starbucks on the corner of Rosecrans and Ocean Gate in Hawthorne California, and a most helpful gentleman at Tmobile figured out why I couldn't connect, and I was good to go!
So, here I am.
Crazy. Where do I start? First of all, I made it safely. No problems along the way. It was actually quite a pleasant drive. I threw in "August and Everything After" by Counting Crows, and was on my way. I have to say, I sported the K-Do wristband the whole way out - just for you Kel. For those of you who don't know what that is, don't worry about it - it's a long story, and it's not a big deal. But I thought it'd be a funny, somewhat symbolic thing to do. Love ya Kel! I drove behind a TON of "English" semitrucks too - it was INSANE! But it was kind of funny because it made me laugh...a guy I know named Mark told me he was recently at a rodeo with an Englishman, so it made me envision that as I rode behind these trucks. The drive was rather long (the first day I was in my car for about 15 or 16 hours). I stayed in a hidden Extended Stay (it was EXTREMELY hard to find - my drive might have actually only been about 14 hours if I had found it initially) in Westminster, CO. I woke up the next morning, spent some time at a Starbucks near my hotel, and then hit the road again for a 12 hour drive to Las Vegas. I purchased "The Da Vinci Code" on CD before I left home, and listened to that most of the way. I must say, I'm TOTALLY enjoying it. I have one disc left though, so I'll let you know what I think come the end of the story. I must say, the mountains of Colorado were amazing! The first two hours I drove in silence as I drove down I-70, and took in the landscape before me. God is so cool...What an amazing creation! Las Vegas...I was somewhat overwhelmed when I arrived at Las Vegas at 10pm, as it was really big and REALLY bright! I was also suprised as to how large my hotel was. I had NO CLUE it was going to be that big. I've never stayed in a hotel that was that large. Being as late as it was, I headed up to the 20th floor and found my room and crashed. I slept in the next morning until the last possible minute, checked out and headed to LA. That was the quickest drive - took it in one shot. I got to LA kind of early, so I found the house where I'm staying, and then drove around to become familiar with the area. I found an Old Navy, a stop that I had intended to make before I left on my trip but didn't get to. So, I wasted some time there, and eventually met up with my friend for dinner, and thus began my adventure in California.
Went to Chipotle for dinner, headed to Manhattan Beach and walked around (the sound of the waves...could there be anything sweeter?), and then to Starbucks for after dinner coffee! I seriously should document how many different Starbucks I can visit. It's sick really - I think it's a disease! I work there for heaven's sake - you'd think I'd be sick of the place. But there's something so comforting, when you're away from home, to have something so familiar. I just chose Starbucks.
I'm not really sure what's ahead...Today is kinda laid back. I'm meeting up with my friend for lunch, and she is giving me a tour of where she works. I don't know what our plans for the evening are yet. Something fun I'm sure. She's kind of a crazy girl- but that's what I love about her! We might actually hit the beach - not sure. Tomorrow I'm meeting up with a friend of mine who's out here on business (Ryan Zaar) and we're headed to Santa Monica for the day. Tomorrow night is the beginning of the X-Games (skateboard vert finals). Rock on for that...I'm so stoked.
Anyway, I'll probably come here daily to check email and (hopefully) blog. I have a TON to write about to be honest. I had a lot of thinking time on the way out, thought about a lot, and so I have a lot to write about. But I thought I'd at least give a generic update for the first one. So for those of you who actually read this, I'm in California, it's beautiful, and the fun's about to begin.
Love to you all.
tj
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