Thursday, March 4, 2010
You Got Served
Yesterday a man uttered under his breath that all the 'good food' cost too much. I asked him if he wanted a minute to look over the menu. He rejected my offer and proceeded to order a Ribs, Wings, and Shrimp Platter, add two trips to the salad bar and purchase a Spring Roll appetizer all for himself. His companion bought a salad...
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
A Day With My Car
I drove my car for the first time in over a month and multiple people have asked me to share about my return to the open road. I used my car to take Kaytlin to work while the mechanic worked on her car and that trip prevented me from catching the bus to work myself. Riding the bus from Kaytlin’s work to Ruby Tuesday takes over two hours and I did not have that much time before my shift. In retrospect, I suppose that feasible options existed to avoid having taken my car to work yesterday morning, but they escaped me in the moment and the my return to the driver’s seat offered interesting insight into my “carless” experience.
The most impactful moment of the drive to work own occurred when I passed by my house. About halfway between Starbucks and Ruby Tuesday I turned onto Elmwood Street and could see my house from the road. Seeing my house offered a reference point for my travels and I felt shocked that I had completed a ten-minute drive. That same trip would have taken over an hour by foot or 30 minutes on the bus. In some strange way, I felt as if I had missed the city speeding through it. I had driven into the heart of the city but somehow missed experiencing the it. My car insulated me from the world outside and although I saved 20 minutes by driving my car instead of taking the bus, those minutes lacked the richness of alternative travel.
Life without a car inhibits much efficiency that my American lifestyle desires, but I think that efficiency may inhibit my life experiences. I engage the world more fully when I have to stand in the rain, or snow, or sun, and endure the heat, or the cold. Living without a car takes community and providential, or at least strategic, living arrangements, but I relish the struggle that comes with making my life work without using personal transportation. I spend more time with my roommates and fiancé because we walk to McDonald’s or ride our bikes to the library instead of zipping straight there in our cars. I hope that using my car over the next few days instills gratefulness in my heart for the many similar conveniences in my life. None-the-less, I look forward to living as a pedestrian again sooner than later.
The most impactful moment of the drive to work own occurred when I passed by my house. About halfway between Starbucks and Ruby Tuesday I turned onto Elmwood Street and could see my house from the road. Seeing my house offered a reference point for my travels and I felt shocked that I had completed a ten-minute drive. That same trip would have taken over an hour by foot or 30 minutes on the bus. In some strange way, I felt as if I had missed the city speeding through it. I had driven into the heart of the city but somehow missed experiencing the it. My car insulated me from the world outside and although I saved 20 minutes by driving my car instead of taking the bus, those minutes lacked the richness of alternative travel.
Life without a car inhibits much efficiency that my American lifestyle desires, but I think that efficiency may inhibit my life experiences. I engage the world more fully when I have to stand in the rain, or snow, or sun, and endure the heat, or the cold. Living without a car takes community and providential, or at least strategic, living arrangements, but I relish the struggle that comes with making my life work without using personal transportation. I spend more time with my roommates and fiancé because we walk to McDonald’s or ride our bikes to the library instead of zipping straight there in our cars. I hope that using my car over the next few days instills gratefulness in my heart for the many similar conveniences in my life. None-the-less, I look forward to living as a pedestrian again sooner than later.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
"You Got Served"
When customers treat and tip a server well, servers become inspired to serve successive guests even better. I know. I experienced this phenomenon today.
South Carolina on My Mind
Yesterday I experienced a cultural epiphany. In a discussion about politics, I thought to myself “the State Government should have the power to stand against the Federal Government when the Federal Government oversteps its bounds”. Nothing like this has ever crossed my mind before and I realized my immersion in South Carolinian culture caused it.
I need to process the thought more deeply before I determine its legitimacy, but experiencing this sentiment allowed me to glimpse into the Southern mind in a new way. For the first time I somewhat understood the foundation for South Carolinian state pride. Most Americans are proud of their freedom to do what they want to do. Southerners root their pride in the freedom to reject what others tell them to do. As a result of this perspective, Southerners allow themselves to overlook the blemishes of their culture, insofar as those dark spots exist as a byproduct of supporting the distinctive breed of freedom; the superior value.
I need to process the thought more deeply before I determine its legitimacy, but experiencing this sentiment allowed me to glimpse into the Southern mind in a new way. For the first time I somewhat understood the foundation for South Carolinian state pride. Most Americans are proud of their freedom to do what they want to do. Southerners root their pride in the freedom to reject what others tell them to do. As a result of this perspective, Southerners allow themselves to overlook the blemishes of their culture, insofar as those dark spots exist as a byproduct of supporting the distinctive breed of freedom; the superior value.
Monday, February 8, 2010
"You Got Served"
A business woman who has climbed the corporate latter will tip less than a man in her same position. I do not know why.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Birthday Thank You's
“Thank you” to everyone who shared my weekend with me. Amidst the myriad of events and people my birthday party only contributed to a rich weekend. In spite of the minor aspect my birthday played, I felt terribly loved by all my friends here in Columbia. The bonfire/hangout on Saturday night eclipsed all other birthday celebrations within the recent past and hosted more people than any birthday event in my life.
Kaytlin took the lead in making me feel loved by throwing together the party, making me a birthday breakfast, spending the afternoon with me, getting creative and thought-out gifts. My family back home blew me away with the gifts they sent me. I still feel taken aback by the investment made in my birthday even thought they could not share with me personally. Sorry that I did not call you back on my birthday Kyle…I failed on that one, but really enjoyed talking to you on Sunday. Thank you to Mark and Nina who loved me from the great white north. Thank you to everyone who came to see me on Saturday or sent me birthday wishes-especially my housemates and lifies. I love you all a lot.
Kaytlin took the lead in making me feel loved by throwing together the party, making me a birthday breakfast, spending the afternoon with me, getting creative and thought-out gifts. My family back home blew me away with the gifts they sent me. I still feel taken aback by the investment made in my birthday even thought they could not share with me personally. Sorry that I did not call you back on my birthday Kyle…I failed on that one, but really enjoyed talking to you on Sunday. Thank you to Mark and Nina who loved me from the great white north. Thank you to everyone who came to see me on Saturday or sent me birthday wishes-especially my housemates and lifies. I love you all a lot.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Another find from a friend
When doing your Christmas cards, take one and send it to this address: A Recovering American Soldier c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center 6900 Georgia Avenue NW; Washington, D.C. 20307. If we pass this on, think of how many cards these wonderful special people would get. Pass it on...just copy and paste.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Ah....Colorado
I stole this from a friend:
98% OF AMERICANS SCREAM BEFORE GOING IN THE DITCH ON A SLIPPERY ROAD. THE OTHER 2% ARE FROM COLORADO AND THEY SAY, 'HOLD MY SODA AND WATCH THIS.
You're from Colorado if:
You'll eat ice cream in the winter.
When the weather report says it's going to be 65 degrees, you shave your legs and wear a skirt.
It snows 5 inches and you don't expect school to be canceled.
You'll wear flip flops every day of the year, regardless of temperature.
You have no accent at all, but can hear other people's. And then you make fun of them.
'Humid' is over 25%.
Your sense of direction is: Toward the mountains and Away from the mountains.
You say 'the interstate' and everybody knows which one.
You think that May is a totally normal month for a blizzard.
You buy your flowers to set out on Mother's day, but try and hold off planting them until just before Father's day.
You grew up planning your Halloween costumes around your coat.
You know what the Continental Divide is.
You don't think Coors beer is that big a deal.
You went to Casa Bonita as a kid, and as an adult.
You've gone off-roading in a vehicle that was never intended for such activities.
You always know the elevation of where you are.
You wake up to a beautiful, 80 degree day and you wonder if it's going to snow tomorrow.
You don't care that some company renamed it, the Broncos still play at Mile High.
Every movie theater has military and student discounts.
Everybody wears jeans to church.
You actually know that ** South Park ** is a real place not just a show on TV.
You know what a 'trust fund hippy' is, and you know its natural habitat is Boulder .
You know you're talking to a fellow Coloradoan when they call it Elitches, not Six Flags.
A bear on your front porch doesn't bother you.
Your two favorite teams are the Broncos and whoever is beating the crap out of the Raiders.
When people out East tell you they have mountains in their state too, you just laugh.
You go anywhere else on the planet and the air feels 'sticky' and you notice the sky is no longer blue
98% OF AMERICANS SCREAM BEFORE GOING IN THE DITCH ON A SLIPPERY ROAD. THE OTHER 2% ARE FROM COLORADO AND THEY SAY, 'HOLD MY SODA AND WATCH THIS.
You're from Colorado if:
You'll eat ice cream in the winter.
When the weather report says it's going to be 65 degrees, you shave your legs and wear a skirt.
It snows 5 inches and you don't expect school to be canceled.
You'll wear flip flops every day of the year, regardless of temperature.
You have no accent at all, but can hear other people's. And then you make fun of them.
'Humid' is over 25%.
Your sense of direction is: Toward the mountains and Away from the mountains.
You say 'the interstate' and everybody knows which one.
You think that May is a totally normal month for a blizzard.
You buy your flowers to set out on Mother's day, but try and hold off planting them until just before Father's day.
You grew up planning your Halloween costumes around your coat.
You know what the Continental Divide is.
You don't think Coors beer is that big a deal.
You went to Casa Bonita as a kid, and as an adult.
You've gone off-roading in a vehicle that was never intended for such activities.
You always know the elevation of where you are.
You wake up to a beautiful, 80 degree day and you wonder if it's going to snow tomorrow.
You don't care that some company renamed it, the Broncos still play at Mile High.
Every movie theater has military and student discounts.
Everybody wears jeans to church.
You actually know that ** South Park ** is a real place not just a show on TV.
You know what a 'trust fund hippy' is, and you know its natural habitat is Boulder .
You know you're talking to a fellow Coloradoan when they call it Elitches, not Six Flags.
A bear on your front porch doesn't bother you.
Your two favorite teams are the Broncos and whoever is beating the crap out of the Raiders.
When people out East tell you they have mountains in their state too, you just laugh.
You go anywhere else on the planet and the air feels 'sticky' and you notice the sky is no longer blue
Saturday, November 28, 2009
To Be, or To Be Like
Today a young family came into Ruby Tuesday to catch lunch during their holiday travels. The mom wore trendy jeans and a brown leather jacket and seemed like the hip mom that all hip girls want to become. Her husband sported a woven, long-sleeve red shirt which accentuated his bulging muscles and transformed his buzz-cut from an "I am hiding my balding scalp" look into an "I work at a bar and ride my motorcycle to work" look. They were polite, engaged their son lovingly, and demonstrated peaceful confidence. My short interaction caused a strange desire to grow in my heart: I wanted to be like them.
Realization of my desire to be like these strangers caused me to pause and consider what about them I found appealing. They seemed cool, and fun, and confident. They were good parents but didn't sell the richness of their lives to purchase family life. A brief inspection of my motive revealed its superficial root. How could I want to be like them when I dont know what they are actually like? "Who they were" came from an imaginary personality that I had extrapolated based on their external appearance.
I bought into the notion that external appearance reflects a person's nature, even though reality opposes this idea: cool clothes = a cool person. I think we need to reverse this "outside->in" model of character construction. We need to cultivate character traits and dispositions so that our soul aligns with who we want/ought to be. Once our souls obtain the nature we desire, the external image will honestly reflect who we are.
Realization of my desire to be like these strangers caused me to pause and consider what about them I found appealing. They seemed cool, and fun, and confident. They were good parents but didn't sell the richness of their lives to purchase family life. A brief inspection of my motive revealed its superficial root. How could I want to be like them when I dont know what they are actually like? "Who they were" came from an imaginary personality that I had extrapolated based on their external appearance.
I bought into the notion that external appearance reflects a person's nature, even though reality opposes this idea: cool clothes = a cool person. I think we need to reverse this "outside->in" model of character construction. We need to cultivate character traits and dispositions so that our soul aligns with who we want/ought to be. Once our souls obtain the nature we desire, the external image will honestly reflect who we are.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Difficult Living
"Enjoying life is difficult" -Dave Strobolakos
Immediate, hedonistic gratification proves frightfully achievable. Some people drink, some people follow lots of rules, some people have sex, some people pretend to like everyone they know. Immediate pleasure often drives each of these actions. Such individuals dismiss or ignore the long-term effects of living to experience emotional happiness in each successive moment.
Passive, disengaged voyeurism impinges on our ability to experience creation. Television, facebook, videogames, and reading function as means of escapism through we we avoid the world in which we find ourselves. We simultaneously fend off deep relationships to avoid work and pain while religiously devoting ourselves to fictional dramas provided by American media.
Subtle, erosive addictions deplete our capacity to interact relationally. Although drugs, alcohol and smoke could be such addictions, other, less often recognized social barriers prevail in our society. Work takes precedence over family life. Raising children results in a competition to produce the more intelligent scholars, fitter athletes, more gifted musicians than our neighbors.
Unfortunately, each of these responses to life unfold more naturally than conscious, determined, intentional living. Loving your family well requires intense labor. Freeing yourself from the slavery of our entertainment culture takes discipline and foresight. Maintaining a healthy balance between each facet of daily living demands temperance and adaptation. However, humans find fulfillment through this difficult struggle and ultimately, this fulfillment makes life enjoyable. In short-enjoying life is difficult.
Immediate, hedonistic gratification proves frightfully achievable. Some people drink, some people follow lots of rules, some people have sex, some people pretend to like everyone they know. Immediate pleasure often drives each of these actions. Such individuals dismiss or ignore the long-term effects of living to experience emotional happiness in each successive moment.
Passive, disengaged voyeurism impinges on our ability to experience creation. Television, facebook, videogames, and reading function as means of escapism through we we avoid the world in which we find ourselves. We simultaneously fend off deep relationships to avoid work and pain while religiously devoting ourselves to fictional dramas provided by American media.
Subtle, erosive addictions deplete our capacity to interact relationally. Although drugs, alcohol and smoke could be such addictions, other, less often recognized social barriers prevail in our society. Work takes precedence over family life. Raising children results in a competition to produce the more intelligent scholars, fitter athletes, more gifted musicians than our neighbors.
Unfortunately, each of these responses to life unfold more naturally than conscious, determined, intentional living. Loving your family well requires intense labor. Freeing yourself from the slavery of our entertainment culture takes discipline and foresight. Maintaining a healthy balance between each facet of daily living demands temperance and adaptation. However, humans find fulfillment through this difficult struggle and ultimately, this fulfillment makes life enjoyable. In short-enjoying life is difficult.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Finding Rest
Last night I ventured into the wilderness of my yard for another night. Two words summarize my experience: peaceful and cold. Many of my fears from the previous night had completely dissipated. The sounds of the neighborhood gently settled around me. I distinguished between jumping squirrels and falling leaves, and during each burst of noise my heart rested calmly in my chest. Without paranoia pressing me down I enjoyed the world around me and could love it.
Sleep found me quickly and watched over me most of the night. I stirred only to readjust my limbs between positions respectively conducive to warmth or comfort. Without the winter air nudging me awake occasionally, I would sleep undisturbed. I think I will repeat my experience one more night before I leave for New Orleans tomorrow.
Sleep found me quickly and watched over me most of the night. I stirred only to readjust my limbs between positions respectively conducive to warmth or comfort. Without the winter air nudging me awake occasionally, I would sleep undisturbed. I think I will repeat my experience one more night before I leave for New Orleans tomorrow.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Residue
Last night residual thoughts from recent reading resulted in a strange (some would say ludicrous) action: I slept in my backyard in my sleeping bag. Another section of THROUGH PAINTED DESERTS lingered in my psyche from a few nights ago. Miller lived in the forest near the country club at which he worked. He says, "I suppose it takes about a week to get used to sleeping outside. But once accustomed to it, a person cant easily go back to having a roof over his head." I romanced the idea of sleeping without the comforts of a mattress, although some would argue my mattress offers little comfort. Would it free my soul slightly? Would being exposed to nature put me more in touch with its Creator? I longed to know.
I small gained insights into life, but as is often the case with life adventures, they were far from what I expected. I hoped for peaceful slumber, but suffered irrational fears. I do not fear bear attacks in the woods. I do fear homeless men attacking me for money. I hoped for communion with nature, but experienced assault by the restless city.
In spite the division between expectation and experience I value what I learned. Living without the luxuries of 'basic living' free the soul in a small way. Doing something difficult provides reward (such as fulfillment) that can outweigh the cost (sleeplessness). Being part of the world in which we live-including the city-surpasses the voyeurism of modern media experience.
I small gained insights into life, but as is often the case with life adventures, they were far from what I expected. I hoped for peaceful slumber, but suffered irrational fears. I do not fear bear attacks in the woods. I do fear homeless men attacking me for money. I hoped for communion with nature, but experienced assault by the restless city.
In spite the division between expectation and experience I value what I learned. Living without the luxuries of 'basic living' free the soul in a small way. Doing something difficult provides reward (such as fulfillment) that can outweigh the cost (sleeplessness). Being part of the world in which we live-including the city-surpasses the voyeurism of modern media experience.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Commercials
In chapter 26 of Donald Miller's THROUGH PAINTED DESERTS, Miller reflects on the spiritual ramifications of his journey from the urban jungle to nature's wilderness. One of his thoughts particularly struck me:
"I think the woods, being away from all the clingy soot of commercialism, have taught me life is enormous, and I am very tiny in the middle of it...It strikes me how far the commercials are from this reality, how deadly they are, perhaps."
Considering the effects of commercials and visual media on my own life pushes me to agree with Miller. Commercials are deadly; I am visually stimulated to death. Not physical death, but spiritual death. Unrelenting entertainment inhibits me from refreshing my soul in the live-giving world around me. May I [exit stage right] from the stories of other people's lives and walk through the door of the life set before me.
"I think the woods, being away from all the clingy soot of commercialism, have taught me life is enormous, and I am very tiny in the middle of it...It strikes me how far the commercials are from this reality, how deadly they are, perhaps."
Considering the effects of commercials and visual media on my own life pushes me to agree with Miller. Commercials are deadly; I am visually stimulated to death. Not physical death, but spiritual death. Unrelenting entertainment inhibits me from refreshing my soul in the live-giving world around me. May I [exit stage right] from the stories of other people's lives and walk through the door of the life set before me.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Tennessee in Review
Friday
Depart Columbia and drive for 9 hours (includes music, good conversations, Peter Kreeft lectures and Kaytlin napping)
Arrive in Memphis at an amazingly nice hostel inside an old church building.
Ask a local where we can find good Mexican food. He rattles off some restaurant in excellent Spanish. We know it will be good.
I order beef tongue tacos-amazing. Tastes like chicken gizzard with the texture of beef.
Kaytlin asks to ‘try my tongue.’ I gladly oblige. Ha.
A short walk and then to bed.
Saturday
Up early and out to a local coffee shop. The shop is interesting with lots of events, unique people and clever decoration. I am a tool and read Aristotle.
Back to the hostel for left-over tacos.
We change quickly and head to the wedding which is about 45 minutes away.
I wrote down the wrong address for the church so we get lost, finally find it, watch the ceremony from the front room, behind stain glass windows.
We slip into the reception line and no one suspects a thing.
We sit with the School of Mines guys who drove 17 hours to come to the wedding and have great conversation.
They mention the spiritual bondage that would come from going to a school that would make you sign a list of extra-Biblical rules to follow while you are a student (like CIU).
Back at the hostel we make dinner and chat with a Kiwi (New Zealander) who is on a world tour.
He tells as about a local musician who plays a homemade guitar constructed of two broom sticks and a cigar box.
Kaytlin taught a Spanish girl how to make popcorn on the stove and we talked with her and her companion about their world travels.
Downtown Memphis! It is five blocks of neon lights, bars, street performers and live music.
Back to bed.
Sunday
Coffee, checkout, drive.
Home.
Additional thoughts
Each time I leave Columbia I find myself dreaming big about life. I hope to continue to dream big even though I am coming back to a confining culture.
In an effort to continue to dream big, Kaytlin and I are going to try to get out of Columbia one weekend a month.
I miss talking with travelers and people who love the world. Perhaps I will befriend some international students in the fall.
Depart Columbia and drive for 9 hours (includes music, good conversations, Peter Kreeft lectures and Kaytlin napping)
Arrive in Memphis at an amazingly nice hostel inside an old church building.
Ask a local where we can find good Mexican food. He rattles off some restaurant in excellent Spanish. We know it will be good.
I order beef tongue tacos-amazing. Tastes like chicken gizzard with the texture of beef.
Kaytlin asks to ‘try my tongue.’ I gladly oblige. Ha.
A short walk and then to bed.
Saturday
Up early and out to a local coffee shop. The shop is interesting with lots of events, unique people and clever decoration. I am a tool and read Aristotle.
Back to the hostel for left-over tacos.
We change quickly and head to the wedding which is about 45 minutes away.
I wrote down the wrong address for the church so we get lost, finally find it, watch the ceremony from the front room, behind stain glass windows.
We slip into the reception line and no one suspects a thing.
We sit with the School of Mines guys who drove 17 hours to come to the wedding and have great conversation.
They mention the spiritual bondage that would come from going to a school that would make you sign a list of extra-Biblical rules to follow while you are a student (like CIU).
Back at the hostel we make dinner and chat with a Kiwi (New Zealander) who is on a world tour.
He tells as about a local musician who plays a homemade guitar constructed of two broom sticks and a cigar box.
Kaytlin taught a Spanish girl how to make popcorn on the stove and we talked with her and her companion about their world travels.
Downtown Memphis! It is five blocks of neon lights, bars, street performers and live music.
Back to bed.
Sunday
Coffee, checkout, drive.
Home.
Additional thoughts
Each time I leave Columbia I find myself dreaming big about life. I hope to continue to dream big even though I am coming back to a confining culture.
In an effort to continue to dream big, Kaytlin and I are going to try to get out of Columbia one weekend a month.
I miss talking with travelers and people who love the world. Perhaps I will befriend some international students in the fall.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
A Week Behind
Bartending
I’m moving up the food chain. Several months ago, I turned down an offer at work to begin management training to continue waiting tables. In the short term, I make more money serving than ‘shift leading’ and have more flexibility with my hours. With only a year ahead of me to live in Columbia, serving seemed like the best option. Since then, I have continued to look for different jobs throughout the city but met little success.
Knowing that I would likely be with Ruby Tuesday for at least the near future, I asked to begin bartending training-I received a crash course. After a newly highered bartender was…er…reemployed somewhere other than Ruby Tuesday, her Sunday shift needed opened up. After a brief (two hour) drink mixing session on Thursday night, I stepped behind the bar on Sunday for the most stressful, exciting, enjoyable and lucrative days at work in a long time. I survived the gauntlet and cannot wait to bartend more frequently as fall gets underway.
Blueberry Picking
In contrast to the highly masculine and sub-culturally praised position of bartending, I went blueberry picking with Kaytlin on Saturday morning. The hippy/earth-lover in me, and the company of my girlfriend legitimize my feelings of enjoyment from an early berry gathering. We met some friends, and their friends, and their friends (4 couples in all) and drove out to Chapin at an hour when most of my coworkers were still recovering from the night before. Ha. Between Kaytlin and me, we picked almost 8 lbs of blueberries. She kept them, but treated me to blueberry pancakes that night.
Cell Phone
To the chagrin of my brother and father, Friday marks the beginning of my life without a cell-phone. I set up my landline on Thursday night and cancelled my cell phone service. The adjustment has been smooth thus far (at least from my end). Not having text-messaging proves the most inconvenient aspect of the cell phone-free life; sorry Kyle. However, without texting, I find myself forced to call people when I want to connect with them and these conversations benefit us greater than a quick text ever could. I hope that I will continue calling those who are close to me while the transition to landline becomes increasingly normal.
I still have the same phone number. Please call me
I’m moving up the food chain. Several months ago, I turned down an offer at work to begin management training to continue waiting tables. In the short term, I make more money serving than ‘shift leading’ and have more flexibility with my hours. With only a year ahead of me to live in Columbia, serving seemed like the best option. Since then, I have continued to look for different jobs throughout the city but met little success.
Knowing that I would likely be with Ruby Tuesday for at least the near future, I asked to begin bartending training-I received a crash course. After a newly highered bartender was…er…reemployed somewhere other than Ruby Tuesday, her Sunday shift needed opened up. After a brief (two hour) drink mixing session on Thursday night, I stepped behind the bar on Sunday for the most stressful, exciting, enjoyable and lucrative days at work in a long time. I survived the gauntlet and cannot wait to bartend more frequently as fall gets underway.
Blueberry Picking
In contrast to the highly masculine and sub-culturally praised position of bartending, I went blueberry picking with Kaytlin on Saturday morning. The hippy/earth-lover in me, and the company of my girlfriend legitimize my feelings of enjoyment from an early berry gathering. We met some friends, and their friends, and their friends (4 couples in all) and drove out to Chapin at an hour when most of my coworkers were still recovering from the night before. Ha. Between Kaytlin and me, we picked almost 8 lbs of blueberries. She kept them, but treated me to blueberry pancakes that night.
Cell Phone
To the chagrin of my brother and father, Friday marks the beginning of my life without a cell-phone. I set up my landline on Thursday night and cancelled my cell phone service. The adjustment has been smooth thus far (at least from my end). Not having text-messaging proves the most inconvenient aspect of the cell phone-free life; sorry Kyle. However, without texting, I find myself forced to call people when I want to connect with them and these conversations benefit us greater than a quick text ever could. I hope that I will continue calling those who are close to me while the transition to landline becomes increasingly normal.
I still have the same phone number. Please call me
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
When in Rome
The River
When in Rome, do as the Romans do; when in Columbia, go to the river. The high temperatures and oppressive humidity drives South Carolinians to bodies of water. Without the ocean lapping at our doorstep, the river claims the title of liquid attraction We are discovering the pleasure of the river and in doing so realize that the locals do know best. In an attempt to bolster social activity while battling dusty wallets, we have begun to frequent the river and made two trips this past week. The first evening was spent eating, hanging out doing some diving from the larger rocks. Two days later we found ourselves farther upstream amidst light rapids (think Greenhorn creek vs the Colorado River), exploring the woodland beyond the opposite bank, and floating down the river.
Dance, Dance
Always having enjoyed dance, yet plagued with the Anglo-Saxon rhythm, I limited my solo dancing to venues filled with enough people to hide my awkwardness. Late one night (in part likely due to the ‘late’ aspect) I ventured in to new dancing territory: Dance Dance Revolution. I joined millions of Asian teenagers by stepping to pre-set patterns of foot placement to techno remixes of America’s favorite pop songs. Musical hits naturally included Justin Timberlake and Kelly Clarkson but harkened back to classics (??) such as Captain Jack (“In the Navy” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNgMVx_NJOM ) and Papaya (“Pink Dinosaur” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FzLxIW0eTA). Oh man. None-the-less, the Dance Dance party was a highlight of my week. I offer my future dancing as a tribute to Michael Jackson-the king of dance.
4th of July
I picked up a shift on the 4th and had a wonderful time at work. After a terribly slow start and management sent half of the servers home for the day, I waited on about 4 tables (which added to the two from the previous few hours). I hardly made any money but had a wonderful time with my coworkers. We stood around and talked and laughed and told stories and, in hindsight, I would work the shift again.
After work we went to a house for a cookout. We grilled hot dogs and everyone brought something to share. I greatly enjoyed the company and had a wonderful time with the people who came. We saw some fireworks from the baseball field a few blocks away, but focused on the company and the cuisine. The evening topped off a wonderful week.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do; when in Columbia, go to the river. The high temperatures and oppressive humidity drives South Carolinians to bodies of water. Without the ocean lapping at our doorstep, the river claims the title of liquid attraction We are discovering the pleasure of the river and in doing so realize that the locals do know best. In an attempt to bolster social activity while battling dusty wallets, we have begun to frequent the river and made two trips this past week. The first evening was spent eating, hanging out doing some diving from the larger rocks. Two days later we found ourselves farther upstream amidst light rapids (think Greenhorn creek vs the Colorado River), exploring the woodland beyond the opposite bank, and floating down the river.
Dance, Dance
Always having enjoyed dance, yet plagued with the Anglo-Saxon rhythm, I limited my solo dancing to venues filled with enough people to hide my awkwardness. Late one night (in part likely due to the ‘late’ aspect) I ventured in to new dancing territory: Dance Dance Revolution. I joined millions of Asian teenagers by stepping to pre-set patterns of foot placement to techno remixes of America’s favorite pop songs. Musical hits naturally included Justin Timberlake and Kelly Clarkson but harkened back to classics (??) such as Captain Jack (“In the Navy” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNgMVx_NJOM ) and Papaya (“Pink Dinosaur” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FzLxIW0eTA). Oh man. None-the-less, the Dance Dance party was a highlight of my week. I offer my future dancing as a tribute to Michael Jackson-the king of dance.
4th of July
I picked up a shift on the 4th and had a wonderful time at work. After a terribly slow start and management sent half of the servers home for the day, I waited on about 4 tables (which added to the two from the previous few hours). I hardly made any money but had a wonderful time with my coworkers. We stood around and talked and laughed and told stories and, in hindsight, I would work the shift again.
After work we went to a house for a cookout. We grilled hot dogs and everyone brought something to share. I greatly enjoyed the company and had a wonderful time with the people who came. We saw some fireworks from the baseball field a few blocks away, but focused on the company and the cuisine. The evening topped off a wonderful week.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
The No-Phone Zone
Yoga
In light of my current gym-less situation, I have attempted to develop a fitness routine which I can utilize without any facilities. An integral part of this project includes yoga. I downloaded some free yoga videos and work out with them about three times a week. The impacts of yoga on my body astonish me. In spite of minimal physical exertion, my body feels poorer on the days I don’t do yoga compared with yoga workout days. Last summer I started going to the chiropractor because my pelvis was out of alignment. This caused pain in my hip and numbness in my legs and feet. The more I do yoga, the less I feel those discomforts. I can feel my body realigning itself through the exercises. Regardless of how my fitness future looks, I am going to keep doing yoga for its holistic benefits.
Cell Phone
Slightly over a month ago I considered getting rid of my cell phone and replacing it with a land line. Economy and a desire to live below my means comprised my primary motivations. I knew my cell phone contract lasted until mid July, which obligated me to keep my phone at least until then, but I wanted to see if I could live without a cell phone in my current culture without going becoming a social outcast. Five weeks ago I stopped carrying my cell phone with me and used it as a land-line. The first two weeks proved the most difficult and I struggled with the lack of immediate connection with the outside world. I could no longer walk to my car after work and check my messages.
Reflecting on my time without a cell-phone, I realize that I relish the freedom I experience by leaving my phone at home. Feelings such as hurriedness, anxiety, and discontent minimized to a noticeable degree. Nothing in my life requires such urgency that it cannot wait until I get home. On the negative side, the interruption that comes from other people’s cell phone use increasingly bothers me. Conversations are neglected, persons interrupted, and stress abounds when people keep their phones on them. I understand that our culture operates in such a way that promotes connectedness, but I am discovering that the price of peace and content outweigh the benefit of additional connectedness.
In light of my current gym-less situation, I have attempted to develop a fitness routine which I can utilize without any facilities. An integral part of this project includes yoga. I downloaded some free yoga videos and work out with them about three times a week. The impacts of yoga on my body astonish me. In spite of minimal physical exertion, my body feels poorer on the days I don’t do yoga compared with yoga workout days. Last summer I started going to the chiropractor because my pelvis was out of alignment. This caused pain in my hip and numbness in my legs and feet. The more I do yoga, the less I feel those discomforts. I can feel my body realigning itself through the exercises. Regardless of how my fitness future looks, I am going to keep doing yoga for its holistic benefits.
Cell Phone
Slightly over a month ago I considered getting rid of my cell phone and replacing it with a land line. Economy and a desire to live below my means comprised my primary motivations. I knew my cell phone contract lasted until mid July, which obligated me to keep my phone at least until then, but I wanted to see if I could live without a cell phone in my current culture without going becoming a social outcast. Five weeks ago I stopped carrying my cell phone with me and used it as a land-line. The first two weeks proved the most difficult and I struggled with the lack of immediate connection with the outside world. I could no longer walk to my car after work and check my messages.
Reflecting on my time without a cell-phone, I realize that I relish the freedom I experience by leaving my phone at home. Feelings such as hurriedness, anxiety, and discontent minimized to a noticeable degree. Nothing in my life requires such urgency that it cannot wait until I get home. On the negative side, the interruption that comes from other people’s cell phone use increasingly bothers me. Conversations are neglected, persons interrupted, and stress abounds when people keep their phones on them. I understand that our culture operates in such a way that promotes connectedness, but I am discovering that the price of peace and content outweigh the benefit of additional connectedness.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Please Pigeon-hole Me
Job follow-up
A few weeks ago I applied for a teller position at Wachovia Bank in Columbia. I found out about the job through a friend and a reference at church. The reference from church works in the Wachovia regional office and told me to send him his resume. I enjoy my job now and would not make significantly more working for Wachovia but I choose to apply because of the consistent and amazing hours (40 hours in 5 days + bank holidays off-I have never worked with such convenience) and because I enjoy a new opportunities and variety.
I followed up with my resume on Wednesday and on Friday I received an email indicating that a recruiter would be calling me in the next two weeks. I will enjoy my current job if I do not get this bank position, but because I have invested time and mental energy into applying, my excitement is growing and I hope very much to get this new job.
Yard sale
On Saturday morning Kaytlin and I went to a number of yard sales in Columbia in search of various items. We had a lot of fun and I found a dresser. This may not seem exciting, but I have been without a dresser ever since I moved into my house in January. The thrift stores continued to let me down in terms of quality and economy, so the new dresser is quite the highlight. (I feel kind of like an old person talking about yard sale hunting and buying a dresser…keep reading for potential redemption)
Chinese Medicine
If my yard sale account pigeon-holed me in the “old person camp,” you may now relocate me to the “liberal-new age camp.” In my quest for health and fitness knowledge so that I may live a rich life, I have ventured into the arena of Chinese medicine. I have learned about everything that terrifies puritan WASPs across the nation: yoga, herbalism, acupuncture, and balancing your diet. Ha. Dietary trends first drew me to Eastern medical theory, but I have uncovered a wealth of knowledge. I will save you the boring details, but each day I implement increasing elements of this new health regimen in my life. By the end of the summer I hope to live the healthiest lifestyle I have experienced thus far.
A few weeks ago I applied for a teller position at Wachovia Bank in Columbia. I found out about the job through a friend and a reference at church. The reference from church works in the Wachovia regional office and told me to send him his resume. I enjoy my job now and would not make significantly more working for Wachovia but I choose to apply because of the consistent and amazing hours (40 hours in 5 days + bank holidays off-I have never worked with such convenience) and because I enjoy a new opportunities and variety.
I followed up with my resume on Wednesday and on Friday I received an email indicating that a recruiter would be calling me in the next two weeks. I will enjoy my current job if I do not get this bank position, but because I have invested time and mental energy into applying, my excitement is growing and I hope very much to get this new job.
Yard sale
On Saturday morning Kaytlin and I went to a number of yard sales in Columbia in search of various items. We had a lot of fun and I found a dresser. This may not seem exciting, but I have been without a dresser ever since I moved into my house in January. The thrift stores continued to let me down in terms of quality and economy, so the new dresser is quite the highlight. (I feel kind of like an old person talking about yard sale hunting and buying a dresser…keep reading for potential redemption)
Chinese Medicine
If my yard sale account pigeon-holed me in the “old person camp,” you may now relocate me to the “liberal-new age camp.” In my quest for health and fitness knowledge so that I may live a rich life, I have ventured into the arena of Chinese medicine. I have learned about everything that terrifies puritan WASPs across the nation: yoga, herbalism, acupuncture, and balancing your diet. Ha. Dietary trends first drew me to Eastern medical theory, but I have uncovered a wealth of knowledge. I will save you the boring details, but each day I implement increasing elements of this new health regimen in my life. By the end of the summer I hope to live the healthiest lifestyle I have experienced thus far.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Gab and Flab
WI
I went to Wisconsin for five days with Kaytlin to attend her friends wedding and Daniel’s (her brother) graduation party. Memorable moments from the weekend include using the enormous fire pit Kaytlin’s mother made, attending an outdoor wedding when it is 55 degrees and raining, making 10+ pounds of pasta salad, beating Natalie’s Wii Fit soccer score, and going to a wine bar with Kaytlin and her mom. I enjoyed my time with Kaytlin very much as well. It is exciting to see how she has grown from the life in which she grew up, just as I have, and that we can share similar growth experiences. There is a tentative plan to go back to WI in July for a family wedding, but I will try to bring as much of the warm weather from Columbia on that trip as I can.
The Factory’s Failure
Three weeks ago, I joined an amazing gym. I rode my bike there after work, since it is only 6 blocks from my house. It had all the equipment I needed, the ‘gym’ atmosphere that I love and was very inexpensive. It worked out to be 50% less expensive that driving to CIU 4 times a week to use their less equipped fitness center. I have been going regularly…until last week. I woke up on Thursday with an email in my Inbox informing that The Factory (my gym) had closed down due to leasing issues with the City of Columbia. I am looking for a new gym, disheartened by my options, while filling out a form for the SC department of consumer affairs to get my money back. Alas, welcome to life.
I went to Wisconsin for five days with Kaytlin to attend her friends wedding and Daniel’s (her brother) graduation party. Memorable moments from the weekend include using the enormous fire pit Kaytlin’s mother made, attending an outdoor wedding when it is 55 degrees and raining, making 10+ pounds of pasta salad, beating Natalie’s Wii Fit soccer score, and going to a wine bar with Kaytlin and her mom. I enjoyed my time with Kaytlin very much as well. It is exciting to see how she has grown from the life in which she grew up, just as I have, and that we can share similar growth experiences. There is a tentative plan to go back to WI in July for a family wedding, but I will try to bring as much of the warm weather from Columbia on that trip as I can.
The Factory’s Failure
Three weeks ago, I joined an amazing gym. I rode my bike there after work, since it is only 6 blocks from my house. It had all the equipment I needed, the ‘gym’ atmosphere that I love and was very inexpensive. It worked out to be 50% less expensive that driving to CIU 4 times a week to use their less equipped fitness center. I have been going regularly…until last week. I woke up on Thursday with an email in my Inbox informing that The Factory (my gym) had closed down due to leasing issues with the City of Columbia. I am looking for a new gym, disheartened by my options, while filling out a form for the SC department of consumer affairs to get my money back. Alas, welcome to life.
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