I've never actually believed in "luck," but if I did I'm sure I've some of the worst of it. Once again the blessing that is the Howard family name has been showered over me- which wouldn't bad if it wasn't so acidic. I'm curious how many people lose the bracket that holds their spare tire up against their car(yes, the ENTIRE bracket)? How many have the bracket anyway? So the only thing thats holding the tire to the bottom of the truck is a spare tire lock. Luckily for me, its hanging about 2" from the ground. I knew something was wrong last night when I was driving home and the truck jumped two or three times. When I got home I thought the tire had just come down and hit the road and just needed some tightening. It wasn't until this morning that I realized what had really happened. Fortunately for me, the lock won't come off probably due to all the grime making sure the tire doesn't go ANYWHERE. This comes at the crux of two upcoming three-part finals starting with group presentations back to back. AAAAAAAAGGHHHH! So, instead of giving up I'm here writing/venting and feeling a little better for it ;). Unfortunately, this won't get me an "A" so... I should get back to studying.
On the upside of "Extinction's Alp" (ten points if you can name that poem... without using google- I'm no "fool"), I'm going to have pictures taken with my fiance (yep, no longer just a girlfriend) today for invitations and wedding plans are going well in general. For those of you who are thinking, "where did this come from?" Sho and I got engaged in October and plan on getting married in the spring. She did a much better job of covering the engagement than I ever could. Yeah, if it were possible even I'd be jealous of myself. What can I say? She's pretty much the best thing that's happened to me this side of salvation. Gag to your hearts content :). Tomorrow we'll both be off to visit the future in-laws and my own family which will be good because I haven't seen them in a while. And, lets be honest, the food is a major motivating factor. What's Thanksgiving without food... lots and lots of really. good. food.
Anyway, I think that's about it for now. If nothing else, the next couple of weeks will be anything but boring. Life is good... overall.
.:fIn:.
Anyway,
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Friday, September 15, 2006
Like a well-oiled killin' machine
...Or more like a machine in need of a good tune up and a job. School's starting soon and it'd be nice to have a job beforehand. I recently got an interview with a local hospital which is good news for someone as job-needy as me. The bad news is that it's not as prestigious a position as say "heart surgeon," or "physical therapist" (I'll be a food worker... a Professional Food Worker). The good news is that my girlfriend can now stand proudly and say that she dates someone who works at the hospital. I'd sound so much richer, and we all know that that's my goal in life. However, first and foremost, I've got to actually get the job. Maybe I'm getting a little ahead of myself.
Well, I'm officially moved into the new house- furniture and clothing included. Jason, my former roomate, went off and got married to the first girl he laid eyes on when he got into the college group. Honestly! (Well... it's not quite like that, but it sounds much better that way.) This left Aaron and me with Darst and what an interesting time it's been. It's not been so much Darst who's been "interesting"- it's his cat. And by "interesting" and "cat", I mean "hellish" and "demon-spawn". I've told Darst on more than one occasion that if that cat so much as bites or scratches me, it will become intimately aquainted first with my shoe and later with six feet of earth. Now, you may be thinking, "Okay James, is it really that bad?" or, "Are you being nice to this cat?" and the answer is YES!! I've tried and the thing still lashes out at me if I so much as walk by it.
I hate cats...
.:fIn:.
Well, I'm officially moved into the new house- furniture and clothing included. Jason, my former roomate, went off and got married to the first girl he laid eyes on when he got into the college group. Honestly! (Well... it's not quite like that, but it sounds much better that way.) This left Aaron and me with Darst and what an interesting time it's been. It's not been so much Darst who's been "interesting"- it's his cat. And by "interesting" and "cat", I mean "hellish" and "demon-spawn". I've told Darst on more than one occasion that if that cat so much as bites or scratches me, it will become intimately aquainted first with my shoe and later with six feet of earth. Now, you may be thinking, "Okay James, is it really that bad?" or, "Are you being nice to this cat?" and the answer is YES!! I've tried and the thing still lashes out at me if I so much as walk by it.
I hate cats...
.:fIn:.
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Sunday, July 16, 2006
All Your Children will Stretch out Their Hands
Woooo whoooooo!
I know what you're thinking: "Is this a new blog? Is James still alive?" And the answer is a resounding "yes". Actually, its more of a hesitant "yes," but a yes nonetheless.
Since my last report I finished up my last quarter of school. I'm a little nervous about my grades, since the last quarter was pretty sad on my part (maybe I should go look at my grades). I quit my job at dear ol' Freddies, moved into a new house... a new NICE house and then moved 2 hours away to the Tri-Cities so I could be closer to the sun- feels like that anyway. While in the Tri-Cities for the past four or five weeks I've been working with four different churches' youth groups on a three-person team. Altogether, there are three such teams working in the area and the results have been an encouragement. Its been a blessing to see how God can take nine willing people and use them to influence groups and individuals in such different ways. I've become a leader, a facilitator and a friend to teammates and teens alike and throughout it all I've witnessed God's hand moving.
At the same time, in the back of my mind there has been a persistant nagging: what will happen afterwards? After these teams leave, who will continue to work with these youth groups? All of the youth groups we work with are small, with ten youth or less in attendance and half with three or less. Moreover, only two have or will have youth pastors by the time we leave. The smallest of the four youth groups have no youth pastors. Part of me wants to tell them to simply go wherever they feel they are being fed spiritually, but that would seem to undermine the reason for why I'm here. At any rate I feel like we're just slapping a fast band-aid on a bigger problem. Addresing the root of this problem presents risks and potential problems for most of these churches, but every mountain has it's rocks. There is no quick three step solution and obedience will always require risk.
Anyway, that's a real quick overview of what's been happening recently. Next weekend I'll try and write on what a youth intern such as myself does with their free time. Let's just say, I DO feel a little sorry for my teammates... a little... maybe not. As for me and myself, we will be going to a youth camp this week. So, until then I bid you all adieu.
.:fIn:.
I know what you're thinking: "Is this a new blog? Is James still alive?" And the answer is a resounding "yes". Actually, its more of a hesitant "yes," but a yes nonetheless.
Since my last report I finished up my last quarter of school. I'm a little nervous about my grades, since the last quarter was pretty sad on my part (maybe I should go look at my grades). I quit my job at dear ol' Freddies, moved into a new house... a new NICE house and then moved 2 hours away to the Tri-Cities so I could be closer to the sun- feels like that anyway. While in the Tri-Cities for the past four or five weeks I've been working with four different churches' youth groups on a three-person team. Altogether, there are three such teams working in the area and the results have been an encouragement. Its been a blessing to see how God can take nine willing people and use them to influence groups and individuals in such different ways. I've become a leader, a facilitator and a friend to teammates and teens alike and throughout it all I've witnessed God's hand moving.
At the same time, in the back of my mind there has been a persistant nagging: what will happen afterwards? After these teams leave, who will continue to work with these youth groups? All of the youth groups we work with are small, with ten youth or less in attendance and half with three or less. Moreover, only two have or will have youth pastors by the time we leave. The smallest of the four youth groups have no youth pastors. Part of me wants to tell them to simply go wherever they feel they are being fed spiritually, but that would seem to undermine the reason for why I'm here. At any rate I feel like we're just slapping a fast band-aid on a bigger problem. Addresing the root of this problem presents risks and potential problems for most of these churches, but every mountain has it's rocks. There is no quick three step solution and obedience will always require risk.
Anyway, that's a real quick overview of what's been happening recently. Next weekend I'll try and write on what a youth intern such as myself does with their free time. Let's just say, I DO feel a little sorry for my teammates... a little... maybe not. As for me and myself, we will be going to a youth camp this week. So, until then I bid you all adieu.
.:fIn:.
Friday, May 12, 2006
No better loss than to lose myself in you
Its that time again! The time when flowers are in full blossom and people are sneezing in the parks. Kids are skipping school and teachers are wondering if all those students "really have colds." And its around this time that yours truely gets so bored, in fact, that he can think of nothing better than writing yet another blog. Seriously people, why? Why do we write these things?! Promotion? Information? Conformation? No more, I say!
Just kidding...
Lets see, it was about 9:00 yesterday when I learned an aquaintence of mine (a totally different story) proposed, to a mutual friend (although, I suppose she's more than a friend to him) which was to be expected. When you don't see your own roommate for a good 3 or 4 days because of time spent with his girlfriend (amongst a few other things), you know its only a matter of time. I had to practically pry the information from him though. I know I'm not that intimidating. Oh well. The wedding will probably be short comming and I can only wish them the best. Him and I never really "clicked", but I'm finding that, be that as it may, he's still a part of my life here- changing; sometimes slowly, sometimes too quickly, but almost always in an uncomfortable sense. がんばって！
In other news, I'd like you all to know that I had jiaozi yesterday and today I feel fine. Yep, its true. Now, to most of you this means absolutely nothing, so let me explain:
It was the summer of '05 in which I discovered the joy of jiaozi (steamed dumplings of the highest quality) while walking by various street vendors. Never before had pork, leek and other assorted vegetables wrapped in a thin layer of dough been assembled in such a tempting way. With every bite, the smell of fresh jiaozi would resume anew; with every scent begging an encore. So it was that I would continue to the friendly neighborhood vendor for more until I was ready to try the many different kinds of jiaozi offered by nearby vendors. Over time, jiaozi became an obsession. Jiaozi in the morning, jiaozi in for lunch, jiaozi in the evening and everywhere in between that I saw fit. After all, not only was the delectable dumpling delicious, it was also by far the best bargain for a bite bar none. However, it was also around this time that I started having the most peculiar of sensations. Now, I won't go into detail, but lets just suffice it say that I may have loved the jiaozi and I'm positive that the jiaozi loved me as well, but my stomach was the betrayer. The "mother-in-law" if you will that made our coexistence unbearable. It was a long while before I finally quit jiaozi. I tried cutting out the oily foods which had, at first, believed to be the root of the problem. I tried to keep from overheating. I tried getting more sleep, drinking more water, taking medications, but nothing worked. So, it was with bittersweet anguish that I put aside my denial and departed with my beloved jiaozi. For nine months, (nine months!) I knew no jiaozi. That is, until yesterday it was with overwhelming delight that I sat down with my jiaozi and noodles and partook. And this brings us back to the beginning. No sickness! Heck yes!
Okay, one last little story and then I'm on my way to work. The other day on my way to school (by bus) I was totally out of it. I don't think I'm getting enough sleep and I don't mean to point fingers or anything, but I really want to blame it on a certain roommate who snores. Really. Loudly. Anyway, back to the story. I was tired enough that I began to doze off, eyelids relaxing and eventually closing altogether, when I smelled the faintest fragrance. This wasn't just any fragrance however, this was the men's cologne that I really liked, but never had the time (or the desire) to search out. Uncontiously I began to sway slighly to the left seeking out a better smell of the aroma, but as I leaned, the scent became fainter. So, I began to sway to the right. The more I leaned, the stronger the scent was, but only slightly. Closer I leaned in the direction of the smell and ever so slowly I began to open my eyes. As my eyes opened, I noticed the strong scent and texture of leather- as of that of a coat. I was so close, in fact, that I could clearly make out the cracks in the leather of the coat. It was at this moment that I realized exactly how close I had gotten to the man sitting next to me now returning my stare. "This is odd," I thought to myself and I was quick to sit back up straight in the seat. I was definitely awake for the rest of the ride to my classes.
.:fIn:.
Just kidding...
Lets see, it was about 9:00 yesterday when I learned an aquaintence of mine (a totally different story) proposed, to a mutual friend (although, I suppose she's more than a friend to him) which was to be expected. When you don't see your own roommate for a good 3 or 4 days because of time spent with his girlfriend (amongst a few other things), you know its only a matter of time. I had to practically pry the information from him though. I know I'm not that intimidating. Oh well. The wedding will probably be short comming and I can only wish them the best. Him and I never really "clicked", but I'm finding that, be that as it may, he's still a part of my life here- changing; sometimes slowly, sometimes too quickly, but almost always in an uncomfortable sense. がんばって！
In other news, I'd like you all to know that I had jiaozi yesterday and today I feel fine. Yep, its true. Now, to most of you this means absolutely nothing, so let me explain:
It was the summer of '05 in which I discovered the joy of jiaozi (steamed dumplings of the highest quality) while walking by various street vendors. Never before had pork, leek and other assorted vegetables wrapped in a thin layer of dough been assembled in such a tempting way. With every bite, the smell of fresh jiaozi would resume anew; with every scent begging an encore. So it was that I would continue to the friendly neighborhood vendor for more until I was ready to try the many different kinds of jiaozi offered by nearby vendors. Over time, jiaozi became an obsession. Jiaozi in the morning, jiaozi in for lunch, jiaozi in the evening and everywhere in between that I saw fit. After all, not only was the delectable dumpling delicious, it was also by far the best bargain for a bite bar none. However, it was also around this time that I started having the most peculiar of sensations. Now, I won't go into detail, but lets just suffice it say that I may have loved the jiaozi and I'm positive that the jiaozi loved me as well, but my stomach was the betrayer. The "mother-in-law" if you will that made our coexistence unbearable. It was a long while before I finally quit jiaozi. I tried cutting out the oily foods which had, at first, believed to be the root of the problem. I tried to keep from overheating. I tried getting more sleep, drinking more water, taking medications, but nothing worked. So, it was with bittersweet anguish that I put aside my denial and departed with my beloved jiaozi. For nine months, (nine months!) I knew no jiaozi. That is, until yesterday it was with overwhelming delight that I sat down with my jiaozi and noodles and partook. And this brings us back to the beginning. No sickness! Heck yes!
Okay, one last little story and then I'm on my way to work. The other day on my way to school (by bus) I was totally out of it. I don't think I'm getting enough sleep and I don't mean to point fingers or anything, but I really want to blame it on a certain roommate who snores. Really. Loudly. Anyway, back to the story. I was tired enough that I began to doze off, eyelids relaxing and eventually closing altogether, when I smelled the faintest fragrance. This wasn't just any fragrance however, this was the men's cologne that I really liked, but never had the time (or the desire) to search out. Uncontiously I began to sway slighly to the left seeking out a better smell of the aroma, but as I leaned, the scent became fainter. So, I began to sway to the right. The more I leaned, the stronger the scent was, but only slightly. Closer I leaned in the direction of the smell and ever so slowly I began to open my eyes. As my eyes opened, I noticed the strong scent and texture of leather- as of that of a coat. I was so close, in fact, that I could clearly make out the cracks in the leather of the coat. It was at this moment that I realized exactly how close I had gotten to the man sitting next to me now returning my stare. "This is odd," I thought to myself and I was quick to sit back up straight in the seat. I was definitely awake for the rest of the ride to my classes.
.:fIn:.
Friday, April 14, 2006
mokuyoubi
Today was yet another adventure in the realm that is dear ol' Freddies. Apparently Mr. Freddie's mice were jump roping in the room with all the fire alarm-related stuff. Unfortunately, they forgot to bring their twine and decided to use the wires that connected everything to the terminal. Two crispy mice and a few minutes later, they were jumpin' rope like NOBODIES buisness. At least, that's what I thought I heard from the firemen who came in to turn it off. The noise was so earpiercing and so prolonged that they could have said it was rainy outside and I probably would have heard, "bananas paint the sky purple, but only on odd thursday's when elephants sing falseto and old men sit in moshy pastures....." O_o
Gotta get rid of those mice...
.:fIn:.
Gotta get rid of those mice...
.:fIn:.
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Pimp my Ride (Po' Man's Edition)
This episode goes way back for me.
Grayden was just sixteen when he got his first car: a very red '94 Chevy S-10 pickup with about as much mileage as one would expect for having a vehicle that long. He was returning from a trip to a nearby music store after having bought a much anticipated and newly released CD when tradgedy struck. On an otherwise bright and cheery day, Grayden had pulled up to a merge while peacefully rocking out to his new tunes. The music was new, the car was (basically) new, the moment was good; everything could be summed up with just one word: "cool".
Unfortunately, we can't make a decent "pimp my ride" session with this kind of material. So, enter "woman in WAY too much of a hurry": stage... well she was behind Grayden, but for the sake of fluidity we'll say, "stage left". "Woman in WAY too much of a hurry" probably noticed the "coolness" that was taking place not five feet in front of her. She probably realized the nirvana that the young man in front of her was experiencing, but what did that mean to her in her perdicament? ....Well I'm not sure what it meant to her, but it meant a huge dent in the tailgate and a nearly nonexistant bumper to Grayden. "Woman in WAY too much of a hurry" was apparently in so much of a hurry that she didn't quite feel obligated to pull off to the side and exchange information after dealing the blow. Time itself, as I'm sure you've heard, was money and "woman in WAY too much of a hurry"(we'll call her Sally from here on out) couldn't afford to lose any more money. What would follow was a deeply emotional mix of anger, pain and paralysis. For four years Grayden would have to search far and wide to replace the parts of his beloved pickup that had been so abruptly ripped away.
This is where Pimp my Ride comes to save the day. Its only the beginning of this Disney fairy tale story as we're gonna' hook Grayden up with teh sweetest ride this side of the Columbia! (Notice: due to such a low budget as we were given we'll have to dub this teh "Po' Man's Edition.) Alright, lets take a look at what's goin' down.
This truck was MESSED UP! So, in order to undo the damage we did a few things. Starting off, we ordered a bran' spakin' new rear fender, and we ain't messin' neither. This ain't yo momma's run of teh mill bumper. We're talkin' over three feet of ebony steel "APF2999" hotness here. As if that that weren't enough, we gonna give this ride a sweet new paint job. Red is overrated, and blue just won't do the job right. How about a slightly darker shade of regular blue to top things off? That's right, we do things sick-like here at Pimp my Ride (Po' Man's Edition) . What's that? You thought we was done? Ahh no, no my freaky little friends. Now we be fixin' that crap-glass po' Grayden calls a windshield. That's right, we go beyond the expected and deliver it straight up nice like it meant to be. This sucka be chillin' real now. How's that Gray-V? We done pimp'd yo ride (in tru po' man style)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yeah, I know it's lame, but a lot of interesting things come out when you're tired.... like this. Before I leave I've put in some kind of disclaimer I guess. Lets see...
DISCLAIMER: I do not own nor am I affiliated in any way with "Pimp my Ride" or any other of MTV's reality shows. That is all... sweet and simple
.:fIn:.
Grayden was just sixteen when he got his first car: a very red '94 Chevy S-10 pickup with about as much mileage as one would expect for having a vehicle that long. He was returning from a trip to a nearby music store after having bought a much anticipated and newly released CD when tradgedy struck. On an otherwise bright and cheery day, Grayden had pulled up to a merge while peacefully rocking out to his new tunes. The music was new, the car was (basically) new, the moment was good; everything could be summed up with just one word: "cool".
Unfortunately, we can't make a decent "pimp my ride" session with this kind of material. So, enter "woman in WAY too much of a hurry": stage... well she was behind Grayden, but for the sake of fluidity we'll say, "stage left". "Woman in WAY too much of a hurry" probably noticed the "coolness" that was taking place not five feet in front of her. She probably realized the nirvana that the young man in front of her was experiencing, but what did that mean to her in her perdicament? ....Well I'm not sure what it meant to her, but it meant a huge dent in the tailgate and a nearly nonexistant bumper to Grayden. "Woman in WAY too much of a hurry" was apparently in so much of a hurry that she didn't quite feel obligated to pull off to the side and exchange information after dealing the blow. Time itself, as I'm sure you've heard, was money and "woman in WAY too much of a hurry"(we'll call her Sally from here on out) couldn't afford to lose any more money. What would follow was a deeply emotional mix of anger, pain and paralysis. For four years Grayden would have to search far and wide to replace the parts of his beloved pickup that had been so abruptly ripped away.
This is where Pimp my Ride comes to save the day. Its only the beginning of this Disney fairy tale story as we're gonna' hook Grayden up with teh sweetest ride this side of the Columbia! (Notice: due to such a low budget as we were given we'll have to dub this teh "Po' Man's Edition.) Alright, lets take a look at what's goin' down.
This truck was MESSED UP! So, in order to undo the damage we did a few things. Starting off, we ordered a bran' spakin' new rear fender, and we ain't messin' neither. This ain't yo momma's run of teh mill bumper. We're talkin' over three feet of ebony steel "APF2999" hotness here. As if that that weren't enough, we gonna give this ride a sweet new paint job. Red is overrated, and blue just won't do the job right. How about a slightly darker shade of regular blue to top things off? That's right, we do things sick-like here at Pimp my Ride (Po' Man's Edition) . What's that? You thought we was done? Ahh no, no my freaky little friends. Now we be fixin' that crap-glass po' Grayden calls a windshield. That's right, we go beyond the expected and deliver it straight up nice like it meant to be. This sucka be chillin' real now. How's that Gray-V? We done pimp'd yo ride (in tru po' man style)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yeah, I know it's lame, but a lot of interesting things come out when you're tired.... like this. Before I leave I've put in some kind of disclaimer I guess. Lets see...
DISCLAIMER: I do not own nor am I affiliated in any way with "Pimp my Ride" or any other of MTV's reality shows. That is all... sweet and simple
.:fIn:.
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