1.30.2007

Whatever you do, don't put the blame on you, blame it on the rain.

rainy days.
i used to hate them, now i love them. it's funny how things can switch up like that. i wish the pictures i have could tell the story, but simi looks so cool right now. there are low clouds between the foothills and the mountains to the north of us that look really trippy. and yesterday when it was clear for a minute i could see snow on the mountains that are about 30 minutes north of here. crazy. i went hiking in the rain and mud today for a little bit just to get dirty. it was well worth ruining my shoes.

guest blogger.
the cuz decided he wants to put a blog together and guest post sometime soon. this should be some comedy. if you have any ideas on topics he should cover please comment back.

swayed.
don't you hate it when you make up your mind to do something and the smallest thing persuades you not to follow through. i've been back and forth on a couple of things lately and it's starting to get on my nerves.

rainy day playlist.
my ipod is filled with different playlists for different occasions. today i put a huge day playlist together, so in honor of that i have my:
TOP TEN RAINY DAY SONGS:
10. Broken Drum - Beck
9. (tie ) Don't Know Why - Norah Jones & No Rain - Blind Melon
8. Blue in Green - Miles Davis
7. Sunshine - Matt Costa
6. Time Will Tell - Bob Marley
5. F-Stop Blues - Jack Johnson
4. The Three of Us - Ben Harper
3. I Wish it Would Rain - The Temptations
2. Yellow Ledbetter - Pearl Jam
1. Riders on the Storm - The Doors

feel free to comment back on your faves / additions i should make. i'm going to go sit on the porch and jam. one love, one heart.

1.24.2007

Cobra Commander: As of now your little project is deader than disco! Hmm..Deader than disco..I like that.. I would have made a great stand-up comedian

well, it's been a good few weeks. i got a lot of stuff taken care of, off my chest, yada yada yada... so on to the fun stuff.

wasted day.
i try and accomplish five major things every day. i get frustrated when i get in a 'not accomplishing stuff' mode. but yesterday i didn't get a single thing done that i wanted to. when i got here there was an older couple that i like to talk to that told me stories about growing up in the war era. the fun stuff no history book will ever give more than one line to. then i talked to my best friend here for a while which always makes for a great day. then i talked to some of my youth minister friends. then an older gentleman from church stopped by and i got to hear his stories from back in the day. then one of my kiddos stopped in and bought me a jamba juice. after that i got a call from one of our families with an invite to a home cooked meal. the parents left for a bible study and we ended up being locked out of the house for an hour. so we went and watched american idol and laughed for a solid hour. i didn't get a single thing on my list accomplished yesterday. awesome.

drawlings.
so i was cleaning out my apt the other day and came across a bunch of my old artwork. yikes. i started making fun of it then i realized that i was making fun of a third grader. it's bad enough when you make fun of yourself, but when you're making fun of a third grader's drawing skills you've crossed the line, even if you were the third grader.

american idol.
speaking of making fun of people, i have a new favorite show. the american idol auditions. oh man, why was i not watching this sooner. simon may be my favorite tv personality right now, because he says the things that first come to mind when you see and hear these people sing. the highlight so far is the guy he called out for looking like a woodland creature. i couldn't have said it better myself. even if you disagree with his opinion you have to give it up to him for speaking the truth. all this being said, i think i may try out for next year's auditions because the way i see it, there are three possible ways it could turn out.
option a) i do really terrible and get made fun of on national tv and am never asked to lead singing at church again. call this the 'it was just a joke' route.
option 2) i'm okay, but not bad enough to make the highlights reel. the 'no harm, no foul' route.
option c) i end up being pretty good and make it to the next rounds, which is by far the funniest thing that could happen.

speaking of music.
everyone always asks me what kind of music i listen to, so i'm going through and my itunes playlist and putting every type of music that pops up. this way, when people ask me this question in the future i can just refer them to this blog post. so here are the types of music i listen to in no particular order:
ska
reggae
punk
skate punk
pop punk
rap
alt rap
hip-hop
nu-school
rock
rock'n'roll
hard rock
soft rock
light rock
folk rock
classic rock
glam rock
southern rock
arena rock
indie rock
nerd rock
rock/pop
pop
adult contemporary
rocksteady
acappella
gospel
christian
hardcore
softcore
metal
metalcore
hair metal
death metal
screamo
emo
post hardcore
alternative
grung
indie
house
electronica
dub
techno
dance
trip-hop
oi
acoustic
post-punk
celt punk
mod
rockabilly
psychobilly
rat-pack
lounge
new-wave
80's
classical
oldies
surf
funk
college
soul
neo-soul
doo-wop
inspirational
r&b
afrobeat
primus* (gets its own genre)
jam bands
barbershop
folk
jazz
acid jazz
country
alt-country
texas country
outlaw country
hick-hop
jungle
blues
experimental
americana
comedy
swing
ragtime
bluegrass
industrial
raprock
rapmetal
altmetal
grindcore
ambient
spoken
word
worldbeat
world
tribal
tango
salsa
orchestral
shympohny
chick rock
polka
easy listening
jawaiian
revival
lo-fi
latin
holiday
dance
celtic
big band
and in an effort to be completely honest, showtunes.
if you notice there is no mention of disco in there. that was not an oversight.

FAQ
i guess since i knocked out the answer to one
frequently asked question, i should knock out a few
more.

"Why do you always wear black t-shirts and blue jeans?"
- i don't. i have some navy t-shirts and a few red ones as well. i do like to keep things simple though, and i really don't like to put a lot of thought into my clothes. that and i like johnny cash.

"Do you wear a hat every day?"
-only when i get a bad haircut.

"Did you really do that?"
-yes.

"Why don't you ever respond or leave me a message on myspace?"
-the only time i check myspace or facebook during office hours is when i'm looking in on what my kiddos are up to, or maybe for a few minutes at lunch. if i know i'm going to be at the office kinda late i might take a break for a while and do some personal stuff, but i typically get away from the computer whenever i can and check out the view from outside my office.

"Are you a republican?"
-no. (looking around to make sure no one is watching)

"How long have you had your sideburns?"
-very long.

"Why do you have a plastic Santa?"
-it reminds me of good times, and encourages me to always break out of my shell.

"Why are you still single?"
-i'll give you a list of female's phone numbers, you can call and ask them.

"What do you do all day?"
-pray, read, study, phone calls, study some more and then look for ways to put into action the things i've learned.

"What did you do last night?"
-called friends, ate dinner, watched tv, played guitar and drew for a while.

"Favorite person in the world?"
-the person i'm talking to at any given moment.

"Really?"
-veterans. they have the greatest stories.

"What made you want to become an artist?"
-my mom and dad always made sure i had plenty of pens and paper around. it's the only thing that i've always been good at.

"Favorite scripture?"
-Romans 12 1:1-2

"Most Awkward date"
-awkward for me was when she asked what we should name our kids after our first date (to the movies). awkward for her was when my date farted in my car.

"Your life goal?"
-this changes pretty frequently, but right now it's to create and listen to as many people's stories as possible.

"Funniest thing you've done lately?"
-i convinced a friend to dedicate his karaoke song to an old lady. had to be there.

"Why do you end every blog the same way?"
-i don't really know. if i had to guess i would say it's because i feel like i needed some sort of signoff. mine has meaning to me.

one love, one heart.

1.17.2007

No, you're not! Because I'm out there, and if I see you out there, there's not enough voltage in the universe to electroshock me back to coherence.

I wish i could start this off with some good news, but i digress. first things first. Adam Langford, a friend of mine who was a missionary in Africa, was killed today in a car wreck in Kenya. I'm sorry if this is how you have to hear about it first, but it's been on my mind pretty much all day. Adam was one of the cuz's best friends, and was pretty influential in convincing me to go to OC for college. It's amazing how someone you seem to so easily pass by for years can be a person that had such an amazing impact on your life. My hearts and prayers go out to the Langford family, all of whom are people that epitomize Christian living. one love.

On a much less serious note... in honor of the past few weeks here are the
TOP TEN THINGS YOU DON'T WANT TO HEAR FROM THE OPPOSITE SEX:
10. "is that a booger?"
9. "i know it's the playoffs, but there's a 'flip that house' marathon on tlc."
8. "you're paying... right?"
7. "it was the chair."
6. "who's your friend?"
5. "do you have one of those little thingy's to fix the thing here?"
4. "sorry about the turrets."
3. "actually, i was going to tell you.... ___________________ (cell phone cuts out)"
2. "let's be friends."
1. "you're like family."

(feel free to send in your least favorite lines, this could be fun.)

not all of those were actually directed at me, but you get the point. oh well, in a week of paying off tickets, taking the truck in to shop, looking for a house to rent, getting shot down, and cold weather this is what's making me laugh right now. that and i saw a guy on rollerblades the other day. that made me laugh too. oh yeah, and the rejects from first couple episodes of american idol, i laughed at that too.

more updates to come when there's more to update. one love, one heart.

1.09.2007

"give me hamm on five, hold the maio."

hola blogworld. i'll keep this short, quiet and with the light off because...

migraines are lame. i have one today. i had one yesterday. saturday i could barely move. i'm beginning to question exactly how opposed i am to going to the doctor. the thing that keeps me hanging on to my stubbornness is that a doctor bill is probably only going to add to my headache, so in order to truly feel better i am not going to the doctor. how's that for some logic. don't think on that too hard or you too might get a headache. but for now i'm going to pretend i enjoy everyone sounding like the teacher from charlie brown.

subway.
i've been eating lunch at home every day for the past few weeks in my effort to save a few bucks on food. but today, i passed a subway and couldn't resist the temptation. (by the way jan 9th is the day that researchers say 78% of new years resolutions are broken.) anyways, i realized what i miss most about eating out is the people watching. i'm in line waiting for the goodness that is the cold cut combo and i just kind of observed for a while. the guy in front of me was really self concious. he was pretty overweight and kept looking around nervously, then he kept making jokes wether someone was listening or not. i kind of nodded to let him know i heard on several occasions when it was obvious that no one else was paying attention. i felt bad for the guy because it was obvious that he didn't carry a lot of respect from his co-workers. then there was the guy who kept talking about how great he was as the office ladies man, if i had to guess, it's a small office. but the person i think that was the most interesting to me was the older guy in line. he was wearing a dress shirt, but it wasn't an 'impress me' dress shirt like the other guys. this was more of an on-sale dress shirt that someone wears when they care more about raising kids than looking stylish at the office. he was also the only guy in front of me to leave a tip in the jar. the thing i noticed about him the most though was his politeness, he was very soft spoken and said please and thank you to all of the employees that helped him. and despite it being pretty loud, he never really raised his voice. people like that are cool, and make it fun to people watch.

magnificent seven.
this movie is quickly climbing up my favorite movie list. easily one of the best western movies of all time. last week in class we were talking about this line from the movie that really stands out to me. in the story a small mexican village hires a group of gunmen to defend them against a mob that plunders their town every few months. anyways, a group of the town boys are talking to one of the gunmen about how much braver he is than their fathers. he replies that it takes a lot more courage to work hard day in, and day out under the thumb of responsibility to family, and he doesn't even have that kind of courage. the reason i brought that up is i think we discount the day to day. for example, we had a missionary preach here not too long ago and he kept hyping up how great it was to be a missionary and how much dedication it took. not to knock missionaries, but i think it might be just as tough, if not tougher working in the domestic mission field. and by domestic i mean the home. if you can raise your kids in the church here in socal then you deserve a medal. i think its a difference between a sprint and a marathon. both have their merits, but there's a lot that goes unsaid about 'just raising kids'. i think back to one of my friends that used to be a missionary for the homeless. he said, "i have it easy. the people i work with have nowhere to go but to Christ. you guys have to deal with people that are content where they are." i'm bringing this up for several reasons. 1. i have nothing but respect for my kids that keep the faith every day at school. i never could and i'm supposed to teach them. odd. 2. we have a parent appreciation dinner coming up and i'm doing inventory on the parents of my youth group. out here it takes two incomes to get by, and sometimes i forget the stress that brings to life. 3. i skipped the pepperdine preacher's luncheon today because i couldn't stomach listening to a bunch of guys talk about how many degrees they had or what book they were working on. so be sure to support your missionaries, but also be sure to remember the day to day missionary.

social distortion.
one of my favorite bands. i've been listening to this song over and over lately. take a break, head over to itunes download 'angel's wings' and read along.

You say you're down on your luck
Hey baby, its a long, long way up
Hold back now, hold back your fears
You say you're really down and out
And you feel like there's no way out now
Let go now, let go of your tears some more

How many times have you asked yourself
Is this the hand of fate that I've been dealt?
You're so disillusioned this can't be real
And you can't stand now the way you feel
I don't care about what they say
I won't live or die that way
Tired of figuring out things on my own
Angel's wings won't you carry me home

You say you're down on your luck
Hey baby, its a long, long way up
Hold back now, hold back your fears
You say you're really down and out
And you feel like there's no way out now
Let go now, let go of your tears some more

I triumphed in the face of adversity
And I became the man I never thought I'd be
And now my biggest challenge, a thing called love
I guess I'm not as tough as I thought I was
I don't care about what they say
I'm gonna marry you some day
Go ahead and wake up, its a brand new day
Angel's wings gonna carry you away
Angel's wings gonna carry me away
Angel's wings gonna carry us away

You say you're down on your luck
Hey baby, its a long, long way up
Hold back now, hold back your fears
You say you're really down and out
And you feel like there's no way out now
Let go now, let go of your tears some more
Angel's wings gonna carry you away
Angel's wings gonna carry me away
Angel's wings gonna carry us away


one love, one heart.

1.02.2007

"Clark, I wanna get you something... real nice."

just a short blog this week. more of a 'look back and see what was going on' kind of entry this time.

dec.25
christmas was a blast. mi madre and mi hermana came out to visit and we spent a week cramped in our small apartment being all christmas-like. me and the cuz went overboard with decorations (read three truck fulls for one apartment) but our place was def festive for the fam. we spent a couple of days touring around l.a. and santa barbara and just kinda chilled for the most part. christmas day was pretty sweet too, after the whole presents thing we drove up to my uncle's cabin and spent the night in wrightwood. after that we drove down to san diego and mom and i toured around for a while which was fun. all in all, it was a good week.

score.
i typically get ripped off for christmas, but this year def bucked the trend. a new stereo system for my truck, a leather jacket, thp8, and cash made for a good christmas morning.

home.
me and the cuz decided to add on a roommate, so as of yesterday a-list is officially added to the apt roster, except now we're looking for a house to rent. oh, the joys of socal housing. more to come soon... hopefully.

switchfoot.
get the new album, 'Oh! Gravity.' take a break right now and go to itunes. 'american dream' is the early frontrunner for favorite song.

to do list.
one of the things that i'm really trying to focus on this year is keeping a running to-do list. here's what i have so far (in no particular order):

clean my room
finishing painting my snowboard
find house to rent
clean truck
smog check for truck
fuel pump for truck
youth group website finished
personal site up and running
redo personal budget (prob after a new house is found)
get a haircut
build a new desk
put up molding around office
put electric guitar back together
new risers for my skateboard
get snowboard tuned
buy season pass to mtn high
organize files at work
get rid of old clothes
find digital camera (prob after room is cleaned)
ask out chica at the sushi place
return borrowed tools

i think 20 is enough for now. we'll see what the timetable for this list becomes.

bowl.
so we watched all three major bowl games on yesterday (which is why there are 20 things on my to do list, and why my eyes are glazed over) making for the end of one of the greatest seasons of college football i can remember. despite usc not being the championship, i was still stoked they beat michigan in the rose bowl. but nothing compares to boise state's ot win over oklahoma. i'm a big fan of underdog stories and boise state def takes the cake for this year's best.

italy.
one of my good friends from back in the day called me the other day and told me he's getting married in september of 08. so it looks like i have an excuse to save up and head over to italy next september. i can't wait. there's already a fund set up to save for the trip. get ready rome, here i come.

well, that's all i've got for right now, nothing to amusing or crazy, just trying to get back in the habit of writing more often. happy new year to all. one love, one heart.