3.14.2007

Did I ever tell you about the time I invented snowboarding? Ya I don't want credit for it but they keep on giving it to me...

the long awaited...
i know it's been a while since the last post, which is a good thing i guess. i would much rather be doing things to write about rather than trying to write about things i would like to do. all in all the past month has been one that is going to be tough to forget. i was at my own apt for only 12 of the 28 nights of february, which has def made me appreciate my own bed, and the sound that my recliner makes when i kick the footrest up. i guess the best lyric to sum up the month would come from a social distortion song; 'life goes by so fast/you only want to do what you feel is right/close your eyes and it's passed/story of my life'.

off the market.
as of a few weeks ago i started talking to a certain ladyfriend of mine at the urging of one of my favorite people in the world. with a few exceptions, every night since has ended on the phone with her. needless to say, its been a good month. it's long distance thing yes, but at this point in time we're more focused on making things work, rather than focusing on the obstacles. i know i've been very open about stuff like this in the past, and i could go on for pages with the mushy stuff that you are probably more interested in reading, but i digress. that's for us. just us. i guess there are some things i just don't feel like sharing with the world. it's kind of like one of those moments where you see a gorgeous sunset and you kind of want to keep the special moment to yourself.

snowboarding.
our third annual youth minister's retreat held a snowboarding first for me, i actually hit up a few blue diamond runs on snow summit. man, i love snowboarding. i'm actually at that point where i wouldn't feel bad spending money on getting a better board and bindings. don't get me wrong, i'm not landing any jumps any time soon, but i def can make it down the mtn without falling now. this is a big deal for me, because i remember staring at the very same hill a few years ago and thinking there was no way i would ever be able to hit up these hills, and that was just the end part of the run that i now cruise down in a matter of a few seconds. i still have to get the whole 's curves' thing down without my board getting squirrely and causing a faceplant, but other than that i'm hooked all over again. i also have to give props to dantheman for getting back out there on the mtn and taking it easy this year boarding. i know that might send shivers up your spine if you remember the spleen incident from last year, but i can tell you with full assurance that dantheman took it easy this year. no wrecks.

the wreck.
speaking of wrecks ( i love a good segue). i learned that chevy tahoes do no make good ice skaters. we were coming down the mtn and hit a crazy patch of ice and decided to spin out down hwy 330. we took out a couple of guardrail posts and had to get a snowplow to pull the front bumper apart so we could move my wheels, fortunately though, no one was hurt. we did however stop traffic in both directions for about 45 minutes while we were trying to move my truck. needless to say, i was a bit shook up, but these little brushes with guard rails help put things in perspective on a much grander scale. i am getting to that place where i'm almost glad that it happened, not that i plan on taking my truck skating again. the worst part of the whole deal is that i have to drive a white dodge neon rental car around until i get my truck back.

kung fu.
i know this comes as a result of watching old kung fu movies whenever i'm doing stuff around the apt, but lately i've had the overwhelming urge to take karate lessons at the dojo across the street from my apt. i really want to improve my balance and i can't imagine it would hurt to work on my physical disciplines, but more than anything i think i just want to be one of those guys that knows karate.

spring/warm weather.
it's getting nicer out every day. i love it. i may actually get some sun on my skin soon. as much as i was enjoying the rain over the past few months, the joys of wearing shorts to work completely reigns over having to bundle up in a hoodie and jeans. i do appreciate the wet months though, everything around here is starting to get green again which makes for some great afternoon hikes. combine that with the time change and more sun in the afternoons and i'm in a great mood today.

27.
then i remember that i'm turning 27 in a few months. even though my birthday is in may, march is the time of year where i start thinking about how old i am. it's all because of college basketball. i remember the time when the guys on tv were these great giants that i looked up to during march madness. then when i was in college i was kinda weirded out because the guys playing in the national spotlight were my age. now i look at these guys who are five, six, seven, (gasp) eight years younger than me and i keep thinking that these guys are young enough that i could have had them in a youth group somewhere. weird.

songs.
along with the shift in weather comes a shift in music that i listen to. the winter is the time where i rock the jazzy hip hop or ska stuff, a bunch of acoustic stuff, and the classic alt rock stuff like beck, and the pixies. pretty mellow for the most part. but as soon as the sun hits and the temperature rises, i can almost here the guitars cranking up and the bass booming in my head. my spring cleaning involves dusting off my punk records and anything else that can be heard over the sound of the freeway as i'm driving with my windows down the 101. i call it 'get up and go' music. at least that's the name of the playlist on my ipod. so in honor of the songs/albums i'm dusting off this week here is my

TOP TEN 2007 SPRING CLEANING PLAYLIST:
10. Andrew W.K. - She is Beautiful
9. Operation Ivy - Sound System
8. Mighty Mighty Bosstones - Someday I suppose
7. (tie) NOFX - Whatever Didi Wants / Onyx - Slam
6. Outkast - Rosa Parks
5. Rancid - Roots Radicals
4. Steppenwolf - Magic Carpet Ride
3. Beastie Boys - So What'cha Want
2. Sublime - We're Only Gonna
1. Fishbone - Party at Ground Zero

wii.
as much fun as it is to play, i think we're getting punk'd by japan. if you have any doubts, watch somebody play a game using the controllers.

new shoes.
i'm not much of a shoe freak, but i do love getting a new pair of shoes. my old ones got a bunch of snow in them and never fully recovered. so now i got some fresh kicks. i think they make me run faster too.

the fro.
we're doing the gpa challenge again here with the kiddos where i grow my hair out the entire semester and the kiddos try and get a 3.0 gpa for the semester as a group. if they win, then they get to do whatever they want to my hair and i have to wear it for a week. it's already getting pretty huge though, this should be pretty interesting. i'm already getting john c. reily comments so we'll see how long i can stand it.

nelson mandela.
i got a book of quotes the other day and i found this nelson mandela quote that i really liked:
"We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just some of us, it's in every one. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same."

baseball.
i'm already jonesing for opening day. the joy of waking up to sportscenter airing baseball spring training highlights has me pumped for another baseball season. i can't wait to get to a game and throw down a coke and a dog, watch the game under the socal sun, and make fun of dodger fans for yet another year. this season i don't have my hopes too high for either one of my teams (the astros and the yankees) so i'm doing the whole fantasy baseball thing to keep me glued to more games. and... there's word of a potential baseball trip this season. more details as they become available.

merry christmas madness 3 highlights.
are all on youtube. check out http://youtube.com/profile_videos?user=braddahdj

well, i'm going to go soak up the sun. one love, one heart.