there is nothing that one can do to change what happened yesterday. the choices that one made only lead to the situations one will encounter tomorrow. i can't change the past, but i can do my best and look forward towards tomorrow.
So I spent about $400.00 today. I BETTER get paid. I just went ahead and made the decision that I will file with Workforce Development if I don't get paid. So at least the government will get nasty for me.
I spent $285 on the coaching class, $30 on two hats, and $25 on athletic tape for the class. Yikes. I'll spend another $20 tonight at the bars so that pretty much does it. Not to mention dinner last night wasn't cheap.
I got an email from my boss reassuring me that "I don't have the money now, but I will find a way to pay you." Message. Yeah, yeah. I don't think I believe it. I'm going to let the dust settle a bit before I file with the government.
This has probably been the most miserable job I've had. I applied for another one at work today, and I have an interview tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully it will go well. I will let y'all know how it goes!
Coaching class tomorrow. Hooray. 5:00-10:30. Boo. But I can hit the bars up after that ;-P. Then back at it at 8:00 in the morning. Fun stuff, and probably the bars again on Saturday. Sunday will be another challenge. I need to call Dan.
I'll probably deliver a drunk message later tonight (early tomorrow).
This is a picture of the Chocolaty Caramel Thumbprints. I just forgot to upload it so I'm sticking it at the top. Read on if you're confused :).
Okay. So I didn't crash the corvette. Oh em gee that thing is fun to drive. I can't believe it. I love that car. Zomga. Wow. Okay besides that the night was wonderful!
Aaron was nice too; I'm glad I have a brother like him. He was willing to wait at home until I could get the car back. He was doing laundry while I was out on the date.
She was really surprised when we were walking out to the car. It was funny, "No way." Okay so I did a decent job tonight. All her friends liked my cookies. Sometimes I wonder if I'm doing too much. It is just what I normally do. I guess it might be a little too much, but I think it is fine.
We showed up eight minutes early to dinner. So we got to sit at the bar for a bit. I don't think I mentioned where we went. We went to Three Samurai. I saw some people from high school there. Naomi and Jane Ebot I think. I didn't say, "Hi" because I was driving in the car and they were in the parking lot.
Our cook was fantastic. It was so much fun, and the food was awesome. I think it might be my new favorite place. I had Rib-eye and Lobster, and my date had Rib-eye and chicken. I like the "A1-Japanese Sauce" (what our chef called it). He had a really good sense of humor. He made me crack an egg; I couldn't do it! But I was able to catch the broccoli in my mouth.
The soup I had was yum. Oh, and everything was just so good. It was totally worth the money that I spent. Every penny. Afterwords we went back to her place, and her friends played Cranium. It was a really close game. I like her friends. They're a lot more mature than what I am used to, and I really like it. I haven't seemed to cause any problems yet. Hopefully that will continue.
I'm just really a nice guy. Like I said earlier someone gives me a chance and I'll treat her right.
So when I got home I checked myself out in the mirror. With my shirt off of course. I love my tattoo. I haven't shown it to her; I don't think it is something she needs to see unless she brings it up. I thought I looked really good. I liked how I looked before dinner to. My jeans don't fit anymore! I think the only thing really holding them up was the belt. I have lost so much weight this summer it is exciting.
Yet another late night. I'm kind of shitfaced right now. I'm not going to lie. I have to fucking get up in six hours and thirty minutes.
Tonight was good! The birthday was fun... I'm glad I went. I'll be going out again Friday and Saturday. Yowza!
I'm supposed to be taking that coaching class. I'm going to need some serious amounts of caffeine to get up for that. I think I had more options tonight. o.O
I am looking forward towards tonight!! It should be fun.
I just made a frozen pizza tonight because I figured I wouldn't need to cook for anything since I'll be having a fantastic dinner tomorrow night. I made reservations. I can't believe I made reservations. I've NEVER made reservations to go to a restaurant. O.K. I probably haven't been to a lot of restaurants that take reservations, but still.
I can't say where I'm going though because she wanted it to be a surprise. I asked her where she wanted to go, and she said she didn't know. I then asked if she wanted a surprise, and if any foods were a "no-no". So I then picked a place. I'm really excited.
I even asked my dad if I could borrow his car. What the hell is getting into me?! Well I do like driving that car, but I've only taken it around once. I'm kind of nervous about it, but I'm usually a careful driver so hopefully I will be okay.
I have to go back to the kitchen in a bit to finish cleaning stuff.
I'm going to a friend's birthday thing tonight too. I haven't been getting any sleep these days. I feel like a zombie, but I don't really have anything to do at work.
There is no way in hell I am going to be able to finish my project at work. I haven't received the parts to even start it. I asked for them back in late May and early June. What am I supposed to do? I am almost ready to just quit and go get a job where I can actually be around people. The pay cut would be worth it.
Well I think I'll decide after I get through this week. I need to talk to a few people and see what is going to happen. I guess I could just go to work and let my boss deal with everything when he gets back from China. I don't really see a point with any of it though. It feels like the whole thing is fiction.
Work is going to make me cry. It is a lot of money, but it totally isn't worth the stress. Not one bit.
Last night Nicole gave me crayons. It reminded me of Randy Pausch, and how he used to carry around a crayon so that when things got stressful you could just smell it, and it would take you back to your childhood. Back then things were so much easier. Honestly it is why I sleep with my teddy bear. It just reminds me when I was a kid. Maybe I just need a crayon too. I'm holding one right now. It is the pink one; carnation pink to be exact.
It smells good.
I look like someone who is "stark raving bat shit crazy" right now. My hair is a fucking mess, and I have bloodshot eyes.
I need to clean. Ben is coming this weekend. Should be fun. I have a lot going on this week too. Birthday party tomorrow night, Wednesday night will be a date-night, and probably Thursday and/or Friday with Dan and/or Ben.
The only thing is that I have to make it through the days. Which means making it through work.
Swing Dancing is over for the summer I think. The instructor wasn't back for tonight's lessons. Made things harder to bear. I want those to start again; it was so much fun.
(8:07:59 PM) Jarod: how was your day? (8:08:15 PM) : alright, but long (8:08:27 PM) : u? (8:08:31 PM) Jarod: yeah mine kind of sucked (8:08:37 PM) Jarod: except for this morning (8:08:49 PM) : what was good this morning (8:08:50 PM) : ? (8:09:00 PM) Jarod: you
I can't believe I am up this late on a weeknight. I'm such a dork (I need my b-e-a-u-t-y sleep). I'm glad I went; it was kind of sad to leave, but leaving was also one of the better parts of the night ;). Maybe I should just say morning.
I'm not going to write much because I should get to bed. Hope everyone has a great Monday. I just hope I don't miss the bus in the morning. Yikes!
I helped Liz and Jennifer move today. It was a good time. They called me when I was napping, and I almost didn't go. I did write on here that I would help if someone called so I went. It was fun, but also exhausting.
I worked on my Herky in the morning. I have a lot of painting left to do, but I am over halfway done. That feels good. I also got invited to a movie tonight by someone :). Exciting. I almost didn't go to that either, but I really am going because I'm interested.
I should probably shower so I don't smell like crap! Tomorrow is Monday. Ugh. I have a few questions that are really open right now in my life. I don't know the answers, but I would like to. I guess I will probably know within a few months. After the 25th I'll be a lot less stressed out about what I'm going to pursue as a career.
I am just kind of floating around in other aspects of my life right now too. It is really fun. I've met a lot of interesting people in the last month or two. I really can't wait until football starts. Wow.
Oh, and it was really ironic that the girl called me because I was going to ask her to dinner this week. I'm not sure where this is heading, but I guess it is worth a shot. It isn't like I have anything left to lose. Maybe my best will be good enough for her. I am sure my best is good enough for a lot of girls; it is just that some never give me the chance. She has so she is going to get all she deserves. If there is one thing that I've learned it is how to treat my lady. Making others happy makes me happy; especially when her face lights up with a huge smile.
Today Nanci didn't call me in the morning. I got up and started painting the Herky my dad and I cut out. I got the first coat done. I can put a picture up too! Nanci called me later telling me that we were going to move her at night. This worked fine since no one else called me.
I spent all day painting, and I even finished the wall! All the logos are done. This should make my brother's girlfriend happy. It only took a year to get them all done. Yeah I am that lazy. I am getting back into arts again. I have my next project planned if the spray paint works out right. I don't know if it will stick to glass or not. We shall see.
Nanci and her friend Kristen helped move out. Kristen isn't the biggest fan of me, and that is very understandable. It isn't anything that will stand between us because I don't think her and I will ever become that close. We're just two very different people. I also watched a few episodes of "The Office." I still don't see what people see in it. It is only okay for me. Sorry! Not really my thing.
I'm kind of sleepy right now. Here are the pictures of my Herky and the wall that finally has all the Big Ten logos on it.
I did laundry tonight. Got groceries too. My dad and I started to make a big Herky. I started painting it too. I'm glad I got to spend time with my dad tonight. Oh. I also made my mom cookies. I took them to her at work this afternoon.
The rest of the dough is in the freezer. I'll use it again sometime. I put it in a Cool Whip tub. Works well for that kind of thing. I am full. I ordered Pizza Hut because I didn't really want to cook. I had 4 pieces. I should have only had two, but man I don't know why I got 2 larges and breadsticks. I'm an airhead sometimes.
When I was making cookies I got to thinking about how I want to have kids someday. I think that if I don't find a woman to have them with I will adopt a boy and a girl. I really want to be a dad. I was making cookies, and I was like damn. I need someone to lick the beaters for me. I just knew at that moment if I had two kids each could have one.
Later when my dad and I were working on the Herky I really felt like I wanted a son or daughter to teach something to. It would be fun. Plus adoption would be a good thing. Help someone else out as well as having two wonderful balls of joy to love. I'd be a great dad. Oh, and another reason I want a girl is so I can carry her pink princess backpack.
Shoes. I got new ones today. Fin and Feather was having a sale. Got some new North Face shoes. Gore-Tex of course. Only kind of shoes I'll buy anymore. They aren't orange this time. I love my last two pairs of orange shoes. The orange ones didn't really fit that well; so I went with these blue and yellow ones. Spiffy. Maybe I'll take a picture of them tomorrow and post them.
So. I have to help Nanci move tomorrow morning. I best be getting to bed. I already lotionized my tattoo for the evening. I have had it for a week now! It is amazing. It has been itching more lately. I wish it would just finish peeling and heal. I probably have another week or two until it is done. I can't wait!
I can't believe it is already 1:00. My tattoo is really itching now. I'll put lotion on it in a bit. I was pretty non-functional last night. Reading my post; wow. I had a good time! I didn't have a headache either.
The martini's were really good! Graze is nice. I like the place. It doesn't have the kick ass music that the PL does, but still it is a nice retro place, and the waitress knows Dan.
I had some stuff to do, but I am back now. I am going to spend the afternoon cleaning and getting things looking nice. I figure it has been awhile since I cleaned my closet. It might not be a bad thing to do since we have an extra dumpster right now due to all the movers.
I kind of want to make cookies too. I think if I do I will freeze half of the dough. I always make a lot, and then end up not eating all of them. Then I could cheat and just pull out the dough next time.
Yeah, I am kind of surprised about what happened today. I have some ideas about what I want to do if no one contacts me to get help moving. I want to do laundry tonight. I don't think going out tonight is a good idea if I have to help Nanci at "the butt crack of dawn."
I am starting to not fit my shorts. They're almost you must wear a belt size. Too bad I don't have my old ones anymore. I got rid of them awhile ago.
That is what I am. I had a lot to drink tonight. I still need to put lotion on my tattoo. The spell check on this sis going to be a nightmare. I don't htink I will even do it. I know I am typing horribly.
Who cares. I dthink I drunk dialed everyone on my phones except for my parents and boss. Well, I left off a few people. I didn't know if I should dial them because I might be interssted or something like that.
Tonight I was wasted at like 1`0:30. I had Sour Apple, Caramel Apple, Lady something, Lemon Drop, Pink Lemonadini, and a glass of champagne. Wow that was all before 11:00. Everyone liked my bow tie sand elephants. I can fold theleephatn from memory now. I am totally wasted. Fuck. This typing shit is ard. I am happy though. A month ago I would havbe been ready to kill myself. Not anymore. I have some left, but I am not needing it to feel happy.
Why did I do this to my body tonight? Well well well. I feel like the Taco Bell I had is running right through me now. If anyone needs hlep moving this weekend call me; I'll be doing nothing Saturday afternoon and probably Sunday as well. I'm helping a friend move in the morning on Saturday, but whatever else is game. I am not lying either.
Man. I am going to drink a glass of hydrogen hydroxide and go to bed. I was the first to wish Jen a happy birthday! Hopefully she notices that I care. In a non-sexual way of course! I'm a good friend.
Well. I had a good night. We'll see about the morning. I'm too lazy to spell check this. I know I made errors. I did the best I could to retype the ones I caught.
The above picture is of my "Wish Board." I put on it all the things that I want. There are also a few misc. things up there too that I just have as reminders. It sits above my computer, but I wanted to go ahead and explain the things that I've put on it.
I'll start with the bottom right and work my way around. The panel has the Tattoo Aftercare flyer. I want my tattoo to look good, and this helps remind me that I need to take care of it. Before the tattoo was up there. I got the tattoo; therefore I took down the bear picture and replaced it with something else I want in my life. Right now the things on the board are generic. The other two pictures are because I want to be with someone. The one below the tattoo aftercare shows intimacy, and the other one is just well; maybe a fantasy. I'm not a whore! I don't have one night stands, and sex actually means something to me. I want it to mean something!
Moving clockwise; I have a picture of a graduate. I really want to graduate this year. I will be able to do it if I focus. There is also a coach. I want to coach Junior High Football. I sent in my application Tuesday; hopefully I'll get the job. The other is a dentist. I really want to become one, and while I haven't been doing my best to study it reminds me to focus. The last picture relates to sex/relationships again. Yeah, it is up there a lot. I don't need to be with someone to make me happy, but I think making others makes me happy. I like to care for others. An example is when my ex would go out with me I'd get up early and make her breakfast while she was hungover sleeping in my bed. I'd go wake her up. I may have wanted to sleep longer, but seeing the smile on her face really made me feel special. That is just an example of the many things that I love doing that I really miss doing. They'll be another; it just is going to take time! I realize that, but if I deny wanting it it could go unnoticed.
Moving up. Reciepts from my credit card. Just to keep track so I don't spend too much. Friends on the beach. I've really neglected friends in the past. I've done an amazing job this summer, and I'm going to keep it up. It is so much fun. Sex again. Yep. I'll just say sex, but really it is a relationship. Sex will come if she is special enough. A big smiley face! Okay so I was really depressed two months ago. I'll keep it up there even though I'm happy because who doesn't want to be happy? I do!
The last panel has a dog. Lab to be specific. I really want a dog, and I want to name her bear. Yes, I love bears. Got a problem with that? There really is more to the bear than meets the eye. The last two relate to my weight. I want to be 155 again like I was in high school. I was pretty damn sexy back then, and I want to get back there. I've lost over 15 lbs. this summer, and I'm down to 174 this morning from 192. That is impressive. I'm going to keep it up until I look good again. I'm doing it the right way, too. It feels better when people comment on my weight. I can't wait to go back to school and have people see me. Also the purple notecard is bands I want to get music from. The blue note is a gift from Nanci for my birthday; I think I'll use it Saturday for dinner. The last receipt is books I have checked out from the ICPL. That pretty much rounds out the board.
I just wanted to write about it, and I finally had time. I'll update when things happen, and when I add new things.
Moving on... I organized my files today. These are the envelopes from all the bank statements that I hadn't opened. I use online banking, but I just wanted to get this stuff organized. Yes I felt like a bad person for not opening them. Oh well. I'll try to keep organized now.
Here is my shrine. This is where I spend most of my night studying/browsing the web. I love my dual monitors and sound system. I'm kind of a music whore too. I like listening to lots of music. Right now I've found a new band I LOVE. Cardinal Trait. They're a lot like July for Kings. I can't find a good YouTube of them either so I think I'll just have to wait to share them. You can download them on Ruckus though. So if you're interested go do that. I'm not sure if Spiral Frog has them or not. So I'm "pregaming" now. I'm going to the Piano Lounge with Dan. I think I wrote that yesterday so I won't bore anyone with anymore details. Time to post this baby!
Just woke up from a 2 hour nap. That pretty much means that I'm not going to be able to sleep this evening. Whoops. It was wonderful though. My boss was able to connect to my work computer today from China. That should make him happy.
The last parts should be arriving tomorrow; hopefully everything I've put together will work. I'm a little worried that the capacitors that I chose are a little large. Well one of them. I guess I could drop down to the tiny ones. Then I just might have to add a few more resistors. The values are okay for what I want. I have a cutoff around .78 Hz and 3.34 Hz right now I think. I can't remember the exact values, but they're around there.
Work was very productive today. I wonder if it was because I saw Batman the other night. I still feel like I'm about to keel over and die right now. Maybe I should just go to bed soon.
It is going to rain!! I am excited; except if the power goes out at work we could be in trouble. We don't have any surge protectors in the office, and my poor little laptop is sitting in there. It would be nice if I had my other computer. Then I could set it up, and I wouldn't have to worry about it.
I payed my first Credit Card bill today. It was good to get that first one out of the way; now I'll actually have some credit. I haven't gotten my bill for the bed yet. I wonder when the hell they're going to send that out. It has been awhile since they delivered it. I'd like to pay that too, but it would be best if it came in August after I got paid. I had to buy $353 worth of tickets for the Illinois vs. Iowa game. I'll get all but my ticket back, but it still is a chunk right now. Maybe it is a good thing; then I won't spend that money.
I need to organize my file cabinets too. :-/ I've been meaning to do that for awhile. Tomorrow night is exciting! Dan and I are going to go have a lot of martini's. We haven't talked in two weeks now so it should be fun to catch up. He always has great stories. I love the one about the girl that he met with the mustache. That one is killer.
Do I have anything else to say? Oh! My tattoo is almost done flaking black stuff. The next step should be peeling like sunburn. It is healing really well. I can't wait till it is done healing. It already is amazing, but will be even more so when it is done. Plus if my weight loss continues I might actually be sexy again. Wouldn't that be something?
I just completely forgot. Today at work the other lady and I were talking about the most depressing songs ever. Here are two she came up with:
Mary Hopkins, "Those Were The Days"
Barry McGuire, "Eve of Destruction"
Here are a few that I can remember, and I love these songs still. They're on my huge playlist along with a lot of other songs from High School. Millencolin was introduced to me by Miles, and Saves The Day by Kat (she was really into them, but she liked "Firefly" more than "At Your Funeral"). For the record my favorites Saves The Day songs are "As Your Ghost Takes Flight" and "Sell My Old Clothes, I'm Off to Heaven."
Millencolin, "The Ballad"
Saves The Day, "At Your Funeral"
So now that I've wasted more of your time, and mine. I'll re-post this.
Saw The Dark Knight this evening. It was good. Aaron and I went to it. There were some annoying kids sitting behind us, but they eventually quieted down. I was those annoying kids at one point. I can't really complain then I guess. I felt bad though because there was a person who had a disability and they were laughing at him. That person is no different than the rest of us. They made it to the movie just like I did. They wouldn't have come if they weren't able. There is NO difference beside the one that the kids constructed in their heads. Get over it!
It can be difficult for me to see things from other perspectives sometimes because I am a white male. I was born into the most "privileged" group in society. At the bar I'm allowed in because the dress code is about what the group that I am associated with deems to be "normal." I can walk down the streets without being profiled or given a stereotype. I don't know why I'm going down this road, but in my life things have just been handed to me. I feel like deleting this post and starting over, but that would only be avoiding the truth, and as we all know, "the truth is neither mean nor evil; it's just the truth."
I'm going to move on here. Sometimes when others act the way they do it upsets me.
I think for the first time I've actually felt like I'm living life. I think before I was just going through the motions. I never really felt like I had a choice in anything. I finally feel like I can do things now that I never knew I'd enjoy.
The tattoo means a lot to me to. There are so many meanings tied into it; I can't even begin to explain them all. If you want to know I would be glad to discuss them, but you're going to have to sit down with me in person. Not even my closest friends know all of the meanings. I think I'm going to name her. I'm not sure though; I love the name, but is naming my tattoo O.K.?
So I was down to 175 this morning. I lost a pound even after that eating festival this past weekend. Hmmm...
So if this post isn't already not flowing I'm going to change the subject again. Nanci called me after the movie asking me to help her move. I guess I'm doing that this weekend.
I'm not a big fan of the lyrics with the music on YouTube, but I'll go with this one tonight. Southcott, "Red Lights and Rooftops." They have really short songs, but I love the album.
Okay. The page finally loaded! Today was long. Yikes! Tomorrow I think I'm going to go see Batman. Okay. I have to do some math at work tomorrow. Not difficult math, but I have to pick out all my resistors and capacitors to make sure that the output is between 0-5 V. Bleh.
That should be oodles of fun. So Alison called me tonight. I was kind of surprised; it caught me off guard. So I can now share my "dirty little secret". I got a tattoo Friday. I really wanted it. I'll post a picture when I'm done writing this. I love it. They say they're addicting, but I don't think I'll get another one anytime soon.
The first thing everyone says to me is, "Did it hurt?" Well it wasn't the most comfortable thing in the world. I don't know if I could have taken more than 2 hours of it. It feels like a sweatbee pinching you at the worst. The artist likened it to an electric cat scratcher, but that sounds a lot worse. If you want to know what it feels like go get one! Only if you want it though.
Carly noticed it at Swing Dancing. I kind of felt awkward. She ran up and was like "A tattoo?" I guess it really surprised her. Well I do love it. I asked a girl to practice, but she said she was too busy. I just want someone to practice with. It wasn't really an advance at all, but I think she took it that way. I sometimes feel like we go through so much material I get confused. I don't pick up that fast either! I love doing it though, and I really want to become great at it.
I am hot and sweaty now. Bleh. I have to go clean my tattoo and put lotion on it. Last lotion of the night. It kind of sucks walking into the bathroom at work with a bottle of lotion. Ha! Just kidding. I wash it in the bathroom, and then walk back to the office and apply lotion. At least I have Batman to look forward to tomorrow.
Oh, and I'm sending in my coaching application. Exciting!
Today I woke up at 8:30 feeling beer feeling. Not hung over, but just that kind of like strain in the muscles. I did get a workout lifting all of Matt's stuff which was good, but I ate way too much fast food this weekend. It was not good. I had Wendy's twice, Culver's once, Chili's, and then the Airliner today.
I've definitely seen it on the scale too. It is kind of upsetting, but I don't know how much of it will stick. We shall see I guess. I am not really hungry at all either. Today was good. We had lunch with one of Matt's TAs. He is from Greece, it kind of made me want to go to Greece. He is a cool guy. I am looking forward to hanging out with him more.
Matt and I moved a few odds and ends into his place today. Just cleaning stuff he had from cleaning out his old place this morning. It was good to do that because we got to throw some things around.
Okay. I changed my desktop today. I can't stop starring at her. Same girl different pose. She is a porn star, but she is fully covered in all my backgrounds. I'm not that dirty. Blonde of course; although that isn't a requirement. There are very beautiful brunettes, redheads, etc. out there. I know of one I am interested in now. Matt and I kind of joke because I like the blondes and he likes the brunettes.
I got a message from Steve today. I sent him a picture, and he said his wife said, "Wow, Jarod has grown up." I can't believe how amazing this weekend was. I'm going to try to continue it and roll it into Monday, but work might be kind of a drag. So goes the saying for which this post is titled.
It all started Friday. The chains have been broken. I finally did something for myself! I just can't explain how good it feels. I still care about others a lot, and I'll go above and beyond to make sure they're cared for.
I'm still a little disappointed about the one girl; I thought something might become of it, but she probably isn't worth any more than friendship from the way I feel I am being treated now. She is a cool girl, but I think I'm just going to have to "let the chips fall where they may."
I am also more excited about someone else now. Even if it doesn't amount to more than a friendship; I'm still really excited!
I'm going to start to write this, but I am going to run to the bathroom quick. I had a bit to drink tonight! I threw up about 10:00 because I ate too much for dinner. I continued drinking; no one thought I'd be able to hold it down. Fuck that. Throwing up is not that bad. I did it all the time in high school. It isn't like I was fucking miserable or anything. You just chuck it up and keep going. Anyways I gotta piss, and take care of my teeth and other shit. I'll be right back.
Okay I made it back. That was only 11 minutes. Not bad for being drunk. I'm typing really well too! Matt didn't like my mouse today. Anyways today I helped Matt move all his stuff out of his place, and into his other place. Yea it was fun. I am not going to lie about it. Tonight we just hung out and played some drinking games. Afterwards we went to the FH. I ran into Rachel there. She was smoking as usual. She is a really nice girl; we talked for quite awhile, but I don't know if she is interested. Frankly I'm really attracted to her; I can't lie about that. I just went about things incorrectly tonight. Don't wish I could have it back, but man I fucked up.
Did I mention Rachel knows how to do some dollar bill origami?!? I showed her how to fold a Bow Tie, she only knows the ring. It was pretty sweet. I have NEVER met someone who can do it as well. I should whip out the elephant next time. That part really made my night. Oh how amazingly beautiful and fun to talk to she is.
I am having a fucking amazing weekend. Wow. Tomorrow Airliner. $1.50 slices FTW. I'll probably help Matt finish moving his books too or something.
The swelling has gone down. I still have a scab from when I tackled Matt's brother though. It should be gone by the end of the week. Anyways I'm heading to bed. Good night.
Oh, and I figured out who the friend is from New York. I finally just spent about 30 minutes on facebook and found who it was. It isn't who I thought it was though. I thought it was one of my engineering friends, but it isn't. It's cool though. I don't mind the person reading it; they're a good person, and I really respect her.
Tonight was fun! Aaron and I played some Guild Wars together for the first time in a few months. I haven't really played at all recently, but I asked him when I got home from my 2 o'clock if he wanted to do a Fissure run. He said yes, and we did it. It was good.
I've also been communicating with Kaer recently. He wants me to play WoW, but I don't think I need video games in my life like they used to be.
After Aaron and I got done I talked to Ben for a bit online. He sounded like he had a fun filled night planned. I'm glad he still gets to do what he enjoys while having the girl he does. I think that is a good sign for both of them.
Matt got here around 9:00 and we went too Wendy's, and then we drove back to his place and I started to help him pack all his stuff. We're moving it tomorrow morning/day. I just enjoyed talking to him again. Sounds like things are going well right now for him; which is a great thing.
Afterwards we went to the bar for a bit. Relaxed and had a cold one. Not much else to say but a good time. I am going to get up to help him get the Penske truck tomorrow. I'm going to throw on a shirt, turn my fan on, and head to bed. A furry friend awaits me.
Oh, did I mention I know some really shallow people. I'm not talking about the people who haven't returned my calls. They're not shallow at all. They're just busy. I'm talking about some of my Iowa City friends. I can't believe it right now. Maybe you should sit in my shoes for once. I'm not saying it is difficult compared to what most of the world goes through, because it isn't. I've lived a very fortunate life, and for this I'm thankful. But to judge me the way they are now is ridiculous. If you want to be my friend accept me for who I am, not who you want me to be. I guess I am just disappointed right now. I didn't know that revealing a simple thing about my life could be such a turn-off to our friendship. It isn't like I am coming out and confessing my life long love for anyone. The item in question is a personal choice made by me. Oh well, at least my close friends are happy for me.
Today was kind of bleh! I had to go into work since my boss emailed me at 1:00 AM saying that he wanted to talk on the phone. Ew. After the conversation I went home. It was something that could have been done over email. So it pretty much sounds like everyone else that is working with me currently is quitting or looking for a new job and then quitting.
Kind of depressing. I found out today that my boss doesn't have a great reputation with the University. Big surprise? Not really. I can't say he has a good reputation with me. All I know is that I better get paid or else he'll be hearing from Wages and Benefits.
I wasn't really nervous today. That was kind of interesting. I'm glad too. It also rained a bit today. That was relieving. A lot of things made me happy today. I saw Nanci in the computer lab too. That didn't make me happy. It is like she is avoiding me now two. I guess that makes three people.
It is just frustrating because she got upset with me for "not talking to her", and now I talk to her ONCE in this week and she doesn't want to talk or see me. That is what frustrates me. So do I forget about trying to talk to her? I think that would be kind of back where we were, and that upset her. I don't really know what to do. I guess I'll make it a once a week thing. I don't think I'll be going to Chicago with her anymore. So I'm going to take that off of my list. It kind of saddens me. I was hoping to do everything on that list. Oh well.
It just rained. It was a nice rain. It is supposed to again tomorrow. They're finally re-paving the street I live next to. It had so many pot holes after this horrid winter. I'm glad they're getting around to doing it.
I took the bottles back to Hy-Vee today and filled up the tank. The girl at the gas station gave me the discount without a receipt. She must have thought that the can return was a receipt. I didn't realize it until I looked at it later.
I also took my pillows back to Wal-Mart that didn't fit. Then I went to Wendy's :-P. Probably didn't need to go do that, but it was yummy. I'm kind of sleepy right now. I just need to gut it out so that I can get up tomorrow. I have some stuff to take care of before my 2 o'clock.
Not much else to say though. Pretty normal day. Tomorrow will make up for it though :-P.
Here are a few pictures I took that I meant to post. First two I meant to do in previous posts. The last two I took to write about, and I don't think I ever got around to writing about them.
I'm ready. All I can say :-P. My dirty little secret :-P. I had to listen to that song today.
I called Andy and Matt. Matt called me back. He has a date with a gorgeous girl. She is wow (not blonde though!). I had a Long Island again tonight. Well yum. I made it with Diet Dr. Pepper though since I ran out of Coke. It really had a hint of Dr. Pepper in it. Not sure I'd do it again. I think it is fine without the coke.
The ones at the bars aren't really that great. I think they only put around 1 oz of alcohol instead of 2 oz. Supposedly tomorrow I'm supposed to be going to the PL again. Doubt it will happen since Jennifer and Liz haven't said anything back yet. I'll message Liz here in a bit.
Work tomorrow will be interesting. I got halfway through a manual that is supposed to take 40 hours to complete today. Yeah. I think their estimate is wrong, but I'm happy I won't have to spend a whole week on it. Maybe I can get it done tomorrow, and then get down to business. It was kind of fun building the circuit and such.
I've tried calling/emailing both my friends that aren't really paying attention to me. I just want to be friends with both of them; nothing more. I don't really know how to get this across, but to steal a quote about the phone/email "It works both ways." I won't give up calling or writing once a week. Not for awhile anyways. I'll let it slide in a bit, and then they'll just have to ask for forgiveness when they are ready again. I'll give it to them. I'm not too picky, but they'll have to prove themselves as friends again.
I can't wait until Friday. I'm a little nervous, but it should go down okay. Matt is going to come up and if I don't have anything going on I'm gonna go help him get stuff ready to move.
I'm gonna finish my Diet Dr. Pepper and then get to reading some more of my book. The Corn Casserole that I made is amazing. It is perfect for a Midwestern/Farm dish. It was easy too. I burnt my finger on the steam from it in the microwave though. I think it will be okay. I kind of feel like an idiot about it, but we all have our moments. If that was mine for today it gets the stamp of approval.
I guess I'm just disappointed in my friend. I don't know why I was invited and expected to do things I didn't really want to do. I guess it is kind of fair, but I don't think one can compare the two situations.
Ah. What a relaxing evening. I got back from work, and then ate the rest of my favorite dish. Lemon Kalamata Chicken FTW. I did a little more blog browsing, and I found one that was interesting. It looks like she is just getting started, but some of the posts were very very interesting. It reminded me of my Inequality in Sport class that I took. I loved that class. I loved the paper that I got to write for it.
I am proud of that paper! I got a perfect on it, and everyone else was upset because she graded hard. I kind of felt like an over-achiever, and usually I'm not. I'm usually the one that hates the kid that put it all out there. I guess I just really enjoyed the class. Maybe the people that do really well in certain classes really enjoy them.
Back to my night. I went to WALL*E. It was good! I find movies that have little words in them interesting. It is great how much humans can communicate without even saying anything. It reminded me of the movie Will Smith was in. I am blanking on the name, but he is supposedly the last one on the Earth. I'm going to go look it up. It just came to me; I am Legend. That movie was primarily "unspoken" for a large portion.
Today felt like Wednesday at work. Tomorrow really is Wednesday. Yikes. I like how WALL*E pointed out things about American society. All of the trash piling up and the fat people. Normally I don't really watch movies for the literary qualities (or themes), but there were quite a few in this movie that were hard not to notice.
At one point I felt like I could relate to WALL*E because of all the things he did for EVE. I hope it didn't show at all during the movie. I think what happened is exactly what will happen to me, but I don't think that anything will spark me to remember. I'll just go back to compacting the trash and making cubes. Hope I didn't spoil the movie for anyone who hasn't seen it. Just think about Jarod as WALL*E when you watch it. You'll get the big picture. I'm no hero; that isn't what it is about, and "No." I am not asking for anyone to feel sorry. It is life, and I did my best.
I've started to begin to (wow if that isn't repetitive) plan my August. I think I'm going to the Badlands (alone or with someone else I'm going). I was looking at the state park etc. before I left work. I've got a lot going on, and I really need to explain it all sometime. I'll leave that to talk about as the stuff happens.
Tomorrow I'm cooking. I'm excited. I'm going to make Chicken Alfredo, and a Corn Casserole of some sort. They're from the book I checked out from the Library. The rest of this week is going to be exciting. Tonight was kick-ass. I might go read now; it doesn't look like anyone is online to chat with.
Made it through Monday. This morning was productive, but I had to come home and wait for a service guy to come this afternoon. It was kind of boring. I need to get a 9V DC battery for work. I think I'll do that sometime tomorrow.
Swing dancing lessons were fun. I did really well tonight. I even danced well with the girl that made me nervous last time! There were a few new faces there tonight, and they were really nice. I'm kind of sad that lessons are going to be over soon. I am really enjoying them. I guess it will be something to look forward to in the fall. I'm sure I will be able to fill the time with something else.
So I am interested in seeing what will happen with the Brett Favre situation. I hope he comes back; I do! Oh how I love the Packers. I was looking for a commercial that I saw at Matt's house on YouTube, but I can't find it. It is good. I can't find it. It is new, and probably isn't on the internet yet.
I'm still kind of interested in who in the New York area is reading my blog :). I know you came from facebook! I have an idea of a few of the people I know who are there for the summer. I guess you're either really bored, or I'm interesting to you.
Today I was not in a very good mood. I watched "I Walk the Line." on FOX though. I felt like I could relate to some parts of it. I guess there are those people who have dealt with certain things, and those people will understand. Then there are those who haven't, and have no clue what a person who has is going through.
I guess I've done things that probably haven't been the best for my body, but I just needed to do them. I don't see how it is any different than alcohol. Anyways the movie was great, and now I know that I'm not the only person that has gone through something like what he went through. I didn't go through it to the same extent, but I don't think anyone but me knows exactly all that happened. I think it is going to stay that way as well. There are some things that are better left unsaid.
I liked the song in the movie, "It Ain't Me Babe." The duet was good. I can't say how much I liked the movie. It was spectacular. Here is the song:
One more thing I wanted to address before I hit the hay. I kind of feel like I have a few friends that I haven't talked to in awhile, and I really feel like I don't know who they are anymore. I know I've distanced myself from people, and I've come back to some; others I have been afraid of being accepted again. I am kind of wondering what these people think of me right now. I wonder if they think they still know me. I've changed a lot in the last few months. A lot. I don't know if they'll wonder "what happened to him" or not. I guess I've tried to keep in touch, an I will keep trying, but I'm not sure if they'll have the time for me.
I guess we all prioritize our lives by how much time we give things. It becomes obvious at some point, but I know for a fact that the priorities are always changing, and I guess I'll just have to wait and see what happens with these friends.
Also, the bars were really nice the last few nights. No smoking FTW!
So maybe my 3 am post would have been better an hour from now :). Tonight was fun! I went over to my friend's place and met all of her friends. I even remember their names. Impressive. I didn't get drunk tonight, but I did drink.
We went to the FH and I kind of got drug into dancing. Let me tell you it was interesting. I enjoyed it, but I've never really danced with a girl that was that drunk that liked me. It was a blast.
She ended up having to go home 45 minutes after we got there. She had a little too much, but afterwards I ran into a few friends and we went t Martini's and had a drink. I really enjoyed it, and I'm glad I ran into them.
I did feel bad because I left, and then I ran into Nidey and Shibata by Panchero's, and they ran into me again. I was supposed to be at home. I really was planning on going home, but I saw them and just popped in to say "Hi." I guess we can't control everything in life, but it isn't what it looked like.
I'm going to bed now. The spellchecks on Mozilla and Google have a conflict over "afterwards." One says it should be "afterwords." Which is right?
This afternoon was productive. I woke up at 1:30 :). My bed is amazing. O.o I had a good night's rest. After I woke up I showered, and then cleaned the dishes from the cake I made for my friend's birthday (which is today!).
I made Aaron the same cake. I think I would be better if I made the cakes again another time. They're good though. I had never made an ice cream cake before, and I guess my real cakes are "epic fail". I try though.
I also went to the Old Capital and sat for awhile. It was so nice and cool out. It was nice for a change. I went to the ICPL today to check out some books. I got two real books, and a cookbook (since I like cooking).
When Aaron and Lindsay got back from Lost Island we went to dinner for his birthday at Chili's. I had Chicken Crispers. They're really greasy, but this morning I was 177! Only five more pounds and I'll have lost twenty this summer. I think I'll keep losing weight for awhile; hopefully I'll get at least down to 160. 155 would be ideal, but I'm not going to force it. I guess when my abs start to show again I'll be happy. I've lost a lot of weight in that region, and people have noticed. I think it is always exciting when people ask if you've lost weight. I wonder what people will say at school.
I also bought a book at Target. I couldn't find the one I wanted, but I saw another that I haven't been able to get at ICPL. It is by David Sedaris. I wanted to get Augusten Bourrough's new one, but could not locate it. It was about twenty dollars, but I need a book I can just read to take my mind off of things. It will be a slow read, but the other books I got I need to read.
So I'm listening to Matchbox Twenty right now (hence 3 AM as the title). I like a lot of styles, but this just reminds me of elementary school. I can't believe that it was popular that long ago. It seems like it was just yesterday.
Anyways I'm gonna go get ready to go downtown for my friend's birthday; I owe her a shot or two. Enjoy the night!
So my bed arrived early. It was exciting. One of the guys that delivered it was a hurdler, and he saw my stuff in my room. He was from Florida and he ran the 300m Intermediates. I didn't ask his time, but he didn't ask mine either. I guess it is fair enough. I don't know even how to relate the two.
So I was doing some more browsing on the net, and I ran across someones blog, and they mentioned that they had nothing left to give. It reminds me of the post I wrote the other night; about no matter how much you have given you'll never run out of things to give. I went and YouTube'd "The Giving Tree" and found a video of it. I was tempted to post it as a comment, but I didn't.
Here it is:
"And the tree was happy." I'll probably write again later sometime. Just thought I'd write about my bed and giving.
O.K. I had a wonderful dinner, but afterwards I ate a bunch of chips. I was watching T.V. and I just couldn't stop! Sun Chips though; so they are a little bitter than greasy chips. I've been eating Baked Lays recently, and those are healthier than Sun Chips.
I'm listening to Pandora right now. I don't like how on some of the bands it keeps playing the same music over and over. Maybe it is because I give thumbs up, and it thinks I really like them and that I need to hear them over and over. I do like them, but sometimes they just get a little old.
I picked out my clothes for tomorrow since I am going to get my bed. That makes no sense. I picked out my clothes for tomorrow since my bookcase is in front of my closet. That makes more sense. I had them move the delivery date up because Friday Matt's carpets are getting cleaned; therefore I he be able to move.
The air conditioning guy is coming too. That reminds me of Shel Silverstine; Ickle me pickle me tickle me too, all went off in a flying shoe. I don't know if I even got the opening right. I think my favorite book is The Giving Tree. I like the poetry too, but The Giving Tree just is amazing. Something so simple, and the best part is you'll never have nothing left to give no matter how much you give.
Tomorrow I'm going to be doing a lot of cleaning. I'll probably wash my windows.
So tomorrow is my last day of work this week. Isn't that exciting. I like taking Friday's off. Hopefully one of my things that I ordered will come. Then it will be even less boring, and I will have something to do.
Today was very productive. I wrote my class, and two functions. One of the functions I just had to transfer to the class, and then modify it a bit. The other one I had to write from scratch. It wasn't hard, but it was long and kind of boring. I guess I needed to get the "print" function done before I can test the class' other functions.
I felt like a pig tonight at dinner. When I got home from work I cut the watermelon, started my favorite dish (Lemon Kalamata Chicken, ftw), and started baking cookies while the chicken was thawing/cooking. I also had bread sticks and corn with my dinner. I ate a lot tonight, and I'm probably not done since I'm going out tonight. Sigh. I guess one day out of the week won't hurt me.
I did some more measuring in my room too; I'm becoming more skeptical about where I want to put things. I guess it is going to be a little tougher than I thought to get everything in. I will make it fit though; it has to fit. I need to head to the ICPL tonight, but I don't really feel like it. I guess I should just suck it up and go catch the bus; or, even better walk my fat ass over there.
I was making my bed just now, and I saw stains from my knee. Whoops. It was raining when I got home from work so I set my dirty shoes outside with hopes they'd be cleansed. They kind of got a little cleaner. Now they're drying inside. I might put them through the washer who knows. They're gortex so I don't know if that would be such a good idea.
I did a lot of data entry today at work. I about lost my brain. I'm redoing a feature so that it looks more like what it will be when it is done. What a pain. I should probably make a class to carry the data now that I think about it. Then I could just store it all in the session or a cookie. Why am I thinking about work right now?
So I changed my desktop background last night. It is amazing. No longer HotForWords. This girl is cute too though; and in her underwear. I kind of feel dirty, but it isn't like some of the other ones I saw where you could see through the underwear. I don't really need a woman like that, but they sure are fun as hell to look at. Even if they are airbrushed; I don't really care. It isn't like I am after one like that anyways. I think they're out of my league.
I need to go home tonight to take care of some stuff for my parents. Maybe I can get them to cook me or buy me dinner. That would be good. We have no food here. Is it bad that I want them to feed me when I go home?
I am kind of getting away from my study patterns this week, but there is too much fun stuff going on. I need to hunker down and "get r done." I need to get more sleep tonight. This morning was difficult. Wednesday (I guess that is tomorrow) I need to make room for my new bed. Ahh! It is coming. I can't believe it. O.K. well I am going to go. Don't know if I'll write again tonight, but knowing my habits lately I probably will.
Here is a song that is perfect for today:
It isn't very audible, but you can go download it if you want to hear it all. Or look up the lyrics.
I titled this post before I wrote it. Usually I write it and then title it. Guess there is a first for everything.
Swing dancing was FUN. OH EM GEE... Okay so much for the Kaerisms. He has rubbed off on me so much. He is a guy I used to play video games with before he switched to WoW (World of Warcraft for those unfamiliar). Anyways back to swing dancing. I got there early so I could get some extra instruction since I am really behind. It was good, and I got some more steps down, but when they added a partner I screwed up. At first it was really awkward touching the girl, but I got used to it after a few rotations. I guess it isn't everyday that you get to put your hand on numerous women's bras. I think that was the most awkward part. Except dancing with the tall girl, she was cute and I think it got to me a little.
Most of the people (or ladies I should say) were very accommodating for me. They all were nice and understood that I suck. I am trying to get down their names; I remembered one girl's from the week before, but she didn't remember mine. That is impressive; I don't usually remember names. This time I made a list of all the people whose names I can remember. At class I was able to get part of the name (usually what it started with). I wrote it down on a note card, and I think that will keep me from forgetting.
On the way home it was kind of raining, and I would just stop and practice the dance steps that I just learned. It was so much fun just walking back in the rain, and then practicing. I bet I looked like a dork, but that is me. When I got inside it started pouring, and I ran to Hy-Vee to get some pop for tomorrow. The lady was nice, and I pulled my name tag trick again. I did that twice today from both the people I got service from.
Oh, I decided on something big in my life. Just haven't really been able to tell anyone.
I kind of wish the girl I've been talking to online was on. I'm talking to Kristin and Ben right now; they're fun to talk to.
Monday is kind of finished. At least the work part of it! It was an interesting day. I got paid again. The lady that I work with and I went down to the bank to make sure we'd get the money. I felt kind of weird carrying over fifteen hundred in my wallet. It was kind of fun; I've never had that much cash on me in person. I felt special!
I took it directly to my bank though; so I only had it for about 20 minutes, but still it was fun. Now I have plenty of money! I also activated my credit card today. I wanted to wait until I got more money. They lady tried to get me to sign up for all this crap on the phone. I just said I'd rather not pay extra for that crap. The air is kind of not working well. It is a crappy unit. A window unit would be better than the central air we have.
Swing dance lessons here in a few. It is going to be hot and muggy, but it will be worth it! I put some alcohol on my knee this morning to make sure it wouldn't get infected. It stung, but now I know it is clean. It has scabbed over also, so it isn't as bloody looking as the picture below.
Last night was kind of warm, and I couldn't sleep very well. Tonight is going to be worse. I should go buy another fan or something. I don't really like the direct airflow on me, but I guess I might have to do it for a few days. Either that or I could sleep in the office at work :-/. That wouldn't be any fun.
This week is going to action packed; I knew July would be busier, but I didn't think it would be this exciting. I forgot to mention I ordered a microcontroller today at work. That should keep me busy for a week or two. I think it is going to be crunch time soon. By the time all the parts come in I'll only have a little bit of time to get everything I need done. It will take me at least 40 hours to get the microcontroller down, and then I have to write my program on it. Yikes! I'm up for it though. It will be something to do besides some of the boring stuff that I've worked on now. I have a bit more to do to get the database ready, but once I get a few more features implemented it should be good to go.
I'm going to sit back listen to some tunes and relax for a few minutes before I leave for Swing Dance.
I have a pretty good idea of who is reading my blog, but I can't pinpoint who all of you are. If you'd like to reveal yourself you can post in a comment; or e-mail me (jwjoon@engineering.uiowa.edu). I don't have a problem with anyone reading it, but I am a little curious to who some of you are. If you choose to keep that confidential I will also respect that. It was funny when I told Matt and Ben I knew they accessed it right after they did. Here is what Matt said:
(10:05:37 PM) Jarod: i see you found my blog :) you're using firefox 2.0 btw (10:06:12 PM) Matt: ya (10:06:14 PM) Matt: thats creepy (10:06:19 PM) Jarod: isn't it :)
In all likelihood if you're one of my good friends I know where you're at this summer, and can figure out who you are by your location. There are just a few readers that I have not a clue who they are, but I do know some of them (since they came from the link in my Facebook profile). Cheers.
I made it back. Kind of in one piece. I feel sick right now from the Wendy's I ate. I kind of downed it fast at the I-80 Truck Stop. I can say for sure that is a place that I do not fit in at. Ugh. Work tomorrow. I think I will go through and write about what happened while I was gone. I did not touch a computer for 3.5 days. It felt good.
Thursday
Thursday was probably the most fun day out of all of them. I left Iowa City after I got done with my work, and the drive was amazing. It was intriguing. Going East on 80 instead of West. It kind of had this magical aura; like my life is moving in a different direction. I just can't explain it; I don't think there is a way to explain it. I was alone heading East on 80 with some great music playing. The drive was also fun because of the girls that I tagged back and forth with. It was a good time I'll say. Once I got on 74 it kind of toned down until I drove through Peoria. It was a pretty nice drive through the town. Definitely something better to look at than trees. When I got to Matt's I met his dogs, and we went for a ride on one of his dad's new toys. It was fun. The vehicle was a little gator type thing. We drove over the dirt mound a few times, and then we headed out into the farmer's corn field. We went back to a nice secluded area where you could barely hear anything. It was good to be one with nature again. That night we went to one of his friend's house to watch the Morton fireworks. They weren't the greatest, but something to do on a Thursday night. There were also yard games, and Matt and I won most of the Hillbilly Golf that we played. We finally lost on our last round. We then headed back to set off some fireworks, and get a fire going. Matt and I stayed out until 3 AM at the fire just talking. We had a lot to talk about, and it was a good time. I think the highlight of Thursday was the campfire, but it was fun to open my suitcase and find a surprise. I won't embellish on it here, but it was good. I left out a few things here, but there is so much to write about. I don't want to be up all night!
Friday
Friday was the 4th. Matt and I got up and went and shot guns in his yard. I am not a sharpshooter, but there were some girls that drove by that gave a yell. Later Ben and Steve showed up. Ben drove the vette, and then Matt went out for a drive in it, and exchanged it for a ride on Matt's bike. Steve and I shot some hoops while they were out. We then headed up to the "Bridge of Death" in Peoria for the works. A few of his friends (Paul and Mike) came along. The works were pretty good. We got to see them over the city of Peoria skyline. After we got done we headed back for some basketball at Matt's. It was fun. Two of his friends got a little upset that I was playing defense to hard. Oh well. I called all my fouls, and was honest. I kind of just bummed around on offense, but I made some good passes to Matt and Op. I got tired, and they probably got a little more comfortable with my D. I remember in High School and Club Basketball I was always made to guard the opposing team's best player. I was the only one able to stop them; I just would rather play defense since my offense sucks. I'm good at it too. We played 6 games and it ended up being 3-3. We watched Cool Runnings afterwards and had some more conversation. I think this was a really good weekend for me to sort things out. Away from electronics and just having a blast.
Saturday
Saturday was also a very nice day. Matt and I went for a walk in the state/city park that is near his house. It was a good walk. There is a lot of open space in that park, and it is hardly used. There was a mulberry tree, and I had one; 'twas pretty good, but not quite the mulberries that I remember from my childhood. Matt's family had an amazing dinner prepared for us that night. I was really impressed. I am going to write them a "Thank you" note tonight. It will be good to get it mailed out by tomorrow. After dinner it was my turn to go for a ride on Matt's bike. I will probably never own a motorcycle, but I think I needed to experience it. I wore his brother's helmet and a jacket that can protect your skin. Matt said it would save you from having to have skin grafts if you got in an accident. The first part of the ride wasn't too comfortable, but I got settled in. We went 116 mph down the street. The wind was amazing. I felt like I was going to get kicked off the back of the bike each time he shifted gears. It was tits (because you can't motorboat personality). After we got done with our high speed encounter we drove back fairly fast down anoher road towards the West. The picture was amazing. The sun was setting, and it was a great ball of orange. It was mild, and you could stare at it. The farms gave a perfect backdrop, and we drove by an American flag that was stagnant. There was something powerful about feeling all the wind, and seeing the flag just sit there peacefully with the sun as a backdrop. It was almost as beautiful as the Old Capital sunset. I didn't take any pictures this weekend, but I will assure you it was the most fun I've ever had in a long time. Saturday night some of Matt's friends came over, and we just light a huge ass bonefire in his yard. It was pretty large. Ben (not the Ben I know) brought over yard games, and we played those and drank some beer. Matt and I went and set off some bottle rockets while the rest were shooting hoops and chatting. It was fun. I was sore, and dead. After everyone left we chatted for another hour. Matt helped me put some things into perspective. July is going to be action packed. I'm exciting. I'll move onto today now!
Sunday (Today)
Matt and I just kind of hung out for most of the afternoon. His mom was fun to talk to. We chatted about quite a bit of things. I learned a lot about his family this weekend. His brother and a few of his friend's came over since one of their wives was having a baby shower. They all got their cars together and washed them. Matt and I went to Wal-Mart and got some water balloons to fill up and throw at them from the gator like a drive by. His dad drove and we were in the back tossing the balloons. We didn't turn off the hose so we got a little more soaked than they did, but it was a blast just driving around in that thing trying to hit a few of them. I got a little banged up in the back, but I am O.K. I can take a beating. I was a football player, and none of the hits I took today were as bad as half the hits in football. I was kind of surprised that my face slamming into the roll cage didn't do any damage. Heh. It was a blast. I went inside and changed to dry clothes, and then sat on the deck with Matt, his dogs, and his mom. It was a lovely afternoon. I will load up some pictures of my wounds. The drive back was wonderful, but I don't want to write about it right now. This post has taken a lot of time to write, and it is almost 10:00. I need to unpack and get ready for work tomorrow.
I need to post a video. It was a song I loaded onto my Ipod for the trip. There were three that I wanted to load, but I think this one represents how I feel. The "hair" in the suitcase line reminded me of someone (even though it was just a simple little surprise), and the few days I was gone seemed to feel like a month (another line). I had a great time with Matt, and I'm glad it lasted that long. Oh I was also bummed my phone died so I couldn't talk to that someone on the ride home. Here it is; pending I can find a video on YouTube of it. Found it! Other two I wanted to post were July for Kings, "Blue Eyes" or Ben Folds, "The Luckiest."
This is Dave Melillo, "Sam's Song." :)
Here are the pictures I promised. The first one is my wonderful pink tan, and the second is my knee. Sorry if it grosses anyone out, but it really doesn't hurt at all.
Quick break from work to write. I went over and picked up the pressure sensor I ordered today. EXCITING. I have to find the microcontroller that I need to buy for work as well. I'll save that for this afternoon or next week. There are quite a few more parts that I will need.
I was thinking about last year and what I did for the 4th. I remember I had just moved into my new place a week or so before, and I was taking Organic Chemistry II at the University. Kind of bumming around. I found a picture of my friend Alison and I from the Coralville fireworks.
I look larger than I do now. I guess that is a good thing that I can notice that I've lost weight. I can tell when I look in the mirror. I wonder if it will continue. It has to level off at some point; let's just hope I can get back down to what I was in high school.
When I was talking to one of my professor's yesterday we were talking about eating at Burge, and she doesn't see how people can do it everyday without gaining weight. I told her I did it and gained 20 lbs. She said that I must have been able to afford to gain it. I can't say I wanted to gain it, but it happened due to me eating fries and a burger most of the days; not to mention it was all you can eat. The main point though is that it did make me feel good that I didn't look fat. I guess now that I've lost some weight people do notice. It helps me to keep drinking Diet pop, and eating smaller portions etc. I don't eat lunch, but I don't think that is the reason for the weight loss. I think it is the less real pop, and smaller portions.
I need to find my camera to take too! I hope I make it out by the time I told Matt I would. We'll see. Back to work.
Yikes! So I made it through today. Whew. Went and picked out my bed stuff. Glad to have that done. The bed will be here next Thursday. Now I have to figure out a place to put it. We had a nice rain this evening, and it really cooled things off. I like the rain.
Tomorrow I head to Illinois. I have been looking forward to this for such a long time. I am kind of surprised I didn't go any other summers. I guess it is going to be an action packed weekend. I'm talking to Matt right now online, and fireworks on Thursday and Friday, and then we have a shindig somewhere on Saturday. I haven't told Matt yet but I am going to bring him a sampler of Sam Adams. Figured I should bring something for the hospitality. I wonder what his cat will be like; I've never seen but he has talked about how amazing it is.
So when I was leaving the mall I tried to hold the door for this girl and her mom, and she said, "Go ahead." I guess you can't be a nice guy anymore. Most people would just walk through and say, "Thank you."
My meeting with my counselor was good today. I'm going to keep going I think. I'm to the point where I don't really care that people know that I'm going.
When I was waiting I saw Nanci on the Old Capital steps. She came up and told me she had, "Something to tell me." It was interesting, but I don't see what the big deal was. I wasn't at all offended or upset by what she said. I like talking to her; she has a good perspective on life. I was looking through my IM log to see if I could find what she said. Ok I found it:
(6:40:44 PM) Jarod: but things change (6:40:48 PM) Jarod: and we just gotta roll with it (6:41:00 PM) Nanci: roll with the punches (6:41:09 PM) Jarod: and just hope you don't get hit in the nuts too many times (6:41:10 PM) Nanci: i gave up a life plan a long time ago
I'm talking to Matt and this is taking a long time to write. I'm losing my train of thought. Oh yes, Nanci puts up with my comments like those. I think it is a wonderful thing.
I need to get some stuff packed up. I'll probably get sucked into writing tomorrow before I leave, but if I don't then I will be back Sunday. I'm ready to have a blast.
Okay so I guess I can take a little blame for listening to Taylor Swift. But still. I just appricate quite a few different types of music. I'm sure the add would come up if I were listening to Seether though. What can I do? Anyways I like women.
Last night was fun! I can't really believe that this is actually happening. I am excited.
I have a meeting this afternoon. I don't know if it will be the last or not. I guess we'll see. I could be high because of last night, but I will let someone else decide that. I started writing because I thought I would have a lot to write about, but I guess I am just at a loss for words!
O.K. I have more shirts to browse through. I went from browsing t-shirts to tattoos. O.o I don't know now. I found two more that I like. If I got one I would get it in a different place now. I was thinking about the one below on my side. It would hurt more, but it can't be made small because it would probably bleed. I guess maybe it is either the one below or the one before. Maybe both someday. I have a bit to decide, but now it is tougher :-/.
I made it through work today. It was hellacious. I should be getting paid next week. I have a few choices to make. I like going to the coffee shop, but I don't like paying $3.84 for a lemonade. I suppose I could get something else, but I really like the lemonade. I can do that, or I can find somewhere else to study.
I want to practice some of the swing dance stuff too. I need to catch up. They said I'd probably be best in the beginner's class next semester anyways. I think that is a good thing considering how bad I am! I am sleepy right now.
Anberlin today.
So I didn't want to write a new post for a small update. I decided I'm going to go to a movie tonight. I don't want to miss it and have to wait a few months to see it. That already happened to one of the movies I wanted to see this summer. I'm not going to let it happen with this one.
I am an honest person, and I believe it is important to "sweep your doorstep before you sweep others". I enjoy the outdoors and athletics as these things remind me of my past. I also love things that remind me of my childhood; I still sleep with my teddy bear.
