Time to Spare

     Well, this Spring Break Friday will be spent as many of my Fridays are spent. With some friends (and brothers), and a lot of video games. Competition always gets intense so I can pretty much guarantee it will be a fun night.
     Anyway, things here have been pretty relaxed and cool since my last post. It being Spring Break and all I am not surprised that things have been going this smoothly for me. I have found a lot of time on my hands as well since school will not be back until Monday. I am semi excited for school to start in a couple of days. I am excited because it will finally give me a schedule so that I can get my sleep pattern back to normal as well as something to do when I am bored. Oh, and the fact that all of my classes are history classes and are online make next term look just a little bit more attractive to me. The reason why I do not want school to be back in the next couple days is because I won't be able to concentrate on my special project that I has been in the works for about a week now. I will announce what that special project is hopefully by the end of break. I think you all will enjoy it. I also will not have too much time to do two of my favorite things; reading and writing...Wait a minute, that's all I am going to be doing with my history classes. I guess this term won't be too horrible I guess. I would prefer that I write and read what I want to read and write about, but hey beggars can't be choosers.
     Speaking of reading, last night, after reading for 5 days straight I finished the The Hunger Games book. And I must say I rather enjoyed it. I am excited to get on to the second book. I always appreciate a good story. Finishing this book has reminded me that I am actually juggling between multiple books at the moment, which can be a good thing, but also a bad one. It is good because I love to have more than one story to have going on in my head, but it is bad because sometimes if I read too many books at a time then I tend to forget some major details or even forget that I am reading a particular book at all. Now that these books that I have been reminded of any books that I started I am starting to organize said books and get reading right away. Again, I don't think I will have as much time to do so once school starts, but promise you and myself that I will read them.
     As I am writing this post there is a huge carpenter ant on the wall to my left...He is just sitting there like he is taunting me or something. I hate this time of year when those monstrous ants start coming out of the woodwork and making my life just a little bit more difficult. As soon as this post is finished that ant is going down!
     Well, if I want to take that ant out anytime soon I just better wrap this post up now. Before I go though I want to ask you, what is the most annoying insect or bug in general that you have come across and hate with a passion? As you have just found out with me it is the carpenter ant -_- Now, I will bid you all farewell and hope that the rest of your week treats you well. See you next post!

History

Many of those who know me know that I have a great love for history, especially American history. I never have really explained why I love it so much, so I think that I will take the time to do so now.
     When I look back I can see that my interest in history started with what my father and I talked about pertaining to history. He and I have talked about the politics, tragedies, and wars that have shaped this country for a a better part of a decade. Our conversations always felt like we were reminiscing over bygone days or horrible memories that were somewhat painful to bring up. Talking about America's history with my father filled me with fascination and awe. I got the same kind of feeling I get when I read about an epic tale or legend from a time long gone. Except with history, the events and people we discussed actually happened and existed. I think that is what really got me hooked. The reality of the things we talked about along with their results is what made me wonder and become even more curious.
     As the years went by and I started going to public school, I was exposed to even more history that I just could never get enough of. So, as any young historian would do, I used the power of the internet to quench my thirst for knowledge of America. Very soon I was finding myself reading articles about details of past wars, movements, and historical figures. In fact, I still do that from time to time.And the more that I have learned on my own, the easier my history classes became. And by the time I came to college, my history classes were a piece of cake.
     I love history mostly because I am just naturally attracted to anything that has to do with history. I also love it because I think it is a very important tool. I think history is important because we can learn from the mistakes that we have made throughout it. It's a reminder of where we all came from and a good indicator of where we may be headed in the future. And history can even give us a better understanding of why and how this country came to be the way it is today. Personally I do not think that a person should go on through life without at least a basic knowledge of this great country's and the worlds history. But, unfortunately this that is not the case. However I do enjoy explaining certain aspects of history to those who do not understand or have heard of them.
     Bottom line; I love history and I do not see myself getting tired of it anytime soon. 
     Well, that seems to be all that is on my mind today, so I will be getting back to working on my little project I mentioned earlier. Don't worry, I will explain everything soon. See you next post!
   

Mr. Lonely

     As you all know, it is now Spring Break and I hope that you are all taking advantage of this time to sit back, relax, and do whatever the heck you want for a week. Especially us college students. Lord knows we deserve a week of freedom. I will be spending my own Spring Break doing what I love; reading, writing, and spending time with my good friends. This weekend I have done exactly that to start off this years Spring Break. It does my heart good to be able to spend time with those I can truly call my friends.
     On a more personal note, I have been feeling quite lonely lately. This emotion always seems to catch me off guard. With me, loneliness seems to come and go. Some days I will be as happy as a clam and others my thoughts are all jumbled and I cannot focus because of those lonely thoughts. Even though these thoughts do plague me from time to time I have done a pretty decent job from letting them get the better of me. But, to be perfectly honest I miss having that romantic/intimate companionship. It is a good feeling to have, knowing that the person I love, loves me in return. Knowing that that person will be there for me no matter what, acting as my support and comrade in everything I do and knowing that I would be willing to do the same for them. That's all am really asking for. For the time being though, I just need to keep on moving forward and bettering myself and my life for whoever I deem worthy to give my love to.
     Well, I really must be on my way, I have a fun project to work on that I think that you will all enjoy. More on that later though ;) I hope that you all have a wonderful day and that you start off your Spring Break in whatever way you see fit. See you next post!
    

Spring Break?

I am actually quite proud of this photo. So crisp and clean.

     Yesterday, we had a pretty large snowfall. Or at least large by Oregon standards. On March 21st it snowed all day and by the next morning 5-6 inches had accumulated over the part of town where I reside. I don't think that I have seen so much snow in the years that I lived here in Oregon. Needless to say I took this opportunity to take a nice early morning walk and to hopefully add some pics to my personal photography portfolio. So, on March 22nd I got up at 6:30am (an ungodly hour to be up I know, but I think it was totally worth it) and took a little stroll around my neighborhood. The simple walk that I was expecting to have turned out to be an Arctic expedition. Even though it was a partially cloudy day, the snow on the ground alone made it slow going. I did not get far from my house but, I was able to get out long enough to enjoy the out of season winter wonderland and snag several photos that I am quite proud of.
     And after my little walk My brothers and I promptly made some pretty awesome snowmen. I think it is safe to say that a good time was had by all. I hope that you guys enjoy these photos as much as I do. And with that I will bid you all a good evening and I hope that you all have a great weekend. See you all next post!

I love shots of trees like this.

My brothers' snowman: "Square by Nature"

My snowman :D

Silly old me. My inner child really came out that day XD

Just reached the top of the hill in time to see the sun rise.

  

Oregon: Where the Sun Don't Shine

     Phew! Finally, I am done with the torments and worries of this term of my schooling. It feels nice to finally have nothing to worry about needing to be turned in. Or having the pressure of 1,000 whales on your back from a piece of paper telling you what to do. With finals behind me I now have all of Spring Break ahead of me to enjoy. Or at least I think it is Spring Break. With all of the snow we have been getting here today I am not quite sure that spring will ever come. It has literally been snowing all day today and I do not see any sign of it stopping. I do like snow from time to time, but when it impedes with the natural order of the seasons and the weather associated with said seasons I tend to get a little miffed. This unnatural weather does not bode well for our upcoming summer. I swear, if this summer turns out like anything like the summer we had before (those of you who live in Oregon know what I am talking about) I am going somewhere where the sunlight is much more abundant.
     Speaking of more sun, i have found a job opportunity working at Yellowstone National Park. Thanks to a good friend of mine I was told of jobs there and how to apply. Fascinated with the prospect and possibilities of working in one of the most famous national parks in the world, I applied as soon as I got home from finishing up my last final. And today I got an email back saying that I should know whether I got the job or not in about 2 to 6 weeks. I am really hoping that I would get the job. Getting it would mean that I would be going on my biggest adventure yet! And I think that is why I really am wanting this job so much. The money would be great, but what I really want is something new to happen with my life right now. A new adventure is something that I think will do me some good. And what better place to have a new adventure than at Yellowstone National Park! :D I shall keep you updated on anything that is related to this amazing opportunity.
        Other than that, life as me has been busy with school work and as a result pretty boring. I have made some new friends along the way in school and that I am always grateful for. Oh, and I feel that I must mention this: I love Twinkies! I could take out a whole box if I had the chance! I may have a problem, but I can't help it! To me, they are golden nuggets of goodness sent to earth by God as a gift to man.
     Anyway, it has been a busy few weeks and I am glad I am able to have time to relax for a bit before I get back to the school. I am also happy that I can get back to updating this blog regularly. I never that I would enjoy writing on here as much as I do now.
     Well, I better be off. I have the sudden urge to play Mario Kart and if that desire is not dealt with all hell will break loose. Well, all hell breaks loose anyways when I play that game so we shall see how it all plays out ;) Ok, I will talk to you all later! See you next post! :D

Odd, But Good

     Well, today seems to be an odd day for me. What else is new? Not a bad odd though, this morning I found myself in a more than usual chipper mood. In fact, I still am as I am writing this post. I don't know if my coffee had an extra shot in it or my inner Oregonian is finally deciding to show its appreciation for the torrential rain we have been having lately or even if I am just glad that I am shaking off the cold I had before. Maybe it has something to do with it being the Ides of March...if that is true wouldn't it be a bad thing? Oh, geez I hope no one stabs me today O_O In any case, I am not complaining. I even was in a good mood while taking a writing quiz I had today. Again, odd, but good.
     This term is wrapping up quickly and I have already prepared my classes for next term, And to my great delight I have all history classes lined up for me :D This excites me to no end and I am very much looking forward to learning as much as I can from these classes. And even better, the classes I have signed up for all have to do with parts of history I know little or nothing about, which means I will be cramming my head with so much new information! Russian, Pacific Northwest, and Ancient history here I come! I do not think words can describe how ecstatic I am about these classes. I am a history nut and I am proud of it :)
     My search for work still is ongoing. Well, as ongoing as it can be with this huge rain cloud known as finals hovering over my head. Like I said in my last post, I really want to find something soon and I do have a deadline. I am hoping the deadline will be an incentive to get my ass into gear. I think it will work, it usually does. The ever growing need for a car also helps. I just need to keep my eyes peeled and leave no stone unturned.
    Well, I better be going now seeing as my next class starts in a bit. But, before I go I want to share one of my favorite quotes with you. For those of you who actually know me, I am sure you know why I would like this particular quote and for those who don't I think you can guess why just by reading it.   
 
 “Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.” -Mark Twain

     And with that bid you all a good day and hope that the rest of your week brings you good fortune.
     
     
 

Dead Week, Colds, and Cars

Holy flying monkeys, things have been getting crazy around here since I last put up my last post. I said in my last post that I would not be able to keep up with my regular blog posting schedule until after my finals (that has not changed) and it seems that finals are the least of my worries now.
     Dead Week is proving to be a little less formidable than I first thought. I think it is due to the fact that most of my classes have only essays for me to write as a final, which I actually enjoy doing. My Writing class though is not one of those classes. Unfortunately I am having to memorize a bunch of terms that I may or may not remember once I am done with the class. Plus, I am sure that I have an essay due sometime soon...I may have to check my binder and see. Anyway, school is school and I will be glad when Spring Break comes along to save me from this term.
     My plans for next term are simple; I plan to just take an online coarse, probably a world history class, and use the rest of the time I have to find work. I figure that if I do take an online class I will have more hours and opprotunites to be able to work and more hours equals more money. I just feel that it is time for me to focus on getting myself out there and finally getting some work again. Also the feeling of being a totally broke and carless young man never is fun, especially when it limits your adventures/visits with your best friend(s) to almost none. My ultimate goal is to finally get a car of my own and the way to get started with that is to find work and get money saved up. I am hoping that I will find something by the middle of next month, hopefully sooner, and have enough to by some wheels before the summer is out. However, December 31st is my dead line to reach my goal and I do intend to get there.
     On top of Dead Week I have been cursed with a very annoying cold for the past two days. And I know I risk sounding like a pansy when I say this, but really, I cannot function if I have a cold like the one I that is plaguing me right now. It being Dead Week though, I had to force myself out of my warm toasty bed and into the cold and crazy world to attend my classes. Except for the excessive amounts of sneezing, my nose running like Niagara Falls, and being extremely tired, my day at school was not too bad. Hopefully this cold will be totally gone in the next few days. Lucky for me I have been blessed with a pretty kick ass immune system. 
         Well, I better be wrapping this up. It's already getting hard to keep staring at a bright screen and trying to type letters onto it. Perhaps some time away from my computer will speed up my recovery process. Alright, well hopefully I will be back with another post tomorrow and if not, well than I ask for you good people to be patient and hope that you all understand the crazy time I am going through at the moment. I hope that you all are having a great week and that you reach the end of it unharmed. Later! :D

Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen!

     Today, I thought I would share one of my favorite speeches of all time with you. This speech was given by Dwight D. Eisenhower just prior to the D-Day invasion on June 6th, 1944. It never ceases to inspire me and I hope it does the same for you too.


     Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force! You are about to embark upon a great crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies and brothers in arms on other fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world.

     Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped and battle hardened, he will fight savagely.
But this is the year 1944! Much has happened since the Nazi triumphs of 1940-41. The United Nations have inflicted upon the Germans great defeats, in open battle, man to man. Our air offensive has seriously reduced their strength in the air and their capacity to wage war on the ground. Our home fronts have given us an overwhelming superiority in weapons and munitions of war, and placed at our disposal great reserves of trained fighting men. The tide has turned! The free men of the world are marching together to victory!

     I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full victory!
Good Luck! And let us all beseech the blessings of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking.

-- Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower

Busy, Busy, Busy!!!!!

Hey everyone, I thought I would just let you all know that this term of college is wrapping up form me in the next couple of weeks and that I am going to be super busy during those weeks. So, that means that I may or may not be getting chances to post long and intense blog posts like I usually do. I know, it is tragic, but this crazy time should only last until March 17th, which is when fall term ends here at school. If I do indeed get a chance to write something, most likely it will be a short and sweet update of what is going on. Maybe even a mini rant. We will have to wait and see. Anywho, I better be off and get all of these essays and projects completed. I hope that you all are having a great start to your week and that it only gets better. See you in future posts!

Decisions, Decisions

     As the title of this blog suggests, I have been having to make some pretty big decisions concerning my education and what direction I want my life to be going. I am not all too thrilled about all of this responsibility and pressure that comes with these decisions, but hey that's life. I am going to have to just suck it up and choose which path to take as best I can.
     As far as my education goes, I am thinking that I may just have to ease on the gas pedal so to speak. The past several terms I have been so concerned with taking as many classes as I can to be able to graduate and move on. This mentality has both helped and hurt whatever classes I have taken in the past and I really did not think I was getting as much out of those classes as I should. Even though I was getting pretty decent grades, I just did the work and sped through the classes just wanting it all to be over. It is because of this why I have decided to drop a class from my current schedule. I figure if I am not going to get what I want out of the class then why continue, even if it would help me graduate. 
     I have also been preoccupied with the notion of getting work while taking the full load of classes I am taking now. Honestly though I do not have the confidence or multitasking talents to be able to do both, I know that some do, but I do not. I am actively looking for work now, and my search will only get more extensive once this term is over. I do not intend to just drop college where I am now, I have worked too hard to just leave it where it is now. I plan to just take one or two classes that are able to contribute to my graduation and work around that schedule with any job that I may find willing to do so. I feel that speeding through my schooling will do me more harm than good, so I will take it in sips rather than big gulps.
     On a related note, I engaged in some pretty deep conversations concerning how I view humanity, race, spirituality, religion, and life in general. Yeah, I know. Pretty heavy stuff to be just bringing up in an everyday conversation. But, in this case the one I was having a conversation with was asking me questions for a class and thought I would help out, not initially knowing how detailed they would get with their questions. Had I known I would have said no in a heartbeat. Needless to say, I was extremely emotionally and mentally drained for the rest of the day. I had no motivation whatsoever and it didn't help that I had an essay due the next day. All that to say, I won't be talking about discussing anything too heavy on here or anywhere else for a little while.
      I am at a cross road in my life and I intend on going one way or the other. Which way I go depends what going down that road will do to me the further I follow it. I am hoping that I have the wisdom to choose the right one.