Sorry for the delay

Haven't had anything interesting to discuss lately. Got sick this past weekend, and work helps to keep my time occupied and tire me out, so at the end of the day I have been preferring to turn off my brain and do as little as possible. Well, actually I tend to do that just about all the time, thinking for too long of a period can hurt.

Joy to the world

I enjoy the holidays, and I look forward to Christmas time, but there is one thing that is driving me up the wall this year: Christmas music. Its always the same songs over and over, only thing that changes sometimes is the artist. How many times does one have to hear about living snowmen, reindeer with glowing body parts, and an overweight elf who does not exist? Maybe if new music was made it would not annoy me as much, but people seem to never get tired of the classics, and they surely don't get tired of hearing them before Thanksgiving even hits.

I survived Black Friday 2005

I have this tradition with an aunt of mine, every year for the past few years we go out shopping the day after Thanksgiving. Some people say we are crazy, because you always hear about people getting beat up and stepped on trying to get the things they want. We are able to bypass all of that by starting out at a little later time then the hardcore shoppers, not fighting over a close parking space, and above all enjoying the day. I am proud to announce that for the first time we actually waited outside a store to open, and we where within the first 20 people to wait in line to get in. Ok, ok, before you ask how we did it, the store was Kirkland's, and they didn't open until 10am (we got there 5 minutes till), and there wasn't as much excitement about their store opening for the day.

Things to be thankful for

Be thankful for the clothes that fit a little too snug, because it means you have enough to eat.
Be thankful for the mess you clean up after a party, because it means you have been surrounded by friends.
Be thankful for the taxes you pay, because it means you're employed.
Be thankful that your lawn needs mowing and your windows need fixing, because it means you have a home.
Be thankful for your heating bill, because it means you are warm.
Be thankful for the laundry, because it means you have clothes to wear.
Be thankful for the space you find at the far end of the parking lot, because it means you can walk.
Be thankful for the lady who sings off-key behind you in church, because it means you can hear.
Be thankful when people complain about the government, because it means we have freedom of speech.
Be thankful for the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours, because it means you're alive.

--Author Unknown

Settling in

So I started the new job this Monday and have been getting used to it. Even though people told me that it would be a big change working with high school aged kids instead of elementary school aged kids, there is really only a few things different. Sometimes the way these kids act is at a grade school level, so I am used to the whole routine and it doesn't irritate me one bit when they try to test me or see if they can push my buttons. I am looking forward to turkey day and the shopping madness that happens afterwards. In other unrelated news I got the opportunity to see "Inhabited", a Christian rock band, perform over this past weekend. I recommend their CD to anyone who likes Christian rock, something that has meaning behind it, or just likes something that is clean and positive.

Ugly car #1

Welcome to the first installment of what I want to call "Mad Tyte Ridez" Here we will examine 2 cars a month that have clueless owners. On to the first offering, and all pictures are scaled down to save on file size and page load time.

An integra found at Wal-Mart one evening. First off lets examine the front end, or the lack of one.


I guess once he hit the speed of sound the bumper ripped off and his paint flew away. No worries, he has some primer on it (with patches of rust popping through some parts) and a rope holding down the hood. He is ready for another supersonic pass.


Any real racer's car is not complete without something from APC, so he decided to buy some shoulder pads for his rear seat belts.


The name says it all, and to hit the speeds he does I guess this baby runs on nuclear fuel (why else would he have the radiation symbol?).

Clearing out

Today at the end of work I had to clear out. Had to make sure I returned the book I was using for my intervention kids, had to make sure I had my notebook with me, and I had to make sure my mailbox was cleaned out. This whole week has been strange and tiring, I almost didn't feel a thing about leaving this job, until it got to the end of the day. Students where telling me they where going to miss me, and I looked around at the teachers and aides that I knew and I realized how much I enjoyed working with this group. I know I wasn't there too long, but I got attached to the kids. I am going to miss them, even the ones that drove me crazy. To anyone from the school that reads this, keep up the good work.

R.I.P. Will "Willie" Donnelly

The world lost a really great guy not too long ago. William, better known as Will, went peacefully in his sleep, a guy who was just a few years older then me. While his age was not much greater then mine, I actually became good friends with his dad before I ever met him. While I didn't get the chance to get to know him better then I should have, I do look back at the times we did spend together and smile on them. He was the best billiards player I have ever had the chance to play against, and one time I watched in awe once as he almost ran his rack out against someone else on his first trip to the table. He was a joy to be around, talked highly of his friends and family, and has left us all way too soon. You where loved, and you will be missed.

I struggle with forward motion

Today at church the Pastor said something that froze me in my seat. He talked about how when you come to first know Jesus, or come to depend on Him during a really rough time, you are always able to point out that time in your life. People ask about your relationship with God, and you tell them how He helped to clean you up back when, but then comes the question of what have you been doing lately? Have you tried to move forward and have a daily dependence on the Lord? Have you taped into the awesome power He has for you? After all, the word promises that the Holy Spirit is there for all of us. I just sat there reflecting on things, from the past few days, weeks, even further back, and struggled with thinking that I am one of those who has chosen to remain stuck at a certain point. I can quickly forget that we where not made to go through this life alone, that God is always there to hear and supply. No man is an island, despite what experts want to say. God made man, he created woman so he wouldn't be alone, then He created the church, a place where people can gather to support and love one another. I realized today more then ever how I have a lot to learn, and what areas of my life I need to stop doing things on my own and turn to God for guidance.

Veteran's Day

If you know of someone in the service right now, or served at one point in their life, give them a big hug, a handshake, something. Thank them for the hard work and service they do to make sure our freedom is protected. To anyone who reads this that has served or is currently serving, my hats off to you, and I am thankful everyday for people like you.

The insanity

Anyone who knows me knows that I think Christmas related items show up in the stores way too early. If I have yet to come near a turkey I don't want to be hearing jingle bells. Well, I guess this year I decided to hop on the early bandwagon, and the evidence is in the picture I put at the end of this post. Last year I put rope lighting in my car, and when I drove at night I turned it on. Well, I found the lights this past weekend, and decided that since I had some spare time I put them in. If you happen to be out at night keep an eye out for me, you never know where I will show up at.

True funny story

So I was driving home from the local Wal-Mart and I am coming to a place in the road where it has a big long curve that actually connects one main avenue to one main street. I sat at one of the stop lights along this curve and looked up in my rear view mirror and saw something recognizable, I could tell by the headlights it was a 4th gen Camaro. "Nice", I thought to myself, and waited for the light to change. Light goes green, and I go, but shortly after we all get moving there is a loud buzzing sound moving up quickly on my right. Once it passes I see what it was: a white honda civic with a fart cannon muffler. I bury my throttle for a few seconds, but with my engine size and his momentum it was all going to be a lost cause, so I back off. I then thought out loud that rice boy in his civic was lucky that I don't have a bigger engine in my car then what I got, or else I would put him in his place. Well, someone must have read my mind, because after the civic moved in front of me, the camaro that was behind me quickly shot around me and got even with the civic, and we all slowed to a stop at a red light. I noticed on the back of the camaro the letters "SS", and I started to laugh because I knew what might happen next. Light went green and both cars took off nice and easy, but then the civic decided to show off. From what I heard and saw he must have floored it, and I saw black smoke billow out his over-sized exhaust tip as he attempted to leave the camaro behind, but that only happened for about 2 seconds. The camaro driver saw and heard what was going on next to him, and answered back by hitting the throttle hard enough to make the front end of his car lift up slightly, and then he just walked away from the civic like he was standing still. I was laughing so hard that I don't know how I managed to drive in a straight line.

Letting the cat out of the bag

There is something I decided I wanted to talk about on here that not too many people know about yet. I was kinda keeping it a secret, but word has been getting out so I will say something to quiet all the rumors. As of today I signed paperwork to start on the 21st working for a different school district, I submitted my two weeks notice just this last Friday. I am nervous, excited, and scared all at the same time. It will be a position that will be a little different then what I have been used to, but the opportunity for advancement and the guarantee of benefits convinced me to take the plunge and fill out an application about a month ago.

Ouch

I saw something this evening that kinda scared me. Has me and Wendy where walking into a local McDonald's I heard a loud screeching sound, my mind instantly told me that sound was rubber on road, but not like a burnout. I looked around right away and found the source: a white 1957 Chevy truck, he had slammed on the brakes and all 4 tires where locked up, me and Wendy watched as he slid right into the back of a Cavalier. It kinda scared me because that truck was the same exact year and model of the truck me and my dad drive every so often, and I know for a fact that the brakes are not the best in the world, if you slam on them you will lock up the tires and slide around. Watching someone else with the same setup panic and cause an accident made me extra nervous when I proceeded to get behind the wheel of my truck to give Wendy a ride home. Seeing something like that kinda has a way of waking you up and taking notice of things.

Friday night under the lights

So I did something tonight I have never done before. I went back to my old high school and watched some of the city championship football game, last time I saw a city game like that after high school I had just graduated the year before. It was interesting to be back there on a night like this, remembering all the times I sat in the bleachers and went crazy. Standing there I could see then, and remember back when, how for those few hours under those lights it was not just an ordinary football game, it was bragging rights for the rest of the year. There is so much excitement and buzz that you could feel it all the way into the parking lot (which was getting so packed that the cops where having to get onto people for parking illegally). I stood and watched from what is called "the hill", there is a road that runs up a hill that leads in and out of the high school, and from that road you can look down to see the field, people who didn't want to buy tickets or get there late can be found sitting in chairs along the fence or in the back of trucks. I could also see that some of the culture from when I was there was still around, guys with their toys. Several times guys rolled through with their lifted trucks, some their parents probably paid for, others they probably spent everything they had on it, all of them very nice looking. This town may have its share of "rice", but lifted trucks seem to be the most common modified vehicle (we do live in a desert area after all, with some spots to test out the 4 wheel drive). A few funny highlights: 3 members from the opposing team's band ran by the home team grandstand pumping their fists in the air, which got laughs from both sides. Both bands mixed and mingled, and started a very long conga line shortly after the 3rd quarter started. Funniest thing for me this evening: I was on my bike, and bike cops where rolling around, I got close to one and told him "nice ride, wanna run it?" He declined saying he never has the time, but he was cool about the joke.

Topic revisited

A while back I logged on here and complained about people taking nice mustangs and making them look like really ugly Honda Civics. Well, there was at least one guy that I saw today who desperately needs to read that post. It was a 4th generation stang, green in color. The first thing I noticed was the body kit, while it was not as bad looking as some kits I have seen, it didn't exactly blend in well. What does any car with a body kit need? A big ugly rear wing to match, and his was no exception, he decided to go for the double decker wing. Of course, if you are going to go that far you can't leave your tail lights stock, right? Of course not, so he bought the cheapest set of altezzas and put them on. For the grand finale, no good ride is complete without some new "shoes", so his wheel of choice front and rear where some gold wire wheels, about 18 inches in diameter, on low profile rubber. I still feel sick to my stomach after seeing what had happened to that poor car, and it was a GT model as well.