life update .

I didn't really have anything in mind to write about today, so I'll just settle with writing a little life update. I know at least a few have commented on the fact that I often don't write about the day-to-day life I am living, but instead on topics that are a bit more philosophical. Whether you like that or not, a little refreshment could always be nice right? So here goes nothing.

day and night .

The difference in my work environment from the day to the night is astounding. We're talking about the difference between night and day, literally and figuratively! Let me elaborate.

a perfect family .

Just now I happened to stumble upon the thought of the family that I stayed with in France. Despite the fact I don't have Facebook, you could still find them as I remember the first names and family name as well. All I can say, is man, have the kids changed.

another quote .

Oscar Wilde once said "A man who does not think for himself does not think at all." These quotes have quickly gone from slight entertainment to lifelong lessons and tidbits of wisdom. I've always been big on independence, and not only getting away from home as soon as possible to become fully independent, but on staying true to who you are and everything that makes up that indescribable combination that is, put simply, you.

Music Monday #27

This week's song is Space Bound by Eminem.

congrats .

A hearty congratulations to all of the incredible riders in the Tour de France, riders with incredible perseverance and a pain tolerance like no other. Bravo to Cadel Evans, and congratulations to Australia on their first tour win. Awesome job Cavendish and Sanchez, and 'atta boy Johnny Hoogerland for keeping in it until the end after being sideswiped by a car. You all are awesome and inspiring. See you at the Vuelta de España later this year!

organic architecture .

Occasionally while I check my now-ancient AOL email, I see some neat news stories that interest me, and thus, since I cannot curb my curiosity, I check them out. One of today's articles happened to be on a some really neat homes that were just some 'surreal real estate.' For example, that was a home that resembled the Flinstones home, as well as a home that was an exact replica of the colorful house in the movie "Up." The one that stuck out to me was the one that resembled a hobbit home.

homeward bound .

Extremely short post today:

MY BROTHER IS HOME FROM EUROPE!!

We all went out to dinner tonight because he wanted 'a good old American breakfast' so we went to a diner where he could get that. I can't wait to hear all of his stories and things that I can compare with my trip overseas. But for now, he deserves a ton of rest to catch up!

a night out .

I haven't had some serious good talks with people on my family for a long time. My brother and I are pretty good about talks once we actually get into them, but since I am so far away it's hard for us to stay really close. I'm so excited that he comes home tomorrow... and can't wait to hear all of the stories that he has to tell, as I'm sure it will take forever! But this post is not about him, surprisingly, and instead is about my Dad and I.

sadness is not fleeting .

Opposites. Happy and sad, love and hate, tears and laughter, on and off, left and right. But are they really balanced antonyms? Happiness, joy, laughter, excitement. These things seem to come and go in a moment. In the same way that "time flies when you're having fun," the positive emotions just don't really stick with you much. And believe me, boy do I wish they did.

the truth about lying . [pt 2]

Okay, so seeing as how my thoughts the other day seemed to be a bit scrambled, the respite between then and now should have helped a bit. So; the truth. As a definition, it has several. We 'hold these truths to be self-evident.' So that could be simply as a proof of sorts, an accepted fact. But then there is the truth, where so many often are frustrated. "Why can't you just tell me the truth?" Ah, yes. That truth.

Music Monday #26

This week's song is a Dashboard Confessional favorite of mine, called Get Me Right. Depending on which style you prefer... you can choose to play the acoustic or the original, which both will be posted.

the blog book .

So obviously I have this blog, and there are posts all over the place and I fully intend to continue to post things as long as I possibly can -- but what to do with it all at some point much later in life? Originally I had wanted to 'publish' them year by year, as a sort of literal book that I can store on a shelf to collect dust, but only for the time being. Perhaps one day I'll be comfortable with my parents reading these, as they currently don't (at least to my knowledge... I've never given the link; and if you are, shame on you) but I think more so I'd want my kids to read it, and future wife, something like that. I would hope that perhaps the kids would be able to understand me a bit more, see where certain ideologies come from and where virtues have been birthed.

Simply put, it might help them to 'get' me.

the truth about lying .

Why is it so easy to lie and so hard to tell the truth? Honesty is such a big deal -- and I don't care about whether it's in a relationship with someone or not (though surely its importance is amplified in that situation...). I also think it's a sign of respect. If you don't respect someone, who's to say they even deserve to hear the truth from you? You might omit something or even just tell a lie straight to their face to get someone out of your hair. I've done it many times. A simple example is when people just say hello and ask how you're doing -- the expected response is good/alright/etc. I don't care if I'm having the shittiest day in the world; I'm going to say I'm doing well because I don't want to have to deal with people's pity, or confusion, or have to explain some longwinded drawn-out story. I'd much rather just deal with it on my own.

RealLife .

With all of the various ways of social networking out there, it's sometimes hard to remember that there actually is a real life out there. Google+ just came out and to be honest I haven't the slightest idea what it is -- though from what I hear, it's awfully similar to Facebook. Hmm.... this sounds awfully familiar. Will we see the same mass migration from Facebook to Google+ as we did from Myspace to Facebook?

"fuckit" .

I had a roommate freshman year of college who was quite an interesting character. After unexpectedly getting placed in a 4 person apartment (as opposed to a dorm) the kid from home I had chosen to room with and I were paired with 2 other random kids, this kid being one of them. Things started out great with the other two but eventually went south, but that's besides the point. We had some pretty interesting talks about a vast variety of subjects, but one that happened to come up was the idea of 'fuckit' as he called it.

the looking-glass .

Tonight I got out of work at 9pm, and since dinner at work is at 430, I figured I would treat myself for once in awhile and head out for a bite to eat after. I tried to get some company, but all possibilities fell through, but I wasn't about to let that ruin anything too much. I must admit though, I was quite disappointed not to have some companionship -- but more on that later. Thus, I headed off to Park Place with plans for 1.

superstitions .

When the word superstition is spoken I would imagine that a large number of people are reverted back to the age old tales of bad luck that comes with it: a black cat crossing your path, walking under a ladder, looking into a broken mirror, etc. It also would be an understatement to say it's fairly common in sports of all kinds, where players have their lucky apparel, pre-play rituals, and all of the other little quirks that most would say are unimportant or trivial.

Music Monday #25

This week's song is Spacewalk by Lemon Jelly.

miguel de cervantes .

Over the past couple of days the quote of the day has been by Miguel de Cervantes. I've decided he's the fuckin' man. Here was today's quote: "As the viper, though it kills with it, does not deserve to be blamed for the poison it carries, as it is a gift of nature, neither do I deserve reproach for being beautiful."

I love it. This old fart is just so cocky and it's awesome. Normally I can't stand people with that sort of arrogance, but this is just hilarious.

how far will you go .

Are you a spontaneous extrovert? Or an analytical planning type. What is reasonable in terms of how far ahead in your life you plan? 1 year? 5? 10? Or maybe only a few weeks. Some people have found it works to live day by day. I don't think I could ever do that. There are way too many important choices to be made. And without a destination in the back of my mind, what would I be striving for? Day by day goals are nice -- work out today, bike 20 miles in under an hour, write a song. Read part of a book, have a healthy meal. The possibilities are supposedly endless.

halfway house .

Nothing hit me today that really inspired me to write about anything. Yet, at the same time I feel compelled to write because I feel like even if it doesn't hit me, there's always something to write about. Admittedly I've been sour lately -- that's what happens when you're cooped up in a house you don't want to live in, with naught but your parents as the few living souls around you.

every man for himself .

Over time I have come to the conclusion that perhaps I was meant to just do things alone. Sometimes dealing with people is just stressful and annoying. This may come off as very callous, though I assure you it is more of a personal refinement than an attempt to ridicule and alienate the general population. Allow me to explain.

cycling .

So I recently acquired a road bike and all the fixings with hard earned money (so hard to see it leave the account in such a rush though...) and today I went on the third or fourth ever ride on it. A couple of things I've noticed pertain to the fact that road biking is absolutely nothing like mountain biking.

independence day .

Yesterday was July 4th, and as everyone knows that marks the day of our independence as a nation, the date when we officially declared ourselves free of the tyranny of our parent nation. Over the years since I was born there have been a lot of traditions made for July the 4th. Because of the younger ages of the family members, it has yet to become just another excuse to get plastered on a random day of the week -- instead, there are generally barbecues involved and going to various fireworks celebrations.

But this year was entirely different, perhaps breaking the train of tradition for good.

Music Monday #24

This week's song is I Don't Feel Like Dancing by Scissor Sisters.

european journey .

Today my brother set off on an adventure that will change his life forever. This afternoon was the last time I'll see him for three weeks. He's traveling to Europe, through the same organization that I traveled with, a sort of student ambassador program. It's amazing to me that it's been so long since I went on mine. The time has truly passed at an extraordinary rate. I was only 16 at the time, and it blows my mind to think that was 4 years ago. At that time, I had no idea what college I was going to or what I was going to study, in fact it probably wasn't in my thoughts at all.

money v. love .

Oh, how I love ultimatum questions -- not. People think that life is as easy as one hand or the other. It's really not that simple -- but more a complex web of those crazy forks in the road that force you to choose between many paths. If you really wanted to simplify and dumb it down, you could probably put it into one of those flow charts like they have in medical books when you're trying to figure out what the fuck sort of disease you've somehow ended up with.

glen hansard .

Over the past two days my parents went to pick up my brother from Virginia Tech where he had been for a week taking a summer camp in a field that relates to what he wants to do as a future career. It was very odd having the house completely empty. I almost felt like I should have background elevator music or something just to make a noise in the house. When you are so used to a place having life in it, it's weird to see it empty. I also realized that when I get a place of my own, I don't need or really want it to be very big -- there will just be so much wasted space. It makes the idea of an apartment in the city even more appealing. But, we'll see where the job market takes me.