A Work in Progress...

Because I want to be cool too...

Fri, 28 Apr 2006 18:53:25 GMT

Once again, this is an i-Tunes thing. Put everything you've got on shuffle. Pick the first 25 songs and write down the first line of lyrics (or the second line if the first contains the title of the song). Then tell others to guess the Title and Artist of each song.

If you know me, you know that there will be lots of random musical lyrics on here. Good luck...some of them are pretty tough. (And no, I'm not ashamed of any of them.)

1) ~~Jamie is over and Jamie is gone~~

2) ~~Wednesday morning at five-o-clock as the day begins~~

3) ~~A heart that’s full up like a landfill~~

4) ~~Lost in a dream; I don’t know which way to go~~

5) ~~The lunatic is on the grass~~

6) ~~Oh yeah I’ll tell you something I think you’ll understand~~

7) ~~Valjean, at last we see each other plain~~

8) I wonder what it’s like to be a rainmaker

9) ~~Take me in, my dreams recurring~~

10) No man no madness, though their sad power may prevail

11) ~~Once upon a time you dressed so fine~~

12) I used to think maybe you love me, now baby I’m sure

13) Kiss me too fiercely hold me too tight

14) ~~Seven thirty seven comin’ out of the sky~~

15) ~~It’s been seven hours and fifteen days~~

16) ~~You ask me if I love you, and I choke on my reply~~

17) ~~What happened to Benny, what happened to his heart~~

18) ~~Mother said straight ahead not to delay or be misled~~

19) ~~When you’re weary, feeling small; when tears are in your eyes~~

20) ~~How did we get here, how the hell? Pan left~~

21) ~~I met you before the fall of Rome~~

22) ~~Breaking my back just to know your name~~

23) ~~Wake up kids, we got the dreamers’ disease~~

24) Just yesterday morning, they let me know you were gone

25) ~~When the earth was still flat, and clouds made of fire~~

A Triumphant Return...

Sun, 23 Apr 2006 00:24:11 GMT

I really wanted to do the album cover thing...so I decided to end my semester-long hiatus. The rules for those who haven't seen it...

1. Open up your iTunes/iPod/Whatnot and set your entire library to shuffle.
2. Go here and look up the first 25 albums that come up.
3. Post the results to your journal (use small icons to create a square). Try to make the albums one-per-artist.
4. Try to avoid embarassment.

Here is mine...I did not follow rule number 4.

Create your own Music List @ HotFreeLayouts!

The past semester has treated me quite well. There have been numerous high points including a few joyous trips to UF, a memorable visit to Duke, and some truly great shindigs here at Rollins. In other news, graduation is just around the corner. But before that is senior week, and that should be quite the blast. On the down side, I am really hurting for cash right now. I guess I could get one of those job things that I hear everyone talking about, but I'm interested to see whether or not I can make until graduation with what I have. Who knows? This summer is shaping up to be mighty fine. Between softball, the JCA, planning the next year of my life, and the Road Trip Part IV this summer will be one to remember.

So Craig, what are you going to do after the summer?

I'm glad you asked. The plan is to work part-time at the JCA for a while and save up some money. Then I'll be packing my stuff into my old, beat-up Thunderbird and hitting the road. I'll hopefully make it to many places I haven't gotten to see, primarily out West, but I will also be visiting everyone at their respective colleges and universities (probably at the tail end of the trek so that I have many glorious stories to tell). This plan, however, depends on the availability of hostels around the country and a drop in gas prices (if they stay too high, it might postpone things for a while). Then I will make it home in time to apply for grad schools (Vanderbilt, UF, and Wisconsin at Madison are looking especially good right now). So that's the plan. Hopefully it'll work out and it won't just be me living at home for a year. We'll see. Alright...it's time to get this Saturday night started. I hope everyone else is doing well. Peace

Ask Away (Because I Don't Want to Really Update)

Fri, 14 Oct 2005 10:36:36 GMT

YOU CAN ASK ME SIX QUESTIONS::
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
__________________________________________________
No matter how random, revealing, rude, naughty or pointless
__________________________________________________
I promise to answer them (well, most of them) truthfully
__________________________________________________
[[[Repost this to see what others ask you...]]]

Just because it's Fall Break

Fri, 07 Oct 2005 20:04:32 GMT

There's not a whole lot to update on. Still studying hard and partying even harder. So far this year has rocked hard tasty abs, washer-board style. I should try to make it down to Gainesvile sometime soon. Those trips are always good for me. Anyway, things are going pretty well right now. And, because I'm a nerd...

You're a Slytherdor! You are a natural leader and
have the personality to back it up. Often
people are hesitant to approach you because
they feel that you will reject them. You have a
bit of a temper but most of the time you're
able to keep it in check; however when you are
really pissed off, people better watch out. In
your life you have a lot of things you want to
accomplish, whether it's for yourself or
another cause. You can be determined in trying
to pursue this goal but your morals are too
steady to allow you to be absolutely ruthless.
You don't let many people know this, but you
actually like the idea of chivalry (but you try
to keep this buried) and you try to live your
life with honor. You don't back away from tough
decisions. Your weakness is that sometimes you
can be arrogant, you forget about the 'lesser
people' and this leads you to underestimate
your opponents. With the charisma of a
Gryffindor and the ambition of a Slytherin you
can be great in life!

Which Mix of the Hogwarts Houses are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

what else would you expect from a gemini?

Because I Told Someone that I Would Do it This Time...

Thu, 08 Sep 2005 00:27:48 GMT

1. Reply with your name and I'll respond with something random about you.
2. I'll tell you what song/movie reminds me of you.
3. I'll pick a dish that makes me think of you.
4. I'll say something that only makes sense to you and me.
5. I'll tell you my first/clearest memory of you.
6. I'll tell you what animal you remind me of.
7. I'll ask you something that I've always wondered about you.
8. If I do this for you, you must post this on your journal.

School is still good. There were more than 15 people at our first Karaoke Club meeting!!! That's a bit of an increase from last year. And, they are all really excited about next week's meeting. Now if I can figure out what I'm going to do for my Honors thesis, I'll be all set for a while.

As taken from n8's LiveJournal...my Friday night

Mon, 05 Sep 2005 00:34:38 GMT

"my photography skills capture much epic-ness
look at all the excitement you miss if you don't hang out with us...

The elusive "Bacon Lord"(not pictured, as you can't see bacon lords) calls forth a suit of armour from the finest materials available and gifts it to "Craig The Conqueror"(you can't be a conqueror and not have armour)...

"Craig The Conqueror" goes a-conquering and smites those who get in his way...Oral was one of the unlucky ones...

what's this!?!?!? ...someone dares challege "Craig The Conqueror"!?!?!?
...tis "AraBella the Annihilator!!!" what boldness is this that she has obtained the sacred conquering weapon and is trying to use it for annihilating? ...and without armour too!!!
...an epic battle ensues...

*months later*
...the battle has finally ended and we are shown the moment of "The Conqueror's" demise...he goes out with honor though, and stares down "The Annihilator" throughout...

the end"

I Have No Life...

Thu, 01 Sep 2005 04:29:52 GMT

So I did this instead...for more than an hour. Enjoy...or at least pretend to

Click here.
Take the quiz.
Post your results.
1) Has sailorjr5 dyed their hair? Yes
2) Do you have rolligirl06's screenname? Sure do
3) Would mflag and rolligirl06 make a good couple? Umm...I'm gonna say no
4) What word best describes crazyaugustus? Lanky
5) Would you wrestle pearthree in jello? If the price is right
6) Would you ever date pearthree? Nope...never again
7) Would crazyaugustus and wucy_wu look good together? No
8) Thoughts on bertnernie27? She's a groovy lady who I don't talk to nearly enough
9) What is crazyaugustus's favorite color? Blue
10) Could you see hardcorerocker and giniabeans together? If she can put up with Dieter she can put up with anybody
11) What would you do if mflag died? Check his will to see what he left me
12) What is nileprincess's favorite food? Pizza?
13) Is cuteycami related to caesarelmac? Nope
14) What color should mflag dye their hair? Blone...a la Zack Morris
15) If angelnikita took over the world, who would be happy? Jason Mraz
16) Is wucy_wu 1337? I don't know what that means...but probably not
17) Which of your friends should wordtoyourmom go out with? Diana Felix
18) Is n8r your best friend? He's up there
19) If wordtoyourmom and goat_lily were siamese twins, where would they be joined? Hopefully the mouths so they couldn't talk
20) Has sambothedork been to your house/dorm? Many times
21) sambothedork's hair color? Brownish
22) How many monkeys could nileprincess fight at once and win against? None...I think a monkey could take her
23) If giniabeans had a superpower, what would it be? Invisibility...then she could play tennis on the courts
24) What is crazyaugustus's favorite band/artist? I dunno...he hads a bunch...Counting Crows?
25) Would carlos_kweller go out with rolligirl06? Maybe...it's sort of funny to think about
26) Does angelnikita drink? Yes...but not well
27) Have you flirted with carlos_kweller? That's the only reason I came to work this summer
28) What video game does angelnikita remind you of? Destroy All Humans
29) Does bertnernie27 go to your school? No
30) If cuteycami were hanging off a cliff, what would n8r do? Drink a beer
31) Is saltiepretzels related to you? Not at all
32) How tall is wucy_wu? 5' 8"...just a guess
33) Did carlos_kweller break up with you? I don't want to talk about it
34) Do you think crazyaugustus is hot? Well...he has a nice personality
35) What is angelnikita's biggest flaw? Her aim
36) Does rolligirl06 do drugs? I don't think so
37) Are pearthree and wordtoyourmom married? I think I just died of sheer joy at the thought
38) Is carlos_kweller dead sexy? No...he's quite alive
39) What would giniabeans do differently in your shoes? Hit Dieter more often
40) What is rolligirl06's favorite movie? The Ring...but only if Rob's TV is with her
41) What is mflag's favorite game? Football...how many more Superbowl victories can his team buy?
42) One quality you find attractive in carlos_kweller? None
43) What animal should angelmango be combined with? Something very clean
44) Is crazyaugustus single? Since he was born
45) Does giniabeans have a dog? Does Dieter count?
46) What is sambothedork's shoe size? 12?...I'm doing the best I can here
47) Is cuteycami a high school student? No...she's in college
48) Is bertnernie27 introverted or extroverted? She's pretty extroverted
49) Is mflag a college student? Yeah
50) What animal does saltiepretzels remind you of? A bunny rabbit

Why After So Long?.....

Sun, 28 Aug 2005 05:01:18 GMT

My last post was on February 25, more than half a year ago. Why would I choose such a nondescript night to update this journal? The answer is actually beautifully simple. A few of my friends have posted entries that instruct a person to do as follows:

1. Go into your LJ’s archive.
2. Find your 23rd post (or closest to).
3. Find the fifth sentence (or closest to).
4. Post the text of the sentence in your blog along with these instructions

This post filled me with such joy that I had to make some sort of response. The sentence was this...

I'm really glad that I'm working with Q; I've never really had the chance to work with him before, and, to be honest, I was surprised at how well we played off each other.

This was so moving because I read the whole post about my first day working with Max (an autistic kid who first came to the JCA last summer), and it made me so happy. Also, it mentions Quinton and the summer that we worked together which is tied for my favorite summer at the JCA with working with Carl this year. I'm on such a high right now. It's strange how a really good memory can do that to you. Since I've been back at Rollins a lot of people have asked me if going to the J and working this summer was worth it (losing my job, disappointing a friend, etc.). After reading this I can stand firmly in my response of, "Definitely!"

Does this post mean that I will be updating more in the future? Who knows. This just made me so elated that I had to write my feelings down. I hope everyone is having a great Saturday night, and I wish you all the best. Peace.

This Post is Frickin' Long...

Mon, 21 Feb 2005 04:07:51 GMT

It's hard to believe that it's been a whole month since my last post. So much has happened in such a short amount of time. Maybe it would be easiest if I broke the major events into chapters.

Chapter 1 - My Sister got Married by Robert E. Lee in Folkston, Georgia
So, I'm sitting minnding my own business on Sunday, January 23 when I get a phone call. It's my younger sister. I had suspected for a while that her boyfriends of more than two years would be proposing to her sometime soon, so I wasn't too shocked when the words, "Craig, I'm getting married," came out of her mouth. It was the next word that sent chills down my spine, "Tuesday." Yes, that's right my baby sister (ok, she's 19) decided that she wanted to get married at the courthouse as soon as possible giving me and my parents, who were in Kentucky at the time, a little less than 48 hours to prepare. I know what you're thinking, because I thought it too. No, she's not pregnant; she would have told me if she was. Anyway, the day came, and I drove to Jacksonville. We went to the courthouse, but they told her, much to her surprise since she did absolutely no research, that she would have to wait three days after filling out the paperwork before she could get married. She didn't like that one bit. They did mention that this little rule was not in effect in Georgia. So, after getting directions to the nearest courthouse just over the border. We hop back in the car and head north. When we get to the wonderful town of Folkston, the courthouse workers are on their lunch break. So we decide to grab some food too. Thus, my sister had a lovely wedding-day luncheon at Dairy Queen. Finally, it was time for the ceremony. It was carried out by a man who must have been in his eighties. He admitted to recently having had a stroke and that the day we were there was his last day. He couldn't pronounce the groom's middle name (Alexander), and at one point I looked through a door that was slightly ajar and I saw a huge man who was shackled and in the county stripes being led into the portable. (Yes, my sister was married in a portable.) Finally, the ceremony is complete. My mom then decides that she wants to go to a fancy place for dinner. We end up going to a seafood place near Jacksonville (my sister hates seafood) for dinner. The day is over at last. I head back to Rollins and prepare for the rest of my week.

Chapter 2 - Of Fried Chickens, R. Kelly, and Musicals
That Friday, Chris and Adam come from Gainesville to get me. We have a merry time going back to UF. We get there, and we're starved. Adam suggests that we head to Churchs. It was that night that I was introduced to the most beautiful of fried chicken joints. I ordered the all you can eat special and ate until I could eat no more. Such lucious food and sides all for five dollars. Needless to say, I was a happy camper. We then went back to Adam's and listened to R. Kelly's new hit, Sex in the Kitchen. His hilarious musical interjection of, "Girl, I'm ready to toss your salad!" made us laugh very hard and became a catch-phrase of the trip. After that we devised the Critic drinking game and played it. Awesome. We then watched Purple Rain and I decided that it is an extremely awesome movie and that Prince is the man. Double Awesome. The next morning, it was time for our quest up to Duke. This whirlwind trip was completed by Adam "Wheels" Pearthree in record breaking time. Russell was quite awesome and creepily convincing as Bat Boy. His voice continues to get better and better every time I see him. Keep it up, brother, and you just might make something of yourself someday. Anyway, after a night of Bat Boy and Wake Up, Ron Burgundy, we went to bed. The next day, Adam completed the drive in even less time. And, instead of making them take me back to Rollins when they were already tired, I decided to skip my Monday classes and rest / watch all of the Critic episodes that I hadn't seen. On Monday, Chris drove me back, and that saga ended.

Chapter 3 - A Visit from FSU: Dennys is no Place to Pass Out
A whole week goes by, and things are relatively uneventful. That, however, changed suddenly. On Friday, Carl came to Orlando from FSU. I hadn't seen him in a while, so I was greatly looking forward to spending some time with him. Due to some complications, we didn't hang out until Saturday. It was then that he told me that he had tried calling Mandy and that she hadn't answered. We then spent the next hour calling Mandy, finally getting a hold of her, and deciding where to go to dinner. We finally decided on a pizza place by UCF. We ate, had a good time, and then went back to Mandy's. It's always good to see Carl and to see Katie (who I should really hang out with all of the time since she lives in Orlando). Anyway, Katie was feeling tired so they left early. Sean and Nate then headed over with a bunch of beer. We drank a lot and enjoyed ourselves. Nate and I even decided that we didn't have enough beer (even though we did) so Nikki took us to get some more. A couple of hours later Nikki, who had not been drinking, got the idea to go to Dennys for some food. We pile in and head over. Now I only remember flashes of this trip, but I apparently kept trying to fall asleep at the table. After we left and got back to Mandy's, I was finished. I passed out on the ground and slept until morning.

Chapter 4 - Ziggy, GooseAid, and Duct Tape: A Love Story
The week before Valentine's Day was crazy. I spent more nights drunk than I did sober. Not something I plan on doing ever again. Anyway, Friday Nate and I drank consistently for pretty much the whole day. That was quite an experience, and also not something I plan on doing again. On Saturday, Nate and I got up to go to Gainesville for the Sgt. Pearthree's Lonely Hearts Club Bash. On the way there I introduced him to the magic of Ziggy Stardust. I have really come to love that album. Thank you, Adam for getting me hooked on it. Anyway, the party was a very good time. There were only red drinks (wine, sangria, punch with a bit of Grey Goose thrown in for good measure) and there was a huge card on which all of the guests sent a special message of loathing to St. Valentine himself. I got to see lots of people I hadn't seen in a while, played Ring of Fire twice, and even whipped out the Critic drinking game. Clearly, a great time. Even Nate enjoyed himself which is awesome since it was his first time meeting everyone there. I love it when my friends from Rollins get along well with my friends from Jacksonville. After the weekend, Nate and I devised a plan for all of our lady friends here at Rollins. We spent a few hours making duct tape roses and then wrote songs for each of them. Nate played guitar and I got to make use of a pitch pipe. It was genius and seemed to go over well. We were pleased with our efforts, although we are a bit concerned as to how we will top ourselves next year. Oh well, I'm sure we'll think of something.

Chapter 5 - The Dude, The Right Thing, and The Family
This past weekend, I went back down to UF. Friday night was spent celebrating Christina's and Alicia's birthdays. I had started feeling ill on Friday afternoon, but I paid it no attention. I partied on just as usual. At the party, I saw Eric Dorman whom I had not seen in a very long time. It did my soul some good to get to talk to him for a while. While we were there, we played a drinking game to The Big Lebowski for which one had to drink every time the word "dude" was uttered. That was madness. After the party, Adam and I went back to his place where I crashed on the couch. The next day I felt horrible, not because I was hungover but because I was just plain sick. I fear it to be some form of sinus infection, but I'm not sure. All I know is that I don't have a fever, my throat hurts, and it won't stop even though I'm taking obscene amounts of Tylenol. Saturday was still good even though I felt bad. I saw Do the Right Thing which is a freakin' fantastic movie. Holy cow, the more I think about the movie, the more I realize how great it is. If you haven't seen it, go rent it. I also watched The Godfather for the first time. It was really good too. So, even though I was sick, awesome movies kept me happy. After the movies, we went bowling with a few people. I felt horrible by that point. My first game, I bowled less than 100. It was bad. After the bowling, it was back to Adam's for the evening. There I decided that I was not through with the Corleones for the night and that I wanted to watch The Godfather Part II. I really enjoyed that as well. After that was over, I drugged myself up and tried to sleep. Today I'm back at Rollins and feeling really bad. I hate having dull pain that won't go away, and that's what my throat is doing right now. Hopefully this will end soon. Anyway, that's what's been happening over the past month. Maybe next time I won't wait so long between posts.

A Crazy Week...

Thu, 27 Jan 2005 01:17:50 GMT

Full details to come after it is over. Because it can only get crazier from here. It's not every weekend that I go to Duke with two of the coolest guys in the state of Florida to visit one of the coolest guys in the state of North Carolina. Anyway, since I will get yelled at if I don't...

[01] Reply with your name and I will [try my hardest to] write something about you.
[02] I will then tell what song(s) remind me of you.
[03] Next, I will tell you who you remind me of, celebrity/animated or otherwise.
[04] Last, i will try to name a single word that best describes you.
[05] Put this in your journal

Alright. That's all.

Smart Quiz Indeed...

Sun, 16 Jan 2005 10:07:51 GMT

You Are 20 Years Old

20

Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe.

13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world.

20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences.

30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more!

40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax.

What Age Do You Act?

Wow...how crazy is that? Alright, I'm ready for people to be back. I think that for some reason, though, by people I mean Dieter and Nate. I'm not sure why those two are the ones that come to mind right now, but that's that. Ah well, I guess for now I'll have to settle for Christen or Kristin...if I ever decide to call either of them. (I know, I'm a horrible person.) Anyway, time for bed. Another post 5 A.M. bedtime. I think I need to get back on a normal sleeping schedule before classes start.

Oh God....It's TRUE!!!

Thu, 13 Jan 2005 20:44:37 GMT

In other news, I'm back at Rollins. It feels good to have gotten away from the family without yelling at anyone or suffering a nervous breakdown. So, while there still seems to e a lack of things to do, I'm at least not continuously made to feel angry/guilty/annoyed by those around me. I think I'm gonna go breathe in the fresh Orlando air and walk around for a while. It's good to be back.

My Life in 2005...

Thu, 06 Jan 2005 06:43:01 GMT

Well, since I got back from Kentucky it seems as though my life has been a wild roller coaster ride. New Years Eve was a ton of fun, and I decided a few things. First of all, I'm gonna try to lose some of the weight. Or maybe just exercise some more. Something to that extent. Next, I'm going to try to take more risks this year. I've had enough of just letting life happen; I'm gonna take control of it. Anyway, those are my two resolutions for the year ahead. I'm pretty happy with the way 2004 went; now it's just time to try some things a little differently.

Anyway, I got to hang out with all of my friends that were heading back to school early on. (Except for Sam...I tried calling you, but I guess I don't have your new number...I got the voicemail of someone named Darla.) I also got to go to both a Tuesday and Thursday night trivia. It felt good to see all of them together after a few months. Now, however, the majority of people have gone back to school. The boredom really hit me today. Tomorrow, however, I plan on going to trivia with Russell and Camille (by the way, Cam, if he hasn't called you, give me a ring). I'm looking forward to getting back to Rollins, and I think I'll be heading there maybe even as early as Tuesday. It'll be good to see everyone there again. I miss you guys! In any case, I'm gonna get back to watching four straight hours of The X-Files. Man, I wish I was kidding....wait no, no I don't.

What a Christmas...

Sun, 26 Dec 2004 02:34:43 GMT

Today was great. I can't remember the last time I've been this happy on a Christmas. Usually Christmas involves a lot of fake appreciation directed towards my mother and high-stress family interactions. So it's pretty much like any other day. Today, however, had none of that. I got what I asked for (wow, I sound like a 3-year old) and I managed to give really good presents too. I was so worried that my family would think that I was just being cheap. I made them each a CD with songs that make me think of them and wrote out explanations as to why I associate the song with them. Well, by the time they finished reading their respective lists of explanations, my older sister, my mom, and even my dad were shedding tears. I had never seen my dad get so emotional before. Needless to say, I felt pretty accomplished. A lot of hard work ended up paying off. Probably the funniest gift that I got was a blender with a "56 oz. Party Bowl." I'm sure it will get some mileage at a few parties in the weeks to come. I also got two brand spankin' new pairs of Converse. One in a soft, light green; the other a soothing , rainy-day gray. That was most excellent. Alright, enough of that. I feel a little dumb listing my presents on a LiveJournal post. Anyway, like I said, today was pretty good.

BUT, as wonderful as today was, I'm really excited about heading back to Jacksonville tomorrow.
NOTE TO ANYONE AND EVERYONE WHO WANTS TO HANG OUT: I will officially back in town at about 7:00 PM tomorrow evening looking for something to do. Give me a call!!! But, in order to do this, I have wake up at about 4:30. So I'm gonna turn in early and catch some rest. I hope that everyone had a Merry Christmas and, to those of you that I won't end up seeing over the next couple of weeks, have a very Happy New Year. Peace.

Good Grief

Mon, 20 Dec 2004 06:42:42 GMT

Well, here I am in Kentucky. It's literally about 0 degrees outside and the snow is falling. While it's pretty to watch, it would be a million times better if I had a friend or two here to watch it with. Man am I bored. Barring a trip to the Casbah the night before I left for the Bluegrass State, I've been bored since I left Rollins. Do I really have to spend another six days here? I love seeing the family, but I have absolutely nothing to do all day. I took two naps today, for Pete's sake just to make the time pass faster. Then I find out that all of the people I would be hanging out with in Jacksonville (who I'm sure are having a blast every day) are going back to their respective colleges and universities very early in January. So, after a week of fun, I'll be in Jacksonville without a car and without anybody to hang out with for another two weeks. Good frickin' gravy. Maybe I'll try to find a way down to UF during that time, because if I don't I'm afraid I'll go insane. Oh well, I hope everyone is having a marvelous holiday season. And maybe I'll go back to Rollins early. At least Sean will be there, even though he'll be busy all day while I will be sitting around being lazy. All in all this is shaping up to be quite a break. Time to go recount the ceiling tiles. (112 as of last count.)

The Story of Saturday Night...

Mon, 13 Dec 2004 23:50:53 GMT

It was a night not unlike any other night. The moon was out, the wind was blowing, and I was four beers into what looked like was going to be a long, fun night of drinking. I was blowing off writing a paper, and on my way to the Grille with the fellas for a bite to eat. On our way, Nate has a grand idea. Let's go through the tennis courts. And why not? I was feeling fine. Four beers aren't enough to phase me; let's go. When we get to the other side, we are confronted by a 5-foot fence. How will we ever make it over this monstrosity!?! We must turn back. Then Dieter (yes, I have a friend named Dieter), the only one who has had nothing to drink finds a way over. Nate, not to be outbested, follows him. His landing is a little shaky, but he did it. So I figure, if Nate can do it, then I'll be fine. I stand upon the fence looking down on all and prepare to jump. As I jump, my cuff of my jeans gets caught on the top of the fence. This cause me to faceplant directly into the concrete. Impact occurs at about 12:45 AM. I land on my right hand, left elbow, and chin. "Stand down, soldier," are for some reason the first words out of my mouth as Dieter runs over. "I'm fine...I just knocked the wind out of me." I then hear Sean, the only one to decline the fence-jumping extravaganza, say "Campus Safety...Campus Safety." And just like that, I'm on my feet. The fuzz passes us by, and we go to the Grille for our food. When we return, I am in a bit of pain. I decline to drink anymore that night. I kept thinking, "What would Camille be saying right now?" And the party ended. I wrote a page and a half more of my paper before turning in. I got very little sleep that night. The pain kept me up, and I finally had Sean take me to the hospital at 9:30 AM. The news? Well, I am currently wearing a sling and a wrist brace. I severely sprained my wrist and got a hairline fracture in my left arm. I don't know how I made it through the night without going insane, but now at least I'm on some industrial Ibuprofen. I've still managed to get all of the work done that I need to, and, have gotten support from, barring some bitterly unsympathetic individuals, everyone. My plans for tonight? Finish up here at the library and then go finish up the beer in celebration of my last night at Rollins. But maybe I'll take it a little easier tonight. =^)

A Kentucky Thanksgiving for the Wickless Family...

Fri, 26 Nov 2004 06:05:56 GMT

...And what a family we are. The day went pretty much as expected. My dad and older sister cooked the dinner while Ben (my bother-in-law) and I sat around watching after the baby. Afterward, he and I cleaned up while my sister and dad sat around. And my mom, as usual, spent the day upstairs because she was "depressed." Too depressed to spend time with her children and grandchild who she rarely gets to see. And then, having spent the whole day upstairs, she comes down and is picky about the food. Do some damn work for yourself, and stop using your mental illness as an excuse/crutch for self-induced LAZINESS!!! Ok...I feel better. I'm allowed a good rant every once in a while; I mean, I have lived with her/had to deal with her for the past...all my life.

Anyway, I might get to see my niece take her first steps! We are all awaiting the big event, and it looks like it may happen any day now. So with that excitement and a completely preservative-free Thanksgiving dinner to make, I've had quite a time up here. I hope that when I am older I can stick to buying and eating whole foods most of the time. Chemicals suck ass. (See what spending time with my hippie sister does to me?...Not that I'd have it any other way, mind you.)

I was just reading the Complete Idiot's Guide to the World's Religions (yes, yes I am a nerd). I really like Taoism in prety much every way one can like a religious expression. It's comforting to think that there is a flow to the universe and that one can tap into that in order to achieve some form of harmony. I had read about it in a religion class at Rollins, but it might be time to actually read the Tao Te Ching (one of the shortest religious texts around...my kind of religion, indeed). I kind of like not knowing exactly where my faith is going to take me in the future; it allows me to approach many different religious tenets from a fairly objective angle.

Hmmm...everyone in the house goes to bed at about 9:00 (except my mom, of course, who stays up until about 3 and sleeps until 2 in the afternoon). Thus, the majority of the people here get up at about 7 or 8 and wake me up. So I find that I get much less sleep when I'm here than when I'm spending a weekend at Rollins. The company is excellent, but the lack of sleep is starting to drive me a little loopy. This, combined with other factors tends to put me in quite a state of confusion. Once again I find myself torn between wishing I was back with my my friends (some of whom I haven't seen since the summer) in Florida and wanting to stay here as long as possible. This is compunded by the fact that I'm going to be spending the first week and a half of winter break here in KY. So I won't get to hang out with the Jacksonville crew for another month. As it turns out, I am going to be returning to the Sunshine State on Saturday evening, so if anyone wants to hang out that night, give me a ring. Otherwise, I'll just head back to Rollins that night (and sleep in on Sunday!!!).

Has anyone noticed that there are two movies coming out within the next year or so that are both musicals? Not only are they musicals, but they are two of my absolute favorite musicals. First, The Phantom of the Opera in December (which I am beyond excited about) will certainly be magnificent. I've heard much of the cast recording, and it sounds pretty good. Especially for the young people Schumacher got to play the leading roles. It should be enough to please this phan (once again...nerd). Then RENT is coming out at the end of next year. Much of the original Broadway cast is going to return for the movie which means that it shouldn't be some crappy knock-off. I, of course, attribute this reunion to Adam Pascal being in School of Rock and loving being in front of a camera, and once he signed, the deal was sealed for everyone else. My major question is how did the RENT movie get so far along before I heard anything about it. For those of you that don't know (and most of you who are reading this do), RENT is, although a fairly mainstream choice, my all-time favorite musical. Needless to say, I will be first in line to see it when it hits theatres. Has there been a sudden spike in the popularity of live-action movie-musicals? I mean these are big Broadway names, and they've been around a while. Maybe, to steal a line from my good buddy Nate, my world and the real world are beginning to merge. A scary thought, no doubt. In any case, I hope they do well at the box office so that my hopes and dreams do not come crashing down around me.

Ok, time to end the post. I'll leave you with a Thanksgiving treat...

You Are the Stuffing

You're complicated and complex, yet all your pieces fit together.
People miss you if you're gone - but they're not sure why.

What Part of Thanksgiving Are You?

Alright! Stuffing solidarity, Eric and Amy. Woot! (I know, I know...still a nerd)

I haven't seen anyone else with this one...

Mon, 08 Nov 2004 06:32:14 GMT

You Are a Liberal for Life

You've got a bleeding heart - and you're proud of it.

For you, liberal means being compassionate, pro-government, and anti-business.

You believe in equality for every person, and you consider yourself universally empathetic.

Helping others is not just political for you ... it's very personal too.

What political persuasion are you?

Sounds about right to me!

Not in the best of moods...

Tue, 26 Oct 2004 05:08:39 GMT

Have you ever looked back on your last post and realized what a pretentious asshole you are? Well, that's sort of what I'm doing right now. I meant all of the things that I wrote, but God why do I have to make myself out to be so brooding? Oh well. Maybe this is just the lack of sleep talking. I got no sleep from the time I woke up on Sunday until 8:45 tonight. While it was in the name of a good cause, it did kind of make me a little loopy today. Also, on another note, I've made the recent decision not to drink heavily for a very very long time. The word "wall" will not even be a part of my vocabulary for at least a couple of months. It's time to take it easy and focus more on school and my friends. The demigod is, for now, no more. I guess that's about it. I promise that my next post will be cheerier.

Oh...and UF people, let me know when it would be a good weekend for me to come visit.

How can you question what is certain?

Mon, 04 Oct 2004 05:40:56 GMT

My life is confusing. Whose isn't, right? But recently I've been thinking (dangerous, I know). Lots of times I feel like there is a way my life "should" be going as long as I stay on the right track. I can kind of "feel" whether or not I'm headed in the right direction. Sometimes the feeling is stronger than it is at other times. When it's at its strongest it's like being so sure about something to the extent that you couldn't imagine seeing things in any other way. In this instance, however, I've been on the path for so long without anything to show for it. I know deep down that things will pay off if I can stay the course; whether I pin it on "fate" as some of my friends do or not, I believe that you can't be so sure that something is right when it isn't. Maybe to some extent it's just a matter of faith. I mean, everyone comes to a point in their life when they question their faith in some way (whether it be in God, humanity, or anything), right? But how long can I convince myself that I'm doing the right thing before I realize that what I thought would pay off never will? I guess it's just hard, but I suppose that nothing of any importance was ever achieved easily. I know I'm being cryptic, but it's hard to be too specific about what I'm feeling. Just suffice it to say that I'm really confused. I've always been an idealist and an optimist, but I can see how the realists could label me naive. How much longer can I hold onto my dreams before nihilism sets in? I guess I just have to keep taking it one day at a time, but my days are getting longer, I'm getting weary, and the goal is not even in sight. Yet onward I go...

Over the past few weeks I've kept myself fairly busy. I weathered the most recent storm over at Mandy and Nikki's with about five of my friends from Rollins. It was so great seeing friends from two different areas of my life getting along so well with each other. Even if I do (thanks to losing a game of SceneIt?) have to spend a whole night drinking diet root beer and not singing while RENT is playing in the background, it was more than worth it to have so many people I care about chumming it up. Things back at school are pretty good too. I got some things sorted out with a bunch of people, and I'm feeling much better. On the whole (minus the garbage above) things are pretty good. I'm a little more stressed with school than I usually am, but if I can make it through the next four days with my head above water, then things will get much better. Maybe I should take some time this week and just mellow out, get things sorted in my head, and really relax.

A Decent Start...

Thu, 02 Sep 2004 04:47:56 GMT

Well, the past week and a half has been pretty chaotic. Meeting new people, the first few days of classes (which look to be pretty challenging this semester), and dealing with emotional issues of all different types. Finally, I think I've managed to get a handle on everything that's been happening, and now I can start to settle down. Oh, wait...there's that enormous stupid frickin' storm off the coast that wants to come and ruin any chance I had at relaxation. Speaking of, it looking like I'm gonna ride this bad boy out here in Orlando. Apparently some of the higher-ups are looking for students to help out in the Science Center (where everyone who isn't leaving the campus will be staying) while and especially after the storm hits. So, of course, I'm staying for that. One of the things that I hate most is sitting around helplessly waiting for a storm to pass, but if I'm busy making sure that everything is going as it should be, then it'll take my mind off the fact that there's not really a whole lot that I can do that will make a big difference. Anyway, one of the highlights of the past couple of weeks was definitely going to visit some friends at UF. I always feel so at ease and welcome around that crowd. It's good to be around people that seem to really appreciate you simply for being you. And I want to say a special thank you to Camille for making an awesome dinner. So what if it had a little more glass in it than most dinners do? That made it all the more endearing. So thank you. Anyway, there's not a whole lot new to report. Most of the crowd that I hang out with here at Rollins left tonight, and I'm feeling a little lonely. I'm sure that'll pass, though, when I'm crammed in a building with 500 other people Friday night. In any case, I'll end this post now with a couple of quiz-things that I couldn't resist trying out.

As if there was ever any question...

Take the Homestar Runner Character Quiz by Coach Vee!

And this is just silly...

The Mother of All Updates...

Fri, 20 Aug 2004 22:44:46 GMT

Wow, not only has it been quite some time since my last update, but A WHOLE FRICKIN LOT has happened between now and then. So I'll try to condense it as best I can without leaving anthing too important out.

The End of Work: The camp shows went well, very well. My kids managed to do a wonderful job and made me really proud. I even got to "choreograph" a number for them. As always, it was really hard saying goodbye to all of the amazing people that I work with. Thus, the final counselor party on the Saturday after work was wrought with emotion. Allow me to just say that I love Holly Hughes and will miss her terribly.

The Cruise: Wow, my first cruise certainly didn't let me down. I got to do all sort of amazing things (like losing $60 at the blackjack table). My shore excursions included a historical tour of Key Wesy (I'm such a nerd) and a snorkeling trip off of Pearl Island near Nassau. What was really great was hanging out with some friends whom I hadn't really seen all summer. So we did some good catching up while we were at sea. Also, my knowledge of wine has been dramatically improved, so any ladies out there that want to be shown a good time, give me a ring. (Why do I say things like that?) Oh! One of my favorite memories of the trip and probably the summer was sitting on the aft deck with my friend's dad (who is like a second father to me), dipping the ends of our Cuban cigars in brandy, and discussing religion while puffing away. It was a good time. But, unfortunately it had to come to an end. However, thoughts of leaving on Road Trip Part II the next day kept my spirits high.

Road Trip Part II: What do you get when you cram Chris MacDowell, Quinton White, Russell Hainline, Adam Pearthree, and Craig Wickless into a medium-sized SUV for hours on end? One hell of a good time! From the rolling hills of Kentucky to the urban center of Cleveland to the quaint and tranquil streets of Windsor, Ontario we managed to drag our foul mouths and our even fouler minds across the southeastern half of the U.S. There were far too many memorable moments to mention here, but to quickly point out the highlights: My older sister and Co. are incredibly kind, I rock at mini-golf, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is still one of the greatest places on earth, umm...I also rock at bowling, Jody is one of the coolest girls that I have ever met...in Ohio, Cuban cigars taste better on this side of Canada, and driving late at night is not fun. Well, that about sums up the trip. One more thing, Mac, Q, Russell, Adam, you guys are some of the best friends a guy could hope for thanks for helping to make my summer so awesome.

Post Road Trip: Well, we made it back to Jacksonville just in time to get ready for hurricane Charley. I was so excited about the storm hitting Jacksonville because I love big violent storms, and by the time it got to us it wouldn't be strong enough to cause a lot of severe damage. A lot of my friends from Orlando were already back on campus so they were prepping for the storm too. Well, after waiting up with Sean, we were dismayed to see that the storm missed us altogether. I think it lightly rained at his house for a couple of minutes. Orlando, on the other hand got the shit kicked out of it. But I wouldn't see that damage for a couple of days. In the meantime, SuperTrivia kept me busy. After an abysmal first half the team managed to pull it together to finish in third place and scoring a $50 gift certificate. The next day was delicious food at Adam's. The food was good, the movie selection follwing dinner (High Fidelity) was great, and the company couldn't be beat. It was a good way to spend my last full day in Jacksonville.

Moving In: Monday rolled around and due to the postponement of training at Rollins, I had the pleasure of halping Adam move into his apartment. We (Adam, Q, Matt Flagler, and I) got everything loaded with relatively little difficulty. We were soon on our way to UF, but when we got to Adam's pad we found out that, due to some mistake and the lack of compassion from the lady in the office, Adam couldn't move in. By the time we had the mistake sorted out, the office was closed. So we all spent the night at Camille's where we had lots of fun watching Die Hard and playing Trvial Persuit. The next day, we got Adam all moved in. His place is awesome, and I can't wait to visit. Then we hot-footed it back to Jacksonville. I packed up and threw my stuff in the car and left for Rollins. It was about 8:00 when I arrived to find that my dorm was one of two dorms that still didn't have power. So my dad and I moved everything in the dark and laft all of my stuff splayed about the room. I ended up spending the night in a random empty room in the on-campus apartments that was being used by people from my dorm to shower in.

Training: Peer Mentor training was long and boring. To make matters worse, I didn't end up getting power until yesterday. Oh well, it could have been a lot worse. I actually just finished my last session of training. All of the new first-year students arrive tomorrow morning. So my day will be split between helping with the move-in process and going to Mandy's birthday party which I REFUSE to miss. All in all I think that this semester is going to be pretty damn good, but it'll be a lot better when things settle down a bit.

"We're Going to Live Happily Ever After..."

Wed, 28 Jul 2004 04:31:33 GMT

Alright, my weekend turned out to be pretty decent. Saturday was spent mostly with Mandy & Co. We went bowling (where I did pretty decently, I might add) and then, after a brief layover at the Jones household, went to see A Cinderella Story. It was a pretty good movie, better than I thought it would be mostly because of the "best friend" character whom I found very amusing and slightly like me. Sunday was also a fun day. After helping hang artwork at the JCA for a few hours, I went with Adam to see Anchorman for the third time. You know a movie is good when you're still laughing at it on the third viewing and would anticipate laughing if you saw it again. After the movie we met up with Camille, ate dinner, and then watched Monty Python and the Holy Grail. It had been a long time since I'd seen that movie, and on Sunday I recaptured the love and adoration that I used to have for the movie. Even Monday was pretty good. After a decent day at work, I walked home again. After that, I went to Quinton's and watched the original Manchurian Candidate in preparation for seeing the new one this weekend. On that note, I'm really excited about two movies coming out on Friday. ...Candidate and The Village. I hope that neither lets me down. As for today? Well, one show night done, and two more to go. I'm simultaneously looking forward to and dreading the end of camp. I'm dreading it because of all of the people that I won't see for about 10 months. But, its conclusion will start a period of time during which I can kick back and relax. And I haven't been able to do that in about 8 weeks. Also, with the Cruise and Road Trip II coming up, there's lots to be excited about. I also have to say that I'm not as excited about returning to Rollins as I was last year. I think it's just because I've been so busy all summer. I do miss my Rollins friends, but I'm not ready to leave the ones here yet. Oh well...I'll get over it.

Oh, and on a slightly down note, I left my car (which is still wrecked with its trunk partially open) outside so the a guy from the insurqance company of the kid that hit me could come do an appraisal. Well, I couldn't get in touch with him all day and, after two days of rainlessness, it typhooned this afternoon. So I basically left my car outside for no reason and my trunk got flooded. I couldn't tell the extent of the flooding because it was dark when I got home, but I can't imagine that it will be good. Well, that something to worry about in the morning time. For now, I'm going to bed. I have to sing in about 6 or 7 songs in the camp show tomorrow so the day will no doubt prove to be a long one. So, off to bed I go....WHEEEEEE!

Why This Week Has Been A Little Rough...

Sat, 24 Jul 2004 18:41:37 GMT

Saturday: The beginning of what would prove to be an interesting week. My parents tell me that they are leaving for an undetermined period of time. That's usually a bad thing becase, while I do not mind their absence, I do hate the fact that my sister uses it as an excuse to invite her friend and boyfriend over until all hours of the night. But it was all ok because I could just leave if I wanted to. Well, as I was driving to get Russell a birthday present, that all changed. Some guy thoughtit would be amusing to rear end me and cause about $4,000 worth of damage to my car. So after about an hour of talking with the Florida Highway Patrol and standing around in the rain I was able to go complete my errand and coast back home. The party that night was a lot of fun, but the night was slightly marred by the events that transpired earlier. Nevertheless, a FINE party. Moving on.

Sunday: Spent a lot of time with Adam and Camille helping them clean up and just goofing off. After I was driven home I sat around listening to the strangers in my house curse loudly and speak in fractured English. Eventually, Quinton called to see if I was coming to hit softballs with him and Chris. I told him maybe. Eventually I realized that I couldn't get out there because I DIDN'T HAVE A CAR! So I called back and he was nice enough to come get me himself. This would be only one of many times this week that Quinton would help me out by driving me.

Monday-Thursday: Not a whole lot happened. I dealt with insurance companies, got my car looked at, and tried to stay bright and cheerful at work. Monday included putt-putt with Carl, Quinton, and the ever-comical Matt Flagler. Tuesday was trivia where we got second place after 2 tie-breakers. Wednesday I began to do what I would end up doing every night for the rest of the week: Playing video games with my sister, her boyfriend, and one of her friends. Thursday was the other trivia (which I realized would be my very last one of the summer) and we got 1st place. I've got to say, during that time I managed to forget about all of the things that are going wrong in my life and simply enjoy myself.

Friday: Work was awesome because Jay, Brad, Adam, Mandy, and I dressed up like the cast of Anchorman for RetroDay. Not only did I get to portray the best character in the movie, Brick Tamland, but I also was repeatedly told that I nailed the costume perfectly. Someone even suggested that I should show up to parties dressed like that. I wasn't sure if that meant that me as Brock was more interesting than me as ME, but I decided to take it as a compliment. After work I decided to walk home. It was one of those things that I wanted to do just to see if I could. So I hoofed it the 2.5 miles back to my house in dress shoes. After that I sat around doing nothing. I really wanted to do something last night, but I couldn't bring myself to call someone up and say, "Hey, do you want to come pick me up and drive me somewhere?" So I sat around on the computer for a few hours, then I started watching TV. I ended the night by having a long phone conversation with Mandy which is always nice. So while the evening wasn't the best in the world, the night ended on a high note. And, after about 10 hours of sleep I am ready to do it all again.

That's about it. My special thanks for the week go to Quinton, for driving me all over the place this week and Mandy, for taking me to work in the morning, going to the Autobody Shop with me and waiting around for about 45 minutes when she ended up not needing to, and for being one of the most generous and compassionate people I know (unfortunately I couldn't fit those two into you acrostic. And, as if this entry couldn't get any longer, here's a humorous thingie.

WEll, it's official. I'm going to steal Ritchelle away from Sean and she is going to be my sugar momma. It says so here; you can't deny the crappy online quiz thing. Alright, that's all; I'm actually going to go out and do something now! I'm out.

To Update, Or Not To Update.....

Sat, 17 Jul 2004 03:04:23 GMT

Guess which one I chose. Anyway, things have been going ok since my last post. I went on a very fun weekend excursion to Orlando with some co-workers. We had a blast...and Catchphrase should be played at any gathering. For some reason, as we were galavanting about the Universal Studios, my back and knees started to really ache. It was like nothing I had experienced before. Now, I've known that I have a bad back for a while, but this was different. I can only hope that it doesn't persist.

Throughout the week I saw a lot of my good friend Sean-a-tron. I hadn't spent a lot of time with him this summer, so we made up for some lost time by seeing each other almost every day this week. I've said it before and I'll say it again, you're one of the best friends a guy could ask for, Sean. This week also saw the birthdays of three other of my dear friends. Quinton, who was turning 18; Russell, who turned 19; and Eric, who turned 21. For Eric's birthday, I went out to one of the finest retaraunts I had ever been to. It was a lot of fun to get to pretend that I was filthy stinking rich for a night, but I don't think I could stand eating at places like that very often.

Two trivias this week. Both were rather disappointing. I don't know why, but I seem to be having worse and worse times at trivia. I think that it has to do with a combination of sucky announcers and personal issues. Speaking of...I have been kind of down for the past few days. I was getting very angry at trivia Thursday night, and that's something that rarely happens. To make things worse, I didn't even really have any reason for being mad. So I would like to appologize to anyone that I may have been somewhat cold to. I think I know why I've been feeling this way, but there aren't many people with whom I can talk about it. And even if I could, I don't think that it would do much good. It seems to be a problem with no happy solution and something that I will have to deal with and move past myself. And all of my "regular friends" my best friends are far to close to me to be able to lend me a lot of solid good advice (if that makes any sense). This isn't a knock against you guys...it's just the way that I feel about things right now. What I need is a person who doesn't know me too well yet but with whom I feel comfortable talking. Someone who can be objective yet sympathetic, and I may have found the answer in a certain younger BKK counselor. Not to put all of the pressure on you, Cailin, but anytime you could spare a few minutes to talk, I would love to get something off of my chest and to hear your input on it. Alright, this has become a little too "woe-is-me" for my taste. I'm surprised that I wrote as much as I did. Anyway, I'm looking forward to tomorrow and doing one of my favorite things in the world: hanging out with my buds *shameless attempt at making up for earlier comment*.

Undies
LJ Username
Your Undies
Who will see you in them	nileprincess
Who wants to see you in them	bertnernie27
Who will steal them	pearthree

This quiz by lovely_mouse - Taken 79967 Times. </a>

Which One Of Your LJ Friends Will You Marry?
LJ Username
Favorite color
Gender
You will marry...	reeshell
You will be married for...years	11
Your combined income will be...	$509,476.48
You will have...children	27

This quiz by fuzzinabox - Taken 17033 Times. </a>