25 Hours?

A packed day, to say the least.

First, I went to class and did all of that note-taking stuff. Was kind of boring, and I nearly passed out a few times. But afterwards I had to rush to the bus stop and get home. Well, I didn't have to rush, but I did. I played Guitar Hero for a while, and I only have one song left on expert.

I grabbed my French Horn and went back to campus around 4:30. It took an hour to get to campus because the route I took involved getting on I-35. There was actually a ton of traffic. Either way, I made it campus and put my horn in my locker. I walked briskly to my group meeting. I was late. By about 10 minutes. I feel bad about that, because I hate being late to anywhere or anything.

Best group meeting ever. We sat around and played Unreal Tournament for 1 - 1/2 hours. I know we didn't get anything accomplished, but I think it was still good for morale.

The more I think about the problem mentioned in the last post, the more I want to just forget about it. And for me, that's an easy task.

Finally, Fermin turns 21 today. I find it hard to believe. It feels like it was just yesterday that he turned 20. It only makes me think about the good ol' days.

Move Along

I'm constantly looking for that one excuse. The one that never fails. Old reliable.

I'm torn. On one hand, I can do the right thing, forget the past, and sleep easier. Or, I can just call it a day, move on to tomorrow, and sleep easier for tonight. But I'm also having trouble figuring out what the right thing to do is.

Everything that was stuck in the back of my mind is free now. Most of my questions have been answered. It would probably be best to quit while I'm ahead. There's no need to push things further.

And even though it's all answered, I haven't felt that lift yet. There's still a weight on my shoulders. I still feel obligated to do one last thing. Guess that means that what I think and what I feel are two different things.

You know what? I don't need more phone numbers. I don't do enough with the ones I have. I don't talk. I just type.

And that's why I believe I should just call it a day.

Una Mezcla

Finally, some quiet time.

My parents and Pat were in town this weekend. Everything went smoothly, except for one game of basketball, but that's expected.

Pat brought his XBOX 360, so that meant we stayed up 'til 6 in the morning playing video games. The Kid wakes up at 9 most days, so getting good sleep was rare. And because my stomach sucks, little sleep makes for a stomach full of fire.

When I went to bed last night, I decided that I would sleep in and skip my CS 352 class. I need my stomach to be in working order, and I had a migraine that was absolutely sucking. I woke up at 8:45AM, but went back to sleep. I woke up at 9:30AM, but that wasn't enough. I finally got out of bed around noon.

I just found out that my CS 352 class was cancelled anyway. Great timing.

Things have gotten weird on MySpace. Real weird.

Otherwise, not much else has been going on. Just another slow day. Can't believe that it's almost May. That freaks me out.

Cool Breeze

Sometimes, it's great to be me.

I finally gave up on the long hair idea. Went to the barber shop yesterday and got rid of it. I feel so different, and that's a good thing.

The past two days here in Austin saw high temperatures of 100 degrees. It really sucked. I didn't leave the apartment today. I fell asleep on my elbow, and if that's ever happened to you, you know how much it sucks. Spent most of today working on my cultural presentation in Spanish. It has to be 3 minutes of speaking all from memory. Shouldn't be too hard, except that I can barely remember 1 minute worth of information.

Either way, a cold front came through, so the high for tomorrow is 85 degrees or so. That still feels ridiculously hot to me, but I'll survive.

My alarm clock finally gave up. No matter how I wind it, it still only lasts a few hours. I'll have to buy a new one. I might try to get a fancy one with a CD player and all. I sleep with my computer on so I can listen to iTunes while I go to sleep. Unfortunately, it also makes the room warmer than usual.

Another group meeting on Thursday. I'll stay on campus and shoot the ball around, fix my horn, and maybe do some homework. Having 4 hours to kill isn't necessarily a good thing.

Guess I don't have much else to say. I thought I did, but I was wrong. Oh well.

Rising Heat

It's supposed to reach 97 degrees tomorrow. That sucks bad. And it makes me hate Texas even more.

Otherwise, it's been rather nice. To an extent. The past 3 days were filled with birthdays. An old friend on the 13th, my bro on the 14th, and J on the 15th. I didn't realize that they were all so close together. Only the best for them all.

Thursday was alright. I played some ball with Ryan, shot around at the gym for a while, and then went to a meeting with my CS 352 group. We discussed some of the project, but mostly told stories and such. I actually had fun listening to it all also.

Erik, my bro, my sis-in-law, and I all went to Dave & Buster's. It was nothing but good food and fun. Played one of those arcade basketball games, and I was kiling on it. I was consistently hitting 10 shots each time. My bro played it a few times, but didn't get more than 7. Erik and I finished with over 1000 tickets, so he got a stuffed Bevo, I got a stuffed bear in Mavs pajamas, and we split on a shot glass.

I didn't do much with my weekend. It bothered me that Sunday got here so quick. I'm just dreading this week. I don't have any tests or tough homework assignments. I just wish it were all over.

I've decided that I'm not going to take summer classes. And yes, this means that I'm not going to graduate until May. Right now, I just feel like I really need a break from school. So, I'm looking for a job. Nothing too fancy, just something that won't bore me to death and won't require hard work. I'm tempted to get a job at Fry's. I know enough to dominate the computer section, but I hate dealing with people. Eh.

So either way, there's only one thing I want to end this post with.

I really can't believe that I've known J for over a year now. Time really does fly by. But it is a nice thing to say, "Hey, I've known them for a long time." There are people that I knew for months and then never heard from them again. Those might have been a few nice months, but I'll take a longer friendship any day.

I'm glad I know you, J.

Oh Yea?

Hmm...fill in everything from Thursday to today? Yea, I guess I could do that.

I think I did alright on my CS 352 test. One of the problems had me thinking for 20 minutes, and I probably got that one complete wrong. I feel alright about the other questions though.

I really don't remember much about Thursday though, besides watching My Name Is Earl.

I went to class on Friday, and went to my French Horn lessons. I totally sucked. But that's what happens when you're sick for a week and don't have time to practice. I know that I watched the Spurs-Mavs game, which was totally awesome. It really made me happy.

Don't remember anything from yesterday.

Today, I had to go to campus to meet with my new group. Was nice to be on campus on a weekend. Hadn't done that in forever. After screwing around for an hour, I ate lunch and went to my Horn Instructor's recital. It was really good. She sounded great. I was annoyed by the guy in front of me though, because he kept nodding off and eventually slumped down in his chair to sleep. That bastard! I wanted to slap the back of his head, but that would have caused a disturbance in the middle of a song.

The West Wing was real serious today. It was a good episode. Nothing else on TV tonight, so I came to the room and tried to study. So far, I've accomplished nothing. I really want to get an 'A' on this Spanish test, just so I can believe that studying is a good thing.

I'm not tired, and I'm not ready to sleep. But I am ready to lay down.

Not Too Shabby

As I mentioned to Brandon earlier today, I'm sure my criticism from last night was just a reaction to that ridiculously hard test. It really put me in a foul mood.

Today was simple. I had to write a composition in Spanish, and then I went home. Played Guitar Hero, watched some TV, and watched the Spurs get demolished. All in all, it was a good day. I even studied a little bit for my test tomorrow.

By the way, if I'm in a bad mood tomorrow, you'll know why.

I didn't import all of my music to iTunes when I first started using it. I just put in the groups I listen to the most. Well, about a week ago I decided to put in most of the rest. I forgot all about Interpol.

I mentioned a long time ago that I attach memories to certain groups or songs. So, when I hear Interpol, I think about riding around with my bro and sis-on-law. We would go to North Austin and just drive around. This was during my 1st year. I guess I enjoyed it so much because I didn't have to be at my dorm with my crappy roommate. I rarely spent weekends at my dorm. I would just go over to my bro's and hang out over there.

And yes, I realize that most of my favorite memories involve being in a car on a highway. It's just something that I really like.

Sometimes I want to not be single. But 5 minutes later, I'm too happy that I'm single. It makes no sense. I guess it only happens when a pretty chic walks by. Guess that's normal. Ha!

Being single is great. I can look around without being scolded or anything.

Either way, I better get some sleep.

Restless Nights

Today sucked kind of bad.

Didn't get much sleep last night, so my stomach was on fire this morning. I have no idea how I made it to campus, nor do I remember. I dressed up just a lil' bit, but I don't know if it was worth it. It was friggin' hot outside, and our group didn't rank in the top 4 of the class. So now we might get split up for the 2nd phase, and I have enough trouble meeting people as it is.

Afterwards I went home. I checked my email and such, then promptly passed out on my bed for 2 hours. Woke up, changed, and caught a bus going to campus. I know, I could have stayed on campus which would have saved myself from 2 bus trips. I don't care. A nap in my bed is worth it.

My CS 341 test totally sucked. I knew about half of it, and I'm hoping that's more than everyone else knew. I can't be sure though, because there are some really big nerds in there. You know, the type that actually study. I did put in some cramming last night, but my mind was overflowing.

I haven't slept well over the past few nights because I end up thinking about everything. It gets real bad, to the point where there are 4 or 5 general subjects in my head, and it feels like 20 people are talking all at once. I might think about an assignment for one of my classes, something I saw on campus, something that I realized on the bus, and finally what I'm going to do tomorrow.

As I walked out of the testing room, a thought crossed my mind. If you look up the word "underachiever" in the dictionary, I'm almost 100% certain that there will be a picture of me next to it. I don't know if it's a lack of motivation, inspiration, or a combination of the two.

3 years ago, I would have used my future high school reunion as motivation to do my best. But the closer it gets, the more I think I won't even go. In fact, there's little to no chance of me going.

2 years ago, I would have thought about my extended family and how it would impress them. Although, it could have been more about myself being the black sheep. Would be nice to do something great. But now I couldn't care less about what they think of me.

Last year, I would have thought about a friend I wanted attention from. At the time, I thought that if I had something stable in my life, I would be able to focus and set my priorities straight. But that wasn't the solution.

Today, I have no motivation. I wake up, go to class, do what I need to, and leave. I don't put in any extra work. In fact, I'm all about the bare minimum. But that will only get you so far.

See, that's what bothers me. I know what my problem is. I know what I need to do. But I can't force myself to do it. Which I guess is the second half of the ongoing cycle between motivation and success. I don't consider myself successful, so I have no motivation, which means I'll never succeed.

It could be deeper. I set ridiculously high standards for myself. My idea of success on an exam is reading each question, writing each answer, turning it in within 30 minutes, and walking out knowing I aced it. Yet, all of my classes have curves and what not. They are there for a reason. No one aces the test, except maybe 1 or 2 people out of 50.

And once again, my night is going to be wrecked by this.

The Bed

I don't know if I can remember a day quite like the one I just had.

I woke up and got ready for class. After coughing stuff up and sneezing stuff out, I decided that maybe it wasn't best for me to go. We were supposed to talk in Spanish with some people, and I really didn't want to get anyone else sick. I thought I had a sinus infection, but now I'm not so sure. I'm getting muscle aches, so that tells me it's a cold Seems weird though.

Either way, I watched some TV with my bro and the kid. Major League was on. It's a hilarious movie, so long as it's uncut. Then he put the kid down for a nap and took one as well. I spent this time watching The Day After Tomorrow.

My bro, sis-in-law, and the kid all went to the store around 3 or so. I didn't want to go, because I really thought I had allergies going on. Being outside was not going to help me any. So, I stayed home, shaved, and checked my email every 5 minutes or so.

I found out that we were having a group meeting. I should have assumed that we were going to. The project is due Tuesday, after all. I jumped on the next bus and went to campus. No time to put gel in my hair or anything. I just put on some shoes, grabbed my backpack, and left.

Spent the next 2 - 1/2 hours or so researching the instructions accepted by a fast IEU (Integer Execution Unit.) Then we broke for dinner, which I ate by myself. I don't like eating in front of people. I don't know, I just feel weird when I do. I went back to the dorm where our meeting room was and sat outside for a while. You have to swipe your ID to get in, and that checks to see if you actually live there. So, no entry for me with my ID. I didn't mind though, since it gave me time to enjoy the wind and quietness.

When we met back up, it was just me and the team leader. She had some music on. I think it was Ben Lee. Wasn't too bad. I don't know if I'd rush out and buy the CD, but if it were on the radio, I wouldn't change the channel. Started working again, and that went on for 2 more hours.

I finally left at 10PM or so. I tried to hurry to the bus stop, but lost track of where I was. So, I ended up missing my bus by 30 seconds. Strangely enough, I didn't even feel angry. I just felt disappointed. The next bus wasn't coming for another 40 minutes, so I went to the Union and sat down.

I finally left campus at 10:50PM. The bus had some odd people on it, so I didn't put in my earphones. I don't like to flash anything someone might want to steal. So, a 45-minute bus ride with no music. It kind of sucked.

Got home around 11:40PM. Ate some chicken and rice. Went to my room, which is where I am now.

So, Tuesday is going to suck. We present our project. Then I may or may not have French Horn lessons. If I do, then I get to stay on campus for my test at 7PM. If I don't then I'm going to go home, sleep for an hour, come back to campus, eat some Wendy's, and then go to the testing room.

I don't know. I'll probably end up staying on campus no matter what. Eh, maybe I should call Ryan and see what he's up to. Haven't spoken to him in forever.

So, why "The Bed?" Because that's all I'm looking at right now. It's the only thing I'm dreaming about.

Oh, and did I mention that my apartment complex is going to have a fire drill in the morning?

Crappy Week

So, about a week ago or so, my sis-in-law came home from work and wasn't feeling too good. I think she had a sinus infection and some other stuff. It passed along to my bro and their kid a few days later. Then it passed on to me Friday. I really thought I had lucked out and avoided my yearly sinus infection. Nope.

Also, I have a huge project due Tuesday afternoon, an important exam Tuesday night, and then another exam Thursday afternoon. I am so screwed, but it could be worse.

My parents were planning on coming down two weeks from now, but I'm hearing that they might not be able to. My dad had to fix his XTerra, and it was fairly expensive. At least that's what I think the reason is. But he did say that's it's running much smoother.

I know I should probably study right now, but I can't even think right now. Something feels off.

boliver

As some of you may or may not know, I do not celebrate birthdays. No gifts, not a thing.

Brandon turned 22 yesterday. Since it's not his birthday anymore...

I first met Brandon in my 10th grade history class. The teacher did not like him, nor did Brandon like her. In fact, not many people liked her. Either way, that's when I first noticed his passion for telling someone they're wrong. So many times he would question the teacher's motives and grading techniques. I questioned them as well, just not out loud. (We strongly believe that our constant bickering led to that teacher giving up. She didn't teach history again, at least while we were there.)

I think we had sociology together our junior year. That was a great class. Our quizzes were games! So great!

But we had the most fun our senior year. Brandon signed up for jazz band, and things were never the same. He and the jazz instructor got into it nearly every day. The best moment was when the jazz instructor caught Brandon dropping an F-Bomb.

We also had AP Physics together, which was the best class ever. We did whatever we wanted to. Every morning, we would go to the vending machines, get some type of juice, and mix in some amaretto. Orange Juice + Amaretto = Boccie Ball. What a perfect way to start the morning!

We also had AP Calculus together. We terrorized that teacher. And Brandon really disliked her since she would check his stubble every day to see if he needed to shave. Heh, she never checked me though. When we took the AP test, we went to Joe's Crab Shack for lunch. We walked into class wearing our bibs. So great. (This woman also quit teaching because of us, we believe. She became a counselor.)

After graduation, I didn't see much of anyone. But one person kept in touch, and visited. That's Brandon. My freshman year, when I lived in a crappy dorm with a crappy roommate, he came down and we had a ball. He came down my sophomore year too. In fact, I think he's been to Austin at least once a year since I moved down here.

I have different classes of friends. I have the ones where it's nice to catch up. I have the second class which are the ones who call me. And I have the third class, where I'll actually pick up the phone and dial a number. I've called Brandon twice in the past week.

Alright, that's all you get out of me.

Silence is Golden

"As a newly paid-up Scientologist, Katie Holmes must follow the Scientology rules. And one of those rules is that she - and all birthing staff - must remain absolutely silent throughout childbirth. Most people assumed that this was just a vague rule, and that it would be mostly ignored while Katie popped her baby out, but it looks like Tom Cruise was a little more serious about this rule than we imagined."

From hecklerspray.com.

Amazing. I'm almost convinced that Tom Cruise is an alien. But, as I've said for the past 4 or so years, if I could punch any celebrity in the face, he would be that person.

Poor Katie Holmes. Hey, I was available, and she chose him. It's her loss.

I think I'm supposed to meet up with my CS 352 group. We found out today that the report we have to write should be between 30 and 40 pages. Crap.

The Interrogation

This weekend flew by. I lost track of time before it even started.

I forgot what I did on Friday. I remember going to class. Oh, I met up with my CS 352 group. I forgot how the dorms have a unique smell to them. But it was fun. Brought back some good memories. And if you're curious, well, there's 2 years worth of old material lying around.

I had the place to myself for most of Saturday. Watched some basketball games and just relaxed. It really surprised me when Brandon called and asked if I was home. I had forgotten that he was going to be in town to introduce his girlfriend, Jen. Didn't have time to shave, so I put some gel in my hair and cleaned my room as much as I could.

I'm not really good at meeting new people. I tend to get real nervous and quiet. Plus, this is the first time that Brandon has introduced me to someone he's serious with.

I'm happy for Brandon. She looks like a keeper. I didn't see a ton of interaction between them, but everything was comfortable. I figure that's the most important thing. If you can't be comfortable around the person you love, then when can you be comfortable? I guess what I'm trying to say is that if Brandon needed my blessing or approval, he's got it. (Not that he needs it.)

Hmm, it is spring. As some would say, "Love is in the air."

Erik turned 31 on Friday. Haven't heard from him since. Probably drank himself silly. Eh, maybe not.

Either way, I'm going to look at some stuff for my CS 352 project. And for my SPN 312L project.

Helicopter

Something from BaD Radio...

"As a senior, I think that it is vital to establish senior dominance over the tiny freshman. So in the shower many times a senior teammate will try to intimidate the freshmen and jv players by being unnecessarily close to the underclassmen and making certain parts of their body hard not to see. This is sometimes done by grabbing it in their hands and proceeding to shake it while calling out the underclassman's name. Another intimidation method is the helicopter [which is] putting their hands on their hips and starting a hula-hoop type motion causing it to swing around like a helicopter. My question is, obviously, is this gay or is this not gay?"

It's a bit they do called "Gay or not gay?" Someone takes an uncommon situation that needs to be addressed, and questions the behavior.

Hilarious. Sorry, but the whole hula-hoop motion is killing me. Especially if you've seen that episode of Family Guy where Quagmire does what Luis calls the "fwap-fwap."

Alright. I'm going to bed.

Skip

Yea, I should be in CS 341 right now. Oh well. Don't care.

I averaged 10 hours of sleep a night while I was home. Now it's thrown me off. If I don't get 10 hours, I feel like crap for the day. So I slept right through my alarm yesterday. I forced myself to wake up at 8AM today. And yes, for me that is really early. I'm hoping that I can get back into my sleeping schedule. And I'm also going to work on operating with less sleep. I'm a college student, right?

I still have my final project for my Intro to PERL class. And I still don't want to do it. That class sucked! But I guess it will be on my transcript, so I should try at least.

I have no idea about my CS 352 project. I haven't received an email since last Monday. That was for a meeting on Wednesday that I couldn't go to because I was 210 miles away.

I had the craziest dream last night. There were things I've never seen before. So I guess that's why people say, "Only in your dreams." Weird.

The last vacation before summer has already passed. This is what I call the "home stretch." This is the time when I should put all my school work first, with everything else a distant second. Well, except for Mavs games. I have to watch those at least.

Had to eat breakfast on campus. Those chicken sandwiches from Wendy's are alright. No mayo, but with ranch, and they might be the best thing ever. I'm addicted to ranch.

I shaved, trimmed my mustache, and fixed up my hair. I'm ready.

Quickie

Just a quick update, but check this out.

http://fbombandy.googlepages.com/

I have a new project!

Go to http://pages.google.com to set one up, if you want.

Day 4

Well, it's finally getting to be fun around here.

I got my haircut. Well, more of a trim really. I'm finally going to let it grow out a little bit. The problem with my hair is how the sides stick straight out. With a little gel though, that won't be a problem. By the time summer rolls sround, I should have a nice hair style.

I got a refill for my Nexium!

Pat came by. That's always a nice surprise. So, we all went to Bennigan's and played trivia. I kill at trivia. Then we came back home and watched the Mavs give a beatdown. Fun times.

I was supposed to go back with Erik this coming morning. But Pat offered to take me back later this weekend if I wanted more time here in Dallas. And he would also stay in Austin for the weekend. My brother and I have been trying to get him to visit, so this is a great opportunity. I think we're going to leave Friday afternoon.

I also need to make a few phone calls and try to hang out with certain people. Thursday night would be best.

Otherwise, things are alright. Got some new jeans and a really cool shirt. Watching TV and letting my stomach heal. Nothing unordinary.

Day 2

The days go by too fast.

I'm going to try to wake up early tomorrow. I wasted most of today by sleeping until 1PM. Sure, I did stay up until 5:30AM, but I shouldn't be doing that.

I just found out on Saturday that my indoor basketball court doesn't exist anymore. Apparently they need another workout room. With yoga equipment. So, I'm really pissed off about this. The major selling point for me to choose this apartment complex was the indoor basketball court. Now all I have to do is figure out what I'm going to do about this.

I've had a few odd dreams, but one thing stands out. In one of my dreams last week, I woke up from a nap and asked someone what time it was. They answered, "7:30." I woke up from that dream, looked at my clock, and it was 7:30AM.

Either way, I want to see what my next dream will be.

Get There

So yea, I can't wait until this week is over.

It's almost set in stone that I'm going home for Spring Break. A chance to get away from almost everything college-related will be nice. I will be working on a project for CS 352 while I'm home, but that will occupy those times when I'm bored. Or when I'm the only one awake.

Honestly, I'd rather fly to New Jersey and hang out with my sis. The weather is nicer over there, at least for me. That and I haven't seen her in a really long time.

Tomorrow is Spanish and a review for my PERL final. I really hate that class. I mentioned that the teacher is a complete moron, but it gets worse. The class is over on the 9th, but he assigned us a project that's due on the 24th. Moron can't even set up a solid schedule.

Lessons on Thursday instead of Friday. That'll help me kill the time before my final. I don't know. I'll figure out tomorrow whether I'll drop the class or not. It's only a test and a project, but I'm so pissed off about the whole class.

Either way, not much else to report. I'm signing onto AIM again. I guess that's something new.

Awards?

I really don't care about any awards.

I know what I like when it comes to movies, so whether it wins an Oscar or not doesn't matter to me. I'm not going to see Brokeback Mountain because it won Best Adaptive Screenplay. And I don't think I'm interested in Crash either.

Oscars, Golden Globes, you name it. Just meaningless TV. Same goes for music awards also. Sure, I'll watch the Grammys, but that's just so I can check on my current favorite bands. The award itself is worthless. After last year's winners, I'm almost certain I could win a Grammy if I spent an hour or two on it. The MTV awards, both music and video, are entertaining. But it's a popularity contest. Most don't look for creativity, or originality. If it has a 'dope beat' and some 'booty butt' in the video, it'll win.

School has sucked lately. My Intro to PERL class is terrible. Thankfully, it's over this Thursday. But the guy who teaches it sucks. A project was due Friday before midnight. As the grader and teacher, he should be aware that emails would be flooding his inbox as the deadline approached. I sent one such email at 7:55PM. That's actually a bit early. Guess when I got a reply? How about, NEVER! So much crap. I think I'm going to drop the course. The one question I had was vital to my project, and I never got an answer. He's going to get a bad review.

Ugh, I'm really stressed out now. That Friday night took away most of my patience. It's gotten to the point where I bite my tongue in my sleep. It's making me talk funny.

I still have no plans for Spring Break. So far, it's all about going home and relaxing. Maybe schedule some appointments and a lunch or two. That's about it.

Some people suck. Only some.

Either way, I'm going to go to bed in about 2 hours, so I'm going to lay around for a little bit.

Music In My Ears

I'm doing everything except studying.

I feel so lazy right now. And that's odd considering I just drank some new energy drink. Something called "Vault." It tastes alright, but it's putting me to sleep.

I don't really have much to discuss. Tuesday is going to be real fun since I get to stay on campus until after 9 or so. Evening tests suck.

If anyone is interested in my current playlist, here it is. Well, it's my sleeping playlist actually.

1. A Perfect Circle - Orestes
2. A Perfect Circle - 3 Libras
3. A Perfect Circle - Breña
4. A Perfect Circle - Gravity
5. Audioslave - Like A Stone
6. Audioslave - The Last Remaining Light
7. Audioslave - Out Of Exile
8. Audioslave - Be Yourself
9. Audioslave - Yesterday To Tomorrow
10. Audioslave - Number 1 Zero
11. Audioslave - The Curse
12. Audioslave - Be Yourself (Live)
    
13. Cat Power - The Greatest
14. Cat Power - Lived in Bars
15. Cat Power - Living Proof
16. Cat Power - Where is My Love
17. Cat Power - The Moon
18. Cat Power - Islands
19. Cat Power - Hate
20. Cat Power - Love & Communication
21. Cat Power - In This Hole
22. Cat Power - What Would The Community Think
23. Queens Of The Stone Age - This Lullaby
24. Queens Of The Stone Age - Little Sister
25. Queens Of The Stone Age - I Never Came
26. Queens Of The Stone Age - The Blood Is Love
27. Radiohead - Pyramid Song
28. Radiohead - You and Whose Army
29. Radiohead - I Might Be Wrong
30. Radiohead - Sail To The Moon. (Brush The Cobwebs Out Of The Sky.)
31. Radiohead - Scatterbrain. (As Dead As Leaves.)
32. Radiohead - Like Spinning Plates
33. Radiohead - True Love Waits
34. Radiohead - Bullet Proof..I Wish I Was
35. Radiohead - Punchdrunk Lovesick Singalong
36. Red Hot Chili Peppers - This Is The Place
37. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Minor Thing
38. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Scar Tissue
39. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Otherside
40. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Californication
41. Thrice - Atlantic
    
42. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Maps (Live)

Guess I could explain some of my selections.

I really like A Perfect Circle. Orestes, 3 Libras, and Breña take me back to 2001. I feel connected to the lyrics also, especially with "Give me one more medicated peaceful moment." Gravity is in there because I always feel weighed down.

Audioslave has been in my rotation since their first CD came out. Number 1 Zero sticks out for me because it's exactly what I am. I don't do or say anything, but I'm always there listening to whomever needs it.

Cat Power is fairly new for me. Her voice is interesting, and I don't mind falling asleep to soft music. The Greatest has one line I can appreciate. "Once I wanted to be the greatest..." That's me right there.

Queens of the Stone Age is another one of my favorites. I Never Came is one of those songs that everyone should hear at least once. The story is crazy.

Radiohead was my favorite group for a long time, but I don't listen to them as much now. Still, Bulletproof...I Wish I Was is the song that describes me.

Red Hot Chili Peppers brings back memories, and I don't mind that. Californication is one song I can fall asleep to easily.

Atlantic is the only song I like from Thrice, and the live version of Maps is incredible. Definitely go get it on iTunes.

Yes? No?

I had an interesting dream last night. And just like in real life, I couldn't make a decision. I couldn't choose who to keep and who to forget.

The story was simple. Dinner in a fancy restaurant. But the person sitting next to me kept changing. So, when I woke up, I couldn't remember which person I saw. Given the mood and setting of the dream, I should have woken up with a feeling of comfort. But no, I woke up in confusion.

I actually got more than 8 hours of sleep. I didn't even need my alarm clock. First time ever.

Did the usual morning stuff. Shower, eat, fix my hair. There were 2 chics at the bus stop when I got there. Neither were my type. So I stood and faced the wind. I like the feeling of a cool breeze against my face. Eh, the bus trip felt shorter today.

Went to Spanish and wasted my time. I'm really not enjoying it. It's not hard or anything, but I can't motivate myself to try.

My horn lessons were cancelled. I'll have to reschedule. It's probably better that I didn't play today. I couldn't think straight. That dream controlled every second of my mind.

I'd probably be better if I played with emotion. But for me, it's harder than it sounds.

I guess I'm in a funk right now. I started logging onto MySpace more often, and I ran into someone I wish I hadn't. But at the same time, I'm glad I did.

Because I didn't talk to that person after my junior year, I always wondered if I could have made a difference. Or if I made the right decision. When I first saw their profile, I automatically decided that I did the right thing. I would have been miserable now otherwise.

But after thinking about it, I don't know. Guess it's one of those things I don't get to know. That sucks, but I'll have to accept it.

Speaking of sucking, I have 2 exams coming up. And another program due. So, my weekend was just blown to bits.

Rerun

It's been a while.

The new place is awesome. My new room is bigger than my previous, and the closet is twice as big. I could hide 10 cute chics in there with room to spare. (Not that I would hide them. I'd show off my work.)

Moving sucks. Packing stuff is easy and all, but lifting and walking up stairs sucks bad. Especially when you live on the 3rd floor now. Getting the couch to the door was the toughest. Well, maybe the big 32" TV. Or however big it is. It really sucked.

The worst part was the weather. Absolutely wonderful on Thursday. Friday through today was nothing but cold and wet. I like it, but no one else does. Oh, and then the high temp for tomorrow is 67 degrees or something. Great timing.

The places around here are awesome. I have a Double Dave's Pizza just down the street. $7 buffet with the 1st beer included. So great. My mom really liked it there.

We wanted to try the indoor basketball court, but they're fixing something. It'll have to wait.

Don't know when I'll post next. I have 2 programs due by Wednesday afternoon. Haven't started either one yet. I have to watch a movie for Spanish so that I can write an in-class composition on Wednesday.

Crap. I just found out that I have a test tomorrow at 12:30. I'm screwed.

R & R

I'm so tired.

We haven't even moved anything, but I'm burned out. It doesn't make sense. No long homework assignments. No tests. Nothing to stress me out. But I'm mentally tired.

Today is V-day. But I can't wait until the day after. Then I'll have the longest amount of time possible before another V-day. Also, all of the candy goes on sale. I like those candy hearts. Everyone says they taste like chalk, but not to me.

I'm planning on going to both class today. CS 341 and CS 352. That means I won't get home until 3PM. I'll have to clean rooms and pack the rest of my stuff. I already finished my laundry so I wouldn't have to worry about that. But there's just the little things left.

My bro's in-laws are coming here this afternoon. That means I'll probably end up spending all day in my room. I'm just not the social type. And I like quiet.

I need to put some new songs on my Shuffle. But I don't know what.

Eh, I give up.

Getting Closer

This is the week. I'm finally moving to a nice place. Indoor basketball court and all.

I went to Fry's on Friday. I played Guitar Hero for the first time. Wow. I'm already addicted. In fact, I'm hoping to buy it tomorrow, or at the latest this weekend. Franz Ferdinand, Queens of the Stone Age, and Audioslave have songs on the game. I'm sold.

I skipped 3 classes last week, just so I could practice my French Horn. I think I'm going to pay for it later.

I'm probably going to skip the rest of my CS 105 classes. It's an intro to PERL and it's really easy. We had our first assignment due earlier today, and it didn't take me long. All of the lecture slides are on the class web site. What's the point?

I'm worried most about CS 341 and CS 352. CS 341 is heavily math-related. That's not good for me. Also, because it's early (11AM, ha) I usually end up falling asleep in class. CS 352 is ok right now, but a big group project is about to start, and I don't work well with others. Even if it's a big enough project for 4 people, I'd rather do it by myself.

Crap. Am I forgetting someone's birthday? I just checked the ol' blog and I didn't find anything. Tomorrow is V-day. I think I'll stay home, maybe put on some Ticket stuff and just laugh for a while. I'll send out some e-cards to my favorite ladies. Maybe a text message or two. I don't know.

And then the day after is someone's birthday, but I won't touch that with a 10-foot pole.

And with that last sentence, I'm out.

Fix It

Ok, I have a few things I just have to say.

First of all, muffin tops are disgusting. If your jeans are obviously too small for you, don't wear them. It's doesn't make you more attractive. In fact, you'll look better if you wear jeans of the correct size.

I heard some blonde chic yapping on her phone about how she just wants a guy she can fall asleep with. Liar. There are guys out there who can fill that void in your bed. You're just too picky.

Also, I don't know what they're called, but those boots that have the fur lining at the top are unattractive. I have no idea why people would wear those. Especially in Texas.

And now, just so that in a week I can laugh at how quickly I change, I will describe my ideal woman.

Brunette with a ponytail, green long-sleeve shirt, tight-but-not-too-tight jeans, about 5'6, with light brown eyes. Or blue. That'd be cool.

Right...

So everyone knows how I feel...

U2 is the most overrated band of all time.

Maroon 5 sucks too.

Old Bus Rides

The temperature is dropping. It makes me happy.

I know it's still the beginning of February, but I'm already trying to plan my Spring Break. Erik mentioned going somewhere, like Vegas or Disney World. Honestly, I'd rather go to Vegas. I've been to World and it isn't my kind of place. At least in Vegas I can gamble away all of my money and crash at a nice hotel.

I skipped CS 352 so I could practice and get an early lunch. Jimmy John's makes the best sandwiches. I like mine plain. Maybe a little bit of Mayo, but not Miracle Whip. That stuff is nasty.

So, I've been listening to Red Hot Chili Peppers. It reminds me of bus rides to football games. Back then, all I had was Californication, which was ok. When I first moved to Austin, all I listened to was By The Way. I would sleep to it. Well, now that I have it again, it really brings up memories. Things like sleeping downstairs in this apartment. At the time, we had no furniture and both bedrooms were taken. I didn't mind it though. For some weird reason, I prefer sleeping near the front door of any place. When I visit my parents back home, I usually end up passing out in the living room just because that's where the front door is. Also, the light from across the street shines in perfectly, almost like an artificial moon.

Yes, being by the door means that if there's a burglar, I'm probably the first to find out. But I'd rather it be that way. I want to take the first swings at the intruder. Eh, it's probably just my martyr complex.

But back to the bus rides. My first 2 years in band were great in a sad way. I always had a bench to myself on the bus. That's because I really didn't know anyone. Being quiet results in that most of the time. So I always had my CD player. The one trip that still sticks out for me was going to Wylie for concert band UIL. I would stare out of the window and just listen.

My junior year was something else. I spent the first few bus rides with my friends. But this was also the same time that I met a special someone. I ended up switching what bus I rode so I could sit with her. There were great times on that bus. That year, the best trip was to Sam Houston State. We were invited to some marching contest there, and it was a 3-1/2 hour drive. I think the trip to was mostly talk, but I clearly remember the ride back. It was late. I think we left at 10 or 11. Well, the point is that it was really dark. The sexual tension finally broke and we ended up 'wrestling around' for a good amount of time. Good times.

Because of her, I ended up missing a week of school. When we went our separate ways, I developed high blood pressure. I didn't find out until I had my physical. The doctor checked twice and told me to stay home for a while. Apparently I was close to having a heart attack. Eh, at least I got out of school.

After thinking about this for a second, I realized something. When I gave her that rose on the day of the marching UIL competition, a second chic saw the whole thing. Once she left, the second chic came up to me and said something like, "Aww, that was the sweetest thing ever!" I didn't realize it at the time, but that second chic had a thing for me.

My senior year is the one I want to forget. I hooked up with a chic just 'cause. Things happened on that bus that I dare not speak of again.

Then again, that's the year I captured hearts everywhere. Or so I found out later.

I really was great.

Old Music To My Ears

Again with the meaningful post...

Today I remembered all of the music I listened to years back. I had forgotten about The Vines and Red Hot Chili Peppers.With some help from some "friends," I "borrowed" some old CDs. I feel so happy again.

My mom visited this weekend. My dad is currently in El Paso. It's been a year since my grandmother passed away, so he went home for a little while. I feel bad for not being there, but it's probably better this way. I still feel like the outcast of the family. My aunts treat me like I'm a stranger in their house. Well, maybe I'm exaggerating. Eh, maybe not.

The Boondocks is going to be on soon. It's a great episode tonight. Real offensive. I highly recommend watching it.

I'm almost ready to start moving. All I have left is to pack, throw away old junk, and take apart some stuff. But I do have 2 weeks to do it all. Plenty of time if you ask me.

I've really enjoyed the bus rides to and from campus. In that 47-minute span of time, I get to listen to my music and think about anything I want to. Usually I just close my eyes and try to remember anything I can. Ask me a question about 5 years ago, and I probably don't have answer. I'm trying to fix that.

I've heard from a few old friends recently. It's a total change for me. Usually I go years without hearing from someone. Now it's every other day or something.

Otherwise, not much else has been going on. I have a writing exercise in Spanish tomorrow. I also have some program to write this week. I should focus on that.

Don't Talk

Well, it's been a while since I've written anything meaningful.

Classes are going. I'm barely 2 whole weeks into the semester and I've already skipped 4 classes. Yes! Homework sucks, but I'll get used to it.

Got my hair cut yesterday, or the day before. I don't remember which. Feels good. My stylist back home told me that I need to let it grow out. Not alot, but just a little. So, I decided to just get a trim. Looks good. My hair is still soft like a baby's behind. No, scratch that. Softer.

Tonight was the State of the Union thing. Didn't watch that. But I bet there are plenty of audio files floating around right now. But I'm not going to criticize anyone. Too many people are willing to be judge, jury, and executioner. I'll be the first to admit that if I were president, I would screw up.

But I would also like to say that I would cut taxes, get the country out of debt, and put a stripper in every pot. While I'm in office, if you're between the ages of 18 and 35, you can vote. If you can convince your spouse to let you have another husband or wife, it's legal. Hot women cannot marry any man who is older than her father. Men cannot marry a woman who is younger than his oldest daughter.

1310AM The Ticket will be the official radio station of the nation. My Secretary of Defense will be Avery Johnson. I will place Bill Parcells in charge of Social Security. My vice president will be Kate Beckinsale, unless she is married at the time. Otherwise, it will be Elisha Cuthbert. Yes, she's Canadian, but I don't care.

Attack of the Show will be on each of the major channels at 8PM Eastern, 7PM Central. Scrubs will not be replaced with a State of the Union thing. All Dallas Mavericks games will be aired on ESPN.

But you have to vote. For me.

End January

Recap:

• Had my haircut while still in Dallas.
• Decided to put in one year's worth of hard work.
• Saw The Ringer with Luis and Tatum.
• Watched the Longhorns beat the crap out of USC.
• Stated that if a small minority has a problem, they should sit there and take it.
• Played some violent basketball.
• Posted the lyrics for an awesome song.
• Won some stuff from Attack of the Show.
• Found out that I'm moving to a new apartment.
• First day of classes.
• Lifted my ban on sodas.
• Scarlett Johansson is hot.
• Kate Beckinsale is hot.
• And Panda Bears are perverts.

Yep, that's the month in review.

Like That

Do it like panda bears...

Wow

I just saw Underworld: Evolution.




Kate Beckinsale just took the top spot on my list. Watch the movie and you'll understand.

By the way, it was good. Not great, but good. Some scenes went way too long, while a few didn't go long enough.

As Gordo might say, "Don't talk, I'm almost there."

Haha...

Burn the Books

You know what?


Scarlett Johansson. Smokin' hot. I think she takes the top spot on my list now.

I watch The Office every Thursday night. Well, one of the characters has a blog, and it is hilarious. A quick quote...

"Winter is the coldest season. For a reason. The sun
moves south, to warm up the Africans and the
Australians and leaves us in the northern climes to
fend for ourselves in the sleet and the frost."

I hate text books so much. Way too expensive.

It's been too windy around here. I don't mind a slight breeze. Especially if there's a chic with a skirt walking by. But this wind is enough to make everyone wear pants and such. Yes, it's the wind causing it, not the temperature. The high was around 78 degrees today. Unbelievable. It motivates me to look for a job out of state. Somewhere cold would be awesome.

Otherwise, I don't have too much to report. It's been a slow day. I should probably clean my room or something. I could pack. But I'm lazy.

Other Classes

Yea, today was much better.

Spanish is going to be awesome. Everyone passes and there's a few chics in there that are easy on the eyes. The Intro to Perl class is going to be fun. 4 to 5 projects, a final, and that's it. All in less than 2 months. And I don't even go to that class on Fridays! Friggin' sweet.

I still have no idea when my lessons are. I'll expect the traditional email this weekend. And I'm still aiming for Friday from 2:30 to 3:30.

Right now, the worst part is that I have to eat during class. I really hate doing that. I always feel like I'm being rude or something. I get a 15 minute break tomorrow, but that's not enough time to order, eat, and run to class. I don't like being in a hurry. So, once the store inside the Union stocks up on cinnamon-powdered donuts I'm going to go crazy on them. So good.

I spent all of last semester without carbonated beverages. I've really craved them lately, and I broke. So, I'm drinking soda again. But it's fine. I really didn't feel that much different without it. My health is crazy like that. My ultra-fast metabolism keeps me from gaining weight or getting out of shape.

Alright, I better head to bed. 3 hours of class and then an afternoon nap. Gonna stay up late tomorrow night and have fun. Maybe do some homework too.

First Day

Well, I can tell that CS 341 and CS 352 are going to suck. CS 341 looks like it's real math-heavy, which isn't good for me. The prof in CS 352 came out and said that the class is hard and he's a tough prof. He also looks like he's on steroids. Real weird.

But it doesn't matter. I'm still going to learn and get through this.

Tomorrow is Spanish and PERL. Shouldn't be too hard. I'l probably get my books before class.

Felt real good to be back on campus. Nothing has changed. There's still a fair amount of attractive females.

Eh, I guess today was boring though. I'll try to pick it back up tomorrow.

Begin Again

It all starts again. This is my last year, so I better make the most if it.

Go in at 11AM, done at 2PM. Not too bad for Tuesdays and Thursdays. On Monday and Wednesday, my first class is at 1PM and I'm done at 3PM. On Friday, I just have 1 hour, which is 1PM to 2PM. I still don't know when my French Horn lessons will be, but if I can schedule them for Friday at 2PM, that will be awesome.

I'm a bit nervous, but I'm like that right before the first day. It's nothing. But I still don't know why I get that way. I'm a friggin' senior!

So, I have to wake up at 8:45AM. If I go to sleep now, I can get more than 8 hours. Nice.

Oh, and I did drop my basketball class, in case I didn't mention that already. I figure that because I'll be living in an apartment with an indoor court, I won't need to go to Gregory all that often. Plus I won't have to wake up early on some of those weekdays.

Alright, that's it for now. I've got nothing.

Relocate

Well, everything seems to be in order. As far as I know, I'll be moving to a new apartment around Valentine's Day. Absolutely perfect. If I bring a female home that night, there will be nothing but boxes along the walls. It'll be funny.

Here are the features I'm excited about:

• Vaulted Ceilings
• Heated Spa
• Indoor Basketball Court
• Media Center

My bedroom is going to be in the far corner. In fact, it will be on the opposite side of the master bedroom. I'll have to pick out a new bed, probably some other furniture, and posters. Or paintings.

My mom is already flipping out. She wants to have a hand in decorating my room. Crap if I know anything about curtains. But I do know that I'm all for the modern look. Metal and glass. Like my desk.

I had a crazy dream. Two of my friends were arrested right in front of me, and the cop was being a real ass. I wanted to help them, but I couldn't do anything. Very helpless.

Otherwise, I'm going to try to sleep earlier since I have 2 nights left before school starts.

New Stuff

Well, today has been fun. One of my questions was used on Attack of the Show. I guess that makes the total count around 7 or 8. Well, sometimes they give away stuff like a shirt or a DVD, and today was one of those days. Don't know what it is, but it's cool no matter what.

Later on today, we're going to the new apartment complex to fill out the paperwork. Sounds like fun. I guess this also means that the place is ours. I can't wait to move in. However, I don't look forward to packing and all of that crap. My room is a mess, and I really don't feel like cleaning. The other suck part is that we'll move in while school is in session. I might have to miss a class or two or all of them. Then again, I can't think of one class where I never missed a lecture. I can readily name 3 classes I went to only a few times. Engineering Physics I, Engineering Physics II, and Theory in Programming Practice. And I really mean "a few times."

I still have to fix my schedule. I wanted to take Intro to Number Theory because I need another upper-division math course. At the same time, I still don't know if I want to take lessons again. I should figure something out by Monday. The other issue is that I've completed 117 hours now. After a certain number, they charge out-of-state tuition. I'm trying to avoid that, which means I'll have to take 12 hours exactly. Just enough to be full-time, but few enough to keep me away from the limit.

With the way everythng is planned out, I'll take 12 hours this spring, 9 hours this summer, and 9 hours in the fall. I may exchange one class during the summer for one during the fall so I'm full-time the rest of the year. Let's see, that leaves 30 hours to be completed, and I have 117 now. I think the limit is 150. I'll be 3 hours shy of the limit. Not bad.

Well, that's all for tonight. I need to get some sleep.

Change

Well, it's been fun. Going to sleep at 6AM and waking up at 1PM. Kind of nice. I'm going to have to get back into my regular sleeping cycle. School starts in less than a week.

It's not carved in stone, and it's not written in pen, but I might be moving. The apartment complex we've been looking at for over a year now has an opening. I won't know if it'll be ours until this Friday I think. And if we do get it, we won't be able to move in until mid-February. It will be worth it though. It will be a 3 bedroom & 2 bath, with an indoor basketball court. They only suck part about it is that it's on the 3rd floor. Moving in will suck. But it's all in the air right now.

My schedule for next semester is perfect right now. Well, I still have to decide whether to take lessons or not. I would like to, especially if I can get a locker for my instrument.

Oh, and some lyrics from a song I've listened to plenty in the past few hours.

The pressure is building
At the base of my spine
If I gotta sin to see her again
Then I'm gonna lie and lie and lie
She'll make you cry
I'll sell my soul
To be back in your bosom
And gladly help
Please suck me dry
And still you'll cry
To be back in her bosom
Do it again

Puscifer featuring Maynard James Keenan - REV 22:20

Otherwise, I don't have much. I've been busy with nothing.

Still Up

Something pissed me off the other day, but I forgot what. I wanted to write about it, but I ended up ignoring the article.

Played ball today with my bro and my dad. Yea, I stormed off the court again. My dad had to be the mediator, and he's not bad at it. Apparently I pushed my bro into the fence, but I think I was exerting just enough force to not be knocked down. Well, he messed up one of his nails, and I didn't feel like letting things get any further out of hand. Eh, my dad calmed us down and we played through. I slacked off on the following game, but I dominated the last game. I went all out since I knew it was the last. My dad admitted that when I do play my best, neither of them is going to stop me. Ah yes, one more step closer to being like T-Mac.

By the way, if you go to my moblog, you can watch a crappy video of me hitting a half-court shot. Eh, I don't think it's a legit half-court distance, but that's where the line is. And yes, I shot it kind of funny because there's no way I can hit it with my normal shooting motion. Well, at least without a running start. And the video is crappy because it's from my dad's phone. Mine is better.

My parents will be here for an extra day. My dad didn't want to leave yet. Besides, they're having a ton o' fun with the kid.

I know I haven't written anything lately, but I don't have much. Don't know why.

Longhorns

Let me start off by saying that I haven't been this happy in 5 years. My voice may be lost, but it doesn't matter.

Said Leinart: "I still think we're a better football team. They just made the plays in the end."

Well, Leinart, now you know how Notre Dame feels. By the way, let's see how good you are when you don't have Bush behind you.

I wonder how long it will take before UT gets a statue of Vince Young.

In other news, I will be leaving Dallas in less than 12 hours. Now I'm really anxious to get back. I don't know if I'm going to sleep tonight. I still need to pack and that involves folding clothes.

I just read this article about a new show, The Book of Daniel. I really hate it when a few people have to ruin something for everyone. These 1,000 people that sent in emails should just turn off their TV instead. Yes, the GM of the station has the final say. But he is also supposed to make logical decisions. He admits that after the first week, he does not know what he will do about that time slot. He clearly hasn't thought everything out. So, on impulse alone, he ignores the majority of his viewers. I think he should be fired.

Why is it that if one person is offended, he has to make a big scene and change the custom to something he approves of? You know, even though I don't celebrate Christmas, it doesn't offend me when people say "Merry Christmas." Yet, some people out there just couldn't live with it, so they got it changed to "Happy Holidays." Well screw those people!

For example, in Austin, Fox Sports Net shows all of the Spurs games, but none of the Mavs games. Even when there is no scheduling conflict, they choose to air some poker tournament. If a majority of people on Austin email Time Warner and ask them to switch to the other Fox Southwest feed, I would expect them to change it. It would be a dumb move to lose most of your audience. However, if I'm the only one sending an email, it would be understandable if they did not change it.

Of course, it's awkward to compare a sitcom involving religion to a basketball game. Religion is a very sensitive subject. Eh, people need to learn how to ignore trivial things.

Either way, I'm going to get ready to go back.

Good Night

Tonight was fun.

Luis and I went to Sports City Cafe. Tatum met up with us. I haven't seen her in quite a long time. We went and saw The Ringer. Absolutely hilarious.

One awkward moment, but it went by so fast I didn't have time to acknowledge it. Guess it's better that way. As nice as it was, I kind of wish it didn't happen.

Also got a nice message from Anh. Always a good thing.

That Rose Bowl game is right around the corner. Crap. I have mixed feelings about it right now. I'll either be really happy, or really sad.

Either way, I'm going to get some sleep. Maybe I'll wake up before noon.

2006

Haircut and coloring tomorrow afternoon. Then I kill two days (Tuesday and Wednesday) before I go back to Austin.

Still on pace to graduate this December. Everything is going smoothly, and as long as I remember what classes I need to take, I'll be fine. I do have a resolution for this year, and that's to put more effort into my classes. I'm going to show up to classes, I'm going to start projects earlier, and I'm going to put homework first.

I know I can get by with going to class twice a month, doing the homework the night before, and studying for an hour when I have a test. But I don't want to just 'get by' anymore. I need to get serious. I have less than a year left before I get this degree. One year of hard work and I can start building my life.

So, 2006 is about finishing what I've started. It's the final step before I hit my next plateau. Will I stay and get a 2nd degree? Will I go to graduate school? If so, where? Or will I start my career? What city do I want to call home?

I've thought about the answer to a few of these questions. The most probable outcome is that I stay at UT and get a 2nd degree. The next most likely is that I go to grad school.And it would have to be somewhere cold.

If I start searching for a job, I'll go wherever the best opening is. If I have to choose between Austin and Dallas, I will most likely choose Austin. There aren't enough reasons for me to choose Dallas over Austin.

Then again, I have a year to think about.

Year Analysis

Yes, it's just now the 31st, but I don't know if I'm going to post any before the ball drops.

January

Talked about some names I've earned. Lost talent. My take on relationships. Quite possibly my favorite post of 2005. The post with my favorite comments.

February

Background on my friends. My grandmother passed away. The things I want and the things I like.

March

My thanks to Anh. A bad mood. Some flashbacks. The feeling of all feelings.

April

Why I'm nice. A calm before the storm.

May

The story of an accident from way back. A small BBQ with friends. Listed my passions.

June

My Harman/Kardon receiver blew up. Stupid librarian. Father's day with some praise. My 500th post. First mention on AOTS.

July

My first pinched nerve. When I wasn't being me. Why I don't go all out for anything.

August

Things that suck about the first day of school. The day before. The day after. The qualities that make me. First day of Fall 2005.

September

I helped the police. Saw a really hot scene on Nip/Tuck. Thought out loud for my first paper.

October

Want to go for a walk? My 600th post.

November

A serious article cracked me up. Funny quotes from The Ticket. Another rebirth. And its first real post. My take on the death penalty. A nice Thanksgiving. Things I look for or don't. And November in one list.

December

A great day. A dilemma with Christmas. My take on premarital sex.


Overall, a decent year. I can only hope 2006 will be better.

Answers #1

Before I do my year-in-review, I have 3 questions that I need to answer.

1. Religious reasons. I'm not sure what the answer is, but I know that we don't celebrate Christmas. Or any holiday. We observe something like Passover, but that's it. And really, I don't know why it is. I was born into it, and I stopped paying attention in church when I was 10 or so. I haven't been to church in nearly 5 years. Might be more. But my reason for not going to church is simply because I do not get along with most of the people there. I don't know how to describe it. While their idea of fun is going to a movie, I prefer going to a party with booze and 'other stuff.' While they drank root beer, I was bartending at family get-togethers. And while holding hands is the sign of a serious relationship, well, you get the idea.

Although, some of my friends that I still hang out with today were people I met through church. Well, Pat is the only one that comes to mind right now.

2. If you mean the girl I was into a year ago, I don't really know what's up with her. I haven't talked to her since May. Well, I did send her an e-card earlier this month to wish her luck during finals, but that's it. I decided to keep looking around, and I'm happy with that decision so far.

3. I honestly have no idea. I guess I'll go with the obvious but probably wrong 'a group of helicopters.'

Tomorrow's End

Pat came by again with his XBOX 360. Tons o' fun.

I don't know when, but I really want to see The Ringer. One line cracks me up...

"My name is 'Awesome,' and I can count to potato."

Maybe tomorrow or Saturday. I don't have anything else planned.

Speaking of plans, still no idea of when I want to go back to Austin. It looks like next Friday. I may coax my parents into leaving Thursday night. Eh, Friday morning could work too I guess. I do know that I'm getting my hair color put in Thursday afternoon. Going after a dark red. Might change my hairstyle too.

Either way. The year is almost finished. Great,

Where To Go

Yea, well, screw the questions.

I had my eyes checked this afternoon. Not much change. I also asked about contact lenses for when I play ball. I was hooked up with tons o' free stuff. I need to practice putting them in and taking them out, but it's nothing I can't learn in a few minutes.

Also went shopping. Bought some new jeans, two new shirts, and the Audioslave DVD. All in all, things went well.

I really like being home. Unfortunately, my mom has been sick for a week now. On the bright side, it means I've spent plenty of time with my parents. My dad has the next two days off, and my mom is calling in sick tomorrow. Don't know if there's any plans.

I'm so close to being done. I didn't realize it.

I've been staying up until 5AM lately. There's usually a good movie on around midnight. I watched The Girl Next Door last night. Elisha Cuthbert is sooo hot in that movie. And some of the characters are just hilarious. I watched The Graduate on the night before. Still one of my favorite movies.

Alright. I'm going to pass out for a while.

Just Ask

Eyes and emotions can only show you so much. You have to listen. It is the only way.

It's not about opening your eyes, or your heart. It's about understanding the situation. You have to understand yourself. I don't mean that you find out who you are. I mean that you have to accept who you are.

No class or organization is going to show me that deep down, I like cooking. I've already accepted it. I'm not going to find out that I'm quiet because words can only lead to trouble. I've accepted that as well. I don't have to find out who I am. I just have to accept everything.

Acceptance is important. Too important.

I know my strengths and weaknesses. I know my potential, and I know why I haven't lived up to it yet. I know what I offer, and I know what I take.

Still, I stay silent.

Either way, after looking back to exactly one year ago, I've decided to accept questions. 3 questions at a time, about anything. I will take questions until Thursday night. On Friday, I will answer all questions. On Saturday, I will do my "year in review."

So, get to thinking. Don't leave me disappointed.

A Day

Christmas was at my door. So I turned out all of the lights, muted the TV, and hid behind a couch. Just another day for me.

The Cowboys actually won, so that was a nice thing on Saturday. My dad missed all of the game because it started at noon and my dad doesn't get home until after 3PM. Still, he was quite happy.

Today was no big deal. I woke up at 1PM and did the usual morning stuff. I really did nothing after that though. Around 4PM or so, my Dad and I went to a nearby school to shoot the ball around. Felt good. It was probably 68 degrees or so. It's supposed to be warmer tomorrow. If it isn't to windy, I'm sure we'll do it again.

But the best thing about tomorrow is all of the sales. I want to get some more jeans and khakis. Oh, but the thing that sucks is everyone will be at the mall. I don't want to do that. Few people know I'm in town, and I would like to keep it that way. Then again, I did get a haircut, and I do look good...

I've been home for a week now. The only thing I miss about Austin right now is that I haven't seen my nephew in so long. I'm sure he's yelling my name everyday.

The year is almost over, which means it will be time to reflect soon. I remember what I did last year, and that seems like the plan so far. That makes me wonder about what I was doing exactly one year ago.

Bad idea.

Alright. I plan on waking up before noon tomorrow, so I'm going to sleep now.

Relax

Well, I upgraded my dad's computer. He has a new Nvidia video card and a Sony DVD-ROM drive. Pat helped me out with some of it. And he drank plenty o' beer.

Wow, that XBOX 360 is nice. Played Need For Speed: Most Wanted, Perfect Dark Zero, and Call of Duty 2. I have to say that I had the most fun with Need For Speed. My skills (hitting cars and signs) made the cops hate me. There's nothing I love more than starting a car chase.

Still, no alcohol has touched these lips.

But I did have my 2nd soda in the past 4 months.

I figured I would have been bored by now. There's not much for me to do around here. I sleep until 1, watch TV for a few hours, and then sit around some more. But it's exactly what I need. I have to relax as much as possible, which means I have to do as little as possible.

Speaking of which, I'm going to lay down and watch TV. Might be fun.

Thor's Day

Going to have plenty of fun.

Pat said he'll stop by with his XBOX 360 so I can check it out. Plus, my dad is off tomorrow, so there will be plenty of entertainment.

I talked my mom into buying some Egg Nog. Not crappy Schepp's Egg Nog. I'm talking Braum's. That's the good stuff. And today, we went to the liquor store. Picked up some rum, something for my dad, and some wine for my mom. I forgot what my dad got. I think it was some Canadian Whiskey, Seagram's perhaps. Don't know if I'll touch any, but maybe. Maybe.

Also did the haircut thing. Same ol' style. But I think that I'll change it whenever I leave. I'll have to put in some dark red highlights for sure. Don't know if I want to let my hair grow out or not. Eh, I have plenty of time to think about it.

Eh, that's all for now.

In Town

First, here's to a speedy recovery for J.

I've been in town for two nights, and I've been out two nights. Awesome. Just what I need.

Eurotrip is going to be on in 12 minutes. That's one of those movies where if it's on, it's good to watch. Would I go rent it? No. But if I need something to watch, it's not a bad choice.

Went to Hooter's. The waitress mentioned a boyfriend, which is a no-no. I still left a good tip though. I'm a good tipper. And the burger came out real nice. I forgot to say "medium-well," but oh well.

Tomorrow will be fun. I'm looking forward to two hours of Nip/Tuck. We finally find out who The Carver is. It's been a season-and-a-half in the making. Every fan has already guessed all of the main characters, so someone is going to be an obnoxious fool about it.

Ooh, and Boston Legal will be on too. And House! Man, I love Tuesdays.

I'm already looking forward to dinner tomorrow. Don't know what I'll eat, but I can't wait. Oh man, I just know I'm going to put on a few pounds while I'm home. Eh, that could be a good thing.

Some songs to listen to:

Nancy Sinatra - Bang Bang
Tool - Disposition
Al Green - Let's Stay Together
A Perfect Circle - Thomas

And with that, I head to bed.

Semester Finale

Wow. It's all done. Amazing.

But I'm not completely stress-free. I need to turn in my instrument. And I can't do that if I'm in Dallas. Totally screwed. I'll either have to come back early, or absorb the punishment. I'll probably come back early. Sometime after New Year's Day.

Once again, the cold wind brings back old memories. Times when I had patience, but not enough. Back when a certain person had little to no courage. Or once upon a time when my words got me whatever I wanted. Oh, that was quite a time.

I had a really weird dream. Someone I haven't seen in a long time, just appeared and instantly became part of my family. And as a friend. So weird. (Yes, female.)

I also had a dream of a room. A normal-sized room, but it was a shower. The entire room was a shower. Amazing.

OK, so I mentioned the past. So what? I don't care. I just discovered many interesting facts while typing this. Many. Here are a few:

• I saved a girl from a horrible future, even if it meant breaking her heart.
• A guy I hated in high school is still a terible person.
• And a guy we weren't too sure about isn't even sure about himself.

I'm almost done reminiscing about high school. It's been a long time, and I should be thinking about recent good times. In fact, when I was walking on campus earlier tonight, I remembered all of the times that I stared out of my dorm's window. My second dorm. It was high enough for me to see all of downtown. I always spotted on building that had blinking red lights. And I always wanted to be on the roof of that building. I don't know why, considering that I hate heights. But those lights blinked every night. And when the wind blew against the window, that was heaven. Definitely a feeling I'll never forget.

I think they want to wake me up at 8 or 9 tomorrow morning. Not gonna happen. I still have to pack, and I would much rather sleep than eat breakfast. Besides, my stomach is picky when it comes to breakfast.

Now that I'm thinking about it, I'll probably come back early anyway. My nephew is going to be really upset once I leave. That kid is really attached to me. He'll say my name before he says "mama" or "dada." And when he doesn't see me, he looks for me.

Either way, I better get ready. And get some sleep.

Hours

I just reached my 20th hour of being awake.

I can't say that I aced my finals, but I can say that I gave it my best shot. And that's good enough for me. I have one more to go, then I head home for a few weeks.

I guess my plan is to rework my final paper and read the book again for the class. Memorize it all, absorb every letter of every word. That should do it.

But for now, I need sleep. I might have to wake up and finally turn my horn in. Depends on when the office is open.

Get It Over With

If I had my own Wikipedia page, what info would it contain?

The countdown begins. And I really don't want to take any tests. I'd much rather take part in an interview to determine my grade. And I really hate dealing with people. That tells you how much I don't want to take a test.




Anna Benson. This picture was shown on ESPN's Pardon The Interruption. Kornheiser asked, "If she was stuck in your chimney, how happy would you be?" Very.

I hate baseball. But if I could get tail like that for sitting on a bench and throwing a ball every five games, I would.

Alright. I have to sleep. From what all of my profs said, taking a test on minimal sleep is not the best idea. And I get the two hardest finals tomorrow. Spanish and EE.

One Day

I can finally relax, even if it's only for a day.

I have two finals on Friday and one on Saturday. I'm actually going to study so I can ace these tests. OK, I probably won't get a perfect score. But I'm at least going to put forth more effort than usual.

The weather is finally starting to be normal. When I was sitting outside, it rained a bit and the wind was fairly cold. Real nice. I think it's supposed to snow in Dallas on Saturday. Too bad I won't get in until Sunday.

I really want to spend time with people during this break. I also want to sleep 10 hours a night. I'm not sure which one is not going to happen.

Eh, I'm tired. I'm out.

Do It

I just spent 4 hours doing a lab. And I'm only 75% done. I can't finish it until I get to campus tomorrow. I also have a lesson in the afternoon, so I don't know if I want to wake up early and try to get my lab in, or just go to my lab after the lesson and press my luck. Eh, I usually have good luck, so why not? Besides, I want extra sleep tonight.

There's something I want to talk about, and that thing is premarital sex. If you don't want to read it, I suggest you visit your second favorite blog. And I just know someone is bound to disagree...

The reason why some are told that premarital sex is wrong is because once you get married, and you're a virgin, you don't know what you're missing. Therefore, you're not curious to find other fish and see if the water is better elsewhere.

But while many suggest that marriage is about love and trust, there's a third ingredient that few will not accept. If neither the husband nor the wife has a satisfying sex life, then all is not right. Sex is important. A little SAT sample: Marriage is to engine as sex is to lubricant. (Yea, I did that on purpose.)

Nearly all of my friends have had premarital sex. And I don't fault any of them. I can't.

My dad told me something, and this shows how cool he really is. When I was 11 or 12, he said, "Son, as far as sex goes, if a woman offers herself, it's difficult to say no. I would understand." He didn't tell me that premarital sex is wrong, even though our religion is strict about it. He told me that temptations are everywhere, and no one can refuse them all. And it wouldn't make me evil or a bad person to do things before marriage. (Yes, with all of the attention I was getting from females, he had to inform me at a younger age. It was in my best interest. Seriously, if you ever see pictures of me from that era, you would be in awe of how cute I was. Was...)

My dad is so cool. And all of my friends think so too. Now that I think about it, he did a really great job as a father. I think I'll build him a new computer while I'm home.

In conclusion, there's nothing wrong with getting a sample before you tie the knot.

And now I'm going to sleep for a while. Maybe I'll dream about something controversial and write it down for you.

To You

The red and green decorations have been up for nearly a month. Malls are filled with kids and parents looking for that special something. Couples find new and exciting ways to keep each other warm. Real warm.

And now the dilemma begins.

I first felt guilty back in kindergarten. It was St. Valentine's Day, and we all had paper sacks for the valentines that were given. I would receive a bag full, but I had not given any out. I don't celebrate Valentine's Day. This was a confusing time for me. Should I accept these valentines? Should I reject their thoughtfulness? What do I do?

I concluded that rejection is painful, so smile and give thanks.

This went on for many years, until Valentine's Day was reserved for couples only. And when I didn't receive any valentines, I felt relieved. There was no decision to make.

What does this have to do with Christmas? Well, like Valentine's Day, I don't celebrate Christmas.

I never had to face this problem when I was in school because we never had school on Christmas Day. I didn't think about it at all. Even when teachers decided to show Christmas movies during class, I would inform the teacher of my beliefs and accept the option to sit in the hallway. While other kids colored pictures of Santa, I drew my own pictures. While other kids gazed at the brightly-lit tree, I looked out of the window. And I never once held a grudge against anyone. I never wanted to interrupt their time to be happy.

I haven't been to church for many years now. But I still have my faith. This year, I'm really put to the test.

I have my family, and I have my handful of friends. The only group I'm thinking about is my collection of friends. No one in my family celebrates Christmas. So, I only focus on friends I trust. Friends I would do anything for.

I want to get presents for my friends. Not necessarily Christmas presents, but just gifts. Something to let them know that I do think about them. I do care.

At the same time, I believe that it would be wrong of me to accept a gift during this time of the year.

I like giving. I like watching someone's face light up when they hold what they've always wanted. I like making people happy.

While I'm at it, I should also mention that I'm single, I like cooking, and I like shopping.

Almost Done

So great. "Indecent rubbing." Check it out.

And for those of you with iPods, this could be real fun. At night. And alone.

I'm just happy to be home. Spending so much time on campus sucked out all of my energy. I can't explain how I'm still awake.

It was warmer today, but that doesn't mean it was warm. A nice jacket was necessary, but some people went overboard. There are some fashion trends I just don't understand. But then again, I don't really care. As long as I look good, I'm happy.

I didn't realize that a nice clean shave draws many looks from the opposite sex. Nice.

But I do know that a fresh haircut always lures the ladies. Nothing was funnier than when I would get a haircut, go to church (once upon a time), and just get stares. The good kind of stares. But yea, I would never hook up with any of them. Not my type.

Oh, the dreams have been haunting lately. No nightmares or anything like that. I just see people from my past that I wish would disappear from my memory. I don't want to think about the past anymore.

And now I'm going to sign onto AIM and go to sleep. Yea!

Ice Cold

What an interesting morning!

I did the usual stuff, like wake up, brush my teeth, etc. But when I got out of the shower and checked UT's site, I lost all motivation to continue my routine.

At 9:02AM, UT decided to close the campus for the day.

(It's not even that cold. The wind chill is only at 11 degrees. Oh, and the suck part of cold weather in Texas? Pizza delivery chains decide that driving pizzas to a customer is wrong. I understand that it's strictly for the safety of the driver, but I'm willing to pay a better tip if it gets to my door. Risk versus reward. Come on now.)

So, I have no idea how I'm going to finish my unit tests, and I don't know what to do about the paper that was due today. I figure the prof will send an email soon or something.

But what I really hate is that temperatures are going to rise soon. The high for today is supposed to be 38, but tomorrow the high is 50. This means that I'm going to have two tests tomorrow, no matter what. Oh, one more day off would be so nice.

And while I would like to go outside and enjoy the wind, I should probably study all day.

Cooler Than Cool

Well, the university shut down because it's cold. What a bunch of chickens. Then again, no class is always nice.

I was in the middle of a unit test when they announced it. Everyone had to leave. It sucked.

I'm going to spend all of today working on my paper. I'm writing about blogs. I have to give a history of newsgroups, explain what blogs are and what they represent. What are the benefits and weaknesses of blogs? How are they used?

Oh, it's so cold here. But a little colder would be nice. I think it's 38 degrees or so outside, with a mixture of light rain and sleet. And that wind really kills the ears.

I was tempted to go outside and shoot the ball around. If I can feel comfortable in this weather, I should feel comfortable in any weather. And I could do the same workout from Rocky.

Alright, I need to start typing.

Vulnerable

I really, really need a vacation.

Yes, I know that this semester is almost over. Still, I'm worried about whether or not I'll have my sanity at the beginning of next year.

I enjoy some of my classes. I hate the others. Almost half and half.

It really sucks because I know I'm going to do something great one day. I still have all of the motivation necessary to do so. I don't mean to toot my own horn (beep, beep) but the talent is there. All the qualities I need, I have. But it takes small steps. And I'm too impatient.

It doesn't help any when you can't imagine what you'll be doing five years from now. I can't even imagine what I'm going to do next week. I'm screwed.

Alright, I'm done complaining. I don't feel better, but tomorrow is another day.

Sleep Is Good

Ugh, what a long weekend. I know, I said 'ugh.'

I'm finally heading to sleep. I've been studying for a unit test tomorrow. I want to complete as many as possible in the next four days. I'm really going to give it the ol' college try.

Nothing new to speak of this night. But I will divulge more information tomorrow.

FBombAndy, signing out for tonight.

Images To Dreams

If I had to die, I wouldn't want it to be in this room. I would want clouds, and a blue sky, and maybe a girl in a bikini. I mean, come on, someone is going to die and all they get are bare walls? Yes, I have too much sympathy.

Eh, today was alright. I was really off during my French Horn lessons. Oh well, better to get it out of the way. CS 349 was alright. Nobody was in a talking mood, so the prof had to tell random stories. They were funny though.

Alright, I'm going to take a unit test tomorrow morning. Hopefully I can get it done on the first try. I need to speed things up, otherwise I'll be taking tests on Saturday. No, wait. There's a ton of college football on Saturday. Well, there goes that idea.

Erik and I are going to Best Buy and Toys "R" Us. I'll probably get a toy for my nephew. He likes basketball, so I might get him a small basketball goal. Something like this.

Alright, I'm all sleepy-eyed. I'm out.