HSM3!!!

I love HSM... I'm a closet fan - well, I guess not so much anymore. But this makes me laugh every time I see it!

Miaken... I'm using you... Hope you don't mind! :) Enjoy.

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about a girl

There is a story about a boy and girl. Like most great stories involving two people, this one began at a very young age. There isn’t a time where the two recall a first meeting, nor a twenty-second for that matter. They only know that as long as they can remember, the other one has existed somehow, someway. Born only months apart, they grew together through short weekend interactions a few times a year. Their parents whom are friends and colleagues carry the responsibility for the introduction. And ever since, their lives have been intertwined, interconnected and tangled with reintroductions, and memories that always began with a “hello” and ended with a “see you soon”.

The best part of a sandwich is what you put between two slices of bread. In this case its the time after hello and prior to goodbye. One time in Deadwood, hours were spent running through the halls, playing hide and go seek, ducking in stairwells, throwing ice back and forth. Another occasion, in Spearfish, our time was divided between the swimming pool and pinball machines. In one hotel we discovered that an elevator could double as a trampoline. But almost everywhere we went, there was always a pool and always a late night that followed.

Each and every weekend getaway involved several similar activities. Playing hide-and-go-seek, random ice fights, jumping up and down in elevators, plenty of pool-time, and late night slumber parties became the staple in nearly every interaction. As they grew older, the venue became different, but the interactions were filled with activity and unforgettable experience...
And although decades have passed, one thing still remains the same, this boy and this girl, both continue to find there paths crossing and that connection seeded in the past still remains unshakeable today.

This story about a girl... is continually being written. There are still doors that must be opened, memories yet to be made.

Blues & Brews 2007

Another year in the books, and another year at the blues and brews. And here I am, sitting here, soaking it all in. The party, the after party, the friends who could come and those who couldn't; thank you. And for all of you who have yet to experience this festival, maybe someday you will... its absolutely amazing. I can only hope that you all have the the chance to make the trip down here someday... and hopefully I can be here to experience it with you! The highlights this year: Los Lonely Boys, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Mofro, Eric Lindell, Keb Mo', The Black Crowes and Ana Popovic. They are in no particular order... and ask anyone else they may give you a different list, but for me, those artists made the festival worth it! Well, and few stories :)

One story worth noting, during the Black Crowes, a highly intoxicated gentleman (I use the term gentleman loosely) continued to tug on the fellow's jacket standing in front of him proclaiming that he couldn't stand there because he didn't have a clear view. Granted the drunkard was 5'5'' and the person standing in front of him was over 6'1'' so I can understand the drunk logic behind it. Now the 'heckling' went on for 45 minutes, which to his credit, the taller fella' exuded plenty of patience. Shortly after the concert started, a four-foot-nothing woman was dancing like a wild-woman in front of my dad, she somehow bumped the patient guy who had been doing his best to ignore the drunk guy behind him. At this point he turned and (literally) checked her into my dad with his forearm. After catching her, and propping her back onto her feet, looked at my dad, thanked him, and then resumed flailing about. The guy then turned to my dad and apologized for knocking the woman into him. Go figure. While all of this was going on, there was some guy behind my dad screaming over and over again to 'turn up the mic!" Granted, the sound system wasn't up to par, and we were having a hard time hearing Mr. Robinson's voice, but after 45 minutes, to continue to yell during and between every song... give me a break. At some point he leaned towards my father and yelled to him... "hey, tell them to turn up the mic.... pass it on!" My dad then leaned forward and to the guy's satisfaction appeared to pass the message forward. The head scratcher of the evening was the twelve kids, non of them in their teens, running around in front of the stage between the crowd and the band. Now this is a concert where marijuana is being passed around (among other drugs I'm sure), people are drinking heavily, and very clear not an environment for anyone under the legal drinking age, but for some reason, for half the concert, these kids were free to do as they wished. I mean... what's up with that?

So now, I'm sitting here in the Durango Airport. I've been bumped while the rest of my family has flown out to their respective destination.
I mean, what airline knowingly overbooks a flight? Whatever, I get a free ticket out of the deal! And when I do get home... make sure to come back and check out some of the photos!

snap, crackle, pop

This weekend is big. really big. My father has been officially inaugurated as president, and many festivities have and will follow. One of which followed the ceremony was a reception and ball. It has been wonderful so far. I've seen a lot of friends and family, met many people and overall have had a wonderful time... until I broke her fingers.

Yes, I broke some student's finger or fingers. It could be a simple dislocation, however... from what I saw, felt and heard. I'm pretty sure they're broken. You're probably wondering how...let me paint a picture: we were dancing. yes we were cuttin-some-rug, but to be honest, I'd danced with her earlier in the evening, and our rhythm's didn't quite match up. Not to say she didn't have any, or couldn't dance, but it required a little more effort to blend with how she moved.

She had tracked me down to dance, it was later in the evening, so much drinking had taken place. I remember earlier, while dancing, that she was prone to slip and fall. I don't know if it was her shoes, her, or some other element. But I was taking that into consideration while dancing with her... That being said, as I turned her, I felt her fall and I tightened up to keep her from hitting the ground. Well, apparently she did the same thing... next thing I felt and heard was a pop-pop-pop. Her hand in mine, her fingers snapped and crackled... I dropped to the floor, she began to try and reset her fingers when I stopped her and helped her off the dance floor. She refused to go the ER, and decided to tough it out until she could go to the school the next day and get x-rayed. A splint was put on, a few shots were taken, and my ego was bruised. What are the chances?

Merry Christmas

Christmas is my favorite time of year. Its a time to rejoice, a time with family, a time of year where the world pauses, if only for a moment, to celebrate the birth of Christ.

this year, as I removed myself from the chaos and distractions of all that goes on this holiday season, I realized that today really isn't completely about Jesus at all. Its about us. It is about you and I. Jesus was and continues to be our gift, our promise from God. We are His children, and as John 3:16 states, He gave us His son, so that we could have eternal life. How the familiarity of that verse becomes amazingly mundane, but still rings true with excitement.

Think of it this way. Although I don't have any children in my family at the moment, I did have an opportunity to see it through my work...just a glimpse... but.. Think about when you celebrate Christmas with young children. If you were to ask any young child what they're excited about, what would their response be? They look forward to the presents. They get excited about the packaging, tearing it off with anticipation just to see what hides beneath. And you can just see the excitement exuded from them. Its infectious... and it gives us, the giver, joy to see that. God is our giver, and we are the young children receiving the gift. He delights in giving to His children... He gets the ultimate reward in giving, and we get everlasting life through the sacrifice of His son.

Today, as I celebrate the birth of our Savior, I lift up a praise of thanks for this wonderful gift I've been given.

Merry Christmas!