John Mc

This is a collection of my thoughts. Some of the thoughts that I once had, I no longer do. Some thoughts I have now I have never had. Yet none shal be discounted. This blog is soley for the enjoyment of the author and the readers. On occasion the views expressed are overly exagerated in order to prove a point. Also there may be a dirty word or thought in some of the posts. Grow up and take this for what it's worth - a blog that barely anyone will ever see.

11/28/2005

This Extended Weekend

I realized that I haven't posted on here much recently, so I thought I'd fill ya all in on my exciting life. On Wed I was going to leave for Chicago for the 4 day weekend, but was too tired after work and didn't want to risk driving. So I just hung out at home that evening.
Started off for Chicago at about 11ish, giving me plenty of time to make it to Thanksgiving dinner. I was about 2/3rds of the way up when my rear driver's side tire exploded. It was 20 degrees out with winds of 45 mph. After a bit more than a half hour, I got the spare on. The hardest part was when the lug nuts were sticking to my fingers. Not a good feeling pealing those fellas off.
Finally made it up there. Dinner with Dad's side of the family.
Friday work expected me to come back for my shift. I told them that there was no chance of me driving 3 hours south for a 4 hour on-air shift then another 3 hours back up north to finish out the weekend. So, they got a sub for me. It would be different if I had family down here like everyone else, but that wasn't going to happen for me.
The rest of the weekend was somewhat relaxing. The only other thing that I did was go to my sister's performance in "The Nutcracker." It is become somewhat of a tradition to go see her the weekend after Thanksgiving each year. She, as always, did a remarkable job.
Hung out at my friend Tim's place with a few friends on Saturday night. Got home around 4ish. Watched The Bears win yesterday. (7 in a row) Then I got new tires put on my car. Then I was off to Effingham.
Although I had a traveling companion this time... somewhat. Talked with a friend from a long while ago, Janice, for about 2 hours. Ran my battery dead. (Hi, Janice.)
And now here we are. Just got off the phone with a mutual friend of Ashley's and mine. You can find out what I found out in the post below. Hope your weekend was as relaxing as mine was.

Are There Any NORMAL Chicks Out There?!

Wow. What insight I just received! You may remember me talking about Ashley? Turns out that she is absolutely PSYCHO!!! Yup. Psycho in the truest sense of the term. Let me give you the three strikes that she has been given by me in only a week of knowing her. (I have a three strike rule. You wrong me three times, you are out.)
1) We talked a great deal on the first night that we met. For hours we shared who we are (she left out psycho, obviously), who we were and who we hoped to be. We even discussed things like (BOTH of these things, her topics) kids and how we pictured our weddings. (note the plural form of the word "wedding.") She then told her friends the next day that we had already discussed our wedding.
2) She had mentioned that she was going to a bar that I had heard of near St. Louis with some friends. I had heard that they have a camera and a big screen in the bar. The camera focuses on random girls, and they are encouraged to lift their tops. I told her that she wasn't going to be doing any of that. She laughed, punched me in the arm and assured me that wasn't going to happen. She told her friends that I told her that I didn't want her to go.
3) I cooked her a nice meal on the Friday that we shared together. I told her that we were going to enjoy a nice dinner. She bought a nice top for the event. She was in a bad mood that evening. She told me that it was because stuff went down at work. She told her friends that she was upset that she bought a nice top and didn't get to go out with it.
Those are only the big 3. There was other stuff too. Only a week with this girl and a bunch of craziness comes to head. I sent her a text message today letting her know to never see or talk to me ever again and that I hope she finds what she's looking for in life, because it won't be with me.
Is there ANY normal chicks out there? Someone without baggage? Someone that deals with life and actually has goals for the future? Someone that is WORKING TOWARDS those goals? Someone that doesn't need a man in their life to make it complete, but enjoys the company of a good guy? Someone that doesn't jump from relationship to relationship because daddy never showed them enough love?
Geez. Maybe all women are messed up in the head and there's nothing that can be done for them. Maybe I should just become a priest.

11/22/2005

Damn Computers

Computer issues at work. Don't know what's wrong, but our systems that run the radio station are having issues. To go from a operator session to an automated session and back causes it to flip out. Our engineer just told me he thinks he has a handle on things. We'll see how that turns out.
Talked with Dusti Lynn yesterday. Sweet girl. Not the same kind of connection that I had with Ashley, but perhaps that will come in time. We'll see if we go out tonight or not.
I'll keep ya posted.

11/21/2005

Worst Job EVER & Eff vs. Chi-Town Test

Think your job sucks? Check this out: (Note: content - NSFW)
http://www.wimp.com/worstjob/

Also want to see if you are more Effingham than you are Chicago? Take this test:
http://www.alphadictionary.com/articles/yankeetest.html

Just some web browsing that turned up some good stuff. And thanks to Gayle for sending me both!

Update

Wow, it's been a while since I've posted. Let's see what happened. On Friday I cooked a great meal for Ashley. She was in a bad mood because of some b.s. that happened at work, so I asked her to leave shortly after she ate her dinner. (yes, there's more to the story. If you haven't gotten it yet, I can let you know.) Anyway, we broke up this weekend. I let her know that I don't put up with drama well.
Don't cry for me, tho. I've got Dusti Lynn tonight. Yes, that's her name. We are going to watch MNF tonight and she's excited about the free chilli. We'll see how this goes. Hopefully as well as last week!

11/17/2005

T.O.

If you don't know who T.O. is, let me break it down to you. Terrell Owens is a Wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles. (That's the guy that runs really far down the field and catches the ball and then runs toward the "end zone.") Well, he is an incredible athlete. No doubt about that, and I'm sure most people that know anything about football would agree with that.
However, he is cocky too. So cocky that his boasting and bragging bought him a seat on the bench for the rest of the season. His antics had finally upset the team and he is being punished for being a jerk.
Good.
Maybe this will send a message to everyone else in the league, in professional sports in general and the kids that look up to them that while it is ok to appreciate your individual efforts, it is the team effort that matters just as much. Be yourself, but work for the organization that signs your checks, dumbass.
Anyway, he is going to have a rough time finding a team that will be willing to take this hot head. Click on the picture for an article explaining this and his potential from this day forward. Doesn't look good. Which is good!

Satisfaction?

So, I was all gung-ho about leaving Effingham recently. Just begging for a job in Chicago radio. Then everything would be perfect. I'd be getting more money, a bigger apartment with a view of Lake Michigan and I'd be closer to all of my family and friends.
Now, that's on the back burner. Why? I am trying to figure that all out myself. Am I growing content with what I have? I am working in radio. It isn't the station I want to be at, but I worked worse jobs in Chicago. Much worse. Verizon Wireless and a string of temp jobs.
Does Ashley play a part in this? Perhaps. But, my laziness I think is a bigger factor. Sure she's great. And I enjoy seeing her. But, if a Chicago station called me up tomorrow, I'd leave. I guess it just stems from the fact that I don't want to put forth the effort of finding another job again.
Oh, and found out that Ashley bought my Christmas present today. Or maybe it was last night. Either way, it's bought. I haven't even got used to the fact that Thanksgiving is next week and she's already got something under a tree for me. I brought up the fact that we haven't known each other that long, how could she possibly have a present for me while knowing me for that short of time?
She reminded me that her mother, friends and she had been listening to me for years on the radio. I forget that people are out there sometimes. I know it sounds strange, but I forget that at any given time 200-500,000 people can hear me. And they know A LOT more about me than I do about them. I'm not afraid to discuss anything on the air. As a matter of fact, I bet everyone reading this has been a topic of one of my discussions at one point or another. Or at least were a supporting member of a point I was making.
You have to let me know what can and can't be on the air when talking with me, otherwise, it's fair game. Also, I have the ability to record voice mails, so those can be legally aired whenever I feel like it as well. Just be fore-warned! Don't drunk dial me something hysterical, or all of Effingham and the 15 counties around it will know about your drunk ass!
Ah. See why my job isn't that bad?

Inside The NFL

Is it sick that I pay for HBO for the sole purpose of "Inside The NFL?" Even though I can't stand Chris Colinsworth? But, Bob Costas is THE MAN! Nice guy and REALLY knows his stuff. It shows. (Both aspects) Very in depth program that dissects what happened the previous weeks and usually makes really accurate predictions for next week. I dig it. I like it like a milkshake.

The Fam

Well, met her parents last night. I'm always good with the parents. I pride myself on being able to talk to anyone about anything, so I just pretend that I'm interviewing them on the radio. And the best interviews are conversational. (Watch the late-night talk shows, it is more of an inquisitive conversation than an interview.) Her dad is a sports nut, so I was able to talk college basketball and the NFL with him. Her mom told me of their family, her parents, Ashley's childhood, etc. I just smiled and nodded. Asked questions when something wasn't quite clear. This way she knew that I was listening.
Her mom hugged me as I left. Got a hearty handshake and a "Hope to see you again soon" from her dad. I think it went well. I'm sure I'll get an update on my showing from Ashley today. I passed all the tests with her other relatives. She says her co-workers will be a little difficult, but once over that hurdle, I'm good. I have heard that they all listen to my show when they get out of work and none of them have found anything negative yet, so I'm doin' good.
I really don't care that much what a lot of people think. While it would be great to gain everyone's approval, it's only hers that matters. And based on the way she behaves, I've got that 110%! No worries there. She misses me after only a few hours of being separated. She said she can't stop thinking about me.
She's got it bad. Can't blame her. We've both got it good.

11/16/2005

Last Night

Went to the bowling alley last night. Not to bowl. Not to enjoy a Miller Light. (Even though I did have one.) Nope, went to be with Ashley while she bowled. She's in a league. They don't have matching shirts or anything, but she was convinced by her sister in law, aunt and cousin that she should join their team. While Ashley will probably not go pro anytime soon, she did alright.
And, no, Joelle, I'm not in... We haven't even said... The "L word" has been absent thus far. And will be for a while. We are just enjoying each other right now. We are in that fun beginning stage and I'd like to pro long that as much as possible, and so does she. We've discussed a lot of things, including that.
Gonna go see Saw II with her tonight. She said she's glad that she has someone like me to hold on to during the film. Damn I'm good.

11/15/2005

Tonight

I'm rushing through all that I have to do. As soon as I'm done I get to see her again. It has only been hours since I saw her last. She came over for lunch today. I was all set to make her soup. (I'm good at putting a warm bowl of soup on the table.) But, we just sat on the couch and talked. We discussed our day, us and The Daily Show among other things. I held her for an hour. It wasn't long enough.
I already know that I'm taking her out to a movie on Wed. And I have a surprise for her on Friday. Won't say what that is just yet. Never know if she is reading out there!
Hope all is well with you too, friends. Hope you are able to enjoy something as pure and complete as I am.

I'm Doin' A Lot Of Things Right

I found myself a great girl. She's sweet, hot and smart. Plus she doesn't talk a lot, and when she does talk, it's interesting. We connect on so many levels. And she loves the comfort of my arms around her. This is the best I've had it. I can talk with her for hours. We laugh, we learn, we connect. And there isn't any awkward silences. Those are filled with tight embraces.
Met up with Ashley for football yesterday. It was the Eagles vs. Cowboys. She didn't know much about football, so I patiently taught her the basics. And as an incentive, she got a kiss for each first down scored. We talked so much that we missed most of the game and had to have make-ups for the estimated number of first downs that we missed.
I missed most of the third and all of the fourth quarter. I've heard that the Cowboys won. But, who cares. It wasn't the Bears.
Must be doin' something right
I just heard you sigh
You leaned into my kiss
And closed those deep blue need you eyes
Don't know what I did
To earn a love like this, but baby, I
Must be doin' something right
Anywhere you wanna go
Baby, show me the way
I'm open to suggestions
Mmm, whatever you say
Tonight's about giving you
What you want, whatever it takes
Girl, I hope I'm on the right road
And judging by the smile on your face
I must be doin' something right
From Billy Currington's "Must Be Doin' Somethin' Right"

Can't Make This Stuff Up

This is an actual sign in a school parking lot. It is the culmination of several PTA meetings. (Guess they're the "Operation Cool" task force) There they decided the importance of letting the students know to put their seat belts on. While their ad campaign is memorable, I doubt it is for the reason that they intended. Wonder how wild that prom was!

11/14/2005

Weird Blog

Got a weird thought? Something a little strange or off-center? Maybe you're curious to see what other people are thinking or confessing? This blog is for you. In post card form people share their inner-most secrets. Some are funny. Some are scary. All are interesting. It is updated each week on Sunday. My friend Bill turned me onto this. Check it out... at your own discression. Click on the picture for the blog. This is the one that most describes me best so far.

Lunch

Had Minestrone soup for lunch today. Fogot how much I enjoy that soup. Haven't had it in a long while. Damn do I love soup. Doesn't cost much and it fills you up with just a small amount. Soup is great. Just thought I'd share. Gotta get back to bein' on the radio.

Wow

What an evening I had last night. It was perfect. I met Ashley last night. If you've been reading my blog, you know that I go on many dates. And I've seen many women recently, but none have had that "spark." None have had that "connection" that I had been looking for. Until last night. We went out in the cold and looked up at the clear star-filled sky and talked for over an hour. We talked about everything. Virtually all the things that two people find out about each other over the course of a month, we laid out on the table last night.
I'm pretty excited. I woke up this morning thinking about her. I can't get her out of my mind. She's done something to me. And I get to see her again tonight at 7. I keep checking the damn clock to see how much longer I have to wait. Geez! What's she done to me?!
I'm going to teach her about football tonight as we watch the game. Wow, I'm just thinking about some of the things she said and admitted to me last night. Incredible. I've never had a first date go as well as this one did. It's almost to the point of it being "too good to be true," and I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop. Who knows. Maybe she's the reason I was called back down to Effingham upon God's path. Don't want to put too much stock in this just yet, but I am aware of the potential, our speed and progression and will be at all times.
I'm just so happy. Can't wait for you to meet her, friends. I'm sure it will be before the end of the year. And yes, I know that this post is quite jumbled. It is because of two reasons, I have been constantly been interrupted by co-workers and work phone calls, and because I wrote it as my mind is currently thinking on purpose.
"Wow" is the best word for this whole thing.
Wow.

11/11/2005

Veteran's Day

Remember our veterans. All gave some. Some gave all.

11/10/2005

The Coolest Gadgets!

Want a site to tell you about the newest technology or maybe just search for the coolest whatsit available? Go to this site to check out some of the wacky gadgets on the market now. They have light up slippers, voice activated TV remote and all sorts of other weird stuff. Click on the picture for the site. (It's a light-up bubble tube. I think it's our generation's lava lamp)

New Ones!

Wow, just realized how much new life is coming into the world recently from my friends. I just got pictures from my friend Kevin of his brand new son. (Not going to post them to give them some privacy. The tabloids are probably waiting to get their hands on them anyway!) I can think of two other couples who are expecting within the next year as well. Congrats to them all. (Kinda makes you wonder who's next! I can guarantee it isn't me!!!) Here's hoping that they are blessed with a happy healthy family soon.

Early Day

You may have noticed that I'm posting a little earlier in the day than I usually do. That is because I'm up a lot earlier than I should be. I'm filling in on the Morning Show because Gayle (the lady that usually does it) is out today. She sick? Nope. Her daughter sick? Nope. Court date.
She didn't do anything wrong, her waste-of-space ex did. Today might be the last court date that she will have to go through. Keep your fingers crossed for two reasons. One, that this year long episode will finally be over for her. And two, that I don't have to be up earlier than 10 am again for a while!

Trick For Treat?

Just thinkin’ about “the line.” The line that women have to walk in the dating world. The line separates them from girlfriend and prostitute. Yup. Think about it. If a man buys them something nice like jewelry or something, they feel compelled to repay him. But, while that is the obvious example, it starts even earlier than that. It starts in the bar the first time that they meet. A man buys a woman a drink in order to talk to her. She now feels she should at least talk to him while she enjoys the drink. Therefore, he is essentially buying her time. Just like a hooker. Extreme comparison? Perhaps.
How does a woman avoid this? How do we all avoid this? It’s easy. I figured it out, as have many. I will not give a woman anything that doesn’t have meaning behind it. I will not step behind the Tiffany’s counter or even the Wal-Mart jewelry counter unless I feel I want to give her something that is a symbol of something else. I would rather give them something of sentiment than something of purpose. Meaning a CD of songs that mean something to us, a candle that burned on our first date or something that I wrote for her. The only jewelry that I’ll probably buy is that special ring.
I had a friend who had a boyfriend that bought her things left and right. Her friends told her to take advantage of the situation as much as possible. She felt uncomfortable accepting a X-Box from him, a guitar and all sorts of other things. She stayed with him out of guilt, not out of love. Isn’t that the purpose of everything anyway?! Should that be the bond, not the constant balance of “if he did this, she must do this,” “if he bought her this, she should stay with him this much longer,” etc. Again, he’s renting her time! And she probably respects him a lot less than if he was able to keep her based solely on who he is as a person?
Random gifts are an example of someone without much substance or who is inexperienced with the world of dating or perhaps just has a low self-esteem, which is not appealing at all anyway. Women have to be careful not to waver on the line that they walk with what they accept (material and non-tangible) in relationships. I feel sorry for them having to do this thanks to our society’s expectations on them and courtship in general. But, good luck out there, friends. Most of us get it.

11/09/2005

MNF - What A Waste

So, I love football. Anyone that knows me, knows this. So, I enjoy Monday Night Football specials. At the Effingham T.G.I.Friday's (yes, we're big enough to have a Friday's!) they have free wings and chilli during the game. Always a good time. $1.75 Coors also helps. Even though I don't care much for Coors, it puts out the burning of the tongue.
So, another bar in town, Sneaky Pete's, also has the same special, but the difference is 50 cent drafts of any domestic beer. Better option, right? Wrong. Some jack-ass wanted to play the juke box. Obviously not a football fan, and probably confused about his orientation. Instead of Al and John commentating the game we heard everything from Metallica to Madonna. (See what I mean about being confused?!) Then his selections finally ended halfway through the second quarter of the Colts/Patriots game. (The COLTS/PATRIOTS game! What a game it would have been, if I could have heard it!)
What happens next? The bartender finally turn the audio on for the people that came there with the sole intention of watching the game? Nope. Silence. And before I could get to her, a gorgeous blonde puts her money in to have her selections played. What the hell?!
Needless to say, I'm done with that place. I left during the third quarter. I was done with battling the juke-box-dumbasses. Back to Friday's for me. That extra $1.25 is worth it.
Bastards. All of 'em.

Quite The Shocker

It is really making it into mainstream. It's The Shocker. What many have known about for years is now finally being recognized by the older generations. And the evil democratic rag the Chicago Sun Times has wasted ink and column space on it today. If you don't know what I'm talking about or if you can't believe it, click on the picture.

We're Makin' Up

Just wanted to comment on all the friends around me getting back together. Congrats! Things seem to be progressing nicely for all those involved and that they are on the right track. But, then, that's just my opinion, and that doesn't matter much in this situation! It's great to hear that you are putting behind you your past and are willing to work through the things that might have caused you to part ways in the first place in order to get back to the joy and love that you once experienced. When something that good happened between you two, when something that was blessed by the hand of God occurred, the only logical choice is to do what you can to see if you can go back on His path once again. Provided, that is what the case was/is. With each day we grow and develop. And apart you did this as individuals. Perhaps now a more perfect union can be made after this development and "finding of yourselves." I just want to extend my congrats to you all. And don't forget that you always have a friend in me, friends.

There's a rumor goin' round that it looks like splittsville between us
But all of that talk's just talk, so don't you believe it
Cause I got a call from my baby and she was all, "guess what?"
CHORUS:
We're makin' up
Our on again off again is on again
We're makin' up
She really wants to make it work I'm still so in love with her
Forget about everything you heard
We're makin' up

From: Hot Apple Pie's "We're Makin' Up"

He's Here

Just thinking recently about how comforting it is knowing Christ. When things seem rough, He's always there. His love is unending. Unconditional. And when we regret what we've done, He's waiting with his acceptance of our apology. He has laid out a path for all of us to follow, but He will be with us through it. And He has given us all that we need to be succesfull on it. That's why He loves us for who we are. I understand this. On both sides. And I'm glad that I do.

The path set for you is difficult.
It will take you very far.
But, you have no fear.
Someone loves you for who you are.

11/08/2005

Body Language

Just thinking recently about the complexities of body language. Do you realize that majority of what is expressed to others comes not from our words, but in how we convey ourselves?
Here are a few tricks to use. Want to see if someone is interested in what you're talking about? Look at their feet. If all ten toes are pointed towards you, they are absorbing all that you have to say. If one foot is towards you, then only somewhat. Also you can pay attention to their shoulders. If they are square with yours, again, they are paying attention to you. The more that they are off center, the less they are listening. Imagine how awkward it would be to have a conversation with someone who has one shoulder pointed towards you and all ten toes away from you.
Also, guys... or girls, I guess... if you want to see if someone at the bar is interested, here's a simple test. Catch her/his glance from across the bar and then check your watch. If they do the same, they are interested. If they don't, you'll have to work harder.
In a job interview? Talking with your boss? Pay attention to how long they maintain eye contact when they talk with you. Do they hold it shorter than you would? Longer? When you talk, do the same. Subconsciously they will feel more at ease.
Always walk with your back straight. Not stiff as a board, be a little relaxed, but keep your back straight. This will show confidence as well as take pressure off of your stomach. So, your abs will be straighter and you'll have more of a command over a room.

Give 'em a shot. You'll see that I'll never steer you wrong. Unless it's for a good practical joke.

The Weekend

Wow, what a busy weekend. It actually started Thursday night. Went out to Sneaky Pete's on Thursday. It is one of the nicer bars in Effingham. Hit on the waitress. I started not with a pick-up line, but with "What's your name?" The response was "You should know." Apparently we had met before and I don't remember. I'm awful with names. Deal. So, after a while of playing that game, I grew tired and left. Never find out how I knew her, but I lost interest early on. My friend Drew was with me and we met up with some of his friends. One was a girl named Cheryl who made it her mission that night to set me up with someone. That night, her roommate Danna (or something like that - I told you I'm bad with names, right?!) "Fine." I told her. I would meet her on Sunday.
So, Friday night I knew that I had a busy weekend ahead of me, so I just stayed home and watched the final installment of those Star Wars movies. It was alright. It marked the first time I saw it, and probably last. I don't get Star Wars. Good series, but not a religion like these other freaks seem to think. Oh well.
Saturday I spent cleaning up my apartment. Top to bottom. Even dusted! Then it was out to my friend Gayle's home for a BBQ. Then back out with Drew and Bobbie joined us as well. Sang some Karaoke and drank some beer well into the night. Bobbie's friend Jenny joined us soon. And all three of them worked for a bar, that is now closed, at one point or another. So, we decided to have our final beer of the evening in the parking lot of the former "Sidelines Sports Bar."
Then it was up early Sunday morning for church then Bears football. Put some meet on the grill (5 lbs of beef and several brats) and had quite a few visitors to watch the games with me. Then it was off to Drew's home for a night cap. Drew is leaving for AZ this week, so we spent as much time with him as possible.
Got there and met up with Cheryl, but she said that I had just missed Denna (or whatever). But, she wants to set me up with her co-worker Lacey now. Whatever. Lacey wasn't there, but I was told that I'd meet her soon. K. That's not why I'm here and I'm doing well on my own, but thanks.
Didn't get home until about 3 from that one. But, I don't have to work early anymore, so no sweat. Got up at 11 the next morning and things were good.
Then today I get a call from Cheryl asking what I'm doing Sunday. She wants me to meet Ashley. Wonder who else is on the list between now and then. Oh well. As long as she doesn't expect me to pay her for being my pimp, we'll be ok.

Worse Than A Halftime Show

Why couldn't this have been the halftime show instead of the washed up Janet Jackson and the now nearly non-existant Justin Timberlake. Oh well. More content than this coming soon. Click on the picture for the story.

11/03/2005

A New Autobiography - Ghost Writer?

A NHL coach just wrote an autobiography. Nothing strange about that? Well, in it he reveals that he's illiterate. HOW DID HE WRITE IT THEN?! The story is available when you click on his picture.

Um... My Monkey Died.

Gonna call in sick to work sometime soon? Gonna fake it? Here's an article that will give you some good excuses! This is from your friend John. If you get fired because you are a moron, don't blame him. I like him. If you don't get fired and have a great day off, buy him beer. These are the rules. You must follow them. Click on the sick girl to go to the article... if you DARE!!!

Follow

It is much easier to follow someone who has seen and done it all before us. Find your path, and let Him drive. Hope this helps my friends who I know are struggling.
Jesus take the wheel
Take it from my hands
Cause I can't do this all on my own
I'm letting go
So give me one more chance
To save me from this road I'm on Jesus take the wheel
It was still getting colder when she made it to the shoulder
And the car came to a stop
She cried when she saw that baby in the backseat sleeping like a rock
And for the first time in a long time
She bowed her head to pray
She said I'm sorry for the way I've been living my life
I know I've got to change
So from now on tonight Jesus take the wheel
Take it from my hands
Cause I can't do this all my own
I'm letting go
So give me one more chance
To save me from this road I'm on
From Carrie Underwood's "Jesus Take The Wheel"

Another day

Well, we all got another day. One day we won't. I'm happy for mine.
Got some stuff to do here at work that needs to be done, so progress will be made. I have worked out some plans for what's going to happen next. I've answered all my e-mails. And even IMed a few folks.
I'm giving a talk for The Happening soon and I've begun asking people to be there who might not have been there anyway. I figure if they are involved at all in the topic I'm discussing, they should probably be there, right? Only fair. Haven't contacted everyone yet. Some people were unavailable when I got a hold of them. Others I haven't called.
Making a list right now. My 6 month review in Effingham is coming up soon. It seems like much longer than 6 months, but as of the 9th of this month, that will mark my 6 months here. So much has happened since then. But, I'm making a list of all the things that I do here, and the extra stuff I didn't sign on for that I'm handling because we are now short staffed. And I'm writing down my demands. We'll see how they handle it.
I realized that I'm almost to the point of being ok with quitting and moving back up to Chicago with no real job prospects. I can have faith that something will come through. But, that is only an option if they piss me off enough down here. Or if they drag their feet with my demands. We'll see what kind of compromise we come to on the 9th.
Now, obviously I'm playing things cool and not going to be a loose cannon. That's just stupid and doesn't accomplish anything. It is like stress and drama. They serve no purpose in life. They do nothing but hinder development. I deal with both, then push them out of my life and move on. I'm too busy to be stressed or deal with drama. That is the one aspect of DuPage that I don't miss - all the stupid drama. Drama in The Happening, between friends, between boyfriends and girlfriends, between former boyfriends and girlfriends. Wow, is it good to be in Effingham sometimes. Now, some of the drama is understandable. Most of it is not. But, I won't go into that in such a public forum.
Also, I've been seeing multiple girls. I don't mean to brag about this, but I find it a strange change of pace. Granted, a welcome one, but still strange. A year ago, things were not like this. To those who knew me before now, have you noticed a change? Let me know. It is more out of curiosity than anything else that I ask this.
I forgot to tell you, when I was driving home on Friday, I saw something interesting. I saw not one, but two shooting stars. I talked to my sister, the astronomer, about it and she was unaware of any meteor shower or anything that would cause this. It was just a fluke of some sort. I couldn't believe it. And it wasn't two chuncks of the same one, they were spaced apart by at least a half hour. I just find this ironic that this occurs shortly after my most recent decision. I spent a part of the summer wishing on stars and just recently I realized how pointless that is. It is much better to grab 'em. So, I feel this is God's way of bringing a few of them closer to me to grab. Or it could be accelerated chuncks of rock burning up in our atmosphere as they plummet to Earth. But, I like my explanation better.
Oh, and recently I lost a good friend. Not to death or anything. He did something stupid and I called him on it, and now he says he doesn't want to talk with me anymore. I, again, am not going to go into details, but that is a new element to my life as well. We used to talk via text message, IM or phone multiple times a day. Now nothing. Kind of strange, but that was his decision.
You'll notice that this posting has no pictures. I've contacted customer support at blogspot.com in order to have the situation looked at. For some reason I am unable to post 'em. They sent me back a form-letter e-mail on how to post pictures. Thanks. If you actually looked at my blog, you'd see that I've already cracked that little riddle. So, no pictures until I can figure out how to get things up and rollin' again.
Oh well, guess I had better get back to work. I've rambled enough. Good luck with everything, friends. And I'll talk with you later.

11/01/2005

Saturday Nite

Saturday was a good day... To a point. Let's see here... I invited a good friend Joelle and her bf and single cousin to a Halloween party being thrown by Rick. I invited two single girls from the city. My friend's girlfriend's friend was also single. So, there were many new people to meet this weekend. And I enjoyed myself. I also enjoyed the other guys at the party falling all over themselves to see who could give them the most attention. Quite interesting to stand back and watch the male-female interactions in social situations like this.
I also met up with several people that I only get to see a few times a year. Some only at weddings (like the one the week before) or reunions of some type.
Everyone came out of the evening ok, except for a few. The man who played Jim Morrison (which will remain nameless) didn't leave the house because he couldn't even keep a Silo cup in his hand at the end of the evening.
And a girl hurt her hand at the event, so I had to take her to the hospital at 5am. Due to the time change, it felt like 6am. Plus, the Bears were taking the field the next day, had to be sure that I got back on time.
I was in bed by 5:30, and awake for the Bears by 11. Slept through a bit of the third quarter, but caught Tillman's last minute interception for a touchdown in OT to win the game.
It turned out to be a good weekend... For me, at least!

Parallel Thoughts

"Enjoy the little things, for one day you make look back and realize that they were the big things." That was the message that was sent to me by Christa when she sent me our picture. You may know Christa from The Happening, Columbia or her one-woman show at The Shubart "I'm Christa, Deal With It."
ironically, I was thinking about "the little things" last night. We remember things like the inside jokes we shared with former girlfriends. I'll remember laughing at the billboards on car trips, but won't be able to tell you what majority of them said. ("Three convenient locations to serve you" is also a good one) And the wedding I went to last week, I may not remember the date it happened or how the vows sounded, but I'll remember how happy the bride and groom were. I'll remember laughing with my friends. I'll remember Jason sending me text messages about the Sox game.
These are the small things. These are the important things. The big picture is important, but the details make up life.