ncfc needs to start doing worship like this.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Thursday, November 26, 2009
thanksgiving
(edit: picture should be fixed now)
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today, i am thankful for my family. here is a picture of everyone on my dad's side.
1 grandma +
6 children +
12 grandchildren (me included)+
3 great-grandchildren +
9 wives/husbands/in-laws =
31 beautiful people
(yes, we also did a 'goofy' pic)
Monday, November 23, 2009
thanksgiving break
due to my extremely fortuitous class schedule (no monday or friday classes) and my willingness to skip (one lecture on tuesday), i started my thanksgiving break last thursday afternoon. if it sounds like i'm bragging, it's because i am. :)
a quick recap so far:
thursday: finished class at 3:15, packed and drove to ashburn. almost killed myself a) because it was raining, b) visibility was low, c) i was speeding, d) i was sleepy. but i managed to get home in one piece. spent the rest of the evening watching tv and playing with the dog. my sister also got home that evening. family reunion!
friday: played a round of golf with dad at 10 am. i hadn't touched my clubs since october and it showed. shot a 118. yikes. in the afternoon, went to ncfc md campus for a revival and saw lots of friends for the first time in months. good to see them again.
saturday: went to the mall with stacey and spent most of the afternoon watching college football. in the evening, had dinner with va campus oikos members (moby dick) and then to md again for the last night of the revival.
sunday: thanksgiving sunday. ate thanksgiving food at church (really quite good) and succumbed to a massive food coma during the service. shouldn't have had that second plate of sides only. after church, drove to md again (3 days in a row for those who are counting) for a timothy retreat planning meeting. im thinking of moving to md after i graduate. god knows i spend all my time there already.
today: bummed allllll day. life is good.
things to look forward to:
tues - movies with f
wed - impact potluck
thurs - thanksgiving w/ fam
fri - golf again
sat - josh and tina's wedding
mon - back to school
a quick recap so far:
thursday: finished class at 3:15, packed and drove to ashburn. almost killed myself a) because it was raining, b) visibility was low, c) i was speeding, d) i was sleepy. but i managed to get home in one piece. spent the rest of the evening watching tv and playing with the dog. my sister also got home that evening. family reunion!
friday: played a round of golf with dad at 10 am. i hadn't touched my clubs since october and it showed. shot a 118. yikes. in the afternoon, went to ncfc md campus for a revival and saw lots of friends for the first time in months. good to see them again.
saturday: went to the mall with stacey and spent most of the afternoon watching college football. in the evening, had dinner with va campus oikos members (moby dick) and then to md again for the last night of the revival.
sunday: thanksgiving sunday. ate thanksgiving food at church (really quite good) and succumbed to a massive food coma during the service. shouldn't have had that second plate of sides only. after church, drove to md again (3 days in a row for those who are counting) for a timothy retreat planning meeting. im thinking of moving to md after i graduate. god knows i spend all my time there already.
today: bummed allllll day. life is good.
things to look forward to:
tues - movies with f
wed - impact potluck
thurs - thanksgiving w/ fam
fri - golf again
sat - josh and tina's wedding
mon - back to school
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Classy?
many of you know it is a so called "tradition" at uva to dress up for football games. "guys in ties, girls in pearls" is the mantra. i think its safe to say, every other school in america (save a few others in the south) snickers when uva football is mentioned because the aforementioned image is the one that comes to mind. well, believe it or not, this movement, like any other fashion movement, is not without its detractors. I personally always found it a little bit ridiculous when people would say "lets be classy" then down a fifth of vodka before passing out midway through the 1st quarter, but i never raised my voice. that is, until today.
here is an actual letter to the editor that was published in our school paper today, i've bolded all the important parts in case it's too long:
"Class Act"
Tuesday’s opinion column, “Putting on Airs,” argued that U.Va. students create an “embarrassing” atmosphere on game days by following the tradition “Guys in Ties, Girls in Pearls.” I couldn’t disagree more. Since my first day at U.Va., I have worn a dress and a three tiered strand of pearls to every football game. I pride myself on always upholding this tradition. I firmly believe that by wearing button down shirts or dresses, students show their pride and respect for the University as well as for its sports teams. At the William & Mary game, for example, I walked into the stadium behind two girls wearing sports bras who had painted their bodies green. They were discussing how “fancy” the girls at U.Va. dressed for games. In that moment, I felt a swell of pride. No girl at U.Va. would ever attend a football game so underdressed, and the fact that we dress like sophisticated women shows our confidence and respect for ourselves.
I do agree, however, that there should be a change in the implementation of “Guys in Ties, Girls in Pearls,” but I do not agree that this should be done by telling students to wear T-shirts. Instead, students should be encouraged to dress traditionally, but to do so in shades of blue and orange. I’m originally from Georgia, and my best friend attends UGA. She wears a red or black dress to every single game, as do all the other female students. Guys at UGA wear red and black bow ties or oxfords. As a result, the stadium is a sea of red and black. The ideal game day outfit is not a T-shirt and jeans — this is a fundamental shift away from the principles of U.Va. — but rather a classic, traditional outfit in shades of color that show support for our football team. In fact, corner stores other than Mincer’s and the Student Bookstore should encourage this trend: Finch, for example should have a selection of appropriate game dresses in blue and orange.
----
suffice it to say, the banality of this girls argument astounded me. in fact, the sheer stupidity of her reasoning led me to write a little something of my own. now, most of you know, i'm a pretty even tempered guy. not much gets me riled up. i used to even laugh at people who responded to letters to the editor, but i guess that's all behind me now.
my response:
I think it’s funny how you think wearing a t-shirt and jeans to a game is in your words a “fundamental shift away from the principles of UVa.” Really? What principles would those be? The one that says the only way for girls to show their confidence and self-respect at games is to wear a gaudy outfit and a “three tiered strand of pearls?” That’s a terrible principle if you ask me. I hope there are girls here that find self-respect and confidence in things other than expensive jewelry and frilly clothing. What if I think going all out, with no regard for your personal image, and painting your body to show your support for your team shows more so-called confidence in yourself and respect for your team? Anyone can wear a nice dress in public. Not many people are willing dedicate the time and put up with the humiliation that comes from painting their body to support their team.
The only “principle” at U. Va. regarding fashion that I can think of comes from the mouth of Thomas Jefferson himself. “In matters of style, swim with the current. In matters of principle, stand like a rock.” In this day and age, I’d say the “current” is strongly going in the direction of dressing comfortably for football games. Jefferson himself would be appalled at how many students try to stick to this antiquated tradition for tradition’s sake. News flash, Jefferson was one of the most progressive men of his day. He knew that useless tradition and pageantry only suffocated the formation of new ideas and culture. An unwillingness to break from tradition is what lost the British the Revolutionary War. It is what keeps confederate flags waving on porches in neighborhoods across the south today.
I’m not saying everyone should wear an orange t-shirt to games. I personally could not care less about what the guy next to me is wearing (as long as it covers all the important bits). If you feel compelled to dress up for a football game, then so be it. Go all out. Dress to the nines. However, I do have a problem when people start thinking that they need to dress up to somehow honor the memory of Thomas Jefferson or the University. Or, when people find their “self-respect and confidence” from the little logo stitched into their clothing label and how many more strands of pearls they have than the next girl. You honor the University by acting with decency and honesty in all situations. Not by wearing a nice dress or blazer. Definitely not by stumbling drunkenly down a muddy hill in it. Classy indeed.
-----
i've put up with the crap for too long. nice to finally get some frustration off my chest. although i suppose i could have just screamed obscenities into the air. it would have probably taken less time.
here is an actual letter to the editor that was published in our school paper today, i've bolded all the important parts in case it's too long:
"Class Act"
Tuesday’s opinion column, “Putting on Airs,” argued that U.Va. students create an “embarrassing” atmosphere on game days by following the tradition “Guys in Ties, Girls in Pearls.” I couldn’t disagree more. Since my first day at U.Va., I have worn a dress and a three tiered strand of pearls to every football game. I pride myself on always upholding this tradition. I firmly believe that by wearing button down shirts or dresses, students show their pride and respect for the University as well as for its sports teams. At the William & Mary game, for example, I walked into the stadium behind two girls wearing sports bras who had painted their bodies green. They were discussing how “fancy” the girls at U.Va. dressed for games. In that moment, I felt a swell of pride. No girl at U.Va. would ever attend a football game so underdressed, and the fact that we dress like sophisticated women shows our confidence and respect for ourselves.
I do agree, however, that there should be a change in the implementation of “Guys in Ties, Girls in Pearls,” but I do not agree that this should be done by telling students to wear T-shirts. Instead, students should be encouraged to dress traditionally, but to do so in shades of blue and orange. I’m originally from Georgia, and my best friend attends UGA. She wears a red or black dress to every single game, as do all the other female students. Guys at UGA wear red and black bow ties or oxfords. As a result, the stadium is a sea of red and black. The ideal game day outfit is not a T-shirt and jeans — this is a fundamental shift away from the principles of U.Va. — but rather a classic, traditional outfit in shades of color that show support for our football team. In fact, corner stores other than Mincer’s and the Student Bookstore should encourage this trend: Finch, for example should have a selection of appropriate game dresses in blue and orange.
----
suffice it to say, the banality of this girls argument astounded me. in fact, the sheer stupidity of her reasoning led me to write a little something of my own. now, most of you know, i'm a pretty even tempered guy. not much gets me riled up. i used to even laugh at people who responded to letters to the editor, but i guess that's all behind me now.
my response:
I think it’s funny how you think wearing a t-shirt and jeans to a game is in your words a “fundamental shift away from the principles of UVa.” Really? What principles would those be? The one that says the only way for girls to show their confidence and self-respect at games is to wear a gaudy outfit and a “three tiered strand of pearls?” That’s a terrible principle if you ask me. I hope there are girls here that find self-respect and confidence in things other than expensive jewelry and frilly clothing. What if I think going all out, with no regard for your personal image, and painting your body to show your support for your team shows more so-called confidence in yourself and respect for your team? Anyone can wear a nice dress in public. Not many people are willing dedicate the time and put up with the humiliation that comes from painting their body to support their team.
The only “principle” at U. Va. regarding fashion that I can think of comes from the mouth of Thomas Jefferson himself. “In matters of style, swim with the current. In matters of principle, stand like a rock.” In this day and age, I’d say the “current” is strongly going in the direction of dressing comfortably for football games. Jefferson himself would be appalled at how many students try to stick to this antiquated tradition for tradition’s sake. News flash, Jefferson was one of the most progressive men of his day. He knew that useless tradition and pageantry only suffocated the formation of new ideas and culture. An unwillingness to break from tradition is what lost the British the Revolutionary War. It is what keeps confederate flags waving on porches in neighborhoods across the south today.
I’m not saying everyone should wear an orange t-shirt to games. I personally could not care less about what the guy next to me is wearing (as long as it covers all the important bits). If you feel compelled to dress up for a football game, then so be it. Go all out. Dress to the nines. However, I do have a problem when people start thinking that they need to dress up to somehow honor the memory of Thomas Jefferson or the University. Or, when people find their “self-respect and confidence” from the little logo stitched into their clothing label and how many more strands of pearls they have than the next girl. You honor the University by acting with decency and honesty in all situations. Not by wearing a nice dress or blazer. Definitely not by stumbling drunkenly down a muddy hill in it. Classy indeed.
-----
i've put up with the crap for too long. nice to finally get some frustration off my chest. although i suppose i could have just screamed obscenities into the air. it would have probably taken less time.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
insomnia = $@$#%&#!!!!
for the past week, i haven't been able to get a good night's sleep. i think, early on, it had to do with my cold/coughing. i figured out that lying down put pressure on my chest which made me cough like crazy. i had to resort to sleeping in my (semi) comfy chair, with my legs propped up on my desk chair and a blanket over me. it worked decently, but i'd wake up in the morning feeling sore and cold. but last night, i wasn't even coughing (much), and i tossed and turned until i ended up drifting away to sleep past 5 am (!). i think my body ended up adjusting to my new sleeping habits and refused to fall asleep.
that's why im up this late, writing this blog entry. kind of scared to go to bed. but i also realize i have to get my body back on a remotely "normal" schedule somehow, so i guess i have to try again tonight.
somebody read me a bed time story and sing me a lullaby.
that's why im up this late, writing this blog entry. kind of scared to go to bed. but i also realize i have to get my body back on a remotely "normal" schedule somehow, so i guess i have to try again tonight.
somebody read me a bed time story and sing me a lullaby.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
bleh
i had the worst fever i've ever had in my life last night. woke up at 4ish and couldn't fall back asleep cuz my feet and hands were ice cold but the rest of me was burning up. felt like i had to throw up but didn't want to so i was nauseous all night too. woke up this morning shivering and soaked with sweat. skipped two of my classes, went to student health, bought a thermometer and some lozenges, took four separate, hour long naps throughout the day, went to a 3 hour long orchestra rehearsal, came back and watched the office.
it was a rough day. i'm feeling better now though. thank god for tylenol ultra strength.
it was a rough day. i'm feeling better now though. thank god for tylenol ultra strength.
Monday, November 2, 2009
halloween weekend
1. friday, i went to kings dominion again. we were successful this time. we took a pretty big group too; thirteen people in all. they were open from 7 pm to 12 am for their annual "Halloween Haunt" festivities. basically, they transform certain areas of the park into "scare zones" by placing fog machines, scary decor, and creepy actors dressed up as zombies, ghouls, etc. to scare park guests. they also transform various attractions (bumper cars, arcade, certain rides' queue lines) into themed haunted houses/mazes. the one we visited was meant to look like a back hills' slaughter house with deranged zombie butchers wielding butchers' knives and chainsaws. it was mildly amusing. i even got startled at one point, when at the very end, right before the exit, a guy jumped out with a fake chainsaw. i almost took a swing at him. and, of course, most of the rides were open as well.
on the way there, i realized i hadn't been in over 2 years. i guess absence makes the heart grow fonder, because i started to get really excited (like a little kid). i should mention that that park has a special place in my heart. when i was thirteen, i had a really bad fear of roller coasters. i decline to use the word phobia because that has a pathological connotation. i can't blame it on being some kind of medical issue. i was just a wimp. i was always the kid who waited outside the ride exit and watched everyone else's stuff while they enjoyed themselves.
sometime during 8th grade, i decided i had enough. girls started to make fun of me (btw, for any 8th grade girls out there who may be reading this, not cool). around this time, i was also really into the game "roller coaster tycoon" for those of you who don't know, its kind of like sim city, but with amusement parks. yes, i realize that its kind of like being really into mario brothers despite having an irrational fear of italian plumbers, but i was a weird kid. anyway, i guess my interest in the game piqued my interest for the real thing, so i decided one day that i would conquer my fear once and for all.
i invited a friend from school, asked my dad to drive us, and went down to kings dominion that saturday. when we got there, i immediately noticed the size of the coasters. looking at animated depictions of roller coasters on a 17 inch computer monitor cannot do them justice. the second thing i noticed were how loud they were. (a small aside, i also kind of don't like loud noises. another topic for another post. stay tuned) just as i started to doubt the whole thing and run back to the car however, i was pulled by my dad and friend into the line for "the grizzly." my friend was actually really cool about the whole thing. i had told him previously about my fear and my goal, and he totally understood that we would play it slow that day. he was very encouraging and didn't tease me at all. the same thing goes for my dad (who i took my first ride with.) yes, there is nothing like having your dad next to you to calm your nerves. anyway, the car pulled up to the station, we got in, buckled our seat belts and heard "all clear." i was shaking as the train rolled up out of the station, onto the first hill. i guess my dad noticed, because he grabbed on to me tightly and told me the best way to get rid of the anxiety was to scream on the way down. that helped. as we crested the hill, with my heart pounding out of my chest, i let out the most terrified, primal, relieving screams of my life. as soon as i got my wits about me, i realized i was enjoying myself. needless to say, it was one of the greatest moments of my young life. overcoming a fear and enjoying yourself while doing so. i still remember the look on my dad's face as i told him that it was fun. i enjoyed it so much that we rode every single other coaster in the park that day. since then, i've been a roller coaster fiend. i cannot get enough. ask my family. i consider a family vacation to be a waste if we havent been to at least one amusement park during the week.
so, on friday, as i rode some of my old favorites, all of those happy memories came back to me. fun times.
2. for halloween, i actually didn't have a costume planned until 6 pm that evening. our football team had just lost to duke (leaving us with a dismal 3-5 record), so i decided to dress up as al groh, the head coach, and wear a sign on my back saying "I NEED A JOB" (cuz he sure as hell isnt staying here one more season). here's a side by side comparison.
pretty good, no? i got a couple death threats from people that night, but as soon as i showed them my back, they got it and laughed. the only bad thing about the night was that it started raining pretty heavily later that evening.
other things i noticed.
1. where the wild things are was a very popular theme. i saw at least 2 max's and a couple 'wild things'
2. sometimes simple = best. 6 guys dressed up as tetris blocks during the football game and one by one descended the "hill" (an all grass student seating area) until they all stacked together at the bottom. i think they won a 100 dollar prize or something.
3. its best to stay in, at small gatherings during halloween. bars/clubs were packed. literally, i could not move because people were so close together.
4. dressing slutty and then calling it "cute" doesnt change the fact that you look like a ho. also, if your tube top says 3XL, try another costume. just because they make it doesnt mean you should wear it. you don't see oprah wearing spandex do you? i hope you all get swine flu.
all in all, an enjoyable weekend.
on the way there, i realized i hadn't been in over 2 years. i guess absence makes the heart grow fonder, because i started to get really excited (like a little kid). i should mention that that park has a special place in my heart. when i was thirteen, i had a really bad fear of roller coasters. i decline to use the word phobia because that has a pathological connotation. i can't blame it on being some kind of medical issue. i was just a wimp. i was always the kid who waited outside the ride exit and watched everyone else's stuff while they enjoyed themselves.
sometime during 8th grade, i decided i had enough. girls started to make fun of me (btw, for any 8th grade girls out there who may be reading this, not cool). around this time, i was also really into the game "roller coaster tycoon" for those of you who don't know, its kind of like sim city, but with amusement parks. yes, i realize that its kind of like being really into mario brothers despite having an irrational fear of italian plumbers, but i was a weird kid. anyway, i guess my interest in the game piqued my interest for the real thing, so i decided one day that i would conquer my fear once and for all.
i invited a friend from school, asked my dad to drive us, and went down to kings dominion that saturday. when we got there, i immediately noticed the size of the coasters. looking at animated depictions of roller coasters on a 17 inch computer monitor cannot do them justice. the second thing i noticed were how loud they were. (a small aside, i also kind of don't like loud noises. another topic for another post. stay tuned) just as i started to doubt the whole thing and run back to the car however, i was pulled by my dad and friend into the line for "the grizzly." my friend was actually really cool about the whole thing. i had told him previously about my fear and my goal, and he totally understood that we would play it slow that day. he was very encouraging and didn't tease me at all. the same thing goes for my dad (who i took my first ride with.) yes, there is nothing like having your dad next to you to calm your nerves. anyway, the car pulled up to the station, we got in, buckled our seat belts and heard "all clear." i was shaking as the train rolled up out of the station, onto the first hill. i guess my dad noticed, because he grabbed on to me tightly and told me the best way to get rid of the anxiety was to scream on the way down. that helped. as we crested the hill, with my heart pounding out of my chest, i let out the most terrified, primal, relieving screams of my life. as soon as i got my wits about me, i realized i was enjoying myself. needless to say, it was one of the greatest moments of my young life. overcoming a fear and enjoying yourself while doing so. i still remember the look on my dad's face as i told him that it was fun. i enjoyed it so much that we rode every single other coaster in the park that day. since then, i've been a roller coaster fiend. i cannot get enough. ask my family. i consider a family vacation to be a waste if we havent been to at least one amusement park during the week.
so, on friday, as i rode some of my old favorites, all of those happy memories came back to me. fun times.
2. for halloween, i actually didn't have a costume planned until 6 pm that evening. our football team had just lost to duke (leaving us with a dismal 3-5 record), so i decided to dress up as al groh, the head coach, and wear a sign on my back saying "I NEED A JOB" (cuz he sure as hell isnt staying here one more season). here's a side by side comparison.
pretty good, no? i got a couple death threats from people that night, but as soon as i showed them my back, they got it and laughed. the only bad thing about the night was that it started raining pretty heavily later that evening.
other things i noticed.
1. where the wild things are was a very popular theme. i saw at least 2 max's and a couple 'wild things'
2. sometimes simple = best. 6 guys dressed up as tetris blocks during the football game and one by one descended the "hill" (an all grass student seating area) until they all stacked together at the bottom. i think they won a 100 dollar prize or something.
3. its best to stay in, at small gatherings during halloween. bars/clubs were packed. literally, i could not move because people were so close together.
4. dressing slutty and then calling it "cute" doesnt change the fact that you look like a ho. also, if your tube top says 3XL, try another costume. just because they make it doesnt mean you should wear it. you don't see oprah wearing spandex do you? i hope you all get swine flu.
all in all, an enjoyable weekend.
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