The drama queens...

So every mon/weds/fri I have a schedule that leaves me with an hour between classes in the morning. My favorite thing to do, has been to go to the student lounge in Old Father Hall and listen to music.

Well just about everytime now these two girls show up (probably freshman from how they talk) and they talk about the "drama" in their lives. They talk ridiculously loud, so its not like im snooping on the their conversations.....if anything im turning my music up a little louder to drown them out. Well anyway the darker haired one is usually the big talker, and she likes to talk about how all of these guys are always all over her and how she can't just be friends with anyone. I think there might be a slight ego inflation there.

I got wise to this after a few days and decided to reside in the farther east section of the student lounge. Guess where they came and sat today? Yep. Thats right. Not only in the east section, but at the table right next to me. Thankfully it appears as though they have homework thats distracting them for now.

I really feel like im sitting next to a highschool girls table in the lunchroom.
Its moments like this when i wish i wouldnt have showered and then eaten a bunch of garlic or something.

a bit on a lot

8 days. That's how long I've been doing 100 situps/day, and 30 pushups/day. On top of starting back up in the lifting of weights thrice weekly. Honestly i can't say as ive gained a lot of strength but i have been noticing my abs are not nearly as shy as they were. There is defenite fat loss occuring :)

On another note i quite possibly had the most fun possible in a group project the other day. We went and played basketball and just hung out at the rec center at UNL for a while, then ate at buffalo wild wings. Yes. You heard me correctly. I got points for doing that. The only requirement was that our "hangout time" was documented via pictures. Which i will upload when i get copies of them, but they are pretty funny.

I must also make a note to mother nature. Would you please bring all your snow at once in the future instead of spreading it out over like 5 days? It would get us all snowdays and allow us to enjoy your beautiful snow! Perhaps by operating a not-so-enviournmentally-friendly snowmobile. Just think about it. We'll talk more later. I have some questions about storm chasing this coming summer.

Also props to our good Lord. He continued His trend to prove to me that He does care about the little things, and, well, maybe the not so little things too.

Goodnight.

All time favorite quote

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”- Theodore Roosevelt quotes (American 26th US President (1901-09), 1858-1919)

seriously? Really? Come on...

to the random UNL student (she was on her phone) that i passed walking today.....what is wrong with you!?!?!? I mean every college has its drug problems don't get me wrong, but since when do people PUBLICLY talk about the next drug deal that they're going to do. How absurd! Did you not realize that everyone around you could hear you? (it was a fair number of people)

Yes that's right folks, ms. jane doe has informed the world of how much pot she will be selling somebody this weekend. Even where she wants to meet! It's people like this that must make our nations average IQ level so low.

hosanna

This song came on Pandora today. I really like the chorus. I play the verse a little differently though because I don't like the chords they use. For all of you that know what im talking about i automatically start playing the bass guitar everytime i hear this song come on :)

I see the king of glory
Coming on the clouds with fire
The whole earth shakes
The whole earth shakes

I see his love and mercy
Washing over all our sin
The people sing
The people sing

[Chorus]
Hosanna
Hosanna
Hosanna in the highest [x2]

I see a generation
Rising up to take their place
With selfless faith
With selfless faith

I see a near revival
Stirring as we pray and seek
We're on our knees
We're on our knees

[Chorus]

Heal my heart and make it clean
Open up my eyes to the things unseen
Show me how to love like you have loved me

Break my heart from what breaks yours
Everything I am for your kingdoms cause
As I go from nothing to
Eternity

[Chorus x2]

Hosanna in the highest

mis-information correction station

This is something I've been meaning to rant about for a while.

situation #1.
Many people claim they know someone who knows a guy who has a friend whose brother's coworker developed some chip or some magical device for cars that doubles/triples/whatever their gas mileage.

situation #2
Oil companies are in bed with car companies and car companies are making cars less fuel efficient so we have to buy more gas.

As a frustrated hearer of these things its time to speak out. yes. BOTH SITUATIONS ARE NOT TRUE. Let me explain it very plainly. The primary ingredients to gas mileage are Air/fuel ratio, RPM, VE (volumetric efficiency), ignition timing, drivetrain loss (there are more but these are some big ones)

I'm only going to write in depth on one of these, the air/fuel ratio. To achieve optimum combustion you want all the gasoline to be burned with all the oxygen in the air. There should only be reactants from this, if there is leftover gas or oxygen than the combustion was less than ideal. It takes 14.7 parts of air PER PART of gas to create an ideal combustion in a gasoline motor. 14.7 is what cars are programmed for under light throttle cruising applications. If it gets leaner, it can cause detonation, to rich and you are just wasting gas. THERE IS NO MAGICAL CHIP THAT CAN OVERCOME CHEMISTRY. Your uncle's brothers friend's coworker (or whatever) is a phony.

Now as far as the other things, sure they can be improved. But to what cost? Creating a drive train with substantially improved efficiency would be a very expensive venture leading to the cost of purchase being much higher.

Other things such as ignition timing are usually programmed for optimum efficiency(as optimum as possible) from the factory, while allowing for variables to make sure all the idiots out there don't wreck their cars.

In this economy making a car that gets truly amazing gas mileage would be a HUGE selling point. There is no financial gain for a car company to purposely hurt its fleet's mpg.

There I am done.

last year in review

(So im sort of stealing Emily's idea. Shhh dont tell)

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?

Took a Literature class...that wasn't required.

Was in a wedding. Two actually....

Jumped a snowmobile

there's plenty more....

2. Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

Didn't make any last year. Hoping to keep the one i made this year.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

No

4. Did anyone close to you die?

No

5. What countries did you visit?

None :(

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?

Less stress.

7. What date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

Starting from the beginning; valentines day, August 3rd(i think..?), cant remember any others. Valentines day becuase I went swing dancing and had a blast.
August 3rd because Luke and Amy's wedding was really fun.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Getting to know who I was. Saying no to drama. Putting to rest very old memories that were long overdue in getting dealt with. Exploring my musical talents.

9. What was your biggest failure?

I failed myself towards the beginning. I let myself be drawn into a life I didn't want. I also lost much money and time to girls that didn't deserve it.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Started out the year with Mono. Since then i've had maybe one cold? I also got tendonitis in my forearms and shoulder, ripped my finger apart with a sawzall, and got my top two wisdom teeth out. (thats kinda like an injury right?)

11. What was the best thing you bought?

An exhaust system and programmer for my car.

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?

Some of my close friends. They set me straight again when i started to fall into a bad life.

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?

A long time friend. A former love interest. And a classmate that really surprised me. (3's not bad right?)

14. Where did most of your money go?

probably divided equally between my car, and getting nickle and dimed by question #9. The car was clearly the better investment. I now have a faster, more reliable, more fuel efficient, better sounding vehicle.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Going snowboarding in March 2008. Playing for Acrofest.

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?

lol a song by fergie. I don't remember which one. Long story.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

i. happier or sadder? Much much much happier.

ii. thinner or fatter? About the same probably weight wise. Maybe a little leaner.

iii. richer or poorer? About the same.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Spending time with God. Getting to know more people at Union. Playing music. Working.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Chasing fruitless relationships. <----(time waster)

20. How will you be spending Christmas?

Well....for 2008 i spent it at home. Recovering from getting my wisdom teeth out :-)

22. Did you fall in love in 2008?

Yes. Unfortunatly. I learned much though. I'm not afraid to love again, but I will be much more cautios about it.

23. How many one-night stands?

Zero.

24. What was your favourite TV programme?

Probably Mythbusters. Actually no...Planet Earth. I absolutely love that show. I would like to go with them if they ever go to film another series of it.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

Don't hate anyone. I have absouletly no interest in being friends with a few people though.

26. What was the best book you read?

The Namesake.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?

My friends of BERT. Andrew Peterson maybe?

28. What did you want and get?

no drama. The last fourth of 2008 I got my wish :)

30. What was your favourite film of this year?

Not sure.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

Went bowling. Then had a party at Ben Yancer's house. Nancy made awesome peach cobbler (or something like that). It was a good Birthday party.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

Its hard to say. It got more satisfying the longer the year wore on.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?

Not much different than now.

34. What kept you sane?

My good friends.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Hmmm.....if your talking celebrity crush type "fancy" then I'd have to go with either Jennifer Garner, or Selma Heyek.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?

I hate politics. I didn't really get involved with, or discuss much of it.

37. Who did you miss?

A few people.

38. Who was the best new person you met?

I've met a couple great new people. Its been a good year for that. God has really blessed me.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008:

It's ok to say no. Straight up, simple, plain, NO. This will prove invaluable in 2009...I have no doubt.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:

I'll have to get back to you on that one.