156 SO HAPPY

SO I had an amazing day today.

Got up normal time, but treated myself for breakfast via my own guest pass, since my normal meal plan doesn't cover breakfast because I sleep through it all the time anyway. Classes went as they normally do. I ate lunch, then decided to spend the rest of the afternoon on campus, wandering around to meet people and see if I saw anyone I knew.

Oh. Did I mention it was sunny?

Met some cool folk with a slack line and a hacky-sack. I sucked at hacky sack, but it was fun anyway. I even remember their names.

Got a call from an awesome friend, and although we're good friends the conversation seemed a little awkward for whatever reason. *meh* It was good talking to you, Dirk.

At this point, it was about 2:00, my flip flops were off, and I was feeling good. I shoved them in my backpack and kept walking.

Met a friend, who showed me what North Edens looks like on the inside. This 15 minute visit turned into meeting three-ish more people and walking around campus. Yes. Still barefoot.

45 minutes later, I went to the Gamma desk to get my mail, then wound up having a 40ish minute chat with the desk attendant. Good conversation. SCORE.

Ok. So I hate my skate deck right now. SO MUCH. The tail is too short relative to the other boards I've had, so I can't flip anything right. I had ordered a new one off Whiskey Milita, and it came today. SCORE.

I also received a letter today informing me that I have been selected as a Resident Advisor for the 2008/2009 school year, assuming I don't do anything dumb in the next few months. SCORE.

Went to dinner.

Came back from dinner. The pair of flip flops I've been wanting popped up on Steep and Cheap for about a third of the street price, half with shipping. SCORE.

It's been a good day.

I think I should either skate or write a paper now...

Yeah, I'm gonna skate.

155- Fragrance Lake

I wanted a cup of coffee more than ever today. SO MUCH. Alexandra and Megan both offered encouragement in different ways at breakfast as I scarfed down my cheesy potatoes. It was funny, because if I remember correctly, Megan offering some form of "Suck it up," while Alexandra talked about how cool it was that I was denying myself coffee for the sake of my spiritual growth. It didn't make it any easier, but it was nice to hear.

After church, I embarked on another hike. This was one of the more popular hikes in the Chuckanut system, so there were people everywhere, which sucked because they made a lot of noise and were slow hikers. I took a picture for you.

I talked to my parents today, and my dad reminded me of a digital camera that's at home that no one ever uses, so he offered it to me. Sweet. So hopefully there'll be some better pics coming out in the next few weeks.

I have also decided that if I get any sort of tax return, I'm buying my own climbing shoes. And I'm gonna save up for a decent mountain bike. I love this whole spring thing.

Day 153-A Break From the Norm

There are a few songs that I really relate to, and that's what I look for in music. If I relate to the artist in some aspect, I'm gonna love it. So here are a few of my favorite songs right now. Songs that speak to me and ignite something that makes me think or want to live better. I'll post lyrics to show what about the song I like.



It was a beautiful letdown

When I crashed and burned

When I found myself all alone, unknown, unheard


It was a beautiful letdown

The day I knew

All the riches this world had to offer me

Would never do

In a world full of bitter pain

and bitter doubts

I was trying so hard to fit in

Until I found out

That I don't belong here

----"Beautiful Letdown" -Switchfoot


I'm so tired of being alone, so hurry up and get here

----"Love Song For No One" - John Mayer

Take it easy

Take it easy

Don't let the sound of them old wheels drive you crazy

-----"Take it Easy"- The Eagles

Dare you to move

I dare you move

I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor

I dare you to move

I dare you to move

Like today never happened before

----"Dare You to Move"- Switchfoot

Don't think for one second

I will not question

US foreign policy, imperial aggression

Inventing war for the quenching of the thirst for the oil

'Cause money don't trickle down to workers who toil

---"Blink"- Blue Scholars

I want to wake up kicking and screaming

I want to live like I know what I'm leaving

I want to know that my heart's still beating

---"Awakening"-Switchfoot

After all I've seen, and all I've done

I know (hope, in my case) somewhere, there is someone

Who'll look my way, and say "I want that one"

---"My Kind of Woman"-George Strait

It basically comes down to me really liking Switchfoot. So that's all of them I can think of for now, but I'll add more as I go. There's a million more, but I've either already referenced them or can't remember them right now.

Day 152

Today turn glorious at right around 2:00, and I would have given just about anything to be out hiking. However, it was not meant to be. I was lured into an information meeting thinking it was an "internship," which wound up being an attempt to recruit me into being a commissioned door-to-door salesman for educational products. Once I found out what it actually was, I turned from an enthusiastic notetaker -albeit mostly due to the request of the presenter- to a sardonic pain in the butt. Irritated that I could have been out hiking and was snatched from the trail by the claws of a capitalist, I tried to make as clear as I could without saying it bluntly that it was a waste of my time, the customer's time and money, seeing as that would have been something my mom would have gotten me while I couldn't have cared less how "valuable of a resource" it was or how much it cost. This was real-deal capitalist exploitation of the masses and manipulated statistics, and it made me sick. And while I play the part of consumer to survive in this country, I will not become a bourgeouisie.

I politely sat through the first segment, then when the presenter asked if either of us (there were only two of us at this meeting) were still interested, and immediately said "This is DEFINITELY not for me."

"Ok. Then you're done."

"Thanks for your time."

And I was OUT OF THERE.

Otherwise, I got some reading done, which is important, since I don't do most of it. Got some skating done, which is good, since I needed the excersize. Hopefully I'll get out for a hike tomorrow, though I'm not getting my hopes up.

151 Days of Sheer Madness

I wanted to write yesterday to make it an even 150, but I failed.

I suppose I'm over halfway through the year now.

Been an interesting few days. Working on papers sucks big time, but I'm done now which is nice. Who knows how well I'll do on them, but it's beyond me at this point. Hit somewhat of a low yesterday, but I'm back on top of it now and feeling better.

Going home in a little over a week. I'm actually really excited to see my friends and family and swap out my guitars. My friends Tommy and Anna are getting married. (Yes Tommy, I'm thinking and praying for you both!) It's going to be very cool to be there, because I know it's gonna last.

I ate pizza for dinner. Which means I'm gassy. And I have Core in 20 minutes. It's gonna be fun.

Day 149- The Oyster Dome

So this hike was SO much fun. The first mile and a half were pretty much a piece of cake, the classic switchbacks althought they were somewhat steep. However, the last half pretty much kicked my butt. There were a lot of scramble type things, and it was one of those situations where you just had to keep trudging upward with the confidence that the view was going to be worth it. The trail even got snow on it at one point, which made it even more fun.

There's pretty much not much else to today. I got my 18 pages worth of papers done, now I just have to edit them. SUCK FEST. But at this point I can turn them in as is and at least get partial credit.

Yeah, I'm pretty much done.

147

I woke up this morning at about 8:30 to work on homework for about an hour and a half. I did succeed, over halfway done with one essay and about 2/5 done on the other one. So then I ate, sat around while my laundry was in the machine, and then left for the trail at about 1:00. I got back to campus at about 4:30, dead tired. I took some of the hardest trails in the system today, conquering a trail I have wanted to do since I got here and finishing one that I had to abort at an earlier date. Altogether, I figure I hiked about 8 miles total, which is a lot for taking last week off from hiking. I have huge blisters on the back of my heels, otherwise I could have gone further.

All the time I was hiking I was thinking about life, since I was by myself. I feel like my faith has grown in some ways since I got here, and I think part of it's because I've been increasingly exposed to nature. There's just something meditative and spiritual about it. Probably because God made it. Anyway, I kept thinking of this verse, and I don't remember where it is, but it's something about "narrow is the path that leads to salvation." It seemed fitting that the most winding and difficult trails on that mountain seem to have the best views. I'm not equating nature with salvation, but most people would rather drive on the freeway or sit at home watching TV than get out in the woods and hike and climb around all day. That's way less difficult, and they're missing out on some amazing aspects of life that God gave us to enjoy.

One more thing. I took a picture from Raptor Ridge (doesn't it just sound cool?!) and was going to send it to someone. Then I second guessed myself. The receiver of the message wouldn't understand. It's one thing to get a text message from where someone's been, but another entirely to stand on a big rock with an amazing view after you've scrambled up the trail with blisters on your heels after already having walked up steep winding switchbacks for 5 miles as your calves and thighs scream for you to let up. I didn't send the text message. I figured if they cared, they'd ask.

Grab life by the horns and fling it around a little bit. Don't be content with watching shows about life and nature. Get out and experience them the way God intended them to be.