New toy

I bought myself a new toy the other day. I know, it's right after Christmas, but I couldn't help it.

I don't know if you have heard of woot.com, but it's a great site. They have electronic items on sale at a really deep discount, one item a day. I have ordered one thing from them previously. I bought a toilet paper dispenser that has a built in AM/FM radio in it. Random, but sweet, if that gives you any idea of the kind of stuff they have sometimes.

Anyway, their daily item last Friday was night vision monocles. Basically a night vision scope that runs on readily available AA batteries. Completely unnecessary but pretty dang sweet, if you ask me. So, of course, I got all excited about it and bought one. Should be here in a few days, it shipped today. I'll put up some pictures and whatnot when it gets in.


lane

A Giving Season

Ahh, Christmas Day. Forever the hope of little kids and really anybody.

It has been a very relaxed Christmas. My Granny is in town for a few days, which is cool. I don't get to see her that often, especially since Ive been gone for so long. I've just been hanging out all day with the fam, which was fun.

I think my favorite part of Christmas this year was giving my mom her present. I was kind of stuck on what I wanted to give her, so I went downtown and was wandering around, hoping for something to jump out and grab me. It finally did, but not how I expected. I walked past a frame shop and an idea planted itself in my head. I went in, got a frame, went back to my house and grabbed my book of stuff I had drawn in Boston. Next stop: Carra's house for her expertise in helping me frame one of the few drawings I've made that I am happy with. She helped me cut it out and decide that I really should keep the edge of shading on the picture. She was very protective of it, as a matter of fact.

So it was a handmade Christmas present, just like in the olden days of preschool, but it went over pretty well. I made her cry, which was either really good, or really bad. Haha, well, I had fun giving it, and I can only hope she will enjoy it.

Weird (sidebar-I can not for the life of me spell "weird" without spellcheck). As far as I can ever remember, Christmas has been the time I look forward to because I GET something. This is the first time I honestly would not have cared an ounce if I got nothing. I just wanted to give people their gifts. Some kind of growing up thing maybe. Man, I hope not. I like being an irresponsible youth, hellbent on whatever the devil it is young people do these days.


lane

Time?

I have no idea what time it is.

I got back to NC tonight after spending six days in Colorado, which is almost enough time for my body to get used to the time difference. So just to confuse me, I slept in 3 different time zones today. All after sunrise. Got to keep the body guessing, I would hate it if I know what to expect.

Anyway, I'm back with the family now. Gonna hang out with people this week, then its Christmas? That snuck up on somebody. Wait, it snuck up on me, that's who I mean.


lane

I don't think I've done this before...

I'm not entirely sure, but I don't think I have ever been a part of a wedding before, and I am today.

Two of my good friends are gettin hitched this afternoon, and they have asked me to have a part in their wedding. I can't wait, it's the reason I've been in Colorado for the past week, and it doesn't quite seem real that it's actually happening today. I couldn't pick any other people that would be better together, and I pray that they will be blessed together.

I am going to be an usher, and escorting Gwynn's mom, so that makes me feel important, even though all I doing is helping people sit down, which most of them mastered a little while ago. Hopefully I will be able to get some decent pictures of the ceremony, since I've been instructed by several people that I need to bring home pictures.

Also, I had it retaught to me that altitude does weird stuff to your body. I'm at about 9000 feet, and have had all kinds of unexpected stuff happen. Like constant dehydration no matter how much I drink, and a headache that has lasted since Wednesday night. That last one is getting pretty old pretty quick. Oh well, take the bad with the good I guess.


lane

I'm dreaming of a white almost Christmas

I finally got out to Colorado last night after a fun day of travel and several hours of travel delay. I'm real happy to be out here. I am staying(at the moment) with the Suttons in their awesome house, I get to hang out with Jess and Ash, who I haven't seen in like a year, and it is absolutely gorgeous in Colorado. There is snow and horses everywhere, two of my favorite things.

We went out to do some of the wedding prep stuff today, and went to a horse stable to try and obtain a horse for the wedding. While we were there, it started snowing on us, and was very pretty. However, it kept progressing to more and more snow. It turned into real whiteout conditions in about a minute and we had to get back to the car, you know to avoid that whole becoming snowmen thing. That was the most snow I've seen fall in an extremely short period of time. The roads, which had been clear were covered in at least an inch of snow in less than 10 minutes. It readjusted my perception of large amounts of snow. Haha, old North Carolina doesn't really get that sort of thing.


lane

Eskimo much?

Well, I'm in the process of finishing up getting ready to go out to Colorado for a week tomorrow. I'm heading out for a wedding that I'm really excited about. My interns from Crooked Creek two summers ago are getting married, and its going to be very fun. They are some of my favorite folks, so that part is sweet. Also, I get to go to Colorado for a week. Doesn't get much better than that.

However, there is a minor downside. I just checked the forecast for the next week, and did a little math. The average high for the six days I'll be out there is 21 degrees. Sunday the 21, the high is 3. 3 daggum degrees. For those of you who don't know, that is balls stinkin cold. I think I'm going to run around nekkid that day. Oh well, it will be awesome anyways. Haha, I may need to hang out with some Inuits and steal some of their jackets and polar bear hats.


lane

Wonders never cease

Once again, a new feature of Google has been brought to my attention. The newest development I have been informed of is called SketchUp. I haven't had much of a chance to mess with it, but it seems to be a 3D modeling software that is free to all, and hopefully easy enough for folks like me to use.

I feel like every time I turn around, Google comes out with something new and amazing. We should have elected Google for President. That said, I predict Google to take over the world in the next 6 years.


lane

Blast from the past

Ever have one of those moments where you run across something completely forgotten that triggers a whole flood of emotions and memories?

I just had one of those. I was poking around on my bookshelf and found something I hadn't thought about in well over three years. It wasn't something valuable, or important, or anything like that. But all I had to do was see it, and everything I felt the first time I saw it hit me. The same smile, even the same turn in my stomach and slight shakiness of hand that is making it moderately more difficult to type this than it should be.

I believe that is why we hold onto things. Not because something is valuable, or beautiful, but because even the most meaningless bit of rubbish can hold such a wealth of memories to the right person that it could never be bought at any price.

And when the things we treasure become the things that have "value", not the things that make us come alive, is when we die. Life is about so much more than our short years here that it is a pitiful waste of ones time to chase after what one can attain, rather than what is already given.

I love finding meaning and beauty in things I would normally overlook. I feel that is one of God's greatest gifts, but one so often ignored.


lane

I'm confused

As I was walking back from campus today, I saw a sign in a parking lot that made me think. It was a sign for a "not for hire" towing company. This wasn't the first time I've seen one, but I analyzed it for the first time today.

How does that even work? Do they just drive around, towing cars out of the goodness of their hearts, and hope for charitable donations to keep them operating? Because I can't think of many people that would be thrilled to keep that organization afloat.

Also, they are clearly lying. The towing company is obviously under contract, or hired if you will, by the people that own the parking lot. Whatever, it's not important, but did seem a bit odd to me.

And, I found a place to live and have no problems getting back into school. I signed the lease today, and am registering for classes tomorrow and Friday.


lane

I'm obsessed with this white stuff

Just a few quick shots of campus covered in snow. I just wanted everyone to be able to see what they are missing. I'm so excited about finally getting a solid snow. Hope you enjoy it as much as I am.


lane

I woke up this morning, and what did I see?

I was awoken from my slumber this morning by my friend I'm staying with in Boone telling me he was going to kill me. I told he was a freak of nature and rolled back over. I couldn't go back to sleep so I figured I may as well get out of bed.

So I sat up, threw my glasses across the room trying to attach them to my face, then finally looked outside. Snow. Over 2 inches. And still coming down hard. Happy camper.

It has been snowing all night, and still is coming down pretty solid with no signs of stopping. I can't wait to get to campus and see some people I know. Because I am gonna introduce some faces to some snowballs.


lane