Metal

So, I have been exploring a few new musical tastes recently. I'm not sure how or why, but I think I have started to develop a penchant for metal. I have no ideas if it will last or blossom into anything, but I'm ready to jump in and see what happens.

Also, I'm back in North Carolina. After three months of Colorado where the last thing I wanted to do at the end of the work day was sit down and write something on my computer, I want to start sharing some things again.

This summer was absolutely ridiculous. It was so much harder than I expected, so much shorter, so much more taxing in ways I didn't expect, but also so fulfilling, such a teaching time, and such an amazing opportunity to meet people and invest in them, but also be loved by them. I feel like it's impossible to distill three months experience with some of the most encouraging people I know into a blog post. I don't want to cheapen the experience by condensing it to something it isn't. As time allows, stories will come.

Until then, stay metal.

lane

Summertime and the livin's easy

Tomorrow, well technically today, I leave for Colorado. I am going back for another summer of long days, unpredictable horses, no sleep, inhuman demands, and being thrown in with people I've never seen before for months at a time.

I couldn't be more excited. I look at all the things God has taught me, even just in last summer, and am so excited for what He has in store this summer. I absolutely love my job. I love the long days. I feel more alive when I am working and trying to show folks who don't know my Father what it looks like to live for Him. I mess it up constantly, but occasionally, in spite of myself, He shines through and I get the honor of teaching someone something new. As for the horses, well, I love the horses. I feel more at home and comfortable around most horses than I do most people. Not sure why, but I do. I love the power they have, their grace, their unpredictability at times. It makes me stay on my toes every second I'm riding, and I feel like the horse lends me its senses as well as mine. Being around them is calming to me, and makes me want to share that with everyone I meet. I can't wait for the chance to take campers out, and also for my Summer Staff to experience what I love, particularly if they haven't ever done it before.

My last night at home for a few months was a good one. After dinner with the family, I went over to a friend's house and hung out with her whole family and some folks from high school I hadn't seen in a while. As excited as I am to meet new people and make new friends, there is something I will miss about friends I've known long enough to have tales about me that I still get embarrassed about.

OK. Colorado in T minus eighteen hours. I'll see you on the other side.


lane

Mmmm...Filmy

I have been working on one project for about 7 months now. That is the longest I have consistently worked on one thing. It is over this Thursday.

I, along with two other guys and two faculty members, have been planning a film festival since September. It is for a class, meaning I don't get a grade until the festival is over, but I am so excited about it. Neither Colin, Jack, or I have ever done anything like this before, and this festival has never happened before.

It's very exciting to be a part of planning the first of anything, much less something I knew nothing about and is dependent totally on other people. We are calling it the Blue Mountain Film Festival. It has been open to all current Appalachian State students to submit films in very broad categories. As long as it related somehow to life in the High Country, we let it in. We ended up with 20 films. That is more than I had ever hoped for! I have been very impressed with the quality of our submissions, and am very excited to see them all shown on the big screen Thursday evening.

We are screening everything from 5-9 this Thursday, April 15th in Room 114 of the Belk Library on ASU's campus. There is no cost of admission and anyone is welcome to drop by anytime. There are some really great films, and I think you in the area should come in, at least for a little bit.

Here is our link, if you want any more information. Come on by, it's gonna be great. http://www.doc.appstate.edu/blue-mt-doc-fest

Good trade

I made a pretty awesome trade this past weekend.

A few months ago I got an old Raleigh frame from a friend of mine and built a second fixed gear with it. New wheelset, new cranks (my brother's old ones), new seatpost that I cleaned up and polished, stem from my LBS parts bin, stripped the paint and repainted it a nice matte maroon. I've been very happy with it, but haven't had much chance to ride it with all the snow and crap weather. Plus, I still like riding my Pista a lot more. All that said, I have been toying with the idea of selling it since around Christmas, but it's just been sitting in my basement for the past few months.

This Saturday I had the chance to go ride with a friend of mine. He hadn't ever ridden fixed before, so I brought the Raleigh for him to try out, and he absolutely loved it. After a while, I mentioned that I was thinking about selling it and he was interested, so I gave him a ballpark number. After we got back to his house, he was showing me his cameras and mentioned that he had an older Canon Rebel XT he never used after he got a new Nikon. I jokingly told him I would trade him the Raleigh for it. He was on board immediately, which surprised me a bit.

I have wanted a DSLR for about 4 years now, but just never had the money for one at the right time. This came along at a perfect time. We are both really excited about this, which is generally rare in a flat out trade.

So I'm looking forward to getting to take some picture I can be happy with, since I have been constantly disappointed with my point and shoot cameras, and having someone else to go ride with. As soon as I get the charger for the Canon, I'll take a few shots and post up some of them.

lane

Really, North Carolina?

It's snowing again.

In mid March, it's snowing in North Carolina.

Apparently the awesome weather over the weekend was just a tease. Not knowing it was going to snow again today, I wore shorts. Critical miscalculation, as it turns out.

Oh well. It's supposed to be nice again later in the week. We'll see if it lasts this time.


lane

Two things...well, really just one

I really like pooches. I think they're awesome.

Semi-related story, I finally got to talk to my girlfriend the other day and she tell me she has something she needs to tell me. She said she has found somebody and is in love. At this point, I'm not worried, but I am very intrigued. I decided to just wait and see where the conversation was heading.

She got a little smile on her face and told me about a friend of hers whose dog just had a litter of puppies. Marayah got to spend the afternoon with them and found one that latched onto her. So we spent the next hour or so talking about what it would look like for her to logistically bring it back. It's pretty cool, actually. We had been talking about getting a dog for a while. And this one is pretty stinking awesome looking. I'm extremely excited about this. It actually looks like it's pretty straightforward to bring back a dog, as long as it's healthy. There is still some research that we need to do about bringing her back, but it's looking good that we will have a dog soon.

Oh, and it's a beautiful baby girl. Her name is Ekyasa. It's Lugandan for Grace. Here is a picture of her.

lane

Jeepy

I finally found a new car!

I gave up hoping for the perfect Subaru to come around, seeing as they were all drastically out of my price range. For example, a totaled Outback with the roof caved in was still being sold for over $3,000. For that kind of money, I decided to refocus on different things.

Once again, Craigslist did not disappoint me. I found a 1993 Jeep Cherokee that was calling my name. White, 4 door, 4 wheel drive, 4.0 I6 engine, automatic (dang), zero rust, one owner, in pretty much perfect shape. I'm pretty excited about it. I can't wait to get started on my short list of plans for it.

I want to make it super stock. Basically, I want it to look 95% stock, but be very off-road capable while not sacrificing on-road manners. My plans are to add front tow hooks, fog lights, a rear hitch, BF Goodrich All-Terrain tires, new shocks, a budget boost lift, and maybe some more things if they occur to me down the line.

Oh, and pics for clicks.


lane

DMC

I have been hunting for a new car recently. My Jetta is still working, nothing critically wrong with it, but there are a thousand little things wrong with it, and I'm not sure that I trust her to make many more cross country voyages.

So, I have a short list of cars I'm looking at. My requirements are manual transmission, decent mileage, and preferably a wagon. All wheel drive would be cool too. That said, Subarus, or maybe even another Jeep are at the top of the list. Along with one other, completely infeasible option.

I want a Delorean. Not sure why, but I find them to be really stinking cool.

Realistically, I'll probably be in a Subaru in the next few months. I'll be sure to share more when/if something actually happens.


lane

I should have put this up a while ago

This is something I wrote one night, probably two months ago. I
finally decided to post it up. I hope everyone enjoys it.

I really miss writing. Since I have been back in school, I have
inadvertently changed how I look at it. Instead of being an outlet for
my thoughts, ideas, and things I want to share, it has become work.
Writing for a class is a about a specific subject, following someone
else’s template, on someone else’s timetable. Sadly, that has made me
slightly adverse to sitting down and putting pen to paper, or in this
case, key to screen, and letting my thoughts flow.

Today I had a conversation with the lady friend about writing. She
told me about something she was working on, and I shared one of my
favorite things that I had written with her. This sparked some
thoughts, as good conversation is wont to do.

Through a combination of things, school, distraction, laziness, and
other projects, I let something I love doing get pushed aside. Even
now as I write this, I am reminded of all the other times I have let
my passions get pushed aside for lesser things. And I know I’m not the
only one. It tends to happen fairly often, actually. I let laziness,
or absentmindedness, or any of a thousand other things takes
precedence over my passions. And that is a tragedy.

Think about it. Think of the last time you did something you were
really, truly proud to put your name on. How long ago was it? Why did
you quit doing it? And if you haven’t, kudos to you. That is a
dedication I strive towards, and constantly fall short of.

As far as writing goes for me, one major reason I quit was
dissatisfaction. I wouldn’t be happy with what I was about to post, so
I would just trash it entirely. Rather than just write and put my
thoughts out, I got to thinking I had to make a perfectly written
piece. One with a theme people could relate to, witty phrases, perfect
grammar and spelling. Rereading what I wrote about why I ride, I was
reminded of something. All that stuff I just listed doesn’t matter.
Writing, like anything else creative or passionate, isn’t a formula.
It is an expression of passions and a way to show people what is in
your heart.


lane

Job Interviews

So, I just finished setting up my webcam and Skype account. Why? Because, my girlfiend is in Uganda for the next six months to a year, and I haven't seen her since November. And as much fun as it is to talk on a bad cell connection for $.10 a minutes, I would rather see her and talk for free. I'll get into more details about who she is, and why the bloody hell she is so far away later. Check back, it's sure to be a riveting yarn.

Anyway, as I was setting it up, I was thinking about one of my classes this past semester. My proffesor was talking about how now, a lot of companies use webcams to do long distance job interviews. And I realized, I could do one only half dressed up. I could, thoeretically just wear and shirt and tie, and no pants! And they would never know! How awesome would that be?

I guess that's the random thought I want to return on. I haven't written a thing in about six months, so I figured this would be a good unrelated return. I'll be writing more often now, I promise. I have a lot stored up I want to get out. Oh, and Happy belated New Year all!


lane