Spinning

My head is spinning. No alcohol tonight, that was this last weekend, where apparently I gave my first and last lap dance ever. Anyway, today it's because I've been up for about 36 hrs. straight. I don't know if that's a PB, but I'm ready to cut it short anyway. Why up so long you ask? Well, I had a powerpoint presentation due today at Noon. The bulk of the presentation was completed between the hours of 5pm Sunday and 11:30am Today. Then at 11:45 I decided to change the name of my file to include my name, just like the professor likes it. Well, for some reason my flash drive decided to corrupt my one and only electronic copy of my powerpoint when I changed the name. Luckily the professor dropped his no-tolerance policy on 'technological mishaps', since I did just print out my slides right before the corruption. So at least he knows I did the work. But that means I have to create it all over again. Ugh! Is this a test? That is why my head is spinning. That and because I had to complete another project by 6pm tonight before class. This has to be some kind of test. Tomorrow holds another project due date @ noon for another class, ask me if it's finished.

Had to skip crew this morning to finish the project I erased. That's 4 miles of punishment. wonderful.

"these will cure my aching head, help me see again. these will take away the guilt, ease my soul again..."

Lucky #14

This goes out to that large community out there known as Brave-haters, but I think it's actually just Kyle and his imaginary hater friends. As I have been forecasting the entire season, tonight the Atlanta Braves have clinched their 14th consecutive National League East title. So there. As stated before, this is the first most important goal of the season, second being advancing to the championship series, and finally, the World Series. Because if you can't win your division, you are only good enough to watch the playoffs from your couch. Wild Card teams being the only exception, but I guess some teams do deserve a second chance for being kinda close behind.

Kyle- you predicted the Washington Nationals to win the division. Not a bad choice, they did have a valid shot to take the division and run with it. However, they returned to their Expo ways and floundered away the second half of the season. The NL East was far more competitive this year than in the past years, and I will admit, their were certain points of the season when I wasn't totally certain the Braves could pull it out. But as usual, Bobby Cox and his staff managed well with what they had (10+ rookies on the active roster), and pulled out another title. Maybe next year you will pick the team most likely to win. The door is always open here at the Braves fan club. We accept all denominations, and don't judge those betraying their previous teams. So just come on over whenever you're ready.

As for the remainder of the season, and the playoffs, I hope the Braves can play well, and stay away from injury and errors, in order to advance to the final Series. That would be incredible. However, as the past has definitely proven in every sport, the playoffs are quite unpredictable. That is what makes them so exciting to watch, anything can happen. So, with that, Go Braves! and we'll see you in the World Series. Maybe next year we'll have the chance to defend more than just the Division title...again.

Back to the Future

I haven't written anything since I've gone back in time. So far I am enjoying the new life. The change from 40hrs. of work a week to waking up at 11am for class at 12, has been sooo tough. That is the easiest change however. I am surrounded by kids that are...well, kids. I didn't realize so much of my 'college guy' personality had been overcome by my 'grown up' personality. For the sake of making new friends and not sticking out like a sore thumb, hopefully my 'college guy' side will come back to me a bit. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to revert to every aspect of the College-guy, but simply mix it with a dose of Grown-up to make myself into some kind of Super-dude. I have been worried about my age affecting my college experience, but now that I am here, I am not going to worry about it anymore. My experience will be what I make of it.

Classes haven't been too bad. Homework has been lots of reading, and a few small projects. I fear the worst is yet to come. Hopefully I will be ready for it, but more importantly, I hope I will enjoy it.

My running endeavors have come to a complete halt. My running log seconds my laziness, NO DATA. However, I have been quite busy over the last month, so I am not going to hold it against myself. I do want to continue my running progress so that I can get into some kind of shape. I figured the easiest way to do that would be to join a sport here at school, so I have done just that. As of Saturday, I am officially on the SCAD Crew team. I have yet to row a boat, or even see one, but that will come. Crew is a sport that I think I will really enjoy. It is similar to the Cross Country I ran in high school, only that it will work my entire body, via lots of running, rowing machines, weights, repeat. Unfortunately, I will have to sacrifice my sleeping in to 11, since practices are daily at 6:30am. Ouch!

I will be happy to represent my new school, but I am not entirely ready to defend SCAD's mascot, Art the Bee. He has made every attempt to make himself appear mean, only to fail miserably. His clenched fists outstretched, scowling face, and angry eyes have not made him look mean at all, but more like he should be riding the short bus. *sigh* Go Bees!

Where's Waldo George ?

Ever wonder where your money goes once you give it to the guy behind the counter at your local Kwik-E-Mart? Me neither. But then one day, when I received my change, I noticed someone had written something on one of my bills. It was a web address. So as any fearless internet wanderer would do, I typed it into my browser. I followed the instructions and did my part to keep the wheels in motion. It is more interesting than I expected, to know where your money goes and where it has been. Find out where your George goes next.

A Life Of Saturdays

Well, the countdown is over. I finished up last Friday at the office, packed my box full of my belongings, and headed home. We spent some 'Goodbye Cake time' that afternoon. That was nice of them. When asked if anyone had something they would like to say about me and my time at SFI, everyone politely continued chewing their ice cream cake. I probably didn't want to hear what they had to say anyway. Yet, I was still forced to tell them how I felt about my time there. If only I could have told them what I really thought of them, but since they didn't feel like sharing how they felt, I kept mine in as well.

I have had a very good time while living here in Atlanta. I have grown a lot while here, learning a lot of things about life, about the field of Architecture, and about how things work in the business world. Some of it I didn't like at all, but I am hoping that experiencing those things will only make me a better person. The next time similar situations arise, I will know how to handle them. Hopefully. The city is a very cool place to live. There is always something to do. Unfortunately, that makes life very stressful, distracted, and tiring. I feel like I have aged 10 years while living here for only 5 years. The fast paced life is fun, but it takes a lot out of you. I am looking forward to a slower, smaller town.

I had great intentions of packing my crap up and moving ASAP to FL, preferably Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday of this week. It is now Thursday. I don't know why my laziness kicked in. Usually my adrenaline to get out of town puts me right on track, but not this time for some reason. I have definitely been living a life of Saturdays. Waking up at 11:30, turning on The Price Is Right, and eating my recommended daily allowance of strawberry pop-tarts. Packing has been slow-going. I am shocked by my lack of interest to leave town. Why can't I move faster? If I had made a definite plan before all of this free time appeared, then maybe I would be in FL right now. Stupid brain.

As of right now, my half-assed plan is to pick up a trailer from U-haul tomorrow, fill it up tomorrow, and shove off Saturday morning. I believe the parents will be coming up Saturday to help, and to drive my Wrangler home. Speaking of half-assed jobs, I was trying to sell the Wrangler before I had to move. I don't really want to sell it, since it will be like selling your own child, but the newer Cherokee is far more reliable, and I could really use the money. I wish there was some other way, but time is running out, so that's how it's going to be. I will probably regret selling the Jeep, but I'll just have to live without it.

School starts in about 10 days. I am nervous, scared, and excited all at the same time. I think once I am in town, all moved in, I will feel better. However, my body insists on being stressed out between now and then. I suppose it's time to do some more packing....

Fontana to Clingman's

Since I am soon to be moving to the coastal flatlands of southern Georgia, I thought that I would put my backpacking gear to one final test on the AT before I left the mountains behind. I put the projected offer on the table, from Fontana Dam to Clingman's Dome, and was able to snag one sucker, er uh, taker.

Day 1 (08/19/05) - So Andrew gets here Thursday evening, we pack that night, and leave way too early Friday morning for the Greater Smoky Mountain National Park along the North Carolina/Tennessee border. After we drop one car at the end, and drive to the start it is around 10am. We load up, walk a half mile across Fontana Dam, and realize that cloud above us is awfully dark. Too far from the safety of the Dam's Visitor Center, we take cover under a big tree, but getting soaked was inevitable. The first 4 miles were quite difficult, changing from an elevation of 1715' to 4020'. We stopped at a firetower to check out some views. Once up to the ridge line the hiking wasn't so bad, only minor ups and downs. We took a nice long break at the ridge, along with some mixing of Gatorade. Never has it tasted so good, mmmmmm. After a long 7 hours of hiking, we stopped at Mollie's Ridge Shelter for the night. After cleaning up down at the spring, I changed into some cleaner clothes, only to realize that had forgotten to pack a couple important items, extra boxers. Doh! So I solved that problem the easiest way possible. Aaaaahh! Is it breezy in here? 9.3M, 7hrs.

Day 2 (08/20/05) - We were by ourselves at the shelter overnight. We expected other hikers to arrive, but no one ever showed up. It was a very sticky and humid night at the shelter. The full moon didn't help by making ever shadow in the distance look like a bear. After pulling down the bear bag, filling up with water, and stretching, we set out for on our longest day of the three. ooh, oww, ooh, the legs were stiff. Still around mid-morning, I thought I saw something moving on the trail, about 100yds. ahead. It was a large black bear, but by the time we stopped he must have heard us (or smelled us), because he was blazing a new trail across the hill. He was basically a black blur, a very fast animal. There are approx. 1800-2000 black bears in GSMNP, so we saw one, we were happy.

Our next task was to top Little Bald, Rocky Top, and Thunderhead, 3 seemingly endless uphills. The fact that it was sunny w/ about 80% humidity didn't help either. We managed to make it to the top of each after many breaks, and pauses to catch our breath. There are some excellent views from the top of Rocky Top. I would have liked to have stayed longer on the summits, but the sun and heat on a tree-less mountaintop was incredibly draining. We needed some shade.

Once back down in the shade, we were quitely passing through some heavy brush and trees, only to come around the corner to see several large trees and bushes rustling as if they were in a hurricane. The shaking bushes were accompanied with loud footsteps, grunts, and growling noises. We jumped back around the corner and started making as much noise as we could. We never did see what it was, but assumed that it was a couple bears resting on the trail, and then running down the hill away from us. One however stayed on the trail growling at us, so we continued to yell, and slowly built up the confidence to peek around the corner. We made as much noise as possible for the rest of the day. Andrew was good at that. Finally, after the phrase "I'm sure this is the last gap" was repeated 5 times, we reached Derrick Knob Shelter for the night, and were relieved to see that it had a chain-link gate on the front of it. 11.7M, 9hrs.

Day 3 (08/21/05) - Again, no one showed up at the shelter to spend the night. It was another sticky night, but there was more of a breeze. After the morning routine, we got going on what we thought be a somewhat easier day w/ shorter mileage, excluding the dome at the end which rose over 6500'. We were wrong. Getting to the dome was the hardest part.

On a small hill before going up one of the last mountains, we were taking a much needed rest, laying on our packs. Just when I was at the point I realized I was sleeping, I heard some people talking. "Do you hear that, Andrew?" "yea" "Me too, sounds like people." So I start to stand up to greet these people and say hello, and simultaneously we hear some familiar rustling. Still thinking it's just the people coming up the hill, I get up to look, only to find a large black bear running directly at me at full speed. *oops, I crapped my pants* In that split second we both start yelling only to have the bear change direction about 15-20 ft. in front of us. Phew! Nothing gets your heart pumping like a 250lb. black bear charging at you. Then Bill & Ted come up the hill, and say hello. "Hey you guys, we just saw a bear on the trail. So watch out." Uh yeah, we saw him, thanks for scaring him our way.

Once we changed our shorts, we headed toward the final mountains. They were difficult and slow, but the isolation, the views, and the very cool breeze made it all worthwhile. Once you get that high, the terrain changes so much. It's like you are on a different world. It's kind of eerie, as there are no sounds other than yourself, the wind, and maybe a bird or two. I kept waiting to see Gollum following us when I looked back. After a very long day, we finally saw our destination in the distance, the Clingman's Dome parking lot. I have to say that I think it was the most beautiful parking lot I've ever seen. Since it is a touristy area, with the Dome and the views and all, we were looked at strangely as we walked to my jeep. Being all dirty, smelly, and carrying large packs. "Why?" one might ask. "Why not?" is the answer they get. 10.2M, 10.5hrs

Once down the hill into Cherokee, we rewarded ourselves each with 4 double cheesburgers and a large coke. It was wonderful. I am pretty sure school will determine how soon I return to the AT, but I will let you know next time I go, so we can go find some bears.

The devil is now is possession of my soul.

Or at least that is what it feels like. Just replace 'devil' with U.S. Dept. of Education, and replace 'soul' with half of my income for the next 12-30 years.

So now I am one of 'those' people, the one's with college loans hanging over their heads for what appears to be an eternity. The one's that use their loans as a perpetual excuse for being out of cash at inopportune times. The one's that never venture out to buy that new stainless grill, or killer cruise vacation, because their loans are "such a burden". That's me, Mr. In-the-red. :(

I'm sure it will be just fine, but the initial feeling of owing that much makes me feel slightly nauseous. "To my college education....." *clink*

Magically Delicious??

Why do de always laugh when I say dat?

Hmmm, I don't know what to make of this. I have been a Lucky Charms fan for a very long time. However, I have never been a fan of chocolate flavored cereal, such as Count Chocula, Cookie Crisp, etc. If I wanted chocolate milk, I'd make chocolate milk. I don't think this new rendition of Lucky Charms is going to last very long. I do think that I should try it before I make my final decision, I just hope it isn't discontinued before I make it to the store.

Maybe it's just me, but I can't envision the commercials for this cereal without Lucky speaking in a deep Barry White-ish voice, with some soul music blaring. "Heeeey, Cool down my brothas, Why you hatin' fools alwayz gotta be all up in my Lucky Charms, yo?"

Thoughts? Reviews?

Running Is Fun!

At least that's what I am trying to convince myself. After reading Kyle's inspiring post, I have almost talked myself into running today. Of course, I will be waiting until tonight when it's not 95 degrees outside.

Everyone has a list of things they don't want to do, but know they must complete those tasks eventually. Running is on that list for me. As Kyle said, it is never easy to start, but usually once I start I go in spurts, going crazy on that list, cranking out task after task with no problem, before I revert back to Lazy Smurf. This time I am trying to take running off that list, and putting it on my, dare I say it, Fun list.

I have decided to post my running log here to hopefully give myself motivation. This motivation will be inspired by the fact that everyone will be able to see how bad I do, should I do poorly. And then they will have the right to harass me for my poor schedule. Right now, all I can seem to do is provide a link for you to sign in to. I think a updating graph would be cool, but I haven't figured that out yet. UPDATE:Kyle has found a better log, and it is good. Problem solved. Feel free to harass, I'll need the encouragement.

Running stats: Coming Soon!! Available

Countdown

I need one of those countdown banners. Anyone know how to do that?

With school only a calm 95% assured for this fall, and before I've even completed all of the paperwork for this coming term, there is one thing that I have made definite, and that is my last day at SFI. Anyone own a Brontosaurus, because I am imagining 5pm on August 26 to play out a lot like Fred Flintstone leaving the rock quarry. I will no doubt miss (some of) the people, but I will definitely not miss the 40 hours a week. I know, I know. I will be doing a lot of hard, all-nighter work at school, but the 40 hr. work week was killing me. There are times when I could literally feel it sucking the life out of me. I need a change of pace, and I can't wait for it.

I will reflect later on my 5 years here in Hotlanta. Right now I can't think with that tick...tock...tick...tock noise going in the back of my head.

T-39 days and counting (29 if you don't count the weekends). Tick...Tick...