Only in Indiana

This story came to mind tonight, thought i would write about it so not to forget.

This one fall day(maybe spring...can't really remember) in Indiana, 3 of my buddies and i were headed from Kokomo to Lafayette, to hang out at my college apartment. I decided it might be quicker to take the country roads. For those of you not from the midwest, a country road basically means you drive on really skinny roads that cut between corn fields.

So anyway, i'm riding shotgun, my buddy Thatch is driving, with Case and Migrant in the back seat. Thatch had never taken this clever way of mine, so i was trying to guide him as we went. So as the sun is setting and we slowly approach this stop sign in the middle of nowhere, i told Thatch to just keep going straight, thinking he would follow the road. I didn't think i needed to tell him that there is about a 30 foot jog in the road to the right after the stop sign.

So as he rolls through the stop sign, i realize he isn't realizing there is no road directly ahead, rather it's a few feet to the right.

So at about 5mph, we slowly drive straight into this freshly rain-soaked muddy field in our littly chevy. I think the 3 of us passengers were immediatly befuddled as to why he drove straight into a cornfield, instead of following the road, and then also continued driving straight about 50 feet instead of stopping.. We all just kinda looked at each other and started laughing hysterically.

Anyway, this is where the fun began. Of course this little chevy was pretty much stuck out 50ft or so into this muddy cornfield. This college age girl stopped shortly after we got stuck and told us she would wait in case we needed her help with anything. So the 3 of us passengers got out in this muddy ass cornfield and decided we would try and push. So as we started pushing, of course the wheels started spinning and mud was flying everywhere. We continued trying to push even though we weren't making any progress....and of course we were all totally covered in mud as Thatch sat in his car clean as can be.

This Amish guy stops and tells us he would go to his barn nearby and get a rope to try and pull us out. Then this redneck farmer comes in his big truck and just tells Thatch to floor it and try to get out without us trying to push.

SO of course that worked and there was no need for any of us to get dirty in the first place. We were able to get out of the field before Amish guy came back with the rope. However, we were all so covered in mud that we all had to totally strip down to our boxers and ride the rest of the way in our underwear...

Anyway, i am still baffled as to how Thatch came to the conclusion that the field looked like a road....and i am also thankful for the 3 people that stopped to try and help us, who actually were probably thinking we were 4 cityboy idiots.

Those were the days.

the luckiest

Top video games from a 27 year old who never plays video games, but at one time played a few when really bored.

1. Super Mario Bros.
2. Tecmo Bowl
3. Mario 2
4. Mario 3
5. Mario Kart
6. Excite Bike
7. Tetris
8. MLB 2000
9. Double Dribble
10.College Football(newest year)

Honorable Mention:
Paperboy, Micro Machines, Track and Field, FIFA, Marble Madness, (can't think of any others, probably forgettting some really important ones}

Really digging this song by Ben Folds called "the Luckiest"...

I fully believe everything in life even's out, and it's just all about the attitude and approach you take to life that depends on how happy you are and how good of life you consider yourself to have. I feel like if something really good happens, there's probably 2 or 3 challenges right around the corner, and same holds true for the opposite. I think that is what makes my personality so even keil most of the time. Maybe not a good thing, but i can't help it. You can't really say i am an optomist because half the time i am thinking something bad will happen...but i am not a pessimist because half the time i know something good is coming. I guess i am just an even steven and try to walk the line and try not to get down as i know there is no point. Well, that makes sense to me anyway.

I'm still on the Country music kick. Maybe i should hit up the Brad Paisley concert coming soon. Actually the Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney concert was one of my favorites i have ever been too, and i didn't even really know who they were back then.

Anyway, big win for the cubbies today....hanging in there.

It's been too long Denny

The anticipated trip of mom's arrival to the wild west turned out to be a lot of fun. I think i gained about 10 lbs with as much as mom likes to buy me food. She must think i am too skinny. Sedona was a lot of fun. I really need to spend more time up there, more weekends to just hike around and get out of steamy phoenix. I've been wanting to rent one of these homes http://www.foresthousesresort.com/ if i can find people to go with me.

I capped off mom's trip tonight with a dinner at Denny's. Not sure why, i was hungry for breakfast, and it was kinda a later dinner, so Denny's sounded like the place to go. It had been about 6 years since my last Denny's experience. As i was sitting there, i wondered why it had been so long. The place is great, and it's always fun, food is ok, but i just really enjoy eating there. Not too mention it's cheap and they have lot's of desserts to choose from. Anybody up for Denny's?

Cubbies finished off the sweep of the Sox this weekend. Looks like things are looking up for the Northsiders, pretty happy about that.

Something i really have wondered since moving out here is why they pay people to hold up signs on the street corners. I don't understand that. IT's probably a good way for poor people to make some easy cash. But it seems like such a waste of money. Back home, we just stand the signs up so we don't have to pay for anybody to hold the sign. But i guess that makes too much sense. I mean, i see these guys twirling these signs around so fast, you can't even read them anyhow. Just bothers me.

If you said a little prayer for my shuttle AC, then your prayers helped. IT apparantley is fixed and blowing colder than ever! Thanks for that.

Watching my 2nd episode of flight of the concords, and me like very much. Freakin hilarious i say. Gotta have HBO though.



Mom's and i were discussing that my siblings really need to come to AZ and visit me, mainly birdshit. I moved away a long time ago and she has yet to come see me. It's not like i am asking her to come to North Dakota....i have lived in California and in Arizona, 2 vacation destinations. And yet no visit by my sister. Oh well.

Well, writer's block has set in.

mom's in the house

Well, time to throw your turkey on the sidewalk, it's officially hot as an oven outside in the valley.

My mom made her way out west last night to see her baby boy. We had a great dinner at Aregano's last night, about 1am her time. She couldn't of picked a more brutal 4 days in june to be in Phoenix, so i need to make the trip worth her time.

Nick's dog got spade a few days ago, so we have a dog moping around our house on the injured list. I think lil' jordy will pull through in fine fashion though. I wonder if getting spade will stop her from eating chunks of carpet....any correlation there? Probably not.

Somehow this bed i bought about 5 months ago has managed to become hard as a rock. I don't get it. It's got a pillow-top mattress and it's just not comfortable anymore. In fact, i wake up every single morning with my back hurting. I guess i need to go out and buy a pad or something, i sure has hell am not buying a new mattress anytime soon.

Thought about purchasing Dave Matthews tickets tonight...but then i realized i don't have anybody to go with yet, and the best seats available were in the last row of the pavilion. I think i will wait until a few days before and re-evaluate my situation, maybe some better seats will open up. I haven't been to a dave concert in a few years, i think it's time to get back. Norah jones had a concert here in phoenix the other day that i wanted to hit up, but forgot about that.

I was off my game at work today. Not sure what it was, but i just felt like i sounded like an idiot when dealing with people, like i didn't know what i was talking about. It was strange. Maybe the heat is getting to me.

say a little prayer for me.....and my A/C

I came across this website again tonight www.homestarrunner.com ... .
I think the last time i looked at it was when i was in high school. Still retardedly funny.

At work one of my responsabilities is to run our shuttle business that goes from Phoenix to Mexico via a 12 passenger Mercedes Sprinter van. Well, this damn van's rear air conditioning unit is not working properly. So for the past month i have taken it in to different places and nobody seems to have a clue what the problem is, as it's a pretty unique system. I finally found a place that seems to of figured it out, but when they order the part from Chrysler or whoever it is that supposedly MIGHT fix it, they keep getting sent the incorrect part. Our shuttle has been out of commision for a month now, and it is really stressing me out. And needless to say this all falls on my shoulders to get this thing up and running, but i sure as hell can't fix air conditioners. I seriously wake up every morning now praying that today is the day i get good news, instead, it is always the opposite. So if anybody is reading this, i would appreciate a little prayer said for my air conditioner to regain it's strength to be able to cool the passengers on there way to there vacations in mexico.

My moms fly's in tomorrow evening for about 5 days. Pretty excited about that.

I have 2 ex girlfriends now getting married, both of whom were my most serious relationships. I guess in a way that's pretty cool. Not really sure why i think that, but maybe because it makes me feel like i might not be far away. Or you could look at it the other way, but i had better not or that would be depressing.

Today i went to FedEx/kinkos to have them package and ship some items for customers who had left things in Mexico. As i approached the counter, i expected some sort of hello, or acknowledgement of my existence that i was standing there. I noticed he was busy messing with his computer and some labels, but you still expect something when your standing 2 feet from somebody. I kept standing and standing and probably close to 10 minutes went by without any acknowlegment. In case you don't know me, i am probably one of the only people who would stand there without saying anything, trying not to be confrontational as usual. Finally another customer came up who i guess he was helping before me and he finished him off. Then he finally asked how he could help me. Internally i was so annoyed, until i realized when he started talking that he probably had some sort of mental disorder. I instantly became unannoyed and glad that i hadn't said anything, as i realized that he probably just didn't know. I'm not sure why i am telling this little story, but it was just one of those moments in life where i was glad that i am patient and unconfrontational, because i would of felt like a total jerk had i said something. He ended up doing a great job for me and was very friendly.

Jonah and i saw this performer on America's Got Talent tonight who came out and sang and played a Sting Song on the Guitar. His name was Cas Haley, a name that you should remember. I predict he will become a big time artist very soon, as i personally thought he was very talented and unique.

Well, peace and taco grease, that's my story.

things that make you go hmmm

Well, it's monday, and my monday flew by like it always does. Work tends to be really busy on mondays, which i enjoy. It's normally lunch time before i get a chance to catch my breath.

Lately i have been listening to a lot of country music. I think that corrolates to times when i feel a little homesick. I guess i associate country music with Indiana for some reason, even though i rarely ever listened to country music when i lived in indiana. I guess another factor is i get so sick of hearing the same songs on the radio all the time that country music, to me at least, is just a feel good breather from the pop crap. Not too mention there are some songs i really like singing while in my car.

So i just watched the first episode of the new reality show "age of love"..It pits a bunch of 40 year old ladies vs. some 20 year old ladies, for the right to win the heart of Tennis star Mark Phillopouses..Jonah and i both agreed there is 1, maybe 2 of the 40 year olds that has a chance, and we haven't seen much of the 20 year olds yet. Even though i think 2 of the 40 year olds seem to be good catches, unless the 20 somethings are absolutely rediculously dizty and half-retarded, then i can't see him picking one of the older ladies. But i like the idea of the show, more so for myself to follow along and see if i would pick one of the older ladies. Very interesting stuff i say.

Genine Gerafalo was weirdly brought up on 2 seperate occasions in my household tonight. Very strange.

Flight of the Concords...a new HBO show i find a bit funny. Here's a clip of the fellas. The actual show is a bit different.



I still think 2pac lives.

I've got nothing else to say at this point as this tv show "American Ninja" from 1985 has totally captivated my attention.

Fathers Day

Well, Father's Day arrived today and it has become a day of mixed emotions for me since i moved away from Indiana. The past 2 fathers days have made me wonder why i chose to live so far away from my family. My father has Multiple Schlorosis, and it makes me feel like a selfish ass most of the time because i am not there to help him out. I'm sure he wants me to live my life and all, but days like today really make me wonder what the hell i am doing so far away from home and the people i love. It also doesn't help that my sister is having twins in a few months, which will be my first nephews, and i won't be there.

But on the other hand moving to Phoenix has turned out to be a great move for me career wise and i really love it out here. I've had a blast. The only thing hanging over my head right now is finishing school. It sounds like it would be an easy thing to do, but as much as i struggled my first 4 years in school, and as much as i work now, it's really not something i have been dying to do. I guess i just need to suck it up, especially since my life and career choice finally has some direction.

Anyway, i really do miss my family, especially my dad on this fathers day. I think the next 6 months will tell how long my time in Phoenix will last....to be determined by job, a girl entering my life, and school.

This past week was pretty uneventful like normal. In fact, i can't even remember if anything happened this past week other than this weekend. Friday night was a lot of fun. Nick turned 27 and about 16 of us met up for Dinner. It was a lot of fun and something we should do more often. Then on saturday, 5 of us went to the Salt River and tubed down the river for 4 hours. It was a lot of fun, maybe a bit long, but something i suggest doing at least once. The sun wore me out and i was in bed fairly early last night. Today i woke up and made a phone call to my dad. He seemed excited to talk to me which made me feel good and bad at the same time(read paragraphs above as to why). Then i proceeded to watch the cubs get hammered, no suprise there.

After sitting around most of the day, reading a book, surfing the internet, and trying to get out of the sun, it was time to get some exercise. So i hit the gym, then hiked camelback like normal on sundays. The weather was great by 6pm and it was a nice sunset from the top of the mountain.

I'm sitting here watching Entourage and wondering why i just don't try to become an actor. I realize i am not one who needs or likes attention, but i think i could handle it for the money and lifestyle. I can't be any worse than half the actors out there.

Lesson learned this week: I need to gamble more often.

Life is Beautiful

Another week gone by. My weekend ended up consisting of practicing my golf swing. That wasn't the origional plan, but after hitting the driving range at 10pm friday night, then playing 18 holes on saturday, it seemed to of worked out that way. It did pay off as i won 11$ from my compadres.

Just finished watching the movie 'Life is Beautiful'...If you haven't seen it, i highly recommend it. It's one of those rare movies that can have a sad and happy ending at the same time. It's all subtitles, so don't force somebody else to watch it with you if you don't think they have the patience.

Picked up a book called "Can i keep my Jersey" by Paul Shirley. I read about a third of it today, find it to be very entertaining and enjoyable to read.

Cubs blew a lead tonight and lost, but overall had a much better week. Things might be looking up...might being the key word.

I feel i have eaten way too much this week. It seems as though when i go to the grocery store and get good food, i am not patient enough to wait to eat things. I tend to just constantly eat. Now, when i have no food in the cabinets and i go get fast food, i tend not to eat as much. So, i guess i can argue that i am better off eating fast food so not to get fat. Because i certainly feel that i gained about 10 pounds just from the fact that i did well at the grocery store.

I didn't get much exercise this weekend either other than lifting weights. That certainly won't help me much in losing weight. Not too mention my sports leagues have all come to an end, so i guess i really need to make sure i start a good exercise regimen for myself.

"So, since you wanna be with me, you'll have to follow through, with every word you say, and i, all i really want it you, you to stick around, i'll see you everyday, but you'll have to follow through". Can you name that tune?

Big week ahead of me at work. Lots of changes going on. Should make for an interesting week.

I am debating on whether to keep my hair short or grow it out a little longer, change up the style a bit. Even thought about buzzing it off for the summer like i did as a kid, but probably won't. It definitely needs some work though. I have cut my own hair since i was about 16 years old. I think i paid like 7$ for the haircut. My buddy went ot get his lovely locks cut last week and he paid like 30$. I couldn't believe it. Imagine the money i have saved though in the past 10 years on haircuts though. You would think because of the fact i cut my own hair and i don't drink alcohol that those 2 factors would have made me a rich man by now. I guess things just don't work that way. I must buy more coke than other people or something.

It's really heating up here in the Valley. I'm hoping it's not too hot when my mom comes in a week and a half. She seems to always come out here in the summer when it's unbearable. It will be good to see her though.

Well, as ferrell would say, that's all i know.

summer and beyond

Well, this weekend was pretty useless. Jonah and i went to Chili's friday night for dinner which was cool and tasty, then came home and watched apocolypto, which was pretty good. Didn't do much on saturday other than watch the cubs implode once again, played a little tennis, and went to watch Knocked Up at night. That movie is really good and hilarious if you haven't seen it. I give it 2 thumbs up.

I did a sunset hike this evening at Camelback. I stopped along the way to take a few pictures. I actually did pretty well for not hiking in a while.

Things that have been on my mind of late:
I need to register for some classes to finish up school.
I need to find new things to do while in Arizona.
I need to start paying off my debts quicker and get rid of them.
I need to visit vegas.
I need to come up with a short term plan on my future and set guidelines as to where i need to be going.
I need to start having a little more fun.

I can't believe how picky and impatient i have become when it comes to dating and girls. I guess that is a good thing. I really just am at the point where i don't want to waste my time, money and feelings on somebody i know i won't end up with. I am sure i am probably gonna miss out on some fun, but i would much rather be single then tied down to somebody i'm not that in to. Just something made even more clear to me this week.

Things i am looking forward to this summer:
Exciting changes at work and more responsibility.
Exploring more of arizona.
Finding a new place to live.
Going to Florida on vacation for a week.
Hiking with my new friend.
Playing golf.
Seeing if jonah ends up becoming a world traveler.


Well, that is all i have to say at this point.