Spring Break

This is what I am doing for spring break. With the addition of some school work that I am going to straight up hate. And the driving itself is probably not going to be oh so fun. But I can't wait to make it up there.

Of course, naturally I am excited to go to Charleston--it is the best, most beautiful city in the U.S. in my opinion. But up in Virginia I am aware of something else quite beautiful.

15+ hours driving--check. Legitimate reason for such an endeavor--double check.

XP (Experience Points)

No, not like your favorite video game, or that other one. I'm talking about real life here, yo.

On the one hand, I really really want to be independent and figure things out on my own, (legal documents/taxes, for example), but I will for the time being bow out to my parents' experience in the matter...they've been dealing with the government a lot longer than I have.

I think that is why I call my parents when it comes to decisions about school, jobs, et cetera. Most of the time, they end up just saying "you'll figure it out," or "do what you want," it's just nice to have someone who has dealt with a lot of it tell you that you will be able to make good decisions.

In short, it is nice to have a wealth of experience backing up my lack thereof.

Another Ok Go Video

Ok Go has done it again. How many music videos are they going to make in one take? It seems to me that this may have become their staple and shining mark, surpassing even the love of their music.

Speaking from someone who does not have any of their music, but highly enjoys their music videos, this seems to be the case. Maybe I should pick 'em up, though?



Hat Tip to Tyler Stanton and Abraham Piper.

Pictures Pertaining to Food

...in some form or fashion.

From a Cracker Barrel menu a few months ago, this was the background on my phone for a long time:

From the book Serious Drawings by a man who I like to call my friend, Marc Johns. He is an artist I quite like. I can't exactly speak to the truth of this statement regarding my own facial hair:


And finally, a glorious find of one of my roommates. Thank you, mandom, for making this possible, and thank you, internet, for making it easy for find. Who's game for figuring out how to make these and, I dunno, make them!?! I feel like my life is somewhat less complete not having experienced this. Behold, the Bacon Turtle:

Twitter (A Reconsideration)

Long story short, although not 140 characters short, I've joined Twitter. @mrtimothyjohn if you want to follow me. My justifications for this are severalfold:

• I can update from anywhere, which is nice whenever a thought strikes me. Even in class.
• It's a place to dump thoughts that aren't quite long enough for this particular venue of communication (my blog).
• It's a practice of weening thoughts down to the 140 character maximum. Which is good poetic technique.

The funny thing is I'm wasting a day's post on this blog on something all 7 of you mayhaps don't care about.

What do you think? Are you pro or anti-Twitter, or neither? If you do have a Twitter, hit me up.

Polar War @ The Money

Wednesday night, after the usual scrumptious ritual of dinner at church and youth group, I took a bit of my free time to go over and see my friends Polar War play a show at The Money, which, you may not know, used to be called "Daddy's Money." I'm pretty sure that increases the creepiness of that place eightfold.

But in spite of the creepiness of the venue, it was a solid show. I really enjoyed hearing the new set they had, with a few songs recognizable from their Edgewood EP.

Will rocked it strong on vocals--there's some serious passion there--along with some bangin' organ (a phrase I'd never thought I'd use) and dat good ole Chaos Box. Don't ask me how that works.

Andy, Josh and Nog nailed the guitars as well. Stage presence was impressive, not static yet not erratic, a good and entertaining blend of the two. Also, background vocals for Nog and Andy were spot-on. Didn't take away from Will's at all, but support 'em all-out, as background vocals should.

And Dave, oh Dave! What can you say about some of the most intense and blasting drum work you've seen in a long time? Maybe that it is some of the most intense and blasting drum work you've seen in a long time. That sounds good. Good word choice, T.J., good job.

In short, if you missed it for schoolwork or not living in Rock Hill or some other lame excuse, then you missed out. Go check them out and buy their EP.

Sunday School Lessons

This is what we teach the kids in Sunday School at Westminster.

I am not sure the exact correlation. And I definitely don't know the individual who added the blood to the dinosaur. Or put the "Service=" in front of it. Whoever did that is off his rocker.

Dear Lake Erie

Lake Erie
2009

Hello, Lake Erie,
You and I are something of the same.
You are a Great, I am a great.
Though when put with others, not so great.
You retain water for only a few years;
My fears keep my heart's retention
Often to a few days' time.
Sometimes I fear my fears
Keep me from being a part of some
Grand Paddle-To-The-Sea adventure.
You too were guarded once,
By a proud Iroquois nation,
That is until explorers came
From foreign lands to lay
Claim to your abundance.
What that some far off power
Would lay claim to my protected heart.
I am as shallow as your hundred-meter depth,
Deep--but never deep enough.
How do you deal with never being best!?
You and I, dear Erie.
If we were tested, separated
From those around us, yes--
We would excel! Well,
We would be best, but
Alone.
No, good lake, dear friend,
I think we can both agree
We want to be put with others,
Even if it averages us.

On Books

A Small Note on Books--

I have noticed that there are a great number of books in my ownership that I have yet to even attempt reading. Likewise, I continue to buy books that will almost immediately and inevitably begin to collect dust on my shelf, in the good company of the aforementioned unread books.

To help solve this most dubious of conundrums, I've made myself a promise that I won't buy a book (short of schoolbooks or some other required reading) unless I first finish a book. Hopefully this will help me to

A) Start reading some of the books I own.

B) Start buying books that I will actually read, as I will be limiting myself in my purchasing opportunities.

What are some of the books I have yet to read, you may ask? Or maybe not, but I'll tell you anyway:

• Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell
• Percy Jackson & The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
• Vintage Church by Mark Driscoll & Gerry Breshears
• Forgotten God by Francis Chan
• Why We Are Not Emergent by Kevin DeYoung & Ted Cluck
• Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling*

*While I have somewhat renounced my mockery of the Harry Potter series, I do find it repeatedly hilarious that people want me to take the series seriously, when the author's name is "jk."

What do you think of my method?

Related:

• What I've been reading in the past.
• What I thought about some of those books.

I Made This (For You)

It is an upgraded version of one that I tried a while back. Which one do you think is better?

Before, I said "It is supposed to be a heart, a semi-nerdy way of illustrating affection." I would like to add that it is finding affection in the ordinary.

When you care about something or for someone (definitely when you care for someone, it's like a drug, a comparison that I'm sure has been made before) it seems to me that you find all manner of things in your everyday experience that adds new meaning, new insight, or new expression to your affection.

It is true when I care for a person/when they care for me, or when I find myself particularly aware of my love for God, or his love for me.

Do you become more aware of illustrations of affection when you have an object of affection?