Trepidations, Ambitions, Opinions

Sister, Sister...

2007-06-16T18:15:00.000-07:00

...and brother-in-law and future brother-in-law.

Last night and today was an enjoyable family time for me. Not only did I have my usual family members, Pam and Andrew, here in Escondido, but also Chris and her fiance, Mike. (Note: Chris made fun of me for not posting on my blog, hence, this post to show her I still remember the password to log in.)

The weekend started last night (Friday) around 9:00pm with a phone call from Chris letting me know they were close to arriving. I left a friend's house to meet them here at the house. I gave them the grand tour of the clean house (thanks to Mom and Dad for that). We spent an hour around the house and chit-chatting and then left for Pam and Andrew's apartment.

We pulled up to Pam and Andrew's just as they were, so we sat around and chit-chatted some more. Such topics of conversations included The Simpsons (no surprise), flying, weddings, church, pets (I'm really only doing this to spite Chris, so if you're bored by reading this, read on, it gets better).

Today the plan was to stay in Escondido for the morning and early afternoon. We decided it would be fun to tour the Stone Brewery in Escondido, a local brewing company with great tasting beer. We began the tour with a guide that had claimed to be drinking his fourth beer during our tour, which started at noon. The tour took us around their brewing facility, showing us the ingredients they use, the fermenting tanks, the fridge room (a cool 38 degrees), the bottling line and the best part, free samples at the conclusion of the tour. Four samples were on tap for us, the Stone Pale Ale, the Stone Smoked Porter (my favorite), the Stone IPA and the Stone Arrogant Bastard.

We then ventured over to my place of business because we were in the area and there was an interest to see where baby brother works ever day. For those of you who don't know, I work at Superior Ready Mix in Escondido.

After checking out work, we headed out for lunch to Chipotle. I had never been, but Mike and Chris were raving about their food, and I'm always open to new things, especially if it consists of Mexican food, otherwise known as my kryptonite. I had the usual, a steak burrito, and I must say that it was quite delicious. The restaurant has a similar set up to Subway where you get to see them prepare your food right in front of you and you can choose which add-ons you want.

And that was my short weekend that I was able to spend with Pam, Andrew, Chris and Mike. Ther remains two family member who haven't visited Escondido. We're now waiting on John and Mary to make an appearance in Paradise.

A Tradition Unlike Any Other

2007-04-02T20:02:00.000-07:00

The Masters.

This week is my favorite week in all of professional sports. Thursday is the first round of the 2007 Masters Tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia.

The first weekend in April is my favorite professional sports weekend of the year. Each year I look forward to four days of professional golf. Golf that is just...golf.

This is not commercial after commercial of Budweiser advertisements during EVERY Super Bowl commercial break.

This is not the glitz and glamour of the NBA playoffs which has turned into a presentation of pro athletes at the mercy of David Stern trying to drain the almighty dollar out of every sponsor.

This is not the MLB playoffs that depend too much on John Cougar's "This is Our Country" song. It also isn't played in sub-freezing temperatures in the middle of October.

This is not the NHL. (Since I know next to nothing about the NHL playoffs, please insert your own negative comment about the NHL.)

Each year CBS has the sense of mind to find a sponsor to provide limited commercial interuption. Four rounds of pure golf. Four rounds of the highest levels of mental (and slightly less physical) competition.

A tradition unlike any other, The Masters. Watch it, you'll love it.

Lunch Break Excitement

2007-03-16T18:36:00.000-07:00

So, the other day, Thursday, I took my lunch break at the local Jack in the Box fast food restaurant. This has become at least a once a week occurence for me for the last couple of months. Until yesterday, nothing over the top exciting has happened.

I order my usual, an Ultimate Cheeseburger value meal with an upgrade to Curly Fries, a must at every Jack in the Box I visit. I pay the Hispanic employee, fill my beverage cup (Dr. Pepper) and take a seat at a table.

I'm waiting eagerly to devour my curly fries when I look out the front of the restaurant and see a police car pull into the driveway, stop abruptly and a police officer get out of his car. I then look to the front door of the restaurant and see a Mexican (I'm guessing in his 20's) wearing blue jeans and a white t-shirt ready to walk in. I see him turn his head and a look of despair overcome his face. He turned around (away from the front door) bent down to his knees and placed his hands in the air.

At this point I turn to the Toyota of Escondido mechanic at the table next to him ask, "Are you watching this? This guy is getting arrested!!" Only seconds later there are two more Escondido police cruisers blocking the driveway. One officer is holding back his German Shepherd police dog, who is, thanfully, held tightly by his master.

The Escondido PD are able to handcuff and search Jose (a name I gave him because its a common name) without a problem. They sit him up in front of the door and begin to ask him several questions.

It is at this point that I realize two things:
1. I can't lip read. I desperately wish I could.
2. Jose is crying.

I feel bad for him, but I also wonder why he is in this kind of predicament. If you say, "This is a perfect case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time," well then, I say this, "If you don't put yourself in the wrong place in the first place, you can't be caught there at the wrong time." I speculate that he is responsible for some sort of drug use/abuse because the Motel 6 next door to Jack in the Box is known for drugs and prostitution.

My curly fries are gone now and I have begun to take bites out of my favorite fast food burger. They continue to ask Jose questions, they stand him up and escort him to one of the now four police cruisers on site. The excitement indoors has now died down.

It was a good thing for Jose that he never made it indoors for one reason: I was ready.

If called upon by the Escondido PD, I was ready to spring into action and be all over Jose like Mexicans on the U.S./Mexico border fence. Who knows what would have happened to Jose if he had made it indoors, but I can confidently say one thing: I would be holding the "Key to the City" for Escondido and would be recognized at a public press conference as a Hero for the people of Southern California.

I finished my delicious burger and made my way back to work excited that I had the opportunity to witness something very serious and also very thrilling.

The Land of the...Seeing

2007-02-18T12:55:00.000-08:00

It has been over four years since my last visit to the eye doctor, I decided that it was time for a checkup to see how bad my eyes have become. I will chronicle yesterday's visit, nay, adventure, below.

A fellow employee recently started using contacts for the first time in his life instead of his reading glasses. He had nothing but good things to say about contacts. This encouraged me to shcedule an appoitment for myself and explore the opportunities of contacts.

I scheduled myself an appoitment on Saturday morning at 9:20am. After frantically searching for my most recent prescription (which I didn't find) I headed over to Lens Crafters. After exchanging pleasantries with the receptionist, I was taken into the pre-testing room where I underwent the basic eye tests. Cover your right eye and read the letters aloud as far down as possible. Repeat step coving left eye, etc.

Kelly, the very helpful girl that was testing me, then opened a book to see to what extent I can, or in this case, can't, see colors. This so called color blind test has been only one of a couple tests that I have failed miserably in my lifetime. I'm not exactly sure of the reason for this test and how it applies to testing my vision. A part of me thinks that this was Kelly's attempt to spend more time with me.

You can find a similar color blind test at this website. View the 6 circles at the top of the page to see if you can see the colors, then scroll down to see the answers. For the record, I could make the top left circle, showing a 25. I could just barely see the middle right circle, showing a 56. Scrolling further down you will see the answers and the description that I am red-green colorblind. I failed with a 33%, ouch.

The second test at the bottom of this page is another common test. If you're red-green colorblind you will see a 2. If you have normal color vision you will see a 5. I see a 2.

The book that Kelly showed was about 8-10 pages of these circles and numbers, I could only make out the number on page 1. Following this test, Kelly proceeded to laugh and say, "Wow, you are really color blind." Yeah, no kidding, why don't you pour some more salt on a 23 year old open wound?

After completing the grueling rounds of tests, I was finally able to see the eye doctor himself. We talked for a few minutes about my glasses and that my vision has worsened to the extent that I need to wear them all the time. For me, the alternative was to start wearing contacts. My vision is around -1 in my left eye and -1.75 in my right eye. Lucky for me, they had these contacts in stock (even for my right eye with mild astigmatism).

The next step was for Kelly to explain to me how to care for my contacts and how to put them in and remove them. Having watched all of my siblings wear contacts since I was young, I felt ready to tackle this challenge. I sat down at the table, managed to get the contact to set properly on my right index finger, then proceeded to use the middle finger of my left hand to open wide my right eye-lid. I then used the middle finger of my right hand to pull down my lower eye-lid. Through this process, each step has been easy enough for me to accomplish. However, gradually moving my right index finger holding the contact to touch my eye is where I struggled for a couple of minutes. I eventually was able to get the contact in and repeated the steps for my left eye. All in all, not a pleasant experience, but one with definate rewards.

After completing all of the paper work and purchasing my 2-week disposable contacts I left the eye doctor a happy man. I can see more clearly at a distance and without the need to be wearing glasses.

The tell-tale sign that contacts were a good life decsision for me: I went to the bank to deposit some money at the local Wells Fargo. The bank teller and I made small talk while the transaction was processing. She was going out with her friends that night, I was playing a couple of church league basketball games. I told her that I had just come from the eye doctor and am wearing contacts for the first time. She has been wearing them for years, she said that I would be happy with them, and I quote, "You look good."

In other news, my church league basketball team had our first victory last week Saturday. It was a close game, but in the end the five of us were able to hold out for the victory against the four guys on the other team. Yes, they had four players, not everyone showed up, but we still played and we still won. A "w" is a "w" no matter how you get it. Yesterday, however, we were not as fortunate. We had 2 games in a row, and lost both, by 3 points and by 16 points.

You bought what?

2007-02-07T19:31:00.000-08:00

So the other night I was in a spending mood. I sat down at my computer to do one of my favorite things...internet shopping. Last week I bought a factastic pair of slippers. A pair of dearfoam slippers with memory foam, couldn't be happier with them.

Tuesday night I decided for something different. Music. I went to my i-Tunes music store and pondered what I was in the mood for. Well, I searched for a classic by Rupert Holmes, "Escape, the Pina Colada Song" could only be purchased if I purchased the entire soundtrack to "Bewitched" with Will Farrell and Nicole Kidman. Screw that, I'm not spending $9.99 on an album to listen to one good song. I then moved on to a search of country music, not necessarily my favorite genre, but some artists/songs are alright to listen to.

One song has been on the radio quite a bit lately, "Before He Cheats" by Carrie Underwood. I searched for Carrie, found the album Some Hearts and listened to the 30 second promos. I ended up buying the album without much consideration. I haven't had time to listen to the whole album yet, but I'm sure it can't be that bad, right?

So far, I'm a lot more impressed with my incredibly comfortable slippers. $18 well spent. Kudos to me.

Rough Start

2007-01-23T21:32:00.000-08:00

Our Church league basketball team is off to an 0-2 start, precisely how a good season doesn't start off. Originally our team name was supposed to SBTB, standing for, of course, Saved By The Bell. However, the schedule refers to us as the "Young Guns."

I attribute our shortcomings to the incorrect team name.

Our team is made up of 8 guys, ages 23-27, with varying levels of competitive basketball under our belts. Me, each year from 3rd grade on, to Robert, 2nd year of Church league ball. Robert, strangely enough, also wins the award for shortest and tightest shorts on the basketball court, every game.

Updates will be coming soon...maybe after we win our first game. So, keep checking back, could be Saturday, could be next season.

Seattle

2007-01-17T22:29:00.000-08:00

This past weekend I had the opportunity to help your friend and mine, Aslan's Mane, move to Seattle with his wife, Jessica. Luke, Aaron, Jessica and myself left Friday morning headed for Seattle. Between the four of us, we drove a moving truck towing a car and their other car. A 1300 mile journey along I-5 through California, Oregon and Washington.

We got to see a lot of interesting sites along the way, starting in the Grapvine north of Los Angeles, the ever fertile Central Valley of California, Mountain ranges in California, Oregon and Washington.

Along with that I saw some sports arenas. Arco Arena (Sacramento Kings) in Sacramento, Rose Garden Arena (Portland Trailblazers) in Portland, Key Arena (Seattle Supersonics) in Seattle, Oregon (Eugene) and Oregon State (Corvallis) football stadiums, University of Washington (Seattle) football stadium, the Seattle Seahawks and the Seattle Mariners stadiums.

Also the Space Needle, the Pike St. Market famous for throwing fresh fish after they are sold, and the first ever Starbucks in downtown Seattle. We were also able to visit the Microsoft campus in Redmond, Washington. We briefly visited the Visitor Center and the Company Store which sells Microsoft programs to employees only for dirt cheap. Can you imagine the entire Microsoft Windows XP program for $40 and the Microsoft Office Suite for $50? I can now.

Fountain of Joy

2006-12-06T19:05:00.000-08:00

A short while ago my brother-in-law discovered the awesomeness of fountain pens. His personal story is below.

I just wanted to bear my personal testimony regarding fountain pens.

Until recently, I walked according to the ways of the Bic. I put a deathgrip on that white piece of plastic, and dragged it across the paper, all the while watching that inefficient little ball smear that goop, sometimes referred to as ink, across my page. Sometimes the ball would become fickle and leave a large blop of goop on the paper. Other times, it would stop rolling altogether, forcing me to etch word shaped indentations on the paper while I tried to get it writing again. By the time I got done writing something as long as, say, a blue book exam, my writing finger has a half-pipe sized indentation on it, and I had to soak it in Epsom salts just to get it working again for the next test.

Then one day, I watched Dr. C write effortlessly with an elegant piece of technology upon the margin of a book in Protestant Scholastics. I didn't think anything of it, but as I look back, I can see that the seed had been planted. I tried to ignore what I had seen. I was, in thewords of the Apostle Paul, "suppressing the truth in unrighteousness." Then one day Steve showed me his fountain pen. "Its a Parker 51," Steve told me. Steve reasoned with me. He forced me into an intellectual corner and showed me that if I didn't presuppose the existence of fountain pens, I wouldn't be able to prove anything. Ididn't have any response, but I wasn't about to submit myself to fountainpens. After all, Bic pens seemed reasonable in my own mind.

Well, one day I finally broke. I realized that all human reasoning was circular, and that I either had to choose fountain pens or autonomy. Another friend, Ted, told me that there was a wise sage who could teach me of a better life. "You mean my writing callous won't be bleeding and crusty after each blue book exam?" I asked. Ted answered,"Yes." When I knocked on Dr. B's office door, there was no hesitation. Dr. B saw my broken and empty demeanor. He saw the crusty writing callous and said, "Enter, my son, and let me instruct you in the way of wise writing." I held forth my shaky, bleeding hand, and into it, Dr. B inserted a late 50's Sheaffer Snorkel and a pad ofpaper. "Try this out," he urged.

I was speechless! Could this really be happening?! No longer was I dragging glops of sticky Bic ink over a piece of paper, I was gracefully allowing Sheaffer's Scrip to flow onto paper. Rather than watching a battle between paper and ball-point, I witnessed the elegant waltz of ink and nib. What a sight! It was as though the ink wanted to leave the pen and flow on to the paper! I asked Dr. B, "Is this for real?" He responded, "Andrew, why continue writing in a "soulish" (psukikon) fashion when you can write in a spiritual (pneumatikon) way? Forsake the error of your ways, and enter into the consummate reality that is theSheaffer Snorkel." I came forward - down the aisle of Dr. B's office. I laid my Bic on the alter, and walked out the proud owner of 2 Snorkels - one medium nib and one fine nib.

Since that day of my pen conversion, I have enjoyed writing with pens. Oh, I do use Bic pens at times, but only out of necessity. However, each time I exchange that Bic for one of my fountain pens, I am reminded of that wonderful day when I achieved the beatific vision of pens! So come, my brothers and sisters -- come to the ink well and allow your writing calluses to rest. Return to the golden age of history -- that age when the fountain pen ruled uncontested in all its glory! Each time you write, you will see the eschaton breaking into the present, and you will catch a brief glimpse of the way things are supposed to be!

Trophy Time!

2006-11-28T20:28:00.000-08:00

You may be very excited after reading the title to this post because you've been eager to see how my San Marcos Rec League basketball season turned out. Well, there is reason for excitement, but not enough to call parents, grandparents, siblings and friends about. Yet worthy enough to blog about it.

Tonight was the championship game. It came down to "Sunfresh Floral" (my team name, don't ask why) and "Old & Slow." Sunfresh Floral was comprised of six players, 2 of them 45 years old and up, the rest of us between the ages of 22 and 26. Old & Slow was comprised of no one under the age of 40. Strange that two teams with men in their 40's and up make the championship game.

Tip-off was at 6:30 on Tuesday night. The game got off to a slow start with the score at halftime 18-17 in favor of Sunfresh Floral. The 2nd half was very similar as far as style played. We tried to keep the game up-tempo because we were younger and in better shape. However, only having 1 substitute hindered our style of play. Old & Slow played zone defense for all but 4 possessions (which we scored on each time) and played consistent, smart basketball. Midway through the 2nd half they went on a scoring streak, making difficult shots and playing good defense. Sunfresh Floral did not respond too well. The lead changed hands several times, but we were unable to match their baskets. We fell behind by as much as 3 points and then we had to resort to fouling to get the ball back.

Final score of the game was 54-45 on the scoreboard. However, I'm only counting that they scored 52 points on us. When there is 3 seconds left and we have accepted defeat and started shaking hands, its quite uncooth for the short asain guy on the other team to shoot a lay-up just so he said he scored a basket. Pretty cheap if you ask me.

We did come home with some hardware tonight. One plaque is "Post Season Finalist" and the other is "Second Half (of the season) Champions."

Updates

2006-11-13T20:33:00.000-08:00

Ok, I know its been a while, and I don't even know if anyone reads this anymore. But, by chance that someone comes across this blog randomly, maybe it will catch their eye.

First things first. San Marcos Rec League basketball. We've had an up-and-down season. Two wins, followed by 4 losses, then 3 wins. Final game is tomorrow night, followed by tournaments, top 4 teams make it (I think we're in).

Since moving to California I have renewed my desire to read. I've been looking for books at garage sales and thrift stores and have started a small, yet well rounded collection of books. I want to take this opportunity to tell you about last Saturday's purchase.

I spent $2.50 on 9 books. $.25 for paperback, $.50 for hardcover (8 paperbacks and 1 hardcover book). I think this is a fantastic deal, especially considering some of the books I got. A Painted House and The King of Torts by Grisham, Inca Gold by Cussler, Power Plays and Submarine by Clancy. Thats just to name a few.

Among my best purchases have been The Complete Works of Shakespeare ($.10 at a garage sale), Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Moby Dick by Herman Melville, Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell, The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane and 18 Best Stories by Edgar Allan Poe.

I've also read some novels by authors James Huston and Ken Follet and authors I hope to get to soon, Lee Child, Michael Connely and James Patterson.

The third update is related to food. Since moving to Escondido I have developed a love for Mexican food. Although I have thoroughly enjoyed my experiences with Taco Bell and have heeded their advice to "Think Outside the Bun," I don't think I will view their food the same. After having discovered Jilberto's (the "J" sounds like an "H" I think) and Vanessa's Mexican Food, just to name a couple, I have grown quite fond of carne asada (beef) and guacamole (no, not Fred Savage in Austin Powers III).

In completely unrelated news, there has been an addition to my normally slender figure. It could almost be described as a "spare tire" that has formed around my waist and/or midsection. I will investigate this matter futher and report back in due time after I have concluded my investigation.

I also voted for the first time in California in last week's election. I learned how to ride a motocyle (Mom, don't be scared), and joined Blockbuster Online. My first 3 selections were as follows, "Tombstone"-great movie, highly recommend it. "The Office-British version season 2" and "The Office-British version special episodes."

And one more thing. Luke, otherwise known here, has introduced me to the wonderful world of DVR (Digital Video Recording-I think). The tv program records directly to a hard drive and we can watch it anytime we want. Tonight we will start "Heroes" at about 9:15 and finish at 10:00 because we can fast forward through commercials. No more waiting in eager anticipation while you see "I'm a Mac" commercials by Apple or Lebron's lame Nike commercials as four different people.

Fantasy Come True?

2006-10-30T20:54:00.000-08:00

Its that time again, time for Yahoo Fantasy Basketball. We just finished with our draft, 10 teams, 10 players and 82 games later we'll crown the champion (likely me). If I could take a safe bet, I would pick myself against the field. My teamname, resembling the pinnacle of my high school career, is statechamp.

I had the #1 pick and selected, as the Cleveland Cavs did, Lebron James. As much as I despise his commercials and unnecessary headband, I still picked him because I had to do whatever I could to hoist that trophy at the end of the year.

The remainder of my selections went like this.
#2 Amare Stoudemire
#3 Chauncey Billups
#4 Carlos Boozer
#5 Michael Redd
#6 Mehmet Okur
#7 Tony Parker
#8 Antawn Jamison
#9 Rajon Rondo
#10 Stromile Swift

In other news, the time-change this weekend resulted in rolling the clocks back one hour. Today I left work shortly after 5:00pm. The sunset was at 4:59pm. I'm used the sun setting early, but before I leave work? It will be something to adjust to. But on the positive side, weather should remain in the 70's throughout the week.

Is it really October?

2006-10-02T20:50:00.000-07:00

Right now there is one thing that is telling me that we are in October, playoff baseball. I normally would not care, other than the Detroit Tigers are in the playoffs since 1987. A 19 year hiatus from the postseason, it can only be our time. I guess I also know its October by the San Diego Padre fans that I hang out with. They also think its their time, for the first time ever, to be the best in baseball. My prediction, neither team will win the world series, but I got a feelin' that the Tigers will make it farther than the Padres.

I said earlier that there is one thing that is telling me it is October. Normally, leaves would be changing colors, the nights would be getting cooler and Michigan football would be the center of my attention. However, in southern California I cannot tell its October. The days are still warm, the nights are still sorta warm and there are no leaves to change color. I'm excited to experience Thanksgiving day, hopefully still wearing shorts and a t-shirt, and dare I say it, partying outside on New Year's Eve???

In other news, there are, so far, two negative things about southern California I have come to dislike. First, sunset tonight was at 6:31pm, which means it gets dark around 7:00, sometimes earlier. When the time changes later this month, it will begin to get dark around 5:00 or earlier(so I've been told). No me gusta nada.

Second, I have developed aracnaphobia. Not really aracnaphobia, more like "black-widow-aphobia." My roommate has been kind enough to show me several Black Widow Spiders around the outside of house, i.e. near the pool and in the shed. The Black Widow in the shed was quite terrifying. Touch your middle finger to your thumb and that is about how long the legs extended. The hour-glass marking on the spider was very visible as well. Luckily they don't make their way inside....yet.

This Black-Widow-aphobia has worked its way into my sleep cycles. The other night I dreamt I was in the basement (even though they don't have basements in southern California) and I began to pull down some spider webs. Big mistake. A Black Widow with a body the size of my fist decended down the web. Fortunately, I woke up before I wet the bed and that was the last I saw of that spider.

Let the Hording Begin

2006-09-26T21:54:00.000-07:00

Uh oh, have you heard about this?

In other news, we lost our leage game tonight by 8 points. Our records stands at 2-1. After the first five games, the best team from our division will be bumped up to the "A" league. If it happened to us, we would be in rough shape. We're in a Catch-22. We like to win, but playing in the "A" league would hinder our chances of taking home that ever elusive San Marcos Recreation League Trophy that I desire so much. What do we do?

Back in the Game

2006-09-13T19:39:00.000-07:00

Last night marked my return to competitive basketball.

San Marcos 'B' league basketball.

We fielded a team of unique individuals. The Faber family, Lyle and sons Luke, Aaron and Reuben. The Veldkamps, Arnie and son Mark, Chris Kuperus and myself.

We played a team of not-quite-middle-aged to middle-aged-men. Evidently, one player on the other team was quite the basketball player back in his day. Not quite at the pro level, but word is he came close. Still pretty dominant for being in his 40's, pure shooter and solid footwork in the middle.

As for my return to the sport...dare I call it a lifestyle? I had a smooth first half. I was quick, I could actually dribble the ball, had a smooth release and played solid defense.

The second half was a completely different story. I was slow, had trouble with turnovers, couldn't hit anything besides a layup and had the form of a first time shooter. Bad news.

Our first half lead was enough for the victory. They got close, but we we were able to keep the lead. It came down to us shooting freethrows and them missing shots. This was probably the oldest team we'll play. All the others will be younger and more athletic but not near as good as shooters as last nights team.

Our next game is next Tuesday. That leaves pleny of time to recover from a second half of resting my hands on my knees trying to catch my breath, walking up the court and playing half-donkey defense against guys old enough to be my dad.

The Chronicles of My Trip

2006-08-24T20:17:00.000-07:00

I arrived safetly last night in Escondido, California at my new house. Although it's not really my house, the bedroom in the front corner of the house is.

I departed home on Sunday night to John & Mary's house in Indiana. From there, I left early the next morning and was on the road for 15 hours, driving through Illinois, Missouri and to western Oklahoma (Clinton, OK).

The next morning I left Clinton and traveled for 17 hours. Through Texas and New Mexico and to the western side of Arizona. Evidently, Texas and New Mexico have a monsoon season during this time of the year because I drove through a lot of it. I shouldn't say that I drove for 17 hours, I did stop for one hour at the world's largest meteor crater. An ginormous hole in the ground in the middle of nowhere, and by nowhere, I do mean nowhere.

Day three started in Kingman, Arizona, about 10 more hours of being on the road. Slight "issues" or "problems" with the engine temperature which were solved with a short stop to cool it down at the top of the mountain and then again to by coolant. And a stop in Irvine, "spoiled brats in Irvine", to drop of some furniture for a mutual friend.

Then it was on to my final destination. A nice jaunt down the pacific coastline and then inland to Escondido. Unloaded the truck and started unpacking my boxes, which could turn out to be a long term project because I don't like unpacking.

iPod Delight

2006-08-06T19:40:00.000-07:00

It's been nearly 3 weeks since I've had my iPod and have only begin to discover its possibilities. For instance, I am currently (other than blogging) watching "Saturday Night Live: The Best of Will Ferrell." The skit playing right now is Ferrell playing Robert Goule, sitting in the convertible feeding the bighorn while staring him down, priceless.

Before this I was exploring other options on my iPod. I have several games, including brick, parachute, solitaire and music quiz. I also have an address book, calendar, notepad, stopwatch and a screen lock. And this is all in addition to the 300 pictures that I just uploaded onto my iPod which have great resolution and clarity.

Celebrity Jeopardy!! Sean Connery, French Stewart and Burt Reynolds (Turd Ferguson).

I wait in eager anticipation until I can upload episodes of "The Office," "Arrested Development" and many other already great classics.

-"'Take her easy, she's my lady and that's what I said.' Hey about that? That was good!"

-"No, no it wasn't."

Garth Brooks with the devil, does it get any better?

i-Got an i-Pod

2006-07-21T10:42:00.000-07:00

Not to copy Edmund's post from a long time ago, but I do want to inform the blogger world (or this blog's 7 readers) that I finally broke down and purchased an iPod, 30GB video iPod (black)to be exact.

I have thoroughly enjoyed it's companionship thus far. Spending quality time holding her, browsing her many functions, and gazing deeply into her color screen.

Now, the reason for this post. On August 21 I will be departing for Escondido. Leaving Michigan, I plan to have a playlist playing as I pull out of my driveway. This playlist will have such songs that refer to Michigan or California in some way.

For instance, Ben Fold's "Kalamazoo," Gordon Lightfoot's "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald," 2-Pac's "California Love," Beach Boy's "California Girls," Sugar Cult's "Back to California," The Starting Line's "Playing Favorites," and last, but by no means least, "Go West Young Man" by Michael W. Smith.

And I ask you, readers, what songs can you think of that are missing from my current playlist? Songs referring to Michigan or California in any way will be accepted.

Close Call

2006-07-21T09:54:00.000-07:00

Part I

This past week I was in the state of Indiana for my summer job. This entails me driving my car to a few different landfill locations that my company owns in central Indiana.

During my trip from Greensburb to Indianapolis, IN I was cruising west along I-74. The rain had just dampened the road and caused it to be somewhat slippery.

I was in the process of passing a semi truck pulling a load full of new General Motor vehicles when the close call happened. I was traveling at a velocity of 75mph and I estimate that the semi was traveling at about 65mph. I was in the left lane approximately 10-15 feet behind the semi getting ready to pass. All of a sudden I heard perhaps the loudest explosion I have ever heard.

It was the left front tire of the semi.

This caused him to immediately begin a violent leftward drift at about the same time I wanted to be where the back of his trailer was. Reacting quickly, I jumped on the brakes and turned my wheel slightly to the left. Unfortunately, the still wet pavement caused my brakes to lock immediately (thus defeating the purpose of anti-lock brakes).

I did not anticipate what was about to happen next. The combination of locking brakes and turning steering wheel caused me to begin to turn sideways, traveling at about 45mph at this time. For a split second I thought I was going to find out what it was like to roll a car, several times. However, that thought quickly left my mind when I kept spinning past 90 degrees. When I felt the car begin to spin past 90 degrees I quickly shifted the car into neutral so my car was not in drive while my car was moving in reverse (nothing good can come from this situation).

At this point, I am still miraculously in the left lane, traveling at 30-35mph, backwards, yes-backwards. You may be thinking to yourself, what about other traffic or the semi. Well, other traffic was not a factor at this time of day, and the semi had gained control and was slowing down on the left shoulder of the interstate (I saw him in my rearview mirror, not through my windshield like I should have).

Still in neutral, going backwards, yes-backwards, I had the sense of mind to shift my car into reverse (20-25mph), gradually press the gas pedal (I didn't know how to spell accelorator so I said gas pedal). I eased myself to a speed of 35mph. At this juncture I decided to make a hard turn on my steering wheel and attempt a stunt that we have all seen in the movies. Turning the wheel hard to the left my tires again slipped on the wet pavement and as I did so, I shifted from reverse to neutral to drive as I completed another 180 degree "controlled" spin.

As I gained control, going in the right direction now, I finally passed the semi who was now stopped on the left side of the road. I pulled over to the same side of the road to take account of all that had just happened. I got out of my car, looked back to the driver of the semi and heard him say something like "Boy, I thought you was gonna get yourself killed pullin' that Ricky Bobby driving crap you just did."

For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, Will Ferrell has a new movie coming out called "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby."

This story, however, did not happen. This was all the imagination of it's author. My goal was to convey to the readers my excitement and anticipation of this new masterpiece of a movie by Will Ferrell.

Part II

For those of you who don't know, I have longed to see a tornado. Being in college for four years in the nation's tornado alley did not fulfill my desire.

However, last night, I saw one. I don't know if it counts because I was asleep and dreaming at the time. My sister Chris, the interpretor of dreams, suggested much like Joseph did to Pharoah that this dream was a vision of things to come.

If you haven't gotten the news yet, I have accepted a full time job in Escondido, California. My sister, "Joseph," thinks that my desire to see a tornado and not seek shelter is similar to me eagerly awaiting my move to California. I lived through the tornado, so she thinks that I will survive the move, the new job and new lifestyle.

Hole in One!!!

2006-06-20T17:45:00.000-07:00

Each time I go golfing with friends I say to my self, "Self," thats what I call my self, Self. "Self, could this be the day that just once things happen my way? The ball rests on the tee in the perfect way, my iron selection was right, I keep my left arm straight and my head down through my backswing, I turn my hips at the right time, but not my wrists, and my follow through is picture perfect? I think what if the wind is just right, and what if the ball takes a 3 or 4 perfect bounces on the green and slowly makes it's way to the cup and suddenly disappears to it's final destination? Could this day, Monday, June 19, 2006, possibly be the day that I will be able to write a "1" in the score box for a par 3 hole?

Nope. Not tonight. No hole in one for me.

But I still hold on to the possibility. After all, I was there when my brother John had a hole in one at Grand Prairie Golf Course. We thought we lost his ball, but he checked the cup, and sure enough, there was his ball, resting in the final position of his greatest golf shot ever. I still think, maybe one day this could happen to me.

My first iTune

2006-06-20T17:25:00.000-07:00

Last night I finally downloaded my first ever iTune from the music store. I've searched and searched for weeks, even months, made mental notes throughout the days and weeks of what I might want, and finally decided to purchase my first ever song from iTunes.

The list was long, selections were noted, scratched off, and noted again. The genres varried, classic rock, pop, punk, country. They ranged from single no namers to popular groups.

Many artists were considered. The Who, A*Teens, Queen, Natasha Bedingfield, Jimmy Buffet, Shakira, Billy Joel, Aerosmith, Pearl Jam, Neil Diamond. *

My selection narrowed last evening. It was either going to be Baba O'Riley (teenage wasteland) by The Who, Under Pressure by David Bowie and Queen, or Hips Don't Lie by Shakira (featuring Wyclef Jean). I labored over the decision for several minutes, seeing which song most deserved my $.99--something over 4 minutes long at least (the dutch in me).

My final decision--Baba O'Riley (teenage wasteland) by The Who from their album The Who: The Ultimate Collection. Exaclty 5 minutes of music that cost me 19.8 cents per minute.

* This is to specifically note that Paris Hilton's latest single did NOT make the cut in my selection process...but I did listen to the 30 second promotion on iTunes, sounds more like a kareoke track

Love Stinks

2006-06-02T19:54:00.000-07:00

First of all, no, I did not just get dumped (by a girl) nor did I have an emotional roller coaster of a relationship. For some people, like me and this other bachelor for life, this would normally be a true statement. But for my friend Curt, this song has turned out to be a great payout.

Last night, Cheesburger in Paradise had their weekly kareoke contest. I'm not a singer myself, but I gotta go to support Curt. He shines during this song. He begins with the classic Adam Sandler intro to the song, making fun of the people who will never find true love, like the mutants at table 9 and the bearded lady. And to Curt's credit, he didn't just stand behind the monitor. He knew the song and was all over the place letting people yell into the microphone. He had everyone enthralled by his talent, bartenders, waitresses, bus boys, the people in the back, young people, old people...everyone.

First prize was $50, Curt won. Just for singing, they gave away another $50. Curt won that too. A few weeks ago, to celebrate Trinity being done for summer, he sang the same song at another place in Chi-town. He won $100 first prize there too. $200 for singing Love Stinks, not a bad payout. Congrats Curt. What can you possibly do next week to top last night's performance. Anyone else want to help Curt out with a suggestion?

13 minutes

2006-05-02T09:08:00.000-07:00

You are probably asking yourself, what does he mean by his title, 13 minutes?

I mean this. 13 minutes is how long it took me to complete my exam this morning. Usually this wouldn't be a big deal, but the fact that this was my last exam as a college student makes it a special occasion. I am now officially done with college, except for getting my diploma on Friday.

The exam this morning was for my Marriage and Family class (Sociology 302). It contained 25 multiple choice questions (50 points) and two essay questions (25 points). I answered all the multiple choice questions and left blank both essay questions. Why? Because of pass/fail. My final grade will not count towards my GPA, but I still get the credits for taking the course. Its a beautiful system that I wish I would have taken more advantage of.

The Week Revisited

2006-03-12T19:12:00.000-08:00

Since you've all kept up on Dordt College Men's basketball I don't need to recap the game for you. The team we lost to, Lindenwood University, is still competing. They have advanced to the Final Four and play tomorrow night.

We didn't tip-off in our game until shortly after 11:00pm Wednesday night(1 hour and 15 minutes behind schedule) and finished around 12:30am on Thursday morning. But I must say, the other activities in Branson were great to be a part of.

Tuesday night was an introductory show at the Dixie Stampede, the theatre owned by none other than the great Dolly Parton. The first segment was a juggler who showed why he holds several world records. The second part, the actual show, was a variety of competitions, singing, dancing and horse riding tricks.

Before the show began I and the other two seniors were interviewed by Wiley Hendrix, a Branson Daily News Copy Editor. He asked some questions, jotted down some notes and printed the following in Friday's edition of the Branson Daily News.

“This place is awesome,” said Jim Brinks, a senior at Dort (Iowa). “It’s a lot more than I expected and the people are very hospitable. I especially liked the Tip-Off Banquet at the (Dixie Stampede). That was better than any other banquet I have ever been at.”

C'mon Wiley, give me some credit here. I'm almost a college graduate, I don't sound that bad. I did say I appreciated Branson's hospitality, but that the Dixie Stampede is the better than any other banquet I've ever been too??? The bad thing is, and Wiley must not have learned this in journalism school, that he didn't only misquote me, he also asked us these questions before the banquet even began.

Great, just great. Not only did everyone read that in the Branson paper, but Wiley did say that he was going to send this to our local paper, which is only more bad news for me. Hopefully this doesn't spread as fast as it did among my teammates.

On the bright side, tomorrow I fly to California for my spring break to spend time with three other roommates. Not sure yet what is on the agenda, but I'm sure its going to be memorable. I'll be sure to let you know how it goes, along with some good pictures, hopefully.

Goal #2-completed, Goal #1-not yet

2006-02-19T20:22:00.000-08:00

Last November the Dordt College Men's Basketball team determined that we were good enough to win 20 games this season. It was our #2 goal. Yesterday, we got our 20th win in the final game of the regular season against Briar Cliff.

Our record stands at 20-8 (12-6 in conference play). This has placed us in the #4 seed for the conference tournament, my first ever conference tournament in my collegiate career. Earning a first round bye with the 4th seed, we await the winner of Tuesday night's game between Doane (#5) and Concordia (#12). Concordia, victorious over Trinity in last year's national tournament and eventual runner-up, dropped off the deep end this year and finished poorly.

We have had several other great accomplishment for the basketball program. We went from not even recieving votes in the preseason poll, to being ranked 6th after we beat preseason #1 Northwestern at home. We stayed in the ranking all year long, as high as 4th and as low as 25th (most recent). We lost a close game to Robert Morris (currently ranked #2 in NAIA div. I). We had a 9-game win streak in the first half of the season, and never had more than a 2-game losing streak.

The upcoming week is another big challenge for us, and we still have one more goal that we want to accomplish. Our #1 goal was to go to the National Tournament for NAIA div. II men's basketball. The conference tournament begins Tuesday night and ends next week Tuesday night. We can make it to the national tournament by 1) winning the conference tournament championship, or 2) playing well enough throughout the week to get an at-large berth into the national tournament.

A Little Deserved Recognition

2006-01-16T17:59:00.000-08:00

Last fall my roommate, Aaron, had an internship creating videos for prospective students who were interested in Dordt College. These videos were about 1 minute long and gave students an idea of how their education would deepen in their particular field of study if they attended Dordt.

Central to Aaron's success were of course, the college students that particiapted in his videos. Whether Aaron recruited me because I'm really, really, really, ridiculously good-looking, or because I was his roommate and always around, I'll never know (I believe it is the first reason rather than the second).

Aaron worked very hard to produce nine videos for the website and during the Christmas break his videos were finally loaded onto the Dordt College Website. Aaron chose thumbnails from each video. It just so happens that the HPER video's thumbnail is, in fact, me. I suggest you watch the videos because he did a great job.

Also, if you receive the Dordt College Voice I strongly urge you to read Aaron's article on page 2 explaining the process he went through as well as his future ambitions about video production.

Shout outs

2006-01-01T19:27:00.000-08:00

I've been told I need to blog more. I replied that I don't have much to talk about, other than our current 12-2 basketball team ranked 4th in the nation in NAIA div. II.

So Joey, I'm using your idea and thanking everyone who came to our games in Chi-town before Christmas break. To my family, Dad and Mom, Joe, Susan, Chris, John and Mary. And to my friends, Joey, Dave, J-Klo, Steve, Curt, Paul, Andy, Ty and Sara. It was great having you guys there and I'm glad that you could see my play, and that I could have a good game.

As for basketball, we are beginning a second semester of basketball with aspirations of not repeating what happened last year, a very dismal 2nd half of the season. It is my ambition that we remain on top of the conference so that Dordt can finally be crowned Men's Basketball Conference Champions.

This one time I do have something more to inform you of. I will be beginning my internship at Interstates Engineering in their Human Resource Department this Tuesday. I'm looking forward to gaining experience (as well as a regular paycheck) in order to prepare myself for this thing called the "real world" that I hear so much about.

Finally, something to blog about

2005-12-07T16:47:00.000-08:00

I'm sure that if you have talked to me lately, I have told about the success that the Dordt men's basketball team is having. Well, today the first national rankings came out.

I was delighted to find that my team is quite high in the rankings, #6 to be precise. Even worthy enough to recieve a first place vote from someone.

You can check it out at this site.

God's Sense of Humor & Lessons Learned

2005-11-06T11:04:00.000-08:00

I've gone 6 years, 1 month, and 27 days without ever being pulled over by a police officer for any reason. However, it was completing that 28th day that proved to be a blemish on my driving record.

My first speeding ticket. I had always wondered what it would be like to be behind the wheel of a car when I see the flashing lights in my rearview mirror. Now I know. Its that feeling deep in your stomach that you know you did something wrong, you got caught for it, and nothing you can do will change it from happening.

I was on my way to Orange City with a few friends to watch a movie. Running slightly behind schedule, we were in a little bit of hurry. Headed south into Orange City with the cruise control set at 70 mph (15 mph over the speed limit) we were making good time. However, after cresting a hill my cruise control allowed the car to accelerate to 73 mph. Just so happens that there was a Sioux County Sherrif on a gravel road with his radar gun waiting for someone like me. After coming into town I noticed headlights behind me that I hadn't noticed earlier. A little flag went off in my head wondering if my streak of ticket free driving was over. I wondered if it was the Smokey finally catching his Bandit red-handed, or in this case, lead-footed.

At the stop sign in town, I looked in my rearview mirror again, and what did I see? Yep, red and blue flashing lights from the top of a county sherrif patrol car. As my grandpa would say, "Cowpie." I turned down a side street to await the agonizing approach by the sherrif.

The usual small talk ensued.

"In a hurry to get somewhere?"

"Yeah, we're going to a movie."

"Do you know how fast you were going?"

"Yeah, I had my cruise set at 70 mph."

"Do you know what the speed limit is on our country roads?"

"55 mph."

"I had you clocked at 73 mph 3 miles north of town. May I see your license and certificate of insurance please?"

Most of you know what happens at this point. The sherrif walks back to his car, writes me a ticket while I sit in my car regretting every move I made since I left Sioux Center.

Sherrif whatever-his-name-is comes back with a ticket explaining that he is writing me up for 10 mph over the speed limit. I really don't want to talk back because he could have written the ticket for 18 mph over.

Most of you would find this whole ordeal rather funny, especially if I've ever boasted of my clean record to you. But this is where it gets even better.

On my way back from Sioux Falls on Friday night after a double date, I was explaining and bragging to Jeff and Samantha (my date, Hannah, lives and stayed in Sioux Falls) that I had never been pulled over for anything. I've never been one to believe in bad luck. I didn't buy into it. Well, I still don't believe in any kind of luck. But I do believe that God's like to teach lessons in strange ways that make us learn lessons for good. Something we will never forget. Well, He certainly did exactly that to me.

My lesson on Saturday night cost me $61.40, plus increased insurance costs, plus the cost of a stamp to mail the ticket in. Expensive lesson, but definately a lesson that will not be soon forgotten.

Fortune Cookies & Bad Fortunes

2005-09-25T10:02:00.000-07:00

Upon my recent visit to the Szechuan (Shesh-wan) Inn, a Chinese food establishment in Orange City, two of my friends recieved disturbing messages in their fortune cookies.

Message #1: "God will give you everything that you want."

Now wait a second. The last I knew was that China was a communist country in which it was illegal to distribute the Holy Bible. And to have a fortune cookie say to Lawren that God is going to give him everything that he wants, I'm seeing a little discrepency here.

Message #2: "The will of the people is the best law."

My goodness. First of all, how is this message a message of fortune? Second of all, does this mean that whatever the people want is the proper way?

I don't know who is in charge of writing these fortune cookie messages, but their employment needs to be seriously questioned.

Lastly, what about the message that I got? Well, I refused to take a fortune cookie from the waitress who tried to force one on me. She asked how I can come to a Chinese Restaurant and not leave with a fortune cookie. I had to politely explain to her that although Chinese food was on the menu, this was by no means an authentic Chinese Restaurant. Having a photo of the Great Wall of China on the wall does not constitute a Chinese Restaurant.

0-3

2005-09-15T22:41:00.000-07:00

Intramurals can be fun and exciting, even with an 0-3 record. I, the captain of the Switch-Hitters, have yet to win a game. We're off to a shaky start that may result in not making the playoffs this year. But thats ok--we're having fun.

We are by no means a great softball team, but we do have our strengths. Our infield is our forte`, our pitching is accurate and consistent, and our outfield (led by me) is a quality outfield.

As a captain, I have responsibilities to make sure we do our best to win--forget that. I have the most fun when our team can make comments about the other team, or when my team makes fun of me for being struck out by a girl tonight.

Don't get me wrong, I'm still competitive and I like winning, but this is intramurals. Having fun with your team is what matters.

The Trip

2005-08-28T19:36:00.000-07:00

As you know I am now back at Dordt College after nearly a 700 mile trip last Monday. You may be asking yourselves how in the world I maintained my sanity during my drive. Well, it was tough, but to show you I'm going to outline the journey.

I had plans to leave at approximately 8:00am eastern time Monday morning. However, the nail in my tire set me back. After having the problem solved, I departed Kalamazoo at 9:00am.

Time behind schedule: 1 hour

First stop: La Porte, Indiana--I gotta pee. Can you believe that some guy cut in line waiting for the restroom? It didn't bother me because I'm a pushover like that.

Time behind schedule: 1 hour 10 minutes

I decided to take the Chicago Sky Way for something different. Wasn't really faster this way, but I wanted variety. Perhaps the coolest event happen in western Indiana. While driving I noticed an airport to my right as well as 6 fighter jets lined up ready for take-off. I opened the window and could hear the afterburners launching them forward. They took off one by one headed west, some of them did half-rolls, others did nothing except head off into the clouds. The city driving on the highway was interesting as always. Seeing the skyline again is also nice because I don't see that in Iowa, ever.

Second stop: 30 miles east of Rockford, Illinois--I gotta pee. No one cut in line this time.

Time behind Schedule: 1 hour 20 minutes

Third stop: I don't know where, some area in Illinois. There was a lookout tower and I felt like stopping (no, I didn't have to pee this time).

Time behind Schedule: 1 hour 30minutes

Fourth stop: 30 miles east of Dubuque, Iowa and the Mississippi River--I gotta pee, and get gas

Time behind Schedule: 1 hour 40 minutes

Fifth stop: Diamond Jo Casino Riverboat on the Mississippi River--Don't ask, I just wanted to be able to say that I've gambled on a river boat casino.

Time behind Schedule: 2 hours 20 minutes

Sixth stop: Dubuque, Iowa--I took a wrong turn so I stopped at Casey's General Store for food and drink and to turn around in the right direction. And yes, to use the bathroom again.

Time behind Schedule: 2 hours 30 minutes

Seventh stop: Dyersville, Iowa. Chances are you don't recognize the place, but you'll know this, its the Field of Dreams movie site. Yep, the one with Kevin Kostner and James Earl Jones--you know what I'm talking about. You're asking yourself one question, "Why?" Well, because I could and I was passing by. It was a memorable time. I ran the bases like Kirk Gibson did when he hit the home run for the Dodgers against Dennis Eckersly and the Oakland Athletics--the arm pump--thats right. And yes, I silently made fun of the two older women wearing the shirts, "Is this Heaven?" "No, its Iowa."

Time behind Schedule: 2 hours 50 minutes

Eigth stop: Fort Dodge, Iowa: I gotta pee--again.

Time behind Schedule: 3 hours

Ninth stop--I'm finally here at 10:00pm eastern time (9:00pm central time). That means that the entire trip took me a grand total of 13 hours to complete, by far my longest trip ever to school. And yes, I learned a valuable lesson--either learn how to control my bladder or don't drink as much beverage during the trip.

What We've Learned

2005-08-27T14:14:00.000-07:00

Well, another summer has gone by and I want to take this opportunity to share with you a portion of what I and my friends have learned.

1. All Larry Brown wanted was a World Championship trophy and ring--he used the Detroit Pistons

2. Mike Tyson will first "gut you like a fish" and then "eat your children" with no remorse whatsoever.

3. Wedding services have no comparison to funeral services, no matter what the preacher says.

4. Do your best not to let the front of your wakeboard submerge under water--resluts will be very painful for days.

5. Grand Haven, Michigan over the 4th of July is a always a good time.

6. Ottawa County (where Grand Haven is located) does not sell any alcohol on Sundays, ever.

7. When riding a Sea-Doo, be careful not split your toes open on the side rail. I used to think this was impossible until this summer.

8. If you think something is impossible, let Curt have a go at it to prove you wrong (see #4 above).

9. Do not shoot Jim with an air soft gun. He will pistol-whip you, knee you in the gut and then send you to the hospital for stitches.

I'm sure we learned many other things this summer, but after all, I cannot write what I cannot remember.

2 Nights--2 Doses of Humility

2005-07-06T19:28:00.000-07:00

Its been a great couple of days since the holiday weekend ended. However, two nights in a row have resulted in a shattered sense of personal pride.

Tuesday, July 5: Kalamazoo Christian Middle School.
Our weekly basketball games at the middle school are usually pretty fun and entertaining. Lots of trash talk between the older guys and younger guys, lots of in your face jokes, yelling at each other, etc. Last night was the first time that we had a female play with us. I had been playing well most of the night, even with my severely tight quads. The last game I was feeling quite good about myself because I got to guard the female (Betsy). She was by no means a great basketball player, but she hustled and tried hard. She was definately a person I should have had no problem guarding. Betsy made two baskets all night long, just so happens that both shots were in the final game when I was guarding her. The last shot (which turned out to be the game winning shot) was also made on me. Its usually a given that whoever I guard is going to be making a lot of shots, but a girl?? Ouch.

Wednesday, July 6: Gull Lake, Richland, Michigan.
Our weekly boating trip is always a great time. Consisting of myself and a few close friends, we hit the water around 6:30 and take turns wake boarding. My first round of wake boarding went well, I successfully accomlished changing which foot I had facing forward (which can be difficult). The second round of boarding is a different story. I was skimming along the water outside of the boat's wake at approximately 20mph when I got this bright idea to try and change which foot was facing forward. The next part happens so quickly its hard to describe. Mid-switch, the front of the wake board catches the surface of the water and immediately dips under the surface (a very, very bad sign when traveling 20mph over the water). This happened so fast that my feet became separated from the boots on the wake board while still holding on to the rope. I let go of the rope as fast as I could, but could not change my fate of doing an incredible face plant into the water. I was able to turn my head to the side, which only resulted in a very painful shot to my right ear drum. After that, I was done for the night, no more.

On a more positive note, I was able to share a moment with my car. Misty May turned over 44,000 miles tonight on my way home. Each thousand mile turnover is exciting, but the fact that "Holla Back Girl" by Gwen Steffani was playing on the radio was even more of a treat.

Much Ado About Everything

2005-06-28T20:33:00.000-07:00

Well, I feel as though I have been neglecting my internet fans for quite some time now, and for that I apologize. Much has happened in the last month since my last post, I'll try and cover just the big events.

I, like this guy, also became connected to the cellular world. Like Eric, I own a Motorola, however, Nextel is my giver of instant connections to the outside world. We have enjoyed a budding relationship thus far. Her charming ring, "Jazz Ology," has brought me more joy than I can express in words.

Following the purchase of a cell phone was a double bachelor party for my brother and one of his friends. The day consisted of drinking (while golfing), drinking (while grilling), going to the beach (Lake Michigan), and drinking (while playing cards). Turned out to be a great day, partially due to the attractive female workers at the golf course.

I've also had the opportunity to go wakeboarding a couple of times. I've taken a couple hard hits, but I like to think that I've looked good while doing so. We even taped ourselves the last time, which turned out to be a great idea.

I know there is one more thing....oh yeah, my brother John was united in holy matrimony to Mary this past Saturday. It was a lovely wedding, although the temperature had to be about 130 degrees inside my tuxedo, I was still honored to participate as the best man. I also gave, what I like to call, an incredible impromptu toast at the reception. I had them laughing, crying, and almost everything in between (maybe someone who was at the reception would like to leave a comment about it???).

I continue to answer phones at work. I even hung up on 2 people yesterday, which brings my count up to 2 on hanging up on rude customers. My next big post may be about my camping trip with the guys in late July. Its something that is bound to result in at least one good story each hour.

Anywho, sorry for the long break in posts, hopefully you'll continue to be my faithful readers.

Graduation Ceremonies

2005-05-22T17:00:00.000-07:00

For the 3rd time in my life I set foot on Calvin College's campus. However, this was for a much more prestigous occasion than the normal college graduation. Yesterday I had the privelege of watching my sister graduate from Calvin Theological Seminary with a masters in Theological Studies. The ceremony itself was very well planned. However, I was distracted by the woman behind me who felt it was necessary to burp her child during Dr. Plantega's entire commencement speech.

And how could I not blog about the President of the US being there? Lawren, did I see you in the group of protestors or was I mistaken?

I have mixed feelings after hearing more stories about how things went down. Bush more or less invited himself to speak at the graduation, bumping off a well known retired professor of philosophy. Air Force One flew into Gerald Ford International Airport, the motorcade went to campus, Bush spoke and immediately left again. Now I know the President is busy, but if he invites himself to speak, wouldn't he have the respect to stay for the entire auspicious occasion? I guess I'm a little bothered by the whole ordeal.

On a more positive note, the man who was originally going to speak decided not to show up to the graduation ceremonies. Instead, he spent the afternoon in his garden. Also, my dad got to sit in the front row and got some good pictures of President Bush. I'd show them to you, but I'm not quite sure how.

A Simple Answer??

2005-05-17T18:29:00.000-07:00

88% of us enjoy this while in our kitchens?

I need an answer, here are some clues.
-it concerns the fridge
-fridge door is closed
-answer must have an adjective somewhere in the answer
-the answer "has a cousin that you may have spent some time with this weekend"

The radio host says its a very simple answer so don't look too deep. Help me out.

Rendezvous in the Cafeteria

2005-05-15T21:00:00.000-07:00

I saw him, he was sitting a couple of tables over. I knew it was him from the pictures I saw of him and his new iPod. It was the long black hair, the "chops" for sideburns, and the complete disregard for his physical appearance.

I finally met him. I first saw him bring his tray to the table where Crystal was. My heartbeat quickened, much the same way when talking to a cute girl. I waited to go over there-for the time to be right. I approached the table with shaking nerves, pulled the chair out next to him, sat down and smiled. I can still picture the moment when the light bulb went on in Eric's mind--too beautiful to describe.

We exchanged greetings and salutations with each other. We talked about schooling, friends, those California boys that I miss so much and summer plans. I expressed my regret of missing the first annual blog BBQ-maybe next summer, perhaps.

My weekend was complete. Something I've waited for nearly 6 months has finally happened. Oh, and I also hung out with some other friends at Trinity. I saw 4 movies I had never seen before, Ocean's 12, After the Sunset, Kicking and Screaming, and Eurotrip. I had many a laughs with the guys, being pommeled by Andy, playing "bags" (don't ask), playing a cruel joke on Andy, and also one on Curt and Paul. And also watching girls play mud volleyball, racing Andy in his slow VW Jetta (or Pasat-I don't really know or care).

Now its time for another rousing episode of The Family Guy and Desparate Housewives. Followed by a full week of answering telephones. I bid you farewell.

"Best Way Disposal, this is Jim."

2005-05-11T17:05:00.000-07:00

This is what I have been saying quite a bit lately. I've moved into the office at Best Way Disposal, a locally owned and operated garbage company in Kalamazoo, and become what some may call a customer service representative, others may call me a receptionist, and others may call me a secretary. I don't care what you call me, it doesn't really bother me.

Dealing with customers over the phone for the last 3 days has already peaked my interest as to what people need help with. This morning it was a gentleman who felt that the people who lived next door were putting garbage in his cart. He said he couldn't talk to them about it because it was "very unproductive" and was like starting "the alamo all over again." I didn't quite understand what he meant by this, but I had no desire to open up that can of worms.

Other than work, my summer vacation has been pretty uneventful. I've been hanging out with my parents, watching the Detroit Pistons (JT-thats professional basketball if you were wondering), and washing my car. However, plans for this weekend include visitng this guy as well as other friends at Trinity.

Schools Out For Summer

2005-05-03T17:49:00.000-07:00

Yes, the infamous Alice Cooper song is almost applicable. My last exam should finish up Wednesday at noon, and I can't wait for summer to begin.

This is also the time that teachers are handing back papers, grades and the like. Here is what I heard from my Strategic Human Resource Management instructor, J. Schreurs.

Jim,
Your presentation met all of the stated criteria: you received the full 25 points.
Your outline was well-prepared and your presentation was informational. It also was a great reference point for some of the evening's discussion.
I do want you to know that it was a privilege to have you in both of the HR classes. I appreciate your insights, wisdom, and the respect that you quietly demonstrate for your peers. I am confident that you will do well in whatever setting you find yourself called to serve and can only say that I would enjoy being your coworker.
Have a good summer. Stop in and say hello if your in the building some Tuesday night next year.
J. Schreurs

I can't say that I'll be hearing the same from my Math teacher (elementary statistics--don't be fooled, there is nothing elementary about the course).

Update
For those of you wondering how Andy is doing, here is the latest.
He decided not to pursue anything with Shannon (date to formal), Rachel (Shannon's best friend), or Lyndi (x-girlfriend). It was too late in the year to start something with Trinity girls Shannon and Rachel. And thanks to Ty De Witte's e-mail to Lyndi, Lyndi and Andy had a big fight and hopefully are no longer talking to each other.

And if you're wondering what I did on the last weekend at Dordt, I smoked the hukah, played Settlers of Catan, and started studying for exams.

Quite a predicament

2005-04-26T12:15:00.000-07:00

Ok, I've been told by more than one person that this blog has become a little lame lately. So, in an attempt to make things more interesting, I'm going to tell a tale of what is happening to a friend of mine.

Unlike someone else I know, I'm going to use real names in this story because it really adds to the hilarity of the situation.

Lets begin:
Steve finds out from Shannon that she has a crush on his roommate and friend, Andy. Steve tells Shannon that there is a possibility that something could develop between her and Andy.

Friday, April 22: Andy leaves Trinity bound for Calvin to see his x-girlfriend, Lyndi. Andy continues to "make out" with said x-girlfriend for 3 hours+ on Friday night.

Saturday, April 23: Andy takes Shannon to Trinity's "formal" that you may have heard about here. Unbeknownst to Andy, Shannon has developed a somewhat significant crush on Andy. Andy, however, has developed perhaps an unhealthy infatuation with Rachel, Shannon's best friend. I could stop right here and this story would be funny enough, but it goes on.

Lets recap, Steve knows that Shannon has a crush on Andy, Steve doesn't tell Andy because he wants things to play out because he knows it will be funny. Andy becomes enthralled with Rachel.

Moving on-Andy, in all his ingnorance, asks Shannon for Rachel's instnat messenger screenname. Shannon is starting to get the hint that she is out of Andy's picture and her best friend has taken over Andy's thoughts.

Meanwhile, Steve, Curt and Paul (all roommates of Andy) are all laughing hysterically, amused about Andy's current situation. When I called the Trinity dorm room on Monday night, Andy was not answering the telephone, fearful that it will be Shannon on the other end and he will have to talk to her and tell her what is going on.

What would you do? Keep in mind that there is an x-girlfriend (Lyndi), a girl with a crush on Andy (Shannon), and a girl that Andy has a crush on (Rachel). Feel free to offer any advice to Andy by leaving comments.

Its all about the fundamentals

2005-04-21T19:38:00.000-07:00

Now that the semester is coming to an end, professors are requiring group presentations. This doesn't really bother me when I have to give one, but when I have to sit through them, this gets under my skin.

These presentations are given by sophomores, juniors and seniors in college. Apparently, somewhere along the line, they forgot what they learned in COMM 110: Fundamentals of speaking and listening. I'm putting emphasis on the speaking.

I think its time to learn to have good posture, to use hand gestures, not to look at the screen with their backs to the class, not to read off a script, not use poor grammar...and the list goes on.

Maybe it may have been my high school speech class that taught me all of these things so well, under the guidance of Arv Wierda (hands down the best speech teacher at Kalamazoo Christian High School, ever).

More tips:
-Ladies (do any ladies read this?)-wear your hair pulled back, nothing is more distracting than when you have to move brush your hair back with your hands.

-Guys (do any guys read this?)-stand on both feet-don't lean, wear nice clothes, don't use filler words (the most popular being "umm")

-Most of all, be confident, no one wants to listen to a shy person try and tell us something, command the attention of the class!!

Flying

2005-04-17T12:52:00.000-07:00

On Friday I had the opportunity to do something very exciting. One of the business professors at Dordt owns his own airplane, and occasionally takes members of the Flight Club with him when he goes flying. I was fortunate enough to be one of those lucky students. We got to the airfield (a short paved runway with adjacent hangars) and started the usual pre-flight routine. When it was time to finally get going I was very excited.

Bernie (the professor) and TJ Lagastee (my brother's future brother-in-law) were in the front, and my roommate Brian and I were in the back of a small, 4-seater airplane. We took off, headed towards Sioux Center and flew mainly around the area for a while, then we headed back to the airfield. After we had landed, Bernie asked if I would like to come up front, and I knew I didn't want to pass this opportunity up. TJ and I switched seats and we took off again. As we leveled off and started cruising at 180mph, Bernie handed the controls over to me!!! It was indescribable how much fun I was having. I was actually flying an airplane, something I had never done before and it was awesome. I flew over Sioux Center, and then towards Orange City, and eventually back to the airfield. Even though it was only for a little while, it was still very thrilling and if given the opportunity, I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Too busy to blog?

2005-04-13T19:30:00.000-07:00

Yeah, that's right. I am (or was) too busy to blog yesterday on poetry day, although my "engi-nerd" roommates would disagree.

As for poetry day, I'm not so sure that I would have had anything to contribute that would top Eric's Soap Haiku and Aaron's You kiss me, You diss me. I'm not one to express my feelings in prose form.

"Well Jim, if you're too busy to blog, what have you been doing then?"

Good question.

I don't really know, the mixture of homework, studying for tests, group work, lifting weights (that's right), running, playing basketball, going on a date (yep-a date with a girl), and working has managed to consume most of my time.

"Gee, Jim, you should take some time to relax."

Yes, indeed I shall. I have plans to go golfing tomorrow afternoon. First time this spring, not using my own clubs--will make for an interesting outing. If I was only going up against the guys from Trinity I know I would win. However, I'm golfing with a member of Dordt's golf team, won't be as easy.

All in all, this should be a pleasant ending to the week after my two brutal tests today. But I felt better after I ran, so much so that I hopped in my car to see how long it was, nearly 3.8 miles, and I probably could have gone farther (or further?).

Well, I'm done boasting about personal accomplishments and am getting ready for a walk over to the All Seasons Center-Destination Fun!!! for a dip in the hot tub.

I got carded...but not for alcohol or tobacco

2005-03-30T19:43:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday afternoon, while enjoying Assessment Day without any classes, I decided to venture over to Wal-Mart to stock up on deodorant, Orbitz chewing gum, and to purchase a new movie (I was in a spending mood).

I browsed through a surprisingly extensive section. Not willing to spend $19 on a recent release, I meandered over to the cheaper section. I found many possible movies to buy, including Starsky and Hutch, The Notebook, Friday Night Lights, Bad Boys II, etc. Having visited Trinity a couple weeks ago, there were two particular movies that I had in mind. Austin Powers in Goldmember and Super Troopers.

It was a tough call, and being as Dutch as I am, I decided to buy only one of them. However, one might think that Goldmember's Dutch heritage would cause me to buy Goldmember, but too many things came to me while holding Super Troopers.

"It stinks like sex in here."

"And thats the second time I got crabs."

"I'm sorry, Bruce. These boys get that syrup in 'em, they get all antsy in their pantsy."

"Candy-bars!"

Ursula: Drop your coat and grab your toes.
Foster: What?
Ursula: I'm gonna show you where the wild goos goes.
Foster: Uh, this isn't happening. I'm a police officer. Ursula, help.
Ursula: Baby, I'm gonna butter your bread. [Foster turns, sees Ursula is "holding him up"]
Ursula: [still talking into the voice filter] You don't have these at your station?
Foster: I don't suppose you have a fresh pair of underwear I can borrow?

As you can see, these were too good to put back on the shelf. So, movie, deodorant and gum in hand, I walked up front to the cash register. The woman politely asked the same question she asks every single customer,
"Did you find what you were looking for?"
And I politely answered back, "I did, thank you."
She scanned my first two items. Then, with movie in hand, she asked for me my ID. This marks the one and only time that I have ever been carded while trying to buy an R-rated movie. A little dumbfounded, I handed her my driver's license. For some reason she had to repeat aloud what year I was born, "1983, ok." As if the math was too difficult to perform mentally, who really knows.

While walking back to my car, I couldn't help but think about my situation. Legally (which no one really enforces, or so I thought), a person had to be 17 years old to see, buy or rent an R-rated movie. I wonder what this woman was thinking when she assumed that I was still 16 years old or younger. I thought my 2-day growth of stubble (which is still peach fuzz) would be enough for people to see that I am old enough to buy such a movie. I guess not.

Hookah

2005-03-23T20:00:00.000-08:00

It has come to my attention that not all readers of my blog know what a hookah is. Check out this picture to understand a little more (and this one of a friend "taking a hit"). While browsing google for this image, I also found this fellow blogger who posted about smoking the hookah. I found the story to be quite insightful and it may do the same for you.

The Glass Onion, Crack Houses & the Brothers' Nightclub

2005-03-18T18:00:00.001-08:00

Well, much has been happening in southwest Michigan over spring break.

Having gained an interest in "smoking the hookah" since being at Dordt, I decided to search through the phone book for a place that might have such a contraption. Well, I found one. The Glass Onion. I don't know where they get the name from, perhaps its some hippie lingo about a special bong, whatever.

Anyway, my visit to the Glass Onion was quite interesting. The building used to be a house, transformed into a shop on a busy street. I walk in the door (enclosed porch) and smell something that has never penetrated the boundaries of my nostrils before. Now, I've never been around someone smoking pot, but if I had to guess what it smelled like, it would be the aroma that hit me when I entered. It smelled like a mixture of many different, peciuliar things, too dificult to explain.

I then walked through a doorway into the main shop area (a former den/living room). On the left is a glass counter, a cash register and a young gal (mid 20's) who was conversing with a female customer. What this female customer was doing is what got my attention. Having seen people take drugs in movies is the image that popped into my head when I saw her smoking something (I didn't get a good look at it, didn't want to stare). I consider myself somewhat knowledgable on this topic having seen the movie Requiem for a Dream.

I looked around for a little while. The Glass Onion has in stock some very interesting items. Hackie-Sacks, posters (Hendrix, Pink Floyd, Marley, etc.), records, bandanas, braiding material, hippie-ponchos, black lights, smoking aparatuses (is that spelled right?), etc. And yes, there were hookahs for sale in the Glass Onion. Ranging in styles from the basic, costing $85, to a hand-blown hookah, costing over $200. I'm not really an expert on hookahs, but does a hand-blown hookah perform better? I don't know, and frankly, I don't care.

Needless to say I exited the establishment before the police knocked down the door and came rushing in...as they did in the Crack house not too far from where I sit at this very moment.

Earlier this week, the Kalamazoo Valley Enforcement Team arrested 3 men in a cocaine bust. Apparently, drug activity resumed less than 24 hours later in the same house. When will people learn?

And my personal favorite...The Brothers' Nightclub. No, not a night club for African Americans, but a night club that is "gay oriented." Well, in Thursday's newspaper, I read that said nightclub had $75,000 is damages because of a fire the previous night. I couldn't help but laugh for more than one reason. First, I didn't know Kalamazoo had a gay night club. And second, I'm sure that a gay nightclub doesn't just erupt in a blaze of glory unless there is some external assistance. Owner Cevin Armentrout (is that a real name or alias?) appeared to be quite disgruntled from the look of his picture in the paper.

The latest news is that the "nightclub fire suspicious, officials say." I'm no expert, but I have seen the movie Backdraft before, and I would say this fire was no accident. Heck, if I had known about the club, this probably would have happened sooner (wink, wink). And if you think what I just said was bad, wait til you hear what someone said today at work. I'll paraphrase..."Its too bad the fire didn't happen on the weekend when it would have had more people inside." Are you as astonished as me?

Well, I got to admit, my spring break at home was not as boring and mundane as I thought it would be. Events like these don't happen too often, but when they do, I feel the need to share my delight with my blogger friends. So, read them, consume them, and enjoy them.

My Inter-racial Interaction

2005-03-17T19:25:00.000-08:00

Tonight I decided to go to the mall and buy myself a pair of shoes. A fairly normal thing to do, except on St. Patrick's Day.

While all of the caucaisians were filling the local pubs and restaurants to celebrate some day that encourages alcohol consumption, the African Americans decided to leave the north side and venture out to the Crossroads Mall (no, it is not named after Britney Spears' movie).

As I entered the Finish Line store where I was looking at shoes, I couldn't help but notice the large gathering of my 'brothers' around the shoe department. My first thought was, "Its a good thing I'm one of theirs, some white boy might feel out of place in this situation."

Anywho, after meandering around looking for a studly pair of shoes, I walked by a fellow talking with a heavy Kenyan accent. He spoke in broken ebonics to me,
"I really like your country."
My perceptive skills told me he was joking, so I asked,
"Oh yeah, where are you from?"
Hindsight says this was a stupid question, one that could easily be answered. His response, "Africa" (at which point some other 'brothers' and 'sisters' started laughing).
Granted, I walked into that one, but it was it was still a good one.

Moments later, another 'brother' noticed my Dordt College Basketball attire. He asked if I played basketball (a stupid question considering my clothes). However, I didn't want to offend my own kind, so I answered politely. This developed into a conversation saying how he could "do me" on the court. And by "do me" I hope he means that he could "beat me", and by "beat me" I hope he means he would "school me".

All in all, the gangs from the northside were having a good time, as was I. It felt good to share some time with my 'brothers', if you know what I mean.

And if you're wondering whether or not I bought shoes...I did. Nothing special, just a regular pair of shoes (on sale of course)

#1?

2005-03-17T18:59:00.000-08:00

I just finished watching a show on VH1. You may have seen it, or something like it. "The 100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders." I only saw the last 5-6 songs, but I was reminded of some old time classics that I will probably never forget.

Go ahead and take a minute to think of some songs that you think should be in the top 5.

Ok, here is the top 6 one hit wonders. Are you ready to re-live some good times???
#6: "Who Let the Dogs Out" by the Baha Men

#5: "Mickey" by Tony Basil

#4: "I'm Too Sexy" by Right Said Fred

#3: "Come On Eileen" by Dexy's Midnight Runners

#2: "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell

#1: "The Macarena" by Los Del Rio

Wow, talk about some great songs. I could probably sing along word-for-word if any of these songs came on the radio tonight.

If you know what goes on in F5, you may be wondering where some other songs finished on the 1-hit wonders list.

#7: "Ice, Ice, Baby" by Vanilla Ice

#9: "Rico Suave" by Gerardo

#12: "Baby Got Back" by Sir Mix-A-Lot

#22: "Play that Funky Music" by Wild Cherry

Unfortunately, such other classics like "Summer Girls" by LFO was not on the list. I really think it should have been, because I can't think of another song they had. Also, as far as I'm concerned, Britney Spears' only hit is "Baby One More Time." Also, not on the list. And another song I heard last week that I haven't heard since high school, "No Pigeons" by Sporty Thievz.

Spring Break-2005

2005-03-07T21:06:00.000-08:00

Destination(s): Point Lookout, Missouri. Palos Heights, Illinois. Portage, Michigan.

Point Lookout, MO: Why? To watch the TCC trolls play in the national tournament for mens basektball.

Palos Heights, IL: Trinity Christian College to visit friends. Among them, Curtis De Vries, Paul Drucker, Andy Borozan, Steve Vander Ploeg, Ty De Witte, Jennifer Westrate and Eric Chapell.

Portage, MI: Home to see Mom and Dad, brother Joe, sister Chris, and other assorted church members, etc.

Some of you may be asking, "Are you doing all this alone?" Well, not entirely. I will be accompanied by Misty May (known as my 2002 Grand Prix GT). She is silver with chrome rims and she looks mighty good. I am also looking forward to this journey because one of my favorite bloggers let me use his computer to burn a multitude of CD's this past weekend.
All in all, this trip will be my first trip (other than trips to Dordt and back) where I'm on the open road with no real clue of where I'm going, but I'll keep my atlas and my cooler of Mt. Dew by my side, along with my pimpin' sunglasses and sunflower seeds.

This may be my last post until I make it home, hopefully by next weekend. Try not to worry too much about me, I can take care of myself.

I'm growing up, but am I ready?

2005-02-28T21:00:00.000-08:00

Earlier this evening I'm fairly certain that I intimidated a fellow student here at Dordt College. This caused me to ask myself, am I growing up and becoming an adult, someone who no longer has characteristics of a student, but characteristics of a "grown up"?

My answer-I sure hope not.
Reality's answer-yep.

My answer: I don't think that I'm ready to become an adult, one who has to make life-changing decisions and be responsible 100% of the time. A part of me longs for the days when it was my parents who had to take responsibility for me. Am I ready to make the transition into adulthood? Am I prepared to begin calling other adults in my church by their first name? Am I ready to join the ranks of society as an adult and not just a kid? No, I'm not ready!

Reality's answer: Jim, you're 21 years old and a junior in college, its time that you start acting like it.

But I don't want to. I want to be able to tee-pee someone's house and have people say, "Those darned kids" instead of "Will that man ever mature?"

Now, returning to the terrified student that I had a run-in with. Well, its one of those situations where its half-way through the second semester and you see someone for the first time. I'm assuming that he was a freshman, and I'm hoping that there were other determinants that frightened him. Perhaps it was my stature, 6'5", 205 pounds with a thick upper chest, wide shoulders and overall broad frame, that sent this boy clearing a path for me. Or perhaps it was the fact that I was wearing Dordt College basketball paraphernalia and he knew not to cause any problems with basketball players because of who we roll with. Any of these could have caused this fella to choose an alternate route, but I still came away from this experience with the realization that I am no longer the baby of the family, but instead the last child to become an adult.

An Answer to a familiar question

2005-02-23T18:29:00.000-08:00

"Jim, what happened? The basketball team did so well the first semester, why the downfall during the second semester?"

How do I begin to explain my answer to some people who don't really pay much attention to sports?

Let me divulge into a complex answer, do your best to stay with me.

The basketball season started in early November, for a group of 14 guys to work together immediately can be difficult. However, we were able to fight through said difficulties for the first semester. We left for Christmas break with a 8-2 record, including a huge victory at our rival Northwestern.

Second semester was a completely different story. Arriving back at Dordt in late Demember, we began the longer half of the season, 16 games in less than two months. It was upon our return to the academic year that our team began to show signs of decline. Perhaps the biggest reason is the ability to mesh together. We were able to accomplish this task early in the year when other teams were struggling. When the other teams began to play with each other, they became stronger than teams that were unable to play as a unit.

To answer the question I've heard quite often, the simple answer would be our team's ability to work as a whole rather than individual parts.

Disappointing. This word is an understatement to me. Working together since September and having our season end the way it did is disappointing multiplied by the number CRC churches in Grand Rapids (lots).

However, the whole season was not disappointing. We had our fair share of euphoric events. Beating Northwestern, being ranked 15th in the nation in NAIA div. II, being called the "Cardiac Kids" by Mike Byker after two consecutive 1-point victories, and finding out that the Trinity Christian College Trolls will be traveling to Sioux Center next Thanksgivng to take on the Defender basketball team.

As yet another season comes to a close, I can't help but imagine what I'll do with all of my free time. Maybe become an excellent blogger like this person? Who really knows?

My first time...how good will it be?

2005-02-21T21:13:00.000-08:00

I consider myself a man that does not follow societal trends, yet blogs have been calling my name for quite some time. I have gotten to know a score (or half a score, or half of a half of score) of interesting persons and have thus far been quite pleased. I have made the executive decision to branch out and expose myself (not literally) to other bloggers.
I've been informed that the first time can be awkward, but I hope that this first blog will not be like the others.
So, to avoid any further embarrasing comments, I'll explain my title.

Trepidations-there is a story behind this one. Senior year in high school, we had just beaten a team comprised of African Americans in a semi-final basketball game that we weren't supposed to win. Yours truly scored 26 points, as well as the go-ahead basket with about 15 seconds remaining in the game.
Following the game we were rushed into a nearby press room where my coach, Steve Vander Ploeg, Greg Mejeur and I were interviewed about the game. One certain reporter, who shall remain nameless, (because I don't know his name) said something like,
"Jim, did you have any trepidations about taking the last shot to give you the lead over Detroit Rogers?"
Up to this point I had always thought of myself as educated and sophisticated, but right there in the press room my life came to a screeching halt. I kept my compusre, and spoke into the microphone, "Trepidations???"
At which point my coach chimed in, "You'll have to keep it to 2 sylables or less for these guys."
Gee, thanks a lot coach, way to look out for me. Anywho, the reporter rephrased the question and I answered it in simple words even an educated chimpanzee could understand.

Ambitions-goals and/or aspirations of mine, short term (who is the lucky lady tonight?) and long term (who is the lucky lady tomorrow night?). As mentioned earlier, I consider my intellect to be second-to-none, which is why I like to use euphasims to intimidate others, which is where ambitions come from.

Opinions-when I typed this word in a Word document, nothing really cool came up when I clicked on synonyms, so thats why I chose "opinions."
My close friends will attest to the fact that I have a low tolerance for stupid people. You can be sure that you will see many posts discussing recent events concerning morons, especially at Dordt where they come out of the woodwork in full force.

Well, my first time is over, how good was it? I hope that your first time reading this will be as memorable as it was for me to write it.