I was sitting down on the sofa, gazing out over the carnage hemorrhaging throughout our apartment getting ready for round two of our packing marathon. In the midst of my early morning stupor, I was watching the end of Cocktail, and half listening to Misti's conversation with her sister over the phone. Actually, it would have been difficult to not listen to misti's conversation since she turned the volume on the TV down to that particular level that allows you to hear every 10th word said. Just enough to have no clue of the dialogue of the movie. Fortunately, the movie was predictable so figuring out the dialogue wasn't that big of a problem. Out of no I started singing "Ain't no-body dope as me, I'm just so fresh and clean... so fresh and so clean clean..." This seemed strange since I haven't had anything to do with that song in the last 2 years. Amazing what you can remember when given the boredom of a new day moving.

In unrelated news...

Things I will not miss about Skokie:

10. being greated with a new and unwanted scrape scratch or dent in any number of places on my car.

9. walking up to our storage unit and seeing the Latin kings tag on the front door.

8. hearing sirens at 3 am.... every night at 3 am.

7. walking up the stairs to our apartment with no lighting because the stairway lights are constantly burnt out.

6. Hearing Jazel yelling at her husband all day long, for appearently no reason at all.

5. being afraid to walk up the back steps because there may actually be a rat gorging itself on the dilectable (and probably rotten) food our downstairs neighbors keep on their porch.

4. a serious BBQ deficiency

3. 700 dollars/month for a one bedroom apartment with no ac (and that was a steal)

2. our sidewalk not shoveled all winter giving us the distinct joy of trudging through knee high snow.

1. who on earth wants to live in a city named SKOKIE!!? Really, what kind of name is that?

To this cities credit there are a great many things that I like about our apartment and skokie itself. But, that being said, I will not be sad to leave and go back to the south where the three F's await me... good Friends, good Family, Great FOOD!!!

Love of a good zepplin cover...

I don't know if I've ever mentioned this, but I love a good Zepplin cover. Man!! What an awesome thing it is to feel the soundwaves course through your body as the drummer hammers the skins, and the lead guitarist shreds my face off. Even if Robert Plant's vocals aren't as superior as they once were, that music has something to it that is just timeless!

Anyway, I don't know what to do with myself now that I'm done with School. I've got to figure this out though. Starting yesterday, I've decided I want to do some reading for the next month. When I move to greenville I"m going to start a new series of Goals to accomplish. If I don't I'm afraid I'll waste all my time there and really be ticked off at myself when it's all said and done. In the meanwhile, I want to catch up on the reading of a few books I've been fawning over for some time:
1. The Sound and the Fury.
2. Angels and Demons
3. A biography on any artist from the Turn of the Century
4. A political Biography that won't put me to sleep
5. A biography about the Highlands of SC or the Appalachians
(if anyone has any suggestions regarding 3-5 please let me know.)

A special thanks goes out to Boone and Joel for what I am about to write. Hearing boone tell me that he makes out a list of goals for the year then actually does them was very shocking to me for some reason. Not so much that he does it but that he actually plans on following through with them - and does follow through! Also, thanks to Joel who gets the award for shear persistence in the face of such resistant odds. I swear, he has resolved to make new habits for working out at least 6 times since January! Sure he's failed 6 times as well, but the man is relentless, and still keeps pressing on! There's definitely something to be said for that kind of resolve. With that as my inspiration I'm making a beginner's list of Goals I want to acheive by the end of the Summer (aug. o8). Hopefully, this list will only be the beginning of a wonderful new season of my life. Without any further adieu:

1. complete at least 1 Painting every week
2. Sell (for a profit) my paintings. (at least 3)
3. Learn a language well enough to understand it.
4. Learn to type well. (60 wpm)
5. Run all the way up Chimney Rock without stopping
6. Run a marathon - (suggestions requested)
6b. qualify for boston
7. Hike the West Coast Trail - (anyone interested can make requests now.)
8. Watch my Boys graduate High School
9. Read the whole Bible twice over (cover to cover)
10. Learn how to use a camera (take a class)
11. Meet Billy Graham (Any suggestions on how to accomplish this feat would be appreciated)

I welcome any suggestions, though there's no guarantee I'll agree with you. I'm excited to enjoy what this next year has in store, and how the Lord is going to make me into the man that he created me to become. Anyway, that's my resolution. I guess now is as good a time as any!

Listening to the Shins never sounded so Good. I just finished the paper. I'm now done. Literally... there is nothing left for me to do. It may not seem like much to most of the world, but I have to rejoice over a job accomplished... even if I don't accomplish it well. I haven't had the best rep for following through, and every new time I do it, I'm one step closer to real, persistent change.

This is actually made a little more special by the fact that this is the very last thing I will do for school after nearly 10 years of higher education and 12 years before that! After 22 years of schooling, the World better be ready for me, because here I come.

PS: The world doesn't stand a chance!!!

By the way, DCB is playing Rescue is Coming on the Itunes and it's exciting! Think about it... one day (maybe soon, Maybe not) when we need him most. When the world looks as bleek as could be, our rescue will come. Not sneaking around like a spy in a foriegn land but as a conquering warrior Robed in white and riding triumphantly to the battle with his legion of Godly warriors and angels behind him charging the enemies ranks - smashing the enemy and all his minions to bits - turning the laughter into absolute dismay!!! Praise God for his overwhelming Love of his People!

I just watched Garden State with Misti. Actually, I should amend that last statement - I watched the first 45 seconds of Garden State with Misti. I don't think she actually made any further than that. I thought the movie was slow at first but picked up in the end sufficiently to merit my time usage. Anyway, after the movie was over I passed gas, and I must admit I'm quite proud. I seriously had one of the longest farts of all time. It was at least 35 seconds long. I nearly ran out of breath towards the end but convinced myself to just tough it out and take hold of history. I'm glad I did.

In other news, I've got one paper to finish before I'm totally done with School and I'm about 2/3 of the way done. I promised mist that it would be turned in by the end of the night, and not being one to welch on my promises, I must bid a fond adieu and commence with the last word study I will ever turn into a professor. TTFN

By the way, I think I may tackle Camera/movie art - ie. creative video journaling in my next place of residence. Maybe put that nice camera to the test.