Thursday, March 24, 2005

So I actually went out and bought ingredients today. I mean, we've always had food in our apartment, but it was always either sandwich supplies, frozen foods, chips, or things of that nature. I mean I bought ingredients. Flour. Sugar. Eggs. Adams Extract. I've now gone almost a year without these things, and to be honest I wouldn't have ever cared if Nate and I hadn't suddenly decided to bake a Mississippi Mud cake. So now I've got all of these baking supplies. Hooray.

And now that I've been in school for a week since spring break, Easter is now here. Again, I say hooray.

Saturday, March 19, 2005

2337.4 miles traversed
133.2 gallons of gasoline
5 significant wipeouts
15 Red Bulls
1 Chincicle
20 usable photos
17 wonderful hours in the Dallas suburbs

I'm sure there's other things I could put... but I'll just stop here and say it was a great trip. Time for bed.

Monday, March 14, 2005

Today was... short.

I received my wake up call, as usual, at 6:00am. Normally, while I am here, I would hop out of my large motel bed and hop into the shower, ready to start my long day of snowboarding, but on this particular day I felt like doing something different. I thought, "I'm still sleepy... and I'm on vacation. Why would I deprive myself of sleep when I am totally within my rights to get an extra few hours? The mountain will still be there at noon."

So I stayed in bed. Until ten. And it was good.

I got up to the mountain and bought a half-day's ticket around about noon, and in the course of ten minutes ran into every single person I knew on the moutain. Daniel Cook, his girlfriend, the Worthleys and their crew, the Chaloners... everybody. It was crazy.

The weather wasn't as nice today, but that's okay. It was snowing, and that meant fresh powder... kind of. There were two inches of powder, and immediately under that was the same sheet of ice I spent yesterday trying to scrape my way across. But it was still a pretty fun day, and tomorrow promises to bring more of the same.

Also, Valentine's Day was exactly a month ago today. And that means I have a phone call to make. G'night, everybody.

Sunday, March 13, 2005

[edit: Nov 23, 2010: don't read this, it's just a really boring story. I tried reading it and couldn't figure out why I had even typed it.]


Well, I am absolutely in love with Colorado all over again.

There is snow on the ground. Right over there. I could go over there right now, make a snowball, and throw it at somebody. I can take a picture of the mountains at sunset. I can WATCH THE SUN SET IN THE MOUNTAINS. But most importantly, more amazing than all of these things, I went snowboarding today. And as has always been the case, I had the time of my life.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

The story of my trip to Colorado begins on Friday afternoon, with lunch. Michelle and I had made plans to have lunch together before we both left for our respective spring break destinations, hers being home and mine being the mountains. We had some excellent Quizo's, after which she helped me load my car. Not one to be outdone, I then helped her load her car. We had some time to spare, so we walked over to Starbucks in the Garage Mahal and I had my first ever Izze (ih-zee) fruit drink. Very tasty.

So anyway, we walked back to where both of us were parked, said our goodbyes and left for wherever it is the roads were meant to take us. I was supposed to stop in Hinton for a game night with a bunch of people I haven't seen in over a year (some of them longer), but when I got there Nate let me know that the game night had taken place the night before. This frustrated me greatly, as it added a very significant amount of time onto my trip, but in the end I wound up enjoying the night regardless. *shrugs* I dunno. I stayed on Nate's couch and slept better than I have in weeks, knowing that soon I would be Pagosa-bound.

And I was right. The next morning I woke up at 7:45 and talked to Nate's dad about the remodeling job they're doing on their house. After about ten minutes of this, I decided it was time to go; so I made some hot tea (at Mark's invitation), fixed myself up a bit, and I was on the road by 8:30am central standard time.

I was making some seriously good time, having only stopped once in between Hinton and Amarillo and showing no signs of needing to stop until New Mexico, when on the outskirts of Amarillo I passed Daniel Cook, fellow snowboarder and Baylor student. I knew Daniel was also bound for Wolf Creek. I waved to acknowledge the significance and coincedence of the situation, then promptly sped away towards my goal.

In about five minutes, he called and asked if I was stopping anywhere anytime soon, and I figured I might as well stop and say hello if they were stopping soon. Long story short, I ended up joining their caravan and taking on one of their passengers for the rest of the trip. 'Twas a fun trip, but I'm not a very chatty person when I drive, so I'm sure my passenger thought I was some kind of non-talkative creep or something. We got into Pagosa Springs around about 7:00 mountain time. Dang good time, if you ask me, and since you're reading this blog I highly suspect you might have asked me. Don't question me; I make the rules here.

Juan's Mountain Sports opened at 7:30 this morning, walked in, rented some boots, and headed for the mountain. I got in about four or five really great runs before I ran into the Chaloner family at the bottom of the lift. I spent the better part of the day alternating between running with them and breaking off by myself into the trees or just moving at a really fast pace. However, my poor, weak, out of shape body was not prepared for such a thing and now my legs are incredibly sore. Ow. I only went until 3:45 today, since this was my first day back and I've got four more. Don't want to wear myself out needlessly, because that would suck.

So I came back down the mountain, changed clothes, went back to Juan's to buy socks (yes... socks), and then sat outside of this internet cafe in order to hijack their wireless internet connection, which was easy because they seem to not mind people doing that.

So I don't take very many pictures when I go on trips, but regardless here's a link to a page I had iPhoto make for me because I am lazy. They are, for some reason, in reverse chronological order.

Link:
Trip Photos

Friday, March 11, 2005

I am leaving.

Today.

For snowboarding.

I'm goin' nuts.

Thursday, March 10, 2005

[Spell your name backwards] kcamrac leahcim nhoj
[The story behind your screen name] johnmcarmack = my parents liked it
[What school do you go to?] Baylor University
[4 words to sum you up] charming, sophisticated, secret agent, full of crap (too many words)
[do you believe in love] Yeah.
[do you believe in soul mates] Not really, no.
[do you believe in love at first sight] Not so much.
[do you believe in forgivness] Not for you. Not unless you wash my car.
[if you could have any animal as a pet] Emu.
[what are 3 cities you wouldn't mind re-locating to?] Pagosa Springs, CO; Oklahoma City, OK; Omaha, NE
[whats something you wish you could understand better] Surveys.

In the Last 24 hours have you:
[cried] No.
[bought something] No. (for real... I love Hinton)
[gotten sick] No.
[slept] Yes.
[been kissed] No.
[felt stupid] Yeah.
[wanted to tell someone you love them but didnt] No.
[met someone new] Yes.
[talked to someone you have a crush on] No.
[hugged someone] Yes?
[fought with your parents] No.
[dreamed of someone you couldnt be with] Nope.

Social Life:
[friends] Many.
[b/f or g/f] Not really... I think.
[hobbies] Hot Dog vending, Mini Cooper hauling, money counting, etc.
[center of attention] I do not require that I be the center of attention, but I also refuse to be ignored. If I sense that I am being ignored, I will leave.
[would you rather be with your friends or on a date] Depends on the friends, depends on the date, and it depends when I saw who last. All things being equal, I'd probably rather be on a date.

Who:
[have you known the Longest] My parents.
[who do you always get along with] Nobody. You can get tired of anybody.
[makes you laugh the most] My conscience. Silly conscience.
[is the best dancer] Sarah Divelbiss
[does the stupidest stuff alone] Me.
[does the stupidest stuff with you] Nate.

Personal:
[who is your role model?]  You know, I guess it's my dad. How corny.
[have you cried over the opposite sex] Yeah.
[ever liked your best guy/ girl friend?]  Certainly not.
[do you want to get married] Yes.
[do you want kids] Two of them.
[do you believe you know the person you will marry?] Crap, I don't know. I gave up on trying to guess that one a long time ago.
[are you happy with you] Yeah.
[are you happy with your Life] Well, it's the only one I've got.

Tuesday, March 8, 2005

* my father thinks i am: Overworked and undermotivated
* my mother thinks i am: Couldn't tell you. Probably thinks I'm a jerk.
* my siblings think i am: Cool... I think. To be honest, I got no idea.
* my grandma thinks i am: She's not doing much thinking these days.
* my grandpa thinks i am: See previous.
* my boyfriend/girlfriend thinks i am: Distracting ;)
* my best friends thinks i am: Crap, I don't know.

* your three best qualities: Musical aptitude, friendly and outgoing personality, and something else nice
* three worst qualities: Tendency to procrastinate, I get very impatient with others when I start to get stressed, and an inability to respond to alarm clocks.
* three things you are often complimented for: Eye color, voice, and willingness to take on more and more work (although this is usually followed up by confusion at why said work isn't done yet)
* you get embarrassed when: I perform and it's obvious that I didn't prepare.
* makes you happy: Playing my guitar. It's cheesy, I know, but I can't be angry while I'm doing it.
* upsets you: Being in a discussion where it's obvious my input is being ignored.



yes or no:
* you keep a diary: If a blog counts, then I suppose I do.
* you like to cook: Yes, but that doesn't necessarily mean I'm good at it.
* you have a secret you have not shared with anyone: Probably not. Not on purpose, anyhow.
* you fold your underwear: Yeah.
* you talk in your sleep: Don't think so.
* you set your watch a few minutes ahead: No.
* you bite your fingernails: Yep.
* you believe in love: Yep.



last:

* movie you rented: So I Married an Axe Murderer
* movie you bought: The Shawshank Redemption
* song you listened to: "Blood on the Coal" by the Folksmen (from A Mighty Wind)
* song you've downloaded: There Is No Rose of Such Virtue
* CD you bought: Damien Rice - O
* CD you listened to: The Lime CD by David Crowder Band
* person you've called: Nate
* person that's called you: Dad
* TV show you've watched: Freaks and Geeks
* person you were thinking of: Tall brunette bassoon player from the Dallas area. The name escapes me.



do:

* you wish you could live somewhere else: Complicated question disguised as a simple one. I want to live in lots of places. As for where I want to settle down eventually, there's pretty much no telling.
* you believe in online dating: Oh, I believe in it... it's real enough, after all. I'm not a fan of it, and I don't recommend it, but it's definitely there.
* others find you attractive: Some do, some don't. I don't think about it that much, honestly.
* you want more piercings: Nah.
* you want more tattoos: Not really. Five is enough.
(note: kidding. I only have four.)
(note: seriously, do you know me?)
* you drink: On occasion.
* you do drugs: Nah.
* you smoke: Nope.
* you like cleaning: While I'm doing it, yes. When I'm about to do it... hell no.
* you like roller coasters: Oh yes.
* you write in cursive or print: Print
* you carry a donor card: I have the little box checked on my license.

for or against:

* long distance relationships: I think they are tough, but i think that if the people care about each other enough, it can work out. I can tell you that I don't plan to do it again, and that I don't recommend it, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.
* using someone: Not a fan of it.
* suicide: Well, if I was for it, I probably wouldn't be writing this, would I?
* killing people: Okay, seriously, has anybody ever put "for" here? C'mon, now.
* teenage smoking: *shakes head* Smoking in general just isn't that smart. The occasional cigar, fine... but seriously. Bah.
* doing drugs: First off, I've never had drugs of any sort. Second, it would depend entirely on the drugs involved... I'm of the mindset that what people can do whatever they want to do as long as they don't put others in danger while they're doing it. If you want to fry your own noggin, be my guest. I just won't be doing it myself.
* premarital sex: Hmmm... again, complicated.
* driving drunk: Against.
* gay/lesbian relationships: Wow. Let's make some more things black and white, shall we? I'll say that I'm not necessarily in favor, but then I don't see how it's any worse than some of the stuff your average evangelical doesn't so much as bat an eye towards.
* soap operas: Against.

favorite:

* food: Italian in general.
* song: Whatever I'm learning on guitar at the moment.
* thing to do: Make a girl smile
* thing to talk about: A variety. No one topic really jumps out at me.
* sports: Table tennis
* drinks: Dr. Pepper, really good water, and the very occassional Smirnoff Twisted Raspberry. And yes, I know that's a "woman drink," but I like it. So leave my pansy drink alone.
* clothes: Jeans, converse shoes and a t-shirt. Although I do enjoy putting on the ol' slacks and dress shirt every once in awhile just for the heck of it.
* movies: Eternal Sunshine, Saved, lots and lots more
* band: Brave Saint Saturn (or Five Iron Frenzy)
* holiday: spring break... snowboarding...
* car: 2000 Ford Explorer

have you:

* ever cried over a boy/girl: ...yeah......
* ever lied to someone: Yes.
* ever been in a fist fight: Not in a very, very long time.
* ever been arrested: Nah.


what:

* shampoo do you use: Herbal Essences. I am machismo incarnate.
* perfume do you use: COLOGNE. Polo Sport by Ralph Lauren.
* shoes do you wear: Converse All-Stars... many colors
* are you scared of: Boredom

number:

* of times i have been in love: To date, for real... once.
* of times i have had my heart broken: Thrice.
* of hearts i have broken: Four.
* of people i've slept with: Holy crap.
* of people i consider my enemies: None.
* of people from high school that i stayed in contact with: Um... five? However many there are at Baylor.
* of CDs that i own: According to iTunes, 413. But those aren't actual CDs... just MP3s for the most part.
* of times my name has appeared in the newspaper: At Baylor, probably seven or eight. In Hinton, every week from the time I was born until sometime into my freshman year at Baylor.
* of things in my past that I regret: The latter half of June 2003... could have saved myself and some other folks a ton of hurt if I'd been smarter.

current mood: Mellow
current music: Delicate by Damien Rice

Monday, March 7, 2005

Holy crap, 2:00pm on Friday cannot get here soon enough. After the longest year ever, I'm finally going snowboarding again. I don't know if it can beat last year when I just decided at the last minute to go by myself, because that was about the coolest thing I think I've ever done. As far as true spontaniety goes, I have yet to top that trip.

But regardless, I'm stoked.

Saturday, March 5, 2005

Well, it's all over. I've trained my pledges, and they all made it out alive. All that remains is initiation.

Congratulations, guys.

Listening to - the sound of my own typing. Soon I will be listening to my pillow.

Wednesday, March 2, 2005

I WOKE UP FOR CLASS! ON PURPOSE! WHEN I HAD PLANNED TO!

No snooze bar for this guy, no sir. You see, I discovered last night that I could use my iPod as an alarm clock. And so, by setting the iPod up to play a playlist of really good "wake up" songs, I was able to actually motivate myself to climb out of the futon and get the day started. This is beautiful; simply beautiful.

There's more to be said here, but I gotta go.

Currently listening to - Amplify by Roper