things I love...

have grown on me.
They're the things I've nestled into.

(Storyhill, Things I Love)

-Watching the big snowflakes fall just when you thought it was doomed to be brown and gloomy all winter
-Seeing a friend that you know you've missed, but haven't realized how much until you hear their voice or see them for the first time in a long time
-the familiar touch of someone you love, a hand on the small of your back just when you were feeling the need for human contact
-settling into a cup of coffee and good conversation with a friend
-watching the world go by as you sit and rest
-music that moves your emotions
-the possibility, thought and knowing that you are loved

These are things I love - and somehow forget from time to time. Maybe it's time to take some time and remember these things, friends.

Quote o' the day:

"Happiness is not a destination. It is a method of life." - Burton Hills

I should be (fill in the blank)

I should be cleaning our house.

I should be taking down Christmas decorations before it's February and they are still up.
I should be reading about the Sabbath and the Power of NOW for my class.
I should be writing my paper that's due on Wednesday.

In short, there are a great many things I should be doing. Instead, I've met up with three different friends today, stopped by my parents and gotten my haircut (way shorter than I wanted it to be). I decided to start watching The Fellowship of the Ring, which I purchased, along with the other two in the trilogy, last night at Target because they were on sale for $7 each. That's a sweet deal. And yes, I'm a HUGE nerd.

What should YOU be doing? ;)

Quote o' the day:

"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." - Albert Einstein

sometimes you want to go...

where everybody knows your name...

Ok, so they don't know my name yet, but they sure as hell know me and what kind of beer I like. Maybe I need to find a new place to go. Tonight Becca and I ended up going out and getting a few drinks. We watched the T-wolves and the Gophers and generally talked about a lot of different things. Good times. Even the annoying waitress wasn't that annoying.

At any rate, I'm feeling pretty mellow and excited for the weekend.

Cheers kids.

and so it goes...

The New Year has finally caught up with me. Along with all of the good times and running around I did over vacation. I feel pretty craptastic today, mostly just run down and tired. Today is the first day in a long time where getting up and going to work was actually work.

Here's hoping I can get my ass in gear and get some stuff done today. I need coffee. Stat. Cheers!

Quote o' the day (special edition):

"I believe humans get a lot done, not because we're smart, but because we have thumbs so we can make coffee." -Flash Rosenberg

umm...yeah

So I thought I had an allergic reaction, I thought maybe I had the measles. Not so, my friend. I have a virus that manifests itself as a rash. NO need to worry, friends. I'm not contagious. But it might take 4 to 6 weeks to go away. Yuck. Until then I have antibiotics. How very exciting. At least I know I'm not allergic to my new sheets.

So now I'm sitting at the Caribou by Calhoun, wasting time with my vanilla latte until I need to leave for class. Which is aptly called "Pilgrimage, Protest, Mindfulness, Dialogue: Old and New Spiritual Practices. We shall see, friends. We shall see if I can read 6 books by the end of January. Shit that's a lot, even for me.

Happy Wednesday, peeps.

Quote o' the day:

"To succeed in the world it is not enough to be stupid, you must also be well-mannered." - Voltaire

happy 2007

I know I've been missing in action for the last week or so - not to worry. I start a regular schedule again tomorrow. Which I'm actually excited about. I didn't get anything done on my vacation that I should have done, just spent it running around and seeing people that were in town. It was really great, don't get me wrong, but some normalcy will be nice.

Well, kids, 2006 went out in pretty much the same fashion as 2005. Not too much excitement going on, low key with people that I like hanging out with. Good food, good friends, good drinks and games - I can't think of a better way to end the year. Of course there were people missing that I would have liked to have seen, but we made sure to call them at midnight and scream into their voicemail - Steve, you would have been proud.

I don't like resolutions because I don't usually keep them, but here are some things I want to get done in 2007:

- get my running shoes back in action (can't let the weather stop me)
- learn how to use my new camera and use it
- attempt to read stuff outside of class
- work on spontaneity (oxymoron, I know...)
- take a trip somewhere fun
- backpack in Montana or the North Shore

And that's pretty much it. If you have any good resolutions you want to share, please do so. Sometimes the best resolution ideas come from other's resolutions.

I hope that all of you have recovered and are ready to start the new year off with a bang. I get the feeling it's going to be a good year. (At least that's what my horoscope says...we shall see if that holds true.)

Quote o' the day (because I know you all missed it):

"Time is a gift, given to you, given to give you the time you need, the time you need to have the time of your life." - Norton Juster, The Phantom Tollbooth

wishing a merry christmas

This is one of my favorite poems by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. I wanted to share it with you all - it's starting to feel like Christmas!

Christmas Bells

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along
The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Till ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime,
A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound
The carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
And made forlorn
The households born
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And in despair I bowed my head;
"There is no peace on earth," I said;
"For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men."

Most of you probably have heard this as the hymn "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" but this is the poem that it's based on in it's entirety. I think that it's really appropriate with the world situation - we need to remember that all is not lost. A little bit of faith in humankind and the spirit of Christmas will get us a long way.

I wish all of you, friends of mine, a wonderful holiday. I wish for you a peaceful and happy time with your family and whomever you choose to celebrate with. Although I didn't get Christmas cards out this year (yet) I am thinking about all of you.

Merry Christmas!