Tribute

DISCLAIMER: This blog may contain elements of potty humor.

This blog is a tribute to the greatest, most under-appreciated piece of hardware in your household: the toilet lever. Day in and day out it dutifully bends to the will of your fingers, making your flushing experience the most pleasant it can be. As one small piece of metal molded in a basic shape (although maybe yours is shaped like a dolphin or a golf club) it holds so much power. Power enough to suck 1.6 liters of water through a small hole in a very rapid swirling motion. Yet you, most dutiful toilet lever, in your final days were detaching from your post and sticking. Truly it was a sign of old age. And today of all days, oh toilet lever, you met your fate. Who could have known that right after the toilet was flushed you would slip out of your owner's hands as he was attempting to keep you on your post. And who could have known that in the ensuing tumble you would bounce right into the swirling toilet bowl. And, oh, who could have known that you would be sucked right down the hole along with everything else. But you fell honorably and you didn't even clog up the toilet; you just swirled right on down. In the blink of an eye you were no more. But, just as a fish who has seen its final day, you met your fate with honor and dignity, and you engraved in your owner's mind how important you really are. Moreover will I sing of your wondrous and mighty flushing power for generations to come.

Surprise!

I've decided recently that attempting some sort of surprise for my wife only ends up in her learning about it before it's supposed to happen. Right before Thanksgiving I had made reservations at a small bed and breakfast in the area for a suprise night out. The place called my cell to confirm, but I was in class so I called them back when I got home. Unfortunately, I had to leave a message then and told them to call back. They didn't call back of course until the next morning at 8 AM when I was still in bed and Melissa was getting ready for work. So, there went surprise number one (and it was so good!) Then, for Christmas this year we decided that we were only going to get one gift for each other, which, if you've ever done that, puts extra pressure on for finding that perfect gift. Well, I found my perfect gift and wrapped it up and threw the box for it in my trunk because the box would have given away what sort of thing the gift was. However, I quickly forgot that the box resided in my trunk, and on this past Sunday we were loading Christmas cookies to take to our small group, when I opened the trunk and beheld the loathsome box sitting right in plain view. It took me a few seconds to remember what the box was for, but soon I had that gut-wrenching feeling in my stomach and that utterly defeated look on my face. Melissa looked at the box, then at me, and then bust up laughing as I slammed the trunk shut. It wasn't too hard for her to miss the larger-than-life letters spelling out Zappos.com.

In other news, this past week started finals along with summoning the due date of several of my grad school applications. Needless to say, it has been stressful, but more tedious to fill out all of the applications (probably because I'm applying to nine schools!). My goal is to be done with all of them by Dec. 22 when we head up north to the frozen tundra for some holiday cheer with family for a week or so. I only actually have four left to do and endless amounts of freetime now that school's done so I'm not expecting any problems. It will be a great burden off of my shoulders once they are done.

Hunting

Last Thursday I shot a deer...........with a camera. Unfortunately, if you were hoping for interesting, compelling stories from my hunting excursion on Thanksgiving you will probably be disappointed. It turns out that I actually didn't get to shoot anything. We were mistakenly led to believe that I didn't need a hunter's safety course to get a hunting license so I wasn't legally allowed to do any hunting. However, I did get to put on all the gear and sit in the tree stand with a camera for a couple hours. It was incredibly peaceful and quiet, and on the whole, a very relaxing experience. I saw one young buck with short antlers not too far from the tree stand eating the corn strategically laid on the forest ground. When he left he joined a group of about four other deer in the distance that I wasn't able to get a real good look at because they were too far away. Unfortunately for my companion at another tree stand, he didn't see any deer at all. Overall, it was a great experience that I would definitely like to try again for real. Even though I didn't actually get to shoot at anything, I enjoyed the experience of interacting with nature and just being outside.

True Manhood

One could possible say that I am making my first step into true manhood on Thursday. For the first time ever, I will be braving the elements and attempting to shoot live animals. That's right, this city kid is going hunting. My small group leader at church has a huge amount of land that he is going to take me hunting on. This will be the first time I've fired a real gun, and I'm pretty excited. Hunting is something I've always been casually interested in but never seriously considered as something I would ever have the chance to do. Several members of my family hunt or have hunted in the past so it's always been something I've been familiar with, but now it's my turn to be a man. I highly doubt that I will actually kill any deer, but at least it will be a fun experience. I will be sure to update afterwards with stories.

November Madness

Well, my friends, it's here. That's right. Basketball season is underway in the state of North Carolina. Neither Duke nor Carolina has played a game yet, but they might as well have already won the championship with the way people get excited around here. Football season isn't even close to being done, but that doesn't matter. Part of the problem, if you know anything about college football, is that neither Duke nor Carolina puts together a football team resembling any sort of cohesive team unit. Between the two teams there may be a combined total of 2 wins. Thus, any excuse to ignore the football team and look ahead to glorious basketball season is warmly welcomed. I have never been much of a follower of college basketball before, but there is something about the atmosphere here that just requires you to be interested. Although I will probably never be able to go to a game, it still is exciting to be on the verge of a season that looks so promising for the Carolina team. So I guess this is the year that I give basketball a chance. I guess there's really no better state in the union to undertake such an endeavor. Bring on the hoops!

There's No Place Like Home

Well, I've already missed posting once every week, but I will excuse myself because it was a pretty busy week. Last Wednesday, I got to go back home to Wisconsin for the first time since about April of this year. Needless to say, it was a long time since I had been home. It was great to see family and friends and spend some time away from school and all the stuff going on here. I was privileged to be a part of my friend Pete's wedding over the weekend, which was the main reason I traveled back. Although I didn't know most of the people in the wedding, everyone was very friendly and enjoyable to be around, which made it a very enjoyable experience. I also got to see some friends and family in the Chicago area for a brief lunch. It was not much time, but enough to get a little caught up and just to enjoy seeing them all again. I was disturbed, however, to see how much has been built in the quickly-expanding western suburbs of Chicago just since I moved in June. A Kohl's, Meijer, and Lowe's, in addition to other strip mall type stores were nearly completed in Oswego that had scarcely been started when I moved. It made me a little sad because I have become accustomed to the abundant foliage in North Carolina, which is nowhere in sight throughout the western suburbs. I also realized how much I didn't miss driving in Chicago traffic.

The trip on the whole was incredibly busy, especially with preparing for the wedding and trying to see everyone I wanted to see in such a short time. Unfortunately, I think I probably ended up spending less time with everyone than I would have liked. I guess that's what happens when you have only limited time and unlimited things to do and see. Despite greatly enjoying the time I spent at home this past weekend, it was also nice to come back to my new home. There's something about the normal routine and the comfort it provides that always feels welcome. I love and miss everyone back in the midwest, and for those of you I saw this weekend, I appreciate the time we spent together, even if it was short.

I have to admit it was pretty nice coming back here and getting up the next day to 70 degrees. It's also pretty fun to rub that in to y'all up in the north!

A search for a constant

I have decided that my blog needs, and possibly deserves, some sort of purpose. I have been blogging aimlessly and sporadically for the last year and a half, but I felt that now was an appropriate time to give my blog a makeover. I realized how much my life is full of changes, daily changes sometimes. Especially as I pursue my education, I have no idea where I will end up in a year, let alone five years. I also realized as I was writing my personal statement for my grad school applications how much I love to write. Over the years I have grown more and more fond of writing, and I often feel like I can express myself better through the art of writing. So, I figured the only natural conclusion was to take this blogging thing a little more serious and make it my constant. Let me explain what I mean about making blogging my constant. Most likely you will still read some completely random posts, but the focus of the constant is not to provide a set theme or purpose for the blog, the focus is to provide one thing in my life that I can go to every week and just write whatever. Often I feel overwhelmed by the massive life changes that I am currently experiencing, and this blog is one way I can still feel connected to my family and friends in addition to staying grounded myself. So, if you don't see a post from me at least once a week, leave angry comments. I won't get offended, just inspired. So there you have it--a new blog with a new purpose (and a cool new title!)

The Yankees yanked everyone's chain again.

That's right...for the who knows how many times since 2000, the Yankees have swaggered big stuff all season only to be eliminated before even reaching the World Series. I have to admit Georgey and his multi-million dollar company have once again made my fall baseball viewing that much more pleasurable. If the Yankees didn't make it to the playoffs every year only to be eliminated, I would have no one to root so passionately against. So, I guess for that a thanks is in order for the steamrollers of baseball (and by that I mean they steamroll every other team with their enormous payroll truck). So I hope the Yankees continue to make the playoffs because it makes for a very exciting postseason when 200 million dollars worth of players lose to a small-market team in the first round. That's really all I have to say about that...I have a feeling I'm probably preaching to the choir anyway, and I haven't blogged in a while as well.

By the way, for the two people who actually might read my blog occasionally, Melissa and I found an awesome church in Durham that we go to, and we've just started getting involved in a young married couples small group. It's a bit of a drive, but it was a sacrifice we were willing to make.

Church Hunting

In the course of the last few weeks, I have discovered that the process of finding a church is much more difficult than I ever expected. Melissa and I originally got involved at CCC in an unusual way because we just started going there without really checking out any other churches. We already knew people from school who had made CCC their home so we started going because we knew people there. We quickly grew to love the church.

However, when we just recently moved to North Carolina, we encountered a situation completely unlike any previous situation we had encountered. We had no connections and we knew no one who had gone before us. Thus, we started "pounding the pavement" as they say. We were soon confronted with the prospect of few to no churches from the background that we grew up in because this area is predominantly Baptist. This fact didn't seem too daunting originally because we knew we could probably find a good non-denominational church. After a couple weeks of searching, however, we started noticing that the church culture here is entirely different from the church culture in the Midwest. Elements of church that we are used to, such as communion, are viewed in very different ways here.

Needless to say, the church hunt has become somewhat frustrating and difficult. We know that we can't be too picky, but at the same time we don't want to compromise doctrines that we feel are crucial. If we have learned or gained anything in this process, it seems to be a more concrete and practical idea of what we feel like the church should be. We have had to ask some important questions such as: How important is it that we attend a Restoration church? How important is it that we celebrate the Lord's Supper every week? In asking these questions, we have defined some core values that we will not back down on in finding a church, and I know that God will bless that and provide us with a growing, relevant community of believers who strive to live like Jesus. If only it wasn't such a frustrating process...

New Hat, New Home

Back in March when Melissa and I came to visit North Carolina to scout out jobs and apartments, I decided to buy a new hat with the logo of my soon-to-be school (that would be UNC, not Duke). Many of you know that when you buy a new hat, it takes a little while to break in completely. The bill has to be curved just right, the fabric has to be just soft enough but not too soft, and it has to fit comfortably on your head without being too tight or too loose. To my surprise, my new Tar Heels hat fit perfectly right away. It was the perfect combination of bill curve, fabric softness, and comfort on my rather large head (I won't say what size I had to buy).

Just today, the concept of new hats inspired some thoughts about new homes. Usually, when you move to a new place, it takes a little while to settle in. You have to find your niche in the new culture and community. As I was thinking about our new home here in North Carolina, I couldn't help but compare it to my dear old Tar Heels cap, and to my surprise, I found many parallels. Moving to North Carolina was a completely new step for both me and Melissa. All of our previous moves typically involved being relatively close to family or moving to someplace where we already knew some people, as was the case in Naperville. Just like my brand new cap, North Carolina was completely new and unknown to us. Then, I took the parallel another step further when I realized how I felt an immediate sense of comfort about being here even though it was completely unknown. Despite some boxes still left to unpack and a job still left to find (for me), I have an overwhelming sense that right now this is where we are supposed to be. It's hard to say about five years down the road or even next year, but right now the hat and the home fit perfectly. My head feels like it's supposed to fit in that hat, and my life feels like it fits perfectly in North Carolina.

Moving and Me

I have discovered over the past few weeks that I don't really get along with the whole moving process. For those of you who know me well, you know how much of a clean freak I am (probably too much sometimes). Combine that with a small living space, lots of boxes, and junk everywhere, and then connect the dots. The end result is a picture of me with my hands over my face and frazzled fro-ish hair. If only life were like living at the Burrow with the Weasleys and Mrs. Weasley was around to just flick her wand and put everything into its place (sorry, I couldn't resist the Harry Potter reference). Unfortunately, it's not like that, and I am stuck coming home every night to more boxes and more junk that needs a box. I have always been the exact opposite of a pack rat, and now is definitely the time for my true colors to shine. If there's no use for it, it goes in the garbage or the Goodwill garbage bag. I think I am actually influencing Melissa a little bit because she was throwing stuff away the other night, and she is definitely a pack rat.

To help me through this trying time, I just remind myself that it will all be over in a month, and then I remember that we may be doing it all over again next summer. And with that, I dive into depression once again with visions of boxes dancing in my head.

What are you going to do with that?

Have you ever thought about how a seemingly everday, insignificant question can define your life's purpose? I was contemplating this today on the way back from getting my hair cut. For me, that question is "what are you going to do with that?" What does that have to do with anything, you may ask. Well, I can guarantee you that everytime I explain what I am studying in school, the immediate response is that question. I have become so accustomed to hearing that question, that I immediately respond with my stock response: "teach." Then usually some sort of joke involving "it's all Greek to me" will surface in the conversation. Am I the only one with a purpose defined by a simple question? It's funny how I can find so much purpose in what I enjoy studying, but most other people do not understand it. It's such a simple question that I often take for granted, yet it contains the key to my purpose in life. However, I know that I can't be the only one who has experienced this sort of repetitive question in their lives. So, what's your question?

Airports are a funny sort of place

Just yesterday Melissa and I returned from a successful scouting trip to the wonderful southern state of North Carolina, where we will be moving on July 1, just a few short months away. We found a place to live that is very convenient for my school and for Melissa's prospective new job. But that is neither here nor there. The most interesting part of the trip was the airport experience. For those of you who have flown several times before, you will know exactly what I'm talking about. We left North Carolina at a balmy 80 degrees, which meant that I was wearing shorts. I was aware that the temps in Chicago would be considerably less(like 45 degrees), but I just didn't feel like changing into pants at the airport. I figured I could brave the weather for the little amount of time I would be outside. My clothing decision lead me to a striking realization as we were sitting in Midway waiting for our ride home (that itself is a long story which I would love to divulge in more personal company, especially if that personal company involves friends of a certain Lucas Motley). My realization was that airports are the only places on the planet where you can see every season of clothing. I was obviously inappropriately dressed for the Chicago weather but very appropriately dressed for the North Carolina weather. Just across the baggage claim I could see people in heavier winter coats, obviously dressed for an even colder climate than Chicago. On the other hand, in warmer southern states the airports are filled with people dressed in their coats and long pants, which is completely unnecessary for the southern climate. In that moment, I gained a new appreciation for the uniqueness of an airport. Nowhere else can you see a person in shorts and a tank top standing next to someone with boots, a coat, and a stocking cap on. So when you stop to think about it, an airport really is a funny sort of place.

No more baby steps

Well, Melissa and I have come to an important juncture in our lives. We are taking a huge big-person step, and that step involves moving halfway across the country. In just a few short months we will be packing up our stuff here in good old Naperville and heading down south to unpack our stuff in the lovely state of North Carolina. You ask why? Well, I was accepted to the post-baccalaureate program in Classical Studies at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. All of those big words basically mean I will be spending a year reading and studying Greek and Latin so I can hone my skills in order to have the best possible chance of getting into the best possible grad schools in the country. As you can tell, this is a rather big life change for both of us since neither of us really have any close family or friends who live in the Chapel Hill area. The move of course brings mixed emotions. I am incredibly excited to finally take the next step towards doing what I have wanted and dreamed of for many years, and also to experience someplace new. At the same time I am a little scared, nervous, and sad to be leaving close friends and family and plopping ourselves down in a completely unfamiliar place. We'll be able to get a little taste of our new home at the end of this month because we are traveling down there to scope out apartments, jobs, etc. It really is quite an exciting time for us and despite the difficult emotions that come with such a change, I am sure we will come away from our time in the deep south with a new maturity. For now, we best be partying it up these last three months or so that we are around!

What's the big deal with iPod's anyway?

These days when you're walking down the street just about every person you see has some sort of iPod attached to themselves. Maybe it's a shuffle or a nano or the old school iPod or maybe they're watching some video on their video iPod. A lot of those people are probably even waiting for the brand new iPod coming out this year that is touch screen and can play widescreen movies in full 16:9 aspect ratio. No matter what kind of iPod everyone else has, the real issue here is that I don't have one. For quite a while I was perfectly ok with this prospect because I didn't really think I would use an iPod that much and, honestly, they're just too darn expensive for what they are. However, recently I am finding myself being drawn to that elusive iPod very much against my will. I keep finding myself thinking about what I would do with one if I had one and how it would be so nice to store all of my music. Then, after these dreamy thoughts I am quickly brought back to reality when I look at the exorbitant price tag and realize that I don't have the money to even buy half an iPod. This leads me to ponder exactly what really is the big deal about iPods. It's definitely not the price because not many people I know are all that excited about dropping 200-400 dollars in one shot. It's also not all the features (although there are many nice points about it) because you can get just about all those same features other ways (although probably without the same convenience as an iPod). Thus, I am left with only one real reason to buy an iPod and the reason that I want one now. It's a factor we are all well aware of I'm sure. The cool factor. People buy iPods because they are the cool thing to buy. If you're cool, you have an iPod. No amount of money can deter the cool factor, yet I must firmly resist because I really have more important things to be spending my money on. Namely, my graduate school education. Plus, since I've already decided that I'm really not that cool, it's perfectly ok to avoid the iPod craze. But, if anyone was gracious enough to buy me one after reading this post, I would surely not turn it down!

Harry-mania

Here I am a good five years after the first Harry Potter phenomenon, and I am completely crazy about Harry Potter. I'm a little ashamed to tell people that I'm just now catching Harry-mania because it's one of those statements like "I just bought a cell phone." The usual response is "where have you been?" In addition to that I never would have expected to see myself reading the books even just a few months ago. I remember telling someone that I was never planning on reading them so he told me a big secret from the newest book. Now I'm kicking myself for saying that because it's not going to be the surprise it could have been. I am not the only one in my house who has caught the fever either. Melissa is reading the books as well. In fact, we both just finished the Goblet of Fire and went and saw the movie this weekend. We are both now caught up on the movies and have only two more books to go. She's started on the Order of the Phoenix while I am impatiently awaiting her to finish or get another copy from somewhere.

Before I had ever even considered reading any Harry Potter books, I had seen the first three movies because my parents had read the books. At the time, I was pretty satisfied with just watching the movies. However, reading/listening to the first four books over the last three months(I finished the fourth one in four days) has completely switched my mindset. After seeing the movie on Saturday, I felt so much better knowing all of the rest of the story that you don't get in the movies. So I've been bit by the Harry bug five years too late(better late than never, I say), but I don't plan on dressing up like Dumbledore for the next movie release. I didn't even do that for Lord of the Rings.

Rediscovering a Lost Art

Now that I am done with school and into the working world (sort of), I have rediscovered a pastime that was such a big part of my life before I went to college: pleasure reading. Since school finished a little over a month ago I've listened to a book on cd and read almost two books. I think that's more than I've read for fun since college started. I just can't seem to get enough of all the stories, facts, new vocabulary, and diverse characters that I missed for so long while I was in college.

Maybe college is just a trumped up way to weed out those who really enjoy reading and those who don't. If you can make it through the gauntlet of four years (or five if you go to Lincoln) and still have an appreciation for reading, then somehow you've passed the test. For those who don't pass the test, life is no different except all of their stories come from movies and tv shows. For those who do make it through the gauntlet, there is a life full of the sweet nectar and ambrosia of books. I think I've finally passed the gauntlet. Next time you see me look for the little blue ribbon on my lapel that says "I survived college and I still love to read."

A Pirate's Life for Me

For Christmas, Melissa bought me an xbox game that I had wanted for a while called "Sid Meier's Pirates." After less than a week, I have decided that I want to be a pirate. Not the kind with a pegleg and an eye patch, but the real suave kind who can plunder passing ships while wooing attractive governor's daughters at the same time. The game basically involves you being a pirate and sailing around the Caribbean in the 1660's and plundering passing ships, finding buried treasure and lost cities, dancing with and wooing governor's daughters, and searching for your lost family members who were captured when you were very young. Although there is nothing outstanding about any individual aspect of the game, the whole experience makes for a very addicting and all-around fun time. And, honestly, who's never wished they could be a pirate for just a little while?

This question then leads into an old college debate. Pirates or Ninjas? Most of you are probably familiar with this debate and probably have a definite stance on the issue. You can't be for both. It's kind of like the Cubs and Sox in Chicago. I'm sure you can already tell where I stand on this issue. The contents of this blog do not hide my allegiances in any way. However, the benefits of the pirates life are more than just the typical response of "booty." Who would want to be a ninja when a pirate can kick back on a ship in the Caribbean and enjoy the hot sun with a beautiful governor's daughter at his side? Plus, the treasure benefits far outweigh anything a ninja could get. I don't care how stealthy ninjas are or how tough their martial arts skill are, a trusty rapier on one side and a pistol on the other side are all a pirate needs to be the king of the Caribbean. And really, who wouldn't want to live in the Caribbean? So, in the words of good Captain Jack Sparrow, "Drink up me hearties yo-ho!"