Heading East Out of the Sun August 1, 2009

I made the solo trek from my home to my parents last night and, with the memories of a fairly eventful week behind me, had a few hours of incredible scenery and solitary thought to mull and muse over a lot of things. My delightful drive gave me the time to come to some new conclusions and to reinforce some pre-existing ones.

So here’s a list of things that have crossed my mind. Call it a week in review. Call it a life in review. But here it is:

• I love my life. For better and for worse, I am so blessed in so many ways, and I’m set on doing more to be appreciative of it.
• I really can’t find a dining deal better than Little Caesar’s Hot ‘n Ready pizzas. I’m willing to put up money for someone to try to do it. It can’t be done.
• I’m am completely and totally where I want to be in my career. I don’t make much money & I don’t have much prestige, but I love my work and I realize more each day how much I enjoy working with college students.
• My parents, my brothers and my Casey are my very best friends in the world, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.
• Despite my affection & love for Bootzilla, I’m still totally a dog person. And even when I get a new dog, I will never stop missing Pavlov.
• But I do love Bootzilla!
• There are a number of bands/artists I could listen to everyday and never tire of them. The short list includes the Eagles, Randy Rogers Band, Ragweed, Sheryl Crow, Dolly Parton and Toad the Wet Sprocket. All timeless in my book.
• It is possible to live without an Xbox 360. It’s just not as fun.
• Exposed bone definitely does not equal cool.
• Dusk is the best time to listen to any early Eagles tunes. Incidentally, this event can alleviate bad moods instantly for me.
• I really need to become fluent in Spanish. Ahora.
• I’m glad to be moving, but I hope to not be moving again anytime soon. I have every intention of settling into my new place for the long-haul.
• My desire to drive to fast has greatly been alleviated with age. Or the plethora of tickets I’ve racked up. One of those.
• At the end of the day, I want nothing more from life than to be a good person, to help someone if I can, and for the people I love to be happy. And a nice cold glass of Coke Zero. And maybe a banana.
• I don’t like the majority of music that’s coming out right now … that goes for all genres. Call me a musical time warp, or just call me old. Either way, I don’t like it.
• I have a number of friends that I don’t see or talk to much anymore. I miss them.
• I’m actually kind of looking forward to fall this year. I still love summer, but it turns out fall ain’t so bad in these parts.
• I see a lot of both of my parents in myself. That makes me very, very happy.
• I’m totally a morning person.
• Southern Missouri is very pretty. Texas will always be home to me, but each year I find myself feeling more and more at home right where I am.
• I don’t know how I ever lived without a DVR.
• I like molasses cookies.
• I am worried for my country, but more than worried, I am frustrated & angry by my fellow Americans. I just have no idea what to do about it.
• I really, really hate talking on the phone.
• Hey Cow is the most fun road trip game ever.
• I am happy.

Welcome to Faceball July 14, 2009

Contrary to how it may appear, this is not, in fact, how I spend my work days. Not the whole day, anyway …

Rising Out of the Ashes June 29, 2009

OK, so that title is a little dramatic than it should be. Obviously there’s been a bit of a hiatus around here. I foresee that changing. Not because I’m attempting to force myself to write again … not that at all. Instead, it’s because I feel like writing again.

I’m back at the point where I’m writing posts in my head while I vacuum or work in the yard or drive to work. That’s a good thing.

So be looking … and watching … because guess what kids? I’m back!

Online Games for iPhone / iPod Touch – Girl Wars Codes April 13, 2009

I’m a total junkie for online games for the iPhone / iPod Touch. I’m pretty addicted to iMob, iVampires and, now, Girl Wars.

Is it ridiculous? Yes! Do I care? No!!

If you’re a user of any of these games, add my code. I think it’s the same for all three: 142 833 444

You can also grow your teams by adding them to online sites like Girl Wars Codes. Have fun, and happy mobile gaming!

Life in the Twittersphere March 24, 2009

“So, what exactly is Twitter?”

A co-worker posed that question to me today after I’d shared with her a weather update that one of the local news outlets had tweeted. I stared at her blankly for a few moments, then fumbled around with some sort of explanation.

The organization that I work for has been hesitant to step into the realm of social networking sites as a means of marketing and communication. Because of that – and because I’m expected to be the knower of all things online in my office – I field a lot of questions about how people and companies use these tools. Generally, I think I do a good job at explaining them, offering reasons why we might (or might not) want to explore various options.

But the Twitter one caught me off-guard today, possibly because I’m relatively new to the Twittersphere. A few months ago, I decided that if I am, in fact, going to stick with this whole Internet career, I’d better get with the times. I signed up for a Twitter account. I didn’t really know what I was supposed to do with it. I tweeted to my brother, who was less than 20 feet from me at the time, that I’d like him to accompany me to McAlister’s for lunch. I’d tweet that I was hungry. I’d tweet that I had on orange shoes. I’d tweet all of the ridiculously trite details of my not-so-interesting life that I figured no one really cared about.

And that was the thing … for awhile, no one was following (except my brother, who was schooling me in the ways of Twitter). But I’d still tweet. The entire definition of communication is based on the concept of a sender and a receiver. I was sending. No one was receiving. I was not, in fact, communicating anything. I found the whole thing to be perplexing and odd, but I kept doing it. Finally, though, I started exploring a little more and seeing what other people were doing.

I realized that people were using Twitter for hundreds of different purposes. Some people want feed back from friends and, I suppose, complete strangers on a variety of topics ranging from what to make for dinner to where to get a good margarita in town. Other tweets revolved around business and company news. Still others were just sharing that they were hungry or wearing orange shoes.

As time has gone on, I’ve found that I’m more of a Twitter lurker. I check my feed throughout the day on my trusty mobile device (I think I’ve only actually been to twitter.com twice), and I do tweet once every couple of days. Even then, I don’t know who I’m tweeting to. It’s a very, very bizarre phenomenon, but admittedly an addictive one.

In fact, our local CVB here tweeted a link to this video today, which is both hilarious and frighteningly true.

And on that note, Follow Me!

iQuarterback: Must Have App for iPhone / iPod Touch

OK, I hate football. Well, I guess I don’t necessarily hate football. It just doesn’t do much for me. But there’s a new iPhone app that most definitely does something for me: iQuarterback.

This game must be made from the same crack-like substance that iMob is made from. (I’m addicted to both, except that iQuarterback requires more motor skills while iMob requires a bit more strategy).

At any rate, does it help that the developers are great guys with a lot of talent? Yep. But it’s an awesome game regardless, and at 99 cents will be the cheapest hours of entertainment you’ll find.

Read more at Fuzzy Cube Software’s Website: iQuarterback

Spreading the Cashew Chicken Love March 11, 2009

Here’s an article that appeared this week in the New York Times about none other than Springfield’s cashew chicken. When I first moved up here my freshman year of college, one of the first things I learned about Springfield was it’s love for it’s “world famous” cashew chicken … and the fact that, as this article points out, nearly every single restaurant in town serves it.

Oddly enough, it was less than a year ago when I tried it for the first time. I now eat it pretty much at least once a week!

Check out the article in the Times:

Missouri Chinese: Two Cultures Claim This Chicken

Go little Springfield!

Take a Chance on ‘Taking Chance’ March 1, 2009

It’s rare that a movie has a profound effect on me. I love movies and all, but I usually have no trouble taking them for what they are … entertainment.

But late one night last week, I stumbled upon a movie that I’ve been having trouble getting out of my mind. It was that stirring. I have a habit of turning on the TV when I get into bed, and generally go to sleep with either a movie or music playing. Last Sunday night, I decided to check HBO to see if anything good was on. A movie was playing, but it seemed to be a little different from a standard film. I recognized pretty quickly that Kevin Bacon seemed to be the star, and I have to admit that while I initially had no idea what the movie was about, I was pretty captivated to keep watching.

I eventually grabbed the ol’ iPod Touch and did a search. I learned that the movie I was watching was Taking Chance, a film produced by HBO and based on the true story of PFC Chance Phelps (who, I learned, was posthumously promoted to the rank of Lance Corporal) as told by Lt. Col. Michael Strobl.

Here’s the trailer:

Now it’s not like there are plenty of war movies and military based films out there, especially in a time of war. But this one is very, very different. It tells a side of the story that most of us – myself included – are unaware of: The great detail and care that goes into the process of returning a fallen soldier to his or her family. Even beyond that is the story of how these heroes impact the strangers they encounter after their death.

Taking Chance manages to tell this touching story without being over sentimental. And touching it is. Movies have made me cry before. That’s no surprise. (Uh, Old Yeller, anyone?) But what stunned be about this one is how I, too, felt a deep sense of loss for the individuals portrayed in the movie. Rarely has a movie immediately moved me to prayer. ‘Taking Chance’ did that too.

And beyond the impact that the film has, Kevin Bacon does a fantastic job of showcasing oh-so-subtlely the emotions that Strobl is forced to deal with. The officer clearly has regrets about his desk job while other soldiers are in combat zones around the world. And he also appears to be taken aback by the response of those he encounters along his trip, not to mention  portraying how Strobl felt both deeply honored and sheepishly uncomfortable.

It goes without saying that I highly recommend watching the film. If nothing else, though, take a few minutes to read “Taking PFC Phelps Home,” written by Strobl. This is the journey entry on which the film is based, and, well, is basically just a written script of the movie.

If you’ve got HBO, check it out! Here’s a schedule of when the film is being shown: HBO.com – Taking Chance

R.I.P. Socks February 20, 2009

If there’s one thing that can get me back to the ol’ blog after a long break, it’s news about a kitty. The top story on CNN this evening is news of Socks the Cat’s passing this morning. Socks Clinton was the 20ish-year-old kitty that served for 8 years as First Cat under the Clintons. I may not think much of Bill or Hillary Clinton’s political persuasions, but I do have a great deal of respect for Socks. 

Here’s to you, little buddy!

What the Wha? January 26, 2009

If it’s been too long since I’ve posted, it’s because I’ve been getting lost in my own life a little bit. Not that anything bad has happened – not at all. It just seems that I went from a life I knew and was comfortable with to this new existence that is unfamiliar and, well, not mine. 

First it was a new house. Waking up in a new place has taken some getting used to. Finding new routes to stores, restaurants, and work has been a fun challenge. Dealing with new issues that aren’t common in an apartment but are common in houses has been frustrating. Looking out my window and seeing trees and grass instead of a bar has been wonderful. 

Now it’s the new job. When I wake up in that new place every morning, I put on an unfamiliar name tag, pull out of an unfamiliar drive way, take an unfamiliar route to an unfamiliar building, and spend my day in a sea of unfamiliar faces sitting at unfamiliar desks. I work in an unfamilar operating system with an unfamiliar CMS on an unfamiliar Website with unfamiliar pages, styles, and policies. 

(There’s certainly some good unfamiliarity going on too. I’m enjoying getting to know someone new and having a lot of fun in that budding relationship.)

It’s not that the job and the house are bad necessarily. It’s just all so very different that at one point today – while I was washing my hands at the unfamiliar sink in the unfamiliar ladies’ room in the unfamiliar office where I now work – that I wondered whose life I’d fallen into. I briefly wondered how to get back to my old life, then scolding myself for such negative thinking. 

Change is inevitable. I could have lived in my tiny apartment forever … sure. And I could have stayed in my ridiculous fun job forever … absolutely. But I’m aware that in time, everything will fall into place and the house, the job, the relationship, and all of the things that seem so horribly out of place will suddenly feel like they’ve been there all along …

… or so I hope.