Oh My Goff » admin

The best part of the VP debate…(well, just 22 seconds before it started)

admin — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 15:43:35 +0000

Look behind Chris Matthews.

Furniture at last

admin — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 23:13:15 +0000

So, thanks to Sabriand’s help/truck, Nick’s truck & trailer, a co-worker and craigslist, I finally got some furniture today. After stopping in and painting walls at Fresh Life’s upstairs this morning, we picked up a queen size mattress down near Smith Lake to start off the furniture-y goodness. Back to Columbia Falls to drop it off, and then to Nick’s in Whitefish to pick up his F-350 with a flatbed trailer. From there we drove back to Kalispell and got a couch, loveseat, two end tables and a coffee table, and a set of three bar stools. Once again we trekked back to C. Falls and unloaded the merchandise. I took a quick snapshot of the couches and tables (only one end table is fully in the frame).

Considering I got everything sans the barstools for just over 300 bucks, I’m pretty happy with my investment.

Relevance

admin — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 19:03:06 +0000

To put my last post in perspective, just imagine getting a couple prescriptions from your doctor that you really, really need. Then when you go to pick them up, the price is near $1,000. Two regular prescriptions. One month’s supply. Needless to say, the majority of yesterday was a mini-Stress Fest 2008. I had the MD write me a different Rx for something that, while inferior and laden with many more side effects, will get the job done short-term. Total price? $5.31 at Costco’s pharmacy. God bless Costco.

Ripoff

admin — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 17:10:47 +0000

Medical insurance companies are scams. That is all.

Poem

admin — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 21:56:55 +0000

I haven’t written a single poem in almost 4 years and got the itch to today. Initially I began writing a blog post but decided I’d better express myself by writing a poem (the first of several to come.)

This one is a quick freestyle poem (not about me, for anyone wondering.)

Ages pass, recurrent mistakes linger.
Spirits desperate for a glimmer of hope
Scarred and reticent to risk again
The soul, gasping for warmth
Shunned by callous caution.
Nary a missed opportunity
Escapes scrutiny, rendering
A scourge wrought on one’s self
Yearning for even the illusion of reprieve
Courage, fortitude, initiative
The token of progress
Eludes discovery once again.

Direction

admin — Sun, 03 Jun 2007 08:23:04 +0000

A couple of weeks ago after I received my one year review from my employer, I spoke with someone I trust and had them pray with me regarding my future at the company and we asked God to either change things at my current job or make it clear that I was to go elsewhere. The review didn’t point out anything negative in my performance, it just didnt add any sort of pay raise, and from this point forward it was going to be another year ’til the next review. After the glory of birthday weekend I was treated to lunch by my boss for a belated birthday celebration, which was nice. Unfortunately the next day I was informed that my pay was being restructured, effective immediately. This wouldn’t be a problem for me save the fact that this “restructuring” was a blatant cut in pay, both in regards to how much labor needs to be performed in order to earn commission, and the commission percentage itself. Once I ran some numbers through my timelog spreadsheet it was basically a 30% cut in pay which, in light of my faithful 1+ year of service and ownership of new responsibilities over that time, is in principle unacceptable. Add to that the fact that I barely make ends meet as it is. Shortly after hearing the bad news from my boss, I remembered the prayer and realized this was God’s answer: Time to go, Christopher.
Having performed on-site service in Pasadena for about 16 months now I know the ins and outs of surrounding cities, am comfortable with the area, etc. I’ve also enjoyed living in Baldwin Park with three of my friends that I met at APU a few years back. Once I started searching for a new IT job I quickly realized that my chances of getting another position in Pasadena that pays me what my expenses require were very slim. Nearly all of the job listings on Dice, Monster, Careerbuilder, and Craigslist are in the LA area, specifically downtown and west LA. Getting something out there almost certainly means that in 2 months when our one year lease term comes to an end, I will be relocating to the heart of the city or close to it. I’ve seen time and time again how bad the LA commute can be and what it does to one’s level of available time for other activities outside of work…it’s something I refuse to take on if I don’t have to.
Assuming that I relocate, it will mean the dissolution of the household I currently reside in. The last year has been amazing in many ways, especially in terms of my growth as a person in regards to my emotional health, responsibility, and my journey in Christ. While it will probably be bittersweet to move on to the next chapter in life, I know that God has a purposeful plan and has already been enacting it in my life in ways that may or may not include my whims(i.e. staying in a house with good friends, dating, etc). Friendships have been cultivated, deepened, challenged, and rewarded. I trust that if God’s will for me is to move on, then He will provide everything I need in the transition time and beyond. Aside from that I just seek to further His kingdom by continuing to serve and minister to others and demonstrating Christ-like love.
I know that some friendships will deepen and some will fade, but I’m not worried. It brings a certain excitement in me because I believe God is shaping my future even now as I’m typing this…He will provide the right people for me to have purposeful relationships with. He has used my friendships, in the last couple years especially, to support, change, humble, challenge, and encourage me. Following His call even in uncertainty just makes me that much more expectant that more positive growth is on the way, in whatever form and time it takes.
A new season is coming.

25

admin — Mon, 21 May 2007 22:24:03 +0000

On Friday I turned 25…I was ready. The day was filled with many encouraging things such as this: After a brief service call in the morning, I took my car in to my tire shop because my front right tire has been consistently losing pressure faster than the others. When I got there, they said it would take approximately 20 minutes to diagnose and fix. It ended up taking an hour, but not only did they NOT charge me anything for the service, they also gave me a ($45 value) free hubcap to replace one that had fallen off of one of my wheels a few weeks ago. It was quite a good start to the day

After work I drove out to the San Fernando Valley and had dinner at Claim Jumper with my parents and younger brother. It was really nice to see them and even nicer to enjoy a good meal together in a peaceful spirit of celebration. The food was fabulous as usual (seared ahi sashimi appetizer for life) and the obligatory free birthday dessert was quite literally the icing on the cake. When I got home I found a card in my mailbox from my parents that deeply touched my heart and made my eyes well up just a little
I grabbed one of my roommates and went to CVS to pick up some drinks and a cooler. Upon returning home I wound down and went to bed early (10:30PM) knowing that the next day, Saturday the 19th, would require as much energy as possible.

I woke up at 6:45 and began doing laundry and took my morning supplements. I drove to 24-hour fitness and got some good lifting in and arrived back home before 12 and took a shower. After packing up the cooler with some drinks and ice packs, I threw it in the trunk of my car and took off to Azusa to pick up my friend Luis. Together we headed to Newport Beach to get settled in at the boat rental place early and also to scout out a potential dinner location. Thankfully all was as it should be and we had some extra time to chill on Balboa Peninsula. Right across from the boat rental company there was a little free nautical museum with some very interesting models (the ship steam engine was my favorite) and a touch tank with some sea stars/slugs in it. Friends began to arrive at around 3:00PM and by 4:15PM all 10 of us were out on the 21′ electric boat we had secured for a couple hours. The weather was splendid. It was mostly sunny with a slight haze and a delightful salty sea air breeze. Immediately after launching we cracked open the cooler which now contained several kinds of beverages and made short work of a few bottles of sparkling lemonade mixed with Pimm’s…yummy! There was lots of laughter and several moments that will not be forgotten for a long time…probably ever. But we won’t get into details *cough* Luis *cough*.
Just after 6 we pulled back up to the dock after having a brief sojourn in the sandbar-laden Upper Newport Bay (restricted area…whoops) and a loop around Lido Island. We chose Mimi’s for our dinner destination and made it there in a few minutes, despite taking a small detour onto the PCH and back. Most of us had arrived by then sans one vehicle and we had great fun for a few moments discussing the possible whereabouts of said vehicle and its occupants.

The service at Mimi’s was impeccable; separate checks were approved without any issue whatsoever. The chicken cordon bleu hit the spot as usual and a slice of birthday pie that followed was so richly delicious that I had one bite and then handed off the rest to my friends who devoured it with reckless abandon. The ride home consisted of dropping Sheena off at home nearby in Costa Mesa, and then a muted conversation between Luis and myself (so as not to wake the sleeping Dayna in the backseat) as we made our way back up the 55, 5, 57, 60, and 605 freeways. Once we got back home we immediately flipped on the gamecube and engaged in brutal cartoon warfarein the form of Super Smash Bros: Melee. A drink and a few hours later, it was time to wrap it all up. I drove to Azusa to drop Luis off, then to the old standby Taco King with Dayna before dropping her off in Monrovia. By now it was quite late and I headed home where I promptly collapsed into bed, thinking happy thoughts and drifting away into slumber.

Sunday started off with the final membership class at Foothill Community Church in Azusa. Mike and I have been taking the membership class there and next week we will attain our membership at last After church we went out to lunch and then parted ways. I did some shopping at Big Lots and picked up refreshments for the housewarming party at Dayna and Leah’s later in the day. While parking in the CVS lot to get some El Jimador, I noticed some people standing around a free medical clinic. I had an hour and a half before I was due to pick Luis up to go to the housewarming party in West LA, so I registered for it and sat down to have my blood pressure and glucose levels taken. As part of the dental and vision examinations I was given a free toothbrush, floss, take-home pregnancy test, and a plastic daily pill organizer week-long thingy. I shot over to Lu’s at around 1:30PM and we went to Jack in the Box because Luis was ravenous. After that we got on the freeway and made it to Palms in record time, giving us enough of a window to pick up some ice and limes at Ralph’s before finally arriving at our destination at Dayna and Leah’s place at the stroke of 4.

The party was a great time to relax and enjoy several finger foods and some serious spinach artichoke dip that Aimee made. She also brought her pet iguana, Godzilla, who is simply enormous at over 5 feet long. He and I shared a few special moments together before we both decided we were better off pursuing other relationships…*sniff*. Seriously though it was really cool to pet him and see an iguana like that in person. The infamous always-comfortable-green-couches looked inviting so I spent a good deal of time lounging about. However, there was enough excitement to keep us all moving around and eventually we settled down to watch Loaded Weapon 1 at around 8:30PM. I had never seen it before but I quickly realized what I had been missing…it was totally hilarious. The night was capped off by yet another good long conversation with Luis on the way back to the San Gabriel Valley.

In summation, the weekend was amazing. I am once again completely humbled and honored to have the friends that I do. Their love and friendship means so much to me and I am grateful for each of them. I received a birthday card from one of them while at Mimi’s that totally made my night and meant a lot. So thank you, James. Now that it’s back to the grind of the workweek, I’m left with wonderful memories of the weekend and a lingering peaceful happiness.

Thank you, friends.

A start…

admin — Thu, 11 Nov 2004 01:17:00 +0000

So, I finally got the doctor’s note from my colon therapist to give to my teachers for all of my absences this semester. I wish she could spell my last name right though…it makes it look unprofessional. Anyway, I missed ex/deut this morning and chapel was awful. It was for guys only and everything they said was contrived and generic. I’m getting ready to go to a Walkabout Reunion in a few minutes, and that should be fun. Hopefully they’ll have plenty of video and pictures to relive the whole experience
I’m still not feeling well and my neck continues to get more and more stiff. Motrin is my only hope at this point. Thank God for it! I just wish that soon I wouldn’t have to take it anymore to function.

On the horizon: thanksgiving!! It’ll be good to see family and get off campus a bit.

Update

admin — Sun, 07 Nov 2004 07:18:00 +0000

I figured it’s been quite a while since I last posted and it’s time for an update. I’m currently a Resident Advisor at Azusa Pacific University and am also taking classes there. Since I last posted, a LOT has happened. My ex-girlfriend and I got back together on August 23nd, 2003, then broke up on the following Halloween. We were both going to APU at this time and neither of us talked to the other for about 5-6 months. We started talking again in April and became friends again.
My first year at APU was pretty bad…my roommate was a weirdo math major who had no handle on reality and never cleaned up after himself. I couldn’t get my health together (auto-immune stomach issues) which obviously led to missing class, etc. I managed to get a 3.2 GPA for the year and applied for the RA position and was accepted! Over the summer I went home and worked a 9-5 job at a local computer repair shop making $9/hour. Not bad for a 2 month job. Over the summer it became apparent that we were going to have to put our 18 year old dog, Scruffy, down because his quality of life was no longer at a level that we wanted for him. He had a tumor in his rump, he was 95 percent deaf, he had cataracts, his back legs gave it once in awhile when he would try to run, he couldn’t keep from peeing on the floor a lot of times…it was heartbreaking. I haven’t cried that hard since I was a little kid. I went to Montana for a week and a half to recoup and get ready for the backpacking trip that all the RA’s go on at APU prior to beginning the school year: Walkabout.
Walkabout was GREAT! 10 days of backpacking in Yosemite, with two of those being “solo”, meaning that I was alone for 48 hours, on a fast from food and artificial stimuli. This trip really showed me a lot about God, about where I stood with Him, and where I needed to go.
Upon returning from Walkabout on August 19th, my health immediately took a turn for the worse and I immediately began getting behind in class right off the bat. Very discouraging…I’m prone to anxiety/worry about this kind of stuff, especially since traditionally I’m a major procrastinator. Fast forward to today:
Being an RA is wonderful…I love the opportunities it affords me in regards to the residents I live around. I wish I could spend more time with all of them, though my health has made it very difficult. I’m still trying to find a diet plan that completely eliminates the rheumatoid arthritis symptoms. My ex girlfriend and I have resumed a high level of friendship and have confessed that we still have feelings for each other. However, this time we are attempting to be wise and prudent and are therefore abstaining from a relationship at this point in time. We both need to focus on our own schoolwork, and it is clearly too early to be entertaining ideas of another relationship right now anyway.
Right now I’m on duty in the rec. room, just one of the weekly responsibilities of being an R.A.
I wish I could just BE HEALTHY

Awakening to a new horizon…

admin — Wed, 14 Jan 2004 21:08:00 +0000

For some reason today felt like the first day of the rest of my life. I know that sounds obvious…but up until now, for awhile I’ve been stuck in this rut. I’m not sure if it’s because I’ve been feeling sorry for myself or what. I just know it’s time to get my act in gear and start enjoying life properly now. What that entails…I’m not sure. I’ve been avoiding God like the plague lately and it’s been severely damaging my happiness factor. Problem is, I don’t want to go back to God just because I’m unhappy…then God just becomes a drug. I want to give God what He deserves but I feel like right now I’m empty. We’ll see how that goes…