Prayer Request

As I am 10 days away from graduation, there are a lot of choices that I will have to be making soon. As to what direction I go post graduation (job wise). Timing means a lot right now, but more than my timing and my desires I really want to hear what it is that HE would have for me and what doors, He is opening up or closing. I love you all very much and am appreciative of your thoughts and prayers.

Thanksgiving

I had a good time. I spent time with my family and (soon to be family) Tori. It was a time of rest relaxation and a lot of food. I enjoyed it very much. How was yours?

thought of the day

Why is it that in many business settings (in my situation TV/film) that in order to "learn the ropes" people in higher up positions want to break you down? This has never really made since to me. I mean, its been explained, and I understand the concept of paying your dues. But this philosophy seems a bit backwards to me. Instead why don't we help along the way and get in this thing together. Molding people that desire to buy in to the same product? Yeah...that's it.

so ready for a break

In the middle of papers and final preparation for my senior project, I am running down. Far to many late nights, doing things that I enjoy, but still taxing none the less. This Thanksgiving break could not be better timed. I am looking forward to just that. Taking a break. Not doing the things that I have been doing for what feels like months now, and just resting. I am looking forward to being with my family. I am very thankful for them. Yeah, I will have to send out graduation announcements and stuff like that, but I am greatly anticipating the change of pace (and location for that matter.)
A little note about the senior project that I eluded to. It is a 14 minute behind the scenes documentary of a local band, called Eric Smith and the Yes Men. They are pretty good I enjoy their sound and their feel. This project is like a VH 1 behind the band. My partner and I are filming them in their lives and in their band setting. In the end, it should be awesome. But the lighting of their in studio concert, stage set up, editing, and scheduling of shooting times takes a lot of work and dedication of time. I am looking forward to the final product. Who knows, maybe some of you could even watch it?

an official date

This date has been set for a while now, but without further adieu...Here it is. Tori and I will be getting married on, July 14th! There will be save the date cards sent out, followed by real for real invitations. But now you are all in the know. If you read this that is. There is so much to do before then. But it all becomes clearer with every day. I just got back from a lovely weekend in Spokane, a very nice touch to an increasingly hectic finals time approaching.

when friends get married...

you spend hours on end with them leading up to the big day.
you golf on a par three course, bare foot.
you eat a whole bunch of food.
you play psychiatrist to keep them from freaking out too much.
you play endless hours of pool.
you watch the game d'jour at his sports bar of choice.
you just show up.

This list could have gone on and on and on. This past weekend (beginning Wednesday night the 1st) I was in Vancouver Washington to stand beside one of my very best friends in his last moments as an un-married man. It was a privilege to do so. The days were very long, and an absolute kick in the pants. The conversations and time spent together with other friends were priceless. And now, he is married and in the Dominican Republic. That's pretty darn cool.
This weekend put a lot of things in to perspective for me as my wedding day grows nearer with every passing day. It was very surreal to watch somebody, so closely, go through the final steps of preparation, etc... It was hard to not put myself in his shoes and just wonder what my day will be like. Needless to say, questions abound. But before all that, I must graduate. A day that is surprisingly just 1 month and 3 days away, but who is counting? Me! I am also SERIOUSLY considering a move at semester, but there are may unanswered questions there as well, before any decisions can be made. But for now, I write papers. So there.

cap and gown...

So basically the past few days are a blur. I cant even really tell up from down, and today I took the most difficult test in the Communication department here at WSU. I know that some may scoff at comm, but my school take sit pretty seriously; and this test was resickulous. You are not mistaken, I made up my own word. I really need to get some sleep for tomorrow, so Im gonna long story short, I am graduating in December! A whole semester ahead of schedule. How excited am I? I will expound more later upon the topic of graduation. It doesn't even seem real.

Big Win!

Today the Washington State Cougars knocked off the 16th ranked University of Oregon Ducks. I was most definitely in attendance and I actually had some friend sin town it was a good weekend and a good cap to the day. The team was in need of a big time win, and they have one know. Hopefully it is onward and upward from here. Great fun.

I enjoy the people I work with

Last night was a very long night. I was talking with Ben Fife on my way to the Studio at 5:00 last night. Upon my arrival at Studio A I found out that the newscast I was to direct was going to be the first LIVE newscast of the semester. Not that any of our jobs change when we go live, but the stress level definitely rises a bit when the fact that you are going live looms over ones head. When you are the director every aspect of the show (that the producer has given you) is your to execute. Not to mention that you have to sync all clocks with master control so that when we patch our selves in to the live feed we hit the airwaves at the same exact second. All that technical jargon aside we were able to sync up and the newscast went out virtually flawless. After we tore down the set and I stopped shaking, I found out that I had scored very well in my directing and I had become the talk of the Comm. School town.
Enter my second show at 7:30, Inside the Lines (a sporstcenter style show) http://libarts.wsu.edu/Cable8/ We eventually began taping the show and it had a few more bumps along the way, but by this time the people I was working with were real tired. So I called every one together and gave it my best rally the troop, win one for the gipper speech, and we continued on. The show was taped and I delivered it to our Vice President of Television Operations and then I was off to edit a project for one of my classes that is due Thursday.
The night wound up being about 7 hours long and as tired as I was at the end of the day, I had to admit that I had a good time doing it. I like the people that I work with and I like the the challenge of producing a show and being involved in the creative process. That's enough for now. Bye.

what a night.

Tonight, I spoke with my good friend Shalene. For those of you who know her...yeah...shes great. It was good to dialogue about life, and what goes on in it. I am in such a stage right now. I am ready to be done and on to the next stage, and in my gut; I know that this is the last time that I will have the opportunity to live in and do college. I want to do that well too. But, it is hard when my mind is in a different place. Its in Spokane. Beautiful North Spokane, actually, where Wall meets N. Whitworth Dr. I also spoke with Craig today and it was good to reconnect with him. Today was really a beautiful day. I was able to speak with dear friends of mine whom I don't often talk to. It is so strange how these awesome relationships we build (hypothetically speaking, over a summer of camp ;-)) kind of fade as we return to where our other lives exist whether that be on the mountain still, Pullman, or Chicago. So today is the day that I re-commit myself to staying on top of e-mails and phone calls. And more importantly the people on the other computer and the other receiver. That said, I will probably fade again at some point. But all this, to say I do think about you guys and care for you very much.

In other news, I have a cookie jar in the shape of an old west covered wagon. Pretty cool, huh?

thought of the day

Why are mason jars so enticing to drink out of?

To my loyal readers*

This week has been an absolute whirlwind. My best friend as of last year (also roommate that decided to move out this summer) visited this past Monday through Wednesday and it was good to be hanging out with him again. It was not awkward as I feared it would be, it was as if we were able to pick up where we left off. And then on Wednesday afternoon a WSU alum took up residence in my room in preparation for the 20th anniversary of cable 8 (the University TV Station that I work for.) It just so happens that this man is a big time director Producer down in LA and it has been cool to hear his stories and know that I really do have Cougar connections out in the business when I am ready to jump in someday. All of this was very eye opening. All this to say, my week has been busy. Add a couple papers and test on to that, and that is where I am. Tomorrow night is the 20th anniversary banquet which should be a kick with alum and current students hanging out, eating, telling stories and shmoozing. And then this Saturday is the Homecoming Game against the University of California Golden Bears. We will see what we are able to muster against this very good opponent. For now, Go Cougs!

*The subject title is said very tounge in cheek ;-)

half way there

Today marks the day that I am half way through the first semester of my last year hear at Washington State University. This is a good thing. I have been in school for too long and the things that were once fun are just annoying. I am done with multiple male roommates and loud music, drunk people who I don't know, and other random things that are associated with college or at least this school. I feel that I am ready to grow up and grow out of here. I don't even participate in these activities, but Im done being around it. I feel like the old man in my house, trying to impart wisdom on the young wipersnappers, its an odd feeling. Anyway, that's it. I am 1/4 of the way through this year, and I get to go to Spokane this weekend! Yeah!

this one hurts.

In Memory of Horn (the name of my intramural softball team; named after a graduated friend) lost tonight in the sweet 16 of the softball playoffs. We played a very very good team and went down early. We fought back and actually took a three run lead in to the bottom half of the last inning but we could not get the last out and gave up four runs and the win. We all had plays that we could have made, but we just couldn't get it done. We lost 13-12 and Im not gonna lie, it stings pretty bad. Its funny how intramural sports can get you so excited and pumped up to play again, but we will have to wait until the spring to give it another run. Until then bring on flag football. Not quite as fun as softball but it will have to suffice. That's it for now, time to lick the wounds.

what an experience.

So we camped out. It was a 24 hour experience from the moment we arrived hang out/sleep at the gate until we got home after the game was over. The night started out with the 4 of us watching movies playing poker and ordering pizza to be delivered to the student entrance of the football field, all of which were successful ventures. But at about 2 am a bunch of drunk frat guys came to camp out as well and lets just say that not much sleep was had. They were so belligerent. I guess that's what you get when you go to college and you choose to camp out on a Friday night before the football game. There was our fair share of free entertainment an quotes from those stumbling around outside on a nice fall evening, but I would have much preferred a more calm atmosphere of hanging out before the big game. Needless to say, morning came and the four roommates and I took turns rotating out for showers and breakfast before we prepared to wait against the gate until the stadium opened at 2:00 pm.
I was the first person inside of the stadium and as I ran to the section that I wanted to get a free shirt was tossed in my direction and I caught it in stride as if I was a WSU Tight End. We got to our section and eventually our front row (Im talking right on the rail) seats. The view was phenomenal and so the game time count down began. Before long the kickoff was happening and the atmosphere was amazing. We took an early 3-0 lead that we would relinquish, but the game was always close. We came back in the end and had a chance to win with three seconds left but our hopes were squelched with a last second interception on the goal line. All and all I was very proud of the way our team played against the #2 team in the nation. We out played them in most every statistical category except for the one that mattered. The scoreboard. We all walked home a bit somberly having gone to more than a game, it was an overnight event that we had pored a lot in to. We got home and crashed, I haven't had many better nights sleep than last night. I had a good time.

camp out.

Tonight is the night you all have been waiting for. Or at least myself and three of my friends have been waiting for. Tonight is the night that we camp out at the gates of Martin Stadium. The Washington State Cougars host the 3rd ranked Trojans of USC tomorrow, and the four of us (Brock, Brad, Derek and I) will be in the front row on the 50 yard line. So if you are watching TBS tomorrow around 4:00 p.m. look in the front row and hopefully you will see my bearded mug. Tonight should be fun ,and hopefully our football team gives us something to cheer about tomorrow. That's all for now. Go Cougs!

Im up late.

Yeah. I laid down tonight and for the life of me (whatever that saying means) I could not sleep; so here I am. I have had a lot on my mind over the past few weeks. There is just so much going on right now that I think my brain and my heart are on sensory overload. Tonight I finished up an on-air promotion for the TV show that I am the Lead Producer for, and that is very tedious and time consuming (all for a 60 second commercial). I also had a take home test that is do tomorrow, or I guess tomorrow is now today since it is 12:50. Needless to say, I got it all done for now until my focus switches to the next assignments and then the next and so on and so fourth. But tonight, my mind would not rest. With the living situations in my house being the way that they are (as some of you know) and if you don't, its probably better that way; it takes a lot of energy form me. Constantly being on my toes in case something goes down, and living downstairs and across a thin door from someone you don't like is not a fun position to be in. Never the less, here I am. I guess when I had these assignments I have been working on for the last couple weeks, my mind was occupied. But for this one night it all came back. Plus, I am getting married in 9 months and that really splits my focus because I want to be in Spokane with Tori all the time, but I still have to finish out here. I enjoy school for the most part, but it is getting pretty old , and I just wish that it was July 15th (day after the wedding) already. I apologize for tonight's stream of consciousness. And if you were able to follow it, kudos to you. But sometimes it just feels good to write things out. And for the time being, you now know what's up with me (if you even read this thing.) USC is in town this weekend for football and that will hopefully be entertaining. More on that and other events later...

Not gonna lie

I LOVE the Ryder Cup! Around this time every other year my sports focus shifts towards this World golf event. The sportsmanship and passion for country is fun to watch. In my mind this ranks right up there with March Madness. It is a lot of fun. That's it.

to answer the questions...

I was drinking out of a stainless steel thermos and I had been given instructions on how to drink out of it (by someone who will remain nameless) and that was incorrect. It came out of the sides of the spout instead of the hole that I thought it would, and it dribbled down my chin instantly blistering it. It hurt/s pretty bad, but I hear that mouths heal quickly. That is the long and short of it. Word to the wise. Use the lid that doubles as a cup when it comes to thermoses. P.S. The beverage was still warm the next day (17 hours later) that's a quality thermos!

I burned my face with hot tea

...nuff said. I wish I new how to post pictures and all that jazz, its pretty narly.