Super special commissioning weekend update

Many apologies for not keeping up with the updates the past few days. I have been a little busier than I originally thought I'd be with Corps graduation and commissionings.

Friday was Corps graduation which went well. George beat me in FIFA and MLB on Xbox. We can leave it at that. I got to turn in all my uniforms and the such, never to see those things again. I had RA on Duty Friday night, when Mr. Sherman had a little BBQ at the house his family was staying at, so I had to miss that. He brought me a plate of foods and it was delicious. I wish I had been there to hang out with everyone. I probably could have gone now that I think of it. No one needed to be checked out, and nothing happened that night. Oh well.

Navy commissioning also happened on Friday, and I sat through all 2 hours of that. All I can say is, the Navy is weird...and they give anyone and everyone naval flight officer spots...hopefully I don't offend anyone with an NFO spot, but it just doesn't really have any prestige to it...especially when you see all people that did get it...Well, good luck to those Ensigns.

Today was spent running around for Air Force commissionings. The timing was kind of frustrating as people were commissioning at the same time in two different spots on campus. Anyway, it was really incredible to see everyone get their gold bars, and it really made me kind of "sad" not to be involved with it. The thoughts of Marine OCS ran through my head through the commissioning ceremonies, but I'm sure that will wear off in a few days. It's an incredible feeling to see all my friends become Lieutenants in the Air Force, and I'm really proud of every one of them.

Right now I'm watching the Will Ferrell SNL episode. Hopefully it's good, I'm not really a fan of SNL. Heh, I just saw a commercial for KFC that involved an African American family that wanted different kinds of fried chicken. I wonder how effective that commercial would be with a nice white family.

I'll be leaving tomorrow afternoon, so I'll have to do some packing tonight. Hopefully it doesn't take too long, but I'm sure there's a lot more in here than I thought, and I'm sure I won't even be able to fit it all in my car.

Well, that's it for the weekend. My bass still hasn't come in, and it is really getting frustrating. King's Dominion with everyone in exactly one week, then Atlantic City with LT Delong after that.

Go Yanks and Cubs!

Finals are over!!

I must apologize for not having posted anything last night due because I had to study for my last final today. First thing's first, George beat me in FIFA today. Maybe I'll print out a little certificate so he can tape it to his refrigerator.

I actually successfully got up early today, at around 8:30, and ate breakfast and continued studying. I didn't take a single nap today!!! After the test, I sold back my satellite communications book for a measly $18...I think it's because I bought it used and sold it even more used. At least I got a coupon for a free Beef Burrito Supreme and 16 oz. drink at Taco Bell!!! George only got a measly chicken sandwich at Burger King or something; hahahah, let's all laugh at him.

I played a whole heck of a lot of Forza Motorsport today. The game says that I'm about 16% of the way through, so there's plenty of playing left to be done. It's ridiculously addicting and a whole lot of fun, collecting cars and making them pretty and fast.

It's an unbelievable feeling to be done with this semester. For some reason, this end of year has been much more satisfying than the past three. It also seems a lot more meaningful, too. Maybe it's because everyone is leaving in a week, and I'll probably never see many of them again. The whole crew, except for Mr. Johnson and me, is getting commissioned and leaving this summer. Oh yea, that's right, we're not in the Corps anymore. No more wool pants.

I'll be here until probably Monday, so that gives me a good week to do absolutely nothing here. Simply glorious. Hopefully my bass will come in tomorrow so I have something to do. If not, I'll have to start studying for that blasted LSAT that I have in June. And then there's Forza.

I have to get up early again tomorrow to turn in a Hex LED display that I signed out for Microprocessor System Design this past semester, which I dropped after 6 weeks. Gooood decision. I'm definitely putting it off until spring next year. Anyway, I totally forgot that I still had it. I don't know if they would have charged my student account for it.

Sooo.....big gulps, eh? Wellp....see ya later!

My bad for the past two days....

Sorry I forgot to post my obligatory entries for the past day or two...I know I made some people sad... ::insert frowny face hear, complete with a tear:: ....I've been relatively busy with finals on Thursday and Friday, so today was my first real day of absolutely nothing. And it was a fine day.

I finally bought Forza Motorsport last night, and it's a pretty sweet game. I don't think the graphics are as good as those on Gran Turismo 4 for PS2, but it's all us Xbox owners have...it's kind of hard at first, but once you get used to not jamming the gas at all times and smoothly accelerating out of turns, you do a lot better. And it also helps to upgrade the dickens out of your car and race against the stock poo poo cars. Right now my nicest car is a decked out Acura Integra Type R with like 600 some horsepower. It's sweet....with a body kit and all that stuff that people actually think is ubercool!

I watched National Treasure tonight, and I thought it was pretty good. It definitely was interesting, and Nicholas Cage did a somewhat decent job. As my brother pointed out, there is either more to these "clues" than us common folk can see, or we are just too stupid to see all these connections that the main character instantly jumps at. "Iron pen....it was firm...adamant....a resolution.....the Declaration of Independence!!!" Booyah! He must be super smart. Good movie nonetheless. The supporting character Riley provided good comic relief.

On the topic of movies, my brother went and saw Kingdom of Heaven today, and he says it's not a very good movie. I was quite excited to see it, but now I'm having second thoughts. Mr. Sherman says he has free movie passes for Mr. Johnson and I, so hopefully we can watch something else. If you're a fan of Orlando Bloom and enjoyed his role in Lord of the Rings, my brother says you can watch him in all his splendor and glory in Kingdom of Heaven!! Other than that, you'll leave the movie wondering what just happened in the past 3 hours and whether Taco Bell is still open.

I noticed lately that the DVD cases for the newer movies now feature two little tabs on the side that you have to unclip in order to open the case. When I borrowed The Bourne Supremacy a month ago, I almost broke both the tabs and wondered why the darn thing wouldn't open. These tabs are just stupid and pointless...are they afraid the DVD will jump out and escape or something?

I realized tonight how powerful music really is....it's incredible, simply incredible...I'm sitting here right now typing away and sifting through some of the older songs on my computer that I used to listen to a lot. I have a habit of listening to the same songs, usually just a few on a playlist, on repeat for hours, whether I was chatting late into the night on IM back in the high school days or clicking away even later into the night at the poker tables. I'm listening to some of these songs now, and it brings back so many memories and feelings and the such from the past....it's really unbelievable, and it makes you miss so many things that were in your life, but not anymore. Each song has its own moment, feeling, or memory associated with it, and it's the only thing you can think about when you hear it. For example, Train's "Drops of Jupiter" reminds me of freshman year, when my parents and brother visited for the weekend. This was the song that played in my car when I drove back to my dorm as they left for home. Every time I hear that song, all I can think of is freshman year and how tough it was, with the Corps and not being with the family and all. Candlebox's song "Far Behind" reminds me of a person from the past who I haven't talked to in many years. I hope they're doing well. Some songs remind of all the hours I spent on the computer over the summer, relaxing and just enjoying life. I know it's only another week, but I just can't wait until I leave and go home for the summer. I know the songs I've been listening to recently (mainly some Switchfoot tracks) will remind me of the woes of online poker and late nights trying to get back to even....

All the memories of the past...it really makes me feel old...yes, only 21, but so many things have come and gone. It makes you appreciate what you've got now and wonder, when will it be gone, and what will come next...? The Class of 2005 is about to end this chapter of our lives, and I know for sure that I'm not ready for it.

I'm finally spending more time with my guitar, and I can't wait for my bass to arrive, hopefully Tuesday or Wednesday. I'm gradually getting my chops back, now it's a matter of learning to play something musical.

Well, it is time for bed in preparation for a full day of study tomorrow. My last final is on Monday, for Satellite Communications, which is my favorite class this semester. Remember to keep listening to the music!

A day of revelation

Well, not really...today can just be described in the following adage: Lose a little, learn a lot. Unfortunately, I need to edit this to say: Lose a lot, learn a little.

Anyway, today was the last day of classes, and it certainly was glorious. I did not sleep til late, and I slept through most of the morning and afternoon. I learned that my project group in Satellite Communications received the highest grade in the class on our final project which consisted of designing a satellite TV system for three countries in South America. It was actually fun, and I learned quite a bit. And I never went to sleep the night before it was due, but I suppose it was worth it. That's why they make energy drinks like Amped, by the same makers of Mountain Dew.

I never got a chance to purchase Forza Motorsport today, mainly because I didn't have a way to get out to Christiansburg. I guess it can wait until tomorrow. Revelation of the day: do not EVER take the Two Town Trolley to Christiansburg (that's one of the bus routes). This was vigorously debated at dinner today at Shultz. If you mis-time your departure from Wal-Mart and see the bus pulling out as you exit the door, you are in quite a bind, and you will have to find a way to entertain yourself in the Wal-Mart for the next hour. Do it again, and you just can't be happy...

I purchased a bass today on Ebay for a pretty decent price. Can't wait until that thing arrives and gives me something to do for the next week, in addition to studying for that little thing called the LSAT...and Forza....

On a bright note, I whooped Delong today in FIFA. I even made it somewhat exciting for him by "losing" the second game, then devastating him in the third match. I was tired, hungry, and incoherent at the time, so he has no excuse. But then again, I'm supposed to beat him.

I've noticed as the posts increase in number and frequency, their quality is dropping radically. I just can't seem to write about enough new stuff to keep this thing fresh and enjoyable. Maybe I can write about random topics or current news events and viewpoints. No, let's not turn this into one of those blogs...

My Internet browser homepage is set at MSN.com, and I shall leave with one of the "headlines" from the Today on MSN thing:

"Should Men Still Fear the Urologist?"

Three Days in a Row!!!

So, tonight marks the third day of updates in a row! How glorious! I've been reminded by my brother that I must include more references and quotes from Arrested Development. Unfortunately, I don't remember many of them. In time....

So Forza Motorsport came out today for Xbox. I must have this game. I will probably get it tomorrow. It will give me something to occupy my days that are currently filled with sleeping. My first final is on Thursday morning, with one on Friday afternoon and one Monday afternoon, so I probably won't play it too obsessively until after that last test, in which I'll have a good week of doing nothing except RA nonsense.

It is ridiculously cold in my room right now. When will we get some better weather here? This is honestly just getting silly. It's May, and I'm shivering in my room, desperately in need of a working heater.

After doing some thinking and talking with my brother, I've decided to take up the bass. Hopefully, it will reinvigorate my recent lack of interest in the guitar, and it will give me something fun to do with my bro this summer and next year. Jamming with two guitars isn't really that much fun...

George and I did not get to face off on the soccer field today, him with his classes....me with my frequent naps....scheduling is just a pain sometimes.

Apparently, the feces that I spoke of last night was quite renowned around the Corps. People flocked from all across Upper Quad to view the specimen, and many heard tales of its incredible majesty (Brain, I know there's a AD reference I could use here....but the mind is blanking out....).

Tomorow morning, by permission of the outgoing battalion commander, I will not be attending morning formation. It will be the first morning formation this year that I have not attended, and it will be the last one of the year...what a way to end it.

Well, I think that will do if for tonight. It was kind of a disappointing post in my mind, I'll try to do better tomorrow.

Nothing special today.

It has come to my attention that my blog entries bring smiles to the faces of children around the world, so I will try my best to update this silly thing daily. "[I] could write for a magazine column," says one avid fan (whose name will remain undisclosed, but let's just say he can't kick a soccer ball in a goal). My self esteem is now at an all-time high, since people actually enjoy something that I wrote. I have friends! Things are turning around since I've given up online poker for the finer things in life such as sleep, Shultz meals, and video game soccer. My enthusiasm and participation in the Corps is dwindling each day, as I dump more trivial responsibilities on the new commander, Abu-Akeel.

It is official. Mr. Johnson and Mr. Sherman are responsible for the heavy losses I sustained in the past few weeks of online poker. I hope that if they are crippled and must ride around in wheelchairs, that doors will not have handicap buttons; and if they do, the buttons will not work.

Today I went to the gym and Mr. Johnson farted many times. Mr. Johnson, I beg you, don't do that again. At least not as frequently as you did tonight. Air is a precious commodity in these times of stringent automobile emissions standards and chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's) rampant in the atmosphere.

After returning from the gym, I was welcomed by a gang of K08 freshmen. They seemed to be in good spirits and anxiously awaiting my return. They promptly led me into the bathroom, where I was shown one of the thickest pieces of feces I had ever seen. It was questionable whether the turd could have possibly exited a human being. Of course half the Corps was brought in to view this anomoly of human anatomy. I eventually flushed it.

Well, that's about it for this evening's episode. I learned tonight that "xanga" is a chinaman's version of a blog. Yes, that was random.

Good luck on finals. Only two more days of classes, and one more for me (I get Tuesday's and Thursday's off).

Death to Online Poker!!!

Well, the time has finally come to hang up my tiny mouse and retire from the stupid world of online poker. It has been good I suppose, except for the occasional late nights and stress. It really really is a miserable existence and I would not recommend it for anyone. It takes the fun out of the game, and you lose so much of your life that could be spent doing other things. I commend people that can do this for a living or actually enjoy playing as much as I did. Seriously....go outside and play or something. I really should do that more often, even in this cold weather. Good news is, I have more or less broken even for the semester, so it wasn't a complete flop (hah, no pun intended, until I reread it afterwards, in which I decided it should be considered intentional). However, I now have a 20" Dell 2001FP monitor that I have no real use for. Well, at least one more trip to Atlantic City with "LT" Delong (well, in less than two weeks), so that should be a good time. I'll probably make a few trips out in the summer too, just for fun.

***If anyone has any good ideas for new hobbies, I'd greatly appreciate it. I need something new to consume my time and limitless supply of money (hahah). I should probably get back to playing the guitar again, that was fun. Unfortunately, I just had no way to apply it, so practicing and playing never got interesting, and I slowly stopped playing. Next year, my brother will be here, and I'm sure I'll be playing a lot more with him around.

Now....on a more serious note....

Change of command has finally come, and my experience in the Corps has finally come to an end. I know there's a part of me that will miss it...I gained 20 pounds from when I first got here and learned to like to have shorter hair. It has really been incredible, and I'm grateful to have met all the people that I did in the past four years. Some are really close, and some, I wish I had gotten to know better. I will definitely miss you all who are commissioning, it's been real. For those who still have to wear the wool pants next year, I'll probably see you around somewhere on campus. Also, thoughts and prayers go out to the family of Stephen Bruso, one of my F05 buds.

Being the Kilo Battery commander has been quite as experience. I really wish that I could have done more for the company and the people in it. It was quite tough being split into two buildings; this didn't really help the unit cohesion and morale, and no one ever wanted to do anything. I hope this doesn't happen again next year... I would say I was an average commander. I tried to get things done as promptly as I could, but sometimes schoolwork and poker got in the way, and I would put off what seemed like trivial tasks until later or just completely forget about them. I'm definitely proud of the freshmen in the company though, they are a great group of kids. I just wish we could have challenged them more throughout the semester, it might have made the freshmen year a better experience for them. I wish Kilo the best of luck next year with Abu-Akeel....heh.

It's been over a month and a half since my last post on here...this semester just flew by...I have the LSAT to study for that I'm taking in June, while I'm at the beach with my brother. Glooorious! I'm not really sure what I'll be doing this summer. Definitely not sitting at home in front of the computer playing poker like I did on previous breaks. Not fun. Hopefully someone will have an idea for a new thing to do. That'd be great. Maybe fishing. Crabbing was also suggested, because some people don't like fish.

People have told me that these blog entries are mildly amusing to them, so I will try harder to post more frequently with my witty banter and long-winded prose. Losing lots of money in short periods of time has caused me to re-examine my life...and I leave with these corny lyrics from a Switchfoot track:

"Don't close your eyes,
This is your life.
And today is all you've got now.
And today is all you'll ever have.
Don't close your eyes.

This is your life, are you who you want to be?
This is your life, are you who you want to be?
This is your life, is it everything
you dreamed that it would be...."


Eh, I'm saying no. At least not right now. Hopefully I'm heading on the right track without poker. All I can say is, don't waste your life, take a good look in front of you, see what you have, and make the most of it. It just seems like I wasted so much of my past two years....



**DISCLAIMER**

I promise I will never include insanely corny "life lessons" like that in future blog entries. It just seemed appropriate at this time for me.




**JUST IN**

I rule at FIFA for Xbox. Our beloved Lieutenant-to-be just cannot seem to get that into his head.


Good luck to everyone on finals.