Jackie and Kris

Alex and Cynthia

Sadie and Alex

Jackie and Sara

The Roomies

I'm tired...

Maybe that quiz wasn't too far off. It's 9 pm right now, and I'm going to bed. In fact, maybe that quiz should have given me and even older age *sigh*

It's just sad cause it's Friday night, and while all my friends are across the street playing games and meeting the new Vistas, I'm utterly, completely, exhausted.

I did get to smash up a car today though, or take a few whacks at it anyway. That was cool.

Okay, completely pointless post. I'm going to bed.

Another cool quiz

My age according to this quiz is 28...not too far off, but I'm not quiete there yet.

What Age Do You Act?

Personality Quiz (yes, I got this idea from Jeff)

You Have A Type A- Personality

A- You are one of the most balanced people around Motivated and focused, you are good at getting what you want You rule at success, but success doesn't rule you. When it's playtime, you really know how to kick back Whether it's hanging out with friends or doing something you love! You live life to the fullest - encorporating the best of both worlds

Do You Have a Type A Personality?

Taking a Poll

I need help coming up with a new name for my blog and website. I'm making some updates to the website, I'll have a link to it permanently on here shortly. For now, it's here.

So anyway, please post or email me any suggestions for a new website name.

Picture Gallery

I have some pictures up in a gallery on yahoo...hope you all enjoy


PICTURES

Our House

Home Sweet Home

Big Sur Bridge

Big Sur-for lack of anything better to blog about. (Picture taken by Ross Aug 2004)

Christmas Break Picture

Just a picture from Christmas break. This is my cousin Matthew with me. He's so adorable.


Me and Matthew

MLK Day

It's Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and as I was driving home from Dublin tonight, I was listening to one of his speeches on the radio. I think I saw it called "A Drum Major for Peace" somewhere. I also heard it Friday as well at CSU Monterey Bay during a service learning thing. I've actually somehow never heard this particular speech before and I have to say, both Friday and tonight, it gave me chills. It was really a good reminder of the unlikely turn my life has taken in the past year and a half. I would say just the year I've been in AmeriCorps out here, but I think my changes started before that. My last sememster at WKU, Fall of 2003, I took a class from a man named Dr. David Ducoff. The class was called Race, Class, Ethnicity and Gender. That single class impacted me more than any other class I've ever had. I got an A, and it was probably the hardest college class I ever had (keep in mind, I didn't make a lot of As in college--could have if I'd ever cared enough, but why care, when you can not study and make Bs and Cs). Not only did it impact me, but I learned more in that one class than probably all my other sociology classes combined maybe, cause it basically talked about how all that other crap that I supposedly learned about became personal. How it actually affected not just society, but the people in it. It took sociology and made it personal to me for the first time in my life. I saw society as individuals from all walks of life instead of ambiguous groups of people. I also learned more history of our "great" country that I ever have before too. Things that at some times made me ashamed to be an American, but also grateful for the opportunities I've had in my life.

Anyway, I just think this is a great speech. ...say that I was a drum major for justice...say that I was a drum major for peace.... That is my favorite line. Anyway, I'm glad I heard this speech this weekend. I've never thought twice about MLK Day, other than getting a day off school or work. I'm glad that people like Dr. King, even in his death, can affect the lives of so many people today. I'm glad that his words and his life has affected mine.

Here's the end of the speech....take some time to read it. FYI, this was exactly 2 months before his death. The speech was delivered on Feb 4, 1968...he died April 4, 1968.

And every now and then I think about my own death and I think about my own funeral. And I don't think of it in a morbid sense. And every now and then I ask myself, "What is it that I would want said?" And I leave the word to you this morning.

If any of you are around when I have to meet my day, I don’t want a long funeral. And if you get somebody to deliver the eulogy, tell them not to talk too long. (Yes) And every now and then I wonder what I want them to say. Tell them not to mention that I have a Nobel Peace Prize—that isn’t important. Tell them not to mention that I have three or four hundred other awards—that’s not important. Tell them not to mention where I went to school. (Yes)

I'd like somebody to mention that day that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to give his life serving others. (Yes)

I'd like for somebody to say that day that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to love somebody.

I want you to say that day that I tried to be right on the war question. (Amen)

I want you to be able to say that day that I did try to feed the hungry. (Yes)

And I want you to be able to say that day that I did try in my life to clothe those who were naked. (Yes)

I want you to say on that day that I did try in my life to visit those who were in prison. (Lord)

I want you to say that I tried to love and serve humanity. (Yes)

Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. (Amen) Say that I was a drum major for peace. (Yes) I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter. (Yes) I won't have any money to leave behind. I won't have the fine and luxurious things of life to leave behind. But I just want to leave a committed life behind. (Amen) And that's all I want to say.

If I can help somebody as I pass along,

If I can cheer somebody with a word or song,

If I can show somebody he's traveling wrong,

Then my living will not be in vain.

If I can do my duty as a Christian ought,

If I can bring salvation to a world once wrought,

If I can spread the message as the master taught,

Then my living will not be in vain.

Yes, Jesus, I want to be on your right or your left side, (Yes) not for any selfish reason. I want to be on your right or your left side, not in terms of some political kingdom or ambition. But I just want to be there in love and in justice and in truth and in commitment to others, so that we can make of this old world a new world.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to all ya'll on Eastern and Central time. I'm hanging out with some friends in Richmond, KY right now. Actually, they're hanging out. I'm hiding in the computer room about to find a nice spot on the floor and go to sleep.

Anyway, I'm just about to wrap up my trip home. I'm on the home stretch anyway. At any rate, I thought of a few other odd things I find myself doing at home. Namely, I listen to country music (not that I have too much choice in the matter down in my parts). But not only do I listen to country music...I sing along too...AND I know the words to a lot of the songs. Not so much the newer ones, but let me tell you, I know every word to "Ain't Goin' Down til the Sun Comes Up" by Garth Brooks. If you know that song, you know it's a tough one to know all the words too.

Anyway, I took lots of pictures on my shiney happy new camera. Pictures of home, my cousins, and other people. I hope to put some of them up soon.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to a nice quiet remainder of the weekend hanging out with Ross and my friend Crystal. Hopefully some other people I worked with at JDC as well (Juvenile Detention Center). I'll be back on California soil on Tuesday. I arrive in Monterey at 12:26 pm PST and then off to a fun-filled day of work after being up since about 1:45 AM PST that day--good luck on me being worth anything that day. It'll be okay. I'm actually ready to get back to work and my normal routine, not that I haven't enjoyed my time at home, but I'm ready for some normal stuff again for a while.

Anyway, good luck to everyone in the new year of 2005. I'm looking forward to it.