Mmm, turkey. It’s worked out that I won’t have to suffer my own cooking for Thanksgiving — I’ve been invited to be an extra at the dinner of a local family I know. Score one for the good guy! Yes, I am a good guy.

So work’s been fine so far. It’s nothing all that exciting, but I’m excited that they’ve actually got a well defined training program. The company is a lot stricter than others I’ve worked for in the past, but I can live with that. Being on time and having integrity aren’t undesirable qualities to attain.

I’m already planning for the future, and by “future” I mean career. It’s kinda cool how many opportunities I’ll have within the next few years in this respect. This is my first job that actually has any potential to lead somewhere. After one year to 15 months I can aim for my first promotion, and this could be as big as a 15% pay raise depending on which position I get.

This isn’t even taking into account other opportunities pending completion of related graduate school courses and deciding what I want to do with my life.

But regardless of all of that, I’m enjoying being placed in an environment where I can learn a lot about something interesting (holy crap does a lot go into wireless technology), knowing that I’m not in a dead-end job, and experiencing a different local environment than I’m used to.

The rain isn’t causing any nervous breakdowns yet, but it’s strange to adjust to. I realized today that the rain has me feeling like I’m in the wrong season — it’s not winter-like enough. But I’ll adjust as best as I can.

And heck, if I don’t like it I can move to California in a year to 15 months. I’ve always wanted to live in Paradise. California is my Eden with the major differences being that when I left it no angels with giant swords were posted to guard against my return. Therefore, I can return to California.

Oh, California…

Categories: Life, Work
Tags: California, food

This is the first time I’ve used an iMac since I had Jake’s old clunker at Jacksonville, FL, during the summer of ‘04. I appreciated the clunker then and I appreciate this computer now.

Coming at you Live! from Seattle, heeeere’s… me!

I’ve had an adventurous day. Adventurous, at least, for me. I’ve never travelled anywhere completely alone before. Today I took a bus to the airport, boarded a plane, and flew to Seattle all by myself. I’m finally grown up and it only took 24 years. Now if only I could move out of my parents’ house things could be perfect.

So I’ve already seen a few interesting sites. Tim, who I know from Jax STP 2004, picked me up from the airport. We decided to Pike Place Market to get some food. We didn’t end up checking out the market, but we walked around for a bit. During the walking, we happened to walk by the first-ever Starbucks coffee shop (still operating!) until we found a Japanese restaurant to eat.

Nothing like raw salmon to make my day go right. Mmm, mmm… oishi.

I went to church at Mars Hill after that. It’s “contemporary” in the way _contemporary_ should be: rocking. And by rocking I don’t mean watered-down, sold-out, and shallow. This sermon packed more solid teaching than I’ve heard in the last six months (probably ’cause I haven’t been to church much). I enjoyed it.

Now I’m staying with some people I know up here. I’m exhausted from adjusting my sleep schedule to normal hours so ineed to get to bed.

I wish I had an easy way to send photos from my phone to this blog. I’ve had trouble with it so far. If you’re on Facebook, though, you can look at my mobile uploads and I’ll be adding photos there throughout this trip. For the rest of you, I’ll put some up here on the site later.

By the way, the big Job Fair is on Tuesday so please pray that it works out well!

Categories: Life, Work
Tags: church, food, iMac, Mars Hill, Pike Place Market, Seattle, travel

Oh, sweet nectar of the Gods — peaches are in season and this means delicious peaches fill the shelves of supermarket produce sections everywhere (in places within the northern hemisphere where the current supply and demand make it profitable). So, what shall I do? I shall eat them. Tasty peaches, delicious peaches. I bite in with vigor and the juice glides across my tongue and titillates my senses. Oh yes, … peach euphoria!

Here’s a challenge for you (or at least for Jake): write a haiku about peaches. And euphoria. Yes, this shall be your challenge, and you shall like it! Perhaps not as much as peaches.

Categories: Life
Tags: food, haiku, peaches

Today has been relatively decent. I went to church this morning at a local, nondenominational church and I enjoyed it. I’m not sure I learned a ton this morning, but the sermon had some scripture in it and brought out the truth. My brother, Isaac, went with me. After church, we came home and ate a fabulous chicken, mashed potatoes, carrots, celery, and gravy dinner cooked by mother. Good stuff.

Isaac and I then proceeded to Fort Collins to visit a friend of mine, Nathan, who I know from going to Japan two summers ago. We played video games for a couple hours and then saw the movie “Hero.” If you’re a Sinophile (a person obsessed with all things Chinese), you’ll dig this movie. If you appreciate Chinese culture at all, you’ll probably dig this movie. It’s got some awesome fight scenes -and is well directed by Quentin Tarantino- +(it’s “presented” by Tarantino).+ The plot can get hard to follow, but I kept up okay and would call the movie “Awesome.” Then again, I have a taste for such productions.

I drove Isaac back home and now I’m back to chillin’. I work tomorrow so no three day weekend for me, but that’s okay. I just want a chance to catch up from a busy weekend. That’s what the Sabbath is supposed to be for, but I didn’t take one today. Whoops. Not the best way to start the week.

Catch ya latez.

Categories: Life
Tags: family, food, Hero, Nathan

I’m back at school. It actually starts on Monday, but I got back to town yesterday. I’ve started unpacking and already had one Navigator’s meeting (several more Nav related events/meetings over the next week).

The rest of my time at home went well. I was able to spend a lot of time with Mark and Mark, my family and grandparents, and even Moriah one evening (Mark’s ex-girlfriend).

Got two new CDs from the mail today: Lucerin Blue and New Comers Home.

I blame Tracy’s computer entirely for this post. The ethernet in the dorms is turned off due to computer viruses and worms (and a bit of perhaps justifiable paranoia).

Jake and I came over to Tracy’s apartment, cooked some gyouza, Jake made some mugicha (tea), and we ate it. It wasn’t quality gyouza (it fell apart) but it tasted good. (Mom: “It still tastes fine even if it is in pieces”) Jake had a lot of Japanese anecdotes to share. Now we’re sitting here discussing Seinfeld and Tracy is sewing a pillow.

Categories: Friends, Life
Tags: Crawford, food, gyouza, Jake, Japan, Mark, Moriah, Navigators, New Comers Home, Tracy