Can anyone REALLY vote for a guy like this?

UPDATE:  Obviously I will look into other things than just candidates' bowling skills.  Also, I don't believe bowling ability is a reflection of leadership ability :)

I haven't done much research into the Presidential candidates for '08, but this information has to count for something, right?

from Obama bowls for Pennsylvania voters: "Obama did improve, nearly getting a strike in one frame, and in the seventh, picking up a spare, giving him a score of 37."

Welcome back to my life, 5-iron

Today has been a really good day.  It's not that I don't have other good days that are worthy of a blog post, it's just that today I was able to do some things that I don't normally get to do.  Plus I still don't want to study, so thus, this blog post.  

I just spent the last hour and 7 minutes watching YouTube videos, including both the 97 and 98 fights between the Red Wings and Avalanche, the "Loser Must Retire" match between HBK and Ric Flair from a little while ago, and an old Converse commercial.  I'd love to show you all of those little pieces of pure gold, but I also don't want to waste an hour and 7 minutes of your day.  So here's one of them:

Some of the other things I don't normally do but did today and had fun are: 

1. slept in until 11:03
2. had lunch with Kelsey and Audry
3. took a nap (yeah I'm a bum)
4. ate two cheddarwursts (sounds gross and ridiculous to list as a highlight...but they were SO good)
   
5. went to the driving range

The trip to the driving range today deserves its own commentary.  It was somewhat of an impulse decision by T-Mo, Tony, and I, and a great one at that.  I've had this brand new set of irons sitting in our house collecting dust every since I brought them from home (a Christmas present).  I've only hit them twice, and I've been anxiously anticipating when I could take them out again.  And today was the day.  My first shot was a 9-iron, and it was probably the best "first shot of the spring" of my entire life.  About 120 (into a stiff breeze) and straight as an arrow.  More importantly, my best club of the day was my 5-iron.  I haven't been able to say a sentence like that in a long time.  For the best few years, my 3-wood and 5-iron have been dead to me.  But I hit both of them today and I felt really good about it.  Maybe it's the new irons, I don't know (I really think it is, actually).  The only problem is that I couldn't hit my even irons (4, 6, 8).  Although my last shot (has to be a good one) was with a 6-iron, so I guess it wasn't all that bad.

It was a good day because it felt "college-y" and "out of college-y."  I had lunch with some old, out-of-college people (smile) and talked about jobs, but I also slept in.  I hit some golf balls in the classic "post-work" part of the day (6 PM) and also took a mid-afternoon nap.  

This isn't that surprising since I've been riding the edge of college and post-college for a while now.  

Stuff

I spent most of Monday without my cell phone, having accidentally left it in Grand Rapids after visiting with Shan's family for Easter.  So that means that I also spent most of Monday anxious and uncomfortable and slightly (okay, moderately) less equipped to go through the day without my cell phone.  And right around 4 PM I realized how ridiculous I am.  How can I be that worked up about not having my cell phone?  It's just a cell phone, right?  Obviously I'm less reachable and unable to communicate with people, which are both important things.  And it's incredibly inconvenient.  But really, it's not a big deal.  The day will still happen.  And it did.

I wish I wasn't like that.  I wish my heart wasn't tied so tightly to things that it doesn't need to be.  I thought about some other things that I would be at least slightly upset that I didn't have with me / didn't know where it was for at least a day.  Here's a brief list, in no particular order:

• MacBook
• Bible (either of the 2)
• Wallet (including everything it contains)
• Keys
• REI jacket
• North Face winter hat

Class is starting so I need to wrap this up, but I guess the point of my rambling is that I was also able to think about the other things my heart really cares about.  Like really cares about.  Like God.  And people.  And relationships.  And MSU basketball (just kidding...kind of).  I'm hoping to go through the rest of the week and the rest of my life focusing more on the important things rather than the unimportant.  

(Not that wallets and car keys are unimportant)  

All this makes me think of this verse, and I'll leave you with it.

"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Co 4:18

Happy Easter

I'm not a Harry Potter fan, BUT....

this video made me laugh:

Chicago

A few posts ago I mentioned that I would write about my Chicago trip during Spring Break.  Well, now I don't really want to.  It's not that it isn't "blog-worthy" - it's just that I'm just that lazy.  I've thought about writing about it ever since I said I'd write about it.  I've just been a mixture of busy and lazy.  So in order to force myself to jot some notes about it, I thought I'd infuse some creativity.  Therefore, in honor of my friend Kelsey, I will write using as much alliteration as I can without making myself go crazy.  It'll be fabulously fun.  Here we go.

I diligently drove to Chicago in under 4 hours, which is less time than rad Rachel predicted.  3 hours and 52 minutes to be extremely exact.  I was a proud person that day.  I passed the time by reflecting and thinking, two powerful pastimes that I rarely receive reliable time to do.  So I enjoyed it.

I spent most of my time there following my friend Brian around Evanston.  Here's a short list of where we went: his office, leadership, Pomegranate (restaurant), Northwestern's cool campus (yeah I know that was a lame effort on my part).  We watched a high school play, went to some meetings, ate food, played basketball, listened to Tim Keller, and chatted.  It's been a long time since we've had extended amounts of time to hang-out and talk about life.  It was good. 

I saw some students I met many months ago that go to Northwestern and do leadership with Bri.  It was good to see them too.

(Okay I'm officially out of alliteration ammunition.  I can't take this trouble too much longer).

So anyways, it was a great trip.  It was relaxing, fun, memorable, and definitely worth all the gas money.  At first I was disappointed in not going somewhere warm for Spring Break.  But it turns out that was able to go and spend some seriously solid quality time with some of my favorite people in the whole world...who wouldn't want that?

(I guess I had a little left in me)

PS I couldn't post about Chicago without mentioning my friend Dana.  She was down there being all grown-up and professional for her company Veritas.  One of the highlights of the trip was when she walked into Cosi for this meeting and freaked out and made the "Dana freak-out face."  Obviously she had no idea I'd be there.  And I bet she freaked out when she read almost the entire post without seeing her name :)

God is Better than Groundhogs

Front doors are left open.  Sandals are being dusted off.  Birds are chirping, the sun is shining, and guys are struttin' down Shaw Ave. in cut-offs and shorts.  It looks like spring outside, so it must be, right?  I'll admit it's REALLY nice outside, but it's still only 39 degrees.  I think everyone is a little more anxious for spring this year after the snowiest winter I can remember.  But I don't think the fat lady has sung on old man winter yet.  If it snowed 2 feet in 5 days I wouldn't be surprised at all.

Nonetheless, I'm part of the crowd eagerly anticipating warmer weather.  In fact, I think I have a lot of things to eagerly anticipate as of late...probably more than usual.  I don't think it's too far of a limb to climb out onto to say Shan and graduation has something to do with that.

Last night a bunch of guys and I met for our weekly get together to talk about life and the Bible.  We read and talked about Hebrews 11, which is kind of like a halftime pep talk about heroes of the faith.  It begins by saying that "faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."  There's so much that I hope for these days and maybe even more that I do not see.  I'm in this crazy place where my faith is as strong as ever, but where I watch it crash into some of my biggest doubts I've had.  

Sometimes I think I'd feel better if a groundhog knocked on my door and told me what to expect.  But then again, I don't think I'd be satisfied with what he'd have to say.  So instead, I'll cling to the God I cannot see and the hope I that I am doing everything I can to be certain of.  Because spring will be here sooner or later...and God will show up in a huge way.