likejazz's Xanga

Sunday, August 27, 2006

Sun, 27 Aug 2006 03:49:49 GMT

Haha, I'm back! I've got a Venti White Chocolate Mocha coursing through my veins. Caffeine is pretty powerful on me. Just a few minutes ago, I was talking to one of my roommates. He told me that I sounded like an auctioneer due to the speed of my words. I'm trying to harness the rush by a little typing. After a long hiatus, I'm finally back to the world of blogging. Though, I'm a bit burnt out on the whole thing. I also think that this xanga account will be dieing off. It's time to move on to the world of blogspot. I've slowly been weening myself, but I think this shall be my very last post on xanga.

So, the summer was good. For those who don't know, I was in Seneca, SC working at the Oconee Nuclear Station as an intern for Duke Energy. It was your basic cubicle/office job but with the added bonus of a nuclear power plant to visit anytime I felt inspired. Plus, they planned day trips for all the other interns from time to time. We did go-karting, miniature golf, a river boat cruise, and all sorts of other fun things. The whole summer was a good experience. By the end, I was fully annoyed with half of the other 12 interns, but such is life.

Now I'm back in Atlanta. This year, my last year of college *fingers crossed*, I'm living in a house just off of Tech's campus with 5 other CCF guys. The house is amazing. I mean, it's by no means a dream house. My room is tiny and the floors slant, but it's such a good environment. I just hope that between a developing case of senioritis and 5 other fun and social roommates always doing something I still find time for school.

Yeah, that's my life in a nutshell right now. Good summer internship experience, good living situation, a few boring classes, a lot of good friends, and trying to cope with a certain amount of spiritual stagnation and complacency.

Till next time, this is Damien signing off.

Friday, May 26, 2006

Fri, 26 May 2006 03:18:23 GMT

Another week of laziness gone by. Actually, I was much better this week. I played frisbee three times, met up with friends, got a haircut, and started getting my act together. Nevertheless, I still have a lot to do tomorrow if I'm going to leave Saturday.

It turns out my roommate-to-be isn't actually coming till mid-June so I'll be living alone in whatever condo Duke Power is giving me. I hope some of the other interns are moving in Saturday or it'll be terribly boring. Seneca, SC seems (coming from someone who's never actually been there) dull enough on its own. It doesn't need the added disadvantage of noone my age.

I'm getting more and more excited about this whole internship as the time to leave approaches. The only thing I'm really nervous about is living on my own. Up until now, I've never owned my own car, cooked for myself, had my own place to live. It's a whole lot to get used to all at once. Yet I suppose it's better to experience it now rather than waiting 'til I graduate and having the harsh reality hit me then. There are tons of things I don't know. I don't know how to cook. Don't be surprised if you get a call from me asking for recipes, help, or how to put out an oven fire. I know little about car maintenance (a negative as a guy and even moreso as a mechanical engineer). Phew. The list goes on, but I'll stop there to keep from feeling overwhelmed.

I think I'll call it a night in hopes of a very productive Friday of preparation. Goodnight!

Friday, May 19, 2006

Fri, 19 May 2006 04:14:49 GMT

Well, I'd like to relate all the productive, creative, and otherwise intriguing things I've done over the past week, but I'm afraid that list is too short to be of any worth. Mostly been much more resting and relaxation. Probably too much. To the point of cabin fever. So tonight was a nice change of pace by going to Tech for CCF bible study and some frisbee action.

I have done a bit of catching up with friends and little things here and there. Over the weekend, I saw my sister as a model in a high school fashion show and drove up to Due West, SC to see an old friend graduate from the fine institution of Erskine College. It was great driving through the countryside to and from Due West. Nothing but clean air, blue skies, and nice aromas. Sunday was filled with playing with cousins and eating for mothers' day.

My ever so generous grandma bought me an ever so feminine bedspread, so Tuesday I went shopping with her and this little guy <------- Joseph to find something more of my taste. This turned into playtime with Joseph and what should have taken 20 minutes turned into an hour and a half excursion. Yet you can't help but be entertained. One of the many fun things about Joseph is that he can't really say L's. For some reason he prefers the letter Y. So as we walked around the bed department he kept asking me, "Damien, do you yike this one?" Not to mention he's funny and often remarkably witty for a 5 year old.

So now that I've totally played out my laziness time I'll start some sort of action. Hard to say what it will be. Maybe running. Maybe reading. Could be anything. I just know I can't handle another week of this. Oh, and more news. I bought my first car...ever! A nice 1995 Toyota Camry. Nothing to glamorous, but when you've never had a car of your own and you're 22...anything seems amazing. Instantly my options for activity increase abundantly.

And now I leave you with random pictures from the spring.

Good to see the girls trying so hard at the esteemed sport of flamingo football.

My dad, the boozing, carousing, Nascar-loving redneck that he is, in his element.

No, I will not make out with you, Ryan!

Ridiculously tall and yet really really ridiculously good looking.

Thursday, May 11, 2006

Thu, 11 May 2006 04:14:44 GMT

Lazy lazy days. That's pretty much what the next 2 and a half weeks have in store. Well, unless I get terribly bored which seems highly likely at this point. I'm just not the nogood lazeabout I used to be. School's made me soft. Made me feel like I should be doing things, being productive, or just get out more often. It's a terribly infectious feeling.

Anywho. I began summer with a bang of sorts. I stayed up till 3a.m. Saturday morning having fun with Tech friends, and then woke up at 7:30 to drive up to Chattavegas for Covenant's graduation. Sidenote: not a good idea. Do not mix a lack of sleep with a long drive. Yet it was well worth it. I got this strange feeling of nostalgia and deja-vu all mixed together. Graduation was like freshman year at Covenant all over again. It's amazing how short 4 years can seem at such a time. After the ceremony, I attempted to walk around and hunt down each and every friend with some amount of success. I'm a good people hunter in crowds. Just one of those nice things about being tall. Many people also try to solicit you as their personal people hunter. When the hunting season was over, I went up the mountain to hung out with Erin and Patty. And after a 2 and a half hour nap at Patty's house, I headed back to Atlanta for a Tech graduation party. Early church and college class the next day were the final straws to have me completely tuckered out.

That was all the fun I could handle. Or so my two 3 following days of ridiculous amounts of sleep and little else would have you believe. This week has affectionately become known as lazy week. While usually I reserve this adjective for the whole summer, I just don't see it happening that way. It's only been three days of laziness, and I'm already chomping at the bit.

Last night I got to spend some time with Melinda which is alway a nice, though becoming increasingly rare between my lack of communication and her extreme busyness, treat. Any time we hang out it generally leads to long talks that are both insightful and convicting. Last night was no exception. So afterwards I found myself laying in bed staring at the ceiling for hours just thinking. It had been a while since I'd done that. Not that I'm a stranger to thought, but I've become much better over the years at quieting my thoughts in favor of dreams. Lots of things that I'd like to try and work on over the summer while I have plenty of free time.

I finally have some news from the ever secretive people at Duke Energy. They gave me a list of 7 other people who will be interns with me. Like any good curious college student I proceeded to facebook them all. I was successful at finding 4 of them, 2 are not on facebook, and the last, my soon-to-be roommate Jeff Smith, has far too common a name for me to find him without some other clue. Nevertheless it's nice to know there will be other college students. Will they be fun or interesting? Only time will tell.

That's all for now. Stay tuned for more news. It promises to be less about what I'm doing and more about what I'm thinking from here out for a few weeks.

Sunday, April 30, 2006

Sun, 30 Apr 2006 23:46:31 GMT

It is far too cold for the last day of April. There's no I should have a runny nose a week before school gets out. Yet, here I am. Slightly runny nose. Trying as hard as I can to motivate myself to study for finals. At this point I'm relying on incentives, "Damien, you can write a blog entry if you will study for 3 more hours afterwards." Hopefully it'll work.

This time of the year is also notorious for massive amounts of reflection, evaluation, and nostalgia. Friday night I went to the CCF end of the year banquet. Basically a 6-hour marathon of seniors and interns sharing how much they love all things CCF. So amidst the speeches, I had plenty of time to review my own year. I'd say it's been a good year overall. Things I'd like to change next year or over the summer: be more positive (from encouraging to brainstorming to anything), be more assertive (in relationships, in leadership), be more challenging (ask the hard questions, hold people accountable). These are the main three things that have continually resurfaced in my head over the past week. I think they're all attainable to a certain degree.

Summer is going to be an interesting time. For those of you who don't know I'll be working as an engineering intern in SC. Podunk, SC that is. I don't know who I'll spend my time with. I don't know where I'll go to church. I don't really even know what I'll be doing at work. I'm going to miss All Souls Fellowship. Shane is just starting a series on the ten commandments. He's coming at it from the standpoint that the ten commandments are a way of defining the extent of the Christian life. He gave a good analogy of kids at a playground who feel much more safe and free when the playground area is enclosed by a fence. Not a limit upon their fun but a means to let them to enjoy the playground without fear. I'm curious to see where he'll go from here.

Finals don't look too bad. One each day but Wednesday. Just got to keep chuggin'. Almost there. Finish line in sight. And so on that note I bid you all farewell. Well, after a few pictures.

Went to the annual Covenant Braves game last night. Total dumb luck that some of my favorite people decided to attend. Here are just a few of them.

Today was the last day of the semester at All Souls with the whole crowd.

Thursday, April 13, 2006

Thu, 13 Apr 2006 03:35:45 GMT

Phew! So it's been a good and crazy last, oh, 2 and a half weeks. I was so determined to blog 3 or more times each months, but considering my stats for the month of March are at a grand total of 2 I might want to reconsider. Fortunately, my lack of blogging has had the side effect of a renewed effort in calling and emailing people. Not nearly as many people as I would like but baby steps are always good.

Highlights of the last little stretch: Big Boi and Cake concert with sister, random phone calls and letters from friends, Spring retreat with CCF. Things have generally been going well. One of the really nice touches is that since coming back from Spring break I've been quite unmotivated, but school has been undemanding. I love when those two things coincide for usually the opposite is true.

Accountability group has kind of taken a shot in the foot. Three guys are in the group. Both of the other guys have different ideas of what accountability means, and I'm somewhere in the middle trying to make peace. It's not a battle or anything. Just neither of them is super interested in meeting now considering that they don't think they're getting anything out of it. Well, poo on that. The group may just end up dieing for the semester. We'll see. Maybe I can work some magic. Good Christian magic.

CCF is good as well. They had this huge deal called Mission Maasai trying to raise money for the Maasai people of Kenya and Tanzania who are suffering from a big drought. CCF threw a big, free benefit dinner and concert this past Monday night. They've also had assorted other means of raising money. I just was not into the whole thing. I mean, I'm all for raising money for needy people. It just seems that CCF always goes about things in such a backwards way. They can get so focused on all things new and bright and revolutionary that they lose sight of good things already established. Nevertheless, it's good to see the ministry focused on the world outside of the U.S. that does not have anything to do with Globalscope.

Alright, I see soapboxes popping up around me so I'll stop. I'll leave you with a picture. This is from the Spring retreat. Notice the marigold sweater I am wearing with the pink butterfly. Yeah, desperately cold times call for borrowed clothing.

Monday, March 27, 2006

Mon, 27 Mar 2006 02:51:32 GMT

Spring break! It appears mother nature took the words a little too seriously this year. Rather than just no school, it also came as a break from the nice springtime weather. So what did I do over the break? Nice walks at the park? Frisbee with friends? No. The weather was just warm enough to tease you but just cold enough to keep you from spending much time outside. Yet spring break was wonderful. I saw my dad play at Eddie's Attic, read most of Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton, went to a NASCAR race with my aunt and uncle who I hadn't seen in 6 years, half-day with Melinda, and dinner with a lovely lady to name a few of the highlights. Not to mention plenty of sleep, family time, and good food.

Nothing like a week off to give you way too much time to think. I thought about all sorts of stuff. A lot of the thoughts centered around the future and friendships. I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but there's something about Tech that just makes me feel like a bore. The longer I'm here, the more I feel like the fun, outgoing, and energetic side of me comes out less and less. I won't have it! I don't know what it'll take, but any baby steps of improvement that I may find I'll for sure take.

I also thought about standards and morals and things of that nature. As expected, since leaving Covenant there have definitely been many trying situations. CCF has this kind of hidden (or at times very unhidden) tendency of pushing you to or beyond your limits. Forces you to think about how a Christian should live. It kind of comes with the terrain of focusing on loving and outreach. So much effort is put into being genuine, real, relevant, or whatever you want to call it that the idea of a set-apart life loses some of its luster. I've been forced to determine what standards in my life are necessary. This covers anything from what I talk about in conversations to cussing to drinking to how I treat girls . I'll stop there on this topic to avoid boring you, but just lots of thoughts.

So yeah, spring break was, while somewhat low-key, very fun! I'm only wishing that the effects of a week of laziness and a mild onset of senioritis can be combatted in the coming weeks. Summer is so close and yet so far away.

I go out bold and brave!

Monday, March 13, 2006

Mon, 13 Mar 2006 02:41:59 GMT

How do I love warm weather? Let me count the ways. But seriously, it's been marvelous this past week. Particularly good for rather uneventful weeks. The past few weekends have been really nice for relaxing and such. Last weekend, I got to spend the better part of Saturday with two of my favorite people, Noelle and Stef. Studied in studio while Noelle worked, went to Figo for dinner (so good), and watched the new Pride and Prejudice. Good stuff. Then this weekend was filled with some homework, a few baseball games, some soccer, and putting together a puzzle with friends. Just lovely. Two great weekends. Today the weather was so nice there was no way I was staying inside.

I'm reading through James now. I like the book of James a lot. I remember way back in my senior year of high school when I gave a talk about James (more specifically about taming the tongue). I told the youth group that the book could have very easily been addressed to me. It's funny how true that still rings. Yet it's for completely different reasons now. Nowadays I'm more struck by James's belief in the power of prayer and his idea of true salvation.

Oh, and there's something I was thinking about today that I want some feedback on. So I've talked before about how I don't always get anything out of communion. Today I felt some of the fiery darts. Somewhere deep in my mind, there is this thought during communion that God is not really loving. It mostly deals with the presence of evil. I start thinking that God is not loving because He allowed for the presence of evil and then was forced to give Jesus as a sacrifice. As though He either screwed up and had to make up for it or he allowed evil so that he could later come and seem like the good guy. Neither of which is very comforting at any time particularly during communion. How do you think about this? How do you settle the presence of evil in your mind? Or what do you see as God's motive in sending Jesus into the world? Believe you me, I have a head full of good doctrine, but there is most assuredly a difference between what you have been told to be true over and over and over and what really rings true in your heart and mind.

Alas, I can't end on such a seemingly dark note. Life really is good right now. Some deep and heavy thoughts but mixed amongst good times and wonderful weather. One more week and I'll be happily relaxing in the fabulous city of Decatur for Spring Break. No pictures for now. Been really lazy about the camera of late.

Happy Sunday!

Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Tue, 28 Feb 2006 03:34:28 GMT

Sooooooo exhausted. I love me some retreat, but combined 2-night sleep total of 8 hours (2 of which were on a hotel lobby couch) just doesn't cut it. Yet the Monday after is always fun. I'm even more laid-back than normal. Terribly relaxed and talkative. Not good for trying to study for two tests.

Retreat was good. Played some hacky sack. Had some good guy time with Robert Lee and Yogi (quality guys). Good conversations. Didn't get a lot out of the main talks, but good stories. Plus I love me some road tripping. Even if my van was the quiet and chill van, we had some fun and good talking.

This week's challenge: balance work and fun. I've got a really hard test and a mediocre one (art history, not hard, a lot of memory loading). But by no means am I the person to let a few tests deter me from gallivanting during my birthday week. No, sir. Not I. Two Covenant friends are coming down to go out to lunch. Can't wait. Been forever since I've seen either of them. But that is not all. Oh no, that is not all. The rest is in the works.

Still reading Hebrews. Nothing too poignant. It's mostly about Jesus and his position as priest. It is interesting that Paul says, "For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another." (8:7) It just always catches my attention when something God has said or done seems at fault. I realize often it is just "anthropomorphic" language or whatever you may tell yourself to sleep at night, but it definitely catches my attention. Something about it doesn't settle.

And now....the pictures. It was terribly tempting to throw something down the 15 floors to the lobby. Notice the couch in the bottom right corner (also known as a bed to some people).

Sportin' the leather jackets. That's how they roll in Gatlinburg.

Everyone starts getting a little goofy late at night.

Gettin' in the zone with some hacky sack.

Singin' to anyone who'd listen in the lobby. A good way to say goodbye.

To the books. Goodnight, all.

Thursday, February 23, 2006

Thu, 23 Feb 2006 03:09:45 GMT

Well, good times were had last night. For those of you who couldn't figure out the word scramble, I went on a first date. The short and sweet of it: I took a girl named Eleanor out to dinner and then just hung out for most of the night. If you're like me and want all the little details...

So, I hung out with my sister last Wednesday for a few hours. Having decided by this point that I was going to ask Eleanor out, I did my best sad puppy dog face to try and convince Crissy to let me borrow her car. Being the ever so sweet and kind sister that she is, she agreed so I was all set. I did a little research on ye olde internet to find a good restaurant, and then I called her Sunday night to ask her out.

Tuesday afternoon rolls around, and I head over to my dad's house to kill some time and ease the nerves. Turns out Crissy had gotten in an accident on Friday, so my dad had to do a little work to take out the freshly popped airbags and newly dented fender. The Eclipse wasn't looking its best, but it was night and I wasn't too concerned.

After picking Eleanor up and opening her car door, we headed over to Birdi's in Decatur. It was good, really quiet since it was Tuesday, but good. An hour later my sister called, so we left Birdi's a little early to drive Crissy home from her dance class. I then proceeded to drive to a closed Paolo's Gelato in VA-Highlands and a no-longer-existent Jake's. Two strikes. We gave up on dessert and then just spent the next few hours on a bench swing at Rebekah talking.

So yeah, altogether good times were had. As for what I'm doing next, it's all uncharted territory. But I'm excited! I took a few pictures, but she made me promise not to post any of her so I must abstain for now.

Thanks for all your prayers, encouragement, and excitement! Goodnight.