This week will mark the last leg of The Vagabond Tour... Wyoming, Montana, and South Dakota. With that said, I still haven't finished writing about the previous adventures. I get writing SO MUCH, that it is exhausting. So, I think I will just do bullet points to finish... That way, everything gets done AND nobody gets exhausted writing/reading (hopefully). Here goes!
Day 25 - July 5:
- Took pictures in Cemetery
- Volunteered rebuilding a home ruined by Hurricane Katrina through the St. Bernard Project.
Day 26 - July 6:
- Volunteered @ same home, this time meeting the owners of the home. What an experience!
- Hit the road to Angleton, Texas to visit with an old friend (shout out to Jovana)! While there we went to dinner, and visited a farm where I got to pet a horse and a cow. So cool!
- Went home and watched Invisible Children's "Black is for Sunday" Documentary
Day 27 - July 7:
- DROVE! I must brag that I drove from Orange, TX to Angleton, TX to Dallas, TX on one tank of gas... I felt pretty accomplished!
- Visited with the Wisemans (Mission companion)! We watched a documentary on some street artists (Sorry IC). Good stuff!
Day 28 - July 8:
Today was a great day for picture taking, but I didn't take pictures... I drove through a couple dozen little towns that didn't even have a stop sign - let alone a stop LIGHT!
- Met family descendants of Geronimo at a gas station as I was trying to get into Fort Sill (My map led me to a dead end...)! What an honor!
- At Fort Sill, I saw where Geronimo's jail cell was, as well as the burial site of many Native Chiefs, including Geronimo.
- On the road again, I followed Route 66 to Amarillo. Before I made it there, I stopped in Groom, TX to see their infamous leaning water tower and giant cross!
Day 29 - July 9:
- Made it to Albuquerque, NM
- Visited with the Sanders (friend from mission).
- Went to do FREE HUGS, but was rained out... :(
- Visited Old Town, including attending a church service in the oldest church in Albuquerque! Holla!
Day 30 - July 10:
- Woke up early so that I could make it to Thoreau, NM for church - It was a cool little town in the middle of nowhere. Loved it! One of the missionaries there tried to hook me up with his sister.
- Hit the road again and ended up driving through a bunch of forests and national parks in Arizona, trying to get to Mesa. I have some super great family in Mesa that I got to stay with for a while! We played pool and a bunch of card game. Good times for sure!
Day 31 - July 11:
- Visited another friend from my mission (Reidheads)
- Then, my aunt's family came over for dinner, which was a blast. They had thick New Yorker accents. I don't think I have ever heard a real New Yorker accent... and it was great!
Day 32 - July 12:
- Headed off to California
- While stopped by border patrol, I shared some Vagabond Tour flyers and talked about what it was all about. Schweet.
- BEACH!!!
Day 33 - July 13:
- First thing in the morning, I headed over to the Invisible Children office, and had the time of my life. SERIOUSLY. Story time:
When I got there, I visited with my "tour guide" (Holly) and explained the Vagabond Tour. While we were talking, one of the founders (Laren) of IC casually walked by. It was crazy! It was like I just saw a superstar or something! We joked about it, and then were on our way with the tour. Our first stop was the Roadie Intern area, where all the interns were planning the Fall tour. Holly gets everyone's attention and introduces me and explains what I have been doing on the Vagabond Tour. They were all stoked and tried to get me to be a Roadie, while I casually laughed it off... not thinking too much about it. We go on with the tour and I meet a bunch of fantastic people in the various departments. We stop by the shipping department (where all the merch is), and as we are leaving, I ask about getting a new bracelet, since I lost mine in Florida. We go back and I ask them about it... and they commence giving me a TON of stuff! Bracelets, flyers, stickers, etc. So, now I can do stellar major screenings!
Next, we were in the hall looking at pictures of past events, talking about how we both got involved in IC, when another founder (Jason) of IC walks by! This time, Holly stops him and introduces me and tells him about my tour. Not only was he impressed, but he asked if I would be down for an interview! AN INTERVIEW IN AT THE INVISIBLE CHILDREN OFFICE! The next thing I know, I am in a room being interviewed... What is going on?! SO COOL!
But it gets better...
I finish up the interview, and am about the head out, and figured that it would be cool to get some pictures! I ask if I could get a Vagabond Tour picture with the Interns. They agree to it, and we get a way cool picture in the office. Then the thought came to mind to get a picture with Jason and Laren. Holly wasn't sure about it, but decided to take me to find out if it were possible. We go back and... IT WAS. We take the picture, and then Jason explained to Laren what I was doing. We started just talking about random stuff, and then Jason stopped and said, "Hold on, I will be right back." He runs into his office and comes out with a book. He hands it to me and says "This guy is one of my favorite authors, I think you would really like this book." I had recognized it as a book talked about by the founder of To Write Love On Her Arms, Jamie Tworkowski. It was called "Blue Like Jazz." I told him I would check it out, and tried to hand it back. "You keep it." What??? The founder of Invisible Children just gave me his book?! OK?! How cool is this?! Then to top it off, they (along with everyone else in the office) tried to get me to be a roadie. I asked lots of questions, and was ready to do it... Seriously, it all felt like a blur.
A little more conversation was had, and then I was out the door - walking on a cloud. Thank you Invisible Children for such an amazing experience!
- After leaving the IC office, I headed up to San Pedro to see another friend from the mission (Arie Santana).
- We went to the Hollywood sign, Hollywood Blvd, and to the Hard Rock Cafe
Day 34 - July 14:
- Headed to Santa Monica to see the TOMS Headquarters.
- Back into Hollywood, I visited with a friend (who was on Broadway, mind you) for a little bit, and then was on the road again.
- Landing in Las Vegas, I spent the rest of the day and night (till 1:30ish) on the strip with another mission buddy, Sam Tualatamalelagi.
Day 35 - July 15:
- St. George!
- Visited some family (the Rogers)
- Visited a friend, Anna, and played some racquet ball, mini golf, etc. at her family's day spa
- Went to the St. George LDS Temple visitors center and as I walked in, the missionary that greeted me ended up being the sister of one of my missionary companions! What are the odds?! Small world...
Day 36 - July 16:
- Headed north to visit my first mission president and his wife, which was such a great time! Shout out to the Brimhalls!
- Then to Hurricane to visit some family of my neighbors. We even got to go hiking a little bit!
- Lastly, I visited some more family who happened to be in Hurricane as well. Its nice to have everyone so close by!
Day 37 - July 17:
- Woke up early so I could make it to Sandy to hear my second mission president and his wife speak in church. After the service, it was like a mission reunion! There were a TON of missionaries there, and it was great to see them all!
- Then... I drove home.
Conceptual thought can be perceived as a miracle. Have you ever made the attempt to encapsulate a miracle? This is my attempt...
Showing posts with label review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label review. Show all posts
15 August 2011
28 June 2011
God Is Good.
Day 16 - June 26:
What a day that one was!
I had given my morning update, but what happened after that is just plain cool.
Church. It was great! There were some powerful messages throughout the entirety of it. I had an opportunity to speak with the missionaries as well. The crazy part was this:
I walk into church and take a seat on the side of the chapel. As I wait for the service to start, I begin to look around and people watch. I noticed a face or two that looked oddly like someone I knew from back home, but didn’t think too much of it. I looked a few more times to see if they would increase in familiarity, but I brushed it off. I am in Panama City, Florida… I am not going to know anyone here.
Well, the service ended, and I went up to talk to the missionaries. While talking with them, I hear a, “Peter?”
I turn around and the girl tells me who she is - my dad’s best friend’s kid - and we laugh and find out why each of us are in Panama City instead of home in Utah! What are the odds of this?! Traveling to the opposite end of the country and running into old family friends? Woah.
After church, I went home with them and we played games, ate, played more games, took a little stroll in the woods, watched the Brown Tony Bracelet DVD from Invisible Children, and cleaned up the place a little bit. It was a party and a total blessing that they were there and were willing to take me in for the night.
Day 17 - June 27:
We all woke up around 4am because they needed to hit the road to get to the airport on time to fly home. After finishing cleaning up the place, we went our separate ways. It is just crazy that the whole experience happened in the first place!
Since it was so early, I took off to my trusty classy McDonalds, parked, reclined my chair, and slept for 4 more hours – surprisingly well, too! When I finally woke up from there, I headed inside to use the internet to figure out what I was doing for the day, revamp the route of The Vagabond Tour, find places to sleep along the way, and of course, check facebook. While there, a lady walked up and started talking to me.
“They have free internet here?”
“Yes ma’am. I have been stopping at all the McDonalds across the country to use their Internet.”
“Oh, you work for McDonalds? Are you an under cover person?”
“No, I am actually just traveling the country to spread a message of change.”
“Are you on your mission? Are you LDL?”
“LDS? I sure am! But this isn’t my mission. I did that a couple years ago. This is just a personal effort.”
“LDS? I sure am! But this isn’t my mission. I did that a couple years ago. This is just a personal effort.”
---Small talk---
“Well I am gonna buy you a salad.”
The lady bought me a salad! Such wonderful people! Blessings are flowing in from all over!
After finishing my salad and my new route, I took off to a car dealership for an oil change. There was a nice guy at the Watermelon Festival that offered me a free oil change, so I decided to take him up on the offer. I dropped off the car and took off with Travis Nellums to Fort Walton, FL.
A little while after we left, I got a bummer call. It was the dealership letting me know that they had finished with the oil change, but that they found some problems with the vehicle… Ugh. After a short conversation, I gave them the go ahead to get the work done… When they had finished, it came out to be about $450 or something like that, which is pretty good, I guess! Seeing the signs in my car, and hearing my despair on the phone, they cut down the labor quite a bit and I walked out of the dealership saving over $100. God is GOOD!
On the way to Fort Walton, Travis felt the need to stop at every thrift store. So, we visited quite a bit of them that day! We also stopped by quite a bit of arcades. “It’s my vacation,” he says. :)
We ended up at a Young Single Adult Family Home Evening (YSAFHE!), and while they were talking about movies, I snuck out and taught a lesson with the missionaries! Greatest thing ever. I want to be a missionary again SO SO SO bad! After the lesson, I reunited with the YSA group and we played Sardines for a couple rounds. Then we were on the road back home!
The car dealership was closed by the time we got home (10pm – of course it would be!), so Travis just dropped me off at my temporary home with a Couch Surfer. We visited for a bit, and then… fade to black.
Day 18 - June 28:
Tropical Storm! The rainfall down here is pretty intense! And it comes and goes in an instant. Since EVERYTHING was in my car, I didn’t really have a desire to get ready. I had no clothes, no toiletries, nothing. I left it all in my car in the next city over. Luckily for me, my host worked right next to the dealership, so I hitched a ride to my car on his way to work. Isn’t it ironic??? Don’t you think…? To top it off, as I got out of the car, I dropped my sunglasses. He rolled forward and ran them over. BUT! They were my trusty $0.80 thrift store aviators, and they survived! There is a crack in one of the lenses, sure, but they are still perfectly wearable! Talk about a blessing AGAIN.
I paid for my car, and headed off to McDonalds so that I could provide you with this wonderful update. So, here we are! I suppose another update will come soon! Take care.
Peter.Moosman.
26 June 2011
Wow.
I don't even know where to begin... How 'bout the night of my last update.
So, I was giving my update of the day at McDonalds, right? About that time, I decided I might want to figure out what I was gonna do for the night. I figured that since I hadn't made any contacts that day, I better give up on the hope for a nice shower before bed on a comfy couch... I found a little Baptist church down the street and decided that it would do for a nice place to spend the night. I pulled in... it seemed safe enough... so I parked under a "TOW AWAY ZONE" sign and got ready for bed. I don't remember if I mentioned my state of being that night. I was sticky, sweaty, sunburned, tired, sandy, etcetera, etcetera. I felt worse than disgusting. I cracked my windows just enough to let some airflow in, but to keep bad guys out, and closed my eyes. Eyes open, eyes close... eyes open, eyes close. Open, close. It was ridiculously hot in the car all night long, the back seat of my car was covered in sand from the beach, and it was probably the most uncomfortable situation. EVER.
Bottom line: I didn't get much sleep.
Day 13 - June 23:
Morning came, and with minimum sleep, I took off to find a bathroom. I drove an awkwardly long time to find a gas station, and when I did, the gas station only had port-o-potty. There goes my chance for a sink bath! I was right next to the beach, so I figured I would walk down the beach to find a beach shower. I walked for quite a while before I found a shower, but I found one, nonetheless! Now that I knew where a shower was, I headed back to my car to get my stuff. On the way, I found a little place called Noah's Ark Beach Ministry. On the sign it said, something about a gift shop, free wifi, and concerts every night, so I decided to go in for a minute to look around. I met a couple nice people and took a look around the gift shop and was on my way. I got back to my car and started driving towards the beach shower, but decided to go back to the little ministry. I walked in and awkwardly asked for a shower. I told them what I was doing with the Vagabond Tour, gave them some flyers, and they showed me to a shower! I don't think I have appreciated a shower more in my life! I felt so so so disgusting, and to be clean felt like heaven! I definitely owe Noah's Ark Beach Ministry some service! Great Christlike people that deserve many blessings.
When I left, I headed up to Panama City to meet up with Travis Nellums! We met at an LDS church, where it just so happened to have a zone conference going on! We went in and said hello to all of the missionaries, and I made some contacts to make sure the missionaries would let me go teach with them. :)
Then, I hopped in Sandy (Travis' car), and Travis drove around while I tagged along. We went to play frisbee golf, to the mall to find him some sunglasses - while there, we would talk to people about the vagabond tour and hand out flyers - and got something to eat. Oh, we went to every thrift store in Panama City... Dang! Then we went to play some volleyball with a bunch of strangers. When he was dropping me off at my car to go our separate ways, he casually says something like, "why don't you just come stay at my place for the next few days?" We discussed it, laughed about possibilities, and I ended up emptying my car and loading everything into his car... all at about 11pm in a church parking lot. I put my signs in the windows ("STAY POSITIVE, YOU'RE AMAZING," "The Vagabond Tour" and "Pray for the haters") in hopes that they would deter anyone from towing or breaking in. Once his car was full of my stuff, we hit the road to Chipley! I must say, while driving with Travis, we had some of the best laughs! He even laughed so hard that he spit his soda all over himself and his car. Today had one of the worst mornings of my life, and one of the best evenings. Funny how that works out! God is good.
Day 14 - June 24:
I would like to think that I slept in, but I honestly don't even know what that means any more! I woke up at my regular 8am-ish time... got ready, and actually snuck out while everyone else was sleeping to go spend most of my day with the missionaries. We went to do some service at a Habitat for Humanity thrift store. After helping out there for a couple hours, we were on our way, refueled, and went knocking doors. It started to rain terribly bad, so we went back to the apartment and had a "family study." We talked about mission statements / mottos, the Second Coming, the book of Revelation, and a few other things. GOOD TIMES! I miss my mission like CRASY!
I left after the family study to go have some fun in Pensacola with Travis. As I was walking back to the house from the missionaries place, I was the witness of a tragic accident. A little puppy was running across the street and got hit by a car. I still cant get the sound of the experience out of my head... ugh. It made me literally sick and I was in shock for a while. I couldn't speak. One of the worst parts was that the car didn't stop... they just kept going. Before I could get to the dog (it was still alive), the owners ran out to it and took it into the house. I just slowly walked with my hands going from over my mouth to my ears, to my forehead, to my heart... It wouldn't stop replaying in my mind. Please pray for that little dog. :(
Other than the above experience, the rest of the day was quite enjoyable. The 2 hour drive to Pensacola was hilarious (for as much as I could stay awake for)! We got to Pensacola a little late, but got to see a bunch of owls at a sanctuary before the sun went down. After that, we went to Swing Night. I felt like I walked into the 40's. People were dressed up in their swing garb, swing music was blasting through the speakers, and they had clips of old swing dancers being projected onto a big screen. Woah. It was an interesting night! I played Wallflower and people watched in this strange environment. There are perks to being a wallflower, people.
Day 15 - June 25:
The Panhandle Watermelon Festival! Woot! There was a parade in the morning, but I decided to bypass the parade so that I could do my laundry (hooray for clean clothes!!!) and try to get some writing in. It wasn't very long before they were back and we headed to the festival. I brought my FREE HUGS sign and we walked around for a while. I got about 20-25 free hugs, which is pretty good for being a total stranger in a small town! I also got a free oil change. The first person I gave a hug too was at a booth selling cars. He thought the Free Hugs concept was brilliant, and wanted to show his support to The Vagabond Tour, so he gave me a card for a free oil change. SCORE! Thank you so much, good sir!
We got some free watermelon, watched a watermelon auction and the top selling watermelon went for $700! A WATERMELON! That was the first watermelon, with the rest dropping about $50 each watermelon. Those are expensive watermelons!
After we had seen what there was to see and hug who wanted a free hug, we headed back (I stopped by to see how the dog was doing. It is alive and mostly well - just a messed up leg), dropped off the kids, and headed down to Panama City. We got together with some other people (5 of us total), and played some frisbee golf. Then we went and hung out at an ice cream shop. We had the time of our lives - laughing, joking, telling stories, etc. After that, we went back to the church to check on my car to see if it had been towed, but to our relief, it was still there! We hung out at the church for a bit, and I tried to convince Travis to sleep down in Panama City as a bum with me... but he wouldn't buy it. Bummer. They went on their way, and I stayed at the church. They had a little picnic area, so I got my "bed" together on top of a picnic table, and drifted off to sleep.
Day 16 - June 26:
I slept surprisingly well on the table! I felt like I had slept through a rainstorm because I was so wet from the humidity and morning dew, but it wasn't a bad experience! The only bad thing: My phone somehow broke. I don't know if I slept on it and broke it that way, or if the humidity/wetness had something to do with it, but now when I push some of the buttons, it does random things. Like, when I hit the "return" button, it opens the camera first, then the phone keypad. It is just one big mess. I hope I can still get it to function normally (other than the few newfound kinks...).
I got ready for church in the parking lot, and waited and waited for people to start showing up, but to now success. Someone finally pulled in, drove around and then drove off... then they came back and told me that they changed the meeting time. Hmmm... So now I am in the classiest McDonalds I have ever seen! Seriously, people. Let me describe this to you: there is a fireplace, a huge flatscreen tv on the wall, an X-Box and Playstation, really nice marble walls and tiled floors, leather armchairs, fancy booths, A bronze statue of Ronald McDonald, a kiddie section with hamburger chairs, etc. This place is intense! Oh, and of course, free wifi! :)
And there you have it! I hope I didn't bore you!
Until next time,
Peace.Love.Music.
Peter.Moosman.
So, I was giving my update of the day at McDonalds, right? About that time, I decided I might want to figure out what I was gonna do for the night. I figured that since I hadn't made any contacts that day, I better give up on the hope for a nice shower before bed on a comfy couch... I found a little Baptist church down the street and decided that it would do for a nice place to spend the night. I pulled in... it seemed safe enough... so I parked under a "TOW AWAY ZONE" sign and got ready for bed. I don't remember if I mentioned my state of being that night. I was sticky, sweaty, sunburned, tired, sandy, etcetera, etcetera. I felt worse than disgusting. I cracked my windows just enough to let some airflow in, but to keep bad guys out, and closed my eyes. Eyes open, eyes close... eyes open, eyes close. Open, close. It was ridiculously hot in the car all night long, the back seat of my car was covered in sand from the beach, and it was probably the most uncomfortable situation. EVER.
Bottom line: I didn't get much sleep.
Day 13 - June 23:
Morning came, and with minimum sleep, I took off to find a bathroom. I drove an awkwardly long time to find a gas station, and when I did, the gas station only had port-o-potty. There goes my chance for a sink bath! I was right next to the beach, so I figured I would walk down the beach to find a beach shower. I walked for quite a while before I found a shower, but I found one, nonetheless! Now that I knew where a shower was, I headed back to my car to get my stuff. On the way, I found a little place called Noah's Ark Beach Ministry. On the sign it said, something about a gift shop, free wifi, and concerts every night, so I decided to go in for a minute to look around. I met a couple nice people and took a look around the gift shop and was on my way. I got back to my car and started driving towards the beach shower, but decided to go back to the little ministry. I walked in and awkwardly asked for a shower. I told them what I was doing with the Vagabond Tour, gave them some flyers, and they showed me to a shower! I don't think I have appreciated a shower more in my life! I felt so so so disgusting, and to be clean felt like heaven! I definitely owe Noah's Ark Beach Ministry some service! Great Christlike people that deserve many blessings.
When I left, I headed up to Panama City to meet up with Travis Nellums! We met at an LDS church, where it just so happened to have a zone conference going on! We went in and said hello to all of the missionaries, and I made some contacts to make sure the missionaries would let me go teach with them. :)
Then, I hopped in Sandy (Travis' car), and Travis drove around while I tagged along. We went to play frisbee golf, to the mall to find him some sunglasses - while there, we would talk to people about the vagabond tour and hand out flyers - and got something to eat. Oh, we went to every thrift store in Panama City... Dang! Then we went to play some volleyball with a bunch of strangers. When he was dropping me off at my car to go our separate ways, he casually says something like, "why don't you just come stay at my place for the next few days?" We discussed it, laughed about possibilities, and I ended up emptying my car and loading everything into his car... all at about 11pm in a church parking lot. I put my signs in the windows ("STAY POSITIVE, YOU'RE AMAZING," "The Vagabond Tour" and "Pray for the haters") in hopes that they would deter anyone from towing or breaking in. Once his car was full of my stuff, we hit the road to Chipley! I must say, while driving with Travis, we had some of the best laughs! He even laughed so hard that he spit his soda all over himself and his car. Today had one of the worst mornings of my life, and one of the best evenings. Funny how that works out! God is good.
Day 14 - June 24:
I would like to think that I slept in, but I honestly don't even know what that means any more! I woke up at my regular 8am-ish time... got ready, and actually snuck out while everyone else was sleeping to go spend most of my day with the missionaries. We went to do some service at a Habitat for Humanity thrift store. After helping out there for a couple hours, we were on our way, refueled, and went knocking doors. It started to rain terribly bad, so we went back to the apartment and had a "family study." We talked about mission statements / mottos, the Second Coming, the book of Revelation, and a few other things. GOOD TIMES! I miss my mission like CRASY!
I left after the family study to go have some fun in Pensacola with Travis. As I was walking back to the house from the missionaries place, I was the witness of a tragic accident. A little puppy was running across the street and got hit by a car. I still cant get the sound of the experience out of my head... ugh. It made me literally sick and I was in shock for a while. I couldn't speak. One of the worst parts was that the car didn't stop... they just kept going. Before I could get to the dog (it was still alive), the owners ran out to it and took it into the house. I just slowly walked with my hands going from over my mouth to my ears, to my forehead, to my heart... It wouldn't stop replaying in my mind. Please pray for that little dog. :(
Other than the above experience, the rest of the day was quite enjoyable. The 2 hour drive to Pensacola was hilarious (for as much as I could stay awake for)! We got to Pensacola a little late, but got to see a bunch of owls at a sanctuary before the sun went down. After that, we went to Swing Night. I felt like I walked into the 40's. People were dressed up in their swing garb, swing music was blasting through the speakers, and they had clips of old swing dancers being projected onto a big screen. Woah. It was an interesting night! I played Wallflower and people watched in this strange environment. There are perks to being a wallflower, people.
Day 15 - June 25:
The Panhandle Watermelon Festival! Woot! There was a parade in the morning, but I decided to bypass the parade so that I could do my laundry (hooray for clean clothes!!!) and try to get some writing in. It wasn't very long before they were back and we headed to the festival. I brought my FREE HUGS sign and we walked around for a while. I got about 20-25 free hugs, which is pretty good for being a total stranger in a small town! I also got a free oil change. The first person I gave a hug too was at a booth selling cars. He thought the Free Hugs concept was brilliant, and wanted to show his support to The Vagabond Tour, so he gave me a card for a free oil change. SCORE! Thank you so much, good sir!
We got some free watermelon, watched a watermelon auction and the top selling watermelon went for $700! A WATERMELON! That was the first watermelon, with the rest dropping about $50 each watermelon. Those are expensive watermelons!
After we had seen what there was to see and hug who wanted a free hug, we headed back (I stopped by to see how the dog was doing. It is alive and mostly well - just a messed up leg), dropped off the kids, and headed down to Panama City. We got together with some other people (5 of us total), and played some frisbee golf. Then we went and hung out at an ice cream shop. We had the time of our lives - laughing, joking, telling stories, etc. After that, we went back to the church to check on my car to see if it had been towed, but to our relief, it was still there! We hung out at the church for a bit, and I tried to convince Travis to sleep down in Panama City as a bum with me... but he wouldn't buy it. Bummer. They went on their way, and I stayed at the church. They had a little picnic area, so I got my "bed" together on top of a picnic table, and drifted off to sleep.
Day 16 - June 26:
I slept surprisingly well on the table! I felt like I had slept through a rainstorm because I was so wet from the humidity and morning dew, but it wasn't a bad experience! The only bad thing: My phone somehow broke. I don't know if I slept on it and broke it that way, or if the humidity/wetness had something to do with it, but now when I push some of the buttons, it does random things. Like, when I hit the "return" button, it opens the camera first, then the phone keypad. It is just one big mess. I hope I can still get it to function normally (other than the few newfound kinks...).
I got ready for church in the parking lot, and waited and waited for people to start showing up, but to now success. Someone finally pulled in, drove around and then drove off... then they came back and told me that they changed the meeting time. Hmmm... So now I am in the classiest McDonalds I have ever seen! Seriously, people. Let me describe this to you: there is a fireplace, a huge flatscreen tv on the wall, an X-Box and Playstation, really nice marble walls and tiled floors, leather armchairs, fancy booths, A bronze statue of Ronald McDonald, a kiddie section with hamburger chairs, etc. This place is intense! Oh, and of course, free wifi! :)
And there you have it! I hope I didn't bore you!
Until next time,
Peace.Love.Music.
Peter.Moosman.
21 June 2011
Update #2
So, I can tell that updates will be inconsistent... so I am going to refrain from weekly updates. Who knows when I will have internet, so I am going to update WHEN I GET THE CHANCE!
Anyway...
Day 8 - June 18:
My last post talked about most of this day, but to recap, I left Winchester, drove through TN, NC, and into GA. In Knoxville, I had a nice conversation and interview with a lady in the parking lot of McDonalds. Come Georgia, I had quite the experience!
I decided to go visit a friend who was serving an LDS mission in Cornelia, Georgia. I had made contact with some people in Cornelia, and they had invited them over around the time I was getting into town. I pulled in, and as I was hiding my car, he ([Elder] Kelton Gubler) pulled up. I ran around the house to avoid being seen, went inside and slipped into a back room. They came in and were visiting with the accomplices when I casually walked into the room.
"Oh, hey guys..."
Kelton does a double take... "PETER?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? Guys, this is my neighbor!"
The look on his face was PRICELESS. He was speechless for the entirety of our visit as well. He would just look over and stare... then shake his head with a big grin on his face. He asked silly questions like, "How did you get here?"
"Uh... my car."
I told him about The Vagabond Tour, took a picture with him, and then it was kind of strange awkwardness... So I asked if I could help them teach or something before I left. Luckily, they let me come!
After spending the rest of the evening teaching a guy named Bruce, we parted ways. It was SO SO SO GOOD to see Kelton again. He is a stellar missionary. A great example of what the Praise Project is all about as well.
So, I take off for Georgia, thinking I was running behind schedule (I was staying with someone from CouchSurfing.org), so I was booking it down the freeway. I get to Atlanta, and he let me know to take my time. Hmmm...! I am glad he did though because of what transpired next.
I figure I better get some gas, so I start aimlessly looking for a gas station. When I find one, I found a lot more than gas! I pull in, and when I get out of the car, I hear some loud rap music. I take a look around and I notice a little shop attached to the gas station called "Black Hollywood Media" in a nice community some would call "the hood" or "the ghetto." I fill up and was sitting in my car texting or something before driving off, when I get a knock on my window. "Whats the Vagabond Tour?"
I get out of the car and explain it to her, giving her a flyer and explaining Invisible Children and The Praise Project. She was impressed because she told me to get a stack of my flyers and follow her. We went to her store (Black Hollywood Media), swapped info, and she put my flyers on the counter to help advertise. SCHWEET! We talk for a while about a bunch of different things, I interview her, and I just hang out for a while in the middle of the hood. It actually felt pretty great - that is, being somewhere unexpected and seemingly "unsafe" but feeling completely comfortable and safe. Some people are completely misunderstood. That is all!
Anyway... When it was time to head out from there, I took of to find my CouchSurfing.com friend, who was finishing up at a party. I showed up, met some people, hung out there for a bit, and then headed to my temporary home. He was also hosting two people from Germany who were visiting the states for a few months. We had some good conversation, and then I dozed off from exhaustion.
Day 9 - June 19:
I slept in an hour or two, and took of to church. I roll in and there was only a car or two in the parking lot... Stake Conference. Luckily, one of the other cars knew where they were going! I was able to follow them far far away to another church building where, oddly enough, a gentleman spoke from my mission! The Stake President in Lexington, Kentucky was called to the Quorum of the 70 and was speaking at the spot I was visiting... SMALL WORLD.
Afterwards, I headed toward Centennial Olympic Park to meet up with an organization I had gotten in touch with online for a Free Hugs event. I showed up, walked around with my sign looking for them... no luck. I found a Marriott down the street and hopped online to see if they cancelled the event. I searched and searched for them online, but nothing. OK? So, I got back in the car and headed to my next destination. Montgomery, Alabama. I met some nice people on the state line who were headed down to help build houses for tornado victims. I would love to find something like that to do while down here.
Funny story: I took the "Mulberry Street" exit and just drove... I took a few turns and noticed a little plaque. I rolled right in front of Martin Luther King Jr.'s home. What are the odds of that?! It was definitely a nice little town and would love to return one day.
Fast forward a bit and I arrive in Chipley, Florida, home of the Nellums family. I was a missionary with Travis Nellums. It was a blast hanging out in that little country town with that crazy family. That night, Travis took me on a tour of Chipley. After 5 minutes, we were headed home! To close off the night, I showed the Blue Roseline Bracelet DVD from Invisible Children to some of the family.
Day 10 - June 20
What a day! Travis and I drove to Fort Walton Beach, bowled a few games, played a game or two of pool, visited the beach, went to a Native American Temple Mound, and to a FHE potluck dinner. Woot!
Day 11 - June 21 (Today)
We had planned to sleep in, but as hard as I tried to sleep in, I was up before 9am... We drove down to Panama City Beach, walked around Pier Park - where I bought some flip flops (yeah, I cant believe it either...), walked on the algae infested beach (the gulf water is GREEN!), and walked along the main road to look at the attractions. Then we decided to go get something to eat... as we were pulling in to the parking lot of Little Ceasars, my car was acting really funny, and when we got back in the car, I noticed that the temperature gauge was to the top of the scale! We were right down the road from a car shop, so we headed straight there. Right as I was pulling in, the car died... :( Sitting half in the road, and half in the parking lot, I was able to get it started, and rolled up to the building... just as the car started to smoke. Turns out there was about $100 in repairs, but they were able to get it working again! Woot! I was NERVOUS that I was 3,000+ miles away from home without any transportation. Talk about one blessing after another blessing...
Now, I am sitting at a McDonalds. I was in my car, because I didnt want to get kicked out for loitering, but it got so hot that I couldnt stand it. Now it is late and I am outside basking in the warm summer night air. While sitting out here, I was visited by two homeless guys. They were probably in their mid 20s or 30s, and had mouths worse than sailors. We talked for a while, they told some stories of how they ended up on the streets (and how to get free coffee from McDonalds...), and they insisted on showing me youtube videos of heavy metal bands... I considered interviewing them, but I was worried about their language. That, and one of the guys was so baked that he was barely making any sense. The other guy volunteered himself to go to Africa and kill Joseph Kony and the Rebels when I told him about Invisible Children. Needless to say, I hope things work out for them and they are able to clean up their lives!
Well... I guess I better try to find out what I am going to do with my night... Where I am going to stay, and what I am going to do tomorrow! Keep it real! Keep praying! Keep doing good.
Peter.Moosman.
Anyway...
Day 8 - June 18:
My last post talked about most of this day, but to recap, I left Winchester, drove through TN, NC, and into GA. In Knoxville, I had a nice conversation and interview with a lady in the parking lot of McDonalds. Come Georgia, I had quite the experience!
I decided to go visit a friend who was serving an LDS mission in Cornelia, Georgia. I had made contact with some people in Cornelia, and they had invited them over around the time I was getting into town. I pulled in, and as I was hiding my car, he ([Elder] Kelton Gubler) pulled up. I ran around the house to avoid being seen, went inside and slipped into a back room. They came in and were visiting with the accomplices when I casually walked into the room.
"Oh, hey guys..."
Kelton does a double take... "PETER?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? Guys, this is my neighbor!"
The look on his face was PRICELESS. He was speechless for the entirety of our visit as well. He would just look over and stare... then shake his head with a big grin on his face. He asked silly questions like, "How did you get here?"
"Uh... my car."
I told him about The Vagabond Tour, took a picture with him, and then it was kind of strange awkwardness... So I asked if I could help them teach or something before I left. Luckily, they let me come!
After spending the rest of the evening teaching a guy named Bruce, we parted ways. It was SO SO SO GOOD to see Kelton again. He is a stellar missionary. A great example of what the Praise Project is all about as well.
So, I take off for Georgia, thinking I was running behind schedule (I was staying with someone from CouchSurfing.org), so I was booking it down the freeway. I get to Atlanta, and he let me know to take my time. Hmmm...! I am glad he did though because of what transpired next.
I figure I better get some gas, so I start aimlessly looking for a gas station. When I find one, I found a lot more than gas! I pull in, and when I get out of the car, I hear some loud rap music. I take a look around and I notice a little shop attached to the gas station called "Black Hollywood Media" in a nice community some would call "the hood" or "the ghetto." I fill up and was sitting in my car texting or something before driving off, when I get a knock on my window. "Whats the Vagabond Tour?"
I get out of the car and explain it to her, giving her a flyer and explaining Invisible Children and The Praise Project. She was impressed because she told me to get a stack of my flyers and follow her. We went to her store (Black Hollywood Media), swapped info, and she put my flyers on the counter to help advertise. SCHWEET! We talk for a while about a bunch of different things, I interview her, and I just hang out for a while in the middle of the hood. It actually felt pretty great - that is, being somewhere unexpected and seemingly "unsafe" but feeling completely comfortable and safe. Some people are completely misunderstood. That is all!
Anyway... When it was time to head out from there, I took of to find my CouchSurfing.com friend, who was finishing up at a party. I showed up, met some people, hung out there for a bit, and then headed to my temporary home. He was also hosting two people from Germany who were visiting the states for a few months. We had some good conversation, and then I dozed off from exhaustion.
Day 9 - June 19:
I slept in an hour or two, and took of to church. I roll in and there was only a car or two in the parking lot... Stake Conference. Luckily, one of the other cars knew where they were going! I was able to follow them far far away to another church building where, oddly enough, a gentleman spoke from my mission! The Stake President in Lexington, Kentucky was called to the Quorum of the 70 and was speaking at the spot I was visiting... SMALL WORLD.
Afterwards, I headed toward Centennial Olympic Park to meet up with an organization I had gotten in touch with online for a Free Hugs event. I showed up, walked around with my sign looking for them... no luck. I found a Marriott down the street and hopped online to see if they cancelled the event. I searched and searched for them online, but nothing. OK? So, I got back in the car and headed to my next destination. Montgomery, Alabama. I met some nice people on the state line who were headed down to help build houses for tornado victims. I would love to find something like that to do while down here.
Funny story: I took the "Mulberry Street" exit and just drove... I took a few turns and noticed a little plaque. I rolled right in front of Martin Luther King Jr.'s home. What are the odds of that?! It was definitely a nice little town and would love to return one day.
Fast forward a bit and I arrive in Chipley, Florida, home of the Nellums family. I was a missionary with Travis Nellums. It was a blast hanging out in that little country town with that crazy family. That night, Travis took me on a tour of Chipley. After 5 minutes, we were headed home! To close off the night, I showed the Blue Roseline Bracelet DVD from Invisible Children to some of the family.
Day 10 - June 20
What a day! Travis and I drove to Fort Walton Beach, bowled a few games, played a game or two of pool, visited the beach, went to a Native American Temple Mound, and to a FHE potluck dinner. Woot!
Day 11 - June 21 (Today)
We had planned to sleep in, but as hard as I tried to sleep in, I was up before 9am... We drove down to Panama City Beach, walked around Pier Park - where I bought some flip flops (yeah, I cant believe it either...), walked on the algae infested beach (the gulf water is GREEN!), and walked along the main road to look at the attractions. Then we decided to go get something to eat... as we were pulling in to the parking lot of Little Ceasars, my car was acting really funny, and when we got back in the car, I noticed that the temperature gauge was to the top of the scale! We were right down the road from a car shop, so we headed straight there. Right as I was pulling in, the car died... :( Sitting half in the road, and half in the parking lot, I was able to get it started, and rolled up to the building... just as the car started to smoke. Turns out there was about $100 in repairs, but they were able to get it working again! Woot! I was NERVOUS that I was 3,000+ miles away from home without any transportation. Talk about one blessing after another blessing...
Now, I am sitting at a McDonalds. I was in my car, because I didnt want to get kicked out for loitering, but it got so hot that I couldnt stand it. Now it is late and I am outside basking in the warm summer night air. While sitting out here, I was visited by two homeless guys. They were probably in their mid 20s or 30s, and had mouths worse than sailors. We talked for a while, they told some stories of how they ended up on the streets (and how to get free coffee from McDonalds...), and they insisted on showing me youtube videos of heavy metal bands... I considered interviewing them, but I was worried about their language. That, and one of the guys was so baked that he was barely making any sense. The other guy volunteered himself to go to Africa and kill Joseph Kony and the Rebels when I told him about Invisible Children. Needless to say, I hope things work out for them and they are able to clean up their lives!
Well... I guess I better try to find out what I am going to do with my night... Where I am going to stay, and what I am going to do tomorrow! Keep it real! Keep praying! Keep doing good.
Peter.Moosman.
07 May 2011
Many Moons Later...
Well, fancy seeing you here!
I hope you didn't think I died or anything, because I didn't. I just quit writing for a while... No reason as to why, but it just didn't happen. I guess I was busy.
Anyway, I suppose I will update you on a few things since my last update in February (I think...)
Here goes:
- Washington DC. I was there for 6 days, and while there I had THE TIME OF MY LIFE. It was so crazy to be able to see the monuments, the museums, etc. with such fun people!
- Holi Festival of Colors. Great times throwing colored chalk in the faces of strangers, all while learning about and enjoying a different culture.
- Engagements and Weddings. I swear, people are getting engaged (and/or married) left and right! My long time PGF left me for another man and now they are getting married. My greenie from my mission got married. A neighbor or two tied the knot. Friends and peers that I have gone to school with... DANG.
- We had our yearly family Easter Hunt. We went all around the valley and ended up at the Popes Table. A favorite tradition of mine. Thanks mom!
- I was asked to be in an art show, so since the 23rd of April, some of my homemade shirts have been on display! They will be in the show until the 31st of May. Crazy... My stuff is feet away from a national artist, whose art is selling for over $1000. Holla!
- Attended many celebrations. From rock concerts to pow-wows. My Chemical Romance, Coheed & Cambria, Neon Trees, & more. I must say that the pow-wow tops them all!
- Conference and Mission Reunion. It is always so good to see all my mission buddies. I miss the mission like crazy! Ugh!
- I started the Praise Project. Nuff Said.
- Planned my Vagabond Vacation. I am counting down the days that I get to hit the road and visit 21 states, including crossing off a bucket list item: Be a Beach Bum. I will be gone for over a month - traveling the country!
- My good friend Molly Anderson got home from her mission in San Bernardino California. Welcome home!
- I graduated! I am officially an Associates Degree holder as of May 5th. I graduated in Political Science.
That is all for now... Have a blessed day.
25 January 2011
One Of Those Days... Or Was It Weeks...?
I will post on Tuesday because it is still at a decent time in the week before anything else can happen!
Yup, you heard it right: it is one of those days/weeks. But before you think anything bad happened, let me tell you that it hasn't been that horrible. I just like to be a little dramatic every once and a while. How can I really complain about anything... I have it so nice! Anyway, let me just delve in!
- Sunday rolls around and I have to teach Sunday School! I know, woe woe woe is me. I actually enjoy teaching, so the week started off great. Granted, I never think I teach well, or that my lesson goes slightly well for that matter, but just whatever. I felt pretty good about this week. We talked about prophets. We played the telephone game. Lots of class participation. I even made and brought a cup-phone! You know... two cups on a string... You speak into one and they hear what you are saying on the other end? Yeah, be jealous.
- Monday happens as most Mondays happen. I had a meeting (Faculty Senate - woot!). Then I had class, where we played some games in sign language, which was fun. Then, I had my Monday night class, Native American Culture. I don't know if I have vented about this class before, but I might take the pleasure to do so now! First off, it is taught by a white couple. With the little experience that these two have in N.A. culture, they feel like they can officially speak for every Native. Ever. Past and present. During class, they enforce every stereotype and ridiculous idea that anyone has about Indians. I sat in the back in misery. I will most likely be speaking with their department head. Just throwin' that out there! But hey, I am blessed to have the opportunity to not only attend college, but also to have the ability to learn new things constantly and voice my opinion. I am blessed to be able to attend college - and such an amazing one as well! Go Bruins! So, like I said, its not so bad!
- Which brings me to today. I was up till about 2 studying for a Biology exam, which I am pretty sure I bombed this morning. On my way to school, I slid into a curb and messed up my car pretty bad, making me late for my exam. Analysis of the damage: My steering wheel is nearly sideways when I drive straight. My tire is tilted inward. My axle or wheel arm is bent. Woot! At least I have a car to complain about. I am fortunate to have transportation to where I need and want to go! Go transportation and education! Well, I will be out of my own transportation while it is fixed, but that is besides the point.
See! So when I say that I am having a bad day, don't bother believing me... I have it made. An amazing college, an amazing job, an amazing car, amazing parents, an amazing family, amazing friends, amazing opportunities, amazing toys, etc.
Oh, PS, the legislative session started yesterday. I feel out of the loop. I don't know anything about my bills and the when/what/where/who/why. I hate that. But I am lucky to live in a country where I have an opportunity to have a say in what happens! I have a voice! And so do you! Go us!
I don't know if you know this or not, but I - along with the help of some great friends - started an organization called Project:1200 to take a stand against Big Tobacco and for Public Health. We do a lot of stuff during the legislative session, so you should join! Right now, "joining" consists of "liking" us on facebook. Do that HERE and HERE. Check out our blog HERE. Follow us on twitter HERE.
That will be it for now. Thanks for reading! I hope things are well for you, dear reader, and that my downer stories aren't scaring you away! Please come again and tell your friends!
18 January 2011
Around These Parts, It's Called "Growing Up"
A lot of my posts are about change. I suppose it may be due to the fact that I am changing: My [dis]likes, my style, my hobbies, etc.
Some say that it is because I am growing up. Whether that is true or not, I cannot say. Growing up or paying attention... whatever you wanna call it, it is happening.
With that said, the most recent acknowledgement to my "growing up" is a slight change in music likes... ok, lets get serious, it is solely dislikes. I have been listening to some music lately and thought, "you know what? I could never hear this band again and be completely ok with that." Let me share with you the list. Yes, THE LIST.
***Note: The bands mentioned below are all bands that I once listened to. Recently I have realized that, as mentioned above, "I could never hear this band again and be completely ok with that."***
Beastie Boys
"Sabotage" came on the radio the other day and I paused for a moment to listen to what was transpiring: The Beastie Boys are really obnoxious. End of story. They don't sing, but rather perform with a hybrid shout/whine/imitate a dying pig. There was so much random noise to serenade the awful tone of their voice that I had to change the station. Just then, all of their music replayed in my head, and it was far from a pleasant experience. My least favorite of the Beastie Boys is the song, "Girls." What a degrading, shallow, and tasteless piece of composition. Beastie Boys win the Most Obnoxious Music award.
Nine Inch Nails
I don't really have much to say about NIN, other than whenever they come on the radio, I find myself dry heaving and changing the station. All of their lyrics are negative and/or inappropriate, and the overall mood that is set while their music is playing is disheartening.
Jack Johnson
Every song is the same song with different lyrics. The same song. He might as well stop writing music and start with poetry. He has some decent lyrics at times, which could easily be transformed in some worthwhile poetry. Until then, maybe he can perfect his surfing skills.
Nickelback
'Nuff said.
Maroon 5
Their first hits were all about sex. I haven't really listened since, except for the fact that they are still writing cheesy love songs. They can't perform a decent show if their lives depended on it (yes, I have seen them live... and yes, I fell asleep at the show).
Owl City
I distinctly remember hearing Todd Nuke'em introduce "Fireflies" on the radio as one that reminds him of the Postal Service. I was stoked to hear it, because I highly enjoy anything Postal Service. I listened to "Fireflies" and loved it. I even loved it the second and third and fourth and fifth time. Shoot, I even enjoyed it the tenth time. So, I get my hands on a copy of the complete collection of Owl City, and was oddly surprised to hear the same song, over and over. Funny how that happens! The problem was, unlike Jack Johnson, the lyrics were absurd and pointless. You would almost wonder if Owl City is comprised of a guy in his parent's basement who wrote music on his computer in lieu of sleeping. Insomnia is a terrible thing...
Sublime
This is a bittersweet selection. To start off, I love their style. I love the genre and the feel. I just cannot stand the lyrics. The lyrics remind me too much of rap: sex, drugs, violence, repeat. Demoralizing women is their specialty (while high off drugs). Reinforcing stereotypes that men are shallow, drunk, and horny; that women are helpless sex slaves. Definitely not worth it. Sublime wins the As Tactless As Rap award.
Devo
Note to reader: I have never been a Devo fan, and never will be. I never had a period in my life that I listened to Devo music willingly. I just felt like they needed an honorable mention on my list. A band right out of the 70's who refuses to die, Devo decided to put out an album in 2010. Every time their single came on the radio, I had to scream, tweet about my disgust, and then scream again. Luckily for me, it disappeared as quickly as it surfaced.
---
Ok, when I decide I don't need something in my life any more, I tend to tear it to shreds. I apologize now for the negativity towards these musicians/bands, but it happened how it happened. I suppose I will provide a Like list in the future to act as a yin to this here yang.
Some say that it is because I am growing up. Whether that is true or not, I cannot say. Growing up or paying attention... whatever you wanna call it, it is happening.
With that said, the most recent acknowledgement to my "growing up" is a slight change in music likes... ok, lets get serious, it is solely dislikes. I have been listening to some music lately and thought, "you know what? I could never hear this band again and be completely ok with that." Let me share with you the list. Yes, THE LIST.
***Note: The bands mentioned below are all bands that I once listened to. Recently I have realized that, as mentioned above, "I could never hear this band again and be completely ok with that."***
Beastie Boys
"Sabotage" came on the radio the other day and I paused for a moment to listen to what was transpiring: The Beastie Boys are really obnoxious. End of story. They don't sing, but rather perform with a hybrid shout/whine/imitate a dying pig. There was so much random noise to serenade the awful tone of their voice that I had to change the station. Just then, all of their music replayed in my head, and it was far from a pleasant experience. My least favorite of the Beastie Boys is the song, "Girls." What a degrading, shallow, and tasteless piece of composition. Beastie Boys win the Most Obnoxious Music award.
Nirvana
Kings of Grunge, Nirvana is a poster-band for the 90's. Just like any other tragic death, Cobain's drove the band to new heights. If he would have maintained life, I am sure the band would have faded out quickly. Alas, it must have been the "clout" that Nirvana fans had in the music world that lead me to my acquaintance with the band, but I never seemed to connect with the obscure lyrics and what I consider to be the worst voice in music history.
Nine Inch Nails
I don't really have much to say about NIN, other than whenever they come on the radio, I find myself dry heaving and changing the station. All of their lyrics are negative and/or inappropriate, and the overall mood that is set while their music is playing is disheartening.
Jack Johnson
Every song is the same song with different lyrics. The same song. He might as well stop writing music and start with poetry. He has some decent lyrics at times, which could easily be transformed in some worthwhile poetry. Until then, maybe he can perfect his surfing skills.
Nickelback
'Nuff said.
Maroon 5
Their first hits were all about sex. I haven't really listened since, except for the fact that they are still writing cheesy love songs. They can't perform a decent show if their lives depended on it (yes, I have seen them live... and yes, I fell asleep at the show).
Owl City
I distinctly remember hearing Todd Nuke'em introduce "Fireflies" on the radio as one that reminds him of the Postal Service. I was stoked to hear it, because I highly enjoy anything Postal Service. I listened to "Fireflies" and loved it. I even loved it the second and third and fourth and fifth time. Shoot, I even enjoyed it the tenth time. So, I get my hands on a copy of the complete collection of Owl City, and was oddly surprised to hear the same song, over and over. Funny how that happens! The problem was, unlike Jack Johnson, the lyrics were absurd and pointless. You would almost wonder if Owl City is comprised of a guy in his parent's basement who wrote music on his computer in lieu of sleeping. Insomnia is a terrible thing...
Sublime
This is a bittersweet selection. To start off, I love their style. I love the genre and the feel. I just cannot stand the lyrics. The lyrics remind me too much of rap: sex, drugs, violence, repeat. Demoralizing women is their specialty (while high off drugs). Reinforcing stereotypes that men are shallow, drunk, and horny; that women are helpless sex slaves. Definitely not worth it. Sublime wins the As Tactless As Rap award.
Devo
Note to reader: I have never been a Devo fan, and never will be. I never had a period in my life that I listened to Devo music willingly. I just felt like they needed an honorable mention on my list. A band right out of the 70's who refuses to die, Devo decided to put out an album in 2010. Every time their single came on the radio, I had to scream, tweet about my disgust, and then scream again. Luckily for me, it disappeared as quickly as it surfaced.
---
Ok, when I decide I don't need something in my life any more, I tend to tear it to shreds. I apologize now for the negativity towards these musicians/bands, but it happened how it happened. I suppose I will provide a Like list in the future to act as a yin to this here yang.
01 January 2011
Quick Thought...
So, I mentioned Project: 1200 in my last two posts... But I didn't mention one of the greatest updates so far! Last week, a friend of mine and I sent off the final paperwork for non-profit status to the IRS! Now we wait! Exciting!
Woot.
Woot.
In with the Rabbit, out with the Tiger.
For those of you who are unaware, 2011 is the year of the Rabbit.
For those of you who are unaware, I was also born in the year of the Rabbit.
I think that means this will be a good year.
Lets look forward and reflect some, shall we?
The Year of the Tiger - 2010
Top 4 songs of the year:
1. Little Lion Man, by Mumford & Sons
2. Listen, Dear Friend, by Us Thieves
3. Handlebars, the Flobots
4. One Day, by Matisyahu
Top 5 bands/musicians of the year:
1. Mumford & Sons
2. Flobots
3. Peter Brienholt
4. Bright Eyes
5. Desaparecidos
Most influential month:
September
Top 4 largest single purchases:
1. Car Windshield
2. Apple Time Capsule
3. SLCC Granite Legacy Fountain Paver
4. Jawbone Jambox
Favorite Quote:
"Activism is my rent for living on this planet." - Alice Walker
Only trips OUT of Utah:
1. Crow Agency, Montana
2. Miami/Orlando, Florida
The Year of the Rabbit - 2011
Education Plans:
This one is hard... I graduate with my Associates in Political Science in the spring... so I have a few options and would love your input.
1. Re-run for Executive Vice President at SLCC and get more pre-requisites done for my Bachelors. This will provide more great experience doing what I love, an income, and a scholarship for school.
2. Head up to University of Utah and pursue my Bachelors degree there.
3. Move to the Crow Reservation and attend school at Little Bighorn College, majoring in Crow Studies. This is mainly for the experience of living on a reservation, studying Crow Indian culture, but could possibly assist in a degree if I decide to move toward Cultural Anthropology.
4. Take a summer break from school, move to the beach and be a beach bum. As ridiculous as this sounds, it is on my bucket list... I wanna give it a shot. Granted, I will have my car, my phone, and my laptop, so I wont be engulfed in a total beach bum experience.
Let me know what you think!
Personal Plans/Goals:
- Actually get my Associates, graduating with Honors.
- Get Project: 1200 up and running
- Write at least 5 editions of Memoirs of a Latter-Day Rogue.*
- Start and progress my Praise Project.**
- Increase in spirituality (A LOT)
- Maintain a healthy schedule, i.e., sleep, work, play, exercise, etc.
- Read and write more. I love to read and I love to write... I just don't do it enough! :(
- Donate my hair to charity
Well friends, I think that will be it for now! I hope that will suffice. I believe strongly in NOT WAITING until the new year to make goals and resolutions, which is why I have been planning and working on things before today. But the new year is a good time to help track things! You know what I am sayin'?
Take care, take love, take passion.
---
*Memoirs of a Latter-Day Rogue will be a compilation of writings on issues/ideologies/explanations/understandings of things that go on in my mind and in my world. Stay tuned.
**Ok, so I suck at showing emotion or gratitude or anything positive. After the passing of a friend of mine, I decided that I needed to recognize the greatness of people and make sure they know they are important. The Praise Project is something what will help me do that - little by little.
For those of you who are unaware, I was also born in the year of the Rabbit.
I think that means this will be a good year.
Lets look forward and reflect some, shall we?
The Year of the Tiger - 2010
Top 4 songs of the year:
1. Little Lion Man, by Mumford & Sons
2. Listen, Dear Friend, by Us Thieves
3. Handlebars, the Flobots
4. One Day, by Matisyahu
Top 5 bands/musicians of the year:
1. Mumford & Sons
2. Flobots
3. Peter Brienholt
4. Bright Eyes
5. Desaparecidos
Most influential month:
September
Top 4 largest single purchases:
1. Car Windshield
2. Apple Time Capsule
3. SLCC Granite Legacy Fountain Paver
4. Jawbone Jambox
Favorite Quote:
"Activism is my rent for living on this planet." - Alice Walker
Only trips OUT of Utah:
1. Crow Agency, Montana
2. Miami/Orlando, Florida
The Year of the Rabbit - 2011
Education Plans:
This one is hard... I graduate with my Associates in Political Science in the spring... so I have a few options and would love your input.
1. Re-run for Executive Vice President at SLCC and get more pre-requisites done for my Bachelors. This will provide more great experience doing what I love, an income, and a scholarship for school.
2. Head up to University of Utah and pursue my Bachelors degree there.
3. Move to the Crow Reservation and attend school at Little Bighorn College, majoring in Crow Studies. This is mainly for the experience of living on a reservation, studying Crow Indian culture, but could possibly assist in a degree if I decide to move toward Cultural Anthropology.
4. Take a summer break from school, move to the beach and be a beach bum. As ridiculous as this sounds, it is on my bucket list... I wanna give it a shot. Granted, I will have my car, my phone, and my laptop, so I wont be engulfed in a total beach bum experience.
Let me know what you think!
Personal Plans/Goals:
- Actually get my Associates, graduating with Honors.
- Get Project: 1200 up and running
- Write at least 5 editions of Memoirs of a Latter-Day Rogue.*
- Start and progress my Praise Project.**
- Increase in spirituality (A LOT)
- Maintain a healthy schedule, i.e., sleep, work, play, exercise, etc.
- Read and write more. I love to read and I love to write... I just don't do it enough! :(
- Donate my hair to charity
Well friends, I think that will be it for now! I hope that will suffice. I believe strongly in NOT WAITING until the new year to make goals and resolutions, which is why I have been planning and working on things before today. But the new year is a good time to help track things! You know what I am sayin'?
Take care, take love, take passion.
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*Memoirs of a Latter-Day Rogue will be a compilation of writings on issues/ideologies/explanations/understandings of things that go on in my mind and in my world. Stay tuned.
**Ok, so I suck at showing emotion or gratitude or anything positive. After the passing of a friend of mine, I decided that I needed to recognize the greatness of people and make sure they know they are important. The Praise Project is something what will help me do that - little by little.
31 December 2010
I Have
Something to Say. FINALLY.
A year and a half later, I have something to say. I suppose I have had something to say all this time, but I was just not in a blogging mood.
But now I am, I guess. It all started when a friend of mine *cough*ashley*cough* told me to start updating it... So here I am.
I guess I will give a quick run down of my past two years... Lets see:
- In February of 2009, I started a group called Project: 1200 to fight the Big Tobacco industry. You can find all kind of information at projecttwelvehundred.blogspot.com or on facebook.
- I joined student government at Salt Lake Community College (SLCC for short).
- Summer 2009 :: Senator
- Fall 2009 :: Senate Region Chair
- Spring 2010 - Present :: Executive Vice President of the Student Association at SLCC
- Joined the Singles Ward in Jan 2010
- Considering transferring to the Deaf Ward real soon. Any thoughts?
- August 2010, I went to the Crow Fair in Montana. It was a week of sleeping in a tipi, hearing/watching crow dancing/chanting/parading/etc. It was AMAZING! We did some sight seeing, and I had lots of 1:1 time with my own Native (James Takes Enemy), where he told me all kinds of stories, visions, beliefs, etc. of Crow culture. I can't wait to go back...
- September 2010 was a crazy one...
- I swear everyone decided to stop living that month. Lots of deaths. :( But I won't go into detail - for your sake.
- I went to Miami, FL the last week of the month with the Executive Council of SLCC's Student Association. We visited Miami Dade College and Broward College. The day before we went home, we stopped by Disney World... No big deal though.
- November 5: Remember remember, the 5th of November. The Gunpowder Treason and Plot. And I know of no reason why the Gunpowder Treason should ever be forgot.
- December 2010:
- Epic Game Nights galore... Lots of game nights that lasted well into the morning. GOOD TIMES!
- I got a PGF. 'Nuff said.
And that will be good for now. Maybe tomorrow I will write all about my New Years resolutions. Check back, YO!
A year and a half later, I have something to say. I suppose I have had something to say all this time, but I was just not in a blogging mood.
But now I am, I guess. It all started when a friend of mine *cough*ashley*cough* told me to start updating it... So here I am.
I guess I will give a quick run down of my past two years... Lets see:
- In February of 2009, I started a group called Project: 1200 to fight the Big Tobacco industry. You can find all kind of information at projecttwelvehundred.blogspot.com or on facebook.
- I joined student government at Salt Lake Community College (SLCC for short).
- Summer 2009 :: Senator
- Fall 2009 :: Senate Region Chair
- Spring 2010 - Present :: Executive Vice President of the Student Association at SLCC
- Joined the Singles Ward in Jan 2010
- Considering transferring to the Deaf Ward real soon. Any thoughts?
- August 2010, I went to the Crow Fair in Montana. It was a week of sleeping in a tipi, hearing/watching crow dancing/chanting/parading/etc. It was AMAZING! We did some sight seeing, and I had lots of 1:1 time with my own Native (James Takes Enemy), where he told me all kinds of stories, visions, beliefs, etc. of Crow culture. I can't wait to go back...
- September 2010 was a crazy one...
- I swear everyone decided to stop living that month. Lots of deaths. :( But I won't go into detail - for your sake.
- I went to Miami, FL the last week of the month with the Executive Council of SLCC's Student Association. We visited Miami Dade College and Broward College. The day before we went home, we stopped by Disney World... No big deal though.
- November 5: Remember remember, the 5th of November. The Gunpowder Treason and Plot. And I know of no reason why the Gunpowder Treason should ever be forgot.
- December 2010:
- Epic Game Nights galore... Lots of game nights that lasted well into the morning. GOOD TIMES!
- I got a PGF. 'Nuff said.
And that will be good for now. Maybe tomorrow I will write all about my New Years resolutions. Check back, YO!
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