ITS A DIRTY JOB…
I started my new job this past Wednesday at GeoTrack.  They pay me fairly well.  Basically I dig core samples of earth (i.e. dirt) in and around construction sites and then go all CSI on it to test for mass, volume, density, compaction percentage.  GeoTrack has only 4 other employees, thanks to Jacob for putting the good word in for me… he has been added to the coveted Christmas card list!!!  Good job!  Keep it up and I may buy you a coke.

KNOT-TYING UPDATE
Mom and dad came down for the weekend to visit so Rachel and I took them along with Granny and Nana to show them the stuff we’ve registered for.  Invitations are about to be sent to my aunt who works for a custom laser printing firm… her suggestions will be greatly welcome and so invites are up and coming!  Tomorrow is our pre-first session of pre-marital counseling by eating over at the pastor’s house for lunch.  Anyone care to share some bad/good counseling stories?

PUTTING THE “MENTAL” IN ELEMENTAL
I was all set to buy Adobe Photoshop Elements 4.0 but after reading some more about the differences between Elements and Photoshop CS2… I am leaning back to looking for a deal on CS2.  Confused?  Right.  The good news is that Drew promised to hook me up… bad news… I’m still waiting.  I still got nothin’ but love for ya.   On that note, I’m out.

<><
Will

IN MY ELEMENT
Yesterday I found several of those CS2 and Elements 4.0 help books.  It looks like Elements 4.0 is the way to go… thankfully eBay has great discounts.

ASSOCIATE NEEDED ON REGISTER THREE
Rachel and I are having a ton of fun zapping things with the scanner gun.  Target has some great deals but we also have our eyes on Bed, Bath and Beyond… which Jacob was kind enough to point out that only guys who are engaged go there… thanks buddy.  Remind me to send him tickets to this movie.

“HONEY, COME CHECK OUT THE MOON.”
Rachel would like a cabin up in the mountains while I would like someplace tropical-beachy/cruise.  I know I should not spend too much time pondering where to go when we’re not too sure where we will live afterwards.  Depending on how school and job plays out, we could be in Greenville/Greer/Simpsonville area, Toccoa or Athens (ugh).  Alright, back to studying the aforementioned book and answering chapter questions.

<><
Will

ANYONE WANT TO GO PHOTO-SHOPPING?
I am currently doing some comparison shopping and investigating the differences between Photoshop Elements 4.0 and Photoshop CS2.  I’ve read about them but I would like anyone who uses one or the other to give their thoughts and opinions about these products.  Pros?  Cons?  Anything would be of help.

If you have no idea what these are, then go ahead and go to this site that I’ve enjoyed lately (thanks to Chris for finding this nugget of gold).

FLASH FROM THE PAST
Another pic from memory lane, Times Square, NYC in December of 2001.  Me and Bethany Joy making a trip to visit Alliance Theological Seminary.  Just so you know, when it comes to abuse and mockery, B is such a great sport.

<><
Will

HAIKU FRIDAY
How about Chinese?
But my poor stomach said “NO!”.
What then should we eat?

Still feeling sick, all congested and weak-like (ugh).  Currently I am trying to burn all my pictures and what not onto CDs before my harddrive decides to crash (It is inevitable, Mr. Anderson.).  I haven’t posted any pics in a long time but I came across this one while I was at an orphanage in Cambodia run by missionaries. The girl was teaching me her favorite game

THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK
Last night I was bummed (except between 8-10… that’s LOST time).  So I get this email from the Physical Therapy Assistant program director, Ms. Dittmar who I will now refer to as Darth Leader, I never met the lady but from my few correspondences with her… I think she must be odd…

I emailed her a couple days ago telling her about my upcoming wedding and needed to know about the reality of taking A&P II during the summer session (because the school decided to add a pre-req before you could take A&P I) which is after the deadline to apply and how that will affect my application into phase two of the PT program for the Fall semester.  Basically to sum it up, she said that I was SOL.  To say that my tuition and tax dollars go to pay her salary fills my heart with immense joy… she’s probably using the money to build her own deathstar… crappy tax-funded deathstars

<><
Will

WHAT’S UP CHUCK?
The wedding went out without a hitch (no, Chad and Jenn DID get married) and no, yours truly did not pass out midway through the ceremony (note to self: keep ceremony short and sweet).  Rachel and I met up with a bunch of fellow old-timers from TFC and reconnect which was grand.  The next day we drove to Louisville to stay with Trent and Liz for the night but due to a bad choice of lunch options I got a case of food poisoning from (of all things) chicken pad-thai.  Yep, a sleepless night spent half on the couch-half in the bathroom… this was not so grand.  An interesting note for all you ardent pursuers of trivial information, the last time I threw up I was in the fifth grade (15 years ago).  The more you know…  Despite the rough time in Louisville I did get to watch the two hour season premier of 24 in the waiting room of the emergency room (bonus!) despite the volume being muted (bummer).

Rachel was awesome, driving yesterday 8-9 hours home so I could sleep, major props to her… and that is why I am marrying the girl, folks (it didn’t hurt either that she was up half the night caring for me).

Here’s to me getting better (ugh).

<><
Will

CHAD’S NIGHT OUT
Currently in Cuyahoga Falls, OH for the past 2 days and still no sun.  How anyone can live without visual confirmation of it mystifies but to each his own.  I’ll be heading to the church in about an hour for Chad’s wedding.  Last night was the bachelor’s party and when tWo of the groomsmen are youth pastors and have known Chad since middle school you know it had to be good (do not worry,it was ^^).  However I will spare you the details as I have been sworn to secrecy and thus all that transpired during the party is a secret between the groomsmen, Chad and all the peopel who were at the local Wal-Mart between 12:30-1am.  Memories were made last night that will never be forgotten and if any are, well, we all took pictures.

Here’s to you Chad and Jenn, have yourself a merry little honeymoon. ^^

<><
Will

WEDNESDAY NIGHTS ARE FOR LONG LOST LOVERS
Tomorrow morning I will be driving up to Ohio to be in a wedding so I better write something in case I end up in a fiery car crash along the way and meet my most unexpected demise.  At long last, Lost is back!  If by chance I am to go out in a blaze of glory then at least I can go knowing that I will have one last episode.  These reruns are driving me batty.

Speaking of demises… as I was driving to class this morning a strange thought hit me, what if there were infinite realities where each one is different based on the different choice options we face, with infinite possibilities surely at any given moment there is a Will in another reality who is dying as you read this, or worse, end up something like this.  Maybe I need to lay off the Sci-fi channel for awhile.

Back on Monday.  Enjoy.

<><
Will

DIRTY JOBS
Jack of all trades… I cannot escape you.  Today had a great interview with a construction firm about a job.  Its not construction per-se, it deals more with the soil sampling that is involved.  I got a quick tour of what these guys do and its interesting… I don’t completely understand all there is so instead of trying to speak about such things, go find an engineer and ask him/her.  This would be one of my most interesting jobs (aside from living in Korea with Korean high school boys and driving this guy, this guy and this gal (who I fondly nicknamed “Miss Daisy” for all the trips back and forth to and from school) for 4-5 months.  I won’t go into the 2 months I had working with this guy.  El esta muy loco y creo que hay algo mal en su cabeza!  If you can’t read that then go ask your local hispanic to translate.

I’ll write more later… me sleep.

<><
Will

HAIKU FRIDAY
Sitting on my chair
staring at my laptop screen
don’t know what to write.

CONDITIONING OF THE SPIRIT
Rachel and I started reading through the Gospel of Luke together a section at a time.  It has been great.  I have not read much in the NT in quite some time.  Imagine not looking at passages you have read many times over in the same old way, attempting to make verses that go against your theological box fit.  The passage we read last night about Jesus healing the paralytic who was lowered through the roof (Luke 5).  Jesus was in the house teaching and these friends could not enter because of the crowd decided to  interrupt a church meeting because their crippled friend needed a healing.  Luke does not record what Jesus was teaching, in fact, up until this point the only sermon Luke recorded was the one that nearly got Christ thrown off a cliff.  I suppose Jesus was toning it down a notch. 

The friends saw through the roof and lower their friend in front of Jesus, when he sees their faith he says, “friend, your sins are forgiven.”  Whoa, does anyone else notice that there was no confession nor repentance shown… in fact it does not say anything like this at all.  These guys came for their friend to be healed.  What gives? 

Rachel and I talked about this for quite some time, it definitely goes against our theological boxes.  In the section before Jesus had healed a leper and told him to go show himself to the priests and offer the sacrifices commanded by Moses, but this guy Jesus says, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” and the man did so praising God. 

In my human eye this healing was something very praiseworthy but in my spirit Jesus had forgiven him all his sins and yet the man was silent, how blind I am.

<><
Will