right where I need to be

I am currently sitting in my living room listening to bluegrass (Big Smith and Alison Krauss & Union Station) and chewing a wad of Levi Garrett. It is snowing outside and Jake is half asleep on the couch. Brian was bouncing around on the stairs but has resumed his video game playing. I don't want to be anywhere else in the world right now. I was hit with the most complete feeling of contentment I have had in a while. God be Praised for leading His children despite there unruliness and willfulness. I don't know how He does it, but I love Him so much for doing it. The Israelites made a whole lot of mistakes, but he put the fire to them until he got what he wanted. I think we have the story of Israel because we are Israel. We as Christians are God's chosen people and he will do whatever necessary to refine us into something He can use. And in using us, He refines us further.

So God, thank you.

10:48 in ME 120

Yes. Currently this is my life. Well the ME 120, but the time could be switched. I thought civil classes were easy. Nothing moves! It can't be that hard can it? I think they forgot about computers.

At least this is a great opportunity to persevere. I have often thought about the importance of trials and such. I have concluded that the hard time is worth nearly nothing if you can't remember it. And if you can't remember it, then it wasn't really that bad. I don't really know if I will remember this end of semester. I will probably remember the paper I have to write, since it is probably the last paper and longest paper ever.

I felt a twang of sadness as I walked by Old Main this evening. The alma mater was playing and I realized I would never stumble through the words before a football game again, not as a student anyway. I think I will be ready to graduate in May, but there are so many little things I am going to miss about the U of A. Two of them I know right now are Old Main and its numerous noises and the ME building. It is hard to think I will miss this cauldron of work that I have been steeped in for the last 5 years, but in a really weird way, it feels like home. I am comfortable here. I know everyone here. I like the work.

My marine friend told me that he has a hard time answering people when they ask him if he liked the marines. He says he hated it. It was the worst decision he ever made, but he loved it. This came after telling me about staying out late and drinking and then doing PT a couple hours later (4:30 am or something like that) in a downpour with a couple of inches of water on the ground.

In a way, I think this whole engineering thing has been like Peter's marine experience, just different. The ridiculousness of things asked of both of us caused us to be stretched and to work really hard, harder than we thought we could, do more for longer than we thought possible. But if we weren't challenged in such ways, we never could achieve what we have, achieve not grades or medals or skills even, but the knowledge that inside of there burns a very hot fire pushing us to rise any challenge. I really think I can do almost anything. If I have enough time and enough resources, I can learn or do just about anything that can be presented to me to do. I can learn, and I can persevere.

I learned two things in college. I guess that's what $50-$40 grand buys these days.

move over raggedy ann

i am growing older.

Jake says there are three types of girls at a bar.
Type #1 - The Bar Girl
This woman is good looking, but she just looks fast, like fast trouble. You don't know if she wants to shack up, but I know she would definately consider it.
Type #2 - The Good Girl
This woman is actually presentable to the general public. Your mom might meet her and say, isn't she nice. Her looks can vary from very pretty to not so much, but she is always dressed tastefully and more often than not, casual. The good girl doesn't normaly get real wound up about going out, since she is mainly there just to meet her friends or if she does meet a stranger, rely's on her character to talk, not her boobs. These are rare finds, the girl I mean, not the boobs.
Type #3 - The Tank
::insert Jake's laugh:: The tank is just that. She tanks all over. She is the woman with too much woman about her. She is literally built like a tank and has the grace of one too. She is normally on a fast track to obideration via alcohol.

I would like to amend the list with type 4. Jake wishes me to explictly state this is my amendment, not his. So
Type #4 - The Cougar
This woman is knocking around at 40+ years of age. She has enough make-up on to actually remove it with a putty knife. She is looking for company and she is willing to fling some of that cash from her late ex-husband to get it. These women are actually preying on any man who slows down long enough for her to catch him.

Thats it. Thats all the women at a bar. Some women may fall into two catagories, but not normally. Its a brutal world out there and knowing is half the battle. So keep your eyes out for the bar girl, stay out of the way of the tank and don't let the cougar come up from behind.

move over raggedy ann

i am growing older.

Jake says there are three types of girls at a bar.
Type #1 - The Bar Girl
This woman is good looking, but she just looks fast, like fast trouble. You don't know if she wants to shack up, but I know she would definately consider it.
Type #2 - The Good Girl
This woman is actually presentable to the general public. Your mom might meet her and say, isn't she nice. Her looks can vary from very pretty to not so much, but she is always dressed tastefully and more often than not, casual. The good girl doesn't normaly get real wound up about going out, since she is mainly there just to meet her friends or if she does meet a stranger, rely's on her character to talk, not her boobs. These are rare finds, the girl I mean, not the boobs.
Type #3 - The Tank
::insert Jake's laugh:: The tank is just that. She tanks all over. She is the woman with too much woman about her. She is literally built like a tank and has the grace of one too. She is normally on a fast track to obideration via alcohol.

I would like to amend the list with type 4. Jake wishes me to explictly state this is my amendment, not his. So
Type #4 - The Cougar
This woman is knocking around at 40+ years of age. She has enough make-up on to actually remove it with a putty knife. She is looking for company and she is willing to fling some of that cash from her late ex-husband to get it. These women are actually preying on any man who slows down long enough for her to catch him.

Thats it. Thats all the women at a bar. Some women may fall into two catagories, but not normally. Its a brutal world out there and knowing is half the battle. So keep your eyes out for the bar girl, stay out of the way of the tank and don't let the cougar come up from behind.