Phone Numbers:

My old phone stopped working a few weeks back, and I ended up losing all the phone numbers I had stored. While I only remembered a few numbers off the top of my head I just decided to wait for people to call me so I would end up having their phone numbers again. As I recall, my old phone had close to 200 entries, but at the time of this writing, my new phone has 27. Fortunately my contract has expired, so I was able to get a new phone relatively cheap, and went with the Motorola Droid: A smart phone to match its equally smart user. ;) In the future, I will probably back-up my phone numbers in case this happens again. However, if you haven’t heard from me in awhile, it’s not because I don’t care, I just don’t care enough to send an e-mail, facebook message, instant message, and/or call other people looking for your number. :D

Anyways, all this talk about phones and numbers got me thinking to a conversation I had with a plant operator named Mark at the water treatment plant in Oregon City.

Me: So do you know how much bags of filter aid you go through in a year?

Mark: Ah, good question. You’d think I’d know that off the top of my head, but I’m going to have to look it up. Did you ever hear the one about Albert Einstein and memory?

Me: No, I don’t think so.

Mark: Well, there was this big conference that had the best and brightest of the science community in attendance where Einstein gave the keynote speech. Afterwards, a journalist in attendance approached the great scientist and wanted to ask him some questions about the speech he delivered. Not expecting the genius to have time for him he was surprised when Einstein told the journalist that he would very much like to discuss the speech and answer any questions over dinner sometime and for the journalist to give him a call to set something up. The journalist was ecstatic and asked Einstein for his phone number to which Einstein replied, ‘I actually don’t remember my phone number. You’ll have to get it from someone else.’ The journalist was bewildered and asked him, ‘How can someone with as great as a mind as yours not remember his own phone number?’ Einstein answered, ‘My phone number is on my desk, and is readily able to be looked up. I try to not fill my mind with things I can look up with ease.’

Me: So you’re Einstein?

Mark: I’m nowhere near in his league, but if worked for him, I’m hoping it might work for me.

Boxes

I think I've told this story before, but I'm posting in case it might be new to you. :)

One evening I was taking a box of stuff down to my car from my office, when I shared an elevator ride down with an older gentleman who was also taking a box of stuff down to his car. We struck up a conversation and then he proceeded to tell me a joke about perception:

There was this man who worked in a diamond mine. At the entrance of the mine there was a guard to make sure the workers weren't stealing diamonds when they left at the end of the day. Every day the man would come out with a wheelbarrow full of dirt, and the guard searched him and the wheelbarrow. The guard poked at the dirt to see if there were any rocks or ore inside, made him empty the wheelbarrow, did a strip search, but each time, the guard was unable to find any diamonds on the man. Finally, the guard had enough and confronted the man saying, "I know you've been stealing diamonds from this mine, how have you been doing it?" The man just smiled and replied, "Since this is my last day, I'll let you in on my secret. I haven't been stealing diamonds, I've been stealing wheelbarrows!"

The joke being finished the gentleman smiled and told me, "I guess we're stealing boxes, huh?"

My Christmas Present

I decided this year I'm going to give myself a video camera for Christmas. That way I can start video-blogging and making movies again. Phil and I have a couple scripts that need to be filmed, and I definitely have some more ideas for music videos to be put into the works. A new dawn is going to rise come the start of next year... watch out world!

On aside, I just got back from Eastern Oregon/home for Thanksgiving. While coming back I was listening to some old CDs I found when poking around the basement. I decided to pop a couple in my CD player for the drive back and rediscovered one of my favorite songs... 'Martyrs and Thieves,' by Jennifer Knapp. Her voice always gets me everytime.

Lyrics:
There's a place that I used to cling to... it presses harsh hope against time.
In the absense of martyrs there's a presence of thieves who only want to rob you blind.
They steal away, any sense of peace... I'm a king, I'm a king on my knees...
I know they are wrong when they say I am strong as the darkness covers me...

So turn on the light and reveal all the glory, I am not afraid...
To bare all my weakness knowing in meekness, I have a kingdom to gain.
Where there is peace and love in the light, in the light...
Oh I am not afraid... to let your light shine bright in my life, in my life...
Oh... I am... I...

There are ghosts from my past who've owned more of my soul...
Than I thought I had given away...
They linger in closets and under my bed, and in pictures less proudly displayed.
A great fool, in my life I have been, have squandered till pallid and thin...
Hung my head in shame and refused to take blame, for the darkness I know I've let win...

Well, I've never been much for the baring of soul, in the presence of any man.
I'd rather keep to myself all safe and secure, in the arms of a sinner I am.
Could it be, that my worth should depend by the crimson stained grace on a hand?
And like a lamp on a hill, Lord I pray in your will...

There is a place that I used to cling to... it presses harsh hope against time.
----------------------------

Peace everyone!

Chairs

About a month ago I got a new office desk chair. Up until today it even had the tags still intact. Finding myself with some free time, I finally removed said tags and had a look… The first tag was pretty generic in describing chair features with an illustration in case you didn’t know where to find the features. Though, the second tag I have included in this post for everyone’s viewing pleasure. I personally like the picture of the chair on fire under the ‘Don’ts’ section as well as the picture of the doctor using a stethoscope on the chair in the ‘Do’s’ section. Should we be worried that information like this is necessary on a chair?

Random Thought

There is already the most interesting man in the world... he does beer commericials and Phil quotes him in his blog.

I on the other hand am one of the most amazing people in the world. Eventually, when I retire, I'm going to offer a scholarship for someone to hang out with me for a year. I mean, seriously, Rhodes scholar? There are like 83 of them a year... If someone really wants a prestigious education in more than just academics, they should apply to be an Andrews scholar... It's got a nice ring to it, doesn't it? Instead of watering down the talent pool, there will only be one, per year. One shot, don't miss your chance.

Who wants to be on the application screening panel?

Hello Summer

What have I been doing for the past month and a half? I don't really know. Playing lots of golf mostly. I wanted to play the 60+ golf courses here in the Portland area, and have gotten to 39 so far. The biggest hiccup is that about 14 of them are private. Oh well. To have played close to 50 golf courses this summer while working is still pretty good, right?

I was supposed to go to Coos Bay for 2 months, but am now probably going to go to Seattle or Anchorage for a stretch if they can't find anything for me to do here. We'll see.

I hope to post something a little longer later... (I always say that though. ;) )

Here we go again...

“We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”—E.M. Forester

There has been so much that has happened in the past month, past 6 months, past year, past two years, past three years... that leaves my head spinning... Where I was, where I was planning on going, where I am now, where I am currently going.

Before I used to be a master of my emotions rather than letting my emotions get the best of me. Now, I find myself having lots of joy, and also having lots of sadness. Getting upset at weird little stuff, and laughing at even stranger things.

Throughout it all I find myself asking a couple questions:

If you got into trouble and could only call 5 people (non-family) to try and help you out of it, to be there for you, and who would be there for you (either by calling someone else to be there for you, or hopping the next plane, skipping work/class) who would you call? Who can you really count on? I know the people I'd drop everything and have dropped everything for (I have a college transcript to show for it)... would they do the same for me? Is it worth it?

What kind of friendships do I want in my life and what kind of friendships are the most valuable?

It may be true that people come into our lives for reasons, seasons, or lifetimes... but is there any real reason that true friendships shouldn't last a lifetime? I've always thought the most valuable friendships were the ones that go both ways. The ones where both people put forth effort and aren't afraid to communicate. Trouble seems to arise when one person dominates and is not very flexible or accommodating. Trouble can also arise if one person is too accommodating to the point where they stop thinking for themself. I think ultimately the big reasons why a lot of friendships fail or go into the reason/season categories are out of selfishness, self-centeredness, or apathy. One person or both decide that they can't get anything from the other person (fun, knowledge, happy things), the friendship is too emotionally draining to the point where time seems to be wasted versus being well spent, or the lack of caring to the point of not having strong feelings one way or the other.

“We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”—E.M. Forester

Sometimes things just don't work out how we hope or plan... That's another fact of life... The universe doesn't care... Our lives are so miniscule in the grand scheme of things... Take a look outside at the night sky sometime and see all the stars... billions of miles away... shining light that left the stars millions of years ago... Numbers that are unfathomable when measured up against humanity's limitations.  I guess the lesson learned is that sometimes you just have to let go of that rock you're holding onto in the river, stop trying to fight the current, and let life take you to where you're 'really' supposed to be going.

On a lighter note... here's a great music video and song that moved it's way into my top 10 favorites:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_HXUhShhmY