This is Not Goodbye

There should be a college class that teaches you how to say goodbye. I don’t care who you are, when it comes to the people you cherish most, saying goodbye is a challenge. I've never been in a situation quite like this. It’s fresh, exciting, and has me on my toes. A big part of me is so thrilled for this new chapter… Another part of me is pained with worry and disbelief.

I’m convinced that my insides are coated with butterflies. When people ask me how I’m feeling, I tell them I’m both excited and nervous. It’s like that feeling you get when you take that leap off a cliff into the lake. That brief moment your heart skips a beat when you hear “enjoy your ride” and the roller coaster jets off taking you with it. It’s the anticipation. That rush of euphoria. 

I’m so full of emotions right now, they’re all colliding together and rushing to the surface. Some good and some bad. I’m trying my best to face the one at a time. There’s this hole inside me that’s aching as I realize what’s about to unfold. How do you leave the ones you love for two years? I feel so torn up inside. I don’t want to leave them behind. I can feel a part of me breaking. It hurts. So much.

Knowing the great people I’m leaving behind only strengthens my resolve to make it back home someday. I look at their faces and try my best to immortalize them in my mind. My skin may be clean, but my heart is permanently stained with tattoos of the people I love. Please know that I’m not abandoning any of you. I hope you’ll think of me often, because I’ll be thinking of you. I know there will be nights that tears will drench my pillow in thought of you. I’ll close my eyes and dream of home and hope that one day we will meet again…

Ok that’s enough sap. I got a little carried away there. Sorry. The point is, I just want you all to know how much you mean to me. I won’t be forgetting you, so don’t even worry about that. And it’s not like I’ll be dead. And it’s not the end of the world… although, I will still be gone IF the world actually ends in 2012. Crossing my fingers and hoping it doesn't. I still have a lot of unfinished business to attend to. In reality, this is not a goodbye, just a farewell for now. I’m committed to what I’m doing, and intend to put my whole heart into the work. I’ll miss You.

Fight the Good Fight,
-Garett  

No, this is not goodbye.

Back from Outer Space.

Oh hey guys, I don't know if you remember me... It's been a while. SORRY!

(via: Goodmorning & Goodnight)

I haven't really been into the whole "document-every-minute-of-your-life" thing lately. I've been pretty busy trying to keep my head above water with this whole college thing. Turns out it's not as easy as I thought it was. Last semester didn't really set the bar very high. This semester is a lot tougher and I feel like free time is a rare commodity these days. Anyways, I feel like tonight calls for an update, so here you go.

Today was the 2nd of March (I guess it's the 3rd as I write this but oh well) and I'm really glad to be done with February. I've never been a big fan of February. First off, I don't like how the phonics of the word and spelling are flipped. It's pronounced Feb-YOU-Airy, but spelling suggests you should say Feb-RUE-Airy. (But you shouldn't do that because you'll just end up sounding like Scooby Doo.) It's like the word has a secret agenda or something. Secondly, this month decided that it get's to cut the corners and skip out a few days early. What the heck's up with that? Obviously February has some commitment issues. The third issue I have with February is the fact that it tries to compensate for being so messed up by offering the world a holiday for "love". Don't get me wrong, love is good and stuff, but really? Why do people need to set aside a day to bombard their loved ones with trivial heart covered gifts, assorted chocolates (there's usually only 3/12 chocolates worth eating) and showy flowers? It's not ok to pour out tons of commercial love on this one day and then save it all up for the next year. Love should be an constant thing. This list could go on and on, but I think you get the point. Hurray for March! I have a feeling like this one will come in like a lion and go out like a lamb.

So I think I've done a good job at getting my point across about how tough this semester has been. On the other hand, I haven't been doing the weekends justice. The weekends are what I live for these days. One has yet to disappoint me! Three weeks ago I took a trip to Vegas with Campbell, Moses, Krystle, and Kyle! This is us here standing next to a giant mirrored horse:

^The guy taking our picture wasn't really good so this is us next to a giant, headless, mirrored horse.

I look like I don't have a clue what's going on in this picture, which was probably true so it's whatever. On to what happened two weekends ago. Two weekends ago, I took a trip back home to visit my family. I had an the best traveling companion, Samara E. Jones. We had a lot of fun just on our way to and from Ogden! While up north, I saw all the kids in the picture above again (minus Kyle). We all got together on Saturday night to chill. While we were at Krystle's house, an inexperienced sophomore girl backed out of her driveway and side swiped my car. To be fair, there was a lot of wet snow on the ground and she more or less slid into my car, along with the 2 other parked cars behind mine. Whoops! I'm just glad it wasn't me. The good news is that her insurance will cover the damage, so Lucy should be back to normal in no time! Finally, last week I took a trip to SUU to visit my friends at Juniper Motel. I love visiting them, and we have fun every time. This time I got to meet Katy's friend Ivy and Katlin, and I got to see Dan and Nick as well. During this trip, we all nearly ODed on a 5lb bag of gummy bears, supported Katy and Pearl Toothy at their talent show, went to a crazy dance, and then stayed up until 9:30 am the next freaking day. They have this little slogan there where they call themselves "Beasts of the Night" and thinks it's really fun to deprive themselves of sleep at a normal time. Although, I do have to admit that we had a really fun time staying up! 

^Dan, Me, and Rakul Beyonce waiting for the talent show to start

I am planning on making another trip to SUU this weekend, so who knows what will happen this time?

The reason I mentioned the weekend was because tonight was like a mini one. It started out with me and Clay hitting the gym for an hour. Clay made me drink this protein power drink and it sucked because it made my skin all itchy. After the gym I met up with Beyonce and Toothy at Menchies Frozen Yogurt! It's basically a tradition now everrrtime they come to visit. Beyonce's friend met up with us there, and then we made an executive decision to grab a movie and watch it in the Canyonlands L-Shack. FYI the L in L-Shack does not stand for love, it stands for Laundry, aka the Laundry room. The reason I call it the "L-Shack" is because it sounds better, and really, it is a cool place to watch movies. There's surround sound, a leather sectional, and a big screen tv. Not what you expected in a laundry room, is it? We watched the horror film, Case 39, but pretty much ruined it because we talked through the whole thing, guessed the plot, and made jokes the entire time. Afterwards, everyone left and I went home to The Cave. Things are quit around here tonight, which is kinda unusual, but it's nice to be able to kick back and relax. I wish the famous Katy could have made an appearance tonight, but she was busy being a good friend. Guess I'll just have to wait to see her this weekend! 

That's it for tonight, so if you actually read this whole thing, congrats!
You've now reached the end. =)

Naturally Naive

"Cause I need freedom now, 

and I need to know how to live my life as it's meant to be."

~Mumford & Sons

^This is how I feel. But not just history. I feel this way about my Life.

The past few weeks have rushed together in a colorful blur, which has been mostly positive. I've just been settling back in to college life and my new schedule. My new sched is a BEAST! I feel like I'm at school allllll freeeeaakkkin daaay loooooong! =( I don't have a whole lot of down time, but that's a good thing right? That means I'm being productive. Or something. My most difficult classes on my plate are Calculus (put me out of my misery!) and Chemistry. So far, things aren't TOO bad, but I'm pretty sure this is just the calm before the storm.

I'm super excited for this weekend! This weekend I get to visit The Juni Crew at SUU! They're always so great to welcome me and let me spend the weekend. I love spending time with them at Juniper Motel. This weekend there's a NEON DANCE goin down, and I'm pretty sure we're gonna tear that place up!! (...or at least seriously injure it.)

Tonight, as I was sitting here when my roommate informed me of something pretty strange. I guess last night I started yelling really loud in my sleep! He said I was yelling so loud that it woke him up. I guess I was really angry about something and was yelling at some guy about it? I don't recall any of this and still don't know if I believe it. I never knew that I talked/yelled in my sleep. I wish I could remember my dream!

A Half Remembered Dream...

Right now, I feel like I'm standing on the edge of a beautiful disaster. I mean, I feel like things are about to crumble and make way for something new and wonderful. I have a lot of hope for my future. As I am taking steps forward in my education and life, I can also feel myself growing. Changing. It's a really good feeling. I'm starting to see things in a whole new light, and it's really helping me gain a new perspective.  I feel like a patient recovering from Amnesia. I've been asleep, but I'm finally waking up. The Truth's I once knew are coming back to me, piece by piece. So I'll take these pieces and I'll fit them together. One by one, until I've completed the puzzle and remember who I really am. =)

That's all of got for now! =)

Keeps Gettin' Better

Woa! Now that it's over, I feel like the time went by way too fast. I guess that's how it always is. What's that saying... "Time flies when your having fun" <--- Yeah, I think that's it. Time has definitely flown. Looking back at the past few weeks, I can definitely say I had fun. I was able to spend a lot of time with my family enjoying Christmas, and then a few days in Island Park, Idaho with snowmobiles. There was so much snow up there! 

See all the snow?! My brothers are digging a snow cave =)

We had a lot of fun up there, but I was really glad to leave it behind. This might come as a surprise to you but, -8 degrees Fahrenheit just isn't ok with me. After I got back, I was able to spend a ton of time with my friends. It was great catching up with everyone. I'm going to miss everyone when I leave tomorrow morning. I'm also gonna miss not having to play the hokey pokey with my WiFi connection.

So many good things happened over this break. Here's a few of them... (no particular order)

• Monster Nights ;)
• Gift giving/recieving
• Free food!
• Made new friends (Kaleigh, Nick, Casey, Kaylani)
• Became better friends with others (You know who you guys are)
• Saw my friend from the future (Kendra) and my friend from the past (Kelsey)
• New guitar =)
• Kinda sorta got hooked on Jersey Shore.... No big deal
• Good talks with friends
• Traded secrets with a Dove.
• Mario Wii & SCUM
• Only went to Denny's once. (And it was Cla$$y)
• Finished "Dorm Life"
• Got a this one Cat to start Tweeting...
• Started off a new year fresh
• Made good New Years resolutions
• Bonded with Lucy (the dog) I think she likes me now! 
• Gained a better appreciation for Life in general
• Learned how to handle frozen locks
• Sold my textbooks
• Inhaled tons and tons of polluted Ogden air  <--- Oops, that's BAD.

I'm sure there's a million other things I could add to my list, but really who has time for such things? I'm already starting to bore myself with this blog post. So I think I'll wrap things up now. This last week here was a good way to end things. I was out with friends every night, and I didn't get much sleep, but I enjoyed every minute of it. 

As I was driving home tonight, a huge bat flew past my window and I took it as a sign. It's time to go back to The Batcave, and tackle another semester in St. Geezy. 

How far is Heaven?

Thank you everyone who made the last few weeks great. 

I can't wait for Summer to bring us back together =)

Ghost of a Good Thing

“We do not remember days, we remember moments.”~Cesare Pavese

Well, everyone has been crackin' out their New Year's posts, so I figure I might as well punch mine in now...

^Sometimes I feel like this guy when I blog

Rather than bore you with the details and memoirs of my year 2010, I"m going to wrap it up in the next few lines, and skip ahead to here and now. The biggest event of significance in the year 2010 for me would be my graduation from FREMONT HIGH. I've got a lot of mixed emotions about that place. Like everyone else in existence, I had good times and bad times during high school. It was fun while it lasted but it refreshing to get on with one's life, which leads me to my second event of significance in the year 2010. I took a leap and moved away from home and started college at DIXIE STATE. So far, I have a majority of positive emotions about this place. Of course there have been a ton of other significant events from the past year to fill in the cracks (but you can go ahead and read about some of those in previous posts if that's what your heart desires). 

"Most days of the year are unremarkable. They begin, and they end, with no lasting memories made in between. Most days have no impact on the course of a life." 
~500 Days of Summer

If I were to title the year 2010, I would steal the title of a Secondhand Serenade CD: A Twist in My Story. That title fits perfectly with the events of 2010 for me. Looking back, I feel like it was definitely a year of twists and turns and things often changed quite unexpectedly... regardless, I survived (and if your reading this, that means you did too... congrats!).

^Something along these lines

Not knowing what's in store for this upcoming year, but purely based on my own predictions, I feel like giving 2011 the title: Our True Colors. You can determine for yourself what is meant by this title, and I suppose only time will tell if my title is appropriate. 

“Our past is a story existing only in our minds. Look, analyze, understand, and forgive. Then, as quickly as possible, chuck it.” ~Marianne Williamson

The holidays have been great and my time has been consumed with the typical family/friend bonding moments that accompany this time of year. I've really enjoyed spending time with the ones I love, and the measured time helps me appreciate them even more. I hardly realize how blessed I really am, but I'm trying to pay attention. 

This is my last week up here in the land of snow and ice. I am looking forward to returning to St. Geezy shortly, and really hope the weather doesn't disappoint. I have a very negative relationship with Winter, and cannot wait for Spring to bounce in (yeah I just did that, deal with it) and show her what's up! I've missed my roomies, our sweet little cave, friends, AND 25 Main (I didn't forget). 

^Our Sweet little cave looks something like this (let's just pretend)

Not so much the school work, but I guess that comes with the territory? Anyways, I suppose I'm looking forward to new classes as well and the new people I've yet to meet! I have a feeling I'll be hanging out with some pretty awesome people! Road trip with Katerblossom? =P

^There's no place like Home. =) 

As far as New Year's resolutions go, I didn't really make any at the time but here's what I want to work on this year:

1. Stop making room for Fear in my life.
   (Fear sucks, and inhibits everything. Nuff said)
2. Get my associates degree. (I should have it after the summer)
3. Repair broken bridges
4. Build new bridges (^If you take these last two literally, you're an idiot.)
5. Stop running from love (I'm ready for you)
6. Be more spontaneous
7. Write a song with my guitar
8. Meet Zooey D... (A guy can dream)
9. Hunt and Kill the Horcruxes in my life
10. Grow 2 inches (I just want to be 6 feet tall!)
11. Take more time to enjoy the Simple things.
12. Delete negative people from my life
13. Get into better shape
14. Stop texting while I drive... (It's illegal!)
15. Significantly cut back on my intake of Trashy things.
    (for example: Denny's, Monsters, Redbull...)

“For everything you have missed, you have gained something else, and for everything you gain, you lose something else.” 
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Breath in for Luck.

Round II.
Here we go.

Make It Up As You Go

"Make it up as you go. 

Future's wide open. 

Nothing's written in stone." 

~Plain White T's

So a while back I mentioned the Plain White T's concert in Vegas. At their concert they played some of their new songs, and announced that the CD would be released in December. Well guess what? It's here now, and I've been listening to it nonstop. The CD's title is "Wonders Of The Younger" and has an overall circus theme to it. All the songs seem to also follow the theme of Imagination, which really hits home with me. The lyrics above are from one of the songs. My favorite song would have to be "Body Parts" followed up by "Killers" "Wonders of the Younger" and "Boomerang". I know what you're thinking, some of those song titles sound a bit gruesome. No worries, they're not at all. All the songs have quality to them (that is if you appreciate songs with a festive circus sound. Heavy drums, gongs, bells and symbols). I'll add a few tracks to my music player once they are posted on Playlist.com.

Today has been an awesome, even though it was the first day of finals. I don't have any finals until Wednesday, so I'm just enjoying the free time. I slept in until I was rested, then rolled out of bed to get some breakfast. I am currently low on food supplies because I'm expecting to depart soon, and don't want to leave food behind. Our apartment management promised us breakfast every morning this week for finals, but today they didn't deliver. I didn't mind though, because I used it as an excuse to visit my favorite cafe- TwentyFive Main. The place is seeping with awesomeness! I love everything about it. The food is delicious and I've yet to be disappointed. This morning I decided to try the French Toast take-out. It was tasty, just like I expected it to be. I'm looking forward to enjoying a big bowl of soup there tomorrow with my awesome Indian friend, Rakul Labana! =)

After breakfast, I started packing a few supplies for an epic adventure to Angel's Landing at Zions National Park. Around noon, I rolled out with Kelby, Chris, and Kelby at the wheel! Luckily we survived Clay's "Abrasive Driving," and reached our destination. The day was perfect for hiking, and by the time we neared the top, we we're all dripping sweat. It's a pretty steep climb! As we approached the very top, we had to walk across narrow ledges with sheer drop offs on both sides. No exaggerating! All there was to hold on to were occasional chains along the ledge. 

'WARNING! Falls from cliffs on this trail have resulted in death."

Despite the deadly circumstances, we reached the landing in no time. The view was incredible! Definitely worth the risk of climbing up there! We sat around, ate lunch and took a bunch of pictures in various places on top. Here are a few that I like:

After spending a considerable amount on top, taking in the view and living on the edge, we made our decent back to the base. On our way down, as we passed the meadow, we came across these little guys:

They were everywhere! We saw even more when we we're walking to the parking lot, and they're were far from shy! 

We even spotted Rudolph!

See the  nose? =P

That pretty much wrapped up our trip. We headed back out of Zions Canyon, cut through polygamist village, and homeward bound to St. George! On our way out, we stopped one last time so we could catch a few more unique pictures to commemorate the fact that there are only 12 days left 'till Christmas! (Really, we just couldn't resist)

Ostrich farm? Of course!

Ostrich Egg!

 

That pretty much completed our epic adventure for the day. As we we entered St. George, we were greeted by a sweet sunset. Then we parked the car and went back to our apartments to clean up for FHE dinner. We had hamburgers and rootbeer floats. =)

Well, the sun has set on an incredible day. To top it all off, I got a letter from my pen pal, Kelsey who's in Hawaii. I was thrilled to see her letter waiting for me in the mailbox, and even more thrilled when I saw she had included some beach sand inside the envelope (she can be so thoughtful). The letter was just the Cherry on Top! I'm headed off to bed, and when I wake up, there'll be one less day 'till I'm home for the holidays. I can't wait!


Specific things I'm excited for: Seeing my family! Jones Soda, Catching up with friends (Kelsey, Katy and her Roy crew, Kendra, Chaundi, Morgan, Colter, Seth, Ellen, Keri, Dena, Keaton, Andie, and others), Seeing Tangled, Snowboarding, Snow...(I guess), Warm fires, Hot Chocolate, Sledding, Snowmobiling, Island Park, parties, Egg Nog, Temple Square, CHRISTMAS, NEW YEARS, Christmas music, Food, and No homework! Only 2 more days to go... I can't wait. =)

Splat!

A Beautiful Song To Be Sung

"‎Music is a morel law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, a charm to sadness, gaiety and life to everything; It is the essence of order and lends to all that is good, just, and beautiful." ~Plato

 I've been wanting to blog about this for a while, but I've just slipped into a writing slump again. However, I feel like the subject for this post is long since overdue. If you haven't already caught on from the above quote, this post is going to be all about music. 

I can't really remember a time in my life when music wasn't important to me. I have always felt a deep connection to it. I remember when I was younger, singing along to country songs in the truck with my dad. My favorite song to sing with him, hands down, was "The Shake" by Neil Mccoy. I knew all the words by heart and felt like a rapper as I'd mumble the chorus. I also recall familiar songs from Toby Kieth, Shania Twain, and some non-country songs from Super Tramp and The Beach Boys. Since then, my taste in music has become more diverse, but I still love those songs. 

I am amazed at the power music possesses. It's truly unique in it's qualities. It has the power to unite people together and helps us relate to one another. Music has the power to bring faded memories back to life. Years can pass since you've heard a song, but once you hear that familiar tune, it instantly zaps you back to another time and place. At least, that's how it works for me. My memories (good and bad) cling to music, forming a very real time machine. 

Another special quality of music is the power it has to influence our emotions. I'm sure you've noticed this. Music can get us excited. Pump us up before we race, or do something that requires a lot of energy. Music can lift us up when we're feeling glum, or it can shoot us down underwater. Music can foster feelings of hope and gratitude, happiness, anger, fear, sadness, or grief just to name a few. The cool thing is, we can harness this power and use it to our advantage. It's up to us, what music we listen to, so we can use it to help influence our mood. I love that.

So like I've already said, music is really important to me. Recently, it has become even more important. I've always dreamed of learning how to create music. I've always enjoyed it, but I've rarely been a creator. However, I feel like that is finally starting to change. I've at least started down the right path and I'm headed in that direction. Sure, it'll be a while before anything good comes of it, but I'm determined to succeed. 

As I look around me, I realize that I've had great people who have helped influence me in my dream to play guitar. Great friends like: Seth Anderson, Tasia Mist, Katy Hunter, Pearl White, and Brooks Miller along with past music teachers, and famous artists. I know that there are even more influences then this, and it's incredible. I aspire to one day be as influential as they have been to me by sharing their musical talents. I consider myself blessed for knowing each of them.

I can feel myself changing one step at a time. Music is shaping me into something entirely new. I am caught up in the painfully beautiful process of becoming a musician. It's a slow change, but I can feel it. As I've started learning guitar, I can feel myself connecting to music in a more intimate way. It has deeper meaning to me. I feel the rhythms, I catch the beats, stronger than I ever have before. And it's everywhere! Not only in the tune, but also in nature. If you listen closely, you can hear it too. 

As I work hard in changing my weakness into strength, I feel more alive. I find great peace and joy in the resonating strings of my guitar. Today, I stand somewhere I haven't been before. I'm headed in a new direction, and I'm loving the journey. 

"Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to their graves with their song still in them"  

~Henry David Thoreau

The Smell of Snowflakes

It's coming. I can feel it. I don't like it.

I can barely contain my excitement!

I'm not quite sure what to expect from St. George, but winter is coming. Reports of snow plaster my Facebook wall. Some in celebration, and some in horror as the white flakes quilt a frosty blanket across their lawns. Oh Northen weather, I don't miss you at all. Getting ready to visit for Thanksgiving Break, and I'm not sure how well I'll handle the situation...

This is how it should be.

I don't know about you but I feel like there's more freedom in the Summer. You don't have to wear shoes and you can just kick back and relax outside by the pool. The sun is warm and comforting, and you can enjoy a picnic with friends or a solitary nap under a tree. Summer is calm and inviting, filling endless days with laughter.

Skeletons

Winter, on the other hand, is a cold bitter beast. You must protect yourself from her assault in layers of clothing. She also has quite the record. Numerous car accidents, injuries, and even deaths can be blamed on this white witch. She offers the comfort of Christmas as a mere consolation prize.

Poor Green Grass

I miss this type of snow (cotton trees)

I miss Summer.

Last Thanksgiving break was an adventure. I had a lot of fun spending time with some of my closest friends. I can only hope that this Thanksgiving will be even better! 

Splattered Thoughts.

DOVER BEACH
By Matthew Arnold

The sea is calm tonight,
The tide is full, the moon lies fair
Upon the straits; on the French coast the light
Gleams and is gone; the cliffs of England stand,
Glimmering and vast, out in the tranquil bay.
Come to the window, sweet is the night air!
Only, from the long line of spray
Where the sea meets the moon-blanched land,
Listen! you hear the grating roar
Of pebbles which the waves draw back, and fling,
At their return, up the high strand,
Begin, and cease, and then again begin,
With tremulous cadence slow, and bring
The eternal note of sadness in.

Sophocles long ago
Heard it on the Agean, and it brought
Into his mind the turbid ebb and flow
Of human misery; we
Find also in the sound a thought,
Hearing it by this distant northern sea.

The Sea of Faith
Was once, too, at the full, and round earth's shore
Lay like the folds of a bright girdle furled.
But now I only hear
Its melancholy, long, withdrawing roar,
Retreating, to the breath
Of the night wind, down the vast edges drear
And naked shingles of the world.

Ah, love, let us be true
To one another! for the world, which seems
To lie before us like a land of dreams,
So various, so beautiful, so new,
Hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light,
Nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain;
And we are here as on a darkling plain
Swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight,
Where ignorant armies clash by night.


This poem makes me think about a lot of things.
Maybe it will get your gears turning as well...
Thought's are important. Even if they're just splatters.

Attack of the Robotic Unicorn?

Ok guys, so I may have just found the key to happiness. It's called Robot Unicorn Attack. I've known about this game for quite some time now, but never gave it a second glance. I mean, come on, Unicorns?! That's enough to turn away most guys right there. Fortunately, a few days ago a friend of mine directed my attention back to this game, and now I'm hooked. Don't judge until you've given it a chance. This game could quite possibly change your life. For complete gaming pleasure, be sure to turn up the volume on your speakers! So go ahead, I urge you to give this game a try. It's simple enough, and I'm confident that you'll be hooked as well. So now, without further introduction, I present to you the game below. Jump right in and start playing at once! Then if you really get serious about it, find it on Facebook and compete against me and your other friends with your score. Robot Unicorn Attack:

Robot Unicorn Attack |

Shark Infested Water

Oh hey there! It's kinda been a while since my last actual blog post. Needless to say a lot has happened between then and now. I don't know how much of it I can successfully recap, but I'll do my best to pick out the highlights of the last week or so. Winding back the hands of time is a daunting task, so bear with me here...Where to start?

10:23 am. The boy wakes up to voices in the hall behind his bedroom wall. Voices that anxiously spew gibberish about camping and smelly smoke hair. Women. Annoyed, he lays there trying to shut out the voices. Why are they here so early? He knew he shouldn't let it irritate him, but it did. He was sleep deprived. That was why it annoyed him. Yeah, that had to be the reason. Squeezing his eyes shut, tighter then necessary, he twisted his torso and buried himself in the pillow. Just go back to sleep. Just sleep...

His mind rolls back to last week, replaying significant scenarios in a weak attempt to sooth...

It's Friday, October 29. Classes are over, and it's finally the weekend! The boy is excited. This weekend was going to be crazy! Halloween weekend! He had successfully plowed through his research paper, and was regaining his health. No more nauseating headaches. Things we're looking good. Relieved to put the stresses of the last week behind him, he quickly walks across the campus lawn towards his apartment. There's so much to get done before tonight. Not really, but it feels like it. He jumps in his car and starts the engine. Seatbelt click. Reverse. Stop. Forward. Drive. Accelerate. Turn the wheel. Red light. Turn. Green light. Green light. Blink. Blink. Blink. Turn. Park. Get out and lock the doors. Entering Target, he heads towards the back corner. He knows exactly where he's going. After all, he was just here last night with the Cedar City Crew. They had been looking for costumes. And so was he. He had decided what he was going to be. A Ghost Buster. Yellow jumpsuit complete with the Ghost Busters logo, and an inflatable ghostpack. The pack sealed the deal. 

New plan of action: Start Fresh.

I've come to the conclusion that there's too much to recap, so I'm not going to do it. If you're really dying to know about my life and recent events, ask me in person. Other then that, I don't care. Out with the old and in with the new, right?... so here's my newest post. 

↓

Woa! So much has happened! I feel like I've finally recovered from my writer's block due to my massive research paper! Yes!


This weekend I drove down with my family to Queen Creek, Arizona for my cousin's wedding! My cousin Brian is only a year older than me, and it was pretty weird to see him getting married. We drove down thursday afternoon and went to dinner with everyone involved with the wedding. I got reacquainted with old family members that I haven't seen for a long time, and met some new ones as well. It was good to see everyone again. After dinner, everyone was tired and anxious for the following day, so most of us headed off for bed. I say MOST of us, because sadly, Brian wasn't as fortunate. I felt pretty bad for him when he explained to that he had to go to work after dinner and work all through the night! He was scheduled to work a shift helping to pour concrete for a building in Mesa? until 7 am the following day. That's pretty rough! Well the rest of us went to bed that night and woke up the next morning to get ready for the wedding. Brian slept pretty much the whole morning, but who can blame him? 

Here's a picture of them^

The wedding was a huge success and Brian and his new wife looked so happy together. They danced a lot that night as we all celebrated with them. I hope the best for them and their future together. We cheered loudly as the drove off in his mustang. Destination: Honeymoon.


The next day was spent getting reacquainted with my cousins, second cousins, aunt, uncles, and other family. Turns out, a lot has happened since I last saw them and it was good to catch up. We slowly wandered through the morning and into the afternoon. All of my Arizona relatives are into desert racing, and my Uncle's neighbor brought over his SandRail. Sand what? A SandRail. It's kinda like a go-cart and dune buggy mashed together, then injected with a massive dose of steroids. It's awesome! Here's a visual:

So this guy drove it over to my uncle's house, and we took turns going for rides in this thing. He took us on the paved road and got it going over 130mph, then popped a freakin' wheelie! Adrenaline rush. My heart was beating so fast, and my face felt like it was going to peel right off my skull! It was incredible. And totally illegal. No sooner had the front tires hit the pavement before we got pulled over my a cop. The guy was pretty upset with us and started hounding the driver for driving on the road. I was certain that he would give the driver a ticket, but he got lucky! No ticket. The cop must not have seen the wheelie on the other side of the hill. Thankfully! After this incident, he took us to the back dirt roads. He was swerving all over the place and I thought we would roll for sure! We didn't, but it ended up being a crazy good time.


Later that night we had a fire and sat around telling jokes are roasting marshmallows. Funny things tend to happen when you get the Jackson clan around a fire. Let's just leave it at that. =) After it got later, My cousins and I packed up to spend another night my older cousin's (their older brother) house. Before we actually went to his house though, we stopped by the gas station and got some Monsters, then headed to another fire in Gilbert with some of their friends. It was kinda a flop because my cousin, Tara, and her boyfriend we're fighting so the whole situation was a bit awkward. Things got a lot better after we left and drove over to Jeremy's house. 


Feeling wide awake from our energy drinks, Tara and I stayed up all night while everyone else went to sleep. We had a long talk about the future and what we thought it would be like, along with a lot of other random things. It seems like Tara and I always end up pulling all nighter's before we leave for home. The exact same thing happened earlier this year in the summer at Island Park. I enjoy the time I get to spend with my cousins and realize that the time we have left is limited, considering how all of our lives will be changing in the next few years. 


Well 6 am rolled around and my mother came by to pick me up. I said goodbye and walked out the door. Just like that we were on our way back home. It felt like forever before we arrived in St. Geezy! It felt good to be home. I said goodbye to my family and watched them drive off. I felt bad that they had 5 more hours to go, and was glad that I didn't have to make that trip. 


Upon arriving home, and unpacking my belongings, I discovered two crucial things missing: My Wallet and My Cell Phone Charger!! Just my luck. I quickly notified Tara, and they promised to ship them to me right away. Well... my cell phone is now dead, and I really am a poor college student. I have been checking the mail frequently and awaiting their arrival. I can't believe I left them behind! On the other hand, seperation from these things has allowed me to focus on other things such as Eva (my guitar), and writing letters and this blog.

 Life feels slow but the livin's easy. 

Happy in the sun, alive in St. Geezy!

(Yup that was pretty cheesy) 

There's More Than You & Me

TimeScapes: Rapture from Tom Lowe @ Timescapes on Vimeo.

It's a Metaphor, Fool

Via Exploding Dog

Flammable Heart

Location - Freelance Whales

I am starting to sense your location
You are somewhere in the attic
Looking something close to tragic
Dating t-shirts and your mattress
I'm floating on the stairwell
With my toes grazed in the cedar
Thinking softly would a tender box leave them in...

And what a flammable heart I've been given
You could be in several different places
I am sensing your location

I am starting to sense your location
You are somewhere in the basement
Beating on a makeshift drum kit
Songs that I can hardly stomach
I'm floating on the stairwell
With my fingers shaking frantic
Thinking softly what a concrete mess we live in...

And what a ice box heart I've been given
You could be in several different places
I am sensing your location

You could be in several different places
I am starting to sense your locale now

I am to starting to sense your location
In an alternate dimension
In a country side of England
Spirits trapped inside the linens
And you're feeling quite at home there
Also feeling somewhat lonely
No one sees you in your pixelated fish nets
And your black and orange beret

You could be in several different places
I am sensing your location
You could be in several different places
I am starting to sense your locale now

Oh please believe the ghost in me
Is doing what I can to find you out 

I really like this song! Actually, I love all of Freelance Whales songs but this one seems to be sticking to me right now. I highly suggest looking up the actual song. The songs here on my blog are mostly songs by Freelance Whales so if you like what you hear, go find more. Then thank me for showing you such a great band. =)

High Park SunbeamsHamish Grant  
VIA Flicker