22 down, 78 to go

Well today is a very special day for a certain someone. Not because its the day after Memorial Day, but because 22 years ago, a certain child was born. Back in 1984, the year Walter Mondale lost an embarrassing landslide election to Ronald Reagan, the year that the Apple (shown in the picture) was invented, and exactly one month and 15 days after Rodney Carney was born, exactly 7 months before LeBron James was born, a young child was born by the name of Joseph L. Thompson. So today I have turned 22 (or rather, at 4:40am this morning), and yet grows another grey hair on my already-whitened head of hair, while my beer-belly grows a little fatter, from a keg into a full-sized beer truck.

So anyway, in other news, I have decided to register for a summer course today. Why? because the instructor for it is probably the easiest in the entire Business department, and this summer is likely the last semester he'll be teaching this specific course. However, this is a second session course, meaning it starts on July 11, so I won't miss Harmony Hill, or Camp Moriah, or any of that other fun stuff over the summer.

Course	Days Time Location	Session and Dates	Credit	Call Number	Instructor
ISDS-3711-201 ANALYTICAL TOOLS BUSN	MTWR 10:50-12:55PM FCB 127	2nd Session 07-11-06 to 08-10-06	3.00	03070	RACER, MICHAEL J.

An interesting afternoon...

Well so this morning I had an appointment to take my car in to Barlett Auto Upholstry to have some work done. Specifically, having the head-rest repaired, the driver's side seat sewn up, and some leather arm-rests being sewed on to the arm-rest on each door in order to hide and protect an ugly-looking damage to the arm-rest that I've had on the passenger's side of the car since I bought it. So now I can finally stop using the seat cussion on the driver's seat in my Celica, yay!!!!

Anyway, he told me it would be about 3 hours to do the work, so after dropping off my car, I walk down Stage Road (this is a busy 6-lane highway) to the second-run movie theater and see that the earliest showing is Final Destination 3 at 12:55pm, so I then proceed to walk down to Bartlett Lanes (about 3/4 a mile to a full mile from the Upholstry shop my car is at) and bowled about 3 games. Of course not having my ball or shoes on me, I am forced to resort to what the lane provides me in each of these catagory, and let me tell you its literally impossible to bowl a hook-shot with one of those lane balls. I bowled three of my most mediocre games ever, a 107, 100, and 137. After leaving the bowling alley I proceeded to walk back to the movies, by the time I was nearly there it was about 12:45pm, but then I got a call that my car was ready, so I continued walking to Bartlett Auto Upholstry to pick it up.

Having got my hopes up on seeing this movie, I decided to go ahead with it (after all, it was only a cheap matenae [sp?] at a second-run movie theater, who cares if I'm by myself, thats prideful thinking anyway). I must admit, it was not a bad movie at all, but they could have made the death's a little more gruesome, like the first two. Nonetheless it was still rather gross, and had an interesting story-line. I give it 3 and a half stars.

So all in all, not a bad day for a Wednesday afternoon. And I guess almost something worth blogging about.

St. Louis Vacation

So over the past week or so I have been on vacation to St. Louis with my parents, my sister Grace, and her fiance Dustin. Here's how our adventure went:

Day 1, Tuesday (trip up to St. Louis, Lamberts):

So on the way up we decided to stop at Lamberts (Home of the Throwing Rolls) for dinner. Here's Grace, Dustin, and my Mom.

And me and my dad (check out my goofy smile).

It was a long trip...

Day 2 (The Zoo, The Science Center, History Museum):

Me and some turtles...

The whole bunch of us. Notice how only one of us is smart enough to wear SHORTS on vacation.

There was some pretty wacky stuff at that science center.

Day 3 (Cardinals Game, The Arch, Downtown St. Louis):

Here's the new Busch Stadium. Here's the view my parents and I had from the outfield. Grace and Dustin sat in some seats behind home plate that I scored a good deal off of on e-bay (they had better seats than us). Actually 4/5 of our tickets we purchased off e-bay (and trust me you get really good deals off e-bay, way lower than the retail price of each ticket) and then one from a scalper.

I look so nerdy in my glasses.After the game we make the walk right over to the Arch.

Looking down from the top of the Arch. Notice how they design it so that you have to lean over to look out, and this way if you look straight down out of the window, you feel like your hanging on 600 ft in the air by a thread, and its very scary, which I loved.

Looking straight down from the top.

Day 4 (Six Flags, Chillin' at the hotel):

We spent pretty much all day at Six Flags (9:50am-5:15pm to be exact, and it was open from 10am-6pm). Here's us men (me, my Dad, and Dustin) waiting in line for, I think it was, The Batman roller coaster ride. The line was about 45 min. to an hour, but it was worth the wait.

Here's the park from some place high up in the air. The roller coasters visible from this pictures are Mr. Freeze (the blue one in front), The Boss, and The Screaming Eagle (both wooden roller coasters in the back).

The new Superman ride that opened that day that we were there. It broke down consistently, but we managed to get a ride in on it that scared Grace to death.

On the Ferris Wheel...

Day 5, Saturday (Grants Farm, trip home, Lamberts again):

Here's a slobbery animal at Grants Farm. They allow people to feed them after paying a fortune for animal food. At least they were kind enough to provide complimentary hand sanitizer afterwards.

We decided, since it was once in a long time thing, to stop at Lamberts again on the way back for lunch. Dustin ordered a Chef's salad. Trust me its much bigger than it looks in this picture.Here's the whole thing, with a portion of my face trying to get into the picture.

And that was our 2006 vacation to St. Louis!!!
(More pictures to come in a few days when I show yall some off Grace's camera)

I'm Out

*scans through blog*

Man all these pictures of myself, I'm really coming off as rather stuck up. Anyway, hopefully I'll get some more pics of my family and such this week in St. Louis. I'm out, cyall Saturday evening when I get back.

In the mean time be sure to keep letting yall's Christian light shine, if you need help, you can study the pictures below. God bless.

How to Kill Time

This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine,
this little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine,
this little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine,
let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!!!!!!!!!

Money Saving Advice

Well as you all very well know by now, gas prices have gone enormously high again, and with summer approaching they probably wont be going down anytime soon. So, to compensate for the surging prices, I have developed some money-saving priorities that I would like to share, and anyone who wants to save money too is welcome to copy any of them:

Replace all shopping formely done at Target/Walmart with shopping at Fred's/Big Lots/Family Dollar/Dollar General (with the exception of food and clothes, neither of which I would dare touch at a closeout store, except for socks and boxers).

Dont buy anything at Best Buy or Circuit City anymore. Instead, go to these stores and check out the price of the item you want, then go online and buy it for less than half off of E-Bay.

When buying clothes, still go to the name brand stores (Aeropostale, American Eagle, Pac Sun, Old Navy, GAP), but either shop off-season or buy off the clearance rack (certainly supply is limited, buy if you look hard you can usually find some good steals at great prices).

When driving, leave the car in 5th gear as much as possible, anytime the car is going faster than 25mph.

Don't buy books or movies. Rent them from the library or from blockbuster.

Get a haircut only once every two months (if even that frequently). In between then, if you need a little trim, get a parent, relative, or trustworthy friend to do it. Or, I know a young lady who is an experienced haircutter (even though she denies it), but I dont think she wants me giving out her name or promoting her as a haircutter. But yall get the idea...

When going to buffets, go early, around lunch time, and eat a good long meal, then wait around and let your food digest. Get into a long, detailed conversation with your waiter/waitress. By the time this conversation is over, it is dinner time, so you have your dinner for free.

Just avoid department stores at the mall, period. Except for Sears or Kohls, but still if you must go, buy off the clearance rack (my last dress-shirt was $15 from Sears, and included a tie in the package, it was off the clearance rack, and I think it was a good buy).

Instead of buying those delicious Starbuck's frappuchinos, I make them at home with my blender (most of the time).

Finally, get a job, or work extra shifts/hours at the one you have.

Well thats all the tips I have to offer yall for right now. If anyone can think of any other ways to save a little $$$ here and there, please offer any suggestions for the rest of us to know. Lets help each other out. Thanks, and God bless.

My new cowboy hat, the sign of summer...

Hey yall, well its now official, I finished my last final Wednesday, and summer is finally here!!!!!!!

So now after a semester that has by far been my most challenging so far in college, is now complete. I am hoping this will help clear away this stingy, cranky attitude I've had for the past few months (although it certainly shouldnt take this lack of continued stress to make me into the kind of person I should always be).

Anyway to celebrate the start of summer, I met Ryan, Tyler, and Andrew all at the Paradisio at 10pm tonight to watch Mission Impossible 3. Walking out of the movie shortly after midnight Andrew and I noticed a tall black guy coming from the opposite direction. Upon him coming up closer we noticed it was Rodney Carney (for those who don't know, he was the star basketball player for the Elite Eight U of M Tigers this season, and he'll likely be a lottery pick in the NBA Draft in a couple months). So we walk outside (Andrew, Tyler, and I) and are standing there next to Rodney and the girl he was with, Ryan then comes out acting like its all cool as I point out the fact that Rodney Carney is standing there feet away from us (but of course he's just as shocked as we are, on the inside). Anyway I just thought that was cool so I thought I'd mention it before it fades from my mind.

Well anyway, I dont think I annouced this, but just last week I bought myself a new cowboy hat. Yes it is one I intend to bring to Harmony Hill, Camp Moriah, and anywhere like that else I go this summer. My mom found the USB cord to my parents' digital camera, so thanks to that I am now able to provide yall pics of me with my new hat (please bear in mind that I have not shaved under my chin, my sideburns, and the area between my nose and mouth, since before the Zion Rest meeting almost 2 weeks ago, so I kinda have that rugged-look with the facial hair, right now)

Also one final thing to mention and I will get to the pictures. Its not until the end of this month until it is my birthday (when I hope to get a digital camera, at least a cheap one) so until then, the only camera I have to use to provide pictures for my blog is my parents' camera. So any pictures you see until then are probably going to be only of me, and of my family. Well everyone have a great summer, and God bless:


(btw my hair doesnt really have that much gel in it anymore, not nearly what it appears in this picture, that is the just the way the light from the camera hit it, so it's giving a much brighter glow than it should)