Nothing to See Here. Move Along

All-Niter '07

2007-08-08T04:41:00.000-06:00

That's right, I'm pulling an all-niter. I've been meaning to do it for a while, but I break in the early morning hours, when I get too bored. I'm doing it to get my sleep schedule back to normal. As it is now, I get up at 3 or 4 in the afternoon and then stay up until 5 or 6 in the morning. I don't like it. So I'm going to go for it, drain my energy and go to sleep sometime reasonable.

It's 5:40 in the am right now and I can tell I have a battle ahead of me all ready.

My Desert Island Games

2007-06-12T23:55:00.000-06:00

Ok, what if I were marooned on a desert island, ala Lost, yet I still had access to 10 videogames to pass the time. It's a ridiculous situation, I know. But if I had a choice of what those 10 games should be, it would be these:

10. (tie) Mario Kart: Double Dash/ Super Smash Bros.: Melee (Gamecube)
When it came to these two, I couldn't pick one over the other. Both are fast, frantic, and a blast to play.
9. Tetris (Game Boy)
I went with the original version here. This is one of the most addicting games I've ever played. No two games are ever the same.
8. Guitar Hero 2 (PS2)
Rocking out is super fun. I picked this over the first GH because of the song selection.
7. Sim City (SNES)
I can play this version for hours on end. Simple game play that will suck you in and keep you hooked.
6. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (PS2)
I picked this GTA because of the tons of features it added. I love sandbox games and this is the king. Go anywhere, do anything games will never get old to me.
5. Unreal Tournament 2004 (PC)
Tons of game modes and deep gameplay. Add the Jailbreak mod and this is a perfect multiplayer FPS.
4. Burnout 3: Takedown (PS2)
This features some of the most visceral game play I've ever seen. Dodging traffic and shunting opponents at high speed is intense.
3. Mutant League Football (Genesis)
Take away all of the rules of football and add monsters and violence and you have a masterpiece.
2. TMNT: Turtles in Time (SNES)
The Ninja Turtles are awesome and this was best game they've been in. A fun, 0ld-school beat-em-up.
1. Kirby's Adventure (NES)
My favorite game of all time. Tons of levels, cool powers, wicked bosses. Still amazing to this day.

And the Glass Handed Kites

2007-01-07T20:09:00.000-06:00

Instead of an entry apologizing about my lack of updating, here's a drawing I did over Christmas break (click for big).

Get It Faster

2006-08-13T23:05:00.000-06:00

Here's the painting. It's pretty much done. I haven't touched it for about a week, but I told you I'd keep you updated.
In Whatever-related things, I'm kind of in a rut. I haven't been too happy with my work lately. I haven't been inspired for a while and it takes so long actually make the comics anymore. I need to change something. The comics as they are, have a lot of panels, which is ok, but it's a lot to draw on a small piece of paper. I'd use bigger pages, but my scanner screen isn't much bigger than 8 1/2 x 11. Fewer panels maybe, but then I feel like I'm cheating the readers out of something they would normally get. Don't get me wrong, I love the characters and I'm not quiting. I just need something to get me excited again.

A Series of Tubes

2006-08-02T21:33:00.000-06:00

Hey gang. I keep breaking my 'post more often' promises. I am, in fact, keeping busy. And to prove this, I'll show you what I've been working on this week.

It's 18"x24" on 140LB cold press paper and I just finished the inking. Tomorrow night I plan on starting the next stage, which is adding color in the form of watercolor paint. So, I probably won't do a Whatever comic tomorrow.
What's the big reason for this project? I'm doing it for me, really. I haven't painted since school got out and I want to do something besides the internet version of Whatever. If anyone has any questions/comments on this, fire away. I'll be sure to post my progress with this.

Almost Here

2006-07-17T02:21:00.000-06:00

Seasons// Well, it's 3:17 in the am and I absolutely can not sleep. I mean, I've followed all of the usual steps: I put my pajamas on, got under the covers, turned the light out, and closed my eyes. Nothing happening. I'm tired but my brain will not stop thinking. Why does it have to be the most active right when I'm trying to go to sleep? I haven't had this problem in a good while and I happy about that. It's just too lonely at night.

Points of Authority

2006-07-09T00:53:00.000-06:00

Reason// Wow. It's July already. Number of posts since my last post in June? Um, none. Sorry about that. It's actually been a pretty busy month for me. Mostly just work and video games and random hanging out. I'll try and sum up the bigish events: saw Superman Returns. Went home for July 4th weekend and camped with some friends. Not that exciting, I guess. Hopefully I can get back to posting on a regular basis...like I've said I would before.

Someone Like You// Today was the Aberdeen Pig Out here on Main St. It was an all day festival that spans most of our downtown main. There was a lot of crazy things. There was lots of food and drinks. There were some cool live music that I enjoyed. I mostly tuned in for the blues bands BlackKat Bone and Pops Blue Rhythm. It was good time.

Currently listening to: Diggnation episode #53

Still Fighting It

2006-06-01T23:33:00.000-06:00

Philosophy//I didn't count on being overly productive today, but that's how things turned out. I got up this morning at 8:30am, paid the rent, and rode my bike to work. I came back around 12:30pm played some of Half-Life 2: Episode 1. After that I took out the garbage. Then I drove out to the grocery store and picked up some groceries (do not do this kind of shopping while hungry, you will fill the cart). I came back, unloaded the groceries, washed the dishes in the sink, scrubbed the kitchen sink and bathtub. I had something to eat and finished playing my game. Then I worked on the comic for Friday and sent out the newsletter. Then I played a little X-Men Legends 2 and Lexi called. I talked to her for a while and then I took a shower and got ready for bed. And that brings us up to now. I know this wasn't the most exciting entry, but I'd like to keep updating often, even if it's like this.

Little Thoughts

2006-05-30T19:49:00.000-06:00

Positive Tension//I've been a horrible, horrible blogger. I've averaged about one post a month since January. In my defense, it's been a busy few months. Classes/Work/Mono/Girlfriend took enough of my time that it became tough to update on a regular schedule. (I'm not complaining about the last thing, though)

So Here We Are//Speaking of my girlfriend, Lexi went is on her way back to Florida to spend the summer with her mother. I'm not very excited about this. She left Saturday afternoon and it's been difficult for me to function properly. I know it will eventually get better, but right now I'm just counting the days until she comes back.

Plans//Her mother even gave her the option to come back, shortly after they began the drive to Florida. We both decided she should go. It's the only time she'll get to spend with her mom and I would feel guilty taking that away from her. Not long after that I began to think that maybe I was wrong and I should've went after her; asked her to stay. Was I wrong?

Compliments//So, it's been rough on me. Can you blame me? I've never been with someone that I was able to be with everyday and to not be able to see them for the next couple months? I've never done it before. It was immediatly hard. I left for Platte as soon as she left with her mom. I couldn't even be in the apartment or else I'd be surrounded by memories of her. The weekend at home was nice. It was nice to see the family and I caught up with my friend KyLee. I do ok. It's all the alone time that gets me, the empty moments, the quiet. I got so used to just having someone else in the room with me. But I'm young, I'll bounce back.
Say, that was a pretty good post. Expect updates often, folks.

Currently listening to: Hero by Bloc Party

In a Sentimental Mood

2006-04-15T22:35:00.000-06:00

Ok, I think it's safe to say at this point I'm over the mono. I have been for 3 weeks now, I think. Why no update? Well, I've been pretty busy. I expect things to start calming down soon, as this semester finishes up and summer arrives.
I'm at home in Platte right now, for Easter break. It's quiet and soothing to be home. I did some digging around my closet this evening, looking at old things of mine. It's strange and fun to look back at things from the past 4 or 5 years.
No real purpose to this entry; just trying to remind everyone (and myself) that I have this blog.

Currently Listening to: Evening Melancholy (easy listening 30's music)

Down with the Sickness

2006-03-14T20:09:00.000-06:00

I have mono. And I hate it. The glands in my neck have puffed up, giving my neck the thickness of something along the lines of a tree trunk. Though, they've got me taking steroids to see if that clears up. And it looks like I'm staying here at home until next week, when this finally breaks. I'll try to keep everyone posted.

Different Names for the Same Thing

2006-02-24T18:43:00.000-06:00

Paperthin Hymn//Sorry. Really, I mean it. It's been 2 months since I posted. To be honest, there really hasn't been that much time. I was planning this big post back in January but it kept getting pushed back. Instead, I'm going to just get this back up to speed and try to start posting on a regular basis again. So, to recap what you've missed: Florida was a good time, School + work = pretty busy. Like I said, I'm going to try to get this going again, so stay tuned!

Currently Listening to: Soul Meets Body by Death Cab for Cutie

Let It All Come Down

2005-12-30T22:31:00.000-06:00

Over You//Here it is, gang: the end of 2005. And yet again, the year zinged by. Tonight I've been going back through my old journal entries and thinking back on the year. I've come to the conclusion that 2005 was a really, really good year for me. I'm confident that 2006 will be just as great. Reading through those old entries I realized that this is the first year in a while were I actually kept my new year's resolution, which was, as always, to get a girlfriend.

The Weakest Shade of Blue//And speaking of my Lexi, I'm all packed up and ready to fly to Florida tomorrow. I can't wait to get off that plane and just hug her. I've gone over the moment a million times in my head, but it will undoubtably be much more incredible in real life. I'm so excited I don't even know how I'm going to get any sleep tonight.

Ok, I don't know how keen she's gonna be on me putting her picture on here, but seriously, just look at her! Can you blame me for getting all excited? Allright, I am off, friends. Everyone have a wonderful (and safe) New Years and I will talk to you all again in 2006!

Currently Listening to: It Happens by Hopesfall

Best Imitation of Myself

2005-12-24T23:18:00.000-06:00

Lullaby//Well, it's Christmas Eve. It's kinda hard to believe it's that time all ready. I'm back in Platte. I came back on Thursday. It's been good to be back. It's much better than hanging around that empty apartment. I suppose I should let you in on the really big news: I'm going to Florida to be with Lexi in a week. I am very excited. Like, excited to point where trying to explain it on a blog just would fail to get the magnitude across accurately. Just trust me, I'm pumped.

Last Summer//Like I said earlier, I'm back in Platte. That means there isn't much going on. And usually, when I'm back in Platte and I'm bored, I contact KyLee. We talked for a good long while, since we haven't had a real chance to in a long time. I'd say at least 75% of the time I was talking about Lexi.
I thought I was going to have more to put in this entry, but I guess not. Good enough for tonight. Merry Christmas, everyone!

Currently Listening to: Cream and Bastards Rise by Harvey Danger

Get A Move On

2005-12-20T01:33:00.000-06:00

Bullshed//That's the Aberdeen YMCA on Sunday night. It's right behind the building I live in. I did my lifeguard training in it a couple years ago. Here's what it looked like Monday morning:

Y'know what the worst part about this is? It's being replaced with a parking lot. Pointless.

Currently Watching: MST3K - The Killer Shrews

Sentimental Guy

2005-12-18T00:43:00.000-06:00

Time//I've pretty much wasted today away. I have accomplished nothing. I slept until 2:30pm because I could and had no reason to get up anyways. I piddled around on the internet all afternoon/evening. I wanted to work on some drawing or something, but couldn't get motivated. Talked to my Mom on the phone and walked to Hardee's to grab some food. Matt hung out for a little bit and played some videogames. He went to the Red Rooster and then to Wild Oats to do stuff tonight, but I chose to stay home. For some reason, I didn't feel like doing anything today. I talked to Lexi on the phone tonight and that was really, really good. It was really nice to talk to her. However, I need to keep busy or I'm going to keep thinking about her not being here and this will end up being a long Christmas break. So, do not worry about me, readers! I'm young; I'll pull through. If anyone has any suggestions for things for me to draw (or ideas for Whatever) let me know. If your idea grabs me, I'll draw it, and put it up on here for everyone to look at.

Current Music: this WEEK in TECH Episode 32

Cement

2005-12-17T02:13:00.000-06:00

Take It In//So, I got up at about 2 today. Lexi called me to tell me she made it to Florida ok. I got ready and went to work for a couple hours. After that I came home and talked to my mom on the phone and played some video games for a bit with Matt and then we went to the mall to get something to eat and then watched King Kong (which was way awesome). Then I called Lexi and talked to her for a little bit. (That was also way awesome) Then Matt and I went to Wild Oats to have some drinks and to listen to Pop's Blue rhythm play some music. (That was pretty cool, too) Now I'm home. Today has been a constant stream of things to do to keep my mind off of the "girlfriend in Florida" thing. It's been the first day in a long time where I haven't done something with her. It hasn't even been a full day since I've seen her and I miss her so much already. Everything's going to be ok and I'm going to be fine, but, so far, it's pretty tough to not think about her. If you count this as a sad journal entry, it would be the first of it's kind in a while.

Current Music: Through With People by Portastatic

Christmas Lights

2005-12-16T07:07:00.000-06:00

Not much to really report. It's 7am and I'm about to go back to bed. I just got back from dropping Lexi off at the airport. She's going to Florida for Christmas break. Y'know in movies, it always sad whenever a character leaves someone they love at the airport? It's worse in real life.

Rush

2005-12-13T19:04:00.000-06:00

Within A Room Somewhere//Once again, I haven't been keeping up with my blogging. So, let me get right to a brief recap of some of the things that I've been up to. First off, it's finals week at Northern as well as in universities around the nation. However, I had my Art History final last Friday. I didn't know. I came in sat down and looked around the room. "Boy, I wonder if we're going to review today?" I thought. It was strange that nobody had any notebooks or anything on their desks. "That's gonna make it hard to take notes," I think to myself. A classmate leans over and asks, "Eliot, are you ready for the final?" Heck no, I say. I've got a week to get ready for that. I mean the teacher said the final was on Friday. I assumed he meant Friday of FINALS WEEK. Y'know, when we have our finals? Wrong. Suddinly, a test is placed on my desk. I about cried. I hadn't studied or anything. So, I started working and to my relief I started to recall quite a bit and feel like I did well on it. Not how I wanted to go into it, but I think it's gonna work out.

The Phrase That Pays//On Sunday was the Choir Christmas concert. Lexi, Bill, Josh, and Rory were in it, so I went. (Despite their best efforts, I will not join choir) It was really cool and the songs sounded great. After the concert, we got word that Lexi's grandfather went to the hospital. I'm not going to go into detail about it on here because it's their business. I'm pretty sure everything's going to be fine, though. However, the whole ordeal was kinda rough for Lexi and I stayed with her through the whole thing. I'm certainly no substitute for a parent when something like this happens, but I did the best I could and I think it helped.

Current Music: Dance, Dance Christa Paffgen by Anberlin

Clockwork

2005-12-02T00:22:00.000-06:00

Carry You//Well, I'm back from my Thanksgiving break. Let me tell you about it. Lexi and I went to Platte last Wednesday evening and she got to meet my parents. That went well and I was glad. They really liked her. Thursday was Thanksgiving and my grandparents and an aunt and uncle and a couple cousins were over and it was a great time. Friday night, Lexi, Liz, KyLee, Kendra, and I went up to Mitchell to watch the movie "Just Friends." It was pretty funny. That's really all that was accomplished during the break. I spent something like 98% of my break with Lexi, watching movies, playing pool, or just hanging out. It was really really great. You know how you're around someone for any period of time and they start to get on your nerves? This didn't happen with her and I. I'm really glad about that.

A Funeral With Wedding Vows//So, it came to be early Sunday and it was time to head back. We loaded up in the car and began our journey.Yeah. I didn't see it coming either. It's just my luck that the worst winter storm South Dakota has had in years decided to hit right when I needed to make a cross-state drive. Needless to say, once we started seeing vehicles hit the ditches (as well as us sliding around) we decided to go back to Platte. We didn't get very far anyways. The storm began as freezing rain (giving me one of the most frightening driving experiences of my life) on Sunday. By Monday it was full-on blizzard with tons of blowing snow. No leaving then. Tuesday was a little better but the roads were still undriveable. Stuck another day. Wednesday morning became our window of opportunity. The roads still sucked and after a while it was snowing a lot, making it a little tough to see. We took it slow and safe and I managed to get us back to Aberdeen. I still feel bad about being stuck those extra days. I didn't miss much but Lexi had things going on and even though she said it was fine, I know it frustrated her that we couldn't get back. It's nothing for me to worry about now; we're back and everything is fine.

Can't Lose//Tonight was Rory and Amy's senior recital. It was very nice; they did a great job. That Rory Behrens never ceases to amaze me. Lexi was also in it; she sang a song with Amy. That's the first time I've really heard her sing. She did a really good job. I was very proud of her. She worried about it a lot during vacation so I'm extra glad it went well.
Current Music: Wheaton Calling by Burning Airlines

Bittersweet Symphony

2005-11-19T18:01:00.000-06:00

Best of You//Last night was a NSU Jazz Choir/Band concert/dance thing at the Ward Hotel. Since Lexi is in jazz choir (and she wanted me to go) I went. It was pretty cool. The music was great. I spent most of the first part sitting out and not dancing. If you know me, you know I'm not very keen on dances/dancing. I felt bad, though, because Lexi really wanted to dance and there I was, just sitting there. It was only a matter of time, before I got my act together and got out there on the floor with her. And it was really nice.

On the Mend//Before the dance thing, Lexi and I went to dinner with some of her relatives. I was crazy nervous. Every thing went fine and I think they liked me. She's coming with me to Platte for Thanksgiving in a few days, so I'm pretty excited for that.

Current Music: The Used - Greener with the Scenery

Gawd You Guys

2005-11-17T18:48:00.000-06:00

Faygo 2Download: Low Med High

Where's the Handle

2005-11-17T10:32:00.000-06:00

Your Birthdate: September 4

You have an extraordinary character - moral, responsible, and disciplined.
Your sincerely and honesty shine through in almost every situation.
Driven and focused, you rarely let your emotions get the better of you.
You're level headed and rational. People count on your to look at things objectively.

Your strength: Your unwavering loyalty and ethics

Your weakness: Your rock solid stubbornness

Your power color: Navy blue

Your power symbol: Shield

Your power month: April

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

I Want to Hit That

2005-11-09T18:46:00.000-06:00

Coming soon. Want it inside you this November.

It's so powerful

2005-11-07T14:21:00.000-06:00

http://students.northern.edu/lucas672/files/epic2.wmv
Check that out. That should get you pumped up. Pumped up for what?
We're going to start shooting a new movie this weekend. I'm hella excited. You should be, too. I can't tell you what we'll be working on just yet, but know that it'll be bigger, better, and oh snapier. I'll keep you posted.

Autumn Got Dark

2005-10-31T01:47:00.000-06:00

1st Things 1st//The Art Department Halloween Party was last Thursday. Here are some highlights.

Do You Have a Map Because I'm Lost in Your Eyes

2005-10-25T17:46:00.000-06:00

Grenade Jumper//Like usual, I haven't been keeping up with my blogging. As it turns out, I've actually been keeping quite busy lately. There really isn't enough hours in the day to do everything I need to. Anyways, everything Eliot-related has been great. I may be in the best state of mind I've been in for a really long time. And it seems like things are starting to turn around for my friends, which is awesome. I shouldn't be the only one having a great time.

Move Along//Last Thursday I presented a short seminar at the Aberdeen Chamber of Commerce Career Fair. I talked to three groups of high schoolers about graphic design and how I got into art. I had a pretty good time. I went to the musical at NSU, Beauty and the Beast, on Saturday night. Amazing. Everyone did a great job. This afternoon a group of kindergarten took a tour through our art studio. They came up to my studio space and I talked with them for a while. They were fun and I enjoyed talking to them about how old they were, how old I am, and the ages of their parents.

Current Music: We've Had Enough - Alkaline Trio

I Am Fred Astaire

2005-10-16T12:26:00.000-06:00

Chance to be Hollow//Things have been going great for me lately. Thursday night, I met and had supper with an interesting fellow by the name of Wally Wingert. Wally does voices for many, many cartoons. He does numerous voices on Family Guy and was the voice of Tallest Red on Invader Zim. He was in Aberdeen for some family business and since Bill knew him, I got to hang out also. Read more about him at his website. He was nice enough to sign my Family Guy DVDs, too.
Remember to Feel Real//Things with the girlfriend (her name is Lexi, by the way) have been going very well and I'm very happy. But a couple of my close friends are going through some tough times. I feel very bad for them. It's not fair that I'm this happy and they're not. Anyways, I've got stuff to get done today, so I'll blog to you later.

Current Music: Armor For Sleep - Car Underwater

22 and Invincible

2005-10-10T16:37:00.000-06:00

Just Watch the Fireworks//This week has been very good. As for my situation I wrote about in the last entry; I did not screw anything up with "Eliot-stupidness." Quite the opposite, actually. "The girl" is now my girlfriend. We've been hanging out a lot lately and it's awesome. And she's awesome. But I'm not going to go overboard talking about that right now.

Current Music: Spitalfield - Stolen From Some Great Writer

Higher Than

2005-10-05T23:24:00.000-06:00

Ten//I went to another party this last weekend. This one was over a Bill's house. There was a pretty decent sized crowd of people that I like. It was a great time. I hung out with "the girl" from the previous entry. It was really, really nice. We ended up hanging out and talking until 7am. I have a really good feeling about this and where it's going. It's been a very long time since I've been in a situation like this and I had kinda forgotten how wonderful and terrifying it is. I'm absolutely determined to not screw this up with "Eliot-stupidness."

Futures//I guess I can post about what happened before the party on Saturday. It was Gypsy Day; our homecoming. I woke up at about 9 and could see the parade just starting (it was right outside my window). So, I went downstairs to the street in my pajamas to watch. It was an ok parade. After the parade, a couple friends and I went a couple blocks up main street to a little restaurant and got omelets. They were great. This little anecdote really was unnecessary, but I felt I had to tell you about the omelets.
Also, I've become addicted to Facebook. I intend to win it.

Current Music - Feeder - Pushing the Senses

Born Like This

2005-09-30T21:37:00.000-06:00

Take this quiz at QuizGalaxy.com

Down and Out

2005-09-26T23:12:00.000-06:00

Attention Attention//Yeah, that's me up there. And that's how my hair looks now. Short. I like it. It hasn't been like this in 2 years. Honestly, I was getting pretty tired of that look. On a related note, tonight was my last event as "Northern Napoleon." I gave away a bike. A bittersweet ending, definitely.

Slow Down//I went to a party on Saturday night. It was a friend of mine's birthday. There was a pretty good sized group there and I'm pretty good friends with everyone who was there so it was a good time. I had way too much to drink, though. I had 2 Killians, 5 Heiniken Dark Lauger, and 5 or 6 assorted shots. But I had a good time. A really cool girl paid attention to me. I had a really good time. The next day, however was spent throwing up a lot. Not my greatest moment, but my own fault, really. I still had a good time.
Classifieds//But the girl...When you get stuck liking one person at a time you kinda forget that you can like other people. And now I think I do. But I'm going to try my hardest to not be an idiot about this and have it blow up in my face. Because that's bad.

Current Music - Orbital - Halcyon + On + On

Shallow Bay

2005-09-19T23:43:00.000-06:00

Honest Mistake//I don't really have anything special to report tonight. Just felt like blogging. After thinking about the last entry, I've decided that taking online applications for a girlfriend is a really bad idea, even though I was joking. That could turn out ugly. Also, after reading through this journal (and some of the old one) I felt like I came off as desperate sounding. Ugh. Honestly, people, did I act like that? I'm changing that right now. Anyways, when I have something to update with, I will. Also, I didn't do the Lindsey Lohan photoshop like I threatened. Instead... Look at that! She doesn't even acknowledge my presence! Anyways, later everyone.

Current Music: The Bravery - Unconditional

Tomorrow I'll Be You

2005-09-18T01:41:00.000-06:00

War All the Time//I haven't been keeping up with the blogging, lately. But it's late and I'm still wound up and that usually produces journal entries for me. Also, to illustrate some points, I will be using some pictures in this post. I've still been super busy, lately. I haven't been adjusting to it well. The other day (I think it was Thursday) I went home early because I felt like I was on the edge of a mental breakdown. The afternoon off helped. It was nice to have a chance to just stop. I feel better now.

Riot Radio//I tried to get a Movie Night at Eliot's going tonight. I really only contacted one person about it. (Take a wild guess who) And, as usual, things didn't pan out the way I had hoped. I ended up hanging out with Bill and Frock, which was fine. But, I think I'm finally going to get a clue and just move on. I already know it's going to be tough, as I'm not very good at letting go (certain people reading this can vouch for that). But it should turn out better than previous dating folleys depicted below:

You're My Disco//Seriously, crappy photoshops aside, I can get through this. Perhaps I should start accepting applications for the open position of girlfriend. So, nice, normal girls hurry, cause with the way the photoshops were going, it's only a matter of time before it one with me and, like, Lindsey Lohan. And you don't want that.

Current Music: Dogs - Tuned To A Different Station

Forget My Name

2005-09-05T23:10:00.000-06:00

Nothing Could Come Between Us//So, I'm all moved into the new apartment. I really, really like it. Though, it's always strange at first to call someplace new "home." However, this place does feel like home already. I'm pretty comfortable here and can't wait to start having people over. Since Sunday was my birthday, I had planned on having a few close friends over for a quiet evening. Most of the people I invited changed plans. Some people still showed up, much later than I had planned. I still had a good time. It was a good birthday. I mean, nothing amazing happened, but also nothing awful, either. There was somebody that I wanted to spend at least 5 minutes of my day with, but it didn't happen, so I didn't worry about it.

Innocent//Or did I? Yeah, I did. I thought about it and realized that I'll get hung up on one girl at a time and worry about getting them to like me. And it's always the girl I can't ever be with. It's aggravating, but Drea assures me that everyone does this and I shouldn't worry about it. So, I'll try my best with that.
Elevator//I also got to thinking about helping with Orientation at NSU this year and way back when I was a freshmen. Can I really be on my fourth year? I thought about how I was when I started and how I am now? I'm sure I've changed since then, but has it been for the better? Am I better to be around now than before? Sometimes I feel like I've become an arrogant prick. I know I'm nice guy, or at least I was. A lot has happened since I've been in college and maybe I've pushed that nice guy back a bit. Am I nuts or does this make sense to anyone?

Current Music: Hopesfall - Icarus

The Closest Thing

2005-09-02T00:22:00.000-06:00

The World has Turned and Left Me Here//Hey gang. It's been a hell of a week. It's been a great week, actually. My little world has been turned upside down since this whole Northern Dynamite thing began. I'm suddenly the most popular I have ever been in my life. I've gone from being known by a few people on campus, to pretty much everyone at NSU and even people from Aberdeen. I'm still in kind of a shock, but I'm not complaining too much. Suddenly, when I'm just walking from one side of class to the other, I have a million small conversations. I'm not sick of all the Napoleon stuff, either. It's been a blast getting to interact with the students this week, making friendships with people that I otherwise would have never connected with. For some pictures of me doing my thing go here.

Peace, Love, and Understanding//Classes began this week. Right off the bat there was some major stress. It's been kinda sorted out and I'm not thinking about it right now. So, no long write-up about, cause, whatever. But tonight (Sept.1)! Tonight was the Orientation welcome back dance. I was there in the suit, making an appearance. I greeted at the door for a while, then I thought I stand in where everyone was dancing and hang out. Then it got crazy. I was dancing. A lot. With lots of girls. That I didn't even know. But it was a good time, and I got past my awkward dance phase to something that resembled smoothness. Then, it got crazier. A couple times, some girls thought it'd be cool to dance with Northern Dynamite. That's cool, I'm down with that. But they dancing kinda dirty. And kinda on me. Y'know, like the kinds of dancing I see everyone else do. I was caught off guard with this and tried to roll with it but I just started giggling and saying, "Oh my gosh." The dance ended like the last one I went to, with Naomi and I slow dancing on the last song. There's already an entry in the old journal about how much I enjoyed that so repeating it is overkill. To sum up: It made me very happy.

Nothingwrong//Well, I should be all moved into the new apartment by Saturday night. I'll try and get some pictures up after I'm settled. Then Sunday is my 22nd birthday. I'm planning on have a few people over to just hang out, watch a movie, and just have a nice quiet evening.

Current Music: JimmyEatWorld - Night Drive

Flippin' Tired

2005-08-28T00:08:00.000-06:00

NSU freshmen orientation started today. I did my Napoleon thing and it was awesome. I'm very worn out right now, so I'm gonna make this short. You should read these.

http://argusleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050827/LIFE/508270330/1004

http://www.aberdeennews.com/mld/aberdeennews/news/local/12492877.htm

Told you this would be short.

In My Place

2005-08-18T00:20:00.000-06:00

The Scientist//We'll, this is pretty much it: the end of summer. Probably my last summer here in Platte. There was no end-of-the summer party, no going-away event. Only a routine night at the Platte swimming pool. Also coming to an end is my career as a lifeguard. I'm certain this time, as my certification runs out this year. I may have complained about it from time to time, but in the end, it was a good job. I got to hang out with some cool kids and some even cooler coworkers and I'll have plenty of stories to look back on. I'm getting sappy so let's change topics.

Sweetness//I'm getting my own place. It's an apartment on Main St. in Aberdeen. I'm pretty excited about it. I've never had to really live by myself so this should it will take some adjusting. However, according to Naomi, I "can have Movie Nights at Eliot's whenever I want!" So I got that going for me, which is nice.

Hysteria//Also, I just got some mail the other day from fake girlfriend Drea. She sent me some awesome cookies and my Christmas present from last year. She's been, like, busy. And speaking of being busy, I have a busy day ahead of me packing up for the trip back to Aberdeen. Later, everyone!

Current Music: The Shins - Caring is Creepy

Hey Man, Nice Shot

2005-08-10T00:58:00.000-06:00

Rectifier//That picture on the left pretty much sums up just about every night this summer. Sometimes, however, I'm drawing stuff. I'm not complaining (too much). I do tend to get the majority of the Whatever stuff done in the night. But cripes, it's only going to be like this for another week, and then I'll be back in Aberdeen...No doubt doing the exact same thing in a different location.

Goodbye Tonight//I think it's really starting to hit me that summer is about gone. I know I've complained to people about not wanting to be back home for the summer, but the truth is, I don't mind. Sure, there isn't much to do, but it's kinda nice not to have to do anything for a while. No worries, just the security of the same thing, day in-day out. But maybe, I'm just being a baby.

Current Music: The Vines - Ride

Do You Call My Name

2005-08-04T00:14:00.000-06:00

Assess the Mess//I haven't blogged in a bit, but to be honest, there hasn't been much to blog about. I've entered the end stretch of the summer known August. The days have been stinking hot lately and it's made working at the pool feel a lot longer than it actually is. That reminds me; I'm done working in 2 weeks. I think that this is the last summer for me as a lifeguard. I know I said that last year, but I'm pretty sure this time.

Down In It//And a couple days after the pool closes? Back to Aberdeen. Man, this summer went screaming by. Though, I am excited to get back up there, around my friends and the NSU art department. Hey! A couple of my Whatever t-shirts came in today. They look great. I put up a brand new Bitchin' Taco shirt tonight that I think I'll buy. I think you should buy one, too.

Currently Watching: The Big Lebowski

Free to Change Your Mind

2005-07-27T22:34:00.000-06:00

The Energy//Well, I was still in the mood to paint yesterday so I worked on this. I call it "The Pioneers."
The picture really doesn't do it justice. It's really the best I've done in terms of color. Also, it's a good size at 24"x30". Hopefully I can make these into a series or something for my fall semester painting class. There's also something about working on these that felt really good. I just put the headphones on, put the music on random, and started painting. I suggest it to anyone.

Start Something//I forgot to mention that I was interviewed by The Argus Leader last Monday night. The Argus Leader is a top newspaper in the state. I answered questions about...well, take a look. I was kinda nervous at first, but it actually went pretty well. The interview is supposed to appear in the paper closer to the end of August so I'll keep you updated.

Current Music: JimmyEatWorld - 12.23.95

Come on Home

2005-07-26T16:16:00.000-06:00

She Cries//Well, I've decided to my blogging to greener pastures. And in this case it's Blogger. Don't get me wrong, Deadjournal has been very good to me over the past couple years. The old journal will still be around, if you would like to ever go back and read those entries. Why anyone besides me would want to is beyond me, but....

Just Tonight//So, I just got back from a weekend in the Black Hills. I had to head out to Lead to see my good buddy Chris get married. (Yes, it's the same Chris that the character in the comic strip is based on.) It was a very nice, small wedding. Also, stinking hot but that's beside the point really. I stayed with my other good buddy KyLee in Spearfish while I was out in the Hills. We passed the time by watching a butt-ton of movies. Maybe not a butt-ton, but, like, four. Shut up.

Phase//Was in the mood to paint last night so I cranked one out. A nice one. To me, at least.
Some of you may recognize this character from Scary Go Round. Truth is, I just got three of the SGR books and I'm totally digging everything about them. I'm not obsessed or anything. Anyways, I think that's pretty good for the first post for this spanking new journal. I hope to update it more than the old one. Cheers!