New Beginnings

Well it has been quite a while since I wrote anything on here! I had all but forgotten this existed. My how much has changed since my last post.

For those of you keeping track, I no longer work at Target; I now reside at a luxury cube at the Consumer's Energy office in Royal Oak. My how fast you can fall. Funny how stupid mistakes can really twist around your life's goals. Conveniently, the very next day after losing my job at Target we signed the papers to our new house! My how that has turned into an adventure.

Shortly after moving in we realized we were in WAY over our heads. I spent the better part of a month painting the bedrooms and (thanks to my buddy Bridge) cleaning the disgusting carpets.

Flash forward and we now find ourselves with fancy new windows, washer/dryer, fridge, water heater and water tank! We don't have much but boy do we have water...super hot water.

Above all the craziest thing that's happened lately is probably the fact that I've decided to get healthy. I'm taking daily vitamins, stopped drinking coke and even (pause for dramatic effect) running. Yep. Running. To be fair I still look like a flesh colored cookie monster running on a treadmill but I figure its a start.

Places to Be

Check out my cool new side project!

A friend and I are starting a blog about all of the cool places to go in Southeast Michigan as well as all of the cool drinks people should try!

http://drinkingbloggers.blogspot.com/

You should all subscribe!

Greek Life

So, I'm back in Alma for Greek recruitment. I haven't felt this old in a long time. It's good to see everyone again though!

A huge congrats to the ladies of Phi Sigma Sigma!!! Pulling 13 wonderful new ladies and reaching quota for the first time in their chapter's existence!!! On top of that they also got the most women out of all the sororities!!! I remember supporting them back when they only had like 13 women on the floor and were pulling 3-4 ladies per walk-outs.

We were at the bar last night for WAY too long. The best part was, I didn't spend a dollar. I had people buying me drinks the whole night! It ended up being something like, 2 shots and 4 mixed drinks. MMMMM.

Jordan Brown pounded a Tequila Gimlet (Tequila and Lime Juice) in one drink because we convinced him it was a shot. Approximately 45 seconds later he puked on the table/floor.

We left shortly after that. Our waitress was pissed. And I quote: "I just knew when I brought those drinks out it was gonna make someone puke."

On our walk back Jordan also picked up a souvenir after which time Colin and I took back alleys the rest of the way since now a days we can get arrested for stupid shit like that. It was crazy good times though. I really miss those guys.

We ended up heading back to the Sigma Chi house for hours upon hours of karaoke and drinking. It was really fun to just hangout and pretend like we weren't big kids with big kid jobs.

I think we ended up leaving the Sigma Chi house around like 3am.

Tonight is going to be a riot. Male recruitment is the biggest party of the year. I really hope Sigma Chi gets some good guys, we need to work on cleansing our members. I think a few of them have really lost their way.

I'll be posting photos over here later this week after all of the hangovers are gone and I can piece back together what happened tonight. I am planning on starting my drinking tonight around 5 or 6pm. Should be a good time.

Catch you on the flip side!!

The Flu

Being sick sucks.

Everything hurts.

And I STILL have to go to work.

Figures.

A Walk to Remember

I went for a walk tonight. I think I found what I was looking for...

There has been a piece of me missing for quite some time now. Something about the life I build that just didn't feel right. I had lost that spark, that drive that pushed me through each day.

Tonight, I think I realized where that spark had gone.

As I walked through the suburbs of Alma I saw in a window a man smoking a cigarette and watching television; a simple sight that at any other moment I wouldn't have seen any significance in. However for some reason I found some truth in his actions. For at that very moment when the cigarette touched his lips and the ember at the other end lit-up brightly as he inhaled it was damaging his body or that he had paid $0.55 for that one stick that was literally burning away.

($5.55 a pack / 10)

For in that moment when he inhaled and he felt the nicotine taking effect; that slight dizzying euphoria, he was happy. It didn't matter that he would probably be waking up in 8 hours to go stand in line to vote the next person in as president. It didn't matter that he would be tired from staying up late, watching TV and having his last cigarette for the night. He was happy with what he was doing at that very moment.

As I continued on my walk I was greeted by 2 very excited puppies. They were yipping at my legs as I passed by their house. The man carrying the trash to the curb calling out one of their names: "Walter" he said, trying to get their attention.

"Sorry" he said to me as I passed him. "It's no trouble" I replied back.

"I only let them out front one night a week" he said to me after a short pause.

As I was leaving his drive way he continued with: "Nice night, isn't it?"

"Couldn't ask for better" I replied "Too bad It's fleeting."

The man paused for a moment, taking in the sad realization of what I had just said. He looked from me to the clear night sky, filled with stars, and then back to me. "Yes it is" he finally replied, "yes it is."

As I crossed the street I thought about what I had just encountered and it made me think of the man back in his living room finished with his cigarette by now and getting ready for bed.

Those 2 puppies were only allowed 'front yard time' once a week and they were living it up. Running around the bushes; taking in all of the new sights and sounds that weren't there last week. Those puppies for that one moment were truly happy. They were tasting freedom. Both of them knew, in their little puppy brains that in a short while they would be back inside and the excitement would be over for another week. But in the mean time? They were in heaven.

I understand now that life is made up of those small moments. There isn't any amount of money in the world that could replace being truly happy; even for just 5 minutes in the front yard or that last cigarette before bed.

When you come across those small moments that make you truly happy you have to hold on for as long as you can.

Before you know it, it's time for bed....

Homecoming is such sweet sorrow...

I thought it might be time for a non-crazy pants update. I can feel some of you pulling away from me lately.

I have to say, on the few chances that I've gotten to do it, being an APS (plain clothes security) at Target is awesome. I love catching them and seeing the surprised look on their face. I can't wait to get into my store and start catching those damn 'Tweens' that keep stealing stupid shit like candy, make-up and clothes.

Homecoming at Alma college was last weekend, I couldn't possible describe it as well as Missy so check her journal for the full update. It was nice to see people I haven't seen in a long time. I had an absolute blast at the bar, 3 rum and cokes and 2 liquid cocaine shots (back to back btw) caused me to suck ass at pool. Seriously, I've never hit a pool ball of the table before! That night? I hit 2 off. I want a rematch Meghan!!!

It seems like there's a lot of drama happening with many of the people close to me. Which sucks. I feel bad that I can't do more to help people. My strange hours/schedule usually prevents me from seeing people as often as I'd like. Usually I have Wednesday nights off and due to that I am usually at the bar! I'm not sure what 2 days I will have off now. My TPS either has Tuesday/Wednesday off or Wednesday/Thursday off. So I am thinking alternating, Thursdays off and Mondays off? I dunno. Anyone have any ideas?

I am sure many of you have noticed my recent slip into the metaphysics realm. I apologize if I am getting annoying with all of it. Not sure why I've recently become obsessed with it, I feel like Heidi sometimes. *shrugs* I think I just need to get drunk with Steffie some night and talk about crazy things, just like we did in college!

Life's been alright lately, I can feel myself slipping back into the old ways. Back when things weren't going as well. I can feel myself dealing with things my old way as well, drinking more and taking less care of my body. *shrugs* I guess I've got some work to do in my personal life.
I've also started volunteering at U of M to help the Sigma Chi chapter there to recolonize. So that's pretty cool, I get to be there when we recolonize one of the oldest chapters in our fraternity's history! I have also been approached about becoming a chapter adviser for one of the chapters in the metro Detroit area. I'm kind of excited about it! I'm not sure how good I will be at it or how I will manage to balance my life with even more in it.

So much to think about.

Photography

Why does it always seem that I am incapable of doing all of the coolest things that everyone else can? I don't have any of the cooler talents such as the gift of poetry, playing the guitar, singing, painting or photography. It would seem that photography would be so easy any idiot could take a good picture but that isn't the case. At least not in MY case.

Cameras lately are capable of anything! Shy of creating affordable pictures of course. All you have to do is turn them on and push a button! They will even find the peoples faces for you! That's convenient! I've always had trouble figuring that part out.

How Stupid...

Finding their faces is the least of my troubles! How about you find one that somehow magically makes me look good every time. Or is never blurry. Or better yet, is always level and centered. It does me no good to find the faces if I cut off half the shot.

This is the kind of stuff I'm talking about.

Now THAT is real talent. I'd give my left arm to even begin to understand how he does it.