spring forward

i've been missing spring
i've been missing fall
i can only take so much time inside
and i can only take my fingers being so cold when i'm outside
lauren and i have found ourselves on the couch alot
which is great
i love any time with her
but i really miss being outside with her
frisbee
playing on top of parking garages
walking to dunkin doughnuts
the beach
driving with the windows down
sitting on our porch
not sliding across it on the ice


she would probably like me to tell you that she wasn't being serious
i made her pose like this



i think she looks like the cover of a dave mathews album here in this jump/pose

the sun brings color

we've been working a few longer days this week at work
and the first few mornings as i drove by this field
i noticed how beautiful the iced snow was as the the sun rose over it
so i got up extra early the last two morning and threw my camera in with my stuff

as i was editing this batch
this picture was divided in half by the shadows and highlights
lauren was sitting there as i moved the faders back and forth
and said "oh that's cool, it's like the sun brings color to the day"
so i kept it the way it was
color coming with the sun
as it spread over the darkness
i really like mornings
even though i never :feel: like getting up
but once i am up
i love it



which makes me remember
me and my sister used to always joke about what color something would be in the dark
if it was chartreuse in the daylight
would it be chartreuse in the dark at night
providing the moon didn't provide any light
i tend to think our suspicions were true

oh i just can't wait

my friends who really "know" me
"know" how much i love football
as i was driving home last night from work
i was eveningdreaming about the big game on sunday
visualizing how my team would win
the point spread
the over/under
which defense would probably be stronger
you know, all the things i usually talk about when football comes up in conversation
i had a vision of what would decide the game
just a feeling of how close and competitive this match up would be
this battle would be so close
so fierce
so memorable
i just have a feeling it will come down to one of these

vespa for two passing on the right

finally the weekend
i feel like i can breathe
even though i have to work tomorrow (two thumbs down)
something about friday just makes you feel empowered to do something new
like post a new picture
make mixed drinks
or in lauren's case
make bacon wrapped barb-b-q shrimp!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!! !! !



me and my dad went up to the nyc motorcycle show a few weekends ago
where i snapped this gem with his camera
he just forwarded it to me and it seemed like the perfect friday night post
he is posing on a vespa with our friend dana
he is a fellow bike rider and friend of the families
i think they really bring out the best in the vespa

we used to act like this

well, i should say marcus did

we used to look like this

maybe i should say our hair used to look like this

folk never rawked so hard

or had so many faces






if metallica and elvis asked ryan admas to write songs for their new band
hoots and hellmouth probably wouldn't be so hip

they have iPhones

about ten years ago i met brian
about five/six years ago i met greg
they are true, honest, good ol' fashion friends
the kind that don't give up on ya'
even when they should

musicians

we got the great pleasure of meeting some fine people and musicians after Christmas
brenton and vicky have written some of the most popular church songs of the past decade (or so)
not only were they well educated but also comical and comfortable to be around
i was particularly impressed by the faces this drummer could make while playing

cars

a few weekends ago
we kept our nephew foster
foster was obsessed with these three cars
and their trailer
he designated one for each of us
green = fossi's
blue = stephen's (he was very specific about it being a van)
orange = lala's
if lauren or i played with the wrong color car/van
he was quick to correct us
and restore the correct car designations
we did laps around the ottoman
we made jumps out of the trailer
we raced
we did power slides
we crashed all the cars
i haven't played with cars that much since i was 2.5
and it was wonderful

not only was he addicted to cars
he was polite
as we served him his breakfast/lunch/dinner
he would always promptly offer (before taking a bite)
"fank you lala"
"fank you stephen"

we heard "yes" and "yes please"
"fank you daniel for my waffle" (mr. p was nice enough to order the breakfast buffet so as to score fossi a waffle)

foster is the most polite person
2.5 or 25
he is a shining light which illuminates the wonderful parenting of my sister and clint
i am proud of him and he's not even mine :)

lauren and i officially have placed our order with weldon child production
we would like one foster and one rowan
in 5 years

the amazing

dan wayman

not only does he love repaired flashlights
and returns over thirty days

he eats an apple and a fruit roll-up for lunch
and has caught the fever
the i-can't-stop-thinking-about-the-camera/lens-i-want fever

i told you so

large and in charge

i only do large coffee now
something happened last week and i permanently upgraded

my goodest of friends brian m. sent me the new "copeland" album, you are my sunshine
which i love and whose lyrics haunt me all day long

j.t. daly recomended "fleet foxes"
which i am floating to work listening to

i refound my "evil urges" album by my morning jacket
it's not as good as i remembered
but it has some wicked moments on it that i pulverize my steering wheel to

last but not least
the kindness act of the week was committed by paul alfieri
calling in a zpack for me
which i credit for the reason i am finally feeling better after two straight sicknesses
this large coffee is for you paul!
never has an aquaintence been so kind and generous

how to start a war

so this morning as i was driving to work
i almost had a relapse of my experience with the silver honda passport
as i passed one on rt. one hundred
my reactions nearly swerved to cut him off
as my mind raced back to him cutting me off less than twenty four hours before
i wasn't even positive it was the same person
but it was the same car
the same memory
anyone driving that car should pay

i bet this is how war starts
how mischievous acts and senseless violence happens
how racism and injustice and corruption begin
association and memories
vindication and judgement
i've been really trying not to judge people
but i'm soo good at it!
i'm a professional judger
i could have two semi-trucks dangling from my eye sockets and still see that someone else has an eyelash

2001

much to my chagrin a few weeks ago after we got done singing "In Christ Alone" at providence
i opened my big mouth to say how much i enjoyed singing the song
and commenting on how they just don't write songs like they used to
the next morning brian forwarded me an e-mail from a kind man
who wanted to inform me that "In Christ Alone" was written in 2001
no surprise here, i'm not a very well read individual
but i felt humiliated and encouraged
and intrigued that a song of that doctrinal and theological soundness
rich in meaning and depth - was written so recently

this morning i found another modern day hymnist
(not to be confused with the greek food pronunciation of gymnast)

or not? from what i can find john stocker wrote the lyrics in the 1700's
and sandra mcCracken wrote [new] music to it in this century
what a beautiful song

"Thy Mercy"

Thy mercy my God is the theme of my song
The joy of my heart, and the boast of my tongue
Thy free grace alone, from the first to the last
Hath won my affection and bound my soul fast

Without Thy sweet mercy, I could not live here
Sin would reduce me to utter despair
But through Thy free goodness, my spirit's revived
And He that first made me still keeps me alive

Thy mercy is more than a match for my heart
Which wonders to feel its own hardness depart
Dissolved by Thy goodness, I fall to the ground
And weep for the praise of the mercy I've found

Hallelujah

Great Father of mercies, Thy goodness I own
In the covenant love of Thy crucified Son
All praise to the Spirit, Whose whisper divine
Seals mercy and pardon and righteousness mine

Hallelujah

listen to it here: http://www.last.fm/music/Sandra+McCracken/_/Thy+Mercy%2C+My+God

keep alive

offensive driving

uni-sex driver of the silver honda pilot
and
male driver of the 4-door green ford focus

i reluctantly forgive you for your trespasses against me so as not to let them destroy me through condemnation

i only hope that i have not acted like you have
but i fear that in the same way i judge others, i too will be judged

dd

this morning i had an illumination of the mind
my heart skipped but did not stutter
the clouds blew my worries away for a glimpse of blue sky
my ailments subsided for those precious moments
the mundane appeared desirable and stimulating
a surge of electricity and motivation wound its way through my nerves
as i crested the pinnacle of this moment
i realized what i had done
the cause of this elation became far too apparent for me to ignore

i love coffee

better yet
i am addicted to all things caffeine:
chocolate
chocolate
ice cream
coffee
soda
candy, candy canes, candy corns and syrup

to be specific, i like dunkin' doughnuts coffee
i love pancakes with syrup

this morning i drank my drug
and i felt so happy
not a care in the world
i was filled with energy and positive feelings
i love coffee

east asia

content

this year i have a few things i'd like to do
-figure out what it means to be content
-have a dream and try to live it in some way
-read some books
-figure out who my influences are
-have answers to simple questions (not just for the sake of having answers but to actually know)
-figure out what i believe (kind of monotonous but i know the difference)
-learn to play one song on harmonica and the ukulele i have
-sell two guitars
-give money away
-cut my own hair and like it
-visit 20 new states
-go to africa
-take one great picture
...i will surely add to this...but these come to mind

possibly the hardest i'd laughed all last year

maybe you had to be there?

Our Pocono Christmas

(twins)

my mom

she even floats on her Ranger

me and my dad