Random

This is how I spend my study breaks, taking pictures of my stuffed animals. Say hi to Pika and Euka, everyone!

Angels & Airwaves

Optimistic. Influential. Mature. Angels & Airwaves has not disappointed this Blink 182 fan. Tom DeLonge who founded Blink 182 and now Angels & Airwaves has really shown himself through his music. Most songs begin softly with just enough notes for you to anticipate the upcoming musical crescendos and the lyrics' story. As a husband and father, DeLonge's lyrics voice a tone of affection and concern with topics of relationships and war. Profanity is also reserved for his angrier songs showing how he has grown to control his music instrumentally and lyrically. This is definitely worth checking out. Here's a link to Amazon Music for song samples: http://www.amazon.com/Dont-Need-Whisper-Angels-Airwaves/dp/B000F8DTDC/sr=1-1/qid=1162139691/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-5733424-5114513?ie=UTF8&s=music

5k or (for the British fans) 3.1 miles

THE TULSA RUN. NOVEMBER 11, 2006.

http://www.tulsarun.com/

I signed up today. I better start running again.

Out of Words

Out of words. Not because I found myself in an amazing situation that has left me speechless or because I was uninterested in my activities today, it's because I'm tired. oiasdlkjalk... I start to mumble like that! I pulled one of those on my classmates today. I'll work on my pronunciation and articulation another day, but today, I type.

Homecoming

The much anticipated weekend came and gone with every expectation fulfilled. I spent time with everyone I wanted to see and ate at my favorite places in Stillwater.

I didn't take many photos hoping others will eventually share their photos. I did get one copy!...

I've decided that homecoming is more fun as an alumni.

I Thought I Didn't Look Good in Hats

I wore four hats today; my employee hat, my student hat, my friend hat, and my family hat. This cute cliché of saying hats to express the many roles people play everyday is a reality. I am learning that juggling these roles becomes more difficult as I undertake more responsibilities in each of these categories of my life. It’s really all an equation anyway.

Employee + Student + Friend + Family = Me

So, you probably just felt a big cheese ball hit your forehead. Yes, it’s cheesy, but it will prove my point. I am a constant. I have limits on my capability and time to fulfill these roles. The quality of each of these roles can fluctuate, but another role (or variable) will have to inversely change with it. There will be times when I spend more time at work, but will cause me to spend less time on school or socializing.

This leads us into a discussion of prioritization. I would like to claim that I choose family first, but, in practice, maybe I’m speaking from a soapbox. I had a sobering moment tonight when I was talking to my dad about plans for the weekend before Halloween. I know that’s the next weekend I’ll be able to return home, yet, if my parents didn’t NEED me home, I’d rather join my friends at a huge costume party in downtown. From my microscopic view, I think this is a tough decision. From a macroscopic view, the answer is obvious to me. I should go home. I don’t doubt the party will be fun. It might even be legendary among my friends here, but most parties are fleeting moments and only a few will truly be remembered. The question is if I look back 10 years even 5 years from now, will I regret more skipping the party or a visit home? After my casual conversation with my dad on the phone, I realized my Family variable was not reflected the way I intended it to in my equation since I’ve moved away. I’m glad I’m catching it early on, and I hope to continue to weigh my variables according to my priorities.

Disconnected by Being Connected

Why is it so difficult to meet people? I hear this from friends, from reading articles written by twenty and thirty -somethings, and somewhat experiencing it myself. You would think that the internet would connect people more, but then why are all the dating services gaining popularity? Perhaps the internet is beneficial to keeping existing contacts and not creating new ones. Perhaps the time spent in front of computers is costing the time people would spend outside socializing and physically meeting others. I still find it puzzling that the communication channels have widened so extensively, yet people are having a harder time meeting new people. A large factor is the changing social mindset. A great push for a successful career has left other aspects of life on the curb. Personal expectations have also left this generation wanting more of everything. I'm not advocating lowering your standards, but in general, this generation has demanded and received. This idea has propogated to our relationships. The demand for someone who does everything is preferable.

So it seems that the changing social aspects and psychology distances people from one another, and the networking power of technology can't keep up. Then again, there's no substitute to meeting someone face-to-face.

Tator Tot Casserole

Someone brilliant made it happen: Tator Tot Casserole. I am full of tator tots tonight.