Monday, June 8, 2009

Good Weekend...

After getting over a life-threatening experience, I am finally back! :) This past weekend, I went home to spend some time with my mom on her anniversary, hang out with my broha and sis, and chill with friends. It was an absolutely amazing weekend, and I didn't want to come back!

My mom traveled up on Friday to come and get me after I finished class. It was glorious! I only told my mom about coming home, so my brother and sister had no idea where they were going for a while...you see, my family does this thing called "pajama rides". Basically, my parents would just call out "PAJAMA RIDE!!" any random night we were just chilling at home. We would normally just leave in whatever we were wearing (most often pajamas or something of that nature). So, that is what my mom did for Isaac and Allie this time. So, she came to pick me up and we went home. It was absolutely great seeing them. I hadn't seen them for almost two months, so it was really nice. We went home and just chilled out for a while.

That night was my high school's graduation, so I went to go see some of my friends graduate. It was weird to watch it this time. I had always seen graduation as a student, and this was my first time watching it as a graduate. My buddy and I were discussing it in the back...we commented on how it been a year already since we were doing the same exact thing. The year went by so incredibly fast!! The speaker mentioned that one could never go back (referring to high school), and I must say that does not upset me in the least! I am glad I am finally finished with that and, now, my first year of "college". It was really awesome to see those of my friends who were graduating. After graduation was finished, I was able to talk to MANY people, and then I went with Steve to go hang out. When we went to go get changed at his house, Nick showed up, so we all went to one of the graduate's parties for a while. The food was good, and I definitely got my fill. We hit up Wally World because Steve's car was close to overheating and needed some oil. Then we played some pool to about 0200. It was great to just chill with them again for a while.

Saturday, I woke up around 0700 (after getting home at 0300). I went downstairs, grabbed a cup of coffee and visited with my mom. While talking, we decided that then was a perfect time to go pick up the grill that we needed. I went to wake up my sister so she could crawl into bed with Lil' Man, and we were off to Home Depot. My mom already had the grill picked out, so we just had to go snag it. We stopped, got some cappachino, bagels, and then picked up the grill. We were going to get an assembled one, but after trying for a while, we couldn't fit it into the van, so we had to get the boxed one (which I later put together). When we got home, we got ready to do what I came home to do - go canoeing for my mom's anniversary! It was a glorious day for it as well...We strapped on the canoe and traveled to White Oak pond (where a lot of people were already out fishing), and we got started. We decided to be extra adventurous this particular day. Instead of just me, my sister, broha, and mom, we added an extra 90 lbs. - my dog, Mac. That was quite an adventure. He was still most of the time, but he loved the lily pads and butterflies - enough to try to jump out of the canoe and tip us! Thankfully, he did not succeed thanks to my mom's iron grip. My sister paddled for her second time ever, and I must say she did an amazing job, especially since I just laid back and worked on my tan while I was supposed to be steering. It was quite a nice relaxing time, however. My sister and I did pay for our stubbornness, though, we refused to put on sunscreen and we are now paying for it dearly (especially when I started tanning!). We pulled the canoe out, and went back home where some good friends of ours were over helping us around the house. I finished putting the grill together and we chilled with them, played with the dogs, and hung out with Isaac. After our friends left, I threw some steak on our new grill (very, very nice grill), and we had a great dinner. That night, my sister and I headed out after dinner to hit up Sarah's graduation party. [Her brother, Rod, graduated with me last year.] That was awesome! I just talked to a bunch of people I didn't get to talk to on Friday night, and just chilled. Later, I went swimming in the pool. I tried to do some tricks like Steve, but utterly failed with two horrendous back flops on my freshly acquired sunburn. I must say...that hurt!! We also threw Steve's little brother (who weighs 60lbs) a lot. That guy flew!! It was pretty sweet. Steve, Rod, and I finished off our excursion in the pool by causing our front torsos to turn a deep red...yup, you guessed it -- BELLY FLOP!!! We nailed about four or five each, and, well, I'll just say that by the end, it hurt and i was as red on my stomach and the sunburn on my back! After getting dried off, Rod got a fire going and we just say around there for quite a while and chilled and talked. It was nice, I hadn't done that in a long time, and I got to talk to Rod about camping, because he's been able to go a lot, and I'm trying to do some when I come home, so I gleaned a lot of information from him. I left there around 2330, and headed home to see my mom just finishing up making fried chicken for the next day.

On Sunday, the Swingles followed up my family to go back to West Point early that morning. They got to see the museum, got a tour, and we ate down by the river. It was a blast. Good food, good friends, and good times. Bryan and I threw the football around, the girls played on train tracks. [I tried to get them to take a picture of the front of the train, but no one wanted to...I don't know why] I went to show them Trophy Point (if you come and visit me, you'll know what I'm talking about...) and there was some ceremony there, so while I'm trying to show them, some old ships went by and I ended up standing at attention and saluting for almost five minutes. That was...fun. [I had to go back, though, at 1830, and I started my last week of STAP.

This morning I had my last recitation, and I did Mark Antony's Funeral Speech from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. I got an A, so I was happy. Tonite, I have to write a report after I'm done with this...and since it is already 2200, I suppose I should finish this up and get started on that.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Almost over, baby!

Yo, yo, yo! I haven't written this early in quite a while. Y'all are getting a treat! :)
Anyway, STAP is going fine. It is incredibly easy...All I do is read books (which I already like to do) and write on it. Lately we've been going through poetry, though, and I don't like that at all. I just don't get why all poems have to be analyzed and have to have some "deep and hidden" meaning! Why can't I just enjoy them for what they say!?! Whatever, I'll keep analyzing and explicating...if I have to... STAP is done in 8 days! I can't wait. I'll go home for about 5 days and then head off to CFT (Cadet Field Training) for four weeks. I am so ready for that. We get M4s this year, plus we have all new equipment. This is gonna be amazing (especially since that is the main reason I came to West Point - to be in the military).
I've been working out A LOT lately...about 3 hours a day... I'm trying to get ready for Buckner (CFT). I've changed to more strength training, not so much on power (meaning lots more reps with lower weight). I've been trying to trim down and get the beach body (especially since I plan on going to the beach on the 13th with a bunch of friends). The working out part isn't the problem, its more of the eating, especially since I just put away 16 oreos in about 5 minutes...a total weakness. Oh well, my method of working out is...the more I eat, the more I work out. Not eating less. Anyway, I'm loving all the time to lift, but I'm gonna have to find some alternative come academic year...Probably CrossFit, an extremely high intensity, short workout...
This past Sunday I got up and listened to Mark Driscoll online. He was talking on Proverbs and the fear of God. I've really been struggling with my quite time lately, but after this message, I know what I want to do. I plan on starting a study of Proverbs, one that Mark Driscoll prescribed. Basically, it entails making categories and placing every verse that applies to one of those categories in it. He said that Proverbs is all practical advice, so if I have a quick reference, I can look up some practical advice to give either myself or someone else about whatever subject area they need. I thought it was a pretty sweet idea...
I really enjoy his teaching...a lot more than any church hear on post. That is when I got a brilliant idea, rather I believe that God was putting this idea into my head. I'm starting to pray about (and I ask if you would as well) starting a church here. When do I have time for this? I don't, but I'm thinking of making it quite simple. I just want to get a group of guys (maybe girls, but probably not) together (with food, or course) and listen to Mark Driscoll (probably, but maybe a few other pastors), and then spend some time discussing what he talks about. We could also go over what we're learning in our quiet time, have a prayer time, etc. Basically make it a really informal small group, kinda like the way the New Testament churches worked, (with the exception of internet and pizza). I'm really set on doing this for a few reasons. It seems as though every time I go to one of the chruches here, all I do, as well as everyone else, is go, sit, listen, and leave. There's no fellowship with other Christians (which I thought that is what Church was about), there's no challenging other than the preacher's message (if it actually is this week)...I think it'd be awesome to get a group of guys, definitely not closed, but incredibly open, but also entirely direct in the presentation of Truth. Holding eachother totally Accountable, challenging eachother, praying, and getting closer. I don't see that happening in any church here. It kinda happens at our Bible study, and the only place it really happens is at our small group on Tuesdays which consists of me and one other guy. Plus, I think I can get a few more guys to come to this than to get some to put on a uniform and trek to one of the churches on post...a totally informal but incredibly demanding (basically sacrificing your life) time. If anybody has any thoughts on this, don't hesitate to let me know. I'm open to any ideas or criticisms...Most of all, please pray for this...I believe this will really help me in my spiritual growth as well. God has definitely given me a heart for planting churches (hopefully later in life), and this may be my "sorta" attempt at it where I am right now...
I almost died on Tuesday. I love rock climbing, and I plan on trying out for the team next year. My buddies and I decided to go bouldering for a while. For those who don't know what this is, you basically climb small heights with no ropes or anything holding you in. We went to the Point, some cliffs by the Hudson on a trail. My one friend and I nailed a few different routes, none too hard, but definitely a challenge. We were only climbing about 20 -25 ft high. We started looking for some different courses, and we walked on this ledge with the cliff on one side and a very steep, rocky hill on the other. I found this amazing route. I got right to it. I looked up and saw the top only about 15 ft above the ledge, so it wouldn't be a problem, but I had to make it to the top, because if I had to drop down after about 5 feet, I probably would miss the ledge and go tumbling down the hill. After a while of slowly inching my way up the rock face, I made it to 15 ft, the top, or so I thought. As I looked over the lip, I realized that wasn't the end, there were about 10-15 more feet (it was slightly slanted inward, which is why i couldn't see it, and why it made it very difficult to get over the lip...). I had no choice to press forward, but from the start I saw that there were not that many holds. I made it over the lip, and I was about 5 feet from the top (20-25 ft from the ledge). My right foot was solid, my left foot was stable at the time, but I had absolutely NO handholds. I could not move forward! There was one hold in the rock six inches out of reach, but if I attempted to leap for it, I would lose my footing and fall, so I immediately put that option out of my mind. I started to freak out a little bit, my heart was racing, and my two friends were standing below me trying to help me (how, I don't know) the best they could. One of my friends took a trail to the top, to see if he could guide me from there...but it was all to no avail. I tried to move my left foot up, but I failed and I then had all of my weight on my right toes and a little lip that my finger tips barely fit onto. I then really started getting scared. I yelled at my friend on the bottom to run to to the top to help me out...I didn't know how, but he did. All I could think was, "Man, if I fall, its gonna be a long way down, its gonna hurt, and I'm gonna get seriously injured..." If I fell, I would have grinded down the entire rock wall with my shirtless body, maybe hit the ledge, and then continue down the extremely steep, rocky hill. I was not looking forward to that... Right as I told my second friend to run to the top, I attempted to make another move, and I lost my solid right foot and I couldn't find it again (it was just under the lip, and I couldn't see). At this point, All 180 pounds of me (yes, I weight that much) was hanging from my fingertips, but not for long. I now yelled at my friend to book it up that trail... Thankfully, the first dude up grabbed a huge stick on the trail for some wierd reason. When they were both up there, they lowered the stick down to me (almost knocked my hands off the hold, too). I took a breath, and, praying that the stick would not break, I let go of the ledge and grabbed the stick. It didn't break, thankfully, and I shimmied up as quick as I could. My friends grabbed me and I collapsed on top terrified. I got kinda upset because I didn't finish it, but I was glad to be on top... I can definitely say that was the scariest moment of my life to this date (the day my sister was born is a close second). My friends most definitely saved me from serious injury (if not my life). But, my buddy had the audacity to say, hey, i know some more rocks we can climb. I told him there was no way I was climbing any more today... Lesson learned...use a rope instead of a stick, its lighter and it won't break as easy...
Well, I've just got my two classes tomorrow morning and then I'm headed off to THE WEEKEND!!! I'm gonna head to bed now...Peace.