Tuesday, June 27, 2006

venom, sandman and hobgoblin. looks like spiderman 3 is going to be the best out of them all...

Monday, June 26, 2006

You Are Elmo

Sweet and innocent, you expect everyone to adore you. And they usually do!

You are usually feeling: Talkative. You've got tons of stories to tell. And when you aren't talking, you're laughing.

You are famous for: Being popular, though no one knows why. Middle aged women especially like you.

How you life your life: With an open heart. "Elmo loves you!"
The Sesame Street Personality Quiz

Posted by Rin for Granati

Friday, June 23, 2006

you've been pwned

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

thought this made a good image. . .
yesterday, some of the sr. high youth group that i work with went to the union gospel mission to serve. it was awesome to see how the guys and girls dived in and helped with serving the homeless.

normally, there are more of the youth group that go, but about half of them are in greeley, colorado for mission work there with another church. so, there were eight of us that went. some kids couldn't make it, due to work and other activities. but, with eight, we were able to still serve about 2oo people (give or take). i was told that there might be a big crowd...i am used to working food (in my younger years), so it really didn't faze me.

when we first got there, the director we were dealing with told us that after we leave, there were over 8o people that served that day. after the cleaning of hands and putting on the aprons, we were showed what stations to go to. the first to come were the workers and live-ins of the mission. after they ate, the doors were open to the public and in they came.

some were well-dressed and groomed while others were toothless and dirty. such a broad spectrum of people that came through the line. some asked for extra helpings while others were just grateful for a hot meal. some were picky and finicky while others said "pile it on, please."

after the flow came through, i asked, "is that it?" i was getting into it and wanted to serve more plates and give a friendly smile to those that were down and out. just a simple gesture of kindness works wonders. . .

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

yesterday, we went to the dam to see the falls. it was a beautiful day. the sun was out, it was about 76°f and there was a slight breeze.

as we started walking towards the falls, the mist was felt on our faces. while the sun beat down us (finally, warm weather is back), we watched gallon after gallon roar over the sharp rocks. the peaceful spokane river above the dam became the violent, churned mess below. . .

Friday, June 16, 2006

as summer approaches (is it here yet?), our calender has filled itself up to capacity. with being involved with youth now, it seems that something is going on everyday. plus, with summertime activites, summer is over as far as i can tell. not in the literal sense...in the mind sense, if that is possible ;) .

having a guys camping trip, a girls camping trip, camp itself, HOPE, and other services and evenings, summer will be a fun and adventurous time. wakeboarding and swimming will fill in the gaps (i hope). mondays are going to be the family days of summer as well. gotta make time for the family. . .

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

contemplation

why is it that when someone dresses like a gangbanger and has his legs tattooed completely, but wears socks with sandals, it doesn't scream "thug"? i just saw this the other day as i was driving home. kinda made me crack up.

rin and i were talking about how when the kids get older, they are going to do things we don't approve of...like not getting piercings and tattoos. (ok, it was more of a joke then anything)

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

yesterday, i felt like i was on an episode of seinfeld. let me explain.

i went through the drive-thru of carl's jr. and placed my order. as i drove up, i handed over the cash and waited for the food to be handed back. as i was waiting, the girl asked if i wanted a drink carrier and i said,

"sure, that would be great."

she hands me six cups of liquid refreshment and tells me what ones are what. so i look at them and realize that there is an extra cup of coke. i tell her that i should only have five cups and she gave me an extra one.

"no i didn't," was her reply. "i gave you what you ordered."

"no, i don't need six. i just need five. a diet, a regular, a fanta and two kid drinks. you gave me an extra coke."

so she looks at me and questions me with: "what did i forget?"

"you didn't forget anything...you just gave me an extra coke."

so she starts counting on her fingers and says again:
"what did i forget?"

"nothing...you didn't forget anything. you gave me an extra coke."

so she prints out a receipt and shows it to me. i look it over and tho and behold, only five drinks appear. they are the wrong drinks of course, but she miraculously gets the drinks correct, save the extra coke. i can't believe that i am arguing with a girl at the drive-up window over a coke. she then proceeds to tell me that i can keep it. not to worry about it. o-kaaay. . .

Thursday, June 08, 2006

last night, after the youth group bible study was over, we decided to play some ultimate frisbee. so, after teams were picked and ground rules laid down, the first throw was made and the game was underway.

the opposing team gained ground, but we intercepted the disc. a bad toss later and it retired to the other team. back and forth the frisbee went. people grabbing it out of the sky. a low toss here, a high throw there. a throw was to me and i did a flying leap, but the plastic was just inches out of my grasp.

we tied the game at 4-4. since we had last goal, we got to throw to the opposing. after all the running, jump and diving, my throat felt like it was going to explode out of my neck. we held the disc so we could get our breath. so we could recuperate. so our legs wouldn't give out from under us. so our hearts wouldn't cease.

the frisbee went flying again and i watched as the other team brought it back towards us. back in the game. i go scrambling in, blocking and screening.

we have control and i pitch it to a friendly, but it gets dropped. back to the other team and in for another goal. we take the walk of shame and head downfield for the next windup. we get it and take turns with it, three steps and a toss...another three steps and a toss. we make up some ground and then a nice throw into my waiting hands, but i've been screened and it drops silently into the grass. it's picked up and thrown with some amazing yardage. "drop it" i think to my self, willing it to just fall out of the sky, but instead is caught for the final scoring goal. 6-4...our loss.

Wednesday, June 07, 2006

bust out laughing

Friday, June 02, 2006

click here for more images

our journey took us to the coastal town of newport, oregon. mapquest told us that the estimated time was 8 hours and 41 minutes. that doesn't take into consideration feedings and bathroom breaks.

so, armed with sirius radio, cds and mp3, snacks and other "necessary amenities", we left on our excursion. we drove through central washington and into oregon, stopping by "multnomah falls" and passed through the outskirsts of portland. in the back of the vehicle, the natives were restless. to quench the boredom they endured, food was tossed back towards them.

we arrived in lincoln at night, but we could still see the waves beating on the shore, so i put the windows down and was immediately enveloped in the salty sea air that i oh, so love. newport was still a little way out. i put on some jack johnson and continued onward. 12 hours after we started, we were finally settled down in our hotel room. the pillows were calling my name, so i gave in to temptation and fell into them, falling asleep instantly.

we got up, had breakfast and went to the oregon coast aquarium. we had a fun time, pointing things out and showing different sealife to the kids. we went back and forth, from inside to outside, then back again. the 6o% chance of rain gave way to 1oo% showers. so, back inside. afterwards, we drove around, looking at the coast and what it had to offer. amazing views were everywhere. many signs boasting beautiful views. and the signs didn't lie either. after we ate dinner, we went to the main drag of newport. parking near the boardwalk, we could smell the crab and fish. the barking of sealions rang in our ears. walking on the sidewalk, by the fish factory, we saw the sealions resting on the boards below.

when it was time to leave for home, we got to see newport in morning, instead of the evening. the streets were lined with surfshops, baitshops, seafood dives, and specialty stores. the main road that leads to newport reminded me of the mountain road outside of siliguri, india (save the sheer cliff that drops off by the side of road). the lush green atmosphere that surrounded us was gorgeous. rain was abundant, to say the least. but, it was a good trip...


high score: 152,275

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