February Monthly Update

This past month was the first full month that Randomer was on the Blogspot server! It has been a very busy month, too. But the most important thing that has happened: loads of snow last weekend, and loads of snow the past couple of days and RIGHT NOW! The skiing this weekend is going to be superb! Now, check out the highlights from February 2007:

The Best of 2005 and 2006
This is the video that I entered in the Ground Industries Peepshow mountainboarding video contest. I got bootstomped by all the other people, but it was still fun! Now, it's up on Randomer.

Fuddruckers and Rock
About going to a concert.

Cinnamon Dolce Lattes cause Blood Blisters (its a natural progression)
About Starbucks and rollerskating.

The 2007 Big Air
Pictures from the 2007 Big Air. The best ones you can see directly below:


Snowmobiling
About my first time ever snowmobiling.

Is this what one calls a "cold day?"
We think we start school late, but really, we don't.
Think Warm Thoughts

Norma Jean: Redeemer
Thoughts on Norma Jean's newest album.

Snow or Dirt?
Thoughts about skiing, and thoughts about spring.

I pedaled and pedaled, yet I didn't go anywhere!
Getting pumped up for mountainbiking this spring.

Photography
Thoughts about the beginning of Photography class.



Kitty Experiments, Episode 2: The Art of Cooking Cat
The latest and greates from Bubbs and Shmeges.

WCCN updates, from oldest to newest:
The latest on the WCCN thing.
WCCN: Finally, we are getting somewhere!
WCCN: yet more information :: Big Sky Bible Institute update
WCCN: Tomorrow
WCCN: The first week
The past two days at WCCN

iPod
The beginning of the iPod fund.
iPod Fund: Update
iPod Fund Update Number 2

iPod Fund Update Number 2

Last balance: $162.80
Plus Half of my last paycheck: $39.02

New Balance: $201.82

So I went skiing this weekend

I've been meaning to write up a really cool post about skiing this weekend, but this post is going to be less than remarkable... basically just a recap.

So we went up to Bohemia. First day of skiing, the weather was great, but the snow was really icy, and it was pretty thin almost everywhere. I really didn't have a problem with it, but my skis weren't enjoying all the rocks. We did end up finding some decent snow, but the majority was crappy. They had the whole Extreme Backcountry blocked off, which really ticked me off as that has the steepest terrain.

Second day, everyone but me decides that we should go ski Indianhead. So we do, and it snowed all day, and there was quite a bit of snow from the day before that had fallen there, so the skiing was pretty sweet. Generally sweet... most powder I've skied all year. AND... the right side (skier's right) t-bar was open! That's the first time that I have skied Indianhead and that t-bar has been open. That definetly is some of their best terrain over there. They seriously should have it open all the time.

Anyhow, enough of mediocre writing. I'll spare you the pain.

The past two days at WCCN

About all I did is type up events for the calendar. Earning my keep, I guess. So if you go to this website, I typed up most of the upcoming event things.

Hey look, I found a new planet, it's named Metox

Back

I'm back from Bohemia, and I'm really tired... and sick. Woohoo

Bohemia

I will be leaving for a little ski trip to MOUNT BOHEMIA!!! in just a little while. Yes, you heard that right: Mount Bohemia. Finally after, many years of wanting to return, I finally will be!

So that means Randomer will be silent for a couple of days... but upon my return, be ready for much Bohemia-ski goodness!

Kevin really loves his new skis

WCCN: The first week

I was up at WCCN twice this week.

The first day, I did not do a whole lot. I watched some more, tried to remember some things, but I did ask him several rather deep music related questions. Good conversation.

The second day, I got to push some buttons! I didn’t get to choose the music or talk, but I got to run the stuff for a little while. It was pretty fun! It isn’t like it was super tough, but when you have to remember to do four different things all at the same time, it can get sort of hectic! He didn’t tell me exactly what to push all the time, I tried to remember from what I had seen him do what I needed to do.

I think my experience with the sound board at church has been advantageous and will continue to be advantageous as I continue to work there. Their sound board is not nearly as complicated as the one at church, but at church, once you get the levels set, you’re pretty much good to go for a while. At the station, there seems to be a lot of adjustments, so the simple controls are counterbalanced by the need to use them more.

Anyhow, it was a load of fun! I can’t wait for next week!

Moving things around

I moved some things around. It should provide quite a bit of additional space for the posts. They were slightly cramped before.

Shmeges stands near some rocks; OO, the drama!

Cinnamon Dolce Lattes cause Blood Blisters (its a natural progression)

Saturday night I went rollerskating with some of my friends at Melody Gardens in Marshfield. We showed up at the rink an hour too early, so we went to Walmart. I knew there was something I needed to buy, but I couldn't put my finger on it. Then it hit me: As Daylight Dies by Killswitch Engage! It must have gotten released recently when I had my back turned, so I just had to pick it up! (I'll probably write a longer dissertation at a later date.)

From there we meandered on over to Starbucks. The only time I had ever been to Starbucks was when I became brace free,and I have been wanting to return ever since. So this time, the 2nd time around, I ordered the same thing: the Cinnamon Dolce Latte. And it was soooo good! It was so much better the second time around! I have been absolutely craving Starbucks ever since!

Eventually we ended up back at the roller rink. It was a great time, and we did a lot of rollerskating. I acquired a very nicely sized blood blister on my foot, and it still hasn't gone away today. I think it was mainly because on the roller rink, you always had to skate the same way. It is all the roller skating peoples' fault.

Kitty Experiments, Episode 2: The Art of Cooking Cat

Finally, the long awaited sequel to the unoffically most disturbing YouTube movie of the year!


Chef: Shmeges

Director, writer, and camera coordinator: Bubbs (me)



Watch, comment, rate, and watch again!

WCCN: Tomorrow

Last week I called the WCCN People up, and we are on! I now have ed for employment 6th hour, and I just leave school and go to WCCN when they want me. This week, it's Tuesday and Wednesday. I'm pretty pumped! Finally, after a month of phone tag, it has all come together!

On a side note, I wonder what I'm going to do the other days that they don't need me? I could go home and go on the computer there, go out to eat, or do basically anything I want to. They'll have no way of knowing where I'm going when I leave... this is going to be so awesome!

The Absolute Best of the 2007 Big Air!

Best of the 2007 Big Air: Runner up

A commentary on life :: " Note to self: Keep bail funds separate from coke"

Note to self: Keep bail funds separate from coke

First off, man gets pulled over for speeding. When he was pulled over, it was discovered that he had 48 grams of cocaine on his person. First off, if I was carrying cocaine around with me, I would try be as discreet as possible; i.e., going the speed limit.

Second, man wants to bail himself out of jail. He tells his mother to bring a safe with cash and cocaine in it to bail himself out. Hmm, let me bring more drugs straight to the police station so they don’t have to bother with a search warrant. That’s pure genius!

I pedaled and pedaled, yet I didn't go anywhere!

I spent pretty much all of yesterday at school reading the newest issue of Bike Magazine. The pictures and articles have been excellent so far, and they are really making me want to do more mountainbiking this year.

So naturally I came home from school pumped up for some biking. This past fall my mom had purchased this resistance stand she could set her mountain bike on and ride it during the winter. She also got a training DVD with it that she claimed was really intense, so I decided to try it.

It was pretty intense, and towards the end of the last couple of fast sections I was really struggling. I wasn’t quite pedaling at the highest gear, but close. The 50 minute work out session was broken down broken down into sections of slow pedaling and fast pedaling. After the fact, I think I was supposed to pedal faster than I did in the slow sections, but shift down into a lower gear at the same time. In any case, I felt like I got a pretty good work out. The way I felt starting off, I’m rather surprised that I made it through the whole routine. I guess I’m in better physical condition than I thought I was.

So yeah, it was fun. I’m looking forward to stepping it up a notch next time!

Best of the 2007 Big Air: Photograph 3

Snow or Dirt?

It is incredible! The majority of the year I look forward to the ski season with great longing. It is probably over half way over now, but there is still quite a bit of time left. For some reason, I am already yearning for the dirt. My mom received a new issue of Bike magazine... and I promptly took it and started reading it. It conjured images of mountainbiking and mountainboarding, but it is still very much winter. I have been reveling in the snow and the cold temperatures, but for some reason I also can’t wait for the spring mud to be here. I think it has a little bit to do with the fact that Bruce Mound only has so much to offer. I feel like I am even getting bored with it. I have snowboarded one day each of the past 2 weekends or so, just to throw a little variety into the mix.

In two weekends we’ll have a four day weekend. I am hoping to be able to take that time and go ski somewhere other than same-old Bruce Mound. I think I need a little change.

The Best of the 2007 Big Air: Photograph 4

WCCN: yet more information :: Big Sky Bible Institute update

I called them yet again... and yet again I am waiting for a reply. The good news: all we are doing is sorting out times! Randomer may finally get a chance to get on the air!

Also, I officially sent in my Big Sky Bible Institute application. I don't know why I wouldn't get accepted, so yeah. Keeping the fingers crossed!

WCCN: Finally, we are getting somewhere!

I think I am finally getting somewhere with the whole WCCN debacle! There were a couple messages from the lady-in-charge, and she said that it sounds like it will work! I have to get the lady-in-charge at school to get in contact with the lady-in-charge at WCCN so they can talk, and I need to call WCCN lady AGAIN to get dates/times worked out. But we are getting somewhere!

iPod Fund: Update

I got paid, and now it is time to update my iPod fund balance! I deposited my 78 dollar and four cent paycheck in my checking account. $78.04 divided by two = $39.02. I also rounded up all the spare change I had lying around and deposited it in my checking account. That came to $47.56. $47.56 divided by 2 = $23.78.

Previous balance: $100.
Add $39.02
Add $23.78
New Balance: $162.80

WCCN: Yet another update.

Well, I called WCCN yet again today.  Still no change, Peggy has yet to talk it over...
 
So we still aren't anywhere.

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Snowmobiling

Written 1/10/07.

Today marks the first time that I have ever driven a snowmobile. It was quite the experience. I have never driven or ridden anything quite like a snowmobile before. It had an odd feeling about it... especially since I didn’t have to use my feet to accelerate. It seemed to take the seriousness and the complicatedness out of it... it felt more like a video game than actually driving something.

As it wasn’t quite like driving... it was more like riding. Like you’re an active participant. It is basically just you and the engine; you provide all the turning power, you have to lean into the turns to keep it from tipping, you have to absorb every little bump that the old machine doesn’t absorb.

We were riding on a lake, and there wasn’t much snow about. Sure it was still a load of fun, but I think doing something like trail riding, hill climb, or powder would be a lot of fun! The couple hours that we spent cruising the lake have just wet my appetite for more! Hopefully I’ll get the opportunity to go again. Shmeges (the person that I went with) said that the next time we go, he’s going to take us up the river. We went a little ways, and that was a little more interesting as you had to pick your way between the boulders that protruded from the ice. No cruising at 60 miles per hour here!

The 2007 Big Air

Pictures from the 2007 Big Air:











































































I took these, of course.

Puzzled to death

There is this puzzle:

Which my dad has been working on for about three weeks now. He claims it is incredibly difficult because all of the pieces are different shapes, you can never match anything by colors, and some of the pieces are split etc etc etc. Excuses, excuses. But it has taken him a very long time to finish it. It would have taken much longer, but he got sick, so I think he has basically spent the last 2 or 3 days working on it.

It is a rather neat looking puzzle, is it not?

Bears fan to change name to 'Peyton Manning' :: A commentary on life

Bears fan to change name to 'Peyton Manning'

Really, how dumb can you be? To stake one's name on the outcome of a mere football game? Seriously man! Your name should be your legacy! I suppose if you work at an office-supply store, your legacy won't count for as much. But seriously now! Change your name to Peyton Manning indeed!

At least he knows that he is an idiot.

The latest on the WCCN thing.

Last night I got home from school and there was a message on the answering machine from Peggy G., co-owner of WCCN.  All it said was to call her back.  Well today during study hall, I got a hold of her.  Do you know why it has taken them so long to respond?  They think I want a paid position!  She told me to come up to the station and pick up an application, and I was like "What?"  I have no idea how that got miscommunicated!  So now I have to call back on Monday. 

 

Wow.

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School is Tough

Students told to lighten up

Homework free weekends and meditation? I think we should start that here! Admittedly, school in Washington definitely sounds much more intense, but I could definitely go for absolutely no homework. What really gets me about this article is that these kids don’t know how to take it easy. I busted my butt on calculus for about 40 minutes straight, and then I decided it was time to take a little break. After I finish typing this, I will probably hit the books again. Chill out yo.

Brown

Norma Jean: Redeemer

I was just working on some college stuff while listening to Norma Jean’s new album, Redeemer, and the perfection of the sound just hit me over the head! It’s heavy, definetly heavy. But what I really like is that it is heavy and catchy! Maybe it is just me, but it just sounds oh-so-catchy! At spots it is a little poppy compared to their previous work, but not that much at all, and usually it is very tasteful!

This album doesn’t just knock me off my feet with its heaviness. To my ears and my musical tastes at this moment in time, I think it is the perfect hardness/heaviness. Personally speaking here. Not too soft, not too heavy. (Not like there IS a too heavy... it just sounds perfect.)

I would hate to be one of those people who writes album reviews. I am trying to put what exactly makes me love this album into words, and it is really tough.

OK here’s an example of how good it is:
I acquired it shortly after it was released through unscrupulous means, and I liked it so much that I just had to go out and buy it and give my $15 dollars for the beauty-of-sound that it is.

When I said it was poppy before, it really isn’t. It just doesn’t knock you backwards 2 steps like O God, The Aftermath. There are definitely spots that just make you go “phoar,” and plenty of them.

I don’t know how to explain it... I guess you’ll just have to listen to it.

Listen here.


Buy it here.

School really was delayed

Today we actually started school two hours late.  My alarm clock went off, and my sister came into the room and was like "We're starting two hours late today."  So I turned my alarm forward two hours and went to sleep.  I could really get used to this sleeping in stuff.  Hoping for a delay tomorrow would be way too optimistic though.  (Actually, I said the same thing yesterday.)

 

So far today in my study hall time I've been working on my BSBI application.  I am getting so burnt out, racking my brain trying to pound out these essays.  I tried writing an email asking for clarification on a couple of points in the outline, but it keeps turning out crummy.  I think after I finish typing this I will go relax and read a book or something.

 

On a totally unrelated note, my brother got his hands on this Age of Empires II demo.  I hadn't played an RTS in forever, so I tried it out.  I played some this morning, and it was a load of fun!  I guess it is a pretty old version of AOE, but maybe it'll work on my laptop.  I'm hoping to be able to get my hands on a full version, and then if I really can get it on my laptop, yeah it'd be a lot of fun!  MMM, video games.

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Is this what one calls a "cold day?"

Last night during the Superbowl (good job Colts!) there was a scroller on the bottom of the screen listing local school delays, and it included my high school. I thought "Sweet, I get to sleep in, get a little bit of work done, what a great way to start the week!"

So this morning I slept in, went on the computer, took my time in the shower, shaved, ate a salad for breakfast (yummy), and read some of Jeremiah.

We get into my freezing cold car and head for school. As we crest the top of the hill, we're all like "What the Heck? There's no one here!" I drove up to the entrance, jumped out of the car, and stuck my head in the door. Almost all of the lights were shut off, and there was one janitor standing there looking at me funny. I run back to the car, and said "We're leaving."

"What, there's no school today?"

"I dunno," I replied, "We're going home." Once we arrived home, we checked online, and sure enough, no school today! So now I'm backing up music, writing, I'll probably work on my BSBI application (yes, I decided to apply.)

You know what is really interesting? The weather isn't bad at all! It is bright and sunny, but really stinking cold! (Currently -7 F with a windchill of -25 F.) Word on the street is that there was legislation passed within the last year or two forcing schools to close if the windchill is below a certain temperature. Well, we must have hit it. Maybe tomorrow, too! Nah, that's too optimistic.

Huzzah for cold days!

Fuddruckers and Rock

Last night my youth pastor, a whole bunch of my friends, and I went a Disciple show at Club 3 Degrees, and it was a blast!

To start it off, we went to this restaurant named Fuddruckers. It was unlike any restaurant I have ever been to. At this restaurant, you can order a basic burger (1/3 lb., 1/2 lb., or 1 lb.) and pile it high with condiments of your choosing. But the condiment bar wasn’t your usual condiment bar, it looked like the produce department of a grocery store! There were several types of lettuce, several types of onions, tomatoes, pickles, sweet peppers, and others! It was delicious, let me tell ya! I knew that we were going to be jumping around in a concert shortly, and I tried to eat light, but somehow it didn’t work out. The food was just way too good!

The rock was amazing! I hadn’t seen any of the opening bands; now I think I have a couple CDs to buy. Decyfer Down was, in my opinion, mediocre at best. Fireflight was up next, and I thought they played a really great set. It was really rocky, with a chick lead singer. There aren’t many bands like that on tour, and I think I want to pick up their album to add a little more variety to my CD case. The last band before Disciple was Family Force Five, and they really rocked the place. It was a totally different sound than the other 3 bands that played that night, and I think it was excellent! Pretty original, I really really am fo-sure buying that CD. They had an incredible live show! For about half the show, the lead singer was wearing these awesome silver hulk-gloves, one of which had a built in microphone slot. They also had a designated on-stage dancer dude. I’m still not quite sure what to make of him, as he just danced around. It all seemed a little too queer for me, but he did come in handy later in the show. Before the lead singer donned the big gloves, he was playing guitar. But in the middle of one of the songs, he just whipped his guitar off and chucked it at dancer dude. It looked like dancer didn’t really see it coming, and caught it with his face instead of his hands. He was ready for the mike stand when it came at him, though. Dancer dude did get his revenge, as he walked around stage swinging the guitar around his head, just daring someone to come close enough that he could wake them.

I would have had a lot more fun during that set if the big security guard hadn’t been right next to me. I guess he was nice, but he kept telling me to “stand my ground.” It reminded me of the War of Ages song. Anyhow, he was trying to get everyone around him to “stand their ground” and stop the crowd from saying. I tried to tell him that I had several hundred people behind me, but I don’t think he got it. It takes so much more energy fighting the crowd than going with the flow, he should have realized that! He said he was doing it for all the “ladies” in the crowd, but all the ladies looked at him like he was crazy. I really don’t know what he was thinking, you can’t stop the rock’n’roll machine! Not like it was “rock” per-se. I didn’t think the swaying was all that bad to begin with really. I thought he was lucky that he didnt have a fast circle pit on his hands. I wanted to mosh so bad! I did get a decent amount of rocking out headbanging stylie during Disciple’s set, though.

Disciple was amazing! They rocked like crazy, like usual. The lead singer gave a really good gospel presentation, which took a while. that was a good thing, because that burger from Fuddruckers was really not sitting well. For a while I thought I was going to lose it, but the break gave me the perfect amount of time to rest. Right before the slow section half way through their set, I was able to get up to 2nd row: the closest I had been all show. So for the last half of Disciple, I was right up in front with a great view. What really amazed me is that where I was standing it wasn’t tightly packed at all, and I had loads of room to get some good headbanging done.

All in all, a totally amazing evening!

Randall will kill us all :: by shmeges

Shmeges is a friend of mine, and I am trying to convince him to write some stuff for Randomer. I think he's hilarious!

Here's the latest post on his blog:
Randall will kill us all

Think warm thoughts

The wind chill is -27 degrees Fahrenheit... think warm thoughts!

Taken: this past summer at Wildcat Mound.

iPod

I think I'm finally going to cave in. I think I'm going to buy an iPod. I am tired of carrying around a 300 capacity CD case and having my Cd's get cracked, scratched, or develop mysterious holes, and I'm tired of my CD player itself skipping if the road is too rough or anything else. I could carry around all that music and more in something smaller than my CD player itself. However, my checking account has been dwindling lately due to things like car insurance and not working enough. So, I have decided to set up an iPod fund, and I will "save up" for one, instead of taking $400 out of my checking account right now. So to give me an incentive to work more, 50% of my paychecks will go into the iPod fund. To give the fund a little jump start, right now I am committing $100 for it.

The iPod fund now stands at $100.
Goal: $400+.

iPod, here I come!

Photography

One of my new classes this semester is photography. Now, I've pretty much wanted to take photography my whole high school career. I really should have taken it 3 years ago when I was really picture-crazy, because after awhile, it wore off.
Why?
#1 My camera died.
#2 I decided that being the guy always taking pictures really wasn't that great. When you're always the photographer, you yourself never really get to live. Everyone else is living, and you're just taking pictures. It is really hard to do both at the same time. Let me give you a couple of examples:

ex#1: Concerts. It's great fun taking photos at shows, but its really hard to kick around in the mosh pit with a camera in your hand.

ex#2: Skiing. It's hard to focus on skiing and photography at the same time. The camera just gets in the way.

In the end I decided that I'd rather be the one in the picture than the one taking the picture.

For the past several years my little brother has developed into quite the photographer. I didn't really have access to a camera anymore, and he took all the shots. But he's reluctant to let me publish them on Randomer, even though some of them are really really good, as is proven by this picture:



At least, I think it is an awesome picture.

Now that I have access to a camera and am in photography class, Randomer will be flooded with photos. I think it will be a good thing, because I know that when I come across a really long winded blog, I don't always have the patience to read through an enormous post. Pictures on the other hand are an excellent change of pace.

So the long and short is: get ready for a plethora of photographs!

The Best of 2005 and 2006

This is a selection of some of my best mountainboarding video clips from the past 2 years. It was originally entered in the Grounindustries Peepshow Mountainboarding Video Contest, but I got bootstomped by lots of better people with mad skills.

But here it is, for you to enjoy