before:

after:

more pictures.

So, the camping trip was a joke, unless you count sleeping at Zach’s in Orlando Florida a camping trip!
That’s right I snuck myself on a plane (at the suggestion of some new friends: Karin and Andrea) and surprised Zach on March 10th (currently self-declared Zach’s birthday for 2006).
Zach and I have spent most of the weekend together and I’ve met a bunch of his good friends here. Back in Nashville in the AM.

Some news to share

This coming Monday, I will have a Life Skills Jeapordy game with my students. It will be an intense battle of the wits, but one group will come away victorious. What will they win? The chance to style/shave/trim my long locks into whatever crazy and strange way they would like, which I will maintain for one week (before trimming it to a more respectable doo). There has been talk of patches of hair, shaved to just two little pigtails, and more. The facial hair is up for suggestions, but potentially off limits. And soon my hair will be no more.

In other news, I think Mindy and I are gonna go camping this weekend (weather permitting). Logan and Mel both alerted me to a very bad bill going through congress. I’d encourage you to read logan’s post about it and then hop over here where I posted Mel’s email about taking action.

Maybe it just cause Mindy has been around (it’s her spring break) or just cause of the warmer weather, but I’ve been enjoying things quite a bit recently. It’s fun to just be hanging around with Mindy.
My first published (and paid) article comes out on March 15th, I’ll see if I can post the text from it on Trying to Follow. I made an accompanying website for it: The Ramen Project, what do you think?
I’m trying to pick something to start with at our church as far as raising awareness. I’m just not sure what topic or area to start with. Any suggestions? I’ve been gathering things from Amnesty International and Oxfam, they’ve got already put together things.
We’re playing Jeapordy in my class this week, I think games might just be the best way to teach in my classes. I might just us only games from now on. I found a site with Powerpoint templates for The Weakest Link, Who wants to be a millionare, 20 questions, etc.
So I got up the nerve to write one thing I thought was bad about Wheaton College. More to come at some point I’m sure. I also posted some intriguing quotes from a Maya Angelou book that Rachel suggested, Great stuff I read it in a day.
I almost bought a fitted baseball cap yesterday. My hair is getting long and that would have helped keep it out of my face (not at work though). But I think I’m going to cut my hair soon. A hat is definitly a Want for me and not really at all a Need.
Okay, and last I’m really curious on people’s response to what I wrote about depicitions of Jesus in the Church. What do folks think of icons?

Well, yesterday marked the first day of March, which means I’m off my strict media regimine and back to indulging in podcast, blogs, and movies to my hearts content (not really). I’m really doing a good job of reading books a lot more. My current plan is only 1 book at a time. For example I’ve currently started on…let me count…6 different books that are on my desk, but I’ve decided I can’t pick up the next one till I’ve finished, or really actually given up on the first. So, right now I’m reading Wicked (the one they made a musical out of), and then probably on to QBQ, and then maybe The Shame of the Nation (I’ll finish it eventually). The goal is three books read in March (any chance I’ll read 12 in December?).

It’s also been gorgeous out so I’m back to biking to and from work, after about a two week hiatus (I’m chicken).  Mindy is spending lots of time outside too which is nice for her.

I’m trying to get some web design projects up and running. I’ll ask you folks to test them out soon. That’s about it from these parts…

For more from me:

• Discerning our Needs and Wants
• Lying, ‘to do God a service’?
• On using icons and depictions of Jesus in the church
• free-will vs. predestination: I’m NOT a robot.

I think it’s funny nowadays when people say someone is addicted to the computer. Not that it’s wrong, or inaccurate or anything, it’s just not very specific.
It’s like saying I’m addicted to Paper. And I’ll be honest, I’m COMPLETELY addicted to paper. I’m a chronic paper user, I use it for just about everything. I can’t seem to get away from it. I get paper every day out of the mail box, and I write on paper daily, I read paper daily, I even use paper everytime I go to the bathroom, and dry off my hands. I tried to stop using it for a while, but then I forgot to pay my bills, Mindy didn’t know where I was (I couldn’t leave a note), I didn’t read any books, and I couldn’t keep track of my expenses (no receipts you know).
Computers are the same way, we use them for everything, and yes somethings are a waste of time, others are addictions, but overall the computer is just a tool. I read, write, do taxes, communicate with friends, pay bills, check the weather, look up directions, plane tickets, bank info, news, work on projects, web design, look at family photos, watch movies, write reports, lesson plan, and a ton of other things everyday. When I check my email and xanga multiple times a day I’m addicted. When I just surf with nothing in mind to find I’m probably addicted. But if I use the computer for a lot of stuff, maybe I’m just too dependent on it.

I think I’ve done pretty good without a computer.  I haven’trnhogged Mindy’s computer incessantly or stayed hours late after work orrnanything, I’ve just been without it. And I don’t know why every time Irnsit here to type a quick xanga entry (on Mindy’s computer) I feel likernI have to talk about not having a computer. Honestly if I never had arncomputer again I’d stop doing this, for now just bear with me. Anyways,rnI might get it back tonight.

rnRead another book yesterday: 50 ways you can Feed a Hungry World byrnTony Campolo. Straight forward and simple book, just ideas on how torngive more time energy, money and resources to those in need.  Irnstarted reading How to be a Christian without being an Idiot, but Irnrealized it’s by this comedian Brad Stine, who I saw a comedy skit byrnand just thought was ridiculous. More on that later, but just know he’srncalled the “America’s Conservative Comedian”and you might have an idearnof some of what he talks about.

rnOur wonderful friend Mollie is in town and we’ve been having a goodrntime hanging out with her.  If I get my computer back I’ll do arnpodcast with her about her new blog, One-Change, a great site to readrnfor becoming more enviromentally aware. Mindy and her just got backrnfrom a run so I’m off for now.

A series of short list…

rnWhat I’m reading/going to read now that I have no computer:
rn1. Wouldn’t take nothing for my journey now by Maya Angelou
rn2. Sojourners Magazine most recent issue
rn3. The Shame of the Nation by Jonathan Kozol
rn4. 50 facts that should change the World
rn5. Being a christian without being an idiot

rnTechnology I’m grateful for upon losing my computer:
rn1. gmail (all my emails and attachments are accessible online)
rn2. blogging (most of my writing is now online, rather then only on my computer)
rn3. Taxes online (thank goodness I did them online this year, almost done but not printed)
rn4. old fashion phones (call for directions, weather, store hours, communication)

rnProjects I was working on:
rn1. Peter’s AIDS Fund
rn2. The Ramen Project
rn3. Famous 15
rn4. …

rnnames I’ve been called recently
rn1. Osama Bin Laden
rn2. Jesus
rn3. Caveman
rn4. Cast Away (Tom Hanks character)
rn5. Werewolf
rn6. homeless
rn7. Jewish
rn8. Arab
rn9. Muslim

rnWeekend plans
rn1. hang out with Mollie (visiting us!)
rn2. podcast with Mollie
rn3. go to some beard support group
rn4. go to an Edgehill FRC meeting
rn5. hang at Mosaic

rnRequests:
rn1. friends to call me
rn2. friends to send thoughtful emails
rn3. friends to send real live snail mail
rn4. to get more real comments at Trying to Follow than spam comments.