Tales of a Man & his Yellow Folder

(just think of the feather in "Forrest Gump"...)

Chapter 1: 6 hours on a bus - roundtrip

Chapter 2: Another needle in the arm...easy money

Chapter 3: I need a drink!

Chapter 4: HQ stands for headquarters

Chapter 5: I love me a $5 sub

Chapter 6: it's not hot, it's just ridiculously warm

Chapter 7: Why there's bound to be another trip like this one

untitled aka title-less

Here's a link to a game if you need to kill some time: http://www.shockwave.com/gamelanding/boggleclassic.jsp?brand=clubhouse
I found it useful while I was in recovery. I donated plasma (for $) the other day, and then I started to feel like...poo...
Weird storm last night. Quick, hard rain.
Congrats to my bulldogs at Fresno State for winning College World Series.
Thats it for now. See ya round!

chillin'

takin time to lay low and get mellow
(for all you know, at least)
have a good one people!

2 days (of hell?)

What I did the past 48 hours: almost die!
Well, I took the written test for Phoenix Police on Friday, downtown. I passed but not by much. I made the round trip via Valley Metro.
The next morning-at the crack of dawn-it was time to take the physical agility test in south Phoenix. That was the first time I actually thought about ending my own life. Okay JUST KIDDING!
It was rough but I survived it. Now I have to get moving on my background information packet. With any luck, the process will be quick and I can be in the academy by September.
Just remember to never underestimate the looks of people...they can only be adequately judged by their hearts.

"A wretched soul bruised with adversity,
We bid be quiet when we hear it cry;
But were we burdened with like weight of pain,
As much, or more, we should ourselves complain."
-W. Shakespeare

out of shadow...into sunshine

Another day, another 6 laps, another top-notch quote. It comes to us today from good ol' Professor Clive Staples Lewis:

"God designed the human machine to run on himself. He Himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to burn, or the food our spirits were designed to feed on. There is no other. That is why it is just no good asking God to make us happy in our own way without bothering about religion. God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing."

Amen Mr. Lewis!

a QUALITY friend

Let's say you have an extra $10. Tell one of your friends you owe him/her ten bucks (if they ask why, make up a reason). Once you give them the 10-spot, go tell another friend to ask the first friend for a fiver. Either the first friend gives them the 5 or not. It's not like they don't have it on them. A good friend will easily lay it on them. By not sharing a Lincoln freely, their character comes into question. Try it. Can work with girls & boys. Enjoy your summer.

Variety

No, I do not have a facebook page. No myspace one either. But what I do have is a nice thought for the day. As I was working on lap number 6 around the track today, I was remembering a quote that went a little something like this: "The Lord did not people the earth with a vibrant orchestra of personalities only to value the piccolos of the world. Every instrument is precious and adds to the complex beauty of the symphony. All of Heavenly Father's children are different in some degree, yet each has his own beautiful sound that adds depth and richness to the whole." That, my friends, comes to us from none other than Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin...Have a nice day...

R.I.P.

It's been about 7 months now since the passing of a good dog and a good friend. Mugsy. One of a kind. You left Heidi all alone. You are missed.

Friday the 13th!...What's Happening?

If today is your birthday, then I hope it's a good one, and I wish you all the very best. And now a poem:

(ahem)
You smile upon your friend today,

Today his ills are over;

You hearken to the lover's say,

And happy is the lover.

'Tis late to hearken, late to smile,

But better late than never;

I shall have lived a little while

Before I die for ever.

--- Alfred Edward Housman

Simple, Sincere, Sentiment

What is the truly American ideal? Does it stand alone? Or is it a multiplicity of miniature virtues which combine themselves to form the most prodigious set of values any one could ever possibly attain?
Surely, a response in the affirmative provides us with hope for a better tomorrow; a future full of promise and unending potential. You may begin to wonder how any of this relates to you.
The universal truth is this: we are all a part of it. Regardless of what imaginings you will compile during the course of this brief rant, the fact of the matter is, life goes on. It always has and it always will. In a sense, it could resemble a train without a singular destination. The track never ends. We may get on or off this carrier at our leisure, but the course remains steady.
I suppose if I applied some of these principles for myself, I would be more of a virtuoso than I am at present. That is the beauty of intellect. There is no monopoly on it. The fountain of wisdom can spring forth from sources of precision and brilliance as well as origins so rough and chaotic as nature itself can fathom.
In order to find ultimate happiness, we must traverse the route of Alighieri. Hell must be overcome (demons conquered), the chasm of evil must be crossed, and only then will the essence of pure love wrap its wings around us and welcome us into an eternal glory, without flaws, and emanating an exquisite splendor.

What I’ve learned

When someone gives you the finger, wave back at them…with your bare bottom.
There is no excuse that hasn’t been used yet.
Kids are good when they eat, better when they play, and the best when they sleep.
If you want results, you might get the ones you don’t want.
There are many ways to make it through the day, but only one to get through the night.
You should do two things every day – laugh and cry.
You can have a good time with the right attitude.
I enjoy learning. Otherwise I couldn’t have made up this list.
You can get in trouble if you’re not careful.
You may think there is no point. There really is, you just don’t have to think about it.
There are some things that deserve to be left alone…like the coins in the fountain.
The intelligent man is the one with a happy wife, well-behaved kids, and nice car.
There are some personalities that will always be “in progress”.
If I had a dollar in my pocket – it would be clean for sure.
Be generous to everybody. Karma works.
I’ve climbed ropes, ladders, stairs, trees…I’m still not sure why.
Every creature has a purpose. At least that’s the idea.
I don’t need more things, just better things.
Sometimes I think I might live a long time. Other times I just don’t know.
Let me just say, pizza is good almost anytime of the day or night.
Even though I graduated college, I still feel like an idiot sometimes.
I never ate something I couldn’t pronounce.
A fool once gave me the wrong stinkin’ directions.
Give a man a compliment and you’ve just wasted it.
I made a deal that sounded good at the time. That’s what I get for making deals.
Never say something important to someone who is not paying attention to you.
Always trust God. He is the only one that can be totally trusted.
When you borrow money, it had better be for a good reason.
If a spaceship landed on Earth, and offered you a ride, make sure you have free time.
I may not be ready for anything, but I should be prepared for something.
Never give something away unless you absolutely don’t want it back…ever.
The office can be boring if you work there, but fun to visit and mock the workers there.
My favorite ingredient is marshmallow, of course.
Always feel good about yourself. You’re the only one who knows your secrets anyway.
The hardest thing about life is having to shave all the time.
If doctors suddenly quit, we would have to stop hurting each other.
I’m not afraid of fear. It’s a waste of time. And it’s not that scary.
Always have plenty of licorice (red) when you go to the movies.
I love people that love me. I’m one of them.
When I’m dead, too bad for you world!
What kind of fool cares about what other people know. I mean really.When that guy created the Internet, he knew he would be famous. You know…that one guy.

Pith

Thomas Jefferson once wrote, "Honesty is the first chapter in the Book of Wisdom." Nice. Raise your hand if you even knew there was such a book. Let us crack open this book, wherever it is, and be truthful with ourselves first. At what point did we forget about our ultimate purpose and destiny? Society is in a state of flux. The vicious cycles continue and appear to be spiraling downward. We need to take a stand against the negativity. Sure, we respect the ones who get caught up in the steady improvement of humanity. The only thing preventing you from providing for the welfare of your fellow men and women is you. Everyone can and should do something for this cause. Make your life meaningful. Help someone else to be happy. It's that easy. I dare you to prove me wrong.

17 words

Hot outside. Not so much inside. Bored. Hence the post. So what's up with you? Do tell...