Weekend Update, with Jordy

First off, the week in review:

Last weekend I saw "The Last Kiss," that new Zach Braff movie. Rather than say anything here that would spoil it for anybody, I'll keep my comments brief:
It's not an easily-likable film. But it's an excellent film. As I remarked to Jon today, "It's the kind of movie that should have warning labels on it (in the same way that the Bible should), because if you're not careful, it'll make you think about your own life and your own relationships. And who likes to do that?" ;-) I thought it was a great film, better than Garden State, as once again Zach Braff is in tune with my life and psyche. He is me, except with better hair and slightly more eclectic taste in music.

I got two new bookcases! of the small-ish variety. Also, some 400 ct. sheets (and matching pillowcases) to go on my new bed. photos soon, I promise. You would not believe how clean my room is - there are actually TWO separate routes from the door to the window.

At lunch, at work, we've been playing Diplomacy! And it's not even my copy of the game! After eating and hanging out, we really only get a turn in each day (3 so far), but it's fun stuff.

At work, one of my less intensive but tough tests of a tape involves sticking one end to a vertical metal panel, and hanging a weight from the other end, and starting a timer (that stops when the weight falls on a switch). Previously, we've had adhesive samples just slide off as soon as the weight was hung. But this week, we had two samples pass 10,000 minutes, which is the usual max-recorded-time for the test. It was good stuff.

I got Netflix this last week. So I've been watching more "House" and now have "Brick" and "Nanny McPhee" out. It's a nice service. If anybody has requests, recommendations, or just wants to watch something random with me, let me know. (There's even some of those great old silent films in their library!) :-) Pop quiz: what's your favorite movie?

Things to be done this weekend:
Get a haircut. I am looking Einsteinish again.
See people. I am behind on everybody, and it doesn't help that some peoples are obsessed with this "homework" stuff (shortened to just "work" after graduation, I suppose?) :-)

Notes

Some notes, errata, and cetera from recent days...

I've switched my mouse over to left-handed at work, for a change of pace and to change my default posture for sitting and staring at the computer.

The TV show "House" is very addicting. Also, "The Office" is back! The season premiere is funny and painful at the same time, as always.

We've been having some small measure of success at work on my project! Whee!

Getting to see Robbie G. last weekend and some other old alumni-types was very nice. Also, I got to meet a very new person, Nathan Brock, which was cool as well.

I saw the word "fenestration" in a journal article the other day, and was happy.

Two things have gotten me kinda excited about the future lately. One is a school that is across the street from my house, which looks kinda run-down. Maybe I will one day work there and help make it cool. The second thing is that maybe I will learn to play bass. I think that'd be fun, and have nothing stopping me except not having actually bought the instrument yet.

Lately I've had too much to think.
Who wants to do something this weekend?

Perfect Situation

Impassioned words from Weezer, overheard on the drive home:

"Tell me there's a logic out there.
Leading me to better prepare
For the day that something really special might come.
Tell me there's some hope for me.
I don't wanna be lonely
The rest of the days of the earth."

Yup.

a story in pictures... with Lego!

So, I pulled out my Legos tonight because I was kinda bored. Here is what happened:

Fig. 1: Our heroes!

From left to right, they are Jean-Claude the ranger, George the wannabe knight, Allard the guy who fireballs people, Porthos the druid and his trusty sidekick Kong, and of course the guy with the huge axe is Kyrksvykkggnyn the barbarian. They are about to wade across a stream to face:

Fig. 2: The Evil Baron! And his horse. Note that he is awesome. And dangerous. Mainly because he knows something our heroes do not -

Fig. 3: The Imperial AT-ST Walker that had been cloaked behind our beloved heroes.

So, this is quite the pickle. However, our heroes planned ahead and know something (or rather, someone) that the Evil Baron has forgotten to take into consideration:

Fig. 4: Chewie!

So, needless to say, the Evil Baron was defeated. Soundly. In the skirmish.


The moral of this tale is that LEGOS ARE GREAT! There may have to be a Lego party at my house in the near-ish future.

Fig. 5: Inspired yet? I counted... I have just over 200 Lego heads. The fact that they are neatly stacked may be slightly disturbing to the casual observer... but hey, at least it keeps them organized. (And no, that wasn't counting R2D2, who is currently near the front of the pile of bodies.) :-)

I hope your evening was even half as fun as mine was!

not quite

In the course of weighing things today, I ran across 0.1338, and 0.1332. No 1337, though, sadly. I also came across an 0.1024, an 0.1066, and an o.1123, and good for you if you know the significance of those sequences (after the decimal point). Come to think of it, the associations with each kinda highlight my uniqueness as a person, so good luck with that. :-p All that would be needed to complete the set would be an 0.6022, an 0.1774, and an 0.4449. Go ahead and try your hand at those, too.

So yeah, it was a pretty boring Tuesday. I do what I can.


In other news, my mattress for my new bed won't get here until Saturday. Also, our washing-machine died with incredibly poor timing, so if I kinda smell, it is because I am in the process of experimentally verifying Greg's theory that dirt travels upwards, and thus clothes on the bottom of a pile of dirty clothes become clean again.

Also, this last weekend I didn't head to Claremont! aren't you proud of me?

I did end up seeing "The Illusionist," which I can recommend easily. Good ol' Vienna in the late 1800s. It's a good tale, and you can tell from about the time the tree disappears that it's just going to be a fun ride. There are two kinds of movies that I like: well-scripted movies, and well-acted personality movies - this wasn't a great movie by either standard, but it had good amounts in both categories, which still puts it a ways above the bar.

I also saw "Little Miss Sunshine." This movie is just... kinda weird. Good weird. Kinda like something Woody Allen would have been in, but better because he's not actually in it. It's a comedy, but a realistic comedy... the phrase "dark comedy" doesn't apply to things that seem to happen to most families, right?

Anyhow, I'm off. See ya later, alligators.

good question

As a pastor I know would say, the thing to say is not "I wish my circumstances would change" but rather "God, what am I supposed to learn from this? How can I change, or be more faithful to you where I'm at?"

additional?

Well, in the interests of balancing out the last post somewhat, on the plus side, I'm: funny, patient, caring, and trusting. I'm peace-loving and gracious, helpful and generous.

So there. :-)

It's just that I imagine that of the people reading this, I'm the one most frustrated to see me yet again (still?) in a place of not being happy with myself and lacking confidence.

ready... aim...

I feel like I shoot myself in the foot. I am a very open guy... which is a good thing. But who wants to be with a guy who doesn't have some air of mystery? One can't idealize somebody you know already.

Similarly, I'm stable. I have a job, car, and place to live... none of which I'm excited about. How should I expect somebody else to be excited about sharing this life with me? I want to have adventures that don't consist just of my car breaking down. I want something both exciting and good, but that may be too much to ask. In talking to my sister, I realized that I have another 5 or 10 years to wait before just "being stable" becomes attractive to anybody. And yeah, I'm not even sure I want it for myself.

Which brings me to: lastly, I'm not too fond of myself. I don't exercise much, but I haven't found anything that would motivate me to do so except just for the sake of maybe being more(?) attractive. I'd like romance in my life, but I can't dance, I always say the exact wrong thing, and work keeps me pretty darn busy and tired. I have a lot of bad habits... how should I expect anybody to want to want to deal with me and all my baggage? I don't even know where I'm going in life or what God has been up to over the last few years (though it's not for lack of asking). On the plus side, I always count it as a great blessing whenever people can be patient with me and can look past all this junk (which, ironically, includes my semi-depressed ramblings like this one).

At least I know Jesus loves me. I may have no plans, no ambition, and no special skills, talents, or attractiveness... but at least I have some hope of life and love with God. That's already way more than I deserve. So life is livable, at least, even if it's just me being spent for the sake of others and for the sake of somehow God being glorified in my weakness and failures. It may be broken and crappy, but at least He says it will not be futile or unbearable.

well, the long weekend is about over.

It was a good evening for a walk and a swing on the porch-swing thing at the Grove House.
Now I'm back in lovely Pasadena. I find it kinda sad that Claremont students are surrounded by such beauty (in both the environment, and the people) but have such little time to experience it. I think today was the first day I've ever spent around the 5-Cs in which I felt like I didn't have to be doing something. I am glad for people with whom to talk, pray, and enjoy the days we've been given. But I had plenty to mull over, no fear:

"How long before I get in
Before it starts, before I begin?
How long before you decide or
Before I know what it feels like?
Where to, where do I go?
If you never try then you'll never know
How long do I have to climb
Up on the side of this mountain of mine?"
- Coldplay


"You broke the bonds
And you loosed the chains
Carried the cross
Of my shame
Of my shame
You know I believed it

But I still haven't found what I'm looking for
But I still haven't found what I'm looking for."
- U2, of course.