An old friend visited me last night

I was driving down to North Carolina for some reason, when an old friend called me.

Hello?
"Hey! Where you at?! We're at your grandma's!"
Ohhhh. Haha my bad, I'll be there in a second.

I arrive at my grandma's old apartment in Findlay, obviously she's not there because she moved to Bluffton, and oddly all of her belongings are still there. Bookshelves, dishes, furniture, the bedrooms- all the same. She introduces her boyfriend and next we all meet up with my friends to go out downtown here in Columbus. Afterwards the girls all stay in to watch a movie, and us guys take a walk through campus. The next morning I accidently walk in on my friend as she's getting dressed, but I didn't mind as neither she or her boyfriend seemed to notice.

After an afternoon at the pool, they prepared to leave. I thanked each of them for coming, her and I hugged and said we needed to meet up again. I shook his hand and said it was great to meet him, but he leaned in and whispered, "don't pretend to be nice." Staring at me as he turned, he got in the car.

Not having heard him due to the low volume of his voice, she asked with a look of confusion, "what was that all about?" His only answer was the pressing down on the accelerator.

Top down, wind blowing, they drove off. My friend glanced back to me, already worlds apart.

Car Troubles: Episode II

We're back with the second edition of Car Troubles. Last week I had the power streering all fixed up (Episode I). This week I had the brakes taken care of on the front, and new link pins put in. I think the upgrades are just about complete. This could be the final edition of Car Troubles for awhile, keep your fingers crossed.

USA wins! Video of Donovan's 91st minute goal and the sequence that led up to it

I've seriously watched this like 300 times now. Unreal! Next match is against Ghana, Saturday at 2pm on ESPN. USA!!

VFC Monday night league: 0-3 loss

Once again: loss for words. Easily the weakest team we have seen yet. Offense totally sucks. All of our 11 goals have been crappy, scrappy efforts. One of them was beautiful, in our second 4-4 tie, but that's it. I had a goal-mouth save just seconds before being drilled by Blanco Jr in the thigh. It's Thursday now and I'm still limping around. Standby on sitting this week out. Record now drops to 0-3-2.

When it rains, it pours: A chain-reaction kinda day, and my 100th post

I thought my 100th post would be a little more celebratory! But it's here nonetheless, let's get down to business.

Excluding the critically acclaimed Car Troubles series that I am periodically writing at the moment, lets take a clearer look into the recent life. Not the happy, no problems/stress, make everyone-else-around-me-have-a-great time Paul that everyone has came to know.

I currently have no computer. My music? Pictures? Documents? Bill info? Passwords? Programs such as Office or Rosetta Stone? My easy and personal way of getting everything done or finding out how to do what needs done? All gone. Whatever got my laptop got it good. Cody's working on a fix, but it's been over two weeks since we've all been so busy.

My phone's battery has gone bad. It won't hold a charge for twenty minutes without being consistently on a charger. Slight annoyance? Oh yeah, only slightly ;)

Car: Brakes, sway bar links, toe link, and power steering. All adding up to around, eh, $920.

And last but oh so not least, work. It seems I give and give, I help out here, cover there, and do the very best I can do every single day. Yeah I bitch about it maybe 3 out of 7 times when I have to stay an hour to two hours later, but I've gotten used to it. I don't mind. It's extra money and I don't have many plans otherwise, usually. Am I looking for recognition from co-workers? No. The guests that see me busting my ass from the time I get in until they check out usually acknowledge it. I like that. I like it even more when they say they appreciate the work and plan on coming back. When they praise me without knowing the owner is standing over in the lobby. The tips I get daily. I really do not need praise from anyone else other than my ultimate boss: the guest.

But then you get a day like today, where I'm not needing to get out for anything specific. But it's a nice day, I was really looking forward to getting in the workout I missed last night, and I've been so psyched about the Jazz and Blues festival over at Creekside in Gahanna. I don't want to drive my car more than I need to - the pads are gone and the rotors about to split - so I had a ride. But you don't always get what you want, I realize that and I am perfectly fine with it. With that being said, when I have to run all over hell's half acre on cracked out brake pads only to have people beep, swear, and gesture at me, it's going to down my mood a bit. Friend hangs up on me as they try to give me directions, which is fine either way. She thinks I was taking the stress out on her, which I feel a level of comfort there so there is some truth to it, but the majority of the static she felt from my end was just my offbeat annoyance with everything else going on. I just wanted to get stuff done, and my persistance in getting the info I needed in order to do that ended up coming off as me being a dick. Today 3, Paul 0. Then I tell myself, 'it's okay! More money for you! And you can get to Creekside tomorrow night, no worries!' I proceed to pull out of the parking lot from where I tried looking my destination up on my phone (Google Maps wouldn't bring it up...) and some hill jack runs a stop sign while almost hitting me as I slowly come to a stop (again, taking it easy on the brakes). He stops. BOTH him and his oh so pleasant girl get out of their rusted, jacked up piece.

"Learn how to fuckin drive boy!"

"Yeah little man in your little car!"

"What you lookin at, you gots a problem?

"Yeah, you got a problem with my man? Huh?"

W......t.......f. I sat stunned, normally this situation would please me, and I would jump at the chance to go off on someone. But all I could do was laugh. Laugh and daze off. Here I am, everyone mad at me: great friends, my ride, like 10 strangers, my dad, the lady at Guest Supply for having to actually work and load small boxes when I already told her I could handle it. Here I am, my most important necessities all falling apart. And now these clowns. All so unforgiving, when all I seeked to flip the day around was one understanding look before heading home.

And when I don't get it? All of the telling myself 'can't always get what you want,' all the self control, all the patience with everything I've been dealt today goes out the window. And I make a jackass out of myself. Do I feel like I was misunderstood and misjudged? Oh yeah. Do I feel as if I could've handled the day any better? Up until that last minute, no. I was understanding of others, I did my best the entire day to do what I do, and I showed caring for others that could relate to my hectic day. *snaps fingers* Was that close to coming out on top of today's odds. Lesson? Careful who and what you bank the outcome of your day on. Make sure its not an illusion before you trust you can exhale and fall back on it. Just five seconds of being a dumbass blows all of the patience, being the good guy, and my credibility to hell.

Was it worth it, going with the flow all day only to be kicked while down? Yes and no. But I'll willingly do it all over again. Can't let it keep ya down. The car will heal, I'm never far away from an internet connection, they sell phone batteries these days (who knew?), and most of all I have the greatest friends and people around me for when I crash. All I can do is repeatedly be there for them when they themselves are down and out, and if they're worthwhile to my life then they will do the same.

BP orders burning turtles alive, blocks relief-hired fishermen from accessing them

Just unreal. Please visit oceana.org if you have any interest in getting more involved. Whether it's simply by educating yourself so you can educate others, or if you feel like your $5 donation is more reliable than BP's $20B.

$20 billion is not enough

BP "pledges" $20 billion to the Gulf Coast. I don't think $20,000,000,000 is nearly enough. I don't think any amount of money can fix what has been done.

"The $20 billion, in line with a typical one-year profit for BP, "is not a cap" on what BP ultimately may have to spend, Obama said. "The people of the Gulf have my commitment that BP will meet its obligations." -USA Today

In addition to the $20B being shelled out to the fishing and tourism outlets, BP is delivering $100 million to it's riggers that are out of work since the Deepwater Horizon's explosion and subsequent sinking. However, this money goes far beyond the oil riggers on that platform.

"The $100 million is for workers laid off because of the six-month moratorium on
new deep-water drilling that Obama imposed after the April 20 oil rig explosion
that caused the spill." -USA Today

Atleast BP has answered the call to not pay out anymore dividends to it's shareholders for the remainder of this year.

Keep in mind as you view the posted map (click to enlarge), as stated in the legend, "A stranding is defined as a dead or debilitated animal that washes ashore or is found in the water." You see everyone of those blue dots? The green dots? Imagine taking your family on vacation and witnessing deceased dolphins, turtles, among thousands of birds washing up, coming to a rest in a slick of oil.

CNN had an article detailing the loss of life in the Gulf shores and how the remaining wildlife would be heading away from the area to search for more suitable conditions. For some reason that article has been removed, but a side article explaining how a recently discovered species could be wiped out is still available. I can only speak on this topic in short bits before getting emotional. Back with more at a later date.

Car Troubles: Episode I

The cause of my lack of power steering? A leak in the hose. Two days after having it refilled by my guys at Pennzoil, it's back to being difficult to turn. There has also been this very alerting smell coming from under the hood whenever I shut her off. I think I have determined that to be the fluid leaking onto something else, which only makes matters worse. Taking her into the Quicklane over at Germain Ford on Sawmill tomorrow, so hopefully some good (cheap) news.

Look for Part II, featuring other problems with your favorite Escape, coming soon.

VFC Monday night league: 8-2 loss

I'm at a loss for words right now. 8-2. Us 2, them 8. 8 to 2. What the hell. I understand that some guys like to sit up top and have balls just fed to them so they can try all this fancy back and forth shit or think they are in the EPL or whatever, but come on. When I'm moving up top and calling for thru-balls and actually MAKING diagonal runs through their backline, give me the damn ball. The defense works so hard every game only to have goals pounded down us because the mid never comes back to help. I think the defense needs to go up top from now on. Let all those lazy asses who want to sit up there on offense have to actually work and sweat. No reason we don't get 8 goals. Dude had like 5 shots, ALL off frame. My two shots were not only on frame, but the keeper or D had to hussle to stop them. Next week I'm up at forward for all 60 minutes.

Sobering End to the Day
Before that, great day with the mom and grandma. Got some park in and some food before they witnessed the massacre. Guess I'm going to bed in a bad mood then after all. Oh well.

Back in Bluff, World Cup

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday are my first days back in Bluffton since moving to Columbus. Slightly over a month, but doesn't feel that long. Reason? My mom's 30th dance recital for her studio, Dancers Elite. Rehearsal was, you could say, ugly. Saturday night was great. The final number with all of the alumni was near perfect. Being back in Bluffton you'd think I'd stop out and see friends, but just no time. Maybe next trip here.

World Cup - The good news: we tie England 1-1 after a hard Clint Dempsey shot right at the English keeper somehow slipped through. The bad news: Slovenia beat Algeria 1-0 (the other two countries in our group) this morning. So the standings look as such: Slovenia 3 points, USA and England 1 point. Algeria 0. Surprising news: Ghana beats Serbia 1-0 off a PK. Germany and Australia play at 2:30 ET. USA plays Slovenia on Friday.

Finding more of your own kind. Two in one night!

I'm telling you, we're a club.

So were at Park Street Cantina during the festival last night, and as I'm getting a couple beers this guy turns and asks me, "where've you been?" I was slightly confused. I didn't have a stamp or wristband on; what's this dude talking about? I look down at his own wrist as I am looking for some sort of explanation, and found it. Hook bracelet around the wrist. He was asking about mine and which island it was from. His was from St. John too, and turns out he has a place there and was/is trying to purchase a charter boat company. Unreal! I can't express enough how much I love running into people who's heart is in the same place as mine. "People just don't understand," he said as we joked about the story behind the bracelet, and more importantly about life in the islands itself. I need to get back soon.

And about an hour later while at The Social Room, another guy sitting next to me on the roof patio pointed out that he also had one. How many people have I met since getting mine, you ask? Total now stands at five.

Park Street Festival 2010

In the Park Street District..? Wasn't aware it was its own district. Hmm.

Anyway- This Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (10,11,12) Park Street is closed down for the 2010 festival. Food vendors and free covers to all the lounges, clubs, and bars. Oh and live music. Was $5 to get in for all three nights. Nothing to do tonight? I'd head down there. Driving back to Bluffton after I get off of work here at 3, but I might be coming back pending party details at the apartment. And if I come back down I'll most likely head to Park Street at some point. Join! Saving Jane headlines the music on Friday, and Smashmouth ends it all on Saturday night.

VFC Monday night league: We draw 4-4 for second match in a row

Again we give up two second half goals to go down 3-4, but an amazing world-class header in the final two minutes gave us the 4-4 draw. I went up to F in the second half. Not sure if it was because they were sick of me yelling for them to move around more, if they wanted to see what I had, or if our one striker needed a break. I'm going to say they were sick of me yelling, haha. But I think I was dangerous once I was up there. Calling for through-balls, making runs, and even a meg or two. Topped off by a sweet sequence where I ended up faking a shot to throw a defender, cut left and back right before ripping a shot just left of the post that hit side-netting. Hope to see more time up top. After this draw, our record improves to 0-1-3.

I need a shower

A long week.

That's what it has felt like. But has it really been? Had some real productive days at work, some great nights out, so I don't really feel as dragged down. With that being said, I still feel out of it to an extent. This weather the last few weeks really got to me, and a work schedule that includes all shifts kind of prevents me from really getting settled, but I like that. So what do I want? I want 4-5 days where at some point I can sit in the sun, listen to tunes that take me away, and truly unwind.

What did offer some calming was having dinner with my dad, bro, sis and aunt Wednesday afternoon. It was great to see them.

Oh yeah and last night after checking out a new place - Mac's Cafe - , stopping by Cantina before having a late nature walk, and hitting the pool/gym hard today, I definitely need a shower.

Jack Johnson's "To The Sea"

Jack's latest work, To the Sea, is something I've been needing to hear. It couldn't have come sooner. Well, I suppose it could have, but you get it. Sleep Through the Static had a few quality tracks on it, but was a let down in the opinions of many fans. I think this new album is right back there with On and On and In Between Dreams. Too bad the CD player in my car is all junked up, not sure how I'm supposed to enjoy new music anymore.

Could we maybe have two days of sunshine in a row? Looks like that's a no.