Hemingway's Whiskey, Indoor Game #1, and a night of music at a lake-front bar

The good ones: Live a Little, You and Tequila, Where I Grew Up, Reality, and Coastal are such great tunes. Seven Days is obviously my fav song. "I've lived those seven days a thousand times, those seven days a thousand times." All those weeks in Myrtle, I've lived those days a million times. Everything I am is because of seven days each summer for the last 12 years.

Indoor Soccer, Week #1

We took a 4-3 loss as one of those games where we hadn't shaken all of that three-week break dust off yet. Plus all I have done the last few weeks is drink, eat pizza, drink, work, and drink more, haha. I had six shots on goal but couldn't put anything in the net, which really summed things up for the night. Looking forward to hammering some in next week.

Brother Believe Me at Captain's Point & Pub, 9/25

Drove an hour to see some old friends at Captain's Point (take a look, this place is sweet), a bar right along the shore of Indian Lake in Lakeview, Ohio. Got to see Brian, Kristyn, Dorothy, and many others. And $5 for a full mug of Oktoberfest that you got to keep! AND $1 refills all night. Love my life and all of it's music and friends.

Another wild weekend, got to see old friends, new friends, and fun with my best guys

Three party weekends in a row. I'm getting too old for this.. haha, nahhh.

Friday night saw the reunion of Cody, Kyle, Eugene and Paul go down in glorious style. We grazed Tuna before wandering over to McFadden's, where shots of Patron and endless double fisting of beer led to a wild plan to play pong back at the apartment. Well, due to many factors beyond the control of anyone's reasoning, I was forced by Columbus Police to leave my car in the Bethel walmart parking lot over night. A two mile walk later, we finally made it back. Where Cody and I lit up Eugene and Kyle to win two games to one. We don't do this enough anymore and if we did this everynight, I wouldn't need anything else.

Saturday night, my mom and grandma made their way down and we got some food and did some shopping. Lindsay came next, and we hit up the Hooligans club before going to the Crew game to watch Seattle completely blow us out of the water, 4-0. After the match, it was meeting up with Jeremy and Ashley for a night of campus bars and Arena.

Sunday night, went out with some more friends. The Out r Inn, Ruby's, and a couple walks for some food led to the end of a third consecutive badass weekend. (If I count out the Crew and ND losses.)

Some more surf art

(photo by Leigh Wiener) When looking up decor for the new apartment, I typically go for coastal, surf inspired objects or artwork. While looking tonight after the Crew's 3-0 win over Joe Public FC from Trinidad & Tobago of the Caribbean leagues, I came across yet another site where I could drop some money on almost every piece (the other being mentioned in my post, "The art search continues," back on 8.26.10). So head on over to AllPosters.com and check out more than just the surfing category, check out the travel and fine art sections as well. Some really, really good work featured here.

No-space

Today, after pondering this for.. a few days (haha), decided that on December 4th I will be deleting my account with myspace. Number one, its really an irrelevant social tool these days. I mean, I basically only add pics so that old friends and fam can keep up today with what I'm up to.

Number two, because I know of people who view the page to see what I've been up to, but don't feel the need to actually reach out to me socially. Like, stalking. Or as today's young generation so often refers to it, "being a creeper" on me. Haha. Plus it's just become an outlet to vent pain from a past relationship. All factors that these days I'm finding to be unhealthy. Of course this blog will continue and the facebook will stick around. Maybe keep the myspace after all, just as a way to promote the blog? No info or photos, but link to here? I'll ponder that some more. As of now, on 12/4 it goes.

Myrtle '10, The drive back to Ohio: Detours, staying w/ family, and a new radiator

(Photo: Shell station at Exit 55, I-77 N through Statesville)
So I've been back in Ohio for about a week now. Definitely missing the coastal lifestyle already. Sitting here on our deck right now and the trees, dead leaves, and other units look lovely (we really do have a great view off of the balcony) but already missing the 843.

I've been meaning to write more about the trip but with the new job all last week and this crazy weekend, I have not got to it. The worst scenario possible played out on our way back. Just east of Conway my car started overheating. We pulled off and I noticed major leakage going on. But it didn't seem like coolant to me so I figured the radiator's just sweating in the heat. We let it cool off, and decide to take SR 9 north instead of 501.

The Escape was doing great until Lake View, SC, (population a grand total of 790 in 2000....)where she overheated again and needed assistance from the small-town half drunk-on-a-Monday-afternoon police officer (the town's only cop) and a barely in-business old style service station. Exhale.. love the south. After we checked her out there, we made it exactly 200 miles to Statesville before endless problems ranging from the overheating to serious smoke, and from loud rattling under the hood to oil sensors going off. An NC trooper made sure I could make it to a Shell station just up 77, and we left her there over night.

Now I really had no idea how or what we were going to do. And the kicker was that I had something slightly important to make it back for at 8am here in Columbus. Like, a new job? Yeah, thankfully new job was very understanding and helpful in getting some peace of mind back that night. That's when my cousins D.R. and Kim, who live in Mooresville, came to our rescue. They took us in and she showed us Davidson the next day while treating us to lunch. We don't get to see them enough! $620 later and 30 miles of towing, the Escape got a new radiator and thermostat. Back on the road by 6pm on Tuesday, and we didn't get in until 1am.

Now all's been good. No more overheating, but I should probably be looking into new vehicle options. New job, new apartment, why not a new car, right? And what the hell happened in South Bend yesterday? Michigan beats us right at the end of the game for the second year in a row? Oh well, I'm not worried. Crist was out for most of the first half and we have a coach who's still learning the ND ropes, adjusting to the stadium, and getting to know our opponents.

Myrtle '10, Day 2: From a lifeguard chair on the coast of SC

Currently sittin in my guard chair out front of the Landmark. So strange. Literally decided last minute to take a trip down here. Friday morn blew by, then we were like 'yep..let's go,' so here we are. And here I am once again in the shadow of the building that I did a lot of growing up in over the summers. Lightning strikes out over the sea are looking great tonight. Its strange looking over my shoulder, thinking everything I've become and some of the most important people in my life are all due to that hotel.

I've always said my hearts buried here in the sand somewhere. I know this city, Surfside, Garden City, and Murrell's Inlet better than I know Columbus still. Its where I became who I am today, and I'll always claim it as a home. Coolest lightning strike yet.. Just south of the pier. A cool wind just hit me too, coinciding with the lightning? Hmmm. Getting chilly. The waves are still rough. Capping well out beyond the breaks.

Today, we had plenty of sun and beer. Dinner down in the inlet at Creek Ratz, then some mini golf. My partner in crime is asleep back at the hotel. This is a paradise to a lot of people, but as I've said many times its a home to this guy. I can't spend the last night w/out some quality time here in the chair. Watching and listening to the waves and seeing hotel room lights shut off one after another. This is where I belong. I owe everything I am to this couple mile stretch of sand.

Thunder. Something must be working its way up the coast. I'll ride it out tonight as long as I can. Then back across Ocean Blvd to the hotel. So right now I'll put the phone away and spend the rest of this amazing MB night with the ocean and this storm.

This trip, and these last few hours in the chair, have brought on a lot of thinking. Back to Ohio tomorrow so I can start the new job on Tuesday. Will write more on the trip when I'm back in Columbus. Hope where ever you are, you are as at peace as I am right now.

From a guard chair in Myrtle, goodnight.

Beach tomorrow?

Once I found out I would be having a four day weekend, Fri-Mon, I thought to myself, 'hmm..you've always wanted to see a hurricane. Now's your chance.' So I started devising an idea to make it to the OBX by Saturday afternoon. Then the storm weakened, and I found a potential parter for the trip. Slight details changed, and looks like a return to Myrtle could be possible. I have to keep the streak alive! It will be 13 summers in a row if the weekend pans out as planned.

But nothings for sure yet. I'll have to leave for SC on Friday afternoon around 5-6pm. Which is later today, haha. So we'll see. I love making last minute decisions to drive four states away.

Last third shift tonight, being there for another no matter what, and what to do when you don't know someone anymore

Tonight - the 31st and the 1st, however you look at it - is my last third shift here in German Village, and hopefully anywhere, forever. Although I will miss the drive along 315 and 70E as I pull off into Brewery. But now I'll actually be able to get back into the downtown nightlife instead of just passing it by as I've been doing for the past two months.

Afterwards I had a couple messages on the phone from someone seeking some advice. Upon explaining who this person was to the others and how I.. view.. things now, most we're surprised that two people are able to do that. All I can say is that I will always have unconditional support for this person, and offer all the help I can to see she gets everything out of life she's after. Whether I'm along for the ride or not.

This post just gets more in depth and more crazy with each paragraph! For our third trick, we head down the touchy road of friends-who-have-girlfriends-whom-you-don't-exactly-know-whether-to-support-them-being-with-or-not. Whew. Now I've had a long distance relationship, or two ;) , and not once did we need to be attached to each others freakin hip the entire time we were around each other. And that was eight hours... 560 miles. Some will argue I haven't "paid" for my right to voice opinions on such issues within the apartment. But on the basis that, well, I've been around for 18 years longer, I disagree.

She's the only variable in this. Not the long hours worked. Not the non-stop, always on-the-go style that some have to adapt to living to make ends meet. I can't express how much I admire that, or how much I understand that other areas of life can suffer when one has such a great deal on their plate at one time. So remember, I know what's going on and I know it's not easy. Back to this.. variable. Far be it from me to be the authority on dignity in relationships -I certainly have had a few great* ones- but come on! Really? From one POV, it looks like priority #1 was getting an extra key made for said variable. Is it that necessary that variable be present in our place when he's not here? Or that we are not consulted? I think variable can show up on time to be here when the reason she comes over is present, and leave when she needs to. What happens not five minutes after variable leaves? Ohhh yeah, we need to get back on the phone already. Again, I'm not the foremost authority on dignity of relationships because I have been there (and we all have) but I evolved and I won't ever deal myself to that sort of immaturity again. And it's difficult, knowing one of my best friends had evolved as well but let, what I feel is a terminal cancer of a girl, latch on once again. I'm only this passionate on this subject because I want the best for him, but if he has taken a good look around at what surrounds him and the lifestyle choices that they bring about and still accepts it, then I have no choice but to support it.

*-denotes sarcasm

VFC Monday Night league - The Finale, 3(4)-1 win

We've reached the end of the summer league at Vineyard. For me, it was an interesting jump back into outdoor soccer and one which proved to me that I've learned a great deal over the last six years since high school. We went out in style, winning six of our last seven games.

Every goal tonight was a hard earned one for us. The type of goals you feel good about. What more can you ask for? At times over this summer session I was a little too caught up in the action. I guess I'm just an emotional player? But I chalk it up to the fact that it's been so long since I've played outdoor consistently and I was just way too excited about Monday nights. With that being said, I'm ready for indoor!