A new job and a new lunch item

Today it finally happened...I finally accepted a job at a restaurant other than Applebee's. During my year and a half at the Bee's I have gotten fed up enough to look for a new job several times, but never with any success. Recently I had resigned myself to finishing out the final few months before I have my first nursing job at Applebee's, but a few days ago a friend who works at Travinia asked if I wanted a job. I went and talked with a manager today, and it seems like a really great place for me to work with my schedule and experience, and so I start on the 22nd. Funny how you find jobs when you aren't looking for them...I'm sure there's some lesson there. I went and turned in my two weeks notice at Applebee's tonight with quite a bit of sadness in my heart. As awful a job as it is, it did help pay my bills, and I have grown to love many of the people I work with there. At least there is always facebook.

In other news I recently started baking bread. I like to think of my self as a healthy person with a rational brain, meaning I still believe in scientific research and don't believe farmers and the food industry are out to kill us with crazy chemicals (i.e. - Aspartame is fine). Everything in moderation is kind of my theme. However, that being said, I did read a book one time called In Defense of Food, and while I didn't buy into everything in the book, I did resonate with the idea that food is probably best the way God designed it, in it's most natural form. I don't think anyone would argue that American's don't eat too many processed foods...but take the idea even farther. The more simple you can keep it, the better. So, I remembered my mom making homemade bread at times as a child, and I decided I would begin to make bread for my family. The bread I am making merely has yeast, whole wheat flour, honey, butter, and water. I knead it by hand and it doesn't take long, most of the time is just waiting for it to rise several times. This week was my second attempt at making it, and it turned out even better than the first week.

I am definitely learning as I go, as it seems there is an art form to bread making.

Lastly, Callie is getting married next week and I get to sing in the wedding, which I am happy about. I greatly miss singing and playing my guitar, so it should be fun. I bought a new suit and tie for the occasion; what do you think?

Coffee and Cigarettes...

...two things I don't partake of (well...coffee on special occasions). But still, they both always smell good to me. Coffee whenever I smell it at 6 AM as I'm still trying to wake myself up, and cigarettes whenever I'm freezing cold and exhausted. If it weren't for the caffeine addiction and lung cancer maybe I would have given in by now. At any rate, Jimmy Eat World has a new CD out, and the song "Coffee and Cigarettes" is my favorite so far. They would probably rate as #2 on my all time favorite bands list, right behind Switchfoot and probably right ahead of Anberlin.

My daughter had a cold with croup this week, which was kind of pitiful. At first I thought she couldn't breathe when she woke up barking like a seal, but thankfully things have turned out just fine and she is doing much better.

In other news my training for the Kiawah Marathon is in full swing, and my legs are tired. This leads me to mention probably my best purchase of this year...my Camelbak Fairfax.

I don't know how I would have gotten those summer long runs done without it. I don't mind it on my back at all, and it even allows me to carry things like keys and my phone with me.

I added one more running day into my week for these last 12 weeks leading up to the marathon and I've stuck by my plan so far. I ran 16 today to complete a week of 34 miles, and next week I will have my first long run of 20 miles. I feel a little apprehensive about it, but my long runs have been going really well the past few weeks so I think it should be fine.

I don't want to talk about Clemson Football or my fantasy football team, so that pretty much sums up this brief update. I've been thinking about moving this blog over to wordpress and doing a little more with the design, but if that happens it probably won't be until Christmas break...hopefully I'll get a few blog posts in before then!

"If dreams are like movies, then memories are films about ghosts"

Lately since I don't have time to sit down and write songs I've been writing poetry in my head. You may remember the poem I wrote for my daughter, Adelaide. I've been working on a new one...and it's pretty much done, but I don't like the last two lines yet. I'm not sure if I'll put it to music or not.

I've been driving in my hometown,
past the memories with windows down.
I let the wind rush in and hear the sounds
of friends I've made and dreams I've never found.

I am not quite the man I thought I'd be.
I've never climbed a mountain or sailed the sea.
But I've kissed a dying woman's cheek;
I've held my daughter's hand and watched her sleep.
Maybe that man was someone else, and this is me.

So when I drive back home I hug my wife,
thank God for each breath that brings me life,
and ask that I could walk this narrow line,
with love that flows like beams of heaven's light.

If I ever figure out what I really want to do with the last two lines I'll repost. By the way, you may be asking yourself why I'm driving with windows down in the weather we've been having...mainly because I don't have AC in my car. It sounds wonderfully poetic though, doesn't it?

Roll your windows down, the summer's nearly gone...

Ah...The Alternate Routes...great music I've been listening to all summer. Come to think of it, summer is gone, not nearly gone. I'm starting back to school this week so that means blog posts will probably be scarce again for a while. Too bad I can't blog for a living. I will have to post some guitar updates though. I hit some serious roadblocks with the headstock so I am still working on it, but I can happily say I am almost finished with the neck.

I registered for my first marathon two weeks ago, which is a little frightening. My long runs are up to 18 miles. I've had one really good 18 mile run and one 18 miler where I thought I might not make it. I'm not sure what the difference was, but I would sure like to avoid the latter from now on.

I also took a fun family vacation to Hilton Head Island. We've been going there for years so it's always slightly nostalgic to go back. This year there was the added benefit of this restaurant called "David's Roastfish and Cornbread," which ranks right up there with Oriental House for me. It was hot, but Addy got some good beach time and even ate sand for the first time. She also enjoyed her first Greg Russell concert and a trolley ride from Harbor Town.

Kristi took a full time nanny job starting today, which makes me a little sad because we won't be seeing much of each other...but at the same time it's such an obvious way that God is providing for us while I finish school and it still allows Kristi to be a stay at home mom with Addy, which we have prioritized.

Now I'd just like the cooler weather to hurry up and settle in. Here's some pictures from our HHI trip for the road...