We lost alotta good men out there . . . (Alternate title: Numbers)

I will begin with the less interesting of the two (related) topics that I wish to mention. We are moving and so are purging ourselves of unwanted/needed materials. You will find eBay, Etsy, and craigslist laden with our possessions. The least pleasing of these things to be rid of is books. I.Love.Books. But, it just isn't practical to keep some. I will reread a few, but not all. Below is our most recent book purge; they have been getting smaller and smaller, as is likely to happen. (P.S. This is what the [first] title refers to, though I realize books are not, in many cases, men)



So if you are interested in clothes or a few items of furniture, let me or Carli know and we will hook you up with some shameless sales links. Now, on to more thoughtful matters.

As I write this sentence, according to my countdown, Carli and I are moving to Providence Hill Duplexes in Columbia, Missouri in exactly 9 days, 14 hours, 21 minutes, and 45 seconds. Whoa. Leaving Kirksville, an adventure 20 years in the making. We have both grown, learned, and loved here for two decades. We met each other when I was 15, Carli 16. September 11, 2005 was the fateful day when two paths crossed and began their journey to becoming One. It has been almost 5 years. A Blink in time. The most satisfying Blink I've ever experienced. We moved into an apartment straight out of high school in May, 2008; we couldn't wait to start our lives together. We lived there until, well, we got a dog and pets weren't allowed. So we found a good cheap house that we made our own. It had three bedrooms, we needed only one. Despite that, Fancy Pants (dog), Link (cat), Tate (cat), my Heart (girl), and I (me) managed to fill the place out comfortably. Time passed, so did bills. Unfortunate circumstances led to another, more economical move. We re-stabilized and moved again to an apartment near Truman campus. This has been our most recent home. It is a good one. Yes, we have noisy neighbors, but we still love it here. We get from our environment what we want, or try our best to anyway. And now we will move once more, not across town, but to another city. Yea, it's only an hour and a half away, but it's an hour and a half away. Excitement mixes with joy which mixes with anxiety to create something perfect. Our One life now takes its next step toward a bend around which we cannot quite see. And it is wonderful.

Late nights (AKA Early mornings)

Fellow bloggers,
It has been a while now that my lovely wife and I have not been able to sleep. Well, that's not completely accurate. We sleep just fine, until about noon or 1pm. It's just that we don't get started until around 4am.
We will lay in bed on our computer, usually watching funny videos. We see everything from scare pranks to ongoing relationship (prank) rivalry to pranks gone wrong. Yea, we like pranks. Last night we dallied on our separate computers for a while and then got hungry and went to Hy-Vee for some peanut butter and bread. We got home and munched on the crunchy goodness and then watched streaming videos on Ellen's website of her Starbuck's pranks and people scaring people. In the process we discovered that Paris Hilton had a movie other that House of Wax, the name of which I will not mention for no soul should ever be set to such torture, and so we proceeded to watch that online. Terrible plan but we did it anyways. We got through maybe, maybe, ten minutes of it before turning it off.
After that, with the sun just touching the horizon at five something am, we laid down to sleep. This general pattern has been recurring lately. I am okay with that. In Columbia I will be up until 7am ever night/day and wll sleep from then until 2 or 3pm at which point I will have 7-8 hours of time with my family (Carli and Fancy Pants) before starting all over again. So this is like training I guess.
So I suppose I like this new pattern, even love this new pattern, that we have developed. It has a certain charm to it that I can no longer deny. And while I was resistant to it at the first, I have come to accept it as a part of my life and soul on this journey that can be so great. This journey that I am proud, honored to share with Carli Love Cowan.

Columbia news

So Carli and I went down to Columbia the other day for a job interview for me and a company called MBS Textbook Exchange. I did the "interview" with another guy at the same time which turned out to be more of the Human Recourses guy making funny jokes and asking awesome questions about where we would go if we had a time machine and stuff. It was neat. Basically he said that we could choose to accept the job or not. I did so now we will totally be able to pay summer rent when we move. Woo! The job will be working in the warehouse from 11:00pm-7:00am. Yes, you read that right. It's the night shift. It will be a big adjustment but we both really feel it is for the best. So if any of you can offer advice for my lovely wife on things to hold her interest while I am at work, I am sure she would be grateful. Or if any of you are night-owls she would probably love to Skype or Facebook chat with you as well.
Also we went to the library and got library cards and we went to Blockbuster just down the street from our duplex and got an account. We are so ready. And there's a Waffle House by our duplex. Sweeeeeeeet!
I got a call and I am accepted into Columbia College, which is neat, and if I ever get a hold of my counselor from Phoenix University to help me finish my app there, I will be accepted there too. Of the two I will choose to attend Phoenix U. and the classes for that will start May 25, my job will start May, 31.
On a side note, for those of you who would like to read things I write: I am paranoid about posting my stuff online so I will send you writings if you want them. Just hit me up with an e-mail. And for those wo have already expressed interest, I am making my story so that it is actually understandable before I let anyone else read it. Should be done in a day or so with draft 2.

My banner

Hey!
So I just realized I have never talked about my banner photo of the lego dude. I meant to in the first couple posts but forgot. So, the legos are made into the form of Link, from Legend of Zelda. Carli made it while we were in Disney World! We went to Disney freshman year of college with some extra grants I got from financial aid. It was a freaking blast. We had a super great time. While we were there, we found a Lego store. You heard me. Disney has a whole store devoted to Legos!
So yeah, we spent way too much money there. And it was awesome! Then we spent like a whole day, still in Disney mind you, just playing with our Legos. We ended up making spaceships, robots, Mario characters, and Link. Thus my picture is Link's head, peeking out at you every time you check in. So now you know.
Sorry this blog was boring. =D

Input please

Hola kiddos,
So I had a strange dream last night. I'm actually not going to go into detail because of its nature and the people involved but I essentially dreamt of a friend revealing to me that they were homosexual and all of the things that go along with that. No interpretations necessary for this one but I think I have my own. I think it was to show me that I need to spend less effort trying to be the person I think others want me to be just so I'll fit in. I have done that already to a great extent, but I am sure I can do better. I'm a strong believer in the idea of being spoken to through dreams by God. I mean, why not? It's the perfect medium.
So anyways, I was wondering something. I only know of one person who reads my blog so far (my wife) but if anyone else does, I would like some input. I would like input from you too Carli. =D
I enjoy writing and I have been writing a book and I have just finished draft one of a 5,000+ word short story. Would anyone be interested in reading either or both? Or anything else I might write? So far I only write in sci-fi/fantasy but I am looking into branching out. If you would like that, I would really enjoy the critiques that I could get on here to help me improve. I am switching to an English major in hopes of improving further and I think something like this could help as well.
Anyway, don't want to post writings if no one will read them, so let me know.
Peace out yo.
P.S. To return one thoughtful plug for another, you should check out my beautiful wife's blog. It is very thoughtful and informative. I love reading it and you probably would to. She'd love to here your friendly comments I am sure! Check it out here The Shift.

Dreamy

Dear Holiday-X,
So my horoscope yesterday told me to start a dream journal. I'm gonna do it. That's that. Sadly my first entry will be quite boring.
Last night, well actually, during a nap today, I dreamt that I had climbed onto a roof and was walking around on it. An undercover cop car in the form of a brown suburban drove up and gave off a warning siren *bwoop bwoop*. I hopped off the roof and they rolled down the window. The cop on the passenger's side asked what I was doing on the roof. I told him, walking around. Clearly. He laughed and told me to stay on the ground for a while. So then I woke up.

Interpretations of any and all dreams are welcome. I do my own interpretations nearly every time but I love hearing others' ideas.

Holiday-X

I could not think of a blog name. I didn't want it to be my name, I don't really even like my name on the blog. I don't want this blog to be about the person people perceive me as at face value, I want it to be about my heart, my soul, my guts; whatever those things turn out to be.
In the end I decided to go with something (that I thought at the time was) random. I chose the name Holiday-X. This is probably not a name you have heard. I (think I) made it up. Or at least, to the best of my infinite knowledge I did not willingly steal or borrow this name. Let's back up a bit.
I, like many people, would enjoy being a superhero. It would be great. Upholding justice (the real kind), saving lives, being awesome. Think what you will of me but I have a habit of imagining myself in dangerous situations of all types; situations where I come out on top (that's what she said). I'm the person who pulls his keychain or a pen out for a weapon when I'm walking past someone I don't know, just in case. I'm constantly running through scenarios of danger where I need to protect the people I love. That's a superhero, right? A protector.
So yeah, I want to be a protector. As it stands I have no real external qualities of said protector. This gets me down occasionally. I'm not strong, not too fast, have no skill in fighting, and no laser vision. What I do have though, is a Will and a Heart. I would put my life on the line if I thought it would save a Loved One, or increase their chances of being saved. That's just how it is.
Well, as a result of all these feelings/desires/needs I often fantasize about being a real life hero. And what's a hero without a hero's name? I thought and thought. Then one day it hit me: Holiday-X. What a bad ass name! So, were I to ever become a masked avenger, caped crusader, vigilante, or any other variation of the word, Holiday-X would be my alter-ego. For now, it is my blog title.
This is what Holiday-X means to me. I think, given all of that, it is a very fitting blog name for me. It represents a part of myself that is deep within my soul, yet affects me strongly. And wouldn't that be the best place from which to draw quality writing?
And so I think I will begin addressing my writing, instead of the possibly non-existent readers of this blog, to that inner ego of mine; Holiday-X.

Crappy poetry, like my brother told me to write

Sunday morning


Cloudy,

Dog snores peacefully,

Best friend sleeps,


Tired.


Church starts without me,

Birds are chirping,

Love lies a step away,


Tired.


Pain in my neck,

Dryness in my throat,

Happiness in my Heart,


Tired.

My thoughts from today (actual date: 4/26/10)

I actually intend for this blog to be a little more thoughtful than so far. Bear with me. :)
So I went to class today at 8:30am. I have a jogging class at that time. Then after another class directly following jogging I walk to work.
It was raining.
Flash back to last night. I had to watch a movie and write a critique about it. The movie I had rented was over a week late because we sold our TV because, for one we don't really need it, and we also can really use the money for when we move to Columbia. (Can-of-worms of another post.)
So anyway, I ended up staying at my in-law's house to use their DVD player and didn't get to bed until about 5:30am this morning. I grabbed an umbrella without looking at it and went.
Flash forward.
It was raining.
I opened the umbrella and set out. Shortly after I realized that it was a Corvette umbrella. My wife's mother is a HUGE Corvette fan and I definitely should not have grabbed that umbrella.
Not a huge deal but a bummer.
Later at work I was asked by my coworker how I thought the day was going to go. I thought about it. Yeah, I had had some negative things happen so far, but I felt alright. I told him the day would be average. Not great, but not bad. Everything would have its balance.
And that seemed to hold true for a while. I worked and it wasn't too busy which was sweet but then tips were bad so that evened it out, etc.
And then Carli came into the coffee shop.
Call me corny, cliche, whatever. But here are the facts.
My day flipped.
It was not an average day. She walked in and I found myself smiling. The circumstances of the day had not changed. But looking at the person who completes my very soul was enough to brighten my entire attitude.
And since then my day has been great. Every negative thing I am able to surpass if I let myself. I am very overwhelmed with school and finances but that has slipped past my spirit today in light of my wife.
I guess I just wanted to write this in appreciation. I know that I at least do not show my appreciation as often as I should or could and so I feel like I should do so when I get the opportunity.
Thank all of you non-existent readers for listening to my thoughts.
I think I liked writing them down.

Today's blog (aka the blog that belongs to this particular day)

Blog blog blog, blog blog b-blog blog.
In my head that went to a tune.
An unoriginal tune.

Just a quick one for my Heart

Just wanted to make a quick post in honor of my wife. I just got home from work to find that she had prepared a scavenger hunt for me. She is a wonderful woman. I am lucky to have met her.
Not to mention that RedVines were included!
I love my wife!

The show, Joe

My title rhymes. Thought you should be aware of that.
So I saw Flogging Molly live last night at Truman. They freaking rocked. They had so much energy! Their music really lends itself well to live shows. They are not my favorite band, though I really like them, but that was easily the best concert I've ever been too. Maybe you think then that I need to see more concerts, and that I do, but this show was very great. They were a lot of fun.
I guess I don't really know why I'm blogging this, except that now that I have a blog I feel like I need to write in it. And I know that no one has looked at this blog or has reason to look at it. So I can write whatever I want without worrying about being interesting. And if you are looking at it, I'm sorry. But I have to warn you that I will continue to write. And some of it may be actual attempts at catching interest. So . . . I dunno, go easy on me?

A bit to think on, before going any further that is

So hey, how are you?
I would bet money that you didn't answer me.
I think I should put out there right now that this particular blog has no purpose, organization, or value. I just wanted to have a blog that I could turn to for some writing time.
Yeah, I write. But not too well. I try though, and that's all anyone can ever do.
I think I might add pictures and stuff to some posts, if I ever take any good ones.
Also I like to think. I usually don't talk about the random things I think about in the day, except to my lovely wife. A certain Ms. Carli Cowan. But I may jot a few of them down on here, for the idle eye.
I also like to dream, both during the day and within my bouts of REM. Those dreams might just happen along my keys to rest on this page until I shut it down, Weebly gets shut down, or possibly we will lose all technology in some apocalyptic mess and revert to medieval era living style or something. But I'll talk about my preferences on that in a later post.
So that's what you can expect to find here. A bunch of nothing, a little of everything, and me. The only one who finds the term "blogauthor" to be a highly intelligent word assimilation.
Also, all of these first few posts are on the same day because I relocated from another blogging site.