Day 75, 74: Dueling Banjos

As an aside, I am temporarily changing title tradition due to my displacement in North Carolina. So, time flies these days doesn't it? I'm busy kicking ass and taking names in T-town, and then BAM! (as Emeril would say) I find myself wandering around Wilkesboro, North Carolina. In a matter of hours I will begin my internship with Lowe's Inc. I'm pretty excited about it. I have been put in a Holiday Inn Express, so I am naturally mentally prepared. Anyway, I spent the weekend leading up to my stay in Wilkesboro with Daniel and Mark in Raleigh/Durham. It was a lot of fun. I didn't get to chat very much with Karen which sucked, but I did get to hang out quite a bit with Mark. I hadn't seen him in so long, and it was really great just piddling around with him for a weekend. I visited Duke, and wow was it fantastic. I really loved the campus there. In general, North Carolina has been amazing. Day 75 saw me go to the blue ridge parkway with Daniel. It was a pretty cool experience. We hiked a bit, got some cool pics, and continued on to Boone where we visited App St. It was a pretty cool campus, and we went on to blowing rock and it was picturesque. I think this place reminds me a bit of Everwood, with more amenities. It's quaint though, and I think that I could be happy here. It might be a challenge finding a mate here, but I only plan to work for a couple of years anyway before I attempt an MBA. Today, 74 came and went without a lot of happenings. I stayed most of the day doing small things. I put all my clothes away and hung them up, did the grocery shopping, and all the normal garb along with taking care of some issues with my college recruiter from Lowe's. Wilkesboro, where I'll be holed up for the next 74 days, is not a great town, but the surrounding areas are enough to be stoked about. There I go ending a sentence with a preposition, shame on me. Anyway, I really hope that I like my work. I'm really looking forward to it. Well, I'm off to bed. I have to get up soon, and I think I need to sleep as much as possible. Good night neverland.

Mr. Brightside

Wow, what can happen when you leave your blog alone for a while! First, I have to get this out of my head: "I'm gonna be somebody. One of these days I'm gonna break these chains. I'm gonna be somebody, some day. You can bet your bottom dollar I will." That has been in my head ever since finals. The final, to be specific. That thing was horrific. I went in early that Friday morning, and I left late that Friday evening. (Or was it very early Saturday morning? I don't remember honestly) Anyway, I went out with a bunch of my friends to the strip, and we had a great time after the final. We were finally out at cheap shots when this rock band covered that country song and made it sound cool. Everyone was singing to it. I mean everyone. Usually around finals, all the students pack their things up as soon as their last final is finished, and they hit the road. It seemed like this semester was different. Everyone was out on the strip that night, and there had to be hundreds, if not thousands (I kid you not, people in the street), of people singing along with us. It was wicked. Then, a few other things happened. I had an internship opportunity pop up out of nowhere in North Caronlina. I was over the moon. They just called me out of the blue one day at work. The faculty in my department didn't even recommend me for it is the thing. I got this one all on my own. The fact that the faculty didn't promote me for the position rubbed me the wrong way. No, it pissed me off to find that out. Kinda like a more recent development pissed me off. (more on that in a bit) I worked really hard for the faculty and my department, and I seemed to get nothing in return for it. Then, all of a sudden they recommend me for a position at a Fortune 28 company in Ohio. I turned it down, much to their dismay. He he he. Revenge is a dish best served cold. So, I am awaiting a summer of uncertainty and adventure. It's just the way I like it. I think that life will get very interesting in the near future. Well, this is a very optimistic blog entry, isn't it? Ok, now for the buzz kill. A 'friend' of mine is staying with me for half of the summer. So, last night for some reason I discovered that my phone wasn't ringing even when it wasn't off of silent mode. I went to use his phone to call my cell phone just to test it out. Low and behold, I put the number in there and dial, and then I see that my name had been saved in an unflattering form. Actually, it wasn't my name at all but a nick-name surely derived by my 'friend'. So, here's the skinny... I'm thinking, very seriously thinking, about kicking his ass out. I'm sure this is a little inside joke that is played behind my back with him, his girlfriend, and a couple of our mutual 'friends'. Either that, or he's just an ass munch. I'm leaning heavily towards the former, as I know those guys pretty well. Especially one of them. So, if you guys happen to bother upon my blog entry, just know that I don't care what you call me. Your opinions of me mean dick shit, for the record. Sometimes, you just have to wonder if you will ever find one human being who will just be unbiased and loyal. I don't think that I have yet. Oh well, my life is on the up and up. I know where I'm going, and I know what it's going to take to get me there. For the past year I have lived in complete poverty. I haven't had time to take care of myself or the things I own to be honest. Most people don't understand that unless they go through my major. So, I will do both this summer. I have less than a year left before I move on with my life. I can't wait for it to get here, because I know that the suffering of my mind and body will pay off after it arrives. There's the egg a little more sunny side up. "Jealousy, turning saints into the sea, swimming through sick lullabies. Choking on your alibis, but it's just the price I pay. Destiny is calling me. Open up my eager eyes, cus I'm Mr. Brightside."

The Sun

So, finals and summer are upon me. I've been able to be out and about a bit more as of late, and I even got a little sun. I had a good weekend. I messed around with Ben and Wes on Friday, and we had a lot of fun. Then Yesterday Daniel came into town. We had a good time going to the Ham and checking out the stardome. There were a couple of really good acts. We also ate at the cheesecake factory, and I gave him Eragon for his birthday. It's an awesome book, I really loved it. (Karen, if you read this, that book would be a wonderful gift for Mark, I know he loves that genre of books) Jason came over this evening, and we cooked a nice meal. We watched a little tube, and studied for our VB final. So, I'm here on the brink of finishing the year of hell that is MIS at the junior level in the University of Alabama. It's been great and terrible all at the same time. There's nothing like pouring yourself into something and learning/growing so much from it. There's also nothing like developing friends you suffer with through it. The politics and other facets of it I don't particularly enjoy though. I realize that I'm only a year away from being out of this place. It's wonderful, sad, and scary all at the same time, but my what happens in a year. A year ago for example, I was sitting pretty comfy with a non-eventful job, and I had a roommate that I shared a lot of things in common with too. He left, and I've not had quite the same experience in Tuscaloosa without a roommate. Honestly, I've had more time to dedicate myself to my work, which I have really needed. Living on my own, other than throwing me into complete and utter poverty, has been a bit of a breath of fresh air. I've learned a lot about myself. When I have the time, I'm a pretty tidy guy actually. Unlike the busy period from the last few weeks, dead week has allotted me the time to keep my place pristine. Life is so much better, and it feels so much more structured when you're bed is made, the kitchen and bathroom are clean, and the trash has been taken out. I know that it will be different living with Arron and Ben. I know these two really well, so I am sure that it will be fine, but I will miss living by myself. I've had a great ride here in Tuscaloosa. This last chapter I believe will be my best. I really think that good times are ahead for me. I haven't felt that way in a really long time. This caterpillar inside the cocoon is about to make the transformation to a butterfly. My entry into the professional world and real money is nigh. I will miss a lot of things, but everything is lined up for life to progress the way it should. Even though I have done a hell of a job delaying it. The summer should be fun. I might have to take some classes, but I'll get out and go kayaking as well as other stuff that I have lined up with Jason. I think this will be a great summer, and the fall appears to be an adventure in the waiting. MIS will hold a lot of work for me in the Capstone, but I know that with football season fast approaching I will have other things to take my mind off of all the work I will be buried in so that I can stay sane. I only hope that my experiences match my expectations. But I cannot forget, refuse to regret. So glad I met you. Take my breath away, make everyday worth all of the pain that I've gone through, and mama I've been cryin´ cause things ain't how they used to be. She said, the battle's almost won, and we're only several miles from the sun.