No news is good news

Good riddance 2009!

We watched the Pixar movie "UP" on Christmas, and I then stumbled upon this amazing video by Pogo, a glitchpop artist from Australia. Hopefully you enjoy it as much as I do!

so this is what my childhood looked like

my apologies for the lack of updates. life is crazy right now, but a good "once i'm done with finals i get to come home!" crazy.

Lesson learned.

When snowboarding at altitudes far from your normal living elevation, drink lots and lots of water, or you will get dehydrated.

I got to go to Keystone all day yesterday, which was absolutely awesome. I am super sore, but it was worth it. However, even though I threw a water bottle in my jacket pocket, I never refilled it, and am now paying for it with a monster headache. I fell asleep last night at nine pm, and didn't wake up today till eleven. I then went and ate some food, checked facebook, and was back to bed for a three hour nap within an hour. Ahhh, Sundays. Now it is seven o'clock and I should probably start thinking about studying for my two tests this week. Oh boy. But, now I know to drink lots of water while snowboarding, so I don't end up with a bummer of a headache. Mom and Dad are going to visit me next weekend, and I'm pretty excited to eat some real food and see Lola, because I know Mom is going to bring her for me :)

Some trick, some treat.

Trick: It's 1 in the morning and stringing together words right now isn't such the best idea. I'll update everything else when sleep isn't at such a premium.

Treat: Pictures of the long anticipated peacock costume.

(update - i just read the first full sentence; completely unintentional. told you writing at this hour was a bad plan.)

meh

that's all i feel like saying;

meh.

another week, another weekend;

meh.

shower, laundry, essays, cleaning;

meh.

getting no response, having no clue;

meh.

meh.

meh.

meh.

ameritrip

two days and i saw so much;

new york city's lady liberty,

philadelphia's independance hall,

chicago's sears tower and

denver's grey-green mountains.

my weekend adventure was just that,

an absolute adventure.

flying standby to popular destinations

resulted in much waiting and not knowing,

but also ended in a side trip to chicago's

rogers park to crash at a friend's apartment.

although i hate to say it, it's really so very true;

even more than visiting and catching up,

i loved the traveling, like i always have.

perhaps it helped i was traveling with friends,

or that new york fell upon fresh eyes,

but new york was certainly the highlight of my trip.

from times square to central park to just walking around,

(i've only ever been in manhatten),

there aren't many parts of the city i don't like.

i even navigated without a map. and i got around like a local.

it's easy, really; 'streets' run east to west, with numbers that

help locate them, southern streets are lower numbers,

northern streets are higher ones.

Avenues run north to south, with lower numbered avenues

being to the west, getting higher as you walk east.

everything is in a grid pattern, except broadway,

but it does what it wants.

philadelphia, denver or chicago do not have such

practical street naming practices, unfortunately.

my room is still an absolute wreck with my luggage

and all, but i'm being productive regardless, so it's ok.

i also would like to inform you that i didn't take any pictures.

at all. the whole entire trip.

i pulled out my camera on the bus trip to new york,

and decided that instead of trying to take pictures

to remember everything about it, to catch the right shot,

to line things up and make sure eyes are open,

i was just going to enjoy every moment of it,

with my mental camera rolling every instant.

it was really, surprisingly, so nice to not worry

about taking the perfect pictures of everything.

added bonus?: i didn't look like a tourist.

especially without my map.

hopefully i'll be able to keep up my traveling escapades,

but with my college student budget, we'll see how it goes.

i'm certainly looking forward to ohio, though,

i hear lola really misses me.

I think I talk to you best when I sing...

I sing about almost everything.

- Manchester Orchestra

i decided i don't care much for the word 'should.'

and that i'm not blogging as much as i need to be.

but, there are several exciting updates, and i know for a fact

that a big reason i didn't blog last sunday was due to my lack of news.

update #1: in less than 96 hours, i'll be here: philadelphia. i'm going to visit Nabil and i honestly couldn't be more excited. i love cities and old campuses, so hanging out in philadelphia will be so neat, especially with him.

update #2: in less than 72 hours, i'll get to see dad! he has work in salt lake city, a coworker in golden, and me in fort collins. not only will i get to see him, which will be great since he didn't fly out to colorado with us when i moved out, but he's also going to take me to the airport, because we'll both be flying out the same morning, which is so much better than having to take a boring old shuttle. plus this means i miss school thursday and friday. double win.

update #3: in less than 144 hours, i'll be here: new york city. only a two hour bus ride from philadelphia, it's probably, hands down, one of my favorite places. Nabil has never been before, either, which means I get to introduce him to the magic of the city that never sleeps. we were able to get crazy cheap bus tickets too, so it won't be too bad on our college student budgets. i for sure want to visit times square and central park. even though i've been to new york city two other times, we have somehow managed to never make it to the famed park. so hopefully we'll get time to visit there, times square and wherever else we may end up. i'm going to try really hard to not make this a spending money kind of trip because, number one, i don't have a lot to spend and number two, i'm not flying to the east coast to spend my time in stores with nabil, but rather take everything in, because while fort collins and denver are certainly large cities, they pale in comparison to nyc. i'm really stoaked.

update #4: since i'm a nice person, i decided to buy myself some new snowboarding gear for my birthday, which just so happens to be tomorrow. i ended up scoring a burton winter jacket,

snowpants that look like jeans, a sweater, a hat, and a thermal shirt and pants for under $130. how's that for bargain shopping? since i know mom will ask for pictures anyway, i just beat her to the punch. so bam, pictures! i didn't take one of my snowpants because i had already put them away where i store things and it wasn't worth my hassle. but, i love the coat and the crazy thermal pants are super comfortable!

update #5: i think i'm beginning to develop martha stewart syndrome. i have always enjoyed crafting, making things, being creative, or just messing around, but in the last 48 hours, i've painted an alligator, decoupaged a frame, decoupaged a notebook, and am planning on making some killer stationary/cards. wooo. here are pictures, because i like pictures. and i've got this neat bracelet, two actually, that's just a friendship bracelet with neat designs and whatnot. it's made out of several different colors and is pretty intricate, and i've met a few people who know how to make them, so hopefully i'll be making bracelets soon too! haha, crafting was honestly all i did on friday night, besides go to michael's to buy craft supplies. best friday night i've had in a while.

update #6: i believe i am out of updates. classes are going alright, nothing too crazy, and snow should be here before i know it. i'm crazy excited, but nervous too because i haven't been out on the snow in a pretty long time. but things are going good and i'm in great spirits because of my quickly approaching adventure. also, the mountain's trees don't change colors during the fall. the leaves just tease us and get yellow tips and then the leaves fall to the ground, so an east coast visit will be so great to see what a real fall looks like, once again. i wont be posting next sunday, as i'll be gone, but hopefully i'll be able to put pictures up for you from new york city and philadelphia later that week.

"Mountains should be climbed with as little effort as possible and without desire. The reality of your own nature should determine the speed. If you become restless, speed up. If you become winded, slow down. You climb the mountain in an equilibrium between reslessness and exhaustion. Then, when you're no longer thinking ahead, each footstep isn't just a means to an end but a unique event in itself. This leaf has jegged edges. This rock looks loose. From this place the snow is less visible, even though closer. These are things you should notice anyway. To live only for some future goal is shallow. It's the sides of the mountain which sustain life, not the top. Here's where things grow.

But of course, without the top you can't have any sides. It's the top that defines the sides. So on we go... we have a long way... no hurry... just one step after the next." - Robert M. Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

I didn't blog yesterday because there really wasn't anything I could think of to blog about. However, I realized that that's not entirely true and I talk enough, so I should be able to put some words down. So here we go.

Every morning I wake up and change the countdown date for my trip to Philadelphia, to visit Nabil and see New York City. It's safe to say that I'm pretty excited to see a cute familiar face, and to tour the city that never sleeps. While sitting in art class, I was talking to the kid next to me, and found out today was his birthday. I then realized that my birthday is also coming up and I had completely forgotten. I had been so preoccupied focusing on my trip to even notice what was before me. It really isn't significant, but it reminded me of this passage from ZATAOMM, which I posted above. I don't even really know how I stumbled across the book, probably because I read too many classics and liked the title, but it is one of the most though provoking books I have read. Just like climbers solely focused on the top of the mountain, we all too often miss the sides, the part of the mountain that actually sustains life. That's all I really have, besides pictures. I hope your Monday isn't rainy, windy and ridiculously cold like it is here.

This picture is just adorable.

This picture reminds me of my mom and the time she had sushi with Dad when they were dating. Technically, we're never supposed to bring the story up again, but I'm in Colorado, so there's not much they can do. Hee hee :)

To be known

I think, no, I know that it is in human nature to want to be known. To be acknowledged and recognized is part of our social desires, and being in a place where nobody knows you by sight is a tough thing. Having hung out with a lot of other out-of-state students, this seems to be one of the biggest parts of adjusting to a new life in college. I've been fortunate enough to find a fun group of kids who are all so different from one another but are part of the crucial community that I have become a part of. Last Tuesday night, as I went to Young Life on campus, I got the opportunity to spend my weekend at Crooked Creek Ranch, a gorgeous Young Life camp in the mountains, directly west of Denver. Although I was the only one from my group of friends who went, I was quickly pulled into the group of people who have dedicated their lives to helping spread the love. Although it felt nice to be back on campus, it feels even nicer to be part of another great community.

This is a video I captured during the ClaimJumper, a huge swing we went off of. Obviously the camera didn't stay like I had it, so if you put your right ear to your right shoulder, it makes a little more sense. Haha, basically proof I did it :)

So it goes.

This last week has been crazy.

Not only have classes moved beyond the syllabus readings

and standard protocol procedures, but more meetings,

gatherings, info sessions and registrations have kicked off.

Right now the western sky is bright, while to my east it is dark,

and lightning jumps between the divide while people cheer in the arena

for their fighting Rams, the football team that's not favored to win in the

traditional showdown between neighboring schools.

My eyes are dry from staying up too late watching Little Miss Sunshine,

a favorite movie of mine that I'll never turn down,

and my legs are too tired from walking to go moisturize them with eye drops.

As I get into the real swing of things, I can say that college isn't bad.

My workload is heavy at times, but does is my want to do well,

so they are evenly matched.

The weather is a pleasant consolation for the days filled with homework,

papers, practice problems and studying. The scenery isn't bad either.

In a little over four weeks, I'll be on the east coast, and I couldn't be any more excited,

although I have a feeling the city will only call for me to change my mind, once again.

But in the end, I'm going to go wherever I go and enjoy it for all it's worth. City or not.

Begin

Where do I even begin? Less than seven days ago I was saying goodbyes, and now I'm uttering at least twice as many hellos. My belongings are still in my trunk, clothes are scattered on my floor, I've yet to write as many stationary letters as I had hoped, but college, thus far, is great. Although the first few days were uncomfortable as everybody scrambled to make fast friends, things have worked themselves out and I've found a family of other out-of-state students. Classes start tomorrow, and I'm excited to have a schedule, even if it means a little bit more work. The food here is good and I get made fun of for eating lots of yogurt and granola, but I don't care. Yesterday I got to go swimming and cliff diving in the Poudre River which was loads more fun than hanging out around campus with nothing to do. The day before, I got my bike lock stuck, and made the acquaintance of two of Fort Collin's finest. And they still weren't able to unlock my bikelock. Hah. But today I bought myself a new one, so I'm off to pull my bike out of the basement and ride off to Old Town to eat some pizza with new friends. And clean my room. :)

It's funny...

...how things work out.

As I prepared to leave, (Monday at 3pm), I decided to make a list of all of the people I needed to see, restaurants I wanted to enjoy and places I wanted to visit one last time. A natural born task-master, I was able to get through a large majority of everything, except for a 3 different individuals and 2 places. Hanging out with Forrest last night, I ran into one of my friends who was on the list, but couldn't track down, Ildar! He works crazy mad hours, so the fact that he was actually out in public, let alone the same time I was, was pretty cool, and only the beginning. Once we found out our flight time got pushed back (from 6am to 3pm, which is fine by me), I'm now able to enjoy biking on TowPath (weather permitting), and visit with the two lone individuals left on my list! The only thing I will miss out on is eating at House of Hunan. I guess it's not so bad to have a reason to return to Ohio though, hehe. With our flight changes, it also allows me to cross to items off of my 2009 to-do list, which is something I've been thinking a lot about lately. So it's just funny how everything works out in the end.

Everything will be alright in the end.

If it's not alright, it's not the end.

Address

I really have no qualms about putting this address online, although I wonder if I should. Online predators are some point of concern, especially for females and young children, however, any online predator that chooses to mess with me (of the non-lion variety, at least) has another thing coming. My address is an important piece of personal information, however, there is no simpler way to share my new campus address with you all. I love receiving, opening, reading and responding to real letters, and I just bought new stationary, and I will gladly return the favor. Follows is my new contact information that will officially go into effect August 18, 2009, the year of our Lord.

US Postal Service address:

361 Edwards Hall

Fort Collins, CO

80521-5217

Package delivery, i.e. UPS, FedEx

900 W. Pitkin Street

361 Edwards Hall

Fort Collins, CO

80521-5217

Undertaker

I went to work at 5 a.m.

A man came in a few hours later to purchase pastries,

and prefaced his purchase by saying

"The guys at the graveyard are begging me for donuts."

I don't have to tell you what I thought in my drowsy stupor.

Worst thing about leaving...

is packing. I'd give $50 to somebody who could completely do it for me. But don't take me up on that because I'm way to meticulous about what I want to take. Boo. I just want my stuff to be out there, and not here. Enjoy a plethora of images as I continue my fun leaving process....

and my personal favorite......

1,209,600 seconds...

until I leave for Colorado :)

but I'm not counting or anything.

But by time I finish proof reading,

I'm sure the number will be much smaller.

Now that it's finally August, (though July flew by),

going to school seems so much more real.

Looking forward, I know it'll be 4 whole months

before I'm back in Ohio again, but if time continues

to fly in the same way that it has been flying, I know

that it will be here before we know it. Actually,

144 days till Christmas! You better start getting ready now,

because I'll be here.

On an unrelated note, because I know you all took the shark quiz,

I'm going to gift you with a game that is not only entertaining and

addicting, but also a mentally stimulating experience! Clickyclickyclicky!

And in my defense, I had to google search 'factory balls 2 walkthrough,'

so when you get stuck, don't ask me, cuz I don't know. I found it more entertaining than sudoku.

*gasp!* I know, Mom, I know.

I have nothing else of significance worth reporting,

besides the fact that my post title is now a lower number than before.

Have a good Monday, and may the rest of my Mondays in Ohio be as sunny as today!

sharkweek09!

happy shark week.

enjoy this quiz by discovery channel to find out what kind of shark you are!

i'm the oh-so-attractive hammerhead shark, which just so happens to be the sweet picture i picked. enjoy watching shark shows on discovery channel, and i'll give you a real post later, mom :)

Day late, dollar short - squared

Heh. So much for my word. I've come to the conclusion I do that a lot. Say one thing, and not follow through, I mean. I've gotten to the point now where I won't even give my word, but at least I'm learning. Before hand, if I would have missed my deadline or commitment date, I wouldn't have followed through, but here I am, blogging for probably only my mother, just because I said I would, though it is two days behind. Such is life sometimes.

On an unrelated note to my inconsistent nature, I am excited to announce that in 17 or so days, I will leave, on a jet plane. For Colorado. Till Christmas. Although I know I'll be so excited for Colorado, I'm more excited to leave. Not so much to escape, but rather to experience something new, a new way of life, something besides the same thing I've been doing for the past 6 years. It has certainly gotten old. Fort Collins is bound to be a perfect college town, with a population of 160 thousand, many educated individuals, lots to do, and fantastic weather. I could write much more about my thoughts, but time flies, and I'm needed to guard lives. Or work on my tan. One of the two.

Blogging Behavior

I have a short list of blogs I visit regularly; like postsecret , wwtdd , failblog , ffffound ,likecool , to name a few. Besides being creative / insightful / funny / clever, they are all updated quite frequently. As in, at least weekly. I've come to the conclusion that if I want an audience (besides my attentive mother), I've got to step up my game. So here is visual/verbal proof that I am going to attempt to update the site at least once a week, hopefully every Sunday. I know today is Friday, but I'll post again Sunday.

The astronaut picture is a conglomerate of several things; 40 years ago we went to the moon, 'Moon' with Sam Rockwell comes out today, I really want to go see it, I'm watching more movies lately. Speaking of putting people on the moon, I'm still at unrest with why nobody has been back since Mr. Armstrong and the crew. I realize that life isn't easily sustained up there, and that there are no large life forms known, but the men who bounced around, played golf and left footprints 40 years ago were only up there for a few hours. Surely man power on the moon is more informative than robots collecting data (probably more expensive, but that hasn't stopped the government before,), so why haven't they sent up more crews? I don't know. I just don't know. It's just a bizarre scenario. I suppose the world may never know.

Closer to Love

If every building falls / And all the stars fade

We'll still be singing this song / The one they can't take away

I'm going to get there soon / You pull me closer to love

- Mat Kearney

My throat hurts, my jacket smells, the soles of my feet are so dirty and I'm barely going to get five hours of sleep. But for you, graduation party, I'd do it all over again.

Visiting family, friends, cousins, neighbors and acquaintances, all in four hours, was overwhelming, yes, but so terrifically encouraging and uplifting. I've yet to even touch the countless cards and gifts, but just reading the words of wisdom people left for me, some serious, some sarcastic, has put me in the greatest mood, one that's both appreciative and grateful. For every person who has taken the time out to genuinely care for me, express sincere interest, or even keep me in their thoughts and prayers, thank you. I wish there was some visible way I could show my gratitude to you all.

There are so many different kids of love in life, but my favorite, and often the most difficult to find, is the kind of love between two friends, an unspoken, unacknowledged bond, typically strengthened by Christ's grace. I've thought a lot about it, before today even, and there really are few, if any, words, qualified enough to label this kind of bond. Oftentimes it's easy to confuse this bond with other very similar bonds, but this one is sturdier, more everlasting, more secure than any other I've known between two individuals. The people who have entered into that realm of mine, however, are there for life. It would take astronomical actions for them to be pulled from this circle of mine, for these people are my core. Every time that life rolls me a way I wasn't expecting, I simply look to this core of mine, and see how truly blessed I am, and know that I can call on these angels anytime I need.

Thanks to my graduation party, and words of wisdom book, I know that this support group is so so much more than anything I've ever imagined, and that means the world to me, the absolute world. Money is nice, of course, but knowing that somebody has your back, no matter what, is something money cannot purchase, and something that has no price. Thank you each and every person who attended my party, from blessed helpers, eager volunteers, semi-acquaintances, card bearing friends, and empty handed classmates; what you physically offered me is of little importance, for your kindness, support and love is more than I could have ever asked for, and for that I am forever thankful.

Blog Etymology

What's in a name? that which we call a rose blog/ By any other name would smell read as sweet;"

"Glowing Empty Page" does not exactly sound as promising as my mother probably would have hoped, but it's so much more descriptive than the "Mo in Colorado" she suggested. As Roscoe sat in my lap and I continued to procrastinate, I found the answer I was looking for. One of my favorite authors, Jack Kerouac, wrote this perfect phrase in The Dharma Bums;

I saw that my life was a vast glowing empty page 

and I could do anything I wanted.

The more I read the quote, the more I realized I had stumbled upon the perfect title for this new blog, a blog about more than 'Mo's life in Colorado.' As I make the transition from high schooler living with my parents to an independent college student, these moments in my life are increasingly more and more mine, to live them how I choose. It is my hope that this collection of thoughts, stories, pictures, cool ideas and whatever else I feel obliged to post expresses what I'm putting on the pages of my life. So here's to my life, and its vast and glowing empty pages.