Ode, to the first experience of an Ohio winter, opus 2.

Oh, say, Can you see

--By the Dawn's early light--

How the weather is frigid

and the sun isn't helping.

And my nose's red glare, in the freezing cold air

Gives proof, beyond hope,

That life is still there.

Oh, Say, does it feel like your face will freeze off:

Here in the land of the blue, and the home of the insane.

---OR---

Jingle Toes, Jingle Toes,

Jingle all the way.

Oh, what fun it is to walk on feet that you can't feel -- Ouch!

Jingle Toes, Jingle Toes,

Please walk Carefully!

If you don't, your toes will crack, and then you'll REALLY cry.

I will be returning to warm, sunny, Cali next week, and I can't wait!!!

The Raeeyn in Spaaeeeyn falls maaaeenly...up??!?

Cedarville is not famous for its rain.  There is more rain in the Amazon, in Florida, and especially in the Pacific Northwest.  However, when we do get a good bang-up thunderstorm, it falls in spades.

Nevertheless, Cedarville is famous for its wind.  Even on a clear day (and sometimes especially on such), the wind is merciless.  In the early morning, it is biting, in the forenoon, it is chilling, and in the evening, its just kinda pesky.

When a thunderstorm occurs, therefore...  it is epic.

Watch:



I took this video a few weeks ago, from the bottom of the student center.

Professor quotes...

In calculus today:
"...and if you're dealing with irrational numbers, your "u" has to be positive"

My mind, responding to this perfectly rational (npi) statement, when seen in context of differentiation of natural logs, thinks:
hmm... how can I twist this?  It could mean that when dealing with radicals, like muslims and Christian fundamentalists, keep your female sheep happy.

aaah...sometimes you have to make your own hilarium ad infinitum...

You Know (part 3)

You know you have a more than normal roommate, when you hear this exchange coming out of a room, like so many others on the hall, whose occupants are mentally consumed with girls, video games, sports, or cars:
Roomie (somewhat randomly and loudly): Wow...that's NOTHING!!
Me (nonchalantly): what?
Roomie (still somewhat excited): This jawbone... it's not even complete...sheesh...

see what I mean?

Roomie, you're awesome...we need more jawbone comments and less naked men in this dorm.

A Cedarville Lexicon...

Every college has its own jargon, Cedarville notwithstanding.  Therefore, in order to help all of you understand my life in the terms that I experience it in, I will Lexicise you, for your betterment.

First, we have the acronyms:
The simple ones which you all could have guessed anyhow, like:
CU - Cedarville University
RA - Resident assistant
RD - Dorm God (wait...that doesn't fit...there's something fishy here...)
AM - ante meridian (a time convention that they like to use here in the midwest, means "before noon"  Note: most students have no knowledge of this period of time, unless it be the first three or four hours if it)

The more complex ones relating to the buildings on campus -
SSC - Steven's Student Center
BTS - (Variant: CBTS) Center for Biblical and Theological Studies
DMC - Dixon Ministry Center, including the Jeremiah Chapel...which we all attend every day at 10 AM, unless there's swine flu oinking around.
ENS - Engineering, Nursing, and Science Building (also known as the realm of the geeks)

The still less comprehensible acronyms that stand for classes, mostly gen-ed classes:
CLT - Christian Life and Thought.  (one of the freshman bible courses, always located in the BTS, and therefore sometimes misconstrued as a mixture: BLT?)
SPIFO - (pronounced as a word, not spelled) SPIritual FOrmation (the other freshman bible course)
PACL - (again pronounced as a word, not spelled) Physical Activity and the Christian Life.  (does this just sound odd to some of you?)
Comp - Torture....or so I hear.
PAC -Politics and American Culture.  Not to be confused with PACL.

And, Lastly, the really random acronyms for other things:
SGA - Student Government Association
SCAB - Student Center Activity Board
OD - Open Dorm weekends (...I think...) jk...I know what OD stands for :-P
PDA - Personal Data Assistant...don't know why they have regulations on these...things like only hugging them briefly?!??!?

Random words:
Chucks - the cafeteria, run by one guy for almost 30 years...namely, Chuck.
Meat Market - (alternative spelling: Meet Market) The area between Printy Hall and Lawlor Hall, the two most ubiquitously freshmen dorms, respectively male-occupied, and female occupied.  It is normal to see a few desperate guys out there, strumming guitars, and waiting for "someone" to pass them by.


Now, consider yourself lexicized.

I leave you with one thing, that entered my mind upon seeing the drink counter in Chucks:
"to Dew, or not to Dew, that is the question.
whether it is nobler in the mind
to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous insomnia,
or to take arms against a sea of homework, and by diligence,
End it."

Caffeine.  The student's best friend and worst enemy.

A Surfboard among Cornholers

I have lately been confronted with my own californian-ness, since I have moved to the midwest to continue with post-secondary education.
In other words, when I relate my country state of origin, the most common response is, "Oh. (awkward pause) Wow."
Or, possibly...

"Sweet!!" (with wide eyes and an incredulous look, intimating that they had heard that the species existed, but had never seen a live specimen.)

I think, however, that the source of these responses comes from things like this:

'Nuff said, eh?

You know... (part 2)

...you've been backpacking...

• When the hardness of a fast-food joint's chairs feels like an utter luxury.
• When you're surprised by the amazing taste of things that don't have DEET in them.
• When the term "clean hands" becomes relative.
• When even the thirty-second rule becomes restrictive to your eating habits.
• When popping popcorn over an open fire is the most entertaining thing you can think of to do.
• When your mosquito bite count exceeds your fingers' mathematical abilities.
• When your mosquito bite count is nothing to the number of minor scratches and abrasions inflicted by particularly vengeful and aggressive plants.
• When you don't care about the previous two points.
• When the mere sounds of the suburbs are oppressive to your ears.
• When "shower" is a word of fond, but distant memory.
• When the air around you looks brown.
• When you seem to be able to fly, because your 30 pound pack is not on your back.
• When nothing you see at home in the valley can compare to the majesty of the least of the vistas you just took in.
• When you're simply overwhelmed by the glory of God's creation.

Oh, and one last tip:
Sometimes, looking before you leap just isn't enough.
Sometimes, ground that looks perfectly solid at the start of your leap suddenly changes to knee-deep mud mid-air.
Sometimes, reversing course midair...

well...

actually...

that's NEVER possible.