So I’m up early… earlier than everyone else here at the beach. I also went to bed last. I don’t sleep much.

On the ride down here from Montevallo I switched with Katie about half way. I drove as long as I possibly could, then she took over. I watched as she got frustrated with other cars and fought with the cruise control over how fast we were really going to go.
The real problem was the fact that interstate drivers constantly play leap frog. I’ll explain:

1. Driver a is going 72 in the left (fast) lane. 70 is the limit- 72 says ” yeah I’m going a little faster but are you really going to pull me over for it cop?!”

2. Driver b pulls up behind going 77 with no intention of slowing down.

3. Driver a freaks out! After deliberation, driver a gets over to the right lane – and here starts the circus.

4. Driver b passes driver a in the fast lane. Pulls ahead (about 78) and realizes that going this fast alone, and in the fast lane, seems ominous – and so driver b pulls over into the right lane (in front of driver a) and slows down.

5. In the meantime driver a has seen how driver b has gone faster, and procedes to go 75 (not as fast as 78 but if a cop showes up – driver b is clearly the larger defender. – this is all fine but driver b has just pulled over and started slowing down…

6. Driver a is now slowed down to the original 72 but is frustrated because he has felt how good it feels to go 75… So driver a pulls into the left lane, passes driver b and essentially becomes driver b in step 2

This happens every time I get on the interstate. So, when I drive, I get in the right lane and I go the speed of the person in front of me… Because otherwise I might want to throw something.

That’s all for now. I’m at the beach and it might rain so there is a possibilty of two posts in a day. That is better than once a month.

monster tamer, originally uploaded by cjosof.

You would think that Satine gets less attention now that she lives with me alone. That is simply not true. I think she is more spoiled than ever because I’m over compensating for everyone else not being around all the time. Oh Well.

Finished writing my first Montevallo paper last night or this morning at 2:30 am. I felt quite good about myself. I drank tea and watched Extreme Marksmen on the History channel. It was fun using my new coffee table as a work-station. 

So now in Jeter hall I’m blogging… not for long though class has started. 

more later

I’ve moved to Montevallo. Yes, that means I am taking classes at UM. So far it has proved to be just what I need. I moved into a two bedroom apartment by myself. (That might change soon) We’ll see what happens. 

Change seems to be the theme. I am so excited for our Nation and I can’t wait to see how this new administration adapts to the challenges ahead. 

Now that I’m mostly moved in… and spending time alone- I hope to write more here. I am so addicted to “micro-blogging” but I like to have a place of my own as well. I picked up my guitar last night- so hopefully I’ll post some music too.

peace

It seems that I only blog when I’m trying to avoid something else (studying) or when I don’t want to sacrifice a subject to twitters limited characters…

I will do better.

Speaking of inconsistency- I’ve been angry lately about my email functionality on my iPhone. Anyone who knows me knows that I’m an iPhone iPhreak and it is quite strange that I should have a problem. 

I’m just tired of my “push” email not pushing! I’m about to have an Android developer phone to test gmail’s push capabilities. Then we will see… a G1 with gmail pushed and an iPhone 3g with MobileMe pushed… which one will win the battle! 

Another idea that I had today:

I know that the Starbucks – iTunes syncing at Sbux locations is kinda sketchy and unfinished but I think it has great promise. Right now I’m in a sbux and my iTunes recognizes that I’m in a sbux but can’t tell me what I’m listening to. Shazam can but thats more work. 

I have an idea for you Starbucks! let customers add songs to a queue (like a jukebox) so that the songs they like can be heard over the speakers! Not a novel idea but quite fancy. The song list can be limited to sbux approved content and everything. Oh and hey Howard…    ONWARD! 

In other news: I’m a member of a new vocal ensemble in Birmingham called Ausreisser (runaways in German). We have a new iWeb website at www.ausreisserchoir.com . It’s pretty simple but functional all the same. If you want to see the password protected content of the site leave me a comment and I might let you in. I’ve been pretty busy in school but in my free time I like to keep it updated for the choir. 

more later.

The past week has been amazing. I love fall weather and it just seems to get better the closer it gets to my birthday (nov 6). Halloween was fun as usual even though I did not come through with my main costume idea. I ended up using my fall back costume.

I’m participating in no-shave November and I encourage anyone and everyone to do the same! Whoop.

Only two more days until election day and I feel like I might explode! I’m a mixture of excited and worried.

Enjoy this first week of November and wear comfy clothes.

I have joined a group of friends in creating a 24 member choir that will hopefully travel to Germany this summer. We traveled to Germany last summer and saw that singing could actually benefit us monetarily.

Hopefully this will come together as planned.

We do face one major problem and that problem is our name _______________

We have been the “Runaways” for various reasons but now we need something that actually represents the group as a whole.

I need this to happen quickly so that I can polish off the website I have created for us and launch it under www.ournamewedon’thaveyet.com

We want to represent where we are from but also be universal. We need to have something that produces an image so that we can have an insignia or emblem. It’s all up in the air now- I hope we can get some better names than what I have been using to describe us so far…

If you’re reading this as a fellow chorister please submit your comment so that we may tear it apart or love it.

whew

I went to the post office today to get one stamp. The machine wouldn’t take quarters so I had to stand in line. I decided that I would get a sheet of stamps so that I wouldn’t have to come back any time soon for more. 

I noticed that they had a special Albert Bierstadt stamp collection called “American Treasures” and it had some of his great works on it… so I asked for a sheet of those. 

First I got a look- then a sigh- then the lady said “Those are so hard to find in this pile of junk”.

I’m sure there are some great postal service locations elsewhere but… it was just like the DMV. 

Did I mention that some guy tried to break in front of me in line? I took a giant step in front of him and he looked at me like I was crazy.

I just finished watching the most awful (for me) football game ever. I’m sure there are many very happy Vandy fans out there and I hope you party hearty tonight. NO hard feelings – seriously. Vandy played their hearts out tonight and I’m happy for them. I actually hope they continue to succeed in the future of this season and show the nation how every team (even Kentucky today) can play on the national stage as a prime competitor.
Being an Auburn fan I am sick and I promise not to watch or support another game where Tony Franklin is making the shots on offense. Not because he’s an idiot and can’t make the right calls all the time but because he can and he won’t. It is almost like he’s being paid by other teams to sabbotage the Tigers from beating them- or letting them stay in the game. Early against LSU, the offense made great plays and looked great at the spread but then they sucked… same tonight. I can’t stand it.

But let’s focus on the good things_

Today I went to the Harvest Festival at Homestead Hollow in Springville, Alabama. (said spreeng.vul) There was great food and wonderful crafts. Personally I did not buy anything but- great stuff for home owners. It will go on until tomorrow at 5 i think.

Fall is here and the weather is great. The skies are gorgeous and I couldn’t be happier. My favorite holiday is approaching as well as my birthday. Hooray!

Did you know that there is a congressman from Virginia who’s last name is Goodlatte? That’s a great name! I listened to him whine about not being able to drill in a national wildlife area for about 20 minutes. He brought about some good points about natural gas but the pipeline idea from Canada would only yeild about 50% profit.

Every argument that I’ve heard today had something to do with Obama or McSame. I don’t think I could sit through all of that.