Saw an old friend

This afternoon I got a call from Phillip Mitchell. I haven't seen him for at least two years. We've talked on the phone once and emailed once, but that's all. He was recently stationed in Okinawa, Japan because he's in the Navy. Anyway, he is in town now, but will be gone again by May 10th or something because he was assigned to a destroyer out of Norfolk, VA.

We hung out tonight and went to eat at Cousins and then we went to LeBlanc park. We used to go there a lot when we were younger. After the park, we went back to my house where we had ice cream and he talked to my parents a little. Then we looked at old pictures and yearbooks and things. It was pretty cool to reminisce about old times.

I've known him since 4th grade and we used to do a lot of stuff together. I especially remember going to eat with him at the Luby's in Hulen Mall that doesn't exist anymore. Anyway, Phillip is a cool guy and I'm glad I got a chance to hang out with him. Perhaps I'll see him again before he leaves for Virginia.

Lock the front door and park in the driveway

I don't know about you, but I like to have the front door to my house locked. Unfortunately, some people in my house don't care enough to lock it or fix it to where it does lock. Our screen door will lock, but its glass, it can easily be broken and unlocked from the outside. I think our big wood door should be locked at all times, however, the house shifts a lot and so the lock doesn't always work. Sometimes, it's hard to unlock because it gets stuck and stuff and for some reason, my parents won't fix it. Also, my sister seems to think that this neighborhood is the "safest ever" because nothing ever happens over here. I tried to lock it one night and she went right back and unlocked it. She said I was paranoid.

I have legitimate reasons for wanting my doors locked:

1) In this day and age, no place is safe any more.
2) My sister said that the other night she saw some suspicious people shining a light in the Explorer out on the street looking for something to steal.
3) The Bonneville's windshield has been cracked and one of the side mirrors has been ripped off.
4) It's just plain dumb to not lock them or get them fixed so they will lock.

If people are vandalizing and trying to steal stuff from our cars, then what's keeping them from walking into our unlocked house? Am I being totally unreasonable or what? Also, I don't know why my parents don't just park their cars in the driveway. This might solve the problem of things happening to their vehicles. I guess they think it's too big a hassle to move them when me and Lauren need get out in the morning and come back every night.

Personality Quiz

Wackiness: 40/100
Rationality: 30/100
Constructiveness: 62/100
Leadership: 40/100

You are a SECF--Sober Emotional Constructive Follower. This makes you a Hippie.

You are passionate about your causes and steadfast in your commitments. Once you've made up your mind, no one can convince you otherwise. Your politics are left-leaning, and your lifestyle choices decidedly temperate and chaste.

You do tremendous work when focused, but usually you operate somewhat distracted. You blow hot and cold, and while you normally endeavor on the side of goodness and truth, you have a massive mean streak which is not to be taken lightly. You don't get mad, you get even.

Please don't get even with this web site.

Of the 115182 people who have taken this quiz since tracking began (8/17/2004), 10.3 % are this type.

Take the quiz: http://hokev.brinkster.net/quiz/default.asp?quiz=Better+Personality&page=1

Graduation present

My parents are getting me some presents for graduation. My dad thought about giving me the U2 iPod that holds like 3000 songs or something with all the accessories and stuff like to plug it into my stereo at home and my computer and the AM/FM transmitter and everything. Even $50 worth of free iTunes. This would cost probably $400 for all of that.

Well, this would be pretty cool... but I've been wanting a new cd player and new speakers for my car for a long time. The cd player I have is the original factory one and it sucks. It skips a whole lot and it just doesn't have many options at all. I understand that with an iPod, I don't necessarily need a new cd player, but I don't anticipate always bringing my iPod with me in the car. Also, to use any new speakers to their full capacity, I would need the cd player to have enough power to do so and my current factory one sucks.

I told dad that I wanted a new cd player and speakers for my car and he said he would be willing to pay for an iPod Mini(which would be cheaper), the AM/FM transmitter, a new cd player and speakers for my car, but I'd probably have to use some of what my uncle gives me to help pay for a little of it (probably $50-$100). All of that would probably cost $500 total.

I guess my question for all of you is, what should I get along with my cd player and speakers for my car? A regular iPod with everything, an iPod Mini, or no iPod at all? I just don't know how much I want any kind of iPod. If I didn't get an iPod but just got the new cd player and speakers, my parents would probably get me something else too. In that case, I don't know what to do. It would be cool to have a better, faster computer, but that's way too expensive. A bigger tv for my room would be cool, but I don't really use my tv that much right now anyway. A laptop would also be cool, but I don't know how much I'd use it.

Any comments/suggestions are appreciated, especially from those of you who own iPods.

Opening Day

Well, I went to the Rangers game today and it was very hot where we were sitting (13 rows behind homeplate). There was no shade at all for us. I was a big idiot and didn't bring a hat either. At least I brought a towel to cover my legs with. I should have just worn pants, oh well. I tried to cover my arms too, but they got burned a little and my right cheek and nose are slightly burned also. I took a few pictures with my camera phone, but I failed to take a picture of the enormous B-52 bomber that flew over the stadium at the end of the national anthem, that was pretty awesome. That thing was huge!

Anyway, so I sat there in the sun from like 12:30 till 4:15 and watched the Rangers lose yet again. They were winning 6-3 in the 7th and then they just blew it like always. Our relievers suck. Even Coco couldn't get the save for us. It was still fun though. At least I didn't have to go to work. I'd like to go to more games this year.

Rangers game

I'm going to the Rangers home opener next Monday. I'm looking forward to it. I haven't been to a home opener in at least 6 years. I was surprised that my boss didn't really have a problem at all with me taking time off. The unfortunate thing is that I still have to go to my musical theater class at 10am and my stupid strategic mgmt class at 7pm. Also, I agreed to work next Tuesday from 2:30-4:30, which isn't bad. I figured I should try to make up as many hours as possible since I'm losing 6 hours of work on Monday.

My top ten favorite albums

Following is a list of my top ten favorite albums. These aren't necessarily the "best" albums I have, they are just my favorite ones. I put a couple of greatest hits cds on here, but if this were my top ten "best" albums then I probably wouldn't have done that. Anyway, here is the list for your entertainment:

1. The Beatles - Rubber Soul
2. The Beatles - Revolver
3. Metallica - ...And Justice For All
4. Dream Theater - Scenes from a Memory
5. Elton John - Greatest Hits
6. Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
7. Rage Against the Machine - Rage Against the Machine
8. Metallica - The Black Album
9. Rush - Moving Pictures
10. Paul McCartney - Flaming Pie