Update!

First off, I want to say thank you for the kind words and well wishes. It's helped me tremendously as I continue to recuperate. I so wish I could meet so many of you in person!

Health-wise, I'm hanging in. Yesterday was kind of....weird, with me feeling as if I had crash-landed on another planet. It was the most bizarre thing I've ever experienced. I was aware of my surroundings, but I've been feeling like I've been in a dream. Supposedly it's part of the "reboot" process I've been in, but I'm definitely starting to feel a sense of normalcy again.

And on a completely unrelated note, if you haven't seen BLACK SWAN yet, do yourself a favor and SEE IT. Otherwise, you'll be missing out on a richly rewarding and unforgettable experience. I think it's safe to say that Portman's gonna take that Oscar, and I won't be surprised to see Aronofsky win as well, especially given his amazing body of work. We shall see in a month!

Mood: Chillin'

Servo at 05:46 PM Jan 28

Good to hear you're doing better bro. Keep re-cooping. And Black Swan was great, I agree. I think it'll get some good marks next month.

Wake-Up Call

Well, as I'm sure a lot of you are aware, two days ago, while I was doing my laundry at the laundromat (no washer/dryer at my apartment...booooooo!), I had a full-blown seizure. Just completely out of the blue. All I was told was that I suddenly hit the ground, and someone (thank God for whoever it was) called 911. The next thing I know, I'm laying on a bed with an oxygen mask, surrounded by paramedics, completely unaware of what just transpired. Oh, and I also have a huge bump on the top of my forehead, which is kinda embarrassing....lol. (I had a customer at work as me if I clocked myself, which made me laugh.)

(By the way, this was the second one in six months - the last time, I had a partial-complex seizure, which got me fired (yes - they FIRED me!) from my job, but....that's another story.)

The good news is that my EKG was normal; heart rate was steady; everything seemed to be fine. But the doctors seemed as stumped as I was, given the fact that no one in my family has epilepsy; however, there is a slight possibility I may be diabetic, which DOES run in the family. I'm beyond relieved that there's no brain damage or anything like that, but still a little concerned that I don't know more.

Even if it turns out to be nothing serious, something like this can not only scare the hell out of you, but it can force you to re-evaluate your priorities. And trust me, my priorities have been WAY out of balance as of late, a lot more than I realized.

Aside from feeling a little "out of it," I'm pretty much back to normal. I have a doctor's appointment Tuesday morning, so hopefully I'll be able to get to the bottom of this. I'm pretty confident that everything will be fine, though. :)

On another note...my birthday is tomorrow!!! You can be sure that I'm going to celebrate. I don't know how just yet, though. I'll probably just hang out with a few people, then come back here and watch some MST3K, or play some games....who knows. I'm gonna be 31. Thirty-freaking-one. My God, where does the time go??

Mood: Chillin'

Nite Owl at 03:31 AM Jan 06

Thats crazy, Dude. I can imagine waking up in the hospital is a terrifying experiance to say the least. Hope your appointment goes well, and you get some real answers. Once you know what it is you can kick its ass!

Oh, and Happy Birthday ;{)

WalkAway at 12:20 PM Jan 06

I hope they get it all figured out and get you back to tip-top shape! Have a wonderful birthday and stay positive!

JohnLocke2342 at 01:51 PM Jan 06

wow dude.. that's nuts and I hope you're feeling better. And Happy fucking Birthday man!! You deserve a couple of drinks! I'd buy if I was there!

Read all 5 comments >>

It's mah birthday!! :D

....And I'm gonna go celebrate the fact that I'm still alive at 29.

:D

Mood: Neutral

Tweek at 07:00 PM Jan 07

Hell yeah!

Happy birthday. :cool:

Best TV Shows of 2008

I got to see a lot of great tv this year, so I figured I'd share some of my personal favorites. :D

DAMAGES - Unbelievable performances, intelligent storytelling with many a twist, this is one of the best legal dramas I've ever watched. Glenn Close is phenomenal, and Rose Byrne is also fantastic. I cannot wait for next season!

LOST - SEASON 4 - I had mixed feelings about the third season, but whatever doubts I had that the series would put its best foot forward again were quickly demolished. Flash-forwards have replaced flashbacks, and questions were answered, all the while delivering great dramatic character moments ("The Constant" and "Ji Yeon" are two of my favorites of the series thus far). If you were disenchanted by the last few seasons, do yourself a favor and WATCH THIS SEASON.

TRUE BLOOD - I discovered this one on a whim, and holy crap, this is a great show. A perfect marriage of humor, horror, and drama, with a very unique spin on the vampire genre, which I thought was all but dead, until now. The fact that it takes place in my home state only makes it that much cooler. :)

E.R. - SEASON 15 - Even after 15 years, the folks at E.R. still know how to write interesting, character-driven stories and deliver the utmost in tension and suspense. The premiere was an emotional doozy, and the addition of Angela Bassett has been one of the best things about this final season (we even discover her connection with Mark Greene, as played by Anthony Edwards). More of the original cast has been rumored to return, including George Clooney, which makes me a very happy camper. They're really going out with a bang.

DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES - SEASON 5 - My guiltiest pleasure ever. The creators decided to "reboot" things by jumping forward five years into the future, which has given the show new life. But as per usual season, there is a dark mystery at the center, and this time, it features the great Neal McDonogh as Dave Williams, whose sinister plans for Mike Delfino and his family has had a tremendous effect on almost everyone on Wisteria Lane, and there's no telling who else is going to fall victim to Dave's plans. There's one particularly spooky scene in which Dave is talking to the graves of his dead wife and child. Creepy as hell. It's going to end VERY badly, methinks. Aside from a more complex and engaging mystery, we get more humor and more fleshed out characters (Eva Longoria's character has benefited the most from the 5-year jump). A fun-filled season with lots to enjoy.

There's a few other series I've been wanting to catch, but these were the ones that really got my attention this past year. Thoughts? You agree? Disagree? Am I really weird for liking Desperate Housewives as much as I do? :D (Please don't answer that last one.)

Mood: Neutral

Happy 4th Schmoes!!!

Happy 4th of July to all. May there be food, sleep, food, movies, and more food. And maybe a companion or ten.

Mood: Neutral

I've got a lovely bunch of peanut butter cups

Doesn't quite have the same ring as "lovely bunch of coconuts," but, well, I have no coconuts. I do have nuts though, thank God for that. :) That was pretty lame, bear with me, it's 1 a.m.

So it seems Mr. Insomnia has come back to visit me. I finally got myself on a good sleep schedule (summer school next week--woot.) and now I'm wide awake, so I figured I'd blog.

Life is just...funny sometimes. I came back to school three years ago. I had only decided to return maybe 6 months before I moved here to New Mexico. At the time, I was working a steady 8-5 job, bringing in some decent cash. Then one day, I was like, "I'm going back to school." So I did. It was the first step I took to get my life back on track following quite a long period of depression, frustration, anger, blah blah blah, things most of us have gone through.

Now, I'm on the verge of graduation. It's hard to believe that I went from such a low place in my life to where I'm at now. I truly believe the hand of God has been on my life, even when I'm at my worst. Not sure what you guys believe, but that's just my stance. I look back, and I cannot help but think that the path my life has taken stems from something far greater than myself. I have grown so much as an individual these last three years, and now, I am finally close to accomplishing one of my life goals. My next goal is going to prove to be a bit more difficult--composing music for video games. I only recently discovered that this is what I truly want to do with my life. Music is who I am, and it always will be. I've told myself over and over that "I could never do something like that" but I now know that to be a lie.

People have always said "follow your dreams," and they make it sound so easy, and it is anything but. However--I know that the journey to my own dream is going to be worth it.

Mood: Neutral

It's over.

Well, my grandmother finally left this world to be with God on Thursday. I'm just glad for the time I was able to have with her, even if it wasn't as much time as I would have liked. May she rest in peace, and may the angels celebrate over the life she lived.

Mood: Neutral

Oh, crap.

I just thought about it. December is eight months away. That's eight months until I am completely finished with school for good. (Unless I decide to go to grad school, which is still up in the air.) And that's eight months until they hand me a piece of paper (which isn't really worth the $50,000 I paid for it) and tell me to get the hell out. And it just hit me..I have no freaking clue what I'm going to do. I mean, I know what I WANT to do, but...you know what I mean.

Truth be told, I am ready to get out. I'm very, very glad I decided to go back to school (dropped out for 3 years), but I'll be just fine if I never have to see this place again. On the other hand, I've gotten comfortable with my every day routine--go to class, go to work, come back to my apartment, surf the Net, sleep, eat, rinse, lather, repeat. It's gonna be really weird to come out of this comfortable cycle that I've been in for the last few years.

I guess all I can do now is keep on pushing towards the finish line (that's the best I could come up with at 6 a.m., gimme a break!). It's so weird to actually see the light at the end of the tunnel. (k, I gotta stop with the metaphors).

Mood: Neutral

Misheard Lyrics (again...)

OK, that last entry didn't work..so here's the link to my first "misheard lyrics" video. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jX915p1l0Tg

Mood: Neutral

Misheard Lyrics!

Here's my very first "misheard lyrics" video to "Nightquest" by Nightwish.

NOTE: If you've never seen these, the lyrics aren't supposed to make sense; they're only what it SOUNDS like the singer is singing. ;) *

Mood: Neutral

Guess what I got!!!

w00t!

Mood: Neutral

The Neverending Story

This is one reason I love watching movies. I haven't seen The Neverending Story since I was a child, so I decided to take a little stroll down memory lane, and you know, it's still just as magical an experience as it was for me as a kid. Sure, the visual effects are way outdated, but you have to admire the film's visual creativity and captivating story.

Watching it as an adult, I really felt the filmmakers did well in giving the story the right amount of emotional depth to go with the visuals. Noah Hathaway really does do a wonderful job in the lead, going through many different emotions on his journey, and keeping me involved all the way through. We also have another great protagonist in Barret Oliver as the bullied-around kid who gets swept up into this fantasy adventure, and I loved how the story connects these two characters.

Of course, you can't forget the cornucopia of fantastical creatures and beings, especially Falkor, one of the coolest creatures to ever grace the screen. I also enjoyed the banter between the scientist and his wife..funny stuff.

In the end, I was really surprised at how much I still enjoyed watching this movie. It's always fun to revisit a childhood classic, and even more so when that movie holds up as well as The Neverending Story.

Mood: Neutral

Thanks, guys!

Just wanted to say thanks to those of you who left comments about my grandmother, and even if you didn't and you happened to read my last blog, thanks to you too.

I'm really hoping and praying that my grandma gets better, but if it's her time, then it's her time, and I know God is going to welcome her with arms open wide, because she was truly an amazing woman.

On a more positive note, how many of you are thanking our president for having a day off tomorrow?:D

Mood: Neutral

Hey fellow Schmoes...

I have a small favor I'd like to ask, and I know it might seem "petty", but it would mean a lot to me.

I learned tonight that my grandmother is back in the hospital, and this time, she may not recover from it. Over the last few years, her health has been slowly declining, and has been living with my parents for the last year or so, unable to take care of herself, which I know has weighed on my mom and dad. My mom wasn't specific on the details, but the way she talked, it sounds like she could leave us at any time. I'd ask that you keep our family in your thoughts and prayers, because this is going to be a hard time for everyone.

Mood: Neutral

JamesT@Joblo at 07:00 PM Feb 14

I'll pray for your grandmother, dude. I hope she gets better.

chasingbanky at 07:00 PM Feb 15

Hope your Grandma recovers. The latter stages of life are hard for everyone surrounding the situation. I hope everything goes all right for you guys.

bigred760 at 07:00 PM Feb 16

Consider it done.

It's 2008!!!

Well, 2008 is upon us. I can't believe how quickly last year flew by (for me, at least). For me, this is going to be an exciting year. I will have FINALLY graduated from college! WOOOOOOO!!!! :D:D

This is going to be a year of changes for me. Aside from finishing school, I am going to have to decide exactly what I want to do with my life. I have a few ideas as to what I'd like to do, but nothing concrete just yet. I've been blessed with many different opportunities and talents, it's merely a fact of choosing an area and settling into it, which can be a difficult thing.

I've also decided to make some changes in my lifestyle. I hope, by the end of the year, that I will have quit smoking. It's SO freaking hard to quit. I'm also going to get myself back in shape, as I kinda let myself go last year without doing much of any type of exercise (except walking--I have no car). I am determined to make these things happen, and thankfully, I have friends and family to give me that extra push that I need.

I hope everyone has a great new year, and that whatever goals you have set for yourself, that you not only meet them, but you exceed them in ways you couldn't imagine. :)

Mood: Neutral