Through rain and shine, snow and wind….

No, this isn’t the Post office motto. It was actually my Thanksgiving weekend. It started on Thursday, Thanksgiving, by first cleaning around the house. Nothing too special, but this year, we usually have a lot of food to cook. In previous years, I would wake up to the smell of my parent’s cooking for that night when we have everybody over. But not this year. This year is different. This year, I’m building my house!
Like I said, we started the day by cleaning around the house. However, we didn’t spend much of the day doing that at our house. We left to go to my place to work on it before we went to Thanksgiving dinner at my aunt’s house just down the road. We got to my place around 12. I haven’t been to my property for over two weeks now because we haven’t had much to do. I was surprised to get there to see that the foundation was up! We started off by smoothing the ground inside the foundation to be ready to put on the floor joices. After three hours using a pick and a shovel, I was getting worn out! But by then, it was ready to go to my aunt’s and eat!
Friday started off at the wee hours of 5:30 in the morning to get up and go work on my house. I asked off from work to go and build my house. I got up to find that it was raining a bit. I thought it wasn’t good to work on a house in the rain, but we did anyway. We got to my house around 7:30 while a light cold rain fell. I’m building up in the Blue Ridge mountains so the temperature is about 15 to 20 degrees cooler than it is in the lower parts of the valley. The sky was a dull gray and misty. As I looked over to the other side of the mountains, the fog and mist rose like ghosts floating away from their graves. We spent the day working on the floor beams on top of the foundation. Throughout this time, the weather would change from a light misty rain, to stop, then pick up a little, get harder, stop, and then pick up again until it began to pour. I had several articles of clothing and the only spot on my body that faced the elements was my face. The combination of the cold and the rain stung my face at times. We all were miserable, including my father who told me he could work in the snow but not the rain. He complained to me that line several times. Finally, around 3 o’clock that afternoon, we had enough and left. However, we were soaking wet to point where our bodies were soaking wet after the rain soaked through our clothes.
Saturday began the same way as Friday did, waking up at 5:30 in the morning. However, it was raining. The bad news was it was WINDY AND COLD!!! Again, it’s a 15 to 20 degree difference in the mountains. It was cloudy that morning to start off with. It was so cold that there were snow flurries for about an hour that morning. We finally got some sun and it warmed up a bit around 11 but we then had to face the wind. It was so windy that it almost blew us off our feet at times.
During the day, we were able to put on the floor of my house. I know I spent the day moving all the wood and 4x4’s. After about an hour of moving the wood, my arms got tired, but I kept going. I told myself that the pain was good, the pain is my friend. I never stopped or complained, but I’m paying for it today. By 6, as the sun was setting, we were able to get to start on 2 of the walls of my house, though we didn’t put them up. I was glad that we didn’t have a light to finish or I would have died there from exhaustion. The best part was that as we were putting all the equipment up to leave, I spilled gasoline all over myself! I had to strip down before getting in truck and that was the most agonizing moment since it was so cold up there!
Today, I could not get up to go to church. I don’t how my folks did it but they went. I woke up around 9, my whole body sore. It was difficult to walk around but I soon got the ability to walk. I got a call from my girlfriend telling me she got back from Ohio for Thanksgiving. I won’t be able to do much with her the next two weeks since she has exams/tests to study for but I am meeting for dinner tomorrow. Around 3, I decided to go into town to see the movie “Timeline”. It was about archeology students going back in time to France in 1357. Not really a great movie, though it had a lot of action, just not enough plot.

Giving Thanks!

Well, in the spirit of the holiday, it's tradition to give thanks to the things in your life that you are thankful for. I guess I am in that spirit now. I want to share what I am thankful for:

1. I'm thankful for my parents. My parents have been a big help to me as of late, especially my father. They've been a lot of help with the building of my house. My father has taken charge and I feel lost without him. My mom has given me a lot of support. I'm sure that I could plan this house myself, but the job probably would never have been done right.

2. I'm thankful for my friends. I'm glad to have in my life the kind of friends that I have. We may not talk or interact as much as most friends do, but I know that they are right there for me when I need and I for them. There are a few that come to mind right now. My friend Rachel, who I have not known that long, but has offered her friendship to me these last few months. I appreciate it. My friend Ginger, who these last few months has been extremely busy herself, but is right there when I need her. She sent me an email today asking what I want I wanted for my birthday and Christmas. I refused to tell her what I wanted but I know she is currently financially strapped and was about to move in with her boyfriend, who she is extremely happy with now! There are other friends that I am thankful to have in my life but I just wanted to name a few.

3. I'm am thankful for my girlfriend Loreley. I can't say that our relationship is perfect or great but I am happy to have her in my life. Our relationship is often a struggle because we deal with finding time to be togther (She goes to school and works and I have been focusing on the house) and some of our beliefs tend to clash. However, overall, I am just happy to have her in my life.

Current Thoughts

You ever get those moments when you have so much to talk about yet you don't know how to bring it out or no one to tell? It's like a little dirty secret that someone tells you but you promised not to say anything to anybody.

Last night, Loreley and I went over to Rachel's place. She was having us over for pizza and to watch the The Two Towers: The Extended Version. Had a good time, the movie was over 3 and 1/2 hours. I learned that Loreley has a thing for swords! Don't really ask me about it!
I got up this morning believing that I was going up to work on my property. Actually I got a day off since my father went up there yesterday to put some more silt fence and other things. I found out that all the materials are up there now, including the brick, wood, and cement. I think my uncle, who is my contractor, worked on the footings during the week. So this week coming up, since I'm off on Thursday and Friday for Thanksgiving, we may start putting up the walls!
I have to give it to my dad though. He has been working hard on my place. I feel bad since I'm hourly where I work at, I don't get that luxery of getting the hours to get off. I have enough for 5 days now, but I needed to give 2 weeks notice before I do, and with the Christmas season, it's been hectic at work. Within my department, one of us has to be there. So I have to give it to my dad in helping me so much with this.

Virginity is Overrated!!

I wrote about the marriage seminar that I went to at my church in previous entries. The subject that came up most was about our favorite word, SEX! Yes, sex and marriage, both being talked about in church. In the seminar, sex was one section of it. Basically, what the discussion was having sex in the marriage and how males/females view it....or how men want it so much, but women don't. It's funny to hear the excuses made for why women don't want it is because they are too tired working around the house. If only the husbands were more responsive to the wive's feelings, if they helped out more around the house, then it would let the wives want more and enjoy sex more often! YEAH, RIGHT!!!!
Well, I was talking about it in lunch today, to a couple of co-workers, two were guys (one of them was my supervisor), and two were women. Both guys were saying that that way of thinking with husbands helping out wives would not help out in the bedroom. It's not true!!! Even the women agreed! It means jack shit to women if the guy helps in whether or not he is getting lucky that night!
One guy even told me a theory of the marbles in the jar. Apparently this theory is that in the first year of marriage, you put in a marble into the jar for every time you have sex. Then after that year is up, you take a marble out every time you have sex from that time. He said that the marbles that you put in would never be completely out of the jar throughout your marriage.
Anyway, that brings me back to my point of Virginity being overrated. You often hear growing up, when going to church, to only have sex when you are married...to remain a virgin until that moment comes. Apparently, it's special to be a virgin on your wedding night! Maybe.....but does that mean that sex in the marriage is better. I DON'T THINK SO! What's the point when there is no guarantee that the sex is going last or even be good. Sex is just like any part of the relationship when it comes to being with the significant other. Would you knowingly marry someone that you know you would not be compatible with. Sex is just as important in the relationship as having the same goals and dreams as the other person is. So that is why I say virginity is overrated. Go practice as much as you can before you get married but be responsible about it!

Would you believe me when I say that my mother is already setting up christmas decorations! We usually set them up right after Thanksgiving. However, she believes that we will be too busy working on my house to do so this year! Gee's....I can't wait to move out! The Christmas music is driving me mad!!!!

Loreley and I went to the marriage seminar last night at church. I have to say that I really enjoyed it. It was a two day seminar and I only expected to come to the Friday night part. After getting out of it, I wanted to continue on Saturday, which was planned to last throughout most of the day. However, on Saturdays, I've been either helping my uncle work on his house or work on my property to start building.

This morning, I asked my father if they needed my help. I have this idea that my responsibility to help my uncle and work on my property comes before doing the marriage seminar. Of course I didn't know if they needed my help since I've only been a gofor these last months. I was surprised to hear him say it's really my decision. So I decided to go the marriage seminar.

During the marriage seminar today, it started out with a part on the differences in communication in men and woman. There was a moment during the discussion that lead to kissing your spouse as a form of communication. We were all told to kiss each other (by that I mean our spouse/significant other) for about 10 seconds. When this happened, everybody in the seminar was kissing except Loreley and I. Why not us? Well, I was still getting over my cold and sore throat and I didn't want to get her sick. Poor me!!!

After that session, the men and women were seperated into groups. The men discussed how we can be better husbands and that sort of thing. When that finished, we stopped to have lunch. It was at this point that Loreley had to go to work. When I came back to the seminar after work, the next dicussion was on SEX in marriage. This actually blew me away because we were actually talking about the subject in church of all places! You tend to only hear about sex at church as a sin, but since it was in marriage, it was alright!

After that session, it was pretty much it. Like I said before, I enjoyed it. I'm not planning on getting married soon, but it does gives some insight on when I do....or if I do.

I called my friend "C" a couple of nights ago because I haven't talked to her in at least four months. She wasn't home so I left a message. She lives in Northern Virginia so I don't get to see her that much.
Well "C" calls back tonight but I am sadden to hear what has happened to her in the last few months. Her biological father was sick for a long while and died last month. She broke up with her boyfriend of three years who was constantly cheating on her. She quit her job because she didn't enjoy it. And to top it off, she told me she was in a car accident on October 21st. She said she was still hurting from it and was sick tonight from it. She is my friend and I love her and I hate not being there to comfort her. I can only pray to God that he will look out for her.

I, myself, have been trying to get over a chest cold for the last few days. My voice is hoarse and it has become very deep. I've been joking with my co-workers that I wish I could sound like this all the time because I just sound so sexy....like Barry White.

I also think I have TMJ too. Everytime I open my jaw, I get that popping feeling in my jaw. My mom gets it bad so I think she past it down to me. Damn heredity!!!

Tomorrow night, Loreley and I are going to a marriage conference/seminar at our church. Now, I have to say that I'm not ready to get married, but I think it may help with reasons for getting married someday and I expect from it. I thought it was unusal for Loreley to want to go since she is 19 and she says she not ready to marry. She's been engaged before, but that only last a month. She believes that she has too much to live for and see before she settles down. I don't blame her.....I feel the same way about that too. Anyway, if I learn anything from it, I'll keep you posted!

Lately, I get pissed off when people say how nice I am or that I am such a good guy. I don't know why that really pisses me off so much. I shouldn't be.....I'm told I should be flattered when I'm told that. I keep talking about it to some people and they tell me the same thing too.....that I should be flattered that I am. I guess I'm just preoccupied with the whole bad boy/good guy image thing. You know that one, where women date the bad boys because they are wild, crazy, and fun and they only want a nice good guy when they finally want to settle and marry. I've actually been dumped by a girl who told me that I was just too nice and she only dated assholes and alcoholics.
Sometimes I want to be bad! I want to ride a motorcycle....a harley...because they are cool. I want to drive a fast car, a sports car, just because it's wild and crazy. I want to be the life of the party and have all the hot chicks want to be with me!!!
Oh, who the hell am I kidding. I'm just a practical kind of guy. I guess I should be happy to be such a nice guy, right? You tell me.....you women.....what are the advantages/disadvantages of the nice/good guy?

How well do you know me?

I found this site where you can make a test and see if people you know know you as well as you think. Try it and see.

Weekend was pretty dull. Worked on my uncle's house because my property isn't finshed being cleared. I was a bit pissed off. Came home later that night exhausted and went to bed at 10!

The next day, on Sunday, after church Loreley and I went to see "Matrix: Revolutions". I didn't really enjoy it. I really didn't understand it really. Loreley was arguing with me that I couldn't understand it but it just didn't make much sense to me.

My boss got back from Las Vegas over the weekend. He went there last week to go to the SEMA show. Don't ask me what that is. He brought me back a shot glass. However, I don't know when I'll get to use it.

Also went to Best Buy after work and got me two new movies. "Zardoz" and "Y Tu Mama Tambien". I had to get "Zardoz" but that's what I named my journal after. "Y Tu Mama Tambien" is a great Mexian movie that I saw earlie this year and I had to get it.

So, Loreley and I went out to see "Brother Bear" tonight. We wanted to see "Matrix: Revolutions" but that was sold out. Anyway, it wasn't too bad! Though it wasn't as good as "Finding Nemo", it was decent for a Disney movie. The only bad thing is that there were a ton of screaming kids all around us!
After the movie, we went to Best Buy! The only reason I am telling you that is that Charlottesville just got one built and it opened today! What a great place! So much stuff that I wanted to get! Pretty soon they will be putting in a Target! Woo hoo! Charlottesville is developing!!!!

The spoils of

There are great advantages with working at an Automotive catalog company! Just yesterday, the company was raffling off products that were taking up space in the sample room. Each employee were given three raffle tickets and given products that matched the other half of the raffle ticket. I got a Wax Orbital Buffer as one of my products!!! But that's not all I got though. Some people never came in to claim the raffles, so the people in charge said just take whatever you want that is left. I was able to get some cool products!
And today, they were selling some old products that never sold in the catalog. They were selling them at 90% off to us!!! So I go in, with a list of them in hand, and was able to get stuff that total about 750 dollars at usual cost for about 75 bucks!!! Whooo hooo!!! I got most of my Christmas shopping done!

The weekend update.....even though it's Tuesday!

I've slacking on writing lately.

Anyway, I just wanted to say what I did for Halloween. I dressed up like Homer Simpson. I wore yellow makeup, made the big bulging eyes, and a mask for the mouth. We had a contest at work, and everybody voted for either Funniest, Scariest, and Most Original costume. I happen to lose by one vote for the Most Original. I could have tied but I seem to have voted for someone else for Most Original and voted for myself for Funniest. I could kick myself for that.
As for that night, all I did was go over to a co-workers place for a couple of hours. I then planned on going to Buffalo Wild Wings, where a couple of coworkers were planning on going, but at the last second, I wasn't feeling very well because I needed to get the bald cap off my head and the make up off, since I had it on all day. Well, yesterday I learned that they had the craziest time there so I'm kicking myself for not going.

Saturday was the usually working on something. While my cousin Danny was still excavating my property, I worked on my uncle Willie's place. Did some sanding and put oil on a bench that they found in the woods. Was expecting to go to another Halloween party that my cousins were going too but was feeling sore after all sanding. Again, I just keep finding excuses or reasons to not go!

Sunday, I went to church. Afterwards, I went out on a Sunday drive with Loreley. Spent most of the day just driving around Orange, Greene, and Louisa counties. I actually got to see the town of Louisa for the first time in my life, and I have lived only 20 minutes away.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AUBREY!