Happy Easter!

My brother goes to UNO and attends King of Kings on Sundays for church. He loves it there, granted it isn't always my favorite style of worship, I enjoy it sometimes. He wanted us as a family to attend their Easter service because it was talked about for weeks in church. For those of you who don't know and didn't hear the radio/see the tv ads, this isn't a small service - they rent out the Qwest Center in Omaha... yah, it's huge. I think the tv stations today said there were around 6,500 people there, they were aiming for 10,000. The sermon was really good - "Admit One" - it talked about admitting our sins and how Christ has freed us. The music was good, although I didn't know half the songs. I just wonder how many people came to that service for their first church service ever... it was the largest service (obviously) in the metro area, which I think caused some envy from other churches based on comments on the news stories online... envy on an Easter service. This type of service isn't for everyone, which is why it's good that there were other services for some to attend. Looking back, I would go again on another Easter if the opportunity is there...

What I want to be...

I have never wanted to be older. Even now, I would gladly return to being five, not to do things differently, but simply to repeat my childhood. I loved spending days with my mom, playing picture bingo and watching Lamb Chops.
In kindergarten my teacher had the class draw what they wanted to be when they grew up. I honestly could not think of anything. I never went through various stages of "what I want to be". I could never imagine myself grown up.
Now I know my goal, know what I am going to do. I want to get into pharmacy school. I still cannot imagine myself being a pharmacist, though. Being a pharmacist means being an adult and I cannot picture or desire it.

Easter Break

This weekend was Easter break. It is nice to be home with my family. Alicia is with me and it is funny to sort of see my family through her eyes. Instead of looking at my family the way I always do, in an overcast light, I observe them in the way that I would a stranger. I can see their flaws and their personality traits, I can see the things that people see; the things that I used to think were crazy and now I realize are just funny. It's like suddenly seeing clearly after looking through a kaleidoscope for years.

They are really truly colorful people. Each of them is unique and hilarious in their own way. I feel like our family could be traveling comedians. We each have our own sense of humor, slightly similar to each others. Sarcastic. Pick on each other constantly (in a loving way, of course). The best kind of funny, to us... maybe not to everyone else. I think they are all hilarious, though my mother told Alicia that she didn't think that my dad was very funny. I always get his jokes. I think that we are too similar. Like father like daughter I suppose.

It's funny to me, to realize that in high school I felt so embarrassed by some things that they did when my friends were around. Now I appreciate them more than ever. Like a fine wine... they have gotten better with time.

I don't know if Alicia has had fun here in David City: Population 2,500. But I know that I have, I enjoy the time with my three favorite people.

The Days are Marching On

I'm glad to see the end of the semester approaching. It's so close I can make out its distinct shape and stride. If I could run and meet it halfway, I would have done it long ago. Alas, I am tethered by responsibilty and time to stay put. The tether is made up of several things, many of which occur Friday. I have a test first thing that morning, followed by a couple more classes, my parents' arrival to see the One Acts, a job interview at Old Chicago in Lincoln, and then the opening night of the One Acts. Any down time I may have will be taken up by keeping my parents busy so they don't get antsy or weigh me down with rapid fire questions that won't cease until something else grabs their or my attention. Fortunately, they won't be staying the entire weekend, so I won't be completely insane by this time next week.

One week from now, if I get the job at Old Chicago, I should be relieved of stress for the most part. Finals week never really gets to me, and I'll be moving from my apartment to a house a few blocks north that same week. I honestly don't like moving, but when I'm in a new space that I get to arrange, rearrange, and decorate...well, I am in one of my little 'happy places.'

Rest of Semester = trying to survive
Summer = income, relaxation, worry-free bliss

-Josh

St. Louis

This glorious Easter weekend I took a trip - a blast from the past if you will. I decided to take a spur of the moment trip with my friend Phil back to his home in Fulton, Missouri, which is close to St. Louis. Over the weekend, we actually went into St. Louis to watch a Cardinals game and meet up with a friend.

Being a native to Missouri, St. Louis in particular, returning is sort of an interesting experience. I moved away from St. Louis when I was roughly twelve years old - at the beginning of junior high. I grew up with St. Louis - it was all I'd ever known for most of my childhood.

I usually return annually to the Gateway to the West, but each time I'm struck with the same sense of nostalgia, the same sense of longing for the past.

I never really got an opportunity to build a lot of solid friendships while I was in grade school. I definitely had best friends and sleepovers and all that good stuff, but none of the relationships or friendships that I formed then are still existent today.

I visit all the old sites - the houses, the food joints, the schools, the ball fields - but my memory is void of friendships, of experiences. I remember the places, and I remember how much I liked this or that and how much I loved someplace or another, but I can't remember why.

My longing comes not only from wishing that I had gathered more friendships and experiences from my time St. Louis, but it also comes from my longing to know why it still has such a powerful effect on me. Sure, it was where I was born. Sure, I spent my childhood there. But why does that matter so much?

---Austin B.

Tea-bagging? Seriously?

Okay, gotta say, remind me again why I'm a Republican? Tea-bagging? Seriously? Who came up with that? I get the protests but sending tea-bags to DC? Bizarreness. Found this video - Rachel Maddow just cracks me up anyway. She kind of reminds me a bit of Dr. Ashby. Gotta say my favorite part is around 2:07. I don't think I could keep a straight face either.

"Well who wouldn't want to tea-bag John McCain?" *takes camera off Rachel who's about to completely lose it* I like that every time she appears to be losing it they put Ana on full-screen.
Is it bad that I'm really not surprised David Vitter is all over this?
-CK

Hello, Blog- it's been awhile. How have you been?

Okay, now onto the real subject matter. I was really happy with how my final essay turned out. It was acutally a big surprise. But, I was looking through some class notes the other day and found a writing exercise we did that I liked. I forgot to include it in my essay and I am disappointed. SO. I'm going to put it here.

The questions were, Why hold onto all that? Where can I put it down?
It's not even mine to hold anymore, or his. It's out there, somewhere, eluding capture, a wild beast I've yet to tame. And should I even try? The only way to reign it in, little by very little, is to write.