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Favorite gifts to give around this time of year....

1.  Clothes always work for brothers
2.  iTunes gift cards are usually desirable
3.  Candy... usually the good kinds
4.  Finger nail clippers (that's right, Brit....Merry Christmas!)
5.  Prayers are good gifts
6.  Locks of my gorgeous dark hair
7.  Winks
8.  Hugs for the aunts and uncles and grandparents and cousins
9.  Colorful things.... as long as the receiver isn't color blind


Favorite gifts to get around this time of year....

1.  Clothes, especially when the fit
2.  Playmobil
3.  AFX
4.  Music
5.  Candy
6.  Vinyl
7.  Summer sport equipment... Because then I have to wait til summer to use it
8.  Friends
9.  Letters....and not just the ones with money in them, but ones with lots of words on them

Day...Wasted

For your reading pleasure, or displeasure as the case may be, I shall now elaborate on how and why a certain hobby is, in my mind, the most pointless waste of time.  Now, one could make the argument that MOST hobbies are useless beyond providing enjoyment to the people who employ their time with their hobbies.  However, I find this particular "hobby" to be an especially aimless endeavor.

• Spotting for deer
     I apologize to anyone who may find this amusing or even enjoyable, but WHAT'S SO SPECIAL ABOUT SEEING DEER AT NIGHT WITH A BRIGHT LIGHT?  And then bragging to your friends about how many deer you spotted last night??
     What is it?  The glow in the deer's eyes?  The fun of holding and pointing a big flashlight?  The number of deer there are in the world?  And why is spotting almost exclusively done from a truck?
     It makes me want to do one of a few things... 1) pull out a flashlight and point it at the truck, then tell my friends how many spotters I saw last night, 2) hide in a field until the spotters come out, then let them find ME with their spotlight instead of deer, or 3) make lots of noise and scare away any wildlife in the area.
     I know I'm being a bit over-the-edge about this, but it's all in the name of good fun!  I myself have been in the back of the spotting truck, and never enjoyed it, unless I saw an animal that was actually a rare one to see.  It was always miserably cold, and a long ride, with no padding to sit on, just the metal of a truck bed.
     So next time you are tempted to "go spotting," think of the many things you could accomplish if you stay home and put your mind to something.  Think of how, 20 years from now, you won't care in the least how many deer you saw on the night of November 13th, 2012, but how much it WILL mean to you if you had read a good book or practiced a musical instrument or ANYTHING BESIDES SPOTTING!!

Best of Vinyl

It will be a sad day when such things as records are gone and forgotten.  I shall now elaborate on exactly WHY this would be a tragedy by listing the virtues of vinyl...

1.  What would my room be without a record player?  They lend a vintage air to any place they inhabit.

2.  That crackly noise that every record makes... THE best.

3.  Who doesn't like cheap?  You can get records for almost nothing these days.

4.  There's nothing that quite compares to watching the time lapse on each song by watching the needle on it's way to the center of the record.

5.  A shelf full of records in their jackets is ... just ... superb.

6.  The album art is so big, you can see little details you'd never notice on your iPod.

7.  Boston... on vinyl... which is almost as good as...

8.  Kansas's Vinyl Confessions on vinyl.

9.  To play another album, you get to pull a record out of it's jacket, slip it onto the turntable, start the turntable, then place the needle on the record.  Is that not so much more satisfying than touching your iPod screen?

10.  45's

Well, that's a start.  I could go on and on, but I understand that some people can only drop their jaws so many times before they fall off.  Goodnight, good morning, or good heavens, whichever the case may be for you at this moment.

Things to Do at the Mountains, Pt. 1: War Paint

In order to begin the process of coal tattooing, one needs the necessary supplies.  As indicated by the photo below, a small chunk of coal is needed, as well as a few different sized styluses.  You may even use other rocks, like this brick, but black results in the most contrast for skin.  You will also need a small amount of water.

Once you have your utensils assembled, pour some water onto the rock and commence with the creation of the black paint.  Scrape the chunk of coal in the water, until a thick paste is present.

Now, sharpen your stylus on the rock.  This is important for detailing your coal tattoos.

Dip the stylus in the coal paste...

...And have at it!

A Thought

Since I have run out of ideas for blog posts (for the moment), I will give you, the public, a chance to choose a topic for future blog posts of mine.  Most likely, I will not be able to post on ALL subjects that you will want, but I will do my best to post on a good portion of them.  So: ready, aim, fire!

Things the Sisterless and Brotherless Missed

Since I never had a biological sister, I missed some things, good or bad.  I'll attempt to keep it PG ish, knowing that many of you who read this are very young and tender.

1.  They make boxers for girls too apparently
2.  Random shopping trips to places no boy would want to go, ever
3.  Bags and purses, unless you come from the Bouffard lineage...
4.  Girly music: Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, etc.
5.  Girly style: animal prints and bright neon colors
6.  DO NOT ENTER zones into which you really DO NOT want to enter
7.  Spaghetti (not the pasta)
8.  Purple ipods
9.  Computers with names
10.Rearview mirror hangers
11.Strawberry Shortcake pillows (right, Mariel?)
12.Gonky (Mariel, how do you spell that?)
13.That's all I can think of at the moment....  Feel free to comment on things that I missed.

Now, on to things you brotherless girls missed...  (This is a general opinion, so if you didn't miss any of these things, you may comment if you must)

1.  Matchboxes
2.  Swords, literally everywhere
3.  DO NOT ENTER zones into which you REALLY want to enter
4.  Trucks, the big loud ones
5.  Consistent doses of stability and sanity
6.  Jurassic Park pillows
7.  Waffles (not the breakfast kind)
8.  Sitting in the stands at a baseball game during the hottest, driest days
9.  Baseball cards, everywhere
10.Parking lot basketball hoops
11.Skrillex
12.Simple (dull), plain (colorless), and easy-to-understand (impossible) technology
13.That's a good start, I think, feel free to comment
Special thanks to Alexis for her ideas...

More Photography...

There are opportunities for great photography all the year long, and this current season is no exception.

At the Present Moment...

At present, I'm stuck in the past.   I don't know if it's a good thing, but I do know this: the music of the past is a good thing!  Also, the styles of the past are a GREAT thing.  So, let's take a look at the past of which I speak.

In 1967, Shocking Blue was formed by four men: Robbie van Leeuwen, Fred de Wilde, Klaasje van der Wal, and Cor van der Beek.  Van Leeuwen was primarily responsible for songwriting.  A few years later, de Wilde was replaced by Mariska Veres.  This lineup was the most successful for the group, and the most stylish...

They were responsible for loads of excellent rock music, although they are only remembered here in the USA for their hit single Venus (which goes to show the lack of interest that our country has for good music).  Here's another look at their style...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_aOEwqveNk&feature=related
Enjoy.

Questions, With Which One May Start a Conversation

How do you start a conversation with someone?  Here are some ideas of questions to use when attempting to communicate with your fellow human beings...

1. So, what would YOU do if a bunch of Scottish men came down the street in the parade, wearing their kilts and playing bagpipes?
2. Do you enjoy distortion?
3. What is your middle name?
4. Do you prefer double humbuckers, or single coils?
5. Have you ever seen the rain?
6. What's your favorite time of day?
7. Do you love me?
8. Ever read the Hardy Boys?
9. Ever watched the Hardy Boys?
10. Am I interesting?
11. Is your Uncle Stalky a great man? (If they ever say no, you just scrag 'em)

Now, let's look at some BAD IDEAS...

1. How's life? (too general)
2. Where do you work? (as if you care)
3. How are you? (also too general, and very overused)
4. What's your name? (Not a conversation starter)
5. Who's your daddy? (Flower child)
6. How much money do you have? (If you like your mouth, keep this one from coming out of it)
7. I like Santa, don't you? (Santa scares too many people)
8. Does anyone know what time it is? (Does anyone really care?)

Hope it helps, but it probably won't...

Birthdays

Well, Mariel is 13, so happy birthday Mariel.  This post is really mostly about you, so soak up the well-wishes.

Other happy birthdays:
Justin Bieber - May your voice never drop
Jon Bon Jovi - Maybe someday you'll make enjoyable music, but I doubt it
Alexander Graham Bell - The telephone is helpful, thanks a lot
Antonio Vivaldi - Your music rocks!
Tom Sholz - Your music REALLY rocks!
Chuck Norris - idk, have a nice day
Darryl Strawberry - Drugs suck

Figure it Out

1.  You can get anything you want...

2.  Fallin' in an' out o' love with you...
3.  On a hippie trail, head full of zombie...
4.  If it's 'no,' you need this good advice...
5.  Why somethin' good can hurt so bad...
6.  Keepin' my eye on the keyhole...
7.  Alligator lizards in the air...
8.  It's not in the way that you hold me...
9.  If I find you've been creepin' 'round my backstair...
10.The girl with kaleidoscope eyes...
11.One and one and one...
12.Some silicon sister with a manager mister...
13.I never want to hear you say...
14.Swaying in the summer breeze...
15.This town don't look good in snow...
16.It used to be so easy...
17.The things you think are precious...
18.Turn some pages...
19.If you give a little more than you're asking' for...
20.With a whirlwind by her side...
21.After all your words of steel...
22.Easy like Sunday morning...
23.Heard it from a friend who heard it from a friend who heard it...

I might make a blog post in honor of the person who can identify 10 songs without using google...  But I might not...  But you never know...  How will I know if you cheat, you ask?  Dumb question...  That's like asking Obama how he can give away free bumper stickers, or asking Danny Ainge if Paul Pierce is better at basketball than Nicolas Sarcozy...

Valentine

Is this day a ruse for women to get even more than just a Christmas gift from a man?  If a girl is fortunate enough to get something for Christmas from her man, then let's leave it at that and go on a romantic date.  How much are you men willing to spend on your lady fair this February 14th?  I suppose 9 PM is a little too late on Valentine's Day to be thinking about such things, so you might as well forget about it if you didn't do anything, because most women will probably be offended if you are late with your Valentine's gift.  But really, what is Valentine's Day, other than ESPN making a headline of a sports figure's special story, or Google's much awaited change-up of homepage, or the weather forecast being another cloudy, mild winter day (without snow)?
Valentine's is, for me, another day of work.  And since it was on a Tuesday this year, a day of double work.  Then you throw in a bit of school here and there, and it's not that much different than any other day.  Ok, so SOMEONE asked me if Madonna was my valentine, or if I was still going out with Ke$ha.  So what?  We make such jokes all the sing-song year long.  BUT, I found out something on this February 14, 2012...
What's not to love about a Valentine's Day bike ride?  If I'm crazy, just look at the weather we've had: it defines crazy.  All the joys and annoyances of cycling were rediscovered on this day.  Slipping my feet into the pedals, clicking my way through the gears, tucking into an aerodynamic position and just cruising, chain skipping when I put too much pressure on it (!), passing good old dogs who don't bark, passing annoying young dogs that freak out and make you want to punt them, getting teary-eyed from screaming descents...
And so, that's what Valentine's Day is all about.  And for y'all out there who don't enjoy cycling (get lives), it's about some other something that you enjoy, or someONE, if you must have it that way.  But this year, for me, it was about rediscovering a winterized hobby.  Now, if I could just go water skiing tomorrow...

Photography, Black and White

This Could End Up Being a Serious Post

     When it comes to electing people for public office, especially the office of president, Christians should remember a few things when going to the polls.  First, that the government is not a religious establishment. Too often do I hear fellow believers criticize frontrunners such as Romney on the basis of religion, and only religion.  This is walking on the edge of a cliff, politically.  Simply because someone who is running for office shares your belief in God, or maybe they even claim to be of your denomination, does not insure the country from recession, foreign invasion, immoral lifestyles, or any other problem.  If they do not have the knowledge or the head for running a country, then they are not fit to be running a country, no matter how many people they've baptized or how many lives have been changed during their church services.
     Other than voting, there are many ways in which people get involved in politics.  These various political activities may not be a COMPLETE waste of time, but they certainly are not the most efficient way of educating the population about whom to vote for.  Christians who believe in what the Founding Fathers have written down in the Constitution should be engaging the people next door, attempting to change the heart of the nation.  Alongside of this, we should encourage people to get educated about economics and foreign policy and especially domestic policy.  When the nation as a whole changes, that is when the Constitution will again function properly.  As it is at present, the Constitution isn't much help because (1) fewer and fewer politicians think it is necessary enough to follow and (2) fewer and fewer citizens even know what is contained in its pages.

More Things I Do Not Like About Growing Up

If I repeat myself (one of my previous posts had to do with growing up) I apologize.

1.  You forget that the joke or story you are telling isn't anything new to your listeners

2.  People you encounter along the path of life will sometimes LOOK grown up, but ACT like a child

3.  Did I already mention weddings?

4.  500 page textbooks

5.  How you displace more water when going in a hot tub the older you get

6.  Some friends become ununderstandable

7.  All sorts of words or phrases become inappropriate, because someone decided that they mean something else

8.  How Heather calls me squid

9.  Grandparents who can't do all the physical activities they used to be able to do

NOW, I will "switch gears" and post some things I actually like about being grown up, even though I'm only 18...

1.  Driving

2.  Driving stick

3.  Driving stick at night

4.  Driving stick at night in the snow

5.  Music: my musical tastes have expanded exponentially

6.  Money, which is the result of MY labor, not my parents'

7.  The ability to think for myself

8.  I can go in hot tubs in public places, because I'm 18!!!

9.  Increased physical abilities

10.I understand grown ups better, like my parents, and appreciate them more, a lot more

I think I'll just skip #11, if that's ok with y'all

12.I get to decide my style of dress, music, and all that

13.Cycling

I'm running out of ideas, so that will be it for this post.

Family Cleaning Night

I found all sorts of old school work, including this...

I also found old artwork, including this...

And wouldn't you know it, I found glasses, which are not of any use, because they are only slightly ambered, and they aren't reading glasses, so they are purposeless...

I also found $5 in a DQ gift card.

Also,

- Rough draft of a Tour de France research paper

- Rough draft of a 1920s research paper

- Letters to Uncle Nate

- Letters from friends

- A t-shirt which my dad drew on: Larry the Cucumber in Red Sox clothes with a bat

- Dad's old dartboard

- Workbooks from Awana retreats

- Tickets (Red Sox games, Philly Museum of Art, Casting Crowns concert (why??), Sixers game)

- Old art tablet

- Bibles

- Clothes which haven't been worn in a while

- Cassette player

- CD player

- iPod armband

- Model cars

- Toys which have been in their boxes for years (don't worry, I don't think magnetics toys wake up at night)

- Hats

- A pop up book, by me, called the Tower of London, with just one page

Lots more.......

Abby Said to Make One About Skiing, So...

I like skiing, and this is a list of some of my favorite things about it.
1.  Cold
2.  Long Johns
3.  Riding up the lift with someone you've never seen before, but somehow have a connection with because both of you ski
4.  The first wreck of the day
5.  Snowplowing with your face when you wreck, eating a ton of snow
6.  Snow
7.  Looking with longing at the trails which aren't yet groomed
8.  Watching snowboarders fall on their way off the lift
9.  Slick chrome American prince (from a song by the Killers, which has nothing to do with skiing, but oh well)
10.Pretending to be a good terrain park skier
11.Lifts which don't take a year to get to the top of the mountain
12.Standing at the top of the mountain in the dark, looking down a double-black diamond
13.Clicking your heels into the bindings, knowing you are now about to hit the slope
14.NOT the outrageous prices at the lodge
15.The cool rental guys
16.Traveling up the lift with a cute girl
17.Getting up at 5 AM, but this time with motivation
18.Hitting ice and skidding 10 feet
19.The snow around the mountain, because there is no snow where we live

Things I Dislike About Growing Up

Yes, I dislike/hate lots of things it seems.  Maybe I'll make a post sometime about stuff I actually enjoy.  Anyways, TO BUSINESS!!!!!!

27.Marriage (Those who know me WELL know why I put #27 as marriage.  But, even if you know me WELL, you probably will still wonder why I put #27 first.)
1.  When you grow up, you can't really live without getting a job.
2.  And "job" is another word for I-don't-have-a-life-unless-I-work-at-something-I-like.
3.  You aren't little anymore, and little is fun a lot of times.
4.  Body Odor
5.  Owning a house, everyone says it's overrated.
6.  If you are a boy, like me, some girls stop being your friend, and start this whole "I like you" thing.  NO fun.
7.  Girls, for the MOST part, are no longer any sort of good competition when it comes to athletics.
8.  Boys who were your friends start "liking" girls instead of playing sports.
9.  More responsibility
10.All the sudden, when strangers talk to you in stores, mom and dad are ok with it.  I was just fine with it when we didn't talk to strangers.
11.I'm trying to think of more...  11 things is not enough...
12.Lots of money comes your way, but it also goes away...
13.How you have to wait until age 21 to legally drink.  Like I'm going to terrorize the world because I had a glass of wine...
14.I guess #13 was kind of dumb.
15.The crap-load of ads that are aimed at you.
16.How you can't play in places like the Hands On House, because you are too old.
17.The lack of motivation to go on hikes and stuff like that, which used to be cool.
18.Above most of what I put down, temptation.
19.No time for toys.
20.Paying for your own shoes.
21.Pressure to get married as soon as possible.
22.How most people lose their childish logic for adult fantasies.
23.Chores, which I don't think I did before age 6 or 7.
24.Jeff Gordon's number!!!!!!!!!  Jeff Gordon rocks!!!!!!!!!
25.All the school work, which seemed so tantalizing as a 4 year old.
26.Moving, especially if it's more than once.
27.That's enough for now.