Continuation/Evolution from May 25th

OK, so I really haven't written anything of substance here in a long time. That being said don't let my last statement trick you into believing I'll be writing something of substance this time. Last time I wrote about the brevity of the human experience and how grateful I am for everyone that's been a part of my experience so far. Continuing on this theme I have a quote from a book a friend recommended to me that hit me pretty hard. It may not be the same for everyone but I feel like sharing it just in case:

"Seriousness, young man, is an accident of time. It consists, I don't mind telling you in confidence, in putting too high a value on time. I, too, once put too high a value on time. For that reason I wished to be a hundred years old. In eternity, however, there is no time, you see. Eternity is a mere moment, just long enough for a joke."

This is an exchange between the ghost of Mozart and Harry Haller, a character in the book "Steppenwolf" by Herman Hesse. At the time I read this I feel I was taking life and time perhaps a little too seriously. Not necessarily in everyday life---if you know me you know that I'm never "serious" unless I'm absolutely forced to be so---but in my conceptual views of life. I was disappointed in myself for the ways in which I sometimes "waste" time and struggled with the concept of exchanging time for money (working any job). All in all maybe I wasn't considering things in a light enough manner this summer? I've heard before that "life is too important to be taken seriously" but never really gave it too much thought.

This post is less of a finished work and more of a vehicle through which I hope to foster discussion here and with my friends/family so lemme know what you think.

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This is one of the most pure things I've ever heard.

In the future I'm going to finish collecting all these thoughts and throw another blog atcha. For night now, this post serves as a placeholder to remind me of what I want to write.

Hey you! Thanks.

Hola, amigos. What up? I know it's been a long time since I rapped at ya, but things got crazy, if you know what I mean. Props to anyone who knows from which author that previous sentence was stolen (without googling it, Jimmie). Anyways, it has been a while but I'm a college student so I was doing college student-y stuff. Gimme a break.

So... this is gonna be a pretty serious-like blog post and I'm still not sure how I feel about blogging on topics that are really important to me. I may choose to leave this up, I may not.

If you've hung out with me lately and we've had some time to talk I'm pretty sure you're heard me lament the speed at which I've finally realized time is passing. I've probably told you that in 10 years I'll be 31 and in 2090 (choosing a specific year helps me realize how close and tangible the amount of time involved is) I will most likely be dead.

Relatively speaking, I'm not gonna be alive much longer. Neither are you.

This realization has impacted my life in some pretty practical ways. Now I spend my days trying not to fall into patterns. It's too easy to have a conversation with someone without thinking but instead relying on social norms and colloquialisms to make sure nothing actually ever gets said. If I'm going to use precious time talking to someone, why not make sure something worthwhile actually gets said? If we talk and it seems like I'm falling into a conversational rut please mention it. I don't want to waste your time or mine with something utterly devoid of meaning.

I'm still trying to work out how this should all impact my future. The standard decision after going to college is getting a full-time job and working 'til retirement. I'm not sure if that's what I want. Since time is so valuable, is trading my time for money really something I want to do? And at a certain point, what amount of money worth a certain amount of my time? In the grand scheme of things, money is replenish-able and time is not so would there ever be a fair exchange? I'd definitely appreciate thoughts on that point if you'd like to give them (in the comment box, in person, whatever. I'd really like to hear some opinions).

I've been on the world's biggest Yeasayer kick lately and I feel like their song "Red Cave" (posted above) is really representative of my current approach to life, or at the very least what I'd like my approach to be. The final line of the song (OK, the last like... 30 lines) is:

"I'm so blessed to have spent good time with my family and the friends I love. In my short life I have met so many people I deeply care for."

Ultimately I would say that's what this blog post is about. It's about people. I love my family and my friends so much (though I may not always love them in the way they need to be loved). In a slightly different way I'm grateful to absolutely everyone who has been a part of my life, no matter how brief or long the period of time or the value judgment placed on our interaction in terms of whether it was "good" or "bad". I put good and bad in quotations there to emphasize the fact that no matter how the individual experiences my life is made of turned out at the time, those experiences (both "good" and "bad") shaped me into who I am today. And that conglomeration of experiences resulted in me---my personality, my mind, my take on the world.

I'm assuming that you're reading this blog because you know me, so in light of that last paragraph I would like to say thank you. I've been blessed with an awesome family, amazing friends (who are still friends with me even when I act like a jackass) and the time to spend with those people.

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If you made it all this way and read the giant text-fist above you deserve a treat. Here's a picture to brighten your day:

I don't know if you're aware but I freaking love baby penguins. So much.

Shout outs to:

Austin Smith: currently scouring the Italian countryside for a suitable wife.

Hannah Smith: currently caring for some "presh" children in the vaterland (Germany).

Beverly Smith: currently in the US but leaving soon for the Oberammergau Passion Play (check that link, it's a really amazing story).

Zak Kirkendall: this kid actually reads my blog. I appreciate this.

Molly Ford: she said she'd both read and comment on this post. Idn't she cool?

Double Down? More like Double Downer, amirite?

The quote featured in the title of this blog comes from my good friend and fellow KFC adventurer Glen Cupples. Along with Glen and Gary Newman I ventured to the Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant closest to our respective homes on Tuesday evening to sample their newest product, the Double Down. For those of you who haven't heard about the Double Down, it's essentially bacon, cheese and special sauce sandwiched between two fried chicken breasts.

According to the LA Times Blog "The nutrition facts aren’t the best, as you can imagine. The Double Down weighs in at 540 calories, 32 grams of fat and -- hold on -- 1,380 milligrams of sodium." In other words, this sandwich is not good for you.

I recorded some quotes from our experience to help you grasp what it felt like.

The most telling quote from the afternoon was the first thing Glen said when he finished his: "I think I need to wash my hands". And we all agreed, this thing was covered in grease.

Here are some photos:

Those last two photos are representative of how I felt when I finished my sandwich: "I feel like the fast food industry just raped me". And you can see Colonel Sanders' face looking smug like he knows exactly what just happened. At the end, the sandwich they advertised as "so much chicken there wasn't room for a bun" didn't even fill us up.

Final verdict?

This sandwich was over-priced, over-hyped and underwhelming.

This telling conversation happened as we left the restaurant (as it happened to be the second new KFC hype-product we've eaten together):

Glen: "Mark the day, this is the last time I'm ever going to try a new KFC product".

Gary: "I'm never eating KFC again".

Weekend wrap-up and misplaced musings

Listen to this while you read (props to Jimmie for turning me on to this video):

With any luck it's gonna take you less than nine minutes to read this post.

Many thanks to everyone in the DFW area that made this weekend a wonderful one. It was great to see old friends (ADP excepted) and just as great to make new ones.

Over the course of the weekend it became painfully clear that my moustachio would not pass the bar as long as it was blonde. I ended up getting some pretty decent growth (except for in the Hitler area) but it was still impossible to see except up close. After a pretty heated debate about whether or not I should dye it I internally decided that it'd be gone at the end of the weekend.

Something the group of us kinda got obsessed with over the course of Saturday afternoon is Ninja Warrior on G4 tv. For those of you that don't know what this is, watch this video:

Robby and I were constantly amazed at how freaking athletic the people making it through this were. I think in total I watched 3+hours of Ninja Warrior this weekend alone. I just tagged him as "Robby D" and I liked it. I liked it alot.

Anyways, Robby D and I were really psyched about finding a way to try this stuff out for fun in America so if anyone has suggestions I'd love to hear 'em.

Now I'm back in College Station with two art shows and two tests to go to over the next couple days. Fingers crossed they all go well.

On to the Double Down!

If I haven't told you yet I'm really excited about a new KFC sandwich called the Double Down that was released yesterday.

I've come to describe the sandwich as such: it's a bacon, cheese and spiced mayonnaise sandwich except instead of a bun it's stuck in between two fried chicken breasts.

I'm not kidding. Here's a picture.

Now, being the connoisseur of everything fried I'm not gonna pass this up. This is the holy grail of fried chicken products and I will have it. I think I'm gonna go in tomorrow and see how it treats me.

I expect it to treat me like my family's miniature dachshund treats our kitchen floor and I don't think I need to elaborate on that.

My goal for the last year or so of my college tenure has been to ensure that I have a heart attack by the age of 25 and I feel like this is gonna get me back on pace.

Dangit. I just spent 5 minutes signing up for the KFC email list thinking I'd get a Double Down coupon. That's 5 minutes I'm never getting back.

Anyways I'll try to document my experience with the double down as best I can.

If I die mid-meal I give you permission to raid my Moleskine and find out how my last minutes on earth tasted.

Day 2 Photo

My creepy mustache on day two of being a standalone. It looks way better in Black and White than in color. Hence the B&W photo. Only one creeped out stare today. It was from a sorority girl who I may have accidentally initiated eye contact with.

The Stache-tastic Voyage

First things first here's a shoutout for my newest follower Jill Dhonau! I dedicate this blogpost to you and your 21st birthday (which is today).

First things second, watch this video:

This video was an inspiration for me.

Look at that hunk of a man and his beautiful mustache!

LOOK AT IT!

It was at that moment that I decided I wanted to embark on my very own Stache-tastic Voyage.

I hadn't shave for a while at this point anyways, so I went to the bathroom, took off my shirt and got down to work.

Needless to say, my mustache looks nothing like Taylor Rice's (guy in the video) mustache.

Right now I look like I'm involved in an episode of "To Catch a Predator". I was turned away from two parks and the only Chuck E. Cheese in College Station yesterday and now I'm looking over my shoulder hoping I don't see:

right behind me.

I haven't taken any pictures yet but if there's enough public outcry I might hire a photographer to take a few glamour shots.

My hope at the moment is that I'll have a respectable 'stache by this weekend for a friend's birthday party.

I know I wasn't very good about updating during Beardfest 2KX but I'll try to be better about this one. They won't all be long but I'll definitely detail y'all on what locations I've been kicked out and how many creeped out looks I get.

Game on.