Archive for the ‘Fun’ Category

Getting Cold Again or What I like about Winter

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Posted 15 Nov 2007 — by nick
Category coffee, Fun, music, Winter

As I type my weather widget tells me the outside air has reached an almost tropical 41° today. A couple weeks ago I pulled out my jackets and sweaters from storage – I saw this coming, I’m still not ready for it.

I decided to make a list of a couple of things I am excited about now that it’s cold in an effort to better ready myself for the long winter. An exhaustive list this is not – it serves the point though.

Things I like about the Cold:

  1. Wool socks – Preferred Smartwool of course, although others will do.
  2. Warm drinks – Ok so this one is year round with coffee, but now I look less like a junkie. This includes coffee, tea, hot chocolate, chai and occasionally cider.
  3. Jazz music – Something about Jazz and the cold winter – the overcast skies, the barren trees, the way the night grows longer stealing away our days – just feels right.
  4. Cold Cheeks and Nose – The fresh cold air on your face feels good, as long as the rest of you stays warm (Amy pointed this out today).
  5. Snow – Beautiful, fun, white, essential for snowboarding

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Now playing: Thelonious Monk – Straight, No Chaser
via FoxyTunes

Starstruck

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Posted 09 Nov 2007 — by nick
Category Friends, Fun, music, Poetry

My roommate Matt is a stud. Last weekend some friends and I drove over to Illinois State University to hear him play at a Coffee House. He played quite a few songs, mostly his original stuff though he did include a fun cover of Counting Crows – Amy hit the atmosphere. One song I loved he is considering titling “Starstruck”. I’ve posted the lyrics below:

You move like a melody
Your skin is pure as a dove
Your eyes melt like summer rain
Your smile is sweet and disarming
This could be love

But no, that’s not how this works
I guess that’s the trouble with falling first
Open your eyes
Come take a chance on me

If life was a movie then you’d be the star
How clever, how gentle, how lovely you are
Would you make me an extra in back of the scene
Or could I be your leading man
A king for the queen

Every time the telephone rings
I dream that it’s you
Calling just to hear my voice
And tell me how you miss me too

But no, that’s not how this works
I guess that’s the trouble with falling first
Open your eyes
Come take a chance on me

If life was a movie then you’d be the star
How clever, how gentle, how lovely you are
Would you make me an extra in back of the scene
Or could I be your leading man
A king for the queen

You came to me quickly
And it’s no surprise
You’ve stolen my heart
With one glance of your eyes
The heart’s made for loving
So give it a try
Cause this could be everything
This could be everything

If life was a movie then you’d be the star
How clever, how gentle, how lovely you are
Would you make me an extra in back of the scene
Or could I be your leading man
A king for the queen
“Starstruck” ~ Matt Wondra

Matt’s done a wonderful job capturing the early feelings of romance and attraction we experience as men, and maybe also for you women as well. I liken this to poetic genius – a gift evident in Matt and littered throughout his songs. I eagerly await the album he is recording, in his room, right above me. In the meantime check out his MySpace page for some samples.

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Now playing: Josh Garrels – Break Bread
via FoxyTunes

8 Year-old Genius Inventors

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Posted 06 Nov 2007 — by nick
Category Fun

These kids made me smile. I came across this on digg.com this afternoon. I sure could have used a pair of these growing up.

Moving Music

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Posted 04 Nov 2007 — by nick
Category Blogs, Friends, Fun, Jesus, music, Spirituality

So I’m stealing this from Amy, check out her blog for the original post.

Music can have a strong emotional pull on me – invoking happiness or sadness, and not always related to a past experience. As I thought over my favorite artists I realized the ones a top the list have the strongest grip over me – Derek Webb, Counting Crows, Damien Rice, Ray LaMontagne, to name a few.

Sometimes a song in it’s completeness – music, lyrics, vocals – draws out a feeling of joy. For me, worship music often follows this line, but as my previous post showed, fun ska or punk music can do it too. Other songs just make me want to cry. Here are a couple of those types:

“Fix You” by Coldplay – Coldplay is an interesting band for me, the vocals usually pull me down but the guitar and drums make me want to move and sway which makes me smile. This song though just makes me teary.

“Colorblind” by Counting Crows – I’m a sap for a sad piano song, well any piano song I guess, but the start to this song causes emotion to well up and my eyes to fill. Then the violin sets in and I’m gone. This song is probably the most consistent tear invoker on the list.

“The Blowers Daughter” by Damien Rice – Soaked in pain, you can hear the hurt in Damien’s voice and it moves my heart to morn with him.

“Black eye” by Jeff Tweedy – This one doesn’t always get me, but on days when I feel alone and distant from God, forgetting his grace and love, this song reminds me of all the walls I’ve constructed and how good they are at isolating me.

“Let that be enough” by Switchfoot – So worshipful, so prayerful, it centers me on God and illuminates ways I’ve chosen my way instead of His. It strips me down to a simple child like faith and puts me back together.

This was a lot of fun for me, what songs make you want to cry. Or if you like, what songs make you joyful?

Just For Fun – Lots of Music

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Posted 02 Nov 2007 — by nick
Category Blogs, Friends, Fun, music

Last night Josh put on some Five Iron Frenzy songs at the haus – I haven’t listened to FIF in like a thousand yesterdays. Reese Rooper has been tickling my ears as I smile remembering concerts of the high school and early college years.

Tonight I’m going to hear my roommate and good friend Matt Wondra play some sweet tunes at a coffee house near ISU. Ben, Amy and I are driving over together. Check out Matt’s MySpace page to get some samples of his superpowers.

I used my emusic monthly quota to download Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (because I’ve respected Spoon for a while but don’t own any of their stuff) and Josh Garrels – Over Oceans (under Josh’s recommendation). Both albums are super sweet.

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Now playing: Five Iron Frenzy – Dandelions
via FoxyTunes

Halloween funness

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Posted 01 Nov 2007 — by nick
Category Friends, Fun

So yesterday was Halloween. Ben Chase, Matt Wondra and I had initially planned on doing a group costume for a party a couple friends were hosting, Matt had to cancel do to some prior commitments though. Ben and I almost didn’t go to the party cause our costume wouldn’t quite work-out, also because neither of us really felt in the party mood. I’m glad I went though, it was a lot of fun.

Here is a picture of Ben and I. Ben was Shadrack, Matt was gonna be Meshack and I was One Bad Amigo. So we were Shadrack, Meshack and One Bad Amigo 🙂 We thought that was clever and pretty funny.

Retreating to the Wilderness

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Posted 24 Oct 2007 — by nick
Category Creation, Friends, Fun, Jesus, Light, Spirituality

Illinois has mountains too… well sorta. This is Camel Rock in the Garden of the Gods, part of Shawnee National Forest in Southern Illinois.

In a few short minutes I’ll be on the road with my twin brother Chris headed for Harrisburg, IL. We’ll be spending the next 3 1/2 days hiking a small section of the River to River trail – specifically we are destined for The Garden of the Gods.

I’m excited to have a chance to retreat and spend some refreshing simplistic time with God. I pray He meets with me as I walk through creation and communions with me as I drink deep of His beauty.

See you in a few days.

Ruined Childhood Perceptions

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Posted 01 Sep 2007 — by nick
Category Friends, Fun, Television

Tonight some friends of mine laughed as I explained how I thought it was weird that Garfield the Cat had a mustache. Apparently he doesn’t and I’ve been wrong all these years. Take a look for yourself, the yellow totally looks like a mustache:


Also I decided I don’t like Garfield cause he’s orange.

Daft Hands

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Posted 13 Aug 2007 — by nick
Category Fun, Movies, Technology, Videos

So I haven’t posted in awhile and nothing to serious… so I’ll break part of that trend and post a cool YouTube video Ben Chase showed me awhile back. Enjoy!

Music + Friends + Running = Fun

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Posted 23 Jul 2007 — by nick
Category Creation, Fun, Movies, music, Running

It’s been a bit since I last posted. Odd how compelled I feel to apologize and explain how life has been busy – only that would seem to imply I have points of non-busyness. It’s been quite the norm as of late though, packed days, long hours at work, early morning running – all along the list of people to catch-up with and things on the backburner boiling over. I just returned from Wilderness LT and I feel like I need another vacation. This weekend served as a bit of a break. I can’t remember the last time I got to work on a Monday and thought “that was a really fun weekend!”


On Friday Chris, Marla and I went to Mike and Molly’s to see Elsinore play – tangent: These guys are awesome, great song writing, great vocals, original style and feel. You should buy their CD Nothing for Design on iTunes and Ryan Groff Solo CD People In The Midwest from Parasol.

On Saturday I got up extra early and joined the Buffalo – the trail running group of Second Wind Running Club. Marla has been inviting me out to run with them for over a year now, figured I’d finally take her up on the offer. We did a 10 mile loop around Lake Clinton. It was a beautiful morning, the temperature cool, the shade nice, and the trail clean. That evening there was a going away party for a friend who is moving back to Taiwan and then I caught up with some friends at Cowboy Monkey for a bit.

Early Sunday morning Darren, Marla and I joined the Second Wind fall marathoners for a long training run. Feeling a little beaten up by the trails the previous day I only did 11 miles instead of the planned 16. The remainder of the day was relaxing, some dinner and watched The Last King of Scotland. I fell asleep last night with a smile on my face – good music, good friends, good running.

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