Swimmahdave's Xanga

Monday, November 21, 2005

Mon, 21 Nov 2005 20:21:01 GMT

Ok, so walking in form my car this evening inspired me to write..... I was taken back to about 4 years and one week ago, give or take a couple days. Things were so much simpler then, I had even less of a clue about me then than I do now, but I was more confident. It really is odd how growing up changes things. Anyways, it is a beautiful night here in Da Haute, and it would be wonderful to be able to go wander around in the dead crunchy leaves on the ground and look around at the stars that are shimmering in the skies. Too bad it's the week of Thanksgiving, and all of Rose is shut down and everyone is gone, otherwise I'd prolly go over there right now. Who knows, I still might, just to be outdoors before it gets too cold and I get too busy to be able to. But before that I think I am going to eat some dinner. I am outtie, and I apologize to anyone who reads this and understands too well. One of these days I may straighten myself out and come after what I once had.

Thursday, November 10, 2005

Thu, 10 Nov 2005 23:16:43 GMT

My name is not Pookie (or any other spelling with the pronounciation poo-key). That is all.

Thursday, November 03, 2005

Thu, 03 Nov 2005 20:36:16 GMT

Alright, so it may have been a little bit, but I am going total nerd on here for a minute.... My roommate is a big nerd, as any one who has met him, or seen his star trek collection can attest to. Anyways, my roommate brought home star wars episode 3 on tuesday, and as I too am a nerd, i got sidetracked and watched most of it with him. Afterward, I had an urge to watch the original (ep 4). Of course my roommmate has a copy on DVD, but they are the newer versions, the ones Lucas redid. I must say that the redone first movie is an atrocity (sp?). first off the scene where Vader first steps onto the ship that Leia was on, the blasters create flashes that take up the whole screen. I mean this is an addition that makes me want to go Schizo like all those japenese kids supposedly do while watching anime. Then the additions of scenes and creatures that are totally CG, and they look so cheap and fake, it really makes me sick. The whole scene with Han and Jabba on Tatooine, it is sick. Not to mention them changing the fact that Han shot first in the cantina... quit changing things dammit. Alright, I think I'm done now, but I may have more later (I'm still less than halfway through the movie now). Hope all you stalkers out there enjoy reading this.

Tuesday, October 25, 2005

Tue, 25 Oct 2005 09:32:41 GMT

So who needs enemys with friends like this, right?

I took this quote from my best friend from home's (Bill) away message. Pete is another really close friend of mine too.

PETE: see whats the point in drinking if you're just gonna be angry
PETE: i can be angry without the drinks
ME: really ... it's better if you're angry while sober ... at least you can remember cussing people out
ME: what's the fun in being an asshole if you don't remember it?
PETE: exactly
PETE: cause you're some girly-man who tries to be some nice guy
ME: perhaps we need to have an intervention at some point ... let dave know the error of his ways
PETE: we've pointed this out to him numerous times, that he's too much of a nice guy
PETE: appearently its a farse and melts away as soon as some drinks get in him
ME: lol

They really have no idea what they are talking about. I am thinking we need to get together and straighten some of this stuff out.

Tuesday, October 18, 2005

Tue, 18 Oct 2005 08:34:58 GMT

A little update for all the stalkers out there. I am coming off of my fall break this past weekend, and things are really starting to get busy now. The high school season officially starts next Monday for girls, and 2 weeks later than that for the boys. It is a good team this year on both sides. I am excitied to see how things turn out. The boys especially are really going to turn some heads this year. This weekend is also the halloween splash. Our club is hosting the meet up at THN, all friday night, and saturday and sunday all day. Our club is getting rather large, so we will have a lot of our swimmers there, but it will be interesting to see how well we stack up against the other teams around (size does not equal ability). Then again, who really knows.
Some updates on my attempt to not lose my athletic prowess. I did compete in my triathlon on Sunday morning of Homecoming weekend. Not the best weather starting out, considering they postponed the start by a half hour to let the thunder and lightning pass (after we had all started to get into the water). But it went really well, I was a bit off of my goal stated in this blog as 2:35. I ended up going much more slowly than anticipated on the swim, and it made my overall time 2:40 and change. The run felt good, but I did cramp up going down a hill, adn I almost ended up in the creek, but it worked out alright. Thios past weekend I also ran, this time as part of a relay in the Indianapolis marathon. I was a little bit intimidated originally, because marathon is a scary word for me right now, but it actually ended up being a whole ton of fun. Phil and Sarah each ran a leg, as did Phil's sister. They decided I should do the last and longest leg, and it felt awesome running that whole way. they tell me that I was at about 7 minute mile pace, which is amazing since I haven't run that kind of pace over any distance in a long time (read: cross-country back in high school). It felt great though, going across that line.
Anyways, that's enough blabber for one morning. I have to go get some stuff done today. Career fair is tomorrow, and I really should make a good showing there, but my luck in the past does not bode well for that. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Friday, September 30, 2005

Fri, 30 Sep 2005 00:35:25 GMT

So yeah,

This past weekend I watched my little brother get married. Ok, so he really is my twin, but if you know him, and the dynamic between me and him, you know that he is my little brother. I did all of the Best Man duties that I believe are requisite leading up to and during the wedding. It is somewhat odd to know that I am the only one now, in my immediate family that is not married. Heck, I don't even have a serious grilfriend. Oh well, I guess I will just have to stay a man-whore for a while. Is it a bad thing that I don't consider that a disappointing prospect?

Anyways, this weekend is the big weekend... Homecoming for Rose, and my triathlon on Sunday early morning up in West Lafayette (Purdue, for you non-Hoosiers). I am not in nearly as good of shape as I had intended, but whatever. I will certainly be better off than I was for the Terre Haute Tri. Anyways, I think I am going to bed now, so if anybody actually reads this silly little thing, give me a shoutout, I'm sure you know the number. Peace, I'm outta here.

Wednesday, September 14, 2005

Wed, 14 Sep 2005 21:56:09 GMT

Ok, so I have been thinking about writing in this thing for a while now... not entirely sure why, but I have felt the urge, so hopefully this entry will stop that. I am not particularly good at keeping a coherent string of thoughts coming, so be prepared.

Anyways, I am doing well, for any of you stalkers out there. I have been coaching again for about 2 weeks now. The high schoolers are about the same as they were last year, a little bigger, a little more brash than they used to be maybe, but all in all the same fun group. We also have a few newbies that are showing a lot of promise after only a week of being in the water, so it should be fun this year, the boys are gonna come out swingin.

The torpedoes have also started, and that means large hordes of little kids. We had so many in our lowest group (the one I'm in charge of) that they had to split it into 2 groups. I also am no longer the low-man on the totem pole. We have 2 new assistant coaches now. Great story, one of them, who is named Whitney, had her first day today, and after I introduced her to all the swimmer's they all chimed in beautifully with "hello coach whitney." It was precious.

In the sports theme, I myself am trying to get into shape. I am doing an olympic distance triathlon on Sun the 2nd of October (1.5k swim/ 40k bike/ 10k run). I am good for the swim, and I have been ok on the bike so far, it's just a matter of staying consistent on the bike until then. The run I am thinking depends on the day, cuz I have done some really long runs and felt great, and done some really short ones and felt like crap. We'll see. Quote menow when I say my goal is to be under 2:35. Also, I am going to do the Indy marathon, as part of a relay with Phil, Sarah, and maybe Jes. That is 2 weeks later, on the 15th, but I really don't feel worried about that run, I don't get it.

Anyways, that is about all I've got. I mean who wants to get bored with my school stories? Although I must admit that it is really nice having people back here again to talk to other than just mike, baldauff, and my terre haute swimming people. That is it for now, so hit me up if you wanna say hey.

Tuesday, March 22, 2005

Tue, 22 Mar 2005 08:16:21 GMT

So it has definitely been a while, yet again, since my last post. At this rate, I might post daily in about a year. Maybe sooner, as I didn't actually do the math on this one. Anyways, before I toolishly scare you all away, I want to get down to rambling about the stuff that inspired me enough to actually write something in here. That something would be baseball. Specifically major league baseball. Now this past couple of weeks has not been all that good for baseball, and there have been a number of people talking about the pros and cons of baseball and the issues that steroids have made all the more important to talk about. And as much as I hate steroids and believe that asteriks and taking away records may be appropriate for anyone that admits to, or is found to have used steroids, I know that won't happen, and nor does it need to.

I happened upon an espn classic baseball game this past week, it may have even been Thursday, when all this congressional hearings were going on. It was a game that I had watched as it happened back in '97 or so. The Oakland A's had come to Seattle, and were playing against Randy Johnson. Now most of you would be right in saying that I am completely biased about that particular game. Irregardless of the fact that Randy struck out 19, and a possibly juiced Mark Mcgwire got a hold of one that literally hit the back wall of the Kingdome, 540 ft later, I remember the sense of accomplishment from watching that game. I watched how the crowd reacted to every pitch, and how with 2 strikes on a batter, they were like a giant living thing in the stands. Randy was pissed because he was losing, and the crowd didn't even notice the scoreboard.

So now to my point. The thing that struck me most about the game was the timelessness of it. At the time, it was an exciting game to watch, but it dawned on me how many exciting things there were about baseball. The summer months are filled with great times for people, being out and about, or sometimes just staying home listening to a game on the radio. The nostalgia, and the association of baseball and summer are inseparable for any baseball fan. The summer nights just don't feel right at twilight when you're sitting on your front porch or deck without whomever's voice crackling through the radio. Every team out there has a player or a broadcaster or a season that someone will relate to, for whatever reason, not necessarily sports related. That, though, is why baseball will never die. It doesn't have the raw force of football, or the fast pace of basketball, nor the small payoffs of hockey or soccer. Baseball allows for anticipation, one on one matchups that affect the team in so many ways. It is a truly great sport.

People always look at the numbers in baseball, and being an engineer, I truly do appreciate that fact, but for the same reasons that Maris had so many issues when he hit 61, and had that asterik originally put next to the record, people have issues with todays players and the steroids they may mor may not be taking. I am not even going to venture a guess as to whether or not any players are taking steroids, becase I know it doesn't matter. Records get recognition, but they are not the heart of the game. It is a game, and it is the beauty that has captivated people summer after summer after summer that earned baseball the nickname of "the national pasttime." Anyways, there's my 2 cents, and I will be thoroughly amazed if anyone is still reading at this point.

Wednesday, February 02, 2005

Wed, 02 Feb 2005 11:26:47 GMT

Alright, it's been like 6 months now since I last posted, and at the urgings of all of my stalkers out there, I decided to post something for everyone to look at. Enjoy.

[Name] Dave
[Nickname] Swimmah
[Screen name] swimmahdave

[Birthday] March 20, 1982
[Astrological sign?] Pisces
[Chinese zodiac sign?] Dog (thanks, Mindy)
[Location] Terre Haute, IN
[Sexual Preference] I like women
[Marital Status] Single
[Religion] Agnostic
[Eye color] brown
[Height] 6'0"
[Shoe size] 10.5
[Parents still together?] yup
[Siblings?] 2 brothers
[Nieces/Nephews?] not yet
[Kids of your own?] hahaha... that's funny.
[Grandkids?] obv. not
[Pets?] none right now
[In school/graduated?] at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
[Rent, lease, or own your home?] rent an apartment
[Have any credit cards?] a couple
[What do you drive?] a 1995, smoky amethyst colored Buick Regal

Favorites
[Color] navy blue
[Number] 13
[Animal] otter
[Vehicle] 1964 1/2 Ford Mustang convertible
[Flower] rose
[Scent] vanilla
[Shape] prolly a cube
[Drinks] orange mountain dew
[Soda] coke
[Book] it's been a while, but prolly Harry Potter #4 ("The Goblet of Fire")
[Band] ewwww.... I like so many
[Song] Champagne Supernova by Oasis (still no clue why, after like 10 years)

Do you...
[Color your hair?] only with chlorine while swimming
[Twirl your hair?] sometimes (is that bad?)
[Have tattoos?] nope
[Piercings?] nope
[Have a boyfriend/girlfriend/both?] both?... no wait, none of the above.
[Cheat on tests/homework?] I never cheat 0:)
[Drink/Smoke?] drink: occasionally, smoke: once in a blue moon, and only cigars.
[Like roller coasters?] totally
[Wish you could live somewhere else?] What, and leave the wonderous Haute?
[Want more piercings?] not really
[Like cleaning?] every once in a while

[Write in cursive or print?] print
[Carry a donor card?] proudly
[Swear a lot?] unfortunately
[Own a web cam?] nope, sorry.
[Know how to drive?] not really well, but well enough
[Diet?] hahaha... no
[Own a cell phone?] yup
[Ever get off the damn computer?] yeah, but it stays on without me
[Hablar Espanol?] huh?

Have you ever...
[Gotten a speeding ticket?] 2... both of which I don't think I deserved, but I guess they make up for the times I did deserve one when cops weren't around.
[DUI?] Nope
[Been in a wreck?] nope (*knock on wood)
[Been arrested?] nope
[Been in a fist fight?] only with my brothers
[Kicked someone in the nuts?] not aggressively
[Stolen anything?] nope
[Held a gun?] yeah
[Drank?] a couple times, maybe
[Been so drunk you couldn't remember your name?] wow... definitely not
[Considered a life of crime?] passingly
[Considered being a hooker?] not so much
[Cheated on someone?] nope
[Been married?] nope
[Cried over a girl?] yup
[Cried over a boy?] I don't think so
[Lied to someone?] yes
[Been in love?] ohh yeah
[Fallen for your best friend?] yeah
[Made out with JUST a friend?] ummmmm...
[Been rejected?] who hasn't?
[Been in lust?] yes
[Used someone?] no
[Been used?] I don't think so
[Been cheated on?] not that I know of
[Been kissed?] ohh yeah

Now
[Current mood] a bit tired
[Current music] ohhh... good call, I knew something was missing
[Current taste] peanut butter cookies
[Current hair] whatever it wants, so the usual
[Current annoyance] this semi-cold or whatever it is
[Current smell] nothing, my nose is too plugged up
[Current thing I ought to be doing] research
[Current windows open] this and a couple IM windows
[curent desktop picture] Jeff's house the day after Halloween (all TPed up)
[Current book] Bourne Supremacy (nothing like the movie)
[Current cds in stereo] I'm a radio kinda guy.
[Current crush] wouldn't you like to know
[Current favorite celeb] none
[Current hate] class
[Current job] swim coaching (although it's really not a job)

[Last book you read] Bourne Identity
[Last movie you saw] Napoleon Dynamite
[Last thing you had to drink] water
[Last thing you ate] cookies
[Last person you talked to on the phone] Jes

Do you
[Do drugs?] never
[Have a dream that keeps coming back?] not since like 4th grade
[Play an instrument?] I used to play the trombone
[Believe there is life on other planets?] absolutely
[Remember your first love?] yeah, who could forget their first love?
[Still love/lust him/her?] love probably, lust no.
[Read the newspaper?] occasionally
[Have any gay or lesbian friends?] yup
[Believe in miracles?] the romantic in me says they are out there
[Believe it's possible to remain faithful forever?] absolutely
[Consider yourself tolerant of others?] very
[Consider love a mistake?] how does that work? No.
[Have a favorite candy?] Skittles (mmmm, now I want some.)
[Believe in astrology?] only for entertainment
[Believe in magic?] yeah
[Believe in God?] agnostic
[Do well in school?] ummm, kinda.
[Go to or plan to go to college] at Rose
[Wear hats?] only daily.
[Hate yourself?] more than I should, according to my friends
[Have an obsession?] Does swimming count?
[Have a secret crush?] wouldn't you like to know?
[Do they know yet?] jury's still out.
[Collect anything?] used to collect swim caps.
[Have a best friend?] yeah, Bill back home
[Close friends?] I don't know what I'd do without them
[Like your handwriting?] haha... only because it's mine.
[Care about looks?] enough to be presentable in public

Love life
[First crush] Julie Fanning
[First kiss] Kali Drake (Sophomore year of HS)
[Single or attached?] single
[Do you believe in love at first sight?] Yes
[Do you believe in "the one?"] Yeah... anybody seen her?
[Describe your ideal significant other] At least moderately smart, fun to be around, outgoing, generally happy, can laugh at themselves, understanding, patient.

Juicy stuff
[Have you ever played a game that required removal of clothing?] once
[Have you ever been intoxicated?] on love, or alcohol?.... yes to both, though.
[Favorite place to be kissed?] lips, or under a canopy during a thunderstorm.
[Are you a tease?] not really
[Shy to make the first move?] that's definitely me.

Are you a
[Wuss] no
[Druggy] haha... no
[Daydreamer] a bit, yes
[Freak] no
[Dork] pretty much
[Bitch/Asshole] rarely
[Brat] nope
[Sarcastic] who, me?
[Goody-goody] yeah
[Angel] of course
[Devil] every once in a while
[Shy] at first, yes
[Talkative] yeah
[Adventurous] only a little bit
[Joker] oh yeah
[Flirty] very much so

Friday, September 03, 2004

Fri, 03 Sep 2004 12:10:44 GMT

So it's been awhile. I have currently been across the country twice in the past 2 weeks. And I am writing here to let people know that I will be gone again this weekend, to make it complete. I'm going to South Carolina this weekend to visit Cliff before he leaves for Iraq next week. It should be fun. As soon as class is over today, I'm driving to Cinci to pick up Mackos, and then we're road trippin it all the way there tonight... I'm figuring we get in about 2am. Oh well, kinda have to if we want to spend any time there. I gotta be back on monday for class and stuff. Dang Rose and their "We don't care about national holidays" policy. Anyways, anybody who reads this knows that I am back in Terre Haute for a while after I get back this weekend. So feel free to give me a call (812) 841-2585 or leave me some love. Hope everyone has a great weekend. And I hope to hear from you soon.