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| Ok, so the title will be the last old man joke for the day, since I'm really not THAT old  It is my birthday though! 28 today. The day started with some wonderful presents (iriver clix, guitar hero 2, a nice new shirt) and breakfast made by Mandy! Now I'm at work... I'm actually doing more play though at the moment, since I am blogging and learning how my new iriver works
So here is an interesting tidbit - it has been 10 years (to the best of my knowledge) since I've spent a birthday completely in Pennsylvania - the last time was 1997, my senior year in high school. Here's an account of where I've been:
1998 - Chicago, IL - Big Ten Basketball Tourney (PSU lost to Wisconsin in our first game)
1999 - In transit - Chicago to State College from same tournament (PSU lost to Northwestern in the first game)
2000 - Washington DC - Agape Mission Trip
2001 - Charleston, SC - Agape Mission Trip
2002 - NYC - you guessed it, Agape Mission Trip (note: can't quite remember here if my birthday was before we left or not)
2003 - Marburg, Germany - Fulbright year abroad
2004 - Wheeling, WV - FISH Mission Trip
2005 - same
2006 - ditto
2007 - State College, PA, with my wife! I like this one best so far Spending it with the one I love! Here's hoping for many more to come!
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| Just a quick entry... A colleague sent me this article. I know some grad students read this - don't be like this guy!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17361703/
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| Comps reflections. Comments appreciated.
Dissertation - the "d" word. It is at once a source of excitement and a curse-word.
Topic - I am comparing two versions of the Bible in German: the classic translation of Martin Luther, and a new "communicative" version, known as "Hoffnung für alle" (hope for all). I'm using applied linguistic means to compare differences between the two. So here's what I want to know, dear readers - what do you think about Bibles? Which one do you use? Why? What do you think about new versions? How accurate does translation have to be? Word for word? Just get the meaning? Change the stories so they fit today's life? SO MANY QUESTIONS!!! anyway, they're all fun questions though. I'd love to hear your answers to any or all of them!
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| Ok, so it hasn't been quite a year yet since my last post, but what an almost year it has been! Here are the highlights:
1. I got married. Ok, if you didn't know this, sorry. If you did know, I know, I should have posted an entry about this um, well, 6 months ago.
2. I'm still married! We have officially passed the Hollywood official marker for standard marriage length. And still going strong, I might add!
3. We made it through the first Christmas with in-laws... nuff said.
4. Did I mention we're still married?
5. I am now going through my comps. Which means I'll probably blog more, as it is an excellent means of "catching up with people"... Ok, it's a great way to procrastinate. So if you see too many entries from me, please write and tell me to get my sorry *** back in gear and type something useful.
6. I can now officially play World of Warcraft and call it "work". Although my 12 year old cousin felt it necessary to tell me that I have no life. He may be right. But I still play for "research purposes". Yeah, you know you want to be able to say that too. Admit it.
7. Awesomest ebay purchase of an action figure ever (see entry 6 about my status of life-having): Battle damage Anakin Skywalker. Yes, it is the single most gruesome mainstream action figure EVER. Look it up. Weep for today's children. Laugh then, and buy one for yourself.
8. At long last, I have the HOTTEST guitar ever! Thanks to my loving wife Amanda, I am now the proud owner of a BLACK Gibson acoustic guitar. I now channel Johnny Cash and Jack Black on a regular basis. Tips appreciated.
9. I have now been to the West Coast twice, which is two more times than I had ever been there before! I love it! Great climate, great people, scenic landscape, and REAL MEXICAN FOOD! Even a German grocery store and restaurant to boot!
10. Did I mention I have the hottest, best wife ever? Case in point. Ebayed a PS2. It doesn't work. What does my wife do? She FIXES IT FOR ME! Huh, do any of you have that? Thought not!
It's been a good year folks. A very good year. Hope to post again before next year. Don't hold your breath though. Seriously. I wouldn't want that on my conscience.
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| Big stuff going on...
Well, for those of you not still in the college set, last week was
Spring Break. I did not, however, spend it in Mexico or Europe or
on vacation in general. Instead, I spent another fun and work
filled week in lovely Wheeling, West Virginia, with my kids from FISH
It was a good time, and we did a lot of work (Lots of cold
showers for me though, due to working with insulation...), and I think
the kids learned a lot, especially about how to use exciting and (for
me) nerve wracking tools like the circular saw. I even got to
spend my birthday there! My fellow leaders got me a somewhat
morbid (yet humorous) cake, listing all the great rockstars of the past
few decades that died at 27 (fortunately their names all start with
J...). Who knows, maybe now that I've hit that magical age, I can
start chanelling their skills with the guitar... Then again,
maybe not. Thankfully, before I left I was taken out
for a real and delicious birthday dinner with my lovely fiancee Amanda
at the Gamble Mill in "historic" Bellefonte.
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM good!
After returning to State College, the action didn't stop. Oh no,
it just got rolling. Today I spent a gruelling (sort of) 1.5
hours in my Candidacy Exam. Am I crazy for going away a week
before that? Yes, probably, but I passed anyway! Finally I
am past this important hoop in the academic world so that I can
continue jumping through further hoops like the well trained circus
animal, i mean, grad student, that I am. Sure there is still (and
always) more work to be done, but you know what? I'm going to
bed. And that's that.
Night all
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