Men Just Want to Be Handy and Helpful

This evening, I was talking with my buddy Dan about his man-cave, and I realized how much I miss working with my hands and be handy. Being an office professional just doesn't fulfill that need.

There is such value in physically doing work and in creating/building/fixing things.

While both women and men have this inclination, my observation has been that men seek it out more, and the effort is especially satisfying when helping someone (even if capable of doing it on their own).

So here are a few things I did this weekend, at their request, to satisfy this desire:
    -Disassembled furniture for Emily
    -Fixed bike tires for Shandi
    -Replaced headlight bulbs for Erin

Anybody have something else for me to do? I'd be much obliged to be put to work.

Flashback Friday: Marin, Aaron, and Caryn

Just a quick flashback today.

I don't remember what grade of elementary it was, but I was put in a class with two girls named Caryn and Marin, and I thought it was so cool that our names rhymed but all had vastly different spellings.

While we didn't hang out all the time, we stayed friends all through school.

Seminary graduation, 1999

Next time we see each other, we'll have to get a picture so we can compare with the one above.

Did any of you readers have rhyming-name friends back in the school days?

Bagpipes: The Ugliest Beautiful Music-Maker

Bagpipes.

Was there ever a more repulsive-looking instrument that was capable of making such lovely sounds?

I think not.

Think about it. They look like this:

Yet this hideous monstrosity can create music like this:
(bagpipes at 0:30-1:05 and again at 1:53-end)

Remarkable.

What do you think of the bagpipes?
Do you have another ugly instrument that you love more?

If Oprah is Following Me, Shouldn't You?

You've all heard of Oprah, haven't you?

Well she's apparently now following my Pinterest account.

So I'm kind of a big deal.

Right?

Sadly, my suspicion is that this may not be the actual Oprah Winfrey involved, but an imposter.

Bummer. I was hoping I'd get a new car or cuisinart or something out of it.

Anyway, if you want more of me, you can follow my Pinterest here,
Or my Twitter here,
Or my YouTube here,
Or my Facebook here (have to be offline friend for this one),
Or my blog by clicking the "Join this site" button in the left sidebar.

The Hunger Games: May the Odds Be Ever in Your Favor

The much-anticipated movie for The Hunger Games opens nationwide in the USA today.

Many of my friends and family have read the book and are eager to see this film (some of you even went last night at midnight, you go-getters!).

I sure am excited, and I'll be watching in IMAX-gigantic size tomorrow night at 10:25 pm.

After searching for a few days early in the week, I found a copy of the book to borrow and then read the whole thing between Wed & Thurs nights, so I'm ready and pumped to see the screen version.

From the previews, it looks excellent.

Let me know what you thought!

Cherry Blossoms on the First Day of Spring

Ah, the first day of spring, and it was a beautiful one in the nation's capital.

Couldn't miss the opportunity to get down to DC's Tidal Basin and take some pictures with the new camera.

It's the 100-year anniversary of when Japan gave the U.S. the cherry blossom trees as a gift.

I really like these next two, with their alternating focal distances. Yay for the D-SLR!

I feel like this should be a Kennedy Center advertisement

With so many blossoms having fallen, we were able to gather up handfuls for Emily to do this:

Doesn't that look like fun?!

That weekend it rained a bunch, so I don't know how many blossoms remained afterwards.

Hopefully you were able to see them in person, or maybe next year!

Tim McGraw Tuesday: Better Than I Used to Be

So it's been (rightly) pointed out to me that yesterday's Metallica Monday post was a major downer.

It's how I felt, and I'm not sorry for sharing. This post isn't an apology; it's more of an addendum.

When things get rough, I often try looking for a positive spin to provide a little therapeutic comfort.
And looking back to lower points can put the current dip in a less-painful view.

Tim McGraw recently released a song that I can relate to, and it gives me hope that things will continue getting better, because they've sure been a lot worse than the current small troubles.

While I may have a long way to go before I'm where I want to be, thank goodness I've come as far as I have and learned from past experiences so I don't repeat those mistakes.

I've pinned a lot of demons to the ground
Got a few old habits left
But there's still one or two I might need you to help me get
Standing in the rain so long has left me with a little rust
But put some faith in me
And someday you'll see
There's a diamond under all this dust.

I ain't as good as I'm gonna get
But I'm better than I used to be. 

Thanks for helping put things in perspective, Tim.

Metallica Monday: One

Sometimes you just feel broken and alone.

You may not be, and I know I'm not really, but it can feel that way.

One

Makes me want to thrash a bit, but I'll try to remain calm and remember all the people rooting for and supporting me, from family to friends to anonymous blog stalkers.

Keep calm and carry on, Aaron.

Fight the Bullying Problem with Lady Gaga and Me

After reading this story about a rock group intimidating and using scare tactics on high school students in Iowa, I decided to put this post together. It's time for us all to speak up.

Bullying and discriminating are unacceptable. Always have been, always will be.

It doesn't matter why the bully is bullying, be it race or religion or sexuality or a speech impediment or above-average IQ or socio-economic status or that the kid just looks funny or any other reason.

Bullying is wrong.

Props to Lady Gaga for speaking up and denouncing bullying. I may not consider myself one of her "monsters", but I fully support her message of tolerance and acceptance and self-worth.

Celebrities shouldn't and can't be the only ones fighting social issues.

Especially since it's the day-to-day people around us that are the victims of bullying.
And often those being bullied can't stand up for themselves.

When bullying isn't stopped, the consequences can be tragic.

The documentary film Bully comes out at the end of this month (March 30, 2012) and offers a glimpse into the heartbreak of those being bullied, as well as just how terribly things can turn out when bullying goes unchecked for too long.

Speaking of Bully, my friend Damian said, "I believe this will be a movie worth watching. Sometimes it's important to watch something even if it has an R rating." I completely agree.

This film needs to be seen and talked about. I especially hope schools show it to their students, because they are often the ones who need it the most.

But I hope that everyone sees Bully, even if we're out of school and past our awkward teen years and college. Whether we already have kids or maybe someday will, this viewpoint is important to be mindful of in their lives, so that hopefully they are never on either the bullied or bullying side of the equation.

Let's all think about how our actions can affect others for better or for worse.

And let's fight the bullying problem by educating and speaking up.

WIE Weekend 2012

Ah, another WIE (Where Is Everybody?) weekend in Ocean City, MD, has come and gone. Just like last year's WIE excursion, plenty of friends were along for the adventure, and I believe we all had a great time.

On Friday night, we missed the run since we couldn't get away from DC until after 5, but we did get there for the game playing and dance party. Pong was the primary diversion, as well as a little Twister.

The triumphant pong crusaders

Saturday morning, we were up (relatively) bright and early, ready for the run.

Some preferred to do cheerleader stretches...

...while others practiced for future live-action modern art/dance installations.

After riding the bus up close to the Delaware border, we circled up, with a few "shots fired" takedowns for good measure, including one on me. I felt it was coming, and he attacked from behind, so I couldn't stop it.

Three of our group decided to take a dip in the ocean.
They got their clothes back little by little over the next few miles of running.

With the run completed, we took a break and some showed off their fashion sense before either continuing to run all the way home or hopping on the bus back.

What comes after the run and lunch? Why the bonfire on the beach, of course!

The weather was cold and windy so close to the water, so we definitely huddled as close as we could around the fire.

 

 

Early March beach modeling

A little sun worshiping was in order

After a long circle (the bonfire norm at WIE), they may have roasted marshmallows or hot dogs, but I was tired so I went to take a quick nap. Then everyone got presentable, and we headed to dinner and the evening's festivities.

I don't remember why, but it was hilarious at the time. Trust me.

Stop #2 was fairly chill, followed by the American Legion where we sang karaoke, made human pyramids, and tested our hula hoop skills. These next three pictures are probably for my favorites of the entire trip. Such a bunch of characters!

Looks like she's been studying

What a lovely Titanic tattoo you have!

This 6-person pyramid worked; all larger attempts failed dismally

Slight contrast in styles here

You don't need a mic or a chair to join in the karaoke

I haven't done a hula hoop in quite a while, but it was actually quite fun and I surprisingly was able to keep it going for a decent amount of time. Okay, like 30 seconds or so, but it felt long!

After American Legion, we ended the night with some dancing at Seacrets. Again, they had a cover band which was rocking out. That place really is pretty impressive. Too bad it isn't closer to DC.

2012 was definitely a successful WIE weekend, and I want to thank the organizers for putting it together and making things run so smoothly. Hope Ocean City is looking forward to this gang next year!

Flashback Friday: Hatchet and Island of the Blue Dolphins

My mom always read to us before bedtime, so I have fond memories of the books from my childhood.
Furthermore, she and my dad encouraged us to read on our own as well.

My school teachers and Pizza Hut* also gave us incentives to read Newbery Medal-winning books, which were/are vastly more intellectually-stimulating than the Twilight and Harry Potter books of today.

Here are a couple of my favorite books from elementary school.

Hatchet
As a Boy Scout, I loved reading about a boy being stranded in the wilderness and having to survive on his own. I could just imagine myself in his shoes, and the excitement and fear of such a situation.

For a little reminder, here is the first 15 minutes of the audiobook:

Island of the Blue Dolphins
This book captivated me, and I'm pretty sure I used it for book reports in grades 4-6 (recycling is good, right?). Another tale of survival, this one includes facing the elements and nature, as well as invading foreign forces. Learning about and relating to a culture very different from my own also intrigued me.

Again, in case you've forgotten the writing style, here's the first 15 minutes of the audiobook:

Now that I've gotten a taste, I think I might have to re-read these again soon.

What were your favorite books from elementary school?

*Remember the program where as you read books you could earn a personal pan pizza? I loved that!

Barney from HIMYM Shares His Wisdom

In the bad-advice-givers rankings, Barney from "How I Met Your Mother" is easily in the top 5.

But this one is spot on and dripping with accuracy.

My sister pointed out that this goes both ways. True statement.

We can all agree that it sucks being in the "friend zone".

How I Contribute to the Confusion Between Amish and Mormon

I didn't realize it until I got home, but look what I wore to work today.

Dark pants, blue shirt, and suspenders. No wonder people get the Amish and the Mormons confused.

Metallica Monday: Iron Man (Black Sabbath cover)

I'm a sucker for superhero movies, which is why I'm stoked for this movie to come out May 4th.

Click [here] to watch the trailer  

Ironman, Thor, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Captain America, and the Hulk face off against Loki (Thor's adoptive brother and archenemy). This is gonna be good.

In honor of The Avengers, a Black Sabbath cover by Metallica gets this week's nod:

Iron Man

John Carter and The Hunger Games are also on my must-see list in the next little while.

What other movies are you excited for?

Hasty House Hunting on the Horizon?

My roommates and I were very surprised to come home last night to this sign in our front lawn.

Not even a word of warning from the landlord to any of us residents. Inconsiderate and just plain not cool.

We'll check the (now month-to-month) lease for a (hopefully) mandatory advance notice by the landlord prior to making us vacate, but I guess we might be in the market for new living arrangements soon...

Any suggestions?