Keep pondering a lot of different things for the future.  Got a promotion at work... always very cool :)

Been looking at a master's program at Georgia Tech in Building Construction... still semi-undecided, but I'm looking into the application process & the company's reimbursement plans

Keep thinking that the world is my oyster and maybe I'd like to live/work in different parts of it.

Relationships... seems they always seem so close yet so far away... but life is one paradox after another, is it not?  It's true that the world is incredibly complicated, yet it's also true that the world is quite simple.  You can find Heaven on Earth, but you can also find Hell on Earth.  The more things change, the more they stay the same... When you come down to it, what is there in this world that you can't see in an entirely different light simply by choosing to think about it differently?  So I try my best to see everything in a positive light.

I've had 3 strange dreams lately... 2 of them were 2 nights in a row, the third was a couple weeks ago.

Last night:  I was part of the crew of a ship (in space, I think) and there was an enemy ship out there that was a lot more powerful than we were.  We were trying to avoid detection.  We somehow captured a shuttle from the larger enemy ship, and we were discussing the most strategic course of action to do with the captured shuttle.  We found some sort of parasite in the shuttle in addition to the crew, and the parasite was very dangerous.  We ended up releasing the shuttle so it could return to the enemy craft with the parasite on board, since we figured the parasite would do more damage to the enemy than we could with our firepower.  Once the shuttle craft reunited with the enemy ship, the parasite quickly went to work, taking over the ship & torturing & killing the crew.

What a way to wake up.

Two nights ago: I dreamt that I kept going to breakfast at the same restaurant with a group of coworkers.  It was ok the first couple times, but then they started serving burnt food.  We were sitting in bar-type seating that was along the wall.  The bar overlooked a window, but the window was so grimy you couldn't see outside.  I decided to slide the window open, and even though it was a horizontal-opening window, there was some sort of resistance pushing it back closed, in fact, it was pushing hard enough the it ended up pinching my finger when the window closed fully.  The next day when we came back for breakfast, as we walked past that same window I heard a creepy voice saying 'hello'... like some sort of ghost or spirit from the window was trying to talk to me.  I generally tried to ignore it, but mentally, I "thought" toward it "don't even mess with me."

So that one was strange too...

And a couple weeks ago:  There was a large house up for sale.  It was a beautiful, victorian style house, and it had been on the market for ages.  I toured it during an open house.  That evening, I was hanging out with some friends who lived across the street from this house, and we were all sitting out on the porch, talking and having drinks late into the evening.  I was looking at the house across the street, and right as the clock hit midnight, the entire house was covered in a fog of smoke.  A few seconds later, the smoke cleared, and when it did, the house looked completely different... different floorplan, different color exterior, everything.  The realator was hanging out at the same party, and she said that's why the house was on the market so long... because it was somehow haunted and took a different form every night at midnight

Not sure why I keep having mildly creepy dreams.

Why is it that I can drive 40+ MPH just feet away from kids standing at a bus stop on a busy road, but when I'm in front of their school, I'm supposed to crawl?  Seems like every school I ever went to wouldn't let you get within 100 feet of the road except when boarding busses.  I believe you're at a higher risk of hitting a kid in your neighborhood or along the various bus routes than in front of a school... and that the lower speed limits at schools amount to little more than a county fundraiser.

So my mom got a text on her phone the other day.  Usually, if she gets a text, it's spam.  So she ignored it.  Later on, dad called her and asked if she got a text message, so she told him that she did, but didn't look at it.  Dad said she might want to see this one.

So she opens the text, and it's a picture text from my sister-in-law.  Mom stares at it confused for a second, wondering "why the hell did she sent me a photo of a squirrel?"  But it was actually a sonogram of mom's future grandchild.  Poor kid.  Not even out of the womb yet and already branded as a squirrel.  That story is going to haunt him/her....

So very busy right now!  10+ hour days at work most days, and still training on top of that.  I'm up to 4 miles at a time now, and I'm feeling great!  I'll be on to 5 miles by next Saturday. 

For one of my fundraisers, I'm selling coffee for $10 a bag... and all proceeds go to Leukemia & Lymphoma research.  Please let me know if you're interested in buying a bag!

I think my legs may literally learn to talk before training is through just so they can audibly yell at me ;)  Overall, I'm  keeping up with it really well, and I'm excited that I'm running 2-3 miles pretty easily now.  Another interesting tidbit I learned today is that Majel Barrett-Roddenberry died of the same cancer that I'm running for... so if any of you trekkies out there needed a little extra reason to contribute to the cause, there you go!

On that note, I shall shamelessly plug my donation site:
http://pages.teamintraining.org/ga/rnr09/jkeltner

Running shoes make a huge difference.  I got a pair of bona fide running shoes and my legs feel better (other than retraining my muscles, which seem to be working a bit differently with the new shoe dynamics). 

I've dreamt about being in Paris twice in the last week.  And on one of those nights, I also dreamt about the Marine Corps.  But then again, I consider myself half artistic, half militant, so maybe that's fitting!

I'm currently reading the above mentioned book and find it quite interesting.  Last night, I had to stop and marvel for a second.  I was reading over the names of the first space shuttle astronauts who were chosen in 1978.  Among them was:

John O. Creighton, Lt. Cmdr, USN

Anyone know if the creators of Farscape were trying to copy this name when they made the character "John Crichton"?  The spelling is different, but I just found that to be a very interesting and amusing coincidence....

I'm not sure why I've found myself thinking of the Marine Corps.  I've met a couple people this year who were in the Marines and have since gotten out.  Each time, it gets me thinking of how much I loved my high school ROTC days... and thinking of why I left the college ROTC program behind.

The program really intimidated me at Tech.  So many people seemed to stick with it only for the money, and I didn't feel that money was a good enough reason to be there.  At the time, I didn't drink, and felt uncomfortable around people who did, and I really knew nothing about life in the military.  In high school, I loved the regiment of drill, the sharp uniform, the pride of belonging, the comaraderie, and that feeling that I could take whatever was thrown at me.  What made me leave the college program was the apathy, the ones in it for the money, the lack of unity, the lack of PT coaching, the lack of quality in drill/rifle teams and most of all, because I just didn't feel right staying there if money was my primary motivation.

But that's never changed my respect for the corps... and some days, I wish I could tell people that yes, I am/was a U.S. Marine.  I still tell plenty of stories about my ROTC days at Georgia Tech, Ben Davis, Norfolk & Kings Bay.

So especially since this is the second time this year I've thought about it, it makes me wonder whether I should search for more information, or just trust in the decision I made to leave 7 years ago...  I think it intimidated me 7 years ago.  I was biting off a pretty big chunk already... moving 500 miles from home for college and taking on engineering at Tech.  My mind was well set on the degree and the major, but there were so many unknowns for me about the military.  

And some of the same questions that I felt so uncertain about 7 years ago are still there... I believe if I decided to go for it, I could do the training.  I'd have to work on running... but that's doable.  But do I want to give up my choice of where I'm going to live?  What kind of work would I really do on a daily basis?  Where would I likely be stationed?  What would I do with the stuff I already have?  My townhouse?  My car?

But I think other things in my life have changed in the last 7 years such that maybe the military would fit me better now than it did then.  I'm more comfortable with who I am, and I'm not nearly as skiddish or intimidated by people as I used to be.  Back then, I was so uncomfortable around alcohol... and today, I work with tons of contractors in an industrial environment and on occasion, go out for drinks with some of them.

And I sometimes miss that feeling of determination.  I got that feeling a lot when working out, or when preparing for drill meets, or hell, just facing a day at Tech.  There's something awesome about facing a huge obstacle, but having your mind set that by God, no force on this planet is going to stop you, so you turn up the hard alternative rock grit your teeth, and face what's coming your way with a determination in your eyes that strikes fear into the hearts of men.

When I graduated from Tech, it felt awesome to accomplish that feat that I had decided to do over 7 or 8 years earlier.  But I also felt like I suddenly had a lack... I had such a big goal that took such a long time to accomplish, and I had no idea what to tackle next.  I have a great job, and I suppose a lot of ambitious people like myself would have a goal of climbing the ladder.  But when I look at the jobs up the ladder, they don't talk to me.  I don't feel like a desk job in a skyscraper fits me.  I love the field jobs.  I love being out there in the elements and dealing with whatever shit hits the fan that day, and ultimately, accomplishing the task at hand in spite of all odds.  Though I'm not a fan of the cold, I like working in it.  I hate all the layers I have to wear, but I get that feeling like I'm defeating some unseen enemy who tried to keep me from succeeding by making it ass-cold outside.

I used to think I didn't want to travel for work that much.  And I think local travel doesn't much appeal to me.  I don't want to spend all day every day in a fraking car.  But recently, I've been thinking that I might like having a job that required bits of international travel from time to time.  In particular, I'd love to go to France, India, Japan... I love learning about other cultures, and somehow exploring those places just sounds more appealing if I got that cultural submergence of living & working there as well.

So, I've grown & matured a lot in 7 years, and I feel more like I'm on my own two feet and more like I know how to handle the unexpected things that come my way.  So is the corps right for me?  Or am I just nostalgic?  And considering this growing feeling that I want to maybe get out of my comfort zone and work/live internationally, where do I go from here?  For now, I think I'll try to get back into running and keep chewing on the rest of these questions until I have a better idea of the answer.

Had a great time with James, Mariam, Lisa, Derek, Erum, Mike, Dianna and Cara celebrating my birthday.  We had the chocolate fondu at Dante's Down the Hatch, and thoroughly stuffed ourselves with tons of fruit & marshmallows.  Definitely a fun experience, though now it has me in the mood to go back again soon for the dinner.  Maybe my parents will want to go again while they're here for Christmas...

Whew... it was a very hectic day.  There was some strife between my vendor and its subcontractor, which was oh-so-fun, but mostly resolved by the end of the day.  There was also paperwork confusion, shipping confusion, and a little bit of tension over whether pieces "A" and "B" were machined to the right dimensions, but it turned out to be ok.  Then the "tattletale" coworker struck again... he specializes in redirecting attention toward everyone else by finding some problem with your stuff, then reporting it to your manager... or the safety department... or someone equally important & above you in position... So he brought up a leak today to yet ANOTHER person (already brought it up with one or two others)... so I had to explain yet again that yes, we do have a plan in place to look at it, but we're waiting until this busy schedule dies down in a few weeks...  Then, right as I thought I was finally going to make my triumphant escape, I got a call about an oil leak on another piece of equipment.  Still looking into that one, but I let operations know, and they were going to look into how big an issue it may be (if it even exists... the person who told me about it was hearing it all 2nd or 3rd hand).

But the day was still fun :)  I got tons of b-day emails, got to crack jokes with my coworkers (that's our favorite way of chopping up the tension we often face), learned more about electrical prints (which is fun for nerds like me), and also enjoyed watching several small mice scurry around the warehouse, scheming not only about how to take over the world... but also scheming about how to get into the various lunchboxes that the contractors had sitting on the table.  We heroically alerted the owners of said lunchboxes to the imminent peril of their sustenance, and saved the day.  And it was good :)

So... I'm about to enjoy a tasty peanut-butter cup ice cream cake that my roomie picked up... but here's just a moment's reflection on what was age 25:

• Made a bunch of great new friends
• Got a roomie - a totally awesome one at that!
• Got my heart broken... completely
• Got out there and tried new things
• Bought a townhouse
• Bought a new(er) car
• Painted several rooms and replaced several faucets in my townhouse
• Learned to tune pianos
• Took an art class
• Bid out and managed my first MAJOR project!
• Got better at dealing with people (always growing there...)
• Reconnected with old friends
• Played piano for a wedding
• Accompanied a couple artists at "Boxerstock"
• Mentored a Georgia Tech student
• Mentored a coworker
• Helped serve many charity lunches at work

Not bad for year 25.  Year 26, here I come!

They have finally posted a date for the final season of Battlestar Galactica to start on Sci-Fi:

January 16, 2009.

With all the 'electoral history' articles out, I'm noticing that Nixon was the first president to smile in his photo... and every president since then is smiling in the official shots.  Somehow, I feel like the stern facades just look more authoritative.  Less like they're trying to be your friend to get your vote, and more like they're up to the task of steering a nation. 

I for one, kinda prefer the more regal shots of yore.  They look more like someone you can look up to (whether or not they really were ;) )

Borrowed B5 season 2 from modernmusketeer and I have to say the pace has picked up a lot.  I almost had to convince myself to get through the first season, and now I'm almost glued to the 2nd season.  Looking forward to watching the rest!

Music speaks to me more than anything... and this song is really talking to me right now.

You know, I don't think I've ever had to seriously think about whether or not to go to work due to a lack of gas.  But with a 30ish mile commute and no gas stations in sight with any supply, it's a serious consideration.  Regardless of whether I go anywhere this weekend, I know I'll have enough to get to work on Monday... but I'm not sure if I'll have enough to get home.... and considering the sea of gas station signs devoid of prices, maybe it's time to fire up the laptop and see if I can get my work remote-log-in software working...

Remote log-in sounds better than the chance of having to sleep on the futon in the ladies room because I can't get home... but I have some big plans later in the week at work that will require I'm there... provided there's enough gas left in the state for my pump to arrive on a truck and for my out-of-town vendor reps to drive from the airport to Cartersville in a rental car.

I actually dreamt last night that I found a station with gas.

So Suzie was going on yesterday at work about how being 40 is the new 20...you know, a second youth, that kind of thing...

Bill bantered back as if she was talking about money... because $40 sure buys what $20 used to these days...

Appropriate.

Further amusement:  I saw an EPA vehichle the other day.  It was a SUV.  Something seems fundamentally screwed up about that.

I ran across this line while reading an article entitled "4 creative solutions to energy problems".

"In 2004, after making a small fortune in cosmetics, Amen and some former associates reunited to tackle global warming."

Oh great, so in other words, 'now that we've conquered women's faces, we feel confident we can solve the world's problems...'

Does anyone else find this amusing?

I'm loving this art class i'm taking.  It's a figure painting class, so there's a model each week... but I've learned so much so quickly.  It helps immensely to have a teacher looking over your shoulders pointing out the things you're missing... plus the technique!  The techniques I've learned in the last few weeks have helped me paint much more quickly, and keeps me from redrawing again and again.

I also really like that it gets the abstract side of my brain going.  I struggle with overanalysing things and sometimes I feel like I can't get my brain to turn off and stop problem solving even when I want to.  But painting is so much more about decomposing what you see.  It's great to get into that completely different mindset.  It's a relief actually, and I think it helps me relax.

12 straight days of work = sleepy.  Hooray for days off!