Robert Jordan, You will be Missed

It is with great sadness that I bring news of the death of a great author who I have been reading for years. Today, Robert Jordan succumbed after a long and heroic struggle with a rare blood disease is tantamount the struggles of the characters that he wrote about with such obvious care and compassion. His Wheel of Time series, spanning 11 books to date, was a New York Times bestseller for each volume and became an instant phenomena the world over. It is a sad day when a great talent is taken from us before his time. Unfortunately, it is always before the right time when great people are taken away.

I remember reading the first book of this series, The Eye of the World, quite a few years ago on vacation and instantly being hooked to the great characters and the intricate plotlines. It is true that it can get quite confusing, but I have been collecting each book in hardcover over the past few years with the intention of rereading the entire series one day when I have the free time. I find that perhaps the greatest tragedy here is that a man who invested so much of himself in this incredibly complex and personal story to him and we will be unable to fully understand how all of his plots play out in the master's definitive edition. I fear that the volume that inevitably comes out will be missing a great deal without his sure hand at play on every page.

With all of this in mind, he lived a long and fruitful life and I am just glad that I could share some of his stories. He is an inspiration to me and in my endeavors in life. The way in which he fought so valiantly in the end is something that all should approach every aspect of life with.

A Horrific Injury in the NFL

I was watching the football game between the Buffalo Bills and the Denver Broncos and I witnessed something that I hope to never see again. A backup Tight End for the Bills, Kevin Everett, made a seemingly innocuous block of Domenik Hixon on a kick return to start the second half. At first I didn't know what had happened, but soon realized that Everett was not moving on the field. Its a very sobering realization when you are sitting on the couch enjoying one of your favorite sports and then you see somebody injured in such a fashion. I must confess that while he didn't move at all as they took him off the field in the ambulance, I was relieved to see him blink on the way into the ambulance.

Everett's prognosis is not encouraging, as the associated press has reported that he has a cervical spine injury and is currently in intensive care and on a respirator. Never mind the thought of when will he play again for the Bills, the questions have turned to whether or not he will walk again or even whether he will even have use of his arms or legs again. This is a very horrible thing to happen, but I was glad to see all the fans and players were clapping him off the field as a show of support to his health.

I fervently hope that I never see something as senseless as this happen for the rest of my life. All my prayers go out to Kevin Everett and his family during this painful time.

Football Fever

Football fever is upon us once again. Today is the first day of the NFL regular season and many, including myself, are psyched about its beginning. For me, it gives me a reason to keep Sunday to myself with little to no homework. Instead, I can relax on the couch or watch the games with friends and enjoy the day without worrying TOO much about all of my other obligations. The Lord did say that Sunday is a day for rest, and I intend to take that advice to heart during the football season and watch and see if my beloved Bengals can get off their asses and do what they have been capable of doing ever since the Carson Palmer and Chad Johnson era began.

Elsewhere in the NFL, all eyes are turned on Peyton Manning who finally got that elusive super bowl ring on his finger. Will he repeat and solidify his hall of fame potential? Maybe. One thing is for sure, however, unlike Michigan the Indianapolis Colts definitely have a chance to achieve football glory this year. Other teams will be out to dethrone the Colts, and tonight will be a matchup that many think has definite postseason potential. Tonight, the Colts and the New Orleans Saints will fight and I feel myself rooting for the Saints.

Last year was the first full year after Katrina, and the New Orleans Saints, who played to a 10-4 division championship, formed a rallying point for the denizens of New Orleans. Its always nice to see the positive effects that sports can have on the community as a whole, especially in this Michael Vick Dogfighting era. I definitely find myself hoping that the Saints can have a repeat season and continue the healing process in New Orleans.

Whatever happens this year, I am sure that it will be a fun year for football fans. And I will be loving every minute of it. I also sincerely hope that this Vick controversy dies down and we stop hearing about it every single year. Maybe if the Falcons do well without Vick this may happen.

Motivation!?!

Jess and I have been trying of late to get ourselves up earlier and earlier each morning, and we never realized just how difficult it really is to do. There is something so inviting and alluring about staying bundled up in covers in bed, even if my bed is horrific compared to hers, and watching through slitted eyelids your alarm clock tick (unlikely in this digital world, I know) ever closer to that dreadful alarm. It really seems that we would like nothing less than to just stay in bed for the entire day. It would certainly be better than a day spent dealing with clients or a day spent studying the refuse practices of a Maya city in the Yucatan peninsula! These thoughts and more just race through my head as I try to force myself out of bed and it just becomes so damn difficult. GRRRRRR!!

Excuse my language!

It is just so difficult to get motivated sometimes in this day and age where there are so MANY other things to do that are both more fun and sometimes even feel more worthwhile. Now, this may just be me. I really have no way of telling if others feel the same way as me about this, but I really don't think that I am alone. Even those around me who seem to be, quite literally, stuck with their heads in their books and also seem to have limitless motivation towards what they are doing have their moments where they can't seem to get anything done either. I really wish it was easy for me as well, but maybe that just isn't how life is to me. I like to think that it is a test in some way to make me into a better person and all of these difficulties will be met with rewards later on in life.

Looking back on my life as well as forward, I see so many great things that have happened in my life that the instances of hardship are easier to deal with in the overabundance of love and compassion I am fortunate enough to have. Why am I writing this? I'm not really sure myself. I just sat down and started putting my thoughts down. I think I'm in a time right now where I just feel so pressured to get things done because I CERTAINLY am not staying here any longer than I have to and, in writing this, I am putting down many of the fears I have about school and the future.

Reading through what I have written, however, I realize that I am in a very good place in my life (both professionally and personally) and I look forward to what life brings me in the present and in the future.

Just checking in

This post is meant for me to check in with all of my faithful readers out there, hopefully by now there are some. I knew this was going to happen when I started school up, but I will be posting whenever I get the time and the inclination to share my thoughts with the world. With my mind so preoccupied with school and my need to graduate at the end of the current school year, it has become very difficult for me to muster up the motivation to keep writing. I am keeping up with my schoolwork, but alas never quite enough. I still find myself slacking off from time to time, but I would be hard pressed to come up with any student who doesn't have this problem.

Nevertheless, I have a firm deadline for my second draft (Sep. 19th) from which I will embark upon the thesis itself. In addition to this, of course, I need to think ahead to what will happen after I graduate and work on my resume as well as look for different potential career paths. What I might do is still slightly up in the air, but I have at least come to the conclusion that I want to work in some computer-oriented career and I think that is a good place to start. Additionally, it is something that is needed in many places so I feel confident about it.

Well, until next time, everyone have a great late summer into fall. Hopefully, it isn't too long until I see some of you in person.