Bug splats = FUN

Got back from Northern California earlier this evening after a quick one-night stay up there. We (meaning Amy and I) visited fellow Ibexer, Ruth, who Amy roomed with in Israel. She lives in Ripon, which is just a bit north of the more well-known cityModesto, that mecca of movie-making magic (try saying that even 5 times fast!) where the beloved and much-maligned (is he?) creator of the Star Wars Universe, et al.

Anyway, we went up last night, got there around 10:30ish, watched The Incredibles, which is a GREAT movie. Then, I drove back to Modesto with Michael, Ruth's boyfriend, to spend the night. This morning we drove back to Ripon to pick up Amy, Ruth, and Heather and Abigail, who also came up with Ruth the day before. Our destination?

El Rosal

This place was amazing! I had the Shrimp Burrito Supreme. Let's just take a moment of silence for the satisfying sumptiousness of said food item...





OK, well, it was great. It was an island surrounded by an ocean of alleged "Green Sauce" and was topped by snow-like sour cream. I gobbled it up, ignoring the FULL warnings coming from my brain. Oh yeah, and we pigged out on a seemingly endless supply of corn AND flour tortilla chips with some spicy salsa.

Afterwards, I drove Amy, Heather, and Abigail back down Highway 99 to the Promised Land that is the Santa Clarita Valley. Tonight, Amy and I watched Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. Can you believe this? Amy didn't remember much about it and said the last time she saw it (and the only time) was when she was 10!!! That was way back in the 90s for goodness sake! After questioning her patriotism and her citizenship, we enjoyed Mr. Lucas' film that has changed the world. Ahh...sheer beauty at its best.

So yeah...that's my roommate's hair. 

Six months!

Well, today marked six months of Amy and I dating! We went out for dinner and walked around the mall a bit. Nothing big, and real casual (we both wore shorts); just the way we both like it. The last six months have been the craziest six of my life, but easily the best. I thank God every day for placing me into such an awesome girls life!

However, right now I'm in a bad mood for some reason and just want to read a bit and then sleep (on a Friday night!) for a looooonnngg time. So I will.

ZZZZZZzzzzzzzzz.........

My thug girlfriend with her sister at Nike Point 

Nike Point 

Sister pic 

Picturesque Vasquez Rocks 

Amy and I 

Amy and Lisa climbing up the biggest rock at Vasquez Rocks! 

Oops

Oh yeah, I forgot one important thing. . . I am an RA (Resident Assistant) next year in Hotchkiss Dorm. It's a paid position and a real answer to prayer. Don't we have a merciful and great God? Praise Him! I am very thankful and excited for the position. I basically lose all but the first week of August for the summer, since RA Retreat begins on August 7. Should be fun, should be hard, should be challenging, should be a blessing. Pray for me when you think about it. -out-

and it begins

and it begins Read this blog. . .it's Amy's and it's good!

Losers

We lost again. . . and this time in overtime. We came back from a 31-16 deficit, took the lead, then let them tie it up before falling in overtime. I ABSOLUTELY HATE LOSING!

OK, now that that's out of my system. . . I really enjoyed hanging out with Amy's sister Lisa who was in last Thursday through Sunday. We went to a lot of places (Vasquez Rocks, Nike Point, West Hollywood, Universal Citywalk) and had a lot of fun. Lisa had never been to California, the greatest state in the Union, so she got a nice hint of it before she returns in July for brother Mike's wedding.

I'd leave a bigger post, but I'm writing a paper and it's almost 1 am. Time to get back to work. Holla!

IBEX Spring 2005 - Israel Bible Extension Program

IBEX Spring 2005 - Israel Bible Extension Program This sight is tight!

Break Time

It's break time. I just finished a ten-page paper, and need to finish another one by tomorrow afternoon (although it WON'T be that long). What's happening around here?

Oh yeah, this past Saturday Amy and I went up to Santa Maria to grandma's house for the 19th Annual Easter Egg Hunt. Last year was the first time in its long and illustrious history that it did not happen. It was a lot of fun, especially when a water fight broke out between the adults and the kids. We won, mainly when my mom got soaked and then I poured a whole water bottle all over my dad. Amy got to see our family craziness, so that was good.

Then we went golfing at the local Par 3 course. Man, that was fun. Highlight of the day: I won! Second (and funnier) highlight of the day: My dad hit a ball off a tree that was four feet in front of him and it came screaming back into his forehead leaving a nice lump. My dad's new nickname is now Tiger Woods.

Yesterday was another day of fun. After Amy's class got out at 3:20, we drove north up the 14 and got off on the Angeles Forest Highway. We followed it for quite awhile until we found the place I wanted to park the car. We then proceeded down into the canyon itself. I had been there before twice to cliff jump. Amy and I were gonna to go to see if it was looking good enough for our IBEX hike this Saturday. What we got was an adventure that was a lot more dangerous than we had bargained for. The river was swelled way beyond anything I had ever seen. There was still snow visible in the mountains above and no doubt it was feeding the already high water from all the rain we've gotten this winter. We slowly made our way downstream, sometimes wading through a swift current. Finally we got to a mini-waterfall and decided to scale the cliff next to it to try to get through. We reached a dead end and decided it was either go home or jump in from about a 10 foot height into the river. We didn't know how deep it was so I jumped in first and found that it wasn't very deep. Maybe seven feet at the most. Amy couldn't get the nerve to jump for awhile, so I swam back into the freezing cold current. She jumped and both got to dry land.

We kept going, but were forced to wade in the water again. Finally, we made it to the place where my friends and I had jumped before. The calm, stagnant pool I had known was now a roaring waterfall and a rapid. There was no way we could jump in there, and the rope to climb back up the cliff after jumping was gone. Not knowing exactly how we'd get back we started for the car. I had wanted to get out at 6. When we finally (a few cuts and bruises later) got back to the car it was 7 o'clock and we were freezing. We cranked the heater up and started home, stopping at a McDonald's on the way back. It was definitely some of the most fun I've ever had, considering that I didn't die and we got out safe and sound. Amy says I saved her life at one point, where I stopped her from slipping down the cliff. I doubt the complete veracity of that statement but it does show you how dangerous it was.

Ok, back to my paper.