I got a haircut. And I shaved my sideburns off. And I'm burnt. 

Trevor's tanned and peeling back. I thought it looked cool, so I took a picture. 

Off to the Beach

So Saturday was the second straight beach Saturday for me! This time it was with my family and Travis. We went to Silver Strand near Oxnard, and it was not crowded, which was a pleasant surprise. My mom and Trevor had been there on Friday, and it was more crowded then. Since last week at Zuma was so bad, it felt a lot different to have so much room, especially when it came to skimboarding.

Almost immediately after we got to the beach, Travis and I started throwing the football around. Silver Strand always has plenty of driftwood on the beach, and I must have stepped on a chunk of wood, because I got a nice, long sliver in my left big toe. Surgery was performed by Dr. Mom, who helped get a little bit out. It was enough to lessen the pain so I could walk/run on it.

Scott, Trev, Dad, and I played catch with the baseball and the gloves we brought. It had been a long time since I'd worn my dad's glove that I used for baseball my entire senior season of baseball. It was like seeing a good friend after a long time away.

Skimboarding was a lot of fun, and my dad even tried! He was largely unsuccessful in his attempts to master the beach sport, but it sure was fun to watch. Once, he jumped onto the back of the board, wavered for a split-second, then his feet flew up and he landed hard on his back. Fortunately he was OK, because everyone watching was laughing pretty hard.
Skimboarding was pretty easy all day, with good waves for Trev and Travis to bodyboard on. Actually, my dad, perhaps feeling extra adventurous, made his bodyboarding debut. The only bummer was that it was hard to find good waves to launch off. Last WOW week, at a beach nearby, the beach sloped down a lot more into the waves, so I could skim straight into waves and launch several feet into the air. That said, it's still fun launching off little waves and trying not to break wrists, ribs, skulls, etc., while landing in six-inch-deep water!

Yep, that's me "launching." Looking at the pictures, it's definitely not that high of a leap. Oh well, it was a lot of fun.

Today, on the way to church at 8:47 a.m., it was 87 degrees! Yeah, it's another scorcher. The laptop makes everything around it extra-hot too, so I'm definitely sweating right now. Yummy. OK, comment people!!

Girlified

That title is what we like to call a hook. And boy is it appropriate. For those of you who haven't been to my house, my parents have their own bathroom (important point for later) and then there is another bathroom that the three brothers use. Well, since I'm not here very often, except to sleep, I sometimes notice new things similarly to the way I reacted to new things when I returned from Israel. And the newest thing to notice is this:
Yeah, that's the flowery curtain to the BOYS bathroom shower. Oh, but that's not all:










Soap Dispenser

Trash Can

Toilet Scrubber Holder

Also, the toothbrush holder is one of this set. Now tell me, what kind of men's bathroom is this? Please, rise up with me and call my mother blessed. . . and then (kindly) demand a change! Can't this be a "guest-only" decoration set? I (along with Scott and Trevor) are horrified at this change! To make it worse, my mom's bathroom is a lot less "girly" than ours now. Alas, time does not permit me to elaborate, but please. . . HELP!!!

Beach Day

Yesterday, Nick and Travis and I went to Zuma Beach. It was a pretty uneventful day. Played a little football (can't remember the last time I threw one around), did some skimboarding (I finally spun while staying on the board! It only took me 4 summers and a few dozen times at the beach!), talked while lying around on the sand, etc. Travis bodyboarded (the big kid way of saying "boogie-boarding") for the first time and did all right. The tide was way out, but props to him. He also got clobbered by some waves, and so did I. It was a good day to get caught up on our individual summers and prepare a lot for the coming semester.

This is my last week at Big Lots! I have to work on Monday, Tuesday, or Thursday, and then I'm done!!!! Nine days of work left at SCBC. And then, onto RA Retreat, where at least I will be able to sleep in. Then, I will be in an intense time of getting to know my fellow RAs and the RDs more. Oh well, I'm bored. Bye

Sad

Yes, I'm still reading Hitler's Willing Executioners,
and I'm about slog through the final chapter. I was struck by the comment that the author made about "Christians" in pre-Nazi and Nazi Germany:

"This widespread assault by ordinary Germans [their Germanicly indoctrinated
anti-semitism] and their moral pastors alike on converts is telling. It reveals
that they were governed by a racial conception of Jews, the power of which was
sufficient to move them to deny and ignore the fundamental Christian doctrine of
salvation through baptism."

How sad to see the nation that birthed the Protestant Reformation having turned so far from the true way to salvation. "Salvation through baptism" shows the failing of Martin Luther. For all the great things he did, he didn't go far enough, and so the Lutheran Church fell into tradition and scripture-twisting teachings.

What is also sad is the fact that this whole passage is about the compromise of supposed "Christians" and their acceptance and even encouragement of genocide on an innocent race of people, namely the Jews.

Oh I pray that should something like that ever come up, that I would stand strong on my belief in the Word of God and refuse to compromise, even if it means death.

More spewage

By the way, aren't there just so many great synonyms for throwing up? I mean, who came up with those? I wonder if it is purely American, or if other cultures also spice up the verbage for vomiting. My favorite descriptive term is: ralph. Like, "Ewww, yuck, he just ralphed all over me!!!"

Work, work, work. . . and vomit.

Don't you just wish that people could spew maybe eight feet away from where they actually did? Yeah, I know that is a common problem for most of you, but today it was my responsibility. Who, you may ask, threw up? A ninth grade cheerleader. Here I will let you insert your own sarcastic/demeaning comments about cheerleading, but I will refrain from any but this: If I ever have daughters, THEY WILL NOT BE CHEERLEADERS!

OK, got that outta my system. Today was the second day in a row of 14 hour days. I'm exhausted, but a better man for it (at least the sentence sounded good). I have only 4 more times to work at Big Lots. I am grateful for the chance to make a lot of extra money there this summer, but I will be very glad to be done there.

Time to sleep for six and a half hours. Can't wait to sleep in on Saturday!!! Bye all!

Sneaker Sunday

Today was "Sneaker Sunday" at Santa Clarita Baptist Church. And just for the record, I am only using the word "sneaker" because that is the official title. There might be a certain person who reads this blog that would feel vindicated about me using the word "sneaker" for a shoe. Anyway, the reason for the title is the fact that we can't lay down the 3' X 7' carpet squares, because the hardwood floor is still curing. The next two Sundays will also be "Sneaker Sundays."

Today, the church learned that 16-year-old Nathan LeMaster has been diagnosed with some kind of lymphoma. Pray for him. Well, time to go to Siona's baptism!

Campus at Berkeley 

Amy, Mike, Mr. Godwin, Lisa 

More freaks in the Bay Area!! 

Amy and Lisa 

Some freaks walking down the road. Normal for San Francisco. 

Amy, her mom, John, and I on the way up the escalator at the BART station. 

Updating

Hi everyone who reads this established and much-loved blog. Yes, I applaud all 3 of you! Well, Amy pretty much covered last weekend in the Bay Area. I'll add a few pictures though.

Yeah, that's Amy in her dress she got for the wedding. She's beautiful.

It was a lot of fun, except for the food all these people ate is organic, vegetarian stuff. I was really longing for some good old-fashioned cow or pig, or even some fish for goodness sake!

The wedding itself was very short and eccentric, but after meeting Mike and Raphaelle, it seemed very fitting.

It's been really hot here in Santa Clarita, like 100+ the last 3 or 4 days. I've only got 12 more days at Big Lots and 19 more at SCBC till my summer ends. The last thing I do is travel up to Redding, CA for Nate Gunter's wedding on August 6. The next night I have to report to school for RA retreat. And then, my busy senior year begins!

OK, gotta do stuff this morning after finally getting to sleep in!! Out.

I figured it out!

I finally figured out how to add links!!! Thanks to Amy and actually reading instructions, I have prepared 3 amazing links. Enjoy!

Oh and by the way, this is the new hardwood floor at my church/school!! I think it's great and I can't wait to play on it

All alone

I've been at home by myself since Friday now and it's been pretty uneventful. My 4th was particularly different, since I've never spent Independence Day in Santa Clarita. I had to work from 7:30 to 11:30, which means that I didn't get to sleep in. Sometimes, I try to think back and remember what it was like to wake up after 9:00am. Really, the latest I've woken up in recent history was at 7:20 on Sunday morning.

But enough complaining! I changed the template of my blog, and dare I say, it is wonderful. I wish there was an option for creating your own blog. Then again, it would probably include web language, which I don't know AT ALL. In fact, I still haven't figured out how to fill in the blank places for links on my new sidebar!

Work is same old, same old, but I truthfully am enjoying my summer. I haven't ever gone this long without visiting the beach, but all this work is really stretching me. Also, my return to Big Lots is a very big blessing. I am so sheltered from the "real world" that sometimes I forget about the unsaved masses. I've had some intriguing forays into the minds and lives of Henry and Ricky (my fellow employees), and had a few conversations with them.

I finally get a break this weekend when I fly into Oaktown this Friday morning to go to Amy's brother Mike's wedding. My wedding experience is very limited, but seeing two people who have lived with each other for years marrying each other will definitely be a new one. The only Christians there will be myself, Amy, and her dad. I'm looking forward to meeting Amy's family.

By the way, last night Travis and I replaced the front passenger headlight in the car he's borrowing from a friend. Yeah, we felt totally legit! Oh, and last week my dad and I changed my oil and I think I have the hang of it, at last.

Um. . . lettuce that is brown is no good! Throw it out!

Yes, I'm still reading Hitler's Willing Executioners, and although it is a great book, I'm having trouble getting through it. My goal tonight is to read about 35 pages of it.

Well, after all that rambling, I now conclude my post with a bit of great news. Today, I caught the end of The Loose Cannons on AM 570, and they were talking with former Raider coach and current Raider radio analyst, Tom Flores. As they finished, their producer started The Raiders. For those of you that cannot make heads or tails of what that means, it is the only NFL Films song written exclusively for one team. It's powerful trumpets and banging drums never fail to make my body break out in goosebumps. I got really excited and quickly jumped around the room I was painting and whooped and hollered for approximately 6.9 seconds. Ahhh. . . it was beautiful. I CAN'T WAIT FOR FOOTBALL SEASON!!!

I'm done.

p.s. Mike, are you done with Revenge of the Sith?