Wow, busy few weeks.

Lets see, Work is like always challenging, rough, and a fight to stay concentrated on such mundane tasks. I really enjoy some aspects of the job, but other parts of it bore me to tears.

Rita Hit about 2 weeks ago and it was a really interesting experience to be part of the "Evacuation". I drove to stay with my family in Austin, normally about a 2 to 2.5 hour drive, it took me 17 hours to get there. 12 hours is spent getting 1/8 of the way there, the other 7/8th took only 5 hours. My left arm got sunburned so badly that is it still peeling, 2 weeks later. I think I actually had a first degree burn at places. But after all of that, I got to a safe place, saw the family, and there was no damage to my house at all. God was really looking after lots of people that day, and I am glad for it. It was interesting though, my sense of humor really seemed to help me through everything, I was singing with KSBJ for like 6 hours, laughing and smiling, and getting the folks around me to smile in their cars too. I was watching movies on my laptop and enjoying it. I made jokes with the drives around me, and talked to folks on the road and basically did what i could to keep folks spirits up. It was interesting for me to be the cheerful one picking people up and getting them to smile, but it was the right thing to do.

Sine then, it has become very clear to me what is important and what is just nice to have. I think it is kinda sad that it takes a disaster or the threat of a disaster to really draw that line for you. When you have to evacuate from your house in less than 3 days, in only one vehicle, you really take stock of your possessions and their meaning and it makes you analyze what is really important to you. For me it was photos of my grandfather, my diploma, and a few other sedemintal things. Other than those, I had my bike, some clothes and my computers. Everything else I left at my house, come what may. It was nice stuff, but not irreplaceable. I think it is after things like this that folks really understand what life is. It is not "Things", not "Stuff", not "Possessions", it is friends, and memories, and experiences that make a life. The things just make it a bit easier.

I have gotten really into this whole mountain biking thing, I went clipless a few weeks back and i love the things, my peddling is so much more efficient, I can go faster farther and longer and not feel as tired at the end of the ride. It is also really helping with the weight loss, I am now down near 295, and for me that is a pretty good loss. I hope i can keep with it, and do some more good, if nothing else it is a great way to spend time, better than in front of the TV with a bag of Doritos.

Well i better get to sleep soon, have a great weeks folks, and thanks for stopping by and looking around my random thoughts.