A rainy day!

It's often lamented about, a decrease in productivity, a disturbance in the plans for the day. I just think it might be God's way to get us to slow down and think; to stop and consider; to wonder at his immensity. The thunder clap and flash of God's might reminds me that I am such an insignificant part of such a large process. The control I possess is minuscule in comparison to the unending, infinite authority of God's hand.

The wind blows each drop to it's final destination, as God leads us to ours. Will I be ok in this storm? Will I make it through to the end; of course. But my definition of the word "end," and HIS are much different in their implications. It's these things I think on, as a storm rolls through, and reminds me the importance of HIS mindfulness in my necessities of life.

It's Time

It's time to embark on a reprieve, a respite from everyday monotony; so here we go. It is off to Orlando and what is considered the happiest place on earth; be jealous! I envision time spent by the pool, doing what is best in times like this; nothing. Maybe some leisurely reading, a random nap or two, and possibly a refreshing fruity beverage. Most importantly, some time with family! I gathered recently that it has been over a decade since our last real family vacation, and for some reason over ten years ago they just stopped; interesting. But here we are, picking up where we left off when I was 15, embracing another experience, another adventure.

I've embraced the ideals of a minimalist for this trip, hoping to achieve simplicity. Seems that life's become so complex and confusing, it is time to get back to the finer things that have made life so great. No schedule, no hard plans, no bosses, no assignments, and no weird Wisconsin weather; just the Breckley's, the Florida sun, and a good book.

As the nice lady finally calls our flight number to head out, I struggle for departing words. So, I will just say, after 8 hours of sitting in this airport, I am glad to be leaving.

My Crutch

It doesn’t seem as though life has gone just how I had always imagined it. Things are much more obscure, muddled, and convoluted than I could have ever predicted. The clearly defined, black and white edges between right and wrong, good and evil, up and down just seem to blend together. God’s art just seems to be so incomprehensible to the layman’s eye; like a jumbled puzzle with no box to reference. It seems that man’s constant torment is his ability to question why, when no resolute answer exists. Just as Sisyphus pushes his bolder up the hill only for it to roll back down, we continually question the cosmos only to be met with more questions, instead of answers. What mind can possibly wrap his head around the idea of a God who loves, gives, and heals? What man can truly understand a God of three, and those three as one? Is faith the answer or do we use faith as an explanation for the ideas and facets in life we can’t possibly hope to understand?

The paradox of existentialism is one that says for every purpose there is a person, and for every person a purpose, while maintaining that the answers to these questions are not resolute. What seems the solution to a problem today will not necessarily be the resolution to that situation next week. That is the beauty of life, change is constant and we just can’t keep up. If it appears that I am conflicted in this matter it is because I am, I hope you are as well. We’ve an innate attribute that forces us to find a higher purpose to our lives. This is where God’s handiwork comes into play, he’s molded us in just the right way for his purpose, but will you yield?

Amsterdam

Our trip to Amsterdam was a welcome change and extremely educational. I would recommend this trip to anyone who is looking for a great, relaxing destination.

Here is an example of beautiful architecture found in Amsterdam. It is extremely beautiful, and unique to the norther part of Europe (The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany).

This is an exmple of a delft tile.

This is outside the Rijksmuseum, home to many Rembrants paintings as well as the many Delft ceramic bowls, plates, jars, tiles and artwork. It is a tin-glazed white ceramic material with bright blue ornate paintings.

Auxi saw these glasses and had to try them on, I mean who wouldn't want a pair of these?

This is a cool street (without a canal), I thought it was interesting because there aren't many of these types of streets around the city.

Here is a typical canal and surrounding houses. I could live here in a heartbeat, it is so beautiful. This also happens to be the beset picture that I took the entire trip.

Amsterdam is also known as the "city of bikes," I am sure you can see why. People ride their bikes no matter what the weather. They talk on the phone, eat croissants, and hold an umbrella; all while riding their bike. This picture is right outside Centraal Station, the major transportation hub in Amsterdam.

Here I am next to the I as well, it was really cold.

Just in case you can't read the words, it says I amsterdam. 

Traveling

Traveling well is an art of it's own. It takes imagination to see things in a new light and to do things out of the ordinary. But when does it end? To me the long, grueling trip home after a good vacation is not meant for catching up on rest, it's a time of reflection on what you have learned and seen over your journey.

I have come to the realization that, as long as brain has the ability to convert short term memories (capacity of about 7 items) into long term memories, a vacation never really ends. I also have to say that quality is just as important as quantity. I have taken trips that lasted 3 days and I got more out of it than a 10 day trip.

The most important things to traveling is to DO IT. If you are forever planning a trip and it never comes, then what is the point? So many people say that "it must be nice," to travel. The difference between that person and me is that I decided traveling is an important part of my life. Travel, it is well worth the expense and I would much rather spend my money on a memorable experience as opposed to a new car.

A friend of mine sent me a quote and I thought it appropriate to the subject at hand:

"Traveling is a brutality. It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that familiar comfort of home and friends. You are constantly off balance. Nothing is yours except the essential things – air, sleep, dreams, the sea, the sky – all things tending towards the eternal or what we imagine of it."

-Cesare Pavese (September 9, 1908 – August 27, 1950) was an Italian poet, novelist, literary critic and translator; he is widely considered among the major authors of the 20th century in his home country.

Change!

CHANGE INDEED
I've recently made a sizable transition in my life, so I figured I would update my blog to inform everyone of all the changes.

I am not longer in the Navy, but a student at University of Wisconsin Green Bay (GO Phoenix!) I have been there since the beginning of September and have already changed my life plan once! Let's see how many more times this happens before I graduate.

Many of you know that I have aspired to become a physician for quite a while. Well, that is just not the case anymore! I am not sure if it was the overwhelming amount of time that it was going to take or my arch nemesis Mathematics that caused me to change my directions. Regardless, I can see that my new plan may actually be a better fit for my lifestyle and temperament; kids have always been my passion.

I am now majoring in Human Development (with a possible double in Psychology). I plan to go to grad school and study Child Development/Child Psychology and hope to work with kids in the area of social and cognitive disorders. We'll see how long that lasts!

Being back in the civilian world has allowed for less stress in my life, which I am extremely thankful for. I have also found a nice little niche, with a few new friends! I will post a couple pics so you can put faces to the names of people you should be praying for on a regular basis :)

Other than that, it is good to be home and near my family once again (or at least a more healthy distance).



I recently turned 25 and was lucky enough to get a cake from new friends! All in all a great Birthday! Not elderly yet, even though some call me gramps!



This is Ryan, Myself and Emily at a regular Monday Night Bowling Event!



Here is Tara Myself and Anna at the same fun Bowling Night.


Maggie "Clare" and I being silly



The only person that is missing is Allison, I don't have a picture of her, but will try to get one soon!

This is the Student Union. The photo doesn't do the Union a justice, it is actually much bigger than it looks (a majority of it is under ground).




This is a photo of the Kress events center, which holds the gym as well as the pool and an indoor track. This is also where the boys and girls basketball teams play.




Here is a picture of the Library!





The Weidner Center- Where all major productions happen in the Theatre Arts Department.

Some more pictures

Here is a picture of the office. It has come up low on the priority list so it still looks like doodoo.



This is a picture of the kitchen, probably my favorite place in the house. It was the first thing that I saw when I moved in and made me fall in love with the place.








A picture off the back terrace. There are a lot of places around me, but for so far it has remained very quiet.

New Place

I promised I would get some pictures posted of the new place. I hope you like them. I added some details to help you conceptualize the house.



Here is a picture of the living room and you can see the kitchen in the background.



The living room is about 22' X 14'- nice and spacious

HM2 Breckley

So,

I found out today that I got promoted. E-5/ PO2 is now what will appear on my I.D. card. It is exciting because I get to play in a different ball game. I've noticed, to a certain point, that second classes get a little bit more respect. Here is what my rank insignia will look like:

A little Art History for you: Michelangelo

Many people know of Michelangelo, and his painting of the Sistine Chapel. But, do you know the story behind this profound piece of art work? Normally art history is not my cup of tea, but this story is very interesting.

Michelangelo was invited to Rome in 1505 by Pope Julius II to complete a few pieces of artwork; none of them paintings mind you. You see, Michelangelo was not a painter, he considered himself "more of a sculptor...;" hence a little statue know as "DAVID."

Pope Julius the second attempted to commission Michelangelo to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel quite a few times, but Michelangelo declined. He declined for a couple of reasons, first, Michelangelo considered himself "more of a sculptor than a painter," and second, during the renaissance it was considered an act of disrespect to ask an artist to paint a ceiling. It is rumored that Michelangelo also declined because he thought that Raphael and Bramante had conspired against him, convincing Julius II to commission him to work with an unfamiliar medium. However, no true evidence can be found to support this theory.

Finally, Michelangelo agreed to paint the Sistine Chapel Ceiling. In case you are not aware the Sistine Chapel ceiling was Michelangelo's first painting.

Michelangelo built his "flying scaffolding" and went to work on what has become one of the most recognized paintings of all time.

Between 1508-1512 he created one of the most elaborate and breathtaking paintings in the history of the Renaissance. When I say elaborate I mean that it consists of over 300 separate characters.

The Content of the ceiling includes:

1) The Separation of Light and Darkness
2) The Creation of the Sun, Moon and Earth
3) The Separation of Land and Water
4) The Creation of Adam
5) The Creation of Eve
6) The Temptation and Expulsion
7 )The Sacrifice of Noah
8) The Great Flood
9)The Drunkenness of Noah

I hope that you enjoyed the history behind this phenomenal art work. If you haven't seen it it is hard to conceptualize the magnitude of this piece.

Pictures Galore- Roma

Here is the oculus of the Pantheon. The Pantheon was build in 125 AD and stands almost as sturdy as the day it was build; 2,000 years ago. This dome represents the some of the most advanced architectural engineering known to man. The oculus or "eye" helps to lighten the dome and actually even distributes the weight throughout the circumference of the dome. If you have not had the opportunity to see this amazing piece of architecture, I would advise you to take a trip to Rome. It is impossible to conceptualize the size of this building if you haven't seen if for yourself.


This is the Archangel Michael atop Castel Sant' Angelo. This castle is where the pope flees in times of dangers. Michael was put at the top of the castle to "protect" the pope. Michael represents protection and enlightenment.


Nic and I decided to do a bike tour of the APIA ANTICA, little did we know that there wasn't much to see and that the bikes weren't meant for a lot of riding. Lets just say we are finding it increasingly difficult to sit down today.


Here is the Tiber River at Night, beautiful

More Rome-

Nic and I with St. Pete's behind us


A view of St. Peters Basilica/square


The Coloseum- It is enormous


The Trevi Fountain

PASTA BARILLA (Its huge)

The view overlooking Rome from the top of Castel Sant' Angelo.


Here we are overlooking the Forum.


Here is Nic and I on the side of the Trevi Fountain.




Nic has an idea; big idea!

I Had a Dream Last Night

Even though Grandpa has gone to be with the lord, his lessons and wisdom still affect my life. I had a dream last night that seemed so vivid, I thought I was with Grandpa again. It felt as if I had the chance to learn from “Granpop” again. Sitting in deep thought I have come to realize the substantial impact that Grandpa had on my life.

My dream began with Grandpa at his finest, bestowing love upon those he cared for (which was everybody). But, the dream immediately fast-forwarded to his funeral. In the dream Grandpa passed along a house, which later I have come to realize was much more than that. After thinking about it I realized that it was not a house that he was bestowing upon me, but a legacy that I have the responsibility to continue. I may not have the ability to bestow the kind of wisdom and knowledge that Grandpa did, but I can attempt to fill the immeasurable shoes placed before me.

I‘ve heard of the stern, strict man that Grandpa was for a long period of his life. Knowing Grandpa in the last ten years of his life, I came to know a much kinder, gentler man. He would hug me every time we saw each other saying, “How are ya Bud?” During that time I spent with Grandpa in Wisconsin, throughout my high school years, I never imagined my life without him in it. Even though death is an inevitable part of life, I guess I thought that Grandpa would be around until the coming of the Lord.

While he was in Wisconsin I had the chance to spend a blessed amount of time with Grandpa, it was probably one of the best time periods in my life. I had the chance to get to know a man who cared for people, in a way that may have not been evident to everyone. Grandpa had a subtle way of showing his affection, but when you realized it was happening you became thankful he was. I cherish all the things that I learned from my Grandfather; he was wise in so many ways it simply leaves me mystified.

An Early appreciation of the Arts

I recently realized that my early appreciation for Jazz and music originated with a white, curious Beagle and his little yellow friend. I was inadvertently introduced to the music through the interesting animations of a cartoonist named Charles Schultz. The music being the creation of Vince Guaraldi. Vince Guaraldi composed a familiar song named Linus and Lucy, which later became synonymous with the Charlie Brown (Peanuts) theme song.  Since Charlie Brown's emergence in the late 1950's, at the age of four, he has introduced many people to the plight we call life. He became the butt of numerous jokes and the cause of many laughs. 

Back to Granada.

Well it is that time of year again. The snow has fallen and the lifts are open; so back to Granada we go.

A few photos of the mountain:










But, while we were there we had to reek a little havoc.