Tired...

I'm very tired. I really shouldn't be... I haven't done that much today, and I got to sleep in nice and late. And yet... very tired. It doesn't help that I'll have to get up at 6 and I just remembered a test that I have tomorrow (and have not studied for).

In Transition

I'm currently transitioning from my old Compaq laptop (the one on the right) to a new Dell (the one on the left). It's been quite a process to get everything transferred/installed/working. When I got the Compaq a little over 2 years ago, it was because my last machine had pretty much melted down... which is not a good thing, but at the same time, I didn't have any of these issues, because everything was just gone. This time... there's just a lot more work! I've got all my applications onto the new machine now, so it's just a matter of transferring some files now (including my colossal 20GB+ music folder). Getting closer...

Craigslist

I love Craigslist. If buying and selling on eBay is like going to an auction house, then Craigslist is more like bartering with a street vendor. It's not as secure, and it's a cash only, face to face business. And yet, it seems to be far more effective than eBay and Amazon and the like. In the past week I've been able to sell a lot of microphones that we didn't need anymore at the church and my old keyboard. Excellent. Post an item, get an email, call them back, meet the next day, and get your money. Quick and easy. Once in a while you hear about a bad experience that somebody has, but so far, mine have been great. Plus, it's FREE! I like free a lot. No more listing fees! Great stuff.

The Last Lecture

I was pointed towards this video yesterday by the Willow Creek Arts Blog. This is the last lecture of a Carnegie-Mellon professor who has pancreatic cancer and has been given only a few months to live. I'll admit, I'm not sure exactly what it is that makes this lecture/video so astounding, but it is incredibly moving and you simply must watch it. I opened it up yesterday just to see what it was all about, and ended up sitting and watching the entire 75 minute video then and there... it's just that good. Watch it. Seriously. It will bless you.

OCF

Had the opportunity to lead worship last night at Otterbein Christian Fellowship. I used to do that all the time my freshman and sophomore years, but as life has shifted and changed over the years, I've found myself in that position less and less. I'm almost certainly going to be playing there a few more times before I graduate, but as I prepared this week, I was faced with the reality that this might be the last time I actually lead worship there. I ended up keeping it really simple, really acoustic. I like doing it that way with that group, because you can really hear them singing. I always love leading worship, but it's just tremendously fun with the crowd is drowning out the folks on stage, and this group happens to be one of the most passionately worshiping groups I've ever had the privilege to worship with. A really great experience. Just the way it ought to be, it seems.

New York Pictures (Finally!)

Well... the final quarter of my undergraduate career is now in full swing, as evidenced by my absence from this page. I still have a lot of work to do tonight, but I need a break, therefore I present to you... New York pictures! I didn't take any of these, but rather "borrowed" them from my good friend Rachel. Don't worry, I was standing right next to her when she took them all, so these are the same views I had. She just happens to have a very nice camera and a better eye for all of this than me. Credit where credit's due and all of that ;-P But without further ado... here is our trip in (more or less) chronological order. Enjoy!

Our first stop - Battery Park. A very calming place to start our whirlwind tour of the city. This is the statue that stood between to the two World Trade Center towers prior to September 11. You can see the damage it took that day.

Ground Zero - There was an incredible amount of activity here... even as darkness fell. Construction has begun on the memorial that will eventually stand here. It's hard to believe it's been almost 7 years. Very humbling.

A random and unexpected, yet fantastic find - The Manhattan courthouse (as seen on Law & Order so many times in our house).

Our final stop the first night - We crossed the Brooklyn Bridge by foot... this is a view of the skyline from the middle(ish). I love the way the sky lights up in this picture. Absolutely incredible views up there that night. Very surreal.

Our second and final day began with a trip to Rockefeller Plaza. NBC Studios is in the background.

Central Park - Two things that are nearly invisible in this picture: 1. The wizard standing in the foreground. 2. The incredible group of street performers sitting at the edge of the fountain. This was a fun stop.

Yes, we did the Empire State Building. Great views? Absolutely. Total tourist trap? You'd better believe it!

Times Square at dusk. This area is every bit as crowded and chaotic as you'd imagine... this was the only part of the trip/city where I felt truly uncomfortable.

The perfect way to close our trip - RENT Saturday night. The show was great! I love the music, but had never seen it live. Well worth the ticket, especially since it's closing in June. Afterwards we had dinner at an awesome little Irish Pub near the theatre.

All in all a simply wonderful trip! I will miss these band tours when I'm not a student anymore! After seeing Toronto, Italy/Switzerland, Chicago, and New York... great experiences.