Day (Over): Lent = Pwned.

Dear Lent,

Thank you for being over. But thank you for teaching me things in the process.

Sincerely,

Chris



.......yeah.............the past few weeks have definitely been eventful to say the least.

Before this past week, things were going normally. I was a little behind in most of my classes, but nothing too drastic except for one class (where I was fairly behind, but I was at a point where it was catch-upable). I was impatiently awaiting the day on which I could bask myself in the greatness that is Angels & Airwaves I-Empire (SO. GOOD. :| ;).), but I was able to pay off my credit card successfully because I was not able to buy cd's for the past 40-odd days.

Then last week happened.

Two Saturdays ago, my grandpa died and this past week were his funeral and all of the various things that go along with that. Therefore, I was taken out of commission and not able to work on anything, putting me further behind in all of my classes at a time where it wasn't exactly convenient. Sure, I brought some things with me to work on, but it wasn't exactly the kind of time where I could concentrate on anything school-related because my mind was clearly on other things. It was definitely a rough week and it took a lot out of me.

Interestingly enough, something happened during the few days I was gone that actually related to this lent. When I was at the Value Village across the street from the place where we (my family) were staying in Brantford, I (as I always do) went directly to the vinyl to peruse what they had. Then I found an Elvis 45 (or 7" as you youngins call'em these days). A mere THREE DAYS before lent would be over. Oh woe is me. Then I did something that may be construed as cheating. My family knew that I couldn't buy music for 40 days. Because my dad know how much I like my vinyl and how rare it is to find Elvis vinyl for that cheap in that good of shape (at Value Village no less), he said that he'd 'buy it for me and give it to me for Christmas'. Whether that was cheating and breaking lent a few days early, that I do not know.

Then there was yesterday. The great day on which lent finished.

I woke up just before 11 am. I thought that lent was over today (Tuesday). Then somebody was asking if lent was over today (which would've been Monday at the time). I said Tuesday because that's what I thought, then I rolled over, booted up my laptop, and checked the calender to see if it was, indeed, that day. Jumpin' Jehosaphat (yeah, with a PH ;) ), my math was wrong! It WAS Monday! So, realizing that if I left then, I could make it back in time for my performance class at noon, I would have time. So, I (literally) rolled out of bed, threw on some clothes, and booked it to Future Shop. Lo and behold, they had no copies left. I was a saddened little boy. And even though I felt awfully dirty inside, I then went to Wal-Mart with the intention of buying it if they had any copies there. Lo and behold they didn't.

Yet again I was saddened. :(

THEN! Right after my performance class was over, I hopped on the bus lickety split like I had a firecracker up my behind and booked it on the bus to the mall, picked up I-Empire @ HMV, realized at about 1:40 right after I bought it (judging by the time it said on my receipt) that I had practice for chapel this morning (Tuesday) at 1:30 that had completely slipped my mind (it's weekly, so that was kinda weird), ran back to catch the bus, which was leaving just as I got there, so I caught it JUST in time (Thank you goes directly to Jesus for that one), and then I got back to school and was 20 minutes late for the practice which was apparently just starting when I got there.

It also let me discover that I-Empire is SERIOUSLY one glorious piece of awesome :D.


Thank you lent for being good to me, for teaching me financial responsibility (word to financial stewardship), for getting me to regularly donate to a charity (the Esther Fund), and for making me realize that I don't have to buy everything I see just because it's awesome (like a subscription to NOFX's 7" of the month club. I was --><-- this close. But it also would've cost me a hundred US dollars. Phooey. :(. Also, thank you Josh Dies for letting me order your solo album :).)






Hey, at least it's better than me buying everything that I had on my list to buy the day lent was over ;).


Lent, have a good one, God Bless, and Merry Christmas/Happy Chanukkah (Happy Holidays, you can bite me.) :),

Chris

Day Four: I need more sleep.: The Sequel: I still need more sleep.

It's currently 1:41 AM and I just realized something I forgot to put in a package I mailed to one of my best friends for his birthday which was Wednesday. I included this because it is still relevant subject matter. You see, I picked him up a copy of Tyler Burkum's solo demo LP at Audio A's last Canadian Show ever..........LAST November. For Christmas. This is OCTOBER THE FOLLOWING YEAR. I am a rather silly fellow, I am.

It's really nice when you find out from a mutual friend that someone who you think is an incredible musical talent likes your poetry. At least six months to a year after they would've seen you read some. It's just a cool feeling and it's almost as if it kind of validates you as a writer that you might actually be kind of good at something that you love to do. It actually made my day to hear that even though it didn't take that long to converse :). Funny I'm typing this now. So far, this entire entry has been typed while listening to her stuff. I love her voice. She's almost got a Leigh Nash-ish vibe going on, with Leigh Nash having one of my favourite voices ever. I'm not even kidding. When Burlap to Cashmere was supposed to open when I saw Jars of Clay at Forward Baptist Church last year and then I found out that they couldn't and then I saw her walk out, I was seriously like, ":|.......No. Fricking. Way. :|.......:O..........8D"

One of my other friends is also giving up the purchasing of cd's for 40 days as well. He works at a record store and gets a ridiculous discount. Sucker ;). (Sorry Joel, but I can make cracks at that because I know that you will most likely never read this, so it's all good :P. And if you somehow [freakishly] do, then you know I mean it all in good fun ;).). But it's cool, because we were talking about what we're going to be doing with the money we're both not spending on cd's and I totally respect and admire where he's at and what he's going to be up to, so that's really cool :). I definitely tip my hat off to you, my friend. I tip my hat off to you. :)

You know what? Because I know that I have to give up buying cd's for 40 days and because I know it will be good for me (despite copious amounts of awesome that are being released within this timeframe that I would love to/probably will purchase anyway somewhere down the line), it won't be as hard as I thought it would be :).

In the awkward silence, my heart screams, "Your eulogy is like poetry, but your mouth is like a magazine."