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Hey Everybody,

Yeah I know that I suck at posting on a blog but I guess sometimes I need to do it and sometimes I don't. I'm pretty sure that no one checks it any more so I don't really know why I keep on posting but I guess it acts as a way for me to say what I think is important at the time.

I have been trying to do some soul searching as of late but I don't know how much good it is really doing me. I have so many unanswered questions about myself and the answers just don't seem to be coming. This is such a weird time because everything is up in the air. In a few months no matter what I do my whole life is going to change in front of my eyes. This is not to mean that I want to stay in Adrian because I know I am ready to move on and meet some new faces but I feel like I have so much unfinished business here.

I am getting to that point where I am really starting to miss camping again but I just don't have the time to get out there and do it. How sad is that? I am so busy that I had this odd moment with a muffin last week. I got to work 30 min early and went to go get a coffee and a muffin along with a copy of the USA Today. Just to have a peaceful morning. After about 15 min I gave up on the paper because I had to much to think about with school work and the like and I could not even get past the front page and my muffin was gone without me even tasting it. I mean how sad is it when a guy can't even eat a muffin and have 15 minutes of peace to himself to just think? I think it is pretty sad.

I guess it is best to just take it day by day. step by step.

My Bad Round II

Hi,

I know I know.... I have been really bad about my blogging as of late. I just don't like to blog negative thoughts because then everyone starts to worry and as of late I have not had many positive thoughts so.

This weekend was killer. I got to go to the U of M football game which was just a blast and I got to see some old friends. It is nice to be reminded that there is more to life then Adrian College. I just need to push myself through this year and then I am free of this place. It's not that I hate Adrian College. I am just ready to live in a place with a little more culture again. I also am so ready to enter the work force.

I am slacking on my school work but I just cant get focused at all. I need to work on that. My room is also a pit at the moment. I hope I can change that tonight.
ok I gg.
TTYLMBFFS!
~Me

Complaint about Love

So as I tell everyone.. I like being single. I like the freedom of my time and I like ability to go where I want and when I want. But I have to be honest its starting to get a little old. So I am going to get all wordy here, just to get it out of my system, so that I don't have to act this way in the real world.

These are what I'm looking for in a women. Even if I found her I think that I would never take the chance.

~She has to like the outdoors.
~Must enjoy trips to Lake Leeland (this includes beach nights).
~Has to push me to do things I want to do.
~Supportive in things that matter.
~Willing to fight for her own thoughts.
~Talks are good. Lectures are bad.
~Get that friends are just as important as couples.
~When the top is off the jeep she has to throw her hands up in the air. Not complain about how it is messing up her hair.
~Pig tails and a baseball cap are not a must but it always helps.
~Realize that when I need space it doesn't mean that I don't like you. It just means that I need a moment to myself.
~I get dirty/messy/and rough around the edges... this will not change.
~And most Important. She has to realize that a relationship inst about give and take. Its about looking at someone and realizing that their faults are part of who they are and those same faults are what make you go crazy when you see your other.

Ok I think its all out now.
~Raining outside when waking up = 10 more minutes under the covers

Long Time No Post

Hi Friends,
So I know it has been a bit of time since my last blog post but things here at AC have been pretty busy and I have not had much time to myself as of late. School started off in full swing and my senior research class has proven to be more then I thought it would be. Its not that the class is really hard as I have taken on some major papers in my life but the waiting time has caused some stress. I just want my books and all my research articles to come in so that I can start to go through them. That and I feel like I can never keep up with the other student in my class. She just has so much more stuff already then I do.

Work has also been kind of a pain. Like I have said before we have a new boss and with that comes change. Now I like to think that I can work with change. I am not the kind of person that gets stuck in my ways but all the change has caused confusion and thus stress. Also, I really dont like people forcing me to look one cookie cutter way. I feel like I dress well, work out to keep a physical lifesyle, and keep myself healthy by limiting my alcohol and I quit smoking. Yet, I must shave my beard. Boo hiss.

More to come later
Marcus

Sleep is a must.

I have not been sleeping very well as of late. This is odd because for as long as I can remember once my head hits the pillow I am out cold in under 5 min. Now I just chill on my bed and try my best to fall asleep. The side effect of this is that I have only been running on 4-5 hours of sleep per night. I am in fact a 50 year old man in the body of a 21 year old so I almost always get 8 hours. I jsut find myslef always draging my feet and yawning.

We had a little party at the flat last night. It was fun and I got to see a ton of people. I need to stop partying as much as I do though. It is starting to hurt my wieght lose plan. Also, I have not smoked in some time and the cravings are starting to get better.

That is all. I wish I was in bed.

Me

Here we go again.

I once got yelled at because I was told that I never have normal days and that not everyday can be "crazy" or "super stressful". That everyone has to have just normal days. Well folks, today was a normal day. Nothing was great and nothing was bad. It was just normal. Went to work, had lunch, went to class, watched some movies, and now here I am at the computer working on my blog. A very normal day.

The sad thing is that all I can think about is backpacking. I even took Backpacker Magazine to class. I need to hit the trail.

Not All Who Wander Are Lost.

Rule #1

I don't like to think that life has any real rules to it. If life has rules then we have a code we need to follow and as a backpacker I just really think that we should be able to wander with a free mind and a free spirt. Yet, this morning I realized that life should have one rule that eveyrbody needs to follow. Are you ready? Your sure? Ok, here we go. Marcus' Rule #1 for life. If it is raining and you can head the rain drops hitting anything outside you should be able to stay in bed for as long as you want. I was not allowed to follow such rule this morning as I work 8am-noon on fridays and it makes me rather sad. Rain and being in bed are two things that just go together. It makes for a moment in time when everything stands still and relaxation takes a hold over the body. A short moment of bliss.

I went out to the club last night. It was a good time but I don't think that it will happen every week. I didnt get home till late and as I stated I have to get up pretty early in the morning to make it to work on time. Also, I hate how when you get back all of the clothes that you threw on smell like beer, smoke, and that gross dude who bumped into you on the dance floor. I wonder if I am just getting older. Not in the physical way but in the I want to go to bed at 10:30 pm kinda way.

Ok as I am at work I should prob. get some stuff done. Thanks for reading.
~Me

Walking Walking Walking

Sorry for the lack of posts... busy few days. Life has gotten better since my last post. I realized that what I thought was really important can't be prepared for or set in stone. Life is like a river in the way that you know that it flows and you can try and work with that motion but in the end you have no idea what is around the next bend.

I have found my flow and am just riding the river until it bends. Some bends are good and some are bad but you just have to take it as it goes. I do really miss doing stuff outdoors. It would be great just to go do some camping. I might throw something together for sunday to monday.. who knows.

Not All Who Wander Are Lost... but to wander one must want to be free. Must be able to spread their arms wide and yell "this is me. I am not what you want me to be" then hit the trail.

~Me

Hmph.

Kinda in a not so great place right now. Moving back to Adrian was really great when I first did it. I was pumped to see my friends, move into my room, hit the books hard like I did at Oxford, and who knows maybe even go on a date or two. While, most these things have happened ( well not even half) I just can't get out of this funk I have been in the past few days. I don't want to call it depression because that makes it sound way worse than it really is. More of a constant thought of questioning.

As a philosophy major this might seem like a good thing. We are trained to always question what is going on around us so that we can have a better understanding of the way things really are but I can really only take so much. I know that I don't really have that much control over what happens around me but it just seems that so many people have their shit together way more then I do. I have no job plans... none...all old plans are gone as of today. My friends are starting to get married, engaged, or otherwise reconnect or hold long term relationships. Soon (next five years) I'm going to start to see children... little people that look like friends. I on the other hand cant even remember where I left my car keys 5 days out of the week let alone hold a relationship. I used to accept this as having a "traveler's spirit" one who never gets tied down because others hold him back. I realized that its a bunch of bullshit to make myself feel better.

Also I find myself stuck in a kind of limbo about who I am and who I want to be. I want to be a ton of different things and I find that who I am is much less interesting. Someone please give me some directions. A TomTom for life is much needed. Yet, at the same time I just want to be left alone.

To Wander or not to Wander... that is the question.

yeah

Its 4:30 in the morning and I wish that you could see how sad this is. I mean really this might be an all time low for me. I am a child in the body of an adult. A child in the body of an adult...

crap...

I am 21 years old and still a child..... how sad is that.

Wise Sage or Foolish Gorilla?

Man it has been one day of pain. I have been at work since 8 am and on my feet all day long. What I was not being so smart about is that even though I knew that I was going to be on my feet all day long I thought today would be a great day to break in my new pair of work boots. Thus, my feet are bleeding and I think I am going to have to buy a new pair of socks. Today was fresman move in day which means my job was to fight with parents and again lose hope that Adrian College lets people though its doors that have the inteligence to open a banana. To make matters worse it was out of this world hot day and thus I smell and feel nasty.

On another note I was asked to give some advice today. Well, I'm not sure that asked is the best way to put it but I gave advice and in retrospec I'm not so sure that it was my place to give. Who knows... all you can do is speak your mind and hope that it matters.

I still have 1:15 min of work left... crap.

Well I guess I am going to throw out two posts in one night. Work is slow and my mind seems to be turning at a fast pace. I can't figure out some things. First, I think that going to Oxford was like a drug. I went and I had an experience that I know can't be replicated without...well Oxford. I cared about my studies there. I have always cared about what grades I got while at AC but at Oxford it was so much more then the grade it was the knowledge and the power that came with having that knowledge. Here we go to class and cram our brains with facts about the subjects of our picking. After the information has been given we never use it or we only use it with other people who are in out study. This is not the case at Oxford. At Oxford you need to be a jack of all trades if you are going to be able to even sit in on the pub talk that takes place 7 days a week, 365 days a year. I crave that conversation. I want to be surrounded by people who are the top of their classes and be looked at as someone who can sit eye to eye with a stranger and be thought of as an equal. The sad thing is that I know this is not going to take place in Adrian. Here we talk about video games, girls (most of the male conversation about such I find crude), and if we get lucky a drop of politics. Professors here (at Adrian) are the best but getting a drink and just talking is hard as most worry about what is going to happen to them if someone finds out they are spending time with a student out of the classroom. It just seems like for being "the land of the free" our lives are very controlled by outside influences.

PS> I must say I am sorry for the beer poems. I was not myself and feel bad about the sexist nature found in the one. Yet, I don't think taking them down is a good thing as they provide an example of what I need to be more observant about.

Not All Who Wander Are Lost.

So Sleepy I Wanna...Sleep

Man I am whipped. One full week of Safety Training and I feel like I need to sleep for a few weeks just to get my energy level back up. Overall, it has been nice getting back to the life I live here at Adrian College but at the same time I feel like I changed so much over the summer and that I just didn't have as much time as I wanted to spend and reconnect with my friends back home. Moreover, now that I have my work times all made up and am seeing how much time ATO is going to eat I feel like I wont be able to see them as much as I want to. It really is hard to balance two lives. Well its more like three lives as I had a life at Oxford that I want to keep but don't think many will except.

On I side note I went to the bar last night for an hour and had a better time then I thought I would. So that is a positive.

Much Love
~Me

Back at Adrian.

Yup I am back in Adrian.
Another year, another chance to figure out what I want to do once I leave the academic walls of Adrian college. All I want to do at this moment is sleep as I have been in safety training all day and my right shoulder is acting up which does not make me to happy.

My room looks bad ass.

A beer making poem for Brad

Damn it Brad!
Four hours ago we sat on this very couch
Watching a man we wish we were
Make a beer from the heavens

So we left
And went to the Beer Depot
Where we realized our calling from
THE ALL MIGHTY LORD (THIS COULD BE JESUS)

We started our new craft
Our souls are filled with inspiration
You would scream out in joy
in exotic ecstasy as our product brewed

Through tears, pain, and smiles
We watched as a pot of water became a tool
A tool to get smiles on cold hearted women
A tool to get friends to speak words of wisdom

Hours came and hours went
But in the end we were kings
Kings of the brew
Kings of the sweaty, passion filled nights to come.

Bring on the strawberry flavored condoms...... bitches

A beer making poem for Justin

Oh my Justin
We sit here
On this couch of love
Talking, joking, smiling
doing things that many boys do
this is making beer

The aroma of beer making products
fills my sexually aroused nostrils
like a lion in heat
Oh sweet beer
Oh elixir of love
TAKE ME! TAKE ME NOW!
Take me to the woman of my dreams
and give her your sexual power

I know pull myself out of this dream
And realize that Justin is watching me
Seeing my hard, firm, hypnotic gaze
I feel odd
out of place
I need to make more beer.

Tattoo Ideas.

So I have been wanting a tattoo for some time now so I came up with some images that I think would make nice ones. Tell me what you think.

Options:






Tell me what you think. I'm not sold on one of them yet but I think they look cool. The tree is the celtic tree of life which represents the start and the finish and a connection with all living things. The wings are to represent my Nighthawks. My closest and longest friends who like the tree will be with me till the end.

Off Track.

Today it seems that I am in a bit of a slump. Not really sure what set it off but for some reason I just got put in a sour mood tonight. It got to the point where the smallest things would just drive me mad. I think that I just need to move back into my own place so that I can have my space to relax and get away from the rest of the world.

I really am looking forward to getting back into the classroom. I feel like now that I am back from Oxford that I should still be learning. I guess that I have taken a larger interest in Eco based issues since I got back stateside but there is only so much you can learn outside the classroom.

Ok Bed Time

Many Paths

Sometimes it is funny how life will throw you a curve ball every once in a blue moon. First I must update that the jam making possess went very well. We made over 50 jars of jam and both kinds taste wonderful. I was going to make some more today but i got kinda jammed out and I wanna wait for a friend of mine to get home so that we can do it together.

Ok curve ball time. So I have been thinking about how I don't really have a direction to my life right now. I wanted to travel and I did that this summer and it opened my eyes to a ton of things but long term I am a bit torn. Yeah sure I want to own a house that I can share with a few of my friends but if I do that I am limited to where I can work and what kind of job I can have (international stuff goes out the window). Sure I want to own a backpacking store but if I do that am I really helping the world around me? With all the problems in the world I feel like I should be helping to fix one of them. It seems that the only thing I know for sure is that my jeep wrangler will be by my side. Thats not to much to be banking on when you only have one more year of college left.

So today I get this e-mail from a college in Michigan that says one of my profs from Adrian has sent in my name to go to this grad school of a masters in leadership with emergency response as the focus. Its a really cool program and it would only take me two years to do but I would have to move out of this are and prob go to DC when I finish the program. So it has a lot of stuff that needs thought around it. Talk about a job that would make you feel like you give back and it would let me travel more.

I think I just need to find a path. Then again...
Not All Who Wander Are Lost

PS..
If I ever go into big business and end up selling car insurance or some bullshit like that please shoot me on the spot.

Should this bug me?

So this morning I was going to the farmers market in Saline with the whole family to get some more supples for jam making and my sister called me a "green freak". Not a big deal as she said it in joking and I replied "Yeah I guess I am". I mean I care about the planet and try to leave a small impact on it. Hell I even own reusable bags for when I go to the store to pick up food. I think living in Europe played a role in my eco-awareness as well. Then my dad and sister teamed up on me saying that global warming was a joke. I have to be honest when I say that I thought most college educated people would think global warming was real. It was just kind of a shocker to me that people still think it is "made up science".

I think what hit hard is that these people are my family. I wonder how they are going to take it when I leave college and start taking Yoga classes and the such. I mean I don't want them to think I'm some kind of eco nut job but at the same time I wanna be able to be myself and that means buying eco friendly food and enjoying the young educated "hippy" culture.

Questions Questions

Yeah I'm Jammin'

So tonight I made a ton of Jam with my mother and father. I thought it was going to be super lame as my little sister is going out to a party tonight and I the 21 year old was staying home with the folks but it turned out to be a really fun time. We started off by mashing 4 kinds of fruit together (I would tell you what they were but the jam turned out so yummy I think it might be a family secret now). Then we went and got drunk over at some family friends. I think that getting a bit buzzed really does help the jam making process. When your sober all you can think about is how hot it is while making the jam but when your drunk all you care about is not fucking up the jam cuzz your drunk. Over all we made 27 jars of jam which should last us till next year.

Tomorrow holds more jam making in store which means it should be a pretty fun day. We have picked our drink of choice (gin and tonic) to get us through the day and peach jam is our fruit to make into the perfect compliment to toast. Now if only I could find a girl who would think i was sexy while making jam shirtless....

Not All Who Wander Are Lost.

Crap... I hate the truth.

So today one event lead to a feeling that should not be connected with it in any way shape or form. I went to a 4-H animal sale and realized that I'm more lonely then I let myself think I am. So how is the selling of live animals related to me feeling sorry for myself you might ask...well for that we must go on a magical journey full of wonder and amazement...well not really.

I was out to get a pig for my father and for some reason seeing all the high school country kids made me think back to my own high school experience (if you can avoid doing this take my advice and do such). High school was easy for me. I had a truck and girls liked the truck so overall high school worked. Now I'm some guy who thinks that making raspberry jam with his mother sounds like a killer way to spend a Friday night. What comes after this... I haven't "dated" in a while and my shitty attempts have never turned out well.

I guess I could always just make jam for a living.

I'll Be Better

Yes I still use my blog. I have just been really booked as of late catching up with old friends and getting ready to start work training on the 10th.

Life since I have gotten back into the USA has been a little slow but thats ok. It is nice to not have to always be thinking about how much money you have, where your going to sleep, and if you still have your passport in your pocket. On the flip side things just seem a little run of the mill here and I guess thats because they are. I feel a bit normal and that just brings a number of mixed emotions up both good and bad.

Went to meet the new boss man today for Campus Safety. He seems like an OK guy and one meeting isn't really a good amount of time to get to feel him out. I wont mind having the work place be more professional but my work has given me a group of people that are like my family and I don't want to lose that personal connection for the sake of professionalism. I know its silly because I work Campus Safety at Adrian College but I really do love my job and what I do and I don't want that to change. I'm sure I'll have some great stories from training week though.

It's nice to see my Nighthawks again. Not much has changed and I'm totally OK with that. I just wish that when we hung out it was us hanging out. Like actually talking to one another. I don't really care what we do while we are talking but we only have so many years before one of us leaves and then two will leave and soon I'm sure that we will spread out. Then doing a simple thing like talking won't be so easy.

Random Thought: I worked out today ( I do this most days ) but today I needed to clear my head a bit so I pushed myself. Well, I pushed myself to hard and just about put myself in the ER. Lets not do that again. That never used to happen when I did martial arts.

Never going home

Good Morning Good Morning!
Hello my little happy campers and let me say that today is going to be a wonderful day. right now I am in Berne Switzerland at it is amazing. Just got done with Normandz and Paris. Dont have to much time but wanted to let every body know that I am alive and well and have you giys in my thoughts. Much Love
Marcus

Sweetness...

Hey gang,
So I am hoping that this is going to be one of my longer blog posts as a ton of stuff has been going on in my life and I would like to share it with you all. This trip is turing out to be something that I never thought it would and it seems to open my eyes to so many things every day. I feel like people are still going to feel that I am the same Marcus when I get back (well at least I hope so) but somethings are going to change for sure. Lets go through some of the things that have happened thus far and how I feel that they have changed my life. After that I will dive into some of the stuff I have been doing and then after this blog gets posted I am going to update some photos onto my new photo page so make sure to check them out. I can't tell you guys how great it makes me feel to know that people check this blog and see my photos. I love the comments on both pages.

So, traveling so far from home for such a long period of time has really made me realize how strong the friendships that I have back home are. Everyday I have e-mails or facebook messages that are asking me what is going on in my travels. I often run from the computer leaving my AIM up and running and when I get back the desktop is covered in IM's from friends and family wishing me the best in all I do and one close friend sent me a wonderful IM that said something like thus "Marcus, get off the computer and go do something amazing... your in EUROPE!" It gave me a great chuckle. Again all of your guys love and support has been great and your friendships are valued. This trip has really shown me that no matter where I go or what I end up doing after college that you guys will stick with me. That means a ton.

I think the next thing that I have really learned about myself that this trip has put into focus is that I worry to much about things that are out of my control. This really hit hard yesterday. I went to the park for a while and set up my hammock just to get away from all the Shakespeare and I found that I just couldn't relax. I was thinking about things that have been going on with friends back home, what could go wrong on my travels once I head off into new countries by myself, and what I need to start to figure out as next year will be my last year in undergrad. As many of you know I have a ton of ideas of stuff that I want to do (camping store being the biggest dream) but what I am going to have to do to make a living has been a huge weight on my shoulders. Then it kind of hit me... I can't really do anything about these problems. Sure I can give friends advise. Sure I can pre-plan my trips and be safe with my money and documents. Sure, I can even go see some kind of job expert to see what I am really made to do, but in the end none of that shit really matters and me stressing about it doesn't matter. Life works in its own way and in the end very little can be done to change it. I know this might sound a little odd and an easy conclusion to come to but I think putting it into effect into my life will make everything just run smother.

Last big change, I got a girl over here pregnant so I guess that means I'm a dad now. No I'm just pulling your chain. I bet that your heart skipped a beat though. That was kinda mean. No the last big thing is that this trip has really made me realize what I value in life and what I wasn't in my own life when I get older. I realized that while money might make some aspects of life really simple it doesn't have to be flowing out of your pockets for you to be happy. I have traveled to a number of places in the last 35 days and the locations have changed from huge cities like Rome to small communities like Glastonbury. The theme that I have really caught on to is that people in the local communities always seem to be way more happy. I always told myself that I never would want to live in a place like Saline (my home town) because I thought it felt small and that you never get to meet new people. Being over here I realize that small isn't a bad thing. In fact I think the a nice medium size town has a sense of community if people come at it with the right mind set. Also, I think that the people that you surround yourself with and tolerate play a big role in how one feels to life. I think that people feel like the have to like this person because you have a mutual connection to them via a real friend or that its rude to not spend time with someone who you are forced / asked to be around. In the end though I have come to realize that just because you don't like someone doesn't mean that they are a bad person it means that you want different things out of life and thus are being counterproductive to one another. Thus Ill sum it up into three points titled...
Marcus' Things To Make A Happy Life
1) Keep an eye on your money but don't let it run your life. If you need to spend a few extra dollars on something that you are going to enjoy then do it. More money will come your way. Yet, don't buy stuff just because it will make you look / make you have things that you think other people will care about.
2) Live in a community not in area. While I tend to like small, tech savvy, and nature aware communities that doesn't mean that my idea of a good community is for everybody. A community can be a group of people in a large city that share a passion and meet often to talk about such and live by one another. It could also be a group of farmers who don't like city folk and meet at the same pub to figure out how they can help one another with current projects. Communities make for a better life.
3) Getting along with everybody is impossible. In America, we feel that everybody needs to like everybody else because it makes things easy. This is wrong. What it does do is make it so people are going place with people who they feel interrupt the flow of things. Surround yourself with people you like and if someone you don't is going to be involved opt to stay home and read a book or work on something that you personally enjoy. You will find that it will be a better time and you will get something great out of it rather then going out and finding that you want to smash your head through a window because the guy across the table from you sounds like a moron.

Wow that was a lot of typing. I think I'll keep this next part short and add more tomorrow so that you guys can go out and do other things.

I went on a number of trips these past few days and the photos I add should point some of them out. I was going to go back to Glastonburry today but I need to catch up on some reading and relax as I don't want to burn myself out. Like I said I'll blog more on the locations later. I also dropped some letters in the mail today.

~Marcus

*tear* my bad

Hey guys,
I am really sorry about the short blog post yesterday but I just got a really killer headache that I could not shake so I thought I would called it quits and take a nap. Well that nap turned into a full nights sleep and I woke up really early this morning as I went to bed so early. It worked out ok though because I got some work done that needed to get done.

This afternoon I had a lecture on Shakespeare in film that was pretty interesting. The guy was talking about how themes from the time that the movie was made were always put into the adaptation of the play. We got to see some really interesting sources and it kindda pulled the whole thing together. Yet, I wonder how much I really took away from it. The thing I love about history is how I feel like whenever I learn about some event that took place that I can look back on it and apply it to my current life. Wow Dr. Jass has really brainwashed me... :)

I also made somewhat of a big mistake. So this week the new Dungeons and Dragons addition came out and I told myself that I was not even going to look at the books until I got back into the states. Then I had to go into a Borders to pick up some Shakespeare books and there they were... sitting on a bookshelf with some soft white light making their covers glow like a divine aura. I just thought that if I just flipped through some of the pages I could curb this hunger till I get back home. So I took the books over to one of those nice leather chairs and just started to see if I liked the new rules. Three hours later I had all three books in a wonderful plastic bag and was walking back to my flat. It was bound to happen I guess but now I have to find a way to get them home...

Classes have been going really well. They take up a ton of time just because of the amount of reading that my tutor has given my group (we have to read two more plays then the other group) but I feel like I am going into a subject that I have never really studied before so thats a good thing. I feel like that when I get back to Adrian that it just wont feel the same. Adrian has a ton of sandstone prison like buildings and Oxford is well....Oxford. Something about walking through the streets here and finding that one coffee shop that has that person that makes the perfect cup. Adrian doesn't have that because the place is so small and Adrian isn't really a utopia of culture. Well, guess I am going to have to deal with it and just push my way through next year.

Tomorrow is a not so packed day so that is a good thing. I think I am going to take a nice long walk and get some photos of the park that is by my house that I keep on talking about. Also, I have head of a cool church that is kind of off in the backcountry. I'll make sure to get the photos up as soon as I get back.

Oh and I got a new photo account. Check it.

~Marcus

To be or not to be...

Hey troops,
So, if I have to read one more drop of Shakespeare I'm going to throw up. OH WAIT! I still have a ton to read tonight and a paper to do. I guess that is what I get for doing so much traveling during the weekend but hey how many times and I going to be her... so I might as well make the most of it. Friday I kind of took the day off and caught up on some sleep and did some reading for fun. I didn't have lecture on that day and I knew that I was going to have a hard travel day the next day so it was a good thing. Saturday was a really amazing day. I did one of the oldest Abbies in England and a huge church ( see my photos). Sunday I went to London and did tourist things.

More to come later.

Me so sorry....

Hey peoples,
So sorry that I have not been able to get a blog post up in the past few days but school has been really busy as our tutors now think it is the best time of year to read as much shakespeare as one can in a day. Thus, my eyes have some very nice black "sleep rings" around them and I have been having the urge to place a curse upon someones house. If you know anyone who is in need of a good cursing in middle english please let me know.

Life here at Oxford has really started to find its rythm and it seems more and more like home everyday. Friendships have been made that seem as if they will last for many years and I seem to understand English culture a bit more then when I first arrived. I have now been traveling for 32 days now and have 40 more to go. I think today I realized that I need to watch my cash a bit more, as if I keep my current spending rate at what it is I will be running very low by the end. I think that the first thing I will have to cut out is the nicer beer :)

Last week I threw some more photos on my Google account for all of you to enjoy from my super amazing trip to Wales. I think I am going to have to find a new place to store all of my photos as I now have no space on the Google account and I hear that some other websites offer a better service. I will naturaly keep you all posted if any of my photo sharing services change. If anyone has a website that they really like please let me know so I can get the most bang for my buck.

The weather here the past few days has been somewhat gloomy as it has been non stop rain. While this does add to the romantic feel of being in England, it does tend to get a little old after more then three days. I got caught in a very nasty rain storn just two days ago which left me very wet and very cold. I was a bit worried that it would leave me feeling sick the next day but I took a hot shower and wrapped myself up in my sleeping bag for a few hours which warmed me right up.

Well I have run and grab some lunch but I will try and get a second post in today.

Cheers,
Marcus

Yay Rain!

Hi folks,

So I figured now that I have a few free minutes in my day it would be a perfict time to update my bloggy-thing. Thanks to everyone who checks it as it is nice to know that you are not forgoten when one leaves for a long period of time.

The last two days have not been really earth gripping as they have mostly been filled with doing a massive amount of homework reading so that I can get my first paper done. I real front to back A Midsummer Night's Dream yesterday and am pounding away at Romeo and Juliet today. I found that Midsummer was a blast to read as it reminded me of some of the fairy tails I had heard growing up as a child and thus it read fast. That and one of the main parts in named Oberon... which is my favorit beer. I think it is a sighn from above that the play and myself are connected.

I find that Romeo and Juliet is a bit harder to get through. This should not be the case as out of the two it is the only on I have read before but the play as a whole seems to put a gloomy spin on the day as it is so well writen that the charecters problems seem to become your own and thus I have found that I need to set the play down from time to time to destress. The play as a whole just stirs up a lot of old memories from a number of long lost relationships. Wow that sounds really cheesy... but I am trying to not sensor my thoughts on this blog while I am away so there you have it.

The weather here has been very British the past two days as well. Clouds cover the sky from most of the day with little rays of sunshine creeping through for a few minutes here and there. The positive of this is that it is raining when I go to sleep and raining when I wake up which make me sleep like a baby and wake up feeling at peace. The negitive is that the flat I am living in is very old and thus everything inside gets damp really easily. Yet, somthing about being in England when it is raining has a bit of a romantic flair to it that I enjoy. I'm sure that I look a bit goofy tramping around the country side my me frog-tog rain gear but reading Shakespeare under a large oak tree in the middle of the English countryside while droplets of water fall onto the brim om my old and torn brown corona hat is an experance that can not be replicated. ( On a side note: I used to get into a bit of a tussle with an old friend of mine about if the world smelt different when it rained. I always said no and she always said yes. I now must agree with her as the smell here when it rains is like nothing I have ever smelt before. )

Lastly, By having a cell phone it has allowed me to call some of you which has given me a great deal of joy. While I am one month down on my journy which makes me sad the fact that I will not see my friends and family for another two fills my mind as well. Also, I am working on a large group of letters that I am hoping to be able to send out in the morning. This should have my mailing adress on it if you wish to send letters back. You might have noticed that I have sent no one an e-mail... I really want to stick to letters as I find them more traditional and the wait adds to the suspence.

Miss you all very much
~Marcus

Weekend Thus Far

Hey friends and family,
Sorry for not getting a blog up yesterday but I got busy with homework and writing letters that I am hoping to mail out on Tuesday. This weekend has been free of school activities that the study abroad office had planned for us so I got to some more free exploring the last 48 hours.

Yesterday was probably one of the best days I have had in Oxford yet. It was the biggest boat race that Oxford has every year. I have photos up in my Picasa Web Album and you should really check them out ( see blog link and facebook link ). I have never been a huge fan of crew racing. On television it doesn't really seem that interesting but in person it is a really great sport to watch. Each college, Oxford is made up of 44 of them, has its own boat house for students to gather in and watch the race. The day is filled with a number of different divisions with the lowest dressing up in fun costumes and the highest being athletes who are at the top of their game. What made it really interesting is that at Oxford crew racing involves hitting the boat in front of you and by doing that your team pulls them out of the race. This leads to boats tipping over and people getting hurt. To think that the English think that us Americans are violent. It was just a really great way to take up a large chunk of the day. Did I mention that each boat house has its own bar and grill... so much good food and nothing beats setting up a tripod with camera, putting down a blanket, drinking a cold ale, and watching the boat race.

After the boat race finished around 6pm I went and took some pictures of Christ Church College. This is the college that has been seen in movies such as the Harry Potter Series, The Golden Compass, and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. So I got some great shots of the outside of the college then thought that I could lie my way inside as you have to pay five pounds (ten dollars) to get in and take a tour. Thus, I went to the check in station and told a wild story about how I was here to visit the Chapel that is within the college to view a crucifix that is inside with my tutor from New College. The security guard looked at me for a moment, gave me a blank stare, and asked to to remove myself from the college grounds. I guess I will have to come up with a better story next time. I WILL GET IN WITHOUT PAYING!

I finished out the day with some homework and hit the sack early.

TODAY

Woke up late which was ok because I really didn't have much to do today and it was nice to get some shut eye that was not pre-dated with drinking. Today was a pretty lame day. I had brunch with the adviser for the study abroad department and her family which was nice. I finished writing some letters to people back home and read some more homework. My first task for Oxford is the read A Midsummer Night's Dream and Romeo and Juliet and find two common themes to create an argument about. It's due Friday and its around 750 pages of reading with both plays and notes. The only problem I have had so far is that I have some trouble with the old English words but the internet has really helped me with that problem.

Who knows what will happen tonight. Prob, more homework. So Check out all the pictures I have posted. Some are good and some are bad.

Cheers,
~Marcus

4 nights means your a drunk...

So, now that I have been here in Oxford for a few days I feel like I have gotten the feel for the place. At first I thought the British were a cold group of people but with time you just learn that they like to take life a little slower and that means that they are not as easily turned to friendship. I have made a few English friends here at the local pub I often go to (called the Rattie) as we all chear for the same football team and in the UK that means that you are supposed to be friends as god has blessed you to like the same team.

this also means that I have been out drinking the last three nights in a row. Not only does that tax the pocket book as everything over here cost double because of the poor American dollar but it also means that I havent got much sleep. Some people want to go out again tonight but I am a firm beliver that if you get drunk 4 nights in a row you are flirting with the alcholic line:) I msut say though that the beer here blows anything we have in the states out of the water. I had a Budwiser last night to "remind me of the states" and it tasted something close to what I think Monkey pee would tast like. Mom and Dad please don't hate me.

The English education system is very different from that in America. today we went to a class on how to write an Oxford paper and it is totaly the flip of what we do back in the states. Not only is that off but all of our class time is with a tutor and to make it worse its one on one... no place to hide no place to run. Mine is a nice fellow who does care about my education but almost spit his beer out when I told him that in the US our papers have titles. He thinks that this is a huge waste of space and told me "If your paper needs a title to tell me what its about then you suck". this tutor system also requires that I dress up every time we meet.Going with the fact that I am planning on doing some heavy backpacking I went light on the dress clothes... so now I have to buy some... with the pound... say goodbye to my wallet.

Man do I miss Airsoft....

Cheers
~Marcus

Finaly. I can blog...

Hi friends,
I know that I have not been very good about blogging on my little summer adventure but being in Italy and Greece didnt leave much time for blogs and my internet was down at the flat in Oxford for the past two days. Now that the summer term has started here in Oxfor I should be able to blog at least once a day so please check in and see what I am up to. I love hearing your comments as the time difference makes phone calss hard.

As stated in my note that I wrote on facebook Italy and Greece were an experance like no other I have had. I got to see some really amazing places and even made some new friends along the way. I took over 1000 photos so you should be able to get a good sence of what I saw one I have an hour or so to get them up.

I arived in Oxford on Monday and had the flt to myself for a few days as the other students did not arrive untill Wendsday. I have to say that the first few days reminded me much of being at Number Twelve Grimmauld's Place as the former occupents had left a few weeks before and they had left a number of fun goodies that should have been thrown away. Also, none of the linens had been cleanded or changed so for the first two nights I used the good old sleeping bag. I spent many hours battling the house and in the end I think I won as it no longer smelled like rotten fruit and most of the bugs had a meeting with their maker. It's a nice flat and it grows on me more and more each day.

This week has been an get to know Oxford week and I have to say that this town has a very magical feel to it. It is so amazing to be able to walk down the street to class and see the old building with their huge gothic towers and pass pubs with wonderful names such as the three goats heads, red lion inn, dead king pub, and much much more. I wish that all of you were with me to see such a place. I miss you all and I'll try to get my pictures up ASAP.

LOVE AND MISS YOU ALL
~Marcus

Psot

So I don't like to post negitive things as I hate being thought of as "emo" but life isn't so good right now. As of the last few days I have been feeling really lonely which is not a good sign as I am planning on spending 11 weeks in Europe this summer. I am not doing as well on my school work as I would like to and the girls at Adrian act like they are five. I just wanna move to some place with a little more culture. Hell Aragorn adventured and he had someone. Ok I'm done.

~Not all who wander are lost.

Wrong Place, Wrong Time

I'm losing my mind. I feel like butter scraped over to much bread for lack of a better term. I jsut have gotten to the point where I can't even think straight. I just put one foot in front of the other and make my way through the days in this vegitative state. Hell, I can't even remember the last weekend I had where I just hung around and relaxed. In fact I can't remember the last time I felt relazed at all. It seems that I aways have somthing that is stressful on my mind or going on in my life that I need to take care of. Yeah, dont know what more to say other then that. More to come later.

Grrr

Fuck this Shit.

~ Norwood Out

yeah...

It has been one hell of an interesting week. I saw someone that I have not seen in some time and it brought back some funny funny emotions that I had thought I had pushed out of my body a long time ago. I think I'm over it now but it was sure something that took me off guard.

I have felt like going into Hobbit mode this week and hiding in my room and just getting stuff done but I have over committed myself to such a level that it doesn't seem possible. Some days people just need to be a Hobbit and escape. I also have wanted to work on a story that I have been working on for some time but I can't seem to find the time to do that as well. I guess it will just have to sit on my hard drive for a little while and collect cyber dust (yes I just made that up).

I have an airsoft op this weekend that should be a ton of fun. So much to do so little time.

This girl in the Student Center is running her mouth like a moron and it is really pissing me off. I hate it when people try and sound smart but end up making themselves look like tools.

~Not All Who Wander Are Lost

Such a torn Republican

Ok, I have to let something out because it is tearing me up inside a little. I'm a Republican but I think... I think that I like Obama. I'm not really sure how I should feel about this. I mean I have been a pretty strong conservative for many years now (well many years for a 20 year old) but there is something about the way that Barack carries himself that makes me feel like I can trust the guy.

One thing that I really like about the way that Barack is running his campaign is that I have not seen many negative ads come from his group. Other politicians have been throwing mud at one another for weeks now and Obama seems to stand strong and come out the better man.

Yeah watch this video and look to what he says in his speech.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjXyqcx-mYY

sry...

Yeah so I have sucked at posting in my blog as of late but I swear I will get better at it now that my life has come together a bit more. I'll be better. I swear. Not that I have that many readers.

Well Spring Break is over and now I am back at Adrian College. Oh Adrian College how I love and hate you at the same time. You have been my home for the last three years and thus I have an amount of comfort within your wall and at the same time I want nothing more then to break away and go try new things. It is a very odd relationship we have.

I want it to get warm so that I can go camping again. Today was like a big tease. It was warm but the ground is so wet that camping in this weather would be no fun. I wish we lived in an area that had some mountains. Should have gone to Michigan Tech or Northern Michigan or University of Colorado.

Guess life just has a very bland feeling to it right now. As Bilbo put it I feel like butter scraped over to much bread. Might go on a day hike this Saturday just to break stuff up and test out the new camera. Depends on how cold it gets. Jsut putting one foot in front of the other.

~Not All Who Wander Are Lost

Some things a man has to do... just because

So today I saw the movie Fools Gold and it really got me thinking. I'm not one for lists. In fact I somewhat pride myself on how I live life by the seat of my pants but I think its about time that I make a very important list so that I have goals and dreams and so I can cross things off as I do them. So here we go...
Marcus' Super Amazing List Of Stuff He Needs To Do Before He Turns 30 (Ten Years From Now)!
20. Learn to fly fish
19. Trap shoot a 20 / 20
18. Sleep in a Hammock under the stars
17. Kiss a girl by an old style farmhouse in France
16. Go to a WWII themed dance
15. Drink the best damn bottle of white wine on the beach
14. Buy a Jeep Wrangler and drive it with the top down in my NUMA shirt
13. Grow a garden that I can eat from all by myself
12. Hug a castle
11. Write something that is worth printing
10. Backpack Prince Edward Island
9. Write a love letter the is held on to
8. Stand in the wedding of one of my Nighthawks
7. Scuba off my own boat
6. Learn to be less cocky
5. Walk a farmers market hand in hand with someone
4. Make Nighthawk Adventure Inc. become a reality and have two stores in operation
3. Take a road trip that I will remember till the day I die
2. Live in a place that I can call my own and that reflects my lifestyle
1. Have the following conversation

Random Person: What do you do for a living?
Marcus: I hunt
Random Person: And what kind of animal do you hunt?
Marcus: The Treasure Kind *smiles*

~Not All Who Wander Are Lost

Waiting...

It needs to be spring break. I'm just worn out. Classes have really been taking a toll on me the last few weeks (note the lack of posting). But as of today things have been looking up. Two of my classes were canceled so I got some time to catch up on my Battlestar Galactica and relax for more then 20 min. I'm pretty sure that I am going to head home this friday night and try to hit up the hot tub. Looking forward to the radio show in less then 24 hours... on the flip side valintines day sucks.

~Not All Who Wander Are Lost

GRRR!

The one day in the last three weeks that I am planned to have a day off I get called into work. I think it is time for me to look for other work and not be at Adrian College any longer.

*Thinking about being on the river*

~Not All Who Wander Are Lost.

Change is what makes the world go round.

So I need to make some small changes in my life that I am hoping are going to make a big impact on how I live and how life is going to flow. Flow... thats the goal of all of this. Things have been a little rocky as of late and I need to get something to work that should bring it from rocky to flow. Sorry if that sounded a little to Zen for some people but thats just how I see it so here we are... The Epic List Of Things Marcus Needs To Change!!!

1. Drink more water: I go through points in my life where I just drink a ton of water. Then, I get really sick of it and stop. I need to start drinking a good amount of water (I'm thinking like 4 nalgines a day) every day, no matter what. I am hoping that this should help me feel better about what I am putting into my body and should jsut be better for me over all.

2. Stop eating sweets: I have been the fucking cookie monster since christmas break. Cookies everyday without a day off. It is just so easy to grab a few cookies when you walk into the dinning hall. That and they taste so good! This needs to stop ASAP because cookies have nothing god in them and I'm sure they have been a leading cause of my weight gain. So, no more sweets. If you see me eating sweets yell at me please.

3. Make more time to relax: I have been so fraking stressed since school started again. I took to many credits and I am over involved at school thus Marcus = no free time. I just need to work on being more productive durring the day so that I can make some more time for myself when my classes and work are over. No more YouTube... its stupid and a waste of time.

4. Start to get gear for my Europe trip: I need so much gear and it is going to cost me a ton. The list so far is a didgital camara, backpacking pack, soft shell water bottles, hard shell water bottes, more fuil tanks, new clothes, new hiking boots, ect.. Yeah I think I might take a $10,000 student loan out to get all my gear and a macbook pro or Imac or both and buy a used jeep.

5. Figure out if I want to be in a relationship before I leave for Europe or not: Yeah, so many people seem to be getting into relationships right now and I know that I really dont have the time to be in one but it sucks when all of your friends are dating / looking and your standing on the sideline. Yeah... thats all I really want to say baout that.

~MPS

I Know.... I suck....

I know that I suck for not posting in such a long time but I have been just super busy as of late. So here is a post. I'm sure it wont be to epic but it should catch people up on what is going on in my life and what I wish was going on. Where to start...

Let me first point out that I have no free time. I knew that my time was going to be limited when I took on 18 credits this term but I would have never guessed that I would have taken on so many side projects. At this point I am doing research / writing two academic papers that are going to be submitted for journal publication. The first is on the development and change of masculinity in Captain America comic books from the 1950's to the present (More to come on this later). The second is just in the research stage right now but a philosophy professor and myself are working on
a paper about the different types of evil that are presented in The Hobbit. This is all work that is outside of my daily homework, which is a task to finish in itself. I am still putting in a good amount of hours at Campus Safety, am the President of ATO ,and the leader of Adventure Club. So yeah, I have no free time. Sorry if I don't return your phone call or IM's or e-mails. I need find time to sleep first.

Something positive that has come into my life is the radio show that I am working on right now called Two Nerds and a Wookie. It is on every Tuesday night at 10 pm through out local Adrian College radio station. For people who care our blog is . I never in a million years thought that I would have so much fun being on the air but the more I do it the more I fall in love with it. That and people tell me I am not half bad on the air so that has to mean something. Just a little hint for what we are going to be talking about next week..well more on that later.

Something I need to figure out is what I am doing during my spring break. I do not want to sit at home like I have for the last two years. I need to get out and do something; even if I have to do it all on my own. My break is Feb 23- March 2nd if anyone wants to do something please let me know so that I can not sit on my butt all week long at home. If it comes down to that I'll prob just stay in Adrian at my apartment.

Ok, so the big news that will involve my research paper and something that we are going to be talking about on Two Nerds and A Wookie next week. THATS RIGHT BITCHES THE CAPT. IS BACK!
Yes sir, I said it all along. Capt. America cant die people. HE IS ALL THAT IS AMERICA! We all know that America is never going to die and thus Capt. America can not die. Best yet, now the Capt. doesn't just have the shield that we have all come to know and love (I have one hanging over my fireplace. Do you?)but now Capt. America is going to have a handgun (I'm sure he shoots hollow points). Now I have to say that I am not 100% sold on the black pants as it makes him look like a waiter at a white house dinner party but its Capt. America. Who am I to tell him what to wear and what not to wear. Copies of Capt. America #35 hit shelves today and I think everybody should go pick a copy us. If you don't then I get to tag you as a communist and we all know what happens to communists (I'll give you a hint. They die).

Well time to go change into my spandex and go save the world.

~MPS

...

I hate where I am at right now. Please let me leave and while your at it point the way to a place where I can live out the rest of my days in a house built in a hill.

Not All Who Wander Are Lost
(Who am I joking?)

Sick....

So,
It is the first week of school and I am trying my best to keep up with my classes but I have a cold that just wont give up. It is the kind of cold that students fear. My nose is running 24/7 which bugs the hell out of other students because I am blowing it all the time. Also, My sinuses have been all blocked up so I'm really sleepy and have a hard time thinking in class. I pray that it goes away soon.

Other then that life has been so so. I am in love with most of my new classes but the work load is pretty heavy and because I have to get up at 7 am every morning I try to go to bed by 11. So, I don't get to see my friends as much as I would like. That and life has really taken some interesting turns the past few days. Funny how things work out...

Not All Who Wander Are Lost

A Few Day Catch Up

Ello' Friends,
So I know it has been a few days since I have last posted but I have been a very busy boy (Kinda). Most of my days have been filled with reading, movie watching, shopping, and re-finding my love for the Planet Earth series. I have also been spending more time then usual in the funny little city of Ann Arbor but more to come on this later. So this might be a long one folks. If at any time you choose to stop reading; my feelings wont be hurt (Hell I wont even know).

On Tuesday I watched one of the best movies I have seen in a long time. It involved action, adventure, comedy, and romance in a package that was very well delivered (thats what she said!...damn it). So because of this I have created...

MARCUS' SUPER AMAZING MOVIE REVIEW #1.
Topic: Stardust

Now I need to start this out by saying that I am a sucker for fantasy films. Always have been and always will be. I saw Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of The Ring in theaters twelve times and have been to the midnight release of every single Harry Potter movie to date. So I might be a bit bias.

With that said. The thing I liked about Stardust most was that it was so very well... fantasy movie. From first glance the plot is very cookie cutter. It has a hero who has to go on a journey to save a trapped heroine from an evil witch. I mean that is the bare bones of hundreds of fantasy tales and movies. Yet, Stardust threw in it's own mix and made the story completely fresh.

The hero Tristan is not a noble knight or some great adventurer he is very normal and that is why he is so likable. He makes mistakes, he screws up, and he feels like he could be a real human unlike Frodo or Mr. Potter. What makes him even better is his communication and interactions with the heroine but I don't want to give to much away.

Lastly, this movie does a great job talking about what love really is and points out that many people today probably don't have real love. In fact this movie is so moving in the aspect of eternal love that it gave tears to one of my friends. I will steal one of its quotes to prove my point. In Stardust it is said "My heart... It feels like my chest can barely contain it. Like it's trying to escape because it doesn't belong to me any more. It belongs to you. And if you wanted it, I'd wish for nothing in exchange - no fits. No goods. No demonstrations of devotion. Nothing but knowing you loved me too. Just your heart, in exchange for mine. " In my mind it hits the target right on.

So if your in the mood for a good chuckle and and good movie go rent or buy Stardust. It will leave you asking yourself "Are we human because we gaze at the stars, or do we gaze at them because we are human?" Pointless, really...”Do the stars gaze back?" Now *that's* a question.

Ok, so there we have it Marcus Movie Review number one in the bank. It seems that I am on a fantasy kick this week because I just finished the re-reading the first book in the Chronicals of Narnina series The Magicians Nephew. I counted yesterday and this is the first time I have re-read this book since I first flipped through its pages seven years ago. Man, how much more you catch when you are older. This book blows my mind with the amount of philosophical content that C.S. Lewis put into its chapters. And to think that most people think of it as a children's book! I am hoping to be able to pump through The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe later today. These books really are quick reads which is refreshing from the thousands of pages of text books that have eaten my soul the last few years. Moreover, it stimulates the mind in a way that sitting down and watch three episodes of Frasier could never do. So I recommend people pick them up and let their imagination wander for a little while.

Lastly, I have been feeling odd about many things right now. I am starting to freak out about my Europe trip this summer as I have never been away for so long and knowing that I suck at speaking other languages I can see some really bad situations. Yet, I know that this is something that I need to do and that I am probably just over thinking things. Also, in the last few weeks a number of people have asked me for relationship advise. This blows my mind as I am so confused as to what I want now that I have idea how the thoughts in my head would ever help anybody.

That is all for now.

Not All Who Wander Are Lost.

New Years Bash

So New Years was a little different this year. Unlike last year I spent New Years in Ann Arbor this time rocking out with my Nighthawks. The night started out like many of our other gatherings by going out to get something to eat. Bennigan's was our location of choice and I pounded down a classic American hamburger. It was ok, but the service was sub par and for us Nighthawks bad service earns a diminished tip. Looks like someone needs to learn how to pass ice tea with out spilling it on my new Jcrew shirt. After, the meal had been completed it was off to the pad to get out rocking party started. To really kick things off we started doing what we do best. ROCKING OUT SO HARD WE MELTED FACES! Rockband was played by one and by all and our voices were loud and sung to the heavens. At this point the booze the brought out and there much rejoicing. *YAY!* This was excluding Kevin who thinks that booze is a silly thing that fills the gut of trashy men and women. I started out with some classy whiskey on the rocks to match my Northern Highlands outfit. As I drank I noticed that my drumming was getting better and better and then a whole lot worse. Rockband started to lose its touch as we had been playing it for many an hour, thus what better way to pass the time then to record a live album. Kevin and Josh went and grabbed their mandolins and I took on the role of lead vocals. Thinking that if I can score a 98% on Hard vocal on a Bon Jovi song singing in real life much be a cinch! Oh how right I was. Throughout the night we recorded six amazing songs and created a demo tape. If any of you want a copy let me know and I'll see if we can work out a price. Our band name Drunken Marcus and the Hip Hop Band. Now the word "Drunken" needs to be taken with a grain of salt as we were only drinking beer at this point *Everybody knows there needs to be beer at a jam session* and I came up with some pretty sweet lyrics so my mind wasn't that far gone. The night ended with a toast of epic proportions "To Carri Underwood and blondes everywhere! May they roam free and nude." The toast was followed by an epic game of life. Overall, we had an amazing time. I'll see if I can get a slide show up with some more pics. Now its time to go drum it out. Peace Out Boy Scout.

New Years Bash at The Pad

Not All Who Wander Are Lost.