wow... it's 7:21 am.  ive been up for nearly 3 hours.  and you know what the nice thing is?  this is the last sunday that i have to do this.  i have enjoyed working at the station, but getting up so early is not fun.  you know there is this psychological battle that happens every night before i have to go into the station at 5am.  it starts with me looking at my clock at 9:30 saturday night.  realizing that IF i go to sleep at that moment, i will get 7 hours of sleep.  then, i lay there for a half hour, counting the minutes until it's 6 and a half hours... my heart starts beating harder because i get frustrated that i am not sleeping.  it's a rough, rough evening experience.  however, this is the last shift i have to work.
        it's been a long week.  the highlight has been seeing everyone come back.  it's good to see all my friends again.  it may be a little difficult to adjust to not being a student, but we all have to move on.  i think this year will be a great year in terms of spiritualy and personal growth.  not to mention, i need to be responsible with my finances.  i am looking forward to that. 
        alright... time to go.  hopefully, i'll have some fun stories to tell next time! 

so, im trying to figure out whether i should put "cedarville alumnus" or "cedarville staff" on my facebook.  with whom do i wish to identify myself?  right now it says, "alumnus."  i think i will keep it like that.  what do you think?
     wow... so, the last three weeks have been pretty much crazy.  it's funny because my life was like, "BAM!  YOU'RE BUSY!"  i went to camp with my youth group for a week, wedding in pa, work started with a conference in chicago, wedding in pa, moving into the big yellow house, and finishing up biology.  NOW, all of the students will be returning next weekend.  my life is going to be crazy.
     i got my travel schedule.  im going to be gone a week in september, a week and a half in october, and then a three day-er in chattnooga.  looking forward to  traveling.  pretty sweet, guys... pretty sweet.
     let me tell you, driving miles and miles by yourself doesn't constitute what i would call a grand ole time.  there was a highlight on the way back.  in the hills of ohio (yes, for all you jaded cedarville people, there are hills in ohio, and they are pretty), i stopped to get gas and something to drink.  i walked in, and the only one working there was this boy who looked like he was MAYBE 13... and that's pushing it.  i have to give the kid credit.  he was handling it pretty well.  except the random old guy that was just walking around the store.  as i was leaving, the guy left, and the kid goes, "wait... did he just steal a cup of coffee?"  so, this little kid walks out of the store and up the man and said, "did you refill your cup without paying?"  the old guy said, "no, i..." and then proceeded to say somethign that sounded like he made it up explaining how he carries coffee with him.  he just wanted to get a break.  the discreditting thing about the story was the fact that he was on a motorcycle.  hm.  old liars.  doesn't sound appealing does it?  but, old jeans do!
     i hate shopping, but for some reason, it's like christmas when i buy new clothes.  i had to get some button down shirts because all i wore at cedarville were polos.  so, my sister and nate anthony (who coincidentally is now my new house mate...aka brother) went with me to shop.  i do feel a little vain though.  we all want clothes that make us not look ugly though, i suppose. 
     so, i just figured out (read on a website), how to get single spacing on my xanga posts... hence the single spacing in the entry.  good times... good times.
     dan giffin... you should update your site.
     "in the end... it's all finished."

yeah yeah!  im here.  i know, it's been a while.  but life has just been so incredibly busy.  for the last few months i haven't really had a job.  but that's ok.  actually, i got a job.  i am going to be the coordinator for intercultural recruitment at cedarville university.  yes, it's true.  i am a working man now.  now, i just have to figure out how to get out of ohio some time.  i figure i'll take it in gradual steps.  yeah, so the interview process was very long and full of vigor.  it was from 8:30am-3:30pm.  i think i interviewed with everyone on campus actually.  it all worked out though, i guess. 

so, this saturday will be the end of a long summer of singing in weddings.  it will also be the farthest away.  it's about an 8 hour drive to this wedding.  last weekend i went to a wedding in altoona, pa.  (congrats chad and natalie).  it was good times.  it's always fun to celebrate such a joyous occasion.  i was a little freaked though, because i was yelling at camp this week.  not a good thing when you are supposed to sing at a wedding... but it worked out.  i told my friend aaron to not let me talk too much on friday night before the wedding... but he didn't do his job.  i just can't not talk.  that may be a problem some time.  by the way, chad's parents have a psycho cat!  it's a gray one that has serious emotional issues.  you can't even walk past it without it growling at you.  so, you got me and aaron and chad in a room and the cat under the bed.  i am cowering on a chair talking to rebecca on the phone, chad is swinging a pillow under the bed to get the cat out, and aaron is hiding in the corner.  finally, chad succeeded, but not without breaking the futon first.  aaron got to sleep on a slant.  aaron and i also had trouble on the pennsylvania turn pike.  apparently, the sign saying "coins only" didn't convey the fact that you can't use dollar bills... so we were trying to put a dollar bill in the receipt slot... yeah.  the guy working the toll had to come help us.  haha... yay, for idiocy!

ummm... camp was fun.  i went again this year.  no crazy storm stories, but i did get to meet some cool peeps.  plus, the fairgeek shirts lived up to their names... oh, the geeks.

peace out, girl scout (my new favorite phrase)

hehe... thank you to all of you who responded.  AND JOEL!  you made my month by quelling the query of the infamous 'i.e.'  it has bugged me for a while.

haha... ok.  so, i will have some tasty photos for you guys next entry, but i will let it be a surprise.  it will be pics of fun times with my sister and myself.  haha...

so, i was walking to the centennial library on the monday after easter, and i felt this odd pain in my right lower back.  i had felt the pain four years ago (with my first kidney stone) and recognized it could possibly be a kidney stone, but i was running behind on my research for a big paper i had to write, so i decided to push my luck and go research some.  so, in the middle of my research session, the first wave of pain hit... well more like STABBED me.  the horrendous pain usually comes in waves during kidney stones, so i decided to sit in the most inconspicuous place i could think of... the restroom, and wait the pain out.  once i was able to walk, i decided i should go back to my car and drive myself to the emergency room.  now, the walk from the library to the dorm isn't that long, but it took forever and by the time i got in my car, i just collapsed into the back seat.  i called the only person i knew was in the dorm (keep in mind it was still easter break).  i have a stick shift, and i was hoping that he would be able to drive a stick... but, HE DOESN'T EVEN HAVE HIS LICENSE!!! (freshman...)  but, never fear, he came through and found someone that not only has their license, but can drive a stick shift.  so, i am writhing in pain, but keeping it pretty cool. 

i actually felt dumb, because i don't usually go to the emergency room.  ive actually never had stitches.  my mother was afraid of that stuff, so though i had plenty of injuries that could have used some good ole' sutchering, i never received that pleasure.  

so, i went up to the front desk and asked, "i think i have a kidney stone... is this where i should come?"  of course, the answer was yes.  at this point she started the usual check in procedures... about three questions in, i looked at her and said, "ummm... i think i am going to throw up."  (it hurt that bad!)  so, she gave me a bucket and proceeded with the interview through the liason of my friend.  i intermitantly answered questions such as "father's name" in between visual reminders of what chuck had served for lunch (which i wasn't too sad to regurgitate... it was chuck's over break, if you know what i mean).  when we were finished, i had to wait.  the pain was progressively getting worse, but i was still keeping my cool as far as not making any painful noises.  however, the grimace on my face attracted many stares from children and parents alike.

so, they put me in a room, i put my gown on, and then with no one around, i began to cope with the pain.  it's amazing how making noises can help you withstand pain.  needless to say, i was yelling.  i wish i could give you a sound bite... it's rather embarassing for me to demonstrate, but it's the truth. 

because it was their busiest day yet, it took them even longer to get to me with pain medication.  but, finally like they came with morphine... and i thought to myself, "no wonder people like drugs!"

i passed the stone once i returned to my dorm room.  they gave me one of those cups to put it in and filters to [#1] through.  i was supposed to get the stone analyzed as to what it's contents were

im ok now some 2 months later.  actually, truth be told, i still have to stone... it's in my car.  whoops!  haha...

here are more pics from south africa

 i ate one!!!!  hahahaha

YEEEEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!

look who's back for the summer.  i find it a little easier to regularly update when i don't have the pressure of school looming above my head.  but, now i am out of school, and i can do this thang more consistently.  there really is no point to xanga for me, though.  i think it's just to get comments.  i like getting comments. 

anyway, so im doing this online bio thing for the summer.  i find it ridiculously easy.  you just get on do a little reading, and bam!  you're done.  oh of course there are tests and quizzes.  you know, there are actually labs online.  ok, seriously... i am not a scientist.  when professors ask the questions on labs, i feel like sometimes the answer is too simple.  so, i try to do my best, but end up just bombing stuff.  oh well. 

dancing.  i realized this past weekend that if you are dancing, just act like you know what you're doing, and people believe you.  do you know how many people DON'T know how to dance?  im sure you are one of them.  but, that's ok.  i don't know how to either.  i just act like it, and people think i do.  haha... people actually told me i was good... that makes me laugh.

ok... funny story about graduation.  this starts the night before the festivities.  i had bought some generic orange juice from super rip, and i decided to drink it before we had to take the fridge out.  so, the next morning, i had a head ache which i just assumed was from staying up late and getting up early.  but, in the middle of the ceremony, my stomach started to feel like it was going to reject whatever was in it.  in fact, the conventional method was out of the question (i.e. #2).  by the way, can anyone tell me what "i.e." means?  so, after the ceremony, i was walking down the hallway and i started salivating.  which inevitable means whatever i put down, is coming back up!  so, i ran to the bathroom only to get stopped twice to talk about my plans for the future.  i wanted to say, "well, realistically, i feel like in the near future I'LL BE PUKING!"  i didn't.  i wanted to see if i could command and subdue my regurgitation reflex.  i did.  and then i went into the bathroom and let it all out!

wow... that's enough for this week.  next week remind me to tell you about the kidney stone i had in april!

here's a pic of me in africa!  that's bongani that im holding.