What a great day. Thank you so much, those of you who wished me a happy birthday, came with me to dinner, greeted me in person, called me up, left me a message on facebook or AIM...

Yeah. Good 21st birthday. Although I stayed up past 5am last night doing homework, it was soooo nice to have it out of the way today (although just barely in time for two of my classes, and I was late to them). Yup. No work due tomorrow... just a class, and then I'm getting picked up to go home. This weekend will be great, also. I'm really looking forward to spending time with my family and my girlfriend (more on that later)! There're even plans to see Vann, who's been my friend longer than anybody.

Previously, I never really drank (I'll post on that later, in more detail). Today, I tried:
Yeager (spelling?) - tasted like cough syrup...kind nasty. seemed fairly strong.
White Russion - kinda like coffee, but fairly tasty (I don't like coffee)
Long Island Iced Tea - good. didn't have much; apparently it's strong
Guiness - not as gross-tasting as other beers I've tried
Woodchuck cider - Yummy; maybe even a little too sweet.
Sapporo - (A Japanese beer) bitter!
"Classic" Sake - good! left me with a warm sensation, like a good wine
Unfiltered Sake - also good. a little sweeter; preferable unless I don't feel like sweet tastes

That said, I'm up later than I'd like. I'm a little disappointed that I didn't make it to the chapel today (I planned on it before dinner, but my class went late) and I didn't go to Kung Fu practice or exercise at all =(.

Although, I did play a lot of great Smash. Also, I enjoyed Sigma Nu's masterfully-played IM football game, which had a suprising ending: I caught the final, wayward throw while I was standing on the sidelines!

At dinner, I toasted to the friends who came with me, to responsibility, and to free will. Thanks to all of you, my friends and brothers, who helped make this day great. Of course above all, I'm grateful to God who made all this possible.

Wow. There's nothing quite like a clear, blue sky. I think it's one of the most beautiful things to see.

Whenever I want to make myself relax, I think of Quetico: casually paddling a canoe down a big lake, forest all around and nothing but rich blue sky overhead. Just dip my sierra cup into the lake and take a drink... oh yeah. I can feel my heart rate dropping...

I'd just like to announce that for my test yesterday, I memorized all the amino acids (20):
name, structure, abbreviation, symbol, side-chain pKa.

I have never felt more like a bio-pimp.

For the first time ever, I am thinking about getting new clothes.

Since I was young, me mother has bought me everything that I wear. I've never cared enough to do my own shopping, and as with many things in my life, my mom was willing to do the work for me.
After I came to college, I started collecting some clothes myself, but only fraternity t-shirts and a pair of warm-ups.
Whatever fell into my lap has always been enough to wear.

Recently, however, I've been thinking about how sweet it would be to get a pair of moccasins... or a leather jacket... or some long underwear (not for show, to keep me warm). What's next? Will I want a hat or some other silly thing I don't need?

Anyways, I'm trying to avoid buying these things myself. Mostly, I've been thinking about getting this stuff for my birthday, which is coming up.


Hopefully, my personal growth wasn't stunted or something from not having to fend for myself so much. I think any life has its challenges; however, if I end up with my own children some day, I think I'll have them do their own shopping eventually, even if I'm paying for it while they're still dependents.

Tonight I did some jump roping and bodyweight exercises... at about 1:30am. Why so late? I'd like to think it's dedication to personal fitness; also, I think that after a day without any physical activity, I feel extra motivated. My exercise clock is daily, so bedtime is like a deadline. The hour itself, then, may be the result of procrastination.

This also leads me to consider my workouts in general. I slightly prefer working out alone, because it tends to be much faster and suited to my whims. Without a doubt, however, working out in a group is motivating, and the companionship is nice to pass the time. Of course, it's also great to strengthen my bonds with friends, and to help them improve themselves.

Finally, I'd like to consider the consequences of working out so late. Not that it's regular, but it isn't unusual. Does this keep me awake later than is good? I think it's possible. I'm not sure if exercising energizes or exhausts me; I seem to recall experiencing either one.

So, I think I'll continue to work out late at night (early in the morning) when I feel like it. Of course, you're welcome to offer me any intelligent advice about the whole affair.

Hello, everyone. I decided to try keeping an online journal of sorts. There are a couple purposes/goals for this:
1) Entertainment - for myself and you readers. I spent a lot of time last summer reading blogs; I might as well spend time writing my own.
2) Insight - hopefully by taking the time to consider and express some of my thoughts and feelings, I will come to understand myself better. Certainly, I may withold things from this journal because it's public, but I would also like to offer you readers (friends, family, strangers...) the opportunity to learn more about me, if you choose.
3) Enlightenment - there are a lot of things that neither of us know. I like to think that I've been blessed with a modest look at truth, and I would like to share what I know with others, because truth is beautiful and truly sets us free. Furthermore, I trust that you readers can offer some reciprocal enlightenment, especially if I write about a controversial issue, where there is evidence for conflicting theories.

There you have it. Let us see where this goes.