Through the Walls You Can Hear the City Groan

Quick Note: Yesterday my Dad notified me that this email series with Luke is "boring." Duly noted.

Also, in the photo above, please notice how I am blatantly violating the "Don't wear paraphernalia for two different colleges at the same time, especially if those two schools are in the same division in the same conference" rule. Simply shameful.

Who Knew a Day Would Turn Into a Week

I guess this really isn't the way my Dad and Grandma would want to make the front page of the paper, but as you can read here, my Grandmother is probably the toughest 84 (almost 85!) year old woman in East Texas.

We'll Find a Way Regardless to Make Some Sense Out of This Mess

As we get things started tonight, please give your warmest Running Down a Dream welcome to Katie and Kevan Kirksey, the sister and brother-in-law, and their new blog, creatively titled "The Kirkseys." Edgy, I know. Be sure to regularly check in with them for their adventures in the Rose City, reasons why galaxy really is a terrible organization, and interior design tips. Should be good times, folks.

I suppose I shouldn't go down the dangerous road of beginning to play the excuse game, but if there's one overriding reason that I haven't been writing consistently, it's because my internet service has been less reliable than an Afghani election (cue rimshot).

I've said it before in another forum, but here goes again: I would say that Comcast is the Khmer Rouge of cable companies, but I don't want to be unfair to the Khmer Rouge.
With that said, I'm going to soldier on, overcome these momentary setbacks, and do my very best (SCOUT'S HONOR. Psssst, I quit the Cub Scouts.) to get back on the proverbial blogging horse. Hopefully the previous sentence set the all-time record for mixed metaphors.

Current Reading

Can I Keep My Jersey: 11 Teams, 5 Countries, and 4 Years in My Life as a Basketball Vagabond by Paul Shirley

Waiting For the World to Come Along

Congratulations to Ms. Heidi Hipp for correctly naming "Jesus, Etc." by Wilco as the Song of the Day for Saturday the 13th.

As P.C. has slowly consumed my life, I've come to the realization that I have done a pretty poor job updating this here blog-type-thing, but if there is one thing that will cause me to break free from my long, slow slog up the mountain that is the Practice Court Program at Baylor Law School, it is the opportunity to extol the virtues, and talents, of my more talented sibling, Katie.
For those of you out there in the Running Down a Dream audience who carry purses, whether you be a woman or a man (not that there's anything wrong with that), my dear sister is here to meet your purse needs, whatever those might be.

You can find her wares here.

Go buy one.

Go buy fifteen.

Go buy enough to sate the audience at a Jonas Brothers concert.

Just go do it.

Now.

You'll Come Back Again and I'll Still Be Your Friend

Congratulations to Mrs. Ashley Tuggle and Mr. Stephen Olson a.k.a. "Richtoria's Secret" for both naming "The Last Stop" by the Dave Matthews Band as the Sunday Song of the Day.

Also, I'm very glad to announce the mysterious "Know Limit Soldier" as the victor of this week's Caption Contest for his or her (I'm equal opportunity) submission of: "A rare glimpse of a Gator without its jean shorts" in response to the photo of Tim "Urban Meyer's Meal Ticket" Tebow holding a small Caucasian child like a pigskin.

That's the winning formula, folks. Jorts jokes regarding Florida Gators fans equal instant success. For further proof, I simply typed in the innocuous phrase "Gators Fan Jorts" into Google Image Search and the masterpiece above was displayed before my very eyes. It's not the theory of relativity or anything, ladies and gentlemen. Again, thanks to everyone for your entries and please participate next week.

Furthermore, I've heard the cries of the female readers (I assume) of Running Down a Dream, and I'll do what I can to arrange a special appearance by my apparently "hot" cousin at Baylor Law sometime in the next year. No guarantees though, ladies. I think he's dating someone.

Hope That We Can Break It Down, It's Not So Black and White

Congratulations to Mr. Andrew Tuegel for correctly naming "42" Coldplay as the Saturday Song of the Day.

I'm a bit late announcing this exciting piece of news, and hopefully my grandmother will not disown me, but I had to take time to congratulate my cousin, Ryan Andre, for winning (along with teammate Nathanael Kielt of Rutgers) the American Under-23 lightweight (under 160 lbs.) men's rowing pair event.
After winning the U.S. Under-23 championship, Ryan, who rows on the crew at the University of California-San Diego, represented the U.S. at the World U-23 Rowing Championships in Brandenburg, Germany. Although Ryan and Nathanael finished 5th in their first heat at the World Championships, I'm nothing if not incredibly impressed with his dedication and drive at one of the world's most unforgiving sports.
Also, it's official.

I'm never going to be the most famous grandchild.

I'm okay with that.

I think.

When Your Wheels Stop Turning and You Feel Let Down

I do not have a lot to write tonight before I go to bed, but as I was looking back at pictures that I took today during our trip to my grandmother's farm, one stood out among the rest.

I can understand if the more photographically astute readers of this blog chastise me for the blurry nature of the shot or the problems with spacing, but to truly understand this photo, you must know my grandmother. You can see her walking here with my cousin Andrew, but if I told you that she's 82, you would probably be pretty impressed that she's keeping up with a 21-year old as we walked through the fields.

I could tell you that she lost her husband 27 years ago to lung cancer, and has lived alone almost ever since, and that might make you feel sorry for her, but this picture says everything. Instead of feeling sorry for herself and constantly wondering why life dealt her the hand that it did, she has moved forward. She loves each and everyone of her 17 grandchildren, including yours truly, in countless ways. She travels around to visit her 6 remaining children whether they be in Waco, Irving, or Whitehouse. She continues to learn, grow, and enjoy each day as it is given to her.

That's why this picture tells the story of a woman, my grandmother, who is in perpetual motion.

And yes, she still calls me "Jason", but I've forgiven her many times for that.

And So She Woke Up, Woke Up From Where She Was Lying Still

A few words on Christmas from former ABC and CBS anchor Harry Reasoner:

"The basis for this tremendous annual burst of gift buying and parties and near hysteria is a quiet event that Christians believe actually happened a long time ago. You can say that in all societies there has always been a midwinter festival and that many of the trappings of our Christmas are almost violently pagan. But you come back to the central fact of the day and quietness of Christmas morning--the birth of God on earth

It leaves you only three ways of accepting Christmas

One is cynically, as a time to make money or endorse the making of it

One is graciously, the appropriate attitude for non-Christians, who wish their fellow citizens all the joys to which their beliefs entitle them

And the third, of course, is reverently. If this is the anniversary of the appearance of the Lord of the universe in the form of a helpless babe, then it is a very important day

It's a startling idea, of course. My guess is that the whole story that a virgin was selected by God to bear His Son as a way of showing his love and concern for man is not an idea that has been popular with theologians. It's a somewhat illogical idea, and theologians like logic almost as much as they like God. It's so revolutionary a thought that it probably could only come from a God that is beyond logic, and beyond theology

It has a magnificent appeal. Almost nobody has seen God, and almost nobody has any real idea of what He is like. And the truth is that among men the idea of seeing God suddenly and standing in a very bright light is not necessarily a completely comforting and appealing idea

But everyone has seen babies, and most people like them. If God wanted to be loved as well as feared he moved correctly here. If He wanted to know his people as well as rule them, He moved correctly here, for a baby growing up learns all about people. If God wanted to be intimately a part of man, He moved correctly, for the experiences of birth and familyhood are our most intimate and precious experiences

So it goes beyond logic. It is either all falsehood or it is the truest thing in the world. It's the story of the great innocence of God the baby-- God in the form of man-- and has such a dramatic shock toward the heart that if it is not true, for Christians, nothing is true

So, if a Christian is touched only once a year, the touching is still worth it, and maybe on some given Christmas, some final quiet morning, the touch will take."

I Could Solve Some Mysteries Too

In a culture that has grown accustomed to those that we refer to as "celebrities" appearing in the news for less than stellar reasons, it is refreshing to see one such celebrity using his fame for the greater good. Today in New Orleans, Brad Pitt presented designs from 13 architects around the country that will serve as the foundation for the Make It Right Project, which serves to build and finance affordable, environmentally-efficient housing in the city's 9th Ward.
It might be easy to dismiss Pitt's involvement in the project as mere posturing based on the charitable work of his significant other, but what is not so easy to dismiss is his commitment of $5 million dollars towards the project. Currently, the project only has funding for 5 of the 150 homes that it seeks to build over the next two years, but something tells that Pitt might be able to round up the surviving remnant of Project Mayhem to engage in a bit of not so subtle fundraising persuasion.



I think I'm beginning to understand why my sister really went into interior design.

If You Said Goodbye to Me Tonight, There Would Still Be Music Left to Write

Congratulations to Mr. John Middleton for correctly naming "Your Song" by Elton John as the Wednesday Song of the Day. Mr. Middleton's derisive and utterly contemptible pro-Chelsea F.C. comments were purposefully ignored in the name of tasteful restraint on my part.

Now that I have returned to the Land of the Bear after a festive holiday weekend in the Pines, let's check the tally sheet:

• Were mountains of stuffing/dressing consumed? Yes.


• Did turkey comprise a portion of at least 90% of my meals in the last 3 days? Yes.


• Did I thoroughly enjoy the Cowboys-Jets, LSU-Arkansas, and Tennessee-Kentucky games? Yes.


• Did I actually see my father sit on the couch and watch a large segment of Singin' in the Rain on Wednesday night? Yes.


• Was I one of the shopping-addicted Americans that ventured forth from my post-Thanksgiving food coma to waltz through the doors of a Kohl's department store at 4 a.m. on Friday morning? Absolutely not. I would rather live in a world where Nickelback actually sold over 6 million copies of their last album in the United States. Wait, what's that? Ladies and gentlemen, it seems I have just been informed by the research department here at Running Down a Dream that my deepest fear actually took place. Repent, my friends, for the end is coming sooner than any of us thought.

All in all, I was thankful for a little time to wade through a very enjoyable read, Warren St. John's Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer: A Journey into the Heart of Fan Mania. The book chronicles St. John's season following the University of Alabama Crimson Tide football team through the literal vehicle of the RV caravan of hardcore fans that accompanies the Tide wherever they go. More specifically, the title of the book is taken from a chant familiar to the 'Bama faithful, which provides the cap to big wins by their favorite squad.

I'm not going to become a supporter of the Crimson Tide anytime in the near future, but it's hard not to laugh (and cry) at the devotion of their fans that St. John captures in his tale of fandom taken to its extremes.

I Ride the Train and I Ride It After Dark

Congratulations to Mr. Christopher Luke Reeves for correctly naming "Yellow" by Coldplay as the Tuesday Song of the Day. Ms. ALV, I'm sorry that you were not able to beat out Luke for the win, but please know that I'm holding a Beatles song somewhere in reserve for a day when you need to win.

During my time at home last weekend I was informed by my dear sister that she simply skips over the posts pertaining to Liverpool F.C. For such a determined and dedicated reader of this blog as my sister, that type of stance seems to present a large roadblock on her path to blog-enlightenment here at Running Down a Dream.

Speaking of the dear, dear Reds, tonight they met Cardiff City in a 4th Round Carling Cup match and came away with a 2-1 victory courtesy of goals by French-Moroccan striker Nabil El Zhar and your friend and mine, Steven Gerrard.

• El Zhar's goal

• Gerrard's goal

Perhaps my sister is the most vocal member of the so-called "Silent Majority" (along with Dan Carlson) that would prefer to banish talk of English football to the hinterlands of Running Down a Dream, but unfortunately for her, I have this to say: Get used to it. Liverpool is here to stay.

YNWA: Now and Forevermore

Casting Lines on the Floor, and Lines on His Face, He Reflects on the Day

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, blog readers of all ages, welcome to the 3rd anniversary of Running Down a Dream. Here's how it all began, the first anniversary post, and finally the second anniversary post.

Once again, by the numbers:

• This is post #750



• Year 1: 249 posts



• Year 2: 239 posts



• Year 3: 262 posts

In my first post I promised to provide my thoughts on "school, life, marathon training, baseball, books and other things." Well, the marathon has come and gone, but I still write about baseball, books, school, life, and other things. I look at the initial post and first anniversary post and I see girlfriends that have come and gone. I wade through the comments from the past and I smile as I read the thoughts of my friends and family. There are so many things that I wish I could say to each of you who check in each day to see what's on my mind, but I will simply say this: Thanks for reading and sharing your life with me in some small way. I'm a better man because I have known each of you.

I Will Sing to You of Greater Things

A photo essay of my recent trip to the self-proclaimed "Greatest Homecoming on Earth".

Enjoy:

This is what the ACU Homecoming Parade consists of in large part. The Subbers ride in a van with industrial strength shocks that is also comically painted as a shark. Comedy ensues.

The baby in the foreground of the photo was taken by one of the Subbers who claimed to have acted in a rash manner due to "scurvy". Since there's not a large body of water for hundreds of miles around Abilene, it seems that the ACU Geography Department needs to establish a remedial program on how one goes about contracting scurvy.

galaxy's float. My mother told that if I can't say anything nice, I probably shouldn't say anything at all. Thanks Mom.

The man, the myth, the legend: Jacob "Jig" Wardell taking in the festivities. In case you're wondering, he asked me to take this shot.

Brandon, Amber, Garrett, Nate, Jake, and Lance complete the Abbey Road tribute shot near Taylor Elementary.

• Yours truly, Luke Reeves, Nikki Walker, and Emily (Cooke) Wardell (along with numerous others) take in a fine meal on Saturday night at Abuelo's.
  
  The floats were supposed to center around a "circus" theme, so I'm not sure how the Kojie float applies. Well, unless we're going with the clown car stereotype.
  The GSP float. As you can tell, the "lion cage" was not made of the most durable materials and was destroyed by a rogue tree along the parade route.
  The Frats float was simply a tractor. I don't even need a joke here.
  
  

P.S. For a more extensive selection of photos from Homecoming and the Maenius/Glaeser wedding, you can go here.

But If You're Bored Then You're Boring

Congratulations to Mr. Joseph Halbert for correctly naming "This is Your Life" and "The Blues" by Switchfoot as the Songs of the Day for Tuesday and Wednesday respectively. Joey, I'm glad that I'm not the only one who will listen to some songs over and over again. I was beginning to think that I was the only 23-year old who still adhered to the toddler's regimen of watching/listening to the same video/song until it makes your eyes want to bleed. Sorry to paint such a graphic picture there, but you get the idea.

It's good to be back home for the weekend after an interview with a firm in Tyler earlier today. I always enjoy coming back home because it's probably the only place where I can get made fun of mercilessly and still get free food. Most of you have probably seen my new (read: short) haircut in the last two weeks, but none of you gave a verbal assessment that closely rivals my Dad's kind words: "Son, law school is probably not the time to experiment with haircuts. You don't want a law firm to think that you just walked off the set of Deliverance."

If that's what the rest of you were thinking, well, I guess I'm glad you don't possess the verbal courage of my Dad.

Nothing's Gonna Change, There's No Need to Complain

Congratulations to Mr. Ben Grant for correctly naming "Farmhouse" by Phish as the Tuesday Song of the Day.

I'll be back with more later, but I wanted to post a link to a new blog that I will be reading, so you should as well. Cris Carpenter is a friend of mine from ACU that just moved to Brazil in order to teach English through the Let's Start Talking Program. Cris was actually born in Brazil so her time in Natal will be a type of quasi-homecoming. I've also made sure that she will use her time in South America to recruit future stars for Liverpool. I know what you're thinking, and, yes, I should probably let people do the work of God without bringing in my personal allegiances, but it's a tough habit to break.

You Better Get Right or You're Gonna Get Left

Congratulations to Mr. Kalum Tuggle for correctly naming "Waiting on the World to Change" by John Mayer as the Monday Song of the Day.


It is good to be back writing again after a quick trip to the Austin-area for the Rampy/Watten nuptials. I would try to provide an adequate description of the event that was, but I'll leave that mission to the following photo:

That, my friends, is what Mr. Alex LaBounty has called the GREATEST group shakey face picture of all-time. I'm sure that's an illustrious title, but all I know is that I had a piercing headache after my performance depicted in the lower right hand corner of the shot. I'm sure that this photo will appear on some snarky blog in the future when I'm attempting to run for public office, but these are the risks you take in order to become a participant in greatness.

I should also note that yesterday featured a trip to Lake LBJ for my initial adventure into the world of wakeboarding. The orthopaedic surgeon that took out my stitches today could only laugh and shake his head when I shared that nugget of information with him. I'm not going to try to make this whole "wiping out your bike" a regular occurrence, but if it's going to happen sometime in my life, I'm glad it's when I'm 23.

Finally, I know I've been going to too many weddings when I hear songs and they make me laugh when I place them in the context of different events at weddings. For instance, this weekend I heard the song "Irreplaceable" by Beyonce and immediately picture some star-crossed couple using it as their first dance. What are the odds on that divorce? 2 to 5? 4 to 7? Should I even be making this joke? Probably not, but here at Running Down a Dream, we're always exploring the limits.

Fighting on Arrival, Fighting for Survival

I know that most of you don't care, and that's okay, but I felt compelled to mention that Arsenal and French national striker Thierry Henry is apparently leaving the Gunners to sign with Barcelona. Yes, the irony of a French guy playing on a team with the nickname "Gunners" also strikes me as very rich, and I will be glad to see that running joke go as he heads to Catalonia.

Now, on to other things such as underage marriages. I'm not sure how many of you have seen that story, but it's provocative to say the least. A 40-year old coach marrying one of his 16-year old students. Sure, there's all the Mary Kay LeTourneau jokes that float around in those kinds of situations, but honestly, how did her parents sign that consent form? I understand that they viewed as the "only way" to move past what had become a flashpoint with their daughter, but it seems that there are some points where parents simply have to decide against their child's wishes and in their best interest, even though that term is often an amorphous one at best.

Enough of that, on to junk science studies conducted by Old Spice. My good friend Garrett Oakley passed along a link to the following "study" as part of the ongoing debate in our friend group about which circle of hell that Houston should occupy. Garrett gleefully pointed out that Big D occupied the #3 spot on the "study" and Old San Antone held #5, while his beloved H-town was far, far behind at #12. I'm pretty sure that my astute colleague, Mr. Nate Low, was correct when he made the following assertion: "I refuse to give merit to any 'study' led by Old Spice, where its main 'fact' is that the citizens of Phoenix collectively produced enough sweat to fill more than 53,000 beer kegs in just one hour." Well said Nate, well said.

Good Times Never Seemed So Good

Congratulations to Mr. Jeremy Masten for naming "The Adventure" by Angels and Airwaves as the Wednesday Song of the Day. I appreciate everyone's thoughts on the forlorn NHL and I especially enjoyed Dan's suggestion regarding the issuing of firearms to a given player in each match.

I have not been able to write lately due my attendance and participation in the wedding of Kayla (formerly Freede) and Lance Agan this weekend down in Houston. I'm probably going to compose a diatribe at some point this week regarding my disdain for the most populous city in Texas, but that post will come at a later date. Today, I only have positives to bring to the table.

I know that Lou Gehrig once said that he considered himself the "luckiest man on the face of the earth", but as "Fight for Your Right to Party" by the Beastie Boys was blaring over the speakers during the reception, I looked over at Luke Reeves using his left leg as a guitar, and I was pretty sure that I had been blessed with the best friends in the world.

If you can't tell that from the picture above, defy the logic of LaVar Burton on Reading Rainbow, and take my word for it.

The People Bowed and Prayed to the Neon God They Made

Congratulations to Mr. Joey Halbert for correctly naming "Don't Go Away" by Oasis as the Monday Song of the Day.
Along with Tuegel as the resident U2 expert and ALV as the resident Beatles expert, I'm anointing Joey as the resident Oasis expert. Joey also told me about one of my favorite stories regarding the Gallagher brothers. At last year's Austin City Limits Festival, apparently Liam was enthralled with the Frost Bank Building across Town Lake and declared that "this next song goes out to the building that looks like an owl." It's always fun with the Gallagher brothers.



In other news of the day, ABC announced the lifespan of Lost. The series will air for three more seasons, and each of those seasons will be composed of 16 episodes, which is a shorter season length than the first three offerings. As a fan of the show, I'm glad that we have a definite date for when the show will end so that the writers will be able to adequately plot and pace the byzantine storylines that tie Jack, Kate, Hurley, Jin, and Desmond together on the island. I'll admit that at times I've wondered if the writers will be able to keep all of the plates spinning, but the knowledge of your show's mortality should provide a good framework for pulling together all of the loose ends.


On the way back from the lake this weekend, we played an enjoyable game in the truck that I thought I would pass along. All you need is an iPod and a group of friends who are not afraid to embarrass themselves. The game operates by placing the headphones in someone's ears (although full-ear headphones would be ideal) and then turning up the volume so that they cannot hear themselves sing. Then the person belts the song at the top of their voice while everyone else in the car either cringes or sings along.


Highlights included Shane Spencer belting out "Cowboy Take Me Away" by the Dixie Chicks and "Higher" by Creed, Jacob Wardell crooning "A Whole New World" from the Aladdin soundtrack, Brandon Maenius bringing us "All My Life" by K-Ci and JoJo, and Nate Low's soulful rendition of "All or Nothing" by O-Town. I should tell you that this game is the brainchild of Nate Low and he deserves the credit for bringing it to a grateful world.

The Play on Time is Won, but The Difficulty is Coming Here

Congratulations to Mr. Andrew Tuegel for correctly naming "In a Little While" by U2 as the Monday Song of the Day.

I should note that I had composed a rather lengthy running commentary of this afternoon's Champions League semifinal between Manchester United and AC Milan, but for some reason, either Blogger or Facebook decided to turn against me and freeze up at the most inopportune time. I'm telling you, this post had references to Shakespeare in Love v. Saving Private Ryan, Reese Witherspoon killing Joaquin Phoenix, Alex Rodriguez, the Rossoneri, one named Brazilians Kaka' and Dida, and much, much more. Unfortunately you will never get to read that post and it is lost to the depths forever. May it rest in peace.

In other news, the Torts II final was today, which means that I only have one more final on Friday before the first year is complete. It's been a pretty interesting year and it might be one that deserves a retrospective glance. Look for something like that later in the week.

Finally, after last night's 4-1 victory over the the Dallas Stars in Game 7 of their first round playoff series, the Vancounver Canucks have advanced to fight another day. The one downside is that my good friend Danny Echols is singlehandedly terrorizing their entire fanbase. Perhaps I'm revealing a bit too much, but I think Danny's modus operandi is to join a pro-Canucks Facebook group, fill the walls with disparaging remarks, and then flee the scene like Pacman Jones running from a shooting. Danny Echols ladies and gentlemen, Danny Echols.