May 2002 Archives

There... we've done all of the catering for the end of the year. Everything from here on should be gravy!!! I SHOULD be able to find time to hit the gym again!! I SHOULD be able to not spend unGODly (interesting word choice seeing I work in a Seminary, huh?) amount of time at work!! I SHOULD be able to find some fun to get into!!

So, where/when does it start? Tomorrow!! BUT, it will seem even better on Friday. That's when I get to see Alanis Morrissette in concert at Merriweather-Post. And on Saturday, Angela is coming to Wolftrap, and I'd really like to meet up with her and her friends for dinner or a drink (I sure as hell [lol@my word choice again!] wouldn't want to go to see Garrison Kieler .. if I wanted to fall asleep, I could just pop in a movie). But, if I don't hear back from her, then it won't happen... Oh well... it'd be their loss ;)

It's official, I'm 30. I'm done with the twenties. Do I feel older? Not really! Is it a milestone? Kind of... Do I wish I were still a twenty-something? Hell no!!!

The twenties were a terrible time. They were a time where you learned how to distinguish between bullshit and reality. Unfortunately, this comes at the expense of experience.

I'm GLAD that I'm finally 30. I envision my thirties as being distinguished and mature... not like the 20's. I see the 30's as being more relaxed and comfortable. I see the 30's as being more happy.

So, were my 20's unhappy? Not particularly. I just get frustrated at situations where things don't go the way they should... And my 20's were exactly that way.

And it's funny that I should even feel that way. I mean my whole philosophy of life is to be just different enough to be individual... but not so different that I'm "weird". I like to have people expect something of me, and then give them something different. I thrive on slight unpredictability.

So, here's hoping that my 30's will provide me with stability and happiness!! Here's hoping that I can find (and seek?) the same out of others!! Here's hoping that "it'll always end up alright" isn't a motto of consolation, but a reality. And, here's hoping that the little things remain little, just to make the big things seem more appreciated!

Thank GOD I'm not 29 anymore!

After a wonderful birthday weekend, the news continues to be positive and flourishing... After my trip to the doctor today, my anti-depressant dosage has been reduced AGAIN!!! That's right, I'm down to 50 mg a day... Barring any kind of troubles in adjusting to the dose (GOD, please NO), I should be completely free of medication by the end of the summer (actually, I'm scheduled to return to the doctor in the last week of July... that very well could be my final visit)!!! Ahhh the new year is off on the right foot!

Almost finished with the hell week.... tomorrow is the huge commencement reception (600 people at the same time)! We seem to be in good shape for that, though... most of the food is ready, and we're mostly set up for it!

3 days left in my twenties... I'm heading home for the weekend... I'm hoping to be able to leave on Friday, but might not be able to leave until Saturday... I'm looking forward to seeing my family (especially since I couldn't visit for Mother's Day). PLUS, Joel's gonna be in town for the first time in over a year and a half... should be fun....

Oh well, going to bed, gotta get started kinda early tomorrow!!!

The week from hell is already underway... so far so good. (How funny is it when I work at a Seminary, and refer to a long week as a week from hell?

We made it through the large meal at the Deanery on Friday with no major problems. Now we just have to get through Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Then what?

Here's a clue... ALCOHOL!!! No to mention, the b-day is on Saturday. I'll be in the wonderful metropolis of Lynchburg (note the sarcasm!) for most of the weekend, though. That's OK... at least I can see my family and whichever friends I can dig up...

Maybe I should try to get to sleep now, just to "save up" for the lost sleep in the next few days?

Well, last Friday night, I met Melinda. She's a friend of Jennifer's (she's really more of a friend of Jen's friend Jamie). She helped us by waitressing the Burch Retirement Dinner. So... here's what I know:

She's petite, with long dark hair. The clincher? Gotta be the dimples!

I also know that she's a teacher. That's it, though.

For some reason, she hasn't been dating for a while. I have no idea how long a while is, but Jamie and Jen seem pretty excited to have someone interested in her. And interested I am! I'm kind of wondering why someone as cute as Melinda hasn't dated in such a while. Could be lotsa working... could be a bad experience... she could just be really picky... who knows? If I get the chance to take her out (and it seems like a fairly distinct possibility!), I'm not gonna worry about it, because it's been around a year since I've been on a real date... so who would I be judging her?

Or, and this might be a GOOD THING... maybe she's the kind of girl who's just... not sure how to describe it, but that she doesn't live that fast life... that she'll appreciate the things you do for her all that much more... I'm not quite sure how to enunciate it, but it's definitely a positive...

That's what I know for now!! We'll just have to wait it out (at least past the busy week I'm about to have!) and see where it goes... If there's one thing I've learned... it's not to put a whole lot of stock into it... but that doesn't mean that I can't look forward to it... and definitely doesn't meant that I won't work for it!!!

One thing, though... I really, really need to get to the gym... it's amazing how much a little exercise makes you feel better and more confident! Shit, I'd also like to feel comfortable wearing those ribbed shirts that I wore last year... Gotta have a flatter tummy that I have right now to wear those!

Well, tomorrow begins one hell of a week. Five of the next 7 days will be running around like a chicken with its head cut off... all in putting out a week's worth of Graduation Events. Who needs sleep anyway? Besides, things get REALLY easier (meaning LOTS less time at work) as soon as June rolls around. And you know what? There'll even be some time off (vacation?) thrown in there somewhere!!!

Well, not trying to jinx things, but I heard some potentially good news late this evening. I'm not going to spill the beans just yet, but I will say that the timing is impeccable! Stay tuned for more info!

That was frustrating!!! I saw last night on Tickemaster.com that the Sheryl Crow tickets for Merriweather Post were going on "pre-sale" today at 10 AM. Well, I also got my VA Beach tickets via a pre-sale. So, I "camp out" on the same site where I got the VAB tix, as well as on ticketmaster.com waiting for 10:00 to come around...

And at 10:00, nothing on either site... at 10:05, nothing on either site... What's going on? I eventually get the pre-sale to come up on ticketmaster.com, and it requires a password that you get from getaccess.cc.com .... that sucks!

Well, I still got decent tix for Merriwether-Post. They're in the Right Center section in row M... Beats the hell out of the lawn!! At any rate, I'm still looking forward to the show!

Well, Wesley had their graduation yesterday, and all went well... That means 1 down, 2 to go. I can't wait until all of this stuff is over with. I'm so ready for a vacation! I don't have any specific plans, but a good day or 2 of absolutely nothing sounds really good!

I got tickets to see Sheryl Crow in VA Beach on August 15. I got them early, and ended up with seats in the center Orchestra Pit! How sweet!!! I'm hoping for similar luck when she comes to Merriweather Post on July 13. Those tickets haven't gone on sale yet, though... Ahhhh... they DO go on sale on Friday... maybe I'll be able to get in early again! That would be a good deal!

Today marked a sad day in my existence... It's official, I now HAVE TO wear glasses when I drive... it's just so inconvenient... someone suggested contacts, but I can't imagine poking my finger into my eyes... i don't know.... I'll give it some thought...

There are only 11 days left of my twenties... I can't wait to have them over with... The 20's seem like such a period of immaturity and indecision. I want stability! Hopefully being 30 won't be any different, but will seem different!

Later!

Holy Shit! I finally got the web site up and going! It was supposed to be a New Year's Resolution of sorts, and here it is mid-May. Oh well!

I'm going to try to keep a journal of sorts online in this newest incarnation of Bri-man.com. It might sound kind of goofy, but there's a reason for it. And it's definitely NOT for YOU, whoever you may be.

Those of you who know me, know that last year I developed a panic disorder. I've never figured out exactly what caused it, although I've figured out a lot about myself. It seems that I withhold emotion too much... it could be that all of my anger (and other emotions for that matter) could have built up inside of me to the point where it just had to get out... and panic attacks were how they got out.

So, now I'm going to try to keep up "Reflections". Eventually, I'll reveal feelings on here. But I'll need to get there. So, this will be more of a "what I did" thing or "what I'm thinking" thing than a "how I feel" thing. But I'll make it there.

So, this is more for me! But if you're the least bit curious, check back from time to time and see what's going on. This won't always be boring or sappy, because I do and think and feel some pretty funny things too!