Maybe Next Year

Welp, I missed Comic Con this year out in San Diego. I guess you could call it bittersweet. Bitter: I missed out on a LOT of fun, nerdiness, pop culture, video games, movies, celebrities, autographs, exclusives, etc. SDCC is a blast for a 100% nerd like myself. 4 days (plus a Wednesday night preview) almost isn't enough to take it all in. There's stuff going on every day and it isn't always the same line up. Different panels, signings, shows, events, all happening on different days to keep things fresh. I missed being out there amongst my people. Sweet: it saved me a ton of money. Once you've bought the passes, booked a hotel and a flight, and finally get to San Diego, you've already spent a lot of cash. Then there's the inevitable purchases at the convention which may or may not be limited to just one day. I usually have to start saving six months or more in advance.

I'm still not sure if I'll be able to go next year. There are so many factors I have to take into consideration. The most important of all said factors will be my job situation. July is a ratings month, so that alone will be a big hurdle to leap. If that proves to be futile, then I can write off the trip from the start. Money, of course, is a big one. There's also a BIG Star Wars convention planned for next summer and it's timing + location and my possible attendance to it will dictate if I can even think about making a trip out to San Diego.

Now it's Monday, after the Con and life continues. It was fun watching all of the updates and following all of the Con tweets. I really hope I can find a way to go back next year, even if it's just for a day or two.

I do have a new iPhone 3GS that I've been playing with all weekend. :D

Dreams Are a Funny Thing.

First of all, I have an absolutely terrible crick in my neck. It's been there for the past couple of days. I guess my afternoon naps on the futon need to be moved to the bed. I hope it goes away soon. Not being able to move your neck like God intended kinda sucks.

Dreams are a funny thing (or funny things) aren't they? I'm not alone in that thinking, am I? Of course, the word dreams can have two meanings: 1) your subconscious experiences that occur while you sleep or 2) the aspirations in life that you're always striving toward. I have dreams just like everyone else (on both accounts) and lately I've been wondering about them, especially those relating to aspirations.

I have dreams of living in Seattle, Washington someday. I have dreams of marrying the perfect girl. Not perfect herself, you see (as humans we'll never reach the top of that plateau), but perfect for me. I have dreams of being a parent. Of serving God in whatever capacity He sees fit. And just as I find happiness in the potential those dreams have, I always seem to find my way back to reality. They become "Dreams I'll Never See." See what I did there? Time for some song lyrics.


Hmm - yeah yeah

Just one more morning, I have to wake up with the blues
Pull myself outa bed, yeah, pull on my walkin' shoes
Climb up on a hilltop, baby, see what I can see, yeah
The whole world's fallin' down on me, right down in front of me

And I'm hung up upon dreams, I'm never gonna see yet
Lord help me, baby, dreams get the best of me yet

Pull myself together, gonna put on a new face, yeah
Gonna climb down from the hilltop, baby,
Lord, get back in the race

Cause I've got dreams, I've got my dreams
To remember the love we had
I got dreams, yeah I've got my dreams
To remember the love we had

Cause I'm hung up upon dreams, I'm never gonna see yet, not me
Lord, help me baby, dreams get the best of me yet

Alright - yeah yeah

Pull myself together, put on a new face, yeah
Climb down from the hilltop, baby,
Lord, get back in the race

Cause I've got dreams, I've got my dreams
To remember the love we had
I've got dreams, yeah I've got my dreams
To remember the love and peace

And I'm hung up upon dreams, I'm never gonna see yet, not me
Lord, help me baby, dreams get the best of me yet

Many thanks to Molly Hatchet for their cover of this awesome song. It rare when this happens, but the song nicely sums up my experience with dreams. The first verse, especially. Climbing up to the hilltop, seeing the dreams, then seeing them (and seemingly the whole world) falling down right on top of me. Story of my life. I'm getting a LOT better at not ever getting my hopes up too high because every (and I mean EVERY) time I either get excited about something or get my hopes too high, they come crashing down. Whether that means a job prospect, an interest in a young lady, or just life stuff in general. It's frustrating more than anything because I don't know if it's ME, if I'm doing something wrong, if I don't have enough patience, or something else. Ok, now I'm just getting upset and frustrated talking about it. I just needed to get it off my chest. Maybe things will turn around one of these days. But I'm not holding my breath.

Shouldn't They Be Bullet Holes?

I don't know why they're called bullet "points". Bullets don't make points. They make holes. And depending on the caliber, they either make very small holes or very big holes. I prefer the latter when using a firearm, but that's neither here nor there.

• Looks like I'll be absent from Comic-Con this year. While I am disappointed, I think it'll be better for me financially. I need to get myself out of a little debt before I thinking about spending more money on a huge trip. Plus, I wasn't able to get off work. As they say in sports, there's always next year.
  
• I still plan on buying a 32GB iPhone 3GS. It's a whopping $300 just for the phone, so I'm having to save some money, but hopefully I'll have one by the end of July or beginning of August.
  
• With all do respect to Michael Jackson and his family, it's time to move on. I'm ready to hear about something that's NOT related to Michael Jackson on the national news. Granted, I work at a TV station so I get more of the coverage than someone who doesn't, but still. There's more going on in the world.
  
• It's rare to see a Heat Advisory issued here in North Texas in July. We're so used to having 100+ degree temperatures every summer, it's just part of life. Well, the NWS has a Heat Advisory for most of our counties here in Texoma through Friday night. We're expecting heat index values as high as 110 in some of our communities. I think the heat, while technically "hotter" in deserts across the U.S., it more oppressive here simply because of the moisture. Dewpoints are higher, which brings up the relative humidity, which makes it feel anywhere from 3 to 6 degrees hotter than it actually is. Trust me, the difference between "humid" and "dry" is VERY noticeable.
  
• I'm REALLY having to learn about trust. Do I believe God when He speaks in Jeremiah 29:11? Do I believe that He plans to prosper me and not to harm me? Plans for a hope and a future? Because honestly, a lot of the time I don't. It's hard to see it from His side. In fact, I CAN'T see it from His point of view. If I could, there'd be no reason to let go of myself and lean on Him and His promises.
  

Just some random stuff from the past few days. I'm also trying not to let little things get under my skin. That's hard for me. Patience is not a quality I excel at.

Too Good to be True?

Anyone who knows me or has spent any amount of time around me probably knows how much I love the rain. I tell everyone. Yes, I like the sunshine. There's nothing quite like a beautiful sunny day. However, I would take a gray, cool, rainy day over the hot, humid sunshine any day of the week. God instilled this love for rain in me and I am so thankful for it. I actually trace it back to the day I was born. It was around 3:30 in the morning and there was a huge, terrible thunderstorm going on as I was born and I think that's why I've loved rain/bad weather since I can remember.

If you've spend extended time around me, you probably also know about my love for the Pacific Northwest, and more specifically, Seattle, Washington. It's where I want my career to end up. Everything about the Pacific Northwest is beautiful. The temperatures, the landscape, the cities, everything. Well, just this morning, as I'm doing my daily search of the job market for on-air meteorologists, I find a position that's opened up at the NBC affiliate in Seattle. Naturally, I have a mini freak out. I meet all the requirements (at least 2 years experience, knowledge with Weather Central graphics, etc.) for the weekend morning weather position plus more air time with the cable news channel there in Seattle. It's such an amazing opportunity, seemingly too good to be true.

Needless to say, I'll be praying hard about this. I don't know if this job is in God's plan, but I'll be praying that I keep my hands open and allow God to work. As badly as I want this, I need to make sure it stays with God. Please pray. Pray that, no matter what, I am completely at peace with whatever God decides to do.

A Soldier's Return

I tear up. Every time.

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Happy Memorial MonDay!

I usually don't do much to celebrate Memorial Day. It could be because I'm usually at work (the weather doesn't stop for any holiday!) or because I don't have any close ties with military. I'm not trying to use that as an excuse, it's just the truth. The closest connection I have (and one I wish I knew more about) was my granddad (my dad's dad). He jumped with the 82nd Airborne in World War II. That's really all I know, or all I can think of at the moment. Usually on Memorial Day, I take time to watch three movies: "Saving Private Ryan", "Full Metal Jacket", and "Black Hawk Down". It's a nice progression from WWII, to Vietnam, to modern warfare. While they are just movies, they're good reminders of what our soldiers go through to preserve the freedom we enjoy in our great nation.

I am working today, but it's no big deal. It's actually kind of nice. A) I get a comp day, which basically entitles me to a day off and B) the station is basically deserted since everyone is off. One of the few days when it's nice and quiet around the station.

I'm headed to Norman this weekend for a week of vacation time to attend a couple of weddings and get some much needed time with friends. There will be Nintendo 64 and more specifically, Mario Kart 64. That's a big deal with us.

TWEET!

Some Twitter links for you folks.

If you want to follow ME, check out @themahler

If you want to know about Tweather (Twitter Weather) from around the nation and in Texoma, follow KFDX 3 Weather - @kfdx3wx

Tweet you later, my Tweeps.

TGIFF

It's not a typo. Thank Goodness It's Freaking Friday. I wouldn't say it's been a rough week, just one that I'm glad is over. The past 7 days have sent my life into a spin to a point where I'm not sure what lies around the corner. But hey, that's a good thing, right?

Another good thing about Friday? Chucks at work

• I am determined to make it to San Diego this year for Comic-Con. The odds are heavily weighted against me at the moment, but I'm hoping I can beat said odds and join my fellow nerds/geeks/what-have-you for the biggest comic convention in the world.
  
• No plans for the Memorial Day weekend. I certainly won't be traveling. Instead, I'll probably watch my trifecta of war movies: "Saving Private Ryan", "Black Hawk Down", and "Full Metal Jacket". All fantastic movies and all fitting for the weekend.
  
• I also have to work Monday. At least I get a comp day.
  
• My HHR (whom I've aptly named Zooey) is still at the dealership for some extensive hail damage repair. I'm in a loaner HHR right now. It's nice, but it's not my baby.
  

Follow posted limits.