and then it was February . . . well, almost . . .
I know its been a while. Things have been busy, hopping right along just as fast as they can. Its kinda scary that I wrote last in mid-November and here it is the beginning of January and I havent had a whole lot cross my mind here to post. But I guess in some ways thats a good thing, it means my life has reached that boring peak of predictibility and routine. Nothing new or crazy going on anymore, everything under control.
Hahaha, riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight!
What it really means is that I have just been neglecting to write. Getting home from work and crashing before getting up and chasing my tail in circles and then heading back to work. Its not a good excuse, but it sure feels like it. 
So, what HAVE I been up to?
I really dont know.
Ive been working, still with Security at Master’s, and I was taking a class this past semester. It basically kicked my butt, I was so confused with the assigned reading and even our ‘lectures’. But in the end, it made enough sense that I got an A- for the semester. I was happy. I was VERY happy. My cumulative GPA actually went UP!! It was nice.
Otherwise a lot of things were just status-quo. Work , sleep, groceries and all those normal sorts of things in life that seem to take over and run you out of time every day.
About 3 weeks ago, Jennica was able to go home with me! We had a pretty good time, there was a lot of snow thanks to a weather front that went through the day before we got there. But we had a good time nontheless. Jennica wasnt as frozen as she thought she was going to be, which is good, cause frozen girlfriend would have been terrible!!
She met way too many people to remember at our Open House, but she was glad to be there for it. I for one was also very glad that she got to come My grandpa turned up and that was a surprise to everyone!! But a very good surprise, I counted back and it had been 5-6 years since I had seen him. So it was really good to see him and get to talk to him for a little bit.
There was of course the usual hodge-podge of people that came, family friends, extended family, neighbors, a few of my sister’s co-workers, and I dont know who all else. A lot of food was eaten and many stories told. It was a great afternoon!!
In other, other news . . . one of my roommates is getting married in April, so if you know of anyone out here in the greater Los Angeles area that is looking for somewhere to live, send him our way! We have an unfurnished room and are looking for a Christian guy to live with us . . . let me know!
the books of 2009
Posted by Amos in Uncategorized on January 5th, 2010
I know Ive done this not all that long ago, but with the turning of the new year, Ive decided to start this list over. So you’ll find the various books Ive read in the last 7 months listed below . . . some of them were for school (since Im still working on actually getting my hands ON my degree) and the rest were mostly just for the sake of reading them . . . what other reason is there for reading??
The Sandstorm: The Arab-Israeli War of 1967: Prelude and Aftermath
- David Kimche and Dan Bawly
I, Robot
The Caves of Steel
The Naked Sun
The Robots of Dawn
- Isaac Asimov
The Hobbit
- J.R.R. Tolkien
The Postmodern Condition: A Report on Knowledge
- Jean-Francois Lyotard
Student Loan Debt – Get Out from Under Once and for All
- Brian O’Connell
Blue Like Jazz
- Donald Miller
Simulacra & Simulation
- Jean Baudrillard
The Surrogates
- Robert Venditti & Brett Weldele
The Total Money Makeover
- Dave Ramsey
Deal With Your Debt
- Liz Pulliam Weston
and portions of:
Mere Christianity
- C.S. Lewis
Nine Marks of a Healthy Church
- Mark Dever
Desiring God
- John Piper
Objectivity, Relativism and Truth
- Richard Rorty
Postmodern Theory
- Steven Best & Douglas Kellner
Postmodernism, or, The Logic of Late Capitalism
- Fredric Jameson
timing
Posted by Amos in news, the writings on November 16th, 2009
I guess its been a really long time since I posted last, and I really cant point to any ONE thing as causing that. It really just boils down to the simple fact that when I have time to write, I dont have the ideas; and when I have an idea to blog about, I dont have the time to sit down and write it!
Oh well, such is life.
there have been a few things that have happened that Id like to share though, so this will probably be more of an activities update than anything else.
a comment on God’s sovereignty: last week Tuesday I was working and one of the guys called in sick, not sure what it was, he didnt tell ME but it came down from my director that he was out for several days and they were going to be tweaking the schedule to cover for him. Not a big deal really, but our department is scheduled really tightly, so it was a bit of a juggling act to pull it all together, but they did.
my Thursday shift got bumped to Saturday morning, which was fine, but I was kinda annoyed since I was going to play frisbee that morning. Oh well, right? Thursday morning Jennica wakes me up cause her car wont start and she needs to get to work, so I go pick her up and drop her off at school (shes a substitute teacher) and carry on with my day returning to pick her up after school is out. THEN we go back to her place and try to sort out the car issues. No luck. Turns out at the end of the day we needed to tow it to the shop and they replaced the starter, works just fine NOW 
anyway, about the time we were getting started on the whole tow-to-the-shop bit was the same time that I should have been schedule for work, except for the sick-o changing everything up last week. Hmmm . . .
and we get to the shop and they have all the paperwork sorted out and then Jennica needs to get to her tutoring appointment AND she has a job on Friday too . . . so I let her borrow my car, since I didnt need it now, right?
Friday evening we picked up her car and everything is fine. Back to normal.
but I cant help but sit here in wonder at how perfectly everything worked out. I mean, if I had been scheduled to work, there was no way I would have been able to help her out, to be able to drop everything and make sure that her car got to the shop and everything was started ASAP.
its just the plain simple fact that God knew was what going to happen, and gave me the day off (however grudgingly I was about it) and then had everything work out with the least inconvenience to either of us. Its amazing!
After it was all done, I just had one of those moments where I saw how it all worked together. My desire is to be where I can help Jennica with whatever comes up, and I know that if I had been working that day, I would have been majorly frustrated that I couldnt help her with this. So . . . yeah, I dont know . . . its just a story of how God knows what He’s doing and should just remind me to check MY attitude when things dont go the way I think they are supposed to go.
Hopefully this helps you to gain perspective in the midst of whatever is going on in your life right now. God is tweaking things for the best benefit of everyone involved. NOT just you, OR the way you see it. God has the big picture and even though things often times WONT make ANY sense to me, HE sees it all and makes sure that He puts YOU in the ONLY spot that will work.
Hang in there friends, life is NOT like the movies, but in the end, we DO have a beautiful ending, the BEST ending possible.
the people I know
Posted by Amos in Uncategorized on October 16th, 2009
are very talented . . . and crazy!!
take a listen and let me know what you think!
thanks for sharing Amy . . . keep up the good work!!
Sunday morning….
Posted by Amos in the writings on October 13th, 2009
Its early, very early. So early on this morning that even I shouldnt be awake, but I am. And its not even bad enough that I am awake, but I am also sitting in my car waiting for another party to show up.
My phone goes off, a text. They are going to be late.
So I stay in my car, watching the other early risers this morning as they gather on this corner, huddled in their smaller conversational groups, part of a larger whole that all gather for the same reason.
This corner has it all, luxury cars, clunkers like mine, bicycles and people just walking up on foot. Its a busy place.
No one should actually be here, standing or sitting on the sidewalk between the building and the street. Some appear to have just woken up, others have been up for a while and then there are the ones like me, up earlier than normal but at the same time not just woken up.
There is a hunger in their eyes, the tired yawns that seem to long for something more then air. The crowd gets bigger as people casually join one at a time. Individually they leave the group and head inside, but only for a few minutes before they are back. Rotating around the circle they all take turns, a few of them go back for seconds. Life is good and as everyone gradually warms up to each other, the group begins to get lively. Stories start to flow, stories of their recent weekend adventures or some one who used to be part of the group. Something humorous that they read somewhere or even just the simple recounting of some nearly forgotten vacation tale.
All in all, its a good morning for them. I sat in my car, just watching and staying out of their way. Observing the lifestyle that gives them such a good time hanging out on the corner. Wondering what all else they do in the part of their lives that I cant see. Are they bankers? Realtors? Executives? Construction workers? Grandparents?
All of the group is older then I am, all of that group was male. Most of them are balding and aging faster then they want to admit. This habit helps them stay young, it helps them fit in with the younger crowd.
I didnt see anyone I knew until the late, texting party finally showed up, twice as long as they said they would be. But its ok, I dont really mind. Watching people gather and having a good time is kinda fun. Eventually my duty at that location was discharged and I returned home, but I remember the men sitting around and I ponder what else I should have done.
Im liking what I see . . .
So, Ive been working on some photos for a photographer these last few hours/days and Im really beginning to enjoy the program I am using.
Adobe LightRoom 2 is amazing!!
Below is a quick example of work that I just did, fixing the shot on the left and turning it into the shot on the right . . . very easy and wonderful to work with.
You can find the trial version here on Adobe.com and give it your own evaluation. Be warned though, it only lasts for 30 days, and if you use it a lot, you will find yourself craving the permanent version that is a few hundred bucks, but at least from where I sit, it is totally worth it.
And if you were wondering . . . I did NOT get paid for this . . . I am just having such a good time working with it, that I thought I would share some of the awesomeness . . .