There's too many sick people in my house today. I promise - longer column on Thursday at the earliest - my "Best of 2003" column. ~ Jeremy

I'd like to write something in depth, but I just got home from Virginia. So, I'll write something about our trip tomorrow. ~ Jeremy Soundtrack: Superchic[k] - Regeneration

I've killed Sand People...Lots and Lots of Sand People.

Alright, don't say I didn't warn you. This entry is in full on Geek Mode. I've gone all fanboy in the last week, so you're about to enter a world full of orcs and Jedi. Not only the men - the Women, the Children!!! I don't often get the chance to play video games. It's not that I don't want to, it's just my time is better used working on various projects at home, or doing stuff with friends. But yesterday, a good friend of mine, Brian, brought over his X-Box. And with that X-Box, he brought Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. What a killer RPG. I don't play many RPG's - with the exception of Final Fantasy, the whole role-playing genre of games escapes my interest. Maybe it's the stigma attached to them (Don't all RPG gamers wear braces and have a severely unbalanced obsession with Seven of Nine on Star Trek Voyager?) or it could be the time required to master and enjoy an RPG. (I have yet to finish any of the Final Fantasy series, despite getting as far as the third discs on VIII and IX - and that took a lot of hours to do...) It might actually be a little bit of both. But man, this is an awesome game. Granted, I didn't do much - I solved a couple of the puzzles, and went into the desert of Tattooine and butchered a whole slew of Sand People - but I'm hooked. It's available for the PC too, but with my clunker, I'm afraid to even bother investing the time and money in it. But, I guess I can dream. A Game of What if? In Jabba's Palace Okay, this is the last time I'll talk about Star Wars in this entry, but I just had to mention this. Recently, Dark Horse Comics began the series Star Wars: Infinities, which is basically a "What If?" series concerning the Star Wars universe. The first arc asks the question: "What If, By a series of Unfortunate Events, Han Solo was not rescued from his Carbonite Prison?" Well, it doesn't seem like a really major question, but by the end of issue 1, Threepio is destroyed and Yoda dies without seeing Luke. Quite Cataclysmic, if you ask me. Needless to say, I'm hooked on this book. (And I be Rhymin' too, yo.) All Hail the King! I saw Return of The King last Tuesday night. And I'm still in awe. If you liked the first two films, this one - well, it's better than both combined. And that's saying a lot. I'd write a more in depth review, but I'm still speechless. ~ Jeremy

It's been a few days, I know, but thankfully the remnants of the flu are just a cough. It's not a great cough, (well, is any cough great?) but it's better than feeling like a Mack Truck hit me while I was walking down the street. I'll take a cough over that any day. So I went back to work only yesterday, and here it is, one week before Christmas. One week. And I'm still waiting on two packages in the mail. One was sent by an Amazon seller, who used that bogus Media Mail, so I can expect to see my package by sometime in April, and the other...well, I won't get into it, but the whole situation with that package is just really ticking me off. I can only hope and pray that I'm not dissappointed with people on Christmas day - especially when I did my best to get things done and ordered far in advance. The good news is, I did get my order from Columbia house yesterday - in less than two weeks. I ordered Switchfoot's album The Beautiful Letdown, and I have to say, it ain't too bad. Despite sounding a bit like Third Eye Blind, it's pretty good. One of my other buddies hooked me up with some out of print Swirling Eddies stuff too, and that's just plain awesome. (Gotta love the really surfonic cover of "The Pool" - my favorite Daniel Amos song of all time...) Hmm...what else.... My sister Tiffany is here for the night, and we watched Barber Shop. Not a bad movie - pretty funny in spots. I really like Anthony Anderson, he's one funny dude. I don't think I haven't laughed at anything he's done. We also rented Bulletproof Monk, but I'm gonna save that for another night this week. A week from tomorrow we fly to Virginia, and we have bunches of stuff to accomplish by then. I really hope we don't get all stressed out the night before...I want Christmas to be a relaxing time. Guess I should really motivate myself over the weekend, huh? ~ Jeremy Soundtrack: Switchfoot - The Beautiful Letdown

An early morning update. A first, I think. Well, not really, since I'm writing this technically on my Monday night. I've been up most of the night, taking care of Josiah, who now has what I'm still getting over. I'm taking today off of work, so I'm gonna get some sleep after this. I think. We got Saddam. COOL. Osama is next, I hope. ~ Jeremy

Still sick. Doc says it's the flu. ~ Jeremy

The Ultimate Irony Four weeks ago, I got sick. Four weeks to the day. Sick. Fever. Shaking uncontrollably. Tired. Very, Very Tired. It took me four days to get over it completely, and I'm still suffering the consequences of that four days of sickness in various manners - things I'd rather not get into right now. So yeah, I was sick. Very sick. So today comes and I was up really late last night. 3 a.m. late. I woke up at 7:30, showered, and by 8:30 I had to run a few errands before going to work. I'm tired, but I blame it on my stupidity for staying up so late last night. I get to work, and I start shaking. I feel my forehead. I'm warm, but my hands are cold. I make it through the morning, but by afternoon, I decided to leave work early and get some sleep. The fever got worse. I finally got home and slept. I slept for three hours, and I was still shaking. I took an ibuprofen, and now I'm still not feeling good but at least my body isn't trying to cook itself. I hope it's not the flu. Or Bronchitis. I've been having coughing fits rivaling my grandfather. So four weeks to the day - I get sick again. Bad sick. I guess it can be blamed on my working in pediatrics, and with the bad flu season. But I'm pretty sure the depth to how bad the flu season is going to be is just media scare tactics. Either way, I feel terrible right now. Being sick sucks. ~ Jeremy

Real Time Posting This: 2:30 a.m. I don't know what it is, but man, music is a huge thing for me. I've gotta get a whole bunch of new albums soon. POD's latest looks really good, as does the new Jars of Clay, but I want Jars' Furthermore CD first, since they cover a song by Adam Again on it. Then there's still Fanmail, and U2's always classic The Joshua Tree. Well, I guess I can survive for a little while. I watched a lot of the extras in the The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Extended Edition DVD, and I really wish I could make a movie. Nothing nearly as complex as LotR, but the thought of shooting something and getting into an editing room is very compelling. I can't believe how late it is. I need to work in the morning. I'll write a longer entry tomorrow. I hope. ~ Jeremy Soundtrack: Vector - Temptation

Watching this on PBS right now. Good stuff, and it's kind of funny to see a young Bruce Springsteen playing backup for good ol' Roy. And Elvis Costello is the coolest dork around. They're just staring "Pretty Woman" right now. Odd thing about the Amazon listing...why is it they charge about eighteen bucks for the DVD on Amazon, and the new/used sellers are starting at over twenty? Weird. Anyway, spent the day at work, and picked up the latest copy of CCM magazine. I haven't bought a copy of that mag in years, but this one was special, since Daniel Amos has been inducted into the CCM Hall of Fame. It was kind of a bummer, though - they relegated it to the back page, and half of that page is consumed by photos. DA deserves a four or five page spread, but I'm not sure CCM would grant them that sort of honor. Oh well, they're still one of the greatest bands in the history of Christian rock music. My cousin Mike came over for a while, and hooked me up with a belated birthday gift - an unexpected, but very, very cool belated birthday gift. What was it, you ask? The first trade paperback volume of Star Wars Tales . This is such a good comic - a great blend of humorous and serious looks at the world of Star Wars, using characters both familiar and unfamiliar. I really like it, and it does a good job in spreading out various art styles. Can't wait to consume it. Michelle just got home from work, so I'm going to spend some time with her. ~ Jeremy Soundtrack: Adam Again - Dig

Real Time Writing This: 1:45 a.m. I don't have much to write, but I think I found something my loyal readers can kick in to buy for me: How about this? Or, if you're feeling generous, get this too. I thought I'd seen it all.....I was wrong. I just watched the Counting Crows on Craig Kilborne. Man, they rock. Really dig their new tune. Finished my first draft of our annual holiday letter while watching A Christmas Story on DVD, with the commentary turned on. Good stuff. Ooh, I didn't get to mention that I bought the DVD's I wanted at Best Buy, since Amazon couldn't guarantee delivery by Christmas. Yeah, I know I opened it before Christmas, but these are classics! And Michelle and I agreed that we were going to pack them with our Christmas Decorations come seasons end. Christmas is a mere two weeks away. Wow. I'm glad I don't have much more to buy. ~ Jeremy Soundtrack: Daniel Amos - And So it Goes and Fearful Symmetry with Adam Again - Perfecta thrown in for good measure.

For Michelle...

All That Remains from the album "Green Room Serenade, Part One" (Terry Taylor) By the Lost Dogs If all the stars fell from the sky And the oceans all ran dry Or the rains came down and I Was in over my head I'd count myself lucky now 'Cause I loved you And if this world stopped turning round If someone shut the whole thing down If I was lost and never found If I were left here for dead, I'd still be lucky now 'Cause I've loved you (All that remains) I believe that everything That passes though the holy flame will turn to ash and dust (All that remains) But that fire will wash us clean And our sweet love will be redeemed And for me that is enough If that's all that remains And if the sun no longer shined There was no reason and no rhyme the world ran out of space and time No I, I wouldn't cry I'd say I'm lucky now That I've loved you And if I never loved again And no one ever called me friend And all my dreams came to an end No, I'd never ask why I'd count myself lucky now That I've loved you (All that remains). . . I swear that it's true I only know this is for certain Yeah Love never fails It's the only thing that will survive And if I'm still around When they bring down the final curtain I'd tell all the angels Your love is the reason that I am alive Love's all that remains (C)1996 by Lost Dogs

I'm actually writing this earlier than usual. Cool. Well, not too much earlier, it is a Saturday night. But I do have a lot of stuff to accomplish tomorrow, namely grocery shopping and laundry. I sound like a house wife. Well, since Michelle has worked every day this week, it's my honor to handle the brunt of the home chores. Today was my cleaning the bathroom day. Fun stuff. Memory Lane My mom sent me a stack of videos this week. I had asked for my wrestling tapes, some of which were included in the bag, but there were others as well. A couple of movies, a concert tape, and a video of my old high school youth group. The Youth Group video wasn't labeled, so I popped it in to see what it was. Much to my surprise, it was me....in all my long haired, giant glasses dork glory, doing a redneck joke, while wearing an ugly flannel shirt over an even uglier t-shirt with an eightball on it. Needless to say, it took me a couple of moments to get over my horror. But I was strangely hypnotized, so I fast forwarded through it, for the most part, but stopped at moments I thought would be funny. And yeah, they were funny, but it was...embarressing. I don't think a day will go by now, where I don't stop thanking God that we grow and change. That He renews us, refines us and reinvents us continually. I doubt I could survive in the real world if I was still that youthful kid I saw on that video. I was awkward, I was nerdy - I was... I don't know if I can describe myself. I'm just thankful that I've changed. But then, despite my shock at myself, I was watching people I haven't seen or spoken to in years...some not since I graduated high school. And the saddest part is, I don't know if I would ever want to talk with them again. Have they changed? Do they think of me in the same mold I was when they last knew me? It's weird when you take those trips down memory lane. You never know what faces might haunt you for days to come. Random Stuff - I think I'm going to order National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation from Amazon tonight. And hey, you can even get the DVD of A Christmas Story and not pay shipping. Now where's my wallet? - I'm still waiting on three packages in the mail for Christmas. I guess the downside to shopping online is the waiting for the mailman. ~ Jeremy Soundtrack: Deliverance - Learn

Real Time Posting this: 1:41 a.m. I don't know what it is, but I'm finding less and less to blog about lately. It's either a lack of pure motivation, or a lack of time. I'm pretty sure it's the latter, given that this entry is being written at 1:41 in the morning, after a long day of work and a long night of paying the bills. I'm going to write about my road trip last weekend, but not tonight. It's late, and I really do need to get some sleep eventually. Christmas Lamentation Michelle is evil. Well, not evil, but man, she can be mean when it comes to Christmas. I'll give you an example. The only example, but it's still a pretty good one. So I win the Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Yoda on Ebay, and the package containing said figure arrives yesterday - Wednesday. Wednesdays are my long work days, so I'm not home first. Michelle is. What does she do? She tears into the package, wraps up the figure and now it torments me in my own living room. Given the standard rules of Christmas paper, if I were to touch the paper in a manner that would damage or perhaps open it, prior to the proper date (December 25th), said item would no longer be viable as a "good Christmas Surprise". Since I fear that rule, I have to live in torment for the next three weeks, with the package, in it's bright red striped paper mocking me under my own roof. I'll take it back. Michelle's not evil. She's the most wonderful wife I could've asked for. Random Stuff - I bought our plane tickets yesterday, for our trip to Virginia to see my older sisters. Should be a fun trip, we hardly ever get to see them, and the weather there just might be better than around here. I can hope, at least. - I have to come up with a creative gift for the Christmas Party for Michelle's office. Anybody have some suggestions? Feel free to post them under the comments section. - I took some time at work yesterday to update my links section of my website. Feel free to browse around the sites mentioned - but don't take them as a full endorsement of anything. The only stuff I will endorse fully is linked here on my blog, given my personal ties to most of those sites. - I recently heard that MP3.com has temporarily closed up shop. I do hope they continue to host some of the great indy artists around the world. Some good music could be found there. I hope their revamp doesn't change the cool atmosphere there, but with the world of big business, I wouldn't be surprised if it did. ~ Jeremy Soundtrack: Andrew Eastmond - Secret Place

What Natural Disaster are you? Take the quiz!

I really want to write a solid blog entry today. It's been so long, it's like trying to get back into working out after taking a week or a month off from doing so. IThe desire is still there, but the motivation is lax. Guess that's the effect holiday eating and travelling can have on somebody. But hey, I'm gonna give it a shot, at least. Forgive me in advance if I ramble and don't settle on one topic. Found out they're going to make a Dukes of Hazzard movie, with Ashton Kutcher and Paul Walker attached to star as the Duke boys. Britney Spears is allegedly in talks to be in the Daisy Duke role. This news would excite me, at least the part about their being a Dukes movie. The other news? Well, that just makes me feel a bit sick in the stomach. Ashton Kutcher? As much as I love his work as Kelso, he's no Luke Duke. Paul Walker isn't that much of a stretch, since he drove fast cars in The Fast and the Furious - but can he pull of the dumb guy role that Bo Duke is? Don't even get me started on Britney. *BLECH* Michelle says I might be surprised. I say they should have gotten the Wilson Brothers (Luke and Owen) and Eliza Dushku as Daisy. But then again, Hollywood is full of a bunch of morons, so I guess I can just be thankful that they didn't cast Vin Diesel as Cooter or make Boss Hogg skinny. But, time will tell, right? Went to the doctor today. Got a flu shot. My arm hurts. He told me for the umpteenth time that I need to lose weight. I'm pretty tired. I think I'm done now. ~ Jeremy Soundtrack: My Ultimate MP3 Disk, featuring bands like Plankeye, Vector, U2 and Michael Knott. Good stuff!

It's been two days since I've updated. I'd love to write about my trip, but I'm pretty sleepy, so I'll leave you with this - T-Shirt from Cooters Garage: $20.00 Meals at Penn Cann Truck Stop and Taco Bell: $19.00 Singing the theme song to "Dukes of Hazzard" with Ben "Cooter" Jones: Priceless Hopefully, when I have more time I can get a write up of the trip in here. It was a blast, but I'm still catchin up on my stuff here at home, both normal and Christmas chores. I hope all is well with everyone. ~ Jeremy Soundtrack: My Ultimate MP3 Disk, featuring bands like Plankeye, Vector, U2 and Michael Knott. Good stuff!