Lazy Sunday. . . sort of

A few tense moments have transpired lately. I won't go into detail about them, but I could definitely use some prayers.
I booked my hostel this week. I will be staying here: http://www.headquartershostel.com.au/index.html for four weeks and four days.
I'm more excited about it the more "real" it gets. I still don't really know exactly what I will be doing when I get there. Hopefully, I will be able to get a little job. The hostel web site says it has a service to help with job placement, so I will most likely be utilizing that. I plan on walking around the city a lot and trying to hang out with random people.
My mom and little brother are going to New York City next week, so I can't wait to hear about it. There are always good stories from that trip. They arrive back in town on Friday late at night.
I'm watching Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Never gets old.

I accomplished more yesterday than I did in the entire previous week. The only problem with that is that it left me nothing to do today. So I have basically been sitting around the house watching TV and playing on the computer. I've been reading, too. I picked up To Kill a Mockingbird from the library. Libraries are great. I tend to forget what they are actually for because I usually only go there to get crappy research books or to study. But the whole concept of a library is pretty dang cool, if you ask me.
I am only five chapters into the book, but it is good. I can feel myself slipping into a southern accent when I read it. The kind of southern accent I used to use when I was a waiter at Cracker Barrel. So I am watching "The Sopranos" to balance it out. I figure the New Jersey accent will combine with the southern accent and I will end up with a nice, medium, somewhere around Virgina-type accent. But that is just conjecture.
So the process for determining Emmy nominations starts next week. I wish I had paid more attention to TV this year, because I have no idea who deserves to get a nomination. The only two people I am really hopeful for are Jane Krakowski and Jack McBrayer from "30 Rock." I thought they did a great job this year. They both made the Emmy short list last year, but missed out on a nomination. "30 Rock" is still the best comedy on TV. I am not even sure what else deserves to be nominated in that category. I bet "30 Rock" wins a third straight trophy. I would really like to see "How I Met Your Mother" nominated, too. It is much better than that crappy "Two and a Half Men." It has a much better chance of sneaking up and beating out "30 Rock," so I think CBS should throw its support behind their quality show. Not just the size of the star. (I hate Charlie Sheen.) Also, can we please leave Jeremy Piven off the Supporting Actor list this year? I mean, the guy has won like 5 in a row. He's entertaining, but we're all tired of the same old thing.
I need to catch up on "In Treatment." I wonder when it comes out on DVD. If it is half as good as the first season, it deserves a nomination. I also want to watch "True Blood."
A couple more sure things for the Emmys: Neil Patrick Harris (I think he will win this year), Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin. . .
I really need to start investigating. The Emmys are in September.

Sandwich Fan

Ever since I went to the UK, I have held the belief that you cannot find a decent sandwich in the United States. On the next street over from out house in Oxford was a brilliant little sandwich shop: On the Hoof. They had the best paninis.
Maybe they will have good sandwiches in Australia. I'm hopeful.

Selling Things

Title says it all. Well, not really. Or else I wouldn't be writing this post at all. So I still don't have a job. I have applied at a ton of restaurants. (And I mean ton by weight. So it isn't really that many because restaurants are heavy, but still.)

So I am trying to sell a TV, a mattress pad, and some DVDs. I am also selling some books. I am headed to Hastings in a moment to sell the DVDs. Into the Wild and Three sets of Family Guy DVDs.

I figured out that I need about $250 more dollars to cover housing in Australia. Then everything beyond that is just gravy. (Literally. Gravy is cheap and that is all I plan on eating in Australia because I am rapidly becoming poor.)

Ok. Once again, anyone who wants to give me money or a job, contact me. I'm not picky.

Mood: Optimistic, yet Disgruntled?

Ok, so I started a new book: Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. And it is so good. It investigates the most successful people in the world and sort of explains that they never make all the success alone. They have to have a lot of opportunities along the way. I don't want to explain it all here because you should definitely buy it and read it. It is so good.

I started e-mailing hostels in Australia. That's going well. Almost everyone is willing to give me a slight discount because of how long I will be staying there. I haven't exactly found one I am sold on yet, but I will.

No word yet on the job front. Getting disgruntled.

The end. A Long way down.

Headway

No denying I've made headway on my desire to cook. I cooked. It wasn't perfect, but it is edible. One thing I did learn is that when something says it serves 6, it means it. I now have enough pasta for days. I cooked this:

http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/05/asparagus-goat-cheese-and-lemon-pasta/#more-3038

I really like goat cheese.

On another front, I believe I am going to go buy a book. So as of right now my summer projects include: finishing "In Treatment," starting "The Sopranos," study for the LSAT, get a job, and find and read a book. Anything else I should add to that?

Australia update: I need to seriously start looking for accommodations. I found one hostel that specializes in working holiday travelers. Free internet, breakfast, linens, and laundry. They have monthly rates, too. So I need to give them a call. However, I have had a hard time finding a phone number. Once I find one, I will give them a call. That is the last major thing I need to plan for the trip. (Like the new layout, by the way? Sydney Harbor Bridge.)

Finally. . . do you think it is cheesy that I end every post with the words "a long way down"?

The Joy of Blogging

This week's Entertainment Weekly's Online section is all about food web sites. And it just made me think about how much I would like to be able to cook. I mean, I like me a nice microwave pizza as much as the next guy. But every once and a while I would like to be able to actually cook a full meal. I don't really know how to go about acquiring this skill, but it is officially on my to do list.

I did buy a book at the beginning of this school year titled "How to Boil Water." It has a lot of easy recipes for beginning cooks and takes you step by step through the process. The reason I haven't used it: I don't have a lot of the tools required to make most of the meals. (For example, I do not have a lot of pans or pots. Or spices.) And those things are expensive.

I applied for a job at the Calling Center today. We'll see about that. Should be interesting. I really don't need that much money for Australia. I just need to pay for my housing while I am there. And I should have enough to do that already. Who needs to eat for five weeks anyway? Didn't Jesus go for like 40 days or something? Sure, He is God and everything. . . but I think I can figure something out.

I need a new book to read. This past week my productivity has gone a long way down.

Namesake

I just finished the book for which this blog is named. I must confess, I couldn't have chosen a better title. "A Long Way Down" by Nick Hornby. It is the story of four people who accidentally meet in the top of a building when they are all about to commit suicide. They all have different reasons and honestly, most of them are pretty solid reasons to commit suicide. I think the genius of the book was that there was something I could relate to in each of the four personalities represented. Like, if I could divide myself up into four people, I might just end up with a Martin, Maureen, JJ, and Jess.
And I am not 100% sure why the next thing I write is linked to the book, but for some reason it is. Basically, I was thinking about it last night and, well, here goes: Nothing I can do can affect God (either positively or negatively) in any way. I have been in this mindset where: if I sin, I hurt God. "Can He still feel the nails every time I fail? Can He hear the crowd cry crucify again?" I just think that is completely wrong. How self-centered is that way of thinking? How could I ever hurt God? And while that thought is conforting, I also think the opposite is true: I can't bring God happiness any more than I can bring Him pain.
Because if I could, that would make God dependent on me. And God can't be dependent on me. That's the fundamental Truth of God: He is not dependent. He (however you see him, as One or Three in One. . .) is entirely self-sufficient.
I am not trying to say that we should all just do whatever we want, sin sin sin. I am just trying to make the point that we should celebrate being God's creation and stop trying to be God himself. Because when we claim that anything we do can bring pain or pleasure to God, we are saying that we matter more than He does. We are the center of His creation, but He is the center of everything.
When you think about that, it is oddly freeing. And that is how I felt after I read "A Long Way Down."

Integrity Win

I didn't get the job at Carino's because I ended up telling the guy that I was planning on going to Australia for five weeks later this summer. I wouldn't have told him. . . but the thing is: I kind of respected the guy. I didn't expect to meet a GM that I respected, so that threw a wrench into my plans.
So now I need a job. Pretty badly. Or else I need a lot of people to give me money. One of those. Those are the only two options. There's no weird third option. If you want to give me a job or money, please contact me. (You can comment on this blog OR e-mail me at bdill12@gmail.com)
In conclusion, my funds are tumbling. The numbers in my bank account are headed a long way down.

A/C? Nah.

So my summer roommates and I don't believe in running the air conditioning. In Texas. So it is really hot in this house. Like sauna hot. Making a sandwich causes me to break a sweat. I have gone through almost a full case of Dr. Pepper in two days. It turns out, Dr. Pepper is not the best hydration. Apparently, I need some Gatorade or plain old water. The problem is: Gatorade and water do not taste as good as Dr. Pepper. So basically, I am drinking myself into a state of severe dehydration because my roommates and I don't want to pay an extra couple hundred bucks in the name of comfort.
Moral of this post: The temperature in here needs to go down. A long way down.

Job Search

I dropped off applications at Red Robin, Olive Garden, and Carino's. i had an interview at Carino's and I have another one tomorrow. We'll see how it goes. I am looking forward to being a waiter again, actually. It is a lot of work, but it is a lot of fun. And I always meet new people who are ridiculous.
The woman who interviewed me at Carino's seemed kind of grossed out that I worked at Cracker Barrrel. She said, "If you are hired, then I need you to forget everything you learned at Cracker Barrel. Carino's is a totally new experience." No problem there. I could definitely work for a classier restaurant. Because when you look at the ladder of restuarants in Abilene, Carino's is pretty far up. . . and Cracker Barrel is a long way down.

Another Summer, Another Blog

Welcome to my blog. It is kind of weird, creating a blog. Like, the concept is pretty conceited. It is like I am saying that I am so important that everyone should read my musings. I mean, I think that. . . but I don't usually say it. A blog is just kind of declaring it for the world to see.
I've created some blogs before. One was used (briefly) while I was studying abroad in England. I posted pictures and stuff for my family to see. But now I have Facebook for that. So that blog ended. I had a blog last summer about random entertainment stuff- movies, tv, ect. But I just kind of quit writing on it when I started school again.
So now I have a lot of time on my hands again, so here I am. Proudly musing for anyone in the world to see. (Well, not ANYONE. Some people are poor and don't have the Internet. Also, most people in the world can't read, especially in English. So I guess I am saying that I am musing for all rich, English-literate people in the world.)

So. What about me? Well, if you are reading this, you probably already know me. But just in case you don't, I guess a little introduction is in order. My name is Brent. I live in Abilene, Texas, and go to school at Abilene Christian University. I am majoring in English and I have not decided if I want to go to Grad school or Law school, yet. (I plan on taking the LSAT and the GRE and applying to both.) I either want to get a JD or an M.A. in Linguistics. Right now, I am actually leaning towards Linguistics. I love languages.

So. Why call this blog "A Long Way Down" ? It is the title of a Nick Hornby book I am reading at the moment and I really like the way it sounds. And how it can have many meanings. So what does it mean? No idea.

So. Why did I want to start this blog? Well, I am conceited (as stated above). But that isn't the only reason. Later this summer I will be traveling to Australia and I wanted to create this blog to keep people updated about how things are down under. (That's a gross sentence.) I leave for Australia on July 1st. I will be in Sydney for five weeks. Up till then, I am going to try to find a job as a server here in Abilene so I can actually afford this. (Contact me if you would like to donate to the Brent Goes to Australia Fund. It is not a tax write-off.)

So. That is pretty much the purpose of this post. Fun, huh? Now on to other topics: Star Trek. I Saw the new movie tonight and I may or may not have just become a Trekkie. I am going to watch the original series on Netflix. That movie was that good. (Although the camera movement sometimes made me sick and the theater had the sound at an uncomfortable level. Hmm... what am I? 50?)

So. I hope you will read and comment on my blog. Don't expect it to be very deep and meaningful, but don't expect it to always be lighthearted, either. I am not a Vulcan. I have emotions. (And that is my first Star Trek reference. I hear from there, it is a long way down.)