It's Brady!

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2008-02-28T14:55:00.001-05:00

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It's Brady

Chattooga - Part 7

2006-11-13T22:24:00.000-05:00

...continued from Monday, October 23

The walk from Fish Hatchery to Chattooga is less than picturesque. Flat terrain and trees are about the only things in view until midway to the river. Three and a half miles separated the parking area from the river. If any hike can be boring it is this section.

The air stood still; shadows of branches showing no movement. Most vernal days the forest ground seems to be a woodland dance floor with its dark figures fluttering and flittering about like nature’s fanciful ballerinas. Of course music is the dancer’s compliment. Songbirds provide the melody and the wind in the trees is the fluid accompaniment. Summer days are often much more quiet – a subdued tranquility.

A few, stray clouds strafed the beaming sun. The fiery orb floated high over the canopy, sending its rays between boughs. The synthesis of sun and shade created a nice
climate. The temperature became more pleasant, if but only slightly hot.

The same muscles that were tight only moments earlier moved much easier and walking became a syncopated cadence. Two pairs of shoes plodded on with distinct footfalls – one heavy and almost labored, the other sure and steady. Final adjustments were made to pack straps, ensuring that the burdens didn’t bounce or sag. A sore back is the last thing a tired hiker needs.

Check back soon for the next installment...

Chattooga - Part 7

2006-11-13T22:17:00.002-05:00

...continued from Monday, October 23

Chattooga - Part 7

2006-11-13T22:17:00.001-05:00

...continued from Monday, October 23

Chattooga - Part 7

2006-11-13T22:17:00.000-05:00

...continued from Monday, October 23

Chattooga - Part 6

2006-10-23T08:39:00.000-04:00

...continued from Thursday, October 19...

With the heavy packs tightened on fresh backs, the journey began. The path was well marked and had seen many visitors in its storied past. Two more pairs of worn, hiking shoes would make their mark on the trail.

As always, the walking pace was swift, although a bit slower than normal. Regulating speed is crucial when setting out on long hikes. Walk too fast and run the risk of collapse. Muscles can only take so much punishment before shutting down. Walk too slowly and consign yourself to staying out another night.

Less than 15 minutes in a familiar sight met us. The man and his dog came jogging along the path back towards the vehicles, both guy and canine panting in rhythm with their steps.

Check back soon for the next installment...

Chattooga - Part 5

2006-10-19T08:44:00.000-04:00

...continued from Tuesday, October 17...

Another car turned onto the road and parked across the way. An athletic man hopped out and opened the back door of his blue station wagon. Out came a diminutive, tan dog, hyperactive and ready for a jog. The man clicked a leash on the dog and they bounded off into the woods just behind the car. A swift pace stated that they would not be long on their outing.

The weather was pleasant for most anything but hiking. Temperatures in the mid-eighties with clear skies make for a hot day on the trail. The air stood thick with humidity, but not so thick that breathing becomes labored. In those conditions it takes about five and a half minutes for perspiration to soak through two layers of clothes, leaving the form of a backpack in sweat lines.

The entry point of the Foothills Trail into the woods is marked by an old, wooden sign just large enough to read within fifty feet. The hike from Table Rock State Park to Fish Hatchery Road is littered with grand vistas and steep mountainsides. Foothills takes you up Pinnacle Mountain, over to Sassafras Mountain (the highest in South Carolina), up and down the Jocassee Gorges, over the Toxaway River and then drops out of the forest on Fish Hatchery Road. The quiet nature of the spot can mislead the novice hiker into believing that Foothills is no challenge, but difficult travels are on either side of the road. A four foot wide gap in the trees points in the direction of the river and to another awe-inspiring expedition.

Check back soon for the next installment...

Chattooga - Part 4

2006-10-17T13:27:00.000-04:00

...continued from Monday, October 16...

The road to the fish hatchery is a winding, never-ending path down into the valley. After seeming miles of twisted, barely-two-lane back road, one finds the Oconee fish hatchery with its long, narrow pools brimming with beautiful, silver trout. It’s been said, “Give a man a fish; feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish; feed him for a lifetime.” A good tagline might be, “Show a man how to get to the fish hatchery; feed him without teaching him a darn thing.” The vehicles pulled off only yards down the road, a long way from the angler’s paradise.

The Foothills Trail makes its crossing of Fish Hatchery Road at a small pull off. Five cars could fit in the area if they were perfectly placed. The white sedan came to a stop on the far right side of the small clearing. Legs stretched after an hour of driving, almost mocking the trail which stood only yards away. Those same legs would be aching in a day’s time, wishing for a hot, soaking shower and a long sleep.

Check back soon for the next installment...

Chattooga - Part 3

2006-10-16T08:47:00.000-04:00

...continued from Saturday, October 14...

Mountain curves slalomed lazily back and forth through the countryside, rising higher with each turn. Issaqueena passed as she had many times before. Scenic overlooks, marked by small parking areas, are void of viewers at such an early time. A few hours later and vehicles would be driving by slow looking for places to park for the grand views.

The bridge over the Chattooga. Georgia state line. The cars parked just beyond the bridge in a small, gravel parking area lot along with several fishermen’s trucks. One backpack transfer later, a single car pulled out of leaving the other to “sit for a spell”.

Several miles back down Highway 28, a fork in the road awaits our left turn. Heading up Highway 170, the pavement narrows and the esses grow tighter. Climbing into the mountains, the automobiles snake by Burrell’s Ford and Oconee State Park.

Check back soon for the next installment...

Chattooga - Part 2

2006-10-14T11:54:00.000-04:00

...continued from Friday, October 13...

Morning packing measures included locating the last toiletries and completing a mental checklist of items at least twenty eight times. No amount of packing, repacking and confirmation of supplies can assuage the anxiety of leaving something behind…and not without good reason. “Change of clothes – check; extra socks – check; food, food and more food – check; maps – check; compass – check; BFK ‘Big Friggin’ Knife’ – check; trash bags for ‘Pack it in, pack it out’ – check; foam sleeping pad – check; 50 degree liner – check. That’s it…right? Ummmm. Ok, go through it one more time.”

The bags and bodies migrated to the cars and it was off to find sustenance for the rest of the morning. McDonald’s breakfast combos make an acceptable morning meal. Sausage biscuits and hash browns on both sides of the table were quickly consumed and the drive continued. Clemson disappeared and Seneca neared.

Middle class homeowners were already at home improvement stores buying fix-it-yourself items and lawn care products. The cars passed Lowes and turned just before Home Depot. Highway 28 took the tiny caravan through the tired town of Walhalla, a community still fighting the War Between the States and winning by many accounts.

Check back soon for the next installment...

Chattooga - Part 1

2006-10-13T13:33:00.000-04:00

Chattooga is a semi-fiction short story account of a hike that Andrew Pierce and I made this summer. The Chattooga Trail is a 15 mile trek that follows the famous river along the South Carolina-Georgia border. I hope you enjoy the story.

A light morning fog hovered in the distance, but would soon disappear with the hot, summer sun which peeked just over the pines. Preparations weeks in advance had been made for an adventure to come…which would be just that. Money spent was justified as necessary expense. Who wants to be stranded in the mountains without ten pounds of beef jerky?

Backpacks full and heavy sat inert in anticipation for the journey and their first true test of worth. Forgotten articles would not have fit anyway; at least that was the sentiment and justification afterwards. Good sleep was interrupted early and is as valuable as anything that can be packed. It would have been nice to have crammed in a couple more hours.

“To sleep; to dream…” When Shakespeare compared death to sleep, he could have said it vice versa. A sleep so deep that one is merely dead and dreaming. Even after climbing out of bed, one is not alive. “To sleep; to dream…” and Yeats then argued, “but I…have naught but my dreams.” If only dreams were reality, the trip would have been flawless - flora and fauna welcoming all visitors like in a Disney movie song. A nice, hot shower moves the mind from groggy, ethereal dreams to the awakened reality of the day.

Check back soon for the next installment...

Blogger Beta

2006-09-28T09:03:00.000-04:00

I'm trying Blogger Beta...

The new address is Itsbrady.blogspot.com

I'll most likely be blogging there from now on.

Landslide Falls

2006-08-31T09:24:00.000-04:00

Andrew and I went hiking to Jones Gap Falls, which is located just west of Jones Gap State Park. The trail was fairly easy until we got to the bridge across the Middle Saluda River. "Trail Closed" a sign warned. We crossed the bridge and continued on unaware of what we would see. Pictures of the Jones Gap landslide had done it no justice. A giant gash was carved out of the hillside as high and as low as we could see. Giant rocks and large trees were strewn about like tinkertoys in a child's room.
We proceeded to cross and continue on to Jones Gap Falls which made a right turn not far past the slide area. It was a serene place with the mixed sounds of trickling and splashing waters. A nice place to relax, shaded from both the sun and the cares of life. Check off another of the Upstate's waterfalls that I've visited.
The list is now as follows:
1. Big Bend Falls on the Chattooga River
2. Chauga Narrows on the Chauga River
3. Issaqueena Falls past Walhalla on Hwy. 28

4. King Creek Falls near Burrell's Ford on King's Creek by the Chattooga River

5. Spoonauger Falls near Burrell's Ford on Spoonauger Creek by the Chattooga River

6. Lee Falls on Tamassee Creek

7. Licklog Falls on the Chattooga River
8. Pigpen Falls on the Chattooga River
9. Lower Whitewater Falls at Lake Jocassee
10. Miuka Falls on the Winding Stairs Trail
11. Secret Falls off the Winding Stairs Trail
12. Station Cove Falls at the historic Oconee Station Site
13. Yellow Branch Falls across from Issaqueena Falls on Hwy. 28 past Walhalla

14. Falls Creek Falls on the east end of the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area and Jones Gap State Park via Hospital Rock Trail

15. Jones Gap Falls on the Jones Gap Trail
16. Raven Cliff Falls from the top via the Foothills Trail and the lookout across the valley

17. Laurel Fork Falls on Lake Jocassee
18. Twin Falls west of Table Rock
19. Carrick Creek Falls in Table Rock State Park
20. Spring Bluff Falls via Pinnacle Mountain Trail
21. Mill Creek Falls via Pinnacle Mountain Trail

22. Reedy River Falls in downtown Greenville

Surface Tension - Glass Plates

2006-08-01T14:01:00.000-04:00

[Click images to see full size]

Surface tension - "In physics, surface tension is an effect within the surface layer of a liquid that causes the layer to behave as an elastic sheet. It is the effect that allows insects (such as the water strider) to walk on water, and causes capillary action, for example" (1) .

Meniscus - "A meniscus is a curve in the surface of a liquid and is produced in response to the surface of the container or another object" (2).

Why are these glass plates sticking together? The same principle that allow water skimmers to glide on top of water, or causes water to seem to curve up when in a glass tube, are in effect here. Surface tension!

A meniscus is caused by the attraction of water to glass...are you thinking yet? Water is attracted to water (this is why water beads up on smooth surfaces) and water is attracted to glass. When two plates of glass are sandwiched together with a small amount of water in between them (or an oil, such as finger oils - which is the case above), the cohesion is incredibly strong.

Click here to see a high school science experiment with video

1 - "Surface tension", Wikipedia.org, 22 July 2006.
2 - "Meniscus", Wikipedia.org, 30 June 2006.

My New Blog

2006-07-12T16:22:00.000-04:00

Check out my new blog!

I've decided to review movies.

The Cinema Standard

Workless Week

2006-05-24T09:17:00.000-04:00

It's been a long month of no updates. Summer is slow.
No work last week. I was sick from Friday, the 12th through last Tuesday. I took off Monday and Tuesday as sick days. I had previously asked off Wednesday through Friday for vacation. With that, I had all of last week off of work. Wednesday afternoon I traveled up to NC to hang with Jon Ward and Thursday/Friday I chilled with Patrick and Katie D.
Saturday, Bob Elliott and Tiffany King got married. I made a video slideshow for them and videotaped the ceremony. Mr. and Mrs. Robert D. Elliott - another happy SWU couple. I'm still looking for my refund from SWU.

The Sultry Sounds of Kent Ellison

2006-04-28T08:51:00.000-04:00

Last Tuesday, the wind ensemble's concert took place. Prof. Day chose really great music. The difficulty level of the concert was incredible. The next to last song, "Blue Shades", was one of the best performances I've ever heard from a college ensemble. It was a high level 6 piece.

The song "We All Had Fun" was hilarious. Antics such as taking apart instruments while playing them, humming to the tune, and the finale of Jeffrey Moss throwing all types of things (e.g. a frisbee, a shoe, Animal from the Muppets, etc...) out of his tuba made this song a hit.

Dr. Spittal conducted the last song of the night - "Stars and Stripes Forever". Laurie Morton killed the flute solo.

The whole show was incredible.

Monday night, the SWU Jazz Band put on quite a show. The concert was entitled "Swingin and Springin". A Latin groove was introduced during "Open Sesame" (pronounced suh-same according to Prof Day) which caused all bodies in the house to move in very un-Wesleyan ways. "Ballin' the Jack" was a fun tune with some familiar Jazz riffs. Kent Ellison brought the crowd to tears with his stirring rendition of "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes". The sultry sounds of that smooth sax sent all the spectators into sensory shock. Sorry ladies, he's taken. The night included many other great songs, but it was all wrapped up by the incredible Tim Lee. Tim brought the noise and played an Allman Brothers song with the band and then entertained us with a five-minute solo on his electric. His medley of classic favorites and folk songs was perfectly mixed with blues and classic rock riff transitions.

Two awesome concerts in a week. One more to go. Spring Pops concert tonight. Way to go SWU Fine Arts!

Cold Water and a Copperhead

2006-04-05T19:42:00.000-04:00

Saturday, Drew and I went hiking at Keowee-Toxaway State Park. The trail passed Natural Bridge and Raven Rock on the way to a lakeside view. Natural Bridge is a rock that is hollow underneath. A small creek passes under it. It was dissappointing to say the least. Raven Rock also left much to be desired. No ravens were to be seen...nor was much of anything else for that matter, except for trees and the rock.

The trail down to the lake was steep...really steep. I was scared that we wouldn't be able to make it back up with forty-pound packs on our backs. The trail spit us out on a small camping area beside a cove.

A golf course and several houses were across the lake from us, but at least we had the unspoiled cove. After getting our feet wet in the icy water, we noticed some large rocks about a hundred yards around the water's edge. We were compelled by some unseen force to get over to them. Steep hills and thick brush blocked our way, but nothing would keep us from our goal. We finally made it over to the rocks, which now seemed much higher off the water than from our previous vantage point. We made our way down to smaller rocks and, of course, Andrew had to jump in. I followed suit soon after. The water was frigid, but refreshing. Soon, Andrew decided that he would have to jump from the higher rocks, twenty-five feet off the water. With a running jump, flailing arms and a boy-like scream, Andrew flew out into the air.

On our trip back, we saw a cool lizard.

I nearly stepped on a Copperhead, so we had to take pics of it.

So what was in our packs to make them forty pounds?

Two dictionaries and a one-volume New Testament Commentary in my pack. A twelve-pack of Cheerwine, a camelpack, a Nalgene bottle and a Maglight in Andrew's pack.

We'll be back to go rock jumping soon. Guaranteed!

Studio Backdrop (Updated)

2006-03-27T17:03:00.000-05:00

A cold breeze met us with absolute contempt. "Are you really dumb enough to go hiking today?" it smacked at our ears. "Why yes I am!" came the dumb reply from my mind. Since when has freezing temps kept us at home?
Liberty and Pickens breezed by us and Pumpkintown nearly missed us as we sped by. Caesar kept watch over the foothills and Piedmont, but we continued on to the trailhead for Raven Cliff.
By eleven we were leaving any trace of civilization behind. The trail began to undulate with the ridges and forty pounds in my pack seemed like a hundred. Soon, though, my tight muscles would relax and we maintained a quick pace. At the highest elevations, we looked out over the mountainous terrain which sprawled out beside us. The hillside below descended quickly and disappeared before touching bottom. The lowest elevations were hidden from our sight. The world was unreal for a time. It was as though we were in the world's largest movie lot. The terrain derectly beside us was real, but beyond that sharp edge lay the most beautiful studio backdrop I've ever seen. Mountains in their deep green met the sky with it's sharp blue. The Artist's work was incredible. No human touch could be seen; it was all God's awesome Creation.
The trail began to descend slightly and soon we were on nearly flat ground. The winding dirt path became rocky and fell into what looked like an old streambed. We walked under the face of the earth for a while until the trail rose out of the deep rut. The way was still very rocky; our road looking like something from a Robert Frost poem.

Soon, our path led us down to a river which we followed for a short while until we reached a bridge. The bridge was like none I've ever seen before. It was a wooden cable-supported suspension bridge. The cables were cemented into the rock on each side of the span. The bridge swayed with our steps but made not one sound in its moving.

(Sorry about the pic quality on this one, it is a screen capture from a video)
It wasn't long before we had to make our way down to the rocks. The navigation of the "trail" down to the falls was tricky to say the least. We finally made it down and began the tedious crossing of the slick rocks. We realized that this 420 foot waterfall was not one continuous drop, but a series of steps that culminated in one large plummet of well over a hundred feet.

As the egde came nearer, we slowed our pace. The world fell away to the depths, and our view became trees across the deep valley. Minutes passed as we built the courage to approach the edge. Thoughts of my fall earlier in the year crossed my mind and I hesitated to go any closer. I had to do it though; for me...and to get some cool photos. I hovered at the edge, teetering forward to get the entire shot down the falls. I couldn't take it for long and had to step back. It was Jarred's turn. I could hardly watch. I was able to walk to the edge, but I certainly couldn't watch anyone else do it. Thoughts of a splatter stain on the rocks below ran through my head as Jarred peered over the precipice.

We headed back to the trail and started the difficult climb back up to the bridge. I shot a quick video from the middle of the bridge (from which the photo of the bridge in this blog entry came from) and we were off. The four-mile hike back was a time of reflection, but our day was not over yet.

A quick stop at Caesar's Head gave Jarred the chance to climb in the Devil's Kitchen.

The view from Caesar's Head is a panorama of many of South Carolina's natural treasures. Table Rock and Pinnalce Mountain stand in sharp contrast to the Piedmont in the south. Just to the north (right) of Table Rock is Jones Gap, a deep and craggy valley that looks nearly impassable. Just below the observation deck and through Devil's Kitchen is a profile view of Caesar's Head.

We headed back to the car after a few minutes and started back toward Central. On the way down the snaking mountain highway, I put the car in neutral and coasted for several miles. Pumpkintown, Pickens and Liberty passed us again, waiving their backcountry hands and yellin' "Ya'll come back now!" I'm sure we'll be back again soon.

Ode to a Precarious Blossom

2006-03-20T09:27:00.000-05:00

I.
Miles behind us life's cares sat
Mouldering in the mundane world;
God's hand before us unfurled

What manner of beauty is inherent
In rocks strewn about a hill?
My quickened spirit cannot be still!

What beauty this is, my God!
This beauty I did soon realize
Is filtered through my poor eyes;

I surely cannot fully grasp
The incredible force of nature
With such simple nomenclature:

God...it is you whispering to me;
Asking, begging me to peer through
Granite faces to see you.

God help me to see!

II.
Heights continue upward;
Our journey is nearing its end.
What lies around the next bend?

That sound is so familiar now;
We anticipate what we know nears -
Water's sweet voice touches our ears.

A railless bridge meets our view;
The peaceful stream runs below;
No troubled waters here do flow.

Above the walk ours eyes met;
Mill Creek splashed it playful "Hi"
As it dropped its water from the sky.

As we walked away I heard once more
The sound of water moving fast;
And heard His whispering voice at last.

God, help me to hear!

III.
Thick trees cleared wide open;
The trail spilled out of dead wood
And onto clean, gray rock we stood.

It seemed as though the whole
Of Carolina lay before us.
No wind or water played a chorus;

Sound, thought and time stopped
As we gazed upon these expanding sights
That only come with awesome heights.

What is it that grabs my attention?
Over the edge and into blue
A blossoming tree demands our view.

A backdrop of thousands of trees
Standing dead from winter's cold,
Reaching tall and growing old.

Hanging over open space;
Keeping watch o'er the distant land;
Reaching out like a father's hand

To cover over the farthest points
With a calming stroke as wind then passed;
Our small throng poised en masse

Awestruck by tiny petals;
Pink clusters floating nearly free
Clinging to bare branches of the tree.

Snapshots of a blossom
Filled my camera and danced in my mind;
To all other things we were briefly blind.

At last I heard that voice again
Through the wind which barely wailed
The words of God were then exhaled,

"I'll help you to see me by my Creation,
I'll help you to hear me by mind's revelation,
But I'll help you to know me through no special powers
Just look on a mountain for a tree with pink flowers.

The Plural of Praying Mantis

2006-03-13T14:18:00.000-05:00

The word mantis derives from the Greek word for prophet; the plural is therefore mantes, with mantises also acceptable.
Quoted from Praying Mantis Wiki
I witnessed the birth (if that's the right terminology) of some of the meditating mantids this past Saturday.

A Slight Mis-steak

2006-03-10T10:59:00.000-05:00

Earlier in the week, Bruce and I decided we wanted to grill out steaks. Thursday night was our agreed evening. Wednesday afternoon after I got off of work, we headed over to Wally World and bought up all the stuff: steaks, marinade, fries, cooking utensils, and a grill. Grand total for the evening: somewhere around $80...ouch.

3.6 lbs of beef! *Droooool...*

We put the steaks in the fridge to marinate overnight and went to bed in sweet anticipation for next evening's meal. Thursday afternoon after work, I headed over and we started cooking. We very quickly encountered a problem. I closed the lid on the charcoal too soon and all the vents were closed. No more flame. I made a fast dash to the convenience store to get more charcoal and we were soon back on track. The steaks ended up being cooked to perfection.

They were quite tasty in their New York style marinade and were well-complemented with Mac'n'cheese and fries (both prepared by the wonderful Jen). Roscoe, Jen, Bruce and I shared a good home-cooked and home-grilled meal. Good food and good friends = a good time.

Steak - The Manly Man's Meal of Choice!

A Game "Akin" to Glory

2006-03-10T10:36:00.000-05:00

Jason Williams and I attended a Clemson b-ball game last week. This was my first experience of NCAA DI basketball action. Tigers versus GA Tech.
Akin Akingbala rose to the occasion more than once.

The Littlejohn Coliseum is proud to bring your MONSTER JAM!!! (Look at the people's faces in the crowd...lol)

It was a close game for the first half, but the tigers pulled away at the end to win...

At one point the cameraman aimed the camera up towards Jason and I. I told Jason to wave at the camera and not the big screen in the middle, so he looked up to the network cameras and waved like an absolute idiot. One problem though, I was waving like an idiot towards the correct camera. Up on the big screen is me looking at the crowd waving my big orange paw at everyone, and Jason turned completely sideways waving at a different camera. Needless to say, it looked like I brought a complete fool to the game with me...jk...I love ya, man.

Two-for-One

2006-02-28T09:50:00.000-05:00

I didn't plan on a waterfall expedition this past weekend, but...

Andrew Pierce's mom came down from Kannapolis and brought a friend, Sarah, from my home church. I spent the weekend entertaining them, and Andrew thought it would be great to take them on a hike to find waterfalls. Of course, I couldn't turn down the offer. We printed out the directions and headed out towards Walhalla. A slight drizzle sent a flurry of memories flying thorugh my head. My near-death experience at Lee Falls occurred in very similar weather.

Highway 28 rolled through the sleepy town of Walhalla and traversed the hills and curves of Oconee County. Elevations soon rose and we moved farther from civilization. As our destination neared, the roads became solely lined with pines. Our turn-off road toward Burrell's Ford quickly became gravel. This road I had seen on two occassions prior was now familiar and inviting. We parked at the Chatooga Trail entrance and started down the gravel road bed.

We could have sworn that we heard Dueling Banjos being plucked in the distance.

Not far down the road, a small trail split off and beckoned us upward. The trail was fairly easy and had many photogenic cascades which groped for my attention.

As we rounded the last corner, King's Creek Falls stood only yards ahead, majestic and glorious.

We took in the view from every angle.

A bridge lended its support when we needed to cross the creek.

Our second trail started only a matter of yards from where we originally started. The only problem was we didn't know where to start. We walked around for over a half hour looking for the right trail when a couple of experienced hikers gave us perfect directions. The Chattooga River accompanied us on our left as we made our way toward the object of our longing.

Once, a couple of months prior, Spoonauger Falls had eluded me. I was determined to find the way. We walked on the easy trail for a few minutes and found Spoonauger Creek where a sign directed us toward the falls.

The trail then winded through several switchbacks and spit us out right in front of the falls.

Spoonauger Creek washes over the rippling rocks in a bubbling display.

For a time, we simply stood and enjoyed the quiet beauty, but hungry hikers aren't happy hikers. We headed back to the cars and ended our day of hiking with a sense of calm fulfillment. Another weekend adventure had come to a close, but a two-for-one deal on waterfalls made it one not soon to be forgotten.

Hundred Dollar Falls

2006-02-20T08:45:00.000-05:00

Well, my weekend looked a lot like a beginning plot for the fourteenth installment of everyone's favorite movie series: Final Destination. I narrowly escaped death. I pulled a Danny Stout (this is a reference to the near tragic-fall-to-the-death of SWU alum Danny Stout as he slid off the side of Table Rock and stood on a narrow ledge for hours waiting to be rescued). While my story is not as grand as his, I did manage to hit the ground and cause some bodily harm to myself. Let's start from the beginning... (*start dream sequence*)

I woke up early on yet another Saturday morning to spend my day in nature. All that time of sleeping in would be wasted away for...nay, exchanged for a great day of adventure. I packed up my hiking gear: pack, camera, water, snacks, compass, the BFK (for those of you who have never been hiking with me, this references the Big Friggin Knife), maps and a change of shoes and socks.

Andrew Pierce and I set out towards Walhalla about 9:15, stopping by McDonald's for a quick biscuit. Soon after 10:00 rolled around, we arrived at a parking area where several trucks were congregated. Some hunters had brought their kids out for an early morning rite of passage, their heads gleaming with orange that screamed of traffic cone CAUTION!

The mist was cool on our faces as we looked out towards adventure. We set out across the first of three large open fields, crossing the creek twice before entering the woods. The trail began quite easily, but soon was narrowing and turning uphill slightly. The slightest drops of rain touched our shoulders and caps.

The creek forked at one point and I suggested we go to the right. We hiked for about half a mile up steep ravine slopes and noticed that this seemed even more difficult than the "strenuous" rating that the websites had noted. We had taken a wrong turn. I'm really glad that we took the wrong turn, though.

We saw some of the nicest cascades that I've ever seen. One was probably a quarter mile long - an uninterupted flow over rocks...down they fell as up we climbed...

We finally decided to turn around and went back to the fork in the creek. This trail was much easier, but still had some technical hiking involved. Just as our directions had warned us, the terrain bacame quite rocky.

The boulders seemed to have been set in place by God's own hand. The near-perfect grace and beauty of the surrounding view was met with the strength and majesty of a stone landscape.

We were spellbound by the shear magnitude of what met our eyes. As we snaked our way through the granite labrynth, we looked high up the cove to see Lee Falls peeking between the oaks.

As we neared the plummeting water, the cove opened wide inviting us up and in.

The immense granduer of the craggy rock face caused the wall to look aged and worn, but still held our gaze. We were captivated like a children, hearing stories from a grandfather. Of course, this waterfall had to be conquered...we started the climb to the top...

The climbing was quite difficult and after several slips and slides, I decided we should try to traverse the wall over to the falls without climbing to the ridgeline. Andrew asked, "Do you think we should risk it?" Answered quickly by my confident, "OH YEAH!" At first it was much easier going across the slope rather than up, but then the walkable area became very narrow. At one point, I had to hold on to a root which was growing horizontally as the ground under my feet was only a few inches wide.

Before I could even tell what had happened, the leaves slid out from under my feet and my footing was gone. I felt like Chris Farley hanging by a root off the side of a mountain..."Hold on little root!!!" Sadly, the thick root held, but I let go. It looked like a poorly made action movie; my fingers slipping in seeming slow-motion from around the slick circumference. I turned myself over onto my back as my grip failed and the edge came sliding toward me faster and faster. I could not see the ground below me until I flew into weightless air.

Time, my heart and my breathing all stopped instantaneously. Fifteen feet below me the earth began to fly up. A fallen tree aimed its broken branches at me, reaching to impale me like a skewer. My foot instinctively moved down to brace my fall. I hit the tree only slightly off-center, which sent me into a flat spin onto my pack. Now I was sliding head first, on my back, down a sharp slope. Fifty feet later, I finally came to a stop.

I yelled up to Andrew, who was just coming into view. To his amazement, I was now 75 feet below the place where he had just seen me. I got up and checked myself over, one apendage at a time. When I got to my left arm, I noticed a large gash just above my elbow. I still do not know what I hit that caused that. I notified Andrew that it was time to go. Once he got down to me, his face changed from shock to disgust as he saw the gaping wound.

[Aren't you glad I didn't post that]

We stopped at a flat area to take pics of the wound, but totally forgot to take any shots of the place where I fell. We hurried back to the car and headed to Oconee Memorial's ER.

An hour and a half later, I had four staples in my arm, a hundred dollar co-pay and an awesome story to tell. I can't wait to go hiking again!

By the way, Andrew did not pass go, did not collect $200 and went straight to jail.

Molto Bene...Gratzi Mille!!

2006-02-08T14:22:00.000-05:00

I stayed the weekend at Jon Ward's hizzie. Patrick dagenhart and Travis Gilbert (both married) stayed with us. What a weekend!! Too bad Mikey couldn't make it. Once Pat and Trav arrived, we quickly left for dinner. CARABBA's!!! One word: AMAZING!!! Chicken Parmesan with some pasta and lentil soup, plus that bread....mmm mmm good! I love that place. And what's even more amazing is that we walked in at 8:00 and sat down within five minutes. My food was heavenly, not to mention gone in just a few minutes...lol.
The four of us guys had an incredible time reminiscing about "old times" in Apt. P. Those were the days. I miss those guys so much. I'm so glad that Pat and Travis had time to get away from the wives for a bit.
When the married men left the next morning, it was another sad farewell. Thank goodness Minister's Conference is coming up next week!!! Pat and Jon are coming down to SWU.
Our weekend was molto bene ("very good") and for your time in reading this, gratzi mille ("Thanks a million").

A Day Hike with Girls

2006-01-30T08:36:00.000-05:00

Mayhem! Death! Insanity! a.k.a. "A Day Hike with Girls".

OK, so it wasn't quite that bad. Saturday, I went on another falls visit with Jarred Mann, Nowell Hardin and GIRLS!!! *Insert 50's Hitchcock thriller music* Brittany Koppen, Michelle Lavengood (that's a long "a", get it right...all together now... lay-vin-good...great job) and Sarah Starks. All in all it was a good time, though I'm pretty sure Sarah almost died.

We arrived at the trailhead about 10:45 and set out on a day of adventure. The late morning air was wonderfully crisp as we entered the well-worn path. The babbling brook followed us for a short time. We crossed three times on well-placed stones that move under your feet. One spot has a small, but picturesque four-foot waterfall and near-perfect squares as stepping stones.

I think Sarah tripped.

We soon turned off the original trail and moved over man-made wooden bridges and along deep ravines. The trees stood bare on the slopes and afforded a view of the valleys toward the sleepy town of Walhalla. The trail was littered with fallen trees from the ice storm in December.

Sarah tripped again.

After the 1.5 mile trek, we finally heard the faint roar of the falls in the distance. We were getting quite close. As we rounded the last turn and headed downhill, the falls peaked through the firs. We quickly descended the last hundred yards to the rock-strewn base of the falls.

Sarah tripped.

For an hour we gazed upon the beauty of the beauty of the surrounding flora, fauna and falls. Ok, so there wasn't a lot of fauna, but the flora and falls were pretty sweet.

Of course, moss still grows on the north face of forest things. The large rock became a hazard for the girls and Brittany nearly fell to her untimely death when she tried to slide off the front of the rock formation at the falls' base. Sarah surpisingly made it off the rock unscathed, much to the chagrin of the guys.

We started up the steep incline toward the top of the falls and within a few minutes we were once again on top of the world. At least on top of our little hick-town, middle-of-nowhere, waterfall world. A group of girls from Clemson (I am assuming they were from Clemson) arrived at the base of the falls, so the guys...excuse me, THE MEN...had to climb down through briars and fallen trees to the middle section of the falls to show our bravado and machismo. I don't think it worked too well...I'm pretty sure I heard them laughing at us.

Back at the top, we convinced the ladies to walk upstream with us which lead to pretty much nowhere.

After twenty minutes or so, we turned back and headed toward the trail.

I think Sarah tripped here twice and I made Michelle fall when I took a picture of her...

...it was pretty comical to me and the others, but if the look on her face could kill, no one would have made it out alive.

Forty-five minutes and seventeen Sarah near-death experiences later, we arrived at the cars and lounged for a bit before we headed back to the comfort of SWU.

Jarred met my friend Chuck. They became friends pretty quick. Aren't they cute?

I enjoyed the day and was happy to have the ladies along for the trip, no pun intended Sarah.

Note: All references to wishing for bodily harm to Sarah Starks or any of the girls is absolutely made up on my part. It is inserted for comedic value only. Please do not write angry comments concerning this. Also, the number of times that Sarah tripped may have been exaggerated slightly.

Unexpected Adventures

2006-01-24T09:06:00.000-05:00

Andrew Pierce - Jason Williams - Jarred Mann - Abram Rampey - Lyle Denton

Camping this past weekend was great! We arrived at the campsite after 6:00 pm, so it was already dark. It took about an hour and a half to set up the campsite, but when it was finished, it was a sight to see. Three tents, a firepit, a rain shed and six men.

For supper we had hot dogs and sat around for a long while talking. We decided to walk out to the narrows at night to experience the difference between night and day. The class VI falls and rapids were definitely higher than normal. The awesome power of the moving water was evident from the near-deafening roar. It was an awesome sight as our flashlights flitted around the rocks. We sat in a row and just listened for several minutes. We "Band of Brothers" looked into darkness and felt a comradery like no other event had given us.

We went back to the campsite and went to bed. About 1 A.M., it started to rain. A couple hours later, I felt a coldness all around my body...my bag was wet! Needless to say, my night was pretty miserable. I was cold and wet and didn't sleep much at all - maybe an hour. When I got up, Lyle was already awake, so we decided to get the fire going. Lyle finally succeeded and everyone else started to wake up. Abram and Lyle cooked breakfast for us on their camp stoves. We had bacon, eggs, hashbrowns and sausage.

After breakfast, we packed everything up and took all our stuff back to the vehicles. Lyle, Abram and Jason left about 11 A.M. Jarred, Andrew and I stayed around to go hiking. We went back and got ready to set out. We made 12 sandwiches and stuffed our packs with only the essentials. About 12:15, we set out. We stopped at the narrows again and then continued on.

The view from the narrows is pretty impressive. A large rock structure stands tall out of the river. A rock face frames the left side of the view and the forest takes up the right stance and curves left with the water.

As we walked down, we took one last look at the rapids from below. The sound was quickly fading, but the incredible power still permeated our eyes.

We hiked for an hour and a half down the river. About halfway in, the river split around a large island. We took the smaller split and followed the narrow, overgrown trail onward.

At one point Jarred found a rock that he wanted to climb, so up he went. The rock stood near fifteen feet high, covered in furry moss.

I explained to Jarred that moss grows on the north faces of things in the woods, so we must be facing north. My compass showed that I was pretty close. He quickly objected to the statement, saying that moss grows everywhere. I proved him wrong farther down the trail, when we saw that all the trees were green on one side with moss and only bark showed on the other side. I triumph once again!

We stopped for lunch on an outcropping of rock at 1:30. After luch, we continued on for another twenty minutes, when a splitting headache told me that turning around was our only option. I was a little disoriented most of the way back, and had trouble when things got tough.

We crossed some rocks in the river at one point and I fell and bruised my hip, hand and arm. If I had been hurt badly, a helicopter would have to had been brought in, because no one could get us out by hiking through. We continued on, and finally made it back after 3:00. The cold was worth it. The lack of sleep was worth it. The pain was worth it. Man...it was awesome. Chauga Narrows...Just go.

A Narrows Escape

2006-01-20T10:42:00.000-05:00

It's time to get away. Going camping tonight with a few of the boys: Jarred Mann, Abram Rampey, Jason Williams, Andrew Pierce, and maybe Lyle Denton. It's gonna be a grand time of hikin', cookin' over a far and bondin' time in nature.
We're headed to the Chauga Narrows.

The narrows is a combo of a waterfall (6 or 8 feet), then a fast-moving 25-foot cascade through a sluice with rocks protruding everywhere.

It's a Class VI rapids according to scwaterfalls.com and sctrails.net

It's supposed to rain this weekend, but we don't care. We just bought $70 dollars of food and supplies, so we should be just fine.

[Pictures from the aforementioned websites.]

Takin the long way...

2006-01-16T09:55:00.000-05:00

Saturday, I went hiking with Andrew Pierce, Jason Williams and Jarred Mann. What a day! We left at 9 am, with anticipation brimming. After a thirty minute drive passing through Seneca and Walhalla, we arrived at the Yellow Branch Nature Area. The entrace to the park is almost directly across from the entrance to Stumphouse and Issaqueena.

Our hike began on a simple .2 mile loop, but split off and headed uphill. We crossed Tamassee Creek a few times on stepping stones, a few times without stones and a few times on wooden bridges. The trail began to get narrower as we went, the hillside slowly dropping away to deep ravines.

As we walked on the trail, the wind was furiously howling above us on the ridgeline. At one point a tree which had fallen onto another tree broke in half about 50 yards ahead of us. A twenty-five foot section of the mammoth tree crashed violently to the earth below. We stood in amazement and slight fear on the trail, not moving for a couple of minutes. There were fallen trees all along the trail; at least thirty across the path. We could be in the path of a rogue, rotten, hiker-slaying oak.

Finally, we arrived at the destination of our interest. As we rounded the last turn, I could just barely see the falls peeking through the trees. Yellow Branch Falls was calling our names and begging us to come closer. We jogged the last 100 yards to the base and stood in utter awe of the incredible beauty.

The falls stand a solid 75 feet high and form a perfect end to the valley in which we stood. The most amazing thing is how wide the falls are. The top stretches around in a half-circle, at least 40 feet. The table-top ledge spilled water down ten feet where the rocks are craggy and several small ledges redirect the flow. At some places, the water slides down smooth faces through dark moss, creating a foam that ripples and seems to slow time in its ginger pace down the rocks.

All the surrounding rocks in the area trickle water, making for difficult climbing. One large boulder sits on one side of the creek looking directly at the middle of the falls. A large crevice is created by another boulder behind it, making for photo opportunities and fun climbing.

Can any guy at a waterfall resist climbing to the top. Taking the long way around, we hiked up the right side of the falls and followed the ridgeline through thick brush and down steep terrain. Finally we found a creek and followed it to where it dropped off in a thin ribbon. We knew we were close. The last fifty yards was filled with anticipation, but the view from the right side at the top left us wanting. We crossed the creek and stepped near the edge. WOW! Incredible is all that can be said.

We stayed on top for about an hour, climbing down to the many levels of the falls. Hanging precariously at times to reach the ledges, we stood where few men have been. The sun kissed our faces for the first time that day as we sat with the wind in our hair. The warmth was met with a chill, but we could care less if it was hot or cold. We breathed in God's presence as if it were the oxygen in our lungs. Nature whispered to us through the howling wind, "Do you see it. Do you feel it." We saw it and we felt it. The wonder of God's awesome creation was filling our senses.

The hike back down was a little easier. The well-used trail delivered us without incident (other than Jason's muddy rear from sliding) to the bottom of the falls only feet from where we originally entered the area. The twenty-minute hike up the falls was followed by the three-minute hike down. I rather liked the difficulty of the first and was proud to have taken the harder route, simply because it was harder.

The hike back was uneventful, but offered a time of reflection on what we had experienced. We felt as though we had stood on top of the world in the hand of our Creator. It felt like it was the best-spent six hours of our lives. Now we look forward to the next hike, the next waterfall, the next bonding experience, the next glimpse of God.

The day was capped off with a six-man trip to Peppino's. Abram Rampey, Jason Williams, Jarred Mann, Tyler Lewis, Russell Purvis and I had a grease-filled evening. And then my day was over...

$70 well spent?

2006-01-03T09:52:00.000-05:00

I've bought several DVD's in the last several weeks. It seems that 2- and 3-fer deals are my weakness. I love it. So, let's see...what movies did I buy:

1) Matchstick Men
2) Frailty
3) A Few Good Men (2-disk Special Edition)
4) Reservoir Dogs (2-disk 10th Anniversary Edition)
5) Pirates of the Carribean (2-disk Special Edition)
6) Equilibrium
7) Sling Blade (2-disk Special Edition Director's Cut)
8) Crash
9) Luther
10) National Treasure (2-disk Special Edition)

All for under $70. 2 for $11 at Wal-Mart, 3 for $25 at Blockbuster, 3 for $30 at Best Buy. I love it. Pretty sweet deal!

Many thanks to the Dills

2005-12-19T08:39:00.000-05:00

My family away from home. What would I do without them. Thanks Dills. I was without power on Thursday and the Dills allowed me to come over for the day to keep out of the cold. I helped with their kitchen remodel and had a good time. I put up two light fixtures and aided in the setup of their new fridge.
I was lucky in that I was only without power for about 10 hours. Most of my neighbors got their power back last night. Jason, my coworker-next-door, still has no electricity.
Duke power has restored power to over 1/2 a million people so far. Less than 200,000 are without power now. Pickens county has only 5,000 out. Duke's CEO stated that downed trees wass the mahor problem with this ice storm: five times as many trees down as compared to the last big ice storm a few years back. Duke has said that all power should be restored by 11 pm on Tuesday.

Apartment "A" List

2005-12-06T13:05:00.000-05:00

Be there!

Seen any good movies lately?

2005-11-30T08:39:00.000-05:00

Why yes, I have...and some bad ones. I've been watching too many flicks these past few weeks. Some at my apartment, some in the university apartments, some in the new dorm, and some in Stu-Be. Howsabout a list:

1. Band of Brothers - best thing I've seen since Lord of the Rings)
2. Frailty - disturbing at times
3. Matchstick Men - Nicholas Cage's perfect role, OCD guy with ticks and Tourette's
4. A Few Good Men - GREAT! best movie for 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon
5. War of the Worlds - pretty good
6. Gattaca - sweet movie
7. Last of the Mohicans - a classic
8. Reservoir Dogs - it's Quentin Tarantino, what can I say?
9. Sky High - UNCLE, UNCLE, UNCLE!!! (only if you've seen it)
10. Saw 2 - good, but bloodier than the first
11. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - weird, but funny at some parts
12. The Life of David Gail - a movie trying to prove a liberal point
13. The Grudge - second time around
14. The Amityville Horror - ummmm, ok
15. Saints and Soldiers - Independant War film

This is an abridged list, 'cause I can't think of the other movies I've seen.

Personal Meteor Count: 0

2005-11-18T09:18:00.000-05:00

Ok, so the meteor shower was pretty much a bust, even though about 80 peeps showed up. I think there were like six or seven spotted. I definitely should have planned on hot chocolate for 100 people, rather than 50. The moon was pretty awesome. I wanted a high power telescope, but couldn't secure one in time. The one we used did well with the moon, but that was about it. Of course, Mars was really bright again. Hopefully the next one will be better. December 6th, I think it is - The Geminids.

Intramural Star-gazing

2005-11-09T09:36:00.000-05:00

There's a pretty big astronomical event going on the next two weeks. The Taurid meteor shower peaks on Saturday. The Leonid meteor shower is peaking next week (17th). So if you want to see a good show, take a blanket and some warm clothes to the darkest place you can find. Snuggle up with someone special (If you are interested in being "someone special", please drop off an application at 0-134A Rickman Library, Lower Level) and take in the wonder of a heavenly event. I'm cool with most any evening. I would like to get a group together this weekend and next weekend, so drop me a line for that as well. Looy and I went to the Intramural field Monday night and saw ten meteors on about an hour. It was pretty awesome. Going along with celestial happenings, two other things to be sure to see. Venus is really bright right now. Any evening not long after sunset, look to the west and the brightest thing you see just above all the pretty colors is Venus. It shines really bright and later in the evening it passes near the moon (about 8 pm or so). Look to the opposite side of the sky from Venus in the early evening (east) and you will see a distincly red/orange "star". It's no star, it's Mars. Two nights ago, Mars was the brightest that it will be in another 13 years, so make sure you check it out before it dims away. Check out Your Sky and Skymaps.

Rap Music is Evil

2005-11-03T08:16:00.000-05:00

Well, then...I guess I'm on my way to the hot place...carrying the handbasket. I love a good beat. So, I made a rap beat and put it on my purevolume account. I've decided to name it the title of my last post. If I ever burn a CD, that's what I'll call it. BeeRay Dee [M]iTunes. I think it's pretty good. Go check it out for yourself. My first rap beat. (Made using Adobe Audition and a loop CD). Going along with that, I created a new group on facebook called "Caucasians Who Love Rap". If you are a white boy or white girl who is all about the beat, then join this group. Play it loud err'body.

[m]iTunes

2005-10-28T10:15:00.000-04:00

Check out my muzak!!! MySpaceMusic or PureVolume Three songs are available.

Did you say Abe Lincoln?

2005-10-04T08:29:00.000-04:00

Life here at SWU during breaks is pretty boring, so I went to Huddle last night sometime after midnight with Lincoln Miller. Pretty cool guy if I do say so myself. And I do. Lincoln has also moved up on my list of coolest people alive because he likes the movie Shawshank Redemption (if you haven't seen it, go rent it tonight or borrow it from me - greatest movie ever). I learned that fact about Lincoln from Facebook. That site is pretty cool. I connected with some peeps from high school that I haven't talked to in five years. This is definitely going to be a slow mid-week, so if you're in the area and have nothing to do, stop by and see me. (Yes, I know that there is a comma splice in my post...I hope it bothers you) :P

Schmutz versus Tree...and Tree wins!!

2005-09-19T10:55:00.000-04:00

It's obvious that everyone is quite busy. No one is posting to their blogs. Well, I'm not gonna be that guy. I'm posting...even if I don't have anything to post about. But then again, maybe I do. I played frisbee golf for the first time on a real course yesterday. Jonathan and Chris Schmutz, Brian Young and I went out to Seneca to a new course and played a round. I beat Chris by a couple shots (don't know my exact score, but it was something like 67) and...well...Jonathan and Brian didn't quite keep up.

Top Ten Things I Learned Playing Frisbee Golf:
10) Stay on the fairway,
9) I can hammer a golf disc really well,
8) Putting is my strength,
7) Take water,
6) Jonathan Schmutz can hit a tree any time he doesn't want to,
5) My throw curves hard to the right,
4) Keep it low,
3) 555 feet is a long golf hole,
2) Briars hurt,
1) I'm pretty good at disc golf.

It was a lot of fun. If anyone wants to go sometime, let me know. I'm ready to mercilessly beat my next victims.

Foot Strokes Face

2005-09-06T11:24:00.000-04:00

I hope you like green, cause I made most everything on my blog green. Wait...it doesn't really matter what you think about my blog, cause it's my blog...SWEET! I like it, cause my favorite color is green, and like Kermit says, "it ain't easy bein green!" Anyway, I watched the most amazing martial arts movie ever last night. It's called Ong-Bak: Thai Warrior. The style is Muay Thai, or Thai Boxing. Tony Jaa is the lead actor and an incredibly awesome fighter. He moved in ways that no human should ever be able to. I can't even begin to describe the things he did in this movie, but there are no strings attached in the movie and no CG, so it's all him. One of his moves was called "foot strokes face", it was some sort of backspin kick to the face with his trailing foot. I was awestruck by his performance. That's all I can say about it. Go watch it...now. What are you waiting for?

Brady Goes to Church

2005-08-30T16:07:00.000-04:00

So, I got to participate in worship last night. It was great. The Difference is doing an incredible job. Props to my peeps in The Diff. Spiritual Emphasis has been really good. I was able to pray with friends like I'm still a student. Daron Earlewine is a pretty good speaker, a little long-winded, but still good. I'm praying that God will solidify my (and everyone else's) commitments. Can't wait for tonight's service. It's gonna be awesome.

Wasted Oreos and Wax Burns

2005-08-25T22:15:00.000-04:00

I went to WaterWheel Ice Cream with two lovely ladies today. Thank you to Emily and Jillian for a lovely time. The Asian lady that works there is so funny. "I be wi you in one moment," she says. I got the Oreo Glacier as usual...so good! The lady put so many Oreos on top of the thing that they were falling off on the floor. Gotta hate wasted Oreos. I'm open just about any evening to go over there, so if anyone gets a craving for ice cream, CALL ME! My need for "frozen joy" never subsides. You can quote me on that: "Frozen joy." Also, today was prayer walk - the official start of Spiritual Emphasis week. It's gonna be great. Of course, everyone got wax burns from the candles, but it's all cool. We're recording digitally, so it'll be available on CD or for download (one or the other, maybe both). It's gonna be sweeeeeet!

Paper Plate

2005-08-22T22:19:00.000-04:00

So, I've been to the DMV twice in the last week. The first time I went, the woman at the desk said I needed three forms of ID...one of them being a passport. What the crepe?! Why in the world do I need a passport to get a driver's license? So, I went home to North Carolina and got the passport. Today, I went back to the DMV and got my license and started to get my plate and found out that I needed a Bill of Sale from my step-dad...even though he "gave" the car to me (I paid for it, but it was in his name...so he signed the title over to me). So, now I have to get his signature in NC and go back to the DMV again. I had to get a plate because my NC tag is invalid tomorrow, so I bought a $5 temporary paper plate. At least I don't have gay sheets! I love ya J, LOL!

My tummy hurts

2005-08-20T09:44:00.000-04:00

Good food, bluegrass music and Drew Allison's wife. If anything but Just More Barbeque popped into your head, you probably have a dirty mind. Sick people! Drew's wife works there, so he and I decided we would go last night. Mike Arnold and Andrew Pierce came along. And who can forget one of the cutest babies in the world, Bethany (Drew's daughter). Yeah, I love that place. They have some of the best food in the upstate. Plus, there's live bluegrass music. It's sad that they're only open on the weekends. I ate way too much and my stomach still hurts. Oh well, that's the price you pay for Just More!

Tired Canadian, eh?

2005-08-17T17:21:00.000-04:00

We played frisbee again yesterday. Third day in a row for me. I'm pretty much worn out now. Drew Allison came out and played the ol' 'bee. I guess he did pretty well for an adult. He was complaining last night and today how sore he was. I just laughed at him for being a tired, old Canadian. He said it was a lot of fun and he even made a pretty awesome catch. So, props to the middle-aged Canuck who works next to me for being a pretty good frisbee player and a pretty cool guy. Lata, ya'll.

The OTHER Late Night Activity

2005-08-15T20:57:00.000-04:00

HUDDLE HOUSE!!! Twice already. It's sad, and you can never go to Huddle before midnight. Sausage, egg and cheese wrap. Remind me never to get that again. Sonya, our normal waitress was there and she got frustrated because the cash register computer froze up. So we left without paying and she said we could pay next week. She's the best, that's why we only go on the weekends. Huddle up, ya'll.

Late Night ???

2005-08-15T20:52:00.000-04:00

It's finally time for that staple of SWU life...FRISBEE!!! Last night, a crew went and played late night frisbee about 10:45. It was awesome. I missed playing this summer, so it was great to be back out there (even on the intramural field). We won...as my team almost always does...lol, whatever. Peace to all the 'bee boys and 'bee girls! Call me if you wanna play.

19 and 34

2005-08-12T15:51:00.000-04:00

Rockhoppers Trivia Night is one of the events that I truly look forwardto each week. I usually go with Jonathan Schmutz, David Bates, and an assortment of other people. Most of the time, we do pretty well. 78 is a perfect score, and most weeks there is at least one team above 70. So, two of the last three weeks, my team's score has been 19 and 34...that's pretty sad. One week it was just Palmer and I. Yesterday, it was Jonathan, Dr. and Mrs. Schmutz, and a very late Jason Williams. We did well for the first half, but bombed the second half. We will win again sometime.

New Year at SWU

2005-08-11T07:58:00.000-04:00

And so it begins...a new year at SWU. All my friends are moving back and I have something to do every evening (work or play). It's so awesome to have great friends. I need people around me to keep me occupied. Shout-outs to all those people who have been there for me these past few years. My PO boys (Pat, Jon, Mike, Diesel and, yes even you Matt) - Love you guys like the brothers you are. The Difference - you guys rock! The apartment formerly known as "R" - Huddle is still our second home. Anyone from NC - you're cooler than other average people (NC West represent!). All my peeps from K-town. Shout-outs to some very special ladies: Nae, Brit, Christie Peed, Ashbee, Megs, Jess, Jilly, Stina, Thug. Emmy - you're the best friend I have at SWU! I love your (my) family...lol. E'rbody, keep it real.

Missing Teeth

2005-08-10T07:59:00.000-04:00

Monday night, I went to Waterwheel Ice Cream with Emily. We both got M&M Glaciers (like Blizzards or McFlurries). They were great, except for one thing: the M&M's were rock hard. Every time I bit down, I thought I was losing teeth. It was a funny experience...we both sat and listened to the crunching of the M&M's and had a pretty good laugh. Then last night, I went to the Staff Awards Banquet at SWU. It was pretty good. "Big Daddy" Dill got a 15 year award. It's a paperweight that just so happens to have a clock in it. It weighs like 10 pounds and it's less than two inches wide. Ryan Garrett, one of my co-workers got a five-year award. It's a pen. I asked him if I could borrow it to do some paperwork. He said that he wanted to be the one to lose it.
And finally, I got recognized for being new along with Jason and Deborah. Deborah and Matt...LOL. I love it. I was scared to smile last night, because I thought I might look like a Canadian hockey player.

Theif

2005-08-06T15:38:00.000-04:00

I have discovered one of the immutable truths in life: I AM AN IDIOT! Monday, I went into a classroom where we had a projector mounted, only to find it missing. I asked around and finally sent out a campus-wide e-mail asking if anyone had seen it or knew of its whereabouts. I got a few replies that led nowhere. Yesterday, a co-worker (Nathan Childs) handed me a note that explained where it went. The note was written by me...lol. Here is what the second campus-wide e-mail said after I found out my blunder: "It seems I have found our culprit. Obviously, a superior mind has infiltrated our theft defenses at SWU. Someone with amazing intellect has weaseled his way in among us without alerting even the keenest insights. I took the projector in Room 106 and gave it to “The Difference” ministry team because their projector blew a bulb. HAHA! What a genius I am…I even fooled myself. Thanks to the detective work of Krista Coots and Nathan Childs, my scheme was uncovered. Sorry for any mass confusion that was caused by my previous e-mail. I feel dumb! You may all have a great laugh at my expense now." At least I can bring a little laughter into my department if not anything else.

I gave in

2005-08-06T12:47:00.000-04:00

Sorry to let everyone down. I had to create a blog. Not because I wanted to, but only so I could post a comment on someone else's blog. LOL. Oh well, I guess I might as well use it. So from now on, I suppose I'm a blogger. Welcome to my exciting life. My name is Jon Brady. Don't call me Jon. It's Brady! Thanks. I work for Southern Wesleyan University as the Instructional Media Specialist (a glorified name for the A/V guy). I love SWU and everything it stands for: "a quality education with a Christian perspective". Thanks for stopping by and I hope you get a kick out of my life.