Dead Truck

The other day was going around town with Jessica, then we went back to her house for a minute before I went off to work. The truck had no problems before, however when I went to leave my key would not work in the ignition. I could not get the ignition to turn, and it looked like the key would not go in all of the way.

I really hate it when something goes wrong with my truck because it makes me wonder if there were any signs I could have seen to prevent it. Also my Dad always talks about how I need to learn to feel for vehicle. This time he seems a little upset because I am not trying to do anything about it. I don't know what I can do. We tried every trick we could find and the only option we are left with is to call a tow truck to come pick it up and take it somewhere to get it fixed. That means the cost to fix it this time is going to be very high, another thing I hate about having a broken truck because I feel bad that I can't afford to pay for it myself.

So I've been using my Mom's car or getting rides from her since Sunday, and I've kinda killed her gas tank. Tomorrow I have to drive all the way to Philpot so that I can drop Jessica's sister off at her aunts to be babysat this weekend. I also get my paycheck tomorrow and it should be a big one since I work alot last weekend so I plan to put a bout $15 in the gas tank. It's not a very big tank, so hopefully that will be enough to replenish what I used. My Mom has been trying to call a tow truck to come pick it up but either no one answers or its already after hours when we try. Hopefully we will have luck soon because one of my plans for spring break was to completely wash out the truck and wax it.

Plasma

Jessica recently went to sell plasma at a donation center in town. It is pretty good money. If she donated 2 times a week then she almost makes as much as I do in a week working all weekend. The first time you donate takes about 3.5 hours because of all of the paperwork, and her blood sugar dropped below 100 at one point so she almost passed out, but they stopped taking her plasma at that point and paide her anyway, saying that it is common for something to happen your first time since its so new and you are a little nervous.

Timmy and I agreed to go with her yesterday during her second trip so that we could have our first trips. However, we arrived 10 minutes passed the time they stop taking new patients and we were turned away. Now we are waiting for Saturday and the three of us will return to try again with Camille. At least there will be a good support system for everyone this time. Hopefully it won't hurt too bad.

Surgery

Today I went to a new doctor's office because two moles I've had my whole life started looking different. One has a red ring that has grown over time and the other seemed flaky. The doctor said the best thing to do would be remove the moles and send them off to be examined. So now I've got 2 holes in me and 1 stitch. The only part that hurt was the novacaine shots because they used a large needle. Now that I have seen one of the spots where a mole once was I'm surprised by the power of novacaine. Afterwards I told Jessica and everyone else I got surgery done today. I konw it wasn't really surgery but it made for interesting conversation and explanation for the bandages.

All in all it wasn't so bad. I didn't know what to expect, and I'm going back in a week to get the stitch taken out and to get the results on the moles. The place was very nice looking. It had a cafe when you first walk in, a place for children to play, and some pretty nice fish tanks in the waiting room. It did not seem like a doctor's office at all.

10 things to do with my life

1. Get a better paying job (not minimun wage, and not >/=10 hours a week)

2. Go to and complete college.

3. Get Married

4. Join the Air Force

5. Travel the World

6. Make an Impact. A good one. (on other people and the world)

7. Be a friend to everyone I meet.

8. Go back to the Thornton Lodge and Disney World.

9. See all of my favorite bands in concert. (Blue October, Rush[again], Sum 41, Avenged Sevenfold, Foo Fighters, Skillet)

10. Above all, I Wanna Rock

Swerve

Last Saturday we participated in the first Swerve of Bellevue Baptist. Jrod has been talking alot lately about how you are most like Jesus when you are reaching out to others. Swerve was a 5 hour community service event in which I ended up on the Toilet Team. We went around the community looking for any needs we could fill. Our main thing was cleaning toilets, which had some good symbology behind it. In the times when Jesus lived, cleaning people's feet was one of the lowest and most dirty of tasks, so Jesus humbled himself to clean the feet of all of his deciples. Today toilets are considered nasty, especially public ones, so by the end of the day all of us cleaned at least one.

That wasn't the only thing we did though. We also swept parking lots and stores, cleaned the church van and whatever else we could find to do. Part of that was to go to the new Don Moore dealership on HW54 and clean out the large gutter completely full of trash next to the building. It was very steep, very messy, and painful because of the trash stuck in the many throne bushes. At the end of the day though, it was all worth it and very fun. Jrod says we will start doing this as just another part of the church life at least once every quarter, possibly more depending on attendance.

First driving experience

The first time I drove was when my dad was teaching me so I could get my permit. I was perhaps 15 or 16 at the time and he took me to a big parking lot close to his work. He let me drive his precious 11 year old priced suburban. It was very big, and I was afriad to hit the gas pedal for a while. After about 10 minutes of circles he made me park. That was the interesting part. He made me pull in between two parked semi trucks, and back in between two others, and I think even parallel park! I was nervous because if I made the smallest mark in my Dad's truck I knew I would be in deep trouble. However I was successfull in my first driving attempt, and would soon move on to a more complex parking lot and finally some real roads.

Scared of Youth

**some language**

I'll tell anyone, I am truley afraid of the high school age group today. Everywhere I turn I see something that is sort of disturbing. I grew up living a sheltered life, but have been reaching out in recent years. Up until a year or so ago, I believed that high school drop outs only really existed on TV or in big cities, I had never seen a pregnant teenager, and thought that only a small handfull if any at all of teens in my town would ever even experiment with drugs. My eyes have opened over the past few years to an ugly truth. I understand I lived a sheltered life, and I am pretty excepting of a lot of stuff now, but it feels like there is a definet line that some people don't even see.

A few weeks ago in the lunch line I heard an underclassman girl carying a conversation like it was nothing with a friend. She spoke so casually, but said some of the most horrid and unbelievable things I've ever heard. It was such a bad conversation that I can't even repeat it where I know a teacher will read it, even with a language warning before hand. It took every ounce of my energy not to just turn around and yell "What is wrong with you?"

It's such a downward spiral in student's lives with grades, driving, drugs, sex, alcohol. I know people who have been involved with some bad things, but are still good people and understand that there should be a boundry, but some people just take it to far and never look back. I wonder if there is even anything that can be done to help.

They are so judgmental of everything they may not completely understand,and rude to even their own friends. Anyone who doesn't think that they are just the greatest thing is bitch or stupid hoe and undeserving of anything but critisizm. It truly makes me sick to my stomach sometimes but I don't know what to do about it but go on living my life in a way I feeland hope is right.

To Save A Life

My sunday school teachers took my entire class out to see the movie To Save A Life. It is about a high school athlete named Jake who is popular, goes to all of the parties, is the beer pong champ, has high plans for college basketball. However, an old friend of his who he abandoned years ago comes to school one day with a gun to take his own life just feet in front of him. Jake remembers how the old friend had once saved his life by pushing him out of the way of a car, and permanently damaging his own leg in the process. Emence guilt and a local youth paster who reaches out to him bring him to reexamine everything he ever thought about his life.

It was an incredible and moving film, and I'd recomend it to anyone. It examines faith, and could make anyone wonder what they could do with there life to better others. After all of the hardships he must face, Jake always tries to help people.

I love my church. I feel proud to be a part of something so big. Lately Jrod has been doing some interesting things, and making us ask questions we hadn't thought of before, and realize that reaching out with our faith and serving can make a huge difference. It is an incredible thing.