Something Interesting...

And we're back!

2009-06-09T18:35:00.002-04:00

You know what? I'm going to spare you the details of the last year of my life - it's probably better than way. I don't suppose anyone really keeps up with this old thing anymore - again, it's probably better that way.

Let's just say I've been...away. Yes, I went away for awhile, but now I'm back. I got myself all wrapped up in this, that, and the other thing, and it started to affect my quality of life and everything I was doing. I can't say I'm totally out of the woods yet, but 2009 has been a bit of a learning experience thus far, and things are finally starting to make sense now.

It's been both familiar and new...both logical and inconceivable...both expected and shocking (I know; I'm being vague, but that's okay).

So what now? Well, I really don't know, but I suppose that's not such a bad thing. What's right now is waiting. That's what I'm doing right this very second - waiting. Waiting for what, you might ask? The next opportunity in my life. I suppose that's sort of an exciting prospect, but it's also pretty stressful to be honest.

Finally, I have some sort of resolution to this chapter of the william harper experience (<---the working title for my memoirs) though, so that's a positive. It was almost like I was stuck in this chapter. I know I wasn't really stuck, but it sure felt that way. It seems like every chapter in my story has some horror-movie-type ending to it, which seems to be somehow connected to my hard-headed, stubborn, cynical nature. I've always ended up learning things the hard way, and as badly as I hate it...and as unexpected as it seems to be everytime it happens, I always come out on the other side a better, more well-rounded person.

See, I understand myself more and more every time a chapter ends in a Friday the 13th style bloodbath, and maybe, just maybe, someday in the future, I'll have the presence of mind and the self-awareness when I come to the fork in the road to take the path to a nice, peaceful mountaintop resort instead of the path to Camp Crystal Lake and the certain destruction that follows.

I'm going to try to keep this thing updated from here on out. Not that it's particularly important to anyone but myself, but writing keeps me sane. It gives me some sort of outlet for all the chaos that happens inside my head every day.

So yeah, here's to writing again, and here's to living again.

Quote of the Day....

2009-01-26T14:50:00.006-05:00

Perception is not reality. It is only perceived as such.

My day, my week, and my month in review

2007-05-22T15:10:00.000-04:00

So, in my first blournal entry for several months, I'd like to first point out that I have officially forgotten how to write "blog style." You may notice my new sunglasses, unless of course you haven't seen me with them on, then you may not notice them, but they're niiiice.

This morning, I woke up around 4:00 am to the wonderful sounds of Starsky (my dog) vomiting on the corner of my bed. It was faaaaantastic. I just wish someone would make me a CD entitled, "Regurgitation Noises." I'd totally set it up as my "wakey upey" CD for at least 6 months. After that, of course, I can't guarantee anything.

I'm working now...in a large, narrow room...sitting at a small desk...going through 150+ files to ensure their integrity. If they do not meet my ideal level of quality, I then decide how they will be fixed (ie - repaired). If they do, I mark them with my "stamp of approval." What I mean by "stamp of approval" is a large pile of folders in the floor, which will herein be referred to as my "pile of approval." Ok....so there's what I'm doing today. Now on to my week....

Considering today is Tuesday, and there has only been one day prior to this in my "week," I'll be brief. Yesterday, I came to work. Ok....on to the month.

The month of May, 2007 has been a decent month. My mother and sister came out to visit me since I wrote last, but that was technically in April, so please disregard the previous sentence. Ahem...ok. So this month, I've done a lot of wishing I were at the beach. It hasn't happened yet, but I'm confident that I'll either be dead or at the beach sometime within the next two months.

To be perfectly frank, I'm a little tired. I have this really bad habit of going to bed at night with just about enough time to make for a really good afternoon nap. I've come to find out that it isn't such a good idea to do such things when you really need to be awake at work. I have, however, discovered a way to temporarily "beat the system." Lots. of. coffee. No seriously. LOTS.

So there's my month so far. I hope you've enjoyed reading about my life.

I'm off to do more work.

Memeage from Kim

2007-04-27T10:48:00.000-04:00

Alright. So my friend Kim of The Life of KimHo posted something of this nature on her blogoriffic blog a couple of weeks ago, and I decided to include myself in this life-changing venture. That’s right, she’s starting a cult….OR….she posted a meme. You decide.

“Leave me a comment saying, “Interview me.” I respond by asking you five personal questions so I can get to know you better. If I already know you well, expect the questions may be a little more intimate/difficult! You WILL update your journal/blog/whatever with the answers to the questions (please don’t leave your answers in my comments unless you don’t have a blog). You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the post. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.”

1. If you could have a super power, what would it be and why?
If I could chose any superpower, it would definitely be flying, but not for the traditional reasons (you know, saving money on airfare, skipping traffic, etc). No sir. I want to fly, so I can find a nice little spot in the sky, maybe atop the tallest mountain or the tallest building, to sit back and relax. And plus….I’d like to mess with people on airplanes.
2. Who was your ultimate Teen Beat crush?
Alicia Silverstone…..all the way. Back in the day…she was hoooooooot. She still is, but my crushes these days are more along the lines of Scarlett Johansson or Reese Whitherspoon,.
3. What is one thing/event in your life that you wish you could go back and change?
Hrm. That’s a tough one. I try to live my life (now) without regret, but I do have quite a few things I would go back and change, if I could. If I had to pick one (that I wouldn’t mind mentioning on here), I would have to say…(drum roll please…..)…credit cards. I would have never applied for one, and I certainly would have never charged anything to one. I get 4-5 credit card offers per day, which really increases my chances for running out of room in the trash before the trash guy comes every week. OH, THE HUMANITY!!!!
4. Who is your biggest inspiration and why?
My mom….hands down. She somehow managed to raise two kids, in the midst of a divorce, while getting her college education and making minimum wage at the university bookstore. I have no idea how she did it, but I admire her for it.
5. What came first...the chicken or the egg?
The egg. “Why?” you ask. The genetic makeup of a chicken could not have first existed except as an embryo inside an egg. The egg may have been somewhat different that the eggs we see today, but the chicken was first an embryo, protected by some sort of shell-like surface, and incubated by manbearpig.

P365_2007_04_08

2007-04-08T16:33:00.001-04:00

P365_2007_04_08
Originally uploaded by prodigalbilly.

Aaaaaalright....I know it's been awhile, but here's my project 365 for Easter....and we can go ahead and count it for the last month, right? Good!

This is me in my "Easter suit."

Theiving

2007-04-04T00:11:00.000-04:00

It's funny how music shapes different periods of your life. I've been feeling quite lonely this evening....and I'm not sure why.

Things are good, but tonight was just one of those nights (I get emotional sometimes...no seriously...I do). I got the new Lovedrug CD. Something about the songs they sing have the capability to completely change my thought process....my mood...everything.

There's one song imparticular on the new one....Theiving. It....well....it makes me believe in love again.

Something is different today. Something changed.

I'll figure it out soon, and when I do, I'm sure I'll have another "one of those nights" to bask in the glory of "figuring it out."

I know this sounds weird, but....I think I think too much.

I'm a deep thinker these days...I'm always thinking about this or that. It's rare that I have a moment to just clear my thoughts and relax. Thinking is a good thing. God gave us powerful minds, so we could use them, right? Well, maybe that's why I've slept so well lately.

Sleep is the only time my mind gets a chance to "relax."

I used to always say that sometimes, our intellect can be our worst enemy. Enemy may not be the best word for mine, but it definitely wears me out.

Okay...time for bed. I need a break.

That's pretty underground.

2007-03-29T14:48:00.000-04:00

To my faithful reader(s): the following video is funny. You should watch it like I did, just a few minutes ago.

Lazy

2007-03-27T11:12:00.000-04:00

So, I've been lazy and haven't been taking any pitchuuurs lately.

I should start that back up, but it's rainy today, so I'll start it up once the rain subsides.

2007_03_13

2007-03-13T09:40:00.001-04:00

2007_03_13
Originally uploaded by prodigalbilly.

Ok...so here's the story. Yesterday, around 3:00, a natural gas pipeline exploded in Parker County, TX (about 15-20 minutes from where I live). For those who don't know, natural gas pipelines are very much connected to what I do for a living. That's how the natural gas I get the rights to drill for is transported to market and sold.

This sort of thing only happens when people don't use common sense when dealing with combustible substances...such as natural gas. In this particular situation, some idiot was digging around with a backhoe looking for another gas pipeline. Well, he found one....three actually, and they all exploded and caused what you see in the attached picture.

I drove out to see the remnants of the explosion yesterday afternoon, but alas, I forgot my camera. But this is what my picture WOULD have looked like....had I remembered to bring my camera.

The significance is this: right across the street from my house, there is a *dum dum dummmmmm* natural gas pipeline. Let's all cross our fingers and hope that no one decides to do anything stupid around that one, such as dig around it with a backhoe.

P365_2007_03_12

2007-03-12T12:06:00.003-04:00

2007_03_12
Originally uploaded by prodigalbilly.

No explanation required.

P365_2007_03_11

2007-03-12T12:06:00.001-04:00

2007_03_11
Originally uploaded by prodigalbilly.

I watched "An Inconvenient Truth" last night, and here is my conclusion:

It is almost inescapable that Al Gore made this movie with the intention of reestablishing his name with an attached political platform. The movie is just as much about Al Gore as it is about global warming.

I wasn't terribly convinced, as my background in research methods enabled me to pinpoint several loopholes in his theories. I won't get into it here, but I'm going to need more convincing on the cause of global warming before I get on board with Mr. Gore and just about all of Hollywood and "go green."

P365_2007_03_10

2007-03-12T12:01:00.001-04:00

2007_03_10
Originally uploaded by prodigalbilly.

My living room. I cleaned this weekend. :-)

P365_03_09_2007

2007-03-09T14:06:00.001-05:00

381372983_ca09602771_o
Originally uploaded by prodigalbilly.

Well, obviously, I didn't take this picture, but today is the 13th anniversary of Biggie's death, so I had to commemorate it somehow, right?

RIP - Biggie Smalls.

Lost

2007-03-09T11:04:00.000-05:00

I lost my camera for a few days, but I have recovered the coveted electronic piiitcher takur.

Project 365 will resume it's daily revisions starting today.

Enjoy!

P365_2007_03_06

2007-03-06T17:29:00.001-05:00

2007_03_06
Originally uploaded by prodigalbilly.

My feet at work. March 6, 2007.

P365_2007_03_03

2007-03-05T10:45:00.001-05:00

2007_03_03
Originally uploaded by prodigalbilly.

HOOKAAYY! I'm back.. Here's the story. Saturday night, March 3, there was to be the first total lunar eclipse in about 4 years, so I was pumped. My project 365 entry was set, and I was going to witness a natural phenomenon to boot.

Well, long story short, the picture you see to your right was a "test shot" using the fireworks setting on my camera, and it was subsequently the "death shot" to my camera's battery. I didn't have a spare, and the eclipse was just around the corner. No time to fix the camera...I was just going to watch in awe as this feat of nature unfolded before my eyes.

I waited...

and waited...

and waited......

Well, I never saw it. I'm not sure what happened, but I never saw anything out of the ordinary. Maybe, just maybe, I blinked a little too longer than is acceptable during a lunar eclipse, and I was being punished. But what is more likely is that I missed it. Yea, I think that's it.

Either way, my camera's been dead since Saturday, so I haven't had any project 365-esque pictures to bless you with. Here, ladies and gentlemen, is my entry for March 3, 2007. I will have a second posting today including my entry for today, because, thankfully, my camera's battery was miraculously brought back to life using the battery charger that came with my camera.

In other news, life is good, and I'd like to go to Fiji.

P365_2007_03_01

2007-03-02T10:28:00.001-05:00

2007_03_01
Originally uploaded by prodigalbilly.

The view from my computer screen today. Just imagine that I'm typing an important memo.

I snazzed up this morning, because all my clothes are either dirty or at the dry cleaners.

P365_2007_02_28

2007-03-01T09:49:00.001-05:00

2007_02_28
Originally uploaded by prodigalbilly.

This is a little picture I drew (or...traced and partially drew) while I was at work today.

I call it "Pac Man's Revenge...Billy's Victory"

P365_2007_02_27

2007-02-28T12:08:00.001-05:00

2007_02_27
Originally uploaded by prodigalbilly.

This picture is actually a couple of months old, but it's a funny one.

Starsky in the truck outside my mom's work....with goats. He liked the goats.

P365_2007_02_26

2007-02-27T09:18:00.001-05:00

2007_02_26
Originally uploaded by prodigalbilly.

My "slightly doctored" entry for Project 365, Feb. 26, 2007.

I call it, "Bills, bills, bills...without any legible personal information. Oh...and Fiji Water."

P365_2007_02_25b

2007-02-26T08:44:00.001-05:00

2007_02_25b
Originally uploaded by prodigalbilly.

What I actually did yesterday.

P365_2007_02_25a

2007-02-26T08:43:00.001-05:00

2007_02_25a
Originally uploaded by prodigalbilly.

What I planned on doing yesterday...

P365_02_24_2007

2007-02-25T02:19:00.001-05:00

P365_02_24_2007
Originally uploaded by prodigalbilly.

Project 365 entry for February 24, 2007.

Description: My reinactment of the face I made when I drank some cough syrup. It was kind a mentholly mix of windex and hawaiian punch.

P365_02_23_2007

2007-02-25T02:18:00.001-05:00

P365_02_23_2007
Originally uploaded by prodigalbilly.

Project 365 entry for February 23, 2007.

Description: Roll Tide (pay no attention to the swimsuit magazine in the background)!

P365_2007_02_22

2007-02-22T12:24:00.001-05:00

2007_02_22
Originally uploaded by prodigalbilly.

Project 365 for Thursday, February 22, 2007.

Description: This is a piece of what I do...a gas well being constructed. The tower part comes down in a month or so.