11 Days and counting / 1 Day and counting!

So the past 11 days of school, I've ridden my bike to school - through sun, rain, sleet, & cold. Today is been the coldest yet. The actual temp was 17°F & Weather Channel's "real feel" temperature was 2°F! I did pretty well, but I now see why someone invented bike shoe covers. My feet were freezing! If I had some good REI wind/rain pants, some water-proof gloves, and some water-proof shoe covers, I'd be set for any conditions. Right now I'm using my ski/snowboarding pants over jeans if it gets windy or wet, but they're really baggy.

The picture is of my bike in my room. There's no real good place to put it, so I put it on the side wall & lock it up to a desk (just in case), although I'd like to see someone try to ride it with no bike shoes with the fixed gear. Think it'd be hilarious.

My other countdown is when we'll be back in Texas. Jocelyn should be close to finishing up her last exam, then she'll be done. We've got a place for the pups and the cat all set up, so all we need to do is pack tonight.

Tomorrow Joce will drop me off at school, take the kids to their boarding place (Halo House Pet Resort), then head back home to have everything packed up in the car. They're going to let the kids go to their lockers and get their jackets after 7th period and do a fire drill during 8th period. Then they'll dismiss school from there. This way the students (& teachers) can go home straight from there. I'll get Joce to pick me up then & we'll be on our way to the airport. There's this valet-type parking company that we'll use. We drive to the lot, then someone drives us (in our car) to the terminal. When we get back, they come pick us up in our car. Pretty nifty set up and it's actually the cheapest! Smart move on their part too. They don't have to pay for gas or a shuttle van. Our flight leaves at 4:05pm our time and arrives in Austin at 7:30pm or so Texas-time.

Well, the bell is about to ring for 8th period, so I should go.

See you Texas folk soon!
- sent from my treo -

Tobias wants to come home to Texas

Great Lyrics

So I was checking out the place we're boarding the pups and Tobias today and making sure they have all of their shot records and a song came on my iPod that I haven't heard in a while, but I love the lyrics of. It's very applicable, especially at this time of year. Here are the bits and pieces of my favorite parts:

Where's the Love by the Black Eyed Peas:

People killing, people dying
Children hurt and you hear them crying
Can you practice what you preach?
And would you turn the other cheek?

Father, Father, Father help us
Send us some guidance from above
Because people have got me questioning
Where is the love?

It's just not the same, always unchanged
New days are strange, is the world insane?
If love and peace is so strong
Why are there pieces of love that don't belong
Nations dropping bombs
Chemical gasses filling lungs of little ones
With the ongoing suffering as the youth die young
So ask yourself is the loving really gone?
So I could ask myself really what is going wrong

In this world that we're living in, people keep on giving in
Making wrong decisions, only visions of the dividends
Not respecting each other, deny thy brother
A war is going on but the reason's undercover
The truth is kept secret, it's swept under the rug
If you never know truth then you never know love
Where's the love y'all?
Where's the truth y'all?

I feel the weight of the world on my shoulders
As I'm getting older, people get colder
Most of us only care about money making
Selfishness got us following our own direction
Wrong information always shown by the media
Negative images is the main criteria
Infecting the young minds faster than bacteria
Kids want to act like what they see in the cinema

Whatever happened to the values of humanity?
Whatever happened to the fairness in equality?
Instead in spreading love we're spreading animosity
Lack of understanding, leading lives away from unity
That's the reason why sometimes I'm feeling under
That's the reason why sometimes I'm feeling down
There's no wonder why sometimes I'm feeling under
I've got to keep my faith alive 'till love is found

While we're on the subject, here's another song that has powerful lyrics:
Stand Up by the Flobots:

Stand up
We shall not be moved
Except By a child with no socks and shoes
If you've got more to give then you've got to prove
Put your hands up and I'll copy you
Stand up
We shall not be moved
Except by a woman dying from a loss of food
If you've got more to give then you've got to prove
Put your hands up and I'll copy you

We've seen planes in the windows of buildings crumbled in
We've seen flames send the chills through London
And we've sent planes to kill them, some of them children
But still we're crumbling the building
Underfunded, but we still don't understand
Under God, but we kill like the son of Sam
But if you feel like I feel like about the Son of Man
We will overcome

We shall not be moved
Except By a child with no socks and shoes
Except by a woman dying from a loss of food
Except by a freedom fighter bleeding on a cross for you
We shall not be moved
Except by a system thats rotten through
Neglecting the victims and ordering the cops to shoot
High treason now we need to prosecute

Now shake, shake
A Polaroid dream
Nightmare negatives develop on the screen
We sit back and wait for the government team
Criticize them, but who are we?
The people want peace but the leaders want war
Our neighbors don't speak, peek through the front door
House representatives preach "stay the course"
Time for a leap of faith
Once More

Put your hands up high if you haven't abandoned
Hope that the pen strokes stronger than the cannon
Balls to the wall, Nose to the grindstone
My interrogation techniques leave your mind blown
So place your bets, lets speak to the enemy
Don't let them pretend that we seek blood
And who are we anyways Kemo Sabe?
Mighty warlord wanna-be street thug?
A threat for a threat leaves the whole world terrified
Blow for blow never settles the score
Word for word is time need clarify
We the people did not want war

I said put your hands up and I'll copy you
Put your hands up and I'll copy you
if you've got a dream and a lot to do
Put your hands up

Sunny day in the neighborhood

It's really nice out today, so I thought I'd let the dogs come outside for some good stick-chewing time. There's always good sticks around our little valley where we play. Here are a few pics of the pups enjoying the weather.

Only a little more than a week until we're back in Texas!

Advent Conspiracy

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