Hello to all

So, today is my not-so-little brothers birthday and yesterday was my roommates birthday. All I can say is that I hope Jesse,(lil' bro,) has as much fun as I know Sampson did. On Monday, since it was my day off and it had been snowing for most of the weekend, Jeremy, Megan(Meghan?,) and I went to squaw Valley USA and shredded some pretty good snow. It was fun because it was the first time in a year or so that I rode with those two. It was semi foggy and kind of snowing off and on all day, and there were quite a few people, it being a holiday weekend and all, but we made the most of it and had an awesome time.

Then on Tuesday I woke up a little late, @ 10 and got a call from KeithRon Eduardo Flickerson from Flickville, informing me that he, our buddy Matt and another friend of theirs Andy were already at the Star of the North, or Northstar-at-Tahoe for the uninitiated. So I promptly rolled out of bed, gathered all my stuff and headed out to meet them. It was yet another awesome day and I had a great time riding with these guys. No pressure, just riding to have as much fun as possible. The snow was a little heavy, but there was still some new snow around and not as many people as Squaw. Keith is still kicking the mountains ass and it is very evident that the large quantity of days that he has and is putting in this year are really paying off. He is getting tons better every time I ride with him and soon he is gonna be leaving me in the dust to wallow in the misery that comes from being pass up. Just joking. But I do have some pictures of both Keith and Matt getting some air that I'll post soon, I forgot my camera since I was running late today.

These two days of riding kind of helped me come to the realization that snowboarding, and skiing probably too for that matter, are an interesting dichotomy, (not sure that is the right word,) in that it so reflects a lot of other aspects of your life. There are people that go out riding and are only doing for the social aspect, others who only go because someone else (be it mom, friends, significant other, etc.) is making them, and people that do it because they generally love the feeling of freedom and the inherent love of nature and progression that comes along with a good day of riding with your friends and trying to learn new things. These are the type of people that I really love to ride with. That being said, I would like to say that all of these folks, along with other friends, like my mom, little sis, Brent the Earth, sensuous Steve, Fancy Pants Mike and Scottie Pottie.

That is what I love about snowboarding, everyone has different skills, kind of like life, but we can still come together and do the things that we enjoy and have fun being around each other and having a good ol' time. I think that if more people could find something like this where they can release some of their tension toward the rest of the world and learn to enjoy others regardless of who they are or their skill level, the world would be a happier and more friendly and well adjusted place to live. Now I'm not saying that everyone should run out and buy snowboard or ski gear and it is going to magically make everyone love each other and turn the world into an utopian society, because there will always be those people that just want to make fun of others because of their clothes or their style or their lack of ability or whatever. What I really am getting at is that if people can learn to look outside of themselves a little more and realize that everyone is just a person like them, and that we face the same issues on a day to day basis, and that these things, be it riding or biking or knitting or physical comedy or music or whatever, are the things that enrich, enhance and make our lives worth living.
(wow, that was a bit of a run-on)

So, that is probably enough for right now. If any of this didn't make sense, let me know and I will try to clarify it for you. Like Tyson does on his blog, I am going to leave you with a musical suggestion, it is actually for an entire CD, and also a specific track. The CD is the new Handsome Boy Modeling School entitled "White People" and the track that is currently my favorite is called Breakdown with Jack Johnson. The CD itself is all hip-hop except for this track and it has a pretty diverse crowd of people on it, so check it out.

I am thinking about all of the people out there that I haven't seen in a while and just want to say I miss you guys, and you know who you are. Peace for now boys and girls.

Blogging taking off

I had a funny conversation today, which would have been better if my cell worked better and I wasn't at work. It started with my buddy Tyson, better known as the sucka, calling me up to tell me about his blog, which is cool, and me letting him know that myself, my moms, and Keith all have blogs now. So I think that it must be pretty hard for someone like him who works in technology to have a blog where you have to censor your thoughts for fear of losing your job. Some of the bosses that I have are so inept when it comes to tech that they would never be able to find this blog and wouldn't have the slightest idea what it was or where it came from. My friends Duncan and Aimee are here right now visiting, they live in the Virgin Islands. So last night we( about 8 of us,) went out to sushi and had a good time. They came up to go snowboarding and see all the peeps. I am going to post some more later with some pics. Later.

More contemplation

So, for the last 3-4 days I have been sick. I even called in yesterday, Thursday, which, if you were to ask anyone who knows me, hasn't happened in probably 3 years. This has, consequently, given me even more time to think about the upcoming changes in my life and as my mother put it, "moving out of my comfort zone." This has brought me to the same realization in a few different ways; I either have to go see the counselor and commit myself to finishing my previous course of study, Business Administration, since it would be the quickest to completion, or see if there is another field that intrigues and inspires me that I would enjoy infinitely more. This is not to say that I would hate finishing as a business major, but at the same time I have also thought about what it would be like to be something else like a teacher(Mom,) or a web-designer, or even an architect or civil engineer. I guess it will take some more thought and some serious pro-con consideration.

One thing that I see as one of my weak points is that I have never been that goal-oriented, which is why I was always the kid in class that was being reprimanded for goofing-off, or that when it came time for Parent/Teacher night, the teacher would usually say something along the lines of, "Cody is a good kid, but I don't feel that he is living up to his potential." Now, I realize that my teachers were trying to be helpful and encourage me by letting my parents and myself know that I contained talents and abilities that exceeded the amount of effort that I was putting out, but it is still hard to be a developing child and hear numerous people say this, and only have minimal effort expended back in my direction to help me expand my scope. I don't want this to sound like I am pinning my lack of foresight and goal-based planning solely on past teachers, because I except full responsibility for my shortcomings. In fact, I would like to take this break to properly thank each and every teacher that I had growing up, from Alan Rosenbloom, all the way up to Mr. Mitchell, Mrs. Nourse, Mrs. Skillman, the Fillos and even Mr. Van Wagner. They have helped shape who I am as a person and helped form the basis of my thought process. I am merely bringing this up because it has been brought to my attention that it is hard to get to where you want to be in life, if you have no idea where that place is.

Like I said before, I am going to try and talk to one of the school counselors next week to see what my options are and take the first step toward bettering my life. I know that this is what I need to,(bettering my life,) because my mom is a living example of what life is like before and after the educational process. Sure, she could have made progression toward some of her goals without school, and she also may have put herself behind in the beginning since she incurred some extra debt, but now she is much better off and I feel that she is a much happier and much more fulfilled person as a result of her desire to return to school to expand her knowledge. I am not sure if I have told her this, or anyone else for that matter, but my mom is one of the biggest inspirations in my life, the struggles and the triumphs that she has endured, mostly for the sake of her children, are inspirational and amazing to me. I am thankful everyday that I had someone there that was so driven to her and our lives better, and someone resilient enough to continue to pursue her dreams despite any and every obstacle that stood in her way. She does and continues to make me proud everyday, and I hope that one day I can make her as proud of me.

That is probably enough for now, maybe more tomorrow. Peace to all my peeps.

Pics from Christmas party,(yes they are old.)

Blatant Hieneken advertisement. 

So here are some pics from the companies Christmas party that was well before Christmas making them about two months old. They aren't the best quality, but they give you a small taste of what we did. I like the pic of me in the huge chair, I think it is kind of whimsical. There is also pics of Kirsten and Justin dancing, and Kirsten dancing with some other goofball.


 


 

So time for an update

As mom has so sardonicly pointed out, I have been neglecting to post recently, so here we go. I really haven't been doing to much in the last few weeks, mainly working and contemplating my life situation. Basically trying to prepare myself for the enevitable, which means my returning to the fine establishment that is higher education. Hopefully my little sister Nikki and I will be attending Chico state in the near future. This raises some questions, will I remember how to study, what if I want to change my major, will I be able to find a job that will allow me to live comfortably while I continue my education. I have faith that all these things will work themselves out. Well, I have to go, will post again soon.

Music Meme

Here you go mom, hope you are happy.

1. Total amount of music files on your computer:
From a few years ago when I was attending college full-time and before Napster became a pay service, I have over a thousand MP3 files.

2. The last CD you bought was: Two CD's actually, Bob Marley "Kaya," and a really good mixed CD by DJ Z-Trip, which is an interesting mix of lots of music mixed on two turntables, everything from Janis Joplin and Fleetwood Mac to Run DMC and Outkast.

3. What is the song that you last listened to before reading this: Some not-so-good Nelly song that I saw on the TV while I was here at work.

4. What are your five favorite songs and why they mean the most to you:
This one is tough, for the most part I like artists and will put in a CD to listen to the whole thing. It is also tough because the diversity of music that I enjoy kind of makes it hard to even name 1 group from five genres that would do justice to them all. With that being said, I will try very hard to name 5 groups that I have been listening to lately.

1. This may sound cliche to some of the younger folk that might read this, but I really like Kanye West's album "College Dropout." Good hip-hop.
2. No explaination needed, Johnny Cash.
3. Another awesome hip-hop head that people should check out is Atomosphere, a MC from Minnesota.
4. This one is kind of a two part answer; I just watched the movie "Ray," which was awesome, so I would say Ray Charles and as a derivative of that, another great musician that I have loved since childhood, Buddy Holly.
5. Last but certainly not least, anything and everything by the best white hip-hoppers ever, the Beastie Boys. From their humble beginings as drunk party boys, to their socially enlightened, morally concious latest album, they are always fun and setting new standards.

5. What 3 people would you pass this baton on to and why?
Ryan Healey, Tyson Favaloro and Jimmy Bowling. Ryan and Tyson are DJ's so they keep me excited about new music, and Jimmy just makes me listen to all kinds of different music and also sort of reminds me of some of my parents taste in music as far as bluegrass and stuff.

Hope that gives some insight into my tastes for music and the things that get me motivated to listen to new stuff.