Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Chronicle Project - Day 25 & 26

I expected the beginning of my week to be quite mundane. While Tuesday, the 26th, lived up to my expectations, the day prior was a big surprise adventure for me. I suppose it was a nice reminder that even without spending a dime, I have friends that can make my day awesome.


Day 25 - I woke up, still battling whatever cold I was coming down with, so I decided it was a perfect day to do some laundry and take it easy. Well, Jessica had other plans.

She called me up, told me to put on my big-boy pants, and get ready to go to Dallas, because I was her "surprise" for our good friends Francisco and Courtney. They just moved into a new apartment, and we were going to be the first to see it.


We drove out there, I helped them move some of the heavier stuff, and then we all had lunch at Chick-Fil-A to celebrate the random occasion. I was glad to see them, and we caught up on a lot of the goings-on in our lives. They got to meet Daisy, Jess's welsh corgi puppy, who then proceeded to make several spontaneous messes in various corners of the apartment.

After that, we drove to Bolsa -- one of the best ranked restaurants in the state if not the country -- to go visit Jess's beau, Kyle. For stopping in, he treated us to an amazing bruschetta tasting tray and some delicious bread pudding. His coworkers got to meet their puppy too, and then we all called it a night.





Day 26 - Well, what did you expect? I had to get that laundry done eventually. But it's still nice to have fresh, clean towels -- not to mention pants.

Monday, January 25, 2010

Chronicle Project - Day 23 & 24


Day 23 - Saturday was Jessica's birthday. She had a few close friends over, and we celebrated in the normal youthful fashion. It was a good chance for my younger brothers to meet some of my friends in the area.

It was also another good time for me and both Kyles to catch up on our normal manly conversations. It was kind of like a miniature guys' night tucked into a nice birthday party for a friend.



Day 24 - As a result of weather, and a late night with friends, I started coming down with a cold. So, Sunday I opted to stay in and play some videogames with my little brothers.

It's nice having them around the apartment, even though when I'm sick they have no mercy on me in Halo 3 multiplayer.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Chronicle Project - Day 20-22

It's been a boring few days, but I figured I'd post them anyway. I'll make a post for today (Day 23) tomorrow because it will be about Jess' birthday party. Otherwise, here's the breakdown:




Day 20 - Stayed in and did applications all day today. It was tedious, boring, and so far it feels like it won't get me any close to where I need to be. But I did it anyway. I am just proud of myself for taking my care in what I eat.

An apple a day, or some other saying like that. But I guess using a caramel dip might kind of defeat the purpose. Still, it's more fruit than I normally would have ingested otherwise.



Day 21 - Last night of the first week of printing for the NT Daily. My former intern -- now webmaster -- ran into a minor issue with posting The Scene to the site. I went in to help him, and then Shaina invited us to go to Lou's for a drink or two.

Uneventful as usual, but I figured I'd snap a picture anyway of our view of the bar from the back. Pool tables, drunken people, and a packed bar on a Thursday night.



Day 22 - I got a haircut today! My hair was getting kind of long and annoying again, so I just went ahead and got rid of most of it. It's a terrible picture, but I've never been quite good at taking my own photos.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Chronicle Project - Days 15-19

Sorry I've been busy the last week! But I didn't forget about you guys. In fact, I have a nice collection of images to cover day, night, and LATE night events throughout the past few days.



Day 15 - We took our good family friend George out for dinner, to thank him for helping Derek when his car broke down. He's a big fan of the ladies, and we don't disagree...so we all decided to swing by our local Hooters.

We shared some wings, shared some stories, watched the Mavericks get a win, and then saw some dude dancing around for his birthday.

As usual, the pretty young ladies made for good company; our server, however, got fired because the booth next to us was complaining. Poor dear.




Day 16 - To wind down the week of training, I took Derek to a few of the Fry Street bars to take in some of the local flavor. I figured he might want to decide for himself where was best suited for him.

At Lucky Lou's we saw three guys play the highest stacked game of (giant) Jenga we'd ever seen. The stack was almost as tall as we were when it finally toppled. I think Derek decided Lou's got an A+.

Later we went to The Garage; it was crowded, loud, and watered down as usual. But thankfully, I have an affinity for picking up on fun events. From across the bar, I had a feeling a fight was about to start, so I rushed in to snap a quick pic of this guy arguing with his girlfriend who had apparently cheated on him with one of their friends. I would have taken a picture of the other guy, but he had a death stare, and kept asking where his gun was.



Day 17 - I got a visit from my friend Mike from Bowling Green, Kentucky, and he brought a few friends with him to "see Texas" on a vacation. They were being shown around by their friend Brittany, from Decatur.

I don't get to see Mike often, so it was a nice surprise. His friends were really funny, and nerdy too. Later on, Derek and I would go pick up Duran from the airport.



Day 18 - My brothers and I set a goal to finish as much work around the apartment as we could. We made a quick grocery list -- of both typical college and some grown-up items -- and headed to Kroger.

We ran up a rather large bill, but we were glad to get it out of the way. Now we have food to last us weeks.





Day 19 - I finally got to see one of my best friends, Jessica, for the first time since December. She got a new puppy from her boyfriend, Kyle -- a welsh corgi! Her name is Daisy, but I call her Ein.

She told me about the cruise her family took, we caught up on the goings-on in our lives, and then we hung out with her friend Ben. She had brought him a collection of seashells, and they have a new interesting story behind them.

She collected them last week, off the coast of Haiti. They had apparently been docked there some time around when the earthquake happened, but on the farthest side from the epicenter! I'm glad she's OK and happy to have my wingwoman back.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Chronicle Project - Days 13 & 14

Busy week. I've been helping the NT Daily finish moving their website over, and getting some job-hunting advice from some of my former superiors and successful family members. I figured since the database was downloading, I'd finally have a chance to update again.

Day 13 - Derek had his transfer orientation for UNT Today. He finished fairly quick, and he seems like like the campus so far.

After he was done, we walked over to
Jimmy John's for lunch. I think he has a new favorite sandwich place. I Know Duran, Daniel, and me love it too, so I guess it's a Lucio thing to like delicious f-ing sandwiches.



Day 14 - I got Derek and internship at the NT Daily. Shaina asked if I would come in and help out, and since I was already planning on being at the office for the website anyway, I said yes. I got to see a bunch of friends, and got this picture when a bunch of the editors were just standing around...

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Chroincle Project - Days 10, 11, & 12

Sorry for the delay. With traveling back home, running errands, being in meetings, sending out applications, and one fun night of celebrations I might have been a bit sidetracked. But I didn't forget about you! In fact, I have the last three days of posts right here...

Day 10 - Was on the road today. I stopped by in Kingsville to drop of a game KC had left at my family's house, and then spent a short while with my older brother Daniel at his new loft in Corpus Christi. He showed me around the area, and then showed my the awesome view from his building's roof.

He lives right off the bay, and the marina is just beautiful. After that I drove back to Denton, and arrive just before midnight -- I got to see all four of my brothers in the same day. Despite 10 hours of driving, it was a good day.




Day 11 - I had a busy day, from start to finish. Toward the "winding down" portion of the night, Derek and I got our long-awaited Christmas presents from our parents (UPS got lost en route to the apartment last week).

I got some nice business casual clothes for the job hunt (and eventual find) and a copy of Barney Stinson's newest book "Bro on the Go!" It came just in time, as How I Met Your Mother had its 100th episod
e that night, so we suited up for the occasion.

Admittedly, this picture was Photoshopped, but I felt like anything else took away from the true meaning of the image-- awesomeness.




Day 12 - Another day of errands, and by the time we were done I realized just how much I had driven over the past month (reads: 2,590.0 miles since December 15). I spend a lot of time moving back and forth between several points, and I am very glad my car gets 30 mpg.

At least now Derek has a nice lay of the land here in Denton, so when his car situation gets worked out he'll be able to navigate without me around.

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Chronicle Project - Day 9

Day 9 - The Dallas Cowboys are playing the Philadelphia Eagles for the first round of NFL playoffs, so my brothers and I were watching the game. Basically an uneventful day spent looking at apartment prices, and trying to figure out how I am going to do anything by the end of the month. At least now I started calling in the cavalry...

For now I'll just enjoy the game, and hope the 'boys can make it to the next round. Afterall, even if I move, I will always be a Cowboys fan...unless they move to Tennessee *cough*OILERS*cough*

Friday, January 8, 2010

Chronicle Project - Day 8

Day 8 - You know how in grade school they taught you that birds fly south for the winter? Well, it's true. We get a ton of birds in our area, and these little honkers were hanging out on our roof this morning. According to my grandparents, they've had upwards of 100 ducks land in or yards before.

It was around 35 degrees here today; I was walking around in just a sweater and jeans, helping secure a nice warm house for our dogs outside in case it rains overnight.

It's supposed to hit freezing tonight; I can't imagine what it's like up at my apartment. Hope Derek's staying warm up at my apartment this weekend.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Chronicle Project - Day 7

Day 7 - I was all packed up again, ready to drive back to Denton since my car was fixed, but a friend informed me that some roads had already been iced over. So, I stayed home and decided that instead of just a picture (which is of my boring luggage) I would try posting an audio clip now.






One week down, and my experiment has been successful! Let's hope the weekend is kind to me, and the roads have cleared up by Sunday. It's going to be a long week.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Chronicle Project - Day 6

Day 6 -Finally got to spend some time with my friend Tanya, who has been buried under a pile of responsibility known as "New Motherhood" for a little while now. Her son's name is Maverick Swayze, and yes I have already made my fair share of jokes at the name. She says her next son would be named Goose, but I think that's just cruel!

We watched the People's Choice Awards, talked about old times, caught up on new developments, and I got to play with Mav a little. Then coffee, more chit chat, and I headed home. Considering I got my car back this morning, I imagine this is my last night in town this week; at least I made it a good one.


Day six is in the books, and I am almost at a straight week of this new project. I'm quite happy with how it's turning out. I can only hope to keep it up as the year goes on.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Chronicle Project - Day 5


Day 5 - I had plans to see a good friend of mine today, but they got canceled at the last minute. So I decided to keep catching up on Lost and indulge in a nice cup of hot cocoa. Boring day, but it'll do for now...

Monday, January 4, 2010

Chronicle Project - Day 4

Day 4-2Day 4-1


Day 4 - I fell asleep at 3:00 a.m. and woke up at 7:00 a.m. for the first time in a long while. I had to deal with the car problems, and I had made a deal with myself to start long distance running again -- Dario made sure this happened today as planned.

So I told myself, "Take the bad with the good." Even though I was in pain, tired, and stuck in the Rio Grande Valley for a little while longer, it offered me a chance to see some old friends. I grabbed coffee with Tiffany and Julio, and we talked about how some people our age (specifically old classmates) are moving their lives rather quickly. Sometimes it's a gift, and sometimes it's a curse...
  • The friend with the children that can't spare a minute to grab a bite to eat.
  • The friend in debt because of the divorce they are going through.
  • The friend happily married to their HS sweetheart for years now.
  • The friend planning a wedding on a loan because they're paying tuition too.
  • The friend headstrong in a fruitful career but without prospects for love.
  • The friend with a child, a great job, and a loving household to come home to already.
But on the other hand are those of us outside the circle of adulthood, still grasping to what youth we have left in the half a decade or so before we all turn 30. And then the people in our lives who might never have had any options. The picture is equally as imbalanced...
  • The friend still mooching off family / friends / strangers to get by.
  • The friend with a degree in a good field, but still can't find work.
  • The friend partying every night, but isn't any closer to graduating or finding work.
  • The friend moving from place to place trying to find work.
  • The friend engaged, but waiting to make wedding plans until financially stable.
  • Or what's worse, the friends that passed away along the way.


But, alas it was tough finding anything wrong in our own lives while we had friends, laughter, and a little caffeine. Thankfully, our hometown got a Starbucks since we all graduated, so we could have all three. I still miss Art 6 and Jupiter House though...

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Chronicle Project - Day 3


Day 3 - Today was fairly uneventful. Since my car broke down yesterday, I had to make it back to my family's home. Took a couple of hours, but I made it and then griped for about an hour about needing to get my car repaired. Still, it gives me another few days with my family, and my gorgeous (albeit often stupid) dog, Ditch!

He's a few years old now, but I still refer to him as 'my puppy' when I talk about him. He's the latest in a long line of family dogs with a name that starts with "D" -- just like my brothers and I. We found him when he was ditched on the side of the road one day while I was down for summer vacation; he looked malnourished and only about a month old. I thought -- given the circumstances of his freedom from his obviously horrible previous home -- that his name should be Ditch.

He's a mutt, but I love him because I know I am too. But, I know that if I ever want to take him with me, someday I need to own a backyard because he's too big and hyper to be an inside dog.

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Chronicle Project - Day 2


Day 2 - Today I was driving back to my apartment in Denton from my Family's home in Harlingen. It's about a 10 hour drive, and during the first hour you have to pass a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (formerly Border Patrol) checkpoint. I have passed through checkpoints more times than I can count, and they become a kind of familiar haven for me.

However this time around, I ran into a bit of an issue with my car after leaving the checkpoint. My transmission busted and dropped to first gear. I slowly made my way to the safety of my best friend's apartment in Kingsville, and I will spend the night here until I can tow back tomorrow. The irony is I just got my car inspected, but state inspections don't include transmission checks.



A long day to not accomplish much of anything. Nought-Ten is already proving to be a tedious year for me. We'll see how tomorrow goes, but at least I'm making good on my project so far.

Friday, January 1, 2010

Project 365

For the sake of starting fresh this new year and decade, I'm going to borrow a page from something I read about last year: Project 365. It is a movement inspired by a Jamie Livingston's life project called "Photo of the Day."

But, since I have always been an advocate of multimedia convergence journalism, therefor I am going to to put my own twist on it. So today -- January 1, 2010 -- will be day one of what I will call The Chronicle Project. I always have either a phone, camera, or recorder with me; I am investing in webspace to build my own website; and I think the idea of only taking a picture per day is a little too simplistic (though I don't mean to belittle the amazing work that Livingston did).


So here's the plan: I will post either a picture, a video, an audio recording, or some other form of multimedia per day for an entire year. Each will include at least a caption, but some might include a story too (in the case that I find a reporting job).
  • Sometimes it won't be posted right away (like if I'm on the road).
  • Sometimes it will only be a photo with a caption.
  • Occasionally I may ramble on if something big happens.
But the gist of it is, I want to apply myself daily in a way that would allow me to create a chronicle of my life through this -- arguably the most important year of my life to date. So I start today with this picture of my family's Christmas Tree...


Day 1 - In the beginning of the year 2000, my family moved to Harlingen, Texas -- the city I was born in. It was a 14 hour drive from where I had used to live. There's not a lot to do there, and so on break like this when I visit my family it's always kind of a culture calm. I visit old friends, family, and occasionally places in an attempt to reminisce; this includes stories around the tree. This year, my younger brothers were out of town, my parents now live in Washington D.C., and Christmas morning was a very brief event. Soon, I intend to move out of Texas and it might mean a lack of chances to visit during the holidays. So, in order to someday remember what it was like to have a family Christmas tree, I wanted to take this photo before they took it down.