I’ve heard people tell me how they hate America and how things here suck and how they wish they could move somewhere else. I’ve seen that American isn’t the most technologically updated nor leading the world in other categories either. I’ve dealt with the high gas prices which has caused everything else to rise.
But in the last week and a half or so, I’ve realzied that this stuff is worth dealing with. While in Scotland at Gleneagles, Tony’s friends and fellow co workers loved talking and hanging out with us because we were Americans. We became not foreigners but almost like alies. When the five of us were all together (me, Tony, Tim, Doug and Nate ((Tony’s roomate, GRCC competition parnter and traveling to Scotland with))) we really didn’t feel like the foreigners. We even had Scotland out numbered due to Gleneagles employing people from all over the world. It was just really different to be away from the USA and people knowing that but treating you like their good friends.
While there we met four guys named Dave. So like they called us Americans, we started calling them by Dave Czech, Dave Glasgow, Dave Scotland and French Dave. It’s the only way we could keep everyone a part. We also met others who we just called by their nationality due to not remembering their names.
Coming home from Scotland, dealing with Amsterdam customs was a bitch. It took about 15 mins per person/group to make it through customs to get onto the plane to leave their country. When returning to the USA and landing in Detroit, it took us about 1:30 mins to get through customs. The lady asked us where we came from and why we were there. Stamped our book and we left to get our bags. I turned to Doug and said God Bless America, it’s great to be home.
Well this story is suppose to lead up to this. If America is losing the technology race, the education race and the fuel race; how is it that in every Olympics we seem to dominate. China has millions of more people than us, more athleties to chose from and we are still outing them. How is that possible? All I know is that Michael Phelps is dominating, Misty May and Kerri Walsh are dominating, Piersol, Lochte and Caughlin in the pool, Rosethal and his beach vball partner are dominating and a 41 yr old woman Torres is beating people in their 20’s. We are decent in ever event. We send our best out there but how is it that in so many events, we are dominating? I don’t really like watching the Summer Olympics because some events are boring to me but I’ve really enjoyed it so far. Pushing my bed time back just to watch a gymnastics final is worth it to me because I want to see us win.
And the most beautiful thing of all, I love it every time the Star SPangled Banner plays. Even if it’s back to back, I enjoy hearing becuase I know it means we are still a hell of a lot better than everyone else out there.
Good evening ladies and gents,
Well here’s an update on my summer because I haven’t been doing a good job updating and I’d like to get more use out of it. So here we go with a fastball right down the middle of the plate!
-Tony- Tony’s doing very well over in Scotland. He’s really enjoying it over there. He shaves his head every other week to cut down on the major sweating due to long hours. That kitchen work is a bitch right Nicole! He works 10am-4pm and 6pm-12am. He uses the two hour break to run and eat lunch and jazz. Friday he purchased a 35cm knife from Poland. He says it’s hard to work with due to the length and cut himself with it while using it for the first time today but already loves it. He also cooked and served food to Elton John and Shakira yesterday then spoke with Elton afterwards. He was pretty excited about that.
-Scotland- Doug, Tim and I are traveling to Scotland in less than 21 days now. We are really excited. This week we are planning an itinerary and such. Tony is getting really excited for us to come. He’s hoping for a little more of a fast paced time with us there over the parents. Dad and Mom got back a week ago today and loved it. So we’ve heard the stories and are pumped to go.
-Work- Work is going alright so far this summer. This week my boss has the whole week off for vacation so I’m kinda in charge. It’s really scary. Today I had to speak with non english speaking engineers and it was really hard to understand them. Our plotter is broken right now and such so hopefully things will be working tomorrow. I’m still in the process of drawing Walgreens, working on my third one now. Hopefully this one comes a lot easier with not as many rough edges.
Everything else is going alright. Ryan, Tim, Cassie and I went to the Tigers game last weekend and it was really sweet. It rained but it was still a really good time. For the fourth of July weekend; Cassie, Tim and I went up north to Aunt Pat and grandmas cabins. It was a lot of fun. Swimming and bonfires was about it but all the conversations around the bonfire could have won us a million dollars on Americas Funniest Home Videos. I also got the shit scared out of my by an 11 year old. We were riding in a go cart and she drove with no fear. We were hitting jumps and I was bouncing all over the place. Then when I drove, she was having a good time but I wasnt going nearly as fast as she was. Other than that, nothing too much is going on. This waking up at 6:45am thing everyday sucks but Im getting used to it. Oh, Ryan registered for his classes and stuff today. We are suitemates this year so that’ll be a really good time. We have a golf class together too so that’ll be exciting. Hope all is well for everyone else.
ps.. Thank you to the Detoit management for signing Marian Hossa. Adding more wood to the fire that is already very hot!
Hell of a Paradise Michigan Version
Tim’s former roomate at Embry Riddle sings and writes his own songs. This song of his is called Hell of a Paradise and talks about living in southern Florida. Tim and I took this song and made our own version of it dealing with Michigan. I came up with a lot of the lines and such, Tim tossed in a few key words here and there. So here is our version of Hell of a Paradise Michigan Version.
hey all, things are going pretty well right now I think.
WORK- Work is going well. I’ve been working 8 hour days and doing CAD work, copy work and regular office work. I also get to control the air conditioning so that makes every hot day worth wile. My boss is asking me if I’d go to school in Kalamazoo and work for him in the fall and make 13/hr. But I don’t want to because I have good stuff working for me at FSU and Ryan is living with me next year and yea. I dont want to due it. I’m also considering really hard at going to school for two more years to get a bacholores in construction management. I dont know about here or in Denver, where I want to move to.
Scotland- Tim got his passport on Friday and I will hopefully be getting mine sometime soon. The days are flying bye and we are getting really excited. We are flying to London for a day just to tour and visit. Gunna be some good times.
Everything else- The pools open and amazing, we bought a new net for the basketball hoop to make things even better. The BT Lounge is doing well, clean as a whistle. Last weekend we had uncle John and aunt Peggys wedding. I took pictures of that. Sunday we helped out at Erins graduation party, I did a lot of chopping food and all that jazz. Today we went to Jeremys grad party and helped out for a while. Then Doug came up to visit and him, Tim and I played basketball in the pool for a few hours. It was great and I got a bit more tanner. Then Tim and I went out to Pizza Hut with Doug, Mark and Liz. It was a lot of fun and great times. After Pizza Hut we went and watched Indiana Jones. It was a pretty good movie. Raining cats and dogs on the way home with more flashing lightning bolts than on the red carpet.
This week coming up, not a lot going on. Tim is flying down to FL for the week on Thrusday to visit his former roomate from ERAU. He’s headed off to the AirForce. So Tim’s going down to the good bye party. Other than that, things are going well and thats a good thing.
Well here is an updated Ben up to this point…
I’ve lost 45 pounds up to this point so far. Yay me.
I got a job in Kalamazoo working for Stress Con Industries doing CAD and office work. I started today and really enjoyed it. M-F 40 hrs a week.
I bought our Scotland tickets last Wednesday. We are flying from Kalamazoo to Detroit, Detroit to Amsterdam and Amsterdam to Glasgow. Tony is meeting us at the airport and he has the whole week off to adventure. Kinda really excited about that.
I got a credit card today, haven’t had one in a while. I don’t need it but it’s nice to know I can get one and have it for emergencies. I got a $2,500 credit limit on it so that’s exciting.
And we are opening our pool on Saturday and hanging out with everyone on Monday.
Last Friday I went to the mall with Doug and Tim to buy us dress shirts and ties for Uncle Johns wedding on the 31st. We picked out our amazing ties first and then bought the shirts to match.
Tim and I have the BT Lounge all booked out, it’s sweet. We are watching Scrubs seasons, we are on season five of seven.
Other than that, things are going well!
I’m currently talking to Tony via MSN and he has made it to GlenEagles. He said his flight from Chicago O’Hare to Manchester, UK wasn’t took bad. The seats were hard but everything else was ok. Nate and Tony got into their hotel rooms in GlenEagles and are now just chillin. They are five hours a head over there. Kinda getting even more excited to go now!
Today, 7 people from the Torch and two friends went and we had a private paintball party. It was for four hours and it was amazing. I don’t want to sound cocky, but I dominated. Four of the 9 people had played paintball before, myself being one of them. I’ve only played woods ball but we were playing speedball in an indoor arena with airbags barriers and everything. I’ve seen this type of play on line so I kinda had an idea of what was going on. Throughout the game, I didn;t get hit a lot in the body, mainly on my gun and hopper. Kinda sucked to get knocked out that way but oh well. That lasted until one of the guys and I had a very close encounter, about 15 feet away. I basically shot him about 10 times from his ankle to his head and he hit me five times across the chest. Other than that, I had 6 of 8 headshots. Not on purpose per sey, but the barriers were three feet high or so and people were peeping heads up to look over. Well I shoot on motion and end up hitting them in the head. I was pretty proud of myself though for a couple across the court head shots right to the goggles. It was a lot of fun though, people were like wow Ben you kicked ass and that made me feel great. Over all it was amazing and I hope to play a lot this summer too!
I called Uncle Bob’s direct land line at the rehabilitation center last night and spoke with him for a good hour. He seems to be doing well and started Physical Therepy yesterday. He said he got a little cocky and ended up falling on his ass, but he’s excited for things to come. It was just really nice talking to him about everything and glad that he can hopefully be his old self again.
Two weeks from tomorrow will by my last day of school for the semester. Tim is driving up next wednesday, which is exciting. Still searching desperatly for a summer job but I mailed out three cover letters and resumes today. Hopefully one will bite. Currently watching the TIgers and doing laundry, enjoying this beautiful weather.
so I’m a really respectable photographer. I stay out of the saw of players and spectators, especially spectators, I have respect for their space. I was at softball today, and like I normally do, I stand on the first baseline on two sand bags cause I can’t see over the fense without them. I just go to where people arn’t or right after them that way I’m not in the way of someone elses view. Well, what I’m getting to here is, on Wednesday I was taking photos of softball right behind the dugout over the fense, and GV had a guy who was there filming it for their highlights. I asked him if were I stood I was out of the way and he said yep, not a problem. Well a guy I’ve seen on campus before, came right up in between us and dragged a few sand bags up and stood right in front of the GV video guy. Didn’t even say anything. Well the GV left to go somewhere else and then the stupid disrespectful guy left an hour or so later and my friend was just like “he’s an ass hole, if I was that GV guy I would have knocked him out or something.” FSU beat GVSU in both games ; ) knocking them out of national rankings. Fast forward to today. I got to the game at the start of the second game, grabbed my two sand bags and found a nice spot along the first baseline fense and started to take my pics. To moms from LSSU were sitting right between me and the duggout so there wasn’t really anywhere to stand there. The rude guy walked over, say there was no where really to stand because on the first baseline there is the batting cage and a strage shed right along the fence. So he went over to the first base line and got a chair from somewhere to stand on. So as he sneeks up next to the dugout, I hear the old guy that was sitting right there say ” will you please move? I can’t see with you standing there.” And I was like YES YES YES!! So he just left in general. He’s an ass, disrepectful of others watching the game. Having respect gets me places and when you don’t have it, you are lower than dirt, that’s all.