To my friends
Current mood: refreshed

I believe: to truly know love, you must have at some point in your life truly known hate; you can't know right, unless you have seen wrong; you can not fully grasp the privilege of wealth until you have scraped together all your change and realized it's not even enough to buy ramen; and you won't realize the value of true friendship until you've felt all alone.

I have some of the greatest friends in the world. I know their lives are not centered around mine; that they are not here purely for my pleasure. I know that when I miss them, they miss me too.

I also understand that when they are busy with work, or school, or sometimes both they would much rather be hanging out with me. The whole point of working is to enable ourselves financially to do whatever it is that we enjoy (like hanging out with me).

I also know that as we age, our priorities in life will change... or at least I hope they will. It's part of growing up. Somehow I have reached that age of 25 and haven't attended a friend's wedding yet; but I know it's coming. At some point Grant and I will no longer be able to live together... one of us will get married and start a family with some really lucky girl.

I know that all of my friends will eventually find someone that will make them happy in ways that a) I don't want to and b) that I can't. When this happens, we probably won't hang out as much and their attention will change from drunken fun to something more lasting. I'm okay with this because, as a friend, I want them to be happy.

Grant and I are both in serious relationships right now. We live together which at times is challenging, but for the most part has truly enhanced my life. We spend a lot of our time with the ones we love, yet we always find time to have "guy time." It's as simple as saying, "Hey why don't you and I go grab a beer sometime.

What brought all this on? It was a blog I read that made me realize how valuable an unselfish friendship really is.

Maybe that's just a guy thing though. Maybe we don't need to be up each other's butts to feel like we are still friends. Maybe it's just a mutual respect that comes along with true friendship. Maybe it's that I trust that my friends are going to do what makes them happy, and that makes me happy too.

So thanks to all my friends for being geniuine. Now let's go get a beer, shoot some pool, scratch our balls, fart, and talk about the girl on the patio with the nice rack.

Currently listening : Leave a Whisper By Shinedown Release date: 15 June, 2004

6:26 PM - 5 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

Auto accident

Go here to see what used to be my car.

http://photobucket.com/albums/c219/wesottinger/

1:19 PM - 2 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Blog the dog...
Current mood: frustrated
Category: Pets and Animals

I now live with one of my best-friends (Grant), his black lab (Hunter), and his cat (Bailey). If you know me, you know that I absolutely love animals.

I'm the guy who stops on back country roads and highways to rescue turtles from the impending doom of 18 wheelers. Animal Planet is one of my favorite channels and I could hang out in a zoo all day. When someone leaves town and needs to drop an animal off somewhere, I'm usually the guy who takes it in for the weekend.

Hunter is your typical goof-ball lab. You can't help but love him. He has a beautiful black coat that covers not only him... but everything else as well. He reminds me of that little kid that randomly walks up to you and gives you hugs and kisses... big wet kisses, and he's a chatter box. He will sit there looking at you and begin with this half bark, half growl, half howl. Yes that is three halves... he's a big dog.

Last night began like any other night after work. I stayed late at the office making sure I hadn't missed anything and that everything was ready for the next day, then drove home. When I arrive, I empty my pockets, say hello to Hunter, Bailey, and Lily, and begin to walk to the back door to let them out.

About 15 feet from the back door I notice that carpet is in the beginning stages of destruction. I'm assuming that this is from Bailey clawing at the back door because he wants to go out. As I reach the back door, I notice a nice sloppy wet poop. It looked as if someone had dropped their very large chocolate ice cream cone on the floor and it had begun to melt into the carpet. The mere size of it clears Lily and Bailey of all suspicion.

My enthusiasm about whatever the night might bring is now slightly diminished. I call Grant to see if he is coming home anytime soon. Normally I would just clean it up and let Grant know that his dog might be sick. 

At this point in time I have already come home twice to a kitchen full of coffee grounds, paper, partially chewed zip lock baggies, chicken bones, and other miscellaneous items from the trash. Have you ever seen a kitchen floor covered in a weeks worth of coffee grounds? You could plant corn right there in your kitchen.

So I decide I'm going to save this one for Grant if at all possible. I call and he's not going to be home for a while. So I grab the resolve and get to cleaning. As I finish up with the nastiness that is the result of eating coffee grounds and chicken bones, I notice another spot. How silly of me to think it would all be in one spot.

So I begin to clean this one as well. My frustration level is now at about a six on the "one to ten" scale. As I begin spraying Resolve on this newfound pile of joy, my can stops spraying. Awesome, one pool of poop to go and I'm out of ammo. So I go to the counter, pack all my stuff back into my pockets, and head to Wal-Mart.

Wal-Mart was uneventful, I talked to a few friends and calmed down a bit. My whole trip took about thirty minutes and I was feeling much better upon arriving home. As I walk in the door, I immediately notice cardboard shrapnel distributed throughout the living room, along with trash that I had foolishly stashed inside of the cardboard that once resembled a box. I'm now more than a little frustrated. I felt like I was in Turner and Hooch.

This is when the explicative train began. I have gone from level three pissed off to level seven. My judgement is now slightly clouded and I can feel the twinges of desire to return my frustration back to Hunter in a painful way. This is not like me... I have never even hit my own dog. I try to calm myself down and begin picking up the trash. I gather everything onto the largest chunk of cardboard I can find and return it to the trash can.

Once in the kitchen I notice large yellow bread-like crumbs on the counter. I also notice that the large white plastic bowl that had previously been turned upside down on top of a cake was now right-side up, and the plate that the cake had been sitting on was now empty. I had been thinking about this cake, and how nicely it would go with an ice cold glass of milk, all day. I was looking forward to that sweet, moist, yellow center, and milk chocolate coating. Now it was gone, without even a morsel passing through my lips.

It was all in the belly of Hunter... a dog... who shouldn't eat chocolate or cake... definitely not a whole cake with about a pound of chocolate icing covering it. I am now at a level 10 of "angry dog haterness."

At that point in the evening I hated this dog for so many reasons. He pooped on my floor and I forgave him. He strung trash all over my living room and I scolded him. When he ate my chocolate encased happiness, I lost it. I grabbed him, drug him into Grant's room, flipped him on his back, got in his face and yelled things that probably made the blackest demons in hell cringe. I was on the verge of becoming violent and decided it was best if I just left.

Last night was the first time I ever went to a bar alone.

7:49 AM - 4 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment

The color quiz says:

Your Existing Situation
Is seeking a solution to existing problems or anxieties, but is liable to find it difficult to decide on a right course to follow.

Your Stress Sources
Wants a partner with whom he can share fully in an atmosphere of cloudless serenity, but his compulsion to demonstrate his individuality leads him to adopt a critical and demanding attitude. This introduces discord and leads to alternating periods of drawing closer and drawing apart, so that the ideal state he desires is not allowed to develop. Despite the urge to gratify his natural desires, he imposes a considerable self-restraint on his instincts in the belief that this demonstrates his superiority and raises him above the common herd. Discerning, critical and particular, having taste and discrimination. These qualities, combined with his tendency to judge things for himself and to express his opinions with authority. He enjoys the original, the ingenious and the subtle, striving to ally himself with others of similar taste who can help him in his intellectual unfolding. Desires admiration and the esteem of others.

Your Restrained Characteristics
Circumstances are forcing him to compromise, to restrain his demands and hopes, and to forgo for the time being some of the things he wants.

Your Desired Objective
Strives for a life rich in activity and experience, and for a close bond offering sexual and emotional fulfillment.

Your Actual Problem
Takes a delight in action and wants to be respected and esteemed for his personal accomplishments.

Your Actual Problem #2
Wants to act freely and uninhibitedly, but is restrained by his need to have things on a rational, consistent, and clearly-defined basis.

2:20 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

I'm a little nervous...
Category: Jobs, Work, Careers

Okay so one of our customers is having a show in Red Oak on Friday, and guess who got designated to work it. ME!

I've worked shows before, but never by myself. I guess I'm a little nervous just because I haven't done it before. I know it'll be okay.

I thought blogging it would make realize how rediculous it is that I'm nervous, but it's not.

Ahh to hell with it... I'll let y'all know how it goes.

2:12 PM - 4 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

The Chicken Cabo
Current mood: pleased

Normally I wouldn't blog a sandwich, but this sandwich is exceptional. Quizno's has some great marketing. I saw the commercial for this sandwich (the one with the baby on the beach who is later strapped to some famous beach volleyball players chest) like a hundred times. It was a rough weekend... lots of time spent on the couch recovering.

By the way did it bother anyone else that, if the volleyball chick ever dove for the ball, the baby was going be squished.

Back to the sandwich... this thing has melted chedder, chicken, guacamole, bacon, a few slices of tomato, and some spicy sauce on it. If you haven't had one... do so. It' spectacular.

Currently watching : Lost - The Complete First Season Release date: 06 September, 2005

12:28 PM - 3 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

Warning! I'm not as easy as I look...
Current mood: frustrated

Currently listening : Crossfade By Crossfade Release date: 13 April, 2004

11:07 AM - 3 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment

Sometimes I make bad decisions.
Current mood: embarrassed

So last night Grant and I decide to go to Sherlocks in Addison.  We have a merry time drinking and getting our asses kicked at pool. A little before 12:00 am we decide it's time to go.

We hop out on the tollway headed south and Grant is in front of me.  I immediately pass him and in no time we are up to 100 mph.  Grant likes to try and keep up with me.

I decide this time he's not even going to get close and floor it.  I look down at the speedometer and I'm going 130 mph.  The fastest I have ever gone is 135 mph, so I decide since I'm already going this fast I might as well see what my car will top out at.

I top a small hill going 140 mph and notice a car parked on the right side of the road.  It's black and white so I slam on the breaks.  I get back down to 100 mph before I'm even with him.

I see the cop turn on his headlights and I'm pretty sure he's not coming after anyone else.  I slowly get all the way over to the right and pull over before he can really even catch up to me.  Looking back I wonder if I had just stayed on the accelerator instead of breaking if I would have been fast enough to be out of his sight before he could catch up.

He clocked me going 131 in a 55.  That's 76 mph over the speed limit.  Needless to say I didn't get a warning, but I'm lucky I didn't go to jail.  I contacted a lawyer this morning, but haven't heard back yet; so if anyone knows of a good lawyer I could probably use the help.

8:26 AM - 1 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment