Life in Texas

Starting Fresh!

2012-01-26T09:41:00.002-06:00

Well here we are. It's been a couple months since my latest update so I thought I'd let you all know where things stand right now. And by you all, I mean that one creepy dude who sees my blog. Yes YOU! Creepy dude! I know you're out there!

Anyway, I got through Christmas and New years and am back in Texas and back in school. Last semester ended really well and I was satisfied with the results of the classes I took. I ended up with a 3.0 GPA which is satisfactory for me. I'm hoping I can pull that up this semester. Also glad I don't have to retake any classes and didn't waste my time and money!

This semester I'm taking English part 2, History part 2, Economics part 2, Accounting part 1, and Music Appreciation. I love music appreciation! It's right up my alley and ought to be a fairly easy class to pass and fun to boot!

Christmas time was a lot of fun. I got to go back to Iowa for a couple weeks and even got quite a bit of flying in! Most of the hours I racked up were at night as well, which looks good in the logbook. Taking up friends to see Christmas lights is one of my favorite things to do!

I didn't get to see everyone that I had hoped to see while I was in town so if you're reading this and feel left out, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to skip out on you I just didn't make it around. I was going to try and head up north to visit Minnesota friends but that just didn't happen either. Time flew by faster than I thought it would! I guess that's to be expected on a vacation though.

Well I'm looking forward to another hopefully successful semester and I think it will go well. The only class I'm worried about is the Accounting class. It's pretty tough and the instructor moves quickly. Hopefully it won't be a problem!

I'll catch you all later!

"He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son in whom we have redemption; the forgiveness of sins" - Colossians 1:13-14

Bye!

Things to Come...

2011-11-12T21:33:00.002-06:00

As time passes life grows simpler as the decisions affecting life truly grow more difficult. My life has changed rather drastically in the last few months. My move to Texas has opened my eyes to the wonders of the world that God provides if only we listen. Is life perfect? Of course not, someone would be absurd to think so. However, God can provide perfect circumstances and pathways in this ever imperfect life.

I moved here for a few reasons. It started in January of this year. I have a fantastic person I'd like to share with you all. His name is Dr. Doug Snapp. He was my trumpet mentor and jazz leader at Minnesota State. He is a class act of a person and has a heart that is bigger and more golden than many people I have met. He truly cares for the people under his direction and he was my biggest inspiration for this move. If you ever question the greatness of this man's heart and the love he shows, just catch him hanging around with his wife. He has a gleam in his eye when they are together and they're an inspiration to young people everywhere. It helps that she's possibly the sweetest person I've ever met in my life. Seriously she rocks.

I slightly digress but I want everyone to know what got me in the mindset to move down here. This guy doesn't steer people wrong and always has an encouraging word to pass along. These last couple of years were hard on me. I moved away to pursue my "perfect dream".....well guess what....I screwed it up hardcore! But it's okay! Every empty pursuit of dreams or lonely path we wander in life always leads back to God if only we open ourselves to him. Jesus truly is a classy guy!

Even though my flying dreams were faltering these last two years, my trumpet playing had truly "taken off" (no pun intended). I had been playing stronger than ever. In fact I was playing things I had only dreamed of before. Dr. Snapp told me to apply to the University of North Texas. In big band circles, that's one of the best places to go. He said I'd go far. He was encouraging and pushed me to the highest skill of playing I'd ever experienced. It was truly an honor for him to compliment me with that.

I can still remember one of my last performances. It was the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire jazz festival. We had arrived last and I didn't get to hear any of the other college bands. We played a song there that I had wanted to play for years. It's a tune entitled "Send In the Clowns." A Stan Kenton arrangement of the classic song to be more precise. I was nervous and remember stumbling down to the front of the stage for my small (and ridiculously high and loud) solo. It was so short but I felt like it lasted forever. For the first time in my life I pulled it off flawlessly. Everything just flowed and it came out better than I had ever hoped it would. I just couldn't stop smiling. The last song in the set was also a fun one and I got to end that one with a tasty A above high C.

It seemed almost esoteric at the time. I can still remember everything about that set in an eerie way. Somehow I think I now realize why I remember it so well; what a great way to end a hobby. It was the icing on the cake for me. I loved that band with those people. They were so fun and encouraging! The whole reason I came down here was for the jazz but I'm slowly realizing that I am merely a decent trumpet player. I am no Maynard, or Wayne, or Snookie Young, or any other of the countless greats. I am Morgan from Des Moines. I think I have realized that I was brought here with music and am staying for so much more. I love it here, and I've barely played three notes since I got here.

A true passion is one we hold on to no matter the circumstances and it seems as though I only really love playing when I'm behind a great band with a great conductor. My career choices are beginning to takeoff and I am focusing more on pounding out a degree and getting myself a seat flying something shiny someday. I must be honest about something. I didn't even audition into a band this fall. I was so busy with getting work figured out and school in order that I didn't even attempt it. Do I miss the feeling it brings me and the joy I get? Of course. But sooner or later there's a fork in the road and we have to choose one. Just as we cannot have the Lord while enjoying all of the worlds pleasures, I cannot be the top guy in the band AND the pilot guy. One of these needs to dissolve and sadly for my beautiful Yamaha Xeno, I feel as though my love of flying far outweighs my love of playing.

Could I still do both? Sure I could find a way to do that. But I'm getting a strong vibe that it's time to click that case shut one last time. I like playing. It gives me a such a rush. I love the good feeling a great musician can give his audience. However, I love flying, and the loves in my world hold more salt than the likes. I will see what this spring brings but if I am not getting strong signs to dive back into playing than I won't. It truly has been one heck of a ride.

One last tidbit....I'd like to thank everyone who supported my playing through the years! Coming to my endless concerts and performances was quite possibly the most encouraging part of the playing! I truly enjoy playing for the people I love! You guys rock and I love you all.

Stay safe and happy out there! Life is too short for whining! (Coming from a guy who can whine with the best of them)

And remember....Keep your stick on the ice, we're all in this together!

Down to the wire

2011-11-01T09:23:00.002-06:00

Well the weather's turning nippley and the sun has started to set earlier every day. Midterms are behind me and I have one more short month of classes before I'm done with my first semester in Texas! My grades are halfway decent and I am doing pretty well balancing work and school. A couple of weeks back, I was assigned an after school route and now I make a little bit more money everyday. Life sure is good! I am quite tired after working all day and it's getting a little exhausting, however the paycheck at the end of the month is totally worth it.

I like being able to get things done and see positive results. The school work is difficult but it's nice to finally get on track and start making my way towards my career goals. Things are falling in place slowly but surely and hopefully after a few more years here, I can finish up and move on to something I enjoy doing!

This weekend my sister will be visiting and she wants to take a picture of both of us for a Christmas card. Hopefully we can send out a few for people to enjoy along with a small letter. Some people are interested in what's going on in our lives and I'm constantly being asked about how things are going from friends and family. Hopefully a small note can clear most of that up. Just know that things are positive and I'm making forward progress to a future goal.

I'm thinking of joining the Reserves after college. I have done lots of research and have found that I can "hire on" into UPT school for a certain airframe. I'm very excited at this prospect and hopefully I can find a slot with positive results. I'm not sure where the military economy will be in a few years so I'll have to play it by ear. With the Iraq war coming to a close, there will be many pilots stateside so there's a lower chance of flying opportunities. I haven't given up hope though! Hope all is well with everyone, I miss you guys up north.

Have a great week! And remember to keep your stick on the ice.....we're all in this together!

The Short Bus!

2011-09-08T20:26:00.002-06:00

I should really change the name of my blog to "the short bus" instead of "life in Texas." The short bus pretty much sums up my life right now in many ways!

I am having a ball in Texas. My classes are quite challenging and I am finding out slowly that this school thing is TOUGH. I am enjoying the learning though and I am thankful to be able to do it! There's so much going on here and I am overwhelmed by so much of it! (in a good way)

Times are tough and I have a great paying job that really makes me smile at the end of the day. I have been given the amazing opportunity to drive a special needs bus at the Denton School District. These kids are just amazing. I have a couple of students bound to wheelchairs and quite a few others that have a mental issue of one kind or another. The route is split up between elementary kids and high school kids. There's no time on my run to do a middle school route so those are the two age ranges I get to haul around. There is so much we can learn from people with disabilities, that it is truly astounding. These kids have the biggest hearts and most open ears of anyone I've ever met. They love with a passion and grace that is truly biblical. I used to really enjoy driving bus for a living, now I LOVE it!

I am having trouble with a few things in my personal life and one is my weight. As many of you know, I have been gaining a lot of weight since I started college and have become progressively heavier. I was up late the other night because I couldn't sleep and I caught myself watching an infomercial for P90X. For some reason it hit me that maybe that was something I could try and do. I made mention of it to Aunt Sherry and she surprised me by ordering the system for me and having it shipped. It showed up and I will be starting the exercising and meal plan on Monday. I am nervous and a little excited. I have a big undertaking in front of me. I hope to lose between 70 and 80 pounds. We will see how it goes and I will hopefully be giving updates every 30 days. The program is 90 days split into 3 parts.

Not much else going on here. I am in search of a church to actively attend. A friend of mine from Texas has told me of a couple that she has been to close by and I will be attending one of those either this week or next. I may just go see my sister this weekend so we shall see. Anyway I hope all is well out there in fairyland!

And remember,

Keep your stick on the ice, we're all in this together!

A Whole New Life

2011-08-26T11:36:00.002-06:00

Well as you can see I no longer live in Minnesota. And the one or two people that actually read this know where I live. However, for the distant blog follower or random stumblee, I am a southern and more country version of my former self.

I am loving life in Texas! God is good and he definitely provides me with more opportunities than I know what to do with. I am living in Denton, Texas with my fish and my cat. God's given me a job, a house, a school to go to, and food to eat. Life is pretty awesome! Last weekend I got to visit my sister Lauren who lives in Longview and we had a lot of fun wandering around causing trouble (well, not exactly but whatever.) Her church is absolutely amazing and I wish I could attend every weekend. Unfortunately the budget isn't really allowing that right now.

I am driving a special needs bus for the Denton School district and my route starts on Monday. This week I had to watch about a million hours of safety videos and powerpoints and went driving with a trainer to prove to them that I actually could drive (being from the north and all.) By the way, no offense to any Texans but you guys are terrible drivers (sorry.)

School is fun but difficult. I seem to be enjoying the challenge more this year than in previous years. I am not doing jazz band right now but I will hopefully be doing it in the spring. The jazz program at UNT is the whole reason I came down here anyway so I hope to dive in soon. I have not had the resources to do any flying yet down here but the Denton airport is a flurry of activity I'm told and a great place to rent a plane. I checked them out online and they have a LOT of airplanes available for rental. That's pretty cool as the more planes there are to rent the more experience you get on different types.

I am hoping to have open doors after college but it's going to be a few years before I can honestly think about that. I have many things I am thinking of doing after schools all done but they will all focus on flying for a living. Thanks for reading. Updates to come soon I hope.

Pested by a Pest

2011-03-25T20:47:00.002-06:00

So as I am writing this I am being yelled at by the one and only Steve Cox (vencox.blogspot.com) about not blogging for awhile. Also he is badgering me about my lack of certain "snappy titles." I'm not sure what the problem is but I'm pretty much writing this out of total spite for what he said.

What's going on in my life lately? Well I'm still living the dream. Driving school bus every day for almost six hours and working three to three and a half hours in the warehouse and yet I still have no money every month. I need to get out and do something! I am planning on attending a University next fall again and getting back on track in my schooling. There are many things I have learned over the last couple of years but one thing that sticks out the most is that I'm sitting around spinning my wheels and wasting time.

Not exactly sure yet what University to attend but there's one in Colorado, one in Wisconsin, and one in Texas. I'm leaning towards Texas but we'll see what happens. I'm looking at going to school for music and these are the three best Universities for music. My specialty is big band and UNT in Denton, Texas is the best big band school around. I figure go big or go home.

Not much else to report but I'm still happy and healthy and enjoying life. I'm blessed by many things and I'm ready to continue on, maybe to another part of the country, to see what lies in store for me there as well.

That's all for now, and remember, keep your stick on the ice, we're all in this together!

P.S. You know who really hate farts? .....Midgets

Dad came

2010-07-18T15:08:00.002-06:00

Well this weekend my dad came up to visit me. It was a lot of fun to be able to hang out with him in my neck of the woods! I got to show him around and take him to all the places I go to. We went to Minneapolis yesterday and got to chase some trains and watch some planes takeoff and land. It was a blast!

I am still working and I am looking for an evening job. I would like to work nights from 5 o'clock on. I am hoping to be making a couple of purchases in the future so I need some extra moolah!

Well that's it!

Not posted in awhile

2010-06-10T15:03:00.002-06:00

Wow! Just realized I still have a blog.

Well just a quick update on Life In Minnesota,

I have found a daytime summer job at a place called B and F fastener supply and I love it. I work in the warehouse and make deliveries. It's not my dream job but it pays the bills which I am very thankful for! I am coming down to Des Moines this weekend because Amy is looking into buying a vehicle and wants me (the big fat man who's an intimidating negotiator) to come along. This should be a treat! I am all done bus driving for the summer and thank God because I was about to light everyone on fire. Looking forward to getting back into school this fall, I haven't done to well on grades so I am excited to get in there and turn it all around. I think I will be getting an associates degree for now and then moving to Georgia for about 3 months to attend cropdusting school. I have been told you can make between 50 and 120,000 dollars in about 6 months dusting and that dusters are in very short supply. GOOD NEWS FOR A PILOT!!!

That's all for now! Sorry it's taken so long!

One Long Day

2010-03-15T02:42:00.002-06:00

Well last weekend I was supposed to be going to Des Moines to visit the fam. On the Monday of that week I was offered a trip to Fairmont for Saturday. Not wanting to pass up the opportunity to make some cash, I gladly accepted the trip and cancelled the plans I had for the weekend. (which were numerous). Well of course on Friday morning I show up to work and get told that the trip for the weekend has been cancelled. Wonderful. I am so glad I cancelled EVERYTHING so that I could sit around and do nothing. O well. I ended up visiting the Cox's which was long overdue.

Well I made all my plans for this weekend and decided that I would do everything that I had planned for last weekend on this weekend instead. Well of course I walk into work and get offered another trip to take on Saturday. I accepted and I didn't cancel any of my plans until the last minute when I knew for sure I wasn't coming home. I waited so long to cancel plans that I even forgot about some of them (I'm sorry Corrine, I completely forgot to call you).

So anyway, yesterday I ended up going on the trip which was a speech thingy headed up to St. Peter. Now, St. Peter is only about 20 minutes up the road. I had to be in the bus at 6:40 and then take the kids up to the school in St. Pete and dump them there. Unfortunately they didn't get done with their activities until about 4:35 in the afternoon and I wasn't allowed to come back to the Kato. Oh Boy. Stuck in a bus staring at pavement for 9 hours was rather grueling. Fortunately I had a friend with me that drove a bus from a neighboring school and we wandered down to Dairy Queen for like 2 hours. It was quite the long day but I'm happy to say that I was making money the whole time.

The one part of my job that I like is the very little work I have to do to make money (of which I'm EXTREMELY grateful for) but the bad part is the sheer boredom. It gets kind of painful. To make matters worse, I had nothing to do but stare at the ground. I took my laptop along but there was no internet so that was kaput in the first five minutes. Gracious. Well that's pretty much it. Off to work in a couple of hours. Let's see if THIS weekend turns out the same way.

Keep your stick on the ice, we're all in this together.

I am sick of this!!

2010-03-11T08:29:00.002-06:00

Okay, I'm going to vent about racism and if you are a part of a minority you might as well stop reading because you're going to think I'm a racist.

Okay, so on the bus I drive in the morning I have a student that is a black 2nd grader. She is the most racist person I have ever met (and I went to East High). This girl has obviously been taught this since birth. She has absolutely no care for the people around her and she literally has told me multiple times how much she hates everyone. Two weeks ago she turned around and punched a kid in the face because he was "calling her racist words". In reality, the kid was staring out the window minding his own business. After I told her to sit down (she was standing on the seat), she promptly flipped me off. The kid she punched was a white male.

Okay.......WHAT THE ****? Are you KIDDING me? When I was that old if I even talked back in a condescending tone, I was absolutely torn apart. AS IT SHOULD BE. I learned respect for adults and others in authority by learning when to keep my mouth shut. I'm totally not perfect but one thing I do know is, I would never have done this. I would be totally ashamed.

ANYway, I wrote her up (FINALLY, this had happened multiple times) and she was kicked off the bus for a week. Well Monday was her second day back. She didn't even make it a week and it happened again. I am driving along and I hear scuffling. I glance in the mirror and she is kicking a kid that was "annoying her" (I'll give her credit the kid is REALLY annoying) and then she yells "YOU BITCH!" at the top of her lungs. I slammed on the brakes and pulled into a parking lot. I turned around to see her sitting in her seat making awful faces at this other kid. If I didn't know better I would say she was sucking out his soul.

I looked at her and said, "What are you DOING??! Why are you swearing at everyone, and why do you HATE EVERYONE???" She looked me right in the eyes, RIGHT IN THE EYES, and said, "I don't care." Three little words "I don't care."

I was blown away. What do you say to someone like that? Obviously the hate for everyone white has been engrained into her psyche. I had nothing to say. I moved everyone to the back of the bus but her and she sat in solitude. I told her to scoot to the window. She didn't. I STARED at her and said that we weren't going anywhere until she did. Well, 4 1/2 minutes later (literally), she moved. WOW. I must say I have to feel bad for her. She has such a distorted image of reality and she thinks that she can do and say whatever she wants because she has been somehow oppressed.

Speaking of oppression, I am sick of minorities these days walking around with their heads the size of watermelons and demanding handouts because the have somehow been "oppressed." What the crap are you thinking? You have NOT been oppressed. Minorities, Blacks especially, have the most handouts of anyone in America. If you are a black person, you can get ahead anywhere with the same degree as anyone else. In fact you can usually get preferential treatment because somehow America owes you something. Well guess what, America owes nobody anything. I don't care if you're black, white, yellow, orange, or pink.

And I'm using the word blacks because that's what you are. I'm white. I am a white person. I am not German American or Dutch American. I AM WHITE. Very few black people are actually African American. If you were born in Africa then fine. Your African American. But usually the people that were actually born in Africa have a great deal of respect for life and the people around them. They typically aren't bigots and can find friends in anyone. However, many black people can't seem to respect anyone unless they are also black.

I have many black friends. I love them just as much as I love my other friends. However, the friends I have are great people and are who I believe to be, the minority within the black race. The kind respectful people that aren't out to get anyone and find no meaning in skin color. I treat everyone equally until they act racist towards me. Then I have lost all respect for them. I never owned slaves and I have never sprayed a fire hose of water at a crowd of blacks. I have never called anyone the N word and I have never committed any kind of hate crime WHATSOEVER. So STOP acting like I owe blacks something because I'm white! I am not a slave driver! Those people are no longer in America so GET OVER IT! I am sorry that black history sucks, but guess what, the future is brighter then the present. ALL YOU BLACKS AND OTHER MINORITIES OUT THERE, STOP LIVING IN THE PAST!!!

Sigh*.........

Anyway, when all the other kids were off the bus, I stood outside and talked to her. I even got down and crouched so that I could talk with her not AT her. I said, "Why are you so mad? Is everything okay? Are you feeling bad about something?'' And on and on. All the crap the school counselor would ask and everything I COULD ask without getting myself into trouble. She just stared blankly. She said she didn't care about anyone and that she hates everybody but the dark people. I told her I feel bad for her and I sent her on her way. I didn't yell, I spoke. What has the world come to? By the time she is old enough to put that attitude towards her benefit, there will no longer be handouts for blacks anymore. That day in age is coming to an end as people are starting to believe that things like affirmative action are merely reverse racism. I hope she makes an attitude change, for her own good.

And as mean and racist as I sound, this is purely a vent. As I said earlier, I love everyone equally until they treat me like I owe them something. Then all bets are off. But I give everyone a fair start. I was very kind towards her today and will continue to be kind to every child on the bus. That's not to say I don't get mad, but it's always quickly resolved. To all you blacks out there that get ahead in life and respect EVERYONE as human beings. I salute you. I have met some of you and I GREATLY respect how you act towards people. I believe you are the TRUE minority. And if someone is racist towards you, no matter what your skin color, religion, or ethnic background, then by all means, have at it. That's my policy. It may be a bad one, but it gives everybody a fair chance to prove to me that they are trustworthy and respectful people, no matter the race.

Keep your stick on the ice, we're all in this together.

Awhile

2010-02-17T22:47:00.002-06:00

Well it's been awhile since I've posted but not a whole lot has happened in the last month or so. Everything keeps ticking along and pretty soon you see that weeks have gone by before you know it! I haven't been to Des Moines since January 1st so I will be going down on the 6th of March Lord willing. I will also be making a stop at the Cox's in Clear Lake to take some grief from my favorite Clear Lake Baptist church pastor, Steve Cox. That guy is the man! (and I'm dating his daughter)

After I stop by there I gotta get down to Des Moines for the weekend to chill with the fam. I was fortunate enough to have Monday off of work so that was nice to be able to sleep in!

A very good friend of mine from the bus company offered something amazing to me this week. The chance to ride motorcycle's through South Dakota, Wyoming, and Colorado and back. It sounds like my dream trip and the vacation of a lifetime! Hopefully I will be doing that this summer and now I gotta go get a safety course and my test done! One more thing to tack on to my list of licenses I guess!

I've never actually ridden a motorcycle before so it should be a whole new experience! I also am hoping to be able to start taking out loans next fall to get back into some heavy duty flying! I am so antsy being on the ground all the time and it's just driving me absolutely insane! I gotta get high in the sky! I tell you what, when you know you were meant to do something it drives you nuts when you can't!

There's so much going on this summer too that I was trying to sit down and figure it all out. I have this bike trip, plus a fishing trip to Bemidji, plus an all day flight to Minneapolis and back to DSM, plus a couple weeks of driving a truck for special camp. Unfortunately all that fun stuff will have to be put on the backburners if i don't have a job to start with. I gotta pay rent you know!

Tomorrow night I am also going to start attending the Campus Bible Fellowship. I'm not sure if that is going to be a regular occurance or not but I'm going to try it out and see how it goes. I don't know if it's what I need to be doing right now but since I don't have a second job to fill that time with, there's no reason for me not to at least try it out.

Well not much to report but we're still here and it's still colder than corn dogs at the county fair.

Keep your stick on the ice, we're all in this together

Up On Time

2010-01-22T05:51:00.003-06:00

Well here we are in Minnesota at 6 am. I got up at 5 and made coffee. After turning on the news I took a shower and got all squeaky clean for the day. At 5:45 my phone rang. Apparently we are having a two hour delay today and as much trouble as I have getting up it was difficult for me to accept. That is sure frustrating. The superintendent here needs to make up her mind. When we had a snowstorm last month we got 10 inches of snow and ice and we had no delays or closings. What happened last night? What's so special about today? Why the delay? Nothing happened over night!

I am ready for summer. SUMMER.........summer....

Disgusting

2010-01-11T02:43:00.004-06:00

Okay here's the deal. If you are a person who has a fetish for dying your hair, listen up.

DONT DO IT IN THE BATHROOM SINK. PERIOD.

Ok story...

This afternoon I had a few dishes to wash. Being that I was doing them in the kitchen sink I decided to also check out the drain problem I've been having in my bathroom. My hands were already dirty so I didn't have much of an issue digging into a little home plumbing. Be that as it may, no amount of dirt on my hands could have prepared me for what I was about to experience.

The only time I actually heavily use my bathroom sink is in the mornings when I shave. I do everything else in the Kitchen because it is easier. I shaved on Thursday morning only to discover that the water wouldn't go down the drain. I left for work and two hours later returned to find that very little had drained still. SO it took the rest of the day to finish emptying which was rather troubling.

This afternoon I put a bucket under the plumbing underneath and began to unscrew things. (Don't worry I've done plumbing before) As soon as I started unscrewing the plastic PVC connector ring I knew I was in for trouble. I was knocked back by a horrifying stench. My immediate thought was "O crap, something crawled down my sink and died."

Well I was wrong but not far off. I finally got everything unscrewed and the trap (the U shaped thingy) and let it fall into the bucket. After getting a whiff of what emitted itself from the drain, I promptly leaned over the toilet and threw up. It was nauseating. I was horrified. I wanted to put everything back together and forget the project but I had to press on. No amount of clothing over my mouth prevented the stench while still allowing me to breath so I had to finish the job by sheer will power. (dramatic music begins)

I crawled under the sink to find anywhere between 12 and 15 inch long strands of hair coming out of the drain and I knew immediately what some (multiple expletives inserted here) female patron had done previous to my arrival........dyed her hair.

I will spare you the juicy details (and I mean JUICY, and sticky and smelly and so on) but needless to say I got the drain cleared. I removed a small rat sized wad of hair and dye from the sink and promptly hurled again.

After getting everything back together I ran bleach and comet down the sink with hot water for about a half hour. Finally the stench began to clear and I could finally breathe freely again. It was the most horrible thing ever.

Moral of the story, if you have a really fat boyfriend and need a substitute for Belemia for him, just dye your hair using the bathroom sink, wait about two years, and then make him go clean it out. Trust me he won't come out without blowing chunks at least once. And ladies.... do that in the bathtub or something, especially if you have long hair. The kitchen and bathroom sinks/vanities do not have the plumbing capacity to handle hair above a few inches in length (and by few inches I don't mean 20. like 2 or 3 max).

O by the way, I've been living in this apartment for 6 months now. For an entire year prior it was used as a demonstrator unit. Therefore, the grotesque mass of unearthly, vile, beastly, contemptible, coagulated, concretion that I expunged from my sink could be possibly well over 2 years old. Jeeminy Christmas.

Keep your stick on the ice, we're all in this together.

O Well

2010-01-04T09:34:00.002-06:00

Well as it has been a month since my last post I figure it's about time to post again. I returned from a week and a half break in Des Moines last nite to find that Mankato is just as cold if not colder than Iowa. After hauling everything in to the house (which took forever) I settled in and went to bed. This morning I woke up to a balmy -24 degrees and headed to work. That's -24 degrees without factoring in wind chill. Yikes.

The time I spent in Des Moines was really great. I got to see everyone (almost) and I got to hang around and just generally do nothing. However, the bills don't pay themselves so it's back to work this week. I was glad I got to spend time with people I don't get to see much. I never get to see Aunt Sherry anymore and we got to go out to lunch at one of our favorite restaurants and talk for a few hours. It was realy nice, plus she paid because it was my birthday, so that was pretty awesome too!

I also got to spend time with my sister a little and some folks from church. Amy and I watched a scary movie one night at my house. She was a little freaked out so we had to watch some stupid chick flick so that she could go back to the trailer. Actually it wasn't too bad of a movie, just kind of corny. I also got to help Amy build a puzzle which gave us plenty of quality time together to argue.

Dad took me to chicago on Monday just for fun and we went to one of our favorite hobby shops. After that we went to chicago's O'hare airport to watch planes land. I never get tired of that and it sure was fun. Yesterday morning at church I had the opportunity to play my trumpet in church. It was fun and I'm glad I took it with me to Des Moines to do that.

Next week I'm headed for semester 2 of college. It's hard to believe one semester is already done, but when you're busy the time sure seems to fly. I will be going to school for a very long time it looks like because I need ALOT of money to get the hours and degree I need to be a professional pilot. But that's alright because I like it here and if it takes a few extra years, I won't be that bothered by it. I started work this morning and to no surprise, the kids were very grouchy and annoyed. For starters it was freezing and secondly it was Monday. Not a good combo.

Well I will stop droning on and on and go ahead and end the post here. I thank everyone for the birthday wishes and Christmas presents and the prayers for my safe return home to Minnesota. I made it and I'm back in the groove of life again.

Keep your stick on the ice, we're all in this together.

It's About Time!

2009-12-04T16:41:00.002-06:00

Well here we are, it's December 4th today and yesterday was the first significant snowfall this year. It's quite late this year but I am thankful for that because I was not looking forward to driving the bus in the snow. It was quite slippery yesterday and also this morning but all went well. It sure is nerve racking to drive such a big vehicle with so many little bodies on board. School is over next week and I am ready for that as well. Hopefully next semester will go better than this semester did.

This weekend I'm headed north to the cities to see my cousin Dave and his daughter Emmie. We are going to hang out and watch airplanes at the airport and I am told that Emmie is very excited. I can't wait to hang out and get some good quality time with them and have a conversation with someone other than a cat for once.

Well not much to report but that's it. See you all later.

The Yummiest Time of the Year

2009-11-30T00:15:00.002-06:00

Well here we are. I have made it back home after a wonderful weekend in Des Moines with the family and friends. It all started off on Thursday with a trip to Grandma Howard's house and an amazing dinner of turkey, meatballs, salads, jello, and hot apple cider. Yum!

On Friday I spent the day with my pals Eric and Cliff and we went to Boone to check out the brand new high speed bridge built by the Union Pacific. It is an awesome spectacle of engineering that my Grandpa Howard would be proud of! I'm sure he would get ahold of some blueprints if he could and go over every detail of the whole thing. After spending some time running trains with Dave and the boys I took Amy to Nicks apartment and Jessica, Nick, Amy, and I all watched Top Gun on Blu-Ray on Nicks huge TV........AWESOME.

On Saturday I helped my pops get an old fridge out of the dining room to make some room for other things. It was HEAVY! After that, Amy and I made a trip to the hobby shop and picked up a few odds and ends. After this I made my way to Grandma Spencers house for a Christmas celebration of eating and bozo bingo. What a crazy night.

Well the weekend was sure full but it was great! I loved getting to see all my family and friends and hopefully will make it back for Christmas!

Short Week!

2009-11-23T00:22:00.002-06:00

Well it's exciting up here in the wilds because it is a short week and I am looking forward to not having to work half the week. The kids only go to school on Monday and Tuesday and I am heading to Des Moines to visit the family sometime after that. I will be spending time with the folks at church on Sunday morning as well and I can't wait!

School semester 1 is about to finish and I am ready to start semester 2 come next January. I think the semester ends on December 10th. It sure is different to have a whole month off school. High school had like 2 weeks and that was cool but this is awesome! Hopefully I will find somewhere to work this winter break up here to earn some dough. That would be nice. I may end up working at someplace like wal-mart but that's alright and it's a seasonal help thing.

Anyway, not much to update on but I wanted to post something since it's been a little while. Amy came to visit me this weekend and she enjoyed making cookies for me. She has fallen in love with my KitchenAid mixer. On Saturday we headed to the cities for the day and tried to find some good hobby shops. We went to 8 and 6 were out of business. Google maps sucks. We didn't find any that were really great which is unfortunate but it made for a fun day anyway.

Talk to you all later and hopefully I will see you this weekend sometime!

Another day

2009-11-11T18:11:00.002-06:00

Well life in Minnesota is going pretty well. Courtney is coming up this weekend and I am very excited to see her and to watch the Hawkeye game on Saturday! I am really looking forward to Thanksgiving because I get to head to Des Moines to see everyone and I even get to see my sister Lauren! She is coming all the way from Texas to spend Thanksgiving with us! I haven't seen her since she moved and that was way back in the beginning of March!

I am cleaning my apartment and getting things ready for Courtney's visit this weekend. After I got off of work today I went and got Emily some more food. The poor cat has been living off of cat treats for 2 days. O well she doesn't do anything around the house to hold up her end of the rent so she'll just have to be patient.

Well not much to say but life goes on.

Back To Life

2009-11-04T09:27:00.000-06:00

Well after being sick for four days I suppose it's time to try the whole "go make a living and don't get kicked out of apartment for not paying rent" thing. I went back to work this morning and the kids were surprisingly happy to see me. They said they were glad I was back. That was very nice and encouraging. Plus it was great to get out and get some fresh air!

Yesterday I went down to the office to pay rent and get the mail and it was nice to be outside for the first time in 4 days. Man it has been beautiful up here the last few days! The weather is supposed to be pretty incredible up here and I am looking forward to the weekend! I plan on going down to Des Moines and attending the train show with my dad on Saturday in Boone. Thanks for the gas money pops!

Well I'm off to jazz band in a couple of hours and it is going to be brutal since I haven't played in a week and my lips are totally chapped. AH!

Ahh college nights

2009-10-30T01:11:00.000-06:00

Well it's 2:00 in the morning and I am still up. I figured out that taking a nap during the day is a bad idea and I end up not sleeping at night. Well what did I do today? Yes. I napped. Bad idea. I am now up and am out of papers to write.

Wow I am loving the weather up here! My heat/AC bill usually runs about 60 bucks and I have had my windows open A LOT the last month. It is so gorgeous up here! Even with the rain we've had it is still beautiful temperatures! My bill this time around was 28 dollars! YES! Anything to spend a little less money! Amy is coming to visit this weekend and I am very excited! Poo poo on long distance relationships :-)

I am making some very nice friends up here and everyone is so nice! There's definitely something great about Minnesota. I was hoping to have Pastor Cox teach me how to clean deer so I could maybe save money on meat this year but unfortunately it's not going to happen this time around. Maybe next year! I am looking forward to being able to hunt the wilds of Minnesota as a resident with cheap resident rates! Pastor Cox was telling me about his big bear hunting expedition that he wants to do up in northern Minnesota and how expensive it is for out-of-staters. I wish there was some sort of reciprocity for Minnesota/Iowa/surrounding states residents. Now that I'm a resident it's gonna cost me over 2oo dollars to hunt deer in Iowa! Ouch! I don't think so! Not when I can do it up here for about 25 bucks a tag! I'm gonna have to go up north some year for fun and bag a black bear. What a story to tell the kids someday!

"Well kids, your daddy was a ruffian in college, he lived in the wilds of Minnesota and wrestled black bears Chuck Norris style." My poor children. I don't even have any and I'm already feeling bad for how embarrassing I am going to be to them :-)

Well, I wish you all the best of luck in life's endeavors! And as Uncle Red would say, "I'm pullin' for ya', we're all in this together! Keep your stick on the ice!"

Thoughts......

2009-10-16T23:09:00.000-06:00

It's time for some venting. I am loving my life in Minnesota and am hugely blessed for the positive environments that I have been exposed to such as classrooms and church. Unfortunately the only thing that ticks me off is the daily influence of high school aged kids. I am so sick of kids that have authority figures put in front of them that they totally disrespect. What is the deal with the way people are brought up? It doesn't matter how old the kid is. As long as they are under the leading of an authority figure they need to do what they're told. What these kids don't understand is that just because they have a few more freedoms, they will never be out of authority. There will always be a professor or boss to loom over them and control them. They have no idea what's in store for them when their parents kick them out of the house.

I've been watching this show on CMT called "The World's Strictest Parents." It's a show about super strict parents that take in totally crazy teen-ager's that have no respect for authority. As I watch some of the things that these kids do and how they act around people that are supposed to be controlling them, I think back to when I was a little kid and if my sisters or I screwed up, there was a consequence. I remember a simple tactic used by my parents. Spankings. I remember that sinking gut feeling when I had done something wrong and I knew that I was getting a spank from mom or dad. It made me think about what I was going to do before I acted. I can now say that that simple discipline that my parents showed me was a huge benefit for how I now instinctively act.

At work I could not imagine mouthing off to a boss or acting irresponsibly with the duties assigned to me. I couldn't imagine cussing out my parents and telling them that I hate them. Unfortunately I saw that crap every day in high school and I see it every day at work. The kids on my bus have learned very quickly that they keep their mouth shut and do what they're told for the 45 minutes that they are with me. I have a zero tolerance policy for disrespect and I am still surprised at how many pink slips I have to give out just because kids decide to cuss me out or look me in the eyes and lie about something stupid.

We have all screwed up plenty in our lives and I know that everyone could write down all kinds of stuff I have done that I'm not proud of I'm sure. However, the fact of the matter is, the teachings and disciplines I was taught by my parents and authority figures early on make me think before I act. I am remorseful when I screw up and I learn from every mistake. I see kids every day that could care less if they lie or steal. If they get caught, they only feel bad because they weren't sly enough not to get caught. They don't care at all that what they did was wrong.

I was watching the show I mentioned earlier this evening and I watched a 16 year old girl yelling at her mom and literally 90% of what she said had to be bleeped out. The mom stood there and listened and then she said something stupid like, "Well honey I didn't mean to blah blah blah..." Hello? Is anybody home? That was appalling. I would have absolutely died of guilt if I said half the stuff to my mom that she said to hers. Where do kids get off doing this stuff? The god of that house is money and t.v.

Now there's nothing wrong with money or t.v. but the point is that they are material. It's all material. Kids are growing up with no influences at all. They are self taught that they can do whatever they want because somehow they have the right. They think they have the right to do anything they want with no consequences. I feel bad for them. They are about to have a horribly rude awakening. I can't wait until they get out to the real world and find out that unless they want to be living under a bridge, they have to follow orders. It's just sad.

I hope these people grab ahold of God while they still can. I see lost people everyday but it really bothers me that they are totally ignorant and think they have control. It's scary. I pray everyday for the kids on my bus. I pray that I'm a positive influence on them at the least. I pray they aren't totally blindsided by the real world. Someday they will have to stand before God. I pray that they become his friend before that happens.

Just Checking In

2009-10-12T21:52:00.000-06:00

Hello Everyone! I just wanted to say hello. This last week has gone very well and I have had a good time at work and at school. On friday I was able to take a group of fourth graders to a place called the Jack McGowan Farm. It is a huge acreage with a pumpkin catapult, shops, and a huge history play. The whole focus of the farm is to get kids to learn about history with some fun.

This week is a pretty easy one at work, as there is teacher meetings on Thursday and Friday. Tomorrow there is also an in-service but all it means is that there is a two hour late start. I can't wait to sleep in on Thursday and Friday!

Well not much to report but just wanted to say that all is well. Thanks for reading!

Morgan

Best and Worst of the weekend

2009-10-05T07:57:00.000-06:00

So I stole this concept from Pastor Cox.

Best:
1. Drove to St. Peter for Jv and Varsity Girls Soccer. Ended up in a tie and made enough money to pay two of my bills!
2. Church was awesome on Sunday!
3. The Hawkeyes and Broncos won!

Worst:
1. My sister Courtney got real sick this week and couldn't make it up to see me. I hope she is feeling better!

That's it! Off to another week of school and work!

2009-09-29T19:17:00.000-06:00

Hello all! As this is my first posting I will be very general and I just want to give everyone an update on where I am at and what I have been up to. I started this blog because everyone that doesn't have facebook has been pounding me to know what I am up to so here is your chance to find out.

I moved to Mankato Minnesota, a small college town in southeastern Minnesota to attend MSU and obtain a degree in Professional Aviation. I love my life here and am slowly making new friends and acquaintances. I attend Grace Baptist Church and I am having a wonderful experience working as a part time route and charter driver for Yaeger Bus Service. Yaeger serves all of the Mankato area schools and a few homes and daycare centers.

School is going along well but of course there are always the usual hitches and problems but that's ok. After 12 years of school I am sure another 4 is not going to kill me. In fact I actually enjoy the looser schedule and random free time slots. College is fun!

I have met many people that have taken me in and are treating me as friends already. There is a bus driver I know who is around my age and is in my wildlife class. We are becoming friends and I have realized that I have a lot in common with him. His brother is studying in Des Moines University as a doctor in training and we talk about the city alot.

I have also met a very nice couple at work who remind me of people I know from Des Moines. They are very kind to me as well and I enjoy seeing them every day at work. MSU is a big place so hopefully there will be many friends to come and I am sure I have only met a very small amount of the people here.

I love Minnesota and I know that God has me here for a reason. I appreciate all the prayers that people in Iowa send my way and I have personally been witnessing the presence of God in my life thus far.

THANK YOU!!! Thank You for all of your support and I hope I haven't bored you! I will blog when I can to keep everyone updated so hopefully people won't feel like I'm gone totally and have left them in the dark. Have a wonderful week!