Harry Wales goes to Sandhurst
I read an interesting article about Prince Harry Windsor of England tonight. It seems that he has recently concluded his "Gap" year after HS graduation and will be reporting for training at the royal military academy at Sandhurst very soon. For those of you out there who know me well, you know that the concept of royalty has always held a great piece of my fascination with life. Have I ever dreamed about being heir to a country's throne? Haha, you better believe it. I used to joke around with my uncle Rudy about living in the ancient days of China. My statement was that I could only do it if there were a guarantee in place for me to become the emperor one day. We would both laugh when my aunt would chime in with, "That means your uncle would be around too and you would have to fight him for the throne!".
LIB Note: Haha, I kind of miss those conversations at times.
Anyways, back to Harry.....a part of me really feels sorry for the guy. For starters, he is not and never will be his brother William. Despite putting up a great front in the public eye, there has to be some lower level of envy in knowing your older (and better looking) brother will inherit the entire kingdom one day. I read somewhere that his mother was highly sensitive to this potential early on and divided up her estate to heavily favor Harry in the event of her demise.
Man, I don't know why I'm writing about this stuff. Just saw that Harry was moving on and had a hopeful thought that he would do well and make something of himself. His mother would certainly have been very proud of him.
Thursday, November 11, 2004
Tuesday, November 09, 2004
What Dreams May Come?
My sleeping pattern has been especially off the last few days. Aside from more work, it's been so cold that sleeping hamster style underneath a trio of blankets isn't effective anymore. Could that be why I had the following series of dreams last night?
Dream One: I was sitting in the middle of oblivion with a pair of turtles in my lap. Turtle number one was a typical variety that can be found at most pet stores. Its scientific name escapes me, but these guys are easily identified by red markings on the sides of their heads and necks. Turtle number two was actually a sea tortoise with a strange case of arrested development. It was the same size as the other one (sea tortoises are gigantic)!
Anyways, I remember trying in vain to get them to play together and interact. The turtle just kept moving away from each of the tortoise's advances. Finally, the tortoise got bored and turned around to walk away. Before I could even begin to react, as much as one can in the dream world, the turtle suddenly leaped onto the other's unsuspecting back. With one quick lunge it grasped the tortoise's head in its jaws and clamped down firmly.
Crunch!
Even in my hallucinogenic state of sleep, it was too much to bear and I can remember myself looking away in disgust. Soon afterwards the picture started to fade and my body slowly began to wake.
I remember thinking....Dang, that was a messed up dream!
It wasn't hard to fall asleep again.....
Dream Two: Now I was some kind of family member within an Italian crime family. My "father" was the Don and for some reason he was lying on this ornate twin sized bed in the corner of a room.
*LIB Note: This man wasn't the image of my real earthly father. He was a typical Vito Corleone looking white man. Donut....you crack me up. Too imaginative for your own good...=)
Surrounding him was a whole pack of lieutenants and soldiers. I was quietly working on some kind of project at the other end of the room. It could have been anything. Assembling a bomb? Making a salami sandwich? Rubix cube? Anyways, whatever I was doing was important and it filled me with a great sense of responsibility to finish the task. One of the senior officers eventually sent the rest of them outside for something. He then nervously asked me several times if I was anywhere near finishing my work.
I didn't trust him. The guy looked uneasy as he stared at the Don and then back at me again. He was up to something. When it was safe to do so, I somehow pulled out a Desert Eagle from thin air and cleverly camoflaged it underneath some scraps. The officer saw what I was doing. Crap!We both drew our weapons and flashed them at each other John Woo style.
*LIB Note: Overrated Chinese director and not handsome ski instructing SoCal pastor.
*LIB Note II: Desert Eagle is a powerful handgun that weighs like 10 lbs.
Mine wasn't cocked all the way. Shoot, I'm dead meat. Luckily my opponent had some kind of technical trouble as well. This allowed me to jump behind a large cabinet to fix my weapon. Once it was operational, I leaped back out and narrowly missed the oncoming bullet that he had fired in my direction. With a single shot I put one staight into his gut. The officer knelt down onto his knees and dropped his gun. My next shot went staight into his forehead and immediately made his face tighten up into a vacant stare. Feeling uncontrolled adrenaline at this point, I emptied the remaining ammo straight into his throat and the guy just slumped over onto the ground and didn't move again.
The Don had woken up at this point and began to realize what had just happened. It pleased him that his son had single handedly thwarted a lethal plot of betrayal. All I remember after that was how he kept telling me how I was a good boy and repeatedly pinched my cheek amidst an embrace. I woke up immediately after that and thought.....what the heck!!???
Analysis of events: Here are a few thoughts. I haven't dreamed anything this vivid in a long time. There was no blood spilled in either of the dreams. None....uncharacteristic for this type of manifestation. In my previous experiences, I usually wake up long before the climatic moments even unfold. So for me to finish the sequence and actually get to digest the events is a true rarity. Most of my prior dreams have been either weird of funny. Never dark like these two examples.
LIB Note: Monkey catcher driving the Sanford and Son truck.
Man, I'm kinda nervous about going to sleep tonight. Might try and read some scripture right before the sack is hit.
=P
My sleeping pattern has been especially off the last few days. Aside from more work, it's been so cold that sleeping hamster style underneath a trio of blankets isn't effective anymore. Could that be why I had the following series of dreams last night?
Dream One: I was sitting in the middle of oblivion with a pair of turtles in my lap. Turtle number one was a typical variety that can be found at most pet stores. Its scientific name escapes me, but these guys are easily identified by red markings on the sides of their heads and necks. Turtle number two was actually a sea tortoise with a strange case of arrested development. It was the same size as the other one (sea tortoises are gigantic)!
Anyways, I remember trying in vain to get them to play together and interact. The turtle just kept moving away from each of the tortoise's advances. Finally, the tortoise got bored and turned around to walk away. Before I could even begin to react, as much as one can in the dream world, the turtle suddenly leaped onto the other's unsuspecting back. With one quick lunge it grasped the tortoise's head in its jaws and clamped down firmly.
Crunch!
Even in my hallucinogenic state of sleep, it was too much to bear and I can remember myself looking away in disgust. Soon afterwards the picture started to fade and my body slowly began to wake.
I remember thinking....Dang, that was a messed up dream!
It wasn't hard to fall asleep again.....
Dream Two: Now I was some kind of family member within an Italian crime family. My "father" was the Don and for some reason he was lying on this ornate twin sized bed in the corner of a room.
*LIB Note: This man wasn't the image of my real earthly father. He was a typical Vito Corleone looking white man. Donut....you crack me up. Too imaginative for your own good...=)
Surrounding him was a whole pack of lieutenants and soldiers. I was quietly working on some kind of project at the other end of the room. It could have been anything. Assembling a bomb? Making a salami sandwich? Rubix cube? Anyways, whatever I was doing was important and it filled me with a great sense of responsibility to finish the task. One of the senior officers eventually sent the rest of them outside for something. He then nervously asked me several times if I was anywhere near finishing my work.
I didn't trust him. The guy looked uneasy as he stared at the Don and then back at me again. He was up to something. When it was safe to do so, I somehow pulled out a Desert Eagle from thin air and cleverly camoflaged it underneath some scraps. The officer saw what I was doing. Crap!We both drew our weapons and flashed them at each other John Woo style.
*LIB Note: Overrated Chinese director and not handsome ski instructing SoCal pastor.
*LIB Note II: Desert Eagle is a powerful handgun that weighs like 10 lbs.
Mine wasn't cocked all the way. Shoot, I'm dead meat. Luckily my opponent had some kind of technical trouble as well. This allowed me to jump behind a large cabinet to fix my weapon. Once it was operational, I leaped back out and narrowly missed the oncoming bullet that he had fired in my direction. With a single shot I put one staight into his gut. The officer knelt down onto his knees and dropped his gun. My next shot went staight into his forehead and immediately made his face tighten up into a vacant stare. Feeling uncontrolled adrenaline at this point, I emptied the remaining ammo straight into his throat and the guy just slumped over onto the ground and didn't move again.
The Don had woken up at this point and began to realize what had just happened. It pleased him that his son had single handedly thwarted a lethal plot of betrayal. All I remember after that was how he kept telling me how I was a good boy and repeatedly pinched my cheek amidst an embrace. I woke up immediately after that and thought.....what the heck!!???
Analysis of events: Here are a few thoughts. I haven't dreamed anything this vivid in a long time. There was no blood spilled in either of the dreams. None....uncharacteristic for this type of manifestation. In my previous experiences, I usually wake up long before the climatic moments even unfold. So for me to finish the sequence and actually get to digest the events is a true rarity. Most of my prior dreams have been either weird of funny. Never dark like these two examples.
LIB Note: Monkey catcher driving the Sanford and Son truck.
Man, I'm kinda nervous about going to sleep tonight. Might try and read some scripture right before the sack is hit.
=P
Sunday, November 07, 2004
What a Great and Meaningful Song
"Breakaway" by Kelly Clarkson
Grew up in a small town
And when the rain would fall down
I just stared out my window
Dreaming of what could be
And if I'd end up happy
I would pray (I would pray)
Trying not to reach out
But when I'd try to speak out
Felt like no one could hear me
Wanted to belong here
But something felt so wrong here
So I pray (I would pray)
I could breakaway
[Chorus:]
I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly
I'll do what it takes til' I touch the sky
I'll make a wish
Take a chance
Make a change
And breakaway
Out of the darkness and into the sun
But I won't forget all the ones that I loved
I'll take a risk
Take a chance
Make a change
And breakaway
Wanna feel the warm breeze
Sleep under a palm tree
Feel the rush of the ocean
Get onboard a fast train
Travel on a jet plane, far away (I will)
And breakaway
Buildings with a hundred floors
Swinging around revolving doors
Maybe I don't know where they'll take me but
Gotta keep moving on, moving on
Fly away, breakaway
*LIB Note: Just confirmed my final travel plans for the entire conclusion of 2004. I've always liked Kelly Clarkson's music, but this song just really hits home. In so many ways. It's totally stuck in my mind. Suddenly want to rent both of the "Princess Diaries" movies also. Oh well....Orange cats rule the world!
*LIB Note II: Thanks to my friend who let me have the posting rights to this song. I appreciate it bigtime!