If anyone ever has cause to question whether or not God loves me, they need only glance at the smug look of self satisfaction plastered on my mug as I sit in class and bask in the knowledge that the Spanish test we were supposed to take today has been pushed back at least a week. Not that I wasn't prepared for it, mind you, but the day you don't have to take a test is always a good one.

Florida Snow Days

Classes were cancelled today for all of USF's campuses because of the storm. Prayers do get answered and administrators do overcompensate their responses to hurricanes in the wake of Katrina. Everyone wins.

On top of a four day weekend, the storm brought some fun surf to the St. Pete beaches. I surfed with my brother from about 3:30 in the afternoon until around 5 or 6:00, and am feeling more worn out now than I have in a long time. Great surf, though. Not that big but clean, unlike the Destin hurricane waves which turn the gulf into a giant washing machine.

And to think, I told him to give up the singing and stick to pole vaulting.

I've just reched a new level of surreal conciousness. Little Alan Ritchson, one of Niceville High's own sons, is Aquaman. In the newest episode of Smallville, Aquaman, aka AC, aka Alan (the guy who could never seem to get to pole vaulting practice because the girls wouldn't ever leave him alone) saves a bikini'd Loise Lane from drowning. Later, the Man of Steel and the Man of... Kelp, get together to stop a device, created by Lex Luthor, that kills all sea life in its vicinity. As they've written it, Aquaman's one weakness seems to be that he needs to constantly be drining water or else he'll dry out like a beached carp. Alan seems to bring out the King of Atlantis' impulsive hardheadedness that Aquaman fans will demand. The only sad thing character wise is that he is a marine biology student at the University of Miami. While the colors of Aquaman's orange tank top and green surf trunks may be a poingent peice of coordination, my hatred for the 'Canes knows no bounds.

Alan definetly fits the role well. I mean, let's face it, the guy has always been a living, breathing greek statue, but he has definetly been keeping up with the weight banging since he left high school. His acting isn't half bad, either. I'm not sure if I'm noticing little flaws in his performance because I know him, but for the most part, they're few and far between. This is sure to be a huge step for Alan, and I know everyone from Niceville is going to be sending him the love, after this one. Probably the most exciting thing about this episode, however, is Clark's mention of a track runner at another school who runs faster than anyone should. Sounds like there's a future episode with everyone's favorite red streak in the works. I might have cast Alan in the role of Flash, myself, but the producers didn't exactly choose wrong here.

I could actually see myself getting into this show if they keep this kind of goodness going.

P.S. The best part -- Aquaman's last line while shaking Clark's hand: "Stay Super, Brah."

Serenity & Black

Everyone within the sound of my voice needs to go see Serenity. Absolutely a fantastic, fun, action-packed flick. It's fant-un-act-ed! While it is, in some way, based on the long since dead sci-fi series Fire Fly, even the least nerddy of movie goers will find themselves drawn into the plot. The characters are unforgettable, the visuals are light-years ahead of anything George Lucas has done in years, and the score is absolutely spectacular.

According to the guy at the store whom I asked tonight, the soundtrack came out two weeks ago, and for some reason has been pulled from Best Buy shelves. I was actually going to break my own pirate spirit like a cantelope on a curb by using iTunes to purchase and download the album, but -- sucks for them -- they didn't have it. Three sheets to the wind, lads!

The other great thing about Serenity was the preview for The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. Let me put it this way, because there's not really any other way I can describe it: it was like there were electrical nodes placed in each arm rest. Seriously, my hair was standing on end, my heart was racing, adrenaline was pumping. And that was just the trailer, for crying out loud.

In reading news, I have to mention this new book, Black, by Ted Dekker. The only word to describe this book is -- and it has to be in all caps, otherwise you just won't capture the magnitude of the word -- "EPIC". Seriously, go out and get this book.

It's called... Switch... A A-Yo A

Plans may, or may not, have changed on the trip home. Sulfer and brimstone started falling down in dbreck's office, so he couldn't get Friday off. I could go home alone on Friday, but I'm waiting on a phone call to see if I should just stay here. Either way, I gotta be back on Monday to get the results from my tests back. The American and British Literature classes tests went really well, I thought. The Spanish was pretty tough, but I think I got through it.

I was having some problems getting started on the whole web series thing, but after sitting in class today and making a totally kick ass flip-book in the bottom corner of a couple of dozen Keats poems has gotten me back on track.

-Thwip

Frodo's Father = Master Chief's Daddy

As many people who know anything about me might quite possibly almost think to tell you, I am a die hard Halo fan. As such, I’m rather particular about how the story of Halo is handled, which is why I was ecstatic to read this bit of news from bungie.net.

That’s right, you read correctly; the man who made Middle Earth is going to take the reins of the UNSC. You don’t need to know what either of fictitious bastions of nerddom are; you just need to know that I approve. Why does my approval matter in the least? Because I’m the guy who would sit for hours in front of a T.V. screen and keep repeating “Damn. The Master Chief would not have missed that first shot. I don’t care if I killed the grunt on the second shot, I missed the first. Better start the game over from the very beginning.” What can I say? I throw myself into the role.

I’m going back to Niceville for a long weekend with my brother and his wife this Friday. My sister’s birthday is Saturday, so we’ll go ahead and do something nice for her, like maybe think about offering to quite possibly babysitting her kids while she and her husband go out. But even that’s a long shot.

Finally, I’ve got to comment on this new web series thing I’ve been planning. I’m finding the hardest thing to get myself to do is the actual art work. Every time I think about getting started and putting some sketches on paper I just… well I usually go play Halo. I’m not sure if I have a fear of committing time to the project, or if I’m just lazy. A great man once said, “Sometimes I wonder if I have the epilepsy. But then I just go and see what’s on the T.V.”

Maybe this weekend I’ll get something done.