Life as I/you/he/she/it/we/they know(s) it.

Last week was a pothole in the happy road that is college so far. Like anyone who runs into failure, I told myself to get back to my roots. And after a lot of introspection I came up with a few important things:

Austin is good. I started to remember how excited I had felt to come here. I remembered how I realized that this place was the perfect fit for me. 6 months later, I still think I'm right, but it's harder to find a niche than I had thought. Opportunities have to be seized, and when you see something you want to grab, you can't necessarily have it. I thought I was a perfect fit for Ransom Notes - but they turned down all the basses who auditioned because nobody could sing low enough. I'm still looking into TGA, but more on that later. That said, I like the friends I have. But I need more.

Adventures needed. This is where my usual crowd comes up short: there's never anything new. It's just Halo Fridays, randomness on Saturdays and something slow and homework on Sundays. I want to go find new things. Granted, this was what I wanted, but things are *too* comfortable. For a freshman, I'm not nearly doing enough new stuff. I can already feel the four years of college slipping away and I feel almost every night like I'm missing out on something enlightening. I really wanted to go to Chicago as part of Ransom, but again, one of those things you can't necessarily have. I really do want to travel, and not necessarily just outside of the country. I've got my list of lifelong to-dos and I really don't feel like putting those kinds of things off. I want to travel, I want to hit the clubs, I want to meet a ton of random people. I'm sitting around too much.

Who's coming down? Current seniors from A-town: Mel, Kathy, Turk, you kids. Who's coming to UT and who isn't? I expect reports from all of you who are Austin-bound, because you'll naturally be welcomed into the crowd we have here.

Speaking of A-town.. I miss you guys. It's felt like a long time since the crowd got together, even if it did happen like a month ago. I'm anxiously waiting for summer (movies, building shit, driving, gamecube, CS - what else could you need?)

Gaming for everyone The gaming thought is coming back... again. I'm trying to step up my involvement in TGA, because mainstream gaming is really starting to pick up. Sports Illustrated (or ESPN mag, dunno which) ran a full-page spread on pro gamers and how kids are paying for college with their Madden Challenge winnings. It might be my dream once more to work a high-profile job in the industry, or maybe make competitive gaming happen. I can definitely see myself on the cover of a magazine as the mastermind of that sort of thing. But hey, if it can go on a resume, you've got to be getting somewhere.

Except when tendonitis strikes. That's not fun.

My apologies for not being around lately

But I've been flippin' out over here for the last few days. Why, you ask? I'm auditioning for the Ransom Notes on Wednesday night, and it's taking a toll on me. They're a bad ass acappella group (check their audio samples for evidence) and really nice guys and girls to boot. For the audition, I'm working up the song "Southern Girl" off the new Incubus album, and I'm having a good time of it, even if the song is basically on loop whenever I get the chance to practice singing over and over again without driving my roommate insane. Since the information session last Wednesday, I've been losing sleep over this audition, because the stakes are just that high. I don't really have anything to lose, as my dear friend and Ransom fan Abby is quick to point out, but I remind myself I stand to gain a lot: not only all the good times, friends, and coolness factor of being in UT's only acappella group, but they're headed to Chicago for spring break to tour, which I really think I'd enjoy. The information session (at which everyone sang a little) went really, really well, so my hopes are up.

But that's not the only reason I went missing. Tendonitis is kicking my ass once again, which is keeping me from finishing Deus Ex, doing defensive driving, and playing lots more Halo and Mario Kart (I'm onto unlocking staff ghosts, everyone should try it). And talking over IM. And playing CS with everyone online - Alex invited me to play last night and I felt really bad about having to say nay. I shall return with a vengeance, and victory shall yet be mine!

But until then, it kinda hurts to type.