Final Times at Ann Arbor

Well that time of year is here, that it is ending soon. And for some reason everything starts to pile up on you, very very quickly. It started out with a ton of school work, studying and writing papers for all my classes, but I also was able to go to two orchestra concerts, a St. Mary Dance and had a mini dance party at Rina´s house with a couple of buddies. Like to dance salsa or swing? Well, we got you covered! Hahaha it was good to spend time with them before I left. But it was also physically exhausting as I started to get sick in the mix of all the packing and studying and hanging I had to do.
What a memorable time!

The Saint Mary Dance with Mark and Ashley

Me Mark and Brad goffing off
at Rina´s garage

I also had my chatecism kids´First Communion. I had worked with these kids all year,w orking for their first reconsiliation the first semester and their first communion for this semester. I had 5-6 graders and after they figured out I am a cool guy, we started to get really into it. They ended up understanding everthing within context of the scripture and tradition and they began to asnwer so many good quality questions that I am not even accostomed to hear from adults. It was great. And then we had rehersal Friday afternoon and the big mass Saturday. I was so proud of my kids: they were ready to recieve Christ for the first time because of all the work I put into them; they were a product of my hard work and focus. It was awesome that I had a direct effect on their lives and they will always carry that. Wonderful. I wish I had as cool a chatechism teacher as they had.

My Catechism Kids

I have to tell you of my intence philosophy paper. It was over Averroes and his question of wether or not God, an unchanging and eternal being can know the changing and temporal world. The argument goes that if God never changes, how can he know things that do change, like the wether, our beleifs and events. How can his knowledge be one even though knowledge must change according to the change of the world? Anyhow, that was my topic at hand and I had to adress a few issues and at the end I made an awesome 2200 word paper. IT was sweet. Took a lot of work and ended up working up till I had to turn it in. Success is beautiful.

This past week I was loaded as well. Friday was hectic. It was the UCO Final. John asked me to make the slide show. So I started to work on it first thing after my Stats final. It took me all week to study for the sucker and I think I did aweful. But you can only do so much. So I worked a lot on this slide show, from that night till 3am then started first thing the following day and went all the way to 5:20. And I was like awwww, dang it! It was the first time all year that we had 80 degree wether and I was shut up all day in my room working on the slideshow. But it was done and even though the event started at 6, I wanted to play ball! So I did! I went out and owned on the blacktop and then get in like at 6:20 and showered and changed and grabbed my magic props and then left to the place. And it was a beautiful day, just wonderful. And the slideshow went wonderful as well. Check it out and tell me what you think.

After being there for a while I took off cause I had a magic show...yes! I had a magic show! First one in a while! Like a year and a hlaf! For those of you who dont know I did magic professionally for 3 years from 10th-12th grade in high school through the summer until I began college, and once I got here I was so involved with classes and the christian community and basketall that there was just no time. But since things were loosining up here at the end I figured out I could take a show and thats just what I did. I grabbed my bag and left the finaly a bit early and got my game face on and went over to the place. And it was AWESOME! I got there and they delayed it for a while so I got to meat all the people there and get comfortable before I started. And then I went all out, which was only appropriate because the host also went all out. They decorated the whole appartment with magic themed stuff and even had magic potion and magic streamers and a magic flag and had a fog machine that went off for my entrance and after each trick. And they went nuts! They loved it! YOu have no idea! There was so much anticipation going into the show, especially scine most people didnt beleive there was an actual magician that was going to perform. But once I got started, epople were ready and went bonkers! Complete bonkers! Lets just say that I amde a lot of friends that night and had another fan club started here in Ann Arbor. It was great. Absolutely great.

DP the Great!!!

As that face attests, I dazzled everyone

What can I say?
I get a fan club everywhere I go

Saturday, the 24th we had a surprise birthday aprty for Rina who is truning 19. We got one of friends Chris Flanagan who has a bike to pick her up for a short ride and then instead bring her to the huron river where the gang was there awaiting. Then we got conoes and took off. It was so much fun! Then of course it started to rain and hail and thunderstorm, and of course the girls got scrared so we had to go to the side of the river and that ment of course that I had to drag the boat back mostly by myself. Hahaha it was such an adventure and I had so much fun. After that we went to Mark´s house to celebrate and that was good times.

The Survivors

Rina´s response to her guitar birthday cake

Sunday I went to Christ the King for the last time and then went to packing, or trying to pack. Always so much stuff going on its so hard to get down to it. And that followed on monday. I was working on packing. I fannialy got my boxes so I went to work. I had 3 medium to ship with books and shoes and some clothes and 2 large ones to pack with jackets and winter clothes and bedding. And my roomates that are in that same philosophy class were studying up a storm. But I went to a party instead. I went to this blueplex party in Ypsi. Its the women´s household there and they were having an end of the year party cause Eastern Michigan was done with the school. And that was cool. Got to hang out with some women that I have never met before and chill with the guys.

Blueplex party

Tuesday was weird. I woke up and I wasnt feeling good. Like at all. I got up early to start studying on my exam. I was up by 8 and went to study. And all of assuden I feel asleep at 11...and then woke up at 1! I was like, holy cow! ANd right then I get a text message from Will the Head Manager to come meet him at the office to get my Letter Jacket! So I run over and we got to Schembeckler Hall were football is and I got my jacket right away! And It looks tight! Just thing, I will always have this jacket. It is something that I can wear and have and is a simbole of Michigan and I am apart of that great legacy. I see old men come to Crisler all the theime wearing their old letter jackets. Some day I can too. THis is awesome, a distinction, a recognition that I can keep forever. Really really cool. Ad no, its not just like a high school letterman, this si a varsity Michigan Letter Jacket. Its ligit; the real deal.


Then I was on the move again. I shipped my 3 boxes with the help of Bethie. Then I had to go back and forth and get stuff done. And then I took a nap. Slept for liek another 2 hours. I really was feeling light headed and buzzy and my stomach was not good. But I kept on moving cause I had too. Then the dormtroopers went to go play lazertag cause there was a tuesday special. And of course I wanted to go and show my aweful colour blind skillz. But I was still feeling really bad. But you either live happy or die tryin, so that what I did. And it was fun and I didnt do as bad as I thought I would. THen some of my buddies came over to the Dude for the last time to hang with me. Of course there were the dudes but also Rina, Ashely and Bethie and her sister Sarah. It was like the last time we would see eachother to perhaps late August. So we made the best of it makeing fun of eachother in scategories. It was great haha and Brad is so FUNNY! Finally whern his girlfriend left that boy is amazing! He is so funny and so much fun to be with. Dang, Bethany should just stay up there and let Brad be Brad! Jealousy?...yeah, you could say that. But dang he was so much fun. It was a pretty emptional goodbye but its all good, Ill be back in 4 months!



Weds was another full day. I woke up feeling aweful. No work out. Study. Study...cant dang it! I had to pack them last boxes and clean. THen I had to go to the basketball office one last time to pick up some things. Then I had to get a blue book and then this and that. So I finally get to Angell Hall super worn out super tired and sucked out of energy and I had 30 minutes to get ready for my final, of which 10 were spent in the bathroom. Yeah, it sucked. But the final didnt turn out to bad, nt at all. They were either short essays or long essays which allowed me to explain myself. And what was better yet, even thoug I didnt get to go over the topics study wise, I was able to talk and explain most of them with MArk and Ashley the day before. So I had at least thought of responces and I just wrote them out! Wow, that was awesome! Thank God.

But the day was far from over. I got back and did my best to finish packing my boxes for storage. Everything that was not in those boxes had to go with me on the plane. I called Bethie and she came by to take me and the boxes to the Caldwells. That was funny too cause I played a little joke with Rina, saying I was not going to be at her house to drop off the boxes but really went to surprise her only to find that she wasnt there because I told her I wouldnt be there haha. BUt then we found eachother and us 3 went on a tour of Eastern Campus. It is a very clean and nice looking campus, well, except for the dorms. THey have a lot more dorms than I thought they would, being a communer school. I thought, who would ever want to say they live int he dorms at Easter? hahaha. They looked like prison cells! THey really did hahaha. But the rest of campus was very nice and clean. It reminded me a lot of Delmar College here in Corpus. It was nice and modern and clean, but you know what, it had no passion, it had no soul, it had no antiquity of style that really shone off to the rest of the campus. It was not beautiful or while or charming like the Ann Arbor Campus. It was not alive. But thats ok; not every campus has to be as cool as Yale or Notre Dame or Michigan. Haha

I got back to the empty dorm at 9pm to meet with the guys. It was our very last time that the fellowship of the Pentadude would be united. It was the last time. We went to David´s house and built a bon fire and talked and smoked pipes and chilled for a long time. It was great, becasue a lot of these guys are seniors that are moving on. And for the rest of us, well most are in household int he summer there in Ann Arbor but I am back in Texas. So either way, i might not see them for 4-8 months. It was a very special moment...well, besides the fact that I became super sick. My stomach was killing me and I was so light headed and dizzy and baaa it was awesful. I stayed next to the fire to stay warm. But when I left it I was shivering like mad even though I didnt feel that cold. I dont know...all I know was that it was my last night there in Ann Arbor and it was suppose to be super cool but I was feeling awful but I tried to make the best of it.

Last time, baby!
The Pentadude will live forever in our hearts!

Of couse I got back at the Dude at 2:30am and slept in my bare matrice in my clothes and zipper hoody to stay warm. I got up at 6am to get my bags and meet my godmother, Miriam Torrez and drive to the Detroit Airport. And it all worked out. I had to make sure my luggage would change with me cause I was going American half the way and Contenental the rest. And of course I was stuck in the plane for an hour and a half on the runway with American (cause American sucks, every time) and then missed my other flight and got back to Texas 2 hours after the original plan, but the fact was that I was back, in Texas, that once used to be my home and now where I reside for 4 months of the year. It felt like I haddnt been gone. I felt like I jsut seen my parents and brothers, even though my brothers looked taller and my parent slooked older, haha, but you get the picture. It was good to be home, in hot, humid, and sun-killing flat Texas. Its good. Yee-hawww!!

Spiderman, Cops, Evacuations and Konvicted

This day was awesome. So here is the groove: Apparently some girl´s purse was stolen during a lecture and jsut when the robbers were getting away, Spiderman came out of no where and kicked their butt! But dont worry, if Spiderman woudlnt have stopped them the cops would have. And I am not exaderating here: the cops did show up, and blockaded the corner with police vehicles, assult rifles and bullet proff vests and parametics and the whole enchillada. And who caused it?...well, I was appart of it, I admit.

So this is what happened. We had out alst musicology lecture, one of the most borring classes ever. I dont know how this man did it but he makes music boring. I just dont understand it. So 2/3 of the classes I skip and get school work or basketball work done and look at the slides latter and the other 1/3 I go and sleep during the lecture and just wake up for music videos, and then look at the slides latter. Either way, you get the idea: the lecture is a waste of time and I think Napolian Dynamite could make music more interesting. Anyhow, this was our target. Game plan: Will Cannon and Chris Flanagan were going to run in with Ski Masks and take a planted girl´spurse and run to the other side of the auditorium and just when they get there I was going to jump up from admist the crown and yell "HEY! You cant do that!!!" and the dude stops and turnes arund and Spiderman jumps over the little railway and takes him out and his partner and return the purse and missiona ccomplished. So why do it in class? Cause its boring and we want to make it exciteing and perhaps we want more youtube views. Either way, it was a good idea. So...what really happened you ask?...

We finally got to a musician that I knew and liked, namely Shakira. And then we were going to watch a music video to display her artistic qualities, so right when the dudes run in the lecture, the boring professor guy turned off the lights, so that when you heard this scream and me yelling and everything it was all dark with only the light of the projector making a faint gleam around the bodies. And then someone else flying throught the air, namely spiderman and more yelling and finally the lights turned on and there was apparently 2 full grown men in ski suits fighting a guy in a red webbed suit...and some random guy filming the whole thing (who knows who that was). And so out of horror, one finally sees that this is all acted and planned out. Well, apparently it didnt happen soon enough because there were 2 people who called 911 while the commotion happened. So after the whole thing, everything is laughing and I sit back down casually and the professor asked what just happened and the reason behind it and was making jokes the hwole time and someone says that spiderman made a previous apperance a tthe campus and everyone is laughing. So he goes on with his lecture and this older man comes in and walks to were the proff is standing to try and talk to him but the boring proffesor didnt see him. So when he does finally turn around to see this big bald guy he gives a shrike and asked where he came from. So the dude says, well, we are on emergency lock down because of reports of an assult and the police are evacuating the whole building. The professor looked at him and said "Well, I have a minute and a hlaf of lecture left and I intend to use it." And so we did and everyone left and got their term papers laughing and stuff. People were asking me about it and it was all merry.

So I go outside and meet with the buddis and I am just lauhgin out loud and start saying that the copps evacuated the hwole building and everything and then Alex was like, dude, be quite, dont talk so loud and right before I know it I turn around and there is a cop standing righ behind me! "Excuse me but I have to ask you to leave the premise torwards the street. This place is being evacuated." Oh dear. So apparently somone had reported that a gun was invloved and so as we walked out we saw that the entire block was surrounded by police vehicles and cops were everywere with bullet proff vests and there were assult rifles and the whole shabom...and yeah, me and 3 others caused it. Hahaha. So David, being the good citizen he is, turned himself in and told the cops what was going on and that there were no guns involved so that they could lower the alarm. So I go and talk to him and help him out and yes, it was quite a sight to behold and I felt like I had just gotten away with murder when in reality I was just having fun and didnt do anything wrong at all. It was great.


I went to play ball and owned and it was great. Hit 3 3pointers starit in the last two games to seal them up. THen I took off to see that there were 8 missed phone calls from the guys and all these texts messages. Apparently the DPS wanted my camera to prove that there were no guns invloved. Hahaha. It was great. And then later that nigth I went to Rina´s house and while talking to her father who works up in North Campus with the Engenering school said that they had gotten an alert fromt hre Univeristy to all the faculty about an apparent assult at the MLB on central campus and that they woudl be notified later with the details. Then they got another one later saying that it was a bunch of students that had made a superhero act. And so he is saying this and me and Brad, who were both in it look at eachother and just start laughing. We were like, uh, that was us, we caused all that. And he was like, What?? And we told him the whole story and it was awesome. We talked and laughed for about half an hour. Ahh it was awesome. What a day. I dont know if I will ever be able to top that. Dont worry, the movie will come out soon when the DPS gives us the ok.

Check out the Report

Easter, Baby! Christ has Risen! And Ashley´s Confirmation!

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Well Easter is comming up and I am really excited for everything that is going to take place and cant wait to feel the Lord at work during this time. I love this time of year, Holy Thrusday, Good Friday, and of course the Easter Vigil at Christ the King. Very Epic. Very epic indeed.

THursday was the first day of teh Tridium. I was glad to be taken in with the Caldwell family to have the cedar meal. The cedar meal was the meal us Christians have in memory of the Passover when the Hebrews were in Egypt in their last effort to be freed from Pharaoh´s hand. So there are some bitter herbs and flat bread and lamb. It was great. Along with our dandy little brown book from the community, the same one my family has back home, we went through the ceremony and I was very honored to be with them and taken in at this time of celebration when I am away from home. The mass was spectacular and very full for a Holy Thursday mass. That only gave a slight peak for the things to come.


That night we had a Good Friday Vigil on the diag held my UCO. I thought it was well done, with good things to meditate on and a big wooden cross that we moved throughout the Diag. THen we had shifts over the night for people to stay and pray with the cross. Very powerful.

UCO Good Friday Vigil

Friday was almost the same deal. I didnt go to clases at all. Infact, I stoped doing anything school wise since that Cedar meal. No more. It was time to feel the Lord and dwell in what he has done for us. And it was well worth it. The mass on Friday was very somber yet very powerful. Again Rina and her family took me in, and what a time. After the mass the youth there had a love stations of teh cross and it was great to see them and talk to them afterwords. At Rina´s house we hung for a w hile and then wathed the passion of the Christ, and every time I watch that movie it makes me pumped. I dont know if that sounds right, but I cringe and then it pumps me up to live for the Lord. THat might be a weird effect, btu thats what happends. I see what Jesus did for me and I do cringe, its painful to see himself allow to be torchered in a way that is veiwed as the most painful way to die in human history. Its is painful, but it makes me strong, knowing that he did that for me and the rest of the world and there is no reason on earth I should not give my life for him and live for him every moment of every day. It inspired me and "pumps" me to be better. it challenges me and even though this is a movie you cant watch often, it still gies me that inspired feeling. It was great.

The whole week I had slept very litte, between 4-6 hours a night. But again I went to bed late and again I had to get up early. I had a basketball clinic with some kids of the community and the basketball team. Had to get all taht done and prepared for and then nothing much to do but wait and help with give aways and signatures.

But wafterwards it was pretty crazy. I had to find a suit for both easter and the basketball banquet on Monday. I finally foundone I could use with the seromics, so I rushed and got the suit and picked some flowers for Ashley´s confirmation. Yes, Ashley, my good friend, was getting confirmed int eh catholic church today and I was so excited! I was kinda like the dude that got the ball rolling on this one. She told me that she had not gotten confirmed in High Shcool and I told her she should get it sooner than later and egan looking into it and then we found Rina as the option sent my heaven for Ashley. The the last two days was just full of excitment for us three to see this event to finally come to place. So yeah, I bought flowers for the best time in my life and I thought they looked cool. I mean, I didnt feel ashamed holding them in my hands and walking around, they were that cool. Definately Pinedo Approved. Then I had to get ready and get my gifts for shely ready,a nd also prepare this sweet magic trick. I literally came up with the trick in my head the nigth before that was very complicated but very amazing. I have never heard of anything like this before, and it was all ust me thinking of what I wanted and how it could be done and somehow it pulled together which was awesome considering that I never had a chance to practice it and it was probbobly the most difficult and complicated trick I have ever done.

Right when I got there I gave her the flowers and then did the trick. This is what went down: Ashley picked the four of hearts. So there I went, got her card, wrote Ashley on the top left corner on the red heart and ripped the corner off. I put the corner down and gave Ashley the rest of the torn card to hold on too. Second, I asked Mrs. Caldwell if she could shuffle, and everyone laughed when she said emphatically “No!” hahaha. So I had her cut and she put the card in the middle and closed the deck. I then procedded to put the cards in the deck. I then put the closed and sealed deck on the little table next to the couch. I put tissue paper over the case case, just to cover it. And then I pulled out the lighter and slowly lit the middle of the paper so that it exploaded in flames all around it. The girls just staired at it with big eyes and covered mouths. I then slowely asked Ahsley to hand Rina the torn card that she had in her hands and pick up the deck. I told her it was still warm but ok. She was hesitant but carefully picked up the deck. At this point she still didn’t know what was inside. She didn’t feel it at least. I told her to slowly open the lid and see if all the cards disappeared leaving the one corner alone. She looked at me several times before she finally opened it and saw her black phone sticking out and then just rolled her head back and ensued in laughter. “Hahaha, I knew it! I knew you would make it appear! Hahaha!” And she thought the trick was over. She just kept laughing and Rina was there as well laughing. I told her to check her phone. Two missed messages. I told her to check the massages, but before she could, she exited the notice and then yelled again as she toticed that her signed torn 4 of hearts was on her wallpaper on her phone! She was going nuts and Rina too started going off! Haha, and then I told her to check her messages and she opened it up and it was a text and it said simply “4 of hearts” and she laughed even louder this time up and down and then showed Rina and she too did the same thing. I then put the phone down and matched the card with the corner on the wallpaper and it was a perfect fit, which let them loose again. How on earth did that corner get there so perfect!!?? I gave it back to the girls and they were so impressed and wowed, it was great. Wow that was a hard trick, but somehow I managed to get Ahsley´s signed croner of her selected card on her wallpaper after I had lit the deck on fire and there it was, a perfect match with the other part of the card, with a random text that had the selected card. I had just done the impossible and greatly impressed everyone. It was nuts. But that wasnt even the most magical part of the day.

The Excitment of finding the corner of the card
on the wallpaper of the phone. Perfect Match

We took pictures of course and then headed over to Christ the King. Noww this is the most epic mass there like ever. They go all out, literally. They have a huge chior and instrucments ranging formt he guitar to flute to eastern and jewish instruments to 2 harps...2 harps! Holy Cow! The place was loaded, but I was luck enough to be going with Ashley, who reserved me a seat since her family was there. So I was in the family group, it was pretty cool. And then the mass started and the Spirit just came down and hooked me from the back and just carried me up and down the entire mass! I was so overwelmed by the Spirit, it felt like we were playing, playing up and down and just fully entranced with teh Lord. Most of the time, and this was especially the case with the last two masses, when I feel the Lord I am very at peace and I can feel him just surrounding me and covering me. But this time I felt the spirit just lift me and give me full of enrgy and passion. Then the Gloria and oh my goodness! I remember the one from last year and was looking forward to this one and it was so good! From the choir to the bells ringing the whole time to the instruments and the 2 hardps they had, goodness gracious, it was amazing! So glorious! Haha I loved it! I was just adoring the lord the whole time and time just flew! Except for that one part, the part with Ashley getting confirmed. That was awesome.

Me, Rina, Ashley

Check out ém flowers. Yeah, thats right

Now as I said, teh anticipation for the ENTIRE year kept bulding and building as this day drew nearer. At this point and the last 2 days we would just yell randomly in excitment. An then it finally came. But then it took longer! Cause Ashley was second to last and they had a long group of people to go through and Father Ed was taking his time with each one. So here I am, the official fotogropher, and just palms sweety and the heart just going off teh wall and the Spirit was alive and inspiring me and I was jsut getting so so so excited and it was taking forever! Ahsley was up there and waiting and waited and was getting tired of looking up and smiling and looking down in reverence. And soon and soon! And I started to get the camera ready and look and zoom and take off flash and then put it on auto and finally the dude next to her got it and I didn’t move, so I waited for the moment Fr Ed moved his hand off his forehead so that I could jet up to the front and squat there. And right when he did I made my dash and was there and my ankle was killing me (I sprained it on my birthday. Look at last post) but I started to take picture after picture, as fast as I could. And after 3 shots I noticed the auto wasn’t taking any with flash but it was too late to go to manuel mode and put flash on, plus the glasses would glare and I was a bit off to do that and it would only create more distraction to move up some more. I was close as it was. I took some more and the the last 2 horizontally, and got a good shot of Ashely shaking Fr Eds hand with a huge smile. Right when he moved on I quicly went back and sat where the girls were sitting and waited for the last dude to be called and then everyone stood up and applauded and I was going nuts and hollering and I got Ashley´s attention and pumped my fist in the area and yelling my DP sayings and I was so ecxited and the Holy Spirit just rocked the whole sanctuary, one could feel it. I felt the sign of relief after she had the oil put upon her forehead, I felt all the anticipation and relaxation relax right at that moment. I felt the Holy Spirit come down and just crash into her and the reminent of that spilled over to me. I was just struck and it felt so good, but I knew that was nothing comparable to what either Ashley or Rina expereicned. It was incredible. I dont think I have ever experience that in a mass, EVER.

Exactly 11:07pm, April 11, 2009

After the mass there was an onslaught of people from St Mary and UCO that came to congradulate her. Tons of pictures. It was great. After all the pictures were taken and things were slowing down, we all mad eht emove to drive to Rina´s house to parte, that’s right, get the groove on. Mass began at 8:30. Ashley was confirmed at exactly 11:07pm. Mass ended at 12:15 am. Now it was 12:40 and we finally left in the cars. At the Caldwells we had scores of people. It was great. Got to alk with all the friends a lot and we had a piñata and food and it was great evern though it was so late. We had salsa and swing and then we jsut chilled till 4am talking and it was great totalk to Ashley about her whole experience and everything that she felt during lent and the mass. Wonderful, wonderful night indeed. Will never forget it. I got back and crashed, at 5am.

With Father Ed

Me and Ashley

Ashley with her Awesome Sponsor, Rina

With St. Mary Friends

I got a phone call from my friend, Patrick Flanagan at 10am. Great wake up call. He told me he was on my way to pick him up! Hahaha. So yeah I hurred and got ready. Pat is a long time friend. Talking with him on thursday after mass we discovered that we went to preschool together when I still lived here in Michigan a long time ago. So he picked me up and took me to his house where his whole family was celebrating easter. It had beens o long since I had been to his house and I still remember it with much detail from my earlier days. It was really great to see all the family again, and see Mr. Flanagan, who will be ordained as a Decon in may, and to see Chris of course, who hangs with us in UCO all the time. Pat is in seminary at St. Paul´s in Minnesota to be a priest.What a wonderful calling. He is like my one good friend that I have that is studying to be a priest. I dont have any friends back in Tecas that are going to be preist. Kinda dissapointing. But it was great to hang out with the family and play settlers and catch up and everything.

With Mr. Flanagan

Pat left, Me, and Chris Flanagan

Whole Flanagan Family

Then I went to another party, this one at the Seromics at 3pm and it was great as well. I have kinda joined their family line up for big events cause this is the 3rd time I come and it was wonderful as usual. They are really chill and love to talk about old stories of my parents in Michgian and the community here and tell me of how the Lord has worked in their lives and eat awesome pies. Yes, they are famous for their wines and pies and I love it. Completely aprove. It was great.

pies, Pies, PIES!

Juan Pablo getting his groove on

Seromics are Awesome

And that was easter for me. I t was great and epic and wonderful. i will definatly never forget how I expereicned confirmation with Ashley and Rina and I will definately hold that mass up for the best one I have ever been too. I am so fortunate to know those girls and to be apart of that. I am fortunate to have a community here that loves me and takes me in even though I hardly know them. The Lord is good and provides and takes care of us, adn that is always apparent in these wonderful times. I hope you all had a good Easter season and would love you to comment on what you did. The Lord Lives! Hallelujah!

20 years old, baby!

I know I havent posted anything in the last 2 weeks, but its been a hecktic time! Some of the cool things I did last week was go to an orchestra concert, go to this other concert by a performer named DBR, and going to a Christ the King prayer meeting! Full of stuff, and full of fun!

DBR

One of the cool moments had to definately be Friday, the 27th. I went to Crisler just to shoot around and play some ball by myself. Well Anthony Write, one of our players was there shooting arounda s well. After I had played for a while he sat down and wsa texting on his phone. I eventually went over there and challanged him to a game of 1-on-1, and what an expereince. The first game he started on top and lead the whole game with me just making a few shots here and there. THe second game was a whole new ball game. We were going to 11. Ant started on top, but I was able to tie with him 5 different times at 2-2, 4-4, 7,8, and 9. THe game was 9-9 for good heavens! And I missed an open yet rushed 3-pointer and then he made a quick jumpshot and finished the game with a leaning 3 pointer from the extended elbow and I lost, 11-9. 11-9! What a game! Anthony Wright is a very good player. He is a 6´6" 235 lb player from Oak Hill Academy in Virginia, who was the leading scorer against Oklahoma in the NCAA Second Round game with 18 points. And I almost beat him! It was so much fun, hahaha. Great game. I am sure he could ahve just puled upa shot anywere in between but he wanted to get some cardio in so that he didnt have to run stairs, so it worked out both ways.

Then my birthday was comming up,a nd that was great stuff. I was going to be 20 on thursday, april 2nd. It was a big day. 20is old, like really old. But your only half a man, cause your not a teen anymore so you cant get away with anything anymore ut your not 21 so you are not fully a man. But still, bottom line: you´re old. My mom was awesome enough to send my roomates a check to go out to eat on Weds night in celebrationa nd that was awesome.

Thursday morning came, and it started off an epic adventure. We had morning prayer as a room and after that all my roomate screamed "¡Bolita!" and jumped me and with the weight of all of them on me, I collapsed on my right foot. It hurt so bad, its been a while that I roleld my ankle. ut it was all right. I iced it and went to breakfast and then philosophy class. What a great birthday present: a sprained ankle. It sucked walking to the gym, hahaha. The rest of the day was study, study study study for my Statistics 350 midterm. It was a lot of numbers and a lot of trying to figure what was going on and a lot of wikipedia to figure it out all on my own. It seemed hopeless but I drank some Bawls and had my pump up music and went to the Undergraduate Science Building pumped up for my exam and full of asrinaline. I took it, and thats all I need to say about that.

I got back to my room and chilled for a while in the room playing Call of Duty online. Then the boys came and we chiled and talked cars. And in the midst of showing Bradly a video clip of Top Gear and the Porsche GT2, the lights just shut off and in come these singing girls with this thing, this ball with cardbord and string and wow I had no idea what it was but my face just lit up! I got up and low and behold they were infact holding what appeared a basketball, but in the consistency of a cake! And it had a backboard that said "Happy Birdthday DP!" and even had a rim and a net! How mucho more could you get? Haha, I have no idea! This was incredible!
We had an awesome time with the cake and cake wars and watching my highschool 6-man highlights and playing in the rain outside and just goofing off for a night of fun. It was great, great great suff. I was really glad that Bethie and Rina and Danny could make me that cake. It was so cool. And the boys were great, having fun and jumping around and haha I dont even remember half of it besides it was awesome! Yeah! And on top of that, after everyone left us dudes watched Top Gear witht the Semi Truck episode, so hilarious! It was a long and full and eventful day, comming out of it with a sore foot, a crammed head, and a stomack full of sugur, but you cant get mroe complete than that, can you? God is good, and he has blessed me with wonderfull friends and a wonderful enviorment and 20 great years. My mom always said that when she was young she thought 40 was old when her mother turned 40. But once she hit 40 herself, she thought, thats not old! Well guess what?...I am half way to 40. Oh dear. I feel like my life will end at 40! Think about how sucky that would be, being all old and half cool and not having that much time to play basketball or hang out with the boys and smoke pipes and talk philosophy! How sucky that would be. I would proboly have a wife or something to take care of and people who look to me and I would have responsibilities, nasty word really. Hahah, this is all in play cause I am on my way already, and we will see where God takes me! 40, here I come!

Me after the epic icing/cake wars

Alex after his defeat by Mark