Male

26

I saw this TV show once where mathematicians were examining 4 dimensional objects, with the fourth dimension being a distance like the first three (not time, that's cheating). Since they didn't have any way to display the 4th dimension, they put on their lab coats and strapped on some 80's looking virtual reality goggles. While walking around like zombies in an electrically induced trance, they examined the 3d shadow created by the object. By looking at the shadow they hoped to get an idea of what the object looked like. It's an old idea, at least as old as the wind, the wind that would remain unknown except for the grasses that lean and the leaves dance in it's wake.

Here is some of my wake:

I live in the quasi-ghetto with my friends Barry, Blair, Lara, Drew and new to the world Navi. Some people think it's strange, but there are a lot of reasons. I've been living with groups of people my whole life, starting with my family and then various friends. I think it's better that way --the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Anyways, the rent is cheap and there's always something entertaining going on. They're some creative bitches and we have a good time. Occasionally the cops show up asking about explosions in the backyard and whatnot, the firetruck sometimes circles the block looking for our bonfire, and at night you can play the game "Fireworks or Gunshots", but in general we live pretty well.

We occasionally go to festivals or organize parties. I fall into various roles during this time ranging from producer to photographer to the No Trick Kid. My exact position is always in flux, though I have some consistent personality traits that usually make me the one who thinks about feasibility, safety, and financial/legal ramifications. I'm the youngest, but somehow the old man of the group.

When I wake up in the morning I take a shower. My showers have been labeled 'extravagant' by some, but when I wake up in the morning the only thing that even compares to the comfort of crawling back into bed is the heat and calm of the shower. I brush my teeth in there. It's way better than standing out in the cold brushing your teeth. You should try it.

After that I put on some clothes. I'm not sure if that's what everybody else does next, but that's what I do. When you have roommates you can't exactly walk around naked. A few years ago (when I was in school) I caught Barry ironing a T-shirt. I made fun of him because I thought it was ridiculous to be A: Ironing at all and B: ironing a T-shirt. Now that I'm working, I always end up ironing in the morning. Going to work with a wrinkled shirt is like going to work without a belt, wearing shoes without socks, or taking a bar-mat shot.

I haul all of my bags (work, gym, dojo, man-purse) out to the car and speed to work. Once I get to the interstate it's safe to start eating the bad-ass bagel sandwich I made for myself (because Chic-fil-a doesn't offer frequent flyer discounts), but usually start eating it before then. I know all the spots where people do retarded things, and I can spot a left turner before they hit the brakes. The lights on North Avenue were programmed by some one who was missing chromosomes. On the interstate I know the favorite spots for the state patrol, and in those areas I keep an eye out for the break lights of people saying "oh shit!" and spilling their coffee.

I'm lucky in that I actually like my work most of the time. My boss is freakin' cool, and I get to do creative engineering stuff so much that it seems like I'm cheating. Of course there is crap work sometimes, but in general it's good. I'm an electrical engineer, so my idea of fun at work is testing a new idea in the lab, or seeing something I built run for the first time. Did I mention my boss is cool? My co-workers are generally nice professional people, which makes all the difference in the world. I'm lucky in that we have some really sharp engineers there for me to learn from.

At lunch I try to go to the gym. I'm focused on strength training, and as of late exercises that work core strength and multiple muscle groups as opposed to isolation exercises. Squats, row, bench, deadlifts, pull ups, overhead press, etc. All freeweights or body weight of course. Cardio is like chewing without anything in your mouth. I can't fathom running on a treadmill. I get all my cardio doing some kind of activity like hitting the punching bag.

After work I study martial arts. By that I don't mean some fru-fru dress up game where adults pretend to be a ninja or crouching tiger hidden dragons. I am part of Atlanta Budokan. We teach a variety of elements which cover throws, arresting style controls, practical striking, groundwork, edged/blunt weapons, and firearms. Next to work this is the biggest element of my life. I get a lot from my study and it goes far beyond physical fitness or self defense. I think it's hella' fun. If you're interested ask me for more info.

It's usually late by the time I get home from the dojo. That leaves me little time to do silly shit like watch TV or youTube. Sometimes I manage to read a book, write, or fantasize about new ways to shape my sideburns. This process repeats, except on Wednesdays I sometimes jet over to Yoga class.

Weekends are for building stuff, partyin', traveling, family, recovery, sleeping in, planning, cleaning, or lazin' around. It just depends on how the river flows.

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See my photos here:

www.zoto.com/site/#USR.e...::PAG.albums