Day 153

Today was crazy. Lots of people.

First was work..... good to be back after a five day vacation. It would have been shorter, but missing keys prohibit a man from going to work. When I got out of work, the fun began...

I finished my shift and first got to grab lunch with my friend Olivia, who I thought has been dead for a year (not really, I just haven't heard from her in forever). We caught up with lunch at Q'doba, then went back to her house and I hung out with her and her mother for a bit. Once I left there, I drove over to Plato's Closet to kill some time with Jordan just before my other dinner date with Steve and Marie. Once 5:30 hit, I met Steve and Marie and Marie's friend Danielle and we all enjoyed some Akita Chinese food.
Great time with good people.

After that I decided to return after the day away from my house. I saw War Horse. I made popcorn. And then I went and hung out with my friend Ashley, who I also thought was dead (I kid), and caught up with her. It was a day of seeing old friends!

- Forgot to take a picture.... again.... Far Side! -

Day 152

Ugh..... as if yesterday wasn't a battle enough, today would be more intense...

It was warm this morning... very warm, so I wore a light jacket and a sweater. That is all I needed. Absolutely great outside. By the time I got to school though, things had changed. The wind picked up, hail beads turned into freezing rain and sleet. I began to freeze. Walking to class hurt. My eyes wouldn't stay open.

After class I left for food, and went to the McDonalds on Baldwin, where I typed out the first part of my series. After my calorie infested lunch, I returned to GVSU, only to find more ice and snow. I stayed there the whole night. Com, Com, and Spanish. My vision and culture class was amazed at my memorization skills when I was shown an image for .5 seconds, and then was able to recall everything on the image. (I still can right now too). Shortly before Spanish, my toe began swelling and hurting, due to a tear near the corner of the nail slot. It hurt so bad I limped the rest of the night.

To add to this battle of a day, driving home, I began to slide on us, approaching an intersection, Filmore to be exact. "This is it", I thought. I wont die, but if someone hits me, its lights out. Hospital food will be on my menu this next week. In a panic, and due to oncoming traffic, I chose the ditch. Remarkably, as if guided or spun by some supernatural spiritual God-hand, my car hit the embankment, spun around, and stopped, not even going in the ditch. I sat there for about 30 seconds as cars passed me and stared at me, wondering if I was ok. I waited, exhaled for what felt like ten seconds, and then turned again on the road, counting my blessings.... I still don't know how I was able to drive back up on the road, and how I avoided three cars.... again, I count my blessings.

The night fiascos didn't end there. When I got home, our water pressure tank died. This resulted in no water. None. Nada. Our house is dry. I geared up again and went out to Meijer to buy several gallons of water to last until the plumbers can fix our machinery, which will take until tomorrow night....

Where's my bed.....

- Unneccessary graffiti in the mens stall at GVSU, Lake Superior Hall -

Day 151

The nightmare ends today...

I woke up and continued in what turned out to be a two-hour search not just for my keys, but my spare key. Closets, shelves, desks, furniture, and more was ransacked and over-turned as I desperately begged for a key to turn up.

Nothing.... I called the Todd Wenzel dealership, called my grandpa, had him pick me up, and took my title and set out for new keys. (I still wonder where they are.... because at this point in time, as I write this, they are still gone). Someone took them... or God did. One of the two. The snow even melted today, and I walked up and down my driveway, but still no sign. Farewell keys.... your lanyard said "Go State" but you clearly followed another order... "Go to Heaven". See you again someday...

So my grandpa drops me off at Jordan's house, where my car is still sitting. Jordan took me out to Todd Wenzel and I paid the small amount (33 dollars) for a new key, as well as an extra three bucks for a spare key. We stopped at Arby's on the way back and I bought her lunch, as a way to say "Hey, sorry I got you dragged into this... can you drive me everywhere today." After Arby's, I slid the new shiny metal into my keyhole and Bam! My car was resurrected from its cold, dead, stationary state.

I drove home and relaxed for a little bit, and even watched some Batman with my brother. Shortly after, I got in my car and drove out to visit my good friends Dan, Steve, and Silvia at their house. We hung out, ate some dinner, watched "Super 8" on the new 65 inch HDTV complemented with surround sound, and talked film business.... well, not just talked, planned, and started working again.

Drama Class has officially begun pre-production!

- Todd Wenzel must sell to the Secret Service -

Day 150

Today was such a busy day, by busy, I mean fun.

What started as a rocky start to my Sunday soon melted it's way as a great time of fellowship and well, goodness.

I drove myself to Church and sat next to Chad. After a great service about honesty, gossip, and my personal weakness, manipulation, Jordan, Chad and I went out to eat at Bagger Dave's. Mike was our waiter, and the three of us ordered custom burgers. I got three beef patties on mine, as well as the Artichoke Sauce and green olives.

After dinner, I went back to Jordan's house, where her and I drove back to my house with her brother and the trailer and the quad. Yes, winter snow, means winter driving! Taking a 4 wheeler out into the ten acres that surrounds my house was a perfect way to add adrenaline my afternoon. Jordan and I rode around for a good thirty minutes, and then pulled Ethan behind us on a sled. We then went inside, had some hot chocolate, and then hung out in my room, until Mike, Chad, and Sam joined us. Then all of us suited up (some more suited then others, but thankfully we have ample space and extras in our closets) and we all went sledding and riding on the quad. I wanted to get some pictures, but the cold wind, snow and wet air flying into our frozen faces may have ruined my new phone, so I got a different picture instead.

Coldness won the better of our time, but not after plenty of sled wipe-outs and whiplashes (there were 3 sleds being towed). We went in and played monopoly before leaving for Applebees for some late night appetizers. After we left, my car, which was at Jordan's the whole day, needs keys. And after an hour of searching, my keys are gone. Yes, there is nothing more frustrating than having a 3,000 pound slab of metal be stuck because you are missing .3 oz of another slab of metal. I called my boss and informed him of my dilemma, but it's gone. My keys are gone. I will get up super early tomorrow and try to look again. Paying a dealership bundles of cash for a replacement key is not in the Derek-Budget right now. FML. Seriously.... FML. Those damn keys have evaporated.... I remember where I had them last, and put them in my pocket, but they are gone. The heavens have called them up.....

..... Seriously, I'm so frustrated......

- Monopoly in my room, after a cold outdoor adventure -

Day 149

Today is Saturday

We have been dumped on with still more snow.

I cleaned my room partially, but needed to still escape the feeling of being trapped behind snow.
So I went to Mike's. I brought my laptop, ordered Jimmy John's, and we did a research / hunt day. Jobs, sales, houses, news, anything that might add to our lives. We wouldn't mind finding another 2nd job, so we spent time on our laptops doing just that.

At 3:00, we left to go see the film "Take Shelter", which I give an A for acting but a C for a story. It was just a boring story. Film nuts would argue with me, but I did not care for it. Meh.

We returned to Mike's house, where some COD with him was done, but only for an hour.

Ended the night by hitting up the casino with Chad..... we both lost... Gun Lake is a scam. I was never even ahead at a point.... and I'm confident I saw an employee guarding a slot machine, only to offer it to a man, who then won 100 dollars.... something's up. I'm done. No more casino.... No more....

- Take Shelter -

Day 148

I have to admit the first week of school went by so fast, but that's probably because I only have classes on two days of the week.

The storm dumped a lot of snow around me, and I had to help move my sister's, boyfriend's car out of the ditch at our house. We have a notorious driveway that becomes more slippery than a politician. After some salt and some pushing, the car was out. I had to work today from 2-6, which went by fast as well. Had a meeting with my boss, and shared some new ideas for the club. I'm excited for what's down the road....

After work the fun began. I went home and played COD (sue me) for a little bit. After that, Ryan had a birthday, which me there was fun to behad. We all went to Jake's Hotel and had a ball. $1.00 miller lites, karaoke, pool, and a much more chill environment. Downtown GR has so many bars where it's a "sex in the city" esque joint; a place of my car is bigger than your car, or my wallet is bigger than yours.... Not every bar downtown is like that, but I feel some nights that crowd of "my dick is bigger than your dick" or "look at my Prada!!" seems to gather. Jake's was much more chill. I got to see several people I haven't seen in awhile from my high school years, plus meet up with Chad, Caleb, Jordan, Ryan, his girlfriend, Phil, and Pat. We had some drinks, talked, everyone kind of hung out, and my personal highlight of the night was Chad doing karaoke. He sang "Doing the mess around", an oldies song, probably heard in the film "planes, trains, and automobiles". He had some dancers join him, and that my friends is a good bar.

After wards a select few went back to my house, where more snow covered roads, late hours, and icy conditions put some of our casino plans on hold. Looks like Saturday night is the ticket!

- Chad doing karaoke -

Day 147

Not another school day.....

yes, this was an all day, 11:30AM until 7:40 ordeal. I took my lunch break at Mcdonalds, checked the news, ran to the mall to pick up a gift, ran back to school, did two more classes, ate dinner, and then went to Spanish.

I wish this was longer, but it twas a short day.

To top it, the roads were horrible due to our first winter storm, so it took me a solid 45 minutes to get home from GVSU. My film plans fell through with Dan & Steve, but that will happen next week. Made it home and.... I'd prefer not to say. It rhymes with sod.

- Winter Storm (not taken by me) -

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