Surprisingly enough, I have plenty to say this evening.

To start things off, I have to give a shoutout to my mother. This last Friday, Mom helped a woman in labor deliver her baby all on her own. How cool is that? Throughout a nursing career that has lasted nearly 30 years, Mom has of course had many opportunities to assist in childbirth. But not every nurse gets the opportunity to deliver a baby solo, without the mother's doctor present. However, this marks the fourth time in her career that Mom has gotten to do this. She told me that it was really a rush, and that her colleagues were all a little envious. She figures that when she delivers her seventh, it'll be time to retire. :)

I'm so proud of her!!!

Last weekend was pretty good. On Friday evening, I went to Angie's for supper with her, Joel, Amy, and Aubrie, and then later that evening we went to P.O. Pears for some drinks and to watch Groove Puppet perform. We even danced for one song, which was cool because we had never really danced together before. I really enjoy dancing, despite the fact that I doubt I'd fit anyone's category of a "good dancer." I'm hoping to prevail upon Angie to take some lessons with me sometime. Big Band, country, salsa...any or all of them. It doesn't matter.

I've actually had some Big Band swing dancing experience in the past, when I was in the swing choir during my SCC days. Beyond that, my friend Jana and I would occasionally take lessons at the Pla Mor Ballroom in Lincoln. We even danced one song (Zoot Suit Riot, I believe) at Jana and Mike's wedding. I saw the video of it last summer, and given how heavy I was at the time, I'm quite frankly surprised that I didn't keel over as the result of a heart attack. Even so, it was a lot of fun watching the two of us tearing up the dance floor. I don't think it was too terribly long after their wedding that I made up my mind to trim down.

Anyway, on Saturday I took advantage of a beautiful afternoon to walk Pioneer's Park, and then lifted weights when I got home. I'm not feeling like a deflated balloon anymore, which is a good thing, although the scale has crept up just a little. I'm fairly certain that I've added some muscle tissue, so I'm not particularly concerned about that. But I'm trying hard to watch my intake and do plenty of cardio to be on the safe side.

That evening, Angie and I went up to Omaha. We stopped at McKenna's, a tasty BBQ joint, for supper. I had the brisket, which I practically inhaled. It was some good meats, and I give it my full endorsement in case you're looking for something to eat in Omaha. After supper, we met up with Angie's co-workers for their work-sponsored bowling night. It was a lot of fun meeting her friends and associates, who all seemed like really good people. I didn't bowl so well, but part of that was because I had to let Angie win. ;)

After church on Sunday, Angie and I went with Amy, Aubrie, and her mom to visit her grandmother, Vera, in York. This was my first time meeting her, and I really enjoyed it. She was a sweet old lady of 95 years, and I could tell that she really enjoyed having her family come to visit her. Of course, she especially got a kick out of Aubrie, but who doesn't? :) She was so nice to me, too, and told me that she could "tell by looking at my eyes" that I was intelligent, which is one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me. To top it off, she gave me a kiss on the cheek right along with her grandchildren as we left.

In one of those "small world" moments, I also met Angie's aunt Gloria. As it turns out, she is a good friend of Brad's mom, Beverly. How about that? I guess that's Nebraska for you. In the end, everyone knows everyone.

That evening, we went back to Angie's place. Her folks came over, and her dad grilled steaks. We had an absolutely glorious meal, and I still felt stuffed by the time lunch rolled around on Monday.

. . .

Ah. Monday. To be perfectly honest, it wasn't a great day. Not because anything awful happened to me, but by the end of the day, I had let a lot of stupid, petty, and/or inconsequential things bother me way beyond any reasonable threshhold. After getting home from work and putting my groceries away, I stormed out of the house to go for a walk. I was well into Pioneer's Park when I realized that I was so caught up in the crap that was bothering me that I was completely ignoring all the incredible sights the park has to offer.

You know, my walks in the park have been so good for me in that way. I often spend my time walking there saying my prayers, meditating, and just generally clearing my head. As I walked down the trail and enjoyed the spectacle of the trees coming to life, the scent of the flowers, and setting sun, it occurred to me that my selfishness was causing me to lose sight of the many blessings and miracles I've been so fortunate to receive throughout my life. It was a humbling and shaming experience, but you know, I felt a lot better afterward.

So, yeah. Next time you're letting crap get you down, go walk in Pioneer's Park. Or any park, for that matter. It doesn't even really have to be a park, I guess, just some place you enjoy being. Take some time to relax and clear your head, and maybe you'll realize that you don't have it nearly as bad as you think you do. Or, maybe you'll find the answers you're looking for. Give it a chance.

Moving along, this morning, as I looked at myself in the mirror, I realized that I have some veins that are pretty visible along my temples. If I look closely, I can even see them pulsating. They're especially visible after I've lifted weights or worked out on the treadmill. I don't think they've always been so visible, so I guess it's the result of either losing weight or getting older. Or both. Either way, it beats the alternative.

And now, some pictures.


Here is Aubrie on Friday night as she was getting ready for bed. Angie had just taken the band off of her hair, and I couldn't pass the opportunity to snap a shot of her with a mohawk. :)


This is the Pizza of Damnation. Allow me to explain. You see, last Thursday, Ted had a long evening of socializing and merriment with various friends and associates. When he got home at about 12:30a, he put this pizza in the oven before, ahem, going to sleep. The next morning, when I got back from my workout, I smelled something and checked the oven. The pizza had been cooking in it for, oh, we'll say six hours.


Here's a picture my brother Tom took of me the Saturday before Easter. Read the shirt; beyond that, this photo needs no explanation.


And finally, one of my favorite pictures of Angie to date. I may even get this one printed. It was taken at my folks' house on Easter Sunday. To me, it conveys her personality: sweet, kind-hearted, and a lot of fun to be with. And, of course, gorgeous.

Time for bed if I'm ever going to make it to the gym tomorrow. Here's a haiku for the parting of the ways.

Here is what I think:
Gilmore Girls is a suck show.
And now you know that.

More pics and some song recommendations next time.

I'm tired. But it has been a week since my last post, so here we go.

First and foremost, I'm proud to tell you that the Lenten alcohol fast is officially over, and that I made it through without swallowing a single drop save for the occasions in which I took Communion. As you know by now, Angie unhesitatingly went in on it with me. I'm so grateful to her for that; having her there for moral support made the whole thing much more bearable (and even enjoyable). Had she not been there, I would've endured a long and difficult Lent, filled with many boring nights at home. Instead, the Lord blessed me with an opportunity to get to know, simply put, the most wonderful, enchanting young woman I've ever met.

And brother, that's saying something.

Which isn't to say that it wasn't difficult giving up alcohol. Truth be told, it was still really hard, especially when we'd get together with family and friends for meals and socializing. For example, it was really hard to go to places like Old Chicago and Lazlo's without enjoying a single one of the fine ales that both establishments are well known for carrying.

So, yeah. Give Angie and I both lots of kudos and accolades and the such.

Anyway, Easter was a really good time. I went home for the weekend and got to spend some quality time with my family, just chilling out and relaxing. On Saturday, Kirsten, Tom, Ross, and myself went to the driving range to hit range balls. I had to use Tom's clubs, and I'm going to use that as my excuse. I'm not a good golfer by any means, but I can at least get the ball in the air, more or less in the direction of the pin. Not this time, though. Of course, the worse I did, the more frustrated I became, and the more colourful my language turned. I think Kirsten was really impressed with me by the time we left, though perhaps not in a good way.

That night we all went with Mom and Dad to the Salty Dog for supper. For those of you unfamiliar with the various and sundry eateries of southeastern Nebraska, the Salty Dog is a biker bar in the tiny village of Steele City. They serve up some killer Mexican food, including perhaps the best nachoes ever conceived in the minds of human beings. Alex and Drew joined us there, and we all had a really good time. It did take a little while for all of us to get our food, but I guess that can't be helped when the waitress is drunk. Some people would be annoyed by that kind of thing; I just think it adds to the atmosphere.

The next day, Easter Sunday, we had an excellent family gathering at my folks' house. All kinds of good food, and wine and beers, too. :) Angie came down with Nancy and Brenda. It felt really natural and comfortable having her there, and everyone was truly happy that she was able to celebrate such an important holiday with us. Of course, as soon as she arrived, we were uncorking a bottle of pinot noir. The bottle didn't last too terribly long, as I recall. It couldn't be helped. :)

Hopefully, I'll be able to post some pictures from the occasion here. There were some really good ones.

I should also point out that Saturday was the day of the Spring Game for the Husker football team. I wasn't able to go, what with it being a holiday weekend and all, but it sounds like our defense is going to be off the hook. Steve Octavien, in particular, really shined at the linebacker position. Next season should be as good of a time as any to win the North. And the Big XII. And the National Championship. :D Relax, I'm just joking. To an extent.

Moving along, I had a really good lift tonight. I'm still feeling just a little bit of hypertrophy, which ranks near the top of the list of best sensations in the world. If you've ever exercised or otherwise exerted yourself, you know what I'm talking about: that feeling that you're strong enough to do anything you want. Good stuff.

Which leads me to something I want to share with you: the recipe for my nutritious breakfast shake. Simply dump the following into a blender and then mix them at the highest setting:

--1 cup of skim milk
--1 raw egg
--1/2 cup of plain instant oatmeal
--2 tbsp. peanut butter (preferably the natural, no salt kind)
--1 banana, sliced very thin (that makes the blending easier)
--1 scoop of protein powder. I use the vanilla kind, but chocolate would also work fine. Avoid the straberry-flavoured crap like the plague.

Try this shake, and be amazed at how it carries you through to lunch without making you feel bloated or sick.

I don't have any song recommendations tonight, but I do want to take a moment to say how tired I'm getting of that "You Had A Bad Day" song. I don't know why it is that every station on the planet feels obligated to play it every five minutes. Enough, already!

And now I think I'll call it a night, as I'm planning to get up at 5a to go to the gym. Here's your bedtime haiku:

It is my bedtime.
I need to fold some clothes first.
I don't like laundry.

And now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to pour myself a glass of pinot grigio.

I'm writing today's entry in two phases. To start out, I'm going to crank out whatever I can right now over my lunch break. I'll resume tonight, assuming I have time to do so.

You know, some days, I swear that I live on the Planet of the Apes. Or at least a planet of cavemen. When I'm forced to encounter enough stupid people, their words start to sound like a bunch of grunts and hoots. It makes me feel a lot like that guy in the commercial trying to give an earnings report to a bunch of monkeys. You know the one?

Anyway, I had a pretty good weekend. On Friday evening, Angie and I were going to see the late showing of Lucky Number Slevin with Brad and Beth, but by the time we got there, only single seats were available. That was a bummer, but we all had a good time chilling out at the Starbucks across the street. Even when a noisy, slack-jawed group of kids came in, made a bunch of racket, bought nothing, and left.

On Saturday for lunch, Angie, Amy, and Joel introduced me to Lucy's, a little Mexican joint on the northeastern part of town. It was good stuff; I had the crab enchiladas. They also serve up fresh chips and salsa. Anyway, the place has my endorsement. Go eat at Lucy's. (Or, as Angie and Amy say it, "LooCeez.")

After a good nap that afternoon, we went to the Nebraska-Purdue volleyball exhibition. That was a lot of fun, although you can't appreciate how tall those gals are until you're standing near them. To give you some perspective, here is Angie standing with Sarah Pavan. Keep in mind that Angie had to stand on her tiptoes in this pic. It was a good game; Purdue provided some good competition, but we ended up winning in four sets. You really have to appreciate the athleticism of these ladies; I was particularly impressed with Jordan Larson. Keep an eye on Angie's blog for pictures from the game.

Sunday ended up being pretty relaxing. I went to church at 11:30, and afterward, Angie and I had lunch with Nancy, Brenda, and their families. Brenda mentioned that her daughters Meghan and Maddie had started including Angie in their bedtime prayers. Bless their hearts!

After church and lunch at Old Chicago, I went home and took a nap before going for my first walk of the year through Pioneer's Park. It was really nice out, and there were a lot of people out flying kites, including Jeff and Marc. Even after stopping to talk to them, I still made the whole trip in about an hour and a half, which is clipping along at a pretty solid pace. That night, Mike had us over for some roast that he made on his rotisserie. That was some good stuff, and afterward, we had some strawberries and scones that Jana had made.

Well, no rest for the weary. Back to work. I'll finish this up later in the evening. I'm in kind of a foul mood today, so hopefully it passes by the time I resume writing.

. . .

OK, so now it's about 9:30p. I'm in a little better of a mood, but that may just be because I'm too tired to be grouchy. For the most part.

I saw a headline on the Internet today mentioning that a government child services agency requested that a sheriff be dispatched to the home of one Britney Spears. You know, not long ago, I'd have found that amusing. Now I can't help but feel kind of bad for her. She's living proof of the toll that fame and fortune can take, I guess. Only a few short years ago, she was akin to a media goddess. I guess maybe divinity is something best left to the divine.

Kirsten and Tom both stopped by for a visit tonight, and I helped Tom with some revisions he was making to a paper he wrote. It was good to see them, and I'm looking forward to us all being home this weekend for Easter.

I had a good workout this morning on the treadmill, and this evening, I had a good lift. I may try to squeeze in another lift tomorrow evening before going to Angie's. I think we're planning to watch "The Passion Of The Christ" with Joel and Amy. Ever seen it? It's something else. Very moving, and a good one to watch during Holy Week.

Today was the Tuesday that just refused to die. Hopefully Wednesday will treat us better.

And now, some pictures of my tubing trip from last year.


This is me. Take note of my sweet dew rag with the flames and skulls. To give you some perspective on where I was in terms of my weight loss, I weighed about 180-185lbs. during that trip last July. I'm currently weighing in around 160-165lbs.


This is my friend Jeff and his girlfriend, Renee. Jeff graduated from high school with Mike and I. He's a fun guy to talk to and have beers with. You may notice that Renee's legs are covered with a towel. She actually had gone tubing the week before and sustained third-degree burns on her legs. They looked pretty painful.


Here are Brad and Beth, whom you already know. Unfortunately, Beth's not going to be able to make the trip this year, but the B-Rad will be there with bells on.


The ubiquitous Ted and Kelly. At this point, I'm sure you don't need an introduction to them. We'll assume, for the purposes of this blog, that Ted probably is flipping off the camera. Que sera, sera.


Here are Mike and Jana, who made the trip possible, with a lot of planning and research. Plus, they drove us everywhere we needed to go, too.


That's me, way in the back of the shot.


Our whole group. This is one of my favorite pictures, ever. And yes, those are beers Brad and I are holding.

Well, that's it for tonight. Here's your bedtime haiku:

This week is dragging.
It needs to be the weekend.
I hope it comes soon.

And another:

Tubing is killer.
You'll have a blast all day long.
Bring lots of sunscreen.

Regards,
Nate

Once again, strangely enough, I find myself at a loss for words. Let me shake it off.

. . .

OK, now I'm feeling a little better.

I went to the Nebraska-Creighton baseball game on Tuesday night with Brad, Ted, Kelly, Mike, Jana, and Angie. We won a close one, 6-4. It was a good time, although it would've been nice to enjoy some beer at the same time. Ah well. Brad let me hold his 24 oz. can of Bud Light for a moment, so that was cool. Angie didn't realize that they sold beer at Rosenblatt events, so it was a little tough for her when she saw the vendors dealing out bottles of Mike's Hard Lemonade. At least we saved some money, I guess.

On a fun note, the plans have been set into motion for our tubing trip this summer. We'll be driving to the Niobrara River, near Valentine, Nebraska, on Friday, June 23rd, on the water on Saturday, and driving home on Sunday. We'll do as we did last year and just camp out in tents along the river. The trip was such a blast last year, I can't wait to go again. I turn 27 on that Saturday, too, so that'll be a fun way to spend my birthday. Even better, Angie will be along for the trip, too, meaning that I won't have to play the fifth wheel and float on a tube all by myself. :)

Bummer...I thought I had downloaded pictures from the last trip to my computer, but I guess I hadn't. It'll have to wait until next time. This year, it sounds like it'll be Mike, Jana, Ted, Kelly, Brad, Jeff, Renee, Brent, possibly TJ and Lynne, Angie, and myself on the trip. That's a good sized group, and it's going to require a lot of beer and sunscreen.

I'm ready for the weekend to be here. This week has just kind of dragged on and on. On Saturday evening, I'm going with Angie, Amy, Joel, and Aubrie to the Husker women's volleyball exhibition against Purdue. That should be fun. I haven't been to a Husker volleyball game since I was in junior high, so I'm looking forward to it.

If the weather holds out, hopefully I'll be able to work in a walk through Pioneer's Park. The change of the seasons in Nebraska is an amazing thing to behold, if you take a moment now and then to do so, and there is no better place to watch than at a park like Pioneer's.

As I was lifting weights tonight, I saw a commercial for a new roller coaster at Worlds Of Fun called "Patriot." It was advertised as the "tallest, longest, meanest, sickest" roller coaster you can find. It was completely lit up at night with neons, too. I must go to Worlds Of Fun this summer and experience it. It sounds badass. I haven't been to Worlds Of Fun since I was 20, with some friends from the SCC crew. I did the ripcord with two girls in our group that time (the other guys were chicken, and wouldn't even get on the roller coasters with us), and it was sweet. I'd really like to go bungee jumping sometime, as well as skydiving. Hang gliding would also be cool.

Some of you may not have heard, but I really like bearing witness to stuff that's cool. ;)

Easter is only a week from Sunday. I'll be heading back to F-Town for the weekend, which will mark the first time I've been home for a stay since January. Which is pretty strange for me; since I moved to Lincoln six years ago, I think I've usually been back once a month or so, on the average. That's the way these things go, I guess. We'll be celebrating Easter dinner at my folks' place, and it sounds like there is going to be a lot of good food, with a choice of ham or turkey for meats. There'll be plenty of strong drink, too. :) It'll be good to get home and hang out with my family, and of course, play with the dog. Easter will also mark the first family holiday celebration to which I'll bring Angie. Hopefully, it won't frighten her off. :D

Well, I'm going to get up early tomorrow to go to the gym, so it's time to call it a night. I'm going to go have a small bowl of Cheerios, but first I'll drop a phat haiku:

Exercise is cool.
Waking up early sucks, though.
But it's good for me.

And, what the heck, here's another:

Tubing will be fun.
We will need a lot of beers.
I might grow a beard.

I've been thinking about blogging all day, but when it comes down to it, I'm suddenly having a hard time thinking of what to write.

. . .

OK, let's start off with a story I forgot to tell last time around. A week ago this past Friday, Angie and I met up with Mom, Dad, Kirsten, Tom, and Ross for dinner at Skeeter Barnes. After we had finished eating, we were just sitting around visiting (specifically, everyone was getting on my case for my apparent inability to match my shoes and socks), when I suddenly feel a pair of arms wrapped around me. I looked up, and it turned out that the arms belonged to some strange old lady. The text of our conversation went as follows, more or less. Keep in mind that I, with ice in my veins, kept a straight face and remained cordial throughout the encounter.

Nate: Hi.
Old Lady: You're Greg, aren't you?
Nate: Uh, no ma'am, I'm sure not. I'm actually Nate.
Old Lady: Are you sure you're not Greg? You look exactly like him. You saw me staring at you throughout your whole dinner, didn't you? (She rubs the top of my head.)
Nate: I'm afraid not, although it's perfectly understandable. I, uh, look like a lot of guys.
Old Lady: Well, you certainly look like Greg. He is my granddaughter's...

She paused, and sort of looked at Angie. I'm thinking "Great, the guy is her granddaughter's reviled ex, and now I'm going to get my butt reamed in front of Angie for defiling some girl I've never even met." Thankfully, that was not to be the case.

Old Lady: ...friend. He stood in as godfather at her son's baptism.
Nate: Oh, well that's cool. Greg sounds like a good guy. I'll take it as a compliment that I look like him.
Old Lady: Well, it was nice to meet you, anyway. I'm Jane, by the way. You take care.
Nate: Jane, I'm Nate. It was nice to meet you, too. Enjoy the rest of your evening.

And so it went. As Jane and I were visiting, my family and Angie were just looking on with varying degrees of amusement. Tom and Ross could hardly contain themselves and disappeared so that they could go stand at a distance and laugh. Mom, Dad, Kirsten, and Angie just sat there and watched the whole thing, laughing softly without saying a word. I guess it was pretty funny, although now everyone has taken to calling me Greg.

Questions do remain, however. Does Greg truly exist, and does he look like me? Could he be my long lost twin? Dad and Mom maintain that I don't have a twin, but I dunno....

Or, maybe Greg doesn't exist at all. Maybe Calamity Jane thought I was hot and was just looking for an excuse to invade my intimate zone and put her arms around me. That really seems a lot more feasible. After all, my natural pheromones and animal magnetism are like a beacon burning in the darkness or a voice calling out in the wilderness. I just didn't realize that they were so strong as to make a Natiac out of a lady approaching 80 years old.

That, my friends, is the Power of Nate.

. . .

Or Greg.

I stayed pretty busy this past weekend. On Friday night Angie and I ate at Lazlo's. It was good, but eating healthy food at a place like that can be downright depressing. I ordered the Tilapia with fresh vegetables, which was really good, but it just looked like a real sparse meal sitting on the plate. Especially when it was brought out next to the incredible plate of shrimp and fries (with honey mustard dipping sauce) that Angie ordered. I couldn't help but feel sad.

I don't know why, though. I've been eating more than I should, lately, and the scale has been reading closer to 165 again, as opposed to the 160 I was down to a week or two ago. I've been eating everything on my plate when I go to restaurants, lately, which probably isn't helping anything. Usually I'll eat half of what's brought out and then box the other half. I've just felt so dang hungry whenever I eat, these days. I've been lifting more again, so at least I'm adding some muscle.

On Saturday morning, Angie and I worked as volunteers for the Lincoln Track Club at the State Farm 10K race.We had a pretty simple job making sure that runners properly removed their tags at the end. You do what you can, I guess. Next time, I'm going to bring a clip board so that I can look important.

Later that afternoon, we went shopping out at South Pointe. I didn't really buy much, other than a couple t-shirts. One of them was a pretty funny one, which came from Hollister. I don't really like to buy much from that place other than their tees, which are pretty comfortable. This particular visit was kind of a traumatic one for Angie and myself. When I went to try on shirts, I couldn't figure out if I was in a dressing room or not. The dressing area consisted of a bunch of curtained compartments with only a mirror and some hooks. No benches. I tried everything on as quickly as I could and got out of there for fear of being busted in the wrong place. Later on, I'd also learn that the gal working the checkout register made a less than favorable impression on Angie. Next time I'll know not to drag her in there with me.

After that, we picked up some drinks from Juice Stop and went to Pioneer's Park for a little while. It was a gorgeous day, and I was glad to go as I hadn't been there since January 1. Now that Daylight Savings has ended and warmer weather is on its way, I'm looking forward to resuming my evening walks and watching everything turn green. My walks in the park always afford me a good opportunity for reflection and meditation, as well as a chance to clear my head and just slow down. I'm also looking forward to bringing Angie with me and showing her around.

On Sunday evening, I met up with Angie, Amy, Joel, Aubrie, and their friends Jason and Cathy at Applebees. Once again I ate way more than I intended, including four pieces of beer batter fish and all of my fries. Good stuff. I'd go on to eat a couple bites of Angie's pasta and half of Aubrie's grilled cheese sandwich. (Relax, I wasn't stealing food from a baby. She just wasn't hungry for the sandwich.)

I'm hoping this week goes by fast. Today went by quickly enough; I was plenty busy at work, and I also had a dental checkup this morning. That went splendidly, I'm happy to report. No cavities, although I need to be more gentle when I brush. Tomorrow a bunch of us are going to Omaha to watch the Nebraska-Creighton baseball game. It should be a lot of fun. Wednesday will mark the last regular Lenten service, as this Sunday is Palm Sunday and the beginning of Holy Week.

I can't believe Easter is nearly here. I feel like the entire winter just flew by, but I guess that's the way it goes when you're having a good time. :)

No pictures tonight. I had some I had hoped to post, but I forgot to forward them to my home email account. Anyway, my stupid, old, piece-of-crap computer has been acting a little weird so I thought I should start backing up my music to my email account in case I need to reformat my hard drive. Tedious and inefficient, I know, but it's my only option as I don't have a CD burner, nor will Windows 98 read my JumpDrive.

I need to get up early to go to the gym tomorrow morning, so I'm going to call it a night. Here's a haiku to lull you to sleep:

I like swords a lot.
Kill Bill has a bunch of them.
Good films feature swords.