Sno Cone of Luv

OK, so sure I’ve always had quite the appreciation for the little things in life, but this is pretty cool. The North American Sports Network (NASN) is a channel available on satellite over here that is exactly what it says. Their programming consists entirely of North American sporting events, like say, college football. Today I was able to find an establishment in Dublin that gets this channel, allowing me to watch a tape delayed broadcast of last night’s Alamo Bowl between Nebraska and Michigan. Sure, there are few teams in the NCAA that I can’t stand more than these two, but still it was the first college football I have been able to watch in nearly two and a half months. I was in heaven! By the way, this is the first and last time I will ever utter these words, but. . . Michigan got screwed.

More importantly, on Monday January 2, 2006, I will be present in the same place (www.woolshedbaa.com) to watch a LIVE broadcast of the Outback Bowl. There are no words to explain how ecstatic I am about this. I could try, “HOLY CRAP ON A STICK, BATMAN!” but I just don’t think that will do the trick. Anyway, yes I’m happy that I get to watch my hawks play. An added bonus is the fact that since I’m so many hours ahead, I can roll out of bed at noon, and have plenty of time to get to the bar for the game. Awesome!

I have some other tidbits of (actual) news to share, but I’ll do that in another post tomorrow. I just felt the need to engage in this little bit of self-indulgence. GO HAWKS!

As I type: Listening to The Dismemberment Plan “Emergency & I”

Posted by Brandon at 12:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Well, I survived Christmas! No, it wasn’t terrible, but I must say that I’m rather happy it’s all over. Just a few weeks ago, I was all about feeling the Christmas spirit, then the reality of my situation began to set in. I suppose the constant reminders from my coworkers of how terrible it was that I was spending Christmas alone took a toll. A typical exchange would go like this:

-Are you going home for Christmas?
-No.
-Oh, is your wife coming over here?
-No, she’ll be in California with her family.
-Well do you know anyone over here to be with?
-No.
-So, what are your plans for Christmas?
-I’m working.
-Oh, that must be difficult!

Though not really that depressing, I have carried on many a conversation of that nature over the last few weeks, and though I was doing fine at the onset, I guess if you hear something enough times you’re bound to believe it.

I have to be honest, the week leading up to Christmas wasn’t that fun, but it wasn’t without it’s bright spots. As of Friday, I now hold in my hands my official, full registration from the Irish Board of Nursing. Not only does this mean that I can start getting paid better than a student, it means that I can now get my work authorization, rendering my temporary visa, which expires on the 18th of January, obsolete. With work authorization in hand, I can then begin the process of filing paperwork to get Jenniffer over here. This makes me happy.

Christmas day itself was really quite nice. OK, so sure my alarm didn’t go off, and I woke up 30 minutes after I was already supposed to have been at work, from that point on, my day was all right. Work was mellow, and though it dragged a bit, I won’t make any complaints. When I got home, I was able to, albeit briefly, talk to my parents and Jenniffer. That too made me happy.

So, as I said before, I survived Christmas away from home, friends, and loved ones. I hope everyone I care about, and even the ones I don't , feel at least as good about their respective holidays. Now I am ready to get through this week, turn the calendar another page, and usher in a new year. The best part about it is that at that point I will be within weeks of the arrival of my better half. That makes me REALLY happy!

As I type: Listening to Scissor Sisters (self-titled debut)

Posted by Brandon at 01:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Who am I? Why am I here?

Never have the words of the late, great Admiral Stockdale resonated in my head with such clarity. Though I’m not sure I have the answer to these questions - whether they be physical or philosophical – I’ll do my best to answer them on this, our brand spankin’ new website.

Welcome one and all to Sno Cone of Luv! Here Jenniffer and I will be posting on a regular basis to keep all of our friends and family up to date on what we’re doing, and, more importantly, where we are!

As you may know from the ongoing saga that is the “Jenniffer and Brandon Christmas Letter,” I happen to enjoy sitting at the computer, typing up a bunch of B.S., and topping it with a smiley face. “Oh, that’s not just crap, it’s happy crap.” Finally I have a regular outlet for this. If all goes well, this will prove to be fun as well as informative for all interested parties.

In closing, never end anything with, “in closing.” However, I would like to end with another applicable quote. This is from one of my favorite bands (yes, it’s that Irish one.)

"They don’t know what you’re doing,
Babe, it must be art!"

As I type: Listening to U2 “PopMart – Live in Mexico City”

Posted by Brandon at 06:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)