today, i am old.

29.

it seems like just yesterday i was turning 20 and mourning the loss of my teens.

suddenly my 20s are gone as well.

yikes.

i guess the lesson to be learned is that if i spend too much time mourning the loss of my twenties, i’ll soon be 40.

so i guess its time to enjoy my thirties.

i think i’ll start a year early. i was always one for rounding up anyway.

things to do before i turn 30.

gee, i wish i had a list. but then again, i’d rather not live by a script. or should i say, i’d rather not have to look back and feel bad that i didn’t stick to the script. i never usually do.

so so much to be thankful for, though. and i am. very thankful. and very hopeful. this much i know: i get to live my life with my 3 favorite people in the world by my side. not sure how many people can say that and mean it.

thanks for your cards, your presents, your money, and your ipods. (it’s not too late to send that ipod if you forgot).

i gotta go be 30. 29. whatever…

bry

not sure what prompted this post, but it seems like a good idea. so i’ll roll with it. this is who i am, via the internet.

i will be 29 yrs old on September 28th. i share a birthday with such wonderful actresses like Hilary Duff, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Mira Sorvino.
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i am married to the most incredible combination of beauty, wits, grace, intelligence, and compassion on the planet and we have two amazing kids. visual proof.
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this is my blog, which i neglect way too much. i used to use this space to try and be funny. a few times i was actually successfull i think. check out this, this, this, that, that, or the other thing. Lately i have been writing skimpy book reviews, picking NFL games, ranting about the red sox, or just giving random updates on my life.
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i love music. my favorite band of all time is Caedmon’s Call, an intense acoustic/folk/ septet from Houston/Nashville. I’ve been a fan of the band since 1997, and lucky enough to call them friends for the past few years. They’ve sold over a million records, but I’m guessing the highlight of their careers was when they traveled to Ecuador with me last April on a Compassion International trip. That was incredible.
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I’m also big into indie rock/emo/whateveryouwanttocallit right now. Bands like Mae, Copeland, The Mint, Lovedrug, Switchfoot, and Sleeping at Last are creating the sounds i like these days. But i still have a place for those independent Nashville singer/songwriters. Among my favorites are Derek Webb (who i am lucky enough to call ‘friend’ as well), Andy Osenga (ditto), Randall Goodgame (double ditto), and Andrew Peterson (he hates me…just kidding).
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one of my hobbies is designing and running websites. I run caedmonscall.net and derekwebb.net, which are cool fan sites for those artists. Our Forum has over 800 members, and is one of the tightest communities online, imho. My site is so off the shizzle, we got mentioned in July 2003 edition of CCM Magazine. I also run my softball league’s website and my church’s website. if i could do it for a living, i would.
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i received a Chemical Engineering degree in 1998 from WPI in Worcester, Massachusetts. I even kicked a little tush while i was there.
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i play guitar, and one random tablature i wrote up in college is now the gold standard for All Star United’s “Savior of My Universe“. pretty comical.
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i work in the pharmaceutical industry as a validation engineer. don’t ask what that is, i don’t have a good answer.
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other things i like: cheez-its, playing softball, dave matthews, poker, reality TV, LOST, sushi, the NFL, spending the holidays with family, and bookstores. love bookstores.
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that’s it for now i guess.

today is our last day at the beach. i’m spending it inside because i’ve managed to avoid getting crispy to this point and don’t want to chance it. nice tans are for march, not september.

over the past two days i read John Le Carre’s The Spy Who Came in from the Cold. It was a very quick and enjoyable read. I’d rather have a few well-developed characters and a complicated plot than too many characters and a shallow storyline. This novel delivered on both counts. The ending was satisfying, but not gratifying; reasonable without being too predictable. Both the story, and the telling of the story, were top notch.

our week at the beach is almost done. we head home tomorrow evening. like all good vacations, this one went by too fast. and yet, like most other times, i am certainly ready to resume life. my finger is doing better everyday, i have been eating like a pig, and i have alot of work waiting for me next week.

I read Common Grounds over the past few days. It was a good read. I thought that the dialogue was a bit “clunky” at times, though i hesitate to use that word because it makes it seem as if the dialogue got in the way, which it didn’t. only that i think the characters were often not talking like real folks do, but it a sense it helped move the conversations along and kept the book from being 700 pages. I got the sense that every dialogue, character trait, and piece of information had a point, and that kept me turning the pages. I was interested and involved from cover to cover, and actually walked away from the book having felt like i learned a little. So in the end i am very happy that i read it. I recommend it to anyone who is looking for a different angle on sharing their faith, defending their faith, or exploring faith.

i can’t tell you how excited i am for the NFL to start tonight…well, i guess i just did. bring it on.

my picks for week 1 will be coming soon…

bry