well let me...uhh...'clarify some things'
1st of all - i edited my last post to pacify upset critics - maybe i shared a little too much
2nd of all - never did i ever say that catholicism was wrong - i know that its a religion that people believe in - i know this - i'm not denying it or criticizing it at all - in fact - its believes coincide with mine as a Christian - i would classify myself as a non-denominational Christian - not a Baptist or Methodist or Catholic - i'm just a christian - but all i mean by my comments about the museum - was that i was confused as to some of the thoeretical reasons behind such an extravagant display - i mean - i'll stick by what i said in that, some parts didnt make sense to me, i simply was confused about the extravagance with which it was presented - i wish i had someone there to ask questions of but since i didnt - i still remain confused to this day
- the art was amazing, from the papal tiaras to the plaster reliefs of bernini to the drawings of michelangelo - and the educational value of the exhibit was undeniable as well - i learned alot about the catholic religion as well as other religions (there being a section of how catholicism - the Pope to be more specific - interacts with other religions - i.e. the 'Thanka' hand stitched by the Dali Lama, given to John Paul in '79 i believe it was)
and i'm sorry if i personally offended anyone with my comments -in NO WAY do i HATE the catholic church or anyone who is catholic-and i pray that no one mistakes me as an ignorant, hateful, bigot
i'm sure that i'm the only one with views differing from others- but isnt that what makes us all diverse? the fact that we can get along in the midst of our differing feelings.

Well i went to the museum of natural science today and i saw an exhibit on Popes and the Vatican - it was really cool - and a few things came to my mind as i meandered through the exhibit:
1- old people have nothign to do during the day - i realize that this is an exhibit which might spark more interest in older people than younger ones, however - there was just a complete domination of women over 65 - with white hair parading around in groups yelling to each other since they couldnt understand their own words over the "audio tour earphone set" they were wearing...it was so bad- i would gently wisper (it is a museum after all) "excuse me ma'am" and even slightly tap them on the shoulder - no response - it was so stupid - like i tried not to get frustrated but it was futile - however the exhibit was nice but it did spark another set of feelings:
2- with all the starving people all over the world as well as the instability in the catholic church (so it seems to an onlooker) i found all of these exhibits unbelievably, outrageously too much - as i walked through, the exhibit was selfguided and began with many works of art from painters and sculptors ranging from modern works to works from the 400's - paintings, frescos, statues, etc.- and that was very nice - some of the reliefs done by bernini were unbelieveable - then we got to the papal artifacts part of the exhibit - and thats were my mind raced - as i walked through -looking at jeweled crowns made of gold and rubys and diamonds, i thought to myself - wow - this is completely unnecessary - now i understand - it is part of a history of the catholic church - and these were implemented in the past into the papal vocation, however - it just seemed like too much - from the 30 pound hand embroidered gowns that the popes wore once or twice, to the exhuberant staffs made of sterling silver with picutres of the crucifix decorated with rubies and gems. i thought - and actually heard a few comments very close to this one: "i probably shouldnt be saying this but, ya know what - with all of the poor children throughout the world, and the catholic third world countries, it seems as if this is all a little much" - and when i heard that - yea....anyhow - so we went on to see the velvet ivory chair in which the newly elected pope (elected by all of the worlds cardinals) rides around the streets of the vatican and rome in, and we saw the pure white ostritch tail feathers with which him and the 12 men who carry the throne on his shoulders are fanned off with - and it just seemed to me that this isnt what a religion should be all about - it should be about a relationship with God -

thats just my feelings - take it for what you wish -

that was my exciting day - ben also got an airsoft gun - and we're having a war at will's old house at 8 - bring the pain, girls

And prom is over

the beach was so much fun i cant believe it - we shot each other with airsoft guns, snuggled around fires, played in the ocean, traded money with each other through hours and hours of poker, and ate much food provided by the girls.

What a great memory

As we were walking out of capital Grille, where we ate, matt skains sees a ferrari and gawks, so the owner comes up and starts talkign to him; skains is telling him about his car's specs and the guys like - hey - hop in - check this out and so skains does, wait it gets better, he lets skains start it up, wait it gets better, he tells skains he races them and gives him his card "call me and we'll go driving" he says to skains, and he goes on "if your group didnt have to leave, i would let you drive it." so our group doesnt leave - and he drives it around westheimer and streets for a few minutes - wow -like this is a silver FERARRI - like amazing - any how

ape was a blast - my roommate won a digital camera, and i didnt win anything - except a good time

i got accepted into a&m - i'm very relieved and excited so, yea...

PROM WAS FUN.

VERY FUN.

AND THE FUN IS STILL COMING.

YES!

Wow - how about that

Prom 2003 is here! I cant believe it - i remember going last year w/ Chelsea Meyer - hey chelsea

i cant wait - tonite i'm having a cookout for our group who wants to come over then - tom. we take pictures at 4 - dinner at 530 - waterwall- to the sofitel for the dance - back to APE - then to galveston and our beach houses -

i'm so freakin' pumped - i have an AWESOME DATE - my girlfriend brittany.....thats part of the reason why i'm so excited - and all of my best friends - i get to spend the weekend with too

well i'll be sure to update with stories and some pictures

There ya go
i just got back from oklahoma - visiting the University of Oklahoma and Whitney

it was really cool - i loved the campus - it really is nicer than a&m's but i'm not sure what i'm going to do
i have a deicion to make between the 2 schools and its really tough - i dont know what to do -

oh well

i stayed with whitney in her new summer house and her roomate was not there the first night so my mom and i got a room - saturday after i went on a tour of the campus, i was very tired so i went to take a nap and whatever - my mom went shopping and whitney was napping in the other room - and her roomate (who was graduating that day) decided to bring her whole family - over to see her house she was living in this summer - and her room happend to be the one i was napping in - so this is how the situation worked out
-i hear whitney get up and welcome them to the house and i think to myself - you have 3 options here (as i was sleeping in ONLY my shorts)
1. Get up and shut the door quickly -
2. Pretend to be asleep as they peek in the room
3. Get up, put a shirt on and go meet the people - expecting them to be gone in a few minutes

now this isnt a particularly big house - so you can here where people are and stuff
so i hear whitney say "and this is my room..." (next door) and i think "ok - decision time" - so i decide option 3 - get up and put a t-shirt on - and just as i bound off the bead and dive for a t-shirt - whitney's roomate's sister peeks her head in - and sees my scrambling through my stuff on the side of the bed for a t-shirt - and i think she happened to see me dive off the bed as well - and i KNOW she noticed whitney coming from down the hall when she came to greet the guests...so i said - "hi." and the situation was awkward from the get-go
so i walk in to the living room - down the hall - and i notice her sister is pregnant and sitting down - and we catch eyes as i step in to the room and i just smile and nod and listen and meet some people and afterward - i got to tell whitney and her roomate - the story - it was very funny i must say....yea - anyhow - i did have a great time this weekend though visiting OU - thanks again whitney and janna for letting me stay w/ ya'll - and thanks mom - for being my mom and for driving up there and staying with me too

Variety show is over
and so is the weekend following it -
we have some excellent new standleaders and some standleaders that i personally am bewildered at how they made it -i'm just beside myself at the list of people who didnt make it - more than i am at the people who did make it - i mean - it was crazy - i was at tryouts and i saw who did well and who had crappy tryouts and crappy shirts - i saw that and i remembered and i'm pretty sure that every standleader there voted for many of the people who didnt make it - and i'm not sure about the teachers but - it just seems so weird to me - who knows

well its over and its really too bad to see my school year end - especially such a big part of it - eh...but its ok - soon enough i'll be opening a new chapter in my life...we'll see