Monday, December 12, 2005

Two quick updates

UofM Basketball is now ranked #5, go Tigers.

And everyone who cares should go to this site: http://www.keepmanny.com/

Tuesday, December 06, 2005

Covering Your Tracks

My my my. if a person were to write a silly post about being held hostage in one's fiance's house, that person might have the common sense to cover his tracks, thus CLOSING THE BROWSER WINDOW in which they were working on their blog.

But alas, not everyone thinks as clearly in times of peril.

So hello world of Chad. This is Jesse the fiance. [insert sweet but sinister laugh]

The following are some things that Chad may have neglected to tell you on this all important blog but that i will fill you in on....now:

1. Chad and I are engaged and we are getting married on march 11, 2006. He is so excited about it, but he neglects to mention it in his posts because this excitement drives him to insanity. He is currently receiving treatment.

2. He ran a half-marathon this past Saturday.

3. He would really like to post a picture of us on his blog, but I'm sure he just hasn't gotten the chance, so here is one of my favorites:

Posted by Picasa This picture was recently taken of us over Thanksgiving break by Chad's sister-in-law, Angela Pknicholson.


4. Although the Boston Red Sox are nearest and dearest, he LOVES the auburn tigers and thinks they were overlooked in the bcs bowls. Wisconsin? at least let them play Virginia Tech again. Oh, and he strongly believes USC is overrated (but not Reggie Bush), and UGA. War Eagle.

Help, I'm Being Held Hostage!!

Jesse told me I couldn't leave her house until I posted on my blog. So here I am posting. This is probably one of the more scary moments of my life. Being held hostage is nothing like what I thought it would be. There's less yelling, and no gun waving. Also, there are no maniacal, prmature plan-revealing pychos running around talking on untraceable cell phones. And THAT, it what makes it so scary. This is a new brand of hostage situation. One Kevin Spacey can only dream about. Nightmare about, that is.... But mostly, it's the kind of tense situation that most couples deal with on a daily basis.

You see, I'm starting to realize that having a meaningful relationship is a perilous risk, but one that is always worth it. Oh, forget it. I was just making that up so that Jesse wouldn't get mad about the whole "I'm being held hostage" thing. So, instead of trying to draw some sappy meaningful point of my rambling above, I'm just going to let it stew for awhile.

At this point, you may find youself asking what this has to do with you. I'll tell you. Absolutely nothing. Actually, I'm not even sure what it has to do with me. BUT, just for kicks, let's do this. Everyone post a comment and vote, on a scale of 1 to 10, how mad Jesse will be that this post is nothing like what she probably had in mind. 1 is Jesse doesn't care at this point because it's late, 10 is Jesse just chopped my head off and is now using my vertebrae for tinsel. Then, vote again (same scale) and guess how mad Jesse is about the scale about how mad she is. Wish me luck, I'm publishing this post!

Wednesday, November 30, 2005

The Last 30 Minutes

Well, I'm at work, and there are roughly thirty minutes left before I clock out. So, I began to wonder, what takes longer than the last 30 minutes at work? Well, here's what I've come up with...

- The last 31 mins of work

- The last 32 mins of work

- Okay, okay, I'll show some restraint. The last >30 mins of work. There.

- Christmas Eve

- Waiting for anything when you have to pee

- Driving to a place which you do not know the location of and you're looking for the street sign like you look for the last pringle

- Apparently, a baseball game. I had no idea, but that's what my fiance tells me.

- The end of 70% of the sermons heard on any given Sunday

- Dick Vitale trying to whisper two words (I'm still not sure it can be done)

- The last minute of any NCAA March Madness basketball game that is within 10 points

- The collective montage taken from ANY Dallas Cowboys game of Bill Parcells making his angry face at some "bonehead" play one his his players just made

- Yao Ming tripping on a banana peel? Eh... maybe not.

- Speaking of montage, ANY 80s film is bound to have at least one 30+ minute montage of something insignificant (like going to the mall, going on a date, leaving the mall, etc.)

- I've timed it, and I can make it 32.67 minutes without laughing out loud at the Atlanta Hawks

Well, I'm starting to run out of anything good or funny, so I'll stop here. It's now 3:46, and the last 14 minutes isn't looking so good either. Feel free to add your own ideas. If nothing else, it's always good to hear from Jesse and Leslie.

Monday, November 14, 2005

MVP

So today, A-Rod (in the name of Christian ethics I will refrain from using any nicknames for the aforementioned person) won the MVP award for the American League. Well, let me be one of many dissenting voices to tell you that is just flat out stupid. I will now espouse several reasons as to why this is true...

1. This A-Rod MVP controversy has happened before. And do you know why? It's because he's NOT VALUABLE to any team. Before it was the less than good Texas Rangers (who ironically are much better now without A-Rod [see also Seattle Mariners]). Now, it's the overhyped, overpaid, much hated Evil Empire of the New York Yankees. What does A-Rod do for that team? Has he ever been the source of any big game hit or defensive stop? No. But I can think of some key errors (a few against my beloved Red Sox), and a couple no-shows at the plate (e.g., the 2005 playoffs). He's a great hitter, a good shortstop/third baseman, but he's not the most valuable player in the AL, EVER, in any season.

2. And this was alluded to in #1, A-Rod is not clutch. When the Yanks are winning 10-3, you can count on A-Rod hitting a Grand Slam against a third or fourth middle reliever. Well, great. When the game is on the line, you want Jeter. You want Sheff. You don't want A-Rod because A-Rod chokes and NEVER comes through in a big game situation. You know who doesn't choke?? Big Papi. Give me the big guy over ANYONE except maybe Pujols when the game is on the line. Big Papi is clutch, and he's proven it over and over again. Just ask the 2004 Yankees.

3. A-Rod is not a winner. Sure, he puts up numbers, and the Yanks have been competitive, but when A-Rod was THE stud in town, his teams sucked. First the Mariners, then the Rangers, he did not win. Sure, the Yanks win, but I give Torre and Jeter and Rivera credit for that. Not A-Rod. In fact, A-Rod was part of the BIGGEST choke ever in the history of professional sports last year. That's what A-Rod is good for, not winning when it counts. How many WS rings does A-Rod have? Zero. In an important side note, A-Rod also lost the fight with Jason Varitek two years ago.

So, there you go. Three good reasons as to why A-Rod is not the most valuable player in the AL this year. Is he the best player??? Maybe. If you pushed me on it, I think I could give you that. But the best is not always the most valuable to his team. Big Papi is without a doubt deserving of that role.

So there you are my friends. Tim Kukjian can take his stats and do something else with them besides support A-Rod for MVP. His stats mean nothing to me. Give me the guy who has the most game winning hits (Big Papi). For the record, America agrees with mehttp://sports.espn.go.com/espn/fp/flashPollResultsState?pollId=33522. There is no hanging Chad on this one. Big Papi for MVP.

Tuesday, October 11, 2005

(Sigh)

Well, the Red Sox played horribly last week, so I guess I was wrong. But, on the other hand, I am engaged now. And that is MUCH MUCH cooler than anything the Sox will ever do.

Monday, October 03, 2005

A Victory Nonetheless

All hail the reigning champion Red Sox as they return to the playoffs. Will fate be on our side once again? The answer, of course, is yes.

Thursday, September 29, 2005

FOUND

So I've been watching LOST quite regularly from the beginning. And I'm convinced it's a really good show. If it was a movie, it would win more Oscars than Return of the King. Really, it would win every Oscar, including Best Animated Short. It's that good. But as I listen to friends talk about how frustrating it is to have all these questions and no answers (don't worry, no spoilers here), I keep thinking about the old radio serials I've heard about from back in the day (1930s). Of course, today, we don't really know what those were like, but we might be able to remember the original Batman TV show (a la Adam West) spoofing those radio serials with these words: "Tune in next week, same Bat-time, same Bat-channel..." (not to be confused with Bat chanel, a horrendous fashion idea that flopped early and often). It's the ultimate cliffhanger at the end of a great story, and I for one, welcome it. Yeah, it's hard not having all the answers just fall into your lap, but really, the joy is in the experience of the story...

One of the great things about LOST is that it has been with Jesse and I from the beginning. The first time I met Jesse was at a mutual friends' dinner party. Really, it was just dinner. Not the dinner, or even a dinner, just dinner. Anyway, this girl walks in late (uncommon, I am told) in t-shirt and jeans, and I thought, "Hey, that girl is cute, and she seems normal." Normal is actually abnormal at ol' Harding Graduate School, so that was refreshing. We played trivial pursuit that night, and won. Good sign. Over the weeks to come, I started wanting to hang out with this normal girl more and more, until it became fairly obvious to everyone involved that the best was yet to come. So, on that fateful day, exactly one year ago TODAY, I asked that fine young lass out for lunch after class. I was thinking, "I'm hungry, she's normal, this will be fun." Okay, actually, I was thinking, "I REALLY like this girl, how can I spend more time with her today, because I don't want to wait until tomorrow before I see her again." Admittedly, I wasn't shooting for the let's-figure-out-our-relationship-over-lunch-right-now thing that happened, but you won't hear me complaining about it anytime soon. So we went and got BBQ - we're in Memphis after all - and ate it outside at Audobon Park. As we were talking, I began to realize that this girl was not only getting more and more attractive with every minute (a trend that continues to this day), but that she was also very close to graduating and leaving Memphis for good! Quite a conundrum. So I started asking some rather candid questions about her future plans, until it became quite obvious why I was so interested. Pansy that I am, after our fair share of awkward silences and childish giggles, SHE blurts, "Are we going to talk about this or what???"

Well, we did. We talked, and talked, and somewhere between then and now, we fell in love. So, how did we get from LOST to here? Well, the first time we held hands was during the very first episode of LOST. Since then, there have been many other special firsts. Our first kiss, our first dance, our first late-night giddy phone conversation, our first Valentine's Day, our first road trip, our first Auburn football game, our first Harding soccer game, our first youth retreat, our first Christmas, our first failed ice-skating escapade for Christmas (but hopefully our last), our first season of watching Alias together, our first ministry experience together, our first "I love you," we're still waiting for our first fight, and of course, today, we celebrate OUR FIRST YEAR! (It's fitting that we're ending the day with an Alias Premiere Party, props to Brooke Ray)


Jesse,

Many things have changed since September 29, 2004, but one thing that has not is my firm conviction that God is blessing me with you. You are an amazing and talented woman who loves the Lord completely. Your passion for Him above all else, spurs me on to do and be the same. My prayer is that I will never take for granted the gift God has entrusted to me, the gift of love that you show me every day. I am the luckiest man alive to be able to say that Jesse Maddox is in love with me! The beauty of your heart will never fade, but only age with the warmth and grace that mark a Godly woman. That, above even your amazing outward beauty, is what makes you so attractive! I love your stubborn will, your nervous giggle, and the way your feet fidget when I kiss you. I love how you get scared watching LOST and curl up next to me. I love the timeless combo of Saturday brunch and college football. I love how you support my Red Sox addiction. I love your dog, and that you let me teach him how to jump. Basically, I love you. Happy anniversary baby.


To the firsts that are yet to come,
Nick

Friday, September 23, 2005

I'm a Mary!?!?!?!?

According to Your Mom's Blog, I'm a mary. Such offensive name-calling is really unnecessary. Since Jesse found it appropriate to talk about how awesome I am, allow me to do the same...

I'm just kidding of course, I'm already blogging and I suppose that's enough self-indulgence for now.

I don't really have much to say right now, and things are fairly busy keeping up with "Martha" (just kidding, Jess), but I would like to inform "the world" that my ipod nano is totally sweet, and yes, my most amazing girlfriend gave it to me as a present on a day with no particular special meaning. How awesome is that! I mean the nano is cool and all, but a present given out of love for the sake of love, now that is priceless.
[insert tear-jerking devotional idea here]

A question for my comment-making friends:

Which movie franchise is better, Lord of the Rings of Harry Potter?

(I just found out one of my close friends has not seen or read a lick of either)

(He's no longer my friend)

Monday, September 12, 2005

Will the Real Chad Billy-Steve Pknicholson Please Stand Up?

"Warning, Hypocrite!"
- David Brent

So the world has gone blog crazy. A junior high girl might say, "BlOg KrAzY," but I will stick with just crazy. Which reminds me, proper punctuation is important, even in cyberspace. Some people say it is not important, but I say those people are freaking idiots. For example, a certain friend of mine likes to post insults on our fantasy sports message board. His favorite, and I'm not kidding, is this: "your an idiot." Really? What about my "an idiot?" I didn't know I even HAD an "an idiot." And, if I do, I'll kindly ask you not talk about my "an idiot" in public.

Anyway (not anyways), blogging. What is it about blogs? I mean, Barbara Streisand has a blog. And so does her nose. Outside of political blogs, news blogs, Boston Red Sox blogs, or Star Wars blogs, what's the point? I mean, am I really going to wake up from an afternoon nap and say to myself (out loud), "I wonder what is going on in the world of 150 junior high kids at Moore West Junior High?" Well, thankfully, and I mean THANKFULLY, there are EXACTLY 150 kids from that junior high who have decided to grace us all with such wonderfully cute, prepubescent phrases like "I love yew" and the oft-copied, never-duplicated typing in AlTeRnAtE CaPs! So, lest you not have time to peruse all 150 blogs, here are some selected favorites from our friends at Moore (is better) West Junior High (I can't make these up)...

"uhh i like rawk & rap! yea cool cool! I like shopping and oreos wit penut butter! yeah isnt that awesome! i like zebras! when i was little i hated sesame street!"
- Dumblonde096
[insert blone joke here]

"am i ugly? ... tell me the TRUTH ..."
- hamwich1633

"I am A fun outgoing gurl! I enjoy singing dancing and cheering! Iam completely high maintenance and I still play with barbies!"
- BaRbIe_GiRl_4_u

"true love has no age limit"
- Its_aLL_About_Me_1222

Okay, now I don't want to pick on junior high kids, because I know we've all been there. And even though very few things we worried about in junior high actually mattered at all, it still matters then, and I'm sure it does for the fine young lads and lassies at Moore West. Even so, do people really think that other people are so totally intrigued by their lives that they will read about them religiously on a daily basis? If someone really wants to know about my day, I think they could just call and ask. But create a blog? Honestly. I'm afraid that the blog has become this amazing new form of self-indulgence, where we daily remind ourselves and others who we're really about.

I have a blog now, and this time my girlfriend can post comments on it.