worth waking up for

is it odd that i'm 26 years old and will consider any day that i play ultimate frisbee a complete success? should i quit trombone and pursue a career in ultimate? i mean, the money making opportunities gotta be pretty similar right?

i woke up this morning nice and late (about 10a) to the glorious sound of rain and thunder, read some news, listened to some music, then threw my cleats in my backpack and headed out the door to play ultimate. it was still raining and about 40 degrees when i got to the field and there were 4 guys tossing a disc around, waiting for a few others to show up. once we had 6, we set up a field and played 3-on-3 for about an hour and a half. there were puddles everywhere on the field, which only made me smile more, bc i knew i was gonna get totally caked in mud on my very first layout.

one thing that's great about playing on a cool rainy day is the shower afterwards. it feels soooooooooo good. by the looks of the drain, i think i brought about half the field home with me...

anyways, the moral of the story is that ultimate makes me happy. the end.

love,
james

omg

i just got back from the orchestra concert and all i can say is 'wow.' michel camilo played a concerto he wrote and it totally blew me away (oh yeah, and leanord slatkin conducted)

i haven't been to a concert in a while that has inspired me that much. if you ever have a chance to hear this man play, do whatever it takes to get to that concert. he's absolutely incredible. if you have an album of his and haven't listened to it in a while, dust it off and put it in the cd player.

i hereby declare today 'michel-camilo-kicks-major-ass day'

laters,
james

2nd post?

it's not often that i post two times in one day, but i came across a video today that i couldn't pass up the opportunity to share. it's so f'n funny. enjoy.

back in the town of b

been back for a few days but just haven't felt like posting much. i just got back from some really good ultimate and am feeling amazingly refreshed with life in general right now. it's the kind of refreshed that i think i just wanna keep to myself instead of trying to explain it all, so i'm just gonna copy on hayley and post a funny little survey thinger. not sure i've ever done one of these, so i'll consider this a debut.

whats your name spelt backwards?
yeldray retlaw Semaj

What did you do last night?
practiced, played some poker, then drank with my friend trevor

The last thing you downloaded onto your computer?
an ultimate frisbee video

Have you ever licked a 9 volt battery?
yup. it was delicious.

Last time you swam in a pool?
i wouldn't call it swimming...but last summer.

What are you wearing?
a thong

How many cars have you owned?
just one, and she's still goin' strong

Type of music you dislike most?
the cheesy stuff you hear as background music in grocery stores

Are you registered to vote?
i think so...better look into that

Do you have cable?
nope

What kind of computer do you use?
the best kind (macbook pro)

Ever made a prank phone call?
is your refrigerator running?

You like anyone right now?
jenna fischer, although, she won't return my calls at the moment

Would you go bungee jumping or sky diving?
sky diving and hopefully sometime soon (this summer anyone?)

Furthest place you ever traveled?
london

What's your favorite comic strip?
i used to love garfield.

Do u know all the words to the national anthem?
you betcha

Shower, morning or night?
i'm not usually awake until i take a shower, so mornings

Best movie you've seen in the past month?
semi-pro. will ferrell = funniest man ever

Favorite pizza toppings?
pepperoni, mushrooms, and tomatoes

Chips or popcorn?
triscuits foo.

Have you ever smoked peanut shells?
what the f?

Have you ever been in a beauty pageant?
no, i'm too pretty so they won't let me.

Orange Juice or apple?
i drink a lot of oj, but i really like apple too. so both i guess...

Who were the last people you sat at lunch with?
my parents

favorite chocolate bar?
chocolate was made to be consumed in thin candy shells. f bars.

Who is your longest friend and how long?
gonna have to go with my buddy matt, from home. since 6th grade so like 15 years?

Last time you ate a homegrown tomato?
hmm...have i ever? i must be missing out.

Have you ever won a trophy?
i won a cross country race when i was in 10th grade, but i think i just got a medal for it :(

Favorite arcade game?
teenage mutant ninja turtles. donatello rocks the shit in that game.

Ever ordered from an infomercial?
no, but when i lived with branden up in governors he dared me to call in on one and ask them about the free prayer cloth they were offering. i remember an indian guy answering the phone that had no idea what the hell i was talking about when i asked him if the cloth really worked.

Sprite or 7-UP?
sprite, but i don't drink much pop.

Have you ever had to wear a uniform to school/work?
yup. boogie band = black shoes, red knee high socks, black shorts, red shirt with yellow cord things, sunglasses, and red berets. we looked good.

Last thing you bought at Walgreens?
soap i think

Ever thrown up in public?
yeah. but only once from drinking too much. the rest of the times were from running.

Would you prefer being a millionaire or finding true love?
true love i guess. i've lived this long without monies and have been happy enough.

Do you believe in love at first sight?
i believe in hot girls at first sight, but not love.

SPONGEBOB OR JIMMY NEUTRON?
i barely know who they are so i'm gonna pass.

Did you have long hair as a young kid?
probably a few times.

What message is on your voicemail machine?
none, sadly.

Where would you like to go right now?
i'd really love to go skiing right now, so i'll say telluride, co.

Whats the name of your pet?
gert. she's adorable and i miss her.

What kind of back pack do you have, and what's in it?
duluth pack and cleats, a sweatshirt, and a water bottle.

What do you think about most?
damn this is a good question. i probably think most about whether or not i'm doing what i want with my life and what i can do to be happier.

mashed potatoes and gravy,
james

a sad day

i received news this morning that a good friend of mine from duluth passed away last weekend (below are two articles i was able to find). i'm writing this as i wait for some laundry and will be leaving as soon as possible to attend his funeral tomorrow in rochester, mn. i don't really have any commitments for the rest of this week, and next week is spring break, so i may spend a couple extra days in rochester, the twin cities, and eau claire before heading back down to bloomington. give me a ring if you wanna hang out.

lovins,
james

Former Duluth resident dies in Rochester

Duluth News Tribune - 03/04/2008
Firefighters in Rochester, Minn., found the body of a former Duluth resident in his home after an explosion and fire destroyed the building early Saturday.

Authorities say Paul Michael Beaulieu, 26, died before the explosion occurred. Rochester Police Captain Brian Winters said an autopsy was done Sunday. While the coroner has not ruled on a cause of death, Winters said there is no indication that a crime was committed.

Winters said Beaulieu lived in the house with his wife, Samantha (formerly Arter), but she was visiting family in the Duluth area when their home exploded.

Firefighters found Beaulieu’s body in the house’s basement, Rochester Fire Marshall Vance Swisher said. There was a natural gas line to the house, but Swisher said the cause of the explosion and fire probably won’t be known for several days.

Beaulieu was born in Duluth on January 3, 1982. He was a 2000 graduate Central High School. He and his wife moved to Rochester three years ago when American Eagle Airlines transferred him to Rochester International Airport.

A memorial service will be held Thursday at 2 p.m. at Ranfranz and Vine Funeral Homes' chapel in Rochester


Man's death ruled a suicide
3/5/2008 8:03:35 AM
(0) Comments

Post-Bulletin, Rochester MN

The death of a 26-year-old Rochester man whose body was found in a building destroyed by fire last weekend has been ruled a suicide by the Olmsted County deputy coroner.

Paul Michael Beaulieu died about one hour before the house exploded and burned Saturday, said Monica Cole, deputy coroner. The fire and explosion at 822 Sixth St. S.E. was reported at 4:30 a.m. The house was engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived. Beaulieu was the only one home at the time.

Cole said the cause of death "appears to be a hanging." She declined to say more.

Fire officials continue their investigation to determine the cause of the explosion and fire. Vance Swisher, Rochester fire marshal, previously said a gas leak was one of several possible causes.

A memorial service for Beaulieu will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at Ranfranz & Vine Funeral Homes in Rochester.

my windows are open...

...because it's 63 degrees outside :-) got the ol' lappy out and i'm enjoying a nice little breeze (that smells of spring) on my back while i blog away.

so last night got outta hand a little bit. keith and courtney, or as josh lee apparently calls her, 'curtney,' were visiting this weekend and after keith's audition, we decided we'd celebrate. celebrations started at nick's english pub with two pitchers of beer, some food, and a drinking game called 'sink the biz.' for those who don't know, sink the biz is played by taking turns pouring beer into a glass that is floating in a bucket, also filled with beer. whoever sinks the glass in the bucket has to drink it (probably 6 oz i'm guessing...) so the object is to pour enough in so that the next person inevitably sinks it. if you're thinking you can just pour a drop in and easily beat this game, you're wrong, because one of the rules is that the pour has to be a steady, non-broken stream. after finishing the game, we had finished off 3+ pitchers between the 3 of us (curtney looked after us) - and it was only 3:30. feeling stuffed from all the food, and a little tipsy, colin and i headed home and took a break from the drinking. at 5 we resumed again when some friends came over to pre-game before going to the new will ferrell movie, 'semi-pro.' we watched volumes 1 and 2 of the best of will ferrell snl dvds while we drank and had a good time. at about 6:30 colin left for the liquor store and came back with 8 mini-bottles of jack daniels for us to bring into the theatre. before the movie had even started i had poured 4 of those bottles into my small diet coke (which i never drink) and sipped down about half of it. i guess it was pretty strong because the girl i sat next to, who was a friend of a friend, told me that jack and diet was her drink of choice, so, being the gentleman that i am, i offered her some. i told her that i'd set the cup in between us and she could help herself, but expression on her face after tasting it told me i was going to be finishing it by myself. more for me :-)

the movie was hilarious, and we were pretty lit, but it was only 9:30ish, so next we went down to the irish lion for more food and drink. somewhere between the theatre and the lion, i'm 100% positive i mooned someone, but for the life of me, i can't remember who. i know i also called a lot of people at this point of the night. if i called you, i'm sorry for being annoying. anyways, i promptly ordered a half yard of beer (hacker pschor weisse - german wheat beer, yummy) and a bowl of coddle and continued on in my drunken ways until we left at close.

the two things i'm most proud of is that i had a really good time, which i haven't done in a while, and i didn't ride in a car with anyone that shouldn't have been driving, opting to walk home at the end of the night.

two things i'm not so proud of are that my friends had to confiscate my phone and remove the battery because i was being so annoying with it and that it's now 2pm and even though i've been awake since 9, i haven't done anything. guess i should take care of that now...

hope everyone is well!

lovins,
james