SS 490

Well, that's the end of that.

Fall semester is over. What felt like the longest, most brutal time span has come to a close and all of a sudden I can breathe again. I mean, what else can you expect out of senior year?

Highlights from this semester? Hmmm....

- Scholarship
- Visual Evidence
- Study Abroad finalized
- I didn't fail my senior seminar

One crazy thing that happened on this fine day (yesterday, technically)? A girl cheated on our dag on Spanish exam. No hate or anything, but like..... how do you think you can get away with cheating on the final exam for a class???? I...I just don't....It's beyond me. We'll leave it at that.

In other news, my study abroad application process is officially done. I got my passport after USPS lost it, was granted my VISA by the Chilean Consulate, have managed to annoy the staff at USAC with a myriad of emails and phone calls, convince my parents that this trip is not a scam, and proved to myself that if I put my mind to something that may seem completely out of pocket (originally, this trip), then maybe, JUST maybe, it will all workout.

Lastly, went on my first hike in a year! Crabtree Falls, 4 miles. And I did it all in a pair of Air Max. Bet.

Yours Truly

SO...

Senior year is about 45% of the way over and my grades are on par to be the same or maybe even better than last semester. Besides school, lots of other things have been going on. Such as...

1. Securing an interview for a possible year long, full time internship starting this summer
2. Dropping my first video part at the Byrd Theatre
3. Finalizing my Study Abroad application

Just a couple of things that have been rattling in my head for the last couple of weeks. Oh, and Midlo Boy's veeb is having their senior night tomorrow. You know I gotta support the gang one last time...

Halloween is almost here! Ohio here we (the gang) come!!!

Today a dude from DC who owns a small skateboard company named Yours Truly came down to Richmond to give me a board and a few t-shirts just from watching an old (well, like a year and a half) YouTube video I put out. You know what they say, if you keep showing your face around the barber shop, you'll eventually get a cut.

MAYBE it doesn't go like that, but the gist is there.

10:01 left

It's 4th quarter and we're down by 2... do you pass or shoot?

CC: Kodak Black (4th Quarter)

Midway-ish point of senior year and I am....making it...

All jokes aside, it's been going pretty well. One of my professors this semester is the same professor I've had at least once a semester since I transferred to VCU, and she openly bags on me during class. This just gives me more leverage to ask her for a reference when the time comes for it.

So, yeah. School is good.

Utmost got the boys some new kicks, which is very VERY hype. You could say it was "lit".

My dad bought my brother and I silver chains, which is also cool. It's funny only because at work the other day my boss took a picture of me with some necklace on and I immediately thought "I NEED A CHAIN". Diefes has one, Brad has one, it's my time to shine.

Colleen's birthday was last night, and we celebrated by going to Ipanema to do karaoke and leaving before it actually happened, so I would say it was a good way to celebrate.

Lastly,

OCTOBER 5TH, BYRD THEATER. VISUAL EVIDENCE BY AUSTIN KING (A RICHMOND SKATE VIDEO) IS COMING OUT, FEATURING MYSELF AND MANY OTHER TALENTED INDIVIDUALS. I AM VERY EXCITED.

Senior Season Mode Activated

Welp, I am a senior in college now... Let that sink in for a second

I AM A SENIOR IN COLLEGE. I MADE IT. WELL, KIND OF. I AM ALMOST THERE.

Whew...

From falling asleep after drinking my first beer at Marymount freshman year, to being the same goof as I was then but just a tad bit smarter. It's been a hell of a ride.

What's going through my head right now? Well, if you keep up with the news, specifically politics inside the United States (which also means keeping up with politics inside Russia (wait, did I just say that? Oops.) ) you would also have your jaw wide open for all of the flies to get into it after hearing Michael Cohen and Paul Manafort pleading guilty to a plethora of charges. But that is something to be discussed for another day. Obviously I am excited for the journey I am about to begin after school. Moving out of the house to somewhere that may or may not be Richmond (hehe), paying back student loans, beginning an actual career, and actually having a salary instead of working these boo-boo part-time jobs that sometimes make me want to call 911 for help. I am excited to show my parents that my college experience was worth the while so they can stop insinuating that all I do is get drunk on the weekends and smoke weed with my friends. I am scared because I am going to be dumped out into dog-eat-dog world where the next man might be the best man. Nevertheless, I feel like all of these emotions are necessary and proper for a soon-to-be college graduate.

I've been applying to jobs since the end of Spring 2018. I've gotten a few callbacks, several interviews, and "offers" that were dished out to me and several of my friends by companies that are pyramid schemes and do not deserve myself or my comrades time. But, I am still confident that with all the time that I have and will continue to put in to finding a job that one will come my way and then my journey from young adult laflame to young adult and employed laflame will commence.

What would be some of my favorite moments from my tenure in university? Here's a list:

1. Watching Mo Bamba dunk on Khris Lane at the Siegel Center. Embarassing for VCU, yes. But damn, Mo Bamba has a whole song in his name.

2. Sully's. One time Monte and I got kicked out of there for allegedly throwing a stink bomb in the bathroom. Good times, good times.

3. Early morning to late night to early morning lib sessions. There were times where squad would pull up to the lib for hours, take a break, get coffee, and then come back. Some of the most trying times to focus only because it's hard to focus when your friends are all trolling each other.

4. Transferring to VCU What I thought would be the worst thing to happen on the entire planet AKA transferring from the black hole that is Marymount University turned out to be the best decision of my life so far. I've made friends that have turned into family here at VCU and nothing can compare to the experiences that I have made with them here. Not to mention all of the bragging rights that come from one of the best public universities in Virginia like our arts school, our shitty sidewalks, the smog from all of the cigs... ya gotta love it.

5. Miller High Life. No caption needed.

6. Club Volleyball. Club volleyball was fun until it wasn't. Lots of people always showed out, and practices were always intense. But man oh man, some of those guys took it to the extreme. Like, look at the name of the organization you're affiliated with. It's club volleyball bro. 

7. House Shows. One of the perks about going to school in a city that is so diverse and has a thriving art scene is that you probably know a few folks in a band that play shows at someone's house. Mosh pits, beer spilling everywhere, the occasional fight between a couple really drunk people, and getting your shoes that are already in pretty bad shape into even worse shape. Classic.

8. A healthy ODU rivalry. A few of my really good friends go to the university that I am supposed to hate, but every time I visit it's a good time. Some people say that ODU is the next best thing to VCU... NEXT! (queue Rich the Kid voice)

9. Jam-packed Uber rides. Uber rides are fun because you try to create conversation with the driver, and they are either having it or they are not having it. They are already pissed that you have 7 people in a 5-seat sedan since nobody wanted to order an XL, so even trying to make small talk often pisses them off.

10. Relationships, good and bad. And I am not just talking about girlfriends, I am talking about good and bad relationships with friends, acquaintances, family, everything. College is a trying time. You're finding out who you are, and in that process you have to make some adjustments. It could be cutting off some people you didn't think you ever would, or dating that girl you always had the hots for and having it end weird, or it could be becoming best friends with someone you thought was your enemy. The pro of college is that it is a prime time to make all of these changes with little to no repercussion (and by that I mean a ramification that is going to alter your life in a huge, expedient way). It also shows you more about yourself and how you are developing as a person, student, and intellectual.

College, college, college. The good, the bad, and the ugly. I am glad I've went through all three and wouldn't want to change it for the world.

Senior Season Mode: Activated

Foreign

This really great job that could have turned full-time that I was in candidacy for turned into a bust. But, once I talked to my parents about it, they told me that failure is a part of life.

But, think about it this way.

Since I won't be working at my internship for much longer, that allows for more hours to be worked at my part time right now. This also means that there is more time for shenanigans once the school year comes around. Balance. I can't grow up too fast, right? Yes, I am a young adult. But, I am a college senior. And on the website that I looked at that gave tricks and tips for college seniors, it said be a "crazy" college student. Maybe I am just fulfilling the prophecy, perhaps.

You know that episode of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" when the gang tries out for the Philadelphia Eagles and Charlie gets tricked into doing acid? Such a quality, wholesome episode.

Abyss

I am stuck in the abyss when it comes to my music selection, food pallet, and beer tasting. I am a sucker for the same songs for a couple of weeks, only to interchange them with other songs that I listened to in the past and then listen to them for another couple of weeks. With food, I am so picky but not picky a the same time. Like, chicken tenders and fries is something nobody could ever mess up. So, if I decide to get them, I KNOW por un rato que yo voy a gustarlo. Immature? Not too sure yet. Food suggestions from my friends usually never go well because I crack under the pressure from the amount of decisions that lie within every single order on the menu. I should be more receptive... 

With beer, it's a different story. IPA's, Ciders, Wheat Beers, the list goes on. But what do I usually end up indulging in? DINGDINGDING, you answered correctly: PBR, Busch, Miller Lite, etc... More or less the most watered down beers of all time. This is a very good indicator that I go to Virginia Commonwealth University. 

I have one more month left of my internship. I have one more month left of having some lady that I am not too fond of acting as if she is my mom. I CANNOT STAND WHEN SHE ACTS LIKE SHE'S MY MOM, MAYBE BECAUSE, IDK, SHE'S NOT MY MOM? I COULD GO ON THIS RANT FOR A SOLID HOUR IN ALL CAPS but I am going to calm down and maintain my composure.

School starts in a month. Very excited. 

read this post in all caps

UNPAID INTERNSHIPS SUCK. GIVE ME CASH FLOW OR IT'S A FAT NO.
UNPAID INTERNSHIPS SUCK. GIVE ME CASH FLOW OR IT'S A FAT NO.
UNPAID INTERNSHIPS SUCK. GIVE ME CASH FLOW OR IT'S A FAT NO.
UNPAID INTERNSHIPS SUCK. GIVE ME CASH FLOW OR IT'S A FAT NO.
UNPAID INTERNSHIPS SUCK. GIVE ME CASH FLOW OR IT'S A FAT NO.
UNPAID INTERNSHIPS SUCK. GIVE ME CASH FLOW OR IT'S A FAT NO.
UNPAID INTERNSHIPS SUCK. GIVE ME CASH FLOW OR IT'S A FAT NO.
UNPAID INTERNSHIPS SUCK. GIVE ME CASH FLOW OR IT'S A FAT NO.
UNPAID INTERNSHIPS SUCK. GIVE ME CASH FLOW OR IT'S A FAT NO.
UNPAID INTERNSHIPS SUCK. GIVE ME CASH FLOW OR IT'S A FAT NO.
UNPAID INTERNSHIPS SUCK. GIVE ME CASH FLOW OR IT'S A FAT NO.
UNPAID INTERNSHIPS SUCK. GIVE ME CASH FLOW OR IT'S A FAT NO.
UNPAID INTERNSHIPS SUCK. GIVE ME CASH FLOW OR IT'S A FAT NO.
UNPAID INTERNSHIPS SUCK. GIVE ME CASH FLOW OR IT'S A FAT NO.
UNPAID INTERNSHIPS SUCK. GIVE ME CASH FLOW OR IT'S A FAT NO.
UNPAID INTERNSHIPS SUCK. GIVE ME CASH FLOW OR IT'S A FAT NO.
UNPAID INTERNSHIPS SUCK. GIVE ME CASH FLOW OR IT'S A FAT NO.
UNPAID INTERNSHIPS SUCK. GIVE ME CASH FLOW OR IT'S A FAT NO.
UNPAID INTERNSHIPS SUCK. GIVE ME CASH FLOW OR IT'S A FAT NO.
UNPAID INTERNSHIPS SUCK. GIVE ME CASH FLOW OR IT'S A FAT NO.

I'm still gonna finish my unpaid internship though.

UNPAID INTERNSHIPS SUCK. GIVE ME CASH FLOW OR IT'S A FAT NO.
UNPAID INTERNSHIPS SUCK. GIVE ME CASH FLOW OR IT'S A FAT NO.
UNPAID INTERNSHIPS SUCK. GIVE ME CASH FLOW OR IT'S A FAT NO.
UNPAID INTERNSHIPS SUCK. GIVE ME CASH FLOW OR IT'S A FAT NO.
UNPAID INTERNSHIPS SUCK. GIVE ME CASH FLOW OR IT'S A FAT NO.
UNPAID INTERNSHIPS SUCK. GIVE ME CASH FLOW OR IT'S A FAT NO.
UNPAID INTERNSHIPS SUCK. GIVE ME CASH FLOW OR IT'S A FAT NO.
UNPAID INTERNSHIPS SUCK. GIVE ME CASH FLOW OR IT'S A FAT NO.
UNPAID INTERNSHIPS SUCK. GIVE ME CASH FLOW OR IT'S A FAT NO.
UNPAID INTERNSHIPS SUCK. GIVE ME CASH FLOW OR IT'S A FAT NO.
UNPAID INTERNSHIPS SUCK. GIVE ME CASH FLOW OR IT'S A FAT NO.
UNPAID INTERNSHIPS SUCK. GIVE ME CASH FLOW OR IT'S A FAT NO.
UNPAID INTERNSHIPS SUCK. GIVE ME CASH FLOW OR IT'S A FAT NO.
UNPAID INTERNSHIPS SUCK. GIVE ME CASH FLOW OR IT'S A FAT NO.
UNPAID INTERNSHIPS SUCK. GIVE ME CASH FLOW OR IT'S A FAT NO.
UNPAID INTERNSHIPS SUCK. GIVE ME CASH FLOW OR IT'S A FAT NO.
UNPAID INTERNSHIPS SUCK. GIVE ME CASH FLOW OR IT'S A FAT NO.
UNPAID INTERNSHIPS SUCK. GIVE ME CASH FLOW OR IT'S A FAT NO.
UNPAID INTERNSHIPS SUCK. GIVE ME CASH FLOW OR IT'S A FAT NO.
UNPAID INTERNSHIPS SUCK. GIVE ME CASH FLOW OR IT'S A FAT NO.
UNPAID INTERNSHIPS SUCK. GIVE ME CASH FLOW OR IT'S A FAT NO.
UNPAID INTERNSHIPS SUCK. GIVE ME CASH FLOW OR IT'S A FAT NO.
UNPAID INTERNSHIPS SUCK. GIVE ME CASH FLOW OR IT'S A FAT NO.
UNPAID INTERNSHIPS SUCK. GIVE ME CASH FLOW OR IT'S A FAT NO.
UNPAID INTERNSHIPS SUCK. GIVE ME CASH FLOW OR IT'S A FAT NO.

lo dudo

I've been listening to a new podcast. It's called "Thrill Of It All", and it's run by Jamie Thomas aka THE CHIEF. This particular episode he is talking with Ed Templeton, and he is definitely one of my favorite skateboarders. He skates, paints, writes, and takes pictures. TRUE ROLE MODEL...

A couple days ago one of my pals told me that I was in Thrasher magazine. It was even more exciting because I had no clue that I was in it until he told me. Scooped the issue today and MAN does it feel cool seeing your face in one of the best mags to grace this planet. Really cool.

4th of July? If you mean falling asleep at City Dogs just to finish your beer once you wake up, then yes. 4th of July. The team went to Nova, while I was stuck working. Always remember to take 4th of July off literally months in advance. Shoot, go ahead and take the 4th of July off for next year off right now while you're at it.

let's run

No AC summer is officially a GO. Am I happy about it? NO...

It's a solid 10000 degrees outside and there is no waning in the temperature. I foresee lots of ice cream, cold water, ice-pops, smoothies, milkshakes, and other cold delicacies in my future.

I have accepted the fact that with almost everything that I do I will sweat, no matter what. I might as well embrace it. Embrace the stench. Maybe not the stench, I could live without the stench.

The team went to the beach yesterday. Really good time. I have sand in places that I didn't know sand could go (this means that sand got in my water bottle and I got sand in my mouth)(it's really annoying getting sand in your mouth)

FIN

Right Now

"Bill Gates (paid), all my bills paid..."

That was a bar by Pierre Bourne on Carti's tape, exhilarating...

There was an event for my internship last night where there was no dress code at all, yet everyone there decided to come dressed in suits and fancy people clothes. I literally came in a sweater, running shorts, and tennis shoes. Did I stick out like a sore thumb? Yes. Did I almost hit the panic button and dipset? Most definitely. But, I went and saw my CEO/Executive/ Big Boss Guy and he told me there was no worries about my dress and thanks for coming. As soon as he said that a literal weight had been released from my shoulders.

My parents and I are going to discuss the travel accommodations for Chile this weekend. My excitement knows no bounds for this trip. I feel like my whole life has been formulated for this. That was really dramatic and obvi it's a boost I'm just HYPE AS SHIT.

My ex-gal and I just broke up recently, kind blown yet not blown at the same time. More time for myself, my friends, and my dog. And I save money. And I am free to do whatever I want. Not that having a girlfriend holds me back but I can just do me and not have to worry about what anyone thinks. That mindset should have been instilled in the beginning (tru) but it's better to get that through my head now rather than later. So, a consolidated version of this paragraph is that at the end I, Lawrence Jones III, did NOT take the L.

SKOL

3:10 to Yuma

i AM NOT MAD ABOUT ANYTHING, MAYBE A LITTLE BIT? i REALLY DON'T KNOW BUT i REALLY DON'T CARE. YESTERDAY, MY ASSISTANT MANAGER MORE OR LESS TOLD ME THAT i DON'T TALK TO ENOUGH CUSTOMERS AT WORK AND SOME OTHER STUFF THAT i REALLY DIDN'T PAY ATTENTION TO BECAUSE IN THE MOMENT i WAS VERY LIVID AND IRATE. NEVERTHELESS, i PERSISTED.

(GOD'S PLAN BY DRAKE PLAYS IN THE BACKGROUND)

I guess moral of the story is don't work a retail job when you like to keep to yourself and not really befriend your coworkers? Or maybe know where everything is supposed to go in the store? To my very, very lazy defense when I close I really am eager to leave and often rush to get things done. I know I am not alone, dear God I hope I am not alone on this one...

The weirdest part about this nonsense, which often is my job, is that I've never had a complaint from a customer about me, my manager told  me exactly 8 days ago that I did a great job, a customer said to me, verbatim, "Wow, you're, like, the first person that actually cares about the customers at this place. Thanks.". So, here are what my thoughts on the bullsh*t are:

1. The owner of the store is out to get me. I saw her at a bar for a split second this past weekend and quickly made my escape from her vision.

2. My manager might think this is an incentive for me to out-pace some of my other coworkers, to work harder (it's hard to work hard from clock in to clock out when all you do is put clothes on racks and post to Instagram 400 times a day), or some other odd reason.

3. This is some social study on the effect of negative reinforcement on employee behavior.

4. My coworkers are upset that I don't talk to them that much and keep laflare's thoughts, comments, concerns, and other personal things to myself. Personally I don't care what my coworkers think of me (LOL)

Honestly, all of the theories listed above are probably wrong, but it's still interesting to think about.

ANYWAY,

Today has been one of the few days where no signs of low self-esteem have appeared. Serotonin is very nice to your body, I suggest we all get some!

Last, but not least, New York is going to stop arresting so many people for smoking weed in public as long as the interaction between the officer and the POI isn't fueled by the officer's presumption that the POI is a threat to the public, the POI doesn't have any pending charges, has their ID on them, and all that good stuff. And Canada just legalized Mary Jane.

Cool, right?

Summertime Siesta

It was what, 90 degrees yesterday? You can miss me with ALL of that heat...

Well it is June, what else can I expect from the days besides humidity, heat, sweat, and high dosages of water? The answer to that question is bumping the new Carti album, 40z, listening to the same songs over and over again until I am tired of them, skating until my pants are soaked, and flirting with E. Coli and all the other germs that live in our beloved river system. Happy Summer!

My internship is going well. I am practically 1/3 of the way done with it. We're hosting a summer happy hour for our business partners, first drink is free for interns! Excited is an understatement. I mean, overstatement. I really don't want to be surrounded by drunk businessmen/businesswomen on a Wednesday night when there are half-off wings somewhere else that I could be crushing. Ya can't win em all EVERYDAY...

Monte came back from France with cool rocks that I am going to give to Mason, Bethany is leaving for Montana soon, Marshal is going to Colorado (where Caroline already is), Rachael might be going back to NoVa, Bridget is coming to VCU and possibly rooming with KT, and I am studying abroad in 6 months.

These last couple of semesters are going to be interesting, to say the least.

That was such a cliche way to end this blog post so I'll jazz it up.

This final school year I am going all out. Academics, brews, The Classic Pap, and everything that comes along. The 5 year journey from Marymount (lol) to VCU (yea!) is coming to an end.

My Revenge Tour has Ended

The 2017-2018 Revenge Tour held by Lawrence Jones LaFlare and company has, indeed, ended. And it has ended on a good note.

I made dean's list for the first time in forever, no cap. I didn't even think this was possible. I am the master of all time and space. Not really, but I did get good enough grades to be the master of my education!

Today is a full send. A full send on everything. It will turn out well. I am not even planning on it not turning out well. If I can't be actually confident, I can at least fake it? But I am confident? This is confusing, but the world is confusing.

I had Chipotle last night, got heartburn directly after. Not the best feeling, but damn, Chipotle is good.

I start my internship next week. I will be wearing fancy clothes and stuff like that. Clothes are really cool. They have a story to tell. But fancy clothes are a lot lamer. They all kind of tell the same story but in a different way but it isn't as, I guess, authentic?

Any who, this summer is gearing up to be a good one. My first video part is nearly done, I'm still flow for Utmost (it is still crazy to me that I am lowkey sponsored), and my last year of school is en route. The Future Of LaFlare Is On The Horizon.

FRUSTRATION by Enjoy (look it up on Spotify)

My Revenge Tour is Coming to an End

My REVENGE tour is coming to an end, aka the school year is ending and I am excited/stressed about it. The looming omnipotence that finals has on literally everyone (including professors) is maybe my biggest fear next to my fear of getting stung by a wasp. Still, this year was a good one. Here's why:

1. I didn't really tell anybody or give any detail behind getting hooked up by Utmost besides an IG post, but I am flow for Utmost and it's like.....hype
2. I started "interning" for this small online publication, another banger I can add to my resume
3. I've made some of the best friends a laflare could ask for this year (Beamer Boiz/Mijo Means Well GC shoutout)
4. I got one D on a Spanish Exam
5. Greek Week 2 times in 1 week
6. MY FIRST FULL LENGTH VIDEO PART IS DROPPING VERY SOON........
7. REFER TO 6
8. I believe that I've found my knack with journalism/prose and am planning to have that direct me in some sort of direction a year from now when I graduate (oops!)
9. NO MEAT MONDAYs are here to stay (until further notice)
10. I didn't let my stress get to me this semester, or the semester before, which is a feat of its own because I usually cannot deal with any sort of stress without going bananas/brazy/boonk gang/gang sign John Wall on a ho(e).

So, my 3rd year at VCU/4th year in universtiy is almost complete, my resume is beefed up, my skateboarding is getting elevated, the greeb has been my friend, and my left hand won't stop shaking because today is one of the first days in a while where I've had coffee to start my day. I looked up on the internet why people get so many muscle twitches (not asking for myself, for a friend obviously) and something along the lines of WebMD said that excessive caffeine consumption makes your body twitch and make the possibility of an irregular heartbeat higher than normal. WebMD is your friend sometimes.

Also, the Cowboys released Dez Bryant and the Penguins are up 2-1 on the Flyers in the first round of the playoffs.

Revenge Tour 2k18, baby.

Comfort

Clothes. We all have clothes, right? I hope so. Outfits, shoes, pants, jackets, shirts, all that jazz. Do you feel comfortable in your clothes? Are your clothes a reflection of who you are, or are they a reflection of your environment? Do clothes mean anything to you?

For me, I am not too big on buying brand spanking new clothes. Unless it's been a multitude of months since I've shopped at an actual outlet store and am in dire need of a completely fresh fitted, most of my wardrobe comes from thrift boutiques, thrift shops, and any other kind of place that comes to mind when thinking about a typical VCU student's clothing. It's cheap, it's authentic, and there are more stories to tell behind a shirt that you bought from Rumors or Family Thrift than there is behind the Kappa jacket or Nautica long-sleeve from Urban Outfitters. This isn't to say that there's an issue with shopping at places like Urban, hell, if I had the money to blow at Urban every other weekend maybe I would be shopping there. But that's behind the point. Thrifting for cool shit is always an experience. You can fantasize about the story behind the "new" piece of clothing that you got and almost put yourself in that person's shoes. A little weird? Yeah, I'd say so. But it's my kind of weird. 

I bought this one flannel a couple of years ago, from Goodwill I think. It's a green, plaid, jaded piece of cloth that maybe an old farmer might have worn while toiling on the fields with his or her sheepdog and cows. It could have been in the back of some normie's closet, hell if I knew. Wherever this piece of clothing ventured from before me picking it up off the Goodwill gave it a narrative that only the former owner would know. A story that resonates only between the former and the clothing. I just think that it is really interesting that I am, in a slightly ominous vicarious way, coexisting with an object that used to be part of someone else's life as it is part of mine now. I've done so much in this flannel. I've given it to a girlfriend (but then took it back after we broke up, obviously), I've landed some of my best skateboard tricks in it,  I've traversed in multiple cities in it, the list goes on. 

This flannel, as insignificant as it might be to who is reading this blog post (if you're reading this blog post, please bring a bagel to Cabell library, second floor, with cream cheese!***I don't think anybody will get this joke, but that's ok***), has been home to many memories that predate my ownership of it and has allowed me to create a dialogue of my own with it as well. 

Comfort. 

Pre-Game Speech

Just when I thought that winter break would last forever, the harsh realities that come with school starting have emerged from the abyss. Books will need to be bought, classes will need to be attended, toleration of classmates will be mandatory. A solid three and a half weeks away from school was definitely something that we all needed, especially myself. Still, I'm excited to get back in the groove of school.

Winter break this year was awesome. I took a little skate trip to D.C. with a friend, threw down on New Year's, created semi-professional relationships with individuals who have the potential to direct me in the right direction in regards to a career, and had an interview for what some would say is my first "actual" job. Quotations around the word actual because of the magnitude that this position (Non-Profit Admin at Think Of Us Organization) would have on my resume and experience for possible careers in the future. It looks like my life is slowly and steadily shaping into a mold that I hadn't planned for, but what's the fun in going into every situation in your life knowing the exact outcome?

I woke up today around 7:20 after falling asleep at 3:30/4ish in the morning, and throttled my way to the library to get an iced coffee from Starbucks (ironically I am in the library now writing this blog post). That cup of coffee held me down for several hours, and by several I mean seven hours. Why did I decide to eat so late? Not a clue, but that Chipotle burrito definitely played its part by filling me up.

Recent efforts have been made on my end to stop eating so much meat/animals and eat more plants. I had to google the difference between being vegan and vegetarian, and hundreds of others probably had to do the same. I get the two so confused just because they both have similar concepts, with one being a more strenuous diet than the other. Whatever.

There's still ice on the ground

I sent in a photo that my friend Dillon took of me doing an ollie to flat in Richmond a couple months ago to several magazines, and one of them already hit me back saying they'll try to get it into an upcoming issue. My reaction? Well for one, I was surprised that they got back to me within a day. The magazine who hit me back so fast is Skate Jawn, based out of Philly. Being that they're east coast, they probably saw "Richmond" in the body of the email I sent them and were like "east coast!". As corny and unlikely as that scenario sounds I hope it went something like that. I have a heavy intuition towards me seeing that picture in an issue of the mag in the near future...

There's still ice on the ground and the local community college and other institutions like Old Dominion University are going back to school today. I cannot relate, due to the fact that VCU doesn't start for another week and I can laugh at those who are tripping on the ice around their campuses until karma hits me with a baseball bat and has me on the ground wallowing in pain. Global warming is real! It's about to be in the low 60's for a day or two this week. Usually, I'd say this is just a normal depiction of typical Virginia weather since we as a state do have a tendency to mix all 4 seasons into 1. But, scientific research says otherwise. We really have to stop killing the earth.

Lastly, the Panthers and Bills lost today. Cam Newton is one of my favorite quarterbacks, and the Bills were in the playoffs for the 1st time in almost 2 decades. My heart and my ego hurt for both of the teams yesterday for a smooth 30 minutes after the game, but then the cold weather outside completely shifted my mind from sympathizing for them to finding ways I could be warmer in a car that took forever to heat up before driving home yesterday. For a lack of better words, it's brick outside.

chamber of reflection

The time is about 5 am and I really don't know why I'm awake to be completely honest. I fell asleep around 9:45, expecting to only arise when the clock turned 7 the next morning. Turns out that I was soundly wrong...

A new year has come upon us! New Year's festivities that happened this past January 1st were jubilant and joyous, nothing that I didn't expect though. I threw a bottle off someone's porch stand, someone accidentally peed on my Dale Earnhardt shirt that my really good friend Heather gave me (it's a staple to my wardrobe), and a bunch of the Midlo gang pulled up out of the abyss. Twas' an exciting night if you were into beer, ladies, screaming, and stepping on people's nice shoes.

School starts in 11 days exactly and I'm more excited than anything. Winter break has treated me well, but I want to be back on the daily grind. As weird as it sounds, going back and forth to school and immediately after to work is easier for me than sitting around and galvanizing with my friends. Let me rephrase that: having a definite schedule for the week is useful for time and money purposes, and I am slowly learning that my friends will (hopefully) be there and understand that we are out here grinding and trying to get this schmoney, education, and rest. Now THAT sounds tons better.

Is it taboo if I leave my room right now, 5:25 AM EST, and make a bowl of Honey Bunches of Oats and wake up everyone in my house with my munching downstairs? Does the fact that I would be using vanilla soy milk make it more feasible? How do I fall back asleep? If there are any suggestions or remedies, please feel free to interject.

Lots of good music has been shown to me in the past couple weeks. RICEWINE, TOPS, Porches, older Mac DeMarco and new Trippie Red have been playing on my Spotify as of late. I've also come to recognize how important music is, man... If you're listening to shitty music you gotta step your game up. But, then again, who am I to tell you if you're music taste is shitty? HA! Do what you want, I'm honestly just rambling at this point.  My stomach is rumbling and I don't know if I can hold off on this bowl of cereal. I think this is my queue to jet!