To Heck With Raton, It's Snowing On GR!

Yes folks, despite our best efforts to keep old man winter at bay with the blooming of tulips, the blossoming of pear and dogwoods trees and the wearing of shorts to expose our sun-fearing legs, the Old Man has come to pay another last season vist and dumped about an inch of snow on GR! Can you believe it! It is only 35 degrees out, even though last week it was 80, and has been above 65 for almost 3 weeks. It is funny to me that thises things happen up here. Of course the general populus is aghast about ti, but expected it nonetheless. Moving on...

Layne's family and I took the Amtrak to Chicago yesterday morning. We got some cheesecake to go at the Cheesecake Factory in the bottom of the John Hancock building, then ate a quick bute of lunch at a local diner beofre heading to see "Les Miserables!" It was FANTASTIC! I have heard the songs from it, at least some of them, but it was a powerful and spectacular show. We did get in trouble by Helga, the evil ticket taker lady who kept yelling at us for different reasons ("don't eat food in theater!", "no pictures in theater!", "nothing on ledge!", "isee the cell phone. I SEE!!!"). But you have to realize a few things. (1) They sell candy and water inside the theater. What is a little cheesecake at intermission? :) (2) We were trying to take a picture of US, before the show started, and did so because of the hundreds of John Does in our vicinity doing the SAME thing! (3) Monkey see monkey do. I love monkeys.

Anyway, we took the train back to MI last night and got in about 1245am. Today will be a lazy day...I usually like to be busy on Sundays, but not today. With no half-day off this last week, I am in need of some R&R. Gonns have some breakfast now....

Do you hear the people sing?
josh

Hockey fights and cocaine pipes

I was always taught that fighting was bad. It gets people in trouble, it is not nice and you could get your face rearranged like Sloth in Goonies. But I went to my 1st hockey game last night to see the Grand Rapids Griffins (2001 AHL Champs) take on Cincinnatti...and boy were my parents wrong! Fighting is awesome. The whole thing was so surreal - let me guide you.

First of all I don't know a thing about the game of hockey. I know that the ball is called a "puck" and is more like a cylinder. I know the goalee wears scary masks, and that most of the guys have a few teeth missing. But here is what I learned at my new favorite sporting event:

• They have to put the words of the national anthem up on the JumboTron because there are too many Canadians in the house.
• The goalee can actually leave his goal, thus having it exposed, to talke a breather! What a wuss!
• The crowd only gets into it if there are fights or goals made. Otherwise they are completely oblivious to the goings on.
• Mullets are the "in" hairdo at hockey games.
• The refs rarely call penalties becuase they have to much fun watching the guys kill each other.

Layne & I went with a bunch of her friends from work. I love to be at sporting events. Any of them. By then end of the game I had deduced (by analogy to other sports) that slashing is like fouling in basketball - even though it is against the rules, awlays do it on purpose. There is off sides, like in soccer, but I had no clue what it meant. At one point I leaned over to the guy on my rigth and said, "just thought you should know - I have no clue what just happened." I told him I just jeer with everyone else, clap when they clap and use phrases like "good stop" and "tough D". I mean, you can use those in any sport, right?

And to get on to other matters, I found a crack pipe, crack, and a needle in a car the other day. Someone left it in a pari of shoes under the seat. I wore the shoes, but threw out the cronic...it's ironic. Snoop would be pissed. he probably wouldn't call me Dogg anymore....oh well.

Go see a hockey game. Go with a girl. Have a hot dog and chili cheese fries. Grow a mullet. And then smoke some crack. Yum yum getcha sum.

joshua

Sources of Motivation

It is funny where motivation comes from. I had decided that going to a wedding in OK would be just too expensive. There was thisidea in the back of my mind the whole time about being unhappy with that choice, thinking "just buy a ticket! you won't be poor because of it. make it work!!"

So I did.

I didn't expect my source of motivation to be in the form of a young Costa Rican almost-doctor who has serious case of lactic acidosis. :) But thanks, Jav.

The ticket is bought. God will provide. He always has and always will.

Oklahoma, your native son is coming back! GET READY!

Bring It On

Although it didn't win many...well, any...Academy Awards, this cheerleading movie brings to light an importnat phrase: "Bring it on!" YOu see, wheteht you are in the business of pumpin gup high school students for mega-big crosstown football rivalries, or in the vehicle rental replacement area, yo uunderatdn that as Monday fast approiaches, it is time to get your game face on because tomorrow someone will come in and
tell a small lie,
present a fake ID,
pretend that they didn't know about he deer stuck to the hood,
or leave a bad credit card and then say "well, I was going to bring it back!"
And to the masses who believe that I didn't watch 2 episodes of COPS on Fox Saturday night, you are wrong! I did..and I have more perspective on how to sniff out a bad deal... that is why they call me "The Bloodhound" Fuller. And they do...

What a fabulous weekend. After working Saturday morning, Layne & I went to see Fever Pitch, the new flick with Drew Barrymore and Jimmy Fallon. Great show! It was a romatnic comedy, but had plenty of awesome 1- or 2-liners in it that made me chuckle out loud. YOu see, on a Saturday matinee showing most of the peopl in the theater are blue hairs...you know, elderly people. I think they missed most of the humor involved, because the only person I heard laughing was my date (I don't count myself, because I hear me, but it is more in my head..you know what I mean?) Anywho, I loved the movie.

Today we got up early and met Layne's friends for breakfast at 8am. Married, they are going to seminary to be pastors in Chicago. Great people. We tried a new church today, too. That is a difficult process. We love Mars Hill, but feel like it is too big. So we tried Sunshine Community Church just down the road from us. Lots closer..and the average age of the folks there was higher too. It was more traditional...but we decided it was worth giving a few more tries. We hated to make a decision based on one Sunday.

Anywho, April marks 6 months we have been dating. And to all who wonder, yes...it is great! The move up here was totally worth it. We have a blast together and learn more each day about what makes each other tick. She is truly a woman after God's heart and her heart may be nearly as big as His. Take care, friends....God Bless you all.

Capital T like Tokyo,
The Bloodhound

PS: not sure what that "Tokyo" thing means. It just pooped into my head. Yes, pooped.

What are we saving for?

Sometimes the trueness of life on your own settles in and allows you a front row seat to watch it perform, in all its happiness, bitterness, confusion and anxiety. Yes the everyday is truly a spectacle to marvel at.

I expected to be making more than I am. Rent is high here, at least for me. I chose to live somewhere where I didn't fear the neighbors and it was a good choice. Then you add up cost of living, including food, utilities, and little luxuries that really take their toll...the internet, full coverage car insurance, a cell phone with enough minutes for me to feel important. I am not asking for a pity party because we all have the bills to pay. All I ask for is for each one of you reading this, no matter how many or few - to take a moment to realize all the important things in your life, and that none of them can be priced. Not one.

I made a hard decision today. I called my good friend Chitty and told him that I would not be able to afford a plane ticket to fly down for his wedding, in which I was an attendant. Unexpected tires for my vehicle ate my "fun" allowance. He took it well, suggesting that we simply put a manequin in my place. I am sure it would work: perfect features, proportionate arm mass to torso - everyone would know who it would represent. Honestly, it was a very hard thing to do. I am sure he will be sad and have to scramble to find someone to replace me in the lineup, but the real truth set in: we're not in Kansas anymore.

I could charge a ticket - yes, I could. And then pay it off later - yes, I could. And thus begins the story of so many who are in debt by the tens of thousands. My friends and relatives have been there. But instead of staying in OK where the cost of living is lower, gas is cheaper and friends are 2hours away, I took a risk... a true leap of faith...in fact, the 2nd largest one of my life (second only to the choice to stay in Colorado to see what, or "who", the Lord had waiting for me at Deer Valley). So here I am, living the American dream. And truely loving every minute of it.

So when you go to bed tonight, say a short prayer of Thanksgiving for what you have been given. I have so much here - a roof, food on the table every night, a steady income, faith in the Lord, and a wonderful woman who cried for me tonight because I won't be able to go see my friends. Her heart is so much kinder than mine. She really was sad for me...wanted it to work, but I told her this was an adventure...

So to my friends in Oklahoma - I miss you, and will until we see each other again. Although I am unsure how long it will be, know that you are my friends no matter where we are and someday our kids will still get a chance to play together while we barbeque.

"You never said it would be easy, you only said I'll never go alone"..."All I hath needed Thy hand hath provided, great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me..."

One for the homies, and Bear...
j holland fuller

The Pen is Mightier

But rock beats scissors, and scissors always beat paper...However, paper ALWYAS beats rock. You digg??

Anywho - so last weekend was fabulous. My friend TJ came to Kalamazoo to play a concert. Layne & I drove down and met him afterwards to have dessert and coffee. We went to a sweet jazz club in downtown K-zoo, then drove back to GR where TJ crashed at my place. After a hearty breakfast he headed out to Green Bay, WI, where his next tour stop was. TJ is a good friend. We go back to highschool and, although we only see each other once a year or so, we still enjkoy time spent talking and cathing up. He always pumps me about about life with his great spirit and jovial "I mean, watcha gonna do?" attitude. Saturday night we watched the playoffs at my boss's place and then Sunday we kept the social train going by having lunch with some of Layne's college friends. All in all it was a very talkative, fun weekend.

So the week at work has been good. Tonight was our area meeting and, come to find out, I was the Top Seller in our area for the month of March! Our area (or region) makes up 44% of the west half of the state of Michigan, so I took that as a good sign. Mayhaps if this trend continues I will be promoted in another 4-6 months. Cross our fingers and say a prayer...

Tomorrow I have my 60 Day seminar in Lansing and my stage 2 test for ERAC. I can't believe I have been here for over 2 months! Time has flown, and I feel very comfortable. Mom and dad are coming up for Memorial Day...when are the rest of you coming up??

Take care. And when shooting, remember Bart Simpson: "good ol' rock, nothin' beats rock!"

With optimism and podiatry,
joshua h fuller