Hmm lets think about that

Again, another user calling in about iPhone 4.

"Hi I ordered my iPhone with AT&T a while back. All my friends got theirs but mine has not come in yet. I am at the Apple Store and I want to get the iPhone now. "

"If you get the phone from Apple you will not have the device paid for by the University. On top of that, you will have the one from AT&T. So you will be paying for two plans."

"Well Apple said that most AT&T stores are out of iPhones. So should I get the one from Apple so that I can make sure I have a device."

"You could get the device if you really wanted to, but the University is not going to reimburse you. You should probably just wait for the device to arrive from AT&T."

"Ugh, Fine."

Silence.......

"Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"No."


And then she hung up. Apparently waiting a few weeks for a device to ship after you order it is not typical. She needs to learn patience.

Drum Roll!

I am now going to start a daily blog for the dumbest question I have heard, per a request from an interesting new acquaintance Lindsay (hope I spelled your name right). Since some days I may not hear some dumb questions I will start to post oldies-but-goodies.

So for today, an oldie:

I work for an undisclosed university distributing iPhones to freshman. 20pts if you figure it out. Anywho, I take many phone calls from freshman trying to order the phone through AT&T's site, which honestly can be confusing, but we post video and written instructions going through each step in order to provide assistance to those who are actually literate. In the video instructions the spots for contact information were filled in with generic information so sensitive information would not be viewable/available for spamming. We had a student submit information exactly like the video. Here is the information they filled in for all the forms.

First Name: University
Last Name: Student
Student ID: 000000000
Phone Number: 1234567890
Address: 1600 Campus
Contact email: universitystudent@university.edu

Time again to write

So the last four days I have worked extremely hard not to sin.

I'll let that sink in for a minute...Alright, done? First day I felt pretty good about it, but that was because we were still together. These last three days I have been numb, trying not to have time by myself or to think because I know that everything was my fault. I messed up, and it sucks really bad. I check my phone all the time, I don't think I'll ever take that picture off. I don't see any missed calls and my heart wrenches. My stomach feels like a mule kicked it in. Sure I have been reading my bible, praying all the time, and working on things to distract me. What I realized is that I won't feel any better until I know that this is actually better for you. I've been here before, and I even dug up all the notes to prove it to myself, but I know this one was different. I believe that eventually I will be able to get over this. Eventually sometimes takes me a while. But it is you I worry about. Sometimes I want to call you still. I get lonely, and I realize you are the only person I talk to. Maybe this is only because it is day three; maybe it is because I feel that deep down I will continue to be numb without you.

I pray that you stalk me as much as I still am interested in you. I hope that you read this and know that I am paying for what I did. I am trying so hard to be God worthy. I know there is grace, but I don't want to take advantage anymore. I want to be one of the ones God calls good and faithful servant.

Sometimes I pray you will call just to talk.
Maybe I'm still being selfish.

First post on Book

I got the front cover posted finally for the Book I have been working on forever.
Please visit aridynasty.blogspot.com

Paintings

Finally finished all of my paintings just a few moments ago. Tomorrow is our last free day, which I will probably use to pack and sleep. Wednesday we fly to London from Pisa a little after noon. I do not expect internet again until I have landed on Thursday close to 4pm. I hope to talk with you then.

Philosophy (of sorts)

Being in the rather unusual mood of eloquence that so rarely strikes me I thought it evident that I should place some of the current thought on my brain into words as best as I can. Firstly it has been noted that many people close to me have recently taken on a spouse in marriage, had a child, or both. Being of the age one and twenty it would seem close to time for all this to happen, yet I have been particularly troubled by it. Many persons of dearest memory to me have fallen into a life that has brought about turmoil--which even the best of us must endure I pray not more than once in a lifetime. The lifestyle, while respectfully out of their own choices, has brought into this world another life. And while typically I might be one to quickly come to conclusions of my own surmises, I have lately looked more with respect and interest than condemning nature. Three lovely women who I had closely felt friendship with have had children, and no father of proper nature to stay in contact with the family. It breaks my heart that such love contrived in intimacy would fall short when the condition of husbandry, fatherhood, or family should arise.

Quite the opposite on the spectrum: two couples equally as dear to me, though one of closer relation to me than the other, have taken on marriage. My excitement in both of these causes is difficult to attribute to any given emotion, but can only be explained by the fact that God in all his wonders has added more for me to ponder on. In all the events however I have felt a lacking in involvement. This has only added to my feelings that I have lost a deal of importance in the lives of others. I have been contemplating the fact that God made us all in his image, and therefore we all as equals have a kindred spirit. God asks us to love our enemies because they, like us, are the same creation. This has only made me want to reach out to those around me--most certainly the ones I feel I have lost contact with. In the past I bottled myself away and grew restlessly weary with people around me. I have come to the conclusion that if I continue to worry about the stresses of my own life, I will only look inwardly and thus become callous and selfish.

My faith has then lead me to this greatest point; to worry about my own salvation will only reap selfish nature, but if instead I have concern for the salvation of others--no matter what stage in life I am at, holy or otherwise--my life will turn for the better, even without my knowing for I will esteem others higher than myself, and to loose all selfishness for the benefit of others will thus gain a peace in spirit and mind.

Salvation is not something to be purchased or worked for anyway, but to be received by grace, for I feel, should we try to work for the gift we would never be able to pay it off.

That is all for now which I can place into text from my present thoughts.

For the next week

Just a quick update. I was in the Uffizi Museum yesterday. I was able to see so many pieces of art in the Art History books. I was blown away. Both Cimabue and Giotto's Madonna Enthroned were there, Botticelli works, Massaccio, Fillipi Lippi, Raphael paintings, Da Vinci Paintings, and even a Caravaggio. Unfortunately the museum did not allow photos or video so I have nothing to show for it.

These last few days I will only be finishing my paintings I have to turn in soon, and if I get them done I may visit Siena, but we will have to see. So nothing really important going on other than finishing up the assignments required of me.