tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60945020286529158582023-11-15T10:20:21.111-06:00before "i do"a journey in which I blog my winnings and woes in attempt to better myself before I say: "I Do"Ben Schmitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16019434421782235322noreply@blogger.comBlogger113125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094502028652915858.post-78632810982327551802011-02-07T08:00:00.002-06:002011-02-07T08:13:33.925-06:00reminiscentAn interesting situation happened a while ago:<br /><br />There has only been one girl whom I've seriously been interested in in my young life. It was a few years ago. I never pursued anything with her because we were both too young and I didn't want to end up scarring both of us through a broken relationship, so I backed off.<br /><br />A week after I backed off, she started going out with another guy. <br /><br />Last month, they got married. <br /><br />I've been over her for years, so this isn't a whining heart-torn-to-shreds blog post, but it's weird to think that the only girl I've ever been seriously interested in is now a Mrs. <br /><br />I remember one time when we talked for hours. I started making up a half-humorous, half-almost-cool story. I said I'd write the story out. A few weeks later she was dating another guy. <br /><br />I wrote over 200 pages of the story. She still doesn't know I did that. It's probably for the better that she doesn't know. I wrote it within a year-ish of when we were interested in each other. Now, the Word documents still sit on my hard drive like an old unloved stuffed animal tossed amongst rags. <br /><br />I was reminded of the story when they got married.<br /><br />I'm happy for them. He's a great guy; she's a great girl. <br /><br />We would never have worked out so it's definitely for the better this happened. I've barely seen or talked to her in nearly 3 years but my Word document still rests untouched and unread by anyone aside from me.Ben Schmitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16019434421782235322noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094502028652915858.post-23651992025095501312011-02-04T08:22:00.002-06:002011-02-04T08:28:00.245-06:00literatureFor the first time... I love literature.<br />My professor this semester is so intriguing; it is almost impossible not to enjoy it. <br />Even though I aspire to be an author, I have never liked literature classes, with my ongoing excuse of, "I am never assigned interesting things to read. All the classical literature I have to read is old and boring. I want exciting and gripping." <br /><br />Although that excuse is semi-valid, my professor of one week helped me realize that although nothing "interesting" may be happening circumstantially in the story, the marks of a true literary genius is the art of weaving masterful prose and gripping the reader through the mundane of everyday life through poetic verse. <br /><br />He altered my view of "boring literature" forever. I look forward to this class eagerly. I cannot wait to be immersed in the vicarious ups and downs of poetic adventure and masterpiece.Ben Schmitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16019434421782235322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094502028652915858.post-15554930475790101022011-01-31T08:16:00.002-06:002011-01-31T08:29:03.651-06:00back in blackThe month of January has been interesting. I'm not going to sum it all up, but basically I decided to take a break from the internet (which was outrageously refreshing and almost unheard of in the modernized world). <br /><br />I did a lot of writing. I wrote about 50 pages in the last 2 weeks. It has been very productive. I also have been doing a lot of reading. I'm engrossed in the Stieg Larsson novels. I'm currently half-way through The Girl Who Played With Fire. The sequel is in the mail right now, headed to my dorm room. <br /><br />Today is the first day of classes for the Spring semester. I have an 8am class every Mon/Wed/Fri. So, I've decided to wake up at 6am to work out, do devotions, and eat breakfast. I did that this morning and it was wonderful. I hope I can keep this up through the semester. I'll have to go to bed every night around 11:30pm, which actually isn't all that difficult: I did it last night.<br /><br />Yesterday I had 3 flights to get from Minnesota to Indiana. Yes, that's right, Indiana is only 3 states away. I landed in Wisconsin, then Michigan, and then Indiana. Roundabout much? I'm not going to complain though, because I love traveling. I have officially flown 33 times. Yes, I keep track. <br /><br />I spent my travels yesterday people watching, reading, and occasionally writing my book. It was wonderful. <br /><br />Now that I am back in the dorm and seeing all the guys again (many of whom grew too much facial hair over the infamously lazy J-term) which has been nice. My roommate and I are in 2 of the same classes together, one of which is Political Thinking, which I'm looking forward to a lot. I've not taken much politics before, and i'm ready to start.<br /><br />As far as my novel goes... it is actually going wonderfully. I solved my writers' block that has been bothering me for so long, and am getting far in the story. Also, I am setting up a few interviews with real-life computer hackers. (They're the good guys, though. Technically their job titles would be something like: Cyber Security Analyst). I cannot write 2-3 chapters until I conduct the interviews, but they live in MN, so I have to wait until Spring Break. Oh, dang.<br /><br />I'll be updating much more frequently, especially now that I am not taking a break from the internet. <br /><br />Have a wonderful day, and make it a point today to make someone smile!Ben Schmitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16019434421782235322noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094502028652915858.post-3223331655135823342011-01-01T10:45:00.002-06:002011-01-01T10:57:02.253-06:00New YearBefore I talk about the New Year and all that jazz, I need to make a quick correction about my last blog entry before I keel over from sheer shame. Hemingway is not spelled: "Hemmingway". There is only one M in there. <br /><br />I barely did any research about Hemingway (still going to do it, just haven't gotten around to it quite yet). My thought process is thus: I am a writer. I must learn about the best writers that ever lived so I can be awesome like them. <br /><br />Logical assumption, right? I read Hemingway = I get a book deal. (Slight sarcasm there. I still think wishful thinking means probable future. Why limit yourself?)<br /><br />If you look at the link of this blog, it is everydaynewyear2010, which is a long name and corny, so I wish I could change it, but hey, whatever. The origional intent was to set a daily resolution for myself to accomplish.<br /><br />Hah.<br /><br />In the months following, it has transformed into something... different. But, that cannot go to say that I can't set New Year's Resolutions for myself and still hope to accomplish them. <br /><br />Here are a few of mine. Some will be extremely difficult to complete, others are crazy easy. <br /><br />1. Be able to bench my own body weight. <br />2. Be able to do the splits. (Recognize this one from last year? Shame is written all over this)<br />3. Finish writing my book. (By far the hardest one)<br />4. Learn a new talent. <br /><br />Sure, there are only four of them, but hey, they're hard. Okay, none of them are: "Crazy easy" as I stated some would be before thinking about the list. But, they'll stretch me. (The splits especially. Haha)<br /><br />I've decided to stay home over J-term (or interm, whatever you prefer it be called) to work. So, instead of having a ton of fun with my friends for a month at college and get 3 free credits over J-term, I will be staying home and working. Sounds like a blast, right? This month is going to be hard. I love my family like crazy, but I'd way rather be at college right now. I hope the new year starts of with a good month.Ben Schmitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16019434421782235322noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094502028652915858.post-41605458922653851012010-12-11T18:06:00.004-06:002010-12-11T18:11:11.532-06:00HemmingwaySo, I realized that I have never read Hemmingway. I'm not even sure what Hemmingway's first name is. Arther? Nathan? Fitzgerald? <br /><br />I call myself a writer. Hah. No writer is a writer without reading Hemmingway. He is the master of the iambic pentimeter, and has conquered the literary community with a fictional fist - and he still does. And my mind has not yet been exposed to his brilliance. How sad is that?<br /><br />My small goal: to familiarize myself with Hemmingway's biography and some of his writings, so I can better understand how and why he is so revered. <br /><br /><br />Oh, and as a side note: Christmas music is the best thing ever. I love it. But, it cannot be listened to before Black Friday, or after January 1st. Anytime in that time perameter makes everything magical and wonderous, but if listened to outside that time perameter... something bad is bound to happen. <br />So, enjoy the Christmas music while you can.Ben Schmitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16019434421782235322noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094502028652915858.post-7173466369267872642010-12-06T16:48:00.003-06:002010-12-06T16:57:36.958-06:00finalsMy entire world is shrinking into a tiny bubble of late nights, caffiene, books, and memorizing. You've guessed it... it's finals week. Or, to be specific, the week before finals week, which is much more work. The week before finals week is all the studying, and finals week itself is just tests. <br /><br />Kill me now. <br /><br />I spent 6 and a half hours studying for a Spanish test last week. I will be lucky if I get a C. I don't understand Spanish at all. I used to love Spanish in high school (when I had an amazing teacher) but now I have a horrid teacher.<br /><br />Class time consists of him telling us stories of his childhood and college life and travels around the world. Sometimes he plays spanish music for the class. Then he realizes that there's only 10 minutes left in class time, so he crams an hour lecture into 10 minutes, leaving everyone confused. <br /><br />The result is me knowing no Spanish and being punished for my teacher's failings. If I was quizzed on his life, i'd get an A. But when it comes to prerite, present and past subjunctive, and indicative... i'm lost. No hope for survival. <br /><br />This is the first class I am scared I may fail in. I'm a good student, and I average A's in all my classes. But, this just might kill me. <br /><br />All my other classes are going wonderfully. I enjoy them. <br /><br />This week I was introduced to the classic TV show: Friends. Growing up my family never had cable, so I never watched any TV; we would occasionally watch movies. So, I have never seen Friends before. I cannot believe what I have been missing! This show is the basis for all sit-coms/soap operas/witty TV shows. It is the formula for success. <br /><br />This is a revelation to me. I'm glad I discovored it, especially since i'd like to one day write scripts for TV shows, it's good to know the formulas for the most successful shows in TV history. <br /><br />Anyways, I hope I survive the week. Afterwards I get to go back home to Minnesota on a long 12 hour car ride. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo will keep me entertained as my friend drives.Ben Schmitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16019434421782235322noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094502028652915858.post-52081749753411470202010-11-29T21:43:00.002-06:002010-11-29T21:53:18.259-06:00breakThanksgiving was wonderful. It was relaxing. It was heart-warming to be with family. It was hilarious (had a party Friday night, tons of laughing involved). But, the one thing that was missing from the yearly tradition of Thanksgiving is this: the feast and Grandma's house.<br /><br />Every year my Grandma hosts Thanksgiving for their side of the family. My mom, my aunt, and my Grandma are all incredibly amazing cooks, so it is a joyous time (especially for my mouth). <br /><br />But, this year, my Grandma had surgery on her fingers. She has been ridden with artheritis for years, and just recently decided to have surgery on her fingers to do whatever the Doctors do to make it better. Anyways, she couldn't cook. So, we decided to have our Thanksgiving meal at an Inn. Weird, right? It was nice though. We had a great time, and the food was very good. <br /><br />Overall my break included:<br /><br />* Staying up until 3am wathcing movies and talking with my family<br />* Showing off my first published piece of writing<br />* Shopping<br />* Drinking Caribou Coffee (I miss it so much since there aren't any Caribous in Indiana)<br />* Hanging out with friends<br />* Being lazy<br /><br />It was a very nice weekend. Now I am back at college and prepared to conquer my tests. Spanish is killing me, so I am pulling out the big guns and ready to battle verb conjugations, tenses, and verbage until Spanish begs for mercy.<br />Wish me luck.<br /><br />Oh, and a goal that I just completed: I ran a mile in 6:30. I had been getting a little slow, so I set a goal for myself to complete a mile (only breathing out of my nose so it helps my breathing as well) in 6:30. <br />My next goal is 6 minutes flat. That will take me a while to reach; bring it on!Ben Schmitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16019434421782235322noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094502028652915858.post-31694914243827236922010-11-25T21:42:00.003-06:002010-11-25T21:53:00.246-06:00the new blogI changed my blog. You probably noticed if you still have eyes, but I just wanted to reassure you: you are in the right place. <br /><br />This change is not only layout and title, the purpose changed as well. You probably read the little tag line under the title, but let me explain it a little bit. <br /><br />There are many things that I want to do before I eventually get married (if I am one day blessed with a bride, that is). I want to do anything from skydiving to traveling to Italy to eating sushi to publishing a book. There are many goals that I would like to accomplish before I say: "I Do." <br /><br />The purpose of this blog is to:<br /><br />1. Comemorate my futile and humerous attempts at suceeding at the little things<br />2. Entertain you<br />3 Give a glipse of my younger life to my future wife, and the journey I took to become the man she will know as her own<br />4. Have fun<br /><br />So, without further ado, let me welcome you to: Before "I Do". You will hear an account of my life as I tackle various obstacles. <br /><br />P.S. Happy Thanksgiving.Ben Schmitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16019434421782235322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094502028652915858.post-38777869939096432682010-11-21T15:54:00.002-06:002010-11-21T16:01:23.975-06:00Thanksgiving BreakThanksgiving break is coming nearer and nearer. The thought of eating food that is natural and good for you is exciting to me. I will soon be eating food that wasn't made by simply adding water. Yeah, that's the huge downside to college: the food. <br />I wake up too late to eat breakfast, so I am restricted to two meals a day.<br />When i'm a home I eat an average of 4 meals a day, sometimes as many as 8. I am hungry ALL the time. I can't wait to eat whenever I want to, even though Thanksgiving break will only last for less than a week, it will be time that I will immensely enjoy.<br /><br />I signed up for classes next semester. It's scary to think it's almost been a whole semester here at Taylor. It doesn't feel like that long, yet at the same time it feels like a lifetime. <br /><br />I recently discovered that I can take a Forensic Science class instead of Chemistry or Physics for my Gen-Ed science class next year. You have no idea how excited I am to take Forensic Science. I watch way too many invesigation movies/shows, and even read articles and books on the side concerning murder mysteries. <br /><br />It's funny... one of my friends is already dating in college. He met her two months ago and they're boyfriend and girlfriend now. I think it's hilarious. They're both great, but they're both freshmen... and they both have 4 years ahead of them of soul-searching. Yeah, love is in the air at the Taylor campus.Ben Schmitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16019434421782235322noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094502028652915858.post-43567224423477297822010-11-10T23:20:00.002-06:002010-11-10T23:23:32.348-06:00No Shave NovemberI just wrote an article for the campus newspaper, The Echo. My article is being printed and will be all around campus on Friday, making this my first time seeing my name in print. Yes, I am stoked beyond belief. <br /><br />Here it is: <br /><br />Title: No Shave November<br /><br /><br />The second week of November has come. It’s not the weather that has the men of Taylor uncomfortable; it’s the stubble on their faces. That’s right, it’s No Shave November. <br /><br />No Shave November has been a Taylor tradition for many years. But it still has male students cringing at the inevitable: a semi-hairy face. <br /><br />Here are a few things that signify the beginning of No Shave November:<br />Men will…<br />• Scratch the chin area<br />• Express shame while in the presence of females<br />• Constantly use excuses like: “It’s usually not this long” or “I know I look like a 12 year old”<br />• Make fun of the beardless to feel better about themselves<br /><br />Guys know if they have clean-shaven faces come middle of November, they will be publicly disgraced for being too proud to resemble a fuzzy peach or for having a hormonal imbalance. I can personally attest that neither of these outcomes is desirable. <br /><br />Men may complain about being unable to socialize with females because women fail to hold eye contact. . . every few seconds their eyes drift to the lower half of the face. The first week of November I thought to myself: they must be admiring my cheekbones, which, of course, were sculpted by Michelangelo himself. But when I saw my reflection in the mirror, I found my eyes drifting to the lower half of my face, and Michelangelo had nothing to do with it. My inner pubescent boy was showing. <br /><br />I’d like to make a quick shout-out to those “real men,” those guys who can grow full beards in half a week. You know who you are. Others might not because they can’t see you beneath the facial ferns. You bear that hair with manly pride. Continue being awesome. <br /><br />Yes, it may be true that almost every creature that deserves an “awww” is furry. Imagine these baby animals: a penguin, a duck, and a dog. If you thought to yourself “awww” or screamed it out loud, then you have passed the test. If you did not have the “awww” moment, then you are heartless. Now, to dispel the mental image that furry creatures are the only adorable ones imagine these baby animals: a seal, a pig, and a naked mole-rat. If the “awww” moment didn’t happen, then visit the prayer chapel; God can still save your soul. (Yes, naked mole-rats are adorable.) <br /><br />Never fear, men who can grow only patches, because like the naked mole-rat, you are still loved. Let’s hope Taylor can survive the rest of November. And women, imagine a baby seal next time your eyes drift the lower half of a man’s patchy face, and feel free to have an “awww” moment.Ben Schmitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16019434421782235322noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094502028652915858.post-14793209077101653772010-11-08T09:27:00.002-06:002010-11-08T09:32:55.238-06:00NanoWrimoNanoWrimo stands for: National Novel Writing Month. <br />The goal of NanoWrimo is for hundreds of thousands of people around the world to write a novel in the month of November. Yes, a novel in a month. You read that correctly. 50,000 words is the goal. That is equivilent to 5 pages a day with 1.5 line spacing. It takes unparalleled dedication and focus, which I lack. <br /><br />I am on page 18, and I am supposed to be on page 40 by the end of the day. My homework is kind of controlling-and yes-that is my excuse because I know I could prioritize my time to get both done with extra time. <br /><br />Life at college has gone a little bit downhill to be honest. I have lost track of what I value most. I guess i've been sitting on the sidelines watching life happen and not been taking part in it. <br /><br />I've noticed that on days that I clean my room organize my life, do all my homework early in the day, read a bit of a book, do devotions, go on a walk, and write, at the end of the day I feel amazing. But, since it is so hard to be self controlled enough to do all those things in a given day, I have been ending up at 2:00am every night wondering where my time went. <br /><br />Yes, I have blogged countless times about being organized and self controlled, but it is really something no one can have too much of, and I would like to exercise that mental muscle of mine as much as possible, because I know that when I get out of college and possibly live on my own, everything will be on my own shoulders.Ben Schmitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16019434421782235322noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094502028652915858.post-20558312387418192562010-10-17T15:15:00.003-05:002010-10-17T15:36:37.612-05:00Fall BreakFor some random reason it hit me today of how much I want to life in loft downtown Minneapolis once i'm out of college. I want to live in one with a few other guys for a few years and enjoy our young bachelor years in the city and pursuing our dream jobs. Me, I might be found under the name of Benjamin Grey in my future outrageously popular newspaper columns and possibly blogging career. I will write books and short stories for fun on the side, and maybe try to get those published. And, after a few years of outrageous fun and unforgetable memories with my best friends, start a career in film-making as a screenplay writer for TV shows, and maybe a few movies. <br /><br />Yeah, doesn't that sound so nice. <br />I have my life planned out. Since ink blots on a web page cannot convey vocal inlfection, that was an extremely sarcastic statement. I know that planning your life out rarely happens the way you imagine. But, this is a goal of mine rather than a dream. I would like to work towards it. If it falls through, then so be it, but I would love it beyond capacity of words to have a life half as exciting as what I just described. <br /><br />I looked up some penthouses and lofts downtown and found some for decent prices for some really classy places. Split between 5 or so guys would be a really realistic yet epic way to live. <br /><br /><br />All wishful thinking aside about my future, on to a more mundane but still cool subject: I FINALLY have my life organized!! I feel so good. I'm not sure how much i've mentioned this before, but one of my characters in my book is named Tatum Foxx. She is the upitome of awesomeness and attractiveness. The one thing that seperates her from other girls (aside from the simple fact that she can kick the butt of nearly every person on the planet with special thanks to 5 forms of martial arts)is this: she is self disciplined. <br /><br />Discipline is a character trait that i've had to fight for my whole life. Especially the last 3 years has been a constant uphill battle for organization, time-management, and effectiveness. I DO get a lot done, especially compared to the average 18 year old college male, but, I'm not comparing myself to statistics of the national average (which is depressing), I am comparing myself to my potential. I know I can do better, so I have been trying to. <br /><br />Tatum Foxx is the one who has pushed me the last month to finally achieve what i've been trying to for 3 years. I can finally say that I have a decent grasp on self discipline.<br /><br />Over the fall break weekend most people were staying up to 4am playing video games and doing nothing. So, I decided to utilize a handy program (unknown to me before this week) called OneNote. It comes with most Microsoft Office packages. Anyways, I organized my entire life on this program. I wrote out my To Do List for short term and long term. <br /><br />Over my elongated weekend (thank you Fall Break, I love you) I dispersed my homework between my 4 days of break, doing most of it at the beginning, leaving Saturday and Sunday for free-time. So, while everyone else was being lazy bums, I was cleaning my room, reading tomes, writng short stories, writing assignments, and having a great time doing so. <br /><br />Right now I have the evening to enjoy myself where all the guys on my floor will be up nearly all night studying last-minute for assignments and tests due for monday.<br /><br />I still have a long way to go in the area of self-discipline, but I am happy to say that for once I can be content at what I have achieved.Ben Schmitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16019434421782235322noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094502028652915858.post-67119228471442318442010-10-06T15:33:00.003-05:002010-10-06T15:39:10.313-05:00the one exceptionI just got back my first big paper. By "big" i mean 20% of my overall grade in Literature class. Guess what grade I got in it? <br /><br />D<br /><br />To make matters worse, it was one of the best essays i've ever written. The teacher happened not to be able to follow my unconventional "hourglass" essay structer based off of modern journalism, but instead is traditional and usd to the boring 5-para-essay format, so she couldn't find my thesis statement. <br />As a result of her confusion, my angelicly perfect essay was given a D. There were no marks on it for grammar or anything, adding to my anger and frustration because it is inherently perfect, but my proffessor just isn't up-to-date with the newest formatting techniques. <br /><br />Other than that little revelation I recieved earlier today, life has been wonderful.<br />My first improv comdey show is in a week. <br />My sister is flying in to visit tomorrow and staying for 4 days; I can't wait!<br />I've been having a ridiculous amount of fun and I'm learning a lot through my classes.<br />I'm hoping to start getting published in the campus paper soon.<br />My radio show starts tomorrow night.<br /><br />Life is good. Mostly.Ben Schmitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16019434421782235322noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094502028652915858.post-35215636334486885082010-09-23T19:25:00.002-05:002010-09-23T20:03:08.832-05:00fresh as freshmanI am sitting in the "Student Union" listening to an Indie musician play a live show. This is so much fun. <br /><br />College so far has been amazing. I'm trying to be as involved as possible and am succeeding so far. <br /><br />I auditioned and got accepted into the campus improv comedy group: Rice Pilaf. Only 3 students were accepted into the group, so I feel honored to be one of them. Our first show is in a week. I'm so excited!<br /><br />Me and another student may be having our own radio show for the campus-wide radio. He'd be the anchor and I'd be comedic backup. We'd have a few shows a week for an hour slot. It sounds kind of difficult, but i think I would love it like nothing else. <br /><br />I joined intrameaural (i think I spelled that wrong, but I really don't care) football. But, I think I will be quitting it because everyone "plays angry". It's ten steps past competative. Already (it's flag football keep in mind) there has been a broken leg, a broken collar bone, two black eyes, a dislocated shoulder, and a broken arm. Yeah. I dropped it because it's no fun. Afterwards I just feel mad. <br /><br />But, other than that, I still have a blossoming social life that sometimes prohibits a doctor's recommended 8+ hours of REM sleep for the average college student. <br /><br />I am in an "airband competition" with some guys on my floor. It is where a floor gets together and choreographs a dance and lip-syncs to a popular song, creates a crazy background to the stage, makes band instruments out of nothing, makes crazy costumes, and performs their hearts out. It is awesome. 17 floors tried out, 11 were accepted. We were accepted. <br />Over 15 hours of choreography paid off. <br /><br />I got a job as a tutor. Usually freshmen can't tutor, but they made an exception. I feel really special. But, it's like having another full time 4 credit hour class. For example, (I am a tutor for reading comprehension in general, so I can get students in any class). I have to read the material that they are reading before we meet, and I am not in their classes. I was just assigned someone who has a test on Wednesday, and the test is over a book and a half, and I need to know a bunch of definitions and stuff. So, I need to know all that by Sunday. I get paid for it, but it's so hard. So, i'm learning to balance my time well but make time for personal enjoyment. <br /><br />Yesterday I was like: "I need some Ben time". So, I ignored my homework and spent time in my room, wrote, watched a TV show, and just sat and thought for a while. Afterwards I felt so refreshed and ready to tackle my homework. <br /><br />Needless to say, although I have a bunch to juggle in my busy schedule, I am having a blast doing so.Ben Schmitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16019434421782235322noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094502028652915858.post-89091255307635277242010-09-11T15:09:00.003-05:002010-09-11T15:55:05.034-05:00and here it goesCollege life is interesting to say the least. Where else can you eat at a buffet style commons area three meals a day, blast music and no one complaining, visit friends at 2am and learn so much that business will be like: "Woah" when they see my resume. <br /><br />That's Taylor University for ya. <br /><br />The guys on my wing (about 35 of them) are really nice, we went on a wing retreat to someone's house and hung out and bonded. It was a nice way to start off the semester. <br /><br />Now, clases have started and have been going for a week. I've already read over 200 pages, completed 5 tests, written an essay, and plently of random assignments. They push us hard to say the least. I have about 4 hours at the very least of homework a day. But, hey, it's fun, and i'm learning a lot. <br /><br />The "city" is soo small. But, i've already imprinted into my subconscious that I will not be going to any social establishments while i'm at college aside from the campus provided entertainments. <br /><br />I already have a ton of friends, and we hang out like three times a day. Two of my friends already had a DTR (define the relationship) walk. Hahaha. I thought that was halaarriioouss. First week and they fell for each other. My roommate is goo-goo for a random girl. He's been hanging out and talking with her all the time. He's planning on getting her flowers. <br /><br />I think i like my approach the best. I am simply being myself and making a ton of awesome friends without making relationships complicated by drama. I've been dubbed the "ladies man" of the entire floor of my dorm. Haha. I think that's halarious. But, all the girls I hang out with are almost all attracted to some other random freshman dudes, which I'm glad about or else it could get awkward. <br /><br />I'm sick with a cold. I've gotten a lot better; already two girls invited me over for tea with them, one for a movie night, and one just to hang out and talk because I didn't feel well. <br /><br />So, i've been busy. Between reading systematic theology and critical approaches to literature, studying for tests and writing reports, i've had plenty of time for a social life, and i've been getting a minimum of 7 hours of sleep a night. <br /><br />I heard it said that there are 3 goals for a college student: Good grades/acedemia, social life, and sleep. And it is only possible to have two of the three goals at the same time. So far i've managed to have all three, but we'll see how long that lasts. The way my Spanish teacher has been pushing us, I think I may need to pull a few 4am nights memorizing abstract preterite verbs. <br /><br />But, overall, college is fun. The people are amazing. I've gotten closer to God. I've been able to have amazing walks and talks with Him and just hang out by myself. I've been able to get some really close guy and girl friends. I am really looking forward to this semester.Ben Schmitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16019434421782235322noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094502028652915858.post-24201279930398972372010-08-29T10:43:00.001-05:002010-08-29T10:44:09.967-05:00to woo the ladiesHello, my name is Doug. That's God spelled backwards with a little bit of U in it.Ben Schmitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16019434421782235322noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094502028652915858.post-30499493224203237402010-08-28T10:22:00.003-05:002010-08-28T10:41:08.046-05:00new on the floorThe first day of Taylor went wonderfully. Schedule of events went as thus:<br /><br />Setting up the dorm room including moving all the furniture to a cozy atmosphere: 2 and a half hours, the fastest of anyone i've talked to on campus. <br /><br />Lunch, which was fun to see all the people I met last year during CRAM (a summer program offered by Taylor for prospective high school students on campus).<br /><br />Then I met some guys on my floor, they all seem pretty awesome. I can't wait to get close to them. There are 18 new freshman on this wing of the dorm. Apparently the most new freshman of any wing in this dorm hall. I'm bad with names, so i'm struggling a bit but i'll catch on.<br /><br />Applied for a job at the front desk of my dorm. Basically you get paid to shuffle the mail, answer the phone, and study. I hope I get the job, and if not, I know the manager of the on campus coffee shop, and with my 2 years of experience around coffee, that will put me on the top of the food chain.<br /><br />Dinner, which was uneventful. Then I chilled in the dorm for a bit, which was nice.<br /><br />Then after going over the dorm rules (in a very creative and halarious skit presented by the RAs of the dorm) we did the infamous "Awk Walk". It stands for "Awkward Walk" which is set up the first night of every year for the freshman to get to know their "sister dorm".<br /><br />So, the RAs come up with awkward questions you HAVE to ask the girls... yeah, one of them was "When you take a crap, do you watch the poop go down?" and according to the rules, you had to ask these questions while in awkward positons, like walking while holding their earlobe. <br /><br />It actually wasn't very awkward. Afterwards we went to Steak n' Shake and hung out with the sister dorm. It was REALLY embarassing... so, you know what it's time for?<br /><br />AWKWARD CORNER!<br />During the awkward walk, all the girls rotate through the guys after each question is answered (about 2 minutes was allowed for each question)... one girl when she came up to me was like "BEN!!" And I had NO idea who she was. It was kind of awkward. I looked at her, begging my braint o recognize her, but I honestly had no idea. "Do I know you?" <br /><br />Apparently we were Facebook friends and had talked for like a month, and I didn't remember any of it. And she did. We talked at Steak n' Shake, and like every other question I asked her she was like: "We talked about this over Facebook!" Yeah, it was embarrassing. I remember the liscence plate number, make and model of a car that drove in front of me nearly two weeks ago, yet I cannot remember a month's worth of conversation with a girl...<br /><br />After I got back to the dorm I went on Facebook, and once I found her profile I remembered talking to her. But, I still feel bad.<br /><br /><br />So, now is day two of college. I woke up at 9:45 and ran about 2 miles, took a shower... was shirtless in the dorm when my roommate's sister came in... that was slightly awkward. Thankfully I hand't taken the liberty to change completely or else that could have ended up much worse. <br /><br />Then I've been chilling, reading my Bible, listening to Indie music. I'm kind of putting off going to lunch right now because I don't really want to go.<br /><br />The parents and families are forced to leave campus at 1:00, so lunch encompasses parents hugging, crying, and trying to make funny jokes while they're still there. My parents left yesterday before lunch, which I'm glad, because that allowed me to meet new people. But, now I have no one to eat lunch with and have to watch everyone else eat with their new BFFs they made on campus or their families. <br /><br />My roommate is hanging out with his family before they leave, or else i'd eat with him. Yeah, i'll suck it up and eat a gorgeous meal at the deli that makes Subway jealous.Ben Schmitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16019434421782235322noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094502028652915858.post-43956566032607109412010-08-26T20:24:00.004-05:002010-08-26T20:52:55.320-05:00Gas CityYeah, you read that title correctly. Gas City is the "city" that is right next to the "town" of Upland Indiana, where my new College, Taylor University regretfully resides in the middle of absulutely nothing but critically acclaimed "God-Forsaken landmassed enhabited by none other than the residents of Taylor". <br /><br />My mom and dad drove me down to Taylor, and we are currently lounging in a Holiday Inn in Gas City. (I apologize about the two awkward "Ins" that were right after each other). Move in day starts tomorrow at 9am. So, in the meantime, we decide to "expore the expanses" of the great mass that is Gas City. <br /><br />If you cannot audibly hear the sarcasm dripping off each word, then you need to crank up your speakers. Gas City has: Mcdonalds, Burger King, Taco Bell, Subway, Starbucks, like 10 gas stations, about 5 semi truck washing stations, a Walmart distribution center (no Walmart though), Big K, Dollar store, a few Chinese joints, and a couple steak houses and local restaurants that you can smell from the highway... and no, that was not a "Yum, where's that delicious home-cooking smell coming from?"<br />It's more like: "Dang, is there a slaughter house near here?"<br /><br />I exaggerate, of course. But, I am from the suburbs. And by suburbs I mean that I am 15 minutes from one of the largest malls in America, 5 minutes from another mall, and 25 minutes away from downtown Minneapolis. But, now I am in Gas City, the residence that starts with: "Don't move here". <br /><br />Yeah. I'm sure i'm going to adore Taylor. But, it's just starting to sink in that i'm moving to the center of cornfeilds and scary family owned businesses with 13 year old servers.<br /><br /><br />The drive over the Indiana went well. I slept 7 hours at the beginning, so it felt like a quick trip (haha, yes, that's also the name of a gas station. Unintentional pun, i'm so witty, aren't I?) <br /><br />Story time. 3 years ago, little 15 year old version of me visited Forte Wayne to see the secondary campus of Taylor University. While there, I ate the most AMAZING burger i've ever set my lips upon. It was like making out with heaven. But it was edible and was covered in sweet BBQ sauce and was only 14.99 and came with fries. Compared to the place where we will go after dying...<br /><br />If you don't already know me too well, I am a burger connisoure. I try all the burgers around and compare the greatness in attempts to find the best burger. Since that spring evening when I was 15, i've had some incredible burgers, but none compare to that amazing hunk of beef on the heaven-kissed bun with deep fried onions, fresh crunchy pickles, sweet BBQ sauce, fresh tomatoes, green lettuce, melted cheese, and gorgeous fries that would make France press charges.<br /><br />So, on the way to Taylor today, my parents, being awesome like they are, decide to take me there to fulfill 3 years of tormented searching for an equally mouth-watering treat as that mystery burger was. <br /><br />When we got to Forte Wayne, and we arrived in the same mall-area as we were 3 years ago, it dawned on us that we had NO idea what the name of the place was. After much searching, we settled on 3 possibilities, and I walked into them... none of them looked like it. It was then that we noticed the closed restaraunt between the 3 possible burger joints... my heart sank... no great burger for Ben after 3 years of waiting to taste the piece of heaven that has haunted my palate since I was but a wee chap. <br /><br />We decided to eat at another place. Then my dad asked the waitress about the closed restaurant. She told us that it was a Mexican place, and before that it was another Mexican place... it was then that we realized that the burger joint was still in the mall, but we just didn't find it.<br /><br />I decided to look no further to keep the intreague. The burger may await me. It may not. But, Ben will continue searching for his stomach-mate...Ben Schmitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16019434421782235322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094502028652915858.post-67487706371398115892010-08-16T20:54:00.002-05:002010-08-16T21:22:44.815-05:00yeah, you know itI am back with vengance. The last month my creativity has been in hibernation along with most other things, but recently it has been busting out, so I will try to be better about blogging.<br /><br />I leave for Taylor in 10 days. Uber excited. If I knew how to put an accent over the "U" in "uber" I would, because then it would look really cool.<br /><br />Checklist of things to do before I leave for college aside from saying obvious farewells and hanging out with friends are:<br /><br />Finish the book i'm reading<br />Get onto a normal sleep schedule (be able to wake up at 7:00am every morning and feel fine the entire day)<br /><br />And, I think that's it. Short list for short ambitions. Haha, kidding. I have most things figured out and in the mix right now. <br /><br />And, a new segment to my blog with be Awkward Corner. In the Awkward Corner, I will share an awkward situation that happened to me since I last blogged. I encounter too many to remember, so I won't run out of awkwardness to share for the whole family. <br /><br />Bring your kids.<br /><br />And pets.<br /><br />Awkward Corner:<br />I was working at Bonfire (the restauraunt as a host), and I was cleaning off a table. There is a huge mirror on one of the walls (it is pretty awesome), but while I was bussing it off, I looked up and made eye contact with one of the servers behind me. Yeah... eye contact through a mirror and they're behind me. I felt awkward talking to them the rest of the night.Ben Schmitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16019434421782235322noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094502028652915858.post-40609579769164037292010-08-09T14:39:00.002-05:002010-08-09T14:47:59.246-05:00marraige materialI made a list of everything I want in a wife. It's pretty detailed, so in a bullet point list, it is 3 pages long. <br /><br />I compared myself to the character qualities in my list and realized that I don't match up to my own standards. <br /><br />The biggest thing I need to work on is discipline. A blogger I used to follow a few years back said this, and this is now one of my favorite quotes/words of wisdom: "Try to do something everyday that you don't want to do."<br /><br />If I actually went out of my way to do things that I didn't want to do, it would build my character and develop discipline. But, I haven't been doing that.<br /><br />Going off to college, I've been thinking about relationships a lot considering that the majority of married couples in the US met in college. Sure, i'm really young, and i've never been in a serious relationship before... or any relationship for that matter. But, I want to prepare myself for being marraige material. <br /><br />I don't want to be another one of those steryotypical testosterone filled, heavy headed, slow thinking, cliche phrase saying, repugnant guys. I want to be different. I want to be someone that is above the average, cliche, and normal. I want to be exceptional. <br /><br />I, of course, have a ton of work in order to improve... but, i'd like to start now.Ben Schmitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16019434421782235322noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094502028652915858.post-7693943847262977772010-07-28T18:40:00.002-05:002010-07-28T18:51:15.217-05:00the runAll day yesterday was spent shopping for college supplies. And, it was then that I realized that Walmart does indeed have just about everything. They had a huge section dedicated for "back to school". It was aimed for college students, because they had sheets, comforters, pillows, plastic tupperware all in this back to school section. It was awesome. <br /><br />One thing that I am extremely picky about is pens. When I take notes in class, my preffered utinsel is a pen over a pencil. And, when it comes to pens, I need a quality one to do the job. I am proud to announce that I have four nice pens ready for use, a new bed spread, pillows, mechanical pencils, notebooks, and of course I can't forget about the awesome magnetic dry erase board that I'm hanging on my wall to give myself mental notes and such. <br /><br />If you cannot tell through the typed word, I am brimming with excitement to leave for college! <br /><br />On another note, I was in the mood for a run, so I went to a park near my house and ran the trail twice. After the first time around, I felt tired, but I wanted to push myself, so I went around twice without any breaks. The whole run was I did in 23 minutes 35 seconds. I don't run all that often, but i'm in pretty good shape from kickboxing. When I got home, I looked up the trail length, and I ran 4.2 miles. That made me so happy! If I actually ran consistantly, I could get it down to about 20 minutes, and have 5 minute miles. <br /><br />So, college shopping almost done, and fitness plan on the move (pun inteded), I feel really good. <br /><br />Now, I will write, because I have been hovering around 130 pages for like 3 weeks now with no valid excuse as to why I've not been writing. So, next blog, i'll say the page number, and it will be drastically different, just you wait!Ben Schmitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16019434421782235322noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094502028652915858.post-64854343765282982042010-07-25T10:48:00.003-05:002010-07-25T10:49:34.968-05:00poemsHere is a poem I wrote about two years ago. I have never been a poet, that is one thing I've never really done before. But, I still like this. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Rays of sunlight penetrated holes in the vast cloud cover.<br />The beams that escaped the clouds shone like pillars<br />from heaven descending on earth.<br />The sun’s long fingers groped down, trying to envelope<br />everything in its dense beautiful light.<br />June’s warm air swirled around leaves on the trees,<br />begging them to come loose so they could dance.<br />The deep green leaves flittered, staying on their branch,<br />letting the wind play with them. They were shy,<br />still clinging to their mother’s hand.<br />The tender green grass swayed with the wind in its dance.<br />The wind found someone to dance with<br />and swung them around with gusto.<br />The cotton swung around and around, floating languorously<br />in a tango. The wind whistled with enthusiasm<br />over houses, now swiftly acing as the vigor overflowed.<br />The cotton twirled and swung, laughing lightly.<br />Brooks and streams surged forth, racing faster and faster<br />as the wind danced. The water giggled over rocks.<br />A stick joined in the ballet with the water,<br />trailing behind the energetic stream.<br />The stick was a little gauche, but the stream didn’t mind.<br />The water’s enthusiasm spilled forth, encouraging the stick,<br />directing it as it glided around boulders and logs.<br />Wind twisted and turned, swooshing around<br />winter’s long dead leaves that strew the beaten path.<br />Were red, brown, and yellow leaves too arid for a brisk salsa?<br />Wind didn’t care to consider it.<br />The old-beautifully wonderful leaves wavered and swayed<br />to the wind’s cadence-a million beats per minute.<br />The leaves nodded their thanks to the sprightly wind.<br />The languidly lively dance made the wind whistle its applause.Ben Schmitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16019434421782235322noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094502028652915858.post-56927714081855166542010-07-23T14:43:00.002-05:002010-07-23T14:54:55.342-05:00waiting and wishingRaquetball is a sport played by computer science nerds in huge bifocal glasses, taking advantage of the unecessary use of head-bands, ankles weights, and protective gloves all to be trapped in a tiny white room to hit a bouncy ball off the walls and waddle around like an overstuffed dizzy chicken...<br /><br />So I thought two days ago.<br /><br />Yesterday was my first time playing Raquetball. I can officially say that the sport has a broader range of audiences than computer science nerds. <br /><br />I have glasses, and can barely see without them, so I wore them into the court. There were about five times where I almost got my glasses folded in half, knocked off my face, or crushed by the speeding merciless ball. Thankfully I have decently fast reflexes so I dodged them, but it made me a little scared when my friend would wind up to hit. <br /><br />I flinched almost every hit... but, I won three games and got a great exercise. My prejudice against the game (I intentially didn't call it a sport, because I'm still undecided if it has earned the right for the title) has been more or less settled. <br /><br />Now, I sit in nagging, fidgity impatience for the next month to pass by as I wait for the beginning of college. <br /><br />I believe some free associations would be beneficial around the term "College". Let's begin.<br /><br />Lazy<br />Sleep<br />Unmade beds<br />Pizza<br />Yum<br />Coffee<br />Wired<br />Staying up late doing homework with bloodshot eyes<br />Arriving at an 8am class having gotten no sleep<br />Coffee<br />Sports<br />Running<br />In shape<br />Music<br />Laptop<br />Essays<br />Study groups<br />New friends<br />Girl friend<br /><br /><br />And, I believe that sums up the entire college experience in a few words. Coffee, sleep, essays, and people. <br /><br />I can't wait.Ben Schmitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16019434421782235322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094502028652915858.post-71639539497976515842010-07-22T14:07:00.003-05:002010-07-22T14:15:21.386-05:00layoutHow do you guys like the new layout? I'm digging it. <br /><br />I went on an undercover ops mission. On Tuesday, I scouted out a Walmart store for the visual location that I am using in my book where the hostages are being held. <br /><br />I was surprised at how little security cameras they had in the store. The aisles were very wide, so the cameras probably had better angles than the normal Walmart. <br /><br />Yesterday, I drew the blueprint for the entire store from memory. Including the three hidden exits, the location of ventalation shafts, the control room, and of course, the headings/signs that tell people where their lowfat ice cream is in the store. Now I have an idea of where everything is in the store, and an accurate escape route for my poor hostages. <br /><br />If only the workers knew what I was up to.Ben Schmitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16019434421782235322noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094502028652915858.post-1142776557200977122010-07-18T11:29:00.003-05:002010-07-18T23:43:54.504-05:00titleTitles are so key in the making of a novel. I have picked up books at the bookstore, read the back of it, and quickly put it back on the shelf once I read the title. Sometimes you can judge a book by its cover. I do it all the time. It saves me hours of sludging through the heavy pages of what NY Times called: "A thrilling ride" or what the Producer of the Matrix named: "Best read of the year!"<br /><br />I don't care what the producer of the Matrix said about this mystery book if the title is: The Salvation Chronicles. <br /><br />Titles are key. Much like first impressions, titles shape our presuppositions of what we assume about it before we actually know anything. Everything that we read from that point on is off the foundation of our first judgement from the cover of the book. If The Salvation Chronicles is regretfully placed there, then the whole read would be ruined with the mental image of a mid twenties writer who still has braces because he think they look cool with dark red bands, and with an old sweater vest which was bad the first time it was in style.<br /><br />No.<br /><br />If the book was only named: Salvation, then it would be readable.<br /><br />I am facing that very problem with my book. Even though it is yet unfinished, I am running through titles. My co-author named it Breakthrough, so for the sake of ease and convenience, we've called it that when referencing the drafted novel. <br /><br />Now that I think about it... are one word titles a thing of the past? Are they overused? Are they cliche? Are two or three word titles coming back? <br /><br />Breakthrough.<br /><br />It's good, and I don't cringe when I hear it; I just think we can come up with something better. <br /> <br />Anatomy of Destruction.<br /><br />Do you like the title? If it gets published, and I get to finish the series, the following novels could be Anatomy of Chaos or Anatomy of... fill in the blank.<br /><br />That is the title of a book worthy of getting picked off the shelf for the sole reason of a well thought out title.Ben Schmitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16019434421782235322noreply@blogger.com1