Check out what Jenn sent me today.

I thought it was awesome, but would've been even better as Transformers. You know, Autogod versus the Devilcons.

I hope everyone is well.
Peace,
Joe

Rats can sometimes be quite hilarious.
I woke up this morning at 2am to the sound of my old lab rats chewing on their cage. Not an abnormal thing, as they enjoy chewing and are nocturnal. But what ensued was quite out of the ordinary.
Now as most of you know I am a little grumpy when I am tired. I usually sleep through the rat noise as I am used to it now, but they were especially loud last night. So at 2am I stumbled out of bed, switched on the light, and prepared to thump the area of the cage that they were chewing on in the hope that it might make them stop somehow. As I primed my index finger in a pre-thumping form, Little Belle (one of the rats... and no I didn't name her, Jenn did. I named the other Ratagast the Hooded. Get it? Like the Brown wizard left out of the LOTR movies. BTW they are a "hooded" strain of rats) stood on her hind legs, swayed momentarily, then looked me squarely in the eyes, and squeaked. Then she went back to chewing. As I prepared to thump again she stood up a second time, this time squeaking twice. Now I was very tired, but Little Belle is also very smart. In my somewhat odd opinion she was asking me not to thump the cage. So I didn't. She then jumped to the top of the cage, hung from a bar with her front legs like a monkey, fell down, and threw pine on Ratagast. That last part didn't have much to do with the rest of the story other than it was funny. Rat Monkey. Hehe.
Other than that small aside, school is dominating my life, as it should. Lots of reading, and lots of researching. Also, Stats.
That is all.
I hope everyone is well,
Peace,
Joe

I went to the Nashville town this weekend and had a splendid (yes, I said splendid) time. Jenn and I always manage to make reading our academics stuff together into a fun thing. We spent a bunch of time at the Starbucks on 21st. They have a fire place. Also it seems that where ever we sat someone needed to plug in their lap-top. Jenn was quite obliging in the respect. I spent almost my entire Starbucks gift card that I got from Santa. It snowed. A very fine weekend indeed.
A major side bar to the weekend is the fact that when ever I go to Nashville my car comes back with either a ton of sap or a ton of bird poo all over it. I do not bother to wash my car before going to see Jenn, because I know I will need to wash it when I get back. This results from the giant trees all around her house. Beautiful, but deadly.
I got back on Monday and indeed it was time for a washing. I took Molly to the nearest car wash bay (30 seconds from our house) and gave her a good wash. Some of the poo was so stubborn it took the high pressure hose right up against it to get it off. Afterwards, I even rinsed her with the reverse-osmosis filtered low pressure spot-free rinse. Fancy. I drove her around all day all shiny and then went home. Dinner, grocery shopping, homework, sleep. Then the next day came.
I was about to leave the house when I heard an odd sound outside. I looked out and there appeared to be hundreds of dark black birds in our yard. "Cool", I thought. I got Tori and put her in front of the window. She was transfixed. I was in a good morning mood and was thinking about the awesomeness of bird migration. Really. Then when I stepped outside the day took its real course.
In our neighbor's driveway someone had parked a car that looks just like Jenn's. Now I was still a little sleepy at this point and seeing the car I got all excited and fell down the stairs. I caught myself just in time to see the wonder of bird migration poo all over my freshly poo-void car. But on the plus side, I had left John Lennon on in my CD player. It was playing "Instant Karma." That got me thinking that at some point I must have pooed on a huge flock of birds in a former life. Or birds could just hate me or something.
The rest of the day has been grand though, and I am about to eat a healthy lunch here at school that I packed for myself to cut down on driving and spending money on lunch and to streamline my time here at my office. I can't decide if this is a professional, grown up thing to do or if the peanut butter and jelly sandwich with corn chips sitting over there in my lunchbox is a true indication of my emotional age.
Either way, the sandwich will taste might good.
I hope everyone is well.
Peace,
Joe

First and foremost, "mad props" to my dad for having surgery on last Thursday and already being back at work yesterday (Monday). He is getting better all the time, as The Beatles might or might not say.
So I'm back in class and this semester is going to be, ummm, difficult. I knew it was coming, but I simply didn't imagine the magnitude of it. I have more reading to do than ever before in my life, and on top of that I am in a stats class. Now those of you who know me (especially those who are related to me) know that no Chandler should really be in a class called "Advanced Statistics" or Advanced math of any kind for that matter. Its not hat we can't do it, mind you. We Chandlers are pretty darn good at what we put our minds to. Its just that the math is a bit challenging for us in many respects. The main problem I have is that I find most of it terribly boring. I am all about the theory and the thinking about research design and question postulation in this here science, not the number crunching. But alas, its part of the job, and I will learn to love it. I do have an awesome prof teaching it. That will help. My other classes are all interesting while being super reading intensive. My only textbook is in stats; the rest of my reading will come from hours and hours of copying articles. Then hours and hours of reading them. But again, I love what I am doing. I'm just not sure what I've gotten myself into.
In other news, I found a recliner! Yes, my friends, it is a beautiful Lane Recliner that I found at the thrift store for a measly 20 bucks. After a steam clean, thorough wipe down and a new (Big Lots for 18 bucks) furniture cover, I am living the comfortable life. I also (Big Lots again!) purchased some matching pillows and a cover for the futon after realizing (with the help of Jenn) that my living room didn't really match. Well now it does! Throw in a $6 fleece throw from Target and the knitted throw my Mom is making for Nick and me (yes, it is cute) and we have a brand new place to sit around, with X-TRA COMFORT!!! And all of it cost me under $50, which didn't come out of my projected budget thanks to a refund from the bank. I should do some sort of show called "HOW TO RE-DECORATE YOUR LIVING ROOM AFTER YOU REALIZE THAT IT LOOKS A BIT SHABBY FOR UNDER FIFTY DOLLARS AFTER GETTING A REFUND FROM YOUR BANK UNEXPECTEDLY". Yes.
Also, I am now a proud member of the Alabama Credit Union. I joined when my other bank started to charge me all sorts of crap since I am now out of college. The ACU gives me all sorts of free stuff and awesome perks for being a UA employee. My checks even have Denny Chimes on them. Yep, I am officially becoming a resident of Tuscaloosa.
Besides that Nick and I are trying to eat all healthy for the New Year. We actually do eat quite well normally, but we are trying to add some continuity to it by loosely following the Mediterranean Diet, with lots of fish and pasta and fruit and dark green vegetables. But, mind you, I am considering Sonic as part of the Island of Crete.
I have much reading to do. I hope everyone is well.
Peace,
Joe

And the Happy New Year...
Why yes, hallo!
New Year's was, ummmm, eventful. Two of my best friends (who were dating in a very Friends the T.V. show manner) broke up and it all happened within the New Year time frame. We went over to Carl's new house and talked it all out. On the plus side, there was much Champagne. Jenn came over too, but she was so tired from working on her Sermon (she gave it this last Sunday) that she had a half glass and got some much deserved sleep. I woke her up at midnight and kissed her, and she went right back to sleep. The night progressed as such until about 4am. Then we had omelets. Mmmmm. Omelets.
The friday after New Years I had one of the most interesting experiences of my life. Jenn's younger sister Jillian plays college basketball for the Millsaps Lady Majors, and quite well you will find if you follow the link. I had never seen her play, and so went with the Comptons to see her in Jackson, MS (that is where the college is). The twist is this: it is a four hour drive from Birmingham to Jackson, and we (by we I mean Mr. Compton, Mrs. Compton, Jenn's Grandmother, Grandfather, Jenn, and me) rode together in one car (a Crown Victoria) to Jackson and back in the same day. Yes, it was a very fast turn-around. An eight hour six person one car turn-around. But as bad as the set-up might sound, it was very much worth it. Jillian had a bit of an off-night and they (the team) were outmatched, but she played brilliantly and with a huge amount of toughness (she came out after the game with a black eye) and Jenn's family is awesome. Her dad drove the whole time, and everyone was fun to talk to. It is, in many ways, an experience I will never forget.
The following Sunday I drove up to Huntsville to see Jenn deliver her very first Sermon. She did it for a friend of hers who is the pastor there. And man let me tell you my girlfriend can preach. She spoke on Environmental Stewardship, something she is passionate about, and delivered a message that had many in the congregation on the verge of tears, and many others transfixed for the entire time (something you don't see often when anyone preaches). She drove home her point without insulting anyone, and had me thinking for the rest of the day about it (actually, I'm still meditating on it this week). Afterward we went to Waffle House, then came back for the 11am service, then went out to lunch with the head pastor and his wife, who used to be at First United Methodist in Anniston (its a small world, after all). We went to Piccadilly, always a good idea.
Also of note this week, the fuel filter on my car was recalled. Saturn fixed it promptly and for free, keeping in the "Saturn is Awesome" profile I have for them now. If they hadn't done it so quick there couldn've been an engine fire. Not. Good.
I start class again tomorrow. I have Advanced Stats this semester. In other words, most of my posts should be in gibberish for the rest of the Spring, seeing as how the math affects Chandler Brains.
I hope everyone is well.
Peace,
Joe