Does John have a lazy eye?

Yep. I think he does.

Or maybe Jackie is so beautiful that his right eye just always migrates toward her. That must be it.

Or he's thinking... "dang, that baby is so stupid" as he's looking at it (with his right eye) in disgust. More likely than the Jackie thing.

Actually, he's probably just wondering when he can eat his ham and cheese sandwich and carrot sticks that he brought with him to the Olan Mills studio for lunch. Keeping an eye on it over there in the corner. Making sure Sue, the photographer's assistant, doesn't sneak a taste.

I'm frustrated...

FedEx is expensive. The end.

Ok. I'll expound. I just sent out two packages through FedEx, and it was far too expensive. The best part about it was coming back to my computer and checking on what it would have cost to send it through USPS... about a 10th of the cost. I'm not even kidding. How the heck does FedEx get away with that?! Is there something I don't know? Oh well. It was a semi-important delivery. Well... potentially important. It will probably end up being a big waste of money, but there's always that chance. I've got you wondering what it was, don't I? Just guess. Some of you will know (that is if anyone even reads this anymore).

Anyway, I need to just get over it. Money isn't important... except that you need it. Everywhere. I hate that. I've just got to learn to be more of a bargain hunter. USPS all the way from now on! Maybe I'll get a second job...

The dictionary on my computer is awesome. How great that you can highlight a word and immediately find out what it means. Amazing. Though I was pretty positive what it meant, I wanted to make sure I used the word "expound" correctly at the beginning of this post. I did. Definition:

- Present and explain (a theory or idea) systematically and in detail (Example: "he was expounding a powerful argument" or "he declined to expound on his decision")
- Explain the meaning of (a literary or doctrinal work) (Example: "the abbess expounded the scriptures to her nuns")

I love that they used nuns in their example. I love nuns. Well... nice nuns. When I worked with Booster Enterprises, we spent 2 weeks in a private Catholic school run by nuns (Saint Rose Academy), and they were amazing. I need to go back and see them one of these days. I just tried to find a picture of them on the St. Rose website, but there weren't any. This will have to do...



I'm not saying the nuns were dogs... that picture was just too awesome to pass up. They were actually very well put-together, classy women. More like this:



Alright. I'm gonna go forget that FedEx screwed me.

Promoting USPS,
Robby

Rumors

A lot of crazy information is spread through little things called rumors. The funny thing about rumors is that you can't be sure whether they're true or not. A lot of times you hope some rumors are false, but a lot of times you also hope other rumors are true. It's all very confusing. For example... I hope the rumor that Carrie Strug is now a man is false, while I hope the rumor that there are no cats in America is true. However... I'm pretty sure the one about cats isn't true. Jeremiah, Dwight, and I hit one in Jeremiah's car the other day. Both right tires. Bump, bump. Oops. It wasn't our fault. I can't help it if a cat with a brain runs underneath two large tires (well... I guess it didn't really have a choice with the second tire. But he could have avoided the first). I mean, we could have swerved and hit the oncoming car in the other lane, but I just don't feel like a little tan colored, cuddly cat with some white stripes and a nice, soft fluffy tale and a collar that said "Our Baby: Missy" was worth that. I bet it was trying to catch and kill some poor defenseless animal anyway, so technically we saved a life. Cat for a chipmunk? I'd call that a good trade.

Anyway... back to rumors. I'm thinking about starting a few of my own. I think they're pretty good. Here's a few of them.

"I heard that Janet Jackson is taking a trip to London for Christmas... and that she's an alien."
- I'm pretty sure everyone will believe this one because we all know how much the Jacksons love London... and we all know they're probably aliens.

"Dragons actually still exist. They're just really shy."
- This one is most likely true, so I don't feel bad about spreading it. Actually... it's probably important that people know this for reasons of personal safety.

"Tyra Banks is actually a parrot."
- Yeah. I'm not sure this one will take off.

So, thats about it. I remind you that rumors are typically a bad thing and shouldn't be spread... unless they're helpful rumors like mine about dragons. Seriously, people, be careful.

Keeping you safe and informed with useless news/speculation,
Robby

Oh...

And I guess I was "leaving, leaving, leaving" in the post before the post I just made. Make sense? No. Oh well.

I'm gonna make a purchase...

... and it's gonna be a trampoline.

Yeah. I found one for $40 on Craigslist, and I just don't think I can pass that up. It's not everyday you find a cheap tramp, and I really want to bring back some memories from my younger years when I would jump for hours and hours. Plus... I can't think of a more fun way to get in some physical activity. I could also use some improvement in my acrobatic skills if I'm actually gonna try my hand at the New York entertainment scene (Yes, that's right... I'm thinking about moving to NYC or Nashville within the next year or so to pursue my dreams of singing/ performing), and I feel like this would be a great step towards that training.

Having a trampoline behind the house that I, Dwight Castle, and John Lambuth live could be disastrous, but it's definitely worth the risk. However, I don't think Dwight has medical insurance, so we might not let him use it. Just kidding... maybe. I can only imagine what our neighbors will think when they see guys in their 20's jumping on a trampoline. Not that our perceived image to the neighborhood matters too much to us. In the first week we lived here I filmed a portion of a music video in the driveway with me and 5 of my friends dressed in full gangster attire as residents of our street drove by and wondered how their neighborhood had gone downhill so quickly. We also spent an afternoon doing stupid human tricks in the front yard. Yeah. I'm sure they think we're a bit off.

So, thats it. My thoughts behind making a purchase that I may or may not regret. I'll try to keep you updated, and Jeremiah and I both hope to start being more consistent in our blogging. The previous post before this one was made in May. Thats pretty sad. We'll do better. Well... I'll try. I can't promise anything for Jer. He's a bit occupied with wedding plans at the moment, so he might be MIA for a while. Yes, thats right. If you haven't heard, Jeremiah Wade Sizemore is getting married.

Until next time... hopefully not next year,
Robby

Oh, yes!

It's true. I'm back. I know, I know... it's been ridiculously long. But good things are worth the wait, right?

So, I just spent my first full day at my new job. Guess where it is. Wrong. Bryan Johnson's studio. I'm honestly still not quite sure how it all happened, but I'm so glad it did! I love being here, and I'm excited about what's ahead. I think I'm gonna be famous. Can't be sure yet, though.

Anyway. As you might be aware, there's a pretty incredible group of people that work here, so I should have some fun things to write about now. They'll most likely be pretty ridiculous things, but fun things none-the-less. Today our conversation went in an interesting direction, and we were forced to clarify a few things about a commonly used word... "Leaving." Simple though it may seem, this word has many seriously implications when used in different ways. Let me explain:

If you say "I'm leaving." What exactly does that mean? How long are you leaving for? See... confusing stuff. Therefore, I'm going to help unveil the newly developed method for deciphering exactly what one means when using the word "leaving."

If someone says "I'm leaving" using the word "leaving" only once, then that means they are simply leaving their current location for a short period of time (Example: A lunch break).

If someone says "I'm leaving, leaving," then that means they are going on a short weekend trip or family vacation most likely around 5-7 days in length.

If someone says "I'm leaving, leaving, leaving," then they are planning to be gone for an extended period of time lasting over 2 weeks in length.

If someone says "I'm leaving, leaving, leaving, leaving," then you can be sure that they are moving from their current place of residence to a new residence in a different city. In order to use 4 "leavings" one must be moving at least 1 hour away from their current residence.

If someone says "I'm leaving, leaving, leaving, leaving, leaving," then they are planning to die. Simple as that.

I hope the explanation of a this tricky little word will benefit you in some way.

Alright. I'm leaving. Well... I might be leaving, leaving. We'll see. Have a great one, and it's good to be back!

Robby

81 - still alive

Part of the reason we haven't posted in almost a month, is because Robby and I haven't been in the same place for a really long time and that tends to reduce the amount of ridiculous stuff we come up with. But even that isn't a good excuse, so here's a brief recap of my last month.

- Went to the beach with Chris Oakley, Josh, Caleb, Laura and Laura (or Jaura and Caura if that makes more sense...) to celebrate Leap Day. It was a lot of fun and Chris and I threw the football 1300 times in a row without dropping it. Spectacular, I know...

- Spent almost every night in the basement building random objects. I want to post some pictures sometime...

- Took apart my bed one day when I ran out of wood...I have been sleeping on a mattress on the floor since then.

- Went to LA to see my wonderful sister. It was so great getting to hang out with her and see the life she has been living for the last few months. It was a trip of contrasts as we experienced the highs and lows of that area.

- Got to spend a night and morning with John and Amanda Roberts in Pasadena. It was great hanging out with them fun to get a taste of what their life is like in California.

- Spent some time in Malibu with Jay and Katty Wolf last weekend. Katty was actually on "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?" last night...it was pretty entertaining and kind of a crazy story. You can watch it here if you want.

- Went to Vegas to meet up with Bryan, Caleb, and Josh for a photography conference. It was a lot of fun hanging out with those guys, and we met all sorts of interesting people. That city is crazy and it tends to wear me out. Bryan's blog has some pictures from the trip.

- Had $491 dollars taken from my bank account by some car rental agency in Italy. I haven't been there in over a year but they just keep charging my account randomly...so that was fun to try and sort out.

- Now I'm back in Birmingham catching up. Caleb has a big concert tonight for his Grey Haven thing that I will likely go to in a few minutes.

And thats about it...oh yeah, and watching the tournament. Always exciting.

- j(w)s

Macaroni Grill

You know the deal... whenever you go to Macaroni Grill you are immediately encouraged to draw on your table with the assortment of crayons laid before you. I'm always happy to oblige the restaurant and give them drawings of the highest calibre. Honestly, I often think it ridiculous that they don't immediately take my drawings, rip them off the table, and display them in some glass case for all to see. They have yet to do this, though, so the last time I went I took matters into my own hands. I ripped my drawing out myself and took it home with me. Here it is in three parts:







I know, I know. Amazing. If you'd like a print of the original, just send an email to robbyandjeremiah@gmail.com. If you'd like to treat me to Macaroni Grill sometime in order to further promote this artistic genius, I'm sure we could work something out.

Cause aliens are dumber than rocks,
Robby

29. really confusing contest

so there is this contest that someone told robby about. apparently its a combination of modeling, singing, dancing, acting, hosting, and some other stuff. basically its really really confusing and we cant figure out how it works.

but the thing is, robby uploaded two videos last night (one of him singing in narnia from last year and one of him pretending that he's a model) and at the moment it says he is ranked 1st and 2nd locally, and 6th nationally.

i don't get it at all, but if you are bored, you can go to - www.bigshotlive.com - and try to vote for him. i think you maybe have to register, or maybe can only vote on certain days or maybe the whole thing is a hoax. not really sure.

but if you need a break from work, go for it. we still havent really figured out what he would even win. probably some free samples of toiletries.

- j(w)s

26. pictures.

I posted some pictures from the trip over on facebook. here's the public link - http://samford.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2045507&l=27346&id=41801096 - hope it works.

Here's a couple of my favorites...






- j(w)s

Don't worry...

I'm still here. And have I got some stories for you!!! Wait. No... no, I actually don't have anything too exciting. I've just been working again, while Jeremiah was over in Africa occasionally providing some entertainment on this little blog. I did, however, get to work at a school full of nuns. Yeah. It was incredible. Nuns are some of the nicest, most encouraging people I've ever been around. A little known fact about nuns that I learned while working is that they're all required to memorize the lyrics to the song "Tiny Dancer" and must emotionally recite it to themselves in the mirror just before going to bed each night. Strange, I know.

Oh. I got an interview with UAB Med School scheduled for Feb. 28. I'm both excited and terrified at the possibility of actually going to medical school. Still deciding if thats a good thing.

If you're ever approached by someone and they say "Hi Gretchen!" You should probably correct them, and let them know that they are unfortunately mistaken and must have you confused with someone else (apparently someone named Gretchen). That is, of course, unless your name actually is Gretchen. Then you'll just have to fend for yourself.

Man vs. Wild is so much better than Survivorman. But you probably already knew that.

This weekend I'm hoping to make yet another video for an online competition. I'm sure we'll post something ridiculous about it, and it should be really fun. There's many different categories for video submission including modeling, acting, singing, dancing, tv hosting/ broadcasting, comedy, and sports tricks (everybody loves those sports tricks!). I'll be attempting to enter videos for every category. Why not go for it all? YOU! Yes, YOU have the opportunity to help me win! Excited? We'll send more details soon.

Ok. I'm done. You're all great.

Getting more and more random with each post,
Robby

23. I'm Back

I haven't posted in a week or so cause internet was nearly impossible to get over there...especially once I started traveling. But I made it back safely and I'm back in Birmingham. The flight back from Frankfurt took 11.5 hours and it only took 9 on the way over. The only difference was which way the wind was blowing. Just thought that was interesting for some reason.

Here's a picture I took while over there. I have a few decent ones but haven't had the chance to edit any of them yet (including this one...I left it tilted just for Bryan and Josh and Caleb), but I should put more up soon.



glad to be back.

- j(w)s

17. The Lake

Got up early this morning and took a boat out on the lake to see one
of the island monasteries. It was relatively unexciting, but we did
get to see some hippos and that was pretty sweet. then we (we being me
and two canadians i met yesterday...they are really cool) got these
mango, papaya, pineapple fruit drinks and sat in a sidewalk cafe in
the middle of the city with phil collins' 'said i love you but i lied'
(i think that was phil collins) blaring in the background. it made me
really happy.

I fly to Addis Friday morning and then the plan is to fly back home
late that night. if things work out i should be back saturday
evening. guess we will see.

Also, I watched the movie Montana Sky yesterday and i dont recommend
it. just a little tip.

Oh yeah, and I have been here for about 9 days now and the first day i
took 400 birr ($40) out of an atm and i still have 80 birr left. That
means that the entire trip has only cost about $30...plus flights
which were almost 100 times more. its so cheap over here.

15. Mud huts

Things are still going well where i am. spent most of today sitting
in a mud hut where a family was having some sort of gathering that i
never really understood. i still think injera is terrible. if you
ever get the chance to eat it, dont. between the fear of getting fed
more food and the hard wooden bench i spent 5 hours on, i finally went
ouside and threw lemons at the little kids for the last couple hours.
i was already so out of place there, that i dont think it would have
mattered what i had done.

oh yeah, and i took a bunch of pictures which i will post in the next
couple of weeks. uploading a picture with this internet is not an
option.

hope all is well.

- j(w)s

14. up north

got up at 4.30 yesterday to head north towards lake tana.  went to sleep about 2 the 'night' before and amazingly didnt fall asleep the entire 10 hour drive.  my right leg almost had to be amputated but besides that the ride wasnt too bad.  it was actually really beautiful driving through the african countryside.   at one point, we crossed the nile river gorge and dropped from 10,000 ft to 3,500 before climbing right back up.  probably the steepest roads ive ever been on.  the kind of roads you would not dare ride on with drew roberts.  your chances of surviving that would be 3-4% at the most.

 

once i finally got here, i had dinner and then sat down to read around 3.30.  next thing i knew it was 9.30 and i had a book laying on me and the people i was staying with had already gone to sleep.  so i basically slept for about 15 hours last night in my sweet mosquito net.  i think im gonna get one for birmingham when i get back.

 

still not sure about my plans for the future (the 'future' being tomorrow) but thats not really a surprise.  might get to hike out to some village where they are having some festival.  could be pretty cool.  im just worried i wont be able to get out of eating the food.  guess we will see.

 

i'll write more later, and send out the longer post from this weekend.  this keyboard is really hard to type on.

 

- j(w)s

12ish. Heading North

I'm headed out in a few hours.  Going north to the Lake Tana area for a week or so.  I'm excited about it except for the 10 hour drive.  It's always good to see different parts of the world though...

 

Today has been a really interesting day and a wonderful opportunity to spend hours and hours alone with the Lord.  Feel so blessed to have a chance to slow down, avoid distractions and listen for Him.  It's been really special and I would write more, I just dont want to write personal stuff on here anymore...so, if anyone wants to hear my rant about some of the things that I have been thinking about and learning the last few days, as well as more about my plans for the next week, send me a blank email (you can write stuff if you want...) at jeremiahsizemore@gmail.com and i will forward you the long/personal version next time i am online.

 

hope all is well back home.

 

oh yeah, and here's the coordinates of where i am tonight (just for you Dad) - N 08 59.774' - E038 44.160 - elevation here is 7686' and i almost passout everytime i climb the 82 stairs to the apartment here.  the view is worth it though.

 

- j(w)s

11. Strange Day in Ethiopia

The internet here still refuses to pull up the blog which is kind of frustrating because without seeing it, it's hard to imagine that other people can see what you have written and it always ends up getting far too personal.  so i will try to get less and less personal but still update enough for people to know what i'm up to.

 

Today did not end up at all how I planned...7 or 8 ethiopians spent the night at the apartment where i am staying last night and they convinced me to go with them the next day to some hot springs/swimming pool that was a couple hours south.  they said we would leave at 8, stay for a couple hours and be back by 2 or 3.  well, i just got back at about 9:15 and spent 8 or 9 hours in the back seat of a 20-year old toyota corolla with two random guys.  thankfully, i was in the empty car, the other corolla had 4 guys in the back seat.  it was quite the endurance test.  i measured my leg room and it equalled my fist...that was pretty comfy. 

 

Over all it was good, just a long drive to swim for a few minutes.  Especially considering none of the 8 Ethiopians we took could swim even a little.  they didnt leave the kiddie pool the entire time.  Apparently this is a common scenario in Ethiopia and that had a giant kiddie pool with 30 or 40 people packed in it while the Olympic-sized main pool never had more than 6...with a max of 2 ever letting go of the side at the same time.  It was kind of funny to look at this huge empty pool, and then to look closer and realize there were actually 50 people in it.

 

Anyways, I am still trying to figure out my plans...Someone offered to take me up North with them on Sunday and that may be an option.  The other thing I'm still thinking about is Zanzibar.  Of course, I'm pretty much always thinking about Zanzibar so that doesnt mean too much.

 

- j(w)s

10? made it

the internet here is incredibly not fast and it wont allow me to check the blog so i can only email updates.  we made it here and all is well.  sarah is with her people now and they are all great so im really excited for her.  still not sure what i will be up to for the next couple weeks but i would be okay just sitting and reading and writing for awhile so im not too worried.

 

also, they have a weird calendar here and so they just had the millienium celebration in september and everywhere you go there are signs celebrating the year 2000.  its pretty sweet.

 

- j(w)s

9 from frankfurt

well, I ended up going and she was pretty surprised. We are in Frankfurt safe and sound andwaiting for the next flight. Should be interesting from here on out.

I'll try to keep updating.

J

8...crazy day/being ridiculous

Noon - Today I am continuing the theme of a random post-college life.
I often worry that I have become careless or irresponsible and that
may be a real possibility. The good news is that the Lord has plenty
of opportunities to work out His plan in my life...partly due to the
fact that I so rarely have one.

I hope to have internet access occasionally and keep you all (all the
many thousands who read this) updated on my reckless and impulsive
attempt to prove how much I care for a certain girl.

I'll be back by the end of the month. Lord willing. January seems to
be a good month to get out of town anyways.

I covet you prayers...

330 update - I just said goodbye and it was pure misery. I realized
that all along I thought I was flying over for her sake, and now all
of the sudden I realize it was completely selfish. I couldn't have
said goodbye like that, you would still be mopping me up odd the floor
as my mother would put it.

Also, I was able to have her seat changed so we will be sitting
together. That was a big relief. I'm waiting for her to go through
security right now before I can follow her through.

She just called and is through so now its my turn...

400 update - she should board pretty soon. Until then I hide. I'm so
tired of being nervous, I think I'm just ready to get on the plane.
Its hilarious to think how excited I am about a 24 hour plane ride.
I've been a wreck all week just waiting.

415 update - bad news. Really bad news. There just happen to be 3
other journeyman on the same flight to frankfurt. She just saw them
and that basically kills the whole idea of making sure she had someone
to ride over with. No fun. I may try to get bumped from the flight
now. This turned into a disaster really quickly.

445 - the flights late and I'm trying to decide if I should just bail
on the whole thing. Just a second ago I was sitting at the gate next
to hers and I saw her walk around the corner...I literally dove on the
ground and hid under a seat. It was ridiculous. The gate was
completely full too...they all thought I was crazy. As soon as she
walked past I grabbed my bag and ran the other way. This has
officially gotten stupid and I honestly don't know what to do. This
may be my last attempt at a surprise. When its time to get engaged I'm
just gonna text her.

I just looked back at the whole days posts and this has gotten way out
of hand. There she is again. I'm behind a pole now...don't worry.

Ahhhhhh. I didn't think the Lord would have to bail me out before I
left the airport.

Well. It looks I'm going what a disaster.

Time to post.

- j(w)s

--
Jeremiah Sizemore
Fifteen Projects, Inc
859.492.6152

DLP and Christie

I'm not sure if you realize this... but there is one thing that you are guaranteed to see every time you go to a movie at Rave Motion Theaters (and maybe some other theaters out there). It could be the thing I get most excited about when planning to view a newly released motion picture. It could be. Probably isn't. But there's always that possibility. Its a glorious storm of light and sound which rushes all around you preparing you for the experience ahead. An amazing introduction to two of my closest friends... DLP and Christie. Though overlooked by most, Jeremiah and I have begun ushering in these stars of the show with a rousing chant. At least we're planning to. So far its just me getting really excited and encouraging the people around me to get pumped about the arrival of these overshadowed gems. All we'd advise you to do is, right after the completion of movie previews, begin chanting "Don't Lick Potatoes" or any other phrase that is an acronym for DLP. Some suggestions:

Dried Leaves Pray
Dumb Little Puppies
Dainty Ladies Party
Dogs Love Pretzels
Dirty Laundry... Pew! (This one takes some practice)
Dead Llamas Procrastinate
Dripping Lava, Pretty (On a similar level of difficulty as "Dirty Laundry... Pew")
Die, Luke Perry
Danger: Lustful Pandas!
D@#! Left-handed People (Not recommended)
Don't Leave Papaw!!!

Feel free to use any of those.

Immediately following the appearance of DLP, begin to inform those around you of Christie's impending arrival by saying or chanting her name. Note: She really likes to be cheered for once she's fully spelled her name.

Enjoy your next movie, and remember what we've told you. DLP and Christie can get pretty angry if you don't please them.

Making movies all the more enjoyable,
Robby and Jeremiah

5

so its a new year. Pretty exciting I guess. One of my goals for the year is to blog a lot more often cause this was a lot of fun when we started but it has died down a lot. So anyone who reads this at all can look forward to that.

I got a new iPod touch today since I lost the precious last month. I don't necessarily hate iPods, but the last one I had broke right after I got it and I was stuck in Italy with only an Elton john greatest hits double album (which was pretty amazing actually) for about six months. So I was skeptical about getting another one. But it seems pretty sweet.

If any of you talk to robby, pressure him into posting more often since he's the funny one.

- j(w)s