What's new in 2008

Here are a few things I learned about myself this year.

1. I really am more antsy than I thought....since I work at home I tend to get cabin fever from time to time and just want to get outside. The summer was awesome, everyday I got to ride my bike around Rock Hill and enjoy the SC summer. I'd ride mostly to the lake and back, but sometimes to downtown too.
2. I honestly don't get the concept of aged cheese....it weirds me out. You take a dairy product and age it....really?
3. I never really really appreciated the beauty of thunder until this year...it's an awesome thing to not have it for 6 months during the winter, then to suddenly and deeply hear it in a spring storm
   
4. I think girls with green eyes are really pretty....though I don't know anyone who has them
   
5. I learned that my # 1 pet peeves isn't local car commercials....it's people who drive with their brights on when it isn't necessary. Like on the interstate. My car is low to the ground so it completely blinds me when I truck or SUV gets behind me.
6. My #3 pet peeve (#2 is local car commercials) is people who smoke at gas stations....seriously?....SERIOUSLY??? Are you trying to get us all killed?? What bugs me most about it is that authorities seem to overlook it when it is clearly against the law.
   
7. I don't eat hotdogs anymore
8. I apparently make cheesecakes
9. I want to go back overseas.....eastern europe.....maybe Romania, Ukraine, Western Russia....who knows. There's just something I love about the idea.
10. I wish I had some engineering classes
    
11. Sonic cheeseburgers are good....never really respected Sonic until recently
12. When I wear a suit....I feel like I'm a dad, with a wife and kids. I think its just that I always am so casual of a dresser that when I wear a suit, it just makes me feel more in life.
    

All Things New

So it's an interesting time to be in America. It seems now that things are more possible than ever to go and try new things, to break the established order. I'm just thinking of Obama and his unlikely rise to presidency. Who would have guessed? Such a young person. I hold no alliances to parties, and who you voted for doesn't matter, the principle is what's important to me.

It just seems like Americans are willing to do things they weren't willing to do 10 years ago. This is good for me and CEP with where we're at now and hope to be in the future. People are willing to take risks now that they weren't before, and go against the way things have always been. Taking risks for alternative energy will make or break the industry. I don't condone throwing money away, and let's be honest, there are a lot of bad ideas out there that really are a waste of time and money to be perused. But, I feel like legitimate, real energy, is being chased, and has the ability to make change. It's a hard deal, and I won't get into it now, but please people, be smart about energy. Don't throw your capital dollars away!

So....I am young and inexperienced, and to try and start a business from where I'm at, well, there are many things to overcome. But seeing America vote in such a young and inexperienced person, well, it just makes me think the time is right to be apart of something like CEP. Grassroots, bootstrapping, from the ground up venture of opportunity. Sounds good to me. Who cares if its successful, its worth the effort to try.

Plus, it's not like its up to me anyway....lets just be honest. And that is something I cannot begin to express my thankfulness for. God doesn't need CEP, or me, or anything....He owns it all and reigns over it completely....but, in some mysterious way, chooses to use His people to build the kingdom. Thus, I am happy to say CEP is one of thousands of ideas that are worthwhile.

PS: What's the deal with Christmas coming so early.....I know stores used to jump the gun, but, it seems like everyone is it on it now. Thanksgiving is getting plowed over by the Christmas train....what's next Halloween? I promise you I saw some Christmas items in Wal-Greens before Halloween.

Happy October

Fall is upon almost us. You can smell it in the air, see it in the leaves at sunset...Color. Bright blue skies in the afternoon. Crispy nights. It's wonderful.

My measure of fall has always been the maple trees outside of Kinard. The three trees that explode with color overnight and then loose all of their leaves just as quickly. They were green as of two days ago, so, when they're ripe, it'll be time to pull out the cider.

More to come about my summer...