Friday, November 28, 2008

Hey, I'm cute!

Ahhhh the fun of Thanksgiving right? Yes I said I'm cute.. Well, ok, I didn't say it, but rather a guy at dinner yesterday said it. How's that for a first impression. Granted it was all in humor, but it was fun.

In a recap of yesterday I met some real fun people, ate some really good food and got to spend some real quality time with PB. We played a bunch of games that I'd never played before, some I'll play again. One I need to create soon! It'll be great for the spring/summer when it warms up too...

Overall though it was a great day. They are all good people. We'll be meeting and hanging out with a few of them tomorrow when we head over to Vashon Island for a Christmas tree thingy. I know, real detailed right?

Either way, A+ for Thanksgiving, regardless that the Seahawks sucked and lost!

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

*Sigh*

So almost 2 years ago I lost a dear friend in a drunken driving accident. It wasn't a pretty accident, as the story went, his friend was driving, rolled the car, he was ejected and sadly, wasn't found for 36 hours. Thank God that in the autopsy they found he died on impact, thus he didn't die waiting for help to find him. I was definitely disappointed to read however, that the 'friend' driving didn't disclose he even had a passenger.

Today while on Myspace, I decided to go to my buddy's page. A place I have bookmarked since his profile is public. I've sent him messages before when random things are on my mind. Him and I have some strange ties that one day I should blog about, just in the off chance that something does happen, some people will then understand.

Anyhow I'll post the article from early October detailing the trial/sentencing of the driver of that car:

Driver gets 41 months for crash that killed friend

A 28-year-old Yakima man was sentenced Friday to 41 months in jail for killing his friend in a drunken-driving crash last winter.

Before he was sentenced in Yakima County Superior Court, Zachary Sluder apologized profusely for his actions.

"Ryan will always be in my heart. I will live for him," he said. "I miss my friend so much. I’m sorry. I loved him."

A jury found Sluder guilty of vehicular homicide last week for the death of 30-year-old Ryan Holwegner of Moxee in February 2007.

During the trial, prosecution witnesses testified that they saw Sluder driving away from a Moxee tavern in his Chevrolet Lumina minutes before the crash, with Holwegner as his passenger.

When state troopers arrived to investigate, Sluder told them he was the only one in the vehicle. Troopers suspected Sluder had been drinking, but he refused a blood test.

Holwegner’s body was discovered more than 36 hours later, 140 feet from the crash site. It was well outside the zone where debris and occupants should have been discovered. The question of who moved the body was never answered.

During the sentencing, deputy prosecutor Erika Soublet read letters from Holwegner’s family that described him as an honest, loyal person with a zest for life and a smile that would light up a room.

Holwegner’s father, Jon, wrote that he didn’t want leniency for Sluder, who has shown a lack of remorse for his actions. In his letter, he expressed hope that Sluder would turn his life over to God.

Holwegner’s sister, Tressa Stadel, said she and her family only wanted the truth. Instead, Sluder failed to stand up and take responsibility for his actions.

After Holwegner’s family members spoke, Sluder turned toward them in court and read his own statement. He described Holwegner as his hero and said he will be forever changed by this experience.

He said he had forgotten Holwegner had been in the car with him and would never have left him had he remembered.

"If I had known Ryan was there, I would have held him in my arms," he said, crying. "I’m so sorry for your guys’ loss."

Judge Michael McCarthy said he believes Sluder was so intoxicated at the time of the crash that he had forgotten Holwegner was with him. But he’s equally confident that Sluder later regained his memory and that somebody had moved Holwegner’s body.

Because of these unusual circumstances, he sentenced Sluder to the most jail time allowable by law. Sluder’s sentence could have ranged anywhere from 31 to 41 months because of his lack of serious criminal history.

During the trial, Sluder’s attorney suggested that either Sluder was the passenger or Holwegner wasn’t even in the vehicle. But Sluder’s injuries were consistent with wearing a left-side seat belt; the driver’s seat belt in his car was the only one that showed a collision-related defect.


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As I read up on the trial and sentencing, I guess my mind went all over the place. I understand if you're being accoused of something you'll want a lawyer to make sure things are fair and you don't get a life sentence for something that should only be a year sentence. But really, I'd like to think that if, heaven forbid, I was in the similar situation and it was one of my many friends that had died at my hands...... I'd hope that I would do something different. Stand up, be a man, plead guilty even. I don't want off on a technicality. To me it wouldn't be far that I was still breathing while they don't get to. Somehow though, when they mention the chance the body was moved, my mind could totally see how it probably unfolded. Scared, knowing the trouble that would be coming, trying to figure a way out of it. Either drunk or the next day, doesn't matter, your mind still thinks the same if you remember it or not. So drunk you don't remember a passenger, I can understand that. Hell, I've been drunk enough to not remember a lot (Hello Vegas!) but as time goes on I remembered. Most people remember. I'd bet he remembers. Cherishing his freedom it's easier to try and supress what happened and hope you get to keep the freedom. Now, because of those choices, he loses almost 4 years of his life. Granted, that's just a small time compared to the years Ryan lost. But still. Step up, be a man, show the world you truly regret it, make amends with his family, do some work to show the world that what you say is how you feel. Don't try to hide what happened or fail to step up to the plate because your lawyer says it can hurt your appeal or because of any other reason.

Sadly, the world seems to ignore personal responsibility. There's always someone else to blaim or a reason to hide behind a wall. One may not be a bad person to do dumb and bad things. The key is fixing the bad you've caused. Hiding behind a lawyer doesn't fix anything other than make others wonder why you hide.

I know it's a touchy subject, but sometimes I just don't get people. I hope to live my entire life never in this kind of situation. Should it happen, I hope someone will point me to this blog if I miss sight of where I'm at. So I can make sure to break the mold and do right.

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RIP Hoegz, it's too bad I never got the reply to the message I sent you the day you died. I was looking forward to catching up since your move to Yakima. All of us on the west side miss you.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Religion or politics, some things you just can't avoid..

.. So I'll hit more on the subject after a small little blurb about my awesome night last night. PB left her phone at my house when she went to work yesterday morning so naturally that meant I was going to see her. She had a great final interview for her position, made a little bonus, and was in a good mood when she got home despite being tired from having little sleep the night before. We got Thai food to go, then headed down to the beach front on Lake Washington for a night time picnic. It was funny though, as when we were heading there I saw a house lit up already for Christmas & said how it was too early for people to be putting up their Christmas lights, I mean it's not even Thanksgiving yet! PB seemed to get a good laugh out of my mini-rant about people and holidays. When we got to the park on the lake, she explained the good laugh, as they had Christmas lights up down around the park. But just phase 1 of the lights, so I'm interested in seeing the final product. Yeah, I felt a little bad, but it's different when a city is putting it up in pieces vs someone lighting up their entire house already. They have picnic tables right down on the water though, so we went down, in the dark, cold clear night and ate our dinner. It was quiet, just us, romantic and just ... warm. The chill didn't matter. I had great Thai food and amazing company to keep me warm. We then walked around the park, taking a few pics and just talking. More and more I see things in her that I don't know how I've lived without in the past. That was my night in a small nutshell.

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Now on to more controversial topics.. I heard a piece on the radio this morning, gotta love KMPS and being a country boy at heart, they were interviewing an author who wrote a book about Atheists and the change in their beliefs over the last 2 generations.

There was a talk about how just a generation ago, Atheists were basically policing the separation of Church & State. Then now with this generation it's turned them into attacking all religion. Imposing their views on everyone else in the name of 'equality'.

To give an example.. they fight and fight to have Christmas displays taken down in the name of equality. However doing so means that it's not equal for all groups, it favors them. But they don't see it that way in their arguments.

Similar to politics, religion is a very touchy subject with some. I, however, have no problems touching on any subject that could offend. Why? Because I'm an asshole like that. I truly believe that everyone has the right to believe in whatever religion they choose. Funny enough, being an Atheist means you have a belief in something. You have faith that there is no God. You have the right to that faith. Just as I have the right to believe in God. While Christmas may have taken a large commercial turn, it is still a holiday derived from religion. As such, if you don't like it, don't celebrate it. Don't impose on my right to celebrate it. No one forces you to decorate your house, buy a Christmas tree, or listen to the Christmas music (plus not all Christmas music is religious). Don't like my Christmas lights? Don't look, I won't be offended. Matter of fact, you can tell me you don't like it and I still won't be offended. Hopefully however, I don't offend you when I laugh at you and walk away.

As I age, grow, & mature, I start to realize how important some things are.. not only in my life, but in the world as a whole. Some people have nothing in life. Things aren't going their way, no breaks given. But they're happy because they go to Church, they're accepted by people they may barely know and they have their religion which means the world to them. If they didn't have that, then what would they have? No reason to live, no reason to follow man's law. Do you really believe that your own views should trump theirs? I've started to notice that a lot of the Atheists are right in line with other religious fanatics. Yet really, watch the face of one of them when you tell them that. They'll look like you just pissed in their Cheerios. But really, that's all they are. Hypocrisy, closed mindness & pushing their beliefs on you. I have yet to meet one Atheist who will not try and spew their beliefs down on you. Yet they seem offended when you tell them you don't want to hear it.

I'm not a preaching man by any means. However, if you fail to respect my beliefs or my views, similar to politics, then shut up and walk away. Because you will not enjoy my laughing at you as much as I will enjoy it. It's kind of like a two way street. You want me to listen to you, you need to listen to me. Get in my lane, however, and I'll run your ass over. Simple as that. God may not like religion, I may not like the hypocrites in religion, but I also don't like the hypocrites that hate religion.

One last slight profanity laced point.. It's still fucking Christmas. That's right, if you look on a calendar on December 25 it will say CHRISTMAS. Which means I don't give a flying shit if you believe in it or not. I will tell you Merry Christmas. If you're offended by the fact I say Merry Christmas, then go somewhere else where they don't celebrate it. All the stupid PC idiots out there that think it should be "Happy Holidays" to accommodate every person on the earth so no one group feels offended or left out can keep doing that and kiss my ass.

So on that note......
MERRY CHRISTMAS

Monday, November 24, 2008

God gets high? Sweet!

haha I know people will read that and think "WTF?! That's not even funny!" ... But it is! Since really spending quality time with PB she's got me going to church with her. I should clarify that... I was willing to go, she asked and I go. I'm interested. I'm open minded and willing to learn new things, grow as a person, figuratively & spiritually. I joke about getting that first class ticket to hell, but do I really want to go there? Of course not. But I digress.

One thing I really like about going is the Pastor that runs the show. He's animated, funny, and tries hard to keep people entertained and excited about being there. He definitely hangs out around teens and things, picking up lingo to use and keep everyone interested. Like referring to the 20 cats, "not the meow cats though!", thus for you less informed: 20 people. He then preceded to tell us about the Golden Bowl where all our prayers end up as incense in front of God. "That's right! God gets high off your prayers!" and he did the whole little stoner inhale act and we just about died laughing. I mean really? God gets high? Sweet. No wonder he's a superstar! Ahhhh if I'd only realized earlier how much fun church can be..

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This week is Thanksgiving. A great holiday week usually with great food & company. This year I don't expect anything less. Just going to be a tad bit ... nervous off the bat. I will be spending Thanksgiving this year with PB & her family. I don't get nervous for things normally, but this time it's different. I care about her & I don't want to have her family hating me or anything.. Not that I think that's the case, but it's the holiday's, etc, so I will be a little nervous. I wish I'd have my Jeep by then, I could use that little bit of comfort. I know that sounds weird but it's like, the one zone I feel absolutely at home in regardless of how nervous I feel. But on the bright side, I'll have her there and that will easily calm me down. I'm sure Friday I'll post a recap of how things end up.

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On that note, just a quick blog this fast moving Monday.

Enjoy!