Stupid Morning

It happened again.

I woke up this morning feeling great. The sun was out, all was quiet in my house, and I felt well-rested.

A little too well-rested.
Because my alarm clock was silent.
And, while the sun wasn't truly out, the sky seemed at least a few shades of gray lighter than usual. This is Seattle, after all.

I rolled over to check my alarm clock, which stared back at me with its beady little display: "9:45AM." It sat there, mocking me in its cruel silence...

It was one of my all-too-frequent "Oh crap" wake-ups. Leaping off the bed, cursing myself for turning off my alarm in my sleep, thanking God that my company permits employees to flex their time, cursing myself that flextime only applies when there aren't meetings to miss (like today), momentarily wondering why Sonicare didn't program a special panic mode for shorter duration brushing of teeth, and then cutting corners on other morning processes which don't need elaboration here. (No, this did not apply to my putting on clothes.)

I finally made it into work, fully dressed, but ashamed and bracing myself for the mockery of my coworkers. In fact, if my coworkers were feeling particularly evil, our first conversation could've gone like this:

Me: Morning, guys.
Coworker 1: Morning, Bryan.
Coworker 2: Is it lunch time already?

Oh, but that conversation already occurred some time ago.

Wings, Mostly

I forgot to explain that the title of this blog was also chosen for its verbal connection to my profession in the aviation/aerospace industry. While I won't name my employer, for reasons of corporate policy and the protection of my own butt, I can speak generally about the industry and why I am inspired to work in it.

Once upon a time, as a kid, I loved airplanes. And my fascination with them never went away. Today I thank God for placing that passion in my heart so I could pursue His calling while fulfilling a childhood dream. I am ever amazed by this industry, and I wish I could more eloquently share why. But I can't, so I instead invite you to watch the advertising propaganda of a couple big players in my industry:


I have got to get one of those holographic globes.


That's right, musical score in the same key. Slick, I know.


Doesn't this inspire you to work in aerospace?

Yes?

Hello?

Right.

On Roots and Wings

The launch of this blog signals a departure from my old blog. My six years at Stanford have more or less been summarized in those archives of my babbling. Now that I've graduated and begun life as a working professional, I figure it's an opportunity to begin anew on the blogosphere as well.

And so an explanation of my title is in order. In case you aren't familiar with the phrase, "roots and wings," you're not alone. It comes from an anonymous quote:

There are but two lasting bequests we can give our children. One is roots, the other, wings.

Roots signify a child's foundation, a definition of who he is and where he comes from. Wings, on the other hand, are his means of leaving the security of the familiar in order to discover new horizons.

Indeed, I am living in a new home in a new state, working a new job, and sometimes feeling quite distant from that which I hold dear and familiar. But I've been equipped with the lessons and memories of the past, and they'll color the way I see things in the future. And so it will be with this blog. While I foresee a different blogging style for a new audience, some things will remain constant. For instance, a good degree of sarcasm and cynical humor. A penchant for scatological humor. And, of course, an irregular (at best, infrequent) posting schedule. In other words, I still aim to destroy any high expectations you may have for this blog. (Just so we're clear.)

So what, exactly, is new? Well, besides the new template, I'm also implementing the aforementioned new blogging style. No longer will you be reading (or awaiting) endless updates on everything I've been up to. Instead, expect to catch the occasional random thought. A rant, or a rave, to offer you a glimpse of my crazy life here. I figure that, with such a mindset, I'll be updating this blog a bit more frequently than my last.

So I hope you might enjoy the change. I of course welcome your feedback, friends and strangers alike. I hope to have fun with this, and dialogue is one place to start.

And now, folks, on with the show...

The Next Chapter

2007. A new year. An appropriate time to start a new blog.