they broke the mold with you

"well they built the Titanic to be one of a kind, but many ships have ruled the seas

they built the Eiffel Tower to stand alone, but they could build another if they please

Taj Mahal, the pyramids of Egypt, are unique, i suppose

but when they built you, grandpa, they broke the mold."

chicago

we finally arrived.

we left monday, around 9pm, and arrived wednesday morning, 12:10am.

it was bad.

i drove from dallas texas, all the way out to joplin, mo, then from st louis, mo, all the way to chicago.

(that is what i drove, to the left)

i think i am destined to be a long road driver. 

pah, im kidding.

anyways.

we were driving, and my dad got a call that his father died.

it really sucked.

but then it was ok after a few minutes.

and im jealous of him, grandfather.

cause i was thinking, man, how awesome is that to be in heaven? to have a perfect body?

oh well.

im coming home sunday afternoon.

5:25am

that's what time it is.

i just woke up, and i am at an 'official texas roadside rest area', two miles outside of oklahoma.

its my turn to drive - five and a half hours.

i made a shuffle playlist, to listen to, on my ipod.

im not excited about driving, especially since i just woke up.

oh well.

red bull, lets see how much you really work.

24mm f/2.8D AF

i just got that lens.

$317.99, after shipping and taxes.

i decided to save the $200 and get the 24mm vs the 20mm. 

what difference can 4mm make, right?

im also considering getting an extreme san disk III 4gb card..

for $70ish.

not sure.

i think it might come in handy in chicago.

now im leaving.

blah

i talked with the usaa insurance agent today; she was so amazing and easy to deal with - totally diminished all and any of my fears after talking with her.

so my lovely beetle is off to the repair shop, to be fixed. im happy about that; and im finally getting a new key! woohoo.

oh, and my grandfather isn't supposed to make it past the next two days, so im off to chicago tonight, to go visit him, and stay for the funeral. 

now to go change the oil on the car, mow the lawn, charge my ipod and computer, and find a wide angle lens.

i had

an accident yesterday.

it was not good.

but i did not let it ruin my day.

and this is how it went:

i was turning right, from 1604, going 281 south, in the PROTECTED lane, and the lady in front of me slams her breaks, and the split second and a half (literally) that i turned to my left, i hit her.

BAM!

oh well.

hopefully USAA doesn't cut me.

i think i can fly

and here is me trying:

enjoy.

usa basketball

no way usa is going to lose this year.

not with the lineup like this:

kobe.

lebron.

d wade.

anthony.

redd.

kidd.

prince.

boozer.

cp3.

howard.

williams.

bosh.

this team was built for this - this is the redeem team. 

i have a $10 bet they'll win the gold.

i would probably bet $50.

but i won't.

lazy day

it rained, and rained, and poured all day today.

thus my lazy day.

i went to bed at 2am last night, and woke up at nine, went to the bank, had mcdonalds, went to a different bank, then back to the first bank, and then home.

went to sleep till at least two, ate a muffin, and went back to sleep till six forty five.

what a lazy day.

why am i excited for work on saturday?

amassed debt

so i have to pay stupid taxes.

which made me cancel my order of my d300.

that means, im not getting it any time soon.

which, i think might work out for me in the end, because of photokina, in september.

hopefully they'll release a d300 replacement, or drop the price by a nice $300.

then it would be ok.

pop-a-lock

yeah.

i locked it in today.

walked home?

lame.

im tired.

fredericksburg was a thud.

im getting the d300 tomorrow.

im so excited.

im hungry

coldplay

yeah, i can't wait to see them.

i decided today that im going go buy my ticket in august, at the beginning, for the houston show..

and then drive back the same night for work the next morning.

i mean, seriously.

you can't get better than this:

perdenalles state park

is what i did today.

it was actually pretty fun.

i want to go to fredericksburg later this week, just to walk around and take picture, actually.

oh, and as i was ridding, i remembered this crazy video i saw, and here it is:

and i miss melissa rae. :/

ten top

a ten top came in today, to work.

ten tops are not so rare, but the fact that it was all girls, and that each and every girl was at least a 10, made it so awesome.

two girls had shirts that said 'eye candy'!

seriously!

oh well, i think that made everyone's day today.

joker

definitely deserved an academy award.

i don't think i have seen a better movie since lord of the rings: return of the king.

and no, im not saying that cause heath died. he really did a superb job on the joker character.

i think im gonna go get that movie when it comes out.

and now i have three hours of sleep till i have to wake up for work tomorrow.

dangit.

culinary? or, photography?

that is the question.

as many of y'all avid blog readers know, i am pursuing a career in culinary arts, hoping to some day open up my own gourmet breakfast bar.

the means to that end is my photography.

i don't claim to be super good at photography, but i do love it a lot.

and i got the best compliment a while back.

"david, i know you are into cooking and want to be a chef and whatnot, but i seriously believe that you missed your calling - think about doing photography"

man, that made me beam.

now, meagan suggested i go to photography school.

see if i can get a full ride in scholarships.

what should i do?

chicago

now that chicago is out of the question (michael couldn't find $600), i decided to spend my money wisely, on photography equipment.

here is what id like to sometime, get.

nikon d300. $1600

nikon 20mm f/2.8AF. $479

nikon 50mm f/1.4D. $280

nikon 105mm f/2.8AF. about $500

yeah.

good investments?

id say yes.

the camera and 20mm are the first ones to come, then the 50mm and 105mm last.

$185

i just paid my speeding ticket.

-_-

ugh.

oh well.

i learned my lesson.

that's what i get for going 14mph over the speedlimit, i guess.

magnolia pancake haus

i started today.

it was actually really fun.

i work with another hostess (im the host, not hostess, thank you very much), who just happens to be super, super hot.

oh, lucky me.

and i hear there is even another hotter chick that doesn't work mondays.

oh joy.

model meyhem

meagan r suggested i sign up for MM, so i did.

i am gonna see what becomes of this.

it is a place where photographers gather, as well as models, to advertise their services.

i am hoping i can get a little experience here.

(but preferably not with ugly chicks! or even dudes! :p)

get smart

was pretty funny.

and the main chick, agent 99, was really hot.

:)

cry, havoc, anyone?

:p

selling myself

today we had this deal called a 'market day', where you buy a booth and selling anything you have (i think we actually turned down a few drug dealers....).

anyways.

me, wanting to spread D&M, decided to buy a booth, and set up some of my best shots, which i did.

i wasn't necessarily selling anything, but more so selling myself.

and i think i did a pretty good job of it.

i made it a point to only give out cards to people who seemed really interested, and/or asked for cards.

i started with fifty, and ended up with only 19 business cards left, so i think i did pretty well.

we'll see how that goes - hopefully that was a well paid investment.

family plan, anyone?

specifically, for the 3G iphone.  

what you'll pay: about $75 a month.  

what you'll get: unlimited texting 

unlimited data (email and web usage)

unlimited at&t to at&t 

unlimited nights and weekends 

visual voicemail.  

rollover minutes.

700 minutes.

not to mention your choice of a dang sexy black or white iphone 3G.

many things

again, i am determined to run every day, for the rest of the summer. i ran today, and i finished faster than i have in the other two times i ran the same distance - that is progress. my goal, at the end of the summer, is to be able to run five miles every day. right now i am only at two miles, but hopefully within a month i can up that to four miles a day with a relatively easy transition. 

i got a 'have you lost weight?' compliment today. that made me feel really good. also, when i eat now, im not so worried about gaining much more weight, with my running and all. i feel good. i just need running shoes. oh well, soon enough ill get them.

side note: i had the best chocolate chip cookies today; they were homemade. dang, i seriously ate about fifteen. yeah, my little sister calls me chubchub. whatever. im running two freaking miles a day.

it turns out, my neighbor was a wedding photographer, back in the day when you shot with film, and you HAD to be good to do weddings. turns out KODAK wanted to buy several of his shots, they were that good. i have yet to see them, but he promised he'll pull them out soon enough. he also was a photographer while he fought in the vietnam war. that's pretty awesome. i can't wait to see those shots.

anyways, last.

i was talking upstairs, and for those who have been to my house, it can get pretty dark up here with no lights on. anyways, i got up the stairs, and was walking down the hall when i noticed that the hall closet door was ajar. habitually i close it, so, like every other time, i reached out to close it, and BAM, my dad jumped out, yelling at the top of his lungs.

dang. i probably yelled so loud, and my dad said i jumped up and made karate expressions with my hands and what not. man - i was so scared. two minutes later, i was still shaking. pah.

wait, that last wasn't last.

i read an interesting fact today which made me wonder how anyone could NOT believe in Christ after reading this fact(s).

look at these deaths:

peter - crucified

james, son of alphaeus - crucified

john - naturally

andrew- crucified

matthew - the sword

philip- crucified

simon- crucified

thaddaeus - killed by arrows

james, brother of jesus - stoned 

thomas - spear thrust

bartholomew - crucified 

james, son of zebedee - the sword

Jesus' disciples.

one, who would die for a lie? you say yeah, many people die for a lie, but they they firmly believe, because they've been taught their entire lives that what they believe is true. who would die for a lie that they KNEW was a lie? you would have to be crazy.

also, just to fulfill EIGHT prophecies that Jesus fulfilled, would be likened unto this:

lets stick 100, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000 silver dollars, and cover the great state of texas (that many silver dollars would actually cover the entire state of texas two feet deep).  now, randomly, pick up any one and paint it black. now, blindfold a man, and place him in anywhere he wants, have him walk around, and pick up one silver dollar. what are the chances that it is the black one? that is the chance of any one person fulling just eight out of fifty two prophecies concerning Jesus Christ. 

the ignorant disbelieve for lack of knowledge.

but what about those who do know?

it has launched

finally.

thanks to matty b for all the hard work he has put into launching the site..

pah. 

just kidding.

but seriously, here is the link; spread it around like you would spread orange marmalade and butter on a piece of toast.

D&M Wedding Photography

cheers.

oh, and i got a job at magnolia pancake haus.

i start monday, at eight.

im a host. haha.

determination

is what is gonna keep me running these two miles every day .

and then eventually, run three, and four, till i run five miles a day by the end of the summer.

determination.

the drive that every successful person in this world has.

and jethro had a great message today at church; not to be hypocrites with our life, being fake on sunday, and then the rest of the week living like you don't have a care in the world. it was really good, actually, and got me thinking.

i want to make a difference.

and i've been listening to this guitarist, phil wickham.

i really like this song, not to mention he has an amazing voice.

AVA pictures

yeah, my pictures were posted on the front page of the angels and airwaves website.

im stoked.

click here for the website.

ok.

now im going to bed for good.

two miles

i ran two miles today.

my house, down to the pool, and a right to the stop sign, one mile.

right at the stop sign, all the way to the churches chicken, and then a right there, and an immediate right again. up the road, past the pool and tennis courts, to my street, left, and my house. second mile.

wow. im tired.

buuut, i read today that ALL the greatest people in history had one trait in common - diligence. 

whether you're rich or poor, have a doctorate, or you dropped out of high school, anyone can learn it. 

and that is what i was telling myself as i ran quarter mile up the hill - diligence, diligence, diligence. 

i ran, i ran, and i ran. and i got home.

i hope to be diligent enough and do it everyday, seven days a week. 

i have lunch in the morning with matt - cracker barrel.

and then i am going to a job interview later, at magnolia pancake haus.

ciao.

bill highsmith

compassionately NO,  i am not your son.

leave me alone, forever.

don't add me on facebook, myspace or anything.

just get away from me.

you are freaking me out, yes.

i don't want anything to do with you.

good luck searching for your son.

bye.

comments

if you're gonna leave me a comment, please leave me a name and email, so i can contact you if necessary.

unless, of course, you know that i know who you are. like matt b.

anyways, this bill highsmith or whatever, any anonymous, no.

please leave a name and email i can get to you, or ill just delete the comment.

i feel weird having comments on things i've written from people i don't know.

thanks.

texas hold 'em

i am now a huge fan.

yeah, i've played only once or twice.

yeah, im not the greatest.

but i like it.

and i learn while i play.

its quite fun, actually.

s to the trip poker, anyone? :p

phil wickham i pretty awesome at the guitar.

and my eyes hurt from being awake for so long.

vans warped tour

was pretty cool.
the only reason i went was cause i got free VIP passes - haha.
everyone else was paying $40+, and here, i don't care to go, and i get five free tickets. lucky me.


anyways, before the warped tour, i played an acoustic set for a group of soldiers that had been injured in iraq, at a hospital.

it so turns out that the band 'angels and airwaves' were also playing a set before us, so i had the privilege of doing their sound check. it was cool.

then tom delonge walks up to me and starts playing his guitar, and then says 'wait, you're not in our band, are you?' and then he just laughs. he was a pretty cool guy.


anyways, this is what i learned today at the warped tour:
1. gym class heros suck
2. tom delonge is a really down to earth guy.
3. a lot of hot girls go to the warped tour
4. girls like to dress skimpy, but get upset when you look at them


and then i saw quite a bunch of people i know, in no order:
1. allie
2. stephen (happy 18th birthday [june 6])
3. ben v
4. aldo
5. hunter m
6. ashley b
7. micah b
8. bethany
9. sammy
10. marisa
11. jessica r
12. amy l
13. rabeka
14. emilee

all in all, i had a great day.

cemetery and women

so i got the crazy idea to take pictures at a cemetery at two in the morning - and this is the result.
i didn't use ANY flash or light source whatsoever.
the only light you see in the picture is the result of my steady support, and a long exposure (bulb).




oh, and if any woman ever leaves her husband because of anything that happens while he is serving, i think you deserve to rot.
thank you, soldiers, for all that you do.

bet

so i had a bet with my cousin jose, and isaiah, today, at sonic.

the bet was that i could or couldn't get three girls numbers.

if i got their numbers, both jose and isaiah had to walk home (about four miles), in their boxers.

if i didn't get the numbers, i had to walk home.

anyways.

i got all three numbers.

and they walked home, in their sandals and shorts.

i feel accomplished.

exploding porta-pottys

yeah.
they're LOUD.
really, really loud.

lets just say, dry ice and water don't mix well.

and i have an engagement photoshoot in the morning.
i have to sleep early.

a proposition

so i am reading a book right now (not any of those two books i bought - see 'light summer reading'), called the richest man that ever lived, and i am learning a lot in it.

anyways, here is the proposition:

you read one proverb a day, from the book of proverbs, by the king solomon.

for two years.

every day.

and at the end of the two years, i PROMISE you that you will be wiser than your boss.

and at the end of five years, you'll be a millionaire.

but the catch is, every day, while you read, you hae to read with a pen and paper right next to you, and be writing down the things you learn while you read.

then, and THEN you'll become smarter than your boss, and a millionaire.

2008 beijing olympics

my cousin is in town from nebraska.
jose nuno.
he's cool. sorta. haha.
im just kidding - he's awesome.

anyways, he's a runner, and he's a fast runner.
the second fastest in nebraska.

anyways - i decided im going to train with him for a week, and go to the beijing olympics for the united states.
im excited.