c'mon get happy

I love life.. and look forward to everyday, sometimes more... sometimes less. BUT! I cannot help but be excited for April to come.... because I've been sick 3 TIMES in March. That's ridiculous... but hey, I came out of the triple-threat o' sickness

Regardless... back to loving life. Here's a quote I just stumbled upon..

"When I was 5 years old, my mom always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down “happy.” They told me I didn’t understand the assignment and I told them they didn’t understand life."
-unknown author

There's such back-to-basics wisdom in that, whether it's a legit quote from a child or not. I love it.. and I love having that mindset with how I tackle each day.

( m e a n w h i l e )

Anybody else hear that mysterious sonic boom about an hour ago? I assumed it was Langley-AFB-related... and nearby.. but apparently it was heard all around the peninsula and even in Maryland. A meteorite? Aliens?? A really epic high-five???

Time will tell....

childhood throwback

"Where The Wild Things" has been made into a movie! I remember reading this book when I was just a mini J-Holla..... and it definitely added to the imaginative crazy-random fun I had as a child (and still do... haha)

Here's the teaser trailer for the movie (bummer.. it doesnt come out until Oct 16th)

sweeeeet victory

This clip came to mind today, from back when I used to watch Spongebob all the time..... and it's still one of my fave cartoon moments ever. Really, though... only watch the first minute & a half to get the true feel, because I think this clip was extended & re-used the footage to fit the whole song in.

Anyways, enough talky-talky... more watchy-watchy



p.s. - twitter.com/jakeholla (follow me if you're a fellow twitter fool)

jake - 1, sickness - 1

I rarely ever get sick... maybe once a year, and it can range from a small cold to a bed-ridden nasty sickness. SO for me to have been sick TWICE already this year? Unheard of! I gave myself 1 point in this battle versus illnesses.... because I fought off the first cold by just going about my daily routines as usual, giving it the old "cold shoulder" treatment.. if you will.

I guess I should have at least acknowledged the sickness by acting like it affected me, maybe even taken some medicine to fake it out like I was unable to fight back.... cuz I think I hurt it's feelings. The 2nd attempt came it me like an act of revenge.

Out were the sniffles & coughs.... in came the stomach virus o' doom! I had boldly sat in the face of my mother's sickness Friday & Saturday, keeping an eye on her and lending a helping hand when needed.. and proceeded about the rest of my weekend as usual. Fast forward to Sunday night... relaxing amongst friends & watching movies, when the sickness (or what I presume was the sickness) joined forces with the good-intentioned home-cooking of my good friend's sister... and totally ravaged my stomach. First I was merely tired & less-than-talkative.. which I shrugged off because I was slightly tired already. Then came the dizzyness while I sat on the sidelines using the internet, as the gang battled it out on the XBox 360.. which I also shrugged off as staring too long at the screen. But it finally hit home, as soon as I logged out and got off the laptop... that I was down the steps and into the bathroom, losing my lunch & dinner in one fell swoop. It struck again @ 4am, long after I had returned home to recover... and left me down for the count all of Monday and some of Tuesday. I'm still feeling the side-effects of trying to catch up on sleep, get back on my regular eating habits, and getting back in the swing of work. There ya go, team sickness... 1 point for you.

So yes, lesson learned. I can't always shrug these sicknesses off like buzzing lil mosquitoes. I am *takes a deep breath*.... merely human. There! I said it!

Okay... I should really be sleeping if I'm to be taking this recovery seriously haha... g'nite!

stumbled-upon poetry

I came across this poem last nite while using the previously mentioned Stumble web-browser thingie... and it's rather amazing. Enjoy!


When I say..."I am a Christian"
I'm not shouting "I am saved"
I'm whispering "I get lost!"
"That is why I chose this way."

When I say..."I am a Christian"
I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble
and need someone to be my guide.

When I say..."I am a Christian"
I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I'm weak
and pray for strength to carry on.

When I say..."I am a Christian"
I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failed
and cannot ever pay the debt.

When I say..."I am a Christian"
I'm not claiming to be perfect,
my flaws are too visible
but God believes I'm worth it.

When I say..."I am a Christian"
I still feel the sting of pain
I have my share of heartaches
which is why I seek His name.

When I say..."I am a Christian"
I do not wish to judge.
I have no authority.
I only know I'm loved.

-Author Carol Wimmer - Copyright 1988

where my head's at

just felt like throwing out some random stuff about my state of mind today, and as of late

-music is essential to my days, thus why i dislike the radio... because it rarely matches up with the mood i'm in, or more importantly the music i even enjoy in the first place

-change is good. pushing out negativity/worrying in favor of optimistic & uplifting reactions to what each day throws at you. changing habits, like less soda & more water.. or just taking a step back to just say no sometimes, for your own sake.. and being able to take a breather for some quality me-time

-i still struggle sometimes with just being content overall... there's days i rely far too much on other people, or on the weather, or on what song gets stuck in my head... or any number of things that are all well-and-good, to an extent. i love the days where i'm able to brush all that to the background, and just enjoy me for me.. because it's how God intended me to be

-i love my new phone, but the battery life is rather frustrating... looking into getting an extended battery. or just not using the stupid internet on my phone haha. that may also help

-complaining is another thing i'm working on. i only seem to really do it while at work, and that has such an adverse effect on how my co-workers see me. i've built such a good standing with so many of them, and had so many amazing conversations about my faith.. my relationship with Mary.. and so many other topics in life.... i'd hate to tarnish that by my nonsensical complaints about the dumbest things

-speaking of Mary.. I've never known someone who's kept me so grounded, and brings out the absolute best in me like she does. i feel so comfortable & not pressured in any way when i'm around her. i feel like i had lost hope in someone like her ever coming along, or that someone could ever see so eye-to-eye with me on how we react to life itself. the seamless transitions between the randomness & laughter, to the deeper-connections and amazing conversations we have... its still hard to fully put into words. i thank God daily for having her in my life, and how undeserving but completely blessed I feel

-outback steakhouse is delicious. i had almost forgotten how good their food was. 'nuff said.

-and in closing, i need more sleep. i don't believe i have insomnia, because i can fall asleep at any time of the night... it's just a matter of turning off the tv, or the laptop, or whatever i'm reading.. and just having some self-discipline for my own sake. it's unhealthy and the lack-of-sleep has alot to do with how easy it becomes during the day to fall victim to complaining & negativity

(aaaaand i'm done! for now... haha)

70-ish degrees = perfection

"In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer."
-Albert Camus

Okay maybe we're not in the depth of winter right now.... but this sudden return of warmth definitely reminded me how much I prefer this perfect balance of temperature. I'm a very happy-go-lucky person, rain or shine, but i'm definitely at my... uh.. happiest-go-luckiest (??) when it's sunny and warm outside. I wish I could push the pause button on yesterday's weather, and keep it that way. I spent the late afternoon/evening down @ the oceanfront with Mary, her brother, her cousins, and some of my ridiculous crazy fun friends (such as fellow bloggers Josh Haynes & Matt Wiggins). It was the best way to finish out the weekend... which overall was downright amazing. I love weekends the most, because I get to see alot more of my girlfriend than usual... and it was an additional plus for college spring break to start & long-distance friends return home to the 757 for some hang-time & chaotic fun.


BOOM! Now it's picture time. Enjoyyyyy



traveling on-foot to the boardwalk
















beach antics with j-holla & mary-e












most of the gang hangin' out on the railing

















Adam finally earned his wings





















aaaaand I love this picture, with the sunset in our faces