Feeling it through

Hi. I've missed you, just say you miss me too. Now, let's get caught up. Last saturday I spent the day surrounded by matrimony. I was a groomsman in a [beautiful] wedding in the morning, and then had two receptions that evening. It was a fun day, but by the end of it I thought my feet were going to literally explode. This past week I dedicated myself to catching up on four weeks of unread statistics, and ended up feeling as though I did quite well on the test that took two class periods. I have yet to run this week, nor have I picked up my free reading book [Martin Luther King Jr.'s autobiography], and spent the majority of the free time that I had absolutely wasting time. Last night I turned that "time wasting" to good use and started watching season one of the television series "Heros". For those of you who care about this show, I'm sorry I didn't listen sooner. However, it won't be long before I catch up to this season. And now for today's plans: my family [including some out-of-towners that we rarely see, but always have fun with] and I are going down to the farm, a day which will culminate with a horse-drawn hay rack ride. Then tomorrow I'll wake up and start a new week, and hopefully it will be a lot better than its predecessor.

Okay, so this year I had two really good ideas for halloween costumes, but I lack the time, money, ability and party to go to, to put these ideas to use. So I spent some of my valuable time putting together these prototypes via the paint program. I'll go ahead and say that the first person to get both of the ideas right wins some points towards the game. you have my love.

Strangely unOctoberly

Though the weather has kept it from really feeling like fall [until the past few days at least], the mood of this fall, for me, has been helped along by a few different things. The first is the book The Brothers K, by David James Duncan. I could write a lot about this book, but I won't [at least here]. In short, it's a beautiful story about family, brotherhood, the struggle for peace and the journey for authentic faith. It seemed like every other page I was either laughing aloud or choking up. And though it isn't necessarily set in fall, it seems like very fitting time to read this incredible story. The second fall-like affect is baseball playoffs, and even though the Cubs are out, I am comforted knowing that the Yankees are out and the Red Sox are still in. Thirdly, a number of good albums being released. In one single day I bought The Good Life's "Help Wanted Nights", Over the Rhine's "The Trumpet Child", and Iron & Wine's "The Shepherd's Dog." Musical goodness. I've been listening to The Good Life and Iron & Wine albums quite a bit, and they're both really good. "Help Wanted Nights" is an excellent step for The Good Life, and I hope it means that Tim Kasher is enjoying life more than when he wrote "Album of the Year." Over the Rhine's song "If a Song Could be President," is in the running for my song of the year. Fabulous. Fourthly, the quality of football this fall is off the charts. That being said, I still think that LSU has the best football team in the nation. Lastly, since the weather has just kicked in this past week it gets last mention. I ran in the rain and mud today, and though it caused some discomfort, it was rather wonderful. One of best things are that hoodies are worn often, if not daily.

It's been a good couple of months thus far, at least in these regards. The busy life I live is starting to wear heavily on me. I can only look forward to the coming semester in which I won't be driving eight plus hours a week. And I've been running a good deal more. I just ran nine miles today, in the aforementioned rain and mud; it was tough, but good. After being at the Chicago marathon last week I actually have been thinking about running a marathon someday, just not in such hot weather. And I went to my first cross country meet this past week and fell even more in love with that sport. Things aren't ideal, but they're good [i.e., not safe]. you have my love.

Last October

Last night as I laid myself down to sleep, I read my journal entries from last October. This makes sense for two reasons. One, October is my favorite month. Two, last October was fairly monumental for me. The first entry in my journal is partially about me thinking of taking a trip to see a girl I liked*. And, as you may recall, I took that trip mid-October, to the far away land know as Ohio. One of the last entries of October has me resigning to the idea that it wasn't "meant" to be, and being okay with that [really].

In between there is a lot of inner dialogue about that relationship, and relationships in general. In that resigning entry I also wrote about the conclusion of one Rob Fleming/Gordon in "High Fidelity". The fact is that there is, within our minds, an idealized state of a relationship that is, in a sense, perfect. This is the fantasy. That fantasy is always without conflict and full of happiness and mirth and so forth. But when that fantasy enters into the Earth's atmosphere as reality so also enters conflict, pain and the like into this fantasy world. Not that there isn't mirth and joy, but also sorrow and pain. I remember talking to an acquaintance, and being shocked at how quickly he denounced the ideal. Perhaps now I see his point. In relationships, of the non-fantasy type and of all sorts, there is both joy and sorrow, and that's what makes them both real and beautiful. The pain and sorrow being mended by forgiveness and mercy; the joy and mirth being tempered by time. Truly it is good.

Post script
Speaking of goodness, I am traveling to Trinity's homecoming this weekend and am so excited for it. I look forward to the laughter of it all. And if you haven't heard about the name-your-price new Radiohead album download, you should. And lastly I'd like to welcome the latest of my biannual full-blown sinus infection. Just in time for my favorite time of year. Gotta love October, just gotta. you have my love.

* Now engaged to a pretty sweet guy named Daniel who works on engines when he isn't studying theology; so if I were a girl, I'd probably want to date him too.