Birthday extravaganza

Two of my favoritest people have birthdays today, and very important in the numerical sense. Celebrating her first ever birthday is the emo-est baby ever, Addison, or as it may so be deemed, Tiny Pants.

And celebrating the big four-oh is the man, the myth, the bearded Jeff Tweedy.

Two wonderful people, one amazing day - both with connections to the great metropolis of Chicago. You can only imagine that one this day the Cubs will somehow win the pennant, the Bears will somehow sign Peyton Manning and the Bulls will somehow clone Michael Jordan. It could happen, shaa, as if. Despite any of my sports related delusions, it ought to be a great day. AND. Though I don't have any pictures of her, I would like to repeat in saying happy birthday to Jennifer, with whom I went to a wedding the other weekend that had the theme "cowboy-cinderella". We were a bit disappointed, but we had fun, so it's all good. Happy birthday my friends!

Another drive

Eight years ago I made a similar drive North. Though in both instances I was frightened, the sensations were completely different. The first time around I was frightened that I would lose touch with all of the incredible friends that I had made the previous couple of years. This time I knew that those who are my friends would not be separated from me, we're intertwined in spirit, or something like that. I'm not entirely sure what was so scary this time; one theory that I have is that the community in which I've moved into would rival that of 104. Which is kind of weird, because if it did come even close to matching 104, that would be an incredible thing for my life, right? It's kind of like when a girl likes a guy, she still tells him that he and another girl would be a great couple. Girls are weird. So I guess makes me weird too. Another theory I have is that I've thrown so much change into my life at one moment that I might spontaneously combust. It might be a more valid theory.

Regardless, I've moved into the Wilson house in Ames, Iowa. It's a nice place, though so far I haven't really been around. I've spent one night and my dresser drawers are still completely empty. I guess I'll get to that tomorrow. This evening I went for a run that turned into quite the adventure. I'm trying to figure out running routes and this adventure took me almost two hours and involved these things: three hills, a gravel/country road, being two hundred yards short of making the trip less than thirty minutes, using a park's "facilities", off-roading, a large puddle, a huge heron, a nettle patch [blasted things!], running under power lines, realizing how close I had been, being really glad that I have found these paths and probably several thousand burned calories [loose estimate]. And now I'm ready to crash into my bed and enjoy some sleep. For those of you who think that I'm now only posting once every ten days: you're wrong and I'll prove it tomorrowie. you have my love.

I'd like another donut

I've made my way back from the Western seaboard, and I've got to say that it was one of the best vacations that I have ever had. Most times when I return home from a trip I'm actually more tired than when I left, this time [barring time zone difficulties] I felt refreshed. Not refreshed enough to feel up to going back to work, but refreshed. Life is happening around me and I'm getting a bit stressed, but I'm somehow more up for the challenge after this trip. I won't give you details, but I'll say that I laughed a lot and had some good talks, and thought about theology and had some really good food. Here are the highlights of the trip and some pictures: seeing Karla [she had been in Afghanistan], playing kendama, talking music with Andy, Tonalli's, watching Arrested Development, playing "SimCity" on the Wii - much to Lynette's chagrin, breakfast with Dave the Brave, getting second place at a pub quiz with Liz and Alan, Powells, sushi, running up Mount Tabor - which I had failed at before, BBQ in North Portland, meeting someone who lived less than a half mile from me in high school, disc golf with Brett - to celebrate the five-year anniversary of our trip to Portland, discussing the Church with Brett, Imago Dei -constantly being impressed by their desire to be missional and to love the City, donuts from Annie's, Blue Angels at a wedding and visiting the Kennedy School.




But I do have to tell one story, though I'm sure Lynette or Jon will tell it better. We had gone to Andy's house to eat and I had declared my intention on stealing the first disc of the first season of Arrested Development [contains the episode 'Bringing up Buster']. Upon getting in the car to leave I realized that I had forgotten the disc inside. I jump out and run to get the disc, by the time I had leapt from the front porch back to the car I saw Jon driving away. Haha, they got me good. So I sit and wait for them to come back and chat with Andy while he changes into some damn sexy cutoff jean shorts. I wait. And after a little while I think to myself, "maybe they didn't do this on purpose." Half a mile away Lynette turns to the back seat and says, "someone's being awful quiet back ther..." Jon was laughing so hard that he was afraid that he might have an asthma attack. It was seriously one of the funniest moments I've ever experienced.

Despite my adopted Portland parents forgetting me at Uncle Andy's, I have to say that being around the Sanchezes was the best part of my trip. They're good friends, and I often miss them. Not to say that I don't miss Karla, Dave or Andy or anyone else out there, but I miss the community I had with Jon and Lynette. And, on that note, I'm moving to Ames this coming weekend, so bring on more community... I think [I'm nervous]. you have my love.

Red Beard's blues

I'm vacating to Portland in less than two days, I've begun moving some things up to the Wilson house, and I even got a real credit card; basically I've grown two point five inches of life in the past two weeks. I constantly feel like a sauna, only instead of just a towel I'm wearing all of my clothes. Except I did go shirtless at the warehouse today for a bit, but only because it somehow manages to be warmer inside the warehouse than outside in the Augusto weather. I tore out some carpet at a newly purchased house to help some friends. It was refreshingly fun, despite the lack of a cooling mechanism. I asked him to save the front walkway so I could put my sledging skillz to use - little known fact: the sledgehammer is my favorite tool. The fun part about packing for a vacation is picking out my favorite tshirts and deciding which ones make the cut, and which ones don't. I'm strange like that. I am pretty sure I have made the following plans for the fall: attending the Long Grove Apple Fest [and drinking a lot of cider], being a groomsie, running in the Living History Farms cross country race [seven miles, most runners in the States], and not taking a stab at the soybean maze. I also will wonder if Tim Kasher ever got his life back together, but for some reason I will strongly doubt this. And then I will grow up some more and life will be good [gooder]. you have my love.