Claudia and Duffy

Late-night tooth scum

Mmmmmm.

And thus begins my day off!

It's been a good past couple of weeks. I really like my job, even when I'm groaning because I have to get up and go yell at people for being noisy at one in the morning, or explain to someone that they have to follow the rule that was made for the benefit of the many even though it inconveniences the one, or feel the pain of people in tragic family circumstances, or scrub paint on the cement in front of the building for hours because of someone's careless spilling.

Although that last one was cool, too, because I saw many students (including new freshmen) who didn't have to be there scrubbing away (for 4-5 hours on some of their parts) and having a good time together, even though it didn't seem like they were getting much of anywhere. It was the coolest sight I've seen for a while. They put on some old DCTalk and everyone was howling away to it as they scrubbed and picked at that infernal paint.

And I have really enjoyed praying with people.

It's been a little hard to get used to living alone, although I love all the room in my apartment. I've never had room to put all my stuff away before, or the opportunity to easily live without surfaces being completely cluttered all the time. It's a beautiful thing. And while I like having free reign in decorating and housekeeping and kitchen-wrangling, I do miss brushing my teeth with friends.

Oh, you know what really weirded me out the other day? Convocation. I was sitting with 5th North in their corner as is my wont, but when we got to the responsive-reading part of the ceremonies, I had to read the faculty/staff part instead of the student part. Very, very sobering. It made me laugh.

Anyway, I'm off to bed, to sleep for eight straight hours, then get up and go shopping for some blue jeans (all 3 of my old ones - bought three summers ago - are wearing out all together and have been transformed into shorts and skirts and bellbottoms.) Pending finding them early in the day, I will also go hang out at some book shops, blissfully by myself, and then meet with Bob from Aflack, who will sell me some cancer insurance. Then, tomorrow night, my mom and brother are coming to stay for a few days, bringing me a piano and a good-sized Lego collection. Huzzah, huzzah!

Escher and Legos

This guy must be creating extra time with his powerful brain in order to do all these things.

There are a whole lot of other weird and cool things on the site, including more Escher, Rodin's famous sculpture "The Thinker," and some models of mathematical solids like Catalan's minimal surfaces, Moebius strips, and a trefoil knot. Yup.

Church Billboards and a note to LinnyBob

I have nothing else to say about this.

Oh, and by the way, Linnea, please rebuild your blog. I can't see a blasted thing on it.

A Corn Flake and a Pack of Marlboros

The above being a quote from an editorial that made my day, about this 25-year-old Russian gymnast who was really angry about winning the silver medal and whining about it.

The editorial is kind of mean. But it made me laugh. I believe everything that man just said, because it is exactly what I wanted to hear. Excerpt below.

The other thing that made me laugh today was seeing a Kerry/Edwards picket sign up in front of Founders Hall, and an hour later seeing it by the trash can.

And yet another thing that made me laugh today was seeing Scott Raymond in a Cat-In-The-Hat suit in front of all the freshmen. The freshmen, whose darn names I am desperately trying to remember as I meet them repeatedly.

Fourth thing that made me laugh - AnnaLauren has come to visit! And that is happy. Goodbye - I go to a better place - my apartment, and the presence of an old friend.

And now for your promised excerpt.

"The lack of lower-body weight makes her great on her specialty, the uneven bars. But on the floor and the balance beam, she relies on sinuous arm waving and haughty poses to convey her message to the judges, which is, “Make me champion, you fat-bottomed, tiny-brained eaters of snails.” "
HAHAHAHHAAAA

At night, the ice weasels come

I'm suffering separation anxiety from my old bed, which, although inferior to my new one, knew the kinks of my body. Hannah cracked my back for me tonight; it groaned and complained about it, not truly grateful for the experience that relieved the rest of my bodily tensions, but it got over its annoyance and I'm loathe to go get it knotted up again.

The uncommon moments in life are those when we are not retrospective or looking forward, but being intensely aware of each moment as it occurs, one after another, mathematical points that cannot be held in the consciousness because they would instantly become memories. It is a wonderful - or horrible - and oddly rare experience.

I am amazed by the regenerative abilities of the roof of my mouth. I burn it - one week on fresh-from-the-fryer popcorn shrimp, one week on tea - and by the end of the day the cells are beginning to slough off. The next morning the good pain of healing tempts my tongue to prod my hard palate, a niggling attraction that lasts all day. That second night, I brush my teeth wincing, as the new skin protests the bumps and scratches to its still-present dead outer layer. But a few short hours later, only a spot or two remains sore, and drinking red grapefruit juice is a pleasure like kneading an overused muscle.

How lovely that we are physical, too.

How strangely reassuring that the moon outside has not changed very much in two thousand years. Jesus saw with his eyes what I see with mine, from another spot on this very same planet. I wonder which disciple was the last one to fall asleep at night, who lay on his back tracing the shadowed dimples of the moon, who listened attentively to the nerve cells in his shoulders and hips describing in detail each small root and pebble pressing into them but lay still rather than shift in search of a more comfortable position.

It is good.
'Night.

They Hired Me

Where "they" means "Covenant College" and "me" equals "the new Resident Director of Maclellan/Rymer Hall." Which leads me to quote at length one of my favorite old Joe Walsh (of the Eagles fame) song -

I have a mansion
Forget the price
Ain't never been there
They tell me it's nice
I live in hotels
Tear out the walls
I have accountants
Pay for it all

They say I'm lazy but it takes all my time
(Everybody sing) Oh yeah (Oh yeah)
I keep on going guess I'll never know why
Life's been good to me so far