Contemplation

I think it's possible that my life runs in thirteen-year-cycles. At present I am 26 years old, that would put me on the threshold between the end of one cycle and the beginning of the next. As we all know, it can be a bit frightening to come to an end. What is the conclusion? Is there any net gain? What did I learn? Is it tax deductible?

I’m wondering how I measure up. Hindsight shows that from the age of 13 to 26 I've found a variety of ways to entertain myself. I’ve spent many of those years in school. I’ve eaten many strange and delicious things. I was an art instructor at OSU for a couple of years. The next year, I dressed “office casual” and worked a crap job scanning documents for a mortgage company. Those were the high and low points of my career, respectively. On the homefront, I’ve been married for two years, and I rededicated my life to Christ less than a year ago. All-in-all, I'm certain this cycle ends on a good note.

I'm sure that more interesting things happened, but there will be another time for musing about the past. For now, it’s time to focus on the next cycle of my life. There’s a lot I’d like to get done between now and 2021.

The Jungles of Central Ohio

With gas prices being what they are, I've taken to walking everywhere. It's good exercise, but there is a drawback. Jungles have grown up all over the city, overtaking the areas where people no longer bother to live outside their houses. To make the reality more grim, these places now teem with dangerous creatures that has been mutated by the city's pollution. Indeed, Columbus is being slowly reabsorbed into the Wild.

Me and my cat, Cocoa, battled mutant crocodiles on the way to the grocery store last night. It was rough-going most of the way, but I was happy when we finally emerged from the deathswamps unscathed, albeit covered in ichor and leeches.

At the store, I bought some M&M's for the cat. She has this trick where she balances them on her nose one at a time and then eats them as soon as you look away. For myself, I bought some superglue, because I ran out of it last night while building a model tank.

After finding our way home again, we lean our croc-bashing clubs against the door and spend a few minutes picking the leeches off of each other. The rest of the evening is spent relaxing on the porch with my wife, listening to the sounds of the jungle.

Adventure, Ho!

Looks like the future is decided. Our course is now set and there's no going back. I'm sure it'll be a good ride. We're staying in Ohio- it's agricultural and terrific!

On another note, I've been conscripted to pound our household into some semblance of "clean" today. A bunch of us are giving blood tomorrow and I am supposed to tidy up so that we can recover in comfort. Plus it's always a bonus when the wife comes home, looks around, and says, "Mmm, satisfactorily sanitary conditions, my husband. Would you like a sandwich?" To which, I never fail to reply, "Why, yes, my darling damsel. I will consume this delicate deli morsel." None of which is true, by the way.

The Stagnation Lie That We Thought Up One Day

I'm done hemming and hawing on the topic of personal stagnation. I voiced it out loud today just to hear it filtered through my ears. (as this debate has been more internal than anything else) And it's crap. And I'm a crazy person for ever letting myself dwell on it. End of story.

Well, technically, "end of chapter" would be a more appropriate phrase here, as there are new challenges ahead. Vast clouds sail toward the horizon, and I dare myself to race them.

I look around the studio today and realize I've never actually stopped making artwork. Yes, the context has shifted, and you won't find much more substance than "Ooooh, pretty," but I thank the Lord for hot glue and sheet styrene because I'm doing what I've always wanted to do. I  thank the Lord for all the people in my life who push me forward. We're there for each other, and we love what we do.

Consequently, I'd like to thank the Lord for the gardening shears I use on a daily basis that simply refuse to break.

A User's Guide to Eater of Small Things

For some reason I didn't actually go to bed last night until 3:30 A.M. This presented a problem as I had to be at work this morning at 7 A.M. In that regard, I'm a bit "off" today, so what better opportunity to record the moment for posterity? Diagnostic check as follows:

Brain - Motor Functions: bleary, sluggish, unresponsive

Brain - Emotional Cortex: nullified, brooding; feels like I may have turned into: Large Carrion-Eater ( see California Condor.)

Motivation Sensors: seems to be covered in thin layer of dust

Digestive System: sporadic malfunctions (see carrion-eater, above)

Regressive / Progressive

Today marks another morning on the meandering path. Worth noting is that we managed to pull something out of my eye last night. It was huge, spanning the size of galaxies in some dimensions. In the here and now, it was only the size of a mote. Thank God that's over.

Weather conditions: favorable. But I'm not sure where we're going this time. Near or far? If we move back to Athens I will feel less of a need to jettison all of my belongings. I'll see my folks more.

Texas? Mystery! Excitement! Dust storms... hmm. Dust motes?

Mote.