I just want to move past my years at Bible College. But I can't. Mostly this is my own fault for not telling people to just shut up and grow up when I should have.

I made a trip to Frankfort today for the State Park. That was fun. No tourists, the open road, and classic country on the radio. I was happy.

I think the Woman and I are going on a date night tonight. I don't clock in until 2PM tomorrow, so I can stay out late. This excites me a lot.

I've been getting upset a lot lately. Mainly it's my own problems that I can't just swallow down. *see first statement of this post*

Hey, guess what? I finished Vintage Jesus. One of these days I'll post a review of it. I can say this though: GREAT book. A must read for any Christian.

Now I've started No Angel by Jay Dobyns. I am super excited for that.

Time to eat dinner and shower before my date.

Musings from the Hill

So, I got online to check email, application submissions, etc., and am now fighting the urge to window-shop for a few different things. I know window shopping is harmless, but it normally ends up stressing me out, because I try and finagle my budget to fit an item I really can't afford, then end up upsetting myself. But that is neither here nor there.

I've been reading a book called Vintage Jesus by Mark Driscoll recently. You should check it out. It's a discussion of the different qualities and characteristics of Christ (such as His humanness, the virgin birth, etc), using the Bible and early church fathers and historians as reference. I have really grown (and laughed!) while reading this.

I'm missing the Woman. She came back for two days last week, only to leave again for a wedding in Florida. So now I'm alone until Thursday...but then she is home for the rest of the summer! =)

Just wanted to throw a quick update up. I need to grab some dinner, then do some reading. And then I'll probably end up doing that window shopping after all. Oh well.

This summer...

...has been pretty good.

Two days after graduation the Woman left me to visit her relatives in the Cold White North. After that, I received a phone call saying that the Boy Scout job was a no go for at least a year. However, my old job at the State Park is still open, so I've been working that.

That job has changed since the last summer I worked there. While I was used to a generally 9-5 schedule, things have been shifted around. Because of White Nose Syndrome, we have had to close down three of the caves here at the State Park. This syndrome has proven fatal in 90-100% of bats that it infects, and since State Park houses 65% of the endangered Indiana Brown Bat found in the entire state of Kentucky, we are working very hard to keep WNS out of the state, and more specifically, out of our park. Hence shutting down three caves (which happen to be the three biggest bat hibernacula) to prevent humans bringing the fungus that causes WNS on their clothes. (If you'd like to know more about WNS, or how to help, please refer to the link above, leave a comment, or email me.)

So anyway...back to my work schedule. Because of closing down three of the caves, we have had to find other recreation programs and tours to provide things for the tourists to do. This means a lot of working odd hours, coming in late, and staying even later. For example, today I am working 2:30-8:30, doing a couple of tours but mainly helping out with the tye-dye that is going on this evening.

So I've had all this to keep me busy while the Woman is away. That, combined with finding out my cousin is pregnant, among other family news I'll not broadcast over the internet, I've had a pretty eventful three weeks.

But the biggest event of all comes tomorrow, when my fiance comes home to me!!!

I cannot simply explain my excitement through words on a screen. I cannot wait, and everytime I think about it my insides get jumpy because it makes me so happy to see her again. I'm making her a super-special "I loved you and miss you and never leave me for that long again" banana-cream pie, and I've also gotten her a small present.

And while I do not want her to leave me again, she will. There is a wedding next weekend that her and her family are attending, and throughout the course of our lives together, there will be many things that she goes to that I cannot. But that is ok.

While I have HATED this time we have spent apart, it has been good for us. We have learned how to talk and communicate over the phone; we have learned that we do not have to be in constant text-contact to remain in love. Basically, we have learned how to survive while on a hiatus from one another, and that is a good thing. Distance makes the heart grow fonder...but it also makes the relationship work better.

So this is where I get preachy. For all those young couples out there, if you're in a serious relationship, do yourself some good: spend some time apart. I know a lot of the young couples I knew at Bible College were forced to do this, as they lived many many miles apart for one another. I'm not trying to tell you it will be easy, and I'm not saying it's going to make you ready for marriage. But what I am saying, is that if you approach this time as a chance to learn how to better communicate, and to pray for and love one another even when not in 24/7 contact, you will grow deeper in love. Or you may realize other things about your relationship.

I'm glad that this long distance has solidified my love, and I am so glad to have the Woman in my life. And in just a little over 36 hours, she'll be back in my arms.

Set up for the fall

I need to stop setting myself up to be let down.

Since graduation I have had some pretty down times. I found out the job with the Boy Scouts is a no-go for at least a year. I have also been on the verge of buying a few things (things that would make me happy and I would get more than what I paid for them back out), and have had to back down because of financial issues.

All in all, it's just really frustrating.

And I am tired of whining to the Woman about it so I'm turning to Blogger and whining to the masses of people who read my blog. Or at least that's what I tell myself while I type.

I just want to be in a place where I can buy toys that make me happy. Maybe that's worldly of me, and I'm not trying to advocate the "He who dies with the most toys, wins" lifestyle. I just have a few interests that I would like to satisfy, but I can't do that with little money coming in, and a future beyond this summer being very unsure.

On the upside, I start working at an old job of mine tomorrow. The work at State Park is very fun, and pays quite well, so I guess I just need to keep my chin up and keep on praying.

Thanks for letting me whine.

So, I'm engaged...

Just thought I'd throw that out there.

I realized this morning I hadn't written anything about it, so I decided to. However, Woman has written the whole story out, so I will steal from her:

Actually, no, I'll write it myself.

So Wednesday I took the Woman out to the dock at the lake we first hung out at this summer. She made a joke about how she had decided on that day to never see me again, then we stopped and park. She was amazed by geese (she contemplated chasing them) as I looked at something that was "broken" in my trunk (or so I told her).

I hobbled around the car (I threw my back out Tuesday) with a giant bouquet of white daisies and one red rose (I had these hidden in the trunk). She saw them, grabbed them, smelled them, then started clamoring about how beautiful they were and how sweet I was. Then I fell down to one knee (literally fell, see the first sentence in this paragraph), produced a ring, and said, "Will you marry me?"

And...

She threw the flowers down and started crying/laughing/screaming/hugging me.

After a 20 minute tear/laugh/shriek debacle, she said, "Yes, yes I will marry you."

I was very happy. And still am.

I am quite glad for all the encouragement and congratulations we have received. Thank you to those who know who they are.

That's it, other than school winding down and sleep getting scarce. Later y'all.

On coffee, classes, and catching the big one

Ok, "catching the big one" was just the first thing that came to mind. I enjoy alliteration...sue me.

Anyway...coffee. The Woman bought me a French press and some good coffee as an early birthday present. And it is GLORIOUS! I have always enjoyed coffee, but this...this is so much better. To steal from one of my professors:

"Most of the flavor that you get from coffee comes from volatile oils that the beans contain. The problem with volatile oils is that they're volatile; in other words, they dissolve / evaporate / degrade when they come into contact with heat / air.

This, btw, is why coffee made in a percolator smells so good (all the volatile oils are evaporating into the ether) and tastes so flat ("all the oils go bye bye!")" (from Theophilus Punk, link at bottom of post)

Classes...suck. I just want to be done, be graduated, and be a grown-up...just a few more weeks (39 days from today) and that will happen. Hopefully.

And...that is all I have. Last week was really fun and happy and this week the Woman and I are striving to feel the same. She makes me happy...so spending time with her is my top priority for having a good week.

Theophilus Punk: Caffeine, How I Love Thee!

Wherein I uphold the promise to not dwell on this moment.

The other night the Woman said she wanted to blog about the drama that is going on in life. But then we decided that this too shall pass, and in a year we'll be far ahead in our lives and probably not remembering any of this.

So I have resolved to blog about to good things.

I love the Woman. A lot. She makes me very happy, and she is always there to support me. But I am not afraid to be the one to support her either. Just last night, we talked about things that had us down, about our fears for the present and the future. And as we prayed and went to get off the phone, she said, "Tell me a joke."

So I quickly stammered around to telling her a joke about a zebra dying and going to Heaven. We both laughed, and then talked a little more. Then she asked me to tell her another. I told her a "How many ____ does it take to screw in a light bulb?" joke, and we both laughed again. Then she told me about her aunt who doesn't know how to change a light bulb, but has the entire Dewey Decimal system memorized. I went to bed smiling.

We also spent some time off campus, on a date for St. Patrick's Day. We went to Chilly Willy's and got some pretty delicious Mexican food. Mexican food that still sits pretty heavy in my belly, but I've always considered that a sign of good food. I also quoted a new motto for life: "Nachos are the Jenga of the food world." Look within yourself. You know it is true. (All of these date-related things happened before the nighttime conversation, just to dispose any confusion.)

Today we both have some homework we need to work on, so I think we are either doing a study session in the Library or heading to one of our houses to sit on the deck and work in the sun. We did this a couple of weeks ago, on the really beautiful Saturday we had, and it was a ton of fun. And even though we were there and distracted each other occasionally with music or funny pictures or things related to the upcoming wedding, we got a ton of work done.

Which brought us to the conclusion that being on campus brings us down so much that we couldn't even try to focus on work. Which is why we spend so much time away from campus -- Just like a lot of other people, we've figured out that there is something here that is promoting our laziness.

But back to happiness...I've been sending out some resumes and cover letters, and though I'm not always getting responses (at all, let alone positive ones), I am still excited. I've got a certain vocation picked out currently: Working with the Boy Scouts of America in a mid-level management position. I've applied to be a District Executive in a couple of different places, and I am waiting on an application that will register me with the BSA nationwide.

I'm really qualified for this job (of course I am biased) and it really works well into my organizational style. I am a goal-oriented man, and I really love being able to make a to-do list, and cross it off as I get done. I did that this summer with my internship, I do that currently with my homework...I mean, geez, I do it with what I need to take home on the weekends or over breaks.

Hopefully someone will be intriguied by my resume/cover letter and give me a chance. I'd just like to get into one interview.

The Woman and I have started going to church at Bridges Christian Church in Russell. We really enjoy it. The worship is good, the sermons are nice, and everyone there seems so friendly. Just last week we ran into the senior minister on our way out of church. He stopped us, shook our hands, and said, "I don't think I've been introduced to you two!"

Pretty impressive for a church of 800, if I say so myself.

So we introduced ourselves and I'm pretty sure he thinks we are married. Oh well, it's a simple mistake and if anything dramatic comes of it, we'll clear it up.

But now I have realzied that I'm getting long-winded (or should it be long-texted? Hmmm...) and that I should probably work on some homework. Good day.