End of September

     This has been a really long month, it seems like. Like, it's just dragged on for eons.

     About halfway through with my four-week classes and can get back to focusing on biology and learning Photoshop. (Side note; taking two online four-week classes at the same time is kinda exhausting.)

     Mom's been taking care of Nano a lot recently, who's gone downhill fast. It's hard being 93 and dying slowly. It's also hard dying young of cancer, like Mimi.
     Courtney's been taking care of Amy pretty often, so that's good. When I haven't been focused on school been trying to keep the laundry running, dishes done, litter box clean and trash taken out so those things don't have to be worried about as much. Banjo and Captain skate around on the wood floor most of the day roughhousing, and Rags glares at them evilly for existing. Kinda fun to watch, and they're enjoying it.
     Coyotes are still out there...somewhere....which is creepy and unsettling.

     Texted Stephen this afternoon to make sure things around the office were going all right; he said they were passing time by trying to stay out of trouble, which we knew is easier said than done. Justin's spent time in the hospital for an irregular heartbeat, which might have been similar to what Jed has. Bob's been in the hospital, too, and so has Deb. Susan stepped down from SWAT leadership, so now that's headed by Jacob; they had their first show Monday night during Impact. Elizabeth's ministry seems to be going well, and so does Bucky's Greek outreach; and the worship team's been traveling around to different places like SWAT does. Hoping to visit everybody sometime soon, if possible.

     Jon was talking with somebody about comment chains and memories associated with them, which fit nicely with something I've been pondering the last few days. As time passes and new experiences are undertaken, we shift different roles, it's like a series of temporary lifespans as we play certain characters. And then gradually, for the most part, we slide from one role to a different role, and then it keeps going and you stop and wonder, "What exactly would this situation be like if it was a year ago? Two years ago? Three? Five? How would I have reacted to, handled and interpreted it? And if X, then how would that have affected everything?" Probably part of this questioning is just my nature as a storyteller, examining potential character/story ideas. And another part would be that it's September; which is full of time-linked dates; 9/11, Mimi's birthday, and high school football and softball, for example, and the first wave of tests and projects for the fall semester.

     Caleb,Trevor, Courtney and I marathoned (almost, editing over various bits) the entire first season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. over the past week, and the first episode of the new season was Tuesday night. It was very much Wesley-approved. Iain De Caesticker's acting as Fitz....it was amazing. And wonderfully-written. And there were a ton of new storylines to follow, and everybody's almost new characters due to being in a completely different situation(see? There it pops up again!), so it's almost like we as audience get to meet them all over again, but yet know their backstory and what all led up to this point in their history. And we have totally new characters joining the cast, so....

     It's been a nice break from studying my coursework. Politics isn't exactly the most enthralling subject; in fact, it's more of a look at human sinful nature, with windows into history, psychology and literature. Jessica's been helpful in explaining basic biological process like the structure of proteins.

     The Okmulgee library book sale was (I think?) last week, the days blend together until you're not sure when something for sure happened. We only picked up about fifty books, most of them from Louis L'Amour and Agatha Christie. Also some of Keats' poetry and Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. So it was a pretty decent haul.

     Spiritually, it's been a little tough sometimes here recently. Kind of a "survive today, then do it again tomorrow" mindset. Saturating in 2 Corinthians this month, there are some very good verses in there. Verses that have stuck in my head are 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 and Philippians 4:6-7.
     Missed most of the GBC missions conference this year, but it sounded like it went well.

     Not really sure still on what's going to happen school-wise, but I think I'm probably going to stduy English. Going to explore around the RSU campus next week

September is Here

     It's September. High school softball is ending and high school football is beginning. The NFL is beginning the journey towards another Super Bowl and college football is starting a new era with a four-team playoff to decide their champion. That also means that we're coming to the first wave of tests of the semester. 

     It seems like the days drag on forever, the weeks skip by quickly, the months are in slow motion, and the year itself somewhere between "It's already (month)?!" and "Well, huh....it's that time again." (Rabbit trail about the weirdness of time over now.) 

     There's been a lot going on in the world that needs prayer. It's been kind of a long week, but not much has happened. The DeSpains came over after church this afternoon, there was a kind of book-discussion and we played volleyball(they won in three sets). 

     Biology is coming along, I have an 86 at the moment, which I'm not too happy with, but there's still a lot of the semester to go. And I'm trying as hard as I can in that, so we'll see what happens by December. Government and Word start next Monday, and then when those end I turn right around and start Photoshop. 

     Still no clear ideas about what to do next in spring and next year. I think with the MassComm classes I've already taken I might could just make that a minor and be done with that part, if I didn't keep that as my major. And I'd have at least nine hours of English down already if I went down that route. Think I've looked at the website of nearly every school in eastern Oklahoma, western Arkansas, southeast Kansas and southwest Missouri. 
     The current options and rough estimates of odds look like this: "Return to NSU"(possible), "Stay home and keep doing online through somewhere for one more semester"(more unlikely, but possible), "Go south to Ada at East Central"(maybe?), "Go north to Claremore at Rogers State"(maybe? Considered going there originally), "Go west to Edmond at UCO"(not likely, but could happen), "Go to Joplin at Missouri Southern"(longshot) and "Go to Springfield at Drury"(extreme longshot). Kind of interesting, though not important at all - besides NSU's RiverHawks and UCO's Bronchos, all those those other schools' mascots are feline in nature(Drury's Panthers, ECU's Tigers, RSU's Hillcats and MSSU's Lions).   

     About halfway through Jan Karon's new book, which is good. Not quite as good as most of the others, but still very gripping and character-driven. (But then again, it's new. I haven't even finished the first reading, much less the sixth, as necessary to really get into everything.) But it's great to be back in Mitford and see everybody again.