Friday, January 13, 2006

Yesterday.

8:00 a.m.- wake up after late night at the House, stare blankly at self in mirror for 10 minutes, shower, shave around beard, find some clothes to wear, go to work

9:00 a.m. - get to the office, write stories, dump photos to hard drive, explain to several people why I wasn't at _________ game/match the other day, try to get out of office before someone gives me something else new to do

2:00 p.m. - head to in-school basketball game, take photos and notes, say "yes" to a couple of "favors", listen to hundreds of screaming kids for 90 minutes, gain a new appreciation for Kati's job...realize I could never be a middle school teacher

3:30 p.m. - drop by Kati's classroom for a few minutes of short rest

4:00 p.m. - get home and plan Rhea House meeting later that night and eat late lunch

4:30 p.m. - write RA review for first semester due by Friday

5:00p.m. - spend time with guys in the house

5:30 p.m. - leave for wrestling matches, see several friends I'd like to spend relaxing time with, see several other people I'd rather not see because they want things from me, take pictures and notes, leave an hour later than I originally expected

9:00 p.m. - drop Kati off and head to Dan and Rachel's to see Jason and Amanda

10:00 p.m. - head home to clean apartment for meeting, talk to friends coming in for the weekend. Try to coordinate meeting places, times. Sort of clean apartment

10:30 p.m.- house meeting (goes well), only three rambling moments (good for this group)

11:10 p.m.- end meeting, think about having dinner

11:15 p.m.- eat late

11:20 p.m.- feel like crap for eating late, stare blankly at tv screen for an hour

12:20 a.m.- head to bed

One of the only regrets I have about my busy schedule is that my personal relationships with friends have fallen on the backburner. I can't stand to talk on the phone longer than 10 minutes it seems, because it takes too much brain power. I relish opportunities to be at home, because I'm not there much and I want to see the guys. Jason and Amanda Erickson have been in town since Monday, and I've seen them a grand total of an hour. Mitch and Jenny Hoskins have been in town for nearly two weeks...I've seen them twice. I haven't had any time with Davio in over a month. Matt Snead has been in the states for a month and I'll just see him this weekend before he heads back to China. I won't see his wife or kid at all. And the best times with God seem to often correlate with the worst moments of struggle.

I very much enjoy the student life side of my life. I just can't help but imagine how much easier it would be to have it as my only job. Hopefully, that will happen next fall. How does one manage to find contentment amidst organized chaos? I can't deny I've thought about quitting at the paper and getting by with a part-time paycheck for a while, but then I start to think that that's not a very responsible thought, given that the Lord has put me in both positions for a purpose.

Three cheers for not working one moment this weekend, spending time with longtime, faraway friends and rediscovering the contours of my leather recliner while watching the playoffs.