"Ya'll Ain't From Around Here, Are Ya?"

It doesn't rain much in West Texas so when it does water just sits everywhere. The city officials here don't believe in sewers and water doesn't absorb well into clay and rock. So it doesn't take much to flood the corner of Erkskin and Franford just down the road from my house. Just an inch or two of rain or about block of sprinkler systems is enough. Everytime the "public pool" is open I am tempted to give it the gas as I take the corner in my little S10. And everytime I am tempted I usually give in...although I've learned to roll up my window. Its the same thrill I used to get when I'd stomp in a mud puddle while walking next to my mom or sister...except the people sitting at the corner in thier cars are strangers and they don't punch me or ground me, although I've gotten a few honks. I love it when they have to use their windshield wipers.

I think people here are afraid of rain. They all sit around the weather channel and don't leave their houses. They are too used to the sun. So we got a lot of questions from the nieghbors the other night when we laid sod in my unlce's backyard during a rain shower ("Ya'lll ain't from around here, are ya?"). You get used to rain in Ohio and once in awhile out here you miss it. So we took advantage of it, planted some grass, and made mud angels (brought back memories of "Indiana surfing" [riding a piece of wood in the mud] after the H20 Hodson water fight last August...). We added to our reputation as the "crazy folks from Ohio" when we hosed off in the driveway and when I stripped down to my boxers and ran in the house.

Its been awhile since my last blog so here's a little update: Still out here in Lubbock, "held captive by the big blue sky above" (as Shawn Mullins says...speaking of sky, did anyone catch the meteor showers the other night? they were amazing out here. i laid on my back on top of a van out in the middle of nowhere...it was a show). Still working at the Furniture Connection (peed my pants the other day while on the job...well kinda, actually my belt just got in the way. kinda like putting your hand in front of a hose, [I'm fighting back the urge to write "a really big hose in my case" but kids. old people, or Baptists might be reading this so I won't]...everything gets wet. So I did a little clean up, bent over the sink and laughed my head off, waited till there where no customers, snuck out the back to my truck, and drove home to change) and just started UPS. I'm interviewing at First United Methodist Church in Canyon, Texas for a worship leader position...beautiful people with an understanding of community and a philosophy of ministry focused on relationships. I think I change my mind about the future every few days or so. Couple weeks ago I was sure I wanted to pursue an education degree. Today...seminary sounds good and I just saw a Texas Tech adverstisement at Mountain Hideaway (a store where I go to dream about hiking) for "majoring in nature" a new natural history and humanities degree they are offering combining the natural sciences, the arts, and philosophy. Some indecisive person like me came up with that. So we'll see what happens. Right now I'm just learning to be content, seeking grace to love the people around me, and looking for some new friends (my little cousins just went back to school).

I've been reading a lot of Brian McLaren's stuff lately (hope to blog on some of his ideas soon) and still have In Between Dreams (Jack Johnson) in my CD player. In two days I'm headed for Joliet, Ill. for Jared and Becky's "allstar" wedding. There's gonna be a ton of IWU folks there. I can't wait. I don't think I'll be able to sleep the night before (actually I won't...I'll be driving all night). After the party I'm going to Ohio for a day to see my parents, then back to West Texas ,where the cotten will be blooming soon. I've heard it looks like fields of snow.