Effects of being left to my own devices

I am too busy now to be lonely. That is a good thing. But I am also busy enough to use that as an excuse not to shave. I have only been shaving once a week since Cat moved, usually the day before or the day I leave to see her. But it is now 11 days and counting. At what point does a man become furry, as in covered in fur, a woodland creature if you will. I mean, at some point the neck hair will merge with the chest hair. At this point there is only about half an inch keeping me in this particular genus specie.
pic added for cache (if you know what i mean)

Lonely

I don't know that I have ever really been lonely. But this weekend, I think that is the best description of how I feel. I used to relish time to hang out with myself. But I am really missing my girls this weekend. I have studied a little, but spent way too much time just being sully and lonely. I guess it's just another sign that I am a different person than 10 years ago.
Don't get me wrong. I am not sad that I am lonely. I am actually happy about it. But I am not happy. I am lonely. That makes no sense. But it is true. I am so glad that my family is a huge part of my life. And I know Cat misses me a ton, too. The little ladies are too busy being little girls, riding bicycles and swimming, to miss me. So anyhow. It is a lonely, quite night in Waco. And did I mention it's raining?

Keep your hands inside the ride

Dateline Branson. Silver Dollar City. Lost River Ride.
So cat, carebear and ev, the levparents and myself were enjoying the wetness of this tube ride at the strangest themepark on the planet that happens to be in the strangest tourist town on the planet. Seriously. That place is odd. I had heard of three of the "performers" that headline the over three thousand theaters there. And I though all three of them were dead. I mean like really really dead. So there we were on the raft ride and I wasn't getting very wet. Ant this made me happy because I had an 8 hour drive back to Waco. But I was more happy due to the fact that everyone else was getting really wet - because this ride, like every single thing ever in the history of ever, is a competition. And I was going to win. I am a winner. So, when we rounded the fabricated rocks toward another dip in the white waters, I reached out to turn the vessel to keep my in the "dry zone." The boat was heavier, the rapids were stronger and the fake rock was jaggedier than I predicted. I ripped a nice gash in my wrist. But I kept the raft on the right track and stayed dry. I win.

Did I fail to mention the last words of Laura Ingalls as she loaded us into the contraption?

I hope to have one every day.

We picked up E from camp with a k on Monday. I don't really want to go into all my impressions of campwithak. I may or may not do that later. She had a blast. She was immediately talking about wanting to stay for a full month next year. She won an award for being the hardest worker in tennis, her area of concentration. She also informed me that she had accepted Christ into her heart. I have very mixed emotions about this. On one level I am extremely happy that she is understanding more about the relational nature of Christianity. (side note: one kid had on a shirt that read "it's against my relationship to have a religion." i want that shirt.) On the other hand, I am not sure of the evangelical understanding of conversion. My favorite quote on this comes from Rich Mullins. When asked when he had his salvation experience, he replied, (paraphrased) "I hope to have one every day." A daily commitment. That is what I strive and fall way short of on many days in all my relationships. Without it, my marriage is susceptible. I am not as good a father as I could be. I don't study as well as I should. I forget to call old friends or spend time with those around me. My idea of commitment and understanding of God is so different now than when I first learned of who God is and what Christ means in relation to us. When I used to 'preach', I used to say that being a Christian is giving as much as you know of you to as much as you know about God.