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.

One ticket to hell, please.

I just registered for PC. That is Practice Court for those not familiar with Baylor Law and Hell for those that are. I am have been excited about it since I enrolled for law school. But clicking that button to make it real caused me to hesitate ever so slightly. Seriously. I thought for more than a second about not sending the request to be beaten into a better lawyer. But, like I mentioned with E on the bus to camp, sometimes the best thing is scary. The difference is she is out having a blast in the hills and lakes of Missouri while misery is all that awaits me. Ya like that little play on words there, did ya?

Six-Word Memoirs

Hey, ABW, remember when we got on haiku kicks? Well Osler has Haiku Fridays, so I don't need that from you any more. For some reason, this morning, it reminded me of this amazing experiment inspired by Hemingway. I heard about it on my second best source of all my best pop-culture information, Public Radio (Nobody can beat ABW at that game). WARNING. Don't click on the link unless you have at least a quarter-hour to kill.

Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh.

Two posts in one day. Could be the total lack of sleep. Could be all my new nosy readers.
I took E to Dallas at 4 in the morning to get on the bus to camp with a k. She has been excited since Cat started talking to her about it in the womb. At 7, she is one of the youngest to go. her excitement was still in full force when we showed up at North Park Mall with all the other rich, white people to ship her off to THE Christian sports camp (endorsed by james dobson!). I am sleep deprived and any sarcasm is completely based on that. I am actually exstatic that we can afford to send her and that she will have an amazing experience. I know she will grow in so many ways in these 12 days.
Back to the story if there is one. We arrived and signed in. She got on the bus alone. One minute later she slumped off the bus in tears. Excitement and enthusiasm were replaced with fear and insecurity. It lasted about 20 minutes, until she felt really secure with the grandeur of it all. then it was back to the incredible, outgoing, confident girl she is.
Isn't it that way a lot. We think we are ready. We think we want something big. We prepare for the amazing. But it doesn't meet expectations. It is bigger, scarier, different. Instincts tell us to run to comfort. And it isn't a bad thing to hesitate - just so long as we eventually get back on the bus and let it take us to bigger things.