And my bubble will be here in the morning

Hello friends! I hope you are having a terrific, restful day today. I’ve been so busy this week with work and hanging out with friends that I haven’t made the time for rest. It is such an important, overlooked part of life. It is especially important in living the Christian life because it is when we are most fatigued and most weary that we become most vulnerable to sin. I’ve rested a lot today, and I don’t regret any bit of it. My guitar and I finally had some good times together (as I wrote that I picked it up again and played for half and hour).

Yesterday was officially JOP 4. While the meaning of the letters JOP are reserved to the knowledge of official JOP members only, I can tell you that it is a gathering of some sweet people who became super good friends at the end of their senior year last night (some might admit, unexpectedly). We were originally going to go to Toronto for a sweet road trip, but some parental issues and probably planning issues were a bit in question, so we settled ultimately on my backyard (very close to Toronto). All in all, it was a really cool time. We (Roland, Erica, Rebecca, myself) went out to TGI Fridays first and had an exquisite meal as I had to step out every so often to call a leader in the youth group to make sure things were still on for the night. As the lesson-planner originally scheduled for the night backed out, I stepped in and filled the lesson-presenting vacancy, unfortunately on the day I had set aside two weeks ago for the JOP. Regardless, the meal was fantastic and Roland and I had a good (nerdy) time making our tips out so that our total credit bill would be on a whole dollar while Erica reluctantly defended herself and her pseudo-lover (not really). I had called her the night before to iron out a few details for the day, and she said at 10:00 that she was actually on her way out the door and didn’t tell me where she was going. Hence, I dubbed her hously departure a Booty Call and demanded details at dinner. It was what I guessed it was, a reunion encounter with a kid that lives on her street. Not as shady as I thought. I guess beforehand we went to see Superman Returns. If you’re sitting at the computer now with wallet/purse/money clip/cash money yeah yeah yeah/Hamilton in your hand ready to go deposit it into the bank of your local movie theater to see the 157 minute show, don’t. I can’t say that I would pay to see it again. They should call the movie Lois Lane Has Issues because the film revolves around her, rather than the too-super, characterless Superman. The previews that center around the action scenes showcase about all you’ll want to see in the movie. No real fight scenes to speak of, alas. Before the movie, Roland, Erica and I went to Sheetz to buy stuff to smuggle into the theater. We spent entirely too much time there, but the most memorable part was Erica ushering me back arm-in-arm to the back of the store just to show me that there was a refrigerator door with the name Tyler on it. She busted out laughing, knowing that there isn’t any real legitimate reaction to expect from seeing such a door, and she commenced to say that my parents named me after a door that hadn’t existed yet 19 years ago in Allentown, PA. After the movie and dinner, I went to youth group while the rest of the crew went home to relax and medicate themselves (quite literally, for everyone seemed to have a headache). We rejoined at my house, where we had a quaint little campfire started purely off of gasoline, motor oil, charcoal starter fluid, ink-saturated pieces of newspaper, sloppy joe grease, oh, and a lighter. After three wicked tumors and a hole in the ozone, we had a nice time around the campfire, where I brought up my language ideas again and still found too much opposition. After the usual campfire stuff, Rebecca left because of her illness (probably from too much Roland…or toxic fumes) leaving the Three Musketeers behind for the night. We played a few games of pool, then relaxed for a bit in the hottub before swimming in the pool. It was here that we concocted a series of ridiculous races and competitions, with me (naturally) being the overall champion of the world (for there were three countries represented between us). After we battled a million bugs at the doorway back into the house and resumed our posts in the basement, Erica knocked herself out, leaving Roland and me to play FIFA world cup all night (from 4-6 am). It was quite extraordinary. All in all, a good night, and now I’m friendless (or so it seems) for 2 weeks as Roland is gone to Korea for the summer and Erica departs for Ireland and other random European spots for 2 weeks. Sigh.

I didn’t mean for that to be that long, because I wanted to say something a little more amusing and worth reading outside the four people involved in the JOP. My parents received new cards from our health insurance providers today, only to discover that they neglected to include one for me. Befuddled, my mom called the money-guzzling company and inquired about the missing health card. They told her quite bluntly that I am not insured. Once I had turned 19 and entered college, apparently my parents were supposed to fill out some form to include me in the plan (which they had), but the company didn’t process it, leaving me uninsured since my birthday in November. Thankfully I haven’t died or broken any limbs! My parents, always psychoticly cautious, then informed me that I am not to be injured until July 1, the date I become insured again. They didn’t want me to drive. They didn’t want me doing any sort of physical activity that I could get injured. Regardless, they let me drive tonight to Barnes and Noble to renew my membership and buy a Neil Postman book, The Disappearance of Childhood. The funniest part though was that I had to tag along with my dad and my sister to drop her off at a friends house for the night so that I could pick up my car from the garage (don’t get me started on my car). My sister has her permit, so she usually drives in these sorts of situations. Once my dad realized that I was in the back seat, he ordered my sister out of the driver’s seat so that he could drive and keep me safe. Once on the road, my dad sarcastically barked, “Is your seat belt on tight.” I nodded and quipped, “And my bubble will be here in the morning.” All in all, good family time. But I really can’t afford to die until Saturday. After that, I might drive on the left-hand side of the road or see if swallowing dishwasher detergent really is harmful. I’m not too concerned though. Quite frankly, I always have my health and life insurance with me at all times, and that is Christ, for if I am injured, he is with me, and if I die, I am with him.

I’ve been missing school a lot lately. I can’t wait to go back in the fall. I can’t wait to see all of my friends and get back to the routine of studying. Year one of the “best years of my life” was amazing; I expect year two to be all the more amazing.

For the record, this is my second consecutive entry written before midnight (accepts applause). Have a great day everyone, and God bless.

Later Days!

Update

I didn't want to leave the world wondering what I'm doing with all my time - or frankly, the lack of it - so this will be an uncharacteristically short post.

I spend time doing the following things, and this is a pathetically comprehensive list:

1. Work: My jobs own me. When I'm there, it's not that bad, but it's just the times that I work that makes it bad. For example, I could work four days in a row alternating 5-6 hour day/night shifts, and then work 8-hour shifts on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from, say, 12-8. It's horrible because I don't have a consistent time to plan on doing anything else and it's hard for people to contact me if they so desire. The work is okay, I just need some stability.
2. Sleep: Whether sleep or work has consumed more time is a tossup, but days that I don't work until the afternoon, good luck seeing me conscious before noon. Mmm, sleep.
3. Reading/Writing: I've read some Wendell Berry and G.K. Chesterton this summer so far, and it has been uber-sweet. I've always been a fan of writing (as I hope these entries can prove) and thus have been writing a few essays and thoughts down with the intent of eventually making them a little more concrete and understandable. For example, the last entry with those two short essays are examples of things I've been doing. I'm writing an extended piece called On Christians and Atheists at the moment. It has been a pretty rewarding experience just to think about the utter basics of the world and everything in it. I originally was going to transcribe the essays onto this site tonight, but I work tomorrow morning and have to sleep very soon. Anyway, I hope the essays will be thought-provoking at the least, and perhaps God can show me things I never would have thought of as I continue to ponder the basics of life, the Christian, and the atheistic or agnostic mind.
4. Random adventures with JOPers:For those of you who don't know, JOPers are some amazing friends from high school in the journalism program that really bonded towards the end of last school year and last summer. We've been like peas and carrots this summer, hanging out sometimes 3-4 times a week, but recently has tapered off to a time or two per week, given hectic work schedules and Erica hanging out with a person not to be named (that's actually not a legit reason, but I want to poke fun at her, you see).
5. CALLNET: Like the name or not, its my only link (outside Facebook) that I've had with Grovers, and I have really enjoyed it. Perhaps I shall outline my reasons for not using AIM anymore in a later essay, but it has really been great to hear people's voices and to hear them laugh and get excited when telling me about their lives so far this summer. If there are any CALLNETers out there, keep it up! We still have two months to go!
6. World Cup: I'm not much of a soccer fan, but when it comes to the World Cup, I LOVE IT. I watch way too much of it when I should be sleeping. Enough said.

As sad as that is, that's a pretty exclusive list of the things I've been doing. Next week, some JOPers are hopefully going on an overnight camping trip somewhere to hang and gell like fellons with melons.

If you get the chance, pray for me. I'm going through some hard times now that I'd rather not discuss here, but pray that I can find my joy in Christ and not the world. I've started to dig a hole and I think I'm at the point where I realize only God can pull me out. I would appreciate it.

Later Days!