The conversation went like this:
Her: Hey, how was work?
Me: Not so bad today. I actually had some stuff to do. You?
Her: Good. Busy. Wait, are you cleaning again?
Me: No, of course not, I'm only folding this blanket...
Her: And you put the dishes away, probably have already vacuumed and cleaned the bathroom too?
Me: Well, ok... maybe I did a few of those things...

A new self-realization: When something is bothering me, I clean. (Or run, but that's sorta a given that's more or less built into the daily schedule.) And I don't mean the bimonthly vaccuum-the-floor type stuff. This is more like clean-the-entire-apartment-as-fast-as-I-can. Since when have I ever done that? Now don't get me wrong, I like things to BE clean, but I'm not really a fan of engaging in the process to get to that point. I mean, it's just going to get dirty all over again. Like why make your bed every morning? Sure it looks nicer, but who's going to see it? You're just going to crawl right back into it the next night, right? (Oops, Mom is probably reading this...) But as of late, I feel pretty confident that our floor is clean enough to eat off of. Dirty dishes stay in the sink no longer than the time it takes to eat dinner, if that. And likely, if something goes MIA in the apartment, just ask me where I stashed it when straightening things up.

Seems sorta silly, I know, but don't we all do things like that? Don't we all find a way to escape our emotions, to avoid dealing with issues, to drown out the little demons that keep surfacing? Or maybe it's a big demon, something that won't seem to go away no matter how hard you try to push it to the back of your mind. And so we dive. We dive as deep as we can, into whatever we can, for as long as we can in an attempt to preserve our sanity. And it works. Temporarily. But then when we lay down to sleep at night, there's that realization that some things don't just magically disappear or disintegrate no matter how much we'd like them to.

The answer? Well, considering the fact that sweeping the floor is on my to-do list, I offer no solution.

But I was thinking... Maybe we could ask someone else to help us clean. Maybe we could share our burdens over a dustpan, even if it is just bits and pieces and a whole lot of trash. And just maybe, we might sleep a little better at night.

This post is in honor of Rachel, because I told her I would entitle it as such after our crazy Saturday morning. Yesterday was the White Rock "Too Hot to Handle" 5K and 15K runs. Now Run On usually puts on really good races, but I must say, some things could've gone a bit smoother. Some tips for future reference...

* Cap that race. (1800 people is really too many to cram on a running path all at once.)
* Parking. (We off-roaded in some random field.)
* Mark the start and finish lines in an area other than on the road in which said 1800 people are standing. It's sorta important to know where those spots are.
* Stagger start that race! If you're gonna walk the entire way, start in the back! (No one should have to spend the entire first mile dodging people sideways.)
* And finally, if you're gonna have 6 chip mats, at least get them accurately working... (I lost count of the number of people who were saying their times were off significantly from what they clocked. Mine? 1:20 off of what I clocked on my GPS. Hmmm.....)

However, we were offered beer and bananas afterwards. In fact, the beer was available before we even got to the water area! Thank goodnes... that's what I was craving in the 80 degree heat! ;)

But in the end? The course itself was fantastic, and I met my "under 25 before turning 25" goal. Not too bad.

I love rain. I love how the clouds build and build, sometimes seemingly out of nowhere, thunder shakes the ground, and lightning knocks the power out.(Heaven forbid we have to go without electricity for awhile in our "get-it-done yesterday" pace of living.) It's funny the perspective people have on rain in various places. To most city residents rain is merely an inconvenience and cause for a longer commute to and from work. Back home, it's prayed for daily, for the crops and the ground and it's dust-settling capabilities. In other places around the world, it's unheard of entirely. Or unwanted due to extreme water overdoses. But me, I love the rain.

Rain is clean. Rain smells fantastic. Rain is soothing. Rain washes my car. Rain has a way of slowing things down. Or maybe just slowing me down. Rain sounds really cool on a tin roof. Rain is renewing. Rain is one of those few things in life that reaches every one of your senses. Rain provides the best curl-up-with-a-book in the hammock weather. Rain is healing. Rain has a way of washing all the crap away in life, even if just for a short time.

I can only think of a few times in life when rain has come at a completely undesirable time. Once was coming down a mountain in the Pecos on a half-crazed skittish horse, holding on for dear life. I'm sure the bright yellow rain slicker probably didn't help matters. Then there was the lightning/rain storm that hit as we ran off the top of Wheeler Peak. Yes, RAN, because Dad was wearing an aluminum-framed backpack. That was a bit scary. There was also the summer at COTH that it rained every Thursday night, though I'm still convinced that was a sign from above! And I'll allow for a time or two that I can't think of off the top of my head.

On Tuesday I got to run in the rain. And it was wonderful. The temperature cooled off to about 80-85 degrees. Most other people out and about fled to the nearest indoor location. And I was left with a few rare peaceful moments in the downpour.

Rain reminds me that God is in control. He can, and will, send water from the sky whenever and wherever he so chooses. Maybe it's when we want it to come, maybe not, but He alone forms the clouds, sounds the thunder, and sends the lightning. Pretty sure I don't know anyone else that can do that.

So thank you, God, for the rain.

Not much to report from here. Crazy weekend and now time to tackle another week. I'm off to take it a little LOST to finish out the day...

Apparently I'm on this song lyric kick as of late. Bear with the randomness...

In the daylight
A perfect view
This is always a favorite of mine.

I'm screaming
My lungs out
'Cause I'm wishing

*************

Yeah, I don't know either! Happy week to all~

It was time for some travel, just a quick trip
An adventure of sort, by plane not by ship
A generation journey, M and Mom and I
Took off on Friday, to St Louis we did fly

Rented a car and drove for a bit
On to Columbia, a Sonata was a good fit
In a little chapel, attended wedding number five
Into the married life, Josh and Meghan did dive

Fantastic cake, sparklers and toasts
Meghan's family were quite gracious hosts
Took the swampy scenic route, back the next day
Made our flight just in time, what more can I say

Enjoyed the time, pizza and cemeteries too
Here are some pics, from my camera to you
If you're ever in Missouri, watch for the moose inn
And lots of creepy crafts, especially Harrison's kin!

I ate pizza for breakfast. Sometimes I do things like that. And I feel like it's ok.

One more episode of LOST has been viewed. At the moment, Said is my favorite but don't hold me to that. Dare I say this could possibly rival Alias?

Maintanence people aren't always the brightest crayons in the box. Not a good thing when the microwave dies, the kitchen floor starts coming up, and the bathtub drains stop working – all within the course of 2 days.

Logged 30 miles last week. Felt really good.

What is it about human nature that keeps us from being real with each other? Cause those times when we actually are... incredible things tend to happen.

Good coffee is an essential part of any workday morning.

Hayward Field would've been a great place to be last week/weekend. Two thumbs up to Bershawn Jackson for his performance in the 400 hurdles. Size is not always a direct correlation to speed.

Top 5 Movies: LOTR (counting the trio as one), Patriot, Pride and Prejudice, Braveheart, and Robin Hood. Man from Snowy River comes in at the 5.5 spot.

PowerPoint should be banned from use. Word ought to be eliminated as well.

A lesson: Be slow to give up and quick to give hope.