Lectures, iPhone Evolution, and Guns

Okay people, it's Wednesday, and I'm really feeling the effects of hump day. It was one of those days when my alarm goes off and I wake up completely disoriented wondering what is making that horrid noise. After reorienting myself and figuring out who/what/where/why I am, I then was overcome by a depressive lethargy (I am a slothful 9 after all) that cried for me not to get out of bed. After five minutes of inner struggle and negative self-talk, I was able to drag myself to the bathroom to begin my day. I'm definitely looking forward to a weekend away in the wilderness of New Hampshire. All I have to really finish is the sermon, so I won't have to do it while trying to socialize this weekend.

This week in the Intro to Christian Worship class I get to lead discussions on the Church Year. All the students read Laurence Hull Stookey's Calendar: Christ's Time for the Church (which I think is one of the best pastoral books written on the subject) and then we're walking through the year from Advent to Christ the King Sunday. I mean, who can ask for a better job than getting to explain Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, etc., to people? Then, two weeks from Tuesday I'm giving a lecture on why hymnals are still important for the Christian faith. I'm just hoping other students and people in the larger Boston area don't start a stampede in their clamor to get a seat in the room.

So, I've noticed that there's definitely an evolution of thought and feeling after purchasing an iPhone. The first two months I was simply flabbergasted by all the stuff it could do, especially when it would sync up automatically with my computer through the iCloud (whatever that actually is). It was directing me all over the city, finding good restaurants in the area, and letting me send a quick email by voice if I wanted to. Then it became the new normal, and I took it for granted. Lately, I've found myself getting frustrated when the phone doesn't read my mind. "Why hasn't my notes synced up to my iPhone? I wrote it at least 13 seconds ago! If Steve Jobs was still alive, he would never let this atrocity stand. That's it! I'm switching to the Samsung Galaxy!"

It's so tragic that we're getting to a point in U.S. society where mass shootings are becoming the new normal. How many people have to be sacrificed on the altar of the second amendment? Do we ever get to the point where it might be good and right to give up some of our "rights" for the sake of human flourishing? My question for Christians is will there be guns and armaments in the kingdom of God? If not, shouldn't we be working toward that type of kingdom "on earth as it is in heaven?" I think we as a Christian community in the U.S. need more idealism and imagination and less pragmatism/cynicism in facing evil and violence and injustice in the world. We have enough people saying, "This is just the way things are," and not enough people imagining new ways of living. I just don't think Jesus is like this (aesthetically, ideologically, and racially):

But at least Grand Theft Auto V is coming out because I'm sure our culture's glorification of violence in the media has nothing to do with the increased level of violence around the country.

I'm going to change subjects fairly rapidly, so I thought I would put in this sentence so it wouldn't be quite so jarring.

Can I just say this weather has been absolutely wonderful. I could only ask that it would be a little bit colder so I could break out the sweaters and flannel (you know, my love language is cold weather clothing; buy me a sweater or flannel and I'll be loyal to you for life).

Oh, I had my first Latin class...and proceeded to get chastised in it. First, I was already feeling unprepared because apparently he had sent out an email (which I didn't get because it's a BC class and not a BU class) to read chapter 1 and do the exercises, so I was pretty much winging it from the beginning. Then I brought the text book in - John Collins' Primer for Ecclesiastical Latin - and since I had tried to go through the book before, I also had an answer key for the book so I could check my answers. During the middle of the class, the teacher spotted the answer book on the table and exclaimed in a stern voice, "Never bring this book to class again. It is not by the author and should not be used. It's full of mistakes." He acted like I brought Sauron's ring into the Shire. So, I thought it was a really successful first day of Latin. Luckily, I talked myself off the ledge by finishing the next week's assignment the next day and reminding myself that this comment did not mean he hated me or had it in for the only Protestant (and Evangelical at that!) in the room.

Well, I'm off to my Pentecostalism class! Later.

The Greek Tragedy of Minnesota Sports, Denise Levertov, and Abraham/Isaac

So, yesterday I had to watch the Vikings blow another close game in the last minute. If you don't know this, the Vikings are renowned for their ability to blow late games. When they kicked the field goal to go up by 6 with around 3 minutes to go, I was pretty confident we were going to lose that game. As they say, the prevent defense usually prevents you from winning. Yet, you still cheer, even as you watch the other team drive down the field against a lackluster defense and wait for the inevitable touchdown. As I was ruminating on it, I realized being a Minnesota sports fan is like cheering for Sisyphus. If you don't know Greek mythology, Sisyphus was a deceitful king during his life, so his punishment in the afterlife was to roll an immense boulder up a hill, only to watch it roll back down right at its apex, forcing him to start the whole process over again. This is the perfect metaphor for being a Minnesota sports fan. Even when you're cheering, there's always that place in the back of your mind that is just waiting for the other shoe to drop. I guess it builds character. After the heartbreak of the '98-99 season and that terrible NFC championship game, I was ready to face life's varied adversities. Just ask our good friend Marshall:



Sorry for ranting. Life's just been really tough every since Elisabeth Hasselbeck left The View. Her cogent, educated right wing propaganda just got my day off on the right foot every morning. Now who am I supposed to get that from? Megyn Kelly? So, I decided the best way to get over the multiple heartbreaks was to have ice cream for dinner. Nothing gives you that end of the weekend boost like cookie dough drizzled with dietary self-loathing.

However, I do have to say, upon arriving at the Vikings bar the table next to me was discussing the merits of Labyrinth and The Wiz, so I was duly impressed. They also enjoyed when I broke out in "Dance Magic Dance." Speaking of the Muppets (Henson Studios did all of the Labyrinth puppets), there's this:




So, I'm reading (well, listening) a very interesting (audio)book, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time about a boy with Asperger's who tries to solve the case of his next-door neighbor's dog who was killed. It's all written in first-person from the perspective of the boy, and it is really marvelously done. Although, after watching Parenthood, I can only picture the boy as Max Braverman. I feel like I'm stereotypecasting, but that's the mental image I conjure, and once that mental image is there, it's impossible to erase. I mean, how many people can read the Harry Potter books now and not picture Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, etc?

So, over the past year or two, I've been loving the poetry of Denise Levertov.

She was born in Essex, England to Jewish parents who had later converted to Christianity. Her dad became an Anglican pastor and specialized in Jewish-Christian relations. She started writing early, and when she was 12 she sent her work to T.S. Eliot for critique (he responded graciously with a two-page letter encouraging her to keep writing)! She moved to the U.S. when she was a young adult and continued writing. In the 60s and 70s, she got very involved in the anti-war movement and started writing scathing poems against the U.S.'s involvement in Vietnam. Later in her life, she surprised all of her friends and converted to Catholicism and began writing beautiful religious poetry. Anyway, I thought I would share two of her poems (and maybe more in later posts) that I think are great for grad students or anyone who finds themselves overwhelmed by stress, work, and the many demands of life:

I can lay down that history

I can lay down my glasses

I can lay down the imaginary lists

of what to forget and what must be

done. I can shake the sun

out of my eyes and lay everything down

on the hot sand, and cross

the whispering threshold and walk

right into the clear sea, and float there,

my long hair floating, and fishes

vanishing all around me. Deep water.

little by little one comes to know

the limits and depths of power.

and another:

As swimmers dare

to lie face to the sky

and waters bear them,

as hawks rest upon air

and air sustains them,

so would I learn to attain 

freefall, and float

into Creator Spirit’s deep embrace,

knowing no effort earns

that all-surrounding grace.

I think all of her stuff is great, but her later poems that wrestle with faith and life are truly brilliant (in my opinion).

Speaking of wrestling with faith, this week I have to preach a sermon on Abraham's near-sacrifice of Isaac. How do you preach a sermon when it seems that God is acting like a cruel monster in the story? Is there more to this story? How do you stay faithful to the biblical witness while underscoring the atrocities that have occurred when people thought God was talking to them? It may be a long week. If you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them. The one thing I'm not going to preach: God wants us to give up our idols. I guess I'm off the opinion that children are not idols like greed, unhealthy patriotism, materialism, etc. So, I'm hoping to finish before Thursday so I can enjoy the weekend up on Daigle compound (as I attempt to forgive Amy her cruel joke about using hymnals as coasters) and the following weekend on the Cape with Joe Schupbach and Kathy O'Donoghue. Let's do this!

It's Been a While

So, I just realize this is my 201st post since I switched to blogpost (RIP Xanga). I realize I haven't written in a while (since I left Duluth), but rather than focus on the negative, let's accentuate the positive! My time in Chicago was absolutely wonderful. I got to see so many wonderful friends and eat, do fun things, and eat at my favorite restaurants (most importantly), it reminded me why Chicago is my adult home. It was hard leaving, but it was great to be reminded that I do have indeed have a social life in some cities! Here's some of the pictures from the Chicago trip.

One of my many trips to Tre Kronor.

Trying to explain to Charlotte how to cast the spell "Wingardiaum Leviosa!"

Finally, this is a picture with some of my new friends at the Hymn Society Annual Conference. I know that it makes me sound completely nerdy to go to a Hymn Society conference, but I have to tell you, it was one of the highlights of my summer. Think of all the superstars of hymnody (I know you're listing off all the many names that come to mind), and put them in one place: that's the Hymn Society conference. Every day began with worship, moved on to the plenary speakers, and was rounded out by individual sessions on various hymn-related activities. I gave a paper on social gospel hymnody that went pretty well (at least from my perspective). I'm just finishing up the negotiates on the contract for the movie deal - stay tuned. Then, each night there was a hymn festival, which is basically a big hymn sing. Let me tell you, during the first hymn of the first night, I couldn't even sing because I was simultaneously choked up and shivering from goosebumps. To hear 300-400 composers, church musicians, and hymn enthusiasts sing with all their heart in four-part harmony is truly incredible.

And of course you want to see pictures of my incredible nieces, so here are two that were recently sent to me. First, Daphne. She's not a morose child, but I love this picture because I can almost hear her asking, "Why do I have a fricking flower pot on my head?" Plus, she really reminds me of Jessica in it.

And, as usual, Paisley is all smiles!

So, now I'm back in Boston trying to get back into the swing of things. I just finished the second full week of classes, and I think it will be doable. The big difference this semester is my TA responsibilities. The nice thing is sometimes you get randomly assigned to classes to TA, but I got lucky and was assigned to Intro to Christian Worship. So, the learning curve's not quite as steep. My first lecture is the first week in October on why hymns and hymnals are still relevant. I think I'm going to have an altar call at the end and hand out hymnals to all who respond. My latest favorite portion of a hymn is from the last stanza of Fred Pratt Green's "For the Fruit of All Creation":

"For the wonders that astound us,
for the truths that still confound us,
most of all that love has found us,
thanks be to God."

Oh, I forgot! I also attended Elise and Ben Steel's wedding in Seattle! Although it was my second time in Seattle, it was my first time really seeing the city, and I have to say, I was impressed. I could definitely write a dissertation there. So, Seattle people, find me a job. The wedding was beautiful, and it was great to see Ben and Elise preside at communion as one of their first acts as a married couple. In fact, the only part of the wedding that I got a little choked up was when Elise was praying the prayer of blessing/epiclesis over the elements. I guess that goes to show that I'm a liturgical romantic.

Well, the weekend is upon me (no classes on Friday!), and I have a nice reading weekend planned: rites of passage, the liturgical year, and quinceaneras (the rite of passage I was assigned to study). Next weekend I head up to one of my favorite places in New England: the Daigle household. Until then, another episode of The X-Files. Later!

So Long, Farewell

Well, the first part of my summer adventure has come to a close. Duluth, you are a fickle lover. Most of the time the weather makes one look to sailors for the right vocabulary to describe it (for instance, running a marathon in June under a hypothermia warning). However, when the day clears and the sun shines over Lake Superior, there is little that can match the beauty of the city. I got to see many people and places and simply enjoy Duluth and friends. Special thanks go out to Luke and Chelsey Harju, who quartered me for over a month and were the pinnacle of hospitality, inviting me into their lives with a rare combination of both warmth and space. And of course it was wonderful to have some time with Anna, Peter, and Paisley. Here's one last shot of niece and uncle before departing:

On Tuesday I will be back in the Windy City! I'm pretty excited to have a social life for an entire month before heading back to Boston.

Anyway, now I'm in the Twin Cities until Tuesday to hang out with Jessica, Isaac, and Daphne one last time before I start heading West. They were out of town yesterday, so I ended up having a few hours at their house alone. Naturally, I decided to journal and watch The Sound of Music. I've had a hankering to watch it for about three months, and I imagined that, knowing my sister, she would have it (it turns out my sister got it as a secret santa present from an Air Force lieutenant in Turkey; you just never know!) Two parts get me every time: Captain Von Trapp coming in and joining the children in their singing  of "The Sound of Music" for the first time (obvs) and his rendition of "Edelweiss" at the Salzburg Festival. Today I'm going to meet up with long-time friend Polly (Lund) Inestroza for lunch and then my sister for a four-mile run afterwards. Hopefully I use a little self-control during lunch so I'm not dry-heaving my way through a four-miler. If I had to put money on it, I would bet against myself. I call it Free Chips and Salsa Syndrome, and I have it bad.

This morning I also had the weird experience of reading one of my BU professor's (Dr. Chris Evans) blog posts on Huffington Post. He writes about the United Methodist Church's stance on homosexuality, and I think it is worth the read.

You know what I find really annoying? Getting unnecessary vaccinations. Last week I was attempting to register for classes for the fall (which I should have done about three months ago, but let's not split hairs at this point), and I found I had a block on my account. So, when I researched what was causing the block, I discovered that I was missing a varicella vaccine. Not being up on the medical lingo, I looked up varicella and found that its common name was chicken pox. Having already had chicken pox (I remember clearly having it in kindergarten because I missed the circus we put on for our parents; I was to be the ringmaster because I could read, and I was heartbroken to miss my big break), I thought a simple phone call would clear up this mistake. So, I rang up BU's student health and was informed that I either needed proof of the vaccination or proof that I had the chicken pox. Well, this was problematic. First, I'm sure my mom didn't take me in to the doctor when I had chicken pox because she purposefully infected all four children at once and didn't need a doctor to tell her to rub calamine lotion on us at $75 per appointment. Second, even if there were records, they were probably written on parchment and buried in some bureaucratic catacomb. So, after trying to figure out ways to circumvent the insanity, I finally succumbed to the inevitable and got a vaccine for a disease I am immune to. All I can say is the vaccine better be covered by my insurance...and I better not get some weird form of shingles.

Anyway, now I'm going to relax and do some reading before lunch (because up to this point I've really been working hard). I tried to pick up an american tea cake (the most amazing pastry in the world) from The Baker's Wife (the most amazing bakery in Minneapolis, at least), but they are closed on Monday. You can imagine my sense of disappointment as I pulled up and noticed the darkened interior and the unlit OPEN sign. I guess I'll have to pick one up on my way out of town tomorrow. Also, in case you are interested, an anagram for Dave Bjorlin is "banjo drivel," which happens to be one of my favorite genres of music. So, that about sums it up. Also, vote on the new poll to your left. Later!

Grandma's Recap

So, as I mentioned on Facebook, on Saturday I ran in Grandma's Marathon, Duluth's very own world-renown (maybe?) race. My observations started on Friday, the day before the race. All around Duluth I saw runners as they went out to eat, picked up their racing packets, shopped, etc. How did I know they were runners, you ask? They were wearing running clothes. I don't understand this. You aren't running, it's 50 degrees in Duluth, and you are wearing shorts, technical running shirts, and neon yellow running shoes. To my mind, your entire outfit is one giant cry for attention. You so desperately want someone to ask, "Are you running tomorrow?" So you can look slightly abashed and reply, "Why yes, yes I am. How did you know?" I mean, why not just throw on the headband and the compression socks too while you're at it. Maybe wear one of those water bottle holsters/fanny packs and munch on energy bars during conversations. Sheesh.

So, the morning of the marathon came much to early. I woke up at about 5:25 after a fitful night of sleep where I checked, re-checked, re-re-checked, and re-re-re-checked my alarm clock to make sure I would get up. I blame this Seinfeld episode with Jean Paul where he explains how he overslept for his Olympics race:

So, I headed to the mall for the shuttle out. The drive out to the starting line might be the worst part of the entire experience. As you're gliding along with the help of an internal combustion engine for a good half hour, all you can think is, "I have to run this whole way back? Can I just take the bus back to the mall and maybe go to Denny's for a grand slam instead (disclaimer: we really don't have a Denny's in Duluth, so it would probably be a Tremendous 12 at Perkins, but I thought Denny's would be more recognizable to my country-wide readership)?

So, the day was foggy and cold, which I thought was just fine for running. As we were all standing around the starting line people were doing what they could do keep warm. I've never understood the people that run to warm up. Isn't 26.2 enough? If I could get someone to push me in a wheelchair all morning up until the very point where I have to start running, I would. Alas, that service is not provided. Finally, the run started, and we were off.

The actual marathon went pretty well. I decided to stick with the 4:00 hour pace guy at the beginning, and I felt good. As I mentioned before, I had timed my audiobook so that I would be listening to the last 4 hours of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, so I was enjoying the beginning of the Battle of Hogwarts as I trudged along. At about mile 13 I realized that I really was going to have to go to the bathroom at some point, and I am just not going to be the person who just uses their spandex as a diaper; I am neither that competitive nor have the necessary disregard for hygiene. So, I took a  quick trip to my disgusting arch-nemesis the porta-potty around mile 14. That could be another whole blog post about the fierce battle between my OCD tendencies and my need for speed, but I will leave such potty talk in the porta-potty.

When I got out, I still found myself far back of the 4 hour pacers. I decided not to expend the energy necessary to catch up and kept on keeping on. As per last marathon the most difficult part was probably mile 18-23. During this point, you have run a long way, but you can't really say you're almost there. When I heard people yell, "You're almost there!" at mile 19, I wanted to retort, "Oh yeah? Then why don't you run it?" Instead, I listened to the history of Snape's love for Lily Evans/Potter in "The Prince's Tale." At about mile 23 I started seeing people I knew, which helped motivate me to keep running. The Right around mile 25 I realized that I could get under 4 hours if I hoofed it until the end, so I picked up the pace. The nice thing was (HP spoiler alert) that at around mile 25 Harry killed Volemort. I decided I should put some music on to finish the last .6 miles, put on my running mix, turned on shuffle, pressed skip, and "Born to Run" came on. It was the perfect musical inspiration I needed to hustle to the finish line. I still didn't know if I finished under 4 until I talked to my sister who had been tracking me via my racing chip (mark of the beast, anyone?) and she said, "You made your goal by 2 seconds!" So, a 3:59:58 marathon. Here's a picture of me at mile 26. I don't know what that smirk on my face is all about; maybe it's because I didn't have enough energy to control my facial expressions at this point, and my natural expression is a smirk. If my face was actually representing how I felt, it would be melting of my skull.

So, I thought it was a successful racing day, even if they put up a hypothermia warning on the last 7 miles (late June in Duluth!). Plus, I got to catch up with Greg and Kelly Johnston, Cooper Gillan, Steve Hawkinson, and Tim Lindstrom, which was wonderful, even if the latter three did make me go to Grandma's Sports Garden the night after the race (they were watching the Bruins/Blackhawks game there, even after I assured them that the "sports" in Grandma's Sports Garden is a misnomer anytime after 8 p.m.), something I vowed never to do again after 23. I now redouble my vow NEVER to do again. That place is a John Barleycorn-esque meat market. Anyway, here's my freezing family and me at the end of the race.

 Today I'm feeling pretty good as long as I don't have to make any sudden movements, walk up stairs, or get up from a sitting position. Also, today I got to watch my niece Paisley get dedicated by my dad, so it was worth getting out of bed for. I have no pictures of that yet; I'm sure you are all heartbroken. So, one more week in Duluth and then headed to the Windy City! Later.

Grandma's and a Family Reunion

Well, T-2 full days until the marathon! Today was the last day of running, so I obliged with a nice, easy 4-miler with the illustrious Eric Borndal. I have to say, I wasn't quite as vigorous with my training as I was last time, so Saturday could be an interesting run! However, I feel that the spirit of Lake Superior will give me the needed boost; that, and the shame of walking in front of so many people I know. Shame: motivating since 1984. Speaking of people I know, I am looking forward to Greg and Kelly Johnston, Cooper Gillan, Tim Lindstrom, and Steve Hawkinson - all friends from my Chicago university/seminary days - coming up for the race!

 As part of my marathon preparation, I've been listening to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows as an audiobook, and I timing it so that I can listen to the last four hours while running the race. I mean, I may be wiping sweaty tears from my eyes, but it should keep my mind occupied from the stupid thing I'm doing to my body. (Speaking of which, you can still vote on your favorite of the HP books on my poll found just to your left.) I found my motivation to run years ago when I was running my first half-marathon and I saw someone wearing a t-shirt saying, "Run to Eat Club." It was deep crying out to deep, as something within me, in the very core of my being, resonated with that sentiment.

Congratulations to Jenny, Kyle, and Charlotte Mecher on the addition of the beautiful Evelyn Jane to their family! Although I was partial to the name Charlotte had chosen for the baby: Oreo Chili. Lately when I have thought about the wonder that is childbirth, this song always pops into my head:



I mean, besides the whole subtext of the dude getting Tevye to let him marry his daughter.

This past weekend I went down to the Twin Cities for my cousin Zack's wedding (Congratulations, Zack and Angie!). It was so wonderful to have all ten people from the Bjorlin/Graves/Kasper family together for the first time! We spent Friday at the rehearsal dinner and then hanging out at Jessica and Isaac's (where we had Part 2 of the Great Bjorlin Air Mattress Debacle; see Facebook for more details). Saturday we ate a decadent breakfast consisting almost exclusively of bacon (brought from the farms of North Dakota) and baked goods (doughnuts, almond cake, and American tea cakes from the Minneapolis bakery The Baker's Wife, which are basically the best thing I've ever eaten, which means they must be TERRIBLE for you) before heading to the wedding. Sunday morning we went to First Covenant Church (glad to have brought my sister and brother-in-law over to the dark side) and then Anna, Peter, Isaac, and I went to the Twins game! It was my first experience at Target Field, and it was amazing thanks to great seats given to Anna by her boss, Dan Urshan.Here are some of the highlights in pictures. Daphne and me at the rehearsal dinner:

The family after church (at First Covenant - Minneapolis) and before the Twins game. The nieces are looking at MJ because every time they aren't looking at the camera, she tells the person taking the picture to make a certain noise and then demonstrates, which invariably causes the nieces to look at their grandma instead. Apparently, I too was drawn by the noise:

And here's a rag-tag picture of the Szyman clan (my mom and her seven brothers and some of their kids/grandkids) at the wedding:

I love the photobomb in the lower right side of the picture combined with most of the family neither smiling nor looking at the camera. Pretty typical. Finally, this is the view from our seats at the Twins game:

Seriously, we were so close that I was nervous I might not be paying attention for a second and get tattooed in the kisser by a foul ball. Unfortunately, the Twins took it on the chin, losing fairly handily to the Tigers. So, all and all it's been a good week. Now I need to buckle down and get some writing done. Also, I'm going to eat whatever I want between now and the marathon, all under the pretense of "carb-loading." Blizzards/concrete mixers and hops are forms of carbs right? I'm going to let my ignorance answer a resounding yes. Happy Wednesday!

North Country Ramblings

Well, still waiting for my background check to go through. Stupid government bureaucracy trying to keep people safe. Next thing you know they'll be overreaching some more and fixing our roads, arresting criminals, and giving old people medical handouts. Just one more way Big Brother/Obama (they're synonyms) is ruining my life. In other news, it has been gloomy and cold here in Duluth, or, as the locals call it, June. I'm ready for the sun to come out one of these days so I can go up the North Shore and see this:

Or this:

While listening to show tunes and watching the Twins game on mute last night, I thought, "This probably isn't a common combination of evening activities." Speaking of which, the Twins have won 7 of their last 9 and have crawled up to third place. That's why you must always expect very little from MN sports so you can be pleasantly surprised at mediocrity. That's also the title of my memoir, Surprised by Mediocrity, hitting stores sometime next year if I can motivate myself. It will mainly be about my daily struggle to reach easily-achievable goals toward normal human functioning and then my immense pride at reaching them. For instance, today I'm going to shower and brush my teeth. Boom.

I'm sick of national ________ days. Yesterday someone said I needed to run because it's National Runner's Day. That's not anything. Seriously, these national and international days are getting out of control. I think today is National Catch Your Knee on the Corner of the Kitchen Cabinet and Swear in Front of Your Kids Day and tomorrow is National Eat Something You Left Too Long on the Counter Before Refrigerating and Hope That You Aren't Racked with Stomach Issues and the Sweats Day. Tomorrow could make for an interesting day.

Only 25 days until I make my triumphal return to Chicago! If you want to plan a small parade or strow (I'm guessing this is the present tense of "strewn," so I'm going with it) rose petals in my path, I will allow it. Seriously, I'm already coming up with a list of the restauran....I mean, the friends I want to see.

In other news, I've finished all the "fun" books I brought home to read during the summer, so if you have any good suggestions for novels I should read, I would love to hear them. If I don't hear anything in three days, it's a sign from God that I should re-read the Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings series. Also, in my new poll I am asking which of the Harry Potter books is your favorite. If you can't decide, you may vote for more than one. You're welcome.

Yesterday (or the day before), Stephen Colbert said farewell to Michele Bachmann with a tribute montage. Ah, Michele, we hardly understood ye.