people

The past two weeks have been excellent. I have so much to write about that I don't know where to start, so this will be the abbreviated version.

Where have I been, you might ask? What have I been doing for the past two weeks?

Nothing and Everything.

Joe came to visit us in NC for about nine days. That brief span of time stretch out into eternity, as we remained the right level of "busy" (which denotes no responsibility whatsoever, just freedom (more or less) to do as we pleased and go where we wished). Joe, Colleen, and I resided in Wake Forest for the majority of Joe's stay and exhausted all of the "fun" things to do in the area...which pretty much includes trips to Wal-mart, the movie theater, every icecream store around (ha...two), have a stick-driving lesson in an abandoned home depot parking lot, eat at every renowned local restaraunt, terrorize the dogs, and vegetate at home, naturally. the latter included late-night m. night shymalan fests, backrubs, doing odd tasks around the house for my grandparents, making dinners, eating dinners, looking at photographs, reading, watching hilarious re-runs of fullhouse and cosby show, watch the dog whisperer...the list goes on and on and on....

It wasn't so much the particular activities we did that made those nine days memorable. Heck, I could sit around and watch TV any old day. I've been to most of the restaurants we ate at, I've gone to Chapel Hill plenty of times, and all that has resullted when solitary is a time killed not very productively and a large gas bill. The difference was enjoying all of these activities with two people that I love very much. I don't think I've laughed so much in a while, especially since I was (mostly) cooped up in the house alone during rhe previous month. It's funny how mundane activities can be made meaningful when the activity isn't ultimately the main focus...just "being" with someone else is.

I really like learning from other people. Joe and Colleen both offer unique qualities and it's fun when their specialized knowledge, gifts, or traits are revealed. I like when they talk about music...it transports me to my high school world of touring choir and piano, but then again it transcends that world as i learn about new things, like the difficulty of conducting and evil harp teachers and the like. Colleen is really sensitive towards others needs and has a lot of astute insights on Christian history and theology. Joe is really technically-oriented (he set up my grandparents' and mother's sound system without instructions!)and very rational. He can back up pretty much anything he says with a very reasonable list of arguments, whether it be a treatise on the morality of man or what it is that makes m night's movies scary.

But I also like that though Colleen and Joe and I have all changed in ways over the past year, we can still relate to each other in a healthy, familiar way. It's so enjoyable and so comfortable. Despite the drastic change in scenery, we can still sit on the couch and make a back-rub chain while making fun of retard dogs on the dog whisperer. at the same time, we can still maintain a level of maturity and have insightful, refreshing conversations. I love it.

I hope I can maintain that balance throughout my adult life. Always carrying a child-like disposition where I can laugh at stupid TV shows and act juvenile when fitting, but also have good conversations.

Here's some good quotes from the week.

Colleen (excitedly): "Wouldn't it be cool if that were zuul?"
Joe (rationally): "No, Colleen, that would NOT be cool!"

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(While watching Full House)

Joe: Their (the Tanners') living situation is so weird.
Me: Yeah, it's like one gay family.
(Laughing)
On the TV show, Danny say: "Jess, don't beat yourself up (about jumping to conclusions too quickly with DJ's beer incident)

Nothing needs to be said after this. There is much laughing.

Later we see a shot of Danny dressed like a woman. Joe and I fall to our knees laughing.
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All of us, but mosty Joe: In a pitiful German accent:

"BO-HAN-GLES!!!!!!!!!"