Light and Sound

I've been giving a lot of thought for the past few days on the principles of light and sound. Sound is scientifically proven to be a set of frequencies. Humans can hear anything between the range of 20hz to 20khz usually, unless, of course, they have sustained hearing loss. All of these frequencies are measured at how fast they undulate, giving us the perception of different pitches of sound which travel at 761mph. Now, given all of these properties of sound, consider the bat. Bats emit supersonic frequencies which bounce off of objects and back into their ears, giving them an image of sorts of that object, a very precise image. We use the same technology in sonar for military or fishing use. I am convinced, however, that we use it a great deal more than we think.

The complexities of light are a mystery to scientists, but there are a few theories bouncing about. One of which is the theory that light is a supersonic frequency spectrum that cannot be heard and that supercedes the necessity to travel through molecules to be carried. That means that for a low frequency spectrum, we have our ears, but for a high frequency spectrum, we have our eyes. We can see it direct by looking at the sun (not a great idea) or we can see it by reflections off of surfaces. Now certain surfaces absorb some light frequencies and reflect others. This is how we distinguish color (through our rod and cone cell structures). Similarly, certain surfaces are more proned to passing some sound frequencies while limiting others. What's more, sound can cause certain surfaces to resonate sympathetically to that frequency, in some cases, causing that object to break. It's known that every molecular structure has a resonating point. Does light frequency cause resonation? I think that it does. Light is known to cause heat, but heat is nothing more than excitement of molecules, causing friction, causing heat. So what excites those molecules? I think that it is sympathetic resonation from light frequency, but unfortunately I don't currently have the means to prove it.

Whatever. It's a theory.

Today wasn't so bad though. I woke up to having one of my classes cancled, so that was nice. It was beautiful outside too. I did have a crazy dream last night though.

I was in Scotland living in a village during the 1500's. All of the villagers and I were sitting at a huge stone table and feasting. Some of my friends were present along with all of the girls I've ever really cared about (yes, it was even awkward in my dream). Suddenly one of the shepherds runs up out of the pine woods and out of breath. He informs us that just a few miles away rests a camp of British soldiers. We had heard rumors that the British were stealing farm lands and enslaving the people there as their peasants, but what were we to do? We had no weapons other than plows and pitchforks, "Not to mention" said the shepherd "they have five times as many men as we!" So all of the men of the village called to order and we deliberate what our plan of action would be. What were our choices? We either lay down and submit to slavery, or we march to our impeding death in the name of making a statement. It didn't turn out to be as difficult of a decision as some would think, so we gathered what little we had, said our last goodbyes to the women and children, and march off. I wasn't married, but I was in love with one of the girls there. I saw it from third person, the women lined up in the green foggy field near the long stone table all dressed in dirty peasants rags. The men marched slowly turned and started walking as if they were hauling on their shoulders the physical weight of their decision. I saw myself turn and look at her while still walking slowly. She was looking at me trying to hide her emotion, so I figured I might as well do likewise. It was honestly too late to care.

When we got closer we teamed up into groups of two. Matt and I linked up just before we reached the bridge to the forest where the troops had set up camp. As we started across the bridge I looked at Matt and I realized that one of us might not make it home alive if not both of us. My heart sank a few feet lower but my determination rose. Half way between the bridge, the men ahead of us began to split off on either side, and we followed to the right. There was thick, tall, yellowish grass on the bank that was layed down into trails where we all had run through. I then ran out into clearer woods where I could be seen while Matt stayed in the thick brush. There was a guard ahead wearing shiny chain mail and a rounded helmet with a nose guard. He had a red tabard on with a sword at his waist. He looked to be standing guard by a tent. I ran up and tried to distract him so that he wouldn't notice Matt running around the side. He drew his sword and began swinging wildly at me and I was dodging the best I could. Suddenly he swiftly thrust straight for my stomach. All I could think to do was to deflect the sword with the sacrifice of my arm, so I did and I was cut badly, but it gave Matt just enough time to sneak up behind him and twist his neck with a quick jerk. I took his sword from his dead hand and we entered the tent only to find their weapons supply. The other men soon arrived and were armed accordingly. Then I remember two young but rather strong looking guys approaching me asking for swords, but I had never seen them before.
"Give us those swords."
"No, why should I? I've never seen you before."
"We want to fight! Give us those swords!"
"Okay, I might if you can tell me what our grand table in the village is made of?"
"Stone granit."
(reluctantly)"Okay, I guess that's good enough for me."
The fighting soon broke to a head soon after that and Matt and I got split up. I killed a few soldiers before I found myself seperated from the entire group. I tried to find my way back, but when I got to the camp sight all I saw was destruction, but no bodies, not from either side. I heard yelling in the distance and I followed it, but I found the same thing. I then began to fear that the soldiers had made an advance on our village, so I ran back as fast as I could. I ran into the tent where all of the women and children were hiding, and there she was. She wouldn't even look at me. I couldn't tell if she was afraid of me being all covered in blood and breathing heavily, or if she was just trying to protect herself from the pain of it. Maybe she was ashamed of me? I didn't know.

At that point, I woke up for a second because I was seriously breathing heavily and my right fist was clenched tight around a sword that I obviously didn't have, but then I fell back asleep.

I re-entered the dream having realized that all of the other men were probably dead. The woman I cared about didn't seemingly want to see me anymore so I really had nothing left to do but finish what I started. I began walking towards the one last camp sight where there were soldiers, determined to fight until I died. I knew I would die, but I didn't really care anymore. That's when my alarm went off.

I've felt pretty weird all day because of that dream. Initially all of my senses were hightened and my heart rate was higher, but then I just felt sad after that. It seemed so real that I felt I needed time to mourn. I honestly almost cried when I heard a song about seeking freedom. I don't cry though, I just get really close to it and then nothing ever happens.

Anyways, I need my sleep. I wonder what will happen tonight? Peace and love

The First Full

The first full week of class has begun and I'm already winded. I'm still trying to keep positive, but my health is dipping a bit and my energies to do much of anything extra outside of work and class are faint as well. I've been spending more and more time reclining with a good book and reading. I don't know, I'm just aggrivated and hungry right now. Peace and love

That's a Gibbon

Have you ever been to the Nashville Zoo? Well, we thought we'd go check it out yesterday, so everyone packed into a few cars and we drove out and payed the small fee. We don't do "different" very often, so anything new is smiled upon in my book. The problem is, you see, we are very poor people. Every dollar earned goes to paying bills or (if we're lucky) food. I don't know how some guys do it. They talk about making surplus money in college. In the meanwhile, I'm workin and classin it up and not seeing one stationary dime. Whatever, I'm sidetracking.

The zoo was nice, but it had me a bit bothered. I was looking at these animals and I realized I had no real feeling of interest in them. They were in cages doing the only thing that their space permitted. They sat or paced back and forth or just went to the back to try and hide from all of the people coming and going. Basically, they were only an image of the animals they represented. I felt much the same. When we got to the monkeys all I could think about was how it felt in Africa having real monkeys come and eat out of my hands. At the zoo they were safely placed behind baracades for their and our protection. When we came to the alligator exhibit, they were all very small and swimming around a 10 square metered pool. In Africa I went swimming in a river where grown alligators lived and later that night, I was able to feed some of them (not myself, of course, but by luring fish with bread and having the alligators, in turn, eat the fish). I don't mean to seem like a tree-hugger by saying this (because I love eating steak and not using public transportation) but the zoo seemed kinda lame.

Speaking of lame, how about growing pains? I know that they pay off, but it doesn't mean I have to like it. It's funny though. I hit my growth spurt, but I never remember having any kind of growing pains. My growth worked like this. I would measure myself after having it pointed out to me (usually by people I hadn't seen in a few months) that I had grown "at least two or three inches since the last time we met!" It was a vicious circle, but with no pain that I can remember. I bring all of that up because, not that I'm physically growing anymore (cuz I'm not), but everything else seperate of my body is, and it hurts! I'd say that right now I'm feeling slight discomfort but with complete awareness that it will only grow worse in the next few months. I'm learning new things this semester that are throwing me completely off balance. I'm getting older, I'm getting more responsibility with every tick of the clock, and I'm being forced to learn.

I think the hardest thing to learn, at least spiritually, is where the line stands between what you need and need not understand (in an educational sense). As an audio engineer (in training) not only do I know a great deal about how sound works, I also understand it through experience. But what do you do when you come to something as complex as love. I'm so tired of mulling over love within the relationship of a man and woman. Love is there, yes, but only partly, not completely. I can't put love in a test tube and measure it. There are no laws governing how it works (sorry Joshua Harris). There's a good deal of crap on tv that tries to convince you of how it works and how great it feels when you achieve it, but that's all bs too. You can read it in scripture and know what it is. You can know who God is, but to know God is different. Love must be one of those things that we allow ourselves to be satisfied in that it exists and can only be given. Sometimes it is hard to know that you are loved, sometimes it is easy. Sometimes we hold love up to our ideals and if it doesn't fit, we write it off. It's funny too. In all of the philosophies I have read (and given, maybe I just haven't read enough) they all seem to forget about the existence of love. Kant would be completely right in his theories about life if love did not exist. Love is such a huge part of our lives. And what is more, love exists out of the potential for rejection. A man ASKS a woman to marry him not just to simply ask a question, but to stand at the threshold of a whole new level of rejection, giving her the opportunity to reject or love him, all the while making the potential love that much more potent. Though in some world cultures a man still posesses the right to command a woman to marry him, he can never forcefully bring her to love him because he has not given her the ability to reject him.

My brain is about to explode. Sometimes I think my education to be fighting against me. Some of the most ignorant people in the world don't know what I know about love, but they know love much more intimately. So here I am trying to understand that all I NEED understand is that I have no control over the principles of love because they are too vast for the greatest of minds to comprehend (and mine is sub-par). I, however, do posess the power to love as well as the power to reject, but why, then, should I reject when I, myself, have ultimately been loved?

Again, my brian is going to explode. I guess I'd better go press it between two pillows so that I don't mess up my nicely painted walls with grey matter. That would be a shame to wake up to. Peace and love.

Classy

It's taken some adjustment so far. I really don't know how I feel about the start of this semester seperate from a little frustration at my workload. I'm trying to be positive about the year and my understanding that anything could happen at this point to set me back from graduating on time. It's funny because I'll be so busy trying to get through this year that I really won't have too much focus and "after college". I suspect I shall learn, though, to be more responsible and wise with my time and focus.

I find that, while walking around campus, I sometimes try to remember what it was like being a freshman. All of those new feelings of insecurity and wonder that this new batch feels. The memory doesn't seem that distant, but the emotions somehow do. It's because of the gradual acceleration of time. They will feel it when they get to my time as well.

In relation to freshman nostalgia, I was fingering through my mental roladex of "things to do" that I started when I was very young. At the top of that list, before I stopped listing, were the last two goals I wanted to achieve in life. I wanted to go to college and I wanted to get married. So I worked towards those goals fervently until now. I realize the foolishness in my planning. I have no more desires in life other than those two things, one of which I am very close to completing... CRAP! What was I thinking!? Life doesn't end after marriage, despite what several couples might say. So where are my goals?

I shall spend the rest of this year not only completing my educational requirements, but also writing new goals and desires to turn my energies towards when I graduate. It's unplanned procrastination, I know. But if anyone can procrastinate with style and grace, that'd be me.

I'm going to bed now. I'll try and keep you posted on the next few days. Lots will be happening. Peace and love.

Squeeky Clean!

Well Stuffy and I went to campus today and got some chores done in preperation for school to start back. I'm still a little bit nervous about how this year is going to transpire. All I want is to be able to pay rent and graduate on time. That said, I've done everything I can in preperation. Now all I have to do is show up and throw down.

That's a picture of the guys playing Dance Dance Revolution. We do that for exercise among many things. It's a pretty intense workout and it's a lot of fun. Right now my legs are pretty soar, but they're beasty too. Not only do I valet on them for 8 hours almost every day, but I also play DDR and ride my bike. Good workout for sure.

I slept very well last night and awoke to no new spiders. I was pretty happy about that. This might mean that all of our efforts of bug intrusion prevention have payed off. And it only cost $20! I'm excited about minimalistic living if you couldn't tell. I think I could live the rest of my life at this level of society and be just fine.

I've been thinking about my desires to travel, and I feel really compelled to. I want to experience the world, to learn about other people, and to share Christ with them. Right now I don't feel very prepared to do any of the above. All I seem prepared for is class. Boo class!

As for the rest of the house, It's pretty clean now. I feel as if I'm almost on top of it. See, for me I have to find a level of control with my living space. If things can't be controlled I sit and study them for a while until I can make them organized. I know that sounds weird, but that's just the way I function. I'm pretty much the same with my thoughts, and when I organize physically I'm also probably organizing mentally. As far as social settings go, I learned that it was a problem a while back. I've been working on not being so controlling and I think I'm getting better. As for relationships, the last time I checked, I'm not that great, but the last time I was in a real relationship was a long time ago, so I would hope that I've improved somewhat. Am I talking about relationships? No WAY!

The year starts wednesday. So here we go. Peace and love.

Settled? Sorta...

I'm finally in an actual room in the house. An actual, honest-to-God, room. I'll be sleeping on a futon frame with a few modifications tonight. I added duct tape rings on the posts so that if any brown recluse thinks it an ideal place to wander, it will get stuck before it ever reaches me. We also set up the house to be anti-intrusive for bugs. That invovled a fair amount of screening, duct tape, and expanding foam. We filled all of the cracks, put screen enclosures over the ventelation ducts, and we set new traps around areas with high spider sightings. Oh yeah, we also made some make-shift weather stripping on all of the doors with duct tape. You really can save the world with that stuff... At least, in a physical sense.

Tomorrow I start getting ready for class, organizing my notes, collecting my intellecual mind, solving world suffering. Among that list of duties, I also might be mowing the lawn, maybe buying some bird seed for the yard so that we can attract more birds, decrease the bug population, therefore decreasing the spider population. We found out today that the neighbors are also having a bit of a problem, but we are determined to win. We have called this struggle The Battle for Ye Olde Pembroke.

Other than that, not too much is going on. I guess life can only be so exciting. Peace and love.

Spider Update

The war agains the spiders has taken a new turn, but not a positive one. After the exterminator came, we thought we had all but won. We were wrong. The spiders have a new plan of attack. They have become more aggressive. Just last night I killed two adults within half an hour. One of them I saw from my periferal vision as I was sitting down. He thought he could climb onto my arm, but now he is dead. The other one was just chillin out on a curtain. We thought he had gotten up there on Weeman's computer cables before Weeman moved out and that he just couldn't figure out a way to get back down yet. That, at least, is one theory. The other theory sudjests that they come out of the air vents.

In answer to all of the threats, we debated new strategy and then tried to find someone's house we could crash at for the night. We realized that it was probably a little too late to call someone up, being that it was around 12:30 in the morning so... we set up my tent in the living room. That seemed to settle everyone enough to get to sleep, but the other guys still didn't sleep well, probably not just because of the spiders, but they're not to used to sleeping on the floor. I sleep on the floor every night though, so I got knocked out and woke up at around 9.

As for tonight, I don't know what we'll do. We might have to plan a new assault. The death toll right now is 10 brown recluse casualties and 0 human, but they're not giving up yet.

Outside of that situation, move-in day was yesterday for both Vanderbilt and Belmont. The city is bustling with young impressionable freshman faces. I miss the initial get-go of being an RA right now, but that will all change in a week. It was really nice, after all, to come home to a nice quiet house instead of having to stay at the university and deal with angry and depressed parents. Oh, but all my love is with you guys that are.

Today I'm going to move into my own room though. Weeman moved into his apartment yesterday so I will be temporarily using his room until Stuffy goes to England. At that point I may or may not decide to move upstairs. All of this, of course, is pending on the spider situation. I really would like to know when all of them are dead, just for the sake of peace of mind. I guess I can't have everything though. Peace and love.

Oh No! School?

I just realized that I have exactly one week from today before classes start. That's not fun to think about, but I think I'll be okay. I'm really going to have to do a fair amount of prioritizing being that I'm taking calculus this semester, but I'll do my best.

I didn't really do much today, which was nice. I slept in for a while and then all of us went to eat lunch with Viking at Arby's. After that I played chess for a while and then took a nap. When I woke up I went to leadership training at the university which was nice because they gave us a free meal, and I now have an even greater appreciation for "free". I was amazed at how many people where there that I didn't realy recognize. I mean I could scan the crowd and see familiar faces, but for the most part I guess they were new sophomores. I'll probably be even more distant this year, living off campus and all. Who knows? I'm just anxious to finish strong.

I've been wondering about my passions lately though. I want to see what not being an RA does for me. I think the job jaded me in a way that made me forget who I was under those cloths. I'll be working a lot this year and tending to my education, but none of that lasts 24/7. As an RA people are always watching you do your job. If you take two steps to the left or right you can lose control and lose your job. I'm glad I don't have to live under that anymore. I'm glad that I can experience my last year of college in a completely new light.

I guess you might be wondering about our current status with the brown recluse pests. Well, none of us were bitten last night and we haven't seen any today so that's a good sign. We've all been trying to keep things extra clean so that they have fewer places to hide, but you can only organize so much when six grown men live in a house built for five. The exterminator will be coming tomorrow morning, so that will be good. It's funny though. I've always had this fear of spiders crawling on me while I sleep. Sometimes I'll be half awake at night and I'll think I see a spider lowering on a web down infront of my face. I freak out and start swatting at it, but it's not really there. As for last night, though, I fell asleep like a rock while all of the other guys tossed and turned and didn't sleep well at all.

Well... I'm going to sleep now with my spider friends. Hope all is well with ye. Peace and love.

Arachnophobia?

Work work work. I really don't mind it that much. The job has its stress points, but I feel pretty satisfied that I've fallen into a good groove with the proceidures as well as with my boss.

I don't like writing too much about work though. It seems like such a mundane thing to focus on. At home, however, new adventures happen every day. I'm learning to be what some might call "mature" through expreiences such as substantial living, tornadoes, and poisonous spiders.

I suppose I should start with last night's storm. If you've never been to Nashville, you should know that this time of year is prime for harsh weather. Some of the most amazing lightening storms I've ever whitnessed were here. Sure, they're no NC hurricane, but it's almost always a good show. Last night was no exception. I went out onto the porch to watch it all come in, enjoy the light show and the sound of the pounding rain. Weeman came out with me as the winds started to pick up. I think in the heart of every man exists the appreciation for extreme weather conditions. Anyways, as we were surveying the splendor of the storm, our attention was drawn to a rustling down the street that quickly turned into a roar. All of the sudden things started to literally lift off of the ground and fly with great speed down the streets. The trees bowed as if before royalty and the rain turned into sheets that you could barely see through. Just for immagery, have you ever been in an airplane on a runway when it was raining and seen the effect of a jet engine thrust on the water on the ground? Well... that's what we saw. We ran like scared little girls back into the house where upon the door was ripped out of my hands and slammed shut behind me by the wind. I haven't been through many tornadoes, but I can tell you this. It takes a pretty high wind to rip limbs off of trees and knock out power for hundreds of people. Oh, and poor Viking left his windows down only to discover a very damp car in the morning. But after the storm we went out to survey the area. It was pretty hard core with limbs and debris everywhere. While everyone else was out checking on their houses, we all decided it would be a good idea to play instruments on the porch. It was neat because the crickets started chirping in rhythm. Our power came back on soon after.

As if that wasn't enough adventure for one week, today I came pretty close to a good bit of pain. I was woken up early from a nap because Weeman called me to ask about dinner plans. I was a bit groggy and unappreciative at the moment until I went back to my bed and turned over the covers to discover a presence that made me a bit more greatful of being awake. It seemed that a brown recluse had decided that I would be a cozy object to snuggle up next to. It scampered off into my work pants after I startled it and I haven't been able to find it since. This makes the third encounter with a brown recluse I've had in this house. I killed two adults and now this baby makes for a bit of unsettled feelings in the house. It signifies a hatched nest with who knows how many brothers and sisters. Stuffy and I went to Walmart to by combatants. We picked up 100% deet to secure our sleeping quarters with and an emergency bite first aid kit to keep on hand at least until the exterminators get a chance to come out here and give us an assessment.

Other than that, I'd say things are pretty good. I'm in great shape, school is about to start back up, and I have a good deal of mental clarity at the moment. That's good. I'll need all of the mental clarity I can get this year.

Peace and love.

For Zach

These pics are for Zach. He will copy them and paste them and then decide if he wants to put them on a power point slide show. Her you go Zach. Enjoy.

This Mine New House

I am writing my first journal from the Ye Olde Pembroke House (at least I think it's my first). I got all moved in last. When I went to sleep, however, it was with the understanding that I wouldn't be going to work in the morning. But that was not the case when I woke up! They called me in to work at 11 and when I got there, they totally didn't need me. That being so they sent me to another hotel instead of cutting me, and THAT hotel didn't need me. So I came back to the Sheraton and they kept me working. I didn't really appreciate that. I ended up staying until 5.

I got home and started cleaning though. I've still got a good bit to do and I won't officially have my own room for another few weeks or months. I'm just going to get the house ready as much as I can until then. Hope you all have a good one. I'm going to bed. Peace and love.

Home to Home

This is the last night that I work as an RA ever. I don't know quite how to feel about it. It's surreal, but the job has changed so much that I must admit that I won't miss it at all. What I will miss are the memories of better days. I suppose now I could become an activist in making things right and restoring the institution to healthy and employee supportive status, but I'm being stereotypical. I'm a college student. College students feel passionate about things and they think they can change the world with their ideas. I don't know if it will work or not, but I will feel better if I at least try.

Tonight also marks another occasion. It will be the first time in three years where "going home" doesn't mean going back to my campus quarters. "Going home" will mean going to the house where all of my things now reside.

As for the move-in process, it's going to take a long long time. My entertainment center was trashed by the university (go fig) and the guys that will be moving out haven't finished yet so I can't completely unpack. I have, therefore, named the room in which I now reside "limbo" as it is consistantly used for people to stay in that are between transitions.

I sleep well in Limbo though. My bed is nice, I have a tree outside the window, and it just feels comfortable like a home should.

I'm going to spend the next 30 minutes closing up shop. Goodbye RA, hello home, Peac and love.

Coming Back to Calm

I must say that times have been rather... well... intense between finishing off my RA work, organizing my school scheduling, and moving from the apartment to the house. My mood, accordingly, has been subject to turbulant and unr eliable winds. I find that I become very impatient with and bothered by people who ask favors or chores of me. Sometimes I just want to collapse, my vision becomes limited, my motivations, unclear, and I sink to wallow in my repugnant hopelessness.

When you get there, to that cloudy, life-loathing state of existence, it's hard to remember to breath. It is breathing, however, that puts you into a field of motion rather than sitting in a dramatic and stagnant pity party. I had to remember to breath yesterday when everything seemed to be crumbling. I talked things over (out loud and to myself while I was driving no less) and then to a few of my friends and together we figured out several solutions. I can still graduate on time and I can still work an internship, but the timing isn't exactly what I would have chosen. The advantage is that I will have a slightly more reasonable schedule this semester than I originally thought.

Well, right now I'm about to be pulled away. I'm working my last desk shift as an RA and I'm about to have a one-on-one debriefing of the season. After that I'm going straight to my apartment to finish moving. I'm afraid I still have quite a bit of work to do before I get to kick my shoes of and relax. Whatever the case, peace and love.

School Scheduling makes me Sad

I just found out that I won't be graduating on time. That's discouraging, but I'll do what I must. It's going to be a rough year for sure, but I just checked it out and atleast my schedule is somewhat managable. I'm also working on budgeting out my finances right now due to rent and bill payments. I wonder if it is possible to go to $20 a week for food. I'll give it a try and tell you how it goes. Don't worry, I won't risk my health.

For the rest of the day I'm going to focus on finishing off my RA work and moving out of my apartment. This is the beginning of my senior year of college. I knew it would come one of these days, I just didn't expect it to come so soon. If you should need me, I will be feverishly planning and organizing until the day I receive my degree. Peace and love.

Reading Writing and Reflection

I haven't written in a while, not because I haven't had the time, but because I just haven't felt up to the task. I'm still burried in quite a bit of change and adversity, but I'm learning to manage as I always seem to do. Today I put forth my first installment of rent. I wasn't expecting it to come so soon, but I'm prepared... I suppose. This gives all new meaning to the purpose of my labors. I have to raise money to keep a roof over my head. Welcome to the real world. I think I'll like it though. It will yield a new breed of satisfaction into my life while simultaneously preparing me for things to come.

So do I dare reflect on the summer? I really don't know what to make of it other than this has been my most realistic sneak peak at what life might be like after I graduate. I mean, I hope I have a little better job than valet, but for now I like driving cars and making tips. It has forced me to learn how to talk with strangers, conquering what I was taught as a kid.

I don't know what else to say. I can speculate for hours as to what might happen in the future, but I will never know for sure. For now I shall work on my focus, polishing my goals, and coming into an understanding of why I am spiritually here. "This year will fly by faster than we realize." Charles said to me as we talked on the phone today about our busy lives. I know that's true. It has been true every year, but even more so. It keeps on speeding up and speeding up. We will probably die before we ever reach terminal velocity. Peace and love.