Odds and Ends

For the last few weeks, I’ve been almost constantly on edge, worrying about the GRE, grad school, teaching in church, and a thousand other little things. But suddenly I’m feeling much more calm. I’m hoping to do well on the GRE, but really I’m just looking forward to being done with the constant studying and the feeling that I can’t spend any time in the way I’d like to (yes, yes, I recognize that if I do manage to get into grad school, this will only be intensified when I’m, you know, taking classes again).

It’s completely bizarre to have a day off in the middle of the week. I’ve felt so disoriented all day. It feels like Monday, but tomorrow is Friday (no one is complaining about that, though). Also, should tomorrow be a donut Friday? I’m just not sure. . . okay, now I’m sure. It should definitely be a donut Friday.

The only downer about yesterday was no fireworks. They’re illegal here, apparently, and so we didn’t get to sit on the driveway and light dozens of different kinds. All growing up, my mom would buy a spectacular array of fireworks and we’d sit on the low wall that surrounded our front yard and shoot them off a few at a time. My dad would always decide which combinations would be most exciting and eventually he’d go into the garage get some various items and rig up a stand or pillar to set fireworks on top of (my favorite was the time he took a broomstick, pounded a nail into the top, arranged the whole thing on a stand, and then put the spinning fireworks on the nail so that they would spin around and shower everywhere). With the fireworks canceled by the city, it was a completely fireworkless day (except for the sounds of fireworks being shot off illegally around our neighborhood). I absolutely love fireworks, for some reason, and it was sad to miss out on them.

Also, when we were driving home last night, we saw some people in our neighborhood setting off fireworks in their grass. Since it rained more today than it has in weeks (which is saying a LOT), the danger of anything actually catching on fire was practically nonexistent, but it seemed so odd nonetheless. And sorry to all of you in drought right now; it’s hard to imagine when it’s rained almost daily for the last month. Our grass is growing so fast that after three days it looks unmowed again.

Thanks also, for the song suggestions. I’m working my way through them (Bart and I listened to three or four last night) and they’re all excellent so far. You are good folks.