Well, I guess I ought to counteract my own posting with something a bit more upbeat. And I do have a great story that involves the young fellow with whom I spend most of my time: My brother and sister-in-law's dog. At this very moment, said puppy is sitting next to my chair, chewing on a size 9 Adidas tennis shoe, thankfully one of his toys and not anybody's actual shoe. He's not a mean dog, although we tend to think that he would be a belligerent drunk (that has yet to be tested). He also doesn't demonstrate the sort of sensory understanding that the rest of us take for granted - that being in the realm of pain. He can run full speed, head-first into a door and walks up to you, wagging his tail, two seconds later. He chews on concrete and metal and makes his own mouth bleed. He falls backwards on the kitchen floor while trying to retrieve
a toy mid-air, and doesn't show any indication of being hurt. I mean, this is really just my attempt to introduce you to the dog that astounded us last night with something that seems beyond his mental capacity (due to head injury and nothing more). The three of us non-canine residents were watching The Upside of Anger (well worth it) when we realized the sole canine unit had spent more time than usual in the limited back yard we possess. The energetic dog bolted into the house, jumping up on my sister-in-law and smearing her with mud (I forgot to mention this dog loves mud more than a pig). It took us several minutes to corral the pooch and wipe off his muddy muzzle and paws. And then there was a great mystery. Even though I live in what can be considered a rain forest, it's the dry season and it hasn't rained for several days. The lawn sprinklers do not come on until 11 p.m., and it wasn't yet 9 o'clock. Where was the puppy finding this mud? My brother went out back in search of an explaination, and what he found astonished us all. Our dog had dug a hole below the spot where the air conditioner drips, and he made himself a little mud hole to turn his white muzzle to black. We were trying to discipline the puppy, but we were laughing too much. I guess it's not as exciting when you're not around. Okay, enough stories from me. What's everybody else doing?

Marty, I really was a day or two away from asking where you were. Good to hear from you. Lynnea, very glad to hear that you're doing well.
I actually come before you all to ask a serious question, knowing full well that it's unlikely for me to get a direct response since we've engaged these grade of topics before without generating much interest. I do much better retelling the humorous parts of my life, and I'd definitely like to tell you about my days spent with a puppy and Dawson's Creek reruns on TBS, but I came across things today that have disturbed me in a new and frightening way. This is the main question, and forgive me for its possible simplicity: Has anyone directly referred to you as either a fraud or a coward? And now this question can "fractal" into possible variances, like "in writing" or "in person" or however else you take your coffee (in Lynnea's case, tay). I mean, it's a powerful statement, I think, and now I'm trying to recall pinning it on anyone, and then further trying to recall pinning it on a donkey I know quite well. If an angry driver threw his fist out the window of his car and shouted across four lanes of traffic just to call me a coward or fraud, I would blink several times and proceed to mentally analyze every other vehicle's driving mistakes without really pausing. All that to say, it is somewhere between life-altering and annoyingly painful when a person that does actually know more than your license number can faithfully put forth such accusations in a clear and public manner. I've been called arrogant, and that I can nod and agree that I can be just that, and hopefully there is enough time remaining in my life to apologize for said arrogance to those affected by it. I've been labled ungraceful. Sure, that I can swallow. Lazy? I can be just that, and then the laziness kicks in its big brother, apathy, and so I just don't care. But these are new attacks on my person that I wasn't ready to deal with, and I wanted to know if any of the rest of you had already faced such foes - two things that I wouldn't claim to be above but have never really worried about their presence in my life until now. Am I just over-reacting? Am I wasting your precious time rambling about my self-image? Arrogant lazy ungraceful (Robbie might add bastard in here)... Ya know, if it's raining, you guys can just pour some more in here and affirm that I'm a cowardly fraud. Better to know now than to be disillousioned until later. Like anybody even would want to follow this up with any direct posting. Sorry for a blog-killer of a question. It literally takes over my thoughts at all points of the day. It was bound to take over my blogging. Other than that, I hope all is well in your lives, and please ignore this and keep posting.

Ok, ok, ok. I concede. I'll post after probably about 6 months of being chaste of this blog. Its still always nice to look on here and see that so many friends are doing so well and to also know what's on everyone's mind. Possibly the reason for my lack of posts was a period where I really didn't want to think about Crown. The way I see it, college is kind of like highschool. Once you're out it is so not cool to still be associated your "college days", but as I think about it more and more I realize that as bitter as I was at Crown, I can't complain one bit. Honestly it wasn't so bad. I look at the lives of some of my old highschool friends and I see that for all the rules and things at Crown it did one great thing for us: it helped us stay moral. All in all I would say that we are in a better place due to our times at Crown. Besides now that I've moved passed all the negativity all I have now are amazing friendships. That can't be all bad.

Now to what I've been doing. Obviously Jessie and I got married back in February and its been a blast to be hitched. We bought a house up in Isanti. Its great here...very quiet, but yet, not too ridiculously far away. Come visit sometime.

I'm still working at Guitar Center. I just got promoted to assistant manager. It's funny, whenever I tell people that the first thing peopel say is "Assistant manager? Like, of the whole store?" Yeah, of the whole store. However, before I officially take over I have to manage the accessories department (guitar strings, pedals etc.). I know nothing about this stuff....It should be interesting.

I'm also leading worship at a church up here in Isanti. Its an Asseblies of God church called Harvest Christian Center. Its great to have a community and we've met a couple of great friends who actually live close to us. The church is pretty new. We're about to procede from being a "home church plant" into official standing in the AG pretty soon. I knew God would take care of us...like there was any doubt.

Jessie is still teaching and coaching the dance team at North Branch High School. She's pretty pumped because next year she gets the pleasure of teaching Shakespeare. Many of you may appreciate it. The best thing about being married to a teacher is the stories she comes home with. Ask her sometime about the kid who put a staple through his hand...on purpose.

Anyways, that's that. I moved blogs over to blogspot recently. If you want to read it you can go here. So update those links and you can learn more.

Hello friends!
This is a crazy time to be in England, but I am fine; thanks to many of you for all of the concerned e-mails. I am still loving my time here, and am almost halfway done with my courses. I realized that I have not really posted anything about my time at Oxford since I got here, and instead of crowding up the Crown blog, you can read all about Lynnea's adventures in England on my personal blog: www.lynneafaith.blogspot.com
July 9th was my first entry if you care to scroll down and read in chronological order. Most of my entries are longer and more detailed than what I care to inflict upon the all of the readers of this site, so this way you can visit the site yourself instead of me thrusting all of the details of my trip on unwanting recipients. I will try to post more on here in the future, but my internet access is SO limited here that I never know when I will be able to post or not.
I hope everyone is having an amazing summer, Cheers!

Why did I decide to be in ministy? That is the question that I have been asking myself since I started as youth pastor in Menahga a year ago in June. Unfortunatly that answer can today. One of my students just found out that his brain tunor has doubled in size in the last couple weeks. He had it removed alittle over one year ago and discovered it was back about a month ago.

He is going to be having surgery on the 2nd of August to have it removed again. His mom told me tonight that we are basically buying time now. This is a 13 year old! He should not have to deal with that stress! It isn't far, but it is life.

However, the last night of SonShine, I was able to talk to him. That night he accepted Christ! I have never thought of the gospel as something so simple before. Here we are arguing about things like the reasons dancing should be allowed at Crown and what God thinks about drinking. Matt didn't look at the gospel the same way I ever have. He saw it as a VERY PRACTICAL application to his life.

When I began my relationship with Christ, it made me feel good that I was friends with Christ, and someday when I die, I will go to Heaven. Matt looked at me after we prayed and said "I have never felt so close to God." When is the last time we really felt close to God?

I wish that all of you could have seen the relief on the face of Matt. Here is a 13 year old knowing that death is sooner than later, but for the first time he knew what would happen when he died. It doesn't make leaving his family any easier, but it does give some hope.

If you have time, pray for Matt and his family. We will be leaving on Sunday for Storm Camp (local work camp). Pray that he would be safe, but even more importantly pray that he could grown in his relationship with Christ in that week. Also pray that God would use Matt's story to touch the lives of other campers. I am excited about what God is going to do and about the time that I am going to have to spend with Matt.

This situation is by far the most difficult I have had to deal with yet as a youth pastor. It isn't easy listening to a 13 year old tell you how scary it is to know you have cancer in your brain. It isn't easy when he asks you why God allowed this in his life, and it isn't easy when he asks you to pray that it would be removed and so you do, later to find out that instead of being removed it is twice the size as before. Those things are not covered in school or in any text book. Sometimes life isn't simple, infact, sometime life just straight up SUCKS. This is one of those times. No other way to say it.

Chris

Gabe, you rock. I was worried my ranting would be offensive or feel like written abuse, but it seems like we were saying the same thing, at least with being grown up. Interesting. It's good that you can clarify things, because apparently I just keep writing, hoping more words mean more transparency.
My question to you now comes from my recent reading of McLaren's Generous Orthodoxy, a question that has more to do with our Christian sub-culture and my concerns and aggravations with that than you, since I do hold your aims and thoughts in high regard. Not wanting to promote some water bottles along our route, but can we consider the race and the finish as a singular unit? I mean, I find a dangerous current that is hopefully fading within our "church culture" that tends to look so hard at the finish line, it almost forgets the race itself and the meaning that it contains. I don't think we should be against pleasures, because it is like you said, a foretaste of heaven, and a God-given gift. Pain is a necessary gift, I would say, concluding that pain in all forms is intended to keep us safe by telling us something is wrong or dangerous, but pleasure seems to not be a corresponding necessity. I just am unprepared to leave off pleasure in this world as though it is an ascetic spirituality we are called to. So then this time-wasting question in my mind moves towards identifying what is neutral and what is wrong, and trying to right the wrong, but leave those things which are neutral to be non-issues. And the thing I think we cannot fear is that we have wasted time that can never be recovered... only because God can redeem all things, and seems to be perfectly good at turing the wrong right. In no way do I wish to diminish the joyous anticipation of heaven. The earth's only promise to us is suffering and death. The government's is taxes. But, I've been wrestling with the idea of heaven and hell starting here with us, as though the finish line starts with the race, if that is intelligible in the least. It's just a knee-jerk of mine, not to you, but to the church that I at least grew up in trying to get me to figure out how to get my soul saved for heaven instead of seeking God's kingdom and will on earth as it is in heaven. I think some of those last frustrations I've felt towards the medium in which we lived at school and am just now coming out now, and I hope those frustrations of mine don't frustrate anybody else, unless it be in hopes of better things. I could just keep going, but I won't. I'm glad we've gotten to chat, Gabe. If nobody asks questions, I think answers are never found.

Hubka,

Thank you for your comments. I appreciated them. I will offer rebuttal just for the sake of fun, but in no way to express any need to argue points. it was nice to have some insight into my post.

I first would agree whole-heartedly that there is not an actual point in life when we grow up or that growing up is more like a myth. That is really my point. I assumed life would make me a "grown up", but instead I have all the things that go along with being a "grown up" without seeing myself like what I want to be as one. It was more of a relization that I have not made that choice to be a the man I have always dreamt of being. I realized that the time truly is now, because nothing magical was going to get me there. The point was not so much on being a grown up, but on being the man of God that I have assumed I would become and have not.

The second opinion you shared was with "wasted time." I must say with all respect to your writing that I very much think that wasted time is not just a perception. When I think of either sitting down to read my bible or playing video games alone for three hours. There is an obvious difference to me. Something that has been on my mind lately has been the fact that I truly do not live with an eternal perspective. Ted Dekker says Christianity is in a state of slumber. We have lost all sense of hope and joy in thinking about heaven. We live not for our eternal inheritance, but for the simple pleasures of life. I am guilty of this and in it I believe that I am wasting my time. An example that Ted Dekker uses is the thought of running a race. (a thought that is most foreign to me in my fatty fat fat state of being) he says that we run with the hope of the next water station and have lost our hope in finishing the race. Our goal has shifted from the end of the race to a lesser joy in a cup of water. The water station signifies the God given pleasures of this life. They are given to enhance our expectations of eternity. They are only a foretaste of our future in Christ yet we seek them over as if they were the end goal. My point behind not wasting my time is to say that I no longer want to live life seeking the next water station, but rather in joyous expectation of the amazing inheritance I have with Christ. It is there that I will find the pleasures of this life truly godly. The more this happens the more I grow in my relationship with him. If I waste 20 years seeking pleasures from this earth. I have 20 less years to grow closer to God. I hope that makes sense. Thanks for your insight. It reallt got me thinking.

Well, if we're onto writing serious, introspective blogs with serious questions, I can go along with that. So, my opening salvo is as follows: Can truth be contradictory? Because I wonder, hypothetically, if I were to say something contrary to what Gabe the babe wrote, could it be at once as true and yet in direct contrast to what he has written, assuming that to be true as well? Now, I don't plan to contradict Gabe's entire written work, as it was a very direct and true statement from a man I admire and trust, but there is a sense in which I disagree (possibly from the ancient habit of ours to take the antagonist's position at any time to render the truth more perceivable, hopefully). My main contention is with the idea of being grown up. Maybe it's the immaturity talking (I don't have a job, a girlfriend, children, or any sort of responsibilities beyond a loan payment and some upcoming plane tickets to pay off), but I think you have to grow up to realize there's no such thing. I think it's a myth, like Atlantis or America ever as a Christian nation. I believe it to be perception, not a state of being or, hoping not to offend or attack in any way those who have so fervently written before me, even a choice. I think it is the distance that I saw between myself and my elders, and I have only watched that distance shrink into nothingness as years past. The actual number of years between myself and my parents hasn't changed, but my understanding of what their lives must have been like, and how mine is similar and different, has changed my perception of them. So says the childless, spouseless, vagrant of a college graduate without direction or form to his general life. Oh, I did have one other comment I wished to make to answer Gabe, or maybe alienate and bring more unnerving silence from everyone. I was thinking about wasting time (something that is closer to my profession than anything else); we all waste time. Much of life is unnecessary at best, and there is solid, godly direction in feeling the need to do more with what we have, to cut out some unnecessary in hopes of instead doing something that meant... something. But, wasted time... now that's perception. Maybe you must lose some precious moments in order to appreciate the moments which undoubtedly contain what matters in this life. So that leads us further; can we categorize life into two simple realms: Things that happen, and things that happen that possess meaning? An example would help. Let's say you spend time with a person (I am automatically thinking of that significant other that is yet alive in my imagination alone); is every moment, every action, every thought and word meaningful? Now, even though it's not all meaningful (everything is only meaningful if you're trying to read into everything that happens, not that people [some female] do that), it's not wasted time, right? Well, can that translate into the rest of our lives? I mean, if every moment was equally meaningful, there would be no such thing. I'm just trying to say that you need the contrast of meaningful activity to "wasted time". Otherwise I have no disagreement with Gabe. I can't say I'm there with him, but I remember similiar times and moods that I have dealt with in the past. I mean, my most consistent interaction during my day is with a six-month-old rambunctious dog, thus giving me the credit of your average 8-year-old. Whatever, I think I'll just complain that nobody is writing so that we'll hear something from Lynnea, because I'm worried about her in that crazy country called England. Anybody else? Or is it just me, Gabe, and Jasmine on this one (Folkestad, I saw your comment, and I'll call you sometime here, or you could just call me). Well, hope that wasn't the most boring thing you ever read (if it is, read some academic analysis of the economic and agricultural causes of the French Revolution, then we'll talk). Where's Duerkop, anyway?

What do you want to be when you grow up? Did you ask that question of yourself as a child? Do you ask it still? I find myself asking that question often or at least thinking about it. I often dream of what I could be or who I would like to be. I dream of being a man of God like David or Moses. Men who were sold out for God. Men who were passionate about the creator of the universe. I dream of life somehow changing me into a man who lives in the Word and on his knees day and night. I think about a day when people will come to me for wisdom and guidance because I am known to be connected to the great Counselor. I often think of such things and wonder what I will be molded into when I grow up. Am I alone in this fantasizing? Am I the only one who dreams that life experience will mold me into a better person and better Christian?

This past year has been one of awakening to a horrible reality. My life has been one of looking to the future. I have been labeled or given myself the label of "potential" for far too long. This past year I have learned that "I have grown up" and all my hopes and dreams for adulthood have not happened like planned in my wondering thoughts. I am discontent with who I am as a follower of Christ. I find myself asking "what happened to all my potential?" I thought I would be something special by growing up. The reality is I have tried to rely on fate to change me instead of changing my fate. I have left the responsibility of becoming a man after God's heart up to the worldly experiences and have not taken the initiative to be a passionate pursuer of God. There is a line from the movie "without a paddle" that says "you can lose all your money and work hard and make it all back, but when you lose your time, you never get it back." What a nugget of truth in such a stupid movie.

I have come to the point this week where I am fed up with being half-hearted. I am sick of looking to potential without experiencing progress. I have wasted time that will never be made up. Today I become a man. Today I grow up. Not because time passes, but because I am choosing to live like the name to which I have been called. I will work ever hour to try to uphold my identity as a follower of Christ. There is no potential in me, only Christ. I will no longer ask the question of who I want to be when I grow up, but who am I going to be today. I encourage you, if you hold to the name of Christian, to ask such questions of yourself.
Always remember 2 Corinthians 5:17 (look it up)

too much late night solitaire playing leads to red and black colored dreams. yeah. it is sort of scary.

hi Crown. well, hi to several lunch tables from Crown.

the sonshine festival is well underway in the lucky village of willmar, mn. i wish i was there right now. loud music, no matter the supposed genre. instead, i can shower with hot water-- so that is ok too.

i hit a deer a bit ago. i did not go flying as brad did, wow. but the vehicle was totaled none the less. right now i am looking into purchasing a cow or the "rusty but trusty" station wagon that was advertised recently. i don't know, it is a toss-up: a jersy coat, or possible wood-panneling. see. i warned you that it was a toss-up.

i am in denial that it is the middle of july. i just am and i don't know what to do with myself. so i make smoothies and i mow and i get together with people and than we talk about how it is the middle of july and that is crazy and surreal and it shant be so i bury myself in denial agian. the smoothies only solidify the fact that i am attempting to deny, but it is comforting and tastey so i just allow the cycle to continue.

good night. i might go to bed now. might. might you? might is one of those "weird" words when you say it a lot.

oh-- 5 year reunions-- h.s. what did you guys do? i am in the process of planning boyceville's and it is late and should have been done before --- anyways... if you have suggestions, please share. thank you. yeah.

miss krista wolfe is now a mrs. you all know her, so maybe be happy with her. happiness all over.

Hey all,
Sorry for the long lapse in posting. Not that anyone is interested in the life up North in Menahga, MN. Kate and I are doing well. Kate is working for 4H and a cool little coffee shop right now. Hopefully she will be getting a new job soon. It would make life alittle easier!

I just want all you people working in churches to know that you NEED to get Yallah Kawalla to come and visit your church. His story is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! I can promise that your congregation or youth group will be blown away and challenged in ways that they have never een before.

Also, he is trying to raise money for his final year of masters classes at Wesmenster (SP) He will be graduating this year. He doesn't get any financial aid from anywhere. It would be great to see him supported by some of the people from Crown. Obviously we are not in a place that we can shell out cash, but we can support him through our churches and through our prayers. Plus if you have him at your house, you will not stop laughing! He is a great guy. This is the second time we have had him at our church.

He will be in Minneapolis till Auguest 15th. It would be great if you could hook up with him!

Sorry for the serious un-Folkestad like blog..

Have a great day!
Chris

Well, I'll keep this short. It appears I have contracted some form of minor bronchitis along with some nasal infection, nothing serious enough for hospital time, but it's been rough enough on me lately that I made my first doctor's visit since going to Crown. Besides a decongestant and an antibiotic, he told me to switch to diet Mt. Dew. I'm down with the drugs, but the health advice isn't something I can go along with for sure right now. We'll see. Did any of you at the wedding have this thing? I'm just trying to figure where the bronchitis came from. You can't get bronchitis from kissing, can you? I'm actually asking to figure if I can transmit it now, ya know, in case an opporunity arises which I cannot let pass for fear of contagion or general public health. Who on here has any health knowledge, anyway? We're all ministry, liberal arts people, right? Oh well. Yeah, short, I know. I'm done. By the way, my throat hurts.

Hello. Here's the short and sweet version of my current life: I love it here in Oxford, and never want to leave. I am learning so much every day that I feel like my head is going to explode. It is so incredible. More later, I have VERY limited internet access.

Hubka,

It is good to have you back on the blog. Duerk thank you for the pictures. It was fun to see people again even if only in pictures. I was a little disappointed to see Kristin (Brown-noser) write a comment. The only reason I was disappointed was because the Bach's have not blogged and I would love to hear what is happening in their lives. People who read the blog and fail to write are using the rest of us who read and then foolishly express our life story to the world.

So I was on vacation this past week. It was a very relaxing trip to my in-laws. The weird part is that when we came home everything had changed. By everything I mean our daily schedule with our girls. It was quite amazing to see how much they grew up in one week. They both now have teeth and I have one who can crawl. This makes life far more interesting. The both love to attempt to pull themselves up on anything regardless to whether such an item can actually support their weight. Everytime they play Jess and I are constantly behind them trying to make sure they do sustain injury. That is really what parenting is all about. Life is a constant attempt to keep your kids out of harm. It is all worth it! The other day I had my daughter crawl to me for the first time. Their is not many better moments in life.

I have a few personal questions for people. Please respond if you read the blog.

Adam - Do you still exist? If the answer is yes please indicate so by posting a blog. Also when you move up hear this fall you should come to my church. We could really use your gifts to produce some fruit.

Kyle - Do you still exist? If the answer is yes please indicate by posting a blog.

Robbie - How is life after manhood? Let us know what is going on since you tired the knot.

Bach's - What is happening in your lives? When are you moving back to the promised land of Minnesota? When you do I know a great church you can get involved in.

Brad - How dare you post about a motorcycle accident and then not post again to let us know how you are doing. Please update us on the situation.

Lynnea - Could you please bring me back a shirt from Oxford? I would love for people to think that I am smart because of the clothes I wear.

To everyone else excluding Duerk and Hubka - Please post more so we can know what is happening in your lives.

Good day

Well, at the request of Mr. and Mrs. Bacheldor, I am here to fill in, how you say, the rest of the story (now I'm wondering if that phrase is copyrighted and if I'm gonna get in trouble with the EPA or whatever). I awoke the morning after Josh Mann's nuptual vows in the basement of a stranger's house. Sadly not like so many people after weddings, finding themselves with a bridesmaid or such, but I was in a sleeping bag on the floor, one sleeping bag away from a cuddling Daniel Bubna and Nathan Miller. It was a wonderful way to wake up, but when I tried to join the fun, I found my lungs on the verge of some catastrophic breakdown, so I ran into the bathroom for a caughing fest. I'm sad I missed out on the bonding time. So, we all woke up, ate some sort of late morning breakfast (I had Reeses cereal for the first time - interesting, but I'm not a breakfast eater), and tried to get on the road sometime around 11. Or maybe we tried to get on the road much earlier than that, and we only got out just after 11. Whatever the case, I had a new passenger with myself and Mr. Duerkop in my thousand-island-colored 1992 Ford Tempo - Mr. Bubna himself. He wanted to plug in his iPod and listen to some Damien Rice, and I was down, so to speak. Soon enough we were off driving again, and of course, Fluffy was in the lead, flying like a blond-headed chiroptera out of Gehenna, and we drove down (that is correct, south from Salem, the opposite direction that all of us would eventually go, but there was a method to this madness) to Corvallis to cut over to the coast. It was a beautiful drive, me and Bubna and Duerk kickin' it to some sweet tunes, winding around tree-covered hillsides and through leaf-covered canopies (that made me slightly claustrophobic), eventually reaching Newport with the ocean stretched out before us like a giant picnic blanket. First, I was taunted at our gas-station stop by a Quiznos that would apparently be open soon, but obviously not soon enough. We headed north in search of lunch (it was something near 1 or 1:30), passing just about every place you could imagine except Chipotle (Subway, Burger King, just imagine with me). Finally, the van blinker turns on and we're looking to turn into the Arby's parking lot. Ah, that's exactly what we wanted you to think! Ha, we flipped a U and went all the way through town again. We drove so far that we took a bridge out of town over a little ocean bay. What'd we do shortly after we'd crossed the bridge? We flipped around again and went back to -guess where?- Arby's. It was a lovely meal, and I probably put too much food in me (three regular roast beefs and plenty of curly fries), and then it was time to swim. Kidding. But we did head off in search of a beach. Well, with Bubs and Duerk and me, all we wanted to do is jump out and start running on the sand, like Chariots of Fire minus the sweaters and weird haircuts. After a while Bubna finally reached across to my steering wheel and honked the horn, and we pulled over. It was a tough climb down the side of this cliff, but it was worth it because there was only another guy and his dog down there, and it was a gorgeous beach. The water was sort of like... Minnesota water about the beginning of April. It hurt your body just to be in it. We also learned that frisbee is nearly impossible on the beach. But, soon enough, we were off again, driving south. We stopped once to see a giant canyon thing with the ocean waves in the bottom of it. That was scary. And then we drove some more and stopped to look at the sea LIONS lounging like I have always wanted to- minus the ocean. Well, this is a lot of writing to try and get to us all being in Eugene with Rhonda Johnson at a place called The Roadhouse. Don't get it confused with Texas Roadhouse, even though that would be easy since they appear to be identical. Me and Bach had a brew, me and Bubna shared some ribs; I ate sweet rolls like manna. Ironically, me and Bach were the two drivers, but we were both fine by the time we got out of there. We said our goodbyes, and me and Duerk hit the road for a two and a half hour drive back to Portland/Vancouver. Duerk had spent two nights at my brother's place and had only met Gonzo, the wild-eyed crazy-legged schnoodle. So, I carted Duerk to the airport the next morning, and life returned to normal, sort of. I did have a church invitation from probably one of the most beautiful women on earth, but that's a story for another blog. Sorry for another extensive look into my life and times. So, what's happening with you? Yeah, me neither.