I'm not sitting down to write as early as I had hoped to, so we'll see if I actually post yet tonight.

Some of you may have heard by now that Angie was offered a new job. :) No one could be more deserving. She worked really hard throughout her search, drafting resumes and cover letters, preparing for interviews, writing thank-yous, etc. It all paid off, and I couldn't be more proud of her. It's also a relief for me, too. For one thing, I'm glad that she won't have to make the drive to and from Omaha every day. As those of you out there who regularly commute know too well, it takes a toll on you. Furthermore, looking for and securing new employment is stressful and sometimes disappointing, but Angie put on a strong front and did her very best not to become frustrated. Even so, it was hard to watch her work so diligently toward pursuits that sometimes turned up fruitless. But I guess that makes the final victory all the more enjoyable.

So raise your glasses in toast to Angie. She did good. :)

(By the way, I'm enjoying a glass of charddonay right now, so I actually can raise it in toast. After I finish said glass of charddonay, perhaps I'll chase it with a beer. Or another glass of charddonay. I do what I want.)

Last weekend was a good one. On Friday evening, we went to Old Chicago with Amy, Joel, Aubrie, and Jason and Cathy. Angie officially got started on the World Beer Tour. We'll see how long it takes her to complete it. Honestly, I'm not sure that it'll happen on this side of the grave, but I've been wrong before. Afterward, we watched "A History Of Violence," which starred Viggo Mortensen. Angie and Amy hated it, but I guess I've seen worse. There was some pretty sweet action, but sometimes I got the feeling that the movie couldn't decide what kind of film it wanted to be.

The following day, we went to Grand Island to attend the horse races with Angie's friend Kelly and her husband, Jack. That was pretty sweet; I had never been to the horse races before. I didn't win much, but I think Angie and I won enough combined to do a little better than break even.


Here is a pic I took with my phone of Angie with Kelly and Jack, and their two sons, Jackson and Isaac.
They were a lot of fun to meet and were excellent hosts to Angie and myself throughout the day.

It's worth noting now that I've finished my glass of chardonnay. Rather than mix wine with beer, I do believe
I'll have another thimble full or so of the wine. It would be rude not to.

. . .

And I'm back. So, anyway, on Sunday, Angie made an excellent supper of lasagne and Italian bread, and Amy made some really good dip. We also had a good cabernet sauvignon along with it. As you can probably tell by now, I've enjoyed partaking of the various spirits and liquours since the end of Lent. But not to the point of overindulgence, mind you.

Aside from Angie's good news from yesterday, I guess there hasn't been much of particular excitement going on. Dad put in for a deer permit for me, so assuming I get the permit, I'll see about shooting one next November. I've never gone deer hunting before, which is a shame because I've always wanted to. I'd definitely like to have some jerky. So we'll see how that goes. I'd have to guess that if Tom, Ross, and myself were to each shoot a buck, mine would end up being the biggest. And the cleanest shot, too. Really, what will probably happen is I'll shoot a ginormous buck, and Tom and Ross will both shoot a badger or maybe an opossum thinking that it's a deer.

Then we'll go golfing, and I'll out drive the both of them.

(If that doesn't get them going, I don't know what will.)

I had another good walk in Pioneer's Park today. Maybe I've mentioned this before, but walking the bike paths in Lincoln, especially in the park, is almost like walking in another world. Or a world inside the world, if you will. Each time I make the walk from my house to the park, there is a point in which I make a transition through a gate of trees from a world of houses, cars, and concrete to a world teeming with natural life. It's almost as if time slows down. I become more aware of the sounds, smells, and sights, and the things of the other world suddenly matter much, much less (if only for a little while). It may very well be a small taste of Heaven.

Then again, I may just be a rambling madman.

Well, that should just about wrap things up for tonight. I do have some music suggestions for you, though, which I discovered whilst listening to my LAUNCH station:

Fugue (Concierto Suite) by Yngwie Malmsteen. A killer electric guitar instrumental piece based on a classical tune.
Into The West by Annie Lennox (Lord of the Rings). This song is inspired by Frodo's passage into the West and out of Middle-Earth forever. Also, during the Maundy Thursday service I attended this year, Mary the Mother sang it just prior to the events that would go down in the Garden of Gethsemane.
The Thing That Should Not Be by Metallica. This is a song inspired by some of the stories of the mad, mad H.P. Lovecraft. Also, it's the name that Shawn and I have given to the Time Warp of Perdition that besets us pretty much every day we can't wait to leave the office.
Hey Jude by Chokocheeky (Off the Beatles Regrooved album). A slightly electronica version of a classic.

Now, a picture:


Aubrie likes to get into things. That's what children do, after all.

And finally, a haiku:

Time: We all want more.
It becomes more elusive
As we pursue it.

Ain't that the truth? G'night, folks.