A Hiatus and a Change of Season.

My sophomore year Thanksgiving break exceeded all expectations. A weekend in Wheaton opened my eyes to what some quality Christian fellowship looks like, and what an evening of solid laughter can do for the spirits. A week in Topeka with family and friends will certainly be the fuel getting me through these last few weeks. Now let me plug up the hole through which all this sentimentality is oozing. Some observations.

Everything tastes better on Thanksgiving. I've had mashed potatoes and turkey at least a half dozen times this school year, but when mom pops it in the oven and dad whips up the taters with the right amount of milk and melted butter, everything comes together like the New England Patriots to make a really good meal without anything standing out.

This was the first time I felt a little bit old going into CPLS. Last year I had just graduated, everyone basically accepted me as still being a student. This year more faces were less familiar, looking at me with a hint of recognition but not really knowing who I was. I had gone from A-list to B-list. I guess I can be on Celebrity Poker Showdown now...bonus. I also hit the big 20th b-day a few weeks ago and, as Craig would say, "escaped teen pregnancy." Double bonus.

I didn't take any pictures over break and I’m kinda upset about it. Part of this is probably due to facebook. When no new pictures of you have been tagged in a while you start to wonder if your popularity is dwindling...and it probably is.

Christmas music is back. Sufjan Christmas music is here (officially) for the first time. What a wonderful combination. I'm rockin to some Amy Grant right now. Unfortunately I just realized I never ripped the Martina McBride Christmas CD onto my computer. Sad. She has piercing eyes if you didn’t know. This is the one time in the year I listen to N'Sync without feeling gay...not that there's anything wrong with that. ("Listening to N'Sync or feeling gay?" you ask. "Your call. Enjoy the ambiguity" say I.)

Soon the refreshing scent of fresh evergreen will diffuse throughout E suite in Dewey Hall and all will once again be as it should be. I eagerly await that day (Tuesday perhaps).

This week will top finals week for worst week of the semester. The great thing is that it still won't be that bad.

On an Airplane Appear Mill and Darwin

"Back to LA we go. You have family in Kansas City?"
"In-laws," He nodded his head towards his wife who was sleeping against the window. She used two crummy airplane blankets to cover herself and decided to forego the pillow for her own, less mysterious and sterile, hooded sweatshirt. "Reality actually seems like a pleasant option compared to this holiday."
I'm nodded in affirmation and pretended to listen carefully. Really, I was getting to know him, this man stuck in the middle seat while my legs stretched into the aisle and his wife slumbered. His tan blazer and in-fashion square-toed leather shoes match the image of 'actor' he was trying to exude by conspicuously flashing screenplays while shuffling through his briefcase.
"I guess in-laws feel pressure to be that way. They've got to feed the stereotype right?"
"But her parents go out of their way. It’s not even that they're mean to me. When the holidays come, everything suddenly becomes such a big decision. How big should the turkey be? How many leaves in the table? Which aunts and uncles should get invited before we eat and which do we just want for dessert? Which do we not really want to see? Who is going to sit where?'
"I have no idea what you are going through. Sorry. I'm pretty sure my family approaches Plato's form of the good. Yours must be a really demented adaptation."
"You think so? Maybe yours has just progressed farther in natural selection. My family is analogous to the Fuegians Darwin called barbarians and your family has gone through some slow subtle changes over a long period of time until it reached a point of perfection."
"If that's even possible. Sure the progression towards perfection is possible, but generally I see things as more of a regression into the animal state. When we do make progress it takes effort. It doesn't just happen. Do you see a problem with your family?"
"Well it's not exactly my family. But yes."
"Do you do anything about it? Have you confronted your in-laws, told them what they were doing wrong?"
"Well I’m just not sure if my opinion holds any weight with them. What if I’m wrong?"
"Doesn't matter. Say what you believe, if it’s wrong, the discussion could shed new light on a subject you previously misunderstood. If not, then the conflict will further strengthen the truth of the matter."