Week 24

Day 161: Jan 18, 2015

What a game. Our team collapsed just like our snow fort collapsed. We played perfectly for 3/4 of the game, but when you are playing for the Superbowl you need to play perfectly for 4 out of 4 quarters. I swear I almost threw up from the stress of it all in the end. Since I am in Seahawks country I am sure I will now have to deal with the rub in but after being a Packer fan in Bear country I will take it gracefully and congratulate them on the win. If nothing else it will make them feel bad for taunting me. It is a trick I have learned through the years. The disappointing day ended on a high note, though. We watched Pitch Perfect on the big screen which is always a pick-me-up. It is funny and cute. How can you go wrong with that?

Day 162: Jan 19, 2015

Even though it was my day off, I did work on the schedule so that we can look at it and fix some things on Friday so I won't have to work much on my office day (because I did the work on my days off)

Day 163: Jan 20, 2015

I can't wait until the weather is nice again- A stream of consciousness poem

I can't wait until the weather is nice again

not because of the normal reasons (it is cold and dark) but for a very different reason

Ok it isn't that different.

I want to be able to sit outside and look at the stars for longer than 5 minutes

I love watching the big dipper slowly rise over Martin's ridge

the front edge of the dipper showing itself first

as if the dipper is dipping into the dark soup that is the winter sky

At first the dipper is only getting the broth of the night sky

but within an hour the entirety of the bowl has begun to scoop up the lighter bits and pieces

The great hand that is controlling the dipper soon realizes that there is meat at the bottom of the pot

He must get that chunk or bit so he pushed the dipper further into the sky above Martin's ridge

eventually he will get his fill of night sky soup and the dipper will move back behind the ridge

And then there is our resident mountain climber

I love him and look forward to seeing him every night and even every early morning

I love watching Orion slowly climb over Buckskin and dance over to Copper

He climbs with perfect form over the first peak and then leaps, as any war hero does, to the following peak

He doesn't have time to climb down Buckskin and then climb up Copper peak

He has a whole sky to cross before the sun chases him away

In some ways, even though I will never meet the myth, I am enamored

Orion is amazing

He has come up every night of my life

Some times he has risen over a great lake

Some times he has risen over vast fields of corn

and now he is climbing up a mountain

Over the last few weeks our regular star visitors have been joined by the Giant

Jupiter

It is hard to know that the bright star between Orion and the Big Dipper is something other than a star

It is brighter than all of the others in the sky

We see it on our wanderings through the labrynth and wonder

“That must be a planet because there is nothing else so bright”

“I heard Venus can be seen every night, is it her?”

It is much too large and bright to be our neighbor planet so we use the technology at hand

We look it up on the internet

NASA tells us that Jupiter is in the night sky and it is probably the “star” we are seeing

I can't wait for the weather to be nice again

I miss sitting on the porch swing just enjoying each other's company

I don't mind that the sun rises at 11:30am and sets at 12:30pm

The snow helps to reflect what little sun we have

I just want to lay outside and stare at the milky way and imagine what could be up there

are there more planets like our own?

Probably

Are there other planets with life on them?

why not

How many star are out there that I can't see?

I know that in Orion's belt you can see what looks like a fuzzy star

In reality it is an entire galaxy

If I could stand the cold for longer I would lay out in the snow and just stare at the sky

How many places can you go to, now, where you can see the milky way on almost a daily basis

(as long as the moon isn't full)

I can't wait until I can fully enjoy the beauty of our night sky

Dancing Orion

The Hand Dipping into night sky soup

Jupiter sparking our curiosity

The Milky Way just flowing through the sky like a stream or a scarf caught in the wind

Day 164: Jan 21, 2015

Let me explain a little about yesterday's entry. A stream of consciousness poem is basically a piece of writing that you do where you write whatever comes to mind as you go. You end up just spilling the contents of your mind onto the page and move your fingers as fast as they go. Yesterday, I was inspired by my walk home. I find myself constantly looking up into the night sky and always being amazed at what I see. We had a variety show last night and someone read their poem. I was inspired to write my own but I didn't really know where to start. That was when I looked up and immediately wished that I had a piece of paper and a pen so I could write as I walked home. It was a wonderful practice.

Day 165: Jan 22, 2015

I got second in a pool game and my dad comes tomorrow! It is all very exciting!

Day 166: Jan 23, 2015

Today was pretty great. I got my work done early and my dad is here. It was a wonderful chill afternoon. Vespers was very powerful tonight. One of my fellow cooks had a mentor die this week so vespers was rough. I ended up going over to where he was sitting and just held him for a while. He didn't need me telling him that it was going to be alright. He just needed someone to be there. On a happier note, I am going out on Monday and it will be just what I need. I have been in this village since the end of October. I haven't even gone down to the lake or really gotten out other than a short hike here and there. It is time.

Day 167: Jan 24, 2015

Today was my last day of work for something like ten days. The shift went smoothly and I was able to take a nap in the afternoon so that was good. My dad signed up for the games tournament and since I was tired I didn't really feel like I needed to be with him while he was playing cribbage in the tournament. We met back up before dinner and hung out. After dinner and vespers Dad, Pat, young Ruth and I played Settlers of Catan. It was a ton of fun except that there was a line dance going on in the same room and the caller was practically yelling into the mic that was already fairly loud. Oh well, what ya gonna do?