My head still spins around, reeling, in a daze. The alarm blared early this morning, and I just smacked it off again and again and again. It wouldn’t make this twisted dream disappear, and I didn’t want to arise and face the day. A 5 o’clock shadow graces my face at 7 a.m., but I don’t care. Looking into the mirror is like peering into my soul. Unshaven, disheveled, and still in shock. Splash some water on your face and it doesn’t go away. I can only pray and hope that sanity will return.

This world is not my home.

Lousy orange cones. I’d just gotten off work, the windows were rolled down, the perfect summer rock n’ roll song was blaring on the radio, and I was driving fast. I whip into the driveway and see the parking lot blocked off with orange cones. They decided to pave the parking lot this week. Thanks. So I have to park way off in the boondocks, and walk back to my dorm room.

Then the next time I leave, I have to walk all the way out to my truck. This is not going to be a fun week. Then as I walk along, I look up, and realize what a beautiful day it is. The sun is shining, it’s not that hot, and–there’s a rainbow, out of the middle of nowhere! It wasn’t even raining!

Yeah, hi Kevin. This is God. Remember me?

Happy Birthday to me. Happy Birthday to me. Happy Birthday dear me, Happy Birthday to me.

Yep, today’s my birthday. And in case you’re worried about me being on my own and not being treated properly on my birthday, feel free to shower me with goodies. But seriously, I’m fine. My parents sent a balloon and a couple boxes of cookies. The more fun thing about having a birthday is that I can talk about it here.

I went downtown and yo-yoed today, and I was tempted to stop in every restaurant and ask if they had any kind of “free food on your birthday” deal. And more than any other birthday in my life (up to this point), I’ve actually been forced to think. I turned 20 today. 20. I’m not a teenager anymore. I’ve been around for two decades. I was born at the end of the seventies. Whoa. But I guess I am still a kid at heart. My mom said I was still a kid when I talked to her tonight. I mean c’mon, I was downtown yo-yoing today. What kind of an adult does that? It still surprises me how old I am. “Kids” like me have fought and died in wars. “Kids” like me have been married with kids of their own. “Kids” like me have changed the world.

And I guess as a true measure of adulthood, I took the train downtown today. Oh the joys of mass transit! Public transportation is just cool. I like to drive, but why fight traffic for over an hour, when I can just sit on my butt and read a book or drift off to sleep? I thought it was pretty cool. More cities need trains like Chicago. Also while I was downtown, I saw the cows! Way cool.

Aren’t summers supposed to be slow and lazy? What happened? Did I grow up or something?

And 600 miles later I’m home. Whew. What a trip. Too many sights, too many thoughts, and too many miles.

A 12 hour drive is pretty boring, and you have to find someway to entertain yourself. I think I managed nicely. The 6-disc CD changer helps too.

Way-too bright, fluorescent, spandex pants on a guy in the bathroom of a rest area in Michigan and free donut holes at a gas station in Wisconsin.

In Chicago, express lanes mean just that. You always thought a meat wagon was an off color name for an ambulance? Nope, in Wisconsin that’s the truck that drives along the shoulder of the freeway picking up the road-kill deer.

Eerie fog tinted red with brake lights and lightning so heavy in the distance it looked like a strobe light.

Kevin, the navigation wonder, makes a blunder and tours parts of downtown Chicago. I should get lost more often, downtown Chicago looks like a fun place.

People fighting in Target over a shopping cart, you consider doing something, but what can you? They were acting worse than 5-year-olds.

And if you really want a thrill, try driving through Chicago-rush-hour traffic while playing the soundtrack to the new Star Wars movie. That’s freaky.

Continue reading Random Thoughts During a 12-Hour Drive →

Ah, one more day of finals mayhem to go. Yeah, I admit it, I do get off pretty easy. But I’ve had a fairly stressful few weeks. But it’s almost over. Ah. Then I can finally dig my desk out. See what color it really is.

Why is it that when I’m the busiest, the most stressed out, and the most in need of it, I don’t turn to the one that can truly help me?

Ah the joy of finals week. I have to be up in six hours, and I really don’t care. I suppose that’s better for you, because then I don’t worry about how late it is and how I should be sleeping, when instead I’m sitting here typing away about nothing. Yeah, point proven.

You know what? My desk is a mess. I think when I get busy, all organizational skills go out the window. I just throw everything on or near my desk, and it just piles up. It was getting to a point today where you couldn’t distinguish the desk from the floor. It was just one big heaping pile in the corner. Papers flowing everywhere, kind of like the rolling hills of the Appalachian Mountains. I shoveled some of it farther into the corner to appease my roommate, but it’s still a mess. Oh well, I’m all done Tuesday night, and I can start the sifting process then. I’ll be interested to see what’s actually in the lower strata. Probably an over due library book or two.

In other fun and exciting news, one of my good friends and roommates returned to school today. He’s been in England for the past semester, and he came back for a few days to hang out and pick up the rest of his stuff. I think the best comment I’ve heard so far is when somebody said, “Hey Tim, you’re back. Say something English.” For me it clicked that Tim was back when he stretched out on the floor with a pillow. All that was missing was a book he was way behind in reading. Welcome home Tim, it’s good to have you back.