I Heart Bend

So, on Saturday was the much anticipated "I Heart Bend." It was a wonderful and inspiring day of everyday people serving the city they love and the people who need it. I went with a group that did yard work for a much deserving family taking care of their elderly grandparents. It kind of felt like Extreme Home Makeover, except without Ty yell constantly and no Sears. However, Many other people did a lot of work for the city, including painting fire hydrants. One such negligent painter evidently spilled red paint all over our driveway. I wasn't too mad, being that it's not my house, I guess, but when Nancy, my house mom, came home, she decided to go out there right away and start cleaning it. I've never tried to clean paint off of concrete, but it looks really hard to do. After working for a while, she gave up, so now it just looks like a dark red smear. If you didn't know it was paint, you might think someone or something suffered a fatal injury or punched their last ticket, as they say.

Face masks

I've always thought that face masks were the weirdest things. You know, the ones people sometimes wear during the climax of an epidemic such as swine flu or that one in Asia. I guess they've become quite popular. I've even seen fashion face masks on TV with clever designs like a pig snout or a skull (so it looks like half of your face has been stripped of its flesh). The first time I remember seeing one is when I was in second grade. We always had an assistant teacher helping in the room so we could all have extra one on one attention during work time. One day we were in the computer lab (I think I was drawing a picture with a paint program) and the assistant teacher was wearing one of these absurd masks. I remember thinking that she looked ridiculous and wondering why someone would risk social exclusion just to be healthy. Since then, I've never wanted to wear a mask; they smell funny, and like I said before, look ridiculous. That is, until today. I finally understand why someone would wear a mask. No, I'm not contagious. I actually woke up today and discovered a sky completely blocked out by smoke. Holy cow. I've never seen so much smoke in my life. I heard it either came from Eugene or northern California. Wherever it came from, it stinks, and it actually makes my eyes hurt! Every time I breath it's like eating smoked pork (except without the pork, or course). Even when I'm inside, I feel like I just got back from a bonfire cause my clothes smell like smoke. I hope whatever is happening in Eugene or northern California ends soon. I know I shouldn't be complaining. They have it much worse than I do. What we take from this is a reminder of those who are suffering because of the fires. Keep praying for them.

Wesley's life-changing decision

Some people have told me that I have small ears. I don't know if that's true, I mean, I've never compared with anyone or measured them. But, maybe they're right, maybe I do have small ears. After all, I can only use a few types of ear buds; the rest fall out. So, I went to work out today, as I usually do. Actually, I don't normally run on the treadmill when it's so nice outside, but I need to fulfill my quota of gym visits so I can get some money from my insurance. cha-ching. Anyway, the issue with the earbuds came into play once more. I was in the locker room at the gym, just about ready to hit the 'mill, as I call it (but, I don't really call it that), when I realized that all I had in my gym bag was my ear buds. They stay in my ears fine, but when I start moving around, all hope is lost. I usually take my headphones when I run, but evidently, I didn't think that far ahead in my life. Anyway, halfway to the treadmill, I thought, why not try it one more time, after all, it works for those people over there. Plus, I'd get bored running for half an hour with nothing to listen to. So, I wore them and embarked on my run. Good thing I decided on the ear buds because there was some pretty awesome, life-changing, stuff on TV that day. First, I watched the tail end of "Family Feud," which in my opinion is always life-changing (except, I did horrible on fast money that day. I blame it on my blood flow). I only caught the tail end of Family Feud, but after that I watched a special episode of Oprah. Now you're thinking, "oh my gosh, I thought only middle-aged women watched Oprah." Not true, especially when there is a lady on the show who got her face shot off with a shotgun! And then got a face transplant surgery! Holy cow. Did anyone else see this? I guess there was a mermaid girl on the show too, but my time had reached it's limit and I slothed off of fitness machine to stretch; a new person, with a new hope in new possibilities of medical science. Who knows what could be next. Maybe I could get those cybernetic legs I've always wanted. I could be like Will Smith in "I Robot." If robots attacked, I could just kick them with my cybernetic legs right in their cold metal faces, if there was a face to speak of. Look out robots.

a moment's thought

Just a little bit ago, I came to one of those moments when everything around you--life, relationships, God, destiny--all come bundled up in one single thought in one single moment. The thought made me smile, not because of financial security or peace amongst my possessions, but because here, in this moment of life, of time, I know I am in the right place; I know I'm where God wants me to be. I feel as though I am a piece of a puzzle (it's a lame analogy, I know) that no longer fits in my space in North Dakota, my home. I may have fit there for a time, but as people change, I changed and, just as a puzzle piece would change, it would not still fit into the puzzle. I fit into a new puzzle now and have have been drawn to Bend, OR, to "fit" here for a time. Life comes one day at a time. I don't know where I'll fit next or where I'll go, but I am happy where I am now. I feel connected here. I don't have to wear my shoes and I have a special traffic lane made just for my bike. All I have to do is jog down the block from my house and soon I am thrilled by breathtaking views of Mt. Bachelor on the west and seemingly endless pines to the east. Overall, I really like it here and I've come to peace with where I am and who I am.

I used to think that the concept of driving on the right side of the road was a simple one; very easy to follow. I used to assume that everyone understood this and followed this, even on a bicycle. That is, until my life flashed before my eyes. I had never biked under Highway 97 on Franklin before. The highway isn't suspended above the ground like in big cities; it's right on the ground, but if you want to take the road underneath it, you must go slightly underground into one of those tunnels that a troll might live in. So as I was making my way down Franklin and under the highway as I came up to a separate tunnel made especially for bikes. I thought "yippy! a tunnel made just for me!" But little did I know that it was made just for me and an ignorant bicycler who just happened to be going through the tunnel at the same time. I was going one way and he the other, but this tunnel is not a very large (or well lit) one. When you go through the tunnel, it's a lot like those fully enclosed water slides. Just enough light to see where you're going (and just enough wall to silence your screams!). It's also just big enough for ONE bike. Therefore, I thought, well, it would be a good idea for me to go through this tunnel with the direction of the traffic. The idea was good, but it would've been better if I would have shared this with the crazy biker coming through the tunnel at precicelly the same time I was entering going the opposite way I was going! Holy crap, man. I could've suffered some serious injuries. I wasn't even wearing my helmet! Which, I guess, was my fault. Lesson learned: wear a helmet, because looking cool cannot protect me.

coming home from school kid

I am becoming more and more convinced that the citizens of Bend, OR are some of the most fit and in-shape people I've seen for a while. It's a very hilly town and everyone seems to bike despite the hills (I think the fact that people around here are very environmentally friendly plays as a motivational factor). One such determined individual I keep seeing biking up the "impossible hill" (I made that up myself after attempting to cycle it) comes at about 4 or 5 o' clock pedeling with all his might. I always want to honk for him, but I never know if he'll take it the wrong way or not. Personally, I would be encouraged and would be a little more energized for the next few feet, but you just never know. Maybe he would think that I was egging him on or harassing him in an I'm-in-a-car-and-you're-dumb-cause-you're-on-a-bike way. Maybe I'll muster up the courage to honk at "coming home from school kid." Maybe we'll end up becoming best friends and when people ask us how we met, we can say "I honked at him and the rest is history."

Speaking of fitness, I was working out today and, evidently, some older fellow with headphones decided to bless the entire gym with his singing. It wasn't bad or anything, but it wasn't good and it made working out weird. But, most of all he was breaking one of the most important unspoken rules of the gym: don't sing out loud (or punch the air an a dancing sort of way, which he was also doing). Call me conservative, but I disapproved.