Guess Who's Back

Hello Dear Readers!
It has been far, far too long since I wrote something for you all. I would like to point out that I have still had the thoughts in my head, but I haven't had the time, or sometimes the equipment to actually get one those thoughts down. First the equipment. My computer broke, like, smoke smells broke, so that was a downer. Fortunately, one of the awesome families in my church had an extra laptop, which they very kindly gave to me. Thank you Myers family! Only in Silicon Valley do people have "extra" laptops. I have also been insanely busy since the roadtrip, and sick a couple of times, so it has taken me a while to get back into a somewhat regular life. But now, here we are. I'm sitting on the couch, watching the Olympics, still a little sweaty from playing some football. Good times!

So, I'm not sure if anyone has noticed, but there is this international sporting thing happening. Apparently it happens every four years. Whatever that is about. Anyway, I've been watching, and it is pretty interesting. Short track speedskating, snowboard cross, snowboarding, and some of the skiing sports are pretty interesting. The sport of games, the sport that is totally amazing, and really engaging....CURLING! I know, I know, that's so white. And geeky. But whatever. It is amazing! So stragetic. I was watching with Jack and Tama, the couple I sometimes stay with in Pacific Grove, and Jack and I were amazed. Tama was distracted, and she kept looking up curling related questions on her laptop. Jack and I alternated between amazement at the play, the accuracy, the teamwork, the stratagy, and frustration at the commentators. One had obviously lost the drawing, and was being forced to cover curling. He knew so little, he didn't even know what questions he needed to ask. The other was a curler, and had been for 50 years. He knew tons, and didn't do even close to enough explaining. He was using all these curling words, and going on about tactics, while the rest of us were still trying to figure out the scoring and who gets to go when. It was nuts. There have also been tons of stirring Olympics storylines. Married ice skaters, fathers and the redemptive qualities of their children, the motivational effect of handicapped brothers, etc, etc. This is why we love the Olympics.

 I've also been spending a fair amount of time working at the Habitat site, which has been a lot of fun. My hammering skills have gotten a heck of a lot better, and I'm starting to pick up the lingo. Last time I was out there, I got to put a header in for one of the garages. For those of you who don't know what a header is, it is a very big piece of wood, and it is the primary load-bearer for any opening. Because any opening doesn't have the studs in place that are needed, the header takes that weight, and transfers it to the studs that are next to it. Doors, windows, openings, they all get headers. Anyway, I'm learning some good stuff, and some of the guys have been teaching me some really helpful stuff. I have my own hardhat, and I'm looking for some stickers to put on it. If you have a sticker you would care to donate to the Chris Hardhat Project, let me know!

That has been a fair amount of my life recently, but I am going to do my best to stay up on things now.
One other thing that happened recently was my 18th birthday two days ago. Guess that is kind of significant. I have heard from a few of you about how absurd my lackluster celebration was. It is one day. A difference of one day, and now my country and society sees me as an "adult" while the day before I was similar in pretty much every way. Physically, mentally, emotionally, there were minuscule, if any changes over the course of that night. Its not that I don't like celebrating, getting presents, etc. I really enjoyed getting congratulated, and getting raspberry tart for dessert, and having corn dogs and tater tots for dinner, but I don't think the clear line between adulthood was actually meaningful. Its not like there was some kind of rite of passage, some test of manhood, and all the privileges that I now have that I didn't before were all granted to me by my government or society. People that know me aren't really going to change how they treat me because I am a day older. Or  two days older.

Enough ranting. I'm going to bed now.
Its good to be back!