A Cornucopia of Thoughts...

For a guy that is not too comfortable with change, I do enjoy experiencing the 4 Seasons...especially the transitioning phase. Labor Day always marks the transition phase from Summer to Fall for me.

Days are starting to grow smaller and grow colder. Today was a goregous rainy & cloudy day. I sat for an hour or so in Barnes & Noble today in their nice comfy chairs...and I felt something I hadn't felt in a long time: a natural chill. Not a "they need to turn down the air-conditioning" chill, but a "i need to start breaking out the warm clothes" kinda chill. I loved it...I cherished the moment as the beginning of the Fall.

I went to my first High School Football Game a couple weeks ago. I love high school football. Now, growing up, I didn't like football mostly because I am not your typical athlete; but also because my hometown football team was excellent in losing. I didn't learn to love the sport until I moved down to Louisiana and experts in the Football World patiently educated me about the beauty of the game. I'm still not sure what all the positions mean, but I get the general idea. It now excites me to sniff the air on Friday Nights & Saturdays (the NFL can go play hockey for all I care) and smell that the pigskin is just a drive or a TV away.

I am also currently in the scariest process I have ever undertake (even more so than buying jewelry for a girl). Are you ready for this: Neil Clayton is in the process of buying a house! Now, I'm not counting my chicks before they hatch; but tomorrow I will make an offer for a house that is in the perfect subdivision here in Marion and if all goes well I could be moving in before Thanksgiving. I'm looking at a 2 bedroom, 2 bath ranch house that has a back patio that screams at me to give it a hot tub. I'll keep you posted as to how this turns out.

I had my 10 Year High School Class Reunion last night. Now that it is over, I am really glad I went. It started out as one of the most awkward experiences. I had an easier time jumping out of a perfectly operational airplane than I had in walking into the Banquet Hall last night. I'm not sure why I initially felt so odd, though. Basically there were 3 types of people there last night: Group #1 were good friends that I have stayed in contact with throughout the years, and so this was just one more good time in seeing them again. Group #2 were people I was friends with in high school but lost all contact with them since. It was good reconnecting and seeing what paths they have traveled throughout life. Group #3 were people who I graduated with, had nothing against them, to my knowledge they have nothing against me; but all-in-all could care less if I got around to talk to them. If that sounds calloused, I'm sorry...just being real here, folks. The awkwardness soon wore off and the evening turned out to be really enjoyable.

Some great reading this past month. A few books to quickly recommend:

For those armchair adventurers out there: "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer is a must-read.

For anyone interested in how the world is changing before our eyes: "The World Is Flat" by Thomas Friedman will excite you & scare you at the same time.

For those who need a retreat for the soul: I'm currently reading "Blue Like Jazz" by Don Miller. Thanks to Andy for this hand-0ff...the reading is already providing care for my soul.

Finally, for my science-geek friends: I'm currently listening to the unabridged audiobook of "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson. Very well written for the scientifically-challenged reader, like yours truly, educating in a sophisticated humor that leaves you laughing at the current moment and 2 hours later when you finally get the deeper humor.

Well, folks, you are just about caught up. For those of you that endured through this long post, you are to be commended for your perseverance and I thank you for you commitment to finish what you started! :-) One more post will be along shortly displaying pictures of some warrior poets on the water! Hope this post finds you living dangerously in the moment that is currently before you! Blessings!!