varying degrees of light

Tonight we watched K-Pax and I realized and affirmed that Kevin Spacey is one of my favorite actors. Break is going well - to elaborate in a handful of Hemingway-esque sentences: The sun shines. The naps are long. The decisions are impulsive. The Veldkamps have a pool table. And I would't be disappointed if we watched a film at the end of every evening.
Today, we walked through Black Walnut State Park with Joel's dog and everyone got muddy. The trees were stark and bare, silhouettes against the bright March sky. I was thankful that the iPod left in my bag and that my amigos felt little need to converse - it would be difficult to hear the breeze with any other noise going on... and a soft wind rippling its way through a walnut grove is a gorgeous sound.
We washed our jeans, our shoes and the dog and I took a nap, first because I was tired (Joel and I stayed up the night before reading, he the Ender's Game, me Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver and if I care for you at all, reader, I'm going to beg you to read it - if I am desperately in love with you, I'll buy it for you. Anyway, I kept interrupting him to say that my book was more important/funny/outrageous. It is.) but then I woke up and decided to sleep more to bring the total to three hours. Because I could. And because I was emotionally invested in the dream - it was almost like watching a film about my life. Why not?

Hey Ruby Falls, I remember you telling me about your neck. I hope you are able to walk to the smoking bridge and hear the soft wind breeze its way through the bare vegetation. Did it snow in Sioux Center today? Eat good food, read good books and I hope that this neck issue will be over soon.

You there, we're going to hookah with our marathon when I get back. It's going to rock and we'll have the best conversations like we always do. Hope you're raking in the money from the old folks.

Lady, we'll see you (and your family, coffeehouse, cow, goat, flowers) soon. (You too Angel. You and your greenhouse.) We're going to visit Buddhists and a farmer's market tomorrow. Wanna come? I might call you in the morning to see if you want to.

Desperate Housewife - hope the trip is going just as planned and that you are having fun toying with all the guys. Tell Randy and Rachel that seventeen years old isn't young, but young enough to get away with anything. They'll know what it means. Crazy times. Hope you make it to a record store - say hi to everyone I told to take care of you.

Beard-o, both of you - current and former - are missed, by me. I'm looking for smoking perephenilia (cigs, cigars, hookah, incense, etc) here in Des Moines.

Caramel Cake, hope Canada was a good choice for break. I'm sure it was.

Guy on soapbox, did you eat the steak?

And the rest.