I'm alive. I climbed that damned mountain, but there were a few moments when I thought for sure that I would be going home to Jesus.

Hopefully there will be more time in the next couple weeks to chronicle the Colorado trip, as right now I am very busy at St. Stephen's preparing for the Move-In Weekend and Welcome Week.

Send up some prayers.

I'm getting antsy.

I'm leaving for Colorado on Friday. We'll be there for a week, camping, hiking, etc. I hope that I'll want to come back to Iowa when time is up.

I'm at home right now, on my way back to CF within the hour in order to be back for work tonight. I came to see Mom, Dad, and Sarah before my schedule gets busy. Also needed to pick up a few things now that they're done with them following their trip to Idaho and the Grand Tetons.

And then I found five dollars.

I made a quick, spur-of-the-moment trip to Ft. Dodge Saturday night after work at 6:00. Stayed at Grandma Anderson's, then woke up at 7:30 to go to 8:30 Mass with Aunt Marilyn. That's the earliest I've been awake for a long time....

It was nice to visit some of the extended family, but both Grandma and Marilyn are miserable--Grandma because of her recent hospital stay and hip and back problems, Marilyn because of her five-week bout with the shingles. She said that she had a little talk with Him at Mass: "Okay, that's enough; let's work a miracle now."

Drove around town a little bit Sunday afternoon before heading back to CF. Went past Grandma's old house, then north to 1818 Foral Avenue to see what Grandma and Grandpa Naser's house looked like. Then I went to Corpus Christi Cemetery to see Grandma and Grandpa, Aunt Judy, and Fr. Ron.

I'm surprised with how much of the little things I remember: the drive into town from the southwest on Hwy 169; the old Randal's-now Family Video on the way to 1818; the inside of Sacred Heart Church, the art museum down the block from Grandma's apartment, Dodger Stadium and the surrounding neighborhoods of my grandparents' old homes. They're all in pieces; I don't always know or remember their relationship to each other. Now that I'm a little older, going back to a place which is both fragmented yet intimately tied up with memories of my youth is an interesting experience.

Happy birthday, Mom.

Have the day off. Just checking email and will run a few errands later on. I could do some cleaning up around the house as well.

Ms. Caroline McSorley and Tony came up to visit last weekend. Lindsay, Carissa, and I went out to dinner with them, and then we treated them to a movie. We had a great time; lots of laughs.

Interesting episode at the movie: We saw I, Robot, a cautionary tale that touches upon the effects of human reliance on technology in that ridiculous, blown-out-of-proportion, Hollywood way. It was an hour and a half of robots rebelling against their masters. Then seconds after the end credits begin to roll, some guy in the back says "I just finished watching a movie" into his cell phone. Talk about a social commentary.

So, yeah, that's the excitement here.

Thought I would update the fact that I am living a simple, boring life at the moment. Looking forward to the College Hill Arts Festival this weekend. I will also be doing my laundry at some point.

Nick baked a birthday cake for me which we enjoyed following Sunday Dinner. He piped a martini glass and olive on it with frosting. Very classy.

More excitement to come.

Thanks for all the birthday wishes. Monday was uneventful. I got up, did a few things around the house, and went to work. The roommates weren't around, but I found my friend Josh so I could have someone to enjoy a cigar with. Gone are the glamour of the birthdays of youth; yet, it's not as depressing as one might think.

In other news, I now realize that I have made a horrible mistake.

I should have spent the summer in the mountains. My excuse that I wouldn't make enough money to afford expenses like rent and car payments didn't fly. Had I known that the only job in CF I could get my hands on would be for 20 hours a week at minimum wage, I would have hit the road for Estes. My weekly pay at the Y was 155 dollars; however, my biweekly paycheck at the movie theater is about 160 dollars.

But my reasons aren't purely monetary. I ache for the wind in my face, the smell of the clinging pines of treeline, the warmth of a fireplace on cool mountain evenings. There's a pain at the knowledge that I could have been there again, that I should have been there again.

Josh and I have set the date for our excursion to the Rockies, though the details are to be worked out. Still, it's comforting to know that for one week in August the pain will subside.

A quick FYI:

Our humble theater in College Square is indeed getting Michael Moore's film Fahrenheit 9/11 beginning tomorrow, Wednesday, June 30. Showtimes are 1:00, 4:00, 7:00, and 9:30. Learn more from the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier.

I woke up bright and early yesterday morning in order to help Fr. Mark move some things from St. Stephen's to Dubuque. We packed the U-Haul with furniture and headed east on HWY 20, stopping 15 north of Dubuque at his family's riverfront cabin at Finley's Landing to drop off his living room set before continuing on to the rectory at his new assignment, St. Joesph the Worker.

We made it back to CF around 3:00 with an hour to spare before I had to work, but just after getting onto HWY 58 south of town the U-Haul, a fine example of 1980s (possibily 70s) mechanical craftsmanship, decided to stop working. We pulled off to the shoulder and siphoned diesel from a road crew opposite us, but the problem wasn't that we ran out of gas (a situation I have dealt with before--see Thursday, July 10, 2003). I called home and Corey came to our rescue.

I was late for work. Not sure why I bothered going in, however; I was sent home an hour and a half later because no one was there to see movies. But then I don't blame them. It was a glorious day that belonged to fall rather than summer. It was perfect weather for Sturgis Falls, of which we partook in conjunction with the joyous celebration of roommate Katie's birth 21 year previous.

Spent a couple days in Dubuque with roommate Corey and his family. Left on Sunday afternoon for their lake house in Delhi where I met grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins and had pork chops for late lunch.

When we arrived in Dubuque that evening, the Hoefers and I visited the Port of Dubuque and went down the Mississippi Riverwalk. Afterward we stopped into the Diamond Jo Casino riverboat and won about 20 bucks. Corey's dad Ron used the windfall to treat us to Dairy Queen following our ride up the Fourth Street Elevator.

Monday Corey showed me around town, including the family's old house on South Grandview and his high school, Senior, which was built in the 1800s and looks like a castle or, as Luke observed on his visit, a prison. We also checked out the Cathedral. Later on Ron made steak for dinner, and he and I had Kessler's and water while the five of us sat and talked.

I'm returning to Dubuque on Friday to help Fr. Mark move some of his things. Haven't decided if I want go back again on Saturday morning for the diocese's ordination Mass. Anyone else around up for the trip?

So, um, yeah, I've had a few days off from work and I'm bored out of my gourd, so much so that I'm contemplating cleaning both bathrooms YMCA-style at the house as something to occupy my time.

In Jesus-related news, throughout May I had been using Magnificat, a publication of morning, evening, and night prayers akin to the Liturgy of the Hours which also includes the daily Mass readings as well as reflections and snippets of saints' lives. So I was praying three times a day, reciting old hymns (not singing them because, thanks to the infinite wisdom of American liturgists who do not use most of the Church's great repertoire of music, I don't know the melodies), meditating upon the Psalms, and joining with Mary, Zechariah, and Simeon in their canticles to the Lord. It was very fruitful.

Unfortunately, I didn't get to the Catholic bookstore before they sold out of June's issue, so I've been going without this form of regular prayer for the past couple weeks. I really notice a difference in not just my prayer life but also my everyday life (apparently those are two different things...). Maybe I will save up to purchase the Liturgy of the Hours, since that is a luxury following groceries and rent.

Apparently, it's all the rage to name the house or apartment you live in so it is easier to refer to than "Nick, Seth, Corey, Katie, Betsy, and Mary's house." This seems to be a phenomena mostly associated with theater majors: The Icehouse, The Hotboxx (which, rumor has it, is being renamed The Speakerboxxx, and the apartment beneath it, The Love Below), and of course, The Bitch Barn.

The girls who lived in our place last year had been visited by a UPS driver and past tenant who told them that when he had lived there, they called the house The Olive Pit, apropos since it is on Olive Street. Nick and I love the history of the name, so we've decided to restore its use.

Don't panic. I am alive.

The house has been in a state of limbo--including no internet access; I'm at the union--since Nick and I moved in last Monday. He and I stayed up until 4:00 Tuesday morning clearing out everything from the Barn, after which we had a beer and went to breakfast at Hardee's.

Corey has moved in and is more settled after two days than I am after seven. Betsy will probably start moving things this week but won't be living here yet. And apparently Mary will be moving in August even though she has not spoken to anyone but Betsy.

The first Sunday Dinner went well. Things were a little different just because it was in the new house and Lauren, who is a regular, wasn't there. We'll get used to it, though. Can't wait until we set up the "backyard" and have dinner there.

Work at the movie theater is...work. I've had a good time working in the box office, but today I will be trained in concession and as usher. My roommate Katie and her sister Amanda both work there as well, and the other night we had a bitch session. We're not too keen on the 22 year old assistant manager, who is rude and curt not only with employees but also the customers. A great cry of rejoicing will rise when she leaves in July for student teaching in Europe.

Sarah's graduation ceremony lasted exactly 45 minutes. It was very nice, and I got a little misty as some points even though I only knew a couple kids. But then that tends to happen to me with any sort of ritual or ceremony.

We had the open house in the church hall, and yesterday I helped decorate. Things certainly evolved in the four years since my open house. Mom had gone all out with streamers, helium balloons, the works. I just had a sign and plastic graduation cap candy dishes. I tell myself that the extra pomp is in celebration that Mom and Dad are finally getting rid of Sarah, too, not that they love her more than me (which is probably more plausible). Either way, through trial and error Dad and I learned the manly art of twisting and hanging streamers.

Grandma and the aunts, uncle, and cousins came down from Ft. Dodge. We got to have some good laughs in the short time they were here. Also got to talk to my old AP English teacher who is retiring this year. Good times, good times.

Best of all, I'll be taking home leftover BBQ pork sandwiches and won't have to buy groceries this week.

Uh, yeah, so I've been spending a lot of money going out to eat lately. Partly because I hadn't been to the grocery store, partly because of socializing.

Nick, Heider, and I were hanging out on Tuesday night and then decided to go to Perkins at 3:00 in the morning. When we got there there was only one car in the parking lot and the place was deserted. Nick went in to check things out, but there were no employees to be found. It was a little erie so we ended up driving to Steak 'n' Shake in Waterloo. Good times, good times.

Called up Corey last night and went to Perkins to chat. It'd been awhile since we talked--probably since finals, which is unusual for us--so that was nice. And ended up spending a little more money.

Luckily I have a jorb that I'm going to in an hour that will supply me with an albeit measly income. Nick has suggested a second job as cook at the Pizza Hut he delivers for, which could be a possibility.

Note to Luke: I'm contemplating going to Jiva for a haircut this evening. They're having a downtown promotion due to the construction on Main, so it's possible that I could get something done inexpensively. We'll see. Hope you're not too disappointed that you won't be there with me....

Got my grades. Unfortunately, Heider was wrong; Boedeker isn't dead, unless he posted grades posthumously.

I can't figure out why we had to be at the theater so early the past two days. We only worked a few hours and then were sent home. I would have enjoyed it better had Christa had us come in a little later. Working at 9am does force me to wake up with the rest of civilization, though, and my day doesn't feel completely wasted. However, I napped for two hours this afternoon which kind of defeats the purpose of getting up early.

No work tomorrow. I think I'll try to finish the book I'm reading and get ready for the trip home this weekend. Will have to get a hold of Brother, who was supposed to call me back last Saturday.

Eh.

Got up at 8:30 this morning for the first time in God knows when. Had to go into work to start cleaning up the construction mess to open the theaters this weekend, though I will be in RO to celebrate Sister's graduation. Same thing tomorrow.

Went to Scott and Lindsey's wedding on Saturday. It was a nice interfaith ceremony and afterward they left on a tandem bike (Lindsey had to hike up her dress). Good times, good times. They are a cute couple; very faith-filled. The reception had keg 1919 Root Beer, which made me happy. Also, there might be video of me dancing, a rarety akin to footage of Bigfoot and as equally disturbing.

I happened to hang out with one of Katie's current roommates, Liz, at the reception. She's a good kid. But Corey, Nick, and I have decided that she and the other girls need to get the hell out of our house so we can move in. Nick did some yard work there yesterday, mowing the backyard so we can use it for Sunday Dinner.

We've yet to meet Betsy, though Nick and I have already decided that we don't care for her name and will be rechristening her with something less old womany. Also, we're not sure whether the sixth roommate "Mary" is even alive. No one has heard from her. But that's fine with me because we can convert the sixth bedroom into the TV room, which was the focus of the Heated Roommate Discussion Number One between Nick, Katie, and myself last night. Corey, who joined us for dinner, did the wise thing and steered clear of argument.

I declare Nick and myself the winners.

Well, school's out and here I am at Nick, Lauren, and Ben's. Moved in partially Friday night, partially Saturday.

Spend quality time with Luke and Corey on Friday night reminiscing about the past year. Saturday I woke up to a squirrel crawling across the back of my neck. Then I went to the 2:00 commencement ceremony to see Tonia, Luke, and a few others receive fake diplomas. Afterward Josh Hanna and I had beers with Tonia and her family at the OP, and we ended up missing Lauren's graduation party at his aunt's. Went to Jess Blome's for a party that night, then back "home."

I went YMCA on the bathroom here yesterday. It took about an hour, but now it's clean enough to keep me from gagging while showering. Sunday dinner was out on the porch; we had pork chops, Rice-a-Roni, and margaritas. Interesting menu, but it tasted good.

Had my "second interview" for the College Square movie theaters this afternoon. It consisted of me and a group of four other people filling out "morality surveys" and then figuring out when we could come in for orientation. So now I have one job for the summer but would like to find another.

Off to read Sophie's World for leisure. Ah, the joys of vacation.