It's been a long time, now I'm, coming back home...

Just like the title says, it's been a long time since I last posted. The facts of the matter are that I've been swamped with the closing that's in two days and trying to squeeze in a social life too. I know, it's hard to imagine me with a social life, but whatever. Anyway, I spent the weekend down in CoMo with Mr. Ostrander, who seems as lovely as ever. He even introduced me to his "girlfriend." I'm not sure if they are a couple or if there's not quite there yet, but she seems enthralled with him. So much so that she thought that he and I were funny. Hmm. That doesn't seem quite right. I know we provide some comic relief, but funny? How about hysterical? Oh yeah, you know it.

We went down to visit the future Mr. and Mrs. Callaway, which was incredible. They live out in the middle of nowhere (Stockton, Mo., which is next to Karl Malone, Mo.) and everybody seems to know them. The land around the area is absolutely gorgeous. Just fantastic views of the countryside. Mr. Callaway stepped out to watch the sunset and when I went to find him, I found it to be a moving scene. Just something about nature that continues to surprise me. There always seems so much more to see, so many things that are incredibly beautiful that I almost understand what that kid in American Beauty was talking about. Someday I'll just end up traveling and seeing it all. Maybe I'll hike across America or something. I don't know. But I do realize that now, more than ever, I wish I could just walk through the world and look at everything. One other note about the trip to Stockton: evidently, middle of nowhere Missouri can make pizza better than most places I've been. Totally shocking. And fulfilling. Thanks for the good time Em and Daniel.

I was reading Blythe's most recent post about becoming lost in a book where it feels like the characters in the book are part of who you are and how you interact with people changes because of the way the characters act around each other and it's some really good writing. I don't think I complement people enough on possessing skills that far surpass my own. But this is a beautiful example of it as Blythe's words struck a chord in my heart about how much books can move a person. I don't think I can express myself anywhere near the way she does, but I do feel like a book, no matter how terrible the subject, can alter the way I look at things. I end up reading books over and over again because I want to feel the way I felt the first time I read that book, the sense of adventure, of anything possibly happening, of some unique connection between these people who I have just met that only exist in a fictitious place and what I wish my life could be. I think it helps create new dreams, almost like a way to set down the world for a while and just let everything go until you're ready/forced back into whatever reality you've picked. And maybe the most mythical part is that the story can completely change between reads because the way I look at it is so different that I understand something new about a different character or I can sympathize with what they're going through. Killer Angels led me that way, where I originally didn't understand what the confederate states were going through. But after I had finished college, I read that book again and found myself hurting when Longstreet sat crying on that fence watching his troops return from a battle they couldn't have won. It was just a completely different take from the first time I read that book and I guess it just makes me want to dissect every book multiple times. And maybe I'm just weird like that.

Lastly, it looks like Big Poppa and his younger brother will be visiting the "stately Young Manor" in a few months. I'm not so sure about stately (yet), but I'm happy to have the two of there. Even if they're going to Cub games. Ahhh, the loveable losers...