The Long Transition

It seems so much is still up in the air. No word on jobs as of yet. I'm now in plan B mode... find a job in Lincoln. Yes, it seems with the way things are going, Courtney and I will be in Lincoln for at least the next year. In some ways I'm a bit disappointed that the opportunities I have been pursuing out East have not yet moved anywhere, but on the other hand, I can see so many reasons why God would have us be here in Lincoln instead--our great church, closeness to family, friends, etc. All of these things could be helpful in our transition to being a married couple as well I think. Still, what that means for jobs is a bit uncertain. In all likelihood, it may mean working at the bank again and doing volunteer research stuff at the University. Best case scenario, I find something paid or a teaching position at Southeast Community College (I can teach now that I have an M.A., go figure). I would like to avoid working at the bank again if at all possible. But, it's an option all the same. So my day-to-day struggle remains trust in God's sovereignty over my job and the career I feel like I'm heading (or trying to head) into, given marriage, and our financial situation. Praise God that He is sovereign.

The Long and Short of It

So I realize it's been a while... I apologize. The irregularity of my present life is making the regularity of blog posting an even greater accomplishment--of which I am having little success. So here's the long and short of it...

For the 4th, Court and I traveled to Minneapolis to visit our good friends Tate and Brenna with our other good friends, Jeff and Nicole. It was an amazing weekend, full of canoing and lots of eating. Good times were had by all.

Since then Courtney has been working like a dog and I have been trying to keep up. She was in Rushville, Nebraska for most of the last week teaching at a theatre camp. I've been working here and there, doing construction and landscaping stuff for my uncle who's building a new house in Norfolk. More recently, I have been refinishing decks and doing fix-it projects for a family friend at his cabin in Yankton. It's been great to get some work in the midst of the job hunt (still no leads, ugh) and in anticipation of the wedding.

This weekend has been great. After finishing one project at said cabin in Yankton, I traveled a mere six miles west of there to Courtney's family cabin to help them paint and do some fix-it projects there as well. It was a good opportunity to connect a bit with the future in-laws and earn a few points there, haha. It was nice to work with other people for a change as well. We had our fun too, boating on the lake yesterday and today. (I almost did a barrel roll on the tube... on purpose!) I only just returned from Yankton tonight and I'll be heading to Lincoln on Wednesday to recommence the wedding planning and job-hunt efforts... and to see my fiance for the first time in over a week!!!

Essentially my life as jumping from one place to the next only long enough to get somewhat settled before moving again. For those of you who know me well, this is not my ideal routine. But, God is good.

Even Better News!

The phone calls have been made, family and friends contacted in various ways as best as possible, and now perhaps it is safe to notify the blogosphere... I'm engaged! I asked Courtney to marry me on June 14th, a Saturday, the day after my graduation. I prepared a picnic for us at a local park late that morning. It was her 22nd birthday the Tuesday before, so I gave her a few gifts to throw her off a bit, should she be expecting anything. We then enjoyed conversation and a light lunch for the better part of an hour-and-a-half as people occasionally passed. I wanted to enjoy the moment and not rush anything... also, I didn't really want an audience If I could avoid it. So I waited. When a moment seemed to present itself, no people passing by, I told her that before we go I wanted to give her a journal since I hadn't given her a card for her birthday. In it, I had written something from before we had even started dating. It was somewhat poetical and about who I wanted to be and the kind of girl I wanted to be with. She read it, I told her that she was the girl I wrote about in the journal, and I asked her to stand. Then it began to feel surreal. I got nervous. I stood with her and told her I loved her for the first time before grabbing the ring from my bag by my side and kneeling to ask her to marry me. She said yes! We kissed and laughed at the thought of what had just happened.

Arriving back at my aunt and uncle's home where I had been living, my family greeted us with Champagne and dessert. That afternoon we went off to enjoy wine tasting at a nearby winery and a play in Chicago that evening before some friends from the University met us at Jimmy's Bar near campus for a few drinks. It was an amazing and exhausting but completely wonderful day!

The next morning we packed up everything and moved me back to Nebraska. I'm home now, between Norfolk and Lincoln, wedding planning, job hunting, and enjoying family and my engagement. Life is very exciting (and sometimes scary, haha) right now. Praise God for moments in life like these!

Call Me Master

Yesterday I graduated. It was incredible to be led by Scottish Bagpipes through the crowd of friends and families of the 2008 graduates into the outdoor, Harper quadrangle of campus. We were surrounded by ivy covered halls and a sense of the tradition that continued in the 494th convocation at the University of Chicago. The ceremony lasted about 2 hours. The speaker seemed to have a bit of a liberal agenda--OK, overtly so. But it was soon forgotten. It was forgettable. They honored one of my professors for excellence in graduate teaching, among a handful of others. They read each of our names as we walked to receive our diploma from the President of the University before the bagpipes led us out of the Harper quadrangle into the main quad and around the roundabout. It was good. It was memorable.

We then took pictures and convened at a champagne reception for my program and our neighboring MAPPS program, another social sciences program. The night was completed by dinner at Maggianos with my family, Courtney, and my aunt, uncle and cousins. It's an amazing Italian restaurant here in Chicago. We had a great time. The day was good.

Awkward Week Update

The last week has been weird. I've been so used to being busy and overwhelmed with classes and a thesis, it's been a dramatic turn of events to feel so overwhelmingly bored. I have managed to keep myself occupied for the most part--finishing the new trim for my aunt and uncle's new window, finally installing the towel racks that have been sitting in boxes outside my room for the last six months, packing things to move home, running, lifting, and watching a lot of the Euro 2008 soccer tournament on ESPN360.com. Oh yeah, and I'm trying to start reading "Moby Dick." I feel like with all of this time, I should be posting on my blog more regularly, but I haven't felt that inspired to write without too much going on. I haven't really known what to do with myself.

But, there should be a lot to come. My uncle, cousins and I will be heading to the city to explore a bit tomorrow morning, so that will be fun. My family and Courtney arrive on Thursday, and My graduation ceremony is Friday--an outdoor ceremony on a potentially rainy afternoon, yikes. Sunday, I move home! There's plenty more to come.

Finally, today is Courtney's birthday! My beautiful girlfriend of more than two years, today is 22 years old! She has to work most of the day, but if you think of it, those of you who know her should e-mail or text her if you can. I know she would greatly appreciate it. Happy Birthday, Babe!

El Fin... for now

As of 1:20 PM, yesterday, June 4, 2008, I am done. The whirlwind of the last 9 months has seemed to come to an abrupt end. Now, I am leisurely enjoying the Semi-finals of the French Open without the guilt of required reading and papers hanging over my head--a new reality to which I am still adjusting. The next week will involve packing and preparing to go home. The Graduation ceremony is a week from tomorrow, for which my family and Courtney will be here. Then i will return home to keep up the job hunt. I'm still in the process of applying to the CNA Corporation (www.cna.org) in Alexandria, Virginina, which seems to be promising. But I will pursue other avenues as well. I think it will be nice to return home for a little R & R before heading off into the next adventure.

So Close and Feeling so Far

So I have two papers to complete and I'm done... well, one now really. I have a paper due on Tue. this week, which is pretty much done, and another on Wednesday which I am trying to write now. But writing these papers has felt like I'm pulling out my own teeth, to add to the euphemism. I feel like I'm forcing myself to write and fighting the urge to just fill space with words that appear to make sense but really accomplish nothing for showing actual thought and effort. What compels me is the desire to finish well... that and each of these papers alone is responsible for the grade I receive in each of these classes. Is this 'senioritis?' Why does this happen? Thoughts, please?