Reports of my assimilation have been greatly exaggerated.

My friends, the vision is becoming a reality. The Haybins are moving. I have been using nearly every free moment to prepare us for the Great Escape. Despite all of the things I have given away, thrown away, etc. we still own way too much "stuff". I'm not talking about the things we use... I'm talking about momentos, decorations... STUFF. There will be more sorting and throwing away in the new place, but I'm running out of time and moving almost entirely into a packing mind-set. The house we are moving in to is a new build and so there have been a great many other activities and duties that have needed attended to in order to prepare the house for our coming. Its exciting... and DRAINING. I had a friend tell me today that I've never looked as tired as I do now. Thanks. ;)

In spite of all the activity, the training continues on some level. I had my first 5k of the season over the weekend and managed to get in at 27:40. I was hoping I could get in under 27:00 but I'll take coming in under 28. The weather has seen me cutting back on my distances and the next race is a 5k. I've 3 1/2 weeks to get some more wind in my sails. I'm taking consolation in what one of the race co-ordinators said: "Don't worry about your time. You wouldn't want to peak this early in the season anyway." :) Thanks, Craig.

Thanks to a hefty discount, I've become a Vista user. I love the fact that my Microsoft Zune and Microsoft Vista don't work together. Hooray for the Social. I only mention this because I'm reinstalling the software for the third time. Mostly because I would like to return to a deep music mix during my drive and skip on the podcasts in the afternoon. I think radio has killed me for music, but I'd like to rediscover my love for it on some level.

Gaming? No time, my friends. I'm mostly anticipating Mass Effect later this year.

Reading? I'm trying to do this instead of TV in the midst of the stress because it is much more relaxing. I logged a couple of hundred more pages in Rainbow Six and have since gotten side tracked with Blue Like Jazz. I know... I know... It's popular and everyone read it a long time ago. I've been resistant to it because so many people have recommended it. (I had the same problem with Shawshank Redemption.) I wish I could give you some deep take on its content but the word I have been using is the same word that everyone else is using: honest. We should all be so honest about our experiences. There's too much damn posturing among Christians.

The girls? The best parts of my life on earth. I love them. My main prayer for the last two weeks in regards to them is that God would help me to always be thankful and appreciative of them. It's working. It's funny how I go from asking God to help me be thankful to just being outright thankful. It isn't much of a leap. :) Jesus is awesome. Aurora is getting closer and closer to walking. She's also teething and stealing our sleep as well as our hearts.

Blake, I've been praying a lot for your friend. It has hit close to my heart. I'd ask everyone else to be in prayer for my mom. The difficulties she has had in the last year and the ripple effect it has had on our family is too much to enumerate in this small space. She was supposed to have surgery this week and it was cancelled due to some problems with her blood (waiting for results tomorrow). Please be in prayer that all will be resolved and she can have this back surgery that she so desperately needs.

I'm going to give another five minutes to this Zune issue and if it isn't resolved, I'm going to bed. Much love, my friends!

O.