Where Chester Lives

"Good Lord, it's hot."

The two girls sat on the front porch, wishing for a whisper of a breeze and trying to muster up the energy to walk down to the creek.  It wasn't a long walk, but long enough in this heat.

"Let's just go.  We'll like it once we get there, and we'll forget all about how hot the walk was."

"But we hafta walk back."

"'course we hafta walk back!  You gonna grow wings?"

"If only."

They went back and forth like this, Gladys trying to get her sister to get off her lazy butt and just go.  She knew it would be fine once they got there, and she knew that Dean would, too.  Gladys kicked the rocking chair, just to hear something else.  It rocked a few times, then stilled.  She kicked it again.

"Why'd you do that for?  Cut it out!"

"Make me."  She kicks it again.

"I said, cut it out!  You are just doin' that ta get me ta go."

"Wow, you're smart.  You should go to college or somethin'."

"That's it!"  Dean reaches out and tries to slap her sister's head, but Gladys ducks out of the way, smiling.  "I win!  Now, let's go 'fore Joe gets back and finds work for us to do."  She always used her father's proper name, out of earshot.  She didn't like to think of him as her father...she didn't like to think of him much at all, really.  "Oh, alright.  But we have to get back before dinner.  Jackson is coming over later and I want to dry out and get my hair fixed before he gets here." Gladys smiled again.  "Which one is Jackson?"  Dean gets up and throws a shoe at her, not meaning to hit, of course. "You know full well who he is!  Now shut up and let's go before I change ma mind."

Gladys and Dean stepped off the porch and started walking down the driveway.  The path to the creek went past one of the fields that her dad worked, so she hoped that he wasn't in that field when they went past.  Just a chance they had to take.  As they walked along, Gladys picked heads off of wildflowers, rubbing them between her fingers.  If she liked the smell, she would touch it to her neck like perfume, but Dean stopped doing that a while back, stating it was for little girls, and besides, she had real toilet water now.  She didn't need to pretend anymore.  The kicked up dust as they went, but it never got very far.  The humid heat pressed everything down, even the dark curls on Gladys' forehead.  Dean had blond hair, which was another source of jealousy, but Gladys liked her curls.  They made it past the field without ever seeing Joe...just a couple of straw hats in the distance and the tractor a mile off, maybe more.  They turned the corner into the stand of sassafras and hickory, thankful for the shade but sweaty from the exertion and the hot damp of summer in Kentucky.

Like I said...just a beginning, sort of.  Curious to know what you think.

Okay, so here's what happened.  I was riding one of my favorite loops yesterday, the American River Parkway around Natoma Lake.  I got about 6 miles into it when I picked up a piece of glass in my rear tire that cut my tire and, obviously, flatted my tube.  Luckily (or so I thought), I was a short walk from a bike shop in Folsom.  I walked there and bought a replacement tire, which they mounted for me.  I rode away from the shop, and decided that I should just ride back to the car and call it a day.

This is where it gets good.

As I was going downhill to a sweeping left-hand corner on the bike trail, my brand new rear tire blows up.  LITERALLY.  It explodes.  At 25 mph.  I tried to keep the bike upright, but everything was happening so fast...the rear wheel slides around to the right, and for a split second, I was drifting through the corner, my front wheel pointed in the direction that I wanted to go, my rear wheel sliding along to the right.

Here's the thing.  The rear wheel was not sliding on rubber anymore...it was sliding on rim.  and metal rims don't have good traction, usually.  So, it kept sliding.

The bike slid out from under me completely, and I fall hard on my left side, sliding feet first after my bike for about 10 feet.  Not an activity I would recommend to anyone.the brunt of the slide is caught on my left hip, followed closely by my shin, elbow, and ankle.  My bike shoes protected my left foot mostly...I just have a scab on my ankle the size of a quarter.  My shin has a 10' x 4' patch of road rash, and my left thigh is the worst.  I have a serious road rash on it from the hip bone down the side of my leg to about 2 inches above my knee.  It is so severe that there is little feeling in it...just numbness.  And in places the skin is sagging.  It's also quite a wide range of colors...I would dare say every shade of red is represented.  I also thought I might have broken my right collarbone, as it was in alot of pain and i was having a hard time moving my right arm.

I didn't stay on the ground long.  I got up immediately, venting my pain verbally, without intelligible words.

In about a minute, a VERY nice couple on a tandem comes along and helps me out.  Unfortunately, I have forgotten their names...I believe I was in a mild state of shock.  His wife pushes the tandem and he carries my bike back to the bike shop...about 200 yards away.  I called Teresa during this time, so she is on her way to get me.  I walk back into the shop...I hadn't even been gone long enough for there to be new customers.  They all remembered me riding away.  The shop manager was extremely apologetic, and took responsibility for what happened.  While I was waiting for Teresa they gave me some electrolytes because I was starting to get light-headed.  They took my bike to the back and assessed the damage...a minor nick on the seat and the rear rim is trashed.  They are going to replace everything, obviously.  At this point, I knew that my thigh was in bad shape, but it was covered by my bike shorts, which stayed completely intact, and I really didn't want to look.

Teresa shows up a few minutes later, and we decide that we should go to urgent care.  By this point, my right shoulder was feeling better...it still throbbed, but i had good range of motion.  Luckily, there was no one at urgent care except us, so I got immediate attention.  That's when I first saw my thigh...disgusting.  They cleaned everything up, did all they could to maintain my dignity, and Teresa and I went home.

So there ya go.

So, a slew of my "facebook friends" have posted various musical lists that were influential in their life or just important to them in some way.  I appreciate the sharing of this, and it is an interesting exercise which I feel compelled to do.  However, I now HATE facebook lists, so I am just going to post it on my blog.  I am making the separation of the two activities in my own mind, therefore it is good here, but bad there.  I am perfectly capable of justifying this behavior to myself.  It allows me to maintain my elitism while still pandering to the tiny fool of a boy inside of me that screams for attention.  So, here goes.

List Number One.  The Artists I Like.

These artists are not listed in any particular order, and I have liked or disliked them during different times of my life.  Some are iconic, some not.  Some you will loathe, and make hasty judgments of my intellect based on my affinity for them.  This is me, not caring.

1. The Beatles -- if they aren't on your list...shame on you.
2. Led Zeppelin -- "Kashmir" plays in my head while I walk down the street.
3. Van Halen -- DLR, not SH.  or that other hack.
4. Red Hot Chili Peppers -- his voice is awesome.  And I sound just like him in the shower.
5. The Pretenders -- Punk meets New Wave, takes it around the corner and smacks it upside the head.
6. Elton John -- Yeah?  So?
7. Elvis Presley -- I blame my mom.
8. Johnny Cash -- So cool it hurts to look at him.
9. Queen -- I'm a scaramouche.
10. Squeeze -- COME ON.  You can't write "She's so lucky that she doesn't have to shave, I'm so lucky that I'm not doubled up in pain" and not have me like you.
11. Pearl Jam -- The ribeye steak of guitar riffs.
12. Hansen -- just seeing if you were paying attention...
13. Peter Gabriel --  you got something in your eye there.
14. Aerosmith -- I'm incredibly afraid of Janie.
15. The Police -- stadiums can no longer hold Sting's ego, but the music is still teh awesome.
16. Alison Kraus -- she's a smart aleck with a mandolin.  So awesome.  And I know I keep using that word.
17. Ben Folds -- fantastic lyrics, cool piano bits.
18. BareNaked Ladies -- these aren't the hipsters you're looking for.
19. The Beach Boys -- Best.  Christmas. Album. EVAR.
20. Johann Sebastian Bach -- Nice wig, dude.
21. The Who -- The part of the British Invasion that felt...invasive.
22. U2 -- More self-absorbed than most Hollywood people, but they can still rock.
23. INXS -- I sound just like him in the shower, too.
24. Corinne Bailey Rae -- Such a big voice from such a tiny girl.
25. Dave Matthews Band -- That drummer is blowing bubbles while he plays.  BLOWING.  BUBBLES.

I promised myself I would keep my lists at 25 or less.  NEXT.

Albums.  In No Particular Order.  I find myself playing these over and over on my ipod, or they reached me in some particular way during some time in my life.  Again, you may love them or hate them.  But this isn't your list, it's mine.

1. "Songs From The Big Chair" by Tears for Fears -- the first album I ever bought.  On tape (remember those?).  I wore it out in my crummy little tape player.
2. "Violator" by Depeche Mode -- best road trip album ever made.
3. "Joshua Tree" by U2 -- After Boy, which kinda stunk, and before all the media-garbled crap that was 1991-94.
4. "My Generation" by The Who -- The kids are alright, man.
5. Led Zeppelin I-IV.  I can't think of a song on any of these albums that I don't like.
6. "1984" by Van Halen -- I remember recording these songs off of "Casey Kasum's top 40" played on Sundays.  Again on my crummy little tape player.  "Jump" is still one of the most awesome songs ever.
7. "A Hard Days Night" by the Beatles -- I really love this album.
8. "Youth" by Matisyahu -- He's a Hassidic Jew.  From Austin.  Singing Reggae.  And the lyrics are great, and his vocals are all over the map.
9. "Ten" by Pearl Jam -- I always liked them better than Nirvana...and it turns out, they were less crazy.
10. "1972" by Josh Rouse -- These songs are sunny and bright, with heartbreaking lyrics.  And I'm starting to sound like a Rolling Stone writer.
11. "Synchronicity" by The Police -- When they still rocked.  Another tape that I wore out.
12. The "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack.  "Man of Constant Sorrow," "Big Rock Candy Mountain," and "Down To The River To Pray."  And the rest are really good, too.
13. "New Favorite" by Alison Kraus/Union Station -- "The Boy Who Wouldn't Hoe Corn" is one of the funniest songs ever.
14. "Madman Across The Water" by Elton John -- everyone else picks "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road."  I like this one better.
15. "Illinois" by Sufjan Stevens -- Yes, he's a pretentious indie hipster.  But this album is great, and sounds like a high school band playing songs they want to play.
16. "Crash" by Dave Matthews -- Sweet like candy to my soul...
17. "The Complex" by Blue Man Group -- Best show ever *remembering Emily and I singing "White Rabbit" at the top of our lungs while Tom and Teresa stared at us.*
18. "American IV - The Man Comes Around" by Johnny Cash -- yes, they are covers.  but the original artists wishes they were this good.

Okay, enough for now.  time to get on a plane.

Who, in their right mind, thinks that the ongoing conflict in Iraq is a good idea?  What, exactly, is it solving?  One friend stated, "for every soldier we lose, they lose three."  Why is that acceptable?  What makes us think that killing jihadist fundamentalists is somehow helping our country to become more "secure?"  What are we willing to trade for this false sense of security?  What makes us think that we have control of it in any way, shape, or form?

I ask these questions because, very recently, I have seen someone who is close to us have their life completely changed by this war.  No, he isn't dead.  But he is changed, and it is breaking her heart.  She weeps, and Teresa and I sorrow for her.

No, it isn't "entirely" the war's fault.  I, of all people, know that you can chose to break the pattern and be purposeful in your living and choose right, no matter how hard.  But I also know that things would have been much easier without the negative influences. I know that not everyone feels they can make that choice, or even see it as a choice to be made.  That doesn't negate the existence of the choice.  I also know that there can be, and likely are, many other factors.  But I also KNOW that no man can endure 1+ year of conflict, aggression, and loss if life without being significantly changed.  Rarely for the better...

She is devoted to him and loves him deeply.  She is a beautiful person (not perfect, but who is?).  He is rejecting her and wants to live his own life without her around.  If he ever reads this, he needs to know that he is making a mistake that will be a lifelong regret.  If she ever reads this, I hope she knows that she isn't broken as a person because of his current attitude.  And that the story isn't over...it's dark now, but while breath can be drawn, there is hope.  They can make it alright, if they both work at it.  But he has to change how he is seeing this.  He is rejecting a godly wife and loving woman.  That is a fool's path, and anything that he tells himself to justify his action is piling lies on top of foolishness.  I may sound harsh, but it's because, in part, I know what he's doing and that he really does have a shot at making this better, if he grows up and acts like a man.  He just needs to think longer than right now and be willing to swallow his pride.

I may be completely wrong about him.  I hope and pray that I am, because there's a better shot of it working out if I am wrong.  But I don't think I am.

And I know that his time spent in conflict has much to do with how he is making choices right now, and how he sees the world in general.

Go back to her.  She needs you and wants you and loves you, and you can have an amazing life with her.  Go back.  Do the hard thing, because the hard thing is always worth it.  Always.

Can't stand that song, but it is an appropriate title for today's date.  After all, today is the third day of Christmas (of the twelve).

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday.  We spent time with family, counted our blessings, and kept it very low-key this year.  No extravagance, no hectic travels to and fro to visit relatives/friends.  With the Christmas play dominating our existence for so long, I don't think we could have done it any other way.  Oh...and the play was a resounding success.  All four performances were good, but the finale was over the top good.  We hit all of our cues and got all the songs right and on key.  I expect to get a video soon, and may post bits to youtube, if'n you want.  The performances and the pick up rehearsal were fun and I miss them, but it's nice to sit here on a Saturday and have the whole day to get things accomplished.  Like laundry (which I am doing now).

This is likely to be my last post in 2008, so a bit of retrospect may be in order.  Over all, this has been a successful year for the Thorp family, but we have had (and continue to have) our share of drama.  My joy in my children continues to grow, even when I think that they couldn't make me more happy.  Well, they could (if they would listen all the time, not just when I get Dad-voice).  Anne is turning into a real young woman, and watching her try and bridge that gap between girl and woman has been...interesting.  She's the smartest person I know, so she does pretty well.  However, she, like her dad, sometimes lacks in compassion (we both think too much), and we tend to not be empathic towards other people.  Something we both need to work on, I guess.  Emma is just starting the journey into womanhood and we are all holding on for dear life.  She solves problems with her feelings, which is great for relationships but doesn't work so well for other things.  She has a very tender and compassionate heart (like her mom), but also isn't afraid to speak her mind (again, like Mommy).  I would advise those in close proximity to Emma within the next eighteen months to proceed with caution and handle carefully.  Having said that, I love them both very much, and will always be their comforter and protector, as long as they need me in that role.

Teresa is the yin to my yang, and I couldn't imagine my world without her.

My mother........it's difficult for me to write about her.  I love her, without question.  But our relationship is very different.  I think it's different from most mother/son relationships, but I may be wrong.  I really can't say much more than that.  There is love, but it is in the shadow of all the current challenges.

Teresa's parents are awesome people.  Jack has filled the father role in my life left by the loss of my own father, and I love him dearly.  Thank you both for the great sacrifices you make to help us.  We deeply appreciate and love you both.

Our involvement at church has grown significantly this year, and with it we have started to build some great relationships.  There's some challenges there, too.  Most of it mine, I'm sure.  You see, I built such strong and deep bonds with Adam and Paul that it is difficult for me to include others in that group.  I don't make close friends easily...never have.  Dave, Adam, and Paul are the best guys any friend could ever hope for (I miss you, Dave!  COME VISIT!!!). I am beginning to feel a closeness with Harry O...we share some common interests, so that helps.  we just need to go caching, which is his passion, and something I've always wanted to do ( I know, Tom.  I should really do it).  Speaking of Tom, if we lived close together, I really think I would have the same type of relationship with him that I have with Adam, Paul, and Dave.  The only barrier is distance.  Such is life, I suppose.  Teresa is much better at building relationships than I, and she has really blossomed.  So, overall, life is good here.  My three friends are certainly not out of my life (I just had dinner with Adam and Paul [and families] this past Monday), but we do see less of each other.  It just requires more effort on all of our parts to get together.

Work is really good.  They like me and I like them.  Here's to hoping that '09 sees great success in that category, and that God continues to bless my efforts there.

That's all for now.  In closing, please keep Tim and Tonya close to your thoughts.  Their current challenge is unique and they need every ounce of prayer that you can muster.