euphoric

so it's only the beginning of day two of the integrity toys convention, and i'm already in a state of pure bliss. fun talks, great food, and all the goodies have made for a great beginning. to top it off, one of my new online chat friends who lives relatively close by came in to hang out with me for a bit, which was quite enjoyable and greatly appreciated. yep, i would definitely say i am completely euphoric, and after the year or so i've had, i just say keep bringing it on. 

a voice from the past

so i'm stopped for the evening somewhere in ohio en route first to some fun at the integrity toys convention in chicago but ultimately to my new home in colorado. anyone who reads this blog has to come away with a few clear facts about me. probably one of the clearest is the important place music has in my life for expressing and understanding thoughts and feelings. on today's drive i pulled out a cd that i had not listened to in a while, but it has had and continues to have (as evidenced by today's listen) a great impact on my life.

the album is a distant call by the truly talented susan ashton (produced by the amazingly gifted wayne kirkpatrick). anyone familiar with this pair knows that they created some wonderful music together in the 90's. the combination of susan's beautiful vocals and interpretation with wayne's direction of the music (much of which he wrote) was truly magical. this particular album is my favorite. during different times in my life the songs from it have spoken to me deeply, often clarifying experiences that i was going through.

as i was ambling along the highways of pennsylvania, the song i'm sharing now jumped out at me as a most appropriate expression for how i'm feeling about life right now. i've always loved this song, and today that affection has grown deeper. i hope it speaks to you as well.

lonely river -- susan ashton

moving day

it's moving day. well, sort of. for my belongings it's moving day. even as i type this the movers are loading up box upon box onto their truck, which will carry my stuff off to storage. there it all will remain until i find a place to live in my new location nestled beneath the rockies. i don't actually leave out until tomorrow.

still, it's been a full weekend of sorting through more things, determining what will travel with me to my temporary home and what will ultimately join the other already packed items in storage. i'm a little worn out and looking forward to a couple weeks of comparatively more restful pursuits.

i state comparatively because while there won't be much physical exertion there will be quite a bit of emotional energy expended -- both in a good way (integrity toys convention, visiting with friends) and not so good (going to the st. louis house, seeing michael again). all in all, the beginning of the next two week break between jobs will be anything but uneventful. fortunately, the last part finds me settling in and having some time to rest up for the new job and my next phase of life.

but first, dinner with friends from work this evening. then, it's time to pack up the car and hit the road in the morning bound for chicago. i'm not sure how much i will be able to post while traveling, primarily given the busy activities ahead, but i'll try to squeeze in at least a couple of updates on how i'm doing. don't want to keep all the fun to myself.