it's weird that we're only 5 days in. . . but also weird that there are only 25 left. . .

how in the heck is it November already? i'm trying to figure out how things got here so quickly, but also trying not to think about it, because if time continues to fly by, both my grant and my dissertation will be due before we know it. and i haven't decided yet if that's good or bad.

it's been a long week in a lot of ways. kara called me on sunday and told me that we had shockingly lost one of our friends from central college. Jason was a person that I - well, that everyone - always liked. He was one of those inexplicably extroverted people who was also always happy, always giving you extra hugs, and always a face you're glad to see coming your way. even though we hadn't talked for some time, Jason was infinitely better than me at keeping up with people. . . a LOT of people. . . and I'm grateful for that. I want to avoid scripting a long, public recount of how much of a blessing it is to have a friend like Jason in one's life - even if it is only for (at this pace) what feels like the the blink of an eye. some lives just touch your heart like that. i hope when i am gone as many people will be able to say that their lives were better for having had me in it as i know can say such a thing about jason. he is gone too soon. he will be sorely missed. but his inspiration will live strongly on.

it's kind of tough to have any transition to something after that. but i think one of the reasons that such things are so weird is because life doesn't pause for them. it kind of seems like they should, but it never quite works that way.

i think most of you have already heard my rants about the vote in iowa this year. i also will not be posting a political exposition on here, but i am still feeling desperately disappointed by my home state. i was at least partially reinspired by this article, which was published in the register (in know, right?!) following the elections. please try not to read the really rude commentaries that follow where some people describe in detail why they are so much more entitled to marry while others should have to prove in 1,000 ways why they might be worthy.

okay, i guess i was going to have a slight rant, sorry. but somewhere in there i remembered terry branstad's commentary on that and it makes me so sad that a place that i always recall as so full of love and family and the qualities of a place that you want to call home can't even stand up for a minority. sometimes, i'm scared that my great grandchildren - if they ever exist - will sometimes look at me the way that i look at people who lived through slavery and ask, "why did people think it was okay to treat other people like that?" and i'll have no answer.

okay, i guess i'm going to have two rants.
done now.

here's a way less serious topic:
have you all ever seen one of these?

forgive me if i'm naive because i grew up in a place where we totally burned all of the leaves that we raked up (um, sorry Earth), but this system of "leaf removal" is still totally baffling to me. this contraption is like a giant vacuum-thingy that typically attaches to what looks like a slightly-undersized garbage truck. in state college it is someone's job to drive around this garbage-truck/vacuum combo and suck up the leaves that people have raked out onto the curbing of the road.

i'm seriously not kidding about that. that's weird, right? i wish i could've gotten a video of it in action for you. it's just as wild as it sounds (and really, really, really loud).

oh wait, I know what else you're wondering about - - didn't Josh and Becca come last weekend? well, YES!! in fact they did. Becca has most of our tailgating pictures, but I have these sweet ones of us as the Mad Men characters at Kristin & Erik's Halloween party. i don't know why my hair was so crazy at this point (though it may have something to do with the fact that it's a $10 wig). . . and my skeleton glass isn't nearly as good of an accessory as Matt's and Becca's fake cigarettes, but what can you do? we look good, anyway, you have to admit.

and yes, that is Wayne and Garth in the front row. i guess it could happen - didn't they have a time machine in one of their movies?

sadly, not much else has happened outside of work other than that. i'm planning on being at the penn state/northwestern game tomorrow. . . though i'm admittedly not thrilled about the forecast (47 degress is the anticipated HIGH - blech). but, it should be fun in any case. i'll keep you updated :)

that's it for now, i think.
an extra hug for everyone tonight. and lots of extra love from pennsylvania.