The rain came today.

That sounds ominous, though it isn't. Ominous means "foreboding," suggesting that something worse may be imminent. We don't have to wait any longer. The clouds and rain are here.

And they came right on time, as summer officially ends this weekend. Let us pause for a moment and remember our young season that never really had a chance to mature.

In between working late, all-nighters, and the latest round of "summer" weather, I've still been able to get out and do a little hiking and/or camping. Two weekends ago, Ben and I camped along Canyon Creek Rd and hiked Canyon Ridge one day and Excelsior Pass the other day (Green Trails #13 Mount Baker).

Herewith, a few pictures from that weekend:

 
(Photo by Ben)

The remainder of that weekend's pictures are here.

My computer at work hates me half the time. Or maybe it's just some of the software. Whatever/Whoever it is, it gives me a second or two to post random thoughts. Think of this as saving Twitter bandwidth.

• Over the Rhine's Live from Nowhere, Volume 3 arrived today after a long wait. I had forgotten that I ordered it. Good stuff.
• When I've been able to listen, I've been listening to a lot of downtempo chill music. Dig the grove, man.
• Love the new Death Cab for Cutie album, Narrow Stairs.
• I think about music a lot.
• I'm going camping. It's a one night, car camping thing with guys from the church. My knees thank me for no full-on backpacking.
• I expect to hike up to Excelsior Pass (Green Trails #13 Mt Baker) and/or Peak Saturday. My knees are bitter, but they'll get over it. Probably by next Wednesday.
• I need to publish some more pictures.
• Fantasy Football season is upon us. You know what that means: more bad beat stories.

I'm not usually a big fan of mega-churches and their perma-smile preachers. King James-only assemblies don't get my juices flowing, either.

A famous perma-smile preacher gets on TV and appears to espouse a wishy-washy Gospel of Jesus. You can go on YouTube right now and find some clips from the now year-old appearance. You can also find a clip of a pastor from an "old-fashioned, independent, fundamental, King James Bible only, separated Baptist church and not ashamed to say so" church who first gets on the case of the Perma-smile's milquetoast statements and then laughs as he reads Perma-smile's website apology for said statements.

Perma-smile apparently loves his celebrity. He's believing his own press clippings; he cares a little too much what other think. He can definitely do a better job of not backing down from the exclusive claims of Jesus.

Old-fashsioned's point is taken. But his self-righteousness is obvious and not helpful. Also, I would have to wonder if I personally could get forgiveness if I wronged the guy. He seems earnest enough; perhaps I could get forgiveness as long as I didn't wrong him on TV.

Perma-smile should absolutely be corrected--no doubt about that. But he should be pitied for his celebrity; not attacked.

"Do you know where I can go and shoot a TV?"

I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, "Great... Another weblog."

I have news for you, fella. This ain't ANOTHER weblog. This is the same ol' weblog. Just with a little less silence.

Maybe.

Once is a movie about a vacuum-repairman-by-day-busker-by-night dude and an odd-jobs-immigrant gal. She approaches him playing the streets one evening, and they form a fast friendship. We follow them through the events of a week in which they grow, learn, and make life-altering decisions. They both learn to look a little outside themselves which, in turn, gives them the confidence and courage to do what needs to be done in each’s own life.

The characters are human and real, playful and serious, sinners and saints. The protagonists are played by Glen Hansard (from The Frames) and Markéta Irglová (a Czech musician/actress) (the album), who performed all the music and wrote their own original songs for the movie. Once plays as it is billed--a modern-day musical--and it is wonderful.

It’s a feel good movie that incorporates some fell-good clichés, but I’m a sucker for ‘em anyway. And I would have hated it if these scenes weren't there: 1) the reaction of the sound engineer to the first recorded song in the recording sessions; 2) the father listening to the recorded tape; 3) the final gift.

Once is an independent film written and directed by John Carney. Rated R for lots of F-bombs.

Two weeks ago, a few us left work Thursday evening to get a burger.

At In-N-Out Burger in Redding, CA.

That was one fine burger. The camping was fun, too.

More pictoral evidence is here.

Road trip stats:

• cars rented: 1
• miles: 1773
• tents: 3
• times someone left a tent to sleep in the car: 2
• trips to In-N-Out: 2
• burger purchased: 3X3, Animal Style
• highest recorded temp: 102 degrees F
• minutes spent at Powell's: 30
• F-bombs dropped by the mother (to her family) from the adjacent campsite at Oak Bottom: uncountable
• circumference of largest redwood: heckuva big
• number of girls Ben waved to: 3
• number of girls who waved back: 2