Written last Friday night:

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By most accounts, today was a good day.

I ended the week strong at work. I had dinner and drinks with some good friends. There was a quick internet chat with a friend where I got some things off my chest. I witnessed an improbable comeback at a high school football game.

I came home and watched a classic Clint Eastwood movie with the roommate, who was excited about calling a girl, and that things were looking up for him. Then a Frank Sinatra WWII movie came on, so I'm hooked. Roommate #2 comes home, and we catch up a little bit.

It was, indeed, a good day. Much better than I deserve.

Now I'm lying in bed in a dark room, hearing the rain fall and trickle its way down the gutters. The clock is ticking just audibly enough to remind me that I'm not sleeping. I start replaying the day in my mind, which doesn't exactly help The Sandman do his job, thankyouverymuch.

It hits me: The people in my life... today they were like a revolving cast of characters. Short stories; quick hits. Or maybe like a 30 minute sit-coms where I fast forward through the commercials. And if I hurry, I can watch another one before bedtime.

As fulfilling as my friendships are (and, seriously, you wish you had friends as awesome as mine), there's still something missing. And to me, it's obvious.

Shortly after I posted last, the sun came back out for three days. But enough of my prescience.

I had the privilege this past weekend of witnessing the wedding of Justin and Sarah. Knowing I'm an amateur photographer and that my price would be right (will snap pics for food), Justin and I worked out a deal: I take engagement photos, he buys the milkshakes.

Congrats, Justin and Sarah!

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.