Fall AKA Autumn

A lot of hype was made to me about how I would actually get seasons now that I've moved to Ohio. Unlike California where we have sunny, a few days of rain, a month or two of cold, sometimes windy, usually dry just about year round, here in Ohio the weather is, well... varied to say the least. Since coming here it has rained every week sometimes almost every day of that week, there have been thunderstorms, gusty winds, high humidity, I think there was hail once, and temperatures have steadily been decreasing. What I described there could have been a given week here. It is fickle. Last Friday the high was 48. Today we were in the mid 60s after nightfall. What?!?

But there still are seasons. The trees have just about finished changing colors. And this was something I was kind of looking forward to. And there have been moments when it was really spectacular. So bright reds and pinks and yellows. Deep oranges and and burnt oranges and most every shade in between. Sometimes there is a tree that is yellow a tree that is green a tree that is red and a tree that is orange. And with a bright blue sky with a few puffy clouds as a backdrop, that is really fantastic. I tried to take some phone photos, but they did not do justice. It really is something to behold through the eye. The other day, the wind was blowing really hard and these yellow leaves darted across the street like a flock of sparrows or magpies. (I don't actually know what a magpie is but it seems literarily fitting). Other leaves already fallen rolled across the street like a wave crashing on a concrete shore. It was quite a sight. It reminded me of some of the scenes in the Jet Li movie Hero. Something like this:

The problem is, one I was not carrying a ninja sword. And perhaps more importantly, those moments have been few and far in between. I really thought the whole place was going to look like fireworks for a month or two. Instead, its like one burst here and the another there, like when the neighbors buy the really nice nightflowers from Mexico for 4th of July but only can fire one every hour or so in order to avoid the cops catching them. There will be a brilliant colored tree for about a week, but all the trees around it are either already bare or still green. It's like they take turns. Which doesn't make for a particularly awe-inspiring autumn. It makes for the slow degeneration into the despair that will be a gloomy, cold winter. At least go out with a bang weather! Maybe there is still time for a finale...

Speaking of winter, I'm kind of getting excited. I bought some boots and gloves and a jacket this weekend. I have decided that every day possible I will try to throw at least one snowball. I also think I want a standing snowman outside my apartment for which I can aim that snowball. Though I'm sure Dandy Woo and Powder Climber, among others, will be open to random snowball attacks when they least expect it. I have these dreams I must live out from my thorough reading of Calvin and Hobbes. I have seen snow before, but I can only imagine having it every day and if it's as annoying and inconvenient as Spam Boa has warned me, then I will have to compensate with activities like this:

I don't usually have nightmares, but the other night I woke up and kinda freaked out because my black desk chair, with my thick black jacket draped over it, to my half-asleep glasses-free eyes looked just like a grim reaper standing over the edge of my bed. Maybe I've had death on my mind. Maybe it was because I just found out that my good friend, who I haven't asked her permission to talk about this, lost her mother recently. Then the next morning I found out that my uncle had passed away. I dont know what time I woke up but it was probably only an hour or two after he died that I had this image. It's a little unsettling. Yet, I said a prayer or two and went back to sleep. All the readings at church these last few weeks have been about the end of the world and being ready for when Christ comes again. It is because the church year ends next week, but still seems like a bunch of coincidences coming together. I'll say an extra prayer and take the lesson that life is a treasure, we should value and protect and appreciate every moment. Too bad I have final papers coming up....

I think that's all I shall discuss today. BTW, if you haven't seen Hero, its a very pretty movie that I've only seen once but is well worth it. Similar feel to Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. Also, if you are a big Calvin and Hobbes enthusiast like I am, then here is the cure for you. Pick a world any world and every comic that features that word will appear before your eyes: http://michaelyingling.com/random/calvin_and_hobbes/

Have a good week y'all. It'll be a doozy for me...

-JTY

Listening to: Snow (Hey Oh) -Red Hot Chili Peppers I feel like this song represents the blending of californian music (if such a thing exists) and the fact that I'm in Ohio.

Reading: A fascinating article by F. Scott Fitzgerald about his thoughts on turning 25 that someone posted on Facebook. Since this is something I am about to accept, it resonated with me. The article can be found here: http://www.oldmagazinearticles.com/Jazz-Age_Writer_F_Scott_Fitzgerald

But the big quote I take away from it is: "If you believe in anything very strongly—including yourself—and if you go after that thing alone, you end up in jail, in heaven, in the headlines, or in the largest house in the block, according to what you started after." He goes on to say, paraphrased: If you are in that category, then you'll have the most fun in life AFTER age 25.

Food for thought.

Playing: League of Legends with Spam Boa, Math Magician and Dungeon Daddy, Brawl with my OSU buddy Tall Bear, and lots of Catan, card games and the like.