The cicadas are coming! Swarms in millions will invade for weeks. Some estimates put them at one million an acre: that's 500,000 in our backyard alone! Amanda's freaking out, but I'm bent over in excitement. Cicadas: come! Feel the ground shake as they rise!
Monday. I wrestled with Doogie before school, and then I worked 4-8:00. Kristen & Ashlie saw me in the I.G.A. parking lot as they drove by and shouted at the top of their lungs. After work I spent the rest of my night working on a history paper and watching Reno 911. Oh: I finally got my Dell XP desktop computer paid off!
Tuesday. Ally and Stephanie came over with Lee after school. They're working on a dinosaur project for some class and are utilizing my knowledge. Lee and I shot pool after they left. I had chicken and rice for supper. We had our Small Group here, it's a D-Group for guys. We talked about what it means to be a "real man": wild, risky, adventurous, passionate, a warrior! Mom's amazed at how much weight I've lost. Everyone is. I feel better, too.
Wednesday. The custodians at school keep commenting on how much weight I've lost. My normal shirts from a few months back feel like pajama clothes. In Art Class I'm working on a pretty cool calligraphy on Jesus' words from the gospel of Matthew. I took Ashlie home after school; she's not allowed over until Grease, the play she's in, is over. Ally came over with Amanda. I went over to Lee's and we helped Debbie weed the backyard. Bryon played guitar upstairs and Dad worked on their upstairs bathroom while Lee and I cleared the back, working around the two islands and the deck. I returned home gritty and sweaty and showered, exercised, got ready for bed, and talked to God before falling asleep.
Thursday. I spent the morning doing my bible study on the back deck. The birds were singing and Doogie was running around and sniffing everything. I sat on the porch under the brilliant morning sun and the purple cloud-drifts. Amanda's still scared of the coming cicadas. I finished Wild at Heart, want to study it deeper sometime, bit-by-bit. At school Hagan told me, "Anthony, we need to talk more." I said, "I just talk when I need to. And observe." He replied, "I respect that. I respect privacy. That's what I was like in High School." We had a good-bye party for the cute Ukrainian girl, and Hagan wanted me in the picture. That was pretty weird. After work Pat D. and Lee came over, and we hung out and shot pool. We grabbed change from the change-basket and marched to 1/2 Price, Border's, Salvation Army & Kroger. I got a William Wallace book, a Mickey t-shirt (inside joke), and incense. Pat D. bought a Colorado t-shirt and a bookworm t-shirt, and incense. Lee just got incense. We got back and watched Office Space, a hilarious movie. Amanda and Mom went to the Grease play Ashlie's in. Kristen and Shelby are in it, too. I took Lee home and Pat D. was gone when I got back. Meditation tonight: God is no formula, he is a person, and he loves me, and I love him, and we are friends. "I love you, O LORD, my strength!"
Friday. We only have 11 more days of school until summer starts! And that includes exams! Last time this year I was watching TV with Chris and Lee, listening to the rain outside, wishing summer had come. It came last year, it will come this here: and with cicadas! I took Lee home after school and watched Under Siege, a Steven Segal film, with Chris, Pat D. and Hank. I headed home. Ashlie's mad I didn't go see her in Grease.
Saturday. I worked 9-4:00, it was pretty easy. Cops were patrolling outside, there were all sorts of wrecks in the intersection of 741 and 73. Mom, Dad, Amanda and I went to Applebee's for dinner.
Sunday. I'm at 160 pounds right now; that's 40 pounds lost in two months! The cicadas aren't here yet, but I'm hopeful! The message from church: God will open himself up to us if only we pray. Erica and Bryon told me I'm the nicest person at church. Ashlie gave me a big hug, was shocked at how much weight I've lost. She nearly fainted when I told her how much. I guess Kristen was amazed, too; she felt my stomach, gasped in surprise. Kristen's hair was braided and she was very pretty. I went to North Park after church, alone, to just pray, inspired by the lesson today. Amanda, Ashlie and Kristen went out for lunch. I spent the rest of the afternoon writing: I've turned 36 Hours into 12 Hours, making it a short story instead of a novel. I think that's a good call. The kid goes insane in the end. I went to Student Revolution set-up. Megan H. and I hiked up to Dorothy Lane for Jones Sodas. The message was on Sex, Love & Relationships. Lots of people were crying, like Kristin, Ashlie, Tara, Jackie, even Amanda. Amanda thinks Mom thinks she hates her. She's lonely a lot. And she misses Megan. I told her to stand up, take a risk, stop crying, and trying to fix things. Amazingly, she did: she and Megan are good now. Hank and I chilled out in the gym for a while. Jeff, our youth minister, farted on Ashlie and she started crying. Corey's been kicked out of his house and is staying with his buddy Jason. Corey got a nose-ring, said it didn't heart.
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