yesterday was an all-around good day. a rather important day for dan–he and i went out to palo alto, and he bought his first pipe. now, you have to understand: for avid c.s. lewis and j.r.r. tolkien fans, (lewis and tolkien were both pipe smokers) there is a special aura about the idea of pipe smoking that transcends the pleasant aroma itself. my pipe is actually from oxford itself, from a little shop on a street where no doubt tolkien and lewis strolled, speaking about the things we now consider them great for, leaving behind wistful trails of blue and grey.
after our jaunt out to PA, i settled in to work the rest of the afternoon. i spent a few hours translating sentences into greek (“It is better to fill the sea with triremes in order to prevent the enemy ships from attacking the city.”), and a while getting halfway caught up with my logic reading. it was saturday, though, so i let myself do some relaxing things as well: i called emily for a while, and we talked about london and how fun that will be. so between work, calling the girlfriend, dinner, and reading some in a rock climbing book i’m borrowing from dan, the day passed quickly.
around midnight dan and i dressed up as old men, gathered up our pipe-related gear, and went down to the quad. there we sat, and talked, and smoked, and looked up at jesus on the facade of memorial church. in another corner of the quad someone was playing a three-stringed instrument, reminiscent of the banjo but not quite so twangy or american. the stars were bright, the night was cold, crisp, and clear, and the smoke curled pleasantly in the air before evaporating into nothingness–a reminder of how brief our lives here on earth must be to god.
back at home dan and i readied ourselves for bed, and fell asleep listening to the stories of the Darkening of Valinor, and the Flight of the Noldor–classic pieces of Tolkien’s mythology, told in the Silmarillion. thinking the day perfect, i went to sleep.
and sleep i did, until 1pm today. i’m quite disappointed that i missed church; however, the sleep was very much needed, since i doubt i will get any for the next two weeks, what with traveling, jet lag, makeup work, and all. also, being so refreshed has given me that rare feeling of desiring to do my homework and get caught up in my classes. so i should capitalize on that as best i can and see how much work i can get done tonight.
the day being thus set out for me, i take my leave.
virtual disc on spin: new way to be human | switchfoot
