home alone

It's Saturday night and all six of my housemates are gone so I'm stuck in a big old house whose radiator is currently making some very strange noises. Of course I can barely hear that over the rumbling snow plows and the soothing Cole Porter. This rare combination of nobody around and not much to do (nothing that can't be put off, I guess) has made for a relaxing evening. In fact, it's been a really mellow day in general. I slept late (9:30!) and then bought $100 worth of groceries. I'm always amazed how much food our house can eat, and we're not even all living here at the moment. I spent some time on the latest job application, trying to find the perfect balance of pride and humility, so they know I have some skills but don't think I'm a narcissist. Something I should maybe think about more when I blog...

The highlight of my day was going to the Calvin vs. Albion men's college basketball game. Who couldn't like two tiny Division III schools battling it out as if a trip to the Final Four was on the line. Calvin had a three point shot at the buzzer that would have sent the game to overtime, but it rimmed out. I'm a little hoarse now. While I was waiting for the game to start I got the chance to start a new book, "Home is Always the Place You Just Left" by Betty Smartt Carter. It's too early to tell for sure, but so far I like it. Here's an excerpt:

"Actually, "Why?" may be the most devout question any human being can ask, because of what it implies about God. If I ask, "How did the universe get here?" I'm showing curiosity. If I ask, "Who made all this?" I'm only admitting that some powerful being may be necessary to explain so much matter and energy swirling around in nothingness, like dirty footprints on a kitchen floor. But if I ask, "Why is the universe here?" or even "Why do I get canker sores after eating strawberries?" I show hope for order in this mess. I want to know whether God tramps through nothingness for a reason, and whether all this junk , this frenzied mud I wade through from one second to the next, is maybe a trail that leads somewhere. To ask why shows that I have expectations, and expectations are the beginning of faith - however small, however many times crushed and reborn."