The Guide

http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSLH9268320080917?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews&rpc=69

Douglas Adams' famous "Hitchiker's Guide" series will be getting a sixth installment.

Obviously not from Adams, because he's dead.

No, the final book of the series (unless, I assume, it turns out to be incredibly lucrative) will be written by Irish author Eoin (or something like that) Colfer.

Colfer is famous for writing a children's series called "Artemis Fowl," which my kids love.

Strangely enough, I was just thinking about the Guide yesterday, trying to remember when I first picked it up, and if I could drop it on The Boy yet. ...I'm thinking that perhaps I was more aware of Some Things when I was in 6th grade than he is. Because there are Some Things in there that I don't remember being particularly startled by--but I'm betting he would. So maybe not quite yet. : [

Honestly, book 4 of the Adams series is pretty lousy, and while book 5 is much better, it is also much darker. I've never been compelled to re-read 4 and 5 (Wait.. I take that back. I re-read 4 just to see if it was really as bad as I had thought. And it was.), whereas I've read the first 3 dozens of times.

Regardless, it sounds like I'll be reading book 6 next year. There you go, Guide fans.

To everything, there is a season.

My personal favorite, currently, is fresh garlic. Although I'm a long-time fan of onions. Which is at least related, I guess.. so probably anything in that family would go over well with me. Garlic, onion, chives, leeks.

But that's not why you called.

A new season, unrelated to garlic, is upon us here in the Cap house, and I thought I should take a moment and reflect. (This would be your moment that I'm taking, so I hope you're not too busy. Or too difficult to entertain.)

Deb accepted a job today.

(B'JAM!)

So we are officially no longer in danger of having live in a cardboard box underneath an overpass.

Not that we ever really were. Seriously. God's been plenty good to us, in one way and another, and we haven't really suffered any financial hardship. The only way we've suffered is emotionally, and that, really, is our own fault. We knew in our heads that everything was going to be fine, but sometimes even when you know things in your head, it's hard to convince your heart.

And so begins the next season of life.

It's not such a big deal, I guess. It feels like we've never been in stasis. Not since we began all this business back in the early 90's. But this is a little different. It's been about 15 years since Deb and I have been pointed, as persons, in these directions--her as a career woman, and me as a musician (which is where the bulk of my focus will be, but i'm still going to have to be a painter, writer, etc... or we'll probably have to find that overpass, after all).

Fifteen years--a long time by most standards, and with a lot of additional complications. There's a family here this time. All the kids and school stuff still needs to happen. Budgets still need handled. Calendars must still be kept. Mortgages must be paid. And then, of course, we're 15 years older, too. I'm not a person who believes that there's a time of life by which you're required to have all your crap together... but if I were... it's about here.

It's a new chance to succeed. A chance to fail. A chance to have faith, to fall down, to stretch and grow and learn new things about ourselves and the world and God, and how those all fit together. It's both exciting and terrifying. There will probably be some crying involved. But I guess it's also the most satisfying part of life, and the most satisfying way to live.

If you can get over yourself. Which is the biggest challenge in it all. : ]

And those are my reflections today, at least right now, on the situation at hand. I'm sure I'll have a few more, 'cause I'm a guy given to reflection and analysis. That's just how I roll. But for now this is where I stand--excited, frightened, very proud of my wife. (Who is, you know, totally The Best. Period. And she's going to do awesome, because she is awesome. I'm completely psyched for her.) Standing on the edge. Glad to see the end of this passing season and ready to bore headlong into a new one.

Buoyed by grace. Thankful for love.

And pretty sure that garlic isn't even really, technically, a seasoning.

"Yes, but.. qualifications..!" Say it with me, people.

I've worked with a lot of people, in a bunch of different fields.

And I know, that this is the point in the blog where you're all expecting me to either make a case for why someone is qualified for something presidentially-related, or to lampoon said qualifications.

But I'm not going to.

I've worked with a lot of people, in a bunch of different fields. Some qualified and some not. And by far... by far, far, farfar... the unqualified people win. I've worked with a host of qualified idiots. It's amazing what you can get on a resume, and still not be able to pull your hand away from a hot stove without direct orders from a superior.

THIS IS NOT TO SAY that being unqualified makes you MORE qualified. That is insane.

It is to say that, in my experience, personal and professional, being qualified doesn't seem to really matter all that much.

I'm just sayin'.

So, the reason that I'm not discounting Palin is the same reason that I never discounted Obama.

Also, I'm not sure I care that much. But that's another blog.