Journal #10 OMFG August 22, 2009 (Actually about August 21) @ 4:06am

Journal #10 OMFG August 22, 2009 (Actually about August 21) @ 4:06am
Today was a productive day, in my mind. As I move myself into a more comfortable position to type this journal, lightning is flashing all around me, as it has all evening. I will see in my peripheral vision sparks ignite the sky aflame, but only for a brief second before going dark again. Soft thunder echoes in the distance. I sound like I’m trying to start some novel or something but it really is just me observing what I am. We don’t usually get lightning storms like this, I mean, the west coast. Shortly before I got here, the lightning would have been eerie, but now it is just a glimpse of chaos in the distance, here in my room, my house, I feel safe.
I woke up this morning, once again, to the bright sunlight streaming through three sides of brightness. I once again must mention, my room has a lot of window space. I have almost no use for lamps or artificial light. The sun is my alarm clock. I wake up, and just try to hit the snooze button but just manage to stuff my face under a pillow. Breakfast was uninspiring, I ate eggs. Such is the simple life. Boom. The thunder just got closer. Everyone in the house was up and ready to take on the day. We had a number of things planned to do, including target, value village, and biking. I on the other hand had a few things on my mind besides target. I had committed myself to taking care of a number of errands which allowed me to stay home for most of the day. I went to target, which was quite the outing, as I bought a helmet and some other essentials before I began my vow of poverty and life on an 85 dollar a month stipend. We also went to Best Buy to get an antenna for our TV, yes, I know, not the most simple thing but we’ve got to stay connected somehow right? Overall I think that it is good that we as a community have to think about all the things we are buying, to consider why we are buying them, to what ends they will be used, and how we as consumers and participants in this global wold. BOOM. The rain has just begun to patter outside on the cement, the asphalt, the trees, the brick, the wood, all over. The storm has arrived. Storm might be too strong a word for it but, BOOOOOOM. Oh shit, it just thundered like woah. I thought I was being overly dramatic but dang, yeah, its really getting a bit scary here.
My latter part of the day I really enjoyed. After everyone had left to either go bike riding or shopping at Value Village, I stayed home and made the conscious decision to get stuff done. First I called the Washington Post to get a subscription for the house, I say $39 for half a year isn’t too bad for a subscription, with 7 days a week service. Next I considered what to do next, I was in charge of planning our ‘community’ day for the week, the idea being that we host our neighbors over to dessert and coffee and just get to know each other, being that we are living next door to them. I was a little terrified at first of going up to the neighbors and ‘cold calling’ it as you might say, but the conversations I had were amazing. I learned so much about our neighborhood and about the people I talked with that after, I felt that staying home had been the best decision I could have made. Next door we have 4 girls/women who are attending Howard University as well as a family of a Gulf War Vet, Mom, and Grandma who live together in a house they have owned for over 50 years. There is so much to get to know about these people that I’m really looking forward to meeting them in a few days. I also learned through these conversations and these seedlings of relationships that garbage is taken on Wednesday and that there is some sketchy business that is happening two doors down that we don’t need to be a part of.
I don’t want to make any of my readers concerned about my well-being, I’m sure that I’m safe in this neighborhood because of the relationships I’ve made today as well as the ones that I have inside my house.
After everyone came back we got ready for our night at the Wonderland, a bar which all the Former JV’s (Jesuit Volunteers) were going to, and the best part was that we didn’t have to buy any of the drinks! It was a great way to meet people and make some connections in the area. I capped the night off with hanging out with the guy who I’d met the night before, Dave and met some of his friends’ We were at an Irish Pub for a bit hanging out and met two lovely ladies, Melissa and Emily who were just starting law school at American University. They were awesome to talk to and I loved the candid conversation we were able to have, about so many things. The night went a lot longer than I had planned but I enjoyed every moment of it. One of dave’s friends owns a large mansion in the DC area which used to belong to a Supreme Court Justice, its right across from the Masonic Temple. The place is Creeeeeeepy, and looks straight out of a Dracula film. I left the place around 3:30 and just got back, but today has really been a lot like the weather is now. Full of energy being released and unpredictable. I could never have guessed in a million years that today would have taken the course that it did. Life is awesome.