Ow! The Ladybug Bit Me!

I wrote this beautiful eloquent post and for some reason when I tried to spell check it the computer deleted everything. I'll try to re-hit the highlights, but definitely not enough time for the real shebang.

Right now I'm with my sister in California. It's been fun trailing her at work (interior design is just a wee bit different than engineering), getting to know her fiance, going to movies, and eating out.

Today we went to the Devil's Punchbowl and hiked to the Devil's Chair. It was a ton of fun just talking with each other the whole way. (Here's where you lose beauty and just get rambling content.) I love the mountains; they show you just how powerful you are...which is not at all. We are all so small and only in the mountains does one truly realize just how much of a puny speck we are on this earth. And that's where things get amazing, because God still cares for us even though we are so miniscule.

I get my moments of Zen by doing a few things. Driving really fast on my motorcycle and hiking in the mountains are my two favorites. I had one of those moments today overlooking the landscape. Realizing how the mountains had been heaved and tossed about as if they were nothing. Soaring above all the other people and just looking. Quietly listening to the howling of the wind, the caw of birds and the scuttle of lizards. Everything was okay, and I could feel God smiling down at me.

On the way back I saw something out of the corner of my eye. It was a rock covered in Ladybugs. I went closer and noticed that it wasn't just one rock, but two and then a log, then some brush. Everything was covered in these little bugs; I saw more of them in that one spot than I think I have over the sum total of my life. Then one of them landed on me and I thought, "My, aren't all these things cute. I wonder if there are some aphids nearby. Aw, this one reminds me of my first car." Then the darned thing bit me! I couldn't believe it. Being the man I am, I didn't say a word. Instead I promptly flicked it into the nearby stream where it met its doom.

On the way back there was a really bad accident. We asked one of the California Highway Patrolmen what happened and he looked really sad and said, "There was a chase involving an RV and they hit some people." You could see it in his eyes how much it really disturbed him. He was so angry and sad at the same time. It was a rare reminder that these guys that I slam my breaks for everyday are real people and that some of them really do want to make the world a better and safer place.

Well, tomorrow we're going to Universal Studios and then I'm off to Burbank to teach my class. I've never been to Universal, so I'm really excited about that. Pretty scared about the teaching part too. I can't believe somebody thinks I actually know enough that they're willing to let me represent the company. I think I'm going to like this travel and work thing though. It's really nice to get out of Austin; although, it's really hard leaving some people behind too. Oh well, one more week and I'm back. In the meantime at least I'll be in a city that's not in the middle of the desert where there's no cell service so I'll be able to actually call people.