Quail...

His eyes were as giant as big, brown tootsie rolls. His bottom lip trembled and the look on his face could only mean that I was on to something. Victory. Complete victory.

Seconds before, a light bulb had went off in my mind and suddenly my entire life, my entire approach to life, changed in an instant.

"QUAIL! I mean, really! Can you believe it?!?!?", I exclaimed as I made my residence known in the Borders cafe. I think the lady next to us stopped whatever she was doing on her computer half-way into my monologue and listened to my insightful revelation of life and Hebrew people...and quail. I could sense her scooting closer to us, her ears itching to hear something momentous and spectacular.

When Brandon finally digested the grandeur of the moment and all the craziness I just dropped onto his lap, his entire face contorted as if his life made a little more sense too and with a nod of approval and a smirk he replied,



" Quail."



"Quail?"



"QUAIL!!!!!! Yes!"


He then shook his head in the Brandon-like way that he does sometimes when he is enjoying his own thoughts, and didn't say anything for a solid 10 seconds. I was as giddy as a school girl who had just received the latest Tiger Beat magazine in the mail--Hanson addition--and had to control the giant voice inside of me that wanted to burst out into song and fervent tap dancing. The people surrounding us, I'm sure, wouldn't have appreciated my revised rendition of the Hallelujah chorus that was now spinning through the wheels of my brain, but something tells me that the weird Asian lady in mismatching clothes--she kept walking around and talking to herself--would have really understood me in that moment. Who knows? Maybe she would have joined me and we both could have partaken in the happiness together and serenaded each other atop the cafe counter, joyously harmonizing to the tunes of hearts with choreographed dances and perfectly timed hand motions. She would shimmy; I would yodel. She would hum to the baristas and I would interpret in sign language. It could have been amazing. And we could have been taken out of the Borders lounge by the police...together. The way I figure, public outbursts of insanity are never quite as sweet alone as they are with company. I think she would have enjoyed this very much. Something about the color of her mismatched socks told me so.

Needless to say, this week has been an experience full of so much discovery, I just don't think words can give it justice. It is mostly why I have not written in this thing lately; there is just so much I have been taking in and thinking about, I haven't been able to do anything but let the current take me wherever it leads and listen to the thrashing waters of revelation. That sucker came 100mph dead beat into the streets of Jordan and knocked me over with lightning speed force until I was left splashing around in its waves, screaming for my friends to come and join me. The things I've been learning...

It is almost as if the heavens opened up and an angel spilled some of her holy, anointed apple juice from a royal goblet onto my forehead, splashing me with glory and mystical insight into higher ways.

It has been really great. I have a feeling that this portion of time is something that doesn't come around frequently in one's life. Kind of like milestones that are few and far between. Even if they aren't, I'm really liking this season. I could get used to it. But I don't want to. I'm happy to keep riding the waves.

I promise to write more later...