PLANE FULL OF FREAKS!!

As i was getting on the plane from tokyo to portland, i was suddenly struck by the fact that there was an unusually high percentage of freaks, all seeminginly drawn to this specific aeronautical transporter. "what," said i, to myself, "could draw so many skinheaded, tatooed, mustached, anime-costume-wearing, dregs of society-type people all into one, single, metal tube?" then, like the smell of a truckfull of steaming hops driving by on a lonely road in the winter, the answer hit me. portland. this plane was direct to portland. realizing this, i saw them through new eyes, took my nosering down, and took my seat with a smile. to their credit, and to the discredit of united, the northwest airlines flight attendants were the nicest, politest, and cheery flight attendants i've experienced in a long time, in spite of the hippies and the babies. go them!

Some things change- like the yen rate. that changes. some things on the other hand, don't change. getting off the plane in portland, i was instantly depressed by the fact that, at 7 in the morning, it was barely light, and it was drizzling and gloomy, colder than tokyo has ever gotten yet this year. i should have remembered, but, like the smell of a bad fart, it was something that i allowed myself to forget as the soonest possible convinience. 2 sundays ago it was shorts weather at church. we had to turn on the air conditioners. no joke. here, you have to start your car up 30 minutes before you want to use it to get the ice melted from off the transmission. well, it's almost that cold, i swear.

Being back at Bible college is funny. all my friends want me to go out drinking with them on whatever day they finish their finals. i don't really care about it, but it's something that seems to be quite important to them. i think it's all spite. me, i don't care, for i have the ability, though not the desire, to drink whenever i want. these poor, oppressed children, on the other hand, are convinced that freedom is 80 proof, and can't wait to get their hands on it. meeting old friends has been good, too. sometimes i sit and chat with people that i really don't think care about me that much, and i wonder why i put up with it, why i bothered to get a ticket to portland instead of seattle. then, an actual friend walks in and we chat for 2 hours, then i remember. actually, i thought the trip here was worth it after me and rainbow sat and chatted for four hours, then made supper, then her hubby came home, and we all ate supper together and had communion after. that evening, in and of itself, made coming to portland worth it. to me, anyways. it's no real secret that i didn't approve of rainbow and jeffs relationship. or marriage, for that matter. i even went so far as to ask rainbow to not ask me to be in her wedding, since being in someone's wedding sort of shows your support for the couple. ironically, rainbow taught me that trick. zing!

But, as we both realize now, it does no real good to pretend that someone you were best friends with for 4 years of school means nothing to you anymore. maybe if that school were elementary, or a really stupid military girls school or something, but we went to a fairly normal Bible college, and both basically grew into the people we are now largely through the influence of eachother. so, when i left for japan to do youth pastory things, i was actually sad that i would not be able to go to her wedding, although i still wasn't very happy for her. to be honest, i thought jeff was a complete douchebag, and i thought that every nice thing rainbow said about him was her just trying to cover for him, or make excuses for him or something. you know "he was in a bad mood", "he's nervous around new people", "he doesn't hate you, he just would eat your soul if he had the opportuninty", "he hates all his fiance's ex-boyfriends", etc. etc. the only real interaction i ever had with him was at a single event, and, had the role been reversed, i don't think i would have been much better. so, a big apology to jeff for being a bastard to you, if only in my mind.

Now, however, having hung out with them for the second time, i can honstly say that i think their marriage is a good thing, and i fully support them, and i even like jeff. i don't think he's someone i would have gotten to know under normal circumstances, but it's getting easier and more normal to hang out with him every time we do. and rainbow is just fantastic. and i'm really happy for them. so, chalk that one up to a plane full of freaks.

PLANE FULL OF FREAKS!!: 1
RYAN!! : 0