Life, the Universe, & Everything Turns 1

Dear Readers,

This week marked the one year anniversary of my foray into blogging. I am writing to say thank you for your continued interest in and support for Life, the Universe, & Everything, particularly to Adam and Megan who gently chide me when I am unproductive. I don't think I would have done it without you.

It was quite a year for the Photos family. There were several life-altering events that went down, some intentional and some by sheer luck. We got new jobs, we lost a good friend, we dangled perilously close to the poverty line, but we are still standing. I can only imagine that the next year will be a little easier, or at least a bit more settled.

Most notable was our sudden relocation to a part of the country about which I previously knew nothing. It wasn't my idea to move, you see, and I was not sure that I was going to like leaving Chicago which I had come to think of as my home. With no prospect of a job or friends, I tried to remain positive and think of it as an adventure. Worst case scenario, I thought, it would only be temporary, and so I arrived with an open mind and an enthusiasm for whatever came next.

I guess the permanence of the move finally began to sink in when our landlords wouldn't grant me a two week lease. Well, I am pleased to say that New Mexico is actually pretty wonderful. The weather is fantastic and the landscape is extremely beautiful, and this is important because as I looked back over the past 12 months I realized that the outdoors have become integral to my new life. (That's what I'm calling it. My new life. Like I got out of prison). Hiking on the weekends, biking to do our errands, walking to work – this is the new path. But the biggest changes have been in my athletic career.

For one thing, I have managed to become a distance runner for the first time ever (see previous post Alls I Want Is Freedom). My friend Davey saw the original post, took pity on me, and sent a program called something inspirational like "Get Up and Run Like a Motherfucker" that structures your workout and builds up your distance slowly. Over the course of 8 weeks I dragged myself out of bed three times a week at 6 am to jog in the frosty air. It was awful, but I actually began to see some improvement. After a while I even started to feel good afterwards, something I believed to be impossible. Eventually I completed the program; I ran about 3 miles, and I didn't even die once. It was awesome, and I continue to run several times a week. Thanks Davey.

The other activity I regularly engage in is a strange team sport – part soccer, part punt return – called Ultimate Frisbee, also known simply as Ultimate. Although I have been playing for a few months now, I have not managed to shed my embarrassment about it and won't bring it up at parties. Don't get me wrong, it's a pretty good workout and it's a lot of fun to play, but I have noticed that for some of the players it approaches the status of religion, only with less contact.
Aside from exercise, the biggest benefit of Ultimate Frisbee is that you learn a new language. Observe:

Defender: "Force flick!"

Receiver: "I'm poached!"

Other Defender: "No huck! No huck!"

[passer throws the disc]

All Defenders: "HUCK!!"

[receiver catches the disc in the end zone]

Receiver: "Nice put."

Passer: "Gnarly bid."

I suppose all sports have their specific terminology, but when I say something pedestrian like, "Good try," it is met with blank looks and snickers. I'm kind of looking forward to when people here find out about baseball.

Lastly, I would like to announce that my Olympic run was an unbridled success. This summer in Beijing I was able to win 7 Gold Medals for the United States, an all-time record, and one that I believe will stand for a long, long time. So, yea me!

In other news, a milestone occurred this year as well – Darby and I recently celebrated our 5th anniversary. It was a modest affair as I was in Chicago at a friend's wedding on the day of observance, but we had a romantic conversation via cell phone, and I am pleased to announce that we have decided to proceed as planned until death do we part. As I mentioned, this was not the easiest year that I have lived through, and it was certainly the most unpredictable of our relationship, but having my wife to go through it with me made all the difference. Five years into forever, I still think that I chose wisely.

And of course my life moves forward. I miss my old friends and relatives, (some of whom I hadn't heard from in a decade or more until recently), but I have managed to make a few friends here. I have been taking lots of photographs and making drawings, and started a photo blog with my old schoolmates. We garden and cook delicious dinners. We go for walks everyday. Josie and Bob have decided that they like it here after all.

Life can be pretty good, even when it's pretty simple. I hope that those of you who have made it out to see us had a good time and will return, and those of you who have not will visit soon and share it with us.

Thank you for reading.