Glad to hear that everyone is doing well (minus Chris, who has failed to report in the past while).

I remember you complaining about the cost of a ticket to get up to AK, Erik, how did your friend manage to do it? Did he do it on a whim? Or had you been planning it for some time now?

Sarah, glad to hear that you're getting settled in Ames. I have to say that I agree with Erik and distrust the four-letter city name, but I'm sure you'll soon establish yourself so that everyone knows of presence. And I wouldn't worry about not finding the transvestites yet, you're probably just not sure which type they are: the man-woman, woman-man. Speaking of which, I remember being in Córdoba, Argentina and saw this hot woman in the back of a pickup truck driving down the road, showing off her thong. We approached only to find a wigged man. We were duped. Though these words may live on infamy, that was still one fine pair of buttocks (shaved, mind you, as I imagine most men to have some unsightly hair).

I revised my poem that I posted over a month ago. New comments are welcome. The theme which I hope to stick to (if you can help in anyway, please post in reply) is: God comes to earth as Jesus, man decides that Jesus was here to save us, Jesus (God) decides that he just wanted to live as man. Suggestions, ideas, comments are helpful. Some rhythmic lapses are hopefully cleared up (view the former draft for what I'm talking about).

Though easy to reason His purpose was greater—
Our powerful, thundering, heavenly Pater,
Created from the motionless throes of His mind
His son the unerring and blessèd: our nadir.

With prophetic speech and calls of endtimes,
The son was sent forth to redeem us with wine,
Kind blessing, his burden, a gift without peer,
A so-said deliverance from sin for all time.

People unthinking and vested in cheer
Unknowing and sobbing their various tears.
Nearing their ends and divining the why—
Said God killed his own to rend from us fear.

Though easy to reason his purpose was greater—
The child the nadir the gift, may we mind
Descended with no greater desire nor drive
Than to live as a man, as man then to die.