Neat!

I just made this post from my new phone. Very cool.

Here's to techmology!

R.R.K.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Counselling and Lifestyle Changes

I have recently begun therapy to help me deal with parts of my childhood. For those of you who know me well, you most likely already know why I have chosen to undergo therapy. Otherwise, I'd rather not go into the details in such an open forum.

But, this decision has been coming for about 5 or 6 years. I've worked out a lot of the basics on my own, but just knowing why you're messed up isn't always the be-all end-all of personal revelations. I may know WHY I feel the way I feel. I want to know how to CHANGE the way I feel. Not who I am. But how I live, day in and day out. How I relate to the people I love. How I survive in my professional life.

I'm starting cognitive behavioral therapy, to achieve this end. I like the format, because there is a definite timeline for the therapy, and goals to achieve. I am determined to take the therapy seriously and be dedicated to the process. I have high hopes that it will bear fruit.

In other news, but you might say related news (this is all about health, after all), I am beginning a nutrition and exercise program under the supervision of my Uncle Vito, who is a doctor. I have swam for 30-40 minutes the past couple days, and intend to continue this schedule daily, slowly increasing the amount I swim. I have also changed to a "weight watchers" style of nutrition. I intend to eat a salad with chicken breast every day for lunch, and eat a healthy dinner with my family every night after I swim. I think that I already feel a little more energized.

I love to swim. Bottom line, I love to swim. And I'm glad I've found an exercise that I love, and that doesn't ruin my knees/ankles, which have been consistently problematic.


As happy as I am about these positive developments in my life, I still miss my most darling Darling. If I had to do any of this without knowing we would see each other soon, and be together again permenantly a little bit down the line, I feel like I would crumble or despair. But because sweet K. remains here in this life with me, I shall not despair.

And more and more every day, I will try to make sure to put God first, so that I may never despair.

Love and health to you all,

R.R.K.

The downside of working all the time.

So, I've been working 65-75 hour weeks since I arrived. True, there's some down time that doesn't really count as 'work hours' since I'm doing things like this blog. But, I'd say a good 55-60 hours of true, honest to God work gets done. And aside from that, my "downtime" is still spent at work.

I'm not saying this to complain. I love that I am able to dedicate so much of my time to a cause I believe in.

But, sometimes I will look at a truly beautiful drawing or read a particularly poignant blog entry or short story or passage in a book I'm reading, I feel stirred, like a burning hunger in my belly, to create something.

Often in the morning, I see my yellow fountain pen sitting, forlorn, on my nightstand, and consider bringing it with me into work. I do not, because I would rather do it justice than take it like a security blanket into a space where neither my heart, my soul, or my mind are completely free to be my own.

And, new duties come up suddenly in life, I've found. I intended to take time to write this Sunday. However, as soon as I woke up, I heard my cousin Bo was having trouble editing highlights from the Virginia state championship game for Lacrosse, in which he coached the winning team. His team was having an awards banquet in celebration of their victory, and he wanted to provide them with a simple highlight reel to music, but wasn't really tech savvy enough to make it happen in time. So, seeing that I could do it fast enough if I put my mind to it, I helped him instead. Helping my family is always rewarding, but I was too exhausted mentally at the end of the day to put pen to paper. And I think I may burst into flames if I don't burn words to paper instead.

I miss my dearest, my darling K. I miss every adventure we could have, no matter where in the world we were. There is beauty, and love of creation, and thankfulness to God which can be shared in every moment, and I miss having her by my side, because I have shared in those things more fully with her than with anyone else in my life.

My longing for her can be paralyzing, but it also instills a truly fiery passion in my gut which drives me to take in as many beautiful and wonderful things as possible, simply so I can dream that she is with me, seeing all those things. I want the record of my mind's chaos to be put to paper, not so I can understand it better, but so that she can see it, and perhaps smile at my humanity.

Oh, darling, darling, my dearest, most wonderful girl. I burn so many ways for you.

Here's to all who have loved, and all who have longed,

R.R.K.

Work.

Campaigns are difficult, because you rarely ever agree completely with the person you are campaigning for. At least, not on every single issue.

Nonetheless, even when this is momentarily disheartening, it is very exciting to work for somebody whom you believe in and trust. My cousin Tom is one such person. Even when I have a different concept of an ideal policy, I am completely behind the ethic which drives his desire to be politically engaged. And, more importantly, his philosophy of discovering what our real goals should be in public policy, and gearing his discussion of policy towards accomplishing those goals, is the most important step our nation could take away from partisan politics.

I am incredibly excited to continue working on this campaign. I started work the day after I got here, and have been working an average of 10 or more hours a day. But, I feel much better having a positive and productive place to work, and a room of my own.

But, I miss my home, for she is sweet.