I'm not moving

That's actually a pretty big announcement for us. At 2 years and 2 months, Shannon and I have hit a new record for the longest stay at a single address in the last 11 years. We don't have any plans to move, either, so this is really uncharted territory for us. As it turns out the total times I've moved in life isn't totally unusual. I'm never quite sure how to count the college years (Does moving home for the summer count? Moving back into the same apartment, but different bedroom, the next year? That week between the end of one contract and the start of the next one?) Nor do I know what to do with time as a missionary. (MTC? Each missionary apartment? But all my mail went to the same place for 22 months . . . ) So, my total number of residences could be anywhere from 12 to 17 (and counting residences and not moves eliminates the college/home issues).

But, until we moved to Illinois a couple of years ago, I had never lived on the Eastern side of a time zone. And let me tell you, it stinks! What is so different? The sun comes up way too early. Sunrise tomorrow is at 7:21am, and that is the latest sunrise of the year. (Thanks, daylight saving time!) In June, the sun comes up as early at 5:15. The downsides to all of this are several. First, young children wake up with the sun, regardless of what the clock says. (I had to unfortunately remind a very tired co-worker with two very young children that he would not be getting any extra sleep this weekend when the clocks change.) Second, I like to sleep in and stay up late (to a small, not-quite-Brian, degree), and it's nice when the sun matches that a little better. Third, the sun goes down so blasted early in the winter - 4:19pm at its earliest. Even leaving work at a very reasonable time still means driving home after sunset in December.

Finally, there is actually one time that I want to be up before sunrise: running is best just before sunrise. I don't know why, but it is. If you're going to be up before the sun, you might as well actually be outdoors to enjoy the sunrise. I run pretty regularly (121 times so far this year), and these last two weeks are about the only time that I am able to get myself out the door before the sun comes up. The only redeeming factor here is that these are also the two weeks where the leaves are at their peak, and I know just where to go running to see them. A few days ago I found some gorgeous leaves in the pre-dawn light, along with 3 deer. I don't run with a camera on me, but I did send Shannon out to go see for herself, and she took a few pictures, which everyone needs to appreciate. So, here you go. Maybe the best reason to run all year is so that when the planets align and you get to go running on a morning that looks like this, you are in good enough shape that you can enjoy it.