amalgamation is fun to say.

Oh, summer.
I consider myself officially welcomed into the season. I was not greeted by any calendar date or sanctioned proclamation, but by the slow, steady sliding of life's rhythms. No longer pressed up against the deadlines of academia, and being also entirely unemployed, I find that my days are thrillingly open and brilliantly unhurried... if I take the time to enjoy them properly. It is, of course, still possible for someone like yours truly to immerse myself in accomplishments and to-do lists, even in the spaciousness of summertime. When I was telling Sam about my summer task lists, he couldn't help but assert to me the ridiculousness of putting "go to the pool" on a task list, and suggested I call it a "fun list" instead. I just don't think I would have the same sense of accomplishment in crossing things off of my "fun list." It sounds considerably less triumphant.

Anyway. The point is, it finally feels like summer, even if it is technically still spring. I think that, if nothing else, once the humidity levels begin to border on the obscene it would be nothing short of indecency to deny summertime its bragging rights. The season of "swimming feels the same as breathing" is finally here.

I'm more of an autumn kind of girl, personally.
Moving on.

I've been gathering thoughts for this entry for days now. They have been convening in the Stickies Widget on my Macbook, right below the to-do list and right above the chords to the song I've been working out. And, much like my summer tasks, they are nothing short of a cornucopia of things that might be fun to explore. I do, however, have one very important order of business, which I shall save until the end.


...which half of you just scrolled down to read. It's okay. We can still be friends.


On that note, and without further ado, I present to you...

An Amalgamation of Observations.

1. A Change of Face. Hopefully, most of you have noticed by now that we're not in Kansas anymore, Toto. Perhaps you've noted the drastic decrease in green, or the switch from a right-side to a left-side menu bar. Yes, it is true, Perspicacious has found her new face. I realized a few days ago that it had been over a year since the very first entry was writ, and I just felt that something needed to change. I wasn't really "going" for anything when I was thinking of changing the look, but I believe that what I ended up with is a sort of cleaner and more organized feel, and so far I'm pretty much a fan of it all. I'm open to comments and compliments, as always. Although, compliments are preferred.

2.Runner's Tan and Shin Splints. So, I have been thoroughly enjoying this new phase of my life in which I have been teaching my body how to do things I never believed it would do, such as wake up early in the AM to run. I love the feeling of accomplishment and general wellness that sort of clings to me on days when I run. For months I've been stacking up piles of good reasons why running outside is a beneficial and happy addition to my life's routines; little did I know that the opposing arguments were sneaking up behind me, waiting to pounce.

The first disenchantment occurred at a friend's pool party last weekend. Despite the intense heat of the season, this party was actually the first social event of the year which would require me to bare my upper-thighs. Now, first of all, I think it is more than a little unfair that guys get to pretty much stay mostly-clothed during swimming activites while girls are expected to strip down to nothing short of brightly colored, water resistant undergarments. But what is really downright frustrating is that to look decent in this kind of attire, you need something that only time and effort can achieve: an awesome tan.
Okay. Back to the story. So, in preparation for the event, I was forced to go through the summertime ritual of trying on all of last year's bathingsuits to see which ones still make the cut. It was in those moments, staring at my spandex-clad reflection, that I realized downside #1 to running outdoors: runner's tan. I gazed in wonder at the distinctive line running across my upper-leg, wishing that someone would invent tan-through clothing. They would be rich.

The other of my unpleasant athletic discoveries is less socially unacceptable and more, just...really painful. Shin splints. For those who don't know about or have never experienced this pain firsthand, it could be compared to someone setting the bones in your lower-legs on fire while you run. Truthfully, I don't mind it too much, but it is frustrating and it steals all the fun away. If anyone has any insight on the subject, feel free to share.

3. Reading the Dictionary. Someone once asked me where I came up with the name Perspicacious for my blog. I was like, "Well, it's a word. A really cool word." They wanted to know where I had found such a word. I thought about it for a minute before realizing that I had actually been just scanning the pages of our household dictionary one day when I stumbled upon it. I was reading the dictionary...for fun.

So, I was thinking about this today after having had a conversation with my mom about the origin of a specific word. I realized anew and afresh that I don't just love cramming words together into sentences, I really love the actual words themselves. Finding new words to use is like treasure hunting for me, and actually remembering to use them is like whipping out a really great joke at a party. It's a thrill, even if I celebrate alone. The truth is, though, that people notice when you throw down a sweet new word in casual conversation. It's like growing sunflowers in a vegetable garden; a little bit of extravagance in the midst of the functional. So, to brighten your day, here are a few that I like:

subterfuge |ˈsəbtərˌfyoōj|
[noun]
deceit used in order to achieve one's goal.

tintinnabulation |ˌtintəˌnabyəˈlā sh ən|
[noun]
a ringing or tinkling sound.

impetuous |imˈpe ch oōəs|
[adjective]
acting or done quickly and without thought or care, moving forcefully.

echoic |eˈkō-ik|
[adjective]
of or like an echo.

and, for those who were wondering...
amalgamation |əˌmalgəˈmā sh ən|
[noun]
the action, process, or result of combining or uniting

4. And finally, the big news. For those of you that did not read my last blog, this will be less exciting. If you feel so inclined, you may now take this moment to go and read the last two or three paragraphs of the entry entitled, "the good life."


Now that we are all potentially up to speed, I'd like to introduce you to...



Beth Cleary. My future roommate.

Yes, she knows we're going to be roommates...I'm not a creeper. Actually, it is a good story.

So, as I have written once before, I had been praying about getting "the right roommate" ever since I decided to move to the Oglethorpe campus. I was asking God for all of these things, having no idea if I should be trying to find someone or just sitting back to see what would happen. There had been a couple of girls from JEO scholarship weekend that seemed like friend potential, but no one that I had really talked to very much at all. Then, out of the blue and all in one singular movement, every single Oglethorpe 2012 student leapt into a Facebook frenzy. Every time I logged in I had some new friend request or message from some kid who will be a freshman at OU in the fall. In the midst of all of this, there was Beth.
She messaged me once, and our conversation took off. Ultimately, we exchanged numbers and met up at the Thursday night college ministry that happens at my church, and I couldn't have been more delighted. I left church that night spouting off all this happiness to my sister on the car ride home, talking about how maybe, just maybe...maybe this Beth girl was roommate potential. Skipping some details, basically, I started to pray that if it were the right thing then Beth would ask me to room with her. This was partly due to my not wanting to jump the gun on assuming I had found the perfect new friend, and partly because I was a little bit rejection-shy. Beth, fortunately, was more daring. Just two days short of the housing request deadline, she replied to my last message with these words,
As for the roommate situation, I am a little worried. I feel like I would be more comfortable knowing the person and not just being placed with someone, especially since the room surveys are not detailed at all. I've been praying about it too. I was actually wondering if you were planning on just going random or would be interested in possibly rooming together...

And that was that. I was so giddy, I got out of bed and announced the news to my entire house. And I've been excited ever since. I'm trying to tone it down as much as I can, really. I feel like a superabundance of enthusiasm may or may not terrify her out of believing that Annie was a good choice on the roommate front. So. I'll try and keep my cool while secretly thanking God that I know I won't be rooming with someone who hates color or eats only wheat grass or something like that. Really. Thank you, Jesus.


Is there anything else to be said?

There always is. I'll leave you with the knowledge that I have an idea for a book I want to write, a song I want to sing, and a painting I want to paint.

I wish you all the same, or whatever it is that makes you smile inside.