9/4/10 - 11:39pm

I have a lot to say but I’m too focused on the awful sound coming from outside. It’s like the sound of a cat vomiting extremely loud every minute or so. Last night was scary ‘cause there were no blinds on the doors leading to the porch.

Where to begin? Hmm. I was woken up this morning about 6am by Jake continuously saying "the sun is about to rise" for like an hour. He’s very repetitive, as you will learn. At 9am, BJ and I went to Abe Lincoln’s Library and Museum. It’s new as of about 2 years ago. It was very interesting and state-of-the-art. Lincoln was a very beloved and hated president, as all presidents are, but much more memorable. Why is that? Because he was president during the Civil War? Or his defining looks? Or something else? Who knows. JFK seems to be the only other one who gets close to him popularity-wise and they aren’t even comparable because Lincoln was 100 years before Kennedy and therefore kind of mythical and romantic.

After I spent entirely too long in the gift shop, BJ took me by his work and then to Lincoln’s tomb. It was pretty neat to see where he had been buried. I was five feet from his bones! The cemetery is the most beautiful one I’ve ever seen, if you can call one that. 150 year old tombstones everywhere. Different shapes, sizes. The grounds were all different levels, very hilly. Lots of trees.

We came back to the house to eat lunch and then went bowling. That was fun. After every single ball Jake rolled, he’d come high-five BJ, Becky, and me. We started at one high-five per ball rolled and it kept adding on until we would double high-five five times before he’d go again. His high-fives are powerful, too. I’m sore. Then we went to "Lake Park" at Lake Springfield. Such an original name for a park at a lake.

Came home. Did some PowerWheels Jeep 4-wheeling which brought me back to my childhood when I sported a sweet maroon one. Fuck the Barbie shit! Took a nice nap even through Jake’s constant rambling. Then saw "Going the Distance" and ate Mexican with Becky. I even got a margarita. I didn’t think I’d have any alcohol this trip. Glad I was wrong!

I have the decision of whether or not to go to church with them in the morning. She said it starts at 8am and only lasts about 45 minutes. I want to go and be respectful but I also don’t want to feel completely out of place since Catholics have so many traditions and stuff. I’ll decide in the morning.