In chaos, Peace. In brokenness, Love. In finals season, everyone pulls an Enson Crusher.

Okay, kids, here's the scoop: it's finals week, which means this little girl* will be out of commission till next Friday at 6 p.m. There will be much joy and merry-making; there may also be a visit to Narnia (stay alert, ye who care about these things) for cathartic imagining of wondrous things and the triumph of good over evil. Till then, though, I'll be traveling incognito as a deranged local who washes infrequently and walks around muttering "226 230 241 28 30 5 10 2 3 and most of all, 234." I only wish those were winning lottery numbers.

Anyway, I am breaking this fast of silence for one reason: engaged is the new black. Congratulations, Joe and Mary! Congratulations, Brock and Christina! Congratulations, Josh and Donna!**

See you kids at the end of next week!

*We're interpreting that broadly. Expansively, if you will. Especially after this last week's diet and lack of exercise (as in, less than usual. As in, I only get up from my chair five times a day as opposed to the usual twenty-five.).

**Points for having an engagement story involving things catching fire -- unintentionally.