I’ll soon be in search of another book to read. I’m nearing the end of “Bee Season” by Myla Goldberg. Got any suggestions? Post ’em, please. I’m in the mood for just about anything.

It’s 4:41 a.m. I’ve been awake for the past two hours. I can’t sleep and have no idea why. I went to bed shortly past 10 p.m. last night. My body feels a little tired right now, but my brain is buzzing. I hate this. My alarm will go off in just over an hour, which means it’ll be time to get my ass moving for the day. I’ve tried reading, surfing the Web, nothing is making me tired. I know that once 9 a.m. rolls around, I’ll be dragging. I ate two cookies; that didn’t help either. Bah. Maybe my body (and brain) are trying to tell me something. Perhaps there’s something subconsciously I haven’t dealt with. Or maybe my body just needs to be awake for a little while longer today.

From my “Questions” book:

No. 121: Were you able to wake up tomorrow in the body of someone else, would you do so? Whom would you pick?

It’s just past 6 p.m. I’m sitting down to a bowl of macaroni and cheese when the power goes out. Since it’s still daylight and no lamps are on, I don’t notice it first. But then, slowly, my fan starts to slow down. I hear the a/c of my next door neighbor shut off, too. Without power, I can’t do much, so I sit on my front porch and read until it’s too dark.

Since moving into my house in February, I’ve sat on my front porch maybe two times. The sunset tonight was gorgeous, changing the small puffy clouds into red, orange and purple cotton balls of color. Breathtaking. And to think, had my power not gone out, I never would have noticed the sunset.

I chatted with the single mom and her two kids who live next door. Yet another thing I’ve done maybe two times since moving it. Thankfully, a gusty breeze kept everyone cool for the evening.

About an hour later, my power was restored. I retreated indoors to pick up my dinner dishes and hop online.

Exciting? No. Unexpected? Definitely.

I recently posted two new articles on my Web site. Check ’em out:

Not their grand plan
Written for the Bellevue Leader, this is the story of a pair of grandparents who are raising their two grandsons.

The Space Within: Ruth Davidson Hahn
Written for Medium Magazine, this article profiles a Lincoln-based modern dancer.

This excerpt is one of my favorites of all time. Written by an Iowa native, Aldo Leopold was a conservationist to the core. A good friend of mine gave me these words in college. I rely on them often. Take them with you.

Whether you will or not
You are a King, Tristram, for you are one
Of the time-tested few that leave the world,
When they are gone, not the same place it was.
Mark what you leave.

An excerpt from “The Land Ethic” by Aldo Leopold from “A Sand County Almanac” (1948)

It’s VERY RARE that I purchase a CD, but a recommendation from my sister was spot-on. Today I picked up “songs for dustmites” by Steve Burns. You may have heard about Steve. He hosted the “Blue’s Clues” TV show Saturday mornings on CBS.

Let’s just say Steve’s move to musician was a wise one. This CD is amazing. His music is all over the map. You’re bobbing your head one minute, reflecting on love the next. An article on MTV.com said Steve’s music “combines the sweeping orchestration of the Flaming Lips, whose Steven Drozd assisted in the album’s production, with the DIY-aesthetic and detached spookiness of Chicago’s homegrown indie rock.”

Do the smart thing and buy this CD. You’ll be glad you did.

Here’s a photo of me and my friend, Carole Snow. We had matching red shoes when working at the Papillion Times newspaper a few years ago. We kicked some serious ass at the Times, let me tell you. These shoes gave us special powers.

Have a lunch interview today for an article I’m working on for Medium Magazine. It’s with an Omaha writer who has worked on screenplays with Stephen King. Should be interesting. Then, I’m off to run some errands. Nothing too exciting today, to be honest. But that’s OK. Coming off a production day on Monday, I’m happy to kick back and take it easy on Tuesday. Tomorrow, my work week begins!

My TV room is in dire need of a makeover. Before I pick a paint color, I need to find a love seat or smaller couch. Then, it’s on to Lowe’s to pick out some paint for the walls. The room isn’t that big, so I imagine I can get away with just one gallon of paint.

It’s so peaceful here at my house on this Tuesday morning. Most of my neighbors are already at work. The senior citizens who live here are always quiet, so I never know if they’re home or not. But that’s OK with me. I love the quiet. I crave the quiet. How else can I think if it’s noisy all the time?

Today’s parting thought, from “Life’s Little Instruction Book” — No. 186: Be insatiably curious. Ask “why” a lot.

After work this evening, I stopped by Cost Plus World Market and picked up some great candles. I imagine it sounds predictable, but I find candles so soothing. I write better when candles burn. For some reason, that simple, inexpensive glow makes all the difference and creates a mood I can’t achieve at 2 in the afternoon. “Ohm.”

But on to this evening’s post, from my favorite “Questions” book by Gregory Stock.

No. 152: What do you value most in a relationship?

This got me to thinking. I realize there are multiple types of relationships in life. I immediately want to think along the lines of a romantic relationship, but most of what I value in relationships apply to friendships, working relationships and family relations. Loyalty is huge with me. Keep your word. Don’t say one thing and do another. Nothing bothers me more than people who don’t follow through or, at the very least, offer an explanation after the fact. Don’t forget I’m here. I matter, damnit. Honesty is paramount, but I imagine that goes without saying, right? I’d rather not invest a great deal emotionally if you’re not even going to tell the truth.

But that’s a problem, I suppose. With most relationships, that emotional aspect is ever-present. How do you offer that up if you know you’ll be hurt in the end? I guess you aren’t 100 percent certain you’ll be hurt, but taking the chance can be scary. Very scary. The more you give away of yourself, the less you have of yourself when it’s all over and it’s just you. Then, it just takes time to refill that empty reserve inside your heart, preparing it for the next person, assuming there will be a next person.

Relationships are fantastic learning tools. You learn about people. You learn about yourself. You laugh. You cry. You hope to grow and change after meeting people and sharing your life with them. That’s the good part. That’s seeing the glass as half-full and not completely empty, waiting to be filled up by someone else, someone new.

I guess that’s the whole point, but what I find so confusing. When you’re with someone in a relationship, you have to open yourself up, give away some of yourself to that other person. But when you’re alone again, you have to learn to be on your own again; so you fill yourself up on your own, sometimes closing off from others so you don’t get hurt. Then you meet other people and want to give, give, give. But it’s hard. You don’t want to give away too much too soon. It’s ongoing. Because nothing is forever, that cycle is forever.