So a friend wrote me, wanting to know more about my life here in Houston..."where are you, exactly? Making a home for yourself in a closet, okay. In Houston, okay. But where in Houston is the closet? Are you in a house with a bunch of folks, on your own in a creatively-built apartment building? Is this a free-standing closet? Let me know how I am to imagine your life when I think of you and go, 'I wonder how that guy is?'"
All pertinent questions which I apparently haven't answered, which could probably stand to be answered in a blog about my life. So, here's most of what I wrote back:

...where in houston...well, as it turns out I'm living in what for all intents and purposes could be considered an athlete training complex, as something like half the men's track team lives in my apartment complex. Its maybe a third of a mile from campus, so I train with the guys all the time (actually did an 18 mile run with them this morning, now at work, and dead on my feet, haven't done an 18 miler in some months...). I'm living with two other old (old, we're only 22-24!) guys, Scott, a great guy who actually graduated with me last year as a fifth year, and was my host when I was being recruited by Rice way back when we were in high school, and Adam, a blazingly fast 800 meter runner who is now in med school at the Baylor College of Medicine. I just bought some dining chairs from Ikea yesterday, so now the downstairs is pretty much fully furnished (we hardly eat at the table, or together, so we weren't in that big a hurry to replace the fold-up camping chairs we were using).
Third, how is that guy...well, owing to that 18 miler this morning (which involved waking up around 6:15 and running by 7), I'm pretty tired, dead on my feet really...but life is good. I suppose I'm in a bit of a crisis at the moment, as there are too many people working at this little store, which means I'm working maybe 20 hours a week, and it looks like my monthly income at this rate will be about $500 or so...I think between rent, insurance, etc, that leaves...well now that I think about it, I don't think anything is left over. So basically, I need a second job. Now. I should probably be more concerned about this. I"m sure it'll kick in soon...
I still don't go to bed early enough. I'm often awake at 2am for no apparent reason. At the time I'm sure it seems relatively important, or I tell myself I'll be done in five minutes with whatever it is I'm doing (reading the news, shopping for the bookcase, desk, and dresser that I need...well, would live much more comfortably with, or just randomly surfing the internet...)
But other than that, not having those pieces of furniture, and having to go to the grocery store at what feels like two day intervals, I'm doing really well. Like, really really enjoying being out of school, hanging out, and just...living.
Its lonely sometimes. I've made creepy forays back on to campus probably more often than I should (not really creepy, its always to see friends), but honestly there's just not much socialization to be done off campus, or at least so it feels. Its mostly just hanging out at the apartment, which I'm not actually doing that much of, because as little as I'm working, when I'm not working, I'm always doing something else it feels like.
So I guess I just really like everything right now. My knee has stopped rebelling, and what with the long run today with no trouble, I think I'm ready to get back into gear and get some real training going. And that will be good, get on track for why I'm actually here.
I really liked your analogies there (contorting yourself in limbo when you know the bar is too low but you go for it anyways (maybe that's what I'm doing right now?)).
I miss Portland a lot too. If there were guys in Portland to train with, I'd head back there in a second...but for the moment, I'm here.
So yeah...that's a slice of my life at the moment. I'm poor, not really sure how its going to work out, and maybe just a touch lonely...but pretty darn happy with things for now. And if I can say that living in a closet with my clothes on the ground, most of my stuff in boxes, and unsure how long I'll be living (if only partially) on savings, then I must be doing something right.

Like I said, there it is, a slice of my life at the moment...which hopefully gives a bit more of a picture of what exactly it is that I'm doing.