In Lay Terms

Come On, Irene!

2011-08-27T10:02:00.006-05:00

So, I didn't expect that I'd experience an earthquake and a hurricane...IN THE SAME WEEK! I expected muggings or something. But this is blowing my mind.

Anyway, I want to update you on my plans. I am not in an evacuation zone (not close enough to water for that). I'm also at the back of the building, surrounded by other, taller buildings. I have a hunch that I'm not going to have a lot of damage in the apartment, even if the storm is severe. I've also heard several people say that the storms with the biggest media hype (especially in NYC), tend to be duds.

However, I've learned that the subways are closing tomorrow at noon (the first time that has happened since 9/11). So, it looks like I'll be in my apartment this weekend, and possibly into next week. My biggest concern is losing power or water. However, someone reminded me that NYC has underground power lines. It's not like a tree falls across a wire here like in MN (plus, where are the trees here?).

I've filled every container I own with water and put it in the fridge. I've started making ice as well, so that if I lose power, I can keep the fridge cooler a little longer. I had a lot of produce from my last grocery order, so I'll eat that up first. Today, I went out and bought 6 cans of beans and several things of granola (both cereal and bars). I already have several Costco canisters of mixed nuts as well. I think I'm OK on the food front. I also got cash, in case I need to buy something and the credit cards aren't working.

So don't worry about me. I'll be safe. I might be bored and stinky, but I'll be safe. Oh, I also have two books and two magazines.

Here's my communications plan. If I lose electricity I'm going to send Richard a text message to tell him so, and then I'm shutting off my phone. I'll check it every few hours and send Richard a short update. He will keep you all up to date from my messages. I'm sure there will be a lot of calls on the cell lines, and I don't want to tie those up more than I need to (and drain my phone battery when I don't know when I can charge it again). I have the little netbook and my work laptop, and I'm prepared to use the charge from the computers to charge my phone.

In the VERY rare event that I need to evacuate, I'm putting together a bag with my passport, money, toiletries, and some clothes. I really don't anticipate needing to do this (more likely I'll be sitting in my apartment).

My friend, Katie (who helped me get the apartment) is throwing a hurricane party, so I might go and be with her so I don't have to be alone. I'm hoping that if things are bad, that there is a general cooperative spirit, but if not, then I'm hiding in my place.

Again, I WILL BE JUST FINE. No one needs to worry.

Walking Around

2011-06-04T08:34:00.003-05:00

It's a Saturday morning, and I've decided I'm going to "walk around". That's my best plan for the day. Oh sure, I'm supposed to stop by and drop off the key where I was staying. I've also been invited to a block party later today. But my primary agenda is to find out what this neighborhood is like. So to do that, I'm going to take a stroll. Probably not my last, but I'm excited it's my first.

Since I've gotten here, I've been pretty busy. I've figured out how to get to work and how to get groceries. Now I get to see the stuff that makes the city beautiful. The stuff you don't see as you are weaving through crowds to get to your job. I'm going to find what makes Harlem great (or, at least some of the stuff).

So...enough writing and more walking!

Apartment Living

2011-06-01T19:32:00.005-05:00

So I’m now in my apartment. I started staying here last night, even though I signed the lease two weeks ago. With the job and the transition and everything, I just wanted a little stability, so I stayed with a friend, in her spare bedroom.

But now I’m on my own…somewhat. The apartment is nice enough. It’s a two bedroom. It’s first floor. It is 720 square feet. It faces the back of the building. That means that I don’t have a very nice view (pile of rubble), I don’t have any street noise. I may have some building noise, but I didn’t notice it last night.

Oh, here’s what else I don’t have…furniture. I’m writing this as I pirate unprotected wireless from an unsuspecting neighbor, while sitting on the floor of the corner of my “living room”. My butt doesn’t have a lot of padding on it, so the floor gets pretty uncomfortable pretty quickly, especially on these nicely re-done hardwood floors.

The apartment still smells like fresh paint. They gutted the bathroom and kitchen, so I have new appliances.

I got this place through a friend of a friend of a friend (who is my friend by now). She put in a word for me with her property management company. I also seemed to get lucky and call at the right time. Honestly, this was the first place I called. I totally expected to be rending a room from someone, not staying in my own place with no furniture.

When Richard gets here, it will get furnished. We also are going to buy some stuff. Apartment stuff. New York stuff. We decided that our furniture was too “Midwestern”. So, we sold it in a garage sale.

Here's my apartment view as I write this:

This is the kitchen/living room. The two are really the same thing. Eventually, we will put some an island or a divider of some sort to break up the room. You will see the cardboard box that is serving as my trash right now.

And this is the view down the hall:

You can see the other half of the kitchen, and then the long hallway that leads to our apartment door. I won't show into the bedrooms, because there are no lights in there, so you'll just see darkness.

Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home!

Worship in New York

2011-05-22T06:53:00.003-05:00

It's my first Sunday in New York, and I'm faced with a dilemma: Where to go to church?

When I first told people I was moving, I got this question. People asked me if I was going to worship at a Lutheran church or switch (I'm staying Lutheran). I even got lobbied by a few pastors to worship at their church. It was sort of fun.

I can name four churches where I have good relationships with a number of people in the congregation. All of these would be great places to worship, an they are pretty distinct from one another. Here they are, in alphabetical order (so that I do not show any preference):

Advent: I know one of the pastors (Barbara Lundblad, who also teaches at Union Theological Seminary). I met the senior pastor a few months ago, and she seems lovely. I also know a number of the congregation members, because they have worked with my last job at Lutherans Concerned.

Holy Trinity: I have worshiped here before. The former pastor is now the Bishop of the Metro New York Synod. The new pastor moved to New York from Minneapolis (to take this job). Very high liturgy. They do Bach vespers on many Sunday evenings.

St. Peter: My friend is an intern there (soon to be ordained). He has introduced me to a lot of other cool people in the congregation. This church sold its airspace to CitiBank, so the church is incorporated into the CitiBank building. I like to call it St. Peter's of Citibank. Also high liturgy.

Trinity: Many years ago, I hired the pastor of this congregation to be a keynote speaker at Gather Us In. This church runs a homeless shelter for LGBT youth. I also confess that I got my apartment through a few members of this congregation, so I feel a debt of gratitude.

I'm sure over time, I'll try all of these congregations. On this particular day, there is another consideration. I'm getting on a train to go to DC at 11:00, so I looked at the church web sites to see where I could worship before going to the train. Holy Trinity and Trinity were eliminated because they only have 11 AM worship services.

And...I'm still staying with my friend. And Advent is very close to her house. Advent is also close to the subway that can get me to Penn Station the quickest. So...Advent Lutheran is the winner for this Sunday.

But don't worry, I'll be getting around. It's also possible that I'll find another church that is lovely that is close to where I live (when I start staying in my apartment). The possibilities are endless!

First Saturday in New York

2011-05-21T09:31:00.002-05:00

It's my first Saturday in New York, and I'm going to be busy. I'm moving a lot of my stuff to our new apartment in Harlem. I've been staying with friends since I got here, and I signed a lease on Tuesday, but I haven't been able to move or deal with the apartment much else since I got here (I never recommend starting a job the day after you move to a city).

Now I'll finalize measurements, with the help of Richard. I will turn the utility bills over to me. I'll also do my "walk through" and point out any problems or issues, so I don't get billed for them when Richard and I move out. We are used to doing this for our tenants, so it's interesting to be on the other side.

I have a busy week with a lot of travel. I'm going to DC for the HRC Clergy Call until Wednesday morning. Then on Thursday, I leave for Minnesota for our going away party/garage sale. You are ALL invited!

Hopefully, I'll get to take a walk or something on this pleasant Saturday. My hosts live quite close to Central Park, and I'll like to stroll there. Maybe after my work gets done.

Quick Morning Check In

2011-05-20T07:12:00.002-05:00

I feel like I have so many stories, but I'm overwhelmed with stuff to do. I've found that evenings go very quickly in New York. People work later in the day, and even one errand might not get you home until 9:00. I thought I would be talking to Richard every night, but it's often been too late for me or him. We are still in contact, but not doing the Skype thing all the time. Maybe Saturday.

Here's the upside. I signed a lease on an apartment. I'm not living there just yet. I'm staying with friends. However, it's a 2-bedroom in Harlem. I thought for a while it was in a neighborhood called Hamilton Heights, but I was informed last night that we are in Harlem. I got this place through a friend of a friend of a friend. But last night I actually met her in person, so now I can call her a direct friend. The apartment is with her property management company and around the corner from her building.

The pluses of the place: 2-bedrooms, under $1500/month. Huge windows. Back of the building, so no street noise.

Drawbacks: 1st floor (both for light and for safety...which might make those huge windows a liability). I'm told there is some drug dealing on my corner, but I haven't seen it yet. The bedrooms are oddly shaped.

Actually, I haven't been to my apartment in the daylight yet, so I don't know what the natural light situation is. It's always been after dark. Our (new) friend was there in the morning, and she said that it was more light than she expected.

It is just one more step in my process to relocate here.

St. Louis: The Pit Stop to NYC

2011-05-18T21:31:00.001-05:00

I’m working on this blog post at the St. Louis airport (or, I was and finally got it posted today). When I booked my flight that would move me from Minneapolis to New York City, this was the least expensive option, and I’m still cheap, so I went fo rit. I wasn’t pleased about not having a direct flight, but this was about half as much as the other flights. Plus, I used credit card points to get a membership in the Sky Lounge. It’s a place with comfey chairs, food and beverages (adult beverages!) and dedicated people to helping you out. Yes, it’s a little elisist, but I’ve really apprecaited having a place to check email (wifi is also included), and spend less on food when a snack will do. So, I figured that I could handle this flight.

I was starting plan out my first day in NYC. My flight was scheduled to leave Minneapolis at 7:00 AM. I was going to travel with three rolling suitcases and one carry-on. Mostly clothes. I have a friend’s place to stay with, and I have secured an apartment of my own. My plan was to go to my friends place to drop off my luggage, then go so I can actually see this apartment that I’ve supposedly rented. It was cutting it too close to do the lease signing today, so I was going to view it today and sign the lease tomorrow.

When we were about to baord in Minneapolis, I was called up to the podium. The gate agent asked me if I would be willing to be rebooked on a direct flight to New York in exchange for a $300 travel voucher. I asked what would happen to my luggage. She said that since they were instigating it, they would deliver my luggage to me in New York. It sounded like a perfect opportunity, so I said yes. She had me wait, because she might not actually need to bump me. After a few minutes, she said that she didn’t need to rebook me, so I was stuck back on my original itenerary. So I boarded a plane to St. Louis.

In St. Louis, I had a 3 hour layover. Because of my Sky Lounge membership, I thought that I would be able to relax and get free food (and drink?). After landing, I learned that there was no Sky Lounge at the St. Louis airport (at least, not in the terminal that I was in). So, I was relegated to sitting at the gate. About an hour before my flight was to take off, I got an automated phone call that told me that my St. Louis-New York flight was cancelled.

CANCELLED! (I just reprated it for emphasis)

So now, my somewhat long layover in St. Louis has been extended. I have been rebooked on another flight today, but I’m not sure I’m going to be in New York in time to see my apartment. If it works, I will. However, now it might have to be something that happens tomorrow morning. I also made my first day of work tomorrow, so I’m kicking myself for making such a tight turnaround.

Hopefully, I’ll get to my new home in New York soon. And hopefully I won’t resent St. Louis so much the next time I’m there.

Reviving

2011-05-08T19:57:00.002-05:00

After more than a year of a break from this blog, I just might be ready to launch it again. I'm not quite sure yet if this is going to stick or not. I really would like to keep blogging, but it's not like my life got any easier over the last year. If anything, my life has gotten more complicated.

However, that's one of the reasons that I would like to revive this blog. I have a new job, and it requires a move to a new city. I'm now taking a job with a major GLBT organization, and I'm relocating to New York City. I have to say that I'm pretty excited. I've fantasized about living in NYC for years. I think that after a while I thought that it would remain a fantasy. However, this job opportunity opened up, and here I am...getting ready to move...quickly.

I leave a week from tomorrow. The plan is that I'm going to go and get started and Richard is going to join me at the end of the summer. He is going to finish his contract and get the house ready to be rented out before he comes to NYC. I'm going to try to support him long-distance, as much as I can. This is one of those things that will great once it's done, but the transition is going to be really stressful (really). Pray for him and for me as we try to navigate this move in tiers.

You might think that having a cushy new job in NYC might be great enough, but I've also already got an apartment. A 2-bedroom in Harlem/Washington Heights. I scored this place without even having to visit. My lease signing is the day after I get there. I'm still going to stay with friends, mostly because I won't have any furniture.

The really interesting part about this is that I used to read a lot of blogs from people that lived in NYC. I think that most of these blogs have shut down, and most of these people have moved away from NYC. Now I'm starting my own NYC adventure.

That's why I want to start this blog up again. I'm sure I'm going to have a ton of experiences that I want to share with someone. I'm sure there are some family and friends who want to know about this experience. Facebook is good for some of this, but I also want to process. I want to write. I want to put more thought into what I say than into a Tweet (but you can follow me on Twitter @intlayterms).

So, I hope that whatever readers I have will come along on this journey with me. I'd love to have you. I can't promise that I'm going to great about updating this thing. I can't promise consistency of theme. I can't promise much on here. But I do want to see what comes of it.

So here's to a new adventure!

Is it time for me to come back?

2010-11-28T20:22:00.001-06:00

I'm not sure yet.

A Good News Article/Commentary on the ELCA!

2010-04-19T19:32:00.002-05:00

Someone at the Huffington Post appreciates our work in the media.

He is risen!

2010-04-04T08:08:00.004-05:00

Today is Easter day! Christ is risen, he is risen indeed!

I'm up and preparing to go to church, but I wanted to share a message with all of you that you are created in the image of a God who loves you enough to suffer through life with you, endure a death more horrible than our own, and come back to life in order to give eternal life.

Blessings on you this day.

Happy Easter!

Linking issues

2010-03-31T08:42:00.002-05:00

I'm not sure what's going on with my posts. It seems to want to hyperlink to something that doesn't exist. I've been trying to fix it, but to no avail. If you have expertise in this area, let me know.

Sorry.

No Snow March

2010-03-31T08:37:00.007-05:00

I'm not sure if I should be excited at the fact that there was no snow in March (which is usually our snowiest month of the winter in this area) or if I should be concerned that it is a symptom of global climate change.

I've confessed quite openly that summer is my favorite season. I savor summer when it is here. Fall is good if it feels a lot like summer. Spring is just the build-up of summer. Winter is just something to get through until summer gets here.

Today, I'm wearing short sleeves. In March (granted, the last day...but still). It's supposed to be 75 degrees today. I might get...gasp...hot. And I admit, I'm totally excited about it!

In the back of my mind, I know there is still the possibility of snowfall. But now I've gotten a taste of summertime, and I don't want to go back!

Standing On Shoulders

2010-03-06T19:39:00.004-06:00

There is a phrase that has floated around for years...that phrase is "standing on shoulders". I don't think I started to notice the phrase until a couple of years ago, when suddenly, everyone was saying it. It seemed to be everywhere.

In a way, this is an incredibly powerful image. We are standing on the shoulders of those who have gone before us. We are reaping the benefits of the toil and suffering of so many people whose names we will never know (at least, I'm sure I won't). My life is as good as it is because others had to suffer.

The other reason I like the image is that it reminds me that we are going up. Life is getting better. Through all the struggles. Through all the steps back and public backlash, there is hope. People will be cared for and loved.

I'm starting to wonder who will be standing on my shoulders. What am I doing today that is going to make life easier for some kid (or older person) who will never know my name?

It's my thought that when we get to heaven, we should all meet each other. I want to thank all those people who paved the way for my life to be so good. I also want to tell the story of what I struggled with to those who come after me. For today, my vision of heaven is a place where we share stories and fully understand the connections that hold us together as a common humanity.

What's your vision for heaven?

P.S. I'm putting a video below that uses the image of "standing on shoulders" so beautifully. I have worked with this young woman, and I still feel moved when I hear her story and her vision for the future. God bless her.

AMEN, Brother Mark!

2010-03-03T19:54:00.002-06:00

My friend, Mark, has written an excellent blog post about those "Christian" forwards. Preach on, brother!

Planning with the Family

2010-02-21T17:04:00.002-06:00

I mentioned this before, but we had a wonderful trip to Puerto Rico with my family in the week between Christmas and New Years. It included everyone from my 8-month old niece (who is now a 10-month old niece) to my 81 year old grandmother (who is now an 82 year old grandmother and avid reader of this blog). Totally fun.

Family vacations are different than individual vacations. When you are this intergenerational, a resort is often better. You spend more time on the beach or the pool than running around town. I think that we learned that the whole family should do at least one thing together each day (an excursion or a meal). For other days, you separate and have fun individually. That means that you get a good mix of adventure, relaxation, and couple time.

So, we are planning to do it again. This time, the destination is Hawaii. It's the 50th state for my mother. It is one of 2 that I haven't visited. And, Richard has been there. In fact, his mother has many contacts there. So, we are adding Richard's mom into the mix.

One of the first challenges is figuring out the "when" and the "where, exactly" portion of the trip. Everyone has different schedules to juggle. We've been going back and forth between Christmas (again) or August. Right now, Christmas seems to be winning (there are some who prefer Christmas, others don't care as much).

The "where, exactly" part is a little more complicated, especially if you have no idea what makes each island different. We finally forced our families to take this online quiz to find out which island would be the best to visit.

We're still working all this out, so stay tuned. I'm glad I really enjoy traveling with my family. I'm looking forward to this trip.

Religion & Ethics

2010-02-20T18:18:00.010-06:00

I wanted to post this story by Religion & Ethics. It features Trinity Lutheran Church in New York City. Trinity is an ELCA and RIC congregation that started a homeless shelter for LGBTQ youth.

Actually, I was contacted by the good people at Religion & Ethics. They wondered if The Naming Project could provide a youth to interview. I gave two contacts (with permission, of course). After talking to the youth, Religion & Ethics decided that my kids weren't traumatized by the Church enough to feature. Bummer. At least Trinity got in.

Are We Going to Be Farm Fresh?

2010-02-14T10:45:00.002-06:00

Richard and I just had a "discussion" (I'm not sure that we fight like other people, but our discussions can get pretty loaded. This discussion centered around renewing our farm share. As I've blogged about for the last three years, I've really loved the farm share. During the summer, once a week, we get a 1/2 bushel of farm fresh vegetables (which were already washed for us). In the spring and fall, we would get a box every other week.

We knew that we were getting the stuff that was in season. We felt like we knew our farmers and what was going on in their lives. It introduced us to food we hadn't imagined before: kale, chard, fennel, bleeding heart radishes. It also supplied us with familiar food with much better taste: carrots, tomatoes, squash (which I hated as a kid). The food tasted wonderful and kept fresh way longer than anything that I've bought in a store (including organic stuff).

But there was a dark side to the farm share: It had to be picked up on Friday. We had until the end of the day on Friday to get it. If we were out of town, we needed to arrange someone else to get it or just let it go. We also got a lot of food. A lot. Spinach is pretty much always in season, so we continued to get bags and bags of spinach, long after we knew what to do with it. We made salads. We steamed it. We would make a stir-fry (our phrase for throwing a lot of vegetables in a pan). Still, the spinach would come. Same for other foods: asparagus in the early summer, radishes at the end of the year. We would have, what I called, "Vegetable backup" in the fridge. The food did stay fresh, but sometimes we would push it too far and have to throw something away.

So now, we are presented with the option to renew (at a significant discount for being current members). Richard doesn't want to deal with it any more. He thought that trying to get it and eat it caused a lot of stress. I liked it a lot, and would like to continue doing it.

First, what are your thoughts? Is it worth it?

Second, we think that a good compromise would be to share the membership with another home. If you are in our area, would you be open to splitting a farm share with us? If we can find someone else who lives nearby, then we are more likely to keep it. If not, then we'll probably forgo the farm share.

I realize that many of you don't live near me, but I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on the farm share. Let's start a discussion.

Creating Change

2010-02-13T14:06:00.002-06:00

I was in Dallas, TX, all of last week. In fact, I didn't get home until Monday. The purpose of my trip was to attend the Creating Change conference of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. This was my first time at this conference. There was a lot to process.

I think that NGLTF is the lesser known organization, often hidden in the Human Rights Campaign's shadow. However, while HRC does direct lobbying for (and against) legislation, NGLTF is more focused on organizing for change at a grassroots level. They work campaigns in states, to be sure, but they are also concerned with the overall movement.

Creating Change is an organization for anyone and everyone who is working with an LGBTQ organization. There were religious groups, racial justice groups, ability groups, youth agencies, senior programs, and political organizers. All these people come with their own particular agendas, but they know that learning how to organize and build relationships will be important for the overall movement. The diversity sometimes means that we don't agree. To be sure, there were several people who don't trust religious folks (and I don't really blame them). However, knowing that we are working on something mutual (like a society that protects and honors all its members) can draw us together and understand how interconnected our work is.

The other thing that I appreciate about Creating Change is its emphasis on the intersection of oppressions. While we are all there for LGBT equality, we make sure that our work also encompasses work on race, age, gender, ability, and language. Creating Change challenged us to think about how other people in our society need to be honored and protected. We don't always live up to our goal of a society that honors and protects its members, but we can be challenged to do more.

There is more emphasis on workshops and training sessions than the keynote. For one thing, with such a diverse group, it's hard to plan a keynote that speaks to everyone. Also, we came to the conference to learn skills...and we did.

Next year, Creating Change will be in Minneapolis. Consider what you want to learn and if attending can be helpful for you!

Putting it into Perspective

2010-01-27T21:08:00.002-06:00

I'm listening to the State of the Union address right now.

Why am I listening?

One of the big reasons I'm listening is that I'm one of those people that feels the need to be informed. I wanted to hear what was going to be brought up. What are Obama's priorities? What will he name? What does he want to address? Those are things I want to hear. I'm also a fairly liberal guy. I voted for Obama. I still want to see his priorities succeed, mainly because they are also my priorities.

But something else is happening as I listen. I think that I've been feeling down lately. It seems like there are constant problems, chipping away at my energy to make a focus. I thought that no one cared about the same things that I did. I felt incredibly weighed down by burdens. But as I listen to this address, I realize that my problems don't seem so bad when I listen to what others are working on.

I'm certainly not a young woman in Afghanistan struggling to go to school. I'm not one of those unemployed people, wondering if I'm going to get another paycheck. I'm not a victim of earthquakes in Haiti, hurricanes in New Orleans, or even the cold of Minnesota (because I have a nice warm house to live in).

I am blessed, and I think I needed to hear President Obama talk about what's going on out there to make me realize it.

For that, I say "thank you".

Thank you to teachers who help bring people out of poverty by providing education. Thank you to volunteers who give time and talent to organizations that helps those most in need. Thank you to social workers who spend time with people that most of us want to avoid. Thank you to military personnel who struggle and fight in foreign lands to keep us safe in our own land. Thank you to clergy who provide spiritual guidance through the daily struggles of life. Thank you to police officers and firefighters who keep us safe at home. Even thank you to politicians who work for a better society.

Thanks. Your work sustains my work.

Writing

2010-01-23T10:00:00.002-06:00

Part of my motivation for starting this blog, oh so many years ago, was that I wanted to improve my writing skill. When I began this blog, I was also writing a column for a local GLBT paper (that quickly went under!). The editor was very patient, but I think he recognized that I didn't quite have the knack for spinning a tale with the right amount of detail that would draw a reader in. I guess I also recognized that deficiency, and I wanted to improve it.

For a long time, I had considered myself a good writer. My main run-ins with reality had to do with major academic papers. My college thesis was a mess. I knew it. My readers knew it. According to the teacher, I did fine because I "honored the process" and went through all the steps. The problem was that I still produced a piece of crap through all those steps. My master's thesis was just as bad. This time, my teachers recognized the problems and sent me back to rework my papers. With the help of a brutally honest friend (who was also a gifted writer and editor), I was able to present something that was worthwhile.

Since then, I've applied for PhD programs twice, both times rejected. I have a hunch that the essays that I've written and the writing samples that I've submitted have not really been up to par for the schools.

Then, there is this blog. This is certainly not academic writing, but it is writing. It's storytelling. It explores one little idea, one day at a time. There are some posts that I'm particularly proud of, and there are others that I threw up there just to say that it was updated.

One of the best blog writers that I've appreciated is Zombie Fights Shark. I think that guy can spin a tale or offer an opinion in the funniest and most provocative way possible. Granted, he does swear a lot (a LOT), but that makes it funnier. I've been reading him for a while, and he is going in and out of blogging right now. However, he is the sort of writer that I could enjoy doing.

So here I am, on this blog. It is what it is. It has a few readers. Some of you appreciate it (hello Grandma!). Others have come and gone. I should say now that I appreciate anyone who reads and offers comments on this blog. Your feedback has helped me feel better about this offering that I've giving to the blogosphere.

Where do we go from there? Who knows. But I'll keep trying.

MLK Day

2010-01-18T11:46:00.003-06:00

Today is the day we remember and commemorate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This is also the first time that I've had the day off from work. When I worked in an academic setting, the opted to keep the college open, not hold classes, but also hold a convocation that addressed the themes of Dr. King's life. The speakers were great, there were often schoolchildren who would attend. A local chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha would perform a stepping routine (this got quite popular). The understanding behind the day was that we needed to have a day "on", not a day off.

So, here I am at home from work. I'm not at the college anymore, so I don't have a ready-made convocation outside my office door (quite literally). How do I best honor Dr. King?

One popular option is to spend this day in volunteer service. It's a good time to visit a shelter, a thrift store, somewhere that will work for peace and justice.

Since I already work with a few non-profits, it may be a good time to continue the work there. I've been behind in getting information about The Naming Project Summer Camp out there. I've almost got a brochure completed, and I need to update the web site with this summer's dates (July 18-23, just in case you were wondering).

I may also crack open my work laptop and do some more work. Again, I feel like the work that I do does advance a greater understanding between individuals. It's still a day "on" (even though I slept in today).

I keep thinking about "peace and justice". In some ways, the idea of peace and justice is big and amorphous. It seems way more than we can do. It is beyond the work of an individual. It also encompasses so many aspects. Are we talking about peace and justice for race? class? gender? sexual orientation? ability? the earth? war? crime? community?

Yes, yes, and yes. Because peace and justice is such a big term, we can work on any part of it. We don't have to solve all the problems of the world. We simply need to do what we can to make this world a better place. That may mean working in human relations (race, class, ability, gender, etc). It may be becoming a stronger environmentalist. It may be working within the political system. It may be volunteering at the local library. This is the best part: YOU GET TO CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE!

Most people think of Dr. King as primarily someone who worked for the rights of African-American people. Surely, most of his work was centered around race relations. However, later in his life, he began looking at poverty. He understood (as I am beginning to understand) that discrimination doesn't happen in a vacuum. Poverty is just as much of a problem for humankind as racism is. In fact, the two probably feed into one another. In order to help eliminate racism, Dr. King recognized that he needed to address the needs of the poor (regardless of race). And many of the poor suffered from racial discrimination, which implies that we need to eliminate racism to achieve real results in decreasing poverty. The cycle continues.

Those are the thoughts that are filling my head on this MLK day. As I work on The Naming Project brochure, communication for TNP, and comforting those who still feel excluded from the church, I hope that I can help honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Please strive for justice and peace today, and every day.

Bad Roads

2010-01-05T21:25:00.001-06:00

So, maybe I'm interpreting too much, but it seems like the roads are in much worse condition than they have ever been before. I only started commuting to St. Paul to work last February, and it is possible that there wasn't a significant snowfall that stayed very long. Well, in December, we had a big snow (in fact, we had a couple). After the snow in mid-December, there was dirty snow and slush all over the streets. I'd sort of slop through it to get to work. I just assumed that St. Paul had a really crappy snow removal system.

After the Christmas snow, it got really cold. The snow that got packed down just turned to ice. Instead of driving through slush and slop, I'm sliding across whole blocks of sheer ice (with holes in it).

I can't help but wonder if the road conditions has anything to do with budget cuts, and the inability to remove all the snow after a major snow fall. I've been hearing on the news that snow removal is being cut to the bone. Perhaps I'm driving on our budget cuts.

Another possibility is that this is just St. Paul roads. I'm someone who clearly prefers Minneapolis over St. Paul, so I'm fine with saying that the crappy roads are just a St. Paul thing. Of course, that doesn't explain why my driveway isn't clearing either...

Be careful driving out there!

Christmas Recap

2010-01-04T08:18:00.003-06:00

I've spent nearly two weeks with my family. Everyone was here, from my eight-month old niece, to my 81-year old grandmother. We spent Christmas at my house (a first for me). Them more exciting part came after Christmas. We loaded up on an airplane and headed to Puerto Rico as a family. And we had a WONDERFUL time!

We stayed in Ponce. It's the second largest city in PR, on the south side of the island. It was really a pleasant city. We stayed a resort with a pool and a beach. My grandmother could be pampered (by us and the resort staff). My niece could nap when she wanted and go out with us as well. Richard and I drove around the city quite a bit. We had to get two vehicles, so Richard and I were the drivers for the whole group.

The trip was the Christmas gift from my parents. Richard and I gave the gift of a snorkeling trip. My sister and her husband gave us all massages (or, we used the massage service in the resort). My grandmother paid for nearly all the meals. It was a great time, sharing a lot of the expenses.

We ventured outside of Ponce a little, but there is a lot of the island that was unexplored. We feel the need to go back and explore some more! We are also discussing the next family trip...

Advent Conspiracy

2009-12-17T18:48:00.005-06:00

Last year, I learned about Advent Conspiracy. I think it is excellent and urge you all to think about how much "stuff" you need to give and receive and how much time with family is more important.

My Jesus Year

2009-12-05T14:12:00.003-06:00

I'm 33 years old today. Happy birthday to me!

I started this day by running some neti pot water through my sinuses (sexy image, I know). I just got home from getting my free mocha from Caribou Coffee. Tonight, my co-workers are having a party that will involve some birthday celebrations. It's a good day!

Many of my religion-oriented friends refer to 33 as the "Jesus year". Popular understanding is that Jesus lived to 33 when we was arrested, mocked, and killed. If I can make it past 33, I will have lived longer than Jesus (probably proving definitively that I am not the savior of the world).

There is a bit of morbidity in my understanding of my 33rd year. I hope that I do more to get through this year than just "not dying". Of course, after Jesus died, he did a lot more, so perhaps I need to have higher expectations for my birthday.

For those of you who have already had a 33rd birthday, what expectations did you have for your life by that point?

Black Friday

2009-11-28T09:37:00.002-06:00

I went shopping yesterday. Ugh!

The day after Thanksgiving is now commonly known as Black Friday. It's a day that retailers rely on shoppers to go out and spend money like crazy. There are some good deals, but they hope that you will spend on more than just the deals.

The last few times that we've been in Seattle for Thanksgiving, we have gotten up at the early morning hours to go to the mall and laugh at the shoppers who are fighting over a $500 flat-screen TV. We don't usually have the intention of buying anything our selves, but we sometimes get tempted. Of course, by the time you get to the line to the check-out THAT WRAPS AROUND THE WHOLE STORE, you suddenly decide that you don't need whatever it is that you are tempted to buy.

This year, we had resolution that we were not doing it. However, we did go out later in the morning to get some stuff. We missed the initial crush of crowds, but the places were still pretty busy. We got the stuff that we needed, and I don't think we need to go shopping again.

My problem is that I don't like Black Friday. I don't like buying crap for Christmas, just because it's on sale. I don't want to get someone something they don't really want, but that I wanted to get them. I think that there is massive pressure to buy just to buy. Christmas has gotten out of control. We don't need to celebrate the birth of Jesus by propping up a culture of consumption. I was hoping that the recession would have taught us to act differently. I have yet to see evidence that it has.

There is a good book out this year called Scroogenomics: Why You Shouldn't Buy Presents for the Holidays by Joel Waldfogel. It presents a good case of why we shouldn't be spending our money like crazy. Maybe I should put that book on my Christmas list!

Me and My Neti

2009-11-15T12:35:00.002-06:00

It's the year of the flu. Panic! Virus!

Except, it was only a few years ago that we panicked about the flu. Do you remember when we had a vaccine shortage? That seemed to cause widespread consternation. And then we had the avian flu before then.

But this is the year of H1N1 (the flu formerly known as "swine flu"). With vaccine shortages (of H1N1, not the regular flu), there seems to be talk of "epidemic" or "pandemic". What will happen?

I have had some friends who got sick, but I've mostly been kept away from it. I think there are a few reasons for this.

1. I no longer work on a college campus. I work in an office where we are sufficiently spread out and generally don't touch the same stuff a lot.

2. I'm a big hand-washer. I make sure that I scrub for 20 seconds before rinsing.

3. THE NETI POT

Yes, the neti pot is the reason that I wanted to write this post. I've heard about it for a long time. Last winter, one of my co-workers said how much he liked it. Now, I'm doing it for myself.

What's a neti pot, you ask? Well, it looks like a tea kettle. You put some salt-type solution in it and fill it with warm water. The water needs to be about the same temperature as your body. Actually, when I'm making tea, I put boiling water in it and then go and do other things for about 30 minutes.

Then...here comes the fun part...then you lean over the sink and put the spout in one of your nostrils. You then slowly pour the water into your nostril and feel it run up, into your head, and around your sinuses (it's a freaky feeling). Then, the water comes running out your OTHER nostril and into the sink. It should be carrying with it all that mucus that is up in your sinuses and draining them out slowly. It's like blowing your nose, only more effectively. The mucus is broken up and runs out.

I have to say, I can feel it working. Before I did this, I could often feel full sinuses, just sitting behind my face. Now I feel them in the morning, but after doing this system, I feel much better.

I also haven't gotten sick yet. I don't know if I can completely attribute that to the neti pot, but it's probably helpful along with the other things that I'm doing.

Of course, the neti pot is pretty gross, if you think about it. I have friend who call it the "snotty pot". But it can't be more gross than blowing snot onto a hanky, right?

The Big Ask

2009-11-10T22:26:00.005-06:00

It has been increasingly apparent that I am going to need to learn to ask people for money. This has been true for a while. I have done some fund raising for The Naming Project. Of course, for that, we only needed enough to make the camp run.

Now, with my new job, I'm going to be more and more responsible for money. I need to know how to budget. I need to know how to get the money, and that means that I need to be able to ask people to give the money.

Here's the problem, I hate asking for money. I see that it is a necessity, but I really don't want to call someone up, or visit with them, just to get their wallets open.

I know, I know. I've been told that if you development right, you are not being smarmy. You are giving people an opportunity to support a ministry that they believe in. People believe in both The Naming Project and Lutherans Concerned/North America. I just don't want to be the one to ask them for it.

And I've been able to avoid it at LC/NA, until recently, when it became apparent that I was going to have to do something. I was given the name of a donor who has been a good supporter in the past. This was a very "safe" call.

So, I put it off until nearly the end of the day. Then I finally dialed. He picked up...and I started talking...and talking...and rambling on. I wasn't even making much sense. I was ending my sentences with things like, "...and that sort of stuff." I mean, that's what you say when you have NOTHING TO SAY!!!! I wasn't letting him say anything. I wasn't listening, I was just trying to "set the stage", but doing a crappy job of it.

All the time I'm talking, I realize how bad I sound. I have an internal dialog that says, "Shut up and get on with it. He knows what you are calling for, just do it." So finally I abruptly jump into asking for money. An additional contribution to help us with current expenses. He told me that he couldn't promise anything until he talked to his wife, which was understandable. I thanked him and got off the phone pretty quickly.

I realized that my heart was pounding and that I was sweating...from having a conversation on the phone. This is how bad I am at this.

Here's the blessing. This is someone who knows me. His family has supported us, sometimes unsolicited. He probably knew that I was new and uncomfortable with asking for money, but he patiently listened while I rambled. He knew that he was my "training ask". He told me what he needed to do (talk to his wife). I thanked him and hung up quickly.

Yesterday, I got an email that let me know that they were mailing a check. I wrote back, thanking them both for the donation and for his patience with my rambling call. People in my office are congratulating me for my successful call, but I think these people are more generous than I am successful.

Eventually, I hope that I get better, and more comfortable, with this. It will take time and practice. So, if I come to your door to ask for money, you can help my learning curve...and help my organization!

The Maine Aftermath

2009-11-05T19:34:00.002-06:00

Because someone else said it better than I could, I give you the words of my colleague, Justin Lee.

http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2009/11/04/16329

Election Night

2009-11-03T21:15:00.002-06:00

So, here I am on another election night, hitting "refresh" on my computer over and over again. Why? There isn't a presidential election, there are no state elections in Minnesota, and I'm not too concerned about the Minneapolis mayoral election. So what is compelling me to constantly search for voting results?

I'm not sure, but I think that it has to do with leftover energy from a year ago. One year ago, I felt like I was watching the world change from one that was very scary to one where I saw possibility and hope. I was thrilled at Obama's election. I was frustrated that Al Franken wouldn't be seated for another 9 months. I was bitterly disappointed in the Prop 8 vote in California.

I think that I've carried all those emotions with me for a year now. I still feel a thrill, frustration, and disappointment. Not only in the political world, but in my vocational and personal world as well. As in everything, life is a mixed bag. I get the sunshine and the rain.

I'm particularly interested in the referendum in Maine. This is possibly the first time that voters will uphold a law allowing for same-gender marriage. I had high hopes for California, but it didn't happen. As I write this, there is still a slight lead for voting down the referendum that would take away the benefit of marriage. I'm more hopeful now.

I'm following a similar referendum in Washington state. It's too early to get any results now, so I probably won't learn more until morning. This is not marriage, but it is pretty close. It provides the legal protections and benefits that come with marriage. It means that when we visit my partner's family, I might be able to react and respond if something REALLY bad happens.

Many news programs have been calling this election an evaluation of Obama. I guess I don't see it that way. Yes, there are a handful of congress elections, and a couple governor elections. However, this is about keeping politics local. And sometimes it's good to focus on the local politics.

By the way, I sure hope that R.T. Rybak wins, because the rest of his challengers looked completely crazy when I tried to research them. There is one guy who is on the ballot who believes that Laura Ingels Wilder is god. Another is a part of the "Is Awesome" party (Joey Lombard is awesome...get it?).

At least I voted. I feel like a good citizen.

Prius

2009-10-20T21:47:00.003-05:00

There were several things that I did this summer, when I wasn't posting to this blog at all. One of those things is that we bought a new car. The Saturn had belonged to Richard for 14 years, and it had accumulated 180,000 miles. It finally got to the point when the repairs were worth more than the car was worth. So, we decided to bite the bullet and get a new car.

What did we get...only the best that we could...a 2010 Prius.
And we LOVE it!

It's quiet. Over the summer, it was getting over 60 miles per gallon. Now that it's colder and rainier, it's still getting over 50, which is over double what we were getting in the Saturn.

But here's the downside: I'm paranoid.

I've already backed the car into a parked car. I was exiting the garage, and I didn't turn the wheel sharp enough on the street. When I heard a crunch, I swore and freaked out.

It turned out that I hit a rental (that was there because the owner was in another accident). It was covered and fine. Richard worked on the dent that I put into the back of the car, and it is like it never happened. There is barely a mark.

But now I'm freaked out about being in another accident. I'm more freaked out about this than I ever was with another car. I always imagine another car changing lanes quickly and side-swiping me. I can see someone (maybe me, maybe someone else) trying to make it through the stoplight and ramming into my car. I'm just imagining the ways that I'm going to wreck this car.

Does this happen with every new car? This is the first time that I've owned and driven a new car, so maybe the paranoia is normal. Can you tell me?

Is Laramie a Project?

2009-10-13T09:52:00.002-05:00

Last night, Richard and I were fortunate enough to go and see The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later. It is a "sequel" of sorts to The Laramie Project. The original project involved the Tectonic Theater Company visiting Laramie, WY four weeks after the brutal kidnapping and murder of Matthew Shepherd. Matthew was 21 at the time. His birth date was four days before mine.

In Ten Years Later, the same company went back to try to see what sort of impact has lingered within the community. On one hand, what they found was not all that shocking. The reactions ranged from people still struggling and fighting, to people who wanted to "move on", to those who had no idea who Matthew Shepherd was.

There were definite moments where the audience gasped at what someone said. Some moments of nervous laughter. Some really sad moments. This production includes interviews with the two men who kidnapped and killed Matthew Shepherd.

One of the sentiments that has been really common in the Laramie Project was that this could really have been any town. In fact, just before writing this, I read a story about a man in New York City who was beaten simply for being out. One character in the story stated that we have had a lot of movement, but not a lot of progress. I think I tend to agree.

The problem is that there is always something more important for our top administration and our leaders to be working on. Even I admit that. However, a hate crimes bill, an employee non-discrimination bill, the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell, and the repeal of the Defense of Marriage don't seem like big things...WHEN THEY ARE TAKEN INDIVIDUALLY. Together, this is huge, but we need to focus on one thing at a time. Chipping away from the legal barriers that force us to discriminate.

However, I also know that just changing laws isn't going to make society any more tolerant. A hate-crimes law doesn't stop someone from beating someone else up. We need to continue to reach out, organize, tell our stories, and come out. Until we do, we let others continue the discrimination.

Some Impact Man

2009-10-03T21:45:00.003-05:00

Today, Richard and I went to watch the movie No Impact Man. It is a documentary about a guy in New York and his family who attempt to have no carbon impact on the world for one year. They cut out all food that isn't local, all paper products (including toilet paper), and eventually turn off the electricity.

As I see what he's doing, I am impressed. But I'm more into the character development of the man and his wife. His wife agrees to go along with his project, but she certainly isn't happy about it. She makes that known. Eventually however, she warms up to many of the changes that they have made. When the year is over, she reflects on the changes she wants to keep (and the changes she wants to go back to).

Perhaps even more powerful is the husband. He began his project in an attempt to write a blog and a book on the experience (and perhaps film this movie that I saw). Eventually, he learned that it isn't enough for one person to take himself out of the grid. Everyone needs collective action to make this work. He and his wife both grow together. He is much less wide-eyed and optimistic, and his wife is more open to changing her lifestyle in ways that she couldn't imagine.

I couple this with a great news story that I heard yesterday about the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community becoming energy independent. The Shakopee was a very poor tribe until 1982, when they opened a bingo hall. Then they opened what become the most profitable casino in the region. Instead of just dispersing the money, the Shakopee invested on how to achieve sovereignty, at least in the energy realm.

Seeing and hearing stories like this make me examine my own life. What can I still do? Most of my food is local (yea farm share!). Our house is as energy efficient as it can be without major renovations. I do still drive a car, although it's a hybrid. One thing that we could change is that we could start actively composting. I think that about 1/2 of our garbage is compostable. Perhaps we can join with a neighbor who already composts stuff. Or, we can try it ourselves. Composting might be the next step that I take to decrease my impact on the earth.

I know that I will never be as extreme as No Impact Man. He did many things that I don't want to do...or can't do (if I'm honest, they are probably things that I don't want more than can't). However, I can continually examine my life and push myself to make choices that will make the world a better place.

We are beyond the point where recycling is enough. We need to think about our consumption in new ways. God gave us a beautiful earth, and that earth needs to last for many more generations. Think about your own life and what you are able to do.

Exercise

2009-10-01T08:44:00.002-05:00

I've been attempting to exercise again lately. This always seems to be something that I want to do around August/September. I'm not getting up quite as early as I was last time, which might help quite a bit. I now get up at 7:00 and head downstairs for a approximately 30 minute routine that involves stretching, crunches, and either upper or lower body routines. Not bad.

Richard and I are also attempting to take very brisk walks in the evening. It doesn't happen every evening, but it was a routine that we tried to keep over the summer. I'd like to keep doing it until it gets beastly cold (which should give us a couple more weeks at least).

I'm aware that my body is getting older and more out of shape. I'm feeling a little guilt for not doing more when I was younger and healthier. However, guilt about the past doesn't do a whole lot for me now. I am still young and healthy, and I can start working on my body right now.

We've debated joining a gym, taking a class, or getting a personal trainer. Richard doesn't want to spend the money on something that we may or may not do in the future. He believes that our work in the basement is good enough until we can establish a real exercise routine. I would like a class or a trainer, just so that I have something to go to. Someone to keep me accountable. Someone to watch my form and keep me from hurting myself. For now, the basement is working fine, but someday I'll want to step out into the world where people work out.

Let me be clear, I'm not in bad shape, but I could be in better shape. This is about preservation and maintenance. I'm not going to become a gym bunny or anything. But I do want to live a healthy lifestyle, which includes regular exercise. So I'm putting it out there for others to follow up on.

Why Travel is Important to Me

2009-09-12T19:17:00.002-05:00

I will readily admit that my dream of being a travel writer (or at least a blogger) is probably not going to materialize. As I look at my own blog, I can see that I really like to jump from one thing to another. Most of the time I'm gushing or complaining about something in my life. On the rare occasion, I've (hopefully) said something intelligent about theology.

But I was excited about the travel thing. To be perfectly honest, I'm excited about travel in general. I have realized that travel is one of those things that I value, and that I will spend time and money to be able to do. Someone pointed out that we hardly have a mortgage (since we rent the other half of our duplex). I don't have kids (or plans to have kids). Where does my money go...into travel. Iceland was exciting because it was a location that no one had really thought about. There are a million other places that are just as exciting. Some are in the US, and many are abroad.

I also enjoy that I get to travel some for my work. I've always been able to finagle a trip or two out of my job, but this is expected of me. In just a couple of weeks, I'll be going to a small town near Toronto, New York, and Chicago for a full week. I might be a little tired of traveling after that, but I think that the travel bug will stay with me.

Beyond just traveling for work, I want to make sure that I can travel somewhere to really experience the area. For Labor Day, Richard and I and a friend took a trip around the Four Corners area. There was no work involved (except what I did when I got internet access). It was just an opportunity to see Monument Valley, Mesa Verde National Park, and Canyon de Chelly National Monument.

That's travel for the sake of travel.

Where's your next trip? Inspire me.

I Put Myself Out There

2009-09-10T09:29:00.002-05:00

Perhaps against my better judgement, I have waded into the public discussions about the adoption of a Social Statement on Human Sexualtiy and the Ministry Recommendations at the ELCA Churchwide Assembly.

There has been a lot of discussion on a gay blog called Queerty.com. I don't normally read the blog, but I ran across it when looking up news articles about the Churchwide Assembly. Then, a few friends appeared in the blog, some as the subject and some as authors. I was then contacted to write a piece that described LC/NA's point of view.

Currently, the main problem with my piece is that it is REALLY long (even I can see that). I also wrote it and put it out there rather quickly, so there wasn't a lot of review.

Anyway, you can judge for yourself.

Failure to Blog - But Successful in Life!

2009-08-30T20:15:00.004-05:00

So, I leave you with a lot of photos of me and my family in thermal pools, and that's it. This thing hasn't been updated since July 4, and it's nearly September.

Sorry. My bad.

Some of you might be questioning my dedication to this blog...so do I.

However, in my defense, I would like to offer a little recap on what I've been doing since the 4th of July. It's been a pretty wild ride!

July 7: Cirque de Soleil. Now I know what the frenzy is all about!

July 17-19: Camp Vermilion 50th Anniversary and Family Visit: I got to see my 3-month old (at the time) niece and my 81 year old grandmother, all in the same weekend! Also, it was incredible to get to reconnect with many of my old Camp Vermilion friends/counselors/fellow staff.

July 20-26: The ELCA National Youth Gathering: For the first time, LC/NA was invited to have a booth in the Interaction Center of the Gathering. My intern, Dylan, and I were there all week, handing out temporary tattoos of the RIC logo. We talked to kids about LC/NA and the Reconciling in Christ program is. The kids (and chaperons) were very excited and thankful that we were there. We signed up 600 Reconciling Lutherans! It was an awesome experience. We need more space next year!

July 26-30: Convention of the Lutheran Youth Organization: I presented a workshop and was a resource person for conversations about the ELCA's proposed Social Statement on Human Sexuality. I got to connect with many of the young leaders of the church, many of whom are excited about the direction that the ELCA is heading. I feel confident with them at the helm!

August 3-7: The Naming Project Summer Camp: This was the biggest camp year yet, with 13 campers! The group was very close and got along incredibly well. There was little drama to deal with. It was another good year with TNP!

August 17-23: The ELCA Churchwide Assembly: This probably needs one or more blog posts of its own. The ELCA was considering a Social Statement on Human Sexuality and Ministry Recommendations for people on the roster of the ELCA. We survived a tornado strike! We passed an inclusive Sexuality Statement (by one vote, just hours after the tornado). We also changed our policy to allow clergy in committed same-gender relationships to serve as pastors and other rostered leaders. It was a LONG week, but the results are great! I am exhausted and overjoyed! (someone else blogged)

August 24-26: Welcoming Program Leaders Round-table Retreat: Spending time with my counterparts in all the other denominations. Getting to gloat about the Lutherans' good work from the week before.

August 28: MN State Fair: Butter sculpture and crop art. Oh, and lots of food!

So, that pretty much brings me up to the present. I'm trying to rest and recuperate before the business of the fall begins. I've been too busy to update this, but I feel that this summer was not a failure at all. It was a SUCCESS!

Blessings to you as you wind down your summers!

Water

2009-07-04T11:58:00.009-05:00

Just in case you missed it, Iceland has a lot of water. First of all, it's an island. There is water all around it. Secondly, there are hot springs under the surface all over the country. Third, there are glaciers covering 11% of the land. Fourth, they still have rivers running all over the place (probably either from the hot springs or the glaciers).

The hot springs are a great natural resource. The hot springs provide heat and electricity for the whole country. People pay next to nothing for heat. In fact, our host, Gunnar, told us that we should sleep with the windows open and turn up the heat, so we can get fresh air. Electric companies drill down into the underwater springs, where the water is at about 300 degrees. It comes out as steam, so they put turbines on it, and that creates electricity.

They run the steam all over the country with these pipes. The pipes are angled so that the steam doesn't get too fast.

The country's water comes from the hot springs or from the glaciers. That means that the hot water is scalding and the cold water is freezing. You will always need to mix the two!

The hot springs also create the incredibly warm public pools. No matter how small a town is, it probably has a public pool. These pools usually consist of a lap pool, a play pool, and a number of "hot pots", which are little hot tubs that can range from 104-115 degrees. The locals go every day (often at the same time each day) to swim laps and sit in the hot pots. Even on the coldest days, they will sit in the hot pots.

Our family decided that we should do some activities at the pool. We ended up going to various pools about five times during our time in Iceland.

The largest pool in Reykjavik is called Laugardalslaug, and it's the pool that we went to the most often. The first day, we just spent about 5 hours at the pool. It was not a hot day, so we sort of ran into the water. This place was huge, with both indoor and outdoor pools, walkways all over the place, and different temperatures of water, divided into little mini-pools.

All in all, I tried to experience everything that the pool had to offer. I tried to swim a lap or two, but I'm not very in shape. There were several different types of hot pots, each one getting hotter than the last one. I only spent a couple of minutes in the hottest of them all. There was also a steam room. It was dark, but you could sit and sweat to the hiss of the steam coming out. We also learned that there was massage available. An hour massage was about $40 (it will be cheaper now with a weaker exchange rate). We couldn't get in that day, but we signed up for the next day. In all, we came back to Laugardalslaug three times. Two times involved massage (and more swimming!).

On Saturday, the place was packed with everyone, young and old, pregnant women, senior citizens, young "pretty people", and foreigners (us!). There was one really nice hot pot that was bigger and decorated with rocks (although you can't see the rocks in the photo). That's where my family spent the most time:

Richard had some fun playing with his water-proof camera bag and the water line while I sat in what I though was the "kiddie" pool, but was hotter than the others. Apparently, people use it for sunbathing when it's cold out:

One evening, we also went to a pool much closer to our guest house, Vesturbæjarlaug. It was quite a bit smaller, with the lap pool only being half as long. It also had three hot pots and a steam room. We only spent a few hours there in the evening (most of the other days, we were there at mid-day).

The final place we went was not a public pool, but more of a resort. The Blue Lagoon started as a place to put hot water after it was done being used by a nearby power plant. Eventually, someone noticed that the water reacted with the volcanic rocks, creating a silica mud.

The silica makes the water this glowing blue color that is very cloudy. You can see how cloudy the water is from this photo, taken soon after we got there.

Eventually, someone realized that silica is good for your skin, and can help to heal skin problems like cirrhosis or eczema. Since then, they have built a clinic, a spa, and a hotel around the same area.

We went here on our last day in Iceland, just before getting on the plane. We did most of the recommended activities that were listed on the web site (except for eat and drink a lot):

A refreshing shower and use of Blue Lagoon shower gel and conditioner.
We opted to get an in-water massage, which lasted an hour. An in water massage is so different from a table massage. You lay on a floating mattress, partially submerged. When we were there, we had full sun, so my face got a little sun on it. This is my mom getting her treatment.

Applying Blue Lagoon silica mud mask provided in boxes around the lagoon.This is supposed to keep your face soft and supple.

Of course, Richard and I think that if a little is good, then a lot must be better:

An energizing massage under the Blue Lagoon waterfall.The water really pounds down. Notice how much my family "enjoys" the waterfall.

A geothermal steam bath and sauna followed by a refreshing cold water sprinkle.

Richard and I also found a little cave that was out of the sun.

Of course, the Blue Lagoon also sells all sorts of health and beauty products that incorporate the silica and alge that makes the Blue Lagoon so famous.

All of this is to say that when you visit Iceland, don't underestimate the role that water plays in Iceland's daily life. Next, we'll talk about water in a wilder form: the waterfalls and the geysers.

Getting to Iceland

2009-06-14T09:18:00.008-05:00

One of the clenching factors for traveling to Iceland was the low cost that was associated with getting there and staying there. We knew that we couldn't budget too much for this trip. We did a little searching, and found that Iceland Air has a direct flight from Minneapolis (Humphrey Terminal) to Reykjavik that was $800. The flight was 6 hours, and went overnight. We mainly slept, read, or watched personal screens on the plane (they were installed in the seats). As I mentioned earlier, there were some chatty folks on the plane that didn't seem to know when others wanted to sleep. I still got a little shut-eye.

Before we went, I also a little time researching where we would stay. In the past, I've used sites like Venere to find housing, with some success. I think it worked best on our trip to Italy a few years ago. There wasn't much listed in Iceland, so I had to strike out on my own. I found the web site of the Icelandic Tourist Board, which had some helpful information.

I also looked at Gay Iceland, which turned out to be the most helpful site of any that I looked at. It had nice, short articles about Reykjavik and Iceland. Some stuff was gay-specific, but it also had helpful tips. It listed a small handful of hotels and guest houses. I went through to compare prices and stumbled upon the House of the Spirits Guest House. It was a fairly simple web site (set up through Geocities, so I expect it to change soon). However, I found that their prices were the lowest of any of the other places I looked. I learned later that this is a fairly simple operation. It's a side business for a processor of Icelandic language and literature and a student of architecture. Because of that, they do not have any on-line booking capability.

I emailed the proprietor, Gunnar Þorsteinn Halldórsson, about availability. He emailed back very quickly to tell me that there was a two-bedroom apartment available. He also quoted me a price in Icelandic Krona, Euros, and US Dollars. He then told me that the krona price is set, but the Euros and US Dollars were in flux because of the exchange rate. He said that the dollar quote he gave me could be lower but would never be higher than what he quoted. I googled the exchange rate, and the exchange price was really about $600 less than what he quoted.

We also saved money because Gunnar was also a licenced tour guide who could take us on excursions. He only charged one flat rate for a trip, for anywhere from one to seven people. Since we had four, it was a good deal for us to go with him, as opposed to the bigger tour buses. I also like getting a more personalized tour than what a tour bus can give.

Eventually, we decided to get three tours with Gunnar. The first was a 2-3 hour tour around Reykjavik. The second was an 8-hour trip around the Golden Circle. The third was a 10-hour trip to the south coast. I'll describe these all in more detail in later postings.

Finding these good prices really sealed the deal for us.

To see more of the House of the Spirits Guest House:
The exterior of our guest house:

The back courtyard was nice too:

We had two bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen (where we ate some of our meals to help bring the cost down), and a "sitting area":

That is our host, Gunnar, standing in the middle of my family.

Why Iceland?

2009-06-14T08:38:00.004-05:00

One little fantasy of mine would be to be a travel writer. Basically, I want to go on trips and share my experiences with people. I don't think this dream will ever really come true. My gifts lie elsewhere. I like my job and my life. My writing would have to improve quite a bit. All good reasons that this can remain a hobby and not my most desired future.

However, every time we travel, or I read the travel section in the newspaper, I think how great it would be to be sent around the world to write about my experiences on the road and in the air.

My mother has already started on this. Her blog started because she was sending us these long emails with detailed descriptions about her travels for work. Eventually, she decided that it would be better to create a blog where we could all read her adventures at once. That's how I Wonder as I Wander was born.

So, I'm going to try my hand at this. The next few posts are going to be about our trip. I'll include recommendations. I'll tell you where we went and try to include links, if possible. Richard took some amazing photos, so I'll use those to try to show what Iceland is like, and why I think that you should go there.

The first post that I'll put up there addresses the question that I was asked first when I told people that I was taking a trip to Iceland. "Why Iceland?" I don't think that most people know anything about Iceland. I've heard from folks that only Eskimos live there. I've heard that it is frozen all year long. Both of these are untrue.

Richard and I, and also my family, have been wanting to take a trip for a while. At one time, it was going to be a family trip to Norway and Sweden. The birth of my new niece (NAOMI!!! Did you see her photos earlier? She's fabulous!) put a halt on that trip. We want to go as a whole family, and it didn't seem practical to travel with a newborn. We had also discussed India and Thailand. In fact, we had researched Thailand for a while, until news came out about the riots and civil unrest that is happening with the government. That put a hold on that trip.

Iceland really came up when I was reading an article about the global financial crisis. Iceland got very big into banking and has suffered perhaps the worst collapse in the world (much worse than in the US). Because of the financial crisis, the prices that once made this country prohibitively expensive was a lot more reasonable. Iceland was a lot like the other Scandinavian countries...expensive. But the collapse brought prices down to a level that made the country more attractive for people like me (not loaded with money).

We combined the low prices with the fact that Iceland is a natural wonder. The land is formed because two tectonic plates in the Atlantic ocean, the North American and European plates, are diverging (pulling away from one another). Iceland is being pulled apart from the middle and getting longer by the year.

The country also has an abundance of waterfalls, geysers, and glaciers. At one time, when we were reading about the glaciers and waterfalls, we wondered if this would be similar to Alaska. We went to Alaska as a family in 2007, and liked it. One friend who went there told me that it is not like Alaksa, but it feels more like Mars. The country is covered with volcanic rock that is black and jagged and just litters the landscape. There are hardly any trees to speak of. People tend to make a lot of art out of the rocks.

So, we went because the price was right, and the more we heard about it, the more interested we were getting. However, here is the other part. This is probably the more important part:

We (I) wanted to go to Iceland, precisely because it was a destination that people didn't think about. I'm not interested in a pre-packaged tour that let's me off the bus long enough to snap a photo of the most famous monument and head on to the next place. We wanted to go somewhere that would make people wonder what's in this strange land.

I'm a fan of Rick Steves, and I like his philosophy on travel. He tells you that you need to get away from the beaten path to really discover a country. I feel that the same has to do with your choice of a destination. Of course, you want to see the major cities and countries. London and Paris are beautiful. However, you need to get to those places that are just off your radar. That's why we chose Iceland. It was somewhere that really stretched us.

A few other fun facts about Iceland:

Because of the economic crisis, they have elected a new governement, which includes a Prime Minister, Johanna Sigurdardottir, who is a lesbian. She is the first openly gay head of state in the world.
Iceland is the only country in the world that alphabetizes people by first name (like in the phone book). Everyone has a first name, but the last name is the father's name with -son or -dottir on the end. You are names as the son or daughter of your father.
The hot springs make great public swimming pools. I'll say more on this later.
We went in June, which means that there are 21 hours of day light. I wondered if that would be a problem, but we loved it. This photo was taken out our guest house window at about midnight.

That's all I'll say now. My next post will talk about getting to Iceland.

In Iceland

2009-06-04T10:39:00.002-05:00

We made it!

It was a six-hour flight that went overnight. Before we started, I commented that I wondered if it would be worse to have teenagers or senior citizens on the plane with me. I learned that senior citizens are worse, because teenagers just put in their iPod and SHUT UP! The women behind me talked with their screechy voices for the ENTIRE trip! I even had ear plugs in, and they could cut through all that. At one time, one lady was trying to calculate how fast we were going. After doing a lot of division, she concluded that we were going 45 miles per hour. Hmnph.

We got to our guesthouse. It was pretty early, so the people before us hadn't moved out. We waited on the street for a while, but eventually our host opened the door (someone had to go and wake him up!). He held our luggage while we walked around the center of the city.

I was hoping to make it through today without a nap, but I finally caved in and took one. Everyone else is dozing, but I think we should get our city tour now. I might go and see if our host can take us now.

I'll try to post more later. The internet is slow, so it takes a while to get to this page. Hopefully, we'll have some photos too!

The Run-Up

2009-06-02T08:47:00.002-05:00

I think that the days leading up to a major trip are so incredibly stressful. I want to make sure that things go OK while I'm gone, so I'm trying to attend to every little detail...and not doing a very good job of it.

My work has a lot going on, so I'm trying to make sure that everyone knows what they need to know.

I still have a couple of things to do to complete the MBA program. I don't think it's going to be done before I leave.

I'm "sort of" packed. We go through this debate about packing/wearing nice clothes or just packing clothes that you can throw away at the end of the trip. I'm not wearing really grubby clothes, but I am wearing some stuff that went out of fashion a while ago (probably before I even bought them).

My family is here, and we are getting ourselves excited for the trip. However, our to-do list is quite long.

What I like is that when I leave for the vacation, my mind goes away from all the stuff that I'm supposed to be worrying about. Then I can truly relax.

I'll try to post some updates and photos here!

Missing

2009-05-30T20:04:00.002-05:00

Yes, I've been missing for quite a while. My little post of a Glee trailer is a total cop out. I know. I'm a bad blogger.

BAD BLOGGER!

So, what's going on with my life? Lots.

I'm nearly done with the MBA program. We only have two classes left. Graduation is at the end of June. Richard's family and my family are coming for the big occasion and a big party. A fun time will be had by all.

But first...we are taking a vacation to Iceland! Yes, we are going to spend 10 days in Iceland. We are going to sit in a geo-thermal hot spring. We are going to climb a mountain. We are going to see a geyser.

Fun fact: In Iceland, there is a geyser named Geysir. We get the word geyser from the name of this thing. Cool huh?

People have been asking, "Why Iceland?" My first answer is "Why not?" My second answer is that the country is in a very bad recession, worse than in the US. They had set up huge banking systems and the entire thing collapsed. The country is bankrupt. Ergo, things are less expensive than they would normally be. It seemed like a good time to take advantage of some low prices and pump a little extra cash into the country.

The trip will consist of me, Richard, and my parents. I've been told that we get wireless, so I can probably post while we are there. Hopefully, we can put some photos up as well.

I'll try to get better about the blogging thing. I think that Facebook is taking over what energy I had for blogging.

Glee

2009-05-21T22:43:00.004-05:00

This makes me want to watch television again. I just watched the pilot on hulu, and I have to say that I'm pretty impressed.

I'm not sure why I can't seem to format it to fit in my window. Sorry about that.

Oh, and the Rachel character. She was in Spring Awakening as Wendla. I saw her in NYC.

On Godparenting

2009-05-02T22:33:00.003-05:00

I'm currently in Minot, ND for the confirmation of my godson. He was baptized in 2000, when he was six years old, and now he is old enough to be confirmed.

This weekend is shorter than I (or anyone else) would like it to be. We didn't leave until this morning, at 6:00 AM. We got to Minot about 1:30 PM. The rest of the afternoon has been spent eating, and watching kids swim. Naomi (my three-week-old niece) is here, so I've been holding her quite a bit. It's been a good time getting to visit and play.

I'm now one of the "older group". There are enough children and grandchildren that I won't be relegated to the "kids table" anymore.

Tomorrow is the confirmation ceremony at church. I believe that the godparents are going to be standing around the confirmands. My godson has four godparents, his two uncles, and my sister and me. I don't often feel like I'm a good godparent. I'm not around all that much. However, I've always appreciated the love and affection that I get from my godson. Perhaps that's enough. Although I think I always want to be more involved.I'm very proud and excited for him. He's a very good kid, turning into a great young man.

After the confirmation service, we'll begin the long trek home.

Yet Another Job Perk

2009-05-01T07:56:00.002-05:00

I'm still getting used to this new job, but the perks seem to be popping up all over the place.

We are contracting with a brand-new hotel to house our visitors and volunteers during the ELCA Churchwide Assembly. Because the hotel is brand-new they offered us a great deal...a better deal than the ELCA has with four other hotels downtown.

About a week ago, we got an invitation to the grand opening event, held yesterday. The Operations Manager and I decided that we needed to check out the facility again. We got there and entered the crowd of people filling the smallish lobby.

There were hotel employees (I learned later that many were front desk people) who were offering platters of food. There was a bar where we got some white wine. Then we ventured to the 2nd floor, where all the meeting rooms are. Each room had a different food item inside. There was the salad room, the fruit room, the meat room, and the dessert room. Needless to say, we spent quite a bit of time up there. There was also another bar that had large containers of a green liquid. It looked like Ecto-Plasma Cooler (for those of you who remember that). I asked, and was told that it was a "Garden-tini". I am not one to turn down an adventure (free!), so I took a glass. It tasted like spicy grass.

We then learned that there would be a prize drawing for all the guests. Some people won Twins tickets, and a 9 year-old boy won $100 to Zelo's restaurant. I ended up winning $100 to McCormick & Schmick's seafood restaurant. Later, I found the boy trying to find who won the Twins tickets, so he could swap.

The last event was a butterfly release. I thought that sounded pretty cool. They invited us outside, but we sat by a window to watch the action. The butterfly release was a bust. They gave each guest an envelope with a butterfly in it and asked them to release them all at once. I only saw about 10-15 butterflys actually fly up to the sky. The rest crawled around on the hands of the people who were to be releasing them. I guess they got attached.

I'm excited to go back in August and work with this hotel. If you are going to the ELCA Churchwide Assembly, and you need a place to stay. Contact me!

When We Have Money

2009-04-26T17:56:00.003-05:00

At home, we often make lists of the things we would do "if we had money". Sometimes, we upgrade the statement to say, "when we have money". For the most part, our list is pretty reasonable. We don't put things like "buy a small island nation" or anything like that. I wouldn't even know what to do with a small island nation anyway.

So, what follows is the list of things that we would think about doing, if money were not an issue:

Travel - It doesn't matter where. We just want to go around the world. Even when we don't have money, travel tends to be a pretty high priority. Hopefully, this travel would be meaningful travel. Not just sitting on a tour bus. We still want to volunteer, learn, explore.
Buy new luggage (you know, for all that travel we are going to be doing)
Buy a new leather jacket to replace the one that got stolen in San Antonio (while I was traveling - but for work).
Philanthropy - This is another major theme. There are a number of things that we would like to support in a substantial way. Augsburg College. The Naming Project. Lutherans Concerned/North America. Minnesota Public Radio. Lutheran Social Services. Southside Family Nurturing Center. Voyageurs Lutheran Ministry. The Aliveness Project.
Travel in order to do philanthropy would be nice.
Repaint our house
Landscape the backyard.
Sell our current house and live in one of those very cool condo/apartments in downtown Minneapolis.
Eat out and go out!

Since I like philanthropy and eating out, I should point out to you in the Twin Cities area that this Thursday, April 30 is Dining Out for Life. I encourage you to go out to eat for lunch and/or dinner at the restaurants listed on the link. They will donate a portion of their proceeds to the Aliveness Project. The mission of The Aliveness Project is to encourage self-empowerment and provide direct services for persons living with HIV/AIDS. They are a good organization that does great work.

See, philanthropy can be fun. Now I just have to figure out how to work travel into it.

Fashion Forward

2009-04-14T21:30:00.007-05:00

Before all the hubbub of the birth of my niece (did I mention that I have a NIECE!?!?!?), I was planning to write about our visit to the Envision Spring 2009 Fashion Show.

A few weeks ago, Richard sent our friend, Mike, and I a link to this fashion show and asked if we wanted to go. None of us have been to a real fashion show, you know, with a runway and all. We decided that it would be a fun adventure. So we went for it!

So, first of all, we didn't notice a few details. This fashion show was on Holy Saturday. Actually, only part of it was during Holy Saturday. It actually began at 9:00 PM and went until 2:00 AM. Apparently, our Easter vigil would involve high fashion. We had planned that we would NOT be going to a sunrise service either. It looked like 11:00 was our time. Alas, it was not to be. My new niece eclipsed everything.

But back to fashion!

We decided to go to dinner before the show. When we arrived, they were doing an "interactive hair show". That means that we were watching models get their hair done out on the runway. Of course, every hairstyle was this outrageous design that either went straight up or created these HUGE curls.

We had paid a little extra to be considered VIPs. Apparently, VIP means that you get a chair. I was glad that we sprung for the extra cash. My legs would have killed me if I had to stand for the entire show.

When the show started, I noticed that female models walk really strangely. Richard though they looked like horses walking. I thought some looked like chickens. Also, I think that most models have too much eye makeup. They all look like they are goth to me.

There were several different designers featured. Some were pretty simple (t-shirt and jeans). Some were strange and outlandish. One designer had a line of dresses based on a clown theme. They even had the pointy hat. Who would ever wear that?

All in all, we thought that the night was really fun. We decided that we could do it again. I don't think that we consider ourselves fashionistas, but we know how to have a good time!

It's a girl! (Part 2)

2009-04-12T09:31:00.005-05:00

Naomi Marie Ronning
7 lbs 4 oz - 21 inches long
Born 3:40 pm April 11, 2009
Lots of fiery red hair!!

It's a girl!

2009-04-11T16:29:00.001-05:00

Name is still TBD.

Richard wins the baby pool. (he has this down to a science).

Guncle

2009-04-11T11:04:00.002-05:00

My sister is great with child. She sent an email this morning to let us know that her water broke and that she is in the hospital now. She seems to think that this is going to take a while longer, so I don't know much else about her pregnancy.

My sister's child is the first grandchild of my parents. This means that it's a pretty big deal in our family. I'm also pretty excited. This is my first opportunity to be a "guncle"

A classmate of mine use the word "guncle" when referring to her uncle and his partner. They have always been a part of her life, so she decided that they would be her gay uncles - guncles.

Richard has nieces and nephews, but they don't call me "uncle". I've been a part of their lives, but I'm still an "outsider". So this time, I will have a niece/nephew of my own.

I don't know the sex of the baby. I don't know the planned names. I won't know much at all.

But I will be a GUNCLE!

I am Tweeting

2009-04-04T08:23:00.001-05:00

Yup, I did it.

https://twitter.com/inlayterms

Sweden & Love

2009-04-02T08:55:00.002-05:00

The Twitter decision it not yet made. More news to come...

I'm reading in the news that Sweden has become the 5th country to allow gay marriage. It makes me stop a little short, because those of us in the ELCA are having a lot of debate and discussion on sexuality and people in same gender relationships. We are not talking about "marriage" in the fullest (legal) definition. But there will be come conversation about blessings.

I'm hearing a lot of arguments being thrown out against the ELCA doing anything to recognize faithful, committed, same-gender relationships. But as I listen, I'm hearing more incongruity between these arguments, and other arguments that I often hear.

First, I believe that the ELCA is still way too dependent on our Scandinavian heritage. We continue to talk as though we are all Norwegian or Swedish...or maybe German. When the ELCA introduced its new book of worship, there was considerable outrage that the book was not more European in nature. According to some, there was too much emphasis on music from the Southern Hemisphere, and too little inclusion of the "hymn explosion" that is going on in countries like Sweden.

Now, at the same time, I will assume that these same folks will argue that we cannot follow the lead of the Swedes in matters of sexuality and marriage. It's OK to use their hymnody, but not their culture. If we are going to continue to model our denomination after a country (or region), which I don't think we should, then we need to fully model ourselves after that country (or region).

Along with that argument will be the idea that the ELCA's relationship with mission developments in places like the Southern Hemisphere will be hindered by letting individual congregations bless a couple. Again, we do not want to have any influence from these places. We don't want their music and worship infiltrating our Scandinavian spaces. However, we seem to believe that the global mission holds a power over us to dictate what will happen within a particular congregation.

Maybe I'm just joining together two things that are not really together. But can anyone explain this contradiction to me?

Do I Want to Tweet?

2009-03-29T21:41:00.002-05:00

When my friend, J, started a blog, I resisted following suit. I sort of wondered what sort of self-important person would want to put his/her thoughts out there to read. I read his blog, because he was my friend and I could often understand the "inside story" of what he was describing. Eventually, I gave in, and In Lay Terms was born. I viewed it as an opportunity to practice my writing style, while putting some thoughts out there. I never anticipated that those beyond my closest circle of friends and family would follow it.

If you have read this for a long (or short) amount of time, you know that I can be pretty hit-or-miss with this blog. Some days, I feel like I write pretty good thoughts. Some days, I just throw something up here. And then there are the weeks that pass when I do nothing at all with this blog. Eventually, my grandmother will get on my case to put something new up.

Then Facebook came along. It was a place where you can post photos and "notes" (which look a lot like blogs. You can also "friend" people or "poke" people or do other awkwardly-named actions. However, my favorite feature is probably the status update. I seem to enjoy the challenge of writing a one or two sentence monologue (in the third person) that always begins with my name. It's great.

Now there is Twitter. As far as I understand it, Twitter is just like the status update from Facebook. I write my short comments and I read other people's short comments. I can follow Richard Florida or a friend who actually lives in Florida.

The big question is...do I want to do it? It seems like my writings are getting shorter and shorter all the time. Twitter is about the shortest thing you can do to share a thought. Perhaps next we will have a social networking site that only consists of emoticons.

I'm tempted to try it, but I'm not sure yet. Are any of you on it? What do you think? Do I need one more distraction (probably not)? Do I have anything pithy to share? Can I just do the same thing on Facebook? Should I continue to try to write longer pieces for the blog?

I look to you for advice.

Guthrie Update

2009-03-26T22:18:00.002-05:00

OK - someone expressed an interest, so here's my quick and dirty review of Two Gentlemen of Verona. It is probably also a review of the new Guthrie (which is coming a few years too late).

Loved the show. I had not read or seen Two Gentlemen before, so I was not familiar with the plot. They set it as a 1950s teenie-bopper movie, which worked out really well. That genre really matches the story line.

Now, onto other things: those seats are NOT comfortable. My back began to hurt partway through the first act. It's like sitting on a bench, only with less room.

Also, why are the bathrooms hidden? For a theater that has a bunch of "cool" things, those are the most boring bathrooms ever.

Anyway, it was a good night out. It cost us very little and we had a good time. I recommend having a hot date night with your special someone.

A Normal Life

2009-03-25T18:34:00.002-05:00

Tonight, Richard and I are going to the Guthrie Theater to see Two Gentlemen of Verona. For those of you who don't know, the Guthrie is considered the premier regional theater. They are what you might call "high brow".

So, we are going. We found a good deal on tickets, and we are going to take advantage of them. Of course, like everything else today, the Guthrie is suffering some financial troubles. As I drove home from work, I listened to a news story that said that there would be cuts at the Guthrie very soon.

But back to the "high brow" comment. How on earth do we have the money to go to this much theater? Remember, Richard is unemployed at the moment, and I'm only working 1/2 time. We hope both of these situations will be remedied in the near future, but what should we be doing in the meantime?

When Richard was first laid off, we immediately cut several expenses. We wanted to save as much as possible. Actually, the lay off came at a very good time. Because of the extra time, Richard has been able to rent up our apartment building (something that NEVER would have happened if he was in a regular job). But now we seem to be going out more. We are seeing theater. We are seeing friends.

In all honesty, we are valuing the time that we have together. We are spending our precious money on the stuff that is most important to us...our time. Theater (cheap theater especially) is one of those things that we both enjoy quite a bit. It seems that we need to use this time of underemployment to appreciate one another again. When we both work...when demands are placed on us from someone else...when we don't control our own agendas, then I think we tend to disconnect from one another. Now we are able to connect in a new and exciting way.

We have also learned that it is good to get out of the house. Walking is good. Theater is even better. We have cut out dinner before the show. We have cut out drinks after the show (well, on some instances). We have learned to spend minimally to make a hot date work well!

So, yes, we are living normally. In fact, we are living better than ever.

In the Balance

2009-03-25T08:26:00.002-05:00

It has been a full week. On Monday, I returned home from Tallahassee, and now I'm back in the fray. There are many demands at work, but not enough time to get everything done.

I feel like we are on the brink of something. There is the possibility that wonderful things are going to happen. There is also the possibility of disappointment. Which will it be?

Actually, I feel a little like the future is dependent on me. What I do will determine whether we get prosperity or loss.

Now, I know...the future does not depend on me. I make up one small part of this vast universe created by God. I am not in control. Quite frankly, I shouldn't be in control. I need to let go. Do my part and see what will happen with my results.

But it still nags at me.

I want the next shoe to drop. I want to see what the future holds. I want to know, so I can figure out if my work is futile or not.

Tallahassee!

2009-03-20T07:58:00.003-05:00

I am currently in Tallahassee, Florida. Before this trip, I didn't even know how to spell Tallahassee, let alone anything about it. Now I'm here, about to train nearly 30 people on faith-based community organizing skills to make the Church a more welcoming place.

Last night, I was talking with the other trainer. We were at a restaurant/bar that was next to our hotel. It was karaoke night, and the music even reached us all the way across the restaurant. She told me that this is one of those random, magic moments that I will experience in my life. It's true. This was not someplace I expected to be.

Yesterday, I met a large chunk of the planning committee. They are a wonderful group of people, who are so excited to be hosting this training. They spent hours yesterday setting up the room. They arranged fresh-cut flowers for us and put up drapes and curtains. I can't believe the hosptiality of these folks. They do know how to welcome!

What I Learned in Finance Class

2009-03-14T22:29:00.004-05:00

Since it has made a lot of news, I thought that I would link to Jon Stewart's interview with Jim Cramer. These are the unedited (and uncensored) versions, so beware if you don't like a few cuss words slipping out.

First, a little context. This is Jon Stewart's show on March 4:

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

CNBC Gives Financial Advice

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things w/ Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Jim Cramer

Then, the interview on March 12 (in 3 parts):

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Jim Cramer Unedited Interview Pt. 1

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things w/ Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Jim Cramer

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Jim Cramer Unedited Interview Pt. 2

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things w/ Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Jim Cramer

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Jim Cramer Unedited Interview Pt. 3

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things w/ Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Jim Cramer

That's some good schadenfreude, isn't it? Jon Stewart is good for that. At times, he's been underestimated. Since he's not a "serious" news guy, he can go on the attack pretty easily. He's done this before.

However, what does it help? Not a lot. Even as I write this, I am reading an article about the $100 million bonuses at AIG. We are continuing to lose money, while others can walk away richer than ever.

I think it makes me madder, because I'm in an MBA program. I really like my classmates, and there are a few financial traders and advisers in my class. I believe that they are people that don't want to cheat people out of money. However, they (and all of us) get caught up in a cycle where we are seeking a short-term gain, while losing a long-term benefit.

I'm not sure what's going to happen in the future, but I'm still hoping that we are resetting ourselves to look for the long-term. And when I say "we", I mean ALL of us. I don't want to be planning for a retirement in 30 years, while someone is figuring out how to make a buck on me today.

Sometimes, I wish I hadn't studied finance.

A Church Open to All

2009-03-08T15:52:00.003-05:00

Today, I served as Assisting Minister at a congregation where I am no longer a member. I'm not sure why they still want me to act as a worship leader, but it can be fun to do.

Today, there was a person with some mental illness present. He kept coming up front, into the chancel area. The first time was during the children's sermon. He sat behind the kids and the pastor, showing off a bicep tattoo. I get very protective of kids, so I watched him closely. Eventually, he went back to his seat.

Then, he came up during the offering and placed an envelope on the altar. This was done with great reverence, including holding his arms up to the air. As assisting minister, I was the next to go behind the altar. Again, my paranoia made me wonder what was in this "package" that he put on the altar. When I got there, I saw that it was labeled with his name a 99 cents. I picked it up to set is aside, and the change jingled inside.

Then, during the serving of communion, the guy came and set on the chancel steps again. One of the pastors who felt like she knew him well told him that if he came to the railing, she would serve him communion. He refused and extended both middle fingers in her face. He started yelling. By this time, the security guy was there to take him out of the room. Sadly, he was ejected from the worship space and his shirt was torn.

I have mixed feelings. On one hand, I support an urban congregation that keeps its doors open, even if folks wander through the worship space. I don't like it when we have to remove someone from worship, but I do know that it happens. I also think about congregations and welcoming statements. When a congregation says they are welcoming to all, they have to include guys like this. It is an inherent risk when a congregation wants to be hospitable. In my mind, it's an acceptable risk.

I was feeling pretty comfortable with the events of the morning when I came home from church. Then, I read the news that a gunman killed a pastor and wounded several worshipers in a worship service this morning. Whatever we experienced in worship this morning was nothing compared to what happened in Illinois. Again, I believe that this is a risk that exists for worship places. I would never want to see a church under lock and key. However, events like this morning are tragic, no matter what happens.

Richard Florida

2009-03-04T08:16:00.002-06:00

I've become a big fan of Richard Florida. He is an economist who focuses very much on "place".

A few years ago, I read his book, The Rise of the Creative Class: And How It's Transforming Work, Leisure, Community and Everyday Life. (I've become an Amazon associate for The Naming Project, so if you click through my links, your purchases will send a donation to TNP). I loved it. He was looking at the cities, and how well those cities are adapting to a new creative (information-based) economy. He was concerned about the decline of the former manufacturing cities (the rust belt), and concerned about the fragility of cities and regions that are solely based on speculation and tourism (sun belt).

He was interviewed on Minnesota Public Radio just a couple of days ago. I'll link to that interview here.

He also wrote an article in Atlantic Monthly, which is quite good.

I'm now interested in the idea of "regions". I can envision a high-speed train that runs from Minneapolis to Madison, Milwaukee, Chicago, Cleveland, and Detroit. I think that there is the possibility of creating a strong region by linking our cities to one another. It allows the creative energy that exudes from Chicago to be able to be matched by the Twin Cities. If Cleveland and Detroit can figure out what to do with themselves, then they could strengthen the region as well.

Place is important. It has always been. Do not take where you live for granted. You are there for a reason. These links that I've given you are based on economics, but place is important for so many other reasons.

Spend a little time appreciating your own habitat.

Time Away

2009-02-26T08:36:00.002-06:00

Today, we are going to drive up north to visit with my family for the weekend. I have a little business to take care of this morning, but then we will hit the road.

If you are following the weather, you might be a little concerned for us. A winter storm is moving into the area, and the Twin Cities are expected to get 5-7 inches of snow. There is a lot less snow further north, so we are hoping to miss the worst of it by driving north as early as possible. So far, the snow hasn't fallen, but it should start soon.

What are we doing? I'm not sure. It will probably be playing pinochle with my family and chatting. There may be square dancing involved (which also involves a trip into Canada, since that is the only place to square dance anymore). I also may visit my sister in another town, as she is great with child.

How can I do this? Well, for the time being, my job is only a 1/2 time position. I've been working pretty long days for the first half of this week. This morning, I'll have one meeting before Richard gets me for the long drive north.

Time with family is good. This is a good addition to Lent.

Brad's Interview

2009-02-21T11:43:00.003-06:00

A little more press about the Sexuality Study. Brad did a nice job in bringing up the discrepancy in the proposed policy. Jeff Strickland, the reporter for the Star Tribune, seems to get what is going on. It's funny that many of these comments didn't make it into his first story.

Friends in the News

2009-02-20T08:17:00.002-06:00

I'm wrapping up my first week at this new job, and it was quite a week to begin. Yesterday, the ELCA released both its Statement on Human Sexuality and its recommendations on rostering (that means making ordained pastors and commissioned lay ministers) people who are in same-gender loving relationships.

Our Exec. Director and Communications Director spent a lot of time talking to the press yesterday. They handled them quite well. They got their word out about what we agree with in the statement (there is quite a bit that we agree with), and what we profoundly disagree with (there is some of that as well). There are also a few things that the statement leaves out.

Our local TV station, KARE 11, ran a story on the release of the statement. They found some old footage of my friend, J's, ordination (I'm not bothering to link to his blog, since it seems to be a dead blog at the moment). J is no longer at the church where he was ordained, so their footage is a little out of date. He has moved on to another congregation on the east coast. I was the assisting minister at his ordination, so I appear in the footage. I'm the one NOT wearing a red stole.

Also, another friend, Brad, is being installed at a new congregation this Sunday. Our local paper used him as the face of gay clergy, using his photograph along with the story about the Sexuality Statement. It also ran a story about his installation. I learned through this story that my friend is listed as "on leave from call" because he is in a relationship. It saddens and worries me that he had to take this step to be installed.

The cool thing is that both J and Brad are my co-directors of The Naming Project. They have been working hard, along with me, to create a camp for young people of all sexual orientations and gender identities. We continue to work, even as jobs shift (all three of us have changed jobs since we started TNP).

Today, please offer up a prayer that God's children can heed the call...no matter where that call might lead them. Pray that human barriers will fall before that call.

First Day

2009-02-17T08:37:00.002-06:00

Yesterday, I began my new job at Lutherans Concerned/North America. Before I began, I had images of Hillary Clinton walking into the State Department, amid cheers and hoots. It wasn't quite like that.

I called my co-worker to ask when I should arrive. I knew that I probably couldn't do much without him, but I also knew that he tends to come in quite later than others, but stay later into the night. He told me to arrive between 9-10. I'm still used to getting to work between 7:30-8:30, so that seemed so late. I slept in a little bit, and leisurely got ready to go.

When I arrived, there were only two other employees there. Now, this place has a staff of 8, including me, so two is pretty regular. I walked in and said hi to the first person I saw. He said, "Hi...Welcome to Lutherans Concerned." We laughed, and then he showed me where I was going to be working. It was pretty much set up for me, with a new computer and everything. I found that I already had an email inbox with about 75 messages in it. I spent the next hour sorting through the emails. Some were spam. Some were welcome messages from board members and regional coordinators.

Then, the work began. There is a lot going on at Lutherans Concerned, so there is much to do. We realized that this week held some pressure, because the ELCA is releasing it's (almost) final draft of a sexuality statement. We wanted to be prepared for the release, so that has become the main focus of the week.

So, I'm in it already. There are still transitions to complete. The nice thing is that I've been around Lutherans Concerned for quite some time. I served on the board of directors and worked events for them, so I'm quite familiar with how it operates. That means a lower learning curve. But now I'm in the heart of the business. And there is a lot of business.

OK - I need to go to my second day of work!

The Departure

2009-02-14T21:29:00.003-06:00

Friday was a day filled with hugs and explanations of my new job ("Lutherans Concerned/North America educates and advocates for the full inclusion of people of all sexual orientations and gender identities in the Lutheran Church, it's ecumenical partners, and global missions"). I greeted former teachers, who had become mentors and friends. I visited with students who I have had the opportunity to be a mentor to. I chatted with colleagues who have walked along this journey of employment with me. I told people that after work I was going to happy hour at Tracey's, just across the freeway. They were welcome to join me.

Just before I was to leave, I got an email that a final charge that I had made with my procurement card had been declined. Apparently, I had underestimated the amount. Unfortunately, I had already turned in my p-card, so there was little I could do. I'm sure they will be able to handle it on their own.

Finally, it was 4:30. I gave my laptop computer to one of my bosses. I hugged a co-worker. She looked at me and said, "You will go to the door. Pause. Turn around. Look around. Smile. And keep walking." I smiled at her and walked out the door.

I didn't stop at the door. I walked all the way down the hall. I stepped out of the Science Building and into the Quad. I kept walking, carrying my framed art under my arm. I looked at all the buildings as I passed by.

Richard had dropped me off, so I had to walk to Tracey's. I didn't realize that I would have a piece of art to carry, so I felt a little awkward. I walked down the sidewalk, to the pedestrian bridge that crossed the freeway. I walked up the ramp. At the top, I finally paused. I turned around and surveyed the campus that I knew so well.

I recalled first arriving on that campus as a junior transfer student in 1998. My parents drove me there in a motor home (no one else had that!). I recalled graduating from that campus in 2000. I recalled coming back to the campus several times to visit friends. I recalled getting a job at the Youth & Family Institute after getting kicked out of Youth Encounter. I recalled being told that I was not really an employee. I recall coming back 9 months later as a legal employee. This was a campus that held so many joyful and painful memories. It was a part of me. It is a part of me.

I took a deep breath and turned around. I began to walk over the pedestrian bridge. Traffic was heavy, and the sounds of cars rushing under my feet filled my ears. The noise of the traffic felt like crossing the Red Sea...like baptism. I realized that I was crossing away from a job...a life of my past and into a new future. And exciting future. A future I am called to live into.

Saying Goodbye

2009-02-11T17:04:00.003-06:00

This is my last week at this place of work...where I have been for 6 years in my current position. Before then, I spent 2 years as a contractor. Then I was a student. I have deep connections with this place.

On Friday, that will all change. Actually, as I think about it, it's already changed. I'm transitioning out. I'm getting a sideways smile that says, "We are glad for you...but why are you leaving us!" I'm getting a lot of compliments. It's good.

My new job is going to be a new challenge. I'm going to be working for Lutherans Concerned/North America as the Associate Director. This is an organization that is also dear to my heart. I've done a lot of contracting work for them, planning their events. I've served on the board of directors. I've been a member since 2001.

Now, I'm going to be a staff person. One of my friends joked that I will now be "professionally concerned". It's true. There have always been things that were outside of my purview, but now I will be facing them head on. To be perfectly honest, I don't know what I'm getting myself into. I don't think anyone does. The job description is pretty vague at the moment, but it will involve a lot of work.

LC/NA is a lean organization. At one time, it was completely volunteer run. Today, there are seven staff in St. Paul, who do the bulk of the work (along with many, many volunteers). Stepping into that will be a thrill for me.

My only regret is that I have no time to mentally process this transition. I am ending at my current job on Friday and starting at LC/NA on Monday. LC/NA is in need of my presence immediately, so I couldn't postpone any longer. However, that will come at a cost. I just need to be intentional about self-care. There may be times when "no" is the most appropriate answer.

For now, I'm focusing on the "goodbye". Next week, I'll start the "hello" process.

...and now another week...

2009-02-04T21:27:00.004-06:00

In the ever-dramatic saga that is my life, I've now entered another week. Another week means another overwhelming emotion. I've had pride, despair, and now I'm into hope.

Yes, that's right: hope. I'm hopeful for the future.

Here's what was happening while Richard was getting laid off. I was negotiating my way into a new job. In fact, I said yes to a new job just the day before Richard lost his job. I held onto that information for a few days, discussed things with Richard, and on Tuesday of this week, I typed up my letter of resignation.

In chapel at Augsburg, the text was about the calling of James & John. They dropped their nets to follow Jesus. Since that moment, I have been thinking about nets. Maybe James & John had fishing nets, but they also had safety nets. These nets provided a "safe" existence where they could get by. Perhaps they could even practice their passion on the side. But nets are confining as well. You can get trapped and caught up in nets and never get to move forward. Even safety nets stop you from going the places that you may be called to go.

Even the benediction that day spoke to my situation. It was taken from South Africa. I can't seem to find it on line, so I only paraphrase, "Go my people. Your place is not here. Go." I realized that I was being called to something new, scary, and exciting. So I took it as a message.

I decided that my resignation announcement should be, "I'm dropping my nets."

Where am I working? Well, concern for privacy will keep me from revealing that too quickly. I need to start at this new place and settle in. I also want to find out how much they want me to discuss their work in my blog. It's possible that I would also be starting a blog for this organization.

Suffice it to say that I'm excited about this move. It will use my gifts and skills. It will also push me in new and uncomfortable ways.

Even in the midst of risk...you need to drop the nets.

What a Difference a Week Makes

2009-02-02T21:26:00.002-06:00

My recap pointed out that my week might be shaped by my attitude. If that's the case, then I have had a pretty bad attitude.

Two weeks ago, I was all excited about Martin Luther King Jr. and Barack Obama.

Last week, I settled back into reality.

There are a few things I need to process on here later, but the biggest is that Richard was laid off from work. I got a text message from him that read, "I just got laid off". I texted back, "seriously?" I'm really hurt and angry at this. In fact, Richard thinks that I'm taking it harder than he is.

I don't like corporate America.

There, I said it. I think that they are too quick to shed jobs, but still expect people to spend money on crap. Even though I'm in an MBA program, I still think that corporate culture is totally blinded to anything other than the uplifting of the self. I don't think it's sustainable. I think that it idolizes money over everything else. In short, I don't like corporate America.

Yup, I'm cranky today. I've been in a sad/cranky mood for most of the week. I don't like it when crap just happens to us. I don't like that I had to pick up my partner outside of his work that he loved and poured himself into. I don't like that we had so many conversations about how to "play the game" to get ahead, and it doesn't matter for anything.

I'm starting to think that responsibility is overrated. It sure doesn't seem to get you anywhere.

I'm pretty pessimistic right now, I know. In reality, my attitude is shifting a little. But I'm still dealing with what this will mean for us and our family.

I'll process more later. Thanks for letting me rant.

Good Week

2009-01-22T20:47:00.002-06:00

This has been a good week. Let's recap so far:

Monday: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day: A memory of someone who was unafraid to make a difference.

Tuesday: President Barack Obama's Inauguration: Yes, We Can! Yes, We Must!

Wednesday: Presentation to a local non-profit: We can help you do good better.

Thursday (today): Let's remain peaceful and calm.

Friday (tomorrow): Who knows what the future will bring?

This week may be more about my attitude than anything else, but there is nothing wrong with that. I believe that my attitude can shape the week, so I decided early on that I was having a good week!

Living Between the Times

2009-01-19T21:44:00.004-06:00

Today, we marked Martin Luther King Day with a convocation. Lots of music, inspiring speakers, and a stepping performance from the members of Alpha Phi Alpha (the Black fraternity that included MLK in its membership).

This is what we do every year, and yet this year was different.

The difference is palpable because this MLK day is not just a day to look back, but to look forward. By some strange circumstances, this year's MLK day falls just one day before the inauguration of the first African-American president in American history.

There has been this gap between Martin Luther King Jr. and Barack Obama. Tonight, as I write this, I'm standing on the very edge of that gap. We, as a country, has done what many of us thought would not be possible. We were able to overcome the racism enough that we can trust an African-American with authority over our government and our lives.

However, as we leave that gap, let me remind you (and me) of a few things:

Racism is still as rampant as ever before. For proof, you can look no further than the police brutality that happened in Oakland on New Year's Day. An unarmed man was thrown to the ground by police and shot in the back. We don't just erase a culture of bigotry, fear, and zenophobia with one election of one man into a high office. We won't be free of our prejuidice until we truly trust that all people are God's children and in need of our love and support.
Barack Obama is human. There is no way that those of us who voted for him will be completely happy with him. Just as no Republican was completely happy with all eight years of George Bush in office, we will have days and times when we are disappointed. These disappointments may have already happened, even before Obama takes office. I think that it's important for us to continue to pray that our leaders discern and follow God's will, and we help to remind them that they are not infallable.
Our country is in a dire situation right now. We are still at war, in case you have forgotten. The economy is taking away jobs and security for all of us, globally. There is no way that one man can fix that. There is no way that one congress can fix that. It is up to you and me to show kindness to our neighbor. We need to love and support one another. If our neighbor suffers, than we suffer as well. We can bring ourselves out of this recession if we all work together to create better communities and a safer world. It is not a responsibility we can simply push onto those whom we elected. It is our responsibility.

Martin Luther King Jr. made ending poverty a part of his civil rights campaign. Barack Obama is calling on us to serve our neighbor (sounds like something from the Bible, right? Or at least something that Martin Luther might say). Maybe we will pick up that work to end poverty.

I think that we have been given the opportunity to come together as a nation and a world. I want us to reach out to those who might oppose us. Build bridges of understanding. Get to know an enemy. People can't hate what they know.

I'm truly joyful tonight. Dispite all the trouble our world is in right now, I can feel hope in a way that I haven't felt in quite a while. I hope that we can listen to the voice of God, calling us to serve and love our neighbor.

I hope you are ready to move into a new era. Blessings on the closing of the gap.

New Body...New Vocabulary

2009-01-18T19:56:00.006-06:00

Since my other attempts at getting fit haven't been working too well, I'm setting my sites pretty low. For Christmas, my parents got Richard and I a Wii and a Wii Fit. They have had one for a while now, and they like it. The Wii fit has some good yoga and strength training. So I've been on a quest to attempt to Wii work out every day.

A new product calls for a new set of vocabulary, so I have decided that doing anything other than the Wii would be called "working out", while working on the Wii would be called "Wiiking Out".

I also have to boast that after some time, I've become quite the "Wiithlete" (that was the word that sent my sister into laughing spasms).

OK - so the Wii shouldn't replace regular cardiovascular exercise, but it's better than nothing. I can feel myself getting more flexible (which is good for me). I also need to keep working on my posture. I've always had bad posture. I grew up with scoliosis, and have had back surgery to try to correct it. I'm sure it could be worse, but I have a pretty tender back. If I don't exercise a little and have good posture (which happens frequently), I can throw my back out pretty easily.

We do have the intention of joining a gym this summer, so a more strict exercise regimen will began at that time.

Onward to a better body!

Good Times, Frozen Butt

2009-01-14T21:32:00.002-06:00

Once again, it is butt-freakin' cold in Minnesota. As bad as it gets here in Minneapolis (-20 degrees), I can still remember having -40 quite a bit at my parent's house. In fact, it's still reaching -40 at my parents house.

What does the cold do? Well, it helps you burn more calories faster. You see, when you are cold, you will spend more energy just keeping warm. So, if you want to lose those extra pounds, stand outside in the freezing cold for a while (but come in before you get frostbite or hypothermia).

It also makes you want to be cozy in your own house. On days like today, it's great to look out at the frozen landscape (it's prettier when you don't live in a city) and think, "Gee, I'm glad I'm not going out into that mess." It's good for catching up on those Netflix movies and playing with your Wii (or what have you). It can also be good for blogging (ahem).

Frankly, I'm not a fan of cold. If you've been reading this blog, you can hear me start to complain when the weather turns bitterly cold. I'd rather have an 80 degree day where I can comfortably walk around in shorts and a t-shirt, than a day like today, when I have to wear long underwear under the rest of my clothes. Do you know how difficult it is to go to the bathroom in long underwear? If you don't, you are blessed.

Maybe I'm writing about the cold because I don't feel like I have anything else to write about. But it doesn't matter. It's cold, and I'm blogging. That should be the point.

OK - I think I've totally lost the point of this post (do I ever have a point?), so it's time to snuggle up on my heated mattress pad.

Keep warm, peoples!

Hot Date

2009-01-10T18:45:00.007-06:00

My favorite part of Facebook is the status update. I can make a very short, snappy, pithy sentence that will express a kernel of what I'm doing and make it as creative as possible, within a time frame.

Last night, I went on a hot date with Richard. What was funnier was that I randomly took out my phone and updated my Facebook account status (have I mentioned that the status is my favorite part of Facebook...well, it is).

I made my status as follows:

Ross is having a hot date. Right now we are at the Olive Garden. Classy.

I received the following comments:

Hey hey hey. At least you HAVE dates!

And even classier that you're doing Facebook during dinner at said Olive Garden.... :-)

You two are some kind of classy dudes, I am out with the boys (meaning my little boys, as opposed to "the boys") at a local pia place

Perhaps you are checking all of these comments in between the bread sticks and main course. Will we get another posting before the tiramisu arrives?

Wait, wait, get another helping of the bottomless salad, since we're all here.

I could go for some chocolate cake

bottomless salad, endless bread sticks, perky waitress, super-cheesy manicotti -- life doesn't get much better!

You had me until the perky waitress part.

... and with 664 friends, how do you even find the time to have a hot date. Richard is one lucky man.

I took out the names, but I should let you know that these commenters posted multiple times. This became a conversation between all these "friends". I know that there are some blogs that have conversations (and flights) in the comment section. It's never happened on my blog. I don't expect it to. But now the bar had been set. I had to see what I could do. My next status update stated:

Ross 's hot date has moved onto watching Milk off some moovie gift certificates. I'll keep you posted. (Typo kept in there)

The comments poured in again:

Do keep us posted, Sean Penn rocks!

how's our date going? i haven't heard in hours!

"Moovie" - that was good. Were there a lot of people in the barn?

I'm getting a very weird voyeuristic vibe...like we're all on the date with you...is there a reason updates stopped??

Of course, I couldn't post while the movie was going on (because I'm a classy guy, just see above). So I sort of let down my posters. You can begin to see that in my commenter's concern. So this morning, I decided I needed to put two status updates up there quickly:

Ross saw Milk last night, and now he wants to ORGANIZE!

And got one comment.

My husband, our roommate, and I went to see it as well. It was amazing. I came away with the same feeling--added to that the need to run for office to effect real change--or visit the legislators every day, etc. It can be done!! Sean Penn was amazing.

If I were a real serious-type blogger, I'd comment more on the movie. It did make me want to organize people to make some real change in the world. However, this is about Facebook, so I decided I should give a little end-of-date (next morning) update:

Ross wants to thank everyone for the hot date last night.

And we close with two quick and classy responses:

no doubt it was better for you than for the rest of us

We all collectively kiss you at the door and pause expectantly....

I think I've just completed a recap, not of my date, but my postings about my date. That might make your head want to explode!

Ending Gifts

2009-01-05T21:13:00.003-06:00

I spent most of the Christmas break on the road. We first visited Richard's family in the greater Seattle area. Then, we traveled up north to be with my family. In between those two trips, I attended the funeral of Kristen. She was a smart, strong, fit woman of 35 years who died of cancer.

At the reception, following the funeral, one friend commented on our economy. He told me that people were scaling back the presents at Christmas, and spending more time together. He told me that all the people he was talking to were loving it. They didn't need stuff. They needed to be with loved ones.

Similarly, on the drive up to my parent's, there was a story about a family who was being hurt greatly by the recession. The mother talked about how worried she was about presents at Christmas. She said that her kids didn't get nearly as much as they were used to...and they were fine. They didn't tantrum. They didn't cry. They didn't wonder if they were bad.

This is leading me to continue my belief that we need to move away from "stuff" and toward the loved ones in our lives. The gift of Christmas was Jesus, born in a most humble manner. His gift was to be with us. We should do the same for one another.

I love my family, and I love my friends. I don't see either as much as I should. I wish I had spent more time with Kristen before I lost her. I wish that I didn't only spend 2 days with my family this New Years. I want to be with people I care about. I don't need any"thing" to make me happy. I need people to make me happy.

I hope that your holiday was filled with people you love. If not, come by my house.

Christmas: The Paradox

2008-12-25T20:56:00.002-06:00

Merry Christmas everyone.

I'm with family, so I'm going to keep this brief. I got word that my friend, Kristen, died yesterday morning. So, as I celebrate the birth of Christ, I'm remembering that his birth eventually led to his death (as it does for all of us). I know that she was in peace, and that will be enough for me.

However, this is the story of the day:

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which
was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

I Forsee a VERY LONG Travel Day

2008-12-21T08:49:00.004-06:00

I'm getting ready to head out to Seattle to be with Richard's family for Christmas. We do this trip quite a bit, so I'm used to it. The flight is pretty long (close to 4 hours). However, I'm using my super powers of peering into the future, and I see a much longer travel day ahead of me.

First of all, pretty much the entire US (or at least the parts that I care about) are under a winter storm. I shoveled three times yesterday, just to keep the driveway passable. When calling out to Seattle, they are predicting a foot of snow today. I think that means that I'll be sitting, either in the airport or (worse) on the tarmak, waiting to take off.

Secondly, we are not going to be visiting relatives that live right next to the airport. Instead, we will be driving to Richard's mom's, which is a little over an hour north of Seattle, which is about 30 minutes north of the airport. And it's Christmas. And there is a foot of snow. At one time, she was going to pick us up and we were going to play in Downtown Seattle, but with the snow, we are just treking up to her place to hunker down for the week.

Once we get there, all will be well. I bet we'll drink hot cocoa (hopefully with a little Irish Cream in it!), and chat. She has a lovely house, so I'm excited about being there. Just not excited about getting there (on this particular day).

I hope your Christmas travel plans are save and that you end the day with those you love.

Death Is All Around Me

2008-12-19T20:38:00.001-06:00

In September about one of our students, Ahmednur Ali, who was shot and killed during our Homecoming week.

In all, we have had four student deaths at our college since this summer. Two were a week apart. One was Thanksgiving weekend.

In addition, I've just learned the my friend, Kristen, is going into hospice care for ovarian cancer. She is only 35. She and her partner were married this September, and she looked beautiful (and bald). Knowing that she is getting ready to die is really affecting our household.

We are asking ourselves what we really want out of life. How do we balance a smart planning for the future with the expectation that we don't know the number of our days? It's a constant struggle.

It's hard to be around all this death, and not be affected by it. With many of the others, I was a little distant, but this is different. She is a close friend. I admired her so much. She was so strong.

An Economical Christmas

2008-12-17T21:45:00.002-06:00

I've been listening to NPR a lot lately, and there has been constant talk about the economy. I've followed the auto manufacturers during their TWO trips to Washington, DC. One pilgrimage was made in three separate private jets. The next was made in a caravan of hybrid cars. Yet, I don't feel bad for them.

A few years ago, Richard and I watched a wonderful documentary entitled, Who Killed the Electric Car? It told the story of how GM had electric car technology as far back as the late 1990s, yet they completely scrapped the project, taking the cars away from customers and removing all evidence that the electric car even existed. Now, we are being told that we need to wait another two years for the Chevy Volt. Why? If they made one electric car, why is it so hard to make another one?

That's not what I wanted to talk about today. I wanted to talk about politicians that are so fearful of raising taxes that they refuse to lift a finger to help real people. Their logic is that when the economy is bad and money is down, then the government shouldn't be taxing more people. They think that the people will resent having their taxes being used to repair crumbling bridges and highways. They think that people don't want their taxes being used to move our country away from the oil addition. Perhaps they are right. I'm sure there are folks out there who don't want to give any of their money to help society. They feel they are fine on their own.

But I don't even want to talk about them. I want to talk about how the essentials of our lives are becoming more expensive, but the crap that we don't need is getting less expensive. The price of a new flat-screen, high-definition television is dropping, but the cost of my food is going up. Toys are getting cheaper all the time, but heating oil is rising. Wal-Mart will now carry the iPhone for really cheap, but my insurance rates are rising.

I don't mind paying taxes to help our society. What I don't want is to pay my taxes so that my doctor has to pass most of his money onto a lawyer, an administrator, and an insurance company.

I'm sorry if I'm harping on the economy so much in these last few posts, but really, it's something that we all need to think about. We got into this mess because people took out credit that was too much for them in order to purchases houses that were too big for their families. Businesses continued to take risks and operate as if nothing could go wrong. Well, now is has. Instead of crying to the rest of us, maybe you should be making a product that will make sense in this day and age.

AND...(this is my final point in this little rant)...the answer is NOT for us to go out and drop a lot of money on CRAP that no one needs. There is no reason that people need a Christmas gift, just "to be able to open something." Donations are good gifts that people can open. Experiences and travel are just as exciting as a doll or a DVD player or a digital camera. I don't need to "open" anything. I have all the stuff that I need. I just want to eat a nice meal with the people I love. OK - I want a trip to New York too...but that can come in good time.

Soapbox Off!

Clean Up! Clean Up! Everyone! Everywhere!

2008-12-11T20:32:00.002-06:00

So, I'm supposed to be cleaning my house for a get-together with friends this weekend. Instead, I'm wasting time on Facebook and writing this blog entry. Why? Because I get tired at night, and I just don't want to.

Before you accuse me of being lazy, I'll have you know that I worked until after 6:00 tonight, after being at work at 7:45 this morning. I'm getting tons done at work, but at home, accomplishment seems to allude me.

In the cleaning process, we have run across a stack of Fortune magazines. In our MBA program, we were convinced that any serious MBA student should be reading the Wall Street Journal, the Economist, Forbes, or Fortune. We went for the cheapest option that existed (Fortune). The problem is that neither of us have time to read this fine magazine that we have now ordered. When we aren't working, or out of the house, or cleaning that darn house, we are too vegged to want to read about our tanking economy, and how we can get rich off of others' misfortune.

How much do I care that my house looks a little dumpy? A little. I mean, it bugs me that we have peeling paint and dust bunnies, but not enough that I want to do anything about it.

Ugh, I have a bad attitude about the cleanliness of my house. Sometimes, I want to dump it and move into a hotel with maid service. But no hotel for me anytime soon.

Planning and Waiting

2008-12-06T08:23:00.002-06:00

I guess you could say that I have a hard time with the future and the present. I can tend to live into the future so much that I neglect the present. I have a habit of getting too speculative on what could happen in the future. For instance, I could be preparing for something, but when a wrinkle comes along, or something changes, I often just stop my original plans. This has cut off a few options for me in the past. I'm trying to work on it.

But it's so hard to not want to see your future realized. I have these romantic notions of what life "could be" like, but I don't have a plan on how to get there.

Does this sound like Advent? When we are waiting and preparing in Advent, are we supposed to let this life and this world go? St. Paul advised many of his congregations to not marry or do any of the things pertaining to this earthly life, because Jesus' return was imminent. Now, several hundred years later, we don't really buy that. Of course, there are a few fringe groups that will shirk this world because they are getting ready for the Apocalypse, but most of us talk about this life like we are going to get to live it without interruption.

How do we do both well? Effectively? I've noticed that I can hurt my future by not focusing on the issues I need to deal with in my present. Maybe the key to Advent is that we are working on the present so that we can live into a fuller future...whenever Jesus is to return to this earth.

Just some thoughts.

Black Friday

2008-11-29T14:41:00.004-06:00

We didn't participate in Black Friday. I guess by not participating in Black Friday, we are participating in Buy Nothing Day by default.

For those of you who don't know the terminology, Black Friday is the merchandiser's term for the day after Thanksgiving. It's the busiest shopping day of the year. Many retailers earn most of their annual profit between Thanksgiving and Christmas, so they are hoping that people will go out and buy more. Of course, since we are in a recession this year, the Black Friday deals were rolled out before Thanksgiving.

Buy Nothing Day is the alternative to Black Friday. The premise is simple. You don't buy anything. It's a response to the over-consumerism that is driven by the Christmas shopping season.

I spent my Friday after Thanksgiving with my family. We were at my aunt's farm. We spent the day processing meat...deer and lamb, mainly. Some was sausage. Some was cut up into chops. I'm now at home with a freezer full of wild game.

A good post-Thanksgiving activity? Probably not for you vegetarians out there, but it was time well-spent with my family and preparing for winter.

I hope that your weekend was spent in the company of those you love.

Family Time

2008-11-28T20:31:00.002-06:00

I'm spending Thanksgiving in the great state of North Dakota. I have family who lives in Minot, and some more in Bottineau. I enjoy spending time with my family (I think I've mentioned that before), but I want to make it clear that my enjoyment of my family goes out to my extended family.

One thing our family notices is that when we have larger family functions, we often hang out withe each other. It's not that we don't enjoy our family, but we can spend all day long chatting with one another.

We spent Thanksgiving Day at my cousin's in Minot. I'm now of the generation where my cousins have children. Even my sister will soon have a child, so I'm not going to be a part of the younger generation. I'm going to be...gasp...one of the old people at family functions. Will I be able to handle that? I guess I'll have to.

One important aspect to Thanksgiving is the time that I spend with my family. No matter what we do, we enjoy one another's company.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Songs of Thankfulness and Praise

2008-11-25T07:28:00.002-06:00

It's my sincere hope that we are more thankful for all the blessings in our lives more frequently than just the fourth Thursday of November. Of course, at this time, our nation has a historical reason to be thankful. But when I hear people talk of Thanksgiving, they are most thankful for the immediate things that are around them. That is something that we need to be stating more frequently. We should be thankful for our loved ones (everyday). We should be giving thanks for our home and our food (everyday).

If you are reading this blog, it means that you have a place to access the internet, something I would consider a luxury. I just heard a radio story this morning about the growing food crisis in Zimbabwe. I'm concerned that there are people who are surviving on finding stray corn kernels, while are eating a giant bird and tons of vegetables.

I hope that you are able to list all the blessings in your life. I also hope that you run out of time and space to be able to lift them all.

Local Shopping

2008-11-22T11:21:00.004-06:00

OK - I've been on this shopping/giving kick lately, and I would like to lift up one more. There is a relatively new think tank in Minnesota, called Minnesota 2020. They are trying to move us into a safer, healthier, and more stable future. They are pretty progressive. Last year, they put out a "local" shopping guide. Of course, if you don't live in MN, this isn't all that local. I'm assuming that you can find your own version of this wherever you live.

I commend to you, the Minnesota 2020 Made in Minnesota Holiday Shopping Guide.

Remember, the more money you spend on locally made products, and sold at locally made retailers will help your local economy. That money usually circulates six times around a local economy. If you feel you must buy things instead of giving, this is a great way to go.

More Shopping

2008-11-20T20:47:00.002-06:00

We just had a conversation at home about the current economy. Many businesses and manufacturers are hurting, but so are the non-profits. When money is tight, people give less. This really hurts organizations that are working hard to make a difference in the world.

Think about it. What would you rather have your money do? Keep a car company afloat, so the executives can get another bonus? Purchase something so that it can churn the economic engine? Or would you like to fund cancer research? Wipe out sexism? Send a kid to camp?

I, for one (and I think I'm taking Richard with me on this), have decided that my money can do the most good by sending it directly to the non-profits that affect our lives the most. Purchasing a new TV (since our old one is analog anyway) would be nice, and it would help the retailer. But sending $100 or $500 to camps, colleges, social service agencies, and advocacy groups would go a long way to helping them out.

Yes, our TV money is going to non-profits. Think about it. Join me. Fund a revolution.

Time for Shopping?

2008-11-19T07:14:00.003-06:00

OK - so we've been hearing bad economic news quite a bit lately. My household hasn't been affected too much lately, but I think that we would be prepared to tighten our belts, if we had to. We lived quite well when Richard wasn't working, and our income was more than cut in half.

I think that when there is a bad economic situation, the goal is not to just spend less, but to spend money meaningfully. The Christmas shopping season is fast approaching, so there will be a lot of incentives to run into the malls, and WalMarts and other big box retailers. I think that we need to ask ourselves where the money will go once we spend it in the store. It would be preferable to have our money circulate a few times around the community. In many cases, that doesn't happen. In WalMart, for example, money it taken out of the stores on a daily basis to go to the headquarters in Arkansas. A big chunk of that money goes to the manufactures overseas who make most of the products in WalMart.

Some of you might call me a hypocrite, since I like to shop at Target. Many of the products at Target are also manufactured overseas. Since I live in Minneapolis, I recognize that the money I spend at Target will stay in the community a little longer. Of course, for those of you who don't live in the Minneapolis area, you don't get that benefit.

I'm going to try to lift up a few resources to making this Advent and Christmas a little more meaningful and a little more economical. First, a friend posted this video that I found very profound. Enjoy.

http://www.adventconspiracy.org/

What Shape Am I?

2008-10-30T08:33:00.002-05:00

I've had a lot of late nights this fall. That means that my morning routine of working out has fallen off. I'm trying to protect my sleep as much as possible. Last night, I had a class that went until 9:00. I convinced Richard to take me to Applebee's afterward. Applebees (at least in our area) has 1/2 priced appetizers and reductions on beer. It's been a nice place to go if we just want a little quick, cheap food.

The problem is that after I eat it, I feel gross. Especially when I eat it and go straight to bed. This morning, I woke up still feeling full from the food I ate last night. I've never believed that Applebees has super-high quality food, but it's good enough for my consumption. But I need to rethink that. I also need to stop eating after 8:00 at night. Both of those seem like they are not good for me. I feel gross and bloated

In short, I need to get in shape. My morning exercise routine was nice, while it lasted, but it never lasts too long. Last week, at a party, about 75% of the people there were members of the same gym (where the hosts also go, which is why they were invited). In short, they were beautiful people who were in great shape. This made Richard and I start talking about joining a gym. Of course, it probably won't happen until this MBA program is over, but it would be good to feel better.

Right now, this is all talk. We've done a lot to improve the food we take in (except for this 9:00 PM eating at Applebees). The major next step we need to take is to undergo a serious exercise routine. We were even looking at one of those "boot camp" style programs. This would also be in the morning, but we would have a teacher and a class to keep us accountable. Could I handle it? It's 8 weeks long? I'm not sure.

That's the assessment on my health. How are you?

Finance is done!

2008-10-22T07:10:00.002-05:00

Just thought you might want to know.

The final exam was last night. I'm sure I didn't do perfectly, but I'm sure I got through it.

Happy day!

Fast Weeks

2008-10-08T07:04:00.002-05:00

Does anyone else notice how quickly the weeks go when you are scheduled to the hilt? Since September, I've had a pretty similar routine. Most night, I'm working, either at work, or on my class, or some other project. The weekends have a little bit of rest, but they are mainly trying to get stuff done as well. Every week, when we get to Wednesday or Thursday, I think, "Wow. This week went by quickly."

Part of me thinks that my weeks will seem less fast once my Finance class is over. This is the most difficult class, and the one that I've put the most time into. We have two more weeks until it ends, and then we move into ethics!

Ethics! I studied that! I know ethics! I'm ready for something easy!

Homecoming Homily

2008-10-02T06:54:00.001-05:00

I mentioned in my last post that I was able to preach this last week. It was a pretty good experience. This was the first time I had preached in chapel since I was a student at this school. I'm pretty sure that my homily was better now than it was then (at least I hope so).

Perhaps I have grown some since then.

I'd post it, but it's very contextually specific, so I don't want to say too much or get anyone in trouble. Plus, I can't seem to paste it in here.

More on Finance

2008-10-01T06:56:00.001-05:00

OK - my last post was short and dumb, and I know that. I would love to tell you about this Finance class that I'm taking right now, but I can't.

Why, you ask. The answer is simple. Because I don't know what's going on in this class at all. We keep talking about required rates of return and expected rates of return and present value and future value and it all sounds like gibbelty-gook too me.

Last night, we spent a few hours on NPV and IRR and MIRR and IP. I'm noticing that finance people love their acronyms. They also have symbols for everything, but sometimes those symbols have more than one meaning. I can't even type an "r-hat" on this keyboard, so why should I know that an "r-hat" is different than an "r-line".

I will say that I find it sort of fun, in an ironic way, that we are studying finance while there is a major financial meltdown happening around us. I don't think I can even say that the class is helping me understand the crisis any better. I'm getting most of my information from MPR, and they explain things as well as I think that I can understand it.

In all, I'm wondering if my MBA education is making me a more bitter consumer. I have less faith in capitalism and our government than ever.

In better news, I was able to preach again recently!

Finance?

2008-09-28T14:07:00.000-05:00

I'm studying finance and trying to write a sermon at the same time. It's a little confusing.

A Shorter Commute

2008-09-18T07:45:00.002-05:00

I apologize for the poorly scrawled posting last night. I was still at work, I was tired, it was late. Clearly, not a lot of editing goes into these things.

Yes, I was at work late last night...just because Richard is attending a workshop on my campus and I waited for him before going home. We had dinner together, and then he went to his workshop and I spent some time studying for my finance class.

This morning, my commute was cut back down to a more normal size. For the last year, I've been trying to find alternative routes to get to work. The I-35W bridge was my main route, and once it collapsed, it left me with difficulty finding a way to get to work. For one thing, it was the only direct route. Everything else was clearly out of the way. Secondly, I battled traffic for a long time, getting into work and going home.

But this morning, the I-35W bridge has reopened, and my trip to work was smooth as silk. Once again, I'm at work very early, ready to face the day. I'm happy that the bridge is back. It was sure missed. The news says that there are so many sensors in the bridge that it's the most monitored bridge in the country. I hope that means that it will be a safe bridge for many years t come.

In memory of those who lost their lives on August 1, 2007.

Dressing Up

2008-09-17T19:31:00.002-05:00

I'm wearing a suit today.

Yes, I sometimes decide that I need to dress the part of a professional, and I go the whole distance. Often, this is when I have a function that is in front of other people. Today was such a day, so I wore a suit.

I've noticed that I work in an environment where a suit is not necessary, unless one is a member of the senior administration. When I do wear a suit, there are comments of surprise. I'm not sure if the surprise is because of me or because of my environment.

Anyway, I dressed up today. I look nice.

North Shore

2008-09-17T07:01:00.002-05:00

I spent the weekend traveling to a friend's wedding. It was in Tofte, MN, which is way up on the North Shore of Lake Superior. That made for quite a drive (about 4 hours). I couldn't leave work until 2:30, so I didn't get there until sunset. Richard rode up with friends who were leaving earlier. It had been years since I was on the North Shore, so it was fun to relive my memories of this area. I drove by Gooseberry Falls, and Split Rock Light House...blast from the past.

We stayed at Bluefin Bay Resort, and the wedding and all the celebrations were there. We had decided to go into an "apartment"-style place with friends. We had three bedrooms, a jacuzzi, and a super view of the lake. Richard got some good photos...maybe he'll post them on his blog.

It was a lovely weekend. It was like a vacation with a wedding attached.

Lurching

2008-09-10T07:27:00.002-05:00

Early September is a flurry of activity. My days are very long, and filled with such a variety of projects, that I can't easily say what I did on a given day.

Lately, I've been describing my activity as "lurching" from one thing to another. I don't like lurching. It means that I'm not giving time and attention to any one project. I would rather be able to spend time to finish something and feel good about it, not just "get it done".

This is the transition from summer to fall that always gets me. Eventually, I'll find my groove, but for now, there is some turbulence ahead.

Still Here

2008-09-09T07:58:00.000-05:00

I'm posting, mainly just to let you know that I haven't forgotten about this blog. Life has gotten full, with the State Fair, the Republican National Convention (and all the riots and scathing speeches it brought our way), and the start of school has really crept up on me.

I could right about how happy I am that we now have the Twin Cities back. The barricades are coming down. Life is returning to normal. But I won't do that. I'll just say that I'm in a routine again, and my routine involves 14-hour days of lurching from one activity to another.

I'll be back!

Gustav

2008-08-30T22:06:00.003-05:00

Next weekend, I was to go to New Orleans for the Many Stories, One Voice conference. I just got word that the conference was canceled due to Hurricane Gustav.

Another strange thing happened. I had some email correspondence with a pastor from Slidell, LA. She sent a message to everyone in her address book (I'm assuming) that asked her congregation to let her know where they were. She also included a litany for a hurricane. Several people have hit "reply to all" and told of their plans, including cell phone numbers. I'm a witness to their action, but I don't know any of them. I'm sincerely hoping that these people who I know only by name will be safe and out of harms way.

My disruption in travel plans isn't really the big deal here. We need prayers and action going to the Gulf Coast right now. I am sincerely praying that people are evacuating and getting outta dodge so that they can be safe...safer than before.

I'm praying that we don't bungle this up again. I'm praying that our president will decide that working with people in life-threatening peril is more important than making a personal speech at the RNC, which happens to be in the other Twin City.

I pray that we have learned how to move into a disaster and help people, instead of just throwing bombs and blaming another country.

I pray that those who blame the hurricane on Southern Decadence will have their hearts turned. That someday they will learn that a hurricane is caused no more by a party than by a political convention.

This has me worried. I've been working in the Gulf Coast since Katrina, and I don't want the progress that was made to be erased. Many of these people can't take it again.

This is a prayer that will be too deep for words.