Wow! I had a really busy weekend. I'll try to summarize, but it's not going to happen, just so you know.
On Thursday evening, I went to Christine's in Front Royal to practice for a wedding choir. Emma, Lizzie, Michael and I were her choir at that point. We sang a few relatively familiar pieces, but my voice isn't what it could be. Considering I don't get regular practice like everyone else does, my voice wasn't doing too well. We finished up around 11:30 at night, and I got back to the apartment at about 12:30. Too late for me... ;)
On Friday night, I was in Mike P./Colin & Nick M.'s film. I had a scene where I was a chauffeur in one scene. The scene went pretty well. I had on old pair of khakis that I wore, because they were going to get ruined. The van gets wrecked, and in the process, I get somewhat impaled. Needless to say, the makeup for that was interesting. I've never seen blood quite as realistic as what they had, aside from the real thing. I was expecting that they'd be dousing me with red sauce or something like that. This was a bit more bloodlike. I don't remember the ingredients, but I do remember that what it was first applied, it stung for a second. I don't know why. I didn't sting anyone else, but only me. Very wierd. Maybe it was so sticky that it was pulling out my leg hair...
In any case, the side of my pants were sliced open, and I was made to look like a relatively large branch had gotten wedged into my leg. It was really gross. I made some girls scream!
:)
Ok, no, I didn't, but come on: you know how I react to regular blood. This was realistic-looking (and feeling), it was kind of running down my leg, and in the light, it looked very fresh. Eeeee-yuck!!!
On a side note, I did scare a girl. Laura S. had the hiccups, and she was saying that she wished that she could get rid of them. I turned around in the driver's seat, and faced her (she was right behind me). I askd her to scoot over to the center of the van's seat. She did so, but I'm sure that she was wondering what was involved in this ritual. After she scooted, I asked her if she was comfortable. Before she had fully responded, I snapped my hand out at her, and gave a mini war cry. She jumped back in her seat, and looked at me with this accusative look on her face that seemed to say, "Why did you do that? You were supposed to help me get rid of them!" Then she realized that she didn't hiccup like she had been, and that she wasn't hiccuping at all. She sat there in disbelief saying, "I can't believe that worked. You actually scared the hiccups out of me!"
As a side note, I should say that I didn't think it would work. I've tried it in the past, but it has never worked before. In reality, I did scare her for the fun of it, but it was a nice side effect that she didn't have the hiccups anymore. Oh, yeah, I'm cool.
And, yes, I did tell her this afterwards... :)
We stayed up until 01:30 filming the movie scene. After this, I went inside Kevin's and stayed up until 4AM playing Metroid Prime: Echoes. I should have been asleep, but after about 5 hours of filming, I was rather awake and did not feel like sleeping much...
After about five hours of sleep, Saturday morning was here, and it was definitely time to get up. The first thing up was choir practice. Dr. Poterack was having practice for the CD recording, so I wanted to make sure I was there for that one. After this was Mass, and after Mass, I was going to go replace the igintion switch on my Sentra. I ordered it last week after I killed the one in my car, and I expected it to be here now, but there it hadn't arrived yet. With that in mind, I had nothing else to do on campus up until the play that night, so I went to the afternoon Shield of Roses.
Shield of Roses is the campuses active Pro-Life group. They go to an abortion clinic in D.C., and pray outside of it for a few hours every Saturday. The last two times I went, I went with the morning group. The first time, it was cold and raining, and my coat got soaked through. The second time, it was nicer weather, and the pro-death escorts were being especially rude that day. It was all I could do to stop myself from whaling on all of them (and judging by the level of shape they were in, I could have done so, quite easily). After realizing that I would be lowering myself to their standards, I decided that I was not the right person to attend Shield of Roses, and I didn't go again. But Jen P. and Joe M. told me that there were no escorts in the afternoons, so I decided to go again. It was far less infuriating.
Driving in D.C. stinks though. I hate most D.C. drivers. They don't know what they are doing, and are also incredibly rude. If I didn't have passengers in my car, I would have come a lot closer to coming to blows with one of them. He cut me off from behind when it was clear that I was coming over into his lane. Naturally, I got mad at him and we started making gestures back and forth. He was a black dude who looked to be in decent shape for being a stuck up prick, but I'd have hated to have to embarass him by taking him to school in his hometown. I smiled and waved at him, just to get him mad. It was fun. {insert evil grin here}
Standing in front of the baby death mill and seeing women go in and out, I felt very useless. It is very sad seeing anyone go into a place engineered to kill human beings. Another sad thing I noticed is that they were all African-Americans. I know that they hate it and will yell "RACISM!" when people point out the obvious (namely that abortion kills more blacks than whites), but if they hate it, why do they continue to go there to kill their babies? I just don't understand people, I guess...
That evening, I watched the Scarlet Pimpernel put on by the Christendom Players. Holy cow! It was simply amazing! The actors clearly put a lot of work into this production, and were clearly having fun with it. It really is an amazing thing to see good actors put on a good show with as few props as Christendom has. Words don't do the play justice. It was very funny, it had a score of good people in it. It was cast very well, I have to admit. The leads in the play did an extremely good job.
Two really good friends of mine were in the play: John E. and Julian A. Whenever they were on stage, I practically died laughing -- more so with John, because I've seen Julian play a foolish character before. John and Julian were both playing fops. It was really funny. They both did an incredible job. The syncronized stepping, dancing, and cane-work was simply genius. I don't know if this was all scripted, or if they came up with it, or Bree D. (the director) did, but it was very well done. Mad props to all involved!
On Sunday, there was the usual choir practice, followed by Sunday Mass and brunch. After brunch, we had choir practice for the singing of the Passion, and then a quick practice and recording for the wedding choir directed by Christine. This time, Draper had joined us. We practiced and recorded a couple things, and then I got ready to go to Old St. Mary's for the Second Sunday High Mass. Before I left, though, I sang "Rejoice, O Bethany" with Draper, Michael, Emma and Sylvia. Emma and Lizzie rode with me out to Old St. Mary's. Today was the day that the choir was going to Old St. Mary's for Sunday Mass, so I knew that they may have some extra room on the way back.
Parking was heck in D.C. We drove around for several minutes trying to get a spot relatively near the church, but with no great luck. We parked a couple blocks away and walked back. I attended schola practice, the rest of the choir showed up, Mass was as usual, and then it was time to go. The vehicles going back to campus had enough room in them, so I went straight back to the apartment.
I stopped and picked up some food at Taco Bell. As I ate it, I watched Collateral Damage, an action flick starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Ahhh... Good old violence on TV... :)
Sunday, March 12, 2006
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Music!
I went to St. Andrew's today for confession. When I walked in, I heard music. My first thought was that they had a choir singing during confession times, which would be really cool! But it turns out that it was pre-recorded. It took me a minute to get used to it, but after that, I found that concentration was so much easier, focusing on my examination of conscience was easier, etc. Plus, it gave the extra benefit of helping mask any noise coming from the confessionals (and they are already quite soundproof).
I heard Improperium, the Christendom version. I forget who wrote it, but I heard it, and I couldn't help think/singing the bass line along with the music.
Anyway, that's the only significant thing that happened today. Mazeltoff!
I heard Improperium, the Christendom version. I forget who wrote it, but I heard it, and I couldn't help think/singing the bass line along with the music.
Anyway, that's the only significant thing that happened today. Mazeltoff!
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Read and enjoy.
My all-time favoritest wonderfulest Mommy sent me this:
Cleaning Poem
I asked the Lord to tell me
Why my house is such a mess.
He asked if I'd been 'putering',
And I had to answer "yes."
He told me to get off my fanny
And tidy up the house.
And so I started cleaning up...
The smudges off my mouse.
I wiped and shined the topside.
That really did the trick...
I was just admiring my work...
I didn't mean to 'click.'
But click, I did, and oops I found
A real absorbing site
That I got SO way into...
I was into it all night. {Sigh}
Nothing's changed except my mouse
It's very, very shiny.
I guess my house will stay a mess...
While I sit here on my hiney.
Cleaning Poem I asked the Lord to tell me
Why my house is such a mess.
He asked if I'd been 'putering',
And I had to answer "yes."
He told me to get off my fanny
And tidy up the house.
And so I started cleaning up...
The smudges off my mouse.
I wiped and shined the topside.
That really did the trick...
I was just admiring my work...
I didn't mean to 'click.'
But click, I did, and oops I found
A real absorbing site
That I got SO way into...
I was into it all night. {Sigh}
Nothing's changed except my mouse
It's very, very shiny.
I guess my house will stay a mess...
While I sit here on my hiney.
Monday, March 06, 2006
Great pics of AJ and Anya
My sister sent me an e-mail with a picture of her kids in it. This picture was taken while AJ and Anya were helping me get my stuff out to the car after my last visit. The box was too big for AJ (of course), so I asked him to carry my jacket.
He grabbed my jacket and threw it over his shoulder. Mayhem ensued with the contents of my jacket pockets, and pictures as well as that New Testament in his hands were thrown clear. He picked up the Bible, and I picked up the pictures.
I was going to put the hat on Anya, but she was being shy, so we plopped it on his head. The result was pure hilarity. :)
After a bit of touching up, I think he could make a great door-to-door Catholic. Take that, Jehovah's witnesses! The cuteness level of a four-year-old whoops most righteously upon your teenagers!
He grabbed my jacket and threw it over his shoulder. Mayhem ensued with the contents of my jacket pockets, and pictures as well as that New Testament in his hands were thrown clear. He picked up the Bible, and I picked up the pictures.
I was going to put the hat on Anya, but she was being shy, so we plopped it on his head. The result was pure hilarity. :)
After a bit of touching up, I think he could make a great door-to-door Catholic. Take that, Jehovah's witnesses! The cuteness level of a four-year-old whoops most righteously upon your teenagers!
Sunday, March 05, 2006
I'm sore...
Well, this weekend was a fairly busy one, and I'm rather sore.
To start things off, I got to Front Royal on Saturday morning for choir CD rehearsal. I was late, of course. I didn't mean to be, but my bed was so comfy, and my alarm was so ... not comfy...
Anyway, after that, I was going to go help Joel S. move, but he called and told me that he had enough people, so don't bother. "Are you sure?" "Yeah, man." OK, I had things to do anyway...
My Sentra was still broken (of course), so I decided that I was going to fix it. :) After all, I'm a natural -- my first-rate Father is a natural, and he taught me well. Mechanics must run in the family! Besides, I know how to replace brake pads, change oil, and replace headlights. I'm the man!!!
Well, I go to save my battery. As you may or may not know, there is a constant drain on my battery. The ignition switch doesn't lock in the off position. It just kinda sits in the not-quite-locked-so-I'll-be-annoying-and-beep-at-you position. There's one way to fix that. I'll just take my screwdriver and pop that switch back into place. That'll take care of it. :)
*CLICK*
Uh-oh...
I put the key into the ignition. It won't turn. Maybe I didn't put it in far enough. Nope, I did... The thing is completely locked. No ifs, ands, or buts. It's dead in the water. I have to replace the entire key / switch / ignition / cylinder thingy. Darn all my luck...
So, another $140 later, I am now the proud owner of a new thingy. It will be shipped to me sometime this week...
As long as I'm doing stuff, let's replace my shocks. They are in depsarate need of it anyway... $250 later, I'm the proud owner of four struts... Any my wallet is sore...
Am I sore yet? I'm getting there...
I had dinner with the girls later in the evening. Sarah, Carissa, and Christine extended their hospitality for me to come over and share in the wealth of a home-cooked meal. It was really good. :) While I was there, I played some music for them, in particular, Mitch Miller. I had so much fun with my dance interpretation to the music, and I think the girls enjoyed it.
On Sunday, after Mass, I attended brunch in the Commons and introduced the group I was sitting with to a song by Mitch Miller: the medley I've Got Sixpence/I've Been Workin' On The Railroad/That's Where My Money Goes. It was a lot of fun, for me anyway. I think that everyone liked it, until I sang the last part. The guys found it quite humorous, while a couple girls were shocked that I would sing that. Like I said, it was fun... :)
After this, I played soccer with a number of friends: John and Paul E., Breanna H., Lizzie B., Emma F., Michael C., Sylvia S., Emily G., and Jonathan D., for starters. We were soon joined by Francis, Tony, Therese, Mike P., and several others, bt I can't remember all their names... Jonathan and I played goalie in the same net (we were playing half-court because of softball practice). I played in the field for a bit, but I was really too out-of-shape for it, so I went back to goalie. It was fun, but I was sore after about an hour-and-a-half of this...
After this, Solemn Vespers were held in the Chapel before the Blessed Sacrament. They were very nice, and sung very well.
When this was over, I played Draper W. in a game of racquetball. In the first game, he squished me like a bug: 0-15. Second game: 1-15. Third game: 10-15. Fourth game: 3-15. Fifth game: 2-15. Sixth game: 1-15. Like a bug. I was now sore.
I went into town to get some food, and called home. I haven't called hom since Ash Wednesday. Things are going well. Dad is in good spirits, as is Mom. There doesn't seem to be anything wrong, except for the fact that I know that he's hooked up to an I.V. Please continue to pray for him, my family, and his recovery, but if it is not God's Will, please pray that we can all accept that. I, for one, will not be quite the same when that time will come...
I had a Spelunkers burger, onion rings, and a shake for dinner. Oh, I missed that place, and their great hamburgers. :)
I ended the day chatting with Emma. She recently discovered my weakness: blood and the internal workings of the body, so she was exploiting that. I guess I deserved it, coming to bug her at 9PM, especially after she went through all the trouble of fixing my tie...
Mike P. came back to the apartment with me. Half-way back, we stopped at the pad and picked up Ken F., who had driven Bill I.'s car back there (Bill had flown out of Dulles to purchase a new car, and asked us to move his car). We got back to the apartment about midnight, and I crashed soon after.
To start things off, I got to Front Royal on Saturday morning for choir CD rehearsal. I was late, of course. I didn't mean to be, but my bed was so comfy, and my alarm was so ... not comfy...
Anyway, after that, I was going to go help Joel S. move, but he called and told me that he had enough people, so don't bother. "Are you sure?" "Yeah, man." OK, I had things to do anyway...
My Sentra was still broken (of course), so I decided that I was going to fix it. :) After all, I'm a natural -- my first-rate Father is a natural, and he taught me well. Mechanics must run in the family! Besides, I know how to replace brake pads, change oil, and replace headlights. I'm the man!!!
Well, I go to save my battery. As you may or may not know, there is a constant drain on my battery. The ignition switch doesn't lock in the off position. It just kinda sits in the not-quite-locked-so-I'll-be-annoying-and-beep-at-you position. There's one way to fix that. I'll just take my screwdriver and pop that switch back into place. That'll take care of it. :)
*CLICK*
Uh-oh...
I put the key into the ignition. It won't turn. Maybe I didn't put it in far enough. Nope, I did... The thing is completely locked. No ifs, ands, or buts. It's dead in the water. I have to replace the entire key / switch / ignition / cylinder thingy. Darn all my luck...
So, another $140 later, I am now the proud owner of a new thingy. It will be shipped to me sometime this week...
As long as I'm doing stuff, let's replace my shocks. They are in depsarate need of it anyway... $250 later, I'm the proud owner of four struts... Any my wallet is sore...
Am I sore yet? I'm getting there...
I had dinner with the girls later in the evening. Sarah, Carissa, and Christine extended their hospitality for me to come over and share in the wealth of a home-cooked meal. It was really good. :) While I was there, I played some music for them, in particular, Mitch Miller. I had so much fun with my dance interpretation to the music, and I think the girls enjoyed it.
On Sunday, after Mass, I attended brunch in the Commons and introduced the group I was sitting with to a song by Mitch Miller: the medley I've Got Sixpence/I've Been Workin' On The Railroad/That's Where My Money Goes. It was a lot of fun, for me anyway. I think that everyone liked it, until I sang the last part. The guys found it quite humorous, while a couple girls were shocked that I would sing that. Like I said, it was fun... :)
After this, I played soccer with a number of friends: John and Paul E., Breanna H., Lizzie B., Emma F., Michael C., Sylvia S., Emily G., and Jonathan D., for starters. We were soon joined by Francis, Tony, Therese, Mike P., and several others, bt I can't remember all their names... Jonathan and I played goalie in the same net (we were playing half-court because of softball practice). I played in the field for a bit, but I was really too out-of-shape for it, so I went back to goalie. It was fun, but I was sore after about an hour-and-a-half of this...
After this, Solemn Vespers were held in the Chapel before the Blessed Sacrament. They were very nice, and sung very well.
When this was over, I played Draper W. in a game of racquetball. In the first game, he squished me like a bug: 0-15. Second game: 1-15. Third game: 10-15. Fourth game: 3-15. Fifth game: 2-15. Sixth game: 1-15. Like a bug. I was now sore.
I went into town to get some food, and called home. I haven't called hom since Ash Wednesday. Things are going well. Dad is in good spirits, as is Mom. There doesn't seem to be anything wrong, except for the fact that I know that he's hooked up to an I.V. Please continue to pray for him, my family, and his recovery, but if it is not God's Will, please pray that we can all accept that. I, for one, will not be quite the same when that time will come...
I had a Spelunkers burger, onion rings, and a shake for dinner. Oh, I missed that place, and their great hamburgers. :)
I ended the day chatting with Emma. She recently discovered my weakness: blood and the internal workings of the body, so she was exploiting that. I guess I deserved it, coming to bug her at 9PM, especially after she went through all the trouble of fixing my tie...
Mike P. came back to the apartment with me. Half-way back, we stopped at the pad and picked up Ken F., who had driven Bill I.'s car back there (Bill had flown out of Dulles to purchase a new car, and asked us to move his car). We got back to the apartment about midnight, and I crashed soon after.
Friday, March 03, 2006
Hey! Whatchu doin'?
This was such an awesome picture, I had to post it as my background at work!
Well, I get a kick out if it every time I see it... :)
I got this from Cute Overload.
Check here, here (and click on the link inside there), and here for some of my favorite pictures from that website. I have a soft spot in my heart for animals. They're just too cute! :)
Thursday, March 02, 2006
Mixed day...
Just a quick blurb...
Days like today make me feel like I'm not supposed to be working where I do...
I overslept this morning, so all day I had a lot of energy, the kind where I wanted to go out and run around. Needless to say, I couldn't concentrate. All day, I tried to get into a groove where I could just work. I didn't get into this kind of groove until almost 7:30 tonight. That's just ridiculous...
On the plus side, I got home this evening and I found that what I had ordered had finally arrived (I wasn't expecting it until April). I ordered some Mitch Miller CD's and a new Choir of New College Oxford CD set. They all got in today, and I can't wait to listen to them!!!
Days like today make me feel like I'm not supposed to be working where I do...
I overslept this morning, so all day I had a lot of energy, the kind where I wanted to go out and run around. Needless to say, I couldn't concentrate. All day, I tried to get into a groove where I could just work. I didn't get into this kind of groove until almost 7:30 tonight. That's just ridiculous...
On the plus side, I got home this evening and I found that what I had ordered had finally arrived (I wasn't expecting it until April). I ordered some Mitch Miller CD's and a new Choir of New College Oxford CD set. They all got in today, and I can't wait to listen to them!!!
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
February 31?
Oh, for the record, I did try to create a post and date it February 31, but it registered as March 3, 2006. Oh well...
Old St. Mary's
Today, I went to Old St. Mary's with Paul and Alex for their Ash Wednesday Mass. The Mass was at 7:30 PM. It was so good to see a good number of people at that late Mass -- in a certain sense, I expected to get there and see no one, but in another sense, I expected to get there and see the place packed. But life has a way of pulling fast ones on me and giving me what I don't expect, and there was a medium number of people there. There were several Christendom alumni, of course.
Father's sermon was very good. I admire that new priest there. He's so young and so full of life. My experience with a lot of priests who say the Tridentine Latin Mass is that they are cold and solemn. Notice, I didn't say all priests who say the Tridentine -- I said a lot. I can think of several off the top of my head who are not cold or solemn, but rank right with there with this new pastor. It's very heart-warming to see good men become priests. It is always a boost to the part of me that says, "I should be a priest."
But I'm getting off into a topic that I won't discuss now...
Father's sermon was very good. I admire that new priest there. He's so young and so full of life. My experience with a lot of priests who say the Tridentine Latin Mass is that they are cold and solemn. Notice, I didn't say all priests who say the Tridentine -- I said a lot. I can think of several off the top of my head who are not cold or solemn, but rank right with there with this new pastor. It's very heart-warming to see good men become priests. It is always a boost to the part of me that says, "I should be a priest."
But I'm getting off into a topic that I won't discuss now...
Monday, February 27, 2006
Last weekend before Lent
This weekend was fun. I didn't do a whole lot. The highlights of the weekend were Alaina coming down, Jonathan's birthday party, and a final pre-Lent fling...
Alaina, Ken's fiancée, came down this weekend. Everyone thought that she was coming down to celebrate their new house, but we all know that she was more glad to be coming down to see a certain someone (*ahem*), right, Ken?
{wink, wink, nudge, nudge}
Anyway, there was a large celebration at the girls' house for the return of the wonderful Alaina, and there were collectively about fifteen people there. We all sat around talking, and having a wonderful time, often at the expense of others. For instance, when Ashley showed up, MikeE and I ran out to our cars and got our reflective sunglasses, and towered over her with them on. For some reason, it freaks her out, and for some reason, she actually admitted that it freaked her out. MikeE and I know this and play it to the hilt. It's so much fun. Is that wrong, playing on someone's freak-outs for sheer amusement? :)
But what goes around comes around. When Josh and Leslie showed up, one of the first things out of her mouth was that she had heard the most about me. While it sounds like it should be rather flattering (and it actually is), wait until you hear the stories about me that go around. They make me sound like I'm not angelic, which we all know I'm approaching rapidly.
Oh, and by the wayside, "angelic" here means "like a good angel". Don't twist my words around and say, "Demons are fallen angels!" I don't need that. ;)
I made mudslides much later in the evening. They were very good, if I do say so myself. There are things to be said about a good mudslide, and among them are the words, "Yummy!", "So good!", and "Crazy delic!" Let Alex have the eggnog -- I'll take care of the mudslides!
A side note, "delic" is pronounced "delish", like the normal pronunciation of "delicious", but without the "-ious" at the end. Mad props to Joel and Curt for bringing that piece of vocabulary into my life. :)
Jonathan's birthday party was fun. We went to Roma's in Stephen's City. The food there is so awesome! I went out on a limb and tried something I've never had before: the Italian combo, which consisted of pasta alfredo and lasagna. Wow! It was really good! The popular favorite was Tuscany something-or-other. That looked really good, and I even thought about ordering it, but I didn't. And I'm glad I didn't. I'd hate to be a copy-cat... :P
In any event, the party was good. There were a large number of Christendomites in attendance, making Justin L. and me the only alumni. But that's cool, right? Alunmi or not, it was still good to hang out with everyone around really good food and have fun conversation.
After that, we went back to Christendom, just in time for the small plays that were presented by Julian and Ariel. I couldn't tell you what they were called, but they were very well done. Actually, I just remembered what one of them was: Ariel's was a scene from (if not the whole thing of) the Jeweler's Shop. Julian's was a scene from the life of St. Thomas Becket, about his four temptations: women, money, power, and false humility (i.e., his active seeking of martyrdom for the wrong reasons). They were both very powerful in their own ways. The Becket story was a nice beginning to Lent, as though it was warning me to not overdo it, for the sake of the sacrifice.
Every Lent, I'm tempted to go farther and farther, to beat myself and what I did in the previous year. This was a simple reminder as to why Lent is important, not why I think it is important.
The Jeweler's Shop got me thinking along another line. If you know the story, then you can probably guess what about. I was mostly thinking about the fact that I will have to make decisions somewhere along the line, preferably sooner rather than later. These decisions have to do more with my future than my present. Currently, I'm in no position to make many lifetime decisions. I need to start hammering away at my debts first. Later, I'll figure out the more pertinent stuff, like where I'm taking my life...
ANYway, that's a subject that I'm not going to go any further in. Maybe another time...
The final pre-Lent fling: knowing that Lent was right around the corner, I decided to partially live out Mardi Gras a bit early. Rather late on Sunday, I called Lizzie and Emma and asked if either of them wanted to go out and get some ice cream. Only one of them came, and I had a fun time talking with her for a while. The sugar began to work its way through my system, so I knew that I had enough energy to get me back to the apartment.
And on that note, I'll close. Tootles!
Alaina, Ken's fiancée, came down this weekend. Everyone thought that she was coming down to celebrate their new house, but we all know that she was more glad to be coming down to see a certain someone (*ahem*), right, Ken?
{wink, wink, nudge, nudge}
Anyway, there was a large celebration at the girls' house for the return of the wonderful Alaina, and there were collectively about fifteen people there. We all sat around talking, and having a wonderful time, often at the expense of others. For instance, when Ashley showed up, MikeE and I ran out to our cars and got our reflective sunglasses, and towered over her with them on. For some reason, it freaks her out, and for some reason, she actually admitted that it freaked her out. MikeE and I know this and play it to the hilt. It's so much fun. Is that wrong, playing on someone's freak-outs for sheer amusement? :)
But what goes around comes around. When Josh and Leslie showed up, one of the first things out of her mouth was that she had heard the most about me. While it sounds like it should be rather flattering (and it actually is), wait until you hear the stories about me that go around. They make me sound like I'm not angelic, which we all know I'm approaching rapidly.
Oh, and by the wayside, "angelic" here means "like a good angel". Don't twist my words around and say, "Demons are fallen angels!" I don't need that. ;)
I made mudslides much later in the evening. They were very good, if I do say so myself. There are things to be said about a good mudslide, and among them are the words, "Yummy!", "So good!", and "Crazy delic!" Let Alex have the eggnog -- I'll take care of the mudslides!
A side note, "delic" is pronounced "delish", like the normal pronunciation of "delicious", but without the "-ious" at the end. Mad props to Joel and Curt for bringing that piece of vocabulary into my life. :)
Jonathan's birthday party was fun. We went to Roma's in Stephen's City. The food there is so awesome! I went out on a limb and tried something I've never had before: the Italian combo, which consisted of pasta alfredo and lasagna. Wow! It was really good! The popular favorite was Tuscany something-or-other. That looked really good, and I even thought about ordering it, but I didn't. And I'm glad I didn't. I'd hate to be a copy-cat... :P
In any event, the party was good. There were a large number of Christendomites in attendance, making Justin L. and me the only alumni. But that's cool, right? Alunmi or not, it was still good to hang out with everyone around really good food and have fun conversation.
After that, we went back to Christendom, just in time for the small plays that were presented by Julian and Ariel. I couldn't tell you what they were called, but they were very well done. Actually, I just remembered what one of them was: Ariel's was a scene from (if not the whole thing of) the Jeweler's Shop. Julian's was a scene from the life of St. Thomas Becket, about his four temptations: women, money, power, and false humility (i.e., his active seeking of martyrdom for the wrong reasons). They were both very powerful in their own ways. The Becket story was a nice beginning to Lent, as though it was warning me to not overdo it, for the sake of the sacrifice.
Every Lent, I'm tempted to go farther and farther, to beat myself and what I did in the previous year. This was a simple reminder as to why Lent is important, not why I think it is important.
The Jeweler's Shop got me thinking along another line. If you know the story, then you can probably guess what about. I was mostly thinking about the fact that I will have to make decisions somewhere along the line, preferably sooner rather than later. These decisions have to do more with my future than my present. Currently, I'm in no position to make many lifetime decisions. I need to start hammering away at my debts first. Later, I'll figure out the more pertinent stuff, like where I'm taking my life...
ANYway, that's a subject that I'm not going to go any further in. Maybe another time...
The final pre-Lent fling: knowing that Lent was right around the corner, I decided to partially live out Mardi Gras a bit early. Rather late on Sunday, I called Lizzie and Emma and asked if either of them wanted to go out and get some ice cream. Only one of them came, and I had a fun time talking with her for a while. The sugar began to work its way through my system, so I knew that I had enough energy to get me back to the apartment.
And on that note, I'll close. Tootles!
Friday, February 24, 2006
Monday, February 20, 2006
My po' widdle memowy...
I had such an awesome dream last night. I wanted to put it up here, but I just now remembered that I had meant to do so earlier, and I can't remember anything about it. Drat!!!
Sorry, I have nothing to amuse you with now...
Well, maybe I can come up with something, if I think really hard...
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm....... {POP!}
Shoot. My slippery mind has popped out gotta go fetch it.
.....................
.....................
Have you ever tried to pick up a wet watermelon seed off the floor? It's nearly impossible.
.....................
.....................
That's what this is like. Except my mind is smaller than a watermelon seed, and a whole lot more slippery...
Sorry, I have nothing to amuse you with now...
Well, maybe I can come up with something, if I think really hard...
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm....... {POP!}
Shoot. My slippery mind has popped out gotta go fetch it.
.....................
.....................
Have you ever tried to pick up a wet watermelon seed off the floor? It's nearly impossible.
.....................
.....................
That's what this is like. Except my mind is smaller than a watermelon seed, and a whole lot more slippery...
Sunday, February 19, 2006
Tools 'n' fun times
I purchased a lot of tools. :)
Yesterday was a second shot at fixing Carissa B's brakes on her car. She has a nice car, but the brakes were heck. Last week, when I tried fixingf them, I got the wheel off, discovered which bolt I had to remove, and found that it required an alan wrench, which I did not own. Little did I know that at the time I would need one. I knew that I needed an Alan wrench, and in light of this, I purchased every Alan wrench size I could think of, both metric and SAE. Just to be safe, I also purchased star wrenches. For the fun of it, I purchased a lot of other tools and a toolbox (finally!). With all of this stuff, I thought that I'd be able to do the trick for sure.
It never occured to me that "complete" sets fo Alan wrenches, both metric and SAE, would not be enough to do the trick. I tried the larger wrenches. 5/16 was too big. 1/4 was just barely too small, small enough to be able to scoot around and pop out when pressure is applied to the wrench. I used the metric: 10, 8, and 6. 10 was too big. 8 was too big. 6 was way too small. I was really in a hurry when I discovered this, because it was getting late, and I really wanted to get this done. I called Autozone and Advance Auto Parts, asking if they had a 7mm or a 9/32 alan. Advance had a 7mm, but it was part of a socket wrench set. I said, "I'LL TAKE IT!" and went out and got it, a 3/8 socket wrench bar, and a large set of screwdrivers (because I still didn't own any).
The front driver's side was a piece of cake. On the front passenger side, my caliper compressor tool broke. It was quite convenient. At that point, I was kicking myself for not picking up a c-clamp...
I raced back to the stores, but they were closed. I went to Christendom, and finally just borrowed one from the maintenance shed. I hurried back and finished the job, and now her car stops on a dime!
Well, maybe a dollar. It is a bigger car than either one that I have, and they can stop on dimes. :)
Yesterday was a second shot at fixing Carissa B's brakes on her car. She has a nice car, but the brakes were heck. Last week, when I tried fixingf them, I got the wheel off, discovered which bolt I had to remove, and found that it required an alan wrench, which I did not own. Little did I know that at the time I would need one. I knew that I needed an Alan wrench, and in light of this, I purchased every Alan wrench size I could think of, both metric and SAE. Just to be safe, I also purchased star wrenches. For the fun of it, I purchased a lot of other tools and a toolbox (finally!). With all of this stuff, I thought that I'd be able to do the trick for sure.
It never occured to me that "complete" sets fo Alan wrenches, both metric and SAE, would not be enough to do the trick. I tried the larger wrenches. 5/16 was too big. 1/4 was just barely too small, small enough to be able to scoot around and pop out when pressure is applied to the wrench. I used the metric: 10, 8, and 6. 10 was too big. 8 was too big. 6 was way too small. I was really in a hurry when I discovered this, because it was getting late, and I really wanted to get this done. I called Autozone and Advance Auto Parts, asking if they had a 7mm or a 9/32 alan. Advance had a 7mm, but it was part of a socket wrench set. I said, "I'LL TAKE IT!" and went out and got it, a 3/8 socket wrench bar, and a large set of screwdrivers (because I still didn't own any).
The front driver's side was a piece of cake. On the front passenger side, my caliper compressor tool broke. It was quite convenient. At that point, I was kicking myself for not picking up a c-clamp...
I raced back to the stores, but they were closed. I went to Christendom, and finally just borrowed one from the maintenance shed. I hurried back and finished the job, and now her car stops on a dime!
Well, maybe a dollar. It is a bigger car than either one that I have, and they can stop on dimes. :)
Today's Peanuts
This displays my thoughts on 90% of philosophy books. Although my thoughts are not explicitly mentioned in the words, I think you can gather what I mean...
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Valentine's Day with the girls
Yesterday, Alex S., MikeE, and I went to the girls' house for Valentine's Day. It was really fun. Sarah H., Carissa B., and Christine C. went out of their way to fix us some great food, and we went out of our way to eat it all. :-D
All? Ok, there was too much for us to eat all of it, but we did some pretty significant damage anyway. :)
After dinner, we went downstairs and played "Love Darts" or whatever that game is called where you throw a ball at a target and you have to do whatever it says on the target. I went first, but since I was the only person down there and I threw it on, "Tell someone their three greatest features", it was easy to compliment myself. Next up was MikeE. His first shot was, "Wild". He got to choose what he wanted to do, namely sit on the couch and pass off the balls to someone else. Alex threw them and landed on "Hold someone's hand and sing to them", so Carissa was the victim.
The game got old pretty quickly. We fired up a movie, and ended the night with a comedy. After ten rounds of, "I really should go," we finally left.
Thanks, girls, for a great night!
All? Ok, there was too much for us to eat all of it, but we did some pretty significant damage anyway. :)
After dinner, we went downstairs and played "Love Darts" or whatever that game is called where you throw a ball at a target and you have to do whatever it says on the target. I went first, but since I was the only person down there and I threw it on, "Tell someone their three greatest features", it was easy to compliment myself. Next up was MikeE. His first shot was, "Wild". He got to choose what he wanted to do, namely sit on the couch and pass off the balls to someone else. Alex threw them and landed on "Hold someone's hand and sing to them", so Carissa was the victim.
The game got old pretty quickly. We fired up a movie, and ended the night with a comedy. After ten rounds of, "I really should go," we finally left.
Thanks, girls, for a great night!
Monday, February 13, 2006
Today's "Adam @ Home"
How many times a day do you do this? This is the reason why my head is so hard as it is...
Saturday, February 11, 2006
Valentine's Day Poems
I love Christendom. I know I've said this before, but I really do. Why do I like it now? Because it gives me an excuse to be really stupid, publish my ridiculous thoughts as poems, and amuse the girls.
Today was the big Valentine's Day celebration at Christendom. I was going to change Carissa's brakes, but I was waylaid by poems. TJ caught me last week and asked me to write some poems. I was only too glad to help him out.
Ask nicely, and I'll post the poems I wrote. :)
Well, anyway, I got a huge kick out of them, but then again, I find that I'm often the only one laughing at my humor. Maybe it's because I'm the only one around? Then again, maybe it's because I need to mature a bit...
...
Nah!
Today was the big Valentine's Day celebration at Christendom. I was going to change Carissa's brakes, but I was waylaid by poems. TJ caught me last week and asked me to write some poems. I was only too glad to help him out.
Ask nicely, and I'll post the poems I wrote. :)
Well, anyway, I got a huge kick out of them, but then again, I find that I'm often the only one laughing at my humor. Maybe it's because I'm the only one around? Then again, maybe it's because I need to mature a bit...
...
Nah!
Out with the girls
I went out with Jenne L. and Claire R. today. Peach (Peter S.) joined us as well, which was probably better. One guy with two girls? It could look a little funny.
It was loads of fun! We went potato-chipping at the Route 11 factory. This consisted of watching them make potato chips and trying them afterwards. It's really fascinating. There's an industrial-sized blender that they all go through which slices the potatoes up to the chip sizes, and pours these slices right into a vat of a deep-fat frier. They cook for about ten minutes, during which time they are stirred with a rake. Then, the chips are scooped out, and they dry off almost instantly. The men then sort through them, quickly pulling out the burned chips, and seasoning the rest.
We had some of the fresh batch. They were really good! Claire and Jenne bought a few bags of the yummy goodness, and we took off.
After that, we went to Wendy's and got food. Oh, and since it was snowing, we had a picnic at the gazebo. Have you ever done this? It was really cold! But it was fun!
After that, we walked down Main Street, with them playing my "girlfriends". Jenne played the clingy girlfriend. As the video was shot, she clung tightly to my arm, hinting at marriage and long lives together. Claire played the wierd one. She played the role of the sheltered girl who had seen all of her friends do the arm-in-arm thing, but had never done it herself, and was very clumsy. The third video was me with both of them. If I had a seam, I'm sure I would have torn.
I should probably mention that some onlookers looked at us kind of funny, but they seemed to enjoy the spectacle.
Our final stop was in Faithful and True, the Catholic store in town. I picked up a statue of the Child Jesus, a small, golden-framed image of Our Lady, and a small crucifix and a chain to put it on. After that, we headed back to Christendom, just in time for Peach to get to work.
It was loads of fun! We went potato-chipping at the Route 11 factory. This consisted of watching them make potato chips and trying them afterwards. It's really fascinating. There's an industrial-sized blender that they all go through which slices the potatoes up to the chip sizes, and pours these slices right into a vat of a deep-fat frier. They cook for about ten minutes, during which time they are stirred with a rake. Then, the chips are scooped out, and they dry off almost instantly. The men then sort through them, quickly pulling out the burned chips, and seasoning the rest.
We had some of the fresh batch. They were really good! Claire and Jenne bought a few bags of the yummy goodness, and we took off.
After that, we went to Wendy's and got food. Oh, and since it was snowing, we had a picnic at the gazebo. Have you ever done this? It was really cold! But it was fun!
After that, we walked down Main Street, with them playing my "girlfriends". Jenne played the clingy girlfriend. As the video was shot, she clung tightly to my arm, hinting at marriage and long lives together. Claire played the wierd one. She played the role of the sheltered girl who had seen all of her friends do the arm-in-arm thing, but had never done it herself, and was very clumsy. The third video was me with both of them. If I had a seam, I'm sure I would have torn.
I should probably mention that some onlookers looked at us kind of funny, but they seemed to enjoy the spectacle.
Our final stop was in Faithful and True, the Catholic store in town. I picked up a statue of the Child Jesus, a small, golden-framed image of Our Lady, and a small crucifix and a chain to put it on. After that, we headed back to Christendom, just in time for Peach to get to work.
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
Fr. O'Keilty
I had the awesome-est dream last night. I dreamt that I was at Christendom, talking with Fr. O'Keilty. He started telling me one of his life stories, and as he told it, my surroundings changed to reflect everything that he was saying. He told the story so vividly that I was an observer of the events as they happened.
There was also a new priest at Christendom. He was a larger priest with red hair, and a bushy red beard. The color was not unlike Kelly P., but lighter and brighter, like the McG. twins. Remember Brendan's beard? That color, but all over. He was Irish as Irish can be. I can't recall his name in my dream, but I know a priest who kind of looks like this: Fr. Dennis Smith. This priest was not Fr. Smith, but for the sake of the story, I'll give him that name.
Anyway, like I said before, I was talking with Father O'Keilty, and the new priest joined our conversation. Fr. O'Keilty and Fr. Smith, both being Irish, had a jolly good time reminiscing about the old days. Apparently these two priests knew each other from way back when. I asked them how they first met each other. Fr. O'Keilty's eyes lit up, and he looked off into the distance. Fr. Smith told me under his breath that Fr. O'K told the story much better than he did, and we both turned towards Father O'K.
Suddenly, I was no longer at Christendom. I was a silent observer. I was in the middle of a jungle, and it was night-time. Machine gun fire could be heard everywhere, and flashes lit up the area. I looked around to see where I was and whether I was in danger. I was in no danger: I didn't even exist, except metaphysically. I could see and interact with everything, but nothing could see me or hear me, but they could become aware of my presence if I had desired to make it known.
I looked around to see if there was anyone around me. As I scanned the brush, I saw a thin barrel and a pair of eyes peeping out. I knew the eyes, but I wanted to make sure. As I approached closer, I saw what looked like a younger Fr. O'Keilty in marine BDU's holding a sniper rifle. He wasn't firing at anyone, but he was ready to, when it came time. A few solo soldiers came out of nowhere a few paces ahead, but they did not see Father, and ran right on past. As they disappeared, I caught a glimpse of the insignia on one of them: they were Nazis.
I was seeing WWII.
It was clear that Father was, indeed, a priest, but the situation called for the chaplain to take up arms. There was no one around him, and he was in German territory.
I looked around, knowing that Father had no one watching his back. To Father's left, just outside of his line of vision, I saw a Nazi setting up a heavy weapon, along the lines of a chain gun. His partner carried the ammo. They were silently setting up this gun, and it was obvious that they had seen Father.
I didn't have time to act, and even if I did, I don't know what I could have done. I got in the line of fire, knowing full well that my metaphysical presence would not stop a bullet, especially of that caliber. The heavy weapon mowed down Father's section of the brush. I turned, knowing that I would see what I did not want to see.
But Fr. O'Keilty surprised me yet again. Some force stopped the bullets from hitting him, and as flattering as it would be to think that that force was actually my presence, I seriously doubt it. Instead, I credit it to Father's Guardian Angel.
The Germans began to quickly pack up their weapon, believing Father to be dead. Suddenly, a bright flash exploded somewhere behind the brush, exposing the standing silhouette of Fr. O'Keilty. He just stood there, knowing that these two Germans had seen him. Sure enough, they had, and they drew their pistols.
I looked back at Fr. O'Keilty, who stood straight, strong and unmoving, as though he was challenging them to fire. Whether he was or not, they did so. After emptying their magazines at him, he was still standing. Fear struck the Germans, and they hurried to reload.
The soldier started screaming something in German, and the leader started yelling "Silencio!" over and over.
Father calmly drew his pistol and fired two shots. The assistant and then the leader went down. The leader of the two Germans lost his helmet in the fall, exposing a shock of red hair. I looked in disbelief, knowing that it was Father Smith. The subordinate Nazi was not dead, but he was in no condition to think about firing. Father had known exactly what he was doing when he fired, and had simply disabled both men. Father walked up to both men, and stood over them. The subordinate clutched his wound, and looked up at Father. As Father stood calmly over them, the leader moved quickly towards Father and made a grab towards his left leg. I thought for sure that he was making one final desparate attempt on Father's life, but he proved me wrong. He was, instead, embracing tightly, and saying the only word I had ever heard him say in the story: "Silencio." He rocked himself back and forth in his pain, but he looked imploringly up at Fr. O'Keilty's eyes, and Father looked down at him and his buddy.
Smith was crying as he was embracing Father's leg, believing that he and his buddy were dying. Father assured them that such was not the case. As tears continued to flow from the face of the red-headed German, he begged for forgiveness, because he saw that he had attempted to kill a man of God (I'm sure that by this point, he knew that Fr. was a Catholic priest). Father, of course, forgave him.
I knew that they were both in good hands.
The scene switched suddenly. The days were lighter, and Father was back in his BDU's holding the same sniper rifle. Instinctively, I knew that we were out of WWII, and were in the Vietnam War. Father advanced in this new jungle slowly, eying everything. Father waved his arm, and out came a familiar heavy-weapons soldier, but this time, with he was allied with Fr. O'Keilty. They paused for a moment, enough time for Smith to thank Fr. O'Keilty for his assistance. Father asked him what he intended to do with his life. Smith said that after this, he would be stuck in Poland until 1996, but as soon as he is able, he would enter a seminary, become a priest, and then find Fr. O'Keilty.
The time zipped back to the present. Fr. Smith had fulfilled his promises: he is now a priest, and has found Fr. O'Keilty. One part that he neglected to mention, but that was clear to me was that he didn't intend to let the simple priest who changed his life get away from him. He intended to serve Fr. O'Keilty as long as he could be, to help in the payment of a debt that could never be repaid.
There was also a new priest at Christendom. He was a larger priest with red hair, and a bushy red beard. The color was not unlike Kelly P., but lighter and brighter, like the McG. twins. Remember Brendan's beard? That color, but all over. He was Irish as Irish can be. I can't recall his name in my dream, but I know a priest who kind of looks like this: Fr. Dennis Smith. This priest was not Fr. Smith, but for the sake of the story, I'll give him that name.
Anyway, like I said before, I was talking with Father O'Keilty, and the new priest joined our conversation. Fr. O'Keilty and Fr. Smith, both being Irish, had a jolly good time reminiscing about the old days. Apparently these two priests knew each other from way back when. I asked them how they first met each other. Fr. O'Keilty's eyes lit up, and he looked off into the distance. Fr. Smith told me under his breath that Fr. O'K told the story much better than he did, and we both turned towards Father O'K.
Suddenly, I was no longer at Christendom. I was a silent observer. I was in the middle of a jungle, and it was night-time. Machine gun fire could be heard everywhere, and flashes lit up the area. I looked around to see where I was and whether I was in danger. I was in no danger: I didn't even exist, except metaphysically. I could see and interact with everything, but nothing could see me or hear me, but they could become aware of my presence if I had desired to make it known.
I looked around to see if there was anyone around me. As I scanned the brush, I saw a thin barrel and a pair of eyes peeping out. I knew the eyes, but I wanted to make sure. As I approached closer, I saw what looked like a younger Fr. O'Keilty in marine BDU's holding a sniper rifle. He wasn't firing at anyone, but he was ready to, when it came time. A few solo soldiers came out of nowhere a few paces ahead, but they did not see Father, and ran right on past. As they disappeared, I caught a glimpse of the insignia on one of them: they were Nazis.
I was seeing WWII.
It was clear that Father was, indeed, a priest, but the situation called for the chaplain to take up arms. There was no one around him, and he was in German territory.
I looked around, knowing that Father had no one watching his back. To Father's left, just outside of his line of vision, I saw a Nazi setting up a heavy weapon, along the lines of a chain gun. His partner carried the ammo. They were silently setting up this gun, and it was obvious that they had seen Father.
I didn't have time to act, and even if I did, I don't know what I could have done. I got in the line of fire, knowing full well that my metaphysical presence would not stop a bullet, especially of that caliber. The heavy weapon mowed down Father's section of the brush. I turned, knowing that I would see what I did not want to see.
But Fr. O'Keilty surprised me yet again. Some force stopped the bullets from hitting him, and as flattering as it would be to think that that force was actually my presence, I seriously doubt it. Instead, I credit it to Father's Guardian Angel.
The Germans began to quickly pack up their weapon, believing Father to be dead. Suddenly, a bright flash exploded somewhere behind the brush, exposing the standing silhouette of Fr. O'Keilty. He just stood there, knowing that these two Germans had seen him. Sure enough, they had, and they drew their pistols.
I looked back at Fr. O'Keilty, who stood straight, strong and unmoving, as though he was challenging them to fire. Whether he was or not, they did so. After emptying their magazines at him, he was still standing. Fear struck the Germans, and they hurried to reload.
The soldier started screaming something in German, and the leader started yelling "Silencio!" over and over.
Father calmly drew his pistol and fired two shots. The assistant and then the leader went down. The leader of the two Germans lost his helmet in the fall, exposing a shock of red hair. I looked in disbelief, knowing that it was Father Smith. The subordinate Nazi was not dead, but he was in no condition to think about firing. Father had known exactly what he was doing when he fired, and had simply disabled both men. Father walked up to both men, and stood over them. The subordinate clutched his wound, and looked up at Father. As Father stood calmly over them, the leader moved quickly towards Father and made a grab towards his left leg. I thought for sure that he was making one final desparate attempt on Father's life, but he proved me wrong. He was, instead, embracing tightly, and saying the only word I had ever heard him say in the story: "Silencio." He rocked himself back and forth in his pain, but he looked imploringly up at Fr. O'Keilty's eyes, and Father looked down at him and his buddy.
Smith was crying as he was embracing Father's leg, believing that he and his buddy were dying. Father assured them that such was not the case. As tears continued to flow from the face of the red-headed German, he begged for forgiveness, because he saw that he had attempted to kill a man of God (I'm sure that by this point, he knew that Fr. was a Catholic priest). Father, of course, forgave him.
I knew that they were both in good hands.
The scene switched suddenly. The days were lighter, and Father was back in his BDU's holding the same sniper rifle. Instinctively, I knew that we were out of WWII, and were in the Vietnam War. Father advanced in this new jungle slowly, eying everything. Father waved his arm, and out came a familiar heavy-weapons soldier, but this time, with he was allied with Fr. O'Keilty. They paused for a moment, enough time for Smith to thank Fr. O'Keilty for his assistance. Father asked him what he intended to do with his life. Smith said that after this, he would be stuck in Poland until 1996, but as soon as he is able, he would enter a seminary, become a priest, and then find Fr. O'Keilty.
The time zipped back to the present. Fr. Smith had fulfilled his promises: he is now a priest, and has found Fr. O'Keilty. One part that he neglected to mention, but that was clear to me was that he didn't intend to let the simple priest who changed his life get away from him. He intended to serve Fr. O'Keilty as long as he could be, to help in the payment of a debt that could never be repaid.
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