Saturday, January 31, 2004

3:00pm - logged off and headed toward the sofa for a quick powernap.

3:15pm - in the kitchen making the banana pudding. Solution to the lack of banana cream pudding? I bought an extra banana - mashed half of it up and added it to the pudding mixture.

4:20pm - hit the sofa for that nap.

5:30pm - Annie wants out. I feed her instead. While she eats, I mix the cake batter for the cupcakes and get them in the oven. Listen to the Kajagoogoo episode of Bands Reunited on VH-1. I thought they sounded better than back in the 80s.

6:00pm - walk Annie. Remove cupcakes from oven. Warm up leftovers for dinner.

6:30pm - make pudding for cupcake filling, place in frig for later. Log on to internet.

Plans for the rest of the evening? Who knows. I’ll fill the cupcakes tonight. I need to watch the shows I taped this week. And I have to be at church at 7am tomorrow, so I’ll hit the hay a little earlier than normal.

Are you bored senseless yet?

5:50am - wake up time! Walked Annie in the bitter cold and dark.

6:00am - first cup of coffee for the day. Loaded and started dishwasher. Transferred soaked French toast bread to buttered casserole for baking later.

6:30am - gather Bible and lesson for another review before small group arrives.

7:30am - shower and dress.

8:50am - put casserole in the oven to bake. Wait for arrival of small group girls.

9:10am - phone rings - one girl just woke up. “Go back to bed,” I told her. I knew 2 others weren’t coming because of conflicts. The 4th was a probable no show as well. I decided to give her until 9:30am.

9:20am - call Mom. “I’ve got baked French toast coming out of the oven and no small group to eat it. Want me to bring it over?”

9:30am - Hop in car, head to parents’. Must stop for gas as gauge is on “E.”

9:50am - arrive at parents’. Pass Dad as he’s heading out to run errands. Three tries to get up the driveway on the ice. Mom and I enjoyed the French toast (that’s a very good recipe and easy to do).

10:30am - Dad arrives home as I was getting ready to leave. He asks if I’d help him chisel the ice on the driveway (we have a gathering tomorrow for the Super Bowl). We were armed with a sledge hammer and a shovel. Alternating with both, we managed to hack through about half an inch of ice to bare pavement on about half of the driveway. We cleared enough for four cars to park safely and for people to walk through the garage into the house.

12:30pm - I hit the road for my own errands. First stop the rental office for the lease renewal paperwork - good news is that they do 6-month leases. Woo! Second stop the grocery store to buy the ingredients for the desserts I’m taking to the Super Bowl gathering tomorrow. Ended up with three boxes of vanilla pudding when I needed 2 boxes of vanilla and 1 box of banana cream. No plans to go back out.

1:30pm - have unloaded the stuff from the car and logged on to internet. I’ve been sitting here for about 30 minutes now and as time is passing I’m getting more tired from the chisel-work on the driveway. Pondering nap before baking Boston Cream Cupcakes and preparing Banana Pudding.

All that and it’s only 2pm.

Remember my friend who’s supposed to move overseas in May? And I was going to move into her townhouse? Yeah, that’s probably not happening after all - and I’m fine with that.

She’s been talking to the woman whom she is supposed to replace in the overseas location and learned some things about that office that concern her. Given the nature of her work and the location, it would be awful to spend three years in a place that will be emotionally and psychologically draining. So she’s considering withdrawing from that position, but she’ll need to take one overseas because it’s time for her to head out somewhere. So she’s moving, but she doesn’t know where and she doesn’t known when, and it could still be this location.

In the meantime, my lease is supposed to end on February 29. I was going to go month-to-month until the end of May, but given this news I’m going to see about a 6 month lease first. If they won’t do that, then I’ll just re-up for another year. If my friend ends up moving, then I’ll break the lease (or maybe try to find a sub-letter - I don’t know if that’s allowed yet).

Like I said, I’m completely fine with not moving. I was excited about the possibility and the shorter commute. But it was never a done deal in my head - not until I started putting things on paper with her. I’m thankful that I followed God’s little voice on this one - my gut was telling me to wait. And I was planning to go into my leasing office tomorrow, but now the conversation will be vastly different than I was thinking earlier today.

If you think about it, pray for my friend - she’s a little confused about what to do.

Friday, January 30, 2004

Today’s Friday Five, because I can’t the opportunity to ping as updated despite having nothing new to say.

You have just won one million dollars:

1. Who do you call first?  My parents followed closely by my sister.

2. What is the first thing you buy for yourself?  The very first thing I’d do is pay off my debt. Then I’d buy a house.

3. What is the first thing you buy for someone else?  I would pay of the mortgages for my parents, sister, and maybe a couple of other close relatives. Maybe cars, but that’s doubtful.

4. Do you give any away? If yes, to whom?  Yes. I’d give a large chunk away to my church and to some specific staff and ministries of Young Life. I also have a friend who’s started a church, I’d see what he needed.

5. Do you invest any? If so, how?  I would invest most of it. And yes, I would keep working at my job. Truth is that I would be bored if I didn’t work, so I would invest it and live off my salary.

ADDED LATER: I would also set up trust funds for my nieces/nephews for college expenses if their parents need the help or to give out a stipend allowance each year beginning on their 22nd birthday or college graduation, whichever happens first.

Kenny of The Thinklings asks some interesting questions. I’ll post them below, but go over there to give your answers (I don’t want to hijack his post).

1. What is your favorite show you have never seen?
2. What is your favorite place you have never been?
3. What is your favorite food you have never eaten?
4. Who is your favorite musical artist you have never listened to?
5. Who is your least favorite musical artist you have never listened to?
6. What is your favorite sport you have never watched an entire game of?
7. What is your favorite book you have never read?

Close-out is complete and now I can breathe and get caught up on the tasks for the front desk. I have a large pile of civil process that needs to be logged and distributed today. That’s priority one.

On a completely unrelated note, I took pictures of the overhang in the parking garage that’s wounded many foreheads over the years. I know I’ve mentioned it here before, but I can’t find the post, so no link. Anyway, it’s a low overhang (the bottom of it is about 3-4 feet from the ground) that’s also quite deep and requires one to bend at the waist to walk under it. There’s a large yellow warning sign on both sides and someone has taken a marker and added arrows pointing at the sign. And yet there are folks who still forgot to stoop and whack their heads on it.

I’ve known two ladies who walked right into it and both ended up knocked on their butts and with large bruised goose eggs on their foreheads. One of our former chief deputies (a bald man) ended up with a large gash on his forehead when he walked into it.

It’s not the only way to get from point A to point B in the garage. There’s a better alternative, and yet folks persist in using that walkway.

Anyway, here are the photos that I took:

Thursday, January 29, 2004

Total commute to home: 1 hour, 56 minutes. Granted there was a 10 minute zig to get gas. But really, that 10 minutes was nothing compared to the rest of it.

1. To the people who drive on Duke Street, headed from the Landmark Mall direction to the exit to I-95: there’s a quicker way than waiting in that one lane that’s held hostage by the traffic cop at the crucial light just before the off ramp. Continue past the exit to the mess of construction just before you head into Old Town and turn right. Pass the courthouse and continue to follow the signs to I-95. Trust me, it’s much faster and at least you’re moving.

2. To the jerk who cut me off and proceeded to drive 15MPH in a 35MPH zone: What is your problem? Put your foot on the pedal and move it!

3. What is it with people who persist in driving below the speed limit in the left lanes? Why? WHY??? Listen, I know you have a left exit up ahead - it’s 10 miles up ahead! Move to the right if you’re going to drive 40MPH in a 55MPH. Because the people who are tailgating and passing you really want to drive 70+MPH, especially in that left lane and most especially on the Beltway.

4. Actually, what is it with people who persist in driving below the speed limit period? Why? WHY??? If there’s no other traffic ahead of you to keep you from driving at the full speed limit, why are you driving 10-15 MPH below what you can legally drive? Do you think you’re safer? I’m here to tell you that you’re a menace. Put your foot on the pedal and move it.

So the point of this post? A little venting, a little driving lesson for those in need. Although too many people who need remedial driving lessons don’t think they need remedial driving lessons.

That is all.

Still busy, but getting close to “pushing the button” to close out the books for January. So far my first official month as acting budget analyst has gone smoothly. LW taught me well over the past year. I’m thankful.

I have nothing else to add right now.

This was an exciting post, huh?

I’m swamped already - posting may be light all day.

I have to say, though, that American Idol did not disappoint last night - absolutely hilarious. And the poor guy that was hoping to find a girlfriend in the process - what were you thinking?

I taped Celebrity Mole - so don’t spoil it for me, please! I’m avoiding Interrobang!? until I watch the tape because I know Dave watches and posts about it often.

Wednesday, January 28, 2004

I have had a very productive day. I’m pretty impressed with myself at the moment. And I have a hard time believing that it’s already 5:30! Woo!

Even better is knowing that American Idol is on again tonight. Last night’s episode was enjoyable. Oooh, and Celebrity Mole: Yucatan, too.

And I joined my sister’s Survivor pool again. I must admit that I’m looking forward to this All Stars season.

I’m heading home now.

create your own visited states map
or check out these Google Hacks.

That Navy-brat childhood paid off in travel, huh?

[via The Accidental Jedi]

I’ve finally downloaded a bunch of pictures from my camera.

Annie rolling around.
Annie, “the tank” as some in my family refer to her.

A snow covered tree yesterday morning - I was walking Annie at 5:30 and thought I’d attempt a shot.
A second tree taken yesterday on that walk.

The view from my balcony yesterday. No, they don’t plow. Crazy, huh?
The parking lot at my apartment building yesterday.
Another view of the parking lot from my balcony.

The corner of my street this morning.
The main street in my neighborhood this morning.
Further down the main street. As you can see, not much was plowed.

Some trees along Rt 50. My attempt at an arty shot.
Traffic on I-66 this morning.

Last week there was a car that was poking along at about 20 MPH in an area that the speed limit was 45MPH. As I passed her, I noticed that she was holding a notebook or something up to her face, just below her eyes. Her sunshade was down as well. All that was visible were her sunglasses. I tried to get a picture of her behind me because I thought it was odd and amusing. This is what I got.

The government is open today (with unscheduled leave) and because I still have a few more people to get paid this week, I need to head to the office. I’ve been waiting until it was little lighter before I go out to clean off my car - no sense in doing that in the dark, right? Then I’ll get ready for work and make the attempt to get to work.

More later…

Tuesday, January 27, 2004

Jack Parr died today. Parr was the original host of The Tonight Show. I know there a lot of folks who always associate Johnny Carson with the early days of TTS - and he was there. But Parr was the guy who created the model for the late night talk show - a true television pioneer.

CORRECTION: Steve Allen was the original host of The Tonight Show.

Joe at Evangelical Outpost does a great job of responding (let’s call it a mini-fisking) to the one negative response to The Passion from amongst Christian clergy (that I’m aware of). An Episcopalian minister was at the screening at Willow Creek last week and Salon.com picked this guy for an interview.

The whole interview is a little weird and the minister’s theology is suspect. My favorite parts (bold is Salon’s question, brackets are Joe’s fisk, the normal text is the minister’s answer):

(ed. note, referring to Willow Creek.) Somebody told you it was a real red-neck, weirdo community, right?

[Well, of course. These are, after all, evangelical churches.]

This guy I know said he wouldn’t set foot in there—not without shots, at least.

[It’s true. We fundies are infectious.]

These places are highly successful. [Willow Creek] is like a modern hotel conference center, with a food court ... the worship space is a huge auditorium, with multi-screens, that seats 4,500 people. As someone from a fairly sensible church, I really felt uneasy in the crowd. I could really see how church freaks some people out. I couldn’t put my finger to it, but there was this atmosphere of giddiness and anticipation…

[I suppose “mainstream Episcopalians” have a sense of dread when they step into their churches.]

[...]

So, Mel Gibson seems to be arguing that the gospels are factual documents.

Exactly.

[Damn you, Mel. What were you thinking?]

And that all of the references to the Hebrew scriptures, the Old Testament, were proof of fulfillment of prophesy, whereas it’s most likely that in order to make sense of the events surrounding Jesus’ death, the gospel writers searched the Hebrew scriptures to find things.

[Because, of course, if the they were proof that might imply that Jesus really was God. And of course that’s just too silly for a good San Francisco Episcopalian to believe.]

Go read the whole thing - Joe’s fisking of this guy’s interpretation of anti-Semitic language is hilarious.

So when Mel Gibson said in the interview that the reason for the other languages was to highlight the brutality, that kind of freaked me out. I could see how it would work on an unsophisticated audience.

[We fundies are so unsophisticated that we can’t understand English much less
some Arabesque-Jewy sounding language.]

It’s probably the same feeling that people in Guantánamo Bay have, having had soldiers barking at them in English for two years.

[Living at Camp X-Ray is like sitting through a Mel Gibson movie? Have you no mercy, Mr. Ashcroft? Are you not human?!]