My Crappy/Hockey Life Skills

Okay, I'll do this later. I'm supposed to be working on something else. Stay tuned.

Love in "The U.S. of Leland"

Yday Tim and I watched "The United States of Leland". In it a character (a teenager written presumably by an adult) says that "love" (or was it "being *in* love")is thinking about someone constantly, waking up and going to sleep thinking about him/her.

Now I was influenced years ago by M. Scott Peck's Road Less Travelled in which he theorizes that what is being described above is actually more of a necessary temporary obsessive insanity (involving chemical reactions) intended by "Nature" for the continuance of the human race. So I'm going to call that "being in love" rather than "love" as such.

Don't forget that Peck and I did say "necessary".

OTOH I'm just going to lob the idea out there to my millions of readers that my observations thus far lead me to suggest that a better def'n of love itself would have to do with whom you can't help but think about when you are faced with death, even if it's someone you're not obsessing over every minute prior to that.

This hypothesis is fairly difficult to test under experimental conditions.

But anyway, what do you think?

Sylvia's Eighth Birthday: Sept. 24/04

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Hound of Baskervilles First Reading

Last night was the first read-through of Cambrian Players' "The Hound of the Baskervilles". The stage directions described my character as tall, handsome and bearded. Norm ("Dr. Watson") said, "Well, you'll have the beard." ha ha Norm. I replied, "What? I'm not that short." ha ha

Lots of laughs. However, it's not a comedy.
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I mention Norm by name, because some of you had him as a teacher, I believe.

Greg's Birthday Party: Sept. 17/04

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Karen M.'s Birthday Party: Sept. 11/04

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Other blog

I am blogging at http://reppepper.mindsay.com occasionally as well. A followup to 9/11 thoughts is there today.

Do You Remember What Day It Is?

Well, likely you do if you have occasion today to say the date out loud since the words "September 11th" or "Nine Eleven" have been seared into our memories, evoking a Pavlovian response of "oooo". (I prefer to say "Eleven of Nine", but maybe that's flippant.)

The story of this year's memorial ceremony was the lead story on CBC news, but it's not as if this year the whole day is being dedicated to broadcasting the reading of the names etc.

I suppose it's part of moving on. Friends and family members will always remember this date, but a time will come when it's a footnote in the news broadcasts or relegated to "This Date in History" features.

And, of course, in other parts of the world other dates have been more significant, which we have already forgotten if we ever knew them. In Southern Russia they have a new date to remember for the rests of their lives. I likely will forget. They likely don't care much about today's date.

I'm blabbing about this in an attempt to break free of my own focus on my own personal set of dates and to connect with tragedies beyond myself.

I've Got a Job

So do you. It's right there in your Bible just before Psalms.

But seriously folks

I was interviewed on Wednesday for the job of part-time (25%)Youth Facilitator for the Anglican Deanery of Thunder Bay and today they phoned and told me that I have been chosen for the job. (The initial contract lasts only until Feb. '05.)

So next week I'll have some mtgs and sign paperwork and so maybe I'll leave it until then to describe my duties.

Yeah, so it had been a long time since I've had a job interview. I had one for my 2 year job at TBay Christian School in 1983. I remember having a little interview at the end of summer '86 when I came on with CSSM (part-time at that point), but I don't recall ever having to anything about an application or references. And I wasn't asked to get a police check until '03 (but I was getting one for ISCF anyway).

(But Elaine through her Camping Association work tended to be up to speed on such issues and so yes during the past several years many of the volunteer staff were referenced and checked for what that's worth.)

One interview question was to give my favourite scripture. I quoted several from Psalms, including 40, due to its connection with ISCF/Frontline (and my listening to U2's version recently). For the NT I gave 1 Tim. 1:7 "Fo-o-o-o-o-o-r, God has not given us a spirit of fear etc. etc." I didnt do the actions.

A tough (but standard) question was what I liked the most and the least about my past job.

Basic answer: the summer and the winter (respectively) because in the former we had focus and teamwork and the volunteer staff. I knew where I stood (or thought I did), but in the latter season I tended to feel left out and unsure of how my contributions were regarded. (I believed in their value, however, if I may say so.)

At one point I was explaining my preference for Hegelian thinking in teamwork (thesis vs. antithesis resulting in synthesis), meaning that in a teamwork setting I wish we *would* sit around the table at regular intervals and hash through the issues, *expecting* and *valuing* a diversity of opinions. I explained that I learned this in my highschool Communist history class.

Then because I was sitting at a little table in front of a row of three interviewers, I added "But I am not now, nor have I ever been a Communist."

But I've got to go have lunch with Tim and Kia and Juliet and do some more prep for my "gig" this afternoon leading games for the Homeschoolers. I'm also doing something similar on Sunday for St. Michael and All the Angels.

I hope that at least most of the angels appreciate it. :)

I'm Proud of My Mummy

Last night my Dad said "free food" so I jumped. I knew I was attending FW Rotary as a guest on the occasion of his and my mother's receiving some extra pins for donations to the Rotary Foundation.

But I didn't realize that my Mum was also being awarded the FW Rotary Club's highest honour: The Gordon and Vance Judge Award.

This was exceptional as my mother is not actually a Rotarian herself.

(Yes, women have been Rotarians for years!)

The award was particularly in recognition of the loyalty, perseverance and determination she showed in supporting my father through his year as District Governor, despite the recent amputation of his leg.

My father, of course, showed a lot of grit during that year as well, but I know he would say he could not have done it without my mother, who, in addition to many other tasks, did all of the driving around the district. In all our family trips my mother's preference was that my Dad be the long-distance driver.

So congratulations, Mum. I'm proud of you. I wish I could have hugged you longer, but it really did hurt my bruised ribs.

That I'll explain at some other time.

"I'm like"

I find the "I'm like, 'What'd you do last night?'; He's like, 'Nothin''; I'm like, 'Really?'; "He's like, etc." style of reporting a conversation so annoying

BUT

then I think. How do I report conversations (and how did I do so when I was a teenager)?

Is "I said...he said...I said...etc." that much more interesting?

And likely I said/say "I say...he says...I say", using what I will call the Narrative Present. (If that's not its real name, it should be.)

Note that we use the present for the future as well: "I'm meeting with Oswald tomorrow."

I'm considering resolving to report conversations creatively from now on:

"What did you do yesterday?" I queried.

"Nothin'" he muttered disconsolately.

"Really?" I probed inquisitively.

"Yeah, really!" he spat venomously.

"Hey, calm down. That's cool." I offered diplomatically.

Now that would never get annoying.

Cutting Edge Praise Song

More news about great but rainy time at MPC for "ISCF" Leaders Camp later.

But for now the cutting edge praise song I wrote while there inspired by something annika.mindsay.com said and a bit of Strong Bad.

Oh, God, You're so freakin' awesome.
I'm like, "You da bomb!"
You're like, "I uber love you."
I'm like, "You make me say 'woot'."

Men: Woot (Women echo: Woot).
Men: Woot (Women echo: Woot).
Men: Woot (Women echo: Woot).
Men: Woot (Women echo: Woot).

Men: Woot (Women echo: Woot).
Men: Woot (Women echo: Woot).
Men: Woot (Women echo: Woot).
Men: Woot (Women echo: Woot).

Men: Woot (Women echo: Woot).
Men: Woot (Women echo: Woot).
Men: Woot (Women echo: Woot).
Men: Woot (Women echo: Woot).

Men: Woot (Women echo: Woot).
Men: Woot (Women echo: Woot).
Men: Woot (Women echo: Woot).
Men: Woot (Women echo: Woot).

Return to start. Sing ad nauseum.

If you're Bad, I'll give you the chords.

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ISCF Leaders Camp at MPC: Sept. 2004

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This photo (by Brian Jones?) may actually be from 2005. I'm not sure.

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If you space prose a certain way, it looks like poetry.

Songs about trying make me cry.
Sitting by Sandstone Lake I read the words
to Leonard's Bird on a Wire and I broke into tears.

Like a bird on a wire,
Like a drunk in a midnight choir,
I have tried in my way to be free.

I tried. I tried. I tried so hard.
By my way wasn't their way.
And when they told me what their way was,
I was willing to try that.
But that isn't what they wanted.
It's me they didn't want.

They tell my friends that they don't know the whole story.
But fact is
They haven't even told *me* my whole story,
That is, what they think my story is.

God alone knows my whole story.
They know only enough to prop up their story.

What of the part of my story of my trying
and God's Grace
and actually making progress in this life?

The vector, not the point.

And certainly not the past,
Which we agreed could teach us lessons but
Not be a weapon.

(Or so I thought).

"THIS is the starting point."
You'd better hope so, buddy boy.
I know a smidge of your story, too.

And then there's the whole story of
The Place itself
More and more of which I'm learning since I left.

And by the way
To come around to some sort of close
Songs about crying make me try.

How long must I sing this song?

Poem Type Thing

Find
Something better to do
Than scribble here.
Draw on your eyes
To empty your pen
And bleed your heart.
Speak Portuguese
For all I care.
Cringe.
Tiptoe.
Spit softly.
Or
Scream at the moon
And hide from the sun,
But don't don't don't
Ever
Waste your time.

Survey Type Thing Revised

Okay so I went ahead and did one of those survey type things:

The \\
Last Cigarette:	Never
Last Alcoholic Drink:	White wine in Germany Dec. '02
Last Car Ride:	Last night going home from Paul's after losing "Star Wars Life" again.
Last Kiss:	Never
Last Good Cry:	April 19/2004 (got fired)
Last Disappointment:	2 weeks before that DBC insisted I agree to their reintegration plan. I did and then it never began.
Last Library Book:	Maybe a travel guide on Germany
Last book bought:	Hop on Pop (from Salvation Army Thrift)
Last Book Read:	Lester Del Rey Sci Fi Anthology
Last Movie Seen in Theatres:	Harry Potter III
Last Movie Rented:	(from library) Catch Me If You Can
Last Cuss Word Uttered:	define cuss word
Last Beverage Drank:	coffee
Last Food Consumed:	toast with pb
Last Crush:	I think Bev Thompson on Canada AM is cute. Does anyone answer this seriously?
Last Phone Call:	To Tim from Paul's
Last TV Show Watched:	Canada AM (blush)
Last CD Played:	Maybe Strongbad Sings and Other Type Hits
Last Annoyance:	road construction
Last Key Used:	Back door key
Last Chair Sat In:	This one in front of PC
Last Webpage Visited:	http://annika.mindsay.com/
Fave Spinal Tap Quote:	We're makin' fun o' that sor' o' thing.
Fave Ex-CBC Radio Host:	Dave Stephens: Ont. Today
Fave Musical Key:	Dm: It's the saddest.
Picard or Kirk?:	Chekov
CREATE YOUR OWN! - or - GET PAID TO TAKE SURVEYS!