Having reviewed the general theme of the last few months’ postings, I think I’ve been erring on the side of being too whiny/introspective. Sorry. Will work on that. 🙂
Mini-Update
A few items of interest. For the first time since before Easter, I went back to prison to lead a Communion service. The guys were warm and friendly. My reflection was on the way that we persecute ourselves through overzealous conscience. I think it resonated well enough with the inmates. It seems that I’ll be […]
… Like a Stone
OK, so. Yesterday, I finished the last two open-water dives necessary to obtain my initial certification. Woo hoo, right? Well, I had another little glitch. At one point, long story short, I ended up sinking like a stone from the surface to the bottom, a drop of roughly 20 feet. Doesn’t sound like much, does […]
Yay for not dying!
OK, so a bit melodramatic. But here’s the story: I was doing one of my open-water certification dives at Baptist Lake. As the dive began, I found it increasingly difficult to breathe. I even nearly started to panic — I just couldn’t draw a full breath. At the surface, things didn’t get better. I was […]
Politics: Depressing
Friends know how much, historically, I have been a politics junkie. As a lifelong Republican with a political-science degree, I have tracked the goings-on in Lansing, Washington, and across the Big Blue Marble with a mixture of hope and optimism. No longer. My disillusionment started in early 2006. I began to feel that the GOP […]
Dad of Divas
I recommend a visit to the newly active blog of my friend Chris. His focus is on fatherhood, and family issues from a male perspective. I’ve known Chris since we were freshmen together at Western Michigan University. He’s a “good egg” and I heartily endorse and support his new blogging interest — may it fill […]
Backward and Forward
The week or so I’ve been back from The Happiest Place on Earth has not been without its own share of adventures. Spent last Friday/Saturday with Andrew, watching more fun movies from his mammoth collection. Nice getting to know him better. Watched a series of major, unhappy changes unfold at the hospital over the last […]
98%
Have you ever started downloading a large file, only to have the progress bar stop at 98 percent? I have. And this forces a decision: Abort and retry? Wait and see if the transfer resumes? Scream at your monitor? Give up? Feels lately like I’m at 98 percent. A lot of pots are bubbling on […]
Vegas II: Reflections
One of the great things about Las Vegas is that it’s a people-watchers’ paradise. Consider this a field report. Vegas is decidedly heterosexual. There weren’t many singles, and the male-female pairs strongly predominated. We saw perhaps two lesbian couples (they were holding hands), and no two-male pairs that suggested anything other than hetero friendships. The […]
Vegas II: The Retrospective
I returned this morning from another four-day extravaganza at The Happiest Place on Earth: Fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada. And with what better company than Mad Cow Tony? Herewith a chronology of the last seven days. The festivities began in earnest on Friday. I went to see Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull […]