Saturday

Here we are on Saturday night. It's been a busy day and the laundry didn't even get touched. The spare room got painted -- it may need a bit of touch up after it all dries, but it's one step closer to getting the house ready to show. Between that and writing sermons (we're both preaching tomorrow) there hasn't been much down time. Thankfully we did work in a little R&R this afternoon, but it would be nice to have a day with NOTHING to do. Next Friday Ben leaves on a ministry trip for a week so I will be home with the animals for the week. Don't know what I will get done, but we shall see. Tomorrow is church -- if the weather cooperates. We are expecting a major winter storm with ice and lots of snow. If that happens, church will probably not happen. Who knows? Tomorrow is the day when I am sharing my resignation announcement with the church board. That should cause some ripples. It is setting a stage for bigger and better things. Only God knows where it's all leading, but it's an intriguing journey. Stay tuned for further details.

Is the World on Speed?

I just got back from my midweek drive on the freeway for church. As I traveled along at 75MPH (5 miles above the limit) I was being buzzed and passed and honked at and even flipped off. Apparently five miles over the posted speed limit is too slow for the average motorist. That made me wonder why speed limits even exist. I believe that we either need better enforcement -- tickets with a bite for even minimal speeding -- or the elimination of limits -- every person for him/her self. THink of the money the states could save if they didn't have to make all those signs. No one seems to pay attention to them anyhow. Slow down and pay attention to those speed limits - they are there for a reason. Going a few miles an hour faster doesn't really amount to any time savings unless you are driving literally hundreds of miles. Life doesn't have to be whizzing along at top speed.

Shrove Tuesday

Happy Shrove Tuesday! Here we are on the eve of Lent; soon it will be Spring and Easter. As we of the Christian faith prepare for our Lenten journey of self examination and reflection, I wish for you and yours all good things and abundant blessing. Tonight Ben and I will be at church for their traditional pancake dinner. Tomorrow night I will be at my church for pancakes and sausage. So what do you suppose we had for dinner at home last night? You guessed it -- pancakes. Guess what will not be on the breakfast menu this weekend. Right again -- pancakes. Ah well, they do tend to stick to the ribs.

Change in in the Air

Well, gang, my life has taken new directions in the past year or so with a new relationship, new living situation, new job, etc. If you've been a long term reader, you've been part of these changes and the excitement of the journey. Well, the changes and the excitement continue. Today, after weeks of agonizing, praying, talking with Ben and with others, I reached the decision to submit my resignation letter for my ministry position in the church. The pastor and I had a long talk this afternoon and he well understands my reasons for this tough decision. Surely the increase in distance caused by my move plays a role, but that is a minor part of the puzzle. My call to ministry is evolving and leading me who knows where. Also, the church is not moving forward and I feel as though my time and gifts are of little benefit there. I don't know where this is going to lead me; Ben is waiting for a call to a church, I am now in limbo, and maybe I will just become the pastor's partner -- I can make coffee, play the piano, and I can smile and greet the newcomers. Behind every good (gay) priest, there is a good man -- is that me? Stay tuned for further updates.

Yes on 957?

We watched the Today Show yesterday with some enthusiasm as they reported the story out of Washington (the state, not the capital) of Proposition 957 that, if passed, would require couples desiring to marry to prove their abiity to pro-create. While I think that the "law" would be absurd, I do applaud the fellow who is trying to raise the hundreds of thousands of signatures needed to get it on the ballot. He is simply carrying the flawed logic of the state supreme court (likely comprised of heterosexuals) to its ridiculous and logical conclusion. If same sex couples are not allowed to marry because they cannot procreate, then the same should be true for heterosexual couples. Even if the proposal never makes it to the voting booth it should help to raise awareness. I find it a bit odd that the mainstream gay organizations (Is that an oxymoron?) are not supporting or promoting the effort. This whole thing is almost reminiscent of the TV movie Wedding Wars where the gay guy picketed the governor's mansion, caught the national media attention, and birthed a nationwide strike in support of gay marriage. Ridiculous plot? It appears that at least one person in Washington state believes in the power of ONE! Whether we support the totality of this proposed law or not, I believe that we need to talk about it, encourage its placement on the ballot, and keep pushing the envelope. Every time someone opens their mouth (usually to place their foot there) in opposition to gay marriage, we should by word and action point out the flaws in their argument. The time for passivity is past. The time for sitting by and taking the continued injustices, half truths, and illogical arguments from the priveleged hets is past! Do I believe that 957 should pass? NO. Do I support the guy who started this ball rolling? Absolutely! What about you?

Another Amazement

The other evening I was doing some online research as I am seeking to open a new checking account closer to home. The distance along with the current bank's screw up on my recent check order makes this transition a wise move. Anyhow, I was reading about the products and services of one bank and all at once I saw a link "Open Account Online." I clicked the link, and VOILA! There was everything I needed but the personal banker. I filled out all the information, printed and signed the signature document, wrote a check, and dropped the whole thing in the mail. With the exception of mailing it, I did it all sitting in the comfort of my own home. The part that was a little frightening was their request that I verify some previous addresses. One of them was a place I lived for a short time in about 1990. This technological age amazes me. It is also a little frightening to think that they can access historical data about me that quickly. YIKES. I had almost forgotten that I lived there, but it's somewhere in my permanent file I guess. Be careful what you put out there on the internet. You might see it again some day. Now I sit back and wait for notice from the new bank that my account is open. I never have need to step into the branch. I will get a debit card and be able to order my checks on line and use the ATM. My pay is direct deposited, so who needs the branch? YIKES again. Has anyone heard from George Orwell recently? LOL

Valentine Celebration

Ben and I celebrated Valentines Day as those in fairly new relationships tend to do. He got me some new Valentine undies (Bet you'd all like to see them, but NOT) and we went out to dinner after work. We hit Logan's Road House for a couple of drinks and dinner and then came home and just hung out, enjoying one another's company. This evening as I write this post, he is at choir practice and I am catching up on finances, email, and other pressing matters. Ah, the joys of "married" (Don't we all wish?) life. Hope that your Valentines Day was great. It doesn't really matter if you are in a relationship or not -- you can celebrate the notions of romance and love.

Bigots Everywhere

I listened and watched in disbelief this morning as I heard the news account of former NBA player Tim Hardaway's vitriolic and homophobic statements. He blatantly admitted to being homophobic and seemed to wear his homophobia proudly. Unbelievable. At least now I know what washed up athletes do when they quit playing -- they sometimes become professional bigots, sometimes professional idiots, and in this case both. Imagine the good that a person as well known as this could do if he directed his persona to positive things. Imagine, instead, the harm that his homophobic and igmorant statements causes. There are kids everywhere who look up to this guy -- and listen to him. Frightening. And on another, perhaps less important note, Mr. Hardaway is African American! How do you suppose he would feel if a fellow player stood up and called him the "N" word or even "the colored guy." He'd scream "racism", and be all over that, but I guess it's okay for an oppressed person to become the oppressor. Ah well, what's our world coming to?

Back Again

Well, gang, it's been over a week since I posted here. That was due, in part, to work schedule and lack of brilliant thought processes. By now a lot of you have read Ben's posts about his temp job assignment ending abruptly. I am working in the same company -- different area -- and I can tell you that there were shcok waves yesterday as the "This person is no longer employed here...." emails kept pouring out. There were probably 25 such messages within an hour. It was almost oppresive. The management could stand some management training -- the system is more punitive and threatening than incentive based and affirming. Everything is a crisis or an exception to the "rules." Today I heard two women in my area in what sounded like an argument between six year olds. It seems that one commented on the other's work and the battle was on. The bellyaching went on for about twenty minutes. How embarrassing it must have been for them. Enough about work.

Over the weekend we went to celebrate my mother's 84th birthday. It was wonderful to see her on the road to recovery. When we were there at Christmas, I wasn't sure how long she would hang on or how her mind would bounce back from her recent hospital stay. She was much more like her old self and that helped make it a great day.

Sunday morning started out with me heading out to go to church. As I stepped down the steps of the deck, I slipped on the ice and landed on my butt. I put a scratch on my head and ripped a big tear in my new winter coat. But I pressed on and wen to church. By the time I got home from that, coupled with the long day Saturday, the weekend was kaput.

Tonight we are waiting for the predicted winter storm to deliver its punch. There are predicitions of 2-4 inches of snow, or of 10-12 inches depending on who you listen to. The management at work put out an email yesterday advising us all to allow extra commute time during and after the storm -- well DUH! Do they think we are total idiots?

Anyway, that's what happening in my wild and crazy life. Hopefully, I will be posting again soon. Have a great day and a Happy Valentines Day. Tell someone you love them.

Sunday Morning

Good morning, all. A Sunday morning post is, for me, a real oddity. Usually I am headed for church 65 miles away by 8AM and not home again until at least 2PM. However, the weather betweeen here and there necessitated the cancellation of this morning's service. That meant I didn't have to roll out of bed quite so early this Sunday morning. Ben is now off to church (the weather locally is very cold, but okay otherwise), and I am enjoying a couple hours of alone and down time. I really think that God is okay with that (I hope so LOL).

Last night's gathering of Ben's work folks was fun. Sadly, only two folks showed up...Some had conflicts, the weather was uncooperative, and so on. But the four of us enjoyed snacks, beer, wine, and Rocky Horror. I did mention to Ben that I found it ironic that our first "party" together included all hetero guests. The great thing is that no one seemed to care about anyone's sexual orientation. That is the way it should be.

Keep all the folks affected by the extreme weather conditions in your thoughts and prayers. These sub-zero temps are dangerous, and there are a lot of homeless folks and folks who have to be out. And having been out to move the cars around this morning I can attest that it is COLD! The weather people call it "bitter cold". I wonder where that term came from. Any answers?

Have a great SuperBowl Sunday. That is a series of expensive commercials, frequently interrupted by football.

Saturday is HERE -- HOORAY

Well, it's been eight days since I posted anything to the blog. Between working 10 hour days and a big case of writer's block (or computer "who cares?) there hasn't been much to say. Work is nuts -- everything is either an exception or a crisis. I've been on the job less than an month and they have me training the new folks -- now that is not too bright. I have a reasonable idea of what I am doing, but surely not enough to adequately train someone. And on top of that, the company seems to live in a punitive incentive model. Emails and threats of "non-conformance letters" are rampant. On top of that, we hear "That will go on your permanent record." Now that might mean something if I were a permanent employee, but many of us are working through a temp agency. My "permanent record" is not really theirs to mess up. And then there's the fact that most of my bosses are younger than my daughter. What I lack in job knowledge I think I make up in life experience. These young go-getters are working to build their career futures (and I applaud that) but they really need to learn some people skills first. If it sounds like I am ragging, perhaps I am. I was awake at 5:30 this morning with work crap going through my mind. Now that is sick. Anyway, the day is now well under way.

Tonight we are having a small gathering of Ben's work folks to socialize and watch Rocky Horror..... should be interesting. That means a bit of cleaning and shopping along with laundry today, church tomorrow, and back to the salt mines on Monday. Ah well, so goes the weekend. And I never complain on payday LOL. Anyhow, that's the way I see it this day after Groundhog Day. Have a great weekend.