Unforseen Gifts

As is readily apparent if you have bothered to visit my miserably starved blog over the past...year?, you are aware of the lack of posting that has been going on here. I believe the tally of posts for all of 2007 was something like 37. 37! The blogosphere would laugh at me...if they knew or cared that my pathetic blog existed, which they might if I ever posted.

Still, I haven't had many choices. I have two jobs, a very busy wife just five months away from finally achieving her nursing degree and a three year old son. More than that...I still have dial-up Internet access. Yes, I know...the United States doesn't condone torture...but we are allowed to do what we like in the privacy of our own homes. Dial-up...and sadistic dial-up at that. Its a miracle I check e-mail at all...most of the time it will connect long enough for me to launch the program of choice and then disconnect once more. Somewhere there's an administrator laughing at my attempts to connect with the Web...but, its free. So, what can you do?

I have probably mentioned all of these things in a sad attempt to excuse my lack of posts, correspondence, etc with the Internet. But today is different.

You see, today...today, I am serving Jury Duty.

I know you're wondering, "How are you on the computer while serving Jury Duty?" Well, the reason is simple and wonderful...I am stuck in a room with nothing to do all day until they figure out if I am going to have to serve or not. And it just so happens, they have computers with Internet access for the duration of our wait. So, I have spent the $12 for full day access and now, though I wouldn't have imagined it, I actually get to blog without a concern in the world...until they call me to serve. Who'd have thunk it?

Ah, work.

So...I started work today. A 12 hour day for my first day on the lot...my feet are killing me.

There are many things that happened today to make me both laugh and cringe (both mostly on the inside). There was a customer who had a social security card belonging to a deceased person. And there was the fact that my general sales manager mentioned that I was a priority employee who they wanted to see succeed...because I'm white, and I make the third white person working on the lot. That was an experience I didn't think I'd have...ever.

But so far...no cars sold. I know--its only been one day. I'm not discouraged. Tired, but not discouraged. I am learning more about Toyota's than I ever thought possible. It is a comfort to be selling a good product.

I am currently relaxing, waiting for my dinner to finish cooking...watching Envy, a fantastic movie for those of us thinking about money and work a lot. Its not a bad night.

With Screwtape in Mind

Puck had an appropriate response to Christians getting uppity about Harry Potter. I found this and thought of her and our shared frustration at the ridiculous idea of insisting the Harry Potter is an instrument of the occult. Enjoy.

Personal Growth

Roughly 10 years ago I was certain that nothing could convince me that mushrooms were worth eating. They are, after all, literally just fungi. Who eats mold? Don't talk to me about cheese--you all know what I mean. Mushrooms are fungi in its unrefined state. Why eat that?

Well...about three weeks ago we watched Ratatouille, and I became inspired to try new foods. So we went out, and I ordered a pasta with mushrooms.

It was delicious...especially the mushrooms. I enjoyed it so much, I went to the store and purchased some large portobellos for my own cooking experiments. But I haven't gotten around to it, and they've been in the fridge for about a week now. I looked them over, and they seem to be alright, and I'll probably use them today...but the thought occurred to me; how can you tell if a mushroom is bad? Most things grow mold when they go bad...do mushrooms grow mold? Is a fungus covered in fungus unacceptable? What makes that unappetizing, when one is already consuming glorified mold? Ultimately, it makes me question the whole thing...except they were so tasty...

A Complete Mystery

One of the first things they tell you as you become an adult and assume the responsibility of things like paying for gas is that you should always look for the cheapest gas around, because those nickles and dimes add up. And, of course with gas prices being what they are, there's very rarely s need to convince people to search out cheap gas.

Which is why the Shell gas station on the corner of La Mirada and Imperial is truly a mystery to me. You see, while Sam's Club prices are currently roughly $2.92/gl, and ARCO is $2.89/gl, and even the Chevron down the street is $2.99/gl, the Shell gas station on the corner of La Mirada and Imperial is a lonely courageous soul. Rather than offering competitive prices to challenge the other stations (or even to be comparable to the station across the street) the Shell at that corner offers gas at generally no less than $.30 more than the most expensive competitors. I believe the last listed price I saw was something like $3.37/gl. I think this might be the station that inflates the national average gas price.

The oddest thing is that I actually see people getting gas there...I think I might even have gotten gas there once. I just don't get it; how could any manager think this is a good idea? Whatever the reasons, I salute the brave gesture flying in the face of the free market. You go, Shell of La Mirada & Imperial; overcharge for your wares at such a ridiculous rate that it baffles the mind why anyone offers you any business.

Perhaps they're a front for the La Mirada Mafia...

No robe for you!

I used to have a robe. It was heavy terry-clothe. Navy Blue. Warm. Even though holes tore open under the arms, it was still my robe. Comfy. Large. I liked my robe. I wore it frequently.

Then we reorganized our apartment. Threw out a ton of stuff that we no longer used or needed. Moved furniture, painted, cleaned, etc.

My wife decided that my robe was no longer worth keeping. I found it in the pile of stuff going away. I asked her why, and she said that with the holes, it was no longer worthy of remaining my robe. She promised to replace it. I tried to challenge her logic, suggesting that since I did actually use my robe, we should keep it until we replaced it. She, of course, prevailed.

Of course...we're broke...and robes cost money. And you know the old saying--a robe on the hook is worth two in the store.

Now I own no robe. I miss my robe. Sigh.

Its a Wonder-full World

So, apparently the Seven Wonders of the World have been updated.

I have two responses to this news...and actually one response to something from the story.

First on the story: this line, "However, Paris-based UNESCO distanced itself from the seven wonders ballot, saying it reflected only the opinion of those who voted," made me laugh. That UNESCO organization is truly a brain trust. So, get this, only those who voted were represented by the vote. It takes some time and an official title to figure that one out...I might not have understood if I didn't have a Paris based branch of the UN to tell me that voting only represents those that vote. Of course they're based in France. Where else could they be based? Center of redundant snottiness. ANYWAYS...

Now, as to the actual story...first, I think this is kinda cool. I am all for taking pride in the wonders around us, and investing in making things of majesty and wonder. But this ultimately leads me to my next response, which is...

Disappointment. Not in the list itself, but in what it reveals about us. Its no secret really...all you have to do is visit Tomorrow Land in Disneyland to see just how much we've dropped the ball. You see, the list reveals that we have accomplished nothing that competes with the Pyramid of Gaza or the Great Wall of China, both thousands of years old. Granted, those are pretty awesome, and they have always been on my list of things to see before I die...but as with Tomorrow Land in the Magical Kingdom, so in real life; we have failed to continue to reach for new challenges to make this new world as majestic and profoundly challenging to the future as those who came before us managed to do with their "now" back then. Where are the modern monuments that will challenge generations to come to consider who and what we are?

Its hard to be an Evangelical Protestant Christian and advocate building monuments; we tend to think that building to last, and more importantly building to inspire and awe is lower on the priorities...but I have been convinced that for a thing to be true and good, it should also be beautiful. Our churches fail in that respect all too often. It also reveals a lack of ambition, which we as Christians should be terrified by. Tomorrow should be the horizon of unending possibility, and that means today should challenge us to make a mark to echo into tomorrow. Everything we possess today comes from those men that strove mightily yesterday for their tomorrow. We are leaving no challenge to those that come after us, no monument to the things we hold precious to remind tomorrow that there are things greater than ourselves, things worth pouring our lives into without looking back.

Ultimately, my response is that this list should challenge us, to leave our mark on this earth about those things that matter to us. And also...I want to go travel and see the new list...

Ode to the Gym

Oh thou gym,
This is your hymn.

To thee we go,
For we would know--
The joy of pain,
Through which we gain
Agony! Exhaustion!
Perhaps satisfaction?

We shall see...
It may be...
But for now,
I wonder how--
Have I done harm,
When I can't lift my arms?

Fin

Well, if I were a better poet, people might miss me when I was at the gym...as it is...not so much.