Let's hear it for the title "Days Until Home Sweet Home"!
I've used that title for so long, I just couldn't quite give it up quite yet. :-) There really isn't much new information to share, so I'll just start going through the 3 or 4 things that have happened since the last blog.
One: I went home last weekend (surprise!). While in Tonawanda, I had a good visit with Ryan and Katie for a few days. Since I live almost 2 hours away from them, seeing them was a blessing and something I hope is repeated. If you could pray for Katie and Ryan, I would appreciate it. Things seem to be going well for them, but they are coming up to a busy tie in their life: they are newly married, expecting a baby in a month, and Ryan is looking for a new job. Since we were within 5 minutes of Niagara Falls, Ryan and Katie when and saw the Falls both evenings up there. They took several pictures and came back with quite a few stories of Canada, the falls, and Canadians. I think my favorite story is their coming back into the US, after the light show on the falls. *.... I'll tell everyone about it later as soon as I remember the details better. I got half way through and couldn't remember the questions the US agent asked .... *
Two: I went swing dancing at OSU last Friday. It was a blast. When I visited Jesse's swing dance lessons a while back, there was a advanced swing dancing demonstration, and it was really cool. The leading couple at OSU blew it away. It wasn't that it was so much better, but the couple made it look smooth and refined while doing a lot of different combinations fast. They looked like they would be just as comfortable on a ballroom floor. I was impressed. Almost 3/4 of the group was new and everyone leaned new steps each week. I'm planning on going back this Friday and dancing. The dance floor composition was a little odd: guys outnumbered girls!
Four and beyond: Saved for later. I need to get back to work.
Random information/feelings: I'm really looking forward to going back to PA. Not only do I have great college classes lined up, but it looks like the local speech and debate teams are really working hard on extemp. I'm also looking forward to seeing friends. One big downside of being in Florida is not seeing friends at home. I'm looking forward to seeing what's going on with G, how BF is doing, if A and J bloomed over the summer, and just talking to C and the commies. (No, I do not expect anyone to actually know who I'm talking about. If you want to know who the initials are, you'll have to talk to me. :-D )
Monday, July 31, 2006
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
2 More Days Until Home Sweet Home
Only two more days left to go and I can start to put up a different title again. :-)
Sunday, I decided to go to the church that Dan has been going to these last few weeks. It does mean that I lose most of the day with driving and staying for other activities, but I think it is worth the cost. I don't have anything against the church I was attending before, but I think it is too big. I couldn't meet the same people every week. Every time I attended, it was like walking into a new church where I didn't know anyone and no-one remembered me.
Perhaps this is just a reaction to the last sermon I heard at the larger church: it was a "support your Emergency Service People day".... or something like that. At the church service, God was hardly mention. It was all about the strength of some emergency workers, and how this emergency worker had opportunities to share Christ, and emergency workers had a high calling.
Other than the singing, prayer requests, and the occasional mention of the opportunity it was to share Christ to other worker.... the service felt like a community event celebrating emergency service personnel.
Ah, I'm probably ranting too much, but that one service did offend me. I just think that they could have still celebrated a noble activity, but done it in a way that didn't leave Christ out of most of it. So it was that I decided to see what the church Dan is attending is like.
Your thoughts? Did I go overboard?
Sunday, I decided to go to the church that Dan has been going to these last few weeks. It does mean that I lose most of the day with driving and staying for other activities, but I think it is worth the cost. I don't have anything against the church I was attending before, but I think it is too big. I couldn't meet the same people every week. Every time I attended, it was like walking into a new church where I didn't know anyone and no-one remembered me.
Perhaps this is just a reaction to the last sermon I heard at the larger church: it was a "support your Emergency Service People day".... or something like that. At the church service, God was hardly mention. It was all about the strength of some emergency workers, and how this emergency worker had opportunities to share Christ, and emergency workers had a high calling.
Other than the singing, prayer requests, and the occasional mention of the opportunity it was to share Christ to other worker.... the service felt like a community event celebrating emergency service personnel.
Ah, I'm probably ranting too much, but that one service did offend me. I just think that they could have still celebrated a noble activity, but done it in a way that didn't leave Christ out of most of it. So it was that I decided to see what the church Dan is attending is like.
Your thoughts? Did I go overboard?
Friday, July 14, 2006
6 More Days Until Home Sweet Home
Ah, six more day. I am looking forward to the trip home. I was thinking while working, "Uhg, I could be driving with mom or dad, talking, relaxing, and catching up with family news." Not everything can go the way I was hoping, but in this case it will be only delayed a week. Whoo hoo! Less than a week and I' on my way home!
Enough chitchat, down to serious work. I'm getting ready to watch Stargate, Stargate Atlantis, and any of the funny commercials that comes on. Half the fun of TV is watching it in a group and making fun of everything and anything that comes onscreen. A few nights ago, we all sat down and watch "Aquamarine". I don't think we've had as much fun since watching Mystery Theatre 3000! Stargate is almost as fun to make fun of, but the story is a little too well told. Mostly we make fun of the contradictions and ignorance of the "advanced" races. Phhht. If you're so advanced, why are humans the only ones that are capable of handling the problems of the galaxy?
At the moment, I'm watching a "documentary" on the search for Atlantis, which are all theorized to be Neanderthals, aliens, Germans.... without a shred of physical proof. Over and over, the searchers were all trying to be the FIRST one to ever find physical evidence of Atlantis. Spending a lifetime chasing a dream just for a place in the history books. They need a new hobby.
Enough chitchat, down to serious work. I'm getting ready to watch Stargate, Stargate Atlantis, and any of the funny commercials that comes on. Half the fun of TV is watching it in a group and making fun of everything and anything that comes onscreen. A few nights ago, we all sat down and watch "Aquamarine". I don't think we've had as much fun since watching Mystery Theatre 3000! Stargate is almost as fun to make fun of, but the story is a little too well told. Mostly we make fun of the contradictions and ignorance of the "advanced" races. Phhht. If you're so advanced, why are humans the only ones that are capable of handling the problems of the galaxy?
At the moment, I'm watching a "documentary" on the search for Atlantis, which are all theorized to be Neanderthals, aliens, Germans.... without a shred of physical proof. Over and over, the searchers were all trying to be the FIRST one to ever find physical evidence of Atlantis. Spending a lifetime chasing a dream just for a place in the history books. They need a new hobby.
Thursday, July 13, 2006
7 More Days Until Home Sweet Home
Oh, I was so close. As I approached ZERO day I was getting some things ready, looking forward to going home (even if it was a working vacation), and just pleased at the prospect of seeing my family again. And then wham! The trip was mis-scheduled. I had made the airline reservations one week earlier than was needed, and I managed to get the shuttle service and airline reservations rescheduled for only $16. :-) Not bad for last minute change - I think I like Southwest Airlines.
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
1 More Day Until Home Sweet Home
I finished the book I was reading, "Starship Troopers" by Robert Heinlein. It was a compelling book. The book is not so much an adventure (as the movie made it out to be) but a social commentary on what is wrong with the current world and he puts forth his idea of a good system - not ideal but good.In fact, that is where Heinlein fall down in his vision.
He has no idea of a final truth or the right way; merely that which has worked. He declares man to be a amoral species. His argument is that if we were a moral species then the appeals to a higher standard we use today would work. That the higher moral standard would be followed. The fact that we don't seem to follow a higher standard leads him to conclude that there is no such standard and that humans are amoral, neither good nor bad.
I assume that Heinlein is not a Christian, because there is another option that explains the failures of the appeal to the Higher Standard. That option is that humans are immoral. Not amoral or moral, but actively opposed to good, and because Heinlein rejects our moral nature, he reaches a conclusion which he explains about a third of the way through the book: We respond to punishment and reward, exactly like any Pavlovlovian experiment. He does say that it doesn't always work, because not everyone's brains are wired correctly, but in general, use the proper stick and carrot and mankind can go to maximum long term survivability, which he holds up as the only standard in the universe. It is Darwin's survival of the fittest applied.
Yes, he believes we are machines, but the next 2/3rd of the book is explaining how wonderful that is once we find the proper carrot and stick and that everything will be wonderful. Heinlein puts a lot of philosophical questions put into his conversations in which he develops a high standard of correct action based on amorality. But though the book kept my attention, at the end all I could think is, "For what? The main character found his position in life, being a solder dedicated to the group." What a terrible final hope. That is nothing. In a few years, life is done and no one remembers. How much better it is to have a hope beyond being a 'good' machine - to go into a life where the joy is unimaginable and everlasting. Where we will not be tired, have physical pains, be grumpy in the morning, or have any of the problems that we live with right now.
I thought it was a great book. It made me think hard as I read; though I ended up rejecting almost every premise and conclusion Heinlein came up with, it still made me think and become more settled in my own Christian beliefs.
He has no idea of a final truth or the right way; merely that which has worked. He declares man to be a amoral species. His argument is that if we were a moral species then the appeals to a higher standard we use today would work. That the higher moral standard would be followed. The fact that we don't seem to follow a higher standard leads him to conclude that there is no such standard and that humans are amoral, neither good nor bad.
I assume that Heinlein is not a Christian, because there is another option that explains the failures of the appeal to the Higher Standard. That option is that humans are immoral. Not amoral or moral, but actively opposed to good, and because Heinlein rejects our moral nature, he reaches a conclusion which he explains about a third of the way through the book: We respond to punishment and reward, exactly like any Pavlovlovian experiment. He does say that it doesn't always work, because not everyone's brains are wired correctly, but in general, use the proper stick and carrot and mankind can go to maximum long term survivability, which he holds up as the only standard in the universe. It is Darwin's survival of the fittest applied.
Yes, he believes we are machines, but the next 2/3rd of the book is explaining how wonderful that is once we find the proper carrot and stick and that everything will be wonderful. Heinlein puts a lot of philosophical questions put into his conversations in which he develops a high standard of correct action based on amorality. But though the book kept my attention, at the end all I could think is, "For what? The main character found his position in life, being a solder dedicated to the group." What a terrible final hope. That is nothing. In a few years, life is done and no one remembers. How much better it is to have a hope beyond being a 'good' machine - to go into a life where the joy is unimaginable and everlasting. Where we will not be tired, have physical pains, be grumpy in the morning, or have any of the problems that we live with right now.
I thought it was a great book. It made me think hard as I read; though I ended up rejecting almost every premise and conclusion Heinlein came up with, it still made me think and become more settled in my own Christian beliefs.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
2 More Days Until Home Sweet Home
Oh no! I can't believe I missed a day in the countdown! Last night I was SURE I had made a post in the morning, but I must have been quite... wrong.
I was drinking some Gatorade yesterday morning and looking at the bottle while I sipped it. I was looking at the various vitamins and chemicals they put in it and I noticed that it had an extremely low calorie count. All the other sports drinks (at least they are advertised as such) and 'energy booster' are so packed with sugar (and caffeine sometimes) that they only reason you feel good afterward is the high you are on. Thus it is that Gatorade was a happy surprise to be an exception to the rest of the world's sugar boosts. Not having a lot of sugar would explain why it tastes so watery today.
I watched the tail end of "30 First Dates". I'm not sure that is the name of the movie, but it is close. It's about a lady who is in an accident and can only remember one day at a time. Adam Sandler plays the man who falls in love with her. (he meets her after the accident) Every day he works hard to help her through the day and makes her fall in love with him day after day, only to not remember who Adam is in the morning. I won't spoil the ending, but it didn't quite end like I was expecting and that it was a very nice but sad ending. Whenever I get the chance, I'm planning on renting it and seeing it from beginning to end. Warning - the TV channel I watched it on is a clean channel, and anything over a PG13 would probably have been removed. I would suggest you check the rating before renting - Adam Sandler movies aren't my favorites usually and they are often not clean.
Ah, my time to start work has come. The countUP continues with no ill effects. If anything, I feel great. I'm also farther along "Starship Troopers" but have not finished yet.
I was drinking some Gatorade yesterday morning and looking at the bottle while I sipped it. I was looking at the various vitamins and chemicals they put in it and I noticed that it had an extremely low calorie count. All the other sports drinks (at least they are advertised as such) and 'energy booster' are so packed with sugar (and caffeine sometimes) that they only reason you feel good afterward is the high you are on. Thus it is that Gatorade was a happy surprise to be an exception to the rest of the world's sugar boosts. Not having a lot of sugar would explain why it tastes so watery today.
I watched the tail end of "30 First Dates". I'm not sure that is the name of the movie, but it is close. It's about a lady who is in an accident and can only remember one day at a time. Adam Sandler plays the man who falls in love with her. (he meets her after the accident) Every day he works hard to help her through the day and makes her fall in love with him day after day, only to not remember who Adam is in the morning. I won't spoil the ending, but it didn't quite end like I was expecting and that it was a very nice but sad ending. Whenever I get the chance, I'm planning on renting it and seeing it from beginning to end. Warning - the TV channel I watched it on is a clean channel, and anything over a PG13 would probably have been removed. I would suggest you check the rating before renting - Adam Sandler movies aren't my favorites usually and they are often not clean.
Ah, my time to start work has come. The countUP continues with no ill effects. If anything, I feel great. I'm also farther along "Starship Troopers" but have not finished yet.
Sunday, July 09, 2006
4 More Days Until Home Sweet Home
The thing that most shocks me about going to the beach on Tuesday is the sticking power of the sea shell fragments that the beach was made of. Even now, I found two more near my right ankle and one near my right Achilles tendon. I guess it is sticking on by suction, but wow, how does it to manage to stay on through socks, pant legs and showers where I know I rubbed my ankles. Maybe, when I get to heaven, I'll make that my first question, "How did those shell pieces stay on so long?", because I've been finding a few every day for the last week, and I'm guessing I'll still find a few for the next week. What could possible make them stay on so long?
But as fascinating as the shells are, I can't imagine anyone else being interested though. As far as Sunday's go, this one was pretty nice. I organized some of my clothes so I know what to take back Thursday and what to leave here. I've decided that over half my books won't be getting read and will come home with me. Part of the reason I'm not reading the books I brought is that there are good books here I'm reading. I've reread part of Perilandra by CS Lewis and I'm in the middle of reading Starship Troopers. I had seen the movie based off the book and didn't think too much of it. The book is much better. It's mostly describing a system where responsibility and duty is the highest ideal - where they will "make a solder of you or kill you trying". It's an interesting book. I'll let you know my final thoughts when I finish it.
But as fascinating as the shells are, I can't imagine anyone else being interested though. As far as Sunday's go, this one was pretty nice. I organized some of my clothes so I know what to take back Thursday and what to leave here. I've decided that over half my books won't be getting read and will come home with me. Part of the reason I'm not reading the books I brought is that there are good books here I'm reading. I've reread part of Perilandra by CS Lewis and I'm in the middle of reading Starship Troopers. I had seen the movie based off the book and didn't think too much of it. The book is much better. It's mostly describing a system where responsibility and duty is the highest ideal - where they will "make a solder of you or kill you trying". It's an interesting book. I'll let you know my final thoughts when I finish it.
Saturday, July 08, 2006
5 More Days Until Home Sweet Home
The countdown to home continues! I just learned today that Dan will also be making a weekend trip back to his home, but for him, it will be near the beginning of August. But me!... I get to go back within the week! In other fascinating, but useless news: it took four days after my beach adventure, but I am finally starting to peel from the sunburn I got at the beach. Yeah, yeah, it is a bit ‘unrefined’ to talk about peeling skin, but hey! Jesse would agree with me that it’s cool. Next time I'll save one spot without sunscreen and see what a real burn look like. :-) Or maybe not.
I’ll stop grossing people out with the details of my personal hygiene, but since I’m finished talking about that, I'm afraid there isn't much more to report.... How about some details of things around the house?!! We usually have one meal a day out at Taco Johns or perhaps Checkers. I usually go for two SUPER BURITTOS. In case you're wondering, they are burritos - but super. My boss makes great meals. Usually he's too busy, but he makes a great spaghetti sauce, wonderful chicken, and good beans. That's only once or twice a week, but it's nice to sit down and have a quite meal, because no one talks during lunch, breakfast, or dinner. Somehow, it's an unspoken agreement that meals are off limits for conversations. One little piece of information – apparently last week was the first time they’ve made cookies since they both got married and move into the house…. we’re such a bad influence!
And my other count-up is at day 3. Beat that Mom!
Stay tuned for the next installment where I reveal more shocking details of the day to day life of the recently made beardless redhead!
I’ll stop grossing people out with the details of my personal hygiene, but since I’m finished talking about that, I'm afraid there isn't much more to report.... How about some details of things around the house?!! We usually have one meal a day out at Taco Johns or perhaps Checkers. I usually go for two SUPER BURITTOS. In case you're wondering, they are burritos - but super. My boss makes great meals. Usually he's too busy, but he makes a great spaghetti sauce, wonderful chicken, and good beans. That's only once or twice a week, but it's nice to sit down and have a quite meal, because no one talks during lunch, breakfast, or dinner. Somehow, it's an unspoken agreement that meals are off limits for conversations. One little piece of information – apparently last week was the first time they’ve made cookies since they both got married and move into the house…. we’re such a bad influence!
And my other count-up is at day 3. Beat that Mom!
Stay tuned for the next installment where I reveal more shocking details of the day to day life of the recently made beardless redhead!
Friday, July 07, 2006
6 More Days Until Home Sweet Home
The weekend is coming up. I don't think I'll do anything as exciting (or painful) as going to the beach again. In fact, I'll probably end up working Saturday since I took most of the 4th off. Going to the beach was nice to do once, but going to the beach on the 4th of July is not the brightest idea I had. It took almost 45 minutes to find a good spot to park along a 7 mile beach. The beach was a lot of fun when we (again, my programmers in crime were along) finally found a spot on the beach and spread out our towels. I put sun-lotion on, but I definitely missed sections. Along my left should is a spot of sunburn and in the middle of the spot is a streak of white where the sunblock got put on by one finger.
The beach was different than the others I saw. Most beaches I see are sand and waves. On this beach, the sand was broken up sea-shells. It looked like sand, but far more colorful. I dug down about a foot, but all I found were more pieces of finely broken shells. I spent at least 15 minutes just playing with the sea-shell sand. Most sand I play with is... sand. The sea shells changed the whole feel of the sand, and when I played with it, it moved a lot like water when pushing it around. Pushing my index finger into the sand and then moving it was like pushing a finger through water - the shell pieces would flow right around my finger and the trail the finger left was barely visible.
My other favorite part were the waves. After seeing the waves, I was slightly disappointed that I hadn't brought a body board, but the waves were large enough that if I timed one right, I could ride one for 5-10 seconds by just letting it push me along. The key was to push away from the wave, just before the wall of water hit you; that way, the inertia the water imparted gave me enough speed to stay abreast of the wave. Until it finally crashed down around me. :-)
I plan on going to the beach at least one more time this summer and it will be on a easy going, non-holiday date. Don't worry Mom, now that I know what spots I tend to miss, I can make sure to cover them with sunscreen!
The beach was different than the others I saw. Most beaches I see are sand and waves. On this beach, the sand was broken up sea-shells. It looked like sand, but far more colorful. I dug down about a foot, but all I found were more pieces of finely broken shells. I spent at least 15 minutes just playing with the sea-shell sand. Most sand I play with is... sand. The sea shells changed the whole feel of the sand, and when I played with it, it moved a lot like water when pushing it around. Pushing my index finger into the sand and then moving it was like pushing a finger through water - the shell pieces would flow right around my finger and the trail the finger left was barely visible.
My other favorite part were the waves. After seeing the waves, I was slightly disappointed that I hadn't brought a body board, but the waves were large enough that if I timed one right, I could ride one for 5-10 seconds by just letting it push me along. The key was to push away from the wave, just before the wall of water hit you; that way, the inertia the water imparted gave me enough speed to stay abreast of the wave. Until it finally crashed down around me. :-)
I plan on going to the beach at least one more time this summer and it will be on a easy going, non-holiday date. Don't worry Mom, now that I know what spots I tend to miss, I can make sure to cover them with sunscreen!
Thursday, July 06, 2006
To Infinity and Beyond!
Well, maybe not infinity, but the shuttle launch here in Florida was quite an impressive site. After sunning at the beach, my programming associates (ooooo. Sounds impressive!) and I, started driving toward the launch site to see how close we could come before the launch.
We had considered stopping near the beach to watch the launch, because there was a HUGE bridge - at least... 50 feet off the ground. Although it sounds low, I'm guessing it was the highest point around for 40 miles around. We decided to bypass that and go for a closer launch site. We're driving on I-95 (at least I think we were), and there were trees as far as we could see to our left and right with no breaks and high spots. We went for 20 miles without a break in the trees or a hill in sight. Finally, we take a small right turn and see a small, arched bridge about a mile ahead of us. The bridge was 20 feet high or so at the highest point, but it was enough for that area. So we start driving towards the bridge and an announcer comes on the radio saying the launch will be in 31 seconds, and that it had already been delayed a minute. Well... we made it to the bridge in time. :-D
Just as the we heard NASA finish the countdown and say launch, we finished parking... about 3 seconds later we saw the rocket climb above the tree. We were still 20 miles away from the launch site, but the rocket was bright enough that you couldn't look at it with your bare eyes. It was like stepping out into the snow on a sunny day... It's not so bright you need to close you're eyes, but still bright enough that you need to look away until you eyes adjust.... but then there are people like me - with sunglasses! Without them, I would have missed a lot of the details.
I got to see the booster rockets get released and fall off and fall towards the earth, and I saw the secondary power boost appear, and I even got to see the shuttle turn that off and start it's thrusting rockets to oriented it towards it's destination... I'm estimating I lost sight of it about 50 miles up.... After I lost sight of it, I finally looked back at where it came out of the trees and the smoke from the fuel was firm enough and large enough that it looked like a small cumulonimbous cloud that hadn't yet developed it's anvil. :-) It was quite a trail of smoke.
It lasted under 5 minutes, but it was a cool five minutes.
We had considered stopping near the beach to watch the launch, because there was a HUGE bridge - at least... 50 feet off the ground. Although it sounds low, I'm guessing it was the highest point around for 40 miles around. We decided to bypass that and go for a closer launch site. We're driving on I-95 (at least I think we were), and there were trees as far as we could see to our left and right with no breaks and high spots. We went for 20 miles without a break in the trees or a hill in sight. Finally, we take a small right turn and see a small, arched bridge about a mile ahead of us. The bridge was 20 feet high or so at the highest point, but it was enough for that area. So we start driving towards the bridge and an announcer comes on the radio saying the launch will be in 31 seconds, and that it had already been delayed a minute. Well... we made it to the bridge in time. :-D
Just as the we heard NASA finish the countdown and say launch, we finished parking... about 3 seconds later we saw the rocket climb above the tree. We were still 20 miles away from the launch site, but the rocket was bright enough that you couldn't look at it with your bare eyes. It was like stepping out into the snow on a sunny day... It's not so bright you need to close you're eyes, but still bright enough that you need to look away until you eyes adjust.... but then there are people like me - with sunglasses! Without them, I would have missed a lot of the details.
I got to see the booster rockets get released and fall off and fall towards the earth, and I saw the secondary power boost appear, and I even got to see the shuttle turn that off and start it's thrusting rockets to oriented it towards it's destination... I'm estimating I lost sight of it about 50 miles up.... After I lost sight of it, I finally looked back at where it came out of the trees and the smoke from the fuel was firm enough and large enough that it looked like a small cumulonimbous cloud that hadn't yet developed it's anvil. :-) It was quite a trail of smoke.
It lasted under 5 minutes, but it was a cool five minutes.
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