another trip

Another trip on the books: Rochester, NY in March for a friend's wedding.

Trips are nice. The bills are not. Am I enjoying my trips? Yes. Would I trade this life for religious life? In a heartbeat.

home again

Home again. Guppy did all the driving. I had to change out a door lock for the person we were "visiting," so since I had to be at Home Depot on black Friday, I scanned the Home Depot deals. I like tools, I call them my toys. I grabbed a mini multitool for $1.99 and larger multitool (mainly a pair of pliers and adjustible wrench) set for $9.99. This, after having grabbed a $9.99 tool set (mostly screwdrivers) from Radio Shack prior to going out of town. I guess I'm a tool junkie.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to all. May all be safe.

We will be out of town. Gumshoe will be driving. I'll go to work Monday and Tuesday. We'll drive out Wednesday. Hotel reservations have been made. I've picked a parish for Thanksgiving Day mass. We'll just pick up plates at Luby's. We'll be busy the next few days preparing for the trip.

oops

I went to spiritual direction today. Except that my appointment is for tomorrow. But the SD generously took me in. Imagine her surprise when I called enroute to say that I would be late. So it turns out that I wasn't late, but rather a whole day early.

a surmise

The CDP's had a discernment meeting Monday. I sorta crashed it. It's not an official crash, since I was invited. But they and I know that I am not participating in the discerning. It's been a long time since I've visited with them and I took this as an opportunity to see them again. They're really cool folks. I owe them much. They launched my discernment, walking with me from the time my only vocabulary was "nun," and I was star-struck in the presence of "nuns," and religious life was pure mystery. So see, had they been "uncool," my whole discernment may have never taken off.

They gave me many "firsts." Unfortunately, they were also my first encounter with inclusive language and were receipients of my shock and vehement protest of the idea. Uh, I think I've mellowed some but it definitely is not for me.

Sitting there on Monday, it occurred to me for the first time why I didn't quite fit with their community. It seems to me that at this time, my sense of God is predominantly cognitive. For the CDP's, the experience of God is more affective (not sure that's the right word). Or should I say they "experience" God while I "think" God.

important White House stuff

presidental pets page

prayers requested

Per alert from LAMLand, EWTN's Fr. Francis Mary is in need of prayers as he discerns his future after being "personally involved with helping a widow and her struggling family." Link to the story on American Papist.

weird

I had lots of sleep last night. That is kinda weird. But that's not all. I usually don't remember my dreams, but I guess if I get plenty of sleep then I do remember some. In one of the dreams, for whatever reason, we had a beagle in the house. I was playing with it and thinking, "This is great -- a beagle is not too hairy, not too small, just right for hugging. I better not tell Natty, she'd be jealous."
heh heh

Actually my last German Shepherd dog at 90+ pounds was also just right for hugging. He was one fine dog, though not fit for breeding. He had the temperament that I was accustomed to seeing in a GSD--humble and obedient.

The GSD I had before him was not so, this other one, at 60lbs was the smallest GSD I had ever had. He was quite handsome and his face was almost wolf-like with the lighter colored eyes. OK, so maybe he wasn't 100% GSD. That one would fight us tooth and nail. That is definitely NOT the temperament I was used to.

recovering

My week: go to work, after work go pick up dinner somewhere, go home, eat, then crash. And shower somewhere in there. Yeah, it means that Gumdrops has had to do more of the house upkeep.
I think I'm recovering. I probably scared the folks at the concert last Sunday as I had two bouts of rather intense, lengthy hacking coughing -- one before it started and one during the reflections given at vespers that preceded the concert. Fortunately, the remainder of the coughing was between the different pieces of music and not as dramatic. I'm sure some folks were thinking, "Oh great, I have to sit next to this coughing machine?"

Monday I attempted mass. Since it always start before I get there, I waited for the first reading to be finished before rushing to a seat. But as soon as I sat down, that hacking cough started. I had to leave, finishing the cough out in the hallway and decided not to return for the day.

Tuesday I went to the dentist. When they first laid me back, I had that hacking cough again. I reassured them that I didn't cough that much. But it was scary as hell to have the doc standing over me with that needle ... now what if the cough sneaks up on me while the needle is in me? Thanks be to God that no coughing ensued after that awful first one and they were able to work on me for almost two hours.

I've been coughing at night. But since I am a talented sleeper, it's on only very few occasions (less than 5 for sure) that it actually disturbed my sleep. It doesn't like me lying down? No problem, I'll sleep sitting up. And when I'm deep asleep, voila, I end up sleeping lying down. This evening, I seem to be relatively free of coughs.

Tomorrow evening we will be attending a Dominican talk. Perhaps all in attendance can be spared of my coughing.

I had managed to rinse off the car after mass on Sunday, and was totally exhausted afterwards. Looky there, it went five days before getting rained on tonight. (This is south Texas, where I put on a sweater when entering a building and I remove the sweater when going outside ... in November, no less. So "washing the car" in November does NOT involve an encounter with snow and ice.)

weekend so far

I didn't go to work on Friday; went to the doctor instead. He didn't think it was anything infectious. He gave me prescriptions for drainage/congestion and also for some sort of analgesic. I don't think I'll get the stuff; I'll just take what we have here.

My four new tires arrived. Had I not checked the porch we never would have known that they were here. I'm supposed to check them for damage; I haven't gotten to it. We were heading off to the doctor's appointment when I saw them. I moved them to the garage was all. It took forever to get back home from the doctor's office downtown (rush hour traffic on a Friday evening).

This morning (Saturday) we were at mass then went to the movies. We watched "American Gangster" and "Kingdom." It's Gumdrops birthday tomorrow and so this is how Gumdrops wanted to celebrate. Gumdrops loves movies. and beaches. Two movies and now it's evening. At least it's cheaper than going out of town. Geez, gas prices have been steadily climbing. There will be dinner out either tonight or tomorrow night--it's up to Gumdrops. We've a few obligations to take care of this weekend.

Tomorrow it's church and then a voice concert at the seminary (waaaaay across town).

I've a dental appointment to Tuesday and I'd like to keep it. I hope my health gets better. My voice has changed several times over the past several days. I can do stuff that doesn't take much energy (like sit up and watch a movie, or play websudoku :) ), but I won't be willing to do anything that requires some exertion. My airways are clear, but sometimes it seems difficult to breathe.