Dude

I cannot write this paper.
It's on a book about Islamic women.
I have no topic.
I do, however, only have 2 hours and 15 minutes until it is due.

I suck at being a student.

I really like being here, and going to classes (except NT, that is), and learning things.
I just suck at making myself write the papers.
Alas.

Blah

Spring Break was overwhelming, and now it is just over.

I'll write about my trip to New Orleans soon,
and maybe even post some pictures.

However, in the meantime
I feel blah.
I got sick the other day, and I didn't have a restful break.
Thus, I am mildly feeble.

I have a book to read tonight
for a meeting that might be happening
with my prof at 10am.
I have not read said book.
And I am tired.

Mostly I just feel blah.
Not super stoked.
Not majorly bummed.
Just plain old blah.

Kirby's gone to the great outfield in the sky

Kirby Puckett made me a baseball fan.

When I was in 4th grade, the school patrol (tiny little crossing guards) went to a Twins game. We played the Orioles -- I remember because I kept calling them the "Oreos," and because one kid wore an Orioles hat it got thrown out the bus window.
Anyway, our seats were at the top of the Metrodome, and I could barely see the field. I don't remember much of the game, but I do remember Kirby. Whenever he was up, the announcer would call "Kirrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrbeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee Pucccccketttttt!"

I was sold.

Later that season, my Twins went to the World Series ('87). I got my homer hanky from the Star Tribune. I waved it. I cheered. I watched Kirby cross himself each time he stepped up to the plate. I watched him jump higher than a short man (several inches shy of 6') should be able to. They won. I was happy.

I wanted a Kirby bear.

I moved to the South in 1988, right into Braves territory. In 1991, my friend Kari (a fellow Minnesotan by birth) and I wore our matching Twins tshirts to junior high to cheer our team, and to ruffle local feathers. I got dangly earrings with quarter-sized baseballs that said "Twins," and oh yeah you bet I wore them. I taunted my classmates. I told my friends that they'd be disappointed, because Hrbek, Gladden, Blyleven, and Puckett would do it again.

Don't worry. I was right. My Twins won.
It was a Cinderella Series, and my Cinderella kicked the Braves' Cinderella Ass. Nah, it was close. It was exciting. It made me very happy.



And now, I live in Atlanta. I go to bunches of Braves games. I just bought a block of tickets for this season.
But I am a Twins fan in my soul ("at heart" is not strong or deep enough). I love the Twins. If ever there was an underdog, if ever there was a hard stadium to play in... if ever there was a team that loved the game enough to beat the odds and win the series -- that team was my Twins in '87 and '91.

And now, my favorite baseball player has died.

Let me tell you more about why he rocked. He played only 12 years (1984-1996), but:
He played in 10 consecutive All-Star games.
He stayed with one team for his whole career.
When he retired, he held the club record for hits, doubles, total bases, at bats, and runs.


Kirby was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2357158
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=mlb&id=2355887
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=mlb&id=2357209

Goodbye, Puck.

Take me home, country roads

I'm not from West Virginia. But for most of my life, country roads have led to my home of the moment.
I've moved a lot, and several times in college I had to call my parents for directions home. So, home for me is not a place, but a feeling, memories of times and people who guided and shaped me.

I was talking with some friends about what is the best idea for a first appointment to a church. Now, I don't want to be appointed to a church, but they do. And their position was that being an associate at a larger church is good because it offers a mentoring atmosphere. Plus, there's the whole city vs. country thing -- it seems it's hard to find a mate as a minister in a small town.

I argued for the smaller church, the smaller town. Country roads. People whose families have lived in that place for generations. Stores owned by real people who say hello and remember your name. Friends who live on streets named after their relatives. Folks who will invite you to eat homecooked Sunday dinner with their families.

Don't get me wrong, I love living in Atlanta. And parts of it feel so right to me. But I feel at home when I drive along the backroads in South Carolina or the canopy roads in Tallahassee, when I walk along the Market in Charleston, when I see miles and miles flat farmland and black dirt in Minnesota, when I turn onto my grandmother's street in Gainesville.

Moving into a small town, you are bound to be an outsider for a while. Perhaps quite a while. But I want those friends to know that in this case, being the minister affords you some grace. And once you get the rhythm of the place, it's home. Home for a while. And then you leave. Because that's what Methodist ministers do. As the daughter of two of them, I've been an outsider most of the time. And I left a lot of times.

I started over a lot of times, and that means that I don't have the same kind of friendships that other people have. Recently, I contacted some folks I went to elementary school with. Immediately, I realized how weird that was. For me, they were my friends from ages 6-10. For them, I was a girl who was there a few years and then moved away. Most of their friends stayed.

For me, friendship doesn't end when contact dissapates. Just because I don't see someone anymore, that doesn't mean I love them any less or value their impact on my life any less. If that were the case, I wouldn't have much. Perhaps it's the sheer volume of people who have been important to me that makes it less likely that I will keep in touch. Perhaps I am a terrible friend, but I hope that's not it. I hope that people can understand that I can't possibly keep in touch with all the people that I love. But the lack of contact also doesn't mean that I would be any less responsive if they needed me.

All of this means that I get very excited when I see anyone from my past. Overly excited. And I bet that is overwhelming for them. But my feelings for old friends don't change or fade in their absence from my daily life. This can create a disconnect, since I hold the person that I knew then dear, but I don't really know the person who is now. But I know that we are all becoming, not being, and it's exciting to see the changes in people's lives.

And man are there changes. At Christmas, I got more than one family photo card from college friends. My friends have kids, and dogs, and houses, and real jobs. Life is so amazing, and I feel so blessed to get to see so many sides of it. I am so blessed to love so many people. Even if they don't know it.

Country roads, take me home to the place I belong...

Stupid Grad School

Making me write papers and read stuff.

I have a colloquy paper (2-3 pages)
and a book review type paper (4-5 pages)
due tomorrow.
I have not started them.
I have read some stuff, but certainly not all the stuff.
I believe I shall fail...

So, here are my favorite crayon names*
from the 48 count Crayola box on our coffee table:
Mauvelous (malvavilloso, mauveilleux)
Naranja rojizo (red orange, orange-rouge)
Dandelion (diente de leon, pissenlit)
Purple mountain's majesty (montanos purpuras majestuosas, majestueuses monagnes pourpres)
Macaroni and cheese (macarrones con queso, macaroni au fromage)
Granny smith apple (manzana granny smith, pomme granny smith)

*all the colors are in 3 languages now, except for chestnut, lavender, salmon, tumbleweed, mahogany, melon, tan, sky blue, and spring green.

Please note that these are my favorite names, not colors, of crayons.

Happy Heart Day!

I hope you (my two readers) are having a delightful Valentine's Day!
Regardless of romantic status, know that you are loved.*
Enjoy the wind and sun on your face, take a minute to watch the birds and squirrels in the trees, soak in the beauty of the world.*
Have a wonderful day, full of love and laughter!*


*Here are classic Beth moments of pure cheesiness -- it happens less and less, but on Valentine's Day it has resurfaced!

Dinner at Taco Mac with Nikki, Josh, Bob and Joy from college. Ah, the memories, the laughter, the loud sports bar ambience... 

Vehicular Vascillation

So, I might finally get to pick out my own car.

Mine has bad brakes and
a gas leak they couldn't find,
plus some bad belts
and a problem with the exhaust system.
All that adds up to more than this
1992 Dodge Spirit is worth.

Now, I had almost this exact same car
in high school/early college --
it was a white four door Plymouth Acclaim.
I crashed the first one into a tree.
I ran this one into the ground.

A woman from school emailed me about a car
her aunt is selling for $1000.
She emailed me several times
telling me the details and recent repairs of the car.
In the last email, she finally mentioned the make/model:
1992 gold Plymouth Acclaim.

Now, the cheap, guilt-filled parts of me
feel like I should get it.
I have no desire to ever own this kind of car again.
I want a cute, little Honda/Toyota/Nissan
that will run forever
and fit into tiny parking places.
For less than $3000.
Wish me luck!


(for now, I'm driving Mom's minivan again...
if anyone needs to move, now is the time...)

What's Goin' On...

Projects, of sorts:
- organizing a Spring Break trip to NYC that I'm not going on, but which should rock
- trying to finish Christmas packages to send to midwestern relatives

Homework:
- reading, at least I ought to be
- two short assignments for tomorrow, require above mentioned reading

Work:
- tutoring 8 kids
- babysitting
- leading craft nights at the Religious Life Apartment

Misc.:
- sitting in my comfy new desk chair
- dying to watch last night's Gilmore Girls (I had class)
- thinking about what to eat for lunch
- wearing pajamas at noon
- looking at my insanely messy desk

blah blah blah

Do the Right Thing

Best Career for Your Zodiac Sign?
This is from CareerBuilder.com, but I got it in a forward. I'm pisces, and it fits me pretty well, except for the music part.

Everyone glances at their horoscopes once in a while. We love to be amazed when they seem to describe us to a "T" and simply ignore them when they don’t pertain to us at all. After consulting the stars (along with www.findyourfate.com), here is a list of zodiac signs, along with their characteristic personality traits and suggestions for career options that best fit the signs’ astrological profiles.

Aries (March 21-April 19) You are enthusiastic, alert, outspoken, ambitious, strong-willed and creative. A career in television or radio, advertising or architecture would suit your ambitious and creative nature. Because you are a strong, natural leader, the military or law enforcement would also serve you well.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) A Taurus is practical, methodical, determined, patient, honest, dependable and a good team player. Look to the fields of banking, accounting and scientific research for your perfect job.

Gemini (May 21-June 21) You are very optimistic, inquisitive, intelligent and full of energy. You need a vocation that keeps your interest piqued and keeps you going, such as a travel guide, nature explorer or a sales position where travel is required.

Cancer (June 22-July 22) Cancers are imaginative, dramatic, philosophical, nurturing and protective. You’re best at dispensing advice, so consider law, psychology, teaching, nursing or social work for your life’s vocation.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) You are spontaneous, gregarious, independent and born to lead, with a true lust for power. These magnetic qualities make Leos good CEOs, managers, editors and perfect for government positions.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Precise, witty, cheerful, perfectionist, detail-oriented, hard-working and neat, with a knack for languages -- all describe you. Technician, statistician, medical researcher, investigator or translator are perfect career options for Virgos.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Libras are very diplomatic, charming, sociable, easy-going and cooperative. Your sense of cooperation and ability to engineer a compromise mean you would do well in the United Nations or as a lawyer, mediator, negotiator or administrator.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) You are penetratingly intuitive, intelligent, analytical, hard working, motivated and resourceful. Because you like to solve mysteries, consider espionage, police investigation, law, physics, research and writing.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Sagittarians have a positive attitude, boundless energy, love of travel and a strong spiritual side. A sales position would be ideal, as would public relations, social administration or theology.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) You are rock-solid, dependable, responsible, highly organized, goal-oriented, logical and clever. You thrive in positions of power or any vocation where math or money is involved. Consider an IT position because you love software and computers. You are also well-suited for being a doctor, accountant or lawyer.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Intelligent, original, progressive, humanitarian and visionary are all qualities that describe Aquarians. Choose a job in astronomy, natural history, aviation, photography, poetry, character acting or music.

Pisces ( Feb. 19-March 20) Pisces are generous, friendly, sensitive, popular, artistic, versatile, compassionate and spiritual. You will do well in any of the arts: drama, literature, painting, music, but your compassion also makes you well-suited for philanthropy and judicial positions.
Copyright 2005 CareerBuilder.com

A Few Tasty Tidbits

1.) I finally got a new planner. It is blue and has until 9pm and space for notes. $4 at B&N.
2.) Tomorrow, my J-term Pastoral Care class will be finished. That means that today, I have reviewed my notecards, and read during commercial breaks. Also, I ordered Dana to keep me on task if I tried to chat, by saying: "Shut up, you idiot! You're supposed to be learning pastoral care!" Generally helpful.
3.) I have had a headache for several days now. I am non-plussed.
4.) The real semester starts Thursday.
5.) I think it will be a good semester. Last one was. 1 B and 3 As. (I feel no need for an apostrophe between the A and s. I hate that shit. But evidently I don't mind posting my grades for all the world to see.)
6.) "Love Monkey" is one hell of a show. I loved "Ed," and this is Tom Cavanaugh (perhaps I butchered his name...) talking fast about music. It's Ed plus music. It's like Dave's dream show. It, like Ed, is a male Gilmore Girls. The witty banter, the fast pace, the musical references, Jason Priestly... (Side note: Though my fanship for GG will not decrease, I must say that this season is less than stellar.)
7.) This Pastoral Care class seems to have broadened my career horizons. Alas. I can get certified in all sorts of counseling specializations. And I can take all kinds of different CPEs (again no apostrophe) -- hospital, social service, mental health... When will the opportunities narrow...?
8.) I still haven't written a Christmas letter or sent cards. Well, I sent 3 cards. But that's it.
9.) I need to clean my room. I have mounds of clothes. I don't wear them all, and that distresses me. I need to sort, wash, fold, donate or stow. Alas.
10.) I have nothing else to say. Dammit. Goodnight.

The Way to Watch

I have discovered
over this break
that the best way to watch television
is the entire series at once.
At least one season at a sitting.

So far over break, I have watched
the entire series of The Office (BBC) and Sports Night
and an entire season of America's Next Top Model.

I'm working on season 3 of Gilmore Girls
since I now have seasons 4 and 5.
Dana and I watched seasons 1 and 2 this summer.

I have long enjoyed a tv marathon --
Real World, Road Rules...

Also, whilst enjoying a marathon of cinematic delight,
one can also do some sort of handicraft
such as crocheting a scarf
or making jewelry
(or, in years past, making Christmas ornaments).


If you're out on your own, feeling lonely and so cold...
All you have to do is call my name and I'll be there on the next train...

Oh Man. Merry Christmas!

What a whirlwind...
I drove from ATL to Greenwood
to Kershaw to Pickens to Greenwood
to Kershaw to Greenwood.
And now I am supposed to be on the way to Florida.

Presents and families and church
and candles and silent night and church
and cinnamon rolls and fritatta
and more presents
and tiny babies and friends and
illness.

Everyone is sick.
I personally am stuffy and sniffly and a bit sore throaty.
And I have the dayquil light head.
Dave and his whole family are rather ill.
Except baby Eli, who is precious,
I mean awesome.

I lost my debit card.
Not cool.
Banks are closed today.
So I am going to Florida tomorrow.
Cancelled the card.
New one should meet me in the ATL
where I will be by New Year's.

I'm zonked.
Nap time.

Don't even worry

I don't have to quit school.
I finished the paper about 30 minutes ago.
I was so wide awake and so focused,
I have been trying to get my body to realize that it's 4am.
Anyway, the paper ended up being 16 pages plus biblio page.
I had a bunnnnnch of footnotes.
Theological footnotes can include all kinds of crap, it turns out,
so mine were mostly either regular citations of sources
or random questions I had about what I was writing about.

Must sleep.
SC tomorrow.
It's Christmas break!

Paper Update

I'm up to about 11 pages.
I will never finish this.
I can barely remember a time when I wasn't working on this paper.
Seriously.

All I have left to talk about is the gnostic Gospel of Mary.
Can I talk about that for 4 pages?
Or 3.5 plus a conclusion?

Holy crap. I will seriously never be done.
Can I quit school instead of finishing this paper?



** Man, that was a lot of whining.

Ooh, the dryer buzzed! Clean socks and underpants for the holidays!

Mary Magdalene

I feel like I've been writing about her forever.
I shall never finish this 15 page paper.
Only halfway there, and I should be halfway to SC instead.

She's lovely, and I am glad to do a paper on her.
I am just frustrated that I don't know what else to say
and I have so much space left.
In reality, I have not run out of things to say.
I just can't figure out how to say them.

I've talked about the actual passage I'm focusing on
(John 20:1-18 The empty tomb and resurrection)
and how it contrasts and compares with other similar passages.
Right now I'm talking about how John treats other women.
Then I have to talk about how this portrayal of Mary compares
to the portrayal of her in other gospels, including gnostic ones.
Then there's the Mary Mag mythology to debunk:
-- she was not a whore
-- she was not the Mary of Mary and Martha
-- she was not the one who anointed Jesus with oil

Also, the more I work on this paper, the less I like Peter.
Sure, the church is built on him, the Rock.
But he seems like a bit of a dolt, which Judy told us not to be in college.
He's always rushing to do things without pausing or thinking.
And in the gnostics, he's a jerk to Mary Mag.

Alas, now I must go write these things in my paper...

Dana, Jay and me at the party 

Dana got danced at a lot at Candace's party 

This week of Reading?

So, classes ended last Friday
and exams started yesterday.
The intermittent time is called
Reading Week.
But who really gets to read?
More like Writing Week
or Up Until 3am Week
or Aauuughh! Week.

Here's what I did this week:
3 hours of church nursery
3.5 hours babysitting
8 hours of tutoring children
8 hours of ConEd
2 more than 10 page papers (and one to go!)
2 3am nights writing above papers
2 parties
1 exam

And last night I found out that
whiskey makes me dance.

So much online quizzes... there really is stuff going on in my life...

You Are 27 Years Old

Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe. 13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world. 20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences. 30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more! 40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax.

What Age Do You Act?