It Was Just a Little Thing

Last night I went to Mary’s Place and listened to a cool Reggae/Ska band. I almost didn’t go in. I’m not one for going into a bar when I don’t know anyone inside. But as I got ready to leave, my friend Nukem arrived. I changed my mind and went in. It was a great time. I’m glad his arrival prompted me to stay.

The coolest thing, though, happened today. Nukem gave me a call to make sure I made it home safely. I’m not used to that. Normally, in my little world, it’s me looking out after others. It was really nice to be on the receiving end. In the grand scheme of things, this really was just a little thing. I thanked my friend, but I don’t think he’s figured out what that little gesture meant to me. It really made my day.

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The End of EVE

Yeah, I know, I just posted an entry. This one is different. It's about one of my pasttimes.

I enjoyed playing EVE Online for quite some time. But now, I think it's time to draw it to a close. I just have too much to do. It's also getting a bit boring. I don't think I'll pick up on another MMO for a long time, if ever. I've come to believe that I'm more inclined toward games that have an end. Yes, it's fun to "advance." And it's more fun to finish and start over.

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I Double Dog Down Dare You

The TV rocks! No longer do I have to get up every 2 minutes to jiggle the wire, in hopes of getting a picture or making the squealing noise go away. Now, I turn it on and leave it alone. What a concept!

I can now start working out with my Yoga & Pilates DVD. I had already started with the basic situps, pushups, and weights. I won't stop with that. The basic working out gives me a different feel from yoga-pilates. I can't say I like one more than the other. Either way, I get that kinda fun, tender muscle feel. (*poke* *ow*, *poke* *ow*)

Since the weather has become warmer, I'm also trying to spend time outside in the sun. Mainly, I grab a book and blanket and sit in the backyard. Whenever my friend/landlord, Nukem, comes over to work on things, I see if there's anything I can do to help. Just standing in the sun is boring. Reading in the sun is better. But actually doing somethin in the sun is the best.

Recently, I've needed such things as the sun and exercise (especially the sun) to help me get out of this depressed funk. Yeah, depressed. It has been a long time since I've been in a relationship, and I'm feeling quite lonely. I haven't dated in what feels like ages. I need to get out there where everybody else is. Until that happens, I'll keep working on the buffitude.

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Presbytery of San Francisco says Princeton Theological Seminary = FAIL!

I hadn't heard Adam Walker-Cleaveland's story until yesterday while reading Tony Jones' Beliefnet blog. The short version is that he has jumped through all the hoops required for ordination into the PC(USA). Part of that is the completion of an M.Div., which he got at Princeton Theological Seminary, a Presbyterian seminary. He transferred his membership from his old presbytery to the Presbytery of San Francisco. Additional time in process was expected for them to have a chance to get to know him.

But surprise! The Presbytery of San Francisco has decided that Adam Walker-Cleveland needs to take another 7 courses to fulfill their expectations! In other words, they have effectively declared the education that candidates receive at Princeton Theological Seminary to be insufficient. I don't know whether they would admit to that last statement, but that's what it comes down to: he met Princeton's requirements for an M.Div. degree, and the Committee on Preparation for Ministry said it was not enough for them.

Hard to believe.

Either there's something else going on or the Committee on Prep for SF is dominated by stupidity.

Yet, this is exactly the kind of thing that reminds me of one of my convictions: the current ordination process in the PC(USA) turns the corporate discernment process into a joke.

(Edited to change pic and add Tony Jone's reference.)

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Life is Strange

The unexpected abounds. I've had a series of ups and downs that have happened so fast that it really is like being on a roller coaster. Some of them, I think it's best not to relay. Others, I can.

For the last two years or so, I've been working on saving so that I would be ready in case of a minor disaster. Finally, thanks to the income tax refund, I got there. I even had enough left over to decide to splurge on myself. For my upcoming 4oth birthday, I wanted to get myself something big. After all, we're talking about the big four-oh.

I picked up a 32" Vizio (refurb)! I decided it best to have it shipped to work rather than home. I don't live in the "best" of neighborhoods, and I'm pretty sure that it wouldn't take long for such a package to disapper of fmy porch.

Then, I get an e-mail saying that I forgot to pay. Arrg! What? Apparently, PayPal accounts need to be verified. I did this, but it took a couple of days.

Between the time that I "bought" the TV and "paid" for it, my check engine light came on. It stayed on for a few days (the book said to rund it a few driving cycles and see if it goes off), and then started sounding and acting funny.

Time to get it checked out. I dropped my care off at B&C Transmission. Thankfully, a friend (whom I'll call Nukem, because he has a habit of making my armies glow in Empire Earth) was able to give me a ride back from the transmission shop.

Now, I'm landlocked. Before releasing my car, I stocked up on groceries, so I don't have to worry about that. My cat has absolutely loved the fact that I'm not going anywhere. And I'm (yet again) realizing the blessing of being employed by a company that allows me to work from home when necessary.

I found out today how much it will cost to have my transmission rebuilt. Ouch! But, I guess if this has to happen, now is a good time. After all, this is exactly what I was saving up for. I've got it covered, but it's going to mean tightening the belt for a while. It puts me back 2 years, but it's doable.

I also received today a note from the TV merchant. It says they've sent it out...to my home address! Oh no! It's supposed to go to work. Why here? I don't know. Maybe it has to do with confusion related to the late payment (remember, I had to verify my account). Now my TV is going to appear on my doorstep where I did not want it to end up. This is not good.

Or is it?

I'm landlocked remember. That means I'll be here. Hooray! I won't have my TV shipped to work (where I can't get to it). I can hook it up as soon as it arrives.

And that's just a peek at all the wierdness that has been going on. At times it has been joyful, at others downright frustrating. Yet, I'm strangely at peace with it all. Maybe I can say that because I'm covered. But I like to think that maybe there's a bit of divine help in there, nudging things, keeping me unsettled yet safe. Who knows.

Maybe it's all a matter of perepective. But for me right now, amidst all the turmoil, life is great!

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Bat & Wolf

My friend is a star! Richard created the story for Bat & Wolf, a comic about two old friends of an unusual sort: one vampire and one werewolf. And these aren't the uber-sexy kind other-worldly creatures either, unless you have a major thing for a comb-over. They're misfits. And their existence is about to get a lot more interesting than they expected.

Check it out. It's a lot of fun.

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EVE Synopsis on Destructoid

I've been playing EVE Online for a while now. It's an MMO set in space. What I love about is is its realism. When your ship gets popped, you don't just get to respawn. You have to go buy another. That means spending hard-earned ISK getting back to where you were before the combat. There are consequences. If you don't want to play the price of replacing your ship when you lose in PVP, don't play the the PVP game.

What I loath about the game is its realism. If I get my ship popped, I will have to replace it. I don't want to have to spend all that time re-earning the ISK to get back to where I started.

(Surely, you see how this is going.)

Seriously, it's a great game.

While searching EVE Online for information about the character races, I noticed a link to this stellar synopsis of the game: EVE: The Unforgiving - A Basic Understanding of CCP's Masterpiece. Anyone looking for an MMO should read that article and consider EVE.

And if you do decide to join, let me know so I can give you a referral.

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