I'm alive, mostly

The last time I updated was during Reading Week I believe. That seems so long ago, those days of forced relaxation. For the past two weeks I have pretty much lived in the gym working on the Book Sale, which is a huge event that raises money for seminaries in developing countries. After using ever free minute for almost two weeks sorting books and cataloguing the rare stuff so we could get more money for it, the sale completely overtook my life since Friday.
Friday: 12pm-10pm - Haul books upstairs and start setting up.
Saturday: 10:30am-10pm(ish) - Set-up
Sunday: 11am-7pm -Set-up, 7-9 Preveiw Sale, 9-10:30 clean-up
Monday: in the gym 8am-10pm, except for coming back to campus to deposit money, and getting my stitches out in the afternoon (yay!)
Tuesday: in the gym 8am-11pm
Wednesday: in the gym 8am-2am for the last day of the sale then clean-up.

It's a good cause and I enjoy a lot of it, but I haven't gone to classes this week, my feet hurt, and I'm exhausted. I've also eaten a lot of junk because of missing meals in the cafeteria.

But we did find two books from the 1600's worth several thousand dollars, and a Journal of John Wesley from 1800s that the United Methodist archives is buying from us.

And apparently it's been beautiful outside, so I hope to see that today. I'm babysitting all afternoon, so maybe I'll take the kids to a park.

Have my cake, and eat it too.

I don't think of myself as a very demanding person (you are free to disagree . . .) but I REALLY wanted to have my way with this one.
Me: Can I come to Ghana around the 18th so I can go to a dear friend's wedding in California?
Rev. Dogbe: No problem!
YAY! It's a paraphrase, but it gets the point across.

And there's more

Right after writing that post I received an email notifying me that I have been placed at Bishop Speaks AME Zion Church. I need confirm with them soon so we can get paperwork started, but I'm not yet 100% sure I want to go. I'm rereading my journals from when I was in Ghana before, as well as meeting with the girl who was at that placement two years ago. I also just sent an email to the pastor suggesting the wedding-altered schedule, and I'm not sure which I'll choose if they can't work around the wedding. So keep me in prayer for where my butt and I will spend the summer.

Tail Tale

I saw the surgeon this afternoon and he said everything looks good so far. I get stitches out in 12 days. In the mean time, I have to continue staying off my rear until at least Monday, and then I still can't be sitting too extensively.
I have a nice little set-up here in my room, although my hips and shoulders are sore from being laid on far more than usual. I've been eating standing up in the cafeteria and otherwise mostly laying in bed watching movies or doing internet things or chatting with people. So far I've watched both the A&E and the newest versions of Pride and Prejudice, and all 4.5 hours of the extended version of Return of the King.
In other news, I had my second international field ed interview today with the other Ghana site. I hope to know soon which wants me, and convince them to let me push my start date back a few weeks so I can go to this summer's big event, the much-anticipated Bianca/Andrew nuptuals.

Rump Update

Surgery went well and I've been in bed since then. I have my computer set up so I can reach it while laying here. I'm only in a little pain, and am only going to take painkillers if it gets really bad. So far I've watched 3 Gilmore Girls episodes, 5 Friends episodes and half of That Thing You Do. Friends are taking care of me - bringing food, visiting, etc. So far so good.

BS Day!

No, not the card came, nor the expletive. Butt Surgery! Tomorrow morning at 7:30am. So by the time you West Coast folk are getting I'll probably be back in my dorm room doped up on codine. So keep me in your prayers, mostly for a speedy and infection-free recovery. This next would be a great week for those of you who I haven't talked to in a while to give me a call, since I certainly won't be busy ;)

Whining (like Jeni, only not pregnant, and therefore with less of an excuse)

Surgery
My surgery for my butt cyst will be this Friday at 7:30am. It will be under local anesthesia and will only take about an hour. Then I'll spend about 10 days staying off my butt (aka laying on my stomache and standing). The logistics of this is a little mind-boggling, but that next week is reading week, so I'll just be doing my reading in bed.
Field Ed
Have I whined enough about the field ed office yet? No, because I haven't told the promised 'why they're having me interview with Ghana' story.
The short version is, and this is as direct of a quote as I can remember from Chester, my field ed "advisor": 'it's like we have a barrel of students (i.e. 14 students), and we pull them out and try to place them in the best site for each of them. Then you were left for Ghana.' Yes, he actually told me that.
And it gets worse.
Yesterday I had a phone interview scheduled for 8am my time with Bishop Speaks AME Zion church in Accra. I arrived a little early at the field ed office to find it locked and nobody there. At 8:18, Harry, the other field ed "advisor" arrives for work and I tell him that I was supposed to be on the phone with Ghana at 8. So he goes into the office, hunts down the phone number, and calls the church. Then he says to the pastor (again, almost direct quote): "Rev. Dogbe, I have a student here who wants to talk to you about summer field ed. Here she is." And hands me the phone! No introduction, no explanation for calling almost 1/2 hour late, no apology. So I got a 25 minute interview (they're expected to be about 1 hour), then when I came out of the office in which I was interviewing the office assistant (who I usually consider the only semi-reliable person in that ridiculous office) said 'sorry I was running a little late' then proceeded to explain that she hasn't been able to get in touch with the other church I am supposed to interview with. I'm considering writing a formal letter of complaint to the Dean of Student Life about how this office is screwing me over. Unfortunately, I can't remember the appropriate non-colloguial term for 'screw me over.' I'm not sure I want to travel to Africa under the auspices of an office that can't even remember to show up when they've scheduled an international interview. At least I know how to get myself around in and out of Ghana when they fly me to the wrong airport then forget that I exist and think that I dropped out of school and therefore cancel my loans and I don't graduate. That's a little melodramatic, but with all the s#%@ that office has already put me through while I'm only living 200ft away, I can't imagine what it'll be like when I am out of the country.
Seriously folks, it should not be too much to ask to have an ounce of tact and reliability.

Oh, now that's just gross!

Remember that time freshman year when I fell on my tail bone and thought I broke it and it's been hurting sporadically ever since? Five years after the fact I go to the doctor and learn the really disgusting truth:
I have a pilonidal cyst. I won't go into details, but prepare to be grossed out if you choose to research it for yourself. It's not dangerous, but I will be having it surgically removed either next month or after I get back from Africa, depending on the surgeon's recommendation.
If you've heard Dave's stories of cyst nastiness from college, this is the same thing he had.
Ew. That's about all I have to say about that.

Lent-tastic

I celebrated Shrove Tuesday (aka Mardi Gras) in style by gorging myself on half-priced appetizers at Applebees with some friends last night. Ah, the feast before the fast.
So overall I'm pretty bad at the whole giving something up for Lent thing. I was much better at it as a kid when 'because you're supposed to' was a good enough reason for me to give up cookies or salad dressing or whatever. But once I actually understand the purpose of giving something up (ie. cultivating a longing for Christ and identifying with his suffering), I had a really hard time thinking of things that would have that impact on my life, rather than just self-denying for its own sake.
But this year I'm back on it. The plan is to eat bland food, because life without Jesus would be bland. This being the first day of Lent, I'm not exactly sure yet what that will look like, but I figure there'll be a lot of rice, bread, hummus, and meat without sauce involved. I think I should still be able to eat pretty healthfully on this plan, and by the time Easter comes around I will definitely be longing for something with flavor.
There is much discussion on campus about the imposition of ashes. Are they self-righteous, it is meaningful, is it a good witness, etc. Thoughts?

The Late, Great Bruce Metzger

New Testament Scholar and Bible Translator Bruce Metzger Dies
Princeton, NJ, February 15, 2007–Dr. Bruce Manning Metzger, New Testament professor emeritus at Princeton Theological Seminary and one of the preeminent American New Testament critics and biblical translators of the twentieth century, died February 13, 2007, at the University Medical Center at Princeton, at the age of 93.

Bruce Metzger was born in Middletown, Pennsylvania on February 9, 1914. After gaining a B.A. from Lebanon Valley College in 1935, he entered Princeton Theological Seminary, graduating with a Th.B. in 1938. So began a life-long association with Princeton Theological Seminary during which Bruce Metzger became not only a legend himself but also one of the school's greatest intellectual ornaments. He was ordained in the United Presbyterian Church (now the PCUSA) in 1939. In 1944 he married Isobel Elizabeth, the elder daughter of John Alexander Mackay, the great third president of the Seminary, who rebuilt and revitalized the school after the divisions of the 1920s. Bruce Metzger's sheer brilliance, clarity, and Christian devotion set a standard all of his own. He taught while he continued to study (Princeton University, M.A. [1940], Ph.D. [1942], Classics), serving as teaching fellow in New Testament Greek 1938–40 and as instructor in New Testament 1940–44. He was appointed assistant professor 1944–48; associate professor 1948–54 and professor 1954–84. He was named the George L. Collord Professor of New Testament Language and Literature in 1964. He retired in 1984 and was named professor emeritus.

An absolutely preeminent New Testament scholar, Metzger was known internationally for his work in biblical translation and the history of the Bible’s versions and canonization. He was one of the world leaders in textual study of the New Testament, the Apocrypha and the Pseudepigrapha. He served as Chair of the Committee on Translation of the American Bible Society 1964–70, and as Chair of the Committee of Translators for the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible 1977–90. The impact of this work is incalculable and Bruce Metzger saw it through the press almost single-handedly. The NRSV, published in 1990, made changes to the RSV in paragraph structure and construction, eliminated archaisms while retaining the Tyndale-King James tradition, polished renderings in the interest of accuracy, clarity, and felicity of English expression, and eliminated masculine language referring to people, insofar as this did not distort historical accuracy. In 1993 Bruce Metzger presented a copy of the NRSV, Catholic Edition, to Pope John Paul II at the Vatican. Bruce Metzger understood and was passionate about the significance of biblical translation for ecumenical dialogue. In 1957 he served on the committee that translated the Apocrypha (the committee included the original RSV Committee plus Metzger, Floyd Filson, Robert Pfeiffer, and Allen Wikgren). In 1972 he chaired the sub-committee that translated 3 and 4 Maccabees and Psalm 151 for an expanded version of the Apocrypha. He personally presented this expanded version to His All Holiness Demetrios I in 1976. It was important to him that Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, and Protestant Christians be able to have recourse to a common biblical text as an instrument of unity.

Bruce Metzger cared about and provided for his students. Generations have been grateful for his Lists of Words Occurring Frequently in the Coptic New Testament, and his Lexical Aids for Students of New Testament Greek (first published in 1946) became a standard study tool. He edited The Oxford Annotated Bible in 1962, and in 1966, along with Kurt Aland, Matthew Black, and Allen Wikgren, edited the United Bible Societies' edition of the Greek New Testament. This text, especially adapted to meet the needs of Bible translators, with its beautiful original font and indication of the relative degree of certainty for each variant adopted in the text, proved to be an enduring landmark. The editors were later joined by Carlo Martini (the Cardinal Archbishop of Milan from 1980 to 2002). A warm friendship grew between Metzger and Matthew Black, the doyen of Scottish text-critical scholars. The honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity from St Andrews University was bestowed on Bruce Metzger in 1964, and all Scots are moved by seeing that he is wearing his St Andrews tie in his portrait in Princeton Seminary’s Speer Library.

There were other honors. In 1994, Bruce Metzger was awarded the Burkitt Medal for Biblical Studies by The British Academy in London (of which he had been a Corresponding Fellow since 1978). This is only awarded in recognition of a lifetime of distinguished biblical study. Bruce Metzger was elected president of Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas (1971), the International Society of Biblical Literature (1971), and was the first president of the North American Patristic Society (1972). He was a member of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton (1969 and 1974) and visiting fellow at Clare Hall, Cambridge (1974) and Wolfson College, Oxford (1979).
There were many other books, among which the classic studies The Text of the New Testament, Its Transmission, Corruption, and Restoration (1964, and translated into German, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Italian and Russian) and The Early Versions of the New Testament, Their Origin, Transmission, and Limitations (1977) have been particularly influential. Bruce Metzger's last publication before his death was Apostolic Letters of Faith, Hope, and Love: Galatians, 1 Peter, and I John (2006).

Bruce Metzger cared passionately about the Bible, and in 1982 became the general editor of the Reader's Digest Condensed Bible. He lectured throughout the nation and the world, in North and South America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Korea, Japan, and South Africa, often at churches and universities where his former students ministered and taught. He was awarded honorary doctorates by Lebanon Valley College, Findlay College, St. Andrews University, the University of Münster, and Potchefstroom University in South Africa.
A Bible autographed by Bruce Metzger is sealed in the time capsule embedded in the corner of Princeton Seminary’s Scheide Hall.

Princeton Seminary President Iain R. Torrance said that, “despite all his distinctions, Bruce Metzger never lost his modesty, or his courteous welcome, genuine interest in and encouragement for much younger scholars. He was a warm and supportive colleague within the Seminary and beloved by many scholars and lay people in Princeton and throughout the world.”
Bruce Metzger is survived by his wife, Isobel, and his sons John Mackay Metzger and James Bruce Metzger. There will be a memorial service to give thanks for Bruce Metzger's lifeon Tuesday, 20th February at 2.00 p.m. in Nassau Presbyterian Church in Princeton.



[above: PTS students with Dr. Metzger after a seminar he led at Princeton UMC in Oct. 2005.]

Snow Day!

That's right, classes are cancelled due to crazy bad ice and snow. Wahoo!

In honor of the frigid weather, I'm posting this photo of me in Ghana, which serves both as a reminder that the sun is not all it's cracked up to be and as a precursor for a forthcoming post on the Field Ed office's explanation for why they are having me interview with Ghana sites for international field ed this summer.

Still here

I'd like to be able to say my fortnight's foray into the world of oblivion was filled with fascinating things to keep me busy and away from blogging. The reality is that I've been working a whole lot and going to classes.
I have to plan the spring retreat for my field ed church. This is not an especially daunting task, except that the theme is something along the lines of a spiritual spa. Now those who know me know my propensity toward ascetisicm (if not in reality than at least ideally), so my inclination was to do something on spiritual disciplines, kind of a weekend as a monk/nun thing. It probably comes as less of a surprise to you than it did to me that being a Religious for a weekend is not that appealing to the common church-goer. Hence, the theme of spiritual spa. I figured I could spin that so it sounds like a rejuvenating self-care weekend, then come out of left field with the idea that there's no place for self-indulgence in the Christian life (self-care is necessary and good in as much as it prepares us to live lives worthy of our calling in the world) and it's really all about God and not about us at all. It doesn't sound like that's the direction the Adult Education chair would have it go. We haven't done much in the way of planning, so I still have time to work with my supervisor and get the direction headed where I think it's more appropriate to go (i.e. toward God, not toward ourselves). I said something at our last meeting about having a flow of the weekend that goes from interiority, to focus on God, to being sent out into the world, and latter two seem to be very clearly lower on the hierarchy of importance. Thoughts on how to extricate the self-indulgent form of self-care from the spiritual spa weekend?

p.s. This is petty, I know, but the confusion of e.g. and i.e. is a pet peeve of mine. So for the greater good of all, here's the deal. E.g. stands for exempli gratia, which means 'for the sake of example': (She likes fruit, e.g. strawberries). I.e. stands for id est, which means 'that is': ((I can read Greek, i.e. Koine Greek).

We Do NYC Right

Once each semester NJ transit is free for students, which means an el cheapo day in the great Manhattan for those willing to brave the cold. It's amazing how much you can pack into one day in the city.
1. The Cloisters: Obviously I had to go to the Cloisters. Marcy and Rachel and I rode the train in to the City, then took the subway way way uptown to this great museum. The building itself is parts of cloisters brought over from Europe, and it is full of great religious art, mostly medieval. If you've seen Keeping the Faith, this is where the filmed the scene where Anna and the Rabbi and his mom are walking around in a garden.
2. The NYC Public Library: Another obvious stop for me. I hadn't made it there yet in all my trips to the City, so after Rachel left us for her field ed church Marcy and I took a tour of the library. I didn't realize that it's actually an amazing research library with some really significant holdings, such as the first Gutenberg Bible to cross the Atlantic.
3. TV Show tapings: Tickets to tv show filmings are free, so we got on the stand by list at Letterman then ran down to The Colbert Report and waited there to get on stand by until an intern from The Daily Show with John Stewart came over and said they had extra tickets, so we went there. If you happened to watch on Wednesday night I was in the audience.
4. Cheap Diner Dinner: We managed to find cheap and tasty burgers on Broadway :)
5. Train home: If ever we are travelling together and I want to drink 3 cups of coffee minutes before an hour long train ride, just say no. I won't elaborate on the consequences.

Other than the day of galavanting, I've been spending this break working at Bonner and earning my keep. Meanwhile, Dave is at the Sundance Film Festival chillaxing with the likes of Samuel L. Jackson, Justin Timberlake, and Christina Ricci. At least that's who he was in the same room as yesterday. But I did see Cornel West on the street the other day (he's a very famous philosopher), so it's almost the same really.

See this!

Last night I went to see Blood Diamond. I can't adequately explain in a post how convicting and disturbing and important this movie is. You should all see it (except Bianca). It is very violent and hard to watch, but it is so well done.

Done!

I am officially half way through my seminary career. As of yesterday my finals were over. I make no claims or promises about how they went, but I'm done and that's enough for me. Spring classes start Jan. 29th, so I have a few days and next work to put in hours at work, vegetate, catch up with people, and frolic in NYC. Huzzah!

Sometimes PTS really burns my buttons!

Exhibit A: The Library
As of Friday at 9am it is officially finals week. We have papers and exams staggered throughout the week except for on Sunday and Monday (MLK Day), although I do actually have something due at 5 on Monday. Does the Library extend its hours during this stressful and work-heavy time? NO! They close at 5pm (really they start kicking people out at 4:45) on Friday and Saturday, don't open until 3pm on Sunday (come on, even the Pentecostals are out of church way before then), and are CLOSED on Monday for MLK Day. The best theological library in the Western world (literally!) and we can't access it during the most academically rigorous week of the term.

Exhibit B: Computer Services
Our network was down for scheduled maintenance for 5 hours today. Now granted it's Sunday, so 9-12 seems like a safe bet to shut down the Seminary network. But it is still finals week, and I was one of many who opted out of attending church this morning. To top it off, it is now 3:20 and the network just came back up, but I still can't access the PTS website, including the Library catalog, which I need now that the library is open. Come on people, we have inter-semester break in a week and noone will have any homework at all. You couldn't schedule your maintenance one week later?

Exhibit C: Dining Services
As of Friday after lunch the dining hall is closed until the first day of classes, January 29th. For this week we have to get our own food, which wouldn't be a huge deal except that eating out is really pricey in P-town, and the two little kitchens available for student use are hardly equipped for preparing a decent meal. Not to mention, the meal plan is a ridiculus rip-off anyway.

Exhibit D: The Systematic Theology Final
Suffice it to say that noone has any clue what is expected of us, and the stupid terms that we have to define and turn in can't be completed without referring to books from other classes because what the professors lectured on was not systematic theology. I've used my college textbook and notes for most of my preparation thus far. I've spent a lot of time whining with my classmates about this one, so I'll leave it at that.

Exhibit E: The Registrar's Final Paper system
We have been told to turn in final papers to the registrar's office at certain times. For some people this time is during another exam. For most people, we don't trust the registrar to get our papers to the professor, and the professors don't trust them either, so we are mostly circumventing that system and turning things in via e-mail or campus mail or sliding papers under doors to avoid the disaster that we all fear could come of the registrar being responsible for anything involving our academic success.

But they're Princeton and they've been here for 200 years and they pay for us to go here, so they can do whatever they want (insert sarcasm here).

Where has the time gone?

It's mostly gone into spending time in the Springs with Claire and Dave :) I love those crazy kids. We didn't do anything extraordinary, just lived like normal as a little family of three for the week, drinking tea and watching movies and running errands. We searched for dancing shoes for Dave, did six large loads of laundry, cooked a lot, took advantage of Dave being at work to eat foods he can't have, and had an altogether pleasant time together. One thing will never be the same though . . .

that's right, I got a tattoo! It's the Hebrew root pronounced arash and it means "betroth." It's the word used in Hosea 2:19 ("I will betroth you to me forever, says the Lord.") I chose it because it represents God's covenant with me in Christ, and it's on my ring finger because whether I marry or not Christ is my first love and my primary commitment, and is more committed to me than a husband can be. (Don't worry, I didn't do this on a whim. I've wanted a tattoo for about 5 years and this particular design for quite a while. The tattoist, Doc, is a pretty rad guy, and it was much less painful than I thought it would be.)

I got back to P-town yesterday afternoon, quickly read and planned for the class I teach at church, taught the class, then worked into the week hour of the morning on my Job paper that was due this morning at 10am. That paper is out of the way now and it is officially finals week. That hasn't really hit me yet. I'm sure I have a ton to do, but for now I need to clean my wretched mess of a room.

And not that he ever reads this, what with the lack to internet at home and all, but HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVE!

"Break"

I made it home finally on Tuesday night. I need to have been working on papers, but I haven't done much of that yet. Tomorrow morning I preach both services at my home church, then go down to the Springs with Claire and Dave for the week. And now you know :)

The Blizzard

I wish I could give you a first hand account of the huge blizzard that has hit Colorado. Unfortunately I can't because I'm in New Jersey where it hasn't snowed a bit this season. After 2 flight cancellation and 5 hours on hold with United airlines I finally got an agent at 2 this morning and am on a flight out of Newark on Tuesday. The dorms are open so I'm not homeless, and I know some people in town so I should be able to find a home to be in for Christmas dinner. I guess I'll be writing my papers and maybe crochet a scarf for when I do get to see the snow. I'll try to make the best of it - maybe go to the City for a day or something. Merry Christmas everyone.

So close!

Tomorrow afternoon I hop a plane to Denver, where I will arrive approximatey 2 hours after Claire and Dave leave, find Dave's car in the DIA parking lot and drive the little jaunt to my parents' place. Today has been a rollercoaster of finishing stuff up, but I'm almost there.

• Poetry and the Care of Souls final paper? Check. Weighing in at 5 pages and less than 2 hours (so maybe that shouldn't really count as part of the victorious end of the day.)
• German Church Struggle presentation? Check. That was actually on Friday. I covered all 45 years of the Church history of East Germany in about 45 minutes. Whew!
• German Church Struggle final paper? Check. 18 beautiful pages on the causes for disaffiliation from the Church in East Germany. It pulled information from the presentation, but was really a separate deal.
• Job photocopying? Check. One of the great injustices of this particular seminary is that finals are in January, which means I'll be writing papers and studying during the "break." So I spent a lot of today photocopying articles on the status of women, inheritance rights, and the various interpretations of Job 42:14-15 (which, incidentally, was probably the first scripture passage I ever had memorized).
• Return library books? Double check. I hauled 22 book to Firestone library (about the distance from Whitworth to Safeway) in my big backpack, then returned about 15 more to the seminary library.

Other interesting tidbits:

• I was busy enough the past few days that I had to schedule my shower this morning.
• I am going to go blind because I'm cheap. In an effort to save money on photo copies, since I have so darn many, I regularly set the machine to quadruple duplex, which means it shrinks the pages to fit 4 on each side. The font size that leaves me with is, well, tine. Think Gideon Bible.
• TGI Friday's Potato Skins (the kind you buy in a bag at the store, not the fresh restaurant ones) are amazing, and they have less fat that a bag of smart pop white cheddar popcorn.
• Chocolate milk, also amazing.

And now I am going to pack the clothes that I washed between classes today, that it took two full cycles (aka $1.50) to get dry.

Now that I have your attention

Remember that clapping thing teachers do to get kids' attention? Clap, clap, clapclapclap. Then the kids are all immediately silent and respond, as if by instinct, clap, clap, clap. Well in Seminary we have a grown up and theologized version of the the same thing.
This morning in chapel the "quiet please" sign was in the entry way. I think technically we are supposed to be quiet in the chapel before the service starts everyday, but most people ignore that and chat with the person next to them and greet friends. Apparently today the powers that be really wanted us to be quiet. But we are in church and you can't just yell at everyone to be quiet. So you get people to shush in a no less direct but very churchy way.
"The Lord be with you" says the liturgist (or in this case the chapel worker).
"and also with you" the congregation (Seminarians) reply, as if by instinct. It's like our ears are specially trained to hear this phrase and respond in turn. Even if the person who says it isn't speaking much louder than the din in the room, we all snap to attention (well, turn to face the front anyway) and reply in perfect unison without missing a beat. Everyone is quiet and attentive.
Normally this phrase is followed by "Let us pray." Today the chapel worker said "Let us prepare for worship in silence." What a very tactful and church-appropriate way to tell us to shush. Give it a try next time you need to pray in a large group in which people are still talking. It's a lot less awkward than being that person who is having a loud conversation then suddenly realizes they are the only one in room who's talking and everyone else has their heads bowed.

Us PTS folk are like well-oiled liturgy machines :) Some people don't like the roteness of that high liturgical tradition where everyone knows what to say and when, but I like it. It becomes part of your spirituality and the way you think when it's that deeply engrained. For example, the congregational responsed of the traditional Eucharist liturgy
L: . . . as we proclaim the mystery of the faith:
P: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.
and
L: . . . as we join the heavenly chorus:
P: Holy, Holy, Holy Lord
God of power and might.
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
What can I say, I'm a closet Catholic ;)

Over the Rhine

This evening I'm going to see one of my favorite bands perform in Philadelphia. Over the Rhine are an amazing husband and wife group that Shelly introduced the cloister to during senior year. They are from Ohio, and since PTS holds a wealth of midwesterners I've found many Over the Rhine loving compatriots. Here are some favorite lyrics to whet your appetite.

Drunkard's Prayer
You're my water
You're my wine
You're my whiskey
From time to time

You're the hunger
On my bones
All the nights
I sleep alone

Sweet intoxication
When your words
Wash over me
Whether or not
Your lips move
You speak to me

Like an ocean
Without waves
You're the movement
That I crave
And in that motion
I long to drown
And be lost
not to be found

You're my water
You're my wine
You're my whiskey
From time to time

Latter Days
What a beautiful piece of heartache this has all turned out to be.
Lord knows we've learned the hard way all about healthy apathy.
And I use these words pretty loosely.There's so much more to life than words.

There is a me you would not recognize, dear. Call it the shadow of myself.
And if the music starts before I get there dance without me. You dance so gracefully.
I really think I'll be o.k. They've taken their toll these latter days.

Nothin' like sleepin' on a bed of nails. Nothin' much here but our broken dreams.
Ah, but baby if all else fails, nothin' is ever quite what it seems.
And I'm dyin' inside to leave you with more than just cliches.

There is a me you would not recognize, dear. Call it the shadow of myself.
And if the music starts before I get there dance without me. You dance so gracefully.
I really think I'll be o.k. They've taken their toll these latter days.

But tell them it's real. Tell them it's really real.I just don't have much left to say.
They've taken their toll these latter days.They've taken their toll these latter days.

Someday
and if you call my name
make it clear
and if you call my namemake it plain
and if you call my name
make it evident
i wouldn't miss it for the world
and if you need my attention
be bizarre
feel free to ignore convention(it's alright)
and if it's a matter of permission
you can do me harm
i wouldn't miss it for the
world
someday
i'll pray
don't leave me alone
and if you call my name
call it again
my mind's been known to wonder
call it again
you know i've been waiting
for this since God knows when
i wouldn't miss it for the
world

Ba!

In case you couldn't tell, that title was a spirant resebling Charlie Brown's argh. I'm issuing it retroactively, 3 of the causes for my overwhelmedness having been resolved by now.
First, the sermon. I preach in church on the 10th, but was supposed to turn in a manuscript to the pastor on Tuesday. Last night (Wednesday) at 10pm I chucked what I had written and started over. Today at noon I sent in what I had. I'm not happy with it yet, but I'm too close to it and need to take a few days off to let the text steep. In the mean time, I have to write another sermon to preach in class on Monday, but in an effort to remain unexasperated I've determined not to think about that yet.
Second, the class. I teach adult ed every Thursday evening. It's a curriculum for which there are daily theology and Bible readings. As of 3:30 this afternoon I had done no reading and no preparation. By 6:15 I had gathered literary sources on Grace (a sermon by John Wesley, a hymn by Charles Wesley, and the resurrection of Aslan from LWW), a playlist of songs about grace, a slideshow of works of art depicting grace, a movie clip about grace from "Luther," and three Bible passages about grace. I still hadn't done the readings, but class went pretty well.
Third, the application. I'm applying to do international field ed next summer and the rather extensive application is due tomorrow. I need to run to the drug store in the morning to print out a picture of myself to go with it, but other than that it's done. So if all goes well I will be in South Africa (that's my first choice) or Ghana or the Dominican Republic or Brazil or somewhere else entirely in 7 months from now.
I'm not out of the woods yet. I am in charge of an all-day retreat this Saturday (not teaching it, just running it), preach Monday, and have big papers and presentations coming up very quickly. But for now I can enjoy a moment to breathe. Ah.

Long Lost Motivation

I've entered this brief holiday break with a spring break mindset. Which is to say, homework schmomework. I need to write one sermon (Malachi 3:1-4) and do the exegetical work for another (an OT narrative to be chosen), start and finish my international field ed application, outline a final paper, and do all my normal weekly reading. So far I have finished reading "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe, hung out with Rachel and watched The Nun's Story, watched 2 Harry Potter movies, had 2 Thanksgiving dinners, watched another movie, and slept plenty. This evening I'm having dinner with Kevin and Alisa and playing with the baby, then maybe going to see Babel. Maybe tomorrow I'll switch into 'work like crazy trying to get even a fraction of my assignments done' mode. We'll see. This is where my history of procrastination working out fine in the end starts to work against me. I know all those papers will get written. I think I've deluded myself into believing that I have magical paper-producing abilities.

Ah, the Giving of the Thanks

It's almost the big day. The day of eating and rest and not doing homework and being with great people. Over the last 5 years since I've been away for Thanksgiving I've enjoyed getting to join other families and friends. This year I'll join 2! At 2pm I'll go to Corrie and Shane's place for round one, the highlight of which will be seeing Jim and Janie (that right, Edwards! Eat your heart out Whitworthians) and playing with small children. Then at 5pm I'll go to my field ed supervisor's home to join her family and some others from the church for round two. I also get to housesit and borrow a car this week, which affords me a rare level of freedom and independence. I plan to make the most of it.
This afternoon I preached for my preaching class. It went well, especially considering I haven't delivered a sermon in about 4 years, and am not used to speaking from a manuscript. I enjoyed the process of exegesis and writing, and I'm glad to have the first one done so I can prepare for the next three.
On Wednesday Sarah and I are taking the o'dark am train to the City to hear Rachel preach at the 7:30am chapel service of Brick Presbyterian Church, then we may putz around the city for a bit. I love Manhattan, so I might as well stay a few hours once I'm up there.
This week's joy has been discovering that I can watch Brian Regan on YouTube. No I'm not a creepy stalker. He's my favorite comedian, and you should all check him out.

how 'bout that global warming, eh?

It was in the 70s today. I was walking through downtown Princeton in a t-shirt. In November. Although it was lovely to enjoy my hoagie outside on a bench with the leaves falling, and although it was splendid getting ice cream this evening and walking back to campus with a huge scoop of chocolate with cherries on a sugar cone, this can't be a good sign. I feel a little better about it because it's supposed to snow in Denver tomorrow.

the seatedness of your posture

A week with Shelly was just what I need to relax and refresh before being confronted head-on by the madness that will characterize the rest of the semester.
We went to see the band Velella Velella at a bar in St. Paul. The lead singer is a Whitworth guy. It was fun and loud and smoky and the band wore kids' Halloween costume.
We helped her new teammate, who coincidentally knows some seminary folk, move into his new apartment and watched her team leaders' kids for a few hours. They were having laugh attacks, and we ate pizza.
We went to the Minneapolis public library, which is huge and beautiful. It was a cold day for riding the light rail.

We ate Somali food for lunch (basmati rice and goat meat). I got my hair cut and we got manicures at the Aveda Institute. They have amazing tea there, and I like my hair cut (and so does Frankfurter Schwenkfeld). We had dinner with her roomie and another teammate (tomato basil soup from scratch) and watched Keeping the Faith, a movie I enjoy a whole lot.

We went to the global market and ate mexican sandwiches and pumpkin ice cream and enjoyed all the handicrafts made or imported by the international populations of the Cities
I got on a plane, got off a plane in Chicago, ate Chipotle with Fishy (took an awkward in the car at the passenger drop-off picture), then returned to here.

Apparently eating was a highlight. Of course I did some reading/writing while Shelly was at work, so Reading Week did live up to its name a little bit. I even translated some Greek, which I haven't done in ages. I love having friends to visit in cool places :) And I love Shelly and Fishy.

Feliz Compleanos!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BIANCA!!!
Today is the day of the birth of the only Bianca I know.
Memories of Bianca:
laughing until I almost peed my pants during the first weeks of s-group telling life stories in her room, and the marathon s-group sessions that followed for the subsequent two years.
Biting and tackling in Didiers.
Nerts and the cup game in SAGA.
Being the "guest speaker" for her youth group retreat, including snow fights, singing, and much giggling.
Seeing many sea creatures for the first time (for me, not for her) at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
Apple-picking at Greenbluff.
Galavanting around the Twin Cities.
Cloister time. (See the Cloister below: me, Claire, Bianca, Shelly)
Many hours at Starbucks studying and smelling like coffee.
Galavanting around Seattle.
Squeeling over her and Andrew finally getting together.
Trying not to sing along during "Footloose" in Sacramento.







4 weddings, and counting. (See her and Fishy with Jeni's bouquet below)
Her falling asleep anywhere and everywhere.
The retreating cake knives from Jeni's locked house fiasco.
Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility.
(note: Bianca has a knack for taking pictures, so she's not in them, and thus I only have a handful of digital pictures of her, although probably 1/2 of the pictures on my computer were taken by her.)

unprecedented domesticity

Yesterday morning Rachel, my co-deacom, and I took our girls apple picking at a local orchard then spent the entire afternoon making apple crisp. We gave one to the woman who cleans our building, Rosa, another to one of the administrative offices, and took three to dinner in the cafeteria to share with everyone. We still have 3 more to bake. Oh, and while we were baking we watched A Little Princess. :)

Now I'm heading to Minneapolis for the rest of reading week to visit Shelly!

Music Meme

As seen on I Love Jeni!

IF YOUR LIFE WAS A MOVIE, WHAT WOULD YOUR SOUNDTRACK BE?
So, here's how it works:
1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that's playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button
6. Don't lie and try to pretend you're cool..

Opening Credits: "If God Will Send His Angels" by U2

Waking Up: "Save Me, O God" by Enter the Worship Circle

First Day At School: "Texas" by Newcomer's Home (I love this song. It's what Claire and Dave listened to right after they got engaged.)

Falling In Love: "My Lady's House" by Iron and Wine

Breaking Up: "Ordinary" by Late Tuesday

Prom: "Heart and Bones" by Paul Simon

Life's OK: "Spit on a Stranger" by Nickel Creek

Mental Breakdown: "If I Have to Walk Alone" by Newcomer's Home

Driving: "Benediction" by Eastmountainsouth

Flashback: "Tomorrow is a Long Time" by Nickel Creek

Getting Back Together: "Dancing Cheek to Cheek" performed by Louis Armstrong

Wedding: "Volcanoland" by Caedmon's Call

Birth of Child: "That I Would be Good" by Alanis Morisette

Final Battle: "Beautiful Day" by U2

Death Scene: "On Revival Day" by LaVerne Baker (yes! My favorite swing song, to which I danced with my best friend's husband at their wedding.) - "have you ever seen a church begin to rock, heard a son down deep and preachin' to his flock . . ."

Funeral Song: "I Know What I Know" by Paul Simon

End Credits: "Sarala" by Caedmon's Call (rickshaw driver begs the question, are all these red lights just suggestions? Oh it's gonna be okay, they know a dead man can't pay, Sarala)

Yesterday

Likes:
Wearing my new green argyle cardigan.
My new galoshes that I ordered on e-bay arrived. They are black with big white flowers.
Skimming "A Plain Account of Christian Perfection" in preparation for leading my Theology precept. I am SO Methodist.
Singing "Pass it On" in the cafeteria at lunch (with friends quietly at our table, not in front of people).
Teaching all the Presbyterians in my Theology precept about Wesley's doctrine of sanctification. Again, SO Methodist.
Helping my girls hang spider web stuff in the hall. Jeana was on Laura's shoulders with Laura standing on a chair so they could attach it to the ceiling.
Treating myself to Panera for dinner.
Putting together bags of goodies and little notes with Rachel for the girls on our floor.
Watching "A Secret Garden" (the 1993 version).

Dislikes:
Starting the day by moderating a 7am Missions and Stewardship Committee meeting. That's right, 7AM.
Not enough honey for my biscuit at breakfast.
One of the Theology professors sitting in on the precept I was leading. It went fine, but it does add a certain degree of pressure, especially since I was throwing in all the Wesley stuff at this lovely Reformed institution in which Wesley barely gets a nod in anything, especially theology.
Not having done any of the reading for the class I teach at church.
Generally being in a hurry and behind on things.
My room, the den of filth.

Today is Friday, glorious Friday. I only have 2 classes, then it's officially Reading Week. I have lofty goals for getting things done, and I'll be spending Tuesday - Saturday with the fabulous Shelly in Minneapolis. We'll drink tea and galavant and such and it will be lovely.

Focus!

It used to be a little scary how focused I could be on studying. Senior year it was common for me to be at Encor by 8:30am and read until after 12, even 1 or 2. I'd see several baristas (Catherine, Anna, Tim, Sarah G) come and go, and get insane amounts of work done. This worked out nicely for the other religion majors too, since a lot of the work I did around midterms and finals was extnsive study guides which I freely shared with whomever might benefit (I think some of them are still being passed around). I could drill Hebrew vocab in the Cafe for 4 hours at a time, and I almost all of Peace Like a River in one sitting, more by necessity than by choice.
Now my limit is about 3 - 3 1/2 hours. Pathetic! I read a few chapters of Book of Lamentations by Rosario Castellanos and a section of Barth's dogmatics last night and I was spent. Granted, it'd been a very long week with too little sleep, but come on! So now it's 1:30pm on Sunday afternoon, and time to head to some local purveyor of my legal drug of choice, coffee, for the traditional seminarian Sunday afternoon. And the question is, will I be able to focus until dinner opens at 5:30? In an attempt to keep myself going I've packed a variety of course materials (Calvin, Shussler Fiorenza, Tillich, Bible, the primary source book for the church class I teach), and will probably end up at Panera where the refills are free.
Happy studying to all of you near and far who join me in the endeavor this afternoon.

So me!

I discovered this via Matt's coment on Mary's last post. I am that dodo! (Thank you, D'Evelyn Jr/Sr High School!)

Happy Birthday Fishy!!!

I remember when we met in Tiki
Where there were no boys to be stinky
We liked to sit down and read
and your beta Albondigas to feed
We drove to Oly in my car
in Alisa's room we watched ER
We ate some lunch in BC
and decided to be roomies

In Ballard we shared a color scheme
Blue and yellow, a lovely theme
We went to bed early than all
the other girls who lived on our hall
We watched Friends with our RA
and "teacher, teacher" I did say
You and me were always together
and watched Little Women in snowy weather

But back to Tiki we wanted to go
For the Village was our home
We had the nice RA apartment
to bad we were ne'er both in it
at Thanksgiving we made pies
and I was messy, what a surprise
We planned hall activities
though sometimes it was just you and me

Senior year was kind of a blur
I didn't see you enough for sure
But I still yelled "honey, I'm home"
when to Tiki I would come
You got engaged and student taught
I slept little and seminary sought
At graduation for you I cheered
as I will for all our years

And now my Fishy's gotten Baked
(not on drugs, for goodness sake!)
You moved to Chicago, with cats and no dog
to me you're still my roomoo Hedgehog
Today is your birthday, 4 and 20
fun, I hope that you have plenty
In 4ish weeks I'll see you there
for 3 lovely hours at Chicago O'Hare.

Library and Fall

The Firestone Library is an intense place. You can only check out books if you are a student at Princeton University or the Seminary or the Institute for Advanced Study (where Eistein did his research). Otherwise you have to pay for limited access. They check IDs when you enter and search your bags before you can leave. It's also one of the best research libraries in the world, so you can't fault them for being protective. I trekked over there this afternoon to do some research for a group presentation on Job in Medieval art, only to find that I needed to go to the art library. Yes, there's a whole other building of non-circulating art and archaeology books: 2 stories of books on rolling cases. The University is also home to the Index of Christian Art, which is the largest database of Christian art in the world. My group will be visiting that first thing Monday morning in preparation for our presentation on Friday.
Completely unrelated, Fall has come to Princeton. The leaves are falling, apples are in season, and I can't go outside without a sweatshirt anymore. It officially felt like fall this evening as I sat in front of the fireplace, ate soup and baked apples, and drank hot cider at the Berg's. They are a wonderful couple who also happen to be the daughter and son-in-law of one of my favorite Whitworth professors. It was quite the ensemble, with them and their 3 little boys, Mrs. Berg's brother and his wife and one month old daughter, and 3 other couples with Whitworth affiliations. It was a lovely evening hanging out and chatting and looking at cute children. But now I must redirect my attention to homework. I'm reading The Book of Lamentations by Rosario Castellanos for World Christianity through World Literature, and it is very beautiful so far.

Fours

Well folks, I'm spent. This week has been dandy, but I'm tired and I should be reading right now (yes, even on Friday night). But since my brain is mushy I'm going to do Jeni's meme instead. Then maybe finish reading Silence by Shusaku Endo.

A) Four jobs I've had
1. Auditorium Technician
2. Receptionist
3. Cashier
4. Small Group Coordinator

B) Movies I would watch over and over
1. The Cutting Edge
2. Notting Hill
3. Groundhog Day
4. Sleepless in Seattle
(these aren't necessarily my all time favorites, but I do watch them over and over)

C) Places I've lived
1. Littleton, CO
2. Spokane, WA
3. Wheat Ridge, CO
4. Princeton, NJ

D) TV shows I love to watch
1. Friends
2. Gilmore Girls
3. Boy Meets World
4. My So-Called Life

E) Places I've been on vacation
1. Juneau, AK
2. Budapest, Hungary
3. London, England
4. Chicago, IL

F) Websites I visit daily
1. www.ptsem.edu
2. www.google.com
3. wbrs.net (for work)
4. see my blog links

G) Favorite foods
1. Lasagna
2. Babagonoush
3. Quesadillas
4. Macaroni and Cheese

H) Places I would rather be
1. in a big comfy chair
2. Erfurt, Germany
3. with friends
4. in bed

What they might not teach me in seminary . . .

There is a class here at PTS called Word and Act. I'm not in it, but I understand they teach how to do the practical stuff, like how to raise your arms for a benediction and how to not light your stole on fire during communion. What they might not cover is what to do if one has a runny nose on a communion Sunday.
Such was the case with me today. So lest I give anyone my cold by touching their bread, or the worse possibilities of holding the cup within dangerous proximity of the drip zone (and yes, I have heard stories of the drip actually happening), I opted out of serving communion this morning. Plus "the blood of Christ, *nasty sniffle* shed for you" doesn't have quite the same ring to it. Of course theologically my sniffles won't impact the efficacy of the host, but let's be honest, it's just gross - as is the pile of kleenex beside my bed, and the amount of tea I've consumed in the past 3 days (which, as Claire reminds me, doesn't have real magical powers to prevent colds).

Updating

My Dad: minus one toe, but doing okay.

Classes: Systematic Theology 2; German Church Struggle (8 students, 4 from Whitworth); Preaching; World Christianity Through World Literature (first assignment: Silence by Shusaku Endo); Interpretation of Job; Poetry and the Care of Souls.

Today: Staff meeting at the church; World Christianity; lunch; Job; German Church Struggle; field ed class prep; chauffer kids I babysit and their nanny who doesn't drive; read Tillich in a pleasant meadow; chauffer back to the house; help 6th grader with homework; blog; The Well (student led worship - I don't lead).

Last Friday Night: rode the train to Manhattan with 5 friends, drank coffee, ate Indian food, saw "Jesus Camp"

I recently purchased crayons and a coloring book, and used them.

I've eaten breakfast 2 days in a row.

I might have a soft addiction to the bands Newcomer's Home and Eastmountainsouth. I blame Claire and Dave.

I got a decorate-your-own-tumbler so I wouldn't make so much trash from my coffee cups. This motivates me to drink twice as much coffee.

Bill Robinson will be here in just over a week. Always a time for frivolity with my fellow Whitworth alumni/ae.

Okay, that's all until my brain is recharged and I'm having thoughts worth sharing.

Mi Padre

Keep my dad in your prayers. He's diabetic, and in the hospital with an infected toe, which they are probably going to amputate tomorrow.

Let the Games Begin

Tomorrow is the first day of classes. It's about time! This is the first time in my life school has started after my birthday (which was Saturday). It already feels like I'm in the crazy semester zone though. I've had on my best out-going face this past week, expending all of my social energy meeting new students, learning names, having meetings, and starting work at the church where I've had to do the same thing. My face actually hurt after the 9:30 service last week because I had to stand there smiling and greeting everyone. Now I love people, but sheesh! So now I know about 100 new names (I haven't counted, but that's probably close) and have a hall full of young women to get to know, and a class of 15 adults to teach and invest in. Oh yeah, and I'm mostly here to be a student. I'll fit the classes in there somewhere. Tomorrow it's Poetry and the Care of Souls and Systematic Theology.
Nothing else interesting to report. I'm enjoying all the reading for the class I'm teaching and have had a few theological insights, none of which are well enough formulated to warrant a post. But fear not, I'll give you something to chew on eventually.

Move-In Day

My junior year of college I was on leadership, and on the day that frosh moved in our whole leadership team went to the second floor window, counted down to opening with a bull-horn, then ran screaming down the stairs to greet the frosh and their parents. It was the best thing that ever happened to me (props to Dana Coleman, and all of you former Whitworth leadership for whom their phrase holds a special place in your vocabulary).
Today juniors (first years) arrive at PTS. I'm a deacon, which is a volunteer position with the purpose of building community and being a resource for juniors. I think that's what we do. I have "training" in 8 minutes. Since seminarians are older, and sometimes even more mature, than college freshman I'm thinking that screaming down the stairs will not be the order of the day. But it is still exciting to anticipate all the fresh faces and new friendships to be formed, and also to keep my eyes peeled for any Whitworthians that I didn't know were coming (it's a big feeder school, so there are bound to be a few).
Frosh were moving in at the University this weekend and it brought back warm memories of SGC training, first hall meetings, my awesome junior year leadership team, and of course my own days of excitement and trepidation as I moved to Whitworth then to Princeton. So for all of you who were there with me at any or all of those times, and especially roomoo hedgehog, this post is dedicated to you with warm fuzzies in my little heart as I prepare to haul other people's stuff up the stairs into their new rooms all afternoon, all for the sake of loving and serving them as Christ would.
And now training is in three minutes, but since our Deacon Moderators (aka archdeacons) are here in the same computer lab, I'll probably make it in time.

A Fantastic Week in Juneau

I just returned to Princeton yesterday (after 14 hours of travel) from Juneau, where I got to spend a wonderful and wet week with three of my favoritie people. I got to catch up on my hugs, mountains, hiking, ear wax candling, laughing, eating, biking, burping, marine life viewing, eagle sighting, dead fish smelling, getting rained on, and simply being with precious friends. It was great, and the perfect way to spend the week before school stuff gets going (new students arrive Wednesday, and classes start the following Wednesday).
On Sunday afternoon it was surprisingly sunny, so we went for a hike/walk.














Here's my view from right behind Anna's house.













We did ear wax candles. They melt the wax and suck it out of your ear. Gross, but cool.












I went for a hike while everyone was at work. I got lost, wandered along the road for a few miles, found a van of the tour company Dave works for (Dave wasn't in it), and was given a ride back to Anna by the driver's wife.









Claire and I went on the bicycle tour that Dave leads. So here we are extremely wet in front of a glacier (but you can't really see the glacier in the picture).










Anna and I went for a walk with her mom and friend. There is a bald eagle right behind us here.










Initial response to Jersey upon my return: it's flat and ugly, or at least Newark is. Princeton does have it's nice, although flat, spots so I should go enjoy them this afternoon.

In other news, my field ed at Princeton UMC starts tomorrow, and Meagan (you know, from Whitworth) gets here Monday.

Me according to the internet

You Belong in Amsterdam

A little old fashioned, a little modern - you're the best of both worlds. And so is Amsterdam. Whether you want to be a squatter graffiti artist or a great novelist, Amsterdam has all that you want in Europe (in one small city).

What European City Do You Belong In?

You Should Travel to Cambodia

While you might not go all Angelina Jolie and adopt a baby... You can still appreciate Cambodia's rich history and deserted beaches.

What Asian Country Should You Visit?

Your Inner European is Dutch!

Open minded and tolerant. You're up for just about anything.

Who's Your Inner European?

You Should Spend Your Summer in the City

You're a trooper, and the summer heat doesn't really get to you. So you rather stay in the city, where you can sip iced lattes and go to midnight movies. Forget the beach! You rather be where the good restaurants and stores are.

Where Should You Spend Your Summer?

You Are Boston

Both modern and old school, you never forget your roots. Well educated and a little snobby, you demand the best. And quite frankly, you think you are the best. Famous people from the Boston area: Conan O'Brien, Ben Affleck, New Kids on the Block

What American City Are You?

American Cities That Best Fit You::

65% Chicago

65% New York City

65% Philadelphia

65% Washington, DC

55% Atlanta

Which American Cities Best Fit You?

You Belong in the East Village

A little bit arty, a little bit punk - you seem to set trends that many people follow. It's likely that you're an academic of sorts, even if it's just on the weekends.

Where Should Your Inner New Yorker Live?

Hobo-tastic

Inquiring minds may want to know what's up with the 2 week hiadis (and my inability to spell). The answer: my life has been uneventful. Fun at times, bordering on boring at others, and generally lacking anything worthy of a post or a rant. I leave for Alaska to visit Claire, Dave, and Anna on Saturday, the excitement about which fills in whatever gaps remain in my day after working two jobs and spending time with friends.
I have, however, been getting fancy with my dorm cooking, and some of you will be amused/horrified by my culinary life, so here's a little something to tide you over until something worth talking about happens in my life.

My kitchen is the second closet in my room (yes, I have 2 small closets). It contains a mini fridge, a lot of ShopRite brand products, mostly nonperishable (though I did spring for a loaf of bread and I always have tortillas), a hot pot, and 2 IKEA skillets. I have recently branched out from meals consisting of only 1 or 2 ingredients (or cans or packets) and have now made two dishes requiring 4 and 5 ingredients respectively.
1. Pasta Alfredo (4 ingredients, 25 minutes)
bow tie pasta, jar alfredo sauce, cold cut ham, canned peas. So that's carbs, cheese, meat and veggies! Go me! And I have enough left over for 2 more meals.
2. Quesadillas (5 ingredients, 10 minutes)
tortillas, shredded cheese, chunky salsa, canned corn, canned black beans. I probably have some variation on quesadillas 2 or 3 times each week. They are excellent.

The other night a few of us went to Shakespeare in the Park (a '60s rendition of Twelfth Knight) and for the picnic I contributed Portuguese rolls, spreadable cheese (the yummy little triangles, not cheese whiz), strawberry jelly, and pitas with babaganoushe (hummus-like dip made from eggplant). It was an excellent and internationally inspired meal.

Fear not for my nutritional lack, for tonight (and once each week all summer) I eat with Kevin and Alisa and their baby Hannah. Alisa was my RA freshman year, and Kevin was Claire and Bianca's. Alisa makes sure I have a truly balanced meal at least once a week.

I'm back on the school meal plan in about 3 weeks. I never thought Aramark would be a welcome addition to my life. We'll see how I feel about that in a few months.

An Ode to Frequent Flyer Miles

Soon I will fly through the air
To see my very best friend Claire.
She's married to a great man, Dave.
They to see my miles I saved.
To many distant lands I roam,
But with these friends I am at home.
There is more excitement still:
Who else will be there? Anna will!
We'll galavant and laugh and hike,
and perhaps I'll even ride a bike.
I'll see the Glacier Mendenhall,
Praising Jesus through it all.
Who knew at what a rapid rate
sky miles I could accumulate?
Now I simply wait with glee,
my three friends to so soon see.
There are many other friends I miss.
You may yourself be on that list.
I will come to Minneapolis and Scotland,
Chicago, Boston and Spokompton
I'll add to my frequent flyer miles,
To see you if only once in a while.

Happy Birthday Kyna (like a key)

Today is the birthday of Kyna-kyna-bo-beena, my lovely friend who says things like "honey, I'm home!" and "Get a grip."
Kyna and I lived around the hall (yes, it is possible to live around a hall) from each other in Tiki our freshman year at Whitworth. We were 2 of the 5 people who faithfully attended hall dinner and hall activities and took over the RA apartment on Thursday nights. We bonded over a crazy semester with LDS missionaries (more about that is available on the not internet), and were birthday buddies that year. She threw me a little fiesta, and I don't rememer what I did for her, but there was probably chocolate involved. Other fun memories of Kyna: stealing (er, borrowing) SAGA trays and going sledding on them in the Back 40; making fun of the first Harry Potter movie in the theater, though I have since been converted to a lover of the Potter; going to Didier's with Lactaid on Tuesdays; Urbana; walking from the Chicago Art Institute to Navy Pier in the frigid cold with our Urbana luggage because they wouldn't let us take it in the Art Institute (okay, so we're both still a little bitter about that, but warm drink at Navy Pier were very welcome); family dinner; venting; food and coffee when I visited last April; more food and coffee before Claire's wedding; and most recently talking late into the night at Mary's mom's house after Fishy's wedding then spending the next morning at the beach in Edmonds (see pictures a few posts ago).
Kyna is pretty much just awesome. She is encouraging and loving and real and an all around great friend and I miss her a lot. I feel at home with her, and I hope she come to see me very soon. I also hope she returns my calls and emails me her mailing address so I can send her card, which will now be late ;)

In other news, Jeni has the internet now! Which means she can call the US super cheap so we got to talk this morning!!! :)

Little Miss Sunshine

I just got back from seeing Little Miss Sunshine. I kid you not, I have never laughed so much at a movie in my life. It's smart, well-written, brilliantly acted and HILARIOUS. You must go see it. I laughed so hard I gave myself an asthma attack. Scamper off now and be entertained.

Aural Update

While having dinner with my field ed. supervisor the topic of my ear surgery came up. In true small town pastor form, Peggy was familiar with Dr. Farmer and his recent split from Dr. Kay's practice. Apparently the reason for the split was fishy. She contacted a friend who is a nurse at the hospital and learned that Dr. Farmer is aging and suffering from the natural effects of age such that she would not recomend my having him perform the operation. Sheesh! So yesterday I found another doctor in the area, Dr. Goldfarb, who seems younger and more reputable. Peggy is checking with her friend for confirmation. In the mean time, I have an appointment with Dr. Goldfarb tomorrow, and am still hoping to be able to get the surgical portion of this adventure taken care of before school starts. Stay tuned for more adventures in Miranda's aural orifice!

In other news, tomorrow is Claire's 23rd birthday!!! She doesn't get a blog tribute because she doesn't read my blog, being significantly less attached to the internet than most of us, but y'all know I love her and you love her too (or at least those of you who know her do).

A Birthday Tribute to My Jeni

I love Jeni! That's how I've greeted my Jeni since sometime freshman year, and it continues to be the most accurate way to describe my reaction to seeing this dear friend of mine. My little heart just swells with happiness every time I see her lovely face.
Here are just a few of the reasons I love my Jeni, in honor of the beginning of her 24th year of life (as in it's her 23rd birthday).
1. She is one of the very few people who has made me laugh so hard that I almost peed my pants.
2. She is the my only female friend who's taller than me and thus I have no qualms about the running leap hug (except for the time I did it not knowing that her back was messed up).
3. She is one of the most beautiful women I know, truly a unique and wonderfully crafted woman.
4. She is unfailingly generous, even when she's broke and out of time.
5. She loves, and shows it.
6. She is a sister in Christ, and a faithful companion in the journey we're both on.

Not only do I love Jeni, I admire and respect her for many reasons, among them being:
1. She just moved across the world with only her husband and the dream of becoming a large animal veterinarian. I've done a lot of travelling, but I don't know that I'm brave enough to do that.
2. She works her hiney off, but doesn't let her school work own her.
3. She loves her husband and friends very much.
4. She loves the Lord, and doesn't put up a front about her spiritual life. She's honest about her joys and struggles.
5. Her interests and expertise are broad (unlike mine). I don't know many people who could be equally successful as a poet or a research scientist, a medieval literature savant or a castrator.

Finally, a few favorite memories of me and my Jeni:
1. Telling life stories in s-group.
2. Driving to LA and going to the Ren Fair in San Bernardino.
3. Jamba.
4. Family dinner nights, especially blindfolded night and pirate night.
5. Staying up all night at our s-group slumber parties.
6. Her wedding (of course), and the preceding festivities.
7. eating our way across NYC last February after her Glasgow interview.
8. Hanging out in Spokane in April and July, and realizing that we don't have to do anything special or make big plans because we are family and just being in the same place is special enough.

For all this and more, I love Jeni, yes I do, I love Jeni, how 'bout you?

Not that you care but . . .

I got a new comforter and duvet. I'm in love with it. And I'm also in love with IKEA. I've wanted a down comforter ever since I slept under one in Germany almost 4 years ago. So happy birthday to me. That also means I have extra blankets for any visitors who should happen to come my way ;)

My Husband

I caught the bouquet, so I'm on the prowel! Haha, just kidding! You can pull your hearts out of your throats and rest assured that your Miranda is as happily and contentedly single as ever.
As you may know, I affectionately refer to Dietrich Bonhoeffer, my favorite theologian/ethicist/martyr/pastor/author/German/confessing churchman, as my husband. And he is the subject of this post.
I've been meaning to finish reading his book The Cost of Discipleship ever since I read sections of it for Jerry's Intro to Christian Faith class during my freshman year at Whitworth. It's pretty much the most convicting book ever, full of truth and grace.
Dieter (I don't know if anyone ever actually called him that, but he's my husband so I'm allowed to have a nickname for him) says that the world is full of cheap grace. Preacher's fling grace around so haphazardly that people end up justifying their actions because they know that they are already forgiven. Dieter says that grace should be the point at which one arrives after true repentance and contrition. He says it more eloquently and longwindedly than that (turns out German lends itself to very long sentences), but that's the gist. One of my biggest frustrations, both with myself and with others, is the attitude that being Christian means we are free to do whatever we want because we are forgiven. As Wesley (you know, the Methodist guy) says, Christians are free to sin as much as we want, but being sanctified, which is inseparable from being justified, means that we don't want to sin. Grace is costly. It cost God's life. I'm not saying that we have to earn grace, and neither is Dieter. I'm saying that if we are going to receive the free gift of God's grace into our lives we should live in a way that sets us apart as people who take that gift seriously.
There is a fine line between conforming to the dominant culture and being able to communicate with the dominant culture while remaining clearly different from it. If we flaunt the grace we have received by doing what culture calls normal (you know, sex, drugs, gossip, hate, etc) then we not only fail to live as lights in this world, but we also fall short of the abundant life that God has for us.
Nothing in particular caused this little jaunt down critical lane, just thoughts inspired by my man Dieter. Read the book, or better yet read the Bible (Paul's letters are especially strong on these themes), and take life seriously. I'm talking to myself as much as I am to whoever makes it to the end of this post, and to no one in particular.
Grace and peace to you from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Encore, Encore

I guess my performance under anesthesia last November was so good that I just have to reprise my role as ear surgery patient. That's right, for your viewing pleasure, another tympanoplasty is coming your way within the next few months. I'll try to have a camera on hand to document the process, and especially the ginormous head bandage that makes it look as though my brain might fall out of my skull. Sit back and relaxe as I bring you, over the next two months, all the laughter, tears, and expletives a ruptured ear-drum can bring. Again.

Pretty Girls in Pretty Cool Places

Ah, the wonders of the jellyfish.
















Ooh, there are mountains here!















Kissy the fishy!















Why does everyone look so relieved/astonished?















The entourage of body slammers.





















Pretty pretty princess. I mean bride.

My Fishy's Getting Baked!

And by baked I don't mean any kind of drug-induced state.
I can't believe it! We used to joke about honeymoon's and she once threatened me with an ugly bridesmaid dress if I didn't stop teasing her about something (probably her freshman year crush). And now it's finally a reality - except for the ugly dress part. I actually like my dress. I realized as I was scrolling through old pictures that most of us who were at Jeni's wedding will also be at Becky's. And Jeni will be there in spirit. How cool that we have great enough friends to drive or fly across the state or the country to be with them on their special days. I'm so excited to see my Fishy walk down the aisle, and it's been so much fun to be there from the very beginning of the relationship. I used to have all the emails she sent me about him from when they first met and she was developing a crush on him, but sadly they were all lost when I didn't check my hotmail while I was in Africa. But that's okay because they have a whole life of memories and emails (or whatever form of communication replaces email) waiting for them.
So those are a few of my thoughts as I get ready to go finish packing then drive to the Philly airport and fly across the country for someone very worth the cost of the ticket.
Let it be know to one and all, I love my Fishy, my roommoo hedgehog, and my beck-beck-beckEEE.

Pictures

I thought y'all (as in those of you who I know read my blog, more so than random people who don't know me in person for and whom this post with mean nothing) might like some of these pictures. I think you can download them off of here, right?
And we get to do it all again, minus a few very important people and plus a few other very important people, next weekend! Wahoo!

An Aural Fiasco (amended/addended)

Key players, for your reference:
Dr. Farmer: otolaryngologist who performed tympanoplasty (ruptured ear drum fixing surgery) on me last November.
Dr. Kay: Dr. Farmer's associate who I saw before he directed me to Dr. Farmer.
Klais: my insurance company.

The sequence of events:
Call #1, to Princeton Otolaryngology: I need to schedule an appointment with Dr. Farmer, but he is no longer an associate at Dr. Kay's office. Try to schedule with Dr. Kay, but he's booked until August, and I should really follow up with my surgeon anyway.
Call #2, to Dr. Farmer's new office: I can get an appointment next week, but they've never even heard of Klais and the out of pocket fee is almost $300.
Call #3, to Princeton Otolaryngology: Try in vain to get an appointment with Dr. Kay, and they claim to have never heard of Klais either.
Call #4, to Princeton Healthcare Systems for a referal: I tell them I need someone with a background in ear surgery, and they refer me to Dr. Farmer, the only one on their list. By the way, they have also never heard of Klais, even though I got their phone number off my Klais card.
Call #5, to Klais: Get directed to a voice mailbox, then my phone lost reception while I was leaving a message:
Call #6, to Dr. Farmer's office: They give me the name of the only other dr. they know about.

As it stands, I have a tentative appointment with Dr. Farmer, and will undoubtedly jump through numerous ridiculous hoops trying to figure out whether Klais will cover it.

And the moral of the story is don't rupture your eardrum.

I realize not all of you know the sad story, so here's the short version: rupture eardrum probably while swimming on June 11 2005; find out about it in October; many doctor visits; surgery on Tuesday of Thanksgiving week in Princeton (intubation, ear cut off, skin from scalp covers hole in eardrum, ear sewn back on, stay overnight in hospital, cool scar); insurance fiascos, etc, etc. All I need now is for someone with an MD behind their name to put the flashlight thingy in my ear and tell me if everything is normal. Apparently that's just too much to ask.

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. - Philippians 3:20

Soaring to new casual heights

Yesterday I didn't come in to work. Why, you may ask. Well, because I wanted to spend the entire day in my pajamas then ride my bike to work today (Saturday) when no one would be here so I wouldn't have to change into work clothes. That's right, I'm at the office on a Saturday so that I can wear a t-shirt and workout pants.
The problem with my brillian plan is that it's a 3 mile bike ride from the house to the office, and it's mostly coasting on the way here, which means I'll pretty much be dying on the way back.
Tomorrow the housesitting gig is over and I'll return to . . . well, I don't actually know yet. I can't move into my dorm room until Friday, so I need to find places to sleep in the mean time. Maybe here at the Foundation, or on a friend's floor. It'll work out. I'm looking forward to getting settled in my room. By then I will have been living out of a suitcase for almost 2 months. It's funny how a dresser and closet can become luxuries.

How the Other Half Lives

Friday afternoon I got to go babysit on the Upper East Side in Manhattan. For those of you who, like me, are unfamiliar with the NYC lingo, that's right by Central Park and includes such sites as the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel - swanky! So the grandparents of these kids I watch fairly regularly have an apartment in this neighborhood where they spend about 20% of the year. It is beautiful and posh and highly unchildproof. So I took the youngun to the playground in Central Park and had the wierd experience of realizing that people assumed he was my kid. I got to sleep in a Murphy bed (those ones that fold out from the wall) and when the grown ups got there they took me to lunch and paid me handsomely. I spent the rest of the day with Bill gallavanting through the Met and Rockefeller Center and the East Village.
Money, eh? Crazy stuff. I cannot deny that living it up in an Upper East Side penthouse has its appeal. Why can't that be my mission field? I mean, rich people need Jesus too, right? But that flies in the face of everything I think I know about how Christians are called to use whatever wealth we may have. I'm sure God could use a multi-million dollar penthouse to advance his kingdom on earth and bring people to Christ, but if the same ministry could be done in a modest apartment while the rest of those multi-millions fund missionaries and translation projects and AIDS research and clean water supplies then we cannot pretend that the expensive material stuff is justifiable. It's just a thought from a poor student. If you are a Christian with a lot of money to spare I'd honestly love to know how you deal with that. After all, people die for lack of money, so it's not fair to just make a blanket statement about the proper use of it. It's just something I think about, especially while I'm a squatter in the Princeton world of BMWs, live-in housekeepers, summer homes, and 1000 tv channels.

Playing House

After spending the last month in my parents' two bedroom apartment, on the floor in Claire's apartment, in Andi's basement, and in the Quality Inn Oakwood, then two nights on a friend's love seat in Hodge Hall, I'm finally living it up in a real house. My friend Bill and I are housesitting, and taking full advantage of the kitchen, plasma tv, and pets. He's been cooking up a storm (we've had enchiladas, burgers and steak fries, spaghetti, Thai curry, and have even sat down to breakfast each morning). The animals include the most chill, friendly dog ever, who I can't resist petting despite the allergies, and a very cute cat, who I do resist petting because of the allergies. There were two fish, but now there's only one (oops) and the guinea pig is still alive and squeaking. It's so nice to have a routine, a comfortable place to stay, a friend to hang out with, and the same bed for 2 full weeks.
We went to the shore on Sunday afternoon and it was beautiful. Ocean Grove is a town that started as a location for revivals and camp meetings during the Great Awakening. I actually wrote a paper about it for Religion in America. The town is super cute and the beach was warm and clean and relaxing. I burried my feet in the sand and wrote and just sat in beachy bliss for several hours. We also got yummy ice cream. All in all, a great way to spend Sunday afternoon. "Something about the ocean makes me rise up in praise . . ."

Singing in the Darkness

In the last few years a calling has developed in my heart for going into dark places, places that are dank and bleak and in desparate need of the light of Christ. That's why Claire and I wanted to go to Amsterdam last January (but the tickets were too expensive so we went to Budapest instead), and it's why I'm thinking about living in the inner city somewhere in the world.
Night before last I was watching the movie The Bone Collector (a mystery/suspense starring Angelina Jolie and Denzel Washington) and was suddenly struck by what it really means to go into the darkness. There is a scene in a pool hall/bar where it is very dimly lit, people are drinking, doing drugs, prostituting themselves, etc. My stomache turned as a saw that picture of darkness and I wondered whether I could really go into a place like that and retain a song of joy in my heart and on my lips.
Last night I curled up in my blanky and watched Interview With A Vampire. I used to really like this movie a lot. My sister and I rented it all the time when we were kids (yeah, not so much a kid movie), and the last time I watched it was a few years ago. This time was different though. Almost as soon as it started my gut was writhing within me. The movie is no longer a fantasy to me or simply an entertaining fiction. The movie attempts to make darkness, evil, death, and immortality desirable and superior to mortality and God. It makes statements about evil that are direct allusions to the Bible and Christ, thus twisting truth. I noticed this before and found it intriguing, but now it makes me sad and offended and grateful for the truth that Christ has already defeated Satan on the cross. I'm not saying the movie is horrible or that I won't watch it again, but it's presuppositions are disturbing.
I think it's because I just left a place of such radiant light that the darkness is suddenly hitting me so hard. Being in the fellowship of the saints, with Claire and Dave and all my Whitworth friends, for two full weeks got my eyes adjusted to the light, thus rendering the darkness all the more shocking and upsetting.
And yet I am called to go into that darkness with the confidence that we are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus, taking heart in the truth that although in this world we will encounter darkness Christ has already overcome the world. As followers of Christ we go into the darkness singing, and praying that even in the darkness we will meet brothers and sisters who want to join the song.

They're Married

I have no words. Seriously. The wedding was so wonderful and my heart is so full of joy I can hardly contain it. I think it was just seeping out of me through the whole ceremony and reception. It was truly the happiest day of my life up to now. And more than just being beautiful and joyous, it was powerful to experience God's presence in the wedding itself, and I am indescribably excited about what God has for them in the future. And yes, she managed to lindy in her dress. I can't put words to how much I love the new Mr. and Mrs. Thorpe. I miss them already. And I'll fill in more details as they come to mind. For now I am off to the post office then packing to fly back to Jersey tomorrow.
(The second picture is the three of us in Santa Fe 2 weeks before the wedding)

I week in the life of

Saturday: pack Claire's house
Sunday: Go to church then drive to Santa Fe
Monday: Hang out in Santa Fe then drive back to Colorado Springs
Tuesday: Breakfast with Caitlin then more packing
Wednesday: up at 6 to pack then to the Air Force Academy graduation and air show, more packing and hauling stuff to storage across town and some very rapid but thorough cleaning. Finally we went to bed at Dave's relatives' house at 11pm.
Thursday: Drive from Colorado Springs to Billings, Montana
Friday: Drive from Billings Montana to Spokane, where we moved in to our various temporary houses and slept like rocks.
Today: I'm at Jeni and Matt's. Wahoo. I love Spokand and friends, and if you're in town but I don't know it you should call me and tell me so.