Adeodatus in Wonderland

A party ejected from a day of normalcy

2005-04-12T21:54:00.000-06:00

We are in station 5E. He’s sleeping. Most of the other beds in this room are empty now. A machine hums and chirps around the corner. The blue pad covers most of the blood on the sheet.N’s little right leg is wrapped up, from the calf down around the ankle. He’s got a plaster splint to keep his foot immobile for a few days. His little somnolent snorts are a welcome emotional respite from the

Marital Dischord (a work of fiction)

2005-04-02T08:38:00.000-07:00

“Ok. Here’s one.” She shifted in her seat and smoothed out her skirt with her palms. Looking nervously at her lap, she took a deep breath. “He makes horn noises.”The counselor squinted at her. “Excuse me?”“He imitates those little bike horns. You know, for kids’ bikes. With the rubber bulb on the end. He can sound just like one.”The counselor nodded and jotted something down in his notebook. He

The grave is not empty. The sky is crying.

2005-03-26T09:05:00.000-07:00

It isn't often that the natural world tracks so closely with our liturgical calendar. The sky has been grey, brown and stolid for the last few days, and our world cold and slushy. The hopes of watching the tulips bloom are buried under this late spring fallout of frigid wet. True: the snow is as white and pure as it always has been, but this late in March it becomes a sinister blockade to the

There’s nothing holding me here now. I want to learn the ways of the Market and become a Proper Consumer like my fathers.

2005-03-17T06:58:00.000-07:00

I made the rounds with N. yesterday. Breadstore. Big Lots. Thrift Store. They are all in the same aged, dirty strip mall. The commercial property provides a perfect snapshot of the area’s demographic: discount retail on one end. Big chaotic thrift store on the other, and in between you find no less than three rent-to-own shops, two tax preparation storefronts (‘se hablo espanol’), and a range of

We needed to destroy the tree in order to save it, sir.

2005-03-12T07:29:00.000-07:00

The ground is littered with sticks, and a dime-sized blister has developed on my thumb. Three down, two to go.We moved into this little house in late July, 1998. The cherry tree had already given up its bounty (to the listing agent, I might add), but the nectarine and apricot trees were in all their summer glory. So too were the raspberries, currents, and a small blueberry bush. J. was three

The baetis box is nearly complete!

2005-03-10T06:12:00.000-07:00

I haven't organized my flyboxes in years. Typically I just shove new patterns into the old boxes wherever they might fit, and if there is no room I toss the new flies into smaller containers and fill up the vest pockets with a confusing array of ad hoc Solo cups.Most of my flyboxes, then, are museums to my whims and skills as a tyer -- snapshots as to what I liked and what I could manage with the

Distinguished guests

2005-03-09T08:11:00.000-07:00

Denver Seminary hosted D.A. Carson for its Spurgeon Lectures this week. I loaded the kids up with their schoolwork, kissed St. on the cheek and flew out the door to hear this prolific writer speak on suffering. And quite a speaker Dr. Carson turned out to be. Engaging. Serious. Funny. The topic is hardly an easy one to expound upon without a morose fog descending on the assembly. My notes on

A new record for the Adeodatus household

2005-03-05T07:46:00.000-07:00

Two bikes stolen in the space of 20 hours. That brings the total number of bikes lost to five, I think (although that number may also include the aluminium scooter J got for Christmas a few years back). Usually we lose junky little bikes that the littlest ones leave on the sidewalk, but this time we lost two mountain bikes.J called sobbing from his school yesterday. Through the gulps for air

"One day, son, our most pressing problems will have to do with how we spend our immense amount of leisure time." "Gee! Y'think, pops?"

2005-02-22T15:34:00.000-07:00

I am ironing out my movie-choosing-and-viewing procedure. Months ago I discovered that the local library usually has more movies on DVD worth watching than even the Blockbuster across the street. (End of late fees? That’s a nice start – but how about, oh say, the End of ALL FEES? Public libraries rock.) Initially, I would take the time to scan all the titles until I found one or two films that

Mid-winter fishing inoculation

2005-02-16T07:28:00.000-07:00

Once you get fishing on the brain, it is useless trying to get anything else done. You tie flies every evening. You clean and dress the line on all your reels, even the barely-used 6-weight. You pick through all the flyboxes, making room for new patterns and getting rid of perfectly good old ones. There is only one known cure for this form of consumption.Carl and I ran up to the Old Waters

Coming of age

2005-02-11T17:34:00.000-07:00

So I turned 35. Finally. About seven or eight years ago I got tired of remembering my age. It’s not like it was a difficult endeavor: 1970 is pretty handy for subtraction. Really all I need to do for most of the year is remember which decade I’m in and add the current year’s one’s place. It seemed a lot easier, though, to pick a generic age which would work for a while and stick with it. So I’ve

Sorries all around

2004-12-21T05:10:00.000-07:00

If you will only get in the queue, you will get your apology for the dearth of writing in due time. First to my children, three of whom are currently festooned with decorative red dots. Very cheery for this time of year, reminiscent of holly berries or strung cranberries. Only, the smallest girls are none too pleased to be wearing these itching, oozing sores. A pox upon them, when they are

Postscript to a squirrel

2004-11-29T15:43:00.000-07:00

This morning I boiled up the lil' woodland creature along with some onion, celery and a dash of worchester. It was intended to be a small batch of stew, but the broth was really weak and tasteless, and we are plumb out of Squirrel Bullion (the canned stuff is too expensive unless you can find it on sale). Sure you can substitute a dash of 'coon and 1/2 tsp of possum bullion, but that sometimes

How do you give a paper gift in a virtual setting?

2004-11-28T22:05:00.000-07:00

Last week the one year anniversary of this blog came and went without ceremony. Instead of marking the occasion with a reflective look back or even a blithe remark, I wrote about boycotting advertisers. Hardly momentous. Do note that I have, in the last year, never done a darn thing to my off-the-shelf template or even updated my tagline. But big news comes sometimes without herald or fanfare

A memorable feast day in the woods

2004-11-26T22:39:00.000-07:00

Thanksgiving 2004 will not go down as a forgettable little get together. Turkey, mashed potatoes, one broken nose, a poached pet squirrel, and some late night family history from Dear Old Dad’s DOD days. J. got an airgun for his birthday a year ago, but an unfortunate incident with a pocketknife (during Sunday School, no less) has kept the rifle in its box an entire year. But since a year of

Victorian Pseudo-Christmas, in 3-D!

2004-11-24T21:54:00.000-07:00

"I want to go out of here," N. wimpered whenever the action in Polar Express got a little intense. The 5-story-high screen and booming sound did indeed make the scenes intense and absorbing, especially for a three-year-old. Add the 3D element, and you've got the stuff of head-buried-into-Papa’s-chest and a possible bad dream or two. I didn't want to get out of there until the movie was nearly

What is this? Corporate civic responsibility?

2004-11-19T09:37:00.000-07:00

In spite of the show's overwhelming commercial success with key demographics, two companies have yanked their advertising from ABC's Desperate Housewives. St. and I watched one of the first episodes together, and she doubled over whenever the scene switched to the blond lady who tried to deal with three unruly boys. However, the other scenes had to do with a lonely wife seducing her teenage

JesuslandUSA is a whole lot bigger than we thought

2004-11-08T10:59:00.000-07:00

Check out this nifty new politcal map of north America! Denver proper follows the rest of this country's major urban centers by voting blue. I never saw nor heard the name of the Republican challenger for Disctrict 1 until I read it to myself behind the ballot curtains. Incumbant Dianne DeGette was quoted in the paper saying she never took this election for granted. Funny, though: I never saw

2004-11-07T01:32:00.000-07:00

Dear Web Diary: What a day we had today! J. turned 10. We had a big waffle brunch, complete with chocolate chips, CoolWhip, bacon, and homemade strawberry syrup. Yum! Only a few more years of active parenting left with the boy. Better start to make it count. Better start to get him proficient with Then it was quick baths & a dash over to Mark R.’s Mountain People Wedding Reception. As is the

Wow. It really IS exciting to do it this way

2004-11-02T18:50:00.000-07:00

Last President Election I tried to do it old timey: first we voted, then I eschewed all electronic media. I wanted to wake up in the morning, make a pot of coffee, and pick up the paper nonchalantly from the frosted grass. Then I would lay it out on the table, sip the hot, strong joe, and glance down at the front page to learn the direction this country would take during the next four years. You

Gog or Magog?

2004-10-28T09:46:00.000-06:00

I forget which is which -- the Red Sox are Gog and the Cubs are Magog? Or is it the other way around? If the Abomination of Desolation spoken of by the prophet Danny is in our midst (World Series trophy housed in Beantown), then my neck is going to start aching as I anxiously scan the eastern heavens. You doubt my end times insight? Do I need to remind you that the Heavens itself swallowed up

A new old laptop

2004-10-01T10:11:00.000-06:00

After eleven months in the shop, it finally returns to me. This problem-child laptop, this prodigal which has tired of supping on swine swill, has come slouching home. And it comes home freely, as in with no payment due. The saga of this machine is indeed fraught with terror and confusion. It came to me used, and not without scars. No cover for the optical drive. No little lights operational

MORE justice from the WorldWideWeb

2004-09-28T15:17:00.000-06:00

Turns out that guys in their pajamas can take on the local bike shop, too. J. and I found a great old mountain bike at the thrift store last week. $15 for a very nice machine that's just on the big side for him. The poor kid has been riding scrunched over a tiny two-wheeler since somebody reached over the fence and horked his shiny Mongoose. The only problem: this bike came caked with grease

New money grubbers for a new century

2004-09-14T20:46:00.000-06:00

It is the second week in September, which means along with College football, shorter days, and cooler nights, we have the pre-fall subscription drive for our local public radio beheamoth. If you happen to listen when it's not worth their effort, you can get your regular piped in programming (BBC world news, mainly). But God help you if you accidently click on your radio during the day thinking

Problems with Patristics (pt. 2)

2004-09-13T09:05:00.000-06:00

Now that a week has passed and my expose of Justin's misuse has had time to sink in around the evangelical world, I present the rest of my thoughts on that topic: There are a few more historical examples which come up short in the “Premillennial Interpretations of Christ’s Second Advent” section of Integrative Theology. On page 378 we read of Papias, “who tradition says was taught by the

Aha! A systematic theology distorts the Fathers on Millennarianism! (pt 1)

2004-09-04T03:17:00.000-06:00

It is no surprise to readers of this blog that I have been brushing up on my eschatology. Since coming back from candidacy school I have read through a few books, some writings of Church Fathers, and several contemporary systematics. While I still find the arguments for chiliasm unconvincing, I also stumbled across some shoddy scholarship which (at least in my mind) brings into question the

Veggie burgers with bacon

2004-09-02T22:26:00.000-06:00

She looks better. St’s kickboxing instructor is also a good friend who cuts people’s hair for a living. L. now sports a perky little ‘do, and from most angles she even looks like a little girl again. -- There is no way to be totally sure, but I think I may be one of the few people who have made veggie lentil burgers and fried them up in bacon grease. They turned out dang tasty. Here’s a rough

Next thing you know she'll be cranking up the Scorpians

2004-08-31T08:04:00.000-06:00

St. sat our almost-three L. down on her lap to brush her long blond hair into a nice ponytail. Instead, she stared at a little girl holding scissors in her right hand. Cutting paper into tiny slivers must have grown boring, so L. turned her hand to her glowing locks, cutting swathes from the right side of her head. Her bangs, almost grown out, are now 1/4” stubble. The hair above her ear

The rich get soaked yet again. Or hosed. Or doused. (Pick your metaphor)

2004-08-26T08:49:00.000-06:00

Many times I toss the morning paper into the recycle bin annoyed that it snatched away even ten minutes of my day. This morning’s, though, brought me this gem: It looks like all of our water conservation efforts worked! With all of us ripping out our lawns and following the watering rules, the mountain reservoirs are now safely full. Oops. Turns out that the water district needs people to use

No, we wouldn't want to darken the reputation of war criminals

2004-08-25T07:06:00.000-06:00

It's been about seven months since last I commented on anything political, so I'm due: I am growing tired of elements on the left talking out both sides of their mouth. Specifically, this whole Viet Nam issue. Let me be straight on this: coming of age in the 80's means that any and all romance or patriotism is completely stripped from that conflict. When this nation revisited our role over

2004-08-23T06:07:00.000-06:00

This morning.

2004-08-20T09:08:00.000-06:00

Venus has been greeting my early rising. Hot cup of tea or coffee in hand, I pull up the shades to find her hanging alone in the dark eastern sky. She, my only company in the quiet blackness of predawn, slowly ascends her sphere, away from the impending Sun. I read, sip, and throw quick glances at her, knowing she will leave with the blues of day. The day comes without temerity as the

But I'm SUPPOSED to be studying esoteric doctrines

2004-08-17T07:56:00.000-06:00

St. came into the study yesterday afternoon holding her Bible, visibly flustered. Two young men in crisp white shirts and conservative ties were just at the door, and they were getting their Bibles. Three hours we spent unpacking Mormon doctrine and practice. We were clear by the time we finished that the Latter Day Saints are hardly within the folds of orthodoxy (or the Great Apostacy, as

Time to tie a red scarf around my head

2004-08-16T08:18:00.000-06:00

I’m nearly done with a re-reading of Richard Bauckham’s The Theology of the Book of Revelation. The ideas in this little book forever removed a literalistic hermeneutic from a reading of the Apocalypse, which in turn opened up all sorts of theological doors. Friday found me wandering the stacks at the seminary, looking for a book on the history of premillennialism in America. I have my

My Encounter with the Late Ms. Childs

2004-08-14T10:52:00.000-06:00

Though an irregular feature around here, it is none-the-less time for another of Adeodatus’ Brushes with Famous People or Their Offspring. July 2, 1993 Greg picks me up at 5:30am for our first annual cutthroat trout pilgrimage up to Tabor Lake. He drives his red econobox like a madman around blind curves and boulder-strewn forest roads so

There's a signpost up ahead. Your next stop: Spiritual Decrepitude

2004-08-14T10:12:00.000-06:00

You can tell you are nearing home after a long trip away when you start to pass familiar landmarks: that Village Inn where you drank coffee until 2am with a college friend, then new supermarket (which was put up in ’87). Similarly, you notice when your body shakes with the minute convulsions of the winter’s first cold: a dull ache in the knees followed closely by an itchy nose. I have only

Yes! Front pages news? The burned up hulk of an RV

2004-08-06T15:05:00.000-06:00

It's not that I have anything against these beheamoths of the highways, or that I feel no compassion for the family who lost their vehicle (or especially the two who sustained burns. I know how badly that hurts). But ever since the morning after that September day, I pull the newspaper from its blue baggie with not a little hesitation, nerves ready to wince at the headlines. When the picture

Sad truth behind the vegetable demise

2004-08-06T10:18:00.000-06:00

Sure you've read Vischer's side of things. But what about those lovable fruits and vegetables hung out to dehydrate? Get the facts.

Another uneventful anniversary (besides the aurora borealis)

2004-08-03T08:55:00.000-06:00

This is the last of the vacation posts. Sorry to dump them on you like this, but the drakes are hatching and I'm running very late to fool a fish with my imitation. 7.27 Now isn’t that a nice number? It has a pleasant ring to it. On the clock it rolls around during two of the best parts of the day. It is a pointy-nosed commercial aircraft. And it was a nice day to get married in Ft.

A Day in the Country

2004-08-03T08:54:00.000-06:00

7.26 Yikes! Tomorrow is #13! Well on our way to being that old couple sitting on their porch swing, holding hands and shouting insults toward the uppity kids whizzing by on their scooters. It shall be spent watching the tiny waves lap the shores of northern Michigan. Jason was supposed to pound on the door to our room this morning so we could share a cup of coffee before he headed out

Thus we leave the hostile climes of Lakeville, Minnesota

2004-08-03T08:51:00.000-06:00

7.24 Four states today. We started off on the Mighty Mississip in WI, almost nodded off across Illinois, and currently race across the top of Indiana. Our fourth state will be Michigan, the home state of old pals, Jason and Pam. They moved back here after giving up like the rest of us trying to live in the Roaring Fork Valley. They held out about a year longer than most of our circle. The

What does eschatology look like when it hits the fan?

2004-08-03T08:49:00.000-06:00

I'm going fishing. So lest I keep posting two weeks behind, I shall dump a few on you: 7.21 How about that. Looks like we will be packing things up a day early. St. & I just had another conversation with the Man in the Know, the fixer who can give us the thumbs up or thumbs down regarding this whole problem over the doctrinal issue. When he suggested another organization I knew the die had

Day 7 Feebleness in our cups

2004-08-03T05:34:00.000-06:00

07.20 Oh, the horror. . . Dr. Bill, a scientist working to stamp out weeds on the globe's largest landmass, confessed to us this morning that he has been accidentally brewing decaff every morning for the last week. No wonder the group has been going through three jugs of the stuff before the ten o’clock break. You could see people whispering desperately into their polystyrene cups: “C’mon,

A Very Tasty sector in the retirement portfolio

2004-08-02T10:18:00.000-06:00

I ran down to the Lakeville Supertarget in search of icecream. Despite my haste to get it back to my craving wife, my eye catches an end display: Cracklin' Oat Bran on sale. This never happens. Country clubs do not advertise two-for-one memberships in the Nickel Ads. Jaguar XJS coupes are not put up on blocks along the back fence (although, if you are ever in Hot Springs, SD...). Kelloggs does

Candicacy school begins to sour: Day 6

2004-08-01T13:24:00.000-06:00

07.19 Dangit if my Calvinism doesn’t keep showing up like a gaudy pink slip with static cling beneath my homely gingham jumper. I don’t come in with a tulip stuck in my hat or well-worn Westminster pages falling out my back pockets. But when it comes to how one understands culture, or how to share the Gospel (or what is the Gospel?), or how to understand calling – then I find myself trying to

Domino's pizza. . .is. . .PEOPLE!

2004-07-31T15:36:00.000-06:00

I had a Dominos pizza about five years ago, and after wiping that savory cardboard taste from my tongue with an old rag I vowed not to repeat my mistake. But there we were in need of a quick dinner and Dominos was as quick and cheap as any. Not only were they pretty nasty pizzas (with all of two sliced mushrooms on the mushroom one), but this unsavory brochure was displayed proudly on the

Home after 3545.5 miles away

2004-07-31T07:40:00.000-06:00

Already the aspen shoots have been pulled, the junk mail tossed and a cold lager pulled from the garage fridge. Home with all its pleasantness and familiarity. The same weeds are growing, the same cracks show in the walls, but it is ours. No one to feel awkward about: let those kids scream at each other! Let those toys sit on the floor for a day or two. We drove through the night twice,

A short note from the first Wednesday

2004-07-25T11:57:00.000-06:00

7.14.2004 It’s not that I have anything against olfactory aids in prayer, but just don’t expect me to meditate on how sweet smelling vanilla reminds me of grace after a big lunch. Give me a nap. I’m finding one of the hardest things to keep up on during this whole thing is consistency with the kids. There is very little leverage when it comes to punishment. No movies, TV, video games to take

Then came Monday (which was like three days)

2004-07-25T11:54:00.000-06:00

7.12.2004 The world is green over here. Plants drink their fill directly from the air. I can understand why humidity is detestable in many people’s eyes, especially those used to the unencumbered freedom of the American West. Moist air envelops you like an embryonic sac, at the same time nursing you with her heavy, hot waters yet nearly suffocating you with closeness. Things grow like a

Alright. How about some posts?

2004-07-25T11:51:00.000-06:00

Ooops. I just realized that I was posting the stuff from our Minnesota period in the wrong order. In order to keep our chronology correct and keep from confusing all involved, I deleted those which were errantly posted too early. (TulipGirl! Gimme those comments again! I weep to think them lost forever). Now I shall start from the beginning. . . 7.11.04 My dad’s birthday. We called him from

It was funny at the time

2004-07-22T04:43:00.000-06:00

That tag line up there? About realized eschatology? That was supposed to be a joke, tired by now to be sure. It was never supposed to draw battle lines or poke somebody in the eye. But now it has, and now I realize that 41% may be a little on the low side.

I am not lazy

2004-07-19T19:59:00.000-06:00

I now have 8 posts all typed up and ready. But they are on my laptop and I am having just a bit of trouble getting logged onto the web at the moment. (Presently I am tying up the phone lines of our gracious host family). So when they do come, they'll be fast & furious. Until then, know that Minnesota is a nice place to be, even in late July when ninety degrees feels far more oppressive than a

On the road #2: still in Nebraska

2004-07-15T11:08:00.000-06:00

7.10.04 This date now has mythical associations: tis the date we are required to arrive in Lakeville, Minnesota. And if it weren’t for another’s Cabela’s store a few miles back, we would already be pulling into our host family’s driveway. Three more exits off of I-35. Quite the day! Here I thought we go a late state on yesterday morning because we needed to dry everything out. Nope. We are

On the road #1: Nebraska

2004-07-15T10:16:00.000-06:00

7.9.2004 The second night on our trip toward Destiny. Stacy took the Five to swim at Lake #3 here at the Louisville Lakes State Park in eastern Nebraska. Our campsite is a wee swath of a long, green field, shaded by cottonwoods. To add ambiance, a huge grainery lies a mile to the east, filling up the trains which roar by 80 yards that way. A few observations of our trip thus far: We found

Doxology & devotion: Bar-S hotdog nuked for 20 seconds, or roasted rack of lamb crusted with sea salt, fresh rosemary and garlic?

2004-07-02T11:45:00.000-06:00

It is like this: you slowly put down the fork and savor the flavors of a succulent recipe you haven’t made in ages. Odors and flavors twirl around, their essence sacrificed upon the altar of your matriculation, to the glory of their Creator. You look into an open cabinet across the kitchen and witness the evidence: stacks of ramen noodles (Mushroom flavor? Shrimp? Ignoble flavorings brought to

Hope against hope. . .

2004-06-29T07:42:00.000-06:00

This must be what it feels like to face the inevitable with unfounded hope. Like a child who lays awake at night, knowing that mom is going to stumble into the apartment drunk, but still thinks and prays that tonight will be different. Or a patient who has been told that radiation has a slight chance of destroying the cancer, but in reality the beast has spread too far. J. & I went fishing

My fingers, a false witness

2004-06-25T13:16:00.000-06:00

You might think that these are the fingers of someone who has been hard at work doing manual labor. Would you look at the grime around those nails?! Nope! We just dyed some stuff with black RIT dye, and now my fingers give false testimony. This got me thinking, though: you know how some lazy ladies get tatoo'd eyeliner? Well, for those of us who sit at desks and use our heads for a living, we

Thoughts for a Friday

2004-06-25T06:10:00.000-06:00

Busy morning! Got up at 3:53 to finish grading these theology papers. The birds started chirping around 4:40, and the noises of industry and economy weren't far behind. I'm now on my second small mug of Greek coffee. Mind you -- this is the same beverage as Turkish Coffee,Arabic Coffee, and even Baltic Coffee. I've never known an identical product to be grabbed so lustily by such a diverse

2004-06-21T22:12:00.000-06:00

THIS is what I'm talking about! Coasters in Colorado are supposed to be mere formalities, simple accoutrements to provide us with more possible wedding presents. Forget NYC freezing solid -- this is the sort of climatic upheaval you should be worried about

So NOW it rains

2004-06-21T16:16:00.000-06:00

I was hours away from getting grass onto my front yard. HOURS. All the wee patch of land needs is a bit of dirt moved from here to there, and a bit of grooming with a landscape rake. That's all. But the Almightly seems to think it more important that I repaired the relationship with my spouse, and pour his grace on a parched land in the meantime. Still, I am getting a little tired of having this

A sobering thought

2004-06-17T20:36:00.000-06:00

I took a long walk in the rain this afternoon. It smelled so unlike Colorado, and so much like other parts of the nation where people have never had to think about installing micro-irrigation to their Xeriscaped yards. I rescued a squirrel from drowning in a dumpster. At least, I gave it an avenue of egress. The pitiful creature sat in 1/4 inch of water staring up at the sky. A dying tree

It sure does feel like the end

2004-06-15T10:12:00.000-06:00

I was trying to find some jazz to listen to on Shoutcast, but ended up here listening to the interminable “The End” by the Doors. I am listening to it simply because it has been nearly two decades since the high-school me tried to buy the lie that the troubled poetic spirit of Morrison should be freed through my stereo. I have come to my senses, and please put me on record for this sentiment:

Who'd a thought the Apocalypse would smell so good?

2004-06-10T08:28:00.000-06:00

We ventured back out under the angry skies shortly after the hailstones stopped. Some dings on both vehicles (funny that the only sheltered vehicle was the Westfalia, with its thick fiberglass roof), lots of tree debris, and a smashed sunroof on the fort's roof. (Some things prove much, much bigger in their component parts than their whole - soda from a can which ruptured on my kichen floor,

2004-06-09T16:18:00.000-06:00

Here's the mess in our backyard

2004-06-09T16:17:00.000-06:00

Apacolyptic hailstones at our house today

Shortages? No water shortages here, mac.

2004-06-08T08:19:00.000-06:00

It strikes me as almost surreal how this culture casts its problems – always into the stoic bronze of “shortages”. We are in a drought! Our reservoirs have not been full in years. At least two in the mountains are bone dry. Most out on the plains dead zone before August (where the water level drops below the outtake) Isn’t it obvious, then, that we have come into a severe water shortage? No

2004-06-05T15:23:00.000-06:00

First. To whomever first invented the hammock, thank you. If you had a hand in creating the modern hammock, that tightly slung fabric bed suspended between two metal posts with its built-in pillow and tasseled fringe – I’m not talking to you. I mean the enterprising human being who first looked at a blanket lying on the floor, then looked at two trees, and changed the course of history. This

Soapbox Day!

2004-06-04T06:25:00.000-06:00

In a scant 33 minutes my dad will arrive. Immediately thereupon we will commence construction of an aerodynamic,gravity powered vehicle, the likes of which this block has never seen. The instructions promise an easy go of it, but we'll soon find out whether it takes an engineering degree or not. (Dad comes with a physics degree, which may not count. But! He did grow up on a farm, where you

Backyard ablutions

2004-06-02T10:25:00.000-06:00

I took a shower yesterday afternoon in the backyard, and used all of a gallon of precious water. We have a semi-private backyard, screened off this time of year by lilacs, spruce branches, and sundry bushes, so neighbors in the course of their comings and goings were safe from the sight of a pale, skinny nude man. I strung up a tarp to ensure their psychological well-being, hung the camp shower

2004-05-27T08:37:00.000-06:00

A Trial Picture

Sidney Bristow infiltrates a heavily guarded beach, dons a bright red wig, and jumps the shark

2004-05-24T13:55:00.000-06:00

Stacy fell in love with Alias from the very get-go (she took up kickboxing at her gym the same week, for pete’s sake). It was a show without moral ambiguity: good guys fought bad guys, and Sidney, being the goodest of the good guys, always managed to end up just maiming people seriously with whatever she found at hand. A Christian might argue that the fornication was problematic (and it is

Comments! At long last...

2004-05-21T10:19:00.000-06:00

There I was whining on the phone with Tim about stealing his technical expertise to get some sort of comments system up and running on this blog of mine. "Snicker. Snicker," he snickers. "Yer still on Blogger, no?" Yes. "Well, then..." Oh. Comment away! I would like some clever name for such comments like Lutheran Josh has, or the Rough Woodsman folk. Maybe, "Thought-out insights" or "Since you

Progress on the manual labor front

2004-05-20T15:57:00.000-06:00

In case you’ve been wondering, a quick update on my work around the house: The bunkbed fort now has a steep Victorian-style roof on it, including a skylight. It still needs lots of trim work, but the kids (or whoever) could hang out in it during a rain storm. Most of the planting and landscaping and lattice installing has been completed. I still have some mint plants to shove in the ground

Jeremiah only makes me grumpier

2004-05-19T06:12:00.000-06:00

What do you do with the Prophets? These voices crying out from crevices and rocks of ancient Judea or from the fig bushes of Tekoa? I thought I had settled on a workable Old Testament hermeneutic at some point, but I am having some doubts as I read through Jeremiah and some of the minor prophets. If there is a danger of leaving their laments and judgments to ring only in the ears of the

2004-05-17T20:10:00.000-06:00

Here I am, a man of quite ordinary means, and I get to enjoy these pleasures at this very moment: sitting in a warm spring sun in my backyard, in front of a hot grill spitting and hissing as two small racks of lamb sear over the blue heat. The smell! Olive oil, fresh basil from our forgotten herb garden (Thank God for his provision in perennial plants), and rosemary waft over with each frenetic

2004-05-14T12:02:00.000-06:00

It has stopped raining. We never have those days-long drizzles that many parts of the world enjoy. In fact, our 24-Hours-of-Wetness earlier this week itself was a strange atmospheric event in this land of 11-minute thunderstorms. This all means that today I have no clear reason to stay here in my study in front of this machine. Sun is out. Sprinkler parts must be assembled. Sprinkler, then

On movies

2004-05-12T13:45:00.000-06:00

I'm thinking it happened during my freshman year of college, but if you asked the right questions and looked at the right documents buried in my personnel file you could probably find roots of it all in the eighth grade. I am very picky when it comes to movies. Sure, I can sit for two hours playing Age of Empires with J., or read my way around sundry internet sites, but if those two hours are

2004-05-11T16:41:00.000-06:00

I am done with the backyard. Mostly. There are still some seeds to scatter, and the fort could use a roof. But all the big aspects are done: the deck, groundcover, GFI'd outlet by the little table by the deck, stereo speakers for your late evening listening enjoyment. Now comes the front yard. This is Grand Landscaping at its finest, with none of the micro-scaping that contented me in the

2004-05-02T06:42:00.000-06:00

A few months ago N. sneaked into my study (not uncommon. He likes the same spaces I do). I had left on the desk a mess of fly-tying materials, including a pill-box used to hold my dry fly hooks. In keeping with his curious character, he opened each compartment to gaze at the dozens of shiny wire hooks. At some point he also tipped it over, spilling all the hooks from big #10’s down to wee

2004-04-30T19:39:00.000-06:00

“You nervous again?” “What? Oh. Sorry.” “No, it’s just that it makes you look really nervous.” I bite my cheeks. When the teeth think that the mind is away doing other things, they start to bite around the insides of my cheeks, first nervously. In tiny, quick nips. Then, finding the rough lining exposed, they methodically chomp away at the meaningless old cells in an attempt at creating a mouth

2004-03-26T03:35:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I finished securing our bunkbed fort to the earth. It now sits about 6" higher off the dirt, which was a tempting hight for little L. to dive off of yesterday. Thankfully I was squatting right underneath, messing with lagbolts and washers or something (maybe putting the sockets back in their places for the 6000th time, since N. likes to mess with my tools). So her fall was more of a

2004-03-24T08:15:00.000-07:00

Here's another Loma post. It's amazing how much time you have to write when your kids have the freedom to explore the world instead of constantly pulling on your pantleg, demanding entertainment. No house or yard projects staring you down doesn't hurt, either. I’m not faulting Stacy’s choice in friends. Diane is very funny, kind, and godly. She’s exemplary in maintaining real joy while

2004-03-22T10:13:00.000-07:00

Now, remember that the following posts are out of order. I thought about posting them to the times they were written, but that seems like so much electronic chicanery. First, a post-script to last Monday's post: I strapped my pontoon boat onto the trunk for the drive up on Wednesday, but it wasn't on securely enough for the hammering wind gusts I had to drive through along the Front Range. The

2004-03-21T16:16:00.000-07:00

We're back from the Western Slope. 4 days and three nights at the end of 14 1/2 Street in Loma, Colorado. I typed up a couple of things while I was sitting on the couch there. They will be posted in the next day or so. The float down Glenwood Canyon was lovely. I was the only soul on the river, and the little blue boat handled the water just fine. Water visibility was pretty low, but I did

2004-03-17T05:23:00.000-07:00

Blessed quiet of an early morning house, especially when the wind out in the inky world kicks over steel garbage cans and rattles shed doors. All is fine here, thank you. The kitchen is clean, with 5 bowls of cereal set out for the children. Just add milk. I don't know if this guy intentionally created his product to make the mornings of millions of people more pleasant by giving us & our

2004-03-16T16:10:00.000-07:00

Today's accomplishment: installed a french drain in the backyard, so I am now ready to get working on the walkway. On our way home from a rather nice family outing to a pizza joint out headlights spotted a slide next to someone's garbage, so I hopped out and carried it two blocks home. It's now clamped (temporarily) to our bunkbeds qua fort, making the furniture more officially a piece of

2004-03-15T10:43:00.000-07:00

Last week I textured and painted our front room. It’s a new thing for me to work for hours with nothing demanding my focused attention. You would think that I would be meditating on all sorts of wonderful things whilst spreading mud with my little trowel: spiritual mysteries, events of my lengthening life, favorite poems. Instead, I find myself at a corner of a wall, looking back to the last

2004-03-13T10:22:00.000-07:00

I didn’t think it would come to this. Can you imagine trying to get a job as a 73 year-old former Pentecostal pastor? I can... “I see that you were the pastor of a Pentecostal church for 47 years. What did you enjoy most about that job?” “Well, ma’am, there were manifold joys along the way, but I really enjoyed lettin’ go, and seeing the Holy Ghost moving amongst his people. Fire, ma’am.

2004-03-09T07:57:00.000-07:00

It has been a productive week. One of my proudest achievements: I’ve come up with something to say to all the people who ask if I’m not working. “I’ve hired myself for some full-time remodeling work around the house.” Today I worked on the walls in the family room. I was intimate with joint compound for around 11 hours, but now the walls sport a nifty knock-down texture, and all the cracks,

2004-03-02T08:02:00.000-07:00

So you think you know what it means to live out your religion, do you? You think you can just read your scriptures and listen to your leaders’ teachings and live this religious life? Not so fast, lil’ pilgrim. Strange things happen in California: the Catholic Church is acting too much like Christ and not enough like a fundamentalist, revivalistic independent Bible church. The great state of

2004-02-26T12:51:00.000-07:00

You know, Pentecostals have so much reserve capital when it comes to public opinion, this sort of thing really should not have caused such a stir. I am shocked that it did not generate deep public discourse and loving community outreach. That pastor must have genuinely been shocked: "We aren't suggestin' that people look at Jews negative-like or nothin'. After all, they need to rebuild the

2004-02-26T06:15:00.000-07:00

Here it is the first full day of Lent. I sighed driving by the neighborhood Anglican church (the Righteous offshoot on Yale, not the perverted Branch on Lowell) on my way some last night, seeing all the cars in the dark parking lot. My liturgy-loving soul starves this time of year, since the evangelical tradition (anti-tradition?) of our church knows very little of feasts and seasons. We do

2004-02-25T13:17:00.000-07:00

Nathanael is sick today. One green booger and he’s stuck at home with his dad all morning instead of joining S. and the non-schooled children at the gym. He quietly lies on the couch here, vacantly picking at the cause of his exile. So instead of tackling my list of home improvements, we will be doing little boy & his dad stuff. Later: Turns out that home improvement meshes very well with

2004-02-25T07:45:00.000-07:00

I went in to work on Friday to clean out my desk and tie up all the loose ends. I filled a thin plastic grocery bag to bursting with all my various foodstuffs and pens and things. I didn’t think I would feel that much joy at severing the ties to the company that paid all my bills since late ’98, but driving away was pure pleasure. I was quietly hoping that I would be given a sort of

2004-02-25T05:12:00.000-07:00

Well, the response to the Metaphor Contest was a little less dramatic than expected. You would think that the public would jump at the chance to win such a metaphor. That leaves me with two conclusions: either people are overwhelmed with the power of the image like I was, or they are just not the literary type. Maybe a metaphor of this caliber would clash with their literary décor. Anyway, the

2004-02-18T11:55:00.000-07:00

I dropped the kids off yesterday at school and immediately headed back home. After exiting Hampden onto Sheridan, I see a bluish-grey fluttering mass in the left lane. I am in the right lane and watch it as I drive by: a pigeon struggling and flapping, obviously injured seriously and facing imminent death. I continued watching in the rearview mirror and muttered curses at the minivan and

2004-02-16T07:29:00.000-07:00

Less than a fortnight until Mel Gibson’s The Passion opens in American theatres, a violent, realistic depiction of the Incarnate Son complete with surround sound and popcorn. A lot has already been said about this movie: whether its anti-Semitic to the core (of course it is under the broad definition currently in use. A group of hyper-religious Jews demanded this man’s execution. Jews are

2004-02-11T11:54:00.000-07:00

That was a pretty good birthday. A nicely timed sunny day let me run up into the hills for a little trout fishing. I landed one little cutthroat (the Colorado State Fish, mind you), and then proceeded to be utterly schooled by a run of trout feeding on tinier midges that I had in my box. Mind you, the flies I was user were barely longer than this: ---, but the fishies wanted a bug no bigger

2004-02-09T10:34:00.000-07:00

S. took me to see Phil Keaggy on Friday night up in our old college stomping grounds, Ft. Collins. The Sunset Event Center is a great venue, and even though we arrived 5 minutes before the show was to start, we found two chairs center on the floor. (In case you are not familiar with Mr. Keaggy’s playing, go listen to some now). It had been a tense evening up to the point when Phil walked on

2004-02-05T23:30:00.000-07:00

I had orignally hoped to join Tim for a night of homebrewing. I bought an adapter for my old Coleman stove so it now runs off of a bulk propane canister (less charm, but less soot, too), thinking it would set us both up for simultaneous double-batches. In the end, I kept tabs with Tim's zymergistic endeavors through his great photojournal blog entries while my own wort bubbled and steamed. S.