Saturday Night at the Catholic Shindig

Looking down at my Fitbit, I knew I had a number of steps to go to reach that 10K bench mark, so I decided to head down to the neighborhood Catholic Church.  You see, it is summer social time in Evansville and it was the local church's weekend to prosper.  That being the case, I put my walking shoes on headed to the parish to see what they knew.

As I got closer to the campus, I started to hear "Dueling Banjos" fill the air. Ah, live entertainment! I was hoping to see that weird looking kid play from Deliverance, but I knew it was a long shot.

Finally, I pass a sign signifying the summer social for Annunciation Parish at Holy Spirit.
I confess the sign irritated me a bit.  I am not a fan of change and for as long as I could remember it was just known as Holy Spirit Catholic Church.  But for some reason, they had to tack on the prefix of "Annunciation Parish" to the moniker.  It reminded me of all the universities that started naming their basketball floors after someone - such as Arad McCutcheon Court at the Ford Center.  However, to me, the court naming made more sense, but I digress.

It didn't take me long to confirm my suspicions about "Dueling Banjos."  The weird looking kid wasn't playing. Instead it was one seasoned guy playing an acoustic guitar.  The banjo was apparently recorded . . . so maybe it was the weird looking kid.  I will just believe it is for peace of mind.  (On a side note, that weird looking kid in Deliverance didn't really play the banjo at all.  He was just chosen to play that part because he was . . . well, weird looking.  There was actually a REAL banjo player that was behind him that reached around him and played the banjo.  Not kidding.)

Getting back to the shindig, it was different than the summer socials of Holy Spirit's past.  There used to be rides and gambling and a huge rummage sale on top of the food booths and Cafeteria plates.  There also used to be BINGO.  Not this year.  No rides. Just a couple of  food booths, plate dinners, but no gambling.  New things consisted of a bierstube and an inflatable play room for kids.  I was hoping the two wouldn't intersect.

There was light crowd there.  I felt like I stuck out being there alone and not really doing anything.  It was that "lonely in a crowd" feeling that we get from time to time.  As I was scouting out a food booth, this man came up to me.

"Do you remember me?" he asked.

It hit me (not the man, but from where I knew him), "You played for me in little league!" I announced.

I can't believe he recognized me from all these years.  Brian, my left-handed first baseman - the best player on that particular team was a sight for eyes that were sore from being a stranger in my own neighborhood.  He introduced me to his wife.  I told her that I was her husband's little league coach and to not be fooled by the fact that he looked older than me.  She laughed, but kind of agreed.

It was nice to run into another former player of mine.  It happens a lot and they always seem generally happy to see me.  Some are even more than happy to see me, but perhaps that is a theme for another time.

I told him that I would let him eat his tenderloin sandwich before it got cold.  I walked away thinking about Brian, the church, and that tasty-looking sandwich.

I walked around a little more, trying to put some more gratuitous steps on my Fitbit when I saw an older man with a black shirt and a white Roman collar.  I didn't need to be at a Catholic church to know who that was.  He looked at me and shared a friendly greeting.

"So are you the guy I talk to if I am thinking about converting?" I asked thinking that would be a good ice breaker.

"No, I am just visiting," he replied.

"Well, you are the only one in uniform so I thought I would give it a shot."

He replied, "Well, you can come and visit here and they probably have classes you attend."

"Yeah, I am sure they do.  Have a nice evening."

As I walked away, I couldn't help to compare that little exchange to one I would have had a baptist pot luck or something - they don't have summer socials at baptist churches. It is the devil's playground or something like that.  Anyway, instead of the casual, "You don't want to know from me; this ain't even my neighborhood," reply from a visiting priest, I would have gotten the preacher and two deacons giving me the Bible quick draw while a couple of their wives gather around to hum, "Just as I am."  I would have been baptized before being even able to taste a tenderloin sandwich. It wasn't as though I was dead serious about converting, but I kind of was interested in hearing the spiel.  Besides, who knows?

Not the actual sandwich. Your mileage may vary.

At that point, I was ready to journey home.  But first, I had some business to attend to - so I thought.  I sauntered over to the booth where they sold those tasty-looking tenderloin sandwiches.  "Do you have a way I can get it to go?  I have a little ways to go and I walked."

"No, I'm sorry.  All we have are these open boats."

"Thanks anyway," I replied trying to hide my disappointment.  Realizing that I am trying to eat healthy as well as get my exercise, I knew that I had no business eating that fine looking sandwich anyway . . . that sandwich that looked and smelled so delicious . . . yeah, that one.  I started walking home thinking that God was helping me look after my health - and I didn't even have to convert to Catholicism to get it
.

NEWS FLASH - Last Week of January '08

NEWS FLASH is basically news or thoughts that may be changing over time - an update or an evolution of thought that covers a multiple of topics. It is what makes a blogger tick and it is the reason why we read. So, with that in mind, I came up with NEWS FLASH as an acronym that stands for what is going on in life:



News (or current events)
Entertainment (movies, TV, celebrity, etc.)
Work (thoughts on the job or employer)
Spirit (thoughts on God and/or the supernatural)
Family (or friends)
Love
Anxiety (a rant or a trouble)
Sports (also considered should be contests, reality tv, recreation, cards, games), and
Home (house, yard, or even another family type of thought.
___________________________________________________________________

NEWS: The candidates in both parties' primaries are whittling down. On the Democratic side, there is just Clinton and Obama left. I think this will go down to the wire. If I were to make a prediction, I would say it will be Clinton at the convention. On the Republican side, there are still, technically, four candidates. It looks like just two have a chance, though; they are McCain and Romney. Huckabee is a very long shot at this point, but politics can change with the wind.

Experts say that the longer Huckabee is in, the better off McCain is because Huckabee and Romney are competing for the same votes. These so-called experts think political philosophy is the driving force with the voters in the Republican party. Romney and Huckabee are both more conservative than McCain, so the conservative vote is split therefore giving an advantage to McCain (because his support isn't split).

However, with my political science degree firmly in my hand, I disagree with the experts. I say that Huckabee takes away McCain supporters instead. Here is why: Huckabee's base is evangelical and fundemental Christians. These types believe that Romney belongs to a cult (the Mormon church). This religious belief trumps any political ideology loyalty for this group of people. Conservative Christians are mormophobes. Therefore, if Huckabee drops out, the support will swell for McCain, not Romney because Huckabee supporters will not back a Mormon. This is just my theory. Stay tuned to see if the TV experts or yours truly has a better grip on this election.

ENTERTAINMENT: I am anxiously waiting for the new 3-D U2 movie to hit my local Imax. A friend of mine saw it in Indianapolis and said it was unbelievable. U2 is timeless and I really miss 3-D movies anyway!

WORK: Busy. My intern believes when there is turbulence in the personal life, all other things are allowed to come to a grinding halt. She will learn or become part of the homeless masses.

SPIRIT: Had an argument with a close friend about God and evangelism. He has had a major life transformation so he is inclined to believe any other path (other than his specific one) may not lead to God. He wouldn't admit it as I worded it, but that is what he is arguing. I believe all true paths go through Christ (so does he), however, I believe there are many paths that will get you there. Christ is the key, though.

FAMILY: One sister is in the hospital. One is stranded by car trouble. My wife is . . . my wife. The comments on my last blog post made me realize more that there is no one there to care for me. My wife doesn't. Twice this week, I observed that if I want to do something that doesn't interest her, I do it alone or don't do it. However, when she is interested in something - even if I am not that much, I do it with her. I believe that is what a husband does. My gosh, marriage sure can be a lonely proposition.

LOVE: I think the girl in the local Grandy's has a crush on me. Today, she asked me if I am having "the usual". I didn't realize anyone paid attention to what I ordered. Then, she went back and made my stuff fresh and added cheese to my eggs. Then she apologized for my wait (which wasn't really outside of the ordinary) and gave me my meal for half price. I guess someone is looking out for me afterall. LOL

ANXIETY: I am tutoring a kindergartner that will not concentrate AT ALL. His twin sister can, but he can't or won't. When I work with letter flashcards, instead of thinking about the card, he just rambles off random letters. I try to work with him on just the concentration but he just doesn't get it. I really want him to succeed. Any suggestions?

SPORTS: Superbowl this week. I am hoping for the upset NY Giants over the Patriots. However, that isn't likely. Maybe the commercials will be good!

HOME: I have lost 17 pounds in the last three weeks. The low-carb diet is doing me justice. Anyone want to join me with the low carb? I am inventing and discovering some killer recipes!

NEWS FLASH #12

NEWS FLASH is basically news or thoughts that may be changing over time - an update or an evolution of thought that covers a multiple of topics. It is what makes a blogger tick and it is the reason why we read. So, with that in mind, I came up with NEWS FLASH as an acronym that stands for what is going on in life:


News (or current events)
Entertainment (movies, TV, celebrity, etc.)
Work (thoughts on the job or employer)
Spirit (thoughts on God and/or the supernatural)
Family (or friends)
Love
Anxiety (a rant or a trouble)
Sports (also considered should be contests, reality tv, recreation, cards, games), and
Home (house, yard, or even another family type of thought.
___________________________________________________________________

NEWS - Hurricane Dean passed through Jamaica (actually the eye was about 20 miles south). It made me think about last October when I was in Jamaica getting married. We wondered what we would do if a hurricane crashed our wedding (pun intended). It might have been exciting, but we settled for perfect weather and scenery. Everyone in the media is happy to report that it looks like the storm is going to stay south of the US. That is because Mexico doesn't matter. Americans are so egocentric, sometimes.

ENTERTAINMENT - High School Musical 2, came out with record ratings for a basic cable production. The Today Show this morning made fun of it for its wholesomeness - at least that is the impression I got. How sad that wholesome isn't appealing. I saw the first movie and found it good and wholesome. There was a big deal about everyone waiting for the leads to kiss in the first one, but they didn't. People couldn't wait to see if they lock lips in the second one. I thought that was funny, because as I watched the first one, it never occurred to me whether they kissed or not. Most of the time, people are bedding each other in otherwise sweet movies. It was refreshing to see that at least some people find the elusive cinematic kiss more appealing.

WORK - I have to clean up this office. I don't want to. We have a cleaning service, but they aren't suppose to mess with my stuff - just trash, dusting, and vacuuming.

SPIRIT - I am going to take this spot and talk about my other blog, The Present Truth (because it is exclusively about my thoughts in that realm). There is a debate brewing about my most recent post. It is about an experience I had at "Motley Crue" concert, of all things, I attended a couple of years ago. I received some feedback that really shocked me. If you have any interest in this kind of thing, you can check out the post here. I am going to do a whole new post in response today or tomorrow so you can stay tuned for that over there, too, if you desire.

FAMILY - I am supposed to go visit my father-in-law this weekend with my wife. However, I have a conflict Saturday night and have to take my mother to the doctor on Monday. If I can get my sister to take my mom, I can go up Sunday and come back Tuesday. Regardless, my wife is going Friday. I hope I can go (at some level), because I want my wife to know that I am still plugging away. Besides, I like my father-in-law. He understands me.

LOVE - I love me some chocolate-oatmeal no-bake cookies.

ANXIETY - I am going to show my house to someone today. I met with a realtor Saturday and he didn't give me many signs of hope. The housing market is horrible and property values are low. In the region of the city where my house is, the values are even lower because of flooding problems. There is no flooding on my street, but the region has problems so it is affecting the whole area. I am not too optimistic about the person looking at the house today. I think he is a house flipper and those guys low-ball homeowners so much. I can't afford to invest $20,000 in a house that is going to be flipped when I won't get a return for the investment, if you know what I mean. Home flippers have passed used car salesmen in sliminess, because they take advantage of homeowners that are in dire straits - wanting to get something for nothing.

SPORTS - My fantasy football draft is Saturday. It is THE "man" highlight of the year. AND, yes, that is my Saturday night conflict from going to my father-in-laws. It is just that I am running the thing, and it was set-up long before this "let's go to dad's" thing. On top of that, I am in my father-in-law's fantasy league and they draft Monday night. Maybe I can make both of them if my sister cooperates. I don't really care about the Monday draft. I don't know those guys. I just want to be there for my wife and father-in-law.

HOME - Today, I hope, I am starting my low-carb diet. It is the only thing that has worked for me that I don't have to think about. It is easy. If it is meat or green vegetables, eat it. If it is bread or anything with wheat or sugar, don't eat it. Protein - yes. Starch or sugar - no. What can be easier. The grill will get a lot use from now on. However, there will be no more chocolate-oatmeal no-bakes for me.

That's NEWS FLASH for this week. Have a pleasant tomorrow.

Diet (a different color)

My wife had the great idea of starting a new diet WITH me this week. This is interesting because my wife is thin and trim (is this a redundancy?). Evidently, something didn't fit her like it used to and she began to start worrying about getting chunky. She looks the same to me and considering she is gearing up for her hormonal changes this cycle, I am thinking she is making a big deal over probably nothing.

She further has urged me to abandon my low-carb diet for something she can deal with. She isn't much of a meat eater, and that is practically all I eat on this diet. She discovered the "Cabbage Soup Diet" (a seven-day diet) and offered to do it with me if I would do it. Since I can do any diet for a week, I agreed. I liked the idea of being able to do a diet together so I signed up and we went shopping for the diet Sunday night.

When we got home, we proceeded to make a huge pot of this soup. It smelled pretty good - like any other kind of vegetable soup and so the diet began.

Day 1 - yesterday. I skipped coffee at work (although I think I am allowed it) and went home for lunch where I ate two bowls of soup. It was okay for a meatless vegetable soup. Later I cut grass and the heat and the soup got to me. I felt awful all night. I only ate a few small pieces of cantaloupe and a couple strawberries for dinner (I couldn't stand the thought of eating any more of that soup).

As bad as it was for me, my wife had it worse. She always said that she didn't have the will power to diet so I wonder how much of that attitude played into her experience, but she was in bad shape. She fretted about the diet all day (while I, on the other hand, didn't give it much thought until lunch time). She ate her soup, got a headache, and made repeated trips to the bathroom. When she got home, she couldn't eat anything for supper and spent the late night throwing up everything she ate. We both had terrible headaches (mine followed me into today).I know the soup is okay, because we made it ourselves with clean, fresh vegetables.

Needless to say, my wife is no longer on the diet. I, on the other hand, am still on the fence. As lunch time approaches, I can't stand the thought of eating more of that soup (although I still might). My wife wants me to go off of it (to ease her guilt), but I don't know. I don't like to give up on things too easily. Like I said, I can do anything for a week.

I did get some coffee this morning. That helped a little, I think.

All I know, is that I am not a fan of the diet so far and the "good soup smell" of Sunday night has turned into a rank smell the last two days. That doesn't help me to look forward to that blamed soup, either. Stay tuned.

A New Diet?

As most of you know, I am still on a quest to lose weight and get back into shape. Next week I am going to start the weight training again. I had to take a break from it in the winter because my "gym" is in the garage. Hands on metal at 15 degrees at 5 o'clock in the morning just wasn't something I was willing to do. Call me "undisciplined".

Now it is spring and I am ready to go full force. I am even considering the new "Purina" diet. Haven't heard of it? Well, this is what my wife sent me in email:



Purina Diet

I have a couple of dogs and was buying several bags of Purina at Wal-Mart.
While I was waiting in line, a woman behind me asked if I had a dog. On
impulse, I told her no, I was starting The Purina Diet again, although I
probably shouldn't because I ended up in the hospital the last time! But,
I'd lost 50 pounds before I awakened in an Intensive Care Ward with tubes
coming out of most of my orifices and IVs in both arms.

I told her that it was essentially a perfect diet and that the way it works
is to load your pants pockets with Purina nuggets and simply eat one or two
every time you felt hungry, as the food is nutritionally complete. So I was
going to give it another try. I have to mention here that practically
everyone in the check out line was by now enthralled with my story,
especially a tall heavy man behind her.

Horrified, she asked why had I ended up in the hospital? Had I been
poisoned? I told her no; I'd been sitting in the middle of the street
licking myself and a car hit me!! The tall guy nearly had to stagger out of
the store, oxygen-depleted from laughter!

I paid for the Purina and left a lot of smiles behind me!
_________________________________________________________

I hope this post brought a smile to your face as did the email my wife sent me.