March 16, 2011

My Week, Randomly

I am a very random thinker. I also think in details. This has huge (SQUIRRELL!) implications. I have labeled all cabinets and drawers in the house to make sure that I am consistent. I frequently lose my phone, keys, books, planner because I am in the middle of one detail when I put it in whatever random location I happend to be dwelling at the time. I am easily (SQUIRRELL!) distracted, especially from chores. If you don't get the squirrell references, watch the movie "UP!" which is just about my favorite all time Pixar movie. The only advantage I have found to being random involves conversations. It is especially useful when having a conversation with an Alzheimer's patient, when they can still talk, because most of their talk becomes free-form words generated at random. Most of my writing, thanks to the magic of word processors seems mostly sequential and I am getting better thinking sequentially in my old age with a little bit of practice. But this time, I am letting go of all rules involving being sequential and having a theme and allowing myself some free-form writing. My first subject is...

Japan. Once again, I am amazed and heartbroken at the the devastation that an earthquake can inflict. I am praying and asking the kids to pray for the people of Japan every day while there is so much chaos and issues. The need seems to be overwhelming and it makes me realize that I have been...

...playing WAAAAY too much Mahjonng Dimensions lately. Initially, I thought it would be a good game to play because each game lasts only six minutes. The challenge is to clear all three levels, each one more complex, in that six minutes. However, it is as addictive as slot machines because you keep thinking, "I just need to try one more time and I KNOW I can clear all three." with the result that you play until, as a purely hypothetical example, you start smelling dinner burning. I can honestly say that I have cleared all three levels within the six minute allotted time, though I don't think I should be proud of that accomplishment. I would like to thank God for doing an intervention for me. Last night, after the kids were in bed, I was greeted by "Mahjonng Tiles by Charmin," where the pyramid of tiles is placed on a giant roll of toilet paper that rotates so you can see it from different sides (I am NOT joking). There are two blocks with Charmin on them and the red bears are in a corner watching you play the game after pushing Charmin as the t.p. which will "leave you clean without leaving pieces behind." IMHO, this has to be the worst campaign slogan I have heard in a long time, unless I am the only one who doesn't really worry about "cling-ons." I have enough potty humor with four kids, two of them boys, to put up with games going to pot. I am through. This is a very good thing because I am in the middle of a...

...sock knitting class: I have been wanting to take a sock knitting class for a while now and my wonderful kids all chipped in to buy me a class as a Christmas present. The classes are held at The Fiber Factory in Mesa, which is a great place to hang out if you are interested in just about any craft involving thread and even some that don't. It has the potential to become a dangerous place for our budget. I love my teacher because she can explain things both technically and visually in terms beginners understand. The first week, she showed us the tricks for setting up using four double pointed needles with a fifth floater, which is the European style of knitting socks. This style has you working from the ankle to the toe. Last week, she showed us how to knit the heel flap, turn the heel, and set up the needles for the gusset, which is the section that goes over the instep/arch of your foot. This is a picture I took after I successfully turned the heel. I am enjoying the class, but, like always these days, it seems like if I add something that I like to do, our schedule goes insanely busy because I have four kids involved in...

...baseball, which meets three times a week and, in spite of the fact that we signed up our little darlings two months ago, still does not have a playing schedule; horseback riding, which has become a little simpler since we combined the two girl's lessons into one time slot; karate twice a week with two of the three class times inconvenient for our family and with a rank promotion looming in our future; boy scouts and extra curricular boy scout activities; kid's choir practice and a concert at a local nursing home; a make up needed for a birthday party for my six year old that was cancelled due to sickness; church, serving in kid's church, meeting in small groups at another time during the week, baptism parties. There is so much to be done and I really have to carve out time with God to help me prioritize it all and put things in their proper perspective. For the past two weeks, we have had two or three things going on each weekend, which means that there is no time for keeping the house clean and getting ready for school, unless I cut in on traditional school subjects to include "life skills" lessons or stay up late. Staying up late reminds me of the...

...Rock and Worship Roadshow that Eric and I attended last weekend with another couple which featured Jars of Clay and Mercy Me, though it also had warm up bands like Matt Maher ("Alive Again", "Love Will Hold Us Together"), The Afters ("Light, Light Light up the Sky"), Thousand Foot Crutch (a Christian heavy metal band with incomprehensible lyrics), and LeCray, a Christian rap artist. Jars of Clay ("If I Had Two Hands" among their many songs I love)had the most uplifting set up, with lots of white light immersing the stage and brought back memories of our courtship. Mercy Me was incredible. The lead singer, Bart, (yes, we are on a first-name basis, at least on my end) has a great sense of humor and a beautiful voice. It was awesome singing with 13,000 people "All of Creation." My girlfriend and I cried when they sang "Beautiful", because Bart explained that he wrote for his daughters. By the time the concert ended, Eric and I bought Matt Maher's two CDs and we took the light rail to our car to get home, it was 11:30. Overall, every act was awesome, even if I didn't like the music genre which was true only of Thousand Foot Crutch (I could almost hear my Grandma C. reacting to the music by saying "You can't tell me this isn't devil music! You can't even understand what they are saying!!!). If they decide to do it next year, I would highly recommend attending it. Athough, I will admit that most of the enjoyment was in attending any concert that doesn't involve the kids, like the children-focused concerts and most Ravinia concerts (OH! How I miss you, Ravinia!), which reminds me that...


...it is time to wrap up my first attempt at writing somewhat randomly. I hope you enjoyed the ride. I promise you sequential types that I will limit this style of writing because a little bit of randomness goes a long way.

God bless!


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