Looking Back at This Aching Day...

Yikes! My back was terrible today and I stayed home and am back on steroids! The ravages of age...

Water Softeners Proven To Cause Backache

It's a good thing I took Andrew with me to get the water softener, as I could have never gotten it out of the basement otherwise. As it is, I strained the other side of my lower back. I'm falling apart!

Trying out Craigslist

My water softener is at least 21 years old. I've done some repairs to the timer, hoses, and valves, but now the timer has failed me for the last time. I'm buying an updated model used on Craigslist. Which will be interesting, as I've never bought anything from anyone on Craigslist before. It's only going to cost a little more than the last timer/motor assembly I bought.

Or,as I posted on Twitter:

The 22 year old water softener is going to the great ion-exchange resin bed in the sky, as I refuse to replace its ticker again.

Red Alert - It's Swine Flu

Swine Flu's on the move. We're up to like 48 cases in the U.S. No deaths. But it's a bona fide public health crisis. Never mind that at least 36,000 people die in the U.S. each year due to influenza. We won't be wearing surgical masks in trains and airplanes for that. Just swine flu. Or bird flu, the most overrated pandemic in history.

It's WAY Too Hot, and It's Only April!

Temperature in the mid-80s today. WAY too warm for my tastes, in April or any other month of the year. Came home from the soccer game and was too tired to even think about that first grass cutting or even working out. So I had a nice long nap instead!

Irons and Toasters

Heard today at Scott's house...

"I think iron technology ranks right up there with toasters. They can get a friggin’ man on the moon but they can’t make a toaster that makes toast or an iron that doesn’t leak water all over your clothes."

Hampton Dolphins Banquet

Had a great time tonight at the Hampton Dolphins swim team banquet, held at the Wildwood Golf Club. I came home with the recipient of the "Most Colorful Swimmer" award.

Another Late Night

Beth stayed up till 4 am last night sewing costumes for Hampton's production of "Anything Goes." We hope her efforts are appreciated.

The Bare Minimum

I can understand not being motivated to excel in school. But I can't for the life of me understand not being motivated enough to do the bare minimum.

Or is it that we don't agree on what constitutes the bare minimum?

Back To The Grind

Back to work today after a 4 day weekend. It wasn't enough time off.

Rituals

"Rituals should have some unpleasantness, or you don't appreciate them properly."

- Vijjika, from Red Mars, by Kim Stanley Robinson

Pascha - The Aftermath

The cooking is done. The cleaning is done (yeah, right!) The guests have come and gone. Voluminous amounts of food have been consumed and we have enough leftovers to last the week. !Everyone has gone to bed at 9:00 pm. Sounds like a good idea!

Holy Saturday Vesperal Liturgy

I stayed at the Holy Friday Vigil until about 5:30 am, then went home to sleep for a couple of short hours before the Holy Saturday Vesperal Liturgy. I'd have to say that this is probably my favorite Orthodox service (although I really like the Wedding Service, too.)

Here is the kontakion (a kind of thematic hymn) sung at that service. It captures the stark reality of Christ's death, yet anticipates the Resurrection.

He who shut in the depths is beheld dead,
Wrapped in fine linen and spices.
The Immortal One is laid in a tomb as a mortal man.
The women have come to anoint Him with myrrh,
Weeping bitterly and crying:
"This is the most blessed Sabbath
On which Christ has fallen asleep to rise on the third day!"

Holy Friday

The Holy Friday services were very nice. I particularly appreciated having Protodeacon Michael there for the Holy Friday Vespers. He is usually at St. Tikhon's Monastery for Pascha. We're enjoying having him and Mat. Mary here this year. Now I'm off to the Holy Friday Vigil.

But Will I Find Time For Any Spirituality?

• Tonight - Holy Friday Matins
• Tomorrow - Vacation from work (but with one teleconference thrown in), cleaning and cooking, Holy Friday Vespers and Holy Saturday Matins, followed by overnight vigil.
• Saturday - Conclude vigil, Holy Saturday Liturgy, cleaning and cooking, Nocturnes and Resurrection Matins
• Sunday - Paschal Liturgy, cleaning and cooking, big dinner with parents and other guests, cleanup
• Monday - Bright Monday Liturgy, Open house at choir director's home, doctor’s appointment. That doctor's appointment is being replaced by a nap.

Ides of April Haiku

Beware April’s Ides
Tax Day and Titanic’s end
Much worse than March’s

A Fun Time At Newark Airport

We're scheduled to come home on the 6 pm flight, right? So it's delayed till 7 pm, say the monitors. So we sit down to eat. Drinks ordered and delivered. Food ordered. One of us, bored, goes and checks the monitors, which show a gate change and that the flight is now back on time and boarding. Drinks guzzled and order changed to takeout. Last ones on the plane.

Then came home and celebrated by finishing my taxes!

A Taxing Time

Just completed the first run through of my taxes at about 2 this morning. Now I'm so tired that I can't look at it tonight, and I have to travel tomorrow. As much as we owe this year, it truly pays to procrastinate!

Let My Prayer Arise Trio

Stephen, Andrew, and I sang the "Let My Prayer Arise" trio during the preparation for communion at today's Divine Liturgy. It was the first and only time that we were able to do it this year, with Stephen being at Clarion.

Lazarus Saturday Divine Liturgy

Went to Lazarus Saturday Divine Liturgy today. It has been 10 years since the family was received into the Orthodox Church on Lazarus Saturday 1999.

I'm Getting Tired of Plain Bland Soft Food

Subject line says it all.

I'm Now Dairy Free

All right - based on Why Doesn't My Doctor Know This? (see yesterday's entry) I'm trying out the dairy-free approach. So far, so good!

The only dairy allowed is clarified butter, which contains neither the lactose nor any of the milk proteins implicated in milk sensitivity. Time to break out the butter and get clarifying!

Why Doesn't My Doctor Know This?

The library finally got Why doesn't my doctor know this? by David Dahlman, which I'd had on request for some time. Looks like it has a lot of good info for helping me to deal with my UC. I may have to end up buying it, though, as it spent a significant portion of its former life in a non-smoke-free home.

It Snowed Today

It snowed today, but just a little bit. I made a note of it because my oldest son was born 19 years ago today and it snowed 4 inches that day. I was to have attended a church meeting that morning, and stayed home due to the snow. My wife's water broke, and, well, whatever plans we had for the day were changed!

You do what you practice

You do what you practice.

Context: Tae Kwon Do class - specifically on the need to keep your hands up during sparring or a fighting situation. If you don't practice keeping your hands up, you won't do it in a real situation when the pressure's on.

Application: Everything.