Welcome home to Iowa

Well it is official. After living in the 7th circle of hell for a year, and now in Indiana, I have become a lightweight. It is dang cold here. In my defense it has not gotten above 0 since I have been home, but man does it sting.

Saturday's flight was reality uneventful. I did have a 1/2 delay in Chicago but got into Des Monies with out to many problems. After meeting up with the family, pregamming it at the free bar in the hotel and a quick supper, we headed off to the Tonic Sol-Fa Concert. We had great seats and they were filming the concert for use in a PBS special, so that was cool. They called out the guy sitting right in front of me and talked to him throughout the concert which was pretty funny until the second half of the concert.

They said they needed three people up on stage for a contest and it just so happens that there were three bearded guys in one row. Yep, that's right, Dad, a guy named Marty, and I got called up on stage to have a Deck the Halls sing off contest.

Well as they were getting to know us all a little bit better it turns out that Marty is really Fr. Marty and is a Roman Catholic Priest. Of course they loved this and made a big deal about it. They the found out that I worked for a Catholic camp and thought God was sending them a message. When they found out dad was a Deacon they were speechless.

The details of the singing are not really that important. I will say that Fr. really knows how to rock out and I think dad has a bit of a clubbing past that I don't know about. In the end they gave us all free CDs and let us sit down.

What is going on in this picture? Well sheep are being sheared. What does this have to do with me? Well my sister and mother ganged up on me like Al Capone and Bugs Moran. I was just an innocent non-corrupt citizen of Chicago and got both my beard cur and my hair. I was forced to break my over half a decade record of not paying for a haircut. All I am saying is this: do the sheep look happy?

Keep up the fight and have a Happy Advent

A Toast

I am thinking this will probably be my last post from Indiana for awhile. Don't worry I plan to take the computer home so I will still be able to post in Iowa and keep you all updated.

Speaking of keep you all updated, I often wonder how many people actually read my blog. I have yet to find a way to track hits on the site, so if you know how let me know. It is not uncommon for me to call someone who I have not talked to in awhile and have them tell me they feel so up to date on my life because they read my blog.

So, this post is a toast to you, the followers of A Cage of Words. From all of my family in Iowa, peeps from up in WI, college friends from who knows where you are at, and then there is Ryan, my most favoritist friend in the entire world who taught me how to blog. It has been a fun run so far these last 4-5 months and I am looking forward to many more writing many more post.

Keep up the fight, and Happy Advent!

Welcome Andrew

I received word today that baby Hoeben has entered the world. Andrew Hoeben. All of us here at A Cage of Words wish to congratulate Jeff and Rebecca on this wonderful day.

Keep up the fight, Happy Advent, and Welcome Andrew

Touchdown

I have a case of the Mondays. It was a long weekend packed full of many events. I think I am going to have to take a nap this afternoon. Maybe I should get a Murphy bed for my office.

It all started way back on Friday morning. We all headed up to the OPC (big dinning hall) to decorate for Christmas. Now I am sure many of you are wondering why I was invited to decorate anything, that is a valid point and I am sure it was just a common courtesy. A few days later would show that all the decorations I put up either fell down, or where mocked. Sorry mom, I just never picked up your talent for decorating.

Why were we decorating the OPC? Well it was the summer staff party. About 30 staff came back and spent the night playing games, making bookmarks for an exchange, and feasting on all of Ruth's great cooking. We also broke up the ice on the pond and had a polar plunge on Saturday morning. Yes, I did plunge. No, it was not in my speedo.

As if that was not enough to tire me out for a week I also went to the Colts vs Lions game on Sunday up in Indy. Our Ex. Dir. here at CYO is one of the guys who runs the chain gang on the sidelines and he got camp about 15 free tickets. The program staff, Molly, some other staff and their families, and I all went up to enjoy the game. It was a good time and in the end the Colts won a much closer game then was predicted.

After the game we went to a place called Jillians. The 1st floor is a restaurant, the 2nd is an arcade, and the top floor is a bowling alley/pool hall. It was a neat place and after a certain time it closes to kids so it becomes a giant adult playground.

Well I am back to my little corner of the world here in Nashville. I am looking forward to Theology on Tap tonight, and I think we have some festive Holiday events going on around here this week also.

Keep up the fight, and Happy Advent.

Advent Rant???

So I have been spending some time reflecting on Advent, and how often times it is over looked in favor of Christmas. For years I have fought this with the best of my sarcastic and passive aggressive skills. Maybe I just read to many articles that are talking about "The real Christmas" and the "Secular Christmas," but I think I now have a new approach to the season.

Distractions. They come in many forms. Some are welcomed and some are not. Others are looked for, and some seem to find us when we are not expecting them. They may come in different shapes and size but they all in some way prevent us from what we were doing.

Tests. They also come in many forms. Some are standardized, some our multiple choice, they can be mind games, or true or false questions. A test can measure many different things. Knowledge is often tested, so it loyalty, purity, devotion, and all matters of virtue are tested often.

Distractions can be tests. Weather we pass or fail the test can be determined based on how we respond to distraction.

(Fair warning, I am about to go a little "crazy" here.) The devil has filled this world with distractions, and there is no greater time that he rejoices in all he has done that at Christmas. He has changed the humble beginnings of our Lord into a greedy, self serving, over stimulated mess. Or has he?

It is easy to look and say that he has, but has he taken over Christmas in your heart? Is Christmas for you about buying the best gift or having the best party for your friends at work? I know that for me it is not. It is about my family. Flying home from what ever state I am in and visiting friends, and spending time with relatives. It is about the joy of welcoming Christ into my heart once again, because I am such a mess that over the course of a year I lose Him. It is about charity and justice. This Christ child came to us in a feed box in a barn. Not in a fancy cradle on his parents Hummer. It is about the fulfillment of the Advent promise.

So it is in the anticipation of this promise that I have joy in my heart this Advent. I say bring on all the distractions. They will only make my resolve to remember why I celebrate Christmas stronger. On Christmas day when the Christ child arrives in my heart, the pain felt by the devil in his failure do distract me will be that much greater.

The more he fights to distract me, the closer I will become to God. This is my prayer for Advent, and it is the same prayer I will offer of you.

Keep up the fight, and Happy Advent

R&R W/ M&M's

So I might of only left my apartment 3 times this past weekend. Once for mass, once to go to the library, and once to come to work for a meeting. So what did I do the rest of the time? Well that's a great question.

Last Friday night I had a birthday party for my dad. No, he was not here, but in his defense I only told him about it half an hour before the guest started to come, otherwise I am sure he would of been here. The Program Staff and Molly came over and we had a great time kicking back and relaxing with some good conversation. We had planed to play cards, but I think only one person got in a game of solitaire, o well.

For the party I had gotten plain, peanut, and peanut butter M&M's. Since the ps didn't eat them all I wanted to make sure they didn't go bad. I am not sure if you all know this or not but M&M's are a lot like alcohol in that once you have opened them, they go bad very soon if they are not all consumed. So, no I have eaten them all yet, but let me tell you that peanut butter M&M pancakes make an amazing 9:30 breakfast.

Other than that not a lot to report from Indy. It was nice to enjoy a quite weekend after a month of crazy ones. I might be one of the very few people who have a quite first part of December.

Keep up the fight, and happy Advent

Water and Heat

I am going to be on my Eco soap box for much of this post so if you have heard enough of my rants (which most people have) you can skip this post and save yourself some time.

So I got my water and sewage bill a few days ago. It is the second one I got and it was $40.02. This was the same price as my first one, but I didn't think to much of my first one because I figured it was for 1.5 months. I thought this rate was a bit high so I decided to go into my local water utility and ask for clarification on my bill. I found out that there is a 2000 gallon minimum charge, and that sewer is based off a percentage of that usage. So if you only use, I don't know let's say, 600 gallons then you are still charged for 2000. "Well at least you get a break in sewage," you might say. No, no, no, my friend you are still charges sewage based on that 2000 minimum.

Now I don't really care all that much about the cost. I can't make water by myself and I am happy for the service. It is worth $40.02 for me turn on my faucet or flush the toilet and have it just work. So, why is he complaining? Well I am complaining that as a conservationist, I don't get any reward for trying to save the world. (Yes, I realize that is being a bit dramatic.) It is a bit frustrating when you try to care about the environment and you are treated the same way the person who lets their hot water run over the over spill in their bathtub to make the room more like a sauna.

So is there also a maximum amount you could be charged for water usage? Right you laughing just like me aren't you. Heck no, you will get charged for every drop of water you use, and apparently even the 1400 gallons of drops you don't use.

I also wanted to let you know that I finally broke down and turned on my heat last Monday. Yes, I did make it to December without heat, but you better believe that I shut all the vents and doors to the rooms I don't use, and put towels at the base of their doors. And yes, I do pay a $11.87 to have gas turned on even when I don't use it.

Keep up the fight, and Happy Advent

It's been long time

One faithful follower of A Cage Of Words told me they cried today because I had not updated my blog in over a week. I am about 99% sure that person was not joking so this is a late night, from the library, update because it has been a busy time at work the last few days.

I want to thank all of my peeps up at CG for a great stay. Some of the highlights:

• Video Games with Pat
• Pizza with Pat and Chris
  
• Helping Jeff with all the deer, both running into town and cleaning
• Walking around the old camp
• Throwing a snow ball
• And best for last, Tricia's cooking and hospitality - I miss Uno

I also owe a large thank you to all who transported me around the state and who opened their houses to me. You know who you are and I enjoyed all the good time in the car and living room.

But I am sure you are all on Pins and Needles wondering how the big meal was. It was amazing. The Torres family sure does know how to host a great feast. All of my favorites were on the table and I am sorry to say this Mr. Stove Top, but it was the best stuffing of my life. Top it all off with some good Wisconsin beer and I was in heaven. (I did miss your homemade rolls though grandma, even when Steve and I squish them, they are still the best!!)

After such a great week I was concerned it would be hard to get back to life in Indiana, but that was not the case. I have been busy with a meeting in Indy yesterday (hence no Monday post) and working on finishing up a project that I have been working on for far to long.

I also am working in my 2009 calendar. I know this is a rather ambitious project for me to be doing during 2008, but I am trying something new so lets just go with it. If you have any dates you would like me to remember let me know. I am going to tell you if I actually put them on the calendar, but you never know if you don't try.

Keep up the fight, and happy Advent

Amazing Wonders

Yes my life has been filled with amazing wonders lately. Please allow me to share some of them with you.

12 Hour Sleep
Yes, it is true I did sleep for 12 hours. I know this may not seem like a huge deal, after all people are in comas for years and college students spend much of Martin Luther King Jr. weekend passed out. I however did this without having any drugs or alcohol (except one glass of wine). Truth be told it may of been closer to 11:50, because I did get up and go to the bathroom a few times, but still that in impressive.

Beard Ice
This weekend I was able to achieve the highly prized formation of beard ice. It is truly a mark if pride when a man, or woman, can say that they acived beard ice. It requires a lot of determination. One to grow out a beard long enough. Two to sit out in the cold long enough. For those of you who don't know the beard kind of acts like a natural scarf. If you cover it with a scarf on a cold morning, you run the risk of freezing the two togehter. Not fun to pull that apart, it hurts. Not quite as intense as this guy, but I did get it two mornings in a row. I am sure my friend Chris in WI can tell you more about his beard ice.

Sitting in the Woods II
I could spend some time talking about sitting in the woods again this past weekend, but really if you care that much, or are really that board you can just read last weeks post, not much changed.

The Number 8
A friend was reading my blog and asked me if there where any numbers I often confuse in addition to the letter I can't tell apart. Well he inspired me to do some research into my number writting and this is what I have found. I can only reconize the number 8 by the process of eliminatin. I seldomaly write it the same way twice and it nver looks like an 8. I leave if open, make the loops to skinny, or squish it in the middle so it looks more like a bold c. I have no idea why I do this but apparently I have some misplaced agression against the number 8. I am sorry 8. As for the rest of the numbers, they might not all look excactly as they are supposed to, but I can tell them apart from each other.

Sitting in the Woods

This past weekend I went out and sat / walked around the woods of St. Mienrads Indiana. I have a buddy who goes to school there and we had a lot of fun walking the draws, posting the fields, and driving around the back hills. One might call this activity hunting, but I think hunting implies killing, and as of yet I have not killed an animal so I am going to call it what it is: sitting in the woods.

As I was sitting in the woods I asked myself why I continue to do this year after year with no luck. I came to the conclusion that to be honest killing a deer is really not that important to me. I would like to do it, but I don't think it is the main reason I go out season after season. I think I go because of how amazing it is to sit out in nature for 2 days. The world is so alive in the late fall and so many people just see it as a world that is dieing for the winter. To see all the birds, tree beavers, colours of the trees, and so many other simple things that are out there make you feel like you are in your own special art gallery.

How often to we slow down in our busy life and take 2 days to be with our own thoughts and prayers. Do you know how many Hail Mary's you can get in on one day of hunting? I could wear out a rosary in one morning out there. To have the opportunity to reflect on what is in your life and have time where no one is going to bother you is such a blessing.

So yes I am a wood sitter in er. And I am proud of that fact. Maybe one day I will become a hunter, but for the time being I am at peace with my place in the trees.

Keep up the fight.

Letters and Hair

So it when I went to get my new license, the lovely woman at the BMV said I had light brown hair. I always thought I had blond hair. I guess over the years it has gradually turned from a blond to a light brown. I didn't know hair could do that.

t-f, a-u, n-r-v, i-j, x-y These are all letter combinations that when I write I can't tell them apart. Just thought you all might like to know that.

Keep up the fight

Way to go Ryan

I am sure you are all on the edge of your set wonder how my weekend was so I better not let you wait.

We had a great time here in Nashville. I picked up mom and dad on Friday and we hit the outlet malls right away. It is funny how when I was a kid I hated getting cloths for Christmas, but now it is awesome. Mainly because I have little to know will do go cloths shopping by myself.

We spent Saturday at camp and also went over to Bloomington for a little while in the afternoon. The highlight could of been the church bizarre but in the end it was more of a church garage sale with some rather interesting items. O well at least we got some cookies.

Sunday we took in the sights of Nashville and also did some good old fashion relaxing. Dad and I hung several bird feeders and I think am going to have to go back to the store and get some more seed already if all the birds keep eating this fast.

There plain left on Monday early afternoon and unfortunately bad weather meant the had to get routed to KC. It sounds like they had a rough trip on the way home.

We had a lot of fun and it was nice to show them all of the places I talk about. Mom also said Ryan did a nice job decorating the place and gave the official seal of approval.

Keep up the fight

Something I swore I would never do

It is funny how time has a habit of changing our out look on life. I remember as a child cleaning the house before any guest came over. We would clean the kitchen, clean the living room, the basement, bathroom, our own room, and even the hall. Actually as I look back I really did very little of the work but at the time I felt I was doing more work then anyone else.

I swore up and down that when my parents came, or I had guest that I would not clean everything and make a big deal about. Sure I might pick up some of my toys, but never all the cleaning that was required as a child.

Well I have been cleaning this week in anticipation of my second big guest to visit my basement dwelling. Special Ed and Super Penny will be making the trek to Nashville Indiana tomorrow. I am going to pick them up at the airport around 10:00 in the morning and am looking forward to a nice long weekend with them.

I am not sure what all we will be doing, and after a week of 70's and sun the forecast for the weekend is rainy and cold. I am sure we will have plenty of shops to check out in Nashville, and truth be told there might be a few things I have on my list as well.

Keep up the fight

I think I am ready for tonight

Ok lets see here:
FOX, CNN, ABC, CBS, and NBC TV stations numbers... check
Key races printed out for Senate... check
Key races printed out for Governors... check
Key races for Judges... who cares
Dry erase white board... check
Red and blue dry erase markers... check
Red and blue ink pens... check
Poll closing map print off... check
Blank maps of the US... check
Computer with internet connection... check
Online bookmarks of all key races... check
Online bookmarks of all major new channels... check
Online bookmarks of commentators... check
Fully charged cell phone... check
Calculator... check
Battery powered radio and extra batteries in case the power goes out... check

What am I missing? O right, sanity.

Popular Demand

Several people have asked to see pictures of my office. It has been referred to by many as the "Penthouse" or the "Box Seats." Here are two pictures that do not quite do it justice but I suppose you get the idea.
Both of these pictures are taken from the same place. From the top of the stairs my desk (above) is on the right. You can see the window that I gaze down from and also my phone (it's a cool phone).

Below is the picture from the left side of my office as you come up the stairs. You may notice the Miller's March Madness trophy which is currently in my possession, and also the Grey's Anatomy calender on the wall, thanks again Stacy for that calender.
Well I hope you enjoyed the quick virtual tour of the office. You should come and see it yourself sometime. There are a lot of great hidden gems around this place.

Keep up the fight

Ignorance Educated

I thought I had surrounded myself with highly intelligent people who were not quick to judge, and sought out to understand what they do not know or disagree with. I can see I was wrong in light of some of the nay sayers of my clock, and in particular the Roman Numeral IIII or IV as so many of you claim. I have provided you all an explanation in the form of a Wikipedia article.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_numerals

In less condescending news I had a very nice weekend. I hope you all enjoyed yours as well. As I emerged from my basement dwelling on Saturday I was greeted by the Corners hearse, a police office, and an ambulance. I do not know anyone else who lives in my apartment but my thoughts and prayers have been with the family members who I assume lost a loved one in my apartment building. It was odd to see them there. Millions of people die everyday and yet it is not a scene we are familiar with.

I was recently a guest on my own reality office show. It was Extreme Makeover Office Edition. I took some time last Thursday and redid my office. I moved all the furniture around and did some cleaning. Well to be honest I really did do a lot of cleaning because I knew our cleaning service was coming on Saturday so I didn't bother. I like the new arrangement. I makes it look more like an office instead of a random room at the top of the stairs. More importantly I can see out the window now. For some reason I also seem to be able to think better when i am looking out a window. Not sure what effect it has on my overall creativity but time will tell.

I branched out this past weekend. Well kind of. I sent an email off to a man by the name of Tim. He coordinates a Grad student/YP group at the student center over in Bloomington. He sent me back an email and told me he would but me on the email list of all the things the group does. I think there is a Theology on Tap next week I am going to go to. As fun as Nashville is on the weekends with 2000 extra people on all 8 of our streets (I'm not kidding) I think I am ready to start spreading my wings a bit. After all a bird of space in a cage many indeed unfold its wings but cannot fly.

Well on that note I am going to get back to work,
Keep up the fight

What time is it?

I thought some of you might like to see my new clock. I know I have mentioned it to a few of you and most of you think I am stupid. So here it is you can't tell me that it isn't a cheap and easy of of filling up a whole wall. Not to mention the fact that I don't have to listen to it tick all day long like the one in my office that I want to rip off the wall everyday.

Also note that this was taken in the AM. I was up and leaving for work at 8:34. Not bad.

Keep up the fight

First Frost

This morning we got our first frost. To many of you this might not be any big deal. In fact it might of been weeks ago for some of you. I know a friend of mine is expecting snow in the next few weeks even. For me it was a big deal because it was the first time I had to scrap my windshield in a long time. I might of had to do it once last winter, and I can't help but feel more at home now that I have to do it. I am sure it is only a matter of time before I resent getting up 5 minuets earlier, but for now, I derive a certain pleasure from it.

I need to thank my buddy Carl for a fun time on Saturday afternoon this past weekend. Carl and I were run-down-shack-mates in Texas last year. He is now in seminary at St. Minrads in SW IN so we meet up in Louisville for the afternoon on Saturday. We found a Geo-Cache next to the worlds largest White Castle. No I did not eat there. I am proud to say I have never eaten at a White Castle and wish to say that on the day that I die. We went to mass at a local church and also ate at a really good BBQ place. I forget the name, but if you are ever in Louisville you should eat there.

There is one lady at morning prayer that always call me Ed. Now I can understand why one might get my father and I confused for one another, afterall we are both dashingly hansome. What I found so funny is that she met dad once or twice and every week since then I have to tell her my name is Andy and that my father is Ed. So, dad, when you come back we can have some fun with the old church ladies.

I am happy to report that there is not much else to report right now. Things are starting to slow down here at camp, and this is my favorite time of the year. I am playing a game to see how long I can go without turning on the heater in my appt. So if you are planing on comming for a visit I might suggest layers.

Keep up the fight

Made you wait

This morning I went to morning prayer at St. Agnes. Sr. looked at me and said, "Andy, you know it's Tuesday, not Wednesday?" I usually go Mon, Wed, Fri and sleep Tue and Thur. I realized I did the same thing to all of you without posting an update on Monday like i normally do.

Last weekend was a great weekend here at CYO. We had our fall weekend. Campers are invited to come back to camp for a long weekend and we run a mini camp. It was nice to meet a lot of summer staff that I had heard about before. I can't say I matched names to faces, because I could not tell you who was who by the end of the weekend, but I did get about 8 of them matched up, so that is progress.

It was nice to learn the things that you never get taught but are most important. By this I mean the social norms of a camp. When to sign what song, how to stand at morning flag, who leads what at a campfire, and most importantly what make a good joke of the day.

Geo-caching was a lot of great fun with the campers. We also met a couple out caching who had hide one of the caches we were after. From that I think I might of gotten invited to a Geo-cacher's singles mixer and a men's cacher group, but I am not sure. Angi asked me if I would go and I think I would. Why not.

Just a review for you Eurcre fans out there. The off Jack in a round is determined by the non-trump Jack of the same colour. For example: if hearts were trump, the the Jack of diamonds would be off Jack.

My car went into the shop yesterday for the transmission repair. That stinks.

Keep up the fight

Voteing Issue

I am having trouble deciding how to vote this election. The main reason is because of the Pro-life issues.

I am a pro-life supporter all the way. By this I mean all the way to Death Penalty, War, Stem Cell, Abortion, and Youth in Asia (I know, but it was kinda funny). Both McCain and Obama support and oppose different sides of this one issue. This is the simple part of my problem.

The hard part is which issues do I vote on. Certainly it would be a crime not to do all we can to help end abortions, with millions of babies being killed each year. Of course I want to support a candidate who opposes abortion. I then ask myself, "Have I even heard the word Abortion in the debates or campaigning?" I can' think of a time I had, so is it really a point that either candidate will fight for or against?

I look at War and both candidates want to leave Iraq, but go back to Afghanistan. I don't want to argue over who has a better plan to do what, but I think we can all agree they want to leave Iraq and go back to Afghanistan. Both of these plans mean a loss of live so for me it comes out as a warsh (because I am from SW Iowa) on this issue. That was an easy way to get rid of a big issue.

Both men have favored Stem Cell research in some way, so again this one comes out as a warsh. I also question if we should abandon this research all together. There are new technologies coming out that do not kill a life with the collection of samples. And I don't think providing a child a cure for their cancer is playing God.

One part of me understands that it is about the pro-life message, and that the next Pres will potentially nominate several Supreme Court Judges. The bench already has 5 Catholics on it, and R vs W has not changed. It is also about influence, but they both are ignoring the issue so why would I think they are going to start fighting for it after November?

With confusion on the pro-life issue I look to other issues. My biggest concern is Energy. Nuclear has a lot of bad sides, and renewable are expensive and not as efficient as we would like yet. I do however look at the bigger side of this and see the millions of people who have been killed, are dieing, and whose lives have been destroyed fighting for oil, and I wonder if Energy issues are not becoming pro-life issue in a way that is greater then just clean air and quality of life. Not to mention the potential loss of life due to global climate change across the world.

I think similar arguments could be made of the front of Health Care, Immigration, Entitlements, and other major issues.

When looking to the church for guidance on voting, the only issue I see is abortion. I questions weather the church has a more narrow definition of pro-life then some of the candidates. This question causes me great pain.

Keep up the fight

Thanks Harold

The last part of my trip to Colorado was just as enjoyable as the first part. We toured around
Estes and the YMCA of the Rockies on Saturday. There are a lot of cabins on that property. I think Seth said around 210.

I also got the privilege of walking in the footsteps of John Paul II. When he visited CO in 1993 he stayed at a retreat center outside of Estes and he walked a trail on the grounds. They have since named the trail after him and it is open for people to walk on. When we were visiting there was also a group of teens in the parking lot doing what looked like a confirmation retreat. It is funny how even on vacation I seem to run into my ministry. Unfortunately there was no Saturday Mass at the center so we went back into town to go to another church.

On Saturday night Sarah (Seth's sister) came over and Tonia taught her and Seth how to play Eurcre. Tonia is a great teacher and in the end Sarah and Tonia beat Seth and I 2-1. I had the problem for some reason of forgetting which Jack went where. I should of know better, but it must of been the alpine air that kept throwing me off.

On Sunday we packed up the cabin and headed down to the airport to return back to my home. We were running a bit late, but I managed to make it to my gate with some time to spare. My flight home was uneventful, just the way I like them. The Indy airport is a really nice airport tp get around in and I was surprised at how easy I got out. Of course I was used to DFW which can be a pain and take a long time.

When I got home I was all messed up. The clock said 9:30, but I was on Mountain time for the last few days so my body said more like 7:30, but travel can really take it out of you so I could not tell if I was tired or not. I took a shower and relaxed for a bit and then crashed.

Overall it was a great trip. The Aspen trees are so beatuitiful at this time, and clash in such a pretty way against the Pines. The Elk where such a strong animal, and it was great to learn more about them. Of course seing Seth was wonderful because it had been awile since we got to see each other also.

Thanks for a great vacation Harold (We called Seth Harold because it takes him forever to get ready in the morning and Tonia said he was like an old man).

Keep up the fight,

HELLO, HELLO, HELLO

So if you are in the Rockies and cannot get a cell phone signal, just keep yelling hello into your phone. That's how Tonia does it anyways.

I am typing this blog entry from the Pika cabin at YMCA of the Rockies. The trip so far has been great. We got snowed on yesterday as we were above the Alpine line. Today is supposed to be the first major storm so it was a good thing we went up when we did. We also saw a lot of Elk and went to a presentation on Elk that was very interesting. We went to a few of the visitor centers, those people in the National Parks sure do know how to put together an exibite. We also went out Geo Caching. Tonia found both of the two we went for.

Well it looks like we are ready to go for another days adventure.

Keep up the fight.

Post Script

PS. I do not care if you parties, would actually like to join one since I do not have really fun parties anymore. However, I heard from one of the tenants that there were bodily fluids in the laundry area on the first level. If you do have a party please try to control the behavior of the guests. Thanks Dale.

For those of you who don't know Dale, he is my landlord. Should I:

A) Thank him for letting me know
B) Tell him I have not had any parties, but will keep this in mind
C) Say that I am sorry, I thought I got it all cleaned up

Charles Schindler

Just in case you were wondering, if you type your blog entry out in Microsoft Word and then try to copy and paste... it won't work.

On a day to day basis it seems like not much is goin on in my life. Then when I sit down to write a blog entry it occurs to me that I need to post more then once a week because some of these are getting quite long.

Last Friday I enjoyed the Predidentail Debate. I thougth both men has some really good points, but was dissiapointed over all. I know that at this stage in the game neither men are going to rock the boat, but Iwish they really debated. You know, like people on the streets do. Talk about issues and what they want to do. I heard so many facts and statistics in the debate that I have no idea who voteed for how much money when.

On Saturady I went up to Indianapolis for the "Indiana Men's Conferance." There were over 1000 men there listening to speackers, joining in prayer, celecbrating mass, and of course running after the box lunch like it was in a golden box. Most of the speakers were good and I enjoyed listening to them but the sound system was so loud I got a headache from listening to them talk. The one other probelm is that I can't stand to be inside for that long. I start to go stir crazy and I had to get up and walk around. I don't know how some people wake up and go out to their garage, then park in a lot, walk through the skywalk, into the office and then back home again. I have been in my office for almost two hours this morning, and I am ready to take a walk.

I spent about 5 hours geo-caching on Sunday. I started out doing really good, finding 3 in a row. Then I didn't find the next three. We got that big wind storm a few weeks ago and it took down a lot of trees. I know a lot of caches are by or in trees, so I think some of them have been moved or are crushed. In reality I probably just stink at finding them.

I am taking Horace Greeley's advice later this week and visiting my good freinds Seth and Tonia in Colorado later this week. I am flying out on Thursday and will get home on Sunday. Seth works out there and is going to put us up in a cabin for our stay. Tonia and Seth like to watch "Good Eats" together, so I am going to let them do all the cooking. Some of you may know that it is Elk mateing season in CO so we will be tailgateing at that event along with some hiking and general laying around the cabin.

Charles Schindler was the individual who had PO Box 629 before me. He gets a lot of catalogs and I call to cancel them to save paper, and time for the post office employees. Just thought you might like to know.

Keep up the fight

Transportation & Retirement

So I have been spending a bit of time this morning looking up different forms of transportation. Electric cars, electric bikes, hybrid technologies, and walking shoes. Why would I do this? Well it is true that I am a bit of a green guy, but really it is because I found out that my car repair bill will be about $1100.

At first I was upset then I came to the following conclusion: It is for the best, let me walk you how I can to this conclusion.

1) This 1100 is basically money that was going to go into my Roth for retirement but now it is not.
2) I will have less money for retirement.
3) I will just work longer. Let's be honest, I am never going to see any social security. So the whole magic number of ?65? does not matter anyways.
4) Both McCain and Obama wrote in TIME a few weeks ago about the need to volunteer in our community. There is a growing number of over 65ers who are volunteering.
5) When you volunteer they take care of all your room and board. (I know I did for 2 years)
6) So having less money to retire means that when I am done working I can volunteer and get room and board paid for, so I won't need as much money in retirement anyways.
7) I will probably marry a rich elementary school teacher so none of this will matter anyways.

Now listen you naddering nabobs of negativity my logiac may be a bit flawed, but you have to draw the Maginot line in the sand somewhere.

Barbra Bush, GPS, and Irish Fest

So when I was leaving mass on Saturday night I got a little tap on the shoulder.

Yes Mam?
Hi, I'm Barbra Bush I don't think I have met you.
My name is Andy, What did you say your name was again?
Barbra Bush
Well it is nice to meet you mam, I hope you have a nice day.

Friday night I went to Indy to the Irish Fest. Molly, Sara, Abbey, and I meet a few summer staffers at the Fest and had a great time. They have Irish Fest once a year downtown Indy in the big city park. There are three live music stages and a lot of really neat shops selling all kinds of Irish goods from hats to kilts. I also watched a sporting event. I am not sure what it was but it was a mixture of golf, soccer, quittage, and alcohol (but I already told you it was an Irish game so I guess the alcohol is redundant). As typical for me is sporting events, much of what was going on was lost on me, but that did not stop me from becoming a sidelines expert. Switching gears, if you did not have on a kilt then you were not a real man. No, I did not have one on, but if I had the several hundred dollars to buy one then I would of. Some of you may know that I dabbled a bit in cultural anthropology in college so naturally there was the academic curiosity of trying the Irish food and beers. I felt it was important to really dive into the whole experience. I understand why they dance so much now.

In case you were wondering, the "Boys Toy Store" in Nashville sells cigars, sports memorabilia, and t-shirts, not items of a more questionable nature. One never knows in Nashville.

This weekend was also a first for me. It was the first time I went Geocaching. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GeoCaching
There are 7 caches in the state forest close to us so we went out to see how many we could find. In the course of about 5 hours we found 1. We found the place where the second one was supposed to be, but it was gone. We also might of spent a few hours in the playground competing in the All Around State Forest Olympics. You will be proud to know that the US team beat the China team to take the Gold in the last round.

For the sake of keeping you updated on old post I should also let you know that now have my Indiana license. I am glad to have round one done. Now onto getting my new plates and then my CDL. Typing of cars reminds me. My car is in the shop with what they said will be a 400, 800, or 1200 repair. Let's all pray for the 400.

I also wanted to take a moment before I close this post to give a shout out to an ego maniac friend of mine. This individual wanted me to let the world know that we have created a new mission statement for our friendship and that the goals and objective portion of the visioning process will begin shortly.

Keep up the fight.

Dental Records

Did you know that you need Dental records to get a license in Indiana. Well that is if you go in on an even day when it is raining. If it is a clear day in an odd month, then you need a positive DNA match with your grandmother on your fathers side. Any other days (except the 3rd Tuesday of the month) you need confirmation from a state senator or member of the Indiana House to sign off on your license. On the 3rd Tuesday of the month you also need a congregational act from the US congress, and you can only get it if the Supreme Court has vote 5-2 in favor of anything in the last 17 working days, excluding any federal holiday.

Of course you do not get this information until after you have sat and waited with your little pink number for at least 15 minutes. I think they confuse the amount of time you have to wait to get a handgun with the amount of time it takes to call number 37. Don't worry number 36 gave up and left about an hour ago, but we still need to make sure they are not just in the bathroom or something.

"#37." I hear ring out in a voice that makes Jim Dale's 'Voldemort' voice sound rather pleasant.
"Good afternoon mam I am..."
"What do you want?"

That was about all I remember of the conversation before I got mad and wanted to leave as fast as possible.

So in summation, if you could call your representatives in congress on my behalf, I would love to get my Indiana license this week.

PO BOX 629

So I found out that I can't get mail at my apartment. In fact I had to get a PO Box to get my mail at. It is in fact PO Box 629, Nashville, IN 47448. I updated my last post to reflect the change but thought I would make note of it also.

So I got to move into my new place last weekend. I think I am really going to like it. I also found a lot of things I thought I had lost years ago when I was unpacking boxes. For instance my South West Iowa Bar Crawl t-shirt, and also my ceramic donkey tooth pick holder. The word classy comes to mind when I think of these items. It's just that some might thing lower classy.

I have also managed to procure a library card. It has all kinds of perks. The library has all seasons of West Wing so I have begun to supplement my Netflix with all kinds of new and wonderful Digital Video Disc. I also managed to check out a book as well.

This weeks goal is to get my Indiana drivers license. I am not going to lie, I am kinda nervous for the test. I know that I have the knowledge, but they word those questions so funny it is a pain. Not to mention every time you go into a DMV they make you take a number and wait 15 minuets, even if you are the only one there. So, when you sit down to test you already feel like a failure.

Well keep up the good fight.
Andy

New Jonx

So I just realized that I didn't publish the address to my new apartment or my new phone number. I am living at PO BOX 629, Nashville, IN 47448. My new phone number is 812-322-6554. I hope no one who would wish me harm is reading this and now know where to find me... but who would ever wish me any harm ;)

Apartment

I have found a place to live!! I know you may be asking yourself, "I didn't know he was looking for one?" or "So, where has he been living?" Both are great questions. I have been living in the place were all camps put single people, the Health Center. It was a temporary place, and as of a few days ago I found out I got the apartment I was wanting. It is a small two bedroom place. The master bedroom has a bathroom off the side, and there is another bathroom in the hallway. The kitchen is not huge, but two people who like each other good cook in it together. There is a living room with a small deck that opens up to group level on the back also.

Ok I got to go be a lifeguard,
Keep up the good fight

Welcome to Indiana

Well it has been a crazy time since my last update. After finishing up at The Pines my friend Maggie and I took a week long whirl wind tour of WI and IA. We stopped at Camp Gray, Conserve School, Tonia's place in Des Monies, and home to Carroll before returning to TX. It was a lot of fun and I was glad I got to see so many people.

I am now in Indiana. It is true that on Thursday I will be flying back to IA to drive back out in a Budget truck with my dad and all my stuff, but for now I am an Indiana.

I am really liking camp so far. It feels much more like a camp and less like a business. Which is a good thing. I am getting to know all of the program and full time staff around here also. There are 15 people in all, and it was a bit overwhelming at first, but I think I am starting to get most of their names down.

Apartment hunting is going ok. From what I gather there are not a lot of single places around. Most of the places to rent are small houses or two bedroom apartments. I think I will probably end up with a two bedroom place so when you come to visit you can have your own room!!

Alright it is time to get to work this morning. I am going on a behind the scenes tour to learn the ends and outs of camp.

Until next time,
Keep up the fight

Thank you Jesus

Many of you may know that for some time now I have been trusting the Lord to take care of me. In light of last weeks "lynch pin" week, I would like to say that all went very well. The ACA visit went a much better then I thought it should have, which is great.

In addition to the good ACA visit, I also got the job. I will be the Assistant Director at CYO Camp Rancho Framasa in Southern Indiana. While I have enjoyed my time at The Pines, I am looking forward to return to north of the Mason Dixon Line very soon. I have missed the North.

I am sure this new job will be the topic of many new posts in the following weeks. If you want to check out the website of the camp feel free to check it out.

http://www.campranchoframasa.org/

Well keep up the fight

Anticipation

This week is what I am going to call a “lynch pin” week. Today is Monday and a lot of things are going to happen. First of all we only have one more week of summer camp. That means after we do it this week, next week people tend to get the “my last time” attitude. This can either inspire a person to give their all, or to give nothing.

This week is also the week of our ACA visit. If you are not a friend of mine from the camp world then this might not mean a lot to you. Basically it means that all the work I have been doing since January is going to be under the microscope. The hardest part is to realize that no matter how hard you work for it, it comes down to how on their game the staff is that day.

I am also waiting to hear about a job prospect this week. It would be a great job and if I don’t get it, I am kind of back to square one. I would not go so far as to say I have all my eggs in one basket, but rather I only have one egg and I am holding it.

In the begining

Perhaps I should explain the name of the blog. In truth I think that in explaining it might be a bit oxymoronic. Instead I will give you a book, "The Prophet," by Kahlil Gibran. Read the chapter, On Talking. Really if it was up to me I would like you to read the whole book. You can get it on-line: http://www.feelingsurfer.net/garp/en/litterature/gibran/prophet/index.html
Now you don't even have to go buy it.

I also must admit that I am very bad at spelling and sentence structure. I know it is one of my greatest weaknesses, but just be glad this is all typed out and not in my own handwriting.

So why? Why am I starting a blog? Do I really think I can keep this updated? Are their really that many people out there who care to read what I have to type? Am I even going to give this address out to anyone, or is it my own little on-line diary? Will it be updates on my life, or more then likely a serious of rants that I have now transcribed to to world wide web? A vain attempt at wit? Well I have no idea, and if you know me, then you know that each of those questions have a great deal of truth in them depending on my mood.

Until next time,
Keep up the fight