Here Comes Andy Appleseed

Last night was produce night at my place. Really Andy, what does that mean? Well it means that I went to the store and decided I was in the mood for some fruit and veggies so I spent an hour last night cutting, slicing and skinning all kinds of wonderful fruits and veggies.

Apples were one of the main fruits I did last night. What did I do with them? I dehydrated them. I got 5 pounds of apples and set to work preparing them for dehydration with my new apple corer, slicer and peeler my mom and dad got me for Christmas. Let me tell you that thing is great. It used to take me about 45 to fill up the dehydrator when I cut the apples by hand. That was even with the help of a corer and the slices where always odd shapes and never the same size which made the dehydration process take a lot more time. Not so anymore. Guess how long it took me to fill the 5 trays. (I was going to make you guess with a new poll but I will just tell you.) 10 minutes and I was done. It is amazing.

In addition to now having apple ring snacks my apartment also smells amazing right now. I am going to have to do this once a week.

Keep up the fight

Prayer, Fasting and Alms Giving

In lue of several readers inquiring what I will be doing for Lent, I decide to just post it on my blog like I do with all other things in my life so I don't have to answer the question several times. After all I am all about working smarter not harder.

I am committing myself to praying more intentionally for people. I often times pray in broad general terms for people, but I want to start being more specific. I also am trying to incorporate more thanksgiving into my prayers. I think often times the realist in my tends to learn more to the pessimist side rather then the optimist side.

I am going to give up most meat for a Lenten fast. Not all meat 100% in the strict way that a vegetarian does. For example if Ruth makes baked potato soup and it has bacon bits in it for flavoring, then I am going to eat it. If I am at the WOW and we are having hamburgers for super, I am going to eat it. If I am invited over to super at a friends house and they are having a roast I am going to eat it. Being a vegetarian is such a luxury I don't want to put anyone out because of something i am doing personally. Not that I am concerned that I will offend anyone but I do still think that we are living in a culture where meat is offered in a meal with some pride. Meaning I think for some families to be able to offer meat to a guest is a bit of a hardship and I don't want to be an ungrateful guest. I don't think Christ would want us to put others out in our Lenten fasting... it seems to a bit of an oxymoron.

As for alms giving I plan to seek out a local organisation that has been hit particularly hard lately and contribute to them.

I also have one request from you. Yes you the reader of "A Cage of Words." Please help me with my Lenten goals. I know that by myself I will not be able to achieve them all. I will need prayers and support to help hold me accountable. In return I offer my prayers and support as well.

Keep up the fight

Andy = Benjamin Button

Yes, it is true. I am getting younger. I know you make think this defies the laws of nature and that really this is just some cleaver gimmick designed by Andy. Well you are right, but let me explain.

So last year I came across Real Age. It is this site that takes your actual age and then your lifestyle and gives you "Real Age." When I first took the test my results said I was 29.something. Ok not to bad, because we all now I am rather old fashion, but I obviously had some work to do. When I took the test again recently I was 27.7. Heck Yeah. I am getting younger.

So what do I attribute this loss of years to?

1. My Bluetooth so I am less of a road hazard
2. I am driving less around the country
3. Steady Job - and better benefits
   

What do I still need to work on?

1. Diet - less meat more fish and fruit
2. Exercise - Yeah, whatever
3. Social Network - Tell me something I don't know
4. Get a Pet - Not sure i believe this one
   

So what is my plan to fix these things? Back off I just dropped 2 years off my life, I will get to that later.

Keep up the fight

And your Father who sees in secret will repay you

The joy I have in my heart for the upcoming Ash Wednesday mass is starting to build. Many of you may already know this because I tell this story every year, but Ash Wednesday is one of my favorite days in the church. I will admit the reason it is one of my favorite days is perhaps a bit skewed in wrong direction, but I think it works.

1) It is the day after Fat Tuesday. The one day of the year where gluttony does not exist (kind of).

2) Dad always used to read the Gospel and give the homily on Ash Wednesday

Now as Lent draws near many people are asking the question of both themselves and others, "What are you going to do for Lent?" This questions has always given me some trouble on several different levels. Allow me to do my best impersonation of the Angelic Doctor. For those unfamiliar with the way he writes, I apologize in advance.

Article 1 Weather we should ask of our brothers and sisters what they are doing for Lent?

Objection 1 If our father who sees in secret repays you, then it would seem that sharing our Lenten sufferings would defeat any merit we may gain by praying, fasting and giving alms.

Objection 2 By sharing our Lenten promises to Christ with one another we are simply acting as the hypocrites do.

On the contrary, Although we are not of this world, our church calls us to live in and be apart of the world.

I answer that, No man is an Island. Christ told us it is not good for man to be alone. Every man is called to live in a community of some kind where he can share our not only his gifts but his burdens as well. Iron sharpens Iron and by telling your fellow man you are seeking to draw closer to God. You are recognizing Christ in your brother and are calling on Christ in your brothers heart to help guide you through the support of your brother. You are not calling out like the hypocrites to anyone who is close enough to hear, you are calling out to Christ.

Reply to Objection 1 By sharing our Lenten promises with our community we not only act in such a way that is pleasing to God, but we also call and include others in that action also which does not defeat our merit but rather it adds to the greater glory of God.

Reply to Objection 2 By telling your brother or sister your Lenten promises you are not blowing a trumpet or praying on the streets and you are certainly not neglect their appearance. The difference is simply intention. The hypocrites make their actions known in order to gain favor and piety from the common man. We are not called to seek favor and piety from man, but rather love and justice from Christ.


I know this is not as tight of an argument as the Angelic Doctor would make, but it was a fun exercise. I could also borrow from another Thomas and point out that there is nothing we can do to gain merit, it is only by God's grace that we receive it, but that our desire alone to please God pleases him.

Keep up the fight

Phoney Valentine

So I got a new phone. I still have the same number. I know it is about time for me to get a new number, but just a new phone this time. I just thought you all might like to know that.

I am sure most of you are not surprised that I am posting on the topic of Valentines day. Where am I going to take this rant. Do I give a history of the Saint? Am I going to rip into commercialism? Maybe I should talk about how we are called to love one another 365 days a year not just one? Then again I could also go into what it is like being a single person on Valentine's Day? I did have a rather sappy post last week and could continue about how I see love in my life? These are all good options, but I think I will pass on all of them. Instead I think I am going to put my rant box away, and pass on the opportunity. I hope whatever you did, be it run up 52 flights of stairs or share a pizza with your wife, I hope you had a good day.

Last weekend I did have visitors. Carl and John came up/down to visit for the weekend. They are the two guys I lived with in TX last year. We spent the weekend walking around camp and the town, jamming out the music story, watching Cadfael and eating up the pancakes at the church pancake feed. It was a good weekend and a good opportunity to get caught up with the old roomies.

Keep up the fight

B-I-N-G-O !!

I am not sure if you all know this or not but on February 17th, 2007 I won a game of bingo St. Joseph's Catholic Parish Bingo. I still have a copy of the check. If you would like to see it I would be more then happy to mail you a copy after you send me a pre-addressed stamped envelop.

What does that faithful night in February of 2007 have to do with anything today? Well I am glad you asked, at least in my mind you asked. Last Saturday night was the big CYO Bingo fundraiser. Every year CYO puts on this bingo fundraiser and when I got here they tried to tell me about how big it was, but I just kind of dismissed it as any other old bingo night. A group of about 10 of us went to to help run the night and man was I way off.

"Baby Bankers, chance at $100, only $1." What did I just say, again in my head you asked? This is what I called out for the better part of two hours. Baby Bankers are $1 pull tabs tickets. People buy them and if they get blue numbers they get $5, green $10 and red numbers give you a chance at winning $100. It is all matched up by serial numbers so each pack of 300 has one $100 winner. Most people just got more tickets instead of cash when they won $5 or $10. So how many packs of these did we sell? I would say maybe 20.

"Basket of booze, $3 pull tab." This meant that I was now selling chances to win a basket of alcohol. We had 4-5 big baskets each with a theme that we were selling chances to win. One basket was a whole scrap book kit (A Bunch of Scrap was its call line) with all sorts of paper and stuff. We had a card that had 100 little tabs on it and you would pay for a tab which was $3 - $5 depending on the basket. Then once they all were sold the wining tab was announced.

In addition to those two money makers, there was also a half back raffle where you split the pot 50/50. The first winner got $1246 and the second got somewhere around $800. I am not sure how it was 46 when the tickets were $5 but o well.

We also sold $10 grab bags. Each bag had at least $25 of stuff in it and a few of them as much as $50. We had 150 of them and before bingo even started they were gone.

In the same room we also had more baskets/packages where you could buy tickets and put them in which ever bowl you wanted to win, and the winner was drawn latter in the night from the bowls. There was a "High Life" package. It had a couple of 6 packs, bar towels, mugs, a baggs set, openers and a bar sign. I think there was about 10 baskets/packages in there. By in there I mean the room where the free buffet was of course. All the free beer/wine/pop was in the main bingo room at two different stations.

The big raffle was for the 42 inch flat screen tv. I now that doesn't sound like much, but remember it came with a free Wii and Wii fit.

The caller was a hilarious nun. She had all kinds of stories and jokes to tell all through out the night. Including the fact that she was not born in the convent at after the first time she had to call out O69 she refused to say it again. She kept us entertained all night long, except for intermission when everyone was served coffee cake.

When we were not selling all the chances for everthing we were collecting all the empties off the table for recyceling. We took a truck up with us and buy the end of the night filled the back with bottles. We are out of room to bring it home, but we also ran out of beer so I guess it was all ok.

Now if you are like me I am sure you are wondering how this is a fundraiser with all these prises, food, drink and such. Well it was ALL donated. There were close to 400 people there and with all the cash and prises totaled, we gave away an average of $40 a person. Everyone was a winner because at the end of the night even if you didn't anything else you still got a free CYO Bingo t-shirt.

I have no idea how much money we made, but a big THANK YOU goes out from me to all the people who donated/came to bingo.

Keep up the fight

Coffee with Three Wise Men

This morning, like every morning, I found myself waking up to my alarm, turning it off, and promptly getting back into my bed. It is cooler in my room and the bed has warmth. Then I got up, put on my glasses and headed to St. Agnes for morning prayer. It was a wonderful little prayer like always, and afterward one of the gentleman asked me if I wanted to join them for coffee because they were celebrating.

Now I had been invited to Friday coffee before, but never went because A) I don't drink coffee B) the most productive time of my day is the morning so I try to work then. This time I decided to go because the man that said he was celebrating has been battling cancer and I wanted to know what was cause for celebration.

Yesterday was his last treatment. All the test look good for him, and so for the second time in his life he is back into remission. It was indeed something to celebrate. We all know friends and family who have fought cancer. Some of them are no longer with us and some of them still walk with us today. Today I offer a special prayer for those who have ever had to fight cancer, that peace may be in their heart.

There was joy in celebrating his remission this morning, but there was more. Listing to the three men talk was amazing. They retold stories of their lives. They told of the companies they once worked for and how hard it was for them when the company went under and forced them to take early retirement. I was reminded of loyalty and how often it is hard to find. They spoke of their children. The hopes and dreams they had for them and how hard it is to watch their children in the hard times. Mom and dad, I know you also have hopes and dreams for Elizabeth and I and I know I never tell you how much I appreciate your support, but I think Liz and I would agree we would be lost with out you.

But the one thing they talked about that struck me the most was listing to each man talk about his wife. They all talked about how much they love her, and how they show that love. In the small things. One told me how he remembered that when they were dating after he would drop her off, he would go home and call her and they would talk for hours. So now sometimes when they get home he goes to another room and calls his wife from his cell phone. The gentle bumps and nudges they give to each other to make one another smile. One of them said the only way a marriage will work is if you give your wife as much time and attention and your job. This sounded like a no brainer at first, but then he told me about how you do see your wife as many hours as you are at work so you have to do extra things, work even harder at your marriage then you do with you job.

Now to give credit where credit is due, these are all lessons I have learned before. As I said before I was raised right and I had a father who modeled this things to me. It was different though because I thought morning coffee with the boys was going to be a bit different. Maybe since we were celebrating it was different, but it was great to learn from them.

I know I am not normally this sappy so I will tell you the conversation did end with all the men agreeing with me when I said, "I thinking having to paint the house is reason enough not to get married."

Keep up the fight.