Monday, September 30, 2013

The Future

Seriously, I have nothing blog-worthy going on at the moment. So, future plans it is!

Tomorrow is Cote de Pablo's last regular appearance in NCIS. I'll miss Ziva so much, since she put Tony in his place so often. But it is NCIS, so I'm sure the new girl will be just as fun as Kate and Ziva.

I'm also trying to arrange a ride to MLC, where a few of my friends are, but that's proving difficult. Getting there is nice and easy, but getting back is the trick. Well, we'll have to see what possibilities arise.

Sunday, September 29, 2013

Lake Michigan

I meant to post this yesterday, but I never got around to it. Yesterday some WLC students went on a two-hour boat ride around Lake Michigan. For those of you who've never seen Lake Michigan, it's beautiful and it's huge. Big enough that, in fact, our respectably sized tour boat was rocking more than a little. It felt really good to be on a boat for two hours. It was quite windy, which might be annoying on land but is spectacular on water. There were a lot of sailboats out on the lake as well, and sailboats are a spectacular sight. This was all so especially nice because it won't be long before it's far too cold to take a boat out on the lake.

Friday, September 27, 2013

Prayers

You'd think it would be getting cooler by now. Guess not yet. Not in Milwaukee, anyway.

Anyway, stuff has been happening a lot this week. It's been really terrible. I guess the whirlwind all stems from the news that someone back in Washington died this week. No, not my mother - I still fully expect her to read the poem Autumn and complain that I'm talking about her age. Someone else, someone close and quite young.

I've got the best friends on the planet - they've been really nice to me, and I hear that friends from the Pacific Northwest are helping my family. God bless them all.

Obviously, our lost person is in another world, but the people who love him miss him acutely. On behalf of my family, prayers are much appreciated.

Thursday, September 26, 2013

A Poem Originally For My Mom On Her Birthday


September 25, 2013
FYI, Mom, this is not a comment on age, it's just a reflection of what I was looking at.
I Hear No Voice in Autumn’s Wind

I hear no voice in Autumn’s wind,
No fire in leaves I spy,
The trees like sentinels have stood,
But weariness adorns their wood;
Their rest is drawing nigh.

As days grow tired near their end,
As eyes begin to close
Well before the stars appear,
So an empty sigh I hear
As Autumn’s chill wind blows.

The lake grows colder every day,
And mists arise at night.
I smell the water on the breeze,
With dusky scents that come from trees
And geese’s southern flight.

Evening light takes daylight’s place,
For Winter nearer draws;
The squirrel’s fur is twice as strong,
And well he knows the silent song
That trembles ’neath his claws.

I hear no voice in Autumn’s wind;
Instead a fading sigh.
An emptiness is everywhere,
Between the trees and in the air;
Winter is drawing nigh.

What Can I Say?

What tribute can I pay?
I did not know you well –
Not well as I should like.
So what have I to tell?

Perhaps I could recall
A Christmas long ago.
The only one, I think,
That seasoned was with snow.

I’m sure I was quite young,
Perhaps seven or eight,
And we played in the snow
’Till it was very late.

I other mem’ries have,
But this one was my choice,
In it I see your face,
And in it hear your voice.

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Whiskey Indigo Tango Whiskey?!

Last night's episode of NCIS used the phonetic alphabet to convey an idea. I think my title was better - it is, at any rate, more age appropriate.

Anyway...

Last night's episode was disappointing in more ways than the title. Apparently American businesses are facilitating terrorist attacks in order to create more construction and repair jobs and therefore get more money. Because apparently there aren't enough construction jobs out there.

As I'm typing this, I'm looking out the window at a couple of streets under some pretty serious repairs. There are multiple other roads I can think of that require them. So don't give me that there-aren't-enough-repair-jobs-otherwise idiocy.

Furthermore, even though capitalism can be somewhat cutthroat at times, I doubt even the most corrupt business master would go so far as to commit treason just to get money, especially when they can get it without committing treason. Greed is a powerful motivator, but killing someone is a huge line to cross. So is committing treason. I still love the show, but they play up the corrupt businessman way too often.

And finally, it would be counter-productive for a terrorist to cooperate with someone to destroy something only for the other someone to rebuild it. The terrorists in NCIS usually have a purpose, which makes this whole plotline kind of absurd.

Come on, Bellisario. You can do better.

Sunday, September 22, 2013

A Tale of Two Arods

That moment when you're on a bus full of Packers fans listening to the game on the radio, and the announcer refers to Aaron Rodgers as "Arod."

What? What? Arod? Since when did Arod play football?

I don't think the Packers fans are doing their hero any favors by giving him the same name as Alex Rodriguez, the baseball player most famous for being caught on steroids more than anyone else. But since I don't particularly like the Packers, my problem with it is that Aaron Rodgers is not Arod. Arod may be a screwed up idiot, but he is baseball's screwed up idiot. Football, you'll never be as cool as baseball, so don't even try.

Monday, September 16, 2013

School Life

Tuesdays are rapidly becoming my favorite days. It's the day that my work schedule coincides with two other research assistants, which is nice since I'm not in that office by myself. They're also serving ice cream sundaes (yum!!!)

Today it was a little chilly, which means that my long excursions to the park are going to become both shorter and fewer. I better hurry up and finish Graystone before it starts raining! Although, if it rains I could probably chill in Caribou Coffee. I get a dollar off if I do a survey online, now, which is quite nice. It's kind of expensive coffee. I probably shouldn't be going there, but it's so much easier to get stuff done than when I'm in my dorm room surrounded by movies or in the library surrounded by books.

Anyway - my church has a website now. It's a little incomplete, but for a church where about 50% of the members probably have no idea what a blog is, that's quite the accomplishment. You can find it at Divine Peace Lutheran. It's even got rotating pictures of the church. I really miss it sometimes.

On further business, I have been given permission to post a link to the website that I'm upkeeping: Fourth Century Christianity. Nothing I've written has been added yet, but my biography for Ambrose of Milan should be put up as soon as my supervisor approves it.

That's all I can think of for the time being... other than, if you go to WLC or live in the Milwaukee/Wauwatosa area, you should really attend the MABAS lecture in the Black Box tomorrow. I'll be there!

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

911

Title kinda says it all, right?

It's been twelve years since al-Qaeda flew planes into the World Trade Center. About 3,000 people died that day. 3,000 innocent American lives. I realize it may not be politically correct to blame al-Qaeda anymore, but screw that. It was al-Qaeda, the enemies of freedom.

Something that's much less well-known is that only one year ago four Americans were killed at the American Embassy in Benghazi, Libya. The four Americans killed were Ambassador Chris Stevens, Glen Doherty, Sean Smith, and Tyrone Woods. The attack, supposedly a "spontaneous response to a YouTube video," lasted for seven hours. Let's make sure we remember both 911's - the Twin Towers and Benghazi.

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Graystone Spoilers

Don't get too excited. There's nothing specific in these spoilers.

I have only three chapters (or four - books do tend to evolve in ways writers can't always predict) left in order for Graystone draft one to be completely completed. I'm really excited, since this is, in a way, only the second novel I've completed. Darkwoods and Pasadagavra were originally the same book, so while I wrote two endings, I only completed one novel. Now that Graystone is almost finished, I'm really excited!

Just some little things to look out for:

Fans of Anamay and Danaray, rejoice! Anamay is dead, as you may recall, but Danaray makes several appearances, and Anamay's children figure prominently in the plot - especially her son.

The Darkwoods Foxes have vanished, but one of their old allies is still strong - and still bent on inflicting as much damage as possible.

Along with the sea otters, Miamur plays a heightened role in Graystone.

And last but not least, don't forget to look for the pirates from Quest for Rinaria making brief appearances!

Best news yet? I just sent off a rough (a very rough) draft of Graystone, or what is completed of it, to a fellow author for review. More details on that later!

Friday, September 6, 2013

Week vs. Weekend

My second week of classes has been both busy and productive. Well, okay, maybe not so productive. I came down with a cold that gave me a screaming sore throat and went through half a bottle of that liquid Tylenol stuff and half a bear-bottle of honey in two days.

Anyway, this weekend I have some things to do for a few of my professors and then hours of naps to take to hopefully get back on the road to good health. I also think the library computers have kingston drives, so I can load up pictures from Ellen's wedding. And finally, I intend to at least be mostly finished with the last installment of Quest for Rinaria. I'll have it up for National Talk Like a Pirate Day.

Okay ... I'll have more to share when my nose is no longer running.

Sunday, September 1, 2013

Ellen and Lucas

Today my wonderful cousin Ellen married her equally wonderful fiancee Lucas! God Bless you both as you begin this new journey together. I have som fantastic pictures (which I will upload once I get near a kingston drive.)

The highlight of the reception (I thought) was when the deejay turned on "Dynamite." Love that song! First, people brought out two chairs onto the dance floor, got Ellen and Lucas to sit in them, and picked them up and carried them around the floor! After they put the happy couple down, the dancers got into a gyrating circle, jumping up and down around them while they kissed. Just like in the movies!

Once again, Ellen and Lucas, God Bless you with many happy years to come!