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Tuesday, 4 April 2006
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my twin sisters, Beth and Robyn ... no, I won't post their age ... Beth was born first, but she's well known in our family for forgetting to mention it ...
Happy Birthday Beth !!! Happy Birthday Robyn !!!
(now ... if only I had pictures ... )
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There's cheer and joy all over Gator Nation today !!!
73 - 57. Gators over UCLA ... Nat'l Champs brutha me !!!
I am told I'm remarkably quiet - not as loud and rambunctious as they (meaning my co-workers) would have expected. Honestly, I think it still hasn't quite hit me yet. I mean, just last weekend (probably shouldn't say this) I didn't think they'd make it past the Elite 8.
I am really, REALLY glad I was wrong ... !
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My life is about to kick into higher gear. I'm doing Habitat for Humanity for the next 8 Saturdays, I've got the Wednesday night "Why Catholic?" series for the next 4 or 5 weeks, and there's a lot of other stuff scheduled for after work hours....
Wednesday (tomorrow) - "Why Catholic?" Session 3.
Thursday - St. Vincent de Paul Holy Spirit Conference meeting.
Friday - Lenten Fish Fry at Holy Spirit. Then ... laundry. *sigh*
Saturday - Week 1 at Habitat for Humanity.
Sunday - a viewing of The Passion of the Christ, in preparation for Wednesday's talk....
Monday (next week) - Team Trivia
Tuesday - relax ... maybe NTN trivia ???
Wednesday - Talk at Christ the King Cathedral by Fr. John Bartunek. Fr. Bartunek was on the movie set with Mel Gibson during the entire filming of "The Passion of the Christ." He is a renowned speaker and author and tours around the country speaking about Jesus' Passion, Death and Resurrection.
Thursday - Holy Thursday ...
Friday - Good Friday ...
Saturday - Habitat Week 2. Then Easter Vigil Mass at 8pm.
Sunday - EASTER
I think I'll just stop there. You get the picture :) ...
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Tuesday, 11 April 2006
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Man, oh man oh man ... what a week ...
Here's what's left this week, and I have to say that after my helluvaday yesterday ... I forgot about the team trivia.
:( OUCH
Yesterday, I took the day off of work for two medical appointments:
- LifeLine Screening - using ultrasound to diagnose the current state of affairs of your cardio-vascular system;
- Regular doctor's appointment to get blood drawn and checked for triglycerides / cholesterol.
I got 'em done. I also got two other errands done ... I picked up a replacement part for my CPAP mask, and I dropped off our conference's St. Vincent de Paul "Top Hat" Awards nomination form at the Atlanta Council office.
UNFORTUNATELY ... I couldn't do the third thing I needed, because my doctor kept me waiting for an hour and a half. Appointment time: 2:30pm. Visit time? 3:45. GAH!
So as a result, the "maybe" for NTN trivia has been changed to a confirmed definite. But the "relax" is stayin' ...!
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Updated upcoming schedule:
Tuesday - relax ... definitely NTN trivia
Wednesday - 7:30pm talk at Christ the King Cathedral by Fr. John Bartunek. Fr. Bartunek was on the movie set with Mel Gibson during the entire filming of "The Passion of the Christ." He is a renowned speaker and author and tours around the country speaking about Jesus' Passion, Death and Resurrection.
Thursday - Holy Thursday ...
- Seder supper at Holy Spirit.
- Mass at 8pm.
Friday - Good Friday ... Mass at 8pm.
Saturday - No Habitat due to Easter. However, I must ...
- Recycle all my cardboard, plastic, and glass.
- Donate blood.
- Get the oil changed in my car -- I'm overdue.
(Don't shoot me Pete, please!!) - Something else I'm forgetting, but will come to me later...
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Thursday, 13 April 2006
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WOW.
Very impressive and thoughtful presentation last night by Fr. Bartunek. He spoke about Mel Gibson, the movie The Passion of the Christ, and the theology behind the film.
To summarize, Fr. Bartunek was a seminarian in Rome when filming started in the south of Italy. There's an Italian mini-Hollywood in Rome where a lot of movie-making takes place, and after the outdoors shots, Mel moved production to the studios in Rome. Fr. Bartunek became involved, served as a limited, informal consultant to Mr. Gibson, and even was ordained a minister while the movie was still being filmed.
The result of all this? A wonderfully insightful, but short and easy to read, book called Inside the Passion.
I wildly spent $20 on a copy, and got Fr. Bartunek to sign it.
I feel wonderfully knowledgeable now :) ... a lot of what was previously hidden and mysterious to me about Catholicism was made clear. Christ's Passion is the bedrock of Christian faith - that Christ proved he was stronger than both Fear and Death by suffering both courageously. I understand a little better where the fundamentalists are coming from, and I'm more secure in my faith now.
I'm supremely happy to have done that, seen the film again last Sunday, and be participating in Holy Week activities at Holy Spirit.
Now, if only the rest of my life would straighten out so helpfully...
:)
4/13 Thursday - Holy Thursday ...
- Seder supper at Holy Spirit.
- Mass at 8pm.
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Friday, 14 April 2006
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(I'm Still very impressed by Wednesday's PotC talk...)
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Ah, it's the weekend ... :)
So, no Habitat, but still a long day tomorrow, regardless. Sunday ought to be a good day, what with 6:30am sunrise service, then nothing to do until 9pm when God or the Girl comes on A&E ...
4/14 Friday - Good Friday ... Mass at 8pm.
4/15 Saturday - No Habitat due to Easter. However, I must ...
- Recycle all my cardboard, plastic, and glass
- Star Wars FanForce "Hothlanta Rebels" meeting at Fuddrucker's Windy Hill, 12pm.
- HAIRCUT!
- Donate blood
- Get the oil changed in my car -- I'm overdue.
(Please don't shoot me, Peter!)
4/16 Sunday - EASTER ....
- 6:30am - sunrise service at Holy Spirit :)
- 9pm - God or the Girl on A&E; Episodes 1 & 2
4/17 Monday - Blew off the workout. Had some beers instead.
- 9pm - God or the Girl on A&E; Episodes 3 & 4
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Tuesday, 18 April 2006
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I must make apologies for not working on my Da Vinci Code essay. It's coming. I promise. All in good time ... :)
Tonight I'm going to the gym - I've been so busy otherwise that I haven't gone in a long time. That includes last night - I just didn't feel like working out, so I took the evening "off" and spent it just hanging out with Sara.
I had to blow off steam, but to a friend, not to a freakin' treadmill.
Ya see, I think ... I may finally be having what is better known colloquially as a "mid-life crisis." I felt yesterday like an extreme loser in the spotlight. The work day was bad, St. Vincent de Paul isn't going very well, and I'm 39 years old! I'm still getting a financial assist from my parents for cryin' out loud!!!
I love you mom. And Peter :) Please know I mean that intensely and I appreciate and comprehend the full level of your love for me also. At the age of 39, however, I can't shake a certain conviction that I should be self-sufficient financially.
So anyway, yesterday things felt all closed in, catastrophic, and hopeless. Maybe it isn't a mid-life crisis, but when I try to look at myself objectively, I think about my age and the situations I'm in. My mewling whininess sure sounds like a mid-life crisis.
What do you think? *shrug*
I'm feeling much better today, thank the Lord ... :)
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So - there's this show ... God or the Girl. It's a good one, and they (meaning A&E) got all kinds of good reviews for being objective and non-judgmental and open and understanding and all that.
But I can't get over how much these four guys just seemed to be fundamentally overly indecisive. I already came clean about my own whininess up there, so I feel I am fully allowed to call the kettle black: Come on dudes! Quit whining and crying! Just do it (or don't do it) fer cryin' out loud !!! It just really seems to me like a waste of 5 hours (there's 5 episodes).
It might make sense, though, and isn't so sappy and maudlin, if you consider their age. All of the guys are in their early- to mid-20's. Except one, who is 28, but in my opinion still young and somewhat immature.
When you're that young (or still battling the parental vs. personal life path, which the 28 yr old definitely is) then you feel extremely important, vital ... and rather confused. It all becomes mind blowingly important. Like there's a great majority of people in the world hanging on your decision. A huge world-altering decision (gasp). Or at least, I remember thinking that way about things in my 20's...
Ah, well. *shrug* I'm watching the show and very interested in seeing what these dudes eventually do: so maybe it isn't so maudlin and they aren't so whiny after all.
*grin*
4/18 Tuesday - *Workout*
4/19 Wednesday - "Why Catholic?" Session 4.
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Thursday, 20 April 2006
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Well wouldn't ya know it ... today is the ONE YEAR anniversary of my arrival in Indianapolis for Star Wars Celebration III :)
I was reminded by Kyle, my buddy who splits his time between living in Atlanta (with Mom) and Ireland (with Dad). He doesn't know it yet, but I'm going to take advantage and visit Ireland one day ... and mooch a free place to stay.
Oh! Hi, Kyle - I didn't see you there ... hope that's OK ... heh ;) !!
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Happy Hour tonight at 7pm at a place called "Marlow's Tavern." As fate would have it, it's very close to the route I take getting home after work, so stopping by there for a drink or two will be easy as pie. And... I'm trying to talk Sara into joining us.
Woo-hoo! Tomorrow's Friday. That's great, cuz today is a REALLY bad day (I have had a lot of trouble punching the time-clock accurately - and the head honcho of our division sent me a harsh email.)
Never mind that it wasn't accurate - that the hour and a half break time and hour+ lunch time was wrong, and I *was* actually working my scheduled hours - I am a bad employee for that!
X-(
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Habitat on Saturday ... and then on Sunday, a Dolphins-themed going-away party for one of the servers at the place we watch the Miami Dolphins play their games in the fall. Her name is Lindsey, she's great ... and she's moving to Colorado. Ah, well, good excuse for a drinkin' party .... !!!
4/20 Thursday - Church Group Happy Hour
(Marlow's Tavern 8pm)
4/21 Friday - *Workout*
- Complete May budget - send to Mom
- Habitat -- Day 2
- 8pm -- NASCAR (watch at Bonz?)
Subway Fresh 500 - Phoenix, AZ
4/23 Sunday
- 8:30am -- Mass at Holy Spirit
- 11am -- Lindsey's Going-Away Party at Tony's
- 6:30pm -- Dinner (w/Church group) Scalini's on Cobb Pkwy.
- 9pm -- God or the Girl on A&E; Final Episode (#5)
4/24 Monday - Team Trivia ... Crown & Anchor Pub
- NOTE TO SELF : don't forget ... :) !!!
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Tuesday, 25 April 2006
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Sorry ... no time to blabber on and on as usual. Got to get my workout in, than jam on over to Kinko's for computer work since my PC is wonked.
I overslept until noon and missed Habitat Saturday. Not happy about that.
I conciously (did not oversleep) decided to skip 8:30am Mass and Lindsey's "Going Away Party" with the Dolphins fans at Tony's American Grille & Tap. I am happy about that (saved $$$).
Hey now ... at least I didn't forget Trivia last night. And we won 1st place again :)
More later. Including an update of the "Upcoming Schedule."