Bryce's Ramblings

Temperatures

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 22:55:11 GMT

Busy day today, but can I just mention it's 3 degrees outside right now, with a windchill of -14? Yeah. Of course, the record low here in December is -31, so I suppose I should just be enjoying the balmy weather. (December, January and February are the coldest months here--the record is -39 in January.)

So all that talk about my wood stove over the summer and fall? Definitely enjoying it these days. It was worth the hassle.

Christmas Memories: My First Video Game System

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:38:30 GMT

I forget which Christmas it was exactly, but I certainly remember opening that Package of Awesome: the Atari 2600. So sleek. So shiny. So new. Joystick controllers--two of them! And you could swap out games to play different ones. And it was in color! Sure, it was no NES, but it was still great. I spent many happy hours on that machine, playing Pitfall, Joust, Ms. Pac Man, Kung Fu, Yars Revenge, Asteroid--many hours. Before my Atari, I'd played some handheld game & watch games, as well as a few games on an old Heathkit computer (Advanced Dungeons and Dragons--still one of my favorite all time games). But this--this was my first encounter with technology I could use as I saw fit. I loved it. It's no doubt what sent me down the path where I am now, with multiple laptops, a desktop, PS3, Wii, DS, iTouch, iPod . . . I'm a gadget freak.

Thanks, Santa.

To share some of my geekery with you, I give you the Atari Arcade. Atari's made java versions of some of its most famous games, and you can play them online now. Free. Isn't technology grand?

Had to Share

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 18:20:02 GMT

So I just got back from the local department store, where I was buying a hat. For a long time, I've been wanting to get a Mad Bomber hat, but I've never been able to find one big enough to fit my head. (Go ahead--make fun of me. Get it out of your system. All better? Can I continue? Thanks.) Today I found an XXL one, and it fits perfectly. (Really? You're still making jokes about my big head? I thought we were over this.) Anyway, I was standing there in the store, considering which style to choose, and a woman edged up behind me. Not in a "just browsing" sort of way--in a sneaky, clandestine sort of way.

She looks around to make sure no one's near, then says softly, "You know where those are made, don't you?"

I stare at her blankly, not used to having random strangers come up to me in department stores to ask me questions.

She waits for me to answer. When I don't, she says, "China."

How enlightening. I'm still wondering why she's telling me this, since the majority of the merchandise in that store likely comes from China. She continues.

"You know what they're made from, don't you?"

I look back at the hat. I've already checked. This one has a nylon shell, rayon lining and rabbit trim. I realize she must be talking about the rabbit, but what is she trying to get at? Outrage that bunnies were killed in the making of the hat? That it's not really rabbit, but [insert other fluffy critter here]? She just nods at me and then sidles off.

I'm about to dismiss this all as Today's Random Encounter, but she must have been able to tell I wasn't quite clear what she was talking about, because she reappears farther away, poking her head out from an aisle.

"Cats," she said. "They make them out of cats."

Right. Like this is supposed to make me drop the hat in horror and run from the store, as if she'd just told me they were made from human scalps or something. Poor woman. Anyone who knows me would know that if I found out the hats really were made from puhtty tats, I'd be *more* likely to buy one, not less.

I bought the hat, and I got a great story out of it for free.

Thanks, crazy cat lady. This hat's for you.

Christmas Shopping Complete

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 15:43:05 GMT

I managed to successfully buy everything I needed this year online. For me, that's the very definition of a good holiday season. No stepping in to stores. No talking with pushy salespeople. A wealth of customer reviews at my fingertips. Free shipping. Bryce bliss.

Of course, part of me realizes that by doing all of this, I isolate myself from other people, and I contribute to the death of small, independent stores--especially local ones. I feel bad about this. I like going to these small stores from time to time. I like seeing a thriving downtown in a small city. I love the downtown we have here in Maine. But at the same time, I know I can get better deals, with wider selection, online--no driving or walking involved. I try to spend money in the small stores throughout the year, but when it comes to mass shopping . . . I can't do that.

Maybe that makes me a bad person.

Oh well. Christmas shopping is still taken care of, and I'm still happy about that!

Book Review: Graceling

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 20:05:58 GMT

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a book that came in under the radar with me. I picked it up mainly because it's in my library's Discoveries collection. It didn't disappoint--especially for a first time author. The book takes place in a standard medieval fantasy world, with the exception of a select number of people called Gracelings. Basically, they each have been born with an enhanced talent, whether it's swimming or climbing or--in Katsa's case--killing. She's a royal who becomes the assassin to the king, more or less. The only trouble is, she doesn't like the jobs the king's sending her to do.

It's more complicated than that, of course, but that's the basic set up. Where Cashore really excels is in bringing her world to life. I felt like the people's reaction to Gracelings was very well done--the implications of the magic system were well thought out. It's much more of a "girl's fantasy" than I usually read, however--by which I mean romance plays a large part in the plot. That said, I still had a great time reading. I just wouldn't recommend it to a reluctant teen boy reader. :-)

View all my reviews >>

Book Review: The Last Olympian

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 19:59:55 GMT

The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I enjoyed this book--it was a good end to a series I've liked since discovering it when it first appeared five years ago or so. (Less? I can't remember now . . .) The Lightning Thief (book one) is actually about to be released as a film, and I'm anxious to see how it's treated. I feel like the start to this series was just as good as the start to Harry Potter--if not better. However, the later books felt a bit off to me, if that makes sense. For those of you who don't know, they're essentially Harry Potter but with Greek gods instead of magic. They're also decidedly American and much more snarky than Rowling ever got. I liked that in many ways, although again--it began to wear thin by the end, almost as if Riordan just didn't have it in him anymore, if that makes sense. For those of you who haven't read the series, I heartily recommend the first book. If you like it, keep going--they're all quick reads, and a lot of fun.

View all my reviews >>

Book Review: World War Z

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 19:52:53 GMT

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
What would the world be like if a zombie plague actually broke out on a global scale? Brooks answers this question in a novel that's essentially a collection of first hand accounts--a style that reminded me of Bram Stoker's Dracula in many ways. It's not for the faint of heart--very much an R-rated book, so to speak, but I for one would love to see it turned into a film. It had a District 9 sort of a flair to it that I haven't seen done in zombie-lit before. So often, zombie stories focus on the individual--how does one person or a small group of people cope with the chaos? Brooks went the other way, showing how the world could and would cope with it. If you're at all a horror or zombie fan, you should check this one out. Really fantastic.

View all my reviews >>

Book Review: The Name of the Wind

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 19:49:28 GMT

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Really a fantastic book. I'd heard a lot about this one during my Wheel of Time reread, and I'd wanted to get to it for some time. Rothfuss does a great job creating an engrossing, complex character and placing that character into a full realized world. The conflicts are superb, the supporting cast memorable, and you get the feeling that something really grim is just over the horizon. The one was worth the hype. The only downer is that it isn't a standalone novel, and it ends very much in the middle of things. Still, I eagerly await the next one.

View all my reviews >>

Hiring Committees

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 18:48:48 GMT

I'm on a couple of hiring committees right now at work, and I have to say--I wish I had been on some hiring committees before I was applying for jobs back in the day. This isn't to say that I'm unhappy with my job. Far from it. Rather, I think I would have been much more successful as an applicant if I'd had the chance to look at a bunch of other applications. Go figure. As it is, I consider myself lucky to have had everything work out as it has.

You see things differently when you're one of the people making the hiring decisions. You process the information differently, analyze it differently . . . I'm not sure how else to put it. Whereas an applicant might look at a job and see a single way to apply, when you have a big pile of applications for the same job, you start to see that there are, in fact, many ways to apply. You can include a cover letter or not--have it lengthy or brief. You can add letters of recommendation, fill things out in pen or electronically. Spell check or not. When everything's reduced to pure information--all the committee has in front of them are the documents you sent them--then everything gets processed and compared. People who would be hard to compare in real life suddenly become faceless whoevers, and it's a lot easier to compare them.

This isn't making sense. Sorry. All I mean to say is that, as a word of advice to anyone out there applying for jobs, take time on your application. Individualize it. Provide as much information as possible. It really does make a difference. These are all things I knew mentally before, but now I've seen them at work, and they make oh so much more sense.

That is all.

Writing Update

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 21:58:29 GMT

Not a whole lot of time today (too busy trying to dig out from the pile of Work Still to be Done), but I figured I'd give you all an update on what I'm working on right now, writing-wise. Over my vacation, I had the chance to have a long talk with an agent about my writing. (Yes, the agent I've been waiting to hear back from for so long.) It was a no on Pawn of the Dead, alas--for a variety of reasons. His critique of the book was, like his others, fairly deep--meaning that the problems he identified were much more than surface level fixes. He concluded that it wasn't really fair of him to ask for a rewrite of the book, since that might not be the best use of my time. I already have a new book plotted out and ready to write, and I was tempted to just dive into that and see how things looked after I finished it.

I'm not going to do that.

This is the third or fourth time I've gotten suggestions from this agent on such a deep level. Each other time, I've just written a new book. This time, I'm actually going to try to rewrite the old book. At the same time, I'm sticking to my guns and continuing to shop the old book around (as well as two other of my books). I no longer have the desire to pin all my hopes on one "yes," but I also want to be listening to the critiques I'm getting. The rewrite to this book will be extensive enough that I don't think it'll look much like its current form once I'm done rewriting, which makes me feel confident that I could shop both around at the same time, if I decide to.

Plus, I've got some really good ideas that were spawned by his critiques--ideas that I think could make the book much stronger. In a lot of my works, I've tried to fuse a humorous tone with a macabre tone--and I don't think I ever pull it off as well as I need to. In this rewrite, I'm going to try to embrace the humor. Go for wacky zany fun and see what happens. I've already worked out a new magic system for the book, as well as a new villain. The setting and most of the characters will stay the same, as will the voice. It'll be interesting to see how it turns out. It will be something different, at any rate--and I want to keep trying different things so that I keep getting better as a writer.

Anyway--that's what I'll be up to for the next while. I'll try to keep you updated as I go. Right now, I'm working on hammering out the new plot.

Wish me luck.

Snow Day

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 18:10:55 GMT

One of my favorite parts of my job has got to be the snow days. It's like a free vacation day, plopped into your lap at random times. And I don't have to make it up. Very nice. How can people not love Maine? :-)

What will I do with my snow day?

Well, I have to get some writing in on my yearly Newsletter, which needs to be going to print soon. Since I have yet to start it, I'd really better get in gear. Other than that, I plan to take it easy. Decorate the house some, take a nap--that sort of thing.
The best part is that I was scheduled to work this evening until midnight. That means, technically, my snow day hasn't even started yet. I'll be able to feel pleased about not working all the way up until when I go to bed.

Mwa ha ha ha!

Mikulas and Santa Claus

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 19:04:04 GMT

Yesterday, Mikulas came to visit our house. For those of you who aren't Slovak, that means TRC and DC spiffied up their shoes two nights ago, then left them out. In the morning, voila! The shoes were filled with candy and some small presents. TRC got a WALL-E spinning toothbrush,and DC got a little puppy stuffed animal. They went over very well. Of course, this is also the first year that TRC has gone to school, which means it's the first year he could tell other kids all about how excited he was that Mikulas had come, only to have those kids have no clue what he was talking about. We had prepared him for this, however. You see, Mikulas only comes to Slovaks. Since TRC is the only Slovak in his class, none of the other kids would have gotten a visit.

This only makes Mikulas that much cooler, of course.

TRC also spent some time writing his list to Santa over the holiday. It took quite a bit of narrowing, but this is what he's down to:

Bakugan
Castle
Erector Set
Nerf Gun
Legos (Pirates or Power Miners)
Transformers (Animated version)
Scooter (with 2 wheels--he was very specific)
Interactive WALL-E Robot
Telescope

He wrote most of the list on his own--and thoroughly enjoyed doing so. Now it's off in the mail, and it's up to Santa just what he gets. TRC thinks he should get a fair bit, especially since he's "usually good when he sleeps," as he phrased it in his letter the the Jolly Old Elf.

Did I mention I love Christmas?

Back from the Amish

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 20:27:29 GMT

I'm back in Maine, buried under a sea of Things That Came Up at Work While I was on Vacation. I'm sure you're familiar with it. So instead of a nice detailed blog post summing up everything I did while on vacation (executive summary: got the flu, got better, ate Amish food, slept, lolled about), I'll leave you with a short snippet from TRC. He woke up yesterday morning, sad that the vacation was over. He was about to start crying, then sighed and said, "Oh well. At least we have donuts." Which we did.

Donuts make most things in life better.

Catch the Wave (Google Wave, That Is)

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:39:53 GMT

Here at work before I head out for PA this evening. Just a heads up to say I don't know how much I'll be posting the rest of this week and next. If I'm intermittent . . . too bad. I'm sure you can get along fine without me for a bit.

As a parting gift to you, I have in my possession eight (count them: eight) invitations to Google Wave. And I'm willing to give them to the first eight (count them: eight) people who ask for one, whether it be by emailing me, commenting on my blog, or signaling to me on Facebook. So if you've been dying to get into this big Google experiment, but you haven't known anyone cool enough to get you an in . . .

Now you do.

(As an aside: my initial views on Google Wave? Not really impressed. It looked a lot cooler when I was on the outside looking in. Anyone else already using it? Thoughts?)

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Bryce the Plumber

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:28:28 GMT

So, believe it or not, there's actually an area of my house that I haven't yet griped publicly about, but which has been a major irritant since DKC and I moved in. In fact, I'd say it's been one of the major irritants--not because it was so awful, but because it was so constant, like a pebble in your shoe in the middle of a race. What is it, you ask? The hot water pressure in the shower.

It has been low since the day we moved in. We had plumbers come to inspect it--they blamed the heating people. We had heating people come to check--they blamed the plumbers. So we had the plumbers come back, and the cycle repeated itself. Somehow in that great big cloud of blame, DKC and I found ourselves alone. The heating people and the plumbers had ducked out amid the confusion, and we still didn't have good hot water pressure. It was marginally better, but great it wasn't.

Enter This Old House, the magazine. DKC and I used some of our expiring Delta frequent flyer miles to subscribe to this gem a few months ago. I look forward to each issue. In the latest one, there was a detailed diagram of a shower, showing how you take it apart, and giving some suggestions on how to fix common problems.

I decided to give it a whirl.

Naturally, I decided to do this on a Saturday night at about 9. The night before church. Neither DKC nor I had showered yet. In hindsight, we really ought to have gotten that out of the way first. It could have been ugly.

Using my trusty Leatherman Wave, I had the shower dismantled in under a half hour. The problem was, the shower I had didn't really match the shower that was in This Old House. That's when I started to wing it, pulling things out, tweaking things to see what they did--likely doing everything an amateur plumber should not. I was disappointed to see a lack of Things to Clean Out. I had hoped the hot water pressure was caused by build up of debris in the line. I found no such thing. However, I did notice that the hot water came through one valve, and the cold water came through another. We had never had problems with our cold water pressure. After tinkering a while longer, I gave up and put it all back together, resigning myself to further water pressure problems in the future. On a whim, I did swap the hot and cold water valves.

Surprisingly enough, that fixed it.

Well, it fixed the hot water pressure. That's going gangbusters now. The cold water is now the one suffering. Which is just fine by me.

I don't like cold showers.

It just goes to show that sometimes, the elephant in the china shop not only doesn't break anything, but he manages to dust off the china while he's in there.

Amazing Race

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:57:56 GMT

I'll admit it: I love the Amazing Race. Which on the surface, doesn't make a whole lot of sense. I hate flying with a sun-hot intensity. I'd rather go to the dentist than go flying (although oddly enough, I have flown to get my wife to go to the dentist . . .) But I love being in other countries and seeing the sights, and I love a good competition. So while I love watching the Amazing Race, I do it with the full realization that I could never actually participate.

And that's okay.

For those of you poor souls who don't watch the Amazing Race, allow me to explain the appeal. Take your typical reality show selection of candidates (the gay guy, the soccer mom, the brute, the schemer, etc.) and throw them into a global race around the world. Whoever finishes first, wins $1 million. Along the way, they have to do crazy stunts, like bungee jumping from bridges, searching haystacks for pennants, herding ducks--you name it. Follow these people around with a camera, and watch the magic happen.

What's not to love?

You get to see other countries. You get to see people make idiots out of themselves. You get to laugh at how ignorant some people are. You get to second guess everyone's decisions, proving how smart you are and how dumb they are. You generally get to feel superior for a full hour. That's what I call a good deal.

Anyone watching this season?

DKC and I are currently rooting for the Globetrotters, with Malibu Ken and Barbie are next favorites. The gay brothers are our least favorite, with Miss American and her hubby falling in the middle. Please share your opinions, if you have any.

My Librarianly Task of the Day

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:39:09 GMT

Another busy day at work, but I thought I'd share with you what I've been working on for the past hour or so. There's a professor who's planning on teaching a class on the films of the Coen brothers next semester. I'm her assigned librarian, and I've been investigating potential materials to purchase to support that class. What this means is that I've been able to roam the pages of imdb and the rest of the internet in search of any material that might pertain to the Coen brothers.

This is awesome.

Here's what I came up with. It doesn't include the basic films (which I've already ordered), or things that my library already owns (like Cormac McCarthy's No Country for Old Men). But it's fairly exhaustive, otherwise. I don't think we'll be able to get all of these--funding and all that jazz--but it was fun making a list.

Sometimes I love being a librarian so much it hurts. :-)

Films/Fiction/Music
Red Harvest, by Dashiell Hammett (the book the title for Blood Simple comes from)
The Glass Key, by Dashiell Hammett (the book Miller’s Crossing is based on)
The Glass Key (1942)—Alternate film version
The Glass Key (1935)—Alternate film version
Down from the Mountain, a movie about the music of O Brother Where Art Thou
The Tenant (Le Locataire) (1976)—Roman Polanski film that the Coens say inspired and influenced Barton Fink
The Big Sleep (1946)—Alternate film version of book that inspired Big Lebowski
The Big Sleep (1978)—Alternate film version of book that inspired Big Lebowski
Ulysses (1954)—Adaptation of The Odyssey , which O Brother Where Art Thou is based on
The Odyssey (1997)—Adaptation of The Odyssey, which O Brother Where Art Thou is based on
The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad (1958)—Arguable adaptation of The Odyssey, which O Brother Where Art Thou is based on
The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946)—Noir adaptation of a book by James Cain, which influenced The Man Who Wasn’t There
The Postman Always Rings Twice, by James Cain
Mildred Pierce, by James Cain
Mildred Pierce (1945)—Adaptation of a book by James Cain, which influenced The Man Who Wasn’t There
The Stranger (1946)—Adaptation of Camus novel, which some argue The Man Who Wasn’t There is influenced by
Soundtrack for O Brother, Where Art Thou
Gates of Eden, by Ethan Coen
The Drunken Driver has the Right of Way, by Ethan Coen

Critical Analysis
The Philosophy of the Coen Brothers, by Mark Conard
The Brothers Grim: The Films of Joel and Ethan Coen, by Erica Rowell
The Dude Abides: The Gospel According to the Coen Brothers, by Cathleen Falsani
The Coen Brothers: Interviews, by William Rodney Allen
Ethan Coen and Joel Coen: Collected Screenplays 1
The Brothers Coen: Unique Characters of Violence, by Ryan Doom
The Big Lebowski: The Making of a Coen Brothers Film, by Tricia Cooke
The Coen Brothers, by Ronald Bergan
The Films of Joel and Ethan Coen, by Carolyn Russell
The Coen Brothers’ Fargo, by William Luhr
Joel and Ethan Coen, by Peter Korte and Georg Seesslen

Writing Rejections

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:35:14 GMT

Rejection is a part of the publishing business. If you want to become a published author, you're going to have to deal with rejection. Fact. If you can't deal with that, then don't try to become a published author. While I don't write solely to become a published author, I certainly wouldn't say no to it if it ever came around. :-)

I've decided I've been waiting enough. Right now, I have three manuscripts that I consider ready for submission. How many am I going to have to write before I start submitting widely? To date, my submission process has been half-hearted at best. If I had gone about finding a job the same way I've gone about submitting manuscripts for publication, I'd still be unemployed, without a glimmer of a chance of having a job. So I'm now submitting. I've sent out Pawn of the Dead to seven agents so far, and I've already heard a no back from three of them. That's okay. I'm going to continue submitting it until I run out of agents who I think would be interested. I'll do the same with Ichabod and Vodnik. Once I run out of agents, I'll start submitting to publishers. Once I run out of publishers, I'll set the book aside for a while and consider revision later. Meanwhile, I'll continue writing when I'm not submitting.

Why?

Because it's silly of me to not be doing this. Just as it would have been silly of me to sit back and apply to the same job over and over and over, never getting it. If someone was depressed that they were unemployed, but they'd only applied three places, would you really feel bad for them? I wouldn't. I've submitted five of my manuscripts anywhere. The number of times I've submitted things combined is probably less than 20 times. That includes the seven submissions I just sent out this week. In a word: pitiful.

"The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--
Of cabbages--and kings."

Bakugan

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:36:11 GMT

So there's this thing that's all the rage at TRC's school: Bakugan. You heard of it? I hadn't, until he started coming home every day raving about how cool they were. Basically, they're small little spheres that have a magnetic latch inside them. When they roll over metal, the latch activates, and they spring open, becoming tiny little creatures. I can see why he likes them. It reminds me of my obsession with Transformers back in the day. Better yet, these are actually a game of some sort. They come with metal cards, and you can have your Bakugan fight other kids' Bakugan. I basically view it as a gateway drug of sorts--if I can get TRC into gaming already, then I'll be that much closer to having a permanent live-in board game opponent for the next 13 years or so. Which is why I had children to begin with. Isn't that why everyone has children? Maybe he'll go from this to Magic the Gathering.

We went to Walmart and got him his first set. He bought them, actually. A starter pack for $8 that came with 6 cards and 3 Bakugan. He's happy as a clam. If anyone wants to feed his growing Bakugan addiction, I'm sure he'd welcome any and all donations. :-)

Anyone else out there have kids transfixed by these things?

Pink Eye, DKC Update and a Nostalgia Fail Movie Review

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:49:44 GMT

First things first. TRC has pink eye. This was confirmed by a physician yesterday after I came home from work. No fears--he's got his medicine now, and he should be better soon. (Taking the medicine, on the other hand . . . that was a different story. The kid was absolutely terrified of drops AND the paste stuff. He didn't want anything going anywhere near his eye. It took a half hour of effort--and DKC and I playing Good Cop/Bad Cop (I was the good cop, BTW) for him to relent. At which point he realized it really wasn't that bad, and he's been fine with it since.) He stayed home yesterday and today, but he should be good to go tomorrow, assuming he's feeling better.

Next, I forgot to mention in my post yesterday that DKC also got a new calling. She had been Relief Society secretary. Now she's 1st Counselor to the Young Women's President. She's excited about the change, but I'll let her do the talking--contact her via Facebook if you want to get in touch. She checks that fairly regularly.

And finally, DKC and I watched Clash of the Titans last night. It's a movie I remember very fondly from my childhood. I mean, I thought it was one of the. coolest. movies. ever. It had a metal owl in it. How could a movie get any more awesome? Alas, the film has not weathered the intervening time well for me. Yes, it still had the metal owl, and there were bits and pieces I enjoyed more for the nostalgia than for anything else. Overall, the pacing was slow, the acting was off, the story didn't really make sense . . . It was a disappointment, to say the least. Two stars, and that's being a tad generous, for old time's sake. They're remaking the film--it'll be interesting to see how it turns out.

And in other news, I've had my Netflix account on hold for a month or so, and it's beginning to get to me. I was really spoiled when it was active--I could watch whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. Last night, being forced to choose from the DVDs I had at home . . . it just wasn't the same. Netflix--I might be coming back sooner than I had thought.

President Bryce

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:41:36 GMT

The hinted changes have arrived. It's official now. I'm no longer Ward Mission leader. I'm Elders Quorum President. For those of you who have no clue what that means, join the club. :-) I'm trying to come up with an easy way to give an overview of it, but I'm drawing a blank. That's where Wikipedia steps in, right? See the full definition below my post, if you're curious.

So how do I feel about this? Mixed. On the one hand, I really enjoyed being a Ward Mission Leader. I loved working with the missionaries, and it brought me back to my own mission. Plus, I knew what I was doing. I had been a missionary for two years. I know what that's like, and I have an idea how to help them do their thing. Elders Quorum President? I'm just not as sure. The definition is too nebulous for me just yet. It's still too overwhelming--I'm not sure where to begin.

Of course, the $1,000 question is: will I be busier with this calling? The answer would typically be a resounding yes. But in this case, I'm not 100% sure. I might break even. I was doing a lot with the Ward Mission. Now I'll be doing a lot with the Elders Quorum. However, I have two counselors who are great guys, and they're there to help spread the load. That isn't something I had as WML. Also, I'm more in control of my destiny--as WML, there were sometimes rules that would pop up that came from the mission. I had no say in those rules or their interpretation, so I was sort of at the mercy of whatever came down the pike. I've got a bit more say in what happens to my quorum, though. That might be nice. We'll see.

In any case, I'll be busy. Moving projects, wood projects, coordinating snow removal, teaching Sunday lessons, organizing activities, coordinating home teaching--just a slew of things to be done. My mind's sort of on a permanent whir, processing where I want to begin and how. For now, the first presidency meeting is going to be Friday. I'm coming up with an agenda and looking for ideas.

Wish me luck.

DEFINITION OF AN ELDER (from Wikipedia, but still pretty accurate in this case)

"Elder is a priesthood office in the Melchizedek Priesthood of denominations within the Latter Day Saint movement, including The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

"In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, male members who are at least 18 years old may be ordained to be Elders. In order to be ordained, the member must be determined to be worthy by his local Bishop and Stake President. The consent of the priesthood holders of the stake is also required before the ordination is performed, and this is usually done at a general stake priesthood meeting that is held twice a year.

"According to Latter Day Saint scripture, the duty of an Elder is to "teach, expound, exhort, baptize, and watch over the church."[1] Elders have the authority to administer to and bless the sick and afflicted, to "confirm those who are baptized into the church, by the laying on of hands for the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost",[2] to baptize and give others the Aaronic or Melchizedek Priesthood as directed by priesthood leaders, and to take the lead in all meetings as guided by the Holy Spirit.[3] An Elder may ordain others to the priesthood offices of deacon, teacher, priest, or Elder.

"In practice, Elders are responsible for many of the day-to-day operations of a ward. They are called to serve in a variety of positions throughout the ward, such as Aaronic Priesthood quorum advisors, scout leaders, ward mission leader, and the Sunday School presidency. Elders and High Priests (assisted by Teachers and Priests) are also responsible for home teaching in the ward.

"Elders are organized into quorums that may contain no more than 96 Elders. A quorum president, along with two counselors, is called and set apart under the direction of the stake presidency, and generally serves for one to three years, although there is no official policy on the length of service. A secretary is also called to assist the president and his counselors.

"All adult men in the ward, whether they are faithful or not, are assigned to either the Elders Quorum or the High Priests Group as directed by the Bishop. However, ordained Elders and High Priests are assigned by default to the quorum or group consistent with their ordination.

"The title "Elder" is not normally used as a personal title (e.g., Elder Evans, Elder Johnson), except by the Church's General Authorities, Area Seventies and full-time male missionaries. Often, full-time missionaries serving within a ward are referred to by the members as "the elders.""

Have You Read Ichabod?

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:57:05 GMT

If you have, I need your help! I'm trying to rewrite the query again, and for some reason, I just can't seem to effectively sum up the story. All my attempts are falling short. So . . . if you were going to describe the events of Ichabod (the concept of the story as well as what exactly happens) in a paragraph or two, how would you do it? I'd love some ideas, people. Help!

Houses are Like Relationships

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:28:36 GMT

I've been thinking about this on and off for the past while--especially in light of all the work I've been doing on my house this summer. In a way, I think houses are like relationships. At least, the one house I've owned so far has been that way for me. You start off pretty infatuated with the house (hopefully). The first impression is darling, you love this detail and that oddity--love at first sight. And for the first bit, everything is hunky dory. You're caught up in the swell of emotion and the bliss of having gotten this thing you really wanted.

Then, it happens.

You notice something's wrong with your house. There's a squeak in the floor over there. The doors aren't quite straight. What happened to the trim over there? The flooring in the kitchen is scratched. The carpet has seen better days. It goes on and on. This slew of little details that you didn't notice when you first looked at the house--all of them start piling up at an alarming rate. At first it's daunting, but you steel yourself and determine to work through these momentary bumps in your relationship. You can replace the carpet, or repaint, or redo the trim. The flooring isn't really that bad. You can live with it.

But despite your best efforts and intentions, you start noticing things. Ads in the newspaper. For Sale signs as you're driving down the street. And you start thinking maybe all this effort isn't worth it. After all, wouldn't it be easier just to go get a new house?

The thing is, I don't think it would be. Take DKC and I, for example. The kind of house we really love and are drawn to is an old house. One with character. Old houses all have flaws. They demand upkeep. It's a fact. And no matter how alluring any house in question might be at first blush, once you get to know that house well, you're going to start finding problems. Sure, they may be different problems than the ones you've been dealing with, but they'll start to bug you just as much if you let them.

I think the trick is to not let them. Acknowledge the flaws, accept them, and move on. Live with them. Fix them over time--but do your best to keep in mind the details about your house that drew you to it in the first place. I really like my house, despite all the bellyaching I do about it. Yes, it has its flaws, but overall, I think it's great. Better yet, it keeps improving the more work I put into it, which is probably why I'm motivated to keep working on it.

Again, just like relationships.

Pictures

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:38:36 GMT

Oh yeah--and for those who care, pictures of my home improvement projects are up on my Facebook page.

The Siding is Finished

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:52:14 GMT

It's not sanded, caulked or painted, mind you--but it's now all up on the garage, which is much better than it lying on the floor of the garage. DKC, TRC and I got it done this morning before I had to head in for my night shift at work. That means that of my house projects, the following are finished:

Chimney Retopping
Getting wood structural supports 2 inches away from chimney
Wood stove installed
Electrical outlet for wood stove installed
1.5 inch hole in main water drain for house patched
Siding on garage done
Trim on garage done
Antique chimney uncovered.

Remaining to be done:

Antique chimney cleaned
Area around antique chimney trimmed
Sliding garage door trimmed and repaired
Siding sanded, caulked and painted
Wood stacked (2 cord or less left to go)
Garage cleaned out (so we can park in there again)
Scrap piles taken to dump or burned (wood)
Leaves raked/blown, bagged and banked by the house

I might be forgetting some things, but that's the major stuff. It's getting done, bit by bit--and some of that will have to wait for spring.