runs well with scissors

Thither (The Christmas Letter)

2012-01-06T00:03:00.003-06:00

Christmas Letter

You know. Sometimes church gatherings are funny. But I read recently that some puritans would punish folks that laughed in a church. So, so, pitiable.
:-)

"We Too Will Thither"

During the evening service, we sang those words (we too will thither) and I looked up ready to laugh and the couple, two rows up, had grins and comments in their eyes already.
The song was "O Come All Ye Faithful"

vs. 3
See how the shepherds,
Summoned to his cradle
Leaving their flocks,
Draw nigh to gaze
We too will thither
O Come let us adore him
O Come let us adore him
O Come let us adore him
Christ the Lord

Ah thithering. Thither. To thither. Have thithered??! I can't handle it.
But it's oh so intimate and why not make a Christmas email out of it. So here goes. (per usual).

Actually, Mr Preacher's evening commentary was quite helpful while I enjoyed laughing and praying about "thithering."
I hope christian-speak makes you laugh. we are so ridiculous.
So what I was thinking about were those four words.
"We"- those who hear the story.
"Too"- also; that is, not just the shepherds
"Will"- volition?
"Thither"- nuff said. ha

I thought about the scripture later on where Jesus says "When the son of man is lifted up, I will draw all men to myself." And I thought about my own thithering and the moment.

Truth is, this Christmas has been more of the lean variety when it comes to inspiration. Usually the Christian calendar catches me most during advent...but it's been different this year.
And then Pastor Jerry began to teach. He spoke of how 'salvation' as the poor were concerned (and jewish contemporaries) was a yearning for peace and justice. Specifically, freedom from Roman oppression. Where if you want peace you have to have justice.
American's talk about freedom a whole lot. It's a principle social rhetoric. And I think for all the liberation yahgba, we have left justice on the sidelines. Freedom alone is tyranny IF you seek freedom without justice. That's something I learned in Africa. Most conversations there will lead to 'justice' rather than 'freedom.'
Pastor Jerry taught us that 'salvation' that the shepherds were told of by the angels, was synonymous with 'justice' which is a VERY RICH teaching.

Social Justice, Sin Justice, Interpersonal Justice.

But for a moment on sunday night, my heart thithered, as it were. That faith thing where Christ opens your eyes and you are changed.

Coming near to him...well, it's about him. It's about being changed BY him. It's about Him being what he came to be or do what he came to do...in his way. i guess. Justice? (Salvation?)
_____________

All tied up in this mess of justice is the issue of trust and power. At the very moment Caesar Augustus issued his decree to have a census of the entire roman world, God was telling people about justice (salvation). I found the two juxtaposed against each other in an interesting way. One man organizing his country for taxation purposes. A requirement from "The Man." I wondered about the uses and misuses of that power. Justice or not, the angels proclaimed salvation (justice) for all people and the savior to be seen. The shepherds thithered. And people have done so ever since.
_____________
Someday I may understand more of what happens when a person trusts Christ rather than "The Man." For now, I'm am just thankful that the kingdom is like a man who leave the 99 and goes to find the lost one. It is exciting to have been to the stable. To witness the promise for justice and peace in a world that hungers after both (pastor Jerry's words).

A little Thithering went on late friday evening. It was so refreshing to meet the Christ for the first time again.

God bless us all today and this year.

#1/19 Church: What was left behind

2012-01-05T21:45:00.001-06:00

I didn’t go to church for seven months. Actually, that’s not true. I went about three times in seven months. A collection of us would gather and it would appear very protestant. A song, sermon, and prayer. Mostly I didn’t join them. I did however cuss out my roommate. I told him exactly what I thought of him. I went back later to apologize and we sorted it out. Another time I was in the courtyard and asked a different roommate about poverty. She and I talked extensively through an array of topics; God’s image, poverty, shame, the gay issue. Other times we played poker and the nickel winnings balanced our expense reports. That outdoor courtyard with cards, candles and the local brew was a veritable value exchange.

Sometimes we’d smoke huka or host a party for the other NGO’s. Our ‘secular’ friends expressed their surprise when we’d show up and share a drink to laugh or cry through the crisis. Amidst the unending sadness, a few drinks and night of pleasure might be the only solace. But a few of our little band of men became the solace for many unbelieving women that could not trust others to treat them as other than meat. Some of us slept around and for the first time, I stopped trying to be a good christian; judgmentalism is a blinding burden.

“He who is forgiven much, loves much.”

Jesus

Our obligatory “devotional prayer time” every morning became a mainstay...never interpreting the scripture, but just reading a passage and praying if requests were made. I remember the snot-bubble crying where the tears stained the shirt of my friend. And it was ok. I remember hearing a heart-beat that was not my own and being surprised at proximity and pain. And it was ok. And sometimes it was my own shirt that was dampened, soiled by the tears of others. And that too was ok. There was the man I hardly knew that offered some water and a pat while I dropped in the dirt track to throw up and the girl that boiled water to steam my cold away.

It was in the tears, and through the laughter, and under the stars that I met the Lord and myself. It was because of honesty and the poetry of a man that weekly visited the local prison. It was the performance of a great leader, and the commitment of a tender friend and the frankness of skeptical helper and a bright invitation to join their team. It was the morning prayers and the nighttime walks...the theological smatterings and the hearty dreams.

It came as a friend with a vision for others...of her pride for a King and a kingdom. It was in the death of criticism and the birth of love that I knew God and it became home...and when I left the country and flew away, I left God there. I left my church there. My children, my parents, my brothers.

Two weeks later I went to church. There were one hundred fifty people in the building. The pastor approached the front, gave a half-hour sermon on something and we finished with singing and a prayer.

I left my church in sudan. I left God in sudan and what remained was the knowledge that church is not a building and God was with me. To separate God from the community that fights and forgives is to split marrow from bone.

Community is not God.

Since then God has remained and new connections grow. Have faith in God and trust someone and you will experience church every moment of every day of your life.

I still go to buildings to meet with other Christians but the sorrow that remains is the death of a family that meant the world to me and taught me about the world. It is sadness that nostalgia and adolescence are the only reminders that someday...someday I hope sooner that later, there will be no more sorrow, no more tears, and no more separation or dying. I want heaven so bad.

Not only my sudanese church but you and me and everyone. I long for the day when we can be one as Christ and God were one.

What was left behind...after they destroyed all the buildings and removed all the clergy and looted all the resources, and confessed all the sins and righted all the wrongs and forgave all the misgivings; was faith, hope and love.

It’s been three months since I’ve had a hug.

Sarah C. Mosely

One problem with America is that most things are frivolous. We live so far above the dirt in a cloud of toys we cannot know what is valuable.

Family Counselor

walmar---ack

2009-12-16T19:25:00.000-06:00

Today made me laugh...eventually. I'll recap.

At work I was:
Sent on a shopping run to buy household items for refugee apartment
setups. the basics.
Got to walmart and immediately overloaded with bottom dollar efforts.
After 25 minutes, noticed a migraine...loss of vision with headache
soon to follow.
left half-full cart in isle.
Ran to my car for medicine. it wasn't in there.
Hurried inside to buy meds.
Called dad (doctor) to make sure they were ok to take together.
tried to read directions but had trouble.
Sat in the airlock for 45 minutes after drinking 20 oz of coke, 600mg
of ibuprofen and 2 excedrin migraine.
Wanted to throw up.
Lost 35% of my vision and about 18% of my ability to reason properly
(migraines make me foggy on both counts)
Meds kicked in and poof, felt good. could see properly again.
Found my cart in the store and returned to shopping
Filled the cart to overflowing with, among other things, 6 pillows,
blankets, cookwear, food, cleaning and sleeping items. Stuff for 2
apartments
look for tolerant cashier. see friendly looking lady.
checkout: divide it all into two groups.
Bill with tax exempt card
Push two carts to the parking lot.
Momentarily can't find car.
Begin unloading
It is 40ish degrees out
have to pee badly. instantly.
remember coke and caffeine in the pills
try to hurry but pee is coming.
can't leave and run inside (two loaded carts)
can't unpack quickly enough.
consider kneeling by the tire
reject the idea
during deliberation, lose precious moments and recognize I will be
even later back to the office if do nothing and most imminently wet
myself.
frantic
jump into car and rummage and find mcdonalds cup.
relief
leave cup outside by door with new sense of freedom
go back in to buy 9 remaining things: table and 8 chairs.
find them, price them, buy the cheapest (same cashier as before)
forget to divide them into two checks.
call manager to cancel payment.
go to second register. won't work. back to register and invade
tolerant cashier space. cancelation complete
tolerant cashier re-purchases all 9 items.
leave
find an unpaid-for item in the bottom of cart
have crisis of conscience.
go back in and wait in line.
re-read receipts.
find out that the chairs were almost double the price I thought they
were.
weigh how long it's taken me to shop and against unnecessary expense
(will my boss be more upset about my slowness or my expenditures?)
leave unpaid-for item in the store
go unload 4 chairs from car
bring inside to customer service
avoid locking eyes with tolerant cashier. (she'd be seeing me process
the chairs for the 3rd time)
call manager b/c charged with tax exempt (same manager as before)
go investigate chair mis-labeling.
customer service can't find legitimate pricing...the chairs shouldn't
exist.
grab 4 new chairs
refund old chairs
discover that ONLY 3 of the 4 refunded chairs were originally billed
ie. 2 things. (I'd inadvertantly stolen 2 items which I thought I'd
paid for. and actually HAD already, once not 20 minutes earlier before
canceling and re-charging it (but not charging it))
discussion with customer service of how rediculous it all is.
run and grab unpaid for conscience item i'd left in the walmart the
second time I'd left to go bring in chairs I'd bought the first time I
left.
payed, now carrying a handful of receipts, returns, refunds and
cancelations
been to my car now 5 times upon leaving
drive to the office
explain in brevity why all the receipts, "you don't have time or the
inclination to care...so here's the bottom dollar"
unload into two other vehicles and drive to two apartments for
distribution
sent back to first apartment with misplaced items
get lost b/c my lead driver guy can't give me directions with street
names or proper compass directions. "um, go that way (points EAST)
and turn at the hill by the car fixit/dealer place. go up and left
and it might be the second left after the school zone" (this is
nolensville rd! Every other establishment on that hilly side of
nashville is a car dealer! And i know it's NORTH, so I ignore him and
go north.
have to call barak to iphone me around town to the apartment.
find apartment in google "unmapped area" up north (not east...bozo)
try to get to the office but get lost driving a full circle behind a
school bus doing deliveries.
phone battery is beeping dead
ask barak: "quick, is murf. pike west or east of I-24. I can make it
if I know"
get back and act like nothing ever happened.
make work-time adjustments for airlock interlude.
hope my boss doesn't think I was slow or doing nothing while on the
clock.

sigh. never leave home without a GPS

a quick story. in cambodia, my brother was in a company vehicle with
a gps and the passenger inquired on it's purpose. "it helps you get
where you need to go."
Magically, barak took the cambodian man through the winding streets
right to the proper location. On a subsequent trip, they were lost
and the man said, "just use your device and we'll get there." "I'm
sorry" my brother said. "it only works if you have already gone there
once."
the man looked at my brother and just laughed. "haha." he said.
"that's like me. If I go there once I can always get back again."

I'm not cambodian and I'm dependent on technology.

_________________

Michelle. confirmed. the primary refugee population in nashville is
Iraqi...as you supposed.

God planted

2009-12-05T12:29:00.000-06:00

Gen. 2
now no shrub of the field was yet in the earth and no plant of the
field had yet sprouted, for the Lord God had not sent rain upon the
earth and there was no man to cultivate the ground. But a mist used
to rise from the earth and water the whole surface of the
ground...then the Lord God planted a garden toward the east in Eden
and there he placed the man whom he had formed. out of the Ground the
Lord caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good
for food.

This day, remember the place that God has made...You are his
workmanship. We are His workmanship, today for good works. Our
Father is a fantastic designer.

~jbb

Laughter

2009-10-01T03:55:00.001-05:00

“Truth” is very beautiful. More so than “justice.” Which easily puts on a false face. In the nearly 70 years I have lived through the world has overflowed with bloodshed and explosion whose dust has never had time to settle before others have erupted. All in perpertedly just causes. The quest for justice continues and the weapons of hatred pile up. But truth was an early casualty. The lies on behalf of which many wars have been fought and peace treaties concluded. The lies of revolution and counterrevolution. The lies of advertising of news or salesmanship of politics. The lies of the priest in his pulpit. The professor at his podium. The journalist at his typewriter. The lies stuck like fishbone in the throat of the microphone. The hand held lies of the prowling cameramen. Ignasius Siloan told me once when he was a member of the old Commenturn. Some strategim was under discussion and a delegate or newcomer who had never attended before made the extraordinary observation that “such and such a remark ought not to be made. Because if were ever made it wouldn’t be true.” There was a moment of dazed stunned silence. Then everyone began to laugh. They laughed and laughed and laughed till tears ran down their cheeks and the Kremlin walls seemed to shake. The same laughter echoes in every council chamber and cabinet room whenever two or more are gathered to exercise authority. It is truth that has died, not God.

-Malcolm Muggerich

the great firewall of china.

2009-06-10T09:50:00.000-05:00

Discussion on "twitter" have never been of significant interest to
me. However, this article got me really excited.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8091411.stm

separation anxiety

2009-03-14T17:44:00.001-05:00

My cat is a doofus. I've been gone for 4 days, so he is sleeping on my bed and he'll reach out with a paw and just touch me for a second and then go back to sleeping.

It's cracking me up!

Happy New Year

2009-01-02T09:47:00.001-06:00

Interesting Ariticle...

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/matthew_parris/article5400568.ece

My Christmas Letter

2008-12-23T13:29:00.001-06:00

"Glory to God in the Highest and on earth peace, goodwill to all."
Here is a slice of an idea... (no, it's not a volcano)

to know him

2008-11-07T11:48:00.000-06:00

my one desire is to become more intimately acquainted with Him.
-Apostle Paul
so much of christianity has to be an unlearning.
-C.S.Lewis
communication is a miracle
-Chris Rae

I'm reading a really cool book that was popular in the 90's called,
"The man who talks to horses"
What a great true story. this bloke from california at age 13 spent
weeks alone in the nevada desert watching wild horses "talk" to each
other through body language. He now knows over 100 reproducible,
predictable cues to "talk" to horses. He can be riding a completely
wild horse with saddle and bridle within 40 minutes with no whips or
ropes or beatings. An arguable key to his success is that he is
completely color blind. ie. he sees shapes and movements more readily
than colors. Once, he put on contacts that altered his vision to be
able to "see" colors and he took them off b/c "all that color is too
distracting."

anyway, I find it interesting.

oh, and then there's that theological bullshit concept where the
analogy is drawn between "breaking" a wild horse and God training
people. It truly is a juvenile/ screwed-up understanding. But
vindication is near! The horse trainer guy hates the term too! b/c
it drums up all sorts of concepts of crushing the will, physical harm
and indifference for identity and community. The trainer guy "starts"
horses and calls the process of training "joining up." Is this just
symantics or a legitimate different way of relating?
they used to tie cats under horses so that the cat could bite and claw
it's thighs and genitals.
they used to run spiked bars under horses so that the rider could jerk
it up to it's underbelly when it misbehaved.
they used to cripple and tightly tie up horses, smash them on their
heads and beat them silly in a wonderful concept called "bronco
busting." how this analogy could be even loosely attached to God's
relationship to people is beyond me. And I heard it AGAIN not 3
months ago!
Try this analogy...

"The Word became flesh and moved into the neighborhood."
-Gospel of John

peace yo,
Joel

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2008-09-03T04:14:00.001-05:00

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2008-08-26T08:30:00.000-05:00

the village on our distribution list was hit at 7am. i'd been
distributing food for 3 months when it happened. we returned 3 days
later. burned. we sat under a tree and a sheik told us how many of
the 400 people's houses had been burned. some of the janjaweed had
been killed in the attack and the villagers would sleep in the wadi.
they needed blankets and buckets because it was winter. we did our
best to collect non-food items for them. the sheik talked and heated
a small pot of tea for us because we were guests. as we walked back
to the truck a distinctly un-familiar odor came from beyond the
bushes. if someone had been there from our NGO that morning, perhaps
the attack wouldn't have occurred. Protection By Presence. as it
was, noone of importance was sleeping in _____ that night.

I keep my ipod charged

2008-08-25T14:42:00.000-05:00

>
> I don't think I've sent a mass email in over 2 years. I've written
> them. But just never sent it :-). Sucks to be... somebody.
> So yes, I have a candle lit, am on my sheepskin for this evening and
> am living in anticipation.
>
> most of the time I need an object or goal to anticipate. For now,
> it's just this dull sense that something ought to be that isn't.
> When I find it, I'll let you know.
>
> For now, a brief update.
>
> I'm attending Vanderbilt Divinity School and though prestigious,
> lacks many aspects of the 'otherness'. However, in a moment of post-
> examination wisdom, free pizza and beer was provided by the TA's.
> Truly divine.
>
> My home is a cute 2 bedroom hardwood remodel with a back porch and 2
> hammock trees.
> I have a cat named "Matador" and recently acquired some of my
> grandmothers furniture as she relocated to a retirement community.
> Hello stackable washer/dryer, goodbye coin-op.
>
> Work exempted which always has new facets and a distinctly laser-
> like learning edge, angst remains. And towards this end, is our
> email. I've run out of adventures. Rock-climbing and camping,
> though interesting, lack the luster and sheen of an unpolished
> Subaru. Cool by any standard, mind you. But still unpolished.
>
> In fact, the insides of my car need some work too but my town needs
> one of those octopus car washes with free vacuums because my dirt-
> devil isn't going to suck out the fries between the seats.
>
> It used to be that guys had real challenges to pursue! The glamour
> of the western MAN. There was this one movie, a Sacket remake of a
> L'ouise Lamour where these friends live life together. 3 men. One
> lives for the law and washes his shirts and shaves his beard as does
> the second, while the third drinks his life away on a ranch out of
> town. The three survive harrowing adventures together and their 6-
> shooters are the fastest in the west. But their friendships begin
> to splinter under alcohol, depression and I'm sure there is a story
> of women in there somewhere. One day, the guy who shaves comes to
> the guy who drinks and knocks on his door. They have a frustrated
> conversation about what is important in life. It ends with a cut-to-
> the-quick line by the drinker when he says, "I keep my gun clean
> Tye, that's all that counts. I keep my gun clean."
>
> I think I'm a rehabilitated "drinker-guy." Definitely been there!
> But truly, are shaving or polishing shoes intrinsically valuable?
> If one thing matters then everything matters.
>
> Which is great because my shoes are cool. Made of Yak leather by
> the portuguese, they are urban metro-hikers on crack. Love em'.
>
> Many are wrestless cats until he finds comfort. My cat is all
> white, has only a few flees and drinks from the aquarium. His life
> is amusing and I sometimes anthropomorphize him to astounding levels
> till I notice him scratching the lenolium around the litter box
> which resets the reality gauge.
> Sometimes I think my reality gauge needs tuning. How many scratch
> the lenolium of life while God sits up there and laughs saying
> "Cover it with dirt! It ain't rocket science!"
>
> And that's REALLY funny because lots of my friends in Tullahoma ARE
> rocket scientists. hahahahaha! (yeah AEDC friends!)
>
> Lets take school for instance. I listen to sermons on my ipod, go
> to bible school 3 times a week, am in 1 bible study, teach 3 bible
> lessons each week, read books about the bible, have bible
> discussions with friends, and even read my own bible at home
> sometimes.
>
> I think that's weird only in-so-far-as that dull sense of something
> missing is still missing. Which is ok. I'll still get up tomorrow
> and teach and play and throw the frisbee. But the ache is lousy.
> Scratching the lenolium?
>
> When I get to heaven I'm going to throw a frisbee at God and at the
> same time thank him for the ache because it's a poor substitute, a
> frisbee for heaven that is. Far be it that we would confuse the two.
> I think that's healthy. When you run out of adventures and you say,
> "ok God, what next, cuz' this is boring."
>
> I heard a talk recently by a physician who was talking about 5
> hormones in the brain that are hugely impactful on personhood. and
> I don't recall much except that humans are chemically constructed to
> need new experiences. Something to do with saritonin. Which is a
> good thing because my theology tells me that I will never get bored
> with God. and just b/c I also know it has something to do with
> chemistry reminds me all the more I'm both eternal and dust which
> bolsters my jewish mindset.
>
> anyone angsty about the emptiness of adventure? anyone anticipating
> something more? The difference between these two questions is a
> canyon of eternity but the latter can be rather than the previous.
> A gift of God.
>
> So while one plows the ground and tends to the spaces, my brain
> chemicals inspire pursuit though I can empathize with our unshaven
> alcoholic cowpoke at least in the sense that sometimes I don't shave.
> If for a moment I WAS to be him, my post-industrial, post-modern,
> western, consumer, white, male mind would assess all that is and
> dully slur,
>
> "I keep my ipod charged, Tye. That's all that counts. I keep my
> ipod charged."
>
> Fortunately, I'm not him. and it's late. So I'm going to set my
> alarm and get up, polish my shoes and see what sorts of adventures
> await.
>
> Many thanks to the God of embodied Saritonin,
>
> Peaceout,
> Joel
>
> it's better to have loved and lost because love isn't a self-
> improvement program. It's more of a "let me die for you" sort of
> program which would be a good story if it wasn't actually true.
> awesome! Let the good times roll.
>
> "count it all joy my brothers when you face trials of many kinds"
> "the world was not worthy of them"
> "blessed is the day of your death rather than the day of your birth"
> "it is my desire to go and be with him but it is better for you that
> I remain"
> "for the joy set before him, endured the cross"
> "it is a privilege to die in the same manner as my Lord"
> "oh blessed lion"
> "if they hate you, remember that they hated me first"
> "you are aliens in this world"
> "heaven is my home"
> "I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go, I will return to take
> you that you may be where I am"
> "do not grow weary in doing good"
> "if the Son sets you free, you are free indeed"
> "you are a holy nation, a peculiar people"
> "set your hearts on things above, not on earthly things, for you
> died and your life is hidden with Christ in God"
> "how great is the love the father has lavished on us that we should
> be called children of God. and that is what we are"
> "this is true spirituality, to take care of orphan and the widow"
> "blessed are the poor (in spirit) for theirs is the kingdom of heaven"
> "come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden, for I will give
> you rest, take my yoke upon you and learn from me for my yoke is
> easy and my burden is light and you will find rest for your souls"
>

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2008-08-18T01:03:00.001-05:00

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Re: kicks and giggles

2008-08-14T10:34:00.000-05:00

I was checking out mail order ukrainian brides online about a month
ago. (yeah, tullahoma is LOUSY!) and for the most part, I just
couldn't get over the idea of being like, "with this downpayment I
thee wed." among other things.

but they used to advertise brides in the newspapers here in rustic
1900 Cent. america.

oh oh. a cyber-tumble-weed just rolled across my desktop. and I'm
pretty sure I heard a bald eagle shriek it's loneliness along the
fiber-optic canyons.
At this remote outpost, the lone-rider, having waited months for some
vestige of intercontinental connectedness, hits the startup key. The
stage rolls in and in a cloud of eye-watering dust, the 4200rpm
toshiba 80 gig whirs to a halt and the shotgun rider kicks off a
bundle of newspapers...the content of which must be like, oh, at least
nano-seconds old! awesome. Argentina's president just declared
amnesty for all election dissentors. The Sudan burned. Indian tiger
populations are down. And the Dow is up. Or at least it was before
having flipped to the next browser page.
Lets check the classified. Because this ol' net-rider is lonely out
here where not even free-wifi and panera breads would dare go.
Hmm, women in the ukraine want to get married. Interesting. Just as
soon as I build up my stake, there might be something there. Well,
it's time to go rustle the disks and defrag the hard-drive.

yeee haaawwww. <whuhpshhhh>

BBC E-mail: Women try to open door mid-flight

2008-07-26T23:44:00.001-05:00

joel saw this story on the BBC News website and thought you
should see it.

** Message **
I just wanted some fresh air

** Women try to open door mid-flight **
A plane is forced to make an emergency landing after two British women tried to open a cabin door mid-flight.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/7527058.stm >

** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/email >

** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have been verified.

If you do not wish to receive such e-mails in the future or want to know more about the BBC's Email a Friend service, please read our frequently asked questions. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/4162471.stm

hike

2008-07-19T03:47:00.001-05:00

I convinced my brother and he subsequently convinced his wife, to go
on a night-hike with me tonight. Inspired by adventures of the Wagner
brothers, I too thought a hike up a mountain on a full moon night
would be fun. Turned out that tonight was the night for july so we
waltzed our way up Engineer Mountain. We only made it to 11,500ft
rather than the planned 12,900ft.
It was cool b/c barak has a star-chart program on his iphone so we
checked out constellations while tara collected wildflowers. If you
can stomach the late nights, I'd highly recommend a night-hike. The
mountains are gorgeous and if you do so on a full moon, you won't need
a flashlight. Great idea Paul.

Wash someone's feet

2008-06-27T09:30:00.000-05:00

funny river

2008-06-11T22:13:00.000-05:00

Hymn #365

A minister was completing a temperance sermon. With great emphasis he said, 'If I had all the beer in the world, I'd take it and pour it into the river.'

With even greater emphasis he said,'And if I had all the wine in the world, I'd take it and pour it into the river.'

And then finally, shaking his fist in the air, he
Said, 'And if I had all the whiskey in the world, I'd take it and pour it into the river.'

Sermon complete, he sat down.

The song leader stood very cautiously and announced with a smile, nearly laughing, 'For our closing song, let us sing Hymn #365, 'Shall We Gather at the River.'

Smile, life is too short not to !!
If this brightened your day
Don't let it stop here

See you at the river!!

This message, including its attachments, constitutes an electronic communication within the meaning of the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. Section 2510. This message is the confidential property of Rock-Tenn Company, and disclosure is strictly limited to recipients intended by the sender. Unless previously authorized in writing, this message does not constitute an offer, acceptance, or agreement of any kind. This message may contain confidential attorney-client privileged information and attorney work product. If you are not the intended recipient, or responsible for delivering e-mail to the intended recipient, you are advised that use, dissemination, forwarding, printing, or copying of this message is STRICTLY PROHIBITED. If you receive this message in error, please notify the sender immediately by return e-mail and delete the message entirely from your system. Sender is not liable for damage caused by viruses transmitted with this message, or errors or omissions in content caused by transmission.
(c) Rock-Tenn Company, Norcross, GA.

what a great day

2008-05-16T00:03:00.001-05:00

I started the day late...
up at 10:00AM,
downloaded a mindless movie "the mummy returns."
Got a sick headache so I napped in my lay-z-boy chair for smidge with
the cat on my lap.
Then I read on the porch while it rained and I decided to go for a
walk down to the local sushi place.
Hat, raincoat (ski jacket) and a few bucks, I strolled down the road
in the light rain only to find some friends of mine IN the sushi
restaurant already!!!
how awesome!
They ate, I ordered, but someone's bloody huge order kept mine held up
for probably close to an hour whereby we just left. A generous man,
mr. Hutch, who then took me out for a sandwich rather than leave me
famished. :-)

Of course we then went back to the Roger's place and chilled, watched
a little T.V., played a board game, watched hilarious youtube videos
and of course now it is way too late.

So I'm packing up some crap and heading to nashville tonight (midnight
30) so we can get a head-start in the morning for a day of rock-
climbing.
peace

A note from the author

2008-05-08T11:21:00.001-05:00

It rained today. Hard. But only in spurts.
I'm happy because my transplanted tree outside needs some good
moisture to help it get established. It is a pine from New Mexico.
I haven't read anything recently. In fact, I've watched more movies
than is healthy no doubt. Iron Man was fun and I'm looking forward to
the new Indiana Jones movie.
My attempts at toilet training my cat are failing but I haven't given
up all hope yet

Last night one of the high-school girls spoke at youth group and did a
rocking job. I'm really proud of her and its good to see God doing
things in her life.

I'm going to go and cook a pizza, relax for a while, drink something
healthy and enjoy a lazy morning.
peace
joel

boy cow???

2008-04-29T12:02:00.001-05:00

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increible

2008-04-26T11:54:00.001-05:00

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The Bernalillo Project: A tale worth (re-)telling

2008-04-14T18:30:00.001-05:00

2002 Chicago Review Press

Excerpt from Chapter 12, page 157-160

In 1955, a group of scientists and engineers at Los Alamos National
Laboratory was given the task of reducing the amount of radioactive
material expelled into the atmosphere resulting from nuclear testing.
Astrophysicist Robert Brownlee headed up this project, named
Bernalillo after a New Mexico county near Los Alamos.

Dr. Brownlee and his team were testing the feasibility of moving
nuclear testing underground. In order to achieve a number of
scientific objectives, they needed to explode several nuclear devices
underground. Doing so involved building the equivalent of a giant,
nuclear powered potato cannon. The cannon was a 400-foot deep well
lined with thick steel pipe, capped by a steel plate instead of a
potato, and powered by a nuclear bomb instead of a squirt of hair spray.

Forty stories below the scrubby tangle of mesquite trees and creosote
on the desert surface, researchers tried to determine if they could
safely test the effects and design of nuclear devices while reducing
the release of radioactive materials to a minimum, maybe even
completely.

The Bernalillo team placed a small (by high-energy physics standards)
nuclear device in the well and capped the well off with a big steel
plate. The four-foot diameter steel manhole cover was 4 inches thick
and weighed in the nearly half a ton.

The puny nuclear device had the explosive equivalent of less than one
kiloton of high explosive. However, small in nuclear terms is still
incredibly large. The effects of letting lots and lots nuclear energy
loose are sometimes hard to predict.

The scientists working on the Burnalillo series of tests were trying
to figure out what happens during the few micro-moments of the nuclear
explosion. The Los Alamos team wanted to know what kind of nuclear
particles were emitted, how many there were, and where they were
going. The data they needed to collect had to be measured in the first
few "shakes" after the explosion begins. (A "shake" is the amount of
time it takes light to travel 10 feet. Since light travels at 186,000
miles per second, that makes a shake an exceedingly short time
interval.)

The scientists put all sorts of detectors and sensors in and near the
well. They also placed speed cameras some distanced from the top of
the well to film the explosion. Normal cameras take about 16 frames of
film every second. The high speed Los Alamos cameras were 10 times
faster.

When the device was triggered, the scientists got a bit more than they
bargained for. The bomb emitted high energy particles of light, called
photons. Within a few shakes, the photons, or in Alamos lingo, the
"shine", bombarded the steel pipe vaporizing it into superheated iron
gas. About three hundredths of a second after detonation, the shock
wave of gas, light, and radiation blasted against the steel cover
plate at the top of the well.

The high speed cameras recorded the blast effect on the plate. In one
frame it is there. In the very next frame, 1/160th of a frame later,
it is gone. Where did the 4-foot diameter, half-ton steel plate go?
The area was searched carefully, but the plate wasn't found. In fact,
in the 40-plus years since project Bernalillo, no trace of the plate
has ever been found, anywhere.

The project team felt they knew where the plate went. Prior to the
actual test, Dr. Brownlee's boss asked him what would happen to the
plate covering the test hole. He thought about it for a while.. "I
guess I don't really know," said Brownlee. "Find out," said the
project director.

Brownlee performed some preliminary calculations. Based on the
expected bomb yield, the shape and depth of the test hole, and so
forth, he figured the initial velocity of the plate would be somewhere
in the neighborhood of 41 miles per second. That's moving mighty fast.
He made many slide rule calculations and reported back to his
director. The manhole would probably wind up on a collision course
with the distant starts, shoved by a nuclear push through the Earth's
atmosphere and into outer space.

In 1687, Isaac Newton, figured out some interesting things about
gravity and velocity. He deduced that there is one particular speed,
one if you throw something hard enough and fast enough, you can make
it through the gravitational attraction of the earth and break free
into outer space. Newton called that speed "escape velocity" and is
calculated to be just less than seven miles per second on earth. When
the Bernalillo team calculated the plate's velocity just after
detonation, they estimated it was in the rough neighborhood of five
times escape velocity!

A few years later, in 1959, a team of Soviet scientists launched what
they claimed to be the first man made object into outer space, the
satellite called Sputnik. Many at Los Alamos think Sputnik was the
second object to travel to outer space, preceded by a full two years
by an American made steel manhole cover.

A (southern) moment

2008-04-11T23:30:00.002-05:00

"That's Jimmy Bedford. He comes in here all the time...!"

Tonight I had two shots of Jack at "Fast Jacks," AND I met the one and only recently retired 6th master distiller of Jack Daniels Whiskey. Shook hands and in a short exchange, discovered we both have family living in farmington New Mexico. Who would have known?

The south has the funniest people in the world...I think maybe only the Irish could compete...

We (individuals from the church) occupied so many tables at Jacks tonight that someone said since we had a preacher there (me), and since I pointed out we had some communion elements (jack, xx, yeungling, etc) we should just have church there.
Good times...
can't get fired for poor conduct when the trustees are drinkin' with ya'! Don't worry mom, I held my limit. No sense getting run over on Lincoln street, South Sticksville and not even able to remember it. ;-).

10 seconds!!!!

2008-03-26T00:51:00.001-05:00

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what is wrong with us???

2008-03-20T22:17:00.001-05:00

Ok, so really messed up.

By Frances Harrison
Religious affairs reporter, BBC News

Filipinos nailed to crosses on Good Friday in 2002

International Arms Dealer Caught

2008-03-10T11:13:00.000-05:00

http://clearinghouse.infovlad.net/showthread.php?p=54165

Vanilla

2008-03-03T13:41:00.000-06:00

I had my first vanilla iced latte today.

I like it.

cat

2008-02-29T10:24:00.000-06:00

yeah, I signed a "I will not declaw my cat under any circumstances" waver before walking out the door with "anthony" (I will change the name). So the dumbass slept on my face last night which means I got rid of the uber psycho afraidy-cat and replaced it with an animal whose main problem is that there are not enough hours in the day to lay on people. how jolly...except that I still can't sleep. And instead of waking up to clawing and banging from a cat that hides when I turn over at night, now it's cuz' I have a tail in my nose. No wonder Adam was like, <ehem> "there was not any suitable partner found for him." Hey surprise, guess who wants to be petted? I'm gonna name him "hey! Surprise...guess who wants to be petted."

By Your Side

2008-02-12T13:38:00.001-06:00

Date: November 24, 2007 9:26 AM
Topic: by your side

just a little poem
comin' to your home
hopin' all the time
no matter where ya' roam
with a little luck
'cross the seas thick foam...
'll arrive right by yer' side

with a quip or quote
and an anecdote
tell a tale or two
of the family folk
knowin' where yer not
'll take piles o' hope...
cuz' ya sure ain't by my side

folks great space
the formal face
is the splashy side
of a gigglin' embrace
to primp and pose
heart's finery glaze...
while dancin' right by yer' side

but christmas best
is a stable'y mess
like a home-full house
family's fightin' regress
but all within
can confide n' confess
heck, we all right by yer side!

see fer' sure
the yul-tide manure
though say it not
'd rather find a cure
told a story fine
in-verse allure
earth's heav'n held by yer' side.

now the call or cue
finds place in a pew
or the palm'y shade
with an ocean-side view
they say church it is
not one but two
and he comes right by yer' side
-Joel Nov. 07

Commentary

2008-01-26T11:11:00.001-06:00

I ran across an article in Reuters International News. They listed (according to Forbes) the top 10 most dangerous places in the world.

As I read through the list, I began to become quite proud of the people I know and met through my time at Taylor. I'm sending this to you because you may find it inspiring and perhaps want to pass it along to others. Because I am only connected to a couple of folks from TU, I am sure that this list could be filled out further. Be that as it may, I am excited that Christians, and one's that I know, have chosen to work in the worst places in the world.

NEW YORK, Jan 25 (Reuters Life!) 2008 - People are opting for more unforgettable holidays but some countries can be risky even for the most adventurous travelers.

Forbes.com has compiled a list of the most dangerous destinations. The list is not endorsed by Reuters.

1. Somalia

This Horn of Africa country has been in the grip of warlords for the last decade, fighting for control of drug and weapon trafficking rights. Risks include military clashes, kidnapping, landmines and pirates.

2. Iraq

Military action, collateral damage, insurgency and suicide bombings are daily occurrences in the country. Security experts say unstable areas include Baghdad and stretch from Tikrit in the north to Hillah in the south and from Mandali in the east to Ramadi in the west.

Ann F.- A 2005 Taylor Graduate, Ann F. (not her real name) is working in northern Iraq with the Kurdish people. Her recent posting puts her in proximity to teach health/wellness and nutrition as well as network and educate on issues of gender based violence.

3. Afghanistan

Even though the ruling Taliban regime was officially ousted in Afghanistan in 2001, attacks from those still loyal to it and to al Qaeda continue. Military personnel and civilians are killed by improvised explosive devices daily.

Matt D. (not his real name)- 2002 Graduate, after spending time in Sudan is planning to continue working in similar capacities either in Zimbabwe or Afghanistan. Re-building project management has been his focus.

4. Haiti

Sharing the Caribbean island of Hispaniola with top vacation destination Dominican Republic, Haiti, the western hemisphere's poorest country, is plagued by civil unrest, police corruption and readily available firearms.

Pam C.- 2002 Taylor Graduate, worked in Haiti while finishing a masters (and Phd) from Notre Dame in hydro geology with an emphasis on third world development.

Sarah D.- 2004 Taylor Graduate, spent recent time in Haiti while on "break" from teaching in the Dominican Republic.

5. Pakistan

The country, which borders Afghanistan, suffers from ongoing geopolitical turmoil. Bomb attacks and rioting between Shia and Sunni Muslim communities are a threat. In December 2007, opposition leader Benazir Bhutto was assassinated during a suicide bombing after months of strife over delayed elections.

Paul W.- 2002 Taylor Graduate, worked with Food For the Hungry setting up their disaster relief projects after the earthquate of 2006.

6. Sudan

Despite a peace agreement in 2005, areas of extreme danger due to battles between government troops and militias and local insurgent groups dot the country. Areas to avoid completely include the western region of Darfur, Ethiopian and Eritrean border regions and all of southern Sudan.

Dan Y., David J. and Shelley C. (not their real names).- 03,02,03 Taylor Graduates, worked with 2 relief organizations in the region of Darfur. One of the three still works in Darfur.

Matt D. (not his real name)- 03 Taylor Graduate, currently works with a relief organization in south sudan.

7. Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

A civil war that formally ended in 2003 still affects the country. As Rwandan and Ugandan troops pulled out of DRC towards the end of the war, rival militias have been fighting each other to fill the power vacuum this created. Crime is rampant in major cities and security conditions can fluctuate drastically even within minor distances.

Kara P. (not her real name) - 2002 Graduate, currently works in the DRC for a relief organization.

8. Lebanon

Culminating in the 2005 assassination of Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri, Lebanon is split by pro- and anti-Syrian forces vying for control of the government. Other risks include military battles in the south with neighboring Israel and civil unrest.

9. Zimbabwe

Anti-western sentiment prominently expressed by officials, out-of-control inflation and oppression employed by the government to silence dissenting voices are common in Zimbabwe.

Matt D. (not his real name)- 2002 Graduate, after spending time in Sudan is planning to continue working in similar capacities either in Zimbabwe or Afghanistan.

10. Palestinian Territories

The region is caught in a brutal tug-of-war between pro-Fatah and pro-Hamas factions. Political and military battles with Israel, especially in the Gaza Strip, have made the security situation in this territory very unstable. Poverty and chronic violence add to the instability.

Jenna P (not her real name). 2002 Taylor Graduate, after getting a masters in Public Health and learning Arabic, has focussed all her attention on finding an assignment to work with Palestinians in the Middle East.

Praise God for people who go.

joel

the story

2007-12-12T15:10:00.001-06:00

the story of stuff. Worth your moments.

http://www.storyofstuff.com/

crismas

2007-11-30T14:48:00.001-06:00

In New Guinea in at least one tribe, individual ages are not
recorded. You are either "1," "2," "more," "some more," or "lots more."

aiyah mama bilong mi karim mi long taim ol ren i kam nam wasim haus i
go daun long nambis. Na long dispela bikpela ren, ol puk puk is
kaikaim planti kakaruk long wanem win i bagarupim olgeta banis.
Tasol mama em i save meri stret na silip i stap antap long maunten
wantaim ol wantok. Nau mi gat planti crismas taim ol dispela i
kamap. hamas crismas? oh mama oh. planti tumas...<tss ah>

Art

2007-11-27T13:23:00.001-06:00

When I finish a painting, I hold up to a piece of nature; a rock, a
leaf, a stick. And if the painting stands up to it, I keep it. But
if what I've made looks bad in light of something people didn't make,
it is bad art.
-unknown

2007-11-27T13:11:00.002-06:00

If you can't see the water...

2007-11-12T20:06:00.001-06:00

...you're in underpants.

I walked through my little town this evening and then came home.
I finished my first cup of southwest pinon coffee, browsed the local
blog sphere, and am ready to entertain thoughts of learning.
For those interested, "Yehud"- A persian province in the satrap of
Ebr Nahara. Formerly Babylonian Judah." I'm not sure of the
significance of that fact, except that it is connected somehow to
Israelite history. No matter. Quoted accurately = 100% on the test.
At 7:49, there are a mere 11 minutes for typing.
I'd like to send out a grand ol' hello to all you who may find this
blog. If I sound desperate, it's because I am.
Feel free to call my cell......anytime.

the two candles on the end-table are burning slowly...except for the
one that I prodded and squeezed and dropped on the floor whereby it
now is half the height of it's neighbor and one or two cracks
uglier. If anyone knows a trick to removing wax flows from the
crevices of hard-wood floors, please leave notes as a comment.
May you find your evening pleasant, marginally eventful and shy.

Oh, has anyone ever drop-kicked a frozen loaf of wheat-bread through
a window?

...just wondering.

All that is man in 1994

2007-11-09T14:40:00.001-06:00

What 24 would be like if it had been made in 1994.

http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1788161

"PRINT IT OUT AND WE"LL SEND A BIKE MESSENGER!"

"IT"S 3 FLOPPYS!"

"Lycos is dry... trying Encarta now..."

"Hey did you hear about Nancy Kerrigan?"

"...they're being developed." "I ordered you to take POLAROIDS!"

"He's got total control of our geocities page..."
"GOD HELP US!"

Thursday...

2007-11-08T14:23:00.000-06:00

I'm reading bruchko by bruce olsen, debating on studying for my
second exam, considering life, and enjoying the fact that Job has the
potential of being the oldest book of the bible, that the first 4
books of the bible were written by a collection of authors after the
exile in a redaction (editing process) of cultural concepts aimed at
unification. or something like that. I haven't read the articles
enough to know for sure. I just know that as far back as the 1700,
scholars have made a case for multiple authors of the pentateuch.

oh, and as for Job, the story has babylonian? roots.

Potentially, maybe..."the proponderance of evidence suggests that..."

Yesterdays discussion group concerned the Holiness Code of Leviticus
covering everything from eating lobster to tatoos. We had a lively
debate over questions of authorial intent, pre-modern health
concerns, contemporary 'ignorant' applications, selective textual
readings and of course the ever present issue of homosexuality.

hi peeps,
I'm tired. My roomie is leaving and quitting his job. In a world
where we don't speak our minds, his bluntness has earned him a ticket
out of town. sucks!
I think he's rubbed off on me a little and that's good.

I hope you all are well and enjoying your moments. take care.

Darfurian Life

2007-10-27T19:53:00.001-05:00

What was life like before you were displaced? I'd also like to know
how a year was like - the yearly rhythm of life.

Khadija

We would get up before sunset to pray. Then I would drink a cup of
tea and take my food with me to the farm and work until it got too
hot. After lunch I would work again until the sun set. Then I would
take my donkey back home. I used to cook for my husband and my sons
and then we would have dinner. We would go to sleep between 2000 and
2100 local time after we had sat around talking. I was happy with my
life then.

My house was one room and I had a small shop on the corner. There was
a green tree outside. We used to work very hard in the rainy season.
We would harvest between July and September - okra, watermelons,
different kinds of seeds and tomatoes. I would sell the surplus. In
the summer time we used to harvest tobacco because it does not need
much water. We used to have folklore parties when there was a wedding
or any kind of celebration - girls and boys would dance together and
old women would sing.

To Do

2007-10-22T13:31:00.001-05:00

The heart of men
cries out, not in
though silence is safely home
and I hope for a place
for your heart to embrace
the crushing of that beautiful Stone

You've always held
what you could not meld
and empassioned, you entered the world
But His eye is on you
whether trial or two
though controlled, your head must have swirled

Think not of exploit
or jobless plight
or the world so full of need
but what of His heart
intentions to start
a revolution ne'er before seen

on the frontline
twas ne'er a crime
though imperfect, He found you good
but the moment to turn
sin's temptation to spurn
His actions removed the crud

I hope you trust
and find you must
in each situation you see
for His way is best
and ignore the rest
though tough, will set you free.

Psalm 119 II John 1:5-6

testing 123

2007-10-22T12:25:00.000-05:00

so this is merely a test of the emergency broadcast system

Bail me out. Seriously, Start BAILING!!!!!

2007-06-19T00:21:00.001-05:00

Bail me out. Seriously, start bailing.....!

For starters, he was amiable with a good sense of humor. No doubt.
His boat was named "Pain in the Glass."
But you could only feel for the man.
As we approached the boat launch early this morning, I sat up on deck
with a high-school guy holding a rope attached to the motor;
suspending it above ground. Why? Because the hydraulic line leaked
and the motor would otherwise drag. Independently lousy, it was a
double frustration as the entire motor had been recently replaced
with bocu cash spent for upgrades.
Otherwise satisfied with it's performance, we entered the water and
eased the engine down, mercifully allowing blood to begin flowing in
our hands.

The day was sunny. A dry 86 degrees with a slight breeze. Perfect
for a day at the lake. Having mostly surrendered their winter
domain, the colorado snowpack will spend it's remaining days taunting
the dusty hills and providing ample opportunity for catching
Smallmouth Bass, Trout or Kokanee Salmon. Those NOT inclined to wet
a line may be inspired by the sunny blue skies, the warm desert air
and the glassy surface; perfect for tubing...IN A DRYSUIT!

Whipping about the lake on wakeboards, houseboat grilled burgers, and
leaping from elevated heights into the water was truly a good time.
Good enough for just a little more. But petrol ran low early this
afternoon so 6 of us headed for the marina for a pitstop...petrol and
otherwise. Having filled up (and emptied out), we re-loaded and made
for the edge of the "no-wake zone."

I sat up front but partially overheard Chad's conversation as a
Boston Whaler captained by a Park Ranger trolled by...

"I hope that ranger doesn't notice our boat tags aren't updated...
or that our trailer lights don't work."
"It's ok, the old tag is on the left, she's on the other side and is
moving out."

The 'no-wake zone' buoy seemed to drift past and Chad 'opened er'
up.' Sluggishly, the nose lifted...and stayed that way. On a normal
day the Chevy inline 6 will take it to 25 in short order. But not as
the buoy floated by. We just plowed on and "Pain in the Glass" never
sped up...and never planed out. Something wasn't right.
Chad backed off on the power and I don't know if he cut it or if the
engine just died...but it's overall integrity seemed in question.

Drifting out, the fish finder read 130ft.

LIfting the cover for a peak under the hood, Chad's mental frenzy
leaked out...little spurts at first...spurts that began to flow
faster, hopefully, than the leak in the wall of the boat.
The engine was almost 1/4 covered in water and he saw a spray on the
back wall.

Now, nothing was good about this situation, not least of which was
that the firing capacity of the engine remained questionable.
It just doesn't do to leak glacial run-off in so that 3 adults and 4,
9th graders have to swim 1/4 mile to shore...AND lose the boat.
WHERE"S THE RANGER?!

"Oh no. OH NO!" "Start bailing!" "I need a cup or uh...a cup...
something to bail with!
A narrow-mouthed nalgene was the best we had at first but soon a
gatorade can took it's place. She fired up and we chugged towards
shore.

Having neither the truck key or a place to dock, we searched for a
beach.

"How we doing back there?" Chad asked.
"We're winning!" I said. As I kept on bailing.
"NICE!"

and indeed we were. If I was in math class I could write a word
problem something like this.

"A man begins bailing a boat with a can whose volume is 64 fluid oz.
He bails at 2 dips every 10 seconds for 15 minutes. The leak
diameter is unknown so the influx is indeterminable. How many cuts
will he have on his hands from the Gatorade can after 15 minutes?"

After circling and deciding the leak was losing, we headed for the
dock...

"I never was too good at docking boats" Chad said. "Been driving
this one since I was 15, but I still can't do it."
With lousy trajectory and inexperienced crew, our ship proceeded to
climb the corner of the dock with one of it's three hulls. A
carriage bolt embedded in the wooden plank, scraped a jagged line of
fiberglass, deep to the aluminum lining. Having summited, "Pain in
the Glass" mercifully descended. (makes it sound like someone else
was in control of Chad's boat :-).

But we thought WE had it bad.
Boston Whaler chic was on the other side of the dock taking care of
another whose craft was filled well above the "Do not fill above this
line" mark. Poor blond guy with nearly waist long hair had to sit in
the bow to keep the rear end reasonably above water. And in fact, 2
others were being towed to shore as we waited to haul out.

One of the most fabulous boats ever created (to my limited knowledge)
is the Boston Whaler. Docked nearby was a prime specimen whose most
critical features were also the most impressive. Dual outboard 150hp
motors attached to a deep gullied single hull with dual walls
sandwiching foam. I am told you can fill one up entirely and it will
still float. "I once saw one of those hit a wake so big that both
engines were in the air" my buddy told me.
How cool is that?!

As the trailer hauled us up and out, the pain in my wrists reminded
me that the leak wasn't the only issue the repairmen would address.
Uncorked with water gully-washing the pavement, I remember remarking
to Chad who also sat perched upon the stern; rope in hand.
"you know, hydraulics are a good invention."

And despite all the events of the day, our hopes perked with a
thought; salve for our pains...yet those too soon smashed on that New
Mexico shore.

The marina didn't sell beer.