This Year?
Okay, that's it. Next year, I will be America's Clerical Idol!
Thursday, February 03, 2005
I almost hesitate
to say anything, because I don't want to start trouble; but... I am wondering if the 2005 Catholic Blog Awards are as "above board," as transparent as they should be. I was just reading over the guidelines and I noticed that a few blogs are mentioned by name as examples of a nominating procedure. In particular, "A Saintly Salmagundi" is named at least a couple of times. Is that a good idea, I wonder? I mean, couldn't that be taken as a suggestion by Awards personnel regarding who to nominate? Could that be viewed as Awards personnel revealing their leanings and trying to influence the nomination process?
I mean what would the world say if election ballots, upon being given to voters, were already filled for a particular candidate, or were already checked in affirmation of a particular proposal? Nevermind. I guess that has been tried in Iraq in the past and I guess we know what some of the world says about that.
What if Simon put aside his normal snarking bitterness and just lavished praise upon a particular American idol candidate from start to finish, never even giving another candidate a chance?
What if male judges at the Miss American Pageant didn't even acknowledge the talent (baton twirling routine) and intelligence ("How I plan to save the world" speech) of contestants and simply chose the one that had most sex appeal, looked best in a skimpy bathing suit, and seemed most likely to sleep with them?
I mean wouldn't we call in Jimmy Carter to monitor these election/selection processes? I just don't want the Catholic Blog Awards to be viewed as the trumped up party of some Banana Republic.
I suppose the only solution is for all of you to overwhelmingly nominate CRM for the appropriate categories and then to rally the voters to keep it all above board!
to say anything, because I don't want to start trouble; but... I am wondering if the 2005 Catholic Blog Awards are as "above board," as transparent as they should be. I was just reading over the guidelines and I noticed that a few blogs are mentioned by name as examples of a nominating procedure. In particular, "A Saintly Salmagundi" is named at least a couple of times. Is that a good idea, I wonder? I mean, couldn't that be taken as a suggestion by Awards personnel regarding who to nominate? Could that be viewed as Awards personnel revealing their leanings and trying to influence the nomination process?
I mean what would the world say if election ballots, upon being given to voters, were already filled for a particular candidate, or were already checked in affirmation of a particular proposal? Nevermind. I guess that has been tried in Iraq in the past and I guess we know what some of the world says about that.
What if Simon put aside his normal snarking bitterness and just lavished praise upon a particular American idol candidate from start to finish, never even giving another candidate a chance?
What if male judges at the Miss American Pageant didn't even acknowledge the talent (baton twirling routine) and intelligence ("How I plan to save the world" speech) of contestants and simply chose the one that had most sex appeal, looked best in a skimpy bathing suit, and seemed most likely to sleep with them?
I mean wouldn't we call in Jimmy Carter to monitor these election/selection processes? I just don't want the Catholic Blog Awards to be viewed as the trumped up party of some Banana Republic.
I suppose the only solution is for all of you to overwhelmingly nominate CRM for the appropriate categories and then to rally the voters to keep it all above board!
Wednesday, February 02, 2005
Tag Team Tonsils
Well, folks, there must be something going on in the Catholic world regarding ordained ministers and throat problems. I just got back from the doctor's office. I called the doctor up because after three full days of antibiotic treatment, the pain in my throat and the swelling is still severe. Although, the inflammation has seemed to switch sides -- sort of like tag team tonsils. I didn't know if that was unusual or not. I sort of expected that by now the pain would have gone away and that I could get off the Advil (which, by the way, has done marvelously in masking the pain). Anyway, the doctor said it was unusual and that perhaps the bacteria was resistant to the amoxicillen (875 mg) I had been taking. He said I have a tonsillar abscess and so I got a shot in the rear of very, very strong antibiotic (Rocephin), a new oral antibiotic (Omnicef), as well as a prescription for pain relief. The doctor, one of my parishioners, told me that the Rosefin was the same antibiotic the Pope was administered. I asked the doctor, "Will it be okay for me to have Mass this evening?" His answer got me chuckling as I considered how the medical and Catholic world collided in that one moment. He responded, "You have to. Especially since it is the eve of the Feast of St. Blaise and I think we need some throat blessings."
Well, folks, there must be something going on in the Catholic world regarding ordained ministers and throat problems. I just got back from the doctor's office. I called the doctor up because after three full days of antibiotic treatment, the pain in my throat and the swelling is still severe. Although, the inflammation has seemed to switch sides -- sort of like tag team tonsils. I didn't know if that was unusual or not. I sort of expected that by now the pain would have gone away and that I could get off the Advil (which, by the way, has done marvelously in masking the pain). Anyway, the doctor said it was unusual and that perhaps the bacteria was resistant to the amoxicillen (875 mg) I had been taking. He said I have a tonsillar abscess and so I got a shot in the rear of very, very strong antibiotic (Rocephin), a new oral antibiotic (Omnicef), as well as a prescription for pain relief. The doctor, one of my parishioners, told me that the Rosefin was the same antibiotic the Pope was administered. I asked the doctor, "Will it be okay for me to have Mass this evening?" His answer got me chuckling as I considered how the medical and Catholic world collided in that one moment. He responded, "You have to. Especially since it is the eve of the Feast of St. Blaise and I think we need some throat blessings."
Vote Early, Vote Often
Now, I know what all of you are going to say. I shouldn't have gotten into blogging for the fame or adulation. Well, what else are these cybernetic experiments meant to do if not feed one's ego while building a global community?
I wanted to notify you that the nominations for the 2005 Catholic Blog Awards are open. What the good Fathers here at CRM attempt to do, with the assistance of our crack Monkey Tech Staff, is lighten your day and hopefully form the vanguard wavefront of the New Evangelization. If you have appreciated what you have found here, then take a moment and nominate us for the appropriate category.
And if we win, I'll see if I can find a Sally Field wig I can wear while saying, "You like us...today, you really like us."
Now, I know what all of you are going to say. I shouldn't have gotten into blogging for the fame or adulation. Well, what else are these cybernetic experiments meant to do if not feed one's ego while building a global community?
I wanted to notify you that the nominations for the 2005 Catholic Blog Awards are open. What the good Fathers here at CRM attempt to do, with the assistance of our crack Monkey Tech Staff, is lighten your day and hopefully form the vanguard wavefront of the New Evangelization. If you have appreciated what you have found here, then take a moment and nominate us for the appropriate category.
And if we win, I'll see if I can find a Sally Field wig I can wear while saying, "You like us...today, you really like us."
A Most Cultured Individual
I have resisted to the limits of my endurance. I can resist no further. I have to talk about an interesting overlap involving Fr. H's Strep Throat.
Many viruses and bacteria developed a survival strategy that is so clever that it smacks of intelligent design. Many of these infections create areas of pustulation at the back of the throat, usually in the form of pus blisters. To name a few that comes to mind, smallpox, black plague, strep throat, ebola (all four varities) use the victim's coughing to help create an infective spray which insures the survival of the organism.
So, as Fr. H is resting up, I would suggest an occasional visual check by him for things like centrifugal rash, raised bumps, or large flea bearing rats running around the rectory.
It's not that I am a "glass-half-empty" pessimist. The glass is half full, sure, ... of syrichine.
I have resisted to the limits of my endurance. I can resist no further. I have to talk about an interesting overlap involving Fr. H's Strep Throat.
Many viruses and bacteria developed a survival strategy that is so clever that it smacks of intelligent design. Many of these infections create areas of pustulation at the back of the throat, usually in the form of pus blisters. To name a few that comes to mind, smallpox, black plague, strep throat, ebola (all four varities) use the victim's coughing to help create an infective spray which insures the survival of the organism.
So, as Fr. H is resting up, I would suggest an occasional visual check by him for things like centrifugal rash, raised bumps, or large flea bearing rats running around the rectory.
It's not that I am a "glass-half-empty" pessimist. The glass is half full, sure, ... of syrichine.
Tuesday, February 01, 2005
Pray for the Pope
My local NBC affiliate is reporting that Vatican officials are reporting that Pope John Paul II has been rushed to a hospital with some type of "respiratory crisis". He had to cancel his activities yesterday due to the flu. The affiliate mentioned that there would be more information on the national NBC news. Let us pray for His Holiness. May God strenghten him and prepare him for whatever this may be.
My local NBC affiliate is reporting that Vatican officials are reporting that Pope John Paul II has been rushed to a hospital with some type of "respiratory crisis". He had to cancel his activities yesterday due to the flu. The affiliate mentioned that there would be more information on the national NBC news. Let us pray for His Holiness. May God strenghten him and prepare him for whatever this may be.
But who's playing the lead?
I hosted a dinner party as part of my vacation away from the parish. In the course of the dinner, someone mentioned how they always thought that it was fun to figure out who would play yourself in the movie of your life. For example, for mine, I think that it would be super if Chris Farley could have played the younger me, and then John Goodman play the more mature Msgr. Tharp. One of the dinner guests suggested Paul Giamatti for myself, once I am elected pope. (Let's just collectively pray that never happens, the pope part, not the Giamatti connection.) Of course, if this weight loss thing goes as planned, he could very well play me. However, the first person who suggests any role in this movie for Jack Black will be beaten...severely...repeatedly. I can track you via your IP address, bear in mind.
This whole game goes to show how the film is the new novel. Rather than envisioning ourselves through the memorable characters of literature, it is the seen celebrity becomes the point of comparision. So feel free to flood the comments box with your picks for yourself or for any of the staff here at CRM. It will help to put a face with the name.
I hosted a dinner party as part of my vacation away from the parish. In the course of the dinner, someone mentioned how they always thought that it was fun to figure out who would play yourself in the movie of your life. For example, for mine, I think that it would be super if Chris Farley could have played the younger me, and then John Goodman play the more mature Msgr. Tharp. One of the dinner guests suggested Paul Giamatti for myself, once I am elected pope. (Let's just collectively pray that never happens, the pope part, not the Giamatti connection.) Of course, if this weight loss thing goes as planned, he could very well play me. However, the first person who suggests any role in this movie for Jack Black will be beaten...severely...repeatedly. I can track you via your IP address, bear in mind.
This whole game goes to show how the film is the new novel. Rather than envisioning ourselves through the memorable characters of literature, it is the seen celebrity becomes the point of comparision. So feel free to flood the comments box with your picks for yourself or for any of the staff here at CRM. It will help to put a face with the name.
Variations on a Theme
In my younger days, I was very involved in music and theater. In high school, I was in at least 2 choirs from 8th through 11th grade. I performed with the show and jazz choirs and was featured in many productions. Even in the seminary, I spent a fair amount of time in choir and theater productions. There is an unfortunate story concerning my involvement in 1776 which will have to wait for another post, assuming I can work up the emotional fortitude to tell it.
One of the great losses for myself as a priest has been losing that outlet. I still love the theater and set aside time to go to Shakespeare, when it's presented, and I am developing a taste for opera. My satellite radio pretty much stays pinned on the Broadway channel. One aspect of my giving up on the theater had to do with a lack of talent. I think I have a great amount of skill at music et cetera. I don't possess that effortless, almost flawless quality real talent showcases. Also, it didn't help that I wouldn't do anything or any show to get ahead. One time through Bye, Bye Birdie taught me that. To add to this, I have a funny voice, in the sense that it is neither a true tenor or a real baritone. It hovers between those two realms and so I could never find music that fit my voice. I convinced myself that it would be hard to find parts that would fit my particular vocal talents. My discovery of Bryn Terfel changed much of that.
Terfel is a Welsh-born Bass-Baritone Opera god. After listening to his rendition of various pieces by Wagner, Elijah by Mendelsohn, and Verdi's Falstaff, he epitomizes what the fusion of talent and skill sound like. It brought home to me that having a voice that is hard to categorize is a good thing. It adds diversity and depth to one's performance options. When I think back I, in part, sold myself a lie. I think now that I could have very easily gone on to do theater professionally, but that is not to be.
I reflected one afternoon, listening to the Broadway channel, how much we, speaking generically, want to know that we are doing well. In a sense, the whole of life is a drama that stars us, at least in our particular chapter and part of the stage. Perhaps, this explains why drama, theater, and storytelling are primordial instincts of man. We sense the "largeness" of what surrounds us, but lack the way to speak of it, and so we perform plays, sing songs, and tell stories. It is about expressing the hope that Someone else is writing the script that we are playing.
Part of the joy of being on stage was that sense of achievement, of skillful performance, and that skillful performance being appreciated by others who see it. I thought that was lost because I could never again create something beautiful for the stage. And then it came to me, another variation on the theme that Bl. Mother Teresa introduced through her life of heroic witness.
"Through Love, anyone can create something beautiful for God." Instead of playing to rave reviews and sold out shows, the Christian creates beautiful "art" for God and for His Church. By living what is good and moral, the Christian soul reads the lines as God has written them in our nature, clothes himself in the costume of the disciple, a costume knit together from the good deeds he performs in Faith. By learning the true, the Christian knows how to play a scene or even improvise and draws others into the scene. By the desire to see the beautiful, the Christian co-operates with Him who is true Beauty, a beauty which fades not the moment the show closes. And in the end, we hope to hear that the review of our performance was good. "Good and faithful servant, come, share your master's joy.
In high school, a girl that I was very attracted to compared me to Sir John Falstaff, a famous figure in Shakespeare. Having read the histories, I thought it was the hero she was comparing me to. When I finally saw The Merry Wives of Windsor, I realized there is another side to Falstaff. In this play, John is cast as the comic relief who in attempting to woo several women in the town, gets his come-uppance in the end.
It is only recently though that I have come to accept both sides of Falstaff. For all of our pretensions, we are a bit comic at times. We play at our great schemes and plans, only to discover that we are being played by some other person on stage with us. After the kicks and the rolling in the mud, and whatever indignities we must bear, we can only laugh and hope to see the rest of the cast laughing with us. Falstaff is a man of conversion. Yes, he starts out the hero, but every hero has a shadow cast across his face. It's that shadow we hope to put aside and let the true person, the one that hides behind the various masks we present, stand in the spotlight.
I am John Falstaff. I am a man of many and varied good things who then also has a host of things that make mock of me. I suspect that a good many of those who love me "show not their teeth, though they find the jest be laughable." Given the wide range of faces and characters in Shakespeare, I would far rather be the laughable Falstaff, than the Hamlet or Polonius.
In my younger days, I was very involved in music and theater. In high school, I was in at least 2 choirs from 8th through 11th grade. I performed with the show and jazz choirs and was featured in many productions. Even in the seminary, I spent a fair amount of time in choir and theater productions. There is an unfortunate story concerning my involvement in 1776 which will have to wait for another post, assuming I can work up the emotional fortitude to tell it.
One of the great losses for myself as a priest has been losing that outlet. I still love the theater and set aside time to go to Shakespeare, when it's presented, and I am developing a taste for opera. My satellite radio pretty much stays pinned on the Broadway channel. One aspect of my giving up on the theater had to do with a lack of talent. I think I have a great amount of skill at music et cetera. I don't possess that effortless, almost flawless quality real talent showcases. Also, it didn't help that I wouldn't do anything or any show to get ahead. One time through Bye, Bye Birdie taught me that. To add to this, I have a funny voice, in the sense that it is neither a true tenor or a real baritone. It hovers between those two realms and so I could never find music that fit my voice. I convinced myself that it would be hard to find parts that would fit my particular vocal talents. My discovery of Bryn Terfel changed much of that.
Terfel is a Welsh-born Bass-Baritone Opera god. After listening to his rendition of various pieces by Wagner, Elijah by Mendelsohn, and Verdi's Falstaff, he epitomizes what the fusion of talent and skill sound like. It brought home to me that having a voice that is hard to categorize is a good thing. It adds diversity and depth to one's performance options. When I think back I, in part, sold myself a lie. I think now that I could have very easily gone on to do theater professionally, but that is not to be.
I reflected one afternoon, listening to the Broadway channel, how much we, speaking generically, want to know that we are doing well. In a sense, the whole of life is a drama that stars us, at least in our particular chapter and part of the stage. Perhaps, this explains why drama, theater, and storytelling are primordial instincts of man. We sense the "largeness" of what surrounds us, but lack the way to speak of it, and so we perform plays, sing songs, and tell stories. It is about expressing the hope that Someone else is writing the script that we are playing.
Part of the joy of being on stage was that sense of achievement, of skillful performance, and that skillful performance being appreciated by others who see it. I thought that was lost because I could never again create something beautiful for the stage. And then it came to me, another variation on the theme that Bl. Mother Teresa introduced through her life of heroic witness.
"Through Love, anyone can create something beautiful for God." Instead of playing to rave reviews and sold out shows, the Christian creates beautiful "art" for God and for His Church. By living what is good and moral, the Christian soul reads the lines as God has written them in our nature, clothes himself in the costume of the disciple, a costume knit together from the good deeds he performs in Faith. By learning the true, the Christian knows how to play a scene or even improvise and draws others into the scene. By the desire to see the beautiful, the Christian co-operates with Him who is true Beauty, a beauty which fades not the moment the show closes. And in the end, we hope to hear that the review of our performance was good. "Good and faithful servant, come, share your master's joy.
In high school, a girl that I was very attracted to compared me to Sir John Falstaff, a famous figure in Shakespeare. Having read the histories, I thought it was the hero she was comparing me to. When I finally saw The Merry Wives of Windsor, I realized there is another side to Falstaff. In this play, John is cast as the comic relief who in attempting to woo several women in the town, gets his come-uppance in the end.
It is only recently though that I have come to accept both sides of Falstaff. For all of our pretensions, we are a bit comic at times. We play at our great schemes and plans, only to discover that we are being played by some other person on stage with us. After the kicks and the rolling in the mud, and whatever indignities we must bear, we can only laugh and hope to see the rest of the cast laughing with us. Falstaff is a man of conversion. Yes, he starts out the hero, but every hero has a shadow cast across his face. It's that shadow we hope to put aside and let the true person, the one that hides behind the various masks we present, stand in the spotlight.
I am John Falstaff. I am a man of many and varied good things who then also has a host of things that make mock of me. I suspect that a good many of those who love me "show not their teeth, though they find the jest be laughable." Given the wide range of faces and characters in Shakespeare, I would far rather be the laughable Falstaff, than the Hamlet or Polonius.
Sunday, January 30, 2005
Man of culture
Bacteria culture, that is! Between the two Masses I had this morning, I rushed over to the emergency room of the local hospital to have a doctor look at the inflamation in my throat. I had checked myself with a flashlight this morning and I was pretty sure it was strep throat. The doctor agreed. I got professional, courteous, and very rapid service at the ER this morning (in and out in probably 15 minutes) so that I could make it back for the next Mass. So, the doctor has told me to cancel activities in public for the next few days. We'll see if that means more blogging than I have done the past few days.
Bacteria culture, that is! Between the two Masses I had this morning, I rushed over to the emergency room of the local hospital to have a doctor look at the inflamation in my throat. I had checked myself with a flashlight this morning and I was pretty sure it was strep throat. The doctor agreed. I got professional, courteous, and very rapid service at the ER this morning (in and out in probably 15 minutes) so that I could make it back for the next Mass. So, the doctor has told me to cancel activities in public for the next few days. We'll see if that means more blogging than I have done the past few days.
Friday, January 28, 2005
Liturgical Footnote #3
By Fr. J.C. Garrett
The Mass is for everyone. To try to exclude anyone from the Mass would be to deny that the Church is really Catholic. We should never try to form close-knit, closed “worshipping community,” made up of only like-minded people. We also have think beyond just “my parish” for each parish is part of the Universal Church, forming the One Mystical Body of Christ. Even though we come to church each week as a large number of individuals, we need to come together in prayer. One of the most effective ways to do this is with music.
By Fr. J.C. Garrett
The Mass is for everyone. To try to exclude anyone from the Mass would be to deny that the Church is really Catholic. We should never try to form close-knit, closed “worshipping community,” made up of only like-minded people. We also have think beyond just “my parish” for each parish is part of the Universal Church, forming the One Mystical Body of Christ. Even though we come to church each week as a large number of individuals, we need to come together in prayer. One of the most effective ways to do this is with music.
Once the people have gathered, as the priest and other liturgical ministers enter, the gathered community begins the Introit, better known as the Entrance Hymn. The Introit sets the tone for the Mass and states the theme of the celebration. We express our willingness to come together, in love and acceptance of all those around us, for the celebration of Mass. Closed mouths and crossed arms suggest hearts and minds that are close to the love God is offering us and calling us to participate in. In others words – SING! God does not care how well you sing, He just wants us to give all of ourselves to the praise of His Name, just as He gave all of Himself in the sacrifice of Christ for our sins.
Believe it or not, there is a proper Introit for each Mass. In the United States there are four options (generally considered in this order of preference) for the Entrance Chant: (1) the antiphon, taken from the Roman Missal, or the Psalm of the Roman Gradual is set to music (all things being equal, place of pride and preference is given to Gregorian Chant accompanied by the organ); (2) the seasonal antiphon and Psalm from the Simple Gradual; (3) a song from another collection of psalms and antiphons, approved by the Bishops’ Conference or the local bishop; (4) a suitable liturgical song approved by the Bishop’s Conference or the local bishop. If options (3) or (4) is used, the song should reflect the theme for the Mass.
If the Introit is not sung, as is often done during the daily Mass, the antiphon for that day’s Mass is to be recited either by the congregation, the lector, or the priest.
The Day of the Jackal!
FINALLY...FINALLY...FINALLY!!!!! Folks, it has been joked about so many times on this blog, but today the new bishop of Wichita was announced by the Vatican. He is Bishop-designate Michael Owen Jackels. Since he is a priest of the Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska, and up-to-now an official of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), I can hear certain naysayers comparing his motives to this. Actually, though, Wichita is blessedly free such high profile dissent. From his biography on the Vatican web site, it appears he came to Rome to work in the CDF while I was there as a student. I don't ever remember meeting him or even hearing of him. Oh well. We here at CRM congratulate the Diocese of Wichita. We congratulate Bishop-designate Jackels and we encourage him to continue the good work already begun in the Church of Wichita!
Looking at the stats, I see something rather interesting:
Bishop Paul Coakley:
1978-1979 attended St. Pius X Minor Seminary in Kentucky
1979-1983 attended Mt. St. Mary in Emmitsburg, Maryland
Ordained priest 1983
1985-1987 Licentiate degree in Rome
Bishop-designate Michael Jackels:
1974-1977 attended St. Pius X Minor Seminary in Kentucky
1977-1981 attended Mt. St. Mary in Emmitsburg, Maryland
Ordained priest 1981
1985-1989 Doctorate degree in Rome
Notice any overlap there? I am sure both St. Pius X and Mt. St. Mary are proud to have another alumnus-son named bishop only a few months since the last nomination.
FINALLY...FINALLY...FINALLY!!!!! Folks, it has been joked about so many times on this blog, but today the new bishop of Wichita was announced by the Vatican. He is Bishop-designate Michael Owen Jackels. Since he is a priest of the Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska, and up-to-now an official of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), I can hear certain naysayers comparing his motives to this. Actually, though, Wichita is blessedly free such high profile dissent. From his biography on the Vatican web site, it appears he came to Rome to work in the CDF while I was there as a student. I don't ever remember meeting him or even hearing of him. Oh well. We here at CRM congratulate the Diocese of Wichita. We congratulate Bishop-designate Jackels and we encourage him to continue the good work already begun in the Church of Wichita!
Looking at the stats, I see something rather interesting:
Bishop Paul Coakley:
1978-1979 attended St. Pius X Minor Seminary in Kentucky
1979-1983 attended Mt. St. Mary in Emmitsburg, Maryland
Ordained priest 1983
1985-1987 Licentiate degree in Rome
Bishop-designate Michael Jackels:
1974-1977 attended St. Pius X Minor Seminary in Kentucky
1977-1981 attended Mt. St. Mary in Emmitsburg, Maryland
Ordained priest 1981
1985-1989 Doctorate degree in Rome
Notice any overlap there? I am sure both St. Pius X and Mt. St. Mary are proud to have another alumnus-son named bishop only a few months since the last nomination.
Thursday, January 27, 2005
TURN-ABOUT IS FAIR PLAY
Wednesday I went for my radiation treatment for my thyroid cancer. The body scan I had just prior was interesting, it looks like I have a star right at the top, middle of my chest -- kind of like ET's glowing heart. This treatment is unlike what most cancer patients go through. They are zapped, in other words, irradiated. I actually swallowed a pill containing I-131, radioactive iodine; 102 mCi worth. This means that I am not only being irradiated, but am contaminated. If I vomit, they need to call a HazMat team to come clean it up. When a geiger counter is held up to me, I pin it. In other words I am RADIOACTIVE PRIEST!!!!
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission made me sign papers which allows me to leave the hospital (I had to certify that I have my own bedroom and bathroom, and that I can keep myself isolated from other people for 3-4 days). As I sit here in front of my computer, which is trying its best to irradiate me, I am irradiating it right back. Turn-about is fair play.
The housekeeper is a little afraid of me, and she will not do my laundry now that it is "radioactive." I keep telling her it only needs to be double washed. Oh well, I am stuck in my suite, finally having the time to watch "Band of Brothers." Saturday I will be back in action. Another body scan tomorrow, and hopefully next week I will see my endocrinologist and get on synthyroid so that I can start to feel like normal again.
Wednesday I went for my radiation treatment for my thyroid cancer. The body scan I had just prior was interesting, it looks like I have a star right at the top, middle of my chest -- kind of like ET's glowing heart. This treatment is unlike what most cancer patients go through. They are zapped, in other words, irradiated. I actually swallowed a pill containing I-131, radioactive iodine; 102 mCi worth. This means that I am not only being irradiated, but am contaminated. If I vomit, they need to call a HazMat team to come clean it up. When a geiger counter is held up to me, I pin it. In other words I am RADIOACTIVE PRIEST!!!!
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission made me sign papers which allows me to leave the hospital (I had to certify that I have my own bedroom and bathroom, and that I can keep myself isolated from other people for 3-4 days). As I sit here in front of my computer, which is trying its best to irradiate me, I am irradiating it right back. Turn-about is fair play.
The housekeeper is a little afraid of me, and she will not do my laundry now that it is "radioactive." I keep telling her it only needs to be double washed. Oh well, I am stuck in my suite, finally having the time to watch "Band of Brothers." Saturday I will be back in action. Another body scan tomorrow, and hopefully next week I will see my endocrinologist and get on synthyroid so that I can start to feel like normal again.
OK, WHAT ARE THOSE NUMBERS AGAIN?
More than one person has accused me of being crazy, and some have even called me stupid, but something just happened to me which made me ask, "Do you really think me that soft in the head?"
My parents have a Toyota Prius, first generation. I actually talked them into it, and they love it -- especially the navigation system. This past summer, now being a recently ordained priest, I decided to order a Prius for myself. Since my little Hyundai Accent is operating just fine, thus I am not in an immediate need for a car, it did not matter to me that there was more than a year's wait for the car. One of the priests I live with is friends with the sales manager of a Toyota dealership and said he could help me get the best deal possible. Of all the various options, the one I really wanted was the navigation system; which unfortunately only comes in the top option package, and at the time I ordered it, you could not add it solo. So I placed the order, with no obligation to buy, and I was told that the price (before negotiations) would be $26,400 (before taxes & tags).
Today I was shuffling the papers on my desk and noticed my Prius brochure and decide to call to see how far down the waiting list I was. While they told me that it would still be 5-6 months, the salesman asked if I would be interested in a pre-owned (I still think of it as "used") 2004. I said maybe, asking the price and whether it has the navigation system. He told me that the price was $24,000 and that while it did not have the navigation system, they are now able to add that option by itself for $3,000. OK, do the math. I can get a brand new, fully loaded Prius for $26,400 or a "pre-owned," not as loaded one for $27,000. Am I the only one who thinks this is nuts?
The good news, however, is that now I do not need to hold out for the fully loaded Prius; I can get one of the lower, middle option packages (still brand new) which is cheaper and add the navigation for $3000 and it would still be cheaper than $26,400. Even more exciting, these lower, middle option packages they get in faster -- in fact he might have two right now for me, so I could be getting a new car soon. YIPEEE!
More than one person has accused me of being crazy, and some have even called me stupid, but something just happened to me which made me ask, "Do you really think me that soft in the head?"
My parents have a Toyota Prius, first generation. I actually talked them into it, and they love it -- especially the navigation system. This past summer, now being a recently ordained priest, I decided to order a Prius for myself. Since my little Hyundai Accent is operating just fine, thus I am not in an immediate need for a car, it did not matter to me that there was more than a year's wait for the car. One of the priests I live with is friends with the sales manager of a Toyota dealership and said he could help me get the best deal possible. Of all the various options, the one I really wanted was the navigation system; which unfortunately only comes in the top option package, and at the time I ordered it, you could not add it solo. So I placed the order, with no obligation to buy, and I was told that the price (before negotiations) would be $26,400 (before taxes & tags).
Today I was shuffling the papers on my desk and noticed my Prius brochure and decide to call to see how far down the waiting list I was. While they told me that it would still be 5-6 months, the salesman asked if I would be interested in a pre-owned (I still think of it as "used") 2004. I said maybe, asking the price and whether it has the navigation system. He told me that the price was $24,000 and that while it did not have the navigation system, they are now able to add that option by itself for $3,000. OK, do the math. I can get a brand new, fully loaded Prius for $26,400 or a "pre-owned," not as loaded one for $27,000. Am I the only one who thinks this is nuts?
The good news, however, is that now I do not need to hold out for the fully loaded Prius; I can get one of the lower, middle option packages (still brand new) which is cheaper and add the navigation for $3000 and it would still be cheaper than $26,400. Even more exciting, these lower, middle option packages they get in faster -- in fact he might have two right now for me, so I could be getting a new car soon. YIPEEE!
Wednesday, January 26, 2005
Why I love and hate logic
Logic allows one to give structure to their thought. But the content is as equally important. Allow me to demonstrate.
1. Beans = good for your heart (cf. convential wisdom)
2. Viagra = good for your heart (apparently, V can help those with enlarged hearts. No comments on other possible enlargements.)
3. Therefore, Viagra is made of beans.
The real goal is to make a catchy jingle. Just don't publish that here.
Logic allows one to give structure to their thought. But the content is as equally important. Allow me to demonstrate.
1. Beans = good for your heart (cf. convential wisdom)
2. Viagra = good for your heart (apparently, V can help those with enlarged hearts. No comments on other possible enlargements.)
3. Therefore, Viagra is made of beans.
The real goal is to make a catchy jingle. Just don't publish that here.
I guess it's a vacation after all...
So, I am sitting here at St. Monica's parish in Edmond, OK, preparing to wow or bore to tears the kids of the parish with a presentation upon apologetics. Hopefully, I can create a proper sense of excitement for the Faith in the process.
To think, that for a priest, just getting away from the parish for a couple of days and offering some presentations passes for vacation...at least it does in my book.
Pray that I don't sound like a total knob.
UPDATE: The talk went off well. The game served its purpose of reminding the kids of how much they actually need to learn. The youth leaders thought it was well-received, and I must agree. Also, bumped into a fellow Okie blogger whose name has already eluded me. Songbird, don't take offense -- my brain hurts...
So, I am sitting here at St. Monica's parish in Edmond, OK, preparing to wow or bore to tears the kids of the parish with a presentation upon apologetics. Hopefully, I can create a proper sense of excitement for the Faith in the process.
To think, that for a priest, just getting away from the parish for a couple of days and offering some presentations passes for vacation...at least it does in my book.
Pray that I don't sound like a total knob.
UPDATE: The talk went off well. The game served its purpose of reminding the kids of how much they actually need to learn. The youth leaders thought it was well-received, and I must agree. Also, bumped into a fellow Okie blogger whose name has already eluded me. Songbird, don't take offense -- my brain hurts...
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
Nerd Quiz
I saw this quiz via Fr. Sibley's A Saintly Salmagundi and I just had to take it. I have to share a story that helps explain why I had to take this quiz. Growing up, when "nerd" was a word in vogue, my dad got an idea to pull a prank on some friends from our parish. Having observed plenty of "nerdy" activity among me and my friends, he decided to send out a letter alerting the neighborhood to the presence of disturbing nerd activity in the area. He called it a "Nerd Alert." We even had a stamp made that we stamped on letterhead and envelopes. We wrote the letter and included all sorts of things observed in the Catholic ghetto, the neighborhood surrounding our parish. One of the highlights or evidence of nerd activity was the gathering of me and my friends in various front yards, breakdancing on large pieces of cardboard. (Yes, we all have embarrassing pasts!) Anyway, so we sent the letter out from our fake "Nerd Alert" Office (i.e., we didn't put our family name on it) and many people got a good laugh out of it. However, it quickly came to our attention that one mother mistook the letter. From the evidence provided in the letter, it had clearly been written by someone who had been observing kids in the neighborhood. She thought a stalker or a child abductor had been canvassing the area and had written a letter before "striking"! No kidding! Luckily, we put that fire out before legal authorities became involved. Anyway, we followed the letter up with "Nerd-O-Grams," trite little poems, rhymes and statements to send to nerd friends. It was sort of the Hallmark of nerd greetings. Yes, we had a stamp printed for that one too. Anyway, that being said, you can see why I had to test my own nerdiness. It seems I survived. Luckily, the quiz didn't have any questions about how often you check to see if Wichita has a bishop and how often you post about that subject. If that had been asked, I can only imagine how "nerdy" my score would have been!
I saw this quiz via Fr. Sibley's A Saintly Salmagundi and I just had to take it. I have to share a story that helps explain why I had to take this quiz. Growing up, when "nerd" was a word in vogue, my dad got an idea to pull a prank on some friends from our parish. Having observed plenty of "nerdy" activity among me and my friends, he decided to send out a letter alerting the neighborhood to the presence of disturbing nerd activity in the area. He called it a "Nerd Alert." We even had a stamp made that we stamped on letterhead and envelopes. We wrote the letter and included all sorts of things observed in the Catholic ghetto, the neighborhood surrounding our parish. One of the highlights or evidence of nerd activity was the gathering of me and my friends in various front yards, breakdancing on large pieces of cardboard. (Yes, we all have embarrassing pasts!) Anyway, so we sent the letter out from our fake "Nerd Alert" Office (i.e., we didn't put our family name on it) and many people got a good laugh out of it. However, it quickly came to our attention that one mother mistook the letter. From the evidence provided in the letter, it had clearly been written by someone who had been observing kids in the neighborhood. She thought a stalker or a child abductor had been canvassing the area and had written a letter before "striking"! No kidding! Luckily, we put that fire out before legal authorities became involved. Anyway, we followed the letter up with "Nerd-O-Grams," trite little poems, rhymes and statements to send to nerd friends. It was sort of the Hallmark of nerd greetings. Yes, we had a stamp printed for that one too. Anyway, that being said, you can see why I had to test my own nerdiness. It seems I survived. Luckily, the quiz didn't have any questions about how often you check to see if Wichita has a bishop and how often you post about that subject. If that had been asked, I can only imagine how "nerdy" my score would have been!
Sunday, January 23, 2005
BLIZZARDLY WEEKEND
Well New Jersey got hit with its first real snow of the winter. And it kind of shows how interesting people can be. Now, it was not only the 12+ inches of snow (I've lived in the Midwest, so I know that's not huge), but it was the high winds, up to 50 mph gusts, which made things very dangerous. The Governor of NJ issued a Snow Emergency, which basically means, "only emergency vehicles and plows are allowed on the road, so if we see anyone else we will give you a big fine." Just as he issued it last night the hospital called saying that they had someone who was dying and the family wanted them anointed. Yours truly was on duty. There was no way I was going to drive in the mess (I have a puny Hyundai Accent, but even with my big bulk, I feared it would be blown all over the road), so I started to dress up like Commodore Perry to walk the 6 blocks to the hospital, hoping I could get there and back in time to celebrate the 7:30 pm Mass (it really does not pay, at least not in an urban parish, to cancel Mass because there will always be a few people who will come anyway and then complain, "well we made it. You priests live right next door, so come say the Mass."). My pastor told me, "No way." He suggested that I get our maintenance guy, who was ploughing our parking lot in his 4x4 to drive me, but then he said we would not make any more hospital runs because of the weather. As I was walking into the hospital the beeper went off again, with another call (this was more irksome because the hospital had given the beeper number to a family member in FL, so they could plead with Father to go anoint their father despite the blizzard. Giving the beeper number away is a BIG NO-NO). So I did both and rushed back to say Mass. Eight people showed up. For the first four Masses this morning we had less than 50 people combined. This was really low, given we are a parish of 4000 families. However, given the horrendous weather, it was most understandable. One lady, who came into my 10:45am Mass right at the beginning of the Our Father, stopped me after Mass to explain that it took her (and her 9 year-old daughter) longer to walk to church then she expected, and wanted to know if it would still count for their Sunday obligation. I told her that in normal circumstances it wouldn't, but given the most unusually weather I thought it would because their intention was good. I told her to take a Missalette home and read the Readings to her daughter and talk about them if she was really worried about it, but to get home safe and enjoy some hot chocolate. See, another sign that I am not the heartless, rubricist that some accuse me of being.
Well New Jersey got hit with its first real snow of the winter. And it kind of shows how interesting people can be. Now, it was not only the 12+ inches of snow (I've lived in the Midwest, so I know that's not huge), but it was the high winds, up to 50 mph gusts, which made things very dangerous. The Governor of NJ issued a Snow Emergency, which basically means, "only emergency vehicles and plows are allowed on the road, so if we see anyone else we will give you a big fine." Just as he issued it last night the hospital called saying that they had someone who was dying and the family wanted them anointed. Yours truly was on duty. There was no way I was going to drive in the mess (I have a puny Hyundai Accent, but even with my big bulk, I feared it would be blown all over the road), so I started to dress up like Commodore Perry to walk the 6 blocks to the hospital, hoping I could get there and back in time to celebrate the 7:30 pm Mass (it really does not pay, at least not in an urban parish, to cancel Mass because there will always be a few people who will come anyway and then complain, "well we made it. You priests live right next door, so come say the Mass."). My pastor told me, "No way." He suggested that I get our maintenance guy, who was ploughing our parking lot in his 4x4 to drive me, but then he said we would not make any more hospital runs because of the weather. As I was walking into the hospital the beeper went off again, with another call (this was more irksome because the hospital had given the beeper number to a family member in FL, so they could plead with Father to go anoint their father despite the blizzard. Giving the beeper number away is a BIG NO-NO). So I did both and rushed back to say Mass. Eight people showed up. For the first four Masses this morning we had less than 50 people combined. This was really low, given we are a parish of 4000 families. However, given the horrendous weather, it was most understandable. One lady, who came into my 10:45am Mass right at the beginning of the Our Father, stopped me after Mass to explain that it took her (and her 9 year-old daughter) longer to walk to church then she expected, and wanted to know if it would still count for their Sunday obligation. I told her that in normal circumstances it wouldn't, but given the most unusually weather I thought it would because their intention was good. I told her to take a Missalette home and read the Readings to her daughter and talk about them if she was really worried about it, but to get home safe and enjoy some hot chocolate. See, another sign that I am not the heartless, rubricist that some accuse me of being.
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