Mark Time

A bit of a round-up

Hello, readers.  I have been neglecting you lately.

Here's a bit of a round-up on things going on with me at the moment.

Job Search - I think I'm going to stop counting days on the blog.  I've been making good contacts in the last few weeks, and today I have my first meeting with a "hiring manager" (someone who is in the right position to potentially hire me).  It's not an interview - just a meeting.  The search is going slower than I'd like, but apparently reasonably on track according to my outplacement coach.  The economy and general financial crisis aren't helping.

Church - This part of my "non-work" life is busy.  My deacon work is adding a little time to my Sunday mornings, plus I'm serving as the "e-mail reminder" person who sends a note to the deacons scheduled for a particular Sunday.  My youth work is keeping me busy as well - the time commitment is a bit higher than last year because of some schedule changes for the Sr. Highs, but it's completely worth it to me.  I was asked to be the webmaster for the church website, and I'm investigating how much time that actually takes - it might be too much.  Project Open Door is moving along nicely to the end of our chartered work - we brainstormed issues surrounding hospitality, visitors, relations with the community, and inactive members last week.  In our next meeting we'll brainstorm solutions, and then start writing up the report to the Session to be delivered in January.  I'm looking at starting spiritual direction.  Aside from a minor dust-up this week, all is well in this department.  I will admit to my faith taking a beating due to my job situation, though.

Home - All is well.  Carolyn is a conservative spender by nature, and I am one when the situation calls for it.  We've pulled way back on our discretionary spending and even made some more economical choices with our necessary spending.  This is setting us up well for a long siege if necessary.  The lack of a job hasn't hurt my relationship with Carolyn that I can see.  The cats love having me home more often.  The homefront is safe and stable right now, and financially prepared for a while.  Carolyn is still taking next week off from work (a Smith family vacation including my parents and siblings was planned for Orlando - we have to miss it for financial reasons), and I'm taking our anniversary on Wednesday off from job searching.

Ham Radio - I'm still participating a little.  I haven't been able to purchase equipment beyond an HT (walkie-talkie-style radio) and accessories.  I saw the trouble in the economy coming even before I knew that I'd be laid off, and chose not to spend in this area.  I am staying involved with some emergency management and public safety events, and I'm still attending the club meetings.  I think I'm qualified now to get a key to the club's radio shack and will pursue that soon - they have LOTS of equipment for club member use there.  Unfortunately, ham radio activities tend to be scheduled at the same time as church events, and between the two church wins.

That's about it.  As always I welcome any comments, and assistance in my job search.

There's a reason I don't like Tuesdays ...

Today's story includes the phrase "After Hazmat left ..."

This morning I was sitting in front of my computer, looking into the trends in IT as part of the job search.  I felt a bit off, and my nose has been running, so I decided to take my temperature.

I went into the bathroom and got out the trusty 20+ year old oral thermometer.  Back to the computer, wait 5 minutes.  98.8 - a little high for me because I run about 98.0 usually.  I guess I'm slightly sick.

Back to the bathroom.  Take thermometer.  Wash off.  Rinse with rubbing alcohol.  Rinse off the alcohol.  Shake until the reading goes down .... BAM!

I hit the thermometer on the edge of the sink.  The entire mercury-containing bulb was gone.  I put the thermometer remains down and started looking for it.  I failed to find it, but did notice the little tiny round silver things in the sink.

So I called the township Health Department for instructions.  The head nurse is on the phone - she'll call you back.  In the meantime I've looked online and seen all kinds of scary instructions.  I turned off the air conditioning.

Twenty minutes later I haven't heard from the nurse.  I decided to call the police non-emergency line.  They transfer me to the fire dispatcher for the county.  He sends a truck.

Shoot.  I put the cats into the basement and head outside to wait.  The deputy chief arrives first, followed by the engine with sirens blaring.  A few minutes later the Fire Police show up and close the only road into my neighborhood (the deputy chief chased them off later).

The deputy chief and I go upstairs and look.  Yup - mercury.  We have to wait for the Hazmat chief to arrive.  Now I'm outside and not even allowed back in to get a hat.

The Hazmat chief arrives about 10 minutes later (after resolving the confusion over my street and a similar sounding street), goes upstairs and looks, and decides that the amount is tiny.  He showed me how to use a flashlight to see the mercury - the little spheres light up like a Christmas tree in light.  He decided that most of the mercury went down the drain, which is fine (it'll get treated).

He leaves, and I am left home with the air conditioning off (my choice) waiting, and the bedroom door closed.  The Hazmat chief promised to come back at 1:30 with a few guys to finish the cleanup.  I have lunch.

1:15 arrives and he's back with his team.  Cats back into basement.  They head upstairs and use a laboratory vacuum pump to suck the little bits of mercury into a flask.  My comb had mercury on it, so it's trash.  After doing that, he cleaned my sink for me and helped me roll up the rugs to be run through the wash (no mercury fell below counter level - this was just a precaution).

After Hazmat left, I completed an outplacement firm teleconference, and then cleaned the bathroom.  I got all of the remaining glass up (found one piece) and didn't spot any more mercury.

I'm beginning to be afraid of Tuesdays.

Identity Concern, part 2

About a month ago, I posted that the Bank of New York had lost my Disney shareholder information, and was offering credit monitoring.

Last night, I got a call from Chase questioning a charge on my credit card for over $7,000 on the Internet.  Somebody had my card number.  They didn't have the correct expiration date so the charge didn't go through.  Chase closed that account and is issuing me a new card.  I'm stuck until I get the card - even expedited (which they did because I'm traveling this weekend) I still have to wait until Wednesday.

It's a good thing I have another card with a different bank.

I'm wondering whether there are other questionable charges on the account.  I can't see the account online because they closed it.  I'm also wondering how they got my card number.  I do this for a living - at my employer I'm the most likely IT person to handle a credit card fraud investigation.  But it's still a pain when it happens to you.

What's going on

My blog has been quiet, and light on what's going on in my life.  Most of that is due to the Sword of Damocles question about what I should write here.  (By the way, more input is desired in the Bible Study on blogging.)

Here's a short roundup of what's been happening and what is going to be happening.

• Car Accident - This happened back on June 20.  As I said before - minor damage and no injuries.  My car has been repaired.  I'm apparently at the beginning of the subrogation process - my insurance company has decided that I'm not at fault and has submitted a claim to the other driver's company.  The other driver got a ticket for Careless Driving, so it should be an easy decision in my favor.
• DirecTV - I have two DirecTV DVRs.  One of them developed hard drive problems and was randomly rebooting.  That has since been replaced for what amounts to Free.  It was just a pain, but much less of a pain than expected.
• Deacon - I perform my first deacon duty this weekend.  I'll be putting juice and iced tea on the table in Fellowship Hall after the service.  As one other blogger said, "They also serve who stir and pour."  I'll be greeting in August, and Officer Training and Installation will be in September.
• Camp Johnsonburg - I've assisted twice with Sunday check-in.  Once I was a medical check person for the "no medication" line, and the other time I managed the medical form paperwork process (an all-paper process that is a bit labor-intensive for 200+ campers).  I was pleasantly surprised to run into one of my youth group members checking into the camp's Leadership Training Program (a 3-week program that is essentially Counselor training).  I'll be back again in August for one more Sunday.
• Youth Group - I drove the youth mission trip to and from Philadelphia where they stayed at and worked with Broad Street Ministries.  By all reports a good time was had by all and several report transformational experiences.  I'll be going with the youth group trip to Montreat for the Youth Conference (week VI) starting next weekend.  I'm a smidge nervous about that - the last time I did a week road trip with a bunch of youth was my trip to the Presbyterian Youth Triennium in 1986, when I was a youth.  I'm hoping that a mostly out of shape 40-year-old can keep up.
• Birthday - it was quiet, which is the desired result.  I didn't ask for much, and the presents that I received were thoughtful.  I got a lot of cards with old people on them for some reason ...
• Ham Radio - I participated in the national Field Day at the end of June.  I was only able to help set up in the morning and operate for a few hours in the afternoon.  This event is when amateur radio clubs and individuals all over the country set up their equipment in the field (we were at Mercer County Park) and demonstrate their ability to operate in an emergency.
• Home, Wife, Cats - all about as good as usual.

Blogging will be non-existent between July 25 and August 3 or so due to the youth trip.  It may be light until then, unless I think of something compelling to say.

I am 39 and 366/366ths

Yep, it's that day.

This year my birthday is a day for reflection.

This is the first year that my body is starting to get creaky.  In the last 2 years I've gotten reading glasses and I've learned how NOT to move my muscles suddenly when I'm just waking up.  I'm aging, but generally healthy.  It could be worse.

This is also the year that I realize that some doors have closed.  There are just some things that I could have done, but which I can no longer do because I didn't take that side of the fork in the road.  There are things that I never could have done (I was never going to be an NBA star).  There are things that I have done.  This is the year that I realize that there are things that I didn't do, and the opportunity is gone.  I don't regret the decisions but it's sad to see the closed doors.

This past year has also been a rough but fruitful year.  I spent a LOT of time outside of my comfort zone.  In some ways that has paid off.  In other ways I've bounced off some metaphorical walls at high speed.  Some of this has produced personal growth and a lot hasn't.  Ironically, most of the "new" things in my life are actually a return to a part of my past.

I have made a number of new friends in the past year both locally and nationally.  I cherish those friendships.  I have been able to help a few of these new friends with their lives and goals and that is gratifying.

Probably the most rewarding part of my life in the last year has been my work with the youth group at church.  I love our kids, and watching them grow has been wonderful.  Sunday evenings have been a very bright spot in my life.

Life with Carolyn continues to be wonderful.  I think we've reached the beginning of the "growing old together" stage of life.  It's good.  Every day I learn something new about her (or gain a new story - there are LOTS of those) and yet we know each other so well that we've reached the point one or two words speak volumes.  ("Do you know where ..." - "Here you go" - and it's exactly what she was looking for.)

And our cats are still as snuggly as ever.

It could have been better, and it could have been worse.  One more year in the books.

p.s. -  Happy Birthday, Harry!

Young Adult - not anymore

Next week, I have a birthday.  This birthday ends in a zero, and puts me at the upper limit of what the PC(USA) denomination considers a "young adult". 

(Note - this is not a call for well wishes or gifts.  However, my e-mail address is in the column on the left if you are so inclined.  :-) )

Carolyn and I are in a strange spot.  We are childless by choice, and at that age where most of our friends are having children (or in some cases have children as old as teenagers).  We don't quite fit in the world of folks "our age", because we aren't sharing the same experiences.

At the same time, we're not finding that we have a ton in common with the folks who are behind us in years but also childless.  These are the true young adults - the not-yet-married, the under-40-not-gonna-get-married, and the married-without-children.  Don't get me wrong - I love my friends in this group.  It's just that I feel a little different from them.  Carolyn and I have been married for over 13 years at this point - most of the young adult friends that I have aren't married at all and those that are haven't been married quite so long.

I'm also feeling my age.  My hairline is headed north at a rate faster than average (thanks to my family tree, it seems).  I'm starting to feel creaky in places.  I need reading glasses sometimes.  My mother was apparently more dismayed than me last December when she noticed the amount of gray in my hair (well, what's left of my hair) - and the implications for her in having a son with gray hair.

I think I've crossed the line.  I don't feel like a young adult anymore.  If we'd had children I'd probably have crossed the line at least 5 years ago.  I now find myself saying and doing things that my parents used to do - I catch myself saying "Shoot.  I sound like my parents".

Each person crosses this line in their own time.  I know folks over 40 who are still young adults at heart.  I know folks under 30 who are no longer young adults.  I just get this feeling that some time in the last 5 years, I crossed the line without noticing.  I'm noticing now because there will shortly be a zero in my age.

And it's just as it should be.

Identity Concern

On the occasion of my 5th anniversary, I bought one of those "one share of stock in a frame" gifts for Carolyn.  I bought Disney stock, in honor of our honeymoon.

Yesterday I got a letter from Bank of New York Mellon Shareholder Services.  They lost a backup tape back in February 2008 that contained my name, address, social security number, and stock ownership information.  They state that they don't believe that the information was misused but they are offering me free credit monitoring for 24 months and $25,000 of identity theft insurance.  They will also pay any costs associated with placing a security freeze on my credit report and removing it once.

Now, I understand the need for this.  I am an IT manager, and I know how tapes can be lost.  What concerns me is the fact that the BNY Mellon Shareholder Services folks didn't encrypt the information in their system.  I completed a project several years ago to encrypt all credit card information within our company.

Watch your credit, folks.

Minor Car Accident

I was involved in a minor car accident on the way to work today.

I won't go into details for legal/claim reasons.  Nobody was injured, and I have minor damage to my bumper.  The other driver got a ticket.

If the other driver hadn't been trying to get ahead of other people through unlawful means this would never have happened.

Busy Weekend

This is going to be a busy weekend.

On Saturday, I have to be at ETS in Princeton by 6:30am in order to work with my fellow ham radio operators to support the American Diabetes Association Tour de Cure bike race.  We'll be providing radio support to handle bike rider problems, such as needing the sag wagon to get taken back to the start/finish line, needing repairs, or getting into accidents and needing medical attention.  There are 3 races occurring simultaneously and it should be complicated.  Right now I'm scheduled to be a "net control", roughly equivalent to a central dispatcher.

Sunday I'll be at church for worship, followed by the Annual Congregational Meeting.  That meeting will take a while because this is the meeting where organizations make their annual reports.  There is also the election of elders and deacons.  In the afternoon I'll need to get the lawn cut and get bills paid and such.

Start of Summer Meme

I've been tagged by Toby Brown of Classical Presbyterian for a meme.

Start of Summer Meme

Whether it's the smell of the grill, the taste of fresh lemonade, the glow of fireflies or the pull of your fishing line, many of us have distinctive senses about what makes for the sign of summer.

So, you all know the rules--fill it out on your own blog and tag other blogs. If you have no blog, answer it in the comment section here. Let's dive in!

1.)  What first tells you that Summer is here?

Two things:  First, the need for air conditioning.  Second, the First Sunburn of Summer.  The latter generally happens in late April on a gray cloudy day when I'm out at a festival of some sort and forget that I need a hat on my sparsely-populated head.

2.) Name your five of your favorite distinctively Summer habits or customs.

1. The Summer Afternoon Nap
2. Cooking on the Grill
3. Mowing the Lawn
4. Volunteering for check-in on Sundays at church camp
5. My Birthday

3.) What is your favorite smell of Summer?

The odor of the first few big, fat raindrops that fall before the full thunderstorm hits.  This is the smell that signals a reduction in humidity and temperature in the near future.

4.) What is your favorite taste of Summer?

Grilled cheeseburgers.

5.) Favorite Summer memory?

Sitting around the campfire in the evening at Work Camp at Camp Johnsonburg, circa 1984.  Work Camp was special.  The 50-70 campers were spread across all age groups from entering 3rd grade to graduating from high school.  The cost was half of a regular unit because the work camp spent mornings doing work on the camp.  I remember painting buildings and one year even re-shingling a roof.  The younger kids did things like cleaning campfire cooking equipment and lanterns.

Every evening the entire work camp would have a campfire together.  We had our own leaders (the same every year) and our own set of regular songs.  The evening campfire was a cross between the traditional campfire, a bible study, and a worship service.  The work campers were a close-knit group - many came from two churches that founded the work camp and they and others repeated work camp every year - but they readily accepted new people.  It felt like a giant family even more than regular camp.

I'll pick one specific memory.  In 1985 I was a CIT (Counselor in Training) and for work camp I got to co-counsel with the Associate Pastor of my church (my youth pastor).  He was also the chaplain for the week.  The last night of work camp was always a communion service.  At the time I was already a deacon, and the Book of Order limited service of communion to elders or "deacons, if sufficient elders are not available".  The communion service that he and I served at was my first chance to serve communion - something that was only ever repeated the following summer at Triennium.

Alas - Work Camp is no more in that form.  The closest thing today is that some churches will send a group (youth or adult) up to live in a cabin for a week and do a project.  Those folks don't interact with the camp program much.

6.) Extreme heat or extreme cold? Which would you choose and why?

Extreme cold.

For one thing it's easier for humans to "fix" extreme cold.  Heating is generally easier than air conditioning.  I dislike temperature extremes at either end.  Secondly, I'm a real homebody and love the snuggly "stay inside" call of a cold snap.

7.) What books do you plan to read for the season?

Because of the economy (national and personal), I'm re-reading things from my shelf.  Most of that is science-fiction.  Right now I'm reading The Tower and the Hive (Rowan) by Anne McCaffrey.

One book that I have ordered is:  Fearless Fourteen (Stephanie Plum, No. 14)  I like the Janet Evanovich "Stephanie Plum" series in part because it takes place in Trenton NJ but also because it's REALLY funny.  Note - those easily offended by foul language, risque topics and less than Godly behavior probably won't like these.

8.) How does the Summer affect your faith? Is it a hindrance or an ally?

An ally.

I'll preface my remarks with a reminder that I'm a strong introvert.

During the rest of the year, church alternates between hard work, painful interaction with some (including some nasty fights on the web ... ahem), and high moments.  I love working with the youth group, see the value of my work on committees (though they are a form of stress for me sometimes), and experience the difficulty of an introvert functioning in a large community.  We are called to be in community, but our current structures aren't really designed to make introverts comfortable.

In the summer, all of the "large group" aspects of faith get less intense.  Our church has no air conditioning, and as a result attendance on Sunday drops WAY off.  Committee work slows down or stops completely.  The youth group doesn't meet regularly which is both a bad thing (I miss them) and a good thing (I can get to sleep earlier on Sunday evening).

There are a few summer-only things too:

Church Camp - Carolyn and I will go up to help with check-in a few Sundays this summer.  We generally spend about 3-4 hours in the afternoon doing medical checks or doing the complicated and crazy job of managing the medical paperwork.  For that work, we get the privilege of spending the whole day there.  We generally arrive in time for Staff Worship in the morning and then have a leisurely lunch with our camp friends.  Sometimes we stay for dinner (if it's not too hot) with 100-200 excited kids and staff.

Montreat - for the first time, I'm going with my church's youth group to the Montreat summer youth conference (week VI, in case you're going).  I'm doing this with some trepidation - the last time I did something like this was Youth Triennium in 1986 when I WAS a youth, but it should be fun.  We have something like 10 youth and 4 adults going for the program plus another adult in a support role.

Last, let's not forget that my return to the church was sparked by a conversation at camp at lunch on a Sunday that I did check-in.  Summer is generally pretty good to my faith.

Let's see.  I tag:

Cheesehead in Paradise
Alan of Some Amusing Blog Pun
Gannet Girl of Search the Sea
Adam Walker-Cleaveland of Pomomusings
Little Miss Sew and Sow

Cat Health Update

Three weeks ago, we took the cats in for their annual checkup.  We were a little worried about a lump on Isaac's front leg, which was biopsied.

The results are now all in.

Albert is fine.  He went into the vet today for a dental cleaning for gingivitis.  (Isaac didn't need it this time.)  His blood work came back fine.

Isaac is also fine.  The lump on his front leg matched the one on his back leg - fatty tissue and nothing to be concerned about.  We are a bit concerned about his blood work.  His thyroid number was slightly elevated for an older cat.  We're going to take him back for more blood work in 3-6 months.  We'll have his teeth checked again at the same time.

We should have Albert at home this evening.  I hope he'll just be drowsy rather than psychotic like Isaac was the last time they had their teeth cleaned.

We love our cats.

Alabammy Bound

Carolyn is headed for Birmingham next Monday through Wednesday to look at a machine casing with a hole in it.  (For her job - it's not just for fun)

Any restaurant recommendations?

Bad News

I got some bad news at work.  Most of it is "company classified", but there is one piece that I feel pretty free to share.  No raises this year for anybody.  No layoffs yet either ... for now.

This left me in the unfortunate position of having to send an e-mail to our church's "guy who tracks pledges" reducing my budget pledge for the year (but not the capital pledge - I already paid that in full).  In the fall we had been exhorted to pledge boldly (even recklessly) believing that God would provide.  One of the stewardship team actually made that his Minute at the beginning of worship.  He talked about how when his personal finances were stressed he chose to pledge boldly and how God provided good financial news later in the year.  Let's just say that it hasn't happened for me yet - it's going the other way.  So I have to take back the 20% pledge increase over last year and give at last year's rate for the rest of the year.  Even so, I know that other families in the church are hurting more.

We're not in dire financial straits yet.  We are still saving at the same rate, but the "unbudgeted" savings that resulted from the times that the paycheck was bringing in more than expenses (minus the planned savings) aren't happening.  A surprise bonus from work (from last year's project work) and the tax refund both went in and out of the checking account at such speed that other papers were sent flying in their wake.  We're not quite at the point where we need to reduce the saving rate, but we are at the point where the rest of the budget is just breaking even.  I've already taken the step of eliminating an expensive hobby (flying) and I'm holding off on buying ham radio equipment for the new hobby.  We're right at the point where we've reduced discretionary expenses as much as possible, and if things get worse (pay cut, job loss, even more expensive food or gas) we'll need to start making lifestyle cuts.  There is still a lot of room to make lifestyle cuts before we reach the point that some families are in - mainly because Carolyn and I (mostly Carolyn) are VERY conservative with money.  Our mortgage is fixed at a very comfortable rate and we have ZERO credit card debt (thanks, Mom and Dad for teaching fiscal responsibility).

I think we'll survive the downturn intact and probably better than most, but only because we're prepared.

But it still hurts.  If we're feeling the pinch, how much worse can it be for those who didn't collect their nuts for the winter?  (Or even those whose nuts were stolen by others?)

Carolyn's badge

(Before I go any further, I want to note that Carolyn gave me permission to put this on my blog)

Yesterday, Carolyn (my wife) made a trip to the Ladies' Room.  At her office this is her own private domain - they had to build it for her specially when they moved her and a few other engineers out to an office in the factory.  She's the only woman working in that building.

While doing her business, she noticed something on her shoe (dust, lint, who knows?).  She bent forward ...

She wears her badge on a lanyard.  The badge descended below the seat at which point she realized and sat up.  The badge got caught on the seat and popped off the lanyard.  It didn't fall into the water in the toilet but rather laid there on the porcelain.

However .... it was at this point that the urge to pee overtook her.

She reports that the badge looks fine after being rinsed off.  As of last night she hadn't checked to see if the little smart chip on it still worked on her laptop.

Her co-worker is reported to have said, "I'm not going near your ID badge again!"

Animal Health Report

Last night Albert and Isaac (12-year-old cats) went to the vet for their annual checkup.

Isaac lost 1/3 of a pound.  He is generally healthy, and the vet considers his weight to be pretty good.  Last fall we found a lump on his back leg that the vet tested at that time and determined to be a fatty tumor and not worth worrying about unless it gets bigger.  This time we had him check a lump on his front leg.  It was biopsied and we should get the results either today or around the 28th (the vet is going on vacation).

Albert found the 1/3 pound that Isaac lost.  He is also generally healthy, and the vet considers his weight to be about right.  The cats now weigh exactly the same; at one point Isaac weighed 3 pounds more than Albert.  Albert has some gingivitis.

The dentist has suggested another tooth cleaning for both cats.  This is a procedure that requires heavy sedation.  The last time, Albert's blood work showed possible kidney problems (that cleared up on their own) so he got gas while Isaac got an injected drug.  Albert came home annoyed but completely normal.  Isaac was a psychotic kitty for 24 hours;  he'd hiss at us and Albert for no apparent reason and then purr 10 seconds later.  We had to keep Isaac in bed with us - a rather sleepless night.  The doctor promises that this time he'll use a different drug that should provoke fewer reactions.

We'll hear about the blood work and biopsy the week of the 28th.  The blood test results are only good for 2.5 weeks for surgery (the dental work), so we'll have to make a quick decision.  We're also waiting to hear about Isaac's lump.

Malaise

I'm sorry I haven't written lately.  I've been busy at work, busy outside work.

I'm also having one of those weeks (heading towards months) where everything is going just a little wrong.  Nothing is seriously wrong.  Nothing is seriously right.  Everything is just a bit off kilter.

Work - as I've noted previously, the company is up for sale.  Just today I heard two different rumors listing different companies that want to buy us - one possible and one unlikely.  The senior management committee that approves IT projects just deferred a decision on a major technology change that we want to make.  If they turn that down completely, I probably need to either find a new job or resign myself to being caught in a technical cul-de-sac (like COBOL programmers were 10 years ago).

Home - Home is generally OK.  I wish that Carolyn and I shared more common interests - so that we'd end up spending more time together.  I don't want to grow in the wrong direction.  Finances are being pinched just like everybody else between tiny raises and huge cost increases in everything else.  As I said - pretty much completely OK but with a few signs of wear.

Church - I'm serving as a "Visit Steward" for the capital campaign.  I'm getting the feeling from conversations with people that folks are really unhappy with the way that the campaign is being run.  Most people agree with the need for funds and support most of the projects involved in the campaign, but there's a lot of disaffection with how it's being run.  Also, the consultant sent to us by the PC(USA) Church Financial Campaign Service is really turning people off.  There has to be some way to let the people in Louisville who sent her to us know what a terrible job she's doing.  We had our campaign visit training this past week.  The handout was clearly cludged up from other campaigns and included references to things that we aren't doing in our campaign (like 2nd and 3rd visits, household information cards, etc).  One of the biblical references for stewardship actually came out against giving to the church if you read the next verse.  Oh, well.  I did make my pledge as required (all visit stewards were told to turn in their pledges as part of the commissioning ceremony yesterday, with less than a week's notice) and even included a check for the entire amount.  As soon as I do my 3 visits with members I'll be done with the campaign.  Here's the hard part - one of my visits is to a family where one breadwinner is jobless.

"In Deuteronomy we are told to give 10%.  Jesus tells the rich man that he should give everything.  So the amount that we should pledge is somewhere between 10% and everything." - no, this wasn't a joke.

Youth group is another area that is fine, but still not quite right.  We had one youth make a life decision that will greatly negatively impact her choices in the future and it's hitting me harder than I expected.  Our attendance is rather spotty - we see a decent number of youth at each meeting but the list of attendees is different most weeks and we don't really get to connect with them regularly.  As I said - things are mostly OK.  Youth Sunday is next week and we really have our act together in advance for a change.  I am looking forward to going to Montreat for Week VI this summer.

Then there is the team that I co-chair.  At our last meeting I got called a racist - under the theory that any white person is automatically a racist.  This was said by a white person to a room full of white people - all of whom are well-intentioned in mind and as far as I can tell in practice when it comes to racial issues.  I'm not looking forward to our next meeting two weeks from today.

When it comes to church I'm at a crossroads.  I want to either become more involved or less involved.  I don't think continuing my current level of involvement is feasible - it's gonna have to go up or down in the fall.  I'd really like to be more involved, but in a meaningful way in a position where I can help the church change for the future rather than in a "pair of willing hands" way.  I don't mind doing the necessary, but it seems so much of church work is maintaining the old ways rather than working for the new.

Hockey - the Trenton Devils finished 6th out of 7, with the lowest number of wins in the entire history of the franchise.  Enough said.

So malaise is the word of the day.  Judging from the economy it might be the word of the entire country.

Week Roundup

This week's roundup comes a little early - I'm taking Good Friday off from work.

Sunday - After worship I went to the Adult Forum on the capital campaign which included a manse tour.  The manse tour included lunch.  This solved a problem for me - Carolyn was in North Jersey at a wake for a cousin-in-law of hers.  Later in the evening I went to Sr. High youth group where we prepared further for Youth Sunday.  I have an assignment - I need to find Old Testament scripture(s) to match up with the Prodigal Son.  (Feel free to suggest some in comments or e-mail)

Work this week has been quiet.  My boss passed her Project Management Professional exam on Monday (on the first try!) and we celebrated with donuts and bagels on Tuesday.  The entire group is taking her out for lunch next week.  Other than that I'm doing design work for a project.

Planning for the moderator candidate event is progressing.  I'm finding a huge disparity in how presbyteries handle the list of commissioners.  Some are treating it like I'm some kind of identity thief and insisting on forwarding the event information to their commissioners.  One stated clerk said that he'd look at the invitation and determine whether or not it was "appropriate" for the commissioners.  Other presbyteries are being very forthcoming and giving me all of the information that I ask for in minutes.  I have to wonder who abused the list of commissioners at some point and how that caused the very prickly reaction in some places.

Monday evening at church Project Open Door met (well, actually at the manse - it solved a child care issue for the pastor).  Most of the meeting went very well.  Then we got to the subject of whether or not racism is an issue in our church (which is 90+% white) and whether or not we've introduced bias into our visitor survey.  I'm amazed at how passionate people were about their positions (given that it was a room full of white people) and at how much disagreement there was.  After this painful experience we're going to revisit it again later - probably with the help of an expert.  Ironically, Barack Obama covered all of the issues that we discussed in his speech the next day.

Tuesday evening I ended up serving as the pick-up Net Control Station for a ham radio weekly drill.  This was the weekly Mercer County SKYWARN/RACES/ARES net - to test radios and procedures in case our services are needed due to a disaster or severe weather.  It went relatively well given that most of our members were attending a club meeting at the time and were unavailable.

Wednesday evening was quiet for a change.

Tonight I plan to go to our church's Tenebrae (Maundy Thursday) communion service.  It will reportedly be very powerful.  They gradually dim the lights throughout the service and end in darkness and silence.  With the strong winds that we're going to get it should be interesting.

Friday evening we're off to see the Trenton Devils play the Dayton Bombers with my sister Laura.

Saturday evening we go to the Philadelphia Wings vs. New York Titans lacrosse game at the Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton.  My friend Jill has a crowd coming.  My sister bought two tickets and after a friend dropped out Dad is coming with her - they're riding with Carolyn and I to the game.

Sunday morning's Easter service will probably be Catholic this year - we did Presbyterian last year.  Sunday afternoon we're hosting Easter dinner with the Smiths and Brennans at our house (anywhere from 9 to 13 people depending on who comes).

Happy Easter!

A bunch of prayer requests

We need a pile of prayers this week.

• For my congregation, the Gernhardt family, and others who knew Ray Gernhardt.  He died suddenly last week.  The Gernhardt family are part of the backbone of the church.
• For Carolyn's family, who have experienced the 2nd death in the extended family in two weeks.  Bob who died last Friday also died suddenly.
• For a youth in my church, who may be about to make a bad choice with his/her life.
• For all who serve on church committees - that they may balance the contradictions of keeping information confidential vs. the congregation's need to know, and controlling process vs. personal ego/power.

Thank you.

A disappointing weekend

This was one of those weekends where nothing quite goes your way, but it's not really anybody's fault.

Friday evening I went to a Philadelphia Wings lacrosse game.  A friend of mine (from camp and church) has season tickets and we'd made arrangements for this game way back in October or November.  I was looking forward to "catch up" time with her.  Unfortunately (for me), she recently started dating the guy who sits behind her at the games.  Carolyn and I enjoyed the game (it was close until the 4th quarter when the Wings went on a tear and blew out the other team), but we felt a bit like 3rd and 4th wheels.  I can't really blame my friend for concentrating on a new romance.

Saturday was quiet at home.  I got the bills paid, some reading done, and rested.  Nothing bad there.

I've recently been asked to take on yet another task for church - a short-term task related to the capital campaign.  A woman that I work with closely on other church stuff is chairing the group that handles this particular task.  I have some tough questions for her about this job.  We had made arrangements to meet after worship on Sunday, but she wasn't there.  I believe that she's having a health issue in her family and that this is probably why she wasn't at church.  Nobody to blame.

Sunday evening our youth director had planned a big "Bible Goes To the Oscars" program.  He worked really hard - we had a red carpet and special lighting and movie stuff all over the place.  We were going to have the youth do bible skits and then give awards for things like "Best Jesus" or "Best Supporting Disciple".  Only 4 youth showed up (with 5 adults).  I think the issue is that many of our youth are involved in theater productions at the various high schools next weekend.  We had to punt and switch to a discussion of films that have made a difference in your life and relating them to faith.  Again - not really anybody to blame but not quite what we wanted.

One bright spot - I asked my pastor a pressing question for me regarding ethics and the workplace.  He mentioned it in his sermon yesterday.  He didn't have an answer, but he posted the question to others on the church's new blog.

End of Week roundup

Here's what's going on.

1. I managed to decompress from the congregational meeting last weekend.  There are still some hard feelings among the young adults who work with youth, but we'll get over it.  I did express my feelings to my pastor.
2. Last night my committee co-chair and the pastor and I had a conference call.  We'd had to cancel the committee meeting because so many members were unavailable for the meeting (including a disturbing number who chose to drop out and prioritize something else higher - after they'd agreed to be there).  We have a strategy for moving forward (but I can't discuss it here until we've announced it to the team).  How do you staff church committees when the really involved people are also really busy?
3. I passed my ham radio Emergency Communications course, with 100% on the test and 100% of my assignments accepted on the first try.  Next month or in a few months I'll take the Level II course.
4. Tonight Carolyn and I are headed to the Trenton Devils game.  We're skipping Saturday because 3 games a weekend is too much.
5. Sunday the church is doing a service project in lieu of (or technically during) the worship service.  We'll start in the sanctuary, but then break early to spread out around the building making School and Baby kits for Church World Service, and hygiene kits for the Crisis Ministry of Trenton and Princeton, and sandwiches and wrapped utensils for the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen.  Then we'll gather for lunch and close worship.  It's Levi Sunday (named for the Levites - get it?  We're supposed to wear jeans).
6. Sunday afternoon the Sr. High (and some Jr. High) youth group will go to see the Trenton Devils hockey team (ECHL).  My season ticket plan includes one free luxury suite a year, and I'm treating the youth.  It should be fun!

I have been tagged in the book meme, but I don't know if I'll get to it today.  Maybe later.

Happy New Year - a roundup

Here's what I've been up to in the last week or two:

12/17 - day off from work, didn't do much
12/18 - work
12/19 - work, office Christmas lunch
12/20 - work, delayed by brake failure on the way to work, left early
12/21 - work, got my car back, watched the Trenton Devils win
12/22 - Smith family Christmas celebration (see below)
12/23 - church in the morning, youth group Christmas party in the evening
12/24 - off from work, Presbyterian Christmas service in the evening
12/25 - Catholic Christmas service followed by Brennan family celebration
12/26 - off from work, price new tires
12/27 - off from work, watch Trenton Devils win
12/28 - off from work, watch Trenton Devils lose in shootout
12/29 - home, work on CDs for friends
12/30 - church, then work on CDs for friends
12/31 - work until 3pm, watch Trenton Devils, home for midnight
1/1 - off from work.  Sleep.

Does it seem like I didn't do much?  You're right.  I didn't.  This was sabbath/rest time.

Happy New Year!  See you in 2008!

Blogger Blessings

I have been tagged by Gannet Girl at Search the Sea for a year-end blogger blessing.  This seems to be how it works (from the person who blessed her):

The idea… it’s a game of tag with a difference, rather than looking inwardly, we look outside ourselves and bless, praise and pray for one blog friend. By participating in this endeavour we not only make the recipient of the blessing feel valued and appreciated, but we are having some fun too. We’re going to see how far the bloggin’ blessings can travel around the world and how many people can be blessed! Recipients of a bloggin’ blessing may upload the above image {I chose not to use the image - Mark} to their sidebar if they choose to. If you recieve a bloggin’ blessin’ please leave a comment on this thread here so that we can rejoice in just how many blessings have been sent around the world!

I am going to bless:

Will Smama for grace under fire in the past year.  She has survived a very difficult life event and kept on rowing without permanently losing her mind or resorting to bad behavior.

Adam and Sarah Walker Cleaveland as they move into the next phase of their lives after seminary.

Will Spotts as he moves on from the PC(USA) and yet continues to provoke deep thoughts.  I value Will as the one shining star that I see coming from the "other" side of the liberal/conservative divide - he has consistently debated with respect and dignity for those who disagree.  It's amazing how rare that is.

Family - putting the fun in dysfunctional

Saturday was the Smith family Christmas get-together.  We had to hold it early due to my brother's police employment (he has to work Christmas).

Mom and Dad went to China last summer.  They gave each of us a Beijing olympics 2008 t-shirt.  Translation of sizes was difficult, so they guessed.

I opened mine:

Me:  Thanks.  It looks nice, but it looks like it won't fit.

Mom:  That's OK - you can lose weight until you fit into it.

Yep.  She actually said that.

Things are breaking this week

Literally.

Last Sunday night we had a windstorm come through behind a Nor'Easter of rain.  About 10:30pm Carolyn and I were lying in bed and we heard (over the LOUD wind) a crash outside.  After going outside I discovered that our barbecue grill had released its friction wheel locks and rolled off the patio landing at a 45 degree angle on a bush.  It had been tucked up against the back porch.  I checked for propane leaks and dragged it across the paving stones (very hard) into the garage for the night.

I also discovered that one of the satellite cables from the dish had gotten pulled out of the siding J-channel and was flopping in the wind.  I tied it down some and we'll fix it when weekend weather permits.

The grill is OK and the main burners work right.  It has a side round burner that we've never used and that burner isn't adjusted right.  It'll get fixed when the weather gets warmer.

On Monday I bought some longer bungee cords and the grill is now bungeed to the back porch.

Yesterday, I was driving to work in my 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid.  I was on a ramp between highways when suddenly most of the dashboard lights lit up, the little screen said "CHECK VSC SYSTEM", a high-pitched alarm tone was on constantly and I had only manual (push hard!) brakes.  It cleared up for a few seconds and happened again.  I drove directly to the dealer where I bought it (it's only 2.5 years old).  They looked at it and told me that the brake actuator failed and needed to be replaced.  They didn't have one in stock and the warehouse listed ONE in stock.  I find out this morning whether or not the part comes in today - if not I'm stuck with the free rental until next Wednesday (due to the Christmas holiday).  At least the warranty is covering everything.

I have to wonder how someone young enough to have never driven a car with manual brakes would have reacted.  I slowed down, allowed a long following distance to the car ahead, and coasted as much as possible to avoid braking.  I was able to stop but at a much longer distance and it required planning.

So far that's all that broke.  Last night I woke up cold (we use a setback thermostat) and got panicky wondering if the furnace had broken.

What's next?

UPDATE:  10am - the part for the car came in.  I should get it back today.

Sick

I was out sick yesterday.

On Wednesday, I had a sore throat all day.  I gave my boss a warning that I'd probably be out on Thursday - usually a sore throat precedes my sinuses doing their "thick as a brick" impression.

It was worse than that.  I slept all but 6 hours Thursday (or 18 hours total).  By the time I figured out that I'm sicker than I thought and took my temperature it was 100.8.  I started pushing fluids at that point.

Today I'm at work with only 99.6, but only because I have important stuff to do and a meeting to attend.  I'm going home sick at noon.

I'm supposed to go see the Blue Man Group tonight.  I have to decide whether or not to suffer through or blow the $80 tickets.

Penance or a Good Deed?

This week has been a long week.  I've been attending a training class in Philadelphia.  That requires me to get up before 6am in order to get to Trenton in time for a train that will get me to class on time.  Last night, I added a church meeting to that - going straight from the train station to the church and getting home about 9:30pm.

When I got home last night, I discovered that the trees and bushes on the side of the house were covered in toilet paper (and inexplicably paper towels).  This is the first time in 12 years at this house that we've had our house vandalized (well, we had our mailbox pulled down once).  I spoke to a few neighbors who were out and they knew that it was done before 8:45pm.  We also reported it to the police - a neighbor's house was damaged by eggs Sunday and another neighbor had a pumpkin stolen.

Tonight I got home and my wife reported that 4 neighborhood kids (including 2 kids commonly known as "bad" kids) stopped her in the driveway and asked her if it was OK for them to clean up the mess.  They did, and we gave them the first candy of the night.

Now I think it's somewhat likely that they did the deed in the first place.  Either way, they made up for it and did a good deed.

I had been seriously considering withholding candy from everybody, but this restored my faith in people.

Kitty is alright

I mentioned on Thursday that Isaac had a lump on his leg.

The vet called today.  The tissue tested as fatty tissue - making this a fatty tumor which is benign and very common in older cats.  We are to contact the vet if the lump changes, but otherwise it's not something to worry about.

Isaac could care less.  It's not affecting him at all.

We're feeling better.

Sick Kitty?

Our cats are coming up on 12 years old.  This is the time of life when age starts to take a toll.

Isaac is the cat on the lower stair above.  He's already suffering from what is likely arthritis in his hips.

This week we discovered a lump on his back right leg.  It's a solid but spongy mass under the skin at about knee-level.  It's about the size of a dime in diameter and about the height of 3 dimes.  It doesn't seem to bother him at all - he's still running and jumping and sleeping as much as usual.

We took him to the vet last night.  The vet did a needle biopsy, and we should get the results by Monday.  He said it could be something sinister or could be as simple as a fatty tumor that is almost always benign.

I hope he's OK.

(The other cat is Albert, in case you were wondering.  They're from the same litter.  We've had them since they were 6 weeks old.)

Vacation Warning

Attention readers!

Starting later today, I am on vacation.  Blogging may slow dramatically or stop completely for a week.

Carolyn's plane from Germany just landed at Newark (we pilots know where to look on the web to follow these things).  I hope she was on it. :-)

Tonight we rest.  Tomorrow it's off to NYC.  We're staying at Intercontinental The Barclay New York for 2 nights.  Sunday we go to the matinee of Spamalot.  (Our first date was 20 years ago Monday to see Monty Python & the Holy Grail at Rutgers.)  We'll probably go Catholic for church - St. Patrick's Cathedral is a few blocks from the hotel.

Monday we head home.  No plans at all for the rest of the week.  I might fly one day.  Mostly both of us need the downtime so there might be lots of snoozing with cats.

See you in a week!