Miscellaneous Missives

I appreciate Andy Rooney. The last part of his short commentary resonates with me. "I wish we could dedicate Memorial Day not to the memory of those who have died, but to the idea of saving the lives of the young people who are going to die in the future if we don't find some new way, some new religion maybe, that takes war out of our lives that would be a Memorial Day worth remembering."

Another Everyday Poem by Mary Oliver Every day I consider the lilies-- how they are dressed-- and the ravens-- how they are fed-- and how each of these is a miracle of Lord-love and of sorrow-- for the lilies in their bright dresses cannot last but wrinkle fast and fall, and the little ravens in their windy nest rise up in the pleasure at the sight of fresh meat that makes their lives sweet-- and what a puzzle it is that such brevity-- the lavish clothes the ruddy food-- makes the world so full, so good Today's church service was started with this poem by Mary Oliver. I marvel at the Earth and how everything depends upon each other. We were asked to remember what our work is in this world, to remember what song we carry. Although I realize Memorial Day is a day to remember those lost in war, I also remember those who have passed that had nothing to do with war, whom were nothing but kind, gentle and peaceful like the lilies in the field. My neighbor growing up was like a grandm...

I love my condo and it's location. It's close to Uptown and the lakes, and quite close the Midtown Greenway. A small trail by a tiny pond connects my condo to the Greenway. Today as I was walking to the Greenway, I noticed several baby ducks. It seems there's always ducks on the pond, but I don't recall babies. They don't seem too concerned about the presence of people. On a day like today many must be following the same path. While others go "up north" this weekend to enjoy a bit of nature, I have my own backyard. As I was taking their pictures, I realized one duck (top picture) was far from the momma and her babies. Maybe it's the "ugly duckling."

After school I went to give blood, and it was fantastic. My iron was great, not merely borderline good enough to give (or too low to give as the numbers frequently say) but in the middle. Then my blood came gushing out instead of the normal you almost didn't make it in time. Life was good. Then I went to my scheduled Genius Bar appointment at the Apple store. I was forewarned that the Genius Bar did not serve drinks and perhaps there weren't necessarily geniuses present. This proved true on both accounts. First the store's ac was not working. Many of the workers literally had sweat running down their faces. This made me feel sorry for them. The "genius" helping me was friendly, but not real prompt or helpful. Finally, after almost two hours, my computer was taken to another genius then the manager. I was given a new computer and sent home. Now I am "back to the drawing board" as I once again need to try to migrate my files to my new computer....

This morning I asked the lady at the Caribou (4? and Nicollet) what was going in next door. "I don't know, nor do I know about the bridge or the station under the bridge," she replied curtly and quickly. Honestly, I didn't quite know what to say, but I realized she felt bad about the bombardment. Promising I'd have a better question tomorrow, I smiled and left. Today I've been thinking about questions and more importantly answers, so... 1) No, tomorrow is not my last day of school. I have ten days (two weeks and one day) to teach. 2) No, I do not have any "Big Summer Plans." 3) Yes, it nice having my summers off (deserved yet nice). Any other questions?

On the way home from work I checked my messages to find out that golf was canceled for tonight. Instead of going home, I drove to the Apple Store to purchase my new MacBook Pro. My iBook was purchased in December of 2003. It works fine, but the battery only lasts a two hours and the letters are rubbed off the keys. I was super excited about my new computer. After digging through my electronics box in the basement, I found the ethernet cord to migrate information from one computer to another. A little over three hours later, I think I made a poor decision. When I went to connect my iTouch, it wouldn't let me because the version of iTunes on my new computer wasn't a new enough version. What? I have deleted all iTunes files off the new computer and am using the disk to try to add iTunes back. This is becoming a bit too frustrating. There are also problems with the new computer staying connected to the internet although my iBook is having no difficulties. Needless to sa...

Recently I purchased the book Five Smooth Stones by Ann Fairbairn. "This gripping bestseller, first published in 1966, has continued to captivate readers with its wide-ranging yet intimate portrait of America sundered by racial conflict." I have been contemplating downloading it from Kindle to my iTouch since the paperback book I've been carrying around for a week weighs two pounds (Yes, I weighed it). Today I discussed this aloud which meant the idea was no longer merely floating around in my brain. I now have the book itself ($12.89) and the Kindle edition ($9.99). No more excuses not to start reading. Maybe I'll start it tonight. Two? two pounds, two copies, and oh... This weekend I am going to buy a new laptop. Today I received an e-mail saying it comes with a free iTouch (charge when purchase/rebate check later). Soon I will have two touches. Maybe I can make a deal with someone, or maybe someone will be receiving one as a gift (maybe someone with an Oct...