An Idea for a Restaurant Commercial

Last week I bought a couple of Sirloin steaks for dinner. tonight I cooked them. Simple recipe, salted heavily and wrapped in plastic wrap for a couple of hours, then rinsed and dried, then oiled with evoo salt and peppered and there you go. I bought 'em because we couldn't go out this week or next week. I knew I could make the steaks as good as the restaurant, if not better. However, I cant replicate the experience. Soon after I cut the steak, dressed my potato and opened a Sam Adams Light the kids came running in wanting a piece of bread, then the boy took a night light out, then the boy bumped his nose, then the girl wanted her shade pulled down. After all of these I looked at the wife and said this is why we go out.

The commercial: You can replicate the meal, show me bringing in the steak on a plate and gussied up table. But you can't replicate the experience, show us at the restaurant eating in peace and quiet (flash the kids running around or wallowing us).

Switching Teams, Nah

Occasionally, about once a month or so, I entertain the notions of switching from the Baptist team to the Episcopal or even the Presbyterian team. But then there is the whole 2 year process of becoming "re-ordained" which really bugs me then the whole anglicization process, blah, blah, blah.

Yet I keep finding rich resources in my own tradition that stand up and yell "Hey take a lookie over here" I do and am delightfully joyed.

This week at the funeral service of Coretta Scott King I was once again reminded of why I am Baptist and the rich resources of this particular tradition. There on the stage with four presidents, 14 senators, and with a nation watching African-American Baptist preachers, okay Rev. Lowery is a Methodist, kept to the prophetic proclamtion of peace, civil rights and justice. It was amazing, tear-bearing, inspiring. Then there was good ole Jimmy Carter oh so slyely slipping in the importance of the continual fight against racism in this country (I liked watching W squirm.) All of this in a 6 hour funeral service!!

That night I went and picked up Parting the Waters by Taylor Branch and vowed to start from the beginning and finish it. While reading I found another subtle reminder of great baptistdom: Howard Thurman and Mordacai Wyatt Johnson - both Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School graduates.

Potty Training

The boy is just about fully potty trained, just a few more episod. es but pretty much all finished. I had a brilliant idea awhile back: use the advanced methods of dog training on the oboy. This idea emerged while listening to Terri Gross interview Jon Katz. Jon was going on and on about positive reinforcement as a way to "train" his dog in three days. I thought and figured out that three dog days are the equivalent to 28 human days. So imagined a boy fully potty trained in less than a month! But then a dude at church told me that not every year of a dog's life equal one human year. Some years it is only 3 while others are 10, depending on the activity of a dog's life. Next time perhaps.

Retirement

I just listened to Marketplace Money and heard a link to the book, The Number. I am now putting up a link to his blog.

I am looking forward to retirement, even though it is a full 34 years away. Sometimes the wife thinks I talk about retirement too much. But thanks to MMBB and their retirement savings plans I hope to live a semi-comfortable life.

political considerations

while in louisana my friends and I contemplated future democratic presidential tickets. most of us want to see obama, but is he ready? i think so, check out rev smalls for some direction on this. i would like to offer an all woman ticket: Hillary Clinton and Kay Bailey Hutchinson. I wouldnt vote for them, but I think it would be a great confusing ticket for America to deal with. personally I am trying to figure out a way for Cornel West to be Secretary of State, Sen. Jack Reed as Sec. of Defense, Oprah as VP, Joe Breeze as Sec. of Transportation, The Wife as Sec. of Education, Andrew Weil as Surgeon General. that is just a start for some '08 considerations.

The Gaylus

When my grandfather was 24, in 1925, years old he embarked on a secret project: to make a violin; he named it "The Gaylus." I dont know where he came up with name, how much he played it or what he thought of it; he died the year before I was born.

Jump to 2005 when I resolved to learn how to play this instrument. I took it to Karl Dennis's shop a couple weeks back. perhaps you saw his picture. If you look to the left hand side you will be able to see his assitant Trish slaving over a violin. I knew she was in the picture but couldn't see her, the light was hiding her. Now she gets her full due credit.

I picked up the fiddle and came home and took this picture:


A note on the table. We bought our kitchen table while we were in Rochester at a antique shop. after we bought the table the man, our age, asked if we wanted to come in the back and hang out. we didnt. two weeks later the shop was closed, cleaned out and gone - no foolin'.

made it to ikea

I went up to the new ikea today in stoughton, ma to pick up some furniture for the office.

i now add the ikea stores to my list of places that confuse the hell out of me. the only other place is suburban housing developments. Those places make no sense, there is no north, south, east, or west in those places.

but the furniture was cheap and I was able to get my office in order, kinda

Preaching Robe

I have noticed via sitemeter that several people have found my blog looking for information on preaching robes. May I take this time to give my full hearted endorsement for J. Wippell & Company Ltd. Robe Makers.

You will find a great staff and a wonderful English selection of preahing robes and other ecclestical garmets. Not only that you will recieve a wonderful catalog with great history of the church wear.

I am toying with the double breasted cassock with a Geneva Gown and preaching tabs and the Preaching Gown with preaching tabs. it all comes down to what type of liturgical education, theology of worship and practice of presence I feel called to. Take a gander, great stuff.

Still Full

I woke up this morning still full from the meal last night, great meal. I just wish I didnt feel so stuffed 12 hours later. The wife, who is expecting, was hungry by 9:30 - those babies really eat lots in the womb.

The other day the wife went to Home Goods and bought some new flannel sheets. I liked our old ones, but they didnt fit the bed properly and they had all kinds of fuzzballs on them. The new sheets are so soft and warm I never want to get out of bed in the morning.

Today there is Bible Study at the Retirement Center, then a hospital visit then a visit with the midwife, after that I hope to pick out some office furniture from IKEA to finally complete my office rennovations.

A church member stopped by the office this morning to tell me how much of a kick he and his wife got out of the church bulletin last week. It read No B.S. on Tuesday, supposed to say No Bible Study on Tuesday.

Want some neat Celtic Cards or Notebooks? Ninth Wave Designs I have ordered several cards from there, good stuff.

Let Us Now Praise Famous Men (and Women) but this one is about a fellow WV

The Providence Journal ran a nice piece in the Saturday paper about The Rev'd James C. Miller, retired pastor of First Baptist Church in America.

I really like Jim. He grew up in WV, went to Alderson Broaddus College (I spent a year there, the wife graduated from there) and then went on to Colgate Rochester Divinty School, my alma mater. On top of this he pastored the Lake Avenue Memorial Baptist Church, the church that ordained me in the summer of 2002.

Jim showed me that you can be a hillbilly, an educated hillbilly, and you can "make it" as a Baptist pastor in some of the most prestigious pulpits in America. Thanks for your presence and stories. I look forward to some future walks and talks with Jim.

I dont have a drink in my hand right now, but i will soon (the wife and I are going on a date) and will happily tip in honor of Jim.