Whatchamacallit?

So I'm moving...

2006-01-08T10:32:00.000-05:00

Just in case anyone wonders why I have moved my blog to a new site, I just thought it would be fun to have a site of my own that I can do more to tweak. I can change themes, add users, email, and even add a lot more functionality with Wordpress. I liked blogger, and I'll continue to use the ID, but probably all the blogging will be on the other site. Besides- I saw my site on a PC and thought it looked awful. My Mac must be like rose-colored glasses.

Down with PCs!

And welcome to the new blog...

Happy New Year! Start it with a Passion

2006-01-02T19:41:00.000-05:00

There is not much I can say about that last post except that it was something that I felt I needed to say and that I am glad that I said it. Thanks for your thoughts those of you who wrote to me. Others may not have written but I know your hearts and thank you for your thoughts. I am well and wish you all a super new year.

The best thing that I can tell you right now is that I am in Nashville where I am working at the Passion '06 Conference. This is a gathering of college age students from around the world (though mostly the USA) who believe that this is a generation who wants to know God and make Him known. Pray for us. Search the website and see what is happening and pray for God to do the works that He desires in the lives of these students and volunteers.

"Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your truth we wait eagerly for You, for Your name and Your renown are the desire of our souls." Isaiah 26.8

"Sí, en ti esparamos, Señor, y en la senda de tus juicios; tu nombre y u memoria son el deseo de nuestra vida." Isaías 26.8

2005-12-29T23:23:00.000-05:00

I shouldn't ramble, at least not when I'm writing. Telling stories is a whole other experience, as many of you can attest, but when I write, there is never anyone there who I have to worry about, so I feel no pressure to explain odd minutiae, and therefore I have less tangential digressions, some of which have been known to get me so off-track from the original tale that it may be weeks before I remember that I never finished telling that which I had started. That can get a little aggravating for me, because I know that when I set my mind to it and just tell a story with the salient points and a modest amount of detail, it can be a good time by most everyone. I won't say everyone, because then some would comment on that just for the sake of saying so. But I already know this. It runs in the family.

However, tonight I feel like rambling. I'm not sure why. I guess I have a case of the blahs, and I'm hoping that it won't become a full-blown case of the blues. I have little reason to feel this way, but it never seems that it takes much to bring me down a little, even when I've been riding high. Lately I have been home with my family and seen several friends during the past 2 weeks, I have only worked a little, and I have been given so much blessing by them and by God Himself even, that to feel even a little down seems practically sacrilegious. I don't think it is, but it sure would be nice to feel a little more like I should. One cannot force good feelings, and so I take what I feel and have to think about it. Because that's what I am good at- thinking. I am a thinker by nature and rational to the last. It gets me in trouble with feeler-types all the time, because I often overlook the feeler issues because the reason is given so much more power in my decision making. Well, when I feel blah (or blue), I often react by over-thinking. I think I should think less, but then I think that maybe I'm over thinking and should just think about it some more. But on seventy-second thought, maybe... You get the idea.

There are several things that could have led me to this place today. Maybe the fact that I am about to leave on the first of 3 trips, the third of which is to work on the other side of the world is bringing me down, because I will miss my family and friends. It could be that just the fact that my bid to buy a condo here in Houston is not going as smoothly as it should is getting to me. But I don't think that those are the real problem. Sure they are important. But I can handle them just fine. I think it is something else: in cases such as these, the mightiest blow is usually dealt unknowingly by the softest hands. Perhaps I shouldn't set myself up on a tee so often when there are women with clubs nearby.

Email is a wonderful tool. I use it a lot. I love using it, as it keeps me in touch with friends all over the world. But tools have a funny way of being dangerous when used incorrectly. I think I have been doing that. And it may have come back and bitten me. Again (yes, I've done it before). How do I avoid this though, when it is such a great way of communicating? By being more direct. Letters are similar, but email is so easy that there is a temptation to write something quickly and send it, not thinking that another person could interpret it in any way other than the one intended, but sure enough that other way is more likely the way it will be interpreted, especially when it is to a person of the opposite sex, even if said person (a woman obviously in this case) tends to think more rationally than her peers when it comes to things like that. I suppose that it matters little when I can see that I haven't been direct enough to require a response to the real question. For example I have written a lot of poetry here in this blog, and though some of it was inspired by the person to whom I refer, I don't think that she actually knows that. Now I am not saying that my poetry is directly related to her, but only that some of it has been inspired by my thoughts of her. The fact that she doesn't know it has nothing to do with her intuitiveness, but rather my writing that has been less than obvious. Mostly I like to think that I have written these things in a veiled sort of way because several people read it and I don't want to be too personally revealing, but the truth is that I am not sure that I have decided that I even want to be that revealing to her. Maybe that is why today when I received an email that didn't say exactly what I wanted to read that I began to feel a bit down. Circumstances so seldom do that to me, but a word from a good friend so easily can cause a wound. That's even mentioned by Solomon in the Proverbs, so I'm in good company.

So what do I do now? That is the question that I have to answer. Dear reader, you may offer suggestions, sage advice, or the banter of never-ending witticisms, and all comments are appreciated, but I think I already know the answer. Or at least where to find it.

2005-12-25T02:13:00.000-05:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

May God have great surprises in store for each of you throughout the year. And remember- all of His gifts are good gifts. Perfect every time.

Mmmmmmm, late night pie

2005-12-24T17:23:00.000-05:00

Well I went to Tomball last night to see my new friend Erika play and sing in one of her first ever performances. It was a lot of fun. And it was especially nice because though it is a long ways from the inner loop (and most of the rest of Houston too), I did not have to drive.

We heard her sing beautifully, though she finished her set pretty early, leaving us wanting to hear more. Then we all stayed around talking for another two hours or so. Finally Mike suggested that he and I should get going, as it is quite a long ways home. On the way he suggested that he was a bit hungry and would I care for something to eat. Of course I would be happy to do that. After a couple of suggestions, he mentioned Late Night Pie. I had heard of this before, but since I had not been, I knew that was the place to go. And so we went. After all, it was late, and night too, so what better place to go that we knew would be open?

Having never been there I was intrigued. One must see it to appreciate it. I think it used to be a mechanic's garage, but now it is a pizza place. Well we had a pizza. The Italian Stallion. I enjoyed it, though I have had better. But the coolest thing was that they have a Ms. Pac-Man game. Unfortunately I was not able to play the only person in the world who has ever challenged me to a game of Ms. Pac-Man. It had been a really long time since I played the game, so I was a bit happy to come away with a bit over 33,000 points. I even got a free man before I had even been caught by the ghosties (woman? pac-woman? I don't even know what to call it, so I'll stay non-PC; after all I'm a Mac guy anyway). So, e, wherever you are, I'm sorry I couldn't play you head-to-head, but I'll take a raincheck- winner eats free...

The Scintillating Journey of Never-ending Intrigue

2005-12-23T12:36:00.000-05:00

I. The Search

Searching but seldom finding
Always seeking though no one is hiding
From the firm grasp of the loving
Arms that are ever reaching
For someone, yet not anyone
Can be this one, this one
Who is his joy, for whom he’d run
A thousand miles to her door if when done
She would be that girl, that one,
With whom he could become one
With her, and they would be one.
Together.

II. The Attainment

Strangely comfortable in an ill-fitting sweater
The words flow in a stream of silky smoothness
Like a chocolate river in a candy dream
Intoxicating, yet fully in control of every action
Every reaction is recorded, the mind a step ahead
Anticipating every move of the objective
Countering every defense with the rapier wit
Never failing, always maintaining
An aire of confidence that comes without effort
This is no false pride, no ego-tripping-
Just letting out the inner lion for the prowl.
It seems that the objective senses its fate
For though it does not bow down
The deference is clear.
That is all that is needed.

III. The Life After

The hunt was over
Finally gained the prize
Having won his lover
He gazed into her eyes.
So deep and dreamy
And so bright and blue
Soon he was lost
Not sure what to do.
No help from the others
Still out on their own
Now what should he do?
He can’t leave her alone.
She is so very precious
He cannot comprehend
Her worth- she’s priceless
Some advice I’ll lend:
Take her in your arms
Tell her you’ll never leave
Look deep in her heart
Trust God and believe.

So this may be late...

2005-12-21T18:10:00.000-05:00

I went to Paris last year for New Year's Eve, and much fun was had by all, including me, Robb, and his sister Leah. I was not blogging then, so I did not post about it, but I figured I'd recap (sort-of) how it went with a Mad-Lib. For those unfamiliar with Madlibs, it is where a series of words are requested (see the previous 2 posts) and then replaced in what was supposed to be there. This one was entitled: "Letter from an American in Paris." The words replaced are italicized.

Dear effervescent J Holden,
I am having a blithe time here in Paris. I spend every day reluctantly visiting museums, monuments, and rubber duckies. Yesterday I went to the Brunson Tower, which is located on the River Matroshka. Then I went to the Jeu de Pomme. This is a museum that is spelled J-E-U D-E P-O-M-M-E and is pronounced putzkrieg. It is next to the Louvre, which has the famous statue of Venus de Hicks and the painting of the Mona Alexandra by Leonardo da Giorno. The center of Paris is called the Place of the Partridge and is always filled with thousands of capsules all taking photographs of each other and of the many French Digerati. The food at the Paris restaurants is perky. I have already eaten adhesive snails and duck a la pear. I plan to delete to Paris again next year and hope you can fricassee too.

A little word help...

2005-12-20T16:23:00.000-05:00

I still need a few more words. In fact I need a few more than I thought before, so here's what I am missing. Be a dear and leave a comment with a word that matches what is left on the list. Hopefully nobody needs to be reminded what an adverb is (it helps a verb, as quickly does when I say, please quickly return to my blog).

So I need...
1. noun
2. adverb
3. a silly word
4. another last name
5. a girl's name
6. noun
7. plural noun
8. adjective
9. adjective
10. fruit
11. verb

thanks for your help. I know that it will be fun to read.

Crazy stuff

2005-12-16T11:50:00.000-05:00

Okay, so the rules are very simple: I provide a list of types of words that I need, and y'all comment with the next one that I need. And please, though creative is good, vulgar is bad. And will get "buhleted."
so here's the list...

1. adjective-
2. person in the blogosphere-
3. adjective-
4. adverb-
5. plural noun-
6. Last name of person-
7. noun-
8. silly word-
9. last name of person-
10. italian word-
11. noun-
12. plural noun-
13. adjective-
14. fruit-
15. verb-
16. verb-

When I get enough comments, I will post the results...

Face-off?

2005-12-16T10:37:00.000-05:00

No, I'm not talking about the movie with Nicolas Cage and John Travolta, but it is not far off. In the movie the bad guy has his face removed and replaced with that of his enemy, who is an FBI agent. It has its moments, but to pull it off requires a bit of suspension of disbelief and at least a little acting. Obviously the special effect is that they appear to have their faces removed surgically and replaced upon the other person. And of course it is all accomplished in a clandestine temporary surgical suite. It was enough to make me think that I could do it myself in my apartment, if only I had a good headlamp and some suction.

What I am wondering about is the long-term impact of facial transplantation. Normally I don't want to blog about being a doctor all that much, but my brother wanted to know what I thought about it. Hopefully this won't go on too long, but there area a few things to consider.

When I think of facial transplantation, the first thing I wonder about is the recipient. Of course the donor better be donating other organs as well, because it just wouldn't do to donate one's face and then just walk around without one. That's just gross. The person receiving the facial transplant would have to be someone who had sustained a serious disfiguring injury. Burns, animal mawlings, and other violent injuries that resulted in loss of large amounts of skin would be considered. Currently these poor people are subjected to numerous operations to attempt to reconstruct a face from the wreckage, and it is usually nothing short of miraculous to be able to do that much. Burns are the worst due to the sheer magnitude of injury that the skin sustains. It often appears as though the skin has been melted like wax and stirred up, no longer even close to normal appearance. These people must endure not only the pain of the injuries, the recovery, and the surgeries, they also must endure the stares, the teasing by the insensitive, and the cries of children who don't understand and are therefore scared. The psychological impact of losing one's face often changes who that person is; the injury is more than skin-deep, it scars the identity and changes personalities.

In the recent transplantation a woman had been mawled by her own dog, apparently after a failed suicide attempt, and the donor had more successfully attempted suicide. The whole face was not needed, but the recipient was given skin for the chin, nose, and a bit more. Hopefully the result will be successful, but what happens afterwards?

Each person has a unique facial structure such that a transplantation would have to conform to it differently than it did on the donor's face originally. This would allow the recipient to at least maintain some features, but the end result would be a hybridization of the two people, where the person would resemble the donor. This brings up more issues of identity for the recipient. Suppose he had come to terms with his injuries and appearance but now is given an opportunity to gain a new face, but not one of his own choosing- in fact it may not even be an appealing face, but if it is a match, should not he take the chance? That is a tough question. I think that I would likely take the new mug if my own was so damaged, but it would probably be tough to get used to seeing another's face in the mirror. Especially a dead guy's face. At least with a heart transplant, there is some anonymity, and most of us don't think much about what the heart is doing very much, so to have a transplanted heart would only cause most of us to thank God for a new day and for that gift. But a new face? Hardly necessary to sustain the recipient's life, but life-changing it could be. I just hope I never have that choice to make.

The Sunset

2005-12-15T17:37:00.000-05:00

Sun sets on the Pacific, swallowed whole by the sea
Isn’t it romantic? Or so it seems to be.
One seeks for happiness, another wants the same
But only one seeks the other, so who’s to blame?
Persistence pays off, or so they say
Although three’s a charm, it’s not his today.

Conversations intimate the feelings of one to the other:
Though not quite a companion, nor a brother-
Please stay close for friendship’s sake,
Please don’t go and other friendships make.

A tempest of dizziness consumes from within
While waves of disappointment are closing in.
Just a few days of trial to test the resolve
To stay the course and of love be absolved.

Should I continue to pursue as I have before?
Should I persist in vain when she shuts the door?

A true friend will grant the time and space
Required when there is one to replace
On the mantle over the fire of the heart.
Until the healing is complete, the two must part.

It is never easy to receive the bittersweet wounds of a friend
Trying always to be gracious and yet still trying to mend
The broken pieces left over from the dreams that shattered,
Picking up the bits of emotion that were so easily scattered.

Yet hope is there and brings with it a peace
For all is as it should be, and all things are in place.
Sunrise over the Atlantic, resurrected again today
Is it not romantic? Being given a brand new day?

I Love New York

2005-12-12T09:38:00.000-05:00

Now, I'm no Yankee, and I'm not really a fan of the Yankees, but I have been a fan in the past when my Aunt and Uncle lived in New York City. I fondly remember going up to see them a few times as a young boy; we would spend about ten days in the city seeing all the sights and just being about New York. Then we would go somewhere north, such as Maine, Vermont, Niagara Falls, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. But it has been so long since then.

It seems I forgot why it is called "the City."

Well, after a late train to Trenton, and an even later cup of tea with Susann, I got a few hours of sleep before heading out from Princeton to New York. Her friend Sven drove us along with his friend Karina who was also there visiting for the weekend. They are both from Germany, Hamburg and Bremen, respectively. Susann is from Switzerland, and we met in Spain a year ago. Fortunately for me, they all spoke English most of the time, and they were gracious enough to kindly allow me to help them with grammar and pronunciation from time to time (I'm just glad they didn't ask me about spelling). We had a really good time getting to know each other, and more than once it helped just to have a native speaker in the group to facilitate a few things here and there.

We started out by stopping in New Jersey where we could see Manhattan across the river. It was such a cool feeling for me, having been so long absent from this, my aunt and uncle's city. Memories of the Cirlce Line, the Staten Island Ferry, and so many others just kept coming. I knew it would be a good day.

From there we took a subway over to the World Trade Center. Coming up from the subway into the station and then to the street from where I could see where once stood the Twin Towers, I felt a mist of a tear forming that had been a long time in coming. I was in Honduras on 9/11/01, and seeing "Ground Zero" for the first time in person was more than a little moving to me. For the first time I felt the loss in a more personal sense, in a way it was as if it went from knowledge to understanding to comprehension.

Our next stop was Trinity Church, which is a large cathedral style Episcopalian church which is only two blocks away. We were by no means alone in our exploration of the inner courts. We found the orchestra and choir rehearsing what could only be Handel's Messiah, which they were to perform later that day. We listened for a few minutes, but as our plans were full, we pressed on.

Just down the street is Battery Park, and from there one might take a ferry to see the Statue of Liberty. Also there is the relocated globe from the World Trade Center. It was slightly damaged in the tragedy of 9/11, and so bears the scars as a memorial.

Back into the financial district, we walked to Wall Street via Broad. We found the New York Stock Exchange, and there we took several photos of the large tree in the street. We continued northwards until we came to City Hall. It is only a block from there to the Broooklyn Bridge, so we went to the bridge for a walk. The wind was stronger and a had a tad sharper teeth, but we were prepared for the cold and still enjoyed it.

Little Italy via Chinatown came next, and we wandered a bit until we found a nice little restaurant for lunch. Here Susann ordered Gnocchi, but when it came, she didn't like it: "it's not gnocchi," she said. I warned her quietly not to tell that to the chef, but as I could see that she really wasn't going to enjoy it, I told her that she could send it back and get something else. She was worried that she would have to pay for it, but I think that it is important enough that one have an enjoyable meal at a restaurant, that I told her I would pay for it and called the waiter. He was very kind and accommadating, and as I explained the situation, that she had ordered gnocchi but didn't really like it, and could she have something else instead, he then made a few suggestions and upon hearing her choice told me that we could keep the plate of gnocchi if we liked, but that he would not charge us for it. That's my kind of waiter. Of course my friends were very happy and a little impressed, but then that is what I have come to expect of good restaurants in the US. One ought not take advantage of the server, but sometimes it is helpful to discuss these things a little with him. And of course a big tip later helps a lot too, and if it is a restaurant that one frequents, the servers always remember those who tip well (and those who don't- like Santa Claus-"they know if you tip bad or good, so tip good for goodness sake...").

After a wonder dish of Pollo di Paesano, we went to Washington Park for a few minutes before heading to the subway. By the time we caught the train to 57th street, it was past 4:30 pm, and it was getting a bit dark. A few minutes walk from there and we arrived at Central Park. I love Central Park. Central Park was the site of my first bouldering experience. I remember it well, because it was so much fun, at least until I thought I'd come down, got stuck in a spot where I couldn't see my feet below me, nor feel anything to step onto. That is when I called to my dad to help me, to save me, and then to do anything but just stand there watching me fall to me certain death. Of course I was five years old then, and my dad was busy finding his camera to preserve the moment, knowing that if I couldn't hang on long enough I would fall all of 4 or 5 inches to the large ledge below me. Somewhere there is a photo, but since I don't have it, I reproduced the moment this time (which can be seen through the link below). I am bit larger now, but just as ready and willing to climb on a boulder as I ever was.

Central Park also had a lot of people waiting to ice skate, so we passed on that, and took a walk down 5th Avenue. When we came to Trump Tower, we decided that we needed to go there (surely there would be a restroom, right? And there is). It was really fancy, but couldn't hold our attention long, because we still had miles to go before we would sleep.

A few blocks down is St. Patrick's Cathedral, which was full at the time for a Saturday evening mass, so it was hard to see. It is beautiful though. And it's Irish, so how cool is that?

Just around the corner from St. Patrick's is the Rockefeller Center. I have wanted to see it at Christmastime for years. And on this day there were thousands of people there to do the same. We pushed through the masses and made it to the entrance of the tower, where we went in and took the tour to the Top of the Rock. I don't know how tall it is, probably 60-70 floors, but we made it up there in 25 seconds. Wow. And what a view. It was fully dark by this time, and so all of New York was beuatifully lit and festive. It was a sight to see.

As we came out below the street level, we found a way to get into the Rockefeller plaza so we could see the skaters and the famous tree with the Swarovski star, which was a sight in itself.

On to Times Square, which was more for the walk and view than anything else. I didn't see anything there that I found that I had to see closer, nor did the others, so went on to Bryant Park.

At the park we found another ice rink, and since it only had about 300 people skating, we decided to join them. This was so much fun. Skating in New York City in the Christmas season with friends. What could go wrong?

Oh yeah. I'm not that good a skater. I just used to have a crush on one. That didn't help when I went horizontal and landed on my knee. I tell people to ice the knee often, but this isn't what I mean when I say it. Regardless of my own advice, it is now swollen quite a bit, so I'm having a little trouble keeping people from noticing my slight limp. It will get better soon enough. And yes, I have seen my doctor about it. Several times this weekend. He is really a good doctor, by the way. He sees me anytime, day or night.

After the skating was done, we went to Greenwich Village (pronounced "grin-itch vil-edge", not "green-which will-edge", as one of my friends thought), where after about 30 minutes of wandering, we found a great place to hear some live jazz and get some dinner. It was a place called The Garage, and the food was really outstanding. And the jazz was really nice and not too loud.

Of course that last bit put us back on the train to New Jersey at about 1:30 or 2 am. We finally got back to Princeton around 3 am. But we did make it to church in the morning. I can always sleep later, right? I mean what's 17 hours among friends anyway?

A quick tour around Princeton and I was back on the train to Virginia, already planning to try to find some work somewhere closer to The City for next year so I can come back for a short time. I mean, I don't really want to live there, but I love New York.

Just what I've always wanted! (i think I hear a song by coldplay...)

2005-12-08T15:36:00.000-05:00

Your Eyes Should Be Green

Your eyes reflect: Striking attractiveness and danger

What's hidden behind your eyes: A vivid inner world

What Color Should Your Eyes Be?

2005-12-05T23:06:00.000-05:00

It's snowing now. Like a clean white blanket placed on the bed that covers the floor and the furniture too. Snow brings me such a good feeling inside. I'm dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the one I missed in Houston last year. I'll be home for Christmas this year, but no bells on Bob's tail this time I suspect. Two years in a row would certainly make me think that Al Gore has invented something to control the weather. "They" say that this year will be a cold winter, and that the UK is in for a record breaking cold winter. Dovie, I hope you have warm mittens for Hogmanay...

Autumn comes towards a close

2005-12-04T14:04:00.000-05:00

It's december now, as you know, and up here in Virginia it actually is starting to feel cold. I'm not really used to that, because aside from one year in Denver, I've been in the southern states (mostly Texas) for almost every December. It is rarely that cold there. Not that I am suffering. I actually like the cold weather. I think I llike that it comes and goes, just like the heat does in summer. I know it is cold but it will warm up. AndI kind of like the cold air. Maybe I'm wierd, but most Texans are very accustomed to the hot 7 or 8 months of the year and don't know what to do with themselves for the 2-3 weeks of cold weather that comes every winter.

It must be that I like it cold because there is so much to do when it is cold that I like. Snow sports are my favorite, even though the snow can make my fingers and toes hurt so bad if I let them get too cold. But then, as Ben would say, that's good training, i.e., that will help me when I'm on a cold mountain camping and climbing for several days at a time. I also love cold, clear nights where the stars shine brightly and the breath makes a fleeting fog when I exhale. It makes me feel so alive! It reminds me of so many good memories of vacations and trips up into the mountians, when we would go skiing with the family or friends, curling up by the fire afterwards, eating chili, and drinking hot chocolate; just relaxing and enjoying the feeling of being truly alive and involved in nature (ok, the whole skiing thing on groomed slopes with ski-lifts and gondolas isn't really a natural occurence, but it is close).

Meanwhile, back in Virginia I'm struggling to do anything outdoors. It is dark when I get off work, and there aren't any parks nearby where I live, so I'm left to forage for things to occupy my time on the weekends as best I can. So far in the past month I have been a few places. The first weekend I went to Colonial Beach, VA, which is on the Potomac River at a place where it is almost 5 miles across to Maryland. I worked in a clinic that Saturday at a Catholic church, seeing mostly Spanish-speaking patients. It was a lot of fun to use my spanish skills, and the people were so very appreciative of my time.

I left there and went to George Washington's birthplace. They were charging to see the house, but the house was not the original, anyway, having simply been reproduced, so I opted for the clandestine walking tour by myself (i.e., I went in without paying). I walked the grounds a while. It was late afternoon and the sun was going down. The place was really beautiful. It would have been a great place to grow up, I'm sure. Of course the family wasn't rich, but they did alright, so they had what they needed at least.

The next weekend I went to Arlington, VA, and stayed with my friend Kim. She showed me old Arlington, which was a short walk from her townhouse, and the next day we went to the Spy Museum, which was a lot of fun and very interesting. So for the next few weeks I wanted to be a spy, but turns out I'm over the age limit for the clandestine services, so who cares. For dinner we went to Old Ebbitt Grill and I decided to make it my birthday dinner party, since I had a birthday earlier in the week and hadn't gone out to celebrate. Needless to say I ate 4 varieties of raw oysters, had trout parmigan, and then a bread pudding that was too sweet to finish. Or maybe I was too full. I went to an old Baptist church with her the next day and really liked it. Nice people and a good preacher.

Then came Thanksgiving. I know, everyone has already written about Thanksgiving, and in fact I had a large post about it too, but I never said what my plans were. I left here in the morning, not knowing if it was really going to be icy or snowy as the forecasters had predicted, but as it turned out, the day was absolutely beautiful. Cold, but beautiful. I drove to Burke, VA, home to my friend Kelly's mother and step-father. Kelly is a girl with whom I attended high school, and she is about the only person from high school about whom I know anything, as I wasn't close to very many others at the school. At any rate, Kelly and her husband Carter invited me to join them for a few days. And boy was my stomach happy. We must have sat at the dinner table for at least 3 hours before doing anything else. It reminded me of a song by The Innocence Mission called "Where does the time go?" with a line that refers to "meals [that] last for five days." That is how it should be. Meals and other things are rushed and people so seldom spend real time with others, and though I am among the guilty, I want to truly take the time I am given and spend it wisely, being enriched and enriching others when possible.

The next day we went to Washington, DC to see a few sites. We started out our journey by visiting the Smithsonian Castle, where there is a smattering of objects that could be found in all of the various institutes that they have. We went from there to the Smithsonian Institute of Air and Space. Now I haven't been there in so many years, but I would go any chance I have, there is so much to see. Not having many opportunities, when I found out that they have flight simulators, I decided that it would be worth the money to try that out. It was. And I didn't even puke. It was made out to be like the F-18, and after a short time on a video game version, I was asked to completely empty all my pockets and deposit anything else I had that might become a flying object so that I might then get secured in the simulator.

wow.
That was fun. I had a hard time not rolling the plane too much, and several tanks met their end while I was flying upside-down, but I never crashed. Without peripheral vision of a horizon, and an altimiter that was hard to see, I became a little pale, but I had a great time.

Then we went to the Smithsonian Native American Institute, but unfortunately it was so packed with things to see and people to see them that it was difficult to really see much. I will have to go back sometime, as there are several really interesting exhibits there. So we went to Uno's Pizzaria! I miss that place. What more can I say about it.

For a look at some pictures from the month, go here.

This past week has been different from the others. I am working less at the office in which I was originally asked to work, and instead I am spending more time in a little town a few miles away helping out there. It has given me more to do, which is great, but it does make it more difficult to keep up with some of the things from the other practice. But my contract is up here in two weeks, so it doesn't really matter much any way.

I feel like this time out here has been good for me. I have been reading more simply because I have found myself with a lot more time on my hands. And I like reading, it's just that I forget it so easily and will go a long time between feasting upon some good paperbacks, prefering to subsist on fast-food tv and videos, which just can't be good for me.

The solitude has been good as well. It has given me a lot of time to think about things. Things that are important as well as not, but things that need to be sorted out. Sometimes we dwell upon things that are not important simply because we haven't had the time to think them through and realize it. The more I sort them out, the clearer the vision becomes for those that are important. As you have seen, the time here has inspired me to write more poetry, and for the first time to write it with knowledge that other would read it if I posted it. And the comments have been favorable enough for me to continue. I have written so many poems in the past that I hoped would never be shared except with one or two others, that to write for untold 5's or tens has been different indeed. I like it. I'll keep that up. Thanks.

Mild mannered musings for my brother on his birthday:

2005-11-29T08:31:00.000-05:00

Sitting on the couch has me thinking, almost wishing that I were home seeing
My brother opening cards and presents that say so much more than,
“Happy Birthday!-We love you!-You want cake?-We do too!”
The in-between lines are where we really say what we mean, the added comments
The quips, the puns, the fact that we spent more time searching for just the “right” card
Than in finding the present that cost much more. But that’s what we want you to know,
That we really did go and do that for you. Because we love you- because you are you.
No matter who it is that sends you greetings, precious readings of lines that someone else penned, for Hallmark, or Carlton Cards, or American Greetings,
Or even The Far Side, it is not my pride that makes me write these words for you,
My brother. My partner in crimes and justice,
My warrior-friend at my side in so many battles of boyhood days past,
Both in our imagination and in our neighborhood: you were always my protector,
There to keep careful watch over me, making sure that nobody, and I mean nobody,
Whether cowboy or indian, alien, or the bully from down the block,
Would ever supplant you as the only one who could give me a hard time.
I smile now at how you were so quick to step up for me if it was ever needed,
Though it was seldom required, I admired you for it every time.
When time came that I was given a chance to do the same I hope that I was there too,
For you’ve been a brother like none other, and should I have to have another
I would have to ask our mother for another such as you, although a sister might just do,
As either would be younger, and I’ve have to be the brother to be looked up to like the other, like the brother of their brother, like the one I know as you.
Let your days by full of joy, merriment, and love,
Your brother,
Dennis

"Let's be careful out there..."

2005-11-28T17:24:00.000-05:00

I was reading the news and was reminded of Hill Street Blues.
I thought about it because I had read this. Now there's no need for this kind of lunacy. Even a 25 year-old security guard who drives a "luxury sedan" ought to know better.

Coffee, Tea, or What'll it be?

2005-11-27T15:36:00.000-05:00

Ah, the steaming cup of dark liquid refreshment comes as part of the daily routine for so many people all over the world. Whether one lives in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Australia, or even Africa, in any locale it seems that one can find either coffee or tea if it is desired. It is a a mark of civilization to an extent. I have been to places all over the world, and in all of them I have tried the local coffee to see how they make it. Tea is also ubiquitous and though the British Empire seems to take credit for speading its fame, the Chinese have been brewing it for centuries.

Coffee may have been first brewed as far back as 900 BC in Ethiopia, and it was a mainstay in the muslim world by the 15th century. It was called 'Kahweh,' after the arabic word for invigorating. It still seems to be invigorating today.

Tea, on the other hand, has been around the west since the 16th century but had its origins over 4,000 years ago in China. The first book written on the subject of tea was the Chinese book Ch'a Ching, which was written circa 780 AD. There is a plethora of information available on this history, but this site, has interesting snippets about tea customs.

Now, back to the task at hand...

Since I am currently sitting in a coffee shop called Shockoe Espresso, I shall first discuss my own thoughts on coffee.

I find coffee is something that I want to drink in the morning mostly. I like it brewed, rather than espresso, and I add some sugar and cream until it is nice and medium brown, like a nice tan color. Too much cream and it tastes too fatty, so it has taken a while to figure out the balance. Too much sugar makes it taste overly sweet, which kind of ruins the coffee taste for me. My dad would say that any sugar ruins the taste, but I cannot really take it black, as I find it too strong and bitter.

It seems to be a really good way to start my day. It helps to define the day that way. Almost as though the day doesn't really start until I have some to drink. Even if I don't drink much, it feels strange until I do, like something's missing. Of course it isn't a requirement, but it is a preference.

Tea is a better drink in the afternoon and evening. Besides having less caffeine, it is a lighter drink by and large. Though there are some teas, such as Lapsang Souchong, which have a very strong taste- Lapsang Souchong has a smoky taste, as though it were dried over a hickory fire. Very interesting taste. I prefer milder teas like Earl Grey, Lady Grey, Irish breakfast tea, and oolong tea.

Both tea and coffee provide one with an escape from the mundane tasks of life. It is a simple pleasure that takes time to complete. It requires care and attention to make a cup that is just right. And the reward for the effort is gone in the time it takes to drink. The longer it is savored, the more the pleasure. If one takes it too fast it burns, and the flavor is hidden by the river of hot liquid as it scorches the tongue. Besides, that's no way to treat a good cup of coffee or tea. It is there to serve, and it faithfully rewards its maker with delightful moods and good times. It is something that can be enjoyed no matter the weather, no matter the situation, and no matter the company. And on top of that it is legal everywhere.

Life is full of simple pleasures. Tea and coffee are but two of them, but having found them, I shall celebrate and enjoy them fully as I continue my quest to find others.

Is this wrong?

2005-11-26T14:01:00.000-05:00

So I came to Washington DC again- this time for Thanksgiving. I had a great time visiting with Kelly and Carter Harkins and her family. I haven't seen her in a long time so it was nice. She is the only friend from high school with whom I am still acquainted (aside from some I know from church anyway). It was really cold too.

Today they left and are now driving back towards Nashville. I on the other hand have come into the city to read, relax, and have some good coffee. But I feel a little weird. Mostly becuase I am blogging in the same coffee house that Trey uses all the time. It is called Murky Coffee.

He doesn't know that I am here though. Is that wrong? Mostly becuase I haven't called him yet. I just drove over, had a bite to eat, and then I came here and started writing. I'll call him soon. I mean, this is his bloggerdom, right?

But to prove he's well-known, I ordered a "dirty chai," which is a chai latte with espresso. When the barista, Nick Cho, asked me if I wanted it really dirty, like Christina-Aguilera-dirty, I said no, that I didn't think I wanted it that dirty, but maybe more like "Trey HIcks dirty." He laughed. And then he added an extra shot of espresso.

And speaking of George Washington, HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

2005-11-22T16:53:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving is a holiday (holy-day) that our nation has been celebrating in some form in autumn since 1621 in the Plymouth Colony. It has always been a day to thank God for all the many blessings that He has bestowed upon us. Lately, many people in our government and nation have begun to believe that this holiday is a day to "be thankful for what we have." As if there really is no object of our thankfulness, only that we are thankful in general. For, they say, wouldn't it be a breech of the "wall of separation of church and state" to be thankful to God? Well, according to our first president, it isn't. God rest his soul.

"Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor...

"Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the Beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted; for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.

"And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplication to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations, and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our national government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a government of wise, just and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally, to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.

"Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the 3d day of October, AD 1789."

If I were a general, I'd be:

2005-11-21T09:46:00.000-05:00

George Washington
You scored 62 Wisdom, 81 Tactics, 46 Guts, and 38 Ruthlessness!
Washington first served as a British officer during the French and Indian War, a war which he inadvertently helped to start. Afterwards, he resigned his post to marry Martha Dandridge Custis, a wealthy widow with two children. He was elected to the House of Burgesses and became a revolutionary leader at the outset of the American Revolution, attending both the first and second Continental Congresses. Washington was appointed Commander in Chief of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War (1775-83), leading the Americans to victory over the British, although sometimes in not the most scrupulous of ways. After the war, he served as president of the 1787 Constitutional Convention. Because of his central role in the founding of the United States and enduring legacy, Washington is sometimes called the "Father of his Country."
To take this test, go here.

Birthday Wishes

2005-11-17T12:13:00.000-05:00

Another year passes slowly, yet gathering speed each time
Relatively speaking.
The year marked some endings and some new beginnings
Opportunities changing.
New experiences with language and culture opening up the world
It gets me to thinking.
Doors closing behind me as I move forward through the next one
Chances for the taking.
Never are things as I had imagined, no, quite different really
Continents are shifting.
Still I’m in love with the unreachable until it is reached and then,
The Rules are breaking.
The longer I’m away the more I believe that I’ll have it my way-
I’m just saying-
Friends and family send their love and I feel it deeply
But I keep wondering.
Not that they are not sincere, but I wonder about my own fears
And what I’m chasing.
Yet my heart is speaking true and louder than ever before
Upon it God is knocking.

DSW. November 16, 2005.

Dust: a Meditation on Romans 7

2005-11-15T17:41:00.000-05:00

Look at me
I’m all about me, sometimes “we”
Because always it seems
That it’s all about me.
But who am I really?
Am I someone special?
Deserving a prize?
Should I esteem myself
In others’ eyes?
I’m nobody
I’ve been such a fool
To believe that I
Could be special or cool
Because of things that
I have or did or do
I’m only this
Because of you-
I am just dust
But proud to the last
Brittle as rust
I’ve been such an ___
Ask me why I think I’m great
Maybe I think I’m good
But hate
That’s the root
Of my envy, my pride
Drowning me
Pressing down on me
Crushing my insides
How can I get out
Of this arrogant tide?
If only I could be
On my own side
I trip myself up
Sabotage my own ship
I want to do right
But give myself the slip
My dust cries for glory
When I’ve earned none
It’s the same old story-
I’m not number one
I just think that I am
And that explains why
I cannot stand
When I try
Because I’m really just dust
Shaking my powerless fist
At the world as though
It owes me what I missed

And yet, deep inside
What I don’t want to admit-
That it is really my pride
That makes me feel like this
Each day I’m reminded
I’m both Cain and Abel
I feel I’ve been branded
Yet somehow, stable
I’ve no mercy for me,
Nor grace nor compassion
Just harsh reality
And bitter condemnation.
Who will rescue me
From my arrogant mind?
My heart is weak
And my sight is blind.

DSW, November 14, 2005

So I Caved!

2005-11-14T17:12:00.000-05:00

Well, everyone else was doing the quizes, I thought maybe I could see who really knows me best- there are some easier questions, but some are there for the ones who know too much already...

Take my Quiz on QuizYourFriends.com!

How do I want to live? Like this man...

2005-11-11T13:27:00.000-05:00

Kyle Lake, the pastor of University Baptist Church of Waco, TX, died during Sunday morning services at his church. The following is the conclusion of the sermon that he wrote but wasn't able to give.

Live. And Live Well.
BREATHE. Breathe in and Breathe deeply. Be PRESENT. Do not be past. Do not be future. Be now.
On a crystal clear, breezy 70 degree day, roll down the windows and FEEL the wind against your skin. Feel the warmth of the sun.
If you run, then allow those first few breaths on a cool Autumn day to FREEZE your lungs and do not just be alarmed, be ALIVE.
Get knee-deep in a novel and LOSE track of time.
If you bike, pedal HARD… and if you crash then crash well.
Feel the SATISFACTION of a job well done—a paper well-written, a project thoroughly completed, a play well-performed.
If you must wipe the snot from your 3-year old’s nose, don’t be disgusted if the Kleenex didn’t catch it all… because soon he’ll be wiping his own.
If you’ve recently experienced loss, then GRIEVE. And Grieve well.
At the table with friends and family, LAUGH. If you’re eating and laughing at the same time, then might as well laugh until you puke. And if you eat, then SMELL. The aromas are not impediments to your day. Steak on the grill, coffee beans freshly ground, cookies in the oven. And TASTE. Taste every ounce of flavor. Taste every ounce of friendship. Taste every ounce of Life. Because-it-is-most-definitely-a-Gift.

Kyle Lake, b. 6/12/1972
d. 10/30/2005

Thanks, Kyle. May we all strive to live each moment knowing that it is a gift.

Happy Birthday Uncle U-turn!

2005-11-11T10:57:00.000-05:00

Today is my friend Dean's birthday. So send him a quick email greeting, even if you don't know him. He's a great guy and a want to recognize him- and he needs to read my blog more...

Surf John Steven? Who's that?

2005-11-08T17:56:00.000-05:00

Well, it seems that once in a while a musician comes along who doesn't fit. The establishment doesn't understand. The consumer doesn't appreciate the music. But it is still good. Like Jazz and Classical blended with folk and rock and little country, with a smattering of old and a little originality for good measure. That is the case with Sufjan Stevens. He is unlike any musician I know of, and his music is created as if in a vacuum, unaffected by the winds of change and foul weather that so often besets young artists during their formative years. Apparently Sufjan taught himself music and the instruments that he uses, so having no classical or traditional training, he seems to fly into the music like Icarus on his homemade wings of melody, bouyed up by the choir and collection of instruments that he uses like so many thermals under a gliders wing.

Anyway, thanks to a couple of friends who are always introducing new music to me, I am now a fan. And I used to not like Tom Waits either.

So, nobody cares about Baltimore?

2005-11-07T14:46:00.000-05:00

I guess it is a good thing when peotry takes priority over tales of traveling and stuff, but did anybody read this?

New Lines

2005-11-03T17:28:00.000-05:00

(I decided to write another poem after getting such nice comments on the other one. This one is maybe a little easier to understand, as I decided to use less metaphor and more english. It is kind of my thoughts about the creative process in general, and why I think I couldn't write anything that is much longer than a few pages.)

How do I write something new?
Something never before heard that’s true
To my heart, to my spirit
So that everyone who may hear it
Knows that it is mine?

It seems to me that when I write
I always want to reserve the right
To use something I heard one time
Something with a special line
Known only to a few.

A line of beauty and grace
Serves to brighten the face
Of anyone who hears it-
All who may come near to it
Warm to the imparted word of life.

When I write a line like this,
I often secretly make a wish
That those who may ever read it
Will be drawn, no even need it;
Water, quenching the beggars thirst.

Hard as it can be to compose
Lines with beauty like a rose
With the thorns of hardship
Yet the petals so delicate
That it must be cherished,

So I continue my endeavor
To reveal that which holds the treasures
That I may record my soul’s longings
Whether desires or wanderings,
And through them, I am free.

So where's Cal Ripkin live?

2005-11-03T17:03:00.000-05:00

Since this is a travelogue of sorts, I suppose it is always a goood idea to write a little bit about where I have been. Right now, as you are aware, I am spending a season in Eastern Virginia in a small town. Reminds me of a scandalous movie with Raquel Welch and a girl named Crista whom I once met and later had lunch date with (and the usual outcome- nothing worth writing here), but I digress. Again.

Last weekend I decided to go to Baltimore, that beautiful city on the East Coast of Maryland. Lots of history there, especially important battles during the second war of independence (aka the war of 1812), and among other things, it was there that Francis Scott Key penned the words to our national anthem.

It was a really nice trip. My friend Nadia, whose brother has been a friend of mine for only about 17-18 years, showed me some of the sights. It was a lot of fun. We went to the harbor, downtown, and later with a couple others to a lantern parade in a park. It was kind of chilly, but we had fun. Capped off with a really good pizza at a hole in the wall called Murhpy's (I think), it was a nice trip. I should go back sometime during baseball season though...

Well, I haven't seen everything, but...

2005-10-31T09:05:00.000-05:00

Headlines in today's Scotsman online were more interesting than usual. I have to say that this story is one of the most odd that I have heard in a while. Makes me long for the days when, as a wee intern I would wander around the hospital finding out more strange things than one might find in Ripley's Believe it or Not, only to be told that it was really somewhat common. This one- not so common. And freaky too!

Los Ojos

2005-10-28T10:19:00.000-05:00

Just so you know- I wrote this myself last night. And I'm not fluent in Spanish, but I wanted to write it in Spanish anyway...

Sus ojos me miraban
Hacia el fondo de mi alma
Me ponían roja la cara
Mientras me estudiaban.

¡Qué lindos!
¡Qué hermosos!
¡Siempre están tan amorosos!
Estoy encantado,
Enamorado de los ojos preciosos

No hay nada que puedo hacer-
La mente da vueltas
Y el corazón tiembla
Y no hay nadie que me ayude
Si no fuera por ella de los ojos.

My name's Wales- like the Prince...

2005-10-27T08:01:00.000-05:00

For years I have been saying that about my name, or the more common: "Wales- like the Outlaw Josey Wales." I say these things because although easy to spell and short, it is rather uncommon and most of the time people assume it it a different name. The assumptions go from names such as Wells (sounds like my name if you say Wells with a good Texas drawl- as in: "I'm a rich Teksus awl rancher and I got me two hunnert awl Wayells.") and Walls (more common after reading the name once and forgetting it). The most irksome is when someone isn't really paying attention and thinks that I said "Williams." Now, I realize that there are similarities: it starts with W, has L in the middle, and ends with an S, but clearly it is a different name. Much more common as well.

I try not to be bothered by it, but then, it is my name, and I like it.

Often I am asked if there is any relation to either of these characters. Well, since Josey is a fictional character, I guess not. But the Prince? Most people don't even think of the royal family as having a surname. And if they know already, they would know that it is Windsor or Mountbatten-Windsor (for those descended from HRM Queen Elizabeth II).

But I digress.

I used to think that the "officialy" surname was the same as mine, due to an erroneous article I read in the paper. As it turns out, the name was changed in 1917 so that the surname and the family name would be the same and also sound more British, as it was the height of the first World War and the name had been "Saxe-Coburg and Gotha"- a name that prompted writer H.G. Wells (not Wales) to complain about Britain's "alien and uninspiring court," prompting HRM King George V's famous remark, "I may be uninspiring, but I'll be damned if I'm alien."

But that is not the point to my ramblings today either, but rather that I read something today that referred to one of the princes as "Wales." And it was a pretty funny story too.

I-"rock" the vote

2005-10-26T10:49:00.000-05:00

well the elections in Iraq have come and gone, and it seems the results are in.

One may not agree with the US presence, but without it, this would never have happened. This people would never be free. This country would never have access to that to which it has now. As one who wonders about the health care delivery in other places, this country finally has the opportunity to enter into the 21st century, stepping out of 1980 medicine and machines (that is when the dictator last allowed them to get new equipment- although I would bet that his palaces all had state-of-the-art acoutrements)...

What a Mug!

2005-10-21T08:26:00.000-05:00

Well, Mr. Speaker (until recently) was processed in Harris County yesterday. One has to wonder why he is smiling, when almost every mugshot we have every seen of anyone is of someone who appears either smug, sad, angry, or really tired. This one is nothing like that. In fact he is well groomed, and even wearing his House of Representatives Security pin on his lapel.

Hardly the image that Democrats would have hoped for. It is hard to make him the Poster Boy of the "Bad Republican" when he looks so "normal."

I guess the attempted defrocking is going to be delayed.

WOOT! WE WON THE PENNANT! GO CRAZY!

2005-10-20T12:00:00.000-05:00

I have been a sports fan for a long time. I have been an Astros fan for every bit of it. I was an Astros' Buddy as a little kid, and I remember going to the Dome and watching people like J.R. Richard, Nolan Ryan, Mike Scott, Enos Cabell, Cesar Cedeño, Jose Cruz, Bill Doran, Bob Watson, Terry Puhl, Art Howe, Roger Metzger, Alan Ashby, Joe Niekro, and many, many others from then until now, but never have we been able to do this.

This is the greatest thing I have seen in professional sports (IMHO).

Ode to the Ancient Life

2005-10-19T16:43:00.000-05:00

Am I an ancient one, distinguished and refined,
Grey and “mature” in her mind (as I am in mine),
Though I do not know her mind; does she mind?
Can it be that it is all in my head?
This notion that I am almost dead from age
At any age can be a bitter pill to find, I’m reminded
Of my longing for the next world;
It seems I’ll be there soon enough,
And yet for now I have today and no more
Promised- Death will come in his time.
-Make the most of today while it is-,
-Breathe life in and Live-
She may yet give me a day.

Or more.

For now there is nothing to fear.
There is only to live and breathe
To inhale every breath as Adam’s first
And to awaken the heart with a passionate roar
The lion awakening to tame the jungle,
The heart alive and strong.

Tagged!

2005-10-17T13:58:00.000-05:00

So my blog-buddy Erika tagged me with the job of listing a bunch of songs that I like. At first I thought maybe I was being given a Tag watch, but no such luck. I tracked it back and found that it was initially supposed to be a list of songs that one was currently listening to that meant something to the person, no matter the genre or whathaveyou. So I'll take some peotic license and make it just a nice little list (unlike the one from several weeks ago). Too bad there are no "Go Astros, Win it All" songs...

So here goes (with commentary):

Homer's Barbershop Quartet- from Songs in the Key of Springfield (just fun)

I'm Glad You're Mine- Al Green (well, there's hope anyway)

Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)- The Arcade Fire (in fact the whole album)

Smoke- Ben Folds Five

Go Tell it on the Mountain (featuring Tom Waits)- The Blind Boys of Alabama (any combo with TW is good)

Shiver- Coldplay (sounds like? -- Jeff Buckley)

The Mariner's Revenge Song- The Decemberists (The Count of Monte Cristo in 8 minutes)

One of These Days- Doves (the title says it all)

That Was Another Country- The innocence Mission (mmmmmm, another country)

Teardrop- Massive Attack (also noted for being the theme to new Fox medical show- House, M.D.)

Paper Boats- Nada Surf (good and painful at the same time)

Nightingale- Norah jones (my favorite of hers)

Rhapsodie- Over the Rhine (I could listen to it for hours on headphones)

Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own- U2 (well, that's what they say)

I Was Brought to my Senses- Sting (in my top 10)

All I want is You- U2 (why can't I write this stuff?)

I Still Haven't Found what I'm Looking For- U2 (the truth doesn't hurt that bad)

I'm a Ramblin' Man- Waylon Jennings (does anyone call me "The Man of Joy" in Alabama? That'd be cool)

Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain- Willie Nelson (a Texas Hymn)

Vocalise, Opus 34, No. 14- Sergei Rachmaninoff (one of the best songs I know)

Adagio for Strings- Samuel Barber (mostly known from the Platoon soundtrack- it's like Prozac for the ears)

Better Days- Robbie Seay Band (just a really good sounding song of hope)

At this point I suppose I should "tag" someone- I'd tag Sploosh, but he has yet to get so involved (though he might respond with a nice list in the comments). So I suppose I'll tag Dovie and mth. The request is for 5 songs that are really meaningful to you right now, but I can't say I've heard all those songs in the last few weeks, so do whatever you like.

PETA+ Unethical workers = PUTA : a formula for success? Hardly.

2005-10-17T10:55:00.000-05:00

I don't usually show my stripes, but I don't like PETA. I don't agree with their stance on research, and especially the way that they consider animals as equal to people and yet generally consider a fetus as less than that. I love animals, and treat them well myself (no that I am no longer 3 years old), but I think PETA is misguided.

So I found this article to be quite interesting to say the least.

Take a gander and see for yourself.

Blogging for fun and sport

2005-10-15T14:08:00.000-05:00

Reading other blogs has become an interesting pastime for me. I recently read a few entries off a blog that I found through the recommendation of an acquaintance of mine. One thing that I noticed was that he writes in the manner in which I would like to write, if I were simply writing for myself: his writing is candid, like a photograph in time, unposed, and yet full of life.

Maybe I do write that way and it is simply that the subject matter is kept closer to the vest. The fellow whose blog I was reading lays out some details that I might conceal. Is that due to my consideration of my audience, those whom I know already a re reading what I write? Do I automatically censor myself because I don’t want some people to know all the details that I might reveal to others in a more private setting? Is that acceptable? And can I do that while at the same time keep my material fresh, interesting, and engaging?

Some of my blog-buddies are quite good at keeping their blogs interesting though somewhat impersonal. There are others who are almost so personal that I am almost embarrassed to read them, for fear of being too much into their private thoughts. The world of blogging is so interesting in that respect. I have made friends (or so it seems) with some people with whom I am personally unacquainted simply because they are friends with bloggers that I do know. I am even branching beyond those bloggers to acquaint myself with others via cyberspace with bloggers who are friends of my new blogger buddies. The world-wide web is exactly that, and it seems that we are all so very intertwined that one can hardly make a friend without later finding out that they are already related somehow in cyberspace. Crazy world in which we live.

A rant on 'Net etiquette

2005-10-13T08:12:00.000-05:00

Well, it seems that I again have let the pride get the better of me. I was reading an excellent entry in a friend’s blog, when I came across some commentary that really did not set well with me (is it “sit well,” or “set well?” I never know). In fact it really got under my skin. I had commented early on and mostly agreed with what was being said, but the next few comments said things about the entry (and possibly my own) that were not very nice. “Moronic” was an adjective that he used referring to the entry and comments, and that irked me. Then he proceeded to say that “you must be one of those…” to have written them. Now, I hope that this guy is not up for a judicial position somewhere, because he certainly has not read much with an open mind to go off making judgments like that about one’s political bent. So accusatory. So harsh. So little information upon which to base such criticism. What would his mother think? Would he be so ill-mannered in person? Would he behave thusly in a classroom or council meeting? I should hope not. But then, I don’t know.

Unfortunately my response was not much better, except that I did not call him out, label him, nor reject his theories as “moronic” when I most certainly could have done all of those things. Instead I simply used some of his own phrases and showed that, given his exaggeration, of course things could be the way he sees them, if in fact one is truly blind to how things work. Or something like that. I was a little upset.

My friend, however, is much more skilled at handling objections such as those of this fellow. He proceeded in a subsequent comment to detail and delineate much of the facts as they are, instead of how they have been perceived by the other. And he did it with so much more grace than I could have. I think that if it had been my own blog that I would have simply deleted the comments altogether, unless they were written by someone who was a friend (or relative) of mine. Perhaps they know each other. I don’t know. It doesn’t matter so much really. Let’s just say that I am not cut out for the realm of political debate.

The real issue with which I have a problem is that unlike face to face confrontation, where there is often some since of civility, a modicum of diplomacy, or at least a hint of manners, when we are surfing the internet, many of us drive with the windows rolled up tightly on the cyber-freeway in buffer to buffer traffic, honking and cutting down whoever gets in our way or happens to have somehow disagreed with the directions that we think are correct in order to arrive at a place at which we really don’t want everyone to end up (the mixed-metaphorical pun of the day). In short we behave differently because we feel the firewall will protect us from shame.

The truth is that one need not look very hard to find blogs and chats that are full of people who vehemently disagree and write all sorts of reprehensible things in the name of winning the point (not considered to be the classiest debate tactic), where they would not speak the same way in a coffee-shop or fireside chat.

It’s just manners, people! It has nothing to do with politics, taxes, laws, religious faith, or whether one drinks coffee or tea or any other equally enchanting beverage. It is simply being civil. Can we not expect so little from a “civilized” people?

He made it!

2005-10-08T12:15:00.000-05:00

So I checked my email this morning and got this:

"Hey dude,

I MADE THE SUMMIT. I summited Cho Oyu, the 6th highest
mountain on Earth, without oxygen, on September 29th
at 8:20 in the morning. It was beautiful. I saw
Everest from the summit."

That is AWESOME! I am so happy for him. He dreams of climbing Mt. Everest one day and this was a HUGE step in that direction. God is good. Thank you for your prayers.

I don't have "Hyponatremia," I just have low sodium

2005-10-07T16:51:00.000-05:00

My brother, as some of you might have read in the comments, recently spent some time off from his normal lawyerin' stuff due to the Hurricane Rita causing the more skittish lawyers to cancel a lot of depositions in Beaumont. During this time he got back to nature in a way and worked out west of Houston for a lady we've known for a long time. Most of the work was outdoors, and though it is October, it still gets pretty hot in Texas this time of year, and true to form it was pretty hot. My brother writes in a comment that she told him to be sure to get some salt and not to drink just water because one can die if he drinks just water, a suggestion that caused him to burst out laughing, "not that it's not true. But what can't you die from anymore?"

This causes me to pause as a doctor and the brother of an attorney/former english teacher. First of all the question he is really asking is not about salt/sodium/water or any of that. He acknowledges (however erroneously) that one might die from such a thing as he was doing and is not questioning the validity of the statement; neither is his laughter in response to the meaning of her statement, but rather it is to the irony that it seems we are finding out that life is more dangerous than we were lead to believe when we were first introduced to it.

Let's deal with the errors as they develop, shall we?

Water intoxication is when one drinks more pure water than the body can handle. This causes electrolyte imbalances and shifts of the electrolytes and fluids between cells and surrounding fluids, a process that can cause injury to the cells. "But, Dr. Dennis, how much can I drink before that happens?" Thanks for asking. Each person is different, but the normal adult can handle about 15 liters (around 4 gallons) of water in a 24 hour period. Now if one were to drink a few gallons quickly and then continue to drink a little at a time, there would be problems, and the body would get depleted of sodium, but this is an extreme situation that is not easy to produce. If my brother had been working hard in the heat all day and sweating a lot, not eating anything (food is a good source of sodium- just check any label) and drinking a lot of water, then he would probably start to notice signs of a problem (hunger, muscle cramps, fatigue). In the absence of these things, though, it is not very likely to happen to anyone. Heat illnesses are much more common and more dangerous too.

Then there is posed the question: "But what can't you die from anymore?" The sense of this is interesting too in that as our propositional knowledge of the world has increased, we have discovered more and more wonderous and dangerous things about the world. Who would have thought that water, which is the most plentiful substance in the body could actually kill us if we drank too much of it? Yet, there it is, taunting us each time we go to the fountain to quench our thirst.

Then there is the actual phrase: "what can't you die from anymore?" The use of "anymore" changes the whole sense of this question from inquisitive to rhetorical. To rephrase it, I would say that it is really asking: "what can no longer cause one's death?" The answer is only a few things: the Dodo bird, saber-toothed tigers, and Mammoths (barring some ridiculously unfortunate museum-related incident).

We could die at the keyboards of our computer. I saw it in a movie (or was it Bones?) on the SciFi channel.

So what is there to do? Read Ecclesiastes.

"Come on, Man, just a little while longer"

2005-10-06T08:15:00.000-05:00

Thus goes the cry of those who are addicted to online-gaming. Not that anyone I know ever would do this, but there have been people who died from marathon gaming (not the game "Marathon" but rather hours and hours without a break. But so far most have been 14 year-old asian girls. Or at least that's what they said during the online game chats...

Say a prayer for my friend

2005-10-03T15:55:00.000-05:00

My good friend Ben is on an expedition (not driving in the Ford variety) in Nepal right now- I do not know how it is going, but he is climbing a mountain called Cho Oyo, which is 8201 meters (somewhere near 26,905 feet) at the summit. I know that he left at the end of August, and I have not yet heard from him, though it may take up to six weeks. I want him to have success in this, as it is the stuff of which his dreams are made.

Der Kapitol

2005-10-03T09:00:00.000-05:00

I went to our nation's capitol on Saturday. I forgot how much I liked it and how beautiful it is. I have to go back soon. I saw the capitol building with a friend who works for Congressman Ted Poe and then went alone to the Smithsonian institute of Natural History. I decided to wait until another time to see the Air and Space Museum. It means I have to go back.

I love this country. It is not perfect, but it is the best thing going. And everyone knows it.

evil attendants of the airways?

2005-09-29T08:28:00.000-05:00

It seems the new Jodie Foster film about a woman who wakes from an in-flight nap to find her daughter missing has upset a few people, and when I say a few, I mean a lot, and when I say people, I mean flight attendants. But then, it is a Disney film, after all.

Easy = Boring

2005-09-28T15:12:00.000-05:00

I've been in VA now for about 10 days. I have spent 8 of them "at work." So far my productivity indicators are telling me that I am getting paid far to much for the amount of work that I am doing. Clearly the hospital system is operating in the red in this case. I suppose that it has everything to do with being the new kid in town, along with the fact that not every person wants to change doctors so many times (as if they were going to have to see me so many times before the new permanent dr gets here). Today I saw all of 4 patients. Easy, right? Sure but it is not so much fun as it is boring. Boring a hole in my head wuold at least be interesting. During my spare time all I can do is try to figure out the intricacies of this old Compaq computer that I am using. Using with reservations, I might add. Those of you who know me understand that as a disciple of Macintosh, I feel as though I am betraying my computerized faith and taking a leap into what will inevitably end up in the "blue screen of death," which is akin to that place of weeping and gnashing of teeth. I think my friend Jough does not believe in that place, but then, he uses a Mac too, so maybe he hasn't heard from the other side (lucky for him).

I, on the other hand, have been forced into using a pc out of necessity, at least while I am in the office, because that is all that I can use on this network. I suppose I'll get by. I cannot access everything that I want to access, and I suppose that is not because it is not possible as much as it is that I have certain bookmarks and settings streamlined already on my PowerBook, but either way it is irritating. A little.

Perhaps I can use this opportunity to get to know the other side. It would be like studying the Koran or the Book of Mormon. Interesting, but when one has seen the Light, it is that much easier to recognize the Dark Side.

So am I really saying that using a Mac is like unto a conversion? Of course. Just ask any Mac-user and they will agree. Even those who once were one of us but have left the fold (like my brother's brother-in-law who left and went to work for Compaq) tend to agree that the Mac is more user-friendly and stable. I have even loaned my iBook to a friend just to help him return from his back-sliding ways. He was reluctant, being a real techno-guru type, but deep down I know that he loves the Mac. He just can't use it at work.

Now, that was easy, and hopefully not too boring.

Chatting with "a" God?

2005-09-21T09:02:00.001-05:00

I found this online and it made me curious. It is interesting, yet easy to figure out that it is software (in fact it told me so). Try it if you like, but I think prayer is more effective than chatting online...

This is the source where i found it. A nice article on the internet culture.

Tappahannock, VA

2005-09-20T17:41:00.000-05:00

I don't think that I have ever lived in a small town. Greenville, SC seemed like a small town to me, and they had nearly 250,000 people when I moved there. Granada, Spain seemed kinda small, too, and there are almost 250,000 people there. Tappahannock, VA, on the other hand has almost 3,000 people. It is the "major shopping hub" for 6 counties, though, so during the day it seems busier. It is home to Walmart, a hospital, Shoney's, and a soon to be completed Lowe's. It is a simpler life, and from the first moment, people have asked me if I am going to stay and be the new doctor.

Now, there are other doctors here, to be sure, but each one has plenty of patients and stays busy, so when one leaves like the one whom I am replacing, there is a significant gap.

Anyway, it is nice that they already want me to "reconsider." I am sure that any plans that I have are meaningless to them, but I have at least mentioned several times that I am planning to go to New Zealand to work in January. "But don't you want to stay here? You'll love it here in no time." Perhaps. But that won't cure me from the Traveler's Peditis (or the itchy feet that make me travel).

As an aside, I want to say that I pray that things go well with all my people back in the Houston area as "Rita" visits this weekend.

Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia- say that three times fast...

2005-09-14T23:25:00.000-05:00

I find it funny that there are so many phobias that people have. Many of my patients and friends as well have certain fears that are not very rational when truly thought about in a reasonable sense, but we have them nonetheless. I am not immune, although I would like to say that I am.

First, as an example there are those who hate the circus. Why? They will usually say that they just don't care for it, that it smells bad, or whatever, but what they really mean is that they have what is known as Coulrophobia- Fear of clowns. Maybe there was a bad clown in the past, but who knows. Either way it is an irrational fear for an adult.

So many fears, so little time to ridicule (read discuss) them.

My next favorite is Hellenologophobia- Fear of Greek terms or complex scientific terminology. I find this almost as ironic as the fear of going to school (Didaskaleinophobia) because to even confront the fear, one must come to terms with how difficult the term is to pronounce and spell.

It is too bad that those afflicted with Iatrophobia will never get it diagnosed. They fear doctors.

I'm glad my brother doesn't have Liticaphobia. It would be bad for business.

And then there is Onomatophobia- Fear of hearing a certain word or of names. Who knows anyone who cannot stand to hear certain words that are moist and full of good meanings for most of us, but the hearing of which can cause undue harm in their psyches?

Personally I think that people with phobias of any kind also have another: Phronemophobia- Fear of thinking. But then I remember that I have Spheksophobia- Fear of wasps. I can't stand them. And I have only been stung a few times. I'm okay with honeybees, because they seem to know that to sting means a sacrifice of their own life, while a wasp can be a bully and sting as much as it wants without really risking much more than getting flattened by my hand or dying a horrible fiery death when I come back to exact my revenge upon it for its incredible audacious act of wanton cruelty. But, I digress.

I find it interesting that there are several words for some phobias; where fear of the Dutch is simply Dutchphobia, fear of Germans of German things is either Germanophobia, or Tuetophobia. Then one of them has several options: Cypridophobia or Cypriphobia or Cyprianophobia or Cyprinophobia - Fear of prostitutes or venereal disease. I can't say I know anyone with the latter.

All this is fun, but my favorite of all is Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia- Fear of long words.

How's your fear factor?

More Pictures

2005-09-08T23:43:00.000-05:00

Since you asked (at least a few of you have so far), I posted a selection of pictures on my site. Of course there are not a lot of bad-weather shots, simply because I did not take many that are good enough, but there are a few that give the flair. This one to start is a picture of me in the DJ booth in Bayern 3, a pop radio station in Munich, where I happen to have connections. We later dedicated a song, "New Slang," by the Shins to our friend Mike. It is good to make connections I think. Never know who there is to meet through another. The degrees of separation are not always as numerous as they may seem.

Just a funny picture I took

2005-09-08T18:24:00.000-05:00

So I was in Stuttgart with my friends Brenda and Kerstin about a month ago when I took this interesting shot. It was one of many pictures I took while i was over there, but it sort of caught my eye when Iwas reviewing them all, and I thought I would share it, at least for a while.

A Voyage to Remember

2005-09-03T12:06:00.000-05:00

So I decided to publish an iMix on iTunes. That is where the link will take you if you have the iTunes program. If you don't have it, then it won't do much. I know that many people don't have it, and while I endorse it as the best way to buy music that doesn't clutter up one's shelves with CDs, I know that many people have not yet found it to be "all that."
While in Europe I decided that I could make a playlist of songs that tell the tale of my journey in an interesting way, so I began putting songs on a list. Some made the final cut while others did not, and one must understand that some of those reasons are more personal than others. One song about the rain just did not seem sufficient, while songs that mean a lot to me may not make the cut simply because they might reveal more of my feelings than I would care to do (or might make me look different than I care to appear). Either way, the final list is here. There are a few songs that made the cut but are not available on iTunes, and therefore do not appear in the iMix, but those are indicated. The order is not perfect, but it is the best I could do, and some of the titles seem to suggest something that is not what the lyrics say, so in order to truly understand the list, some songs just need to be heard; the title is merely the bookcover.

Song Name - Artist

Vertigo - U2

Jumping Someone Else's Train - The Cure

A Sight for Sore Eyes - Tom Waits

Nothing Like a Train - Bill Mallonee & Vigilantes of Love

Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head - David Hasselhoff

Another Travelin' Song - Bright Eyes

Travelling Without Moving - Jamiroquai

One of These Days - Doves

Foreign Affair - Tom Waits

Sudden Rush - Erlend Øye

Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps - Cake

Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own - U2

Lost Cause - Beck

I'm So Happy I Can't Stop Crying - Sting

Empty Arms - Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble

I Was Brought to My Senses - Sting

I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For - U2

Paper Boats - Nada Surf

Goodbye Again - Vertical Horizon

Leaving, On a Jet Plane - John Denver

There Goes the Fear - Doves

Go Tell It On the Mountain - The Blind Boys of Alabama & Tom Waits

Montaña - Gipsy Kings

Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head - Ben Folds Five

Buckets of Rain - Bob Dylan

Poor Wayfaring Stranger - Natalie Merchant

The Great Train Robbery - Azeem, Greans Crew & Hobo Junction

Night Train - Public Enemy

Guess I'm Doing Fine -Beck

Me - Caedmon's Call (from a Guild CD)

I'm a Ramblin' Man - Waylon Jennings

I Will Never Be Normal (After This) - Bill Mallonee & Jake Bradely

No Regrets - Jennifer Knapp

Somewhere Over the Rainbow - Israel Kamakawiwo'ole

Home Sweet Home

2005-09-02T11:53:00.000-05:00

So I am back in Houston, and it seems that I missed a lot of hot and humid weather. Aw shucks. I'll still get my share of it, I am certain.
My trip back was okay, but I had two major delays caused by a certain American Airline that will remain nameless. First, though we landed a few minutes early, we were unable to pull into a gate because another plane had not left ontime. It finally left 20 minutes later, and we were able to park 10 minutes after that (it takes a few minutes to get the gate ready for another plane). Then after going through Immigration easily enough, we all waited at least another 40 minutes for the first bags from our plane to be brought to the baggage claim area. For those who are unaware of how the Customs control works, when flying into a major airport one must clear customs before flying to another city within the country, as not all of them will have customs offfices.
It took another several minutes to get my bag and then I breezed through Customs and went to the next stop where I rechecked my bag to Houston. By then we had been in Miami for an hour and a half, but my flight was set to leave thirty minutes later, and the woman at the desk told me that they would not be able to get my bag to my plane in time for me to make the flight (though I knew that I could easily walk to the gate in 15 minutes), so she had to reschedule me to a later flight (3.5 hours later). I was really tired when I got home, let me tell you.
So I have resolved to continue using preferentially another more "Continental" airline when possible, and even if it cost a bit more. They just treat me right.
No that I am home, I have to focus on several things: getting things arranged for a job in Virginia that starts in just over 2 weeks; arranging the purchase of a condo locally; and starting the process to work in New Zealand beginning in late January or early February. If things allow, and they should, I am going to see if I can volunteer my services medically (as I no longer work with the county, I am no longer insured to practice) to those who need medical attention who are here in Houston seeking refuge from the disaster that was New Orleans. Pray for them.

A little rain never hurt anyone, but this?

2005-08-26T18:45:00.000-05:00

So I thought that the rain was only bothering me. It rained all the time in my trip to Germany, then more in Italy, and then even more in Switzerland. As it turns out, however, I left just in time. My friend Susann, with whose family I stayed until last Sunday morning, tells me that had I stayed just a while longer I would not have been able to leave even now. The village down the road from her house is flooded, and many of the railways are closed.
Bern, the capitol city, is where I stayed Sunday night. I went for a walk by the river that night in the rain and noticed that it was pretty swift. There was a little break inthe rain in the morning when I walked to the train station. As I left the hostel I was able to see the river raging just down the street. I had no idea that the hostel would soon be flooded. My train was about 12 minutes late, which I found odd, considering I was in Switzerland. The rain seemed endless that trip until I was well into southern France. My mood improved along with the return to sunny skies, but little did I know that Bern was already flooding as I left.

Now I am visiting some friends in Spain and will be going to the beach tomorrow. That should be a lot of fun.

Madrid

2005-08-24T10:44:00.000-05:00

Well, thanks for the feedback on the beating I gave out. I keep wishing I had hit him hard initially instead of trying to wrestle his neck, but I bet his neck still bothers him a little.
I decided after that that I would leave Barcelona for another location. Spain is pretty big, so I went to Madrid.
Noting that I said I did not think much of Spain's rail system, I was really surprised when I got to my train for Madrid and found that it was as nice as most any that I have been on with only a few exceptions, and it was not even the fast train (I saw one of those too, and they looked really nice). The best thing, considering that with a 1st class rail pass I still had to pay $25 extra for the train, was that they served a pretty good meal. It was like any airplane I have taken in that respect. There was even a movie (School of Rock- it kind of loses something in the translation, but it still was fun).
Did you know that there is a desert in the middle of Spain? I knew that the region near Almeria (south coast, east of Malaga, and the location of filming for "The Man with No Name" trilogy) had a desert appearance, but this was really dry and dusty. It was not a sand dune thing, but it was impressive.
Madrid is really nice. It is pretty quiet really, and not blazing hot. The people usually are easy-going and let me struggle through with my Spanish as it is. It still bugs me a little when waiters use English to ask if I want things like bread or something. Maybe I am not familiar with some things on a menu, but at least they could give me the benefit of the doubt if we have already spoken everything else in Spanish. I find it funny who does that and who does not. It is usually the more educated (who may speak better English even) who will let me struggle a bit, while the less educated (who often only know a little English) tend to jump a the chance to tell me things in English. I can never tell if they are doing it for the opportunity to use English, or if they are only doing it because they think that they are being helpful (to both of us). It does not really matter, because I am not going to use English with them unless they ask me to do so.
Tomorrow I am returning to Granada, where I spent 3 months last fall/winter. I am looking forward to seeing it in the summertime. I have a few friends there with whom I am going to stay, so that should be nice as well.

Turning the other cheek

2005-08-22T16:38:00.000-05:00

Today was a long day on three different trains (four if you count the subway in Barcelona). It rained all night in Switzerland, and in fact overnight there was flooding and some landslides in the region where I stayed just a few days ago. If I had stayed another night there, I would have been stuck there (how bad could that be?). But alas, I did leave Bern this morning and went to Geneva, where I changed to a TGV train (Tren a Grande Vitesse) and found out how fast one can go by rail. In Montpelier I changed again to a Spainish version of the TGV. I prefer the French version in this respect. It was not really very fast, and the seats were like riding in the front seat of a plush 1973 Plymouth Fury III. I had one of those, so I know.
The cool thing was that the guy who sat behind me is from Santiago, Chile, and we had a nice conversation in Spanish, as he does not speak English. He had a tough time in Europe, but has enjoyed it nonetheless. He has been to most of the same places that I have on this trip, except he went to Rome and Paris instead of Venice. He has spent more time on trains at night, but I don't like the train that much and prefer to see where I am going simply to know more about the countryside.
In Barcelona I first tried to phone a couple of hostels, but since both were full, I just decided to venture out to the area wherein there are several. As I tried to get on the subway, a guy got on in front of me. He suddenly decided to get off and turned around into me with his arms in front of him as if to clear himself a path. Of course I had my large backpack on my back and my smaller one in my left hand, so he mostly pushed me into other people. That must have been what he wanted, because that of course distracted me. Meanwhile another guy saw that I had something in a sidepocket of my pants and opened it. However, I felt that and looked in time to see him take my wallet. Instictively I then used my body to block his exit. There was only one exit because he could not go down the train car- it was too crowed, and the other direction was a wall. That worked to my advantage, and so I pushed him with my large pack into the wall pretty hard. Then I turned towards him and grabbed him by the neck with my right arm. I still had the other bag in my left, so I could not do much else. He said something in protest as though he did not know why I would attack him, but I could still see that he had my wallet, though he was trying to hide it in a rag or something. I wrestled him towards the door, which was still open, and there the wallet fell on the ground. He abandoned hope of getting it then, and his partner did not seem to be trying to help him out, so I picked it up. Then I was really mad and forgot that blows below the belt are illegal in boxing. But then, I never took boxing lessons. He may have taken a swing at me, but I don't think he hit me. Then using my right (again remember that the otehr bag and now a wallet were in the left hand) I punched him in the face. It felt really good. I am not sure why. He got off the train, but came back and said something and spit at me. Punk. I bet his friend made fun of him for getting beat up by a guy with a heavy back pack and one arm (essentially) tied behind his back. Either way, I am happy that I noticed what as happening, responded well, and that I still have my wallet. I have to think that God had something to do with that.
I wonder what others think about that. Did I respond rightly? or should I have just asked nicely for him to give it back and then call my credit card companies and everyone else to replace my cards and such? I know that in some places (Washing ton D. C. for example) it is considered assault to do what I did, even when trying to recover stolen property. But then, I am okay with it; in this case anyway.

Perhaps tomorrow I will go somewhere else. This hostel is too loud and overbooked anyway.

Super Summer Soakers

2005-08-21T15:40:00.000-05:00

Well, it seems that leaving Houston's heat and humidity for the wonderful weather of Europe has not gone exactly according to plan. As of today, my 19th day abroad, I have had 3 non-travel days with good weather, and 3 travel days with good weather. The rest have had either some bad weather or a lot of it. At least it is dry on the train...

More later, I am on my way back to Spain in the morning. Switzerland is just too wet...

Italian musings

2005-08-14T01:16:00.000-05:00

Well, those of you who follow this post are certain to wonder why I have not been writing, but never fear, I will soon have more time to do so. Right now I am in Florence and things are going well. We have been to the Lake District and seen both Lake Lugano and Lago di Como, along with Bellagio, we went to Pisa and saw the wonderous leaning tower, and now we are in Florence. We went to the Galleria della Academia and saw the famous David, by Michaelangelo, along with some other art. At the same gallery there are a few musical instruments, including a Stradivarius violin (worth a few million dollars at least). We also so the Palace of the former rulers, which was basically an art gallery in itself.

Today we are going to Venice, where we will spend 3 nights before my friend leaves for home. I have really enjoyed having this time with her. It has been a really good to get to know her better.

Later on I will be going to Switzerland for a few days. I have been wanting to go there for as long as I can remember, so needless to say I am a little bit excited for that. Mountains, lakes, and cool weather. Now that is nice.

It's all Greek to me

2005-08-03T12:47:00.000-05:00

So here I am in bitterly cold Germany (at least for August it seems cold) and everywhere I go people speak German. Imagine all of the sudden I am at a loss for words. Well not so much a loss for words, but rather I am at a loss for words that most people will understand here. It is really interesting to be a foreigner. I highly recommend it to everyone. The more uncomfortable one feels , the more understanding one has for others when they are the ones that are are having troubles with the language and culture.

Well I am now in München staying with a cousin who seems like my friend Mike Hon. He knows people all over the place, especially here in Germany. He is taking us to Garmisch today and maybe I'll buy a sweater or something there. We shall see...

I'm Leaving on a Jet Plane

2005-08-02T00:30:00.000-05:00

I have wrestled with this for a long time but I thinkI am ready to admit it. I like John Denver. I can't say that I am a "fanatic" or anything, but I like his music. I first denied this when my mom told me that she thought I would be sad to hear that he had died a few years back, thinking that I must be a fan, since I had bought her one of his LP's back when I was little. I told her that I bought it for her because I thought that she wanted it, not because I knew anything about him or liked his music at the time. She was sure that I was the fan, and not her.
It seems that a lot of people are that way about him. Yet he wrote really good songs about life. Leaving on a Jet Plane was his first hit, and it was the only number 1 hit that Peter, Paul, and Mary ever recorded. The lyrics are really nice:

Leaving, On A Jet Plane

All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go, I'm standing here outside your door,
I hate to wake you up to say good-bye.
But the dawn is breaking, it's early morn, the taxi's waiting He's blowing his horn.
Already I'm so lonesome I could die.
So kiss me and smile for me, tell me that you'll wait for me, hold me like you'll never let me go.
'Cause I'm leaving on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again. Oh, babe, I hate to go.

There's so many times I've let you down, so many times I've played around,
I tell you now they don't mean a thing.
Every place I go I'll think of you, every song I sing I'll sing for you,
when I come back, I'll bring your wedding ring.
So kiss me and smile for me, tell me that you'll wait for me, hold me like you'll never let me go.
'Cause I'm leaving on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again. Oh, babe, I hate to go.

Now the time has come to leave you, one more time let me kiss you,
then close your eyes, I'll be on my way.
Dream about the days to come when I won't have to leave alone,
about the times I won't have to say:
kiss me and smile for me, tell me that you'll wait for me, hold me like you'll never let me go.
'Cause I'm leaving on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again. Oh, babe, I hate to go.
I'm leaving on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again. Oh, babe, I hate to go.

So tomorrow (or later today, really) I am leaving for a month-long trip to Europe. For the first two weeks I will be accompanied by my friend who is known to many as "Nurse Brenda." I expect that she will see to it that we have a good time and that I am occupied with making sure that she enjoys herself, since it was my idea that she come along. I believe that it will be a great time, more than if I went alone (which is what I was planning to do originally), simply because I will have someone with me with whom to share the experiences.

There is something liberating about being unbound to this world. Yes, I have some debts, but I am as free as I have ever been in my life. I have a plan, I have work arranged in September, and I have some ideas for the future without any ties or obligations to anyone other than the Lord in Heaven who gave me this to begin with. In this world we will have trouble. However, Jesus has overcome the world, and He says that we will through Him overcome also. Never before have I felt so free to do whatever He leads me to do. Some call it being "irresponsible and reckless," but I see it differently (isn't that obvious?).

I don't know when I'll be back again. But that is why it is so challenging and exciting.

Empowerment? or simply transference?

2005-08-01T14:24:00.000-05:00

So I'm reading a friend's blog and note that in a recent post he writes about all the bumper stickers he has seen and how they may be witty or clever, or whatever. One in particular has to do with Mary Kay Cosmetics. One can follow the link in the title to read it for oneself, but in short he recalls the sticker as saying, "Mary Kay Cosmetics: Empowering Women's Lives." He then goes on about that a bit, and makes some interesting points. However, the reality is that the sticker doesn't say "Empowering." On the contrary it says, "Enriching," which is something altogether different. Here we have a sticker that says two things as sort of a double meaning: on the one hand it refers to the fact that Mary Kay is a line of products that are known to be good in quality and value and allows the individual to have her (or his in some cases) own home-based business, while at the same time, if one is highly motivated and successful, one might be able to make a large amount of money.

Now, I don't want to criticize my friend in my blog, and what I am saying is only meant to inform and comment on what he has written, but his blog doesn't allow for comments, so I thought I'd leave mine here and he can find it when he has a chance. So if you see him, tell him I wrote about him. And we'll see you later.

Movin' On...

2005-07-29T21:58:00.000-05:00

My "Roadtrip" starts today. I left work today for the last time as a doctor there. It feels good, but at the same time I will really miss it. I have become a slightly better person if not a better doctor for it. It was different leaving other places because the leaving was always built-in: schools have graduations, training programs have them too, and even the ER job had a really high attrition rate, but this one was one where one might stay for a lifetime, were the situations a little different.
It makes me wonder sometimes why I chose this path. Or was it even my choice? Was it for this very "choice" that I have been there? Did God do that which He had planned? I can only say that I believe it is as He designed, whether I had anything to do with it or not. I can only hope that I was obedient to His call in that time.

Denbo's Crazy Homemade Horchata!

2005-07-28T07:29:00.000-05:00

Okay, so normally the drink called "Horchata" is made with ground up uncooked rice (google the recipe if you want). However, as I neither have the means nor the inclination to grind up rice, make a drink, and later strain it, I made a small modification.

If one can't find the right ingredients, sometimes one must be a bit inventive. In this case, I had planned to make a real horchata, but I did not know that it used the rice, because I got a recipe from a waitress at a taqueria that didn't use it. then I looked it up in the 11th hour, only to find it was not what I thought. So off to Central Market I went.

After searching for a premix powder (as some had told me it could be bought, though more likely at the Fiesta Market), I finally realized that I was not at the right store for that sort of thing. Of course they have rice, but I was not in the mood for that.

okay. long story short, here's the recipe I used to make 2 gallons of Denbo's Homemade Horchata:

Take a little water. Add 2 cans of sweetened condensed milk. Then mix well (I just shook mine up). Next add 2 ounces of vanilla extract and 1.5 teaspoonfuls of cinnamon (more or less- I just eyeballed it with a regular spoon). If possible, throw in a banana, the more ripe the better. I just broke on in small pieces, but maybe using a blender would help. I don't bother with those things. The last ingredient (besides a lot more water) is what I chose after careful consideration of the fact that I wasn't about to grind up rice in my coffee grinder and filter the mix with a cheesecloth the next day. Without giving the nod to any particular brandname, I bought 3 juiceboxes of a rice-milk drink (something about dreaming and rice and spilling milk on the box...). Pour that in the mix, add enough water to make two gallons, shake and refrigerate for a day or so. No filtering, no grinding, and (unless you want to) no blenders.

The comments I got were really surprising. I thought it was okay, passable to me, someone who has not had horchata many times and wouldn't know the real thing from a fake. However there were a few who really liked it a lot.

But then, who doesn't like sweetened milk, vanilla, bananas, and cinnamon?

Proverbial Wisdom

2005-07-14T19:12:00.000-05:00

As a man thinks in his heart so is he. The heart is a wonderous thing that God has given to us. It is the very thing that sets us apart. Of course I am not referring to the cardiac muscle and all that, because with modern technology one can get a new heart without any perceivable change in the heart to which I refer. Some people squander their lives on futility and wonder why the heart is never fully satisfied or why it always seems to ache from one wound or another. Though we are all going to have "heartache" sooner or later, now and again, it is clear that some people seem to know how to be both "big-hearted" and how to protect themselves from serious heart-felt wounds.

The wisdom found in the book of Proverbs has been so important to me. Everytime that I check out a chapter or two, I wonder why I haven't memorized all of them. "Keep my commandments and live, and my teaching as the apple of your eye." Pr. 7.2.
Just reading this reminds one that the great God who created us has more wisdom in His choice of what color to make the clouds than I ever will on this earth without His giving it to me. See Proverbs 8:22-36 (click on the title to go there).

Take care of your heart and make sure that you let God make it full and rich as He desires.

Where am I going?

2005-07-01T18:40:00.000-05:00

It seems that the more people ask me where I am going the less I know exactly what to say- so for now, I don't know. One person thought that by contractor I meant that I was leaving the practice of medicine to go and build stuff (roads, bridges, condominiums, who knows?). That is not what I mean at all. I keep telling people that I am going to go traveling to places where I can work a little while and then move on to another place, but that doesn't always say it well enough. So suffice to say, I am going to be a temp. The Agency I work with helps place me in various medical practices and I have the whole country from which to draw work. But where will I go in September? Only God knows that right now. I'll tell you soon.

sounding board

2005-06-28T23:35:00.000-05:00

It seems that the ones who know me best are the ones who can say the most insightful things sometimes. The Proverbs are a great source of wisdom from which to draw insight, and it is a great thing to be reminded from whence I have come. For me the Proverbs are a wonderful encouragement. There are so many that speak to me. Here are but a few: Pr. 13:12 "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life"; Pr. 16:9 "The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps"; Pr. 17:17 "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity"; and Pr. 3:7-8 "Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your body and refreshing to your bones."

Just out of curiousity, what Proverbs are you reading these days- what gets your attention and truly speaks to you?

Apprehension

2005-06-27T18:44:00.000-05:00

When it comes right down to it, I find that changing from something that is comfortable to something that is new is more difficult than stepping out into something that is unknown. Even something that is "muy pesado," or really heavy, draining, or wearying, is often easy to stick with because it is so much more familiar (read- like family). This may explain why so many folks, especially women, stick it out with situations that nobody else can understand. Make no mistake, I am not speaking about my own family in this case, but rather that which Isee in my workplace. Countless people come across my path who cannot see that there are better alternatives because chasing after them would mean changing something that is comfortable to some degree. For example if a child always gets to sleep with his parents and the parents want my advice, many times I will get the objection, "but Doctor, he's going to cry all night." Good. It is about time. I'm not saying he should be put to bed and the door locked from outside, but he needs to learn that there are alternatives for him to explore. He needs reassurance and comforting, but also he needs to learn that sometimes things change and are still okay.

As adults we often are faced with opportunities that we may find exciting but do not take for the same reasons. We are uncomfortable with changing that with which wea re familiar. We make excuses to ourselves to lessen our regret but regret it we do. We survey our lives and the opportunites to change that were there and passed over often are the very things we regret the most.

At least that is how I see it. I have very few regrets that are things that I have done. Most of them are things that I chose not to do. I don't want to be that way anymore. I would rather live my life and have some regrets having lived it actively than to live my life overly cautiously, having regrets of things I could have done or at least attempted. Thoughts?

Traveling with some movement

2005-06-25T15:42:00.000-05:00

Just a little preview if you're interested. I went to Denver, Colorado last week and took a few pictures in a few hard to reach places. This is on Torrey's Peak, 14,267 feet above sea level. Quite a day.

So you want to leave, eh?

2005-06-25T10:06:00.000-05:00

It has been enlightening and at the same time difficult to tell my patients that I am leaving. That they will return and see another doctor the next time. Mostly they are happy for me, that I am doing what I "need to do" or "what makes me happy." And yet, some of the time I get the sense that they are not happy with me for leaving them, as though I thought about each of them specifically when I decided to leave. "Dr. Wales, what am I going to do?!" Survive, just as you have been under my care (or despite it), just as you were doing before I came here. It is hard to tell people with whom I have invested so much time and energy that I am not going to continue to be that support for them. I knew that it might be difficult, but with a few it has been particularly tough.

Case in point- two weeks ago one mexican lady told me that she wished me God's blessing and that everything would go so well with me because I have been so good to (my patients). In Spanish she asked me if I knew that (my Spanish-speaking patients) really loved me because I treated them so well, as though they were my own sons and daughters. She went on to tell me that I was the best doctor that she had ever had. I have to say that it was the first time in a long time that anyone has said something to me that made tears come to my eyes. Of course I cry at dumb movies where I have been manipulated into doing so, but this was completely different. It was refreshing. And it made me feel a true sense of accomplishment- that I have accomplished something special here, and that God has truly used me to be a blessing to my patients.

The other thing I have noticed is that as the days draw nearer to my time of departure I am a wee bit apprehensive about leaving. This always happens, but right now it is a little worse because I haven't lined up anything for the fall. I may be going to Yuma, or Portland, or maybe Albuquerque, but nothing is certain. That being the case I have resolved to let the chips fall as they may and keep on with my plans. Most people sem to think that it sounds exciting for me, though maybe they don't think that they could ever do something like that. Some will say so, while others seem to give some sort of approval, all the while thinking that I am nuts to walk away from all this. But "all this" is another topic.

Interruptions

2005-06-12T23:05:00.000-05:00

Interruptions come in a variety of forms. Obviously some are more dramatic and attention-getting, while others can be somewhat ignored (though hardly an interruption if it can be completely ignored). The main thing is that they interrupt one's sense of calm, one's poise, or train of thought if you will.

Interruption can change the present in ways that are not predictable sometimes. My current job has been interrupted by my own choice to leave. In this case I have interrupted myself in a sense, as I have been on a steady course for sometime. I am forced to deal with the interruption and see how things will work out that are not exactly within my control.

This is of my own choosing, but what I find more interesting is that sometimes we are interrupted by things that are not of our own choosing, and how we handle those can be very revealing of our character and of who we really are.

In this Blog I plan to discuss many things, from my personal feelings about traveling as a doctor and not really having a real home, to how other things are affecting me and those around me.

Those of you who know me, know where I am coming from, but for thise who don't, you are welcome to read along and ask questions as you like. I may not always explain myself clearly without prompting.

I hope you enjoy my roadtrips. I know I will...