Things I Learned

watching Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve:

1-St. Peter's Basilica is quite possibly the most beautiful place of worship on the planet.

2-There is a LOT of audience participation.

3-The Catholics are really efficient at distributing the sacrament. (Seriously, 10,000 people in 5-7 minutes...impressive.)

4-The Pope is not looking well.

Every year I mull over actually attending midnight mass at the local Catholic church. I've never actually attended (I'm intimidated) and generally I don't get home in time to catch the broadcast, but something just seems right about having a worship service on Christmas Eve. In the LDS church the Christmas program (generally the ward choir sings several hymns and scripture detailing the birth of Christ and his ministry is read) is done the Sunday before Christmas. I've always thought that if we want to refocus attention on the spiritual aspect of the holiday, we should worship on the holiday.

My Christmas was great...lots of family, lots of stories, a lot of little kids running around under foot.

One of our Christmas traditions is that my father always reads the story of Christ's birth from the book of Luke before we were allowed to open a present on Christmas Eve. I am amazed at how short the story actually is. When we were young it seemed like it went on and on and on...now it is amusing to see all my neices and nephews wiggle and squirm while Grandpa gets out the big white Bible and reads the story. It was really a great Christmas, crowded, but great. It was the first time in a couple of years that the whole family has been together for Christmas.

Merry Christmas!

Norad tracks Santa so you can figure out exactly when he'll be at your house. Merry Christmas, everyone.

Frog-mania

First, a big thanks to John Z. Orange who provided me with the original link and the person I'm totally stealing from.

The American Museum of Natural History has a frog exhibit that completely fascinates me. As we all should have learned during the whole corpse flower incident that I am amazed by bizarre things in nature and if they have a webcam of the action....well, all the better.

So I read all about different frog species, poison dart frogs (my favorite), frogs and the ecosystem, and all sorts of interesting facts about frogs and toads.

My personal favorite facts are
1-some frogs actually protect their vital organs and then let the water in their bodies freeze in the winter, and
2-some frogs stop their digestive process and carry their young in their stomachs. When the froglets are born they jump out of the mother's mouth. There is a great photo of that here.

I know, I know....I'm a dork, but at least I'm a dork who is learning something new. :)

The Broken Road

I set out on a narrow way many years ago
Hoping I would find true love along the broken road
But I got lost a time or two
Wiped my brow and kept pushing through
I couldn't see how every sign pointed straight to you

I think about the years I spent just passing through
I'd like to have the time I lost and give it back to you
But you just smile and take my hand
You've been there you understand
It's all part of a grander plan that is coming true

Every long lost dream led me to where you are
Others who broke my heart they were like northern stars
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you
Now I’m just rollin’ home into my lover's arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road that led me straight to you

Performed by Rascal Flatts

I left my heart...

I met my soul mate today. Big problem, he lives in San Francisco, me...not so much.

A Letter to my City Council

I appreciate your consideration for the vacant council position and feel that *new councilman* is an excellent choice. I like and respect him and would have voted for him had he run in the last election. That said you made a comment last night that is worth noting and discussing.

There is a division of the City Council that is obvious to the most casual observer. It seems as though past conflicts and personal animosity have played the major role in this divisiveness. I had hoped that a neutral candidate, unaffiliated with these past issues, would be able to help refocus the Council and heal some of these wounds. I was deeply disappointed to discover that after two weeks of discussion the City Council was unable to reach a consensus. It seemed as though further discussion would only entrench the ideology of both sides. I think Councilman T will do an excellent job, but feel he was involved in some of the issues that led to this animosity between council members and I am worried and saddened that the council could not clearly see this as an issue. It is deeply troubling to wonder if personal dislike colors the decisions made for this city.

So, as a concerned citizen I am saying now: it is time to put away past conflict, hurt feelings, and the animosity that has been harbored towards one another. It is time to refocus your energies and priorities into what is truly in the best interest of this city.

Again, I appreciate your consideration of my application to fill the vacated city council seat and look forward to being further involved in the issues of the city. Thank you all for your desire to serve and willingness to contribute your time.

I'd like to clarify that this is not sour grapes. I was always a little meh about the whole thing and only applied because of this issue. The new council member is also a former council member. He didn't run in the last election because he ran for a county commission seat. I do like and respect him; I really do think he'll do an excellent job. One of the other finalists made a point in his interview about how he was "blunt to a fault". I find this generally to translate into rude and tactless. If I were blunt to a fault, the letter would have said, "Grow up, get over it, and do your g**damn jobs!"

I live in a vacuum

I spent two hours the other night taking apart and fixing my vacuum because one of the roommates kept vacuuming after the canister got full and plugged everything up. Nice.

Also, whilst screwing the hose back together the screwdriver slipped. I now have a nice purple bruise around a nice Phillips-head shaped puncture wound on my arm. Nice.