Twice The Flags. Half the Office.

There's this great new invention I just learned about called a "holiday." The way it works is that every time one of them comes around (usually on a Friday or Monday) you don't go to work. Pretty simple. Instead you're supposed to leg it to the grocery store, buy a whole bunch of food (we thank thee Germans for thy bratwurst!), and eat it. (I tried explaining it to a Frenchy once, and while he grasped the eating right away I had a dickens of a time explaining the basics. The whole "work" predicate seemed to offend.) Usually when these "holidays" would come around it meant I had to work twice as much. This is nice.

April and I are had our own personal Memorial Day celebration, the one where it's just us, yesterday. We picked up some brats, corn-on-the-cob, baked beans (Boston style) and wedge cut french fries, skins on. She prepared the corn, beans and fries while I bravely cooked up the brats. Then we watched a lot of tv. The latest Doctor Who special, a Mythbusters, and So You Think You Can Dance---I don't think I can, in case anyone was wondering. We also ate ice cream. Since the really good stuff was on sale we each got our own carton. She got mudpie and I got cake batter. It's not as good as Coldstone's cake batter ice cream but it works.

Today we're going to see a Gwinnett Braves game with a beer and a hot dog. And the boss and his wife and kid are apparently going to show up too and then have us over to their place where I'm told an X-Box 360 resides along with a copy of Portal. Oh yes. Portal. Btw, did you know that there's a flash version?

April's lying down enjoying a much deserved rest after making a whole ton of freezer jam, one of her methods of taking advantage of the low in-season prices of strawberries and blackberries. She's also taken to making yogurt at home. We use whole milk so it doesn't have that Greek-style creaminess but it does taste so much better than the stuff you get at the store. You feel a lot better after eating it too.

Though I love working with my wife I'm kinda curious to see what will happen once she's spending more of her time at home with the baby. She's terribly creative, likes to try new things and generally doesn't stop moving unless she's tired. I wouldn't be surprised to come home to a newly painted apartment every other Thursday complete with hand-carved furniture and hardwood floors, cut, treated, installed, stained and urethaned all on her own. "Oh, just a new project I was trying out. I don't think I like carving though so I'm going to try my hand at that build-it-yourself nuclear reactor I saw in the back of Popular Science."

Oh, do pray for us if you get the chance. We think we've finally found the next place we want to live. It's not a house with a yard and all that, but it's a great little apartment complex that's surprisingly cozy and just might be in our budget. The place actually cleans their pool and takes care of the garbage. How novel. It felt good and "healthy" to both of us, if that makes any sense. We think we're in love.

Cheers!

P.S. Forgive the lack of pictures. I hope the various links will suffice in their stead.

Old Fashioned

At the moment of this writing Ellsbury has just tripled at the top of the 2nd putting the Red Sox ahead of Seattle by 2. Let's hope the rest of the game fares similarly.

Probably the most exciting things that have happened lately can be read about at Pip's blog which April has been diligent at updating. Of course, it is much more likely that you found your way here from there which means you’ve likely caught up on all that so really I’m just wasting space.

There have been a few odd events that didn’t directly involve the baby. Just over a week ago as we were heading home late from work we were bumped from behind—just slightly—by another car. It was driven by a woman who, no doubt, was equally late in getting home from work and too tired to guide her foot to the brake right away (which is essentially how they teach you to drive in Atlanta—quick to the gas, slow to the brake … but then suddenly). We pulled off the road, checked things out and decided there wasn’t any major damage done other than a small scratch that could be easily patched. Information was exchanged and we drove off.

There are few things more frustrating than trying to work out the details of minor impacts. No one wants the insurance companies involved (ironic, isn’t it?) if it can be at all helped but as you go about getting an estimate for repairs, knowing full well the it’s going to cost more than you think, which is a bit higher than the other driver thinks, and you invariably find that the cost is even higher than that. Then you've got to inform the person that hit you.

I had another experience much like that when I went to get an oil change and new tires for the car. And then there’s the alignment which keeps the new tires from wearing funny and before you know it you’ve swiped your card and ... money is really not worth what you grow up thinking it is. And then you think you’ve learned that lesson, and then something happens which teaches you money is really not worth what you thought it was then, and so on.

Speaking of which, my wife had her first Mother’s Day on Sunday. I think technically it doesn’t really count until the baby’s here for all to see, but April’s good at finding excuses to celebrate and that mentality is growing on me—for the good, I might add. Also, given the state of western civilization it seems prudent and necessary to emphasize the fact of having an in-God’s-image, fully human baby already, whether or not it’s wanted or visible or audible or whatever.

As you can see in the picture part of her gift from me was 3 cans of “Stoney” brand ginger beer. She hasn’t had it since her time in Kenya and tells me it’s the best. It’s a Coca-Cola product but they only sell it in Africa. Apparently it’s not sugary or fruity and takes some small effort to appreciate in which case most Americans would rather not drink it. “Not what I’d have expected for my first Mother’s day” said she. Now that she says so it is a rather odd present.

Still, I’m hoping that it means I’m getting to know my wife better. After all, a year ago I’d have picked her up a card and flowers. All fine of course, but I like to get things for April, not women in general, if you take my meaning.

(It’s now 5-4, Seattle. Blast.)

Oh! Notice the title of this post? I’m reading That Hideous Strength by C. S. Lewis and, while there are a lot of interesting things he brings up, I was struck by a comment made by one of the characters who remarked that the way someone acted sounded “old fashioned.” “I don’t know about old fashioned, but it’s certainly old” was the response. That is a distinction that I doubt would come easily, or readily, to a culture that tends to equate the two. It reminded me of “Modern Jewish Culture,” one of the classes I took in college. It was a good class, but in his effort to emphasize the importance of the Old Testament as a predicate for all that goes on in the New the prof encouraged us all to call it the “First” Testament. "Wouldn’t it make more sense," I suggested, "to continue calling it “old” and re-educate the students on their deplorable view of old things? That way you’d be getting at the root of the problem." I don’t remember his exact response, except that he indirectly dismissed my point and, to my knowledge, still teaches the “First Testament” thing, much to the limited thinking of his students.

Incidentally, studying Catholic theology has actually fostered a far greater appreciation for and understanding of the OT than my days at Gordon ever did. But that's by the bye.

That’s all for the time being. April’s home now (from her girl’s night) and the Sox are ... struggling. G'night!

Flagging Feline

One of our cats has taken to teenage-style loafing in addition to his usual incessant meowing, inspired by two half-empty food bowls.

Mmmmm, they're just like people, aren't they!?!? This will give us such wonderful experience for when the baby comes. I mean, babies have two eyes and a nose and ears, JUST LIKE CATS!

There are other similarities but this entry has been so taxing already. It's, what, like 3 times longer than a twitter post?