Moving Day!

Since Jared has been busy with everything from Red Sox games to assembling furniture, I thought I'd hop over here and update with some pictures from our move. We had to pack a lot of our stuff a couple weeks in advance because we were out of town right before we moved. Everything that wasn't packed sort of just got thrown into boxes the day of-- we're still sorting those out. While the packed items sat around the house, the cats (especially Casanova) decided that he really needed to check it all out. It turned into a "Where's Waldo" kind of experience. We never knew where we'd find him. I got a couple of pictures of his favorite spots. Can you find him in this one?


For some reason, whenever a shelf was cleared he wanted to claim it. He sat in this one a lot.


Then the big Saturday came and we had WONDERFUL friends who came and helped us. Here you see Stephen, the Communications Director at work, trying to figure out how to get the couch through the door-- that couch has always been a challenge. Oh, and of course there's me looking (or at least feeling) HUGE. :) The air conditioning was off since the door was open most of the day, making this pregnant lady feel 5 times bigger than I actually was. I was so glad there were people there to help!


Then it was down to the truck. The Lord really blessed us here. We had no idea what size truck to get, but the 14' plus a friend's pickup ending up being perfect. All we had to come back and get was a dresser. That's Dave in the truck, another friend from work. He and his wife Lauren worked so hard and with such great attitudes. We owe them big time!

Here's Aimee, a church friend, with Dave and Lauren at the moving truck and then Jared and Stephen trying to secure the couch and chair in the pickup.


We were all pooped at the end of the day, but Jared and I still managed to stay up past midnight (we were done with the actual moving part by 1 PM) unpacking. Apparently even Mr. Darcy was exhausted because he spent the next couple of days just doing this:


I have some pictures of the apartment, but you can't tell anything about it because they're all boxes and random furniture strewn around. It looks much better now, so I'll try to get some pictures soon and post them.

We really love our new place-- there's so much space! It's more convenient to get to and there's even a park we can walk to from the complex. It has its downsides-- a tiny refrigerator and freezer, more bugs-- but all in all it's a huge step up. Yay for God's provision! He has abundantly blessed us. Now you all have to come visit!

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?

The blooms on the dogwood trees outside our apt this morning looked like snow.

Convoy of Hope/Roaming Cattle

April has been encouraging me, since she's eagerly taken the helm of Pip's journal, to write out my own version of how our lives have played themselves out lately. We've been quite busy which sometimes causes events to jumble together, making it difficult to recall those sort of details that are actually interesting. And then there are those sorts of details that tend to bore; bog things down: we got up at 6am, got ready, drove there, filled bags with food, passed them out, etc. etc.. Okay, but what happened?

Just now I went to Malcolm Muggeridge for some story-telling inspiration, picking up his Chronicles of Wasted Time. It's quite good. I can tell from reading the first three pages, and that's saying something. He has always loved words. I have not. For many years growing up I had no special taste for them that I knew of (if anything they bugged me because I struggled making the best use of them) so trying to grind them out now makes for some poor writing. I love words now of course; now to make them love me.

But that's by the bye. (My wife just informs me, by the way again, that Cleveland is royally clobbering the New York Ys; the birds are singing) The journal! Capturing the day ... here's a go:

Today we found ourselves signed up to volunteer for "Convoy of Hope" in Roswell. The event is one of those ministries that travels around to different parts of the country (and the world, as it turns out) and spreads "hope" in the form of fulfilling basic needs and passing out various delights from cotton candy, free hair cuts, food, and providing eager numbers of individuals ready and willing to pray with anyone who wants them to or is willing to be convinced of their need.Have you ever heard of too many volunteers? It's like too many cooks in the kitchen, but in our case a very good thing since there is always someone else to take your place should you need it. But we did have gobs of volunteers all over and under foot; had to scrape my shoes off a couple times.

The Convoy organizers gave us these brilliant t-shirts displaying the event organizers' wisdom in finally getting beyond the thinking that neon t-shirts are the absolute best things for volunteers to be wearing. They were all grey with tasteful white lettering and some black in the bg for accent. This is a shirt I'd be much more likely to wear just anytime. Give it to Goodwill? Nope! (Then again, there's that paraphrase of John 10.10 on the back: "I have come so that people may live, and that they may enjoy life to the full." Not quite what that verse was saying. Kinda Jesus meets Nike.)

But "Convoy of Hope" gets props for not ripping off anyone else's design/logo and putting some solid thought and creativity into those t-shirts. In fact, the entire event tended to reflect that mentality and approach. Instead of just having an event where struggling families can come and get a hot meal and a few bags of groceries, they essentially provided an entire carnival for free. Tight-rope walkers, music, games for kids, clowns (!); they even had stuff that carnivals don't have, like people dressed up as cattle. One waved at me. Thank God I was eating chicken.

<-- I think it's plotting something with that bald guy. Notice how everyone else pretends it's not there.

They also provided free hair cuts, family portraits (over 400 total), a health clinic and there was even a small job fair (here I go with the lists). Supposedly Jeff Foxworthy was scheduled to show up but I didn't see or hear him. Maybe he was in the cow suit.

We’re all people. We need our basic furnishings to survive, but we need interaction with each other, we need our sense of wonder cultivated. We need our imaginations stimulated by true interaction with others, stories told, not force-fed to us through slick vids. Kids need basic food, but I also want them to taste cotton-candy and jump on a trampoline every so often by way of their neighbors sharing what they’ve got. Hair cuts and family photographs help people remember and reclaim basic human dignities. I think Convoy of Hope was really aiming at meeting some of those needs.

All told more than 2500 people attended the event. Tack on another 1500 odd volunteers and things did get a little crowded at times but it was good. We even got a chance to see some of the kids we helped to babysit on Thursday nights while their parents attended free ESL classes. Great kids.

The wife and I have a few sunburns to show for our efforts. Mine are generally on my arms since I had a hat on while hers are all over her face, shoulders and neck. Before you think I’m a bad husb. for not giving up my hat, neither of us were quite aware of the sun/burns until it was too late. We’re learning the rule though: fair skin + sun - sunscreen = big ouch. No matter how often we try to defy this one we always end up demonstrating it.

Anyway, April’s always finding ways to interact with and help out in the community, something that is not quite so natural for me; so good for me though and we generally have a blast doing it. Funny how that works. Thank God for women, eh? Community and conservatism are a part of their metaphysics.

More pics:

Our team's grocery bag's.

The other team filled fewer bags than we did and took longer to do it.

... which pretty much makes us awesome.