Around the House

     Amy made history tonight. But first....

     Rags is meowing piteously to her now-outside-kittens (Agent May, Drysa, Glory and Licorice), it's so sad to watch. Freckles has been keeping an eye on them pretty well, but it's still hard for her to deal with.

     Captain did another heroic thing this morning: Fighting off and chasing away a coyote.

     Courtney, Caleb and Trevor went to a youth group get-together at the Buckmasters' last night and had a very good time, Courtney then spent the night with Libby while Caleb went to the Coxes' for a sleepover.
They're EXTREMELY EXCITED about camp registration forms being sent out; as are most of their friends. Courtney's also super eager to go back to Mexico in two weeks, and Dad's wondering what that will be like.

     Trevor's burned foot is healing, it's just going slower than he would like.

     This post has a "Sniffing Around the Place" tone to it. Which  wasn't exactly intentional, but it's seemed like it needed to be written, and as Sunny and Copper aren't here...Banjo doesn't have the self-confidence, and Rags is too out-of-sorts to give it a try.

     We were looking at pictures of Sunny recently, me and Amy, and we came across one with her and Sport looking at the camera. Amy points and says, "Sport!' "That's right, that is Sport." I smile, marveling. She lives so much in the present, it's hard to gauge exactly how much of the past is saved as memories. So that was really cool to see.
     We've spent a lot of time together so far this summer; which she loves. I'm like, one of the coolest people to ever walk the face of the planet to her, which is kinda neat. So we've played catch and dollhouse and Hot Wheels and read books and gone on imaginary grocery-shopping and hair-cutting trips(lots of those), and just generally that kind of thing. This morning we were sitting on the couch and she looks at me. "Where you 'tomach go?" Mom laughs and says, "He's just skinny, not as easy to notice as the rest of us."
     And tonight she lost a tooth, so she was the first of any of us to have both front teeth missing at the same time. She handed the tooth to me for safekeeping and proudly marched around showing everyone the new gap.

     Caleb watched The Big Green this afternoon, Trevor's been watching The Lone Ranger and MacGyver. 

     Dad's been busy rebuilding the flatbed trailer, and Mom's been harvesting vegetables from her garden and feeding animals, etc.

     At the moment, Trevor is busy making an elaborate decoy of a stuffed man on the floor. Why? "So that in case a bad guy breaks in, and it's completely dark, he'll think that it's a real person and shoot 'em, and that'll wake us up and then I can spring my trap on him and he'll be knocked out!" The decoy is even wearing shoes and wide-receiver gloves. (This is one of many common Caleb/Trevor occurrences around here, where Courtney or I usually point out the obvious(and to them, irrelevant).plot holes in these schemes. Usually it involves them taking a painstakingly long, detailed process of attacking the intruder and saying strange things while doing this. The villian always says "Oh, you're just kids" and then stands perfectly still and allows them to beat him up and run him away.)
     
     Steven's sermon yesterday on time in general was very good. Ten Ways to Destroy Your Child's Imagination was last week's super-interesting nonfiction read.

Books That Need to Be Written

     These books, as far as I know, don't actually exist. But the subjects sound interesting, and I love puns, so...yeah.

"Rugs and Carpets", by Walter Walls.
Walls covers all aspects of this topic of floor-drapery, including Middle Eastern history, the Industrial Revolution and today's modern business. 241 pages, hardback.

"Glory Be! Amen, Brother! and Other Religious Sayings", by Holly Lujah.
Why do older folks sometimes shout agreement during a sermon? How can "Bless your heart" mean such different things whether Grandma says it to someone she doesn't like or a good friend? These and other questions are answered in Holly Lujah's newest title. 143 pages, paperback.

"Early Videogames", by Mrs. Packman.
Pong. Galaga. Dig Dug. Donkey Kong. Space Invaders. Frogger. All classics of the industry that evoke pleasant memories and wistful yearnings for a world with less connections. Interspersed are interviews with gamers, in addition to the business decisions that formed the way we see video games today. 302 pages, hardback, paperback or Kindle edition.

"Safety Tips", by Justin Case.
This world's a dangerous place at times....maybe Mom was right about all those things you never listened to. 54 pages, paperback.

"Lions, Tigers and Bears", by O. Myers.
This charming picture book explains how a small cat learns not to be afraid of bigger animals, in announcing their ballgames. 41 pages, hardback.

"Quilts", by Blaine Keys.
A fascinating coffee-table book ideal for those winter nights during a storm when the power goes out. Examines patterns and how their names came to be; as well as the mechanical process and social connectivity of creating quilts. 314 pages, paperback.

"The Big Book of Basketball Stats", by R.E. Bounds.
Every conceivable hoops fact imaginable can be found in this book, as well as a great many inconceivable as well. What year did Abe Saperstein form the Harlem Globetrotters? How important was George Mikan's influence on professional basketball? How far-out was the ABA's original 3-point shot? Find those and many more sports-bar stumpers inside the pages of this book. 422 pages, hardback.

"Ajax vs. Comet" and "Clorox vs. Tide", both by Dee Tergents.
In these books on cleaning materials, the author examines the creation of artificial grime-removal solutions and the branding wars that resulted as marketing has become ever more important. 224 and 253 pages, respectively, both available in paperback or Kindle editions.

"Bad Singers Found Here", by Cole Showers.
Ever wonder what happens to all those American Idol contestants who fail miserably in auditions? Or what made them try out in the first place? Showers on these questions and more in his book which came about, incidentally, in the bathroom, while pondering why good(and delusional) ideas come when least expecting them. 226 pages, available in hardback, paperback, Kindle or audiobook versions.

"COWS!", by Bo Vine.
Everything is covered here, from mating to milking, heifers to Holsteins, castration to curing meat. Stanchions, slaughter, breeds and brands. Cattle drives through Texas and Wisconsin milk-producers. 347 pages, hardback or paperback.

"Town Drunks", by Otis Campbell.
The definitive word on the subject; examining the town drunk's role in small-town society and politics, as well as in popular music, movies and TV shows. 245 pages, hardback.

"The History of Church Clocks", by Father Tim E. Pieces.
Not many know of the interesting twists and turns of how their local church's clocks came to be. Here are laid clues for future sleuthing laid throughout as the author relates the accounts of six such clocks. 361 pages, hardback or paperback. His son Reese S. wrote a book called "Bite Sized Candy"(224 pages, paperback), which if purchased together save 21% the retail price.

"Opera Music", by H.I. Notes.
The complete beginner's guide to opera in textbook format. 674 pages, hardback.

"The Encyclopedia of Pool", by Bill Iards.
Iards puts a masterful new spin on the game associated with gentlemen, murders, con artists, back rooms, and seedy bars, shooting into the game's role on slang and literature, among other things. We chalk it up as a masterpiece. (Disclaimer: Some sections caused our staff to break down loudly.) 477 pages, hardback or paperback.

"Camp Memories", by Lottie Goodtimes.
Remembrances of tales of summer camp or church camps throughout the country. 197 pages, paperback.

"Snoopy: A Biography", by Bea Giles.
From his beginnings at the Daisy Hill Puppy Farm to coming to live with Charlie Brown and the Peanuts Gang, all the way to piloting the Metlife blimp and appearing in Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade; America's favorite beagle's life story is presented with personal insights from family and friends. 362 pages, hardback.

Not Much Happening

     There probably should be lots to write about, but I can't really think of much of anything interesting or newsworthy to tell.

     Reading Mitford, watching Amy and Trevor, cleaning, ping pong....

     Amy turned seven on Friday, she LOVED all the attention and presents and cake, just the fact that it was her birthday.

     Dad, Caleb and Trevor went camping last week.
     Rags' kittens are old enough to be outside now; they haven't quite adjusted just yet. She seems relieved, though.

     Went to Westville yesterday, it was good to see Nano.
   
     There are lots of things going on in May. Lots of folks I know slightly graduated from NSU recently, Brenna graduated high school last week, and Dylan Steeley graduates this week. Dylan Underwood and Grace Discher got married last Saturday, Daniel and his fiancee Chrissy get married this Saturday, and James Hoover and Chelsea are getting married next week. And Mrs. Hollis is organizing a writer's conference coming up soon.

     Feels like I ought to be watching Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. right now.

Sophomore Year in Review

     This guy at the campus library last week asked if I was graduating. People do that a lot. And then they look surprised when I say "I'm a sophomore." Almost(but not quite) as astounded as they did last year when I'd say "I'm a freshman."
     I just said that people say that a lot. The guy nodded. "You just kind of have that look."  People say that a lot, too. Is it a haggard, I'm-so-done-with-school expression? Or more a general aura of serious focus on getting the current task completed? Rushing around everywhere at top speed, maybe?

     Well, whatever it is, I'm about halfway to graduation. And then? Who knows?
     Folks say college gets easier and goes by faster the closer it gets to the end. I disagree. It gets harder, life gets harder. And time simply becomes an abstract concept you lost track of ages ago, so you're never quite sure how that's supposed to work.
     This school year began with trying to cope with Sunny being gone, which hasn't been easy. And then in late October Copper, too... I caught a horrible sinus infection and voluntarily skipped two classes in one day, and then a couple months after that I got the full-blown flu(Missed TWO FULL DAYS of classes there). In between, I got an array of every small little thing you can catch. Had an hour-long dinnertime conversation about going to the bathroom. Gotten lost on a road trip. Took a personality test. Watched from the sidelines at a square dance. Crashed into pals at the skating rink. Been snowed in by blizzards during both Bedlam and the Super Bowl. Didn't get to attend church as much as would be ideal. My braces came off.  There were much-needed coffee runs at McDonald's with friends. Watched the Olympics often. And I was interviewed for a magazine article on college survival.

     Starting to get used to living with the family again, Trevor enjoys sharing a room. And Amy LOVES having me back. Lots of ping pong and board games, especially a new one called Ticket to Ride. It's kind of like a Settlers of Catan blended with Monopoly. Pretty awesome. Except it makes me want to visit all these places like Seattle, Portland, Duluth, Winnipeg, Atlanta, Santa Fe and Nashville...and all those places in between. Like coming back from Louisville from T4G a couple years ago, we stop at this little gas station in the middle of nowhere early on a late April Friday morning. I run in and grab a couple local newspapers, then pause. "Where am I?" The clerk, a grim-faced middle-aged woman appearing to have a bad day, her face softens as she smiles and says, "Why, you're in Floyd's Knob, Indiana, hon." It's just really interesting seeing different parts of the country.

     Looking back over these posts, I've mentioned the BCM a lot. This year has been long and hard to get through, but God is faithful, and He's the director; things will always go according to His script, accomplishing whatever He has mapped out for the story to go. And one of those tools He used was those BCM people. I once heard somebody say this, which has stuck with me; "Maybe sometimes leaders don't know they're supposed to be leaders until somebody shows them how."
     Watching the way Samantha led SWAT, or Daniel P. and Ricardo guiding the worship team, Michelle sort of keeping watch over everything and Bob and Deb making sure things are running smoothly, that's been really something to see and learn from.
     The basketball tournament was interesting, but I wasn't expecting to go. I'm short, skinny, and I have a strong survival instinct, none of which is very helpful when it comes to basketball(or sports in general). But they needed a sixth player, so that was why I went along. Kind of a backup player as far as the worship team, there are much better guitarists than I am. But I'm the only person who plays mandolin, so that's another small bit I can fill.
     Intensely watching the Thunder. The occasional ping pong battles, or snarky-comment-filled games of pool with Jacob and Elizabeth. Jamming out worship music with a half-dozen other guys, or the "Did that really just happen?" moments during rehearsals of the program. Hanging out in the office late at night, or McDonald's coffee runs for conversation and stepping back to appraise things. Napping on the "Softest Couches on Campus" in the living room. Reacting to storm-related crises. Friday fellowship with the Lunch Bunch.
     The Thursday-night Bible studies were beneficial, diving deeper than the ordinary Monday-night meetings. There were times where I didn't feel like showing up but went ahead anyway; those seem to be the times God uses especially to remind you of some truth you'd forgotten or sin that needs addressing.
     Much like anywhere else I find myself, I kind of stuck along the fringes of each group of people. That will be reflected with my official status of Shadow in fall as Holly and I will technically be working under Susan with leading SWAT, but I may continue on the worship team, and Stephen's thinking of teaching me how to operate tech-stuff, too, for if they need someone else to jump in and help. So I'm not exactly sure what I'll be doing in fall, but looking to help out wherever I can.
     So I guess what I'm saying is that the BCM is kind of a campus-church, not perfect by any means, but a collection of believers seeking to grow in Christlikeness and encourage one another to hang onto their faith. It made this year a lot easier to deal with.

     Class-wise, a lot of the courses I took this year didn't teach me that much by themselves, but making the connections tying them together gave me a deeper appreciation of how wonderful and magical this world we live in is, and appreciation and thankfulness to the One that created it that we can be a part. Example: Food intake can affect our bodies and minds, which causes changes in the brain and actions that can be studied as psychology. Psychology, of course, has a huge impact on great literature, both the reading and writing of it, creating tales and understanding them. The most practical modern way to do that is through journalism, and all writing of any kind in English is heavily influenced by Latin, in nearly every way imaginable. Finally, by words one can influence changes in eating habits and attitudes.
     Prof. Semrow's Literature class was amazing; getting to study Hemingway short stories and poetry twice a week, and the fact that she cared about the stuff she was teaching, and homeschool-mom-like tried to teach her students to examine things critically on their own, question some things in the educational system, for example, that could be improved. It was so great that I emphatically recommended Susan also take it with Prof. Semrow, and she loved it, too. Dr. Faulds was terrific; I loved taking his Latin classes, and wish there were more. (Actually, I would love to take almost any course either of them taught.)
    Mrs. Bowin's psychology class was interesting. I disagreed with a lot of her theories and ideas, but she was all right with that. In a way, she was a lot like my high school drama/speech teacher Mrs. Jackson.
     Basic Editing was maddening at times, but so worth it and enjoyable. Dr. Eversole drilled AP Style into our heads to where we actually can work with it, after being introduced in Cassie's Basic Writing class the spring before. And I've always really enjoyed editing/critiquing things for some weird reason, so that was good.
     Nutrition and speech were both rather pointless and unhelpful.
     Basic and Advanced Video Production were both stressful. But they also taught me how to use editing software and worked on my sanctification and improvisational skills through dealing with unexpected challenges and getting the job finished as best I could. And it introduced some of the lingo, terms and expectations in working with broadcast media.

     Read through Ephesians, Colossians, Ecclesiastes, Ruth and 1 John pretty often, studying how our lives as believers ought to look. The prayers and encouragements of my GBC family was invaluable; the Coxes; the Merediths; Mr. Dugas, Carolyn Osborn, Mrs. Pickard, Ryan McNeil, many others I can't think of right now. One day just as Christmas break was ending, Mrs. Meredith gave me a hug and said, "You know, Wesley, we've been watching and praying for you over the last two years, and I just wanted to say we're so proud of the man you've grown into! It's just...." she shook her head. "It's a blessing."
     There's been Edgar Guest and Rudyard Kipling poems to serve as inspiration to keep going, and that Emerson poster on my wall.
     Captain America: The Winter Soldier was amazing, as was the first season(now renewed for a second) of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Blimey Cow's Messy Mondays has also been a frequent weekly bright spot.
     Encouragement, laughter and advice have come from Daniel, Jon, Ash, Amanda and Jessica. And it's been great to have Grandpa and Robbie so close by, or Louise and Harry.
     If there were a playlist of songs fitting this school year, like I did last year or for graduation, besides the obvious hymns, that would probably include Steven Curtis Chapman's "God is God", "Magnificent Obsession", "See the Glory", "Declaration of Dependence"; Big Tent Revival's "Two Sets of Joneses", Rich Mullins' "If I Stand", Taylor Swift's "Long Live", Eli's "Stand", Relient K's "Be My Escape" and "Sadie Hawkins Dance", and Miranda Lambert's "New Strings". There's others I could add, but that pretty much covers it, and I can't remember many other significant tunes.
     There's been Rags all along, though, and now her kittens. That's been very important, to have those animals there in life.
     Squeaked by with straight A's again, so that's another mission completed.

     Read through Neil Postman's Amusing Ourselves to Death the other day, and working on C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity, really enjoying those. Not sure what else I'll find to go through, but it's good to have time to read non-textbooks.

May Daze

     I'm feeling a lot like Kansas right now. (It's a Laurie Keller reference; from The Scrambled States of America. Look it up sometime; it's in the children's picture-book section of the library.) How do I know this? Because I"M NOT FEELING HAPPY AT ALL!
     Sorry for the shouting, but it's part of the quote; it simply must be shouted. I'm feeling frustrated and worn-out at the moment. And really hungry.
   
      Monday was a night to remember, for sure. It started out pretty typically; with school and classes and everything. There was a picnic scheduled for Ja Li Si's birthday, which was moved into the BCM basement due to rain. So the "Plan B(asement)" worked out pretty well; we just spread a couple blankets on the floor and had the picnic indoors. And we picked out the design for next year's SWAT shirts.
     The Monday-night meeting(known as "Impact" for some reason I don't know) was scheduled to be held outside, since it was the last one of the semester, but then the weather decided to be all Oklahoma and rain on us. After pouring down and drenching everything in sight, leaving every flat surface a three-inch-deep puddle, the rain cleared out and BCM leadership was faced with a quandary: Hold it outside as scheduled and brave the rain, or play it safe, hold it indoors, and risk the weather turning nice again? The meteorology team of Stephen, Ashleigh and Justin studied their radars and predicted the rest of the storm would miss us, but everyone else wasn't exactly sure. If they were wrong and it started raining....most of the technical equipment would probably be ruined.
     So Stephen and Justin and I found some brooms and team-swept the stage of the ampitheatre curling-style while waiting on word. They decided to take another look at radar and talk to other people, while Susan and I decided to clean the water out of the seats while waiting on word. It was hard work, yes, but it was so much FUN! (I GOT TO clean SOMETHING!! And it was NECESSARY!!)   And besides, whether we used the space or somebody else did the next day, someone needed to clear it out. It felt like home; like I was in the family room cleaning up after a flood or ripping up carpet. Anyway, when we'd gotten almost finished we get word from Daniel P. that Project Outdoor Impact was a go, so it was minor touch-ups and getting set up without missing a beat schedule-wise.
     It went all right, except for a chilly wind freezing everyone. After cleaning up, there was a bunch of ice cream in the fridge that needed to be eaten, so....well, you can't waste perfectly good ice cream. Especially when there's peanut butter sandwiches and chocolate syrup and other toppings to accompany the ice cream. Bob revealed that the intensity of the set-up was because, well, it was a set-up, in a way. A sort of test of the ability to take calculated risks and trust leadership, and then as a team accomplish that goal to see what the results might be.
     Anyway, the ice cream was then cleaned up and most people left; leaving me, Stephen, Elizabeth, Michelle, Jordan, James, Ja Li Si, Ashleigh, Bucky, Haley A. and Caitlyn. So Bucky and James tried to teach two-step lessons, I found myself DJing the small dance party that resulted, and then eventually with it being close to midnight, and nobody wanting to leave until it was officially Ja Li Si's birthday, Jordan grabbed James' guitar and we had a 90's/early 2000's singalong. (Picture a bunch of folks doing "Sadie Hawkins Dance", including the part in the chorus where you sound like a pack of barking seals.)

     Everything after that has been working frantically on final projects. (And exhausted spacey looks between studying and sleeping.)
     This morning we had our final presentation for MMP, and so are anxiously awaiting final grades on that. And then the afternoon was filled with beginning shooting for my music video for the Advanced Video Production final. I think most of the shots I got were crappy and I'll need to redo them all. But I'm not sure, because the computer lab was locked early, so I couldn't upload the files yet once I checked the camera back in. And that's after switching cameras midway through due to technical freakout problems.

     Finals next week; and then moving out and heading back for the summer. Probably I ought to work on the recaps of this school year.
     Amanda's been pestering me incessantly in an exasperating little sisterly/friendly way without end.
     I've had a lot of Mitford quotes running through my head recently. Among them: "No rest for the weary, and the righteous don't need none!" (Mitford saying, originally from Uncle Billy)
"I like you. You're simple." "I'm probably the only woman in the world who would consider that a compliment." (Father Tim and Cynthia)
and "Philippians four-thirteen, for Pete's sake!" (Mitford saying, originally from Olivia Davenport)

     Also tons of Captain America quotes, from both movies. (NEED to see Winter Soldier again....) And the sequel to The Amazing Spider-Man comes to theaters tonight. And the Thunder will probably lose to the Grizzlies in an overtime game and be eliminated from the playoffs. Don't get me started on the Donald Sterling or Oklahoman-headline stories...

     And my birthday is four weeks from today.

April Adrenaline

     Another semester is nearing its end. The weather is beautiful today outside, and I'm sitting here in my dorm doing homework. But it's that time of year; and I might go for a walk or something for a break. Got a DC Talk CD playing right now, so that helps.

     The Red Fern Festival is this weekend; so that's a pretty big deal. Especially since Where the Red Fern Grows is pretty much about a dirt-poor boy and his two dogs. But for that reason, it's such a wonderful book, and I'm tearing up right now and I can't help it....

     Okay, well. Yeah. (I love dogs, okay?) Anyway, Mom stopped by to visit last night and said a new stray has stopped by for a bit, so the new-animals-I-need-to-meet count is up to Rags' kittens(I met them, but they weren't old enough to have personalities yet), the new goats and this new dog.

     Courtney's pretty excited about going to Mexico again in June; and Dad's gonna go this time, too.

     I got to thinking about the things I've done to relax this past week after working on homework and projects all day: Sunday: Watch MacGyver. Monday: Thunder basketball. Tuesday: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Wednesday: Blues hockey. Thursday: Thunder basketball. Friday: NASCAR and Blues hockey. Tonight: NASCAR and Thunder basketball.
     None of those are "calming, non-stressful opportunities for deep breathing".
     Nope, they're edge-of-your-seat action thrillers.
     Nope, nope, nope, that's not right, either....they're all "pacing frantically, mentally-taxing, adrenaline-spike-producing, yell at the TV" types of events.

     Monday night after the Impact meeting Amber, Stephen, Jordan, Ja Li Si, Elizabeth and I were all watching the Thunder game in the living room, yelling and screaming at the screen. A handful of other people were watching us watch the game; they thought that was more entertaining. But, I mean, it's THUNDER BASKETBALL. Thunder PLAYOFF basketball. Thunder PLAYOFF basketball AGAINST THE GRIZZLIES. Normal emotions go out the window; it's one of those rivalry things that can't be explained. (Maybe that's one of those mysteries we'll understand in heaven? Wait....is that sacrilegious to wonder that?)      Anyway, it was fantastic. And so intense. Amber broke her phone by throwing it into the ground at one point  Durant's incredible four-point play late, then Perk tying it with four-tenths of a second left....And then, of course, the wheels fell off in overtime for a 111-105 loss.

     And so, since it was such a great atmosphere during the game on Monday, Stephen and Jordan and a friend of theirs named Bucky mapped out a watch party for Thursday night at the BCM. Elizabeth, Amber, James and I all volunteered to help, so that was set up and about twenty-five people came. The TVs upstairs, in the living room and in the basement were all running the game; there were hot dogs, four types of chips, chili, queso, five types of pop, popcorn, a bowl of mini Reese's, cheesecake and a mountain of Little Debbies. (Other events going on that night were the Mike Brown benefit dinner/auction, the NSU Idol competition,.and a production of "Into the Woods", so that explained the smaller-than-expected turnout.)
      It was pretty great. The game started out slowly, we were playing horrendously; and it was painful to watch for most of the first three quarters. The gang assembled migrated as a herd through the three viewing-stations, near halftime some random Greeks got pool and ping pong tournaments started.
     Somewhat superstitiously, everyone froze in their spots during the fourth quarter, resulting in half the remaining folks upstairs howling the roof down and and the rest tearing everything and everyone apart with vicious pent-up emotion. The insults were flying thick and the slightest bit of gamma radiation would've caused us all to completely Hulk out. I'm surprised the couch pillows weren't completely shredded. It was me, Amber, Elizabeth and this girl Bubba Jacob knows named Haley in the living room, and our yowling brought Michelle, James, Ja Li Si, Ashleigh, Justin and Drew out of the office where they were doing homework to see what was going on. Upstairs, Stephen, Bucky, Jordan and Other Jordan were coming equally unglued.
     Voices worn out with shouting/complaining/yelling/pleading/shouting/encouraging/cheering, towards the end words turned into a variety of growls, grunts, hissing and bristling fur. I learned I could be a very good cat, like maybe a jaguar or mountain lion. (Of course, I've had lots of practice talking Cat....)
     Considerably bummed-out by the overtime 98-95 loss, we cleaned up the food, rearranged the chairs and everything as best we could, and then drowned our sorrows in chocolate while discussing plans for fall. I walked home just after midnight, not sure when they wrapped up.

     I'll be on newspaper staff in fall; that'll be an interesting experience and it'll keep me busy, but it should be good, hopefully. Besides that, I'll also be helping lead SWAT next year alongside Susan. That's exciting, but intimidating; it'll definitely keep me supplied with things to pray about. Wondering where it will lead.... Ryan McNeil had asked me to teach Amy's Sunday School class last fall; but I had to decline because of school. So since then I've been praying about some type of ministry opportunity to come up, and then Samantha requested volunteers to step up to the plate and take the reins. We'll see what happens....

     Don't think I'll probably be at SGYC this year; haven't heard anything about it, anyway. And that's okay, maybe my time right now has closed, maybe it'll open back up at some later point down the road; Brother Larry and Ryan Butler have suggested the possibility of maybe teaching.  Courtney and Caleb are hoping that I'll be a counselor again, and if that happens that'd be great. If not, well, that's fine, too - I'll just enjoy listening to their stories. (Oh, good grief....I suddenly am picturing the three of us randomly driving back to Missouri mid-conversation with inside jokes and remembrances and stories...Mom might run out of the room with another level added to this subject....)
     Reading through old camp books...man, so many memories, such an outpouring of Christian-fellowship and encouragement.
     I was talking to Ash a few weeks ago, we got to talking about school, she mentioned jokingly that she'd almost forgotten a time when I wasn't in college. It does seem like it's been forever ago....and then sometimes it seems like last Tuesday.

     Reading through 1 John as the April saturation book, Mom's been talking about it nonstop for the past couple months, and then Mr. Johnson starting a Sunday School series on the topic about a month ago. There's some good stuff in there. Not sure what May's book will be; maybe Luke, that's probably my favorite of the Gospels.

     Listened to almost every DC Talk CD they've made so far today while working on homework; their self-titled debut;  "Nu Thang", "Free at Last", working on "Jesus Freak" right now, I'll probably run through "Supernatural" as well, just because I'm in a good mood.

     Haven't been sleeping especially great. "This mortal form grows weak, I require sustenance." (Thor) And a good laugh and a long sleep are the two best cures for anything, according to the Irish proverb. So somewhere there's a balance of those three elements; I just haven't figured out that balance just yet. Right now I'm in the "Need more caffeine, ASAP!" tunnel to finish this stretch of the race.
     And what few dreams I've been having are the future-everyday type, which is a little strange. Especially when there's a day like last Tuesday packed with deja vu and you aren't sure what things you've actually done before or just dreamed of. Sat through four innings of a baseball game; which was not very enjoyable. NSU was awful and getting killed and I was cheering for the other team. If I hadn't been taking notes I would've galloped away far sooner. Not really sure why I went;  since I didn't have to cover it or anything, but it was a good excuse to be outside in the terrific weather.

     Okay, time to stop writing for now and go study textbooks (bleah).

     ....Hmm....y'know, they'll still be there after a walk. And besides, it's supposed to be stormy tomorrow.

Backyard Kids: Baseball Rankings

     Why, I'm not sure, but baseball's been on my mind recently. Which is strange, since I don't really care for it all that much. But anyway, I thought it'd be a good excuse to throw my version of ranking the players from the Backyard Baseball League out into the blogosphere. (It's an interesting subject, and you'd be amazed at how many people have done this. It's the kind of thing you Google-search when you're a college student and it's past midnight.)
     If you are(or were) a coach of the Bombers, Fishes, Giants, Hornets, Socks, Rockets, Melonheads, Monsters or Wombats, (or the All-Stars, but they never really counted, I thought, because A: It sounds arrogant and pretentious to call your team "the All-Stars", and B: Their logo was terrible.)   Anyway, whichever team you're gonna be the manager of, you're gonna need to have some players. And you're gonna need to know your players' names, isn't that right? That's right. (Yes, that is a "Who's on First?" reference.)
     (By the way, since we're referencing different diamond-related items, here's a link to a equally fictional news story about what they're doing now.)
     But, anyway, it's pretty simple: I'm going to rank, from least to greatest, all 30 players in the league. Stats given reflect Hitting, Running, Pitching and Fielding, in that order, they were assigned by Humongous Entertainment.

Level One - THE GRUMPY CAT-LEVEL "NO". -
30 - Jorge "Bonkers" Garcia (2-2-2-2) Date of birth 10/17
Ugh....where to start? He can't field anything cleanly(which is helpful when he's on the other team), and he's almost an automatic strikeout when he's at the plate(which, again, is quite useful). I've rarely seen him pitch, but I doubt he could do that very well, either. Jorge just isn't athletic. And he's a rich snob. And he WEARS A TIE. And he's constantly fussing about not wanting to get dirty.

29 - Maria "Pinky" Luna (3-3-1-3) dob 7/23

"Not too sweet, not too sour....just a little too, ah, pink." - Uncle Max, Sound of Music. That quote works perfectly for Maria. And she's just so annoyingly girly-girlish. It's almost sad how much malicious enjoyment I got from tossing Angela's fastballs and fireballs past that prim starched batter at the plate.

28 - Ronny "The Pest" Dobbs (3-2-3-2) dob 8/10
He is and always will be "The Pest". He cries at the drop of a hat, and at all other times is just extremely whiny. There are few experiences more embarrassing in the Backyard Sports Universe than allowing Ronny to get a hit off you.

27 - Sally "The Boss" Dobbs (2-3-2-3) dob 11/11
Just as insufferable as her little brother, but even worse, if that's possible, due to her unbearable bossiness. As Vinnie the Gooch said, "The Boss is kinda like a 40-year-old in a kid's body." One small area of praise: if needed, she could be a decent relief pitcher.

26 - Reese "Big Toe" Worthington (2-3-1-3) dob 5/25
Poor Reese....what happened to him when he grew up? His asthma was so bad it kept him from playing almost every sport(though he was a decent soccer player), and he was just kind of....weak. Not exactly a sissy, but....well, small and unathletic. And what kind of nickname is "Big Toe", anyway? Always wished someone cooler would have had a birthday this close to mine.

25 - Ernie "Funnybones" Steele (2-2-3-4) dob 4/21
Ugh....sure, he could hit line drives pretty decently, and was about a mile tall, so could snatch balls no kid should have been able to get to without a ladder or Moon Boots, but his personality was SO AGGRAVATING! And his jokes weren't at all funny, and that giggling cackle of a laugh...."shivers in indignation". No telling how many holes I put into his family's shed or balls launched into the neighbors' swimming pool at Steele Stadium.

Level Two - "They're All Right, I Guess."
24 - Marky "Cootie" Du Bois (3-1-3-3) dob 9/6
Too much of a farmer. I mean, overalls are fine, and so is going barefoot, but carrying around a frog constantly? Also, when we were allowed to play ball in the pasture at the Du Bois Diamond it always seemed like a cheap rip-off of Dirt Yards(probably my favorite field of all time). Always hoped he'd get Billy Jean to notice him, though.

23  - Lisa "Mad Dog" Crockett (2-3-3-2) dob 12/4
Baseball just isn't Lisa's sport. Set her up as a linebacker on the football field or goalie in soccer, or get her on the ice for some hockey, and she'll be a great asset for your team. But baseball isn't aggressive enough, which is why she plays sports in the first place. Also, she has trouble getting along with people, so that really doesn't help much either.

22 - Dmitri "Paste" Petrovich (3-3-1-2) dob 6/9
If it's football, I'll take Dmitri as a lineman/kicker for sure, but anything else? Forget it! His defense is okay, but he can't hit worth anything. And he's far too brilliant, it rubs people the wrong way. he did build Mr. Clanky with Kenny, though; so that's something.

21 - Dante "Stretch" Robinson (2-4-3-2) dob 3/3
"I see London, I see France/I see your underpants!" has to be among the most annoyingly memorable infield chatter/jeers ever. And he has an Afro. His bat was too small to justify picking him very often, but that just meant he'd make several amazing defensive plays a game which would frustrate me to no end. And his appetite....haven't ya ever heard of moderation, dude?

20 - Vicki "Swan" Kawaguchi (1-4-3-4) dob 11/5
I'd occasionally play Vicki if I needed some fielding help and it was a fast playing surface(for example, Tin Can Alley or Cement Gardens). But she just wasn't one of those people I enjoyed spending time with....something to do with the obsession over ballet, probably. And the tiny space covered by her swing.

19 - Amir "Sticks" Khan (3-2-3-2) dob 9/1
Another person, like Ronny, Vicki or Angela, suffering the Little Sibling Effect: You constantly judge them based on the accomplishments of their older siblings. Amir was fine, I guess, but just seemed like he was always trying too hard to copy Achmed and never quite could match him. Probably dropping his air-guitar-bat coming to the plate didn't help much there. Can't hit anything inside.

18 - Gretchen "Jabberjaw" Hasselhoff (2-3-3-1) dob 5/31
SHE. WON'T. STOP. TALKING. That's mainly why I disliked her, and was also disappointed that her birthday was so close to mine. But she was a decent player otherwise.

17 - Kimmy "Twinkle Toes" Eckman (3-1-2-2) dob 6/22
Kimmy and sports(especially soccer, but anything really) go together "like chocolate and peanut butter", as she likes to say. Not spectacular at anything, but a solid player who'll try her hardest to help the team win. And her backyard makes a great field. Often picked for ensuring good team chemistry.

Level Three - The Good, But...

16 - Tony "Vec" Delvecchio (3-2-2-3) dob 7/16
Sure, Tony's cocky and brash and overconfident, and he wouldn't be the easiest guy to hang out with, y'know? But listen, Slick; he's got one heck of an arm, which can come in mighty handy on those close plays late in the game. Set him in the outfield, especially at Playground Commons, and you'll do pretty well, kid.

15 - Billy Jean "Crazy Legs" Blackwood (3-2-2-2) dob 1/26
She's extremely tall, with city  dreams of becoming a model and moving to "Pair-eese". But she's as country in attitude as they come, and easy to get along with, too. Not much help at the plate except for occasional line-drive singles, but she's usually good for advancing runners already on base. And she's a great first baseman, even though sometimes she has trouble catching the ball.

14 - Mikey "Nugget" Thomas (4-1-2-3) dob 10/19
He has a never-ending cold, is slower than the last week of school, has a pet rock and lives with his grandparents because his parents died (supposedly in a house fire). But he's a pretty good infielder at second or short, and can hit the ball a mile if he connects well.

13 - Kenny "K-Man" Kawaguchi (2-4-3-2) dob 10/20
"Don't let the wheelchair fool ya," Kenny will be the first to say. He can play pretty well; contact hitter, above-average on the mound, and good fielding. If it's a slow surface, though(say Dirt Yards or Sandy Flats), his (literal) wheels really don't work so well.

12 - Stephanie "Bubbles" Morgan  (3-3-2-3) dob 8/15
Stephanie LOVES baseball, as she'll gladly tell you about if you give her half a second. It's her life. Her dad was a minor leaguer, and he taught her everything she knows; including Babe Ruth's batting stance. (It doesn't help much if sneaky pitchers know she can't touch anything outside...heheheh.) She's a natural shortstop, though she can really play almost anywhere in the infield.

11 - Luanne "Lulu" Lui (2-4-3-1) dob 1/27
The youngest of the Backyard Kids, she's also one of the fastest there is. Bunt or weak grounder, and then a flash of little girl and inseparable pink teddy bear around the basepaths. She can also pitch surprisingly well, if needed.

10, 9 - Ashley "Little Smokey" and Sidney "Little Smokey" Webber (2-3-3-2) dob 2/18
Nobody has figured out a way to tell the Webbers apart, so it's probably best to play them together. If tennis was an official Backyard sport, they'd be world-class. It's not, though....but that natural athleticism pays off well in any sort of competition. They work best when they're working together, but can do almost as well on different teams. Besides, how can you dislike them? (Other unofficial sports they'd be amazing at: Volleyball, Frisbee, and mini-golf.)

8 - Ricky "Fella" Johnson (2-3-3-2) dob 2/14
Ricky's quiet, doesn't talk much if he can help it. He prefers to let his play talk for him; he's nearly unhittable when pitching(those slowballs and hooks will get ya every time), and a pretty good fielder besides. Of course, his ambling pace combined with laid-back swing mean a for-sure out on offense.

Level Four - Topps
7 - Annie "Flipper" Frazier (3-3-1-3) dob 9/18
Okay, I never really understood her lack of competitive-ness, and she's kind of a hippie, but she would make a fantastic teammate. Contact hitter, great catcher and overall team-encourager.

6 - Achmed "Axeman" Khan (4-3-2-2) dob 7/11
This dude rocks. Like, seriously. Kind of amazing he hasn't gone deaf with those massive headphones he wears(so were those, like, Beats before Beats existed?), but as much as he's into music outside of the game, on a baseball diamond he's pretty great, too. Doubles and triples, good fielding, decent pitcher for short periods, even a handful of stolen bases are possible with this guy on your team. And he's a terrific outfielder. (And what's even farther out than that: He's the third-best guy in the league.)

5 - Jocinda "MVP" Smith (4-2-2-4) dob 9/28
Jocinda is a great team leader; she'll get things done and her teammates will enjoy following her. That said, she's a very good athlete, but not the best. She's a good bet anywhere in the infield or outfield, though a little slow. Ground-rule double hitter, with a Kryptonite-level weakness of inability to hit pitches low and inside.

4 - Angela "Sugar Pop" Delvecchio (3-1-4-1) dob 12/20
What Annie lacks in competitive spirit; Angela more than makes up for on the mound. Batters dread facing her arsenal of speed-trap pitches, most notably her fastball, fireball and elevator ball. And at the plate, if she talk her bat into meeting that ball, they're gonna go places. Sure, she's a klutz, but it's pretty obvious where she should play, and her sarcasm and cockiness is a more-easily-accepted diluted version of Tony's. And man, if they play each other....

3 - Kiesha "Flash" Phillips (4-4-2-3) dob 4/2
Kiesha's a clown, it's hard not to like her. (Except her name is spelled weird.) But she can field, she can hit, and she can run.

2 - Pete "Wheelie" Wheeler (3-4-3-3) dob 10/13
Pete's a little spacey, for sure.(Catchphrase: "....What am I s'posed to do again?" Or his batter chatter: "Don't score a touchdown...") But if you can get him going in the right direction....good luck catching up. The fastest kid anybody in the Neighborhood has ever seen, he can catch okay and hit amazingly. (His power range goes from ordinary bunting to home-run-strength.) The tales of his exploits in games would be hard to catalogue. In fact, they may even surpass the top player...

1 - Pablo "The Secret Weapon" Sanchez (4-4-3-4) dob 8/18
Could it be anyone else? Almost unmastered in everything. ESPECIALLY baseball. I mean, he's even got his own field(Casa de Pablo)!

That top tier was hard to rank, cause everyone is so closely matched in skills. It could easily have had a different arrangement; but for now, this will do.

My typical team: The Super-Duper Wombats, wearing orange, or Red Rockets, or Green Hornets. Outfield: Pablo, Achmed and Jocinda. Infield: Some combination of Pete, Mikey, Stephanie, Luanne and Billy Jean. Pitcher: Angela or Ricky. Catcher: Annie.

I'd like to see a game with the Wombats facing the Rockets with the following players: Wombats - Angela, Pete, Kiesha, Kenny, Tony, Dante, Achmed, Ashley and Billy Jean. Rockets - Ricky, Pablo, Jocinda, Annie, Luanne, Stephanie, Sidney, Mikey and Kimmy. Play it at Cement Gardens...yeah, that'd be something to watch.

The Rankings of Power-Up Pitches(so not counting fastballs, slowballs, and left/right hooks):
7 - Crazyball. It was actually pretty easy to hit, and you could hear it coming.
6 - Corkscrew: Same, harder to control where the ball went, but it was also relatively easy to connect with this pitch. And almost nobody could throw it very well.
5 - Spitball: Disgusting, and tough to get a good hold on.
4 - Slo-Mo: Maddening. If you were really patient, though, you could get a nice hit off this one.
3 - Elevator Ball: Surprisingly hard to throw well, and it usually resulted in a pop fly if misjudged.
2 - Fireball: Angela and Achmed were about the only people who could control this one accurately, and it was near-impossible to hit(though it could be turned into a grounder on rare occasions).
1 - Big Freeze: The most unfair pitch ever devised. Absolutely unhittable.  And almost as tough to throw.

If you've made it this far, you either don't have anything else to do or you really loved Backyard Baseball. Either way, thanks for reading!

Weekend Update

     Things are going better than they have for most of the week. Sure, there's still tons of homework and stuff to get done, but the weather's nice. And it's been a productive day, so that's good.

     I forget how beautiful this campus is sometimes.

     The news show was spliced together Wednesday night; it went about as well as we expected. Still looks kind of homemade and un-professional, but we're a bunch of college students with other courses to worry about at the same time. And we made the best use we could of with the equipment we had. The teacher wasn't thrilled with the editing quality of my news story, but she said the content was great.

     Went to see the play Thursday night and enjoyed that. It was different; but good. Very well-acted, with a lot of zingers and accents. The lack of props was a little distracting, though. Found myself wondering what a movie version of the story would look like, and what the other 33 audience members thought of the show. The cast did really well; portraying a slick New York radio salesman, an average farmer, a crazy sheltered blind girl, freaky Methodist pastor and refined schoolteacher throughout the tale.
     Then talked with Jon and Amanda once I got back, which was really helpful, it was very good to hear from and catch up with them.

     Friday was productive - included classes, more conversations with Jon and Manda and more homework - and then I went over to Grandpa and Robbie's for the night, we're all very sick of school by now. Gotten several reports written and almost finished editing the final clips of the last SWAT shows today.

     For tonight and tomorrow: Keep working on homework, and if there's time maybe see if there's a movie on TV or Netflix.

SWAT Quotes of Spring 2014

     More funny, awkward and interesting quotes overheard from the SWAT family.

     11-18-13, cooking in the kitchen before the one of the last fall practices starts...Wes: "Hey guys, what's up?" Haley: "Oh, not much. Just that Holly is trying to burn the whole building down." Holly, indignantly: "I am not!" Haley fires back: "Ya sure? Cause if I hadn't helped you with that stove's settings..."

     11-18-13, Becca and Haley are talking about being single. Haley: "Yeah...I know there's somebody out there eventually for me. But I think he must have died of a childhood disease, or gotten run over by a car, or else he lives on the other side of the planet and doesn't speak English." Becca: "So? You could communicate by baking food like this, and y'all could just point at stuff."

     11-18-13, practicing our second silent skit for the end-of-semester BCM meeting. After about eight rehearsals of bruises, scrapes, carpet burns and slapping Kevin and Samantha, several of us say excitedly, "I like playing a demon! It's fun." In the middle of it, Deb and Daniel P. both come in at different times and stand there for a minute, wondering if we've perhaps lost our minds. (We're kind of the loose cannon of BCM ministries...) "Uh....what're you guys doing?" "We're practicing! What's it look like?!" "Um....I'm not sure..." "Yes, of course we're practicing. What else do we do?"

     11-21-13, heading back to Tahlequah after getting lost in Sallisaw, Becca driving, Jacob shotgun, with me, Susan and Elizabeth in the back. Susan says to Elizabeth randomly, "...I think I'd like my cat to have your personality, and not mine; I wouldn't like a cat that was like me. But you would make a good cat... " We stare at her. "I'm really tired, okay?! Don't judge me."

     12-2-13, after the last fall BCM meeting, we're still wearing our demon costumes from the silent skit(each with a sign on their shirt depicting their specialty; Adultery, Lust, Pride, Gluttony, Murder, etc). Samantha's husband Nick congratulates us on the performance. (To me) "Oh, by the way....you don't happen to struggle with pride, by any chance, do you?" I shrug and grin it off, seeing he's teasing. "A little bit, but doesn't everybody?" He nods. "I thought so....it's kinda written all over you."

     1-13-14, There's free biscuits and gravy down in the basement that Deb made after the first BCM meeting of spring semester, everyone from every type of ministry is down there.  TJ, Jacob, Susan, Elizabeth, me and James are all talking, with Holly, Caleb, Skylar, Ja Li Si, Samantha and Haley all somewhere nearby. James brought a friend along, so we introduce ourselves and go on with whatever we were doing, to show we're friendly and will give him space, you know. We're all yelling over the top of each other, conversation mainly revolving around James-germs being in everyone's apple juice and jokes about Bubba Jacob being a polygamist. At one point, Elizabeth asks completely seriously, "Am I allowed to slap him(James)?" I think half a second. "Yeah, go ahead." She reaches across the table and slaps him lightly across the face. James' friend Jordan looks horrified. Susan, at McDonald's later that night: "We probably terrified that guy...."

     1-13-14, after the BCM meeting, Jacob, Elizabeth, Susan, TJ, James and I all head to McDonald's for a coffee run to catch up. What followed was two hours of conversation and laughter ranging from Princess Bride quotes to riddles from The Hobbit to complaining about school to complaining about the government to some really dark off-the-wall comments....somewhere in there Elizabeth says, "Wes, you are like, the king of leaving really awkward phone messages. Just sayin'..."

     1-13-14, the guys jump in James' red Firebird and we got there and had to wait for the girls, TJ swings open the door and enters dramatically(well, she is a theater major...). "I am a sorceress." and immediately vanishes towards the bathroom. We look at each other. "Okay....?" Elizabeth and Susan come inside, catch our puzzled expressions. "No, seriously! We got green lights all the way down Muskogee!" "EVERY SINGLE ONE of them! I have no clue how she did it!" (You kind of have to know Tahlequah geography to get this one, but Muskogee Avenue is one of the two main streets, and the stoplights are programmed to go red every time there's a car coming. Every time.)

     1-13-14, Still at McDonald's, we're in the middle of a discussion about whether James or TJ could murder somebody. "No, James is too obvious; so he couldn't-" "TJ kinda is, too-" "I can't see Bubba Jacob killing someone, either. He's too nice-" "I was just thinking that about you, Susan-" Then Elizabeth jumps in. "They always say it's the quiet ones who come unhinged or get away with it....therefore I'm betting on Wes. Or me..."

    1-13-14, Jacob mock-proposes to TJ, much to her frustration and the amusement of the McDonald's employees standing around. The rest of us make a big deal about if that really happened we needed video evidence, and the girls begin complaining about how humiliating it would be to actually be proposed to in a McDonald's. Spontaneously on cue, perfectly together, Susan, Elizabeth, Jacob and I burst out "MAWWIAGE. MAWWIAGE is what BWINGS us toGEtha TODAY. DAT BWESSED AWWANGEMENT, dat DWEAM WiFFin a dweam...."

     1-13-14, just after that and the naturally following exchange of witty Florinese banter, James comments, "I've only seen that movie, like, maybe twice, so I can't quote it like you guys can." With incredulous looks, the five of us turn and shout "You WHAT??!!" "HOW is that possible?" "Okay, we ARE SO watching it together sometime." "Heck yeah we are."

     1-20-14, waiting for the first spring practice to start, Becca flops down on the couch in the living room and it flies backward and almost falls over. "Don't tell anyone I did that." "You mean, like not tell Jacob or Elizabeth?" I ask innocently. "No! They'd never let me live it down." "Yeah, I can just see it....'What happened to Becca?' 'She lost a fight with a couch.'"

     1-20-14, still waiting on everyone else to show up, we search for the basement light switch for ten minutes in complete darkness until Justin walks in. "What are you guys doing?" "Looking for the light switch!" He walks over to the stairs, flips the switch hidden there and the lights come on. "You guys didn't know where the light switch was, after all the time we've spent down here...."

     1-20-14, Haley during welcoming speech, "...and we've got two shows in Sallisaw in February-" Everyone involved on that trip last fall snickers. "That's assuming we don't get lost," I mutter. By now everyone has totally lost it, hysterical laughter. "We promise we'll get there this time!" Samantha declares. Still snorting at the memory, we exchange dubious looks. "Yeah, and I might be driving the bus this semester!" Haley adds. Now the expressions are Buzz and Woody's "A puppy?" faces. .

     1-20-14, this is Samantha's greeting to Jacob: "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?! Didn't your aunt just die?! Shouldn't you be with your family?!" Jacob and Elizabeth together. "My aunt...?" "No, him! Didn't you text me this afternoon saying you wouldn't be here today because your aunt died and you had to make a trip to Texas?" "No....that would take some dedication..."

     1-20-14, during "The Powers That Be", Quincy the uncertain angel(me) says to the Commanding Officer(Haley), "Well, sir,  there are two of us here, and-" "Yes, there ARE two of you there. I'm glad you can count." "Thank you, sir. I've watched Sesame Street." "Good! More of you should do that. And today's letter of the day is H."

     1-27-14, Me and Jacob are shooting pool before practice, he's telling a story to Elizabeth. "So it's like, 10:30 last night, I'm just sitting on my bed watching Netflix, cause there's no way I could get to sleep with that wind. Anyway, Skylar starts banging on my door and I open it and he says, 'Do you have extra forks?' I mean, yeah, I do, but...isn't that just the most random thing to say to a neighbor ever?" Caleb, listening. "He mentioned he used my microwave, don't have any idea what he could've been eating, though." (They're roommates.) Me, "What I want to know is; why were Skylar and Ja Li Si eating dinner at 10:30?" This opens up a new trail of late-snack habits; Elizabeth and I will both eat peanut butter straight out of the jar(same with Nutella), Jacob will do neither.

     1-27-14, Samantha asks brightly, "So, who's got plans for Valentine's Day?" All heads swivel to look at Skylar(Ja Li Si was in worship practice; they were dating at the time) and then at Jacob and TJ. As for the rest of us, Kevin, Susan, Becca, Justin, James, Caleb and Holly giver Samantha "Are you kidding?" looks while Elizabeth and I add the audio portion of the message with sarcastic snorted laughter.

     1-27-14, Haley ditches her commanding drill-sergeant voice as the Commanding Officer for "The Powers That Be", using instead an unnervingly sweet gentle voice. By the end we were pleading with her to never do that again. "I'm a little frightened right now." "Please yell at us again...so much easier to be a soldier to." "And we like being called maggots!"

     1-27-14, during the middle of the gladiator scene for "One Willing Monk", James pulls out an imaginary pistol and shoots me with it!? I try to look appropriately bewildered, and that pretty much ruined the whole take for us and the audience. (That one gave us so much trouble...)

     2-3-14, while not technically SWAT-related, still worth mentioning. At BCM basketball practice at First Baptist-Tahlequah after the Monday night meeting, Caleb to other players standing within earshot on the sidelines watching one of the scrimmages: "Well, we may not win State, but we'll at least have the best hair on the court."

     2-13-14, Jacob to Ja Li Si during the Thursday night meeting, who's wearing a sleeveless shirt on a 50something degree day. "How are you doing that?" "Doing what, wearing this?" "Yeah! It's like, cold." She shrugs. "It's not that bad." "Right, I mean, it's not that bad compared to what it has been, but-" "It's the Indian blood." "...Oh. Well, can you share some of it, please?" "I don't think so....I like my blood, think I'll keep it." "Come on, just a bit....I'm a skinny guy, freezing over here." "Oh, yeah, we're just gonna have a transfusion done right here in the basement..."

     2-13-14, me, Jacob and Elizabeth are talking about something, she starts singing "Here comes Peter Cottontail..." I jump in eagerly. "...hoppin' down the bunny trail...." Together: "Hippity-Hoppity, EASTER'S ON ITS WAY!!!!" Elizabeth to me, "Where were you in my freshman philosophy class? Me and this guy named Chad used to sing that all the time." Jacob, with quizzical expression: "I've never heard that song in my entire life."

     2-17-14, Elizabeth and I are shooting pool before practice. I slap in one of her balls by mistake(This happened three times. And then I scratched on the 8-ball.), the following exchange is slow, pausing often as we alternate shooting with speaking. Elizabeth: "Hey, thanks. That makes my job a little easier." Wes mock-seriously: "You're not welcome." She gives me a look. "Hey, what happened to hospitality?!" "That disappears whenever there's competition involved." I reply matter-of-factly. She thinks a minute, then grins slightly. "...That's true."

     2-23-14, Samantha filling in for James during pre-show rehearsal of "Push". She kept pronouncing "motor" as "mow-TOOR", as opposed to the more usual "MOAT-er". We couldn't help snickering. Actually, that was basically the theme of that entire rehearsal....for "Monk" the gladiators thumb-wrestled due to not having any of their weapons around.

     2-23-14, while killing time just before our first show of the semester, James, Susan and I play Meow That Tune. We totally twice-up-the-barrel-once-down-the-sided it.

     2-23-14, Haley as the Commanding Officer in "Powers"; "...they're binding empathy, tradition and religion!..." That'd be a good thing, sir, wouldn't it? Much better than "apathy, etc", as the line actually goes.

     2-24-14, Samantha to James, talking about a hastily-prepared set of wooden swords for "Monk":... "We ARE NOT using these! They're got snails in them!" Those within earshot nod vigorously, then do a double-take. "...I said 'snails', didn't I?...I meant 'nails'." James, quietly: "They're actually screws, but..."

     3-24-14, during practice of "Flow", Susan pauses over one of her lines, perplexed. "Where are we going next? I'm confused, not sure what to say there." Samantha: "Just say you're donating to Blank Church, which is led by Pastor Blankety-Blank ." (Pause) Silence for about half a second, then everyone falls apart howling with laughter. "That was not what I meant, you guys! I did not mean to act like I was cussing." (To Susan) "Uh, just say the BCM for right now in practice."

     3-24-14, killing time in the living room, TJ sneaks up quietly behind Bubba Jacob and gives him a bear hug. Everybody greets her excitedly, Drew rushes up to her. "TJ! I've got something to tell you!" Susan protests, horrified, having just revealed something embarrassing and tease-worthy. Drew, stage-whispering: "James gave me a magnet!" She looks unimpressed. "Okay, so?" Susan rolls her eyes. "That's not what he meant to say..." She whispers in TJ's ear. TJ recoils fifteen feet backwards in absolute horror, shaking with indignation. "That did NOT happen!" The rest of us immediately die laughing, literally rolling on the floor. Once she recovers enough to speak, Susan nods dejectedly. "Yeah, it did...."

     4-3-14, everyone's commenting on how soaked I am after walking across campus in a thunderstorm. Ja Li Si: "Did you just walk all the way from Ross in the rain? What did it feel like?"

     4-4-14, this week's episode of Flapjack Friday with the Lunch Bunch became a singalong to the Backstreet Boys and NSYNC, led by James, Ja Li Si, Daniel P. and Jordan. It was really hysterical to watch.

     4-6-14, backstage before the human video, I'm struggling with tying my robe back to where I can walk. James: "Can't you just tie it single?" "Nope. This is the only way I can get it to stay, otherwise it'd just fall off, I'm too small." James: "So get fatter." Susan raises an eyebrow. "How does he do that?" "Well, I should amend that to 'Get fat'; you have no volume at all."

     4-6-14, Jacob is telling me and Elizabeth a story about people he works with at Wal-Mart while we're greeting people coming in to the church. "You wouldn't believe how many people come up and ask me,  'How many kids do you have?' I guess it's because I'm good with kids, I don't know...I'm like, 'Um...none right now, I've got a long ways to go until that happens.'" Very gleeful snickers from his audience.

     4-6-14, Elderly Man from Cookson Hills, walking into church. "Mornin'! You're with the SWAT team, is that right?" I nod. "Yep, that's right, thanks for coming." "Well, good! I feel safer already, knowing the building is secure and all." Smiling, he goes and finds a seat.

     4-6-14, thanking those who came to the Cookson service, much like our greeting-session. A little girl comes up to Jacob and says, "Were you the one who was behind the mask?" He nods. "That's right, that was me." The little girl nods and points at her sister, "She wanted to know, and disagreed when I said it was you." Then, she adds this zinger: "You weren't very scary." (This same little girl also blurted out how old the preacher was after he'd mentioned it was his birthday.)

     4-6-14, riding back from Cookson on the way to the BCM, and from there to Bob and Deb's, trying to figure out who's riding with who. Holly: "I can have some people come with me...I just need to clean, like, 12 gallons of bleach out of the front seat." Everyone else predictably over-reacts, giving her a hard time. Deb: "I'm just a wee bit concerned about that statement. What have you been doing, Holly?" We also called her "Haley" all morning to bug her.

     4-6-14, everyone's gathered at Bob and Deb's house for lunch, Bob to Samantha's husband Nick: "I thought you weren't wearing a shirt, and I wondered, 'When'd he get all those tattoos all over his chest?'" Nick to Samantha: "Bet you didn't know about this when we got married, huh?"

     4-6-14, Bob, driving the van to Muskogee as we're pulling out of the BCM parking lot. "Does anybody know how to get wherever we're going?" After a minute, Justin says he's pretty sure he knows how to find the church. Bob: "You're pretty sure you know the directions?!" Becca: "I'd trust Justin's 'pretty sure' a lot more than Jacob's, just sayin'." Most of the rest of us(who were a part of the Sallisaw experiment) start laughing in agreement.

     4-6-14, James in monologue: "...Take it from Telemachus, a monkey in the first century."

     4-6-14, the elderly friendly pastor of Muskogee Central is chatting with me, Justin, Becca, Elizabeth and Jacob; about teaching and marriage advice. His Rule #1 - "Learn how to say 'Yes, dear', and you'll live to learn everything else you need to know."

     4-13-14, Samantha as the Commanding Officer in "Powers": "...Next, you'll remember the Bible-smuggling turkey. Er, the Bible-smuggling incident in Turkey..."

Monday

     I hope tomorrow goes a little easier than today.

     It's frustrating to have to say "No, I can't help you, I'm sorry" three times in one day when people need help with projects. (AND I just realized I still have type up today's Latin notes...) But really, I couldn't help them. Had to be at speech today because it was a presentation day, and couldn't help with either the SWAT one-shot skit or the music at the BCM because of having to attend a school board meeting for an MMP assignment.

     I see now why everyone detests school-board meetings. They're pointless. The main topic was evaluating sales pitches from different architectural firms looking to design the new cafeteria for Cherokee Elementary. (Grandpa said they need one, so that's real, at least.) Left after two hours because they'd only gotten halfway through the speakers and I was very bored. And hungry. And frustrated.
     The speakers waxed eloquently about design features or previous projects they'd worked on, one kept praising his wife's work and constantly referring to her. When asked questions about costs or fees, the architects were evasive; which makes sense on one level because costs are kind of hard to exactly pin down on construction projects. But when dealing with questions from one guy on energy efficiency and utility bills on the most recent project, they danced around the question politician-style and somehow insinuated that it was the school's fault, when it was probably their mistake by building high ceilings and a glass wall. And then trying to justify those elements with "it makes the students proud of their school and enjoy learning there"....HA. It was pathetic.

     The last of the SWAT shows was last night, it didn't go as well as hoped, due to a massive storm that attacked the town and then kept us from heading home for a good while. And mostly-wooden sanctuaries, while pretty, carry sounds pretty well. And that includes RAIN and HAIL....so we were kind of drowned out most of the way though, despite the best projection efforts.

      I think I'm coming down with something; don't feel quite right and have a headache, even factoring in the temperature whiplash inside and outside the last couple days. I took a nap immediately after speech, waking up three hours later when my phone signaled a new text. THREE HOURS' SLEEP in the MIDDLE OF THE DAY?! So I didn't have time to eat dinner before heading to that meeting, munched on a protein bar once I got back. But even more than that, that was three hours of productivity wasted, with quite a bit to do and no energy or motivation to work on it already. And now my sleep pattern will be thrown even farther off-course than it is now.

     Trying to preach to myself, remind myself to get my thinking back on track, but it's just sort of been one of those days when that's a little difficult.  Secret Church is supposed to deal in part this year with the sanctifying role of sleep, maybe I should try that.

     I already need to spend more time with Rags and the kittens, and I only left yesterday afternoon...

"The Voice of the Prairie"

     This post is hyper-local and will age easily, but there were too many great quotes I got that I couldn't use for the video. So....well, I did what I usually do: Write.

     The NSU Theater Company will be taking us back in time this week for their upcoming production, "The Voice of the Prairie", to be held Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the NSU Playhouse. 

     The time is the early 1900's; there will be a war in Europe within twenty years, some boys from Ohio recently built a flying machine out on a North Carolina beach, and Henry Ford is jumping into the foolhardy venture of making horseless carriages. There also is a newfangled contraption called the "radio", invented by some Italian fella. Leon Schwab is a New York City DJ/radio salesman trying to drum up business in his Midwest region area. He finds a farmer in Nebraska named David Quinn with a gift for storytelling, and Schwab sets Quinn up on the airwaves as "The Voice of the Prairie", telling tales of his childhood. 

      A frequent character of these tales is a girl named Frankie, who is played by Susan Fenrich. "Even if I wasn't playing Frankie, I think she'd still be my favorite character. She's really feisty - and blind, too, that's an interesting thing about her - but she's a really strong character and really fun to play. No matter what goes on in her life she still has a really positive attitude, and that's what I thinking the most interesting thing about the play was." 

     Practices were begun in early March, and while the play typically uses only three actors, this production will have a larger cast of around or eight, and all props will be imaginary, according to Knickel Sloan, who plays Schwab. 

     A play would be impossible to put on without a crew to run lighting, build the set, and numerous other behind-the-scenes details the audience takes for granted. Drew Latta serves as stage manager, which he describes as basically "a glorified secretary". Some of his tasks include running rehearsals, overseeing sets onstage and props, keeping track of the cast and coordinating all the stagehands and technical crews. 

     One of those tech-crew members would be sound operator TJ Jorgensen, who is in charge of the special effects.  As a theater major, she enjoys seeing life in the theater from all sides, both in the footlights or behind them. "I find knowing both the roles[cast and crew] helps me to better understand the full concept of being in theater." 

     Another aspect of the experience is sitting in the audience, which will require a bit more effort while watching this show than it might otherwise, as the set-pieces used will be very minimal, in addition to those invisible props. "It's a rather small set, we have different pieces just as natural transitions to signify that you're in a different place," said Latta. "It's very convenient, and it adds to the creativity, and it adds to the fun of it - you get to create your own set in your mind." 

     Jorgensen added that you have to really listen to understand, because as Latta said, it's more like reading a book than watching a movie. 

     As readers know, part of the draw of a really good story is that the characters seem like they would be interesting to hang out with. This would be the draw that pulled Jorgensen toward her major. "My favorite part has to be the people. Because anywhere else, if you were to ask how theater kids act, they would say we're weird, we're out there, we're...a little annoying at times, and very loud. Because we're so used to being on stage and projecting, when we go back into the real world we're very loud and outspoken, we don't really hold anything back." 

     This feel carries over to the characters in the current show as well; Fenrich stated that she was instantly drawn to the role of Frankie the first time she read the script. "You find that you can connect with the characters; they feel approachable, as it you can just reach out and talk with them," said Latta.  

     Fenrich agrees: "Honestly, I just really hope that the audience falls in love with the characters like we did, because in a way this play is just a simple little love story."
     Tickets for this romantic comedy-drama will be $5 and doors will open at 7 p.m. 

Results and Roses

     It's time for another Edgar Guest poem. This one I found late last night/early this morning on page 389 of The Book of Virtues, in the chapter on Work.

"The man who wants a garden fair,
Or small or very big,
With flowers growing here and there,
Must bend his back and dig.

"The things are mighty few on earth
That wishes can attain,
Whate'er we want of any worth
We've got to work to gain.

"It matters not what goal you seek
Its secret here reposes:
You've got to dig from week to week
To get Results or Roses."

Pressing On

     "Keep one foot in front of the other..." This tune could work well for this time of semester.
     "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming..." - Dory, Finding Nemo. 
     And Keep a-Goin', like the poem says.

     It's that time of the semester when there is quite a bit to do and not much energy to complete it. So you just do what you can, complain more often than normal, and snap sarcastic replies to anyone willing to engage you in conversation. On the other hand, it's that time of semester for everyone else, too, so that's something.

     "Do not worry about anything, but in everything, with prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which is beyond all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7)

     That verse was part of the message from Monday night's meeting, I know I needed to hear it. I worry a lot, and stress is as natural to my life as caffeine.
     A giant leak developed in the roof of the BCM's living room during the big storm on Thursday night, that was a little intense, trying to contain the newfound faucet. Once that was taken care of, Bob and Deb led a lesson on marriage that was the first of a two-part series. The power also went out completely in Ross on Thursday.

     Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.... it's driving me UP THE WALL, but I'm loving it. Although it probably wasn't the best idea to watch the new episode several hours after watching Jurassic Park. There's only so much intensity and surprises that can be handled in one day.  (And now part of the reason I'm writing this post is cause I'm a little afraid to go to sleep. Remind me NEVER TO WATCH THAT MOVIE EVER AGAIN.)

      Sunday was busy, as the SWAT crew first went down to the Cookson area for a rare morning show, then that night we headed into Muskogee to a rather creepy church older than the state. (Seriously, it began in 1904.) We were missing about a third of our team, so there was a lot of filling in different roles than usual. (I need to get to work on editing those videos....)
     The Cookson people seemed to really enjoy our being there, it was probably my second-favorite church to visit that we went to this year. (First would be Park Hill.)
     After the Muskogee one, the friendly elderly preacher was giving unasked-for marriage advice to Becca, Elizabeth, Jacob, Justin and me. It was really cool, though slightly awkward, felt like I was in a Brad Paisley song(sort of like this one). His Rule #1 - "Learn to say, 'Yes, dear', and you'll live to learn everything else you'll need to know."

     Dylan and the Coxes are in Louisville for the Together for the Gospel conference, wish I was able to be there, too. But there's Secret Church next Friday, maybe I can get to that.
     Went for a coffee run with Drew, Elizabeth and Susan to McDonald's last night, which was a good trip. Lots of talk about books, cats and puns. (Example: "I'm like, two pages away from finishing the introduction right now(of The Princess Bride). You were right, it is kinda long and hard to get through, but it adds so much to the authenticity! I haven't even started the real book yet and I'm loving it." "Knew you would. But get this; even that prologue is fictionalized. Is that genius or what?!" "Susan's eyes pop out of her head in astonishment") And from there it was on to comparing "Have you read...?" and making book-swapping lists and planning movies that need to be seen.

     There's tons of homework to do and that still needs to be completed....and I'm out of toothpaste.

      Enjoyed getting to catch up with Ash on Saturday.

     Pandora has been playing GREAT songs all the last week on most of my channels, that's always helpful. (At the moment, Sonicflood's "In The Secret")

     There's a Latin test in the morning, and I need to finish enrolling for fall classes because of a system glitch that needs to be ironed out. So I should probably try to get to sleep.

     Keep Calm and Carry On, right?
     "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:12-14)

SWAT-2

     So I wrote up a post last fall about Students With a Testimony, (SWAT), a drama ministry that I've been able to get involved with this year. It was started in fall 2012 as an outreach of the Baptist Collegiate Ministries on-campus, and the group was almost completely rebooted membership-wise in fall 2013 due to graduations and stuff.
 
     In fall, we were mostly trying to get the program down and learn to work together. This semester, we've been able to strengthen connections within the BCM's structure and other ministries, and connect more with the churches we've visited. That's been one of the big differences spring vs. fall.

     Spring is a busy time; with a weird course schedule. There's only really one stoplight the whole semester, and it's usually yellow while on spring break due to the amount of homework and projects to be done when we get back. And there's work schedules to plan and major commitments and other stuff going on, so it can get a little crazy. That's not even counting the weather, which in this case featured lots of ice storms and blizzards. There haven't been as many performances because of all those factors as would be ideal, but you do what you can, right?

     What shows we have done, though, the execution has improved greatly, due to some shuffling of roles after people dropped and in large part to the additions of Drew and Ashleigh as tech crew; handling sound effects, mike levels and shooting video.
     Most of the time we've been somewhat shorthanded, learning to cover for others when necessary, what parts can be skipped if they have to be. Once we were missing a third of our people and it still turned out pretty well.

     We've been able to spread out from Cherokee County to the surrounding areas somewhat; that was something several of us were praying about over the break. And hopefully the audiences have been encouraged by what we've done, seeking to glorify God above everything else, trying to encourage other believers.

     There's been game nights with INTENSELY COMPETITIVE games of Catchphrase and Apples To Apples. There's been much-needed and encouraging coffee runs often at McDonald's late at night to ease stress and chill out. Some examples of branching out with other projects includes more crossovers as members of both SWAT and the worship team; same deal with the tech team; disaster-relief groups are being trained and a Greek-focused deal was started, as well as a women's ministry. The Thursday night meetings have been important, as have the newly-popularized Lunch Bunch meetings on Fridays.

     Stress and anxiety have been huge issues throughout the group this whole semester, and that's been something to pray with and for each other about. And it's been neat to work more closely with Bob and Deb as the SWAT-related or individual projects intertwine into the larger fabric of BCM activities.
   
     We're still kind of figuring out exactly what it will look like next semester/year, who will step up to the plate and take over leadership duties from Samantha, what the program will look like, who will be back and involved, and other potential opportunities of ways to serve. But it's really been great to be a part of, and I'm thankful for that.

Hello April

     It's another verse of the same familiar story: I can't sleep, the temperature is off-target and my mind won't shut up. So naturally I start typing out a new blog post.

     Went home for a visit last weekend, which was very good. Saw a musical of "Fiddler on the Roof" that Courtney's old drama group put on; it was really, really good. Her friend Callie was in it, and a bunch of Fergusons. It was very well-done(but now I really need to see the movie.) Not knowing anything about the storyline kinda took away from some of the enjoyment factor. There were probably over thirty people from GBC in the audience; almost the entire Ferguson clan, most of the Steeleys, the Muellers, the Wilsons, the Mixes, most of the McNeils, us, and Bennett.
     Rags HAD KITTENS Tuesday night! (Can't wait to meet them.) That's a happy thing.

     Spent some time after classes were over tonight watching Full House, which was enjoyable. The video production courses are going a little better than I expected, started filming one of the two pilot news programs in Advanced tonight. That was a really cool experience; seeing the beginnings of what it will look like, knowing how thrown-together and low-budget it is. (We're mostly using personal equipment, as there isn't very much school equipment.) And most of the shows will be edited together in post-production, much like a movie's individual scenes are spliced together into one larger story after the shooting is done.
     Not used to writing in broadcast style yet, it's a little challenging. And so is stitching together video and audio and illustrational B-roll footage with the editing software of Final Cut Pro X(which is Apple, which I'm not generally familiar with). But hopefully by the end of this semester I'll have at least a working knowledge of how it works.

     Only a little over a month left to this semester - and so much to get done. Mostly for Media Management and Planning, but also Oral Communication. And Basic and Advanced Video as well. Okay, I guess I just have a lot of difficult courses this semester. (Guess that''s what happens when you take three high-level major courses as a sophomore? Could be worse, though; I could be trying to get a Bachelor's in science or business or accounting, or a Master's of any type.)
     Thinking I'll finally take Government in fall, and maybe Physical Science too, not sure what else to schedule.

     In a couple hours this year's Media Day will be held, it was two years ago that I first heard about it. (See this post.) That seems like a long time ago. Another T4G conference is either happening now or next week. I found this post I wrote about twelve months ago; most of it is still pretty applicable.

     Stupid Profile Picture Week is in full swing, and the special "Campfire" themed all-music Monday night meeting at the BCM went pretty well. Among the sixteen people on the worship team, there were eight guitars, two basses and two drum sets, with a keyboard, mandolin and tambourine as well. Oh, and about three videocameras the tech team was using to film a recap of the event. I mostly played mandolin, with a bit of guitar and singing.
     With the semester winding down, we only have four SWAT shows left, two of which are this coming Sunday. Over Christmas break I(and others) was praying that we would be able to expand the range of area covered outside of Cherokee County, and also that we would be bold in sharing the Gospel and encouraging people, etc. And so where are we going Sunday night? Muskogee... Hmm. (We were supposed to go there in late February or early March, but then one of the blizzards hit.)

     Amanda got engaged last week, I've lost count of how many people I know around my age (whether from the homeschool group, camp, YT or college) who've  gotten engaged or married now. And I just realized that the counselors my first year at SGYC were probably about the age then that I am now. Anyway, found that out Monday morning while chatting before classes, I'm glad for her.
     Jon's moved to Maryland to seriously pursue a career in music, here's a link to his official YouTube and Facebook pages. (Check 'em out!)
     Anyway, talking about this upcoming time of camp, Courtney is going crazy counting down the days. Well, most of the youth group is, actually. And Caleb is eagerly awaiting his first camp experience. If counselors are needed I'd be happy to help, but I think they'll probably have more than enough volunteers.

     For the THIRD YEAR IN A ROW I failed to play any pranks on anybody on April Fool's Day...sigh. Just couldn't come up with anything plausible that was realistic I guess there's always next year, though, right?
     It's been extremely hot and HUMID the past couple days, and the heater's still on inside the buildings....cue lots of general complaints about weather conditions taking up a measurable portion of class times. (It's actually been a touch cooler inside than out, I think.) But there haven't been very many bug-infestations recently, so that's a plus.
     Really hoping to find some folks nearby to go see Captain America: The Winter Soldier with this weekend.