Feel the fever coming You’re shaking and twitching
I began week 3 of my 5K training this afternoon. Because I’d had a pretty good session on Sunday, I was expecting an easy time of it tonight. Not to be. It was actually rather difficult. This week, the training consists of: 5 minutes warm-up, 90 seconds jogging, 90 seconds walking, 3 minutes jogging, 3 minutes walking, 90 seconds jogging, 90 seconds walking, 3 minutes jogging, 3 minutes walking, 5 minutes cool-down. That last 3 minutes was really tough. I very much wanted to stop jogging before the time was up, but I forced myself to power through it. Ugh. Hopefully, days 2 and 3 of this week will be a little easier.
After that, I met with my Liturgy Goals subcommittee. We didn’t accomplish as much as we had last week, but we did move the process forward. So I’m counting this a win.
Do you ever have dreams that seem very real, and even after you’ve woken up, and realize that it was just a dream, you still tend to believe what was true in the dream? Yeah, me neither.
Ok, really I experienced this when I woke up this morning. I had dreamt that I’d won a $10,000 shopping spree to Best Buy. I knew right away that it had only been a dream, but all day I was distracted with thoughts of what I was going to buy.
Happy cows come from California. Skinny Cows come from Genesis 41:3
I don’t think that many people share my way of thinking about some things. For example, I don’t think that I should pick up after others, nor should they pick up after me. We should each be responsible for fixing or cleaning up our own mess. Of course, we are free to ask others for help, and they are free to ask us. And it’s only polite to offer that help (when asked) within reason. I suspect that most people would say that we SHOULD go around and tidy up or whatever after others. Poppycock. You know how I mentioned that on Sunday I came back to Central Catholic and found the gate closed and locked? That was undoubtedly some do-gooder cleaning up after me. But what he really did is make things worse.
In 2002, I shared a house with Letitia and Becky. At the time, I was working a job that was more or less swing shift, so I tended to get home well after the girls had gone to bed. One night, I arrived home to find a package of Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches had been left out on the table and had mostly melted. It was a mess on the table-cloth and had begun dripping onto the floor. Now some people would think that they needed to clean this mess up. Not me. As I said, I didn’t create the mess and I didn’t think I was responsible for cleaning it up. However, if I left it alone, it would continue to melt and make a bigger mess. So I placed the whole thing in a plastic grocery bag and left it where I found it, only now it wouldn’t make more of a mess. This struck the girls as ludicrous and I’ve received a fair ration of crap about it since, but it made perfect sense to me.
So I ask you, what do you think of my solution? Should I have cleaned up their mess? Should I have thrown the whole thing away without cleaning? Should I have ignored it (and maintained plausible deniability) and just gone to bed?
Wins for everyone
I saw a wonderful film tonight, Win Win. This was a festival movie so I hope that means that it will get nominated this year. It really was a great movie with a stealth message that I didn’t see coming. I totally encourage everyone to go see this movie.
Got together with the regular Monday night group to run some mid-50s content with Aluatis. Good group of people. I think it’s going to work out well.
Here are a couple of photos from the belly dancing thing I went to on Sunday night.
The band
Rose
Robin
All weekend in a post
Above all I wish to state that my suffering has begun. It is officially too warm for me. Rule of thumb: If you have to run the A/C to be comfortable, it’s too warm.
Here’s a recap of the past several days.
Thursday I went up to Stockton for the Chrism Mass. Music was ok, I got a couple of decent photos, and dinner was excellent!
Friday I got off work at noon then went for my walk/jog/run. When I finished that, I came home and fell asleep for a couple of hours. In the evening I went to the fish fry at the parish. I think it was even more successful than the one we did earlier this season.
Saturday I went out in the afternoon to the Modesto Earth Day celebration at Graceada Park. Sadly, it was pretty boring. Oh well. After that I went to Mass where I served as Commentator. This being Passion Sunday, the Gospel was quite long. I took the part of the narrator in the reader’s theatre style proclamation. Still later in the evening, I stayed up much too late watching TV. Merlin and Walking Dead.
Today, Sunday, I got up earlyish to go down to the church and open the gates to Central Catholic and post signs indicating that there was overflow parking available. I was quite proud of myself for getting it all done. But when I went back this evening to lock up, someone had already closed the main gate. So for all I know, people went looking for parking only to find a locked gate. Annoying.
After opening up, I went to MJC to do my walk/jog/run on the track. I actually felt quite good after this session! I can tell that the workout is getting a little easier. That’s encouraging! Another nap (geez I’m getting old) and this evening I went out to the Clarion for the belly dancing thing. I took a few photos but I haven’t processed them yet. We’ll see if they’re any good.
Ok. There you go. Now you’re up to date.
Still MORE photos
On Friday, staff from Admissions & Records (well, all of Matriculation really) threw a surprise party for Judy who’s been at the college for 25 years.
Here’s Judy just after entering the room.
And here are all the folks that were there at the beginning of the party.
Finally, here’s a shot of me with Monique. I feel like a fricking giant.
More photos
Here are some photos from the Chrism Mass last night.
The view of the cathedral from my vantage point in the choir loft.
Just prior to the beginning of Mass.
The bishop
During the Eucharistic Prayer
The St. Stanislaus delegation
Some photos
I’ve been a bit behind on my photo taking and posting.
Here are a few recent shots.
Fr. Ramon on the First Sunday of Lent
Mary at work
Michelle and her 10,000 watt smile
Bam ba Lam, cool in the shade
Rose & the Bag Man
Woah, we’re halfway there
Today was a pretty good day. I knocked out the minutes from yesterday’s meeting in no time. Surprised myself with that. I was able to obtain some pedometers from the District Benefits Office. Score! I went with Vangie to Central Catholic to get some keys to open gates for the next two weekends. I did a crazy fast couple of laps around the campus with Vee during the afternoon wellness break. And after work, I started week 2 of my 5K training. All good. Following that, I came home to quickly take a shower, cook some dinner, then rush back out to the parish for the Penance Service which. took. for. ever. I was tasked with being an usher so I was on my feet for over two more hours. I’m tired.
Strategic planning
I’ve mentioned before that we are working on updating the Strategic Plan at the parish. I am leading a sub-committee to look at the goals for Vision 7 – Enhance the liturgical experience to foster full, conscious, and active participation by all parishioners.
Here’s what we have so far.
| Goal | Tasks/Strategies | Responsible Party | Completion Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| A. Provide resources full and active liturgy participation | |||
| B. Appoint a Liturgical Committee | 1. Identify membership | 1. This subcommittee & Fr. Ramon | 1. May 1, 2011 |
| 2. Define responsibilities | 2. Deacon Jose & Fr. Ramon | 2. July 1, 2011 | |
| 3. Provide formation & training | 3. Deacon Jose | 3. August 1, 2011 | |
| C. Hold weekly Clergy meetings to unify the Gospel message for the weekend. | 1. Look into & make recommendation about subscribing to Homily resources | 1. Fr. Ramon & Deacon Jose | 1. July 1, 2011 |
| (This item needs more clarification) | |||
| D. Resume a Task Force for a unified Music Ministry with one leader reporting to the Liturgical Committee. | 1. Define charge/responsibilities | 1. Vangie Snuffer & Fr. Ramon | 1. May 15, 2011 |
| 2. Identify membership | 2. Vangie Snuffer & Fr. Ramon | 2. June 1, 2011 | |
| E. Ensure that the Parish norms are consistently followed at all parish liturgies. | 1. Revise and update the Parish Norms | 1. Original committee that initially developed norms. | 1. August 1, 2011 |
| 2. Incorporate Norms into formation/training program | 2. Liturgy Committee | 2. Easter 2012 | |
| F. Provide cantors for each Mass. | (This item needs more clarification) | Easter 2012 | |
| Regularly incorporate Liturgical Catechesis into Sunday Liturgies. | 1. Create (initial) list of topics (Roman Missal) | 1. Hallie Van Deventer | 1. 2nd Sunday of Easter, 2011 |
| 2. Develop ongoing schedule | 2. Liturgy Committee | 2. Advent 2011 | |
| Establish a sustainable formation & training program for all ministers. | 1. Develop a Commitment Form | 1. Mercedes Aviles & Jim Kluesner | 1. June 1, 2011 |
| 2. Develop schedule of trainings/formation topics | 2. This subcommittee (duties to be taken over by Liturgy Committee) | 2. June 1, 2011 | |
| 3. Begin trainings | 3. | 3. July 1, 2011 | |
Interactive Whiteboards by PolyVision
Comments? Suggestions? Complaints?
Choir practice
Went to Choir Practice at Our Lady of Fatima tonight. The rehearsal was for the Mass of the Oils on Thursday. The music is mostly the same as the past several years; functional, pretty (maybe), but not terribly fun. Rehearsal was… difficult. Most of the choir was from OLF as was the director. But there were several of us from other parishes too. So we had a combination of over-familiarity on the part of the OLF folks, and under-familiarity for the rest of us. Add to it that another music director from another parish was there, and he had trouble not directing. And the organist must be new because he had a lot of trouble following the director. Just ugh.
Oh well, Mass is on Thursday and then it will all be over.
