Inconsequentials & Trivialities

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.

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.

I love it when a plan comes together

I had intended to get up in time for the 8:00 Mass, but when my alarm went off at 7, I was not at all ready to get up. I ended up sleeping for an additional 90 minutes and decided to go to noon. This gave me time to make breakfast before heading out. Mass was barely tolerable. The music was really bad. They even managed to take a beautiful song that I love (You Are Mine) and make me wish it would stop! The piano was fine of course, and Danny on viola sounded good as usual. I’ll even grant that John sounded good singing. But everything was mic’d such that all the bad parts got equal volume. There was at least one if not more than one string instrument that was way off and the singing was so atonal. Even the guitar was doing some really funky stuff that just didn’t go. I should just look on this as part of my Lenten sacrifice. It was painful.

Afterwards, I went to get some fro-yo. I selected Alpine Vanilla and I added mango, strawberry, blackberry, pineapple, and granola. Twas yum!

I snuck in a nap. Not because I was especially tired, but because I was procrastinating going for my run/jog/walk. Ultimately, I did go out and do 3 miles alternating walking and jogging according to my 5K training plan. Toward the end of the jogging, I was getting pooped. It eased up just in time.

And good news! I found online that there is going to be a Modesto 5K run on May 28th. This is actually 9 days before the end of my training period, but close enough. So I’ll be signing up to run. w00t!

Dinner was a steak with rice and green beans. And I finished up the evening with a few hours of LOTRO (some festival stuff and book work with Aluatis, my captain), and some television (Survivor and Merlin).

Now to bed.

S-A-T-U-R D-A-Y night

Had a pretty productive meeting this morning with the subcommittee to work on Liturgy Goals for the Parish Strategic Plan. We’re certainly going to have to plan another meeting for the near future though.

I helped with music for a funeral this afternoon. Aaron was there to sing and play piano, Jeff sang and played guitar, I did the same. It was nice to sing/play with those guys again. Aaron and I went to the reception afterwards to eat and talk with some of the friends/family of the deceased.

Finally, this evening I played 6 hours or so of LOTRO. I worked on Jaimee, my second Lore Master.

Now I’m tired.

Friday feeling fine

I had some very restless sleep last night. And some strange dreams. What the heck?

At some point during my morning, I got a message that someone had started following my tweets. This person’s name was @firePalinNow and his profile proudly proclaimed that he hates Fox News. I asked him why he was so proud to identify himself as a hater. It just makes me sad that people seem so ready to hate that with which they disagree. Can we not be haters please?

I got off work at 2:00 today and then went to do my 5K training. I ended up walking and jogging a total of 3.5 miles. My quadriceps feel like jelly now. I’m in that place where the dull muscle pain is producing a kind of euphoria effect. Or maybe it’s got something to do with lactic acid. All I know is that a few minutes ago when I walked over to get my mail, I was struck with a kind of LTH Syndrome and I burst out laughing at nothing! Sheesh! Tomorrow I rest and Sunday I do it again. Hilarious.

Tonight I will be playing LOTRO and watching TV and I suspect, going to bed early. Maybe my fatigue will help me sleep more soundly.

A movie and some photos

Tuesday night I went to see Source Code. I rather liked it! As my buddy Tim says, if you ever watched 7 Days back at the turn of the millennium, this will seem pretty familiar. But there was a Timeline-esque aspect to the movie too. I wish that more of the quantum physics angle could have been explored. But overall, I thought it was pretty good.

Today was a surprise bridal shower for Ana at the parish offices. I was invited (I’m quite pleased and honored by that) and I took a couple of photos.

The bride to be upon discovering us waiting for her entrance.

Some of the revelers

Lastly, I only completed a one mile walk today, but tomorrow is day two of my 5K training regimen.

Walk on Wednesday

I skipped my lunch walk today. But I did go for my wellness break walk and Mary came along. And then, after work, I joined up with other walkers from the college out on the track. There, I began a training plan to get up to running a 5K. The first day of the plan called for alternating walking and jogging for 30 minutes. The app on my iPhone alerted me when it was time to switch from one to the other.
So I feel pretty good about it, but I bet I’ll be sore tomorrow.

Baby, baby bounce it off your satellite

Last night I met with Eloisa, a young woman from church to discuss the parish website and communication in general.
One of the things I’d like to propose is that we create a director of communication for the parish.

Working under the direction of the Pastor, duties would include:

• Facilitate communication between staff members and volunteers; with registered parishioners, and with those who attend Mass regularly.
• Develop and use technology and social media as appropriate.
• Facilitate communication between Parish ministries and organizations.
• Facilitate communication between the school and the parish community-at-large.
• Create and / or proofread and approve written communications from the church or about the church, in print or electronic form.
• Create a weekly church bulletin that sparks interest and anticipation among the parishioners.
• Publish a bi-monthly parish newsletter.
• Create brochures, mass mailings, etc.
• Supervise content of the church, school, and other parish based websites.
• Develop strategies to maintain and improve the parish database(s).
• Develop surveys and other tools to aid in planning and evaluating.

I totally borrowed the above list from a parish in Texas.

Anyway, we could really use a person like this. I’m just not sure that TPTB at the parish would see things the same way. Wish me luck!

It really ties the face together

Vicki brought me back a cap from Ireland.
A Flat Cap, also known as a Bunnet, Sixpence, Scally Cap, Ivy Cap, Golf Cap, Derby Cap, Irish Cap, Tweed Cap, Salmon Hat, UNION Cap, Dai Cap, Jeff Cap, Windsor Cap, Touring Cap, Driving Cap, Skid Cap, or Newspaper Cap.

A day of rest

I spent today doing mostly nothing. It was great! I went to Mass last night so I didn’t even need to leave home to go to church. Speaking of Mass, this is the second week in a row that I didn’t think the music sucked. Yeah, I’m as surprised as you! Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t great. Not even close. But it wasn’t terrible. Oh, and I’ve watched a few televised Masses over the past few weeks. The music is consistently dreadful with those.

Anyway, I spent part of today awash in nostalgia for the 70s. I watched a Time-Life infomercial for Singers & Songwriters and also several episodes of The Six Million Dollar Man. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I miss some of the fashion of the 60s and 70s. And of course, the 80s. I watched The Lost Boys again yesterday. Geez I really miss the 80s.

Other activities today: I cooked up 6 cups of rice along with a package of Freedom French cut green beans and 4 chicken breasts. Not only was it tonight’s dinner, but tomorrow’s and Tuesday’s too. I got the week’s laundry done. I did more festival stuff with Aluatis including getting the second Spring Steed. And I watched some other stuff on the TiVo; The Event, Walking Dead, No Ordinary Family, Modern Family.

I grow ever more eager for my Portland trip. Still a month to go. David is flying on Southwest from Texas. I hope his plane is crack free.