Friday 7 July 2006

  • I Don't Know What to Do with Myself



    So I had a three day weekend, thanks to a Tuesday holiday.  Spent Monday with my grandparents, having an indoor picnic and playing games.  Spent Tuesday with my (maternal) parents, nieces and nephew on her husband's side, and their parents.  Yes, each one of those groups gets progressively further away from me in relation.  It was my first time meeting the niece, nephew, and their parents, as they live in Oklahoma.  The other niece lives locally, so we've met a few times.  It was a good time, visiting Fort McDowell Casino for the free hamburgers, hot dogs, soda, America concert, and fireworks display.  We all felt like family, despite technically starting off stangers, which was nice.


     


    Today I discovered that my four day work week will only be a three day work week, as I need to do a six day work week next week, amd they don't want to incur overtime.  Between out-of-town vacations and a sudden family emergency, no one will be working customer service on Monday, so I get to do so for them.  It's been a few years since I last had a Saturday off because I was working the following Monday.  Usually the only Saturdays I have off are holidays or vacation time (such as I will have later this month for Phoenix Con Games II).  It feels so weird that I'll have off for the weekend after work tomorrow.  I hope I don't accidentally start getting ready for work on Saturday morning out of habit!


     








    The Keys to Your Heart

    You are attracted to those who have a split personality - cold as ice on the outside but hot as fire in the heart.

    In love, you feel the most alive when everything is uncertain, one moment heaven... the next moment hell.

    You'd like to your lover to think you are stylish and alluring.

    You would be forced to break up with someone who was ruthless, cold-blooded, and sarcastic.

    Your ideal relationship is lasting. You want a relationship that looks to the future... one you can grow with.

    Your risk of cheating is zero. You care about society and morality. You would never break a commitment.

    You think of marriage as something precious. You'll treasure marriage and treat it as sacred.

    In this moment, you think of love as something you can get or discard anytime. You're feeling self centered.








    "Excellence: Striving for perfection shapes the quality of our work." ~ Motivations: Inspired Visions Planner for 2005

Sunday 2 July 2006

  • Remember When the Doctor Told Charles Dickens That He Was a Fan?

    This emphasizes the fanatic in Star Wars fan. What won't they catalog?

     



    Sorry I've been gone for awhile, I'm gearing up for Phoenix Con Games II, and more specifically Hogwarts Live Action: The Centaur of Hogsmeade. I'll probably not be around much this month. The other day, Wayne finally admitted that I was right, that we were not ahead of schedule, but behind. Luckily, I think we can get everything done if I ignore a few things (like household chores and rpg prep) and a couple of online meetings I've scheduled in the next few weeks. Then we can glide through the last few weeks printing out props and the like.



     

    Last Saturday, Mike ran Star Trek: Feng Shui again. In this episode, we resume the action having crashed the shuttle into the roof of the moonbase due to the shockwaves from the cobalt bomb explosions. (Yes, that does conflict with the previous episode. I assume that a lateral shift occurred.) The damage done to the ship left Lt. Comdr. Keok to gather the security personnel with the best engineering skills to assist him and Dr. Sprint. While they regained shields, passive sensors, et cetera, Lt. Comdr. Fiona patched up the injured in the undamaged medical bay. We were able to figure out that the cobalt bombs were mined as space debris, and that cobalt mines are such ancient technology that none of the ship's sensors were designed to detect them. While Lt. Comdr. Priam complained that the historians and the scientists should have gotten together on such issues, we determined that the mines had detected the plasma emissions of the cloaked ship, locked on, and activated thrusters to go for the kill.



     

    Fiona used her medical tricorder to determine that a particular unclassified energy reading we had detected at different times was emanated in different strengths from some of us, but not at all from others of the crew (our Chi stat). During this discovery we detected life activity within the complex. A perfect human was checking the life signs of the same cryosleep patients we had checked, and was checking the same computer stations we had hacked. As we monitored his progress, we noticed that he was heading toward the airlock, unmolested by the base's defenses. At the same time, a small U.F.O. was headed fast at the surface of the moon not too far from our current position. Visual sensors showed that it was Comdr. Law in a similar 20' radius personal shield as the one Lt. Comdr. Keok has used to save us. While one team was sent to bring Law in without being seen in her Federation suit by the entity leaving the airlock, another team intercepted him using chameleon circuits to appear in contemporary space suits.



     

    Despite the huge amount of weaponry brought to bear on the away team by the entity--the same person who had the highest kill score inside the virtual program--Priam found a communication channel and was able to bluff the entity into believing that the team was sent to check on damage caused by the explosions above the base. He showed some relief when Priam indicated that they were aware of the cargo inside, as the entity was afraid that the away team didn't have the necessary clearance! He then shared with the away team that the virtual program had gone awry. The frozen soldiers had been promised a vacation paradise when they had been put to sleep, and that at some point the program changed. He had no idea until he had been awoke just then by the base's automatic defenses that the deaths in the game became real. However, he had killed to stay alive when the program went bad. We offered to fix the situation, so we gathered our best experts and reentered the moonbase.



     

    It was relatively simple for Keok to program a vacation paradise, so the soldier went into a glowing portal (which he called an armoury), and returned looking like a normal cryopatient. We then helped him get plugged back in and monitored the new program for a few minutes, pleased that they now had an actual vacation paradise which the soldiers were eager to enjoy. Then, the away team decided it was time to enter the glowing portal and check out this armoury. As the last of the team entered the portal the words "To Be Continued..." appear on the screen. A two-parter episode!



     

    Last Sunday, my grandfather wanted my mother and I to join him in attending his parish's tribute to Father Milt's 40th anniversary. My grandparents's parish and the parish between their parish and my parish share the same pastoral staff, so the anniversary mass was held at Our Lady of the Valley while the reception was held in the hall at St. Raphael. It was actually a big celebration for both Fr Milt's anniversary and Fr Duane's 35th anniversary. Fr. Duane, like Fr. Milt, says mass at both of their parishes while maintaining his primary ministry during the week. He was sent back from Uganda a few years ago to run the Andre House of Hospitality, a place where volunteers from various valley parishes prepare and serve meals for those in need. The pastor of both parishes, Fr. Ed, admitted that last year when he was asked to be pastor, that he agreed contingent that his fellow Holy Cross brothers continued their weekend ministries.


     

    So, Fr. Duane and Fr. Milt copresided over the mass, with the Knights of Columbus in full regalia as their honour guard. Fr. Duane was the primary presider, with Fr. Milt as the assisting presider and giving the homily. Fr. Ed and Fr. Tom, the Vicar of Priests, were also in attendance. It was a wonderful mass, and it was great how Fr. Milt crafted a homily blending the readings with both anniversaries. How much of an honour it was to be the one crawling across the boat in the storm to take parishioners' concerns to the Lord. What was great was how well crafted it was to the mass, to the joint anniversary celebration, and to the parishes celebrating. Completely different in tone and honest personal revelation from his anniversary mass homily at St. Paul's. Each was totally designed for the parish it was at. I have a totally new respect for what Fr. Milt does in serving so many different communities so well.


     

    The reception was also very indicitive of how different my parish is from the other two parishes. They had gobs of food from the Women's Guilds of each parish. The walls of the hall were decorated with images and biographies of both priests. Photograph albums were available for perusal. Each priest was introduced by a parishioner before they themselves had a chance to speak for the assembled parishes.  The hall was so full, that they had to pull out more tables and chairs and squeeze them near the desserts.  Father Milt sang a bit from Fiddler on the Roof at Fr. Ed's request, and near the end of the afternoon he performed an encore of Rubber Ducky, Betty Boop style.  He's an excellent performer, despite having "retired" from such over a decade ago.  I guess this previously unknown talent was leaked by his sister when she was contacted for pictures, and even our own parish's Women's Guild has plans for his performance.  Poor Fr. Duane didn't have any performances in him, so a lot of people present said he should have gone first.  It's not all about performing, though, and hopefully Fr. Duane still felt very appreciated by both parishes. 

     

    They had so much extra food that afterward I brought some to my grandmother at her place.  The food which was not eaten by the parishioners was packaged and taken down to Andre House.  No waste!



     

    My leg and my maternal grandmother's hand have been healing nicely this past week. I'll try riding my bicycle to mass tonight. My grandmother had the stitches taken out and is taking physical therapy following her carpal tunnel surgery.


     

    Steve dropped by Saturday night, so our group hung out and chatted rather than played in Monte's Star Trek campaign. Steve is still trying to get me to look for a new job which pays more and will let me go to GenCon this year. I like my job. I have a lot of benefits, I'm around product I like, I get along with my existing coworkers, and otherwise have few complaints. So I was declined a PTO request; that's not reason enough for me to leave.



     

    I actually won something today! I didn't expect that to happen. Ironically, I haven't had a game system since Atari's 2600 (I think that was the model. I was, what, five?) Somehow I expect this game is a bit more complex than Combat or Pacman.



     

    Sonic concussion bombs? How does Israel think it's OK to fight terrorism with terrorism? That's yet another example of how neither side ever seems willing to escape the vicious cycle. God calls for both sides to not murder, not covet each other's goods, and, yes, even to love their enemy. Will they ever listen to His message? We can only pray.




     








    Slow and Steady

    Your friends see you as painstaking and fussy.

    They see you as very cautious, extremely careful, a slow and steady plodder.

    It'd really surprise them if you ever did something impulsively or on the spur of the moment.

    They expect you to examine everything carefully from every angle and then usually decide against it.












     

    "Teamwork: As a team we have the courage to make amazing leaps." ~ Motivations: Inspired Visions Planner for 2005

Monday 19 June 2006

  • Weekend Surprises




     

    Xanga ate another entry of mine. Very. Annoying.



     

    As you can tell, I did not remove myself from the Star Wars BlogRing as promised. I went to bed instead, figuring I could do it the next time I was here. Now I think I'll wait until I find a better SW blogring first, and I don't feel like making the time to search for one right now.



     

    Saturday my boss was supposed to work the full day's shift with me, while another coworker was scheduled for a partial day to cover breaks, lunches, and closing the first register. My boss didn't show up, nor did he answer his phone, so I called his boss for permission to call someone else in as a replacement. No answer, so I call the Mesa store boss, who does give me permission, but by this time it's 1.25 hours after open because I've been by myself on the busiest Saturday of the year, running around helping customers as best as I can while still trying to make all these calls. Eventually, the last employee on the list answered the phone, and she was kind enough to come in to cover lunches and closing the first register despite the fact that we woke her up on her day off. Eventually the coworker originally scheduled to cover breaks, lunches, and closing the first register came in and agreed to stay for store closing procedures. My boss did eventually call--over 4.5 hours after he was scheduled to be in, right when I was about to start lunch (already late as it was!).



     

    Eventually, I was able to piece together what happened: my boss came home from work the previous night to discover his house broken into and robbed. He couldn't leave the premises until the door jam, door, and locks were all replaced, or else potentially lose more property to robbers. While that is a horrible set back--and I have him, his roommate, and the robbers in my prayers--that was horrible management on his part. If he knew the night before he should have called someone to be his replacement then. If any of us have an emergency he expects us to call him asap so he can schedule a replacement for us. I was extremely disappointed in him when I found out the whole story.



     

    Saturday night I finally saw Batman Begins and The Goonies. The sound and imagery of Batman made me even more disappointed that no one was interested in seeing it with me in the theatre. I enjoyed seeing both movies. I can now understand why everyone speaks so highly of Goonies. Thanks to jinnetics for hosting a movie night while my other friends celebrated their anniversary.



     

    I was very impressed with Fr. Gene's homily on Sunday. He discussed his 44th anniversary of ordination and his 25th anniversary as our pastor. He explained how his mother would often remind him, "Familiarity breeds contempt," both before and after he entered the priesthood. How he had to remind himself to slow down during masses (which he might preside over as many as 14 per week) because he had become so familiar with his role. I was proud to see that he saw that fault, even if he still exhibited it during this mass! He related it to the solemnity, as he pointed out how many parishioners approach the Eucharist carelessly rather than with the reverence owed.



     

    I had a hard time obtaining a family to present the gifts, being turned down almost a dozen times. I just don't understand it. To present the bread and wine (as well as the water, tithe, and book of intensions) that will be transfigured into the Body and Blood of Our Lord should be an honour. It should be doubly an honour on the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ.



     

    Luckily, my boss called late Sunday night to let me know his door was lockable again, and that I was not needed to fill in for him on Monday. So, I have been able to stay off my leg all day and get the rest that I so desperately wanted all week. I'm not going to do any chores in or outside of the house, and I've been using my cheetah cane to get up for water and restroom breaks. So, with no weight on my leg all day, hopefully I'll be back to riding my bike this week. If not, I'll have to make a doctor's appointment.



     

    I'm not sure whether the extra vitamins C & E which Richard had suggested have been working, as work has kept me on my feet running around. Saturday was the worst on my calf muscles, between being extra busy and understaffed. My mother gave me a 'healing salve' which she says will help. I'm not sure how a salve can repair internal damage, but I'm giving it a try, too. Whatever it takes.



     

    felgild requested some recommendations for his parish's web site. Well, I'd guess that my parish's web site is at least as underwhelming if not more so. I've inquired of the parish office staff on what we could do to improve it, but they're not ready for that level of web ministry yet. We've only just started emailing ministry schedules in the past three years, and only in a standard format this year. Here's a list of web sites I think should be on a parish's links page:


    I hope that helps.





     








    You Are Internal - Realist - Powerful
    You feel your life is controlled internally.
    If you want something, you make it happen.
    You don't wait around for things to go your way.
    You value your independence and don't like others to have control.

    You are a realist when it comes to luck.
    You don't attribute everything to luck, but you do know some things are random.
    You don't beat yourself up when bad things happen to you...
    But you do your best to try to make your own luck.

    When it comes to who's in charge, it's you.
    Life is a kingdom, and you're the grand ruler.
    You don't care much about what others think.
    But they better care what you think!










    "Creativity: Fresh approaches keep new ideas flowing." ~ Motivations: Inspired Visions Planner for 2005

Friday 16 June 2006

  • I don't like being lame...

    My site looks weird in sublymonal.

     


    So, why all of the new traffic, the old timers ask? (No, not really. But maybe they're asking silently.)  Well, I have a rather large subscription list (much larger than the ones I choose to show), which used to fill my inbox with many pages of blogs per day.  However, now I can go a day or a two at a time with nothing in my mailbox from Xanga.  OK, so I don't check my email daily, so maybe you don't think it matters.  But I like that window into other people's mindsets.  So, when I had some spare time after LepreCon, I started checking out my blogrings.  Several have swelled in numbers, while one (the Star Wars BlogRing) has only had me post within the last year.  So, while checking out my blogrings and clicking on people within them (and those that commented on their pages) I found a few places to comment and a few I've added to my digest.  now I get a digest most days, even if it's only a few posts.

     

    So what happened to all my peeps?  Some died, some migrated away to other blogs, and some quit or heavily reduced their blogging.  As with all my online acquaintances (and the few rl friends mixed in) I keep them and their families in my prayers, wherever they've gone. 


    So where have I been?  Well, here's a quick recap: 

     

    Last week I visited my grandparents' parish for mass, then went to their place for lunch and a game of Mexican Train Dominoes.  After that, I went to Imperial Outpost to play Fractured Souls.  It was good to see my old pal Chris again, even if I had to play my 4th level psiwar at APL10. 

     

    Monday I started preparation for this Sunday's readings.  I often tell myself that I will prepare each Sunday's readings, not just the ones I'm scheduled for, but I never do.  I get so much more out of the mass when I've prepared the readings.  I just need to sit down and o it next week, keeping the momentum of this week. 

     

    That afternoon we had a Hogwarts Live Action 3:  The Centaur of Hogsmeade casting call/planning meeting.  The game is coming along.  I really hope we can have more than two shopkeepers this year for Hogsmeade. 

     

    Tuesday I felt my calf muscles get worse and worse on the ride into work.  I was late getting in, and walked with a slight limp.  Luckily, I got a ride home.  Wednesday morning I felt better, but in the less than a quarter of a mile ride to the bus stop I knew I wasn't riding the bike for the rest of the week.  I've been busing since.  A knife fight nearly broke out between some bus riders that didn't like each other's eye contact.  Yeah, eye contact is worth your life.    How do people end up like that? 

     

    Tonight this guy offers to buy a bottle of water off me on my way into the grocer.  So I tug one out of my holder and hand it to him and rush inside before they close.  As I do so (because I had absolutely no fresh fruit and nearly no fresh vegetables or tortillas in the house, having needed to go shopping on Sunday or Monday, and I was hoping to have dinner tonight and breakfast tomorrow), he says, "Thank you, Paul."  So I do a double take, and no, I don't recognize him.  He wasn't out there a few minutes later when I left, so I may never know.  This kind of thing happens to me a lot, and I wonder, are these people I should know?  Did I just strike up a conversation once with this individual who found me memorable or was this once an acquaintance of mine, long forgotten?  I worry that I'm not in right relationship with the world if all these people are supposed to be known by me.  Which kicks me back into prayer for the individual, myself, and those who encounter need from either end of the spectrum. 




    Why do I get a lot of hits on this site from California, France, and Italy? 

     

    I'm going to drop that useless SW blogring as soon as I finish this post.  I have been a member since the 27th of September 2002, but now I will have to search out a new SW-related blogring.  Does anyone have any suggestions? 

     

    Speaking of finishing this post...thanks to Alluveal for the quiz:






    You Are Cyclops

    Dedicated and responsible, you will always remain loyal to your cause.
    You are a commanding leader - after all, you can kill someone just by looking at them.

    Power: force beams from your eyes








    "Attitude: We all have the ability to shine. It all starts with attitude." ~ Motivations: Inspired Visions Planner for 2005

Monday 5 June 2006

  • Happy Fortieth, Father Milt!


     

    Yesterday I worked with Ivan and Wayne on getting the Hogwarts Live Action 3:  The Centaur of Hogsmeade event descriptions up on the Phoenix Con Games web site. 

     

    In the afternoon, my mother, grandparents, and I went to my church for the 40th anniversary mass for Fr. Milt.  My mother was a EM who volunteered at St. Joseph's Hospital (where he works) when she first met him.  He also presides over some of the weekend masses for my grandparent's parish.  When I moved 12 years ago I discovered that he also presides over some of the weekend masses for my current parish.  Fr. Milt was ordained at the Pentecost mass in 1966, so our parish celebrated by having a special mass and a reception afterward.  Because my grandparents' parish won't be having something for Fr. Milt for a few more weeks, they wanted to show their support by coming to his anniversary mass at our parish. 

     

    As I've mentioned before here, Fr. Milt is one of the finest homilists I've had the pleasure to hear.  Yesterday was no exception.  He related how the Church of today (naming examples from within our parish) and the Church of the Gospel reading (those touched by the Holy Spirit on Pentecost) are the same, and how the Church motivates him in his vocation.  I can't really replicate it, but suffice it to say that both he and the majority of parishoners couldn't help but get teary in his heartfelt thanks to the Holy Spirit and His people. 

     

    There's a reason there was an uproar in the parish when they (Fr. Greg) talked of not needing Fr. Milt anymore a few years back.  He makes the listener both think and feel about the subject of his homily, which always ties into the readings of the mass. He engages the community as he reads the Gospel in a way few can read.  Outside the mass he makes relationships with parishoners.  Often times my grandparents say that Fr. Milt will stop by their parish before mass to greet people even if he isn't scheduled for that mass.  I know he will help folks in private matters after mass once the majority of people have gone, through email, or elsewise with prior arrangements.  He is a blessed man, and he blesses the people whose lives he touches.  Thank God for Fr. Milt.

     

    After mass there was a nice reception with two-layer chocolate cake with cherry filling and your choice of punches (sugar free, sweet, and tart) all provided by the Womens' Guild.  A huge card for the parishoners to sign and a collage of photographs from his early priesthood were on display.  And Fr Milt was kind enough to slowly mingle with everyone who had showed up to celebrate with him. 

     







    Your Theme Song is Beautiful Day by U2

    "Sky falls, you feel like
    It's a beautiful day
    Don't let it get away"

    You see the beauty in life, especially in ordinary everyday moments.
    And if you're feeling down, even that seems a little beautiful too.









    "Dependability: The more we can rely on each other, the higher we can set our sights." ~ Motivations: Inspired Visions Planner for 2005

  • Last Week in Review


     

    Busy, busy week.  Devon, Jason, Wayne, and I saw X3 on Tuesday.  You could tell that it was by a new creative--both the good and the bad that comes with that--just like in the comics!  So, yeah, it's worth seeing. 

     

    We tried watching Supernatural again on Wednesday, but as we reached the climax the file corrupted.  So now we'll never know how the brothers survived the "Hell House."  Well, at least not until it reaches reruns. 

     

    Friday night was Who night.  The episode "Bad Wolf" was awesome!  I also had the opportunity to play Run for Your Life, Candyman--a violent parody of Candyland.

     

    Saturday Monte once again ran his Star Trek:  Secret War campaign.  As we approached 2006 Earth under cloak we noticed a colony on the far side of the moon which according to historical records shouldn't have existed.  Capt. Maddox requested that Lt. Cmdr. Priam (my character) create an away team to investigate it.  It was then that we began receiving a signal broadcast at the ship. When we received it on the view screen, it was a recorded entertainment titled, "Fear Factor".  When the comm officer went to turn off the broadcast he couldn't.  The signal increased until it backlashed through the consol and nearly killed him.  Luckily, Lt. Cmdr. Fiona (Kitty's character) was on the bridge and was able to pull him back from the brink of death.  Capt. Maddox then put the ship on yellow alert, had all active sensors turned off, and moved to put the moon between us and the planet. 

     

    Not wanting to tip our hand with the use of the teleporters, Grace Bannon suggested we use her Romulan shuttle which also contained a cloaking device.  Because I wanted a backup away team, I asked Grace and her family to come along and stay in the ship in case we needed assistance or rescue.  Capt. Maddox approved of the plan but suggested taking additional security personnel.  So we went to the lunar surface with an additional 30 security personnel in tow.

     

    After putting on our prototype spacesuits Lt. Cmdr. Fiona complained that we stuck out.  So, Lt. Cmdr. Priam demonstrated the use of the Sprint chameleon devices.  After a bit of experimentation, the group decided on looking like 2006 spacesuits was best.   The airlock could only fit three suited folks at a time, so Lt. Cmdrs. Fiona, Keok (Rusty's character), and Priam went in first, followed afterwards by Lt. Cmdr.Johnson and two others.  An empty corridor led to a vast six-story room with catwalks around the atrium and generators visible below the glass floor.  Throughout the room on each floor were doors the size of a personal replicator behind which was an individual in suspended animation.  Between Lt. Cmdr. Keok's engineering skills, Lt. Cmdr. Fiona's medical skills, and Lt. Cmdr. Priam's Betazed empathic skills, the team as able to determine that the folks were genetic augments "on ice" following the Eugenics Wars.  They were tapped into a virtual combat game, in which if your character was killed the system would cut off your life support.  Deciding not to alter history by saving any of the people so entrapped, we left.

     

    Upon leaving, the base showed automated defense systems which prevented escape.  Luckily, our advanced technology easily skirted them.  Unfortunately, our escape triggered a change in the virtual game program the augments were experiencing.  Lt. Cmdr. Keok masked our presence to the base's systems, but could not return the game to its previous level.  As the six of us returned from the airlock to the shuttle we were rocked by an explosion.  Looking above, we saw debris from the explosion scatter, including a warp nacel which hit something causing a secondary explosion.  The Grace Bannon had uncloaked the ship and used its shields to survive, while Keok used a 20' radius personal shield he had developed to protect the away team.  Upon return to the shuttle we discovered that our starship was destroyed by a couple of cobalt atom bombs just floating out there.  Appearing as space debris to the passive sensors, the ship and its crew never had a chance. 

     

    We set down on the roof of the lunar base, recloaked, and set about repairing the shuttle and its crew.  How will we complete the mission?  How will we return to our own timeline?  Have we already altered the timeline irrevocably?  The only answer Dr. Sprint was able to determine was that the cobalt bombs were no doubt triggered into use when we unwittingly altered the virtual game program.

     

    I've got to go.  I'll pick up with today hopefully sometime tomorrow. 

     

    Maybe there's hope for me yet:







    Your Ideal Relationship is Marriage

    You've dated enough to know what you want.
    And that's marriage - with the right person.
    You're serious about settling down some time soon.
    Even if you haven't met the person you want to get hitched to!









    "Optimism: Seeking the positive in every situation awakens golden opportunities." ~ Motivations: Inspired Visions Planner for 2005

Monday 29 May 2006

  • Good News for Ben



     

    About a month ago Da was shocked to discover that all of my gaming groups were not gaming, and that I had not role played in many weeks. That drought has finally ended. Monte ran another session of his Star Trek: Secret War campaign Saturday night. Kitty and Rusty were kind enough to relaunch hosting our weekly game session by providing a Memorial Day Weekend barbeque. 

     

    From there, our characters reviewed our situation:  something has affected the timestream and desparetly needs fixing.  People remember being of different races and/or genders than they current possess.  Worse, the written history supports their current forms.  However, while 10% of the galaxy is suffering from this catastrophy, only six of us are missing a ten year block of memories.  Three of us six appear in a photograph dated to 2006, with the caption reading about a bar fight in Hong Kong, China, Earth.  Strangely enough, the three of us appear in yet again different species forms in the image.  The best Federation scientists seem to have traced the change to the timestream to this same year and plan to send us back to correct the timestream, recinding the temporal prime directive to achieve that goal (and that goal alone).

     

    Upon further research, we discovered that the image has an imbedded logo for something called IKTV.  We were able to deduce that IKTV was some kind of local broadcast network and that the news image is actually a still from that broadcast.  Considering how many world wars have occurred since that time, it's not too surprising that we could find no data on that network. 

     

    So as we prepared for the mission back through time, the head of our medical team decided to retire.  That caused Lt. Cmdr. Fiora to be promoted to lead medical officer.  Each of the six of us attuned to the Bajoran Orb of Time seem to be on the Federation fast track.  Almost as if the chi of the universe was smiling on us....

     








    You Are Midnight

    You are more than a little eccentric, and you're apt to keep very unusual habits.
    Whether you're a nightowl, living in a commune, or taking a vow of silence - you like to experiment with your lifestyle.
    Expressing your individuality is important to you, and you often lie awake in bed thinking about the world and your place in it.
    You enjoy staying home, but that doesn't mean you're a hermit. You also appreciate quality time with family and close friends.






     

    "Goals:  Setting goals inspires us to go the distance." ~ Motivations:  Inspired Visions Planner for 2005

Sunday 28 May 2006

  • A Question Answered


     

    felgild asked if I'm a cradle or convert.  As a cradle Catholic, I was raised to attend mass and do good in secret.  My mother is Catholic and my father...well he's not even Christian.  My mother hated her Catholic school years, so she made sure I was in public school.  So my mother's and godparents' example, Sunday morning mass, and religious education was all I had for faith formation.  Because I was always interested in learning more about my faith, I was constantly told I should become a priest.  Because I was brought up to not follow the crowd I rejected the idea.  The same way that I have no intention to ever read or ever watch Forest Gump or The Da Vinci Code. 

     

    My parents always brought me up that the two things you don't discuss with people are politics and religion.  They're supposedly too personal and can lead to trouble.  Luckily, I was brought up to not worry about what others think of you, so I welcome discussions of faith and politics.  However, that does mean that my evangelization is more to lead by quiet example than proselytize on the street corner.

     

    Thanks to Kitty for the quiz:
















    Your Political Profile:
    Overall: 65% Conservative, 35% Liberal
    Social Issues: 50% Conservative, 50% Liberal
    Personal Responsibility: 75% Conservative, 25% Liberal
    Fiscal Issues: 100% Conservative, 0% Liberal
    Ethics: 25% Conservative, 75% Liberal
    Defense and Crime: 75% Conservative, 25% Liberal


     


    "...here it is important to remember our Catholic teaching on the Communion of Saints, all those past and present: the Church Militant on earth, the Church Suffering in Purgatory, and the Church Victorious in Heaven – all alive to one another, praying, interceding for one another." ~ A Primer on Catholic Symbolism by a Poor Clare Colettine Nun

Friday 26 May 2006

  • What the Heart Longs For


     


    So I'm going through my mail earlier this week, and on the cover of The Catholic Sun is a picture of the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adortation in prayer. And my first thought is, I'd like even a small part of the grace they exhibit in that picture. Even a small fraction, like 10% or something, seems so far removed from where I am right now in my spiritual journey. I know that none of us are worthy, but can receive grace if we just ask. I want it, yet I fear it as well. So I pray to discern my vocation: continue as a single lay member as planned, become a husband, or become a religious. I always wanted to prove that people could be dedicated single lay members, yet how can I taste of such grace as I long for while among the sin and depredations of the world? As if my long term plans weren't already shaken. Perhaps God just wants me better aware of what other's have. Or perhaps He has a plan to incorportate bits of the three vocations together in some way I just do not see, such as having that grace in my single lay life. Prayer and patience will see me through.


     

    Thanks to felgild for the quiz:




    A Real Jedi Quiz



    you are a jedi master. you try your hardest to learn as much as you can about everything. the light side flows through you as you flow through it. you use a single bladed lightsaber and ues the force to manipulate the physical world around you. your biggest weakness is your selflessness. you put yourself infront of your comrades problems and attemt to solve them even if they don't need to be solved. you feel the need to be everywhere at once and can spread yourself too thin with the many jobs you undertake at once.Example: Yoda from episode 3
    Take this quiz!

    Quizilla | Join | Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code


     

    "They are sentinels of the dawn of eternity, harbingers of heaven." ~ Bishop Thomas J. Olmstead about the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration

Tuesday 23 May 2006

  • Life Continues

    Learn all about sneak attacks in 1, 2, 3, 4 easy steps.

    Baldr is climbing the walls, literally.  He climbs one, stays a few seconds, lets out a cry, climbs down, runs across the house, and repeats the cycle.  It's probably time to eunuchize him, poor kitty.

    Septentrio has been kind enough to listen to my insanity.  Thanks.  It's nice to have a sounding board. 

    I've always been able to be more open with females.  I wonder if that comes from growing up, as I hung out most with my mother and next most with her mother, without much hanging out with my uninterested father and old school, distant grandfather. I know I have a hard time identifying with stereotypical male pursuits such as sports, motor vehicles, hunting, tools, et cetera.  Yet, I'm well trained in flower arrangements and other crafts.  I wonder if that makes me a tomgirl when I was a kid.  I never really thought about it like that before. 

    Merlz ran into one of our classmates from high school in one of her fitness classes.  So the three of us went to lunch the other day.  It was cool seeing her again for the first time in a dozen years.  Unlike Merlz and I, she has gotten married.  So I have a new last name to learn, otherwise she hasn't changed much for the woman I knew.  It was fun catching up, and Merlz had a photo taken of us with her camera (thanks, Monte!).  As some will recall, she's as big on taking photographs as I am on not taking them.  Yet, sometimes I'm still curious as to whatever happened to the photos she took of me in downtown Tempe for her college class.

    Now that there are no local cons before Phoenix Con Games II, TFLAS has put out the call for NPCs.  It looks like I have dibs on Dumbledore again.  

    Thanks to stacinator for the quiz.  Although I have to agree with trollgod that none of the options in the quiz were actually weird.  Now that's weird.  Maybe it's a reverse psychology thing... 

    You Are 70% Weird
    You're so weird, you think you're *totally* normal. Right?
    But you wig out even the biggest of circus freaks!
     
    "Only that which is eternal can satisfy us." ~ St. Thérèse of Lisieux

The Seasons of Mount Chernabog

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