Wow, this site has explanations for the complete I before E rule.

Well, sometimes we set ourselves up for failure.  Today was definately one of those days.  I had "the talk" I had been dreading for weeks followed by the double punch of the immediate use of "the out" I had offered.  I kind of knew they were both coming, but it doesn't really make me feel any better.

I did have some good news, which should have cheered me up:  one of my old high school chums, Melissa, recontacted me today.  It sounds like she'll be able to join our lunch outting on Monday, and it'll be great to see her again and catch up after twelve years. 

Anyway, I think I should pray before going to bed.  Feeling ill over things completely out of my control is just silly and unconstructive. 

Thanks to Anwelei for the quiz:

What type of Fae are you?

Were you ever curious about the word order words?

Life is great, praise the Lord.  I not only survived another convention, but I did so without getting too stressed or too tired.  Of course, I slept 14 hours before waking up this morning.  I think the month before the convention was much, much more stressful that the actual convention itself.  I actually managed to have some fun, attending the last panel of the night each night:  ART172, DEM159, GAM198, and when 198 ended early the later half of DEM191.  All of the Guests of Honor were incredibly kind and personable.  In fact, they made me wish I could have just attended the convention rather than work it.

It's starting to get warm again.  Running around in leather actually made me sweat.  That must mean 100s are right around the corner.  I had shut down Program Ops and Green Room for two hours on Saturday to go to the Masquerade Ball, but people kept needing me, meaning that I only attended the last 15 minutes of the Ball.  At least I got one dance in.  Not that the dance caused me to sweat, it was regency.  It was the running around getting the ballroom situated for the events later that night (because the hotel didn't do it's room changes in a timely manner). 

I'm tired and not making much sense.  I should go to bed.  Hopefully, I made the right decision today.  We'll see....

Deconstructing James Blunt’s “You're Beautiful” As A Peer-Reviewed College Term Paper

Well, I had some intercepted looks and verbal exchanges confirmed.  That was conforting to know that I'm not as crazy as I sometimes fear.  I mean, I'm a fairly good student of human behavior, but when I'm close to an issue I realise that my objectivity can be compromised.  When that happens, I can't necessarily trust the instincts I have.  Maybe I should, though.  After all, I was right this time.  I think I'm right on another related set of data.  We'll see. 

The more I think about it, the more I understand why I say the things I say.  That doesn't make me any more comfortable.  However, I think that prepares me for the next inevitable situation.  I'll just keep praying.  That seems to help. 

Your Love Element Is Earth

In love, you have consistency and integrity. For you, love is all about staying grounded and centered. You attract others with your zest for life and experiences. Your flirting style is defined by setting the scene, creating a unique moment in time. Steady progress and stability are the cornerstones of your love life. You may take things too slowly, but you never put your heart at risk. You connect best with: Fire Avoid: Wood You and another Earth element: need each other too much to build a good foundation

Why are soap operas called "soap operas"?

What a crazy, busy week.  A week ago Friday I still was unable to avoid saying something uterly stupid, mentally kicking myself as I said it and watching The Looks of the others as they heard it.   I did a two day Program marathon Sunday and Monday, broken only by mass and some occassional sleep and dozens of phone calls.  The Program team meeting had a lot of negativity.  It was all unfounded and somewhat dissettling for the direction we might go next year for #33.  Do the best you can and you'll earn people's respect.  Don't do (and not do) stuff based upon what other people might think about you.  That's rather immature of folks whose first conventions were before or around the time I was born.  I got slided Tuesday after work by some kids I'd never met before.  They had tried for a half hour to provoke me before I was slided and they ran like cowards.  It was rather pathetic, so I asked the onlookers to pray for my attackers rather than call the cops.  Friday I saw the beginnings of a downward slide in one of my habitually depressed friends, so I'm praying extra hard for him.  I also managed to make my usual stupid comment.  I guess if I'm going to short circuit on Fridays, that's better than what I was experiencing before.  The prayers are definately working.  Saturday the PCFC crew helped me make door signs, much like the ones we made for the first convention I was program director.  I rather wish we had done so for last year, too.  Sunday, we helped a friend move from an apartment to a townhouse before I went to mass.  Tomorrow I hope to mow the lawn before helping her clean up her old apartment.  Oh, and Wednesday I get to go to the hotel to go over the room layouts for the convention.  I'll see y'all on the other side. 

You Are a Rainbow

Breathtaking and rare You are totally enchanting and intriguing But you usually don't stick around long! You are best known for: your beauty Your dominant state: seducing

A librarian who travels time and space to retrieve late library books--how cool is that?!

My mother gave me a cool gift:  30 count of several items to celebrate the 30th anniversary of my birth.  She was all worried I'd think she was crazy, but I appreciate the fact that she went out of her way to give me something unique like that. 

Thank goodness I'm not Program director again in the forseeable future.  No one can submit things in a timely manner. 

I'm doing better this week since I last posted.  Maybe it's because I'm not getting enough sleep or too busy with convention work.  Or maybe I'm processing better.  Who knows.  Thank God for his continued grace in my life, however he actuated it. 

I must go.  I just needed a quick break for my sanity.

Thanks to Kitty for this quiz:

You Should Be a Film Writer

You don't just create compelling stories, you see them as clearly as a movie in your mind. You have a knack for details and dialogue. You can really make a character come to life. Chances are, you enjoy creating all types of stories. The joy is in the storytelling. And nothing would please you more than millions of people seeing your story on the big screen!

St Theresa's Seminarians' letters to the Life Teen Program are an interesting window into my friends lives.  I remember Matt & John from when we were in Life Teen together.  When we were growing up, I never thought that anyone I knew would go on to become a priest.  It's so cool, and yet so weird.  I guess I was too busy always deflecting people's desires that I seriously look into the priesthood.  I always wanted to be an example of single laity involved in the church.  I don't think you see enough positive examples of that, personally.

I find myself more and more...occupied.  It's almost like a drug, where I look forward to my fix every week.  Then I find myself lost in thought about...  I've always prayed, but this situation is causing me to pray even more.  Each week, I become more preoccupied than the last, causing me to pray even more.  I could definitely use all the prayers people have out there.  I would really like a positive result from all this.  I need to let go and let God.  Easier prayed than done.

Earlier, Kitty and I were discussing how we (humanity) learn our parenting skills as children.  How, once we are tested to the max, our earliest examples of parenting bleed out, no matter how much we might work against turning out like that.  I believe that through hard work, we can overcome those mistakes while she thinks that we can be so sorely tested that we instinctively revert to our parents' parenting skill set.  She's had kids and grandkids, while I just enjoy other people's kids, so I'll have to concede.  But I don't think that we should go into parenting with that mindset, which I believe sets us up to fail.  If we believe we can do better, we will do better with God's help.  He, our spouse, human support network, the angels, and the saints can support and reinforce our efforts to be better.  And should we falter, they will assist us in getting back up, rectifying the situation, and support us from making those mistakes again.  Think positive and get positive. 

Anyway, the reason I bring this up is that I realised that maybe this was the real reason Child Protective Services had me attend parenting classes with my parents.  Perhaps the people in CPS were hoping to mold me while I was still young, and that I would instinctively retreat to my parenting class training when I myself became a parent.  It's an interesting idea, one of which I would be curious to see the outcome.

MSN Money - Planning: Taxes 

So, another friend found this place through Google.  Luckily, he seemed OK with the fact that I've aired my oppions of him online for the world to see.  Sure enough, use my full name and it pulls up the first page of this journal.  Good thing that's the page where I warn people of my intent behind this journal.  He said that most of my writing here was unlike me, but more like the surfacing of my subconscience.  I'd argue that is still me, but then again I'm usually the only one with any idea what my subconscience is like, so I can see why he might say that.  Considering how I've been journaling most of my life, I'm happy with how it comes out.   

Dang, my cat is purposefully knocking stuff off the counters again.  Type to you all later.

I have to admit, I'm very unlikely to ever read this book:

You're The Guns of August!
by Barbara Tuchman
Though you're interested in war, what you really want to know is what causes war. You're out to expose imperialism, militarism, and nationalism for what they really are. Nevertheless, you're always living in the past and have a hard time dealing with what's going on today. You're also far more focused on Europe than anywhere else in the world. A fitting motto for you might be "Guns do kill, but so can diplomats."
Take the Book Quiz at the Blue Pyramid.

"Doing things for others our way is a selfish, immature form of love." ~If Only He Knew, Gary Smalley

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Lenten Light:  Reflections and Prayers
By Fr. Thomas Connery
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The 8th Doctor episodes are now airing on BBC7.    How cool is that?  BBC7 has a cool link where #8 disses #9.  (I love #9, but I always get a kick out of how different incarnations react to each other).

Mach 1? Child's play. Two times the speed of light? Now that might be a challenge. You are the Flash, and you are the fastest man alive, if not fastest being in the universe.
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