A Day off

Yes, that is what today was. It is amazing what not having a car to drive will do to your days off. It is hard to visit the Museum when I'm off if I don't have a car to drive, ;-). I actually spent the entire day at home (until going to a friend's house in the evening to watch a movie). And while I did answer some e-mails and a couple phone calls, I actually spent most of the day doing something I haven't done in literally years! I decided to work on building with Legos. I've been looking at many different custom sets on-line (Check out VignetteBricks, Fascinating LEGO Model of the Day, Neo Classic Space, Legos on Flickr, etc...) and been fascinated by some of them. Sadly I don't have the money or the time to pour into them that many AFOL (Adult Fans of Lego) do, because some of their creations are truly works of art. I merely dabble, though I might try to take more time and even acquire a few more pieces so that I can expand my horizons a bit. Who knows... I might even post a couple pictures soon. Today I worked on my old castle, expanding, shrinking, and tweaking it...

~Matt

Tired

I am so tired...today (meaning Tuesday) was a busy day.  I had to go into work early to work a Pastors Luncheon, then I had three different meetings, that along with work for one of the meetings consumed the rest of the day.  Then I had to leave work early to go to the Museum Center and work an event.  Now I'm wrapping up some things I couldn't finish earlier, but am planning to go to bed soon so that I can wake up early tomorrow morning!  :-)

~Matt

Car repair update

So yesterday I got a call from the shop where my car is to ask if I've heard anything from the insurance company.  I said that yes I did, they called me Thursday and left a message stating that they'd made an estimate.  But even though the car is sitting on the lot at the shop, the insurance people never talked to anyone from the shop!  I was supposed to call them yesterday and ask them to fax a copy of the estimate to the shop, but I didn't have time...I need to do that today!  I just want my car fixed!

~Matt

Please tell me the day gets better...

This morning I woke up to my alarm, as usual, at six. Again, as usual I hit the snooze a couple times (which I can safely do and still get to work on time). But then something different happened, I realized that I didn't have a ride to work. My car is currently in the shop being repaired after my accident at the start of my vacation a couple weeks ago. I've been arranging for rides from my roommate, but he was sick yesterday and I don't know when he comes into work today, or if he is well enough to do so. This realization hit around 6:30 and I had to leave for work at 7:00!

I sent a quick text message to my sister Laurie (who lives across the street) to see if I could borrow one of her vehicles (though they're down one because my nephew Chris is borrowing the truck). Thankfully it worked out okay and I was able to leave on time.

I got into my sister's van and found that I'd left my camera in it yesterday when I'd borrowed it for a couple of errands. That was the one bit of good news this morning, ;-). I realized half-way to work that I'd forgotten my ID badge! I was able to get a temporary one this morning, but I can't do a couple of things without it. As I came into work this morning I mentioned this saga to the Public Safety officer out front, and asked him to "please tell me that the day will get better." He very obligingly said that it would, and had a good word of encouragement after I related the entire tale, stating that "The Lord will bless it." Sometimes you just need to have the right outlook on things...why dwell on the bad when you can remember all the good things (all of them really) that God has done, and will continue to do. My life may appear to have its bad points at times, but overall I have been incredibly blessed!

~Matt

Movie night

Tonight I had several friends over to my place. I cooked dinner (a roast in the crock pot, potatoes, and yes, salad...) and we watched an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000 from the library. Yes, the movie was very stupid...but as usual the commentary was funny. It could have used just a bit more commentary though, to provide some more humour and drown out a bit more of the movie, ;-). It was "The Atomic Brain."

All in all it was a fun evening. Really though I need to plan a strategy game night at my place. I've been to a couple, but always somewhere else. I think I have enough room, especially if we only have a couple games going.

~Matt

Dinner?

I didn't cook dinner tonight (i.e. Tuesday)...I actually didn't eat dinner. But it was okay, because I was so busy I didn't get lunch until at least 3:30 because I was so busy. And from work I went straight to Bible Study.

It was a busy day with just different things going on at work, so I somewhat felt as though I didn't get anything done. My desk is clean though, and I'm doing my best to keep it that way! :-) There may be quite a bit of stuff on the desk (and walls) and in the drawers, but things have their place. Let's just hope they stay that way...

~Matt

Chicken

I cooked dinner tonight. Yes, I've done it many times before, but it has been a while since I've cooked this dinner. It is one of my favorites: chicken, rice, and corn. I know, no green on the plate, which suits me just fine! :-) I'm trying to do better on my grocery buying and staying within budget. I think I need to get back into the habit of figuring out what meals I want and shopping based on that. It will be easier to cook if I know I have the components for several complete, but distinct, meals around.

~Matt

Relaxing

I'll be the first to admit that I have a different definition of relaxing than most. Yes, I did sleep in this morning, but I was awake by seven or eight something and was only able to half-way doze for a couple hours after that--it wasn't real deep sleep.

I'm going to take my car in to be fixed in just a bit, but I've spent the rest of the morning catching up on e-mail and essentially done some work from home. I actually enjoy this (part of the reason I love my job so much), but with my laptop I can access what files and websites I need and can work on a couple of time critical projects as needed, even when I'm "relaxing" at home. :-) Some call me crazy, but I enjoy it.

~Matt

Just finished

On my way home this evening I finished listening to the Silmarillion. It was definitely an amazing experience. I'm sure it might not have been quite as good if I hadn't read the book before. I love rereading books, it is like rediscovering old friends. And this time it was like seeing that old friend in a completely new way.

~Matt

May Flowers

I just missed posting on May 1. I'm going to blame Bible Study...I was busy at work Friday and headed straight to Bible Study, so I didn't have time to think about the blog. I have been trying to keep up a blog post a day. It is an ambitious goal after my lapse the last couple years...but I hope I can keep it up. I'm also working on a blog for work and that I have to get something up every day, so hopefully working on both will be good for me! :-)

I have been noticing more flowers around and realizing that as I did when on vacation I need to be taking more pictures. I don't have that many good flower shots that I've taken in the past, so I'm going to try to get more. I might even go into work on Monday afternoon (when I'm off), just to take pictures, because I'll have the free time then.

~Matt

Musings on Movement

As I was just climbing the stairs from my garage to my second floor apartment I reflected that I rarely go up stairs one at a time. Often I'm in a hurry, and going up (and sometimes down) stairs two at a time is convenient. But unless I am stuck behind other people (and usually impatient about it, ;-)) I always go up a set of stairs two at a time. I've just gotten so used to it that it is a deeply ingrained habit...

~Matt

Parallels

I mentioned recently on my Facebook page that I am listening to (unabridged of course, like fullscreen DVDs, I avoid abridged audio books like the plague--I want to see or hear the entire product, ;-)) an audio book of The Silmarillion. I procured it before my recent vacation and listened to it on both the trip down to Tennessee and the trip back. I've read the volume several times, but never listened to it before. I am really enjoying hearing correct pronounciations (some words I've apparently been mispronouncing for years), a great English accent, and amazing storytelling ability. It is refreshing to once again immerse myself in the worlds of Tolkien and remember what an awesome author he was. He truly could spin a masterful tale.

The first volume of the Silmarillion, the Ainulindalë, tells "the tale of the Music of the Ainur and the creation of Arda." It isn't an allegory by any means, but some parts of it are analagous to the real world. The divine being Ilúvatar is very similar to God (somewhat like Lewis' 'Emperor over the Sea' in the worlds of Narnia) and the main personal force of evil is Melkor, who becomes known as Morgoth Bauglir or 'Black Enemy,' a rough analogue to Satan. For he was of the greatest of the Ainur, very similar to angels, before he rebelled against Ilúvatar. At one point he was trying to introduce his own themes in the to the heavenly"music of the Ainur" and after he failed to take control, Ilúvatar said the following to him:

"And thou Melkor, shalt see that no theme may be played that hath not its uttermost source in me, nor can any alter the music in my despite. For he that attempteth this shall prove but mine instrument in the devising of things more wonderful, which he himself hath not imagined."
-JRR Tolkien, The Silmarillion, Ainulindalë, p 17, First American Edition

When I look at that paragraph I see something akin to what God could actually have told Satan ere he fell. Satan may think that he is in control (of anything), but in reality God is in control of all things, as revealed when Joseph spoke to his brothers in Genesis 50:20:

But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.

God didn't merely use what his brothers did to bring about a good end, but he meant it for good.

All this to say that I am truly enjoying experiencing the Silmarillion yet again, in a new way. Next I'm going to listen to an audio reading of The Children of Húrin, which though it is a dark and depressing tale, is nevertheless epic Tolkien and a grand tale in the tradition of European tales like Beowulf.

I love how we can find things that point to God in many different places. It doesn't mean pantheism is true, or that everything has bits of God in it, or that everything is okay because you can "find God there," but He has been gracious enough to provide us with many examples of His love and character that we can see all around us.

~Matt

Hymns

I don't always sing hymns, but sometimes I run across them and they are really good. I was just looking at someone's status message on Gmail and saw the following line "Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart..." I immediately started singing silently to myself. I love this hymn, partly because I like "older language" that is more complex and uses richer words than today's slang.

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

~Matt

New Settlement

Tonight I played Settlers of Catan with two of my nephews. I went over to my sister's place for a bit and happened to look at the work being done on Chase's room. I noticed that he was trying to assemble a hand-created board for Settlers. He asked if I would play a game with him--using my game.

It turned out to be a fun evening. I did get to play a game a short time before my vacation. It was Easter when I took it over to the place where I go to Bible Study some Friday evenings and several of us played. I don't get to play the game often enough, but when I do I really enjoy it. One of these days I need to get one of the expansions, even if it is just so the game will hold together better with the border pieces, ;-).

~Matt