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The best blog posting I've seen in a while (from An Entirely Other Day):

Sometimes parenthood seems like an eighteen year Kobayashi Maru.

Here's the original post.

What a weekend! Call me weird, but I look forward to Diocesan Convention each year. It's a great time to see people who I may not have seen in, well, a year. It's time to come together as a diocese and celebrate all the work that we do, and, as far as I see it, a time to see how we can better do that work together.

This was my fifth convention. I started out going by myself, then Ellen came with me, then the kids started coming, too. There is a wonderful children's program each year, and they have blast! This is my first year away from Trinity Commons. It was held at Sawmill Creek Resort, mostly as a response to the people from the western end of the diocese who complain, rightly, that driving to Cleveland can be a hassle. The downside was that is was a very expensive convention. We opted not to go to the banquet (about $200 for our family of 6), or get the continental breakfast ($66), or the boxed lunch ($62). Fortunately, Ellen and I both were volunteering so we were given boxed lunches, and we brought sandwiches for the kids. And, as a "staff" person, I was given a room, where Beenie and I stayed Friday night, while Ellen and the other kids went back to her folks house (about 45 minutes away).

Complaining aside, it was still a great weekend. I had to be there on Thursday as we needed to rehearse the "show" after the a/v company got everything set up. It was fun watching them work to hang the lights and get the screens and mics set up. I used to do that in college and after, and it was like old times. Once Martha got there and we got everything squared away it was 10:00 pm.

Friday morning I needed to be there a 8:30 and we finished up our "run-through" by lunch time. Convention started at 1:00, and (at least from my perspective) everything went great!! During the course of the two day convention, only one "weirdness" happened - when a powerpoint presentation decided to advance itself at a rate of about 3 slides per second! Fortunately we were able to stop it and reset it before the speaker said "As you'll see on the slide...". Phew!

The Convention Eucharist was Saturday morning and Beenie had been asked to read the Old Testament Lesson. Since he and I were the only ones from the family there, and I had work to do to get ready for day two, he was pretty much on his own. I saw him talking to staff members, and getting his assigned seat, and hooking up with some of our friends from another parish, who agreed to keep an eye on him. However, no fear, he did an awesome job!!!

The other highlight of the weekend was the election for General Convention Deputy. The General Convention is a meeting of representatives from all the dioceses that make up the Episcopal Church. They meet once every three years. The last one was in Columbus. The next one, in 2009, is in Anaheim, California. Each diocese, in addition to its bishops, is allowed 4 clergy deputies, and 4 lay deputies. We elected ours this weekend. We had 10 lay people running for the 4 positions!

The exciting news is that I was elected to be one of those deputies!!! It took three ballots (two ballots to elect the other 3), but I'm in. I'll be serving with Sam, Sue, and Stephen. Although my name doesn't begin with S, I think it will be okay. Actually, us, combined with Alan, Brian, Gay, and Conrad (our clergy deputies) are a really good deputation. I expect to learn a lot, and to have a great time doing it!!

So, our rallying cry for the rest of the weekend has been "We're going to Anaheim!!!" While the diocese will be paying my way out there, we plan to take the kids (another awesome kids program) and stay a few extra days to do Disneyland, and other SoCal attractions. I think we will all have an amazing time! And Ellen is going to volunteer to help with the kids program, so maybe she'll have her way paid, too!

I know I've used a lot of exclamation points in this post. I am very excited, but I do recognize the responsibility that I just signed up for/had thrust upon me. I've heard that two dioceses have already submitted legislation to repeal B033, and by the time that the convention convenes, the 2008 Lambeth Meeting will have happened. It should be an interesting convention, and I am looking forward to jumping into church politics with both feet.

In other news from the weekend, Tracey was not elected Bishop of Chicago. I'm sad, for both her and the church, but as I've said before, she will be a great bishop, and she will find that perfect fit eventually.

Here's the answer from Tracey Lind, given during a "walkabout" in the Diocese of Chicago:

"In light of recent events some of you may be wondering why I am still standing for election. I trusted the spirit of this discernment process and I pray that you will do the same and that together all of us will see where the heart of God leads us."

For those of you who were wondering about the fallout I mentioned in this post.

The news article reporting on the walkabout is here.

I've only seen her once since the HOB meeting. I told her that I would keep her in my prayers. Her response: "Please."

The Boston Red Sox are World Series Champs!!!!!

It was a great series. They defeated the Colorado Rockies four games to none to win their second World Series in 4 years. Growing up, I never thought I'd see them win one, and now they've won two. In 2004 I was convinced right up to the last out that they were going to blow it. This year I was a little more sure of the team.

They played the Cleveland Indians in the League Championship Series, and were down 3 games to 1. They came back and won 3 in a row to move on,and looked good doing it. Then they won four from Colorado. (In 2004 they were down 3-0 to the Yankees, and came back to win 4 in a row, then 4 in a row over St. Louis. But they had a history of blowing it at the last minute, and in the most agonizing fashion.) Which team is better? I don't know. I don't care. The Sawx win again!!!!

I grew up in New England as a Sox fan. I spent many an afternoon (and a good number of evenings) at Fenway Park. I will always thank my aunt and grandfather for that. One of my best memories of my childhood is being up at my grandparent's house while Grandpa Ford watched the ballgame. He would sit in his 'La-Z-Boy' and nothing would move him until the game was over. He was 17 when the Red Sox won it in 1918. I don't know if he was a Sox fan then, and I wish that they had been able to win it again before he died.

You can talk about the difference in the team over the years, and how money is now buying World Series Championships - the "Yankee-fication" of the Red Sox - and I may at some point. I may reminisce about meeting the players, going to Fenway, etc. But right now I'm going to enjoy the moment.

And wear my uniform shirt proudly tomorrow.

Ladies and Gentlemen, for your listening pleasure, Bono on voice and Edge on banjo! May we present - Vertigo!

Beenie drew this the other day. He explains it as "the guy thinks he's going to get married, and the girl is thinking she is not (oh, heck)".

Was watching CSI tonight and was intrigued by the song at the close. I love Kate Bush, and I thought this version of Running Up That Hill was great. And very dark. Even better.



The group is Placebo. I know absolutely nothing about them, but I think I need to hear some more. Is it just me, or do they remind you of the group from the 80's, The Bolshoi? Darker, but similar. Hmmm....

So, I'm talking with a couple of people one night about a week ago, and I'm telling them about our crazy cat. The cat who likes to pee on the furniture. Yeah. I tell them that I'm at about my wits end, and that Ellen is taking her to the vet the next day. I joke that I'm willing to try anything, but I draw the line at the kitty therapist.

Note to self - be careful what you wish for.

The cat comes home from the vet with a diagnosis of Generalized Anxiety Disorder. The (possible) solution - kitty prozac. Great. In thinking about all we're going to have to do to give the cat her drugs we entertain the possiblity that it would be easier for us to take the Prozac, then we won't care where she pees.

So the prozac (or whatever its name really is) arrived today. Turns out it's a liquid. Even better [can you hear the sarcasm dripping here]. Now we have to hold the cat down and squirt liquid into its mouth. All the while it's scratching and clawing to get away.

How is that for ironic? Giving the cat the medicine for GAD might actually be making the GAD worse. Or maybe it just is making it worse for me.

[Edit: 10/8 - Here's a picture of the cat in question. Pre-prozac (and pre-peeing) ]