Texas

Jim will be going away to Texas this weekend to visit an old friend named Dario who is standing in our wedding (if he says he will). Jim and I see each other nearly every day and I think it would be good for him to be in a different environment with different people for a while. I am a little jelous that he gets to go to Texas... I've never been there, but I hope he can stand the heat alright.

I feel as though this next month (August) is going to fly right by! Jim's going to Texas this weekend, next weekend he may fly out to Indianna to rescue his car from the autobody. Then he begins A/RHD training... after that, the CAs and PAs will be coming to do their training, which the A/RHDs will facilitate. The third weekend in August, our parents will be meeting for the first time and I would like to do a double date with Jim (obviously) and two of my friends who are standing in the wedding who I think would be great for each other (I'm setting them up). And then we have about a week and a half to get the last feel of summer in before school begins.... and boy, this semester is going to be a doozy with chemistry and all! I shall look forward to a good challenge when I begin to feel more fully recooperated from last semester.

The Holy House of Cards

The church Jim is a member at (and I attend sometimes) is having problems... problems that are being spurred by some older members of the church who seem to be bypassing Jim's position and the authority that comes with his position. I've never seen adults act this way before... and, although I've only been an adult for a few years now, I guess I will be seeing more of this as time goes on. This same group of people are being lead by a couple of individuals who also seem to bring up issues repeatedly... like beating a dead horse. Jim has a procedure that he follows, like a map, so that he carefully and thoroughly covers all the angles. Lately, the disrespect he has been getting toward his position and the way he is carrying things out has been getting to him... and me. It's become quite a personal matter for many different people within the church... which makes any type of political matter more difficult to manage and resolve. One of the things that bothers me the most is how some of these older people seem to be using their age (my opinion) as leverage in what has been looking like a witch hunt for our pastor. People have rudely (and appropriately) been calling Jim at his home and prying into information that is not necessarily theirs to have at the moment. People are also leaving the church and others have thought about quitting their jobs there. Jim has so much of his heart invested in the church and I think it's taking a beating right now seeing the church sway back and forth like a house of cards about to tumble down. I wish there was something I could do for him. Not only does he care about the church's well being but whenever he commits to an undertaking such as the position he is in now, he gives it everything he's got to make sure it is done right, appropriately, and in a manner that will not hurt anyone--including himself. I guess all that I can possibly do is to be there for him if he ever needs it.

The Once and Future King

Recently, Jim told me that the book The Once and Future King is being made into a movie to be released in theatres sometime next summer. After reading the book for a third or fourth time, I have decided that either this movie is going to be more than three hours long or won't be a very good movie. First off, since it is a movie, the cinima will no doubt emphasize the fighting and jousting between the knights, and the love making between Guenivere and Lancelot. The book wasn't about that. It was purely about the creation of justice through the time of Aurthur's reign and how that very same justice worked against him. Another point I'd like to make is that the Once and Future King actually consists of four books in one, and a fifth book about Merlin that they published separate from the others. In order to convey the story correctly, I have a feeling that it may be made into a 'Lord of the Rings' look-alike in that three movies will be made encompassing the main points of the book. If they intend on not doing it that way, they should stop now or another crappy movie from this decade will be made by fitting in a lifetime into two and a half short cinima hours. Although I have my doubts, ...I will still be one of the first to see it in the theatres.

Book Review

I am currently concluding my reading of the book The Once and Future King written by T.H. White, a piece of Arthurian Legend literature based on the foremost writings on the topic by Sir Thomas Malory. I have read it several times throughout my life and only now, when I am beginning my fifth year in college, do I understand most--but certainly not all--of White's meanings.

It is the creation and blossom of organized civility of which White wrote about in his book leading the reader from Might vs. Right and finally ending with a rough-edged early justice system of old-day England. Recently I received an away message from a friend who had cleverly quoted part of another man's speech relaying to anyone who would listen his thoughts about why today's society has seemingly lost its way. The quoted part of this other man's sentence was his opinion that since people have willingly allowed the church [and along with it church-based morals], our society has disintegrated into what it is now.

Suddenly I had a thought after thinking about this man's opinion and White's writings. I thought, 'what must have the world been like before the church?'. And, a simple conclusion followed (funny how all conclusions are either very simple or come from the simplest of roots). People got along alright and had their own morals before the dawn of any organized religion. In order to get along, they simply knew that they needed to treat others in a specific way in order to receive something in return... and visa versa... thus beginning the age of the 'golden rule'. However, since it is in human nature (and in all animal nature for that matter) to be the best to ensure survival, people needed to 'look good' before others thus gaining status. It became necessary to write these 'golden morals' down. However, just as the people of King Aurthur's court became restless and bent on venting their lusts for fighting, the law of the land went sour. People became bored and relied on their old ways to humor them. Just as Shakespeare's work was mainly fictitious but written around historical events on a shrunken time table, so too are the legends of King Aurthur. And as history repeats itself, maybe our society has finally found itself in a civil unrest of bordom like the people of the court found themselves to be so many thousands of years ago.

To wrap this all up, I conclude with one thought that is this: our society is based on the one decision all people must make for themselves. This decision is something that cannot be taught or lectured on how to make appropriately. Each person decides their own destiny by how they govern and live their own lives through the choices they make--their first choice being whether or not to accept and live by the code of 'golden morals'.

Forty-Miles of Thoughts

Yesterday I went for a bike ride. I normally ride on the Weouwash Trail and do about 16 miles in all. Yesterday, however, I rode about 12 miles out and thought to myself 'I'm only three miles away from a possible 30 mile goal... I can do it.' So, I did it and when I got there, again, I thought to myself 'you're almost to Appleton... just five more miles, the sun's still up in the sky and wouldn't it be cool if you came back and could say 'I just biked 40 miles in roughly three hours??!!''

Fourty miles not only gives you the wooded scenery of the Wisconsin back country and all its creatures (including lots and lots of bugs) but it gives you an awful lot of time to think. I sorted out my thoughts on my mom and dad giving Jim and I a difficult time about the wedding plans and about making it all the way through my degree to eventually teach. Mostly, I thought about Jim and why I can be so emotional sometimes. I thought to myself 'why do you cry sometimes... it's not sad crying at all, so why do you do it?' My immediate response was 'because I am happy and have never loved someone as much as I do Jim'.

When you've never attempted something so physical as a 40-mile bike ride and haven't ridden a bike in a few weeks, the farthure along your goal becomes, the easier it is to quit and turn back. Those last few miles out were the hardest and the slowest. But I finally did it and then the real difficulties came. I was unnoticably dehydrated, felt sick, and worse yet... I didn't realize the sun was setting and I was out in the middle of nowhere. 'Crap'. I was exhausted and I had 20 more miles to go to get back home. 'Arg!' I had no light, no phone, and no change to call anyone. Needless to say I had more than enough inspiration to keep trekking as quickly as I possibly could to get home.

I just wanted to see something recognizable.... the cows I had passed earlier, the highway, any kind of civilization. I wasn't worried yet... the sun hadn't set and I budgeted my time against it setting. Luckily there were still a few stragglers like me on the trail... that soon ended when the sun eventually did set and dusk night-lighted the sky. I tried to think of things to keep focused and not let my immagination bike off without me... did some math in my head, sang the choruses to a few songs I could remember... and I thought about the one person I would give anything to see at that moment--Jim. I wondered if he liked the movie he went to see with his old friend and I wondered if he wouldn't mind me coming by just to see him if I got home that night. My thoughts betrayed me and I wondered without a light if I would be able to see the path in the darkness. Luckily, the real darkness came about seven miles from Oshkosh. I wanted to get off the trail and I wanted to see Jim. Bugs had been all over me and the worst part about biking at night is that you can't see the hoards of them flying at head-level on the path in front of you. I felt as though I was blinded by the night as well as the bugs.

I eventually got off the trail and was back in the city with lights and with people out walking dogs and babies. My hall was another mile up the street at the top end of campus and when I got there, hopped off my bike, it wasn't until then that I realized just how much pain I was really in. Even in high school after the first few tennis and softball practices where they make you run your butt off, I wasn't a tenth as sore after those practices as I was now. I was able to see Jim that night and told him of my adventures. I've never felt so relieved and comforted being with him that night and was just so glad to see him again.

My 17th Post!!!

So I've discovered that I am terrible at keeping up with this blog. I guess my life is just that boring so there's not very much to write about. However, since I haven't written, I have a few things that I would like to cover.

Movies: Superman Returns: It was alright... of course no one will do it quite as well as Christopher Reeves... but this new guy comes pretty close and it is a little creepy how much he looks and sounds like Reeves. Another wannabe was played by Kevin Spacey as Lex Luther... again, Gene Hackman played it the best. All in all, it was alright... entertaining (which a movie should be) but a little too much sappiness.

Pirates: All I can say is that it was good to see the gang back together again... however, it was as if I entered midway through an action-packed book of sorts--no beginning and no end! There was so much flying at the viewers that even my little brother had a hard time following it. It was a brilliant economic strategy, though, because the end will entice everyone to NEED to see the third and final film. So I don't want to say too much, but shouldn't some of the supporting characters from the last film be dead???

Fourth of July:
Jim and I had a blast! I was so excited that he could come with me to stay the day at my Aunt's and Uncle's house in Occonomowoc. We went boating, played around in the pool, and had a really good cookout with bbq-ed chicken and different sausages. The fire works the night before were alright too. We had the most perfect spot to see them--nearly right beneath them when they opened up! They were about 45 minutes late and all due to what rumors say was the operator's fault for being on oxycotin. I was a little unimpressed with their finale... they shot some off in succession and then a few more went off but it was nothing all to finale-ish.

Wedding News:
After a very trying day with my parents, and as they seemed slightly reluctant, we were able to put a deposit down on the Vineyard (see link above). I absolutely love this place and I know that Jim is just as crazy about it as I am! We're so excited to have our wedding reception there! It will be a good time had by all!

School News:
I just finished my first and final class for the summer. I obtained an AB in the course, which will hopefully raise my GPA slightly. Otherwise, it is sad to think that we only have a month and a half of summer left and then school and then... coldness!

North Korea:
So, I tend to keep my witts about me for the most part and gather as much info that I can on a subject before I let myself be worried. Therefore, who do I think knows all... nobody but Jim! Recently I asked Jim if he had any thoughts about whether or not there was a possibility of attack by the North Koreans. He really didn't tell me anything more than what I already knew... but it was comforting to hear him say it. There's always a risk of attack when a nation that doesn't like us much, begins developing nuclear weapons. I don't know, the world is shrinking so quickly that it's almost a rediculous thing to attack another nation.

Remaining Plans for the Summer:
-Finish a 2000 piece puzzle
-Go to the Milwaukee Public Zoo
-Go to Noah's Ark in the Dells
-Finish big planning for wedding
-Rent a dozen more movies to watch with Jim
-Make Jim dinner... hmmm... that could be hazardous to his health...?


Thanks for reading! :) Stay cool!