Today

Today I did laundry. 5 loads. I am a hero husband or a total wuss. Poles open at 6:00 AM. Vote early. Vote often.

Today I ate pizza. "Mama Santa's" from Cleveland's "Little Italy." It's awesome for Cleveland pizza. (We must all learn to adjust.) And then I purchased a picture of a young Frank Sinatra standing in a doorway. A sign over his head says, "Miguel Santos: Attorney --- Divorce your loved one with dignity." How can you NOT buy that? It is irony of the finest order! The sweet little ancient Italian woman that sold it to me asked if I am a lawyer. I told her that I was not. I am a pastor. She began making "Pffft. Pffft. Pffft." noises. I do not know what that means. I also find it slightly fascinating that the picture was purchased in Little Italy ... which is nearly as Italian as Rome ... and yet the picture frame is made of bamboo.

Today I watched "Juno." You know what happened. It made me severely miss being a youth pastor. I really had not missed it yet. But I wanted to sit down next to that kid (Juno) put my arm around her and tell her how her life can be better. I don't think you ever get over being able to help someone at that level.

Today I started to throw my $29.99 Timex wrist watch off our balcony. Ever since Scott "fixed" it for me it beeps every hour on the hour and the alarm goes off every time it is 3:40. I had all I could take, grabbed it and ran out the patio door ready to hurl it toward the lake. That's when I noticed I was getting the old "stink eye" again from ... someone who shall remain nameless. Tonight the watch is in the bottom of my sock drawer. It's just waiting ... waiting ... waiting.

Today I climbed the stairs to our apartment four times for a total of 36 floors. And that does not count going down.

As Calvin and Hobbs once said ... "The Days Are Just Packed...."

Primp My Bride

Look what followed me home! They had a $5.99 special down at "We Cut Hair" and I had them "Primp My Bride." I got myself a new cut too. Here she is ...




And here's my new look ...


She got more for her money.

"The Raven" Poorly Revisited 4 Years Later (With apologies to Edgar)

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary
I did tend to faint from furious memories of ill-gotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
Sounding like some mouth gone yapping, yapping at my office door.
'Tis some member," I muttered, "yapping at my office door -
Only this, and who needs more?"

Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak November,
And each angry griping member reviled curses at the door,
Eagerly I wished the morrow; -prayed and wept heart filled with sorrow
From the charges time would borrow - borrow for the lost pas-tor.
For the fallen miserable fellow to whom the chosen came to bellow-
Nameless here for evermore.

All our lives he has branded, all our efforts turned empty handed
And his failings no longer candid did press receive in print and pixel galore,
I am remiss in not dismissing - much the poorer for venom hissing
The action of the beggar failing - failing in a glory not seen before.
'Tis my empty heart yearning for a distant glory shore -
A shore of rest not known before.

And from four years a distant thought has once more my attention sought
Now dare I take it's lying hand and lead it once again into the fore
Neigh, I it turn back unrecognized, the pain that once antagonized
The every beat upon my office door - the clamor of a self-righteous bore.
It is an evil without parallel far surpassing the one who fell
And it screams for the blood of those it did once adore

I turn my back on evil barking that forever is loudly harking
Demanding pay for tragedy gone before
I cast my eyes unto the glory of the One Who wrote The Story
Who hung dying for the failure we deplore.
I recall the scream of "crucify him" in anxious attempt to finally try him
In hopes of sleep in innocence once more.

'Tis the evil inside each one ... our own Raven ... our smoking gun
But not this time, I will not listen, I'll turn the gloom to the suns sweet glisten
I'll look behind and look before me, twist the neck of that which tore me
And bid adieu from my distant shore
As I quote that Raven ... NEVER MORE.