Live Blogging from Bjorlin Family Vacation - Arizona

Hello everyone. I'm writing you from Dolan Springs, Arizona where we have just begun our third full day. The place we are staying is pretty much in the middle of nowhere, but that simply adds to its intrigue. The house is exactly what you would expect in the Southwest: flat-roofed, white stucco surrounded by joshua trees and inhabited by more jackrabbits than I've ever seen. We've also seen some salamanders, quail-like birds, and even a coyote. The interior of the house is also about what you would expect: large-tiled floors, expansive open spaces, one large wall painted red to remind you you're in the Southwest, and a bunch of Southwest kitsch. There are also a few unexpected parts of the interior like an indoor pool, three bathrooms, and the unexpected buddhist flare.

The flight here was pretty uneventful. I took Spirit airlines, which I think refers to the spirit of annoyance and discontent everyone shows when they find out they have to pay for everything before and during the flight. I would hate to be a flight attendant on one of those airlines having to explain that you have to pay for even water if you want anything to drink.

The first full day of the vacation we headed to the Black Canyons and went kayaking on a river that is part of the Lake Mead system. It was pretty stunning, and we all got a lot of sun. I think Anna, Peter, and I took the cake. Unfortunately, we forgot the honorary fifth Bjorlin sibling on vacations: Aloe Vera Bjorlin. She's been with us through many a pale-skinned vacation. Yet, we are surviving. In the afternoon we took a quick looksy at the Hoover Dam (we're going back for a tour today; all I can think about is Vegas Vacation: "I'm your dam(n) tour guide.") and headed back to the compound to make tacos and relax in the pool.

Yesterday's forecast was 112 degrees (don't give me that crap about dry heat), so obviously the Bjorlin family decided this would be a great day to go to the Valley of Fire, which is as hot as it sounds. The Valley of Fire is this amazing grouping of red rocks about 45 minutes north of Las Vegas where the Anasazi people lived until about the 12th century. It also has petroglyphs from the same time period that were pretty fascinating. We went on three short hikes to different destinations, and it was pretty scorching. I think the best part was listening to my brother complain with each progressive hike/step. By the last hike, two vultures were circling above him. They must have sensed his ebb in will to live.

By the time we were done, none of us had the energy to go on the Hoover Dam tour so we came home, barbecued dinner, and watched True Grit. I lasted about 25 minutes before I headed to my room to read and go to bed.

Today we slept in and are headed first to do the Hoover Dam tour and then to Las Vegas to stroll the strip before The Beatles' Cirque du Soleil show tonight! (side note: why does "Beatles" show up as a red-underlined spelling mistake? Don't you think the biggest band the world has ever seen would be programmed as a real word?). I'm trying to go into Vegas with an open mind because I have a feeling it could be slightly underwhelming/depressing to me.

Tomorrow we are headed to the Grand Canyon, Saturday to Flagstaff, and Sunday to Zion National Park! So, that's all for now. I may have to wait a while before the internet will function enough to publish this post; we'll see. Photos will follow once I can figure out how to upload them or my brother is able to upload them to Facebook. I know you will be waiting with baited breath.

Vacation, Divine Comedy, and Winter

Well, I'm gearing up for my family vacation to Arizona by sitting in my house and building up my social reservoir and packing (I mean, the packing part actually took about ten minutes once the laundry was done). I'm very excited to spend some time with my family and am looking forward to all we will be doing. One special addition: we bought tickets to see Love, the Beatles' Cirque du Soleil show. Obviously, this is something I am very excited about. Here's the preview:

I finally finished The Divine Comedy; paradise seems pretty great. Although it is interesting, as one commentator notes, that Dante recognized a lot more of his personal acquaintances in hell than in heaven. I also like how each book ended with him gazing at stars. That's a good way to end a lot of days.

The Twins are on fire! It's hard not to be happy when your team has won the last 14 of 16 and finally climbed out of last place letting Kansas City, the underachieving 30-something of the division, move back into the basement after losing yet another job (sorry, slipped into metaphor there).

I've finally come to the conclusion that, while it is not popular, I am more of a autumn/winter person. I actually find something about the cold enlivening and like wearing sweaters; the heat gets to me, and I'm not much of a beach person; there are only so many clothes you can take off. I looked in my closet yesterday and realized that it is filled with sweaters, cardigans, and plaid shirts with hardly anything suitable to wear in the summer, and it's not like I have a rubbermaid in the attic labeled "summer" that hasn't been brought down yet. I need to figure out ways to embrace summer in all of its sweaty glory, which for me is aided by a few trips to Ravinia as well as some random summer adventures. Let me know if you have any ideas.

I don't trust a restaurant that uses "bistro" in the title. To me, it means you're going to pay more for a contrived atmosphere and smaller portions.

I really want to be back in time for the Low concert next Monday in Millenium Park. We'll see what kind of condition I'm in when I get back. I make it sound as if I'm going to Kabul for the weekend...

Well, I've got 20 minutes before the bus gets to the Ashland/Irving Park stop, so I better make sure I'm packed. I only want to forget the unnecessary items this time around; it makes the vacation much less stressful. Arizona (well, Las Vegas first), here I come!

Computer in Bed, Dreams, and Other Randoms

I woke up at 4 in the morning with arm curled around my computer holding it tight against my body like it was my significant other. No doubt there's many metaphors and jokes that could go along with that. It was also one of those nights where I had non-stop dreams throughout my sleep. I woke up this morning feeling like I had been real busy the entire night. It does not exactly leave one feeling well rested.

I think one of the most interesting parts of dreaming is how it can influence your waking feelings toward another person. For instance, a few months ago I had a screaming match with a professor in my dreams (a very nice one too!), and when I saw him at school I couldn't help but feel angry/resentful. I had to keep telling myself, "Dreams aren't real. That fight didn't happen. He doesn't know that you had an imaginary fight and will think its really weird if you start being rude or passive-aggressive." This week I had the opposite occur when one of my friends loyally stood up for me in a dream, and the next day I saw her and had nothing but feelings of goodwill towards her.

Well, I'm glad Anthony Weiner finally resigned. Nothing angers me more than someone who pretends to be passionate about issues of justice and charades as a feminist when they're in the legislative chambers and then turns out to be another creep when it comes to their own personal lives. Bill Clinton and John Edwards can also be added to that list. The Republicans should be so disgraced by Sen. David Vitter actual sex with prostitutes that they would also call for his resignation. I don't see that as likely however.

I just got back from Ingrid Johnson and Nathan Reep's wedding rehearsal! Tomorrow at this time they will be married and we'll be celebrating with them on the dance floor. Congratulations!

I just finished East of Eden again. The last three pages are about as beautiful as it gets, and I think Lee, the Chinese cook who lives with the Trask family, is one of my favorite characters in all of literature, although I do love Samuel Hamilton.

The last three days I have expended all of my social energy with large groups of people, so tonight I will be sitting in my apartment listening to music as I read and maybe watch a movie. Nothing sounds so wonderful.

And the Twins are only 8 games back after a terrible start, Mauer is back, and they are winning in the 9th tonight! That's all for now.

Softball Observations, Hipster Church, and Family Vacation

Well, the ResCov softball team took another one on the chin yesterday losing 11-1 (they might have had 12) to Belen. There are a few observations I have about my softball playing:

1. I cannot help but slide if a play is going to be close; I simply cannot help it. Yesterday, I was on second with a runner on first, and a ball was hit softly to the third base side of the infield. As I barreled toward third, I thought, "Don't slide; it's not worth it. Don't slide; it's not worth it. Don't slide; it will hurt like a mother now and every time you shower for a week." Yet, as I got closer to the base, this chant became progressively overtaken by that competitive little devil on my other shoulder yelling, "SLIDE! It's going to be close! SLIDE! You don't want to lose, do you? SLIDE! SLIDE! SLIDE!," until I had no choice but to slide. I was safe, but it still wasn't worth it.

2. I think I'm at an okay level of competitiveness in that I care about the game during the game but I will not: a) yell at umpires or competitors/teammates, b) hurt someone else to be safe or make a play, c) care about the game or relive it after it is over. At least these are all the things I'm telling myself.

3. I should just pull the ball. Most of the time when I attempt to place the ball I end up over thinking and not getting solid contact. It's better to "grip and rip."

4. My ERA is about 10.5 right now, but my on-base percentage is excellent.

5. I have officially talked about church league softball too much on my blog.

Well, in an attempt to get under my skin (which he usually succeeds at), my brother sent me a link for a church named "Hipster Church." I think the name is obviously gimmicky, but what I don't like even more is the marketing attempt that promotes "free admission" and tries to get on the hipster bandwagon. Furthermore, I don't think the name or the church will most likely have the staying power it should intend since it is so tied to a specific cultural label (and one that most would not want to associate with, as it is usually used pejoratively). For instance, I think First Flapper Church shut down sometime in the mid-3os and Hippie Community Church also didn't last too far beyond 1975.

Next Monday I leave for a weeklong family vacation to Dolan Springs, Arizona. We (and by "we" I mean "my parents") rented a house there and will be making excursions to Vegas, the Hoover Dam, the Grand Canyon, Zion Nation Park, and Flagstaff, Arizona. It should be a pretty great time. Too bad we can't all pile in the station wagon/conversion van/minivan and trek to our destination like we did in the old days. Just thinking about those days can simultaneously incite nostalgia and anger towards my siblings.

I compulsively check to see if the mail has come. I don't know why I'm so excited to see a box full of junk mail, bills, and the occasional book, but I am.

Okay, now I need to do bulletins and such for this week and next week. WOO!

Problematic Traits, Weather, and East of Eden

So, I've noticed this trait within myself, and I'm wondering what it says about who I am. I'll describe three examples of it before I try to describe it more generally.

1. So, every winter my skin gets super dry and itchy. I will suffer with it for two or three weeks before the thought to put lotion on my skin even crosses my mind. Once I put it on, the problem is solved. Why didn't I do that from the beginning?

2. It starts raining; I put my windshield wipers on. It stops raining; I leave my windshield wipers for 20 minutes without realizing it.

3. The weather warms up (like these past few days). I have trouble sleeping with the heat but still use my comforter. Finally, on the fourth night I sleep with a lighter blanket.

Do I just miss these details? Am I too used to getting along to realize that there are simple solutions to problems? Is it severe subconscious laziness? I'm not sure what this says about my personality, but feel free to psychoanalyze using the comments section below.

I don't like people who complain nonstop about the weather, but I will say that I am more than ready for the cooler weather that has been promised. I think maybe it's my religious upbringing, but hotter weather always makes me feel more penitential (I mean, not really). Also, I don't enjoy sweating when I have not exerted myself. Standing should not require sweating. Yesterday, at our first church league softball game, I ran the bases in the first inning, and I don't think I caught my breath until I was back in my car with the a/c on seven innings later.

I'm officially an East of Eden apologist. I just got to the part where Samuel Hamilton has an intervention with Adam Trask, and it's wonderful.

Right now I'm up at Covenant Harbor in Lake Geneva for our tri-annual Plan Worship for the Next Three Months Retreat. Get excited, ResCov community!

That's all for now. Plan on!

No Thank You, Iron & Wine.

This might make me an old man, but I just could not convince myself to go down to Millenium Park today for the free Iron & Wine concert. There were numerous factors that deterred me:

1. crowds. The thought of that many people squished together kind of makes me want to hyperventilate.

2. heat. Added to my slight tendency towards demophobia (yes, I just googled "fear of crowds phobia"), I am dissuaded by the no doubt sweaty crowds that will be too close to one another for hours on end.

3. outdoor concerts. Even at their best (say Ravinia), there's always some drunk or person with little to no self-awareness (the combination can be deadly) who thinks you paid to hear them talk on the phone or sing off-key loudly. My musical appreciation tends to suffer in such situations.

4. transportation. Some days I just don't feel like getting on the el or driving anywhere of any distance.

5. Money. Honestly, free concerts end up costing a lot more when you consider transportation, food, and beverages. Then someone gets the big idea to do something afterwards and the next thing you know your house is getting foreclosed. It's a slippery slope.

6. Honestly, I'm not the biggest fan of Iron & Wine. Sorry.

Now, if this makes me sound extremely lazy, I did meet with a professor, finished a rough draft of my sermon for Sunday, studied, and went for a run in the oppressive heat - all requiring action of some type. Frankly, "running" might be a generous term for what I did - it was more like surviving while shuffling. When it's this humid outside you wonder if our next evolutionary step will involve gills.

All I want to do is sit down and read East of Eden until I'm finished with it. Is that bad? Then, when I finish, I'll listen to Mumford and Sons' "Timshel" over and over again. ("Timshel" being a major word in the plot of East of Eden, which I won't give away since you should all read the book).

That's all for now. Later.

TNBC and East of Eden

For some reason the song from the opening of the 90s Saturday morning show City Guys is in my head. Here's a refresher:

Good times. That made me think of all those shows on Saturday morning. Is there a word to describe that genre of shows? If not, there should be. Oh yes, TNBC! Some of my observations:

1. I totally forgot about California Dreams. "Don't wake me up!/Don't wake me up if I'm dreaming."

2. I don't recognize anybody from Saved by the Bell: the New Class. I mean, besides Mr. Belding.

3. All Saved by the Bell episodes were better when they were off-site like when they get the job at the beach or country club. Those were the best.

4. Has Hang Time never heard of Title IX? There is no way that you can't have a girls basketball team in this day and age. Also, you need to raise your hoops to 10 feet like everyone else. We all know those kids on the show are dunking on 8-foot hoops.

5. Don't preach at me during these shows. Saved by the Bell doesn't need to tell me the dangers of caffeine pills ("I'm so excited,/I'm so excited,/I'm so....scared!"). Role the clip:

Or Hang Time and the dangers of cigar smoking. I don't know why I remember that episode specifically, but I do.

So, those are my thoughts.

I'm currently re-reading my favorite novel, East of Eden, and I am entranced all over again. Steinbeck's got it going on. One of my favorite quotes in the beginning is when Steinbeck talks about the 30-year rain cycles that bring both rain and drought. He ends the section by saying, "And it never failed that during the dry years the people forgot about the rich years, and during the wet years they lost all memory of the dry years. It was always that way."

Now maybe this is a stretch, but it got me thinking about the importance of following the church calendar (excuse me while I push my glasses up with my index finger). I think the church calendar helps you remember the dry years during the rich and vice versa. I think there's something good about having great joys in your life happen during Lent or great sorrows during Easter. This reminds you that: a) not everything is about you and how you are feeling, and b) there is both reason to lament and celebrate in the midst of any of our personal triumphs or tragedies. The birth of a child (for example) does not change Jesus' slow march to the cross, nor does an untimely change Jesus' rising from the dead and conquering death once and for all so that we too have the hope of being raised out of death. Obviously, from a pastoral perspective I wouldn't force people to lament when they're happy or celebrate while they lament (definitely not the latter), but I think it is a way for us to remember the dry or rich seasons when we happen to be experiencing the other.

That's all. Now, I'm going to go to work (packing up boxes of books for a professor). Later.