Please Sir, can I have some more…Spoon?

This has been a good week. Sunday night, the three other interns and the new audio visual guy came over the house and we played spoons. It got pretty intense. Bob flipped over the table and there was the twisting of limbs and the rending of flesh. It was a lot of fun and we had some good laughs afterward watching the Office (the episode where Michael cooks his foot). So good. There are some pictures floating around, so when I get my hands on one I’ll post it.

Yesterday at the hospital I made a few visits in the morning and got to have some good conversations. I got to sit and chat with a man who had taught at Oxford. So we talked about London and things to do and see. Apparently there is a Texan Embassy in London from when Texas was an independent coutnry, he said that it was the only place that would put ice in your drink and give you a free refill. I’m hoping that they also serve a good steak…or burger, whatever. A lady named Onolee was my favorite visit. I had visited here earlier in the summer when she was at her home but she recently checked into the hospital and so I went to see her again. She’s a pretty heavy smoker so when I walked in there she was smoking away, except she was smoking a fake plastic cigarette that the hospital gives to out. She has a little bit of a mouth on her so a few times while we were talking something would be said and then we would have a good laugh about it. After I prayed with her and was getting up to leave she wouldn’t let go of my hands with a surprisingly good grip, she wouldn’t let go until I promised I would come back and visit her again today. So I’m going to run up there pretty soon.

In the afternoon Mike and I visited an old couple, and it was an amazing visit. They were both just so sweet and kind that it was really moving. I suppose that it isn’t too strange to come across these kinds of people and couples but something here was different. The husband, Jim, had just been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and so even though he wasn’t showing very many signs of it you could just feel a hint of sadness. Despite that though they were so at peace and caring and making good decisions for their futures. It was just a great visit.

Do you remember the twenty year old with the connective tissue disease, his name is Ben, anyway I might be going out to lunch with him today, so that will be interesting to hear whats going on inside his head.

Palo Duro (palla durah) Canyon

I went to Palo Duro Canyon today, which apparently is the second largest canyon in the United States, unfortunately I don’t know exactly what “largest” means in this context. Second lengthiest, deepest, widest, Texasized? Who knows. That aside it was a lot of fun. I got to sit on a longhorn which has always been a dream of mine, stand in a Conestoga wagon (flash back to Oregon Trail) and see a replica of Colonel Charles Goodnight’s dugout…awesome. After we walked around some Bob and I mountain biked up to a rock formation called the Lighthouse, it was fun to get out and do something active especially on an incredibly rare 85 degree Texas afternoon.

Tonight for dinner we went to the Jone’s house for fajitas. The Schroeder’s and the Jones’ teach a class together and all of the people in the class were there as well. We played some good ping-pong and listened to the cicada’s in the trees (which isn’t exactly pleasant).

Oh, fun fact, if you google “Saturn alternator picture” the forth link down is my page…sweet irony, and apparently one poor sap was directed to my page by such a search.  And my mom informs me that if you search for “Saturn alternator sucking” I move into first.  Nice.

$278.41

I got my car back yesterday with a brand new alternator. I was hoping it would cost something around $250 so I wasn’t too bummed when it came back at $278. Of course, free would have been nice. It’s funny how not having a car available can become so distressing. I think that was exacerbated by being away from home, it took away a lot of my independence making me even more dependent. So last night I just drove around for a while. I stopped at Wal-Mart and bought juice and underwear.

It’s also been a strange week at work because Mike is out this week. Last week he took a nuclear stress test which came back a little abnormal, so yesterday he underwent a heart cath and I guess they found two areas of his heart that weren’t receiveing enough oxygen. Next week he’ll go in for heart surgery, he’s expected to make a full recovery and since this is all precautionary and preventive he should be fine. However, it’s strange to have been visiting the hospitals with Mike and now to have him in a bed…it’s kind of a strange twist.

I made a lot of visits today and it was kind of exciting because I’m starting to be remembered, and I got a few more compliments but no kisses.

The church has hired a new video production guy and I’m not sure if he’s from Santa Barbara or if he just went to school there but either way it has really helped his musical taste. We compared music libraries today and we had a lot of the same stuff which is pretty surprising. It’ll be fun to have someone I can share that with, and not just have to talk about country or Christian music. Of course, I’m beginning to feel the pressure of leaving “soon.”

Working Title: Saturn Uranus

So…car trouble. The battery died a few days ago while I was driving, not supposed to happen. Then I jumped it…and it died again. Sounds to me like the alternator is sucking. The battery is still good because I remember very clearly changing it on the side of the road, in the heat, with my grandmother sitting on the curb, so that leaves us with the alternator.

This picture is of my not happy car face.

Today, at the hospital was what I’ve been waiting for. It finally happened. I felt sick. I don’t know why it happened but I felt myself losing it. My body was getting hotter and hotter and my head started to get light. I don’t think it was the hospital because we made a trip later and I was fine. I don’t think it was the illness, I don’t know what it is. I think it’s a combination of things but I think it definitely has to do with coming to grips with mortality and uncertainty. It’s early but it’s interesting.

That makes today a strange day.

Cocktail Buffet…not so Jimmy.

I believe when I left you I was about to attend something called a “cocktail buffet.” Well…it wasn’t as bombastic as I expected. It was still a lot of fun and the house was really nice, the hors d’oeuvres were delicious, and the brandy punch was to die for. Well maybe not to die for but to someone who doesn’t usually enjoy alcohol it was actually pretty good, but not nearly as good as a white cranberry and peach fruit juice.

Bob, Marge, and I went out yesterday and went to lunch at this grease pit called the Golden Light. It was fun, there were beer signs glowing everywhere, NASCAR on the tv and a young boy sitting at the bar. After I had my green chili burger we walked out on 6th Street and browsed the various antique shops. I found a sweet NRA belt buckle but it was $75 and I’m not sure if I liked Ben-Hur enough for that.

After our antiquing we drove out to the Cadillac Ranch. Which was apparently created by the town crazy/millionaire when he buried eight Cadillacs halfway in the ground, one for each year that Cadillacs had fins. The cars are covered in graffiti and you can go out and spray paint to your heart’s desire…of course it’s also 100 degrees or more so maybe your heart’s desire might equal 47 seconds. But whatever.

As you might have noticed I bought my boots. I am now a productive and trusted member of Texas.

It is finished.

And then there was one…

I can’t believe that I only have one month left in Texas. Today is July 13th and the 13th of August will be my last Sunday. I’m still not sure if I will leave on that Sunday or wait for Monday morning…but either way my time here is winding down. The fact that I will be home in a month also means that I will be in Europe in a month and a week, which is even more unbelievable. It’s strange because it’s very much a similar transition to Europe as it was to Texas, but Europe seems so much more overwhelming. I am so looking forward to it, but I guess I don’t know what “it” is.

—————

Tuesday I went to the nicest nursing home in Amarillo, and it was pretty nice. It had one of the more pleasant atmospheres throughout the facility…of course I still haven’t really seen a pleasant alzheimers ward. Anyway, I got to sit and chat with Hazel who is 97 years old and still sharp…she doesn’t have any teeth and is hard to understand but hey you can’t ask for too much. She would start crying sometimes which broke my heart but it wasn’t really sad, it was just understood. And besides, I scored my first Texas kiss (on the cheek). I also met a man named Red Youngman who used to coach high school basketball. He had newspaper clippings on his wall from when his team was the underdog in the state championship and won on a last second desperation shot. I loved that his name was Red, and that he coached basketball in Texas…so good! There was another lady who had some parakeets, another one with stuffed animals who would repeat her stories in a determinable pattern, and a few others who were quietly sleeping.

I also did some good ‘ol fashioned intern work this week. I organized, inventoried, and packed some of Bob’s books and lessons into eleven boxes and got to stuff the Sunday morning programs with the inserts. It was the first “intern” work I had done since I’ve been here and it was kind of nice. I just finished making phone calls to the elderly just to chat and take prayer requests. I have band practice again tonight maybe afterward I’ll be able to add some pictures to this post.

Oh and tomorrow there is going be a huge cocktail party being thrown for this couples wedding. I guess it’s going to be quite the event…I haven’t quite figured out what I’m going to wear, maybe I’ll go buy my boots for it. They’ll be a hit.

Boot Me Up

Saturday Margie, Bob, and I went to Cavendar’s Boot City…to look at boots. The boots that I’m wearing in the picture were by far my favorite. They fit like a dream and look similar to boots I had when I was a cowboy/child. They’re $150 which isn’t bad for boots but do I really need a pair of black and white boa skinned boots? Yes. I haven’t bought them yet but I’ll let you know when I do. Speaking of buying, the second disc of Sufjan’s Illinoise comes out tomorrow!

Oh, and Erin, everyone here says “foy-er,” you would die.
Now I’m at work with no more world cup to look forward to and if you missed Zidane’s head but you missed the most awesome soccer moment of the cup (sad though that is). It’s funny to be an American watching the cup in the first place because of the apathy of the general public but then to be watching it in Texas where football is king is even better. Of course, this is the first world cup to happen while I have access to cable so its been fun to actually watch as opposed to reading…kind of like the Tour de France. Maybe since my parents are moving they will move up to cable to and my dad will finally be able to watch USC games and the Tour…maybe…

I am still reading Final Gifts, I didn’t read over the weekend and it takes a little while because I have to take breaks. The flow of the book is generally some sort of principle about communication or awareness and then is followed by one or two stories of the principle at work. So here I am reading these interesting and enlightening communication/dying theories and then I have to read some story about this older couple who have been traveling the world since retirement and are deeply in love. Suddenly the husband is diagnosed with cancer that is terminal. The couple’s relationship is strained and they fight and argue because of misunderstandings. Once they discover how to communicate and understand the upcoming change and transition they fall in love all over again and have peace as they hold bedside hands as he leaves.

Then I put down the book and take a breath and a break.
Why don’t you take a little break too (as in Sufjan’s dics two) and enjoy.

Clap Your Hands and Say Yeah

I flew back out to Texas on the fourth and was greeted at the airport by Bob, Sarah, and Jered wearing black socks and shorts. It was pretty good. We went back to the Schroeder’s and watched the cities fireworks from their front yard and then went to laugh in the hot tub. The fireworks were pretty impressive, it wasn’t the most extravagant display I’ve ever seen but each firework was a quality firework and you could feel the flow and movement of the whole. It was good.

Yesterday at work we had a lot of meetings. I had a meeting at nine with Mike and a woman named Nancy who wants to start a parrish nurse ministry at the church. Basically, a parrish nurse is exactly that…a nurse tied to the church who would provide information, educate and be a first point of access to the members of the congregation. The three of us just brainstormed about what that could look like, what needs would be addressed, who could be involved, and how we could get it started. Then at ten we had an all staff meeting in which we discussed two books we had had read, the discussion was actually pretty insightful. It was led by the senior pastor, Tommy, and he made some interesting points and shifted perspectives around a little bit. Then at 1:30 we had a pastors meeting where the construction on the new facility was the main topic of conversation.

After all the meeting I started reading a book called Final Gifts, it was written by two nurses who worked in hospices and is basically about understanding the needs of the dying. I have only read a little past the first chapter and it has changed my life. I’ll write more when I’m done or at least farther along.

Last night I went to the contemporary worship practice. I’m playing acoustic which is fine with me and felt like I fit right in. Practice was supposed to be tonight but got moved up so I didn’t really have time to practice any of the songs but after work I ran through the set and listened to the tracks we’re playing so I had a good idea oh what was going on in them. Probably the thing I had to get the most used to was that we’re using wireless in ear monitors so you have to mix your own feed. I’ve never used it before but it’s a really great system. So I play this Sunday…boo yah!!!

I feel like I had more to write but I don’t. Love you guys.

Homesweet

Today we celebrated my sister’s 25th birthday. Wow. It’s been good to be home and spend time with friends and family. It’s strange though because being home has been completely normal, I mean I haven’t been gone for very long at all so it makes sense that it’s more comfortable than not to be home.

I think home, the physical and the conceptual, will be changing dramatically within the next months. My parents are indeed moving and I will return from Europe to a completely new “home.” I probably won’t be living there for very long I imagine, I hopefully will be able to live with my friend or find an apartment down by Talbot (if I decide to attend grad school which is certainly a good possibility). We’ll have to see. All of that seems really far down the road but it is only six months away. Weird.