October 10: Nothing to Say

For this second post of October 10, I have nothing to say.

I have nothing to say about watching Jaws with my film class.  It's a great film, regardless of its popularity.  Nothing can beat Robert Shaw as Quint, telling that story of the U. S. S. Indianapolis.  It's some of the best acting I've ever seen.

I have nothing to say about going to my daughter's chorus concert tonight.  I'm not going to say anything about how difficult it was to get a babysitter, although I had to sell a kidney to secure my sister's services for the evening.

I have nothing to say about how cold it is.  There was snow flying at 4 a.m. as I was driving into work.  It felt like November, not early October.  It doesn't bode well for Halloween, which I fear will be just this side of winter.

I have nothing to say about getting ready for my daughter's dance convention at the Wisconsin Dells.  I'm not going to talk about cleaning out my car or packing my suitcase.  I'm not going to discuss the seven-hour drive or throngs of hyper, tweenaged dancer girls.

Saint Marty simply has nothing to say.  Period.

This says it all...

September 21: Keeping My Head Above Water, Babysitter, Saint Jonah

Today is the feast day of Jonah, he of being-swallowed-by-a-whale fame.  Considered a minor prophet (I don't know what you have to do to graduate to major prophet), Jonah was sent by God to the Ninevites to tell them to stop being bad.  Use your imagination about what the people of Nineveh were doing to tick God off so much.  It probably involved livestock and whipped cream.  Jonah didn't want to go.  Instead, he went on a cruise to the land of Tarshish.  To make a long story short, God nearly sank Jonah's boat.  Jonah got thrown overboard.  He was swallowed by some huge fish.  Three days later, he washed up on the shores of Nineveh, properly humbled, ready to follow God's instructions.

I was having a conversation with a coworker this morning about God making you do things you don't want to do.  My coworker and I have a little problem with stupid people.  She has a son-in-law she can't stand.  Pretty much, when he got circumcised, the doctor threw out the best part.  I, on the other hand, can get quite irritated by any number of idiots I encounter during the course of a day.  My coworker and I both were taught to treat everybody like you would treat Jesus.  Every person, from the kindest of friends to the dumbest of assholes, deserves to be honored and helped.  That's the Christian thing to do.  My coworker and I are both on a boat to Tarshish, about to be swallowed by a seamonster.

I'm trying to keep my head above water, but the whale is somewhere below me.  I can feel it.  God wants me to be kind and grateful for my jobs, my work, my family, my life.  For some reason, I'm having difficulty with this gratitude.  I'm tired of our tiny house.  I'm of getting up before the butt crack of dawn.  I'm tired.  Here comes the whale!

Our babysitter can't come tonight, so my wife is going to choir practice by herself.  I will be staying home, bathing, feeding, and taking care of the kids.  I'm a little disappointed.  I like going to choir practice.  I like seeing the people in the choir.  Plus, there's a going-away party after practice for a friend of mine who's moving.  Thank You, once again, God.

Okay, the whale's got my foot...sucking me under.

Saint Marty will see you on the shores of Nineveh, after he's learned his lessson.  He'll be the one that smells like whale shit.

Which way to Nineveh?

July 12: Busy Day, Workshop, Babysitter

It has been quite a busy day for me.  Between work and preparing for leading the Spiritual Autobiography Workshop tonight, I haven't had a single moment to put any serious thought into today's blog.  I'm, therefore, apologizing in advance for this post's lack of content.

This afternoon, I learned that one of the members of my workshop was not going to be able to continue because she just started a new job.  That leaves only three people in the workshop, including myself.  I'm not quite sure what's going to happen tonight.  We may all vote to suspend the workshop until the fall.  We may vote to press on, since we've all done a lot of work already.

If the workshop gets postponed until the fall, I will probably still keep the babysitter coming on Tuesday nights so my wife and I can have a date once a week, even if all we do is sit at McDonald's and share a small order of fries.  We don't get too many opportunities to go out together by ourselves these days.

That's all I got for you.  It wasn't even worth pointing your mouse and clicking.  I'm not even sure what kind of image to use with this post.  Maybe something totally shameless, pandering to the dirtiest, basest elements of society.  Here goes...

Now that's disgusting!

Saint Marty will give you something better tomorrow.  He promises.