The Ryan Scion

There’s a lot of flux going on around me, and I have found myself in a topsy-turvy world. Perhaps, it’s all like birthing pains – a lot of discomfort and work to bring a beautiful new creation about.

My sister-in-law gave birth last week. It never surprises me how miraculous it is. All the hopes of the world can rest on this infant. John Patrick “Jack” could find the curse for cancer. He could make the breakthrough in the search for the unified field theory. He could be an Olympic sprinter in 2024. He could save the world.

I take that back, he is saving the world, now. He embodies the optimism that we all need to survive. Just over eight pounds, he produces a force greater than gravity. He can move the human heart to believe again.

There is love in the world. There is peace on this earth. There is hope.

I’ve only been able to see him once – within 12 hours of his birth – since I have a head cold. However, I got to hold this tiny person, watch his chest rise and fall as he breathed. This wonder does not cease to amaze me.

I’ve watched the flurry of activity that this little boy has conjured, just simply through his existence. Jack is a joy and a curious baby. When he hears someone speak, he will turn his head to look toward the location that the voice in coming from. It is surprising to see him in action.

We all take for granted the ability to speak, to talk, to walk, to understand, and we get to watch an infant to learn everything that we can do. This is all new to Jack, and we get to share in his discovery. Jack grounds us to see what really matters: love, life, family.

I can’t be more proud of an uncle. I unconditionally love this little guy.



In the middle of the melancholy of the world, a newborn like Jack is our touchstone to a brighter light.

We're Still Building and Burning Down Love

I hopped on the bus this morning, and looked back out the window and realized how gray and dreary a day it was. This is the first time in 6 years that September 11 was a rainy day. I remember how beautiful the sky was on September 11, 2001. I was late for work and left my apartment hearing that a plane might have crashed into one of the World Trade Center buildings in NYC.

The sky was azure with no clouds in the sky, and they had been in the subsequent years.

I always feel melancholy on this remembrance day. I wasn't immediately impacted; I was spared losing someone I love. Though, I have many friends and acquaintances who did lose best friends, co-workers, lovers, sons... For example, one of my favorite people in the world lost good friends from her TJX Companies days on Boston based flights. I can only be empathic to their losses.

In Leon Uris' book Redemption, his main character Rory Larkin says, after losing his dear mates at the snafu in Gallipoli, "All men have a measure of cowardice in them. I learned that love of one's mates can overcome your fears. I learned that every survivor of this horror must try to live a good life because he lives for many men."

I read Redemption in 1995, after my Leon Uris run of Exodus, The Hajj and Trinity. I was moved by this line, and on September 11, 2001, it became even more moving and poignant. I feel this quote demands us to carry the obligation of being the force of change in the world. For Johnnie Doctor, Jr., Alberto Dominguez, Rodney Dickens, Dorothy Alma DeAraujo, Joseph Angelini Jr. and for everyone else who lost his or her life, we need to carry out the good in world that they aren't here to do.

During the weeks after the attacks, I found myself listing to albums from my middle school-high school years. The nostalgia soothed me and just made me feel better. Very heavy in the rotation were: U2's Joshua Tree, Sting's The Soul Cages and Madonna's Immaculate Collection (only for "Life to Tell.") So, for me, what better tribute could there be for the loved ones of those who lost their lives in the September 11 attacks, then U2 singing "Where the Streets Have No Name" in front of the roll call of all the lives from whom we all must now live?



In paradisum deducant vos Angeli; in vostro adventu suscipiant vos martyres, et perducant vos in civitatem sanctam Ierusalem. Chorus angelorum vos suscipiat, et cum Lazaro quondam paupere æternam habeatis requiem.

Damn you, Campbells! Sell 'em in the US.

I need to give a shout out to my new co-worker, CQ!

She had related to me that her mother was going to Australia in June, and I suggested that she let her mom know about Tim Tam. These are incredible biscuts/cookies made by Arnott's - an Australian icon of a company - which was acquired by the Campbell Soup Company ten years ago.

When I was in Australia, all of David's friends asked if he had shared with me a Tim Tam. He replied that he hadn't yet and his friends were in shock. That next day, we went to Woolys and I asked him about this Tim Tams, and he led me down the bikkie aisle. I found them in many varieties: Original (Milk Chocolate), Dark Chocolate, a coffee flavored version and my personal favorite -- Chilli Chocolate (which doesn't exist anymore.) I bought as many as I thought prudent.

I bought one of each package and quickly devoured them before our ANZAC Day weekend trip to Cairns. While in Queensland, I headed off to a Coles and bought a package for the visit. After returning to Sydney, I bought six packages of Tim Tam, 3 for Sydeny and 3 to bring back to the States (with my copious amounts of wine.)

What I thinks draws me to them is that they are not avaiable Stateside. We can get a good Tassie beer at Rae in Philadelphia. The Ants Pants Cafe on South serves your toast with Vegamite, if you ask. I've gotten Milo at the South Square Thriftway. However, these delicious caramelly chocolate cookies sandwiching a thick layer of tasty chocolate cream drenched in chocolate remain illusive.

734

For those of you who know me or have been following my blog, the numbers 3, 4 and 7 are more often than not found in my hotel room numbers. When I get only 3s, 4s and 7s, then I take it as a sign.

My hotel in Palo Alto was 4024. Fours… Recently, I have adopted a whimsical sense of tetraphobia. This fear of the number four is an Asian cultural belief based on the fact that the Chinese word for “4,” si(3), sounds nearly the same as the word for "death", si(4). Therefore references to the number are avoided.

So I was humorously relived when my room number at the Hotel Palomar in San Francisco turned to be 734. Looking back, my trip was full of folly. Many things went wrong, but, thanks to my friends, I was able to land on my feet. As I settled into San Francisco at the end of my trip, I realized again why I enjoy that city.

In a round-a-bout way, I wanted to share some of the camera phone pictures that I have from my trip to the Bay Area for the Ivy Plus conference.

Here’s a view from the roof of the sky box of Stanford Stadium:

This is Hoover Tower from the Skybox roof: A view of the vinyards of Thomas Fogarty Winery (where the conference ended at dinner):

Erratum…

In my quest to be correct, I wasn’t. Willem Janszoon made the first European contact with Australia in 1606 and not Dirk Hartog in 1616.

At the end of 1605, Willem sailed from Java in the Duyfken to the coast of western New Guinea, then headed south crossing the Arafura Sea. He entered the Gulf of Carpentaria and, most historians believe that he made a landfall at the Pennefather River on the western shore of Cape York in Queensland during the early part of 1606. The route Janszoon took lead him to believe that this land was a southerly extension of New Guinea. He and his crew landed there, but found the land swampy and the people inhospitable. Willem Janszoon returned to Java in June 1606 after naming his discovery "Nieu Zelandt". The name was not adopted for that area, but it was used later by Abel Tasman to name New Zealand.

Those Dutch were all over the place, too.

…Going Like Mad and Yes I Said Yes I Will Yes

The key to being a writer is writing. It’s a very simple concept but one that I’ve drifted away from. So I’m working on free writing for 12 minutes a day. It can be a summary of the day, a journal entry, a conversation with myself or Molly Bloom-inspired stream of conscience.

I never realized how difficult free writing is. Making yourself write for a discrete amount of time without stopping is tough: your hand cramps, you think faster than you write, you want to correct and you shouldn’t.

My biggest issue is that I want to be correct when I write. Last night I wanted to write about Australia but I got too caught up in trying to iron out details about Dirk Hartog, his Hartog Plate and the date that he landed in Shark Bay.

(Dirk Hartog was a Dutch explorer who is accredited with being the first European contact with Australia in 1616. He left a pewter plate commemorating his visit on an island in Shark Bay in Western Australia.)

So, I walked away from the computer and took out the notebook that I was going to use for the class that I had hoped to take this spring. I set a timer for 12 minutes (1/5 of an hour) and wrote.

My hand got very tight writing, but I scribbled something out. It was the beginning of something.

...Yes I said Yes I will Yes.

My Lastest Obsession

While English history is very interesting to me, I perfer the history of her colonies. I am a big fan of The Other Boleyn Girl -- it's a must read -- and I love Jonathan Rhys Meyers since Bend it like Beckham.

It's the Evanescence song, Lacrymosa, in this trailer for the Tudors that I'm constantly listening to. I love the use of Mozart's music in the song. It reminds me of my days in high school when I was focused on Requiem masses. So, maybe I'll catch the show.

Meosphere

How more narsacistic can one get? Here's a meosphere.

Share with your friends what you've done and compare.

So, sign up and play!

I'm number 2!

Just a little note to announce to the world that I'm hooking tomorrow (in the Gryphons' rugby match.) Get your minds out of the gutter.

Info about the game: http://www.phillygryphons.org/index.cfm?mode=entry&entry=2062B2D8-E7B3-D73B-AA411BF4BBC7EA63

Directions: http://www.phillygryphons.org/index.cfm?mode=entry&entry=45A66906-B094-45CD-EE0EA62C8689EC05

Quotes from Philly Wonka

Tsk, tsk, tsk, the Mayor of Chocolate City, Ray Nagin, insulted Philadelphia this weekend. Not one to shy away from putting his foot in his mouth, Nagin addressed a group of New Orleans residents and tried to motivate them with an unfair comparison with Philadelphia which was based on his experience during his visit earlier this month:

Let me tell you something. I want you to go to Philly, and you will appreciate how clean New Orleans is. Just go and walk around Philly a little bit. You will appreciate – am I lying? You will appreciate New Orleans. We still have work to do but we definitely beat them by a long shot.

After his infamous Chocolate City remarks, I would have expected Nagin to have more couth.

Frequently Flier Miles without Flying

ShopRite has partnered with Continental Airlines to offer PricePlus club customers a way to earn Continental Airlines OnePass miles.

All you have to do is enroll in the PricePlus club and provide your OnePass number, either in person or online at www.shoprite.com. If you’re already a PricePlus club member, stop at the courtesy counter for more details.

Then start shopping; accumulate purchases toward the $250 minimum to qualify for miles. For each $2 spent, you earn 1 mile. Miles will be credited to your OnePass account each month in 125 mile increments for each $250 spent in qualifying purchases.

This partnership was originally slated to end in 2005, but it has been extended to December 31, 2007. I assume that both ShopRite and Continental reevaluate the relationship often. So, start shopping.

I know that I won’t be spending $20,000 in food which would top off my miles (currently have 15,069), However at a rate of $60 a week for groceries, I could be earning over 1,000 additional miles during this year.

A moment for random humor

I'm trying to clean out my work e-mail and follow up on messages which I flagged as important in Microsoft Office. While doing all this dilligent work, I rediscover some of the best humorous e-mail that my friends and co-workers have shared.

To that end, I share with you: www.thingsmyboyfriendsays.com

The Boyfriend, E, had me at this touching moment:

While snuggling:
The Girlfriend: Who loves you?
E: Megatron.

I wish he had a brother.

If you really appreciate this humor, you can friend The Girlfriend at myspace: www.myspace.com/thingsmyboyfriendsays

There's a silver lining in every unfriendly sky

As I lament the lose of my elite status, I stumbled upon a new way to earn frequent flier miles - e-Miles.

According to the website, e-Miles Members can earn miles in minutes a day simply for time spent viewing and responding to marketing messages that are relevant to them. Members can earn miles on the following airlines: Continental, Delta, Northwest or US Airways.

I thought that I would focus on Continental with this program. Since of the 4 charter member airlines, I'm closest to a reward on Continental. E-Miles is a survey site that rewards your participation with miles. I love it.

Surveys run about a few minutes and paid out anywhere from 10 - 25 points, and every quarter e-Miles will add miles to your frequent flier account in 500 mile increments. It's pure bliss.

I might be flying in the back of the bus, but I'll be earning as many free flights as possible now.

The Sun has set on the Empire

I was going through my mail today, reviewing non-urgent letters that I haven't had the time to open before now. That's when I got the letter from United, announcing to arrival of my new Mileage Plus card.
I lost my silver status.

I didn't fly the required 25,000 miles last year to stay at the first level of elite status. In addition to losing access to Ecomony plus, I will eek out one Mileage Plus mile per mile flown. My "free" trip to Australia is looking farther and farther in the future since I only have 39,747 miles in my cache and the award amount for Ecomony to Australia is now 80,000. It sucks to lose the few perks that silver status afforded me.

Granted I have enough miles to get a domestic round trip, but United is the best pick for award travel to Australia. United is the only airline on which I could have the possibility to change planes once. Since United is the only US airline that has landing rights in Australia, I would only have to get to LAX or SFO from Philadelphia and both of those flights could direct on United or codeshared USAirways.

So I thought I'd review my frequent flier miles and see how many I have and what I could get or how far I am from getting something...

American, AAdvantage: 24,604. 396 points away from a trip to Alaska.
Continental, OnePass: 15,069. 9,931 points away from a domestic round trip ticket.
Delta, Sky Miles: 10,246. More than 14,000 points away from anything.

I have Marriott rewards, Amtrak, NWA, USAirways (though I only have 560 miles. I got the 500 for using the kiosks once. I don't know where the 60 came from) but I don't watch over them as vigilantly. For more information on ways to earn more miles or discover new means to earn frequently flier points, I recommend Smarter Travel.

My Heritage's My Celebrity Look-alikes, part II

Xander Harris? I never even watched Buffy. Though I always thought I looked more like Kelly Donovan.

My Heritage's My Celebrity Look-alikes, part I

I think that My Heritage is too kind to me. Not that I wouldn't take looking like Paul Walker or Clive Owen. I'm just saying...

"I Ain't Somebody with a lot of Sympathy"

I can be a brooding guy. I love those moody, sensual, personal songs that get under you skin and stay in your head. Like songs by the Police and Sting.

This gravitation to these songs subconsciously led me to land on the key of E flat minor for the name of my blog.

Gary Goldschneider, the author of The Secret Language of Birthdays: Personology Profiles for Each Day of the Year has also analyzed key signatures:

The key of E flat minor is not used much because of the six flats, including C flat, but it is associated by me with the sign of Cancer, paired with e minor. E minor and E flat minor are keys of melancholy, E minor more so, but E flat minor is a highly spiritualized, inward and emotional key, one of great and deep feeling. Very water, also. There are so few pieces in E flat minor that we can almost name them all in one breath. A prelude from the Well Tempered Clavier (its fugue is in D sharp minor with a hideous number of sharps), a couple of shorter pieces by Brahms, not one sonata in the whole literature, no symphony… It must be a highly personal piece, and not very popular with the audiences. (However, the key of E flat major is the key of the sun and of the sign of Leo. Blazing, warm, radiant and golden. Think of other pieces in E flat, like the Eroica Symphony of Beethoven (number 3), and all the standards originally in that key (concert) like Over the Rainbow, and Misty by Errol Garner. D major is the trumpet key, E flat the key of the French Horn. Get to know the four horn concertos of Mozart, three in E flat and one in D.) Hey, I think I just remembered that Round Midnight is in E flat minor, also.

By the way, about the “beliefs” of certain keys. Like my birthday system, I just look at all the pieces written in any given key, in the entire music literature, and then try to abstract from them what they all have in common. I don’t pull any of this stuff out of the cosmos, but rather just look at the history and factual expression (the pieces of music or birthdays themselves become data for me) and then construct the theory.

Two songs that should be in the keys of E flat minor are Justin Timberlake’s Cry Me a River and What Comes Around … Both of which I got to see in concert this Tuesday at his show.

Both of which I love because they are moody, brooding, infectious and personal.

"But I Promise to Try."

I lost a former co-worker today. He was 34.

He had some elective surgery that was unnecessary; he was affected by its complications. Regardless of that, it is a very sad day for me and for my family of friends who know Carlos.

We are fighting any anger or misgivings with the great sense of lose that we feel and even more so with the love we have for him and the good and funny memories. It’s amazing that we all came through one place that took so many different people from so many different backgrounds and cauterized them into a family. It’s a testament to our openness and our human need to be in the fabric of life, woven into a tapestry that tells a larger story than the sum of our individual lives.

My former boss hits the nail on the head:

Today is the saddest of days, a day in which we were shocked to learn of the untimely passing of a friend and a colleague, a person who has passed on far too early in life. Quick with a smile, quick with a helping hand, quick with a memorable sense of humor, Carlos was a person who brought vibrancy and life to our organization. He will be deeply missed.

Carlos’ life provides us with perspective on our own lives and of those that we love. His passing reminds us of how precious life is. No matter what challenges we face, we are reminded that we are indeed fortunate. We would all gladly give something of ourselves in order for Carlos to have had the opportunity to grow old.

At a time like this, there are no appropriate words to convey the sense of loss that we all feel. Please feel free to take whatever time you may need to reflect on Carlos’ life.

It’s all not fair. However that’s the beauty of faith and love – that we are charged to remember someone we love and care for and try to make meaning out of it all. There has to be a silver lining in all of us, or else life is just meaningless. And I won’t accept that life is just meaningless, so I’m looking for the lesson for us to learn and grow.

Carlos, may the Angels lead you into paradise; may the martyrs greet you at your arrival and lead you into the holy city, Jerusalem. May the choir of Angels greet you and like Lazarus, who once was a poor man, may you have eternal rest. Amen.

But why Caseyloveswombats?

Laura asked me today, "But why Caseyloveswombats?" in reference to my gmail accound. To which I responded, "because I love wombats."

It's true. These fuzzy marsupial tanks of an animal have been come my totem. I have come to love their stocky little stature and their potential strength stored deeply in their thick musclature .

In additon to the power that they have stored in them, wombats are cute animals. That’s rather misleading since they are not docile, domesticated created. However, they aren’t typically treatened by man so wombats usually don’t attack. Yet they can and they have.

My true fascination started in Featherdale Wildlife Park almost two years ago. Before I embarked on my trip to Australia, Terry told me that he would disown me if I did not get a picture of myself with a kangaroo. My first chance with a potential picture when during a visit to the Taronga Zoo, however it was not easy to get close to the animals. There was an opportunity to get a picture with a koala, but it cost A$5 and you couldn’t touch or pet the koala. David assured me that I would have a better chance at Featherdale, which we were visiting in a few days.

While dodging the heards of kindergarteners on their fieldtips to Featherdale, we had several photo opportunities with many of the animals. I got the picture I needed of my petting a kangaroo. In addition, there are pictures of me with a koala, a cockatoo and a cassowary. However, for the reasons mentioned above, I sought out and fell in love with the wombat, and I made sure that I got a picture of me petting one.

$168.51 worth of booze. Ah!

Ainsley was having a bad day, but she was a sport and took me with Lisa accompanying us to Delaware for a liquor run for CaseyFest2007.

$168.51 later, I have three types of beer, two boxes of decent Australian red wine, Jack as in Daniels and the fixings for the specialty drink "Blue Balls."

Blue Balls comes to us from Maggie and Lisa, during my birthday dinner. We went to the Mexican Post and saw Maggie, and said that we would need to do a shot on her for my birthday. Originally, she was going to make a Chocolate Cake, but she was out of Frangelico. So she whipped up something fruity which went down like Kool Aid. It was something with Blueberry vodka, blue curacao and other ingredients. Maggie could make the drink but she couldn't name it. Lisa pipped up with Blue Balls and the name stuck.

After walking through the doors of Total Wine, Anisley announced that this liquor store was even better than anything that she had seen in her home state of New Hampshire and the low prices for the champaign, wine and booze turned her frown upside down.

It was worth the trip and tomorrow night will be full of alcohol! L'chaim.

...Cathedrals are broken//Heaven's no longer above

In one of my last acts as a 33 year old, I got ordained for Laura and Jon's wedding this spring. If I couldn't tackle turning water into wine, I figured that I could help my friends out and get the credentials to actually marry them under the law before I leave my Jesus year.

I did some soul searching before I went ahead with the process. In their email to me and Suzanne (Jon's closest friend), they said according to New Jersey law, that they "will need at least one of you to become ordained online (it's free). Please let us know if you don't feel comfortable with this... we totally understand if you don't want to do this."

So I really thought about it. I was excited when Laura asked if I would do this. I immediately said yes and that I would be the Joey at their wedding. However in looking at the websites for ordaination (and ending up at http://www.universalministries.com/), I took it seriously what I was doing. I don't plan on doing anything more with the ordaination but officiate at Laura and Jon's wedding. Yet, I have made a commitment to my God and my God alone to do my best for Him on earth.

I'm thrilled now to be able to officiate Laura and Jon's wedding.

Forward-Party-Looking

There are only three more days to my birthday, and only six more days to my party. I haven’t CaseyFested in such a long time. I’m excited to celebrate, and to have a party in my house. It’s been so long.

Here’s to a year of hosting parties.

I enjoy gathering friends and family into my home to celebrate. In the past, Brian and I were lucky to have some great annual events like Oktoberfest, Christmas and CaseyFest (my birthday). We also had great and fun events based on Chinese New Year, Flag Day and Madonnamas (think Madonna's birthday meets Christmas.)

I really appreciate when my friends get to my other friends. I love my friends so much -- I think they are some of the greatest people on the face of the earth. Therefore, when two people whom I adore get to talk with each other and make a connection, I love it. I am so excited for that.

So my 34th year will begin ceremoniously on Saturday, drinking and spending it with my best favorite people.

Fly, Virgin, Fly on the road to victory

I got my Virgin America update today.

Over 30,000 people have signed Virgin America’s LetVAFly.com online petition and made their voices heard to Congress and the DOT. To that end, VA responded to the DOT in January with a comprehensive reply that revealed sweeping changes designed to address concerns about its ownership and control. In February, VA announced $30 million in additional equity and debt investment from its majority U.S. investors. It is the best-financed new entrant U.S. airline in history. Samuel K. Skinner joined Virgin America’s Board of Directors as Vice Chairman. He is a former Secretary of Transportation and White House Chief of Staff.

I would like to see this airline succeed, and fly into Philadelphia. For now, Virgin America will be providing service from San Francisco – SFO, New York – JFK, Los Angeles – LAX, San Diego – SAN, Washington, DC – IAD, and Las Vegas – LAS with the airline’s inaugural flight being from SFO to JFK.

So sign the petition on LetVAFly.com and vote for Philadelphia as a destination.

Wah, wah, wah, call the wambulance.

In the past few days, I have been so overwhelmed. Just a lot of a crap going around, rattling in my head. I haven't been sleeping and I'm just on edge and irritable.

I feel like I'm suffering from the grumpy version of ennui.

Sign O' The Times

When I saw this news story, I immediately filled up with anger. A gay senior citizen patriot is bludgeoned with a pipe. The alleged assailant is described as a light-skinned black man, no more than 23 years old.

Before hearing more about Andrew Anthos, I was appalled that a black man could commit such a heinous crime of hate. Only 50 years ago, white men would lynch black men, women and children simply based on the color of their skin. Now, this light-skinned black man is paying the hate forward on gay men, based simply on whom they love.

No justice, no peace.

What is wrong with this perpetrator that he doesn’t know his own history of injustice against him and he violently attacks another human? Hate is a sick emotion, and acting out on hate is abhorrent.

I followed the story when it was first reported that he was a patriot who was gay-bashed. Living on a disability check, Mr. Anthos held his country in high esteem and believed that illuminating the dome of the state Capitol in Lansing for one night each year in red, white and blue lights “would show a sign of Michigan's patriotism and its loyalty.”

It’s touching to hear people have faith in our country in this post-September 11th world.

Mr. Anthos, a gay, biracial 72 year-old man had been riding the bus to his Detroit apartment from the public library when another passenger annoyed with his singing approached him and asked if he was gay.

He left the bus and helped a wheelchair-bound fellow passenger through the snow. He was then followed by the assailant, who allegedly hit him in the back of the head with a metal pipe and left the scene.

The attack left Mr. Anthos paralyzed from the neck down and virtually without speech. Though he was visiting with friends, his condition declined rapidly and he was administered last rites late Thursday in Detroit Receiving Hospital.

With this story, I have lost some of my faith in America – in social and racial justice in my country. If we can’t love and tolerate our fellow citizens, then how are going to remain a super power. Perhaps, our Rome will fall and the new Vandals will cruelly loot us.

Was Martin Luther King preaching in vain when he hoped “to speed up that day when all of God's children - black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Catholics and Protestants - will be able to join hands and to sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, ‘Free at last, free at last; thank God Almighty, we are free at last’?”

Sometimes, I think so.

It's hard to love
There's so much to hate
Hanging on to hope
When there is no hope to speak of
And the wounded skies above
Say it's much too late
So maybe we should all be praying for time

Black Market Ashes...

I can't take credit for this. Jen, wrote this to the Catholics and lapsed Catholics last Ash Wednesday when I headbutted Natasha to get ashes on my forehead.

Bagel for breakfast (body of Christ): $.50

Lean Cuisine Mac N Cheese lunch (no meat): $2.50

Glass of Wine after work (blood of Christ): $15

God’s Love From Natasha’s Forehead: Priceless

Mocking Ash Wednesday: Costly

So costly, that I now have Catholic guilt and will be sure to make it to mass this evening to get my ashes the old fashioned way, earning them…

I'm going to forward the original e-mail to the original recipients.

What are you giving up for lent?

I was asked what I was giving up for lent, and immediately I quipped: guilt.

So I stopped to think about it. What do I love so much that would be a sacrifice? Well, there are quite a few things, but I stuck with basics -- food. I thought chocolate or ice cream, but my birthday is during lent and I think that I should be allowed to have chocolate and ice cream.

Diet soda, maybe? But I've been cutting that down, so I'm already doing that. Is it truly a sacrifice if I'm already doing it? Not, really.

I pondered and pondered. Then it hit me. Beer. I'm going to give up beer for Lent. I love beer, and I drank two great ones tonight: Yard's Love Stout and Magic Hat's HI.P.A.

So in addition to getting into work by 9am, I am going to give up beer for Lent.

God help us.

I matzo ball you

I had one of the sweetest Valentine’s Day in a while. Alex, Aliza and Ainsley had made plans to do (matzo) balls, beer and brownies, as a cover for Ainsley’s man, Ben, to fly into Philly from New Hampshire and surprise Ainsley for the day. Lo! and Behold! the weather didn’t want to participate and Ben’s flight was cancelled.

However, dinner was still on for Alex and Aliza. So, all four of us got together at Alex’s, hung out with the dogs and had really good food. I was excited because I got to bring the J Winery Pinot Gris that I got in California to enjoy with dinner.

It’s sometime the quiet events that are more memorable that the glamorous ones. All of us, in jeans or pajamas, relaxing in the living room, eating cheese and crackers, drinking beer and wine, taking in the smells of rich chicken broth and of brownies makes with fudge syrup, cocoa and chocolate chips, chatting about past dates, and watching highlights of the 49th Grammy Awards show saved on DVR made the evening so much fun.

Sometimes, you got to stop and smell the matzo balls.

Willkommen nach Pittsburgh

There was a city called Pittsburgh, in a state called Pennsylvania. There was a cabaret, and there was a master of ceremonies.

With great anticipation, I headed to the airport to make my flight to the other side of the state. I had no delays, and the flight even left the gate early. As I commonly joke about these short-haul fights, the flight gets to cruising altitude, the flight attendant serves refreshments from the head of the plane to the tail, she goes back to the head of the plane to collect the trash, and then we are told we were making our final approach to Pittsburgh. It’s a 40 minute flight.

We followed the Allegheny River toward the city. I looked down and spotted the Squirrel Hill tunnel – a hole in the ground absorbing and spewing traffic. I was happy with the recognition. Then we were just north of Oakland and outside my window was Pitt’s Cathedral of Learning reaching upward.

I had remembered hearing stories about a project to sandblast the Cathedral to clean the years of black off the building. However, I believe that ’Burghers rather would have spent the money on more educational causes at Pitt versus something rather cosmetic and the building remains blackened as a testament to the steel industry that made the city what it is. It is impressive to see a 42-story building rising from the ground without another skyscraping in sight. I could see the soot streaks on the building from the sky.

We headed past the Golden Triangle with the myriad of yellow painted bridges hopping over the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio Rivers. There was PPG Place, which I have likened to a glass castle in the middle of downtown, surrounded by the other buildings. I had only seen views of Pittsburgh from the Mt. Washington side, it was equally impressive to see the opposite view.

Passing the city, we hurtled in space for more minutes than I thought were needed until we crossed over patches and patches of recent or new developments. Hills were shaved flat, and then topped with houses. From the air, I could see the mini-grids and cul-du-sacs of neighborhoods soon to be formed. At last I felt the ground approaching, and our final descent was finally ending.

I jumped off the plane and walked through the airport. I called my family and texted Brian of my safe arrival. I wandered the terminal toward the Core, the hub of the four terminal wings, and found the tram to take to the landside terminal. Guided by “Ground Transportation” sign, I mazed through the other passengers, TSA agents and airport staff to the doors. There was the 28X bus stop at the left end of the entrance to the airport.

I call Harris to apprise him of my situation and that I should be downtown in 30 minutes. I settle in on the bus, which is shaped like a caricature of a bus and has an out-dated fare box charge 50 cents less than the current fare. It reeked of stale smoke. I texted my friends that I had landed in Pittsburgh and that it was 11 degrees Fahrenheit. I turned up the volume on my iPod.

The airport bus is an express bus and after the first mandatory stops in a shopping center, it travels a third of the route on an bus-only roadway. The bus zips along, clanking and chattering, but it is constantly moving stopping only once en route to the city. A minute prior to exiting the restricted roadway, I see the white sign with royal blue trim and letter of the Pennsylvania road system that labels the geopolitical boundary of the City of Pittsburgh.

The bus enters a tunnel briefly and we spill out the other end, and voila, a grand vista of the city. As you take in the view before you, the bus hits the Fort Pitt Bridge, a yellow planted bridge that crosses over the Mon(ongahela) feet before its waters become the Ohio.

I got off the bus a few stops than I had told Harris, but as stepped down I almost ran into him. “This isn’t 9th and Liberty,” he commented. He was right but I figured that I could get off early and walk the 3 blocks to the pre-appointed corner. We headed back to his apartment so I could drop off my bags, and make a game plan for the day as he whipped up some eggs for brunch.

The plan was simple, I would go to the Warhol Museum definitely and I would find a few other things in town to keep me busy while he could rest between shows. Harris headed off to the matinee and I rested for a little bit. I was up early, ran to the airport, flew across the state and took a shuttle into town. It sounds like nothing but it was exhausting.

I walked over the Seventh Street Bridge, now called the Andy Warhol Bridge, and saw the Alcoa Headquarters, a beautiful modern building of aluminum and glass in sleek wave forms. I got to the Warhol Museum and paid my admission fee.

You must make the trip to Pittsburgh for the Warhol. It was just an experience to see so much recognizable art. I like Warhol’s works, so I was devouring all the art.

Afterwards, I crossed the Sixth Street Bridge, now Roberto Clemente Bridge, while having a phone conversation with one of my favorite Pittsburghers, Quinn. I asked her for a suggestion for a place to eat downtown. I weaved up and down the Burgh’s streets, up Penn and down Liberty. I went to the Point and wandered through PPG Place to find somewhere to eat. I remembered Station Square.

I found myself crossing the Smithfield Street Bridge and the Mon, and finding a chain that we don’t have in Philly for lunch. By the time I was finished, it was 5:15 and I wanted to head back for the key pass off before the second show.

Harris left, and I changed into something more appropriate for the theater and headed out to the O’Reilly Theater. I got my ticket and headed for my seat. My friend from Penn, Wendy, would always say “a good stage manager has the curtain up by 8:12” and at 12 minutes after the house lights were down and the action began.

As for the show, I did a little boning up on Cabaret since I last saw it when I was 16 or 17. There were points in the story I couldn’t remember: Clifford’s sexual ambiguity, the shuttling of funds between Paris and Berlin, or the boarding house in Berlin. I did remember a lot of the songs, and Harris would fill me in on plot points as he would tell me about rehearsals. I went in prepared to get the story without much difficulty.

It was amazing. The papers have been giving it the ravest of reviews. I was so impressed by the actors and the production, and so were other in the audience. Of course, I thought that Harris was the bomb, duh.

Afterwards I caught up with Harris and met his castmates, and a few of us finished the nights with some drinks.

The next day was a quiet and slow one with a walk out to the strip district, brunch at a cute diner and a visit to the Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center. After a busy day and a half, we had a quick dinner and then there was the trek out to the airport. I bade Pittsburgh farewell and headed home to Philadelphia.

Musing on Traveling while Traveling

(aka Traveling's the fun.)

During my flight to Pittsburgh, I thanked God that I didn’t drink too much the night before and that I successfully packed my carry-on bag before I went out drinking.

Unlike the time I flew to Australia…

Hilary took me out for drinks to wish me a bon voyage as well as to thank me for delivering a baby gift to her kin, Dee, David and Clark, in Surrey Hills. After a wonderful happy hour at bump and beer and wings at Moriarty’s, I returned home in a buzz.

My laundry was done, and I compared the pile of clean clothes with the check list I made in the weeks before. I always whip up a check list for my trips. For long trips, I plan on having at least 3 more pairs of underwear than days I’m gone. There were still t-shirts, shorts and the fun daily things to pack only after they were washed.

Earlier in the week, I prepared some of the specialty items for the suitcase. I had a nice pair of dress shoes, pants and shirt all stowed away. My bathing suit was neatly packed and the package of new white socks was in my bag. Knowing that I would sleep as late as possible on Thursday morning, I took an item of clothing that matched what I needed from the list, and threw on top of the nicely packed clothes. I checked the item off. I continued until I had checked off all the items on my list and topped it off with more pairs of socks and underwear. At last, I placed the chocolate chip cookies that David’s mom baked for her son. I closed the suitcase, sloughed off my clothes and passed out.

The next day at work went quickly; I had back-to-back meetings until 4:00pm. Leaving then would give me the 90 minutes I would have needed at the airport. I took the train to the airport and called Rosie as I began my trek. I landed in LAX and called Denise and Brigid, my California friends, during that layover after transfering from a secured area of the airport only to have to re-enter to get from my United flight to the Air New Zealand flight. I board. We fly the long 13 hours to En Zed, and land in Auckland at 5:30am local time which ended up being 3:30pm Philadelphia time. I call Phil and she’s just as tripped out as I am that we’re talking to each other from the opposite ends of the earth. After a 90 minute lay over, I’m on the last leg to Sydney.

Flying over Sydney was a dream. It was magical: suspended in air over the Harbour. The cerulean water reflected the white light of the sun. It shimmered like diamond flakes on rippled lapis lazuli. Outside of the window was the Harbour Bridge, as a coat hanger on the two banks, and the iconic Opera House, looking like minimalist clam shells opened and piled together.

I go through Customs and declare the cookies. I show the agent the cookies and she replies “ah, bikkies... these are fine.” I exit into the arrivals hall, and David is waiting for me. He hands me a 7-day pass for the Sydney CityRail system and he whisks me away to North Ride. After a change of train in Central Station, which strongly resembled Waterloo Station in London, and a quick bus ride from Epping, we made our final destination. I crashed on the bed, as I mentioned that the cookies were in my bag. I encourage him to open the suitcase.

With the Tupperware of his mom’s chocolate chip cookies in hand, David asks “Did Hilary take you out for drinks before you packed?”

“How could you tell?”

First Pittsburgh, then the world!

I am packing my new duffle bag for my trip to Pittsburgh, and I'm easily distracted. I came across a blog under which one of the entries was a map of everywhere this person has visited. I remember doing it a while back, before I went to Trinidad and Tobago. So now, having visited 19 countries (8% of the world's sovereign lands) I updated the map and linked to it my page.



create your own visited countries map

I want to make this map all RED!

In order of visiting...
United States (1973)
Israel (1992)
Czech Republic (1995)
Slovakia (1995)
Austria (1995)
Ireland (1999)
United Kingdom (1999)
France (2002)
Japan (2002)
Panama (2002)
Canada (2002)
Germany (2003)
Russia (2004)
China (2004)
Mexico (2004)
Australia (2005)
Singapore (2005)
Chile (2005)
Trinidad and Tobago (2006)

Cheers for Beers at 10 am

The last time I drank alcohol before noon was Hey Day of my junior year at Penn, 1994.

This morning, I meet up with a friend of mine who work at the Dark Horse at said bar to watch the Six Nations Championship Match between Ireland and Wales. I paid my $20 to the rugby sports monopoly, Setanta Sports, and perched myself at the bar. I missed Ireland's first try and Wales's penalty, but that was the first 10 minutes.

I order a Boddington's and realize that I am a green jersey in a sea of red. Maybe, the next time, I should go to Fado. I spy the bar during the half-time break and see there are Irish jerseys in the bar, too.

I eavesdrop and find out the lady next to me is from Swansea, Wales. She eventually moved from her seat to let a couple rooting for Ireland to sit together at the bar, so I couldn't find out more about her.

The match, though not the 42 to 20 England v. Scotland of yesterday, was still a nailbiter until the 60th minute when it was clear that Wales wouldn't be able to make up the point difference. They were very close the entire time, but Ireland got a lot off calls in their favor. I wasn't complaining, remember, I was in a green jersey.

Afterwards, I returned home wondering what channel the Super Bowl was on.

Remember what Mahatma Gandhi said.

I'm not a proponent of fowarding e-mails around. I'm more one who talks about something I've read to see if others have too, and if not, I'll foward the link then.

Today a got an email via the IGRAB listserve that was a link to a story from ESPN.com. Of course, being a sentimental sap, this story really moved me.

Personally, it reminds me of why I try to be a better person. Yet it shows me how far we have come as humans.

As an aside, here's an example of how far we still need to go. Under the auspices of the Diversity Alliance, Penn launched the Diversity Alliance Speaker Series which is designed to expose the Penn community to the rich and varied accomplishments of its graduates through inviting alumni representing one or more of the Diversity Alliance member organizations to speak about their areas of professional expertise and their personal experiences.

A reply that the Diversity Alliance got from a metro-Philadelphian just charmed me.

I think Penn should devote more time and attention to traditional Western values and culture and less to this "diversity" nonsense.

Signed , listing his three Penn degrees in years 1959, 1963, 1965

Sure, I'd like to see Honkey Studies myself, maybe a minor in Cracker Studies or Haole Studies. But, seriously folks, most of colleagate traditions from schools that aren't historically black collleges or universities are permeated from straight white men. Just show up on campus, BAM, White Studies!

So back to my originally string, please read The brilliant life of Anthony Castro by LZ Granderson. It's stories like these that reaffirms my trust in my motto taken from Leon Uris's Redemption:

[I learned that a]ll men have a measure of cowardice in them. I learned that love of one's mates can overcome your fears. I learned that every survivor of this horror must try to live a good life because he lives for many men.

Congrats, Uncle Frank!

My uncle recently retired from the Camden Police Department and the story made a nice piece in the Courier Post (the local Camden and Camden County newspaper.) It's a brief update, but I wanted to share the news story with you.

Better Late Then Pregnant

So by the start of week 5, I finished week 4 of my gym routine: shoulders, legs and arms. I should be able to do all of week 5 this week.

Now, I'm adding some core training into the mix. So on my days-off, I'll just wake up to do some ab excerises. I googled core exercises and this good link from the Mayo Clinic came up.

I've noticed that I'm pushing myself more. I'll add 5 or 10 more pounds to each set, and I can barely do it, but the amount that almost killed me last week is now the weight I use for my second to last set. Though I can't say I see any changes, but I'm not looking for the hard. Some others have said they've noticed a change, so I hope it's happening and I'm just ignorant of it.

Regardless, I'm glad that I was able to jump back on the bandwagon. This week with my mom's surgery really threw off my schedule. (And I'm glad to report that mom's been cutting down her pain medication rather rapidly.)

I really need this [class]//Please, God, I need this [class]!

So, I've gone to my first class in about 10 years. The class is a writen seminar and the teacher seems to have a wonderful following.

It was really exciting to be in an learning environment again. Now, will I get in? I'm not enrolled in the Masters in Liberal Arts, yet. So I'm not a priority for getting into the class, but I don't know how low on the pecking order I am. So I have a wish and a pray... and it left me signing modified A Chorus Line.

I have to work the rest of the week to find out if I'm in. If not, I'm going to see what else the teacher is teaching this semester and fit into that in lieu of this memoir class.

Vivat Academia.

Memoirs of a Gay-shah

I am seriously working on taking a class this sememster. I have filled out the first round of paperwork, and now I'm trying to get permission to take English 435 - Writing and Remembering: a Memoir Workshop.

According to the online class description:

This workshop will help both new and experienced writers explore the elements that go into creating an effective memoir - the storytelling that allows writers to recreate for their readers the events that helped them shape their inner lives and sense of self. Through exercises and assignments, students will tap into their memories and imagination and learn how not only to validate the stories and the themes of their own lives, but how to write vividly about them. We will focus on details, pace and tone, as well as on revision and on the ethics of how to write "truth" when it may have an impact other people's lives. We will also mine a deeper understanding of the craft by reading from a wide range of writers, including Joan Didion, Maxine Hong Kingston, Barbara Kingsolver, John Edgar Wideman, William Zinsser, Tobias Wolfe, James Baldwin and Jamaica Kincaid. In addition to in-class writing, students will be asked to maintain writing journals, participate in workshop discussions and peer review, and write and revise work on a weekly basis.

So don't be surprised if I vet my writing on my blog, or if I use my blog for the journal writing. Regardless, I plan to use my blog to flush out my writing tasks -- either as a medium to work on them or as a place for me to comment on my program. Also, stay tuned because my application essays might show up on my blog for public consumption.

Let it Blog, Let it Blog, Let it Blog

It's so difficult to return to work and actually work today. So I've been deleting the spam in my work inbox, responding to those legitamite e-mails and reading my friends' and family's blogs -- one blog at a time.

Today on South Philly Dad, I learned that my friend Jeff sends Christmas cards to Ed Rendell, Dolly Parton and Bill Clinton. Also, while pondering his unborn child's future accent, I learned that I am spot on for Philadelphia accent.

What American accent do you have? Your Result: Philadelphia Your accent is as Philadelphian as a cheesesteak! If you're not from Philadelphia, then you're from someplace near there like south Jersey, Baltimore, or Wilmington. If you've ever journeyed to some far off place where people don't know that Philly has an accent, someone may have thought you talked a little weird even though they didn't have a clue what accent it was they heard.
The Inland North
The South
The Northeast
The Midland
Boston
North Central
The West
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Angry Little Tank has his year in review. Since I was around for one or two of the events in his life, it was nice to reminisce.

Blankbaby has always been consistant in provide almost daily content on the web. Some of the recent highlights include the International Smokeless Barbeque for my brother's birthday -- that was some GOOD eats, albeit you cook the food yourself -- and Blankbaby's mention of having "a few glasses of champagne and [feeling] alright. :)" Oh, Blankbaby, I was there and you had more than a few glasses of the bubbly. I was proud.

My brother revamped AARRGGHH!! using some new programming platform. I sometimes wish I knew IT to English. I also learned five things I didn't know about him. I knew three of them. Also I discovered that I was tagged and was supposed to do the same. Tomorrow is another day.

A Woman on the Verge confessed that an upcoming review of 2006 will soon be on her blog and hopefully trademarked as the CWV Year In Review. I'm on pins and needles waiting!

My other personally-read blogs are in need of updating. It's so exciting to be back at work.

(P.S. I didn't go to the gym this morning. I'm planning on doing that tonight.)

Happy New Year 2007

Well, I didn't live up to my goal of 100 posts for 2006, but I tried. Is that what resolutions are all about? Working on being better?

Quickly, I wanted to get my first post of 2007 up on 1/1/07. I have had good 2006 and my blog has really helped me improve.

So, it's back to the gym tomorrow. (I've hit the gym 3x a week for the last two weeks and I'm working on some muscle groups in 8 week cycles. That keeps me there.) Here's two drinking 8 glasses of water. I will be working on my book ideas, and I'm signing up for a class working toward the MLA.

Happy New Year and here's to a year's worth of learning more about yourself and liking it.