Bible Cover - An Inspiration

I purchased a bible cover this week and it has a poem on the front cover. I am not sure if you have seen this poem, but it has deep personal significance for me. I have copied in here so that you would be able to read it.

Footprints

By Margaret Fishback Powers

One night I dreamed a dream.
I was walking along the beach with my Lord.
Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life.
For each scene,
I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand,
One belonging to me and
One to my Lord.

When the last scene of my life shot before me
I looked back at the footprints in the sand.
There was only one set of footprints.
I realized that this was at the lowest
And saddest times of my life.
This always bothered me
And I questioned the Lord
about my dilemma.

"Lord, You told me when i decided to follow You,
You would walk and talk with me all the way.
But i'm aware that during the most troublesome
Times of my life there is only one set of footprints.
I just don't understand why, when I need You most,
You leave me."

He whispered, "My precious child,
I love you and will never leave you,
never, ever, during your trials and testings.
When you say only one set of footprints,
It was then that I carried you."

Wisconsin Sports Update

Since I am having something of a burst of posting ideas, I thoughts I might offer a sports update:

Packers - At 7-8, the Packers have a shot at the playoffs. I'll give you a minute to let that sink in. Even though we are 0-6 against teams with a winning record and have only beaten crappy teams, the Packers can make the playoffs with a little help from a few other teams. Even if we did make the playoffs, I don't give us much hope of doing anything. More talk of the playoffs as we get to games that matter. The Giants/Redskins game holds the first key. Go Redskins!

Bucks - The Bucks are in the middle of a five-game winning streak and are currently one game over .500 at 15-14. It has been wonderful to be a on break, have more time to watch sports and see the Bucks winning in the process. Michael Redd is taking it to the hoop, drawing fouls and getting more points. Bogut is slowing establishing himself as a consistent post player. Mo Williams stepped up and filled the point gaurd role. This was a major concern for many folks. We gave some good role-players (Skinner, Garzuric, Blake) to complement some established and up and coming stars. At least they're fun to watch and they're competitive.

Brewers - So, the Brewers have signed Jeff Suppan to a 4-year, $42-million deal. When I first read the news, I was very excited. Adding another arm to the rotation could make the Brewers a formidable opponent. When I was home over the Christmas holiday, I was reading the Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel and read more about the pitcher we are acquiring.

If you look at his overall record, he is not much over 0.500. He is also over 30. While his last few years have been really good, he also played for team in the Cardinals that gave him plenty of run support, something he will not have the luxury with the Brewers. We are also paying him more than twice what the Cardinals were willing to pay him. This is more than we have ever paid for anyone on the Brewers.

While he's a great pick-up for the Brewers, we have invested a lot of money in him. He better be healthy over those three years or the Brewers are truly going to regret this move.

Christmas

Another Christmas has come and gone. The feelings of the season continue, but the day has indeed passed. Of any year, this year's Christmas has the most relgious significance for me and has been the most meaningful. I suppose this requires some explanation.

As a kid growing up, Christmas was all about the presents; the attendance at church was an afterthought, almost a burden. I understood that we celebrated the birth of Jesus on this day, but I didn't necessarily understand the true significance of the holiday. I can remember the GI Joe headquarters & the yearly Lifesavers Book among other gifts really bringing a real energy to that particular season.

I joke with my parents and with others that the older you get, the more practical Santa gets. As I am now 30 and have a full-time job, I can play the role of Santa for myself. Perhaps it takes some of the fun out of purchasing gifts to me, but it allows other "Santas" to be practical with something that I may not think about, but might be useful for me. Overall, though, gift receiving is not as important to me.

My return to the Christian faith and my adoption of Methodism has generated in me a real reverence for Jesus Christ and his birth. The presents are fun, but I have more fun figuring out what I am going to get for others. Now more than ever I appreciate times like Thanksgiving and Christmas for the opportunities I have to be with my family.

I don't have a big family...when I go home, it's me, and my mom and dad. I suppose you can count the cats (Scully & Gizmo). But, as small as we are, those times together are veryimportant to me. I am not always the best in keeping in touch with my parents so I am sure they appreciate the time I am home as well. It is these feelings mixed with "the reason for the season" that bring me the most joy for Christmas.

As the new year approaches, it is again an opportunity to reflect on what is important to us. I feel as though my priorities in life continue to improve and this year has been an excellent step.

A New Beginning...of Sorts

I can safely say that for the last five years (if not more) I have made resolutions to change things for the new year. And, every year, they usually don't work out. Something might make it through the year and actually become a part of who I am, but for the most part it doesn't usually work out. I am truly hopeful that this year may be different.

To help facilitate some changes for the year 2007, I have done the following:

1. I have made a detailed list of all of the things that I would like to do (or stop doing) and created a Word document to keep them. That way I can print it out and always have it with me.
2. It is an agreement that I am signing, but Christa is also signing. I am hoping that she can keep me accountable to what I said I would be doing. She will be some excellent motivation.
3. This is also an agreement that I have made with God. Along with making me feel like I'm a better person, I think it will also help me to be a better Christian.

I won't get into the details of what I'm doing, but I am excited for the new year and I am excited for change. Hopefully, you see a difference.

You Thought I Was Done...

...I'm not. It has almost been a week since I last posted. I can think of various reasons why this happened:

1. Without work, I have been much more paid back in terms of getting tasks done. I have gotten used to doing less.
2. I have also dedicated time to other projects that I have put on hold for most of the semester.
3. There hasn't been all that much to blog about.

Regardless, I'm back...with my 272 post!

Christmas Shopping
In a three-day period, I got all my Christmas shopping done. I think I did fairly well, but I didn't have the same energy as in years before.

Movies
Christa and I took a chance and saw Rocky Balboa. My expectiations for the movie were not that high, and that was probably the right attitude to have. This movie was OK. I would give it a 6.5 on the IMDB 10 point scale. It had some good lines and had some great moments. But, it was the same tired Rocky concept recycled for one more movie. It does leave a better taste in your mouth than Rocky V.

Gaming
I am getting things ready for my AD&D campaign for next semester. Letters should be going out to potential players to get characters created over interim. Hopefully the games will begin in February.

Random
According the Muppet Personality Test (thanks, Christa) I am Kermit the Frog. Go figure.

It is snowing and raining right now. Odd.

Cookies & Garrett

Due to various obligations, Christa needed to make some Christmas cookies. For those of you outside of the UW Oshkosh community, it is final's week here. So, Christa has been really, really busy this week. I figured the least I could do was make the cookies for her. I watched my mom bake cookies all the time growing up...I could make this happen. Regardless of my previous experiences, I was worried about the following possibilities:

1. I really have never baked cookies myself. I have watched cookies being baked, but I have never done it myself.
2. I don't have a mixer...I suppose it just means my arms are going to get tired stirring everything together.
   
3. I was worried that after I mixed everything together, it wouldn't have the write consistency and I would have no idea what to do aid with this problem.
4. Baking them also posed a concern. Would I not cook them through the whole way? Would I burn them? Would I forget about them in the oven?

Despite all the concerns, the cookies were made and I think they turned out OK. We'll see what Christa's class think of the cookies in class today. Hopefully no one dies...then the rest should be OK for distribution. Note to self, don't make the cookies so big. The ones that I made could constitute a meal each ;).

* * * * * * * * * *

In the mail yesterday, I received a package from the Garrett Theological Seminary at Northwestern University in Chicago, IL. It was an application for admission as well as other information about their various programs. As I think about the possibility of going into the seminary for ordained ministry, I am beginning to think about how it fight fit into the larger life picture.

They offer a full-time and part-time option. If I chose to go full-time, I could probably support a part-time job and Christa would need to find a teaching job. It would probably mean that we move to the Chicago area while I am in school. The full-time option would take three years.

If I choose the full-time route, it would be a five year process. I'm not sure how I feel about spreading out another Master's degree over five years. However, what I like about this option is that is offers some interesting options for employment. The part-time option is only two nights a week which means I could possibly live in Milwaukee or even Oshkosh. I could possibly take a position in the church or maybe work on campus part-time. I would like to stay in Oshkosh if I could. It would also allow Christa to utilize the greater Fox Valley area for possible teaching jobs. We'll see...I have a few weeks ahead to do some quality research!

Unexpected Event

As I was finishing up a few items yesterday morning, I received an E-mail from our church secretary, letting me know that the Wisconsin Conference of the United Methodist Church will be willing to reimburse the cost of my trip to the Exploration 2006 Conference in Jacksonville, FL.

When I went to the conference, I did notice that a lot of the students there were getting support from their state conferences. I had no idea that was an option. I assumed that I was footing the bill. Apparently word got around to the Wisconsin Conference that I was there, so it is being covered by them. Woot!

Rationing the Nuggets

Usually once every other week, Blackhawk offers chicken nuggets for lunch. Over the four years that I have been here, the nuggets have changed, um, designs if you will and have gotten decreasingly tasty. Yet, nugget day is still treated with reverence and I am still excited to get my ration of nuggets for lunch.

You read that right; I can go up and get my ration. The lunch folks are only allowed to give us a designated amount of nuggets. It fluctuates, but it's usually around 8-10 nuggets. These nuggets aren't all that big, so for me it's not too much of a lunch. If you ask for more nuggets, they will not let you have any more. However, if you are willing to go to the back of the line and you go through again, you can get another ration of nuggets. How does that work?

Is chicken nugget waste that much of a concern? If it is, I have not heard about it. I suppose I am not familiar with the going price of the chicken nugget, but I am amazed that it is expensive enough that is the one food that we need to limit consumption of.

I'm not sure what it is about these nuggets that makes them so good that we need to ration them. Four years ago, I might have been able to make the argument, but now, they're not that good. They don't even ration bacon, which to me might make more sense. I can understand that good bacon might be pretty expensive.

I wrote this article in lue of creating a Facebook group about. It's probably for the best.

Stomach Flu

I have not posted in awhile. I have had the stomach flu since Thursday morning. I was in and out of the office both days and was also committed to some church choir events that did not allow me to commit to resting. As of this morning, I think I have finally gotten over everything. I will spare you the details; it was not a pretty last couple days. I am just thankful to be well again and catch up on all of the stuff that I have missed over the last three days.

Assorted Thoughts

Nothing topical today, just a few thoughts:

• My copy of The Christian as Minister came today. Hopefully I can work through that this month so that I can get my letter to the District Superintendent to get the process going.
• This afternoon, Peter, Dave & I are coming out of retirement for another round of Cubitz. Apparently, we are taking on their best team from the year. Hopefully we can hold on to the crown.
  
• I am participating in the Breese Hall Rummage Sale tonight. Let's see if my accumulated junk might be someone else's treasure.
• At 9:00 PM I am doing a presentation in Nelson Hall about First Edition Dungeons and Dragons...my second presentation about it this semester. Score!
• Sadly, I also am not feeling well today...shame I picked a day with all these meetings to feel sick. Bleh.
  

Meetings! / LBGTQ Rally

In a previous post, I have commented that you can boil down my job to two main functions: meetings and & paperwork. Boy, if this is ever the week for meetings.

The previous weekend was a rowdy one for my building and there were quite a few documentations for a building this size. That results in student meetings throughout the week. I have two meetings related to NACURH. I have a few hall government and staff one on ones. I have a meeting with a council co-chair, a meeting with my counseling center liaison, two NBC Village meetings, a staff development.

I was really surprised about how quickly the week was gobbled up by meetings this week. That's the last time I ever make a comment about how I haven't had many meeting lately.

* * * * * * * * * * *

I also wanted to give a huge shout-out to the Rainbow Alliance for HOPE and the LGBTQ Council for co-sponsoring a rally from noon to 1:00 PM today in front of the Polk Library. There were speeches, cheers and a good crowd. For the 30 minutes that I could be there, I carried a "Straight, but not narrow" sign.

Their message was clear. It has always been a struggle fro LBGTQ students, faculty and staff to find equality. The climate is worse than ever with the passing of this amendment. I am hopeful the message will get out there and people will act.

Ministry Candidacy

Becky brings up an interesting question from yesterday's post, and I wanted to talk more about the ministry candidate process. Thanks, Becky!

Nothing would quite be Methodist if it didn't involve committees, paperwork and a multi-step process. So, the path to ministry is no different. Before one might actually become a Methodist minister, they have to become a ministry candidate.

To become a ministry candidate you must apply to a District Superindent who will in turn assign you a pastoral mentor. The two of you will work together for awhile, and along the way you need to get an endorsement from both the Staff/Parish Relations Committee as well as the approval of your congregation at a Charge conference. After that, you answer some questions and go before a panel that looks at your work and answers a few questions. If you complete all of this, you are a candidate...

...then, you have to think about the process for ordained ministry which involves seminary and that's a whole other process. *whew*

So, I have taken the first step toward candidacy. I am planning on writing the District Superintendent around the new year and get the ball rolling. I will keep you posted as I move along in the process.

Thoughts From the Weekend

Some thoughts from the weekend:

• Wow...the Packers suck. I know that the local media and others are saying that this team is improving, but it has been painful to watch. To think, only a few weeks ago we were talking about this team making a possible run at the playoffs. Nothing that two brutal losses can't cure.
• I bought Dance Dance Revolution. I can't necessarily beg one solid reason for it. I think it had merit as a form of exercise, but I also just find the game fun to play. Between that and Guitar Hero 1/2, I have quite a gaming collection.
• Christa and I took a trip to Green Bay so that she could pick up a book she needed for class. Am I a great fiance or what?
• I got a lot of work done regarding the church. I got a letter out to all members of church letting them know abotu our new pastor. I finished up my responsibilities as a member of the Worship Commission. I followed up with our new pastor to make sure things are going OK.
• This coming Sunday Christa will officially become a member of FUMC Oshkosh.
  
• I also made a public announcement to the congregation at FUMC Oshkosh that I am pursuing candidacy in Methodist church. Where this specifically leads I don't know, but it is a big step. The congregation has offerred nothing but support. I am very excited!
  

Basement Stereo

I received a note from my custodian this morning saying that I should probably go look at the basment stereo in Breese Hall. That's never a good sign.

Upon inspection, someone decided to unplug everything having to do with our stereo system. They unplugged the speakers, the components, the plugs, everything. As I find myself asking at least once a week, "Why would someone ever do that?" I'll just add it to the list.

It all seems repairable, and I think I may try to put everything back together later this morning. I would let the residents of Breese know that if they have any leads as to who might have done this, it would be very helpful. A Common Area Damage charge will definitely be warranted if no specific culprit is found.

And by the way, if I didn't already have to grow the beard due to snow, I would now. It is really snowing out there. Sweet!

Concerts

As I was out for my morning walk this morning, I was weaving my way through the Wellness Center Construction area and I had a revelation...

...I have not been to a concert in over a year.

My first year as an RHD, I had season tickets to the Fox Valley Performing Arts Center and saw a bunch of shows. In graduate school, I had a job that worked directly with the arts and I saw a bunch of shows. In undergrad, I was a music major so I was required to go to a bunch of music shows each year.

I was trying to figure out why I haven't gone to a concert in awhile. A few thoughts:

1. Cost - It costs $75 or so to get good costs for a musical. As a staff member, I have to play for UWO concerts...not a lot, but it's money. I can always think of other ways to spend the funds.
2. History - I've never been a fan of concerts. I've always been a sucker for recorded music. You know what you're getting.
3. Busy - I have a lot of stuff going on and it would be difficult to find the time to put in a concert. When there is a good concert that I might consider going to, there is something else I need to do.

So, we'll see...maybe I'll get to one soon.

My Custodian

Every residence hall on the UW Oshkosh campus has at least one custodian, some have more than one. Breese Hall has only one custodian, but she does the work of two more custodians. You could say that our custodian is both a blessing and a curse. She keeps Breese Hall very clean, probably the cleanest residence hall on campus. But, with this comes a few problems. One, to keep the building clean she in turn wants to bill residents for any messes that are left in the hall. Some are legitimate and some are a little overboard. She also has a gruff personality and is not exactly personable.

Our custodian has not talked to me in weeks. I can walk right by her, or her by me, and she will not say anything to me. She has communicated with me purely through notes. I find myself wondering if this is necessarily a bad thing. In my first few years as an RHD, she would often come into my office and talk for hours about all sorts of random stuff. Sometimes I appreciated our conversations and sometimes I was really busy, but it doesn't happen anymore. I wonder if I perhaps did something to offend her: not have something cleaned up, not charge for a CAD slip, etc. I could assume that while she is not talking to me, she is likely talking to others in the building about me...most likely referring to one of the above concerns.

What I am trying to figure is: does it matter? Should I be happy knowing that I have a little more peace and quiet and the building is still clean (although trash talking is likely happening)? or Should I try to mend whatever problem there is so that I know where I stand with her?

Errata: Abby points out that the ceiling fan in my apartment is not the first major change to the Breese apartment since I've been there. In my first year, they did install a washer and dryer. I suppose O should say it was the first Breese RHD initiated change to the apartment.

More Changes

The last few days I have been getting up at 7:00 AM. Waking up at this hour voluntarily might seem a completely foreign concept to my Breese residents :-), but I have found it quite beneficial. For the first time since Residence Life training, I have actually been getting up to eat breakfast at Blackhawk. Now, I have time for a walk and for breakfast...and I don't feel rushed. I feel more ready for the day and I also overall have more energy.

I fired up the iced tea maker again in an attempt to cut down on buying and drinking soda. So far, improvements have been made. I miss iced tea. I'm glad it's back.

In other news, the Packers lost. They were winning and looking good in the first half, but you know the Packers are going to find a way to lose. Ouch...this win would have been huge.

Reading the Bible

First off, I do want to say that it feels good to be posting regularly again. Over break, I did not post for a few days and it just wierd. Things have now come somewhat to a state of normalcy.

Along with my thoughts on being called to ordained ministry, I have taken a much greater interest in reading and absorbing the Bible. However, as with my attempts to begin The Lord of the Rings, I would read a little bit, get bored and give up. But, as I did complete The Lord of the Rings, I know there would come a time when I would be able to read the Bible.

So...I bought this book. I know what you're thinking, but I am finding it to be very helpful. It is an excellent supplement to get through some of the tougher sections and it's actually quite humorous. Fear not, I am actually reading the Bible as well, but it is a good supplement.

After attending the Exploration 2006 Conference, I really do feel motivated and called to read the Bible. I don't see it as a "chore" anymore. I am finding it exciting and renewing. There is so much to know and I can't wait to find out more!

Bucks Tickets

Yesterday, Nick and I went to the Bucks/Celtics game at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee. Nick got some excellent tickets through his work, so we were sitting really close to the court. In fact, we were sitting across the aisle from Senator Herb Kohl.

A VIP in the House

The picture below lets you know how close we were to the court. Unfortunately, the Bucks lost by a lot. They were up by 14 at halftime but proceeded to completely blow in the second half. At least Nick and I had a good time.

Best Seats I've Ever Had

Greetings From Mequon!

My apologies for not posting over the last few days. I have been relaxing at my parent's house in Mequon, WI for the last few days. I will be coming back to Oshkosh, WI tonight since I will be liturgist and guest speaker for the 8:00 AM and 9:30 AM services tomorrow. I am excited to be talking about my Exploration Conference experience. Fear not, even though I have not posted about my thoughts on the conference, I will soon. Stay tuned.

The break has been wonderful. Thanksgiving involved the traditional Droste prime rib and football viewing. Later in the day, I drove to Christa's parent's house and stayed there for awhile. Friday was the traditional day of shopping, beginning the day with my parents and ending the day with Christa. Today, Nick and I will be going to the Bucks game...Nick got us some very good seats. I am excited.

That's all for now; expect more detailed posts upon my return to UWO on Sunday.

Exploration and Transition

I returned from the Exploration 2006 conference at approximately 12:10 AM when I walked into my apartment doors. Needless to day, as I type this message I have not yet fully processed the weekend that was. Over the next few days, you will see my thoughts and reflections on what was a life altering conference experience. For now, I thought I would show you a few of the pictures that I took while in Jacksonville.

"Four in a Row"

So, technically I saw this in the airport in Minneapolis. This is what happens when you want to sell Connect Four but you can't because the name is copyrighted. You create a really cheap looking version of the game and you call it Four in a Row.

These Aren't Your Oshkosh Bridges

Walking along the St. Johns River, I saw a variety of bridged connecting Jacksonville. This bridge which moves to accomodate traffice actually operates by having the middle section more straight up in the air. I had never seen that before but it seemed much easier to operate than the mechanisms we have in Oshkosh.

That's a Big Banana

This was a banana that I had with lunch on Saturday. That banana is huge! I have never seen bananas this big ever. It was also very tasty.

As I said before, the conference was truly a transformative experience. As I go through my materials, my reflections and my journal I will do a variety of posts over the next few days. Stay tuned!

Explorations Conference

Tomorrow morning Christa takes me to the airport bright and early so that I can fly to Jacksonville, FL for the Explorations 2006 Conference sponsored by the Methodist Church. I am going to this conference to find out more about the various possibilities for ministry in the Methodist Church. It's hard for me to describe how I am feeling as the conference nears. I am feeling a vareity of emotions:

• Excitement - I am excited because I will get out of Wisconsin (and into Florida), I will get to learn more about a possible career option, and it's the closest I get to vacation this semester.
• Nervous - I have no idea what the conference is like. For the last 10 years I have gone to student leadership/student affairs conferences. I am used to that culture. I have no idea what this is going to be like.
• Calm - In no way am I really worked up about going. It actually feels somewhat business-like. It doesn't worry me.
• Resolve - I am hopeful that after attending this conference, it might help me to look at life and my future in a different light and think about how I might make a transition to life beyond the RHD position.
  

Just so you know, I can not account for the access that I may or may not have to the internet. As such, you may not see an entry here until Monday. I leave early Friday morning and I do not get back until late Sunday night (after midnight). I am sure that upon my return I will have plenty to talk about.

Note: Residents of Breese Hall...behave while I am gone :).

New Fan

So...maybe Mike Chastain is correct. Maybe this is a sign that I am getting old. With great excitement, I told my CA/PA staff that I had a new ceiling fan/light installed in my room. With a similar amount of excitement, I also told my hall leaders.

Allow me to explain why this is an exciting moment in my life:

1. This is the first major alteration to my apartment that has been made in the four years that I have lived there.
2. It generates air flow in my bedroom without needing to use the air conditioning.
3. It looks and works so much better than the old light in there. The old light was a pain to take apart to change bulbs, it always burned out bulbs quickly and it blew a fuse twice.

Needless to say, out with the old, in with the new...even if it makes me old :).

Random Encounter

I was hanging out with my little brother last night and we decided to make the pilgramage to the new Best Buy in Appleton, WI. As he and I were perusing the new releases in the video game section, I thought I overheard on the intercom that Ahman Green was in the building.

I was wondering whay I saw two sets of bleachers set up by the entrance to Best Buy facing three HDTVs. Apparently, you could watch Monday Night Football with Ahman Green. I wandered over there and he was sitting in the bleachers answering questions from the audience (around 50 people).

I was too shy to ask any questions, but it was cool to simply be close to a starting Packer player, especially a Pro Bowl caliber player. But, that was not the only highlight of the evening.

What really made me happy concerning last night's get together was that Adam did not labor at all to find things to talk about. Sometimes it is a struggle to find topics of conversation and sometimes Adam can be a little shy. However, last night we talked about many things including church. We talked about why he is not motivated to go to church and how he moves Christianity. I told him he should come with me to church some time. I thought it might be good for him to see another church. I look forward to continuing this conversation.

Guitar Hero 2

As anticipated, I had the opportunity to play a lot of Guitar Hero 2 this past weekend. It felt wonderful; it was nice to have a weekend not involving anything stressful. I hooked up my PS2 to the big screen TV, so it was much easier to see what I was playing.

Overall, I think Guitar Hero 2 is a great game. There is much to be excited about, and only a few things that take away from the game.

Strengths:

• Game play is almost completely the same...easy transition.
  
• Some great rock tunes are in the mix: Carry On Wayward Sun, Freebird, Cherry Pie, Shout at the Devil, Sweet Child of Mine.
• I like that you need to get through 40 songs to complete the career mode, not 30.
• I like the Dethklok and Trodgor bonus tracks.
• I really appreciate the option to play rhythm, lead or bass guitar in certain songs.
• The cooperative mode is a great deal of fun...I appreciate the fact that you are working together instead of against each other.
• There is more variety of graphics in loading menus. The quotes are also funnier.
• They made career mode somewhat more involved.
  

Drawbacks:

• I liked the songs from Guitar Hero better than the songs from Guitar Hero 2.
  
• Many of the songs this time around are long; many are also very repetitive and this can get old after awhile.
• The jump from medium to hard is a large jump. Also, overall the game seems to be harded on all levels than it was in Guitar Hero.
• I wish there was a high score board for cooperative mode efforts.
• The bonus tracks are not as good overall.
• I miss the "Grim Ripper" from Guitar Hero. He looked cooler.
• It wierds me out that when you make a mistake your note scroll shakes. Odd.

Overall, it's a great game. I (and Christa) look forward to many hours of playing.

First Measurable Snowfall

We got some serious snow fall yesterday and it definitely accumulated. The beard will now be grown.

No Focus

Today is one of those days where I am trouble focusing on just about anything. This can be attributed to two factors: (1) This week has been crazy and (2) We had a crisis situation that completely broke up my normal sleeping habits. Luckily I am able to complete what needs to be completed and some things will have to wait.

It has even caused me to present a sub-par blog for you today. It's hard to think of a good topic with this lack of focus. How about a few random thoughts (that seems about right):

• I met a potential pastor for our church for next 2.5 years. I can't say anything specific until the formal announcement Sunday. The whole process took 4.5 hours last night.
• I got to bed at 2:00 AM and was awoken at 4:00 AM by another phone call. Woot...

Election Reflections

I must say that I am happy that the elections are finally over. Elections in the last few years have been pretty heated, but this one had by far the most mudslinging and the most bad blood that I have ever seen. I could not believe how many television commercials were produced that took all of their time slamming the other candidate, but in no way promoted the candidate that made the ad! It was more "don't vote for him", not "vote for me." Somewhere in my voting history I missed this transition and I don't like the result.

The Amendment
So a fair Wisconsin votes yes? I don't think so. In the end, I am not surprised that Wisconsin voted to plan civil unions and domestic partnerships...but, I did not think it would pass by such a large majority. We will not realize our folly in voting the way we did until a few years now when we notice the economic impact. Short term, the state will realize the impact because the LBGTQ community and its allies will rise up fight putting discrimination in the WI constitution.

Governor
I voted for Mark Green, but I not surprised that he lost. It would be hard to beat an encumbant in a year when it is not good to be a Republican. So, he made a good run and he made it interesting. We'll get him the next time.

In my opinion, most of the other votes weren't that interesting. I voted straight-party republican. I voted against any raising of taxes and I voted against the death penalty.

That is all. I will review Guitar Hero after this weekend...I am planning on devoting a lot of time to it and can do a better job of reviewing the game.

Pictures From the Party

As promised, I have pictures from the party. I will only post four of them in the blog, but I recommend that you check out my Facebook album which has 60 pictures from the party in it.

This is my boss playing Guitar Hero...she didn't do so good. But, I was really happy that she tried it out. She really wants to play it again.

As I said before, my friend Nick Sayner came up from Milwaukee to enjoy the party. It was very exciting to have him there. Mmm...rootbeer keg.


As the evening progressed, the campus security officers made their way through Breese Hall to check out the building. They happened to see the party going on and we thought we would have a little fun!

This is a hilarious pictures because as you may already know Advanced Dungeons and Dragons is a game usually played by dorky, nerdy guys. There is nothing better than seeing three ladies taking a keen interest to the Dungeon Master's Guide. Truly, they are all interested in learning how to play AD&D.

That's all for pictures...check out the Facebook album for more details. Thoughts on Guitar Hero 2 tomorrow.

Spelling

It's definitely, not definately...seriously.

I can't tell you how many people screw this up!!!

Perspective

I have talked many times about the number of meetings that are involved with my job; if you throw in church meetings it gets really crazy. With that much time being taken up for meetings, I usually view any meetings above that to be drudgery and I usually look down upon. Sadly, for me, I had that view toward meetings that should be fun.

My birthday weekend has given me a new perspective toward gatherings that I have usually viewed as getting in the way and seen them for what they should be. For instance, I have always viewed my attendance at our church youth group meetings to be drudgery. I don't know why...it is a way to help our younger members feel comfortable with talking about God. However, the fact that they are on Sunday nights takes away the motivation. For some reason last night I went in thinking it would be fun, and it was!

Similarly, I hung out with Adam last night for Big Brothers/Big Sisters last night and it was fun...and we figured out what we were going to do for the next two Mondays. That never happens. All that changed was my perspective; if you think it can be fun more likely than not it will be more fun than it was before.

Perspective, it seems like a simple lesson. However it is one I often forget. I let routine jade my viwe of something or I let a lack of energy or an over-abundance of meetings get in the way of something that should be enjoyable and memorable. I am sure this is something we can all think about.

*** The pictures from the 30th Birthday Party will be picked up this afternoon and will be posted tomorrow! Along with the pictures, I will be buying a copy of Guitar Hero 2!! ***

The Birthday Weekend [Highlights]

I thought I would take today's entry to cover the highlights of the birthday weekend. It felt like this weekend was never going to end...it was great. There was always something going on. I was sad to have it end last night, but it is time to move with life after turning thirty.

Friday (The Breese Hall Birthday Party) - The pictures from this party are being developed as I write. They will be picked up tomorrow and posted on Facebook (with a few omissions due to content) Wednesday. I will also put a few choice pictures on the blog on Wednesday. Major events of the party:

• My best friend (and best man for the wedding) came up for the party. I had no idea he was coming to the party; he drove up from Milwaukee. He stayed for the entire party and got to witness all sorts of people that make of the residence life team. Thanks, Nick!
• A lot of people were introduced to the power of Guitar Hero. A lot of people are now disciples of Guitar Hero!
  
• The rootbeer keg only lasted two hours. I honestly thought we'd have leftover rootbeer...I was wrong. Never fear Breese hall leaders, I did save some rootbeer for you GLACURH attendees.
• I was not able to get an exact count, but 62 people signed in the guestbook...there were definitely more people than that. The world will never know the exact attendance.
• Thank you to everyone that brought cards or gifts.
  
• More on this party on Wednesday!

Saturday (Dinner With the Folks)

• We visited Christa's parents to catch up and see how they were doing. We were able to watch the Badgers eek out a victory against Penn State.
• We went out to the Porterhouse for steak. Christa said she has never had a finer filet than the one that she had there. They are so good.
• We had cake and made our way back to Oshkosh.
• Christa and I watched the Bucks win their home opener. They looked really good!
  

Sunday (Appleton & Youth Group)

• Christa and I had lunch at Chili's. We split the double order of fajita. Well, we really didn't split the order. I ate two thirds of it. That's pretty much the theme of the weekend. Jim eating a lot of food. Yeesh. I did some serious celebrating this weekend.
• I watched the Packers blow a game they should have one. Two turnovers in the redzone? Seriously...
• Lastly, I had the opportunity to play Apples to Apples and Bible Trivia with the youth group. That was a lot of fun as well.

I usually don't do lists like this, but I wanted you to know that I had an action packed weekend. Pictures of the party on Wednesday!

Party Time!

Christa and I got back from Pick 'n Save earlier this morning with the food for tonight's party. Mark loaned me his game systems and I bought the beverages on Wednesday. I have provided a picture of my refrigerator...it is brimming with food and beverage ready to be distributed to residents and other residence life folk.

I have some meetings today, but at 3:30 I will be heading over to the Union to pick up the quarter barrel of root beer. Then, I need to madly clean the apartment and get things set up for the party.

In other news, yesterday was quite a busy day. I had a lot of meetings and at the end of the day, I was quite drained. Some of RHDs went out to Kodiak Jack's for dinner and then a few of us went out for some adult beverages.

Let the festivities begin!

Relationships

Christa and I have been dating for over two years now and we will be getting married on June 16, 2007. I cannot wait until that day because I will confirm that I want to spend the rest of my life with Christa. It will be wonderful.

I think back to all of the relationships I was in before I started dating Christa. I started "dating" when I was a sophomore in high school (age 16). That's 13 years of dating. I will spare you a lot of details, but I can give you some trends. This is what I can tell you:

• One relationship became so twisted that it warped a close friendship so much we are still trying to piece it back together.
• Too many relationships ended with tears and friendships that were thought would happen and never materialize.
• There was a lot of rejection.
• A lot of time spent wondering how someone felt or wondering if someone "liked" you.
• There were stalking ex-girlfriends.
• There were girlfriends cheating on me.
  

Fun, huh? I don't have to play the game any more. Yes, there was a time when "the thrill of the chase" was very exciting. However, you know you've found someone good when the thrill of the chase no longer gnaws at you. I am happy and ready to retire from the relationship game.

Nearing the End

I realize that title sounds bad, but fear not the message isn't...

So last night I roped myself into playing a little Guitar Hero before our hall government meeting. I have continued working on the "Expert" level and now have rounded it down to two songs. Unfortunately, the last two songs are really, really tough. I have found that the best approach to take with Guitar Hero is to play in smaller chunks. I have found that playing Guitar Hero too much causes the following issues:

• It makes your fingers tired and soar. Then you won't be able to play for awhile.
• It causes either you or your significant other to become very frustrated in your are playing the multi-player mode. (Although no guitars have been broken at this point.)
• You get burned out to the game in general and then you don't want to play it more two to three days.

I have found that playing a little each day allows me to see progress, but still keeps my interest up. Some of you are reading this thinking, "Wow, Jim is thinking about Guitar Hero way too much." You would all be right...but has been such a good stress reliever over the last few weeks.

Other News:

• My excitement for the birthday party increases. Starting on Thursday, the birthday weekend will be great: (1) dinner with RHDs on Thursday, (2) party Friday, (3) hang out with parents/dinner Saturday, & (4) hang out with Christa in Appleton and shop/watch a movie/play. Fun times indeed!

The Nightmare

This past Friday I had the opportunity to go to The Nightmare in Marshfield, WI. My CA on 2nd Floor Breese, Mike Chastain brought up to the idea of traveling for this event. Utilizing the resources available to us on campus we were able to get the travel for the event covered as well as the majority of the admission cost for the 10 of us that went to the event.

The Nightmare is meant to graphically depict the most common ways that teenagers and young adults die. It is something like a haunted house, but it isn't meant to scare you like a haunted house scares you. It is meant to make you think and portray these things so graphically that it forces you to think about it. The Nightmare ends with a depiction of the crucifixion of Christ as well as some information about the church that put the event on.

The following thoughts and reflections represent my thoughts on the event and are not meant to slight Mike as he spent a lot of time and energy putting this event together. With no further ado:

• This was a well-coordinated event. The line was managed well and the flow of the actual Nightmare was well done. There was excellent timing, excellent acting and some excellent work done in making everything seem real.
  
• We had to travel 2 hours each way and wait outside for the event for 2.5 hours. With The Nightmare only being about 20-25 minutes, it didn't seem to me to be quite worth it. Of course, it was practically free.
• No matter how you slice, the events depicted inside The Nightmare could still be perceived as fake. This may sound funny for someone who can easily suspend reality and enjoy fantasy and science fiction books and movies. However, when the goals is to show real odern events, that is a different story. They tried hard, but I could not make the jump.
• The security at the event tried to be all serious and take all of the fun out of us before we went into the event. Not a fan, in fact some of us were threatened with not being to go through the event. Ok, I'll take my $8 back. Yeesh.
• The Christian message in all of this all quite obvious, especially at the end. The crucifixion scene was definitely the most intense of all that I saw.
  

There was a website you could go to after the event to see what this was all about.

Camp Onaway - Part 3

For the third time in three months, I traveled to Camp Onaway. This time I was invited back by the WURHA organization to do a series of presentations. WURHA was holding their annual fall retreat called Bringing Leaders Together (BLT). At this event advisors are often wondering what they can do with their time becuase the programming at these events usually revolves around students.

Steph and I thought it would be a good idea to offer some programmig options for advisors. As such, I came back to the Onaway to present 3 sessions of ART Training for the advisors that were there. The sessions ended up going about 2.5 hours and they seemed to be useful to those in attendance...

...this trip to Onaway was the strangest I have had. It was the first time I came for something not affiliated with UW Oshkosh; it was also the latest in the year I have visited the camp. Everything was packed up as if the island was going to close, which it was once we left. The soda machines were cleaned out, the docks were packed up, sports equipment was gone. It felt somewhat empty.

Without large amounts of enthusiastic leaders, the energy of the island was not the same. We didn't stay in cabins, we mostly stayed in headquarters. The weather was too cold (and too wet) to do any outdoor activities; we stayed mostly in the dining hall. Games like "lightning" were not played. It just didn't feel quite the same.

I did have the opportunity to take a lap around the island, something I try to do every time I go to the island. It was nice to take in the magic of the island one more time. My only regret was not staying until lunch...I missed Onaway pizza!

I received a boat ride back to the mainland from the head of the island. He and I were chatting and I explained that I met my future wife at Camp Onaway. He was really happy to hear that! He was also excited that I had the opportunity to come to Onaway so many times in a year. I told him that I could not wait until next year when I can come back!

This Week...

It's the week that doesn't end...it just goes on and on my friend...

This week has been pretty rough. In addition to the normal crazines that makes an RHD's week, I took on the following extra responsibilities this week:

• Fall Preview Day Mini-Fair (Thursday and Friday)
• Fall Preview Day Student Affairs Sessions (Thursday and Friday)
• Career Services Mock Interviews (Thursday)
• Art Training Sessions at Bringing Leaders (BLT) Together Retreat (Friday Evening)

Needless to say, it has been a crazy week getting through all of this. Christa hasn't exactly had the greatest week either and neither or us has really slept all that well. She had a lot work due for classes this week.

I think we will both simply be happy when this week is in the books. Then we can plan for my 30th Birthday Party! Woot.

The Desire to Conduct

So, yesterday afternoon the choir director of my church called to let me know that she would be unable to rehearse with our vocal and bell choirs that evening. She asked if I would be willing to do the rehearsals. This would seem like a no brainer; after all, my undergraduate degree was in music education (with an emphasis in choral directing!).

However, there is a reasons I am not a choir director. I don't enjoy it. I discovered this with about one year left in my program while I was doing my clinical. I thought to myself, "I can't do this as a job...I would go crazy!" I was so far into my program that I did not want to change majors. So, I gutted it out and managed to get through student teaching, although I would easily consider it the worst 18 weeks of my life. It solidified the fact that I wanted nothing to do with music education.

If you didn't already know, I was the choir director of FUMC Oshkosh for one year. I did this when I graduated so that I had a source of income while I was doing my graduate school search for student affairs. I enjoyed that to some degree, mostly because of the people. The members of the congregation were wonderful and supportive. In fact, it was mostly because of them that I chose to come back as a member when I made my way back to Oshkosh.

To get back to the current story, I told Cara I would direct the choirs but I was not really happy about it. She understood, but was also very grateful. In the end, I can do it. It helped that Roger Lalk was willing to help with bell choir so that I could play bells. That made things a little more tolerable.

By the way, will this week ever end? It has been crazy busy...and this directing gig last night didn't help.

30th Birthday Party

I am having a birthday party next Friday, November 3, 2006 from 8:00 PM to midnight. Anyone who will be in the area (and who I actually know) is welcome to join the festivities. I hopeful that it will be a good time for everyone.

There will be food, raffle prizes and lots of video games. It will be an interesting mix of folk, just remember that the doors to Breese lock at 9:00 PM. You will need to be let in to the building after that time. Also, this is an alcohol-free event.

I have provided the Facebook link in this message for more information. If you don't have access to facebook, just leave me a message I can get you details.

Kid in a Candy Store

So, last night I went to the library to see if I could find Christa while she was studying for her Chemistry exam coming this Thursday. I wussed out before I made it to her usual study area, but on the way out I noticed the large collection of CDs that Polk Library has available. For most of you it will be a letdown because they are almost entirely classical CDs with a few jazz CDs thrown in there as well. I can't tell you how excited I was, what a way to bolster my music collection, especially in the area of classical music.

Ah yes, but now the dilemma. These CDs would make a wonderful addition to my ever growing collection of music my my I-Tunes. However, all of the music I have on there (with a few exceptions) I have purchased myself. I face an interesting ethical dilemma of whether or not I want to start ripping these CDs onto my I-Tunes. I realize it will only be for my own use, but we'll have to think about it.

Anna tells me they also have a large selection of CDs at the library. Ahh!

Merging of Blogs - Good Samaritan

One blog is enough. I tried to maintain two blogs, but for some reason I can't kep consistent with it. So, I have decided that I can put some religious thoughts in this blog and probably not seriously tick anyone off. If you do object, any blog abotu religion will be tagged so you don't have to read it and you can skip it.

I have mentioned in a previous blog that I receive a daily bible excerpt along with a reflection story. I get this from Upper Room, a part of United Methodist ministries. Today's bible lesson was very meaningful for me:

Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, 'Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.' Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?" He said, "The one who showed him mercy." Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise." (Luke 10:30-37)

Ah yes, the story of the good Samaritan. That phrase had definitely made it into our culture, heck we even have a Good Samaritan clause written into our law. Here is a man that has no real reason to help someone, but gives much of his time and resources to be helpful to him. He was generous and thought not of being repayed for his kindness. Jesus asked that others go out and act as the Good Samaritan did.

It sounds pretty simple and, in the end, I bet you we all act like the good Samaritan every day, doing nice things for others, but I bet you they are safe things, small things. They may take a few minutes out of our days or maybe a few dollars, but that's it.

When I read this story, Jesus is saying "Give, and give generously." This story makes me want to be the Good Samaritan, but really give to others. Jesus wants us to help others so that our money and our time becomes everyone's money and time so that we might be able to help out our fellow people. What can you do?

Packers Chalk Up a Second Victory

Well, it wasn't always pretty, but the Packers won. A victory is a victory; plus, the schedule over the next few weeks looks favorable for the Packers as well with games against the Arizona Cardinals and Buffalo Bills coming up.

There was definitely some things to be happy about:

• Favre had a great game, getting two touchdown passes in the game. He had some throws that could have easily been intercepted, but they didn't so we'll take it.
• Ahman showed some flashes of his former brilliance as he got a TD himself.
• The defense generated some turnovers and gave the team some life. It was good to see them come out on the positive end of the turnover margin.
• Many rookies stood up and produced today. AJ Hawk gets better and better with each game.
  

Some concerns:

• The defense played better, but still struggles to truly dominate an entire game.
• We need WR help and quickly. The next few games won't be too bad, we need to get some folks healthy in a hurry.
• The quality of announcers. The crappier the Packers get the worse the announcers we get. These two today were awful. Matt Vascercian (sp?) used to announce for the Milwaukee Brewers and he was great! His transfer to football, not so great. They misnamed players, often misjudged yardage to first down and did not even understand some of the basics of the game. Jim may be switching to the radio feed and muting the TV.
• Favre can't be this risky every game, or it's gonna be ugly. He's just not that good anymore.

So, the Packers are 2-4. They have a favorable game this Sunday against Arizona. Two in a row?

V For Vendetta

I had the opportunity to watch the movie V For Vendetta. I borrowed the DVD from one of my hall leaders, who recommended the movie very highly. It has been sitting by my television for a few weeks now, but last night I finally had the time to watch. I can see why he likes the movie so much; it is indeed very good.

This is definitely a flim that I need to watch again. I feel as though my thoughts may not be entirely complete, since there are probably some more subtle things that I could pick up in future viewings.

I thought storyline was very intriguing; I had no idea it was based on a graphic novel. I thought the acting was great and the dialogue was well done. I never found myself bored and even found myself wanting the movie to go longer. I liked the soundtrack as well, music was used very well throughout the film.

I found the violence in this movie to be a little too extreme. I realize this might have worked in the context of the film, but I didn't like it. Otherwise, there wasn't too much to pick on.

I highly recommend the film. Grade: A

Being Behind the Scenes

Only a few hours ago, I posted about how much I love my job. I actually talk about it a lot. It's unique, it's varied, it's fun and it keeps me young. But, for an introvert, it can be a little draining.

I have talked in a previous post that much of my job gets boiled down to two categories of work: meetings and paperwork. Well, I love paperwork, and that never gets old. However, the meetings can get to be a little overwhelming sometimes. That much interaction can leave me quite draining, especially the days where I may have 7-8 individual student meetings in a day.

Along with the meetings, there is a lot of leadership inherent to the RHD position. I supervise 5 staff, I advise 7 hall leaders, I have a secretary, and a custodian works in the building as well. I have different responsibilities to each group/individual and that can take a lot of time and resources. Often, I am looked to for support, guidance and ideas. I love it...but, it also can tire me out.

For these reasons, I really love opportunities for behind the scenes work. In other words, there are times when I really appreciate being told what to do. Volunteer opportunities are great! I come in and they tell me how I can help...and I do it. I enjoy being on a committee where I am simply delegated work...I don't have the responsibility to delegate.

I was watching American Beauty on TNT last night and there was a great line when Kevin Spacey's character says, "I want a job with the least amount of responsibility possible". Sometimes I have those moments. Do you have those moments?

Staff and hall leaders take note: this does not give you permission to tell me what to do! :)

WCPA

Well, it has been a few days since I have posted. I returned last night from the WCPA 2006 Conference in Wisconsin Dells. My opinion of the Chula Vista is that it is not the Kalahari. It doesn't look like we'll be going back to the Kalahari any time soon...sad.

This might sounds strange, but this conference was helpful in that it helped me to realize why I do not plan on being in the profession of student affairs for the long term. Fear not, I love my job as a Residence Hall Director; in fact, despite some of the frustrations, I feel blessed to have a job that I hardly consider to be work. It is so much fun!

I do realize that my value system and the value system of the student affairs profession do not mix. We have similarities, but I can sense that to find satisfaction and acceptance in the field, there are certain values that would be quite helpful to have. In future blogs, I will discuss some of these dissonances in worldview.

Overall, I really have struggled with student affairs conferences as professional development opportunities. I usually don't learn anything that new and exciting and many of the ideas that people generate either won't work in our environment or I already knew about but was not quick enough to write a program presentation about it. I will give a shout out to Peter Brooks and Ryan Bronkema who both put on programs that I did find meaningful to my work, be it student affairs or otherwise.

Sadly, the two colleagues I have been closest to in my time as Residence Hall Director will probably not be in the profession of student affairs after their tenure on the hall director level. Part of me would like them (and me) to stay in the field so that we might challenge the system and make a difference (and make a little noise). But, part of me realizes that we are drawn to different passions that will lead us in a different direction than student affairs.

On a more mundane level, I appreciated the opportunity to relax in the whirlpool and to relax in general. I got to see old friends and trade stories. As I have said in my previous entry, it was like a vacation.

The "Madden Game"

I will in no way take credit for this, but Bill Simmons talked about a phenomenon when you play Madden:

"You know what else was interesting? That may have been the first time that an NFL team prevailed in a "no f-ing way game," those "Madden" games where something gets triggered in the artificial intelligence and the game decides, "there's no f-ing way you're winning this game." I just had one last week -- a six-game winning streak that ended in Jacksonville when I turned the ball over EIGHT TIMES in the first half. Of course, the big difference was that I threw the controller against a wall and angrily pressed the RESET button, whereas Lovie Smith and the Bears had to keep playing and hoping that the Bears D and Denny Green could combine to make up a 20-point deficit without a floundering Rex Grossman having to make a single play."

I got a kick out of it because this happens to me quite often, but I missed my chance to publish it.

Vacation?

Tonight, I leave for Wisconsin Dells and the Chula Vista Resort so that I can attend Wisconsin College Personnel Association on Thursday and Friday. I have never been to the WCPA Conference itself, although I have been to the Student Affairs 101 portion of the conference. I am intrigued to see what it is like and am curious to see what programming opportunities are available. It will also be nice to see various colleagues from around the state that used to work at UW-Oshkosh or who I went to graduate school with at WIU.

For those of you that have talked to me or for the 4-5 people that actually read this blog, you can probably tell that things have been a little stressful for me lately. Work has had some frustrating moments lately and the dealings with church, while getting better, are still a little frustrating. This trip for WCPA will also serve as somewhat of a vacation. I know that sounds wierd, but it will be nice to simply get away from campus and not have to think about work. I have full confidence in my staff to make sure that the buildig does not burn down.

It also raises a larger concern that I should probably take a weekend off one of these days. Just like my staff, I have the option to take weekends off. Most of the reasonn that I don't take weekends off is because I am so grounded in the community, I truly consider Oshkosh to be my home. Usually, my parents are willing to come a visit me. Many of my friends are already here and I have many activities that I do here. But, for the birthday weekend I will be going home. I am sure my parents and friends in the Milwaukee area will enjoy having me around for a few days.

As an FYI, my ability to blog may become difficult Thursday and Friday because I may not have reliable internet access. It may happen, but don't surprised if you don't hear from me for a few days.

Other News:

• Kudos to Taylor Hall for winning the Homecoming 2006 competition! Breese Hall took 5th place and did an excellent job by participating in all events and putting up their best effort.
• I played two songs last night on the hard level in Guitar Hero and did not miss a single note...is that cool or just really sad?
• Gabe and Kristi stopped by to visit. It's always fun to have ex-Breese folks stop by and check-in.
  

"Growing Up"

I have always considered myself to be young at heart. In a way, I don't think I'll ever really "grow up" and I really like that. However, over the last few years I feel like I have really matured...which is different, but also similar to growing up. I think that's what I like about being an RHD. With the position comes great responsibility, but you also have the opportunity to work with students who keep you young and relatively current with what's in.

In my first few years at UWO, I felt like I briefly reverted back to being a stereotypical undergraduate students. I couldn't tell you exactly. Part of it had to do with who I was hanging out with. Part of it had to do with being in a position that offered more money that I ever had in my life. Part of it was maybe trying to fill a void in what may not have been a really social undergraduate experience for me. Part of it was still not having fully embraced the religion I had pushed away for so many years.

As a result, I actually drank quite a bit, went out to bars quite a bit and just generally acted foolishly more than I usually did (trust me, it wasn't that much). I used to think that it was OK to drink with undergraduate students, even ones I worked with. I didn't feel very happy about myself overall. Along with re-discovering God, I also realized that those behaviors didn't do me much good...in fact they actually could hurt me.

So now, I don't do those things much anymore...and I'm OK with it. In fact, I feel better about myself. I feel like that while not grown up, I have definitely progressed in adulthood. I have thought about my financial future, my career future, my relationship future (woot!) but yet I can still be young and play video games and live on a college campus.

Other News:

• Christa bought a second guitar for Guitar Hero. Good news! Although I ended up playing way more Guitar Hero than I should have yesterday...I got pretty tired of it by the end of the night.
• It amazes me sometimes that the interactions that I have with folks with the church are like the interactions I have with some college students. You would think sometimes that 60+ year old people would be able to handle situations with some maturity, but sadly this is not always the case.
• I bought NBA Live 2007 last night. I figured it's been two years since I bought the game, it would be nice to have the Bucks new roster. I will probably give a more in depth analysis in the future, but for now, these observations:

1. The Bucks are serverly underrated. They are listed as a 75 overall which is one of the worst in the league. This from a team predicted to make some waves in the East.
2. There are three buttons to shoot the ball: slam dunk, jump shot & lay-up. Huh?!? Why can't one's proximity from the basket determine this. So when I accidentally press "slam dunk" from the three-point line, it could get ugly.
3. On the easiest level, I was only winning by two points at halftime. They have definitely made this game tougher.
4. You better have a fast point gaurd or you are in trouble. Try playing with Mo Williams for a half.

Days Until the Wedding: 216

Salvation Army

On Friday, I had the opportunity to volunteer at the Salvation Army in Oshkosh, WI. I helped people fill out applications for their Christmas Program. Adults receive a basket of food and kids receive gifts. I saw familes of various levels on the socioeconmic scale. It was great to see residents of Breese Hall helping out. I encourage Breese residents to sign up and help out with the Thanksgiving Sign-up occurring October 26-27.

Other News:

• Friday: I played two hours of competitive Guitar Hero with Mark as well as other folks on first floor. It was a lot of fun. I look forward to getting a second controller for the game so that Christa and I can engage in Guitar duels.
• Saturday: I dressed up in pink and and helped out Breese Hall for the Homecoming Float in the parade. It was really frickin' cold and I didn't do myself any favors for trying to get over a cold.
• Saturday: Yeah...I finally went to a Titan football game for the first time. Let's recap: 4 turnovers, 3 missed field goals, 2 key injuries, 14 points, 1 loss. Not very exciting. It may be awhile before I decide to go back to another Titan football game.
• Sunday: I spent the day cleaning. My apartment looks very nice now. Perhaps I can finally keep it that way.

Homecoming 2006

Tomorrow I will be going to my first UW Oshkosh Titan football game. I have been a student at UWO for five year and I have been working at UWO as an RHD for four years. In that time, I have never gone to a game. It's hard to say why. Part of it is because I can't get into Division III sports. Part of it is because our team has a history of doing poorly. However, as a result of being on the Homecoming planning committee, I have taking an increased care in Titan activities. I am willing to give it a shot. The team is pretty good and it's about time I go to a game. It's gonna be really cold, but it should be fun.

Other News:

• I bought two Mendelsohn symphonies on I-Tunes. It feels good to purchase and listen to some classical music. Along with the fake feeling of sophistication, it just feels good to keep my musical tastes broad and not lose track of a wonderful body of literature.
• There will definitely be some mass Guitar Hero playing this weekend. Task #1: get 5 stars in all songs on the Medium Career mode (2 songs left); Task #2: complete career mode on Hard Career Mode: (7 songs left)
  

The Housing Status Action Form

Here's to you Housing Status Action Form (HSAF)... you make the Residence Life world go round.

Explorations Conference

The ministry exploration conference I am going to in November is coming up quickly. Over the last few weeks, I have definitely been more open about going to this conference. I have let many folks in the congregation know about this venture as well as many co-workers as well. I have been excited about the support that everyone is offering. I am looking forward to going because I think it will answer many questions for me.

I am concerned about how long seminary will take and I am curious to know what components I might be able to complete while I am still here at UWO. It also causes me for the first time to think about what I might be doing beyond the RHD position. For the last few years I have been able to be settled and not need to worry about it.

Daily Shout-Out: Goes to the Breese Hall Lip Sync Team. The pictures that I saw indicate that things went well and that you had fun. There was also a whole of you...that is pretty sweet!

Other News:

• Sadly, Guitar Hero has been on the bench for the last few days. Tonight I should be able to blow the dust off and have a little fun.
• Regardless of whether or nt it was measurable, it has snowed and that means it will be snowing more. Winter is coming! Yay!!
  

Days Until the Wedding: 220

The Beard

I have spread the word that I have a tradition when it comes to growing a beard in these pending winter months. Over the last few years, I have determined that I will start growing a beard after the first measurable snow fall of the year. I will shave the beard on Good Friday. The only exception this year is the beard will need to be shaved for the engagement pictures which will probably be taken late November/early December.

I have received a few messages from folks that the snow last night fit the criteria. Sorry folks, based on my observations last night and this morning I don't count last night's flurries measurable. However, it look like today and tomorrow we may get some more serious snow, and I don't shave often anyway so it's like I already started ;).

Calmness

I had a resident come into my office today and ask me how I remain so calm. I was hit my a multitude of emotions:

• Appreciation - It was nice to have someone point out something positive.
• Accomplishment - Being more calm in all situations I have been trying to wok on for a long time. I still work on it to this day. In grad. school, I would really get worked up about all sorts of stuff, and it was obvious. Even my current supervisor cautioned me about. I have continually worked on keeping my emotions neutral and not showing emotions so obviously.
• Irony (if that's an emotion) - I was saddened because not too much before that I kind of lost it with a resident who was arguing a small point with me. I realize it is something I continue to work on.
  

Randomness

No major news today, so, I thought I would provide you with some random updates:

• Homecoming is in full swing. So far, so good. I think the hall has done well in events so far. I think tensions are running a little high, but that is normal during Homecoming Week. I am thankful that we will have a good showing...if we win, we win. But, I am not worried about that.
• Even after being a Residence Hall Director for four years, college students continue to amaze me with the things they do. I have had some very bizarre stories shared to me this week.
• I was saddened to see a Fair Wisconsin poster modified to read, "UW Students Vote Yes on the Amendment". In a way, I appreciate their ingenutiy but it saddens me that people do feel this way about the amendment.
  
• I have done some tinkering with the blog, especially in terms of color and a few formatting things.
  

Days Until The Wedding: 221

Intolerance

So, I knew the day was coming. While working the desk today, I was informed that a religious group was protesting in front of the Polk Library. I assumed that is was the old guy that stands on the steps of the library and tells us all that we are going to hell. I was wrong, it was a larger group and they certainly had drawn some attention to themselves. Curiosity got the best of me, so I went to take a look before my afternoon meeting.

As I took a look at the secne, I was greeted with a large banner stating, "Homosexuality is sin". I am not sure where to begin on how frustrating this is to me. I am a Christian and I can not figure out where Jesus ever said that homosexuality was a sin. You're not going to find it...go for it, take a few minutes, search. Jesus taught love & compassion, not hatred. When I saw that sign and was ashamed for some of my fellow Christians.

I just can't condone this kind of intolerance as a Christian.

Most importantly, I was impressed by the amount of students that came out to challenge the individuals involved. I heard lots of good dialogue and good discussion. I am hopeful that this will get people to think about the importance of the upcoming election day. A shout out goes to Ken Fager as well carrying the Vote No on the Amendment sign right by the banner.

Now you all know where I stand on this issue. I would welcome your thoughts on this topic as well.

Church Updates

For those of you that are curious and possibly keeping score with everything going on at my church, I thought I would provide an update for you:

• Our old pastor will be "checking out" of the parsonage today. Sadly, there are no Methodist Room Condition Inventories (RCIs), but there should be. This will be an awkward meeting for me.
• On Wednesday, the locks to the parsonage will be changed. Also, we will be having an emergency Church Council meeting to finalize a dollar amount that we will send on to the bishop. This is the dollar amount that we think our old pastor owes back to the church.
• After Thursday the members of FUMC will go into the parsonage and clean it up and furnish it so that it's ready for the interim pastor.
• The SPRC Committee continues to look to 2007 and figure out the staffing pattern for the year.

We are definitely moving along and the members of my committee are very supportive. We will have some controversial issues coming up, but nothing could be as chaotic as this current process.

At Least They Can't Lose This Week...

The Packers have a bye week. That's great, at least they can't lose. I can say that I did watch the game yesterday, but I found myself distracted by movies and other stuff on TV because you got the sense the Packers were never going to really get to the point where they might actually win.

However, the Packers were in the game the entire time. They even had the ball with time running out. They could have at least tied the game, or possibly won. Favre fumbled the ball with about 30 seconds remaining...heartbreaking, but typical of a Packers season in which the youth and inexperience of this team show through week after week. They are now 1-4.

I do want to give credit to the secondarym, which played much better without Ahmad Carroll. Heron ended up with over 100 yards rushing. That was nice to see from a back-up as well. I will definitely enjoy not seeing the Packers this weekend. I can see some better teams play football.

Daily Shout-Out: Goes to the NFL schedulers for thankfully given the Packers a week off now. The team, and especially the fans, need it.

Other News:

• I am cautiously optimistic about where things go after OshCon. I am thinking about starting a campaign in the spring semester for residents and friends that are interested. That way, football is done.
• The SAFE Training session from last night was a success! We had 28 folks attend the session. That must have broken some SAFE Training record.
• I attended church yesterday and was able to see the new pastor preach. I will say this...I do like the way he runs the service. I think he has a great knowledge of the bible, but I think he tried to say too much in a short amount of time. I think he took 3-4 sermons and put them into one.
• Preparations begin for the 30th birthday spectacular. Look for news in the near future.
  

Days Until the Wedding: 223

OshCon 2006

I had the opportunity today to run an event at the 2006 OshCon event at the River Center on the UW Oshkosh campus. I was over there for four hours, from noon to 4:00 p.m. I ran an event that summarized some of the opening adventures of a campaign I ran in both high school and college. Some highlights of the adventure:

• I had five people show up to play. I thought I faired well in comparison to two other folks who ran events where no one showed up. That was a good sign. It was an interesting mix of people. I had three people that I knew from UWO: TC, Rob and Kevin. I also had a man named Tony, who is from Rochester, MN. The last person was a boy named Nick. An ecclectic group, for sure.
• I, as usual, planned way more than I needed. After awhile the group got into the adventure and we got off on tangents and fell into what would be a normal gaming session.
• Tony is part of a gaming network in Rochester. He is doing a write-up of the adventure for his website.
• I had a lot of people walk by with comments regarding the fact that we were running a 1st Edition AD&D. It had to be at least five different people. It was nice to see that there were others that were interested as well.

Some overall thoughts about OshCon 2006:

• There are a lot of freaky people that play role-playing games...and anyone in that guise in the Fox Valley area was in Oshkosh today. OshCon is definitely a much, much smaller version of GenCon, but it had all the proper components.
• It was a pretty informal affair. The nametags were hand-written. It was only in two rooms and there were no concessions except for what you could get in the soda machine.
• There were maybe six vendors at the convention and two of them were places I see anyway: Chimera & House of Heroes. Otherwise, not that impressed.

I should probaly go back tomorrow to check things out. I probably won't. I what I will do for next year is play in more games as well as run more games. I am hoping that this event is the spark I need to get back into role-playing games. I haven't gamed in years...it was nice.

Presentations & Progress

It has been a busy last few days and it will continue to be that way. I have a variety of presentations on the docket:

• I did a presentation yesterday to USRH regarding the NBC Village.
• I led my church's SPRC meeting last night. Thankfully, that meeting was only 90 minutes.
• I am facilitating the LBGTQ Council meeting this afternoon.
  
• I have an adventure to run for OshCon tomorrow.
• I am co-facilitating SAFE Training this Sunday.

I have blogged before about priorities and I have talked about how I couldn't add another commitment onto my plate because I am already pretty busy. As you can see, commitments can sometimes spike and all of a sudden what was once manageable can become temporarily insane. I think I have found myself in that mode right now.

As someone who is involved in student affairs, having a lot of the plate is not uncommon. You could almost call it a prequisite ;). So it's not the spike in involvement right now that's bothering me. It's the lack of progress.

I was talking about this with Christa last night. I am someone who craves efficiency and progress. Ask Christa, she would be first to agree...she knows all too well. Many of my larger involvements have not yielded too much progress. I know you are all aware of the controversy with the NBC Village and that has definitely slowed progress with it. You also know that the church is in a state of flux and continues to work toward moving forward.

Infortunately, the lack of progress has decreased my motivation and has made it more difficult get as motivated in other areas. I am hoping that after Saturday's adventure and after hanging out with my parent's I will have some time to relax and recharge.

Daily Shout-Out: Goes to our new interim pastor Earl Lindsay who offered some wonderful perspective at our SPRC meeting. He is just what this congregation needs right now.

Other News:

• Oh yeah, I do have other games for the PS2. It has been nice getting back into Star Wars Battlefront 2.
• I have some phone calls to make. There are people I really need to follow up with.
  

Days Until the Wedding: 226

NBC Village

Today Christin Coleman and I will be presenting for about 10 minutes regarding the NBC Village. The presentation will look at first-year experience programs and how they can be effective. It will also look at the work that has been done on the NBC Village so far and what has yet to be done. The presentation is at 4:10 in Reeve Union and there will be a 10 minute question and answer session regarding the presentation as well. I encourage those of you that can attend the presentation to check it out. It should prove helpful in providing information about the project.

If you don't already know, I have been in on the NBC Village planning process since the decision was made that we were going to move forward with it. This is no doubt one of the largest changes (in recent history) the Department of Residence Life has put forward that alters the structure of residence hall living. And rightfully so, there is a lot of discussion about how this started and what it means for students. I am definitely all for dialogue about this and I think the students should have an opportunity to talk about its implementation. There will also be an open forum about the NBC Village after the USRH meeting. USRH Representatives will also be taking a list of questions back to the hall to gain feedback from the residents.

This is all great! What has been my larger concern in this process is the misinformation and the lack of information that has been presented about this project. Sadly, people are making decisions about whether or not to support this project based on little to no information. It is our responsibility as a Department to provide you this information and we were late in getting it to you. We are going to do our best today to do that.

That it why I cannot emphasize enough the importance of this presentation. I encourage everyone to be informed. If you have information and wish to continue to be against the project, then it is your right. But at least you have the full story. Please, please be informed before you make your decision.

Daily Shout-Out: To my dentist, who allowed me to again listen to my I-Pod throughout the filling process. It helped for what was an hour-long ordeal.

Other News: None...this presentation has somewhat occupied my mind right now.

Days Until the Wedding: 227

The Dentist

Whenever I drive up to Appleton, I always for the dentist that says his office is the alternative for people who hate going to the dentist.

• Why do people hate going to the dentist?
• What is this guy doing what makes going to the dentist so much better?

I do get nervous to go the dentist because I know I don't take care of my teeth like a should and I consume more sugar than I should. So, cavities are eventually going to catch up with me. I get nervous to wait and find out if I have any cavitities or abnormalities with my teeth. The last few times haven't gone so well. In fact, today I go to the dentist to get a filling replaced and to add another one to the array in my mouth. I think I am up to six.

I don't really find any discomfort in the poking and prodding that they do, I think it is more the sinking feeling when they find something bad in my teeth.

As for the alternative dentistry, I have heard that some folks do sedation dentistry where they knock you out during stuff. That doesn't sound too bad, but it would wierd me out that I would have no idea what they are doing to my teeth. My dentist allows me to listen to my IPod while he's doing work...I think that will do. Oh well, either way I get to go to the dentist in a few minutes. At least I know what's coming this time.

Daily Shout-Out: This goes to Peter for writing some very kind words about me in his blog: http://kickbuttproductions.blogspot.com/.

Other News:

• We are in the process of finalizing our band for the wedding. They are sending a contract through the mail that Christa and I are going to look through. They are going to rock!
• I am in the proces of writing/preparing my game for OshCon. Yeah...I slightly underestimated what I would need to do before Saturday. It is going to be a busy next few days.
  

Days Until the Wedding: 228