NBA Finals

Last night Christa and I watched game one of the NBA Finals on TV. Usually, basketball doesn't come to the top of the list of things that I do, but it did so for a few reasons:

1. It was on ABC, which means we got to watch it in HD. It really does feel like you're watching it live. And hey, when tickets courtside are going for $35,000 each, you might be better oiff watching it on HD.
2. The Lakers/Celtics history makes for an intriguing match-up. As the announcers said last night, no matter who wins, it won't be an upset.
3. If the Lakers win, Kobe gets his first post-Shaq championship. If the Celtics win, Garnett, Pierce and Allen all get rings.

Regardless, there is a lot at stake in the finals. I am intrigued to watch it all and see how it unfolds. Sadly, you have to wait until Sunday to see game two.

Enjoy a nice shot from atop the Pirate's Cove Adventure Golf.

Last Night on Earth

Last night, I played a game for a second time. The game is called Last Night on Earth and I have enjoyed the game both times that I have played. The premise of the game is pretty simple. One group people (4-5) play the roles of the heroes. One or two other people play the role of zombies. A scenario is picked and the heroes try to fulfill the scenario while killing off a bunch of zombies. the zombies try to thwart these efforts.

The heroes fulfill many zombie movie archetypes:

• high school quarterback
• town sheriff
• priest
• track star
• nurse
• school cook
  

Zombie and hero players both can draw and play event cards which modify actions, affect the entire board or only affect one person. Heroes can hold on to item cards that they can use to fight or search (chainsaw, flashlight, baseball bat. etc.).

It is a turn-based game and the action goes quickly. A game only takes between 60-90 minutes I encourage you to check it out!

Today's picture is the sign for Paul Bunyan Lumberjack Meals in Wisconsin Dells. This all you can eat buffet is no no joke for breakfast. You get donuts, eggs, ham, sausage, pancakes and hash browns...as much as you want. It's a solid foundation for all your sightseeing needs ;).

License to Preach School

When I became a certified ministry candidate, I was approved to attend License to Preach School. Until someone completes this, they are technically not a licensed pastor, but a supply pastor. I assumed that I would attend school after I was done as an RHD and would become a official licensed pastor after I was appointed.

Before I went on vacation, I met with the District Superintendent about the next step in the candidacy process, and through on conversations, I found out that I could attend license to preach school this summer. That would work out great, because I would be a licensed pastor before I would be placed for July 1, 2009. It will be less headaches for Christa and I when we move after we're both done in Oshkosh. It will mean more headaches this summer...it will be a busy July/August.

Regardless, it is exciting news to get that major hurdle done this summer. The picture today is from right outside the Circus World Museum. The museum is nestled on both sides of a river. It is a gorgeous view, as you can see. Thanks to Christa for capturing this great photograph.

Settling In...

Christa and I returned yesterday afternoon from a long weekend hanging out in the Wisconsin Dells/Baraboo area. We left Friday morning and got back Monday afternoon. During our stay, we visited a variety of places:

• Circus World Museum
• Lost Canyon
• Pirates Cove Adventure Golf
  
• Tommy Bartlett Robot World and Exploratory Museum
• Knuckleheads
• Paul Bunyan's Breakfast
• Dells Mining Company

This is definitely not an inclusive list, but marks the highlights of some of the places that we went. For only being there for a long weekend, I felt like we got to quite a bit. The only rule was that we couldn't plan anything. We had to be spontaneous. For the most part, that worked ;).

We stayed at the Best Western Ambassdor Inn. We had a jacuzzi sweet (yay!) and that was very nice to have. Our accommodations were quite cheap so long as we attended a sales pitch for the Wyndham Hotel ownership. Ugh...that was not a pleasant experience. I will be writing about that more in a future entry. I also saw Iron Man, which I will review later this week as well. I will also a have some more pictures with each entry for the week as well.

My softball game last night shocked me back into normal life. We won the game! I don't quite remember the score, but we won by about three runs. I went 0-3, but had three solid connections that just went right to somebody. I didn't have to field too many balls, but the ones that I did field went well. We are now 2-2 and I hope we can avoid the slide that we suffered last year. Let's hope we can string a few more wins together.

WB Softball Game #3

Ouch....our team was the recipient of a 23-8 whooping last night. It was hard to really find a lot of high points in the game. As the score would indicate we managed to chain a few hits together and got some runs. But, that's where it ended. Nothing on the defensive end went very well. Out pitcher was having trouble hitting the strike zone. There were lots of infield hits that were not covered. We under (or over)estimated catches in the outfield and our throws were off. In two innings, they had tagged us for 12 runs. If you could cut those two innings out, it would have looked a lot closer.

Second base continues to be good for me. It has helped me to read base runners and to know where the throw should go if I get the ball. Batting went great! I only had one at bat (don't ask) but I hit a nice single and was brought in on an inside the park home run the next at bat. Christa had some good cuts as well and feels better playing in the outfield. I just hope we get better, but because getting creamed each week is not that much fun.

Mid-Week Updates

A few thoughts at the middle of the week:

• I finished the solo tour mode on drum on the medium level for Rock Band. It is amazing to me to see how much easier something can be when you walk away from it for a few days and some back. After taking 3-4 days off, the drum patterns seemed easier and I was able to get through things pretty well. I am curious to see how things go if I try it out on hard.
• Christa and I leave for Wisconsin Dells on Friday. We will be out of town until Monday evening...I will be back to play my softball game that night. The chance to get away will be much appreciated.
• Tonight is the third game in the WB league in Neenah. We have had a solid win and a solid defeat. I am curious if we can get a little more consistency in our team. We might actually be able to put some victories together.
• Tomorrow at 5:00 PM is the CA/PA vs. A/RHD softball game. I will actually be able to make it this year. My Dad will be joining in to watch the game as well. I hope we do well. Check out the game at the softball field behind the parking ramp at UWO.

I think that's all for now. Peace.

New Indiana Jones Movie: Meh... (**spoilers**)

I had an opportunity to see the new Indiana Jones today. As the title of this entry seems to indicate, the movie was OK. It could have been much worse. The movie was entertaining for the most part and I am glad that I saw it. Let's break things down, both good and bad.

The Good

• I appreciated that they paid homage to the other three movies. Early on, there were a few references to the first movie. Would have liked to here, "It belongs in a museum." They also used the red line moving across maps to show travel.
• The dialog was actually good...especially for a Lucas film.
• I liked Shia in this film. A great improvement over his role in Transformers.
• I liked the move to the 50s...it seemed like a good transition for the films and seemed natural.
• The aged Indy worked. The old jokes were sprinkled throughout and they did a good job explaining the jump forward.
  

The Bad

• The soundtrack seemed uninspired...I really only appreciated the borrowed themes from previous movies.
• The ending was over the top. In fact, the whole "alien" concept wasn't really needed.
• I am willing to give these movies a few liberties, but some of the stuff they pulled was just stupid. The whole "duck of the cliff and into the tree" thing was the worst offender. The monkey scene was also pretty lame.
• Ford seemed to force his role for the first 20 minutes. It seemed to get more natural as the movie went on.

On a scale of 1-10, I'd give it a 6.5. Entertaining, but not close to the scope on movies #1 and #3.

4th Annual Memorial Day Service Coverage

For the 4th year, I covered the church service at FUMC Oshkosh. Although I joked about it with the congregation, it was probably the largest crowd I have seen for a Memorial Day service. It probably has something to do with the fact that the choir is still singing and they make up a chunk of the congregation.

I am feeling more and more comfortable doing the services for the church. It felt more natural and less forced. I didn't need to script as much. It showed in the prayers and especially the sermon. Certain parts I read from my sheets and other I improvised. That is how I best operate.

Now that it is over, though, I feel like I can enjoy my weekend. It still makes me a little nervous ;).

Come On, Brewers!

As I have said before, I am not a die-hard Brewers fan. I follow the team and watch the games when I can and feel as though I know most of the players and can carry a decent conversation about the team.

Last year, the Brewers exceeded most people's expectations and their late contention for a playoff spot made for an exciting summer. Braun won rookie of the year and Fielder was mentioned in certain circles for possibly being the MVP. The team seemed to be having fun.

Given their success last year, it seems the expectations have increased. With the Brewers in a division with a strong Cubs and Cardinals team, it will be difficult for them to copy the success of last year. It doesn't look like the team is having fun and I wonder if the pressure to succeed is getting to them.

They are four games under .500 and haven't been playing good ball. They only have 2-3 years with this young core before they all begin to demand more money. They have Braun signed, but Fielder will definitely be looking for money after this year. What about Hardy? Weeks? Hart? Gwynn jr.? It should be interesting.

Game 2 against the Nationals tonight. Let's hope for a victory!

The Memorial Day Weekend Preview

As has become a tradition for me over the last few years, I will be the RHD on Duty this weekend for the Department of Residence Life. I am allowed off-campus, but I can't leave the city of Oshkosh. When you add in that it is a three-day weekend, it makes for a nice long weekend to hopefully get some things done. What's on tap?:

• I need to get final preparations done for the church service on Sunday. My sermon on Sunday will be reflecting on Matthew 6:24-34. There are some memorable quotes about not being able to serve two masters (see picture) as well as the lilies of the field. It has been interesting preparing material for the sermon. I think it will go well. They get easier to put together the more I do it...imagine if I did it every week? ;)
• Christa and I will continue to play Rock Band. She and I have enjoyed the flexibility of jumping between lead guitar, bass guitar and drums while playing the World Tour Mode. I am slowly getting the hand of drums. I am also working through the Solo Tour on guitar on expert. Thirty songs down, 15 to go. I will say that it is at least easier that Guitar Hero 3. Hopefully I can make my way through it. Fifty achievement points on the line :).
• I am also hoping to get a jump on writing the adventure for the June 27-28 AD&D weekend marathon we will be having. I am hoping with some designated time for preparation, I can make a really nice, detailed adventure that will have a good balance of fighting, role-playing and even a few puzzles. You can fit a lot into 14 hours.
• I may end up seeing a movie this weekend. The summer blockbusters are starting to pile up and I need to make a dent in the list.
  
• Otherwise, it will be a time to rest and relax from the craziness of move out last weekend.
  

WB Softball Game #2

While we came up on the winning side last week, we definitely came up on the losing side this week in the Neenah Willie Beamon's (WB) league. We went down 17-2 in six innings. Yes, the mercy rule was invoked. :(

It was at this week's game that I realized how frustrating it can be to play in a league where there is unlimited arch for the pitches. The pitcher that we had for this game was really heaving the balls up into the air. It's not easy to swing at a pitch that is coming straight down. I struck out swinging the first time. The next I got up to plate, I took two pitches, both of which were balls. At that point he had to throw a more decent pitch and I managed to make contact...which again went straight to the infielder.

This team had more than a good pitcher. They turned three double plays and didn't let much get by. They also all could hit very well...but, out fielding didn't help much either. I think that was probably my biggest frustration with the game. We had players that were simply not paying attention to the ball. Only when the ball was coming back to the ground did som folks make any effort to go after the ball.

As for me, I am appreciating my stay at second base. I am getting more used to the infield and appreciate playing a more active role in the game.

Rock Band Drums!

Well, as stated on their website, my Rock Band drums came in the mail yesterday. I left work a little early and hung out my my little brother...and then I grabbed Christa and we started playing.

When you've been used to playing the Rock Band/Guitar Hero guitars, the drum set is quite the paradigm shift. The whole hand-foot coordination is going to take some getting used to.

I am trying to get through the solo career on the medium level and I have just decided to be OK with getting four stars on most songs. It should get easier as we go.

I look forward to inviting some folks over and trying to get a three to four person band going!

It's Only Softball, Right?

Last night, Strikeforce United went down to the Peabody's team 19-17. All things said, our team did put in quite the effort. Having the minimum ten people to play, we had an injury early in the game that forced to play with one less outfielder. After a first inning drought, we managed to find out bats and put up more runs than I can ever remember us putting up. Unfortunately, fielding was all around our downfall. I think almost everybody at some point blew a catch or made a fielding error. Both phases of the game were not in sync.

For me, it was a performance I would like to forget. I got to bat five times, and did not get a hit all game. Of the five at bats, I hit the ball four times where I made a good connection, but the ball happened to be going right to where there was an outfielder/infielder. It got to be really frustrating. Worst of all, in our last inning, the bases were loaded and there were two outs and I was up to bat. I hit a great line drive...that went right to the short stop. Game over...

Other News

• The Rock Band drums should be coming soon. Amazon.com says that they should be delivered today! We'll see. I am excited for that.
• I am getting ready for the church service this Sunday. I looked at the Gospel lesson and I think it should be pretty easy to find things to talk about.
• Webster Hall is now without residents. Around 50 folks are now living in Donner, but the building is empty. Cleaning to get the building ready for summer conferences has already begun. It seems so quiet!
  

A New Softball Experience

Christa and I made the drive to Neenah at around 8:40 PM. We were both pretty tired and figured it would be a late night. We got to Willie Beamon's at about 9:00 PM and started to warm up with some other members of the team. WB's was hard to miss...the bright lights of the stadium had a Field of Dreams feel to them.

Besides Christa, Stu and Tex I really didn't know anyone else on the team. But, we won! We came out on top 8-5. Our hitting wasn't the greatest, but we managed to put some runs together. Despite a few hiccups here and there, the fielding was OK. I bounced between second base and right center. Christa was in left center and then first base. Neither of us likes the infield so that was a great experience.

It was my best hitting night. I went 1-3 and scored a run. I did make a nice connection n my second at bat, but got underneath it a little bit and it carried right to the outfielder. He almost missed the catch. The unlimited arch pitching method is definitely going to take some getting used to.

The field at WB's is very nice and well-maintained. It is nice and flat and is way above what we play on at County Park.

I'm 2-0 this week in softball. We'll see if the luck continues...

Season #2 Begins Tonight

Tonight we have the first game in the co-ed league that Christa and I are both playing in. I'm not sure who's on our team or who sponsor is. All I know is that Tex is in charge of the team. If it's anything like previous teams I've played with him on, I'll see some old Breese residents on there from the good old days.

The knee is healing pretty quickly. It's probably healing quickly because I stopped running and putting stress on it. I have a feeling a nice evening of softball will likely ruin all the progress made on the knee. We'll see.

Other News:

• Rock Band has to be returned to Family Video tonight. I'll be sad to give the game back. I completed the guitar career on medium and hard and was starting to work my way through the vocal career on medium. It turns out the mic that comes with the XBox system can be used. Not ideal but a change. Classic rock songs worked for me...anything modern, not so much.
• Christa is working her way through finals week. She had one big exam today and another on Friday. Then she's done. Kudos to her for finishing her research binder for her trip to Belize. It's amazing!

Softball Game #2: Much Improved!

After taking a tough loss in an extra inning game, the Strikeforce United Men's Team earned a strong victory by winning 14-2 in the bottom of the six inning; the mercy rule was invoked. As a team, we managed to put everything together. The fielding was solid and we weren't trying to swing for the fences. We strung hits together and made them count. I am hoping that we can keep this up for more than one game.

I probably had my best offensive game...well, ever! I went two for three (my third at bast resulted in a high pop fly that should have been caught...we'll score that one as an error). I had 3 RBI and 3 runs. I also hit a triple and once a pinch runner as well. Needless to say, I felt like everything came together for the game. Going around the bases the first time I slid into third base. I have a really nice scrape on that knee now. Ouch! It should make running interesting.

Defensively, I never had anything hit to me. That helped preserve the good game :). We'll see now Wednesday goes...new league, new experience.

Weekend Review

It felt like the weekend blew by! Here are the highlights:

• The banquet was short this year! Including the meal, we were done in under two hours. While I appreciated the fact that is was concise and that it moved along, it felt somewhat empty. Congratulations to the many USRH and OTY award winners!
• I presented Jason Dufek with a replica wrestling belt at banquet. We enjoyed cigars and even got to have a impromptu confrontation as well...a busy night indeed.
• I helped out with the Sunday service in the new alb. It fits well...and looks good to. It will get used two more times this month!
  
• AD&D was canceled on Sunday due to lack of people. Nick and I, however, played a nice long session of Rock Band. "Headache in a Bottle" now has 225,000 fans and will be soon jetting around the world playing shows :).

Wedding & Banquet

Tomorrow, Christa and I will be attending the wedding of Kris DuBois and Adam Noe. Kris was a bridesmaid for Christa in our wedding. This will be the first wedding of the spring/summer season for us. Unfortunately, I won't be able to stick around for the reception as I will be on my way to the Residence Life banquet.

This will be my 5th banquet as a Residence Hall Director. I am excited to gather with colleagues and celebrate the accomplishments of staff and hall leaders throughout the year. I am only saddened that the awards given at the banquet will only honor one small fraction of the amazing people and amazing things done this year.

Sunday marks the final AD&D of the spring semester. Then we must wait until June 27-28 for the summer extravaganza!

New Item of Apparel

Over the next two Sundays, I will be helping out our pastor with the church services. On the 25th, I will actually be leading the service at our church. My pastor has recommended for awhile that I purchase an alb so that I might look more like an officiant for the service.

My preference was to go with something that was off-white, maybe a nice tan color. But, that was $40 more. So, I went with the more economical model seen to the right. Hopefully, people won't mistake me for an angel ;)!

My pastor said that white is pretty much universal so it should have some solid long-term use in the future.

Post-Assessment #3

I met with Tyler yesterday to go over the results of my semester of work with the Healthy Titans program. Overall, the results are good. I lost 7.5 pounds, my body fat percentage went down quite a bit (results pending), and cardio test improved and I even increased my sit and reach (a first)! Overall, I was very happy. Of all three semesters, I have noticed gains and definite muscle growth.

These post-assessment results are great, but they need to be followed by continued work over the break period between. I am hoping that I can work with Tyler to generate a program that I can work on over the summer so that when I come back for the fall semester I will have made additional gains. I want to avoid the cycle of being in shape and out of shape.

Softball Game #1: Umm...

Last night was the first game of the Monday City League. It was an extra inning affair, but we went down 9-6 in eight innings. As a team, I can see two problems that we should probably address. One, whenever we try to make a second throw to get someone out on an additional base, we inevitably overthrow it and runs score. Two, the top of our order tries to swing for the fences and has a tendency to pop out...quite a bit.

There were a few bizarre incidents during the game. We had someone called out for leaving the bag early before a ball was caught. We was on third so that saved us a run. We also had a runner moving to third that was hit by a ground ball; he was called out so that also saved us a run.

As for my performance, I alternated with Greg in right field. We each put in four innings. Besides one fly ball that went all over the map and dropped between me and a teammate, things went pretty well. I was 0-3 at the plate. My first contact was a weak grounder. The second two times at the bast I made really good contact but was not able to get the ball past the fielder. Hopefully this changes in the future.

Hopefully my hitting improves and the team can learn from its mistakes in the first game. It was close.

Weekend Catch Up

Past News

• The Brewers got swept by the Houston Astros. Boo. That is a series they should have taken.
  
• We completed our second to last gaming session for the semester. Our last session is this weekend!
  

Future News

• My third semester of the Healthy Titans program has come to a close. I will be meeting with Tyler on Tuesday to take a post-assessment. I will be interested to see how the results come out. We have seen some definite progress. I am now starting my own weight training routine.
  
• Our softball season actually starts tonight. We got rained out last week. Stats from the game will hopefully be posted tomorrow.
• Two weeks until Webster Hall closes! The craziness continues.
  

11,000

For what's its worth, my Gamerscore for the XBox 360 has now reached the 11,000 point mark. For 99.9% percent of the population, this does not matter. But, it is exciting for me. Much of the recent surge has come as a result of playing Burnout: Paradise. I may end up buying that game. It's quite fun.

In gaming related news, I have rented 10 games from Family Video so my next rental is free! So many options for rental, but I am leaning toward Grand Theft Auto IV. Not sure what to expect, so it would be best to rent before I buy.

What Does a Degree in Music Get You?

I meant to write about this a few days ago when the Game-A-Thon was more fresh in mind. As I had mentioned, Rock Band was a very popular game during our event. It was going on for much of the afternoon and evening. The game combines the mechanics of Guitar Hero along with a drum set and a microphone. During the course of the evening I tried everything out, but the vocals intrigued me.

I grabbed the microphone for one song. I definitely felt a little nervous and self-conscious. This may surprise you because in college I was a music major and my primary instrument was voice. I was trained to be a singer. Well...things did not go so well. I managed to get through Highway Star OK. However, when I tried to sing Gimme Shelter it got pretty bad. We failed...because of me.

The mechanics for the singing component are interesting. It recognizes tone differences regarding of how high or low you are singing. Thus, it doesn't matter if you sing pretty or not. You just have to be within the pitch zone. This is a tough transition for a music major and one I'm not sure I can get over. Usually my game instincts kick in, but I am so busy trying to sound authentic to the song that I only make it worse. Curse this music education! ;)

Endings and Beginnings

Tonight is my last Wines Around the World class. We will be meeting at Primo restaurant on Jackson Street. We will have the option to order dinner while we survey various wines. This class has been interesting for me and I have learned a lot about wine. It does make me realize that I am more of a beer drinker. My range of wines that I enjoyed was pretty limited, but at least I know now :).

Tonight is a also the first game of the 2008 summer softball season. When I woke up this morning, the snow, rain and cold temperatures didn't seem too conducive to softball. The weather doesn't look like it's going to get much better today. We'll see if it happens. We don't play until 9:30 and we are the 5th game of the evening. When those games start to run behind it is possible that we won't play until 10:00 or 10:30. My bedtime is 11:00 PM! Regardless, the first game will probably be a struggled, and I will give you the full results tomorrow. Hopefully all this running and weightlifting will pay off :).

Other News:

• Gaming was fun again. Only two sessions left for the spring semester. This coming Sunday we may actually have six people there to play.
• Christa seems to also be a fan of Burnout Paradise. Perhaps this will be a game that we purchase after we return it to the rental store.
• Relay for Life was a good time. I made it to 2AM. It was a big improvement over last year. It will likely take awhile to recover from lack of sleep, but it was for a good cause!

Remote Post: Kolf Sports Center

I come to you from the Kolf Sports Center on the UW Oshkosh campus. It is 11:22 PM and I trying to stay strong. The festivities began at 6:00 PM. Christa and I have been walking off and on throughout the evening. Greg and I even ran for two miles :). In between the fits of walking and running, I have worked on other stuff: the AD&D adventure for tomorrow is ready, my Disciple work is ready and I even taught Christa and how to play Magic: The Gathering...again. She did pretty good. She remembers more than she thinks.

Can Jim make it until 2:00 AM? We'll see.

Relay for Life

Tomorrow evening, a group of 11 Webster residents will be taking part in the 2nd Annual UW Oshkosh Relay for Life event. This 12-hour event involves members of various teams walking around a track from 6PM to 6AM. Teams have raised money for the event, which all goes to caner research. Events like this are hosted all over the country all helping the American Cancer Society.

Our team is the Web of Hope. We had a fundraising goal of $2,000. I thought our team leader was crazy to set such a high amount. But, we reached it. Through some amazing individual donations and some great hall fundraisers, we reached our goal. I look forward to celebrating with teammates at tomorrow's event.

I am curious to see how I hold up staying up until 2:00 AM. Last year, I didn't make it much past midnight. I didn't think it was realistic to stay up until 6:00 AM, especially with church and other meetings coming up on Sunday.

It can also be easy to get caught up in the fun and celebration of Relay. It is important to also remember that this is a time to honor and remember those who have lost the battle with cancer or continue the fight. It is a chance to celebrate those who have overcome cancer.

Maybe I'll see you there...or else you will be participating in a Relay for Life near you.

Midweek Checklist

Here is an update as to what has gone on so far this week:

• If you live in the halls and you are reading this between now and midnight...call x2231 and order a pizza! $5 for a medium pizza...we deliver. It's a long shot, but why not?
• I need to turn in Forza Motorsport 2 tonight. It was OK. I now know that I am not really a racing game guy. The game gets into a lot of detail in terms of how you can customize your car and how you can calibrate it. I just don't care. In the end, you drive around a track...again and again. It gets old. I managed to get a few a achievements out of it.
• We had our first official Disciple class today. I was the only person who had the work ready for class. Doh!
• The weather continues to be gorgeous...it felt great to run!
  

Back to Running

After taking a little more than a week to recover from both a half marathon and a cold, I ran again this morning. The 3.6 mile run felt good and the weather makes it much easier to get up at 7:00 AM and do so. I have talked it over with Christa and I may be running in the Fox Cities Marathon in September. I should have sufficient time to train and I have always wanted to run a marathon. I'll keep you posted.

Sunday Randomness

I thought I would take today's entry to highlight some of the stuff that has happened over the last few days:

• I have been fighting off a cold the last few days. Each day it was a different symptom. I feel like I am now over the majority of my symptoms, but today I am still fighting the soar throat and raspy voice. Perhaps one last evening of sleep will put it away.
• The Game-a-Thon was a success! There were folks that lasted the entire 24 hours. I will find out how much money was raised tomorrow when I take the money in, but I am excited. We probably raised around $50. I made it from 3 PM until 2 AM. Then I had to go to bed. I just can't do the all-nighters anymore. That should be interesting because Relay for Life goes from 6 PM - 6 AM.
• Gaming today was a little sparse. We only had three people show up. But, those three people had a good time. I am really hoping that we can get more people to get involved with this. Three people won't cut it long term.
• I have been playing Forza Motorsport 2 over the last few days. It's OK. I just don't think I'll ever get into racing games.
  

How Much Do You Enjoy Gaming?

On Saturday, April 19 at 3:00 PM, a 24-hour gaming marathon will begin in Webster Hall. TVs will be brought down to the lobby as well as a variety of gaming systems. There are 120 cans of soda waiting to be consumed to keep active gamers await throughout this entire time. A variety of snack items have also been purchased. It should be a good time. I know that Rock Band will be available to play and I plan on renting a few new games for the XBox 360 as well.

Through the 24-hour event, there will be a container for you to donate change to keep these folks gaming. All change raised will be given to the "Web of Hope" team for Relay for Life. This group is truly gaming for a cause. Come and check it out. Play games for charity!

I do want to give special credit to Mark Medinger, last year's 1st floor CA in Breese Hall for originating this idea last year. I am excited to see this tradition live on with different folks in a different building. It is obvious that enough people found this event worthwhile to keep it going!

It Happens Every Year Around This Time

The EOY Task List is handed out. Express Checkout Training begins. You meet with next year's CA/PA staff. You hire an RHD secretary. You look to elect hall leaders...and it all comes at once. For the fifth year now I am experiencing the End of Year (EOY) push. It finally hit me today how crazy it has been and how crazy it will be. Having experienced this a few times, it doesn't come as so much of a shot, but it is still stressful. You just have to plug away at things one task at a time. It usually all works out once the residents have checked out ;).

Softball Season #3

On April 28, 2008 I begin my third season of spring/summer softball. I will be a member of the Strikeforce United team led by fellow RHD Thomas. That league is run through the YMCA. Christa and I will both be a part of a softball league in Neenah. I don't know a lot of the details, but what I do know is that you can drink in this league...not sure how I feel about that.

I feel as though each year I get a little bit better at this softball thing. My first year was a disaster. I surprised myself with my hitting ability, but I couldn't throw to save my life. Honestly...it was bad. There was maybe a 30% chance you could catch something that I threw to you without having to move. As the summer went on things got better, but it didn't help that we also weren't very good ;).

My second year, I joined the Strikeforce team and did me best to improve my throwing and fielding skills. I felt that by the end of the season I wasn't as much of a fielding liability as I was before.

Now, with the weight training (and additional practice) I can get even better. I'd like to sneak up in the batting rotation a little bit and would like to "graduate" from a position other than right field. We shall see.

I am hoping to bring back the box score of my performances...now in both leagues. We'll see.

Monday Morning Catch-Up

As I have begun my Monday at work and have had a few moments to reflect back on the last few days, I have a right to be exhausted. This has been quite an emotional time for me.

Becoming a certified candidate for Methodist ministry is a relief, I must admit. It is a good feeling to know that I can continue in the ministry process as Christa and I contemplate our status for June 2009. It does, however, open many doors and create a new feeling of uncertainty. I now need to start thinking about what path I wish to follow. Do I want to go toward ordination? Do I want to continue down the path of licensed ministry? Where would I be interested in working? I have been telling folks that I want to enjoy this moment before I continue my path.

My legs have a slight residual soreness from the half marathon. I think by tomorrow they might be ready for a little running. I want to avoid last year where after the half marathon I pretty much gave up on exercise until September. With no wedding planning and no NACURH this spring, I think time for working out will present itself. I am hoping to keep a good thing going.

A few more nights sleep and a few good days of work to catch up will go a long way. So far so good.

I Think I Ran 13.1 Miles

On Saturday, April 12, 2008 I participated in the 2008 Oshkosh Half Marathon. The weather did not cooperated. It was around 34 degrees with 15 mph winds and light snow for the duration of the race. When I crossed the finish line, the gun time was 1 hour, 55 minutes, 30 seconds. I wanted to confirm this time with the official results on the internet. I am not listed anywhere in there. Something must have been wrong with the chip I was wearing. To come up with my "official time" here is what I did.

About seven miles into the race, we were stopped by a train on Murdock near the Piggly Wiggly. I couldn't tell you how long we waited, but it was at least two minutes. Let's be conversative and go with that. Darla, the person that I ran with showed a 30 second difference between the gun time and the chip time. So, if you take off 30 seconds for that, I would say I finished in 1 hour, 53 minutes. Last year, I ran it in 1 hour, 59 minutes so that is a nice improvement.

My parents came up to watch me race, which given the weather was very nice. I ate my jelly belly "energy beans" 30 minutes before the race (like last year). I decided to dress light, figuring that I would eventually warm up. So, I wore shorts, something that very few others decided to do. I warmed up by mile three and shedded my jacket, leaving me with a long-sleeve and short-sleeve T-shirt. If the race were much longer that 13 miles, I probably would have gotten cold.

I paced myself much better this year. Darla and I were shooting for 9:00 per mile and despite the train stop, we did better than that, averaging a little below 9:00 per mile. Finishing now seems past me. I want to beat this year's time next year. Weight training this year seemed to be the X-factor.

I'm Certified!

At 11:00 AM yesterday, I met with the District Committee on Ordained Ministry so that I could interview for being a certified candidate for ministry. After a 40 minute interview and 15 minutes waiting period while they made their decision, they brought Lucretia, Christa and I into the interview room to let me know that I had been unanimously approved for certified candidacy.

It is a good feeling to have this major part of the process over. At this point, I wait until January 2009 to point my name out there as someone available for appointment for pursuit of licensed ministry.

AD&D Adventure Update

Our gaming group has managed to resurrect our AD&D campaign that we ran last spring. I am excited to have a group that is excited to play each week. It also keeps me motivated and has recently gotten me to pay more attention to detail and to be quite prepared for our sessions. The sessions bring back memories of gaming in high school, where we screwed around about as much as we played. It has been a nice relaxing experience this semester.

If any of you are curious, there is a link to the Pholtus campaign in the links to the right. I try to update it regularly. If you are interested in playing, please let me know. We are always looking for extra players.

Other News:

• Only a few more days to my dCOM meeting. I met with my mentor for the last time before the meeting to make sure everything is in order. I feel pretty confident for the meeting. I am not sure what to expect, but I look forward to finding out if I will be a certified ministry candidate.
• The weather today was crappy...whenever the "wintry mix" is forecast, you know it can't be good. It appears that cold, windy and wet weather awaits participants in the 1/2 marathon this weekend. *sigh* Should be fun...
  

Where Do We Stop?

I saw this article on the Drudge Report a few weeks ago and didn't get the chance to comment about it. They want to build a tower that is about a mile tall.

I can tell you for sure this is a building I would never, ever enter in my life. My fear of heights is only part of the problem. I can't imagine being in a building like that from a safety perspective, if anything happens, how would you ever get out? Can you imagine the temperature extremes at the top of this thing?

I can only imagine the risks that would be taken in constructing something like this.

8 Mile Checkpoint

No, this is not a reference to Detroit or to Eminem.

My training for the Oshkosh Half Marathon has been a little shaky for the last few weeks. I decided today to go on an 8-mile run this morning to see where I was at. I completed the run at the pace I would need to run the 13.1 mile race in two hours. So, that means I should be in good shape fore next Saturday. This is good news indeed.

Remote Post: Weekend Preview

I am again hanging out at FUMC Oshkosh playing the role of church administrative assistant from 8:00 AM to noon today. Hopefully, if MIO can get webmail going, I will have access to E-mail while I am here. I can actually get quite a bit of work done with E-mail access.

It feels like this week has blown by. Usually the second half of the spring semester goes really fast...it has certainly started that way. Already, I am thinking about the weekend and how to enjoy it.

Christa has asked about seeing a movie this weekend. I wouldn't mind seeing 21, but other than that there aren't many movies that I'd like to see. My XBox 360 has been sadly reneglected this week...I look forward to playing Mass Effect. I am also hoping to just relax, hang out with Cgrista and not worry about the paperwork for my ministry meeting next Thursday.

One Week from Today

The counter to the right of this entry is a little off. Officially, my meeting with the District Committee on Ordained Ministry is at 11:00 AM on April 10, 2008 at Immanuel United Methodist Church in Ripon, WI.

At this point, I am not so nervous for the meeting. If anything, I am concerned that I am making a bigger deal out of this meeting than I need to. Have I over-prepared?

I have some idea of what the meeting will be like, but until it actually happens, I can only guess as to the format. Regardless, I will be excited to get it done and find out the results...which I will get the same day!

Life Stories...

Today, I made a trip out to Waukau, WI. I never heard of Waukau until I found out that a pastor who once worked at FUMC Oshkosh had been assigned as the pastor there. It is only about 20 minutes and 13 miles from Oshkosh. I drove into the city to discover that it was unincorporated. There wasn't necessarily a whole lot to see. But, they have a vary quaint and beautiful Methodist Church.

I walked inside and met Chuck, the pastor there. He took me on a tour of the facility. The church is by no means modern, but it "older" style and theater-set wooden pews provide a wonderful atmosphere. It felt like I stepped back 100 years (the church was built in 1904). I would love to worship there. They are in the process adding on an addition that will provide much needed education and office space. The pastor currently uses a section of the fellowship hall as his office! Things seem to looking up and people seem to looking forward at the church.

The pastor of this church is hosting a Disciple class. The class helps folks to survey the Bible and find more meaning in it. That seems up my alley. It involves 34 meetings, and seems very thorough. I am excited to try it out. Getting to the theme of my entry today, we ended the session with sharing our journeys with the group.

I found the others in our class to have very interesting lives. Many are significantly older than me, and have lived rich and exciting lives. They say their lives are boring, but they are filled with interesting tales and major changes. I realized today how much I enjoy hearing about the lives of others, especially folks who lives outside of a residence hall ;).

Perhaps that is part of why I am called to ministry. I want to learn more about people and learn how we can work together to become better people.

A New Appreciation...

Through the Continuing Education Office at UW Oshkosh, I signed up for a class called Wines Around the World. It will be meeting over the next six Monday evenings. My first class was last night.

I learned a great deal about the wines of Argentina and Chile. Have no fear, we only take small samples of each wine. There is no fear of Jim stumbling home from the Pollock House to Webster Hall (which I would add is only about fifty feet away).

I am looking forward to gathering more information about wine. We will be learning about France, Italy, California and Australia among other areas.

Christa Is Home!

Christa arrived back in Oshkosh at around 1:30 AM. :)

Yes...the curse of O'Hare continues. I received a call from Christa Sunday afternoon letting me know that her flight from Miami to Chicago was severely delayed and they were going to miss their connecting flight to Milwaukee. As such, the group was planning on getting a coach bus for the ride back. I offered to pick Christa up in Chicago to avoid all the craziness.

So, I made the trip down and was waiting for Christa in the airport. She called to let me know that they actually held the flight to Milwaukee until their flight from Miami arrived. So, at this point, Christa had three ways home. In a car, bus or plane. I could sense that Christa had enough with flying, so she opted to take the ride home.

I will be talking more about her trip after she gets some sleep and adjusted to life again in this continent.

Christa Comes Home Tomorrow

At 9:50 PM tomorrow, Christa's plane should be touching down in Milwaukee, WI. I plan on being at the airport to pick her up when she arrives. I will admit that I have gotten a lot of stuff done while she was gone, but I have missed her a great deal and look forward to having her back! ;)

Mid-Week Check-In

There hasn't been all that much to report as of late, and that's actually a good thing. I have found my spring break so far to be nice and relaxing. Hopefully by the time I pick Christa up from the airport on Sunday evening, I will have most of my list done. Here's the breakdown on how things are going so far:

• I am making my way through the apartment. It is a lot more work than I thought it would be. There is a lot of stuff that I plan on giving away to Goodwill, especially clothes...yeesh.
• I finished Bioshock. Despite a great game throughout, I found the ending of the game (final boss battle) to be a little bit of a letdown. The final cut scene, though, was quite good.
• I got to the final battle in Enchanted Arms, but realized that I am not even close to being powerful enough to begin the fight. I will need to go back and level up quite a bit and hopefully finish that game off. That probably won't happen over spring break.
• I started another run through of Mass Effect. I am taking more time to read through all of the dialogue and concentrate on the story. It truly is amazing. I am playing through on the hard level, as well as concentrating on getting additional achievements. I have to be careful...that can take up all my time if I wanted it to ;).
• I met with my candidacy mentor yesterday and I handed in a second draft of my paperwork for the April 10 meeting. After she makes her comments, I plan on finalizing the materials soon. I am a little worried as neither of us have heard anything about upcoming meeting. We were told we would get information 5-6 weeks before the meeting.
• I need to work on AD&D stuff...soon.
  

Wisconsin Basketball Day

The NCAA Tournament had two games on the schedule involving teams from Wisconsin.

This afternoon, the Badgers posted a pretty convincing win on Kansas State and advanced to the Sweet 16. It's amazing what good defense and good guard play can do for a team. Given how crappy the Badgers did last year in the tournament, this is good to see.

Marquette fought valiantly, but came up a little short and lost in overtime to Stanford. The game was back and forth and the Stanford coach ended up getting ejecting. Sadly, there won't be two teams from Wisconsin in the Sweet 16.

Normally I don't get into NCAA basketball. But, when you can watch it on HD...it call changes ;).

Spring Break!

Christa left at 2:00 AM for Belize. Apparently, the path to Belize will be a little more difficult thanks to some bad weather and a lay over in Chicago. She is on her way to Montreal(!) and then to Miami and Belize. I am curious as to when she will actually end up in Belize. She'll be there until the 30th. So, what's on tap for my spring break?:

• I will be working Tuesday-Thursday. I want to save as much vacation as possible for the summer months...it will be more fun to use when the weather warms up. I do plan on taking off Monday and Friday. I figure that work shouldn't be quite as stressful without the students here :).
  
• I will be finishing my papers for my ministry interview. I have a feeling they will be due to long after spring break is over.
• I plan on playing a lot video games. I may rent Forza Motorsport 2 to give that a whirl. I have heard good things about it. I am also gonna try another run through with Mass Effect. I think I am ready. I should probably also finish off Bioshock.
• I would like to get in a nice, thorough cleaning of the apartment. It could really use it. Christa and I have really let it go.
• Ryan Bronkema will coming up to visit on Friday. It will be nice to hang out and catch up!

For the UWO students, have a fun and safe spring break.

Melancholy Thursday

Christa will be finishing things up for her trip to Belize today. I will be dropping her off for the bus to the airport at 2:30 AM on Thursday night/Friday morning. She will be gone on Sunday the 30th. During this time, she will be doing research on howler monkeys. It is going to be a wonderful experience for her!

On a lighter note, the beard will be shaved off tomorrow. A younger, less rugged looking Jim will be seen for the spring and summer!

A Few Things I Attended...

My Tuesday was significantly more busy than usual yesterday. Isaac, my BBBS little brother, had his last wrestling meet yesterday and I wanted to be there. Unfortunately, it was not his best effort. He had two matches and lost them both. He did, however, win a Saturday city-wide tournament for his weight class, so that was pretty cool. It was interesting to see what wrestling is like on the middle school level. The weight classes show such a difference. Some of the six graders were so tiny and some of the older students already had some impressive muscle growth. I suppose that's why they have weight classes.

I put together a music program for the students of FVTC that live in GCC. Three people showed up...they were all staff. I did appreciate the support, but it still stings to have no residents come to a program.

Argelia also presented a program about her home country of Honduras. It was interesting to learn more about the country and more about her background. It was also cool to see some 1st floor residents there. I think Argelia is starting to build a nice community on the floor!

St. Patrick's Day is Over

The administrators at UW Oshkosh can now breathe...St. Patrick's Day is over. I think there was a lot of concern about what might happen if UW Oshkosh did not have their spring break over St. Patrick's Day. As the Webster staff member on duty last night, things in Webster were remarkably quiet. This does not mean people weren't partying. It simply means that most people went to off-campus parties or to the bars. The hordes of people dressed in green and dressed in "party wear" made it clear to me that there weren't all that many people in the building to generate noise.

It does make you wonder though, what excuse do college students really need to drink? Not much...I suppose. I highly doubt a large percentage of our students are Irish in ancestry. I suppose it's more about free, green beer and the opportunity to avoid the thought of exams and homework...the real reason they are at school.

I just hope everyone was safe last night. Any evening I see students getting ready to go out, I am most concerned about their safety. I worry that they might be taken advantage of or go home with someone they don't even know. It's not a matter of getting people into trouble. It's a matter of making sure my residents stay safe.

28 Weeks Later

After a failed attempt to watch Bladerunner, I hoped that a Saturday viewing of 28 Weeks Later might yield some better results. Overall, the movie had a sufficient amount of action to me in the movie, but still managed to have an interesting plot to go along with it. They continued with their use of actors who are recognizable, but overly mainstream. The soundtrack was again pretty good and many of the sequences gave our sound system a runs for its money.

This movie did feel a little more Hollywood than the last, and there were definitely moments where I felt like there was a plot whole or something happened that didn't exactly make sense. But, there wasn't enough for it to sink the whole movie. The movie takes an interesting look at the American military. You'll have to watch the movie to find out.

The ending does set-up a sequel. 28...Year Later?

Shamrock Shuffle

I completed the Shamrock Shuffle today. It was a 5k run/walk held on campus. It is in its first year. The weather was a little chilly, especially given the nice weather we have had the last few days. Yet, it was a good day to run. I wish I had been a little more conscious of pre-race routine. I did get a good night's rest, but I did not hydrate well before the race and I also didn't have little something to eat before the race either.

I finished the race in 23 minutes and 22 seconds. It's not what I was hoping for, but in the end I feel as though I did pretty well. It does mean that I am on pace for the half marathon in April. I have no worries about that. It was a little sad to think that there was a time when I ran a 5K in a little over 18 minutes. I look forward to future 5Ks this year. I hope I can slowly bring that time down.

The running will continue on Monday. I will appreciate a few days rest. My legs are killing me!

Trip to the Museum

As part of a Senior Staff Development, the RHDs and ARHDs will be making a trip to the Oshkosh Public Museum today. The weather seems like it should hold out as we will be walking over there. The big draw right now is the Out of This World exhibit which highlights costumes from movies and television shows. I am interested to check it out. The trip will be a welcome break from the craziness that has been my week.

What's on tap for this weekend? Christa and I will be doing some clothes shopping for me this weekend. Tomorrow is the Shamrock Shuffle 5K and after that Christa is going home for the weekend. I plan on finishing a draft of my candidacy materials as well as possibly completing Bioshock this weekend.

Assessment Results

I received my psychological assessment results in the mail today. It's been awhile since I've been nervous to open a piece of mail. I would say it's probably since I applied for RHD jobs since I wondered what was inside the envelope.

I have expressed before my concerns about what might have been written. But, after reading through the statement that will be submitted to the dCOM, I think it is overall very accurate. There are small points that I might argue, but for the most part it is on target.

It is another reminder that this meeting is coming up very soon. As Jake Taylor says in Major League, "Come on Jake, it's only you're life."

Off My Game...

Yeesh...the last few days for me have not been so positive in the RHD arena. I feel a little off my game. Between Monday and Tuesday I encountered various situations that caused me to think if I am making the correct decisions. By no means a crisis, it is an opportunity for me to think about the RHD position and where I place importance in the various tasks I have in the job.

Today has been a great opportunity to get back into the swing of things and can things done. I look forward to a nice refreshing break in a few weeks.

Weekend Updates

• Christa and I did some hardcore arranging of the of the apartment on Sunday. She felt like some of the rooms of the apartment were getting pretty cluttered. So, we moved our computer to the back room and shifted around the furniture in the...well, two living rooms. It is much more spacious now and makes more sense.
• I spent quite a bit of time this weekend working through Bioshock on the XBox 360. I rented this game awhile ago and wanted to get back to it eventually. I traded in Halo 3 and Marvel Ultimate Alliance to get Bioshock for no additional cost. I have made my way through most of the game and the game continues to amaze me. It is truly and game where everything comes together...music, plot, graphics, game play. If you have a 360, you need to rent/buy this game.
• The AD&D group got back together after a two week hiatus. My friend Tom came up from home to join us. I am hoping that he will be able to join us for more sessions. I would like to think the group had a good time; I did as well. Things will really start to pick up as they continue along over the next few weeks.
  

How Things Change

Last night, my friend Peter and I went out for late dinner and drinks. It gave us an opportunity to catch up; it had been awhile. Later in the evening, Peter brought out two decks of cards...they were Magic: The Gathering cards.

I don't get the chance to play Magic much anymore for several reasons. One, I don't know all that many people around here that play it (or would admit to playing it). Two, i can get expensive because the game is constantly bring out new editions and new themes to supplement their cards.

I won't take complete credit, but my friend Nick and I showed Peter Magic and he got into it with us. BY the time we got out is was around 1999 or so. But it's kept going. They are up to 10th edition...I remember 6th edition being about when I stopped.

Peter and I had a lot of fun looking at abilities we had never heard of and trying to figure out combos that we didn't know existed. I am hoping that we'll be able to try it again.

Gary Gygax - R.I.P.

In addition to the Brett Favre, there was another news story that actually hit me a little bit harder. I found out this afternoon that Gary Gygax, creator of Dungeons & Dragons and various other games and books, died yesterday at the age of 69.

I can remember back to 7th grade when I was rummaging through a closet and discovered my brothers D&D books. I thought they looked cool and read through them and then wanted to play. I ended up finding out that many of my friends played as well. Since then, I got high school choir friends together to play D&D, brought several college level groups together and even now I play with several students, staff and friends every Sunday.

Despite its dorky connotation, D&D has fostered so many friendships in my life. It has really helped me to be who I am. It has helped me to think on my feet, speak in front of groups and simply enjoy life.

My Dad wrote to me this morning that this is the end of an era. I agree. The gaming world will not be the same without Gary Gygax. I had the opportunity to met him once and he signed many of my books. I was honored. I look forward to honoring him this weekend as we play a little First Edition AD&D.

Favre Retires

For a few years now, I wondered how I would react when Favre decided that he was going to retire. I am sad to see him go because he had an amazing career with three MVP awards and one Superbowl ring. He had a revitalized season last year where he made it to the Pro Bowl when many thought (including me) that he was washed up.

But, I also believe this is the best for the Packer organization. Eventually, the team needed to rebuild around a quarterback who was going to be around for the long haul. This team is young and talented and I think Favre was becoming more and more out of place with this team.

Watching the Packers this upcoming season won't quite be the same. Thankfully, we will be spared with the constant statistics about how many games in a row Favre has played or how many QBs have taken snaps for Chicago during Favre's tenure with the Packers. But, I will miss his great plays...and his stupid plays..but always appreciated knowing we weren't out of a game if Favre was in there.

Best of luck, Brett! You have given the state of Wisconsin and the NFL many happy memories. I look forward to five years from now when you are a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Who will give your induction speech?

Day to Recover

My supervisor gives me the opportunity to take Monday off after the OPE Conference. It makes sense given that we end up working most of Saturday and Sunday for OPE. Most years, I don't take advantage of this day at all. I prefer to work and get back into the swing of things this year. This year, however, I am going to take 50% advantage of this day. I will be taking the morning to catch up on personal errands and relax before heading back to work after our lunch bible study.

Other Notes:

• I took back some games yesterday, and was able to get a used copy of Bioshock for free!
• This evening, Carol and I will be completing the rest of our summer staff interviews...we should be able to make decisions pretty soon after today.
  

OPE Remote Post

It is currently 6:59 AM and I am writing from GCC Room 123, otherwise known as the Transportation Center. The drivers have just left for their first route of the day. The calmness and quietness will soon be replaced by the organized chaos. OPE begins again.

On to the Next Step...

Last night, a special Charge Conference was called so that members of my church could vote to determine if they supported my candidacy for ministry. The meeting was much simpler than I thought it would be. The pastor convened the meeting and the people voted. I didn't have to give a speech and didn't have to ask any questions. I was unanimously approved!

My Current Profession

For an earlier entry this week, I utilized a link to "Student Affairs" from Wikipedia.org. In it, there was a criticism section that contained the following:

The "professional" trend in Student Affairs has been criticized for its emphasis on formal training. The degree to which available postgraduate programs actually represent a distinct discipline is a matter of debate. The field's resemblance to psychology, counseling, and other general concentrations has called into question whether Student Affairs degrees are an example of "degree inflation" and whether students' vocational choices are limited by this specialization. The late education critic Allan Bloom wrote that the "...idea of a separate 'Student Affairs' profession in academia is pure rubbish. It is fiction. The range of work involved requires a high school diploma on the low end and a PhD in psychology on the high end. The constituent disciplines (with their quality controls) already exist and can be readily applied to students. Breeching a new 'discipline' for this purpose is nothing more than professional egotism. I see it as a spasm of self-justification for a profession that largely lacks any scholarly work, past or present. This is the worst episode of academic cheapening I have witnessed. In a continuum ranging from Nuclear Physics to Romance Languages, 'student personnel' is almost certainly the most pathetic graduate field yet conceived. It is an embarrassment...

Ouch! Now, I have often joked with my colleagues about my College Student Personnel Degree not being a real Master's Degree, but this takes that thought to a whole new level.

New Sound System

Christa and I purchased a new LCD television around the new year. To go along with this new video technology, we decided to also purchase a home theater system to go with it. Christa and I did some reconnaissance and also set an initial budget. It didn't take us too long to realize that our budget was not very realistic. We did our main shopping at Best Buy and American. Much of the stuff at American that we were showed was way out of our price range. When we stated our budget the salesmen found us something and discounted it to get it to fit.

We came back a week later to pick everything up (one item had to be ordered). We took home our receiver, 5 speakers and subwoofer and I began to put everything together. I asked the guy at Receiving if the speakers also came with speaker wire. He said yes.

Guess what? No speaker wire! After a few choice words in the other room, I told Christa we needed to go back for speaker wire. Livid, I called the manager of American and expressed my frustration. He agreed to give me the speaker wire at 50% off. OK. I'll take it. We come back from our second trip to American for the evening and I hook everything up.

I want to say that the manual for the receiver is in English, but it didn't read like it. Needless to say after fussing with buttons and wires for over an hour (and a lot of swearing) I packed everything up and decided to return it. It wasn't worth all the hassle.

Right away the next morning, I drove up (third time) to American and wanted to return the items. The gentlemen at Customer Service wanted to help with this and got the salesmen who sold me the items to explain this one last time. He broke down all wire connections and told me exactly how to set up with the receiver.

After reconnecting everything the second time, Christa and I were met with success. After watching action scenes from Gladiator and Star Wars and after paying XBox 360 games on the sound system, it was definitely worth it...all the money and the hassle. Not one of my finer moments.

Look Mom! No Cavi.....Doh!

Nothing like going to the dentist on a Monday morning. I arrived for my 9:30 AM appointment, having had to reschedule from last week due to some pretty cruddy weather. During the course of my visit, it was discovered that I had a small crevice in my teeth that will need to be filled. I suppose that was a nice way of saying that I had a cavity ;). So, I will be going in in two weeks to get that taken care of.

Stay tuned tomorrow for the saga or our new sound system...

OPE: A New Perspective

For those of you not as familiar with my work as a Residence Hall Director at UW Oshkosh, we host a conference each year called the Oshkosh Placement Exchange. It brings individuals from colleges and universities from all over the country together to fill positions in the field of student affairs. The majority of the positions offered at the exchange are for graduate school assistantships as well as hall director-type jobs.

We have been hosting this conference for 29 years and I have been a part of the OPE as a candidate, employer and worker for...eight years. Granted, there are many at this university who have been involved with OPE for over 20 years, but I consider my experience somewhat considerable.

Last night, we had a training for all employees involved with the Oshkosh Placement Exchange. OPE is something that the Gruenhagen Conference Center and the Department of Residence Life take very seriously, and for good reason. It is an opportunity to showcase the university and both departments. For me, my reaction and anticipation for OPE has changed this year.

I have served at the chair of the Transportation Center for three years, and worked on it for five years. As I begin the transition out of student affairs and begin to think about the ministry, I do not look at OPE in the same way. This is not to say that I see no merit in OPE at all. I still appreciate the significance that OPE has for our campus. I simply feel like I do not have the same type of enthusiasm that I that I did when I was starting out as an RHD at UW Oshkosh.

Five years ago, OPE helped me get the job that I have today. I was in the trenches and competing against peers for positions. In the years since, I have fed into that energy and got pumped to see that experienced by others. I also got involved on a higher level as I became the supervisor for the Transportation Center. I went to planning meetings and saw first-hand what goes into planning for a conference of this magnitude. I am not supervisor anymore because it simply took up too much time.

Now, I see OPE as something where I play an important role, and that is where my enthusiasm comes. I am excited to be part of a team that puts this conference together. I appreciate playing a more subdued and behind the scenes role in the conference and do not get overly caught up in the craziness that can be OPE. I feel like Luke Skywalker when he first enters Jabba's palace in Return of the Jedi. Feelings controlled, purpose more focused, his role as a Jedi understood.

Only I can end an entry like this with a dorky statement like that ;).

Did You Really Lose?

I wish I could lose and still make $10 million.

Remote Post: FUMC Oshkosh

I write to you this morning from FUMC Oshkosh. I volunteered for a few Friday morning to serve as an administrative assistant so our church could be open on Friday mornings. I will be here from 8:00 AM until noon. I won't be doing this again until April.

It is amazing to me how productive I can be in relationship to work even though I am not necessarily in my office. I am finishing the interview schedule for summer staff positions, continue to check E-mail and will have some time to work on my candidacy materials.

Otherwise it's a pretty mundane Friday. I hope you all have a good weekend!

Revitalize the Bucks

Check out this article in which Bill Simmons proposed two trades for the Bucks. I think he's got the right idea. If the Bucks can keep a young nucleus together where the contracts aren't too out of control, I think they can really be something. Redd may be better off on a team with a few other stars where he doesn't have to be "the man". I think Bogut and Yi can be mobile big men with Mo Williams running the point.

Something needs to change, because right now it's pretty bad.

Oshkosh Half Marathon

For a second time, I will be participating in the Oshkosh Half Marathon. Mark your calendars! Watch Jim collapse from exhaustion after two+ hours of running :). I really hope that as cold as the winter has been thus far, it will be warm in April. It was pretty nice last year, but who knows...it may even be snowing on the day of the event.

Other News:

• I will be doing "Relay for Life" again this year. Please sponsor me There is a link of the top right portion of my blog.
• Christa and I pick up a new sound system for the HDTV. It is amazing to see what is available in the next generation of video/audio.
  

Primary Day!

After our Senior Staff meeting got out this morning, I walked over to Albee Hall and voted in the presidential primary. I really had to think about who I wanted to vote for, but I was finally able to make a decision. I encourage all Wisconsin residents who can vote to do so!

At our polling station, they offered the option of using a touch screen to vote. It is wasn't so bad, but I felt also compelled to take out some money. I was the 119th person to vote and the polls opened at 7:00 AM. That's not too bad.

I look forward to seeing the results tonight!

Weathermen/women & Meteorologists

Like a sucker, I had prepared for the worst. The forecasts for Sunday were predicting between 6-12 inches of snow by the end of the day (and night). Needless today, things calmed down around 7:00 PM and by them we had maybe gotten 3-4 inches. I don't get it! How can you be that far off? Part of it is my fault, I should be smart enough to realize how many times the weather folks do this. They pump up a storm a whole bunch and then inevitably the results are so much less than what actually happens.

With all the satellite technology out there that supposedly makes weather forecasting so much more detailed, it certainly hasn't helped much with forecasting. They can't get the snow fall right, but it gets better. They are off by hours for when snow or rain begins and sometimes they miss precipitation completely.

It gets to the point that if you want the best weather report, you might as well look out the window and make you own prediction. Geez!

Other News

• Despite the (highly overplayed) weather forecast for Sunday, our AD&D campaign happened yesterday. It went very well and it was good to have the band back together!
• I got to the dentist this morning only to find out that my hygienist couldn't get to work this morning. Oh well, it was just a trip to Neenah.
• The running continues...3.5 miles this morning.
  

Bad Weather

It's hard to imagine the weather being as bad as it will be when you look outside and see that it is raining and you notice that temperatures have actually gone up! In a few hours, however, that rain is going to turn to ice and we are going to get an entire day's worth of snow on top of it. Driving will not be pretty!

I got a call at 7:45 AM from our choir director and a call at 8:10 AM from our pastor letting us know that church had been canceled for today. I am worried about my friend driving up from Milwaukee...heck I am worried about driving to the grocery store to get food for tomorrow's program. Be careful today if you live in Wisconsin. It's gonna be a little crazy today!

AD&D Is Back

*** This post may need to be delayed a week if we get the snowstorm we are scheduled to get on Sunday ***

After a long hiatus from the spring semester of last year, the guys are getting back together to continue our 1st Edition AD&D campaign. All except for one person is planning to return, so we should have a decent sized group. If anyone is in the area and would be interested in joining us, let us know. We have a few open slots available.

I have always appreciated unexpected antics and fun that comes with AD&D. It is something I enjoyed when I was younger and it is nice to come back it in now. It also brings my good friend Nick from Milwaukee up to play as well.

Campus Tragedy

My thoughts and prayers go out to the victims of the shooting that occurred on the Northern Illinois University campus on February 14.

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is such an interesting holiday to me...it amazes me how loved and hated it is by those around me. Various residents, staff and others are having "anti" Valentine's Day parties and get together...many, but not all, who do not have significant others with which to celebrate the holiday.

On the other end, you have the folks that contribute to the stacks of packages that accumulate at the Webster Hall Front Desk. I see flowers, and chocolates and other assorted packages from significants others and other friends and family.

I have been on all points in the spectrum when it comes to how I feel about Valentine's Day. I have cursed it, embraced, and all things in between. At this point, I just ignore it. Like New Year's Day, you can make any day you want a day to celebrate your feelings for someone you care about. Save your money from Valentine's Day and donate it to the cause of your choice :).

Everything's Sore

So when I woke up this morning, I was sore in places where I am not normally sore. As I made my way to the back room to get my exercise clothes, I thought to myself, "My butt is sore". I realize that I did a few exercise that worked by glutes yesterday, but usually there is not any soreness. I also felt some general soreness in legs, but that may have something to do with running Monday and then lifting with my legs on Tuesdays. Don't get me wrong...it's a good soreness and I am seeing some results. I am beginning to appreciate again the soreness that comes from exercising.

Other News

• February 28, 2008 is the date of the Charge Conference for our church is which they will vote whether or not to support my candidacy.
• I added a new widget to the blog that counts down to my meeting with the District Committee on Ministry. The meeting is April 10. If they approve my candidacy, I will officially be a certified candidate for ministry.
  

Omen?

I agree with one of the commenters...is this an omen?

Productivity

In comparison to any other day in recent history, I got a lot of stuff done last night. I prepared my discussion notes for Wednesday's book study, I work ahead in my candidacy guidebook for my meeting with Lucretia today and still had time to relax and finish other random tasks around the apartment.

I suppose it has something to do with my more regular exercise routine. I have incorporated running three times a week into my daily weightlifting regimen. After work, it is nice to have some time rid myself of the stress of the day through a good, intense run. I am also trying to drink less caffeine and eat less sugar. That has gone a long way in not throwing my energy levels out of whack.

I also think I have a better sens of my own limits in terms of involvement. My outside involvements are definitely decreased from last semester. Not chairing an OPE committee has helped greatly. Not having NACURH work has also helped a lot. I need to keep this in mind...sometimes saying "no" is the best option.

Ragamuffin Gospel Redux

Early this semester I began to read a book called The Ragamuffin Gospel, based on a recommendation made by the pastor of our church. I read through about 3/4 of the book and stopped reading. I could just not get into the book. Honestly, it felt a little fluffy and felt like it made Christianity, well, almost...too easy.

A few weeks ago, a member of the Worship Commission of our church wanted to get together a book discussion for the season of Lent. They wanted to use the The Ragamuffin Gospel as the text, but needed someone to lead the discussion. I volunteered. Yeah, I already have quite a bit going on. Yeah, I'm not the biggest fan of the book. But, I thought the opportunity to lead a book discussion would be a good experience for me. We start with chapters 1 & 2 on Wednesday.

Having read the first three chapter again, I still get a sense from Manning that we don't have all that much motivation to change our ways because God knows we'll screw up. I understand we'll always be sinners, but shouldn't we also strive for holiness? I'll keep reading.

Other Notes

• -12 when I woke up this morning. That made for a fun trip to the Rec. Center and breakfast. At least there wasn't too much wind this morning.
• Robby made it to sectionals for wrestling. Not sure when that meet is, but I may want to check that out.
  

10,000

The defeat of the Demon Golem of Earth meant a Gamerscore above 10,000. A Gamerscore is nothing more than a number...if anything it demonstrates that I play way too many video games. Plus, it looks really cool! I thought nothing of it until I saws the 75 point achievement come up and realized I had made it over the plateau. So what's the next most reasonable goal? 20,000?

Other News

• It got really cold, really quickly. It is -10 with a brutal wind chill today. Yesterday, it was warm enough that the snow was beginning to melt. Weird.
• Robby (Christa's youngest brother) got third place in the conference wrestling tournament yesterday.
  

Huhot Adventure

Last night a few of the A/RHDs from UW Oshkosh went out to celebrate a birthday among the group. We traveled to Huhot in Appleton, WI. If you are unfamiliar, it is a Mongolian barbeque. You grab a bowl and add your favorite meat, noodles and vegetables and they cook it on top of a big metal flat cooker. It is interesting to read that this style of cooking is actually from Taiwan.

Overall, I did not have a bad experience at Huhot, but nor was I overly impressed. When busy, the line got long but also got confusing at it wrapped around the restaurant. The bowls you are given to put food in are not very big and often cause spilling. There was a good selection of food and they had a great deal of sauces to choose from. If I were to go back, it would be for lunch because it's only $6.00 for lunch. Not bad!

Other News

• I am getting very close to a 10,000 gamerscore in XBox Live. It should be happening over the next week.
• Anna, one of my old staff members, is in town for the weekend. I will be joining her for dinner this evening!

The Alien vs. Predator Election

With Romney's suspension of his campaign, the Republicans are left with McCain and Huckabee. Huckabee has agreed to press on, but he can't seriously think that he has a chance. Outside of the southern states, he doesn't really have a chance. But, somehow he thinks he does. Too bad he couldn't have dropped out and allowed Romney keep going. There has to be a viable McCain alternative. Between McCain, Obama and Clinton, it feels like the slogan from the Alien vs. Predator trailer: "Whoever wins, we lose." Any of these three in the White House is a scary thought. I just wonder who we are going to get stuck with.

Other News

• Good luck Phoenix Suns. I can't believe you traded for Shaq. We'll see how that one works out for you.
• Congrats to my good friend Peter. He was accepted in graduate school at UW Milwaukee. He is still waiting to hear from other schools. As he said, he won't be working at Shopko next year ;).
  

Unexpected Responsibility

I realized I was in for more than I had originally anticipated when I saw my name on the bulletin for the Ash Wednesday service at our church. My pastor had mentioned that I would be involved with the service, but I didn't realize it would be printed.

For the service, I read the three different lessons and also gave the post offering prayer. I didn't actually find out what I was doing until about 30 minutes before the service. When you couple that with the fact that the choir was singing an anthem that I has yet to practice, it made for a frantic 30 minutes before the service.

Things went well...although, by habit I did call ask people to rise for "this morning's" Gospel lesson when it was 6:00 PM. Oops. I also got to wear an alb. It was my first time doing a service in a more official garment.

Give Something Up or Add Something New

It's hard to believe that it is already Ash Wednesday. It's the beginning of February and we have already begun the season of Lent. People often give something up for Lent...chocolate, sweets, caffeine, fried food, etc. Lent is a time of preparation. A time to prepare for the story of the death and resurrection of Jesus. Instead of giving something up, it may be time for us to add something to our lives. Something that helps us prepare for this journey. Read the bible. Pray for others. Volunteer in the area. My old pastor talked about this and it is something that I try to do each year instead of giving something up.

Other News

• Barring a miracle, it looks like McCain is the front runner for the Republican nomination. *sigh* I may just vote Democrat...
• The Staff/Parish Relations Committee of my home church unanimously voted in affirm my candidacy for ministry. There will soon be a Charge Conference so that the entire church will vote on their support/non-support of me for ministry.
  

500th Post: Super Tuesday

It is worth noting that today's post is my 500th post on this blog. Given that I have tried to start a blog various other times, I am happy that this blog and has continued for a few years now. It has persevered despite a few periods where I, and others, thought that the blog might have died. It has gone through many formats and concepts, but I think it finally in a format that I like.

Today is Super Tuesday, where many states will be having their primary elections. I'm not sure if this Super Tuesday will crown the nominee, but I am sure that it will give us a good sense of who we will stuck with in either party. I say "stuck" with because it's a pretty thin field. As someone who usually votes Republican, I am scared by any of the Democratic nominees. Hillary needs no explanation and Obama, while charismatic and energizing, does not have the experience to lead this country. Come back in 8 years.

As for the Republicans, early on I was thinking Thompson. He was my #1 choice. Then he dropped out. Then, I was thinking Giuliani. Then he dropped out. At this point, I am leaning toward Romney. I hope he wins the Republican nomination. If he doesn't and McCain gets it, I will find myself in a difficult dilemma. I do not want McCain to get the nomination. He would be an awful president. He is not a conservative and has made many enemies in the Republican party. Most leading conservative pundents say they would rather have a Democrat in the office then McCain...ouch. I don't know if I'm there yet, but we'll see.

Go Romney!

Filling the Void (Sports)

The Superbowl is over...NFL football is done. Let's be honest, no one really cares all that much about the Pro Bowl. Now begins the sports void. For a fan of Wisconsin profesional sports, it's even worse.

You have the surprising Packers, who despite having lost in the NFC Championship Game, made the football much more enjoyable. Plus, you look forward to the next season with higher expectations and thoughts of the playoffs a little more definite. You have fantasy football, something this year that actually made me a little money :). Plus, you never had to wonder about what you would be doing on Sundays, or Mondays or selected Thursdays. It was football season. That's quite a void.

The Milwaukee Bucks? 18-30. Redd is injured. Yi has been playing pretty well as a rookie. Bogut has been a really pleasant surprise, but the team sucks. They have a lot of talent, but it needs to come together. It's hard to keep thinking "next year". Bleh.

At least the Badgers and Golden Eagles are doing good in college hoops. It's something!

The Week Thus Far...

It's been a few days since I posted and I'd like to let you know what has happened over the last few days.

Sunday
Christa and I traveled to New London and I did two worship services for the Methodist Church there. The services went very well! Christa and I also very much liked the church as well. The folks there were very friendly and it had a welcoming atmosphere. We enjoyed talking to folks during the fellowship hours and even participated in their bible study between services. I am hopeful that if the pastor there needs to take vacation in the future, they would be willing to have me back. We would love to return. We would consider returning, if but just to attend a service there.

Monday
I made the journey to New Brighton for my psychological assessment. It was pretty uneventful and I had a chance to visit the Mall of America again. I think I have been to that mall six times now. This was the first time I came there at night. It feels much smaller and more enclosed at night. I was able to watch the State of the Union address while at the hotel.

Tuesday
I took my assessment in the morning. The interview lasted three hours and 20 minutes. I came away from the meeting a little shaken up, because in three hours I really came to face some of my inadequacies and weaknesses. I am still trying to put it in prospective, but it was helpful. The drive back was horrendous and took an extra hour. There were several stretches on the highway that were nearly blackout conditions. I was thankful to make it home safely.

Now it's back to work and working out.