Sunday, April 30, 2006

mexican in two weeks or so

I have been absent. This would be the point when I would usually apologize for my lack of a recent update. I will not, however, be making that apology for doing so would make this blog feel more like confession and I, despite my fondness of some of the older Catholic mystic literature, am not a Catholic.

Who knows? Maybe a little confession would be a good thing. A confession could fulfill the duel role of explaining my silence and providing a informative, cathartic rant for you good people to peruse. Where have I been?

I've retreated to my head for a spell. It isn't really all that interesting but it is confusing enough to take up a good bit of my time. Those of you who know me well, know that there are times when I'll just disappear for a while. I'll be quiet. I'll be terrible at returning emails. And it appears that I'll also be a negligent blogger.

In two weeks, I'll step off of a plane and into the Nashville airport. My good friend and outstanding person, Judson Abernathy, is getting married and I was asked to be in the wedding before Moldova was on the radar. I'll be home for a few weeks, eating mexican food and drinking absurd amounts of coffee.

I suppose this is a sort of landmark, a time where I'll see my home and myself in a different light. It has started me down a contemplative road. There are hundreds of questions to ask, and for that matter, to answer. I'll get some of those answers and for some of the others I'll be content to wait. These things have made me quiet, my fingers as well.

We've taken a few days off of work. They have been doing work at the orphanage on the side walks and trees. Raia, the administrator we deal with, didn't want us working with all the things going on.

About the trees, they are cutting them down. It is awful. And since I'm in this solitude, quiet state thing, it seems like it should be profound.

When I asked what was going on, I was told they were being cut down because of the fluff. Evidently the fluff is really bad and makes people sick. This is the word they used: fluff. Fluff is making people sick. Amen.

I think about the title of this blog in light of this. And although it seems a little trite or cliche to work it into a post, I cannot resist. "I see people, they look like trees walking around." and we are choking on our fluff. Why do we spend so much time trying to make our lives seem fuller with things that only make them emptier?

Richard Foster, in Celebration of Discipline (a book I strongly suggest absorbing), says in the first part of the book that this world needs deep people. We, those in Christ, are united with the deepest entity that has ever been. It is by abiding in Him that we will find depth and this world will find what it needs. We have poluted it with fluff, with self help books, with catchy bumber stickers, with judgement (ours that is), and with anything but love. We are supposed to be the aroma of Christ in this world. When I say we, I mean I. I am supposed to be those things. I need God to cut off my branches, to get rid of the fluff. I'm choking on it. It is making me sick. And it is making the world sick.

The thing I have to offer this world is Christ. He is, without comparison or rival, the greatest thing I have found while in this world. I pray that we will know the depth of God and let it transform our lives into the sweet fragrance of Christ.

Wednesday, April 19, 2006

It's alright, 'cause I'm saved by the bell.




For those of you who are not savvy to the phenomenon of the very late 80’s and early 90’s, otherwise known as Saved by the Bell, this post might mean little to you. However, for those of you who relished NBC’s T-NBC Saturday morning lineup, including the aforementioned show, and for even more of you who came to love and adore this show during its countless showings on TBS and WGN during the latter half of the 90’s (unless, of course, the cubs or braves were playing and especially if they were playing each other which meant no SBTB and double coverage of the same game, enough to lead a man to madness), this post will rate high in sentimental value and perhaps, perchance and possibly take you back to Bayside, back to the Max and those brief, yet glorious days at the Malibu Sands Beach Club.

Bayside High School, the petry dish for this glorious experiment, was, at the very least, a utopian high school in which dorks, jocks, cheerleaders, brains, fashion queens and, well, Zack could live together in pure community and even befriend the school’s princi"pal" (How do you categorize a Zack Morris? How do you catch a cloud and pin it down? Both good and fair questions I say.) This was a school where self-imposed social walls were broken down in the name of equality and justice. Perhaps you think my language is too strong. Perhaps you’re right. But I will not apologize for the love and passion this show inspires, not only in me, but in the thousands of Saved by the Bell devotees.

This show struck a chord. I’ve seen people get into SBtB trivia battles so intense that fights almost ensued. A college roommate and I used to get up at six in the morning to catch a couple episodes, go back to bed after the shows and go back to sleep before class. They even did an E! True Hollywood Story on it. So it is with great honor that I write this post. With no further ado, here is the list. [note: there is no doubt i could have overlooked an episode. this was like picking between my own kids (iffin i had any)]

Honorable Mention:
Episode 9.2 “Dancing to the Max”
Episode 10.7 “Rent-a-Pop”
Episode 12.t2 “Teen-Line” (note: all though this episode contains a very memorable quote about keeping the Teen-Line op-en, the Tori-run was, in my opinion one of the worst things, beside the new class, to happen to the franchise. The Tori episodes lacked the chemistry that made the show work. Like my lungs need air, my Zack needs Kelly and my Slater needs his momma. The lack of Kelly and Jessie makes watching any Tori episodes, no matter how entertaining, incomplete.)
Episode 11.16 “Rockumentary” Zack Attack

The Top 5
#5 12.3 “Screech’s Spaghetti Sauce”
-“The sauce a you can have. But the secret she’s a mine.” Start with a delicious spaghetti sauce, mix in Zack’s entrepreneurial acumen, add a little Punky Brewster and you got a winner.

#4 M.4 (the summer run “My Boyfriend’s Back”
-I loved the summer run. I missed my Mr. Belding, but Leon Carosi proved to be a fantastic antagonist for Zack and the gang. Give Leon a daughter, Stacie, who Zack falls for and summer love gets exciting. This episode tests that love when Stacie’s ex-boyfriend Craig Strand comes back to give Stacie his fraternity pin. After an extreme obstacle course coming to fruition in an ATV race, love proves to be enough.

#3 11.4 “Check Your Mate”
- ‘I surrender Screechnivich, you’re too good.” This episode is one part “Searching for Bobby Fisher” and another part “the Sting.” A lucky beret is stolen given to Screech by his lady, Violet (played by Tori Spelling). Zack and Slater stand to lose $300 in a bet they made on the chess championship with arch-rival Valley and their Russian-chess master Peter Breznev. Chess was never so exciting. Will Vinnie & Guy-Guy ever learn? I think not. Go Bayside!

#2 10.13 “The Fabulous Belding Brothers”-


‘We may not have gotten the cooler Belding. But we got the Better Belding.’ Rod is no Richard. In this episode, we see just how well Richard Belding puts the “pal” in principal. Richard Belding is the greatest television principal of all time, hands down. Zack realizes just how much Mr. Belding cares for his students in this episode, and so did we. Richard Belding was a man of integrity and honor. He was a father-figure for Zack, whose father Derek was always talking on enormous cell phones.

#1 10.9 “Jessie’s Song!”

Come on, was there every any doubt? This is, without a doubt, the height of the Saved by the Bell writing. It covers every single emotion effortlessly. It touches our hearts and doesn’t even ask permission. We get a music video for the Hot Sundaes song “Go for It,” we see the great length’s Screech will go to in order to help his friends, Jessie’s hard exterior is broken down after becoming addicted to pills she takes to keep her awake so she can keep up with everything and we see how Zack truly is the glue that holds this show together. This episode will stand the test of time. Perhaps the most famous line in any episode still rings out today. “I’m so excited. I’m so excited. I’m so…..scared.” Aren’t we all, Jessie, aren’t we all?

Friday, April 14, 2006

you never know who you're talking to

a while back i met this guy sasha, one of the cafeteria workers at the orphanage. sasha speaks a little english and likes to practice with me whenever he gets a chance. we have lovely conversations.

normally, he will ask me about the finer points of english: conjunctions, subject placement, what certain explatives mean, and so on and so forth. sometimes he'll ask me about life in america as his eyes glaze over imagining a life filled with an overabundance of restaraunts, hummers, a relatively low stray dog population (thanks in part to the efforts of the Bob Barker) and litter-free streets.

the other day he had another topic in mind. he completely bypassed our usual banter and tedious fustian. this day his mind followed only one track. there was no 'hello.' there was only a 'i need to find a new job.'
i did bite.

why? i asked.
' i only make 40$ a month here. this is not enough.'
[he has been working there for three years. 12 x 40 x 3 = 1,440$ over his tenure.]
well sasha, what skills do you have?
'what is my profession?'
yes
'well, i studied nuclear science in college.'
i'm sorry. did you say nuclear science?
'yes, i worked at a nuclear power plant in russia for a time. after this i began to work for the KGB in a highly secret submarine factory. it was very secret. KGB, gorbachov, perestroika, everything.'
let me get this straight sasha. you studied nuclear science, worked at a nuclear power plant, and then worked at a highly secretive submarine factory for the kgb, the state security committee, whose emblem is as follows

'yes, this line of work is not needed in moldova.'
i guess not. so you did all that, and now you work in a cafeteria?
'yes.'
wow.
'i must go now, good bye.' he said quite abruptly[perhaps he divulged too much information and now fears for his life. old times are gone but not forgotten.]
see you later, sasha. and he fades into the sunset.

moldova. there it is.

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

i hate capitalization

i am back in what i like to call action. the guys at the random computer store in the back of a random stationary store have done magical works and have fixed my a/c adapter. all it took was 100 lei and the better part of a week. i'll be trying to catch back up with all my correspondance in the next few days. i'm quite a bit behind.

well, i've got about ten minutes until i start my trek to the orphanage so this will have to do for now. Godspeed

Tuesday, April 04, 2006

42 minutes

This is the time remaining on my computer's battery: 42 minutes. It is almost dead and will be for some time.

Today my a/c adapter decided it would almost catch on fire. For 3 hours, Dane and I went to every computer store we could find to seek a replacement. We found none.

The guy at the last store we went to said he could fix it and it would cost either 100 lei or 250 lei depending on what was wrong with it.

If this doesn't work, I'm in a world of hurt. I will have no power for my computer unless this works or something else does. This is disapressing.

Things are going alright. It has been an interesting last few weeks. The saved by the bell post will have to wait a little. I'm sorry to those of you who are awaiting it. It will come. I'll know in a couple days if these guys can fix it.

Until then, I'll do what I can to keep you all informed. As for now, Godspeed.

(if anyone has an extra a/c adapter for a sony vaio, i covet it)