The Scourge of the Single Family Detatched House

There is a nice young (22-ish) man and his wife who live in my building. He told me that he and his wife are looking for a house because "an apartment is no place to raise a family". I wanted to puke.

Would we be having this big to-do over oil prices if most of us lived in high-rise apatments built in cities that employ mixed-use zoning?

Ever wonder why San Jose (pop. 894, 943) has a less-than-world-class symphony that can't even get its website working (Capital of Silicon Valley? Ha!) but San Francisco (pop. 776,733) has a multiple Grammy winning (10 of them from 1988 to present, including one for best Rock Instrumental Performance!) orchestra?

The reason there is no world class symphony, no opera worth attending, no major league baseball team, no theater district, no interesting architecture, and only 4 good restaurants in San Jose is this: Like a woman slowly deforming, stunting, and killing her baby by taking ever increasing doses of thalidomide, in the 1870's the government of San Jose began making a series of decisions that promoted the construction of wide streets, long blocks, single-use zoning, and single-family detached houses. The sprawl intensified in the 1950's and continued un checked through 1970. Since then it has coninued, but with some limits.

Just look at these numbers. San Francisco's population, though smaller than San Jose's is squished into 49 square miles. That is a density of more than 15,800 people per square mile. San Jose's larger population is spread over 177 square miles. That is a density of about 5,000 people per square mile. 5,000 people per square mile is not enough people for there to be a civic life.

Even the wingnuts at Harvard agree with me on this: Low population density in a city inhibits cultural development. And the San Jose Business Journal does more than agree with me on the cultural aspects, they imply that there is a moral argument ( at least, a a moral argument that is different from the esthetic argument.) against low density development; That single family detatched house make homeless people, in addition to making cities less liveable.

And therefore, I conclude (no I'm not going to quote Cato) that as long as one working man struggles to find nightly shelter, it is immoral for city governments to zone for single-family detached houses, or even require houses to have garages for cars when men have no bedrooms.

Angels

The little boy and I went shopping. We had to buy the ingredients for Texas Caviar, oven-roasted country-style ribs (Bone-in, of course.), and home-made apple sauce. The store we were shopping at was out of Tabasco Sauce so we stopped at the liquor store on the way home. (Liquor stores always have tobasco sauce.)

Next to the door of the store was a dirty crazy guy. He was muttering something to himself. When we came out of the store he asked for money. I gave him a quarter.

The little boy asked, "Why did you give that man money?"

I answered, "He might be an angel."

The little boy wrinkeld his eyeborws and said, "Where are his wings?"

I Am Mario!!!

My youngest (for the time being, at least) son's Godfather had this really cool quiz on his blog. I had to put it on mine. As you can see, I am Mario. Did you read the article about him in the New Yorker a couple of years ago? I think it was before they put him on the food network, when he was actually working in restaurants. If you get a chance, look up the article. It is very entertaining.



Which Food Network chef are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Ride the White Wave!

The little boy and I went body surfing at Natural Bridges Beach this afternoon. Much fun. Unfortunately, my neck problem makes me a little bit of a weaker swimmer than I was last summer so I missed a lot of great waves. Nevertheless, it was fun.

Naturual bridges is one of those cool beaches that has big red signs that say "Dangerous Surf" and "Keep Out of the Water". All it means is that 1/5 of the waves are big enough to hurl you against the rocks, and 1/100 of the waves are truly monsterous (25-30 feet, trough to peak). As long you keep your eyes open there is no danger, just good salty fun.

The little boy mostly stayed up on the dry sand. He doesn't like the waves messing up the piles of sand he makes. But he got in with me and we went under a couple of big waves together. He liked everything but the salt.

At one point I wound up being the life-guard for a couple of 10 year old girls who had all the equipment, tons of entusiasm, lots of courage, but none of the knowledge. More than once I had to tell them to move to shallower water, or dive deep and hold on to the sand while a big one passed overhead.

They have picnic tables and campfire pits. I think I'm going to make Athanasia go with me and the little boy on Friday. Spend the whole day.

In other news, my course material arrived from Finnaland today. Much happiness.

Wow! what a day!

I was lazy and didn't get out of bed until late. (8:30 a.m.) So the little boy and I went to St. Stephen's in Campbell. Cyndi had to work so she didn't go.

While I'm standing in the church, just after the epislte reading my cell phone went off. I said "Shit!" as I attemptede to get it to stop sounding. People stared. I don't know if it was the phone or what I said that got their attention.

I should have taken the call. It was my wife, but I didn't know it because I didn't look to see who was calling. I was just trying to make it be quiet. Athanasia was sick. But I didn't know she was sick until a long time later. After liturgy, the little boy and I went to Home Depot. I bought him some nails, and they gave him some scrap wood. The idea is that we would come home and he would have fun driving nails through the wood.

When we got home something seemed wrong. Then I heard my wife moan. She was laying on the bed in horrible pain and unable to move. Called doctor. Found out what to do. Everything is alright now. But it was scarry for a little while. It was horrible to see her in that much pain.

Duty Honor Country

I sent an email to a writer at Slate today. He critiques advertisements. I think he totally missed the boat in his review of the Army's new ad campaign

Here is my letter:


Dear Mr. Stevenson,

I used to be in the advertising industry. One of the reasons I left was because of the tendency of the people I worked with to make little of the things I thought important (e.g. family, service, virtue, discipline) and to make much of things I thought of as dangerous (e.g. mindless sef-gratification, revelry, the 4-F's, vice.) Nevertheless, I still have some admiration for the people who are able to make a compelling advertisement.

I recently read your critique of the Army's new recruitment ads. (Slate, Aug 22), While I don't even watch television anymore (so so your article is the only exposure I have had to the ads) it seems to me that you don't understand the ads because you you are not the kind of person to whom the ad is targeted. If I had to guess, I'd say you live a sissified life in which being a "stand up guy with a manly bearing" is not very important.

I currently have three sons. One of whom is 17, that is old enough to enlist. And even though you do not think I should be proud if he pulls recruiting materials out at the dinner table, I would be proud. I'd be very proud to think he wanted to be like the men of Valley Forge, Frederiksburg, Tripoli, the Coral Sea, Inchon, and a thousand other battles.

For too long, the Army has pandered to to the selfishness of teenagers. The "Be all You Can Be" campaign seemed like an offense against the men of the past; the men who gave everything they could give. I suppose the Army did that becuase their marketing consultants told them it was the best way to get people to enlist. I never saw the "Army of One" ads you mentioned in your article, but from your description it seems they were in the same vein, pandering to self-interest instead of the higher calling of selflessness that is the the most noble aspect of military service. I am glad, that as you report, the Army is getting back to what the Army is about: Duty, Honor, Country.

You ask in your article, "Who wants to let her son enlist when soldiers are getting killed every day?" Mothers are quite a bit different from fathers, but history shows us that mothers want their sons to be strong, noble, and good. And if we look at the diaries produced during the Civil war, we can make an argument that women are even more concerned with the honor and manliness of their husbands and sons than are the men themselves. But as for me, a father of three sons, except for my sons becoming priests, I can think of nothing better for them to be than soldiers.

More news

My very good friend and co-religionist (who I can't name here because I don't know if he has told anyone else) called me this morning and said, "She said 'yes'." Many years to the happy engaged couple!

I just applied for a new job: City Jailer for the City of Alameda. Who knows if I'll get it? If I do get the job it would be fewer hours (even with the commute) and more money. I think I'd be a good jailer.

I have been telling the little boy a story for the last few nights that I think will make a good childrens book. I started writing it down two nights ago, and adding instructions for the illustrator. The illustrator will be my wife. She used to be an artist. It will make me very happy to see her using her talents again.

The nature of managing rental property

Of the last five tenants who signed leases for apartments at this property 4 did so because I charge less than the places they were living before. This means that they are not here because of ammenitites. They are not here because of they get to choose the colors. They view housing as a commodity.

This is a huge problem. If they view housing as a commodity I'll never be able to raise rents enough to pay for:
1) Mexican tile in the kitchens and bathrooms (Currently, the floor is vinyl!!!!),
2) Baseboards and crown molding (That's right. None of the apartments here even have baseboards.)
3) window seats,
4) Hardwood floors
5) Fancy shower fixtures
6) Cedar-lined closets
7) Viking ranges
8) Sub Zero refrigerators
9) hammered copper sinks

or any of a dozen other cool things that will add beauty to the lives of my tenants.

Hmmmm. Maybe, I can get a local wine store to come and do a wine-tasting once a month? It doesn't add to the property's value, but it is someting fun the tenants might enjoy. I'll have to see what the liability issues are before I do it, but I think it is a capital idea!

In the meantime, I am thinking about Nativity. I know it's nuts. It is still august. But this coming nativity I will have two children. I can hardly wait.

My Poor Tenants

Lately, I have had several tenants move in with a few little things not quite ready in their apartments. One has no closet door. One has no screen door. One has a phone jack hanging out of the wall. One had the hot and cold water reversed. But because I have other tenants who have horrible plumbing problems that require the ripping out of walls, retiling and repainting, my maintenence men do not have the time to get to mere closet doors and phone jacks. I feel so sorry for them.

The good news is that I just rented my last vacant apartment. Move in will be in about two weeks. Hopefully, everything will be ready.

My wife is having a hard time. I think the pressure of our jobs, the tenuous financial position we are in (even though we are doing better than we were a year ago it is still pretty tight.), the prognosis on my neck (Holy Unction the other night was really cool, btw.), the nearness of the baby's birth, the fact that our offices are being moved to a less desireable part of the building to make room for a club house, the problem tenant, and the fact that about 10% of the tenants in her 20 or so buildings (I manage one 30-unit building. She manages about 20 buildings with about 150 units total) have given 30-day notice in the last couple of weeks.... and several other things are starting to get to her. It is difficult to figure out how to help her.

I've been waiting and waiting for the course materials to arrive from Joensuu. I emailed the school last night. I heard back from them today. The finance office never told the course administrator that I had paid tuition, so the course administrator had not mailed the course materials. But it all got straightened out today.

As far as money goes, I think I'm going to get a job doing something in the evenings. I don't remember who the Saint was, but a certain Saint said something worth remembering: "An unmarried man has many rights. A married man has very few rights. A man with children has no rights at all."


Pills for neck: 6
Alcohol units:1
Tobacco units:0
Caffine units: 6
Contractors dealt with: 4
Tenant issues dealt with: 7
Meetings with my boss's boss: 1

Feast of the Holy Prophet Samuel

Troparion to the Holy Prophet Samuel

Thou didst blossom as a scion of righteousness from a barren womb, O great prophet Samuel. Thou dist reveal beforehand the blessings we should receive; from childhood thou didst serve the Lord in priestly office; as a prophet thou annointedst kings. Ever reember those who acclaim thee.



Today is the little boy's name day. He spent last night with his uncle and aunt in San Francisco, and this morning, very early went to the farmers market at the ferry building. Then he came back down here and we had a party.

The big Icon of the Holy Prophet Samuel was framed with flowers (purple agapanthus, red and white oleander, pink hibscus, red geraniums.) and moved from the little boy's room to the dining room. The menu was fish tacos with lots of different kinds of salsas, champagne, iced tea, chips, italian sodas. We sang the troparion,. We sang "God grant you many years". We ate. We told stories. It was a good time.

Who came to the party? Jeff who recently earned a M.A.T. from Fuller, (and with whom I used to have a joint blog.) and his son (age 2), the previously mentioned aunt and uncle who is a lawyer(J.D. from Wisconsin.), a certain man from my parish who while being a lawyer, also has a Th.D. from Chicago, and his daughter. It was a fun group. The conversation was mostly law and theology. I love being around people who know more than me. It is so invigorating.

Godmother wasn't able to come to the party but gave the little boy a collection of 8 little cars. We've been playing with them all night.

Godfather wasn't able to be here either but he sent two Icons to the little boy. One is of the Theotokos holding Jesus. The other is the the Call of Samuel. They are beautiful.

Alcohol units: 3.5
Caffine units: 2
Tobacco units: 0
Pills for neck: 2

Leave me alone

"Leave me alone." Isn't that what suburbs and DVDs are all about? Read this from the NY Times. I know I have lamented the death of public life many times on this blog, but it seems that every day I see more evidence of its decline. Now it seems the movie theaters, even the ugly (if only in comparison to the great movie palaces of the past) cine-plexes are losing out to the desire of Americans wanting to stay in their houses.

But I know in my heart that people do want cities. They do want to be downtown....

The lights are much brighter there
You can forget all your troubles, forget all your cares
So go downtown, where all the lights are bright
Downtown - waiting for you tonight
Downtown - you're gonna be all right now

I think this is why the New Urbanism movement is growing. But new urbanism will not thrive until it throws off it's quasi-socialist shackles. (Was Manhattan built by socialists?)

In the southbay town of Mountain View, we can see what Conservative (conservative does not mean hyper-individualistic libertarianism) thought can do for new urbanism. In the 1970s downtown mountain view was a slum. But the people of Mountain View, and Santa Clara County began some impressive public works:

1) A new train station was built for the CalTrain that links San Jose and San Francisco.
2) City Hall and a performing arts center were rected on Castro Street, the main street of the downtown area. (Unfortunately, the city council insisted that the performing arts center not be as tall as City Hall so the big traveling shows from Broadway don't play there. The ceiling is too low for a fully staged show. Oh, well.)
3) The light rail system was built, and a staion was co-located with the Cal-train station.
4) Narrowed the useable roadway of Castro Street, provided for more curb-side parking, and widened the sidewalks. The city also planted scores of trees along the street. All of this made the street more friendly to people who want to get out of their cars and walk.

These public works, especially the transportation items, were a signal to private investors. Nothing says long term potential like train tracks. Unlike a bus route, it doesn't easly move. And that lead to one of the coolest things. The building of several hundred high-density townhouses downtown, right across the street from the trains.

In addition to these public works, the city also made a smart decision regarding the use of private property: The owners of several delapidated or vacant buildings were told to get them occupied and fixed-up or else they would be condemned. But because of the city's investments, and the incereased value of private property in downtown Mountain View, most of the owners were able to improve their property and make a profit in the process.

The end result of all of this is that downtown Mountain View is semi-thriving. I say semi because there is not a very good mix of retail shopping. There are plenty of good resaurants, two excellent coffee shops, two bookstores, and one good night club. But there is not much else. No clothing or shoe stores. No hardware stores. No electronics stores. Why? I think that part of the reason for this is because the United States Tax code has unbelieveable depreciation schedules that prop up shopping malls and choke the life out of downtowns across the country. (In case you didn't know this: I hate the income tax. I think a 5% national sales tax on all goods and services is much less likely to be manipulated for the benefit of the few and the destructin of public life.)

The War in Iraq

Heretofore, I have not written much about the war in Iraq. But hearing about this woman Cindy Shehan has really... I don't know, not upset me, but made me feel embarrassed, and ashamed. I'm embarrassed for her fallen son, that his mother is behaving in such an unseemly manner. I am ashamed that our society has produced a woman like her and that some in our society are exploiting her.

Now as for the war, I don't think I ever believed the WMD argument for going to war. But approve of the war for these two reasons:

1) Sadaam was a wicked dictator. In general, I am in favor of overthrowing wicked dictators.

2) When G.H.W. Bush drove the Iraqi's out of Kuwait it was within our power to overthrow sadaam, but we did not. We let his tyranny continue. When the Shiites attempted to break away at the end of the American involvement in the war we offered no help. Sadaam's army destroyed them. It was like watching Soviet tanks roll through Prague again. G.H.W. Bush brought shame on the United States. And then more ridicule was heaped on the United States when Sadaam gloated ove Clinton's defeat of G.H.W. Bush.
But where the father failed, the son has redeemed. Not only did the present president George Bush overthrow Sadaam but he won reelection. He has removed the stain of his fathers failures.

Hindusim, science, Christianity, and alternative medicine

There is a very interesting conversation at Doug TenNapel's blog. Here is a quote I thought was funy:

"Let’s pretend that we had a video camera in Christ’s burial tomb. There He is dead as a doorknob and we are recording his flat-line on tape. Suddenly, he wakes up resurrected from the dead and we have it on video. An Intelligent Designist (ID) scientist and a Philosophical Naturalist (PN) write papers to present the data in a journal. The ID guy hypothesizes that a supernatural event took place. The PN can ONLY describe the events within the confines of his Materialist presupposition, so he claims the body wasn’t really dead, or that the instruments were jacked and that this whole thing is just an illusion.
Both scientists see the same event, but one of them has a philosophy that literally forces him to describe every supernatural event as natural…or as Shermer always says, “One day science will be able to find out what actually raised that man from the dead but in the meanwhile we need not believe in the supernatural.” "

You can read the whole thing here.

Pills

My wife has been doing such an amazing job controlling her blood sugar through diet. It is amazing. All day long she keeps it in the acceptable range. Unfortunately she has lost a little weight, not something a pregnant woman should do. Also, every night, while she is sleeping her blood sugar creeps up. It is as though her own body is her enemy. How can one control blood sugar while sleeping? Well, the doctors say she can't, no one can. So, starting tonight she has to take a pill. She is pretty sad about it.

Mark of the Beast

After reading something like this, I am sure that there wont be many people declining the mark of the beast. Scarry days are ahead.

Dormition and Holy Unction

Today is the Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos. The little boy (his checken box is all over. I'm not even sure he knew he was sick.) and I made the trek up to San Francisco for Liturgy this morning. It was a beautiful, cold, foggy drive. I love it. The service was good. We got there just in time for the Gospel reading. Athanasia couldn't go because of work. Fr. Victor is too weak to serve in the altar.

After liturgy we drove through the old neighborhood (Oh, I miss it so badly) and stopped at Katz's bagels. Poppy bagel and cream cheese! Yum! Best way to end the fast. My wife is happy that the fast is over. Now we can eat the same food. I must admit that the dietary rules are difficult when one's wife is pregnant and has diabetes. Making seperate meals for everyone is a pain. Well, at least it's over until Advent Fast.

The Church has decided that I will receive the mystery of Holy Unction (my neck can only be healed by God's hand.) on this coming Thursday evening. It will be done at my house.

Worship Rules of the Road

My friend Big Matt has this funny thing about pentecostal/charismatic worship on his blog. It remided me of my youth. The list is definately exaggerated, but like all things funny, there is some truth to it - especially #12. There is someone or several someones like that in every pentecostal/charismatic church: The person who gets things going. I've seen it be a 10 year old girl. I've seen it be a 70 year old man. But there is always someone to "get the blessing" first. And then Boom! it spreads.

Back in the mid 1970's the church my dad was pastoring in Palo Alto sent him to several really big pentecostal churches that were having huge crowds of people show up. They were kind of famous for standing on their feet for a couple of hours with their hands in the air. Some people in my dad's church had criticised him because these other churches had this kind of spontaneous worship thing going on, and our church didn't. So, my dad visited a bunch of them to learn what they were doing. Anyway, in one of them he saw that near the end of a song, the worship leader would motion to a guy in the back of the church. That guy in the back of the church would start playing chimes, and like clock work people would start doing "spontaneous" worship. And when the chimes stopped the people quited and the next song, or the preaching, or the annoucements would occur. I thought it was a funny story. My dad didn't see anything diabolical or nefarious in it, he just gave it as evidence that most worship is planned, even "spontaneous" worship.

A few years later, I remember, sitting in a revival meeting and seeing something similar. About the third night I saw the preacher kind of glance at his daughter who was sitting near the front, and she started moaning. And as he got more emphatic in his preaching she moaned a little louder. And the congregation got excited with her. Was that planned? I doubt that the preacher and his daughter sat down and planned the glance, the moaning, the crescendo in the preacing, but there it was. And it happened every night of a two week revival meeting. Although, sometimes it was his wife instead of his daughter.

I suppose some of you would be interested in knowing more about my Dad. If so, you should rent the movie "The Apostle", staring Robert Duvall. That preacher is a lot like my dad.

Is this ontologically possible?

The worldwide Anglican Communion might kick the Church of England out of the Communion. Think about this: It would be like all the Roman Catholics in the world kicking the Diocese of Rome out of the Roman Catholic Church. Read the story here. But what else can we expect from a church that was founded not on the Resurrection of Christ but on the balls of Henry VIII?

The animal under the sink.

When the old grinder under the sink went out, did I settle for the Badger 5 with 1/2 hp of mauling virtue? No.
Did I settle for the Badger 5 Plus with 6/11 hp? No, I did not. I got the best garbage disposal system that fits under my sink: The 3/4 hp In-Sink-erator 444! Yeah Baby! Yeah!

(Yes, the 777 is more powerful but where would I put my trash can?)

Yo hablo espanol

I am slowly learning spanish in order to speak to my tradesmen. It is painful and sometimes they laugh at me. But it is fun, too. The hardest thing next to vocabulary and grammar is getting used to the mexican accent. Most of the Spanish-speaking people with whom I have interacted heretofore have been Cuban.

The Ailments of a Child in the Summer

The little boy has had an earache for the last couple of days, so this morning I took him to the doctor. He has swimmers ear. We also found out that he has chicken pox. The first lesion appeard on Tuesday. This moring he had 4 more. I thought they were bug bites. He had been vaccinated as an infant so I thought he couldn't get the disease. I learned today that in many people the vaccine only makes the disease less painful and less taxing on the body. So, it is a good thing he got swimmers ear, otherwise we wouldn't have known about the chickenpox.

Speaking Truth to Power

"Simply put, the abortion industry is opposed to parental notice laws because parental notice laws place a hurdle between them and the profits from the abortion clients--not the girls who come to them but the adult men who pay for these abortions. These adult men, whose average age rises the younger the girl is, are eager not to be disclosed to parents, sometimes living down the street. . . . At nearly one million abortions per year, the abortion industry is as big as any corporate interest that lobbies in Washington. They not only ignore the rights of parents, they also protect sexual offenders and statutory rapists."

-Sen. Orrin Hatch

Praying for salvation, preparing for the worst.

My biggest problem tenant has threatened me. He has also threatened one of the other tenants. But in writing he has said he is being discriminated against (He is a member of a legally protected class.) so we are having trouble getting rid of him before his lease expires in 11 months. So, now I have to think about the safety of my other tenants, and the safety of my family - and not because of an outside threat, but because of the man who lives next door to me. (He scared my little boy when he yelled at me today.)

So, what am I doing? Building a file to give to the lawyer, praying the prayer for enemies, and keeping a pistol loaded with seven .380 hollowpoints at hand.

In other news, the little boy and I walked up to the little asian market. We had fun playing with the live crabs, and looking at all of the fish in the aquariums. He was very impressed with the octopus. He had only ever seen (and eaten) baby octopus.

I wrote my first wikipedia article.

Pills for neck: 2
Caffine units: 3
Alcohol units:0
Tobacco units:0

Cooking

Yesterday we did something that we won't do again for a long time. Well, two years. Is that a long time? We cooked for our parish. With my neck and Athanasia's pregnant greatness it was very difficult. And when the baby is born in Oct. it will only be more difficult. So...we decided last night to take a break from cooking for two years.

Yesterday, being in the middle of the Dormition fast was still meatless and dairyless. So we made Indian food:

Vegatable Byriani made from basmati rice seasoned with saffron and tumeric. the vegetable filling consisted of diced tomatoes, diced sweet potato, chopped cauliflower, diced bellpepper, sliced onion, raisins, chickpeas, greenpeas, corriander, cumin, ceyenne, grated ginger, and cinnamon. I won't explain how to do the rice as I am sure you already know how to cook rice. But once the rice is made just set it aside until the vegetable filling is cooked. Cook it in a large skillet until the cauliflower and sweetpotatoes are just tender. Make a layer of the rice in a casarole, make a layer of the veggie filling, make a layer rice. cover with aluminum foil. bake.
Serve with firey onion relish (minced onion, lemon juice, paprika, ceyenne), pickled lime relish (in a jar at any indian market), mint chutney (ditto).

Tomato salad with scallions, mint, ginger, black mustard seed, oil, and lemon juice.

Fruit Plate consisting of sliced pineapple, papaya, kiwi, and melon.

I think it was a good meal. But I do wish our final meal (foir at least 2 years) had not been on a fast day.

_____

Father David and Father Tom are going to do Holy Unction on me this week. Fr. David is going to call me with the date and time.

A couple of interesting things

An interview of Patriarch Alexi II is here.

Since today is the forefest of the Transfiguration you might like to hear Bishop Kallistos' teacing on the Transfiguration (in four parts) here , here , here and here. (You will need Real Media to watch the videos.)

Vandalism, Lesbians, Birds and Police

My day started with the little boy doing a belly flop across my chest. Got out of bed, got dressed, did the breakfast thing. As I walked outside, I was met by Leslie, my tenant in #4 telling me that she saw someone lurking and acting suspiciously in the parking area and that the car parked next to her car had been vandalized.

I checked it out and discovered that yes it had been vandalized. Nothing was stolen, it was just wrecked. The miscreant had broken the ignition switch, scratched all the paint, broken of the mirrors, broken the locks, slashed the tires and the upholstery. It was a mess. I talked to the owner of the car, my tenant in #7. to let her know about it. She was very upset.

A few minutes later a third tenant, the one from #20 came to my office to let me know she had seen different suspicious activity that might be related to the vandalism. Then she went to get ito her car to go to work. But she came back to me very upset. She discovered that her car had been vandalized, too.

I set up a meeting with the police and all three women. That was at 8 this morning.

Then I had to deal with contractors all day to get units ready for move-in on Saturday. Ordered blinds for some units we are remodeling. Went to home depot and bought a birdbath to hang from the camphor tree. I also picked up some bird seed. The little boy goes with me on errands like this. He likes hardware stores.

We installed the birdbath and hung a second feeder full of sunflower seeds from the camphor tree. (The tree is about 45 feet high and 40 in diameter.) It was fun. I showed the little boy how to drive nails and pull them out. I also taught him how to use a screwdriver today, he's more adept with the screwdriver than I thought he would be. I caught him taking apart his mother's adirondack chair.

My tenants who are moving in on Saturday are lesbians, but they pass for straight. They are super paranoid that their bosses will find out. I had to assure them several times that all I ask employers for is date of hire, job-title, and income; that I don't give any information to employers. I was kind of surprised by their secrecy - this is California. I think they will be good tenants. But I have not had good experiences with lesbians. In my very limted experience (we tend not to run in the same crowds) they tend to be a little psycho.

Back in the mid-nineties, when I was working at SF Weekly, it came out that I was a Christian. (And all because of a pizza. But that is another story.) This one woman, a very out and political lesbian in my department couldn't stand that a Christian was working with her and started harrassing me. She would come to my desk and say the most amazing things - "So you must think I'm going to Hell." "If you think breeders are normal what do you think of me?" "How long have you hated women?" "You probably think Melissa Etheridge is a bad musician." It was nuts! Finally, our boss told her to leave me alone. She didn't. She was fired. All of my experiences with (known) lesbians have been similarly unpleasant. Let's hope my new tenants wil buck the trend.

About 5pm the little boy and I went swimming. He has been able to swim up from the bottom of the pool for a long time. As well he can swim the length of the pool. But this week he finally figured out how to swim down to the bottom. He is very proud of himself. I'm proud of him, too.

The police arrived about 8 p.m. tonight to talk with the three women, my lovely and gracious tenants, Leslie, Julie, and Angelica about what was damaged and who saw what. After that the policeman, the little boy and I walked around the property to see what I might be able to do to prevent crime. He had some suggestions but they boild down to: build a fence with automatic gates and hope for the best. I couldn't figure out how to explain police to the little boy. Finally, I just said "They are like guardian angels. They keep the bad guys away." He accepted that.

I just put the little boy to bed. He was exhausted. But I read him a book before he fell asleeep. His mother bought him a little book published by the Ukranian Catholics called "The Guardian Angel Book". It's a pretty good book. The bottom crossbars are not tilted correctly, but other than that it is a good walk through of the Divine Litrgy. I also had to explain that some churches have pews but ours doesn't. And he didn't understand why the priest in the pictures was beardless. But he likes the book and insisted on sleeping with it and an Icon of St. Herman tonight.

It is late. I am tired. Goodnight.

Alcohol units: 0
tobacco units:0
caffine units: 6
pills for neck: 2

God and Natural Disasters

This is in the Wall Street Journal today...

"In 'The Doors of the Sea', David Bentley Hart, an Orthodox theologian, tries to provide an answer. His book is, among much else, a rhetorically powerful and conceptually dense restatement of what Christianity has to say, over the centuries, about the suffering and death produced by nature itself--that is, by events outside human agency."

(Read the rest here.)

Dentistry on the Cheap, The Race Card, Bono

A co-parishoner of mine is studying for a D.D.S. degree at the University of the Pacific. She is in her 3rd year and needs volunteer patients. I volunteered. So, today I went up to San Francisco to have my teeth worked on. It was really neat to watch all the young dentists in training. Most looked like they were about 23 years old. Very eager. (My teeth are fine but I am going to get a gold bridge to make up for two teeth I lost a few years ago.)
_____

The tenant that I am having trouble with played the race card today. I hate that. Especially, since I let them move in even though...

1) They did not meet our credit requirements
2) I had to give them 2 months to pay their security deposit (ordinarily I require that on the day of move in)
3) they did not meet the income requirements.
4) they did not have good work histories.

Why, you ask, did I let them move in? Because they were living in their car, and having once lived in a car myself, I felt sorry for them.

My boss came to talk to me about it. I hate that too. This is the first time in a couple of weeks that I have had to talk to her, and it is about a five page letter a tennant wrote to her complaining about me.

Thankfully, when I was in school to get certified for this job I was told "if it isn't in the log it didn't happen". I log everything, and I write letters to tenants more often than I talk to them. I don't know who invented writing but I am very happy they did. My boss was very happy to read the log, the letters from me to the problem tenant, and letters from other tenants about the problem tenant.

So, am I in trouble? No. All records support me and make the problem tenants look like paranoid lunatics. But I feel like people I tried to help are super-ungrateful and trying to hurt me, and it makes me sad that they are so unhappy. If they are so unhappy that they feel like they need to write a five page letter of complaint, I have failed. After keeping the owner of the property from getting sued, protecting the property, and keeping all of the apartments rented, my number one priority is to keep all the tenants happy. And these people are not happy.

And it just drives me nuts that they think it is because of their race. It has nothing to do with race and everything to do with them breaking rules. And besides that, 9/15 of my tenants are of a race other than mine, and they don't break rules!
____

Oh, this is the second day of the Dormition Fast. Here is what I have learned so far in this fast: I really miss eating.
____

Besides all of that, Bono gives an interesting interview.
____

Caffine units: 1
Alcohol units: 0
Tobacco units:0
Tenant issues:2
Pills for neck: 4 (My physician is rotating me through drugs so I don't become adapted to them. Now I am on Celebrex.)

Looks like the OCA is staying in the NCC

From the OCA website comes this news...

"In the area of ecumenical relations, concerns over the Church’s participation in agencies such as the National Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches were expressed. It was noted that such matters remain within the competency of the Holy Synod of Bishops. In his presentation, the Very Rev. Leonid Kishkovsky, assistant to the chancellor for external affairs and inter-Church relations, echoed the sentiment expressed in Metropolitan Herman’s opening address, in which he recognized the tensions that exist as a result of the Church’s participation in ecumenical organizations while sharing even greater concern for the Church’s responsibility to proclaim the fullness of the Gospel. He also described the connections between the ecumenical participation of most of the Orthodox Churches, both in North America and globally, and the Orthodox Churches’ common witness and common theological voice in ecumenical organizations and events. He noted that ecumenical participation certainly requires careful consideration and discernment. As further proof of our historic commitment to this task, it was reported that the Holy Synod of Bishops had blessed the OCA’s participation as a founding member of Christian Churches Together, thereby providing yet another opportunity to proclaim the Gospel on this continent. It was noted that in the Tomos of Autocephaly, the OCA is charged to “maintain direct relations with all other churches and confessions, Orthodox and non-Orthodox alike.”

Read the whole thing here.

Antiochians to NCC: "See ya. Wouldn't want to be ya."

I just read at Mere Comments that the Antiochian Archdiocese has decided to leave the National Council of Churches. I wish I could hear some news about the OCA now. Has anyone heard what the OCA decided?

Hooray!!!

I heard from the University of Joensuu in Finland. They have received my application and the course materials will be here shortly. I'm very excited.

In other news....

Athanasia is borderline/at risk for gestational diabetes. She is going to counseling and adjusting her diet. They are thinking about giving her pills. No decisions yet.

No change in my neck. Unless God heals me or I submit to the surgeon's knife it will not get better.

Our bird feeder has become very active. Finches and chickadees mainly. There are at least 1/2 a dozen, usually more in the camphor at all times between dawn and dusk. I love the little sounds they make. I put up some suet hoping to attract some other types of birds but it has been there for several weeks and hasn't been touched. We had some blue jays earlier in the summer but they are gone now. They ate the food I set out for the squirrel.

Athanasia finally saw a hummingbird at the hummingbird feeder. Last summer there were dozens of hummingbirds. This year only two. It is strange.

Alcohol units: 0
Tobacco units: 0
Caffine units: 1/2 (I'm out of coffee. Had to have tea instead.)
Itallian sodas: 1
Pills for neck:16
Tenant Issues: 1 very serious, and 5 minor (but expensive) plumbing related issues.

Father of the First Columbine Victim

The Father of Rachel Scott, the first girl killed in the Columbine school shooting testified before Congress..

"I am here today to declare that Columbine was not just a tragedy - it was a spiritual event that should be forcing us to look at where the real blame lies. Much of that blame lies here in this room. Much of that blame lies behind the pointing fingers of the accusers themselves."

You can read his whole speech here.

I made dinner for my wife

I don't know what it is. Maybe the drugs. Maybe the pain. Maybe the drugs and the pain together are making me seem "off" to people who come to rent from me. But I have been having a bear of a time leasing my 3 vacant units. It is killing me. the budget is for 5% vacancy per month. right now I am at 10%. My wife noticed. She asked me yesterday if she could help. She did. One down, two to go.

So I made dinner for her tonight. It took a really long time, both because of what I made and because my right arm is too weak even chop a cucumber. Anyway, tonight I made the following (in order served).

Course 1. A wedge of Maytag cheese on a plate with grapes, pineaple chunks (I tried to slice this with my chefs knife but gave up. My arm is too weak from my neck problem. Instead, I let the weight and velocity of a meatcleaver do the job.), pluot cubes, bosc pear slices, and ripe strawberries. (All organic) and little cruncy toasts. Salty and sweet, creamy and cruncy, hard and soft. It was good.

Course 2. A garden salad consisting of green leaf lettuce, cucumber, jicama, carrots, red cabbage, heirloom tomato. Blue cheese dresing.

Course 3. Egg Tagliatelle covered in hearty red wine and lamb sauce. This takes about 5 hours to cook.
- in a medium size pan (barely big enough for all four shanks to squeese in while touching the bottom of the pan) put a couple of teaspoons of olive oil, slice and add one yellow onion to the oil and saute until the onion is transparent and just starting to caramelize.
- Next you add the lamb shanks to the pan. Some people like to trim the excess fat of the lamb shanks. I don't. I just salt and pepper them, toss them in the pan (over a medium flame), and brown them.
- Once the lamb shanks are browned and, perhaps, even have some good crunchies on them, you add 1/2 bottle of HEARTY red wine. Like a big red Bordeaux. You do not want a skinny waif of a wine for this. You do not want a wine that is thin and unidimensional, like Celine Dion - it is not up to the task. A one emotion player. It is too light, too simple. You want the Valkyrie of wines. You want the Caroline Wisnant, or if you can find it, the Deborah Voight of red wines. No! Even better. The wine you want has the power and dark passion of Janis Eckhart's Carmen. There can be no other choice. The wine must have body, character, presence, gravitas. Why? Because the wine is what makes or breaks this dish. If your wine is to wimpy (and here I am thinking something like Riunite Lambrusco, which is fine over ice on a hot day, but not in this dish.) the dish will barely be fit to serve at the Olive Garden.

Oh, do I have a story about the Olive Garden. First of all, it was a mistake to eat at a restaurant that is owned by the Darden company, or any "casual dining" restaurant, but the people I was with wanted to go there because their kids would eat it. The willingness of a child to eat food is no excuse to suffer bad food. If it was up to children Kraft Macaroni & Cheese and root beer is all they would ever eat. It is up to adults to teach, educate, and develop the the tastes of children. They will not eat pan-fired squid in plum sauce if their parents do not serve it to them. And you have to start early. I think 5 might be too late. You have to give them kiwi and avacodo and smoked salmon at 6 months. (What? you use baby food in a jar?) Hummus, pita and citrus fruit and sharp chedar cheese at at 1 year. Brie and adriatic fig spread, sushi, caviar, fried pork rinds with hot sauce, dates, all the stinky colorful cheeses, carnitas tacos from road-side stands where no one speaks English, crab, Chinese, authentic Italian, Thai food, mussels and clams at 2 years. And you have to cook with them. You have to let them risk burning their little fingers so they can stir the curry. I'm telling you, start them off young or else they will only want McDonalds when they are eight years old. And no Television. None! I used to be an ad-man. I know the power of advertising. It will twist their minds into thinking they need Cap'n Crunch for breakfast instead of French toast made from challa and covered with real maple syrup.

Anyway, 5 years ago, the third and last time I ate at the Olive Garden, I ordered shrimp in a white wine sauce. Ordinarily, this is very delicate fare - the wine cooked with a handfull of chopped scallions just to the point where all the alcohol is burned off, the shimp thrown in at the last possible moment so they do not over cook, a tiny bit of butter to hold the wine and the shrimp together. When it is done right it is almost heavenly. But that is not what I experienced at the Olive Garden. (And what is up with that name? Are they trying to say Jesus would feel comfortable praying there? Let me tell you, the Olive Garden is no Gethsemane.) No. What they brought to the table is almost too horrible to describe. It was a sea of rubbery shrimp-like things wallowing in melted butter. I ate it because I was hungry. When the waitress came back at the end of the meal and asked "is everything okay?" I tried to explain what was wrong, and that I would like to show the chef how to make this dish. She thought I was asking for my money back and said I could not have a refund. I wasn't even asking for a refund. I merely wanted to help them do better. What blindness. They serve what they call "food" and think only of money. There is no love in that kitchen. I have not been to Olive Garden since then. Oh, but let's get back to talking about the wine to go in the lamb sauce.

Now I am not talking port wine. A Graham's Six Grape Porto, as wonderful as it is, is just wrong for this dish. Port wine is too sweet and has too much alcohol. No, what you want to use is something like BV Napa Valley Merlot or a Parducci Petite Sirah. (Notice: These are two very different wines. But they both work becuse they are each full of flavor and complexity.) Once you have poured 1/2 the bottle into the pan bring it to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until the meat has fallen off the bones and the wine is almost completely reduced.
-remove the bones, what is left in the pan is your sauce.
- cook the tagliatelle according to the directions on the box.
- put the tagliatelle in individual bowls, ladle on some of the sauce.

We drank San Pellegrino on ice. The little boy said he wanted still water instead.

So, that was dinner. My wife was happy, so I was happy. And there are leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

Caffine Units: 6
Tobacco Units: 0
Alcohol units: 1
Pills for neck 12
Tenant issues: 1 and it is serious. Probably going to evict someone for threatening another tenant. The problem is that he is a member of a legally protected class. My crazy 'Nam veteran in apartment #3 is easier to deal with than this guy. All he says is "You'll hear from my attorney" and then closes his door. He barely has the money to pay rent. I feel sorry for his family. Talking to the lawyer tomorrow.

Pictures of the First Haircut

The pictures are here.

His mother says that now when he is naughty he doesn't look like a sweet mischiveous angel, rather he looks like a naught little boy. I thought that was hillarious. But now I understand why she had difficulty being stern with him. I have never thought he looked like a sweet mischieveous angel when he was being disobedient. So, even though I didn't want to get his haircut, if the end result is that he is treated with more gravity, I am happy.

Oh, in case you are wondering he says that when he grows up he wants to be a daddy, a welder, a priest, and a back-hoe operator. Given the meager salaries we pay our priests, it is probably a good thing he wants to be a welder and a back-hoe operator.

Pain Through Funerary Plans - A Difficult Day

Last night was full of pain. I took some pills a few minutes before 6 and went back to bed. That might not have been a good idea because my wife could not wake me for church. She said we had a conversation but I do not remember it. Anyway, when I woke up it was ten o'clock and I was the only person home. I jumped into the shower, threw on some clothes and sped down the street to St. Stephen's in Campbell. I got there just in time to for the preist to come out and say "In the fear of God and in love draw nigh". But, having missed the Gospel reading I did not "draw nigh". But at least I got to see the Holy Mystery, and I heard the choir singing as people went to the chalice, and lots of people brought me blessed bread. I got to see my friends Doug and Anna. The chanter who read the Prayers of Thanksgiving at the end of the liturgy had very good diction. I appreciate that.

After church I went to Barnes and Noble. I saw a book that was very wonderful. It was a timeline of world history - a folio, really, not a book. It can be separated from its cover, unfolded, and mounted to a wall. It was originally produced sometime in the 1850's but had been updated to 2005. It began in Eden. It was illustrated with all kinds of neat things: On the bottom edge of the folio one can trace the geneology of Jesus for 4,000 years. (A couple of days ago I think I said something about Shem and Abraham being alive at the same time. According to the timeline, their lives overlapped quite a bit.) In the area around 1,000 - 500 BC were illustrations and ancient commentary on the 7 wonders of the world.

A fascinating thing was the line for the British nation. Its line becomes wider and wider, but it shows the USA breaking off and starting a new line, the same for Cananda, New Zeland, Australia, South Africa, and many other countries in Africa and the Carribean Sea. It again becomes a very narrow line. But there is something else, too. It shows the relative strength of the King vs. the Prime Minister. Beginning with George III the Prime Minister seems to be growing and the King deminishing. And then, after Victoria, the decline of the Monarchy is dramatic. It is an amazing chart.

A sad thing - at one point, the line for Zimbabwe, one of the nations that split off from Britain has this note. "Here begins the rule of Robert Mugabe. He took one of the richest nations in Africa and by misrule has turned it into one of the poorest."

I love my country, but I do feel sorry for the world - Britain no longer has her Empire, her Britanic Majesty is so weak that a bunch of politicians boss her around (perhaps she will rouse herself and give justice to her people), the House of Lords really is not that anymore. As Britain is the mother of my country (Isn't it interesting that almost as soon as we won the war for ndependence we created an office called the President of the United States and gave it all the powers we thought George III had abused?) , I mourn her enfeeblement. The world is a better place for her having been so strong.

After that I went home and there was my wife and the little boy. She had met her sister 1/2 way between San Jose and San Francisco to pass off HP6.

We went and got the little boy's hair cut. It was his first haircut. We was okay until he sat in the chair and the cape was snapped around his neck. His visage grew afraid and he said with a quivering voice: "It's okay for us to just go home now." But once the clippers were turned on he had a good time. He does not look at all like a little baby any more. I'll post pictures as soon as my wife uploads them.

After that we went to my parents house. All of my siblings were there. We had to talk about things like "Do Not Resuscitate Orders", coffins, burial sites, life insurance, wills, and who gets invited to memorial services. (In case any of my mother's sisters are reading this, ALL of my mothers sisters will be invited to be there. We love ALL of you. My mother loves ALL of you.) The law requires three designees for making medical decisions in case the patient can't. Since I am the 4th child I figured I was home free. Then my Dad said, "Well, I have 4 kids. I don't think I can choose which three should be on the form."

I said, "Oh, that's okay. I'm the youngest. I figured it would be Ken, Rebecca, and Mark."

Then Ken said, "No. This is not an age thing. It's whoever they decide."

Shoot! I thought I was home free.

Then we went out for Mexican food. (The Immigration Reform Act of 1965 is the best thing that ever happened for eating in america. In one week I have had champagne risotto, tempura, curried cabbage and dal, crazy-good Chinese, y un chimichanga fantastico.)

Alcohol units: 1 (sangria with my chimichanga)
Tobacco units: 0
Caffine units: 1
Itallian sodas: 2 (See below)
Pills for the neck: 16
Tenant issues: 1


How to make an itallian soda:

4 tbsp. Torani syrup
3/4 c. milk
Carbonated water
Crushed ice

Mix the syrup and milk in a tall glass. Add carbonated water and ice until the glass is full. (Don't try mixing the ingredients in any other order or the milk will curdle.)

Story telling and the ecclesiology of a three year old.

I've mentioned here that I am telling my little boy THE STORY. So far we have covered from Creation through the call of Abram. (FYI: I might be off in left field here but does it looks to me that Shem didn't die until after Abram was born. I might be wrong on the math, but check it out.) The little boy doesn't call this the "sad story" any more. Now he calls it "the long story." And it does take a long time to tell it with any detail.

So, in order to speed up the bedtime routine I've been telling little stories from the life of Jesus. The first was the man lowered through the hole in the ceiling. But he has also heard about Jesus telling his disciples to "lower the net on the other side", feeding the 5,000, healing the centurian's servant, turing water into wine, healing the 10 leapers and only 5 saying "thanks", the Annuncation and Nativity. I think that is all. Like the "Long Story" I don't give all the details at first. But by the third or fourth time I tell the story I'm including most or all of the details.

Yesterday, after telling him the story about the man with palsy who was saved by his friends when they lowered him through the roof to be healed by Jesus. (Luke 5:17-28), the little boy said "Tell me about Jesus nailed on the cross." (Most nights he kisses the Icons in his Icon Corner. One of them is Jesus nailed to the cross.) So I told him.

I started on Friday, just after the betrayal. We went through the beatings, the beard pulling, the trials(I kind of merged the trials all together into one event and didn't say anything about priests. I didn't want him to get confused and think that the priests he sees at Holy Trinity are teh people who tried Jesus.), the crown of thorns, the carrying of the cross...

"What is golgatha?"

"It means the place of the skull. It is where Jesus was killed."...

I told him about the crucifixion...

"Real nails? In his hands?"

"Yes"

About the darkness and the earthquake...

"Why?"

"the sun was so sad it did not make light. The earth was crying so hard that the ground shook under peoples' feet."

"oh."

I told him about the thieves. He got very excited when I told him that Paradise where the thief went with Jesus is like the Garden in the 'Long Story'. I told him about the presence of the Theotokos, and St. John, and the other women at the foot of the Cross. I told him about the angels standing by to rescue him at his command but how he stayed on the cross for us.

I told him about Saints Joseph and Nicodemas asking for Jesus' body, about breaking the legs of the theives, about stabbing Jesus with a spear ("What's a spear?" "Its a long stick with a knife on one end" "oh.") to see if he was really dead. I told him about the blood and water coming out of his side. (He was fascinated by this and wanted to know more. I told him that it is like at church when wine and water are both put in the chalice. He accepted that answer and I was able to finish the story.) I told him about putting Jesus in a new tomb.

By this time I was nearly sobbing, and his eyes were as wide as saucers as he said, in a voice of utter amazement, the most beatiful thing, "Jesus trampled death by death".

And I went on to tell about the myrrh-bearing women, and the angel at the tomb, and St. Peter running to the to see if it was really true, and about the empty tomb. And then I said, "And that is the end. Jesus has come back to life."

And then the little boy said. "Tell me the rest, Daddy."

And I thought for a second. And said, "you're right. There is more. A few days after he came back to life Jesus breathed on his disciples, St. Peter, and St. John, and gave them power to make more bishops by laying hands on people, and the power to forgive sins, and the power to tell others about Jesus. He created the Church."

"Our Church?"

"Yes, our Church."

"Our Church by putting hands on people?"

"Yes, St. Peter, and St. John, and the others went all over the world making people part of the Church."

"Our Church?"

"Yes, our Church. It's the same Church that Jesus made. It is really his church."

"By hands?"

"Yes. Bishops make new bishops by putting their hands on them. They make priests and deacons, too. "

"Did Jesus made Bishop Tikhon?"

"Bishop Tikhon wsa made by another bishop."

"But its our church?"

"Yes."

"Is it Jesus Church?"

"Yes, and you andI are part of it. We are part of Jesus' Church."

"The church with the hands?"

"Yep, all the way from Jesus to Ss. John, Thaddeus, Matthew, Peter, and the others, all the way to Bishop Tikhon, father Victor, and you.

"That's good."


Alcohol units: 0
Tobacco units: 0 (I think there is a trend here)
Caffine units: 1
Pills for the neck: 12
Tenant issues: 4
Contractor issues: 1

Finished the book

We finished the book tonight. Except for 4 chapters I read aloud, my wife read the whole thing to me. Because of the collar I am forced to wear reading comfortably is difficult for me. She is an amazing woman.

I have some comments.............
1) Gee, do you think there could there have been a stronger indication that there will be a resurrection of in the next book?
2) WOW! What an amazing act of mercy on the part of the killer and the killed.
3) I'm glad Fleur is finally accepted by her future mother-in-law. I was as moved by that scene as any thing else.
4) Lavender brown was a much under-developed character, unless we were supposed to see as much of her as Ron saw.

Pictures from the Yosemite trip

As promised, here are the pictures from the Yosemte trip. I view this trip as a scouting expedition. We are going to have to go back for a much longer stay and do lots of hikes, some river rafting, and horse riding.

Of medical tests and Harry Potter

My tests went okay. They had to shave the hair off my chest and stomach to attach the electrodes. It tickled. The cardiologist said there is nothing wrong with my heart that losing 100 pounds and getting regular exercise won't cure.

The MRI was a easy. I dozed off wile it was going on. I won't get the results on that until I hear from my regular doctor.

Athanasia will here about the diabetes test tommorrow. It is suspected that it is just gestational diabetes.

With about 200 pages to go in HP6 I have 2 guesses about who dies:
1) Snape. Because the defense against the dark arts teacher goes at the end of every year, and because he will die instead of keeping his unbreakable oath.
2) Dumbledore. Because in the alchemical tradition this is the white phase and there will be no ned for his character after this book.
If you know who dies, please, do not tell me.

Tobacco units: 0
Caffine units: 0
Alcohol units:1 (1 oz. creme de cacao, neat)
Pills for my neck: 12
Tenant issues: 1
Plumbing issues: 1
Painter issues: 2

Catching up

We have arrived home after our journey across the Central Valley and into the Sierra Nevada, indeed into the beautiful valley of Yosemite.

We left Sunday after Church, and drove to the little valley town of Madera where my wife's grandfather's widow lives. (She is not my wife's grandmother but they are very close.) We went by way of the Bay Bridge and out by the tract house development of Tracy but took the turn toward the place of my birth, Modesto. In Modesto we turned south and traveled along the amazingly dangerous Route 99. (If you are an American, probably 1/3 of the fruit, nuts, and vegetables you eat has been transported along this road for at least a little while as it traveled from farm to market.) Route 99 is four lanes wide, sometmes six, and is loaded with speeding trucks hauling food to markets and fertilizer to farms. No one drives slower than 70 mph on this road. Eventually, we came to Madera. We spent the night there. The heat was amazing. It was 103 degrees (F). The little boy enjoyed playing with the dog.

On Monday morning we left Madera and drove up into the mountains. It was a beautiful drive and I kept expecting the air to grow cooler as we attained higher elevations. But even at 6,000 feet above sea level the temperature was in the 90's.

The drive down into the Yosemite Valley was amazing. I can not even begin to describe it. Waterfalls, soaring cliffs (I had trouble looking up at these because of my neck.), a flat wooded valley floor through which passed a swiftly running Merced River. We stayed in a cabin at Curry Village. We went swimming soon after we unloaded the car. After swimming we tried to take a nap but it was too hot. Then in the late afternoon or early evening we went for a little hike to see Yosemite Falls. (If you are wondering what Yosemite means, I think I heard a ranger say it is a Modoc word that translates into English as "some of them are killers". It was a reference to some Paiutes who were living among the Ahwahneeches people in the Yosemite valley.)

We got back from the falls after the main dining room was closed, and we didn't feel like pizza. So, we went to the general store and bought cheese, salami, and crackers. We ate them as we sat in the amphitheater and listened to a lecture about bears. We saw many bats. The little boy grew afraid of the dark and we went back to the cabin to read HP6, which we had been reading aloud in the car all the way to Yosemite.

The next morning we packed up, mailed off some postcards, and left, but by a different route. We traveled for miles along the Merced River. On the way home we stopped at a starbucks in the the cute little town of Chowchilla and tasted samples of their new green tea frappuccino. I thought it was hideous but the little boy liked it. But he likes anything with whipped cream. I stuck with the iced mocha with no whipped cream.

In Chowchilla we got onto Route 152 and headed out of the San Juaquin Valley and into the Diablo Range. The San Luis Reservoir seemed a little low. I was a little surprized since we had such huge rains late in the spring. Of course, it wasn't as low as it was during the drought of the early 1990's. But I guess you if the canals in the Valley are full (and they are) we can't expect the San Luis Reservoir to be totally full.

Of course, it would be sacreligious to drive over the Pacheco Pass without stopping at Casa de Fruta and loading up on fruit. So we bought lunch at the Casa de Coffee, my wife bought some chocolates at Casa de Sweets, and we even took the little boy on a ride aboard the Casa de Choo Choo.

One not very good thing happened on the way home. My wife checked messages at home and there was one from her doctor asking her to call him. She did. It seems that she might have diabetes. She spent five hours today in a lab getting tested. We do not know the results yet.

When we got home we unpacked and got right back into reading HP6. We only have about 200 more pages to go and still have not figured out who dies. I understand that the last page had the NY Times book reviewer in tears, and she had never even read books 1 through 5.

Today I have been dealing with bad plumbing and bounced checks from tenants. One bright spot was when my friend Don Vladimir called on the phone. The little boy answererd the phone and announced that it was St. Vladimir on the phone for me.

Tomorrow I have cardiac stress test at 9:30 a.m. and an MRI at 1 p.m.

I'll post photos from the trip as soon as my wife uploads them.

I just had to blog this

Okay, I know I said I wasn't going to blog for a while because it hurts. (and it does) But two really neat things happened.

1) I called my doctor this morning and begged for narcotics. He said "Sorry, I can't do that. I need you to feel the pain because it keeps you from grinding on the nerve. That's all that is going to keep you from permanantly losing the use of your arm." But he did recommend that I buy a cervical collar. (I'm wearing it now.) and it works pretty well. Now, I can sleep on my back without freaking out from pain. I love my cervical collar! I get a traction machine on Wednesday!

2) The other neat thing is that we stopped by Barnes and Noble and got HP6. It came with a poster, a green HP6 rubber bracelet stamped with today's date and an owl, and plastic glasses (no lenses) just like Harry Potter's. How is that for cool!!!

Caffine units: 6
Tobacco units:0
Alcohol units:1 (1 oz creme de cacao mixed with 8 oz. San Pellagrino, over ice. Ahhhh.)
Pills for the neck problem:16

Oh, Father Victor said because my wife is great with child and I'm kinda gimpy right now we are not allowed to cook the after liturgy meal tomorrow. So, it is bagles and coffee.

The talley

A few years ago I read a book called Bridget Jones' Diary. It was very funny, and I think there was a movie made out of it. At the end of every diary entry was a tally for the day. I think I am going to start the same thing (Even though it is not even noon.) I'll even start with the three things Bridget always listed: Tobacco, alcohol, and caffine.

Well, now I have an announcement. It is painful for me to type. So, I am going to take a few days off from keeping this journal. I am also going to Yosimite (In its own way that is verry funny. I don't own any clothes that are appropriate for going to a place like that. I'm such a cap-toed oxford and silver cuff links kind of man.) on Sunday afternoon and won't be back until Wednesday. I don't know how I will do riding in the car that long. But it is a trip we have had planned a long time and I don't want to ruin it for my wife and son.

I'll probably make another entry next Thusday or Friday.

Cafine units: 4
Tobacco units: 0
Alcohol units:0
Pills for the neck problem: 8
Tenant issues: 3
Apartments shown: 0
Apartments rented:0
Contractors dealt with: 2

Spiritual Growth

Back when my friend Jeff brought that group of men to my church, one of the question asked was "with the same service being done every week, week after week, how do you grow?"

My answer was that I'm still working on the first Beattitude, that once I get that one down I'll move on to the next. And I said something about being transformed by the Holy Mystery. But I wish I had said something about the Orthodox not having to rely so much on Sunday because of the life-style we live.

I should have said that every day we read the prescibed passages from the Bible, and that we say the Morning Prayers and the Evening Prayers. And if we grow beyond that, we can add the daily readings from Prologue, and pray the 1st, 3rd, 6th, and 9th Hours. And if that isn't enough we can pray Vespers, Compline, Matins and the other services at home. And if we have grown beyond that we can add reading the lives of the saints to our daily practices. And if we have gained everything possible from the Wednesday and Friday fasts we can fast on Monday, too. And if that isn't enough, we can forswear meat completely. And if we think we've grown to that place where we can breathe prayer, we can become hesychasts and pray without ceasing.

But me? I have not progressed to the place where I can benefit from more. At least I don't think I have. I am confident that if I started praying the Hours every day I would very quickly become bloated with ugly pride and tell everyone I know that I am praying the Hours. I'm still struggling with the basics, such as loving my neighbors and forgiving my enemies. Shoot! I'd be happy if I could just remember to check what day it is before I put cream in my coffee. That's hard enough for me.

As for my health issues, I just talked to my doctor. He says I am suffering from severe degenerative disc disease. It is painful but not life threatening. No course of treatment has been decided. Need more tests. Oh, regarding my heart: They don't know yet. I have tests comming up. I've always been good at tests, so I'm sure everything will be okay.

Report from the doctors

They are still doing tests, but it looks like I have 2 things:
1) a damaged C-6 vertabrae
2) a case of cervical arthritis which

both of those are causing cervical neuritis.

All of a sudden I feel old.


In happy news, my wife and I just decided on the menu for the after liturgy meal on sunday

Texas caviar
bbq ribs
corn bread
peach cobbler

pain cont.

i "slept" on ice last night. still in much pain. lots of ibuprofin, acetamenifen, and aspirin consumed. arm is numb and weak. see doctor in 45 mins.

amazing pain

i am typing this with my left hand only. for the last 2 hrs my neck and right shoulder have been packed in ice. nothing i do gives relief.

Rules

All week I have been stuck here at the complex. I can't leave if contractors are in my tenants' apartments. So, from 7:30 am to 5:30 or even 6 pm I have been stuck here. And at night I had family stuff to tend to. But tonight I just had to get out. So when my wife got home I went to the local Barnes and Noble. I read a book about the art of American arms from the French and Indian War through the modern period (Note: Knowing that a slightly overwheight man wearing knee-britches and a powdered wig is the same man who killed 11 of his country's enemies with a steel-edged brass tomahawk in-laid with gold causes one to re-evaluate the the entire symbology of 18th century European fashion.), several very good essays in the leftist Foreign Policy magazine (one doesn't have to agree with an argument to appreciate it), and every page of a book called "Esquire's Rules". This last item was hillarious. It made me wonder what rules I would include in my own rule book for men...

#1 Always open doors for women.
#2 Saying "tall", "grande", or "vente" when ordering coffee makes you 1/16 less of a man
#3 Don't date women who wear clothing with the Playboy logo on it. You don't need the trouble.
#4 Own a gun and know how to use it.
#5 Make sure it is clean, and put it away until needed. (It is rarely needed.)
#7 When someone begins a story with "It was like this..." they are lying.
#8 Wearing capri pants in any situation that does not involve riding a Vespa scooter along the mediteranean coast with a woman you just met riding behind you makes you 1/3 less of a man.
#9 Wearing capri pants in the above described situation makes you 1/8 less of a man.
#10 If the tailor asks "above or below?" the correct answer is "above"
#11 If the drink is a martini and the bartender asks "up or over?" walk out.
#12 There is no shame in drinking sparkling water at a cocktail party.
#13 Read Lamentations at least once a year.
#14 At least 3 times in your life you will need to know how to tie a bowline, or a sheepshank.
#15 When dealing with angry people stay calm and do not show fear.
#17 A dull knife is an accident waiting to happen.
#18 You should not own a dog that needs to wear a sweater.
#19 "You da man" went out when the dot-com bubble burst.
#20 Pie is okay for breakfast.
#21 Do not complain about the food at Denny's. You should have known better.
#22 Neither George Washington nor Abraham Lincoln went to college. Unless you've done greater things than they, don't tell people what degrees you have.
#23 When deciding whom to hire, remember that it is more difficult to graduate from Fresno State in 5 years than from Stanford in 4.
#24 The lottery is the only voluntary tax in California.
#25 Don't carry deadly weapons or you might use them.
#26 Do not befriend men in suits who wear pinkie rings.
#27 When you are in a meeting in Vegas with clients of your firm and an old Italian man wearing a pinkie ring refers to your boss as "Little Joey" it is time to consider looking for a new job.
#28 When police say "anything you say can be used against you in a court of law" they are telling the truth.
#29 When ever you are in court, for any reason whatsoever, the only person you should trust is your own lawyer.
#30 Do not wear wingtips with chinos, jeans, or cords.
#31 In a decent cocktail at least 1/2 of the mass must be a liquor of higher than 80 proof.
#32 Nobody is impressed when your coffee order requires more than 5 words.
#33 Ordering a caramel machiato deminishes your manhood by no less than 10%
#34 Tuck in your shirt and buton your cuffs.
#35 Do not ridicule anyone's religion unless it happens to be Scientology or Astrology.
#36 Be helpful to foreigners.
#37 If you are a Christian you must turn the other cheek when someone strikes you, but it is wrong to invoke the cheek-turning rule when you see the innocent (other than yourself) being attacked.
#38 In the United States the law requires that all Vodka is colorless, odorless, and tasteless. Do not waste money on "premium" Vodka.
#39 Only windsor knots.
#40 Keep jumper cables, flares, and oil in the trunk of your car.
#41 You do not need tires that are rated for over 120 MPH.
#42 Do not have things for the sake of having them, because then they have you.
#43 Call police officers "sir" even if they are only 1/2 your age.
#44 Do not say "scrumptious"
#45 Know when and where to apply a tourniquet. And, equally importantly, where not and when not.
#46 It is not girly to send thank you cards.
#47 It is girly to send thank you cards with butterflies or flowers printed on them.
#48 Riding a motorcycle makes you 15% more interesting.
#49 Do not inflate adjectives. If someting is merely pleasant, do not say it is amazingly fabulous.
#50 Going to see a movie is the worst possible first date.

Imbecile

I heard it again. A man from Scotland Yard was answering reporters questions about the bombings in London yesterday. He went out of his way not to besmirch the fine reputation of Islam as a peace-loving religion. Imbecile.

This is interesting

I came across this. It is about charismatic protestants trying to blend ancient liturgical practices into their services. I wonder if they will end up Orthodox.

Glory to God

Joanna came through surgery. The cancer was isolated! The surgeons think they got it all. No chemo or radiation will be required.

Nigeria

On May 22 "monica davies" sent me an email message:

Hello There,
My name is Monica and I've been looking for an
apartment to rent when I will come to the states
by June, I was your Ad on craigslist and I am highly
interested as the location of your apartment suits
will suit my stay in he staes, I am professional
in the programming field, I work with Oracle
cooperation in Nigeria here and I will be coming ionto the
states to do some things with Oracle US for some months
because it is a database project and might even
last for up to a year so I am looking up to a long term 
rent say 6 months - 12 months. I will like response as
soon as you get this mail because I need to give my
clients a feedback of the progress of securing an
apartmernt with you, so please make it fast.
About payment, I will like to pay with Money Orders
which is very secure for my sake but I will
require a little help from you as for the secutiry fee 
and other amount to show my capability to pay the rent all
theough, you may receive an overpayment which you
 may have to put my balance in an account for me till i
come or you send it here if I require. I will be
very glad if this apartment is still availabe for rent
because apart from some business location, I like
it personally.
So I will need your fulllname and address to mail
the money orders I will be paying with to you if you
wantto lease this apt. out to me.
Hoping to hear from you soon.
Sincerely
Monica
Hope to hear from you soon.


On May 22 I wrote...

Hi, Monica.

I need to know a few things:

1. The names and ages of the propsective tenants.

2. The date they will want to move in.

Also, in order for me to hold the apartment for you I need you to send me exactly $1,500 in U.S. currency.

The instrument should be made payable to Prodesse Property and should be delivered to Matt Karnes, 515 Boyton St, San Jose, CA 95117, U.S.A.

As soon as we receive your money we will hold an apartment open for you.

Matt

Later that same day "monica" wrote to me again:

Hello Karnes,
Thanks for your mail, I will be sending mail tomorrow
depoending.........
I am the only person and i am 35 year old I will be
arriving by the middle of next month.
I will be sending the money orders with more than the
required amount toprove my credit rating for the
renatl and would like you to keep my money for me til
im back or you send it to me here.
Sincerely
Monica


On May 26 "Monica" wrote to me again:

Hello Matt,

I ve been waiting for your mail , did you get the payment yet?

and I replied:
No. I have not received your payment.

And then "Monica" wrote:
Hello Matt,
Im sorry you will receive the payment before the end
of this week or early next week, its a check of $3500
you may deposit it in the bank then when you get the
funds out you notify me so I may know how to contact
my furniture company to get me some furniture for the
apt.
Regards
Monica


June 17
Monica wrote:

Hello Matt,

You are yet to notify me if touve gotten the payment or not.

I responded: I have not received payment.

Today: The UPS man came by the office and gave me a letter
containing  5 counterfet U.S. postal money orders from Miami Florida. 
They were signed by "John Seco"  The return address has the name
of one "williams troy".  The value of the money orders if they
were real would be four thousand dollars. The "money orders" were made
payable to me personally.  (Oh! How they try to suck you in.) 


I checked my email and there was this message from Monica:

Hello Matt,
I am so happy to tell you that you shall receive the
payment this morning and please dont delay me any
longer as soon as you get the payment send the western
union of my balance to this information:
Name : Daniel Dopsy
Address: 12 Osho street Opebi,
        Ikeja, Lagos Nigeria 23401
Thanks a lot for your sincere patience and hoping to
meet you soon.
Monica

I have printed out copies of the above emails
and am mailing them along with the counterfeit
money orders to the United States Postal Inspector.

Surgeries

The results of my mother's eye surgery are amazing. Every day since the surgery her vision has been improving. She can see colors again. She can read again. We are all so happy for her.

Joanna's war against cancer is being waged. She will have surgery two hours from now. Lord, have mercy.

Fireworks

We went to a park, sat on the grass, and watched fireworks. The little boy got so excited that he clapped his hands and said "Oh! Thank you! Thank you fireworks for booming!"

The Man Chosen by God

When my family came to Holy Trinity Cathedral it was just a few weeks after Rob's wife Claudia had died from cancer. We went to the blessing of her tombstone on 1 year anniversary of her burial and prayed for her. The little boy and I visted her grave a few months ago and prayed for her again. We never knew her but we knew Rob and had been in the house where they lived - we knew that Claudia must have been an excellent wife. We hope to see her in heaven or the resurection. (I'm not clear on my eschatology.) But life goes on and just about 3 or 4 weeks ago Rob married a beautiful woman named Joanna.

Well, as any reader of this blog knows, Fr. Victor has been healed of lung cancer. But I still worry. Every time he coughs my heart skips a beat, and I look at him closely to see if he is steady on his feet. (He always is.) But today he coughed a couple of times while serving the liturgy. And then at the end of the liturgy he started talking about what it was like to have cancer and how he loves all of us, and how he relied on us. I was so afraid that he was going to say the cancer was back. Then he said something just as horrible. Joanna has cancer. The prognosis is grim.

After telling us and giving words of encouragement to Rob and Joanna he turned and faced the altar saying, "Again and again on bended knees let us pray to the Lord...." and we all knelt and with tears implored the Lord of Life to heal her.

All I can think is that Rob must be an amazing man to be twice chosen to carry this cross.

One Day, Two Fun Events!

Wow! What a day! This moring and after noon we had a pool party. The little boys godmother, my brother, his wife, their daughter, her husband, their son, my wife, our son, my friend Jeff, his wife, their son, and my wife's friend. I know you are all wondering, What did we eat? Sushi, spring rolls, roasted shallot dip with chips, spicy chicken kabobs, fruit kabobs, iced tea, lemonade, raspberry Italian sodas, crudite with dill dip and ranch dressing, fresh cherries and pineapple, and for dessert my wife made "oysters" out of madelines and ice cream. It was a lot of fun. Unfortunately, I have a bad ear from the flu I had a few weeks ago so I wasn't able to get in the water.

Tonight, my friend Jeff brought a group of men from his church to visit my church. It was really neat. After the Vigil they got a tour of the church from one of the readers and then we walked about two blocks up the hill to a sushi place where I answered their questions for about an hour. I think they enjoyed it. There was one question that was so neat. It was neat because of the sencerity and guilessness of it. One man asked, "What about the 10 Commandments? What does your church think of them?" I loved it! He was starting at the basics and going from there. Later on there were questions about spiritual growth, about the the change in the bread and wine, about Mary, and about relics. But the Ten Commandment question was excellent.

Well, it is late and I am tired. Can't wait for church tomorrow!

Partnership

I've been offered a partnership in the company I work for. It is nice to know I'm well thought of, and I'd love to be one of the owners, but because of the nature of the business (real estate in silicon Valley) buying into the company is very expensive. Much more money than I have.