Holy Week and Pascha

Well, I think this is my first Pascha without my sons Basil and Anselm. Basil is sick with Covid and Anselm is in the Navy. It feels kind of weird.

This morning Kathleen and I attended the Pascal Vesperal Liturgy. She was totally blown away by all the Old Testament readings. After the service she read up on the Assyrians and she and I had a two hour conversation about Elijah, Elisha, Jonah, What are demons, what exatly Hades is, etc. She said she never learned any of this stuff when she was a Roman Catholic.

I baked the Kulich today. I'm worried it didn't rise as much as I was expecting. I hope it is okay.

Kathleen put together the Pascha basket. It was her first time to do it.

She just left for church. This is my first time to not go to the Pashal Divine Liturgy, but I don't think I can stand tonight. My leg and foot are aching much from this morning's service. I have it elevated now and, hopefully, I'll be in good shape for Agape Vespers tomorrow. I'd better be because I am supposed to run the grill for the parish cook out.

Vigils, Holy Week, and Cooking

As regular readers of this blog know, I was making a real effort to attend all the vigils of the Great Feasts this year. Sadly, because of the Covid exposure, and not wanting to take a chance on exposing my fellow parishoners, I had to miss the vigil for Palm Sunday. So, I'll try again next year.

I attended Matins of the 12 Gospels last night at my parish in Saratoga. It was beautiful. Fr. John Takahashi was visiting us. (He must be close to 90 years old now. I love him. When my son Basil was in the hospital he visited him and did a complete Divine Liturgy in his hospital room.) I have heard some people criticize him for his halting reading of the Divine texts but, come on, English is his 5th langage and he only learned it when he was in his 40s! Subdeacon Paul and Reader John sang all the hymns and responses as a bass and tenor duet. It was gorgeous. It was a three hour service that seemed like 10 minutes.

As far as cooking goes, I'm trying some new stuff. Of course, I am still making the epicurious Paskha cheese recipe. It's been setting in the fridge since Wednesday. Yesterday, I made three pork turines. They are also in the fridge but I am worried they might be too fatty. I could only find 1/2 of the ham hocks I needed so I substituted pork shoulder.

Right now, I am making a paté de campagne. Finding pink curing salt was a pain. No one has it for sale in San Jose. After a couple of hours looking for it in stores I called a sausage company and asked them if they would sell me some. They said they use pure sodium nitrate, whereas curing salt is less than 7% sodioum nitrate, and they can't sell it to anyone who doesn't have a license to handle it; it is poisonous. But he told me that I don't need curing salt if I keep the paté refrigerated and eat it all within a week. So, I'm on the chilling in the fridge before grinding stage so I thought I would take a break and write a blog post. I' need to start on the kulich soon.

Basil is still sick with covid so he is quaratineing at his mother's house. I am sad that he is missing all the services and the fun of cooking.

Jordan Peterson

For my birthday back in February Kathleen bought us tickets to hear Jordan Peterson lecture at the San Jose Civic Auditorium last night.

It was very interesting. He was promoting his new book (I didn't know he had a new book.) and lectured based on a chapter in the book which, I think, says something like if you want the best possible life you must abandon ideologies but the only way to do that is if you correctly think of and relate to God.

He started out by talking about different kinds of truth; scientific, historical, psycholoical, maybe more. But he concentrated on psychologicial and showed the psycological truth of several stories from the Bible:

Creation - Yes, God is He who is above all and behind all and calls order out of chaos, and if you do not acknowledge that you have no principles by which to understand the world or by wich order your life. And there is a cost to this: you ave to admit you aren't in charge.

The sacrifices of Cain and Able - Yes, the pursuit of God, He being who is above and beyond all things is worth sacrifices. And sacrifice, by definition is costly, but you have to do it or you don't attain what is better.

The Tower of Babel - Don't try to make anything as high as God because if you do horrible things happen. Here he mentioned Communism as the most deadly ideology ever.

The call of Abraham - Yes - leave your father's tent and get out and live your own life, even if you are 80 years old, its not to late to embrace adventure, and if you don't you will never develop into a whole strong person. And there is a cost to this. You might have someone try to take your wife. You might never have a place to live. You might spend your whole life as a wanderer but that is better than living your whole life in your father's tent.

Finally, after a few more stories, Peterson ended with the story of God sending the plague of snakes after the Israeiltes but then telling them to erect the brazen serpent and that lead to the Crucifixion of Jesus.

It really was a very good presentation. Actually, calling it a presentation might be wrong. It was more like he was trying to figure out what all these stories mean and how he should regard them and how he should live but unlike most people he was doing it in public. But Peterson is still not a Christian. He talks about our God. He talks about our book. He says it is true. But he is not baptized. I know he has been talking with a few Orthoox Christians, among them Jonathan Pageau, the iconographer and youtuber. I think Pageu is very patient. I am sure I would have tried to close the deal by now, whereas Pageu is just a caring friend to Peterson. I have a lot of admiration for him.

GNOSTICISM AND THE LGBTQ+ MOVEMENT

I saw something interesting posted on facebook by a friend of mine. (I won't name him because he is a friend and I want to keep him as such. Also, he is not a Christian so what I'm saying in this post is not directed to him. This post is intended for my fellow Christians to think about.) Many years ago, when I was eleven or twelve years old I heard and believed a heresy from Sunday school teacher. What he taught us, with the help of lots of snazzy charts and diagrams was this: We are spirits That have souls and live in bodies. Of course, any Orthodox or Roman Catholic Christian, and most Protestant Christians, should easily recognize this heresy as Gnosticism. But here is what my friend said, and again, my friend is not a Christian and, to the best of my knowledge, is unfamiliar with the Gnostic heresy; he was merely seeking to explain the sexual ideas that are popular in the larger Western post-Christian society. So this is what he said: a persons identity (whether he thinks of himself as male, female, or other) is located in his mind which, if one is not a materialist, usually means the spirit, while who a person is attracted to (e.g. wants to have sex with) is determined by his heart/soul, and a person's sex is determined by his body. When I saw what my friend said I was astounded. As Ecclesiastes says, there is nothing new under the sun. Of course, I knew before I saw my friend's Facebook post that there was some kind of link to Gnostic anthropology but I hadn't thought it all the way through. Now that my friend explained it I see it clearly. There is nothing that can or should be done to try to convince a non-Christian (they won't believe us) that this idea is an error, but we can and should strive to show Christians that the whole LGBTQ+ movement is merely the most recent iteration of the Gnostic understanding or human personhood. Of course, the Christian understanding of a human person is that we are a spirit and a soul and a body, created by God to be such, in unity without confusion, and forever. But there is a deceiver who does his best to make people think they are not one being, who tries his best to think there is and ought to be confusion between the spirit, soul, and body. It is the demonic idea, the lies the enemey puts into people's minds that must be combatted through prayer and fasting and a liberal application of holy water.

Son #4 and the Maritime Academy

On Friday of last week (this is Sunday night) Kathleen and I took my youngest son, Basil to the California Maritime Academy. We went on a tour of the campus, we saw the TS Golden Bear, looked out over San Pablo Bay, talked about majors, and met some cadets. Basil is sold. He wants to be a Keelhauler and study to be a maritime officer. It is too late to apply for the semester starting in Fall 2022 so he will take some more CSUGE classes at a community college then apply for fall 2023 admission to the academy. He'll still only be 17 so I'm fine with waiting until then. We also went by St. Contstantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church. It is just a couple of miles from the campus. And just a little bit to the west of the campus is some of the best waterfowl hunting in California. I think it is a good plan.

Anne Lamont is 68

Today is Anne Lamont's birthday. She is 68. I have been aware of her for most of my life. I think I first heard of her in 1991. I used to listen to her when she was on a radio show called West Coast Weekend. Back then, every Saturday I listened to two radio shows every Saturday: West Coast Weekend and A Prairie Home Companion (Aired from 1974 to 2016), both on KQED. In the early 1990s West Coast Weekend was dropped by KQED and I thought it ceased production. I remember when Anne's son Sam was born. I remember when she stoppped drinking. I remember when she became a Chrisian. And then she was gone. The radio show where I heared her was no longer. But one day in the early 2010s I was driving through Marin County and came across another radio station (I don't remember the call letters.) that was broadcasting the show! The radio show has changed it's name to West Coast Live. There was a singer in the 1990s named Wesla Whitfield who was on the show almost every weekend. When Garison Keilor brought his show, A Prairie Home Companion, to San Jose back in 1993 he booked Wesla for his show. I thought it was very funny when she greeted the audience with the words, "It's good to be with you on this beautiful West Coast Weekend!" Wow! Anne Lamont is 68 today. I must be old, too.

In other news, my youngest son, Basil spent the night last night. We played two games of chess (We each won one) and he, Kathleen, and I played Ticket to Ride. He beat both of us at that one. We prayed the 9th Hour, we ate dinner, we prayed the evening prayers.

I am sick in bed today and a garden update

I have a cold. And I am shakey feeling. I had a cup of tea about seven this morning. I ate a carrot about 12:30 p.m. Going back to bed now where I shall listen to Ancient Faith Radio.

But before I do that here is the news on the garden. THe last few years th month of March was a busy time in the garden. But a few months ago the HOA board killed the garden. We are very unhappy about it and we are thinking about moving.

Only Nine Shopping Months Left!!!

Today is Annunciation. I took the day off from work and went to Divine Litrgy at St Nicholas Orthodox Church with my youngest son, Basil. It was beautiful. Kathleen went with me to the Festal Vigil last night. So far, I'm on track to attend all the festal vigils this year. To celebrate the Feast today, the only fish day in all of lent, I fried catfish. Kathleen had never had catfish before and was surprised by how light and flakey it is.

So, as this is Annunciation and there are only 9 shopping months left between now and Christmas, it seems a decent respect for everyones schedules requires that I post my Christmas list a little bit early this year. (Last year, after more than a decade of begging, my cousin actually bought the lamp for me! It is beside my bed.) Here is the list:

1. Since I have become active in Boy Scouts again (just to work the council's BB gun and rifle ranges) it would be nice to have one of the red BSA jackets.

2. I no longer have any hope of forming a family band but back when I did harbor that longing I learned to play the recorder and the ukulele. The instruments I learned on were definitly starter models. I think I would like to step up now to someting better: A concert size ukulele from Lanikai or Cordoba.

3. I used to have a fountain pen for writing letters but during the remodel of the house it disappeared. Now I have been reduced to using disposable ball points, and the look of them on paper is not beautiful. I don't want one of those ghastly expensive Mont Blancs. I'm sure I would be very happy with the the Dryden Designs medium nib models.

4. It seems to me that for short overnight excursions, when I don't want to take the trailer-tent and camp kitchen but just want to take a wool blanket and a rifle in hopes of getting a dawn boar, it would still be nice to boil water for a cup of coffee. From what I can tell a Ghillie Kettle looks like the best solution to the problem.

5. I like bow ties. I especially like bow ties from Beau Ties of Vermont Ltd. I like stripes, and patterns, and prints. I like special bow ties for various holidays. I like them in slimline/standard and butterfly/jumbo. They have to be for 19" to 23" necks.

6. A copy of the Antiochian Archdiocese's Pocket Prayer Book. The helps for preparing for Confession are useful.

7. During the last several years I have on various occasions made cakes. But I do not have a cake dish to put cakes on. I think I need one. Regular dinner plates and serving platters are raised around the edges and distort the shape of the cake. A cake plate is totally flat. I don't want anything fancy. Functional is better than fancy. A covered cake plate would be okay as long as it doesnt have a raised lip. Second hand is fine and this link is merely for the purpose of illstration. Ceramic or glass is perfect as long as it works.

8. If such a thing exists, I think it would be nice to have a framed Saturday Evening Post cover but only if it is one of the covers painted by Norman Rockwell. (Please, do not get one that he signed. I just want the picture not the signature.)

9. A simple wool prayer rope in black. I think anywhere from 33 to 150 knots is fine. No facy beads, if possible. No tassels, if possible. Monastery made is preferred but if they are out, as they sometimes are, I guess, any will do.

10. A Jonathan Adler pipe match strike. I bet there are some good deals available on eBay.

11. A license plate frame from the old alma mater.

Thoughts on Other Gods

This week I finished Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda. Conclusion: I am glad the Christian missionaries, people such as Saints Alban, Patrick, Bonifice, and Iraneus brought the Gospel to my ancestors. Living under the influence of Loki, Odin, and Thor would be brutal and hellish; no love, only power.

I had similar thoughts when I first read Plato's Euthyphro and Homer's Illiad and Odyssey back in the 1990s.

Lately, Kathleen's children (Kathleen, I think I've mentined her on this blog, is the woman with whom I live) have been given assignments in school comparing mideival European Christian civilization to the pre-columbian American civilizations, Ancient Chinese civilization, pre-Christian African civilization, pre-colonial Indian Civilization. The lessons are invariably designed to show that the Christian civilization of Eurorpe is inferior to all the other human civilizations. There was no mention in the lessons of the thousands of people sacrificed and eaten by the Aztecs, the thousands of people drowned to the Chinese river dragon-god Ao Shun (敖順), the child temple prostitutes in India and the hideous practice of suttee.

The public schools are captive to the multi-culturaists who, in their effort to correct what is wrong, are also trying to overthrow civilization. This is why I am running for School Board.

Lent thus far

It is Saturday morning of the first week of Lent. It's been busy and fruitful Lent. Kathleen and I have been living in chastity for several months so I felt like I could go to Confession and honestly say I am repenting. So I went to Confession for the first time in almost seven years during Cheese Week. My first opportunity to go to Communuion was at the Presanctified Liturgy Wednesday of this week. So now I am back in the Church!

The job for the U.S. government I thought I would get isn't going to happen. I did not pass the physical. They said I could appeal and have another examination but I'm not going to. It's funny. I thought the F.B.I. background check would be the hard part to get through. I didn't expect my own body to be a problem. I'm just going to keep working as a substitute teacher.

Oh! I almost forgot. I'm running for a seat on my local school board. A woman from the Silicon Valley Association of Republican Women contacted me and asked me to run. So I'm running.

Catching up, a Meal I am Making Today, and Great Lent

While the cake is in the oven, let's catch up.
So far, I have been keeping my resolution to make it to the Festal Vigils for all the Great Feasts this year. Basil, Son #4, has been with me at most of them.
We went duck hunting one last time for the season but got nothing.
I've been working a lot as a substitute teacher. I have to say that all the computerized lessons that students do now because of covid makes being a substitute exceedingly boring. All I do now is walk in, take attendence, and tell the students to turn on their Chromebooks. And that's it. It is so unbelieveably boring. So, I am applying for other jobs. I am pretty far along in the process for a job with the United States: They made me a job offer contingent on the F.B.I. background check.

Kathleen's brother is visiting from Maine tonight. In honor of the occasion I am making a glazed pork loin with candied apples, corn casarole, and a pineapple-upside-down cake.

Basil and I read through Gensesis together. It was a lot of fun. Next we are going to read Exodous. Kathleen and I are reading The Orthodox Church. She was formally enrolled as a catachumen a few weeks ago and we are hoping to be married right after Pascha. Lent is starting soon and I came across this little thing I wrote a couple of years ago. I don't know if I put it on this blog or not but here it is.

Where Lent Comes From
Have you ever wondered where Lent comes from? Did it suddenly appear in middle ages? Is it some kind of pagan thing the Church adapted to it's own use? Nope. It is Apostolic. Yes, you heard correctly. Lent is Apostolic. First century Bishop, successor of the Apostle Peter, the child Jesus set beside him (Luke 9:46-48), and food for the emperor's lions, St. Ignatius of the Church of Antioch wrote: "These things, brethren, out of the affection which I entertain for you, I have felt compelled to write, exhorting you with a view to the glory of God, not as if I were a person of any consequence, but simply as a brother. Be ye subject to the bishop, to the presbyters, and to the deacons. Love one another in the Lord, as being the images of God. Take heed, ye husbands, that ye love your wives as your own members. Ye wives also, love your husbands, as being one with them in virtue of your union. If any one lives in chastity or continence, let him not be lifted up, lest he lose his reward. Do not lightly esteem the festivals. Despise not the period of forty days [e.g. Lent], for it comprises an imitation of the conduct of the Lord. After the week of the passion, do not neglect to fast on the fourth and sixth days, distributing at the same time of thine abundance to the poor." - Letter to the Philippians, Chapter XIII Saint Irenaeus, disciple of St. Polycarp who was the disciple of St. John to whom Jesus entrusted the care of his mother, makes the claim that the fasting preparation for Pascha (Passover/Easter) was a long standing tradition. "For the controversy is not merely as regards the day, but also as regards the form itself of the fast, For some consider themselves bound to fast one day, others two days, others still more, while others [do so during] forty: the diurnal and the nocturnal hours they measure out together as their [fasting] day. And this variety among the observers [of the fasts] had not its origin in our time, but long before in that of our predecessors, some of whom probably, being not very accurate in their observance of it, handed down to posterity the custom as it had, through simplicity or private fancy, been. And yet nevertheless all these lived in peace one with another, and we also keep peace together. Thus, in fact, the difference [in observing] the fast establishes the harmony of [our common] faith." Eventually the Church universally accepted, and established, an inviolate practice regarding lenten fasting still held to by Orthodox Christians. This acceptance was similar to how Christians accepted the various books of the New Testament. “So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letter." (2 Thess 2:15)

Theophany and a birthday.

On Tuesday the 4th Kathleen and I went to Tea at Ten with Father Basil. It was fun. Other than his daughter and the Matushka we were the only ones there. It was a lot of fun. He made a tea cake, the tea was rose, the Archbishop sent a homemede fruitcake (lighter and sweeter than mine), there was some homemade Russian confections. The priest's daughter made orange chocolate liquer balls.

On Wednesday the 5th I went to the festal vigial for Theophany. This morning, Kathleen, Basil, and I were at the Divine Liturgy and filled up our jars and travel mugs with holy water. Basil brought the little holy water bottle I bought when he was a baby. I hadn't seen it in years. It warmed my heart to see him using it.

This afternoon I baked a cake for Kathleen's kids' birthday, which is the same date as Theophany. They requsted steak, macaroni and cheese, and broccoli, too.

Sunday, the 9th Day of Christmas.

Well, it has been a busy Autumn. Basil and I went bear hunting a couple of times (no bears), Kathleen and I went duck hunting a couple of times (no ducks), and there was teaching, and grading papers, and lots of church services.

The best thing or, probably, the most life impacting thing is that we have a kitchen again, for the first time since mid-June. I gained much weight from eating out. I am very disappointed in myself. Oh, well. Now that Christmas is just about over I am going back to no carbs and severe calorie restriction.

We got the kitchen built and the oven installed in just enough time to make fruitcakes in the first week of December. They didn't age as long as I would have liked but the people who received them seemed to enjoy them.

On December Kathleen and I attended church in San Francisco and I got to see my God children. They are so big!!! Tall, strong, and beautiful. I gave their dad the candy and letters from St. Nicholas to put in their shoes on that holy bishop's feast day.

I made a crown pork roast and a bunch of other stuff for Christmas dinner. in the days following we continued the feasting with chili verde, steaks, twice-cooked pork, cakes, pies, and fruitcake. On the 7th Day of Christmas we had some neighborhood kids over for Fr. Basil's flaming Christmas pudding and some games.

My son Anselm was given 10 days leave from the Navy. Oh he has graduated from submarine school and is awaiting orders to go to another school for something electrical before they put him on a boat. While he was here with me we went to church, went clay shooting, ate a lot, watched Christmas movies, played games, etc. He just flew back to the Navy today.

Christmas was pretty amazing, kind of a follow up to Thanksgiving. On Thanksgiving, Athanasia, Kathleen, her children, Basil, and I spent Thanksgiving together at the Great Wolf Lodge in Manteca. It was so much fun that we all spent Christmas together. Yes, after Divine Liturgy on Christmas, we all opened presents and ate dinner. I put together a charades game where everyone had to guess the names of bizarre Christmas movies such as Santa Clause Conquers the Martians and Silent Night, Dealy Night. It was much fun. So far, I've been able to achive my goal of attending all the festal vigils for all the Great Feasts since the indiction. I am super happy about that, not because its some kind of great achievement but because the services are so beautiful and overflowering with pure theology. They are my favorite of all the services in the Orthodox Church.

Something very wonderful happened at church this morning. Kathleen, together with her son became a catachumens. She was surprized by the exorcisms. She said she met with the priest and he said he is going to "put her on the fast-track to baptism."

Bay Area Orthodox 2021 Christmas Services for Parishes Using the Revised Julian Calendar

I am posting this in early November and some parishes do not have the December calendars updated yet. Check back here as we get into December


Holy Trinity Cathedral (Green @ Van Ness, San Francisco)
-not updated yet

St. Nicholas (Saratoga)
-not updated yet

St. Demetrios (concord)
-not updated

St. Basil the Great (San Jose)
-not updated yet

Holy Trinity (Brotherhood Way, San Francisco)
12/23 9 a.m. Royal Hours
12/24 10 a.m. Vesperal Liturgy
12/24 9 p.m. Matins
12/24 10 p.m. Divine Liturgy

St. Christina (Fremont)
-not updated yet

St. Nicholas (San Jose)
12/24 9 a.m. Royal Hours (livestream only)
12/24 5 p.m. Vesperal Liturgy
12/25 8:30 a.m. Orthos and Divine Liturgy

Redeemer (Los Alto Hills)
-not updated yet

St. Stephen (Campbell)
12/24 8:30 a.m. Royal Hours
12/24 9:30 a.m. Vesperal Liturgy
12/24 9 p.m. Festal Orthros
12/24 10 p.m. Festal Liturgy

St. Nicholas (Diammond Heights, San Francisco)
-not updated yet

Holy Cross (Belmont)
-not updated yet

Annunciation (Valencia, San Francisco)
12/25 9 a.m. Orthros
12/25 10 a.m. Divine Liturgy

St. Nicholas (San Anselmo)
-not updated yet

Resurrection (Castro Valley)
-not updated yet

St. Michael (Concord)
-not updated yet

St. James (Milpitas)
-not updated

No Crabs on the 15th

As regular readers probably know, dungeness crabs are on the menu every November 15 for the start of the Nativity Fast. This year, though, the opening of commercial crab season has been delayed and the newspapers are saying there won't be any crabs in the markets on on the 15th. So, this year, for the first day of the fast I am thinking about oysters or maybe, since the 15th is fish day this year, I'll make grandfather's cioppino but substitute other fish and crusteaceans for the crab. That is, if I have a kitchen to work in.

Another Bear Hunt and Hallowe'en and the Garden

Late this afternoon Basil and I got back from another bear hunt up north. Except for a period of three hours it either rained or snowed the whole time. We did see one bear but it saw us first and dissapeared into the forest before we could take aim.

On the way home we stopped at a pumpkin patch and bought pumpkins. It was the first time since 2006 that we didn't go to Farmer Bob's over in Half Moon Bay. Sadly, there were no trick-or-treaters in my neighborhood.

The garden was in bad shape when I got home. Cats have ruined all the beds. Thankfully, the can't get into pts where eggplants and watermelons are growing.

Last Day at Bass Pro Shops

After 28 months at Bass Pro Shops today was my last day. It was a lot of fun and I took full advantage of the employee discount. It was nice to have three different managers come to me and ask what they could do to get me to stay but it was time to leave. I did everything there I set out to do. I'll sub for Gilroy Unified School District from now through Christmas. I don't know what I'll do after that. Something fun, I am sure.

In other news, we have a shower again. And the stove was delivered today, though it is not yet installed.

Duck Season and Remodel

Duck season stared on Saturday. Kathleen and I went out to The Delta and put the boat in at Holland River Marina. The sky was blue, the air was warm, and the wind was calm: all the wrong weather for waterfowl hunting. I got no ducks. Kathleen got one. It was the only one we saw. We saw two giant flocks of geese but they were flying way to high to shoot at. We met some other duck hunters at the marina when we were leaving; no ducks for them either. I saw more river otters and seals than ducks or geese. I'd really like to have a houseboat on The Delta. I should look into how much it would cost.

On Sunday we got up and went to church only to learn when we got there that the priest was sick. So we zoomed across town and visted Archangel Michael Serbian Orthodox Church. It was our first time to visti them. Their priest is funny. They seemed to be having classes for children during the Divine Liturgy. I'd neve seen that before. I wonder if that is the usual Serbian practice.

Today (Monday) the stove that was ordered several months ago was supposed to be delivered. I missed work to be here and receive it but at 7 p.m. tonight the company called to say their truck broke down. This is the third time they attempted but failed to deliver the stove. The first time it was the wrong stove. The second time it was a damaged stove. I am not impressed.

The contractor who was supposed to have had the kitchen rebuilt by last Friday was a no-show again today. Thursday and Friday of last week they showed up and left after an hour. Today one guy showed up and left after 1/2 an hour. They don't speak English so I can't ask them what is going on. The contractor hasn't returned any phone calls since last Thursday. I am worried. The bathroom floor and the countertops are supposed to go in tomorrow but the kichen, including the moving of a gas pipe, isn't finished. All of these men are going to be in each others way all day, if they show up.

We do have the refrigerator in now. So that's good.

Basil came over Monday (It's 3 a.m. on Tuesday right now) and helped me clean the guns in anticipation of next weekend's bear hunt and to help me get the old stove out of the house. We tossed it off the second floor balcony because we didn't want to damage the walls in the stairway. We got pizza. He's asleep downstairs now.

I've Got You Under My Skin x 4 (Saturday Soundtrack)

There are a lot of versions of this song. The Four Seasons had a #1 hit with it, Etta James and Carly Simon recorded it. And I've always loved this song.

Sadly, I can't find a video of Martin Short on the the David Letterman show in the early 1990s when during the interview segmaent he just took over the show with a crazy over the top parody of a 60s lounge singer. In a way it was a tribute to Frank Sinatra. It was brilliant. Nevertheless, here are the 3 I could find. .

This first one is, probably, the one with which most people are familiar. It's the first version I remember hearing. It's Frank Sinatra ( remember where I was when I heard the news that he had died.) singing Nelson Riddle's big band arragment. This concert wass in 1974 but as late as 1990 I heard Sinatra introduce the song by saying, "Here's a new arrangement by Nelson Riddle." Sometimes, while performing live Sinatra would change the words but from what I can tell, he was always spot on with the timing and phrasing. He never diviated from this arrangement. Oh, the trombone solo in this performance was played by Urbie Green. But I don't think he ever recorded with SInatra in the studio.



Around 1998 I was in Barnes And Noble bookstore sampling CD's (Remember those? I wish we could still buy them. I have no idea how to buy new music now. I guess, Apple wants me to do something with iTunes but I have no desire to learn new software.) and I came across a CD called "Love Scenes" by Diana Krall. WOW! At the time, I was living in a rehearsal room at at the Petite Trianon in San Jose (It has since been converted into a church where my brother-in-law is one of the pastors.) and would fall asleep to the CD every night. So when her 1999 "When I look In Your Eyes" came out I had to buy it, too. That CD had her recording of I've Got You Under My Skin. It totally changed the way I thought of the song. The guitar reminds me of a soft bossa nova and, as always, you can almost feel the piano keys on your finger tips. I understand she is married to Elvis Costello. I'm looking forward to getting to hear their kids sing when they grow up.



This final version of the song is by Storm Large, a singer I've seen around performing on her own and with various bands (I first heard her singing with Pink Martini) I thought she was a good singer of torch songs but not a jaw dropping amazing performer. But then I saw her audition for America's Got Talent. She wasn't just singing. She deserves acting credit too. Her reinterpretation of this song is a complete 180 from Krall's. It is astounding.

Covid-19

A few days ago I was exposed. Yesterday after subbing I was feeling pretty bad. Burning in my chest, chills, muscle aches, slight cough. So, I called in sick to Bass Pro Shops where I was going to work at night, and went by my doctor to get a Covid-19 test. The results aren't back so I didn't go to work at the school this morning or at Bass Pro Shops tonight. I hope the results come back soon and say I don't have covid. I don't want to miss any more work.

A 7th grade science and math teacher I subbed for last year wants to use me again next week. I talked with her today to go over the lesson plans and she asked me me to give my talk on Aristotle and the laws of identity and non-contradiction to her students. She said that last year her students really enjoyed it and that they used it for the rest of the year. Based on that, the things that are in her classroom, and the things that are not in her classroom I think she must be a Christian. But I don't feel anything so I don't want to ask her. Well, regardless of whether or not she is, it makes me happy that she wants me to give her students a tool to recognize Truth.

Update: I got the test results. They are inconclusive so I have to get another test on Monday. The said I have some Covid RNA in me but they don't know if I'm getting over it or just catching it. Until the resultd from the new test I have to act like I'm contageous.

Another update: I don't have covid. The rna in my blood was from the vaccine. I just had a cold.