24 and Star Trek

I have been a Trekkie ever since I was five years old. I have seen every episode of the original series at least 10 times. Of course I have watched all the other series as well. Last year I became a 24 fan and tonight's episode made me realize that people who write this show must also be Trekkies. McGill, head of CTU, was going loony in tonight's episode and accusing everyone of trying to sabotage him, and he was ignoring the need to get vital information to the Secret Service. Audrey and Curtis do an end run around McGill and call him unfit for duty and take over CTU. Now flashback to any number of Star Trek episodes and replace McGill with Captain Kirk under the influence of some strange evil alien, and replace Audrey and Curtis with Dr. McCoy and Mr. Spock. Dr. McCoy was always trying to find a way to relieve Captain Kirk of duty when he felt things were getting out of hand. Some things never change I guess or good plots and story lines are just hard to find. Nevertheless, I like 24 because there's a lot of great sci-fi type technology in use and the good guys are good and the bad guys are bad. Except for tonight's episode I usually can't figure out what's going to happen next. What a great show!

Things That Happen During the Night

Our church sent us a lovely bouquet of flowers this week to offer their condolences for our loss. Each morning it was fun to see this beautiful orange lily slowly open day by day. On the day I expected to find it fully opened it was horrifying to see that someone had chewed off one of the flower petals. Norm insisted it was not him so we figured it must've been one of the cats. It wasn't that way before we went to bed the night before, so during the night something happened. My oldest cat, Miss Ellie, would never do such a thing because she knows not to get on the table and she would rather catch birds than eat flowers. Now my other cat GG is totally interested in whatever is on the dining table and has been known to drink out of my water glass. I've prevented that from happening anymore by covering my glass with a piece of tinfoil. However, it seems that she could not resist the beautiful flowers. It's been two days since it happened and she's not shown any signs of being sick. I guess lilies are not poisonous. Silly cat!

Things You Will See at the Drugstore

My doctor's office called today to inform me I tested positive for H. pylori bacteria which can cause stomach ulcers or stomach cancer, so they ordered more medication for me. Yikes! So off we go to Walgreens where Norm likes to use their drive-through pharmacy pickup window. We get to the store and I tell him I want to go inside because I need to discuss this medication with a pharmacist and I don't like doing it from inside the car. While we are waiting in line to speak with a pharmacist there's a man in front of us leaning into the window discussing his child's medication. He must've been a construction worker because his butt crack was showing. Norm and I gave each other knowing looks. After my conversation with the pharmacist, we're walking down the aisle and not 5 feet away from the pharmacy window I hear Norm groaning behind me. "Yeah, I see that one too," I said, because right in front of us was a woman crouching down to look at something on the bottom shelf and low and behold we saw her thong underwear sticking out of her pants. On the way out to the car I tell Norm we would have never seen those lovely sites had we used the drive through pickup window! Norm assured me he would have rather not seen them and I must admit I feel the same way. Please, all you people who don't pull your pants up all the way or wear low risers -- at least have the courtesy of wearing long shirts that go below your waist by at least 6 inches! Thank You.

The Visitation

Despite yesterday's events I am feeling so much better today. Because of that I decided to go with Norm to the visitation for Madeleine at the mortuary. I didn't really know what to expect because I've never been to one before. Norm and I arrived early so we were able to see her alone. She looked absolutely beautiful and for a brief moment I half expected her to open her eyes and look at us. For me it was definitely a "moment of closure" experience. The room we were in at the mortuary was beautifully furnished and there were fragrant bouquets of flowers all around the room that were sent by family and friends for the occasion. Old photographs of Madeleine were displayed around the room. She was quite a beautiful lady during all of her years. One by one family members and friends of Madeleine showed up to pay their respects. Norm's brother Fred was there. This was the first time that I met Norm's niece Beth and his nephew Will and Will's wife Carrie, all of whom live in Tucson. Norm's other niece Karen and her husband Gavin, from San Diego, were also there and it was good to see them again. Several of Madeleine's friends from her church came, all but one of whom we had met before. Most of her friends were as old as she was and many of them have passed on before her. It was a precious time viewing Madeleine in a very peaceful setting. Tuesday Madeleine will be flown to Denver for burial on Thursday morning. Her husband is buried there and she has a plot next to him. Norm's brother Fred and his children will be going for the graveside service. Norm's sister Sandra and her two children, Amy and Eric, will be there as well since they live in Denver. We are not going because of our health and the cold climate of Denver this time of year. There will be a memorial service here in Scottsdale on March 2 at St. Barnabas On the Desert Episcopal Church which she attended for probably 30 years or more. Norm and I will definitely be at that celebration of the life of his mother.

Happy Birthday to Jack

Though we are only 16 months apart in age and he has been taller than me ever since I can remember, he's still my little brother. (This photo was taken last October when I was in San Diego.) Jack turns 40 today and I wish I could be with him. He's giving the sermon this morning at my dad's church in San Diego. Our dad has always expressed his love and appreciation for both my brother and me, which is what a father should do to nurture his children. This morning I think my dad has outdone himself with what he wrote in this Sunday's bulletin for his church. I have copied it below:

FROM THE PASTOR I am sure all of you know by now, Jack Jr. turned 40 today so we want to wish him a happy birthday! While he is my son and therefore I could be accused of being a little prejudiced, yet I want everyone to know how proud Dixie and I are of him. Not because we are his parents or because we think he does everything right, but because we are seeing the development in him of traits that come, not from his earthly parents but, from his Heavenly Father. To be honest about it I am also proud of everyone of you when I see that development taking place in your life. It is an awesome thing to watch God change people -- to see his hand in their lives. This is a process and each of us need to allow room in people's lives for that development to take place. As a part of my philosophy of ministry you have heard me say that I believe God can clean His own fish. He does not need me to do His work for Him. He may use us in that work as an instrument of His grace but we must be certain it is Him, and not us, trying to tell others how to run their lives. It is delightful to see God changing lives. His change takes place as we come to know Him better. When we understand how much He loves us, how much He cares for us, it changes us. I can remember as a young man the respect I had for my own father. I know that I kept out of a lot of trouble because I did not want to hurt him. When I was in junior high I asked him if I could go some place I knew he would not want me to go -- thinking that, when he said no, I would go anyway -- I know you would never believe I was ever that way. Instead of saying no, he left the decision up to me. That blew me away but the decision was mine and I knew he was going to love me either way, even if I disappointed him. I have discovered the same in my relationship to my Heavenly Father. Today I try to make decisions that will not disappoint Him, but He loves me even when I make poor choices. He may be disappointed but He does not toss me out. He restores me. Thank you Jesus! Blessings, Pastor Jack BTW: I love you son!

It's Official

What I thought was just a simple cold has turned out to be bronchitis. I started feeling congested yesterday and rather achy, but this morning was far worse and my chest felt very tight. Been there done that -- so I knew I needed to go seek medical help. My wonderful husband Norm took me to the ER since they wouldn't even look at me at the urgent care place we normally go since they couldn't do a chest x-ray. We got right into the ER which rather surprised me, but the fact that I was having difficulty breathing normally was probably the reason they put us right in. After listening to my lungs and hearing no breath sounds on the left side, they gave me a nebulizer breathing treatment which had a good effect. They suspected the flu so they stuck something up my nose, which was extremely disconcerting and rather painful, so they could collect a swab to test for influenza virus. I'm really not a cry baby and I usually handle things pretty well, but after that procedure all I could do was cry. Norm is really good at comforting me when I'm not feeling myself. This is a good trait in a husband. Then three different people tried to extract blood from my arms to no avail. After a chest x-ray confirmed it was not pneumonia, the doctors decided I need not endure any other torture that would be necessary in order to draw blood. I was sent home with a prescription for Levaquin, which is an antibiotic, and albuterol for my nebulizer unit. Both Norm and I are so relieved that I did not have to be hospitalized! So now I'm home and I've had a breathing treatment again. I've had this before and it's not fun but with breathing treatments and medication I can usually fight this at home. I don't like getting sick and the timing is never good, but tomorrow there is a visitation at the mortuary for Norm's mother. Unless I feel a whole lot better I don't think I'll be there which is really a bummer because I want to be there for my husband. Thank you to everyone who has left sympathetic comments or sent e-mails of encouraging words regarding the passing of Norm's mother.

She Will Be Missed

Madeleine, Norm's mother, passed away early this morning. She was 92 years old and had lived a good life. She will be missed by us and all who knew her because she was a dear sweet lady. Norm and I are comforted with knowing that she is now with God and will be reunited with her husband who passed away over 40 years ago. She was a good mother-in-law to me and a wonderful mother to Norm and his brother and sister. I have many fond memories of Madeleine and even now I can hear her laughter over one of Norm's jokes. She had a good sense of humor and between her and Norm we were always finding something to laugh about. That's a wonderful memory to have about someone.

Valentine's Day 2006

My wonderful husband Norm surprised me with a cute card today. I didn't get him one but I did find this: go make your own here.

Oh the Fun of Web Cams!

Last week was my darling niece Hannah's birthday. I was able to do a web cam experience with my brother and sister-in-law and their family of three little girls. Watching Hannah open her birthday presents was a lot of fun and seeing Mackenzie ham it up for the camera was really cute too. However, the highlight for me was when baby Zoe, who is only 15 months old, recognized me on the computer and started saying my name -- "KK!" It's wonderful to be a part of their lives even though I'm so far away.

Pride and Prejudice -- Movie Review

My wonderful husband Norm and I saw this movie a few weeks ago. I thoroughly enjoyed it although I have to admit that some of the audio was a bit hard to follow because it seems that they talked really fast. One of the things I liked about the movie was the dancing sequences. It was kind of like square dancing although much more elegant and refined. It would be cool if we danced like that today. Lots of fun to watch and it wasn't all about showing off your body. The story was interesting and definitely showed how easily one can be fooled by their own pride and prejudices. Even though it was a chick flick Norm said he liked it too. We both recommend it.

A Good Woman -- Movie Review

This one is a rather artsy film based upon an Oscar Wilde play entitled "Lady Windermere's Fan." An interesting story set in the 1930s on the Italian coast and the scenery is beautiful. If you liked An Ideal Husband or Enchanted April you will like this one too. The story involves an American woman who depends upon the "kindness" of wealthy married men to pay her way so she can live it up with the rich and famous. The story has a twist and will get you involved rather quickly. I won't go into the plot because you'll enjoy it more if you don't know what's going to happen. I dragged Norm to this one but he thanked me afterwards because he got a kick out of it. Either that or he was thoroughly intoxicated on the package of red vines we shared during the movie.

What if other things in life were like American Idol?

I must admit I've never been interested in this program but lately have seen bits and pieces of recent episodes of auditions in big cities. It seems odd to me that hundreds of people who cannot sing in tune would tryout for the show and then be so disappointed and angry when they were told you can't sing. As I pondered the whole concept of American Idol, I started thinking what if they held auditions for jobs like neuro surgeon or nuclear physicist in the same way they do for American Idol. Could you imagine this scenario? A potential candidate for neuro surgeon goes before the panel of judges expecting to get the job in spite of the fact that he or she has not gone to medical school and they have no understanding of human anatomy and cannot stand the sight of blood. Or how about the person who applies for the job of nuclear physicist without any comprehension of higher math let alone an understanding of nuclear physics and never even heard of Albert Einstein. Maybe that would make a good reality show? Remember you read it here first.

I Am a Hopist

Yes, it's Wednesday but I'm still thinking about Sunday morning. Our interim pastor, Dr. Michael D. Richardson, gave a moving sermon entitled "Hope Inspired." Things are ugly out in the world this week so I'd like to summarize a few things from that sermon and share it with you so you too may know. Please read the whole thing and know that I don't want to sound preachy, but when something inspires you just have to share it. The apostle Paul writes to the church in Thessalonica: "We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 1:2-3 NIV) Endurance inspired by hope. That sounds like something I want. Here are some other scripture references on hope: Romans 4:18; 5:1-5; 8:23-25 and Hebrews 11:1. Please go read these for yourself. You can use an online Bible at the Bible gateway. What is hope? The infectious, outlandish, confident expectation of a manifestation of the goodness of God. What is the relationship between faith and hope? 1. Hope feeds our faith and prepares the way for its expression. 2. Faith is the foundation of hope. 3. Faith is the starting point but hope is the anticipation. 4. Faith is the declaration and hope is the extrapolation. 5. Relieve your faith by acknowledging hope. 6. Doubting the goodness of God dilutes your hope and faith. How do I feed hope? Psalm 27 gives us a good example (read the whole thing for yourself). Praise, prepare, seek, declare, cry out, remember, and wait. Where hope leads: Colossians 1:27 "To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Which are you? An optimist? A pessimist? Or a hopist? A hopist believes in the infectious, outlandish, confident expectation of a manifestation of the goodness of God. This is the part I like the most. I have always struggled with this idea of being an optimist or a pessimist because I never know how to answer that -- except that I am a realist. If one is an optimist what are they placing their faith in? You can be optimistic about many things but I don't think it really gives you hope. Without hope life is miserable. There have been times in my life where I have been without hope and it is not a place I want to be. The confident expectation of the manifestation of the goodness of God can only happen if the foundation of my hope is my faith in God. There may be times when I'm disappointed because I don't see things happening the way I would like them to, but that doesn't mean my hope is gone. David writes in Psalm 27:13 "I'm still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. What a statement -- when you think about it he's not referring to something that happens after death. He's talking about seeing the goodness of the LORD while he is alive. It happens and that feeds my hope. Do you know this kind of hope? It comes from a relationship with God by accepting the gift of Christ. And I pray just as the apostle Paul -- "May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word." (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17) When Norm and I were discussing the sermon after church on Sunday he pulled one of his Norm-isms. He said that he thought a hopist was one of those Native Americans tribes in northern Arizona. LOL that's why I love him so much.

So Now I'm an Expert

This morning I received the following e-mail from ExpatEgghead (an Anglo-Saxon Brit married to an Israeli living in the Holy Land): My blog was tagged for the 'Meme of Four' and my co-blogger took up the slack. I was uncertain what the term really meant so I googled for it and your blog came number 3 out of 5,240,000 using the search term 'meme of four'. As a now appointed expert site on the subject could I ask for a few tips please? Regards Adrian After I finished laughing at the thought of me being an expert on this subject here is what I wrote in reply: Adrian, Nice to meet you. So now I'm an expert on the subject? That's funny. Here's a post I wrote on "What Is a Meme?" to answer my mother's inquiry. (Mom doesn't blog but she reads mine faithfully.) Actually, I've only responded to two memes since I started blogging back in April 2005. I must admit that I had to look up the term meme on Google myself in order to know what it means. The only reason why I participated is because I was tagged by a fellow blogger whom I admire and I did not want to disappoint her. However, once I looked at the "Meme of Four" it intrigued me enough that I wanted to respond. It is rather strange though that this "Meme of Four" seems to have made itself quite popular in the world of blogs because I am reading it on so many blogs that have no correlation with each other in terms of type of blogger or blog content. The fascination with memes is that it is flattering to think that others want to know more about you. Isn't that why we all blog to begin with? A desire to be known and to know. I think that's what these meme games are all about. You asked for tips on dealing with memes so my response is this -- have fun with it. Warm Regards, Karen of Scottsdale Blogging is so much fun and you get to meet the most interesting people!

Pizza Pizza Update 2

Regular readers will remember my disappointment with finding good pizza in Scottsdale. See these posts for background information: Pizza Pizza and Pizza Pizza Update. I'm happy to report that Patsy Grimaldi's Coal Brick Oven Pizza has successfully restored my faith in their wonderful pizza. This afternoon Norm and I dined as a guest of the restaurant operations director. Our meal was delicious! We started with a mixed green salad of romaine lettuce, oven roasted red peppers (on the side), red onion, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms and vinaigrette dressing. Then we enjoyed a pizza with fresh mushrooms and extra mozzarella cheese. Norm had their iced tea and I had a Pepsi with lemon. Chris, our server, did an excellent job and made our experience fun. We will definitely be returning to Patsy Grimaldi's. Our only disappointment was that we did not get to meet Eric the operations director. Perhaps we will meet another time. While enjoying our meal I reminisced with Norm about my early memories of pizza as a child. My family used to go to Pizza Hut quite a bit and I always had Pepsi with pizza and to this day it seems like the right combination. Back in the 70s Pizza Hut wasn't too bad. Let me assure you that Patsy Grimaldi's is far superior to Pizza Hut.

Technical Difficulties

Update 2/5/2006: The problem has been solved and the archives are working just dandy! If you have tried to view the archives for October through December 2005 you will find they are not working. I'm waiting to hear back from my web hosting provider as to what could be the problem and how to fix it. More later...