I’LL HAVE A BLOODY MARY, A STEAK SANDWICH AAAND A STEAK SANDWICH
Easier than writing lots of individual emailsArchive for June, 2008
BEYOND THE BAND OF BROTHERS
I just finished this book last week.
Whoa. It’s written from the perspective of Major Dick Winters, the man who led Easy Company 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment during WWII (the mini-series BAND OF BROTHERS is about Easy Company). America’s victory during WWII is due largely to the intense sacrifice and honor that this small group of men offered up for America’s freedom. The book is written from the man who led them through (FYI-he was in his early 20’s as he led this regiment of 18-25 year olds through brutal battles of war).
As you know, I love America, but moreover I am humbled by the thousands of men/women who have sacrified to defend her (whether in death or in time away from family or whatever). You also know that I have several family members who serve in several branches of government, so it’s personal (well, shouldn’t it be to every American?). So, with that predisposition, I read this book and was amazed and grateful and blown away…the lifestyles of honor, bravery, dignity, justice…they moved me. There are hundreds of quotables from this book, but here are a few of my favorites…
1) re: a night of leave in Paris “I certainly didn’t raise hell, never did, and had no intention of doing so in the future. Why not? First and most important, I had my own conscience to answer to. Next, I refused to dishonor my parents, and thirdly, because I was an officer in the U.S. army. I was damn proud of it and with the rank and position I held. I would not think of doing anything to bring discredit to my outfit, my paratroopers, my boots, my wings, my airborne patch, or to the army.” Can you imagine if everyone nowadays cared this much about dishonor ? Not just in the military, but EVERYONE? Can you imagine if Christians cared this much about dishonoring God (myself included)? Wow.
2) re: leadership, “As a commander, a leader must be prepared to give everything, including himself, to the people he leads. Sound like a principle you’ve heard before? like from the Bible?
3) re: coming upon their first concentration camp (near the end of the war) “By now the men and I were seasoned veterans, but the sights we witnessed when we arrived at the camp defied description. The horror of what we observed remains with each paratrooper to this day. You could not explain it; you could not describe it; and you could not exaggerate it. It did not take long to realize the Nazis were intent on eliminating all of the Jews, the gypsies, and anyone who disagreed with Hitler’s regime. The memory of starved, dazed men who dropped their eyes and heads when we looked at them through the chain-link fence, in the manner that a beaten, mistreated dog would cringe, left a mark on all of us forever. Nor could you underestimate the barbarity of the Nazi regime, even during the latter stages of the war.. . . As I went through the war, it was natural to ask myself, Why am I here? Why am I putting up with the freezing cold, the constant rain, and the loss of so many comrades? Does anybody care? A soldier faces death on a daily basis and his life is one of misery and deprivation. He is cold; he suffers from hunger, frequently bordering on starvation. The impact of seeing those people behind that fence left me saying, if only to myself, ‘Now I know why I am here! For the first time I understand what this war is all about.”
It was a powerful read and I wish that every American under the age of 60 was required to watch the Band of Brothers mini-series and read books like this (yearly?). I just wonder how differently people might view their freedom and maybe their abuse of freedom (mine included).
VILLA LIVING IN THE VALENCIA SUMMIT!!!
I just listed this property last night and I’d like to hear your feedback (and if you or anyone you know would like to purchase it 
)
As you step into this tranquil 1,678 sq ft, 4/2 bath cul-de-sac Summit home, you may feel like you’re stepping into a villa on a tropical vacation.
As you’re drawn in by the neutral custom paint, the 24 inch tile flooring, the calming archway leading into the living room, the multiple patios, courtyards and fountains throughout, the ample dining area, the tastefully themed villa-style family room, you can easily picture yourself entertaining guests either indoors or outdoors with your built in BBQ (with sink and fridge) beside your private pool/spa or simply having a quiet family meal as the gentle breeze flows with the help of ceiling fans throughout the whole house.
Though close to shopping and freeways, you’ll feel like you’re on vacation in this well maintained Summit home! Come home and relax, like you’re on vacation.
This is a traditional sale NOT a short pay! This is also a no zero-lot line home!
HE’S BACK…MY CONSTANT PERPLEXING TV CRUSH
I’ve missed him. He’s been gone for a year. He’s back now and I am gleeful!!!!
I love him because he’s neurotic, truthful, ridiculous, bizarre, childlike, tenacious, highly skilled at what he does, charming in a ‘koo-koo’ kind of way. I want to know him, in all of his bizarre weirdness!. I want to drive around town running errands having ridiculous conversations.
Jeff Lewis: FLIPPING OUT!
OPEN WATER…CERT
So, it’s Monday morning and as I layed in bed and watched the first Meet The Press without Tim Russert moderating (I DVR’d it), I realized that my mind had wandered to the sounds of life under water, wandered to swimming through the towers of gently swaying kelp, wandered to the sting ray that gracefully emerged in the gray blue abyss and beautifully performed under the shafts of sunlight beaming down through the ceiling of kelp, I wandered to instances of Jennene and I silently pointing at all the different beautiful and obscure creatures that are below the water’s surface, I wandered to the feeling of gliding through the water feeling like a welcomed visitor in a strange, complex and highly sophisticated other-world. Then I heard the faint voices of the debating politicans grow louder as they pitched their responses to Obama’s recent decision on public campaign funds. :) NOW, I know why people LOVE scuba diving!
Well, this last weekend, Mike, Jennene and I went to Catalina Island and finished out certification for Open Water Diving. Mike is actually still there as he is getting the next level of cert…ADVANCED (oooo, and we know him!). Mike is actually a complete natural at the diving thing. It’s cool.
J & I did a total of 5 dives this weekend…4 dives with our dive instructor (Mr. Reuben R.) and our other classmates (Rob & John) and 1 dive on our own as newly certified scuba divers! If you need clarification, SCUBA stands for ‘Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus’ … I’m totally an expert now.
It wasn’t all roses getting to the spot now where I absolutley love it. Oh no, my friend. But, it’s true what they say ‘anything worth having is worth working for’ (except salvation…that’s through grace by faith…you know). Here’s the truth about me & getting certified…
POOL DIVES 1st weekend
DAY 1-did ok, but had 2 controlled moments of panic, was confident that I was fine and our instructor wasn’t going to let anything bad happen, but still…
DAY 2-did 6,000 times better because I made a few adjustments to my gear (got the right size BC vest…the small that I wore on day 1 was actually the 15 year old kid’s in our class…had it accidentally switched with mine which was a large…YEAH, not feeling like you’re in a vice…THAT makes a difference. Also, de-siliconed my mask so I could actually see everything our instructor was doing underwater..which also really helps. AND, I put my hair in a pony tail so it wasn’t flailing about in my face.) The pool work was SO much more fun once those minor details were hammered out.
OCEAN DIVES 2nd weekend
Saturday-diving from the King Neptune; LOTS of other divers; fantastic dive master
Dive 1-started out a wee bit rough, I initially couldn’t properly descend, J had trouble equalizing, blah blah blah; our instructor, Reuben, a patient creature, got me down to the bottom and once we all finished, he went back out in the water with J. I can’t even remember what our skill objectives were.
Dive 2-Tons better for me! We did underwater skills (taking mask off, losing our regulators, etc) rescue tows, etc. It was actually really fun and I felt like the ocean was becoming a place I was comfortable in.
Dive 3-Horrible. I had a raging headache going into the dive, there was a super strong current, there wasn’t much to see and I felt like I was fighting an unseen force the whole time. Everyone else has a pretty good time…note to self, ‘don’t dive with a serious headache’.
Sunday-dives were at Casino Point in the marine reserve..specifically for divers/snorkelers
Dive 4-I can’t totally remember, but it must have been fine (overall). All I know is that at the end of that dive, I was certified! There was no music or changing the tassle from one side to the other, but it was rewarding as Reuben sentimentally journeyed through our first day at the pool, afraid to breath through our regulators, to now being able to chill at the bottom of the ocean. He’s sweet and sweet, but mostly sweet.
Dive 5-J & I did our first dive ALONE…without our instructor and without our class mates…just us and the open water! It was SO much better than all the dives combined!!! J & I had clear objective going into the dive (in addition to constantly checking our air and time, we worked on controlled descents, work on buoancy, and making our safety stop at 20ft for 3 minutes) and we had SO much fun!!! It confirms that the big group thing is not my favorite: I like space and no rushing. J was a fantastic dive buddy (!) and I think it was dive 5 that ignited a true desire to dive regularly!
While there’s a million more details…I close with Pros/Cons of SCUBA life…
CONS
1) Requires LOTS of gear, set up, tear down, hauling (upper body strength is a GREAT thing to have in this sport…I can barely type this recap, my biceps are so mad)
2) Requires contortionism skills to get in/out of the wet suits, the booties, the fins, etc
3) Requires mental stamina to avoid gear claustraphobia …had a few moments of feeling like a trapped rat (still can not stomach the neoprene hood…would rather have a freezing head that don that thing for more than 2 seconds).
4) It’s definitely NOT free
PROS
1) While everyone on land was blazing hot in record breaking heat, we were under the water in temps between 50-80 degrees (?)
2) Thoughts of the Creator are abundant as you see so much intricacy in every little thing; I am still amazed that people think it all appeared from an explosion of gases. No, once underwater, understanding the existence of a Creator is impossible to avoid
3) Meeting lots of cool and interesting people through the sport (on land, on the boat, etc).
4) Being near and in water….ALWAYS a great thing!
5) Absolutley NO fear of any aquatic life. Even in murky waters…no fear of sharks, no fear of anything. It’s really hard to explain and really great to experience!
6) Underwater communication provides for endless wonder and hilarity (especially if you’re with J & I)
7) Not just saying ‘Someday I want to get certified’, but ACTUALLY doing it…there is a great sense of accomplishment…and a great sense of the beginning of a new chapter in life!
and finally….
… A great instructor and the lesson in the need to wholly trust him. It’s amazing how you will instantaneously trust a complete stranger with your life because you know he knows more than you and will only do what’s best for your safety AND enjoyment. It’s a great illustration of who God is to each of us…He knows more and wants our best for His glory…and will care for us accordingly…starting with saving our souls…if we stop trying to control our own lives, but rather give in and trust Him.
All in all … A+++ (in honor of Reuben)!
Pics forth coming..I left my camera in J’s bag.
If you’re interested in joining us…we got certified through CALIFORNIA DIVING COMPANY (in Saugus), ask for Lorenzo, he’ll get you started!
REALLY? IS THIS WHAT MY $250/M IS GETTING ME?
Ok, so, as usual, my life has funny moments. The background…
I have NEVER had sinus problems, I have never had ear troubles (except during my recent trip to DC when I coughed so hard I broke some blood vessels in my ears). Last weekend, Jennene and Mike and I completed the first phase of getting scuba certified: book work and pool dives (full gear). So, after Sunday’s pool work, my right ear didn’t clear until late that night. On Tuesday I swam laps for an hour and afterwards my right ear felt wacky again…like I had just gotten out from the pool dive. Hmmmmm, THAT’s a problem since we’re going to Catalina on Saturday to dive in the ocean for 2 days. If you have problems with your ears, you can’t equalize whilst descending which means you should cancel the dive. OBVIOUSLY, I don’t want that…so, I went to Urgent Care tonight to see what was going on. 2 things worth noting…
In the waiting room, I got into a conversation with a woman who desperately believed in socialized medicine…whatever…except that it was like her gospel and she was actively hoping to convert me. Trust me, I am NOT the right candidate for her gospel. To give insight…on the front end, she asked why I didn’t want a reformed health care system and I responded with ‘Cuz I think the government should be involved in as little as possible…’ It ended with her telling me why I was wrong and with me giving her the ‘Oh, ok’ and opening my book and starting to read a new chapter.
Then, when I finally saw the doctor, he concluded that I did NOT have an infection, but that I did have signs of hemorraging in my ears…’normal for divers’ (it was funny how he kept referring to me as a diver throughout our time together). We discussed LOTS about how my ears are sensitive, how sudafed will need to become my friend, and how I just need to really make sure I equalize etc. When I asked him to write some of this stuff down for me, I kid you NOT, he pulled out a tongue depressor and wrote down the highlights of our conversation. He wrote ‘ETD eustacian tube dysfunction’ on one side and ‘pseudoephedrine (Sudafed)’ on the other. I said, ‘Are you writing this all down on a tongue depressor?’ He smiled and said, ‘Oh yeah, I always do.’ Huh. My $250/m premiums and $45 co-pay get me ‘paperwork’ on a tongue depressor? Maybe I should upgrade…to the plan that offers an actual diagnosis on copy paper. But that benefit is probably like $350/m, though.
Is it just me? Or….?
2 THINGS…
1) It’s June 14th and I have yet to turn on the air conditioning for the summer…let’s hear it for the WHOLE HOUSE fan!!!
2) Scott Burns is glorious…please read his comment on my last post and enjoy his wondrously creative mind! (Hey Burns, I just relocated the 50# rock…it’s in my front porch/patio area…I think of you guys often!)
Additionally, it was on Scott Burn’s recommendation that I got the whole house fan installed last summer! Full circle.
I KILLED HER
I killed a black widow yesterday.
I had a suspicion that one lived on my patio (due to the show Verminators!). As I was sweeping/raking/hosing the place down, I turned around and having been flushed from her hole, she sat out in the open on a blank wall…as if saying, ‘I’m ready for my fate. Do what you must.’ So, I did.
Goodbye, Black Widow…and here’s a preemptive goodbye to any others that lurk.
35 + 31= RUTH’S CHRIS STEAKHOUSE
OK, so, as many of your know, as you get older, birthdays get less and less eventful.
In fact, this year we decided to combine my birthday (35) and Eric’s b-day (31-which was today!) and go somewhere that we’ve been joking about going to for years now….Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse in Pasadena. It was eventful!
If you’ve never been there, you should…whoa…
Turns out that Jennene and Eric and I had all been to RCSH before, but it’s such GREAT food, that we were gleefully prepared to throw down the usual $100/plate again. As Providence would have it, they were running a rare special of 2-three course meals for only $89!!!! So, we took advantage of 2 of these specials and shared the following feast, served by our animated server, Stanley…
-Salads: 2 ceasar salads, house salad, gumbo (with shrimp/crab)*
-Appetizers: creamed spinach, potatoes au gratin, fresh broccoli, julienne potatoes
-Entrees: filet, stuffed chicken, 2 3-item entrees (crab cakes*, beef, stuffed chicken)
-Dessert: cheese cake, duo chocolate, creme bruele
(I tried all the seafood dishes too!)
For 2 hours, we paused, groaned, laughed, commented like we were judges on Top Chef…the food was mouthwatering and never ending. We had all worked out hard in the morning and eaten very little all day so that we could enjoy the feast to the fullest. I even had 3 fillings done at the dentist…nothing could prevent us from enjoying such great food. Thanks, God. Thanks for making some food taste really really really good.
The conversation was fun, the atmosphere was nice, the food was …well, you know, and the price was great for all that we got. After we sat back and marveled at the 2 hours, we made our way over to a theatre and saw a really complex and interesting film called In Bruge (disclaimer: there is a lot of swearing and blood). There were some really good themes going on: redemption, sin, guilt, judgement, etc.
It’s probably not for everyone, but certainly it was for us (most of it).
All in all, the celebration of God giving Eric & I a combined 66 years of life on this planet, was an honor to spend with cherished friends (J, E, Ruth and Chris)!
I’VE BEEN SAYING IT FOR YEARS…
As much as I appreciate Oprah WInfrey’s humanitarian contributions to our world, everyone MUST beware of her incredibly subtle false teachings…that are getting less and less subtle as the world gets more and more un-discerning…especially Christians. Like I said, I really do appreciate her as a human being and as a ‘tryer’; trying to do ‘the right thing’ in this world. I have oft prayed for her…for her soul. I think she will be very surprised about how much she’s accountable for when she stands before God for the final judgement…
CLICK HERE for her recent teaching on why Christ really came to earth.
CLICK HERE for her thoughts on how YOU create your own reality..and an example from her own life
CLICK HERE for Oprah’s own words of her own beliefs…stick with it…it’s 6+minutes (youtube it if your want more). While there is some cheese to the graphics etc., the main point of the video should not be overlooked. The narrator’s last line is ‘time to turn off your TV and pray’…I would modify it to ‘time to turn off your tv, read your bible, pray, increase Christ, decrease self’ . . .
CLICK HERE for a response to the Oprah movement, called Don’t Drink The KoolAid (interesting, at the least)
I’ve been saying it for years… watch out for Oprah…she’s probably not the anti-christ, but she’s certainly a forerunner. False teachers are nothing new throughout history. She’s probably just one of the most influential, well-intentioned, false teachers of OUR time.
DENTAL LOVE
2 topics:
1) My dentist and why EVERYONE should love him.
2) My new toothbrush and why i love it.
Ok, so how can I simplify this?
A few weeks ago, I went to a new swanky dentist in Valencia (my former dentist, whom i LOVED, had left his office and I didn’t know where he’d relocated to, hence the new dentist). The new guy was GREAT, spent 2 hours with me, state of the art equipment, amenities like paraffin wax whilst getting your teeth worked on….blah blah blah. After the 2 hour consult he gave me a few recommendations: get my teeth cleaned, consider using a new toothbrush that they sell in their office and a mouthwash that they also sell. Oh, AND, get $2,100 of dental work done on my top fillings…get them all replaced. Huh.
Last week, I went back for a cleaning and the hygenist used to work for my former beloved dentist. We spoke of him with the highest regard and I learned where his new office is. After my cleaning (she was FANTASTIC, by the way), I drove over to my former dentist’s new office. He made time for me and said that he’d give me a 2nd opinion (free of charge). Today was that appt…and now I am COMPLETELY reminded why I LOVE him. He checked all my teeth and gave me his opinion: I only need 3 fillings done (1 new, 2 replaced fillings) instead of the SEVEN that the swanky dentist recommended. The total cost will be $321. Tran offered to write down the teeth numbers so that the other dentist can do just those. No way! I am a Tran Fan till the end!!!! Tran is trustworthy and kind and a GREAT dentist! I get my new fillings on Tuesday.
God answered my prayers…my prayers of ‘How will I pay for $2k of dental work?’. He answered my prayers with my beloved dentist from the past, Dr. Andrew Tran….if you need a dentist (for any reason), PLEASE do yourself a HUGE favor and book an appt with Tran!
NEXT..my new toothbrush…
So, the swanky dentist recommended that I start using a particular toothbrush. I’d wanted an electric one for over 5 years, but have always held off…seemed frivolous. After his pitch and the disclaimer that they can only be purchased at a licensed dentist’s office, I went home and researched it. WHoa! Did NOT know that this is THE toothbrush that dentist’s everywhere recommend. Soooo, I beseeched my trusty friend Ebay and found myself a brand new Rota-Dent for half the price. I use it 2 times a day (sometimes 3) and really do LOVE the way it feels/works, but I did not know just how effective it is until this happened….though disgusting, it was a great example that allowed me to really appreciate it…
On Monday, I forgot to brush my teeth before I left the house (mostly because I used to brush them in my morning shower and so the new routine/electric toothbrush system does not happen in the shower and I seemed to be thrown off). ANYway, it was around 9am (1st period at La Mesa) when i realized I hadn’t brushed my teeth. Other than my breath (which was remedied with a stick of gum), my teeth still felt like I had JUST brushed them (from the night before)…and that’s how they feel ALL the time. It’s pretty incredible! Soooo, though my time with the swanky dentist has come to an end, I am FOREVER grateful for his toothbrush guidance!
GIVE THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT!
It seems that many of you readers enjoy the stories that I live through my substitute teaching experiences. I agree, it’s good stuff. So, here are some highlights/lowlights from my last 3 days subbing for the Spring ‘08 semester. Spoiler Alert: some graphic moments
THE SCENE: 7th grade science classes at La Mesa Junior High; the last week of school
1. I generally don’t look , in advance, at the worksheets that the teacher gives me to handout…in this class, she’s a good teacher and they usually know what to do with the information…so, I learned the hard way that the worksheet topics this time were ‘HIV transmission’….journey with me…
the class is quietly working on their own, I am at the desk reading real estate materials and I get the following questions (and my replies and/or the classmate replies)
Q (nerdy male student)-asked sincerely, ‘Miss Neylan, what’s anal penetration?’
A (me)- furrowed brow, trying to quickly and subtley figure out why I’d be asked this question…as I realize it’s a worksheet question, ’seriously?’
Q-’yeah, what is that?, I’ve never heard of it’ (as the other students are snickering, rolling their eyes, and waiting for me to answer)
A-I tilt my head and regrettably say ‘it’s from behind’, my internal monologue begins the diatribe as to why the state should not be involved in sex ed
Q-’From behind? what do you mean?’
A-neighbor girl student irritatedly says ‘dude, it’s in the butt’…the asker looks astonished and gets that shamed look on his face and giggles
Q-my inner monologue continues with the backwardsness of state ‘education’ and how this little 7th grade boy was just forced into a realm of life that he was clearly not ready for…where are parents? etc etc etc
2. Again, everyone working quietly
Q-(7th grade girl, dressed like a scank with the body of a 22yr old hottie on MTV), asked in a genuienly confused manner, ‘Miss Neylan, it says that one way to avoid getting HIV is abstinence from sex until you’re married…and then only having sex with your spouse. What does marriage have to do with anything? Why are they talking about marriage when they talk about HIV…what do they have to do with each other?’
A-(me) ‘Well, in a perfect world if everyone waited to have sex with just their spouse, very few people would actually have HIV..obviously there are other ways of getting it, but it would be dramatically lower if people only had sex with their spouse..only… ever…’
Q-’but what if you have HIV before you’re married?’
A-’well, again, in a perfect world, you wouldn’t have it before you’re married because no one would be having sex except with their spouse..so they could not have gotten it..well, besides in a transfusion or a needle.’
Q-(genuinely confused and thinking it’s absurd), ‘I just don’t see what marriage has to do with any of it, why does it matter if you’re married?
A-someone else chimed in and she just rolled her eyes and didn’t buy that you should have sex only with the person you’re married to
I also took the opportunity to tell them how powerful the spread of HIV has been (on the heels of having sex with whomever you want)…when I was in 7th grade it was drug education and HIV was RARELY even mentioned because it wasn’t really a problem..so, in just 20ish years HIV has become pandemic…hmmmm, I wonder if it has something to do with the choices most people are making.
3. Again, everyone working quietly
Q-(asked by a mouthy rat male boy), ‘Miss Neylan, why did they name it semen?’ (he snickers)
A-matter of factly, like I talk about semen everyday, ‘mmmm, I have no idea. Why don’t you look it up? MIght want to refer to the ancient greeks or italians’
Q-’oh. well, it sounds like someone who works on a boat’
A-(knowing he’s just showing off), ‘Oh yeaaaah, same sounding word, spelled differently, S-E-A-M-A-N
Q-nodding in understanding, ‘oh’ (clearly discouraged he didn’t get a rise out of me)
4. Last year, I taught an SAT prep class last year after school. The kids were great, hard working, and many of them passed the SAT’s on their first try (with high scores for a 7th grader). One of the girls came in to my classroom on Tuesday and asked me to sign her year book. Awwwwww. While she’s the size of the traveling gnome, she speaks to me like she’s 43 years old. She’s unique in the sea of average 7th & 8th graders at La Mesa. She wished me a great summer, asked what I was doing, thanked me for teaching her SAT class and science classes, and left with her little yearbook. I’m pretty sure she’s going to discover the cure for cancer or HIV or something on par.
5. Alex has trouble doing his work, being respectful, not mouthing off, etc. Alex has this problem EVERY time I teach this class..so for a year I have experienced this behavior. On Tuesday, Alex earned 6 paragraphs due to his incessant disrespect etc. (he started with one, then he mouthed off and earned another then he refused to do them and therefore earned a total of 6). He refused to answer my questions about why he was making these choices etc. I gave him a mini-lecture about righting wrongs, offered him the opportunity to apologize (he refused) etc. He refused so vehemently that I offered to wipe out the 6 paragraphs if he would simply apologize for what he had done (and had always done). He refused on a level that was astounding. I gave him 4 different opportunities to stop writing and just apologize. Nope. He didn’t finish the 6 paragraphs so he earned lunch detention, wherein he was supposed to finish the parapgraphs. Next day, he didn’t have his paragraphs and had to do them in class…still refusing to apologize.
I thought to myself, that this is how I must look to God. He wants the best for me, I do something that is bad for me AND deserves punishment, He offers me a free and gracious way out if I would simply humbly confess it, I refuse and make it worse…huh.
Anyway, if soemthing doesn’t change, Alex has a real rough road ahead of him in life (and so do all the authorities that are in his future). He’s also little in stature, so I’m hoping that he gets his butt whooped by some bullies soon. Sometimes that helps kids like him. Sometimes.
Kind of like how some of us have to get knocked around by life/our choices before we yield to God’s best.
6. A nice enough kid, trying to be cool by wearing long saggy pants with the crotch at his knees (but can’t pull off the gang banger attitude that goes with it)…I watch him as he walks across the room after sharpening his pencil and I chuckle to myself about his efforts to be cool… but dude, saggy pants are not cool when they’re denim white. I kid you not. His ghetto-gang banger pants were white denim. It was like West Side Story, but not. Awwww, he’s sweet for tyring.
Well, that’s it for Spring 2008. I assume the sub stories will resume again in September.
