Blog Archives - The Land of the Weird

The Land of the Weird

Counting Calories

7/17/2018

When we started using FitBits back in February, one of the portions of the app that really opened our eyes was the food journal. Simply scanning a package would give us the nutritional information on what we ate, especially the calorie count. If there was not a barcode to scan, we could type in the name of the food and often either find the exact item already inputted or something relatively close.

This feature had a profound impact on what I was eating. As I was also tracking my weight and activity levels, I was able to tie the three together to give me an accurate picture of what I needed to do better and which sorts of foods to really avoid. (I was really surprised to find that one of the worst offenders was pizza). This didn't mean that we gave up the foods that we loved, just that we became more conscious about how much of them we were eating.

The end results are not much of a surprise: to lose weight and feel better, I needed to moderate what I ate while staying active. The weight loss was not immediate; rather, it has been a slow improvement with occasional hiccups in the process. I have not yet reached my low of two years ago, but not only can I see myself getting there, I think that I will be able to sustain it better once I get there.

About a week ago, I stopped counting the calories. I had been slipping back to entering them every couple of days, then every few days. I don't think that I was staying that accurate. My plan is to only return to that feature if I start backsliding again. I have noticed that it was easier to avoid snacks when the back of my mind was continually reminding me that I could have them but then I would need to take the time to enter them in the app. Hopefully, I've built up good enough habits to keep the positive trend going.

Minor Celebrity

7/16/2018

Just being in a smaller town makes it more likely that I will run into someone who knows me when I go to town. Being a teacher certainly increases the chances that someone will call out my name. However, it seems that singing in church is what tends to get people to engage with me while I am walking the aisles at Freddy's, dropping off trash at the dump, stopping by the library, or standing in line at the post office.

It is sometimes strange to hear someone call me by name or wave to me when I can't place where I know the person. I struggle with remembering names anyway, but it's worse when I don't recall how I am acquainted with the person addressing me. I often find myself stalling for time until I can pick up enough clues to figure out how I know the person.

The funny thing is that Janelle has also achieved a level of minor celebrity as a cashier. Sometimes, when people flag me down, it's because they only know me as Janelle's husband. Those encounters usually take me the longest to figure out.

Still, I am the type of person who likes to engage with others. Thus, I enjoy getting flagged down by a variety of people while I am out and about. Today, I ended up in at least three conversations with people I know just during my 45 minute trip to Freddy's (not counting talking to Janelle). Honestly, I feel a little off whenever I take a trip into town and don't meet someone that I know.

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

7/15/2018

In today's Gospel, Jesus sends His disciples into the world to proclaim the Good News and to heal. He tells them to go in pairs and to bring little with them so that they are dependant on God providing for them. We, too, are sent into the world, tasked with making it a better place.

Although people commonly use the apocryphal phrase "God helps those who help themselves," the truth is that Jesus tells us that we must go into the world with little prepared and rely on God to provide. He does not guarantee that this will be easy. Even the disciples sent out are warned that some people will not accept them. However, rather than rant and rail, they were told to simply move on.

Sometimes we find ourselves stuck in ruts, whining and complaining about the state of our lives. Perhaps there are some things that do not work out for us because we are meant for other things. God will provide for us, not necessarily what we want, but what we need.

A Good Day

7/14/2018

We have had a great time with friends today. Dixit, Pandemic, and Catan were the main attractions. However, we also got out the frisbee golf, grilled food, and became food for some ravenous mosquitoes. The boys were up way past their normal bed time.

Everyone is going to sleep well tonight.

Arthur

7/13/2018

I am fascinated with King Arthur, Camelot, Merlin, the Knights of the Round table, and the many stories that have been written about them. It has been in the back of my mind to write my own version of who I think Arthur was, but so far I have only written a short scene between Arthur and Merlin as Merlin tries to explain the nature of magic.

One of my classes at UAF (a couple of decades ago) was focused entirely on Arthurian Legends. Other than my classes on Shakespeare, I cannot think of another class where I was so tremendously excited about the reading homework. It was in that class that I first started to get an idea of how amazingly, deeply complex the interwoven tales about King Arthur truly are.

Despite my love of Arthurian legends, I am often disappointed by modern renditions of the character. I haven't even watched the most recent Arthur movies. While I liked the first couple of seasons of the British Merlin series, it started falling apart and really left me disappointed in Arthur himself. Probably my favorite telling thus far has been the satire of Monty Python.

I still hold out hope that a better telling will appear.

A Minor Obsession

7/12/2018

The final time that I visited a Toys R Us, I picked up a LEGO Dimensions game and any of the associated packs that I could find. It seemed like quite a deal, considering that the base game original retailed for $80 and I picked it up for a little over $10. When we got back to Soldotna, I noticed that the other Dimensions packs were on clearance at Freddy's, so I picked up as many of them as I was interested in.

It was then that I looked up online and discovered that Dimensions had been cancelled and that all of its packs were now marked for clearance, if someone could find them. I checked the nearby Walmart which thankfully had several other packs which I had not yet found (including Knight Rider, A-Team, Ghostbusters, and the Goonies).

The boys and I worked to start putting the figures together. Other than the figures and the play base(s), all of the building instructions are only shown while playing the game. While Rowen was putting one of the vehicles together, I looked online to see what the Internet recommended that people get to flesh out the Dimensions set. Immediately, the Dr. Who and Portal 2 sets caught my eye (and were a blast to play). However, I also discovered that one needed a character from each world to open the world for play.

As most of them were still at a substantial discount on Amazon, I started adding packs to my virtual shopping cart. Some filled me with anticipation, like the Back to the Future and LEGO Batman packs; others did not hold as much interest for me even if the worlds turned out to be interesting, like the Adventure Time, Teen Titans, or Power Puff Girls packs; even others filled me with nostalgia, such as the E.T. and Scooby Doo packs.

I was in continual anticipation as the packages arrived. There's something wonderful about receiving fun items in the mail. They came in several large shipments. Those days saw us feasting on LEGO building.

Then I discovered that there were a few characters (Cyberman, Cragger, Slimer, Raven) that I didn't buy that were had unique skills that were necessary to discover every gold brick in the game. Only after getting them did I find out that I was missing an Adventure Time accessory to open a few of the second year challenges. Yesterday, that final set arrived.

In the end, I could have picked up a Nintendo Switch, a game, and another controller for what I spent (I'm glad I didn't hop onto this train when it was at full price). However, I am still really happy with this weird obsession. Not only has the game been fun, but I now have this amazing collection of geeky LEGO figurines and mini-figures. More than that, playing the game has made the boys more interested in 80s movies and shows as well as video games from my past (as one of the sets in dedicated to Midway Games--from Spyhunter and Robotron to Gauntlet and Rampage).

There are certainly worse things to collect.

P.S. I don't have every Dimensions piece. Should you find Excalibur Batman from the LEGO Batman Movie; Green Arrow, Supergirl, the Joker and Harley Quinn, Cyborg, or Bane from DC Comics; Benny from the LEGO Movie; Legolas or Gollum from The Lord of the Rings; Kai and Cole, Jay, Nya, Zane, or Lloyd from Ninjago; Mr. Stay Puft from Ghostbusters; Marceline from Adventure Time; or even Blossom and Bubbles from The Powerpuff Girls orBart or Krusty from The Simpsons ... I still have space.

Weddings

7/11/2018

I sang today at a wedding that was held at my church. I didn't really know the couple, but I know the groom's family. In an odd, but not completely surprising, coincidence, the family renting our cabin this week came up to Soldotna specifically for the wedding.

With Katrina's wedding last month, and my brother's wedding next month, this has felt like a wedding summer. This is not a bad thing. I like the optimism, hope, and love that weddings represent. It is nice to see people in a joyful, celebratory mood.

I'm also deeply impressed by the amount of time and effort donated to transforming mundane spaces into festive locations. Both Katrina and Peter's reception hall and the reception hall for today's wedding were almost unrecognizable from their normal appearance. It's as though the wedding brings out the beauty that normally hides within.

Driveway

7/10/2018

Our driveway was capped today by a team from Foster Construction. Thankfully, the rain held off for most of the day, lessening the guilt I felt by having someone else work in the weather for my benefit. Sure, I am paying them to do so, but as the pay does not change based on the weather, I would prefer that the weather is good for them.

Because of the rain, I was able to witness the color transformation that reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) undergoes when wet. It changes from a light, nondescript gray to a dark chocolate color. The color change makes it look like it is firmer than it actually is, almost like pavement when it is still a type of gravel. This was a particular disappointment to Connor who immediately tried riding his scooter to little success once the job was done.

While the younger boys were at times interested in the particulars of this driveway job, it was the dogs who were the most avid watchers. They let off a cacophony of barking with each new person or machine that came to the job, and spent the entire time with their noses to the window. The only exception was when the roller started working they came to sit by my feet for comfort and protection.

I'm happy with the job that they did, and pleased that they finished it in good time. It's nice to have a smoother driveway again; although our dirt road now seems that much more jarring to drive on in comparison.

Rain day

7/9/2018

The cooldown that was predicted arrived today along with overcast skies and on-and-off-again rain showers. This didn't stop Connor from going outside in an attempt to make modeling clay from the clay in our soil. I'm not certain which YouTube channel he got this idea from, but it's probably similar, if not the same, to the one that gave him the slime recipes or the grapple gun ideas that he has been obsessed with.

Unfortunately, Rowen spent much of the morning under the weather. He complained of a bad headache and skipped lunch altogether by sleeping through it. I believe that a major part of his problem was that he got up at six this morning.

I spent most of the day waiting to hear from the company who will be resurfacing our driveway. They did finally call to let me know that they will be here tomorrow morning. I'm a little nervous about the project as we have renters at the cabin and Janelle still has to get to work in the morning. I pray that everything will turn out fine.

Although I am not a real fan of warmer weather, I look forward to coming out of this cooler, rainy trend. We needed the rain, and I am grateful for it. Still, there are some more summer activities that I would still like to do.

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

7/8/2018

In today's second reading, Paul talks about a chronic pain which he has taken as a blessing from the Lord. He claims that it allows him to stay humble in his work, that it shows that God can do great things even through weakness. While this might be trying to find a silver lining on a pretty dark cloud, there is also some truth to the idea that afflictions can actually become sources of strength.

It seemed appropriate that, on a week with such a reading, we would also have a mass that included the sacrament of the anointing of the sick. This is one of those two-for-one sacraments that brings both healing and reconciliation. Although I do not always participate in this sacrament when offered, I did so today as I was feeling the need for both. Doing so made me feel better. I'm not saying that the physical or mental issues with which I am struggling suddenly were solved. Rather, I feel like I have at least addressed the fact that I have them and, more importantly, I have enlisted God to help me through them.

I know that this idea might seem a little ridiculous to people who do not believe what I believe. However, like Paul said, I will gladly take the ridicule for such a belief considering the tradeoff of peace that I am given for it.

Balance

7/7/2018

So many stories involve the idea of balance between creation and consumption. In some cultures, there exists the belief that a creator god needs to be balanced by a destroyer god. Creation unchecked is like a virus or a cancer, absorbing everything for its own need. Meanwhile, destruction has its own obvious drawbacks. The two need each other to exist. Should one dominate over the other, it would be possible for both to be wiped out.

In my own life, I feel that I am unbalanced in the direction of consumer. While I do create (and I consider these postings to be one of those outlets of creation), much more of my time is spent consuming. Whether it is consuming food or entertainment, I tend to take more than I give.

I have been trying to bring my life more into balance. My diagnosis of diabetes helped to refocus my life a bit. However, it is all too easy to fall into bad habits. Today, I truly accomplished little. Sure, I made progress in the games that I've been playing, but that was about it. I contrast this directly to Janelle who spent much of the day making things from baked goods to dyed fabrics.

I need to work on my balance.

Hot

7/6/2018

Today was one of the hottest days of this summer (or the last) summer with the temperature just touching 80 degrees. Of course this would be the day that I decide to mow the lawn. I was concerned that the upcoming rainy forecast might limit my future mowings, and I had already let it go for longer than I planned.

However, I also chose the early afternoon with completely clear skies to be out there. This was a particularly poor choice because, as I have mentioned earlier, I recently buzzed my hair short. Did I wear a hat? Of course not! Sure, I thought about putting one on several times, but I kept getting distracted before I could put those thoughts into action. I don't think that I burned much, but my scalp has a tingly sensation, like after using a particularly strong dandruff shampoo. Add to this the fact that I eschew my normal cargo shorts for jeans so that I don't end up with grass cuttings (or bug bites) all over my legs, and I was feeling the heat today.

As much as I have regretted my decisions in this warm weather, I'm a little worried about our upcoming cool and rainy forecast. We have been in the habit of leaving all of our windows wide open at night, and I think that we might soon be in for a rather chilly morning. I also believe that I have become more accustomed to the warmer temperatures and might have some issues adjusting.

I'm just glad that I only have to adjust from the high seventies. Some of the temperature that I've been hearing from the Lower 48 are just scary!

Hawkeye Pierce

7/6/2018

We purchased all eleven seasons of M.A.S.H. back when they came out on DVD. It was probably one of the DVD best purchases I ever made as I have watched it multiple times. There are plenty of things that I don't like about the series. Especially in the first few seasons, sexism is rampant, almost all of the men are cheating on their wives, and sexual harassment is the norm. It has led to some interesting conversations with my children over the multiple times that we have watched the series.

Despite it's shortcomings, much of the humor, relationships, and messages are still relevant today. While there are parts of the show that have not aged well; in some ways, the show is timeless. As it ran for over a decade while I was growing up, I came to think of the characters almost as a part of my family.

As I watch it, I realize how much I have especially been influenced by the character of Hawkeye Pierce. His continual quest to end the war, his status as being one of the best in the field, and his ability to laugh at nearly everything are all traits that I deeply admire. While his methods, his humor, and his antics sometimes go a bit too far, and he is sometimes a little heavy-handed and preachy with his beliefs, I find that I identify with these aspects of him as well (although I cringe to think about it). Thinking about it, I notice now just how large a role this character had in shaping the person who I am today.

There are certainly worse role-models that I could have followed.

Hairs Cut

7/5/2018

Janelle has cut my hair for decades now. It was a cost-saving measure back when we were in college, and while I have visited a barber on a couple of occasions since then, Janelle has usually been the one behind my haircuts. Back in Colon, we made the process easier by just having her buzz my head short. I then just let it get long enough to the point that it bothers Janelle again, and then she cuts it.

Today, I decided to give it a go myself. I've done so once before, but must have been making such a mess of it that Janelle stepped in and finished it up. I was a little concerned that I would screw it up, but I also wanted to see if I could get it right.

The back was the hardest part as I had to go by touch. This was especially difficult for the "cleaning" of the back of my neck. I still don't know if I managed a mostly straight line. My boys were decidedly unhelpful in giving me advice or criticism. However, as no one ran in terror, pointed and laughed, or called the police, I think that it must be fine.