As normal on New Year’s Eve, we have been having too much fun for a longer post.
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In our homily today, our priest stated that "Love is not a feeling; it's a commitment." He said that love is about staying committed to another no matter what one is feeling at the moment. It is possible to not like someone yet love that person at the same time.
He then gave specific advice to husbands and wives for things they could do for their spouses. The largest part was making certain that each spouse knows that they are loved and appreciated. Often, this is the primary difference between a successful and a failed marriage. I feel this is true with all of our relationships. I know that I am not the best about letting people know how much they mean to me. I'd like to think that my friends and family know that I will always love them, and that my I would do nearly anything to help them. Unfortunately, that sounds too much like a sappy platitude even though it is true, so I tend to not say it. I certainly need to work on that. I did not sleep well last night. Although I went to bed at 11, I didn't fall asleep until at least 1:30, and even then, my sleep was full of dark and disturbing dreams which brought me to wakefulness more than once. Once up and dressed, I started shoveling the few inches of snow that fell. I didn't have long before I had to take the boys to Paradisos in Kenai for pizza and then Nikiski for a pool party with their Cub Scout Pack.
The boys and I spent over an hour in the pool. Rowen spent most of the time practicing kicks and strokes (but rarely at the same time) as part of my efforts to get him to learn to swim. Meanwhile, Connor took multiple turns on the water slide and made a few attempts off the diving board. The most difficult part of the experience was dealing with the cold air after getting out of the warm water. After getting home, I then helped Alex and Trevor finish shoveling the driveway; Connor immediately headed inside to take a nap, while Rowen watched us from the window inside the warm house. Once that was done, Trevor and I prepared the cabin for our friends' arrival tomorrow. We then took care of some household chores before spending time playing computer games together. I hope that I have greater energy reserves for the next couple of days as we ring in the new year with our friends. To that end, I'm going to bed. In George Orwell's 1984, Ingsoc (the only political party and thus government in Oceania) would occasionally change its stance on who its enemies were from one day to the next. In the middle of Hate Week, the party went from hating Eurasia and loving Eastasia to hating Eastasia and loving Eurasia. The citizens quickly followed without question, turning their bile and anger against their newly declared enemies with no hesitation. I felt that this was hyperbole (which it is to an extent) on Orwell's part as I believed people would be smart enough to notice the switching allegiances of their party.
And then I watched it happen here in the U.S. Sure there are the standard examples of how we once funded extremists who would become the Taliban, but this is a complete 180 from our political parties' stances on what is currently the dominant issue in the nation: immigration. In my lifetime, the Republican Party used to be pro-immigration (legal or otherwise) with the Democratic Party screaming for increased border protection. It made (and makes) sense for the Republican Party to support immigrants (again, legal or not). Even in the case of illegal immigrants, when statistically compared to natural born U.S. citizens, they are more likely to be Christian, less likely to commit violent crimes, more likely to work hard (usually for lower pay), more likely to support the military, more likely to hold strong patriotic views, and--until recently--more likely to vote Republican. Ronald Reagan himself signed the largest amnesty bill in the history of the nation. While it penalized people who hired illegal immigrants, it created a fast track to citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants currently within the country. I should also note that Reagan had some strong words to say against walls as well. Somehow, the arguments have been reversed. Democrats have decreased their rhetoric about immigration crackdowns and Republicans have somehow gone to the extreme of denying entry to even those immigrants who are seeking legal protection (with the current president threatening to close the border entirely). Somehow, people have followed with rabid enthusiasm without recognizing such a fundamental shift. I am still amazed that people are willing to buy into the propaganda that the people with the fewest rights, least amount of wealth, and greatest determination to live here are somehow one of the main threats to America--to the point that some people are willing to shut down the government because they want to spend an obscene amount of money on a wall of dubious value just to try (and fail) and keep immigrants out. But, I guess I'm just strange that way. The toughest part of moving up to Alaska is having such a great distance between us and our daughters. While modern communications mitigate some of that, allowing us to speak with (and even see) them regularly, such technology is a pale substitute to having them actually with us. Thus, this break has been a real treat in that we were able to have both of them, as well as Peter, with us. Unfortunately, we had to say goodbye to Katrina and Peter today as they headed back to Michigan. Their trip felt all too short, but I'm glad for the time that we've had. Thankfully, Alex is still with us for the next week.
Although we didn't go on any sightseeing trips, we have spent time together enjoying each other's company. There has been a great deal of baking, sledding, MarioKart, movie watching, puzzle-making, game-playing, eating, hugging, and conversation this past week and a half. It has been a week and a half filled with pleasant moments and memories. I hope they have a safe trip back, and I already look forward to the next time that they visit. It is important to note that this movie is not for anyone who is overly sensitive to visual stimuli. The opening credits are particularly difficult to watch even if one is not prone to seizures, and it is not the only offender in that area. However, should you be able to handle that, I highly recommend this movie.
Alex had watching this movie on one of her things to do with us while she was up here. She said that she could not over-sell it, and she was right. It is an outstanding animated story that is filled with heart. As a Spider-Man story, it has nods to the comics and the previous live-action movies while still holding surprises for even Spider-Man experts. As much as I loved Spider-Man: Homecoming, I believe that this is now my favorite Spider-Man movie. With all of its commercial trappings, religious undertones, and expected traditions, Christmas often heaps too many expectations on us. We are burdened by the belief that the holiday needs to be perfect, and we can find ourselves disappointed if things do not go according to plan. It can be just a single moment that somehow spoils our day if we let it.
I am prone to this kind of thinking. I know that I live a blessed life with an amazing family. Today went as well as anyone could expect a Christmas to go. Everyone seemed to enjoy their gifts, the food was excellent, and we spent time doing things together. I need to keep my focus there. Instead, like playing a few wrong notes in a song, I tend to focus on the mistakes that I have made rather than the parts that went well. Christmas represents the coming of Jesus, our God who brings forgiveness. I should take a lesson from that and forgive myself, not just for the things that I did or didn't do, but for my emotional reactions to minor events. For today was a great day, with many wonderful moments. I was a glorious Christmas. I hope that yours was amazing as well. 'Tis the night before Christmas and all through the house are smells of Janelle baking pies for Katrina's spouse. Most of the presents are wrapped and the stockings are stuffed; once again we overspent and got more than enough. The house is filled with various wonderful lights; each strand is on a timer so they're not on all night.
I'm too tired to come up with more. The children's choir sang beautifully and enthusiastically during the 5 pm mass. Janelle had the boys wear their suits, so I decided to get mine out as well. I think that we made a dashing trio. It worked out perfectly as all of the kids were also dressed in their Sunday best. Our 9 pm mass also went well. It was fantastic to sing with Trevor and Katrina as well as the other choir members. It was also nice to see some of my students (current and former). Tomorrow, I play guitar for the 10 am mass. This has caused some debate at the house concerning when we are going to open presents. Normally, we do so right after everyone gets up (and usually while everyone is still in their pajamas). However, as I will need to get ready and leave during that normal time, we will probably have to wait until the late morning. Meanwhile, Connor is campaigning to open them before I leave. We will see how awake people are and how much time I have. I'm not too worried; I'm sure it will all come out right. Merry Christmas to all! And to all a good night! Today's homily focused on the concept of giving gifts. Gifts should be given without the expectation of something in return; otherwise, they're not gifts, but payment. God's gifts for us are given without any strings attached. They are ours to use or squander; although, like any gift-giver, God hopes to see us use the gifts that we are given rather than just tuck them away somewhere, neglected and forgotten.
For my birthday today, the greatest gift was having my children all here. I really couldn't ask for anything better. Although tired, I had an enjoyable birthday. The movies were entertaining (especially with audience commentary), the food was tasty (perhaps too much so), and the company was enjoyable. I could not wish for better. I won't be able to post later as Katrina and I are about to head up to Anchorage to shop, spend time with friends, and pick up Peter and Alex. If you use my daily posts as a way to let you know you've been up too late, you might not want to head for bed just yet.
Hopefully, the pass is clear. It's a beautiful day here at my house, but I know that weather can vary drastically on the 140+ mile trip to get there. 511 currently has the driving conditions listed as fair. I love taking this drive, especially when the weather's clear. It's a beautiful trip that is generally stress-free as long as I give myself plenty of time to get there. The way back is not quite as fun as it will be in the dark. However, if the skies are clear, the full moon can still make for a spectacular drive. Well, our snacks and drinks are packed. Our emergency supplies as well as coolers for the Costco run are in the back. All that's left is to eat lunch, pack ourselves in, and take off. Although I have read the Lord of the Rings multiple times, this was only my second time reading the Hobbit. The last time was at least a couple of decades before the movies came out. Thus, when I heard that the Hobbit was being split into two movies, and later into three, I was only vaguely irritated. When I watched the movies, and then their extended versions, I again recognized that I didn't really care for them, but I couldn't fully appreciate why.
After rereading the book, what had been vague feelings of discontent are now much more solidified. Basically, Peter Jackson got the book wrong. Now, I don't mean that I expected him to follow the books scene by scene. I loved the Lord of the Rings trilogy that he created (moreso with the extended versions) and he certainly took artist licence with them. However, with the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the movies still felt faithful to the spirit of the books. Items that were changed made sense due to the change of medium. This was not the case with the Hobbit. While the actors' performances were amazing, and some elements certainly added depth to the story, so many other things were changed in ways that seemed to ignore the spirit of the book. While I was most disappointed by the changes with Beorn (which were slightly mended in the extended version), the most grievous error (in my opinion) was the creation of a main villain in Azog. It made the movies too similar to Frodo's flight from the Nazgul rather than an adventure with various dangers as the book portrays it. In making the story about a relentless hunt, the movies miss several of the key themes and symbols from the book. JRR Tolkien's story was an allegory that spoke about the time in which it was written (between the world wars). The movies not only lack that element, but they miss the opportunity to say something about our time as well. Having just finished the book, I do want to see the movies again as it's been over a year since I saw them and there are parts that I remember imperfectly. However, I don't think that I will ever want to run a full movie marathon on the Hobbit trilogy followed by the Lord of the Rings. The two are simply too disconnected in my mind. Today was the last day of the semester with students. Tomorrow (winter solstice), staff reports to school to finish one semester and prepare for the next. Generally, I've made good progress at getting everything set for next term; although the block schedule has made some of the planning a bit interesting (I don't dare put tests on Fridays now).
On Saturday, Katrina and I drive to Anchorage to pick up Alex and Peter (weather permitting). Hopefully, we will also get in a Costco run and meet up with some friends while we are up there. Unfortunately, even with perfect driving conditions, we won't be home until the morning of my birthday. Sunday, Trevor, Katrina, Connor, and I need to be to church early (9 am) for practice (and altar server duties) before mass. My birthday movie marathon (the rebooted Star Trek trilogy) starts at 1:30. I've heard from a few people who have said that they will at least pop in for one of the shows. Monday is Christmas Eve. I'm playing the guitar for the children's choir at 5pm (meeting there by 4:30). The little boys are joining me. Later, Trevor, Katrina, and I are singing at the "midnight" mass (at 9 pm). Tuesday is Christmas. I playing my guitar for the 10 am mass. After that, we hope to open presents, feast, and be merry. Wednesday, the 26th, is our day of recovery, which will probably involve either going to Kenai to watch the animated Spider-man movie or going to the Orca to watch Bumblebee (or both). On Thursday, Katrina and Peter fly out of Kenai. The next Friday is currently unplanned. Saturday is the boys' Cub Scout pizza and pool party. If all goes according the plan, the Jacks will be down here on Sunday the 30th in preparation for our annual New Year's celebration. The 31st will contain said celebration. The 1st is a day of recovery. I believe that the next planned day is another trip up to Anchorage on Thursday the 3rd, as we say goodbye to Alex. And then we're back to school on the 7th. Wow! I hope I scheduled time to breathe in there! I told my students a while ago that my exam has 100 questions. I've reminded them of that fact multiple times these past couple of weeks. I handed them a study guide with 100 bullet-pointed items of what they needed to know for the exam.
Today, a student looks at the exam I just handed to him and exclaimed in unironic disbelief, "There's a hundred questions on this test?!" To which I said, "No. I just haven't told you which 10 that you need to do." Before I could get to my sarcasm sign on my desk (yes, it's a real thing), another student said, "Can you tell us which ten, so I can start?" At this point, I held up my sarcasm sign. She then said, "You have a sarcasm sign?" As I continued to hold up the sarcasm sign, I replied, "No." Another student said, "You should put one up on the ceiling, so you can just point at it." I replied, "That's where I keep the sign that says 'gullible.'" They looked up. We are one step closer to having the family together for the holidays. Katrina arrived this morning after a long overnight flight--which included a layover in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, that meant that I didn't get to see her until getting home from picking up the boys. I will say that I may have been a bit surlier today due to my anticipation of getting to see her.
So far, our activities have included dinner, playing MarioKart, and attending Trevor's winter concert. I have a feeling that this week is going to fly by. We were talking about things that we can do and quickly realizing that a good deal of the days ahead are already planned out. Hopefully, we'll get to most of the activities on the list. At least one of them is simply enjoying having her home. |
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