Being thankful, Day #19

Music has long been a balm to my well being.  To my emotionally, to my general well being, and to my soul.  At a young age i remember listening to it in the background of doing other things.  My mother would often play Neil Diamond or some other such record when she was home.  She also had a Country and a Bluegrass phase.  For the times i was with her in the pubs i remember a lot of Country and a lot of what is considered 'Classic Rock' - which today seems to have a steady rate of appreciation.  I had a long time interest in the band KISS, which i no longer seem to appreciate nearly as much.  I also enjoyed Leonard Skynard, Poison, Guns and Roses, Billy Joel, (all not nearly as much as my brother did).  I tried Country myself for a while.  I enjoyed it, but it didn't stick.  Then the '90's came and i was pretty much left behind in the 'Pop' music scene.  By then i was pretty involved in church, etc. and while 'secular' music was never shunned or discouraged, i just didn't have a taste for it.  At that time i really enjoyed the praise and worship songs being played at the church i was going to.

My tastes are pretty much all over the place now, but i prefer instrumental pieces over those with lyrics.  If it has a violin and a flute it will almost always be enjoyed by myself.  I also like piano and bag pipes. :)

Today, i am thankful for the gift of music.  When i listen to it, it just helps me cope with the noise of the world.

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Am i a nerd or a geek? Be careful what you ask, you may not like the answer.

I recently learned that Gaelic Storm will be in and around my area in September!  I learned about this group through Facebook when they suggested a page related to both the samurai (?) and Celtic Folk music.  You see, they have a song titled The Samurai Set, and it came up as a recommended song. I listened to it and i really liked them.  I am hoping to get tickets to go see them.

I still don't own any of their CD's, or even MP3 downloads, but i hope to change that sometime in the near future.  Why can't i find Christian groups that perform this kind of music?  If anyone knows of a group, PLEASE share it with me. 

I continue to enjoy the Facebook game MouseHunt. I recently completed my collection of mice from the Furoma region by catching the elusive Dumpling Chef Mouse.  There are other hard breeds to catch on the mainland, but i am recently making a push to save some gold, complete the S.S. Huntington II, and then make a foray into the King's Gauntlet.  Just Tier I for now.  I keep gushing about how it takes time, thought, and patience, but it is what keeps drawing me in.  I don't have to sit and watch, but come back from time to time and collect things.When i grow tired of an area, i can always move on to a new/different region, and pick up the hunt on another new mouse.  Thus far, i am not even half way to having one of every type of mouse, let alone one of each kind of trap.  Gobs of fun.

I have slowly been working my way though Gav Thorpe's book, The Way of the Warrior.  For a Geek who loves all things Elvish, this is a real treat to read.  Especially because this book has really provided me with a good insight into how the Eldar of the Warhammer 40,000 universe think and interact with the world around them.  This has inspired me to revisit the 3,200 word introduction of my "new" character.  With what i am learning i can see this introduction growing even further.  Unfortunately, this will delay the "release" of it to my short story blog.  Speaking of which, i am also trying to learn how to rework the layout of that blog.  Right now the display of the stories are from newest to oldest, but i want to rework it so that there is a tab for the different story lines, and then the stories display oldest to newest... and maybe even in sequential pages.  Again, if a reader stumbles to this humble blog please feel free to share it with me. I am always willing to send it on to others i find as well.  I've even talked ORK, a longtime friend from High School, to actually start up his own blog to share his tales as well.

Using the "way back machine"... back in High School i had the unwanted nickname "Brainiac".  It was given to me by some of the "cool" kids because i was some what of a loner, always walking the halls with a book in my hands, and sticking with my handful of friends.  Who i am still friends with by the way.  I have also often referred to myself as a geek, so when i saw one of those Blogthings test thinies "Are you a Geek or  Nerd" i took the test and was surprised!

You Are a Nerd

You are a total brainiac, and you are really hardcore about sticking to your quirks. You don't want to change who you are. You may have a bit of trouble fitting in, but that's fine with you. You like to spend time alone. You have enough interests to keep you occupied for years. You do have a few fellow travelers that you're close to, and they're as big of nerds as you are.

Are You A Nerd or a Geek?

You can't really take all of those tests seriously, but they are fun to take from time to time.  So i will probably keep referring to myself as a geek, but i thought i'd share this with y'all. 

Again, i am who i am, and although i am working towards morphing myself into Christ's image day by day - i am who God has made me, and he is not surprised by who/what i am.

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I need help

How many of you out there have seen the movie Office Space? Raise your hand... come on, don't be shy. Ok, hands down. How many of you remember the scene where Joanna (Jennifer Aniston) is getting chewed out for not taking to heart the "Flair" concept?

Joanna: You know what, Stan, if you want me to wear 37 pieces of flair, like your pretty boy over there, Brian, why don't you just make the minimum 37 pieces of flair? Stan, Chotchkie's Manager: Well, I thought I remembered you saying that you wanted to express yourself.

Well, way back somewhere my friend "Big Mama" sent me my very first piece of flair, and it has been all down hill since. That was March of last year. It was slow at first. I was able to control myself. I'd add one or two pieces of Flair, maybe share a piece or two. Then the "makers" of the flair app on Facebook added a second flair board to display your flair. So, all of a sudden i didn't need to pick and choose which pieces i could put up. Now i had enough room and i could expand my collection. Later on, i found out i could not just collect other people's flair, i could create my own! WHAT! So far i have created 28 different pieces of flair. Some i have shared with my fellow Facebook addicts, some i haven't. My most popular creation has a mere 70 adds, while the least popular (and still listed in the search engine) have just 1 add - mine. But that has not stopped me from searching for new pieces of flair from time to time. For example, i took some "which ____ are you most like test" for fun. Afterward i thought the result funny enough i searched out a piece of flair that matched the result and added it. Other times i will just search through the top 10-20 pages of flair for that day. If something reminds me of one of my Facebook friends, i send it to them wether they have the flair app or not. *snicker* Or, if i spot one that strikes my fancy i just add it to my collection. Here is a peek of some of my favorites... Each one of them has some meaning to me. Counting from left to right (1-5), top to bottom (A-D)... A1 - DS2 struggles with Aspergers. I love him so dearly, and he tries so hard. A2 - I love music and if i am doing any kind of project i HAVE to have some kind of music playing. So much so that it is fairly common for me to have a song pop into my mind first thing in the morning, and throughout the day. This is sort of my incentive behind my Music Monday entries. A3 - I enjoy Celtic 'weaves', and i am also fond of the 'trinity' symbol. A4 - Come on, you chuckled when you saw this one too. Admit it. A5 - This one just made me smile. I don't really have voices in my head. Yes you do! No I don't! Now be quiet! B1 - There is just something about the rain. I love being out in it, i love running in it. I enjoy doing almost anything out in it. B2 - Fallout 3, enough said. B3 - This piece says it all. Jesus is my Lord. B4 - I LOVE flute music, and my most favorite music from when i was in my late teens and early twenties, was Jethro Tull. B5 - This piece of flair is a picture of the passion i feel for my beloved. C1 - This is a rune symbol combining Tolkien's initials. I love his books so... C2 - Love Kanji - again, it expressing my love for my beloved. C3 - This was the first piece of flair to represent my beloved. She loves Monet. C4 - In the Artillery we had a saying, "Once you pull the lanyard you can't get the bullet back". This is true with the words that come out of the mouth. C5 - I love to write, and when i really get going my fingers fly as fast as they can, but of course mistakes occur and i've found that i've even left out whole sentences/ideas. D1 - Have you ever just gone for a walk with no destination in mind? I love those kinds of walks. D2 - This is a snapshot of one of the statues outside the Carolina Panthers stadium. I love those statues, and i love the Panthers. D3 - This was made from a snapshot of my Honorable Order of St. Barbara award. D4 - I love music... like i said before... and this represents my desire to actually learn how to play the irish whistle D5 - This one was one of the first pieces of flair given to me... also given to me by "Big Mama", and it makes me smile. I am a little concerned... the application's developer is working on even more flair boards! So, then i will have even more room to display my flair!

Yet more random thoughts

There are times when it seems that i just cannot get my thoughts all worked out. It doesn't help that my mind has difficulty staying focused on any one thing for very long as well. This has been extremely frustrating for me. I struggle to focus when reading my Bible, when trying to pray. In one sense that helps me keep to Matthew 6:7-8 ("And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him." ~ ESV) - LOL it forces me to make sure i get to the point quickly, because if i don't what i am praying for/about has changed at least twice before i've reached "Amen". I joke, but this bothers me. I really do want to be able to stay on task - especially when i am at the feet of my Savior lifting something up in prayer, or trying to read His Word. I have been on medication for the past two months and that does seem to help... but there are times when i get distracted. Odd, i know. Taking medication that is supposed to help me focus and yet... Right now i am listening to my "Blackmore's Night" station on Pandora. Man i love this music source. I discovered this music site through Facebook, and have been hooked pretty much ever since. I currently have several "stations" configured... 'Contemporary Christian', 'Trans Siberian Orchestra' and 'Classic Symphony'. It all depends on the mood i am in while i "tune in" - and it sometimes changes while i am listening... i know, weird right? When i was younger i played a game called Dagorhir (a dark ages/Tolkien world battle re-enactment group). I knew several friends who were into it, and it sort of had deep roots in the area where i was living at the time. While these guys were not Christians at the time (neither was i), they were good guys who really looked out for me and kept me from getting into any real trouble. My game persona was that of a wandering Wood Elf. I never had the money to really get into character, but i wrote out a brief background and did the best i could with what limited resources i did have. I 'fought' with sword and spear and had an uncanny knack for running full tilt across wet logs across creeks, and dodging the 'arrows' (not really as lythe as it might sound... the arrows for this game do not fly all that fast - lol). It was in many ways a formative time of my life. I was heavily involved playing Dungeons and Dragons, playing Dagorhir and things like this. And while i would NOT recommend a similar path for my own sons, let alone other's children, God truly did bring men into my life to help make me into the man i am today through these games. There was a teacher at a middle school who helped run an after school club who was a Christian - and although he never once used the name Christ or Jesus, he lived out his life. The older high school students i played D&D with also had good work ethics and lived some good examples. One of these men i am still friends with - albeit just through Facebook right now - is a talented musician who plays for his church. I wish we were closer. There was also a group that simply called themselves "The Christians". The dressed up like the romanticised crusaders and lived out their beliefs within the context of the game. Although - in hindsight - it may not have been the best portrayal. :) In my opinion the Crusades were by far, not our finest hour. A lot of the foundation in how i see myself as a Christian Samurai were formed then. I'd like to believe that i was as regal and fantastic looking as the wardancer pictured above-right while playing. That is one of the great things about playing make-believe in any of its forms. We can picture the play any way we wish. I still like to fancy myself as an elf... or at least elf-like. In general the lore of Elves and their kin are ones who take great delight in pursuing excellence in whatever they take to study. They look to balance their existence within whatever environment they find themeselves in. I am not trying to say this in some form of mystical, new age sense either. God established Adam and Eve as stewards of the Earth. In the beginning God had said, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so." (Genesis 1:28-30, ESV) Note: This does not say dominate. As stewards we are supposed to be living in the world, not of it, and not destroying it. I am not a zealot when it comes to recycling, etc. but i am of the mind that we should be better stewards than we have been.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

I've never been one to 'imbibe'. Well, at least not in the traditional sense. Growing up, St. Patrick's Day was an excuse for my mother to leave me and my brother at home while she went out to her favorite local 'watering hole'. (We had a whole system worked out answering doors or telephones) Later on she would take us and i got to see what so many other people "saw" in the day. To be honest - i still don't "get it". Just like i don't "get" Mardi Gras. Over time though, i seem to have developed an appreciation for various cultural things that are from Ireland. I know that some of the things are probably commercialized and not true representations, but things like River Dance and the Irish Whistle captivate me. I really enjoy the rhythms of Celtic Music. I appreciate the art and symbolism incorporated into the Celtic Cross (just one example above). I am not Irish myself. I am an American mutt. I am part Native American, part English, part French, and who knows what else. Not enough of any one heritage to 'claim' as my own, but my beloved and her family are most definitely Irish, so we enjoy celebrating the day. Although there is not much known for certain concerning the man i took some time to research him on the internet. I will not go into detail, but he was thought highly enough of to be made a 'Saint' by the Catholic church. A funny story comes to mind - sort of related... When my mom passed away back in 2000 i spent a few weeks with my brother and his family. The second weekend i was there things were kind of wearing on both of our families. We were staying at his house, our mother's health, etc. was starting to take it's toll. I remembered that mom loved to go to Kevin Barry's Pub, and that we had all gone as a family the last time we were together and everyone was healthy. They served great food, and happened to have some great live music! We arranged for the kids to be watched while we all went out to eat and enjoy some music. My brother refrained from ordering beer because he thought we were "uptight" Christians. Well, eventually my beloved did order a Killian's Irish Red - her favorite. You would have thought that the flood gates were opened because my brother then began to order the same. Long story short, your author here was the designated driver and after enjoying a great meal, a full set of music, as well as who knows how many round we left. Now my brother lived on an Island in the middle of the Savannah River and the road was kind of 'twisty'. Not Alpine like, but you get the idea. Soon everyone was awake in the car (again), but the fog was thick and i was having trouble seeing where the driveway was. From the back seat i hear, "stop the car". I need to comment here that at that point in my life i had never experienced either the party scene of college nor the Army, so i did not understand the urgency. I was not parked, i was in the middle of a dark road on a foggy night. Not an ideal place to stop the car (despite the road being on a island of maybe 100 residents at 1:30 in the morning). Again, from the back seat, "stop the car". At this point my beloved bails out, opens the back door for my brother's wife, and flees to the side of the road. I think most, if not all, of my readers know what came next. My poor brother was not able to open the door or the window from the inside as they did not work for either door in the backseat. The poor guy was trapped. Fortunately, not five more meters up the road was the driveway. The next day my brother was shuffling around his house looking for his checkbook. I enjoyed telling him that i thought i saw it on the floor in the back of his car. Sick, i know. My beloved still enjoys telling that story. Despite how it ended that night is a very pleasant memory from an unhappy time in my life. Anyway... i am looking forward to my beloved's corn beef and cabbage dinner! My mouth actually just watered...