Bicyles, Theater and Golf

(Imagine my surprise when I checked in at MadPriest's blog this morning and discovered a link to me with the announcement of my "new project" starting tomorrow. Gulp! I thank His Madness for the prayers. Guess I better go double check my spelling)

In other news:

It was a great weekend for theater at Maison DaYouthGuy. We saw an adaptation of Edgar Lee Masters "Spoon River Anthology" done at our local cemetery. The venue was appropriate since SPR is really a series of epitaphs for the fictional people of his town. Many of the stories overlap and the local group who did it brought those stories together(review). It was very well done, at night lit by torches and lanterns (and a few carefully spotted electric lights). Nice to see something unusual and rather inventive being done around here. The next day we saw Tennessee William's "The Glass Menagerie", a very special play in my family. It was one of my best roles as a college actor and during the time of the show my wife and I (both in the cast - I as Tom and she as Laura) began to date. Really liked the show (although I had a few quibbles with the Tom portrayal, probably unavoidable, lol!) The cast was great as was the set. Don't know why I don't see more theater at Chautauqua it's just down the road and they have a great company and building. (Review - by a fellow Episcopalian no less!)

Finally got out onto the golf course for the first time. Golf is a wonderful, awful, magnificent, evil game. If you've ever played you understand that statement. Otherwise, just take my word. Given that I hadn't even picked up a club in about a year I wasn't too unhappy with the round. Hit a good many shots exceptionally well. But just one or two really bad ones will destroy your score. Curious moments. I lost four balls during nine holes. Yet I finished with the same ball I had teed up at number one. Thought I'd lost it several times only to find it again. After a fairly awful second half I played the final hole (a par 5) absolutely perfectly, gave myself a shot at an honest birdie and settled for a par when my putt came up just a few inches short. Weird game. I love it.

Rode the bike into work today. That's about 21 miles. Took slightly longer this time but I had to stop and get my sunglasses and bike lock from the kid and that slowed me down by about 10 minutes. Otherwise it was about 1:35 for the ride. Not too bad I think. I'm really hoping to get a lot more riding in but the schedule and the weather are not cooperating.

Peace

The teenage song

I think both sides would find this accurate.



Thanks to madpriest

Gone international

Great googly moogly, I've been noticed in dispatches again!

His grace, Mad Priest, has honored me for the second time by linking to this humble blog. Apparently he has a soft spot for the occasional moment of "Awwwwwwww". He said some nice things about my post on the kid's birthday. Mad Priest

This is a much better notice than last time when he accused me (incorrectly) of being a cow tipper. "I've Been Banned!" In his great wisdom and grace my banning was relatively short lived.

I've been banned!

This is so cool! I've been banned by Mad Priest, one of the coolest, crankiest, iconoclastic and ascerbic Anglican sites on the web. If you're easily offended or can't abide liberal Christians who don't snivel and grovel then don't go visit. I think he's funny. Here's the official edict:




"DaYouthGuy (pictured above) is hereby cast into the outer darkness of the Blogosphere for extreme acts of animal cruelty. See his comment under the HEADLINE GOOGLE post. Vegetarians, lesbian and vegetarian lesbians are advised "not to look, Ethel.""

I had described "cow tipping" to him and he appears to have assumed I've done this. (I haven't, it's a bad thing and you shouldn't do it either. Here ends the lesson) I've entered an appeal but since it's already past dinner time in jolly olde I don't know when I'll be forgiven. He almost always forgives.

On a more serious note, I had a phone conversation with a rep from a major youth "event" company. You'd know them instantly but I don't want to make them the issue. It was something the very nice if rather nervous young lady said. She was quoting the stats that say most folks make a commitment to the Lord by age 20. She then went on to say that after that our chance of getting them to make a commitment drops to almost zero.

And I thought

"Is that right?"

And then I thought

"What the hell are we doing wrong then?"

If memory serves Jesus did most of his ministry with people past the age of 20. He converted them, called them, blessed them and they came. Apparently we are incapable of doing the same. I'm thinking we need to think about that (if it's true) and figure out how to change. If we are ONLY capable of reaching people when they are young and impressionable then I'd say we're sad and pitiful.

In reality it's harder sure, but then maybe it should be harder. We're asking for a serious decision. And if it's not true then first we should stop saying it. Then we should take a serious look at our attitudes toward our own faith.

That I shall deal with in another post.
Meanwhile it's sack cloth and ashes.
This is so cool!
Peace