The weekend that Benji realized he's useless, much like the Red Sox bullpen...

Recently, my wife has been occupied. This time of year is busier for a hall director than any other time of year. She’s been in hall director training, training her new staff, preparing for opening the hall, and attending welcome week events. Basically, everything was crazy leading up to last Sunday when 400 students moved in to our hall. Since Sunday, she’s had events each night that were mandatory for her to attend. So, basically, I’ve spent the last few weeks as a housing orphan. And, during that time I’ve realized a few things.

First, I hate when my wife is gone. I have never really enjoyed “alone time,” so these weeks always try my limits. While spending so much time alone has allowed me to get plenty of homework and advance work done, it has also made me ready for this whole thing to be over soon. Thankfully, the Yanks and Sux played a five game series over the weekend. Four of the games were on the telly box, so I got close to my fill. If not for that, I would have left the house five times a day to check the mail just so I could be around people.

Second, when Greta’s really gone—like she was for an overnight retreat a couple of weeks ago—I don’t even know how to function. For example, I don’t know what to eat. If she doesn’t leave leftovers in the fridge, clearly labeled and in microwave-ready containers, I’m lost. Similarly, I don’t know when to go to bed. She leaves for a night and I usually end up watching replays of old sporting events—like the 1991 World Series or something else completely random—on ESPN until 2am or something.

Third, when she’s busy, we run out of groceries. How that situation—which I’m told happens on a near monthly basis—gets rectified is somewhat unclear to me. I do know that we don’t own any farm animals that can help us in such situations, but beyond that I’m lost.

Ultimately, this has made me realize two things: that I am useless without my wife and that I really like it this way.

Speaking of the Yankees, the weekend was one big five-game sweep of a joyfest. Even when they made me stay up until 12:30 one night, they rewarded my steadfastness with an extra-innings win. This is why my devotion continues. They always reward it. This team looks good, and at the right time, too. The playoffs aren’t far off and the Yanks look built for October success. Who couldn’t make room for a 27th World Series trophy?

If you're hungry for more Yankees talk (and who wouldn't be?), cruise over to this website I recently discovered. It’s called Bleeding Pinstripes and pretty much could have been written by my twin separated at birth, if, of course, that twin grew up in NYC and loves the Yankees which really would be the only logical outcome if there was, indeed, a twin separated at birth thing.

New friends and an update...

I’m happy to welcome two new friends to the inner blog circle.

Both of them, Tim and Jay, are friends from the theological institution that consistently takes our money.

Tim’s blog is a fun assortment of thoughts on theology, life and things he’s going through/ contemplating. His current post is fantastic and well worth interacting with.

Jay’s blog is entirely theological. He posts many of his seminary papers and invites feedback and comments.

You’ll find both of these homies represented in the links section.

As for me, summer school is almost over. I have enjoyed the lighter load now that Hebrew is over (although I loved Hebrew), and only have one class left to focus on. It ends by Tuesday (since it’s my online class, I’m hoping to finish over the next couple of days). Tomorrow I start substitute teaching again, so that should produce some fun stories before long.

I can’t believe I’ve gone most of the summer without any kind of in-depth discussion of my beloved Yankees. That will change soon. Maybe Scott’s example inspired me. Maybe I’m just high on the intoxicating elixir that is a 3 game lead in mid-August. Either way, the discussion is coming soon.

Books are good for the soul...

So, I got double-tagged by this blog chain letter type thing (Greta and Jacob). Fun times, I say. But, then I started thinking about the experience of being double-tagged. Does this mean that the second tag negates the first? I know that you can’t triple-stamp a double-stamp, but I’m not sure if you can double-tag a single-tag. Then, I thought, “What if rather than negating the first tag, a second tag actually reinforces it? Does this mean I have to type in bold?” (I actually thought about this for a while.) I concluded that a second tag does, indeed, reinforce, not negate. So, here’s my book blog, the reinforced edition.

1. One book that changed your life: Writing the Natural Way by Gabrielle Lusser Rico. The book itself was pretty good, but the situation in which I read and interacted with it—my Creative Writing class at DTS—has been one of the more life changing things I’ve ever done. I took the class in order to do something I thought I might enjoy. Turns out I found something I was meant to do.

2. One book that you’ve read more than once: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire/Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling. Love the little wizard!

3. One book you’d want on a desert island: The Baseball Encyclopedia. Who could ever get tired of reading that?

4. One book that made you laugh: Notes from a Big Country by Bill Bryson. Funny dude! Not only made me laugh, it also made me want to move to the woods in the northeast. Weird, I know.

5. One book that made you cry: I honestly can’t think of any that fit this one. It’s either because I’m reading the wrong kinds of books or because I’m a shell of a man completely devoid of compassion and sensitivity. Probably the latter.

6. One book that you wish had been written: Making Texas More Like California in Six Easy Steps

7. One book that you wish had never been written: Now I Can Die in Peace by Bill Simmons or Faithful by Stephen King or anything else on the topic of the event that must not be named.

8. One book you’re currently reading: None, really. But I recently finished Psychology, Theology and Spirituality by Mark McMinn, The Search for Significance by Robert McGee, From Exegesis to Exposition by Robert Chisholm, Introducing Biblical Hebrew by Allen Ross and The Summer That Seminary Killed My Husband by Greta Bruneel.

9. One book you’ve been meaning to read: Religious Affections by Jonathan Edwards. I’m not a huge fan of Edwards the linguist (too wordy) but I love Edwards the theologian and figure I should at least read the magnum opus.

10. Now tag five people: How about three? R. Jeff, Bittner, and Leani. I was going to put Derek Jeter in my list of three, but since he won't respond to my e-mails and repeated phone calls anymore, I figured I should let it go.