Long Weekend!

I'm in the country of the most long weekends! These guys celebrate most things. Which is great!

I'm having my own long weekend this weekend. It's a 4-5 day weekend which I'm only my usual 1 day into (2 days I can handle) but there is still 3 days to go. I know the reasons for this. I know they are warranted and deserved but...I'm not loving it. It's completely selfish of me and I think the people who know why will know about my little selfish tendencies. I just wanted...needed to vent it and this is my online diary/soap-box/release so here it is. I know my 3 followers won't judge me.

I am...irrational. I apologise!

Travels, tales, experience, and energy

Since I have been here the most enjoyable thing for me has been meal times. Not only due to the great food I've experienced (and I have) but because of the Priests I live/work with. I have been regaled with tales of their ministry, their habits, their lives, and their loves. Better still is when they have guests, these guys have lived and I'd like to share with you a little story I heard tonight.

Jack O'Neill is a Priest who was once Chaplain at San Quentin State Penitentiary (the only death row in California and incidentally the largest in the US), served in the Navy as Chaplain (actually served, not just as Chaplain but in combat), and is now retiring from the PRIESTHOOD. He has such a colourful history and I really enjoyed our conversations over dinner this evening. Especially the story of a Mexican in-mate at "San Q" who upon entering the prison was guarded by 2 guards because he was carrying a knife. Jack spoke with him and it turned out to be a culinary knife for peeling Garlic. The powers that be didn't care to ask the question. So, Jack did his homework and went to the Prison Admin to tell them that this harmless (and VERY old) prisoner was just that and if they removed the guards they would save $750, 000!

The guards were removed.

I guess the moral of the story is: if it seems like you won't be heard or listened to (like Jack) the only way to know if you will or not is to TRY. It's all anyone can ask of you. And just think; you might make a difference. We can ALL make a difference!

English is ENGLISH!

OK, a few days past I read a friends BLOG and I decided to see what the fuss about this book he quoted was so I diligently went onto Amazon to buy it. Whilst there I bought some of my favourite book collections. One of which is the Harry Potter saga - don't judge, I find them entertaining!

Now, to the point. I have started reading "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone". This is all fine until I start to notice that words like GREY are being type GRAY, Harry's trainers are referred to as Sneakers and it's called JELL-O not JELLY! Maybe I'm blowing this out of proportion but a book by an English writer, in English should NOT be butchered merely to be sold in America! I am REALLY upset by this!

Like the title suggests I believe that the ENGLISH language is ENGLISH not American-English. How are our former colonial brothers so lazy with their pens? What is their obsession with 'z' (that's ZED not ZEE!) and why of why don't they like the letter 'u'?!

I don't have any point really, I just wanted to share with the world how disgusted I am with an English Publisher changing the original to make the nation of language butchers feel better about reading it! It's ENGLISH! We spell it correctly!

Rant, over.

Out of touch...

I have always had my comfort zones. Since I was a kid. Places I go to relax, to think, to enjoy, to feel safe. Previously there were people who I e-talked (like e-mail but it was a day long conversation) with EVERY day. Now, I am 5286 miles from home (Yes...I Google'd it) and I find myself thinking of those I don't get to e-talk to anymore.

It's a funny thing when you get what you've always wanted and it takes something from you at the same time. I feel a certain inner-struggle to come to terms with these facts. I miss what I knew (even though I wasn't 100% happy in what I was doing) and I LOVE the new-ness of everything here, the chances I have and the...THRILL of walking into somewhere full of people I don't know and striking up conversation. Still, there is missing parts of me. My safety net, my comfort zone. I refer here to people. The one's you've heard me talk about as my Family. I miss you guys and I know you know it. Sometimes I close my eyes, lie on my sofa and simply imagine being surrounded by you. Sometimes it's hard.

Today, as I sat at my desk I looked at my bookmarks on Chrome and saw the one named "Craig's BLOG". I read SO much new that is going on and I love your words fella. I then thought I'd have a look at mine and saw a message that was heartfelt and made me realise that; though my comfort is far away, it is still there.

Another instance of this is my daily e-talk (despite the distance) with Flossy. Who has made me realise this past week that just because it's far away doesn't mean it can't be relied on and that, being me, I will find people here to be the substitute (not replacement) for those people, places, and things back home that support and hold me up through bad times.

I am so far from your arms, but within your grasp.

Thank You.

Longings and Wishes...

The two are in some ways the same.

You can use both in the same context, you "long" for something as if it's missing from you and you can "wish" for something as if when the wish arrives it has always been there...therefore it was missing previously. We're on the same page now?? I hope so.

I WISH and LONG for a great many things. There is one thing that is unifying my thoughts and sometimes my dreams right now. I wont tell you the specifics because if you know me and you read this you'll know what I mean. Other than the obvious...here are some of the things I long/wish for:

My family to be here

The above

My own family (I wish for that which my friends have...sadly)

The above can be placed in one place. That is my biggest longing and my heartfelt wish. Even though I know it will NEVER be...

Aside from the above my life is absolutely MARVELOUS! I'm loving where I am, what I do...

Give me friends and family here and...it's all I can ask for. Give me the above (as if) and I'm complete here...guess I might be coming home at some point!

Thanks for putting up with this one...

Baseball, Beer, and Burn!

What a day yesterday was! 7.30am Mass to hear Armando give his reflection, then bumped into my boss and he told me I was going to the Baseball at Pac Bell (AT&T Park to most of the world...ALL of the world except Giants fans)!

Now, I'm not one to turn down a free day out and I've been interested in watching the sport to see whether or not I could like it. Turns out I can. I think it's helped by the tremendous facilities that are there. I'm not kidding there's restaurants, diners, burger bars, rice bars, ANYTHING you can think of. BUT, the downside: $9 for a beer!! Are you KIDDING me?! But I guess it's how it is.

Now, I was told that it would be cold as it's on the bay but it wasn't! I got BURNT! Badly! So, out comes the aloe and hopefully my skin wont divorce me!

I had thought that being here doing a job grounded in Spirituality I would be having much more deeper BLOGs than these. But, I think I'm having too much fun! Don't worry though...I'll return soon enough with a deep one...when I've finished being a tourist!