Nice Weekend

Megan and her friend Andrew were in Spokane for the weekend. We had a lovely visit, including some bicycle shopping, a session at the REI scratch and dent sale, and good food at the Spokane Farmer's Market, Two Seven, Maggie's and Anthony's. Megan convinced Andrew to come to the UU Chuch yesterday by trying to explain that our family wasn't religious, despite my vocation. I think he understood better after hearing my sermon, which was a reprise and expansion of one done in July about "What I Don't Believe". We had a full house for the second service, which felt really good.

The bicycle shopping episode brought up a challenge that I know I will face for the third time in my life. Megan looked at a bike at WheelSport, where I bought mine. She was somewhat surprised that I not only had their phone number in my speed dial, but that the guys greeted me by name when we entered the store. That fact, paired with my seeing several people I knew at the Farmer's Market led Megan to comment on how much I enjoy knowing people and being known. I resemble that remark.

When we moved from Lawrence, Kansas to Mount Vernon, Washington in 1998 I went from being a public figure to being a total unknown. For the first six months after our move I travelled back and forth between worlds, tripping to Kansas to complete my work, and back to Washington again. The contrast was striking. I was once recognized by the hotel clerk in Lawrence where I checked in very late one night after arriving on a delayed flight. In Washington I was totally unknown. In truth I enjoyed fame far more than anonymity.

I am completing the first quarter of my interim year at UUCS. I am fully engaged - a bit too much so - and enjoying my role. In nine months I will drop off the map again. There will be more time for my own pursuits, and more flexibility in Sally and my schedule. There will also be the experience of checking the email in-box again and again for the messages that never come, and being recognized by children in the grocery store who ask their parents, "Didn't we used to know that man?"

Like living without a steady income, I'm confident that I will eventually master the challenges of going incognito. Still, Megan's observations this weekend give me pause.

Late Summer Travels

Sally and I have taken a couple very nice, brief trips to mark the end of our cool Spokane summer. Last week we drove to Kennewick, picking up Megan, and then continued to Corvallis for a couple days with Erin. We had a lovely drive through the Columbia gorge. The low angle of the sun made the water appear deep blue green. Traffic wasn't difficult through Portland. We arrived in Corvallis and road our bikes the two miles from the hotel to Block 15, the shrine to micro-brewing that became my home away from home for the next three days.

While in Corvallis we were able to visit Erin's new house and meet, for the first time, her roommate Kyle. The farmer's market in Corvallis is always a hit, as is the opportunity to peruse the many lovely stores and shops downtown. My favorite acquisition this trip was a new stainless steel travel mug, the "JoeMo". It is really nice to drink from, and keeps the coffee very hot.

We returned from Corvallis via Hood River, where Megan, Sally and I met my brother Tom and his wife Debbie for dinner on Sunday evening and coffee on Labor Day morning.

After a couple days in Spokane Sally and I drove to Lethbridge, Alberta. We ate our way through eastern BC, and then joined Sally's engineering colleagues for an ag conference in Lethbridge. Though Lethbridge is said to be the sunniest locale in Canada, we arrived in a steady rain. I can't help but think of the parallel between this circumstance and those climate-change deniers who use snowstorms as "proof" against climate change. Anyway....

The program year at the church now begins in earnest. I think I'm ready, and know it will pass quickly. At my age a year isn't such a long sentence. There's no hope of parole, good behavior or not, so I'll just do my best, and try to enjoy the journey.

Mid-Life Crisis

So is it too late for me to go ahead and have my mid-life crisis now?

Evan texted us last night from the Honda dealer where he was getting his car dropped off for service (again). As he waited for Angie to pick him up he looked at the new cars in the showroom (the real reason why car dealers even HAVE service departments) and saw the new Honda CR-Z Sport-Hybrid. He immediately fell in love, and I soon contracted the bug. Even Sally has been slightly infected.

So we are wondering whether it is our patriotic duty to trade in the Smart car we just bought in March for a CR-Z. Then we could trade it for the next gewgaw that comes our way. I can track the whole progression of purchases on my iPad (Yes, really). I guess we'll pass for the moment, hoping that perhaps the old Subaru will give up the ghost. I guess at my age a mid-life crisis requires quite a bit of rationalization.

Time out

There are many children who have experienced the words "time out" as a part of nonviolent discipline. "I think you need a time out." I'm pretty much in the same position. I'm tired after the summer long effort to establish my interim ministry. The hardest thing of late was to attend the Board retreat and to hear Board members talking about getting the year started. That's what I've been doing for two months! It felt a bit like the joker in PE class who would shout "One!" on your 7th sit-up.

So, I'm all set for a time out. I have had a few minor items to finish up, but the pace is different, as is the place. I'm at home, unshaven, and quite happy about the fact. My degree of satisfaction over having an unstructured day makes it abundantly clear: I needed a time out!

Smoking

Yesterday was strange... Almost eerie. There were numerous wildfires west of Spokane, darkening the sky and filling the air with smoke. Sally and I willingly took the dogs for a walk, but soon got beyond the feeling that it was like camping. Or perhaps that was exactly what it was like... When you're near a campfire and can't seem to escape the smoke.

We were not alone in those feelings. Mister Cat was agitated, and kept seeking safe haven. He hid in the bottom of Sally's closet for a while, then went down to the basement and curled up under a table. Juni and Cayenne also seemed distraught. The house was warm as we headed for bed, but Ieft the windows closed to prevent even more smoke from entering.

Around midnight I got up with the dogs and noticed the freshening breeze. I opened the bedroom windows, and we all slept better from that point. This morning Cayenne "asked" to be fed before 6:30. Let's just say that almost never happens. We're all relieved that the smoke has cleared, at least for a while.

I can't help but think of and feel sorry for the Russian people, struggling to breathe day after day while the wildfires burn on. The Earth and it's forces are powerful and awe inspiring. Humility seems appropriate, and exceedingly rare.

For anyone still checking for posts...

I'm attempting a post from a mobile device. We'll see if this works.

As I stated in my last post, I've been narrowly focussed on my work at the UU Church of Spokane for the past 8 weeks. Things have gotten off to a good start, though I am clearly ready for a break.

I have many wonderful new friends, which has been the highlight of my work at UUCS. The "lowlight", I suppose, is that I find even the Unitarians to be more religious than I am. I guess that isn't terribly surprising, or particularly difficult.

Attendance has been good this summer, which is a rarity for UU churches, in which pretty much everyone, including the minister, take the summer off. The fall promises to be busy and challenging. A couple weeks of R&R in preparation for e next stint are most welcome.

I hope anyone who reads this (Hi, Arlene!) is well and enjoying the summer. I may post again over the next couple of weeks, depending on how busy I get doing nothing.

Free Weekend

I didn't have any responsibilities at church this weekend. This is the last time I'll be able to say that for 2 months. For the next 8 weekends my attention will be focused on the goings on at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Spokane. The contract has been signed, and so it begins.

One of the realities of my life is the need for focus. On the one hand my mind races along at miles per second, while my attention gets stuck on work. The church for me is a bit like a tune that you get stuck in your head... I just can't escape it. So I end up focusing on one thing, but unable to properly focus on anything else. The short version of this, which you've already discovered, is that I can't blog creatively while I'm spending my intellectual capital on work.

I might try to add a post every now and then, but I'm afraid it will be thin for a while. Eight weekends on, then a couple off. Rinse. Repeat. I'm relatively confident I'll survive the 12 months ahead and come out of it with the desire to think about something else. Anything else. Check in once in a while, and set your alarm clock for July 1st, 2011.