Uno – Sunsets & Super Moon
I spent last Saturday evening on the east side of Grand Lake in NE Oklahoma. For 60 years my family has had a cabin on the west side of the same lake, and for some unknown reason, I’ve never spent much time on the east side. Grand Lake is a very large lake (~65 miles long and 1-2 miles wide), so getting from one side to the other is quite a drive since there are no convenient bridges.
So this was a treat! No only did I get to spend time with some old and dear friends, but I got to see a sunset on the lake (hard to do on the west side, but you get awesome sunrises). It was also the night of the “super moon”, which was cool. Here are some shots:
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Dos – Closing Down McNellie’s Pub House
Sunday evening was a bit of a first. I attended Mass at the Univ. of Tulsa Newman Center, where I was campus minister for more than 8 years. As often happens, I ran into several of my former students. It was decided that we would go out to Tulsa’s McNellie’s Pub House for a late night dinner. We ended up with two tables of people, including two priests, various alumni and students. It was a very nice time, but we ended up being the last group to leave, a bit past closing time and the staff ready to flee. Felt like college again!
Tres – Hazing
I saw this story on ESPN.com this morning which concerns the terrible hazing incidents within the band at Florida A&M University. I spent many years as a member of the Kappa Kappa Psi band fraternity and worked as an officer of their national leadership. Hazing has always been a big topic of concern and many resources have been focused on it to do all that can be done to stamp it out. Even after so many years, I still have trouble understanding why it seems so pervasive and so hard to eradicate.
I agree wholeheartedly with the suggestion that the band remain off the field for the foreseeable future. I think the only remedy is to completely start from scratch – no current members allowed to participate, all new staff, no revived traditions, and never ever any involvement with former members and alumni. That’s the only hope I see for having a clean organization in the future and preventing any other deaths. Those who are musicians and truly love music and performing music know that hazing has no beneficial part of that. (I know these are supposed to be quick takes, but the soapbox jumped up and bit me.)
Cuatro – Attic
Yesterday I was changing lightbulbs at my aunt’s house. I apparently got a bit overzealous with one of her recessed kitchen lights and managed to push the fixture out of it’s bracket and into the ceiling. This required a trip up into her scary attic – not an easy space for someone as tall as me. I managed to fix things up pretty quickly, but even on a cool overcast day, it was 100+ degrees up there and I came down dripping with sweat. The things we have to do sometimes.
Cinco – Tulsa Drillers
Last night I had the pleasure of attending a Tulsa Drillers baseball game at Oneok Field in downtown Tulsa. This is a gem of a park and I was with a good friend that I hadn’t spent any time with for quite awhile. Perfect night for a game!
Seis – Serenbe
HGTV is giving away a “green” home in Serenbe – a little community outside of Atlanta. I’m not suggesting you join the contest, because I’m going to win it. No, really.
I’ve been to Serenbe a couple of times. There’s a great little cafe/coffeeshop there that has the best cheesy grits. I’m not a fan of grits in general, but these are mighty tasty! I want to win the house just so I’ll have ready access.
Siete – Mowing
I mentioned our cabin on Grand Lake. This weekend I’m faced with one of my most dreaded summer tasks – mowing the lake property. This includes not only the lawn around the cabin, but the 75 yards of steeply pitched unpaved road leading to it. I would dearly love a riding mower for this, but I don’t have one, so this chore becomes a royal CHORE. Another chance to get all sweaty, but with the added benefits of ticks and chiggers.
Hey! If you’re a blogger, podcaster, webmaster, etc. and involved with Catholic media, you should check out this summer’s Catholic New Media Conference. Hope to see you there!
Those lake pictures are lovely, thanks for sharing!