Resolved,

While catching up on my reading lately, I followed a citation to an interesting document written by Jonathan Edwards over the course of his life. While he was a teenager, he composed a list of resolutions, the preamble of which was to review them weekly. He continued to add items to the list over the course of his life. The first one in the list struck me:

Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God's glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriads of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many soever, and how great soever.

Edwards, appropriately, begins with a reminder to live to God's glory first, not (merely) to his own. This first personal imperative inspires the next: do his duty and act for the good of mankind in general.

I am one who really hates confrontation. I became thoroughly disgusted with my options in the presidential race a LONG time ago and have brandished my "undecided" flag proudly. But Edwards' comment drove me into my Bible and onto the Internet doing my own research and fact checking. Being undecided is nothing to be proud of. America is my country, this is my duty, and I have adopted Edwards' first resolution.

link of the day ...

So I read tech news religiously - several times a day. I'm far more interested in the new Google phone than the latest bank collapse or which celebrity gained 20 pounds.
By the way, I don't live in a digital box. The less interesting questions above were brought to my attention by NPR and supermarket tabloids, respectively. WAMU and Demi Moore.
Anyway, this blurb about music showed up on Wired 's feed this afternoon. Honestly, I think this post should be filed under stuff white people like in my Google Reader.

pastime

This is so much more civilized than just yelling "shotgun!"

clarification

Last week I believe I made the mistake of blogging before I sorted out all my emotions. Sorry to confuse anybody, I am NOT leaving Oklahoma City. However, one of my very dear friends is following in the footsteps of Heather and Mary and heading toward a US coast.
There's a little bit of jealousy behind that post. I don't get to travel as much as I would like. There's disappointment of course, at lunches and "girls nights" lost. There's excitement for their opportunity. And, as I said before, there's hope in meeting again.
It's just a big change, that's all.

era passing

Starting in 1997 (when I left WV for college), I was relocating all my worldly belongings at least twice a year. After graduation, the frequency increased to a whopping four times between June & August of 2002. Finally in late summer of 2003 I finally settled in my own apartment. I loved living alone. I enjoyed my job, the nature of which actually encouraged me to keep reasonable hours so I could develop a social life. Oklahoma City was growing & changing, for the better! Yet I had a strange feeling in my stomach as I walked down to the office to renew my lease on the apartment. Restless? Extraordinarily so. Was it time to find a new apartment?
Rationality prevailed over romanticism ... month to month rent would have increased my living expenses 5%.
As I pride myself in my self-attributed ability (or perhaps propensity) for adaptation it does not protect me from the emotions pouring out of me today. The ordinary movement of life requires a cycle of "hello, nice to meet you" through "goodbye my friend, I will miss you." It is what it is - the time between is what varies. The tragedy is in lost company but there is joy in the prospect of reunion in another state.
So, goodbye my friends. I will miss you.

the black tie affair

Today I experienced a slightly different side to NW 23rd Street of Oklahoma City. The street is one of the major arteries between the state capitol and the suburb of middle-class Bethany. Along those five miles are 1 or 2 locations of every major fast food chain, a cluster of Vietnamese culture, several tattoo & piercing shops, and the subject of this blog.

Chris & I picked up Caleb and headed north to waste the Saturday afternoon on the thrift store scene. We managed to root through all shades of green blazers and flower skirts and find some inexpensive gems. Inside a pile of a tie rack I found a skinny black tie. Instead of handing it over to Caleb, I kept it to myself. The subtle red sheen of stripes in the fabric will accent a pencil skirt extraordinarily well.
Now to find the pencil skirt ... I think there's a thrift store a little north on May?

Scribbled in a black notebook at 7:30am at the Hilltop Hostel in Takoma Park

As Chris keeps pointing out - East Coast America resembles European architecture & culture far closer than the Midwest. Here in D.C. that feels most unfamiliar & most true. Having not been to Europe I just take his word for it. I am basking in the tall, thin row-houses and tall green foliage. The flashbacks to urban Philadelphia every minute in the residential neighborhoods.
Chris is in his element here: he's been navigating strange cities on foot for 3 years now. We hit all the outdoor sites yesterday, starting with the zoo. Everything but Elephants, as the entire zoo was breathing sounds of the construction of the new Asian Elephant habitat. We saw my favorites: otters (also from Asia) seals, sea lions, & big cats.
The cats, which were all sleeping this time of day when I visited the OKC Zoo, were comparatively active. Even the cheetah paced in the shade of his pen. Chris & I left discussing dropping a giant white ribbon into the habitat.
Next up: walking. And walking some more. All afternoon we were shadowed by Asian tourists flocking to a tall man holding a yellow triangular flag. Reminded me of the "Anne" tours in Prince Edward Island - L.M. Montgomery apparently sells quite well in Japan.
Exhausted from walking (and posing for about 200 pictures between the two of us), we headed back to the hostel to retrieve our car and some directions toward Chris' planned crab meat feast. All you can eat baby.
Lets just say the Internet failed us. We ended up confuddled in downtown D.C. and then plain lost in residential Alexandria before we got to my Windows Mobile "live search" to successfully navigate to Ernie's Crabs. We were 15 minutes late for the all you can eat deal. We ordered 12 jumbo instead - same price, bigger crabs.
After dinner, back here at our $22.50 per night hostel, Chris & I stayed up late to discuss local tragedy and joys with Washa (sp?) an Iraqi-Lebanese ex-UN worker.