Summer Viewing #2

Since we finished Freaks & Geeks really quickly, I’ve started revisiting another recent favorite.  I just finished Season 1.  Holy cow!  This is an awesome show!  I don’t remember being this into it when I watched it the first time.

Summer Viewing

So, while Holly and Lucy had to slow things down to about a 30-60 minute break every 3 hours or so, I figured it was a good time to re-watch one of our favorite shows.  It remains the best nostalgic-dramedy-that-only-ran-a-single-season-of-greatness ever produced.  Thank you, Freaks & Geeks.

Summer Reading

I have said it before and I’ll say it again:  In the future, I believe history will show Stephen King to be the Charles Dickens of our time.  Yes, there are more literary authors writing now.  But Dickens wasn’t writing to be literary.  College Literature classes weren’t studying his work during his life.  He was immensely popular when he was writing.  If there were such a thing at the time he’d be at the top of the Best Seller list.  He wrote great characters and great stories in the common man’s vernacular.

And Stephen King is just about perfect summer reading material.

discernment question

I wanted to be able to find this again later when I’m looking for it:

http://brianmclaren.net/archives/blog/q-r-discernment.html

I think many people give McLaren a hard time for this idea.  I’m not sure he deserves it.

The Bait and Switch of Contemporary Christianity

I know I’ve not blogged in quite some time, but I liked this too much not to share.

http://burnsidewriters.com/2010/06/10/the-bait-and-switch-of-contemporary-christianity/

Favorite Quote:

“Many churches are jerk factories.”

Irony, you crazy devil…

So, I went to the Dr. for a checkup.    First time in 4 or 5 years.  Long story short; blood work came back good except my cholesterol is high.  Not through the roof; but higher than it should be.  Dr. told me I needed to cut out salt, cut out sugar, cut out desserts, cut out fatty foods, do some sort of cardio for for 20-30 everyday.  Fine.

Tonight, I was debating with myself about trying to do just that; get some cardio and take Rhubarb for a walk.    I could think of numerous other things that I could do or would like to do more (play ddo, watch a show, work on writing a song, eat of piece of cake….)

Finally, I realize that I have an audio book sitting on my hard drive by Stephen King called The Stationary Bike.   I have no idea where I got it from or how it came to be on my hard drive.  I like Stephen King and thought that I’d at least heard of every thing he’s written, but I’d never heard of this.  I have no idea what it’s about.  I decide that I’ll put it on my itouch,  and listen to the audiobook and walk for 30 minutes (of course with Rhubarb).

I start out.

• The first scene is the protagonist sitting in his Dr.’s office.
• He’s been putting off the checkup for 1-3 years.
• His blood work looks good except his cholesterol is high.  Not through the roof, but higher than it should be.
• He’s 38.
• He’s 6′. (I’m 5’10″)
• His cholesterol was 230.  (Mine was 203).
• His weight: 223.  (My weight: 195)
• His Dr. proceeds to explain to him that he has been blessed with a “good” metabolism; not great.  But good.  The problem is that it’s getting older and he needs to stop eating and acting like he did when he was a teenager.
• His Dr. says that if he starts taking care of this now, it’s far from too late.  But if he doesn’t do something soon, the fat’s going to start packing on and in 10 years, his health is  going to be in serious trouble.
• Next scene, I find out he’s an artist.
• He’s an artist who feels he’s neglected his art for a long time and has only produced anything for monetary gain which has successful squelched his own creative impulses.

This is the book that got me out of my chair to go walk the dog tonight.

3 weeks minus 1 day

That is what my Christmas break has turned into.  We were supposed to go back to school on Monday, and didn’t actually make it until Wednesday.  And then the elements conspired against us and we were told to stay home on Thursday and Friday.  Weird.

I’m not really sure how to handle myself.  If I know I’m going to have downtime, I look forward to doing nothing.  If I get unexpected downtime, what do I do? nothing.

These 3 weeks have been supremely unproductive.    Don’t have much more to say about that.

Snow day, you say?

This calls for  BATMANGIRL!

Lumber-SHACK! (eating cheese/sausage biscuit)

And I have chopped some wood this week…

Still haven’t shaved!  No Shave November has become something bigger!  Tomorrow (Dec. 17th) will be 49 days since I’ve shaved.  (Okay, I’ve trimmed my neck and cheeks a little bit…)  After making it through the valley of evil scratchiness, it’s difficult to break down and shave now.  It’s kind of like growing your hair out…wait…I mean….whatever.

Can’t decide if I’ll keep the ‘stache the whole week so as to not freak out students or to shave it off before school on Friday.  (Holly will not be pleased either way….)

Today, a student asked:

“Mr. Shacklett, when are your ever going to shave?”

Me:  ”I don’t know.  Why?  Is it buggin’ you?”

T: “No, I was just askin’.  You just kind of look like a young Santa Claus or something.  But you’ve got more white hairs coming in on your face so….”

Me:  ”T, you know you’re the reason for more white hairs, right?”

T: “Yes!”

No Shave November- One Month!

Last Shave: 10/29. It is now 11/29
4 Weeks=One Month

Responses:  Holly hasn’t complained about it too much lately.  She says that between the facial hair and the hair on top grown out, she “can’t see” me.  Ivy doesn’t seem to notice, but I think she might be a little freaked out if/when the face goes.  My sister (at t-giving) thinks I should let it keep going till I need to comb it.  Don’t think that’s going to happen.
Current condition:  Mostly, I just hate the feel of the mustache and want to lose it, but everybody seems to hate the “Abe Lincoln” except me.  Don’t know how much longer it’s going to last. Now the “super-itchy” is over, it seems a shame to just get rid of it.