Busy weekend.....

My usual weekend consists of taking Battlecat for a walk, doing chores, and watching cinematic classics like Masters of the Universe.....

This weekend was different.....

Chad Whitehead came into town - he was speaking at a conference for Houston 2nd Baptist North campus so I got to see him on Friday and Erin and I had lunch with him on Sunday! Friday night Erin's friend from school hosted a party for some of the students so we made some cupcakes and went over there for awhile..... they were playing speed scrabble when we got there and then they switched over to an absolutely maddening game called: Apples to Apples..... this game is completely subjective and there is no strategy to win..... grrrrr......

Our neighbors... the Rice football guys were hosting their usual Friday night booze fest complete with a huge ice block with grooves carved in it for taking shots...... the theme of their party was Black Out - so everyone wore black and presumably they drank until they blacked out..... definitely not my college experience.....

Sat. morning I helped BattleBill move, and then Aaron and I went to the Galleria with his sone Collin. Collin is like two years old, and at one point we were walking around the mall and Collin was in the middle of us holding both of our hands.... I wonder what people thought of that scene..... anyway that was amazing because I got two pair of dress pants and a dress shirt at Banana Republic for $27 which is pretty much my Banana world record.

On Sat night Erin and I went to her friend Lan Lan's house for Chinese new year! Lan's mom made the most intense feast ever.... there were more dishes here then at any chinese buffet I've ever been to..... it was quite the cultural experience.

Sunday we got up, and went to church - then we came home, put the roast in the crock-pot and went off to meet Chad for lunch where we were all ministered to by fajitas at Papasito's. There's something mystical about chips and salsa..... Chips and salsa hold a power over me that I can't overcome.... they just call out to me.... eat me.... eat me..... and I heed that call no matter how full I am.....
Anyway - Erin and I hurried back home to clean house before I took off for Nexus.
Erin and I hosted three of her fellow med students who went to BYU/U of U for dinner.... that was a really good time.... felt like being back home... we listened to the Sons of Provo CD that the bowlcut gifted me with (as an aside to Chris - I bought Andrew Peterson's album strictly off of your recommendation). My favorite song on Sons of Provo is called: Love Me, but don't show me" which has one of the best all-time lines in: My body is a temple girl and you ain't got no recommend.

If you don't get that line it's OK.... we'll talk later.

So that was the weekend....

I've finished several books lately:
I Love Mormons - David Rowe
The Normal Christian Life - Watchman Nee
Mere Christianity - CS Lewis

Right now I'm reading Christ of the Covenants by OP Robertson.... very slowly.... I wish I had the book on tape because he has an awesome southern drawl.....

Battlecat has class tomorrow.

That is all.....

First Day of School

Battlecat had her first day of school today! Doggy Obedience School is every Tuesday at 6:30 at the local Petsmart. Battlecat is terrified of the car.... but when she is surrounded by other canines she's in her element. Today all the dogs in the class got to sniff each other's butts until they were satisfied that there were no communist spies in their midst. Although my own butt was not sniffed, I felt like I was a part of their ritual and I think it's a cruel imposition by society that humans aren't allowed to indulge their own natural urge to sniff one another.

In other news - the Broncos lost, at home..... in the AFC Championship game.... to the Steelers. I don't hate the Steelers.... I hate that Plummer had four turnovers.....I think it's weak that the Broncos abandoned the run - and I think if the Steelers did that to our secondary - I'm glad we got shelacked by them and not the Colts who would certainly have destroyed us for the third year running........

I did think that Plummer had some amazing scrambles and got out of a ton of near sacks.... unfortunately he left the ball on the ground when he was escaping one too many times.
Maybe next year.....

As an aside.... if Roethlisberger wasn't injured mid-season that game could very well have been in Pittsburgh.

That's about it for me.... I appreciate all the comments from my last post.... especially those from 'Anonymous' - I was really encouraged by your comments.... I need to call you soon.

P.S. The picture doesn't have anything to do with the post.... I just thought I'd throw it up there..... anyone know where it was taken at?

Missing my wife

On Thursday Erin and I found out that her grandfather had a stroke. Erin flew out to SLC to be with him and her family in WY Friday morning. While Erin was praying/crying/visiting/studying I had a pretty battlifferous weekend..... just me... Battlecat, and playoffs. It's really hard to have Erin away and going through such an emotionally challenging situation and to not be able to be there and hold her and pray with her just sucks. She comes home tomorrow evening and I'm so excited to see her!

This weekend Mark and Sarah got married (www.sarahandi.com) and because Erin was out of town I went alone.... I love weddings because I can always relate to my own; but going to a wedding without my wife is like eating cake w/o Mrs. Rudnicki's icing..... there's definitely something missing. I did get to spend time with the brothers Bennett (Adam and Ian) and Joel - briefly.... so that was cool.

I came to a realization this weekend..... maybe more a point of clarity about something I've been recognizing about myself.....

If you've seen the movie 'Dogma' you may recall this scene where the lead gal is speaking to her friend and telling her about how she struggles with disbelief... and her friend replies... ah the mark of a true Catholic.....

In some ways I see myself in that comment. I remember when I first was knowing the Lord... how everything was new and exciting.... I used to be stoked for my work break so I could sit at the Arby's in Park City and just read and read.... everything was so fresh. I still like to read -but I've graduated from the Bible to random books of theology..... for some reason I'm more impressed with philosophies about what's contained in the Word and how to apply it rather than what the Word has to say for itself.... and with this de-mystification of the Holy Writ comes an ever increasing amount of apathy towards all things. It's rare that anything stirs my emotion and rarer still that I would act upon it...... Is apathy the mark of a seasoned 'believer'? Am I resigned to be ever-critical - always pointing out what's wrong with the Church and never part of anything approaching a solution?

I definitely feel like that sometimes...... I wish I could read the Bible like I did when I was a newborn and strip away my theo-baggage.... I wish my theo-baggage would magnify the Word rather than weigh me down.

I have hope though - there's always the brief moments on the train into work - where I can see the Gospel applied... as I sit there and read the Psalms I encounter the nations and something stirs within me. I guess I need to get involved.... to invest in something that draws me into 'real' life.

Well... that's my little rant.... haven't had one in awhile. Battlecat and I are going to lay on the love-sac and watch Harry Potter 2 for awhile and then I shall resume cleaning the house so that Erin can be fully relaxed when she gets home tomorrow.

I miss my wife.

-jake

P.S. Battlecat's archnemesis has been revealed: Our vacuum cleaner. The battle rages on.

What I'm up to lately

Because Erin has neglected her calling to the blogosphere... I shall post a brief update of what she's been up to. She just wrote a mini paper on the book - Mountains beyond Mountains about Dr. Paul Farmer's (http://www.pih.org/index.html) work in Haiti and other impoverished areas of the world. This book has really inspired Erin to begin considering international medicine and infectious disease - and I've really been into learning more about it with her as I've been re-awakened to a variety of social-justice issues.

Today I watched the instructional CD on how to use the Sumo Robots my Dad got Erin and I for Christmas! Soon I will be a sumo master!
I also got a great book called "I Love Mormons" for Christmas..... I've been reading it pretty much everyday since I've been back, and found it quite engaging so far. I appreciate the treatment of the LDS faithful as an ethnic group over-against the standard dismissal as a 'cult.' I'm about 80 pgs into and will have to give it a more thorough review when I'm finished.

This weekend Erin and I went over to Joel and Heather's house... we arrived there @7:45 ish and got back home 'round about 2 AM.....It's not like we watched three movies and climbed Kilimanjaro.... we were just hanging out - we had some dinner (thanks Heather!) and some RC Cola (thanks Joel).... and were blessed with some toots (thanks 'Bella). Holden was trapped in this closed-circuit loop of: Stand by the door.... sprint into the couch... fall over.... repeat. It reminded me of Erin's cousin Cy who went through a similar routine with our love sac (www.lovesac.com).

Erin and I are stoked for the return of Gilmore Girls and Smallville episodes this week! Huzzah!
Tomorrow Robyn Day is in town to take a test for medical school - Robyn is a med student at the Univ. of Utah and a friend of ours (she went to Ethiopia with Erin) and we are excited to have her over.

Erin and I have decided to take Battlecat to doggy obedience school...... there she can harness her powers and learn to channel the Power of Greyskull.

I leave you with a limerick in tribute to Battlecat -

When you get in the back of the car
You drool wherever you are
On my lap, on the seat,
On Erin's arm or the street.
But you haven't pooped so far.

Mi Amore

Corey and his wife left for VA yesterday where they will decide on three potential countries to serve as missionaries in for the next couple years...... Erin and I had to say goodbye to them on New Year's Eve and that was sad......... Yesterday was Erin and I's 2nd anniversary and since we got married we've invited Corey to be a third member in our relationship... but alas... he married another. Below is a picture of Corey and I on a train leaving Termini Station in Rome en route to Nice, France. (No... we're straight.... just merry)

Erin and I didn't do much of anything for our anniversary... Erin started classes yesterday and I went back to work yesterday so she studied when she got home, and I entertained Battlecat! I think we might go to the Aquarium restaurant on Friday night.

The Aquarium restaurant has a Ferris Wheel outside... and we like Ferris Wheels!

I've been listening to Derek Webb's new album 'Mockingbird' (www.derekwebb.com has 4 songs online)... I got the last copy from the local Lifeway using a giftcard Joel gave me for Christmas (thanks Joel!) Anyway - check it out.... Derek Webb is amazing.

I'm tired.....so I'm signing off....

ciao babes.