Deficit spending

We still don't have the actual money we are supposed to in our library account at school, but we're going to make an order using deficit spending and see if that works. That's something to pray about because we don't have much control over it ourselves.

No Prep

I waited until 9th period to take my prep, but Mr. Beck was pulled to cover the testing center, so I missed my prep today. It made for a busy day, but I made time to pray here and there.

Free lunch

We had 2 two-hour delays the last 2 days. Yesterday, some parents even provided lunch with leftovers today. It's been great.

Sarah won

Sarah finally won a writing contest. She usually enters the same contests as Claire, and if either one wins, it has always been Claire. Sarah never admitted that she was jealous before, but she was really excited to get the letter in the mail today.

Snow

It started snowing 6th period today. It wasn't when I went out for lunch and was when I came back. That made the buses late and my trip home slow, but I got there safely eventually. I had trouble getting up some of the little hills around the school, so I stopped at Our lady of Joy until I saw a salt/plow truck. Then I struck out again and it was much easier, but still slow - just in case.

When Jess told me she was going to die if she had to stay in school any longer, I told everyone does, but probably not today.

Zubik Center

I took the girls downtown yesterday because Pirate Fest was going on. We were going to park across the river, but parking is free on Saturdays during December, so we parked there, which was also close to the Holly Trolley line, so we caught that to look at the gingerbread houses. On the way to the Trolley, we saw Catholic Charities open with things for kids to do starting at 11 (everything else started at 12). So we went in and dressed up in Nativity clothes, made crafts, had cookies and hot chocolate. It was great. Pirate Fest was great too until Sarah twisted her ankle on a bouncy obstacle course, so I didn't get to register for as much as I intended - like the pierogi eating contest. We got home in time to go to mass at 4 and order Pizza Hut with the $20 dinner box for $10 dollar online coupon that we use monthly.

Names

Today, I was reminded how important it is to use names. I try to use names with students, but a lot of teachers use names with each other too. That's something I have to work on.

Son

My friend's 17 year old son passed away. It seemed sudden, but I don't have a lot of details, not that any detail would make much difference. I am glad they are asking for prayer because that means they are open to the grace God must want to comfort them with.

Bleeding

Bleeding is a catchier title than "Giving Blood" is, but that's what I did this evening. It went well. The best part is usually the end when you get to eat snacks. The end was still the best part, but more so because of my conversation than the snacks. A dad and his first grade son were there because the dad was giving blood. The son may have been a little nervous when his dad had to go into the room for the questionnaire, so the boy decided to talk to me, not the other guy a little older than me sitting by himself, and not the couple sitting together at a fourth table. It started with him explaining to me how to play rock, paper, scissors, shoot. I'm not sure if we were playing best of seven, but he beat me 4-1. Then, he decided he should know my name, so I told him, "I'm Dr. Stevens. What's your name?"

"My name's Lucky, but my class calls me Tarif."

"Oh, yeah? Well, I'll call you Lucky then."

Then we played "I spy with my little eye" and then my time was up. I looked up the name of Tarif when I got home to check its spelling, but also found out it means "bold, determined, and tenacious," which I definitely saw in him.

Disney

We just got back from Disney. It was nice, but HH is nicer. It gave me unique opportunities to pray, but not as many opportunities to serve like HH.

Capture the Flag

I had fun playing Capture the Flag with the junior high students again this year. There were good cookies as always, although not as many to take home. I felt healthy running around, but I stubbed my thumb on someone. There was also a lot of huggies, but no hot chocolate. We must have been spoiled in the past. We have a lot to be thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving.

Goal Met

I wanted to run a 5K under 22:07 (that's 7:07/mile) and I did one in 21:58 (7:04). I hope I am persistent in following Christ as I am about working out.

WPSLA

The first piece of news that comes to mind is that I joined the Western PA School Librarians Association because Kristen asked me to (although she asks every year) and because one of their meetings at the History Center can be in lieu of an Extended Day.

The other piece of news would be about the churches merging. One of the models mirrors the one that the schools are using (Mary's, Ursula's, and Bonnie's). That was also the most popular choice 2:1 at the meeting versus the other models, so hopefully that means that's the model for us going forward.

Other than that, things have been routine. There are a few things on the horizon though. The girls are at ice-skating lessons right now. Claire has a Forensics tournament Saturday and then I'm going to the Pitt game against Duke (after Pitt just bear #2 Clemson at Clemson last week). Mike was there and we might stop by his tailgate before the game in Gold Lot 2 by Stage AE.

Protests continue

Protests continued yesterday, so Facebook posts continued to be filled with Clinton supporters criticizing Trump and his supporters. I haven't responded because I haven't been asked to and I've learned if you preach the word to those who didn't ask for it, then they usually hate you for it; but if you preach the Word to wise people who ask you, then they love you for it. It seems the wise are refraining from posting to Facebook, so I am too.

If I were to look for a Catholic analogy, it would be the sinner pounding his breast asking for God's mercy (Trump supporters) and the self-righteous pharisee praying to himself (Clinton supporters).

Other analogies could come from the Franciscan (Christian) precepts:
12. Love others
13. Accept others joyfully
18. Respect all creatures
19. Seek unity

Even more analogies could come from the Taoist precepts:
5. I do not judge others.
8. I go with and not against the nature of things.
10. I suspend my belief in opposites by seeing myself in all.
17. I trust that others know what is best for them.
18. I do not need rules to be kind and just.
22. I resist brokenness by being flexible and bending to storms.
26. I can remain poised regardless of what goes before me.
30. What uses force will decay.
31. I allow my best to shine by loving where there was hatred.
43. The softest overrides the hardest of things.
45. My inner peace is my true gauge of achievement
49. It is my choice to be kind because that is all I have to give.
55. I get cooperation when I stop trying to control others' lives, including mine.
56. Those who talk do not know. Those who know, do not talk.
57. I let others live by their rules. I am free to live by mine.
61. By staying calm and under the radar, friends will trust me.
65. I will be guided if I know that I do not know.
68. What I fight weakens me. What I cooperate with strengthens me.
73. I listen more and speak less.
75. I place less demands on others and myself and am free to just be.
76. I am strong by being soft/pliable rather than hard/brittle.
78. I remain serene amidst sorrow to prevent evil from entering me.
79. I return kindness for injury.

Election Day

Trump won and I enjoyed watching the Clinton supporters be humbled, at least the ones that were so self-righteous and full of pride leading up to the election. I'm glad she conceded and that Trump graciously accepted.

The night before Claire, Sarah, and Emily got their pictures taken with Kat, Pa, and Grandma Sue. Kelly and I weren't in them because Mary had to stay home with Sven. I think that's all since the Star Party

Blessed Be Educators Star Party

Yesterday was a full day. I went to the first Blessed Be Educators breakfast with Sarah and Emily. We got back in time for me to take the Hyundai in for a safety recall. Then I had time to get the lawnmower and mow. Then Sarah and my mom went to a Star Party.

Happy Birthday, Dad!

We also celebrated my dad's birthday last weekend. Then, this week flew by. I did make time to pray, but not to get onto Blogger.

Bobcat Blast 5K

The first annual Bobcat Blast 5K was great. Sarah ran it in under 30 minutes (her first official 5K). I ran it in 22:14. If I had known I was so close to my all-time goal of 22:07, I might have been able to push myself a little more. Of course, if I keep training, it should be easy to beat whenever there's a next time. One down side to the day was that I couldn't go to morning mass.

More 5K Prep

Sarah, Claire, and I ran a 5K to prepare for the real 5K Sarah and I are running Saturday. I was doing well with 7 miles one day, then 8, then 10.5, then I was so tired the fourth day, I slept through one snooze of my alarm clock, which is unusual for me. Today, I had the sniffles, so I probably won't run more today unless I feel better later. Thursday and Friday were going to be mandatory rest days anyway, so I'll try to beat my 27:27 from my only other timed 5K.

Parish Initiatives

We got to meet with Fr. Molar yesterday to share ideas about parish initiatives that he would like us to be involved in. He didn't know we already did engaged encounter, but he wanted to develop some follow-ups for young families that get married or have baptisms in the parish. The emphasis is on baptisms since there are about 75 of those vs. 15 weddings annually. Those baptized usually stay nearby too, whereas those married may get married here because that's where one of them grew up, but is not where they will be living after the wedding. I thought using prayer couples and host couples for a reception for baptism anniversaries would be a good idea.

I also took the lawn mower into be fixed. Only the blade is bent, not the crankshaft, so once they have the right blade in, I can pick it back up.

Dance

Claire went to her first dance last night. Of course, I went to bed before she came home with Nancy, but she was planning on hanging out with her friends Katie and Jordyn to watch the drama of everyone else.

5K Prep

Sarah wants to run the Bobcat 5K in 2 weeks, so we went to the optional practice last night. I'm going to do it with her, while the other watch. We may schedule a few extra practices on our own. It should be fun and it helps raise money for the church.

Championship Race

I slept through the day after the race and just realized I never wrote about it. The Open JV Girls got first thanks to Sarah at about 18 (about 3rd) and Emily at 22 (5th). The Open JV Boys also won against 42 other schools. The JV Girls came in (a disappointing) 3rd. Claire was 39 (7th). The JV Boys won. The Varsity Girls came in 2nd thanks to 6th grader Katie. It was great and we got to celebrate at Jim's "retirement" party afterwards.

Sleep

I basically slept the day away yesterday. There's a time for action and a time for rest. Not equal amounts perhaps. But yesterday was a day of needed rest. I feel much better today.

Carbs

Our girls got to see their cousins Heather, Hailey, and Ray, and got their carbs for tomorrow because Grandma Mackin picked them up after school while Nancy and I were at work and made a spaghetti dinner. Nancy and I got over there in time for leftovers. Saturday morning's race should be fun. Diocesan Championship.

Crazy Hat Practice

It was a relatively regular day at school, although we did decide to make a few changes. One of the PTSA mothers didn't like that we rounded up to the nearest quarter, so we aren't going to do that anymore. Donna and Robin had done that just to avoid giving out pennies as change. We are also going to limit detentions for late/lost books to once a grading period (which means notices can be limited to once a grading period). We may also limit those with fines to 1 book instead of 2, especially since the rule is supposed to be no books out with a fine. However, as the title suggests, today's highlight was crazy hat day at cross country. We rushed to get Claire at 5 from Forensics, eat dinner and get to practice by 6, rush home and get Sarah ready for riding, while mom was out working. I did homework when I came home with Emily (and was supposed to check Sarah's, but ran out of time). All I have left to do is order a purple fuzzy diary from Scholastic with Emily's money. At least I'm here to do that. Nancy's cousin's husband just passed away under unknown circumstances a couple of nights ago. And yesterday's readings were about worrying about the big things and not the little things.

Inservice and Mass

On Monday, we had inservice, I wore my running shoes and only then realized how much grass sticks to them in the morning. The presentation on appropriate actions was haunting in hindsight. I called Lawn Joe at break and found out he doesn't have evening hours anymore, so I'll have to take a day or see if he added weekend hours. After school, the girls had their last hard practice at Hartwood Acres (once I found out how to get to their parking lot). I finished reading and did a little walking (and a little running to the bathroom) before practice ended for them. On Tuesday, I had to cover for Mrs Miller and go to the bank, so I left towards the end of 8th when I was done teaching and got back around 3:00, 10 minutes after the last period (9th). I told Mr. Beck I was coming back to lock up anyway. I was planning to pick Emily and Sarah up from scouts, but Nancy called to have me come home (since I didn't have Emily's car seat). Yesterday was a more routine day. I had a conference with Andrea from Capstone. Mr. Fishell coordinated a super flush to rid of the sewage sitting in the pipes under the school and stinking up the place (not that I could really smell it). The girls had their last run on gravel hill for the year, gearing up for Saturday. I guess that's not a very routine day, but more so than Tuesday. I still got all my prayers in, but I probably should have tried to get Mass in Monday morning in hindsight.

Zoo

The zoo was free today, so I took Sarah and Emily because Claire wanted to sleep in (and we wanted to beat the crowd). After lunch, I went for an 8 mile run. After dinner, I started to mow the lawn until I ran over a rock, which bent the blade (and maybe the crankshaft). I called about the mower today and have to find a day (or if they're open weekends) to bring it in and find out if I'm just getting a new blade or a new mower. Despite all this, I got all my prayers in too.

Homecoming

Homecoming was great. Of course, I liked people recognizing me and being happy to see me and talk with me, but I also liked the opportunity to make them feel good too. All the hugs seemed more natural than some of the hugs at Engaged Encounter, which sometimes seemed forced or expected. I hope I can go back to Bethany more often.

Twins

Karen came in the back door of the library this morning while I was working at the computer. I said, "Good morning," without looking up and she said, "Twins." So, I looked up and saw we were wearing the same basic outfit: black pants and maroon top. Then, when she was leaving this afternoon she asked, "So, what are you wearing tomorrow, so we can match again." That was my funny moment of the day, but it doesn't beat Sarah's.

Sarah went to the bathroom before lunch and couldn't get the zipper to her skirt back up. So, she prayed to God, "God, please help me get this zipper up." But it wouldn't go up, so she held it in place and got her jacket to help hide that she was holding it in place. She ate lunch one-handed. She played at recess one-handed. After recess, they had another bathroom break, so she tried again. This time it worked and she said, "Halleluia! My zipper is fixed. Thank you, God." She'd make a good religious (or faithful lay person).

General Meeting

If I had skipped the PBEA General Meeting, nothing would be different. The agenda said it all, which we didn't get until the meeting. Discussions could be held online asynchronously if there needed to be any. Oh well. It's another something to offer up.

Ditches

I recall Fr. talking about doing little things without big love instead of big things (with little love). Going over to my in-laws and diggin tulip bulbs out of the ground before company comes over in two weeks felt like the opportunity to do something little with a lot of love.

Confession

I made it to Confession yesterday. That was the highlight of a busy day. I also made it to daily mass like I do most Saturdays. I went for a 6.5 mile run while the girls got their flu shot. That got me down to my goal weight again, but then I went to my parents' and put 4 pounds of snacks back on.

North Championship

Novice Girls won. Sarah was 9th. Emily was 10th. Novice Boys won. JV Girls won. Claire was 10th. JV Boys won. Daniel and Varsity Girls probably did pretty well too, despite the rain. We left early because of it. There are a lot of happy kids, parents, and coaches from St. Bonaventure tonight.

Book Scavenger

I started Book Scavenger at Oblock. Some teachers are participating by hiding, but no kids have found any to my knowledge. They may not even be looking. Now that they are all using their email, I may be able to communicate better than simply making announcements at lunch. It's more personal in a good way too like Jesus's relationship with us should be.

Emily "wins"

Emily "won" her first race today. She beat all the first and second grade girls in the race with her, but I think it is the kind of race where the boys and girls aren't scored separately, so she won't get an official win because some of the boys did beat her.

I don't know if there's a winner of the first Presidential Debate between Trump and Clinton. Claire and I stayed up to watch the first segment on taxes. She didn't really understand it, but wanted to watch them argue (and they did).

Signing

With my voice gone for the last few days, I've had some interesting interactions. The best by far was at Pizza Hut. I came in when an older lady was already at the counter, so I sat down on the bench to wait. She turned around a gave me a look. I didn't think much of it, but apparently she did. She came over to apologize for giving me the evil. I tried my best to say it was fine, but I had lost my voice. Once she knew I lost my voice, she told me how her cousin was born deaf and taught her some sign language when she was little if I wanted to learn some until I got my voice back. I politely nodded my head and she taught me the three most important swear words I should know in case I really wanted to swear at someone before I got my voice back! Normally, I would repeat back what I was being taught to make sure I got it right, but this time I just signed "thank-you" - a sign I knew already - when it was time to get my pizza and go.

No sub

I called off for today early yesterday, so the school could ask the same sub to come back, but Mr. Paris already had another job lined up, so it will be a different person today. Some good news (related to this illness) is I got to my goal weight of 143. 143 is special because its digits represent the number of letters in the phrase "I love you."

Work Days

I actually went to work Tuesday and Wednesday, but lost my voice by the end of Wednesday, so the things to offer up to God continue.

Sick Day

Sarah was sick Sunday and I got sick Monday. That's just something else to offer up to God if we bear it patiently.

Missed Birthday Party

Nancy went over to her parents' house with Claire and Emily for a birthday party, but Sarah was sick, so I stayed home with her. That's something to offer up to God.

Montour Mess

The Varsity Girls were participating in the Montour Invitational against a bunch of public schools. They were allowed to run 10 girls and only had 8, so two sixth girls were asked to run up and got yesterday off. So, Sam and Claire were asked and able to do it. That wasn't the messy part.

Our race started at 11:15, so we were asked to get there by 10:15, so we could see the boys race and get ready for our race. That day, however, the time and order of the races were rearranged, so our race started at 10:15. Our second best runner wasn't there yet. None of the girls got to warm-up properly. Despite all that, they still got second place. Claire came in 4th for the team. Savannah's 5th grade sister dressed to take the place of the missing girl and came in 5th for us, I think. So, we're really proud of them (and really disappointed with Montour).

Mistakes were made

We finished the Book Fair yesterday around 1:00 and I tried to finalize our financial statement by 3:00. There's an easy summary that you can print out from the scanner and input online, so that's what I did. The print out said I should have 29 credit card records and I did, but it said the total should come out to $605 and it was $590 instead. I was also expecting a record to be missing because of a receipt misfeed we had earlier that week on a credit card transaction. That missing transaction could have been for $15, but then I would have 30 records and not 29. In any case, I used what was on the print-out because that's what I'm supposed to do. After I submitted it and was putting the other summaries away, I found a print-out with 30 records. I was using the wrong print-out to finalize things online. I can't edit a finalized statement online, so I have to call customer service and go from there. I am disappointed in myself.

I had all of this on my mind when I got to go watch Sarah race at St. Mary's. They did well, but there were no results sent yet because the coaches were getting ready for a middle school girls race today, which became another story in itself. At least I have a lot of anxiety to offer up to God.

Open House

We had Open House yesterday. XC practice the day before. Some of the other parents caught me running 5 miles at practice when they only run 2. They told Nancy about it when she took the girls to practice yesterday and I was at Open House. At Open House I met some parents, including Chloe's mom, who went to Bethany with me. Her dad didn't come though. He also went to Bethany (and Phi Tau) with me. They won't be at Homecoming this year because they'll be in Italy. Good times.

James 4:17

XC Practice was cancelled, so I took whoever wanted to go running with me out to Avonworth Community Park. Claire wanted to go running, but not there, so it was just Sarah and Emily. It also gave me time for email and one of our aides responded to my MLK quote about those who do not respond to evil are equally guilty with James 4:17 (if you don't do the good you're supposed to, it's a sin). I liked that.

East Catholic Invitational

The Varsity Girls, which included our 6th graders, beat the world with a 22 point total. The lowest possible for 5 runners is 15 (1+2+3+4+5). Claire was 6th on the team and 15th overall. Abby was 8th, not even counting for our team, and 18th overall. Our 3rd-5th graders also won the JV race. Sarah came in 4th on the team, but would have been 4th if she had run in the novice race for 1st-3rd graders. As is was, Emily came in 5th, getting beat by 3 3rd graders and a second grader. We celebrated afterwards at Hoss's.

Pitt v. Penn State

The rivalry was renewed and Pitt came out on top. My dad enjoyed the game, of course. I saw him afterwards at Kelly's. I stayed home with Claire and Emily that day while Nancy went to see Ashley with Sarah. We watched Gone with the Wind (and I passed the AR test based on it). It was another good day of family time.

Book Fair Begins

The book fair began yesterday. It got off to a good start with Mrs. Yorkshire's class. My day got off to a good start at Chik-Fil-A, with a free Chicken biscuit (every Friday in September at the Monroeville restaurant). I had wrapped up all of my Lincoln editing, so I got to catch up on my IJBED reading at work. Nancy burned our chicken when I got home from work. It was a full day and I'm thankful for all of it.

Routine

All I can say about yesterday was it was a routine day.

Claire's first race

Claire came in 5th, 3rd on her team behind Anna and 5th grader Sahr. Carina was out on crutches. Sarah came in 25th, 9th on the team, which will make her very important in the OPEN race this year if that continues. Some of the kids in last year's Top Race look like they may be in the OPEN race this year because some of the younger kids are improving a lot. Persistence is paying off. Nancy mentioned how Sarah was dead last going out and beat a bunch of kids coming back. Claire also started second, but quickly fell to the back of a lot of her teammates (and others), who went out too fast.

Labor Day

We had a nice Labor Day overall. Claire missed XC practice because of her cold, but Sarah and Emily went and ran my 5 miles in 45 minutes. We thought Claire would be good enough to go to my parents' house, but Nancy had to stay home with her still, so only Emily and Sarah went swimming. Kat was at North Park's pool with Sequoia for the closing of the pool. We got to see Kat before we left though. Thank God for today.

Labor Day Eve

We got to go to the Mackins tonight since there is no school today. We didn't stay late though because the girls still have XC practice. First-come, first-served waivers started yesterday too, so I tried to fix our draft before we went over. I know who is starting for me each week, and I know who I would've started had I gotten who I wanted at the draft, but I haven't looked to see how they compare with each other and how they match up against our opponent. Only a few teams have entered their starting line-ups, but so far ours looks the best. I like that fantasy football sort-of counts as family time.

Villanova v. Pitt

I went to Pitt's Opening Game this year with my dad. They beat Villanova. We had planned on lunch at the Rib Fest until we realized there's nowhere to sit and eat there, so we stopped at a restaurant we passed on the North Shore called the Foundry Table, which was nicer. I offered to pay for lunch, but he only let me pay for my share. I got a $9 chicken sandwich. He got a $11 burger and $5 beer, which came to $31 with tip, so he paid $18 and I paid $13. He also paid $20 for parking. I wish I could've given that money to charity, but it was nice to spend time with my dad.

Sick

Sarah got our attention this week because she had to stay home from school and Grandma Mackin had to come over to watch her for a little while Nancy went to work. Nancy said it wasn't worth me staying home for that. Emily didn't feel good enough to go to XC practice, but she did make it to school. Both are planning to make up the missed practice Saturday (when I'm going to the Pitt game with my dad). I'm thankful for all of the family members in my life.

Shaler Invitational

Claire's race got rained out even though the Open Race was shortened to the length of the Novice Race. The JV and Varsity Races were going to be the shortened length too, not before the thunder and lightning cancelled things. Claire was counting the finishers and said I came in 25th for among both men and women, so if there were awards, I would've got one. Of course, like Paul says, I have to keep running this race of life like I have not yet finished. My pace over 1.13 miles was 7:20/mile.

First Day of School

My first day of school was uneventful because I had already completed the required training and so was given "fillers" to occupy my time at the high school. Tomorrow, I will be at my junior high and be able to get work done between sessions. Those sessions are usually more relevant than the ones at the high school anyway.

The state-of-the-district address was amusing because so many administrators are taking off. A consulting firm is taking over for the Director of Special Ed, who got the job in Shaler. The elementary principal, Mister Stephans, is at the high school as interim principal since he was an assistant there previously. The moved our assistant, Mr. Hadley, back to elementary principal. Mr. Szarmach will cover for one of the high school assistants, while they look for a second, although they probably have to find another interim superintendent since Dr. Rossi is leaving. Mr. Gray welcomed back all the teachers and "administrators who couldn't find employment elsewhere" in his address, which was hilarious. Mr. Fishell followed that with saying he'd make his address quick since he has an interview at 11 with Penn-Trafford, which was funny.

It was all much better than Diversity training. The professor is very smart and acknowledged all kinds of biases, but nevertheless focussed on the black/white racial issue, even when other factors could have been in play. He once wasn't hired for a job because he didn't have the right experience and couldn't get the experience unless they gave him the job. He feels it was because he was black. Another woman waited for another elevator instead of getting on alone with him because he was black, even though I know women who don't get on elevators alone with strange men of any race. One white woman even said she would try harder to get on with a black man because he might make a big deal about it.

Then technology training for iPads and Smart boards, neither of which I get, took 1 hour instead of 2.5 hours. It was another session that some people got to miss like Diversity for ALICE training. Although I didn't like two filler sessions today, I liked them better than ALICE at least.

Fortunately, my girls loved their first day of school. Emily and Sarah have teachers they had before and Claire has a teacher that knows her well too. It should be a great (last) year for them at St. Bonaventure.

Helpers

When I was walking out of PNC Park with Emily, a woman came up to me asking for help and I told her, "Not today." When we got to our car, Emily asked me why I didn't help her. I told her that adults should know that they should ask the workers if they need help and that they shouldn't ask other adults that are busy watching kids. We had already talked about why I don't give money directly to beggars because some of them make bad choices on what to spend it on and that we do give money to places that will give them food, clothing, and shelter if they need it. I also added that I did say a prayer for that lady and the others we passed on the street. That's something you can always do and God knows what they really need better than I do anyway.

Like riding a bike

Claire got a hand-me-down bike from Pap-Pap Mackin, which is the right size for her compared to her old one, which is too small. The only problem seems to be teaching her to ride without training wheels. She's a lot bigger than most kids who learn to ride a bike without training wheels, so she was tiring me and Nancy out quickly. At least she didn't fall.

Practice Race

XC had its first ever practice race against each other, which was a lot of fun. Sarah was the 2nd girl in the 4th grade and under race. Emily was about 5th. Claire was about 5th (but would be 2nd in 6th grade and under). Both of our girls' teams won the race. Although Sarah's lost the relay, but that gave everyone something to be happy about. I like how Christian this competition is.

Fantasy Football

I missed this year's fantasy football draft again because I went to Idlewild with my family. I missed another because I went to Disney World with my family. My father-in-law was there as always to make the picks for us, but he had asked me to join the team in the first place because he thought I knew more about fantasy football than he does. I had more time to learn, so I guess that was true, but it's becoming less so now. Especially since I rely on experts projections, and those projections are always changing, so the list I made on Wednesday, was already outdated Friday. Oh well, there's always good food and friends at the draft, so my father-in-law still got that out of it.

Shoes

After getting blisters from my 18-month old running shoes, Nancy got me some cheap ones, which are great. I can still use the old ones for walking with good socks. Next, I may have to pitch my old sandals that started giving me a blister after tightening them, trying to wear the soles more evenly than walking on the outside of my foot so much. The money I save can go towards those who need it more.

Out of nowhere

I was thinking about how to write Agent Hotchner out of the Criminal Minds scripts, when it occurred to me that it doesn't have to be something that was foreshadowed because life doesn't always foreshadow events for us. Something like a car crash can take a life just like that. Although not as traumatic, we were waiting for a landscaping company that we picked to build a retaining wall for us when they missed an appointment, so we emailed them and got a reply that they are bankrupt and going out of business. Of course, that's inconvenient for us, but it's also not as difficult as what they must be going through.

Likewise, the Spaghetti Warehouse is ending operations in its building in the Strip District. An apartment complex took the parking lot they used. They tried to stay put by using a free valet service, but it wasn't the same, so they are cutting their losses and looking to relocate, but haven't found a place yet. We just bought a gift card, so we went down there yesterday for lunch and both noticed and overheard how unusually crowded it was and has been the last few days since they made the announcement. The meals were still good and I think it helped me run 7 miles in 67 minutes last night, while the girls were having their own XC practice.

Thanks

From listening to the readings at church and those from the Divine Office the past few days, I am reminded to be thankful for everything I have. I was stressed about all the work I have been doing, but I am thankful for the job. I am stressed by a lot of the people in my life, but I am thankful they are in my life. I won't get to go to the Dentist until school starts again even though I could have gone before school ended last year and waited until summer because I thought I'd have more time. God must have been laughing hard at those plans.

Katie's Clay Studio

Sarah had her party this weekend at Katie's Clay Studio where the girls got to decorate their own plates, bowls, or cups. Katie adds the glaze and has them ready later in the week. The girls really loved it. It reminded me of a story I heard about refining silver. Silversmiths often melt the silver down several times to get more and more debris out. When asked how does he know when he's done it enough, he answered, "When I can see myself in it." The reason I remember that story is because it was told in the context of how God handles us: we are often put into the fire again and again until God is reflected in us.

The Goblet of Fire

Yesterday, Katie came over to watch the fourth Harry Potter movie with Claire. We were going to wait until 13 since it's PG-13, but it seems like everyone in her grade watches PG-13, so we decided to let her too. Since Sarah and Emily couldn't, I watched VCR tapes with them upstairs, ate Lay's Stacks (like Pringles), and made the tent in Sarah's room for them to sleep in. We still have to finish watching Ghostbusters today. Emily wanted to watch Ghostbusters because it's a little bit scary and a little bit funny like Scooby Doo.

Rollo-Coaster

It's been a filling few days. Thursday, I took the girls to Hoss's after putting some time in at my library because we had a coupon. Yesterday, we went to Golden Corral because Sarah had a coupon. Normally, we would have been at Idlewild yesterday because Nancy didn't have work, but the weather looked bad, so we were thinking about using up our Children's Museum coupons instead. Then a 3-year-old fell off the Rollo-Coaster Thursday, so that sealed the deal for us. Although, Nancy still wants to go back one more day this season.

River Walk

The River Walk (Trail) in Pittsburgh is a favorite of mine because parking is free and it is easy access to Pirate games, the Mr. Rogers statue, and the Carnegie Science Center. I did that yesterday with Sarah and Emily, while Nancy and Claire were working. I got some sun, but they're fine, of course. Besides that walk, I also got 5 miles in 54 minutes at XC practice. It was still 84 degrees at 8:30 pm driving home from practice. That got me to within 5 pounds of my goal of 143 (which represents the number of letters in the words "I love you" like Mr. Rogers.

Blood

I literally gave blood yesterday. Trump metaphorically gave blood suggesting Second Amendment people can take care of Clinton. Although some people are going to take offense at that, I doubt Clinton or other pro-choice people would take offense at something like that since they are much more explicit in their support of killing unborn people.

Popsicles

Yesterday's XC practice ended on a nice note because Nancy brought popsicles for everyone to celebrate Sarah's birthday.

Even the kitchen sink

So, I got up early to start and finish Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which Claire borrowed from Katie Thursday at XC practice. She read it yesterday before we got to Idlewild and will return it at practice Monday, so I did that. It took longer than I planned because while I was reading by the kitchen window this morning, I noticed a leak with the kitchen faucet. I thought I just needed to put a new washer in, but I needed a whole new stem. I had washers, but I didn't have a stem, so I put everything back together until I could get a stem. I turned the water valve back on and there were no new leaks, so I thought that was it. However, when the water handle was turned on, the water wouldn't stop completely, so I had to shut that valve off again and go our for a new stem. Ace didn't have the right one. Lowe's didn't have the right one, but recommended Plumber's Equipment on Babcock. Home Depot didn't even come close other than recommending contacting Delta directly. Plumber's Equipment closed at noon, so it will have to wait until Monday. Hopefully, they have it and I don't have to wait for Delta to send me one.

Happy Birthday, Kat!

Kat's birthday was yesterday, so we called her while she was at my mom's house to sing "Happy Birthday" to her. Then we found out she had a party Wednesday that she was expecting us at, but we never remember getting a day or time, just where she thought she was going to hold it. Either way, we'll see her Sunday at my parents' house for her family party.

I didn't run yesterday because I was tired from the day before. Instead, I worked on identifying AR books in Destiny. It looks like it will be a 3 day job. The only real break I took was buying gift cards for Nancy while the girls (Claire and Sarah) were practicing cross country. Emily sat out today because she looked tired yesterday even before she had blood taken.

Yard Work (Out)

I went over to my in-laws to fix the yard because my father in law, who is already a deacon, is too busy to do it any more like he used to. His birthday is coming up soon too, so it also served as a birthday present. It was a good workout, but I also jogged another 11 miles afterwards in under 2 hours.

Pizza Hut

We still have left-overs from the family birthday party on Sunday, but we bought another two dinner boxes last night to take to my parents and they sent those left-overs home with us too. There wasn't much more to talk about besides the trades the Pirates made recently. We traded Melacon for two left-handers: one that can help out in the 7th and one that may be better than Melacon in a few years (or who we buy with the money may be better). That's OK because Watson is cheaper now and just as good in the 9th (and Feliz is just as good in the 8th). We traded Liriano and two minor leaguers (a catcher who was at least 5th on our depth chart and an outfielder who is not going to start for years because of the long term contracts for McCutchen, Marte, and Polanco) for a major/minor league pitcher (with similar numbers as Liriano) and more cap room.

JCTCF!

I have enough in mutual funds to be safe. By safe, I mean I don't put more than 5% into any one stock. I started investing in stocks at the beginning of 2013 and my first pick, JCTCF, just doubled. It comes out to about 20% a year, which is pretty good.

Claire's Party

Our Claire was invited to little Claire's party yesterday, which was supposed to be a horseback-riding party. However, it had to be moved to Jump Zone because of a thunderstorm. The problem with that was all the noise inside Jump Zone. Our Claire wanted to go to the party, but can't handle all that noise inside, so after trying to overcome it for a long time, she ended up coming home and crying in her room.

Like Mother like Daughter

One of my nieces gets into trouble just like her mother (my sister) did growing up. She threw a tantrum at Idlewild today because she wanted to swim and it wasn't time yet, so she screamed and ran behind one of the rides. I was at another ride with Sarah, so my mom and my sister went around either side of the ride and finally corralled her. After my niece and sister went home, my mom told me about the trouble my sister gave her growing up, so the good news is that it should turn out OK, but it's still tough right now.

New Shoes

I've gone 18 months without buying new shoes, mostly because I haven't been running often. I usually buy them every 12 months and I've had holes in these for at 6. However, it's only now the those holes are starting the fray and not just the fabric is fraying, but the hard plastic cushioning is becoming hard plastic jaggers that's hard on my heels. So, after about 8 miles of blisters, I'm spending money on myself to get new shoes.

It was Emily's first real practice too and she did great. Sarah just got back from the eye doctor's and has a 6-month reprieve from glasses. Nothing new for Claire.

Diaconate

I was reviewing my career plans yesterday and put a surprising thing down. I may apply for the diaconate in 6 years. Our girls will be old enough to stay home by themselves in 4 years, which would give me time to resume visiting the shut-in members of my parish, which I hope would help others see me as morally upstanding enough to be a deacon despite my past before I was married. If not, I'll just keep doing the best I can as I am.

Jeopardy

I've been writing a lot of Jeopardy games for Lincoln Learning Solutions. It will be interesting to see if any of my kids or students end up playing them someday when they are in 8th grade.

Prayer

Deacon Steven's homily was about prayer and how God answers with Yes, No, or Not Yet. He emphasized being persistent (because of the Not Yet), which naturally made me think of our kids' education. Rumor has it that the diocesan leaders want to go to a regional system that will break up K-8 into K-4 and 5-8, which was a big reason we liked the Catholic schools more than the public schools. It keeps the junior high kids younger longer, which is a good thing. They are doing this, not to save money, but to serve a future market. Being of the current market, we have to reconsider our new options. I can't create my own charter school without my wife's permission, but we could enroll them in a cyber-charter school and coordinate with other families a way to supervise the kids during the day - even if we pitch in to hire someone with all the money we'll be saving ($3000 per kid). A class of 14 would pay a "teacher" $42,000.

Happy Birthday, John!

We celebrated John's birthday yesterday because it looked like the only day all of us had free between now and his real birthday.

On an unrelated note, I thought of this daycare dilemma: An owner has two employees that he's trying to decide who to leave in charge when he has to be away from the center. Two critical moments form the basis of his decision. One, 4-year-old Brian tries to pour his own milk and it spills. Ron, a male employee, makes fun of him for being so clumsy because he hates cleaning up messes, but helps him clean it up anyway. Jill, criticizes Ron for being so insensitive. Later, Brian is fighting with his 2-year-old sister and starts choking her. Jill ignores it as none of her business, but Ron rushes over to break them up and let Brian's sister breathe again. Who is the better person to leave in charge?

I wanted to make a metaphor to represent that the opposite of love is apathy, not hate. Ron can be insensitive on the surface, but he loves the children and takes care of them when he needs to. Jill is quick to point out other people's faults, but doesn't really do anything to take care of the children herself. Based on my thinking, I would like to think everyone would pick Ron to be in charge, but my gut tells me a lot of people relate more to Jill than Ron.

Idlewild

We've been having a great summer at Idlewild, going about once a week when Nancy has off work (and avoiding the weekend crowd). The castle opened about 2 weeks ago and they were celebrating it's 60th birthday with cake and cookies, which was a nice surprise. Since the first day when we went swimming early and got burned, we have been hanging out in the park until 3 PM and ending the day at the waterpark. The only people I've seen are Cathy and Jen Hensler (although different last names now). It's been nice.

Update

Nancy and I had another Engaged Encounter Weekend. We had Emily's birthday at the Children's Museum and Claire's birthday at Claire's. I've been thinking more about the political ads I've seen. Trump's criticized for making fun of a person with disabilities, but Clinton isn't criticized for killing unborn babies with disabilities. A Clinton supporter argued that Benghazi and a number of other common complaints about Clinton don't compare with complaints against Trump. I agree with Benghazi being trivial in comparison to her pro-choice stance and forcing workers to participate in abortions against their conscience. The things about Clinton I dislike most are all policy related. The common complaints about Trump (racist, sexist) are not policy related -- he's not going to support killing women or minorities like Clinton and her pro-choice allies support killing unborn babies. I suppose pro-choice people have hardened their hearts so they don't consider unborn babies people and can write off my arguments as irrelevant. There's nothing more I can do for them besides pray.

Annulments

While I was trying to place dates on my timeline, I asked a friend about when she first married because I remember being at her wedding, but forgot the date and knew she would know. Of course, that first marriage was annulled in record time, so it never happened (and doesn't get a place on my timeline).

Deep and Simple

In reading Deep & Simple by Bo Lozoff, I came across this prayer by Mother Teresa that I want to share:

Deliver me, O Jesus, from the desire
of being loved, of being extolled,
of being honored, of being praised,
of being preferred, of being consulted,
of being approved, of being popular,

From the fear of being humiliated, of being despised,
of suffering rebukes, of being calumniated,
of being forgotten, of being wronged,
of being ridiculed, of being suspected.

That others may be loved more than I,
Jesus grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be more esteemed than I,
That (in the opinion of the world) others may increase and I decrease,
That others be chosen, and I set aside,
That others be praised, and I unnoticed,
That others be preferred to me in everything,
That others become holier than me,
provided I become as holy as I should.

Zen and the birds of appetite

Too many ideas have crossed my mind this week. Last time, I wrote about putting writing in perspective because Jesus didn't write. I intended to follow that up with learning a second language, but Jesus had a way to connect with others of a different language, so I am not giving up learning Spanish just yet. I feel someone may benefit from it in the future. That's why I tell myself I pray and read so much, so I can share the fruits of contemplation with others.

When we went to Texas in February, I was reading the Tao Te Ching (the "Bible" of Taoism) and thought how compatible it seemed to the Franciscan charism (in Roman Catholicism). I was surprised to see that same idea articulated in Zen and the Birds of Appetite by Thomas Merton, which I finished this week. That book also led me to ask the question: How does one reconcile true poverty (not having even an empty space for God like Jesus had on the cross) with wanting to enlarge our capacity for the gifts God wants to give to us. The answer I came to was that our spiritual journey has different needs at different places/times and so one will lead to the other, but it's still something that we must ask/allow God to do in us.

Again, there seems to be a disconnect between my inner journey and my outer journey. This week we went to Hoss's because the girls earned free meals for their report cards and we had time to go out to my work before hand. We went to Idlewild with my mom the next day. We went to her house the day after that, when Claire was done helping with Katarina for swimming and pizza. That was the first day I missed mass. Yesterday, we went on our first of three runs with donuts afterwards in lieu of running Plum's 5K, and made it back in time to go to lunch bunch and let me get Klondikes on sale and a lottery ticket. I've since learned my lottery ticket lost, so I bought another today with my number instead of the limited randomly generated numbers.

The Road to Daybreak

I just finished The Road to Daybreak by Henri Nouwen. The thing that stuck with me from this one was that the most personal is the most universal. I don't write about my emotions much, but it might help if I did. On the other hand, I've also realized how inconsequential writing may be, as much as I like it. Jesus didn't write anything. He lived his life and others wrote about him. That may be the way I am supposed to follow Him too.

I don't know how this ties in with anything from last week. We went to Idlewild again on Wednesday and I wore a shirt swimming to avoid getting burned. I took the car in on Friday to have the dashboard replaced, but they just took pictures and will call me when they have the parts. My mom celebrated her 63rd birthday this week. Kelly hosted the party on Saturday and Mary baked the cake that Mary wanted to bake (and bought the cake that my mom wanted bought). Yesterday, Nancy and Sarah went to visit Ashley, and then I took the girls over to my parents' house to swim even though they were going out to see the new Dory movie. Mary was there doing homework when we arrived and my parents showed before we left.

PS - This is the book that referred to Rembrandt's Pilgrims at Emmaus and Rublev's Trinity Icon. I may purchase those for my library if they are already in the books at my library.

No Man Is An Island

I just finished Thomas Merton's "No Man Is an Island." There is a lot more to it than I will cover here. It is certainly a good book for any Christian, but may also be good for any person of goodwill. The part that jumped out at me in this reading because of where I am was that a Christian does not seek revenge just so that he can be good, but so that his enemy may be made good as well. It's not time to write another letter, but I think I'm going to include something about that in my next one.

Be who God made you to be

I have seen the phrase "be you" a lot this week. My daughter wears a shirt that says "Be-you-tiful" that I like, but I feel like there should be an asterisk or something more for a number of reasons. We are all sinners, but we don't (or shouldn't) want to be sinners. There's a verse I recall that sounds like it's from Paul that goes something like "I don't do the good that I want to do, but do the sin that I do not want to do." The confusion may arise from the fact that it's our heart/mind/soul that wants to do good, but it's our bodily impulses that make us sin. Some may confuse these bodily impulses with what they think they "want" to do. That may be natural, but we're called to be open to God's grace to act supernaturally. That's basically my letter for this week.

St. Joseph

I'm done with my last day of work for the school year. I'll probably take the girls back sometime this summer with their report cards and stop at Hoss's on the way back. On Sunday, I took Emily to a Pirate game, while Claire was getting a volunteer award with Nancy and Sarah. On Monday, I took Sarah to a Pirate game. Later this week, we're going to Idlewild with my sister and niece, a star party with my mom, and another Pirate game with my dad. So most of my time will be spent being Dad instead of Dr. Stevens. When I'm Dad, I try to model myself after St. Joseph. That's what my letter was about this week.

2016 Retreat Goals

Pick out my meals ahead of time each day. Consecrate any hunger pains to God.
Feel sorrow for my sins. Consecrate any crosses to God.
Go to Confession monthly. Review these goals weekly.
Bless everyone of my patrons that come in. Compliment someone daily.
Read a biography of Ignatius (done). Return to SFO before 2019.

Bring at least 12 sheets of paper next year (10 talks, 1 confession, 1 thank-you to the cafeteria)

Past Objectives

Early on I wrote about whatever was on my mind, often within the theme of what Mary said most recently at Medjugorje, but hat often became redundant, depending on how much time passed between messages. Then it became whichever Breviary reading appealed to me most, but those began to repeat with some of the daily readings being the same as the previous week. Then I focused on the divine office readings from the Bible, which only repeat every two years, when I expect new insights would be relevant. Finally, I just tried to blog about the readings from the Mass I was at last because that repeats every three years. Sometimes, of course, I just post certain requests to keep them at the top of my blog, so anyone who visited would be sure to see them.

I went back through all 225 posts, so now I can use this post as a bookmark that I don't have to go farther back if I decide to take this blog in yet another direction in the future. The direction I want this to take now is to be a record of what is going on in my life, but I'd also like to tie that to something in Scripture when I can. That's more for me, than for others, but it will be posted, so someone else may get something out of it. It will also be OK if the Scripture passages repeat because the connection will be different. I'd also like to go back and make connections to my past with Scripture by making 2 posts/day (one current and one past).

New Direction

I have gotten into the habit of writing a letter a week to people who don't get email. It has become like a journal for me except for the fact that I don't have a copy of what I wrote after I send it off. Therefore, I thought I should jot down a little something here for myself (and others that are online). This is a different objective than whatever my last objective for this blog was.

Vote for Claire

Please vote for Claire Stevens's story on the 2016 Writer Contest website http://www.writeonkids.org! #PBSKIDS #EQT #WQEDwrites This is a one-and-done vote (per email address), so you don't have to return everyday. Just vote before it ends on May 21.