Freethought Miscellany

(Note: This turned out to be pretty long in the end. Just a forewarning.)

There's been a little bit of time pass since I sat down to write anything in this space. The silence is reflective of the fact that very few things of note have really been happening around here in the past few weeks. I had been, until yesterday, in the final days of my vacation. I took the opportunity to make the most of the time by doing the least bit of anything that I could. It's been glorious, but I'm getting to the point where I'm looking forward to the students coming back and the semester beginning. The novelty of idleness has, for the most part, worn thin.

So there we are. You're now officially caught up on anything particularly noteworthy in my life. Seeing as how such a meager paragraph hardly seems to warrant being published, however, I'll proceed on with some of the things that have been on my mind or in my focus lately. Some of it is probably more meaningful than the rest...

It's recruiting season in the professional arena or Residence Life. My department, like most others across the country, will begin to interview candidates within the next month and a half to two months. I've been chosen to be a part of the interview process for Res Life at UNH and I'll be heading to Osh Kosh, WI at the end of February to interview a host of candidates at the annual Osh Kosh Placement Exchange (which I attended as a candidate last year). Because of this, I've been reflecting on my experience as an HD here at UNH and have decided that I honestly have little to nothing to complain about regarding the work I'm doing. Where I've previously complained virtually nonstop about the department(s) I've worked for, I would feel very wrong about doing any of that complaining now. It's a good feeling to realize that you fit in at the place you're working and that you enjoy what you're doing. I hope that I can help to recruit to this department professionals who will be as successful here as I have been.

I've been talking to our child recently as it kicks/punches/moshes around the womb. I felt a bit odd, at first, speaking into Sarah's belly button (which is now entirely flat with the rest of her stomach) as though it were some sort of telephone to my child. I'm more comfortable with the behavior now, though, and I enjoy the conversations she and I share with our progeny (though they're admittedly almost entirely one-sided). It makes me feel fatherly.

I'm happy to see some recent changes in the shape of my upper body (shoulders, most notably) since I've gotten back into a weightlifting routine lately. I was quite pleased with how my body carried the muscle I had around my last year at Iowa State when I was lifting heavily and regularly. Having fallen out of the habit during grad school (however understandable the fall out may be) was actually a rather large source of disappointment for me. I'm hoping that it's not something I let slip again in the future.

As much as Sarah may yell at me and tell me that it's gross, I can't help that I'm a nail biter. I'm doing it right now as I type this post. It's a habit. Thanks, Mom, for passing that one along.

I've been thinking a lot lately about absolute Truth. You may have read the conversation I had with my brother regarding the issue of Truth. The whole issue started when I picked up Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis over break and started reading his methodical analysis of the Christian faith. I'll probably post more on the topic at a later date once I finish reading the book, but that could take awhile. I can generally only stand 10-15 pages of Lewis before I need to set it aside and just think about things for awhile. It's pretty heavy. Pick it up, though, if you want to dig deeper into what I consider to be a rather logical analysis of the faith.

I'm enjoying the colder weather that's come in the past few days. I can't help that winter is my favorite season. That being said, I am certainly glad that it's not as cold here as it has been back home. Fifty below is just ridiculous.

I bought some new running shoes this past weekend. For having just said that I enjoy the cold of winter, it might be odd to also hear that I'm looking forward to the spring and summer so that I can get back to running outside. I'm going to run a 5K this summer. It's a goal of mine. That's probably the furthest I'll ever run, though, because it's just ridiculous to want to run any further than that.

Space blows my mind. Have you ever seen the Deep Field images taken by the Hubble? Each point of light in the photo is a galaxy. EACH POINT! And that photo simply catalogs one point in the sky! There are literally billions upon billions of galaxies in the universe. It gets even more mind boggling when you consider that all of the normal matter in all of those galaxies accounts for only half of the matter that theoretically should exist in the universe. Dark matter, worm-holes, black holes... It's all a serious mind fuck (sorry for the swear, but it's necessary) when you sit down and try to conceptualize even a part of it, though absolutely humbling to any person who considers their life or their existence to be even minutely significant in any way whatsoever. I am mystified by anyone who can look at space or the universe and not see something bigger than ourselves. I am blown away by those who understand anything of the complexities of life and science without likewise understanding the presence of a Creator's hand.

I fell asleep the other day while I was watching a History Channel program about the Mayan's. Part of the program must have been about the Mayan calendar and its predictions of the end of the world because I started having nightmares about the end of the world based on what my subconscious was hearing from the TV. Just so you know, there will be floods and droughts as the Earth's magnetic poles reverse and cause the rotation of the Earth to become unstable in or around 2012.

Sometimes I think I should have joined the military, but then I think to myself "nope, you're alright" and that's that.

I miss playing soccer. I'll probably try to coach my kid's little league soccer team once the thing is old enough to play. Then maybe Sarah will finally let me buy a minivan.

I still have my full beard and I still think it looks great. It's not scraggly anymore. I've trimmed it and shaped it. Manscaped it, if you will.

President Obama will be inaugurated on Tuesday and I will feel proud of my country.

I've been listening to Verse a lot lately. Having not really given them a lot of consideration before, I've finding that they seem to be one of the few hardcore bands out there right now who actually have anything good to contribute to the scene. Hearing what they have to say gives me some hope that maybe some kids still get it.


Enjoy it, if you actually take the time to watch it.

And now, seeing that I've sufficiently rambled, I think I'll point myself in the direction of sweet slumber. Goodnight, internet.

Stay Gold!

MMK

to feel pretty.

marshall has done a rather fine job of posting regularly. i, on the other hand, have not. mostly, i don't have much to write about. but here it goes anyway:
- i enjoyed seeing our family (including our friends who are like family) and the plains of iowa over the holidays.
- clearly, by the pictures marshall posted, i enjoyed the arby's meal a little too much.
- i am so thankful we had a smooth train ride back to new hampshire.
- new hampshire has come to feel like home.
- i never want to a ride a train halfway across the country again.
- i have 3 months left of my AmeriCorps*VISTA service, most of you know this is a big HOORAY!
- we had our first hypnobirthing class last night. i think the information and techniques we will learn in the class are going to be very beneficial, helping me to have a natural birth
- marshall and i have been going to the gym just about every night. i am proud of us!
- baby Kole is very active! marshall can even feel the baby move now and has been having conversations with the baby consistently. it is rather cute.
- i read just finished reading the book "Jennifer Government" by Max Barry...READ IT!
- marshall and i bought a stroller and car seat travel system. thank you, again, to family members who helped us with target gift cards. i'd post a picture..but i think that might just give away the sex of our little one.
- the new Brittney Spears album is garbage, well just her voice..the beats are pretty alright. Christina Aguilera could do it better.
- marshall and i are addicted to the TV show Heroes.
- below is a picture of my new haircut and the most recent picture of the baby (24 weeks).
- miss you all, please keep in touch.


SLK

Target Practice

I did some shooting with Sarah's dad whilst we were in Knoxville over the Christmas break. Though the temperature was at or just below freezing, it was still a great time. We shot a number of different rifles (since I prefer rifles to handguns) and Darrell was kind enough to scan a few of the targets from the rounds that I fired. I'm not a superior marksman by any stretch of the imagination, but I was happy with these.

The larger holes on the left are from a Chinese SKS Type 56 firing the same ammo used in the AK-47 and using the standard metal sights. It was fun to shoot and not terribly difficult. The smaller holes on the right are from a scoped 22 rifle (my favorite). Easy to sight and fire. All shots fired from a distance of 42 yards.


More shots from the 22.


Even more shots from the 22.


This is something I enjoy doing with both of my dads, and it's something I'm looking forward to doing with my kids.

Alright! I'm off to the bathroom so that Sarah can cut my hair.

Stay Gold!

MMK

Roast Beef + My Mouth = Taste Explosion

If you'll look back to my posting from November 16th of 2008, you will find listed two things which I count as the ultimate and penultimate negatives of life in New Hampshire. While one can find a good deal of happiness in this state and region of the country, life is still a bit worse with the passing of each day that one spends either having to watch/cheer for the Patriots or not eating Arby's on a regular basis.

We took advantage of the time we had in Iowa to correct both of these things. I don't remember seeing any Patriots jerseys of caps anywhere, nor did I even hear mention of any Patriots related news for nearly two weeks. It was glorious. More glorious, though, was the afternoon of December 31st, 2008, on which Sarah and I found ourselves hungry while driving from Knoxville, IA to Ames, IA. We realized our hunger while motoring along just to the south of Des Moines. Here's how things played out from there*:

Sarah: "I am going to need some food soon."

Me: "Ok, where do you want to stop?"

Sarah: "How about Arby's?"

Me: "Shit yea!"

(*Actual conversation has been paraphrased because, honestly, who remembers anything else when one has Arby's on the brain?)

So, we pulled off near Altoona and drove through the nearest Arby's. I ordered a French Dip combo, whilst Sarah opted for the delicious Reuben combo. We got the food sack from the man working the window and went on our way.

Depending on your opinion of the food they provide, you may consider this next statement to be either positive or negative... Nothing has changed about Arby's in the six months since we at there last. The food was delicious and we walked (technically, we drove) away satisfied. Great job, Arby's!

We took some pictures of the meal since it was one of the vacation's finest.

We had a French Fry toast to the deliciousness:


Holy crap, this thing is huge! (TWSS, for those of you in the know.)


Voracious consumption.


More attractive voracious consumption.


Satisfied belch (not just screaming in the car).


I hope Arby's reads this blog and decides to send us free stuff.

Stay Gold!

MMK

Late 90's Dance Tunes

We are in Chicago just killing time until we get on the train at 10pm to go back to the 'Shire. I'm contemplating making a playlist on my iPod for the 22-hour trip that's to come. If I do, it will mostly just be "Ride the Train" by the Quad-City DJ's on a wicked long loop.

"Come on ride the train, and ride it (choo-chooooo), etc, etc, etc."

We have a lot of pictures and stories to share once we get home. Look forward to it.

Hope the new year is going well for everyone so far. I decided to stop drinking soda again. It's not a resolution, just a choice that happens to correspond with the new year.

More soon.

Stay Gold!

MMK