Family time

Somehow we all managed to get together this summer: my mom, the kids, grand kids, and us (we really do take awkward family pics). The boy currently has two new jobs, the daughter has one(ish), and the grands only had one week all summer with no activities... so everyone worked together to squeeze in what we could. It was a much-too-short time together, but appreciated by us old folk nonetheless.

I drove the ~500 miles (round trip) to get my mom last Tuesday/Wednesday, the Minnesota kids flew in Wednesday night, and we all hung out together as much as we could for a few days. There was a zoo trip, the Feipels had a wedding, Isaac, Ricci & Wynn went to see her family one day, and we otherwise played games, Wynn had his first swing ride, ate food, bathed a duck, and lazed around until the flight back to Minnesota in the wee hours of Monday morning. I then returned my mom to her home base, and arrived back to mine yesterday afternoon.

Now the house is quiet again.

It makes me sad that these days of all of us being able to get together are becoming fewer and farther between, but I'm doing my best to try to enjoy what little time we do have. Kids are going to grow up and be involved in things, moves will be made, and we just do what we can to appreciate what we have. Right?

Anyway, not much more to say. I'm trying to get back into some sort of groove, and reminiscing as long as I can with the pics we took. 

Until the next time... 

Monday meander

I don't know why it is sometimes so hard to write a post. I fully intended to do a Five Things Friday... but it was a busier than usual day and I was just too wiped out to get it done before date night began. Instead I was going to do a Six Things Saturday... and Seven for Sunday... and... here we are. Oof. But I wanted to get something down because this looks like it will be a wild week too and today may be my only chance. So, here's some stuff...

1. I loved this article in The Athletic about Dr. Alan Poisner: 'I'm 90 Years Old and Still Walk Competitively.' Hows about that?!? I believe it's a free article, but basically he didn't start walking intentionally (or competitively) until later in life, and he still finds joy in it!
2. Speaking of running things... Several years ago I started practicing (or trying to) a style known as 'Chi Running.' According to their website: "Chi (pronounced chee as in cheetah) is the Chinese term for “that which animates all life.” It is also called “life force energy.” The ChiRunning and ChiWalking techniques have blended movement principles from the ancient martial art, T’ai Chi, with the active sports of running and walking. This blend creates a more mindful, centered and balanced approach to fitness."  I also receive their newsletter, which you can sign up for at the bottom of the aforementioned website. Anyhew, what I wanted to mention was... In their 7/24 edition they discussed how we can actually use chi running techniques when we face stress in everyday life too. If you become overwhelmed they suggest putting chi skill into action: Pause, Ground yourself, Realign your body, Breathe, and Focus your mind. It's good stuff!
3. In totally unrelated interests... Richard Beck had another awesome substack post on 7/21 that, at least in my opinion, really gets to the heart of why I believe the MAGA movement is demonic. He was pulling from a 2013 address he made that was originally titled "On Anarchism and Assholes: Social Psychological Reflections on Anarchism and The Principalities and Powers." The Christian Scholars Conference he was speaking at made him change it to "It Should Not Be So Among You"... but when I talk about trump as being "anti-Christ" and MAGA being demonic, this is what I mean. It's worth the read HERE.
4. Speaking of substack... Yeah, I finally took the plunge and wrote a post on mine (HERE). Please do feel free to subscribe (it is free, btw). Anyhew, I intended to post the Five Things Friday there each week, and maybe even share it on my Facebook. But, you know, I'm feeling pretty chicken right now. We'll see if I ever write anything there again...
5. I haven shared about a movie in some time... mostly because I forget about them (almost immediately). We saw two this weekend that I actually remember though! We saw F1: The Movie in the theater, and I really liked it! Of course it helps if you like Brad Pitt, and now Brad Pitt as the wild, old soul. I think it was a good movie. And I liked the underlying message that "It's not always about the money." The other movie we watched (at home) was American Fiction. It's not just about Black entertainment, but the shallowness of it ALL. I enjoyed (and remembered) both films.
6. On a more personal note... I have met with a friend and fellow pastor once-a-week(ish) for right about 26 years now. We started meeting when I got my first job in August 1999, and he had just started a few months earlier at a neighboring church. We have met to discuss books, as accountability partners, to sharpen one another, complain with one another, we were briefly business partners (coaching), and until a couple years ago - when he moved to Michigan - we used to have breakfast together. Now we meet on Google Meet. Except a couple weeks ago he was in town for his denominations triennial conference, and we hung out together in person again! I had a breakfast meeting with someone else that day, so we went to lunch together, then spent a few hours at Sweetwater drooling over guitars and other musical equipment. It was nice.
7. The quote for today: "Beauty isn't all about just nice loveliness.... Beauty is about more rounded, substantial becoming. So I think beauty, in that sense, is about an emerging fullness, a greater sense of grace and elegance, a deeper sense of depth, and also a kind of homecoming for the enriched memory of your unfolding life." - Irish poet John O'Donohue (from Aundi Kolber's 'Try Softer' p.129)

Alrighty kids... not sure when I'll be back, but in the meantime... there are plenty of dragons to slay. Let's do it!!! 

 

It almost kaled me

I used to never get sick; never throw up. I suppose it's one of those "getting-old-sucks" things though... 

Here I was, having a nice sorta day on Tuesday, and along came this ... KALE! I though I was gonna die.

I'd already learned to avoid spinach, and indulging on too many raw veggies at once, but our supper Tuesday night was heavy on the kale... and I ended up heavy on the couch and crouching over a waste basket all night long.

So much for all this HEALTH FOOD stuff, huh?!? 

In between stomach cramps I consulted Dr. Google, and I don't know if it's an all-out allergy, or a simple food intolerance to such things. It seems my stomach just can't, ahem, stomach them anymore. 

Man, it was the full-on bloating, feeling like I was gonna explode, cramps, wanting-to-die - from like 7pm until 3:30am - and finally (after chugging an electrolyte drink) here it came ... three or four large-scale pukes!!! Whew, that actually did feel good (no dry heaves). And, approaching tmi territory, there were a million of those little black things from the quinoa in the waste basket. So, who knows.

Anyway, I was pretty wiped out. So much so that, I was unable to accompany Jane to her treadmill stress test at the cardiologist at 7am. Fortunately that seemed to go well. I was also feeling much better by mid-day Wednesday.

So, all that to say, beware the killer kale! Or, just don't get old. Whichever comes first...

Shower faucet frustration

I am not a fan of anything to do with plumbing, but...

Jane had mentioned there was "black gunk" coming out of the back of the one faucets in her shower. I'd also noticed that distinctive squeal of metal-on-metal when she turns it on and off. So... I'd been mentally preparing myself to tackle this trouble for a few weeks.

I really hate plumbing. I know just enough to break something and totally mess it up, and I'm always worried I'll do that, and I won't be able to find a plumber to fix it, and I'll flood the house, and our insurance won't cover it, and... You know the feeling, right?

Well, last week I finally decided to look into it. I started by using Google to take a pic of the faucet handles and determine what brand they were. Of course, if you can believe it, Google was wrong! They did get the brand correct, but not the style. I don't even remember now how I discovered it, but the shower off our bedroom has a:

 - Kohler Trend 2 faucet -

I already have a faucet "puller" tool, so I grabbed that along with a screwdriver, and covered the drain with a towel. I got the screws out and gave the faucets a little tug. Nothing. I put the puller on and started the prying process... Nothing. First the one faucet; then the other. Still nothing. I sprayed PB Blaster penetrating catalyst all over both faucets, tried again, and still nothing! So I sprayed them down again and decided to wait a bit...

A couple hours later I started the process over. Then I got out the VINEGAR to try to break up the corrosion. I even soaked the one faucet handle in a baggie of vinegar (actually, I think I did first thing in the morning).

I worked all stinkin' day just trying to get the stinking faucet handles off and neither one of them would budge AT ALL!!!

So, I sprayed them down good with vinegar and decided to let them sit overnight.

The next day I was ready to tackle these handles again. Re-spray, put the puller on... Nothing!

Geezaroo... I went back and forth, alternating handles, spraying, tugging, tightening, waiting...

FINALLY... one of them popped loose. And I mean POPPED. A corroded piece of handle broke off in the process. The other side finally broke loose too. Whew.

Now to tackle the inner cartridges and replace the rubber gaskets (if they even have them). Well, wouldn't you know, the socket I have didn't fit (supposedly it's a 19mm, but I find it hard to believe it's not a standard size, and I'd guess it's larger than that). [btw, the next day I did buy a large-size set of plumber sockets on marketplace for $2!]. I was done.

So, I thought I would just replace the handles and think some more about what to do next. And, wouldn't you know it, no one in town seems to carry that brand of faucet handles. Harumpf.

I ended up just putting my tail between my legs, cleaning up the old handles, and putting them back on. We have been talking about getting the bathrooms re-done anyway. I really dread the thought of that too, but...

Have I mentioned how much I hate trying to do plumbing??

Trying to run again (and the run/walk method)

Boy, take six weeks off from running and it's almost like you've never done it before! 

At the end of May I took a break from running. I was having some ankle soreness and swelling, we were going to be doing some traveling, and it just seemed like a good time to give my legs and feet a rest. I was maybe logging around 30 miles per week at the time, and actually rode my bicycle to try to maintain some semblance of fitness.

Geezaroo... Starting back left my legs a little more sore than I anticipated!

The last thing I wanted to do was start back by trying to do too much too soon (that's nothing but a recipe for injury and disappointment), so...

I'd recently read a bit about the Run/Walk method in Jeff Galloway's book 'Running Until You're 100' and decided to give it a try. It really is as easy as it sounds. You simply run/jog for a set time or distance, and then walk for a set time or distance. That's it! Apparently there is an app you can download, or, if you have a watch like mine (a simple Garmin Forerunner 45) you can program it in on there.

My first few run/walk workouts consisted of: 

• Warmup walk for 10 minutes
• Run for 1 minute
• Walk for 1 minute
• repeat the 1/1 for as many times as I wanted (I think it's currently at 19 times)
• Cool down walk for 10 minutes (or sometimes 1 mile)

Today I was supposed to run 3 miles, so I did a 1/10th mile warmup walk, ran for 1 mile, walked for 1/10, ran another mile, walk another 1/10, ran the 3rd mile and walked a little over a mile to cool down.

One thing I noticed about the first workout in 1-minute intervals is that I was running much faster than I normally go, and wasn't really even getting tired.

My watch can be set up to either distance, time, or with timed intervals (it will notify you if you're going too fast or too slow). I opted to shut off the timed intervals because it was a bit too distracting, but there are all sorts of options.

So, I don't know how long I will tinker with this, but for someone just getting back into it, or someone who would like to start exercising or running... this is a fantastic way to do it!

Five things friday (assholes, athletes, and... books)

Welcome back to your weekly Five Things! Although, you're probably thinking more along the lines, "Welcome back to doing your JOB!" Yeah, sorry again for depriving you of all ... this. ;)

1. I've been digging Richard Beck's substack for awhile now, and the other day (7/17) he shared about Richard Sutton's book 'The No Asshole Rule: Building A Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn't.' It's basically summed up in this sentence by Sutton: "The difference between how a person treats the powerless versus the powerful is as good a measure of human character as I know."
2. I was moved this week by Rustin Dodd's piece in The Athletic, 'Why Amanda Anisimova's Emotional Post-Match Interview Was A Masterclass in Handling Failure.' You can likely find the interview she gave after being humiliated in the Wimbledon women's final last week. It was actually Harvard Business School professor Amy Edmondson who coined it "a masterclass in failure." Which, ironically, is a good thing! As Edmondson says, "...we all could benefit from failing a lot more" (and handling it the way Anisimova did).
3. Another athlete story that both saddened and inspired me was this story of Fauja Singh. He became the oldest known person to run a full marathon in 2011 - at the age of 100. What inspired me, though, is that he didn't begin running until he was 89 years old! It was his way of dealing with depression and grief after his wife and son had died in close succession. Sadly, he died after being hit by a car (though not while running). He was 114.
4. And... I'm sure you've been wondering about my reading. I finally finished Jeff Galloway's 'Running Until You're 100.' It had some helpful tips, but was a bit of a challenge to read at times. I am now into 'Try Softer: A Fresh Approach to Move Us out of Anxiety, Stress, and Survival Mode - and into a Life of Connection and Joy' by Aundi Kolber. It's another book from our church and the "mental health awareness" project we're doing. So far it seems good.
5.  "We are still in a position of waking up and having a choice. Do I make the world better today somehow, or do I not bother?" - Tom Hanks

Okey doke, I feel better now that we're back on schedule. Although, I'm just waiting to get sick or something... because I have felt really good this week! My blood pressure yesterday was 118/71, 112/71, and 109/71 (I always check it 3 times in a row), my heart rate/rhythm/force has been super calm, and - I dunno - it just seems like things are "okay." It's a strange feeling for me... :)

Stories about jesus

I've been thinking about preaching more (maybe)... Gah!!!

First, I need to get better at it. Period. Speaking in front of people, minimizing nervous habits, etc.; but also what I talk about!

I want to talk/preach about Jesus.

I found this stuff from Fresh Expression on "How To Tell Stories About Jesus," and it looks interesting. Not that I need another bible, but I also went ahead and ordered their 'Jesus Stories book.' There wasn't a lot of info about it, and it was only $5, so we'll see.

In the above link they offer this guide to help tell stories about Jesus or that he told:

STEP 1: Let the story get inside you!

Choose a story. Start with a shorter one, such as “A Storm” as told by Mark (found in Jesus Stories, page 85) or “A Dying Girl and a Sick Woman” as told by Matthew (found in Jesus Stories page 19).

Later, try a longer one, such as “An Official who Refused to Forgive” as told by Matthew (found in Jesus Stories, pages 43–44). 

Read the story a few times silently and aloud. Ask others to read the story to you. Listen to them as they read it. Once you’ve read and heard the story a few times, ask and discuss the following questions:

• What do I like about this story? 
• What bothers me about this story? 
• What does it say about God? 
• What does it say about me and other people?
• What is one thing I can do to make this part of my life?
• What will I do with this story? Share it? Apply it? Spend more time with it?

STEP 2: Let the story affect you! 

Ask and discuss these questions to help you notice how the story of Jesus is affecting you:

• How does the story make me feel? 
• Is there conflict?
• Who is Jesus talking to? 
• Are there any characters I identify with? 
• Are there details that have particular meaning for me? for my community? for the world?
• What parts don’t I understand?
• Does this story make me want to change?
• Does this story make me think of someone to share it with?

STEP 3: Let the story flow out of you! 

• Practice telling your Jesus story to someone else.
• Be yourself! There’s no need to be dramatic when you tell the story. 
• Use these questions to help you learn to tell the story naturally without memorizing it:
• What aspect of the story do I want to highlight? 
• What details help make that point? 
• What details seem confusing or less helpful?
• How do I introduce the story to different people in different contexts—dinner tables, casual conversations, different events?
• Have I put the story in words that are understandable, accurate, and interesting?
• How will I help my listener want to tell the story to someone else?
• After you tell your story, describe the experience to a friend or small group. What happened!?
• If possible, invite new listeners to go through the questions in Steps 1 and 2. What new perspectives do they bring?

 

So, that's what I'm thinking about at the moment...

Who is jesus?

I was searching for something on my blog yesterday and stumbled across this gem of a quote from Len Sweet & Frank Viola's book Jesus Manifesto. In this post from 8/11/2010 is this (p.171):

"To say that He is our Savior and Lord is correct, of course, but it's inadequate. he is so much more. Christ is... your Shepherd, your Advocate, your Mediator, your Bridegroom, your Conqueror, your Lion, your Lamb, your sacrifice, your manna, your smitten Rock, your living water, your food, your drink, your good and abundant land, your dwelling place, your Sabbath, your new moon, your Jubilee, your new wine, your feast, your aroma, your anchor, your wisdom, your peace, your comfort, your Healer, your joy, your glory, your power, your strength, your wealth, your victory, your redemption, your Prophet, your Priest, your kinsman redeemer, your teacher, your guide, your liberator, your deliverer, your Prince, your Captain, your vision, your sight, your beloved, your way, your truth, your life, your author, your finisher, your beginning, your end, your age, your eternity -- your all and all./ He is the same yesterday, today, and forever; yet He is new every morning. But beyond all of this, He is your King, your judge, and the True Witness." 

I'd been looking for that - or something like it - while writing this most recent sermon. Naturally it presented itself just after. :) Anyway, it's still good, and I'm sure I can use it again someday.

A funny thing happened on my way here

Hope is a hot commodity these days. Everybody wants some...

But more importantly right now... How the heck are you?!? It seems like it's been forever!

Yeah, yeah... I know... It's my fault. I don't even know where to start. We were in Minnesota and Illinois for a little over a week, I was working on rewriting the same sermon into something different every day, it's been hot, I took a long running break - which kind of threw off everything else... You know, some stuff happened. But I still had you in the back of my mind all that time. :)

MINNESOTA

We went to Minnesota June 26-July 2 to help the boy and his wife and son move. They went from a rental house in Minneapolis into their first home-that-they-own (or, the bank, actually) in St. Paul. We drove up on a Thursday - in what turned out to be a 10-hour trip ending in torrential downpours the last couple hours - then rented a Uhaul and moved everything on Friday. From then until we left on Wednesday we 1) got 5 bookshelves and 2 heavy wooden wardrobes at Ikea and put those suckers together. Ugh. They have a lot of books and a king foam mattress all of which went up a tiny, steep staircase! It just about did the two of us in. 2) We also found a used electric mower on marketplace, they bought that, and I spent half of one day mowing over and over and over their lawn that was a little out of control. 3) Then we pretty much just put stuff away and played with the now 9-month-old grandson! Anyway, it was a nice time, and it's a super cute house in a really cozy neighborhood with sidewalks and close to stuff.

BUDA

Wednesday, July 2, we drove the six hours from St. Paul to my mom's house and stayed there until Friday. I did the usual work-around-the-house-and-yard while Jane went over to her brothers house and stayed with him a bit. We did go out to eat with my mom one night in the local watering hole and managed to see several people that we kinda-sorta knew, and several more that my mom was just sure we knew who they were (not). Anyway, we had a nice time but were glad to return home on the 4th of July. The cat was actually happy to see us too! Though the poor little thing was hoarse from meowing so much while we were gone. :(

CARDIOLOGIST

Somewhere along the line Jane has now acquired a cardiologist, and had a couple appointments. She complained to her doctor that her left arm went to sleep now and then, and kind of hurt sometimes. Also, she's had trouble getting back into running - losing her breath so easily. So he referred her to the cardiologist who recommended a CTA stress test with contrast (and something else at the same time but I can't recall the name of it). That test actually showed that her arteries are in good shape - other than there is apparently a 5-5-ish cyst in one of them. They believe that may have been there for some time, and don't think it's a problem, but they're having her do an 'exercise echocardiogram' on a treadmill just to see if that has something to do with the breathing problems. So that's been fun! :/

PREACHING

Oof... I preached at our church gathering this past Sunday. I'd kinda/sorta been preparing for it since late-January-ish... and that is WAY too long to prepare for a single message. Anyway, it went fine (meaning, no one was physically harmed during the process), but it was just one of those totally flat dead-air type days. The entire service just seemed 'off,' the air was unusually warm, and there just seemed a lack of energy about the place. But, whatever, ya know. However, I was reminded of this quote from Bruce Thielemann: "The pulpit calls those anointed to it as the sea calls its sailors. And like the sea it batters and bruises and does not rest. To preach, to really preach, is to die naked a little at a time, and to know each time you do it that you are going to have to do it again." Yep.

MUSIC

This past weekend was a good one for us musically. Summertime in the Fort means 'Rock the Plaza' for us. The local downtown library has free music (with food and drinks) every Saturday during the summer. The time-frame has shrunk considerably over the years (I think it's only 8 or 9 weeks this summer), but we've been doing it since at least 2009, and I believe it started a few years before that. Anyway, this past Saturday was a bit like old times. They had some of the older bands, and there was just a really good vibe in the air. The last of 4 groups was a mix of musicians forming an 8-piece jam band - which we like. They were grooving 'Into The Mystic' (the Van Morrison classic that I walked the daughter down the aisle to), and just as a tear was forming in my eye, the local minor league baseball team's end-of-game fireworks show started! It was a grand way to end the evening the day before I was to preach! Then, like that wasn't enough, Sunday night we had tickets to a concert at the phenomenal Sweetwater Performance Pavillion. The 7pm show started with Yasmin Williams solo, then The Wood Brothers just rocked the house, and ended with St. Paul and the Broken Bones!!! We didn't know it was going to be a 4-hour show, but it was pretty fun if I do say so myself. I was really impressed with The Wood Brothers (our first time seeing them), and especially their drummer who also plays keyboards WHILE drumming! The Broken Bones have blown us away both times we've seen them. It was a fun weekend musically all the way around.

RUNNING

Yeah, so, I haven't really run since the end of May (I think). I've been riding the bike, if anything, and recently started walking more. Last week I did a run/walk thing one day, and again today. I've been nursing my sore left ankle hoping it's not achilles related, and I hope it's on the mend. We'll see. I need to start back into it if I'm going to do another half or four this fall, but the big challenge will be to not start back to fast or hard.

 

So, I guess that's where we're at. I need to get back into this habit - among a couple others - as well. I'll try to do better. 

I hope you've been well! Talk to you later!

Jane to florida

 The lovely lady has returned from a weekend jaunt to Clearwater, FL with our daughter. It was our gift to her for her big 40TH BIRTHDAY!!! They flew down Friday morning and flew back yesterday early morning. I think they had a nice relaxing time. 

I don’t know the name of the hotel where they stayed but apparently it had a decent restaurant in it, a nice pool along the shore, and she said the room was fine. There was no sandy beach right in front of the hotel, but they could walk to a beach with chairs and umbrellas, and the one day they drove about 5 minutes to a quieter beach area. I guess it did rain a bit each afternoon, but they were happy enough overall. 

I am currently writing this on the iPad from the waiting area at an eye surgery center in downtown Fort Wayne. A friend called yesterday afternoon and asked if I could accompany him. He’s having cataract surgery and needs someone to bring him, stay for the 3-5 hour procedure, and take him home. 

I appreciated that he felt comfortable calling me, and that I was able to do it. I’d actually done this for a parishioner when I was pastoring, and it made me feel like I was doing that again for a few hours. 

This place though… It’s an old building, and the waiting area is old and cramped… and you can hear EVERYTHING going on - from the nurses and doctors talking to each other, to patient/provider conversations. It’s a bit weird. 

Now I’m going to see if I can find a bathroom somewhere. 

Five things friday

Here we are, all the way around to another Friday. I am bachin' it this weekend as the wife is gallivanting around with the daughter on some southern beach. After dropping them at the airport I did a 20-mile bike ride (still trying to rest my ankle). It's crazy just how fast I can get out of the running habit. Anyways... here's 5 other things on my mind:

1. I'm not sure what made me think this, but is it possible that Caitlyn Clark has become a female version of don trump? I mean, I have nothing against her personally, but she certainly has created a stir - with quite the loyal following - especially in mostly white, rural communities. I am not up on the WNBA or women's basketball in general, but she seems to be somewhat of a polarizing figure. I wonder...
2. Speaking of polarizing figures...  I saw a statistic that said 63% of US Americans identify as Christian, but according to this Barna study, the percentage of Americans actively following Jesus with a Christian worldview is more like 4%. I'd have guessed that was shockingly true enough, but then I went to the link and saw it was from 2003!!! Well, geez, that's like a million years ago! So I wonder how different it might be today? I'd guess the 63% might be higher, and the 4 might be lower. However, the markers used to determine both may be completely different from in 2003. I dunno, but it's interesting.
3. Okay, here's something a little less serious, but maybe even more important (although... I dunno): This WSJ article apparently tells how to delete your personal data from an old computer. I'ma gonna need that, probably sooner than later... 
4. I'm sure this is less serious and less important: My reading list. I've been trying to wade through Jeff Galloway's 'Running Until You're 100'. It's... uh... not the easiest read. Plus it seems like a lot of "Read my book about *this* to understand what I mean." I guess there are some helpful tidbits, but it's been a little disappointing. On deck is 'Try Softer' by Aundi Kolber. It's a book our church got as part of our mental health grant. I also bought 'What I Talk About When I Talk About Running' by Haruki Murakami... because I've always wanted to read it!  
5. "We really never do anybody much good unless we share the deepest experiences of our souls." - Frank Laubach

Welp, time to get my ice bucket ready for ankle soaking, do some more work on the sermon, and if all goes well, maybe take an afternoon nap.

Peace!

Stress test (jane)

Jane had a CT Coronary Angiogram (w/contrast) and a CT Coronary Calcium Scan done this morning (I think that's what they're called). Both were done at the same time at the new IU Medical facility just minutes from our home. We arrived at 10:45am, and were on our way back home by 11:35am - so, we were there less than an hour.

The reason for the procedure was because she saw her doctor about some discomfort, and given a family history of heart issues he recommended she see a cardiologist, who then recommended doing this just to see what was going on. 

She couldn't have caffeine the morning of the test (though she was able to have a piece of toast right when she got up), and they gave her a pill to slow her heart rate before arriving (apparently they want to take the images between heart beats, so slower heart beats allow for better pics).  

It didn't take long to do. They had her put a gown top on, put an IV in her arm, then get on the scan table. When they send the dye through it makes you really warm (and kinda feels like peeing your pants), but it only lasts like a minute. They also had her take a nitroglycerin tablet to open up the passageways (which doesn't taste great, and may give you a slight headache). That was it.

She has a follow-up cardiologist appointment in like 3 weeks, and hopefully she will get the results of the test before then (maybe next week). 

Otherwise... it's Wednesday; and I got caught in a total downpour on my bike ride this morning before taking her to the doctor.

No kings

I am not entirely opposed to kings. A number of countries operate as such, and I don't know that it makes them good or bad. I am, however, opposed to the trump administration and all things currently republican in the supposed USA. THAT is why I participated in our local "No Kings" protest this past Saturday.

The weather was not great - overcast, rainy skies - but it actually may have made it that much more of a spectacle in that SO MANY PEOPLE still came out!!! 

Fort Wayne's event was from 2-4 PM on Saturday, June 14. We headed downtown right around 2 and noticed right away an increase in traffic. We decided to park at the library several blocks away and several other carloads of people had the same idea at the same time. 

Immediately you could hear the noise. I couldn't tell what it was at first, but as we got closer it turned out to be cars honking, people screaming, singing, cheering and just the sheer number of human voices gathered in one place! It was crazy!! ... It was beautiful.

Yes, I got teary-eyed several times.

I heard a rumor that Fort Wayne's crowd covered 10 blocks of downtown, not to mention the congestion of cars driving around blaring their horns. Someone estimated maybe 10,000 people but I have seen no confirmation of that. I'd be happy with half that. I've also never heard a definitive national number: somewhere between 5 million and 13 million. That's a lot of people.

I honestly don't know what the point, or intended outcome, of the event is/was, but it was hard not to feel a level of enthusiasm in the air like I've not experienced in some time. Maybe it was just finding out we are not alone in how we feel. Sometimes that's all it takes. Sometimes that's what it takes for something more to happen too! 

As a friend of mine said:
"Most days I think, "How can people be okay with this" (the onslaught of lies, evil, propaganda day after day after day)? Today I realized that they aren't. Sure, some people are, but it was shocking just how many folks were carving out space to make their voices heard. Even if those words fall on the deaf ears of billionaire grifters, it turns out we needed a moment to hear each other..."

We saw a number of people we knew and faces we recognized; there were a lot of younger people, but it was mostly old folks - even older than us; we did not see a single police officer anywhere (though I'm sure they were lurking about); it was mostly like a great big party with a lot of laughing, smiling, singing, and even some dancing. :) 

What I simply don't understand are the people I've heard since then who complained that it was somehow anti-military or anti-American. Like... what?!? That's one of the things that yanks my chain the most: this idea that anyone who doesn't support trump, or isn't a republican, is somehow anti-American. Since when has that been a thing? Well, I think since trump's first run it has for sure. And I don't think he's smart enough to come up with any of this stuff on his own. He's a puppet, and the puppeteer purposely hides away. Oof... Anyway...

Yeah... for a couple of hours it felt pretty good. I felt a little bit of hope. I don't expect the current anti-Christ administration to change anything because of it, but it was nice that it changed my mindset for awhile, and maybe over time it can change some other people's too. We will see.

EP doctor visit

I had my scheduled 6-month exam with the Electrophysiologist today. It began with a weight measurement (162), 12-lead EKG, and BP reading.

The BP was 180/90, which is what it was when I checked it before leaving the house. I "think" I'd just freaked myself out due to nervousness about this visit (and I have no idea why I was so anxious). Of course, the more I tried to calm down, the worse it got. Anyway, the doctor checked it after we talked awhile and it was down to 160/82, so he was satisfied. I also showed him my regular checks from home, which are usually in the 120-ish/70-ish range.

All told, he was happy with things. I'm still having erratic heart rate "episodes" of some kind every 1-2 months, but with the Kardia mobile device I am able to text those readings to him and he is good to follow-up. Most episodes only last a few hours, with occasional longer ones. None have yet gone past 24 hours.

He said these are not damaging or endangering my life in any way, but merely present a "quality of life" issue. He suggested maintaining the current course of treatment (diltiazem, apibaxin, lisinopril, and rosuvastatin), and if I would ever start to experience pain or the episodes got to be every 1-2 weeks or 1-2 days, he would suggest a second ablation (rather than additional medications). He said said he would do a pulsed field ablation if we need to do another, and he is currently the only one doing them in Fort Wayne. They are apparently much less invasive and are showing good signs.

Also, he said I have GRADUATED to annual visits instead of 6 months! I am to watch my hydration levels, electrolyte balance, medication therapy, and keep him updated with any odd Kardia readings. If at any time I'd like to do the second oblation I can just text him or call the office.

I guess that's good!

Five things friday

 I know. I had good intentions of blogging several times this week... Yada yada. Anyway...

1. I did take the week off from running due to my bum ankle. Instead I rode my bike Monday, Wednesday and today. I also continued to ice, soak in epsom salts, and wore a compression sock as much as I could stand it. The swelling has gone down some, and it doesn't hurt like it did, but I definitely needed a break from running. The ankle was feeling pretty good until last night when I played basketball with the grandson. Dangit! Of course, the 23-mile bike ride today didn't help. I may take another week off from running (at least).
2. I finally started the actual writing of a sermon this week. I've sort of been preparing for it since February, and I don't deliver it until mid-July. I probably over-prepared though, which then made the act of writing that first sentence that much more difficult. I read several books, consulted several others, plus various substack posts and other items of information. I'm putting way more work into than it warrants, but, you know, that's how it goes. I'd say the hardest parts for me are: just getting started, and then putting the final touches on once I've got the basics down.
3. I read today where, between 2020 and 2024, the median price for a starter home rose 44%, from $169K to $287K. Did you catch that: a STARTER HOME!!! Oh, but let's occupy our news/politics/mindless airspace with the nut-job in the white house! The article doesn't mention it, but I still say private equity is to blame (or whatever the proper term for it is -- corporate "something"). Grr.
4. I saw the picture at the top of the page in the June 6, 2025 Renovaré newsletter It's from Fan Pu and is called "Happy Jesus" (I LOVE it!). This is the little write-up they had with it: "Christ’s Incarnation is unrepeatable, unique. But it was the Trinity’s good plan that the physical body of Jesus would leave this earth, and that his people would become the dwelling place for his Spirit. Fan Pu’s image reflects the incarnational reality that we are Christ’s body—the habitation for his Spirit on earth. Is our fellowship of such a character and unity that we are a “happy” expression of Christ’s body to the world? My friends, we cannot bear the image of Christ alone. Each person is one expression of God’s creativity, one unique package of personality, gifts, and beloved personhood. But the expression of God’s reality as a loving communion only comes into focus and into power as we love each other and join in worship, submission, growth, service, and friendship. A body’s strength and beauty comes from the diversity of its parts." 
5. "Simplify, then add lightness." (This guiding principle for high performance is from engineer and inventor Colin Chapman - h/t to James Clear - and is how I want to do the final edit on all my sermons from now on!)

Okey doke. I've been soaking my left foot in a bucket of ice water while writing this. Time to warm it up a bit with my afternoon tea, and maybe a nap. 

Find some peace (and joy) this weekend. However you can.