Ever call someone when your really bored and decide their machine needs a little spice?

Well, I did- and I made up a rap. Later I wrote it down, then I editted it a bit and added more. Of course, when you do that, Murphy's law states you will call and call and NEVER get the machine- when normally you always get it! So, here is the rap I made. Obviously, it sounds more fun when read aloud as intended.

Note- In order to fully understand many of the little refences made in this, it requires a knowledge of the Anime series "Tenchi TV: Galaxy Police"; "Full Metal Panic: Fumoffu"; "Naruto" (which, since lately it has finally been release in the US, I guess more people are familiar with than they were a few years ago); and just a general familiarity with anime. I change styles a few times so trying to figure the rap meter out might not work for you. One might note that the reason I use Fumoffu several times is that Michael and I both really enjoyed that catch phrase from Full Metal Panic Fumoffu- where this rough and tough international soldier (who happens to be high school age) ends up having to get into a giant, cute, fluffy mascot outfit and when he talks this cute little voice comes out saying "Fumoffu! Fumo-fumo-fumo-fumo!" He ends up designing a new version that looks/talks the same, but has night vision and special military gear installed. So- that's the whole reason it is so amusing to us. Only an anime lover would understand.

Sasuke's friend hugging him in his Bonta-kun outfit- the mascot that says "Fumoffu" in a cute little voice while wielding a machine gun and granade.

Michael Machine Rap

Mike it’s Pat

And I’m driving
in my car

It’s getting
kinda boring and I wonder where you are

And then I think-
maybe he’s playin with a friend

Or flirtin with
the ladies where the party never ends

I’ve got my anime

you can’t stop
playin- I’m sayin, betta start dictatin, else I’m gonna hold all the DVD’s I’m
MA-kin.

Remember in
Tenchi when he got that mark on his face,

He couldn’t go to
class because his pride would  be
disgraced.

I have talked to
Washu bout a mark that’s just for you,

and she’ll think
up one that’s bigger and will say Fumoffu!

Still chilling in
middle school, you know the run you ain’t no fool.

Not hangin’ out
waiting on me- your Uncle here just ain’t as cool.

Ain’t as cool

Ain’t as cool

(Chorus)

Ain’t got no
one to talk to

The road won’t
seem to end

Patrick is
driving on

While
Michael’s out with friends

Before you drop
that phone, give it some thought before you put

It down, your
Uncle’s over here with with a couple ‘o mechs that are ready to go

Hit town, Naruto’s
on the team, gonna beat ‘em clean, get that foxin’ gleam, shoot out laser
beams- from – his-

Nose. Better give
me that call back, you got no plans on which you can fall back-

I got you!

I rock you!

So talk too-

FUMOFFU!

Hey there! Someone commented on a past entry that they read I was a single Dad- erm, not sure how that came across, however being a stay-home Dad does not mean I have to be single. I am happily married to Kat, my Wife, who is half a year my junior. She works very hard on our family's behalf in dental insurance whilest I am at present caring for Conor. I could not get a comparable job right now, and if we both worked we would end up spending near as much in child care: and we refuse to let someone else care for our child.

Anyway, just wanted to clear up confusion for those who do not know us well and visit here. Kat and I were friends for half a year, I asked her Father's permission to court his daughter for the purpose of marriage- and courted her for half a year. I then unofficially, and later officially, proposed to her. We remained engaged (as planned) for two and a half years- we got married half a year earlier than planned, actually. All this time we lived four hours apart- she in NC, I in SC. Half a year after we married, in May, she graduated from NC state and then moved down here- it was the first time we were able to stay together in one place for more than a Summer. We originally met on AOL instant messenger- but there seemed NO possibility of romance ever happening, and it was God who brought about that aspect after we had known each other for some time. I believe this is proof that while the internet can be used to make many mistakes- God also uses it for good. I followed the advice of my Christian mentor and former Math teacher Cliff, the advice of my parents and family, the Holy Spirit's leading, and also waited for the approval and consent of her Dad before we went forwards- and even then, we knew that graduating college was an aboslute must so we decided to hold to the long several year wait.

I think that whenever someone pursues an internet-related romance that caution, patience, and seeking God's guidance as well as the counsel of other Christians you believe give Christ-like counsel even when you do not always agree with it: these are crucial things to keep in mind. I knew that since I felt the feelings of love, it was important that I balance that out and not make any mistakes. Truly, our relationship was forged through many tearful partings and the dissapointment of having built up a strong bond only to have months apart wear it down again. By the time we married, it felt not that different than before- we really had no "honeymoon phase" but for us, that was natural and how it happened. Things also have only gotten better with time- no downwards slope, no "I wish things were like they used to be". They are better than they used to be! Praise God. Oh, and we were both uniquely blessed- Katrina was my first real kiss (I say real, because I don't think smooches at age ten really count) and I was hers. I never dated before her, nor she before me. And, by God's grace, we were each other's firsts in everything- saving ourselves for after marriage.

Hope some of you got to learn a little more about us.

-Patrick

Director of Lady in the Water comes... to South Carolina?

Only in my dreams... literally.

Perhaps this was a mixture of the recent auditions for "Deal or No Deal" with the recent release of the movie Lady in the Water. Either way...

I dreamed that M. Night Shyamalan (sp?) came to Columbia or around here, and was holding short auditions. I was so excited, I was willing to wait in line for hours- unlike with the whole Deal or No Deal thing- just to get a chance. Who knows, maybe this was God's way of showing me that He had a place for me in using my performing arts talents after all? I remember waiting in line, and then I saw the master director himself come up and speak to the person who would be handling people sign in. He had his two female assistants with him (I knew this because if you look at the credits, there is a section that says "Assistants to M. Night Shayamalan" and it has two females listed), and I remember thinking "I am going to meet that man, but I'm going to do it the right way: I'm not going to jump at him and hope for a second or two of his time. I'm going to get it legitimately- with self respect, or not at all.

Of course, and I think this comes from my audition for the client (I threw the role away because I chose to start with some catchy come-back in the role play audition, instead of trying to be more serious), I had some silly little thing set up. We only had like thirty seconds to do a short thing- so I had some sort of Darth Vader imitation skit set up. Obviously, that is a setup for disaster- and I remembered thinking "Is this really the best thing? I should try something more serious, this is risky" so I was trying to think up a whole new audition in my head while I waited in line. I did not want to throw away my chance just because of poor judgement.

Yep, I auditioned for the lead role in "The Client". The only problem is, living in the South, they only really come here looking for people with southern accents- and I definitely did NOT have one. That probably would have ruled me out too, because I did not want to have one.

Closing

This afternoon is the closing- everything is set. The reason it is afternoon, and not morning, is because the mortgage folks messed up- they had the wrong house listed. We would have bought the wrong one! LOL! That would have been a fiasco, but fortunately the people we're paying some of the closing costs to know their job well. So, that is fixed, but as a result they needed a few hours delay. We'll meet them this afternoon and finalise everything.

I'll keep you updated.

-Patrick

Moving Day Arrives

Yes, moving day arrived yesterday. It was more hectic than I had
expected, and due to unforseen problems I was unable to update you at
all! There was a lightning storm the night before the move, and it put
our cable out. So, until we got to the new house and had the cable
hooked up, no internet connection was possible. Since things were
moving so quickly, I did not get my computer set up here until this
very morning. So now, as promised, let me share the journey somewhat
with you.

"Let's do it Daddy!"

*EDIT- for the less parental and somewhat dirty minds out there, this is referring to "let's move today". Conor happens to be in the middle of changing. I am also very proud, here, because he has learned to hold his own feet up while I changed him! It started because I would hold his feet up and he would play with them- but now he just keeps holding them even after I let go. So it has ended up that he will just hold his own feet now.*

The move has commenced. This glimpse is actually further into the move- when Two Men and a Truck had already arrived and placed, as you see, the couch in here. Chris, my half-brother, is the ghost in the background: it is because of his truck that we were able to do what we did! His pick-up truck did a lot of work, and so did he!

The boxes stack up in the living room- what I think we have decided will be the more formal room at this point. Of course, I was going by Kat's definition- she labelled by mine- so we ended up with the boxes in the wrong room. Ack! We'd better fix that today I think.

Kat worked hard at home base, while Chris and I took the boxes she put outside, loaded them, and brought them over to the new house. Part of Kat's hard work involved taking labels she had printed at work and labelling each box and object with the proper label. Each room had a designation- Bedroom A, B, C, and M (master); F (family room), L (living room), K (kitchen), D (dining room), and finally MB (master bath) and 2nd B (2nd bath). Chris remarked on how this was so helpful- and he'd seen labels before, but this was the best. The boxes she labelled had BIG huge letters on them, easy to see and read. The process went smoothly thanks to her foresight.

The boxes stack up, this one is prior to the movers.

Here is one of the two movers- who were hired just to do the really big, heavy stuff with their truck. That, and put together this bed- it was hard work, and he used a lot of tools to get those pesky screws in properly. Here he is... working hard, or hardly working? Working hard, I say, it may look like he was resting- but he actually stopped working since his working pose was hardly... glamorous.

Chris has left to do some things at his church before we meet up for dinner. The movers left. I went and in the final trip brought Katrina back to see the now partly-moved house: the result of all the hard packing she had been doing on the 'other end' of things. It is a soft, gentle light outside and everything is relaxed and lethargic as the atmosphere of exhaustion and satisfaction sets in.

Of course, everything feels exciting- it is a new home, and is starting to feel like home. Yet, some things are not quite right, not quite yet. Perhaps it is the fridge still hanging open to air out while the bleach does its work. Perhaps it is the fact that as I sit down on the couch, I sink down at least a foot because the bed matress of the fold out bed is not in it yet.

Perhaps it is the elegant bed we have moved but is still not made up yet? We let Chris shower off after we all finished- and as Kat and I showered before him, our bathroom was quite an experience.

"Kat, this feels more like we're on vacation- at some hotel suite or beach house- than it does home, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, it does."

The first shower here was great. I mean absotely wonderful. Getting off that sticky sweat that I had not noticed in the thick of moving. I had even forgotten to notice how hot it was, or how wet and sweaty I was. The stand up shower, with two seats, is even bigger than my parents stand up shower at the lake house- and the water pressure! Kat was amazed at how long the hot water lasted.

"Kat- maybe it is because half the water isn't being wasted down the facet that Pat Murphy [the landlord of our old apartment] has not repaired yet, and the shower head uses the water more efficiently- that alone is enough to explain it, even though we probably do have more hot water."

Bedroom A- what I used to call in our old apartment "the Cave", I have decided now to call "the sun room". An accurate contrast- it is nice, bright, open, and sunny with a lovely window and good light. I intend to put some plants in here, too, especially in the winter. The desk is still bare and somewhat skeletal, but the aura of potential and anticipation still remains.

The other corner of the room holds what will soon form my computer setup.

Bedroom B, the sewing room and possibly a guest bedroom, now holds the sewing desk and in the closet Kat's sewing machine as well as whatever else she wants to put in it. This will be Kat's secondary habitat- I say secondary, since the TV and couch are in another room.  I think we will call this room the sewing room for now.

And we cannot forget Bedroom C- Conor's room. The left corner (left from entering the door) has the closet and stacked toy-like things.

To the right, straight ahead as you enter, are the parts of the crib itself. We will probably assemble it there, perhaps today. So, now I go to check on Katrina.

Who is enjoying the bed mat (the one which is absent from the couch, thus causing it to sink down to metal, remember?) quite contentedly on the floor.

She and Conor and enjoying a break. Conor is very happy and enjoying himself- I'm not sure if in this one he is sleeping or playing. He and Kat did both. Conor was upset a lot of the day, since he is used to Odo'san not necessarily paying constant attention to him (Odo'san = Japanese for Father) but having Okaa'san occupied much of the day really made him upset! He was quite releaved it was over.

So we went out to eat with my family- Collie, Dad, Chris, and us. It was a delicious, very filling and gratifying meal at Fire Mountain (like Ryan's steakhouse). We spent the first night in our new house- we went to bed really late, about 1 PM, but Kat slept a lot in the evening before then on the mat. She deserved it! Katrina stayed up most, if not all of, the night before working hard to pre-pack!

Morning has come, and the house is still anticipating the beginning of the organization process. That couch will probably be moved to the other room, and so will much of that stuff. The kitchen is awaiting more cleaning- and the fridge, shortly after this, gets cleaned very completely by myself. I put baking soda in it to absorb any remaining odours, I took out the drainage bottom of the freezer top of it and cleaned it all out (I even used a toothbrush to get all the little areas!), and bleached it again. Now, we've finally closed it up and are letting it cool down- with baking soda inside to make sure no odours return.

Aha- after much thought and planning I decided on where in the room to begin from. After all, there are some clear factors- where I had the tech install the cable line (though he gave me lots of extra cable to draw out), where the window is since I don't want the glare on my monitor. However, with such a blank slate, it is exciting to have so much to work with- yet frustrating, since I have to start from scratch. Also, not knowing for sure what will be going in this room (such as my Dad's furniture- a recliner might come in here) makes it hard to guess. There is always room for moving things, but I like to try to start out as close to accurate as possible. It is a nice, comfortable feeling.

I have always enjoyed space in a house. When decorating, my goal is to go with an Asian style of decorating- space. In Asia, I think part of why spacey decoration is "in" is because in places like Japan the most valuable thing a person can own is... yes, you have it, space (or "land" really). There is a huge lack of it. So people with money will show off their wealth by leaving a lot of extra space. Instead of packing things into the walls, they leave bare wall space and use a whole shelf for just a few elegantly placed items.

Well, I do not plan to waste a lot of space, but I do want to always keep a feeling of "openness", "light", and a somewhat modern/elegant feel to the house.

The lizards cram into the light- our cooling system works a little too well for their tastes.

Yes, we woke up with the morning light- Kat was up before me. So I get up, and later what do I see? Kat and Conor are sound asleep with the TV still on.

You've waited a long time for it! Now, here is our house: from the outside! There is the little gravel circle that serves as our driveway and the tree before our house. Our property line technically cuts *through* the tree, however it does not bother me that much anymore. The house itself, while needing a bit of washing here or there, is very nice looking.

You can see where most of our property is- the front yard. It needs some serious landscaping- it is on a slope, so we need to find ways of minimizing erosion and covering up all that clay with some topsoil. I plan to invest some time and effort in making it look nicer and doing some light gardening over time. Gardening costs money to an extent, so I intend to do it gradually over time. I also plan to make a compost heap.

Mommy and baby rest away- well earned rest for both. Kat has worked very hard, and with work coming tomorrowing she deserves the Lord's day of rest this Sunday. She's finally in the new home she's been eager to have.

And Conor... well, he has something to suck on, so all is well with the world.

-The Explorations of Pat, Kat, 'n Conor

Up to the Minute News

Internet access will be a bit up in the air, due to the move- obviously, once "two men and a truck" get here we'll begin the heavy duty moving and this very computer desk will be transported away. From that point on, if the cable has not been turned on yet at the new location (it is scheduled to happen sometime tomorrow between 8 AM and 8 PM), I'll be without access once we move the computer over. Of course, cable will still be on here temporarily- but once the computer is moved, that is that. I'll try to wait until the cable IS set up to move our computer- since it is important to have our phone available to use, and I want to keep updates here.

So, as much as time allows, I will be taking photographs and letting you guys know about the move as it is in progress!

Tour of the House

To prove just how nice this house is- because we move in and trash it I want to start out with a tour of the house prior to the move and even our initial cleaning. Yes, this is the house exactly as it was left- we bought it on an as-is basis. I think it is pretty incredible how nice they left it for a foreclosure situation.

So, enjoy! Let us begin our tour.

As we enter the 'front door'- originally perhaps intended to be the back door, it is positioned best to be the front. I personally think it works just fine this way. It is hard to get a good angle since the room it small, but it is set up so that with two doors we could leave the front door open to get groceries in or greet guests and let out less air than normal. Here is where we will put the washer and dryer. Now, turn around with me and let us head inside.

As we turn around, you will notice to the left is where we entered from. The next door- the visible one on the left- is bedroom B which will be Katrina's sewing room and the guest bedroom. To the right is bedroom A, The Cave, which will be our den/computer room/my hangout. Now, follow me forwards and to our right...

We see over here to our far right is Bedroom C- Conor's room. It is the largest of the three "bedrooms" with the largest closet too. To our left is the general full bath.

The toilet is taped up because it was still winterized at this point. A very nice bath for Conor and guests, and a restroom for guests to use. Conor may end up using our bathtub more often than not at first if Kat has her way. That, or it will end up being his "pool". Now, let us go back out and look into the main house.

This is what I will temporarily call the fireplace room- my Mom and Kat think it is the family room and a casual room, I think of it as the livingroom and a formal room, but we'll figure that out. The kitchen and dining area is straight ahead, but turn around.

We probably will not use it much, but here is the fireplace. What do you think- would this be a better casual room or formal one? It is smaller than the other room you will soon see- and has a nicer, more formal feel if you ask me. With a fireplace, and a nice touch, it could be a very nice place. Also, to me it seems the "formal room" being smaller is best.

Turning around, we see the kitchen. That ceiling light and I have a very close but slightly abusive relationship. It likes to get up close and personal, but ends up hitting me every time. A tall person like me just does not go well with it. If we do not put something under it, we will end up having to put red tape on the floor in a square to warn me to avoid it. You see the built in counter-table there- but I hope for us to find a permanent table and the counter table can be an extra assist for food preparation or serving. Very nice, isn't it?

That is the fridge- the dreaded, gross fridge that I have completely reformed after hours of work. The rest of the cleaning, even the master bath, was quick and simple in comparison. But I did not mind it- I am good at detail work, and gross stuff does not bother me. Not anywhere close to how it bothers Kat. All of this came with the house like it is- and is in good condition. The dishwasher works fine, I tested the stove with my oven themometer and got an accurate reading- it hit and was stable at around 400 just fine. I'm really looking forwards to cooking delicious meals in this kitchen!

To our left, the one fancy cabinet of the kitchen. Just fun to look at.

Here I am sprawling in our other room- the one I call the family room, but Kat calls the living room. What do you think? This is bigger, but seems best suited for a more casual environment- I would like to call it, at least, the "casual room". What do you think?

Due to finances, our Plan A was to buy a washer/dryer single space combo- but those cost $600-700 dollars (without tax included) and while it would be a great blessing... unless God just handed us a few hundred dollars beyond what we will be getting from our SC tax refund, we just cannot afford it. So Plan B was to put it in the kitchen- we ended up with Plan C, which was to put it in the left corner (from the angle we are looking at) of this room. It is carpetted, but Kat will be getting a metal tray tonight designed to protect the carpet and catch any water from it if it defrosts. Mom thinks it will make this room kind of "junky" but- what can we do? If we put it in the dining room, it WILL be junky because it will cover up our windows. So, this seems best. It will do, methinks. If we ever get to get a single space washer/dryer we will use it- but we won't be picky, God IS blessing us so much already!

As you saw before, the master bath- doubling soon as Conor's pool

The shower- if we went further in, you'd see there is a seat on the other side as well. You don't want to, not in these pictures, because I still had not cleaned the walls yet- I have now, don't worry, but... don't ask, just don't ask. It was not bad, but you know that men just make... ah... messes over time. Any wives out there who clean up their bathrooms KNOW what I mean.

Turn to our right, and see our large walk in closet! Katrina is VERY excited about this, and our white shelves in the kitchen that she installed will be promptly moved here. I am sure she has been eagerly plotting what to do with this den. Maybe she'll put a mat in it and ask me to sleep here and call it the doghouse? Hee hee- it is just long enough to fit me lying down.

And here I am, waiting with Conor while Kat takes these pictures- the freezer would go in the left corner, waay back there in this picture.

I hope you all enjoyed the tour. I will try to remember to get outside pictures sometime- but the house is our focus now on the inside. Outside is not nearly as appealing: it needs landscaping and is not large at all, but there is a LOT of potential and it is not overgrown either. Not on our actual property at least. I have some ideas for planting some trees, bringing in a ton (literally) of dirt to cover up the red clay, and get some more grass going along with some garden space. We'll also, for the safety of our house, need to build a "French drain" so that run-off from the hill that comes from the street to our house does not eventually cause foundation shifting. It will take a few weekends of work and about $400, but is a required investment in keeping this house safe and good for sale when we do move out.

Thanks for coming along! We have some cleaning pictures too- I can't show you Kat, since she was dressed more scantily than she would like to share due to the heavy duty cleaning and the heat (even with the air on). But, you can see some of what we did. She used the rug-doctor and home made cleaning fluid to really get the rugs clean and ready to live on!

Tomorrow is the day! Tonight, Kat has invited me to go see Lady on the Water. Ahem, well, invited me to see it on my own- she gets the house to herself to clean and pack a little. It was HER idea, not mine, so don't blame me. She does a better job sometimes if I am not around, since she... has her own style. Which sometimes involves seeing how far objects can be propelled across the room... and that style ... conflicts... with my style preferences. Hee hee I have been eagerly awaiting it. I haven't been much into most of the movies this Summer, but THIS one I have been anticipating.

Quite honestly, I have been a little depressed lately- lack of social opportunities and constant baby care is wearing, but I'm very happy with where I am and I'm very blessed to be able to care for my son. I would not have it any other way!

Sincerely,
Patrick

Moving before the ink is wet

I thought we would be moving while the ink is still wet on the paper- but it looks like we are moving before the ink is even on the paper! First of all, it looks like the delays now are not due to our credit- everything is going to go through! What a relief. The delay now is getting the property estimate- and the mortgage company has a "no same day policy"... so since they just got the estimate today, they want to look it over. That means we won't get to finalize until Monday, maybe even Tuesday. This is bad- we have moving stuff set up, and our lawyer was going to waive his fee if we got it finished this week. So, we're looking at how we can hold the mortgage company responsible for this- we had a closing date, we've been active every step of the way, and we were never informed there would be a need for a delay. If we have to pay money, well, we'll look into how we can legally get it from the people responsible.

So, it will happen- but what about the moving plans? Well, it seems they will STILL happen. Yep. According to our real estate agent, it's set- and we can move on in. The only reason the owning company would not officially say yes if we asked, is to avoid liability- while they own it, if we got hurt on it, we could get damages. Well, if we get hurt on the property we'll take it, and so it shouldn't be an issue ever. And we were assured by our agent it isn't legally iffy- so we're moving in. It'll be ours on paper Monday or Tuesday at latest, but we need to get things over NOW or else we'd have to pay another month of rent to get the moving done. BAD bad bad. $450 says we're moving NOW.

So, tomorrow (Sat) starts the major moving stuff. Bed, freezer, desk- and any boxes and such Katrina feels important to get moved over ASAP. Cable gets turned on. Power transferred over, etc. The process has begun. Now we just need to find the means- like someone with a vehicle that can help us move. So, if you know anyone willing to donate time Saturday, let me know. I'm going to see if my half-brother with a truck is willing to help... when he's not running from creditors, that is, and if he still has a phone.

God provided- and THEN some

God has done some pretty incredible things, but when he said "Don't worry, trust me- I'll take care of everything" to my Wife- it is clear, and has been since before we were married (particularly since she has a methodist background where prophecy is not particularly... ahem... taught about), that she has the gift of Prophecy (definition of prophecy- when God speaks to you regarding other people as well as yourself. God speaks either through direction to verses in the Bible, through feelings, impressions, and even through clear and direct words mentally. Rarely, very very rarely, some people hear something audible- usually, as our pastor has shared, when they are in a crisis point or doing something really stupid. When God is speaking just to us, that is usually not called "prophecy"... that's just God talking to us, and it can be in any of the above mentioned ways or more). So when he said that and more, I had no problem relaxing- God said it, confirmed it through Kat- and through my own feeling that Kat's words were from the Lord and previous proof of validity in her words. Kat, herself, doubted at times- which is amusing, to hear her having her own mental disagreements with the Lord. He usually wins.

God is providing all right. I plan to call Kat as soon as she is done lunch. My Mom informed me that, for not-so-pleasant reasons, my Dad is moving out of one of his two offices. He is a psychiatrist, and has an office for his university work and another for private patients. Well, his contract is renewed yearly- and this year, they are 'adjusting' it. As a result, he is having to move out of that office- more affordable. Well, that office is full of VERY nice furniture that he was given when the previous owner- a psychiatrist as well I believe- died. The wife was letting him use it, then finally just told him to keep everything in it. He was a wealthy Jewish man, and everything that he left was very, very nice. Well, Mom said that now that Dad is moving out, he brought the idea to her- odd, since usually Mom thinks these things up- that he wanted to let us take whatever we needed.

Wow.

Furniture 'n more

We're moving from a house where we had only the furniture we absolutely needed- to a much bigger place, where we're kind of lacking. We have gaps- a family room and living room, and really not enough furniture to fill each, much less make it look "nice". And suddenly bam- we're getting exactly what we need for it, and really nice stuff too! A leather 'love seat'- a twin to the full couch my parents have at home, but UNLIKE that expensive leather couch that our animals have completely ruined over a decade... this loveseat is in perfect condition. Most of the variety of things I only know from Mom's description- I've been to his two room office (small waiting area, and one room main area) before but it was a while ago and I do not remember details.

We'll have the opportunity to take any pictures that are apparently hanging there- and hey, sometimes the frame is better than the picture itself if there is such a case. And my parents are also opening up their own home to us to an extent. They have some paintings and pictures that are on the walls but have kind of become space fillers- so we can take ones we feel particularly fond of, that would have a place in our new home.

Our family friends Anna and Ziggy- the ones who hosted us July 4th and are from Germany, having survived the time of the halocaust as Christians (Anna's sister was in a concentration camp as a little girl)- well, they have asked questions of us and then made comments to my Mom that lead my Mom to suspect that Anna desires to give us a full set of china. Apparently, Anna has three sets- and her children did not need any of them, so she was prayerfully seeking to find someone in need. If she decides to make the offer, I think I shall just jump for joy. Unlike my parents, who just leave theirs on display, I fully intend to use it to host friends and family. Plates and crystal are for using, not just for show.

Swimming Falacy!

"You can't go swimming yet. You just ate!"
"Awww, Mom, why not? We're ready to swim!"
"You have to wait at least half an hour after eating, or else you'll get cramps."

How many people have heard this from their parents? I know I heard it from mine- and my Mother is a NURSE. My Dad is a doctor. Medical family, and I heard it- so pretty good authority. How many times growing up have you had to wait after eating to swim? Do you still do it? Are you worried about the fact you will cramp up and be unable to swim, risk injury, even die?

I hate to burst the bubble, but this morning on the news (the Today show on NBC) they had a commentary on "Summer Fallacies- Fact vs. fiction". The fiction? It is NOT true that you will cramp up if you swim within half an hour after eating. The only way that could possibly happen is if you stuffed yourself full- a child would have to eat a bunch of sandwhiches, and by that poinot they would get a cramp from walking much less running, or swimming. If a child can run around without a cramp- they can swim safely. If they can walk around, they're probably good. It is NOT true- a child can swim anytime after eating a normal, reasonable snack or meal.

Why is this myth spread? Well, probably because 1) people heard it and believed it, or 2) parents just want a little chance to rest or get peace and quiet. Now you know the truth- don't believe me? Ask a medical professional (ie- doctor) you trust if a reasonable meal requires 30 mins after swimming. As for me- that's all I need to hear. I will enjoy bursting the bubble of every future parent I hear say that. Hee hee.

Conor Picture Hit

For those of you- and I know you are out there, you folksies who come here just for another hit of Conor- who are out for Conor piccies and not much else, there is now a way to get them. Photo xanga (photo.xanga.com) is a newer part of xanga to allow us to share photos and photoblogs, and they just added albums! So, I made my first album- that of Conor's first year of life to date. Go here to see my albums. I hope you enjoy!

As I add pictures of Conor, and put them into my album, it will expand. I may also add other albums and mention them here. I have a LOT of photos on xanga, and some of you might enjoy looking back at ones I have posted in the past.

New Xanga Features

Yep, they are working hard to keep spitting them out. You guys really should utilise the "Friends" feature. You can ask someone to be your friend, or they can ask you- once you do friend someone, you are added to their group and they to yours. When you look at a person in the friend window, you see all their friends (their profile pics and names) network. You also see their own profile, if they filled it out. You can then add memories of them (you can optionally make it so that non-friends can fill out memories) you have, chat on a friends-only chatboard, or click on one of their friends. That leads you to that friend, and all their friends. Get the picture? You can basically end up seeing a whole social network- a friend of a friend of a friend of a friend. That's how I found out an old, and very dear friend named Nic who sang at my wedding is on xanga!! I just cruised a ring of friends and bumped into his profile pic.

Want to know something amusing? For you CIU folks out there, it is almost scary just how big a circle the friends lists are on here. It depends on your year of course, but I cruised through a list of friends and ended up coming FULL circle several times over. I would randomly even click on someone I did not personally know- and later end up with someone I did, all from CIU. I noticed only a FEW people had friends on xanga that were NOT from CIU.

Well, I'll blow you out of the park- I have only a few friends, but one of them is from xanga (ie- I never met them face to face) and not even *gasp* a conservative Christian. I have poked a whole in the CIU online bubble now- I can already sense people screaming and running, quickly unlisting me from their blog lists. "He's letting in people we don't know... aaaaaah...." I jest, of course, but seriously- I know everyone has busy schedules, but you should try to meet some other non-CIUans on xanga. Spend maybe a few minutes of your xanga time each day looking at new sites- maybe just randomly cruising them. Find non-Christians to talk to, non-CIUans, people you don't even have an excuse or reason to know. People from another country even!

I have talked about this once or twice before- none of the CIU friends who visit here ever comment or say anything. I ask this- have any of you done it? Have any of you acted on it and actually gone to knew sites, talked to new people, broken out of the bubble? Made a purely online friend?

My next big post is going to be, hopefully- The Future of Online Ministry. I believe that a Church that really jumps on this, especially one in a denomination that could partner up (or work with a mission org, in a worldwide setting) could do some incredible things. I wonder when someone will catch the vision?

-Patrick

EDIT: There is just something about clicking on the "Memories" feature and getting a message from xanga saying "You have no memories."

Yeah, okay, so I KNOW my memory is bad. But to have a computer remind me? Fine, so everyone knows it INCLUDING xanga itself. Might as well broadcast it on the evening news.

Or maybe it is trying to tell me that the memories I have aren't worth anything? How do you know, you freaky lil xanga-computer. All your memories are stored stuff from other people. Show me a memory you got yourself better than mine, huh? Huh? Thought so! Sucka!

That's my silly tangent for the day.

Housewarming Heartbreak?

As you can see through a picture of just half of our new home- and this is before we did a recent cleanup "party" (just the three of us, of course)- we have truly been blessed with an incredible opportunity. Above you can see the living room which connects to the kitchen. To the left of the kitchen from this perspective is the family room. Off camera to the right is the fireplace. Behind the camera are the three bedrooms and a full bath, and beyond the kitchen you see is the master bedroom and master bath.

The one hitch- we close on Thursday, the day after tomorrow, but we suddenly find out that the company handling our mortgage requires not only that we have the funds to pay for closing costs/downpayment- but that they have been in our bank account for at least sixty (60) days. This is to prove that it is our money- they don't want us borrowing it from someone, being given it, etc. Obviously, we transferred most of this money from our credit card to handle the downpayment- the very thing they don't want, and when they look into it they'll see our credit card is at the amount we took out. My parents don't have a savings, so they can't just lend us $4,000+ to try to "pacify the mortage folks" and then pay them back the next day... but God has given Katrina a message of peace, that we need to rely on Him and He will work things out. We shouldn't fear, we shouldn't worry- it will be handled. Kat has trouble listening, but when I heard that- well, I'm much more relaxed now.

Please pray for this- we are two days from a new home, and we pray for God to allow this to be a smooth process. If this did not work out, we have the option of trying other lenders- Katrina has excellent credit (I do too, but since I don't work, it'd be negative to use my credit on this) and so we have lots of options to work with so we've been told. We have a 'near perfect' score as far as credit ratings go- just a little short of 800/800. Over 90% credit rating.

We know, if this lender doesn't work out, God WILL provide- but I pray for it to be a smooth process. This is really taking its toll on my Wife, and I don't want her to have to struggle with the stress of being "almost moved" for any longer! This is an URGENT issue- pray pray pray!

Oh, and if you ask how good could a house that costs less than $40,000 be- well, I think this answers the question. We have a nice, big bathtub- to the right is a stand up shower with two seats in it, and two sinks... as well as a huuuge closet camera-right. I can't wait to give that nice tub a try!

Moving Madness

The house is boxes, there is little room- a clean room becomes a mess overnight... it is quite a stuffed situation, and it is obviously getting on poor Kat's nerves. The hard part is, it isn't worth doing a clean up job since in only a few days we'll be moving everything out and then we'll do a final clean up anyway.

It is hard having had most of my friends at CIU- since, now that we really, really need help moving and handling things we don't have anyone but Katrnia's co-workers (not necessarily even believers) to call on. Kat's car, which would have been great for moving things, is out of comission- and my car is NOT the best moving car. We have two men and a truck for our heavy things like the freezer, and the bed- but otherwise, we're going to try to do what we can with the four door sedan I have and pray for the rest. Back when we went to the Chinese Christian Church of Col. we relied on the youth group- now, at our church, we still lack the 'connections' for getting help. So, we'll just do our best and let God handle the rest! We have more time to move than many people do, from this coming weekend until August 1, so we will do our best with less pressure.

Love you all in Christ!

-Patrick

Our Leaving Letter to our Landlord

Pat Murphy owns a great deal of property around CIU- both trailers and areas near the village and other side roads along Monticello, and particularly a big chunk of land immediately to the left of CIU with houses and small apartments on it. We presently live here, and have been forced by conditions here to find a new home. My Wife is the one who pushed for this- the idea of having mice crawling on her, of having insects, palmetto roaches, and spiders climbing on her AND our son was unacceptable and I agree. Our landlord was unwilling to invest in personal or hired pest removal, and I finally had to put it in God's hands- and thankfully he provided a solution in a nice new house. We hate being in debt, but this is the answer for now.

We were told, because the date we received confirmation of our new house- and informed Pat Murphy- was ten days short of our thirty day notice- we would not receive our deposite back *unless we found someone else to take our places by the 1st of next month*. Basically, if we make him happy- he makes us happy. It dissapoints me that we would face this situation with not only a professed believer in Christ, but a fellow member of our own Church. I contacted student life at CIU- and was informed others have complained, and that they might eventually bring these complaints as a group to Mr. Murphy. So, I plan to submit this letter to them- and to Pat Murphy directly in a few days when I get this printed. First, I thought I would share it with you. We have rented from Pat Murphy now for 3-4 years and had intended to keep doing so. Many students wanting to leave the dorms end up moving here, and while neither my Wife nor I will benefit at all from any changes he now makes- at least we can feel that we have done our part.

I am an activist- I see a change that needs to be made ,and I make myself heard. So- this is me doing so. I cannot see wrong or negligence done and do nothing. I encourage you to let other CIU students and people going there know about the problems that have been experienced here- we're not the only ones, but we are being vocal about it.

-Patrick *below is my letter*

To Pat Murphy,

It has been my
hope from the time I notified you onwards to keep this matter God-honouring and
to show respect and kindness. I intend to keep it so, and while my Wife has
expressed a strong desire to stay and get our deposit back we have no intention
to go beyond our writes or to break our contract. We will honour our agreement-
and even though we will not receive our deposit back we will still attempt to
leave the house reasonably clean and well kept. I had originally intended not
to elaborate on the subject- such as the time to referred multiple times to us
finding a replacement- however I feel that it is appropriate for me to now do
so with respect and politeness as your brother in Christ, and a fellow
representative of our church home.

You have acted as
a businessman and landlord and held up to your agreements. You have come to fix
major appliance issues, you have kept the land in relatively good condition.
You have always been polite and provided what you said you would with only a
few exceptions. I am not sure if you have quite done so in the pest department-
if your responsibility is to make sure our home is clean from vermin, then you
have not, but if it is not, then perhaps you have. As a landlord you have done
just fine. However, you have definitely not gone above and beyond. We do not
expect ‘special treatment’- either as members of your church, or planning to go
to the mission field. Yet we feel as a believer in Christ you have not shown
more than ‘just enough’ to us or other tenants here. Your renters are people
who are often trying to serve Christ by going to school- most can barely afford
to get by. While your rent is definitely affordable- whether it is the amount
of land you care for or general responsibilities you have, the fact you have
not hired more help, I do not know nor is it my responsibility to know- you
have made choices that make us feel far less than family members (in the body
of Christ).

I understand that
the previous tenant left because of health issues with mould- much in the way
things have happened with my Wife, his Wife pushed them to leave because of
mould in the apartment. When we finally pushed you to fix this, long after we
had moved in, rather than tearing out the bathroom you simply covered the walls
up. You had planned to steam clean the carpets- years later, in the last month
or two, when my Wife brought that up she informed me that you had no plans to
do so unless we moved out. This shows the attitude that you are interested in
caring for your places in order to make money off new tenants- but not to
support your family members presently living here. You have met your legal and
worldly obligations to my knowledge- but is that all you feel responsible for?
Our family has felt worse about our living conditions and our place in life-
because when we walk out, we often walk out to an overgrown lawn. When you
mowed, you would often skip us- not taking the time to call and let me know you
desired me to move my plants so you could mow our lawn. We have had infestation
after infestation- my Wife has woken up with roaches and spiders crawling over
her, and she is terrified our baby might experience that. We have owned NO
animals (fish, only) and yet have experienced fleas recently. We cannot afford
to invest in extermination- and doing so only to our half of the building would
be ineffective. Yet you did not express a desire to help us handle this
problem, nor did you feel it your responsibility.

I understand that
the landscape and area care was significantly more thorough as well, according
to a neighbour, prior to your ownership. Trees have overgrown, the buildings
have dilapidated. When we request improvements- ones we are even willing to do-
you have made clear we can do them with our own money, but you will not invest
in it. Obviously, for us to do this we would be increasing the value of your
property and loose most of that investment ourselves. When furniture needs
to be adjusted or moved- you expect us to move it, and last time my pregnant
Wife ended up doing a majority of work moving couches to the empty white house
along with children whom I believe were yours. I received permission to plant a
bush in order to make our yard just a little prettier and enjoy fresh rosemary-
which costs $4.00 for one sprig at the supermarket- and whomever you had trim
the weeds ‘mistook’ the very obvious and large bush for a weed and proceeded to
whack it to a nub that has, after close to a year, still not regrown. We have
to time our showers with neighbours and the time of day in order to insure that
we have enough water pressure to take a shower- we cannot get a water saving or
pressure increasing shower because the plumbing does not allow it and after
mentioning it to you you did not express any willingness to do what was necessary
to change it.

I would be
disappointed, but not surprised, at such a history working with a businessman
who owned property. But, again, this is an area supporting students dedicating
their lives to serve Christ- and you are not only a professed believer, but a
representative of my own church body. We are struggling to support ourselves,
and the Church which you support is providing financial aid for us- as well as
our extended families. My Wife made it clear in the last month that she could
not live in a place where, like she remembered as a child growing up in a poor
family, spiders and insects crawl over her- and her child. After your
unwillingness to help, we were forced to look for new housing options. We had
to do this quickly because of the urgent situation for our family- and as soon
as we finalised the housing deal, we notified you- ten days short of the
required time to get our deposit back. We were willing to rent here for several
years more, until we left for the mission field- however, due to your decisions
my family has been unable to continue here. God has blessed us by providing a
home that is in better condition than our present one, has four bedrooms, a
large kitchen, two roomy full baths, and a nice living and family room- and we
will pay less a month on property taxes, mortgage, and water fees combined than
we do now for rent.

We understand
that there are others who have lived and are living on your property with
similar disappointments. Oh, I realise nobody can please everyone- but whatever
the cause, it seems to be consistent here. You have expressed how important you
find word of mouth, and have told us you will meet our need if we meet yours.
Mr. Murphy, I will be direct and honest with you- I would not recommend these
conditions to another person, much less an unbeliever, unless it was a
temporary step towards finding a better place. You provide a decent place to
live, but definitely not long term. I have approached CIU with our
disappointments and am working with others to gather other disappointed
believers who also attend(ed) CIU together to approach you with our reasons.
The end goal is to see change (my family, sadly, will not benefit from these
changes- but hopefully, other believers will) happen, or else to see your
ability to advertise through CIU removed. I am saddened to have to take these
steps, since I am not an aggressive person or one to want to see such things
occur. I am a person, however, who does not let things that seem wrong stay
that way.

I am not
interested now in getting our deposit back, though it seems impossible anyway.
I not only will not recommend our apartment- but I will work to see that our
word of mouth is accurate and honest as to our disappointments here, and
encourage others with similar experiences to help other CIU students avoid this
sort of situation. I also am part of a web-ring of current and former CIU
students and intend to post this same message there as well. We have confronted
you privately and seen no action- so now, for the benefit of future students,
we seek to make our matters known alongside others to see change wrought.

Most Sincerely,

Patrick R.
Flanagan

EDIT- I will note that one reason many do not talk about their poor experiences here, is because of the whole "deposit" issue. If they want to get someone to take their place, and get their 300-500 dollars back, they can't say negative things about it- and they end up helping Mr. Murphy out. Mr. Murphy also benefits from turnover, because everytime someone new moves in- he can raise the rates. However, if someone like us lives here too long, he is forced to keep the price the same for a longer period of time. So in the end, Pat Murphy will probably benefit from us leaving our apartment- unless our situation is made known. I doubt anyone wants roaches crawling on them, bats in the attic, mould in their bathroom, or overgrown and unappealing lawn. The sad thing is- he keeps excellent care of the larger house next to us, and lets our area look awful.

I might also note that we have NEVER missed a payment on our rent- we've done our best to be good tenants. When we have notified about an issue, or expressed a need, I have always tried in writing to be polite and to encourage him for positive things we have seen done. My Wife would have liked to wring his neck *laughs* but until recently I've kept a positive outlook on it all. I didn't realise just how hard this whole thing was on Kat until recently. I thought it was at a 4 maybe out of 10, but it was really a 9 or 10.

Making a Mess with Conor

Playing After the Mess

Cleaning Up From the Mess

This is a recent day with Conor and Kat. I hope you enjoyed it!

-Patrick