Gone Praying!

As you've probably noticed, I've been terrible at posting these last few weeks. Well, it won't be any better for the next week: I'm going on retreat for the next week.

Please keep me in your prayers as I enter into my yearly retreat and know that I keep my readers in my prayers!

My Cup Overfloweth

Just a quick THANKS to Karen Hall for the Charlie the Unicorn mug she sent my way. My morning coffee now transports me to Magic Mountain and recalls the sovereign rule of the Banana King (If this confuses you, you need to look up Charlie the Unicorn on YouTube). 

Hoping that Music is Hereditary: Emma Tickles the Ivories

Is it really possible?

Do my eyes deceive me? Am I delusional? Or is it possible that my prayers have been answered?

Yes, Charlie the Unicorn has returned.

Measuring Up

So I had to go and get measured for the tuxedo I will wear at my sister's wedding in June. I regret to say that I've been procrastinating about this but, unable to put it off any longer, I traipsed over to a local tailor to have the measurements taken.

Well, I feel downright violated by the whole affair! To begin with, it took me ten minutes to explain to him that I did not want him to make a tuxedo for me and that all I wanted was the measurements taken so that I could order the right tux. Having crossed this little bridge of communication, he handed me the tape measure as though I were going to measure my own arms. I politely gave it to him and tried to make it clear that it was HIS duty to measure me...I have a hard enough time using a measuring cup, let alone measuring my own inseam. 

With much harumphing and some wheezing,  he set about measuring me for my shirt size (15" neck, 34-35), coat size (38 R), sleeve (24 out, 16.5 in), and waist (32). Then he told me he needed to measure my 'seat.' I rightly took this to mean that he wanted to know, crudely put, how big my butt is. With much aplomb he lassoed me with the measuring tape and then kept squinting at the number in front of him. "This can't be right," he kept muttering, "your seat does not look this big, but my measurement says you have big seat." He measured it at a staggering (?) 42. 

I have no idea what that number really means, but it has made me terribly self-conscious and I'm now thinking I should order some Suzanne Sommers product to remedy the situation.

On a less self-centered note, I'd ask your prayers for the men taking their De U exams tomorrow. At the end of the MAPR here at Fordham (Master of Arts in Philosophical Resources -- a program for Jesuit Scholastics) we face a 1-hour oral exam in front of a panel of three professors who ask questions covering much of the history of Western philosophy. As menu coordinator, I'm in charge of having a breakfast for the men tomorrow -- so after dinner tonight, I'll be cutting fruit, preparing a special yogurt dish, and dicing vegetables for omelets...while I have no control over how well they answer questions, I'll be darn sure that they don't do it on an empty stomach!

End of April Update

Well, I'm officially finished. I completed my take-home exam today and I've long since finished my term papers. I'll return books to the library tomorrow and then I'm kicking back to read a slew of novels that I've been meaning attend to for some time.

In a rare occurrence, I managed to practice the accordion for several hours today. I've been feeling rather stagnant with my tunes so I've set about expanding my repertoire in order to help me maintain interest in my own playing. Like prayer, learning new tunes is often an arduous process that demands heightened discipline and commitment, repeated failure and missed notes, but the pay-off is greater skill and an ability to express oneself through the music in yet another way. I have about six new ways to express myself, none of which is particularly coherent after the first day of practice...thank goodness I'll have time tomorrow!

I still have a few classes to attend, but that's really no bother. I enjoy the lectures (For the most part) and I'm glad to continue reading Hume, Kant, and Aquinas. 

I have a two-day feis this weekend (Mullane-Healy-O'Brien) in Chicago. So again it's a busy week and an even busier weekend, but it brings me such joy to play for the kids to dance. With any luck, and some rest next week, I'll have more time to post!

Another Weekend Away

In a few short hours, I'll be off to Milwaukee to play a feis tomorrow. Without any delays, I'll be back on Sunday afternoon with just enough time to head into Harlem for the Jazz Mass at Ascension with the "Faces of Catholicism" group I run.

It's been hard to keep my blog updated this last week. I'm trying to wrap up a bunch of little projects (most of which are musically related rather than academic) so that I can enter the summer with very few obligations pressing down upon me. 

Today I heard from a young man here at Fordham who learned that he would be entering the Jesuits this Fall. I'm very excited at this news as he's a great guy. I'd mention names but I haven't asked if I can promulgate his great news. 

Before I head off to the airport, let me invite you all to PRAY for those women AND men in discernment for a religious vocation. They are definitely in need of our prayers!

I was typing quickly and just now (4/30) got around to editing my typos. 

Hobbled

I hope, by next Thursday, to have a group photo of this year's Blaqrobes softball team. Our Co-Ed team has a record of 3-1, which is a vast improvement over last year's record.

So last night, two of our key players were unable to make the game. In fact, one of these players happened to be our pitcher so I was called upon to be the substitute.

Let me say up front: I thank God the team we played wasn't fabulous. I managed to strike 4-5 batters out, including the last batter who had tying runs on the plate.

Sadly, however, there were casualties during the game. During the first inning, as we were batting, a ball thrown from the infield missed its mark and made direct contact with my left ankle. I am now watching news of the Pope's arrival in NYC with my leg up, my ankle banked in a bag of ice.

My ankle is so swollen...it's about 3 times its normal size. I feel like my grandmother, except that I'm not presently afflicted with other 'pains' and I'm not eating Melba toast. But otherwise, we doing about the same.

Alas.

So that's that. I'm just going to sit here and lament my downfall!

Tuesday Round-Up

So just a few noteworthy points:

• Congratulations to Michael English who won the Over-18 Tin Whistle Competition at this year's Mid-Atlantic Fleadh. Michael came in to NYC with my soon-to-be brother-in-law Brian Holleran. Brian is now Mike's teacher and should be congratulated for doing an excellent job. If you're interested in learning to play Irish music and live in the Cleveland area, check out his website: Ciunas
• Better late than never: my mother, sisters, and one cousin came for a tour of Fordham on April 4th. It was great to show them around the campus and the neighborhood. Trumping my Aunt Cheryl, my mother actually made it through the whole of the Fordham bookstore without falling. 
• I've nearly completed my plans for the summer. It looks like I'll make my annual retreat in a hermitage in Akron, Ohio, the week after Memorial Day. Then I'll head to Chicago for Province Days, return to Cleveland for my sister's wedding, and then I'm off to Los Angeles to play for a feis. After the feis I'll head down to San Francisco where I'll spend two weeks at Saint Agnes Church before beginning my month-long program in Spiritual Direction at the Mercy Center in Burlingame, California. We'll follow that up with two weeks at Omena, a feis here or there, and then I'll be back for Round Three at Fordham.
• I'm just about to embark on my days of leisure: I have written all of my papers and have now only to do a final edit and submit them. This is a record: I'll have almost a month of time to do my own pleasure reading, write a book review for the Heythrop Journal, and go to museums. 

So that's it for today. Nothing really profound (is there ever) so to speak, but it gives a sense of what's going on in this Jesuit's journey!

Friday Update

Well, the semester is drawing to a close and I'm nearly done with my papers. I have a few pages more to write for one of my courses and then I'll edit two other papers I've written. So about 8 pages and one German translation exam stand between me and the life of leisure. I can't wait!

Last weekend was my future brother-in-law's bachelor party (it was very safe and Jesuit-appropriate. That means: There was no glitter). This weekend Brian (the fiancee) and Michael English are coming to NYC for the Mid-Atlantic Fleadh ---- which is the regional championships for Irish music. I'm very excited to be going to this tomorrow so, if you can, please say a prayer for Michael as he competes in the 18+ category.

In culinary news, I had a gustatory tryst with Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" this week. I'll not go into the menu's details, but I must extol the virtues of the mousse I prepared. It was, to my mind, perfect. I'd suggest buying the book for this recipe alone. It took a bit of doing but it was certainly worth it.

Oh, I may as well throw this in. As many readers know, since I entered the Jesuits I have become a regular gym goer. This year, Drew and I embarked upon a 6-month workout program. I've been dubious about its success: working out, like praying, is not fast to yield noticeable results.

Well, today I realized an amazing goal: I did pull ups. And when I say pull-ups, I mean I did (after the warm-ups) six of them with forty pounds hanging from my waist. FORTY POUNDS extra! That's a lot, at least to my mind. I mention this because when I was in high school I couldn't do a single pull-up and now, 14 years later, I'm doing very many of them. So for those woefully un-athletic readers, take heart: if I can do it, anyone can!