Man, I’ve been slacking lately on my updates! I often update the site on my nights off, but I’ve been working a lot lately and busy the one night I had off. Tonight I’m finally free. Jenny and I had date night – dinner at that cool African place at Irving Mall and then The Bourne Ultimatum, which was lots of fun. I’ve spent much of my free time lately watching the US Open, some on my own and some with Mom. It’s so nice to have cable while we’re staying at their house! Speaking of houses, we’ve had a prospect look at our house three different times, so we’re hoping we might get an offer soon. Perhaps yesterday she was at the house deciding where to put her furniture after she moves in. My high school reunion is one month from today, which is bizarre to think about. So if you were in my class, go to Mac97.com and buy your tickets NOW. I ran at the Mac track yesterday afternoon and saw the girls’ soccer team (I literally ran circles around them) and the boys’ tennis team. I felt very old.
Category Archives: Personal News
Back in Town with Less Hair!
The flights were so full on Friday that I flew back Thursday afternoon to make sure I could work my Friday night shift. So I missed the SAN Spirit Party but got to help with the New Hire Luncheon, which is always fun. We stayed near the ocean and the USS Midway, within walking distance to a great outdoor mall called Seaport Village. As expected, the weather was fantastic. Due to time constraints, we had to save the zoo for another time. It’s nice to have an excuse to go back. 😉
My tennis buddies Luke and Peter, who work with Jenny and came on the trip, and I had decided to shave our heads after completing our obligations on this trip. We finally did it Friday evening at Peter’s house. I’d wanted to do it for years but never followed through until now. I’m still adjusting and rubbing my head in shock, but I think I like it. =) Think about it – no more combs, no hair gel, no fixing your hair in the morning, and no dropping $20 a month on haircuts! It’s perfect!
Rollin’ with the 5-0
A couple from our class at church are both police officers. I’ve never had cop friends before, not because I dislike law enforcement but because I just never had the opportunity. Cops always made me nervous. Anytime I saw one, especially while driving, I wondered if I was doing something bad. But after getting to know our cop friends, I’m more comfortable around them. I even went on a ride-along with the guy cop this weekend and had a blast! He (we?) arrested two guys and went on lots of calls – reports of guys hanging out with guns in the parking lot, a burglarized pickup, fireworks in an apartment complex, a domestic violence call, a burglar alarm at a business, a fight, a drunk driver, and a runaway, all in one night. They use an in-car computer system to get information from dispatch and update their status. We were so busy that we didn’t even have time to pull anyone over.
A strange job, law enforcement – everyone you see is a potential criminal, every call you get involves some bad thing that has happened, and you see the ugly side of society that your average person doesn’t. We went to apartment complexes that I would never visit on my own, partly out of fear, partly because the people I hang out with don’t live in “those kind” of apartments. The socioeconomic classes of our society, whose existence we don’t always like to think about or admit, were apparent as we answered the calls. Those who lack money and status seem more likely to be involved in crime than the wealthy or even the middle-class people. Why? I’ll leave that debate for another day.
In other news, we’ve been busy! We had dinner at Lisa’s Sunday night. Monday night we went to the house and worked on the rose bushes (stupid black spot!). Tuesday I had lunch with my friend Scott from high school. He’s now a PhD student in Biblical studies at Boston College, and we had an interesting discussion about the Bible and the modern church. Jenny and I got dinner from a great West African restaurant in Irving Mall of all places. The food is delicious and reasonably priced, but since it’s so different and not very visible in the food court, I’m not sure it’ll be around long, so go try it soon! Afterward we saw Live Free or Die Hard (awesome). Wednesday night I played tennis with some of Jenny’s coworkers. I’ve started tinkering with a two-handed backhand instead of my traditional one-hander. That is all.
Here’s to Our Health
Jenny and I are trying some changes in our diet. (who hasn’t said that before?) We’re giving up sodas for a while, leaded and unleaded. I’m trying to cut back on sugar, my biggest weakness. We bought lots of fruits and vegetables. If we go out to eat, we’re going to pick healthier foods instead of chicken fried steak and lasagna. No promises regarding how long this lasts, but it’s a start!
We spend most of our time at my parents’ house these days rather than our own, trying to keep our house looking nice and available for showings. I set up my computer in my parents’ gameroom, where I have a great view of the Four Seasons Resort. Right now I even see blue sky and sunshine, a nice break from the rain from the last month. We’re slowly moving clothes, food, and supplies over here. We’re probably going to keep AOL service only, which might actually be good for me. Jenny’s giving up soda, and I’m weaning myself from living on the Internet. And today we finally had a showing! These are good days.
Internet Addiction
Due to lingering dissatisfaction, unreliable service, and poor technical support, I finally fired my internet company! It’s great b/c I don’t have to pay for poor internet access anymore, but it’s also hard b/c we no longer have access at home. I try to use Mom’s AOL dialup, but it’s like building a sandcastle one grain at a time. I finally talked them into upgrading to Time Warner cable internet, but my attempt at installation failed, so I have to wait until Tuesday. It’s amazing (sad?) how hard it is not to have a decent internet connection outside work. I think I’m addicted. No, I KNOW I’m addicted. But that’s OK, because it helps entertain YOU, my loyal AndyBox.com guests. Thank you for your patience during this transition period. I promise more frequent updates once RoadRunner arrives!
Mawage
Katy and Eric got married this weekend! I like weddings as long as I think the couple is a good match, and this was a great one. Honestly, many parts of the typical American wedding seem like huge wastes of effort and money to me, such as the one-time-use bridesmaid and wedding dresses dresses, the flowers that die a few days later, the fancy decorations that wind up in the trash, the huge amounts of food, and the months of planning and stress for an event that lasts a few hours. (in case you hadn’t noticed by now, I’m not a very frilly person) But all those extras help reinforce the significance of the event, so they’re certainly not all bad. I wonder whether marriages would last longer if everyone had a big, stressful wedding. Rather than being the goal, a wedding is (or should be) just the official starting point of something much more important: the marriage itself. The ceremony should help lay the groundwork for how that marriage will work and remind them and everyone else how sacred marriage truly is. Katy and Eric’s wedding did that in a beautiful way, and it was wonderful to be there. The ceremony reflected their love for God and each other, God’s grace and providence in bringing them together at the right time, and also their personalities (they walked out to “Inna Godda Davida” by Iron Butterfly). Their happiness shone throughout the room. It reminded me of my wedding day back in 2003, one of the best days of my life. Right now they are honeymooning in Alberta, Canada. I assume they’re having a wonderful time, but we haven’t heard from them…