A Bundle from Heaven

This weekend, I celebrated another birthday. It is always good to be around to celebrate your birthday. I was blessed to spend this birthday with my family. My only regret is that my mom lives several hundred miles away and we could not be together. However, thank God for the telephone. And thank God for my siblings (and their families) who called and left birthday greetings. I love your singing!

The picture above was taken shortly after my birth. You can tell that was a few years ago because the picture is in black & white and that is because that was the only choice at the time. I have a couple more from the same session but I think this one actually looks like me!

I was the first born of the 12 children that my parents gave the world. My mother was 25 when I was born; my father was a printer for Judson Printing Company.  My entire family was born at St. John Hospital in Cleveland.

One of my most prized possessions is from my maternal grandmother. It is the announcement from my parents that they are expecting their first child (see below). Can you imagine the excitement and anticipation?

And then I arrived. I joke that either my parents were so pleased with their result (me) that they couldn't get enough (and had to settle for 12) or they figured they could do better and kept trying. In any case, I think they did a good job and I am delighted and honored to be part of such an interesting family. Thank you.

Roller Hockey Playoff

Yesterday (Saturday February 12th) was the final game of the Fall roller hockey season for Richard. Next Saturday the Winter-Spring season starts.

The game was very close and, unfortunately, Richard's team, The Rangers, lost in the final 10 seconds: 7-6. However, what really made this a heartbreak was a controversial call by the referee near the end of the 2nd period. The Rangers scored a goal to tie the score 3-3, at least that was what they thought and all the spectators. Instead, to the amazement of all, a goal was credited to the other team and the score was posted as 4-2!

At first we were in shock and assumed that the score keeper had made an error. When the score was not changed, our frustration grew. When the game ended with the Rangers on the short end, we were confused, perplexed, and upset.

After much "discussion" with the facility owners (the referees would not enlighten us), I learned that the referees thought the other team might have scored a goal just prior to our goal but could not stop play. Once we scored, play stopped and they consulted the score keeper to get her perspective. So she made the determination that the other team had scored (even though the two refs did not agree). Therefore, everything that happened in between their "goal" and our "goal" did not count (except for the time used) including our goal!

Can you imagine a baseball game where the scorekeeper/s decide an inning or two later, that the foul ball was actually a home run and therefore the other team should still be batting and the runs your team scored after no longer count because the other team should still be batting? Absurd of course.

And the rules? That remains to be seen. No rules or even reference to rules are posted at the facility's web site. So I will have to ask at the next game. In doing so, I suppose I risk the potential for being considered a trouble maker (surprise!) since asking to consult the rules implies (perhaps) that those who are supposed to enforce the rules may not be doing so correctly.

I think that it should not hurt to learn what the rules actually are. Still, in this day and age, in our society, the "rules" are whatever those in power decide they are despite what is actually written and/or agreed.

Richard has been playing roller hockey at this facility since they moved to West Hartford in the summer of 2007. This means that we have been through over three (3) years of roller hockey at 12 games a session (plus playoffs), and three (3) sessions per year. That means that we have seen at least 120 games without ever encountering this "rule." Unfortunately, this facility is the only "game" in town.

Our frustration could have been alleviated if the refs and the facility had shown some compassion and intelligence by patiently explaining (and showing) to us the rule. Instead, all that we heard was the refs made the right call.

And in the end, the lesson is that if a team wants to win, they must score enough to overcome the errors of the officials. The converse is that as long as the game is being played, either team has a chance to win (until there is no way to overcome the score).

Being a Cleveland Indians fan as well as NY Islanders (and this year, Bridgeport Sound Tigers) fan, has prepared us for that perpetual chant of "there's always next time" (or season, etc.).

You say want a "Revelation"

This past Tuesday (February 8th) the St. Mark's Men's Bible Study Group resumed. We are studying The Book of Revelation. We are using an authorized Roman Catholic study by the Little Rock Scripture Study group in partnership with (RC publisher) Liturgical Press.

The study uses the New Collegeville Bible Commentary for The Book of Revelation (NT Vol. 12) by Catherine A. Cory. She is an associate professor in the theology department, at the University of Saint Thomas, St. Paul, Minnesota. There is also a "Study Guide" booklet by LRSS that merely contains a series of questions for each unit.  The course also includes a corresponding lecture for each unit. The lectures are available separately either in audio or video. Being a RC product, everything is available for purchase.

Our group consists of 5-6 men (although all the men of the parish are invited). We meet on Tuesday evenings from 7:30-9 p.m.  I think the ones who attend are great. There is a diversity of ages and backgrounds.

The format is:

• opening prayer;
• general discussion;
• discussion of the study guide questions;
• view the lecture (10-15 minutes);
• short discussion of lecture;
• closing prayer and petitions.

The book of Revelation is a fascinating part of the Bible and the New Testament.  In preparation for this study, I read Revelation once through starting in December and then read numerous articles about Revelation. There is a lot of material available on this subject. And there are a lot of ways to interpret Revelation. A lot!

Treasure Island

In an earlier post, I noted that I really enjoyed the 1950 Disney movie version of Robert Louis Stevenson's TREASURE ISLAND. I recently finished watching the 1934 version by Victor Fleming. This version was in B&W and is reportedly more in line with the book.

At first, I didn't care for it because I was mentally comparing it to the thoroughly enjoyable Disney version. However, by the end of movie, the story had captured me and I was (again) drawn to the Long John Silver character. I think the viewer's relationship to the Long John Silver character is the key to the movie/story.

There is a certain ambiguity about Long John Silver. We are not sure if he is on the level or is pulling the wool over our eyes in order to get what he wants. In the end, the Jim Hawkins character acts with mercy and affection toward Long John Silver. I think that this is how we all hope that God treats us when it comes time for judgment.

I also listened to a radio play version of the story from the Lux Radio Theater of the Air (1951) starring James Mason (as LJS), Nigel Bruce, and Bobby Driscoll (both from the Disney version). Very good.

The movies and radio play have initiated my desire to read the book. I went to my local library but to my surprise, they didn't have any good copies. They just had 2 copies of a 1956 (!) edition, some beat up paperbacks, and some large print children's versions. I searched Amazon to see what is available and stopped in at some bookstores to get an idea of what's available. I have not found a definitive edition: good illustrations and accompanying essays. My next step is to see what editions are available from other libraries and use the inter-library service to borrow a good edition. I'll keep you posted.

Liquidation

My son, Richard, loves to play Monopoly. I like to play it too but because it takes so long, I often have to pass on the opportunity to play. Or maybe it is because everywhere I turn, especially at work (and church) people are so interested in finances.

Anyway, since there was so much snow on Saturday (February 5th), it was a good day to be inside and play Monopoly.  Since Lynn went out, it was just Richard and me. Perhaps she passed up the opportunity because Richard usually wins. His winning ways were honed by reading a book (that I originally bought) that revealed the secrets to success (at Monopoly).

My strategy was simple: prevent Richard from obtaining all the properties of one color, and especially Boardwalk/Park Place.  This approach was going well and Richard was begging me to make a deal. Finally, I made my fatal mistake and gave in. I thought he only had 1 green property and traded him my 1 green property for cash plus a property that I needed. However, I failed to realize that he actually already had 2 of the 3 green properties. Once I realized this, I knew my days were numbered.

While I was collecting rent in the tens of dollars, Richard was putting up houses, then hotels on the green properties. I managed to survive my first stop on one of these by mortgaging virtually everything.  But it was inevitable that I would land on exactly the same property again. That was it. I had to liquidate and the game was over. Richard was the winner again!

Addendum:  From where I was sitting, I could look out the dining room window (from Lynn's 3rd floor apartment) and see a dozen or so yellow clad figures shoveling snow off the flat roof of the Armory Building a block away. They were working the entire time we played Monopoly.