Experiencing New Things

Here are the non-highlights of the adventure Jill and I took to Rapid City, South Dakota this past weekend.

#1 - Fresh Start Convenience Store, Lusk, Wyoming - The sign on the wall inside the men's restroom read something like this, "If people continue to pee and poop all over this restroom, we are going to have to close it for good and no one will be able to use it any more." I went in to the men's bathroom because Jill was in the women's bathroom. Oddly enough, the strong smell of urine in the men's bathroom didn't keep me from using it. It's too bad I only saw the sign after I was done. Only in Wyoming.

#2 - Lame Johnny Creek - who was Lame Johnny? Was his lameness somehow associated with the creek? Did people really call him that?

#3 - Hill City, South Dakota, while waiting in line at the Alpine Inn for famous steak - an older, heavyset woman clad in a blue and black plaid flannel shirt, jeans, and yellow tinted sunglasses rode by on a 4-wheeler. She had a confident and contented look on her face as her white hair blew haphazard behind her, her small, equally frizzy-haired companion, a white poodle, nestled between her legs. And then her husband rode into the picture as well. Matching 4-wheeler, flannel shirt, white hair, belly, and poodle. As a single person, there are glimpses of married life I see and vow to never become.

#4 - Old Woman Creek - not such a thought-provoking creek as Lame Johnny, except that I found it amusing that there was no water in Old Woman Creek. It was quite dry and shriveled up.

More Books

I heard about this book Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne a couple months ago from my friend Kelly. I bought it today off Amazon and am eager to read it when it comes.

When you shop on Amazon, it automatically generates a "Better Together" section where it pairs the book with another that you, the customer, might buy. Buying the two together offers a discounted rate. (How does Amazon pair these books together?)

I was surprised to find it recommending the book Sex God by Rob Bell. All I know of the book Sex God is what I briefly read while hanging out with friends at Barnes and Noble one night. Yes, I picked up the book. I saw the name and picked it up, despite my cynical nature towards christian books and songs with clever titles like this one. The inside cover offers a manual of sorts on interpretation of male and female misunderstandings. Almost like a "what she really means" and "what he really means" chart with common miscommunications disspelled. I can't quote it here. I can't remember word for word. But what I do remember was it stopping just short of assuming every woman's problem is insecurity. "Guys, all girls are insecure. Understand that and you'll get through your relationship just fine. Tell her she's pretty or rub her back, and all will be well. Oh, and if it isn't insecurity, it might be PMS, so watch out for that too."

This may be (is) totally unfair. Fine, so I added the part about PMS, the book didn't really say that. It seemed like it could have, though, had I read further than the inside cover. I was just surprised and maybe a little disappointed that Amazon recommended the Sex God book. Doesn't Amazon know me better than that? Amazon, I don't know if I can trust you like I used to. What's that? I look pretty today? Thanks. I feel better.

fun blog searches

I did a blog search using the word "christian" and this was somehow the first result that came up. It is entitled "Devil, You Can't Touch This." Interesting theology here. In case you need a little coaxing, I've copied the first paragraph (is this illegal?).

"There is one thing that I like to say to the devil every day. Usually when I wake up, I praise God for allowing me to see another day and shortly thereafter, I like to tell the devil, “I’m gonna mess you up today, devil!”."

http://www.jayadkins.net/archives/131

My own little book club

I'll just get this out there, in case anyone happens to come by this blog. I have learned that I LOVE to read.

There are three types of readers:
Reader A - Reads a lot as a child, reads a lot as a teenager, reads everything assigned in school, reads a lot as an adult. Enjoys reading the paper. Reads during airplane travel. The lifetime reader.
Reader B - Reads a lot as a child, reads less as a teenager, reads Cliff notes to get through school assignments (or doesn't read at all for said assignments), becomes a science or math major in college and thus does not have reading assignments...

I was wrong. I think there are two types of readers (A and B). However, reader B can become one of two types of readers:
Reader Ba - Continues on in life to be a non-reader. Watches the news instead of reading the paper. Sees the movie instead of reading the book. May try to read books, but usually never finishes an entire book from beginning to end. Simply does not find reading a source of enjoyment.
Reader Bb - The convert. Discovers a love for reading at an adult age. May find it a great achievement to finish an entire book. May feel as though it deserves a medal of some kind. Goes on to be a lifetime reader.

Clearly I am reader Bb in my system of reader-types. I find that if I'm supposed to read something, I won't (I used to say "can't", but no one likes a quitter). There is a difference between reading for assignment and reading for enjoyment. Although I may have enjoyed the books I was assigned, I didn't give it a chance. And now that I am free of anyone's assignments I actually wish I had read those assignments. Maybe not The Once and Future King. I digress.

All this to say that I updated my reading lists. And I added a "Recently Read" section. How exciting! I finished reading entire books. Books! Plural! As I read more, I'll let you know how it goes. As Mr. Darcy says of an accomplished woman in Pride and Prejudice, "...she must yet add something more substantial, in the improvement of her mind by extensive reading." So what if I got that quote from watching the movie.