Holy Thursday

It'll be the first Easter "alone" in a few years. I went to Holy Thursday mass today at St. Matthew's. This day, part of the triduum, was always my favorite of Holy Week. I remember going with mom as a little kid, seeing the church all bare and solemn, the altar servers filling rows of pews. The washing of the feet. The incense. The candle lit ceremony, the procession, the canopy...the hymns, the silence. The build up to Good Friday and the Holy Saturday blessing of the Easter baskets, with their potato salad, ham, eggs, kielbasa, and the other Easter feast foods. It has been over twenty years now, I think, since I've been to that type of service. And I think I will remember those masses more than most of the ones I've attended in my entire life (I'm guessing at least 2,000?!).

I ran into one of our lawyers after Palm Sunday mass and we had tea, chatting a bit about Catholicism and college and times when you fall away. And I said this is why you trust your child, to continue on in the faith they were raised. And maybe they will remain or maybe they will drift away, only to return when they leave campus.

On a somewhat related note, there are reports that Jews are being ordered to register in East Ukraine. Now, more than ever, is time to speak out for people of faith, people who have been persecuted in the past, during one of the holiest times of the year.

Chicago

We had lovely weather in Chicago this weekend, enough warmth for two runs along Lake Michigan in shorts. There were also good meals--including at the Slurping Turtle and Henri. Not to mention time with good friends--E, D, etc. I'm sorry Michelle could not make it. We're a little at a loss of what we can do or how we can help. It sounds like her surgery will be next month, though, which I guess is a step in the right direction. How scary and helpless, though. And it makes you realize how you take good health for granted.

It also makes me sad that I'm so far apart from these ladies. There is nothing like old friends. Nothing.

Sad

My SIL's family has been in my thoughts and prayers since last Friday when her BIL was killed in a tragic work accident in Detroit. Their seven year is so close to my nephew. And it breaks my heart that three children have lost their dad. That a week ago, everything was fine, and they were celebrating Spring and Tigers baseball and anticipating Easter. And tomorrow there will be a funeral.

I think I said a week or so ago that I've been struggling with feelings of inequality, with abundance, with entitlement, with selfishness, maybe. And I feel lucky and guilty: thank God this is not my brother, my sister-in-law, my nephews that are feeling the loss. Which is not really true, of course. I know my brother and SIL will be their for their nieces and nephew, and that family will remain close and comforting and supportive. But damn. This is absolutely horrible. 36 is far too young. Granted, any age is too young to lose your father. But it should never happen when you are in the second grade. Or in high school. And no amount of money or financial assistance or lawsuit can change things.

There are other awful stories coming from Detroit...Basil, killed at his store while surviving cancer, a father who tried to help a kid he accidentally hit with his car who gets beaten into a coma. I think we all can be kinder to each other. And maybe offer more compassion, too. Because you never know.

Ten Random Thoughts of the Day

Can't believe S is in China...

Buckley v. Valeo is probably going to be struck down at some point, unless Rs lose the Court.

Good music has been tough to discover this year. I hope I haven't jumped the shark in discovering it...

New York, Chicago, jury duty...going to be an active month.

Bachelorette parties change as you grow older. Cuba Libra at 7, then home by 11. No more bar hopping in Adams Morgan (not that I ever did so much of that...).

Yoga twice this week. It's probably a good goal to do that more often, right?

Winter can't come back now that the baseball season has started, right?

I was not a fan of the HIMYM finale, like many, many others. Though Josh Radnor sells the decision to kill off the mother (spoiler!) as good as anyone, and I give the creators credit for sticking to their vision. Most shows aren't crafted so well. That being said, I wish the show had ended with the adorable yellow TM umbrella conversation. And I think it is tragically sad that the mother died at only 40.

This NYC dinner on Saturday will be epic, though I'm not too eager about sweetbreads the sequel.

No surprise that Vince Gray lost the primary. I don't know how I feel about Muriel Bowser, though I'm glad she will have competition from David Catania. And I'm glad that Charles Allen won; Tommy Wells has been a good councilman overall, and I'm sure Allen will be so as well. 

Blessings

Lately, life has been bittersweet. I've felt like things are OK overall...healthy, employed, financially secure, time spent with friends, etc. But you hear things that are unsettling...a friend who uses her grocery money to pay for the vet. A colleague's husband with cancer. People still struggling to find the right job, to cope with an unexpected bill, to not where they want to be a certain point in life. And I see extravagance and waste and entitlement all of the time. And it's not right. And then I catch myself sounding like one of those liberals whining about inequality. Just ugh.

So perspective is something to maintain, and the knowledge that life does not stay still, and what remains today can change by tomorrow. And to count your personal blessings while considering the needs and wants of others. And to resist entitlement. So this is how I'm thinking lately.

How I Met Your Mother

So this month has been a whirlwind, though it's not over yet. On Monday, How I Met Your Mother ends its long run with the final reveal: why is Ted telling the story? How does he meet the mother? There have been clues in this final season, which has had some great episodes some very lame ones. But overall, it's been an endearing show, and the chemistry of the cast is wait-for-it legendary.

I hope there isn't a sad ending, though all hints are that there is some element of the bittersweet. Who wants the mother to be dead, or Ted to reunite with Robin? Or some other twisty ending? Maybe for once, there can just be some happily ever after?

At least there is some other television to look forward to: I'm still enjoying The Americans and I am very eagerly awaiting the first half of the last season of Mad Men. Though I still think it's a cop out that the season was split. But that way you can savor it longer, right?

The Week...

From a snow day on Monday to jury duty on Tuesday and Wednesday, to crazy work time these last couple of days, it's been a very busy week. And the weekend is solid, too. But phew. I feel like I can breathe a bit over the next few days. And the luxury of a weekend away is nice, too.

New Orleans was good. I think I enjoyed SBISA as much, if not more than, August. Their cocktail list was outstanding and had all of our favorites, literally, on it, like a Blood & Sand and Mary Pickford. And you can never go wrong with redfish. Sweetbreads and veal and rabbit aside, the Hors d'oeuvres at August were as delicious as anything. But I'm glad, so glad, for a weekend at home!

Lost

I don't think JJ Abrams could have written a better script surrounding the mystery of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH 370.  I mean, this disappearance and the conspiracy theories abounding are right out of Lost. A TV script writer could barely have made this up:

Scenarios abound. Did the plane disintegrate at 35,000 feet from a mechanical failure and sudden decompression? Did the pilot commit suicide by flying it straight down into the sea? Did terrorists blow it up? Did a passenger plant a bomb so that his family would collect life insurance? Was the plane shot down by a jumpy military? Could it have crash-landed in a jungle somewhere, where the passengers are now fighting to survive?

From a long list of possibilities that range from the unlikely to the extremely far-fetched, the truth about what happened to Flight MH370 will probably emerge eventually. For now, it’s the mystery of the year — and a source of immense anguish for the families of the missing passengers and crew.

I think there was even a theory that a meteor could have it. A part of me thinks that someone, some government entity, does know what happened. How could it not, in this age of surveillance? It's better than a mystery, or a terrorist conspiracy. Or incompetence or a suicide mission. And I cannot imagine the uncertainties of the families. You must be clinging to hope, a tiny sliver, that the passengers are stranded on some very, very remote island, ala Lost. 

Goodbye Edna Krabappel

I thought this was a lovely tribute to Mrs. Krabappel and Marcia Wallace. I don't watch the Simpsons much anymore, but this is class. Poor Ned Flanders, too.

Jean confirms that “out of great respect” for Wallace, Bart’s sharp-tongued teacher is being retired, and the March 9 episode will serve as the last time you will see or hear from Edna on the show. “She wouldn’t be in a background, and obviously we don’t have any more vocals,” he says. “What we would never do is say, ‘Here’s Mrs. Krabappel,’ and voice it with someone else.”

Ten Busy Days

How is it March 10? We've had a busy week that continues with more travel. Birthday weekend was fun, with great meals at Le Grenier, Acqua Al II, and an overrated brunch at Georgia Brown's. Big Board worked fantastic for the party--more food than we needed, but good service and the space worked very well. It flew by, as it always does. We also saw Capitol Steps, which had its clever moments but it grew less funny with each skit. I think some fresh material about our president is needed.

This weekend was Gainesville, and I met Aunt J at Devil's Millhopper for a picnic and a short hike down the sinkhole. Then on to the University of Florida and the symposium. Spent some time at the Swamp catching up with some usual suspects. Then home. Of course, we had the craziest airport experience ever, where we ran into Romney and Ryan as we boarded. Um, yeah. So I may not have gotten the best selfie ever, but I will take one picture, that turned out quite good. We were so excited about that. The entire flight home was full of VRWC types, like Kristol and Barone and SE Cupp. Ridiculous.

Oh, and there was a pesky birthday somewhere in there. We just had sushi at Kabuki which was nice, mellow. Quiet.

Now it's New Orleans, right. And life must settle down of course. But it's been a fun ten days. Now if I can just figure out how the power outage affected the garage.  As tired as I am, I'm grateful for one extra hour of daylight now. I can use it. And I can run after work, finally.