Not too much new...

The last couple of weeks have been pretty boring and monotonous...

One of the few highlights was that the Confirmation class I was helping with since last October, or so, was finally confirmed at the basilica last week. In our class (of high school freshman and sophomores), we had about 24 kids from different parishes of north-east Minneapolis. However, they join together different parishes for the Confirmation Mass, so there were about 4 other parishes there as well. In total, there probably about 120 or so being confirmed. While the Mass had the feeling of a "mass production" or "assembly line" to get through all those being confirmed in a reasonable time, one could still tell it was a joyful and proud evening for those being confirmed and their families. The auxiliary bishop (the helping bishop), Bishop Piche, celebrated the Mass. His homily, while attempting to be individualized to that Mass, also seemed to have a "mass production" feel to it. But being that he probably has a dozen of these Confirmation Masses to do during only a couple months, I can't blame him for it.

Besides still going in for tutoring and supervision at school, and the substituting every couple of times a week, the only other regular thing I have been doing is picking back up on my Latin studies. I try to do a half hour or hour of it a day. I'm not too sure why, except to be a geek, and perhaps one day be able to read some of the classics and enjoy the Vulgate (the Bible in Latin). I find it also helps me better understand some English vocabulary and English grammar/sentence structure. I've already mastered Spanglish and perhaps one day I will be a Master of Latin-glish...

Tidbit by Thomas: Proof I've been practicing Latin..."Semper ubi sub ubi."
Semper - always
Ubi - where
Sub under

Happy (Belated) Hanamatsuri!

Last week, my birthday fell during spring break, which was nice! Thanks to all those who sent me cards and well wishes! For my birthday, I treated myself out alittle bit at the casino (apparently there was no luck on my side for my birthday). Then I went out to dinner with a few friends to Buffalo Wild Wings. It’s a sports bar centered on chicken wings and chicken dishes. It’s one of my favorite restaurants and unfortunately they aren’t out west yet. Charlie, Shawn, myself, and Mark went. Besides have some wings, I also got a delicious, free chocolate cake there as well.

Im not sure if PBS planned it, or if it was just irony, but PBS premiered a special on Siddhartha Gautama last Wednesday, the day before Hanamatsuri. (Hanamatsuri is the day parts of Asia celebrate Buddha’s Birthday). I didn’t catch it on tv, but found it online (http://www.pbs.org/thebuddha/program/). I started watching it over the weekend; however, I started watching it late at night and started to fall asleep during it. So, I have not finished watching it yet myself, but I hope to watch it this week and will probably will have some comments about it on here soon.

Tidbits By Thomas: The Day finally arrived! Out door baseball returned to Minnesota! Though we have been spoiled with abnormally warm weather for the past couple of weeks here, I’m still scratching my head as to why Minnesotans would want out door baseball. There could still be snow on the ground right now. There could be snow on the ground at the end of the baseball season. Spring and fall are the rain seasons here. And mosquitoes are the un-official state ‘bird.’ So where is the fun of out door baseball in Minnesota?

Spring Break, So Far

The school coincided this year with Easter and the National Catholic Educators Association (NCEA) convention, which is being held in Minneapolis.

Easter was nice. I started the day with Mass, and joined Charlie’s family for Easter Lunch after afternoon activities. It included the annual Easter egg hung and Easter egg roll. For those of you who don’t remember from last year, the Easter egg roll consist of several rounds of each person taking one of the hard-boiled, decorated eggs and rolling it down a ramp. If you hit some buddy else’s egg as you roll across the lawn, then they have to give you a big penny. Eventually after about 6 or 7 rounds, eggs start cracking and it ends.

As I mentioned earlier, the NCEA is meeting in Minneapolis this week. Opportunity for catholic educators from across the country to get together, for different sessions and training stuff…8,000 attendees was one number I heard floated around. Well last night, DeLaSalle hosted a reception for the Lasallian attendees that wanted to come; there were about 60 or so. It was a good time and I got to catch up with a number of people that I have met along the way in my travels. And today, the Campus Ministry team from DeLaSalle organized a luncheon for the local campus ministry teams. The campus minister from DeLaSalle invited me to that as well, so it was a nice networking opportunity as well.

Today, also happens to coincide with the Feast Day of St. John Baptist De La Salle. He died on this day in 1719. Generally, feast days for saints fall on the day they died. However, because there’s a good chance each year that April 7th falls either during Holy Week or Easter week (there’s traditional 8 days of Easter)(these two weeks supersede any other feast days they happen to land on since they are more important Feasts of Jesus), the Christian Brothers generally celebrate the Feast Day on May 15th.

Tidbit by Thomas: The NCEA convention is being held in downtown Minneapolis at the Convention Center. Ironically, next door at the Convention Center today, Sarah Palin came to do a rally/fund raiser for a republican representative. While you couldn’t take pictures with her there at the Convention Center, you are able to pay a pretty penny to attend a fundraising dinner at the Hilton. They did not say how much the dinner costs, however, they did note it ONLY costs $10,000 to take a picture with Sarah Palin there! I don’t think anyone, or any combination of people, is worth that much to take just a picture with!