Wedding Blues

Just got back late last night from a trip to SC/NC for a wedding - well at least that was the excuse for the trip. The wedding was beautiful and I had a lot of fun at it and the reception, and most of the rehearsal dinner, for that matter — especially considering there was no one there that I hadn't just met that week, aside from my date.

Otherwise the trip was pretty much a disaster. More on that available in e-mails that are sure to go out as soon as some of my depression has dissipated.

However, here is the house where the wedding/reception was held. It's called The City Club and it's part of The Wilmingtonian, which is where we stayed (in a boat-themed room called the Boathouse Suite. I don't know why I didn't take a picture of it! It was hilarious in a very bad way.) Anyway, it was very posh.

I wish I could report on Wilmington, but I didn't see much of it. What I did see of downtown was very nice. I would like to go back and spend a real weekend there sometime.

Author David Halberstam dies in crash

[Note Mississippi reference]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — David Halberstam, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author who chronicled the Washington press corps, the Vietnam War generation and baseball, was killed in a car crash early Monday, a coroner said. He was 73.
Halberstam, a New Yorker, was a passenger in a car that was broadsided by another vehicle in Menlo Park, south of San Francisco, San Mateo County Coroner Robert Foucrault said.

"Looking at the accident and examining him at the scene indicated it's most likely internal injuries," Foucrault said.

The driver of the car carrying Halberstam is a student at the Graduate School of Journalism at the University of California, Berkeley, and was taken to Stanford Medical Center. Two others were injured.

Halberstam spoke Saturday at a UC Berkeley-sponsored event on the craft of journalism and what it means to turn reporting into a work of history.

He was born April 10, 1934, in New York City, the son of a surgeon father and teacher mother.

After attending Harvard University, Halberstam launched his career in 1955 at the Daily Times Leader, a small daily newspaper in Mississippi. By age 30 he had won the 1964 Pulitzer Prize for reporting on the Vietnam War for the New York Times.

He quit daily journalism in 1967 and wrote 21 books covering such diverse topics as the Vietnam War, civil rights, the auto industry and a baseball pennant race. His 2002 best-seller, War in a Time of Peace, was a runner-up for the Pulitzer Prize for non-fiction.

Miami Vice(s)

Sadly, that is the actual name of the first drink, Miami Vice, that is. I don't know what drink #2 is, but I'm sure it was fruity goodness!

Miami on the Quick

The title refers to both my (last) weekend trip there and the fact that I have to rush this entry. I never seem to have time to do anything any more. Where did all my time go? Tutoring Spanish students I think. Well that will soon be over. May 7 is the last day of tutoring and May 9 is my final. Next semester I'm taking TWO Spanish classes. One is Spanish for native speakers and is conducted entirely in Spanish. That will be scary for me as a non-native speaker.

However, when I was in Miami for two days (I flew down on a Saturday and back on Monday morning) I found that I understood everything that was said to me, though there wasn't much call for me to speak Spanish since everyone but our maid seemed to also speak English.

The beach was not as kind this trip as when we went two years ago. It was overcast on Sunday and I only had half a day on Saturday. A friend of mine who had a later flight out on Monday said it was cold and he didn't stay on the beach more than a few minutes.

The food, however, remained awesome. We had Haitian food at a place call Tap Tap (Everything we did was in South Beach, by the way. That's where we stayed and we didn't have a car.) We had a shrimp dish that came in the most amazing sauce. I was putting that sauce on everything - rich, plantains, bread, everything! We also had conch fritters, which were also good.

The photo is of some black beans that I also put on everything. These were some of the best black beans I've every had (and no, that is not the alcohol talking!). This was at a Cuban diner called Puerto Sagua. I also had the Cubano sandwich, which was excellent. And someone at the table had shredded meat (I think it was beef). Also tasty!

We stayed at the Park Central, which is one of the top five Art Deco hotels in the city. It was really nice. The hallways were sort of drab and, like everything in Miami, mildewy, but nice. We drank a lot of fruity beverages containing any number of alcohols We went back to the Purdy Lounge, which a certain member of our party did not care for. But we had fun dancing to 80's and dance music.

All in all a good trip, but one that ended way to soon. The good news is that on Wednesday I'm leaving for Wilmington, NC, which will afford me the opportunity to cram in more beach time...though of a more laid back variety.

Easter and Beyond

Uhg. I feel so sick. My mom made enough food for Easter to feed a small army. Then she made everyone take home doggie bags. I don't think you should fast or 40 days and then eat an entire lamb. But I guess that's just me.

My dad's family came over and I didn't recognize half the cousins and cousins' kids. For example, I can't believe my cousin's 22 year old daughter has two children. What tha...?

I'm finding it hard to fit in everything, or rather everyone, I would like to on this trip. I didn't realize I would be so popular. Perhaps I should have come home for a longer period. I got here on Friday afternoon and I leave on Tuesday afternoon. Tomorrow I'm driving up to Memphis for the day and then back down later in the afternoon. Sometime before Wednesday I have to study for my Spanish test too. And I'd actually like to get some sleep. PLUS on Saturday I fly to Miami for a quick weekend trip to celebrate a friend's 30th birthday. I think, maybe, I have TOO much going on right now. That's a change.

Getting Unced

It's not really a verb, but my friend Elizabeth used it that way once, jokingly, and it's stuck in my head ever since. I had to work tonight and so missed out on the anointing. That's two year's in a row since last year I was moving during Holy Unction. Anyway, in case you're reading this and would like to know more....


The Sacrament of Holy Unction: Holy Wednesday afternoon and Evening

Introduction

On the afternoon or evening of Great and Holy Wednesday, the Sacrament or Mystery of Holy Unction is conducted in Orthodox parishes. The Sacrament of Holy Unction is offered for the healing of soul and body and for forgiveness of sins. At the conclusion of the service of the Sacrament, the body is anointed with oil, and the grace of God, which heals infirmities of soul and body, is called down upon each person. The Sacrament is performed by a gathering of priests, ideally seven in number, however, it can be performed by a lesser number and even by a single priest.
Holy Unction

When one is ill and in pain, this can very often be a time of life when one feels alone and isolated. The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, or Holy Unction as it is also known, reminds us that when we are ion pain, either physical, emotional, or spiritual, Christ is present with us through the ministry of His Church. He is among us to offer strength to meet the challenges of life, and even the approach of death.

As with Chrismation, oil is also used in this Sacrament as a sign of God's presence, strength, and forgiveness. After the reading of seven Epistle lessons, seven Gospel lessons and the offering of seven prayers, which are all devoted to healing, the priest anoints the body with the Holy Oil. Orthodoxy does not view this Sacrament as available only to those who are near death. It is offered to all who are sick in body, mind, or spirit.

Christ came to the world to “bear our infirmities.” One of the signs of His divine Messiahship was to heal the sick. The power of healing remains in the Church since Christ himself remains in the Church through the Holy Spirit.

The Sacrament of the Unction of the sick is the Church's specific prayer for healing. If the faith of the believers is strong enough, and if it is the will of God, there is every reason to believe that the Lord can heal those who are diseased.

The biblical basis for the Sacrament is found in James 5:14-16:

Is any among you sick, let him call for the presbyters of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.

In ancient Christian literature one may find indirect testimonies of the Mystery of Unction in Saint Irenaeus of Lyons and in Origen. Later there are clear testimonies of it in Saints Basil the Great and John Chrysostom, who have left prayers for the healing of the infirm which entered later into the rite of Unction; and likewise in Saint Cyril of Alexandria. In the fifth century, Pope Innocent I answered a series of questions concerning the Mystery of Unction, indicating in his answers that a) it should be performed "upon believers who are sick"; b) it may be performed also by a bishop, since one should not see in the words of the Apostle, let him call for the presbyters, any prohibition for a bishop to participate in the sacred action; c) this anointment may not be performed "on those undergoing ecclesiastical penance,' because it is a "Mystery,' and to those who are forbidden the other Mysteries, how can one allow only one?

The express purpose of the Sacrament of Holy Unction is healing and forgiveness. Since it is not always the will of God that there should be physical healing, the prayer of Christ that God's will be done always remains as the proper context of the Sacrament. In addition, it is the clear intention of the Sacrament that through the anointing of the sick body the sufferings of the person should be sanctified and united to the sufferings of Christ. In this way, the wounds of the flesh are consecrated, and strength is given that the suffering of the diseased person may not be unto the death of his soul, but for eternal salvation in the resurrection and life of the Kingdom of God.

It is indeed the case that death inevitably comes. All must die, even those who in this life are given a reprieve through healing in order to have more time on the earth. Thus, the healing of the sick is not itself a final goal, but is merely "instrumental" in that it is given by God as a sign of his mercy and as a grace for the further opportunity of man to live for him and for others in the life of this world.

In the case where a person is obviously in the final moments of his earthly life, the Church has special prayers for the "separation of soul and body." Thus, it is clear that the Sacrament of Holy Unction is for the sick-both the physically and mentally sick-and is not reserved for the moment of death. The Sacrament of Unction is not the "last rites" as is sometimes thought; the ritual of the anointing itself in no way indicates that it should be administered merely in "extreme" cases. Holy Unction is the Sacrament of the spiritual, physical, and mental healing of a sick person whatever the nature or the gravity of the illness may be.

Orthodox Christian Celebration of the Sacrament of Holy unction

The Sacrament itself calls for seven priests, seven readings from the Epistles and Gospels, seven prayers and seven anointings with oil specifically blessed during the service. Although it is not always possible to perform the sacrament in this way, the normal procedure is still to gather together as many priests and people as possible.

At the end of the service the priest anoints the faithful as he makes the sign of the cross on the forehead and top and palms of the hands saying, "For the healing of soul and body."

Sambuca + Zamboni = FlimFlamFun

Apparently, in New Jersey, ANYONE can get a gig driving a Zamboni. Backup career is now secured.

N.J. judge: No such thing as Zamboni DWI
Judge rules ice rink groomer can't be charged with drunken driving at wheel of Zamboni machine
04-03-2007 10:35
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) _ It's not drunken driving in New Jersey if it involves a Zamboni.
A judge ruled the four-ton ice rink-grooming machines aren't motor vehicles because they aren't useable on highways and can't carry passengers.
Zamboni operator John Peragallo had been charged with drunken driving in 2005 after a fellow employee at the Mennen Sports Arena in Morristown told police the machine was speeding and nearly crashed into the boards.
Police said Peragallo's blood alcohol level was 0.12 percent. A level of 0.08 is considered legally drunk in New Jersey.
Peragallo appealed, and Superior Court Judge Joseph Falcone on Monday overturned his license revocation and penalties.
"It's a vindication for my client," Peragallo attorney James Porfido said after the hearing. "It's the right decision."
Morris County Assistant Prosecutor Joseph D'Onofrio said no decision had been made on whether to appeal.
Peragallo, 64, testified at his trial that he did drink beer and vodka, but not until after he had groomed the ice. However, he told police he had a shot of Sambuca with his breakfast coffee and two Valium-pills before work.

Fools All Around

Wow. It's April already. I've been here a year. How did that happen?

I had intended to blog all about my trip to Chicago last weekend (It was great. Terrific weather. Greek Independence Day Parade. Good food. Good friends. Sigh. Why am I in New York?) But upon my return I've done nothing but work. I go in around 10 a.m. and I get home around 11 p.m. or midnight. Plus I've had homework for Spanish and tutoring. The last two days were hell. I was the only editor in the office and people were asking me for stuff WAY outside my job description — freelancer budgets, staff overtime estimates. I don't do that kind of paperwork. I read stories. Assign stories. Try to squeeze blood from a turnip. I have nothing to do with money.

I squeezed a LOT of blood out of the turnips this week, by the way. I can't even tell you the creative juggling I did to get enough stories to fill our paper. Tomorrow is my last day alone...then everyone comes back and on Friday I leave to go to my parents for Easter. Plus, we've had a reporter out on long-term sick leave who came back and there was no one but ME there to talk to her about her situation in the newsroom, all the changes that are going on, etc. And in addition to all the other work I was doing, I was having to find daily stories for her to cover and then sit down with her when I edited, which made the process 20x longer than it needed to be. But she's our weakest reporter...weaker than the interns and the news clerk. She doesn't seem to understand the basics of reporting, which is a major problem. MAJOR problem.

Anyway, all that is to say that is why I've been absent from my blog lately. Oh and I made a 82 on that last test. The class average was 54. She had to give a "pop" extra credit quiz on Monday — which she told us she was giving, thereby negating the pop portion of the quiz — worth up to 20 points added to your test grade. I missed at least one and made one word feminine, which is supposed to be masculine, so I won't get full credit, but I should at least have an A when all is said and done.

That's it for now. I've got to go catch up on all the stuff I haven't been able to do because of work. Oh, Happy April Fools Day and also Palm Sunday.