Here it is, seventeen days into the new year, and I've already blown one of my resolutions: I did resolve to blog at least once per week-- if not each day. Blew it. Not even with an excuse.

I'd say I've been busy, but it's only sort-of true. The truth is I just don't get motivated-- nobody reads this, so it's pretty easy to not write.

I went to my required RIM retreat this month, where we did more on family systems. It's the big deal. We keep focusing on it, because so many families are dysfunctional, I think. Maybe we need to talk to a psychologist, or psychiatrist. I don't know if that'll happen.

The next thing we did was Minister's School-- now that I have been put on the board of managers for this year, I paid more attention. It was good to see how Andy Bryan plays and sings. He's awesome! I wish we had somebody at my church who could play the piano like he does, or could write songs-- he takes Wesleyan hymns and puts them to new tunes. They're so much better.

New Year, Mizzou Rocks!

My dad said, "isn't it nice that Missouri gets the glory for a change?" It's a good day, a good start for the new year-- sunny, not too terribly cold, USA channel is running a "Monk" marathon, and Missouri kicked Arkansas' ass BIGTIME. Incredible. At last glance the score was 28 to 7, fourth quarter, with fourteen minutes to go. Didn't look like a miracle was gonna happen for Arkansas any time too soon, either. It's kind of fun to realize that Mizzou may again have a period of glory in football.
I think I'm raising Monk for a child! He's trying to change his ways, even ate a "taquito" last night-- with knowledge that it had chicken, cheese, and maybe even peppers. Amazing. He's convinced he's got to eat mixed food to get muscles. It's cute. If I'd known that was all it took to get him to eat... but he's still a slob.
Tomorrow I have to do something I never thought I'd do. One of my former babysitters, the oldest child of a parishioner, and the kid who has driven our church crazy and possibly slept with an unknown number of guys (because she did NOT want to be a virgin when she went in) is being sworn in to the Marines. And she asked me to come, so I guess the kids and I will, unless my mentor refuses to reschedule our appointment. I hope he does.
Luckily she never asked me what I think about enlisting. I didn't have to lie. I don't think I will take it well if one of my kids ever tries to join the military. I don't want one of my kids to be made a military automaton. I don't want my kids to go to war. I hate the idea of Allyson going to war. I hate to think about what could happen to her. I hate to think about the things you hear about women in boot camp, in the military-- she's a naive kid, even if promiscuous, and trusts people more than she ought-- I was convinced she would be a statistic before she was ever in the military-- a murder, or a rape, not a teen mom. I guess that it's a blessing she's going military instead, but I can't see her as a leatherneck. So, I guess that's why we'll have to see it to believe it.