John Schultz: October 2004 Archives

In a fit of dementia, I bought about 5 pounds of candy this morning. Teresa had mentioned something about having fun dressing up and handing out candy in the past, and I was at the grocery store and saw Kit-kats, Milky Ways, 3 Musketeers, M&Ms and Snickers on sale. Remembering that the "fun size" was always a big hit when I was a kid, I bought one bag of each.

I got home and informed my wife of the purchase. She frowned and said, "No one comes here. We should be in the basement watching a movie instead of waiting for the kids to show up. But now we have to because if we don't hand out the candy then you will eat it." I assured her I wouldn't eat it but she said didn't really believe me, sort of like Marion Barry telling the cops that the crack had been left in his car by the previous owner.

So around 4pm we started the setup: Candles in the windows (the kind that can light cats on fire), terra cotta pumpkins with candles inside in the walk, and a basket full of candy.

We had the following folks show up:
2 astronauts my wife tried to make small talk with: "Where's your space ship?" "We're just kids in costumes! We don't have a space ship!" (Stupid adults!)
1 tiger
3 teen agers dressed up as disgruntled youths.
1 sort of sailor looking person
A handful of witches.
A girl who described herself as "a gothic person." Even me, in my lame understanding of modern culture, know they are called "Goths" and they just need to be in all black, black hair and maybe an extra-white face. This girl had a black shirt, a little cross and some jeans on.

So Teresa and I started talking about Halloweens of ages past. "How many times did you go dressed as a Hobo" I asked. "At least seven or eight... I bet you can't dress like a Hobo these days... wouldn't be proper..."

I told her my mom used to make our costumes. I was Death one year. I was a hobo on several ocassions, but mom thought the hobo costume needed bells sewn on for some reason... I'll have to ask her about that.

Teresa said her best costume was that she wore her dad's sailor uniform from WWII, and a girlfriend dressed like the Sweetheart he meets dockside when the ship comes back to home port. And when they rang the doorbell, her friend would leap into her arms so that Teresa was holding her up. Now that's an interesting costume.

We've been getting grunts and half-done costumes, and it's not even the time
the high school kids show up.

Before I start sounding like that old dude from 60 minutes, I leave you with this.

I did get to spend some nice time with my wife talking about Halloween's past and I've gotten about 5,000 calories out of the house. Not a bad way to spend the evening, even if I have to answer the door for a "Gothic Person."

I figured I'd see someone come to Mass in a costume today...

One lady had her baby dressed up in a nurse outfit, complete with the red cross on the bonnet. At least it wasn't Baby Frankenstein or The WereBaby or a baby with a First Lady Therese Heinz-Kerry costume on (scary!)

On All Saints, kids are encouraged to come dressed as their favorite Saint. Eric, maybe you can dress Charlie up as St. Lawrence and hand him one of your All-Clad griddle pans...

I'll let you know what happens with it.

UPDATE: Wife.com is baking bread. She started while I planned music from next Sunday thru the 4th Sunday of Advent. It smells *great*

UPDATE 2: And it tasted great. We had a meal of pork loin, fettucine with home made pesto and fresh bread. What a woman I'm married to.

I got an invitation to the "Advent Celebration and Benefit" for the Georgetown Center for Liturgy today. It looked harmless enough, until I opened it.

The "Celebration and Benefit" honors "the 2004 recipients of the National Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Liturgical Life of the American Church"

(How about "Church in America?")

And who's one of the recipients? None other than the Canonizable Marty Haugen. He's giving a talk on "Writing Music for Today's Christians: A Composer Reflects in Word and Song On How It's Done"

Spare me. The man arguably most responsible for turning Liturgical Music into Liturgical Muzak gets to reflect in "Word and Song." Then there's a Mass (probably a Haugenfest) and a buffet reception.

I'm normally not one to turn down a buffet, but after all that I wouldn't have an appetite.

My last thought is, I wonder who should get an award like that? James Chepponis, who writes music that is much more reverent and interesting? I really don't know any other giants of Catholic Liturgy in this age because the age seems to be the terrible long Era of Cheese. Just when some of those jokers should be sunsetted they trot them out for another Award, Mass and Buffet.

I enjoy the same beer as Victor Davis Hanson.

I missed the news that Robert Merrill died last Saturday at the age of 87.

He was one of the greatest baritones of all time. Here's an appreciation.

Can I hear from visitors to this blog if the flu shot shortage is a concern to them? I'm having trouble understanding the whole bruhaha around the shortage, Dick Cheney getting a shot, shot lotteries, etc.

This could be the worst newspaper sentence I've ever read.

The Curse of the Bambino, that amalgam of jinx, superstition and despair that has dogged the Boston Red Sox for nearly a century, was reduced to just so much human imagining on Wednesday night by a scruffy lot of ballplayers who cared more about their hair than they did about history, except for the kind they were determined to make.

And you might be surprised from whence it comes.

I was listening to an interview with a Boston sports writer today who said if the Sox win, the fans will go crazy. They'll drink. They'll roll over cars. They'll install a fire hydrant back in front of the Heinz-Kerry mansion.

Actually all he said was, the city would burn. RC - can you let us know if you see a glow on the horizon or smell the smoke?

This from the McPaper but none the less telling:

A question asked of Therese Heinz Kerry:

Q: You'd be different from Laura Bush?

A: Well, you know, I don't know Laura Bush. But she seems to be calm, and she has a sparkle in her eye, which is good. But I don't know that she's ever had a real job — I mean, since she's been grown up.

Between this and the "Cheney's daughter a lesbian, pass it on!" comments, I am just left with one thought:

The democrat ticket and their spouses have no class.

I was on my way to a client this morning and pulled up to the corner of Route 50 and Annadale Road in northern VA to see a ragtag gaggle of Kerry supporters wearing stupid hats, swinging "Unidos Con Kerry" signs in the air and waving passionately at the passers-by.

I was perturbed. Where are the Bush supporters?

And then I thought: they going to work.

These words will make you squeal with glee:

New Album.
William Shatner.

MAGMA

Update: Magma with an eerie glow!

I suppose with that many sins, it would have to be Pay-per-view. And just clarify, I'm talking about the sins* of the movie maker & marketers, not the sins apparently portrayed in the movie.

'Fahrenheit 9/11' Team Seeks Election-Eve Pay-TV

*And don't get all upset that I'm passing judgment or something. I'm not.

Mount St. Helens Shoots Out More Steam

I was living in California in 1980 when Mount St. Helens blew in a cataclysmic fashion. A few months later, we visited relatives in Oregon who had saved some of the ash. As a kid, it all seemed pretty amazing. I guess this time there's fewer people close to the action and hopefully no fatalities if the big stuff goes down.

I had the debate on while I was doing my first Finance assignment, and was pleased to see Bush do a much better job. Here's some random thoughts:

Style of Substance - so many people seem caught up with the externals: grimacing, posture, tone, etc. It's almost like we're having an audition for President, not an election.

Kerry the Catholic - his abortion answer reminded me of Pontius Pilate: "What is Truth?" It was a meandering rationalization that was strained and insincere.

Kerry and the war - nothing points to Kerry as someone who can continue the Iraq campaign of the terror war with any effectiveness. He never met a weapons or intelligence program that he didn't want to cut. He seems to think he can negotiate the US out of the terror war and out of sticky situations like Iran and North Korea.

Bush's humor - self-deprecation is the mark of someone who is at peace with himself. It was nice to see Bush go on the offensive and have an enjoyable time.

Bush and substance - it was nice to see Bush tackle the meat of the issues in an effective way.

Kerry's closing statement when he said, "I'll say this - and right to the camera" and then turned like Herman Munster to the camera to start his lines. It was as if he was reminding himself to doing something like Reagan...

My choir did a great job today. We did the Proulx arrangement of the hymn tune "Thaxed" and the Rutter "God Be In My Head." It's amazing what a group of amateur singers can produce for the glory of God.