Excellence, Followed by a Glimpse Into My Mean, Petty Little Heart

Lovely moment this morning: Iz and Sophie on the swings, discussing how they will be able marry each other easily, since they're not sisters. Yes, little girls, by the time you're of age, I hope and suspect this will be true.

I cajoled them into choosing Hawaii as the wedding site. "The Big Island!" says Iz. They want to have the ceremony on the side of a volcano "But not too close!" says Sophie "We don't want the volcano to explode on our heads!"

---

Yesterday's sermon, our minister's last for six weeks (what?!), had some excellent points. About how we must strive to gain more knowledge about the positions of those whose viewpoints we oppose. Not merely to snoop for the next argument's ammunition, but rather to grok.

(I will try harder. But it is difficult to imagine how I will keep my temper under wraps and my mind open during an upcoming vacation with a brother who works in the DOD, and refers to Rummy as "...a very rational man. Perhaps too rational.")

She also said that if we tried to understand people more, we'd have fewer conflicts on personal and international scales. Modified quote: "We can't go to war against the Malians! I know those people!"

Then she said that she'd fielded a lot of questions about the homeless ministry from a few weeks back, and wanted to let us know what their mission is. Which is...to bear witness. To listen to people, provide eye contact, give voices to the voiceless. But most assuredly not to "fix" homelessness.

(Right. Because there are enough people working to fix homelessness already.)

I am so going to whatever passes for hell in UU land. None of her pleas for compassion and empathy can pierce this spiteful, callous breast. I am too busy focusing hate rays at our neighbors, who told us that they couldn't afford to go in on fixing our jointly-owned, falling down fence. At the time, they had just started driving a brand new Swedish SUV. Perhaps that tapped them out, I figured.

Two weeks ago, they installed a huge new redwood playset. We've got a similar though smaller one, purchased with the last of the loot from my Silicon Valley carpetbagger days. I know how much those fuckers cost. About as much as a really nice fence, even if you install the playset yourself.

This weekend, they started installing a new pergola. Not a cheap little $1400 jobbie, no sir. This is a massive structure, with at least twelve timbers that Ep's Clyde and I estimated to be 20' long. I don't know what you know about wood, but that is edging into astronomically farking expensive territory. Clear heart, or salvaged only. Thousands upon thousands upon thousands of non-fence dollars.

(Assholes, snarls the hellbound petty little asshole next door.)

The sweetness and light will resume pouring forth tomorrow.