"Never be afraid to laugh at yourself, after all, you could be missing out on the joke of the century." - Dame Edna Everage

Of all the lies told in all the world on any given day none is told so often and is so disbelieved as, "Please listen carefully as our menu options have changed."

And while we're on the topic of annoying phone recordings, is there anyone left who still needs those instructions on how to leave a voice mail? C'mon, can't you just give me a beep and let me leave my message. And does anybody press 5 to leave a call-back number?

The average high for this time of year is 86 degrees. For the last week-plus we've been in triple digits. Yesterday Sun City hit 107 and today we hit 102. Upper 90's are forecast through the weekend.
The endless summer.

My opponent in our fantasy football league had the Chicago defense in last night's game. The way this league is set up the defense gets points for, among other things, gaining possession through turnovers. Tony Romo, the Dallas QB, threw five - count 'em, five - interceptions last night. And I lost my matchup by a very wide margin. Thus begins my annual descent to the bottom of the league.

I read that Italy is roughly the same size as Arizona and has more volcanos per square mile than any other country in Europe. And it's the seventh largest economy in the world.

I'm reading a real book, with ink on pages, something I haven't done in months - maybe a year. This one was loaned to me by a friend/colleague, a book written by Eugene Peterson, a retired pastor well known and respected both for his years in ministry and a list of very good books he's authored over the years. This one is titled "The Pastor" and it's part memoir and part commentary on the profession and its core values. I'm only about 50 pages in but so far I like it as much as his other books I've read. He's good.

It's got me thinking, which I'm sure is what Peterson hoped his book would do.

Being a pastor is an odd vocation, unlike anything else I can think of. It combines organizational leadership, administrative duties, teaching/preaching, individual care, ceremonial functions (weddings and funerals)....
With a decade-long break during the 90's to be a college prof, I've been doing this since 1974. This book begins with Peterson talking about his early years as a pastor, which made me think about mine. And like him, I wish I'd known then what I know now. I could have done a much better job at every part of the vocation. I'm not sure that even now I have a good handle on the essence of the pastor's job. Mostly I just do what's in front of me and try to do it in a way that pleases my Boss. I am, after all, his representative. With just the first 50 pages read, Peterson seems to have a big picture understanding of the pastor's core responsibilities. I'm curious to see how he develops his early thoughts.

If you want to read a good book pick up anything by Eugene Peterson. I don't think you can go wrong.

Unrealted: we are still besieged by those annoying tiny flies. One night they're not so bad, others - like tonight - they are swarming thick as...flies. I don't know what else to try. I've decided that what we really need is one of the bats we'd get in the house when we lived in Michigan. An hour's worth of swooping bats and I'm sure this place would be rid of them for good.