hitting the ground running...

what's your SMRF code name?...apple picking in Kirtland (i owe Brigid a pair of expensive sunglasses)...1/2 way to st. patty's day...Indian summer...$4 hair cuts at the barber college...the J(esuit) crew...aaarrgghh! (shower curtain earring)...coffee chats with "Wrong Way" Rawlings...teaching phys. ed to 48 juniors in an 8x11 ft area (that's not that big)...meeting people who remind me of two or more folks from home...trying not to reveal my northern accent...learning how to practice patience & humility...feeling right at home.. s t r e t c h i n g myself...still eating too much dairy...keeping in touch with those I love...trying to live in the moment and recognize my frailties...trusting in His Providence...

my s.o.c.

jumping fences...St. Pat's tour...Fr. Mark's wind-up figurines...first hs football game in ohio. (we came to see boardman's marching band)..speed solitaire...JM...my embarassing questions...brunch at 3007 Church Ave...sjp...Labre...da club...obnoxious laughs...midnight box ripping...constantly locking doors/windows...staff party...the Slovenian (Cheers) room...Bill @ ThirdFifth...WESM play...the prot lot...pretending like i'm not lost...that's all for now

work study serve lead pray...that's our motto and i'm here to stay

Day 2 of being a hs teacher and i'm already loving it. the faculty is both friendly and supportive, the students are already well-disciplined and attentive, and the patron saint of the school happens to be a Dominican (yeah, the Jesuits couldn't keep him out). i'm in the process of setting up a global pen pal program, contacting a relative of Dr. MLK to visit the school, and trying to educate and transform the hearts and souls of each student in Cleveland at a time. some lofty goals even for a rookie ;) have a good week everyone. i'll post later this week.

overwhelmed in Ohio

i've been in the city of Cleveland, OH for roughly 72 hours, and I already feel like a celebrity. From being introduced at the 11am Sunday Mass at St. Pat's parish to mooching meals off the residents of the greater Cleveland area, the red carpet has certainly been rolled out for my roommates (Allison, Brigid, Veronica) and I--which is rather ironic, because the four of us are still trying to clean up and settle into our new home. There are already many stories to share as well as misconceptions about the Midwest that have recently been silenced. In my attempt to honor the JVC value of simple living, I will have limited email/internet access, but I will do my best to keep the blog updated. I would like to continue to encourage everyone and anyone to write on this blog and share their thoughts whenever they feel inclined to do so. In the meantime, figure out what a buckeye actually is and use an alternative nickname for Cleveland (instead of the traditional "Mistake on the Lake" catch phrase).

the pursuit of beatitude

I just finished watching Will Smith's movie The Pursuit of Happyness for the second time, and my mind is once again filled with an overwhelming number of insights. I think he hits the issue right on the head when he emphasizes the role that pursuit plays in one's journey towards happiness. So often, we get distracted by everything that comes our way and we fail to recognize those opportunities for greatness and joy. I've realized that NOTHING can make me completely or fully satisfied--except for the Lord Himself. I'm certainly far from the beatific vision, but I've already received glimpses of it simply by trying to live a Christocentric lifestyle. It is with great hope and promise that I pray that you will be able to attain this form of enlightenment as well. Peace be your journey.

monday morning quarterback

That Aloe Vera felt real good last night after I achieved significant burns on both my shoulders and neck while riding on the Atlantic Ocean yesterday afternoon. The ironic part is that I applied copious amounts of sunscreen to those specific areas. The problem (that I found out later) was that I went swimming and forgot to reapply! If I had only grabbed the waterproof lotion instead of the brand name glop. It's not easy being Irish.

hot day in the city...

I'm pulling this question of the day out of the hazy air. Does sunscreen actually work or are Coppertone, Banana Boat and co. making a mint off our naivety? The reason I'm asking this question is because I think sunscreen is becoming more and more futile with the incessant depletion of the ozone layer. I hope everyone got a chance to tune into the Live Earth program on NBC last night that was suggesting that our world is in a global ecological crisis. I'm glad some people are finally opening their eyes.