Topic: Pastoral Year '04 - '05
Sunday Night
As I was entering Shiner tonight while returning from playing basketball in Hallettsville with Fr. Bryan and some of his youth, I did pay close enough attention to the sign warning me of the speed limit reduction. I had my cruise control set at 65 (or there abouts) as I quickly approached the 55 speed limit sign. Out of sheer reaction and remembrance of a my warning (receive about a month back) my foot hit the breaks slowing me down to about 60 mph as I passed the sign. I quickly took a look in my rear view mirror and only saw a car quite a ways behind me. I didn't get much farther when I saw red and blue flashing lights in my rear view mirror. Disgusted, I slowed down and pulled over, while simultaneously griping that I couldn't believe my "luck"...this was happening again and I was only going about 5 over this time. I figured my one time warning had been given to me and that this time the officer was looking for a ticket. But to my pleasant surprise, the cruiser sped past me as I guided my truck onto the shoulder just one block from the church and home. Breathing a sigh of relief, I eased back onto the highway and turned toward the parking lot, thinking I had seen the last of the policeman.
But low-and-behold he reappeared just moments later with his lights flashing outside my office window; however, this time it was to pull someone over. I don't know the details of what is going down, but two cars are stopped, besides the police cruiser, on the street facing the church and another cruiser just pulled up. This second one looks to be a state trooper (black car). For those who haven't gotten it yet, I have purposefully changed to present tense because it is going on right now and every so often I sneak a peek but can't see jack squat but an officer every now and again walking back to his cruiser. I guess I will have to put my ear to the ground and listen to the gossip. You know...small town...people talk.
I had only one item of my weekend in College Station "set in stone" as they say. I was going to the 100th year celebration gala for St. Mary's Catholic Center. The place that deepened my faith and further opened my ears to God's call. I also had the esteemed pleasure of digging through the archives earlier this year to research St. Mary's rich history for an American Catholicism history paper. It was an enjoyable and educational 6 hours of digging. I was happy this weekend to be attending the gala in celebration of a place that had given me so much. An added bonus would be to see a "sister" of mine that I hadn't seen in almost the 5 years since I graduated, especially since she join the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia (a.k.a the Nashville Dominicans since that is where the mother house is). The evening turned out to be very enjoyable as the great Msgr. Elmer (the first resident priest), a married couple, and Sis. Mary Rebecca (known previously as Grace) each gave a talk of their perception of St. Mary's and what it has meant to them.
FRIDAY WAS MY LAST DAY OF CPE! Can you tell I am a little excited? Right after the appreciation lunch, Michael Earthman and I set out for the long trip to College Station, arriving there at 9:30 pm with one stop for gas along the way. We both were ready to get back down south for good and wet our gills in the humid air. This weekend was planned to be a relaxing weekend with my nephew...oh, and Troy and Shannon. 
Blaise remembered me from the trip down here the previous week and immediately became my shadow. I couldn't go anywhere without Blaise right there. He also wanted to be like his Parrain, so he wanted to do everything I did even lying on the pillow in the living room. I was his new play buddy. He had worn out the old models...not that the old models are old as in age but the ones that he has had longer. :-) It was a great weekend, where I showed Blaise some great things like how to clean the table after dinner. We (Blaise, Troy, and I) even went on a trail south of town on bikes. The weekend was great but ended to quick. Today I will be driving home and getting ready to move some of my stuff on Wednesday to Shiner, where I will be for the next year in the parish.
cheeky
Last night had an interesting experience walking the halls going to a visit on the other side of the hospital. It all started when I was suddenly stirred from watching my movie by the phone ringing at 11:30pm. I don't think I was dozing. The primary chaplain on call needed me to go check on a patient. I quickly sprang into action at a moderate pace got dressed and headed down the elevator you walk across the hospital on the 2nd floor to the elevators for the East and South Towers. I get to the 2nd floor and begin making the football length trek to the other elevators down an empty hallway, which is surprising because normally there are people in and around the SICU waiting room (see Thurs. July 29). I think this is weird, but it wasn't until I saw a wheelchair sitting in the middle of the hall that I began to remember a similar scene in a Nightmare on Elm Street movie. My thought went something like this: "Isn't that weird, but I am awake so it can't be Freddie...but in the movie the people think they are awake but they aren't." At this moment a chill ran down my spine and the nest of hair on the back of my neck struggled to stand on end. I began to quicken my pace hoping to find anybody, a nurse, a lost visitor, a hobo...anybody. I could suppress the urge to continually look over my shoulder as I was frightened a man with a blade glove maybe standing at the end of the hallway following me. Luckily, I wasn't sleeping and Freddie is just in the movies. I made it to the floor and saw the patient without incident. I am just overjoyed that I didn't see a little girl jumping rope singing "1,2 Freddie's coming for you. 3,4 better lock the door. 5,6 get your crucifix. 7,8 better stay up late. 9,10 never sleep again." I would have freaked had this happened. (I bet you can't believe I actually remember that song from Nightmare 1.)