In Eckleburg's Eyes - 5/22/2008

I had an absolutely wonderful Wednesday, speaking at church and then relaxing with JTH and Mr. X’s family at their home.

I spoke at church in reference to the Gulfport Mission trip, April 28-May 1. I arrived just in time to sit with the DAT family and for a patented ALF (his real initials) prayer. His prayers are known for their length. In fact, in my younger and less reverent days, I famously timed one of his prayers with a stop watch. Now, I appreciate their sincerity. That being said, they are still really long.

MLM served as the emcee, TAM presented slides and a video, and then I spoke. All went well but MLM hopes that the church at large will one day have the opportunity to experience the presentation. The Wednesday night service was in its first week of summer reconfiguration due to schools now being out and programs presently on hiatus. As such, after the DAT family left, the next youngest person (after me) in the room was still collecting social security.

After church, JTH and I met up went to America’s Cuts where JTH had his already short hair trimmed down to next to nothing. The photo on the left was taken immediately before the trim and the photo on the right afterwards. Can you sense the vast difference?

His hairdresser is very nice. We discussed the fact that the customer ahead of JTH owned a Maine Coon. These are a breed of cat known for their ability to trill their meows (sounding like a chirp) and using their front paws extensively like a human. They are named for the state they were bred in. I had never heard of one before.

I must also note that earlier in the day I had my hair cut at Ross the Boss by JLH. When I mentioned that my last haircut was documented on the blog, JLH wanted her work chronicled as well too. Mission accomplished.

We then went to Mr. X’s for an evening with his family. We began by playing basketball with Mr. X’s brother-in-law, JAH. After shooting around, the goal was lowered for a dunking exhibition. Naturally, I was documenting the event with my camera phone which inspired Mr. X to have his girlfriend Ms. X to procure a digital camera for better quality. His “posterizing” of JTH will now serve as his screen saver and potentially as his Christmas card. That alone made this quite a productive night. (Note: This photo was clearly taken with my camera phone. I will not record the height of the goal when this picture was taken so as not to embarrass the parties involved.)

Mr. X’s sister, JMMH, graciously ordered the family pizza from Papa John’s. After briefly eating, the guys continued to play ball while I entertained Mr. X’s niece, PH. She was to complete her last day of kindergarten the following day. On this night, I counted how many times she could Skip-It and Hula Hoop. Then we played catch. Her uncle had gotten her a pink baseball mitt earlier in the day and we toss a ball standing approximately one foot apart. With time and experience, we are hoping for a greater distance in the future. With each event I noted that though she was good, her first cousin Cheyenne is better. (She is infinitely competitive with her cousin.) The joke never got old. To me.

I must note that Tuesday was Ms. X’s 22nd birthday. While the boys played, she watched her fabulous dog, Hemingway (“Hemi.”) The dog is so sweet. She got him after he had been abused. His malicious owners tied his legs together. Why would anyone do that? Though excessively bowlegged, he shows no ill effects and is very friendly.

We then went in the house and played Mr. X’s PlayStation 3. We first played Rock Band. Rock Band allows players to perform in virtual bands playing three different peripherals modeled after music instruments (guitar, drums, and a microphone). I played drums on Weezer’s “Say It Ain’t So” and Faith No More’s “Epic.” Though I have not picked up the sticks in some time (and never on Rock Band), I was graded at 85% on the “easy” setting for both pieces. I really think with a little work I would be able to handle the more difficult levels.

Two little known Chan facts: (1) I played drums in the school band from 4th to 8th grade. (2) I attended the same high school (for one year) with Weezer’s guitarist Brian Bell. His father Tom (TLB) is a geography professor at UT and his sister Leia (LSB) was in my grade and rezoned to West Hisgh with me. She is now a nationally recognized poster artist specializing in silk-screen prints of many modern rock groups. She has a web site here. Check out her art. It is really cool.

Afterwards we played Grand Theft Auto IV (GTA4). The game was released on April 29. The highly controversial and violent game is set in New York City. The only thing unrealistic about its depiction is the fact that the streets of the Big Apple are never uncrowded. I spent many minutes watching JTH and Mr. X attempt to generate a motorcycle on top of the Empire State Building and drive from its rooftop. This proved problematic as one first had to get on top of the Empire State Building. This took many, many tries. I personally consider it time well spent.

Around 11, we went to Applebees for half-priced appetizers and to watch the conclusion of Mr. X’s beloved Lakers’ 89-85 comeback victory over the Spurs in the first game the Western Conference Finals.

Any night where I both speak at church and play the vulgar GTA4 is a good evening.

In other Wednesday news, my next-door neighbors, the KMG family, opened The Carson (named for their youngest son) downtown. Had I not been at church, I would have attended the open house. The Carson, located at 713 S. Central Street, is a building that KMG remodeled into four condo units. He bought it in 2005 for $221,260. If you are in the market for a nice downtown pad, check it out. Congratulations to my great neighbors.

Finally, I must note that the wallpapering saga finally concluded. Finally!