starting to thaw

Just a few thoughts since Baltimore vs. New England doesn't exactly have me on the edge of my seat right now. Baltimore 27 NE 7. At New England. Ouch! Can you say dynasty over? Way over?

We had a pretty good crowd last night for the St. Lawrence Center Mass at 4pm. Quite a few confessions, but not as packed as usual. This weekend Archbishop Naumann has the homily, and we played his cd at the Masses last night and this morning. Nice Zack Greinke reference by the Archbishop to start! I pray for the success of Call to Share. Last year it raised $4 million. Our Vocations office is funded by Call to Share, and our campus ministries like St. Lawrence also get a subsidy from this important collection.

Last night I went to a gym to spend some time with homeschool dads and their sons. It was a great turnout. I decided not to swim, but got in on the dodgeball a little bit at the end of the night. I gave a short meditation on vocations, focusing on Jesus being found in the temple, the calling of the first apostles, and the gift of Samuel to his mother Hannah. I just used the scriptures the Church is meditating on this week. I think it went pretty well. They are always so nice to pray a rosary for me and to give me a small gift. I was privilege to be there.

Didn't get to see the end of the KSU/Mizzou game. I actually think I was pulling for Mizzou. That is weird. Maybe I think KSU is a bigger threat to KU for the Big 12 title. Maybe I still feel like we played terrible at KState this year in football, and I had gotten used to beating them. Maybe I just don't like the attitude of KSU basketball. Who knows. I can't believe I felt myself pulling for Mizzou. But only slightly. It is a long 16 game Big 12 season. The game really wasn't that important. KU gets into the Big 12 mix on Wednesday after finishing the noncon at Tennesse today. Rock Chalk.

I think the thaw is on. The sun is beautiful today, and I see a few spots attracting enough heat to melt just a little of the snow. The cars will be ugly as this stuff starts to melt off this week. I think it has been pretty. Definitely more interesting than most winters we have had the last decade. We don't really need another cold blast like this one. It takes too much energy to heat everything!

Friends coming over for the KU game, then I hope to get out to downtown Lawrence where I haven't been in awhile to have a beer and a burger or pizza. It is embarrassing how little I get to downtown Lawrence. I need to buy a new watch at Weaver's but they won't be open tonight I suppose.

Late tonight maybe the Christmas tree will come down. I will let the St. Lawrence staff tackle the chapel tomorrow, which looked great, of course, for Christmas. I feel like I never strayed from Christmas this year. It still feels like Christmas. Maybe the weather is more of a gift than I thought. Fr. Steve gets back this week from Rome, and said on his facebook this morning that he was able to greet Pope Benedict XVI personally at a private audience. Good for him. I wonder if he put in a good word for me, since my last name is German!