The Circus Has Come To Town

I hope everyone’s Thanksgiving went well. I had a traditional meal with some untraditional people. Mostly neighbors, but among them was a Portuguese immigrant who was celebrating his first Thanksgiving as an American citizen, and a woman of Iranian decent who is from Kuwait currently attending Georgia Tech. As you might imagine we had a very interesting Thanksgiving, though I digress from the intent of this entry.

Come one, come all! Step right up to experience the greatest show on earth!

It has been years since I listened to such words under the big-top, though a well-tailored man in a top hat just might as well have been showering crowds with similar verbiage today at the entrance to Lenox Mall. The day after Thanksgiving has long been known as the biggest shopping day of the year, but these days it seems to have turned into a sport for those participating, complete with highlights on Sportscenter. I myself have never fancied shopping, particularly on “Black Friday”, but I could not resist the temptation to pay my respects to capitalism and venture out for a couple hours of people watching.

There is no price for admission to this circus of humanity, though finding a parking space has long made a worthy substitute for such charges. Mere mention of the people who last year stole my brother’s parking place evicts a passion and hatred not soon forgotten. Fortunately this year, and much to my amazement, I had little trouble finding a place just at the lunch hour. After entering the mall I realized the luck I had finding a parking place would be a distant memory compared to the battle I would soon be fighting with other patrons who have already engulfed the mall in a consumer frenzy.

I wasn’t there shopping for anything in particular, but I was interested in the different cell phone providers so I could get a feel for some of the actual phones they offer. You may get pictures over the internet of these phones, but you never seem to know how big they are until you hold them in your hands. Hopefully I will be able to get a good deal on one now that the government has deregulated our phone numbers.

After several hours or so, I decided that I had undergone all I could take. After a quick bite to eat, I found the exit where I was met by the deafening sounds of the Salvation Army’s little ringing bell. While the weather has not yet been cold enough to feel like Christmas, leave it to the Salvation Army to make it sound like Christmas.

As I drove out of the parking lot, I only saw more cars lined up to gain entrance. This circus might not have lions, tigers, or bears, but it will never cease to amaze me how many clowns come piling out of their cars.

Home again, Home again

Back from New Zealand, and all is well. The strangest part was not having lived November 10, 2003, and having lived November 19, 2003 twice. Going further down that hole, if I didn’t come back from New Zealand ever, that would be an entire day that I would loose, and never get back!

Yes, it’s late. Yes, I’m jet lagged. Deal. =)

Total flying time “today” was approaching 18 hours.

I’ve got more pictures than you can shake a stick at, and while I won’t bore you with all of them, I’ll probably put a few of the good ones up in the next couple of days as time allows. Cheers!

Prayer in the Present Tense

Father, thank you for all of the opportunities that you have given me and the people you have surrounded in my life. Please use them to draw me closer to you, and use me to draw others to your Son. Please protect me as I travel and experience your work in places I have never been.

Thank you for giving your Son as an offering that I can not repay and do not deserve. Thank you for loving me not based on what I do, but on what you have already done. Amen.