Dearest Rachel – To address the question you wouldn’t have to ask if you were actually present – since conversation with a live person doesn’t require adding titles to one’s topics – yes, this is about sports in general, but no, this doesn’t have to do with baseball, from whence the term itself hails. You’dContinue reading “Double Header”
Tag Archives: time
Screwing Up the Schedule
Dearest Rachel – No sooner did I hit ‘publish’ on yesterday‘s letter when two things happened to upend my day. First of all, “Riri” wrote back, right after I got through telling you all the reasons why she wouldn’t. I still promise to tell you more about that, but on top of her explanations (someContinue reading “Screwing Up the Schedule”
The List We All Need To Make
Dearest Rachel – I don’t really need to tell you about all this, since I already did at the time (and basically in the moment – which means that the story I related over the course of several letters may have been clouded by my emotions at the time, for obvious reasons), but during thatContinue reading “The List We All Need To Make”
Still Not There Yet
Dearest Rachel – I’ve been writing to you a lot this past week about our difficulties in getting ourselves acclimated to our home time zone; it’s just under a week now, and we’re still not there yet. Compare that to our trip out, where we basically fell in line with the local time after aContinue reading “Still Not There Yet”
Just the Two of Us
Dearest Rachel – Ordinarily, upon waking up to darkness, assuming (as has been the case for the last couple of days since returning home) that’s it’s just an hour or two before I would normally get up of a Saturday, only to discover that it’s actually barely two in the morning, would be cause forContinue reading “Just the Two of Us”
Not Ready for Central Time
Dearest Rachel – Setting aside that he’s dealing with the cold that he caught on the last day or so of the trip (which I may very well catch soon enough, and is why, despite it being Thursday, we won’t be over at the folks’ place for dinner this evening. Dad is getting more andContinue reading “Not Ready for Central Time”
One Twelfth of My Life
Dearest Rachel – It starts with the incongruous admonition about eating with a dignitary, and the need to control ones appetite in front of one. Which probably meant more back in the day, when a ruler’s favor (or lack thereof) toward you could mean the difference between life and death. Granted, I’ve heard stories aboutContinue reading “One Twelfth of My Life”
Free to Do Nothing at All
Dearest Rachel – “Anyone free this weekend?” After three weeks of silence in the group chat, it was Logan who ventured the question the other day. Evidently, he thought it might be worthwhile to see if the others wanted to do something together either today or tomorrow. Which you might think to be a no-brainer;Continue reading “Free to Do Nothing at All”
from Rachel: Time, Times and Half a Time
How long does [Daniel 7:25] say the saints will be handed over to this evil king we’ve identified as the Antichrist? “a time, times, and half a time” Strange reference, isn’t it? Thank goodness we have the companion Book of Revelation to offer some clues to its meaning. Please look up the following Scriptures andContinue reading “from Rachel: Time, Times and Half a Time”
Which Saturday is This?
Dearest Rachel – One of the guys in the ‘accountability group’ that I’ve been assigned (I’d say assigned to, but I seem to have wound up in charge of it, whether I wanted to be or not) as part of the Saturday morning Bible study is, among other things, a recent émigré to the retiredContinue reading “Which Saturday is This?”
To Tell About Our Days
Dearest Rachel – As humans, we have a surprising amount of difficulty explaining to others how we spend our time, and what exactly we do with it. Or maybe it’s just me, which basically illustrates my point. You see, even though we know, intellectually, that it’s not so, we find it hard to imagine thatContinue reading “To Tell About Our Days”
One Billion Seconds
Dearest Rachel – I mentioned the other day in passing about large numbers like millions and billions, and told you I’d go into more details soon enough. Well, soon enough has arrived – well, in fairness, it’s already come and gone, and I didn’t notice it at the time, but that’s neither here nor there.Continue reading “One Billion Seconds”
Cicadian Rhythms
Dearest Rachel – Often, when I lack a topic to talk with you about first thing in the morning, I try to come up with something to say during my workout (hey, it beats actually working out, truth to tell – and even if I’m actually into the whole ‘pushing weights around’ thing of aContinue reading “Cicadian Rhythms”
What Has Changed?
Dearest Rachel – Part of me can’t believe it’s been eighteen years since you took this footage as we scoped out the cottage you used to refer to as “Miz Fay’s place” back when your family were still staying at the Bretz cottages a short wade further north. Another part of me can’t believe I’mContinue reading “What Has Changed?”
When It All Came Together, and It All Fell Apart
Dearest Rachel – I’ve been meaning to write you on this topic for some time, although I’ve always rather hesitated about doing so. It’s always seemed both bigger than I can cover in a single post (although I don’t seem to have a problem with a couple thousand words about what happened the weekend beforeContinue reading “When It All Came Together, and It All Fell Apart”
花見 – Hanami at Home
Dearest Rachel – Maybe I never noticed it because it was right there in front of us the whole time (and we had to deal with the blossoms once they fell and stuck to our respective cars, which is something of a nuisance); maybe it’s just that more obvious to me after two straight yearsContinue reading “花見 – Hanami at Home”
Running Short on Time
Dearest Rachel – Look, I realize that I’ve no justification for complaining about a tight schedule; the last couple of Holy Weeks have seen me not only on vacation, but abroad on cruises. I’ve taken it easy enough times already that I’ve absolutely no right to complain about diminishing down time. And while I mightContinue reading “Running Short on Time”
All the Time in the World?
Dearest Rachel – Daniel has been asking me multiple times throughout the past day whether I’ve heard from the dealership about the status of the work being done on my vehicle. After just a single day of me appropriating his/your car, it would seem that he would like it back. It seems a little weird,Continue reading “All the Time in the World?”
Down to the Two of Us
Dearest Rachel – As weird as it sometimes is to have Daniel’s friend Logan rooming with us, there are times when he’s almost indispensable. While he hasn’t been the influence toward improving Daniel’s work ethic (but what’s he going to be able to do that will earn him more than his portfolio already does?), he’sContinue reading “Down to the Two of Us”
A Loose Hold on Time
Dearest Rachel – It’s a good thing that I no longer have to hew to a regular day-to-day schedule, because I keep losing my grip on what little I have of one. Then again, it’s entirely possible that it’s a matter of not clinging to one so tightly that leads to this situation in theContinue reading “A Loose Hold on Time”
We Don’t Have That Kind of Time
Dearest Rachel – It was a strange and small dream that I saw you in the other night, coming in on the heels of a completely separate feature where I and Mohinder(!) had been lost in the empty wilds of rural Japan, able to send reports electronically to the home office in Yamanashi, but forContinue reading “We Don’t Have That Kind of Time”
Short on Time
Dearest Rachel – I’m short on time to talk with you today, honey; I’ll be walking with Lars, so I’ll need to come up with something to tell you about in the few hours between now and then, while also making sure I get a workout in and get over to the ‘office.’ Starting theContinue reading “Short on Time”
Before Our Time
Dearest Rachel – Unlike you – who appreciated my description of you as five years old with forty years’ experience – I never felt all that comfortable as a kid, and made an effort to grow up as quickly as possible. I related better to my elders than I did to my peers (although, comeContinue reading “Before Our Time”
Not Much to Tell, No Time to Tell It
Dearest Rachel – It seems weird to say that today is likely to be the most routine day of the week. After all, the whole point of the weekend is that it is different from the rest of the week; a respite from the hurly-burly of workaday life. But when one’s day-to-day is no longerContinue reading “Not Much to Tell, No Time to Tell It”
The Illusion of Choice
Dearest Rachel – In light of my current understanding of the process, I’ve resolved (if that’s the right word for it) to try to come up with a new T-shirt design at least once a week – and involve Daniel (and maybe Logan) in the process, in order to determine the ‘right’ image for eachContinue reading “The Illusion of Choice”
from Rachel: The Lord Bless You
Reflect on your own experience of going face down [before God]. Did it have any impact on you? “yes” If so, describe how it affected you. “It helped me focus my entire attention on him rather than have my mind wandering as I tried to pray.” How have you grown as a worshiper and psalmistContinue reading “from Rachel: The Lord Bless You”
No Time to Spare
Dearest Rachel – I’m sure that some of these letters look a bit like they were pre-written, rather than covering the events of the day – which probably make them look a little less heartfelt. It’s what happens sometimes when I’m trying to say something to you every day, when there’s not a whole lotContinue reading “No Time to Spare”
Upending The Schedule
Dearest Rachel – Assuming you’ve been keeping an eye on me like I always ask you to, you know what my schedule looks like on an average day. For that matter, it’s not that much different than it was when you were still around, come to that. I’d get up in the morning, head overContinue reading “Upending The Schedule”
The Curtain of Charity
Dearest Rachel – For all that I talk about how you and I filled our gender roles in a slightly blurry way – where you had more ‘guy’ in you than the typical girl, and I had more ‘chick’ in me than most boys – when it came to our childhood reading habits, we wereContinue reading “The Curtain of Charity”
Docsplaining
Dearest Rachel – It should hardly come as a surprise that I haven’t watched any episodes of Doctor Who since your passing. There were, as you’ll recall, plenty of times in those last couple of years where, although it was fun enough for me to hunt them down online and collect them for you, gettingContinue reading “Docsplaining”
Hidden Agendae
Dearest Rachel – One of the ways that I can tell that I’m really back home – apart from the obvious facts of my surroundings – is the fact that not only can I tell the difference between days, but paradoxically, my weekends are busier than the days of the week. For most people, ofContinue reading “Hidden Agendae”
A Waste of Time and Money
Dearest Rachel – Another year of the convention scene, another reminder that the scene has passed me by. I wish I didn’t have to utter the cliché “I’m getting too old for this,” but more and more, I’m starting to realize how well it fits. There’s no place for dilettantes in Otaku Nation; you’re eitherContinue reading “A Waste of Time and Money”
Such Small Portions
Dearest Rachel – I thought I needed to be at the theater by a quarter to nine; turns out, the call was at eight o’clock sharp. So, with neither a chance to get breakfast nor weigh myself in (since we were in port now, and the ship wasn’t being rocked by the ocean), I brushed my teethContinue reading “Such Small Portions”
Lost Hours
Dearest Rachel – We lost an hour on our way here, honey; Japan, it so happens, runs an hour ahead of Taiwan. I set my alarm to go off fairly early, so that it would be a reasonable hour in terms of Japan time, only for that moment to have been part of the hour skipped asContinue reading “Lost Hours”
How Time Flows
Dearest Rachel – You’ve heard it from me before, but as long as I can’t get a definitive answer (from you or anyone else), I ’m going to keep asking it; how is it that time flows on your side of eternity? Paul talks about the day when we all will be raised, the deadContinue reading “How Time Flows”
Burning Daylight
Dearest Rachel – Well, honey, it’s official: we are clearly in summer. Not just because it’s so warm out (that could just as easily be attributed to the fact that we’re not that far from the equator, although we’re moving further away from it by the minute), but because it’s light out even at theContinue reading “Burning Daylight”
More Hours in the Day…
Dearest Rachel – It’s considered to be an axiom of travel that, for every time zone that you cross in your journeys, you need a day in which to recover from the change. It doesn’t matter whether you’re ‘springing forward’ or ‘falling back’; any change in time causes a certain amount of disorientation that onlyContinue reading “More Hours in the Day…”
Accidental Mimosa
Dearest Rachel – There’s a place on the thoroughfare between our house and the folks’ place (as well as the church and the convalescent home Dad’s staying at) called Big Ange’s. It’s an authentic barbecue place, right down to the fact that it’s had its own smoker in the front of their parking lot for theContinue reading “Accidental Mimosa”
To Commemorate the Year Gone By
Dearest Rachel – It’s been three years now. You’d think I would know how to deal with these anniversaries by now, but I don’t. And I wonder if I ever will. At this point, it’s gotten to where I’m treating the moment as if it were a second New Year’s, a time to reflect on theContinue reading “To Commemorate the Year Gone By”
A Full Dance Card
Dearest Rachel – I was never the type who would have felt comfortable at a cotillion. Not only was dancing long disapproved of by my extended (and church) family – “a vertical expression of a horizontal desire,” it was described as, and given how I’ve often pointed out how my name is frighteningly apt, I wouldn’tContinue reading “A Full Dance Card”
Strangely Familiar, and Yet…
Dearest Rachel – Well, honey… here we go again. I can see his skin stretched across his collarbone and rib cage as he lies in his hospital bed. He’s down to skin and bones, but at least his salt and sugar levels are down to normal – or at least considerably more normal than theyContinue reading “Strangely Familiar, and Yet…”
The Course of a Thousand Days
Dearest Rachel – It’s not as obvious as looking on the calendar and seeing a “23” on it, as happens every month. It probably would have even passed my notice if it weren’t for the fact that I’ve been sending “a line a day when you’re far away,” and the site keeps tabs of howContinue reading “The Course of a Thousand Days”
The Second Side of Solomon
Dearest Rachel – I wonder if, after my letter from just the other day touching on the subject, my change in attitude is likely to give you a touch of whiplash. At the same time, for all your own emotional stability in general, you were acquainted with the caprice of mood from time to time,Continue reading “The Second Side of Solomon”
Why Would She Think That? Why Would I Do That?
Dearest Rachel – Last night’s dream was more firmly grounded in reality than most tend to be – so in some respects, it might not be as truly interesting to hear about simply because of that – but it did operate along certain lines that wouldn’t make sense in real life. Besides, it brings upContinue reading “Why Would She Think That? Why Would I Do That?”
More Time At the Office
No one on his deathbed ever said, ‘I wish I had spent more time at the office.’ Arnold M. Zack, labor and management arbitrator Dearest Rachel – Well, this is certainly one quote that I never needed to learn through experience. Even going back before turning into the worker drone that society expected me toContinue reading “More Time At the Office”
Seven Minutes
Dearest Rachel – If you choose your activity carefully, and put your mind to it, you can accomplish a lot in seven minutes. I can get my point across in that amount of time, for instance. Oh, I don’t mean that I can write these letters anywhere near that quickly; I consider myself fortunate ifContinue reading “Seven Minutes”
Too Many Moments, Too Many Left
Dearest Rachel – On the way to the restaurant this morning, where the men’s group was meeting – honestly, you’d think as many would show up for food as study, but we rarely even manage half the crowd of a normal Saturday morning – I was listening to John Ondrasik’s “100 Years” in my car.Continue reading “Too Many Moments, Too Many Left”
Barely Even Half
Dearest Rachel – On the mornings you would wake up without having had a dream to relate, you would often have a song stuck in your head. Now, you and I had different methods for expelling earworms; if mine was annoying enough, I would usually try to conjure something else up in my head toContinue reading “Barely Even Half”
An Absurdly Short Day
Dearest Rachel – I suppose that, technically, the very idea of a ‘short’ day is absurd. Every day contains the same amount of time – twenty-four hours, no more, no less. Of course, some days will seem longer than others; ironically, sometimes for the exact opposite reason. One day will seem like it goes onContinue reading “An Absurdly Short Day”
Filling Null Time
Dearest Rachel – I don’t know offhand whether it’s an actual scientific concept, but the idea of null space should be familiar to you, given your affinity for science fiction, particularly as a Whovian. For a budget-conscious show such as the original Doctor Who, it was an easy thing to represent; all you needed wasContinue reading “Filling Null Time”
Ten Thousand Days
Dearest Rachel – Last Thursday, after dinner with the folks, Daniel and I retired to the family room with them as we always do. Mom finished up the washing (yes, that’s her system; it helps that the kitchen counter overlooks the family room, so she’s part of the conversation as she works), and eventually joinedContinue reading “Ten Thousand Days”
We Give Time Significance
Dearest Rachel – These days, it seems that you have to have a sense of humor to deal with what’s happening in the world each day. A sick sense of gallows humor, to be sure – probably along the lines of someone who would be an expert at Cards Against Humanity or something like thatContinue reading “We Give Time Significance”
Life in Escrow
“Do you have any brothers and sisters?”“Well, I have a big sister, a little brother, and we have a baby in escrow.”“In escrow?”“That’s how daddy describes it when it seems like it’s never going to come out.” Art Linkletter and a candid guest, as taken from Kids Say the Darnedest Things Dearest Rachel – Sometimes,Continue reading “Life in Escrow”
Getting A Jump On Notes
Dearest Rachel – There are times when I think I may have been part of a rollout test… but only in retrospect, of course. When I was in second grade (and an almost obnoxiously precocious kid), I would see my Dad heading off to serve as a leader in the church’s Awana club, and insistContinue reading “Getting A Jump On Notes”
Fifty-Two Weeks Ago (part two)
Dearest Rachel – I’m not going to go so far as to give Mike credit for remembering; he juggles dozens of volunteers across three campuses, and all of their attendant schedules. I’m sure he’s just slotted me where and when he needed me to be, especially after giving me an extended break after working allContinue reading “Fifty-Two Weeks Ago (part two)”
from Rachel: Transformed by Truth
Question to consider: What has God already told me to do in His Word that I haven’t started doing yet? “May 16 (late Sunday night) “(Sure enough, ACen kept me busy all through Saturday and Sunday) “What God has been trying to drive home to me in BSF, just as in chapter 24, is theContinue reading “from Rachel: Transformed by Truth”
from Rachel: How We Grow
Question to consider: What is one area where I need to stop thinking my way and start thinking God’s way? “May 14 (or 15, because it’s 1:00 a.m.) “ I can’t think of a specific area right now.” “(Later) I suppose the area (which I really hate to admit and don’t want to surrender) wouldContinue reading “from Rachel: How We Grow”
More Than You’ll Ever Have
Dearest Rachel – I don’t know when I first heard it; probably from someone leaving a bad movie at a theater. “Well, that’s two hours of my life I’ll never get back.” It seems the sort of thing I could get away with saying at the moment. Sure, I have travel insurance, and that’ll coverContinue reading “More Than You’ll Ever Have”
from Rachel: The Heart of Worship
“4/29 “Truth be told, I am still holding back several areas of my life. “As far as early morning devotion time goes, I don’t want to move up my alarm time if I haven’t gotten to bed by 12, but to do so, I need to head upstairs with Daniel, which means I need toContinue reading “from Rachel: The Heart of Worship”
Knowing Your Limits
Dearest Rachel – So the better part of today was spent hiking one of the trails up here in the Rocky Mountains. We started in Glacier Gorge, with the intent of going to Sky Pond. Sounds like a plan. The only thing is, that plan involves hiking 4 1/2 miles in either direction, and toContinue reading “Knowing Your Limits”
How Will I Know?
Dearest Rachel – You’d probably think from the title of this post, along with my habit of adding music to various missives as appropriate, that you’d be hearing the strains of Whitney Houston by now. Well, this isn’t that kind of topic; so… surprise?! The thing is, as I’ve been struggling to keep up withContinue reading “How Will I Know?”
Vernal Equinox
Dearest Rachel – Well, it’s not quite been two months, but we’ve reached something of a milestone. Spring is upon us – at least, according to the split of daytime to nighttime. I’ve been hearing about something called “Chicagohenge” wherein the rising and setting sun throw light westward and eastward respectively for blocks. I’d neverContinue reading “Vernal Equinox”
Letters to Rachel 