Monday, March 23, 2009

Random happenings

The past several weeks havn't had any big head line stories, so since it's about time to update you all a little bit, I'll try to recap some of the recent happenings here in South Allison Hill.
  • We have continued doing some recruiting around here, including going to churches, the "Calvary Vision" event (I think that's what it is called), and manning the booth at the Celebration of Church Life weekend. We also have plans to do chapel at LMH on March 31 (probably only two of us will go, not sure if I'll be there) and Christopher Dock sometime around the end of April/beginning of May.
  • I've started doing some work in the Carraige House thanks to the burst pipe a couple months back. Basically tearing down walls. Probably a good thing too, given that it's the drywall holding up the rotten studs rather than vice versa.
  • All of the staff took the Strenths Finder test and my top 5 strenths are: Ideation, Strategic, Adaptability, Analyical, Responsibility. The odd thing was that in one of the action steps for "Ideation" it said to partner with an analytical person to question and challenge you, therefore strengthening your ideas. What can I say, I guess I can do it all. Jacki was also not quite sure what to think when the strength at the top of her list turned out to be "Woo."
  • I've enjoyed some good times with one of the kids I've been tutoring at Center For Champions, the after school program I'm volunteering at, after we, to say the least, didn't get off to the best of starts. Quick recap, our first tutoring session he had the attention span of a goldfish with ADD. He interpreted that because of my efforts to try to get him to concentrate enough to get at least some of his work done, I must not like him one bit. So halfway through the session he stormed away. The next 15 minutes were me trying to explain to him why I was being somewhat strict and that he was a really cool kid. It didn't seem like he believed a word I said, but next week when I went back he appologized for some of what he said. So whatever the reason for the change, praise God.
  • Saw a few random snowflakes fall...on the way to Rita's...on the first day of spring. Go figure.
  • Had a good laugh at two sets of doors into LMH's chapel that were no more than 10 feet apart and opened into pretty much the exact same area. Above one set of doors, a sign read "Section A" and above the other, "Section B." Because clearly if you went in the "Section B" doors, there is no way you could possibly make it to Section A. One "Sections A + B" sign would have quite sufficed.
  • I've been reminded why the NCAA basketball tournament is the only time I ever watch basketball. Maybe it's just coming from my days of playing goalie where you go up for a ball and bang into people and people bang into you and it never even crosses the ref's mind to blow the whistel, but in my eyes every other foul that's called looks like something field hockey players could get away with. And that's saying something. What's that? The guy brushing your shoulder messed up your shot? Well try jumping in the air and catching a cross while simultaneously colliding with all 180 pounds of the opposing striker, and the only way play is going to be stopped is if one of you two get hurt! (this is no exaggeration, by the way. On one such play I ended up with a minor concussion, but the other guy was slow getting up so I had to settle with taking a free kick from the spot rather than being able to punt it. Grrr...)

So...hopefully that was somewhat informative.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

This is just a quick note that I have started a personal blog in addition to this one. I will continue to update this blog with, well, "updates." I started a new one because while I didn't mind posting a random thing or two about the Super Bowl or what I'd do as President, the purpose of this blog is to update people on what's going on here at HDC (hence the title "Ben at HDC"), and to have a blog that I could continue using after my HDC tenure. In short, the new blog is to be creative outlet for things I write that don't fall under the category of "Ben at HDC." I'll be writing about basically anything that crosses my mind and feels worth writing about (if you have any suggestions for topics, feel free to leave them as comments and I'll consider it, though I'll make no promises. They say inspiration is the hardest part, so if you can think of the topic for me...).
It is: theotherside-ben.blogspot.com (linked to the left).

Ben

Friday, March 6, 2009

Driving by the Clock

This is just a short little story from yesterday that depicts the potential I have to do some whispy minded things. For those of you who know how much I like to always have a watch, clock, or some means of telling time with me at all times, this story might make a bit more sense (inadequate disclaimer #1).

Yesterday evening, we staff decided to go to the Hock's house, where the girls would spend the evening with Cheryl, while Andy and I went to Mechanicsburg BIC to play volleyball. I was playing football with some kids in the side yard when I got the 5 minutes till departure notice. It was pretty muddy outside, and I wanted to get cleaned up a little bit, so I was in a little bit of a hurry (inadequate disclaimer #2). So I washed off my shoes a little bit, but not very successfully, grabbed my wallet and put it in my pocket (because I knew I might be driving), and went back downstairs.

We stopped at a Little Ceasars on the way there to get some supper, and after Jacki and Erica went in the first time, one of them came out to the car again, because they realized they didn't have enough money with them. So I reached into my pocket and realized I didn't have my wallet. The only thing in my pocket was...my watch. Somehow, because my keys, wallet, and watch are the three things I'll generally take with me when I go somewhere, I mistook my watch for my wallet.

I'm still trying to image how absurd of a scene it would have been if I had been pulled over or something, only to realize that my watch doesn't say how long I'll be uner 21, my height and eye color, or that I'm an organ donor.