Postcards from the Edge

Well, at least postcards from thesis writing.

The current and former graduate students among my readers will know or remember that writing a thesis is alternately tedious and exhilarating in roughly equal proportions. Like Anastasia, I'll try to anonymize my subject matter as much as possible. My thesis mostly will be a series of journal articles on the air conditioning system of a nearby ball of rock that may or may not be red. Chapter 2 on momentous hot flashes has received decent reviews from my collaborators but still require substantial revision before it gets to the journal. Chapter 3 on the distribution of contaminants in the air conditioning system is mostly ready for others to read but in light of the comments on Chapter 2 probably should be revised. Chapter 4 on the origin of contamination in the air conditioning system in certain seasons is stuck on the part where I blame a form of contamination on Warner Bros' famed Tasmanian Devil. There may or may not be a Chapter 5 that is a broad overview of the air conditioning system, its seasonal variability in operational efficiency, and the general distribution of condensation and contaminants in the system. Yet whether there is a Chapter 5 or not, I still probably will be writing most of a paper on that subject. Unfortunately, I still feel very silly writing about the parts of the air conditioning system, some of which really don't have names in the literature. Yay, thesis! I just wish I could write for more than five hours per day without feeling entirely empty of cogent thoughts.

In other news, I have another round of baptismal preparation to help facilitate in July and also am helping out with a community-supported agriculture project. On this blog, I tend to complain bitterly about my parish, but I also should point out that the parish actually puts the same amount of energy into its service of others as it does into its iconoclasm. I'm not sure whether it is really prepared for our more energy-constrained future in some senses (Ionia's social safety net is not long for this world without a robust tech sector and the Asian trade), but we do seem to be working on efforts related to sustainability and community-building that may make life better for many of our neighbors even in the greater metropolitan area.

I was a groomsman at a wedding this weekend in the Midwest. I had a great time. The friend who was getting married is a Friend, but his bride was LCMS, so the ceremony was LCMS. I was moderately surprised at how egalitarian marriage liturgies can be even in the more confessional side of American Lutheranism and how very similar to the 1979 BCP. The hymn choices were wonderful. We sang both "Earth and All Stars" (physicist marries veterinarian...) and "Alleluia, Sing to Jesus!" But the best part of the wedding was how amazingly hospitable everyone was. (Oh, and I managed to see many old friends again...). Unfortunately, I also appear to be allergic to the Midwest during the summer or in general. I've long suspected this after a few interesting family vacations and four years of college, but I wish I knew why.

In a few weeks, General Convention 2009 meets in Disneyland. I'm not kidding. I'm not planning on going to GC, but I did work out the two trains and a bus I'd need to get there. Given the hubbub about the K.T. Forrester election, I am curious how heated "The Happiest Place on Earth" might become if the different "revisionist" factions in the Church start fighting each other. My advice to delegates: Go to Knotts Berry Farm. It's cheaper and at least as fun. My advice for everyone else: see p. 818.