Good News!

The Nativity Fast starts the day AFTER Thanksgiving this year! Yay!

You Know What Is So Annoying ...

A sock that is too tight at the top!

Finally!

I was able to purchase an Apostolos and a Evangelion and they arrived today. These books are super-helpful for Reader's Services. However, their full names are are huge!

The Evangelion's title is The Evangelion: A Lectionary of Anthological Texts taken from the Four Gospels as They are Read in the Divine Services of the Holy Orthodox Church for the Entire Liturgical Year for Both Greek and Slavonic Usages.

The Apostolos' title is The Apostolos: A Lectionary of Anthological Texts taken from The Acts of the Holy Apostles and the 21 Epistles of the Holy Apostles as They are Read in the Divine Services of the Holy Orthodox Church, with the Antiphons, Prokeimena, Alleluaria, Enterance Hymns, and Communion Hymns for the Entire Liturgical Year for Both Greek and Slavonic Usages.

Told you they were huge! LOL!

Ow! Ow! Ow!

Yesterday I stood for most of Liturgy, that for some reason I am unsure of, minus half the readings and homily, was almost all in Slavonic. Then I sat in the uncomfortable-at-this-time-in-my-life wooden chairs through trapeza and the high school Religion class that I sit in on. I am paying for it all today. One of my worse days. Ow!

I had something to say ...

... but I seem to have forgotten it! :-o

Russian Orthodox Keywords

It appears that I cannot get the pain ads to go away for the much-preferred Russian Orthodox ads, so here we go with some extreme measures ...

Free Russian Orthodox Church
True Orthodox Church of Greece
Russian Orthodox Church Abroad
Genuine Orthodox Church of Greece
Catacomb Tikhonite Church of Russia
Catacomb Josephite Church of Russia
Greek Old Calendar Orthodox Church
Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church
Genuine Orthodox Christians of Greece
Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia
Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia
Genuine Orthodox Christians of Greece
Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church
Greek Old Calendar Orthodox Church
Catacomb Josephite Church of Russia
Catacomb Tikhonite Church of Russia
Genuine Orthodox Church of Greece
Russian Orthodox Church Abroad
True Orthodox Church of Greece
Free Russian Orthodox Church
Free Russian Orthodox Church
True Orthodox Church of Greece
Russian Orthodox Church Abroad
Genuine Orthodox Church of Greece
Catacomb Tikhonite Church of Russia
Catacomb Josephite Church of Russia
Greek Old Calendar Orthodox Church
Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church
Genuine Orthodox Christians of Greece
Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia
Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia
Genuine Orthodox Christians of Greece
Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church
Greek Old Calendar Orthodox Church
Catacomb Josephite Church of Russia
Catacomb Tikhonite Church of Russia
Genuine Orthodox Church of Greece
Russian Orthodox Church Abroad
True Orthodox Church of Greece
Free Russian Orthodox Church
Free Russian Orthodox Church
True Orthodox Church of Greece
Russian Orthodox Church Abroad
Genuine Orthodox Church of Greece
Catacomb Tikhonite Church of Russia
Catacomb Josephite Church of Russia
Greek Old Calendar Orthodox Church
Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church
Genuine Orthodox Christians of Greece
Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia
Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia
Genuine Orthodox Christians of Greece
Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church
Greek Old Calendar Orthodox Church
Catacomb Josephite Church of Russia
Catacomb Tikhonite Church of Russia
Genuine Orthodox Church of Greece
Russian Orthodox Church Abroad
True Orthodox Church of Greece
Free Russian Orthodox Church
Free Russian Orthodox Church
True Orthodox Church of Greece
Russian Orthodox Church Abroad
Genuine Orthodox Church of Greece
Catacomb Tikhonite Church of Russia
Catacomb Josephite Church of Russia
Greek Old Calendar Orthodox Church
Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church
Genuine Orthodox Christians of Greece
Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia
Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia
Genuine Orthodox Christians of Greece
Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church
Greek Old Calendar Orthodox Church
Catacomb Josephite Church of Russia
Catacomb Tikhonite Church of Russia
Genuine Orthodox Church of Greece
Russian Orthodox Church Abroad
True Orthodox Church of Greece
Free Russian Orthodox Church
Free Russian Orthodox Church
True Orthodox Church of Greece
Russian Orthodox Church Abroad
Genuine Orthodox Church of Greece
Catacomb Tikhonite Church of Russia
Catacomb Josephite Church of Russia
Greek Old Calendar Orthodox Church
Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church
Genuine Orthodox Christians of Greece
Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia
Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia
Genuine Orthodox Christians of Greece
Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church
Greek Old Calendar Orthodox Church
Catacomb Josephite Church of Russia
Catacomb Tikhonite Church of Russia
Genuine Orthodox Church of Greece
Russian Orthodox Church Abroad
True Orthodox Church of Greece
Free Russian Orthodox Church
Free Russian Orthodox Church
True Orthodox Church of Greece
Russian Orthodox Church Abroad
Genuine Orthodox Church of Greece
Catacomb Tikhonite Church of Russia
Catacomb Josephite Church of Russia
Greek Old Calendar Orthodox Church
Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church
Genuine Orthodox Christians of Greece
Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia
Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia
Genuine Orthodox Christians of Greece
Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church
Greek Old Calendar Orthodox Church
Catacomb Josephite Church of Russia
Catacomb Tikhonite Church of Russia
Genuine Orthodox Church of Greece
Russian Orthodox Church Abroad
True Orthodox Church of Greece
Free Russian Orthodox Church
Free Russian Orthodox Church
True Orthodox Church of Greece
Russian Orthodox Church Abroad
Genuine Orthodox Church of Greece
Catacomb Tikhonite Church of Russia
Catacomb Josephite Church of Russia
Greek Old Calendar Orthodox Church
Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church
Genuine Orthodox Christians of Greece
Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia
Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia
Genuine Orthodox Christians of Greece
Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church
Greek Old Calendar Orthodox Church
Catacomb Josephite Church of Russia
Catacomb Tikhonite Church of Russia
Genuine Orthodox Church of Greece
Russian Orthodox Church Abroad
True Orthodox Church of Greece
Free Russian Orthodox Church

We will have to see if that works. It might take until tomorrow however.

Finally!

I have received some oil of Saint John of Shanghai and San Francisco today. I am pretty excited to have received it. Perhaps it will cure me of my back and neck pain. I just need to learn the proper application and prayers to be said when it is put on.

Reader's Service Complete!

I love doing these! Normally after the Readers service I will sit on the couch and read a sermon from The One Thing Needful but I was shocked to find that there was no Exaltation of the Holy Cross homily! So instead we do what I usually do second, and read from the Great Synaxaristes of the Orthodox Church, September Volume. Anastasia loved the story of Saint Helen and the Exaltation of the Holy Cross so much that she wants us to go to Jerusalem next year for the feast day! LOL! As if I could afford that!

We want ads! Russian Orthodox ads! ;-)

The blog ads* are still currently about things involving car accidents on the legal and medical sides. I prefer it when they run Russian Orthodox ads such as ads for a Radio Show on Russian Orthodoxy or and ad for Greek orthodox Icons from Greece and such.

*Actually, I normally do not see them as I use Safari (based on the KHTML Linux browser, Konqueror) as my primary browser and Mozilla as my secondary. Internet Explorer is used only as a last resort or to check sites I design in every major browser including Opera and OmniWeb.

Finally!

It came sooner than I thought! Saturday is the Feast day of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, one of the major feasts (and also a fast day) of the Orthodox Church. However, my back cannot deal with standing for 2 liturgies, 2 days in a row yet so with the blessing of my parish priest I am staying home and doing Reader's Services. I love doing these and am all prepared with my Unabbreviated Horologion/Book of the Hours, my Orthodox New Testament Evangelistarion (The Holy Gospels) and my Orthodox New Testament Praxapostolos (Acts, Epistles, and Revelation) laid out, open to or bookmarked at the proper readings, at my family icon corner bookshelf. Soon I will have an Orthodox New Testament Evangelion (Gospel Lectionary) and an Orthodox New Testament Apostolos (Epistle Lectionary) as the Holy Apostles Convent has them on sale for only $50!

Ugh!

Another sore back day. :-( I just want to go home and lay down with my heating pad on.

Waiting ...

... -1 ... :-p

Rental Cars Bite!

I normally drive a Hyundai Elantra but my rental car is a tiny Hyundai Accent with a tiny engine that does not like hills. I admit that I am spoiled, as having to lock and unlock doors as well as roll windows up and down manually is a major pain for me.

Finally!

After over 2 weeks, my car is in the shop for the other company's estimate (they have to take the back end off to see all the damage) and I have a rental! About time!

Waiting ...

... 0 ...

Waiting ...

... 1 ...

Yummy!

The Strawberry Fruit Coolatta from Dunkin' Donuts is a wonderful thing! Much better than the quite tart lemonade Coolattas that I usually get! I will have to try the new Orange Mango Coolatta next.

Pray! Pray! Pray!

The Hurricane has probably slowed the process, but please keep praying on this job I have applied for please!

Waiting ...

... 2 ...

Charlie Horses ...

... are the worst way to wake up in the morning! >:-(

This Weekend

Saturday was the first day I actually can say I felt "good". Not 100% as I will not be 100% for a long time, but good. So I helped with laundry and helped clean up the kitchen. On Sunday due to over doing it and lengthy standing at Liturgy I was in pain all day. Something to be learned.

Blog Vacation

I am going to try and relax over the weekend, so unless something comes up, there will not be a new blog entry until Monday. See you then!

From http://EuphrosynosCafe.com/forum/

Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at an Elingsh uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer are in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae we do not raed ervey lteter by it slef but the wrod as a wlohe and the biran fguiers it out aynawy.

Waiting ...

... 3 ...

Hurricane Isabel Updates

The eye of the storm is right on the North Carolina-Virginia border now.

Over 1 million people are without power.

At least one hotel in Kill Devil Hills, NC has collapsed into the ocean.

Virginia Beach has lost over half of its pier.

Airlines have cancelled nearly 2,000 flights.

North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley said about people refusing to follow the mandatory evacuation, "Every person has an inalienable right to make a fool of themselves and some of them want to exercise that right during a hurricane."

Pray!

Waiting ...

... 4 ...

Ooh look! Vegan Egg replacer!

Has anyone actually ever tried Ener-G-Egg-Replacer? Kudos to Jack Miller of As the Apple Turns for pointing us to this fine fasting recipe egg substitute!

Isabel!

:-o

Another Al-Quesda terrorist attack in America today?

They report, you decide! :-)

Hehe!

Today my chiropractor, after doing a new position of chiropractic where I am on my side and he acts like he is going to rip me in half bringing my shoulder one way and my legs another, asked if I was from Pennsylvania Dutch country because of my beard. He said it makes me look very intellectual. Interesting. LOL!

Oops, I totally forgot about my waiting ...

... so let us start over where I left off, so again ...


... 5 ...

Stupid Liberal Things That Make Me Mad!

1. The 9th Circuit Court agrees with the NAACP that blacks and hispanics are too stupid to understand punch card voting, so the system is unconstitutional. The Democrats celebrate. When will blacks realize that the racist party is the Democrats? If the system is unconstitutional, then this means that Gray Davis is not constitutionally the governor since it was an unconstitutional practice, right?

2. Some people are allergic to peanuts, so my daughter cannot take peanuts or a peanut butter sandwich to school. I am sure there are people allergic to jelly, to bologna, to cheese, to cotton, why are these things not banned? Oh public school, I remember why I despise thee so!

3. Back to California, Gray Davis decided to allow ILLEGAL aliens drivers licenses. Oh wow, in a time when we are tightening up security, this sure is a smart move to prevent terrorists from having a valid ID to get around America!

Good News!

I am doing well enough in the last 2 days that I now only have to go to physical therapy every other day! My neck is pretty much where it needs to be, bone position wise, but my back still needs some work in all 3 regions. Today is one week since the accident, and it has been a very long week for me, so I am glad to have made such progress!

"Hello, I'm Johnny Cash."

I always liked Johnny Cash for one reason or another. His way of introducing himself at the beginning of every concert, as if it was needed, was very unique. It is too bad that he is gone. Thankfully, due to CDs and DVDs his music will live on forever.

In this picture, like many others, interestingly enough, he looks like an older version of my step-father, Brad. Except that Brad would never grow his hair out that long! Right mom? LOL!

Reader's Services Today!

Since I am unable to stand or sit for a few hours at a time, I stayed home and did a Reader's Service today. I actually quite enjoyed doing it. All one needs to do it is a Reader's Horologion/Book of the Hours with the Typica, The Jordanville/Holy Trinity Prayer Book for the Troparia and Kontakia, a source for the Prokeimenon, and a Evangelion (Gospel Lectionary) or Evangelistarion (The Holy Gospels) and an Apostolos (Epistle Lectionary) or Praxapostolos (Acts, Epistles, and Revelation). I look forward to doing it again this December when I am visiting family in Nebraska!

No physical therapy on the weekend!

As much as PT hurts, I am really wishing I had some today. The stiffness and a different kind of pain comes without it. :-( But soon, on Monday I go back to daily sessions! I unfortunately miss Vigil and Liturgy because of the inability to sit or stand for hours, but Anastasia is going to help me do a Reader's Service in the morning before her all day play date with a friend from her old school. Since driving bothers me so, her friend's mom is going to pick Anastasia up, Yay!

I love my heating pad!

I finally am able to use heat on my back and neck rather than the painful, stinging ice! I went out and bought a Kaz SmartHeat HP910 with electronic slide control, 4 heat settings, moist and dry heat capable, that is king-sized (12"x24") with a 5 year warranty. This thing is my new best friend. :-D

Update!

I was quite sore after therapy and my chiropractic sessions yesterday. The doctor has not assigned me any home exercises, just daily therapy and chiropractic care. Yesterday he put me on a machine where I laid on my stomach and it lowered my legs and then brought them back to a prone position. I really felt this as it worked my spine. After my chiropractic session (after the therapy) my middle back was very sore and is worse today. With the initial 2 days of icing over I am going to start heat therapy today and then go back in for PT and chiropractic work for an hour at 4 p.m. today. I hope I do not hurt any worse than I am hurting right now. :-(

Car Accident Injury Updates! :-(

Here is a quick update, as sitting for more than a few minutes hurts my back. I was waiting to merge on to Route 15 when I was hit from behind. The estimate of a few people is around $6-7,000 of damage to the car. My attorney will be getting the insurance company to do a proper estimate at the body shop with folks he trusts. There is a slight chance that they will total it out because of the frame damage in addition to the rear quarter panels, bumper and trunk needing replaced. :-o

The doctor gave me Naproxen to stop the inflammation and help the pain. He said that although I am in pain and stiff today, tomorrow will be much, much worse. Not fun! :-(

For the next 2 days I am supposed to lay around sleeping as much as possible and ice my back and neck. I also have therapy with a chiropractor/therapist every day of this week. My medicine will make me sleepy and maybe dizzy so I have to take it with food and cannot drive after taking it, so I will be taking it after I take Anastasia to school, after I pick her up and before bed, as I have to take it thrice a day. :-/

Like I said, I am supposed to ice it for the next few days. When muscle spasms come after that I am supposed to use heat. All in all kind of a bummer of a day, but at least the injuries were not to severe! They could have been worse. :-)

I will try to check online every now and then, but as I said, sitting hurts, so I would like to ask all of your prayers please.

The back end of my car is now smashed in.

The trunk and back end of my car are smashed in and my back, neck and head are very sore. Luckily there are no severe injuries that I can tell and my car is drivable, but please pray for me since my neck and back pair are likely to to be worse tomorrow and the following days. Thank you in advance!

Waiting ...

... 5 ... ?

Has Hades frozen over?

I am really wondering as I agree with Al Sharpton's words to the Central Virginia Business and Construction Association!

Sharpton cautioned the Democratic Party that it can't treat black voters as its "mistress" and rebuked rap artists for lyrics that that degrade black women.

"We must not be in a relationship with a Democratic Party that takes us for granted. We must no longer be the political mistresses of the Democratic Party. A mistress is where they take you out to have fun but they can't take you home to mama and daddy. Either we're going to get married in 2004 or we're going to find some folks who ain't ashamed to be seen with us."

He took particular aim at rap artists whose violent lyrics refer to women in derogatory terms.

"To think that we have come down dangerous alleys, that we have traveled through the backwoods of terror, that we have survived beatings, been shot down in cold blood doesn't give you the right to call your mama a whore."

I never saw that coming! :-o

Waiting ...

... 6 ...

Waiting ...

... 7 ...

Mmmmmm iHop!

My daughter had the great idea of going to brunch at IHOP today. Great idea! I love the Country Fried Steak & Eggs Skillet with Sausage Gravy. Yummy! IHOP rules!

Oops! I almost forgot! Waiting ...

... 8 ...

Argh!

I have 3 web sites I have to do this weekend. I really wanted to get some cleaning done too. Looks like I might miss Vigil trying to get home and work stuff done. :-/ Oh well, nothing I can do about it and it is time for bed now. Good night!

Environmentalist Extremists are stupid!

ELF, An American Environmentalist Terrorist Group that PeTA supports, has recently burned down an apartment complex as well as various Range Rover and other SUV dealerships. It has been estimated that the damage to the environment from the fires to the auto dealerships was far more severe that what the combined possible pollution output would have been from all these vehicles!

Waiting ...

... 9 ...

Something that irritates me

Is there anything as ridiculous as parents who drive their kids to the bus stop 10 minutes early and just sit in their cars waiting for the bus? I mean, why not just drive them to school. I mean I am seeing this happen literally 1/4 of a mile away from the school!!!

I have been alerted ...

... by both a co-worker and my boss that they have gotten calls from Wal-Mart for a reference check. Both said they gave me a positive referral, so we will see if that will land me a third interview. Please keep praying!

True Conversation

Eastern "Ruthenian" Roman Catholic Uniate: We still consider you to be mystically part of the Church, "the other lung" so to speak.

(Non-Moscow Patriarchate) Russian Orthodox: We still consider you to be heretics.

LOL!

Waiting ...

10 ...

Finally!

Anastasios has finally added more pictures to his site from the OCNet Summer Fest 2003!

The new ones are here.

Islam Revealed

As the two-year anniversary of Sept. 11 approaches, a very unusual ceremony is being planned in London. Critics say the event will celebrate the tragedy and the hijackers who killed thousands that day ...

[Read More]

My Great and Horrible Weekend ... :-o

Let me just get in to it.

Friday I left late because of having to do some last minute work and Anastasia being pokey. Arrived later that I hoped because of bad traffic. Ended up being over a 10 hour drive! :-( After checking in at the Belle Grae Inn We went over to Father Dionysi's house and stayed for a few hours talking. Anastasia and the girls got along famously.

Saturday morning we went sight seeing in downtown Staunton. Although it is a smaller town, it would take you many days to see all the wonderful sites. This day was not all great though, as I somehow got a flat tire and when walking down a hill, slipped and hurt my head, neck, back and ribs pretty good. I am still pretty sore. :-( Saturday evening we went to vigil and then ate some Long John Silver's which I have missed, living in New England.

Sunday morning, after Liturgy, Anastasia, Helen and Catherine went and walked the Belle Grae Inn dogs, Shiitake and Portabella. Later we met up with Father Dionysi and the girls to do some archery in a nearby park. That evening we had dinner together and made plans for today.

Today Father and I went to the Wal-Mart Distribution Center and I had both my first and second interviews. I think they went okay and hope and pray I get called for a 3rd. Matushka Christina brought Anastasia later and so we all said goodbyes before leaving for home.

The trip home was good except for my taking 2 wrong turns, getting a flat in DC and having to use a donut until Maryland. (I was able to get a new tire rather put on my car quickly in Maryland thanks to the Maryland Visitors Center and Firestone -- A big THANK YOU to both!). Unfortunately I tore the pants I was wearing in the process of putting the donut on, which is really bad because Matushka Christina spent hours trying to get the mud and grass stains out of them from my fall on Saturday! (Yeah it was a nasty fall!) So although some bad things happened, Anastasia and I both enjoyed the trip. Thank you to everyone who prayed for us! Please keep them coming!