V-I-C-T-O-R-Y !!!

We are celebrating Bono’s vicarious win of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.

“Whatever do you mean, his vicarious win?” You say.

I’m so glad you asked.

A Comparison of Two Ontologically Identical Dogs (a treatise by theKlines):

1) Species and Breed: Both Uno and Bono are beagle dogs.

Exhibit A– Bono

Exhibit B– Uno

(Photo by Shannon Stapleton/Reuters)

 

2) Gender: Both Uno and Bono are male.

Exhibit A– Bono (and his cig)

Exhibit B– Uno (and his steak)

(Photo by Brendan McDermid/Reuters)

 

3) Name: Both Uno and Bono have names that end in “-no.” Both names are two syllables.

Exhibit A–Bono (Looking at us in response to our calling his name)

Exhibit B–Uno (Looking up in response to his handler calling his name)

(Photo by Seth Wenig/AP)

 

4) Theology: Uno was the ontological mediator between Bono and the world. He brought Bono to the world, and the world to Bono (thought process courtesy of Peter Kline).

Exhibit A–Bono (and his world)

Exhibit B–Uno (and his world)

(Photo by Lucas Jackson/Reuters)

5) Handlers: Both Uno and Bono have male handlers.

Exhibit A–Bono (and his handler)

Exhibit B–Uno (and his handler)

(Photo by Jason DeCrow/AP)

6) Physique: Both Uno and Bono excel at demonstrating their dexterity.

Exhibit A–Bono (popping a squat)

Exhibit B–Uno (taking a stand)

(Photo by Lucas Jackson/Reuters)

7) Mannerism: Both Uno and Bono love a good bite.

Exhibit A–Bono (and his Christmas toys)

Exhibit B–Uno (and a fuzzy mic)

(Photo by Jason DeCrow/AP)

8 ) Houndiness: Both Uno and Bono have that awesomely mighty hound nose.

Exhibit A–Bono (and his awesomely mighty hound nose)

Exhibit B–Uno (and his awesomely mighty hound nose)

(Photo by Frank Franklin II/AP)

9) Prestige: Both Uno and Bono are utterly regal.

Exhibit A–Bono (his royal highness)

Exhibit B–Uno (his royal majesty)

(Photo by Richard Drew/AP)

10) Irresistability: Both Uno and Bono win the hearts of those who meet them.

Exhibit A–Bono (and the utterly beautiful soundtrack of Sufjan Stevens)

 

Exhibit B–Uno (and the ever-irritating voices of these four women)

Congrats, Uno! (Bono sends his love).

 

 

WinterWeatherWonder

It’s snowing here in Princeton right now, and this is the first snow of the season that has really had that soul-cleansing effect on me. Everything is so quiet. Bono is mesmerized by it. The clicking sound of the heater turning on is comforting. I am brewing some hot chocolate. Sometimes, life is really good.

Here are some pictures from our recent adventures. Our real camera broke, so we’ve been taking a lot of pictures with Peter’s camera phone. I have moral objections to the idea of cameras and phones mating like this (so unnatural!!), but whatever.

Bono celebrated Christmas at the DeWald house in style:

The Catskills are lightly frosted with snow. They’re grrrreat!

Peter stopped on the mountain and took a picture of me, his skiing instructor.

I caught him at a rare moment when he was standing. (I kid, I kid).

Annie Dillard says she’s fascinated by the fact that human beings are universally afraid to look directly into the sun. I defy you, universe!

I was a tired teacher. And I had hat hair.

We had a photo shoot while we were in Houston (I promise–we really ARE working on getting that album finished!) And this picture proves Peter’s studliness.

As, of course, does this:

In the words of those poet laureates, Salt’n'Pepa: whatta man, whatta man, whatta man, whatta a mighty good man.  (Yes, he is).

Chardonnay at Midnight

I’ve had a glass (and a half) of wine tonight. And I deserved it. Bear with me.

No Wednesday Websites for the next few weeks. Part of my Lenten celebration will be to abstain from superfluous Internet activity (i.e. spending hours online meandering around, looking for things to occupy my heart/mind/blog). It’s amazing how much time I waste.

I’ve been trying to spend more time paying attention. To, you know, everything. How easy it is for me to miss the things that happen right before my eyes because I am too preoccupied with the next thing. So, I’ve been trying to stop and pay attention. Here are a few recent observations as a result of this process:

–As I was riding the subway yesterday, I noticed that there were two people in the car with me, sitting directly across from me, listening to portable CD players. When is the last time I saw a portable CD player? I have no idea. But, there they were, two New Yorkers fitted with padded headphones and holding precarious CD cases in a train full of disgruntled commuters. I watched them intently until they both exited the train at different stops.  I pondered the fact that I had never owned a portable CD player or a portable tape player, and yet I felt an insatiable desire to buy an iPod before I got married and went broke. What tipped the scales for me was my trip to Europe when BFF Rachel brought her iPod, a Y-jack, and two sets of ear buds. Suddenly, life had a soundtrack. It was magical. I looked out the window of a train, riding through the snow-covered Bavarian countryside while Linford Detweiler’s piano illuminated my brain. Life doesn’t get much better than that.

–I’ve been having lots of dreams lately in which a professor makes an appearance of some sort. Yesterday, I dreamed that one of the PTS professors was in trouble for hitting on a bunch of female students. A few days before that, I dreamed that my favorite professor at PTS got ahold of some kind of mental health test results for me and deemed me unfit for ministry. I was crushed. In “real life,” he’s told me I will be a great minister. I cherish those affirmations. They don’t come frequently for those of us undertaking this vocation.

–I was riding the elevator down from the 18th floor of the Interchurch Center in Manhattan yesterday, and a group of three women stepped into the elevator from the 16th floor. They were laughing with one another when they entered, and this was the conversation that ensued:

Woman One: All I know is, you said you didn’t have no shoes with you for walkin’ nowhere.

Woman Two: I didn’t think I did! I just found these in my drawer.

Woman Three: Why you keepin’ shoes in your desk?

Woman Two: ‘Cuz of nine eleven.

Woman One: Mmm.

(The remainder of the ride down to the first floor was silent).