In the midst of all this bishop become-ing we were doing, was one of the craziest days I have ever lived. And there have been a few.
Let me tell you about it.
Last week, the office manager from the last place I worked for real, called to let me know that the architect in the office had passed away. (I had an inkling something was up because the only other time in five years she had called was when he had the heart attack before this one.) She told me they were having a memorial on Tuesday (last Tuesday) and would I like to come. I thought, sure. Time had dulled the wounds and it seemed like a nice thing to do.
So. Tuesday morning I got up, dressed in my funeral attire and headed west to the church. I saw all the guys from the office, got caught up with things, heard the service, which was lovely, and we all headed over to the hotel for a lunch. The hotel was near the beach and had valet - which was paid for - and did I mention that my car was sick and in the shop so I was driving Tarzan's car. (Had had to drop Tarzan off at work early in the morning, do my stuff and at the end of the day pick him up again.)
I left Tarzan's car with the valet and went to lunch, which was lovely, ate with the guys, MC was nice to me and we carried on a conversation of pleasantries - unusual - and went back up to the valet to get my car. Turns out the valet was NOT prepaid and so everyone in front of me was really angry about having to pay $14 for their cars. It irritated me too but what were we to do? The woman's father had just died, who was going to whine about having to pay for their car?
I got in my car, drove almost home, stopping at the store for some refreshments and supplies for the Spa Night we were having that evening.
Did I mention I had a huge combined Relief Society activity that evening? (Relief Society and Young Women for both our ward and the Spanish speaking ward we share our building with.)
I got home close to 4:00 and only when I got to the door of the house did I realize that I did not have my house keys on my key ring. Weird. I called the hotel - the only place I had not had my keys - and sure enough I had "dropped them." (Total lie.) However, there was not enough time to turn around and go all the way across town to the hotel, come all the way back and make it in time to get Tarzan and still get to the activity.
So we left my keys, I went to the school and borrowed Tarzan's keys in order to change and fetch other things for the activity, fetched him and we ate dinner in the car on the way to the church. The activity was a grand success:
(In my humble opinion) and Tarzan was very productive in his meetings.
But my keys were still on the other side of town.
I was able to get them the next day, after all the work stuff and the car nonsense - that's another story to tell, my poor car - but the dude at the desk made me wait forever for help and forever to fetch my keys from security and then insisted that I had dropped my house keys - off my key ring - and I was very fortunate that they had found them. I sort of think they wanted a tip at the valet desk but I was not in the mood.
This is me and this sort of stuff happens only to me.
So yes, for those who haven't guessed, Tarzan was sustained Bishop of our Ward (local congregation) on Sunday.
We invited friends and family to be present for the sustaining vote and some stayed for the setting apart process afterwards.
Tarzan, once again, gave some fabulous remarks. His uncles particularly like the bit about "when the flood waters are rising is not the time to learn carpentry."
It was a few days after the fact - a few VERY busy days (more to come on that later) - that I received a lovely note from Flieghund and BGE, thanking us for our invitation to come and offering Tarzan their support and confidence in his new position.
Attached to the email were a few clandestine photos. Pictures aren't usually taken in sacrament meeting (I felt almost naughty looking at these) and I have not sat in the congregation for so many years, I forgot what it looks like from down there.
So here you have it, Tarzan's inaugural statements:
If you look to the lower left of the window you will see me. Good thing I wore red:
This is me and if his mother thinks his hair is grey now...
Guess what went down yesterday?
This is me. It's going to get crazy over here!
There have not been a large number of houses to show/sit for Stingy of late and subsequently there aren't many pictures to show you. I did find this though.
It comes from a house of an elderly vocal performer who is also a pack rat:
Stuff EV*ERY*WHERE. (It's not hoarding if you have money.)
Including this interesting tidbit on the mantle in the living room:
She has those signs all over. Maybe back in the day smoke at parties was a problem for her voice?
This is me and who knows?
Tarzan spoke in sacrament meeting yesterday - for Mother's Day.
Now, I know Tarzan is a deep guy but even I was amazed at what he produced this time.
Especially after I asked him the day before how it was coming and he said, "eh, it's done." So laid back that man.
Anyway.
It wasn't a straight up, "my mother is the best" kind of thing, which I appreciated. (Everyone's mother is the best - for them.)
It also wasn't a copy of a General Authority talk - not that those dudes aren't fabulous - they are - but I watch Conference, I read the Ensign, I don't need it read to me. I want to hear a person's own personal anecdotes, their own testimony.
Tarzan started by talking about the universe, gravitational force, solar bodies, all that and pulled it together - using scriptures - likening the family unit to the universe. Then he gave specific examples from his own life; the example set by his mother, the principles she taught him, and how they each have an effect on the world as a whole.
Totally unique.
Something I hadn't even thought about before, but rang true as he said it.
It was a lovely tribute to his mother and an amazing commentary on our place in the universe.
This is me and it was brilliant.
I don't remember exactly what day I heard this. (NPR has a horrible filtering/sorting function.)
But I have an opinion about the piece, which was discussing what elected officials earn. Namely Presidents, Cabinet people, Congressmen and Senators.
And I think they are definitely paid too much.
It is my humble opinion that elected officials should be doing their job out of desire to make the country a better place and not a belief in their own 'divine right' like the kings of old that the US of A was founded on leaving behind.
They sure don't pay me a sizable sum to serve on jury duty. And the video that is shown at orientation talks about the civic responsibility and how our service with only token compensation keeps the system equal and fair and *I* would like to think if Washington saw it they would feel guilt for the desire to line their own pockets and not give two snaps at how greed affects the nation as a whole and we might actually get better suited representatives if those running for office understood that it wasn't a paid position.
It wasn't always a paid position. Or not a large compensation. With a lifetime of Secret Service and a pension forever.
'Back in the day' Congressmen and all those guys had jobs outside of serving the country and when they weren't in session, they went home to their jobs. Their living. Their lives.
I think it was a better philosophy.
Your thoughts?
This is me and there would be less drama and maybe more work done.
