notinKansasanymore

Score week. Funny. One of the odd things about being a single woman at Corps Week was marriage proposals. Some guys begin them by listing their qualifications in a nervous kind of monologue. If a girl recognizes it in time, she can steer him away from the conclusion of the monologue, and the popping of the question, to save him embarrasment, if she's less than enthusiastic. One guy was talking to me while I was thinking about something else. Oops. I let him down as gently as possible. Funny thing was, the next day, I was sitting outside the Corps tent, reading a book on a break from work. It was the only place to be temporarily alone, to rest my feet. There were voices coming from inside the tent, but it was darn nigh impossible to be "really alone" at Corps Week. I finally got up and moved when I recognized one of the voices. I recognized it because I'd heard that same monologue the day before. He was a sweetheart of a guy. I hope that she said "yes."

I'm so glad that you two are here. You are wonderful. love, niKa

just spewed coffee on my monitor come on, Simon - that was only my first cup of the day

I had posted this on our 9th Corps thread, but Tom Strange (so it's his fault? :) ) suggested that I put it here. So, here it is. *********************** At the risk of being too serious, I found this quote on a website, and thought that it reminded me of the way I used to feel regarding "our former denomination." In case it might come in handy to anybody, here it is: "I imagine one of the reasons people cling to their hates so stubbornly is because they sense, once hate is gone, they will be forced to deal with pain."--- James Arthur Baldwin Oddly, I found that in the cases where I've been able to let go of some of the hard feelings (toward TWI or just anybody who's cheated or wronged me), the extent to which I've been able to let go of that ill will has been directly proportional to the extent that the pain has lessened. At least, it usually works. Sometimes the whole scenario has to "age" a little. We were discussing the fact that it's been 25 years since we graduated from the Corps. The feeling of being cheated by TWI gradually recedes to the category of "lesson learned, back when I was a baby." I would imagine that for some of the lurkers, it's still so recent as to be an open wound. It's to them that I raise my coffee cup of encouragement this morning. love, niKa ************************

At the risk of being too serious, I found this quote on a website, and thought that it reminded me of the way I used to feel regarding "our former denomination." In case it might come in handy to anybody, here it is: "I imagine one of the reasons people cling to their hates so stubbornly is because they sense, once hate is gone, they will be forced to deal with pain."--- James Arthur Baldwin Oddly, I found that in the cases where I've been able to let go of some of the hard feelings (toward TWI or just anybody who's cheated or wronged me), the extent to which I've been able to let go of that ill will has been directly proportional to the extent that the pain has lessened. At least, it usually works. Sometimes the whole scenario has to "age" a little. We were discussing the fact that it's been 25 years since we graduated from the Corps. The feeling of being cheated by TWI gradually recedes to the category of "lesson learned, back when I was a baby." I would imagine that for some of the lurkers, it's still so recent as to be an open wound. It's to them that I raise my coffee cup of encouragement this morning. love, niKa

118? :blink: Da-ang. May the Force be with your swamp cooler.

Yes. Blue paint. He was two, or maybe almost three. And then there was the playing in the mud. Deep, dark pools of mud that they made with the hose. Wallowing like pigs, laughing like hyenas. They both sometimes come in looking . . . rather monochromatic. The last time that happened (so far) was only about a month and a half ago. They're not really slow learners; it's just so much fun that they don't mind getting in trouble for it every once in awhile. Hardest part is keeping a straight face.

Nope, it was pretty "not dry," as heat goes. But there was a bright side to the cool front that came through. I won some tickets by being the 5th caller to the radio station; I know, I should be cool and listen to CD's, but okay, I'm NOT that cool . . . anyway, I won some tickets to the minor league game that was played in OKC last night (the Oklahoma City Redhawks vs. the Nashville Sound). We loaded up the kids and had dinner in the the warehouse district before going to the Bricktown BallPark. Johnny Bench threw out the first pitch. It turned out to be a double-header. There were fireworks after the last game. It was definitely Friday Night in the Big Town. But one of the very nicest things that happened was a breeze that began during the second game, which brought with it cooler air - all the way down to the mid-eighties. It felt like heaven as we sat with our huge beers and our peanuts. That's the weather report from niKaville.

Okay. Yesterday afternoon, the temperature here was 107. The heat index was, however, only 106. The radio disc jockey was kind enough to explain how this could be. (wait for it) wiind chill

Sioux: Welcome! Cup of coffee?

Wasn't it only $20? Whatever. Simon, you're a genius. John, if you can believe it, you can achieve it. But can you handle all of those . . . positions . . . of responsibility?

Pond. Twenty-five years. That just seems weird. :huh:

Good for you, and good for Angus! What a great name, and a great story. I feel like we got to see it play out in real time. Thank you for saving him.

All things are possible to him who believeth . . ..

Oh, my GOSH. You guys make me bust a gut. But what John said about the 9th Corps thread is absolutely true; it's just us, loving one another, and living life, over a few years' time. I loved your poem, John; thanks for the memory. I still try to do that at work; I suppose that I'll always be an idealistic stupid teenager at heart. (Is that so wrong?) I went Corps because I wanted to be the best, and to be with the best. Despite the fact that the Way turned out to be cr@p (gorsh, Gomer - - Did I just type a curse word?), I still believe that most of the Corps went in for that same reason. Now, we are a diaspora of folks who want to do right by the world. We are trying to accomplish that, person by person, because the group thing just didn't wash. We are still here. We still try to make a difference. I got into the Way for the right reasons. I left the Way for even more RIGHT REASONS. To lurkers who are still in, please consider where you will be in a few years, if you remain. Think about the life that your children will be faced with, if you are still in. Yikes. God is still here, after the Way. Personally, I gthink that I can hear Him better now. love, niKa

God bless you, OFM. I hope you know how much we're all praying for you, here at the Spot. love, niKa

Great Jumpin' Jehosophat. Isn't that Mark Fronzac in the background? Greetings from niKaland, everyone. the niKa kids have Bible School in the evenings this week. Translate that to: we drop them off, and go and drink and talk together for a couple of hours, and then go and pick up the little sweet dears again. Five dates in a row. Aahhhhhh Well, we have to have our priorities straight, as they'd say Down Under, if we were still hearing from our FellowShipper. Oi!

Excie: that sounds like such a cool birthday, that even rememberiing it is a present! I'm really glad that you got to see them. As to our new poster, I see that we are gathering in some of the little lost bunnies of the 9th, and wonder who will be the next to resurface (or is that reupholster?) and I'm still sad that you lost your elderly puppy, D.B. Happy Monday to all of you.

Happy Day After the Fourth, folks! Popsicles and fireworks to each and every one of you!

I left in early November of 1986. I went back to the next Corps Week, to say goodbye, but didn't stay for the Rock. I felt, by that time, very much like an outsider among the brainwashed. It was a weird mixture of love, revulsion, thankfulness that I knew I'd never be back, and already missing the people with whom I'd lived and worked for so long. I ran into my sweet friend Mr. Dan Friedly, who had been in the very first PFAL class (his precious wife Marilyn was in the second; they took turns keeping the children for one another), and we shared notes. He said that he figured that would be his last visit to HQ. The days were full of those kinds of bittersweet moments. Lots of goodbyes, and lots of philosophical and Biblical discussions. Something that we'd valued very highly had crumbled beneath us, and there was no putting it back together. We had seen behind the curtain. Suspicious looks from some folks, too, because I was not the way I had been. By that time, I'd already sat for my first semester of back-to-college classes, so there was no doubt that I was heading somewhere other than an Ohio cornfield in my life. But I still appreciated the simplicity of the cornfield lifestyle, and understood its lure, however false.

Brains, and a certain sweetness of heart. Honesty in day-to-day dealings. That certain quality of character that tells you that the person would never cheat on you. Shared goals; shared dreams. Not a cover model, but not hard to look at, either. Sense of adventure and fun. Wait - I'm not answering the question. The question was what makes someone sexy, and this answer is what makes the person a good life partner. Sexy: brains, sweetness, manners, has seen the inside of a gym in this lifetime (or looks like he has), a person who is intriguing.

Thanks so very much for that mind picture; now go thee and Behave. A walkabout would be a nice way for the Shipper and his blushing bride to be spending the crisp Winter days down under; I wonder where in the Koala he is??? The top floor of my house is clean; there's a bottle of wine in the fridge; I may just collapse with joy. Is anybody here going to the Weenie Roast? Whatcha doin' for the Fourth?

Excathedra: Happy, happy brthday From all of us to you Happy, happy birthday May all your dreams come true May you have happy birthdays All your whole life through Happy, happy birthday from all of us to you.

Rain? Say, even though we got 3-1/2 inches over the course of two days the other week, we're still waaaay behind for the year. Reminds me of a song, mah Peeee-pul! Oh, God told Noah to build him an Ark-y, Ark-y, God told Noah to build him an Ark-y, Ark-y Build it out of (CLAP!) Gopher barky, barky, children (ARF!) of the (WOOF!) Lord.

Woh. Doesn't that just about cover all of the topics on this website? Amazing, what a fella can encounter in an English class . . ..