Just under a year ago I had the opportunity to see Snow Patrol in concert in San Francisco. It was a great experience. I can still picture it in my mind when I hear their music.
A lot has happened for this band in the course of that year. Their album came out. They got HUGE! Their music is played on soundtracks in every store - including Long's Drugs and Walgreen's. And then they planned an American tour. A show in San Francisco was the third night of this tour.
When I first heard they were coming back I was really excited to see them again. And then I learned that the show would be at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. This venue is about as opposite from the Great American Music Hall, where I saw them before, as one can get. I ruled out going to the show because I really dislike big venues.
Then I listened to their album while traveling for Christmas. And then again several weeks later. I had to admit that I still enjoy their music even if it has been accepted by the American mainstream. (sigh)
So I bought tickets to the show. It was last night. It wasn't the horror that I thought it might be. They have definitely worked on the showmanship aspect of their performance - including effects like fog and graphics on big screens behind them - but their music is still what inspired me the first time I heard them.
The really suprising part of the whole evening was being surrounded by thousands of screaming teenage girls. Boy did I feel old. In between texting to their friends they were jumping up and down to the beat and screaming adoration to the band members.
I don't think I'll give in to the urge to see a concert at the Bill Graham again. But I'm glad I went.
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Last week during a staff meeting I was introduced to the poetry of Hafiz (also spelled Hafez), a 14th century Persian poet and mystic. The poem that my colleague read to us was taken from I Heard God Laughing: Renderings of Hafiz by Daniel Ladinsky.
God's sense of humor has been on my mind a lot lately so I was interested to learn more about this book and Hafez in general. My colleague lent me her book so that I could flip through it and read some of the verses written there.
One that really struck me is called "Several Times in the Last Week":
Ever since Happiness heard your name,
It has been running through the streets
Trying to find you.
And several times in the last week,
God Himself has even come to my door -
Asking me for your address!
Once I said,
"God,
I thought You knew everything.
Why are You asking me
Where your lovers live?"
And the Beloved replied,
Indeed, Hafiz, I do know Everything -
But it is fun playing dumb once in a while.
And I love intimate chat
And the warmth of your heart's fire.
Maybe we should make this into a song -
I think it has potential!
How does this refrain sound,
For I know it is a Truth:
Ever since Happiness heard your name,
It has been running through the streets
Trying to find you.
And several times in the last week,
God Himself has come to my door -
So sweetly asking for your address,
Wanting the beautiful warmth of your heart's fire.
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I just got back from running the Marin Trails 20k put on by the fine folks at Envirosports. They are by far my favorite race organizers. They have a great attitude toward running that is often missing at other races - they want us to enjoy it.
And well they should. The races they put together traverse some of the most scenic landscapes in the San Francisco Bay Area (and beyond). To allow people the chance to really appreciate where they are running, Dave (who founded Envirosports with his wife Wendy) encourages runners to take advantage of Enviro-timing: If anyone stops to take in the beautiful scenery, they are encouraged to note how long they stopped so that they can report it when they finish. That time will then be subtracted from their overall time.
To be fair, no one can win the overall or age bracket races using this special timing. But it does free those of us not planning on taking either of those prizes to take time to appreciate where we are. Also, on the practical side, it cuts down on the injuries since people aren't trying to look around while running over stones, roots, and other things typically found on trails.
I have run this race a couple of times before and have always enjoyed it - despite the really, really hard climb in the middle of it. When I went to look for my previous results I was surprised to learn that I haven't run this since 2004.
Back then it was billed as a half marathon (although I kind of doubted that since my times were much better than in road races of the same length). Since then it has been changed to a 20k. And the change came towards the beginning when we skipped a section of the 10k out-and-back course. That was a flatter section that was cut, I might add.
I also was surprised to find that my times were pretty much the same the two previous runs as today. I seem to run this trail race at a little over 8:30 per mile. Again today I finished right in that area. I'm not sure what that says for my efforts (or lack there of) to train. But, I'm guessing that people who know me won't be surprised to see the adjective "consistent" used to describe me.
It was definitely a lovely way to kick off a lovely day. Thanks once again Envirosports for doing what you do and doing it so well.
Update: The results were just posted on the Envirosports web site. Surprise! I finished 3rd in my age group (female runners age 35-39). Yet another reason why I love running races with Envirosports - they are small enough that I actually have a chance of placing well even though I'm an average runner. Now I'm eagerly awaiting my ribbon in the mail!
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Tomorrow I face the last hurdle to being ordained in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). I have to go before the Presbytery of San Francisco to stand for my "Trials of Ordination." This is the culmination of many years of work with the Presbytery aimed as showing that I am indeed a good candidate to be ordained as a Minister of Word and Sacrament.
At 10:30 am (if the group is able to stay on schedule) I will be standing before all those gathered to read a bit from my statement of faith, which they have in the packet of information sent out for the meeting. After that it's a free-for-all: the floor is opened to everyone to ask me questions about anything.
Ostensibly, the questions should be aimed a proving that my theology is orthodox enough and my understanding of church will build up the community not tear it apart. But in this age of bickering over who one can love, the questions can sometimes get very personal and uncomfortable. This is a rather daunting prospect for me.
I have been assured by many people that I have nothing to worry about, but I am by nature a worrier. So please send good thoughts into the universe tomorrow on my behalf. I'll let you know how it all goes.
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All that's left to do is the celebrating!
Today I successfully sustained my trials of ordination on the floor of Presbytery. YAY! Everyone I talked with leading up to this day told me I had nothing to worry about, but as I've said before, worrying is what I do. So I entered the meeting this morning with a bit of trepidation.
And that feeling only grew stronger when I watched the trials of ordination of a woman seeking to be ordained as a hospice chaplain. She was called forward first. After reading a bit of her statement of faith the floor was opened to questions and person after person approached the microphone to ask her about things she had written there as well as in her short biography. She answered question 4, then 5, 6, 7... and still they came. Finally someone called for the questions to end. In the end the body agreed to approve her for ordination as a Minister of Word and Sacrament.
As I watched all of this unfold I thought things could go one of two ways: either people had exhausted themselves with all of that questioning or they had just whipped themselves into a frenzy and I was about to face a similar situation. Lucky for me it was the former. I read, was asked the opening question by my liaison, and then two pastors whom I know well got up to ask me easy questions and that was it.
And with that I was approved to become a Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). So now all that is left is the celebration of the ordination service. This celebration won't actually happen until the end of next month since we are entering one of the busiest periods in the life of the church - the end of Lent and Holy Week.
So mark your calendars for Sunday, 29 April 2007 at 4 pm at Calvary Presbyterian Church in San Francisco. That's when I officially become the Reverend Leslie Veen. I'd love to see you there to help me celebrate.
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March 24, 2007 — 12:25 PM
Today I was out for a lovely (if chilly) run up and over the hills of the Presidio in San Francisco. I was beginning my fourth mile and the second major climb when I passed a man walking with his dog. This is a common thing on the pathways of the Presidio - a popular place for people to walk with their dogs off leash. I was 5-10 feet passed the man when I suddenly heard the dog bark menacingly and turned to see it charging at me!
Now this dog was not of a breed that is typically seen as dangerous. Actually, this dog struck as one that would be more cuddly. But when I hear a growling dog and see it running at me, I take it seriously. I was chased enough on the rural roads of Southern Michigan as a runner in high school to know better than to ignore any dog.
So I stopped running, turned, and faced the dog. It continued to growl and ran right up to me. I told it to stop and told it to go back to the man. Then I looked at the man thinking he would call the dog back.
What happened next was totally surreal. The man was holding a cell phone to his ear and just stood there staring at me. When he continued to do nothing I told him to get his dog away from me. Another thing I had learned in high school was not to start running again until the dog was under control of the owner unless I wanted to be chased again.
At this point the man began to yell - AT ME! And my comment that I should be able to run on the path without being chased by his dog didn't seem to help the situation in any way. As I ran away he continued to yell at me that his dog should be able to walk on the path without having to deal with me. And that his dog probably just hated women runners with white hats and long hair in a braid. And... I don't know what he said next because I was too far away, but I could still hear him going on.
I'm obviously still bothered by this since I'm blogging about it. It's just hard for me to understand how I deserved to be yelled at when I didn't do a single thing to provoke the dog and just wanted the man to keep the dog under voice control, which is the law when they are off leash. He never once said anything to the dog. All of his words were directed at me.
So much for my lovely run. Although I must admit that I didn't even think about how steep the hill was because I was so incensed by the whole encounter. I guess I put the adrenaline rush from the confrontation to good use.
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March 27, 2007 — 12:38 PM
Last night I had dinner with a friend at Savor in Noe Valley. I had been there once before for Sunday brunch and had enjoyed it (even with the wait in the rain for a table). So I was happy to go there again.
As I walked in I noticed a completely different feel to the place. It was much quieter and calmer due to the lack of a line out the door. I told the waitress that I was meeting a friend and she invited me to take a look around to see if she was already seated somewhere in the restaurant - which she was.
I looked over the plethora of choices on the menu and had decided on a salad when I happened to notice the menu of the specials for the evening. It included one of my all-time favorite dishes: wild mushroom and parmesan rissoto with truffle oil. I had to get that. My enthusiasm for this dish was infectious and my friend decided to order the dish as well. It was excellent - as I had hoped.
It was also a lot of food. Both my friend and I ended up eating only about half of the portion given to us. At the end of the meal we both asked to take the other half home with us. Our waitress kindly obliged and commented that she would make sure to remember which plate came from which customer because they looked identical.
When she returned, the waitress set down two small boxes. One read "Leslie" and the other "Kim". I looked at my friend with amazement and asked, "How'd she know that?" I had not given my name or any piece of identification (like a credit card) for her to see.
Kimberley had told the waitress when she first sat down who she was and that she was waiting for a freind named Leslie so that when I came in I could be directed to the right table without having to wait. The waitress remembered that and used it to keep our left overs straight.
I'm impressed. I can't remember a person's name even when I stand and talk to them for a while, let alone hearing it once, doing some work, and then remembering it out of the blue!
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