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A couple years ago, all the Christmas presents that I was responsible for buying I bought online. It was a merry Christmas for me and the gifts were very well received too. I didn’t plan for it, but I hope this year will be a merry Christmas too–if you know what I mean. Have you ever done your Christmas shopping exclusively online?

It’s been over a year since I’ve blogged regularly. It’s my goal to change that, but as I can’t go back in time (yet) I’ve decided to just start up again. The plan is to make at least three posts during the regular week and once on the weekend. I’d also like to write posts interesting enough to garner a good ten or so comments each, and write succinctly enough as to not be a burden on me or my readers.

Remember back in January I was talking about switching from Blogger to another blog platform? I was thinking of Blosxom at the time, but that never happened. Well, the migration is now beginning. But I’m switching to Wordpress. You can check it out now if you’d like to, as I’m building it. In the mean time, if I’m extra stale lately over here, it’s because I’m working over here.

Aw, and Blogger™ just started spellchecking for me again.

Jenn and I were in Intercity Mall on Thursday night and walking by the Gap, I couldn’t help but notice their “try on a pair of jeans, get a free iTunes download” promotion. So, we each tried on some jeans and each got a free download. I haven’t decided what to get yet though.

The other thing, and this time I’m getting it, is a CAT scan. The doctor want to see if there are any cats in my head. You know, just in case they are causing my migranes. He suspects not, but apparently my doctor is the kind of guy who sends you in for every test there is. So, that’ll be cool—I think.

Jenn got something too… a job! She starts at KSGM Architects and Engineers on Monday. So how’s that for things really working out nice? I can’t wait to see what kind of house we’ll be getting, especially if things keep on going in the direction they are. But, if I learned one thing in Bible school (and I didn’t) it was to expect disappointment—then I won’t be let down.

So, I enjoyed seeing Flipper last night. They played a bunch of tunes from their upcoming CD. I was talking to my uncle (sort of) Brian after the show—he’s in the band—and he told me that they were still looking for a cover for the CD and asked me to send them some samples. So, that’ll be fun—maybe get to do the cover for them. I’ve got some ideas already, but I’m waiting for a little more info on the album before I get too deep into it. The album is going to be called “Damn Big Lake” and it’s being released on November 3^rd.

I want to get this out before you all do your surfing for the day. For those of you who subscribe to my RSS feed, you’ll get this in good time.

Tonight, Flipper Flanagan’s Flat Footed Four, is playing at Thunder Bay’s Marina Park, right after the Snow Birds do their thing. Jenn and I are heading there directly from work with a picnic supper to ensure good parking and a seat close to the bandshell (or wherever they’re playing.) Hope to see you there!

Last Friday at work we got talking about the Scooby Doo gang (because I slipped a picture of Shaggy in as a place holder image for one of our fictional patients in the curriculum.) One of the people I work with didn’t have a clue who Shaggy was, nor did she know anything about Scooby Doo. So, we got talking about the whole gang and found we only knew Scooby, Shaggy and Velma by name. The “beautiful people?” We couldn’t remember their names.

Let me tell you a story about me and Lance—and not Tom…

One day, many years ago, with nothing better to do (fortunately,) Lance and I decided to see a movie (and it wasn’t Deep Blue Sea) at the Victoriaville miniplex. We bought our tickets, got our snacks and rushed into the nearest theatre, just in time (we thought) for the beginning of the show. But, it wasn’t started yet. Even the previews hadn’t begun. We thought this was odd, because we thought we were going to be late. Anyways, we waited for a few minutes and a few minutes more, and eventually the previews started. They were 20 minutes late! When the movie began, it was Deep Blue Sea with L.L. Cool J and Samuel L. Jackson (talk about a lot of L’s!) We ended up enjoying the movie, mostly because it was so easy to make fun of.

And that’s the story. No Tom. When I went to confirm it with Lance tonight on MSN, this is what he said…
shroom: So, just for the record, will you confirm that you saw Deep Blue [Sea] (by mistake) with me, and not Tom?
lance: 100%
lance: i’m stepping away from the computer, i’ll give you a buzz when the tracks are ready. and tell tom nice try on getting his hands on our story

I think that settles it, eh Tom?

Thanks to Richard for making me aware of this survey. I had an inkling I’d probably top out in this category.

You scored as Reformed Evangelical. You take the Bible very seriously because it is God’s Word. You most likely hold to TULIP and are skeptical about the possibilities of universal atonement or resistible grace. The most important thing the Church can do is make sure people hear how they can go to heaven when they die.

Reformed Evangelical: 82%
Emergent/Postmodern: 68%
Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan: 64%
Fundamentalist: 57%
Neo orthodox: 57%
Classical Liberal: 32%
Charismatic/Pentecostal: 32%
Modern Liberal: 29%
Roman Catholic: 7%

What's your theological worldview?

I’d like to add that I don’t know that this assessment of me is entirely accurate. I have a hard time doing these quizzes because I know before hand what the particular questions are trying to confirm. Sometimes I play into them too much, other times, I try to outplay them. I know Karl Barth, but not that other guy, Spong, I have no clue who he is. Okay, so, here’s how weird I am. I’m doing the quiz again to see how it turns out closer to bedtime.

You are Emergent/Postmodern in your theology. You feel alienated from older forms of church, you don’t think they connect to modern culture very well. No one knows the whole truth about God, and we have much to learn from each other, and so learning takes place in dialogue. Evangelism should take place in relationships rather than through crusades and altar-calls. People are interested in spirituality and want to ask questions, so the church should help them to do this.

Emergent/Postmodern: 75%
Reformed Evangelical: 68%
Neo orthodox: 61%
Fundamentalist: 61%
Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan: 57%
Charismatic/Pentecostal: 32%
Classical Liberal: 32%
Roman Catholic: 29%
Modern Liberal: 21%

Hmm. I don’t mind this too much either. I think I’m somewhere in between. I’m an Emergent Reformist Postmodern Evangelical—or as I like to call myself, a Calvinist Sympathizer.

One final note, some of those questions are too tough to answer. I don’t know what they’re getting at. I suspect one thing, but to answer truthfully, I think I have to mislead them. Arrg!

I love the sayings of Peter. But now, I don’t have to go to my friends children to hear funny stuff—I’m related to kids who say funny things now. Here’s an example— Jenn’s cousins, Brad and Sylvia (Brad says “Hi!” by the way, Tim) stayed over last night on their way from Eagle Lake to Guelph. This morning, before work, I was hanging out with the kids out in front of the house. Lilly, three years old and the youngest of three was getting ready to leave and wanted to say goodbye, but she couldn’t remember Jenn’s name. So she asked me, “What’s the name of your lady friend?”

My lady friend? Oh, you mean Jenn! And that wasn’t the only gold she had to offer. She’s a three year old who understands the subtleties of sarcasm. When she wants to taunt her brother she says, “Porter, I love you. You’re generous.” She knows she doesn’t mean it and that it annoys him to no end being called generous. It’s great to listen too.

One more thing: Charlie refered to me as “that adult male.” More specificly, he asked “Seeing as that adult male is outside with us, can we go past the house if we’re with him?” I’m an adult male.

So, needless to say, I had a good time with the kids last night.