May 2007 Archives

On Monday, Laura and I are off to the land of the royal family, lashings of cream, and the Piccadilly line. I've spent three months there before, but that was in the dead of winter, when we trudged across the sheep pasture on cold nights, and then had to re-route ourselves after foot and mouth disease invaded the island. This time it will be summer, and we have these events to look forward to: Tony Blair's standing down, Harry Potter #7, the Queen's birthday, and Wimbledon. Not to mention the many gardens in full bloom. Oh, and seeing Anna and Lauri again. And Keri.

So even though I'm missing many momentous events in our church, possible trips to see family, and the nonstop party that is Boston in the summer, I have plenty to which to look forward. I'll be taking classes, but will make time for Othello at the Globe Theatre, a trip to the National Gallery, a tour of Parliament, and church at All Souls. And much more, if I can help it.

I talked to Grandma Belz on the phone on Tuesday. It was her 88th birthday, and she sounded as chipper as ever. Talking to her is like reaching back to Earth after living on Mars for a while, just to remember what it was like. It gives new meaning to the cliche "down to earth."

She shares her birthday with my mom, but I didn't talk to my mom because she is in Budapest with my dad. Grandma and I conversed about the various relatives who are currently abroad and who are going abroad. Anna and soon-to-be-relative Lauri have been in Brussels for months. Emily Belz has been in France this semester. Max is going to Korea this summer to teach English. Cousins Sam and Drew are going to Kenya for three weeks with the Mac Scholars at Covenant. Cousin Julie is going to Ireland in July. Uncle Al and Aunt Julie just got back from two years in England. Laura and I are going to London this summer.

I don't know why I'm saying all this, except perhaps to illustrate how mobile our generation is. We fly to Asia at the drop of a hat, almost. Meanwhile, Grandma has stayed loyal to Iowa for all these years, and I don't think she feels like she's missed a thing. (For one thing, a lot of countries come to her at Cono). Would that I could be that content at age 88, or even now.

While I sit here suffering from the travel bug, Boston continues to be sunny and warm. Evan, Bria, Laura and I went to the beach at midnight on Saturday, but we lasted about three minutes because of the wind. I would like to go again during the more appealing daylight hours. On Sunday, four of us from church are participating in the Mothers' Walk for Peace to celebrate Mothers Day. We get to walk through 3.6 miles of Dorchester streets and support the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute. Word.

I've got legal terms on the brain as I study for my communication law final. Anyone want to know about the doctrine of overbreadth, or the Florida Star test, or the 9 exemptions to the Freedom of Information Act? Didn't think so. And yet I must study them.

I would rather be on Lookout Mountain today, watching three of my brothers participate in the 3-state, 3-mountain Challenge, a bike race that goes through Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama. I could be in the sagwagon with my fourth brother, Andrew, cruising around the mountain, rather than sitting here at my computer. But as it so happens, I am traveling to London in a couple weeks, and going to Chattanooga this weekend would not have been a wise decision.

Speaking of wise decisions, the only redeeming quality of Spiderman-3 is the cameo by Bruce Campbell. Somebody should have "prior restrained" Sam Raimi.