Backpacks, Grills and Greek

So, this weekend we went to our local Target to get a couple of things (read: we had a list of 6 things and bought 23 things....like normal). A special note of interest about our Target is that is CHARGES FOR PARKING in their parking lot if you stay more than 2 hours. Never seen that before.

One of the things that, after a week of carrying around my briefcase and hating life, I needed to get was a backpack. Just a regular old, nothing fancy, hold my books and a pencil, backpack--preferably black. Holy Cow (said Harry Carry-tone. See this site for some more special Harry Carry noises: http://www.powermaxconsulting.com/HarrySounds.htm) Anyway, I was surprised at how backpacks have changed since last I had one--back in 1992. There are things like cell phone pouches, mesh pockets for water bottles, and on my new backpack a "media pocket" that is specifically designed to fit either an ipod or CD player. Neat. Also, backpacks have become hella expensive! BUT, that is a topic for another rant in another posting.

The other thing that we purchased that we truly needed was a small charcoal grill. Our wonderful apartment complex doesn't allow propane on premise anywhere. What the propane industry did to the owners of our apartment complex to warrant such a total ban is beyond me. Personally, I think that propane is a wonderful cooking fuel, acceptable substitute for diesel in city buses, fuel for forklifts, etc. BUT....I digress. (and I couldn't think of any more common uses for propane. Peep this website for some additional uses that I couldn't think of http://www.npga.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=817 The National Propane Gas Association or NPGA for short I guess)

OK, back to the action... Now when I say small, I mean 14" across small. The good news about that is that it is really portable and doesn't use much charcoal. The bad news is that is USES CHARCOAL. Having had a monstrosity of a gas grill at our house in Cincinnati (which rocked by the way), it was a step back in grilling evolution to go to briquettes. It was like picking up a piece of paper, a pen, finding a stamp and envelope and actually WRITING someone a LETTER *gasp!*

At Target they have the regular charcoal, not the matchlight kind. I remember from a previous decade (the last time I had a charcoal grill) that lighter fluid infused charcoal was a modern miracle....a modern miracle that Target didn't have. So I looked around and found these new inventions from Kingsford (the same people that brought us matchlight charcoal mind you) that replace traditional lighter fluid. "Sweet!" I thought. Fast forward--yeah, those don't work. At all. BUT the grill does. I will say this: even though it is a pain in the rear end to get the charcoal up and running it DOES taste better than cooking on a propane gas grill.

So to answer a couple of questions that I know are just about to burst from everyone reading this blog: 1) YES, I still have my eyebrows. 2) NO, nothing else at our apartment complex has caught on fire from my grilling (emphasis on "from my grilling") 3) YES, I have lit other things on fire in the grill aside from charcoal and meat.

Sub-plot-story: I made the statement at one of our tables in the Refectory at lunch on Wednesday that charcoal grilling tasted better than gas-grilled meat and started world war three amongst about 5 of my fellow seminarians. Much the same way you can start a brawl at just about any gathering of strangers by blurting out, "Skyline Chili is HORRIBLE!"

OK so the second part of this entry is about Greek. I decided to take Greek after much deliberation, thought, prayer, and flipping of coins. One of the powerful arguments to take Hebrew (my other choice in biblical languages I could take) came from a fellow seminarian who is a year ahead of me. She said, "Matthew, you have to take Hebrew, it is the language in which God first spoke to God's creation." OK, that was something I hadn't thought of.

But, in the end I chose Greek and it has gone, for at least the first week, VERY well. This is due in part to our professor who is both challenging and gentle with us as we all learn this new language. We had a quiz on Friday and I think I did very well. One thing that makes me laugh is that our TA, Mitch, is the largest human being I have ever met. Seriously. Andrew Parlin looks like a little girl next to this guy. Yes, that is a big statement for any of you that know Andrew Parlin, but it is a true statement. 6'11" 325 pounds. And, much like Mr. Parlin, one of the nicest people I've had the blessing to know.

OK, I'm off to the grocery store. Holly has trusted me to do the shopping this week. We're trying to find a grocery store we like--so far, nothing great. But I remain hopeful that TODAY is the day we find the store we'll go to for the next 3 years. It will also be one of the last times Holly lets me go to the grocery store unsupervised. Like Lowe's and Home Depot before it, I'm confident that Giant Grocery Stores will be on the "Needs Parental Supervision" list for me.

More about THAT later. Our love to you all.