1. My great uncle, Uncle Jim, died this past week.  He was the patriarch of the family.  He was in his nineties.  His showing is today, and his funeral is tomorrow.  He was a very devout Catholic man, and although I didn’t get to see him often, I was quite fond of him.  My father is rather notorious among his relatives for having been a rather, er, incorrigible youth, even through his twenties.  He has a rather colorful past.  I’m told he put Dennis the Menace to shame.  (He actually still acts like he’s about forty years younger than he really is, but I’ve heard stories.  I’m willing to give credit where credit is due.  He has improved quite a bit!)  Uncle Jim and I talked a couple of years ago, and after quite a bit of talking, he was baffled that I could be “Joey’s” girl.  He proclaimed me a party pooper (jokingly, of course), and then began to laugh at my father’s fate of having such a straight-laced daughter after he was anything but as a young man.  I will miss Uncle Jim’s stories, but I pray his soul will soon join his siblings’.  Tell my grandparents how dearly I love and miss them, Uncle Jim, and if it’s not too much to ask, give Jesus a high-five for me.

2. I often wonder if my father and I would have gotten along if we were the same age.  I think he would have thought me a boring, know-it-all goody-two-shoes and I would have thought him an immature, temperamental sleaze bucket.  However, I think that after some conversation, we’d hold much of the same opinions we hold of one another now.  He’d still think I’m a know-it-all goody-two-shoes, but he would no longer think I’m boring; he would find me quite entertaining and easy to talk to.  I would still think he’s all of those things, but I’d realize that he also is capable of maturity when absolutely necessary, his temperamental behavior comes from his sensitivity and insecurity, and that he has a good heart, and a rather big one at that.  There would be much banter and an ever present desire to simultaneously hug him and deck him, but I’m pretty sure that would be mutual.

3. I was originally planning on only being able to go home in December for Christmas Eve through the weekend.  However, things have aligned in such a way that I have been able to extend my stay when I go back.  Plane tickets seem to be cheaper on Tuesdays, so I got my tickets Tuesday evening.  I will be in Indiana from 22 December through 7 January.  That’s a little over two weeks!  I am immensely excited.  I will get to meet Alice, and I will get to spend a lot of time with her.  I’ll get to see my sister’s house and stay with her for a bit.  Actually, I usually house hop when I go home.  Now I’ll just be house hopping between my father’s house, my brother’s house and my sister’s house.  I’m really looking forward to spending time with them all.  It’ll be a year since I last saw them when I go home.

4. What Catholics Believe, Boston University’s name for RCIA, started up this week.  I’ve been involved with the program every year since I went through it myself.  I love it.  It’s a great reminder of my own beginning wobbly steps four years ago.  Who am I kidding?–I’m still stumbling constantly, and I’m still a Catholic neophyte.  It renews my faith and gives me the opportunity to maybe hold others’ hands as they take their first wobbly steps.  My role will be pretty much the same this year–leading a small group, emceeing every third week, coming up with small group questions and giving one or two talks each semester.  This requires me to give up viewing The Vampire Diaries and Supernatural on Thursday nights.  I’m used to giving up Supernatural, but this is the first year I’ve had to give up two television shows.  I’m thankful that I can get both online, though.  And, if I’m not mistaken, reruns of each week’s The Vampire Diaries is played on Saturdays.  Can anyone confirm this?  Can anyone give me a time?  Even with two shows, it’s still worth it.

5. Today I found out who is on the committee for my thesis defense.  I was also given an official date.  My defense will be 14 December.  I don’t think this will improve my already shaky relationship with Mondays, but at least it’s at 3:30 in the afternoon, so there’s that.  I have to have my first draft in by 26 October.  My advisor will have a week to go over everything and mark what I need to revise.  I originally had until 12 November to submit my thesis to my examiners.  However, that date has been moved back.  I now have until 20 November.  Do not let this confuse you; I have to have it all “done” with my first draft.  Then I just get time to polish it and revise so it’s even better.  26 October is the big, scary date.  Don’t ask me how things are going–that’s nerve-wracking to a grad student.  Let it suffice that they’re going, and in the meantime, I wouldn’t mind you saying many, many prayers on my behalf.  My patron saint is St Brigid.  She’s the patron saint of scholars.  Please direct your heavenly correspondence accordingly.

6. My father got a new cell phone today, and I was the first person the cutie called to make sure it worked properly and his numbers were transferred correctly.  I think he just wanted an excuse to call me, though.   He promised to give my love and prayers to everyone at Uncle Jim’s showing today, and he reminded me to pray for Uncle Jim (I already am).  Then he asked if I’m still praying for him.  I jokingly said, “Oh, no, I gave that up quite some time ago.  You’re pretty much a lost cause.”  And then his voice got panicky and sad as he said, “What?  You think I’m a lost cause?  If you think I’m a lost cause, then…”  It broke my heart.  I quickly told him that I was joking and that I still pray for him nearly every time I pray.  He seemed to calm down after that.  I still feel awful.  I feel like I kicked his proverbial puppy.  After I ran it over.  Twice.

7. Dollhouse starts tonight!  I’m really not one for television.  Every time I turn it on randomly, I cringe and then say a quick prayer in thanksgiving that I’m more of a bookworm, anyway.  However, there are a few shows I do enjoy, and that’s one of them.  The only remaining one, after my Thursday shows, is Castle, which I just found out started up this week, and I missed it.  I have a weekly online date with a friend while we watch Dollhouse.  It’s good fun.

You can read other quick takes over at Conversion Diary.