Too Much Information

Marie, Avery, and I went to the library's staff picnic at the zoo last night. We frolicked, rode the train, and tried to ride the carousel (but there were too many dang kids), then finally headed home. On the way back, we were quite hot and thirsty, and decided that water and ice cream (not combined, of course) sounded like the perfect treat. We pulled into Sonic, and our order went something like this:

Sonic girl: Thanks for choosing Sonic, how can I help you?

Marie: Can I get three ice cream cones, three bottles of water, and three napkins?

Sonic girl: (pause) Ok, that was three ice creams, three waters, and...three napkins?

Marie: Oh no wait, actually could you make it six napkins? We're messy eaters.

Sonic girl: Ok, six napkins. (She is openly laughing at us now.)

We all managed to contain our laughter until the speaker went off. Avery and I had to ask Marie why she thought she needed to order napkins. Turns out, she just meant to ask for extra napkins, but in the heat of the moment she got carried away. When our order came, we had not three, not six, but SEVEN napkins! Now that's what I call customer service.

First, Let Me Tell You My Version

So on the message board I frequent, there has been a recent discussion on versions of the Bible. Specifically, whether certain versions are less accurate due to faulty sourcing or unscrupulous translators. I've found it interesting, as I've never really given much thought to the matter. I still have my Student Life Application Bible (New Living Translation) that I got when I was, what, 11 or 12? To me, that is "The Bible", and it actually feels kind of strange studying with another Bible. Even my little metal Bible that I take to church is NLT.

I thought it was interesting that many people said they enjoyed the NLT for casual reading, as it is written in more common language and therefore easier to understand, but they use the NASB or ESV for serious study as they impart more meaning. And then there's the whole wing of KJV and NKJV only, but while I think the KJV is linguistically beautiful, I find its archaic language to be more of a hindrance than a help for study or casual reading.

I found this Translation Comparison Chart useful, as I've never compared versions head to head. I have never really considered the word-to-word versus thought-for-thought aspect of Bible translations, but upon further thought I suppose it does make a difference, and you might look to opposite ends of the spectrum depending on your purpose for reading. So, tell me your thoughts. What translations do you prefer, and why? Do you like a different version for casual reading than study?

All around the mulberry bush, the monkey chased the weasel, the monkey thought twas all in fun...

You know the rest.

It's Jellybean Season!

It's the most wonderful time of the year! (Well, almost.) 11 months of every year, one is limited to inferior indulgences when searching for a sweet treat. But now...Valentine's is over...4th of July isn't here yet...the stores are filled with JELLYBEANS! Orbs of every flavor and hue, enough to make a confectioner weep with joy. I urge you, DO NOT LET this season go to waste! Stock up on these precious beans while you still can! I know I will! Happy jellybean season!


(Oh, and Easter.)

What Would Jesus Grow?

Today, we had our first meeting for the Tulsa Community Garden. I was really excited about the idea of having a community garden, but now that we're actually talking about everything it entails, I worry that I may be in a bit over my head, as the last thing I successfully grew was a lima bean in a cup. There was talk of staking and natural pest control (for it is an organic garden,) of powdery mildew resistance and even how to keep squirrels from stealing your tomatoes. I've never even had to consider defending my produce from vermin! So I'm kind of in an information overload. I haven't decided yet if I still want to participate in the garden. If I do, I have a lot of catching up to do.

In other news, we had our board game club again last night. We played Sequence! We had so many people that we had to play on teams, which adds an interesting wrinkle. But it was a lot of fun, then I taught them how to play Sorry with hands of cards. They were reluctant at first, but I insisted that my method made the game much more fun, and by the end they all agreed with me! Next time I'm going to teach them how to play Pit! After that, I think it will be something involving slapping...

Where's the Meat?

So I was walking through my kitchen when I noticed a small, wet feeling under my sock. I looked at the bottom of my foot, and it appeared that a small circle of bologna was stuck to my sock! I thought that, one, I don't even eat bologna, and two, how much has my housekeeping slipped, that I have circles of lunchmeat stuck to my floor? I looked closer, and realized what it really was:

Walking in a Tulsa Wonderland

As you can see, we have received nearly an inch of winter precipitation. Which of course means that the city is shut down. This is the view from my balcony this morning. Can you spot the Kia? It still hasn't gotten used to this weather. When it gets cold, the driver's side door freezes shut. Once you get in (through the passenger door) it keeps relocking when you try to open it from the inside! Silly Kia.