2006 in Review

It's been fully a year since my last post on here, yet my last post is very appropriate to the season.

A whole lot has changed in a year's time, and now we are beginning an entirely new year, 2007. So I might as well make a Year in Review Post for 2006.

Since my last post I have moved - twice. I moved out of my mom's house for the first time to an apartment building very close to school, owned by St. Thomas Hospital. That happened probably a week after that last post. I spent a couple of months there and then moved to an apartment complex about 5 miles from school. Now, it's been almost a year since then and my lease is about to run out. I'll probably be moving back to mom's house, for reasons I will explain below.

Next, I fell in and out of love with an unlikely candidate: a girl who probably is going to be a nun and is from Wisconsin. Yes, that's right, this Confederate was ensared by a Yankee woman. I guess it can happen to the best of us.

In May, after school ended, I went to Ireland with my mom. We had a great time. We started in Dublin, where we met Father O'Neill's brother and his family. They graciously invited us to dinner in their home. Father O'Neill, if I have never said, is the chaplain at my campus. Next we went to Galway, on the other side of the country. We took tours to the beautiful countryside and through the Gaelic-speaking region. We stayed a night on a tiny Island off Ireland's west coast, where the locals speak Gaelic as well. Next it was off to Northern Ireland and the town of Portrush. Northern Ireland felt less Irish and very British. This makes sense, since the majority of the people in Northern Ireland (the Protestants) consider themselves British. We nearly had no place to stay in Portrush as there was some big motorcycle thing going on. On a daytrip from Portrush we saw the beautiful Giant's Causeway. Next it was down to Belfast, where we saw the place the Titanic was built and toured the infamous Protestant and Catholic neighborhoods. I attened Mass in the absolutely gorgeous cathedral in the Catholic neighborhood. We also watched the FA cup final in a standing room only pub. Ah- the pubs. Ireland has the best pubs. I spent at least some time in a pub each day drinking Guinness of course. Then it was back to Dublin to catch our plane back home.

After Ireland I quit my job with my uncle and decided I might like to be a front desk clerk at a hotel. So I applied to a few places and scored only two interviews. One with the Hilton in Brentwood and one at the Drury by the airport. I only got one job offer - from the Drury. I ask myself if it isn't perhaps providential. Drury Hotels owned and operated by a very good Catholic family. Is it mere coincidence that the only job offer I got came from the Catholic hotel company? Anyways, I accepted the job and started in July. My official title is Guest Service Agent and I usually work 4pm-12midnight. I also occasionally bartend for the happy hour. It sounds more impressive than it is. We only make drinks that are really easy to make. However, I did have to get an alcoholic beverage server's permit from the state, which is good for 5 years. I am available for parties.

Working full time and going to school full time was tough in the fall semester, but I pulled it off and got all A's. My most interesting classes were Mariology and Moral Theology. I also learned a whole lot about the Old Testament as I took Intro. to Old Testament and Wisdom Literature.

The year ended with a bang, I would say. After dragging my feet all these years I finally took a big step towards the priesthood. I met with the bishop and got an application to be a seminarian for my diocese. He wants it back by the middle of this month along with a physical. After that he will send me for a psychological examination and give me the application for the Pontifical College Josephinum, where he wants be to attend seminary. I will get up there, God willing, in August to begin my formation. This is why I will most likely be moving back in with mom instead of taking out another lease.

Well, 2006 was a busy year with many highs and lows. I hope God blesses us all in 2007.