At Least I Was There

I know this is a few days late, but I had a lot of work to make up after the Duke UNC basketball game on Wednesday. Unfortunately we lost, but it was a good game and I was in Cameron so that is all that really mattered. Hopefully we will win next year. Anyways, here are a few photos from the game:

Carolina entering Cameron from the locker rooms:


A shot of the action:



Starting Lineups:


Dickie V arriving and hanging with a few of the Grad students in line for the game:



The remnants of K Ville, the Duke student refugee camp for tickets:

Exercise + Donuts = Insanity

So I took a small study break yesterday morning and headed over to the NC State campus for the craziest running event I have ever seen. The Krispy Kreme Challenge. I did this last year as well and really enjoyed the idea and watching everything in action. Plus, all the proceeds go to the UNC Children's Hospital ($35K to be exact). As a disclaimer, I didn't attempt the full challenge, I just go to watch and get a little exercise.

So for those brave enough to give it a go:

Run 2 miles from the NC State Belltower (a local landmark) to the Krispy Kreme
Eat a dozen Krispy Kremes (cold ones)
Run 2 miles back
Do it in less than 60 minutes

You can just imagine what happens to most of the participants and there was plenty of evidence on the street. I have put a few photos from the event below. I must say, it is nice to go to a race that the overwhelming majority don't really care about the time. There are always creative costumes and team names and everyone I met was friendly and joking around the entire run. I even met some USNA types that had gotten liberty just to come and run the race. I plan to run again next year to watch and help out the kids.


Festivities at the Krispy Kreme



People eating their donuts, notice the guy with the duct tape, he taped speakers and an iPod to his body to provide tunes for everyone on the race course.


5200 runners lining up. You can see some of the costumes in the crowd.

This is just plain funny

A friend told me about this segment on Ellen and it is just too funny to not attempt to spread around the internet. I laughed so hard and Ellen's reaction to the comment "I love Jesus but I drink a little" is priceless.

Presbytery Fun

So I got back from LA and the Presbytery meeting late Sunday night. Then I spent all day yesterday and today playing catch up from the trip. I now feel back on track. Amazing what a short weekend trip can do to the study habits. I did get to see some great friends, two of whom are leaving in a few months that I will really miss when I travel out there next school year. I did get to satisfy my Jamba Juice addiction, there aren't any out here, and really enjoyed the 70 degree weather. Especially seeing how it is in the teens tonight with a good chance of snow.

Some observations on the meeting. It confirms my suspicion that the PCUSA is just spinning it's wheels around the wrong issue. I posted about it already on this blog. I just think that we are focusing on the symptoms and not the root cause of the denomination losing its focus. There was a meeting here in Durham about an upcoming amendment regarding ordination standards and the wording was so weak that it would pass the lawyer test, but doesn't really change anything or say anything. I guess, it is just more ambiguity for pastors to navigate in explaining what it means to be Presbyterian.

On a positive note, I got a good feel for what it will be like going for candidacy later this year and ordination next year. We had a number of individuals hit those marks on Saturday and I am confident in my ability to navigate the landmines in the process. Now just to pass the exams in August. I was also very impressed by the theological care and debate around the ecumenical statements that the church proposed. It was nice to see something honestly debated and voted on and then everyone going about their business after the vote. Hopefully that trend continues when they vote on the ordination standards later this year.

Perhaps the most amusing thing occurred on Friday night when there was a high speed chase on the 91 in LA. It started at 2217, but the TV stations didn't go live until 2300 and then kept it live until the arrest at 2332, just in time for Leno and Letterman. It was riveting TV with the commentator in the helicopter narrating and getting everyone excited for the pit maneuver that never happened. The driver hit the wall on his own and then slowed down to a stop and got arrested. Got to love LA in January. Last year, I got to watch the Griffith Park fire on TV all night. Come to think of it, I haven't seen a full news cast at night out there in a while due to crazy events.

Well, time to relax a bit before getting some shut eye and try to catch up on lost sleep.