Leave me alone, strange old man

I was sitting in my car minding my own business, with the AC on, reading a newspaper.  A rap on the window startled me and I looked up to see an old man making the "roll down your window" sign.  Since I was in a public parking lot I didn't think much of it, so I rolled my window down.

He said, "You need to keep your window rolled down."  I just stared back at him, trying to figure out what made him in charge of windows in this particular parking lot and, yes, why he could possibly care.  "Carbon monoxide," he said.  "It's odorless, tasteless and invisible and when your car is running it can come up through your floorboards and kill you.  So you need to open your windows if you're going to sit out here with your car running."

I couldn't think of what to say so I said, "Okay, thanks."  When he walked away I rolled up my window.  Then I thought, Really?  Am I at risk when I am at a stop light, then?  I should have asked him.

I wondered if I should be worried about dying every time I sat in the car with the windows up and AC on.  But then I started thinking about his description of carbon monoxide: odorless, tasteless, invisible, deadly. I suddenly realized he wasn't talking about carbon monoxidea at all... he was talking about iocane powder!  Fortunately, I've spent the last several years building up an immunity to iocane poisoning.

Take that, old man!

Meeting Doodle #10: NINJA!

It's such a shame when ninja attack an innocent old man. On the other hand, it appears that someone stole the ninja's katanas. Maybe it was this same old men. GO GET HIM NINJA!

Eavesdropping with Matt (Episode Thirty)

Dedicated to the old man at my parents' neighborhood barbecue tonight, and to the youngish female doctor that he sought out for friendly conversation.

Old Man: Did I hear you say that you work at the hospital?

Lady: Yes.

Old Man: I don't want to go to the hospital.

Lady: You could just stop by to say hi.

Old Man: I do that sometimes. I'm (I couldn't hear the number) years old.

Lady: Well, you certainly don't look your age. You must be doing something right.

Old Man: I chase my wife around.

Lady: ha ha. That keeps you young, I guess, chasing after your wife.

Old Man: I could chase after you instead... but I would never catch you.

What I'm Reading

Why am I still up? Because I'm reading for my theology class.

In addition to some systematic theology, I'm spending some time reading Graham Cole's "He Who Gives Life" which is interesting, Dever's "Nine Marks of a Healthy Church" which is (at least) easy to read. The best book we have to read for the class is Timothy Tennent's Theology in the Context of World Christianity, which examines western theological biases and blind spots by exploring systematic theological contributions from eastern and "southern" (Latin America and Africa) theologians. It's ridiculously fascinating and insightful.

I was disturbed to discover upon looking up the link for Tennent's book that he is, apparently, only twelve years old. Behold! Here is his picture:

I would prefer that a man of his insight and accomplishments look like this:

Note to self: Medals are classy. Buy some!