Adventures with...

Well, this is a little late in coming but better late than never.

I would like to tell you a story...

Last Friday (October 19th), my Mom, little brother and I were headed to LAX to pick up my Dad and Fr Beau in the church van (mini-van) at 5:30 pm PST. As we made our way across town, weaving through the ill-planned freeway system, we were laughing at jokes being made, and talking about the traffic and how it all ways seemed that they put the different freeway junctions in the strangest spots. At approx. 5:15 pm we had gotten through the thickest part of the traffic (we were sailing down the freeway at 15 to 20 mph) and were probably about 15 to 20 minutes from LAX when we heard a roaring sound. My mom said, "Is that one of the other cars?" So we waited and while we were waiting Mom dropped our speed a bit. The roar changed pitch. Once another car passed us, Mom said: "That's us." So she began moving us toward the side of the freeway. As she was changing lanes the roar was joined but a violent shaking of the van. What ended up be the side of the freeway was the V of an on-ramp onto the freeway. So she moved the car over the on-ramp to the wall. As the cars zoomed by us Mom said: "You call, Dad and I'll call AAA." I called Dad and told him of our predicament and told him that we would be late to pick them up. My mom meanwhile was getting AAA and her conversation went something like this:
"This is AAA how can I help you?"
"Hi, I have a flat tire on the I-110."
"ooooo."
"Yeah."
"Can you tell me which tire it is?"
"The front drivers side."
"Can you tell me where you are?"
"We are at Call Box 110 175."
"Great! I know exactly where you are I can see you."
"How long will it take the tow truck?"
"About 25 minutes."
"That's wonderful thank you."
"You're welcome."

So for 25 minutes we sat at the side of I-110 S waiting for the tow truck and watching the cars whip by us. 25 minutes later, the tow truck pulled up in front of us, and we could immediately see that the driver was trying to figure out how he was going to change our tire without getting himself run over. He was a friendly little guy, and we were quickly laughing when he told Mom to move to the back of the car without getting out of the car. As it turned out I moved and let Mom just slide to the passenger seat. Then our friendly tow truck driver tried to release the spare tire. Well, after he said: "No good." three times we all pilled into his tow truck which would seat two safely. Anyway, once we (the three Ks) were in the passenger side we quickly discovered that the truck door wouldn't close because it had wedged itself into the wall. Well the friendly tow truck driver put his back against the side of the truck, planted his feet on the wall and pushed, all the while trying to pull the door closed. When this didn't work, as we left he pulled away from the wall and were able to close the door.

We then made our way off the freeway and to a tire shop which was a good ways from the freeway but much closer to the airport and was in fact on the incoming flight path for the planes. So we could see all the planes lining up and shinning there lights so it looked like little fairies flying through the air. It was after they got the car off the tow truck that we first saw the tire. The tire was a shredded blown-out mass of rubber. We laughed as we watched the tire flop around on the rim as they drove up to one the lifts. It wasn't too long after that we were on our way to the airport again.

Now let me say this: we had a blow-out. Had we not been in rush hour traffic we could have lost control and well... one scenario is that I wouldn't be writing this post right now. Had we left at 4 o'clock like we had originally planned we would have been going a lot faster than we were.

That said, God was watching over us. How many times do you think He change our plans so that something bad doesn't happen?

A New Kelley

Yesterday, the Kelley family welcomed it's newest member of the family: Haven Marie Kelley.

(they say a picture is worth a thousand words)


FYI: this picture was taken when Haven was just a few minutes old. ;-)

The Opening Night

Wednesday night as my family and I were watching the African Queen, the church phone rang, at first I wonder who would be calling us at that time of night, but then I remembered the fact that since my dad is the priest, he can potentially receive calls at all hours, so I just stated talking to Mom and Drew. Then Dad started saying things like: Thursday, seven o'clock, four tickets, directions, etc.

As it turns out, the person on the phone was one of the leaders of the actors group that meets in our Parish Hall on Mondays (the ones who give us fruit). She had four free tickets to the opening night of the LA Philharmonic at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown LA.

We arrived in time to see John Vought going down the blue carpet with his wife. There were of course lots of people, many in suits and dresses. Then there were some in tuxes and such, they tended to be carrying music cases and looked like musicians.

It took a while to find the person with our tickets... or should I say he found us. Curious looking man, let me tell you, but I was so happy when I heard someone in the sea of unfamiliar faces, say: "Father!" Granted that could have been confusing for some, but when your dad is a priest and everyone calls him either "Father" or "Father Kelley" you get used it it.

We get in there and climb a few flights of stairs and then take an elevator we arrived on the fifth floor balcony. There was no one up there. Well, except for the ushers. The seats, while being very high, were excellent. The first instrument I looked for by the way, Mr W, was a bassoon, and as it turned out there were four.

For my musically inclined friends (specifically the W-s) here's what they played:
• "Love Scene" from Romeo and Juliet by Hector Berlioz (1803-1869)
• Shéhérazade by Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)
⁃ Asie
⁃ La flûte enchantée
⁃ L'indifférent
• Ritirata noturna di Madrid by Luigi Boccherini (1743-1805) / Luciano Berio (1925-2003)
• The following are by Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924)
⁃ "O mio babbino caro" from Gianni Schicchi
⁃ Vissi d'arte" from Tosca
• "Ball Scene" from Romeo and Juliet

Shéhérazade and the music by Giacomo Puccini the orchestra was accompanied by Renée Fleming who is a soprano. She was excellent, and I should probably mention the song that was not on the list... she did "I Could Have Danced All Night" from My Fair Lady, which she had the audience sing along with her.

At the end of the performance, after we had clapped for several minutes there was suddenly a thunderous BOOM and blue and silver streams shot out the sides of the room and descended upon those below us.

Anyway, that was my adventure at the Walt Disney Concert Hall... and my first premier.

Will ya look at that...

I was sitting at my dad's desk last night grabbing a few minutes on the web when Fr Beau (the curate, aka Dad's assistant) came in. He then held up a church magazine for me to see, and as I looked, he turned it around to the back and pointed to something on the back...

Much to my surprise I found this:


I was very, very shocked, because you see, The Messenger Journal, is "a traditional Anglican communication" which is an international publication. It was actually published in Australia, and goes out all over the place.

So now, my dear friends, I can say that have had my work published in an international publication. While I'm not given credit in words, you will notice my mark in the corner of the "photo". Never in my wildest imaginings would I have thought that that picture would be sent around the world. And to think that it just started out as a way to humor a new friend...

The World is Getting Smaller

With all the technology we have now days, it seems to me that the world is getting smaller. I can be sitting in LA but see my brother's study in TN. I can call friends in MI and help them decide on cameras. I can go on the web and find people I haven't seen since my last mission trip to México. Who knows, in the coming years they may figure out how to the telaporting that we thought would only be in the Sci-Fi stories.

Once upon a time I thought running into someone I knew while I was at the store made the world small... now I know what that ride at Disneyland means... "Though the mountains and oceans are wide, it's a small world after all!"

Life in a Church

The life of a PK (Preacher or Priest take your pick) is always an interesting one. They generally end up spending a good deal of time at their father's church...
I've always found that that statement didn't quite fit me. No, from the time I was born I've found myself actually living in the church. Seriously, when I was born my parents were living above the church my father was serving at, so when I was brought home from the hospital it was to a church.
Over the years, since my dad hasn't had a church to pastor, I found myself not in churches that much, until NCCC that is. I quickly discovered that I did "live" at NCCC for the majority of my time there. In fact, I agree with my friend who said: "This is home [NCCC], I just sleep at my house."
Now, I find myself being a PK again. Granted I've always been one, but I realized that everyone would again recognize me as the PK when I hear them refer to my dad as "Father". The first couple of times threw me for a minute, but now I've gotten used to it.
Also, I find myself living in a church... again Yes, I'm living in the Dodd Cottage behind the church, but it's only six feet from the back door of the church. And since we're still settling in, I find myself over at SMA (Saint Mary of the Angels) more often then not. They have a fully equipped kitchen (including professional ice maker, and washer and dryer), where we find ourselves when we need to bake things, since our oven doesn't work. We jokingly call the Parish Hall our formal dinning room. Being in a ranch style one-bedroom cottage, we make up for the lack of stairs, by daily walking to the church office for our dose(s) of internet.
SMA rents out the parish hall during the week, since we aren't using it. So we have a variety of people who we see that don't go to our church. On Sunday nights, we have a choral group, who are spectacular; on Mondays we have an actors group; and on Wednesdays and Fridays there are AA groups that meet. It makes getting into the church interesting at times, I don't have all the keys I'm supposed to have yet, so I can't go through the less noticeable passages, but hopefully I will be able to get them soon. Often times, these groups will leave goodies and such for us, the actors regularly give us fruits such as watermelons.
Last Saturday, I found myself up on the roof of the cottage cleaning out the gutters that hadn't been cleaned in some time. I was the subject of attention by the parishioners (church members) who came. The choir director saw me up there when he arrived to practice the organ, and said: "The auditions for Peter Pan have been delayed." The treasurer came out and commented on the mess I was making... though when he first came out I had gone to the other side of the house, and Drew was there trying to sweep up the mess I had made. So when the treasurer said: "Look, at the mess you've made." and Drew replied: "She did it!" and pointed to the roof, I wasn't seen. It was a rather humorous day.

Anyway... that's life in church.

Communication

In a world of technology, being unable to communicate is frustrating. When you're a computer person and used to being on the internet, and having instant access to e-mail, friends and family, the world wide web in general, being without it is very, very annoying. Having been one the major techs at NCCC and having done stuff right up until I left, being without it suddenly is rather well, vexing. When the e-mail and various internet websites (i.e. FaceBook, Blogger and the like) are the only way you can keep up with what your friends are doing being cut off from it is really hard.

Really, though, I was doing well until a few days ago and started going stir crazy being cooped up in the Dodd Cottage. I started realizing just how cut off from the world I was. By the way, I don't have any TV at the moment either. How much more cut off can you get? The only way I can find out what is happening, is to hike through the church to my dad's office.

Don't think that I'm implying that "I don't like LA" or anything like that, I'm really enjoying it. It's just kind of boring at times. Trying to get settled in, get things going, figuring out what my place is exactly. At NCCC I knew what my role was and could do it very well; here they do not have a projector and really they don't have that many computers either. They aren't making flyers for events, they aren't making movies to help illustrate sermon points... I suppose you could say I'm out a job.

Anyway, back to the main point. Let's face it. The world revolves around instant communication now days, and when you're out of the loop, well, it can get rather boring.


PS ~ I will be getting my cable and internet soon. Hopefully tomorrow. :-)