My mom's been in town for a week, and we've had a good time hanging out. She's met quite a few of my friends, but she could always meet more, so consider coming this Saturday to an afternoon get-together before the usual Saturday night reckless dissipation.

What: "Fixin' To Do" Tea (a Texas phrase...)

When: 2pm to 6pm, Saturday, November 23

Where: 169 N. Holliston Apt. #1, PASADENA [map]

(Union St. will be a good place to find parking.)

Come on over and say hi. My mom's a real wildcard, what with traveling all around the country, a real Thelma without Louise, so you're lucky she's stopped by at all.

This weekend I went to an event called "Walk With Me"
in Torrance. My friend Tim has been going to a start-up church down there. And wouldn't you know it, I ran into a guy I met three years ago at a Campus Crusade Millenial meeting. His name's Ramon Mayo and he's got his own blog. He took the liberty of reminding me of the following:

We both signed this millenial pledge to give one year of our lives to the Lord in full time ministry. Shane set a date for 2099. Mine was a bit earlier. So there you have it. If you ever see Shane Ross on the street in 2099 (assuming medical science will be able to keep us all alive or the second coming doesn't happen by then) remind him of his pledge to God ;)

I have many years left to fulfull my commitment. But really, I did it out of peer pressure. If you're the only one sitting in your chair and not getting taken up in the emotional frenzy of the moment, you must not be spiritual, right? Well, I signed it, and a commitment's a commitment, so let's see what we can do... Yes, we'll see. As Ramon eludes to, he's going to fulfill his obligation a bit sooner than the 22nd century. He's going to Ethiopia to help the church there. He's eager to go over there next year and learn the language. He's a cool guy, very friendly and intelligent, and I'm sure God will use him to do great things. Plus, I'll hopefully have a place to stay when I head down Ethopia way.

After a late dinner with Ramon, Tim, and company, I headed to 2J's. I saw Chris, Alex, and Dave there. Plus I met yet another woman who's into astrophysics. Her name's Jesseca and she even studies it.
When a woman greets you with "You study astrophysics? You're my hero!" without any sarcasm, it can do wonders to confirm a man's importance in the general scheme of things. So if you're a physicist and looking for a good time, head to Fullerton.

As is always the case when I'm going through a cathartic experience in life, U2 releases another album. This time it's the "Best of 1990-2000." There are a few songs I had not heard before, plus their new song "Electrical Storm." And my favorite B-Side, if you get the Best of the B-Sides too, is "Blue Room." Check it out, man!