I shiver with antici...

Say it! Say it! Say it! Consta...
...pation!

Okay, enough with my Rocky Horror reference for the year. I am pretty excited about how things are going all in all this month. Yeah, my wife's really stressed, and her job's driving her into major fits of depression. She's looking for a new job. She passed her A+ certification, and I am so friggin' proud of her. She's got a lot more options now, to do work that she really wants to do without having to worry about people yelling at her because they won't take the steps to fix the problem. I am transferring from being a contractor here at Verio to being a full time, honest to goodness, employee here. I'm stoked! We're learning C++ in school, which makes me pretty happy. And...
I'm getting the two new D&D books for this month in the mail.
Ah, the glories of Amazon. Yes, I do need to wait a little longer to look at the two books, but I can wait, knowing at the very least that they are on their way. I'm strongly debating what to do once I get the Cormyr book. I'm very curious about this story line. I think Ang is thinking about running it. The question would be... when. Honestly, I would understand if Angie wasn't able to run it. I'm thinking of running it as my Emergency Back-Up Plan. I need to look at it though, and see. Maybe I can run it with the group, after Bob runs Expedition to Castle Ravenloft? I don't know. Bob's really getting into Ravenloft, I can tell. And he's not even started the game.
I'm a little worried at where this thing is going though... I mean... look at the titles:
Cormyr: The Tearing of the Weave
Shadowdale: The Weave Unwinding (or Shadowdale: The Scouring of the Land)
Anauroch: The Sundering of the World (Or Anauroch: The Empire of Shade)
Other things of interest just to mention.
I think the biggest thing to mention right off the bat is my opinion on the "Lost Tomb of Jesus". Wow! I'm going to say, an interesting find, at the very least. It's fascinating to see this tomb that may be the family crypt (as it were) of the family of Jesus. I think it's a little prematurely labeled, though. I think a more appropriate labeling would be something like "Lost Tomb of Mary". Here's my theory (after MUCH deliberation with my genius wife), take it for what it's worth. I'm not a scientist, archaeologist, or scholar, but here's my thinking. Let's look at what we do know. What we can be sure of, and let's look at things in a slightly different light. We have a large number of information that statistically seem to point to this being the family plot of the family of Jesus Christ. I actually find the information provided in the show to be of merit. Due to that, I am going to support the findings, for the most part, but propose an alternate possibility to the ossuary in question. That ossuary being the one marked "Jesus, son of Joseph".
What if this "coffin" is not that of the preacher, philosopher, and Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth? What if it is the resting place of His nephew?
Tradition tells us that Jesus the Christ had brothers and sisters. It would of been odd for him not to. Tradition also states that one of these brothers was named for his father, Joseph. It's not a huge stretch to surmise that this Joseph bar Joseph married, had children, and named one of his children after his older brother (a martyr, at the very least, the Savior of the World, otherwise). This name would of been a strong name, and something to remember an uncle that the child would of never of known growing up.
So, here's my proposed theory in a nut shell. The etching, "Jesus, son of Joseph" belonged not to the Jesus of Nazareth, but belonged to that Man's nephew. It's simple. It's got as much possibility as the others. Now... to determine... which Jesus does "Judah, son of Jesus" belong to? Either one would make me happy.
I am confused, though, why the Israeli Antiquities board would be so adamant about not wanting any research done on this. It's a great opportunity. So much information could be learned from the study. I really would like to know more about the Primitive Church, how it operated, who was in it, and what went on. So much has been lost due to manipulations, misunderstandings, and the errors of man, it's hard to get a clear picture. Did they have temples? We know that they met, but how was it organized? How different is it from today? Did they have a set instructor, or did they instruct each other?
I wish I understood the old tongues, Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, and the like. I look at anything that's not English, and my brain goes into math mode. Darn algebra, it ruined my ability to grasp lost languages. Of course... I'd also have to find some truly ancient manuscripts, and unless they were carved onto metal plates, the odds of them surviving are kind of slim. Look at the trouble they're having with the Gospel of Judas. (Another interesting idea... I'd like a trustworthy translation.) Ah, too be able to peer into the past, and see what it was like back then. Alas, I must make due with the faith I have now, and the fact that I know, just as the Old Saints knew, that Jesus lived and lives. Now, if only can be less selfish, and study more. I hate having this whole "must learn... but can't stay focused" thing.
Speaking of not focusing... I now can't stop thinking... where DO you take a Japanese CEO to dinner in Utah Valley? Hmm... curiouser and curiouser...