Broncos Blowout

Darren and I went to our first NFL game and it was...embarrassing.  The Broncos were killed in one of the worst blowouts of all time.  I think the Raiders scored something like three touchdowns in the first four minutes.  The final score was 59-14, but the Raiders probably could have scored more if they wanted to (they just kept doing the kneeling down, wasting time thing in the fourth quarter).  Throughout the game, Broncos fans were booing their own team and pleading for Teebow to be put in.  By the fourth quarter, most of them had left.

Waiting for Joe and Stephanie outside the stadium

We were already disgusted, and it was only the first quarter

Boo!  At least maybe the 49ers will win next week (they are playing the Broncos).

This section was filled earlier in the game.  By the end it was empty.

The final score

Darren and I had parked and taken the train to the stadium in order to beat traffic.  Little did we know that we would have no problem with that because most of the fans were gone by the end of the game.  Still it was fun to be able to navigate the city by train and foot.  I wish more U. S. cities had this option.

The Parents Visit the Springs

Testing the nasty mineral, carbonated springs

potato pancakes and deep conversation

graffiti falls and mate

Unbelievable!

Darren sining "America the Beautiful" on top of Pikes Peak.  The lady that wrote it, Katharine Lee Bates, was inspired to write the song after looking out upon the land from Pikes Peak.

Pikes Peak is famous for its homemade donuts at the top of the mountain.  Darren said that when he hiked it last weekend, he could smell them from hundreds of feet below the summit.

Unfortunately the peak was socked in

Balance rock in Garden of the Gods

On the Latern Tour in Cave of the Winds

Some of the cute animals found in the Manitou stores

Showing the parentals some of our favorite games in the penny arcade

Dance, Dance, Revolution!

sharp shooters!

Rut, row!  The peep show is SUPER scandalous.  You'll have to visit to know what I mean.

Colorado custard.  This man mixed an entire piece of pumpkin pie and three scoops of custard to make this delicious treat.

At the art center

Darren howling at the wolves on our Wolf Center tour

wandering around Red Rock Canyon Park

A final delicious supper

Campfire Songs and Mozart's Requiem

This past weekend I visited my friend Joy (from the World Mission Tour and other adventures) who has been teaching in Honduras the last two years, but is now back in Colorado for school.  On Saturday, we found a random trail to hike and random rocks to free solo, and then later went with some peeps from her  church to a supper and bonfire at another church member's house.  He lives way out in the cow land and thousands and thousands of cows made it quite stinky.  However, we had fun singing old campfire songs...many of which I don't know, but feel inspired to learn.

On Sunday, Joy showed me around her campus (I loved the hand crack in the boulder below), we got some smoothies at a hippie-ish coffee shop, and then explored the campus some more.  During our wanderings, we met a lady in the art department who offered to give us a free ticket to see the CSU Sinfonia perform.  We very spontaneously agreed to take it and went to the concert an hour later.

We had the privilege to hear Mozart's Requiem which I was excited about, because I'd never heard the whole thing.  The translated words were in the program (and were the same as those below), but I wish I had had the original words too in order to follow along.  Anyways, it was beautiful and I loved hearing the lacrimosa section because it is so haunting and is one of my favorite pieces of classical music.  I was very impressed with the soprano soloist because she seemed totally surrendered to the music--as opposed to the other soloists that while they were not singing, stared off into nowhere as if they were watching television.

I. Introit: Requiem
Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis. Te decet hymnus, Deus, in Sion, et tibi reddetur votum in Jerusalem. Exaudi orationem meam, ad te omnis care veniet. Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis.	Grant them eternal rest, Lord, and let perpetual light shine on them. You are praised, God, in Zion, and homage will be paid to You in Jerusalem. Hear my prayer, to You all flesh will come. Grant them eternal rest, Lord, and let perpetual light shine on them.
II. Kyrie
Kyrie, eleison. Christe, eleison. Kyrie, eleison.	Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us.
III. Sequence
1. Dies irae
Dies irae, dies illa Solvet saeclum in favilla, teste David cum Sibylla. Quantus tremor est futurus, quando judex est venturus, cuncta stricte discussurus!	Day of wrath, day of anger will dissolve the world in ashes, as foretold by David and the Sibyl. Great trembling there will be when the Judge descends from heaven to examine all things closely.
2. Tuba mirum
Tuba mirum spargens sonum per sepulcra regionum, coget omnes ante thronum.	The trumpet will send its wondrous sound throughout earth's sepulchres and gather all before the throne.
Mors stupebit et natura, cum resurget creatura, judicanti responsura. Liber scriptus proferetur, in quo totum continetur, unde mundus judicetur.	Death and nature will be astounded, when all creation rises again, to answer the judgement. A book will be brought forth, in which all will be written, by which the world will be judged.
Judex ergo cum sedebit, quidquid latet, apparebit, nil inultum remanebit.	When the judge takes his place, what is hidden will be revealed, nothing will remain unavenged.
Quid sum miser tunc dicturus? quem patronum rogaturus, cum vix justus sit securus?	What shall a wretch like me say? Who shall intercede for me, when the just ones need mercy?
3. Rex tremendae
Rex tremendae majestatis, qui salvandos savas gratis, salve me, fons pietatis.	King of tremendous majesty, who freely saves those worthy ones, save me, source of mercy.
4. Recordare
Recordare, Jesu pie, quod sum causa tuae viae; ne me perdas illa die. Quaerens me, sedisti lassus, redemisti crucem passus; tantus labor non sit cassus. Juste judex ultionis, donum fac remissionis ante diem rationis. Ingemisco, tamquam reus: culpa rubet vultus meus; supplicanti parce, Deus. Qui Mariam absolvisti, et latronem exaudisti, mihi quoque spem dedisti. Preces meae non sunt dignae, sed tu, bonus, fac benigne, ne perenni cremer igne. Inter oves locum praesta, Et ab haedis me sequestra, Statuens in parte dextra.	Remember, kind Jesus, my salvation caused your suffering; do not forsake me on that day. Faint and weary you have sought me, redeemed me, suffering on the cross; may such great effort not be in vain. Righteous judge of vengeance, grant me the gift of absolution before the day of retribution. I moan as one who is guilty: owning my shame with a red face; suppliant before you, Lord. You, who absolved Mary, and listened to the thief, give me hope also. My prayers are unworthy, but, good Lord, have mercy, and rescue me from eternal fire. Provide me a place among the sheep, and separate me from the goats, guiding me to Your right hand.
5. Confutatis
Confutatis maledictis, flammis acribus addictis, voca me cum benedictus. Oro supplex et acclinis, cor contritum quasi cinis, gere curam mei finis.	When the accused are confounded, and doomed to flames of woe, call me among the blessed. I kneel with submissive heart, my contrition is like ashes, help me in my final condition.
6. Lacrimosa
Lacrimosa dies illa, qua resurget ex favilla judicandus homo reus. Huic ergo parce, Deus, pie Jesu Domine, dona eis requiem. Amen.	That day of tears and mourning, when from the ashes shall arise, all humanity to be judged. Spare us by your mercy, Lord, gentle Lord Jesus, grant them eternal rest. Amen.
IV. Offertory
I. Domine Jesu
Domine Jesu Christe, Rex gloriae, libera animas omnium fidelium defunctorum de poenis inferni et de profundo lacu. Libera eas de ore leonis, ne absorbeat eas tartarus, ne cadant in obscurum. Sed signifer sanctus Michael repraesentet eas in lucem sanctam. Quam olim Abrahae promisisti et semini ejus.	Lord Jesus Christ, King of glory, liberate the souls of the faithful, departed from the pains of hell and from the bottomless pit. Deliver them from the lion's mouth, lest hell swallow them up, lest they fall into darkness.  Let the standard-bearer, holy Michael, bring them into holy light. Which was promised to Abraham and his descendants.
2. Hostias
Hostias et preces tibi, Domine, laudis offerimus. Tu sucipe pro animabus illis, quaram hodie memoriam facimus. Fac eas, Domine, de morte transire ad vitam, Quam olim Abrahae promisisti et semini ejus.	Sacrifices and prayers of praise, Lord, we offer to You. Receive them in behalf of those souls we commemorate today. And let them, Lord, pass from death to life, which was promised to Abraham and his descendants.
V. Agnus Dei
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, dona eis requiem. Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, dona eis requiem. Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, dona eis requiem sempiternam.	Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, grant them eternal rest. Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, Grant them eternal rest. Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, grant them eternal rest forever.
VI. Communion:
Lux aeterna
Lux aeterna luceat eis, Domine, cum sanctis tuis in aeternum, quia pius es. Requiem aeternum dona eis, Domine, et Lux perpetua luceat eis, cum Sanctus tuis in aeternum, quia pius es.	Let eternal light shine on them, Lord, as with Your saints in eternity, because You are merciful. Grant them eternal rest, Lord, and let perpetual light shine on them, as with Your saints in eternity, because You are merciful.

The translation above was found here

Requiem

I.  Introitus: Requiem (mass for the dead)

II.  Kyrie (Lord)

III. Sequenz:

     A.  Dies irae (day of wrath)

     B.  Tuba mirum (hark the trumpet)

     C.  Rex temendae (King of glories)

     D.  Recordare (remember)

     E.  Confutatis (from the accursed)

     F.  Lacrimosa (lamentation)

IV.Offertorium:

     A.  Domine Jesu (Lord Jesus)

     B.  Hostias

V.  Sanctus (Holy)

VI.  Benedictus (Blessed)

VII.  Agnus Dei (Lamb of God)

VII.  Communio: Lux aeterna (eternal light)

Wandering Along the Path of Existential Rumination

In Jon Stewart's book Earth he (or someone in his writing team) jokingly writes how we humans developed entertainment and the arts to distract ourselves instead of pondering existential questions.  I feel like I've been enveloped myself in these trappings during the last few weeks without the distractions of school or work and as I've grown tired of even the internet.  And slowly these questions have crept into my mind as they so often do when I'm in in between stages of my life.  And they are random and even difficult to write down as they enter my head late at night attached with millions of other ephemeral thoughts that seem to disappear as quickly and firmly as my dreams.

Thoughts about god.  The idea of developing him as a need to appease our thoughts about life after death, to help us believe that we aren't alone, to help at least some people act morally at least some of the time so we don't completely tear each other apart.  The thought of a god with the hopes that there is a being with the full embodiment of Love, which some people believe is all we really need.  And if that god is the same thing as love, then what would he do in cases such as one I heard on the radio about a baby who seemed healthy until the third trimester when suddenly it became apparent that it would live but live essentially as a vegetable in great pain if it were not to be aborted.  What would love say to do in this case?

Thinking of those world religions that are so completely diverse and how they help us deal with the fact that wonderful happiness and indescribable terror both inhabit our earth:  how they explain good and evil in the balance of ying and yang or the idea of multiple good and evil gods that exist or that there are gods with good and evil tendencies who make capricious decisions that effect us all.

And there is the idea that there is a god who, in order to allow our freedom and demonstrate to the universe the correctness of love and the evil of sin, may let evil forces attack us or allow natural consequences of bad choices, but still comforts us and uses even those consequences to hopefully at least turn our lives into something more positive if we allow him.

There is the wondering if what we believe in is just a story we have chosen because we hope that love will conquer all and that that love's name is god and he has a purpose for us...knowing that there is no way to definitively prove this even if we seem to have felt his power personally, but nevertheless knowing that there has to be a choice to believe.  And knowing that some people cannot make this choice without having absolute certainty.

These are some of the fleeting, most likely incomprehensible thoughts that will most likely continue to hop in and out of my brain during these undistracted times, and I wonder if they have any point as I'll probably never truly know the final truth until my dying day.

I guess the main point is that they are hugely important if one comes out of these ruminations and makes decisions based on them, because they are capable of being the foundation of one's entire being and belief in their purpose in life.  But again, there are people who decide they can make these decisions even without absolute certainty* and there are those who decide they can not.


*perhaps because in some cases they truly hope the story they choose is true and by following the ideas of this story they have seen many positive things and the story makes sense and is the best they can contemplate as the embodiment of love even in a world deficient of love

Vedauwoo and Devils Tower

Darren had a long weekend free due to Columbus Day, so we stuffed our futon in the back of my car, and went on another adventure to Wyoming.  This time we headed east side of the state to climb at Vedauwoo and Devils Tower.

For the first time ever we camped in my vehicle.  Good thing because it was extremely windy at Vedauwoo.

Some say Vedauwoo is sort of like Joshua Tree.  I have to admit the huecos on top of the cliff did bring back memories of the monument.

It's difficult to appear tough when one looks like a giant marshmallow

After we descended "Edward's Crack" it started hailing, so we took a walk around the large cliff we had just climbed

Moose country getting hammered by hail

Autumn!

Pointing out Edward's Crack.  So are we Team Edward or Team Rusty (see the "Tennessee" entry)?  Darren is Team Rusty, but I think I am Team Edward.

Saturday evening we drove through Cheyenne on our way to Devils Tower.  There isn't a whole lot going on.

We also stopped at some Oregon Trail historical sites.  The pictures below show evidence of thousands of wagons passing through the area.

A sign showing the California, Oregon, and Mormon Pioneer trails

At Register Cliff, many pioneers left their mark in the sandstone cliffs, and many people continue to do the same.

We camped in a random field and woke up Sunday morning to our first view of Devils Tower!

We chose to climb the six pitch Durance route because it is a classic moderate route with doable off-widths and hand jams.  It was so much fun.

At the base of our climb, with ropes freshly flaked and ready to go!

Darren resting on the leaning pillar about to embark on the crux of the route

Belaying at the jump pitch.  Thankfully we were able to just traverse the pitch.  I have no idea how people jump here because it's not a flat platform from which one is supposed to leap.

Success at the top!

Joining Devils Tower as a sundial

The Devils Tower Scarecrow.  It is autumn after all.

The summit register

Beginning our numerous rappels

Safely back to the bottom

Trying to find the wooden ladders that the first ascentionists used to get to the top

There are loads of prairie dogs in the meadows below the tower

Catching the sunset on our way back from eating in Hullet

On Columbus Day we prepared ourselves for another route

Emm, potatoes!  We ate mashed potatoes every day of our trip except the last day when we ate leftover french fries.

We climbed the Soler route and tore our hands up in its perfect two pitch hand jam crack

Soler

Some Native Americans believe that Devils Tower was formed by a bear clawing on a rock while trying to kill people on top of it.  Many call it "Bear Lodge" instead of Devils Tower.

Before our seven and a half hour drive home we bought some well deserved ice cream from the Devils Tower Saloon

A very random shoe tree on our drive home