I Don't Even Have a Chimney, or An Historic Account of St. Nick

It's that time of year: Christmas. We trim our trees and hang the lights, knowing that soon St. Nick will arrive, fat and jolly. But who is this cookie-eating, reindeer-driving breaker-and-enterer? How did he become such a cultural institution, while St. Augustine has never visited my house?

Let's look at who St. Nicholas was. He was born in 270AD in Greece, modern day Turkey. His parents died when he was young, so he was taken in by his uncle, himself a bishop. When Nicholas came of age his uncle ordained him as a priest because of upstanding character.

Nicholas was born into a rich family, but his parents associated frequently with the commoners as opposed to the wealthy and bourgeois. By virtue of growing up rich but being among the commoners, Nicholas learned the importance of generosity, earning him a reputation that followed him for his entire life and well beyond.

The most famous tale of his generosity involves three young ladies and their father. He was a single father and poor. He could not afford to pay the dowries for his three daughters. As such, he would have to sell them into prostitution so that they could provide for their own needs. Two consecutive nights Nicholas threw money through the open windows of their house sufficient to cover the dowry of the older two sisters. The father, wanting to know who did this, waited in hiding by the window on the third night. Suspecting this, Nicholas climbed up onto the roof and dropped the money down the chimney.

There are numerous variants of this tale, though it is unlikely that this exact situation occurred more than once. This is to be expected with oral tradition. There is debate about whether he threw purses of currency or lumps of gold. Further, some say he left the money in recently laundered socks hung to dry. Still others say he did this over the course of three years, not days. Whatever the case, it's a beautiful example of Nicholas' generosity, not to mention the generosity of God.

Another story, this one of miraculous nature, involves three children who stayed a night at a butcher's house during a famine. The butcher killed the boys and prepared them to use in a dish. Nicholas showed up and resurrected the boys. It is not uncommon to see these kinds of miraculous deeds accredited to the saints.

This season Nicholas has been gaining a lot of attention for his participation in the council of Nicaea and particularly his opposition to Arius. Arius was teaching that Christ was not divine but instead a created being who became a god. This heresy became known as Arianism (for obvious reasons), the primary proponents of which today are Jehovah's Witnesses. At one point Nicholas became so frustrated with Arius and his ignoring of scripture that he stood up, walked across the room, and slapped Arius in the face. The other attendees persuaded him to apologize, but he certainly made an impact (both literally and physically).

So this leaves one question: where do we get Santa Claus? Well, his name is derived from the Dutch Sinterklaas. The highest rank Saint Nicholas reached was bishop, for which he wore red. He was known for giving gifts, and in the tale of the three women he even gave a gift through he chimney. I do find it funny that the patron saint of thieves becomes the man who breaks in to your house, albeit to leave things behind. And the reindeer and all the fat? It just makes for a good story.

It's that time of year: Christmas. We trim our trees and hang the lights, knowing that soon St. Nick will arrive, fat and jolly. But who is this cookie-eating, reindeer-driving breaker-and-enterer? How did he become such a cultural institution, while St. Augustine has never visited my house?

Let's look at who St. Nicholas was. He was born in 270AD in Greece, modern day Turkey. His parents died when he was young, so he was taken in by his uncle, himself a bishop. When Nicholas came of age his uncle ordained him as a priest because of upstanding character.

Nicholas was born into a rich family, but his parents associated frequently with the commoners as opposed to the wealthy and bourgeois. By virtue of growing up rich but being among the commoners, Nicholas learned the importance of generosity, earning him a reputation that followed him for his entire life and well beyond.

The most famous tale of his generosity involves three young ladies and their father. He was a single father and poor. He could not afford to pay the dowries for his three daughters. As such, he would have to sell them into prostitution so that they could provide for their own needs. Two consecutive nights Nicholas threw money through the open windows of their house sufficient to cover the dowry of the older two sisters. The father, wanting to know who did this, waited in hiding by the window on the third night. Suspecting this, Nicholas climbed up onto the roof and dropped the money down the chimney.

There are numerous variants of this tale, though it is unlikely that this exact situation occurred more than once. This is to be expected with oral tradition. There is debate about whether he threw purses of currency or lumps of gold. Further, some say he left the money in recently laundered socks hung to dry. Still others say he did this over the course of three years, not days. Whatever the case, it's a beautiful example of Nicholas' generosity, not to mention the generosity of God.

Another story, this one of miraculous nature, involves three children who stayed a night at a butcher's house during a famine. The butcher killed the boys and prepared them to use in a dish. Nicholas showed up and resurrected the boys. It is not uncommon to see these kinds of miraculous deeds accredited to the saints.

This season Nicholas has been gaining a lot of attention for his participation in the council of Nicaea and particularly his opposition to Arius. Arius was teaching that Christ was not divine but instead a created being who became a god. This heresy became known as Arianism (for obvious reasons), the primary proponents of which today are Jehovah's Witnesses. At one point Nicholas became so frustrated with Arius and his ignoring of scripture that he stood up, walked across the room, and slapped Arius in the face. The other attendees persuaded him to apologize, but he certainly made an impact (both literally and physically).

So this leaves one question: where do we get Santa Claus? Well, his name is derived from the Dutch Sinterklaas. The highest rank Saint Nicholas reached was bishop, for which he wore red. He was known for giving gifts, and in the tale of the three women he even gave a gift through he chimney. I do find it funny that the patron saint of thieves becomes the man who breaks in to your house, albeit to leave things behind. And the reindeer and all the fat? It just makes for a good story.

I Don't Even Have a Chimney, or An Historic Account of St. Nick

They Call Me Mr. Tea

I like tea. This, as you may know, is a huge understatement. I drink it frequently, whether black, green, oolong, or herbal*. While most people know me as a coffee addict, I drink nearly twice as much tea as I do coffee.

Recently, in an unfortunate turn of events, I got a stomach ulcer**. This is my second ulcer, and it will probably not be my last, seeing as they are caused by a virus. Even a sip of coffee resulted in stabbing pain just beneath my ribs and slightly off center to the right – the exact location of my ulcer. Tea it is.

English breakfast tea is a life saver, or at least a headache preventer and zombie cure. It's a delicious source of caffeine, albeit in a lower quantity than coffee. However, herbal teas have a lot of health benefits, and particularly many that are good when you have an ulcer. As such, I bought an herbal tea sampler.

The teas varied in quality, but one was head and shoulders above the others. Oh the cinnamon and apple goodness, chock full of chamomile and hibiscus…you are the most perfect tea an evening could ask for. Yes, you are the reason this box of tea exists.

I immediately head back to Red Apple to pick up a box of this tea. Much to my chagrin, it is not there. Come on Red Apple – all you are good for is items I need last minute, expired food, and this, and now you fail at one of the three. Disappointing.

A few days later I’m at Safeway buying bagels***. I wander aimlessly around the store looking for sales and deals, as I generally do when I’m in no hurry. I notice that Celestial Seasonings is on sale, 2/$5. What was that one I liked so much? I’ll know it when I see it. Something with chamomile…honey vanilla chamomile? That sounds right. I buy two boxes. After all, it’s on sale. I head home, excited to enjoy another cup of this tea. I impatiently heat the water and brew. It’s delicious, but disappointingly not the right one.

Days later I find myself once again at Safeway, having just discovered the Just4U deals on their app. Once again I find myself in the tea aisle with the sale still going on. I notice a box – Apple Cinnamon Spice. I check the ingredients, finding exactly what I expected to find. It’s on.

Back home, I tap my fingers on the counter as water heats. After what seems like an eternity, I sip the tea, allowing the warm and naturally sweet tea to glide lazily across my palate. Enraptured, I still realize it doesn’t taste quite like what I had before. Wait, I still have half of that sampler! I can look at the box and see exactly what it was. STASH TEA? It wasn’t even Celestial Seasonings? I bought the correct tea, but in a completely different brand! Everything makes sense. Different or not, it’s every bit as wonderful, being quite possibly the most perfect chamomile tea I’ve ever had the pleasure of tasting.

At the beginning of the week I had one box of chamomile-based tea. I now have four. Honey vanilla chamomile was a delicious mistake to make, not to mention begin helpful to my insomnia. At this rate, they will call me Mr. Tea. And let me tell you, I pity the fool who doesn’t enjoy this hot and delicious infusion.


*I realize herbal teas are not actually tea at all. I rightly include rooibos and yerba mate in the herbal category. I've never gotten very into white tea.
**I had recorded a video about this. However, the video sucked so I didn't upload it. Even with editing, there was not enough quality material to make an entertaining video.
***Until recently bagels were generally all I bought at Safeway. However, their app has offered me some good deals recently, so I've been shopping there a bit more. It is probably the best balance of price and quality in a convenient location at this point in my life.

I like tea. This, as you may know, is a huge understatement. I drink it frequently, whether black, green, oolong, or herbal*. While most people know me as a coffee addict, I drink nearly twice as much tea as I do coffee.

Recently, in an unfortunate turn of events, I got a stomach ulcer**. This is my second ulcer, and it will probably not be my last, seeing as they are caused by a virus. Even a sip of coffee resulted in stabbing pain just beneath my ribs and slightly off center to the right – the exact location of my ulcer. Tea it is.

English breakfast tea is a life saver, or at least a headache preventer and zombie cure. It's a delicious source of caffeine, albeit in a lower quantity than coffee. However, herbal teas have a lot of health benefits, and particularly many that are good when you have an ulcer. As such, I bought an herbal tea sampler.

The teas varied in quality, but one was head and shoulders above the others. Oh the cinnamon and apple goodness, chock full of chamomile and hibiscus…you are the most perfect tea an evening could ask for. Yes, you are the reason this box of tea exists.

I immediately head back to Red Apple to pick up a box of this tea. Much to my chagrin, it is not there. Come on Red Apple – all you are good for is items I need last minute, expired food, and this, and now you fail at one of the three. Disappointing.

A few days later I’m at Safeway buying bagels***. I wander aimlessly around the store looking for sales and deals, as I generally do when I’m in no hurry. I notice that Celestial Seasonings is on sale, 2/$5. What was that one I liked so much? I’ll know it when I see it. Something with chamomile…honey vanilla chamomile? That sounds right. I buy two boxes. After all, it’s on sale. I head home, excited to enjoy another cup of this tea. I impatiently heat the water and brew. It’s delicious, but disappointingly not the right one.

Days later I find myself once again at Safeway, having just discovered the Just4U deals on their app. Once again I find myself in the tea aisle with the sale still going on. I notice a box – Apple Cinnamon Spice. I check the ingredients, finding exactly what I expected to find. It’s on.

Back home, I tap my fingers on the counter as water heats. After what seems like an eternity, I sip the tea, allowing the warm and naturally sweet tea to glide lazily across my palate. Enraptured, I still realize it doesn’t taste quite like what I had before. Wait, I still have half of that sampler! I can look at the box and see exactly what it was. STASH TEA? It wasn’t even Celestial Seasonings? I bought the correct tea, but in a completely different brand! Everything makes sense. Different or not, it’s every bit as wonderful, being quite possibly the most perfect chamomile tea I’ve ever had the pleasure of tasting.

At the beginning of the week I had one box of chamomile-based tea. I now have four. Honey vanilla chamomile was a delicious mistake to make, not to mention begin helpful to my insomnia. At this rate, they will call me Mr. Tea. And let me tell you, I pity the fool who doesn’t enjoy this hot and delicious infusion.


*I realize herbal teas are not actually tea at all. I rightly include rooibos and yerba mate in the herbal category. I've never gotten very into white tea.
**I had recorded a video about this. However, the video sucked so I didn't upload it. Even with editing, there was not enough quality material to make an entertaining video.
***Until recently bagels were generally all I bought at Safeway. However, their app has offered me some good deals recently, so I've been shopping there a bit more. It is probably the best balance of price and quality in a convenient location at this point in my life.

They Call Me Mr. Tea

The Beginning of the Ender

[Earlier in the week I posted a video on YouTube in order to motivate myself to write. In it I stated that anyone could punch me in the arm should I not update my blog once and upload three videos to YouTube. This is said blog post. Want to watch the videos? (1) (2) (3)]

About two weeks ago I finished a book and couldn't decide what to read next. I had been meaning for a while to read Michael Crichton's final book, Micro, but it is still rather pricy as it is only available in hardcover. When it is released paperback or I find it used, I will buy it. I walk into the library, trying to decide what to read. There it sits, highlighted on the shelf: Micro. I check it out.

Getting home, I immediately begin reading it. Mystery and intrigue fill the first chapter. From there it steadily goes downhill. I have no attachment whatsoever to the characters. I know they are going to die, and I don't care. A storyline with a great deal of potential is boring. A far-out, non-scientific event is given a shallow, illogical scientific explanation. I give it about 150 pages before returning it to the library.

The time has come. I have put it off for too long. I will read Ender's Game.

Frankly, I have been afraid to read this book for a considerable amount of time. It is too culturally entrenched. I already hate Lord of the Rings. If I don't love Ender's Game, it's over. I find this to be the favorite book of a lot of nerdy girls, a group I certainly don't want to alienate. "I've never read it," is much better than, "I don't like it." But the time has come. It's being released as a movie next year, and I have to read it before I see the movie.

I shouldn't be afraid of this: this is Orson Scott Card. Don't get me wrong - he has written some crap. This being said, he has also written some amazing stuff. What with the general sense of agreement on which is which, I should not be concerned. Further, I've been told that some of his Seventh Day Adventist themes that seem to be crowbarred into some of his other books (i.e. the later books in the Legends of Alvin Maker series) are absent from this series. Okay, fine, I'll do it. Here we go.

After work on Tuesday I walk up the hill to Half Price Books. I head straight to the sci-fi section. I pick up Ender's Game. I consider buying the rest of the series (or at least the four they have on the shelf), but I'm trying not to spend very much money, so I only buy the first. I check the board games section, but decide not to pick anything up*. Discipline. I do need to remember that they have a deal going next month - buy $25 in gift cards, get a $5 card free.

I brought it home and immediately began reading. Card does not waste our time with background or description of characters. After all, those will be interspersed throughout the story and are not as such necessary at the beginning. The character interactions reveal everything we need to know. We can be thrown straight into the story with little difficulty. And he's got me. We all know what will happen, but how? Oh how?

As of yet, I don't know how. But I'm finding out, and thus far I'm loving it. I will soon go back and buy the rest. I look forward to seeing the movie. And, much like the episode of Seinfeld in which George pretends to be a socialist leader, "the future of the world depends on the outcome of this 'game.'"

*It was very hard not to buy Sid Meier's Civilization: The Boardgame.

[Earlier in the week I posted a video on YouTube in order to motivate myself to write. In it I stated that anyone could punch me in the arm should I not update my blog once and upload three videos to YouTube. This is said blog post. Want to watch the videos? (1) (2) (3)]

About two weeks ago I finished a book and couldn't decide what to read next. I had been meaning for a while to read Michael Crichton's final book, Micro, but it is still rather pricy as it is only available in hardcover. When it is released paperback or I find it used, I will buy it. I walk into the library, trying to decide what to read. There it sits, highlighted on the shelf: Micro. I check it out.

Getting home, I immediately begin reading it. Mystery and intrigue fill the first chapter. From there it steadily goes downhill. I have no attachment whatsoever to the characters. I know they are going to die, and I don't care. A storyline with a great deal of potential is boring. A far-out, non-scientific event is given a shallow, illogical scientific explanation. I give it about 150 pages before returning it to the library.

The time has come. I have put it off for too long. I will read Ender's Game.

Frankly, I have been afraid to read this book for a considerable amount of time. It is too culturally entrenched. I already hate Lord of the Rings. If I don't love Ender's Game, it's over. I find this to be the favorite book of a lot of nerdy girls, a group I certainly don't want to alienate. "I've never read it," is much better than, "I don't like it." But the time has come. It's being released as a movie next year, and I have to read it before I see the movie.

I shouldn't be afraid of this: this is Orson Scott Card. Don't get me wrong - he has written some crap. This being said, he has also written some amazing stuff. What with the general sense of agreement on which is which, I should not be concerned. Further, I've been told that some of his Seventh Day Adventist themes that seem to be crowbarred into some of his other books (i.e. the later books in the Legends of Alvin Maker series) are absent from this series. Okay, fine, I'll do it. Here we go.

After work on Tuesday I walk up the hill to Half Price Books. I head straight to the sci-fi section. I pick up Ender's Game. I consider buying the rest of the series (or at least the four they have on the shelf), but I'm trying not to spend very much money, so I only buy the first. I check the board games section, but decide not to pick anything up*. Discipline. I do need to remember that they have a deal going next month - buy $25 in gift cards, get a $5 card free.

I brought it home and immediately began reading. Card does not waste our time with background or description of characters. After all, those will be interspersed throughout the story and are not as such necessary at the beginning. The character interactions reveal everything we need to know. We can be thrown straight into the story with little difficulty. And he's got me. We all know what will happen, but how? Oh how?

As of yet, I don't know how. But I'm finding out, and thus far I'm loving it. I will soon go back and buy the rest. I look forward to seeing the movie. And, much like the episode of Seinfeld in which George pretends to be a socialist leader, "the future of the world depends on the outcome of this 'game.'"

*It was very hard not to buy Sid Meier's Civilization: The Boardgame.

The Beginning of the Ender