“Imagine trying to solve the world's most difficult math equation...”

This weekend was a productive one for me, even with the kids away from Thursday night to Saturday afternoon. The way Minot Public Schools' schedule is set up, there was teacher planning Friday and today, and one day had to get rescheduled from a few months ago (I think) so the kids have had “free time” and since I had to be at a vendor show Saturday from nine to four, I really didn't want to wake Sarah and Jeffrey to go there with me. I haven't been able to go to Breakfast with the Boys at church on Saturday mornings due to Martha's chosen work schedule at McDonald's by the mall, Friday night and Saturday morning, so the kids and I get to sleep in on Saturday. The show was fantastic; I co-manned (would this be “co-personed” since Tara's very obviously a woman?) our Shaklee booth and was among thirty to thirty-five booths at the Sleep Inn and I think we've met some awesome people through it, vendors and buyers both!

“While you're surrounded by six televisions that sit five inches from your face...”

After the vendor show was over (set up to a T by Rick and Jessica with proceeds going to the Souris Valley Humane Society, courtesy of Theresa who operates her own business making and selling tutus) and we'd all packed up, I headed over to meet Martha, Sarah, Jeffrey, Robert, Sharon, Josceline, and Mary at the annual carnival held by Bishop Ryan High School where games, food, and fun abound. In all fairness, I was a little too tired to appreciate it and so was Martha thought the kids were bounding everywhere and eating and celebrated with Mary playing bingo (she won two games out of a round of three, crazy!) and then we all headed home. More good news; Patrick our oldest nephew in this area and his/our family friend Donovan finally got moved out of Robert and Sharon's backyard where they'd lived since November in a trailer, so don't panic, this weekend into an apartment of their own – actually half a house, I believe – so they're excited about that.

“All tuned to different stations...”

I'm excited again about teaching Sunday school, especially since one of my fellow teachers Kim came up to me at church Sunday between services and knew I'd expressed some real frustration about whether or not I would teach again (a Facebook post is pretty obvious to people who know you, one reason I've had family members ask me to think about what I post before I do, since I do spend time there) this fall. One class last week was not my only reason, but back to my story, Kim asked me to sincerely consider it before I quit because I'm very valuable there. I want to believe that too, and I admit I probably will not quit … besides, Jeffrey starts first grade and therefore rotation Sunday school this fall and it would break his heart if I weren't there! No matter how much the kids want us out of the house when they have their aunt Mary babysitting them or they get to stay the night at their Grandma and Grandpa's … they want us around, and we need to savor every moment of that.

“All rapidly switching channels...”

Breanna, Caleb, Grady, Krista and I (the third and fourth grade Sunday school class along with my teaching assistant who's graduating high school this spring) did great with the material on Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. Now back to Friday, after I'd seen MJ at work I went over to Dakota Square Mall and hung out for a while at Barnes & Noble. I miss that. I found again the practical joker or secret atheist had placed the book “Encountering Jesus In The New Testament” in the Teen Paranormal Romance section. It's a mite scary that's even a SECTION now, but to wit I had extra cash on me and while I have saved more I chose to pick up two books – I'll talk about the second one when I'm done reading it – one of them being Kevin Smith's Batman: Cacophony (ISBN 9781401224196), a three-issue collection I referred to in a previous Ensign devotional of mine, if you can believe that. Smith's name you might recognize as the writer/director/producer of the movies Clerks and Chasing Amy.

“All with the volume at full blast.”

I've interspersed quotes from one page between each paragraph of my marginally meaningful missive today because … dang it, it's a tough story. Briefly, the assassin Deadshot's hired to break into Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane to kill Batman's clown-faced enemy the Joker, but just stopped from doing it by a man who imitates sounds as a motif, a gentleman code-named Onomatopoeia (talk to your English teacher and find out what that means) who breaks the Joker out and gives him the money to start a gang war with a minor – and insane, like most of Batman's foes seem to be – criminal, thus bringing Batman into the equation. So Batman's fighting Joker and Onomatopoeia on top of the Gotham City Police Department and Ono's standing with Joker and stabs him through the heart so he can get away. Now will Batman let the Joker die or try to save his life? Gotta read it …

“That's what it's like to be the Joker.”

Many times this is what it's like to be me.

Minus the killing jokes, David