This past weekend I was down in Brooklyn for my 2nd cousin's baptism. It was at St. Anselms (at 82nd and 4th I think) - the same church I have been to for at least one funeral. Since I am not a very lapsed Catholic and a semi quasi Buddhist secularist, I generally do not go to church unless I have to. As of late, its been for funerals and for memorial masses. So, to say the least it's a lot more fun to go to a Baptism.

When and where I grew up it was a singular affair - just one family and the priest. Like for my sister's baptism, I remember the majority of the family hanging out back at the house at Van Siclen Drive and partying while the immediate family and god-parents went to the church. These days it seems that the baptisms are always held en masse. At some point the church must have decided on a Wal Mart type discount for volume head-dip pricing plan. It's efficient, but man, it sure ain't personal at all. I am not a fan.

So there I am at St. Anselms with my family gathered in one pew, waiting for things to get started and quietly talking over the sounds of crying babies and screaming kids when all of a sudden, the priest in charge, or POC, starts yelling:

I am starting to lose my patience with you! You are in a house of GOD! You are NOT in your living room!

Well, I thought, that's an interesting way to start things off. The guy went on a bit more and basically came off as a dick. He went on to insult Mets fans - nothing I disagree with generally, but a baptism hardly seems like the ideal venue. I don't even recall the context because I was too busy thinking, "This guy is a diiiiiiick." He barked some orders about how everything was going to go down and how we better listen or else.

Man, what drama. I guess I am spoiled though. One of our Fordham crew, Russ Murray is now Father Russel Murray, OFM; aka Father Russ and soon to be Dr. Father Russ as his PhD is about complete. Russ can give a mass. Now he's not a parish guy so he's not dealing with people all the time and getting more and more irritated as, evidently, this St. Anselms guy had. Even if he was, I don't see him ever behaving like that. I certainly hope not! Anyhow, the bottom line is that Russ is a pleasure to listen to and the type of guy that people just warm to. He really truly and undoubtedly in love with God and it shows. This other guy -- he seemed more like a pissed off teacher or principal.

The priest not withstanding, Christopher Blaze got baptized and we all went back to my aunt Eileen's for a post baptismal bash. We had Christopher's father there and his family, the Kitcher clan and a host of Carberry's that always seem familiar but that I've never really gotten to know. And of course, there was Gregory. Ah Gregory who brought a bathtub's worth of vodka jello shots. Gregory who fired up the twenty somethings and turned on the music and generally got things grooving. If you have a party and you need to get it going right, Greg is always going to be your man.

I was a bit sick with a sinus cold so I shied away from drinking too much and chose to hang out with my cousin Kerry and get to know one of my other little second cousins - Dennis. I even managed to get a couple nice B&W shots of them outside the apartment. The negatives are developed and I should be printing them next week. My relationship with Kerry is one where we go a long time without seeing each other or hearing from each other but we always seem to be able to pick it up again like we never missed a beat. I dig that. I had that with my sister. Hopefully she comes over for Thanksgiving with Jose and her kids - Dylan, Devon and Dennis. Sure the cats will be traumatized but what the hell.

Work continues to be a bit of a drag. The general thing of it is this - things go wrong and I get blamed because my title says I am the QA guy. Somehow I guess that means everyone else can abdicate responsibility for their work. It's not a lot of fun especially when I'm doing as much as I can with what I've got, which is not a lot. Tomrrow I will be speaking with some upper managent types about recent errors and I imagine I will have to defend myself and recommend some changes.

We shall see.