She dared me to post this:
I just spent a lovely couple or so hours with CoolPastor, who played hooky from the one meeting at her conference gathering where she was actually able to vote, so she could hang out with me. We had a great time, kicking off our sandals and curling into a deep leather couch in the "pub" in the lobby (psst, don't tell the Methodists, but there's a pub in the middle of the conference meeting space!).
I wish I'd been with her in the morning. She actually wore pantyhose and high heels for the very official clergy vote on whether or not she and her compatriots should be commissioned (not ordained, yet) as pastors (or something like that. I don't quite understand all the hoops Methodists have to jump through to finally get ordained...as my dear New Testament professor Richard Valantasis used to say, It takes longer for a Methodist to get ordained than for a nun to life profess -- and they're giving up sex! I mean come on people, you should know by now, CoolPastor is indeed very cool, and you'd be lucky to have her. Just ordain her already and get it over with!).
I digress. Let's see. Ah yes, pantyhose -- which she had bought just for the occasion -- and high heels. So. She's up on the stage for the vote, smiling and, I'm sure, glowing, as she is wont to do. The vote happens and she sits down. On the second row. About five feet from the bishop.
And proceeds to take off her pantyhose.
I can't really do justice to the way she told me how she did this, but suffice to say it required some strategic squirming and odd looks from her husband. Finally, they stand up for a hymn, and -- whip! -- gets them off.
She had been waiting all day to tell me this story. I have to say, I'm impressed with her gutsiness. Is that one Cool Pastor, or what??
She also taught me a new word: assholic (pronounced "asshole-ic"). As in, "I was going to be assholic about [a situation], but decided not to."
I love CoolPastor!!
UPDATE: I've just come from her commissioning, and indeed, she was glowing. There may be a lot of hoops through which to jump, but I have to say, the service was very moving. And I was so pleased to stand up for her. xoxoxo, CoolPastor!
