Monkey see...monkey do...

I was driving back to the office from lunch, and I see this Porche with a monkey at the wheel.

What?

Did you read that correctly?

Yes, a monkey! Like the one in the movie Outbreak!

Anyway, people don't believe me when I tell them that weird stuff happens to me all the time, so I sped up so I could take a picture on my phone. Here's the proof...

Signs that I definitely live in the suburbs...

This should be outlawed...

A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away...

This past Sunday, my friend Brian and I (along with his family and the Hobbs family) hopped into Brian's Imperial Cruiser (A.K.A his Chevy Venture mini-van) and made the trip over to the Ft Worth Museum of Science for the Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination exhibit.

The place was mobbed with Star Wars fans and their families. We waited 20 minutes just to get tickets to see the exhibit. The bad thing about that was you could only go into see it in 15 minute intervals (once inside you could stay as long as you wanted) but our time was 2 and 1/2 hours from the time we bought our tickets!!

Luckily, we were allowed to see the rest of the museum exhibits to help kill that extra time. Once we got in, there were some pretty cool props from the movies, like Luke's speeder, Darth Mauls doubled bladed light saber (the real one!) but for the most part I was disappointed. Maybe it was the waiting for almost 3 hours that did me in. Or maybe it was because there was not one sighting of Jar Jar Binks. Or maybe the costume (pictured above) of Han and Chewy looked a little too worn down...who knows? But at least we found a great chinese restaurant on the way home...love that orange chicken!

Childhood decisions

I am working with someone on a project at work right now...without making it too clear, let me say they are in their twenties and a highly professional type...fun, but completely capable of running the world without breaking a sweat.

Recently, her corporate email server went down for a short period of time and she had to give me her personal email address. I won't give the address here in full, but be aware that it contained the words "Bratty" and "Pants". Her explanation was "I've had it since I was 13 and couldn't bring myself to change it....".

I see.

Childhood decisions can chart your course in life. Choose wisely.

EDIT: Bratty Pants herself later confessed to me that she's not quite in her twenties. I can't tell you her age, but it rhymes with QWERTY. What can I say. I'm too smart to guess high. Always guess low :-)

Talk about green

There has been torrents of rain here where I live over the past 6 weeks or so. In fact, I haven't had to turn my lawn sprinklers on once.

My yard is so green, it looks like a leprechaun lives here...here's a pic for proof.

And yes, I know my flower bed needs to have the weeds whacked and my sidewalk needs edging...

Putting my marine biology degree to good use

Yes, you read that right. I actually have a degree in Marine Biology from Texas A&M University.

Last weekend, my friend Brian and I went fishing, and I ended up catching the biggest fish of the day. A 6lb large mouth bass.

Most of you who know me would never believe me unless I had photographic evidence of the catch.

Well, here's the evidence...And no, I did not keep the fish...

Life imitates are department

Snakes on a Plane. It's more than just a bonehead movie. It's real life.

CAIRO, Egypt (AP) -- Customs officers at Cairo's airport have detained a man bound for Saudi Arabia who was trying to smuggle 700 live snakes on a plane, airport authorities said.
The officers were stunned when a passenger, identified as Yahia Rahim Tulba, told them his carry-on bag contained live snakes after he was asked to open it.

Snakes freak me out in the worst possible way. I would have without a doubt messed my drawers if I had been sitting next to a bag full of snakes...

You saw it here first

Ok, so it's Wednesday afternoon, and I had just left the local Mexican dive with a few co-workers. I pulled in to the 7-11 gas station across from the QT station (gotta support my company, ya know!) to fill my Accord with petro.

As soon as I pulled onto the concrete apron, I spotted something - a Ford Escort. I'm not sure what year it was, but it was made during that eight year span when every automobile Ford made was an Escort. Several things made this particular Escort stand out.

1) It was the Goofy High School Girl edition, noted by the turquoise paint.

2) The Goofy High School Girl had apparently sold said Escort to a Dukes of Hazzard fan, as in the gangland tag on each door, one could make out a distinctive '01', thereby making this the Goofy High School Girl General Lee edition Escort.

3) In the front passenger seat was a woman holding what had to be a 17 inch CRT monitor on her lap. Let's ponder that for a moment. Do you know how much these things weigh? Or how much room an Escort has in the rear hatch? The only explanation I can come up with is that as part of the Goofy High School General Lee edition, they welded all the doors shut for that cool "slide through the window" thing.

I wandered around the pump to find one of my co-workers standing shaking his head and laughing.

I blurted out "Two words: Hillbilly Laptop."

Luckily, my cell phone has a 2MP camera for photo ducumentation...

Another resounding endorsement for home schooling

Apparently some kids at Trimble Tech high school here in DFW failed to take an exam that was crucial to their graduation. As a result, the school board is not wanting to let them graduate. Of course, this led to parents showing up with signs.

Take a gander at the sign this woman is carrying and tell me she's not the PTA president, please. "Let Are Kids Walk"?

It seems the news is not all that it seems...

It's been a weird weekend for news....one in which things came to light that either radically change the storyline or put an unimaginably bizarre twist to things. Two examples...

Last week, there were a ton of news stories about 11 year old Jamison Stone who shot a wild pig in Alabama. That alone is interesting - even more so that the hog weighed in at over 1,000 lbs. Today, the rest of the story surfaces: The 1,000 lb wild hog had been a 1,000 lb farm pig only four days earlier.

It turns out that the pig's former owner had quite the conundrum. At that weight, the hog was not useful for either butchering or breeding. Large animals like that just don't taste very good, and as for breeding, well...even sows have some sort of preferences, and Fred the Pig didn't fall into the Highly Desirable Category....so they released Fred to a hunting reserve.

Rather than shooting a wild pig in the backwoods of Alabama, Jamison actually shot a farm pig on a 150 acre fenced hunting preserve. For those of you without great spatial imaginations, 150 acres is little less than a quarter mile by half mile. The question of the hour is not "How did he do it?" but rather "Could he have missed?" In a fenced 150 acres, I could have hit that pig with a shopping cart.

By the way, Jamison's dad did the logical thing. He immediately registered monsterpig.com and tossed up a website.

Second example - and I'll keep it brief...this guy who flew back from Europe with TB, seemingly unaware that he was a risk to his fellow passengers. Does anyone else find it interesting that he is a personal injury lawyer, OR his new father in law is a research scientist with the Center for Disease Control?

You cannot make this stuff up.

Heck of a deal

All day today, Chipotle is doing a food drive. For every canned good you bring in, you get a free burrito.

Now those of you who've ever had one of these things, knows what a good deal this is. These things are freaking humongous!!!

In 20 minutes I will head out of my office, can of soup in hand, to the Chipotle around the corner. Now grab a can of soup and meet me there in 20, but don't speed!

I'll bet he's glad he didn't marry a Shivo

Can we just let the lesson be "don't kill people because they might recover?"

WARSAW (Reuters) - A 65-year-old railwayman who fell into a coma following an accident in communist Poland regained consciousness 19 years later to find democracy and a market economy, Polish media reported on Saturday.

Wheelchair-bound Jan Grzebski, whom doctors had given only two or three years to live following his 1988 accident, credited his caring wife Gertruda with his revival.

"It was Gertruda that saved me, and I'll never forget it," Grzebski told news channel TVN24.

Hello Friends

Children of the 80's, remember when the writing for Dallas went way off the deep end and they killed off Bobby, the saintly brother to J.R., and then spent an entire season trying to explain it, only to start the next season by having his wife wake up from the dream to find that he was in the shower?

Shower's over, baby. I'm back.

I am resuming the blog effective immediately, with the following governing principles...

True to form, I'm going to pretty much write what I am thinking about when I sit to the keyboard. I don't have time to plot series', host forums or that sort of thing. For what you pay, it's a good service. No whining.

I am opening the comments but will probably bounce more than I actually post. Mostly because I can. Search the constitution. Commenting is not an inalienable right.

Be it understood that if we are friends in the analog world, then reading my blog in the digital world does not constitute keeping in touch. In fact, if you know me but your only connection is through the blog, that is decidedly creepier than people who don't know me reading the blog. Pick up the phone. But pull over to the side of the road first.

Blog on, peeps. Talk at you tomorrow.

Word Up!

Many things about God are a mystery to me. One of the mysteries I love the most is how I hear from Him through the Word - the scriptures.

Sometimes when I need direction, God talks to me through a teacher, mentor, or friend. Sometimes through impressions - the world just seems to fit this way or that (of course, these always have to align with scripture). But He also talks to me by directing me to His Word. I query God and I read a piece of scripture that seems tailor made to my question. The mysterious part is how that all happens... sometimes I pray for an answer and I barely have the question formed in my mind and - BAM - I have found the answer. This is not how it goes most often, however.

Usually I wait, and pray, and wait, and look, and ask, and search, and question, and wait... and then when I least suspect it, I find what I am looking for. That very thing happened to me today - I have been on my feet, face, and knees asking God a particular question for weeks. I couldn't sleep last night - I was exhausted, but just couldn't sleep - and so I opened my Bible. At 3:00 this morning, I got my response from God. In a text that I know I've read before, but I SWEAR I've never seen... God addressed my particular circumstance perfectly. I don't know everything about how God talks, and I am frankly a little suspicious of people who ALWAYS seem to hear from Him clearly and immediately, but I do know He does talk. And I keep learning how to listen.

Goodness!!!

I discovered something at Starbucks today that will most certainly make you slap your grandma....

The Marble Loaf.

But not just the Marble Loaf... It's the Marble Loaf TOASTED. Heated. Warmed.

Holy smokes. Sweet Moses..... REALLY, really good. It's like toast with blueberries and other types of goodness.

Crunchy on the outside, Pentecostal revival on the inside...

Mr. Roboto

Ever since moving into my new house last summer, for the very first time in my life, I decided I would be the one doing all my own yard work. Let me tell you, this spring with all the rains we've been having, my yard has needed cutting at least twice a week. Mind you, I only cut it once a week though...I do have a social life, you know?

Say hello to the LawnBot

If the makers of the LawnBot have their way, teenagers everywhere will soon be scrambling to find a new means of extortion employment. The LawnBott is an environmentally-friendly electronic mower that runs for up to 4 hours on a single charge. It can mow through over 33,000 square feet of sod in the process. Owners are free to let the LawnBot mow on its own, navigating the treacherous outdoors by way of a number of sensors that detect grass height, moisture, and more. The mower also comes with a remote control for those power-hungry landscapers among us.

And why will I not be running out to get this thing you ask??? The LawnBott will cost anywhere between $1,749 - $2,899, with the top of the line model featuring the ability to universally control it from any Bluetooth-equipped device.

A little too steep for a mower...besides, how will I be able to workout every week if I'm not pushing my trusty lawnmower??

Say hello to the Pearl

I purchased my first Blackberry over the weekend. I have succumbed to it's calling :)

Seriously, this thing is revolutionary to me. Email, phone, IM, Camera, Video, and a whole heck of a lot more.

I almost messed my pants when I got my first email on it last night...good times...

Bose Beautiful Silence

First of all I want to give a shout out to my good friend Colby. Thanks for being an awesome friend to me bro.

My parents gave me an unexpected gift last week, a pair of Bose noise cancelling headphones. I have absolutely no idea how they work, but boy do they ever work.

I was in the office yesterday, sitting at my desk, using these headphones with my IPod. After an hour of working while wearing my new headphones I realized that I missed three calls, a co-worker trying to get my attention, and a friend who came in the office, chatted and left - and I didn't even see them.

For a focus nut like me, these things are beautiful.

Hillsong: All of the Above

Just got the latest album from Hillsong United this week (props to Drue!) and have been listening to it over the past few days. Every year Hillsong usually release two albums - one is their main big church live album which is recorded in front of a humungous Sydney crowd, and the other is a live album by their youth worship team, United. Now almost without fail I find that I prefer the United CD, and many of the best songs on the main Hillsong album are ones that were first done by United, and generally the United versions are better.

But this year, with All of the Above, United have done something a little different - they’ve done away with the crowd and recorded this in the studio. At first this seems a little odd, but the more I listen the more I feel that the album doesn’t suffer at all. In fact, being a studio album rather than a live one gives the songs a lot more space and musical texture. There are a few higher energy songs showing that United still know how to rock out, but overall the album is a lot slower and more reflective.

All of the Above is an excellent, although different, album from Hillsong United. Although it doesn’t instantly hit you hard like their previous album United We Stand and my other all time favorite More than Life, I think this will prove to be the United album that I listen to most. It’s sonic textures, meaningful lyrics, and gentler tone really draw you in and immerse you in the heart of the music. Definitely a high water mark for United, and Hillsong music as a whole.

Germaphobia

Who knew there were so many of us who hated germs? I am not at the door knob washing phase, or laying towels on the floor stage, but you know what they say; "The first step is admitting you have a problem." BTW, the picture is of the payphone outside the 7-11 near my office.

A duet I don't want to repeat

I was doing the laundry this past weekend, changing the loads when all of a sudden the washer stopped working. One red light was illuminated, and because of that light, nothing was working. I tried everything short of kicking the machine to get it sorted. Nothing.

I called Mom and asked her if she knew what to do - she didn't. I Googled the make/model of my washer to figure out what to do - and voila, I had my answer. I simply had to push a button, three times to "reset" the washer. As I approached this magic button, with a sense of accomplishment, I set forth to push it in all its glory.

It was then that I noticed the bold print under the aforementioned button.

"Push three times to reset the washer when the control lock is illuminated".

Ugh.

Why is it that sometimes the hardest things to see are the elements right in front of you?

IPod spring cleaning

I took on a project yesterday that needed to be done: I cleaned out my ipod of stuff that I'm never going to listen to again. I had so many songs/podcasts that I have downloaded and listened to and so I went through the task of going through them to make room. There's some things you just aren't going to listen to over and over.

Some got trashed. Others got put on my external drive for future use/ listening.

Moral of the story: I've got 7GB's of space open on my 30GB ipod. Plenty of room for new stuff. Although I'm wishing I bought the 80 GB.

From Cocaine to Foie Gras

A friend of mine emailed me an interesting article on Friday entitled, "How the Crack Dealer Became a Chef". It's about a chef by the name of Jeff Henderson.

Chef Henderson has a fascinating story - grew up in LA, became a crack dealer, went to prison, learned how to cook, finally got out of prison and worked at several restaurants and now..........he's the executive chef at the Cafe Bellagio in Vegas.

Talk about life change...wow.

Retro at work

Throughout the new office, they have curtains made out of ball-bearing beads. Kinda like they used to do back in the 70's. Very retro looking. I'm not sure if I like that look just yet, but here's a couple pics I shot of it for you to decide.

So what do you think?

New office view

Here's the view from my new office in downtown Dallas. Not as high up, or spectacular as the last one, but I can live with it. The new building is interesting though. It feels like I stepped into one gigantic IKEA store.

The place is still under construction above and below my 12th floor office, so it's been somewhat of a pain dealing with constant hammering, drilling, and the like. It'll take some getting used to.

Snow?

Ok, it is the Saturday before Easter, and it is snowing here in Dallas, and it's 38 degrees.

How crazy is that?

Moving on up, to the east side...well, maybe not

These are 2 pics of my current office in Dallas...it's sweet. 30th floor, corner office, fantastic 360 degree view of the downtown skyline. The view from here at night is spectacular. On a clear day, I can literally see downtown FtWorth (which is 30 miles away).

Alas, today I will be leaving that gorgeous view. After 6 years in this office, my company has decided to build (which they did) a new office building, smack in the middle of the downtown Arts District. I will be on the 12th floor, smaller office, and not a corner one. Yes, I know what you're thinking, it's not that bad...but I got spoiled. I'll sure miss the view here. I'll post some pics of the new office on Monday.

Happy Easter everybody! See you at church on Sunday...

Nintendo- All the games online!!!

Oh my.





100 titles.





2 Hours gone.





The year 1989 all over again.





Good times.





Here's the link:


http://nintendo8.com/toplist/

I knew it!!

Ever drive by someone who was obviously checked out behind the wheel and think"Are you asleep or what?!?" Check this out:

"The most widely prescribed sleeping pills can cause strange behavior like driving and eating while asleep, the Food and Drug Administration said yesterday..."

These suck!

OK, OK, bad idea...bathroom stalls with no freaking doors on them (a sick-o must have invented them).

Sunday afternoon at the movies

Saw Blades of Glory yesterday at Grapevine Mills with my friend Charles and his family. There were a couple of times where I was laughing so hard I thought I was gonna puke my popcorn I had just eaten, but other than that, it felt like an hour and a half long SNL sketch that was an hour and 15 minutes too long. Weak story line, and not very believable.

Definitely not as good as Talladega Nights. But hey, it is Will Ferrell, so what more should you expect?

On the plus side, I did get to see the new Pirates 3 trailer. From the looks of the trailer, that will be one to add to the must see list.

Spring thoughts

My lawn is turning green, motorcycles are everywhere, and kids are running around outside the neighborhood again... it must be spring! A few thoughts:

• It is said that in spring, a young man's thoughts turn to love... but several of my friends thoughts have turned to motorcycles! Three of my previously non-riding friends are buying motorcycles (I just went yesterday to test out a bike for one buddy who doesn't yet have his license). Gotta love life on two wheels!



• I just finished reading this book. While I have a couple of nit-picky issues with it, overall it is a great read with a great premise - the church has to get MUCH more intentional about putting masculinity back in faith.



• I've got this rabbit that has taken up residence in my yard... it's kind of cool really, as I see it in the morning and when I come home from the office. Makes me feel a little like Tony Soprano!

Ear bud madness

The ear buds and creature speakers were heavily focused on these tunes this week!

-> Social Distortion, Album: Social Distortion

-> Stavesacre, Album: Speakeasy

-> The Call, Album: Reconciled

-> Mutemath, Album: Mutemath

-> Vertical Horizon, Album: GO

Ooops, forgot what's playing right now: AC/DC, "Shoot to Thrill" off the Back in Black album...which is greatness.

What’s your recently played selection look like?

Back from the break!

After taking a much needed blogging hiatus, I am back in the saddle as they say.

I just wanted to take a breather, a sort of techie cleansing. It was tough resisiting the urge to post, but in the end, it was good for me.

Baseball season begins this weekend, I'm blogging, so all is right with the world again.

Nap time

I read a newly released study today that found that a 30 minute nap three times a week reduces the chance of a heart attack by 37%.

I just want to go on public record as supporting nap time.It all comes back to circadian rhythm.

I'm good for nothing in the afternoon. I think 90% of my creativity and productivity happens before noon! Some afternoons I feel like a computer that opens more and more programs so the processor slows down and eventually all the programs say "not responding."A ten-minute nap is like restarting my computer. It reenergizes me physically and mentally. What I'm trying to say is this: I'm pro-naps.

Grammy's 2007

If you did not watch the Grammy Awards last night, this is what I saw...in chronological order...somewhat...

Police - Rock my world. Can't wait for the tour to hit Dallas. Amazing.

Tony Bennet. Best Duo - Grab Stevie’s hand dude!!! He’s blind!!!

DixieChicks - I don’t care if you’re ready to make nice or not. Because you were rockin’ the Tele. Rock ‘On.

Prince - One Word, Chest Hair. OK. Two words.

Beyonce - Two Words - Jennifer Hudson.

Prince - Bad idea to stand behind Mary J.

Justin - PIMP

Beyonce - Two Words. Mary J.

John Legend, Corinne Bailey Rae - You need to thank the Lord for John Mayer, he saved you.

Shakira - I had to change the channel. No Christian man could watch that and… well…oh my.

Dixie Chicks - Song of the Year. Wow. Way to say screw you to America with one award.

Gnarles Barkley - I want those teeth.

Ludacris - Best Rap Album - Keep rockin’ the Dirty South. ATL. That fade is TIGHT!!! Woah!!! Thanking Oprah and Bill O’Riley?

Mary J. - That was the best performance of the night. Beyonce who?

Dixie Chicks - Country Album of the Year - I love it. From Outcasts to Grammy Sweepers.

Carrie Underwood - Carrie, from Idol Winner to Best New Artist at the Grammy's.

Rascall Flatts - who says a front man cant be a chunker? Own it G.

Lionel Ritchie - Hello? Yea baby.

Chris Brown - Dude. It’s been a while since a black guy actually danced better than Timberlake. Well done.

Christina - You did good. But Mary J still wins.

James Blunt - G C Em D. Work it. A good song can sit on it’s own.

Justin’s new girly singer - Rigged.

Chili Peppers - Same Old Junk. ZZZZzzzzz

Al Gore - SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dixie Chicks - 5 of 5. Count’Em

Back from the break

Took a much needed blogging break of 2 weeks. Sometimes it's good to cleanse the body now and then of techie-ness. But I'm back!!!

Blog on...

I get it

I know I haven't blogged in over a week. The past 7 days have been rough for me. I've been questioning God a lot over the last week (which is not a bad thing) trying to make heads or tails about a couple of events that happened.

Life is hard. God is good, but life is hard.

I don't think its always hard, but it seems that in the times we struggle, we reach back for what we knew as love and as comfort, from our mom's cooking to playing catch with our dad.
I think there is no doubt that God can use our struggles and our hard times to bring us back to some sort of simplicity. It's like I heard once that a pastor said when he would visit a family who had lost a loved one suffering through an illness he would say, "I'll make coffee."

There is something soothing in the simple and the mundane. The news that always comes on, the paper that always appears on your front step, the sound of your husband (or wife) snoring. The smell of coffee brewing or a tea pot whistling.

I thank God for those simple memories, because it often points us to love, which points us to the One who never forsakes us and never forgets about us, no matter how hard life is. Thank you, God, that you are always here...I get it. I get it.

I am MacGyver

If you are under 23, then this makes no sense to you.

Giving a shout out to my homie Colby...see you Sunday morning!!

Technology evolution

So a friends son asked me a question the other day: "Did you have iPods when you were a kid?"

I then proceeded to tell him about an ancient device called the walkman. Got me thinking about the evolution of technology.

There is an old Chinese Proverb: may you live in interesting times. Can't imagine a more interesting time to be alive can you?

I think the cell phone is a microcosm. Remember when cell phones that were just phones? I was reading an article about some of the latest evolutions in cell phones. Phones are becoming entertainment centers with full-length feature films available via mSpot. The iPhone doubles as a juke box. Phones function as remote controls. Give it a few years and phones will be garage door openers and thermostat adjusters. They will function as e-wallets and roaming alarm systems.

And you gotta love this: a new phone from Japan's NTT DoCoMo alerts women who are trying to get pregnant when they are ovulating. Are you kidding me?

For what it's worth, I'm a TMobile guy. But if someone got me an iPhone I would feel compelled to switch over :) It would be rude not to!

Cow Farts

You know I like random animal facts right? Don't know why, but I've always been fascinated by the fact that African elephants poop eighty pounds per day. Really makes you appreciate cage cleaners doesn't it?

What I'm about to reveal ranks right up! Here's the entire article if you want to check it out.

According to a United Nations Report, cow "emissions" are the greatest threat to the environment. The 400-page report by the Food and Agricultural Organization, Livestock's Long Shadow, says that the world's 1.5 billion cattle are responsible for 18 per cent of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming. That is more than cars, planes and all other forms of transport put together.Cow farts account for 9% of all carbon dioxide emissions. Their "wind" and manure account for more than 33% of methane. And their farts produce 100 other polluting gases including ammonia, one of the major causes of acid rain.

One more random cow fact: a cow drinks 990 litres of water to produce one litre of milk!

My triceps are in pain

Worked out muscles that I never even worked out before in my life, but my friend D (this person likes to remain anonymous...the goober!) swears that it is good for me.

So, back to the gym again tonight for more pain :)

24

Last night and tonight is the big season premiere event of 24!!!

OMG!!!!

Jack is a beast!! I was amazed when Jack went all Lost Boys on that guy!!

Dr. Bashir as the pseudo bad guy was a good move. I knew I recognized him from somewhere (for those of you who have no clue who Dr. Bashir is, he was the ship doc on Star Trek: Deep Space 9).

Wayne Palmer as President...off the chain!

Can't wait to see what happens tonight!

Oh, by the way...

1. The first CD I ever owned was by Duran Duran. I am still embarrased about that.
2. I never had Chinese food until I was 19.
3. I'd rather go west than east and north than south almost any day.
4. I paint very well. John and Tracie will testify.
5. I attended K-12 in the same town and got through early, thank you very much.
6. Trail mix is a common late night snack for me.
7. My affinity for gadgetry was underdeveloped until I was in my 30's.
8. I have more than my share of strange friends.
9. I've been blogging since some of you were in high school.
10. My favorite days, hands down, are spent with my family and best friends (u know who u are).
11. My dream gig would be to sing backup for The Police.
12. Sitting by a fire in Banff Canada, while listening to Train at midnight on a cold, clear January night was just about nirvanic for me.
13. My first name was picked by my Dad.
14. I can back up a boat trailer faster than would seem prudent.
15. I did not like algebra in high school and it hasn't gotten much better.
16. If it comes down to Trivial Pursuit...you want me on your team. If not...I will eat your lunch.
17. Every night, it takes five chargers to make my life work.
18. I once hot wired a 40ft rv because it needed to be done.
19. I am not a party person.
20. My iPod contains a 50/50 mix of music and spoken word.
21. I know how to use a satellite phone.
22. Driving coast to coast in four or five days really sounds like a good time to me.
23. If you find me at Chipotle, I'm eating the chicken burrito.
24. One of my best friends was just named the new head football coach at Louisville...seriously.
25. I can eat grapes like there is no tomorrow.
26. I nearly lost a van in the Mississippi river once.
27. I'm taller than my father (and all my brothers), who was taller than his father (and brothers).
28. I am not afraid to have the hard conversations.
29. I am going to bed now.

Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys underachieved. It's sad, but true. And you can't convince me otherwise. They have zero excuses.

Dallas had pristine health, a favorable schedule down the stretch, and a talented roster that collapsed in December. Not to mention the Cowboys play in a conference lacking a dominant team, so reaching the Super Bowl was a reality, not just a delusion of grandeur.

And don't forget, the Cowboys played their 2 biggest games of the season against New Orleans and Philly, at Texas Stadium. The Cowboys suffered blowout losses in each of those games. In the end, we shouldn't have been surprised the Cowboys found a creative way to lose Saturday in an NFC wild-card game. They've been doing it all season.

I needed one of these for Christmas

Seeing as I locked myself out of the house yesterday morning...

Worst album covers ever

These are pretty bad....

Does the phrase "bad to worse" mean anything to you?

Because it's not enough that the woman in the minivan in front of you is talking on the phone. Now she's surfing ebay at the same time.

Autonet Mobile, a start-up wireless technology company based in San Francisco, announced that it has reached an agreement with Avis Rent A Car System to provide a rolling wifi hotspot to Avis customers by March. For $10.95 a day, Avis will issue motorists a notebook-size portable device that plugs into a car’s power supply and delivers a high-speed Internet connection.

As if traffic on the tollway isn't bad enough already! Sheez!!

The ball has dropped!

- In sports, dropping the ball is a bad thing.

- At work, dropping the ball isn't good either.

- Yet somehow, millions tune in to watch a ball drop...and that is a good thing.
Maybe now that the ball has dropped, it means we won't drop the ball and we'll see all our dreams come true in 2007...

Happy New Year!

A special thanks

Well, just wanted to say thanks for reading my blog in ‘06. I’m heading toward my third blogging year—we’ll see what ‘07 brings. I'm spending New Years eve tonight with a lot of other people from church, so no posts till much later tomorrow afternoon when I wake up :)

Travel skivvies

Saw these this morning while out doing some pre-ski trip shopping at a local store. There is so much I could say about this, but I won't.

Ok, yes. I will...

First of all, if you can afford to travel to 17 countries in 6 weeks, you sure as heck better be able to afford some space to carry around a few skivvies. I don't care how "breathable" they are! You wear those for that long, Malaria and Japanese Encephalitis will be the LAST of your worries! No shots to help with THAT!

Gag.

I'm done.

On my soapbox

When was the last time you told someone you would do something, and then not done it? Or you did it so poorly that you would both have been better off if you had said "no" to begin with?

If you don't care what people think of you, then maybe there's no reason to worry about it. After awhile, those who know you will just assume that you're not reliable, and they'll just stop asking you for commitments. Those who don't know you well enough to avoid asking you will find out soon enough, and they'll stop asking you too. After a while, the only people you'll need to worry about are the ones who either don't yet know you, or haven't yet asked you for anything.

If you have a great personality, or lots of money, or a wonderful spouse, you may not even notice the lack of esteem others have for you. They will continue to invite you to do things -- they just won't count on you. Whether you show up or not, no one will be inconvenienced anymore, because they're not expecting anything from you.

Even if you either don't care, or don't care enough to do something about it, if you are a Christian you have another problem. The Bible tells us to let our "yes be yes and our no be no". (Matt. 5:37). When we say yes and are consistently unreliable, we do more than damage our own reputation -- we damage God's reputation in the eyes of those who see Him through us. Not only do we discourage other Christians, but to those who do not know God, we provide a witness that they will likely have to overcome to even want to consider becoming Christians.

Now don't get me wrong. I'm not talking about the person who just occasionally doesn't live up to their commitments. We have all experienced that from time to time. No, I'm talking about the person who acquires a reputation for not being reliable.

I have two friends each of whom is unreliable. One is unreliable because they think they want the freedom of not being organized. The other friend is unreliable because they think they're better organized than they really are.

Both of my friends have the same problem: they both say yes when they should say no and vice-versa. The Bible tells us that our yes should be yes and our no should be no. It also tells us in Luke 16:20 that whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. Although the context has to do with money, the principle is universal. If we cannot be trusted to do what we say we'll do, neither God nor man will trust us to do greater things.

Ok, I'm off my soapbox now...thanks for indulging me...

Happy Belated Festivus!

How did December 23rd pass us by without us wishing one another a Happy Festivus?

I suppose this would serve as part of the "Airing of the grievances"... So Happy Festivus for the rest of us!

If you have no idea what I am talking about...then go here.

Un-used cell phone minutes

I remember my first cell phone. It was roughly the size of a cinder block, but less pleasing in appearance and function. I think my first cell contract was $30 for 30 minutes. I'm not kidding. And a portion of a minute rounded up. In other words, you could make fifteen 65 second calls and you were over your limit and getting jacked for about a buck a minute (or portion thereof).

Not so today. I have a cell phone plan that would allow me to call Buffalo NY for Time & Temperature as often as I wanted. I have more minutes than George Bush has backers right now. Nationwide. Plus free weekends, free evenings and free whenever minutes to T-mobile phones. All that to say, I never have an excuse to not make a call any more. Never...

In spite of easy access, I regularly wonder "What happened to..." and "Why haven't they called?"

It hit me the other day that if I really wanted to stay connected with people, I'd come home with a drained phone battery every day and use all my cell minutes. Instead, it's easier to not call. It's easier to not connect, easier to wonder why we disconnected, even though I have their number in my phone and could, at no cost, call them and find out.

I have moved all over the country. I've developed close relationships with people only to pack up and move on. Every time I've watched them grow small in the rearview mirror and told myself "but I'll stay connected to THEM. They're like family....". I must have eight or ten people like that, yet quickly, the calls stop (both ways) and we're both left wondering.

To be fair, relationship is anchored in two directions - a common history and a common future. That's what you do with friends. You reminisce and you scheme. You look back and you look forward. When you move away, you disconnect with the common future that you thought you might have had at one point...and conversations become a stilted rehash of the last time you got together. The only thing that's worse than not connecting is reconnecting and finding out that you don't have anything to say.

I have no resolve to this, except to say that I wonder what happened to you. Or me. I think of you often... with a bit of sadness in my heart because of the widening gap between my life and yours...and cell minutes left on my account at the end of the month.

How moronic is that??