Jam Germ Snore...

The Countdown is on.

2008-09-25T23:22:00.002-05:00

Hello, Is this thing on? I have.....

2008-08-10T19:03:00.006-05:00

...an announcement!

I AM ENGAGED! To be married....to a girl.....

YUP.

OK, so I doubt anyone actually checks this anymore, and those of you who do probably already know all this, but I wanted to put it all out there and share some photos, especially for those that aren't facebook type people.

Here is the story:

Kate suggested we go on a bike ride on Friday, which worked out perfectly because I had planned to ask her (not because it was 8/8/08, but because the timing was right) this weekend, and I wanted to do it outdoors in a picturesque setting. I, as any other fella, wanted it to be unique experience for us.
Kate has been more than hinting for the past months that she wanted a DSLR camera so I decided to incorporate this into the engagement process as well: #1 because I wanted to throw her off the trail #2 because I really did want to give her the camera #3 I wanted something to take pictures of the event with. So I told Kate I had a gift for her, but that it could only be used outside (a lie).
Back to the bike ride, we couldn't get the bikes up and going so Kate suggested that we go for a run. I told her she couldn't use her present if we went for a run, but that we could go for a walk at the same place we were going to go mountain biking at White Clay Creek State Park and I would give it to her there.
We head out for the walk and Kate is trying to talk to me about these books I've been reading for Apologetics class, and Tim Keller's book A Reason for God, and how they line up, and all this other stuff. Meanwhile, I'm freaking out inside, and can't even process full sentences, and on the outside putting forth all the effort in the world to remain cool.
As we're walking we come to a bridge that Kate had wanted to see, and it looked like as beautiful a setting as we were going to come to, so I suggested we go down by the creek below the bridge for a look. We bushwhacked our way down to the water and looked around for a few minutes ending up on a boulder in the creek. After more outward small talk and inward turmoil I asked if I could give Kate her present. Of course she said I could. On the camera over the past week with the help of Mikey, Jeffer and Abram I took pictures of myself at places where Kate and I have spent time together, activities we love, and things we've done together. In each of the pictures I am holding a dry erase board with it saying in each consecutive photo "Kate" "I Love You" "Will" "You" "Marry" "Me?"
I gave her the camera and she freaked out telling me how much she loved it, etc. I told her I'd already used it a little and took some pictures, and helped her get to the right screen to get the ball rolling. As she soon as she saw the first picture she said she knew what was happening, and as she was looking as the pictures I was down pulling the ring out of my backpack and getting in position on one knee. When Kate saw me on one knee, she got down on her knees too, which was hilarious, and then got back up saying, "oh, wait, I'm not supposed to be down too" we were both laughing which helped me tremendously with what I was about to say. So, I asked with the words I had already used in the pictures and asked her to marry me. She said yes, we kissed, we took some pictures with the camera. I read Proverbs 31 The Wife of Noble Character, which I truly believe I have found, and much of what it says is true of Kate. Then we called our parents, took some more pictures, and lingered in the moment for just a little while longer, and finally made our way back to the car.
It was just like I imagined it only time moved much faster. I can hardly believe the whole thing was over before it began. I am, of course, thankful she said yes, and I am very excited about spending the rest of our lives together.
OK, that's the story, here are the pictures:

I forgot that I don't have the "after" pictures because they are on the camera, which is now in Kate's possesion. So you'll have to check our her facebook (if you have it) to see those. Here is a picture of the ring though......

Thrift Store #2

2007-11-09T18:23:00.000-06:00

So, it hasn't turned into a weekly post yet, but i'm making steps in the right direction.......kinda. the first part of this didn't happen at the thrift store, but at "the sale" as it is called here in Easton, at christ chruch. it is a gigantic rummage sale that takes place on 3 floors of the church, it's rediculously large.

Things I obtained:

*Burberry driving cap

*Old-School Patagonia jacket

and a few other odds and ends.

Now, what I got today. This is so random.....
I did something I never thought I'd do. I bought a peice of art at the thrift store. It's an odd exception though. I was walking past the section of what is generally ugly landscapes with barns, and the forest. I don't know what it was about this that caught my eye, it was probably a relection off the metallic silver frame, but i picked it up. Take a look.

Yeah, it's a line drawing of Kansas City. It's pretty cool. Downtown in the foreground, and then out of this photo is Mission Hills, the Stadium Complex, Swope Park, Prairie Village, and some other landmarks. All it needs now is a new frame!

ps. I met Kate's parents this weekend, and wore a suit i got at the thrift store to the wedding.....

Once again.....

2007-09-30T08:10:00.000-05:00

...the Cats knocked off Texas.

41-21. 20 points worth of domination.

GO CATS!

UPDATE: Debuting in the top 25 after the sweet win at #24. Man, I've missed seeing that.

Oh yeah, and don't blow it against KU next week.

Something new...

2007-09-23T21:17:00.000-05:00

...for the ol' neglected blog.

i've decided that i, in the spirit of many of my friends whose blogs contain a re-occuring subject, would start one of my own.

the subject will be my finds at the thrift store. i make a near weekly pilgramage to the local goodwill, and almost always come away with something pretty spectacular. it may only interest me that people give away all kinds of things that are really pretty valuable. looking back over the year, here is a list of things that i've found with the approximate value listed next to it:

*brioni dress shrit ($400)
*lacoste polo ($85)
*head titanium tennis racquet ($70)
*patagonia polo ($45)
*peter and wendy (first edition) by jm barrie ($1000)

and some other good stuff too.

for this week:

patagonia capilene base-layer long-sleeve shrit ($45)
-the sweetest part of this is the 'return of the jedi' all-terrain armored transport that's silk-screened on it.

alright, so you get the idea. i'm looking forward to having this little deal as a way to continue to stay connected to the ol' neglected blog.

If you know....

2007-08-01T11:28:00.000-05:00

God is in something (ie lyrics of a professed follower of Christ in a supposed secular song) don't you seek Him out in it?
Then, if He created all things and is in all things should He not be sought out in all things?

Life could be much richer if I did.

Twenty-Seven...

2007-05-27T21:55:00.000-05:00

...is now what i will say when i am asked "how old are you?"

it was a good one. surprise breakfast with some of my committee was a good start. got a good book to read from them. david mccullough's the path between the seas about the significance of the construction of the panama canal. that reminds me of my favorite palindrome. a man a plan a canal panama.

other sweet presents:
*a coozie from the beach club
*a dan quisenberry baseball card
*a fleetwood mac record

the day was capped off by a victory in croquet under the lights at windsor's house.

Nevermore....

2007-04-30T10:23:00.000-05:00

....will I despise the Baltimore Ravens (not that I ever really did), because with the 10th pick in the 3rd round I finally have a reason to root for them. His name: Yamon Figures.

Other 'Cats that were drafted: Thomas Clayton, and Zach Diles. With those two guys going, and rated lower I am surprised Brandon Archer didn't get picked. I guess no one wanted a guy who has a nose for the football.

and by the way, I have lived in Maryland for over a year. That's weird.

Not Important....

2007-03-11T22:39:00.000-05:00

....Tournament.

Cool. K-State gets to play Vermont in the NIT.

I can't believe we whipped Tech in the Big XII tournament, and they get to go to the real tournament while KSU is jettisoned to the tournament that no one cares about or watches.

Next year I hope we play an out of conference schedule better than 224,000th in the country.

Bookflix.....

2007-03-03T13:56:00.000-06:00

...I was thinking it'd be cool if they had a netflix for books.

i guess there is already a free version called the public library. it just doesn't come in the mail.

Redemption....

2007-02-26T22:29:00.000-06:00

Hey, really sorry about clay and s to the cc (that's what his friends call him) and the great adventure post. not even funny. just sick and wrong. maybe this will salve the soul.

thanks to yewknee for the heads up.

A dream come true....

2007-02-19T11:41:00.001-06:00

Yeah, Clay Aiken and Steven Curtis Chapman together....FINALLY.

No big deal....

2007-02-04T17:52:00.000-06:00

Cats! 73-72. The mighty Longhorns are so mortal.

The big test comes Wednesday.

Let's Horse around.....

2007-01-30T21:55:00.000-06:00

ok, disclaimer....i have nothing against animals.

i am glad the barbaro saga is in the books, and done with. IT'S A HORSE. sure, he won a triple crown race, and could have, i repeat could have, gone down as one of the greats had he not broke his leg. what good is a lame horse? he endured more pain staying alive than being euthanized. we all know that's what they do when a horse breaks his leg. they kill him/her! why didn't they do that in the first place? did he have the cure for cancer hidden somewhere in his body? doubt it. was he a great intellectual who could communicate through words with human beings? nope. was he ever going to do anything again, other than be studded out to the highest bidder giving new meaning to the word HORse. certainly not.

sorry about that. needless to say i will not be sending a card.

From Ramen with Love

2007-01-07T14:34:00.000-06:00

While most folks are flying flags at half mast in honor of President Ford, my flag is low for Momofuku Ando, without whom I would not be alive.

The 'Cats...

2006-11-11T23:54:00.000-06:00

...45-42. 'Nuff said.

K-S-U Wildcats.

Film at 11....

2006-11-11T10:14:00.000-06:00

This is the type of hard hitting news that changes lives!

What makes a man....

2006-11-02T10:20:00.000-06:00

....stop blogging for 2 months?? I don't know. I feel like it must no longer be salient. The tried and true keep on trucking and those of us who jumped on the bandwagon are ready to jump off. Where it once was important to tell the whole of the internet about how you spent your time over the weekend is just less important than eating, or breathing, or watching Ugly Betty. Whatever. No declaration, just an obeservation. The time spent blogging has turned into time spent on myspace, or going to high school sporting events, or reading.

Really though, what makes a man start again? Certainly not anyone banging down my door wondering what the heck I am doing. Perhaps a unique experience in life will do it. Yes, that does it. This week I went fishing. I caught a fish worth keeping, and I ate said fish for dinner last night. I am very proud of myself. I didn't know I had it in me, or perhaps it was repressed while living in a land-locked state. At any rate it was highly satisfying. I've included pictures of the before and after below.

Well, anyway....

2006-08-31T10:02:00.000-05:00

...I couldn't let the entire month go by without posting something. Here goes a list of things I've done since my last post:

1. Listened to Bono at the Willow Creek Leadership Summit, among others
2. Went home to KC for a visit.
3. Rode a horse.
4. Went to a rodeo.
5. Played wiffleball.
6. Drove across 5 states with my Dad.
7. Visited the US Naval Academy.
8. Bought some seersucker pants.
9. Started to look for apartments in Easton.
10. School started here in Easton giving me a lot more opportunity to see kids.

That's about it.

The Bridge...

2006-07-28T17:43:00.000-05:00

Build a bridge! Check this thing out. I am mile 210. You should be the next mile.

My first visitor...

2006-07-27T14:53:00.000-05:00

...from more than 2 hrs away. David came over to the shore! It was a blast. We went to DC to hang out with Jason and Mike. It was incredible to be around people that know and love me well. We had a whirlwind Sunday starting with the Nats v Cubs game. The poor Cubs, they are bad. 7-1 Nats. After that we enjoyed a PLANET reception and enjoyed free sandwiches and free beer. My favorite thing the word free, with almost anything after it! Finished off the night by going to the Market Inn, which had the most interesting art, live jazz, and a great surf & turf. Lastly, Of course we had to go to Shelly's for a drink afterwards, the perfect end to any day.

On Tuesday we went to the beach with my friend Lindsay who went to camp as the girls leader. She did a fantastic job! I am very grateful, and pray that I will find a girl leader here in Easton for the many girls that come to Young Life. She slept the whole day. In the car on the way down it took her about 20 mins to fall asleep. We ate lunch and then went to the beach. It took her about 10 minute to fall asleep there. Guess what, on the way home she slept the entire way. I will mention that she wasn't feeling all that well, but still amazing she was able to sleep so much. David and I got our feet wet, and saw some dolphins, or porpoise, I don't know which, and took naps also. A very, very relaxing day. I'll do it again soon.

It was soooo good to be with David, and show him around my new town. It's been three months here now! Hard to believe.

Camp...

2006-07-27T14:45:00.000-05:00

So yeah, July 15-21 I was at Lake Champion with 21 of my closest friends for the best week of our lives. It was crazy fun. Very different to be the "trip leader" what with all the responsibility that requires. I think I did the job well. Hard to believe around this time last year the fire in my heart was ingnited to leave Kansas and the comforts of home. The Lord has changed my life for the better, for eternity, by leading me to a new home.

I am glad I didn't miss it:

Fun in DC, as per usual...

2006-07-05T19:07:00.000-05:00

it was indeed a happy 4th of july. went to shenandoah with mike and walked around in the woods. we got really sweaty, and saw two bears, not necessarily in that order.

we also went to the mall (the one with the monuments, not with the gap). saw the best fireworks show i've ever seen. ethan fell asleep. he is weird.

here are some pics. check out mikes sweat.

I haven't done that since college...

2006-06-28T12:18:00.000-05:00

This week I did two things I haven't done since college.

a. I headed to DC as usual over the weekend to hang out with friends. I saw my friend Matt who had just taken a crew to Rockbridge, a Young Life camp, in Virginia. My friend Ashlee entertained me after the YLers headed to club. We played X-treme Uno, which was very contentious. I was up until 2am (I've done that since college), and at 2 decided it was an excellent idea to eat a big greasy cheeseburger and fries. I now remember why eating that late is a bad idea.

b. I got 2 parking tickets. One in Easton, one in DC. suck.

Medicine Bow...

2006-06-21T19:34:00.000-05:00

I have been back for about 5 days now, and have been trying to craft the perfect blog in my head. It just doesn't seem to be working so prepare for some diarrhea of the fingers as I explain the trip. General Description: IT WAS INCREDIBLE.

I flew separately from the rest of the group thanks to a donation from this guy.
My sister picked my up from the airport in her car, which used to be mine, and is now completely wrecked. The stereo was almost stolen, but what remains is still in the dash, and rattles at every bump. She now listens to music though some portable speakers attached to a portable CD player. GHETTO FABULOUS. It has also been hit multiple times, and consequently looks like it lost in qualifying for a demolition derby. That aside, we had a good visit, and enjoyed some buffalo burgers in the company of her friends.

The next morning I joined the rest of the crew in Ft. Collins, which is an excellent city. I recommend a visit if you have not been. One of my cousins lives in Loveland, which I conveniently forgot until I was on the plane on the way home. We bummed around a little bit, played some Frisbee-golf, went to the pool and jumped off the high-dive, ate at the all you can eat pizza buffet, played video games, wrestled with dogs.

We went white-water rafting. On the way up to the put-in site we saw a man who had ran his Porsche off the road into the Cache de Poudre river. I felt bad for him for about 3 minutes. The water was high due to snow run-off; it was extremely cold for the same reason. Of the group I came the closest to falling out with both legs above my head at one point. I am really not sure how I stayed in the boat.

After all the ancillary activities it was time to get down to the business we came for. We met our guides at Vedauwoo (pronounced vee-duh-voo) near Laramie, WY for a little rock climbing. I haven't done much of it, and it's clear why. You need to be strong, flexible, and crazy. I am only borderline on one of these and it's not strong or flexible. Nonetheless, it was fun.

For the backpacking portion we went down the road an hour to Medicine Bow National Forrest a place I had been 2 years earlier with Mike, Mark and Jesse. It was a good time then and remained so. Surprisingly, there was still snow on the ground. We spent approximately 92.4% of the time hiking on it. I've never hiked on snow before, and if I have my druthers I will probably try to avoid it in the future. Makes everything go slower, is cold to sleep on, and there is the constant threat of post-holing (in other words, taking a step and ending up knee, or thigh deep in snow). Although, it does mean a softer bed, a lack of bears, and mosquitoes and the opportunity to glissade.

Scary part (get a warm glass of milk): One of the students got altitude sickness. It's effects showed as he was unable to rationalize getting all the way into his sleeping bag on night one when the temperature must have been around 20-30 degrees. He also lost the majority of his short term memory. Ultimately, he very nearly went into shock. We stopped immediately, wrapped him in three sleeping bags and a tarp and put hot water bottles in the bag. His pulse was around 104 bpm for the better part of an hour, and he was unable to answer what his full name was, where he was, and the approximate time of day. We did eventually get him stabilized, and called in (via satellite Phone) for an evacuation team. It was tough to see Tom go, but we all knew it was for the best.

Best part: On the trail a portion of the time is spent sharing life stories, and Tom was able to share his before he left. He was very open and vulnerable and really set the table for the rest of us to follow suit. The Lord really used what was potentially a devastating event to shape the remainder of the trip for good.

We had a fantastic time hiking, doing a peak, eating some darn good food, rapping, crossing rivers, talking entirely too much about bodily functions, sharing our possessions and our lives, getting off track, finding a trail, laughing, laughing, laughing, seeing God's handiwork, crying, growing stronger, showing weakness, learning, watching, listening, loving.

I'd do it again next week.

I told you I was going to ramble.

Gone, and back, and gone again....

2006-06-07T09:22:00.000-05:00

Since 5/23 I have been to Lake Champion in Glen Spey, NY over Memorial Day Weekend for a leadership weekend which was a blast. YL camp for leaders, in a nut shell. Played some 4 square, went -9 on the frisbee golf course. Pretty standard really.

Stayed over the following week for work week. I, along with 3 others, weed whacked what seemed like the entire camp. 6.5 hrs hanging on to a good sized weed eater makes muscles ache. The next day we all got to mulch, again, what seemed like the entire camp. Probably around 50 yards in 6 hours. I thought I was done with landscaping!!!

Returned on Friday, to play golf and greet Mike, Julie and Ethan. We went to the rainy beach on Saturday. The beach loses its luster quickly when the water falls on your head instead of lapping at your toes. Mike and I picked crabbs for the 1st time on Sunday, and it's safe to say we need some more practice.

Today, I am sitting at Panera, getting ready to head to the airport to go CO and chill with 10 of my favorite high school friends from Easton to go hiking, climbing and white water rafting. I can't imagine we'll have any fun, but we'll try. I'll let you know how it goes.

Over and out.

Things I've Learned....

2006-05-23T10:15:00.000-05:00

In honor of my 1 month anniversary in Easton; a list of things I've learned:

It is good to live in a town where you can leave the doors unlocked
The body of Christ functions
I was not meant for a desk job
Seafood should be a part of everyone diet (fresh, not fish stix from the freezer section)
Making friends is not as easy as it looks on TV
Cities on the East coast are close together
Living near a lot of water opens up an entirely new spectrum of sports/activities
Lacrosse is a cool sport
Good beef can be a rare commodity
It is good to expose yourself to a challenge
I am out of shape

This is what I like to read.....

2006-05-22T15:34:00.000-05:00

Go Cats.

Tilghman Island....

2006-05-11T19:05:00.000-05:00

I took another boat trip last Saturday, I went with the Shipley's to Tilghman Island for lunch. It was the first time I have used a boat as a mode of transportation for the purpose of getting from A to B. From Easton it is about 23 miles by car, and about 1.5 miles by boat. The Shipley's are great. Parks is approximately 6' 8" tall. I look quite small next to him, as do most people. His wife's name is Micheline, she is Swiss, and even after many years stateside has retained quite an accent. They are in there 60s, and have an abundance of stories to tell. The were one of the driving force behind Young Life in Talbot County. Like I said great. On he way home we cruised by Dick Cheaney's house, but not too close.

I also learned about a product called Old Bay. It goes on everything. I'll say it again. It goes on everything. Allegedly, folks from around here will travel with a supply of Old Bay.

Talbot County...

2006-05-03T15:36:00.000-05:00

I got out on the water for the first time on Monday with the guy that owns the Sears store here in town. It was beautiful. Talbot (pronounced tall-but) County has over 600 miles of waterfront property, the most of any single county in the US it was pointed out, and people do a darn good job of building impressive houses on it! Paul seemed to know every detail of every home on the banks of the Tred Avon. For example:

the house that Vince Vaugh is running out of is there, and we saw the back of it. No celebrity citings, but it is rumored to be for sale somewhere in the neighborhood of $18 million. Also included were the homes of the inventor of Stove Top stuffing and Pella Windows.

My favorite story was the one of the widow who fell in love with and married the caretaker of the property. She promptly died leaving the caretaker to eventually sell the house and pocket somewhere around $12 million. Not bad.

The water was beautiful as well. I'll look forward to spending a lot more time on the water as the weather grows nicer.

EDIT: Last but certainly not least. Mike came over last Thursday after a day at Osprey Point, and graced me with his presence. We had a great time and marvled that we are both living in the Eastern time zone which would have been inconcievable as we cruised up and down 119th from McDonalds to KenTacoHut.

and...

2006-04-27T20:39:00.000-05:00

i'm on MySpace now too, by the way. Please be my friend.

New friends...

2006-04-26T21:18:00.000-05:00

Last night was the banquet for Mid Shore Young Life, or as I like to call it baptism by fire. It was a crazy night. I got to be called Area Director, that made me feel important. Being the new guy, and only having been there for about 72 hrs before the banquet, my role was to try to meet and remember as many folks as possible. 3. I think I can remember 3 peoples names. I'll call it a success. When I was introduced, I decided to go ahead and take a picture of everyone staring at me to break up the moment. I was so nervous, and my hands were shaking, so this is what came out:

I didn't want to push my luck and ask for another one.

Another first for me was the lacrosse game tonight. I don't get it. I'm working on it. All I know is you have a little baskct attached to a stick and some of the sticks are longer. The scoring is one point at a time, and and average score is around 16-12 or thereabouts.

Here I am....

2006-04-24T09:55:00.000-05:00

Well. It's been a freaking CRAZY week. I had the best going away party ever, I packed up almost the entirety of my belongings into the Audi, and I drove 14oo miles to my new home!

First, the party. Thank you to all who attended, and those of you who considered attending. It would be an understatement to say that I felt loved. It was certainly more than I would have ever asked for. I'll remember it as long as I live.

Second, packing it up. It was a good chance to get rid of that Members Only jacket that I haven't worn since '89, among other things. I didn't know I had so much junk. It was good to be selective, and purge my life of excess. In the end it all fit in the Audi with room enough to see out the back window, and be sure my bike wasn't being dragged behind the car.

Third, the 1400 miles. That's a long way to drive alone. I left on Friday morning. I got bored. I didn't even make it out of Missouri before I got flipped off for the first time. Apparently truckers don't like it when you pull out in front of them; even when you have plenty of room to make it. I decided that 17hrs wasn't a good idea in one day, so I decided to get to Charleston, WV where I met a man who hadn't been to DC "since they put those interstates in". Are you serious?? That was in the '50s! He didn't seem to even be that old. I stayed at the Travelodge because the sign said free high-speed internet. Apparently to WV folks that means your own dial-up ISP, which I do not have. If I had, most of this post would have been taken care of then, now you're reading (skimming likely) a wicked long post. Sorry. It rained the entire time I was in the state of WV. On Saturday I made it to DC, and had a great time with the Crabbs and Jeffer. Mike, Jeff and I went to Shelly's, our favorire cigar bar in DC, near the White House. Mike's IJM friend Jessica bought us pizza for dinner. That was nice of her. On Sunday I met my sister in Baltimore. She was there for a conference by chance, so we enjoyed Maryland Eggs Benedict (with Crabb meat instead of ham) on the Inner Harbor. Then it was on to Easton for my first day of work, which consisted of a committee meeting, and prayer for the banquet here on Tuesday.

So here I am, living with the Wise family, and I am the Fast Track Area Director of Mid Shore Young Life.

That's what I know. More to come as awesome stuff happens.

Makin' like a baby...

2006-04-11T21:31:00.000-05:00

Above is a photo of the main street of my new home, Easton, MD. Yeah, I said it, my new home. I am moving next Friday. I got a job with Young Life as a fast track intern/area director. I guess I'll see ya later.

I'm really excited to travel down the path that God is revealing.

I don't know many people East of the Mississippi, so you can expect a lot more this blog soon, although the content might be weepy self-reflection junk.

Come visit; the ocean is nearby.

For those of you that are just finding out now, sorry, I tried to tell everyone I could.

...and headin' out.

The French did something right.....

2006-03-16T08:34:00.000-06:00

I'm just kidding! The French are very bright and well informed people I am sure, but I don't know any personally, so I must believe the stereotypes are true.

Seriously, I saw a French press at my friend Whitney's house a few weeks ago, and got curious. Could coarse ground coffee steeped in nearly boiling water really produce a superior cup of coffee? Would Mr. Coffee, the American icon, and his auto-drip really stand this gauntlet to be thrown without retaliation. Would St. Arbucks (clever word-smithing I've never been a fan of until now, when it fits my purpose) be supplanted by a zealot making the old new again? The answer is a resounding: YES!

Let the French Press Revolution begin! I've now owned a press pot for 3 days, and I am not sure I'll be able to use the auto-drip ever again. The process is no more difficult, but the taste is richer, and the leaves are now greener, the air more crisp, the birds song is sweeter, the burden of life is lighter.

Really, for 15 bucks at Target, I challenge you to try it and tell me I am wrong.

In case you've cared...

2006-03-02T17:40:00.000-06:00

I guess I didn't realized it had been nearly a month since my last post. Time flies when you're frantically searching for a replacement automobile. I really did it though. Check out this beaut...

That there is an A4 Clark (and don't think it's not coming with us when we leave here next month.)
Yep, this is the replacement for the Saab that was well acquainted with a tree. It's a '99, Laser Red, Manual Tranny, Bose stereo, 2.8 litre V6 cranking out 190bhp. Most importantly perhaps, is the Quattro feature, which is all-wheel drive to aid in avoiding trees.
The fella that owned this before me kept it in beautiful condition, so I feel like I really lucked out.

You'll also likely notice the ugly license plate bracket in the front. I tried to take it off, but sadly there are three huge holes in the bumper where the anchors for the plate are. Fortuitously, my friend Todd is a graphics dude, and is making me a sweet plate with the audi sport logo to go in there. I am also going to tint the windows in the near future.

Overall, I am getting over the loss of the Saab, and moving forward with my life.

Eddie Sutton and I have something in common...

2006-02-11T17:24:00.000-06:00

Yesterday Eddie Sutton got in a car wreck. I really respect him, and think he's a great coach. I so wanted to be like him that I ran my car into a tree this morning. Granted I'll probably never have 800 wins as a basketball coach, but we'll each have had a car accident the week of February 10th 2006, and no one can take that away from us.

The complete story: I was headed to Colonial Presbyterian Church for a Young Life work weekend. Ward Parkway was my thoroughfare of choice, and as I headed south I realized the road was unusually slick for the relatively light layer of snow. None the less I drove on confident the Saab would take me safely to my destination. I couldn't have been more wrong. As a came to the intersection of 79th and Ward Pkwy I began to break as the light turned yellow. When I say I began to break, what I am trying to say is this: I engaged the anti-lock breaks, pushed out the rear end, began to slide sideways, tried to turn into the slide as I was taught, realized I would be unable to stop, was disappointed my car was going to hop the curb causing damage to the wheels and suspension and perhaps the undercarriage, even more so disappointed when I realized there was a tree in the way of my potential yard farming ejection from the roadside, and finally made the front end of my car give the tree a big bear hug. This was the result:

Yup, that's the tree which helped me to understand and appreciate airbags.

The next 2 hours was spent in the passenger seat of Officer Dave's squad car, and on hold with Progressive Insurance getting the claim filed, and waiting for the tow truck to retrieve the wreckage.

Many Blessings to Marsha for coming to pick me up, bring me coffee, and give me a ride home. I am grateful that I have just a bump on my knee. I am also grateful that no one else was involved. The Lord certainly kept me within the veil of His protection.

Austin City Limits...

2006-01-24T19:59:00.000-06:00

Suckers! If you didn't see Adams, Ryan (w/ Tift Merritt, whom I have an ol' fashioned crush on) on ACL on Saturday night, give Jeff or I a call and come over and watch it! If there were ever a reason to have the DVR feature this would be it.

Admittedly, after 3 albums this year with only a handful of special songs I was a bit disenchanted by the Ryan Adams experience. The love was renewed, however, after a smashing performance with his voice in great form, and a perfect mix coming out of the speakers Saturday. Don't be surprised if you don't recognize anyone in the band though (save Brad Pemberton on drums); as there seems to be more turnover in the Cardinals than at the local pig farm. My only dissapointment was there was no songs from the piano, which I tend to gravitate towards.

Seriously, come over and watch it. I don't think we'll ever delete it from the hard drive, but we might so you better call soon.

Schweet....

2006-01-22T11:46:00.000-06:00

Looks who's tied for second in the Big XII standings! The ol' Wildcats laid the wood to Mizzou last night for the third straight time last night, and with a 3-2 record are tied for the second spot in the Big XII. The Cats are also in the midst of a three game win streak the longest they've had in conference play. I don't expect it to last so I've got to enjoy it while I can. (KU looked pretty darn good yesterday vs. the 'Huskers) I'm not sure K-State has ever been looking down at both KU and MU this late in the conference schedule. It's lonely at the top being tied with two other teams for second, so there's one team ahead...man...it's crowded at the top.

Back in the Saddle....

2006-01-20T10:15:00.000-06:00

Good news. Theo's back....

Hopefully he's the man behind the curtain swinging sweet deals for a shortstop and a centerfielder.

apprx. 5 weeks 'til pitchers and catchers report.

This show rulez...

2006-01-17T22:24:00.000-06:00

i should preface this post with a pre-emptive NNNEEEERRRDDDDD. this show rulez...yeah, with a z. it's called cash cab. another game show we yanks stole from the red coats. in short the folks hop into a cab, and en route to their destination they answer trivia questions that get harder are the blocks roll by. three wrong answers and they're out of the cab. at the end of the ride they get a chance to double their money, or walk away with what they've won.

i hope i end up in the cash cab someday.

31-1

2006-01-14T15:01:00.000-06:00

It certainly can't be referred to as Bramlage Colliseum East, but the Cats finally snapped a 31-game losing streak versus the Jayhawks today at Allen Field House. This does not change the fact that K-State has never beat KU in Bramlage. I'm proud of the Kitties. They were getting beat down in the first half, and early in the second. After getting beat badly by Nebraska on Wednesday I was sure the Cats would roll over and die. Not at all. They took the lead with about 5 minutes left in the game and hit shots, and played solid defense down the strech to seal the victory. We'll see what happen March 4th. (This is a nice salve on the wound of KU going to a bowl while K-State was home for the holidays. Only with another win will the wound be healed.)

In other news K-States newest hope Josh Freeman (a top rated quarterback from Grandview, sorry Mizzou fans) started classes in Manhattan yesterday. Maybe we'll be the best team ever this year?

A brush w/ something less than greatness....

2006-01-14T09:54:00.000-06:00

To the right is a picture of Wes and Johanna from the Real World Austin. I saw them the other night at Paddy O'Quigleys at 119th and Roe. Wes attended Blue Valley North High School. I almost said "Hey, what's up Prince Harry" (he pretended to be Prince Harry when the group was on vacation somewhere in Central or South America) It was weird that-a. I still watch the Real World b. I saw cast members c. Didn't even care.

B-list, and reality TV personalities make me feel good about my life. I hope they make you feel good too.

Has anyone else sighted b-listers out and about?

Enough is enough...

2006-01-13T08:40:00.000-06:00

Ok, this is getting a little ridiculous.

I love my iPod as much as the next person, but do I really want/need a pair of jeans that I can plug it into? And is Levi's that desperate a company that it has to get gimmicky? I know they've struggled to make money in the past several years, but I hardly think a pair of $200 jeans is the solution. You'd think a company that has been making jeans for so long could rely on a little market research and continuing brand awareness to sustain sales. Or maybe there market research revealed that of the 42million iPods sold 113 owners (.003%) would be crazy enough to buy a pair. Count me out.

Global Warming.....

2006-01-10T09:24:00.000-06:00

Yeah, I guess I'm not a scientist, but I don't think those who support a global warming trend are very pleased with the snow accumulations in Japan......

....and if these storms have been raging since early December, why is this the first I've heard about them??? I gotta get out of the bubble.

ps. I really am pretty ignorant to global warming, maybe mass snowfalls are part of the deal. In which case this post should read as follows:

Dang! That's a lot of snow. I hate global warming.

Dang, I hate being uninspired...

2006-01-03T15:31:00.000-06:00

You'd think with a week off work, the holidays, and a new year ahead of me I'd have something to say. My mind is bereft of good ideas, and my life is a barren wasteland of repetition, apparently.

Holiday spirit....

2005-12-15T10:42:00.000-06:00

A letter to Rudolph...

AN OPEN LETTER TO RUDOLPH
THE RED-NOSED REINDEER.

December 7, 2005

Dear Rudolph,

Oh, Rudolph, where to begin? I've loved you since I was a child, and I can no longer stand back and be a passive observer in what clearly amounts to a serious self-esteem problem on your part. A true friend steps in and tries to help another friend in need. Friends don't let friends drive a sleigh for a petty, cranky, two-faced jackass, even if he is Santa Claus.

When Santa came over to you that foggy Christmas Eve and asked, "Rudolph with your nose so bright, won't you guide my sleigh tonight?," I couldn't wait for the part where you'd tell Santa to stick it up his ass, and run off with Hermey to open a thriving dental practice on the Island of Misfit Toys. So what if Christmas got canceled that year and all the little boys and girls all over the world would wake up to empty stockings by the fireplace. You needed to teach Santa a lesson in how to treat people.

However, you didn't do that. Instead, to my shock, you were happy that Santa asked you to guide his sleigh! You said, "Sure, I'll guide your sleigh! I'd be thrilled to!" Then off you went with that creep, who up until then had treated you like you were the bastard child of the Elephant Man.

What gives?

Rudolph, my friend, do you know what it means to be used?

Have you forgotten how, from the moment you were born, Santa was totally freaked out by your nose and let it be known that you would never join his flying reindeer team with that glaring red beak of yours? Have you forgotten the rejection by your own father, Donner, who forced you to cover your nose in black dirt just to please Santa? Have you forgotten how the public humiliation and rejection in Santa's Village was so enormous that you felt it necessary to leave town altogether? Do you really want to be on a flying reindeer team full of a bunch of jock assholes who teased you mercilessly and refused to let you join in any reindeer games?

Let me tell you something, Rudolph. Your red nose is beautiful. It is what makes you unique, what sets you apart from the others. You are better than all of them. Santa should have known that. He should have stood up for you right away and championed your individuality from the get-go. What kind of a leader wants all of his employees to be exactly the same? Cookie-cutter replicas of each other, blending into the soulless void of nondescript North Pole totalitarianism?

Sure, Santa was all nice that foggy Christmas Eve, but Santa is not your friend. Santa was just kissing up to you so that you could bail him out of a tough situation. Screw him! He will just use you and throw you away. Please, Rudolph, think twice before doing another favor for Santa. Think about this: If you rearrange the letters in "Santa," what do you get? I don't think that's an accident.

Your true friend,
A.F. Passafiume

- - - -

...courtesy of McSweeney's

Do yourself a favor...

2005-12-13T20:18:00.000-06:00

I decided tonight to watch one of my favorite movies of all time. The title is "Beautiful Girls", and no it is not that kind of movie. It tells the story of a guy going back to his home town for a high school reunion, and the events of the town. It's hard to say what I really like about the movie. I think because it is endlessly quotable, and the characters are all well defined. They are also likeable because they never act like someone they are not, they're consistent.

Free Preview:
A great scene in the movie is one where Paul has decided that because Jan his girlfriend of seven years has decided to move on and date a butcher (Jan's a vegetarian, do you see the hypocrisy in that Will?) he will plow her driveway, except his method is to push all of the snow in the driveway in front of the garage door, rather than out to the street. All this while listening to "The Break Up Song" by Greg Kihn (uh-uh-uhhhh-uh-uh-uhh-uhh-uhhhh).

Do yourself a favor and rent it soon, or I'll loan it to you as long as you promise me your first born.

Too tired to care.

2005-12-09T10:42:00.000-06:00

I've spent the last three days keeping business and offices parks safe by applying salt to the parking lots. At the end of my time apprx. 3:30 am yesterday I was on my way home and realized in those three days i had consumed 10 Chicken Nuggets, a bowl of cereal, a coke, a bottle of water, and a few handfuls of Chex Mix. Dang, i was hungry. I exited I-35 and headed East. On my right was a McDonalds. I, in my delirious state, felt like a sausage mcmuffin w/ egg would be a great idea, and with the drive thru open 24 hrs in I rolled and placed my order. "Sir, we don't start serving breakfast until 4am." The order box voice said. WHAT THE HECK??? It's 3:40! You're not doing anything. I'm probably the first customer you've had since 12:45, and you're willing to sacrifice sticking some fake eggs, and sausage in the microwave so you can sweep the floor again, or sit on your butt for another 3 hrs until normal people are up? I even tried the ol' Tommy Boy, 'are you sure you can't make me one?' no luck there. She asked if i wanted something else. Obviously not. If I'd wanted something else I would have ordered it in the first place. If you happen to run into Ronald McDonald in the coming days, weeks, and months tell him he should let people eat breakfast anytime after midnight at his restaurants.

Prince Begins Purple Reign at K-State

2005-12-05T16:07:00.000-06:00

Virginia offensive coordinator Ron Prince was hired as the 33rd head coach of the Kansas State Wildcats today.

Full story here.

I can't wait for his new album.

Christmas in a Cup

2005-12-02T08:17:00.000-06:00

Normally I'd wait until I was in the comfort of my own home to share something so intimate, but I am compelled by a force greater than my own soul to share with you the joy I am experiencing this morning. I stop at a place called PT's coffee every morning for a cup of joe, but this morning I was met by a cup of inspiration. Each day they offer 5 separate coffees for purchase at the rock bottom price of $1 for 16oz. Today I placed my dollar in the jar, and my ROI was phenomenal. The flavored coffee of the day was called....Christmas in a Cup. I tried not to get too excited, expecting a Starbucks Holiday-type blend. Instead my lips were met with.....Actually there are no words to describe how delicious this blend is so I am forced to make one up, and will do so now. Deliterumtous (dee-li-ter-um-shus). Do yourself a favor. That's all I'm sayin'.

My new favorite.

2005-11-29T22:16:00.000-06:00

Went to Washington, DC for Thanksgiving. Had an incredible time with Mike, Julie, Ethan, Kelly and Jeff.

The boys went out on Saturday night for a cocktail (Ethan excluded). Mike had stumbled upon this place in his first weekend there after a satisfying day of unloading a moving truck. It's called Shelly's Backroom. Unremarkable from the street I would have passed it a million times without a second glance. Open the door and the intrigue begins. The light is dim, but warm and that feeling is helped by the natural looking log walls on one side, and matching wood doors of the humidors on the other. Yes, it is a cigar friendly bar, which is a total plus because who doesn't enjoy a cigar every once in a while? Seating is comfortable and classy, tables and couches in the main area not cramped, but it certainly wouldn't promote standing around between them, and a separate bar area. The music was predominately jazz standards with Christmas carols. All the greats were singing them, Sinatra, Bennett, etc. Most people my our age would say they can't relate, but I freaking LOVE that music. I could listen to it all day, and probably should set aside a day soon. In addition there are a bunch of HiDef TVs to enjoy football on. If you don't have HiDef, you need it. Food: Get the wings they are delicious. Drinks: Mixed to perfection. Put it all together and you've got an easy-paced bar with laid back folks, and none of the frat boys or future go-go dancers of America I prefer to avoid. So if you're in the DC area it's on F street you won't be disappointed.

Welcome to the Bill.

2005-11-15T14:37:00.000-06:00

Kansas State University head coach Bill Snyder retired today after taking what Sports Illustrated called "the worst program in college football" to the brink of a national title. Cat fans everywhere appreciate the great things he has done, and will continue to do. Plans to rename KSU Stadium to Bill Snyder Family Stadium are underway, and it will be rechristened this coming weekend. I can't wait.

At least the dinner was free...

2005-11-09T17:55:00.000-06:00

My former roommate Will, who works for one of the finest accounting firms in the land was out at a recruiting dinner last night when the topic of conversation turned to surgery. Now, I've known Will for about three years now, and never knew him to be the weak-stomached type. Apparently he is, because as they conversation continued between the recruit and Will's boss Will became quite queasy. Trying to fight hit, he sipped water, and let his mind wander to places other than the operating table. He tried, and tried, up to the point where he exclaimed, "That's it, I think I am going to pass out." As he said it his eyes rolled back, and down he went. The recruit, an attractive young lady by Will's account, rather than catching him as he slumped sideways in the booth, slid out of the way, and let him fall his head bouncing against the vinyl booth.

Thanks for the great story Will. I would recommend not hiring someone that won't catch a guy that passed out.

Graphing a relationship....

2005-11-01T22:02:00.000-06:00

"Be Specific" with an akward flat-handed-arms-at-an-obtuse-angle gesture is how it all started about six months ago. What did it mean, we pondered. How does this fit into the bigger picture of the male/female relationship?

Well, as David and I were sitting at lunch enjoying Dos Reales the conversation turned to relationships, existing or potential (mostly potential) and perhaps we discovered it.

I'm not going to sell the farm, but I'll let you see the cattle. Basically, a relationship in all phases, can be explained graphically. We focused on the potential relationship. The x-axis is labeled time. There are two y-axis' one describes time spent together (increasing from bottom to top), the other describes thinking about/desire for the person of interest (also increasing from bottom to top). As the lines converge the 'red zone' is entered where action must be taken. In the red zone the male must decide if the desire and time spent have been matched by the corresponding female. If they do not match, clearly the potential relationship needs to be taken to the landfill, but if they do match the relationship must be defined in conversation and both must 'be specific'.

Obviously, there are other external factors, which can be graphed in squared and cubic functions. There's not enough room on blogger to explain variations, but you get the idea. Also, granted it's not perfect, but I'll let you chew on that for awhile and rip it apart in the comments section. Cheers.

Boston, we have problem.

2005-11-01T20:35:00.000-06:00

Just when I was sure the Red Sox were going to entrench themselves atop the AL East and Major League Baseball (not that they've been far away recently) with Theo Epstein at the helm, he went ahead and turned down $1.5 mil for the next three years, and walked away from the Red Sox. There's a lot of speculation, but with the money reportedly left on the table there has to be way more than most of us will ever know. What I do know is that I am nervous for the next chapter. The checkbook is always open, but will the hand writing the check bring another championship to New England?

Odd news of the week.

2005-10-20T11:29:00.000-05:00

I am sure Larry Legend is very honored by this.

Welcome.

2005-10-17T08:33:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the world Ethan Michael Crabb. Good Luck; don't EVER eat the gum stuck on the underside of your chair and you'll be fine. Oh, and ask your mom or dad to read this to you, becuase you won't be able to for another 5-6 years.

...the couch is deep, and the phone receiver's warm.

2005-10-13T10:27:00.000-05:00

As the sun changes angles, and we plunge towards winter, I am delighted that the phone receiver in my office is being warmed by its rays from approximately 10am to 11am. Sometimes it's the little things.

Tough luck.

2005-10-10T22:42:00.000-05:00

I guess you could call it bad luck.

a. On Friday night one of our Young Life committee families had us over for dinner. It was spaghetti and meatballs or italian sausage. I went with a little of both. It was darn good, we went to the football game afterwards. I went home and went to bed. At about 2am I spring out of bed, and up comes the dinner.

b. On Saturday I went to an 80s party. (not dressed up, so I think I'll chalk this up to bad karma) I was going to pick up Kelly, and on my way over I realized I'd forgotten the directions. I pulled back in the driveway, engaged the parking brake, hopped out, and started walking into the house. I hear a loud click, and notice my car has begun to roll off towards 71st Street!!!! My adreneline has never pumped so hard as it did while I was sprinting to get just ahead of the door so I could fling it open, jump in and slam on the brakes just before it rolled into the street.

c. Walking up to the door this morning to begin the work week I balanced my coffee cup on top of the box which contained my lunch, and as I reached for the door handle, said cup did slip and on the sidewalk my coffee was deposited. Drag.

Swept.

2005-10-08T10:32:00.000-05:00

Well.....the baseball season is over as far as I'm concerned. The Red Sox lost to the White Sox last night sealing their destiny as non-repeaters.

Hope springs eternal, and for now New Englanders can go back to wishing the Yankees doom, and making fun of the leaf-peepers.

Things I....

2005-09-28T18:26:00.000-05:00

Like, and Should:
National Parks
College Football
SAAB
Reading, especially classic novels

Don't Like, but Should:
Dancing
News Channels
Coldplay
BMWs

Don't Like, and Shouldn't:
Dick's Sporting Goods
AIDS in Africa (or anywhere)
Christian talk radio
NY Yankees
Hurricanes

Like, but Shouldn't:
Ted Turner
Deep Fried Anything
Bad 80's movies, like Wierd Science
Jim Rome
Mariah Carey's new song

i stole this idea from the new issue of Paste magazine.

As per usual....

2005-09-21T21:15:00.000-05:00

Well it's happened again. After holding first place since the middle of July the Red Sox have found a way to relinquish first place to the hated Yankees. Worst of all they gave it to them. The Sox were up 4-3 in the top of the 8th against the pathetic Devil Rays who will never be anything more than a spoiler in September. Yet the Sox were able to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory with Timlin giving up 4 runs. SICKENING. David Ortiz can't hit a home run to win the game every night can he? Anyway...

I did learn something interesting that makes me hate the Yankees even more while reading '1776' today. "Yankee" was actually a term referring to a New York loyalist. In other words if you were a yankee you were working against the sons of liberty. Much like today if you are a Yankeee, or a Yankees fan, you are working against the good of baseball.

(This is of course a gut reaction, and should be taken as such. I am confident that the Red Sox will take 2 of 3 from the Yankees in the final weekend of the season and the Yankees will sit at home this October.)

McSweeneys

2005-09-19T12:02:00.000-05:00

I've been resisting posting about this site because it is so entertaining, and may spell the demise of global commerce, and my internet access at work. I think Doug led me here in one of his posts a few weeks back.

Here is a sampling if you don't believe me (from McSweeney recommends):

Binder Clips
When you were flailing about, you used paper clips. Now that you've made it, you use binder clips. They signify maturity and skill. Paper clips are j.v.; binder clips, varsity.

Enjoy.

I like it.

2005-09-18T11:17:00.000-05:00

So a few weeks back I got the notion that I was ready for my own computer. I am not sure what made me think it, but I knew I was ready. Typically, I get it in my head that I need (read: want) something and I'll purchase it within a few weeks. It happened with my bike, my car, my watch, most of my clothes, and the list goes on. Time for some research. Question #1, and really the only question, PC or Mac. Growing up my family was a Mac family. I always felt weird owning a Mac, and my friends all thought I was crazy. In college and in the working world its all PCs. I was torn between my roots and what I'd become comfortable with. I went with the Mac: the 14" iBook G4 to be exact. I am so glad I did. It found my wireless network at home without being a total bastard, and using the login information I used to purchase the computer it registered itself. It has taken some time to readjust to, and to move all my stuff from work, and other various sources, but I'm almost done, and it feels good to have it all in one spot. The Mac is really easy to use, and making the switch back has not been hard at all. I'm very happy, and am looking forward to many years of its happy servanthood to me.

1776

2005-08-30T21:36:00.000-05:00

Upon the advice of Mr. Isaac Anderson I bought a book called 1776 by David McCullough today.

Isaac and I had American Revolution together with Ms. Louise Breen at K-State (a lot of college nostalgia today, weird) . My favorite part about that class was the review session where we would get a chance to ask questions regarding the essay topics we'd already been given to review. So let's say the topic was: Explain how the colonists used effigies in order to show their discontent with the British government. Isaac would ask this question: So, Ms. Breen, how did the colonists use effigies in order to show their discontent with the British government? Ms. Breen would proceed to answer the question in great detail as we all feverishly took notes. Come test time all it took was transferring those notes into a test booklet, and you were assured an A. Thanks Isaac for asking the tough questions!

I'll let you know how the book turns out.

Kearney Kayak IV

2005-08-30T21:20:00.000-05:00

This weekend I went on the Fourth Annual Kearney Kayak Trip with some of the fellas I lived with at K-State in a house on Kearney St. It is, as Mitch put it, a dot on the horizon that I look forward to every year. It is a great opportunity to connect with men that I spent time with in a important life-shaping period. Although I see them other times throughout the year, still not often enough, it helps all of us to reconnect, and remember some great times we had living in that pit of a domicile.

It also makes for some very lasting memories; grant and josh going crazy with fireworks, mitch crowding the plate in the wiffleball game, running across the tops of the kayaks, and david losing the key in the river! Things that I will never forget for the rest of my life happen in the span of 36hrs, once a year.

It is a true blessing to know some of the finest men on the planet, and to call them brothers.

Cheers to great friends!

Yeah, that's much better, Pat

2005-08-24T14:41:00.000-05:00

Let the spin begin!!

"I didn't say 'assassination,'" clarified Robertson during a broadcast of his "The 700 Club" Wednesday morning. "I said our special forces should go 'take him out,' and 'take him out' could be a number of things, including kidnapping." (Bold mine)

He blamed The Associated Press for making him seem to advocate the assassination of a foreign leader.

"There are a number of ways to take out a dictator from power besides killing him," Robertson said. "I was misinterpreted by the AP, but that happens all the time."

Yes, that is a much more Christian thing to do Mr. Robertson.

Full article here.

Fact or Fiction?

2005-08-19T12:53:00.000-05:00

Man, I just thought that this new item was so interesting:

In brief, a woman died in April who may have held the answer to one of the all-time great disappearances. Her husband a NYC cop, she alleges, killed Judge Joe Crater with help from his brother a cab driver and buried him under the boardwalk at Coney Island.

Read the full story here.

Next on the list...Jimmy Hoffa

The (in)famous Royals

2005-08-19T08:30:00.000-05:00

As we all know the Royals SUCK!!!! I'll bet you didn't know it was my fault.

I know I was a little hard on the Royals last week, but I didn't think I would have such a great effect on them. It was that night that they lost after the Indians scored 11 runs in the top of the ninth. I'm really sorry!!!!! Please forgive me Royals. It's all my fault!

It seems to be helping with national exposure though. See this Article. It kind of brings up a philosophical question. Is it better to toil in anonymity, or to be know for something, anything, even if it is futility?

All part of my evil plan to take over the world.

Secret Garden....

2005-08-18T22:06:00.000-05:00

Really it's no secret. It just seemed you may want to know what was going on with the garden. Kayla has slaved away in the garden to manufacture natural products. We've not seen a whole lot, but we picked the first peppers of the year. We all sampled the jalepeno, except for Amy who was very frightened. It was not quite ready to be picked so it was a little bitter, but the seeds were VERY hot. So hot in fact that Kayla demanded a glass of milk to quell the fire in her mouth. I was going to upload a quicktime video of that event, but blogger isn't cooperating.

Theo for president!

2005-08-09T21:49:00.000-05:00

This ought to be an unpopular post with the Royals fans.

I am all for the Royals succeeding, but I'll be quite frank, they are a farm team for the rest of the league. (I stole that line from some smart sports guy on the radio.) The most recent example of this is Tony Graffanino. He goes from the Royals, where he's playing solid baseball, but mired 27,000 games out of first place to the FIRST place (ahead of the Yankees) Boston Red Sox where last night he went 3 for 3 with a Home Run, 4 RBIs, and some great hustle plays. It's not to say that he wouldn't have done it if he were a Royal he just never got the opportunity, because as a solid player his 'stock' rose, and David Glass/Allard Baird being an opportunist shipped Graff right out of town. Obviously this isn't the only example, there is even another example in a Red Sox uniform in center field (granted some would say he'll go wherever the money, and (apparently) girls are. So the Royals will suck until someone loosens the purse strings on someone other than Juan Gonzales.

Anyway, the point is, I am grateful that Theo Epstein is at the helm in Beantown, and hope I'll see another World Championship banner flying in the Fens real soon.

Random-ness on Thursday......

2005-08-04T13:37:00.000-05:00

1. I saw a deaf child at Target while getting my lunch. (I do know for sure he was deaf, I saw him talking to his mother in sign-language). It was so interesting because I saw him talking to himself as any kid does, but in sign-language. I guess I just didn't think it would work that way.

2. I had a dream in 3rd person last night; that is, I was able to see myself from an elevated perspective. I don't know what that means other than I am a genius.

3. Jeff Buckley RULEZ!

YL Crooked Creek '05

2005-08-01T23:06:00.000-05:00

The fella's of Watanga, Tapanga, Wu-tanga, Whiskey Tango

Rockin' it out at the Ridge Runners

Hiking to the top with Anthony and Murph

Cowboy Grant

Jordan and Stacey pointing out some mountain goats.

I tried to sit down this weekend and put into words how much fun I had, and how life giving my trip was. Everything I wrote seemed pretty trite, and couldn't do the experience justice. What could be more trite that saying ' a picture is worth a thousand words?????' I don't know, but I think these pictures do it.

Seriously.....

2005-07-27T08:23:00.000-05:00

I am still alive and kicking. I just spent the week at Young Life camp. I am trying to recover, and get caught up. As soon as that happens I promise full description, detail, and photos.

Or maybe you don't care. Either way I just missed posting, so I felt compelled to put something up.

New Edition

2005-07-11T22:35:00.000-05:00

No, I haven't been pulling out my tapes from 5th grade. This weekend Kayla (former blogger) came over and began a community garden. I really appreciate the enthusiam, and vision she has for it. It is indeed a little late to be starting, so she put a few simple things in with the goal of making salsa when fall rolls around. I'll keep you posted, and for now you can enjoy a few pics.

Gone, and forgotten

2005-07-11T08:17:00.000-05:00

On friday evening we went down to Crown Center to the free movie friday to view "Breakfast at Tiffany's." It was a lot of fun, the weather was perfect, and the movie was good for a laugh, although I think it was supposed to be serious. The girls that went had dinner together at Stephanies house beforehand. The fellas met them there, and we all departed for the movie. Pulling into the parking garage and reuniting the various cars someone asked, "hey, where's kelly?" WE FORGOT HER AT STEPHANIES!!!! She had run to her car, which was down the street, to grab a blanket, and apparently Amy ignored her. When she returned all the cars were gone. Immediately, 4 of us got out our phones to call her. It was a funny sight. She was pulling into the garage, and thankfully was not mad. We all felt terrible, and I kinda expected her to be sulking. It's a big deal to forget someone I think. The semi-humorous ending to the story is that she and Gina didn't even stay for the movie. They sat down for about 5 minutes and decided they'd had enough. They went to sit in the A/C and enjoy some wine.

The moral of the story is: have a buddy system.

How to retrieve a wiffleball....or not

2005-07-05T08:15:00.000-05:00

This is just one perspective on how the events of the evening of July 4th played out. You should be able to get a different perspective here.

As we played wiffleball, the great american pastime, in David's side yard a ball got stuck in a pine tree. Everyone knows when the ball is in the tree you've got to toss something up to knock it loose. The first attempted object was the wifflebat. MAGIC, down came the ball....up stayed the bat. Oops. I guess maybe we needed something heavier. Luckily, the landscape beds were lined with rocks! By now a good little crowd has gathered around the tree including the heroine of the story, Cari. After a few tosses by some other folks, Cari decided she was ready to give it a try. I admit that I was skeptical(as males are when doing a job they percieve a female less capalbe of doing), but impressed that she was willing to at least try. Toss number one ended up a bit short. Toss number two, remember we are throwing a rock, Cari really wants to get it there so she puts a little bend in the knees, lowers the rock down, giggles and says "I hope this doesn't hit me" and fires it up in the air. I think the extra effort from the legs hindered the release point becuase the throw was severely off line. So severe, if fact, it was almost directly over Cari's head. Predictably, she panicked, like anyone would, and tried to get out of the way saying "s*&^#, S(*&#$, S(*&!!!" Well, Cari perception of the rock trajectory was just a little off, so instead of running out from underneath the rock she actually ran directly below it and it struck her in the shoulder! Thankfully, it was the shoulder not the head. She gutted it out, didn't shed a tear, and went on to enjoy the remainder of the evening with some ice pressed on her shoulder.

Wisdom from a golf magazine?

2005-06-29T08:07:00.000-05:00

Reading Golf Digest last night I didn't really expect to contemplate life but in the 'lessons' section I read this:

"Commitment allows freedom from second-guessing"

The instructor was talking about having confidence in the shot you are taking, striking the ball well, and even if you hit the ball poorly shaking it off knowing the next shot will be much better.

It just struck me that being committed to something or to someone allows me to feel supreme confidence in the work that Christ has set before me. He knows the plans he has are for prosper, and not for harm, and that all I need to do is commit to following, and as a result second-guessing is not an option. I can't say I've had that confidence much lately.

The applications are nearly unlimited for such an open-ended phrase, but that's what I got out of it. Hopefully Golf Digest can help you as well.

Yummy.

2005-06-28T17:17:00.000-05:00

If you see this woman do not kiss her.

Why I like the weekend.....

2005-06-27T17:01:00.000-05:00

...because I can go to a bachelor party, have fun, laugh hysterically, stuff myself, and let a really great guy know how much his life has impacted others, and how much we all love him.

...I have the opportunity to go out to lake, get on the water, and sail. (I am learning, thanks to Austin. It's a pretty awesome. I need a lot more experience. Austin is so good he can see the wind!)

...my backyard was full of people that I know, and a few that I didn't. We had some hamburgers, some orzo, a little peanut butter pie, and some melty ice cream. It just feels good to have a part in strengthing people friendships, and creating new ones.

Notes from the road.

2005-06-22T17:09:00.000-05:00

No, I am not away from home, but I've been out driving, as is required in our sprawl of a city, and I've noticed a few things that are very interesting.

a. People talking on their cell phones while exercising. One gentleman, who was formerly riding his bike, was at a stop light leaning up against his bike having a full-fledged conversation about who knows what, but clearly it must have been more important than keeping his cardiovascular system working at an increased rate.

In the same genre there were two ladies walking side by side in the vicinity of Brookside. These people clearly use exercise in a very different manner than I do. I like to relax and remove myself from the connectivity of a cell phone, or email for awhile. They take the opportunity to be more connected. It just bothers me.

b. The poor bastard/bastardette who is standing at the intersection pleading with every passing car to come get a free cup of coffee, a pizza for $5, a great deal at the store closing. I just feel so bad for them. Granted it was his/her choice to work, and I respect that, but it's painful (in a mostly humorous way) to watch them parade up and down the sidewalk being ignored. I think that must be why it bothers me, because never once has the placard bearer ever changed my mind.

Head west young man.

2005-06-15T11:47:00.000-05:00

I moved back to Kansas yesterday. I suck at moving. I wasn't going that far, so I threw everythig into about 5 boxes and some duffle bags. Nothing was even remotely protected or secured, but I haven't found anything broken yet, which is good. Now it is all stacked up in the middle of my new room. I don't think I'll ever get organized.

BoSox v. Cubs

2005-06-14T10:00:00.000-05:00

What a great weekend!

My good friend Brad got married on Friday night to a great girl, Bethany. It's particularly special (in my opinion) because they have been dating since sometime just after they were both out of diapers. Things like that seem to happen less, and less, so when it works it's very special.

Shortly after I got home from the wedding I left for Chicago (4am wake-up call is not a good idea) to enjoy weekend of baseball with my friend Jason. FYI, it was a bit of a historic weekend as the Red Sox & Cubs played one another for the first time since somewhere near 1918. It was my first trip to the friendly confines of Wrigley, and it did not dissapoint. My first MLB game was at Fenway the oldest stadium still in use, so it was nice to compare it to the second oldest. They really have similar atmospheres, a certainly electricity and excitement you will not find at the K here in KC, unless you are living in 1985. Anyway, it was good to be at a stadium where folks are going to watch a baseball game, not just using the ballpark as a social outing. The Cubs took 2 of 3 from the BoSox, but Wakefield came out of a mini-slump and had the knuckler dancing. Johnny D and Kevin Youkilis (the Greek god of walks) each were one leg short of the cycle, and Manny hit one out breaking big cold streak in the Red Sox win.

We also ate a ton of great food and enjoyed the company of great friends. I rode the 'L' for the first time, ate at The Billy Goat tavern, and experienced Wrigleyville. Like I said, great weekend.

Moron

2005-06-08T17:31:00.000-05:00

This was the only way i could figure out how to put a picuture on my profile. I am not smart.

i NEED more music

2005-06-08T14:21:00.000-05:00

i've got some credit over at the iTunes store. how should i use it?

Surprise!!!!

2005-06-07T14:47:00.000-05:00

This is me entering my birthday party. Notice the tie is tucked into the shirt in order to work on a broken toilet. I look like a damn fool.

Belated Birthday Retrospective

2005-06-06T08:48:00.000-05:00

It was also my birthday in May, but it deserves a special post. Not because I think I am important, but because it was a very unique year. I turned 25 on the 25th, the aniversary birthday, the golden birthday, there are many different names for it.

At any rate this year was one of my top 5 birthdays ever. The workday was not productive, because at about 9am out came the birthday cake (2 layer yellow cake with chocolate frosting and sprinkles, yumm!) I was often interrupted by phone calls and emails from friends telling me how old and mature I must feel now. I was taken to lunch by friends who I lived with at K-State (mitch, brad, matt, and david: Thanks again gents!). We went to KC Mastetpiece. (it was the first time i'd ever been there, but it was good)

The afternoon the same as the morning. Low on productivity, high on cake and ice cream, etc.

I went to my parents house for dinner steak and mashed potatoes. They showered me with love, and affection, and a few tangible items including and iPod Shuffle, which is sweet.

The evening was complete after a trip to Houlihans to enjoy a beverage, and the company of a lot of great friends. It felt great to be celebrated, and loved.

I thought that was the end of it. It was not. I experienced my first surprise birthday party on the following Saturday!

I was told I had to go with my friend Kelly to one of her friends engagement parties. I knew they had been fairly recently engaged, and some couples do that kinda thing, so I didn't suspect a thing. In order to complete the illusion I was informed that I need to dress nicely. Of couse I found my Sunday best, dusted it off, and looked like a pimp. Kelly came to pick me up, also looking quite nice, and informed me that her toilet was broken, and we needed to go back to her place to fix it. I should have been suspicious, but I'd already had a complete birthday, so with genuine concern, we rushed back to her house to fix the problem. I rushed into her house to a multitude of friends waiting in the dark to yell 'SURPRISE'. It was incredible. It was so fun to react, and to be reacted to as I stood red-faced in the doorway with everyone hand-shaking and back-slapping. It just feels good to be loved. On the fireplace there was big sign wishing me a happy birtday, and on it there were tons of pictures of date parties, hiking adventures, road trips, and other events. It was great to relive those memories too.

I hope that everyone gets a chance to feel loved like I did that week. It most definatly allowed me to reflect on how much I, in turn, love those who were there.

Sorry for the marathon post. See ya next month.

Catch-up, Ketchup, Catsup, Cat soup, Soup d'jour....

2005-06-06T08:40:00.000-05:00

Well, I caught a little flack over the weekend for not posting, so I am back. I think I'll try to put the entire month of May into perspective. I went to a Wizards game, and we tailgated. Young Life ended for the summer. (With the exception of camp, and sporadic activities) There were lots of graduation parties to attend. I played a bunch of golf, and improved slightly. I think that's all I did.

Justice has a new face.

2005-05-03T14:31:00.000-05:00

On to Great Things

MIA, Part II

2005-04-11T08:45:00.000-05:00

I am slightly embarassed. After giving the camera up for dead, and making the decision that it was time to move on and purchase a new one I opened the trunk to my car yesterday, and tucked under the jumper cables, assorted tools, golf clubs and frisbee was the missing camera! I still don't think I am a careless person (and I am a bit ashamed that I placed blame on others, but I can't remember for the life of me opening my trunk that night, or even thinking that the truck would be a good place for a camera ever! I have also opened it several time since, and didn't spot it. Needless to say, in the end, it's a great relief to have the ol' camera around again.

MIA

2005-04-08T09:44:00.000-05:00

The missing item

So a few weeks ago I made the decision to purchase a digital camera with part of my tax return. I went with the Nikon Coolpix 4600. It's a great camera, lightwieght, multiple point and shoot options for various conditions, a decent movie mode, etc. I knew all this when I purchased it, but I am not sure that the person who either a. picked it up and walked off with it at Stroud's, or b. took it out of my car the following night knew all these things. I am pretty pissed, almost more at myself for being careless with it than whomever has it in his/her possesion now. This occurred last Saturday, and I have finally come to grips with it. Goodbye sweet tax return, Goodbye another $250 bucks to replace it.

Highway to Hell.....

2005-03-15T09:11:00.000-06:00

I was stuck on the highway between Roe and Metcalf due to an accident for approximately 30 minutes this morning. I hope that never happens again. I was not even treated to seeing the smashed vehicles; they had been carted away by the time I got to where the wreck was. (I am not delighted by other peoples misery, I just paid the fine and I want to see what I paid for.)

I also had time to develope this theory: At all points in time, somewhere in all metropolitan areas, there is an overloaded construction trailer sitting on the side of the highway with a flat tire, broken axel, bent tounge, or some other injury rendering it nothing more than a peice of roadside art.

Feed me Seymour.

2005-03-08T13:48:00.000-06:00

As I pondered life eating a mediocre meal from Schlotzky's today I came to a few conclusions about food. Most of the items I avoid I do so because of, not taste, but texture. Mushrooms are the prime example. They are gross, not because they taste bad, they don't really taste like anything, but the texture is such that I have a gag-reflex when I know that they are in my mouth. (Implication: If you can mask them in an item such as green bean cassolrole, I may be none the wiser)

I also do not like straws. I like Schlotzky's because the lids that fit on the smaller cups have the fold back tab so the lips make contact with the cup, and the liquid doen't have to travel trough an unnecessary conduit to reach my throat. Creating a vaccum requires less effort, but I think I like the body movement required to take a drink sans-straw.

To complete a tri-fecta, I don't like vegetables on my sandwhich or burger. Gimme the good old meat and cheese and send me on my way. The combinations of vegetables, meat and cheese create dissatisfaction in my life. I guess I could have bigger problems. Not to mention how repulsive mayonaise is when mixed with the others, or alone for that matter.

Great News!

2005-03-03T13:08:00.000-06:00

First and foremost the Red Sox are kicking off their Grapefruit League schedule tonight, and that means the regular season is just around the corner. It also means too much time trying to be a Bill James disciple, and obsessing over every win and loss.

Second, I recently found out I will be making a trek to Chicago to see the BoSox at the friendly confines of Wrigley Field (provided it has not fully collapsed by June 11th). This will be my first experience at the Wrig, and I am totally excited to check out the second oldest, and second most historical ballpark still in regular rotation (excepting, of course, Fenway is and always will be the finest place to see a baseball game). The game will be televised on FOX so be sure to watch, and see me make the Ferris Bueller foul ball catch and display while Mr. Rooney remains unaware.

2 gross items in less than 1 hour.

2005-03-02T17:50:00.000-06:00

A quick hitter:

a. I saw a couple making out in the cleaning supplies aisle at Target today.

b. I was in the cleaning supplies aisle because the bathroom at our new office had not been cleaned since the previous tenant had done it last, and I am guessing that was the first week they had moved in about 800 years ago. So cleaning the bathroom is the second item.

Needless to say I've had better days.

Two dollars, and six seconds well spent.

2005-02-24T17:24:00.000-06:00

A typical weekend at Tasso's on Wornall.

NEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRDDDDDDDDD!!!!

2005-02-24T12:12:00.000-06:00

Ok, so it's lunch time and I'm enjoying a couple of peices of leftover pizza (thanks Ian!) diligently working at my desk trying to make my blog as cool as possible, hence the title of this entry. It seems to me that pictures are a must on a high quality blog. This is from a trip to Ft. Worth Texas with some friends over Labor Day in the fall. That's me on the left and Danny on the right. It seems like a sucessful 1st effort.

Next on the list of things to attempt, Links.

Work

Church

Other

Any other suggestions are welcome.

A good idea at the time.......

2005-02-23T17:34:00.000-06:00

It seemed like a good idea to start a blog. Now I feel like I've put pressure on myself to provide interesting and insightful observations in the Seinfeldian realm, but I've got nothing.

I'm really just posting for content sake at this point, and perhaps somewhere down the line I'll be more in touch with what is worth talking about.

I will say that I am slowly building my iTunes library (mostly from CDs that I own, and some freshly purchase tracks) and it feels great. I think that everyone must think they have the best music collection in the world. I am sure that someone out there does, but you and I can rest assured that our collections are probably not as great as we think they are. For example...I love my music collection, but I am sure you would not. There are, I am sure, few people in the world that have Marvin Gaye and Vivaldi in consecutive sleeves of the CD case. I am also completely sure that Dwight Yokam and N.E.R.D. do not show up together in many collections, or parties together for that matter. The variety that is enabled the beauty of iTunes for me. I don't have to purchase a whole slew of lame songs from the 70's to get 'They Don't Write 'em Like That Anymore' by Greg Kihn I can simply buy the individual song. I am still not sure if .99 cents is a good value for one song. It seems to add up rather quickly when I look through the old bank statement. Anyway, to the point. Music is awesome, we all need more of it, and in greater variety than we provide ourselves.

I am somebody!

2005-02-21T13:30:00.000-06:00

What do you know. I came back from lunch today and on my chair sat a 3x5 box containing my first business cards. The excitement is describable. That's correct. I feel like I am a real life cog in the wheel of commerce. Some would describe that as a bad thing, but I like it that I work everyday and interact with people and ultimately keep them working just as they keep me working and we directly benefit each other. Next time I see you I'll be quick to offer you my card.