2005: The Year in Review

Well another year has come and gone, so I'll take this time to blog the highlights:

Mt. View Baptist Church
In December of '04, two congregations (Mt. View and New Life Community Church) voted to merge into one. We were attending New Life at the time and watched the merger unfold this past year. In the spring, we were part of the first membership class and officially cast our lot with the church. Despite the inevitable conflicts and setbacks, we remain convinced that the merger created a stronger church than either had been prior and that God is at work in our midst.

Family
It is wild to watch our little girls mature before our eyes. I won't take the time here to reminisce on all that they have done in 2005, but I hope I can write more about them in the near future. Here are some photos posted earlier this year: Taylor & Addy, Muddy Addy, and family picnic.

Bethel College
I taught four classes this year. Each experience has stretched me as a "teacher" and I have discovered new facets about the past (and about myself) each time through. I'm looking forward to the three classes already scheduled in the new year.

Travel
In April, Janell and I celebrated our 9th anniversary by visiting Monteagle, the University of the South and South Cumberland State Park.

We also took two family road trips to Frederick County, Maryland to visit my in-laws. Our trip in June was all about leisure and relaxation: riding on/driving Dad's new tractor, visiting the National Zoo, overeating, playing games, and laughing heartily. And our trip over Labor Day was dedicated to family - a chance to visit with Uncles, Aunts & Cousins galore and with Janell's brother Matt before his first deployment to Iraq.

Finally, we traveled to Knoxville for Christmas at my parent's place where we were joined by my sisters, bro-inlaws and grandmothers, one niece, one uncle/aunt combo, Janell's parents, 2 of her brothers, and a few family friends. I think there were 21 of us at Christmas dinner. My sister, Rebecca, is expecting in May and everyone learned the baby's gender on Christmas Eve - I'm going to have a nephew.

Friends
We have been blessed by the many friendships we have developed over the years. Many of you we hung out with this year (playing games, breaking bread together, laughing with and at each other, and encouraging one another). We also added many new friends to our list this year and heard from old friends as well. In particular it was nice to receive word and photos from Jason, Schimpf, Shelly, and April.

It was also the year for blogging as several of my friends started blogs of their own: Scott's Confessions, Mark Jackson's aka Pastor Guy and the One Hundred, Mark Pucket's Missionary Musings, Paul's Zion Red's Head, and Jeff's Thanks For Noticing Me.

Exercise
Janell joined Gold's Gym back in '04 and has kept with it throughout the year - capped by running her first 5k run this fall. I've been trying to go to the gym at work two days a week since July. It's not much, but it's a start.

Music
2005 was the year of the .mp3 for me - I spent quite a few hours ripping my cd collection to my laptop this year and I officially joined the iPod crowd this Christmas.

CT Magazines' Music Site posted their top 12 albums of the year. I purchased five of them and have two others on my wishlist (Room Noises by Eisley and The Everglow by Mae).

Here's my favorite albums of the year
1. How to Dismantle An Atomic Bomb - U2
2. O How the Mighty Have Fallen - The Choir
3. A Collision - David Crowder Band
4. Men and Angels Say - Ashley Cleveland
5. Nothing Is Sound - Switchfoot
6. Redemption Songs - Jars of Clay
7. Drunkard's Prayer - Over the Rhine

Discovery of the year: Mindy Smith's song Come to Jesus (view video here)

Movies

Janell and I don't get out to the theater like we used to (before kids) but here is a list of my favorites:
1. Batman Begins
2. Star Wars Revenge of the Sith
3. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
4. Wallace and grommet
5. Hitch

and here's is my top ten movies I didn't see in 2005 that I'd like to:

1. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (we may see it this weekend)
2. Walk the Line
3. King Kong
4. Millions
5. Cinderella Man
6. Elizabethtown
7. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
8. Tim Burton's Corpse Bride
9. War of the Worlds
10. The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy

Highlights on video this year:
Napoleon Dynamite, The Gathering Storm, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Village, All's Quiet on the Western Front, and Luther

Books
Janell does more reading than I do. In particular she read (and discussed with me) Winston Churchill's World War II memoirs (abridged edition) and a two volume biography on Churchill by William Manchester. Currently, we are both working on Manchester's history of the U.S.(1932-72) called The Glory and the Dream. We also re-read The Count of Monte Cristo and Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince. I plan to dust off the Chronicles of Narnia as soon as we see the movie.

Katrina Relief
In October, I went to the Gulf Coast with a group from my church to assist with cleanup and recovery efforts. See my blog posts for details and photos (Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Recap) It was a great experience and I hope to more similar projects in the future.

Politics
I haven't blogged much this year on politics (here, here, and here). It's been a difficult year for this conservative Bush supporter.
First, the President's social security reform proposals went absolutely nowhere dooming my generation to pickup the tab for our parents' and grandparents' selfishness.
The War on Terror has had its moments of both triumph and tragedy this year, but the key is to hold the course. I'm concerned that we as a nation don't have the same character as the Greatest Generation necessary to win a sustained conflict against evil men. Remember the men and women of the armed forces in your prayers and support them in whatever small way you can.
The confirmation of Justice Roberts was a bright spot in 2005. Bush's nomination of Myers was a tactical mistake (Alito should be confirmed).
Then Katrina brought out the worst from our leaders. Bush made mistakes, but received more than his fair share of the blame for problems in the rescue and recovery. In a just world, local and state leaders (in Louisiana) should be voted out of office for their inept handling of the affair and the shameless way they passed the buck.
A federal judge has saved us from the nefarious plot to mention the words Intelligent Design in biology class despite polls that indicates that a majority of Americans believe in either creationism or ID. The 1st Amendment is supposed to protect free speech and is not about expunging all references to religion from the public square.
And now we have a media-storm over domestic spying - coming from the same people who said Bush didn't do enough to prevent the 9/11 attacks.
All in all a difficult year - I've cussed the NPR broadcast multiple times this year. Here's hoping for a brighter 2006.

Underdogs - season wrap-up

Well, I finished the regular season with 75 points. Here were my final picks (weeks 13 & 14).

Georgia 3.5 GEORGIA TECH
MIAMI 18.5 Virginia
Middle Tennessee State 7 TROY STATE
NAVY 6.5 Army
TEXAS 27.5 Colorado
lsu 1.5 GEORGIA

Congratulations to Scott for his impressive 149.5 points (17th overall).

What hit song of 2005 are you?

Your 2005 Song Is

Beverly Hills by Weezer "My automobile is a piece of crap My fashion sense is a little whack And my friends are just as screwy as me" You breezed through 2005 in your own funky style!

What Hit Song of 2005 Are You?

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Thanksgiving is an important holiday that often gets overlooked. Giving thanks for the blessings we enjoy as individuals and as a nation seems so 19th century, non-commercial, and irrelevant in the post-modern world. Many mock the idea of a divine power, and those who don't are too busy overeating, going to the movies, watching football, and shopping. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy most of these activities (except the shopping). It's just that I/we have so much to be thankful for. Setting one day aside to reflect on the blessings doesn't seem too much to ask.

So, here's my Top 5 things I am thankful for this season:

- Amazing Grace (how sweet the sound)

- Family (a wonderful wife, two healthy kids, a rich spiritual heritage...)

- The Church (the Bride of Christ in all her "glorious dregs" - and in particular my local church body)

- Good friends (both local and abroad)

- Being born in America (Even with all its imperfections, this country is still a great place to live and be citizen of)

Underdogs: weeks 11 & 12

Week 11:
MISSOURI 8 Baylor
usc (Southern California) 19 CALIFORNIA
Florida 4.5 SOUTH CAROLINA

Steve Spurrier proved that he is still a winner with Florida ;-)
Point total: 73.5

Week 12 picks:
TEXAS TECH 7 Oklahoma
AUBURN 7 Alabama
Penn State 7.5 MICHIGAN STATE

Dwight Ozard 1963-2005

Writer, editor, culture critic, social activist, and self-proclaimed "worldly" Christian, Dwight Ozard, passed away this week after a 4-year battle with multiple myeloma.

I was first exposed to his work through the organization Evangelicals for Social Action (ESA). At Cornerstone 1997, they sponsored a series of seminars on music and culture and released a compilation cd to promote their magazine Prism.

I can't say that I knew Dwight personally, but for the last 4 years I've followed his battle with cancer through his writing (Mike Roe of the 77s would forward those e-mails to the listserve). His writing always educated me to the struggles cancer brings and stirred in me a compassion for those who have that horrendous disease. But he didn't want his readers to just feel sorry for him - he consistently prodded us to take that compassion and spread it around to the sick, the poor, the hurting all around us. In one of his earliest updates he says

And even as I've felt so at home, I've wondered about those who get news like this and have no support base, who don't feel at home in the church. I've thought, especially, about how people with HIV-AIDS must feel--and if they get the same sense of embrace that I received. No need to preach here--I just invite you to think about that with me, and when you pray for me, remember too to pray for those on the margins of our society, those who have no family, no support, and no love.

You can read about his battle along with his other writings at his website.

To many, Dwight was a bit of a "evangelical" rebel in the vein of Tony Campolo. I know,I didn't always agree with his points of view or his politics, but I'm convinced that he was good for the church. Sometimes calling us to greater levels of compassion and at other times holding up a mirror so that we could see just how silly and irrelevant we can be. I for one am grateful for the small impact his life has had on mine.

Now he is home with his maker - free to rest after an arduous battle and enjoy a grand reunion with all the saints that preceded him.

Spiritually Significant Films

Filmchat draws attention to the annual(?) The Arts & Faith Top 100 spiritually significant films. Of the 100 films listed I've only seen 17 (a handful of others are on my need to rent/view list). Here is my ranking of the 17 I have seen (with the AF100 ranking in parentheses).

1 The Mission (13) - a great soundtrack as well
2 Schindler's List (49)
3 A Man for All Seasons (19)
4 It's A Wonderful Life (52)
5 Shadowlands (40)
6 In America (99) - I highly recommend this one
7 Life is Beautiful (80)
8 The Hiding Place (51)
9 The Apostle (11)
10 The Passion Of The Christ (35)- Gibson got carried away with the gore, but otherwise the most artful "Jesus" film I've seen.
11 The Lord of the Rings trilogy (74) - Jackson's films diminished the spiritual elements of Tolkein's classic work
12 Babette's Feast (8)
13 Chariots of Fire (21)
14 Jesus of Nazareth (37)
15 Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (98)
16 Amadeus (97)
17 Les Miserables (88) - I prefer 1978 version over the 1998 version on this list

Here are a 10 films on the list that I want to see:
27 Magnolia
48 To End All Wars
60 Luther
62 The Gospel of John
65 To Kill a Mockingbird
66 Hotel Rwanda
72 Millions
90 2001: A Space Odyssey
92 The Shawshank Redemption
100 Unforgiven

Here are a few films that should have made the list (in no particular order):
Philadelphia - Compassion overjudgmentt
The Matrix * - What is reality?
The Original Star Wars Trilogy * - Redemption, faith, good over evil...
Forrest Gump - destiny versus chance
Ben Hur
Pulp Fiction - not recommended for everyone
Blade Runner *
Life of Brian *
Signs *
The Truman Show *

* denotes inclusion on the 2004 list

Underdogs Weeks 9 & 10

Last week I had my best results, so far, with wins by Cincinnati and Akron for 20 points. My total is now 58 for the season.

SYRACUSE 5 Cincinnati
FLORIDA 5 Georgia
BOWLING GREEN 15 Akron

So here are my silly picks for week 10. No I didn't pick my hapless Vols - I just hope they score against Notre Dame....

Boston College 4.5 NORTH CAROLINA
VIRGINIA TECH 6.5 Miami
USC (SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA) 32.5 Stanford

While I picked against two unbeatons this week, wouldn't it be great if we had four undefeated football teams at the end of the season: USC, Texas, Bama, and VT - that would really throw a wrench in the BCS. Alas, there is a lot of football yet to be played - Go Tar Heels, Cardinals and Canes!

Closing Thoughts

On Friday while traveling home, we made a stop in Picayune, MS, where we surprised the pastor of a small pentecostal church (Good Works Fellowship) with some much needed assistance moving distributed goods out of their sanctuary and into some tents. After spending about 2 hours there, we hit the road and made it home safely, just before 8pm.

Some reflections:

* What I/we did in terms of addressing the needs and lending a hand was just a drop in the bucket compared with what has been done by others and still needs to be done.

* The residents of the Gulf Coast will still need our prayers, our contributions and our assistance long after Katrina fades from the headlines.

* Our team got to experience a little bit of several key components of disaster relief: Food Service, Distribution of Goods, Cleanup, and Reconstruction. It was almost like a 101 course in disaster recovery.

* The amount of goods and services being donated to the recovery effort (including the numbers of volunteers) is an amazing sight. It is indicative of two things: the great prosperity of this nation and the even greater generosity that the Church is capable of.

* I wish I could go back and stay longer.

Waveland 10/27/05

Today started off like yesterday with our team opening the distribution tent. Matt, Rick and Patrick were then assigned to install electrical wire/conduit for a small FEMA trailer park in the church's front lawn. I joined up with the Indiana team once again to hang sheetrock.



After lunch, we drove down to the beach area once again. These pictures speak for themselves.




This evening the team from Washington state returned from a stint in New Orleans. Rick and Matt helped lead a time of worship. Manda and I talked with Syd and Angie who are living in a trailer behind the church. Their home in Pass Christian is better than many but still uninhabitable for a while. Pray that they get a fair settlement from State Farm (the company has not been the "good neighbor" of their advertisements). This trip, for me, has helped me connect real faces, people and stories to this mass catastrophe. I encourage everyone to pray for these remarkably resilient people as they piece back their lives.

Waveland 10/26/05

The church that we are staying at is actually on the line between Waveland and Bay St. Louis.

This morning after breakfast our team hit the clothes tent again. There was a steady stream of folks coming through all day - some were repeat customers looking through the newest "merchandise".

Here is a picture of the Waveland Elementary School - notice all the desks, chairs and other supplies outside.

I spent most of the day at the home of another church member. Billy's home had sustained 5-7 ft. of flooding during Katrina and a leaky roof during Rita. I worked alongside a group from West Terre Haute, IN hanging sheetrock on the kitchen ceiling and on the lower 7 ft. of wall space.

Both Billy and his wife shared some of their post-Katrina experiences and frustrations. Many in this rural area feel that the media has overlooked their experience. They both joked that the news media gave the impression that Katrina hit New Orleans and Mobile,AL and nothing in between. FEMA came in for some criticism - mainly for the slow and confusing communication - it took Billy over six weeks to get his trailer. And we heard more stories of trouble with the insurance companys. A member of the Indiana team asked Billy's wife about coping with the loss of material posessions and with the stress of the recovery. She replied, "You choose your own attitude." She and many other locals have shown remarkable inner strength. Their grateful for their health, their families and for the assistance they have received.

Being here and hearing the stories, makes you wonder how I would respond if this happened to me. How would I respond to the loss of most or all of my material treasures? What kind of attitude would I have? Where would my hope and faith be placed? How would I begin to rebuild without insurance? Would I be angry? depressed? distraught? Or would I be thankful? hopeful? faithfull? joyful? Back home, our pastor has been taking us through a series on the book of Hebrews - with the theme "Jesus Is Better". We've been exploring where we put our treasure (for there is where our heart is). Is my stuff my treasure or is my treasure found in my relationship with my Lord? Very tough questions that are made more clear through my experiences here.

Tonight, we went to the beach where we saw what was left of the luxury beachfront homes. The owner of this home was a collector of John Deere tractors - if you look closely, you can also see the remains of a classic corvette that was flipped upside down.

Our team went to Sicely's Italian Restaurant in Bay St. Louis where we enjoyed the Italian Buffet. This is one of three or four eating establishments that are open in this area (Waveland's Sonic drive-in is constantly slammed).

Waveland 10/25/05

This morning we traveled across the 24 mile causeway across Lake Pontchartrain and then onto Waveland, MS. We are headquartered at the Word of Faith Church along with teams from Washington, Indiana, North Carolina and California.

Our first assignment was to help organize the distribution tent. People can pickup food, toiletries, cleaning supplies and clothes. The clothes are particularly challenging - imagine organizing your local thrift store and you'll get an idea of what they have here. It is amazing to see firsthand the generosity this nation is capable of.

After a lunch supplied by the Salvation Army, Matt and I were assigned to assist a church member pressure wash the interior of his home. The ruined furnishings, carpet, cabinets, appliances, and drywall had been removed this morning and piled up at the street. It is stunning to see the possessions people have spent their entire lives acquiring in a heap....

All the drywall and insulation that was below four feet had been stripped off. We then applied a bleach solution to all of the wood studs and pressure washed any visible mold off of the wood and the concrete and ceramic flooring. Then the homeowner, Brandon, applied a second coat of bleach solution to all of the exposed wood.

Conversations with the locals reveal trouble with insurance companies. Many folks lost everything, but because they didn't have flood insurance they won't receive compensation. And even when they have flood insurance, the adjusters are playing games (depreciating paint!!!). One couple had flood insurance for their home but discovered that it did not cover the contents of their home.

This evening we ate dinner with our new friends and had a beautiful time of worship.

P.S. Here is a satellite image of the Word of Faith Church (pre-Katrina)

New Orleans 10/24/05

We left at 6am this morning and had a pretty uneventful roadtrip through Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.

Interstate 10 just reopened recently with one lane in each direction on the eastbound lanes. This picture shows the westbound lanes which are still missing massive sections. As we drove into the city, we saw many cars that had been submerged and evidence of the waterline on the buildings. The scale of the devastation is greater than the tv is capable of conveying.

Tonight, we are in the River Ridge neighborhood on the west side of New Orleans. We arrived around 4pm and after a quick orientation, we jumped in to help serve dinner to around one hundred people.



Tonight's meal was red beans and rice with corn bread. Apparently it is the traditional Monday evening meal here in N.O.

We are headed to the Gulfport, MS area on Tuesday. Internet access is questionable, but hopefully I'll be able to check in again soon.

Headed to the Gulf Coast

I'll be in Covington, Louisiana next week with a group from church. We will be participating in relief efforts under the auspices of Thirst No More. Your prayers are welcome. I'll try to blog if I get an opportunity.

Mercy and Truth

The following was written by my father as part of a weekly newsletter he does for the school he administrates. I thought it was blog worthy.

Nobody at CFC has asked me so far, but I am going to tell you anyway. I have been questioned in the past as to why I sign off with “mercy and truth.” “Why not ‘mercy and grace’?” I was asked once. That sounds a lot more gracious and friendly and loving and all those nice things. I truly do not have anything against ‘grace.’ It is a wonderful word. It is amazing. I was saved by it.

The reason I use ‘truth’ is that it reflects balance. I started looking one day, and it became increasingly clear that mercy is to be balanced with truth. Proverbs 3:3 states it plainly enough, “Let not mercy and truth forsake thee, bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart.” The Psalmist says, “Oh Lord, let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me (Ps. 40:11).” Micah urges us to “do justly and to love mercy (Mic. 6:8).” Wherever I look I see this linkage between God’s love and God’s truth. Take time to do a word study, and it is amazing how many times these two themes are set side by side in Scripture.

Unfortunately, these themes are really a combination of oil and water that we have a hard time intermingling. How a holy God can love sinners is truly the scandal of the Bible. And I, in my flawed humanity, have a hard time hanging on to both at once. Most of the time, I readily embrace the love thing. It doesn’t take long in any week for me to realize again how I need the mercy of our God. And I love how His mercies are new every morning. Love, love, love. All we really need is love. The Beatles almost got it right. We surely are all sheep who have gone astray and are in desperate need of the Good Shepherd’s tender voice.

Preaching God’s love is an easy and popular message. Who doesn’t need to hear it again and again? And yet, there is that troublesome other half of the message, God’s truth. Our God is a God of righteousness and justice, and we are to be held accountable to His standard of holiness. Occasionally, I must confess, I take a certain amount of perverse satisfaction in applying God’s standard of truth to others who are drastically missing the mark. In East Tennessee, we would call that ‘whupping up’ on someone. And in certain circles and at certain times in history, God’s judgment is even the prevailing and popular message of the day.

We teeter and totter to one extreme or the other depending in part on our natural propensities or whatever is easiest or is the mood of the moment. Some of us are born ‘sticklers.’ Others just naturally ooze warmth and affection. But as parents, we are to reflect the whole image of God. To hold up God’s truth without His mercy is to fill young hearts with fear and despair. To hold up God’s love without His truth is to create a libertine spirit that cheapens the grace of God and makes a mockery of His law. Parents whose only concern is ‘truth’ can spawn frustration and bitterness. Parents who only show love with no standards of accountability can reap a whirlwind of out-of-control behavior. Administrators and teachers stand equally strung between these equal poles of tension. Discipline without love is cruel. Love without standards is meaningless.

I pray Godly wisdom for you as you raise up children in the fear and admonition of the Lord that you will know that perfect balance. Pray that also for me as I attempt to uphold standards in an atmosphere of love.

Mercy and Truth,

Mr. Moe

Underdogs week 8

I was 0-3 last week despite Notre Dame's valient effort to knock off USC.

This week I'm picking against the Longhorns yet again and I think it is Baylor's year to go bowling....

OKLAHOMA 14.5 Baylor
TEXAS 16.5 Texas Tech
LSU 6.5 Auburn

I am aware that I didn't pick my Vols who are 3.5 pt. dogs to 'Bama. I love the Vols, but I'm not too excited about their chances to score points. Maybe the defense will come up with enough to put Bama in their place.... No serious trash talk from this nervous VOL fan. Here's hoping they surprise everyone with a knockout performance.

Blog Patrol

If you haven't noticed, I have created a new area for links to other blogs. I hope you will check out these sites and meet some fun and interesting friends of mine. Here's an introduction to what and who they represent:

First, Scott Rushing is the one who got me hooked on this blog thing. He is a PhD student at Baylor and has lots to say about theology, philosophy, politics, movies and sports. Formerly known as Theology Journal, his blog is now called Confessions.

aka Pastor Guy is Mark Jackson, pastor of New Life Community Church in Fresno, CA, wife to Sherri, father to two boys, and a freak about board games.

This Beautiful Mess features Mike Thomas who keeps my in-laws on the straight and narrow as pastor of Rockcreek Church in Derwood, MD - our church home away from home.

Missionary Musings features Mark Puckett - a Southern boy who is communicating God's love in the frigid Northeast on Prince Edward Island.

Filmchat features commentary on popular culture by Peter Chattaway - a fellow Daniel Amos fan and a regular contributer to Christianity Today.

Zion Red's Head is written by Paul Durham - a friend from the former Church at Hickory Hollow and a fellow 77's fan.

Scott's brother Jeff offers witty commentary on life, culture, politics and his lackluster love life at Thanks for Noticing Me.

My brother-in-law, Isaiah Surbrook, offers the Ministry Musings of a freshly minted seminary graduate.

And cousins, Jacob & Karen will periodically post pictures and stories from their adventures in Indonesia at Closing the Distance.

Photo geek

I love HP's photosoftware - it the most user friendly photo program I've ever encountered. These are a couple more pics from our trip to Percy Priest Lake on Saturday.

Discovering beauty in my own backyard

We often take for granted the things closest to us. I was reminded of this Saturday night when our family enjoyed a cookout at the lake that is only 15 minutes from our house.

So I married a....competitor

Congratulations to my wife, Janell, for competing in her first 5K race on Saturday!
Here's the photo finish.

Underdogs Week 7

I'm coming off my best week (2 out of 3 for 13.5 points) so my picks this week will either be really good or really bad.

Point total: 38

TEXAS 18 Colorado (a big win last week over OU could lead to a letdown)
USC 11.5 NOTRE DAME (A USC loss could upset the BCS - Go Irish!)
Tulsa 7 RICE (I have no clue about this one ;-)

And UT gets a much needed week off to figure out how to score points - if they can't get it together next week against a resurgent 'Bama team then it will be time to start up the Fire Randy Sanders campaign.

Silly Underdogs Week 6

Week 5 picks/results:
Florida 4 ALABAMA W (The only time UT fans are happy with a Tide victory)
(I came close with these other picks - too bad this isn't a game of horseshoes)
usc (Southern California) 16.5 ARIZONA STATE
Boise State 10.5 HAWAII

Point Total after 5 weeks: 24.5

Week 6 picks:
TEXAS 14 Oklahoma (It's probably the year Texas finally wins, but....)
IOWA STATE 9 Baylor (This pick is for Scott, Mark and Mark)
PURDUE 4.5 Iowa

GO VOLS!!! Crush those dawgs!!!

Home Improvement Blues

(Or How I Learned to Love Do-It-Yourself Plumbing)

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

That's the sound that has bugged me for several weeks now. Our kitchen faucet was dripping and it bothered me every time I sat down to eat or watch TV. Furthermore, that sound taunted me for my lack of knowledge and experience in fixing such problems. The incessant dripping challenged my manhood.

So Saturday, I was determined to do something about it. Of course, I don't consider myself to be a handyman, so I called my Dad for consultation. I dis-assembled the faucet and thought I had identified a suspect O-ring. So I figured I'd replace the O-ring, re-assemble the faucet and problem would be fixed. It was a good theory anyway....

I purchased a variety pack of O-rings (you never can have too many spare O-rings, right?). The one that fit this particular fixture was slightly larger than the one I replaced, but I thought the difference was negligible. My second mistake was to try to re-assemble the faucet at 11:00 p.m. As I tried to re-assemble the faucet, I encountered resistance. It seems that O-ring wasn't the right part. Now one of the cardinal rules of home repair is to never use excess force when putting things together. I ignored this rule. The result was a jammed up faucet assembly. And I broke it even more trying to undo what I had done.

So Sunday I was faced with a broken faucet instead of a dripping faucet. There would be no Sunday afternoon nap for me.

Armed with a crescent wrench, I proceeded under the sink to disconnect the water lines and remove the old fixture. This isn't an easy task. First your lying on your back in a tight place with a garbage disposal and other pipes obstructing your view and impeding movement. Second you have to work with your hands above your head for extended periods of time. And third, the space between the wall and the sink tub is extremely tight. Using a traditional wrench is nearly impossible. I did manage to disconnect the water lines by turning the nut one quarter turn at a time. The plastic wing nuts that hold the fixture to the sink were a different story. They were stuck on too tightly to loosen by hand and the space was too constricting for the wrench.

So I made another phone call to Dad. He enlightened me about a technological wonder called a basin wrench. It's a wrench specifically made to work in this tight place. So I sent Janell out to pick out a new faucet and to acquire this most necessary tool. Once she returned I was able to remove one of the wing nuts with relative ease. I thought to myself, this isn't so bad now that I have the right tool. So I proceeded to tackle the second nut. One by one, each of the nuts' wings broke off - leaving a nut with no surface for the wrench to take a hold of. Why do they make a nut out of a breakable plastic material and then provide no fail safe to the design for instances such as this?

I was stuck once again. And I was angry and frustrated. I was ready to take a crow bar to the entire sink assembly and do some real demolition. After a brief cooling off period, I called my father-in-law for a consult. His advice: chisel the nut off with a screwdriver and a hammer. So I proceeded to vent my frustrations out on this nut and enjoyed every moment.

Once the old fixture was off, the new one was relatively easy to install. Of course, the old supply lines wouldn't fit the new fixture, so I had to make one more trip to the store before the project could be completed (My dad says all plumbing projects require a minimum of 3 trips to the store).

So after a couple hours of toil and frustration and $100, I no longer hear that drip. And I can console myself with the knowledge that a plumber would have charged me twice that.

Deep End

rain, a winter's rain
smears the neon window pane
the corner table is in the dark
just like me
black, all i can see is black

i'm in the deep end
thrown into the deep end
don't pull the plug while
i'm in the deep end

fade, you won't fade
from my memory for one day
double-edged memories
hover around my broken heart
dead, sometimes i feel so dead

i'm in the deep end
thrown into the deep end
don't pull the plug while
i'm in the deep end

time, soothing time
take this misery from my mind

i'm in the deep end
thrown into the deep end
don't pull the plug while
i'm in the deep end

time, soothing time

The 77's from the album "Pray Naked"
© 1992 Fools Of The World, LTD. (ASCAP)

Wilderness

everybody drinks the water from the murky pool
surely as you think you're well
you know your belly aches
everybody learns religion at the blind man's school
will you reach for heaven
when the preacher charms the snake

is your faith so right
are you so blessed
everybody wanders in the forest
is your heart so true

count the butts and bottles
in the morning when we're gone
fools agree reality is more than we should bare
how do you gaze into the sun from dusk to dawn
we love the truth enough to die but we won't swear

is your faith so right
are you so blessed
everybody wanders in the forest
is your heart so true
are you so good
everybody wanders in the woods

everybody begs the juror be more than merciful
for the crime we celebrate for bigotry we learn
everybody drinks the water from the murky pool
surely as it heals your soul you feel your body burn

is your faith so right
are you so blessed
everybody wanders in the forest
is your heart so true
are you so good
everybody wanders in the woods
everybody wanders in the forest
everybody wanders in the wilderness

- The Choir (1993)

UT 30 LSU 27

HOW 'BOUT THEM VOLS!!!!! WOO HOO!!

Since I don't have cable, I didn't watch the game (watched part one of No Direction Home instead). I did catch some of the 1st half on the radio, but after the score was 14-0, I became a bit despondent.

After the Dylan documentary finished I flipped over to the news for a score and found out that UT had tied the ballgame. I then flipped on the radio to hear the winning touchdown. Very exciting!!!

One thing I love about the Vols is that they don't quit, and that they can surprise you even when you think they are down for the count.

Now I hope they have something left in the tank for Ole Miss on Saturday.

Week Four Underdogs

Total Score: 11

this weeks picks:
Michigan State 10.5 ILLINOIS
(a big win last week means their ripe for an upset)
CLEMSON 3 Boston College
(Clemson let me down this week so i'll go against them)
LSU 6.5 Tennessee
(I pick with my heart not my head sometimes - Go Vols!)

The "ipod game"

Over on the 77's listserve we've been playing the "ipod game" where you list 15 songs that are in your randomly generated playlist. While Janell has an ipod shuffle, I don't have one yet. But I did burn a cd from a playlist randomly generated in itunes. My musical tastes have been described as eclectic and obscure. Take a look at this list of 30 songs and tell me if you agree:

walk between the raindrops - adam again
the lord is my shepherd 23rd psalm - keith green
feels like rain - dime store prophets
here comes the sun - the beatles
i can't take it - the choir
Yahweh - u2
shape of air - daniel amos
75 grains of sand - sarah masen
divine instant - daniel amos
the grape prophet speaks - l.s.underground
diamonds to coal - lost dogs
simple gifts - phil keaggy
Who's gonna ride your wild horses - u2
posse in the sky - daniel amos
driving in england - swirling eddies
blame - 5 o'clock people
revolution 1 - Beatles
comfort zone - Everyday Sunday
bright red carpet - All Star United
dancing at the policeman's ball - Mark Heard
you make my heart beat too fast - Buddy & Julie Miller
hold me now - Thompson Twins
personal jesus - Johnny Cash
state of love and trust - Pearl Jam
everybody hurts - R.E.M.
It's so wonderful - The Choir
pregnant pause - Daniel Amos
memphis - Chuck Berry
soul refreshing - Robert Randolph
deep end - 77's

And you can play too. Just leave your list in the comments section.

Political Identity

Not that it's a big surprise to me or most of you, but according to this test, I'm a Republican. And my suggested law: "I would dictate that the artificial notion of race be expunged from our society - its just pigment people!!!"

You are a Social Conservative (30% permissive) and an... Economic Conservative (66% permissive) You are best described as a: Republican Link: The Politics Test on OkCupid Free Online Dating

Week 3 Underdog picks

Current Point Total: 4

This week's picks:
NOTRE DAME 7 Michigan State (The magic has to end some time.)
Miami 7 CLEMSON (I love to see Florida teams have down years.)
FLORIDA 5 Tennessee (The annual SEC East Championship game - Go Vols!)

Underdogs

Here are my picks for this week:

Kansas State 10 MARSHALL
AUBURN 16 Mississippi State
MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE 4 North Texas

Playing the Race Card...

On my way in to work, I was listening to NPR's coverage of Katrina's aftermath, particularly regarding the ongoing search & rescue efforts and the Federal response. I was livid over the accusations of racism and how the media seems to encourage this mindset.

I'm very tired of the blame game being played on Capitol Hill - this is the time when we as a people should put aside our differences, roll up our sleeves, and work together.

During my lunch break, I read several articles today on the race issue - Here are some excerpts:

Bumblers, Not Bigots by Deroy Murdock

. . . . Like New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin, Louisiana Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco, and FEMA director Michael Brown, President Bush must explain why, for three to four days, no one could manage at least to air drop bottled water and granola bars on thousands of Katrina survivors who baked under temperatures exceeding 90 degrees at the Crescent City’s Superdome, its convention center, and freeway overpasses in the central business district.

While he must answer for that and other badly dropped balls, Bush need not apologize for being fueled by bigotry during last week’s “unacceptable” federal response, as he described it.

This charge crumbles on first inspection. . . .

Wanna Be Starting Something? By Mark Goldblatt

One of the more despicable motifs sounded by left-of-center commentators in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina took the form of a question: If the majority of the victims in New Orleans had been white rather than black, would the federal response have been swifter and more decisive? This isn’t a real question, of course, but a rhetorical question, a cheap attempt to score political points, since the person doing the asking already knows, or thinks he knows, the correct answer: Well, obviously, the federal response would have been more efficient if the majority of the victims had been white . . . because President Bush is a closet racist who doesn’t mind watching black people suffering and dying. . . .

For $.50 a day you can sponsor this child

My in-laws recently filled in a dilapidated swimming pool and they have a field of dirt that has entertained my girls better than any toy.

Have no fear . . . Underdog is here.

It's time once again for gridiron action under the guise of student athletics and that means that 104.5 The Zone's Stupid Underdog contest is back as well. Speaking of underdogs, perennial losers Vanderbilt won its first season opener in eight years last night against Wake Forest. They might achieve the ever elusive 3-win season this year.

So here are my opening picks:

GEORGIA 7 Boise State (UGA has a lot to prove this year and BSU is certainly capable of pulling the upset)
MARYLAND 9 Navy (I picked this instate rivalry because I'm still sore over UM's thrashing of UT in the Peach Bowl a couple years back)
FLORIDA 22 Wyoming (I may be the only one who thinks the hype over Urban Meyer's transfer to UF is way over hyped. Wyoming is a team on the rise and they are very familiar with Meyer's coaching. Go Buffalos!)

Think you can do better? Sign up, get your picks in today and play along.

notes from the road

Well I have nothing to complain about in comparison to those folks on the Gulf Coast. Katrina passed over Nashville, but left little impact on the area. The biggest impact is being felt at the gas pump. We certainly picked the wrong time of year to take a road trip.

So here I am in Monrovia, Maryland at my in-laws place. Gas prices along our route varied by as much as $0.30 a gallon (the highest we paid was $3.09 per gal.) and we are now facing much higher prices now that we've hit the metro Baltimore/D.C. area.

Seeing all the images from Katrina's aftermath have evoked a wide variety of emotions ranging from compassion for the victims and amazement at the destruction to anger at those who turn this horrific event into means for personal gain. I can't begin to get a true handle on the scope of the devastation, much less gather my thoughts into some sort of intelligent response. I guess that will come later.

I have a few days of rest and relaxation, so I hope to blog more regularly for the next few days. See you around.

More on Robertson

Check out these two sites for more on the Robertson flap:

aka Pastor guy echoes many of my concerns although with more maturity and tact. Furthermore, a debate has broken out in his comments section over the correctness of Robertson's remarks.

Then read Time magazine's editorial response on how Robertson's remarks only help Chavez.

Again, I'm not a fan of Chavez and I rarely find myself in agreement with Time Magazine's editors, but on this issue I think their dead right.

Confessions of a former virgin

This weekend, The Forty-Year Old Virgin opened in theaters across the country. Peter Chattaway offers both a testimonial and an interesting review of the film at Christianity Today Movies. While I probably won’t go see this film, it does raise questions about our cultures obsession with sex and the stigma associated the “V-word”.

While, thankfully, I did not have to wait forty years (only 24 years, 10 months, 17 days and 19 hours ;-), I certainly have felt the peer pressure, stigma and temptations associated with being an adult virgin. I’ll confess that I did lie about my virginal status at least once during my high school days, although I don’t think I convinced anyone. Attending an evangelical college like Taylor helped in that most of my peers were also virgins. Nonetheless, the pressure and temptation to have sex outside of marriage was enormous.

The benefits of waiting until my marriage to have sex far outweigh the social stigma I endured as a virgin. Isn’t ironic that in the wake of the sexual revolution, sex has become dangerous and even lethal. Yet in a monogamous marriage relationship between two people who waited for their wedding night, sex is safe, doesn’t require latex, and is dare I say “Spectacular!”

Pat Robertson needs to shut his pie hole!

It has been a while since I've had an evangelical cringe moment (defined as a moment when you are embarrassed to be an evangelical because of what someone or some group says in the media spotlight in the name of evangelicalism). Even the the Southern Baptist Convention managed to stay out of the limelight this year.

So leave it to Pat Robertson to make up for this cringe deficit by publicly advocating the assassination of Venezuela's leftist-leaning president, Hugo Chavez.

"If he thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it," Robertson told viewers on his The 700 Club show Monday. "It's a whole lot cheaper than starting a war."

I don't like Chavez's politics or foreign policy anymore than Pat does, but I don't think the US should just bump off the heads of state Sopranos style over a war of words. Mr. Robertson's words fail to demonstrate the love of Christ and gospel of grace that he purports to represent.

Thanks to Pat's latest diatribe, the mainstream media will once again dredge up all the other cringe-worthy comments by Mr. Robertson (and Mr. Falwell) to reinforce the stereotypes of the "religious right" as bunch of ignorant, bible-thumping, violent, homophobic bigots. The time is long over due for evangelicals to pull the plug on The 700 Club and Robertson.

Friday Night Lights (Tennessee Style)

As I mentioned previously, I had not attended a high school football game since I was a freshman in college (14 years ago). I have wanted to do this for some time, but since I’m not from the area, I had a limited knowledge of the local sports scene. Finally, an opportunity presented itself when Daniel Carr invited me to come see his alma mater play their county rival in the season opener (and his sister-in-law knows how to put on a good tailgate party). This weekend is being called week zero of the prep football season.

The weather is a bit warm for football still (upper 90s), but otherwise the atmosphere was very similar to the high school games of my youth -- Air horns, cow bells, and angry parents (although I don’t believe I heard any profanity directed toward the referees). The crowd was enthusiastic. Someone handed out inflatable clapper sticks (my girls have already figured out that they can use them as swords). I also remembered, too late, why so many people bring cushion seats to use on the hard concrete bleachers. My tush still hurts.

The game itself was a close one. The Smyrna Bulldogs started off strong, but fumbled in the red zone. They managed to score the first touchdown, but missed the extra point. Later they would fail in a two-point conversion attempt. Overall their offense was plagued with conservative play calling – too many unsuccessful run plays up the middle. Luckily for them, their defense was up to the task especially in the final minutes of the game. The LaVergne Wolverines had a pretty impressive passing attack and kept the game close. They trailed by 2 points in the final minutes remaining of the game and just fell short of pulling the upset.

Prep football is big in Tennessee (although not as big as in Texas) and is definitely a cultural experience.

This blogging thing is really cool!

I am amazed at the response I've received from those of you who have visited. It has been good to hear from old friends (Jason, James, & April).

If your interested in starting your own blog, all you have to do is click on the Blogger icon at the top. Its free and easy to set up. The hard part is posting. Some days your inspired and other days your not.

BTW, you are invited to leave comments and you don't have to be a blogger to do so. Just choose the "OTHER" option. Nothing is requrired of you.

I'm going to a high school football game tonight - I haven't done this in 14 years. The game promises to be a good one. Two Rutherford County schools (Smyrna and LaVergne) are opening their seasons with their biggest rivalry. Imagine if Tennessee played Florida in game one (instead of game two or three) or the Titans opened the season against Indianapolis. I'll be tailgating with a bunch of church folks. Should be fun.

Also on tap this weekend, Janell and I plan to attend the annual Shakespeare in the Park production - this year its A Winter's Tale. I am not familiar with the play, but these productions are always top notch.

What I do at Vandy. . .

When telling folks what I do for a living, I often get blank stares. Most people don't understand what an archivist does. So I'm posting a link to our new and improved website. We call it a digital library because it provides access to a variety of resources, some electronic, and to digital versions of our finding aids. The site is still in its infancy. We plan to add resources and other enhancements as we move forward. Currently, I've been putting most of my energy into the International Neuropsychopharmacology Archives section. Have a look around. It may help you to understand what I do.

A Theology of Grace from . . . . Bono

Here's a very cool excerpt from the book Bono: In Conversation with Michka Assayas (Riverhead Books). You can read more at Christianity Today or you can check out the book at Amazon.com

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bono: I really believe we've moved out of the realm of Karma into one of Grace.

Assayas: Well, that doesn't make it clearer for me.

Bono: You see, at the center of all religions is the idea of Karma. You know, what you put out comes back to you: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, or in physics—in physical laws—every action is met by an equal or an opposite one. It's clear to me that Karma is at the very heart of the universe. I'm absolutely sure of it. And yet, along comes this idea called Grace to upend all that "as you reap, so you will sow" stuff. Grace defies reason and logic. Love interrupts, if you like, the consequences of your actions, which in my case is very good news indeed, because I've done a lot of stupid stuff.

Assayas: I'd be interested to hear that.

Bono: That's between me and God. But I'd be in big trouble if Karma was going to finally be my judge. I'd be in deep shit. It doesn't excuse my mistakes, but I'm holding out for Grace. I'm holding out that Jesus took my sins onto the Cross, because I know who I am, and I hope I don't have to depend on my own religiosity.

Pictures of my girls

As promised, here are some pictures of the girls taken this past June while on vacation.

The Monday Morning Blog

Its been another "action packed" weekend at the Nord abode. Here's some highlights:

I took Friday off and played nine holes of golf with a very patient Daniel Carr. I can pitch and putt okay, but my slice is killer.

Saturday, we packed up the kids and went to Nashville's first ever Free For All event. Sponsored the same folks that do Freecycling, the idea was for people to bring stuff to exchange. Unfortunately, we waited in a long line for almost an hour and most of the stuff was absolute junk. Taylor found a Christmas ornament and Addy found a Monsters Inc. toy. As a reward for the kids' endurance, we made an ice cream run afterwards.

Then we did the bi-monthly family shopping trip at Sam's. As usual we bought more items than were on our list and feasted on samples.

Our church rented out a community swimming pool Saturday evening for a Luau. Highlights include Addy (our resident 2 year old thrillseeker) jumping off the diving board three times without a flotation device. She had help from her dad, but is able to swim short distances underwater. Her older sister isn't so brave, but is making some progress as well. Janell and I enjoyed several games of volleyball with the adults - Volleyball has become the sport of choice at our church with games every Sunday evening as well.

I have heard from a few of you this weekend. Thanks for the comments. I will try to post pictures of the girls sometime this week.

new photo

Visit the Library of Congress

The Library of Congress website provides some excellent multimedia resources from the turn on the twentieth century including video of Presidents McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt. Check it out here.

I used several clips in my class last night. See sky scrapers under construction and street vendors being hustled by New York police. See the wreckage of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor. See the ruins of San Francisco after the great earthquake. Lots of fascinating stuff!

Supporting our troops . . .

On my way in to work this morning I was flipping through the radio stations and happened on this report on NPR Group Helps Injured Marines Return to Civilian Life. Normally I flip on through such reports because of the left-leaning political agenda behind them, but this one was different. It moved me. Here are a group of people making a difference in the lives of men & women who've put themselves in danger's way for us and tasted what it means to sacrifice. I don't know if these people have a religious motivation behind what they do or not, but I salute them. Check out their website Semper Fi Fund.

This got me thinking about what I can do to support our troops. Prayer is a good start - I'm not very disciplined in this, but I could certainly do more. Speaking out in support of the troops and in support of their work would be another way. I don't want to wear my patriotism on my sleeve (or on my car bumper) - nor do I blindly support any action taken by my government. I, however, do sincerely believe their cause to be just and noble. I'm proud of them, the work they do and the way in which they represent this nation. So how else can I support the troops? Perhaps with monetary support for funds like the one mentioned above. Or how about volunteering with a support group - visiting veterans at the local VA? I don't know what I might do, but I want to be more mindful of these men and women, more thankful for them, and more supportive.

a musical testimony . . .

Here's a link to a piece written by a fellow on the 77's listserv. His thoughts and experiences with "Christian" music mirror my own. check it out.

www.thewindrush.com/writing/lostdogs

if you aren't familiar with the bands he mentions, check out some of my links.

"time keeps on slipping . . . "

"time keeps on slipping into the future" - Steve Miller Band

It's been a crazy week and time management is not my best skill. I feel like I've just barely kept my head above the surface. Each day has its own set of tasks and expectations. There are kids to care for and discipline, a house (& lawn) to maintain, papers to grade, class preparations to complete, a God to worship, work goals to be accomplished, a wife to serve and spend quality time with, church activities to participate in, a blog to write, a body to exercise and care for, and hobbies to indulge in. How is one to prioritize and balance all these demands on time? I'm struggling with this question.

As it is, sleep has become an increasingly precious commodity. I'm up at 5:20am and down between 10-11pm.

Its seems that all our modern day, time-saving devices have only freed us to cram more into a day and increased our stress load.

One area in particular that I struggle with is how and where to fit in personal hobbies and interests (board games with friends, listening to music, reading a book or playing computer games). What is an appropriate amount of time to devote to such activities? How does one come up with a budget to manage time? If time is precious, how does one prioritize one's interests?

I don't easy have answers. I believe that my roles as husband, father, teacher, worker, worshiper, etc . . . should take priority over personal indulgence. But my actions aren't always consistent with these beliefs.

Anyone have any thoughts. Please feel free to leave a comment.

Say cheese . . .

Here I am  

The True Geek Test

Here's my results. I'd say its pretty acurate. Follow the link below and tell me how you scored?

The Simple Geek You answered 66% of the questions as a geek truly would.

You don't seem to sway in either direction, however you still seem to have some latent geek attributes within you. Maybe you're interested in computers but not a gamer? Maybe you've got geek hobbies but none of the awkward social tendencies. You may be slightly geekier than you thought and in denial! The simple geek usually has various quirks that friends may make fun of, but in general can be considered a fairly normal person. Your geek attributes make you less likely to conform to society. The popular kids don't hate you but the geeks don't either, so it's a respectable demographic. In a nutshell, you answered enough questions with geek tendencies and enough questions without geek tendencies that it's difficult to pinpoint your exact alignment.

My test tracked 1 variable How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 25% on geekness

Link: The True Geek Test written by ambientred on Ok Cupid

Bethel College

I was asked what the deal is with Bethel College. Here's my reply:

I teach survey American history in a condensed format. Its broken into two classes: History I covers European exploration through Reconstruction (1877) and History II covers The American West (1877) to the 1980 presidential election.

Bethel College's main campus is McKenzie, TN (west of Nashville), but they have a satellite campus here in Nashville. The satellite campuses only offer one degree program (BA in Business) tailored to meet the needs of non-traditional students. Most of the faculty are adjunct. Students are expected to complete a certain number of general education requirements (called College Start) and then work toward their degree.

Most of the students I teach are in college start (meaning they haven't begun work in their major), but I do have students who take history as an elective.

The link on the left will tell you more.

my weekend continued....

so after an eventful Friday and a late bedtime, we awoke bright and early to the sounds of our girls ("Wake up Daddy, the Sun is up!"). I'm afraid they get their early morning sunny dispositions from my side of the family.

Saturday was workday. You know its a hard workday by the number of outfits you go through.

My first project was to clean out a portion of our gutters. I didn't just remove a few leaves, rather I flushed the line out with the garden hose. Lots of muck and water. Shirt #1 was soaked and filthy.

The next project was to pickup a load of mulch. So after a quick change, Taylor (my 4 year old) and I hopped in my Dad's pickup and headed to the nursery. Taylor loved the ride in the pickup. She normally doesn't get to sit up front or ride so high up. She's been begging to take another ride in "papa's truck" ever since. There was a Nissan commercial years ago that used the phrase, "Dogs Love Trucks." I think that applies to little girls too.

The nursery is really more of a landscaping wholesale outfit (no plants - lots of tractors, lawnmowers, etc....). They have a fiberglass statue of Marilyn Monroe (the famous skirt pose). Taylor took one look and commented, "Look daddy, it's an angel!" She also enjoyed watching the guy dump the mulch into the back of the truck with a front end loader. We then cruised back to the house with the windows down and the radio playing ("There She Goes" by Sixpence NTR) .

Our wheelbarrow was stored on top of a compost pile the previous owner started (I don't really know the first thing about serious gardening). When I removed the wheelbarrow, to my surprise, one of the several stray cats in the neighborhood leaped out and ran away - leaving behind two kittens (probably no more than a couple of days old). The cat had dug out a nest in the compost (mostly leaves). We've had problems with strays and this was the third pair of kittens we have discovered on the property over the past two years. As cute and cuddly as they might appear, to me and my neighbors they represented more nuisance and the threat of a spreading stray population. I confiscated the kittens and placed them in a cat carrier. I would have to make a trip to the county animal shelter.

Well, the remainder of the morning was spent pulling weeds, cleaning out the flower beds, and spreading mulch around our landscaping. Lots of sweat and dirt. Shirt #2 was down for the count. After another quick change, I was off to deliver the kittens and return some videos to the library. On a previous trip to the shelter, I had merely handed off the kittens to an employee and left. This time I had to fill out paperwork. The woman behind the counter, then asked me to sign off on the "final disposition" of the kittens. So I signed their death warrents and proceeded home. You wish that every animal could have a home and be cared for, but the reality is much different.

That afternoon, I graded some papers from my American History I class. Janell was able to make babysitting arrangements so we had a date scheduled for the evening. I was feeling stressed. I had ten papers to grade and wanted to get them done over the weekend. I didn't want to leave too many for Sunday, so I worked down to the wire. There was just enough time for a quick change (#3) before we were off.

We had dinner at O'Charleys. The restaurant was having an off night. First the waitress brought us our rolls (our friends the Rushings dubbed them "crack rolls" because they're so delicious and somewhat addictive), but the bottom of the dish had ketchup on it - making a mess of the table. Then when our meals came, Janell's steak was overcooked (that got us a free dessert). Finally, my plate was apparently at the end of its lifespan. It had a good size crack running through it allowing the steak juice to run out - making a second mess of the table. All was forbourn with a pretty good sense of humor on our part and the staff gave us above par service in spite of the mishaps. And the food was very good.

After dinner, we walked over to the theatre to watch a dozen movie trailers.... a feature presentation made its appearence eventually. After much debate over which film to see (Revenge of the Sith, Batman Begins, War of the Worlds, or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), Janell settled on Batman.

Neither of us was disappointed. We thoroughly enjoyed it and thought it far exceeded the previous Batman incarnations. Lots of fun. One of my top three favorite super hero movies (up there with the Spiderman and X-men frachises).

I think we'll go see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on our next date. The trailer looked much more impressive on the big screen.

Well this is my biggest post yet. Gotta run now.

a busy weekend

Its been a busy time ....

• 4:30 a.m. friday - airport run for my parents and their missions team who were headed to the Dominican Republic via Miami. Ironically, their 6:45 am flight was delayed til 1:00 pm, so the loss of sleep was for naught.
• 7:00 am. - my church's weekly men's bible study - a small crew this morning.
• 9:00 am - arrived at work a tad bit late and a little sleepy
• 6:30 pm - attended a my pastor's daughter's birthday party - our kids had a blast playing at the park. The guys practiced their chip shots and conspired to play poker.
• 10:00 pm - Texas hold'em with Daniel, Greg, Marty, Troy and Tony - we wrapped up shortly after midnight and I managed to be the short stacked of the two remaining players.

Saturday's events coming soon.

Here I am with my better half, Janell.

I'm out here in blog land - what took so long?

Greetings to those of you passing by, both friend and stranger. I'm just getting my feet wet, so be patient and stop by again soon.

I am inspired to join this blog trend by my friend Scott who started his own blog (Theology Talk) in order to get in the habit of writing on a daily basis. Since then, I've been a blog junkie - checking in with several of my mates daily to see what's new.

So now its time to for me to step out here and just do it.

I have a very wide range of interests so there is no predicting where the conversation will turn around here.