The Random Dozen

1. How do you feel about "Gladiator" sandals, also called "Roman" or "Jesus" sandals? A fashion yea or nay? ~ Ok, the originator of this meme used a picture of several versions of women's shoes as an example for this question, and i am not a woman, so i am a little unsure of how to answer.  I know that they make similar sandles for me, but the picture kind of threw me.  However, i LOVE sandles and wear them whenever i have the opportunity.  I don't really care about fashion, so... i don't care.  I will wear them whenever i can. 8)

2. What is your favorite pizza? ~ Veggie.  I love mushroom, bell pepper, onion, chunks of tomatoes, and spinach on the pie.  I am not sure why really, but i am not a huge fan of meat on my pizza.

3. There are plans in the works to sell roughly 1,000 items from Star Trek: The Experience in Las Vegas. This means you could buy Picard's chair for your family room. If not a Star Trek item, what prop, background, set, etc. from what TV or movie would you buy if you could? ~ Wow, at first i thought, "BAH, who cares!" But then as i tried to honestly think about how to answer this questions i found that i do. LOL.  Here are a few items i would not mind adding to a collection if i had the opportunity (in no particular order):

*** The Tin Whistle and case that Captain Piccard receives after his experience in the episode The Inner Light.

*** I wouldn't mind having a small piece of a Terminator from the Sarah Connor Chronicles.

*** A unit patch from 303rd Logistics Unit would be really cool from the show The Unit.

I could probably go on and on, so... i will just wrap it up there.

4. Name a local food or restaurant that your area is famous for. ~ I work hard to not give indications of who i am, or exactly where i live in this blog, so i am not going to be very specific on this one.  There is a Mexican restaurant not too far away that has made several additions to their original building, so it looks sort of like a crazy Lego house, but the food is amazing.  Youhave to know what times are good, but pretty much anything more than 30 minutes after they open, the wait time can be out the door.

5. What is your current favorite snack? ~ Currently i enjoy taking animal crackers and using them to eat vanilla pudding.  Yum!

6. Hypothetical: You are required to be a reality show contestant. Which show would you choose based on your probability of success? (You cannot choose "none.")

A. Dancing with the Stars

B. Biggest Loser

C. Survivor

~ From the list provided i would have to select Biggest Loser because if i can devote myself to something like that i can really get into it, but to be completely honest, i would be a long shot on any of these shows.  The first show that popped into my head though was Amazing Race.  Not sure i could win, but what a lot of fun that would be.

7. On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being uninhabitable and 10 being cleanliness that meets the standards of OCD, how clean is your vehicle's interior? ~ I go through seasons where i am hyper sensitive to what my car looks like, and then the pendulum swings and it looks like i am taking a load to the dump.  So, this morning it is a 3, but the range is more like 8 to 3.

8. It doesn't feel like Spring until _________. ~  I start sneezing.  Every year i get hit with alergies.  If i am not taking Zyrtec by the first week of April i am pretty much stuffed until the 4th of July weekend.

9. Something that made you laugh really hard recently is ____. ~ That is a pretty rare occurance.  I am trying to remember... i remember that it was over something completely "stupid" too... I know it was "stupid" because my beloved was looking at me like i was insane.

10. Tell me about a goal you're working toward. ~ Only one?  There is the actually finishing the plethora of books i am partially through, the fact i really would like to pursue some serious tech certifications, getting all of the tubs recaulked in my house, painting the living room.  There are so many more... the wording of the question would dictate that you are looking for just one though, so... i would really like to get through the books i start.  I enjoy reading, and i am pretty selective about the books i begin, but i will get into the book and life intervenes and i get interupted.  It may be a few days, or even a few months before i remember the book i started, which by then i have picked up and started a different book (sometimes more than one).

11. Share a thought-provoking or inspiring quote this week. ~ "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." ~ Miyomato Musashi.  This one has actually been very inspiring to me of late.  This quote above has inspired me to just focus on one step at a time until whatever it is i am doing is finished.  To not take "side trips" (or at least keep them to a minimum), and to just take the next step.  Wether it be reading a book i've been wanting to read, or to just clean up my sink in the bathroom.

12. Name one thing that you do as a parent that you absolutely know will make your kids happy. ~ I would love to have such confidence that anything i do will ultimately make my kids happy.  It feels like all i do is hinder them and cause them misery.  If you just see their faces when i am asking them to do something, or helping them with homework.

Ever see the train derailment scene in "The Fugitive"?

That is kind of how my thoughts feel this morning, so sit down and hold on.  This is going to be a rambling ride! 8)

Well, to start things off... i do not have a Music Monday offering this week.   I've just not had my head wrapped around worship songs of late.  I still love music, especially music that extols the Lord, but i've just not "been there" so to speak.  Hopefully i will have one for next Monday.

My Beloved and i actually got out on a date Saturday night.  I know, we couldn't believe it either.  We "cashed in" some points to get movie tickets and went to see Up in the Air.  Over all we liked the movie, but we were not overly happy with the story line (specifically the ending).  What we did like was the changes George Clooney's character made in his thinking and life.  In many ways it can challenge you to think about your over all life choices, and that can be a good thing.

Yesterday, overall, was nice and relaxing.  I got the kids all up for church (me beloved has been sick of late) and when we got home, DD went over to a friend's house for the afternoon, DS1 was taken to the movies by his mom (my Beloved of course ), so it was just me a DS2.  He had some homework to do so while he was doing that i watched some NFL playoffs, and during his breaks we played some Mario Cart.  Later we watched Merry Madagascar and played a little bit more.  Then when he went off to play more Mario Cart by himself i started up a fire in the fireplace, kicked back and watched yet more NFL football, and scribbled notes in my notebook about short story ideas.  The Cardinals and Packers game was fun to watch as i am not a particular fan of either team (i enjoyed the Panthers x2 overtime win against the Rams more, but i am prejudice in that regard ), although i was rooting for Kurt Warner.  Next week i am cheering for the Saints, the Ravens, The Chargers, and the Vikings.

Last week my Paternal Step-Grandmother (i never really knew my "natural" one) passed away a little unexpectedly.  She was in her 80's so it is not a complete surprise, but no one really knew she was sick (it was a respiratory thing).  Every year she would make up this Lemon Bark... YUM!  Everyone we shared it with really likes it too.  This year she also sent my beloved and i a crocheted blanket.  It's so soft and warm!  When i told my beloved she was heartbroken and was despondent about not having sent her a thank you card yet.  It's at times like this that i REALLY feel disconnected from the world.  I didn't feel sad... i still don't.  Confused maybe.  But to be honest i really am not sure how to feel.  I wanted to react like my beloved did, but just can't.  I went back and forth about going to her funeral later this week.  Mostly because of the cost, but my beloved has really encouraged me to go.  it will be three days overall.  About eight hours out, then the next day the memorial and funeral, then about eight hours driving back home.  She was the last of my Grand Parents to pass away.

The subject of "being all things to all people" first came up last week at a fellow "Elf Blogger's" web site (Thoughts of a Wood Elf), and seems to have been a recurring theme in my life of late.  The scripture reference is 1 Corinthians 9, specifically verses 19-23.  I am "chewing" on what Paul was meaning, as well as the verses of not being a stumbling block to others.

In closing God has taught me a lesson this weekend... well, i hope i have learned it.  You see... i can tend to get obsessed over some things.  I've noticed this trend in myself, and sometimes i am able to discipline myself to refrain until the urge passes, but on Friday this was not one of those times.

Recently i was doing some "research" in regards to one of the characters i am writing about.  In desiring to know more about the background of this particular "profession" (for lack of a better word coming to mind) i began to Google my query.Eventually i learned that Games Workshop had indeed written an article about the particular subject i so desired.  And since it is their "world" afterall, i REALLY wanted to get my hands on that particular article.  So, in my haste i did the following things, 1) I went to a Fansite and posted on their message board what i was looking for, 2) i then found it on eBay and placed a bid for the magazine.  3) Later i happened to mention to "Tulip" that i was searching for something and how i wished i had her amazing WWW searching skills.  Later she comes back and tells me about this Gaming store on-line that had the exact issue i was looking for.  In my haste i bought the magazine from the store.  Then, later on in the evening someone responds from the Fansite and tells me that he is willing to ship it to me FREE!  So, because i am not patient i will now have three copies of the magazine that i would like to have.  If i had been patient i would not have had to pay ANYTHING for this article.  As it stands i have paid for it once so far, i am on the hook for the eBay auction should i win it (which is pretty likely).  Sometimes God just lets us running face first into the walls when we are really not seeking Him first.

We interupt our regularly schedule broadcast to bring you a not so special announcement...

Today is a short day and it was a distracting weekend (i.e. not my normal routine) and so i've not taken enough time to come up with an adequate selection for my usual Monday Music contribution. I am sorry about that, but i hope the ramblings below will serve as an adequate diversion. For some reason, all last week i kept hearing the old Swedish Chef's (from the Muppets) theme song over and over in my head. I just couldn't shake it. So, finally, on Thursday night i jumped on You Tube and looked up some of the old videos from the Muppet Show. I pulled in my three beautiful children to watch with me. A chance for dad to share some precious childhood memories with my children. Well, apparently it has had a dramatic impact on DS2 (for those who don't know, he has Aspergers - a form of Autism) and he has been repeating the skits over and over and over... my beloved is not all that impressed. 8) I think we are going to be trying to NetFlix the old shows. For those that may not be aware, Comic Con has been going on in San Diego California. I am not much of a convention kind of guy, but apparently this has become a big deal for Hollywood to release all kind of movie information for the geeks out in the world like me. There are others... but here are two movies that really piqued my interest... The first one is call The Book of Eli, staring Denzel Washington. This looks a little more lively than The Road. I am still checking around to learn more about it, but any movie billed as "The Road Warrior of the 21st century" has my attention. *chuckle* Here is the trailer... I am a big fan Denzel Washington and of course the whole post apocalyptic genre so it looks like i will have not one, but two movies to look forward to in the next 12 months. The second movie REALLY has my attention... TRON Legacy... I have been semi-patiently waiting for Tron 2.0... Tr2n... but it was all rumor until the official announcement. From what i have seen i REALLY like it (so far). I geeked out when i saw the first movie... and when it came out on DVD i immediately set out to get my own copy once i knew about it! And of course i have been working on adequately indoctrinating my sons in the movie. I even spent what little spare time i had at Disney World (back in the Fall of 2007) searching for the official Tron pin! But alas it was a 'limited edition' pin so i had to wait until we got back home and searched e-Bay for it. but i found it by Jove! It is currently, and proudly, pinned on my lanyard for my work ID badge! Now, i am going to make a point to search for yet another one when we go back in the Fall of 2010. 8) Anyway, here is the trailer for the new movie... Ok, since these You Tube videos do not post when the blog goes over to my facebook page, i am off to post them to my profile. 8) I trust you all have been enjoying God's abundant and wonderful grace. May He fill each of you with a palpable awareness of His presence this day...

Finding time for things that matter most

Last night, as we were settling in for bed, my beloved comments "I don't like being so busy all the time". *sigh* I have mentioned several times that I feel we are too busy, but then I am 'shown' all the 'neccessary' activities we participate in and I just stop commenting on it. There are times when experience is the best lesson. My main problem is that I don't have a reasonable explination, or idea, of what to do different (other than to stop everything). Right now this is an idea of our schedule: Monday: Gymnastics for DD Tuesday: Soccer practice for DS1 Wednesday: The schedule is free, but usually gets filled in with something Thursday: Soccer for DS1, therapy riding for DS2 Friday: Home group Saturday: Soccer game for DS1 Sunday: Church (which usually includes serving for at least one service in Children's ministry), Soccer game for DS1, Awana's This outline does not include music (additional therapy) lessons for DS2 which I can't remember which night that is on - or church council meetings for my beloved (Children's Ministry), or date nights (which are all too infrequent), running to the store for whatever, etc. I mean our evenings are so crowded with stuff, and we are so tired from running around all we want to do when the kids are in bed is crash ourselves - that is if we aren't folding laundry. I mean in order for my beloved and I to have any alone time I had to run home in the middle of the day to "bring her lunch". I have seen a lot of sermons, and other Christians, talk about how we make our lives too busy. How we crowd out so many other things. But I think it's more a sign of changes within our society. Have you ever seen the list of how anyone over the age of 35 is "lucky to be alive" - I need to find it and post it... it's pretty funny, but it's also a sad commentary of where things are (IMO). I can't really compare my childhood to what was the 'norm' for a middle class family growing up, because I didn't grow up middle class. But in many respects - things like being out playing till dinner (or dark in my case), and then going back out again till bedtime - wandering all over the neighborhood or even town. Those days are gone for the most part. People do not feel comfortable allowing their children to roam. I don't know how many times I've told my kids that they could not play down the block simply because I was not able to keep an eye on them. Is this because we are actually less safe as a society? Or are we more aware of the dangers? The truth probably lies somewhere with both of these statements. So we as parents feel guilty for keeping the kids couped up all day. We want them to get out, to run and play, to socialize with their peers. So, to ease our minds we get them "involved". And in the meantime we run ourselves ragged trying to keep up. In my case some of those things are necessary. My beloved and I really want DS2 to grow up strong and independant. But in order to give him that chance we need to make sure he gets certain 'training' (or therapy) that we are not able to provide. Meanwhile Ds1 and DD see DS2 out doing things... and do we just say 'no' to them all the time? Loving each one, and showing each one, how special and important they are... well, it's hard. I just don't want to get to the other side of parenthood (having kids at home) and regret not showing the kids how much I really love and appreciate each of them. Verse for today: Psalm 139:1-6, ESV O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.

Changes around the Dojo

My real one (my home), not this virtual one. The kids are back to school now, and DS1 has to catch the bus at 6:45 am! Ugh! Now, I am blessed with a job that allows me to sleep until 7:00 usually - sometimes even later - so this has brought about some changes. First, and foremeost, my beloved is actually getting up at 6:00am. This is not her normal, or preferred, time of day. ;~) And it's killing me. She is the type that sets the alarm for like an hour ahead of time so that she can 'gradually' start her day by hitting the snooze button 15 times. Me, I wake up with the radio, with the volume set to like '3' and can (usually) roll out of bed, rub my eyes, and stumble into the bathroom. Not my beloved, no! She has the gongs going off at about 120 decibles, and they will work their way into her dreams at times. I'm being silly of course, but it amazes me how she can adjust her self so 'easily'. We are going on a week with this new schedule and I've still not adjusted. I want my routine. :~) To give you an idea how easily my beloved 'shifts gears' here is a fun story that I like to tell... When the Lord blessed us with each of our children, we decided to breast feed each of them for at least a year. When they each came along my beloved went from a woman who would not wake up if cow bells were ringing besider her to a whirling dirvish with the faintest cry of hunger from the far kids bedroom. She was up and she was all about making sure the child was taken care of. Don't get me wrong - I spent a fair share of time changing diapers, or rocking sick children - but when it came time to feed - she was on it! When the night came that it was time for the children to learn how to sleep through the night (no feeding) you could not wake this woman up with a hand grenade! Me on the other hand... there I lay, bloodshot eyes waiting for the child to go back to sleep. My beloved would not move a muscle! I knew I was in trouble when I felt my beloved's foot slide over under the covers, stop, then ever so slightly nudge me. As if to say, "your turn". She claims to be totally unaware of this change, but I am here to tell you that she does it. She tells me that she can't help it (being totally out of it while she's asleep), but if the change was that dramatic - I think she has more control over it than she thinks she does. Now, I just need to get myself up and moving earlier than I am used to. Verse for today: Proverb 31:10-12, ESV An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life. amen - I give thanks to the Lord for my beloved. She is mine, and I am hers...

Getting ready for the '07-'08 "busy" season

We are getting close to the time of year when the kids head back to school, so I need to prepare myself for the "busy" season once again. DD3 (she's our only daughter, but child #3) begins full day kindergarden this year. Both she and her mother are looking forward to it (supposedly). But for different reasons I'm sure. My beloved, who at one time talked about heading back to the work force as soon as possible, is now talking about getting long "overdue" projects done around the house. After school DD3 wants to do gymnastics. DS2 will be starting at a new school this year. I have mixed emotions and thoughts about this. It seems every year we struggle with his teachers and special ed aides. Every year we have to re-explain what Aspergers is, how it manifests itself in our child - even though the aides are supposed to be fully trained in it. The month to month we fight the battles with both our son and the school system. In order to help him we have him in both a 'social behavior study' and 'therapy' lessons (one is once a month, the other is once a week). DS1 is also starting a new school this year. He is growing up so fast (he's only eleven). He is only about 5 inches shorter than I am, and he's becoming so much more aware of the world around him (which is playing havoc on me and the Mrs. getting some alone time if you know what I mean). He wants to play soccer this fall, which we love for him to do. Especially since his brother and sister demand so much more attention - he is often left on the sidelines. The result is 3 kids, in 3 schools, each with their own activities. And the things listed above are in addition to the church activities. Some are required, others are not. But it is just so hard to know where to draw the line. We want each of them to have their own intrests, and friends, but we (the parents) are finite in what we can support and provide. We struggle with alone time as it is. I really dread this time of year. Well, except for football season of course. :~) Verse for today: Proverbs 24:30-34, ESV I passed by the field of a sluggard, by the vineyard of a man lacking sense, and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns; the ground was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down. Then I saw and considered it; I looked and received instruction. A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.

Kids and knowing it all

Wow did this day fly by. I just wanted to share something funny real quick. Last night my beautiful DD told me, "Daddy, I know everything." This brought a smile to my face and I asked her what she meant and she said, "I growing up and learning new things everyday so I know everything." That brought a smile to my face and I gave her a big hug and told her that she indeed was learning everyday and she did know 'everything'. ;) Have a blessed weekend... Verse for today: Matthew 19:13-15, ESV Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” And he laid his hands on them and went away.

Time marches on

I am not even sure what to write about today. My brain is scattered across several topics right now. DS 2 has been itching for a Webkinz and he has really been putting forth an outstanding effort in school lately, so we picked him up one yesterday. So far he loves it. Not only do you have the stuffed animal, but you can play with it on-line. DS1 continues to do real well in school. Yesterday he had some friends over. Man they (kids) grow up fast. DD1 (child3) also is doing well. She is so ready to get to school it's scary. I can get anxious about all three of them. I find myself praying for their school experiences, their futures, their relationship with Christ, their future spouses. Whatever comes to mind. Mostly I pray for my lack. That God would grant me a covering for my areas of weakness. Verse for today: Psalm 92:5-9, ESV How great are your works, O Lord! Your thoughts are very deep! The stupid man cannot know; the fool cannot understand this: that though the wicked sprout like grass and all evildoers flourish, they are doomed to destruction forever; but you, O Lord, are on high forever. For behold, your enemies, O Lord, for behold, your enemies shall perish; all evildoers shall be scattered.