The Other Side of 30

It Coulda Been Me

2011-05-14T10:27:00.000-07:00

That could be me...

Whatever you do, don't look him in the eyes. He could get a job if he wanted, he's probably not really a vet. I heard they make like $200 a day holding that sign. He's probably going to spend it on meth anyway. He's just lazy.

His older brother was the football star and did everything dad wanted him to. His older brother stayed in the family business. His older brother married his high school sweetheart. Its tough growing up like that. Especially when you were born in the early 60s. Especially when dad showed love by being hard on you. Life was tough for dad too. He grew up in a farming family during the depression. And fought depression; but what's depression to that generation? They worked hard and expected their boys to do the same thing.

But he found his niche. When his brother started using drugs, so did he. Now he felt so much closer to him. His brother didn't know he knew about the drugs. But he was always watching; he idolized him. He watched everything he did. And he heard about it at school. I mean, it WAS the 60s and lots of people were doing it. When you're the 4th of 4 kids, its easy to get away with a lot. He just wanted to make people happy and it hurt when he disappointed everyone. He seemed to never please dad. Its tough for a 14 year old kid no matter what, but its great to find a little escape from disappointing everyone..

Dad wasn't disappointed. Dad loved him, he just didn't know how to show him. Real men don't show emotions.

He was never lazy, he always worked hard. There was that one day when dad told him that he works faster than anyone else that works thereDad said he was proud of him. Too bad dad didn't really know that its because of the different drugs he's been taking. But whatever. He was making more money because he worked faster. And he's grown now. And married. She knows about it, and she bugs him sometimes about taking them, but she's coming around. And she's so beautiful and they really love each other.

He really screwed things up. He's a little short this week but can't do without. He'll work some overtime next week and it'll be ok if the rent's late a week. or two.

She's really mad, or embarrassed, or disappointed. It doesn't really matter what she is- all that matters is that its his fault. She said they came by to kick them out of the apartment. She didn't know the rent was three months behind.

"Why didn't you tell me?!"
"What are we going to do?"
"What's wrong with you?"

"Goodbye."

And she left. The only good thing that he ever had going for him, and now she's gone. He got straightened out a little, but she still won't talk to him. And now, he can't find her.

Dad would be so embarrassed if he saw him crying like this. But Dad's been gone for years.

And that's life. 20 years later, he's figured out how to survive like this. Some years he uses less. Some years he uses more. He still sees his brother and sisters. They say they're worried about him. He tells them he's fine. They don't understand anyway. Everything's perfect for them. They're still married. They have their families. They have their normal lives and couldn't understand how hard it is on him.

They took his house. And the car. He left the rest of the stuff because it doesn't matter anyway and he walked away.

He heard those guys make like $200 a day. He could get a fix if he just had $40.

But Dad wouldn't be embarrassed. Dad would have given anything to help him. His brother and sisters would do the same. But no one knows how to help. When they gave him money, he just blew it. They buy him clothes every once in a while. They pick him up and bring him over for dinner.

He's just a burden on the rest of the family. He's an embarrassment to them. He's ashamed of how he ended up. How did he end up like this?

He's decided. He's finally going to do something right.

And he did.

They haven't seen him in a few days.
Weeks.
Its been months now.

Life's tough for everyone. Don't judge.

Don't vote

2010-11-11T11:42:00.000-08:00

Please don't vote. Its not your responsibility.

I lied a few weeks ago on Facebook when said i haven't voted in an election since i was 18. I voted in the Presidential election 1996 as well. Here's why: i didn't take time to educate myself about the issues or the candidates. I am a little against the grain when it comes to voting. I really believe that you shouldn't vote unless you've taken time to understand who or what you're voting for. In both of the elections that i cast my ballot, i refrained from voting for most of the measures or candidates on the ballots. I didn't know what they were or what they stood for. If we continue to encourage everyone to just vote without understanding what they're voting for, we're idiots. We're abusing a system that could work wonderfully. If you don't take the time to understand what you're voting for, stay home on the first Tuesday of November. Please. You are messing it up for those who take the time to understand; you dilute the votes of those who do care.

Elections shouldn't be competitions.
Political parties aren't helping at all. They just want to win. If they could get you to promise to vote a straight political ticket and promise not to read any literature from them or the other side, they would see that as a win. I understand we're Americans and part of being an American is that we want to win. Win big. In voting or politics, i would rather be right than win. Too often, those who win aren't the ones who are right.

It's the little things... that piss me off

2010-10-23T10:03:00.000-07:00

Three things I chose to do today that should be relaxing- 1) get my hair cut 2) eat at Whitecastle and 3) get a cup of coffee at Starbucks while I blog something witty about hispanic Jehovah's Witnesses not wanting to witness to me but asking if I knew of any hispanics in the apartment complex.

I did those three things, but each is more frustrating than I thought possible.

1) Getting a haircut is something I don't do often enough, but always enjoy when I go somewhere where my personality matches up with the one cutting my hair. Its a relationship built on making good assumptions, asking the right questions and then shutting up and cutting my hair. I won't get into personal attacks about the fidgety, spaztic woman who cut my hair while making sure to tell me and everyone else about how righteous she lives. I've learned to be specific about how I want my hair. Its not hard. "Medium Skin Fade and take about 1/2" off the top." Simple. She started cutting and coughing and grabbed a blow dryer and aimed it at my head with one hand while using the clippers with the other. Turns out that hair gives her hives. "Or maybe I'm allergic to people, I don't know. People or hair, I'm allergic to something. And I get these big scabs on my feet..." I should have stood up and walked out with my hair half cut. I would have saved myself 40 minutes.
After about 5 minutes of cutting she stopped and said, "Wait, how do you want it cut?"
I said, "Medium skin fade and take about 1/2" off the top."
Her: Do you know what that means?
Me (blood pressure): Yeah. Skin about half-way up, then fade it the rest of the way up.
Her: Ok. Most people say things like that but have no idea what they're asking for. I just wanted to make sure.

She then proceeded to give me a High and Tight. Not once did she turn me toward the mirror to look at it. When she finally finished she said, "Is that better?" I said, "I hope so, but I'll tell you when I turn around and see it." She looked confused. I saw what she had done, paid her and left.

2) I left the barber shop that I won't return to and drove a block or two down the street to White Castle. I was in the mood for something greasy and bad for me. I had never actually been inside White Castle before. Its nothing to write to mom about. Fortunately I was able to support them on what I can only assume is their "Brainless Americans Can Cook Hamburgers Day". Too many details. 20 minutes to get 4 small burgers. I was literally shaking with frustration.

3) thank goodness Starbucks is right across the street. 98% of the time I order a drink from Starbucks I say the exact same thing: "Grande Drip. (room for cream?) No thank you. (have a nice day) Thank you, you too." But no. Not today. Today... i can't even think of a way to convey the interaction with the nice young lady behind the counter. Obviously she will start her training next week. I'll start where it went wrong:

I walked up to the counter.
She welcomed me like all good Starbuckians do. She asked what she can get started for me.

Me: Grande Drip
She stares at the computer and pushes buttons.
Her: I don't really know how to ring that up.
Blood runs from my ears.
Her: Um. you want a triple shot iced what?
Me: No. I just want a grande drip coffee.
Her: Ohhh. OK. Sorry. Wait- what do you want?
Me (motioning politely to the coffee makers 4 feet from me): Just a Grande brewed coffee.
Her (looking at me like I just changed my order and asked for a pulled pork sandwich): Oh- well thats a lot easier to ring up. Do you want room for cream?
Me: Nope :) just the coffee

I know I may have a little bit of a pet peeve about poor service or people not knowing their job or something. But- WOW!- I am surprised about the amount of frustration I have felt over all of this.

I should take a moment to look on the bright side:
- I don't have any more gray hair.
- My head has never been smoother on the sides (she asked at one point if I wanted her to shave it with the straight razor)
- I found out that eating a White Castle makes me feel dirty- a lesson I won't have to re-learn.
- I know without a doubt that the closest Kingdom Hall is not interested in my soul. Seriously- what if I went door to door asking which houses the white people lived in?!?!?
- I was able to provide a training oportunity to someone who is new at Starbucks.
- And right now my wife is saying, "I would love to have the opportunity to have bad service at Starbucks and then sit there and blog about it." I love you Janey.

Sunday Notes

2010-10-17T13:59:00.000-07:00

Notes I took at church on Sunday. There were thoughts that happened before that formed each of these notes, but these notes are the ones that got to the paper.

Emotions during worship?
- There's no standard for emotional involvement during worship (no baseline of how a person should show emotions)
- BUT- worship is between you and the Spirit of God.
- You have to open up somehow to the Spirit. Something has to give.
- Be a little raw
- Let the Spirit move you (is that a song?)
- Just because some people raise their hands/ cry/ or are very active in worship doesn't mean they're being fake
- and some may be faking it
- understand this: If you're noticing them and wondering about their worship- whether its real or fake- you're missing it. You're not worshipping at all. You're wasting your time judging others
- Worship is between you and God; and ONLY between you and God.
- Knowing that its just between you and God- Get over yourself. Reveal (unveil?) your soul to God as he's revealed himself to you.

Define: Worship
How does God receive our worship?
What are the different ways to worship?
How does our environment affect how we worship?
How do our circumstances affect how we worship?
How do our circumstances affect our somberness or energy level as we worship?
Why do new/ young Christians embarress us when they show their worship loudly and/ or energetically?

Now- onto the notes from the sermon?

Would seeing God make a difference to your faith or belief?
- Momentarily- yes.
- Long term? Probably not.
We're unfaithful to ones we love. We see these people here on earth.
- We're still selfish beings.
- we're no different than the Israelites or anyone who saw Jesus face to face.
- We still doubt. we still forget. We still turn to ourselves eventually.
John 20:29- Jesus to Thomas: B/c you have seen me you've believed... Blesses are those who have not seen and still believe.

Why Faith is important:
- Hebrews 11:1,6 "Faith is... No one can please God without faith"

If belief in God is such a big deal- why doesn't God make himself more obvious?
Job 1:9

The goal of the gospel message is not belief- it is the transformation of the soul (James 2:19- even the demons believe in God)
This thought/ fact accounts for the unchanging nature of humanness- the unchanging human nature.

2000 Years of smart people arguing for and against the existence of God. He doesn't want to be argued into existence. Job 29:13-14- You will seek me and you will find me when you seek me with all of your heart.

Unchanging Human Nature:
- We react the same way Adam and Eve did (Have we evolved? Has human nature changed?)
- We are the same. Human Nature is the same.
Human Nature hasn't changedat all.
- We're Selfish
- We doubt
- We forget about God

Job's Faith:

Job 19:25-27 (New International Version)

25 I know that my Redeemer [a] lives,
and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. [b]
26 And after my skin has been destroyed,
yet in my flesh I will see God;
27 I myself will see him
with my own eyes—I, and not another.
How my heart yearns within me!

Phil 2:3-8
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit. Don't be concerned about your own interests...

What if instead of trying to see God- we start trying to let people see God through us?
What if instead of prayers for ourslves, we prayed for others' well-being?
What is instead of working for our own good, we worked for the well-being of others?

Why don't people want to believe???

-It requires a change in your lifestyle?
- I'll have to swallow my own pride- Ps 10:4

Lego Mania

2010-10-16T16:24:00.001-07:00

So I discovered that 4H sponsors programs in more than livestock. Here are pictures of the Lego displays sponsored by the Lebanon, Indiana 4H club.

This one is called "The Black and Yellow Intelligence Command"

>

The Responsibility of the Survivor

2010-05-31T12:05:00.001-07:00

Because I'm a guy and I don't talk about girly things like emotions, dresses, and musicals, I've been confused about my feelings on Veteran's and Memorial Days.

On Veteran's Day, I call and thank my Dad for his service during the Vietnam era. I think about my Grandfather during WWII and the Korean War (conflict). I send Facebook messages and emails to my friends still serving. But I don't want people to tell me thanks. I did it because I wanted to. But I appreciate it when they say it. But Memorial Day is different.

Today I decided that although I'm not sure if it's a job or a curse, its definitely a responsibility. As someone who survived, my responsibility is to remember. Remember and read their names. Some guys are adrenaline junkies, but on Memorial Day, I find that I turn into an Emotion Junkie. I need to remember those who can't hear me say thanks. I want to remember the feeling when I heard of their death; the pain that I imagine their family must have felt and still feels. I am truly thankful for their willingness to go, to get on the plane, to wake up when it's 97 degrees and know that its the coolest the day will be, to leave the gate with "weapons red", and to do it again the next day.

To tear at my emotional scabs and make them feel again, I left work today at 10:30 and went to our city's Veteran's Memorial. I was happy to arrive and see that I would be walking through it mostly alone. They (someone) had placed flags all around it and the central flags were at half-staff. I walked around and stopped at each of the monuments for each war and read the names of each of the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, or Coast Guardsmen that had died during that war. When I arrived at the last one, the Afghanistan/ Iraq monument, I read them all out loud. On a cloudy, windy day in Oregon, I stood alone at a monument and read aloud the names of the ones from here who can't hear me say thanks. It's all I could do to honor their memories and sacrifice. It was all I could do to see my way back to my truck through my tears. I'm sure it was my allergies.

That's why I fly my flag and read their names. For them. The ones who can't hear me say "Thank You".

The Baseball Bat

2010-01-30T12:23:00.000-08:00

At some point in every man's life, if he lives long enough, he is hit with a baseball bat. Figuratively. Sometimes literally, but that's a different topic.

I'm still not sure what to call this bat. It could be 'getting old' or 'going bald' or 'reality' or... well, you'll see what I'm talking about.

There are three ways that men deal with this baseball bat.
1) Ignore it. "Nah. That wasn't a baseball bat that just hit me." Reacting this way doesn't make it hurt any less. It just guarantees they'll get hit again. And again. And again. Until they finally accept the fact they were just hit. Then the hits stop.
2) Over react (Google "Define: Midlife crisis").
3) Accept it. "Ouch! What the...? Why did I have to get hit with a baseball bat? Man! that hurts!" And then you move on.

Different ways I've been hit with the bat:
A- Me: "Hmmm. My pants are too tight. Musta dried them too long."
B- Me: "Ouch. My back hurts ... again. What did I do yesterday? Oh. Nothing."
C- Me: "Not really. I just want to go to sleep tonight."
D- Wife: "Hey, you know I was serious about your hair thinning out up there, right?"
E- Barber: "I can only do so much with what I have to work with."
F- Work Associate 15 years older than I: "James is too young to know about things like that. He's not old like us."
G- My kids: "Dad. You're Old."
H- Me to my wife: "Yeah, we were dating then, but we're more than twice as old as we were then."
I- Me: "When did looking at my ear hair become part of personal grooming?!?"

I guess in reality, I've been living the #1 reaction from above until the last two days. During the last 24 hour, examples D, E, F, and H all happened to me. And then, finally, I said, "Wow, that was a baseball bat that hit me."

The advantage for people who don't dive headfirst into an early midlife crisis is that we get to stay married, don't incur new debt for a car, and get to (and this is the most important) grow up. I know what you may be thinking, "Seth, you're 35, you have 4 kids, spent 10 years in the Army and have a career with a little bit of responsibility. Of course you're grown up." or may you're thinking, "Well, it's about time!" Either way the truth is that the way I see myself is never the way others see me. I look in the mirror and I still see the 17 year old captain of the wrestling team. I don't think anyone else has seen that when they look at me for the last 18 years.

I realized when I was whining about the fact that I don't want to have the beginnings of a bald spot that I'm not 17 anymore. Shocker, I know. But realizing that my body is getting a little... a lot older also frees me to finally see myself as something other than a kid. When you see yourself as a kid, you act like a kid. When you see yourself as a man, you act like a man.

So, because of that, I welcome the receding hairline, the very slight-only-my-wife-knows-its-there bald spot, the extra weight around my waist, and the hair where it wasn't before. Don't get me wrong. I have a razor and know how to use it. I'm not accepting the physical changes without a fight. But I am accepting the facts. I accept that I'm a man and am free to act as such.

Oh. one more thing. The grey hair. I accept that too. Begrudgingly.

Deeply

2010-01-30T07:58:00.001-08:00

When I was in the Army there were two kinds of field exercises... What I mean is there were two reasons we went out into a training area and slept overnight. 1- We were practicing and training for what we would do during a war; 2- we were facilitating the training for what others would do during a war. Normally when we were doing the second we would try to do as much as the first as possible. But sometimes it wasn't possible. When you aren't practicing for your real mission, it becomes very mundane and makes for a miserable time.

There was one time where we were doing the second and it was miserably cold. We slept in a tent with no heat and it was around 0-5 degrees. About day 5 I woke up in my cot at 4:30 AM and said good morning to Ranger Rick who held down the cot beside me. I mumbled something about how cold it was and how I was getting worn out by the constant cold and would love a cup of coffee. Ranger Rick flipped his feet out of his cot, slipped on his boots, and walked in his long underwear to the next tent over where he poured two cups of coffee and brought one back to me. For some reason I have yet to put my finger on, that was one of the most memorable things anyone has done for me.

Yesterday at work something similar happened. It was about 3 O'Clock and I hadn't eaten lunch. One of the guys I worked with noticed and brought me a can of soup and a
couple slices of bread he had made. For the same mysterious reason it meant a lot to me.

Last night my wife asked why my oldest son was so happy. Lately we haven't seen eye to eye and have ended up butting heads a lot. Last night as I was sitting on the couch, he asked if he could snuggle with me. We lay on the couch for no more than 3 minutes before we had to get up and head to bed. But that little time made the difference in his night. Janey pointed out that I was 'speaking his love language'; I've never read the book, but I can see an advantage in knowing what you can do for people that means a lot to them. I think I need to take a couple minutes every day to give him a hug and see if that makes a difference. I know that cup of soup and coffee touched me deeply.

Football Coaches and Doing the Right Thing

2010-01-15T16:06:00.000-08:00

15 years ago when I was @ UT. Ouch! I have trouble finishing that sentence. Let me begin again.

A few years ago when I was attending UT, I was 15 years younger than I am today. Ugggh. Let me try again.

When I was a college student at UT. (perfect). When I was a college student at UT, all I cared about was winning football games. Hmmm.. not true.

When I was a college student at UT, I had several interests. But when it came to football, my number one concern was that we won. When we didn't win at least 9 games in a year, I was furious. When we didn't get invited to a New Year's or later bowl game, again, furious. We had failed as a school and as a team. We should have done better. Four years without beating Florida? Inexcusable! Fortunately for me, I was on the Van Wilder plan so I was around long enough to see Tennessee beat Florida (1992- in the rain- at Neyland Stadium- Heath Shuler picked 'em apart! What an incredible game!)

Now- I'm older and arguably a little more mature. We have been criticized as Tennessee fans (and a college) for being upset that our .........former coach left after 14 months to take a job elsewhere.

I would like to explain my behavior over the last 14 months and the last 72 hours.

Last 14 months: Tennessee hired him (like Jonny Majors when he left tennessee, I won't say his name) and assumed risk when it did so. No matter how strange it felt to hire a 33 year old hot shot as a head coach, we gave him our loyalty and defended him when he broke the rules and did stupid things. We have become accustomed to having a coach for a few years (like 16 or 17 years each coach). I think what's happened with him is that we, who gave him our loyalty and defended his poor decisions, expected him to mature and our investment in him would pay off... over time. It was an investment. We knew, deep down where we didn't talk about at parties, that we wouldn't get the rate of return at first, but it would come over time.

Last 72 hours: someone stole our money and emptied out our 401K. We invested in him; he walked away.

The question remains, "What do we do now?" We start over and don't make the same mistake again. Invest in safer stock. Why? Because when I give my complete loyalty to Tennessee Football- that's a reflection of me. When I tell my kids that Tennessee Football is awesome, i don't want them to look at the news and see the poor decisions that the coaches or players are making. I want them to see morality, and upright citizens. Otherwise, I am telling my kids that Its ok to win by doing whatever it is that team is doing. I want a coah that I can be proud of. Not one whose actions I overlook when they get great results.

I live in Oregon. Mike Riley of the Oregon State University shows some of the characteristics that I want in a coach. He came back to OSU and said he is dedicated to coaching this team. He was offered the USC job and turned it down so he could stay in Corvallis, Oregon and raise his kids here.

Now- I am finally able to say. I'm glad he's gone. I hope we hire a stable, level-headed, morale leader for the kids he will recruit, coach, and lead. If we don't win an SEC Championship for the next 10 years, it will be ok. I'll still enjoy watching the football team play and screaming at the TV. As long as we have a coach I can be proud of.

A Difference

2009-09-13T20:51:00.001-07:00

I was asked (by my wife), "Whose life do you want to make a difference in?"

Easy Answer: Yours, Honey
Selfish Answer: My own

But what's the right answer? I'm afraid to think about how many opportunities I miss to impact someone's life in a positive way.

There's no particular challenge to this... nothing I'm going to start immediately doing differently. I'm just going to think about it for a day or so.

Whose life do you want to make a difference in?

I Win, I Win, I Win!

2009-09-05T03:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks Jill for choosing me to win your contest!

I wear the shirt with pride.

dsiclaimer: there was no alcohol consumed before or during the taking of this picture or creation of this post.

Surprise Daddy, I love you!

2009-09-01T18:26:00.000-07:00

Wife has the flu, so I'm taking care of the kids solo. Since I have four, I've got a little bit of experience and it's not that big of a deal. But I wasn't ready for the gift my nearly 2 year old daughter gave me tonight.

I checked on Janey, then started cooking dinner. Had it going, went to get Elsie up from her nap. I decided not to change her wet diaper at that moment because the Red Beans and Rice needed attention. When dinner was finished cooking, I told the boys it was time to turn off the video games and put the books down... Dinner time!

I then thought, "I'll go ahead andd change her diaper real quick before dinner."

I said, "Elsie, get a diaper and lay down." Amazingly, she did.

The next thing anyone heard me say, besides "ewwwwwwwww" was, "Jonnie- get me something!" Jonathan said, "What?"

"I don't know... anything. kleenex... paper towel, anything!"

He grabbed the nearest box of kleenex and dropped it about 3 feet out of my reach then slid it over to me.

You see, what he saw was Elsie's Surprise Dirty Diaper she left for me. It was stealthily without smell. Or at least it was until I opened it up and noticed what was a saturated diaper with a ... I'll stop describing it. It was gross.

So that's how I ended up in the middle of the living room floor holding a two year-old's feet in the air while gagging and asking my 8 year old for help.

Which War?

2009-08-27T21:23:00.000-07:00

This is a classic, "oops, I didn't mean to call you old" story. And its short, so you don't have to worry about your short attention span or the fact that you're old and bladder can't handle more than 5 minutes without running to the bathroom, because, well, we're older than we think.

During a meeting tonight someone asked me what I did prior to working for my current employer. I said I spent ten years and one day in the Army serving as an officer.

Guy Who Can't Do Math or Estimate Ages (Guy)- "Oh really, my brother's in right now. He's a Captain."

Me- "That's great. Does he love it?"

Guy- "were you.. uhh, did you go play in the sandbox?" (trying to use military slang he picked up from his brother)

Me- "Yes, I spent a year in Iraq."

Guy- "The first or the second?"

Me (thinking he is talking about some unofficial numbering system for the early rotations through Iraq OIF 1, OIF 2, OIF 3, etc but still going to ask a clarifying question- "first?"

Guy (kidding because he's actually a really nice guy)- "Well, if you woulda done your job right in 91 my brother wouldn't have to be there now!"

Me (Laughing)- "I spent ten years in, but just got out 2 years ago. I was in high school during the Gulf War."

Guy- "..."

Me- "..."

Guy- "... I guess I'm a few years older than you, huh?"

Ugggh- I'm old.

on an unrelated note, its been almost another full year since I left the Army- time for my Army Anniversary Run. This may turn into a tradition.

Alright- go to the bathroom- I know you need to.

Decisions

2009-07-28T19:22:00.000-07:00

I make poor decisions all the time. Selfishness and laziness are two reasons I decide to do what I do. I decide to stay up and watch another TV show instead of going to bed; I surf Facebook instead of working in the garage; I drink a beer and watch the sunset instead of doing the dishes. Nothing huge, just not the smartest things to do.

---break---

A single event is a data point. Repeat that event? You get a line. Do it a third time and what do you get? You've established a trend. The 473rd time? A trend over a long period of time. I have a trend of following God. I always seem to turn back to him. That turning back is the part I want to stop. I want to make it so that I don't HAVE to turn back to God and live my life in such a way that I don't turn away in the first place.

---unbreak---

So, I was doing that most dangerous activity the other day- thinking. And I thought- "Hey, Seth. That Fireproof movie got a lot of good reviews. It doesn't apply to me though." It really doesn't. I have a great marriage. And then I thought, "Hey Seth. What about your God? How're things going with Him?" Uhhhh. Yeah. So I thought about the concept put forth in the movie (although I have not seen it) and thought about my on again/ off again relationship with God and thought 9yes, once again, "Hey Seth. Why don't you give God a 'Trust Dare'?"

What a strange thought. What if I, Below-Average-Christian, trusted God completely with every decision I made for 40 days? What a horrifyingly scary thought. I touched my toe in the water today and realized I make a LOT of decisions each day.

Go to lunch? Chek out the news online? Have that tough conversation at work or put it off for another day? Do the dishes now? Get up early and read my bible? play a little longer with the kids? Grab a coffee on the way to work?

I will start fully tomorrow. I will begin my day with prayer, asking God to help me to remember to consider Him in my decsions throughout the day; thanking him for taking his time to pay attention to one such as me; and asking him to guide my choices. I will finish up my night with a prayer as well. And the time between those two prayers? Also filled with prayers.

I'll keep a little log of how I do here. It'll be interesting to see if I can be as honest with you as I should be with myself.

You're not from around here, are you?

2009-07-26T17:09:00.000-07:00

Oh, where am I going with THIS? I haven't been from "around here" in a little over 12 years. The funny thing about living in so many different states is that I have only rarely been asked that question.

Normally, the question is worded this way: "Where are you from originally?" That means something different. The asker is interested in the subjects roots. Its a question directed at a person with the point of finding out about them.

But when someone states "You're not from around here, are you?" They aren't interested in the least about your roots. They are stating that your roots are different from theirs. Not just your roots, but your values are based on different experiences than those "from around here".

Someone I work with (with whom I haven't always had the smoothest relationship) asked me this question once. We were in the midst of a philosophical discussion about maintenance. When he asked this question, his point was that I wouldn't and couldn't understand because I do not possess the shared experiences of those who are from here. That's too harsh. He wasn't saying that I couldn't understand. He was saying that I don't and it took some explaining and a historical discussion of why certain sawmills failed ("I thought EVERYONE knew that it closed in 1983 because of ...") and closed for me to understand his point.

What's the point? A lot goes into good communication. Besides words, voice inflection, and body language, you need to consider assumptions based on past events. Misunderstanding happen that easily.

Wordless Wednesday: Stuck

2009-07-21T23:53:00.000-07:00

Creative Kid Food

2009-06-21T17:56:00.000-07:00

It's fun to dress up regular food sometimes. Here is today's report on Chicken Nuggets.

Anyone with kids knows you end up eating some things you don't really love sometimes... just because it's easier than making something else. This particular day, I decided that, although I like chicken nuggets as much as the next red-blooded American male with questionable eating and exercise habits, I couldn't eat them dipped in ketchup again. Looking around I found the left over bacon bits and some cheddar cheese from this morning's breakfast burritos (yum yum! I used salsa, bacon, scrambled eggs, fresh cilantro, and cheddar cheese).

Here is the result:

Not too shabby.

The Chosen

2009-06-09T12:39:00.000-07:00

My oldest son has begun to form the habit of going to momma and telling on me when he believes, in his logic, that I am being unfair. Last night he ran to her to tell on me for tickling him in bed when he was trying to fall asleep. She laughed a little and asked, “Jonnie? Are you really telling on Daddy?” To which he replied, “Yes.” I took him aside and said the following: “Jonnie, I want to tell you something that is really important and it will help you in the future. Momma loves you a lot. I mean.. a WHOLE lot. She’ll always love you no matter what happens. Part of the reason why she loves you so much is that she knows you are a gift to her (and me) from God. God gave you to her. She didn’t get to pick you out. You are a gift from God. But me, on the other hand… Momma had her choice of any guy she wanted to marry. And guess what? She CHOSE me. With you, she had no choice. With me? She chose me to be her partner in raising you and then to be together long after you are gone and raising a family of your own. So, when you think you’re going to tell on me and that Momma is going to do something about it, remember that… Momma chose me.”

He gave me a mean 8 year old look and went to bed.

The Next Great Thing

2009-05-30T12:20:00.000-07:00

I received my next shipment of coffee from the best coffee company in the world. And they make some pretty great coffee as well. I'll save the story of why I got involved in a relationship with this particular company for a later date. Set aside some time to peruse their website and you will See what a fun time the employees have there. You can also join their Facebook site as well. One of the things you may not see is that they adopt a child from the "Christian Children's Fund" for each of their employees.

But today's Next Great Thing is about their relationship with their coffee growers.

I got a 2 lb. bag of Rio Azul Guatemala Coffee in this shipment.

Organic and Responsible. As supporters of the co-op, all medical and dental expenses are provided for the 187 members and their families.

And Dillano's has a really cool label for it too.

Risk taking

2009-05-21T22:42:00.001-07:00

Every day that we eat something that wasn't made and grown here in my house we take a risk. Today Janey made a terrific birthday cake for me. It was in the shape of a Power T (for Tennessee). She let the boys scrape the bowl afterwards. David ate a little and decided that he didn't want anymore. That in itself should have been a HUGE red flag! What kid doesn't want to lick the bowl?!?!?

David, as some know, is allergic to peanuts. But there was no allergy warning on this box of cake mix, so there is NO way that there are peanuts in it.

Then his throat felt itchy. And it hurt. And his lips swelled up. And he got hives around his mouth. And his throat felt like something was stuck in it. And he got real tired pretty quickly. Welcome to the world of anaphylaxis.

David's body experienced what I hope is his first and last anaphylaxis reaction.

Wikipedia:
Symptoms of anaphylaxis are related to the action of Immunoglobulin E (IgE) and other anaphylatoxins, which act to release histamine and other mediator substances from mast cells (degranulation). In addition to other effects, histamine induces vasodilation of arterioles and constriction of bronchioles in the lungs, also known as bronchospasm (constriction of the airways).

Tissues in different parts of the body release histamine and other substances. This causes constriction of the airways, resulting in wheezing, difficulty breathing, and gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal pain, cramps, vomiting, and diarrhea. Histamine causes the blood vessels to dilate (which lowers blood pressure) and fluid to leak from the bloodstream into the tissues (which lowers the blood volume). These effects result in shock. Fluid can leak into the alveoli (air sacs) of the lungs, causing pulmonary edema.

He's fine now. We did not give him his epipen. We should have. Although he was not in danger because we were watching him so closely and would have administered the epipen if things had worsened, I wish we had given him the epipen. I won't hesitate next time.

As the doctor pointed out, you can't leave you child inside your house and eat only what you grow. Each time you feed him something made outside your house, you are taking a risk. What a wonderful challenge for parents- to decide how much a risk you are willing to take with your children's lives. I despise this.

My 35th Birthday and my Bucket List

2009-05-20T21:54:00.000-07:00

To mark my very insignificant 35th birthday this year, I am making a bucket list. Here's the difference- It's things I've done in the last 35 years that I'm glad I did. There are a few things on here that I wish never happened, but I'm a better person because of them. You'll understand when you get to them.

1. Married my high school sweetheart
2. Been a 'daddy' to my kids
3. Fished with my son
4. Served in the Army
5. Fought in a war
6. Rappelled off very high places
7. Owned a pickup truck
8. Loved my dog
9. Moved to several states and towns I knew no one in
10. Lived in another country
11. Gave a eulogy at a funeral
12. Preached a sermon
13. Gave my coat to a homeless man
14. Comforted my child when he broke his arm
15. Lead someone in prayer to accept Christ
16. Been satisfied with my job
17. Quit a job to take a risk
18. Picked up a hitch hiker
19. Drove all night to see my wife
20. Sat on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial
21. Cried at an Army friend's memorial service
22. Watched Tennessee beat Alabama in football
23. Watched Tennessee win a National Championship in football (#22 and #23 may not happen for the next 35 years!)
24. Flown in a single engine plane
25. Drove the road to Hana
26. Missed a plane and (nearly) ran out of money on my honeymoon
27. Been broke and needed help
28. Watched the sunrise from a mountain top
29. Watched eagles soar
30. Been lost in the mountains and walked out
31. Lived in a small town
32. Said "I love you" to someone before they died
33. Hit the shot to win the game
34. Won the tournament
35. Wiped the tears away from my children's eyes

I would have written about 35 things I really want to do before I die, but I can't think of a single one. I'm a happy guy.

The truth hurts

2009-05-19T21:52:00.000-07:00

Our dinner conversation tonight was more than I could handle. Here are some of the things said about or to me tonight:

"Daddy has big boobs"
"No, they're wide boobs"
"You have a flat butt. Butt butt butt. hehehehehe"

There was more, but my feedback window was closed. I stopped hearing.

Happy Birthday.. what are you, like 40?

2009-05-18T22:00:00.000-07:00

It's my birthday week and I am celebrating by letting people make me feel old. As I made my way through the self check out lane at the local grocery store, I realized I had a couple bottles of wine and the lady that worked there would have to walk over and check my ID (yeah right). I guess I should say, I assumed she would come over and check my ID. I figured she was about my age, maybe a few years older. She came over and said, "You've probably got a few years on me." Then she scanned her card, clicked the button that indicated I looked over 40, and said, "Have a nice day, sir."

I was pretty much speechless.

Maurice has left the building.

Oh no... What did I just do?

2009-05-17T22:42:00.001-07:00

When I was in high school and college I would eat six or seven Krystal cheeseburgers and a handful of Krispy Kreme doughnuts at random times of the night/ morning. The timing of this completely depended upon when Eric and I abandoned our studying for the night and decided to find something more important to do. Never once did I think, "Hey, its pretty late. Maybe I shouldn't be eating all of this grease and sugar."

It is 10:40 PM and I just ate two fried eggs, two pieces of toast with mayo on them, a few handfuls of Lay's Wisconsin Cheddar Potato Chips, a glass of Orange Juice, a couple Chips A-Hoy chocolate chip cookies, and about 2 inches of raw cookie dough from the roll.

I regret every bite.

My stomach just said, "Welcome to the OTHER side of 30 old man."

Some people call me Maurice...

2009-05-13T22:26:00.000-07:00

Seriously. They do. And it's not "cause I speak of the pompitous of love." It's because of my lack of correcting it. So here's what happened- When we lived in Tacoma, my phone number was owned by someone named Maurice. I went to Safeway to grocery shop and used my phone number for my safeway card. Well, Maurice apparently frequented Safeway as well. So after I paid, the cashier said, "Have a great day Maurice."
Pause.
Think.
Walk.
I looked at my receipt and apparently, I am Maurice Jessup. That was about 7 years ago. But now, I am "Mr. Jessup" and no longer Maurice. I like being Maurice better. Except that I'm not too sure I look like a Maurice. I can certainly be a Mr. Jessup. But I feel so old.

Selfishness- a quick conversation

2009-04-12T21:30:00.000-07:00

I was frustrated tonight because there is a lot to do and my boys don't seem to want to stay in bed. They are demanding more attention than I am willing to give them.

I prayed, "Please help me love my children the way you love yours."

Immediate conviction.

"Stop being selfish", he said.

I complained, "I need to relax for a few minutes to feel refreshed. I need some time for me."

He said, "I am your strength. Spend time with me instead of spending it alone. Stop being selfish."

Got it.

Wanna have some fun tonight?

2009-03-11T18:53:00.000-07:00

Try to explain how the Holy Spirit works to a very curious and inquisitive five year old.

My Fave Five

2009-03-04T18:29:00.000-08:00

I'm not too proud to enter a contest to win a $250 gift card to my favorite buying destination- Target.

10 Things I am Thankful For

It Can Always Get Worse

Watch out for the sleeping guy on the plane

Toom uch text will make you go blind

and one from my pervious blog at Popping Smoke.

Thoughts about the Army (old post)

Relieved

2009-02-27T11:16:00.002-08:00

The bankrecovered the money and it was credited to my account around 11:00 AM today.

I've been touched by the outpouring of offers for support from our neighbors- both near and far. Thank you.

And for the Fraud Department at USAA who continues to search and is registering many hits on this blog- THANK YOU!

I am...

2009-02-26T21:01:00.000-08:00

a statistic
a victim
temporarily insolvent
broke for 3 to 5 business days

So I ran by the ATM on Wednesday and took out some cash. I was a little (very) concerned when I looked at the balance and it was much, much lower than it should have been. "Hmmm... odd", I thought. So I called the automated line and heard the last five withdrawals. One of them, from three hours before, was for nearly the total of what should have been my combined savings and checking balance. I was eating a blue cheese greaseburger with plenty of onions on it at the time. The onions did backflips in my stomach as I heard that. I, of course, finished eating the burger and potato salad, drank my coffee (you can't fight identity theft on an empty stomach and with a caffeine deficiency) and drove back to work so I could check online.

At Work...
I pulled up my online account and saw what I already knew. Someone had transferred all but $8 from my savings account into my checking account. Then they transferred all but $200 from my checking account to their account. I called the phone number that you're supposed to call (1-877-aww-crap) and talked to a very kind person. He verified that, yes, there was a very large (for me) transfer from my bank and I should speak to my wife about it. I explained that I had spoken to my wife and she certainly did not do this. He said that I need to be sure I didn't transfer my money to the Southern Commerce Bank of Pompeii. So, I texted Jane Anne and asked her... "Hey, you didn't happen to send all of our money to Pompeii today did you? I think someone robbed us. I'm talking to the bank now." Well, Pompeii turned out to be Palm Bay.

So, here's what actually happened. On Saturday around noon someone accessed my online banking account and set up my account to authorize transfers to his account at his bank. Who is he?

Christopher D. Hunte
His account number is xxxxxxxxxxx
His Bank is the Southern Commerce Bank in Palm Bay, Florida
His IP address for the computer is: xxx.xx.xxx.xxx

How do I know? Because he (assuming he wasn't using a stolen identity, which he probably was) had to enter his name and account number in order to set up the transfer account. When I spoke to my bank's fraud department, they told me the three IP addresses that accessed my bank account that day, two of which are mine.

Flash forward to Wednesday. The person who wanted my money more than I did logged into my account online, transferred the balance of my savings to my checking and my checking to Florida. Kudos to him though. I believe he turned off all account notifications and he left $200 in the account. On the off chance that I needed to get gas or used my debit card that day, it would have been fine. The absolute only way I knew was because I decided to go to eat at a place so out in the middle of nowhere that they didn't take debit/ credit cards- cash or local checks only. I went across the street to the gas station to use their ATM machine (which I believe had a rotary dial phone hooked up to it in order to withdraw money from my bank) and get some cash. That's when I saw the balance. And that's when the fun began.

Today, my bank was able to stop the money from going to Mr. Hunte's bank account and the Southern Commerce Bank is wiring the money bank. It will take 3-5 business days. Until then, we have about $170 to buy groceries. We have had many many friends offer help. Thank you. We should be fine.

I am, however, keeping a file of everything I have done over the last 36 hours. I have changed passwords, placed fraud alerts on mine and my wife's SSNs with the credit reporting agencies, prepared to do it for the children since their SSNs are online with the bank, filed a police report, filed an Identity Theft claim with the Federal Trade Commission, and called many creditors to tell them that the checks that they are receiving are not going to be good for a few days.

Strangely, we have been at peace. Mostly. We have a great bank (USAA) and trust them a lot. I got a little down today when doing everything that I listed in the above paragraph though. It was amazing that I happen to catch it just three hours after he had taken it. If it had been today instead of yesterday, It would have been a very different story. The money would have been deposited in his account and he would have presumably withdrawn the money and been gone.

So, that's the whole story. I'll edit this with an update when the money gets back.

Best Long Songs

2009-02-03T23:02:00.000-08:00

Since yesterday was the day the music died, I listened to "American Pie" by Don Mclean several (5) times. It made me think... What is MY favorite long song?

The two that came to mind quickly were American Pie and Hey Jude. And its a toss-up between them for me. What's yours?

I May be Back

2009-02-02T19:15:00.000-08:00

Maybe.

I've not been inspired to write about anything for a while? Is it a guys thing? What is it about guys that we don't feel he need to journal a bunch of stuff every day? Is light hearted blogging turning into a predominately female thing?

We'll see.

But I've got a couple things I want to write about, so I may just start again. Facebook alone seems too shallow for some of it, so it will live here in the blogosphere.

Check back- it'll be here.

Man-Cold

2008-12-10T11:23:00.000-08:00

I completely stole this from the internet- but it is 100% accurate.

THE MAN COLD or I'm-dying-slowly-someone-please-kill-me-itis

It’s specific to the male species and demands fast attention.

The symptoms are horrible: coughing, sneezing, sore throat, low energy and the telltale man-whine. What’s a wife to do? Yes, it’s up to the opposite sex to save their men from their colds. Let’s go through the drill:

Do not put him in bed. Instead, let him recoup here.

Turn on the TV - fast. Find some sports or cartoons and give him the remote control.

He’ll be too weak to call for you, so make sure to check in on him every three minutes. A little bell is also helpful.

He’ll need an endless supply of tissues, fast food, cookies and lots of tea.

Once he shows signs of improvement (by asking you what you’re doing every 10 minutes), he’s ready for movie therapy. Star Wars, James Bond, or sports related movies work well during this next step in the man cold treatment plan. Note: No matter how much he begs, do not let him watch “Brian’s Song.” In his weakened state, the emotional drain will be too much for him.

If a week has gone by and there’s no improvement, bring out the big guns: have a chick flick marathon consisting of Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood, Steel Magnolias, and Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and if he’s not in the shower after that, tell him you can’t remember if you feed a cold, starve a fever or the reverse, so you’d better ask your mother to come over.

He’ll be back on his feet before you can say, “Do these pants make my butt look big?”

10 Things I am thankful for

2008-11-27T10:44:00.000-08:00

1. My 10 years in the Army; the experiences and them being over.
2. The people willing to go overseas again and again knowing that they don't want to be there.
3. My three boys fighting to get in bed with momma this morning
4. Remembering three feelings-
a) The last moment I looked at Jane Anne before leaving for Iraq.
b) The first hug I got from her in the airport when I came home for R&R from Iraq (and the tears... and the people clapping)
c) A year's worth of stress washing off of me as I felt the plane's tires hit the ground when I brought my company home from Iraq
5. David. If he was born 100 years earlier, I would be a single father of 1.
6. Jonathan. He has the purest of intentions. Always.
7. Thomas. He is going to keep me laughing for decades.
8. Elisabeth. She's all I could dream of in a daughter.
9. Hard times. God is teaching me more now than I ever dreamed.
10. Jane Anne. The second greatest gift I have ever received.

Veteran's Day

2008-11-09T22:52:00.000-08:00

It's different from this side.

It means more.

Ways I have changed:
- I don't like watching war movies with the sound on (I watched the end of Saving Private Ryan on mute- I don't really enjoy the sound of gunfire)

- I think more about those who served during Vietnam, Korea, and WWII and really want to thank them

- I really appreciate my friends who are there or will be going back soon

- As the second Major Owen that served in the Army from my family, I really appreciate my heritage

- I wouldn't change the way I did any of it

Bye Phil

2008-11-04T10:15:00.000-08:00

I'm glad he's leaving as the coach because I want to win. I feel sad because the guy gave Tennessee it's best football years ever (and some of the worst). The guy loves Tennessee regardless of his recent lack of popularity.

From the "Tennesseean", a Nashville Newspaper:
"One interesting figure could also give some tips. Fulmer will be offered a position in the athletics department following this season, and he said he would do anything he could to improve the program's direction. "I will help my successor if needed…in any way possible, if he chooses," Fulmer said."

That will be interesting.

I am an Idealist

2008-10-27T16:17:00.000-07:00

Brilliantly Titled

2008-10-23T22:26:00.000-07:00

I am struggling with a title for this post so I am going to stop trying to think of one and just start typing.

As I was getting on the plane this afternoon in in Los Angeles, I stood next to, in my estimation, the happiest girl I had ever seen. She was probably about 18 or 19. I wouldn't have thought that old, except for the fact that she was married. I thought she must have been on some kind of drugs. She was bouncing around and way to happy to get on an overbooked flight to Portland. I made my way down the aisle and into my seat and noticed that happy little girl was sitting across the aisle from me. I politely said, "hello" and went back to my book. When we took off, she giggled and laughed. I raised an eyebrow and kept reading. After several other events like this, she asked what I was reading and I showed her the book (Playing For Pizza by John Grisham). I then asked her if she was going home or away from home. She teared up pretty quickly and told me that she was finally going home. Through a brief conversation I learned quite a bit, so here is her story:

She fell in love with her boyfriend in High School in Portland and got married just after she graduated. Then she got deported. Apparently, being married doesn't automatically make you an American citizen, even if you've lived here since you were 7. So, she spent quite a long time in Guatemala trying to get her visa so she could move back to America, where her husband, mom, dad, sisters, etc all live. Her husband went to Guatemala for a while, but had to come back to go to work. She was coming "home" for the first time in her married life and was going to finally live with her husband.

I put all of this together as we exited the plane. As I came around the corner out of the secure area, she was in the arms of her father who was crying a river and surrounded by no less than 15 others. Her husband was waiting dutifully for her to finish kissing her father before he stepped in.

What did I learn from this? Life (work, bills, kids, pets, other family) has a way of bogging me down and I forget about the giddy excitement I used to feel when I would see Janey. I feel a deeper love than ever, I need to show a little bit of the excitement. It'll be good for me, her, AND the kids...

I DON'T hate Bama, but...

2008-10-20T10:24:00.000-07:00

I grew up hating Alabama. There was nothing worse than to lose the game on the Third Saturday in October. Nothing. I married a wonderful woman who graduated from Alabama, and still managed to hate Bama. But... now I have three boys. None have spent any significant time in the Southeast and all have chosen their teams to cheer for. They either cheer for Oregon or Oregon State AND Alabama or Tennessee. One PAC-10 team and one SEC team. It hurts my heart, but I cannot openly hate Bama anymore because my little clone LOVEs Alabama. He Loves everything Red and Loves screaming Roll Tide at the top of his lungs. My oldest loves Tennessee with such a passion (and subsequently hates Bama with equal energy) that I KNOW they will get in fights later in life over this game.

But I do not hate Bama anymore. Do I sound like someone in a 12-step program? Just in case you want to know the passion that people in Tennessee have for their football and how much they do NOT like Alabama... click anywhere.

Stranger thoings have happened

2008-10-20T10:04:00.000-07:00

As alluded to here stranger things have happened than an unranked Tennessee playing at home beating a #2 ranked Alabama. Hmmmm... as a matter of fact, that EXACT thing happened in 1982. That's right- lets review our history boys and girls:

Alabama rolls into Knoxville in 1982 ranked #2 in the nation. They, as required, were wearing white jerseys and white pants while Tennessee, the unranked Volunteers had not beaten Alabama in 11 years. Tennessee donned the all orange look that game. What a site to see! Bama had just beaten a VERY powerful Penn State and were looking to continue their presumed dominance over the Volunteers. Although Alabama scored first, a 52 yard touchdown pass to Willie Gault got Tennessee back into the game.

Watch the Video Here, I know you want to.

Final Score? Alabama 28, Tennessee 35!

One

2008-10-18T09:01:00.000-07:00

One of the things I love about my wife:

She loves college football.

Right now she is finishing up a cup of coffee and couple sausage and biscuits in bed while watching College Game Day on ESPN. One of the first questions she asked my this morning while she was rubbing the sleep from her eyes- "What time's the game?"

She has sat in the driveway in the truck listening to her team playing on XM radio when they weren't on TV. I brought her pizza and a beer for dinner in the truck.

I love that she loves college football!

Not Me Monday

2008-10-06T21:44:00.000-07:00

I certainly most assuredly did NOT pass gas and blame it on the trash can after my wife warned me that if I did it one more time I would be sleeping on the couch! No- Not ME!!!

And I would never, and did not suggest that I blog about it in order to get her to laugh instead of kicking me out of my bed for the night. Nope- I didn't.

Little ditty about Jack and Diane

2008-09-10T21:32:00.000-07:00

Two American kids growin up in the heartland.

For my wife

Guilty as Charged

2008-09-08T21:33:00.001-07:00

My guilty pleasure:

I absolutely love...LOVE corn dogs.

Funny- it would have been funny if it was someone else.

2008-09-06T21:52:00.000-07:00

I don't trash talk. I'm just not good at it. But, apparently when I left work last Monday, I mentioned that although I was really excited about Tennessee's opening game, it would be a piece of cake and there was no way we could lose. Well, apparently people in PAC-10 states are pretty big PAC-10 fans and word got around that I thought my SEC team would kill the PAC-10 team we were playing. Since I was off work on Tuesday, my peers and boss (all PAC-10 fans) had plenty of opportunity to reind me who won the game. See pictures below.

The Truth of Dads and Moms

2008-08-30T21:19:00.000-07:00

Sometime in June I mentioned to Jonathan that we would, sometime this summer, have a "Video Game Night" where the boys could stay up as late as they want, play video games, eat junk food, and generally have fun. I know, what a fun idea, right? The truth of how great ideas start and finish in my house was never more evident than yesterday.My great idea was to have the video game night. Jane Anne- made cookies, made sure the boys took naps, made some excellent trail mix, bought other goodies, made sure we had movies for Thomas to watch because he's not a video game aged kid, and made sure we had pizza for dinner. She stayed up and helped get the boys in bed when one of them melted down at 2:30 AM.
So- behind every time I seem heroic to my kids, its because momma is doing all of the work in the background to let me look good.

Home, Sweet Home...

2008-08-22T16:24:00.001-07:00

It should be rare that you turn on Fox News and see an article about my home town (Knoxville, Tennessee) unless it is about football.

Twice in the past 30 days there have been violent acts in safe places that garnered the attention of the national media. A man walked into a "church" (Unitarian Universalist type) about a month ago and killed several people. Then yesterday, two kids at Central High (famous graduates include Todd Helton of the Colorado Rockies)were arguing, one pulled a gun out and shot the other in the chest. He died before getting to the hospital. I write this as my seven year old is slaughtering countless little Lego-men on the XBox 360- the irony is not lost on me. I received the book "Stop Teaching our Kids to Kill" a few months ago. The premise is that we are, through video games, movies and stories, making it very easy for our kids to make the jump between bullying/ playground fighting to pulling the trigger. I will be off on the facts here, but not by much- The kid who shot and killed 7 people in Paducah, Kentucky several years ago had never once fired a gun or rifle in real life. He had fired them hundreds of thousands of times on his video game in the 1st Person Shooter games he played. (Jonathan just blew away about 25 Storm Troopers- Go Jonathan!). When the kid started firing from a semi-concealed position, he fired 10 rounds- 7 of which were head or torso shots. The average law enforcement officer (including CIA/ FBI/ US Army) does not hit more than 3 of 10 under duress (firing when it counts).

My point is convoluted. Having guns in the house does not matter (Paducah boy went next door and took the gun out of the neighbor's house). Teaching children to deal with their problems without resorting to violence is important. Also- letting children repeatedly kill on games and watch killing on TV desensitizes them to killing. They do not see the person on the other end of the front sites as a person, but another pixel on the video game- and they now have an easy way to solve their problems.

"Hey Mom, why is that fat guy running?"

2008-08-13T05:55:00.001-07:00

I ran this morning. On purpose. Completely unrelated, today marks my one year anniversary with Target.

I used to enjoy running, a little. I used to think I enjoyed the health benefits more than the actual running, but than I discovered I was doing it wrong. Not the actual running, that's pretty straight forward (one foot, other foot, one foot, other foot, and so on until you get tired). But I was running with the wrong clothes on. My choice of clothes used to be a gray shirt with the word "ARMY" screen printed on it. Somehow, that shirt made running nearly unbearable. And as I looked around, there would be upwards of 300 people with the same shirt on that looked just as miserable as I felt. And they would yell. Trying to run in step with each other and yelling things like, "I DON'T KNOW BUT I'VE BEEN TOLD..." and other similar things that hardly made sense. Google "Running Cadences" if you don't know what I'm talking about.

But this morning was different. I woke up at 4:30 AM, not so much on purpose, but because of a result of a seven year old biology experiment in procreation. As I was lying in bed, I decided I would give it a shot. I mean, I used to run 11 miles at a time. I could certainly make it to the stop sign and back, right? Well, probably not, but I thought I should try anyway. I mean, I ran at least three times a week, 50 weeks a year for 10 years at no less than three miles a day....carry the zero... that means I ran a lot.

I have wanted to start running again for a while, but I lacked the proper motivation. Apparently, that motivation comes in the form of me seeing myself in the mirror one too many times as I step out of the shower.

So, here is something I learned. At 5 AM while running on rural roads, every sound you hear is probably a skunk. And one time, it really was. Skunks, even when it is really dark, can easily be located because people are running away from them... and they have a very peculiar white stripe. No, I didn't get sprayed. Also- Walmart is a lot further away than I thought. The sprinkler at the guys house down the street is set WAY too high, but the cold COLD water feels good. Geese do not have a sphincter muscle. (I didn't actually learn that today, but was reminded of it a moment ago when the third flock of geese flew right over my head. They missed me.)And one last thing i learned: it is really peaceful at 5 AM in Lebanon, Oregon. Running is a lot more enjoyable when there aren't 300 people yelling and puking around you. Just me, the sound birds chirping, cows mooing, and my 220 lbs hitting the ground.

I may have to do it again on Friday.

When you don't think things can get worse...

2008-08-04T22:47:00.001-07:00

Those who don't think things can get any worse, lack imagination...

David woke up last night with a belly ache and got in our bed to keep us up... I mean, to be comforted by his parents. That's an hour of sleep I didn't get back. Then When I had a classic day at work today. It was busy and tiring. I knew that when I got home tonight JA was going to be heading out and going to a MOPS meeting. I'm not saying that I don't enjoy every moment of taking care of my passel of kids, but there are some days that I look forward to quiet. Anywho- the headache hit just before JA called me at work and told me that the the baby had diarrhea. I was SO looking forward to going home. I got home, JA gave me the high 5 as she was walking out the door and I think she looked a little too happy to leave :). I had just set down the crying baby because my stomach wasn't exactly feeling great, two of the boys were borderline fighting, I was cooking dinner and trying to find 12 seconds to go to the bathroom. That's when I thought, "Oh things are just about as bad as they could get..." Then I heard it...

"Daaaaddyyyyyy.... I pooped in my pants."

2008-07-24T08:05:00.000-07:00

Wealth of "knowledge" Wednesday

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? I think the story is that the Doctor said, "push" and my mom was counting the contractions on a Seth Thomas Clock. Actually- thats a complete fabrication. I wasn't named after anyone.
2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? I don't cry. Like Chuck Norris, I make onions cry.
3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? I love it, unfortunately, no one else can read it.
4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Bologna. Fried with Velveeta Cheese on it.
5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? yes
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Yeah.
7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? Yes.
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yes.
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Absolutely.
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Frosted Mini Wheats
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Only if I have to.
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Physically- average.
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Vanilla
14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? Their eyes.
15. RED OR PINK? Red
16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? My lack of organization
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My sister
18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU?
19. WHAT COLOR SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Brown
20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? Coffee- Black
21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? A conference call
22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Orange
23. FAVORITE SMELLS? Coffee brewing, Camp fire burning
24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? The Facility Operations Senior Group Leaders from Region 2
25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? Yes
26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? Football
27. HAIR COLOR? Brown
28. EYE COLOR? Blue/ Green
29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? No
30. FAVORITE FOOD? Hot
31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy Endings
32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? Not sure. Probably the opening of "Transformers" at Keith's place.
33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? Blue Checkered
34. SUMMER OR WINTER? Summer
35. HUGS OR KISSES? huh?
36. FAVORITE DESSERT? Ice Cream
37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? no one
38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? everyone
39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? "Border Crossing" by Cormac Mcarthy
40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? A mouse
41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT? No TV last night.
42. FAVORITE SOUND? My boys laughing.
43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Beatles
44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME??? DMZ, South Korea... Or Northern Iraq. I didn't check the odometer when I was there to see which is further.
45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? No.
46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Austin, Texas
47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO? I think everyone who has done this is everyone who will do this.

Not so funny things kids say

2008-06-30T21:58:00.000-07:00

"Daddy, I need to pee. And I pooped in my pants. And I don't need to pee anymore."

How did I end up in Oregon?

2008-06-25T20:47:00.000-07:00

A friend from high school asked me how in the world I ended up in Oregon. There is a long, medium, and short version to this answer.

First- the short. I got out of the Army and was offered a job with Target at a distribution center in Oregon. I took it and moved here.

I won't tell the long version.

The medium version. I always, in the back of my mind, knew I was going to be an Army officer. It is really the only thing, besides marrying Jane Anne, that I have ever really wanted. When I was in high school, I wrestled in a match against Jeffeson County High School at their school. At the school, I wrestled against the son of the commander of the Carson Newman ROTC department. He gave me a scholarship application and beacuse of that I went to college instead of enlisting in the Marine Corps. Wait- this is turning into the long version. The medium version is that God put an opportunity in front of me to go to college that I would not have otherwise had. And I was able to finish school and go directly into the Army as an officer.

During the first training I attended, I had orders to go to Germany next. Jane Anne and I both started doubting we really wanted to go overseas though. So, when a friend there found out he was going to Colorado Springs and was upset he didn't get his first choice of Germany... well- we traded. Colorado Springs was our second choice. David and Maggie, good friends from college, were already in The Springs. So, I figured, once again, God gave us an opportunity to be really happy. When we left COlorado 3 years later, we headed to Virginia. We got there September 20 2001. Funny- if I had left a few days later, I would have stayed in Colorado Springs and deployed with my unit to Iraq. Anyway- I had three choices of where to go next from Virginia. Korea, Korea, or Korea. I thought about it a lot and decided that, after much praying, I would go to Korea. It was a 1 year, unaccompanied tour so Jane Anne and the baby stayed in Knoxville. While in Korea, I got to choose my next assignment. I decided I wanted to get out of the Army, but it would be hard to find a good job from Korea, so we went to Tacoma, Washington. After four years and a tour in Iraq there, I finially decided to get out again. I searched and searched for a job. I went to conferences in Atlanta and flew around for interviews in the Southeast. What I figured out was that none of the jobs interested me nearly as much as the Army did. So, I decided to stay in the Army. Choices, choices, choices. That's when Target called and asked me to come for an interview. I did. We liked each other. I said I would happily work in Texas, Georgia, Alabama, Virginia, or South Carolina. They said there were opening in New York, Minnesota, Oregon, and California. Since I really didn't want to live in New York or California, and Minnesota just seems a little too cold, Oregon seemed like the perfect choice.

We moved down here in August of 2007 and mostly love it. It rains differently than it did in Washington, but the summer is just as beautiful.

So, Grace, the answer is God gave me choices, but made it pretty obvious where we should be.

A funny thing happened on the way to Minneapolis...

2008-06-16T22:54:00.000-07:00

Seriously. It was funny. Brace yourself for the end of this story.

I am particular about flying. I have flown enough that I know that I do not like sitting in the center, aisle, or non- exit row seat. So, depending on the airline, I check in as early as possible and do whatever I can to ensure I get a window seat in an exit row. Last Sunday I flew to Minneapolis (again) and got an exit row (again). I was prepared. I had my Ipod with some great music, a book (Cormac McCarthey's All the Pretty Horses) and an empty bladder. I was ready for a 3 hour undisturbed flight. I was sitting minding my own business when a very nice elderly couple came and sat beside me. AS they were sitting down, the woman told the man that she was supposed to be in the middle seat. He said that he would sit there so she can be more comfortable in the aisle seat. I disengaged from my book long enough to give them a "that's very sweet" smile. Then back to my book.

Soon enough we were underway. Oh- the other thing about flying and me- I sleep hard and fast on planes. So, I put the headphones on before we took off and was sound asleep before we went wheels up. Here is where things got a little interesting. "How can things get interesting when you are asleep, Seth?" you ask. Let me tell you, they did. Not so much interesting for anyone else but me and the cute couple lucky enough to be in seats 14D and 14E. I was trying to not infringe upon the man's space so I had my arms crossed, left over right with my left hand sorta wedged between my ever expanding body and the arm rest on my right side. That way, when I fell asleep, my sheer mass would keep it there and I would stay in my personal space.

Apparently, in a dream, my hand wedged between my hip and the arm rest felt like my dog biting me. So, I did what any level-headed-red-blooded-American would do- in my sleep, I jerked my hand away from the the "dog" and (in awake-land) slammed my elbow into the very nice man's shoulder.

He yelled
I must have yelled
People turned around in their seats
His very nice wife looked at me with such vile you would think I just told her that I was responsible for the outlawing of all outlet stores in the United States.

Awwwwkward....

I apologized. He said that it was OK. Told me I am forgiven and I went back to my book.

Strangely enough, I didn't sleep anymore on THAT flight.

Memorial Day

2008-05-26T22:32:00.000-07:00

Taps is the saddest song I will ever hear. It doesn't matter how many memorial services or funerals I attended, I was never ready for the sound of the rifles firing the first of three volleys. Each time, those shots signalled for me the time to try to hold back the tears. When a Soldier kneels on one knee and hands the flag to the wife/ daughter/ husband of the deceased, I usually bite the inside of my cheek to stop from crying outwardly.

Until I started looking up memorials of people I knew, I didn't realize how deep the feelings of appreciation for those who died and sorrow for their families run within me. Bill Jacobsen was someone I got to know a little. After reading these memorials, I realized that my opinion of him was mirrored by lots of others. Here is the NY Times Article about his last three months.

So, today I worked. No barbecue, no day on the lake, no party. And I'm glad. I would hate to have been too tired to spend some time hurting for my friends and their families today.

Its good to feel the hurt again. And remember.

I hope you enjoyed your Memorial Day and took just a few minutes to remember those Soldiers who have died. If you didn't, spend a minute reading the articles about Bill and know that there is always going to be hope for the US Military as long as men like him keep joining and serving.

I wish I could stay home all day and not work

2008-05-10T17:16:00.000-07:00

In order to do that, i would have to not be married, independently wealthy, not have any kids, and not care about the condition of my house (or cardboard box) I am living in.

I tried it the other way today and I had to run off to work at the very first opportunity to relax. Jane Anne had a thing at the church today and I figured I could get a lot done in order to get the house cleaned up for tomorrow's celebration of motherhood. I worked my tail off for four hours. I was covered in sweat, smelled bad, the kids barely ate before I ran them back outside, and I didn't get anything "done".

As I was running out the door to head to work, I noticed all of the crumbs and bits of food that had fallen to my freshly mopped floor during lunch. I mentioned to JA that I couldn't believe how messy the floor was and that I had swept and mopped it just before lunch. She told me that she thought that I had mopped, but the crumbs under the table threw her off. I was deflated.

Thank you Stay At Home Moms everywhere (and especially in my house in Oregon).

I am beat. Maybe I will work a few more hours.

Technology and the Irish

2008-05-02T20:56:00.000-07:00

Amazement. I sit in amazement. When I started college in 1992, I was excited when I, as a freshman, learned that I could email JA in Alabama. What an amazing tool we had at our disposal. Now, I am sitting on a bus driving 65 miles per hour down the interstate posting a blog about the Irish food I ate at the airport. Seriously- in 16 years, we have come a LOOOOOOONNNNNNNGGGGGGG way. Amazing.I commented on other blogs, I looked at cnn.com, I spent the last 40 minutes looking at work email and responding to about 20 of them, and now I am blogging. Oh- another piece of amazing technology- The Ipod Nano. I told JA that it was a waste to get one of those. she knows me MUCH better than I know myself. I sat on a plane and watched the last 3 hours of the best Miniseries ever made. I don't have to tell you what it is. I KNOW you know. That's right. I watched Lonesome Dove on my Ipod while flying over the United States. Granted it is on a 1 1/2 inch screen, but I don't need a huge screen when I have about 4 1/2 inches of legroom on the flight and the large guy sitting in the seat next to me spills over onto my seat. Amazing technology. Everything (including the seats on the plane) is getting smaller and more compact.

Now- on to Dinner- just to finish out the week. There was an Irish pub in the airport next to my gate. As I was on the phone with my wife telling her how much I missed her, I kept smelling the yummy food from there. My stomach took over and I got off the phone and went and found a seat. I ate at O'Gara's Pub I had a Reuben and some sort of medium beer. It was good. The cole slaw was too wet and watery. Besides that, a good grilled Reuben with lots of sauerkraut washed down with the beer was delicious. Or as the Irish say, "Cathain a bhainfidh an traenach amach i Cill Airne?" Which translates to mean- when does this train get to Killarney.

Actually- here is your Gaelic phrase of the day:
PHRASE: Gle mhaith!
PRONOUNCED: glay moth
MEANING: Very good!

Enjoy your new- found knowledge! I am enjoying the technology and the motion sickness I am feeling from trying to type for the last hour on a moving bus.

Good Day!

Brit's Pub

2008-05-01T21:46:00.000-07:00

Walked a couple blocks down the street and ate British.

All of it looked... well, unappetizing until I saw the item at the top of the menu: Fish and Chips washed down with a good old beer straight out of... St Louis. Fish and Chips with a Bud Light. They had one other domestic beer there (Blue Moon) but I was feeling like a good American beer at a good non-American restaurant. It was too nice a night to actually go inside though, so I sat on their patio. And when I say patio, it is really a sidewalk with tables and chairs right in frontof the restaurant. I ate, read a book, and went back to the hotel- where I not sit.

Hope you enjoyed the week o' food from the Twin Cities! I'll be home Friday Night!

Din din

2008-05-01T16:31:00.000-07:00

No, I did not go without dinner last night. I was just overcome with a debilitating headache after dinner.

I ate here. My momma would be so proud. I had some combination dinner with steak, chicken and shrimp. the proud momma comes in when I ate the chicken liver for the appetizer. yum (YUK!). There was vegetables, rice, meat, and green tea ice cream chopped up and served by a very white guy who thought it was funny to talk in a Japanese accent; a very POOR Japanese accent.

Dinner in the park

2008-04-29T20:05:00.000-07:00

Had dinner in the Twins Ballpark tonight.

Bratwurst with sauerkraut and mustard, chips, macho nachos (with lotsa jalapenos) and a bud light.

I've been to Coors Field in Denver where the Rockies play and Safeco Field where the Mariners play in Seattle. This place in Minneapolis is like a warehouse with a field in it. But- it was something to do instead of sitting in my hotel room.

Food Blog

2008-04-28T19:03:00.000-07:00

Traveling

Disadvantage: Waking up and having no idea where you are.

Advantage: The company I work for encourages us to spend time socializing and building networks. How do we do this? Going out to eat. So I will let you all know everything I eat for dinner for a week.

Sunday night: The Newsroom I had the calamari as an appetizer and the jambalaya with a Fat Tire to drink. The jambalaya was ok; it was cream based so I didn't just love it. The calamari was crispy on the outside and nice and chewy on the in. Yum.

Monday night: Ate at Joe's Garage Eclectic American where I had the Lamb burger and the spicy cream cheese eggrolls as an appetizer. Lamb Burger: very yum. It had goat cheese and some great grilled peppers. It was great with a Blue Moon on draft.

Couple more days of this- I will need a new suit or two

Waking up Strange

2008-04-28T04:27:00.000-07:00

I'm not good at waking up when I travel.

This morning the thoughts I had at 6:00 AM Central were:

"Where am I?"
"where is my alarm clock?"
"What is that music coming out of my alarm clock?"
"Why is it going off?"
"I still don't know where I am, but I think I am supposed to get up."
found alarm clock- fumbling with it, "Where is the snooze button?"

"Oh- I have a meeting at 8; and I am... in... minneapolis."

That was my first 2 seconds of being awake this morning.
I would rather be home in the familiarity of my room.

Growing Grass

2008-04-24T22:24:00.000-07:00

Apparently birds like to eat grass seed.

Hay!

2008-04-12T23:01:00.000-07:00

Let me tell you everything I know about grass (the legal kind growing in my back yard, that is.)

It needs water. It needs to be cut. Sometimes, and I don't know when, you may want to fertilize it. That's it. I tell you that to tell this story. I wish I could convey the looks the salesperson gave me. I will note them in the story below with the words "the look" in parenthesis.

My backyard is about 2/3 grass and 1/3 bark dust. Before moving here, I had never heard the term "bark dust", but when you live in a Pacific Northwest Logging Town, there will be descriptive terms to describe the remains of a tree after it becomes plywood, a kitchen table, or a house. The bark dust (that most of us would just call "mulch") is a very mean joke. It is actually made of millions of tiny splinters that infest your hands, feet, legs and any skin that happens to come into contact with it. Maximizing the play area in the backyard is very important.

We are also in the grass seed capital of the world. No joke. There is a sign so it must be true. I don't exactly know when the election was where all of the grass seed producing communities got together and voted for the Mid-Willamette Valley to be bestowed that honor, but it must have been impressive. That being said, the people around here may know a LITTLE about grass seed and how to grow it. I went into the closest farm store to grab a bale of hay and some seed for my backyard Bark-Dust-Replacement Project. I asked the gentleman behind the counter (wearing bib-overalls) if they had hay. (the look). Oh- I should say that the look asks the question, "Boy, you ain't from around here, are ya?" while expressing the fact that you are the dumbest individual ever born. I believe the last time I can remember using the look on someone was the very beginning of my freshman year in college when my suite mate (from Ohio) asked me what a Vol was, while mispronouncing it. Yeah, I am certain I gave him the look. And if you don't know what a Vol is, you should DEFINITELY not be attending the University of Tennessee. I digress. The gentleman asked if I wanted, ALfalfa, Orchard Grass, mixture, or... something else.

me: blank stare. "Uhhh, I'll start over. I need to grow some grass and need some hay to spread over the seed."
him: blank stare. (apparently I broke some sort of hay/ grass etiquitte). "You mean for a pasture?"
me: "Nope, just for my backyard. I want grass to grow where there isn't grass right now."
him: "Oh. You don't want hay. You need to just get some straw." followed by the look

At this point, I was thinking that he was joking with me.

me: "Ok, I need some straw then."
him: "Alright, well, we have two-wire and three-wire"
me: "Why don't you just tell me what I need and I'll pay you for it."
him: "Sounds good. Anything else?"
me: "I'll need some gras seed"
him: "what kind would you like?" as he walked me over to a wall of grass seed bags and explained in painstaking detail the benefits of each of the 8 or 9 different types of grass.
me: "WHich kind feels the softest?"
him: the look x 10
him: "This one" continued look

I bought it and a three wire bale of hay... I mean straw. The grass had better grow, I would hate to go back there and have to tell overall man that I failed as a farmer and needed him to explain to me how to actually do something.

Textually Active

2008-04-08T21:43:00.001-07:00

I just received a text message from a female (who enjoys text with LOTS of people). My wife is ok with it. I know her husband fairly well and my wife is slightly more than an aquaintance with this couple.

Is it ok to enter a textual relationship with another that isn't your wife? I mean- I love text with my wife, don't get me wrong. We have a perfectly healthy text life right now. As a matter of fact, she EVEN brought up that I need to buy her a new device that will allow us to do it even more often. This friend is encouraging my wife to expand her textual abilities and to do it as much as possible. She caught my wife having cyber text and claimed that my wife was a cheater! There are also times that the husband of the female who enjoys text with lots of people (including me) has occassionally had text with my wife when he thought (he says) he was texting me. I believe we are pretty open textually, but I want to know what others think...

Thoughts?

What happens on the other side of 30

2008-03-29T20:54:00.001-07:00

JA has always commented that I have fairly bushy eyebrows. I can live with that. I like my pudgy, hairy body. I wouldn't change anything about myself. But apparently my barber would change something about me. I got a very army haircut the other day. My barber, Dennis, apparently feels that I look better with short hair. He cut it as short as I have ever had it in the army. Then, after completing the butchering of my hair, he swiftly took the comb, ran it through my eyebrows and trimmed them! Apparently the bushyness of my eyebrows had extended to the point where he felt that it went without saying that he would trim them back for me. I may have to go somewhere else for now on. I am SURE JA will manage to post of picture of my man-scaped eyebrows somewhere.

Super Surfing

2008-03-17T21:35:00.000-07:00

I have found (thank you Carmen) the best way to surf the net. I mean, this is real surfing. Want to use the internet for what Al Gore intended it for? Then let Stumble On do it for you. This is just plain fun. THe ultimate chewing gum for your brain. Some of my favorites thus far are:
Look like your Dog? Funny
Pac-Xon A really Cool PacMan Game

Washington Wines

2008-02-27T22:32:00.000-08:00

I did a google search and found an incredible looking bottle of wine from Washington. I love most Washington wines. Anyone know where I could pick up a McCoy 2007 Plum?

Big Night

2008-02-23T23:02:00.000-08:00

There are probably three people that read this that know the significance of last night. The University of Tennessee's Men's Basketball team beat Memphis. This is not abnormal in any way. Last year they beat Memphis by nearly 20 points. But this year is different. Memphis was undefeated (26-0) and ranked #1 in the country while Tennessee was 24-2 and ranked #2 in the country. It is the 38th time a #1 team has played a #2 team during the regular season and only the 5th time those two teams are from the same state. Of the 38 previous meetings between #1 and #2, The #1 team has won 19 times and the #2 team has won 18 times (before tonight!) Now Tennessee has evened that number up. The game was incredible! it was a nail biter right down to the last second! I watched the first half with Jonathan giving me a second by second score update, put the kids in bed and watched most of the second half after bedtime stories. ESPN and SI.com had built the game up as the game of the season all week long. It lived up to the hype. If you didn't see it and you like basketball- I hope you get to see a replay of it soon. If not- oh well.

Let'em Be Boys!

2008-02-15T20:49:00.000-08:00

***************WARNING*****************

THE FOLLOWING VIDEOS AND PICTURES
ARE NOT SAFE FOR WOMEN WHO HAVE
HAD LITTLE BOYS FALL DOWN THE
STAIRS AND BREAK THEIR ARMS.

******************************************

Wife said there is NO WAY in the world she would blog about this. She said that she only took video and pictures as proof for the Child Protection Agency when they came and tried to take the kids away. She wanted to ensure they knew she had NOTHING to do with it.

Husband says- Let'em Be Boys! Let'em get dirty, throw rocks, smash bugs, get in a fight, touch the electric fence, slide down the stairs on cardboard, shoot bb guns, and jump out of the loft of the barn on a pile of hay.

The boys were working their way up to bed and I had a great idea. I never had stairs at my house growing up. And I would have been WAY too scared to try this. But I sure as shootin encouraged my kids to try it. There were two really funny parts of it. The first was when I went down the stairs on a piece of cardboard. It was anything but graceful. It hurt. I ounced the entire way- completely out of control. Jane Anne almost peed her pants laughing at me.

Here is David and Jonathan on the short trips down the stairs. The first time, Jane Anne wasn't able to video because she was diving to get in front of Jonathan before he slammed into the wall. Notice the bean bag brake strategically placed at the bottom of the stairs. It wasn't there when Jonnie took the trip from the top of the stairs. The boys understand that they are NEVER allowed to do this when they are home alone with Momma. But you better believe we'll do it when Daddy is around!

This is Jonathan's first trip down- Since flying down the stairs and breaking both bones in his right forearm in July, he has been timid around the stairs. This picture is Jonathan conquering his fears. Way to go Jonathan!

Deep in your Soul

2008-02-13T22:13:00.000-08:00

I love that we have five senses. It's amazing that a smell, a song, or a tase can bring you back to some other place in time. Somehow these are connected deep in my soul and every time (if not overdone) will bring me back there. When I hear a high school band play, I remember the fall nights in my back yard when I would sit in the cherry tree and hear the Farragut High School band practice. The sound of jitterbugs or the smell of smashed lightening bugs (I know- gross but true) bring me back to the old neighborhood also. When I was growing up, I SWEAR every Sunday we would listen to BJ Thomas singing "Peace in the Valley". My mom played the tape so much, I swear it wore out. Granny Shanks had an old Oak Ridge Boys record (yes, record) and we would dance and sing along with them singing "Elvira".

So, I updated the playlist with a few songs we used to listen to growing up. Enjoy! And I added a good version of "Rocky Top" for all to enjoy!

Old Favorite and a new one.

2008-02-06T21:40:00.000-08:00

****EDIT*****

I knew there was a way that I could put music on here without using youtube! So, now I'll occassionally update with a song or two I am listening to that particular day. Feel free to tell me how much you love the music! Thanks Keith for the suggestion. I made this on www.playlist.com it takes a few minutes to figure out how to do it, but I think its pretty cool.

I heard this girl (Sunny Sweeney) sing this morning as I was driving to work... She may be the next big thang cuz she got that twang!

And- A song Matt introduced me to back in High School. His version was slightly different. Matt- do you remember the name of the group that covered it on the album you had?

Friday Food

2008-02-01T12:53:00.000-08:00

I am passionate about food. I LOVE the different tastes of different foods. Today, I decided I would eat a bratwurst or two for lunch. Simple- a bratwurst and a bun, right? Well, here is the result:

If you look hard, you will see that under the cheese, chili, dill pickle relish, onions, and ketchup is actually an undersized bratwurst. Of course, one is never enough. And who can eat a bratwurst without a beer, right?

I took that picture laughing at myself for overindulging. Then I saw this sequence of events take place. Thomas (who definitely shares my passion for culinary delights) had just polished off his hotdog and was starting in on his rice krispies treat. Kimberly- avert your eyes.

That's right- my 2 yr old is dipping the rice krispies treat in ketchup

Past the teeth, over the tongue, look out belly, here it comes!

And he loves it!

I need some antacid.

******EDIT*******

Janey just sat down to eat HER lunch. As if to shame me, she put her daily salad on the table in the same place I sat to polish off about 1500 calories in Bratwursts, chili and cheese.

Odd in Oregon

2008-01-30T13:40:00.000-08:00

Catchy Title, huh?

So today I saw something that I never thought of as possible. First, for those who have not lived in Oregon or travelled through, let me explain a strange law. You, as the driver of a motor vehicle, cannot pump your own gas. Weird, I know. I discovered this when I moved to Washington in late May 2003. I pulled up to a gas station in Northeast Oregon just after saying, "Oh. THIS is where Oregon is!" I jumped out and started pumping gas. A (maybe barely) post-high school girl working at the gas station ran out and told me that the pump was full service. I was embarrassed and asked which pumps were not. She then explained that all of the gas stations in Oregon were full service. I felt very uneasy as a young lady pumped my gas as I sat there useless. Now to the events of today:

I pulled into a gas station and there was a trainee. He was somewhere between 25 and 30 years old. Here is what I heard:

Trainer- "Ok, you try this one"
Trainer- "Take the card and put it in the slot there."
Trainer- "No, with the stripe facing the other way."
Trainer- "Take off the gas cap and pick up the nozzle."
Trainer- "Select the type of gas."
Trainee- "Uh, sir, which type of gas did you want?"
Seth- "Regular"
Trainer- "See the buttons there beside the regular gas? Push that one, it selects that type of gas."
Trainer- "Now put the nozzle in there. Squeeze the handle. Feel lit click- it locks in and will shut off by itself."
Trainee- "Seriously? By itself? Cool."

Then they walked off.

I was filling up the gas tank for my dad or grandfather when I was seven. Every teenag boy looks forward to being able to pump his own gas (but not paying for it.) And I watched a full-grown man filling a gas tank for presumably the first time. Weird. Only on Oregon and maybe New Jersey.

The Good and Bad of McDonalds of Coffee

2008-01-29T21:11:00.000-08:00

I have trouble deciding if Starbucks has done more good than bad for coffee in the US. (If I phrase it like I actually know something about the coffee industry in the US, maybe it will lend validity to my poorly formed opinions. I definitely know less than nothing about the coffee industry outside of the US.)

It used to be that you could get a cup of coffee for a quarter or so. I know- you used to be able to get a gallon of gas for less than a dollar too.

So- here is the good- lots more people drink coffee.
Here is the bad- coffee costs too much now. Its Starbuck's fault. And their coffee tastes bad. Seriously- try a cup of their drip coffee- not yummy.

Dillanos on the other hand tastes delightful (very yummy). For you Washingtonians- go to BigFoot coffee next to the church- or, well, the church has delicious, wonderfully smooth Dillanos. MmmmMmmmmMmmmm. Freshly roasted, Freshly Ground, Freshly delicious.

You Get NOTHING!

2008-01-29T17:13:00.000-08:00

Oh Snap!

2008-01-28T21:31:00.000-08:00

A Message for Keith

2008-01-26T10:07:00.000-08:00

Keith- Click Here

Bakatari- Air Supply says it all

2008-01-24T22:04:00.001-08:00

I would like to rely on Air Supply to help me say... Goodbye

When Introverts Attack...

2008-01-24T21:13:00.000-08:00

The picture here is the result of me getting flustered when my wife and I were (good heartedly) arguing about whether I am an intovert or not. I dropped a 1 quart bowl of leftover chili that splattered from the sink to the top of the blinds, down onto the window sill and landed on David's freshly sanitized nebulizer parts. Jane Anne laid claim to blogging about the intovert argument, so I cannot tell you any more about it. But she will eventually share how much she laughed at me.

Skunk Ape- For Kimberly

2008-01-23T20:26:00.000-08:00

The Skunk Ape is said to be a large hairy, bipedal mammal that calls the Florida Everglades home. They have (allegedly) been spotted as far north as Tallahassee and as far south as Lostman's River. Large adult males are said to weigh in excess of 450 lbs and stand 6 to 7 feet tall with reddish or dark brown hair similar in appearance to an orangutan or gorilla. Some believe that this biped is part of the same species as the famed Bigfoot. A handful of sightings have also happened in the Western US, including Simi Valley, CA. In recent months, several sightings have been reported near the Withlacoochee River in Brooks County, GA, between Quitman and Valdosta.

The smell of a Skunk Ape has been reported to be similar to rotten eggs or Hydrogen Sulfide.

They are known to be afraid of human contact.

In 2000, two photographs of an ape, said to be the Skunk Ape, were taken anonymously and mailed to the Sarasota Sheriff's Department in Florida. They were accompanied by a letter from a woman claiming to have photographed the creature in the palmettos at the edge of her backyard. The photographer claimed that for three nights the ape had entered her yard to take apples from a bushel basket on her porch. She was convinced it was an escaped orangutan. The police were called to the house continuous times but when they arrived the 'Ape' was gone. The pictures have become known to Bigfoot enthusiasts as the "Myakka skunk ape photos".

Sweats and Ankles

2008-01-06T16:59:00.001-08:00

The bad of living this side of 30 (for Melissa and Kimberly) is that my memory isn't as good as it used to be. Suddenly today, I remembered why I haven't worn sweatpants since I was 13.

My grandfather had a pool built in his backyard when me and his other 13 grandchildren were growing up. Since we all lived in the same town, it was a good bet that it would be well-used. I was 13 and smart. I also was lazy. There was no way I was going to waste time going home and changing clothes after football practice rather than go straight to my grandparent's house to go swimming. This particular day I wore just my swimsuit to practice (that means no underwear underneath). We did a lot of conditioning without pads and received our new football warm-up suits. My girlfriend (did we really have girlfriends in 8th grade?!?!?!) was one of the cheerleaders and she sat with her friends off to the side of practice, not unlike the Fair Maidens awaiting the return of their valiant knights after a battle. We went into the locker room and changed into our cool sweats to finish the walkthru portion of practice.

Before I finish, let me tell you what reminded me of this traumatic event in my life. This morning as we were leaving for church I could find Thomas' shoes nowhere. They simply disappeared off the face of the earth. Once I put some shoes of Davids on him and got him in the car I realized that Thomas' shoes were in the car. When in the world did they get in there? That's right- Christmas Day. That was the last day that our kids have left the house! Suffice it to say that have a LITTLE bit of pent up energy. And yes, I put on my sweatpants today after getting home from Church. A perfect mixture of snow and rain was making it's way down from the clouds. Perfect nippiness necessitated the trading of my slacks and dress-shirt for my trusty gray sweatpants and a ragged old T-Shirt. Man, I am sooooooo comfy! But, when three boys' pent up energy and Daddy's new sweatpants (which I neglected to securely tie) come face to face, Daddy ends up getting ankled! It is foreign to me that I may need to explain what "ankling" is, but I will. In this real life experience, it was Jonathan grabbing a handful of sweats on my right hip as David simultaneously grabbed a handful on my left hip and, not unlike a well-planned and executed football play, they both pulled in a downward motion. The end result was my ankles being warmed by the pants that were previously covering my funny parts.

Back to Football practice. Practice ended and Shawn (who for the next 5 years had a nickname for me whose jumbled letters were "lamls nepis") came up behind me and, in full view of God, my waiting father in the parking lot, the football team, and my 'girlfriend', proceeded to grab handfuls of sweatpants and ensured that my ankles were thoroughly warmed. Unfortunately, my funny parts received a few seconds of direct sunlight and laughter. I didn't talk much to my 'girlfriend' that day after practice.

Too long a pause

2008-01-05T08:09:00.000-08:00

I made a mistake. I deleted two comments with the intent of posting them as part of my next post, but unfortunately, due to my advanced age, I went to bed (not in mt sweatpants) before completing the post. And now I cannot get the comments back (thus the definition of "Delete" holds true) and I cannot do what I wanted to do on here.

But trust me- it would have been funny and well-worded. You would have laughed out loud (even if no one heard you.) So, Kim, I am sorry that I deleted your comments. It was only supposed to be temporary. If you notice that two comments were deleted, it was because I deleted my wife's reply to Kim as well.

Further from Young

2007-12-30T23:42:00.000-08:00

I helped a new friend the other day with some plumbing work. I will go back and help him finish soon. It was nothing too strenuous- crawling around under his house; cutting pipes; crawling back out. Now- it was a LITTLE more than just that, but not too much more. And my body is aching like I just finished the first wrestling practice of the season. My back, arms, and legs are sore. Maybe, just maybe, I was getting a little more out of Army Physical training than I originally thought. We'll join the gym this week.

On a hopefully completely unrelated note- I received a pair of sweatpants for Christmas. Wow- I mean- those things are as comfortable as can be and have LOTS of room to grow! I may wear sweatpants every weekend day for now on! I epitomize sex appeal!

A Favorite

2007-12-29T12:22:00.000-08:00

Definitely a favorite video of my boys. They are trying to eat lunch while singing about how they don't do anything!

Good Idea- Poor Execution

2007-12-27T21:20:00.000-08:00

I love coffee. Seriously. Some people drink coffee out of necessity. I drink it because it is wonderful. I am getting better and better at differentiating beans and roasts. I can taste the subtle flavors in certain beans. I LOVE coffee. I didn't always love it. In fact, until around January of 2003, I hated coffee. I liked the smell, but couldn't stomach the taste. Then I discovered coffee the way it was intended to be consumed. Black. No sugar and no cream. I have had that beautiful dark princess warming my hand, body and disposition ever since.

Dillano's Coffee is probably the best coffee I have had the pleasure of drinking. Just wonderful. Call me and I will gladly send you a pound or so. When I returned from Iraq, I and some of the gentlemen I worked with went to thank the very kind and giving people of Dillano's for the very gracious gift of about 100 lbs of coffee they sent us while we were deployed. We ended up taking an impromptu tour of their roasting facility and found out why they are so much better than the McDonalds of coffee.

I have not had a hobby since... wow- besides reading, I have no hobbies. JA tells me I need to find SOMETHING I like to do and do it. Drinking beer and smoking cigars does not count as a hobby. I would love to find something that interests me and I enjoy doing. I think that I may have found it. This afternoon I walked into a small organic coffee and tea shop and discovered the beauty of an unroasted green coffee bean. Apparently, you can buy green coffee beans there and roast them yourself in your home. What is the startup expense of this? Just the cost of the beans (about 3-5 bucks a pound instead of the 8-11 bucks a pound that you would pay for some premium (and overcooked) coffee beans.

Before I finish the coffee thoughts and happenings- let me tell you about JA's day. She started the day with our six year old coming into our room because he was thirsty at 1 AM. Then she fed Elsie. Then she slept for 2 or so hours and fed Elsie again at 4. Then our Six year old was back because he had a dream about snakes that froze people. He crawled into bed and sleep was done. Then I went to the store to get a few things that we needed for dinner tonight. While I was there, I picked her up a latte from Starbucks. Since she is breastfeeding, she has been trying to cut out all milk from her diet because it causes incredible gas pains for Elsie. Instead of her normal (tall gingerbread latte) I got her a tall soy gingerbread latte. JA hates soy. Good morning honey- here is your coffee that you think you are going to love, but you are really going to hate. Sorta like wrapping up a present of poop for someone. "Oh, a present for me? Wow- you shouldn't have. Seriously. I'll just open it... ewww. what the?!?!? Gross. You REALLY shouldn't have!" That was at 7:15 and it went downhill from there. On the way home I picked up some children's Tylenol to try to combat the 104.7 degree fever David developed throughout the day.

Tonight, after Jonathan and Thomas went to bed; David was laid out on the couch sweating, and Elsie was barely sleeping in the swing, I decided that it was definitely time to start my very first batch of coffee. Did you know that all of the smoke alarms in my house are wired together? Did you know that as hard as I try, I cannot reach the smoke alarm nearest the stove because it is on a nine foot ceiling? Did you FURTHER know that roasting coffee beans in an iron skillet on the stove (a recommended method, by the way) produces an ENORMOUS amount of smoke?

How did the beans turn out? I don't know. I used the garbage disposal to grind them as they were on their way down to the sewer. Maybe I'll do the next batch in the garage. Or maybe while no one in the house is sleeping.

You have to worry about all of 'em!

2007-12-23T21:58:00.000-08:00

Trying to cleanly paraphrase my younger and much funnier brother, I will relay his sentiments about having a girl like this: "When you have a boy, you only have to worry about 1 boy. When you have a girl, you have to worry about ALL of 'em!" He also explained to me shortly after his daughter was born that outdoor plumbing is MUCH easier to take care of than indoor plumbing. After Elsie's birth, I almost immediatly began to think about the future- say 14-18 years in the future. I understand the deep feelings when a dad says that his daughter can start dating when she is 34 years old. He says it to be funny, but beneath the humor is angst and fear. I walked into a store a few weeks ago and saw two boys (about 18 years old or so) standing around. They both had exceptionally long hair and several unnatural holes in their faces that could not heal because of the hardware placed in them. Their clothes were grungy and they both smoked. I thought, "That could be any of my boys one day" and said a prayer for both of them as I walked in. Oh- and prayed that my boys would not turn out like them. Then as I walked out later the same two boys were standing there with a little doe-eyed girl who looked about 15 staring up at one of them like he hung the moon. My thoughts towards those boys suddenly had nothing to do with prayers, but more of paralysis; the kind you get when a dad hits you in the back of your skull with a 16 pound sledge hammer. The thoughts of "that could be my son one day" turned to "that could be my daughter"! I immediatly began judging her parents: don't they know what kind of slimy guy their daughter is hanging out with?; don't they care about her?; do they know where she is? I have no idea how this blog entry ends. I want to trust my kids, but I want them to do everything right. I will update this in about 15 years.

It's (finally) beginning to feel a lot like Christmas

2007-12-23T21:32:00.000-08:00

I shopped today. December 23rd, and I finally shopped. I did almost all of my shopping in one day. Between working a new job, having a new baby, living in a new town, buying a new house and still deciding which church we want to attend, Christmas has been a hassle that I have not welcomed this year. I was feeling very Jehovah's Witnessy in my desire not to celebrate this year. Since we killed Santa Clause I was just feeling ready for it to be over. Today, I finally turned the corner. I believe it was a combination of being mostly (at that point) done with my shopping and seeing something. As I was driving up to one of the last two stores I had to shop at a homeless guy was standing on the corner. A guy (about my age give or take a few years) was walking up to him and taking off his coat. It being a cold a rainy (more misty) day, the homeless guy could not have been warm. Coat Guy said a few words to Homeless Guy and handed him his coat. Then Coatless Guy walked off and went about his business. Homeless guy and his dog walked back under the bridge. Kindness is heartwarming. On second thought, I don't think my joy was at all related to being done shopping.

Florida What?!?!?

2007-11-11T08:26:00.000-08:00

Since it was Saturday the TV was on and we were watching football. The current discussion was whether I would rather South Carolina or Florida win their game. Its a tough decision because I don't know if I dislike Florida only because of their former coach (Steve Spurrier) or if I dislike them on their own merits. This is key in this discussion because their former coach is now the coach at South Carolina. I think I may have used slightly stronger language than "dislike".

In the middle of dinner, Jonathan opens his mouth and emphatically declares, "Florida SUCKS!" That was when the conversation quickly stopped. It was a strange moment for me. Do I jump up and give him a high five and say. "Heck yeah they do!" Do I ask him if he thinks that Florida sucks because they beat Tennessee so bad this year? Do I take him aside and ask his opinion on LSU?

Nope, I tried to do the responsible thing. As his grandparents were stiffling laughter and his mom was sitting there wide-eyed, I carefully phrased my next question. I said, "What?" He said, "You know. Like, 'Oregon Beavers suck!'" (welcome to the PAC-10, by the way.) I asked where he heard that. School, of course.

I should probably talk to him about it all again. And I probably will. But I like his passion and negative feelings toward Florida, so I don't want to discourage him... too much.

And I think I dislike Steve Spurrier more than Florida.

Letter to Myself

2007-11-05T21:02:00.000-08:00

There is a song on the radio lately where the singer says that if could write a letter to himself when he was younger, he would say... I've been thinking about what I would say.

- Check the oil before you drive to Florida with Matt and Josh
- Don't assume anything when you see her at the mall with that other guy
- Don't quit football
- Check the gas before you go out with Jane Anne... on second thought, don't worry about it- that turned out ok
- Say goodbye to Pop before heading to Colorado
- and Mark before going to Iraq
- Don't quit- You're going to graduate
- Don't worry about getting out of the Army- it turns out good

I'll have to add more to this later. I don't have a lot of things that I would change. I wish I spent more time with some of the people who are gone but I think thats a pretty common regret.

Dad's Signs of Labor

2007-10-29T19:31:00.000-07:00

So here is what I found when I got nervous about an impending baby delivery...

"Another labor sign to be aware of is that when you go to the bathroom, you may notice mucus on the toilet paper. This may appear as the mucus plug starts to dissolve from the cervix. You may also notice some bloody show which is mucus tinged with blood. As labor progresses, you will have more and more "bloody show" as tiny capillaries in the cervix break as it dilates.

Flu-like symptoms, including mild nausea and diarrhea, are yet another sign that labor may be imminent. You may feel a low backache that comes and goes, or you may feel like you are having menstrual cramps. An increase in contractions, whether painful or not, is another sign that labor may be starting."

I am an experienced father, so let me explain somethings here...
The mild nausea and diarrhea are right on. I don't think the bloody show applies in my case, nor the mucus plug...I don't even know where my cervix is! As far as the backache- definitely the tension I feel has increased the backache. They didn't mention the racing heart, nervous feelings, rambling, checking and re-checking the bag for the hospital, dry mouth, or constant pacing while asking JA "how are you feeling".

As far as JA's signs that labor may be starting, I guess I need to look that up on the internet as well.

Guesses?

2007-10-25T21:13:00.000-07:00

JA had our first child 12 days before her due date.

JA had our second child just over 5 weeks before her due date.

JA had our third child 1 week before her due date.

She is due on November 16th. When will she REALLY have her?
I think November 1st.

She Messed Me Up

2007-10-24T21:41:00.001-07:00

OOOOOOhhhhhhh Very Bad.

This morning I was so happy because JA got up and made coffee. I knew this because she was walking around with a coffee cup when I got out of the shower. I helped (a little) get the kids ready for school, filled Silver (my stainless steel starbucks coffee mug JA passed down to me when I was in Iraq) and headed out the door. I took a big swig as I hit the door and had trouble not spewing it forth. It was just a little over luke warm. It was yesterdays coffee that stayed warm in the caraffe. But just warm. Just when I was thinking how great it was that JA made coffee too. She was drinking chocolate milk.

The Rockies are about to lose game 2. That stinks.

VA Tech blew a 10 point lead in the last 4 minutes to Boston College. The QB From BC looked awesome. VTs defense was non-existent. I was hoping BC would lose.

It is a bad day

2007-10-20T06:53:00.000-07:00

Even in Korea I was able to watch the Tennessee-Alabama game on TV. I probably could have seen it in Iraq, but I was in transit from Kuwait to Iraq during the game and missed out. Apparently, Seeing it from Oregon or Washington is not an option though. Grrrrr.

New Blog-

2007-10-17T12:21:00.000-07:00

I can still function getting up at 1 AM and going in to work. But, wow, it hurts.

I was talking to one of my managers today and realized that although I felt like the young guy in management and I thought of him as an older manager, he only has a couple years on me and I may just look older. He didn’t view me as a young manager. I drank my coffee and took a look in the mirror and could see, even though I have maintained a nice short haircut, the grey hair making its trek from my temples toward the back of my head.

I saw my first grey hair when I was 19- no kidding- not long after I got engaged. I earned a lot more while I was in Iraq. I am still mostly (by quite a bit) brown haired. But the battle rages on.

I never loved PT (physical training) while I was in the Army. Honestly, I did less than I should. Especially the last 18 months (Iraq and on my way out of the Army.) But I think I have perfected the “Formula for Fat” and here it is: Walk away from an extremely regimented physical training program when you are in your 30s. Almost a guarantee that you will pack on a few extra pounds. Want proof? Too bad; I‘m not walking around with my shirt off for ANYONE that reads this that doesn’t live in my house.

The military awarded the second Medal of Honor since the beginning of hostilities in Iraq and Afghanistan. Somewhere out there you can see a list of how many Bronze Stars, Silver Stars and Medals of Honor have been awarded by war. Although in my opinion, the Bronze Star is handed out like candy, the Silver Star and Medal of Honor has been very difficult to get approved. I believe the balance should be a little better. Maybe cut the Bronze Stars in less than half (not every Captain and above, including me, deserves a Bronze Star for showing up), and award the MOH when it is deserved. We are pretty crappy about doing these in a timely manner. More on the Bronze Star- A Soldier who dies in action ranging from a direct firefight with a hostile force to standing in the wrong place at the wrong time and getting hit by an enemy mortar, will receive the Bronze Star. A staff officer that never leaves the Logistics Support Area (read that as “in the rear with the gear” as it gets in Iraq) will more times than not be awarded a Bronze Star. I asked for my award to be downgraded to something I felt more appropriate. I was told that the award is given to the company commander not only for him, but for his company as well. I think that is… not a good answer. After the awards ceremony, a senior officer who I will call Doug, walked up to me and said that I should be proud of my Bronze Star because it’s the same award that Soldiers who are killed receive. I felt sickened. He definitely did not produce a feeling of pride in me whatsoever.

I have been completely out of the Army for 32 days and signed out on leave for 60 days before that. I received a message on my cell phone yesterday informing me that I am due for a PT test and I need to be in front of the unit area at 0600 this morning. As I type this, I am 34 minutes late- I hope I don’t get in trouble!