Ska

I didn't go looking for it.  I actually don't know what happened.  Late last night after hockey I stumbled on a video.  It's long.  An hour and 24 minutes.  It stirs excitement deep within me.

The video is of a concert that happened earlier this summer.  The Mighty Mighty Bosstones played outdoors in Boston for their lead singer Dicky's 50th birthday.  It is awesome to me.  Let me try to express why....

I knew "about" the Bosstones before I heard them.  I listened to them before I saw them.  And then.....I saw them.  A few friends and I drove into Pittsburgh early my freshman year to see them....and guess who opened up?  Wax and Face to Face.  To see that same concert now I'd give an appendage for.

There was just something about these guys.  Energy.  Stage presence.  Power.  Humor.  A guy who's soul job was to dance on stage.  They were magnetic to me.  I can't even begin to tell you how many times I've seen them over the years.  Quite a few.  And each time I come away smiling.  They opened doors to me musically.

See back in the early 90's grunge was still king.  Ska hadn't hit it's peak yet.  So the Bosstones set in motion something for me that I knew I wanted a piece of.  They (along with some other bands) were the impetus for Planet 612.  The idea of playing dance music that drives and grinds and makes you shake your butt, was super appealing.

As time went by Ska had it's day in the sun.  A few bands like the Bosstones made it to radio and Mtv (remember when videos were actually a thing on MTV?).   Some people said they "sold out".  Those people had never seen them before they made it to radio.  I saw them when they were playing little clubs, and I saw them when they were playing for thousands at a giant festival.....they were the same band.  Sold out, just means getting paid for what you do.

This video reminds of times of my youth, sure.  But it reminds me of times when what I was listening to amped me up.  Have I gotten old?  Has music changed?  Perhaps both.  Perhaps not at all.

So what?  Good question.  I don't know what this means.  However I did have a dream/nightmare that P-612 was doing a reunion show and I got up on stage and forgot all the lyrics and music to my own songs.  What would be the result of that though?  We weren't big when we were big.....who would come see us play if we did a reunion show?  HA.

So I leave you with the video that started this.  Note that it's Not Safe for little ears.




NATE ALBERT plays at the end of their set!!! How cool.

How to Dad

You all have TV.  I don't.  So you've probably seen this commercial already.  I just wanted to take a moment and talk about it.   So take a second.....watch it...again....and then catch back up with me below.



Ok my gut reaction was that I love this. 

Let me give you the positives here first.   The fact that a dad was portrayed as anything other than a bumbling idiot is a step in the right direction.  The fact that dad can be cool and yet keep the house moving in the right direction is awesome.  I really loved that he gives his wife coffee as she's leaving...clearly dressed for work...the main day job.  LOVE IT.   I actually really like that he calls his wife "hot" too.  Whether you like that term of affection or not, it's good to have kids hear you say that you like your spouse.  Good on them. 

One thing I really love is his use of the phrase "just a suggestion" when talking to his son about his hat.  He doesn't tell him how to wear it.  He shows him what is good and bad with how he's wearing it and leaving it up to him.  Awesome.

The bad.....I don't buy Cheerios very often because they're not cheap....particularly their flavored kind (4+ dollars a box)...and they last about 2 mornings at our house.  (however the Banana Nut Cheerios are the bomb....they were on sale once) Also, I like Peanut Butter enough....and the boys love it....but the idea of peanut butter Cheerios grosses me out. 

Also...at no point in my recollection was I ever asked if I gave my consent to this product being the official cereal of dadhood.  I'm pretty sure I should've got a vote in there somewhere. 

Finally......if a kid jumps on me and wakes me up in the morning my response is NOT going to be "of course I'm up" and i"m not going to be calm and mellow about it.  Particularly if they scare the crap out of me wearing a horse mask.  Let's be a little honest here...right?

Love the positive vibes.  Love the "real" family feel.  I love the idea that it's fine to break some traditional family stereotypical roles and still be a good family.  Thank you Cheerios.

Most Dangerous Device Ever

just so you know I'm not dead

Waste time and laugh

If you're here, you have nothing better to do.....so let me help in that venture.





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NHL Playoffs: Stanley Cup Finals

I haven't even blogged since my picks for last round!!!!

Game 1 is literally starting while I write this but it won't change my picks.  I'll make this brief.

Previous rankings:
Randy:  13
Matt:     11
Aaron:   10
Mike:      9
Jeff:        8

After this past round:
Randy:  19
Matt:  17
Aaron:  13
Mike:   Well I'm not sure how to score Mike.  He didn't really pick an East winner....he just picked the Kings to win it all.....
Jeff:  14

This round is worth 4 points....which means Jeff and I can't win....and maybe not Mike.....reminder for next year....I want the Cup Finals to be worth more points....which is what I wanted for this year, but didn't do it.  NOTE!

CUP FINALS

I've been telling people that whoever won the West would win the Cup.  HOWEVER....I don't want the Kings to win.  I just have a weird bias against them.  I just think they're cocky.  I don't like Dustin Brown.  I want the Rangers to win.  I like the Marty St. Louis story line.  I want King Lundqvist to win the Cup....he's the best goalie in the game right now I think.  The Kings have also played 3 game 7's....can they keep that going for another series?  I don't know....but I need to take the Kings anyway.
 Kings in 6

NHL Playoffs: Conference Finals

Another great round of playoff hockey.  I love that the games get better with each round...I hate that with each round there are less games to watch.  It makes me sick that in a few weeks there will be no more hockey.

I think I will create another blog post tackling all the story lines and my takes on it, that come out of this round.  So much cool stuff.

So before we get to my picks for the next round, let's see where all our participants stand.  After Round 1 our leader board looked like this:
Randy:  7 points
Jeff:       6 points
Aaron:   6 points
Matt:      5 points
Mike:     5 points

Remember that this round all wins are worth 2 points.   So let's see how we did this round.....Randy went 3-1.  So he gets another 6 points for a 13 point total.  (Randy's blog is down so he secures his picks via Facebook with us...which Matt also did for Round 2).  Matt also went 3-1 in round 2 for 6 points and an 11 point total.   Jeff went 1-3 for 2 points and 8 points total.   Mike split down the middle going 2-2 for 4 more points and 9 points total.  I also went 2-2 and now have 10 points.  So the new leader board looks like this:

Randy:  13
Matt:     11
Aaron:   10
Mike:      9
Jeff:        8

This next round is worth 3 points per game.  That may or may not change things.  So here are my picks.


EASTER CONFERENCE FINALS

Montreal Canadiens vs. New York Rangers
I definitely wouldn't have believed you if you told me these two teams were coming out of the East.  This is another "Original Six" matchup...which is fun for hockey buffs.  You'll hear a lot about old time hockey....and probably all of Montreal's Cups (which I don't believe should count).   Montreal stood tall against Boston, who I thought would win the East outright.  The Rangers looked tired, but Lundqvist was the man in net.  These teams are very similar in their make-up.  I could make a good case for either of them winning.  Really hard to pick.  I'm just gonna go out on a limb and pick the Rangers in 7


WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS
Los Angeles Kings vs. Chicago Blackhawks
These are two powerhouse teams that are very different from each other.  The Hawks took care of business with Minnesota.  Did anyone expect differently?  The Kings have been trying hard to lose for a few weeks now.  I know that LA has been near the top of the league for a few years now, but I'm struggling to pick them.....against the defending Stanley Cup champions who are in their stride.  The only way LA wins is if Jonathan Quick becomes the Quick of two years ago.   Blackhawks in 6

One of my greatest fears is that at some point in my life, I'll get a disease or have some sort of physical problem and I'll hear a doctor say, "you need to stop drinking coffee."  It will be a long conversation about whether it's worth it or not.

5/12 Monday Update

the weekend that was:
-My parents came to our house Friday afternoon. This is significant because my father got out of the hospital Friday morning from having a heart procedure done.  Suffice it to say that God is good and amazing.
-Friday night fun.  Corban's soccer practice was cancelled because of thunder, so we hung out.
-Saturday morning was fine...a little crazy with kids running amok. 
-Saturday around 11 Marjorie, my parents and the two youngers went to T's indoor soccer game at the Y, while C and I jumped in the van and headed for Oil City for his traveling game.  C got crushed, but we had fun on our trip.  We stuck around to watch his friends from school play after him.
-C and I got home for dinner.  Then it was a little play time outside, showers and bed.
-Sunday worship was awesome.  Some friends shared what God has been doing in their lives in the last year.  Stories of transformation and change.  Stories of redemption and outreach.  So inspiring. 
-Sunday after noon I slept like no other.  Crazy long naps.  I just couldn't wake up.
-Sunday night we had the first ultimate frisbee of the year.  I'm out of shape.

where i am at the moment: At home.  E is sleeping but should be up soon.  Just waiting to hear the noise.

on my to-do list this week:  I have a pretty full to-do list this week.  Lots of work stuff.  More got added this morning. 

procrastinating about: NOT the dentist this time.  I have an appointment next week.  HA.

book I'm in the midst of: The Second Assassin.  I know it's motivational for my soul, but it's a book I read years ago and rediscovered after numerous google searches.

media that seemed to catch my attention this past week: All Sons and Daughters put out a new album last Tuesday.  I can't stop singing the songs.

grand revelations this past week:  Nothing.

how i’m feeling about this week: I have a feeling that Friday is going to be here and I will wonder where the week went. 

Nachos

I might never eat nachos again and not think "my digestive system is tube of outside that runs through my center".







Do you ever wonder how I find these things?

Delay

I thought this was cool.  That's all.

Deactivating Facebook

Relax, I'm not. 

I am fully aware that I check Facebook too often. I know that it sucks up time.  Should I spend less time doing it, yes.  Will I?  Maybe. 

In the past month 3 friends have deactivated their Facebook page.  Friends.  Real ones, not the fake "friends" perpetuated by FB.  They have every right to deactivate their account. 

Each of them say they want to spend less time worried about FB.  They want to spend more time with real people or doing real hobbies.  I get that.  Good reasons. 

Here's the problem:  You're not just making choices for you....you're making the choice for me too.  When you have an online presence and use FB as a major way to communicate to everyone you know, then you choose to not be present anymore....you're choosing to not communicate with people you don't see physically.  So each of my friends (while for very good reason) have chosen to not communicate with me.  That's their right.  I get it.  It just doesn't make sense. 

Use it less.  Set a time once or twice a day to check in.  Have someone hold you accountable.  Delete it from your phone, so you can only check it when you're around a computer.  There are options. 

NHL Playoffs: Round 2

Some great surprises in Round 1.  I watched a lot of hockey.  It is remarkable to me how I forget from year to year how tired I get staying up watching 4-5 games a night.  Luckily we've reached the second round where the number of games is less.

Happily surprised with the Wild winning in overtime last night of game 7.  They gave the Avs all they were worth and now will be an interesting matchup for Chicago (more on that later).  I predicted the Kings would win, and they did.....but I in now way saw the colossal collapse that occurred by San Jose.  I'm so glad that I was wrong and the Flyers lost.  Would that series have been different if Mason has started the first couple games....maybe. 

So we need to go over the points that all the participants received in Round 1.   Remember that each round has a weighted points system.  Round 1 gets one point per win...which is easy to calculate.
Matt went 5-3 so he now has 5 points.
Mike also went 5-3 and has 5 points.
Jeff went 6-2 in the first round so he now has 6 points
Randy doesn't have a functional blog at the present time but locked his picks in with us via Facebook before Round 1.  Amazingly Randy went 7-1 in Round 1 and is the current points leader with 7 points.
Yours Truly went 6-2 in the first round (which might be the best I've ever done).  I have 6 points.

Enough of that.  On to round 2.  Points are doubled.  2 Points per correct pick.

Eastern Conference

Boston Bruins vs. Montreal Canadiens
This is the matchup to watch.  These teams HATE each other.  There is bad blood between these teams dating back before the current rosters were alive.  Each time these teams meet, it's physical.  I can't wait to see this series unfold.  Montreal swept Tampa in round 1 and made it look easy.  They've been sitting around since then.  Will that hurt them?  They're a little smaller than Boston.  You also have two of the best goalies in the game going at it.  Boston has grit and finds ways to win when they shouldn't.  I think it'll be a good series.  I've picked Boston to win the East....so I'm sticking with them.  Boston in 7

Pittsburgh Penguins vs.  New York Rangers
I know I'll get killed by my Penguin fan friends, but this is the easiest series to pick.  Penguins are going to lose.  Not that I want them to, but they won't beat the Rangers.  The Penguins just don't have the right group of people to win a Cup this year.  They were up on Columbus in game 6 and played to "not lose" rather than to win, and almost let Columbus come back to tie.  Fleury has been predictably bad in the playoffs costing them game 5.  The Rangers are just the better all around team.   Rangers in 6

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Anaheim Ducks vs. LA Kings
This should be a good series.  I can't believe how badly LA lost the first 3....granted they came back and won the series....but that wasn't good.  This is one of those series where I could make cases for each team.  I watched each of them play.  It's hard to bet against LA.  I'm gonna pick the Ducks purely for sentimental reasons of hoping Selane gets another shot at the cup.....and I don't like Dustin Brown.   Ducks in 6

Chicago Blackhawks vs. Minnesota Wild
Wild surprised most everyone.  They continued to battle even when people wrote them off.  I turned last nights game off when they went down 2-1.  They're definitely a feel good story.  HOWEVER....how can I not pick Chicago?  They were rocky early, but then realized they were the Chicago Blackhawks and started winning.  I'm going Chicago in 5


For the record Randy already has his picks for Round 2.
here we go for round 2. Boston over Montreal, New York over Pittsburgh, Chicago over Minnesota, Los Angeles over Anaheim

Elementary Talen Shows and My Boys

Last Friday was Grandparents Day at St. Joseph's Catholic School (where the boys go).  Basically it's a great reason to have lunch with Grandparents.  The last few years they have had a talent show in conjunction with lunch.

For the past couple years I've had to hear Corban come home and complain that we didn't "let" him participate in the talent show.  This has not been the case.  He just never had anything to share.

So for months the boys have been talking about hula hooping for the talent show.  It should be noted that they hula hoop a lot.  There's no way for this to not sound biased, but they're good at it.  So I encouraged them.

So the day arrived and the show began.  E and I went to see the boys have at it.

To sum up the talent show I will leave this thought that I emailed to Marjorie while the show was going on.  "The horror of elementary talent shows is that the world hasn't beaten these kids down enough for them to know that what they're doing isn't really talent......and it's also the joy of elementary talent shows."

What I mean is that, no one was HORRIBLE...but no all of them were amazingly talented.....and they were still so proud to be up there doing what they did.....and that's awesome.

OK back to the boys.  I know this will sound biased....there's no way around it....but I have to say that I'm being honest and sincere when I say....they were the best act of the day.  I'm serious.  The crowd freaked out while they were performing.  They didn't just stand there and hula hooping to a song.....well you'll see.  They got the biggest ovation, cheer and afterward congratulations poured in.







Ok I'm a little braggin on my boys.

The Liturgists/Holy Week

If I had finished my blog posts about the Simply Youth Convention I went to, I would've told you about the Liturgists.  They had an experience the Sunday night of the convention called Vapor.  It was amazing.  The Liturgists is made up of Gungor and some other musicians and artists.  Their goal is to create new liturgies.

I'm not the most contemplative person....and yet something within this resonates with my heart.

ANYWAY...The Liturgists created a new Liturgy for Holy Week called  Garden.  Again....I'd highly recommend you take time out and just sit and listen.  Just hit play on the first one and it'll play through all of them.  Make time for it.  You won't regret it.

If you absolutely don't have time for that.....just listen to the one entitled Saturday. 

Just go do it.

NHL Playoffs: Round 1

It's time. The time of year where every night I'm watching hockey from 7pm-really late. When you see me, you should buy me a coffee because I'll need it.  I LOVE this time of year.  This is the second season of hockey....where players step up...or are labeled chokers. 

Every year a group of friends and I make our picks round by round.  I usually give a lot of personal analysis....which in the past has been worthless because my picks have been horrible.

As with last year, our picks will be weighted with points.  So in this first round all pick wins will get one point.  In round 2 they will be worth 2 points....and so on.  Last year this worked nicely and gave those who picked poorly in round 1 a chance to make it up in the following rounds. 

I believe last years crew will be back making their picks again this year.  Matt is now in Ohio, Mike is in Virginia, Jeff is in Titusville PA, and Randy is in Toronto Canada.  If you would like to be part of this years picks, you need to get them up before Wednesday when the playoffs begin. 

I will preface my picks with this.....as always I've watched way more East Coast hockey than I have West.  HOWEVER....I've tried the past few weeks catching some west coast teams.
I also have certain teams that I just want to lose.  I struggle to pick them to win, even when it makes sense.  I'm going to try hard this year to be rational...not biased.  I'll try to note those things as they happen.

OK let's get to it.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Boston Bruins vs. Detroit Red Wings
I've gotta be honest here and say that I've been watching a lot of Bruins hockey.  I wish the Sabres were more like the Bruins.  They're tough, have good goaltending, and scoring from all 4 lines.  They were dominant all year long.  They never went more than two games this season with loses.  HOWEVER the RedWings are the RedWings.  They have had massive injuries this year and still made the playoffs with mostly AHL players.  They are one of the most fundamentally sound teams in the league.  They've been playing playoff hockey for weeks now....which could go either way for them.  They also one the regular season series with the Bruins 3-1.  That all being said, I'm taking BRUINS in 6

Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Columbus Blue Jackets
I have loved what Columbus has done this year.  They worked hard and ground it out game after game and made the playoffs for only the second time in franchise history.  They have one of the best goalies in the league.  If Bob is hot, look out.  HOWEVER...they have to face Pittsburgh in the first round.  Normally I'm talking Pittsburgh up...this year not as much.  I don't think they're tough enough to win the Cup this year.  But I think they have enough talent and leadership to make it past Columbus.  Pens in 5

Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Montreal Canadiens
This is one of the more intriguing matchups of the first round.  I don't know how I feel about this one.  As of this moment we're not sure if Ben Bishop (Lightning goalie) will be able to play in the first round.  That's a big factor.  He's what got them this far.  They have a good backup....but he's a backup for a reason.  Montreal is small....but fast.  Tampa won the regular season series 3-0-1.  I'm still going to pick Montreal in 7.

New York Rangers vs. Philadelphia Flyers



Now this is the one everyone will be watching.  This series is going to be a slugfest.  I don't know if it'll be the best pure hockey, but it'll be a great series.  Both teams are gritty and ready for the playoffs.  As much as I hate the Flyers and thought that Craig Berube was a joke of a pick for coach, he's turned their season around and they're going to be hard to beat in the playoffs.  The Flyers biggest weakness as always is goaltending....but Mason has been playing pretty good down the stretch....though he did leave yesterdays game with an injury...not sure how serious that'll be.  This is where I say that I want desperately for the Flyers to lose....but I need to pick them.  Flyers in 7


WESTERN CONFERENCE

Anaheim Ducks vs. Dallas Stars
Anaheim on paper should win this matchup.  They've been good all year.  They have been at the top all year.  HOWEVER Dallas has been surprising teams left and right.  They seem to find ways to win.  I don't have strong feelings about either team.  I'd love to see Dallas coach Lindy Ruff win (ex-Sabres coach).  I'd also love to see Teemu Selane lift the Cup.   Ducks in 6

Colorado Avalanche vs. Minnesota Wild
I have an anti-Colorado bias here.  I haven't had one until this year....when Patrick Roy became their coach.  I've never like him.  I've always thought he was too cocky....I still hold to that.  However I can't argue with what he's done with the worst team in the league last year...making them a powerhouse.  He's gotten the best out of young players and a goalie that other teams sat on the bench (Washington).  I've always like Minnesota.  I don't think they have the goaltending to be a threat.  Avs in 5

St. Louis Blues vs. Chicago Blackhawks
The Blues have been at the top of the league for most of the year.....and then the last few weeks happened.  They saw the chance of a President's Trophy (best record in the league) go bye bye and they couldn't even win their division.  And that's AFTER adding better goaltending than they already had in Ryan Miller.  They also had some pretty big injuries in the final weeks.  This last month has been BAD for the Blues.  I want more than anything for the Blues to win for Miller's sake......but they're playing the defending champs, who last I looked still have some pretty big guns.  Hawks in 6

San Jose Sharks vs. Los Angeles Kings
This is the best matchup in the West.  This is what the Flyers/Rangers series is to the East.  This one will be a slobber-knocker.  These two teams know each other very well...and they're not super friendly.  The other thing about these two teams....they're really good.  Much like the Flyers/Rangers I could see this one going either way.  Historically it's like this.....the Sharks choke in the playoffs....and the last few years the Kings have been dominant in the playoffs.  Until that changes, I'm sticking with it.  Kings in 7

NHL Playoff Preview

Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and not boys.  It's almost time for the NHL playoffs.  Who's excited?  This guy.

So each year here on my blog I post predictions of each round.  I have had a group of friends who also blog their predictions and we have a friendly competition to see who wins.  I have never won.  Could this be the year?  Maybe. 

Last year my friend Mike joined our group and blogged his predictions.  Would you like to join us this year?  We'd like to have you.  Please contact me soon so we can include you in the first round.  There is a weighted points system which I'd like to explain to you.  There's no prize.....but maybe I should consider getting one......




How have I never seen this one? So good.

Tim Horton's Donut History

Since I spend way too much time at Timmie's I thought I would share this link that my friend Katie found for me.  It's not the history of Tim Horton's....it's the history of their donuts.

ENJOY

4/7 Monday Update

the weekend that was:
-My parents came to our house Friday afternoon.  I love when my parents come to visit.  I don't have to entertain them.  They love up on our boys.  It's just so awesome to watch and be part of.
-Friday night was pretty chill.  Games and laughing.  Good chat with Mom and Dad after the boys were in bed.
-Saturday morning we celebrated Corban's birthday (even though it's not till Tuesday) with my parents.  My wife is amazing.  She made "Lego" brownies for C.  E had a hard time understanding that the gifts weren't for him.
-Mom and dad left mid-day.  We were all tired and promptly napped it out.
-Saturday night Mari and I had small group.  One of my teens babysat the boys.  She said, "it's weird that you pay me for getting hugged by your boys."  I love that.
-Small group was good.  Everyone was chatty to begin with.  Our video and discussion were really good.  We covered a lot of ground.
-Sunday morning was good too.  It seemed like Pastor Mike had bugs planted in our small group discussion from the previous night.
-Sunday night was fun.  I've been doing the object lessons for the little kids for a few months now.  It's a little more than I used to do, but I love it.  Last night I made chocolate milk to talk about the Holy Spirit.
-Weekend over

where i am at the moment: Tim Horton's.  E has "school" on Monday mornings.  And I'm using this time to work....which this blog post is not, but I've already accomplished a lot and had a few minute free.

on my to-do list this week:  I sat down yesterday and created a GIANT "to-do" list.  With Easter just around the bend, I have lots to do....and most of it needs done this week. 

procrastinating about: DENTIST.  I just need to "bite" the bullet and call.....but I'm chicken.

book I'm in the midst of: None.  I like the way my brain works when I'm reading something, but I'm not.  I've been a slacker.  I have books to read, but just haven't been doing it.

media that seemed to catch my attention this past week: My friend Steve just posted this video....it's pretty cool.    (see bottom)

grand revelations this past week:  I love a good nap.

how i’m feeling about this week: Since I've been sitting here working hard, I'm feeling positive that I can get most of the stuff on my to-do list done this week.  I like it!


Final Four Viewing Party Clip 4 from UK CSF on Vimeo.

SAHD Post Its

You might remember this post I had about a Stay At Home Dad (SAHD) who left post it notes around the house for his wife to find.  He now has a tumblr.....and I find it hilarious.  Good chance I'll be posting pics from time to time.

Dream

This is my dream. 

A dude who works for the Sabres, got a one day contract to be the back up goalie because they traded their goalie (Ryan Miller) away and didn't have time to call anyone up from their AHL team.  So a guy who works in an office (plays rec league hockey) gets to suit up for the Sabres.  I know it's corny but I got all emotional watching this video.

UGH

I am sick.  I am stressed and going a million miles a minute.  Things are piling up.  The blog gets put on the shelf.  But who's reading this anymore anyway?

3/17 Monday Update

the weekend that was:
-My parents came to our house Friday afternoon.  Which was great as I've been stuck at home with E and T for the past two weeks with T being sick.  The boys had a great time with Grandma and PaPa. 
-I was pretty tired Friday night.  But it was good to talk to Mom and Dad.
-Saturday was E's 3rd birthday.  Fun was had.  He's such a cutie.
-Mom and dad left mid-day.  They're on their way to Florida this week.  It must be nice to be retired.
-Saturday night the boys played Mario Party on the N64.  Mari and I watched Captain Philips. 
-Sunday was Sunday. 
-Mari and I watched "Safety Not Guaranteed."
-Weekend over

where i am at the moment: Tim Horton's.  I have two hours without boys....for the first time in two weeks. 

on my to-do list this week:  Lots of contacting people.  E-mails, texts, facebook, phone calls.

procrastinating about: DENTIST

book I'm in the midst of: Nothing.  I know that that's not a good thing.  I need to get on something.

media that seemed to catch my attention this past week: See yesterday's post if you haven't already.

grand revelations this past week:  As a pastor sometimes I get so wrapped up in teaching students simple truths about God that I don't take the time to recognize those simple truths in my own life.  I know them as true, but don't let them sink into my heart.

how i’m feeling about this week:  I'm stoked about this coming weekend!

Cake and Electrodes

I don't usually say "THIS IS THE FUNNIEST THING EVER".  I might say....this is pretty funny.  But I'm here to tell you that this is FUNNY.  This video is 8 minutes long and I literally laughed the entire way through it.  Actually, I had to stop it a couple times because I was laughing so hard my head hurt and I was coughing uncontrollably.

Basically these two dudes hooked electrodes to their arms and baked a cake.  Then a friend joins them to eat it.  Simple premise.  Hilarious in practice.




EDIT:  Upon a second watch....I didn't laugh quite as hard.....but it's still funny.    So I still probably wouldn't say one of the funniest things EVER....but still really funny.

SYMC: Saturday

It's now 11:38pm Saturday night.  We lose an hour tonight....so really it's 12:38.  It's been a long day.

So let me just say that today wasn't the greatest day ever.

Some of the best parts of today weren't workshops or general sessions....but conversations with friends who are in youth ministry.  Laughing and sharing and listening to each other is amazing.

Breakfast went long with some friends.  Lunch was long with friends.   Dinner was long with friends.  Each was quality.  And therapeutic.

The morning general session was pretty bad.  The music was great.  The speaker they had was horrible.  I mean HORRIBLE.  I'm constantly self-evaluating.  I know what I'm good at and what I'm not good at.  I'm more than willing to tell you the things I'm good and bad at.  I don't feel like I"m that good at too many things.  When I can say, "I could've done that better", you know you've done a bad job.  I could've done that better.  Dude was BAD.

Bad how?  He literally said nothing.  He self-promoted his program in LA.  He told us that burning out isn't a real thing.  Kind of a bummer.

The afternoon session I picked was about new technology.  It was OK.  I knew a lot of what he was presenting.  I did come away with some new ideas and resources to check out moving forward.  My friend Jim could've probably presented the workshop.

Tonight's session was awesome.  Great worship with Justin Howerton Band.  Then the Skit Guys.  Then Gungor rocked out.  The speaker tonight was Gary Haugen who works for International Justice Mission.  He reminded us that part of God's character is Justice.  That we are to be about seeking justice too.  GOOD STUFF.

Tonight we went to the Skit Guys late night option and laughed for 2 hours.  I needed that.  And at the end they reminded me that I love my students.


I think I'll be looking for a better day tomorrow.  However today was refreshing. 

SYMC: Friday

Today was long.

Basically this.....T has been sick all week.  Last night I had decided I wasn't going to make SYMC.  This morning he wakes up and was great all morning.  Made some last minute plans and packing and away I went.

I met my buddy Chuck in Grove City and we drove together from there.  Great conversation the whole way out.

So we pull in to the hotel with about an hour to spare.  We get out of the truck and who is walking down the street toward us.....Jim and Sarah.   Jim is the youth pastor at the church my dad pastored until he retired.  So cool.  Not only that.....their room is across the hall from ours.  WILD.

So we start walking to the convention center and we get to the front of the Hyatt (where the convention is) and one of the valet's points to me and says, "that's my country".  I was wearing my Ethiopia soccer jersey.  So after I got off the phone I greeted him as Ethiopian's do and we chatted awhile about ET.  So fun.

So tonight's opening session was good.  The main speaker was Jo Saxton.  Jo didn't say anything that i didn't know.....but she said it out loud and my ears heard it as if it was fresh.

She talked about Discipleship. 
She reminded me that I am a Child of God.
She reminded me that I need people in my life looking after my well-being.
She reminded me that I need to be bold enough to ask for help sometimes.

The one phrase she used that I liked was that the ceiling of my life will be the floor of my students and my children's lives.  The idea being that I desire them to succeed so much more than me.  That I want them to dream bigger than me.

A great beginning.  Probably one of the best first nights I've been to.  Quality.

SYMC: It's coming!!!!!

This coming Friday, I'm headed to Columbus Ohio for Simply Youth Ministry's youth convention.  I'm pretty darn excited.  Basically this is a couple days with a couple thousand people much like myself. 

On the whole this is intended to be a great time of learning.  And I know that I will learn some new things.  However, I've been in youth ministry for somewhere around 18 years now.  I can't see that I'm going to drastically re-design how I do youth ministry.  I use these opportunities to refresh.  To hear things that I KNOW are true, but need someone to tell me them.  To reconnect with some old friends.

To be honest when I was going to big youth conventions like this years ago, I was seeing person after person that i went to college with.  These days most of the people that started youth ministry with me, are now doing something else.  Most are still in ministry, but are senior pastors, or associates, or worship leaders, or children's pastors.  So there's a little less "catching up" as there use to be.  But I'm hanging out with a good buddy, and will be meeting up with some other friends while there.

So my goal is to blog throughout the convention like I did two years ago.  That means that this weekend there should be several posts up about where I'm at and what I'm doing.

VERY good chance that there will be numerous tweets as well.  If you're not following me there, I'm @biggoalie31

I'm also now on Instagram.  Not sure what I'm doing with that....but I'm working on it.  If you wanna follow there it's also   biggoalie31

3/3 Monday Update

the weekend that was:
-My weekend was pretty all inclusive.  I left Friday for a retreat with teenagers.  The ride out was actually pretty cool. One of the other chaperone's Josh was with me in my van.  Great conversation about Jesus and the Bible. 
-Really good weekend with students.  Fun was had, but the kids were great.  We didn't have to be annoying old people and get on anyone's case.
-My van was dead when I went to leave Sunday.  Fun.
-Stopped at Chipotle on the way home....seriously fun.
-Nap at home and then Connections
-Then after a weekend away, I had a late night hockey game......a playoff game no less.  I played a great game.  No regrets.  We lost 2-1.  That'll be my last game this season.  Always a bit sad.

where i am at the moment: Home

on my to-do list this week:  I'm headed to a youth conference this Friday, so I only have a few days to get it all done.  Stuff keeps getting backed up.

procrastinating about: DENTIST

book I'm in the midst of: Cockroaches by Jo Nesbo.  I actually haven't read anything in a week.

media that seemed to catch my attention this past week: Nothing new really.

grand revelations this past week:  I know I've said this before....but I'm getting old.  Spending a weekend with teenagers isn't what it used to be.  I used to get excited about it....yeah staying up late and doing silly things.  Now it's like, "ugh, lack of sleep".

how i’m feeling about this week:  I'm stoked about this coming weekend!

2/24 Monday Update

the weekend that was:
-Friday was pretty normal.  The boys had their normal activities.  They then convinced us to watch a movie that Corban got from school.
-Saturday morning I got up early thinking that the US mens hockey team was playing for bronze at 7am....it wasn't until 10.  So I drank a lot of coffee instead.  I had a meeting at a camp that made me drive during the game....which is good because it was horrible.
-I got back from my meeting mid-afternoon to dabble around the house.  Then went to small group with Mari. 
-Sunday was Sunday. 


where i am at the moment: My dining room. 

on my to-do list this week: This coming weekend I will be at a teen retreat.  So there's lots to jam in this week.  AND Marjorie went back to work today since before E came home.  Which means daddy now has a little guy to contend with this week.

procrastinating about: So this is the third week in a row I haven't called the dentist (actually it's much longer than that I just haven't told you)

book I'm in the midst of: Cockroaches by Jo Nesbo

media that seemed to catch my attention this past week: I found a YouTube channel called Bored Shorts TV....they do a series called Kid Snippets.  Basically they get little kids to record their imaginary scenarios then adult actors act out the dialogue.  I love them.  I'll post one of my favorite videos below.

grand revelations this past week:  I like to spit.  I realized that when I'm outside, I spit.

how i’m feeling about this week:  It's going to go by fast then the weekend will be here.  Normally that's cool, but this weekend I have to be with teenagers and not chilling with my family.  Slightly less cool.

Weird

Have a great Saturday

10 Opinions in a Row

A sports radio station I listen to does this from time to time.  I like it.  I'm using it....but making my own.  So...in no particular order.....created over a period of time.

1.  As many years as I've worked with teenagers, for some reason it always freaks me out when they have their first driving lesson.  You're not old enough to drive yet.  You scare me.  How can this be?

2.  Baby wipes are good for a myriad of purposes....and there's a good chance we'll have wipes around well after we have little kids that need them.

3.  When someone greeting someone you casually know....and they say, "Hey how are you?"  is there any other answer than "I'm good how are you?"  I'm sitting in the lobby of the YMCA and I've heard this exchange about 89 times in the last 10 minutes.

4.  When I brew coffee at home.....i can be drinking it out of a mug and loving it.  I pour that same coffee into a travel mug, and it instantly either loses taste or turns funny.  I don't like that.

5.  It is super frustrating to me when a good band covers a good song that was originally written by another band......and everyone only recognizes the cover.  I don't care that songs are covered....it's the listeners and youtubers that don't do research.  In the age of the internet, it literally takes less than 10 seconds people.

6.  I hate losing.  I used to be a bad loser, now I just internalize losing.  I hate it.  Losing sucks.  Losing is for losers.  When you're the goalie, and your job is to keep the puck out of the net....and you lose.....that means you didn't keep the puck out of the net enough.....so it's personal.  I hate losing.

7.  If I wanted to watch the Grammy's I would find a way to do so online.  I don't.  So having everyone posting their evaluations of everything on the Grammy's via Facebook was super awesome for my life (read this with dripping and soaked in sarcasm).

8.  While I'm bagging on Facebook trends......NO.....you are not James Franco.  No you're mental age is not 22...you're old.  No you're not a fairy princess.  You're not a country, you're not a comic book character or a muppet, or a Disney princess.  Stop taking this quizzes that mean absolutely nothing.

9.  I've always thought that the people who write greeting cards have to be failed poets and writers who are just looking to get paid.  I NOW believe that the people who write children's Valentine's cards are failed regular greeting cards people.  Have you read these things?  They are HORRIBLE. 

10.  Why is it forty (four-tee), sixty (six-tee), seventy (seven-tee).....but it's not five-tee...it's fif-tee.  And it's not two-tee, it's twen-tee.  three-tee as well.  Makes no sense.

How I Spent My Night

It's Wednesday night.  For me that's hockey night.  I go play pick-up hockey every Wednesday night in Jamestown (a town 35 minutes north of here).  No big deal.  Normal Wednesday right?

So when I left my house, my phone was at 36%.  I always call my friend Wheeze on the way to hockey to chat, so I figured I was good to go.  So I leave for hockey and do just that.  I'm talking to Wheeze and driving along when things start wobbling funny.  I pull over literally  ON the state line.

Flat tire.  Crap.  OK.  No problem.  My dad taught me to change a tire when I was a boy.  I can do this.  I find all the gear I need and set to work.  Since it's the front passenger side and I"m in the middle of nowhere I have to occasionally use the flashlight app on my phone as I do this.  Soon a guy pulls into the turn around and puts his headlights on my work.  Nice.

HOWEVER.....I soon realize that my four-way flashers have drained my battery (probably bad battery).  So after I change the tire, I go to start the car and it's dead.

No problem.  I'll just call AAA.  (I didn't want to call Marjorie because it was 8:30 and all the boys were in bed when I left the house).  So I call AAA and as I do I realize I now only have 8% battery on my phone.  Literally in the middle of my call for help, my phone dies.

So to recap.....I'm in the middle of nowhere.  My car is dead.  My battery is dead.

I stop to think things through for awhile and realize I need to flag someone down for help.  I then also realize that my coat is black.  My jeans are dark blue.  My long sleeve T-shirt is dark blue.  My normal T-shirt is dark grey.  So I want people to see me....and everything I"m wearing is dark....in the middle of the night.  Awesome.

So I'm standing outside looking up at the stars  (which were gorgeous because I was in middle of nowhere, it was dark, and it was clear).....I started talking out loud to God.  "OK God.  I have to flag someone down.  In this day and age that's not gonna be easy, even in day light.  You need to send someone that's gonna help"

Then I started my sociological experiment.  How many cars will pass by without stopping for a guy dressed all in black (and a looking a bit rough around the edges) in the middle of nowhere at night?

Answer?  19.  Sort of.

Most cars saw me.  Hit their brakes...then kept going.  One car even almost came to a complete stop....then sped up and left.  

Finally I saw a car drive past, hit their brakes and go to turn around to come back.  BUT just as that happened a Sheriff's car pulled in.  So the other car just slowed down and then drove on.  (Thank you whoever you were)

Now on to the Sheriff......
HIM:"How you doing tonight sir?" 
ME:"Well I've had better nights."
HIM: "what seems to be the problem?"
ME:  (I explain everything I already told you)
HIM:  So you just need a jump?  Cause I have cables.
Me:   That would be awesome.  Thank you so much.
HIM:  Aaron right?
Me:  Yes......um.....
HIM:  (he introduces himself....I don't want to use his name here without his permission)  HOWEVER.......we were in boy scouts together 25 years ago.

So the guy that came to my rescue....is someone I knew ages ago.  How CRAZY is that?  So when I tell God that he has to send someone to stop for me.....he sends an old friend.  Seriously?  Tell me that's random chance.  Tell me that all of that happened for no reason and it was just coincidence.  NO DANG WAY!

2/17 Monday Update

Having the boys off of school on Mondays, makes Tuesday my Monday.  That's the excuse I'm using.

the weekend that was:
-Friday was pretty normal.  The boys had a movie night.  The stomach virus that was going around school caught up with Tobiah and he puked his guts out...and then was up numerous times throughout the night.  Pretty normal.
-Saturday was the day of frustration.  Marjorie's goal for the day was to make Ethiopian food.  If you know Ethiopian food you know that you need Injera bread.  It was a horrible failure.  My goal for the day was to make a rope machine for Cub Scouts.  I spent lots of time working on it....and it failed.  We realized too late that we could've driven to Buffalo and spent time with friends, eaten at an Ethiopian restaurant and had much better day.
-Sunday morning and afternoon was normal.  Sunday night at Connections was awesome.  Barely any youth showed up....and it was great.  We had more intimate discussion.  Our games were more fun because there were less distractions.  There's something to be said for small groups.  Jesus had 12 guys and one of them was trying to kill him.
-Marjorie's parents came to our house while we were at Connections, so the boys had a fun surprise when we got home.
-Monday we went to Mayville NY to see the Ice Castle they build there.  The lake freezes over so they cut giant blocks out of the lake to build it.  CRAZY cool.  Also it was CRAZY cold.
-Monday night was AWESOME.  My rope machine got finished for our cub scout meeting.  Not only was it fun....it was a great learning time.  Both the boys and their parents were in awe of how cool it turned out.  This is why I love scouting. 


where i am at the moment: I'm sitting in the YMCA lobby....listening to pre-teen girls talk crazy talk.  Sitting here every day listening to these crazy girls makes me so happy I have boys.

on my to-do list this week:  I'm not sure what I actually accomplished last week, so I think I have a bunch of stuff on my to-do list.  Also....it's already Tuesday so I have less week to do it.

procrastinating about: Calling the dentist......still.

book I'm in the midst of: Epitaph by Bill Pronzini and Multiply by Francis Chan.  I also had the library give me two books that I had on hold.....so I better get to reading this week.

media that seemed to catch my attention this past week: Marjorie and I watched two movies this past weekend.  Neither one really made me jump up and down for joy.  The first one actually freaked me out.  It was about two old people....the wife was dying and the husband was taking care of her.  It was brutal.  You know what was happening and it just went on and on.  I don't want to get old. 

grand revelations this past week:  Maybe this is a thought for a full blog post.  I realized today that hanging out with Elias is a downshift.  As T and C have gotten older, things have sped up.  Conversations, activities, play, everything.  Faster.  With E, we're back to slow and steady.  I spent 5-10 minutes just looking out the window today with him.  It drove me up a wall for a minute because we weren't "doing" anything....and then I realized that we were doing something very important.  Slowing down is good.

how i’m feeling about this week:  I feel like I'm already out of time.

Pursuit of Happiness

This is a thought, based on an event that happened last summer or so.  I just slacked off on finishing it off....so here it is finally.



You already know, I am a paintball junkie.  I buy and sell a pretty good amount of paintball gear during the course of a year.  Basically it's a side hobby that funds me actually playing paintball.

Last year, as a way to help fund our adoption I started selling off A LOT of paintball gear with 100% of the money going toward our adoption...not just the profits.  Most of the stuff I sold had been sitting around for awhile.  Projects I never got around to.  High end stuff.

I tell you this not to pat myself on the back, but to tell you this.....I sold a couple of markers to a paintball acquaintance from Pittsburgh, who I've only met in real life once.  He bought things that I know he didn't really need...and he donated a larger amount of money than the stuff was worth.  I really appreciated that.

In his paypal payment he left this comment.  "Good luck in your pursuit of happiness."


This phrase has been sticking in my craw (which is an expression I've been enjoying using recently).  I know that this was meant as a kind of nice thing to say in way of support for what we were doing.  I know that he meant the best by it.  But here are some things about that.

1.  Having kids in general (by birth or adoption), should never be about your own happiness.  This is a problem our society is having.  People are having kids because they believe that it will bring them personal happiness.  They're having babies to save their relationships.  They're having kids to "be fulfilled".  Parenting is hard.  Parenting is not about your fulfillment.  The attention cease to be about you and changes to your children.  So instead of you personally feeling special, it is now about your child.  So it's almost the exact opposite of this.

2.  I know that he doesn't fully grasp this, but we didn't adopt any of our boys because we were pursuing happiness, but because God told us to.  There's a blog post that's going to appear on our family blog about obedience.  There's a huge difference between being obedient to God's plan, and pursuing my own happiness.  The process of adoption is HARD, LONG, and frustrating.  It's full of tears.  If I were pursuing my own happiness, I would be way more tempted to quit.

3.  Something God has been teaching me for quite awhile now is that God doesn't want us to be happy, he wants us to be filled with His joy.  See happiness is based on the circumstance I am in currently.....and circumstances change....and thus my happiness would change.  For instance.....if I buy a brand new car (yeah right)....i'm gonna be pretty happy.  I might park it out front so people see it.  I'd definitely post pictures on Facebook.  I'd talk about it in the locker room with the guys at hockey.  However....if I then total my car because I"m careless....i'm now not happy.  But if I'm pursuing God's joy, the circumstances I'm in, don't dictate a change in that.  I could be in a rough place....but still know God's joy.   Why is the church growing in China, and Africa?  Why is the church failing in the West? 

2/10 Monday Update

the weekend that was:
-Friday night Marjorie took Corban to a workshop in Grove City...which left me with the youngers.  We had Mac N Cheese, swimming lessons, a short movie and some serious Candy Land action.
-Saturday morning was chores for everyone.
-Saturday afternoon I took the older two, to see the Lego movie.  I'm pretty sure I"m gonna blog about my thoughts on this later in the week.
-Saturday evening I took a bunch of teens to see the Erie Otters play.
-Sunday morning was pretty normal.
-Sunday afternoon was an intense nap
-Connections Sunday night and then late night hockey which we won.

where i am at the moment: Sitting on my couch, while Marjorie puts Corban to bed.  Peace and quiet exists for a few moments.

on my to-do list this week:  I'm a little worried about this.  Not because my list is long this week....but because it isn't.  I feel like I'm forgetting something big that I need to be doing.  I feel better when I have a long list.

procrastinating about: Calling the dentist.

book I'm in the midst of: Epitaph by Bill Pronzini and Multiply by Francis Chan

media that seemed to catch my attention this past week: At this moment nothing, but I remembered the video from last week, so I"ll post that below.

grand revelations this past week:Not a revelation, but it never ceases to amaze me how teenage girls can be so quickly infatuated with a boy that has never had a conversation with them.
 
how i’m feeling about this week:Questionable.


Now here's the video.  Fraggle Rock and Ben Folds Five.  I keep singing this.

2/3 Monday Update

It's Tuesday night and I'm doing my Monday update again.  It's my blog.  Get off my back.....all none of your reading.  This one's gonna be short.

the weekend that was:
-Elias was sick all weekend. 
-The "olders" came to my hockey game Saturday night.
-Super Bowl happened.  I ate snacks, got angry, and went to read a book.


where i am at the moment: I'm now sick too.  So I'm home and drowsy. 

on my to-do list this week:  Mostly work things on my list for this week.  I do have a couple home chores to do, but they're pretty minor when it's all said and done.

procrastinating about: All of it.  I"m sick.  Who wants to do anything?

book I'm in the midst of: Nemesis by Bill Pronzini and Multiply by Francis Chan

media that seemed to catch my attention this past week: There was something I saw over the weekend that I was going to put here.....but I forgot it already.

grand revelations this past week: Nope
 
how i’m feeling about this week: Sick

Hanging Out with Dad

I have heard the phrase before, but today I heard it with different ears.

I spend a lot of time as the direct care giver for the boys.  I'm the "stay at home dad".  I don't pat myself on the back for that.  I don't think I'm the best at it, but we've made it work.

Today while sitting at the YMCA waiting for Corban, I heard someone talking to another dad who had his two boys with him.  She said, "so you're just hanging out with dad today huh?"  She didn't mean anything by it.  People have said that to me countless times.  Today a lightbulb went off though.

People rail against inequalities in the work place because woman don't get equal opportunities or equal pay.....and those are real things....and they're wrong.  I would like to tell you that the inverse also happens. 

I get looked at sideways because I'm the stay at home dad. 

I had someone ask, "So what do you do, that allows you to spend so much time with your boys?"   If I were a woman would they have asked me that?  Probably not.  Because they would just believe that I'm a stay at home mom.  But because I'm a male, I must work somewhere and do this too......which just happens to be true.....but why would you assume that?  (For the record, I am fully aware....and thank God regularly for the awesome flexibility of my job that lets me do what I do)

Today when I heard that comment about "hanging out with dad"....I got the implied thought behind it, that I hadn't really noticed before.  The thought that says, "mom must've had a meeting or needed time out, so she left you in charge for a little while until she gets back....and you're probably just counting the minutes till she returns". 

Marjorie is a great mom.  She is totally capable of handing the boys any time.  While I did say in my recent post it note thread, that I look forward to Marjorie coming home (and that's true), I also don't feel like I'm out of my element handling the boys either.  It's just easier with two of us. 

This isn't a call to arms or anything.  Just a reminder to be careful what you say and to whom. 

And also....I love my family.

Pinewood Derby: Gru's Car

Pinewood Derby.  One of the coolest things about being in Cub Scouts. 

For the uninitiated, here's the scoop.  Each boy gets a kit.  A simple block of pine wood with slots cut for the axles, 4 wheels and 4 nails to use as axles.  That's it.  They then have to build a car that weights no more than 5 oz. 

For me this project was how I learned anything about tools.  Working with my dad.  Getting my hands on a saw.  Painting.  I point back to these simple projects and designs as learning times in my life.

This is Corban's 3rd year in scouts.  The first year you might remember we created Han Solo frozen in Carbonite.  Last year he wanted to make a hot dog in a bun with mustard (which apparently I didn't blog).  Each year it's up to him what we build.  So this year he wanted to build Gru's car.  Do you know Gru?  Despicable Me.  If you don't know it.....this is it.

So it took us awhile to figure out how we were going to actually make a block of wood look like that.  We sort of figured the main body out....by using two bodies....and then Marjorie helped with some design things.

The most fun is spending time and working with Corban.  He has a great sense of humor.  I love listening to him giggle at things.  He's a little hesitant in working with some of the tools, which is fine.  I'd rather have a healthy hesitation, than juggling saws.

So as we started assembling it, the two of us giggled because it was awesome.  We were high fiving left and right.  He was pretty proud.  We knew we weren't going to win.  It's not a design that's going to be fast.....but it's gonna look awesome.

Sure enough it looked awesome.  And sure enough we didn't win a race.  In fact, out of our 6 races, we were last each time.  No big deal.  But here's where the big deal was.....this year they had a "kid's choice award".  We thought we had it in the bag.  We didn't.  The kids chose a ice cream sandwich.  I mean the sandwich was cool......but the work they put into it was pretty minimal compared to what we did. 

We still feel like we're winners.

So without further ado....here is our car......compared to pictures and models we used to make the car.

 I thought we did pretty good.....now that I see the pictures side by side.....I think we did AWESOME!


The two dudes at the end of a night of racing.  We had fun.  That's most important......but we should've won the kids choice award too.  We were robbed.

Next year Tobiah will be old enough for Tiger Cubs.....that means I have to help make TWO cars.....

1/27 Monday Update

So it's Tuesday night and I"m doing a Monday update.  Whatever.

the weekend that was:
-Tobiah was sick most of last week.  So he was home from school and didn't go to swimming Friday night.
 -Corban and I picked up pizza after swimming and that made for a good night.
-Saturday we had to clean up because my parents were coming.  It was snowy and cold all weekend so we spent a lot of time inside.

-My parents always liven our house when they come.  The boys get all amped up.  I love how Elias response to them.  Even though he hasn't spent tons of time with them....he knows that they are family and it makes me smile.
-Saturday night I had a rare late night Saturday night hockey game.  Faceoff wasn't until 10:30.  We were playing a team much younger than us.  I didn't play as well as I could've and we lost.  I hate losing.
-I did a lot of talking and singing on Sunday morning and evening and by Sunday night I was feeling dead.  I took a good nap Sunday afternoon though.
-Monday we all went to Jamestown to do the bounce house place and out to eat.  It's cold outside. 

where i am at the moment: I'm home.  We just got back from Corban's Pinewood Derby for Scouts (a post is coming)

on my to-do list this week:  I have a bunch of work things to do this week.  Some to do tonight actually.  Since the boys were off school yesterday and today (tuesday), my week is already messed up and I'm gonna be chasing most of the week.

procrastinating about: I haven't had any time to procrastinate lately.  I feel like I'm plugging away.

book I'm in the midst of: I'm about to finish.The Redbreast by Jo Nesbo.  The library called that i have book in, but I don't remember what it is.....but I should start that soon.

media that seemed to catch my attention this past week: While I'm typing this, I'm listening to the Sabres play the Capitals.  I've watched a bunch of hockey.  I'm gonna post two Youtube clips at the bottom.  Both are good.

grand revelations this past week: I'm getting older daily.  I know that's obvious, but my lower back has really been messed up for a week or so....and it's really slowing me down.  I don't want to be slowed down.  I want to keep playing hockey at my own pace for as long as I want. 
 
how i’m feeling about this week: I feel like I'll be doing one of these updates before I know it.



I know this is ping pong....but you won't be sorry you watched this.


A new Digital Age video.  cool stuff.

Stay at Home Dad Post It Notes

This has been making the rounds of the internet.  It's a dad who gave up his full time office job to be a stay at home dad.  He used to use post-it notes for organization.  Now he leaves his wife post it's for thoughts on parenting. 

I found some of these funny.  Marjorie asked me, what I would add if I was making my own post it notes.

He had one post it that talked about purchasing toys based on how they would feel when stepped on at night in the dark.  I have thought similar things, but I look at it more like home protection.  Go ahead and break into my house.....see how that goes for you......because I turn the lights off each night and break myself getting up the stairs....and I KNOW where the stuff is waiting for me!

I would have a post it about nap time.  How nap time isn't for the kids but is TOTALLY for the parents to gather up their sanity again before going at it  for round two during the day.

I would have a post it note about how poop and vomit used to be things I never thought I could deal with....and now a little of each seems like a walk in the park.

I would have a post it about not messing with Daddy until you're done your breakfast and Daddy is done his first cup of coffee.

My personal favorite post it that he made, and the one I agree with 100% is below.  There is no relief in the world, like the sound of Marjorie coming in the door.