Things That Make You Go "Awwwe!"

Our little birds, so far unnamed, are out and about already. Walking on day one. Oh, they grow up so fast.
I worked a little magic to get Henry away from the nest to get the picture above. Look at the little biddies all cuddled together.

This one wandered off by itself for a bit and I tried to get a picture of it standing but as soon as I approached is squatted. Once they do they are very hard to see. But check out its leg. They are all leg.

Maybe tomorrow I'll get one of them walking to show you.

Killdeer Babies

Today Henry and Margret's eggs hatched. We now have killdeer babies running around our shrubbery. Within the first hours these little critters are up on their feet running around. Not far, but still up and about.

There is still one egg that is unhatched. Henry is a bit protective of the nest as you can see in the picture below. Before the hatching if you approached he'd run away and Margret would do her injured wing dance. Now that they've hatched he tries to look as scary as possible while Margret still plays injured.

If you look to the left of Henry's tail you can see the heads of two of the babies.

Here you can see the unhatched egg under Henry's left wind (on your right) surrounded by its siblings.

This has been fun for us to watch. I'll see if I can get better pictures of the new ones later today or tomorrow.

"The history of rapid prototyping technology dates back to 80’s years of the 20th century." This is a sentence from a blog post I was reading today at work. It bugged me so much that I stopped reading the post because I could not longer focus on the content with that swimming in my head.

Is someone trying to sound smart or pompous? I think so. A normal person, even a slightly abnormal person, would have just said "back to the 1980's."

I, being born in the eighth year of the 60's of the 20th century, was not wowed into thinking that this guy or gal was so brilliant that they were going to teach me anything about prototyping of the rapid kind. So, I, being myself, one of reason and freedom, decided to re-Google my search to find other formed wording of materials in the web strings of the internets to satisfy my interest on the subject of the afore mentioned topic

Blech.

Killdeer

We have a new family starting here at work. A killdeer has made its home in our front yard, we've named her Margret. Most days she is alone sitting on her nest but on occasion her mate shows up to help, his name is Henry.

Before Margret showed up I didn't even know killdeers existed. What I've learned about them this week has been fun and interesting. Click on the link above if you want to learn more about them.

I'm amused by the way she runs around the parking lot. As of today I've not seen her fly. She's got these long, stick-like legs that move her swiftly across the asphalt.

Here's Margret in her nest. You can see the eggs under her as she gets up to run (I'll explain in a minute).

Here is a shot of her eggs after she ran away. Aren't they pretty? Their camouflage is very effective, they just look like stones.

Here is where Margret ran to. That's here in the middle of our parking lot playing lame. This is the other funny thing about this bird. To protect her eggs she runs about 10 - 20 feet away from the nest and pretends to have a broken wing. Such the drama queen she is. I believe this is further proof of God's sense of humor. It really is funny to see it in person.

Here is the closest shot I could get of her during her dramatic moment. "Oh me, oh my, look at poor little me with my broken wing. Come eat me instead of my kids, I'm hurt and easy to catch. Oh me, oh my." The key to this tactic is that as soon as you approach her to take a bite she stands up and runs a little further away leading you away from her young ones. "Sucker!" Clever bird.

When Henry is around he stays at the nest and postures in an intimidating fashion while Margret runs off for her dramatic moment. We haven't seen him much and when he's around it is hard to tell them apart.

At some point in God's creation process he gave these birds the instinct to play out this role during the care of their eggs. I know in nature it is a serious way for her to protect her young from predators but to me it is just so funny to watch. She has no idea that I'm no threat to her young and actually look forward to seeing them hatch yet she carries on with the drama as if I'm going to steal her eggs. To be honest I've gone out there a couple of time just to see her do her thing. It amuses me.

World Cup

When someone mentions the World Cup to me this is what I see.

I can't help it. I'm not a fan. I will never be a fan. I watched a bit and it just isn't for me.

A Day at Silver Falls

My brother Kevin and his family are in town during his sabbatical. So today he and I took advantage of the nice weather and brought the kids to Silver Falls. This is such a beautiful place in Oregon, one to put on the must see list if you come to visit.

The kids were total troopers at first. We kept asking what they thought of the place and they would respond with words like "great" or "awesome". As the trail go longer and the stomachs emptier the words turned to "dumb" and "boring". When all is said and done, if you ask them in a day or two, they'll tell you they had a great time. I've got pictures to prove it.

I'm not going to try and waste words describing the beauty God created here, I'll just show you with some photos. Enjoy.

This is the main falls, Silver Falls, and the first you come to along the trail. As you can see you get to walk behind the falls on the trail.

This is the second falls, Lower South Falls, that we saw today. You also get to walk behind this one also.

Here I am with Brianna and Alex in front of Silver Falls.

Kevin and the kids behind the South Lower Falls.

Kevin and the kids in front of the Lower South Falls.

The kids pointing the way to the Lower South Falls.

Brianna inspecting some wildflowers on the trail to the falls.

Taking a break. Nothing like grabbing a rest on a log.

They were way up there climbing the root system of the trees on the hillside.

Father and son on the long stair climb back up from the Lower South Falls.

Dream Theater @ The Roseland

There are times when everything works out just fine.

This was one of them.

A few weeks back a friend told me that Dream Theater was making a stop in town during their tour with Iron Maiden. It was a no-brainer, we were going. I got online to buy tickets and the reserved seats in the balcony were sold out so we got general admission tickets for the floor. Being amongst the crowd on the floor was not the worst thing but your view of the magic on stage is hampered a bit. As you can see by the following picture we did not end up on the floor. With a little sweet talk that worked before the bribe came out the nice lady at the stairs let us up. The view was awesome and the music was even better.

After the show we met up with my friend Mike, who tends the upstairs bar, to see if we could meet the band. Previously we had seen him out front before the show and had asked if it was possible and he said he could see what he could do. Mike is the man. He stayed late to make the below photo possible at the sacrifice of his own sleep.

We were downstairs for a bit before Mike Portnoy, the drummer, came out to talk with some people. As they got up to get photos with him we joined in. I got to share a few words, shake hands, and take a couple pics. This was a cool moment. So here is me and Mike.

Pallet to Planter

The company I work for receives product on pallets continually. These pallets get stacked up in the back forty until the pile is too much and it needs to go. We usually end up taking the pallets to the local paper company for recycling. Most of the time there is nothing wrong with the wood so it seems kind of a waste.

For a couple of years Kathi has wanted me to build her some raised garden beds in the backyard. After pricing the wood we decided that it could wait. This past week at the outdoor market in our town on Tuesday nights I saw a guy who had a booth of garden beds. His beds were made of less expensive wood coated with a protective varnish or they could be purchased bare. This sparked the idea to use the pallets to make garden beds.

The pallets are cheap wood that gets tossed anyway. Why not give the wood a second life as a place to grow life. So this week I rounded up a number of pallets and brought them home. Today I made my first raised garden bed from a used pallet. It took about 10 minutes to put this together. The space between the slats will allow for water drainage. This bed is about 24" square and 6" deep.


The blue is not mine. The guys in the shop sometimes use the pallets to hold parts for painting. I am not going to paint, sand, or stain any of these. My plan is to make them and leave the wood as it was.

FOOD FIIIGHT!!!!

So here are two bands with different sounds, song titles of things we don't like, and videos that involve food fights. What is it about evil and hell that has to do with food fights? I've been in one and we called it High School. Not quite hell but close enough for some I guess.

I can imagine the fun that was had in the taping of these videos. I can also hear the director "throw food at that guy and try to look serious, no smiling people, this is serious business, take three hundred and forty two... ACTION!". You'd have to say that because the thought alone of throwing food at somebody makes me smile.


Menomena - Rotten Hell


Project 86 - Evil

Yurts For Sale

If you love the 80's you'll totally love my yurts. I've got rad 80's themed yurts for sale.

Are you going to join a yurt community? Then please peruse my selection of cool yurts themed from the days of feathered hair and parachute pants.

First up is the classic Hall and Oates Yurt. I know this yurt is on your list. Comes complete with a real live set of Daryl Hall and John Oates (musical instruments sold separately).

Next up on the list is a classic yurt Golden Girl style. This classic TV themed yurt comes complete with Emmy Award water features to cool you down on those hot days or just to cool those inevitable hot flashes. You can't go wrong with the Girls. Who wouldn't want Blanche, Dorothy, Rose, and Sophia to keep them company on those long agrarian days far from civilization?

Finally comes the piece de resistance... The ultimate Star Wars themed yurt complete with your own wookie. This yurt will keep you safe during those long Endorian nights and the wookie will keep you safe and warm (he doubles as a blanket - no need to cut open a ton-ton and sleep in it's guts with this set up).

You must hurry, supplies are limited.

What Can Kill You?

At dinner tonight we had a conversation about ways you can die. Don't judge me. We talk about everything in this family. Tonight's subject was morbid but it was what it was. I'm not sure exactly what started it but we started naming ways you can die and things that can kill you.

Brianna said that anything can kill you. My challenge was to start naming things and have her tell me how it could kill you. She refuted my hummingbird challenge by telling me that it could fly into your mouth and you could choke on it. Fair enough. I can't remember (because I'm old and senile) what other things were on the list except Owen D'Poodle who we should now fear because he too can kill us. Bad dog.

Lately I've been reading about pirates, both fiction and non-fiction, and in these books they talk about the ways pirates killed or were killed. I brought up one method I read about where they would lash the victim down and put food like cheese on their face and let rats eat their faces off. I thought this would shock the kids and gross them out but it didn't. "Dad, they're Cheese Pirates!" Alex burst out laughing. "They could have cheese in a can and just spray it on their faces, they'd be the Cheese Pirates!" He continued. "And there could be cheese ninjas too!"

So the morbid conversation about death, dying, and ways to kill or be killed ends with Cheese Pirates with deadly cans of Easy Cheese.

Long Live Farley & Swazye

When I saw this photo all I could picture in my head was Chris Farley and Patrick Swayze in the classic Chippendale dance off.

Thanks for the fun memory Lil' Earl. For more fun pictures visit Awkward Family Photo's.

Laughs and memories like this are made possible by the men and women of our armed forces and those that gave their lives on soil both foreign and domestic. Thank you all for our freedom to live and laugh. Army, Air Force, Marines, Navy, National Guard and Coast Guard.

Heard at Ikea

The kids and I took a trip to Ikea today. While walking through the last part of the maze we witnessed a bit of other family comedy. Meaning it wasn't our family that was the center of the comedy moment.

A boy about 11 or 12 picks a toilet scrubber out of a bin and declares to his father "Dad, I need this." The dad says "no". The boy replies "But I've been waiting ages for a new one of these." My kids were dying holding in the laughter. The dad just looked at the boy and told him to put it back.

Ages. He's been waiting for ages. I could barely contain my own laughter let alone keeping my kids from bursting out. I hurried them along as to not embarrass the dad any more than he already was. How many ages can an 11 something year old boy have waited. Eleven I guess. But for a toilet scrubber? That kid is serious about his sanitation.

Funny?

As a kid I remember sitting around the record player listening to my dad's Bill Cosby records. I loved them. I'm surprised I didn't wear the groves through the other side of the record. His Fat Albert stories and his Frankenstein movie stories were embedded in my brain. Bill Cosby is funny.

Because of a recent thread *here* I had the desire to look back on the things that I found funny as a kid and what helped me develop my thoughts on humor. There are things in life that are funny and other things that can be made funny. On the converse, there are things you just don't joke about, like spousal abuse, which is what was talked about in the above linked thread. Life, religion, politics, and many other things can be funny or made to be funny. To me the thought of a man beating his wife just can't be funny.

As a dad I want to pass on a healthy sense of humor to my kids. As a family we love to laugh and joke. The Bill Cosby of my childhood to my kids is Jim Gaffigan. This guy is funny. I let my kids enjoy his comedy routines as my dad did Bill Cosby's. Often I'll hear my kids quote or reference one of his jokes. For example, we were walking through Costco one Saturday gathering the essential bulk items you find there and we passed a lady with a gigantic pack of toilet paper. My daughter says "she must really like Hot Pockets." We howled. If you don't know his take on Hot Pockets watch the video of Jim below and you'll understand and you'll laugh.

Funny is good. Not all things can be funny. I hope to leave my kids with a good, clean, and healthy sense of humor. I also share with the Bill Cosby and they love him too, especially his take on cake for breakfast. The future of funny in my family looks bright.

This is one of my favorites of Bill's:

Easy Boy, Easy

There are times when I think I'm a patient person but days like today make me wonder.

Why can't God just tell me something. In a voice. A real voice that I can hear. Give me something, something I can grab onto or something I can run with. It's not like I'm just waiting around for something to happen for me, I've been trying to be proactive but nothing is coming of it.

I've got a great family, a beautiful wife and kids, a comfortable home so I really don't have much to complain about but I do. Maybe too much. Maybe that is what brings me to the precipice of impatience. I don't know. I just want some change. Change in the things that bum me out. Change in the thing that occupies my mind.

In the Bible people had to wait forty years. I can't imagine that. Forty days feels like a lifetime these days. For now I lean on my hope in Him and that he has a plan.

Doodles

Sometimes I doodle when I'm on the phone. Today was a doodl'n day.

Growing a Boy

On Tuesday my boy will be nine. Time flies when you're raising kids. Here is a photo of his new summer haircut.

I remember the day he was born like it was yesterday, unfortunately for some not-so-fun reasons. During delivery Alex had the cord around his neck so there was a bit of panic in the delivery room. There was a whole team of people waiting to receive him for whatever problems may have arisen during his delivery. Obviously he is fine and the team at St. V's was marvelous. The second event was when Kathi tried taking her first shower at the hospital after his birth. I was with both of the kids in the room when I hear this big thump from the bathroom. I rush over to find my wife laying naked between the wall and the toilet with a huge red lump growing on her head. She had fainted and fell out of the shower stall. I ran into the hall and yelled for help. This is the second time the staff at St. V's impressed me. Their response was so fast and efficient. They got Kathi into bed and had a neurologist in the room within minutes to check on her. Quite the memorable events. We were blessed with some of the best medical help one could ask for. Which makes a double blessing that day because we received our precious son in good health.

To make up for the tramatic entrance into the world God gave us a gift. Alex is a great young boy, a joke teller, and an all around joy. He's the type that lightens the room when he enters. I look forward to seeing him grow and develop into manhood. It'll be interesting to see what career path he chooses. I can see him doing so many things. For now I just want to enjoy the boy he is now.

I could post picture after picture of Alex being Alex and you would enjoy them. For now I am going to post one of my all time favorite pictures I have of Alex. He was in my room one day listening to my music and I got this precious shot.

He is definitely my son. He loves music, Legos, superhero movies, and all things comedy. Lately he's taken to the band Demon Hunter which is hardcore heavy metal. When we are driving to and from TaeKwonDo he wants me to roll the windows down and crank the tunes. I oblige. The other night he had some kids in the car next to us just howling at his antics. I looked at the mom smiled and shrugged my shoulders - she smiled back with a knowing smile. That's my boy, making people smile.

Let the Gun Polishing Begin

I've always known my daughter looks a lot like my wife. But this weekend I took a picture that confirms it. See what I mean, beautiful!

This coming week she turns 13. My first teenager. As she grows, even though I've asked her to stop, I get glimpses of the woman she is becoming. I couldn't be more proud to be her dad. Her heart is big and her sense of humor is intact. She is beginning to express an independence that comes with age and one that will continue to grow as she becomes the woman that Kathi and I are raising her to be. She cares deeply for others and holds her friends close. Although she'd never admit it she loves her brother and is a good big sister to him. God has given her a tender heart and she uses it well.

I love that she has always been a girly girl. Although she isn't much of a dress wearer she is still all girl. She is beginning to have tastes and styles of her own. She loves to express herself through her own unique fashion sense and hair styles. I was recently asked by a friend if I would let her dye her hair black and paint her nails black. I would. Because I know her heart and it is good.

I know in the coming years boys will begin to call. A forewarning to the boys out there - I am a member of the NRA, I pack heat, and my groupings are very good. In other words, I won't let her go without a fight.

Fatherhood poses many challenges but the one I knew was coming is the one I feel the least prepared for. Thirteen is a ways from eighteen but I didn't think thirteen years could go by so fast. It feels like yesterday that we were bringing her home for the first time.

Sunday Parody

This is further proof that Christians are a funny bunch. I mean that in so many ways.

"Sunday's Coming" Movie Trailer from North Point Media on Vimeo.

Thanks Adam for the link.

Last Day and a Half

Here is a recap of my last day and a half in Munich Germany.

Monday morning I had to go back to the show to make sure everything got out as scheduled. I had planned out my day the night before by finding the closest Harley dealership and wrote out instructions on how to get there. My directions were right on and I made it to the House of Flames early in the afternoon. This dealership was stellar. It was the smallest I've ever seen but had more bikes than most I've been to. They had plenty of stock bikes but also had tons of custom bikes. I picked up a t-shirt for myself and my bro-in-law. It was the one souvenir I looked forward to getting.

Tuesday was my last day in town so I decided to sight see a bit. I took the train into town at about 10am and had an hour and a half before the bike tour I was going on started. I wandered about the platz and the markets until it was time to meet up with the tour.

This is the famous Glockenspiel. I didn't see the performance of the wooden figures on the balcony. From what I understand I didn't miss much. Our tour guide referred to it as "eleven minutes of your life you'll never get back."

I took the bike tour through Mike's Bike Tour. Our guide for the day was Rod who was from Sidney Australia. He was a fun guy who kept the tour interesting and enjoyable. On the tour with me were two nursing students from Ireland and a young couple from San Diego. The five of us connected well and had some good laughs.

This photo shows us going through the English Garden which is reported to be a third larger than Central Park in NY. The one word of caution we received when entering the park was about the nudists. They weren't lying. We saw a couple dudes without their knickers as the Irish put it. Yikes, I didn't need that sight on my trip.

This was a man-made river that flowed through the English Garden and was fed by the Isah River that flows through Munich. I guess these guys can't read German, can you? They would toss their boards in the river and jump on them like they were skateboards. It was quite impressive. The water must have been about 4 degrees Celsius.

After the ride through the park we stopped at the Chinese Bier Garden for lunch. Here I stuffed myself with sausage, sauerkraut, dumplings and a beer the size of my head. The food was delicious everywhere I went. We laughed about eating sauerkraut and how it wasn't good for the guy in the back of the bike tour. The guy in the back is referred to as "The Assman" and guess who it was on this tour. Yep, me. I'm the assman. It was my duty to make sure nobody was left behind.

By the end of the bike tour we had had so much fun together we decided to keep going as a group. Neville, from San Diego, knew the way to a couple of the popular brew houses in the area so off we went. We started at this one which was at a large fairground where we played carnival games but skipped the rides. The band was a blast. They played mostly American songs by Niel Diamond, John Denver and the like. We raised our glasses and sang along as the locals got up to dance on the tables. It was quite a scene.

After the fun here we walked to the famous Hofbrauhaus downtown to finish off our evening. We didn't stay too long as I had to get up in the morning for my flight home and the Irish girls had just flown in that morning and were starting to fade.

Overall I had a good time but wouldn't choose Munich as a vacation destination. The experience of a foreign city is always challenging but I managed very well. The first three days I had my co-worker with me who spoke the language but once he left I was on my own. I was pleased to find that most Germans speak some English. My German was limited to common phrases like yes and no.

Show's Done

Yesterday afternoon we wrapped up the show after a long slow day. It was family day so most people were outside enjoying the sun and the huge equipment on display that the kids enjoy. These companies put on rock shows for the crowd. The bring in these huge pieces of equipment with big sound systems and large monitors to put on a show. It is impressive. One company, Liebherr, was reported to have spent 50 to 80 million Euros on their outdoor display. They brought in their own buildings and had to put in water, waste and electric lines to support them. When they leave they have to pull it all out.

After the show we packed everything up and headed to the apartment to clean up for dinner. For dinner we headed for downtown Munich to find a restaurant. We ended up at a place that is over 100 years old and sat outside on the sidewalk. The waitress was my favorite of the trip so far. She was feisty.

When we came by the restaurant we picked up a menu and my coworker began translating. The waitress overheard and offered us a menu in English. We accepted. After sitting down I told her that my coworker spoke German and if she wanted she could speak with him. She refused, she wanted to speak English with us. After dinner we ordered dessert. My first inclination was to order chocolate ice cream but after she told us there was a cheese cake roll I decided on that, my coworker ordered the ice cream. Upon delivering the dessert she handed me mine and said "here is your flavorful sweet." and then she turned to my coworker, handing him his ice cream she said "here is your boring ice cream." We laughed. She was like this the whole meal. We both agreed that she liked me better because I was out of my element trying new things and she liked that I helped her with her English.

By the way, the beer of the night was Hacker-Pschorr's Dark White Beer.


On our walk back to the underground we came across this. It is a memorial for Michael Jackson. Candles were still being lit and flowers looked as if they were recently placed. A couple local ladies were there looking at it and laughing. I told them that he must be missed more here than in the States because I didn't see anything like this there. They said they knew he was big here but not that big. They didn't like the memorial.

This was a random shot I took of the typical street downtown Munich. I can't imagine driving here let alone parking.

That's all for now. Miss you all at home.

Bauma Trade Show

Munich, Gemany - Bauma Trade Show.

My flight made it just fine. The ash couldn't stop me!

Our booth is a bit on the boring side at the show so I am choosing not to show it to you. Instead I will show you our neighbors who are helping us through the slow times. The two young ladies are from the Czech Republic and love practicing their English on us. They also have been supplying us with coffee and bier. The bier is a local bier from their city and it is quite delicious.

The gentleman in the photo is from Moscow and is fun to speak with. Fortunately his English is excellent because by Russian is nonexistent. He likes to talk politics and get my take on Obama and the healthcare debate. He didn't really have a position, he just wanted to hear mine.

Tonights dinner was traditional German food, pizza and bier. Yummy!

We ate outside in the courtyard of the local mall next to the trade center the show is held in. The servers were from Italy so it made our experience all the more authentic. The bier was a white bier (Hefewiezen), made by a local Munich company Paulander, and went very well with the pizza.

That's all I've got the time and energy for tonight. I've got to get to bed so I'll be ready for the last day of the show tomorrow.

Gute Nacht

Barefoot Running Update

I'm still wearing the crazy shoes for running. Funny how much attention they get. This week I had a guy pull up beside me in his car slow down and just stare at my feet. He didn't say anything, maybe because I had my earphones in, he just stared then drove off.

I'm running about 3 miles every couple days. The pain I was promised by others who have worn these shoes has come and gone. The most pain came in the lower part of my calves and the highest part of my quads. One day at the gym I was wearing my regular running shoes on the treadmill and my feet were burning in pain for the first five minutes. Maybe my feet missed the barefoot shoes.

On Thursday I think I must have run over five miles. On my run I go through the neighborhood and enter the nature park near our house. My normal path I run about 3/4 of a mile in the nature park. On Thursday I decided to mix it up a bit and take some different paths. I got lost. After sometime I found a familiar trail and found my way out. When I got home my daughter commented that it took me a lot longer than normal. I decided to look at the map I have of the nature park and see if I could retrace my path. After a good long look I think I figured out where I went wrong, which added almost two miles to my nature park leg of the run. I was sore.

So far the Vibram Five Fingers have not been worn to the gym. Mostly because I don't want to have to go through the inevitable awkward "what is that guy wearing" stage. For now I'm content to use them outside on the road and trail and keep the Nike's for the treadmill. I will, however, be taking them to Germany, ash permitting, to run the streets of Munich.

10 Commandments Mash-Up

This is funny. I don't care who you are. Funny!

Future Soldier

Today Alex and I had most of the day to ourselves. We hung out, he played video games, I read, we watched Iron Man, and he made a pronouncement:

"Dad, when I'm 18 I'm going to join the Army."

He's 8 going on 9 and I have no doubt that he is serious. Many kids have ideas of what they want to be when they grow up that never come to fruition. I for one was going to be the next Frank Lloyd Wright, but instead I'm working for the man selling parts. Alex wants to be a police officer. I think one day he will be one and a damn good one.

We've told him that a good step in becoming a good police officer is to have military experience. Also, we've told him that a college education is a good step too. It didn't come as a surprise to me that he left out the college part of his future plans. You don't find too many eight-year-olds who look forward to more school. For the most part they look forward to summer and the latest and greatest video game.

As his dad I want to be an encouragement to him and his hopes and dreams. I'd be proud to be the father of a soldier.

The Big Read

As a challenge to myself I am reading more non-fiction than fiction. It is easier to pick up a book by David Baldacci or James Patterson than it is William Zinsser or David Cordingly. Patterson and Baldacci provide what I refer to as "mind candy" - quick easy to read fluff that fills the brain for a bit and is gone. William Zinsser and David Cordingly make you say "who?".

Here are the titles and back page descriptions of the three books I am reading simultaneously and why I chose to read each one:

• On Writing Well by William Zinsser
  
  "On Writing Well has been praised for its sound advice, its clarity, and its warmth of style.
  
  It is a book for anybody who wants to learn how to write, whether about people or places, science and technology, business, sports, the arts, or about yourself. Its principles and insights have made it a cherished resource for several generations of writers and students."

Lately I've been doing a bunch of writing and editing at work. The work I'm editing is by someone who doesn't know I'm editing it, but I do it anyway. His writing tends to be a bit wordy and fluffy. After reading a blog post by Donald Miller titled Read These Seven Books, and You'll be a Better Writer I decided to pick up this book based on the description he wrote and reviews I read online. I guess it's a classic - who knew? I didn't. So far I am about a quarter of the way through the book and have found it to be a great help both in the editing I'm doing and my writing for work; since I don't really edit what I write here because most of it is from the hip it may not spare you from some of my bad writing habits. Zinsser's passion for writing, words and structure is contagious.

• Under The Black Flag by David Cordingly
  
  "This rollicking account of the golden age of piracy is packed with vivid history and high seas adventure. David Cordingly, an acclaimed expert of pirates, reveals the spellbinding truth behind the legends of Blackbeard, Captain Kidd, Sir Francis Drake, the fierce female brigands Mary Read and Anne Bonny, and others who rode and robbed upon the world's most dangerous waters. Here, in thrilling detail, are the weapons they used, the ships they sailed, and the ways they fought - and were defeated. Under the Black Flag also charts the paths of fictional pirates such as Captain Hook and Long John Silver. The definitive resource on the subject, this book is as captivating as it is supremely entertaining."

This book is the result of a trip to Costco for coffee. Some people can't resist grazing the free samples when the go to Costco, well I can't resist the book section. First, the cover caught my eye, the cool black cover with the menacing skull. Then, the fact that it was about pirates - aargh! "I must read this!" I thought. So I bought it.



• The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
  
  "In this powerful, straight-from-the-hip examination of the internal obstacles to success, bestselling author Steven Pressfield shows readers how to identify, defeat, and unlock the inner barriers to creativity. The War of Art is an inspirational, funny, well-aimed kick in the pants guaranteed to galvanize every would-be artist, visionary, or entrepreneur."
  
  I know I have a creative side. I also know I have a lazy side when it comes to my creative side. AND... I often don't like to share my creative side because I also have a sensitive side that fears criticism from others about my creative side. This book also was picked due to its presence on Donald Millers list. I thought this book might live up to its promise to give me a "well-aimed kick in the pants" and get me to move on some of the ideas I have floating in my thick, rather large (size 7 5/8") head.




• A Technique for Producing Ideas by James Webb Young
  
  "Since its publication in 1965, A Technique for Producing Ideas has helped thousands of advertising copywriters smash through internal barriers to unleash their creativity. Professionals from poets and painters to scientists and engineers have also used the techniques in this concise, powerful book to generate exciting ideas on demand, at any time, on any subject. Now let James Webb Young's unique insights help you look inside yourself to find that big, elusive idea--and once and for all lift the veil of mystery from the creative process."
  
  This book was recommended in another book I listened to on audio CD The Art of Woo by G. Richard Shell and Mario Moussa. It is a tiny little book that I eating a little bite at a time. I do a good portion of the marketing at work which requires an exercise in creativity and ideas. I hope this book gives me the little spark to generate these ideas more completely.

My hope is that these books add to the value of my life and not just fill some space in it. Not that fiction is bad, it's just a full menu of fiction is a bit much. It's like going to a restaurant that just has dessert on the menu - you can't survive on just peanut butter pie, although there are nights when I'm willing to try.

This is the year of change and my reading habits are part of that change. Running and reading. The two R's of 2010.

Help a Family Adopt

When Brianna was born Kathi worked as an assistant to the Dean at the Pacific Christian College from which we both graduated. To help us out with Brianna we had the most awesome team of students who would watch her during the time Kathi was at work. One of those students was Jen. You couldn't find better care for a newborn then Jen and the crew of girls who cared for our precious child. We remember them fondly.

Since then Jen has grown up, got married to her classmate Trent, and they have kids of their own. Time flies. You can see Jen and her family here on her blog. www.brazenlilly.blogspot.com.

Jen and her family are in the process of adopting a child from Thailand, you can read about it here. They are in the beginning stages and are currently raising funds. As a thank you to Jen for her time with our girly I sent a donation to her fund and am asking you to kindly do the same. Not only for Jen but also for that special child who is waiting for a family to call their own. God calls us to take care of the fatherless. Let's make this happen for Jen and Trent.

Sprechen Sie Englisch

At the end of the month I'll be in Munich Germany for a week. I'm going to help out at a trade show for a weekend and to pack it up when it's over. This is one of the largest, if not the largest, trade shows in the world. It is very important for us and could really help the companies presence in Europe.

I don't speak a lick of German. Fortunately my co-worker does. Unfortunately he leaves three days before I do. This will be a test for me, one I've passed before in Japan and Mexico. Although I do understand Spanish and speak a tad so Mexico was less a test than Japan was.

The other test I'll have is endurance. My plane lands at 7:50am and I head straight to the show for a full day of smiles and pleasant conversation. I hope their English is good. I plan to pack a few 5-hour energy shots for this, I know I'll need them. The jet-lag is going to be brutal.

For work I've had the privileged of travelling to Mexico, Japan, Australia and Texas. These foreign trips are fun even though I'm going to hang out in their garbage for days on end. The fun I have is trying new things and seeing new places. This mostly happens during meal times and sleep times. In Australia I was able to rent a car which afforded me the experience of driving on the other side of the road from the other side of the car. Japan, oh boy, I could tell stories all night about that trip but if you search back in this blog you can just read them.

While in Germany I am hoping to have a day or two to site see and explore. I found a bicycle tour that I'd like to take on my last day there. It is four hours long and looks to be a great way to see the city. Of course bier is on the menu. Bier and coffee are my two favorite beverages and since Munich is not known for their coffee I'll settle for the bier.

I will post pics and stories from there for sure. I'm nervous and excited, or I have a nervous excitement about this trip.

Run Brian, Run

I was not born a runner nor am I much of an athlete. Due to a high cholesterol level I started an exercise regiment that includes a treadmill and weights. For over a year I have been doing my best to get up every morning at 4:30am to get to the gym for a solid workout before work.

Most days I spend 1/2 hour to 45 minutes on the treadmill. I began my treadmill regiment with a brisk walk but this past year was inspired to begin running. The inspiration came from volunteering at a charity run for a friends non-profit organization. Being a part of this run and meeting the people who were running in the event made me want to run.

This past week was the first time I moved the running from the treadmill to the road. My route covers a hair over three miles. Two of which are on the road and one is through the nature park on unpaved paths. So far so good. Both times I ended up in the rain which to my surprise I actually enjoyed. I know it'll beat running in the heat of summer.

One of the other things that we saw at the charity race that inspired me was a family of barefoot runners. The dad was totally barefoot pushing a running stroller with two kids. The mom however had some of the funkiest shoes I've ever laid eyes on. This week I picked up a pair. I am going to give barefoot running a try.

These are the Vibram Five Fingers. My first worry about these shoes was the loss of cushion and what that would mean to my untrained older joints. After reading numerous articles and reviews about barefoot running and these shoes in particular I decided it was worth trying.

Yesterday's run went very well. As many of the articles warned, I feel some new muscles that were not being worked previously. What I noticed running in these shoes was the loss of cushion, which concerned me, was replaced with the feel of the road and trail which was exhilarating. Instead of my feet being isolated they were free.

I've got a long road ahead as I train my old body to do something it hasn't done much of before but I am excited about it. Gotta run!

The Easter Song

Keith Green was taken from this world too early in my opinion. He had a unique way of saying things. I remember this song from long ago and still love it. In celebration of the Risen Lord I thought I'd share this video.



THE LORD HAS RISEN!!!

Eggscellent!

Part of our Easter tradition is to color eggs. I know, we are unique. Tonight was that night. The house smells of vinegar and the eggs that were once white are now brilliant colors.

Here's the set up. You can just feel the excitement.

Alex thought his egg looked like it had pants on so he added a plumbers crack. Sorry, he gets his sense of humor from his mother.

Brianna on the other hand took the spiritual route. She must get that from me.

This is one of my eggs. It is a dinosaur egg. Since God made dino's I decided to include one of their eggs in our collection.