A few random things

I was thinking today that I'm kind of a google-aholic. Here is a list of the google products that I use on a regular basis.

Talk
G-mail
Maps
Books (where I manage my library)
YouTube (yep, it's owned by google)
Blogger
Calendar
Docs
Reader
Groups
Analytics
Wave
Voice
Earth
Goog-411
Labs
iGoogle
And I use Google for all my web and image searching

There might be more, but these are the ones that just came to mind. And I wouldn't be surprised if some of you (Jase) use even more (like Picasa for your photos). Isn't that crazy?

Around here between January and April every year we have people dancing on street corners dressed like the Statue of Liberty (I think they're supposed to point you toward some tax agency with "liberty" in its name). Today I saw two of them on the same corner. Almost blew my mind. Are these crazy liberty dancers all over the country, or just in the Denver metro area?

The Denver area also has an out-of-control Canadian goose infestation each winter. Our church sits near a large open field, and we've got a decent amount of lawn where they like to eat, so different staff members here at church take turns going outside and looking like fools trying to scare the geese away. The geese are no longer scared of our wolf decoy. Sometimes they'll fly away if I pelt them with rocks. Other times they look at me like I'm a moron (and then I usually feel like one). It wouldn't be a big deal if they wouldn't poop so much (though I could probably say the same thing about some of the people in my family).

Haiti blog post from Dr. Blomberg

A new blog post from Dr. Craig Blomberg (of Denver Seminary fame) asks, "Is Haiti being judged?" It's only a couple minutes worth of reading.

crud

I'm feeling kinda cruddy. It's like my whole head is full of gunk. It's not a big deal. Just makes me uncomfortable.

I'm also somewhat nervous. I haven't taken a New Testament Greek class since the fall semester of 2008. That's more than a year of no intensive Greek study. This semester (which begins on Monday) I'm taking 4th-semester Greek, which at Denver Seminary is called "Greek Exegesis of James." Classes are spent translating orally through the book of James, and reflecting your knowledge of the language, theology of the passage, and proper interpretive and exegetical techniques. Also, each student is assigned a passage on which they must write a 45ish page paper. The paper includes in-depth exegesis and analysis of your passage (word studies, interpretive issues, historical-cultural background, literary context, etc.). After you've written your paper you have to sit before the class (along with the other 1 or 2 people who had the same passage) and answer questions from the students and the professor about the issues in your passage.

It's all very intense, and since I'm coming off a Greek hiatus of sorts, I'm pretty nervous about it.

California trip: Part 5

Wrapping up our California trip. These pictures are from our last day, Saturday, as we took our time heading down the coast, stopped at the zoo, had some lunch, and hopped our plane home.

This was a weird looking bird at the zoo. I'm pretty sure there's a lady that goes to our church with this same haircut.

The monkey in the middle with his head on upside down is Brian.

This is my always intelligent-looking brother, Jaron, who joined us when he finished working Saturday.

Can you guess who this is?

Jaron and his fiancee, D'Ann!

Cristian. What a guy.

A.J. Nice haircut!

Brian was showing me the shirt under his Lightning McQueen shirt. He was more proud of the Red Green look than the Cars look.

Bringing the good looks to the house full of boys, it's Ana.

And I just had to post our "funny face" picture from Friday night. Who's the funniest?

Dad. Hands down.

My kind of counseling

One of the reasons that my wife has a Master's in counseling and I don't is because if I was a counselor I would be exactly like this guy.



Hilarious.

A few videos from the California trip

Here are a few of the videos I shot in California. They all feature Brian.

This is the "Rainbow Song." The lyrics are "Red orange yellow, green blue purple, God made the rainbow, sprite! sprite! sprite!" We're actually not completely confident that "sprite sprite sprite" is the word that's being repeated at the end, but that's what it sounds like.

This is the pledge of allegiance. He really thinks it ends with the words "play ball."

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

California trip: Part 4

And we just keep on rolling...

Got to Pismo Beach JUST in time for a few good sunset shots

The family

It looks like there's a log in the ocean, or a spillway... but it's just the wave crashing

Mom and a very happy Brian

I like the color blue, and I like this picture of the town of Pismo Beach

Brian was still quite happy

This is my dad's favorite

Melanie likes to be like the grown-ups by resting her feet on the ottoman, but to do it she has to lay her whole body across the opening between the sofa and the ottoman. We think it's hilarious.

Grandma came over for dinner!

Aunt Aimee and Uncle Jack brought their family for dinner too!

California trip: Part 3

Another installment of updates from our California trip via photographs. Only a couple of days left :(

Brian was reading "Go Dog, Go" to me

Melanie got some new blocks... which I think I found more entertaining than she did

A.J. thinks he's a tough guy

As we headed out to go see the elephant seals with the whole group

Brian thought he was funny with the shades. Melanie thought he was interesting

Goofball

At the elephant seal "vista point"

Melanie was enjoying herself

I'm not sure what we did to make her make this face

She was showing us how to "jump"

California trip: Part 2

A few more pictures from the next couple of days of our trip, for your enjoyment...

Melanie wore pigtails on Saturday. A-DOR-A-BLE

Ana was trying to braid mom's hair. Brian and Melanie were trying to drive cars on mom's head.

On the pier at Port San Luis where we watched some pelicans dive-bomb for their fish food, and where we also watched the sea lions lay around and yell at each other.

The unconventional style of Brian riding on Dad's shoulders.

The two little ones dancing before church on Sunday.

Elizabeth and I drove up the coast today. I'd never been at the elephant seal viewing spot during the "birthing months" of Jan/Feb before! Elephant seals are gross... but the newborns almost have a hint of cuteness, don't you think?

A favorite family spot along Highway 1 (went for the soft, flowing water look)

It was a very foggy coastline today, but as always, very beautiful too.

We made it all the way to Monterey! A very pretty town.

Driving up the coast on Highway 1 is something it seems everyone in my family HAS to do when they visit California. It's easy to understand why if you've ever done it.

California trip: Part 1

It's our second morning with the family in beautiful California, and so I took a few minutes to post some of the pictures from our trip so far.

Here's Elizabeth with Melanie

And me with Melanie

Lunch time

Mom reading to Melanie and Brian

Mom & I in the late afternoon sun reading to Brian

Melanie was hungry. Brian obliged

Me with Brian, Melanie, and AJ

Cristian, Ana, AJ, and Brian

Mom & Melanie

Brian and Melanie... apparently they get along

Them again.

Having fun!