It's common this time of year for bloggers to write some kind of "year in review" post, usually highlighting their most popular posts of the year. In that spirit, I present to you the most popular posts (by number of comments) from 2011 here at The Cliffs of Insanity.
100 or more comments:
(none)
50 or more comments:
(none)
25 or more comments:
(none)
10 or more comments:
(none)
5 or more comments:
May 18: How Swift Am I? (5 comments, 3 of them consisted of 1 word or less, 1 of them was my own)
October 13: Probably the most political I've ever been on this blog (5 comments, 2 were my own)
Here's hoping for an even better 2012!
December 31, 2011
December 27, 2011
December 12, 2011
Sunday School Question
The Sunday school teacher asked her class, "Class, do you know who walked on water, healed the blind, and fed five thousand people with just 5 loaves and 2 fish?"
The quiet boy in the back raised his hand and answered,
"I know the answer must be Jesus, but it sure sounds like Tim Tebow to me!"
This joke was made up and told to me by my friend and co-worker, Ron Mol and his son, Scott.
The quiet boy in the back raised his hand and answered,
"I know the answer must be Jesus, but it sure sounds like Tim Tebow to me!"
This joke was made up and told to me by my friend and co-worker, Ron Mol and his son, Scott.
December 10, 2011
Pretty sweet
Tonight we babysat for a couple from Oklahoma. This is the second time we've babysat for them, and somehow tonight we ended up on the topic of guns & hunting. Justin said he had one particular gun that he really liked that he used for hunting hogs in OK with a friend of his (who happens to be a U.S. Marine). I asked if I could see it, and he was happy to oblige. It looked a lot (thought not exactly) like this:
It's called an AR-10. I'm sure my Marine/Air National Guard brother will be unimpressed, but it was one of the coolest things I've ever held with my own hands.
That's all.
It's called an AR-10. I'm sure my Marine/Air National Guard brother will be unimpressed, but it was one of the coolest things I've ever held with my own hands.
That's all.
November 28, 2011
"What in the name of me is going on in here?"
When I was in college someone pointed me to some short videos made by the website Vintage21.com. I guess they were originally put together for use in a church youth group. There are 4 different videos, and the creators have dubbed their own dialogue over footage from an old Jesus movie. They're hilarious.
This video contains all 4 of the Vintage21 originals back-to-back. Enjoy!
This video contains all 4 of the Vintage21 originals back-to-back. Enjoy!
November 26, 2011
Some humor
For some reason, as soon as I saw this I could hear Jase laughing really hard at it. So, Jase, do you find it funny?
And there's SO much I love about this news story. Don't mess with U.S. Marines.
And there's SO much I love about this news story. Don't mess with U.S. Marines.
November 22, 2011
Schwarzenegger
This is a video of some of Arnold Schwarzenegger's DVD commentary from his movie Total Recall. I don't know if this was the first (only?) time he's ever been asked to provide commentary for his movies, but it's absolutely hilarious. He simply describes what's going on the whole time. And his accent just makes it even more amusing to listen to.
Viewer's Warning: there's a brief bit of female nudity at about 2:21, and a fairly grotesque (though obviously fake) image of a guy's eyes bulging out of his head around 3:55.
It makes me want to ask Rob Reiner if I can do the commentary for The Princess Bride DVD and just say things like, "...this is a wonderful scene, it's where the man in black is trying to climb the Cliffs of Insanity and Inigo offers to help but the man in black doesn't know whether or not to trust him. And this is when he decides to trust Inigo and gets pulled up to the top."
Viewer's Warning: there's a brief bit of female nudity at about 2:21, and a fairly grotesque (though obviously fake) image of a guy's eyes bulging out of his head around 3:55.
It makes me want to ask Rob Reiner if I can do the commentary for The Princess Bride DVD and just say things like, "...this is a wonderful scene, it's where the man in black is trying to climb the Cliffs of Insanity and Inigo offers to help but the man in black doesn't know whether or not to trust him. And this is when he decides to trust Inigo and gets pulled up to the top."
November 21, 2011
November 20, 2011
November 16, 2011
Wingardium Leviosa!
Cowboys receivers Laurent Robinson and Dez Bryant levitate in celebration of a touchdown during the Cowboys' shellacking of the Buffalo Bills last Sunday.
Cowherd on Aliens
Not terribly high quality, and the volume is kinda weak, but this clip from Colin Cowherd on aliens has been making me laugh for days. His last line is his best line.
November 1, 2011
Stephen Colbert Occupies Wall Street
My friend Leah sent me this video. I watched it at work and laughed until I had tears. Then I had to explain to my co-workers why I was crying. It was sort of awkward.
The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive
October 31, 2011
October 29, 2011
Excitement in the Rohde house
On October 27, 2006, this happened in Colorado Springs when the Cardinals won their first World Series since 1982:
The guy she's on the phone with was her boyfriend of 7 months (that would be me).
On October 28, 2011, this happened in Englewood, CO when the Cardinals won the World Series... again:
That's my wife; a true life-long die-hard St. Louis Cardinals fan.
October 27, 2011
The Twilight Zone
We've lived in Denver for over four years now, and over that time I've observed what I believe to be a very strange phenomenon. Quite often, when waiting at a red light, the first car in a given lane will wait 1-2 car-lengths behind the line where you're supposed to stop. Does anyone have any idea why this is so? And why I've never noticed this anywhere else in the country? It's as though they want to get a running start at the line when the light turns green. I don't understand it. I need help.
October 22, 2011
Humorous Pictures
Here are some pics from around the internet I've discovered and found amusing. (The Facebook one is my personal favorite.)
October 13, 2011
Probably the most political I've ever been on this blog
I know almost nothing about these "Occupy Wall Street" protests that are going on. What I think I've gathered is that this movement is made up of mostly left-side-of-the-aisle people who think companies and Tea Partiers are bad, and taxing the rich (and everyone else who's not one of them) is good. I haven't really figured out exactly what they're protesting or what they wish to accomplish.
Anyway, I came across THIS site yesterday where people who support this movement are encouraged to write down their woeful tales of debt and unemployment, and then take a picture of themselves holding up their handwritten story. Together, these people consider themselves the 99% of our population who are apparently the "have-nots" who are sick of being trampled on by the "haves."
Here are some copied-and-pasted examples (in italics), with a few of the responses that ran through my head as I read them (forgive my snarkiness):
“I was kicked out of my parent’s house when I turned 18. I lived with a friend for a year or so while I could get my feet under me. I joined our nation’s Navy, but they kicked me out too. Now I live in my best friend’s mother’s basement because I can’t afford to survive on my own I have a job and go to school full time, but my job pays less than I need and school causes me to miss out on hours I so desperately need. I have a mountain of debt, no credit, and no one cares.”
It's not cruel for parents to expect their 18-year olds to move out, move on, get a job, and begin their own life. The Navy, to my knowledge, doesn't kick people out willy-nilly. If it had been an unfair discharge, you surely would have noted that (which leads me to believe you did something to deserve it). I'm sorry that "no one cares." I truly am. I think it's terribly sad that not everyone has a network of friends and family upon whom they can count when times are tough. But if you (or this movement you're so in love with) think it's the fault of Republicans, or capitalism, or really any other idea you don't happen to like, I'd say you've got a tough case to make.
"I have anorexia. Pretty soon I will be unable to work. My husband has an amazing job and luckily my health issues will be covered. The only problem is he hates working there. He is unhappy and unable to change anything because of my mental condition. I wish I could help. I wish everyone wasn't so scared. Why is it so hard for humanity to help each other?"
I'm sorry you have anorexia. What's the connection between having anorexia and not being able to work "pretty soon" (or is there one)? Your husband, frankly, sounds kind of picky to me. An "amazing job" that he doesn't enjoy is better than no job at all. Millions of people would, I'm sure, be happy to trade you places.
“my 27 year old brother was laid off from his job in construction, and was promised that they would let him come back. They lied. he sat at home all day, every day, because he was sure they would let him come back. he went on unemployment for the time being (about a year), and then got a call saying that he wasnt going to be let back in to the company. now he works at my county’s fairgrounds getting paid $12.00 an hour, and he lives with my parents and myself because he can’t afford to live on his own and my parents cant afford to live without him."
Sounds like kind of a jerk of a company. However, let me point out that it's not terribly responsible of your brother to sit "at home all day, every day" on the hope that the company he used to work for was honest and upright. And $12.00 an hour? Wow, that's less than $5/hour more than minimum wage! You're brother's getting so screwed. I can't believe he's not living on the streets at that wage. We should definitely raise the minimum wage to at least $15 an hour (oh wait... if we did that, the fairgrounds wouldn't hire him at all because they couldn't justify paying him that much... if only there weren't consequences for our actions!).
"In 2008, I had a job that paid $50,000/year and had great benefits -- even a pension. For the next three years, I was mostly unemployed; getting short-term temporary positions. Now, I've got a 'permanent' position: $10/hour, no benefits and only three days a week."
So... how did you go from making $50k a year to unemployed? Surely it was an unfair move by your employer. But, why didn't you tell us about that? Now I'm left to wonder whether or not you had your own hand in it. And why didn't you save anything when you were doing so well? Carpe Diem, eh?
"I am 3 months from a BA in global management. But, it won't be enough. I have to go into more debt to get a Masters, & pray I find a job then."
Stupid country. Forcing you to attend more school and go into more debt. You've practically got a gun to your head, haven't you? And what happens when you've got your Masters, more debt, and still can't get a job? Man, if only we made President Obama into a dictator. Surely he would help you reach your dream of becoming a... global manager?
"30k in debt for student loans for a degree I will never use."
Again, I feel terrible that the "system" pointed an AK-47 at your head and forced you to go to school, and forced you into a major that you either didn't want or wasn't useful. How is this someone else's fault? What if I complained that Toyota sold me a perfectly good Camry that I'll never drive. Is that Toyota's fault, or am I just stupid?
"College (check) Job (check) Grad School (check) Marriage (check) House (check) Kids (no check) I made responsible decisions, but that only led to debt. How will my husband and I ever afford children, when we already live check to check??"
And here we go again. How do you define "responsible?" If you're so far in debt, what are you doing buying a house? Is it responsible for me to buy a yacht because that's what all my friends are doing, or because I think it'll be nice to have, if I don't have the money to pay for it?
"Us? Three years of wedded bliss. Me? Laid off from a job I loved in a voicemail with no explanation? (Unemployment never came through either). Now I work 50 hours a week and barely make $25,000. Oh, and I drive 35 min to get there. Him? Working full time and going to school full time. I came from a rags to riches family, but my parents make $350,000 more than I do at least. Luxuries include a home, birth control and heat. Not to mention the ability to barely pay off our student loans (which are still accumulating). Welcome to the American Dream. BUT, I AM STILL LUCKY!"
Your parents seem to have plenty of money with which they can help you. But you'd rather require the rest of the country to help you instead with their tax dollars, right?
Anyway, I came across THIS site yesterday where people who support this movement are encouraged to write down their woeful tales of debt and unemployment, and then take a picture of themselves holding up their handwritten story. Together, these people consider themselves the 99% of our population who are apparently the "have-nots" who are sick of being trampled on by the "haves."
Here are some copied-and-pasted examples (in italics), with a few of the responses that ran through my head as I read them (forgive my snarkiness):
“I was kicked out of my parent’s house when I turned 18. I lived with a friend for a year or so while I could get my feet under me. I joined our nation’s Navy, but they kicked me out too. Now I live in my best friend’s mother’s basement because I can’t afford to survive on my own I have a job and go to school full time, but my job pays less than I need and school causes me to miss out on hours I so desperately need. I have a mountain of debt, no credit, and no one cares.”
It's not cruel for parents to expect their 18-year olds to move out, move on, get a job, and begin their own life. The Navy, to my knowledge, doesn't kick people out willy-nilly. If it had been an unfair discharge, you surely would have noted that (which leads me to believe you did something to deserve it). I'm sorry that "no one cares." I truly am. I think it's terribly sad that not everyone has a network of friends and family upon whom they can count when times are tough. But if you (or this movement you're so in love with) think it's the fault of Republicans, or capitalism, or really any other idea you don't happen to like, I'd say you've got a tough case to make.
"I have anorexia. Pretty soon I will be unable to work. My husband has an amazing job and luckily my health issues will be covered. The only problem is he hates working there. He is unhappy and unable to change anything because of my mental condition. I wish I could help. I wish everyone wasn't so scared. Why is it so hard for humanity to help each other?"
I'm sorry you have anorexia. What's the connection between having anorexia and not being able to work "pretty soon" (or is there one)? Your husband, frankly, sounds kind of picky to me. An "amazing job" that he doesn't enjoy is better than no job at all. Millions of people would, I'm sure, be happy to trade you places.
“my 27 year old brother was laid off from his job in construction, and was promised that they would let him come back. They lied. he sat at home all day, every day, because he was sure they would let him come back. he went on unemployment for the time being (about a year), and then got a call saying that he wasnt going to be let back in to the company. now he works at my county’s fairgrounds getting paid $12.00 an hour, and he lives with my parents and myself because he can’t afford to live on his own and my parents cant afford to live without him."
Sounds like kind of a jerk of a company. However, let me point out that it's not terribly responsible of your brother to sit "at home all day, every day" on the hope that the company he used to work for was honest and upright. And $12.00 an hour? Wow, that's less than $5/hour more than minimum wage! You're brother's getting so screwed. I can't believe he's not living on the streets at that wage. We should definitely raise the minimum wage to at least $15 an hour (oh wait... if we did that, the fairgrounds wouldn't hire him at all because they couldn't justify paying him that much... if only there weren't consequences for our actions!).
"In 2008, I had a job that paid $50,000/year and had great benefits -- even a pension. For the next three years, I was mostly unemployed; getting short-term temporary positions. Now, I've got a 'permanent' position: $10/hour, no benefits and only three days a week."
So... how did you go from making $50k a year to unemployed? Surely it was an unfair move by your employer. But, why didn't you tell us about that? Now I'm left to wonder whether or not you had your own hand in it. And why didn't you save anything when you were doing so well? Carpe Diem, eh?
"I am 3 months from a BA in global management. But, it won't be enough. I have to go into more debt to get a Masters, & pray I find a job then."
Stupid country. Forcing you to attend more school and go into more debt. You've practically got a gun to your head, haven't you? And what happens when you've got your Masters, more debt, and still can't get a job? Man, if only we made President Obama into a dictator. Surely he would help you reach your dream of becoming a... global manager?
"30k in debt for student loans for a degree I will never use."
Again, I feel terrible that the "system" pointed an AK-47 at your head and forced you to go to school, and forced you into a major that you either didn't want or wasn't useful. How is this someone else's fault? What if I complained that Toyota sold me a perfectly good Camry that I'll never drive. Is that Toyota's fault, or am I just stupid?
"College (check) Job (check) Grad School (check) Marriage (check) House (check) Kids (no check) I made responsible decisions, but that only led to debt. How will my husband and I ever afford children, when we already live check to check??"
And here we go again. How do you define "responsible?" If you're so far in debt, what are you doing buying a house? Is it responsible for me to buy a yacht because that's what all my friends are doing, or because I think it'll be nice to have, if I don't have the money to pay for it?
"Us? Three years of wedded bliss. Me? Laid off from a job I loved in a voicemail with no explanation? (Unemployment never came through either). Now I work 50 hours a week and barely make $25,000. Oh, and I drive 35 min to get there. Him? Working full time and going to school full time. I came from a rags to riches family, but my parents make $350,000 more than I do at least. Luxuries include a home, birth control and heat. Not to mention the ability to barely pay off our student loans (which are still accumulating). Welcome to the American Dream. BUT, I AM STILL LUCKY!"
Your parents seem to have plenty of money with which they can help you. But you'd rather require the rest of the country to help you instead with their tax dollars, right?
New Address for Football Talk
Most of you don't care, but for Joel & Jase (and maybe mom? and Elizabeth?), I've changed the address of my NFL/Dallas Cowboys blog. You can find it HERE. If you subscribe, you'll need to add the new address to your feed reader. Thanks.
September 29, 2011
Baseball: It's NOT boring
This is a fairly long sports post. I'm telling you this up front so that if you're not interested, you can just skip it altogether. I'm not primarily writing this to inform anyone, but to record, for posterity, my story of what I believe to be one of the most exciting nights in sports of my entire life.
At the beginning of September the Boston Red Sox held a 9-game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays in the race for the American League wild card (i.e., the final playoff spot available). On September 6, the Atlanta Braves led the St. Louis Cardinals by 8 1/2 games in the race for the National League wild card.
After Tuesday night's games, both wild card races were tied. Last night was the last night of the regular season for Major League Baseball. In the AL, the Red Sox were playing the Orioles, and the Rays were playing the Yankees. If both teams won OR both teams lost, they would have to play each other tonight to see who would make the playoffs. If one team won and the other lost, the winning team gets the last spot.
In the NL, the Cardinals were playing the Astros, and the Braves were playing the Phillies. It was the same situation as the AL.
I turned on the Braves game at about 5:30 pm. ESPN 2 was showing the Braves game, and would switch to the Cardinals game when the Braves game was over. But, the Cardinals game lasted only 2.5 hours as the redbirds smoked the Astros 8-0, so it never appeared on TV. After the win, the Cardinals were guaranteed at least a play-in game, depending on what happened with the Braves. Atlanta led 3-1 for most of the game. In the 7th inning the Phillies scored a run, cutting the lead to 3-2. In the 9th, the Phillies got a single, a few walks, and a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 3. The game stayed tied until the 13th inning (the Braves, at this point, knew that the Cardinals had won and that they needed a win to stay alive), when the Phillies were able to manufacture a run off an unimpressive RBI single by Hunter Pence. The Braves couldn't score in the bottom of the 13th and lost the game. A close, exciting game. It was 9:40 pm and the Braves had completed the worst September collapse in MLB history, missing out on the playoffs.
Meanwhile, in the American League games, the Red Sox led 3-2 over the Orioles and had been in a rain delay for quite some time, no doubt following the action in New York where the Rays were getting walloped 7-0 by the Yankees. Not long after the Red Sox game resumed, something weird happened in New York. It was the bottom of the 8th, and somehow the Rays managed to score 6 runs. It's quite rare for a team to score 6 in a single inning. But then the inning ended, and the Rays were still behind 7-6 with only one inning left. But in the bottom of the 9th, with two outs, the Rays had just one more chance to hang on. Manager Joe Maddon called on a pinch hitter named Dan Johnson to bat. Johnson's batting average was .108 (translation: awful) and he did not have a hit in the month of September. Johnson hit a home run. The Rays were tied with the Yankees and heading to extra innings.
As the game stayed tied in New York, another anomaly was happening in Baltimore. It was the bottom of the 9th and the Orioles were still behind 3-2 in a game which was quickly looking like an absolute must-win for the Red Sox. The Sox put in one of the best closers in the world: Jonathan Papelbon. This season, the Red Sox were 76-0 when leading after 8 innings, and Papelbon was a big reason why. Papelbon struck out the first two Orioles. Now the Red Sox needed just one more out and they would be assured at least one more day of hope for the postseason. But the next Oriole hit a double. The one after that hit a ground-rule double to tie the game at 3. Then Robert Andino came to the plate and hit a soft line-drive to left field. The Sox left fielder couldn't make the catch (even though he appeared to be in position to). The Red Sox had blown a 9th inning lead for the first time all year and lost. What? It was 10:02 here in Denver. But the Red Sox would still be fine, as long as those pesky Rays didn't pull out a win.
But down in Tampa, the Rays were still tied with the Yankees in the bottom of the 12th. It was 10:05 Mountain Time, and the scoreboard at Tropicana Field had just been updated for the fans to see that Boston had lost. A Rays win would put them in the playoffs. And Evan Longoria pulled a line drive shot down the left field line. It cleared the fence by about a foot. The Rays won. Twenty-five minutes earlier, the Braves had set a new record low for awful collapses in the Major Leagues, but when Longoria hit his home run, the Red Sox collapse trumped it.
Most of the night it looked like a sure thing that the Cardinals would win, but so would the Braves, and they'd have a play-in game tonight. It also looked like the Red Sox would win and the Rays would lose and Boston would clinch the AL wild card. Instead, the Braves lost in 13 innings and the Cardinals got the wild card outright. Then the Sox stumbled and the Rays pulled off a miraculous comeback, and the Rays got the wild card outright.
One of the most exciting sports nights I can remember. I couldn't even sleep well because I was so blown away by what I had just witnessed. Incredible.
Update:
Here are some related notes I found interesting:
In an unrelated baseball story, Jose Reyes of the New York Mets caused some controversy yesterday. Reyes was seeking to win the National League batting title (i.e., best batting average in the league). In his first at bat, he bunted for a hit. Then he took himself out of the game to preserve his average and get the title. I thought that was cowardly. Ironically, this occurred on the 70th anniversary of one of baseball's great stories. In 1941 Ted Williams entered the final day of the season with a batting average just over .400 -- a monumentally great average. His manager told him he could sit out the day's double-header to preserve that average. Williams refused. He played in both games, risking his average with every at bat. Williams went 6 for 8 that day and raised his average to a whopping .406. Ted Williams had guts. Jose Reyes did not.
At the beginning of September the Boston Red Sox held a 9-game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays in the race for the American League wild card (i.e., the final playoff spot available). On September 6, the Atlanta Braves led the St. Louis Cardinals by 8 1/2 games in the race for the National League wild card.
After Tuesday night's games, both wild card races were tied. Last night was the last night of the regular season for Major League Baseball. In the AL, the Red Sox were playing the Orioles, and the Rays were playing the Yankees. If both teams won OR both teams lost, they would have to play each other tonight to see who would make the playoffs. If one team won and the other lost, the winning team gets the last spot.
In the NL, the Cardinals were playing the Astros, and the Braves were playing the Phillies. It was the same situation as the AL.
I turned on the Braves game at about 5:30 pm. ESPN 2 was showing the Braves game, and would switch to the Cardinals game when the Braves game was over. But, the Cardinals game lasted only 2.5 hours as the redbirds smoked the Astros 8-0, so it never appeared on TV. After the win, the Cardinals were guaranteed at least a play-in game, depending on what happened with the Braves. Atlanta led 3-1 for most of the game. In the 7th inning the Phillies scored a run, cutting the lead to 3-2. In the 9th, the Phillies got a single, a few walks, and a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 3. The game stayed tied until the 13th inning (the Braves, at this point, knew that the Cardinals had won and that they needed a win to stay alive), when the Phillies were able to manufacture a run off an unimpressive RBI single by Hunter Pence. The Braves couldn't score in the bottom of the 13th and lost the game. A close, exciting game. It was 9:40 pm and the Braves had completed the worst September collapse in MLB history, missing out on the playoffs.
Meanwhile, in the American League games, the Red Sox led 3-2 over the Orioles and had been in a rain delay for quite some time, no doubt following the action in New York where the Rays were getting walloped 7-0 by the Yankees. Not long after the Red Sox game resumed, something weird happened in New York. It was the bottom of the 8th, and somehow the Rays managed to score 6 runs. It's quite rare for a team to score 6 in a single inning. But then the inning ended, and the Rays were still behind 7-6 with only one inning left. But in the bottom of the 9th, with two outs, the Rays had just one more chance to hang on. Manager Joe Maddon called on a pinch hitter named Dan Johnson to bat. Johnson's batting average was .108 (translation: awful) and he did not have a hit in the month of September. Johnson hit a home run. The Rays were tied with the Yankees and heading to extra innings.
As the game stayed tied in New York, another anomaly was happening in Baltimore. It was the bottom of the 9th and the Orioles were still behind 3-2 in a game which was quickly looking like an absolute must-win for the Red Sox. The Sox put in one of the best closers in the world: Jonathan Papelbon. This season, the Red Sox were 76-0 when leading after 8 innings, and Papelbon was a big reason why. Papelbon struck out the first two Orioles. Now the Red Sox needed just one more out and they would be assured at least one more day of hope for the postseason. But the next Oriole hit a double. The one after that hit a ground-rule double to tie the game at 3. Then Robert Andino came to the plate and hit a soft line-drive to left field. The Sox left fielder couldn't make the catch (even though he appeared to be in position to). The Red Sox had blown a 9th inning lead for the first time all year and lost. What? It was 10:02 here in Denver. But the Red Sox would still be fine, as long as those pesky Rays didn't pull out a win.
But down in Tampa, the Rays were still tied with the Yankees in the bottom of the 12th. It was 10:05 Mountain Time, and the scoreboard at Tropicana Field had just been updated for the fans to see that Boston had lost. A Rays win would put them in the playoffs. And Evan Longoria pulled a line drive shot down the left field line. It cleared the fence by about a foot. The Rays won. Twenty-five minutes earlier, the Braves had set a new record low for awful collapses in the Major Leagues, but when Longoria hit his home run, the Red Sox collapse trumped it.
Most of the night it looked like a sure thing that the Cardinals would win, but so would the Braves, and they'd have a play-in game tonight. It also looked like the Red Sox would win and the Rays would lose and Boston would clinch the AL wild card. Instead, the Braves lost in 13 innings and the Cardinals got the wild card outright. Then the Sox stumbled and the Rays pulled off a miraculous comeback, and the Rays got the wild card outright.
One of the most exciting sports nights I can remember. I couldn't even sleep well because I was so blown away by what I had just witnessed. Incredible.
Update:
Here are some related notes I found interesting:
- I mentioned above that the Red Sox were 76-0 this season when taking a lead into the 9th inning prior to last night. Also, though, the Yankees hadn't blown a lead that big (7 runs) that late (8th inning) since 1953. Those were the two stats that had to be overcome for Tampa to end up in the playoffs.
- The Red Sox were 7-20 in the month of September.
- In 3 of the 4 games with playoff implications last night, a team was 1 out from winning and ended up losing.
- Great Sports Illustrated story on the drama of September 28, 2011 can be found here: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/tom_verducci/09/29/game.162.drama/index.html?eref=sircrc
In an unrelated baseball story, Jose Reyes of the New York Mets caused some controversy yesterday. Reyes was seeking to win the National League batting title (i.e., best batting average in the league). In his first at bat, he bunted for a hit. Then he took himself out of the game to preserve his average and get the title. I thought that was cowardly. Ironically, this occurred on the 70th anniversary of one of baseball's great stories. In 1941 Ted Williams entered the final day of the season with a batting average just over .400 -- a monumentally great average. His manager told him he could sit out the day's double-header to preserve that average. Williams refused. He played in both games, risking his average with every at bat. Williams went 6 for 8 that day and raised his average to a whopping .406. Ted Williams had guts. Jose Reyes did not.
August 17, 2011
An amateur looks at Love Wins
At the end of February a pastor from Michigan named Rob Bell released a promo video for his soon-to-be-released book, Love Wins, and a firestorm of controversy erupted in the online evangelical world. The next month the book came out, and the controversy continued. From the end of February until about mid-April it seemed everything Christianity-related I read online had to do with Bell's book. In a nutshell, Bell's book is (as his subtitle suggests) A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person who Ever Lived. In this book Bell is seen by many as having taken a step toward (if not a canonball-sized plunge into) universalism - the idea that in the end, all people will be saved. Though the controversy is now "old news," I just recently had a chance to read the book, and I wanted to share my thoughts.
When I began reading, I started taking notes on just about every sentence on every page, but I soon realized that this was taking a ridiculous amount of time, and it was completely unnecessary. Many others have posted detailed reviews of this book and have done so much more eloquently and intelligently than I would ever be able to (I can provide links to enough blog posts, articles, and broadcasts to keep you busy for the rest of the calendar year, if you're so inclined). And so, I settled in and finished the book within a couple of days (the book will NOT take you that long if you just sit down and knock it out in one swipe - a couple of hours maybe). I thought I'd provide you with my overall reactions, which could very well be longer than you're willing to read from a nobody like myself.
THE GOOD
Bell's book has forced Christians to examine their theologies about heaven and hell more closely. This is good because often these ideas -- especially hell -- are more or less avoided. Also, Bell emphasizes in parts of his book that we should be careful when we describe heaven as a distant location of wonderfulness where all Baptists (or Calvinists, or Presbyterians, etc.) will someday go, as if it's some pie-in-the-sky place and we're all just waiting around here to die so we can get there. If this is what we believe, we don't have any real obligation to working on problems in our lives on this planet. Also, if we truly believe this, why don't we just all kill ourselves so we can get to heaven sooner?
And unfortunately, that's about it for the good.
THE BAD
Let's see... where to start.
There are many notes I jotted down while reading that won't make their way to this "review," but I'd like to start with the opening pages of Bell's second chapter in which he basically ridicules a painting that his grandmother had hanging in her house while little Rob was growing up. It's a painting that depicts the "cross as a bridge" image that you've probably seen a million times. There's a great chasm with hell at the bottom. On one side of the chasm is humankind, and on the other side is God (often depicted as popular ideas of heaven with shiny streets and angels and harps). The only way from one side to the other is to take the cross-shaped bridge. Bell rails against this image, saying it makes us think heaven is somewhere else that we need to get to, and it's dangerous for us to think in those terms. Ironically, this "artist" (or so he is described by most of his defenders, and perhaps even himself?) doesn't seem to understand that oftentimes paintings are metaphorical. I'm guessing that neither the painter of this image, nor Rob's grandmother, really believe that there is some physical place where we have to go and walk across a cross, and if we don't step carefully we'll fall to our eternal damnation in a fiery furnace. But the image, according to the Bible, is pretty accurate. There is a gap between people and God. A huge gap, called sin, that can never be crossed with anything man-made. The only way to bridge that gap is with the cross of Christ. What's wrong with metaphorical paintings that have assisted missionaries and evangelists for years, Rob?
Bell argues that when Jesus talks about "hell," he uses the word "gehenna," which refers, basically, to the town garbage dump outside of Jerusalem where there was an ongoing fire that consumed the city's trash. He also tells us that when Matthew writes about the sheep and the goats, and that the goats will "go away to eternal punishment" (Matt. 25:46), the Greek words there would more accurately be translated "go away to an intense period of pruning." This allows Bell to argue that punishment in hell is only meant to bring people around to Jesus, and that it won't last forever. I'll leave it to other experts to explain to you why Bell must not have done very well in his exegesis classes in seminary, but if you'd like, just read a few good commentaries on these verses and you'll find out that Bell's version just doesn't work. None of the major English translations in existence supports his theory. Is there a Western-world conspiracy that wants everyone to believe Hell is forever, Rob? Or is it possible that your lone voice is the one that's mistaken?
Kevin DeYoung's review of Bell's book goes into much more detail about this point, but I did notice that sin, for Rob, seems to be almost exclusively about horizontal injustices. He regularly talks about rape and war and oppression and abuse and other things people to do other people. Flowing from this is Rob's insistence that "hell" is what we experience here on earth because of these sins. "Hell" is finding out your daughter has been repeatedly sexually abused over the years by a relative. "Hell" is the teenagers in Africa who have had their limbs cut off in the midst of civil unrest. Missing from his theology seems to be any notion of the idea that sin is also against God. It's vertical. And it must be atoned for. That is what Jesus' death did. Bell's theologies of sin, hell, and especially his Christology are sorely lacking.
When the Love Wins promo video was released, the big controversial question was, "Is Rob Bell a universalist?" After reading this book, I would say that although Bell tends to be as slippery as an eel, and does his best to avoid any single label, "universalist" in any meaningful sense of the term seems fairly accurate. Bell does emphatically say that Jesus is THE ONLY way, but then he says that anywhere people find hope and forgiveness - that's Jesus. No matter your beliefs, Bell seems to think that if you have some bit of joy, hope, forgiveness (or any other touchy-feely abstract noun) in your life, that's Jesus, and so even though you didn't know that's what its name was, you've been saved by Jesus. Some might call this inclusivism instead of universalism. Perhaps that's more accurate, but it seems like a semantic battle now. For all practical purposes, Bell is quite a few paces down Universalist Road. A rose by any other name may smell as sweet, but calling my bike a rose won't make it so.
Sometimes I wonder if Bell understands syntax when it comes to sentences. He LOVES John 3:16. I guess I should say, he LOVES John 3:16a: "For God so loved the world that he gave is only begotten son..." but that's where the love stops. Bell even describes that part as "beautiful." But, he argues, "millions have been taught that if they don't believe..." and then he launches into a rant about how God instantly becomes a vindictive monster to people who don't believe. I wonder if Bell has read the rest of the verse and chooses to ignore it, of if he just never got that far. To help him out, it goes like this: "...that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life." The inverse of the argument isn't true, Rob? Maybe he thinks there's an omitted part that says, "...and whoever does NOT believe in Him will also not perish, but have eternal life -- because we here at Bible Writers, Incorporated are very open and loving and affirming, and it'd be unloving of us to deny anyone eternal life."
In Bell's paradigm, I honestly see very little need for evangelism and missions within the Christian faith. In fact, the one time I remember Bell mentioning missions, it's only say that he hears stories all the time about missionaries who tell the stories of Jesus, and the native peoples say, "That's Jesus? But we've been telling those stories for years" (again confirming my "pretty close to universalism" beliefs about Bell). Bell talks about the importance of following God in this life, but the reasons for it seem to be mostly, "because it's just better, and you'll feel more fulfilled." It feels like someone trying to convince me to cheer for the Steelers, because they win a lot of Super Bowls, and they're a well-run franchise that doesn't disappoint nearly as often as other teams, so I'll just enjoy football more if I convert. Unfortunately, I enjoy being a Cowboys fan, and since, in the end, it doesn't really matter what I choose (I'll always be able to change my mind after I die when I realize that the Steelers really were the better team), I'll stick with my 'Boys. I'm enjoying it just fine. It reads to me like Bell basically says, "Jesus is NOT the mean judgmental guy you hear about from the Westboro Baptist Church weirdos. Now that you are aware of that, I can't really give you a solid reason why you need to follow him right now. Just keep him in the back of your mind so that when you die and it comes time for you to change your mind, you won't have to be 'pruned' for very long before you realize Jesus is the right way."
My last point: None of this would be that big of a deal if Rob Bell were truly just seeking answers and trying to provoke thought, but he's teaching this stuff to millions of followers. He preaches at a megachurch, he writes very popular books, and he speaks at conferences and gives interviews around the world. His influence is huge, and that's why this is important to combat. Bell loves to play the "I'm just a pastor" card, but when we're talking about millions who look to you as a spiritual advisor in their lives, false teaching carries some dire consequences.
I understand that this post reads largely as some rant against a guy I don't like, and I'm sorry for that. But, honestly, I've never had a real problem with Bell before I read this book (I thought he might be slightly "out there" regarding a few things he's said and written, but I didn't have a problem for the most part with what he and his church has been teaching to tons of people). Now that's changed.
Read Kevin DeYoung's lengthy review for the most thorough exposition of the flaws in Bell's book.
When I began reading, I started taking notes on just about every sentence on every page, but I soon realized that this was taking a ridiculous amount of time, and it was completely unnecessary. Many others have posted detailed reviews of this book and have done so much more eloquently and intelligently than I would ever be able to (I can provide links to enough blog posts, articles, and broadcasts to keep you busy for the rest of the calendar year, if you're so inclined). And so, I settled in and finished the book within a couple of days (the book will NOT take you that long if you just sit down and knock it out in one swipe - a couple of hours maybe). I thought I'd provide you with my overall reactions, which could very well be longer than you're willing to read from a nobody like myself.
THE GOOD
Bell's book has forced Christians to examine their theologies about heaven and hell more closely. This is good because often these ideas -- especially hell -- are more or less avoided. Also, Bell emphasizes in parts of his book that we should be careful when we describe heaven as a distant location of wonderfulness where all Baptists (or Calvinists, or Presbyterians, etc.) will someday go, as if it's some pie-in-the-sky place and we're all just waiting around here to die so we can get there. If this is what we believe, we don't have any real obligation to working on problems in our lives on this planet. Also, if we truly believe this, why don't we just all kill ourselves so we can get to heaven sooner?
And unfortunately, that's about it for the good.
THE BAD
Let's see... where to start.
There are many notes I jotted down while reading that won't make their way to this "review," but I'd like to start with the opening pages of Bell's second chapter in which he basically ridicules a painting that his grandmother had hanging in her house while little Rob was growing up. It's a painting that depicts the "cross as a bridge" image that you've probably seen a million times. There's a great chasm with hell at the bottom. On one side of the chasm is humankind, and on the other side is God (often depicted as popular ideas of heaven with shiny streets and angels and harps). The only way from one side to the other is to take the cross-shaped bridge. Bell rails against this image, saying it makes us think heaven is somewhere else that we need to get to, and it's dangerous for us to think in those terms. Ironically, this "artist" (or so he is described by most of his defenders, and perhaps even himself?) doesn't seem to understand that oftentimes paintings are metaphorical. I'm guessing that neither the painter of this image, nor Rob's grandmother, really believe that there is some physical place where we have to go and walk across a cross, and if we don't step carefully we'll fall to our eternal damnation in a fiery furnace. But the image, according to the Bible, is pretty accurate. There is a gap between people and God. A huge gap, called sin, that can never be crossed with anything man-made. The only way to bridge that gap is with the cross of Christ. What's wrong with metaphorical paintings that have assisted missionaries and evangelists for years, Rob?
Bell argues that when Jesus talks about "hell," he uses the word "gehenna," which refers, basically, to the town garbage dump outside of Jerusalem where there was an ongoing fire that consumed the city's trash. He also tells us that when Matthew writes about the sheep and the goats, and that the goats will "go away to eternal punishment" (Matt. 25:46), the Greek words there would more accurately be translated "go away to an intense period of pruning." This allows Bell to argue that punishment in hell is only meant to bring people around to Jesus, and that it won't last forever. I'll leave it to other experts to explain to you why Bell must not have done very well in his exegesis classes in seminary, but if you'd like, just read a few good commentaries on these verses and you'll find out that Bell's version just doesn't work. None of the major English translations in existence supports his theory. Is there a Western-world conspiracy that wants everyone to believe Hell is forever, Rob? Or is it possible that your lone voice is the one that's mistaken?
Kevin DeYoung's review of Bell's book goes into much more detail about this point, but I did notice that sin, for Rob, seems to be almost exclusively about horizontal injustices. He regularly talks about rape and war and oppression and abuse and other things people to do other people. Flowing from this is Rob's insistence that "hell" is what we experience here on earth because of these sins. "Hell" is finding out your daughter has been repeatedly sexually abused over the years by a relative. "Hell" is the teenagers in Africa who have had their limbs cut off in the midst of civil unrest. Missing from his theology seems to be any notion of the idea that sin is also against God. It's vertical. And it must be atoned for. That is what Jesus' death did. Bell's theologies of sin, hell, and especially his Christology are sorely lacking.
When the Love Wins promo video was released, the big controversial question was, "Is Rob Bell a universalist?" After reading this book, I would say that although Bell tends to be as slippery as an eel, and does his best to avoid any single label, "universalist" in any meaningful sense of the term seems fairly accurate. Bell does emphatically say that Jesus is THE ONLY way, but then he says that anywhere people find hope and forgiveness - that's Jesus. No matter your beliefs, Bell seems to think that if you have some bit of joy, hope, forgiveness (or any other touchy-feely abstract noun) in your life, that's Jesus, and so even though you didn't know that's what its name was, you've been saved by Jesus. Some might call this inclusivism instead of universalism. Perhaps that's more accurate, but it seems like a semantic battle now. For all practical purposes, Bell is quite a few paces down Universalist Road. A rose by any other name may smell as sweet, but calling my bike a rose won't make it so.
Sometimes I wonder if Bell understands syntax when it comes to sentences. He LOVES John 3:16. I guess I should say, he LOVES John 3:16a: "For God so loved the world that he gave is only begotten son..." but that's where the love stops. Bell even describes that part as "beautiful." But, he argues, "millions have been taught that if they don't believe..." and then he launches into a rant about how God instantly becomes a vindictive monster to people who don't believe. I wonder if Bell has read the rest of the verse and chooses to ignore it, of if he just never got that far. To help him out, it goes like this: "...that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life." The inverse of the argument isn't true, Rob? Maybe he thinks there's an omitted part that says, "...and whoever does NOT believe in Him will also not perish, but have eternal life -- because we here at Bible Writers, Incorporated are very open and loving and affirming, and it'd be unloving of us to deny anyone eternal life."
In Bell's paradigm, I honestly see very little need for evangelism and missions within the Christian faith. In fact, the one time I remember Bell mentioning missions, it's only say that he hears stories all the time about missionaries who tell the stories of Jesus, and the native peoples say, "That's Jesus? But we've been telling those stories for years" (again confirming my "pretty close to universalism" beliefs about Bell). Bell talks about the importance of following God in this life, but the reasons for it seem to be mostly, "because it's just better, and you'll feel more fulfilled." It feels like someone trying to convince me to cheer for the Steelers, because they win a lot of Super Bowls, and they're a well-run franchise that doesn't disappoint nearly as often as other teams, so I'll just enjoy football more if I convert. Unfortunately, I enjoy being a Cowboys fan, and since, in the end, it doesn't really matter what I choose (I'll always be able to change my mind after I die when I realize that the Steelers really were the better team), I'll stick with my 'Boys. I'm enjoying it just fine. It reads to me like Bell basically says, "Jesus is NOT the mean judgmental guy you hear about from the Westboro Baptist Church weirdos. Now that you are aware of that, I can't really give you a solid reason why you need to follow him right now. Just keep him in the back of your mind so that when you die and it comes time for you to change your mind, you won't have to be 'pruned' for very long before you realize Jesus is the right way."
My last point: None of this would be that big of a deal if Rob Bell were truly just seeking answers and trying to provoke thought, but he's teaching this stuff to millions of followers. He preaches at a megachurch, he writes very popular books, and he speaks at conferences and gives interviews around the world. His influence is huge, and that's why this is important to combat. Bell loves to play the "I'm just a pastor" card, but when we're talking about millions who look to you as a spiritual advisor in their lives, false teaching carries some dire consequences.
I understand that this post reads largely as some rant against a guy I don't like, and I'm sorry for that. But, honestly, I've never had a real problem with Bell before I read this book (I thought he might be slightly "out there" regarding a few things he's said and written, but I didn't have a problem for the most part with what he and his church has been teaching to tons of people). Now that's changed.
Read Kevin DeYoung's lengthy review for the most thorough exposition of the flaws in Bell's book.
August 2, 2011
10 points
10 points to the first person (who's not married to me) that can point out the error(s) on this map.
August 1, 2011
Ready for the Weekend
Recent blogger problems with my account made it difficult for me to post something on Friday. My apologies. Here is a delayed "Ready for the Weekend" post for you.
July 23, 2011
Genesis 6-8: The Flood
We arrived home at our Colorado apartment around 2:45 pm last Sunday afternoon. We'd had a wonderful time in Iowa (as you can read about here), but we were ready to relax on Sunday evening in order to be ready to get back to the grindstone on Monday.
We opened the door to our apartment and were almost blown away by the awful stench of mildew. Uh oh. While we were in Iowa it had rained heavily in the Denver area every single day, and we had already heard that a few ground-floor apartments had suffered some flooding. Looks like ours needed to be added to that list. Now, when I say "flooding," you're probably tempted to think of standing water and our stuff floating around the room. It wasn't like that at all. In fact, there wasn't really anything visible at all that looked flooded. However, the carpet was wet or damp all over our apartment, and the smell was pretty bad.
We called our apartment complex and told them what was going on. Since the maintenance guys aren't around on Sundays, we knew we might not have anyone come out very soon. The woman at the office said she'd see if a maintenance guy was already on the premises so he could come take a look. After hanging up, we turned on our air conditioning (it had also been hot while we were gone... and has continued that trend). We soon found out that the AC wasn't working properly either. We called again, and they said someone was on his way.
So, Sunday evening our maintenance guys did some work on our AC, then, with our help, moved most of our furniture off our carpet (quite a task - the only parts of our unit that are NOT carpeted are the tiny bathroom and the kitchen), ripped it up, and took the padding out from underneath. They left us with about 6 industrial carpet-drying fans running, and a dehumidifier. Our bed was covered with stuff we'd had to lift off the floor, and our whole apartment smelled sickeningly like mildew. We couldn't stay there. One of the maintenance guys had assured us that the apartment complex would compensate us for expenses if we had to get a hotel or something. So we got a hotel room (fortunately, we had done laundry before leaving Iowa, so our already-packed bag was all we needed when we left our apartment). Elizabeth's brother, Clay, was in town visiting, so we arranged to meet up with him for some supper. It was really fun.
Monday, Elizabeth had to go to work. I ran some errands and did some work of my own. By late Monday afternoon, we discovered that no further work had been done on our apartment that day. We were going to have to find a hotel again, and we had no guarantees that we would be compensated. I booked a room on Hotels.com (the ONLY room I could find in the city that was available for less than $350). When we got to the hotel, they told us that they'd been booked up for hours and didn't have any record of my reservation. I sat waiting for someone to answer the phone at Hotels.com for more than a half hour before we decided we had to find somewhere else to stay. It was about 8 pm. Thankfully, our pastor and his wife had offered their spare bedroom for us, so we headed toward their place. As we were getting settled there, I got a call back from a woman at Hotels.com who spent eleven and a half minutes apologizing to me for what had happened.
Tuesday we both went to work again. Elizabeth was able to get part of the day off, and I finished up my work as quickly as I could so we could try to hang out with Clay some more, AND make sure they were doing something to our apartment so that we could live in it again. We DID get to hang out with Clay for a couple of hours, and when we got back to our apartment they had installed brand new carpet. The mildew smell had been (mostly) replaced by a new carpet smell. Finally, we could sleep in our own bed. (By the way, our apartment complex is reducing our rent to compensate us for our inconvenience and expenses, but the amount they're giving us won't quite cover what we were put out.)
Of course, now we were realizing that our AC still wasn't in working order. We had a very warm night's sleep Tuesday night.
Wednesday they came to work on the AC some more. The guy made it so that it was COLD air coming out of the vents, but it still wasn't coming out very forcefully, and was therefore doing little good. We had another warm night on Wednesday night.
By the time we got home after work on Thursday, he had come to finish up the AC work. Finally, Thursday night was nice and cool and comfortable.
Friday morning when we woke up we realized that the carpet near the utility closet where the AC unit sits was wet. Something was leaking. So another maintenance phone call was placed. When we got home from work on Friday, everything had been fixed, but the maintenance guy(s?) had made a huge mess, tracking mud and grass and dirt all over our new carpet and through our kitchen and somehow making a mess on our counter tops as well.
So, I sit here on Saturday morning, thankful that after almost a week of being home from vacation, it looks like things are pretty much back to normal.
Of course, during the new carpet/furniture moving operation a few of our bookshelves got destroyed, so now there are books sitting all over our apartment with nowhere else to be placed...
We opened the door to our apartment and were almost blown away by the awful stench of mildew. Uh oh. While we were in Iowa it had rained heavily in the Denver area every single day, and we had already heard that a few ground-floor apartments had suffered some flooding. Looks like ours needed to be added to that list. Now, when I say "flooding," you're probably tempted to think of standing water and our stuff floating around the room. It wasn't like that at all. In fact, there wasn't really anything visible at all that looked flooded. However, the carpet was wet or damp all over our apartment, and the smell was pretty bad.
We called our apartment complex and told them what was going on. Since the maintenance guys aren't around on Sundays, we knew we might not have anyone come out very soon. The woman at the office said she'd see if a maintenance guy was already on the premises so he could come take a look. After hanging up, we turned on our air conditioning (it had also been hot while we were gone... and has continued that trend). We soon found out that the AC wasn't working properly either. We called again, and they said someone was on his way.
So, Sunday evening our maintenance guys did some work on our AC, then, with our help, moved most of our furniture off our carpet (quite a task - the only parts of our unit that are NOT carpeted are the tiny bathroom and the kitchen), ripped it up, and took the padding out from underneath. They left us with about 6 industrial carpet-drying fans running, and a dehumidifier. Our bed was covered with stuff we'd had to lift off the floor, and our whole apartment smelled sickeningly like mildew. We couldn't stay there. One of the maintenance guys had assured us that the apartment complex would compensate us for expenses if we had to get a hotel or something. So we got a hotel room (fortunately, we had done laundry before leaving Iowa, so our already-packed bag was all we needed when we left our apartment). Elizabeth's brother, Clay, was in town visiting, so we arranged to meet up with him for some supper. It was really fun.
Monday, Elizabeth had to go to work. I ran some errands and did some work of my own. By late Monday afternoon, we discovered that no further work had been done on our apartment that day. We were going to have to find a hotel again, and we had no guarantees that we would be compensated. I booked a room on Hotels.com (the ONLY room I could find in the city that was available for less than $350). When we got to the hotel, they told us that they'd been booked up for hours and didn't have any record of my reservation. I sat waiting for someone to answer the phone at Hotels.com for more than a half hour before we decided we had to find somewhere else to stay. It was about 8 pm. Thankfully, our pastor and his wife had offered their spare bedroom for us, so we headed toward their place. As we were getting settled there, I got a call back from a woman at Hotels.com who spent eleven and a half minutes apologizing to me for what had happened.
Tuesday we both went to work again. Elizabeth was able to get part of the day off, and I finished up my work as quickly as I could so we could try to hang out with Clay some more, AND make sure they were doing something to our apartment so that we could live in it again. We DID get to hang out with Clay for a couple of hours, and when we got back to our apartment they had installed brand new carpet. The mildew smell had been (mostly) replaced by a new carpet smell. Finally, we could sleep in our own bed. (By the way, our apartment complex is reducing our rent to compensate us for our inconvenience and expenses, but the amount they're giving us won't quite cover what we were put out.)
Of course, now we were realizing that our AC still wasn't in working order. We had a very warm night's sleep Tuesday night.
Wednesday they came to work on the AC some more. The guy made it so that it was COLD air coming out of the vents, but it still wasn't coming out very forcefully, and was therefore doing little good. We had another warm night on Wednesday night.
By the time we got home after work on Thursday, he had come to finish up the AC work. Finally, Thursday night was nice and cool and comfortable.
Friday morning when we woke up we realized that the carpet near the utility closet where the AC unit sits was wet. Something was leaking. So another maintenance phone call was placed. When we got home from work on Friday, everything had been fixed, but the maintenance guy(s?) had made a huge mess, tracking mud and grass and dirt all over our new carpet and through our kitchen and somehow making a mess on our counter tops as well.
So, I sit here on Saturday morning, thankful that after almost a week of being home from vacation, it looks like things are pretty much back to normal.
Of course, during the new carpet/furniture moving operation a few of our bookshelves got destroyed, so now there are books sitting all over our apartment with nowhere else to be placed...
July 22, 2011
Ready for the Weekend
Sometimes I post on this blog and it doesn't seem to show up in feed readers for two or three days. I think that's both weird and completely obnoxious. Anyway, if you're reading this in your feed reader and it's Tuesday or something, just know that it's being posted on Friday at about 11:30 am Mountain Time.
I don't know what the heck goes on in Australia on a daily basis, but this makes me wish (a little bit) that we got their version of the Today show around here.
I don't know what the heck goes on in Australia on a daily basis, but this makes me wish (a little bit) that we got their version of the Today show around here.
July 15, 2011
Is this heaven?
Our week in Iowa has been fantastic. Unfortunately, we have to leave the corn-filled rolling acres in the morning to get back to our regularly scheduled lives. It's been warm but not miserable for our stay, but I will say this: humidity makes a BIG difference in how 85 degrees feels.
Jaron and a co-worker took Joel and I on a tour of his glass-manufacturing plant in Dewitt. It was REALLY cool. Somehow, I didn't get any pictures of Jaron on our trip (though he did take a few). Later, we all got to go swimming at my in-laws' place. You'll have to visit Pam's blog for pictures from that outing. Pam calls Micah "a bit of a wild man in the pool," and I just have to say that's an understatement. The kid seems neither to realize nor to care that when he steps off the side of the pool, or off the step in the pool that he will sink, and not be able to breathe, and drown. It felt like he spent the whole afternoon just testing to see if an adult really will show up any time he decides to throw himself in.
And those are our tales from Iowa.
On our way eastward across the state on Sunday night we got to stop and stay with Jase & Rachel (how did we not get a picture together, guys?). That evening we also had the privilege of meeting up with Mike & Katherine and their two-month old, Benjamin. LOVE that family.
The other day Micah was using a plastic tub as a hat.
Jaron and a co-worker took Joel and I on a tour of his glass-manufacturing plant in Dewitt. It was REALLY cool. Somehow, I didn't get any pictures of Jaron on our trip (though he did take a few). Later, we all got to go swimming at my in-laws' place. You'll have to visit Pam's blog for pictures from that outing. Pam calls Micah "a bit of a wild man in the pool," and I just have to say that's an understatement. The kid seems neither to realize nor to care that when he steps off the side of the pool, or off the step in the pool that he will sink, and not be able to breathe, and drown. It felt like he spent the whole afternoon just testing to see if an adult really will show up any time he decides to throw himself in.
Today we had to say good-bye to Joel, Pam, Gabriel, Micah and Zaley, but first we got to hang out a little bit. Micah asked me to read him Corduroy... about three or four times.
Then they both wanted to listen to their new book, Luke Goes to Bat (nevermind the hat... Micah insisted I wear it).
Here's Gabriel (and Elizabeth) listening intently.
Family photo!
In this video, Gabriel was "playing" the conch shell like a trumpet. Micah wouldn't stop asking me to "take a picture!"
So, after filming for a few seconds, I took his picture.
And those are our tales from Iowa.
Ready for the Weekend
This week's video is a bit lengthy. After the first few minutes it's really much of the same, so you don't need to watch the whole thing unless you find it absolutely riveting.
July 8, 2011
Ready for the Weekend
This week's "Ready for the Weekend" is a tad later than usual. Apologies for that. It's also not a video this time. I hope you think it's funny anyway!
This happens seemingly every week in our house.
July 5, 2011
The Holiday Weekend
We were lucky enough to spend time with some of our closest friends almost every day during the holiday weekend. On Thursday we got together with our life group for prayer and a few games of "nuke 'em" (a really fun game played on a volleyball court... but requiring much less athletic skill than volleyball).
Saturday evening we joined up with most of our life group (and a couple others) and played some more games (including Bocce Ball, Rummikub, and Buzz Word).
Sunday evening 8 of us got to go to a Colorado Rapids (MLS) game. The game ended in a 0-0 tie (don't get me started on what's wrong with that sport [short answer: A LOT]), and it was really hot... but we had a good time. After the game we were shown down onto the field so we could watch the fireworks. It was a really fantastic fireworks show. It took us more than an hour to get out of the parking lot after the game, though. That part was NOT fun.
Monday we hung out with our life group (and others) at the house of an uncle of one of our members. There was a pool, a yard for playing Bocce Ball, and a big basement with ping pong and a Space Invaders arcade game (Elizabeth whooped me at ping pong). In the evening we headed to the park to watch the town's fireworks show (not nearly as impressive as those following the soccer game the previous night). Tons of fun!
Now it's back to work, but only for a few more days! Then it's off to IOWA for a week with family!
Were you hoping to see some pictures? Ok, here are a few.
Saturday evening we joined up with most of our life group (and a couple others) and played some more games (including Bocce Ball, Rummikub, and Buzz Word).
Sunday evening 8 of us got to go to a Colorado Rapids (MLS) game. The game ended in a 0-0 tie (don't get me started on what's wrong with that sport [short answer: A LOT]), and it was really hot... but we had a good time. After the game we were shown down onto the field so we could watch the fireworks. It was a really fantastic fireworks show. It took us more than an hour to get out of the parking lot after the game, though. That part was NOT fun.
Monday we hung out with our life group (and others) at the house of an uncle of one of our members. There was a pool, a yard for playing Bocce Ball, and a big basement with ping pong and a Space Invaders arcade game (Elizabeth whooped me at ping pong). In the evening we headed to the park to watch the town's fireworks show (not nearly as impressive as those following the soccer game the previous night). Tons of fun!
Now it's back to work, but only for a few more days! Then it's off to IOWA for a week with family!
Were you hoping to see some pictures? Ok, here are a few.
Waiting for the soccer game to start Sunday night.
On the field after the game, waiting for the fireworks show.
After the fireworks, being scolded by a security guard just
off camera who was rudely yelling at us (the most cooperative
people in the stadium) to leave the field, "We wanna go home!"
An intense game of doubles.
My highly cooperative friends as we waited for Arvada fireworks Monday night.
July 1, 2011
Ready for the Weekend
If you were alive in the 80s & 90s, you ought to find this at least slightly amusing. Happy July to everyone, and have a good weekend!
June 30, 2011
A couple of items to note
I think using manners is important, and I'm thankful that I grew up with parents who made me use them. It seems that truly polite people are tougher to come by these days. That's why I was glad to read Some Guy's blog post on Being Socially Responsible. His list of social responsibilities includes "say please, thank you, and you're welcome" as well as "hold doors open for others."
Also, I thought that some of you (particularly Joel & Pam, who have both academic and vocational interests in church worship) might want to check out Kevin DeYoung's two-part post on Ten Principles for Church Singing (Part 1 here, Part 2 here).
That's all I've got for you for now.
Also, I thought that some of you (particularly Joel & Pam, who have both academic and vocational interests in church worship) might want to check out Kevin DeYoung's two-part post on Ten Principles for Church Singing (Part 1 here, Part 2 here).
That's all I've got for you for now.
June 28, 2011
June 23, 2011
Ready for the Weekend
Really hoping that this guy's on my next Southwest Airlines flight. Happy Friday, folks.
June 18, 2011
Dad
Growing up I can remember my mom trying to explain to my brothers and I that we had an especially fantastic father. Being a sincere kid, I can remember trying to take that information to heart. I knew I shouldn't take Dad for granted, but I didn't really understand. Dad was Dad. Isn't this how dads are?
I didn't know that most kids didn't have dads that went to work before 5 am every day of his adult life so that he could be home by the time we got out of school. I didn't know that most dads didn't go outside to play with their kids every day -- even after working a physically demanding job. It didn't occur to me until later in life that Dad was the only coach I had for any sport until I was in junior high. He was the only baseball coach I had until high school (and, frankly, my dad deserves most of the credit for my high school team being one of the best in the state). I didn't realize it was abnormal for a dad to spend so much time with his kids. Once I was in high school and Dad wasn't my coach anymore, he attended everything I ever participated in. I didn't know other kids' dads didn't do that.
We hear about study after study after study telling us how hard it is for kids who grow up without good father figures. My brothers and I don't suffer from those hardships.
I don't know if I've ever given my dad a gift (t-shirt, mug, etc.) with "World's Greatest Dad" written on it somewhere, but in this case, that statement would be no exaggeration. Thanks, Dad.
Happy Father's Day.
I didn't know that most kids didn't have dads that went to work before 5 am every day of his adult life so that he could be home by the time we got out of school. I didn't know that most dads didn't go outside to play with their kids every day -- even after working a physically demanding job. It didn't occur to me until later in life that Dad was the only coach I had for any sport until I was in junior high. He was the only baseball coach I had until high school (and, frankly, my dad deserves most of the credit for my high school team being one of the best in the state). I didn't realize it was abnormal for a dad to spend so much time with his kids. Once I was in high school and Dad wasn't my coach anymore, he attended everything I ever participated in. I didn't know other kids' dads didn't do that.
We hear about study after study after study telling us how hard it is for kids who grow up without good father figures. My brothers and I don't suffer from those hardships.
I don't know if I've ever given my dad a gift (t-shirt, mug, etc.) with "World's Greatest Dad" written on it somewhere, but in this case, that statement would be no exaggeration. Thanks, Dad.
Happy Father's Day.
June 17, 2011
Ready for the Weekend
Imagine how weird things would be if we lived our real lives the way we live our online lives. This guy is taking facebook and twitter to the real world; seeking as many friends as he can get, following them, asking them to comment on photos, liking things, etc.
June 16, 2011
You Can't Handle my Top 5 Courtoom Movies of all time
I love a good courtroom movie, so today I'm bringing you my All-Time Courtroom Movie List.
#5 12 Angry Men
You may think it unfair of me to include a movie in which not a single scene takes place in a courtroom. The entire film (and the play on which it's based) goes on inside the jury deliberation room. All I can say in my own defense is that my criteria for "courtroom movies" should probably be called "court movies," but that lacks a certain something.
This classic could very easily be ranked higher, but I've only ever seen it a couple of times (the most recent being years ago), and it hasn't stuck with me as the most intense of cinematic court battles. Still, it's a fantastic film that has a lot to say about the art of persuasion and the dangers of being completely close-minded.
#4 Rules of Engagement
Samuel L. Jackson is on trial for ordering his Marines to fire into a hostile crowd demonstrating against the U.S. in Yemen. Tommy Lee Jones defends him. Really great stuff.
#3 From the Hip
This is a little known film from the 80s, and I'm tremendously thankful for my dad who got me started on it. It stars Judd Nelson, Elizabeth Perkins, and John Hurt. The movie covers two trials. For the first one, Nelson's character, fresh out of law school and desperately wanting to argue a case, pulls some questionably unethical strings to put himself in position to defend one banker guy who punched another banker guy. This trial (roughly the first half of the movie) is quite comical and light-hearted. After his success in the first case, he gets assigned a no-win murder case in which he is supposed to defend an obviously guilty murderer. The second half of the movie is much more dramatic, and not nearly as funny. Both halves, though, are excellent, and putting them together makes for a very good, though not terribly popular film.
#2 A Time to Kill
Look at the cast of this movie: Matthew McConaughey, Samuel L. Jackson (on trial... again), Sandra Bullock, Oliver Platt, Kevin Spacey, Donald Sutherland, Kiefer Sutherland, Charles S. Dutton, and Chris Cooper. Even if the storyline was awful, that group of actors would make it pretty good. Of course, the storyline is not awful. It's based on John Grisham's most popular novel. I tend to enjoy Grisham's books quite a bit more than the movies made based on them, but, ironically enough, I think this is the exception. The book is great, no doubt, but I think the movie beats it in this case. (The money line from Jackson comes at about 2:14 in this trailer. Fantastic movie.)
#1 A Few Good Men
Speaking of impressive casts: Tom Cruise, Demi Moore, Jack Nicholson, Kevin Bacon, Kiefer Sutherland, Kevin Pollack, J.T. Walsh, Christopher Guest, Wolfgang Bodison, Noah Wyle, Cuba Gooding Jr., and even Joshua Malina. The movie was directed by Rob Reiner (The Princess Bride, anyone?) and written by Aaron Sorkin (who even makes a cameo appearance). Given just the information in this paragraph, I'm not even sure it would be an earthly possibility for this movie to be something less than spectacular. Sorkin has an unbelievable knack for writing serious dramas about deadly serious topics while still including some of the funniest jokes I've ever heard. This movie is more hilarious than most comedies I've seen in my life. It's got fantastic acting, an incredible script, beautiful cinematography, and of course, one of the most iconic quotes in the history of cinema: "YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!" I watched this movie two nights ago, and this trailer makes me want to turn it on again right now. Unbelievably good movie.
So there you have it. My Top 5 Courtroom movies. Did I miss any big ones? What are your favorites?
#5 12 Angry Men
You may think it unfair of me to include a movie in which not a single scene takes place in a courtroom. The entire film (and the play on which it's based) goes on inside the jury deliberation room. All I can say in my own defense is that my criteria for "courtroom movies" should probably be called "court movies," but that lacks a certain something.
This classic could very easily be ranked higher, but I've only ever seen it a couple of times (the most recent being years ago), and it hasn't stuck with me as the most intense of cinematic court battles. Still, it's a fantastic film that has a lot to say about the art of persuasion and the dangers of being completely close-minded.
#4 Rules of Engagement
Samuel L. Jackson is on trial for ordering his Marines to fire into a hostile crowd demonstrating against the U.S. in Yemen. Tommy Lee Jones defends him. Really great stuff.
#3 From the Hip
This is a little known film from the 80s, and I'm tremendously thankful for my dad who got me started on it. It stars Judd Nelson, Elizabeth Perkins, and John Hurt. The movie covers two trials. For the first one, Nelson's character, fresh out of law school and desperately wanting to argue a case, pulls some questionably unethical strings to put himself in position to defend one banker guy who punched another banker guy. This trial (roughly the first half of the movie) is quite comical and light-hearted. After his success in the first case, he gets assigned a no-win murder case in which he is supposed to defend an obviously guilty murderer. The second half of the movie is much more dramatic, and not nearly as funny. Both halves, though, are excellent, and putting them together makes for a very good, though not terribly popular film.
#2 A Time to Kill
Look at the cast of this movie: Matthew McConaughey, Samuel L. Jackson (on trial... again), Sandra Bullock, Oliver Platt, Kevin Spacey, Donald Sutherland, Kiefer Sutherland, Charles S. Dutton, and Chris Cooper. Even if the storyline was awful, that group of actors would make it pretty good. Of course, the storyline is not awful. It's based on John Grisham's most popular novel. I tend to enjoy Grisham's books quite a bit more than the movies made based on them, but, ironically enough, I think this is the exception. The book is great, no doubt, but I think the movie beats it in this case. (The money line from Jackson comes at about 2:14 in this trailer. Fantastic movie.)
#1 A Few Good Men
Speaking of impressive casts: Tom Cruise, Demi Moore, Jack Nicholson, Kevin Bacon, Kiefer Sutherland, Kevin Pollack, J.T. Walsh, Christopher Guest, Wolfgang Bodison, Noah Wyle, Cuba Gooding Jr., and even Joshua Malina. The movie was directed by Rob Reiner (The Princess Bride, anyone?) and written by Aaron Sorkin (who even makes a cameo appearance). Given just the information in this paragraph, I'm not even sure it would be an earthly possibility for this movie to be something less than spectacular. Sorkin has an unbelievable knack for writing serious dramas about deadly serious topics while still including some of the funniest jokes I've ever heard. This movie is more hilarious than most comedies I've seen in my life. It's got fantastic acting, an incredible script, beautiful cinematography, and of course, one of the most iconic quotes in the history of cinema: "YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!" I watched this movie two nights ago, and this trailer makes me want to turn it on again right now. Unbelievably good movie.
So there you have it. My Top 5 Courtroom movies. Did I miss any big ones? What are your favorites?
June 12, 2011
Ready for the... week?
As you may have noticed, I've been posting (what I think are) funny videos every Friday to get you laughing as the work week ends.
I couldn't wait another second to share this one with you, though. It is absolutely priceless. (For the record, I hate cats.)
<a href="http://www.bing.com/videos/browse?mkt=en-us&from={from}&vid=ed102a58-b2f2-453f-ab08-fa749f85a8ab&from=dest_en-us&fg=dest" target="_new" title="Dating Site Bio Gets Weird">Video: Dating Site Bio Gets Weird</a>
I couldn't wait another second to share this one with you, though. It is absolutely priceless. (For the record, I hate cats.)
June 10, 2011
June 9, 2011
Boerboel
I have officially decided, once and for all, what kind of dog I want to own someday (someday = when I have a big enough yard to let it run around in).
This is a South African Mastiff, also known as a Boerboel (Dutch for "farmer's dog").
The following is the description of this breed's temperament from dogbreedinfo.com:
The Boerboel is reliable, obedient and intelligent, with strong watch and guard-dog instincts. It is self-assured and fearless. The Boerboel are very playful and affectionate toward their owners. Their favorite pass time would be to play a game of fetch loving every minute they spend with their master. Their jaws are strong and they will most often pop the ball they are playing with. Not to fret, they will just play with the popped ball! They are very gentle and good with children they know. Allowing them to ride on their backs like a horse, loving every minute of the attention they are getting. Boerboel will do okay with other dogs, cats and other non-canine pets, letting birds come down and snatch from their food bowl! They will guard their family, friends and property with their life. When the owners are not home they will not allow anyone to enter the home, unless they know them very well. When welcomed visitors arrive they will accept them after being properly introduced. This breed requires a dominant owner. The authority the owners project over the dog should be so strong that the dog will not bolt out the front door when it is opened. The objective in training this dog is to achieve a pack leader status. It is a natural instinct for a dog to have anorder in their pack. When we humans live with dogs, we become their pack. The entire pack cooperates under a single leader. Lines are clearly defined and rules are set. Because a dog communicates his displeasure with growling and eventually biting, all other humans MUST be higher up in the order than the dog. The humans must be the ones making the decisions, not the dogs. That is the only way your relationship with your dog can be a complete success. If one does not understand this concept 100% and have confidence that they can handle such a large guard type breed then this is not the dog for them. With the right owners the Boerboel can make wonderful pets.
I just thought you all should know the kind of dog you can expect to see running around with us in the future.
This is a South African Mastiff, also known as a Boerboel (Dutch for "farmer's dog").
The following is the description of this breed's temperament from dogbreedinfo.com:
The Boerboel is reliable, obedient and intelligent, with strong watch and guard-dog instincts. It is self-assured and fearless. The Boerboel are very playful and affectionate toward their owners. Their favorite pass time would be to play a game of fetch loving every minute they spend with their master. Their jaws are strong and they will most often pop the ball they are playing with. Not to fret, they will just play with the popped ball! They are very gentle and good with children they know. Allowing them to ride on their backs like a horse, loving every minute of the attention they are getting. Boerboel will do okay with other dogs, cats and other non-canine pets, letting birds come down and snatch from their food bowl! They will guard their family, friends and property with their life. When the owners are not home they will not allow anyone to enter the home, unless they know them very well. When welcomed visitors arrive they will accept them after being properly introduced. This breed requires a dominant owner. The authority the owners project over the dog should be so strong that the dog will not bolt out the front door when it is opened. The objective in training this dog is to achieve a pack leader status. It is a natural instinct for a dog to have anorder in their pack. When we humans live with dogs, we become their pack. The entire pack cooperates under a single leader. Lines are clearly defined and rules are set. Because a dog communicates his displeasure with growling and eventually biting, all other humans MUST be higher up in the order than the dog. The humans must be the ones making the decisions, not the dogs. That is the only way your relationship with your dog can be a complete success. If one does not understand this concept 100% and have confidence that they can handle such a large guard type breed then this is not the dog for them. With the right owners the Boerboel can make wonderful pets.
I just thought you all should know the kind of dog you can expect to see running around with us in the future.
June 6, 2011
How to Care for Introverts
A friend tweeted this a few weeks ago, and as an introvert, I think it's worth sharing.
How to care for introverts:
See the original here.
How to care for introverts:
- Respect their need for privacy.
- Never embarrass them in public.
- Let them observe first in new situations.
- Give them time to think. Don't demand instant answers.
- Don't interrupt them.
- Give them advanced notice of expected changes in their lives.
- Give them 15 minute warnings to finish whatever they are doing before calling them to dinner or moving on to the next activity.
- Reprimand them privately.
- Teach them new skills privately rather than in public.
- Enable them to find one best friend who has similar interests and abilities; encourage this relationship even if the friend moves.
- Do not push them to make lots of friends.
- Respect their introversion. Don't try to remake them into extraverts.
See the original here.
June 2, 2011
Catching Up: Highlights from the last two weeks
- I had scheduled my last two posts to post on Friday, May 27, and Monday, May 30 - both really early in the morning. They didn't actually post (or at least they didn't show up in RSS feed readers) until sometime in the afternoon on Tuesday, May 31. I don't know what's up with that, but I apologize for two untimely posts this week. I'll try to get to the bottom of that.
- From May 19 until May 28 we were extremely fortunate to be visited by my brother, Jaron. It was absolutely fantastic having him around for more than a week. He's a hassle-free houseguest, and I love his idea of "fun." We spent a lot of time at the park playing with his super-long-distance frisbee. After I threw it into the tree once (and he had to climb up and pull it down), we managed to have a really fun time with it. What we learned is that to play with that kind of frisbee, you need a field about the size of 10 football fields that has NO ONE else playing on it.
- Tuesday we checked out Red Rocks Park and amphitheater, which is one of the coolest sights to see around here (I think Jaron would agree). After that we headed up to Evergreen and did a mild hike that Elizabeth and I have enjoyed numerous times. When we got back to the city Tuesday night we went to a Rockies game. The Rocks lost the game, but we all had a fabulous time (it was $1 hotdog night... and the dogs were Hebrew National, which totally made it worth it).
- Jaron took me golfing. First time I had swung a club in over four years. I had a really good time. I birdied a hole for the very first time in my life. Jaron was a bit disappointed, because the 9-hole course had just two par-4s and the rest were par-3s. We both felt a little silly for having rented a cart. It felt like the equivalent of riding the escalator up 3 stairs.
- Last Friday Jase and Rachel arrived from Des Moines. They were here to pick Jaron up and bring him back to the Motherland, but they drove through the night Thursday so they could be here for all of Friday and spend some time with us. It was a fantastic 24+ hours. We went out to Red Rocks Park to run around a little bit. Later, we pulled out the Saint Louis Cardinals-themed cornhole set that Joel built for us last year. It was the first time we'd ever used them. They are AWESOME and we had a great time playing. Jase, Rachel and Jaron took off on Saturday morning. Spending time with my family always makes me want to move back to Iowa as soon as we possibly can!
- Monday (Memorial Day) Elizabeth had the day off work, and was signed up to run one of the biggest and most famous 10k races in the country - the Bolder Boulder. So we headed up to Boulder early in the morning for her to run. It was a really fun race. A lot of people put on goofy and funny outfits to run it, and there are bands playing all along the race course. Elizabeth finished well below her goal time, even without ideal training conditions the week before with family here and everything. I'm really proud of her.
- Today I had two wisdom teeth pulled. It was an interesting experience. They gave me an IV and I was "consciously sedated" during the procedure. I was told that after the surgery I probably wouldn't remember much of it because the sedative gives you a mild form of amnesia when it wears off. I remember it pretty well, though (I think). It didn't hurt at all at the time, but since the numbing stuff has worn off, it's gotten pretty painful. Fortunately, I've got a bottle of vicodin to keep me company. I can't really eat solid food, though.
That's the last couple of weeks in a nutshell. Now it's June.
- From May 19 until May 28 we were extremely fortunate to be visited by my brother, Jaron. It was absolutely fantastic having him around for more than a week. He's a hassle-free houseguest, and I love his idea of "fun." We spent a lot of time at the park playing with his super-long-distance frisbee. After I threw it into the tree once (and he had to climb up and pull it down), we managed to have a really fun time with it. What we learned is that to play with that kind of frisbee, you need a field about the size of 10 football fields that has NO ONE else playing on it.
- Tuesday we checked out Red Rocks Park and amphitheater, which is one of the coolest sights to see around here (I think Jaron would agree). After that we headed up to Evergreen and did a mild hike that Elizabeth and I have enjoyed numerous times. When we got back to the city Tuesday night we went to a Rockies game. The Rocks lost the game, but we all had a fabulous time (it was $1 hotdog night... and the dogs were Hebrew National, which totally made it worth it).
- Jaron took me golfing. First time I had swung a club in over four years. I had a really good time. I birdied a hole for the very first time in my life. Jaron was a bit disappointed, because the 9-hole course had just two par-4s and the rest were par-3s. We both felt a little silly for having rented a cart. It felt like the equivalent of riding the escalator up 3 stairs.
- Last Friday Jase and Rachel arrived from Des Moines. They were here to pick Jaron up and bring him back to the Motherland, but they drove through the night Thursday so they could be here for all of Friday and spend some time with us. It was a fantastic 24+ hours. We went out to Red Rocks Park to run around a little bit. Later, we pulled out the Saint Louis Cardinals-themed cornhole set that Joel built for us last year. It was the first time we'd ever used them. They are AWESOME and we had a great time playing. Jase, Rachel and Jaron took off on Saturday morning. Spending time with my family always makes me want to move back to Iowa as soon as we possibly can!
- Monday (Memorial Day) Elizabeth had the day off work, and was signed up to run one of the biggest and most famous 10k races in the country - the Bolder Boulder. So we headed up to Boulder early in the morning for her to run. It was a really fun race. A lot of people put on goofy and funny outfits to run it, and there are bands playing all along the race course. Elizabeth finished well below her goal time, even without ideal training conditions the week before with family here and everything. I'm really proud of her.
- Today I had two wisdom teeth pulled. It was an interesting experience. They gave me an IV and I was "consciously sedated" during the procedure. I was told that after the surgery I probably wouldn't remember much of it because the sedative gives you a mild form of amnesia when it wears off. I remember it pretty well, though (I think). It didn't hurt at all at the time, but since the numbing stuff has worn off, it's gotten pretty painful. Fortunately, I've got a bottle of vicodin to keep me company. I can't really eat solid food, though.
That's the last couple of weeks in a nutshell. Now it's June.
May 30, 2011
Future Me: About coupons
Dear Future Jake,
Is your wife still a couponer? Let me remind you of the funny story that started all this. You'll enjoy it—it's about dad.
A couple of months ago this new show started airing on TV called Extreme Couponing. This show documents people around the country who spend hours and hours collecting coupons and analyzing prices at different grocery stores. It's ridiculous. I watched a woman today who rang up almost $2,000 in groceries, and then handed over her coupons. She paid $44. Pretty cool, right? Well, the downside to these "extremists" is that to be that kind of couponer, you have to stock up on food. BIGtime. They all have guest bedrooms and garages overflowing with 75 bottles of ketchup and 150 years' worth of deodorant. It's quite silly, really.
Well, after seeing this show, dad kicked it into gear. As you well know, he's always been a "coupon-clipper,"* but after seeing this show, he got much more serious about it. According to mom and Jaron, he went online and signed up for numerous offers to receive coupons by e-mail (poor mom—she has to wade through all the spam now). He also called up every store within a 30-mile radius to find out if they double their coupons. Fortunately, after his knee-jerk reaction, mom got him hooked up with a couple valuable websites about couponing and saving for normal people.
Dad's response to the Extreme Coupining show had a kind of trickle-down effect. Your lovely wife thought it would be fun to buy a Sunday paper and see what this was all about. You both discovered that there really is a lot of money to be saved with a little bit of work and a paper full of coupons. So a week ago, you subscribed to the Sunday paper. Now, skype calls with mom and dad regularly include a few minutes of coupon-collecting conversation with dad. It's really pretty funny.
So, I was just wondering if you two have continued to "coupon" over the years, and if it's still saving you money. We're pretty early in the process right now, and I'm curious as to whether this'll last. I just hope you haven't turned into someone who might be on that TV show. They're a little bit cuckoo.
Jake (2011 version)
*Here's a story that illustrates dad's life-long couponing habits. You remember, don't you? Once when dad was at the store he went to buy a food item for which he had a coupon. When he found the item, he discovered that it was on sale for the amount of the coupon, and it said, "No Coupon Needed." Dad wouldn't buy the item because, in his own words, "I didn't feel like I was getting a deal." Goof ball.
Is your wife still a couponer? Let me remind you of the funny story that started all this. You'll enjoy it—it's about dad.
A couple of months ago this new show started airing on TV called Extreme Couponing. This show documents people around the country who spend hours and hours collecting coupons and analyzing prices at different grocery stores. It's ridiculous. I watched a woman today who rang up almost $2,000 in groceries, and then handed over her coupons. She paid $44. Pretty cool, right? Well, the downside to these "extremists" is that to be that kind of couponer, you have to stock up on food. BIGtime. They all have guest bedrooms and garages overflowing with 75 bottles of ketchup and 150 years' worth of deodorant. It's quite silly, really.
Well, after seeing this show, dad kicked it into gear. As you well know, he's always been a "coupon-clipper,"* but after seeing this show, he got much more serious about it. According to mom and Jaron, he went online and signed up for numerous offers to receive coupons by e-mail (poor mom—she has to wade through all the spam now). He also called up every store within a 30-mile radius to find out if they double their coupons. Fortunately, after his knee-jerk reaction, mom got him hooked up with a couple valuable websites about couponing and saving for normal people.
Dad's response to the Extreme Coupining show had a kind of trickle-down effect. Your lovely wife thought it would be fun to buy a Sunday paper and see what this was all about. You both discovered that there really is a lot of money to be saved with a little bit of work and a paper full of coupons. So a week ago, you subscribed to the Sunday paper. Now, skype calls with mom and dad regularly include a few minutes of coupon-collecting conversation with dad. It's really pretty funny.
So, I was just wondering if you two have continued to "coupon" over the years, and if it's still saving you money. We're pretty early in the process right now, and I'm curious as to whether this'll last. I just hope you haven't turned into someone who might be on that TV show. They're a little bit cuckoo.
Jake (2011 version)
*Here's a story that illustrates dad's life-long couponing habits. You remember, don't you? Once when dad was at the store he went to buy a food item for which he had a coupon. When he found the item, he discovered that it was on sale for the amount of the coupon, and it said, "No Coupon Needed." Dad wouldn't buy the item because, in his own words, "I didn't feel like I was getting a deal." Goof ball.
May 27, 2011
Ready for the Weekend
A bit lengthy for a youtube video, but worth your time. Enjoy your weekend, everyone!
May 20, 2011
May 18, 2011
How Swift Am I?
This morning Elizabeth made a jokingly insulting comment to me and I jokingly responded, "Why you gotta be so mean?" Then I said, "I'm just like Taylor Swift" (whose latest song includes the refrain "why you gotta be so mean?"). Then she laughed. I said, "What's so funny?" and she said, "Dear, you couldn't be less like Taylor Swift." I'm not sure what she meant by that. I'll let you decide whether or not I'm like Taylor Swift:
May 17, 2011
Not How I Pictured It
One of those examples about how life isn't always what your 10-year old self thought it would be...
So that's what we did.
Elizabeth and I are efficient with our food. We plan the week's meals, and we strategically plan meals that will provide leftovers that can easily be taken to work the next day. A few weeks back, we made a potato & vegetable stew. We made a lot of it, and it was more than what the two of us could finish off in a couple of days. So, we took half of the stew and froze it. The smart way to freeze something like stew is to line your storage container with aluminum foil before adding the stew. Then, after it's been in your freezer for a day, pop out the foil-wrapped stew and wash your storage container. Now you can use that container for other things in the intervening time.
So that's what we did.
Now this week, stew is one of the meals on the agenda. It's great, because all we have to do is pull the frozen block of stew out of the foil, put it back into a storage container, and let it thaw in the fridge overnight. Tomorrow's meal takes no work at all except to re-heat the stew in the microwave.
But there was a problem.
Somehow a good chunk of the foil fused itself to the stew while in the freezer. I think it had to do with some stew leaking between the container and the foil when it was originally frozen, and now there are places with a thin layer of frozen stew on the outside of the foil.
Anyway, we just spent the last 20 minutes using a butter knife to chisel away at the frozen block of stew trying to make sure we got every last piece of foil removed (it's not fun to eat foil). Obviously, what we should have done was let the stew thaw in a storage container in the fridge with the foil still on. Then, when it was liquid again, we could just pull the foil out in one piece.
Chiseling aluminum foil off of tomorrow's lunch. Now how I pictured it.
Nearing the End
In case you've been hiding under a rock for a few weeks, I will likely never see any of you again because the end of the world is Saturday.
I don't know how you plan to spend your last few days before the apocalypse, but I plan to spend mine reading stuff on the internet. Therefore, I thought you might appreciate checking out a 5-part series from W. Robert Godfrey of Westminster Seminary in California on some of the history and development of Harold Camping, the man behind the "May 21st is Judgment Day" campaign. It's really 1 decent-sized blog post split up into five entries. It won't take you long.
Are any of you going to stock up on bottled water and a CB radio in preparation?
May 16, 2011
Future Me: About school work
Dear Future Jake,
I pray that you're not still doing school work. If you are, it must mean you decided to pursue a Ph. D. (or another master's, or another bachelor's?) over my strong objections. C'mon, man. I begged you. Seriously, take a moment to punch yourself in the face (just once, please—and not too hard). You're supposed to be done with that stuff by now. You promised.
In any case, if you still regularly have homework and deadlines, take this advice: Plead with Elizabeth to help you set up a schedule for when you will work on your projects. Be specific and STICK TO YOUR SCHEDULE. Believe me, I know how wonderful you are at procrastinating (perhaps that's what you're getting your Ph. D. in?), but it is not worth the nightmare you will experience in the days leading up to your deadline. If you make a schedule and stick to it, you'll roll your eyes a few times when you're forced to do homework weeks before it's due, but when you complete your final draft a week ahead of time, you will realize that your work is better, and your heart is healthier because you are not completely stressing yourself out. Celebrating a job well done before the job needs to be done is one of those truly liberating feelings, and it's great.
Now, make sure you thank your wife. You know that even with a non-procrastinating schedule, you never would have stuck to it if she hadn't made you. She's the reason you've finished all your homework with days (weeks?) to spare. Take her out to dinner and buy her something nice (or try to convince her to conveniently forget about her milk allergy for an evening and indulge in carry-out pizza and boxed macaroni... okay okay, that's more for you than for her. Sorry).
Jake (2011 version)
I pray that you're not still doing school work. If you are, it must mean you decided to pursue a Ph. D. (or another master's, or another bachelor's?) over my strong objections. C'mon, man. I begged you. Seriously, take a moment to punch yourself in the face (just once, please—and not too hard). You're supposed to be done with that stuff by now. You promised.
In any case, if you still regularly have homework and deadlines, take this advice: Plead with Elizabeth to help you set up a schedule for when you will work on your projects. Be specific and STICK TO YOUR SCHEDULE. Believe me, I know how wonderful you are at procrastinating (perhaps that's what you're getting your Ph. D. in?), but it is not worth the nightmare you will experience in the days leading up to your deadline. If you make a schedule and stick to it, you'll roll your eyes a few times when you're forced to do homework weeks before it's due, but when you complete your final draft a week ahead of time, you will realize that your work is better, and your heart is healthier because you are not completely stressing yourself out. Celebrating a job well done before the job needs to be done is one of those truly liberating feelings, and it's great.
Now, make sure you thank your wife. You know that even with a non-procrastinating schedule, you never would have stuck to it if she hadn't made you. She's the reason you've finished all your homework with days (weeks?) to spare. Take her out to dinner and buy her something nice (or try to convince her to conveniently forget about her milk allergy for an evening and indulge in carry-out pizza and boxed macaroni... okay okay, that's more for you than for her. Sorry).
Jake (2011 version)
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