Apparent Contradictions...

Tales from the Laundry Room

2010-04-25T00:51:00.004-04:00

It was a dark and stormy afternoon. I decided to pass the time by trying to get a load or two of laundry finished. I started a load of towels and let them soak for a little while. A short time after that I went to start the load. A few seconds later the plastic coupler that engages the engine to the transmission is snapped into three separate pieces. I immediately start looking to my trusty friend Google for a repair man and find a beacon of hope in someone who will answer my call at 3:45 on a Friday.

On Saturday the hero calls and tells me he will be at my house before 12:00 pm. I await his arrival. At 1:00 I call the hero of my tale and inquire to find out "Where the heck are you at"? Little did I know that to have to call the hero back and find out if he is still coming is worse forshadowing than the spooky music or the sound of the smoke monster coming toward you on LOST.

At 2:30 the hero arrives. He proceeds to take my washer apart and show me the broken coupler. He goes to his truck and returns with a replacement and proceeds to hammer it onto the transmission for my washing machine. This is not a good sign from the hero as it is merely supposed to slip onto the spindle of the transmission. The hero then slaps the thing back together and attempts to start the washer. Now however the transmission has seized and will turn. The hero confesses that he is puzzled as it was working before he hammered the part onto the washer. He then turns to me and tells me the transmission is now broken and that it will cost almost $300 to replace. I quickly realize that he is not the hero but the man in black trying to escape my island paradise with my money. He proceeds to charge me $60 for the privilege of having him break my washer and then bolts from my house as quickly as possible.

I finally get to inspect my washing machine and find that the transmission is now totally seized and that the equipment is now in significantly worse shape than before. I call the repair man confront him about the state of this "repair" and he proceeds to raise his voice and yell at me with each question about how this could have happened.

In the end I realize my hero is a bad person that has just taken me for my money and left me a $500+ bill to buy a replacement washing machine. Please learn from my folly. If you are in the Greenville Spartanburg area of South Carolina and need a repair do not look for your hero at Benson Refrigerator and Appliance Repair. The cost is simply to high. Your island is better off without the mystical touch of this bad man.

The End...

Getting back in the game.

2009-07-11T16:28:00.002-04:00

I have deliberately taken some time off from the internet in the evenings, because I wanted to accomplish some things at home and with my family. Having met most of those goals I am going to start blogging again when time permits. I hope you guys are still interested. Grace and Peace all.

6 Reasons Tim is the best husband EVER!

2009-03-22T19:31:00.004-04:00

In honor of our 6th anniversary, I am hijacking Tim's blog to share 6 reasons he is the best husband ever. :) Bear with me and skip this one if you don't like mushy posts.

Dear Tim,
I can't believe that it has been 6 years - time has flown! I still remember seeing you at the end of the aisle as I walked down with your grandfather holding my arm to give me away. You looked so excited to see me and I felt like a princess meeting her prince. Since that day, our love has only grown deeper and I can't imagine my life before you. I love you so much and I hope you realize that. You are my everything. Here are some reasons I adore you...

1. You are the most passionate person I know. Whether it's about Christianity, the 5 points, Florida State football, Tony Stewart, or the benefits of Mac versus Windows, you can argue politely yet firmly with anyone and help them see your point of view. You politely listen but can talk passionately about all these topics and more for hours on end. Sometimes I get aggravated (when I am not winning the argument!) but I admire your passion and knowledge.

2. You are the best listener EVER. Even though you can talk for long periods of time about anything I can think of, you also are an awesome listener. You show that you are paying attention and you remember every detail about what anyone tells you. Even if it is something you don't really care about like what the horrible student did for the umpteenth time in my classroom, you still listen and offer advice and let me know you care.

3. You surprise me when I least expect it. I LOVE Totally Random Days and I love how you make all these plans to do things that you know will make me feel so special. I love the way that you and V always wake me up on my birthday and I love seeing you guys conspire to mess with me. It is silly and sweet all at the same time!

4. You are the best daddy in the universe. I know you were nervous about whether you were ready to be a dad because you never had a "dad", but you have studied and read and thought so much about how to be a great dad. You didn't even need to do all of that, because it just comes naturally. I see you with V, in the good times and bad, and it melts my heart because I feel inferior compared to you. You have transformed this little girl who didn't know how to relate to guys into a complete and total daddy's girl.

5. You make me feel like a better wife and mother than I am. There are so many days that I feel like I get it wrong much more than I get it right, but you are always there to cheer me on and give me a reality check if I need it. You compliment me all the time and make me feel so special.

6. You can make me laugh like no one else in this world! Even when I am tired or sad or just not feeling like me, you always say something to make me laugh. There's not time to list all the funny things that you have done for me but you always make me feel better, no matter what the situation.

I love you, baby! I can't wait to spend the next 60 years of our lives together.

Is Anyone Out There?

2009-03-19T22:00:00.001-04:00

Just curious if anyone is actually checking in out there. If so let me know. If not okay.

Struggling With Hatred.

2009-03-16T17:22:00.003-04:00

I am sitting in the kitchen, helping Veronica work on her homework, doing a little bit of odds and ends for my work, and trying to catch up on the joys that are the internet. I had just started helping Veronica with some math problems and given her some time to work them out and the next thing I know she is in tears talking to me about her brother and sister that she has not seen in years and did not remember prior to one of the final parental meetings just prior to her being adopted, when her birth mother decided to pull the entire family (even grandparents) in for a final visit. The tailspin that this threw Veronica in still continues to this day and at times I believe will continue in some way for the rest of her life.

I am not upset about her feelings, her desire to talk about them, her longing to remember more, and to make sure that they are okay. In all of those things I wish I could help and do more, but I can't. God has not given me this ability, so I sit and listen and sometimes (like today) I fume at those who have hurt my daughter. The many ways they have carelessly damaged my child. The time it will take her to see these scars as the parts of life that will one day make her the incredible person she is to become (all a part of the mysterious and glorious providence of God). I am angry and I hurt for her and that makes me angry on days like today and I am totally powerless.

All I can do is sit, listen, dry her tears, and hope for the day this does not hurt her so badly. And maybe a time when I can forgive those who have done this to her and not burn with hatred toward them as badly as I do today.

24 Tonight...

2009-03-16T17:12:00.002-04:00

What is going to happen tonight? Is Jack going to be in FBI custody? Is he going to kill Jon Voight's supper evil bad guy character? Is this season starting to seem a little sluggish to any one else? Maybe it is just me or maybe it is the crazy work schedule I have had the last two weeks, but I am just thinking that 24 doing multiple plot lines in a single season is a bit to much. I am interested to know the rest of the fanboys and girls think. Please let me know.

This Weeks Workout Mix...

2009-03-15T00:00:00.000-04:00

I plan to offer a new feature to my readers. I am going to highlight the work out music I have decided to listen to that week during my workouts. I hope you enjoy it and maybe you can recommend some great tunes for me to listen to in the process.

This week I am starting with one of my favorite musicians. His name is Andy Osenga. He is an independent artist from Nashville and is a part of my all time favorite band Caedmon's Call. I picked his music because it has a great mix of tempos and the songwriting is amazing. I can also say that he is one of the nicest guys I have ever met. Please check out his site at ilikeandy.com and buy some of his stuff. You will not be disappointed.

Early in the Morning (The Morning)
New Beginnings (The Morning)
Swing Wide the Glimmering Gates (Letters to the Editor, Vol. 1)
Wanted (Letters to the Editor, Vol. 1)
Good Things Always Are (Letters to the Editor, Vol. 2) (Veronica also calls this her song, because he put a line in there about her)
Let Us Know You (Letters to the Editor, Vol. 2)
Canada (Letters to the Editor, Vol. 2)
After the Garden (The Morning)
White Dove (The Morning)
Santa Barbara (The Morning)
Expectations (Overdressed w/ Caedmon's Call)
Hold the Light (Overdressed w/ Caedmon's Call)
Kara (Photographs)
The Best I Can (Coming to Life w/ The Normals - serious back catalog here)
We Are Beggars... (Coming to Life w/ The Normals)

Give it all a listen and please comment about your favorites.

Email project at NGU is finally done!

2009-03-14T13:51:00.004-04:00

I am going to be posting my brains out this weekend because I finished my marathon email project up for the University. I have probably only slept a couple of hours per night the last two weeks, but it is done and it is ready to go for the faculty, staff, and students on Monday.

This means I get my life, my wife, and my kid back (or at least get to see them again). This week is going to be like I played a country song in reverse!

Tony Stewart - The Great Atlanta Comeback!

2009-03-08T21:18:00.001-04:00

Wow, what crazy day of racing at Atlanta Motor Speedway! The racing was fast, loose and crash filled and that was the first 65 laps of 325. As my blog readers already know, I am really on here to talk about how Tony Stewart did so I will not say much about Kurt Busch's dominance, Jeff Gordon's resurgence, Brian Vickers' bad luck, or Joey Logano's relentless quest to test the build quality of every outside retaining wall at each track the series visits (one of the announcer's actually referred to brushing the wall as pulling a "full Logano" today).

I was actually afraid that today was going to be a relatively poor day for Tony as his car was a little off the pace and after 60 laps he was pretty close to falling a lap down to the leader of the race. He pitted to have his car serviced and fell two laps down in the process, after one of the strangest caution flag calls I have ever seen. A crew guy ran half way across the infield grass to retrieve a stray tire and the officials threw a caution flag that lapped all but 6 drivers 65 laps into the race. I have watched NASCAR for at least 20 yrs. and I have never seen anything like this.

For the next hundred or so laps Tony was mired in the field 2 laps down in around 30th position. Then his car came alive and he managed to get both of his laps back and start his march back toward the front of the field. It was awesome! He finished 8th for the third time this season and moved up to 6th position in the season long points standings.

All I can say is that he is doing great and it looks like Stewart Haas Racing is going to be a racing force all season long. Keep going Tony!

Snow Bunnies!

2009-03-03T03:11:00.005-05:00

How do you like these hot ladies out playing in the snow?

Just make sure you stay away from the little one until she is 35 and be sure that you have her Daddy's permission first even then.

These are my snow bunnies as we are out in the snow having fun.

Snow in March, Really!!!

2009-03-03T01:59:00.008-05:00

I can't believe it, we had 6" of snow yesterday. At the beginning of March, nothing like this really happens in South Carolina.

Erin, Veronica, and I all spent a lot of time just playing around and making a mess of ourselves in the snow today. Our English Bulldogs even got in the act for a little while.

I took a walk around the neighborhood for about an hour early in the morning just so that I would have an excuse to take some pictures and so that I could beat the rush of everyone getting out in the snow.

I took tons of pictures, and I will be posting them on the blog and mostly on my flickr link as time permits, but I just thought I would let you all know and to share a quick preview with you all.

Hangin' with V and Fixing Email Problems (It's a Daddy Life)!

2009-02-27T10:25:00.002-05:00

This morning has been very interesting. It started with my sick little girl acting like a wild woman waiting for her medicine to kick in. At the same time, I was working on breakfast because I was constantly hearing "I am starving, Daddy!" I am also trying to respond to the torrent of emails and questions that come at me all the time and are a seemingly inescapable part of my job (even when I am taking time off).

A few minutes into V's breakfast, I look up to see all of her oatmeal coming back into the bowl from which it was disappearing just moments before, but this time it was seasoned with juice.

This is all happening in the instant I am fixing an email problem that has dogged me all a week long. I won't give you the details on that, but I will say it is a strange feeling being elated, relieved, concerned, and nauseated all at the same time.

Now we are watching the Spiderwick Chronicles on DVD while I continue to sort email and blog this post. I do hope I have seen the last repeat performance of a meal for the day.

Tony Stewart Running Great, Week 2...

2009-02-26T21:30:00.004-05:00

For a second week in a row Tony has had a strong top 10 run. He is one of only three drivers to have top 10 finishes in the first two weeks. Not bad for a guy with a new team. I hope the season keeps going this strong all year long.

He is currently tied for third in the season long championship standing, but is still really early in the sesaon and 33 drivers are within 250 points of the lead.

If you are a Nascar fan feel free to chime in. I will try not to be mean when talking about your favorite driver.

Quick Run Down of Things These Last Couple of Weeks

2009-02-26T21:00:00.005-05:00

I know I have been a bit sporadic to say the least these last few weeks, but it has been a very trying time in the Patterson household. I will give you a quick run down.

Erin and I have been as sick as dogs with a nasty bug that took about three weeks to fully kick. I am just finishing 20 days of antibiotics and there are more to come.

We thought for about a week that we were going to have another child enter our family, but God did not will for this to happen for us yet.

Veronica has been really sick the last week. Crazy high fevers, numerous doctors visits, antibiotic changes, and some general quietness that is just uncommon for our house.

Finally, work has been really challenging and disheartening at times, because I have some projects that I just couldn't get the necessary participants to get on board so we could close them out, some projects have been close to finished only to have last minute setbacks that plague the possibility of keeping established deadlines, and some things that have been working are just dying because of damage to the hardware layer. All this work has come at the detriment of my family, health, rest, and in some ways sanity. A 15 hour day has been all too common during this time.

I know the next two weeks are going to be really tough at work as we still have some major initiatives that have hard deadlines to meet, but I should be more frequent in my posting and I still have several things to catch up on.

Coming back...

2009-02-18T18:50:00.001-05:00

I will be back soon, but for some reason I just cannot shake this funk. Some of it physical, some of it mental, all of it funky. I hope all of you are doing well.

Tony Stewart is the Man!!!

2009-02-07T22:52:00.007-05:00

I am not going to make to much of a deal out of it tonight as it was just the Bud Shootout Race, but Tony Stewart looks like he is great. He was in 16th position with two laps to go and with 1/2 a lap to go he made his way up to 3rd and was moving up but the race ended on a wreck and he didn't have any more time to move up. I am so glad to see he is looking this strong to start his new season as a owner and driver.

Finally Alive

2009-02-06T20:48:00.003-05:00

Just a quick note, a new John Piper book "Finally Alive" has landed at my house. It will be a few days before I can review it, but I am sure it will be awesome.

Finally Alive by John Piper (Link)

A Little More on Kurt Warner

2009-02-04T17:30:00.000-05:00

Just thought I would share a little more about one of my favorite players.

Kurt Warner on ESPN (Link)

Kurt Warner on National Post (Link)

Kurt Warner's First Things First Foundation (Link)

Just a little more to stew over as it relates to this great guy and what he is really all about.

Is Redneck Contagious?

2009-02-03T12:00:00.002-05:00

Over the past few weeks I have noticed the beginnings of a terrible affliction befalling my sweet little girl. It started slowly at first, but I have noticed considerable advances of the disease in the last few days and now it is starting to trouble me by its depth and pace.

I am talking about southerntalkus redneckis. Sorry for the latin there, but I felt the need to make sure you know exactly what the illness is if you should so choose to talk about it with your doctor as I plan to do the next time we take Veronica to see hers. At this time we are still not certain if it is a chronic illness or how acute it may become, but it definitely appears to be a largely regional illness at this time. I have noticed it is worse after being around others also affected by the illness, especially those that are close friends and teachers. And, I am finding the "I am an 8 year old and I trust everyone over my Mommy and Daddy" strain seems very hard to treat, although occasionally the symptoms have been beaten back with references to the over counter dictionarymajora root and its associated pronunciation guide.

As of this post I have found no research into a possible vaccine and I intend to immediately start a lobby group to get this issue on the national agenda. I also encourage all of you to contact the pharmaceutical companies and ask them to devote billions of dollars to a treatment of this real illness and not to the creation of drugs prior to their being an illness (do you hear me "restless leg syndrome"). After that we need to insist that a multibillion dollar ad campaign be devoted to the public awareness of the drug and maybe even the disease. We will tell everyone to ask your doctor for it by name and they will know exactly what it is because we will have lobbied for drug reps to order in pizza at all of the local medical offices and tie up the staff for hours to explain the benefits of this new miracle drug (sorry waiting room full of "sick" people, but this is just too important to be slowed by your mundane illnesses). Of course all this research and public campaigning will have cost so much that the medicine will likely cost way to much for those without medical insurance to afford and it may even be so expensive that some insurance companies will raise their rates and yes some companies may no longer offer their employees health care benefits because of the rising cost to them, but who cares. This is important and we have a solution to the whole problem in one tiny little pill. There will be no need for us to actually teach the public objective truths, to call for real parental involvement, or to practice safe communication. It is all there in our pill for a reasonable cost.

Will you please join me in my quest to save Veronica and all of the children like her before it is to late? We must do something before Babel falls again (this time of our own creation)! I need volunteers now. PLEASE HELP!

Update: It appears their are three new mutations of this illness already. BostonianCHOWDAconfusiousness, Wisconsoncheeseheaddrawism, and Canadian"eeh"itis. We must hurry.

Gatorade or Seminole Firewater... Just stirring the cooler with my two cents.

2009-02-02T22:32:00.008-05:00

Not being one to miss a chance to put my Noles out in front of the Gators, I was reminded of this story by one of the comments on the blog and I decided I should put it out their for public consumption.

Gatorade as a concept was not invented by the University of Florida. There I said it. It was possibly invented by a doctor at Florida State (I also doubt this based on some other research, but the bottom line is that it wasn't a Gator thing first). There was a athletic drink called Seminole Firewater made a full 5 years before the Gatorade patent was applied for.

CNBC story about Seminole Firewater (Link)

The Independent Florida Alligator (Link)

Does any of this really matter? Not much but it is fun to know that my Noles are always ahead of the curve so to speak and it is one more thing I can use to jab Gator fans with when we talk (maybe even spear them with, you know like one of those big arrowhead tipped, feather ladden spears).

I Got Another One!

2009-02-02T22:01:00.004-05:00

Just a quick update for everyone keeping score. Another team I was cheering for has lost the big game. Sorry Cardinals! There is a cost in having me cheer for you and today you have seen what this is.

I have no ill feeling towards the Steelers, I am just a big fan or Kurt Warner's and was hoping they were going to pull it out in the end. I have always been a fan of guys that are more than merely athletes and he definitely fills that bill. Below I am linking a video clip that gives you a little more insight into what I mean. Kurt Warner on ESPN.com.

It was still a great game and I hope everyone who watched it enjoyed the show of incredible talent that they were treated to. I definitely hope everyone one got to watch the game like Erin and I did, with TIVO! No commercials and the 30 second skip button takes you from the end of one play to the beginning of another almost perfectly.

Hail to the Chief!

2009-01-26T21:56:00.004-05:00

As I was driving to work this morning, I finally realized that I had no inaugural ceremony for my new role as HOA President. I mean, why were there no news trucks? No inaugural balls. No parties. No hoards of adoring home owners waiting for my speeches. All I found was some work that needed to be done, people that needed served, and some responsibilities and leadership that needed filled.

Man, I sure would have liked to worn a tux for a few minutes though, especially if Erin would have been in one of those adult prom dress/evening gowns or whatever they are called. Who knows maybe someone would have even talked about V's clothes a soon to be fashion trend.

Awesome Weekend Tragically Murdered by Thoughts of Work Tomorrow

2009-01-25T21:15:00.007-05:00

Today in local news an area man's awesome weekend at home with his wife and daughter was tragically cut short late Sunday evening as he began to think about the week of work at hand.

As one of the voices in man's head commented, "It was a great weekend. Saturday, I spent the whole day working on building a Hackintosh out of my Asus EEE PC. Later that evening, my family and a friend of mine from work went and had a nice dinner at Moe's and saw the local magician that performs there on Saturdays. After that, I went and saw the incredibly crappy remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still with three of my friends from work. We all had a good time and enjoyed trying to comment on the ways they had screwed up the 1951 version of the film."

"Sunday is when things really started to seem weird. I slept in a little bit late which was really nice after the long days this past week and had a great late breakfast made by my wife. We made plans to celebrate Veronica's all A's on her report card and then we watched a movie together. That is when I fell asleep on the couch and I was there until I was interviewed for this story."

Our story now continues with what appears to be a third personality inside the man's head (which this reporter surely has a psuedo-mullet), "Man it was awesome! We went to Applebee's for this big dinner (it was Veronica's pick) and I had their great Brewtus burger on the foccacia bread. I am not normally a burger dude, steak and potatoes are normally the fat guy's thing, but this was awesome. We kicked back and had a chocolate chip cookie sundae for dessert. I ate my ice cream with some of Applebee's maple butter sauce. It rocked my face off! We then went home and played two hours of our new Wii game (Carnival Games). It was all awesome, as I am a natural "carnie". We put Veronica in bed and I thought the night was going to end great, but then when we came downstairs that "dad" dude insisted on coming out and paying bills, and then one thing led to another and he started thinking about what he needed to do at work next week and before you know it the awesome weekend lay dead on the couch next to him."

All that is left now is this post and the sound of the man's wife playing a game that she and his daughter discovered on Webkinz World today under the auspices of "try to earn more money for V's online pet".

All very tragic.

Now in sports...

Televised Abuse...

2009-01-17T22:50:00.002-05:00

I am going to be sick. Erin and I are finally watching this weeks ER (thanks God for the glory that is Tivo). I have seen a lot of things on ER over the years. The never ending attempts to escalate the story lines. The merciless way they have killed off their characters (Gant and Green). Tonight however as I watch the story unfold I saw something that made me shutter. One of the characters was struggling with a difficult day and in a moment of rage throws her phone to the ground. Normally this wouldn't bother me, but it was an iPhone. How could someone take the greatest consumer electronic device ever made and treat it so carelessly? I remember the only time I dropped mine and I was out of sorts the rest of the day. I still look at the small ding in the upper left hand corner and wonder what might have been.

Oh my gosh, they just did it again! How do these people sleep at night?

Thank Goodness This Week is Finally Over.

2009-01-17T22:35:00.003-05:00

What a terribly long week this has been. I am not sure if it has been this way for everyone, but this has been a relentlessly long, relentlessly taxing, strange week.

Several nights I have worked until 2 or 3 in the morning after working all day long during normal business hours. I have stayed in my office until 10:30. I have went to infuriating school meeting for my child (that blog post will come soon). I have neglected family and tried to be there when my mind is near collapse or when I am really other places. I have longed for intimacy (not that way). I have been successful in ways I never really thought I could. I have endured, persevered, and thrived. I have stumbled, failed, and faltered.

I guess this week means I have lived!

No New Posts Tonight...

2009-01-14T19:42:00.002-05:00

Sorry I can't finish up on some of the posts I am working on because I am going into hour 13 in my normal 7.5 business day. If I ever do get to leave my office I am going to spend time with my wife not anything else. Grace and Peace for tonight.

24 Hours 3 and 4!

2009-01-12T22:18:00.008-05:00

I am not sure how much more I can take, I know it has been only been four hours in Jack's newest incredibly bad day, but my heart is already thumping out of my chest. Tony is bad but now he is good. Maybe Bill is bad and Chloe too. Then again maybe everything is as it seems. No one knows and one of the things I have learned about after many years as a 24 fan is that you can't be sure until the last episode. The worst part of this all is that I am the guy that over analyzes everything and I am not anywhere close to done over thinking the potential plot twists this season. Below are some of my potential plot twists for the remainder of the season.

1. The Dallas ending - the last 7 seasons have actually been a dream and Jack has been in a coma.

2. The Florida State vs. Georgia Tech ending - Jack will make a strong push to the end of the season have a chance to win it all with 3 seconds to go, fumble everything and the whole world blows up. (I know that this isn't going to happen, but I think it is the only way I can mention the way Florida State lost to Georgia Tech again without totally getting the crap beat out of me by my wife).

3. Godzilla ending - Bad guys contract a mercenary Godzilla who begins swatting planes from the sky and then begins threatening the White House or the grave of any of the like 20 presidents that have been used on the show thus far. After a few hours (like 24) of terror, Jack single handily slays the monster by sneaking up the back of Godzilla and killing him in a totally awesome way with a ball point pen and the cell phone charger that has never been seen in the show otherwise.

4. The Office ending - Jack makes terrorist sit through 22 hours of Human Resources meetings and they give up as they begin to move into changes of the dental benefits for the new fiscal year.

5. Internet ending - Facebook friends totally rat out plans for terrorists wife's birthday gift and then terrorist's wife twitters the whole evil plan. Former CTU operatives hack into computers of terrorist opening one adult content site and the flood of pop ups and self installing malware and virus crashes all system and averts disaster for at least 24 hours because that is how long it takes to patch a Windows XP system completely. (Everyone knows the bad guys use windows and the good guys use Macs.)

If you have any other endings leave them in the comments and I will blog them with some of my others in a few days.

Erin, the Cheese Thief or Temporary Cheese Insanity?

2009-01-11T22:49:00.004-05:00

Okay, I don't really know if this is stealing, because it was in the fridge and I don't really care, but I can't pick on her if I can't call it stealing. I really want to be able to give her grief and pick on her as much as I can, but all that goes away if I don't care.

The other part of this crime is that it is actually the crazy white melting cheese that you get in Mexican restaurants. We all know that it is impossible to resist that stuff. It calls to you in your sleep and the seal around the refrigerator door is not nearly enough to keep the siren from waking you in the middle of the night. How could I be mad with Erin for eating the last of the thick yet runny cheese if I am certain that it makes you temporarily insane until it is out of the house?

Now it is gone and all is back to normal. I have decided to not press charges this time. Although, I am still left haunted by the white creamy ghost that slowly drips from a floating nacho each night as I close my eyes to sleep. I wonder if I should call a priest or a Mariachi band.

Jack is Back! 24 Returns with a Bang!

2009-01-11T22:16:00.005-05:00

I just finished the two hour season premier of 24 and it was awesome! It has been over a year and half since the last installment of 24 and the adventures and trials of Jack Bauer and I have really been curious to see if the writers, producers, directors, and actors were going to be able to pull off another season. That was answered tonight with a fantastic and resounding YES!

The story looks solid (better than the last couple) and I can say that I am already on the edge of my seat and will probably be sitting there until the season finale.

Keifer Sutherland plays the best angry guy ever that doesn't have to scream expletives (sorry Samuel L. Jackson, you are still the best cursing angry guy) to get someone to crack. It could also have something to do with the fact that he may have a gun to your head, forearm in your throat, or as he was preparing tonight something crazy with a ball point pen. I am surprised to see that long time good guy Tony Almeida is now an antagonist with still unknown plans. I can say for one thing, that it will be fun to watch Jack break his will to keep his plans secret over the next couple of hours.

Reminder the season premier event continues tomorrow with another wicked awesome two hours starting at 8 pm.

Okay, I am going for now because I may need some heart medicine as I think my pulse is still well over a 1000.

The Importance of Understanding Urgency

2009-01-09T00:17:00.000-05:00

I work in a service field that at times becomes overwhelmed by ego maniacs that live their life as though they are the most important people in the universe (IT not Ministry, although at times it would fit there as well). I constantly resist the temptation to see my role as an end onto itself but as one who serves and facilitates the success of others in their work. I have allowed my desire to serve others and to not take myself too seriously that it has created a major problem. Every time a request for my assistance comes to my office, I immediately categorize the need as "Urgent" and begin a frenzy of effort until the issue is resolved. If multiple issues come in before I can clear the previous requests, I have no problem prioritizing them and working until all the issues are resolved.

The problem is that I fail miserably when I have a problem come into my office at the end of the day. I immediately spring into action diagnosing the problem and taking on the weight of the world onto my shoulders until I can fix it. I lose sight of the fact that I have already worked all day, that I don't get paid overtime (although I regularly work it), and that my wife and child are at home waiting for my time.

I know the reason I do this is because I understand that every time someone calls my office it is likely the most important and most urgent need that they have to get the job assigned them by the University completed. I take very seriously my responsibility to help them. What I do wrong is that I assume everything that is important is urgent. It is not. Important things will always be important and urgent things will always be urgent, but that doesn't mean that everything I do has to be some all consuming-Indiana Jones-like quest. No work I have ever done has change the world for the benefit of all mankind. No contribution I have ever made has saved the life of someone else. Staying late does not make me a better worker. Staying late does not make the work I do better or more valuable. Working more does not make me a better "Daddy" to Veronica or a better "Hubs" to Erin. It just means that I fail to place the proper importance on urgent things.

I have to spend more time remembering that I do important work. I respond to urgent issues. There are times that I absolutely need push on and stay until the work is done. However, the most important thing is that I do not need to do this all the time, and the urgent needs are at home. The lives I will change are those of Veronica and Erin and the lives that they can change by the contribution I make to them. With all this being said it is urgent that I understand the importance of understanding real urgency.

Florida Wins the National Championship

2009-01-08T23:51:00.006-05:00

I have never been a Florida Gators fan. If fact it would be more fair to say that I have a bitter hatred of the team. It has been that way since I was kid and each year the Florida State vs. Florida game would be as contentious as any presidential election or decision between my wife and I regarding what we would have for dinner. This season however has been different for me in some regards. I have an undying love for my Noles but I have watched with interest to see how the Gators season would turn out. Then it came time the National Championship game. As I watched all of the coverage of the game it got easier and easier for me to cheer for Florida over Oklahoma. Here are some of the reasons why.

Rarely do you see a young man with the character of Tim Tebow (much less the skill, leadership, and talent).

I hate trash talkers, and Oklahoma certainly gave me plenty to hate in the media interviews the week before the game. I am just curious to know if Oklahoma thinks Tim Tebow is still the fourth best QB if he came to the Big 12.

During the game, adversity never seemed to have any impact on the Gators.

Urban Meyer has now won more National Championships than Steve Spurier did at Florida (man I can't stand that guy).

A team I was cheering for actually won a game. Like I said earlier in the week, I am a kiss of death to the teams I like.

For now I will congratulate the Gators on their victory. I hope it is treasured for some time to come. I hope we all remember the great value of seeing young men succeed not merely at a game, but in life. I also hope that they get beat like an old dog trying to steal the Thanksgiving turkey next year when they play the Seminoles.

Resolutions...

2009-01-07T00:49:00.006-05:00

I have been a fan of Jonathan Edwards for years (the theologian - not the cheating, fornicating politician from my hometown of Seneca, SC) and I am hard pressed to think of many other theologians that have had the impact of me that he has. Starting in 1722 he began writing a series of some of the most significant and staggering resolutions that have ever been written and he continued to until he had a total of 70 that he recorded his last in August of 1723. The weight of all his resolutions are far too much for me to attempt at this point in my life, but I am definitely going to be including some of his resolutions in with mine for the year. I am going to share some of mine with you now.

1.) Spend more time with family, and less at work (correlary: to spend less time with family that I am actually thinking about work).

2.) To not blame the dogs for that strange smell in the air when Erin and I are cuddling up on the couch.

3.) Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God' s glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriads of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many soever, and how great soever. (clearly one of Edwards)

4.) To eat better, work out more, lose weight, get more sleep, and all the rest of the normal New Year's resolutions that most people have already started ignoring by this point in the new year. I just figured I would get it all out of the way now.

5.) To speak with grace, edification, and love. Unless someone is being an idiot and then it is totally fair game to tell them.

6.) Resolved, to examine carefully, and constantly, what that one thing in me is, which causes me in the least to doubt of the love of God; and to direct all my forces against it. (Edwards again)

7.) To never settle for mediocrity as a husband and father.

8.) To spend more time leading by example and to remember that the example is to be of the most ideal good and not what is easy, popular, or quick.

9.) Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can. (Edwards)

10.) Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live. (Edwards)

If you have any other ideas please let me know what to consider by leaving a comment below. These can be fun, funny, or profound so don't be reserved. If you are interested in reading the rest of Jonathan Edwards resolutions, please click the link below and enjoy greatness.

The Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards

Macworld 2009 Post Keynote Wrap Up

2009-01-06T15:40:00.004-05:00

Nothing to see here, just keep moving on through.

Not completely true, but nothing innovative or all that original. Some new features to old product line and some poor design choices on the 17" Macbook Pro.

I guess I can go on with my life. No new way to spend money this month. Thanks for not all that much Apple.

Reminder: Apple Keynote Tomorrow 12 PM Eastern

2009-01-06T00:39:00.007-05:00

Being a rabid Apple fan, I thought it fair to remind everyone that Apple is going to be throwing Phil Shiller to the wolves at Macworld and asking him to do a keynote when all of the Apple lovers like me are really wanting a "SteveNote". I know Steve Jobs is sick and is getting better but I thought that is what satellite feeds were designed for. I hope to see some cool new stuff and will definitely post if I find some new way to move my family a little closer to the poor house. If you want to follow along, I recommend you click on the Engadget link below and check it out.

Engadget

I Almost Got Another

2009-01-05T23:56:00.006-05:00

This college bowl season has been a pretty good one all in all. A lot of close games, a lot of exciting finishes, and most importantly my Noles won big over the latest challenger put before them. The only down side has been that almost every team I have cheered for has lost. I have been an absolute kiss of death to every team I have tried to inspire to victory by cheering for them from my living room. You name a team and I have single-handedly taken them down. Tonight while watching the Fiesta Bowl, I almost got another one. With a little over two minutes left, I had cheered the Longhorns to a 4 point deficit and then they started driving down the field. With 16 seconds left in the game, they scored a game winning touchdown and by the slightest of margins they stole a win from me. It was miracle. A team I was cheering for had actually won a game. How dare any team break free from the clutches of my fanship (no, I don't really think that is a word either).

I guess I will end the night by simply saying "Good game Texas and congratulations" and I am sorry that you are the team I wanted to win or it would have been a blow out.

Favorite Quotes of Christmas

2009-01-05T23:33:00.008-05:00

This year at Christmas I can think of many good things that happened but two moments will stick in my mind for as long as I am alive. I have to share them with you guys.

The first moment came about an hour after Veronica had finished opening her Christmas presents and she came downstairs after an hour or so of playing with her new toys and had a very troubled look on her face. I asked her what was wrong and she said she didn't know what to do and I told her that is was okay if she wanted to spend some more in her play room with her new toys that it was okay with her mother and I. It was then that she said, "Daddy, I have so much new stuff that I just can't decide what to play with next." What a great day to be overwhelmed with too much blessing.

The second moment came when Erin and I were sitting in the living room during our "Office" marathon and we were starting to have a junk food craving that would have made a heroin addict jealous. As we awaited the end of the episode, Erin looked at me and asked me "Would you like to share your Reese's Peanut Butter Christmas Tree with me?" What made me laugh so hard is that it was one of the stocking stuffer candies that she had given me in my Christmas stocking and we were both pretty sure that if I had said no that she was still going to eat it and not really share any of it with me anyway. I need to find more gifts that I can give like that.

Lust

2009-01-05T01:04:00.006-05:00

A lot of people have vices and one of mine is definitely bible lust. I am dying for this to be released next month. I know it is sad and that I have a problem, but my wife is totally aware of this problem so I guess I could do worse. I just can't wait for this printing to be released. Even though I know I am supposed to have this Bible at the house tomorrow as a replacement for my defective Single Column Reference ESV. Are there support groups for this?

Going Back to Work

2009-01-05T00:51:00.005-05:00

Tomorrow is my first official day back at work after having some holiday time off to spend with my family. I know I should be ready to go back and part of me is, but another part of me has no interest in it. I have had a really good time with my family over this vacation. I will spend some of the next few days posting about what I have done over the break, but feel free to share what you have done over your time off with (if you had some). I am also pushing the late night hours today so I will bet you that I am going to be dragging first thing in the morning tomorrow because I will actually have to wake up and not just get out of bed when the dogs start barking. That is going to stink, but it is the cost of being a night owl I guess.

First Things.

2009-01-04T23:44:00.001-05:00

I just wanted to start my new blog by saying hello to everyone. I hope you enjoy what you read. I plan to talk about my family, work, theology, sports, the books I am reading, the music I like, things that drive my interest and everything in between. I hope to never offend but at times I do hope to challenge you. Have a good day and I wish for Grace and Peace for all.

Tim