Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Sunday, September 24, 2006
cheapsake
We ordered "carside to-go" tonight for dinner. Picking it up was quite akward. Do you tip the person that brings the food to your car? I didn't know what to do. I froze.Tip? No Tip? She didn't do anything. But she brought me my food. In way, she's my carside waitress...but she didn't do anything! It's just carry-out...but different. When I get carry out from the Villalge Wok, they don't bring the food to my car....so it's not carry out. But do I tip? Ah!!!
I didn't tip. I felt good about it. Until I looked to my left and watched the woman in the SUV next to me hand our "waitress" a five spot. Stupid suburbs.
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
sandbox
Grandpa built a park in our backyard for his grandkids. Click the picture to see more, using my new picasaweb photo album:
Monday, September 18, 2006
jesus and the aclu
Bumper stickers amuse me. If it were safe, I'd take pictures of my favorite bumbers while driving. However, considering I already talk on my cell phone, drink coffee, change songs on my iPod, and yell at the kids while driving, it believe it behooves me to abstain from adding yet another distraction.
Alas, it saddens me to not have a picture of my new favorite bumber. Yesterday while driving home from The Gap, I passed a car with a Jesus! bumper sticker placed immediately to the right (co-incidence? Jesus is a republican) of a sticker with ACLU circled with a line through it.
I'm still a bit naive. I didn't realize so many Christians had it in for the ACLU. Until I got home and browsed the web. Holy smokes. I even found a website that proclaimed "ACLU - Jesus Christ lives. Get over it!"
I like Jesus. And I don't mind the ACLU. Any group which expresses concern about the Patriot Act and files lawsuits against the government for conducting warrantless wiretapping is just fine with me.
Thursday, August 17, 2006
one part love
Today my niece celebrated her first birthday. I married into a family of many nieces and nephews; birthday parties aren't uncommon. And we all live within two miles of my wife's parents'--all 8 grandkids, all under 3 years old. Ana is the oldest. Birthday parties (and weekly Saturday night dinner) are complete chaos. Welcome to my life.
At today's birthday party the "icanthroughabetterpartythanyourlameasscan-ness" was in force. My niece's parents provided a meal of gyros. But they didn't have it catered. After all that would be too easy, especially since my niece's father is Greek. Today's party featured a lamb spinning on that mysterious machine that makes gyro meat, Shawarma. We did shots of ouzo and watched toddlers play on a swingset. We only argued about religion a couple of times.
At times it becomes easy to succumb to the laziness of selfishness. I'm surrounded by family and young children; life abounds. Yet at times I wish they would all just leave me the hell alone. Let me sit in silence and watch tv. Children eager to give me kisses surround me, but sometimes all I can think about is myself, how tired I am, how I just want to sit on the couch and have a drink. This is lazy selfishness. This is pathetic.
Life does not get simpler than a birthday party. Happiness is a swingset and chocolate cake and not having to go to bed at the normal bed time because you're daddy let your get hopped up on sugar from cake and ice cream.
Life does not get simpler than a birthday party. What could be better than shots of ouzo and lamb on a spit?
Sunday, August 13, 2006
shiny gold trophies
The 1st Annual Cedar 3’s – July 2006
Welcome to the Cedar 3’s, an award ceremony dedicated to the best in contemporary music. The Cedar 3 committee meets continuously throughout the year to discuss all things music; the good, the horrible, and the contenders for this year’s awards.
On with the show.
Gomez, How We Operate
Citizen Cope, The Clarence Greenwood Recordings
Sufjan Stevens, Illinios
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
day to day
Do you ever wish you could make time stand still? I do. Everyday.
My daughter is two, will turn 3 this November. My son is 10 months. I'm told a day will come when they won't want anything to do with me. Someday, I'll be just Dad, the dorky & annoying old man who doesn't know shit. But today, I'm Daddy, the best thing in the whole world. I make forts, read stories, play puzzles, and (in Sam's case) give them whatever they want to eat. Including chips. I'm daddy. There's no-one better. And my heart is full. Can time stand still?
My daughter is bossy. I think it's funny. She does yoga. I think she takes after my wife. "Down dog" is the name of something related to yoga. Do you call it a "position"? or "stretch"? or....who cares-it's yoga. Whatever happened to drinking to reduce stress.
Anyway, my daughter now knows about "Down Dog." Basically, you plant your hands and feet on the ground and then stick your ass as far in the air as you can. And now Ana does it. Today, she informed me that "Daddy, you do down dog, and then I'm going to push you over."
My daughter is two, will turn 3 this November. My son is 10 months. I'm told a day will come when they won't want anything to do with me. Someday, I'll be just Dad, the dorky & annoying old man who doesn't know shit. But today, I'm Daddy, the best thing in the whole world. I make forts, read stories, play puzzles, and (in Sam's case) give them whatever they want to eat. Including chips. I'm daddy. There's no-one better. And my heart is full. Can time stand still?
My daughter is bossy. I think it's funny. She does yoga. I think she takes after my wife. "Down dog" is the name of something related to yoga. Do you call it a "position"? or "stretch"? or....who cares-it's yoga. Whatever happened to drinking to reduce stress.
Anyway, my daughter now knows about "Down Dog." Basically, you plant your hands and feet on the ground and then stick your ass as far in the air as you can. And now Ana does it. Today, she informed me that "Daddy, you do down dog, and then I'm going to push you over."
yossarian
From Catch-22, by Joseph Heller.
"Do you know how long a year takes when it's going away?" Dunbar repeated to Clevinger. "This long." He snapped his fingers. "A second ago you were stepping into college with your lungs full of fresh air. Today you're an old man."
"Old?" asked Clevinger with surprise. "What are you talking about?"
"Old."
"I'm not old."
"You're inches away from death every time you go on a mission. How much older can you be at your age? A half minute before that you were stepping into high school, and an unhooked brassiere was as close as you ever hoped to get to Paradise. Only a fifth of a second before that you were a small kid with a ten-week summer vacation that lasted a hundred thousand years and still ended too soon. Zip! They go rocketing by so fast. How the hell else are you ever going to slow down?" Dunbar was almost angry when he finished.
"Well, maybe it is true," Clevinger conceded unwillingly in a subdued tone. "Maybe a long life does have to be filled with many unpleasant conditions if it's to seem long. But in that event, who wants one?"
"I do," Dunbar told him.
"Why?" Clevinger asked.
"What else is there?"
"Do you know how long a year takes when it's going away?" Dunbar repeated to Clevinger. "This long." He snapped his fingers. "A second ago you were stepping into college with your lungs full of fresh air. Today you're an old man."
"Old?" asked Clevinger with surprise. "What are you talking about?"
"Old."
"I'm not old."
"You're inches away from death every time you go on a mission. How much older can you be at your age? A half minute before that you were stepping into high school, and an unhooked brassiere was as close as you ever hoped to get to Paradise. Only a fifth of a second before that you were a small kid with a ten-week summer vacation that lasted a hundred thousand years and still ended too soon. Zip! They go rocketing by so fast. How the hell else are you ever going to slow down?" Dunbar was almost angry when he finished.
"Well, maybe it is true," Clevinger conceded unwillingly in a subdued tone. "Maybe a long life does have to be filled with many unpleasant conditions if it's to seem long. But in that event, who wants one?"
"I do," Dunbar told him.
"Why?" Clevinger asked.
"What else is there?"
Sunday, July 30, 2006
Saturday, July 29, 2006
the stars all have names
Do you remember the last time you were thankful?
I let stress and worry consume my thoughts, and forget life is short.
What is your definition of success? Money? Comfort? A little of both?
When did comfort become our god? Maybe I'm unique, but I doubt it. We are strange creatures. We worship comfort, stability, so much so that we make ourselves uncomfortable in our quest for that which eludes, defies definition.
I let stress and worry consume my thoughts, and forget life is short.
What is your definition of success? Money? Comfort? A little of both?
When did comfort become our god? Maybe I'm unique, but I doubt it. We are strange creatures. We worship comfort, stability, so much so that we make ourselves uncomfortable in our quest for that which eludes, defies definition.
Monday, July 10, 2006
the speckled mind: for the love of the city
I've been mulling over the following:
The Speckled Mind: For the Love of the City
I should probably avoid comment, since I don't know much about the topic, but ignorance breeds conflict (witness our president), and a good blog is nothing without a little conflict.
1) "But there's everything in the Bible that says you ought to want to [live in a city]." Where the hell is this piece of scripture? We ought to want to live in a city? What is a city? Since Dr. Keller is a pastor in NYC, I assume "city" = large metropolitan area? Those poor farmers, working in the country (dumb hicks) and suckers living in small cities like Des Moines.
2) When Christians talk about wanting to become "counter culture" centers of society, I get nervous. I know the idea is a noble one. Usually the argument involves the city on a hill can't be hidden argument: Christians should be ambassodors of love, peace, joy, etc, and hence "counter-cultural." I've yet to ever see this play out in practice.
3) My good friend Timmer asks an interesting question: "How does this all affect the way we live within culture?" What is "culture"? The question presupposes "culture" is a universal concept, but shouldn't we speak of cultures rather than culture? In practice, there are multiple cultures at work within society.
The Speckled Mind: For the Love of the City
I should probably avoid comment, since I don't know much about the topic, but ignorance breeds conflict (witness our president), and a good blog is nothing without a little conflict.
1) "But there's everything in the Bible that says you ought to want to [live in a city]." Where the hell is this piece of scripture? We ought to want to live in a city? What is a city? Since Dr. Keller is a pastor in NYC, I assume "city" = large metropolitan area? Those poor farmers, working in the country (dumb hicks) and suckers living in small cities like Des Moines.
2) When Christians talk about wanting to become "counter culture" centers of society, I get nervous. I know the idea is a noble one. Usually the argument involves the city on a hill can't be hidden argument: Christians should be ambassodors of love, peace, joy, etc, and hence "counter-cultural." I've yet to ever see this play out in practice.
3) My good friend Timmer asks an interesting question: "How does this all affect the way we live within culture?" What is "culture"? The question presupposes "culture" is a universal concept, but shouldn't we speak of cultures rather than culture? In practice, there are multiple cultures at work within society.
Thursday, July 06, 2006
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