A Dandy Dozen

A dozen years ago today, i stood in front of my family and closest friends, and pledged my til-death love and devotion for my amazing wife Julie.  As i watched her glide down the aisle, i thought she was impossibly, breath-takingly beautiful. 

She is still my beautiful bride, and i love her dearly.  She runs our household with aplomb.  I call her, without irony or pretense, the Chief Operating Officer of the Scott Household.  She is a wonderful, forward-thinking mom to our 4 amazing kids.  And she graces me with her respect, boosting me when even i doubt, but keeping me honest and grounded, too.

I love you, honey.  Happy 12th Anniversary!

P.S.  Here's a wedding photo...

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Family website back

I finally figured out how to get our family website updated.  I think it was another casualty of the old computer not having enough juice for the modern world. 

So i added a couple of pages with a selection of the professional photos we had done.  Click below...

Scott Family

Why Everyone Should Celebrate Hanukkah

when i was a kid, i figured Hanukkah was just a Jewish Christmas, if i thought about it at all. And until just recently, i had just a basic understanding of it. But i finally read the details and discovered that the holiday commemorates the Maccabean revolt that led to the rescue and rededication of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem. The temple had been overrun and desecrated by Antiochus IV, an early recorded instance of religious persecution. Antiochus forbade the Jews from practicing their religion.

So the Maccabean victory, and Hanukkah as an outgrowth, is a case of the triumph of religious freedom against an oppressive state. The Jewish people just wanted to be able to worship freely in their own place of worship.

So, all people who value religious freedom should hold a special place in their heart for this holiday.

A Lumberjack Noel

Last Saturday, we loaded into the Suburban and headed north on I77 to get a Christmas tree.  Our destination was Reed Island Tree Farm near Hillsville, Virginia, on a recommendation from one of the guys who works for me.  We headed out around 10am, and arrived about 1115am, not a bad trip at all.

Reed Island is a cut & carry place, where you grab a saw (the long measuring stick is optional), hop onto the trailer behind a tractor, and take a ride into the fields of Fraser Firs.  We hopped off the trailer, and let the kids run through the fields to find the perfect tree.  If you've done this before, you know that size and scope can be deceptive, but we measured height versus the top of my head, figuring it shouldn't be more than a foot higher. 

Fraser Firs are awesome Christmas trees, with the iconic shape you hope for (if you're from these parts, you come to expect it).  When you cut them fresh, you don't have to worry about the tree drying out, or shedding its needles very much.

We explored around the field for a while, each tree a row over seeming to be better than the one we just looked at.  We finally settled on one, and commenced to sawing.  I let all the kids take a turn with the bow saw, so in the end, we all cut it down together.  You then drag it a few yards to the tractor trail, and young men come around to pick it up.  They then shake off the loose needles with a shaking contraption, and feed the tree through a baler, wrapping it tightly with netting string.

Meanwhile, we explored the little craft table, and bought some bbq sandwiches (which i loved, but Julie & Caroline didn't).  They were supposed to have free cider and hot chocolate, but i didn't see it anywhere.  I paid for the tree (only $42 for trees up to 8 feet tall), and the young guys spent a while tieing it onto the roof of the car.

When we got home, and got the tree up on our tree stand, we cut the net strings, and the tree popped back into its original shape and breadth.  In all our worries about the height, we never stopped to think about how far around the thing was. 

We all had a great time, a fun adventure.  Once you count gas and all, i'm sure you don't save any money versus buying from a cut lot down the street, but the family experience makes all the difference.

Photos of Terrell

I grew up (from age 10 on) in Terrell, Texas.  Today i found this blog that posts a daily photo of some locale in Terrell.  Actually, the same guy has two blogs on the same subject.

http://terrelldailyphoto.blogspot.com/

http://terrelltexasphotos.blogspot.com/

Meeting the Huckabees

you can read all the details of our night with the Huckabees here.

Excerpt:

"The guy is a phenomenal speaker. There's not an ounce of slick in how he comes across. He just takes the floor and weaves through these long paragraphs of passion for America, and what we can do to make it a better country."

POTD: Carson Grandkids

This is taken in Flower Mound, Texas this past summer.  That's Jackson & Emily with their cousins Chad, Sara, and Kaylen.

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Doing My Duty

Two quick notes, both related to government and politics.

1.  I got my first-ever jury summons today.  Slated for February.  I've always been pretty surprised that i've never been called, as i have always been voter-registered everywhere i've lived.  Probably won't matter.  I always figured that, given my demographics and work history, i would get quickly excised, but that's probably based too much on TV trials.

2.  Julie & i are going to attend an invitation-only reception tomorrow night in Greensboro.  It's a fundraiser for Governor Mike Huckabee.  (See my blog link on the right - Huck the System - for more info on Huckabee.)  The governor will be there.  I'm not sure how big the soiree will be, but it's held in someone's home, so we should have a good chance to meet the next president of the US.

POTD: David

David, age 2 (roughly)...

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POTD: Jackson

This is Jackson, in Terrell at my folks house this summer.  He found some clown clothes.

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Dixie Chicks on Sesame Street

i stayed home today with David, and we ran across this segment on Sesame Street.  I thought it was funny.

 

POTD: Emily

Fun new fact about Emily.  She's taken to sleeping on the hall floor, outside the bedrooms.  She is avoiding her normal spot, because her brother has been sick.  And she says that her bed is too hard.  So she's built a pallet of pillows and blankets on the floor.

This photo was taken in our bedroom.  I like it because i think it gives a glimpse of what Emily will look like as a teenager.

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Photo of the Day

Have a number of photos to share, between the professional pictures we had taken and me finally getting our scanner working with the new computer.  Won't innundate you, but will try to log in and share a photo a day.  We'll start with the eldest, Caroline.  I'm not sure where & when this photo was taken.

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God's Blueprint of the Universe?

The headline reads "Surfer Dude Stuns Physicists with a Theory of Everything".  A holy grail in the world of theoretical physics, a theory of everything attempts to explain the entirety of our understanding of the universe and all its physical components.  Garrett Lisi, our surfer-hero (and, not incidentally, of course, with an advanced degree in this science), has postulated his theory using the E8, the most elegant and intricate shape known in mathematics. 

E8 is a complex 8-dimensional figure with 248 points.  For mathematicians, it contains 60x more data than did the Human Genome Project.  Written out on paper, it would cover the island of Manhattan.  For we laymen, it looks like an amazing spirograph.

What excites many scientists about Lisi's theory (and don't think for a second that i understand more than a scintilla of it) is that it doesn't need more than our 4 dimensions (the 4th being time or motion) to explain, whereas the other pet theories of the day require 10+ imagined dimensions and other bizarre formulations.  Another point in Lisi's favor is that his model incorporates gravity.

What excites me is the inherent beauty of E8, not just in the standard representation linked above.  But as you rotate (it's hard to imagine rotating a multi-dimension object, i know), you find these other beautiful, elegant, simple, symmetrical pictures.  I can't help but look at them and believe that i'm seeing God's blueprint for the universe.  Not necessarily what you would see if you were able to step outside the universe and see its big-picture shape, such as the earth's sphere or the galaxy's spiral.  But rather the inner workings of the various subatomic particles.

Here's a short video that shows some of those patterns.  Again, i have no idea what all this means from a science standpoint.  One thing that is quite interesting... about a minute into the video, a 6-pointed star appears.

Of course, it's quite possible that Lisi's theory won't pass muster of peer review.  But whether Lisi's model is correct or not, i am confident that if a correct ToE exists, it will amaze us with its simple elegance.  That seems to be the way God works.

A Two-Waterfall Lunch

With the kids off school for two days, i wanted to go somewhere for fall break, but schedules (Julie's) and work emergencies (mine) conspired against us.  Instead, we took a day trip yesterday into the mountains. 

Our first stop was the South Mountains State Park, just over an hour from home.  We arrived a little after 11am.  The park welcome center is very, very nice, complete with theater for educational field trips.  They are also building an exhibit room, but we didn't ask what of.  The road through the park is also quite nice and appears to be new.  North Carolinians, even my anarchic friends, should be proud of this park's appearance.

We drove to the nearly-empty parking lot, and walked a few yards into the empty picnic area for a chilly lunch.  Chilly, as in our bodies, in the low-50s shaded area.  Tethered Clancy to a tree, and nibbled on turkey sandwiches, bananas, raisins, and crackers.

Next, we began our hike through the woods, first along the Hemlock Nature Trail, a short, easy stroll along the riverside with the typical exhibit boards for plantlife, animal life, etc.  The kids enjoyed touching the animal tracks imprints exhibit.  The nature trail, at its end, hooks into the parallel main trail, which leads to the waterfall, this park's main attraction. 

This is the High Shoals Trail that is rated "more difficult".  I'm not familiar with the trail rating system, so i thought "more difficult" than what?  By the time we hooked up with this trail, the signs indicated that the waterfall was less than a mile away, maybe a half-mile.  We're toting a hyper golden retriever, who smells another dog that passed by about 10 minutes earlier, and who knows how many other animals.  And we're shepherding a 2-year old boy, who is certain that he can walk the trail without help, despite doing a couple of face plants after tripping on tree roots.  So, whichever grownup is leading (being lead by) the dog is at the head of our merry band, and whichever grownup with David is well at the rear.  Emily & Jackson darted back & forth from front to rear.  Fortunately, the place was nearly empty, so we didn't get in anyone's way.

The trail soon did become more difficult, as warned, as we faced steep stairs, sometimes with wood pylons, and sometimes just with big rocks.  Leashing the dog became dangerous, as he would pull you ahead too quickly.  And walking with David became more tedious, although he finally would let me hold his hand to ascend the steepest steps.  It was arduous, but i thought it was worth it to arrive at the waterfall.  I plopped down in the corner of the observation desk (we had it to ourselves) and just relaxed in the spray.  We decided to backtrack rather than continue with the loop trail, avoiding the higher climb to the top of the falls and the longer return trip.

Since it was still early (before 2pm) when we got back to the car, i decided to continue the adventure with a 2nd waterfall that i had read about.  It was further west, north of Marion (by the way, that area is chock-full of stone quarries - that stretch of 221/226 is to stone quarries what Seagrove is to pottery, or what the Las Vegas strip is to casinos).  I was going my memory of the website's directions, and we missed the turn.  Had to fire up the laptop to find the right road. 

This waterfall is called Tom's Creek Falls, and can be found at the end of a moderately easy (a couple of small climbs, and a couple of muddy stream beds) and short trail.  It was taller than the first, but had less volume.  It was quite a cool walk though.  The kids also enjoyed romping around some large stone formations, that look like prime spots for disaffected teens to get away from it all.  This would be a great trail for a geocache, but we didn't check for any.

Perhaps the day was more work than thrills, but i think it's good for us to get out together (unfortunately, Caroline couldn't join us as she had a church retreat) and enjoy nature.  David gave a plaintive "goodbye animals" as we left the first waterfall.  And as i carried him back at the very end of that hard trail, i asked him if he would remember doing this.  He said yes (no doubt helped by the sparse video we took), and i told him, good, that's why we do these things, to make good memories.  You can think back and remember what a big boy you were to climb that hard trail.

Halloween

i don't have pictures.  The younger kids dressed up for a church festival this past wednesday, and then did a little round-the-neighborhood afterwards.

Emily was supposed to be a "geek".  I joked that we could save money on a costume by just letting her raid my wardrobe.  She said, "well, no offense, but i was wondering if i could borrow your old glasses."  But she ended up going  as a "teenager", complete with a faux-bluetooth headset in her right ear.

Jackson was supposed to be a Duke fan/player, and was going to wear my Grant Hill jersey, but he switched at the last minute, too, going as Superman.

David was our old standby, the bumblebee.

I was the grumpy old Halloween scrooge in the basement with the lights off, not wanting to do doorbell duty by myself.

Softball Slideshow

I made a slideshow of our softball game.  You can view it online at my Photodex page.  You'll probably need to load their presentation module (an Active X thing) to make it work.  It's about 8 minutes long.

There may be 2 thumbnails.  You want the one with the glove.

http://www.photodex.com/sharing/viewalbum.html?bm=120762

Back on the Diamond

For the first time since moving to Winston Salem, i participated in an athletic event, when my department at work held a fun softball outing one recent Friday afternoon.  It all started when our "real" team kept getting drubbed in a local city league, and we started razzing them at the office.  Our department head, my boss, taunted that he could take the leftovers from the non-players and beat the real team.

I was one of those non-players.  So drug out the dusty white cleats that had sat in the garage all these 8 years.  Borrowed Caroline's glove since i couldn't find my own.  Stretched for all of 3 minutes, tossed for another 3, and then we hit the field.

I hadn't played ball since the Windsor vs. Atlanta Casualty showdown back in Atlanta, somewhere around 1997.  In that game (which we won), i went 4-4 batting lefthanded for the first time in my life, and helped turn a triple play from 1B.  I decided it would never get any better than that, and retired from the game.

But duty called me back to the diamond.  Like riding a bike.  All the little things came naturally back to mind.  Where to go on each play, how to position myself defensively.  Batting was a but rusty.  In 3 at-bats, had a meager popup to SS, and sharp fielders-choice grounder to SS, and a Texas Leaguer to RF for a double.

After that double, the next batter hit a grounder to short.  When he pegged the throw to first, i took off for 3b, having noticed that the 3B had drifted away (no idea where she went).  The astute SS notices and starts running with me to third.  I know the 1B is good, and now i'm in trouble.  I'm gonna have to slide.  At least that's what those baseball instincts told me.  Head-first.  At the last moment, though, i noticed the throw going wide, and i maybe remembered the warning from Julie (don't get hurt!), and decided not to slide.

Alas, the body didn't mind the mind, and i got caught in-between, and ended up pounding into the pebbly dirt knees-first.  Then i tumbled over the bag, scrapping my right shin/calf, but still able to stay safely on the bag.  I lay in the dirt, too embarrassed to rise and face the guffawing crowd, laughing myself at how goofy that must have looked.

I came into score, but the game ended 2 outs later.  I trudged over to the first aid station (me on the sidewalk, pouring bottled water over my wounds, gooberly trying to stick a bandage on a wet knee).  I didn't feel it at the time, but these strawberries have been killing me since, as have the sore muscles.

I'm back in retirement.  They'll need cash money next time.

(Another) New Blog

I can't help myself. I started another new blog, and it's getting most of my blogging attention lately. This new blog is called "Huck the System". Its theme is the Presidential candidacy of Mike Huckabee, about whom i've written a few times here. If you're curious about that name, you'll find an early post in that blog that explains it.

Blogging from the Ballpark

Not much to say right now.  Just taking advantage of the wireless card while watching Jackson play coach pitch, on an unseasonably hot October afternoon.  It's almost 90 (yet again; we've already had an all-time record # of days at 90 or above, and look to add to that record tomorrow), but at least the humidity is low.

I don't know the name of Jack's team.  I don't think they have a team name.  But their shirts are red, so we'll call them the Reds.  They started miserably ("pathetic", to use their coach's term) in the first inning, giving up the maximum 6 runs.  But ever since then (maybe the coach's admonishment worked), they've played stellar defense, with about 3 web gems, and a 6-run inning of their own.

Jackson has struck out once, and hit a nubber-single.  He's pretty fast, and a smart baserunner, and ended up scoring that time.  He's up 3rd this inning, so let's see how he does...

3rd at-bat, and 3rd different bat he's taken to the plate.  I've instructed him to let the first pitch go, to get the timing down, to practice watching the ball cross the plate.  He finally let the first pitch go, but he stood statue-still, never moving his head or taking his eyes off the coach-pitcher.  Struck out again, though i only saw 2 swings & misses.  Nobody said anything, and Jackson ran back to the bench, so maybe i was wrong.

Daddy Always Told Me Not to Honk

On a recent saturday, the day before Julie's birthday to be exact, i experienced a road rage incident.  Or sorts.  I was taking Jackson to his baseball practice early that afternoon, but we were going to stop first at the florist to get a bouquet for Julie.  As we approached the Robinhood/Peacehaven intersection, a car had pulled across the Peacehaven northbound lanes, pulling out the Lowe's shopping center, heading across Peacehaven into the strip center where Ace Hardware is. 

This move is not allowed, and there are actually pole barriers to stop drivers from doing it.  But this muttonhead was sitting there, blocking all three of our lanes, trying to fit between the poles.  So i honked at the vehicle.  Nothing long or obnoxious.  Just a toot to let you know that we do not approve of your selfish driving.  The driver immediately, and quite aggressively, popped his head out of his open driver's window, and gave me the one-figure salute.  A honk for a bird - that's a trade i can live with.

So we made the left onto Robinhood and parked at the florist, which is close to the intersection, and right across the street where angry Gold Taurus was heading.  As we were inside ordering the bouquet, i saw that angry Gold Taurus had actually pulled into the small parking lot next to my Audi, and was looking around for me. 

OK, it's quick decision time.  This is ridiculous; i'm a flower-giver, not a fighter.  Gold Taurus has now manuevered his car so that he's backed into the space next to mine, and appears to be just sitting there waiting.  Waiting for what exactly, i can't say.  He looks a bit rough, but he also has a young boy, presumably his son, in the car with him, just like i have Jackson with me.  We decided to hang out in the flower shop for a bit, to let the guy cool off (it didn't occur to me until later that he could have come into the shop after us - and then i've endangered the two ladies working there, too).  Is he out there keying my car, puncturing my tires, pulling the brass knuckles out of his glove box?

Thankfully, after just another minute or so, we looked out the big windows again and the rager was gone.  I had figured that he would calm down, especially with a kid with him.  But stalking me already this far was a sign of irrationality, so who knows if he's just lying in wait for me around the corner or something.  I pay for the bouquet, and leave the store.  No damage to my car.  But i remain vigilant, just in case.

It's a freaky feeling, to be on alert such.  Of all cars to have as a nemesis, i pick the most common one around, a Taurus.  And of a quite common color, the beige/gold family.  So now i'm chasing (or avoiding) shadows, on edge whenever i saw a light colored sedan.  And of all places to pick a traffic-fight, right at the most common intersection i encounter, the place i drive by at least twice a day.  And of all cars to be in when i do it - a very distinctive, can't-be-mistaken-for-someone-else, silver Audi convertible (i couldn't help but wonder if there was a class-element to the Taurus' rage - i mean, does this dude follow me if i'm in a big redneck pickup?).

This fretfulness, this edge, it dissipates after a few days.  And as i reflected on the encounter, i saw it as just a fingernail, a nose hair, compared to the full-bodied terror that so many face from the bullies in their lives.  The trusted authority figure who is a secret molestor.  The abusive spouse.  The neighbor from hell.  The simple playground bully.  The sort of folks you can't just wait out in the comfort of a store lobby.  The sort of folks who follow you not to the next stop, but all the way home... or are waiting at home for you.  How it must wreck you to feel unable to escape.

I also thought about, not later but in the midst of it, what i would be teaching Jackson.  I talked to him about it later as we drove home from practice.  That there are times to fight and times to walk away.  That we fight for the important things in life - the protection of our familes, for example.  And that "fighting" doesn't necessarily mean using our fists, that we can fight with words, with persuasion, with lots of other means.  But this was one of those times where the smart man, the honorable man, walks away from the escalation.

I didn't extrapolate into a lesson about honking your horn, as i felt he learned that by observing this situation.  It's a lesson that will stick with him far longer, and with more import, than if i had merely warned him about honking.  Of course, and i know that this is what my dad is thinking, i could have avoided all this altogether had i heeded his advice not to honk at people in anger to begin with.

Getting on the Huckabee Bandwagon

I'd like to invite all my readers onto the Mike Huckabee bandwagon.  I hopped on back in February, and the train is gaining steam and passengers.  I welcome you aboard!

Mike is, of course, running for President.  He is a Republican, and most recently served as governor of Arkansas for 10 years.  If you know anything about Arkansas politics, you know how unusual it is to have a GOP governor there.  And yet Mike won elections, first as Lt. Governor, and then two different terms as the head of state.  I wasn't paying attention to all this at the time, but having watched him this past half-year, i can readily understand how Huckabee won over a majority of Arkansans.  He has this engaging, folksy, honest style that really connects with people.

In the course of this campaign, those traits are in full bloom, and the media gushes over him (how often do you see that of a conservative?).  When people get to hear his message, and get to know him, Mike wins hearts and votes.  So, it's dismaying (if not infuriating) to hear comments like this:  "I like Mike, and would support him if he had a chance to win."  I can only guess that such comments are based on poll numbers.  But early poll numbers are merely functions of name recognition.  When you see campaigns in full swing, and voters become engaged in actually making a real decision, Huckabee begins vaulting to the top tier.  I firmly believe this trend can continue countrywide, and that Mike Huckabee CAN win.  If the people who like him would get behind him, he WILL win the nomination.

I also believe he's the GOP's best chance to win the general election, too.  It's easy for me to see Huckabee pulling in moderates, without alienating the conservative base.  We don't have to compromise our ardent beliefs for a guy like Guliani.  We don't have to back a trust-fund flip-flopping game-show-host just because he's raised a ton of dough from his Wall Street pals and fellow Mormons.  We don't have to settle for a lazy guy who's a front-runner only because he's starred on a popular TV show.  With Huckabee, you can cast your vote proudly, without having to hold your nose.  We don't have to settle for a phony; in Huckabee, we can get the real deal.

Moderates and political skimmers will be attracted to Huckabee, again because of his engaging nature.  He's the consummate Sam's Club (that link is well worth your time to read) candidate, and not just because he's from Arkansas.  He connects, through his life history and his easy way of relating complex issues to everyday Americans, with regular folks, the bread and butter of America.  I think he's absolutely the right guy at the right time for our country.

If only as a courtesy to my passion, i encourage you to check out Mike's website, and to consider a donation, large or small, to Team Huckabee.  Consider it a contribution to an American political process that isn't solely about Hollywood luster or the ability to get millionaires behind you.  Consider it an investment in our future.  Do it for Mike.

Hanging Out at my Favorite Place

In a recent work meeting, doing introductions, we had to share our favorite place.  I said mine was my new deck.  That's where i'm writing this from right now. 

Got quite the setup going on this beautiful Saturday afternoon.  Sitting under the shade trees and the shade umbrella, pecking away on a laptop with a wireless network card.  Listening to random play-all on my Creative Zen mp3 player, running through my new portable speakers.  Sipping on a beverage from the state of Texas.  About 75 degrees.

Last few songs from artists like Rich Mullins (who died 10 years ago this week), Love Song, Foreigner, (the now defunct?) Nickel Creek, Barry Manilow.  Frank Sinatra.  There's Dolly singing an Eagles tune.

Julie's in the next chair, reading a Karen Kingsbury book.  When i get done writing, i have two books to turn to.  V.S. Naipaul's look at the American South, called A Turn in the South.  Or, Game of Inches, volume 2.

It was for days like today that we built this deck, and why we don't think about moving away from Winston-Salem.

In Need of Prayer (and a loan)

Caroline got her regular drivers license this past week, and can now legally drive without Julie or me in the car.  It was on Tuesday, 9/11.  I'm inclined to wise-crack on the date, but don't want to minimize true tragedy.

For a parent, as most of my readers surely already know, it may not be a tragedy, but it's traumatic.  How can a kid of 16 be nearly ready enough to drive?  Even with all that learners permit practice.  All by herself in the rough and tumble world of traffic.  At least we live in a bucolic city; i can't imagine what big-city parents must feel.

Caroline, of course, is loving her new-found freedom.  She comes home with a grin on her face.  I hear her pull into the garage, stereo blasting of course.  Doesn't take them long to learn that.  And, driving that Sebring convertible, i know she's going to draw extra stares from boys and young men.  Not a fun time for dad.

P.S.  Just kidding about the loan, but not the prayer.

Jackson starts coach-pitch

Jackson had his first game today in the coach-pitch league, his first time to step above t-ball.  The coaches don't actually pitch anymore, but use a mechanical contraption to spring-launch the pitches from the kids' eye level.  This is the fall-ball league, which is more laid-back than the spring/summer regular league.  Mostly the same kids, but no larger region tournaments to advance to, from what i can gather.

Since Jack didn't play in the spring, he comes in behind the other boys, but has already shown in practices an affinity for defensive glovework.  Bat needs work, but he'll get there.

That duality showed in the game today, as he struck out his first 2 times up, on 6 straight swings & misses.  Good form, but just no contact yet.  In the field, he saved a run from left field by stopping a single and getting it back to the infield quickly.  No hesitation, up and throwing.  A few innings later, now in center field, he fielded another single, and again came up throwing, this time straight to second base to force-out the runner from first.

I've watched other parents over the seasons hoot and holler for their kids.  Embarassingly so, i always thought.  A bit cloying and affected, as if to call attention to themselves; puffed up, as if their kid's skill was somehow validation for their worth as parents.  I thought of it somewhat like i think of those relatives who cheer the loudest at graduations - it's usually proportional to the likelihood that the particular graduation is the very last one they can hope to see for the kid.

I never once thought of it as a pure emotion.  But when Jackson made that play from center field, without an ounce of thought, i found myself jumping up and doing a fist pump (of all things), and was bemused to feel a huge grin on my face.  It was an absolutely pure emotion, nothing calculated, nothing filtered.  I was just so happy for my boy

P.S.  In his 3rd at-bat, Jackson stepped in with the bases loaded, and finally connected on a poke down the 3rd base line.  Let's call it a hit.  He came around to score a couple of batters later.

Baseball Buds

Just discovered this photo online at my friend Frank's website.  From left to right, those are my friends Neil, Frank, and Jay.  We were in Atlanta for our fantasy baseball auction, for the long-running Bullpen Central League.  Frank & Jay & i are the 3 founding fathers of that league. 

After the long day at the auction, we drove over to Frank's house for a visit.  His gracious wife Donna treated us to ice cream & brownies, before turning photographer.  We caught up on life's meanderings for all of us, reminisced about old times, from Earl Weaver computer baseball games to wacky outings to minor league parks around Atlanta to old co-workers (i guess i should say co-workers of old) from the Windsor days. 

It was a great way to end a long, arduous day.

Turning Two

David turned 2 yesterday.  We had a little celebration at home with just the family, with pizza and presents and cake and ice cream.  David loved all his gifts, brightening his face anew with wonder and glee upon seeing what came out of the gift bags and gift wrap. 

He couldn't quite grasp the idea of blowing out the big #2 candle though.  He just stared at us for a while, stared at the camera, not sure what to do (but always with that adorable grin).  Finally, he leaned over the cake and stuck his face over the candle and singed his hair before we could pull him back to safety.  He never flinched, just laughed again.

Afterwards, we went swimming at the community pool, which David loves to do.  He has no fear of the water, sometimes alarmingly so, as he doesn't yet grasp that he will sink if i let go of him in the big-boy pool. 

A New Favorite Book

I'm now reading The Brothers K by David James Duncan.

had this on my to-read list for a couple of years now, and i'm angry at myself for not reading this book sooner. It's a great, great read, one of the most enjoyable reads ever for me. Pretty much every page is infused with religion or baseball or both, so how could it go wrong. 

I'll try to write more about it when i'm finished.  Only in about the 3rd inning right now, but i could easily see this book vaulting into my all-time Top 5.

The other baseball book i read recently, as noted in a previous post, was Summerland by Michael Chabon.  Here are 3 good quotes from that book...

"Errors … well, they are a part of life, Ethan. Fouls and penalties, generally speaking, are not. That’s why baseball is more like life than other games. Sometimes I feel like that’s all I do in life, keep track of errors.”

“A baseball game is nothing but a great slow contraption for getting you to pay attention to the cadence of a summer day.”

“Life was like baseball, filled with loss and error, with bad hops and wild pitches, a game which even champions lost almost as often as they won, and even the best hitters we’re put out 70 percent of the time.”

100!

The official temperature here in the Triad hit triple-digits the past few days.  Yesterday's 101 was an all-time high for that date.  I don't remember hitting 100 on any date since we moved here in 1999.

Today, i had to drive to Chapel Hill (and back) for a recruiting event for incoming MBA students.  When i left the office just before 11am, the car's temperature gauge read 97 degrees.  By the time i got to the b-school (it's very nice, by the way) at UNC, it said 106.  I parked in a covered garage, but when i left the school a couple of hours later, the car was still reading 106. 

It hit a whopping 112 - i kid you not - as i drove through Chapel Hill on the way back to I-40.  Now, surely that's measuring road temperature or something similar, surely not ambient temperature, but still.  112?  Not pleasant in a convertible (yes, the top was up).

Those readings remind me of the famous summer of 1980 in Texas, where temps reached into the 110s for a few days, and were over 100 for several days in a row.  That was the summer i spent a week at academic camp at East Texas State University (i see the place has been conquered by the Aggies).  We stayed in a high-rise dorm on the very edge of campus and had to trudge back and forth across campus in the sweltering heat.  It was miserable.  I spent a lot of free time in the game room playing pool and ping pong. 

Caroline Returns Home

Caroline comes home today.  Julie has left for Charlotte to pick her up at the airport there (and catch a little shopping with Leah in the meantime).  Caroline has been visiting her Florida relatives.  Not sure what all they've done, other than a short excursion down the Keys to snorkle.

It seems like a long time since we've all been together at home.  Between this trip, church camp (twice for Caroline), and the Texas trip, it's been a month or so since we had a full house for a full week.  (That is, if you count the house full when Caroline is most frequently off doing teenager things, doing them anywhere but home.)

Anyway, i look forward to her return.

Sweet Sixteen

Caroline turned 16 this month.  It's a great cause for celebration for a wonderful girl, a precious daughter.  And great cause for fear & trembling, and much prayer, for her dad.  For with this milestone comes car dating and a driver's license (actually, that won't come for a couple of months), and i'm not sure which is scarier.

For her birthday, Caroline received a notebook that her mom compiled, filled with notes of advice and encouragement and love from key people in her life.  Siblings, aunts, cousins, grandparents, friends, teachers, parents.  Here's an excerpt from my letter to Caroline...

When i met your mom, it didn't take long for God to send a lightning bolt through my heart, searing the truth that we could love each other for a lifetime or more.  That the deal included you made it the bargain of a lifetime.  Here was this incredible 2-year-old girl -- spirited, fun, bright, engaging, bold, loving, adorable, and just so very... alive!

Happy Birthday, Sweet Sixteen, Caroline!  I love you.

First Plane Trip

Emily & Jackson got to take their very first plan trips this summer.  I escorted them to Texas to visit their grandparents.  Jackson was especially excited, but both were bouncing off the walls on departure day, from the natural stimulant of adventure.  We had an early evening non-stop from GSO to DFW one Thursday in July.  Julie drove us to the airport, and then i navigated them through the traveler's ropes of baggage check in, boarding passes, security checkpoints, boarding by zones, row numbers, overhead and under-seat compartments, tray tables, seat belts, drink carts, long waits to use the restroom, how to flush in said restroom, and baggage claim. 

Jackson was thrilled with the acceleration g-forces upon takeoff.  Emily wanted to enjoy it, but couldn't decide if she should be nervous and worried instead.  Our only trouble on the flight itself was a bit of bickering about whether Emily's window would be open or shut, and the aforementioned bathroom waiting. 

I tried to take Jackson as soon as i saw the flight attendants rummaging around with the carts, but the rear was blocked by a drink cart and we were suggested to try the first-class restroom.  There, it too was blocked by a cart and also said it was occupied, so i ahem-ed the guy up there and asked if there was a 2nd one up-front.  He met me wide-eyed, alarmed, and barked that i wasn't supposed to be up here.  My first thought was that this was some silly class warfare thing, the coach intruder being shooed away.  I stepped to the side to show that Jackson was with me, and that he needed to go bad.  He repeated, still with urgency, that i couldn't be there, and should return to my seat.  I said that his colleagues had sent me up here because the back was blocked.  That's when he finally revealed that i was unwelcome not because i was coach-scum, but because he had the cockpit door open, apparently serving drinks to the pilots.  That certainly was a better explanation for his alarm than what i had thought the problem was, so we dutifully went back to sit down.  The crew guy later came back to apologize, not with an apology per se, but with a fuller explanation and a chummy pat on the shoulder.  It's all good.

The kids behaved really well on the plane.  In part because i promised that they could erase their 15 minute time-out to be enforced once they got to Poetry, as long as they were good on the plane.  Quite the ingenious leverage, if i must say, although i admit it wasn't planned that way.

My brother Marty picked us up at DFW, accompanied by his two oldest daughters.  That was a nice treat.

P.S.  For the return flight, the kids turned into grizzled travel veterans.  Jackson had already been promised the window seat, but Emily asked if she could have the aisle, leaving ol' dad in the middle.  They both snoozed, so i had a little precious head pressed against each shoulder.

WIRN: July 2007

What I'm Reading Now

Summerland - Michael Chabon.  This noted novelist takes a turn with teen-level fiction, with a treasure of a tale about baseball and a whole new world of imaginary creatures.  It's The Sandlot meets Harry Potter.

River of Doubt - recounts the adventure of Theodore Roosevelt, post-White House, and an entourage of naturalists on a trek in deepest South America.

String Bands in the North Carolina Piedmont - stumbled across this in the local library (i'm shocked it was on Amazon, though that provides an excellent example of the "long tail", another book i recently read)

Let Us Pray

There is a raging controversy right now here in our county.  For probably ever, the county commissioner board has opened its meetings with a short prayer.  I'd bet that (not that) long ago, one of the commissioners led the prayer, but now the board invites local ministers to give the invocation.  The controversy ignited when the ACLU threatened a lawsuit unless the board ceased the current practice, claiming that the Supreme Court has ruled it un-constitutional to have "sectarian prayer" in government meetings.  Their view is based on a flawed understanding of what "establishment of religion" means.

So far, the board has stood its ground, enlisting the legal support of a group similar to the ACLU, though with pretty-much opposite views on the constitutional interpretations of the religious freedom clause.  The local paper's letters to the editor have seen the usual collection of cranks on all sides weigh in.  Here's my take...

For anyone to suggest that there is a definitive answer on something like this really hasn't been paying attention to the mess that SCOTUS has made of the 1st amendment.  Going at least as far back as the nutty Lemon tests, the court has swayed in the wind on religious freedom, such that no one can really say with ACLU-like confidence that precedent is so obvious.  It is most dismaying, then, to see the county attorneys cave and say they won't defend the county if it goes to trial (wouldn't that be a fireable offense where you work?).  In this situation, at worst, it's an open question, particularly with a fresh court.

But let's consider a common sense understanding of religious freedom in the context of publicly offered prayers.  The solution proffered by the agitators is the least likely to be the constitutional one.  They demand that prayers not invoke the name of a deity.  That strikes a reasonable man as a case of the government dictating the content of a prayer.  Surely that is the most objectionable possible outcome for a free people.  I'd rather see no prayer at all than a dictated-content prayer.  A moment of silence perhaps.  The last thing we need is the government telling us how & when & where we can pray.

Besides the coercion angle, there really is no such thing as a "non-sectarian" prayer anyway.  There might be a mealy prayer, a meaningless set of nice & inoffensive phrases, offered to this newly created "government god", the Anonymous God of the Greeks that Paul countered in Acts 17.  Here in America, some 2 millennia later, that god is making a comeback, apparently.

 

An Emily Acrostic

Emily created this.  I'm guessing she did it school, because i found it laminated.

Explores places

Minds her Mom

Is very fun

Likes candy

Yawns sometimes

Then there is a P.S. of "sometimes" with an arrow pointing to the 2nd entry.

RiverRun Film Festival

Winston-Salem and our local North Carolina School for the Arts host a growing-in-stature regional film festival called RiverRun.  This was the first year (of 5) where i've been able to attend any of the screenings, and i was impressed.

First, the festival marked the first time, in my 7+ years here in Winston-Salem, that i've stepped foot on the NCSA campus.  It's very nice, and quite the hidden gem in the community. 

Over the 3 days, ending yesterday, i caught a few full-length features and documentaries, two collections of short films, and a Saturday-morning block of animated cartoons for the whole family.  I wanted to see more, but got blasted with a bad headache on Saturday afternoon.  Plus, the weather has been gorgeous around here, so you don't really want to spend too much time in a theater.

If i knew how to make a bulleted list, i would do so right here, to list the movies i saw, not including the shorts.

1.  Ten Canoes - tall tales from Australian aboriginal tribe called the Yolngu

2.  The Rape of Europa - documentary about the Nazis', primarily Hitler and Goering, plunder of European art, and the effort, in part from the US military, to recapture and restore the treasures.  While ancillary to the main topic, i was also intrigued to go learn more about the Siege of Leningrad and the battles for Montecassino.  This won the audience prize for best documentary at the festival, though i voted for this next one...

3. In the Shadow of the Moon - documentary about America's race to the moon, featuring extensive interviews with the Apollo astronauts, and never-before-seen footage of the moon voyages.

4. Son of Man - a nearly faithful retelling of the Gospel story, though set in modern-day Africa.  This was my favorite "narrative" film.

5. The Trials of Darryl Hunt - documentary about a notorious Winston-Salem case that saw a young black man accused, convicted, and jailed for nearly 2 decades for a brutal rape/murder of a young white woman, a copy editor for the local newspaper, back in 1984.  This powerful film tracks the legal and community efforts to free Mr. Hunt, who was ultimately exonerated of the crime.  This should be required viewing locally.  It premieres on HBO this Thursday.

P.S.  On Friday night, Julie & i attended a "Creative Chaos" party for the festival, complete with funky neon-colored hats, glow stick necklaces, and Cirque de Soleil type entertainment.  We didn't know a soul there (well, except for that one guy out of nowhere that Julie gave a big hug to), and so wondered how much fun it would be.  But we soon fell into conversation with the Thompsons.  He is in publishing in NY, specializing in finance and business books, and shuttles back and forth to Winston.  She is the marketing director for the NCSA.  We ended up chatting for more than an hour, and had a great time.

My Mommy-less Weekend with a Virus-y Toddler

Last weekend, Julie flew to Kansas to attend her cousin's wedding.  So i got to be Mr. Mom for 3 days, starting that Friday morning.  Piece of cake.  No problem.  A rotavirus had other ideas.

There was absolutely no sign of David being sick that morning.  But soon after i got home from taking the older kids to school, David threw up.  I didn't think much of it.  I mean, that's what little children do.  Of course, i was thinking more of a little baby - they puke all the time - and should probably have been a bit more alarmed.  Instead, i just cleaned up the kitchen floor, changed his shirt (i started to type "onesie" but couldn't leave it that way), and went on with the day. 

Julie had left me a short page of instructions, and one tip said to make sure David gets at least 3 cups of milk daily.  OK, let's get that started, since he's thirsty.  One bottle of milk coming up.  And did it ever come up!  All over our big leather recliner, while David took his mid-day nap.  Down in the cracks and creases.  Nice.  It's on now.  Me against whatever bug has invaded my little guy's body.

I should mention, i suppose, if it's not too selfish, that i was suffering from a severe sinus headache myself.  A sick kid and a sick sole-parent is not a good combination.  It was a wonder to me, though, to note how the headache seemed to disappear whenever duty called.  (Speaking of which, David also kicked in with frequent bursts of diarreah.  We've got it coming out of both ends, and i'm not sure which treasure smelled the worst.)  And then the headache would suddenly reappear as soon as it was over and i could (theoretically) relax.

By the time Julie checked in from the Atlanta airport, David had thrown up 3 or 4 times, and had dripped diarreah across the kitchen floor.  When i gave the report, she didn't believe me, thought i was messing with her.  Combined with her missing two flights out of Atlanta, and the specter of flying into a big thunderstorm in Wichita, i thought maybe she'd see the signs and come home.  Selfishly, of course.

The kids soon came home from school (but not before David puked in the car seat while we were in the car pickup line), and Caroline proved to be a tremendous help.  She held David a good while, giving me a much-needed rest.  He slept a lot, and couldn't / wouldn't eat much, and so he grew lethargic.  We made sure he didn't get dehydrated, an effort confirmed by his frequent wet tears, with lots of gatorade.

On Saturday, there was fortunately no vomiting, but we did have a rise in fever.  So i gave David a dose of children's Motrin, and that helped.  His diet was still mostly gatorade, a cracker here and there.  Mostly, Caroline & i felt like we were just hanging on, trying to make it through the 2nd of 3 days.  But things were looking up, especially once my headache broke Saturday night.

But Sunday we were back to the puking.  David would alternate between lethargy and bursts of energy and sunshine.  Meanwhile, we all waited for mom to fly home.  She said she would try to catch an earlier flight, but didn't.  And then they were long-delayed in Atlanta again, waiting for storms to clear here in the Triad (we actually all gathered in the basement in the late afternoon, after a nearby tornado warning).  And then Leah's luggage didn't arrive, and they had to wait for the next flight for it.  And then they had to stop for gas, and got lost in Greensboro.  By the time they got here, everyone was already in bed, and David was little better than he had been all weekend.

The final tally for our 3-day ordeal was somewhere around 30 diapers, one full packet of wipes, 3 crib bedspreads, 5 kid t-shirts, a dozen or so kitchen towels, a tube of diaper rash ointment, and a full roll of paper towels.

My dad asked me later what i'd learned.  I told him i didn't have the mental energy during it all to come up with any grand themes.  It wasn't a pure object lesson in being the stay-at-home-parent, because the kids aren't normally taken with a rotavirus.  But i did think about the plight of the single-parent, because there were plenty of moments where i just wanted somebody, anybody to come help me.

P.S.  As i touched on, Caroline was a great help.  I was enormously impressed with her.

More on Mike Huckabee

I'm mystified why Mike Huckabee isn't getting more press in his quest for the 2008 presidential nomination.  For anyone interested in learning more, he's set up a series of videos on Youtube outlining his views.  Pretty much standard fare for a conservative Republican, but if you think like me, you should find plenty to like.

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=explorehuckabee

I also liked his series of 4 videos about his decade as governor of Arkansas.  This first one, linked below, covers the interesting story of his on-again, off-again inauguration day.  You can find the other links from this one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FazJu0vYs6g

The Bike Trail to Damascus

Due to two trips that Caroline had bracketing the Spring Break weekends (one to Sea Camp for school, and another to visit Harding University), we couldn't get away to the beach or anywhere like that this year.  So, instead, we took a day trip up to Damascus, Virginia, near where that state borders both Tennessee & North Carolina, for a family adventure on the Virginia Creeper Trail.

The VCT is a bike trail, built on a former railbed for a train called the Virginia Creeper.  If you do the route we did, the trail is 17 miles long, mostly downhill.  We used the outfitter in the link above, and they hooked us up with 3 adult bikes, one of which pulled a baby buggy for David, and another which had a tag-a-long attached for Jackson.  Emily brought her own bike.  They haul you up the mountain in an aging van, along quite a winding road for more than a half-hour.

The key word in that description above is "mostly".  While the first few miles of the trail have a nice downhill grade - almost too steep, imo - the last 3 miles are flat.  So, for the first half of the trek, i'd say Emily had the most fun, and David the least.  David didn't know what to think about riding in that buggy with the wind whipping in his face.  Plus, he needed his nap.  He did settle in by the end, though.

But by the 2nd half of the trail, i'd say Jackson had the most fun, and Emily the least.  Jackson said it was the most fun thing he's ever done, "more fun than the Gamecube".  Which is saying quite a lot, if you know his gaming habits of late.  For Emily, i kept warning her to take it easy and not pedal unless she had to, but she was enjoying it too much and got worn out. 

But i didn't know this part about Emily until later.  Caroline (pulling David) and i (pulling Jackson) pulled out ahead of Julie and Emily with about 5 miles to go.  We just figured that they were close behind, because no one had really gotten far away from the pack the whole time.  Jackson & i stopped a couple of times, as much to rest as to wait up for the stragglers.  Since we were by then close to the finish, we went on to the outfitters and turned in our bikes, and waited for Julie & Emily.  When they didn't show up for a few minutes, i decided to load into the Suburban, and drive back along the trail to look for them.  Sure enough, we found them walking their bikes, Emily in miserable tears and clutching her side.  I carried her & her bike to the car, while Julie finished the trail.  I think, though, once the agony wore off, that Emily actually had net-good memories of the adventure.

I'd recommend this day-trip to folks in the area.  It's a beautiful, and mostly relaxing, ride along a mountain stream.  It can get a bit crowded, and you have to watch out for careening teenagers.  And you may want to be cautious if you have a 9-year-old princess like we do.  Based on this experience, i'd say 10 for girls, and age 9 for boys, before letting them go on their own. 

The tag-a-long was great for Jackson.  Once he got the hang of it, he had a blast.  I think it really built his confidence for balancing on a bike.  He pedaled a lot, even though he didn't have to at all.  It's more work for dad, though, as it was tough to balance (maybe we didn't have the thing tightly secured).  And you can't go slow with it, like you can a regular one-person bike.  So we either had to careen downward ourselves, pedal hard on the flatlands, or stop altogether.  It wore me out.

P.S.  Another funny line from Jackson... When Julie pushed out ahead of the crew one time, Jackson marveled, "how does she go so fast?  She's just a mom!"

Family Highlight Video - 2006

I'll attempt this, but no idea if it will work.  I'm saving videos on a website called StashSpace.  Below i'm pasting html/text that should link you back to the first video - a video christmas card of sorts, like those letters you get that give you updates on what each member of the family is up to, or did in the prior year.

The video is about 12 minutes long, and should contain music.

Don't know what you can see, but i can see the nice graphic below with the photo of the kids, but i can't launch the video from it.  Don't fret; i'll send the family a direct invite.

 

Easy Online Video Editing and Video Sharing

Another President from Hope?

Former governor of Arkansas.  Born in Hope.  Southern Baptist.  Sound familiar?  This time, though, make him a truly compassionate conservative, a guy who gets things done, and you've got Mike Huckabee, who's thrown his hat into the 2008 presidential ring.  Most pundits think he's got no shot, but those are my favorite kind of candidates.

I won't go into detail here, but you can read as much about Mike as you'd like at the links below.  But for now, he's my guy.  I like Mike! 

Bonus: we share a birthday.

Official campaign site

A supporter's blog

On the Issues

Wikipedia page

Two Points!

Jackson made his first bucket in his basketball career in this morning's game.  He insists that it's not his first, but i think he's counting practice or playing around in the driveway.  He's played hard all year long, and has had few opportunities to shoot (for a variety of reasons).  But the boys have all improved all season long, and it's starting to coalesce for them.  Clicking in about passing the ball, defending, everything.  That started last week, a game where Jackson got a steal and broke away, dribbling down the court, in front of everyone, hair-flopping and grinning, reminding me of Eric Liddell running in Chariots of Fire.

And then today, he banked in a layup.  His gem of a coach cheered louder than anyone.

The dirty little secret, though... neither Julie nor i (nor Jackson's Aunt Leah, who was there too) saw the basket.  I've watched 99.9% of all seconds that Jackson has been on the court this season, but at this particular moment, I had just socked Julie in the nose by flipping David upside-down (like he enjoys so much).  Julie's eyes were closed in pain, and Leah & i were focused on her when we heard the cheers.  I had caught the action in my peripheral vision, but didn't see who took the shot.  I knew it came from where Jackson had been, and when i saw the coach's reaction, i knew.

We didn't let on to Jackson that we missed it.  But like i said, he was matter-of-fact about the whole thing anyway.

A Valentine's Gift

For Valentine's Day, i made Julie a photo book.  The website was fairly easy to use.  You just pick some photos to upload from your computer, then drag/drop them into pre-set formats (though you are free to alter the formats), add your text, and voila.

The quality was good, quite good actually.  Turnaround time was less than a week from creation to arriving by Fedex.  A suggestion for several events:  birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, births, vacations.

You can view the actual book i made at the link above.

The Dixie Chicks Clean Up

At last Sunday's Grammy Awards, my old fave the Dixie Chicks won all 5 of the awards for which they were nominated, including the big 3 of Best Album, Best Record, and Best Song.  Their wins in the country categories were well deserved and should not have been a surprise.  After all, every single studio album that they've released since adding Natalie Maines has won the Grammy for Best Country Album. 

But those big 3 wins are surely a function of their big GWB controversy.  And not just because the winning album and song were a direct result of, a response to, the brouhaha.  But also because the music industry wanted to send their own little message.  Fine for them.  Awards shows have been political for years.  There's a certain, quaint elitism to it.  And i don't think its just moneyed elitism, but a we're-gonna-stick-it-to-all-those-jocks-and-cheerleaders-who-razzed-us-in-high-school-for-being-music-dorks-and-now-look-who's-laughing flip-off.  I'm not talking about the Dixie Chicks, but about the whole of the Grammy voters.  Again, fine for them.

That said, I was very impressed with the Dixie Chicks' acceptance speeches. A good blend of humor, humility, perspective, self-awareness, and grace.  I was very happy to watch Marti & Emily (the 2 sisters) reach what must have felt like a culmination, an affirmation, and a chance to make a fresh start. (Even Natalie cracked that she was "ready to make nice.") To have followed their careers for 20 years, through the long toil of playing county fairs and honky tonks, of the quirky little cowgirl band with the cactus standup bass, it was nice to see this pinnacle.

P.S. I have wondered how the sisters felt being dragged along into Natalie's mess. They publicly stood behind their friend and bandmate, as they should have, but you wonder if they weren't "mad as hell" about the dustup. They worked for so long and so hard, and there must have been moments when it felt like it was all going to crash and burn. For good. And it had to have been tremendously hard on their families, to which they alluded in the final speech.

The Last Time Duke Wasn't Ranked

It's all anyone can talk about in college hoops.  Duke's slide of 4 straight losses in the ACC has left them outside the Top 25 for the first time in years.  Since about this time in 1996.  So, for some perspective, the last time Duke wasn't ranked...

- Duke Nukem 3D was released for the PC
- MLS had not played its first game
- Rent opened on Broadway
- ValuJet still existed
- Nintendo 64 was in late development
- The Ramones were still playing concerts
- Prince Charles & Diana were still married
- Kansas competed in the Big 8 conference; Texas in the SWC
- Tupac was alive
- The Dow was surging, and investors hoped it would hit 6000 soon
- Steve Jobs was running an outfit called NeXT
- The English Patient won the Best Picture Oscar
- Fox hoped to launch an all-news network later that year
- Suddenly Susan and Touched by an Angel were top 10 TV shows in
America
- You could not buy a DVD
- Phil Collins was still in Genesis
- Alanis Morissette cleaned up at the Grammys on the strength of her
Jagged Little Pill album
- Tiger Woods was an amateur
- Boris Becker won a major
- AOL was passing Prodigy & CompuServe in popularity
- If you discussed hoops on the web, you probably did it in a Usenet
group.

Building the World - One Piece At A Time

For Christmas, Julie's parents gave the family a 3-D puzzle of earth.  Completed, it would be essentially a globe on a stand.  With the days off, we set out to build the thing, mostly Jackson & me.  Here are some things we learned while building the world, one piece at a time.

1.  Water, water, water.  You know intellectually that the earth is covered 2/3 by water, and this drove it home for us.  "Another piece of ocean"  We'd get excited when we would finally get to a continent.

2.  When you see that the place where you live is just a dot on a single piece of the puzzle, you get a better sense of the magnitude of the world, and how little we must know about it, having not traveled to much anywhere (despite all those great trips that my dad took me on). 

3.  When one piece contains several European or middle eastern countries, many of which have been fighting with each other for centuries, you are struck by the absurdity of that.  Hey, it's a big world; there's room for all of us.  Get over it already.  How big could you be if you would just learn to get along and work together?

I suppose i'm treading close to the line of ponderous, so i'll stop.  But thanks to the Carsons for the fun (and educational) puzzle.

A Great Overlooked Movie

Millions

Not sure how we missed this one.  Julie brought it home from the video store last weekend.  What's this about?  [don't know]  What's it rated?  [not sure]  Who's in it?  [dunno]  But the cover says that Ebert picked it as one of the year's best, so let's watch it.

And i loved it.  Julie liked it.  The kids all liked it.  Jackson & i watched it twice.

Story: set in Manchester, England, two young brothers and their widower dad try to move on after the death of their mom/wife.  The younger brother, Damien, is fond of the Christian saints, and has an active imagination matched only by his kind heart.  When a bag of money "falls out of the sky", Damien and his brother tussle over what to do with it. 

I won't tell you more - just watch it, or read the review below (then watch it).  It would also make for a great movie for group discussions, especially among youth.

Review from Christianity Today