It's a Bit Drafty

One of my favorite things to do is watch the NFL draft.  I can't really explain why.  I started watching it about 15 years ago and have tired to watch as much of it as possible every year since then.  Part of it is that it often happens on the same weekend that I celebrate my birthday so it makes for a good excuse to just veg out that weekend.

In recent years they changed the format.  It used to be an all day Saturday and all day Sunday event.  Now it starts with Round 1 on Thursday, Rounds 2 and 3 on Friday and then finishes up with Rounds 4 - 7 on Saturday.  I hate the new format... 1. because it takes away my lazy weekend and 2. because I don't like the day wait between Round 1 and Rounds 2 and 3.  It kills the excitement when you have to wait a day to keep it going.

This year I made a major mistake.  I scheduled myself to work in a DSG store on the 3 days during the draft.  The most exciting round is certainly Round 1 on Thursday.  This year I started working at 4:00 AM on Thursday.  So when it came time for the Steelers to draft their 1st Round pick, I couldn't keep my eyes open... I MISSED IT!  However, the one good part of working in a DSG store is that while I was there, they had the draft on the TVs at the store.  So, even though I was working, I was able to catch a lot of the draft.

Next year, maybe I'll take the Thursday and Friday off and veg out Thursday through Saturday... if I'm not moving or farming :)

$4.00 a Gallon

I drive a truck.  It's kind of big.  It is a full size, 4 door Nissan Titan.  I love it.  It may have converted me to a life-long Nissan owner.  If other Nissan vehicles are anything like this, I could easily see buying another Nissan the next time we need a vehicle.

But my truck only gets 16 - 18 mpg.  Surprisingly, that's better than the Chevy Trailblazer that I traded in to get it.  At $4.00 a gallon (here in Pittsburgh, we're not quite there yet) it costs $100.00 to fill it up.  I fill up about every 8 - 10 days.  That's $300 - $400 a month.  Yikes!

Tonight I had a sad realization.  There was a commercial for a car (can't remember what kind) that advertised 35 mpg.  At $4.00 a gallon, I could easily trade in the truck on one of those new cars and, even if our monthly payment went up, save money on my total monthly transportation bill.

That makes me sad because I really (and I mean really) love my truck.

Down on the Farm

So, we've decided to prepare to buy a farm;  most likely a small one.  Our plan, currently, is to spend the next 10 - 12 months getting our current house ready to go on the market.  There isn't a lot to do.  We mainly have to touch up a few spots with a little spackle, revisit our landscaping (we have a hillside in our back yard that won't grow grass) and paint just about every room (since we put a lot of color on the walls in just about all rooms).  We also plan to use that time to save some more money for our down payment.

But we need to get to work.  For the outside work, I'm waiting until the weather breaks a little.  A couple of warm days without rain sure would be nice.  For the inside work, we might buy our first gallons of paint this week.  One thing for sure, we need to start putting together a plan/schedule so that we don't get to January next year and not have any of the work done.

We are having a lot of fun searching the real estate websites for what is out there and in our price range.  We've even done a drive by of one house (one that we aren't really interested in).  There are some gems out there and there are some losers too.  The old adage holds true.  When considering what house to buy the 3 most important things are location, location and location.  Most of the farms that we've seen online are in areas that are either on the edge or outside of our desired location circle.

My wife and I have both had this dream for at least 4 or 5 years.  And recently, both of us have had strong urges that it is time.  There is one thing that we're doing differently this time compared to other major decisions that we've made.  We are taking our time.  We could probably hurry up and get our house on the market and make it happen this year.  But it would be a rush and a struggle.  We'd have to spend just bout every free moment for the next month working on our tasks.  Then we'd put the house on the market.  If we got an offer quickly, we'd be in a bind because we would have no place to move.  That's because we'd have no time to find the right farm, because we've been working on this house and not looking at others.  So we'll plan and wait until next year.

Some things I know for sure... we'll have to be disciplined and the Lord will have to bless the efforts.

Then to figure out what we'll farm... maybe just a big garden.

You Say It's Your Birthday

It's my birthday too--yeah.

Today is my 41st birthday. Thankfully, I don't feel that old.

I share this special day with several people. Probably the most famous April 23rd birthday is William Shakespeare, who, strangely enough, also died on April 23rd. My favorite co-423er is Max Planck, German physicist (especially since my degree is in Physics).

I have also had 2 pastors who share this day as their birthday. I have 2 friends from church who are also celebrating today (Melissa and Scrappy -- happy birthday, ladies).

Here's a list of famous 423-ers:
http://www.brainyhistory.com/daysbirth/birth_april_23.html

For all the rest of you... a very merry unbirthday to you!

In the Hunt

Jacob, my 13 year old, wants to learn to hunt.  I'm scared.  I used to hunt when I was younger.  I quit when I got to a point where I just felt that it was too unsafe to do.  Now, I've got to take it up again.

I guess first things first.  I need to teach Jacob gun safety and then get him shooting.  This should be fun.  Hopefully, I'll be able to hook up with my brothers and use their shotguns until I get one of my own.

That should be interesting.  As long as we've been married, my wife has never wanted to have guns in the house. But she finally shot her first pistol (a .22) last year.  Maybe the gun safety lessons should be a whole family lesson.

I'll feel so much better about this if we buy a 20 acre farm like we are planning to next spring.  Maybe we'll just hunt that this year.

Eat at Moe's

This Saturday will be my 41st birthday.  I remember when 41 was WAY old... ancient, even.  Not so much any more, even though my kids remind me that it is often.

Today, Tammie asked me what I wanted to do or eat for my birthday.  I don't really want anything.  So, I think we'll go to Moe's for dinner.

I've only eaten at Moe's once before, and the food was very good.  They had a bunch of menu items that I wanted to try.  The people who work at Moe's make the experience fun, too.  "Welcome to Moe's," they yell as you walk in the door.  Then they all yell out a big thank you if you give a tip when you pay.  It's the kind of environment that just makes you want to go back.

What do you recommend that I order?

Passion Week

This week, the week before Easter, is known as Passion Week.  It refers to the passion of Christ and everything that he went through leading up to his crucifixion and the passion that he has for you and me -- that we would put our faith in him and come to him for the salvation of our souls.  It blows me away to think about the depth of the love that the God of the universe has for me.  I'm not even sure that I completely grasp it.

I'm taking this opportunity to think about what I'm passionate about.  What would I do just about anything for?  What would I die for?  As any good parent would answer... my kids; I would certainly die for them.  My wife... without a doubt.  But what else?  I'd love to be able to honestly answer that I am passionate about Jesus.  I fear that my devotional life, my prayer life and the way I treat (some) others contradict such a claim.  I think that is the one area of my life that I want to change the most this year.

How about you?  What are you passionate about?

Mum is not the Word

Or is it?  A few weeks ago I said that I had some secrets.  Well, the cats are out of the bags. First secret was that a friend was leaving work for a new job. Congratulations K-dog!

The second was that I had an interview with Disney. It went very well and they offered to fly me to Orlando for the next phase interview. As great as it sounds, I turned them down... for a number of reasons. Going into it, I did not think I would, but it was the right decision.

I'm glad it's over.

But now I have another secret. This one I'm really excited about. :-D

Wipeout

I just love that show.  The 2 hosts are hilarious.  Sometimes, though, I feel bad about how hard I laugh when the contestants get hurt.

Today's show featured two 41 year old men contestants.  With my 41st birthday right around the corner, should I apply to be on Wipeout?  I'd probably consider it a little more if my back wasn't so messed up.

There is a show on TV that I had to stop watching because every time I watched it, I wanted to train for it and then try out.  That show... Toughman.  I don't know what it is.  But I really wish I was in better shape and had kept up with the martial arts.  I see those mostly untrained guys beating the snot out of each other and I think... I want to do that!

I think I'll keep myself in one piece and watch from home.

Reviews

Tomorrow is my annual review at work.  I hope for a good result.  I expect a good result.  I think I'll take this opportunity to review my other activities.

I fear the results aren't favorable.

Husband: C+ if I'm lucky.
Dad: Solid C.
Brother: C-.
Friend: D-.
Christ-follower: F...orgiven.

How about you?

This

Country singer, Darius Rucker has a song called "This."  At least I think that's the name of the song.  It's about looking back at the "bad" things that happened to us and getting perspective.  The story goes something like this (because we all know that country music tells a story)... if that girl that I really liked didn't drop me like a rock... if that college didn't deny my application... if all that other crappy stuff didn't happen... well, then my life wouldn't be as incredibly awesome as it is.  Then I wouldn't have ALL "this."

I must say that I can relate.  In fact, I'm sure that we all can relate at some level.  I can't help but wonder if I'm smack dab in the middle of one of those times right now.  How do you pray when you think you're in the middle of one of those times?  Do you pray that things get better and work out like you want?  Or, do you pray that things don't work out because "this" is waiting on the other side?

I guess I'll just pray that I sense God's peace and joy and that He leads and provides as He sees fit.  He always does.

Bring on Summer

The weather today was almost perfect: 82 degrees and sunny... a little windy, but otherwise perfect.  I wish we lived somewhere that had more days like today.  I spent most of my afternoon just sitting on the bench and soaking in the sun while Tam and the kids cleaned her van.  Then the kids had a super soaker battle.  To finish the day out, we had ice cream for dinner.  It was an all around great day.

I know, I keep saying that I want to move south.  But I wonder... if I lived somewhere that had more days like this, would I enjoy them as much?  Would I be as thankful for them as I am now, after all the cold, wet, snow, ice, etc. of winter?  The one thing that I do know: given the choice between hot weather and cold weather, I'll pick the hot every time.

I can't wait until we string a few more days like today together.  Bring on summer!

Entrepreneurial Bone

I have a genetic flaw.  You see, I am surrounded by folks who have an entrepreneurial bone.  But I don't have one.  I have a sister and brother in-law who renovate and rent houses, along with 3 co-workers who do the same.  I had a mom who had her own cleaning business and a niece who does the same.  I have parent in-laws who own their sewing business (www.alterationscorner.com).  My brother is starting a knife and scissors sharpening business (contact me, if you have some knives that you need to have sharpened).  And I have a wife who wants desperately to start her own business.  She has considered a baking business, primarily a cheesecake baking business.

But I am stuck.  Every time I have an idea to start a business or to support my wife's business, I think things like, "ya, that will never work."  The reality is that they probably will work... in fact, I'd put my wife's cheesecakes against the ones at The Cheesecake Factory any day.  I once started the process of creating a PC repair and tech support business.  I had everything in place... the business name, the business was registered and all the other stuff that you need to do to start a business.  But I never opened for business.

I tinker with website design.  I'm not great at it, but I have fun doing it.  Currently, I manage the site for my in-laws sewing business and the site for our Homeschool Co-op (www.wchscoop.org).  And I plan to host a site for my brother's sharpening service (I will be signing up after I post this blog, but I'm thinking www.parkinssharpeningservice.com if it is available).  I maintain these sites free of charge.  Maybe I should get serious about it and start that as my business.  Sure these sites that I manage aren't spectacular sites, but I've created them while teaching myself some fundamentals of new (new to me) technologies like PHP, VBScript and Javascript.  My mother in-law gets compliments on her website all the time.

Maybe I should throw more support behind my wife's entrepreneurial ideas.  Why am I so risk averse?  Am I afraid of failing?  I know well that the only sure way to not succeed is to not try.

Maybe I need a bone transplant.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Well, not quite in that order.  First, the bad: I have a sinus infection.  The good: I'm on antibiotics - Bactrim.  The ugly: it makes me gassy. -- Look I told you up front that this blog was going to be about what ever was on my mind... and trust me... today, gas is on my mind.

Is it considered an allergic reaction if the Marcellus Shale scientists are following you around taking readings?  A friend from work asked me today, "Is there really a difference between when something MAKES you gassy and normal?"  Point well taken, K-Dog.  All I know for sure is that this time, it does literally stink to be sick.

Hey... pull my finger.

Home Sweet asdf jkl;

My wife has been a Medical Transcriber for 13 years.  I don't even want to contemplate how many words she types per minute.  I'm not sure if she does Medical Transcription to make money or to keep me off her computer.  You see, I can't touch type and I must look at the keys, but only some of the time.  But all of my wife's keyboards look like this.

What you might not be able to see is that not only are the letters worn off, but there are grooves and ridges worn into the keys from pressing them so much (click the picture to see).  The crazy part is that she has gone through several other keyboards; some that she had just worn out.  They simply wouldn't type any more.  I'm pretty sure I saw one of them emitting smoke after she was done with one of her shifts.

So what's the point of this post, you ask.  I love my wife!

Secrets

I have a secret.  I'm itching to tell.  But, for now, I need to keep it.  Today, a friend told me another secret.  I need to keep that one too... and I will... even though, you could argue that perhaps I shouldn't.

I hate secrets.  I hate having to keep them.  I'd much rather just be myself and not worry about what I can say and to whom I can say it.

I tend to be a straight shooter.  Secrets cramp my style.  I can't wait until the subjects of these secrets have reached a point that they're out in the open and I don't have to feel like I'm doing something wrong.

Until then, don't tell anyone.

Quality Thoughts

I've been involved in software quality assurance since 1998. You could make the argument that I accidentally ended up here; though I must give the credit to God for providing in amazing ways.  But I'm good at it and I love doing it.

I've never really studied software quality assurance principles or methodology.  It just comes to me naturally.  You might say that I'm made to do this.  I think this way.  I live this way.  Those things that make me quirky to live with also make me good at my profession.

Recently, I've begun reading books and websites on software development life cycle, software development, testing and other related technological themes.  The more I read, the more I feel like saying, "just do it."  I just want to test.  I just want to do what I'm good at.

So the question that I'm wrestling with is: do I need to know the principles and methodology academic details and be able to speak on a theoretical level to be good and to be considered an expert?  Or is it enough to let the results speak for themselves?  Results and leadership have served me well to this point.  Can I continue to progress in my career and excel on skill and experience alone?  Or do I need to continue reading and studying to take it to the next level?

I'm not against studying about software quality.  I'm just not finding it to be helpful for me yet.

Messed Up

I'm messed up. But, guess what. You're messed up too.  We're ALL messed up. Tonight was a stark reminder of that fact.

We've had a GREAT weekend at Destination Unknown. The worship has been incredible. The teaching has been spot on and challenging. The food... well, let me assure you that I'm a bit behind in losing those 10 pounds. The kids have had a blast. And no injuries to report. We serve an awesome God.

Then tonight I had a talk with a great kid. I'm trying to be careful, here, to only share appropriately, so forgive me if this seems sketchy. He's having some trouble getting along with one of the other kids here and he asked to talk with me. I guess he doesn't realize that I have the relationship skills of a slug in a salt shaker. I couldn't help hearing Moses say 'Lord, you should probably send my brother, Aaron.'

I'm messed up. But we've already established that. I struggle to maintain friendships. It isn't much of a stretch to say that I have no REALLY good friends.

So I found myself giving advice to myself while this kid listened (and hopefully learned something). Because I was counseling this student to do something that I'm not real good at doing.

I gave me, I mean him, this advice:

Romans 12:18 NIV84

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

Lord, help us both to follow it.