And still it burns...

Wow. I can't even fathom this. I really enjoy that they used the words vexing and malodorous.

On a lighter note, sometimes it does indeed payoff to work in a corporate environment. And that time is now. Several folks around me are proud parents of Girl Scouts, and it's cookie time. I picked some lovely boxes of Peanut Butter Patties (those apparently sold out very quickly), along with a box of Thin Mints. Does it really get any better than this?

Brevity

A friend of mine commented today that my entries should be shorter and more specifically relate to a single topic. We have come to a mutual understanding that even though he prefers the topical, short entries (which yield themselves more to categories, and make them more easily searchable), for personal entries, the length and subject(s) of the post need not matter. So in a quest to accommodate the needs of my audience, I will strive for balance between the two approaches.

So this one's short and sweet, just for you. You know who you are.

Random Fact of the day: A cat has 32 muscles in each ear.
My comment: All 32 probably come in handy when he needs to do this.

Babbling

So I realized that I haven't written anything in awhile. I could lie and say that I haven't had time, but that's simply not true. I think honestly it's because I haven't felt very creative lately. There is apparently some thought process way down in my head that says I have nothing entertaining to write. But why must this be a venue for entertainment? Can it not also be an opportunity to simply share about the mundane?

Possible cause 1: I recently read an article in National Geographic Adventure magazine about this couple who dropped everything (everything meaning whatever adventuresome thing happened to be going on in their lives already) and sailed halfway around the world. Yes, it was a good article, and given my slight fear for large, open, deep bodies of water in which you cannot see the bottom, it was scary in some parts. But compared to my daily habit of waking up, driving to work, working, driving home, hanging out with friends, and then going to bed....well, they seem a bit more interesting than I do.

Possible cause 2: There is a lot of living I feel like I have left to do. Recently I've had the travel bug. No, I haven't really done anything about it yet. I'm still in procrastination mode. But I have at least discussed the possibility with some friends. This is a start. Have we acted on anything yet? Aside from printing out trail maps of various ski resorts in the greater Colorado area, no. But it seems that there are endless places to go, people to meet and sites to see. All of this is thrilling, and at the same time exhausting, to think about.

So why should I think that sitting at a coffee shop with good friends and good conversation for hours on end is dull? I submit that it is indeed not dull at all, but it is the very stuff of life. It's people, for goodness sake. I don't think that when Jesus said, "I have come that they might have life, and have it to the full" that He meant, "Man, I hope they earn a lot of frequent flyer miles," or even, "Goodness, I hope they never sit on the couch for more than 20 minutes." There is probably some sweet spot in between doing nothing and trying to do everything. Doing nothing is a bit of a cop out, and trying to do everything may lead to pride. Lovely :)

So, more on that to come. If things go as planned, which is almost certain not to happen, then I'll be skiing in mid-March. I'll keep you posted.

On a different topic - I'm looking to purchase a digital camera. My camera experience over the past years has been spotty: I ordered a film camera off the internet, received two (bonus!). Then one got dropped off of an Italian balcony (by a friend, not me, because remember - I'm not quite to the adventurous stage yet....see above), and simultaneously, the zoom on the other broke. So I tried resurrecting my mom's old Pentax, but I'm quite a novice and can barely load the film in that sucker. So for awhile, I just never took pictures. But remember, it's about people (see above) and life, and I want to remember (and even frame!) some of these moments. So after viewing some pictures that another friend of mine took while he was in India with his digital camera, I've decided to take the plunge. Those who know me well know that I'm a bit of a penny pincher, so this decision is not taken lightly. I've narrowed it down to a Sony most likely. Hold me accountable, I ask you. Within the next week, I hope to own yet another piece of pocket-sized technology.

9 to 5

As I went downstairs today to get coffee at the cafeteria (my normal workday routine that must occur before 9AM, not because the cafe closes, but because I'm apparently addicted to caffiene), I suddenly became thankful for my job. Not because the coffee was exceptionally tasty today (in fact, they were out of half and half, which bummed me out). And not because I found a pile of money on the linoleum floor of that had a big "take me" sign on it.

It just so happens that they have several televisions scattered throughout the eating establishment. I usually don't sit down there and watch what's on, because for some reason, it's almost always on Judge Judy, or People's Court. I don't know that I'll ever understand the entertainment value of those shows. However, this morning, it did catch my eye.

The TVs were tuned to the confirmation hearing of Condoleezza Rice. I realized in that moment that I handed over my 76 cents to pay for my cuppa joe, that my job was not that bad. Unlike Ms. Rice, who I think is great by the way, I don't have to worry about how I'll look on national television when I get dressed for work. Unlike Ms. Rice, I don't have to think about how a handful of senators are going to pick over every email that I write and every public statement that I make while trying to find something wrong with a particular opinion that I have. There are probably assorted other reasons, but all of that to say, I'm happy in my little fabric covered box today.

On a different note, a friend of mine is currently in India on business. Reading his notes and looking at his pictures make me want to get on a plane. Since college, I've really wanted to go there. I like the food for one, and it seems every Indian person I've ever met has been wonderfully nice, if not a great friend eventually. I think I'm fascinated by the culture as well. So - trip to India is definitely on the "to do" list.

McFunny

So I read this article the other day about a baby born at McDonald's. At first glance, I couldn't figure out why it was funny. Then I re-read it and realized that the lady's last name is actually McDonald.

Seriously, if I was in a similar circumstance (which I'm not likely to be any time soon, and there are no fast food establishments that are even close to having the same name that I do), I would just wait until I passed a Taco Bell, or a Denny's (unless my last name was Bell or Denny, then I would go with McDonald's). You get the idea... Now the poor kid is going to live with this his whole life.

And while I'm on the subject of random news, I thought I would mention this article while I'm at it. You can not seriously tell me that the President of the United States actually calls the President of Russia "Pootie-Poot." (And now I can't actually believe that I typed that out!) Don't get me wrong, I'm all for nicknames, having collected my fair share over the years. But some just cross that invisible line that we all know shouldn't be crossed. So I guess we're all wondering what Putin calls our President....another story for another time, I guess.

So on to bigger and better topics. Last night at Bible study we discussed the book of Acts, and it's probable author Luke. Apparently there has been a debate going within the church for many centuries about whether Luke was a Gentile or a Jew. We referenced this article by Dr. Thomas McCall, as well as another article by William Foxwell Albright (sorry, no direct link to the article, but this guy is a Biblical archaeology guru!). This debate is somewhat new to me, but I find it interesting to challenge some of the "traditional" things that many churches teach. Not for the sake of challenging, but for the sake of coming to understand the truth for yourself. Just a thought. All in all, it was a good discussion, and I'm looking forward to studying Acts in more detail.

Thai Taste

When I was in school, I lived behind a Thai food restaurant. Literally, it was in my backyard. And apparently it was popular, because the street was always lined with cars and there always seemed to be people milling around outside waiting for a table.

You can get Thai food there at 5 different levels of spice, 1 through 5, 5 being the level that causes grown men to cry. I've actually witnessed that reaction, and it made me chuckle. While I sat to eat my tame level 1 meal, my two friends (apparently both trying to impress us all with their manly ability to endure the intense spice of a level 5 dish) were actually wiping sweat and tears from their faces. The owners laughed at us. Good times.

So anyhow, I had Thai food last night. Since I hadn't eaten at this particular place before and couldn't pronounce anything off the menu, I asked the waiter to pick between the two finalists I had selected. I wound up with fishy-tasting chicken and white rice. All in all, it was a good meal. I still have no idea how you wind up with chicken tasting like fish. I thought of all the things to actually taste like chicken, chicken should do it.

Afterwards, we all decided to go check out my friends new apartment. Have you ever been to a home improvement stores paint section? They apparently set aside batches of paint that went awry and call them "Oops." They are cheaper than getting them to mix your own favorite color, and you often wind up with a very eclectic result. I think there were about 6 or 7 different "oops" colors in her entire apartment. And it was fun. I'm thinking of trying it out soon on my own room.

We also watched Danny Deckchair. I won't lie and say I didn't laugh. It's the same guy from Notting Hill. He looks totally different all cleaned up. Anyhow, if you're in the mood for a brainless movie, check it out.

On a literary note, I'm looking for more books to add to my reading list. I'm currently planning to read some John Bunyan, John Piper, C. S. Lewis (we read these in third grade, but I'd like to re-read them...), and maybe some other books that have been sitting on my shelf for awhile. Any suggestions?

I will build her a cake

Existentialism. That's what we talked about in church today. You might be asking yourself, "What in the heck does existentialism have to do with the Word of God?" Well, I'm glad you asked. I actually thought it was pretty neat. And I've been wanting lately to deepen the intellectual application of Scripture to my life.

So when the pastor started talking about existentialism, my ears perked up. You'll see that existentialism is defined as a philosophy that emphasizes a person's uniqueness, stresses freedom of choice, and assumes that people are responsible for what they make of themselves.

The example he gave was Napoleon Dynamite. You'll see that just by the look of this kid, he's definitely unique, as are some of the other key players in this film. Napoleon and Pedro are nerds, but lovable. But that doesn't really matter to them - they are true to themselves, and take responsibility for their actions. When Pedro wants to ask a girl (the prettiest and most popular girl in school), he decides to go for it and bakes her a cake.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, you've got Uncle Rico. All he wants to do is just record himself living out of his van, throwing a football over and over again. He goes out to raise money to buy himself a time machine, just so that he can go back and relive his glory days.

So all that to say, we're starting to study how there were also Biblical examples of existentialism - those who did something, took responsibility, reveled in their uniqueness. People like Peter. I'm excited about this look at his life. I hope all of that made sense. More to come later, hopefully.

J.J. Abrams

Today's fantastic quote: "My theory is that it's a transformer...probably a Decepticon. That's probably the funniest thing I'll say in 2005." Courtesy of Mike.

We're watching the season premiere of "Lost." I'm predicting at least 2 airplane/deserted island nightmares this week. Should be good stuff. It's sad that I have to say I'm addicted to at least two ABC shows. The times, they are a changin'....wish me luck, my friends. Gotta love TiVo.

Inaugural post

Howdy. This is my inaugural post to my new blog. I hate feeling techie, and I currently feel techie. I most likely hate feeling techie because I'm currently a professional techie. And now I've officially used "techie" too much during this, my first attempt at blogging. There's probably a correct form for this new art, but at this point, I'm doing good to make complete sentences. Thanks for reading - hopefully things will only get more interesting from this point on. Y'all are great - best of luck to you in your future technological endeavors.